Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Free Essays

Connor Doyle Summary of Body Ritual among the Nacirema 10/20/2012 Introduction to Sociology The Nacirema Horace Miner depicted this cultural group located in Northwest America â€Å"living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles† (Miner 503). Closely imitating the United States of America. If you take a look at the Nacirema’s name spelled backwards, its American. We will write a custom essay sample on Body Ritual Among the Nacirema or any similar topic only for you Order Now The concept behind this is that Miner wanted to describe American’s rituals in a way that people would deem crazy. But in all actuality, it’s what us humans do everyday and never think twice of it. For if we forgot to do one of these things, we would feel uncomfortable all day long. â€Å"According to Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnihsaw,† Hines describes that, â€Å"he was known for two great feats of strength—the throwing of a piece of wampum across the river Pa-To-Mac and the chopping down of a cherry tree in which the Spitit of Truth resided† (Miner 503). This is referring to, what many religions call, God. It’s a universal feeling that everyone wants to encounter, that their is a higher power somewhere. He then goes on to say the â€Å"Nacirema culture is charecterized by a highly developed market economy which has evolved in a rich natural habitat† (Miner 503). This is refering to our Free Market Economy. The way we evolved in a â€Å"rich natural habitat†, is that we’ve always been prosepering since our birth as a country. With the exceptions of some down falls, we have been the world’s leading power. It states that the Nacirema focus a lot of activity on the human body and its appearance. He states that it is a dominate concern, making every other aspect in life second best. Though many cultures have similar rituals to this, regarding the body, these aspects on society are quite unique. They even believe that their own human body is ugly making it a natural reaction to try and improve your situation. They also acknowledge the fact that the human body deterioates and attracts disease. Since man knows these facts, the only option left is to perform rituals regarding the improvement of your body. He says that in every Nacirema’s house their is at lease one shrine devoted mainly to the self-improvement of the people. This is refering to what we commonly know as a bathroom. If you really come to think about it, the bathroom is almost souly used for self-improvement. Every action from shaving, to brushing your teeth is preconcieved and is subconcsiously telling you that you need these things everyday. He goes on to say that â€Å"the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. † Then he states that the only time you really talk about these rituals are to your children, and only telling them the basics while they are still growing up. Another big part of the Nacirema culture is the medicine man. He is the only one that knows what is in the secret potion. Every Nacirema believes that if they are to go without these magic potions, they would cease to live. It goes hand in hand with the culture of our society. If people don’t have a cure for the smallest thing, they still feel vulnerable. We rely on so many perscriptions, medications, and cure-alls for a quick fix. Without these things, we as a society would feel completely weak. They say that the medicine man can only work if they recieve â€Å"substantial gifts† (Miner 504), which is the same for our doctors as well. Even when the Nacirema have been done with the charms, they still keep the expired remains in their drawer just for safety. In fear that without these charms, they would remain vulnerable. The medicine man is even able to make a women’s breast larger or smaller, depending on the request. The holy man, refered to in the Nacirema culture, is what we commonly know as the Dentist. Miner says that in addition to brushing and maintaing their teeth, they visit a â€Å"holy-mouth-man once or twice a year. They refer to a Dentist tool’s as â€Å"paraphernalia, consisting of a variety of augers, awls, probes, and prods† (Miner 504). To the untrained eye that’s what it looks like. Not many other cultures around the world, that are not as prosperous, ever make visits to a Dentist. They go on to say that â€Å"these objects in the exorcism of the evils of the mouth involves almost unbelievable ritual torture of the client† (Miner 505). Their has always been a f ear of pain when attending the Dentist. Young children dread going every year, but to their parents and their society it is standard to have a high maintance mouth. How to cite Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, Papers

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Free Essays

Connor Doyle Summary of Body Ritual among the Nacirema 10/20/2012 Introduction to Sociology The Nacirema Horace Miner depicted this cultural group located in Northwest America â€Å"living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles† (Miner 503). Closely imitating the United States of America. If you take a look at the Nacirema’s name spelled backwards, its American. We will write a custom essay sample on Body Ritual Among the Nacirema or any similar topic only for you Order Now The concept behind this is that Miner wanted to describe American’s rituals in a way that people would deem crazy. But in all actuality, it’s what us humans do everyday and never think twice of it. For if we forgot to do one of these things, we would feel uncomfortable all day long. â€Å"According to Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnihsaw,† Hines describes that, â€Å"he was known for two great feats of strength—the throwing of a piece of wampum across the river Pa-To-Mac and the chopping down of a cherry tree in which the Spitit of Truth resided† (Miner 503). This is referring to, what many religions call, God. It’s a universal feeling that everyone wants to encounter, that their is a higher power somewhere. He then goes on to say the â€Å"Nacirema culture is charecterized by a highly developed market economy which has evolved in a rich natural habitat† (Miner 503). This is refering to our Free Market Economy. The way we evolved in a â€Å"rich natural habitat†, is that we’ve always been prosepering since our birth as a country. With the exceptions of some down falls, we have been the world’s leading power. It states that the Nacirema focus a lot of activity on the human body and its appearance. He states that it is a dominate concern, making every other aspect in life second best. Though many cultures have similar rituals to this, regarding the body, these aspects on society are quite unique. They even believe that their own human body is ugly making it a natural reaction to try and improve your situation. They also acknowledge the fact that the human body deterioates and attracts disease. Since man knows these facts, the only option left is to perform rituals regarding the improvement of your body. He says that in every Nacirema’s house their is at lease one shrine devoted mainly to the self-improvement of the people. This is refering to what we commonly know as a bathroom. If you really come to think about it, the bathroom is almost souly used for self-improvement. Every action from shaving, to brushing your teeth is preconcieved and is subconcsiously telling you that you need these things everyday. He goes on to say that â€Å"the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. † Then he states that the only time you really talk about these rituals are to your children, and only telling them the basics while they are still growing up. Another big part of the Nacirema culture is the medicine man. He is the only one that knows what is in the secret potion. Every Nacirema believes that if they are to go without these magic potions, they would cease to live. It goes hand in hand with the culture of our society. If people don’t have a cure for the smallest thing, they still feel vulnerable. We rely on so many perscriptions, medications, and cure-alls for a quick fix. Without these things, we as a society would feel completely weak. They say that the medicine man can only work if they recieve â€Å"substantial gifts† (Miner 504), which is the same for our doctors as well. Even when the Nacirema have been done with the charms, they still keep the expired remains in their drawer just for safety. In fear that without these charms, they would remain vulnerable. The medicine man is even able to make a women’s breast larger or smaller, depending on the request. The holy man, refered to in the Nacirema culture, is what we commonly know as the Dentist. Miner says that in addition to brushing and maintaing their teeth, they visit a â€Å"holy-mouth-man once or twice a year. They refer to a Dentist tool’s as â€Å"paraphernalia, consisting of a variety of augers, awls, probes, and prods† (Miner 504). To the untrained eye that’s what it looks like. Not many other cultures around the world, that are not as prosperous, ever make visits to a Dentist. They go on to say that â€Å"these objects in the exorcism of the evils of the mouth involves almost unbelievable ritual torture of the client† (Miner 505). Their has always been a f ear of pain when attending the Dentist. Young children dread going every year, but to their parents and their society it is standard to have a high maintance mouth. How to cite Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, Papers

My Dad, My Hero free essay sample

â€Å"Get a bucket of water,† my dad shouted. I didn’t budge. â€Å"Madie, I need your help. Go get help and a bucket of water.† I heard him, but didn’t move; I was processing and thinking about the previous event, unsure of how to react†¦should I laugh? Should I cry? Should I start moving and do what my dad had commanded? I finally snapped out of this frozen state and ran into the house, yelled for my mom, and grabbed a bucket. The fire was spreading, and the chaos continued†¦finally, the fire was out. All it took was one firework and our neighbor’s lawn for me to realize my dad is my hero. I strive to be exactly like my dad: his wit, his intelligence, and his willingness to help others. His dedication to the work he does and the family he loves is admirable in every sense of the word. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dad, My Hero or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My dad is strong and stubborn, outspoken and enthusiastic. He never falters from who he is and who he strives to be. During my life, my dad has pushed me to be the best person I can, to take responsibility for the things I do, and to love whole heartedly. He has taught me the backbone to success includes knowledge, positive thinking and God. My dad is the quintessential role model, combining old traditions with new values, never wavering from his definition of life and what it has to offer. My dad. My hero. My dad started the fire. The firework went outwards instead of upwards. My neighbor’s front lawn was charred. Did any of that really matter? Not to me. All that mattered was that my dad owned up to what he did, and taught me morals that my faith encourage. My dad apologized for his mistake and he made it right. He offered to water and care for the lawn daily. And he did. The lawn grew back thicker and lusher. Because of this I have become a spiritually strong individual , and someone who is more confident in the morals that I’ve been taught. Like my neighbor’s lawn, I too have grown into a deeper and brighter person because of my dad.

Whistleblowing and the Sarbanes

Whistleblowing and the Sarbanes The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act was enacted with the aim of improving accountability, transparency and outright disclosure of financial information in publicly-traded companies. Whistle blowers are also protected by the same Ac t in section 1107. This brief essay explores a recent whistle blowing incident at the department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and relates the occurrence with provisions of SOX.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Whistleblowing and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the dominant characteristics of a whistleblower is that the individual is usually altruistically motivated. In other words, it is not possible to whistle blow against wrong doings in an organization without the element of motivation. In any case, whistleblowing is a risky undertaking owing to the underlying consequences. Second, utilitarianism is a common characteristic of most whistle blowers. This refers to a state whereby a person values normative ethics more than hiding the truth. Hence, such individuals are eager to optimize utility within their areas of influence or operation. Lack of suffering, economic wellbeing and pleasure are some of the key components of utility. Third, whistle blowers are not interested in changing their behaviors and that is why they act with an independent mind. They are self-driven. They also permit personal attitudes and beliefs to propel their actions. In most instances, whistle blowers are well-informed, educated and intelligent individuals who are well versed with knowledge from a particular discipline.  In June 2014, it was established that the Department of Veteran Affairs in the United States had been engaging in acts of sabotaging the views of staff members regarding its operations (Lichtblaujune, 2014). For example, falsified patient appointment program had been rife at the department for a long. Individuals who would attempt to raise their voices concerning malpractices in the department would be severely disciplined or even released from their jobs. Both former and current members of staff at the department recorded the same concerns. The fake scheduling books coupled with longer waiting times for patients were two major scandals affecting the reputation of V.A. as a result, several complaints regarding these improper practices have been forwarded to external whistle blower groups, lawmakers, unions and a number of federal watchdogs.Advertising Looking for research paper on business corporate law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to the whistle blowing incidence, the Veterans Affairs chief was compelled to resign and investigations started immediately. The whistle blowers did not suffer any consequence. They only faced retaliation actions when they were still active in employment.  The whistle blowers were indeed justified in reporting the malpr actices at the Veterans Affairs department because the vice reflected wrong information on the operations of the department. It aggravated service delivery to clients and worsened workplace relationship of employees. Citing doctor shortage as the reason for long wait by patients was just an excuse to cover up the scandal.  Second, employees who ever reported the vice in the past were victimized. Tis implied that the action was not good at all. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the whistle blowers could have been protected in a number of ways (Lenn, 2013). For instance, section 1107 of the Act prefers a criminal charge for any public officer who victimizes a whistle blower. Employees who have been threatened with either firing or demotion at VA would not have feared reporting the on-going scandal because any person charged with the offence of retaliating would face a criminal offence. The executive organ of the Veteran Affairs would have feared to face criminal charges leveled against them owing to retaliation attempts. In addition, the new piece of legislation would have compelled the management team of the VA to disclose all accounting information to the benefit of whistleblowers. Owing to such provisions in place, it would have been quite restrictive for the executive organ at VA to threaten, dismiss or even abuse the basic right of employees in the organization. References Lenn, L. E. (2013). Sarbanes- oxley act 2002 (SOX) 10 years later. Journal of Legal Issues and Cases in Business, 2 (1), 1-14. Lichtblaujune, E. (2014). V.A. Punished Critics on Staff, Doctors Assert. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/us/va-punished-critics-on-staff-doctors-assert.html?ref=topics

The Wright Brothers Make the First Flight

The Wright Brothers Make the First Flight At 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 1903, Orville Wright flew the Flyer for 12 seconds over 120 feet of the ground. This flight, conducted on Kill Devil Hill just outside of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, was the very first flight by a manned, controlled, heavier-than-air aircraft that flew under its own power. In other words, it was the first flight of an airplane. Who Were the Wright Brothers? Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) and Orville Wright (1871-1948) were brothers who ran both a printing shop and a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. The skills they learned from working on printing presses and bicycles were invaluable in trying to design and build a working airplane. Although the brothers interest in flight had stemmed from a small helicopter toy from their childhood, they didnt begin experimenting with aeronautics until 1899, when Wilbur was 32 and Orville was 28. Wilbur and Orville began by studying aeronautical books, then talked with civil engineers. Next, they built kites. Wing Warping Wilbur and Orville Wright studied the designs and accomplishments of other experimenters but soon realized that no one had yet found a way to control aircraft while in the air. By studiously observing birds in flight, the Wright brothers came up with the concept of wing warping.​ Wing warping allowed the pilot to control the roll of the plane (horizontal movement) by raising or lowering flaps located along the planes wingtips. For instance, by raising up one flap and lowering the other, the plane would then begin to bank (turn). The Wright brothers tested their ideas using kites and then, in 1900, built their first glider. Testing at Kitty Hawk Needing a place that had regular winds, hills, and sand (to provide a soft landing), the Wright brothers selected Kitty Hawk in North Carolina to conduct their tests. Wilbur and Orville Wright took their glider into the Kill Devil Hills, located just south of Kitty Hawk, and flew it. However, the glider did not do as well as they had hoped. In 1901, they built another glider and tested it, but it too did not work well. Realizing that the problem was in the experimental data they had used from others, they decided to conduct their own experiments. To do so, they went back to Dayton, Ohio and built a small wind tunnel. With the information gained from their own experiments in the wind tunnel, Wilbur and Orville built another glider in 1902. This one, when tested, did exactly what the Wrights expected. Wilbur and Orville Wright had successfully solved the problem of control in flight. Next, they needed to build an aircraft that had both control and motorized power. The Wright Brothers Build the Flyer The Wrights needed an engine that would be powerful enough to lift a plane from the ground, but not weigh it down significantly. After contacting a number of engine manufacturers and not finding any engines light enough for their task, the Wrights realized that in order to get an engine with the specifications they needed, they must design and build their own. While the Wilbur and Orville Wright designed the engine, it was the clever and able Charlie Taylor, a machinist who worked with the Wright brothers in their bicycle shop, who built it carefully crafting each individual, unique piece. With little experience working with engines, the three men managed to put together a 4-cylinder, 8 horsepower, gasoline engine that weighed 152 pounds in just six weeks. However, after some testing, the engine block cracked. It took another two months to make a new one, but this time, the engine had a whopping 12 horsepower. Another engineering struggle was determining the shape and size of the propellers. Orville and Wilbur would constantly discuss the intricacies of their engineering problems. Although they hoped to find solutions in nautical engineering books, they ultimately discovered their own answers through trial, error, and lots of discussion. When the engine was completed and the two propellers created, Wilbur and Orville placed these into their newly built, 21-foot long, spruce-and-ash framed Flyer. With the finished product weighing 605 pounds, the Wright brothers hoped that the motor would be strong enough to lift the plane. It was time to test their new, controlled, motorized aircraft. The December 14, 1903 Test Wilbur and Orville Wright traveled to Kitty Hawk in September 1903. Technical difficulties and weather problems delayed the first test until December 14, 1903. Wilbur and Orville flipped a coin to see who would get to make the first test flight and Wilbur won. However, there wasnt enough wind that day, so the Wright brothers took the Flyer up to a hill and flew it. Although it did take flight, it crashed at the end and needed a couple days to repair. Nothing definitive was gained from this flight since the Flyer had taken off from a hill. The First Flight at Kitty Hawk On December 17, 1903, the Flyer was fixed and ready to go. The weather was cold and windy, with winds reported around 20 to 27 miles per hour. The brothers tried to wait until the weather improved but by 10 a.m. it had not, so they decided to try a flight anyway. The two brothers, plus several helpers, set up the 60-foot monorail track that helped keep the Flyer in line for lift-off. Since Wilbur had won the coin toss on December 14,  it was Orvilles turn to pilot. Orville  clambered onto the Flyer, laying flat on his tummy on the middle of the bottom wing. The biplane, which had a 40-foot 4-inch wingspan, was ready to go. At 10:35 a.m. the Flyer started off with Orville as pilot and Wilbur running along the right side, holding onto the lower wing to help stabilize the plane. Around 40 feet along the track, the Flyer took flight, staying in the air for 12 seconds and traveling 120 feet from liftoff. They had done it. They had made the very first flight with a manned, controlled, powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. Three More Flights That Day The men were excited about their triumph but they were not done for the day. They went back inside to warm up by a fire and then went back outside for three more flights. The fourth and final flight proved their best. During that last flight, Wilbur piloted the Flyer for 59 seconds over 852 feet. After the fourth test flight, a strong gust of wind blew the Flyer over, making it tumble and breaking it so severely that it would never be flown again.   After Kitty Hawk Over the next several years, the Wright Brothers would continue perfecting their airplane designs but would suffer a major setback in 1908 when they were involved in the first fatal airplane crash. In this crash, Orville Wright was severely injured but  passenger Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge died. Four years later, having recently returned from a six-month trip to Europe for business, Wilbur Wright became ill with typhoid fever. Wilbur never recovered, passing away on May 30, 1912, at the age of 45. Orville Wright continued to fly for the next six years, making daring stunts and setting speed records, stopping only when aches left over from his 1908 crash would no longer let him fly. Over the next three decades, Orville kept busy continuing scientific research, making public appearances, and battling lawsuits. He lived long enough to witness the historic flights of great aviators such as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart as well as recognize the  important roles that planes played in World War I and World War II. On January 30, 1948, Orville Wright died at age 77 of a massive heart attack.

Business Ethics and Virtue Ethics MOD 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Ethics and Virtue Ethics MOD 3 - Essay Example If a person is not courageous, for instance, he will not overcome the difficulties inherent in the practice of any virtue† (Pury & Lopez, 2010). In simple words, it implies doing what one knows he has to do no matter how demanding or complicated it might seem. Courage takes a number of forms. Examples incorporate the courage to stand for what is true, the courage deal with a personal apprehension, the courage to admit disrespect, the courage to tolerate physical or emotional hurt for self-development, the courage to move ahead through disappointment, and many more. Virtue of Honesty The virtue of honesty is defined as the negation to false reality, that is, â€Å"to pretend that facts are other than they are† (Roberts & Woods, 2010). According to Peikoff, honesty consists of taking the procedure of cognition sincerely, creating an active psyche, and looking for knowledge because one wants it to proceed appropriately rather than making an impression on others. Honesty is linked with the value it tries to achieve because such value should symbolize truth, it cannot be faked. From this perspective, virtues are depicted with respect to what is better for individuals: Virtues are not their own incentive or a type of self-anguish, but a â€Å"selfish necessity in the process of achieving values† (Roberts & Woods, 2010). A virtue such as honesty is not only an inclination to do what is truthful, nor is it to be supportively identified as an advantageous or ethically important character’s attribute. It is certainly a character attribute - that is, a disposition that is deep-rooted within its owner. An honest individual's motives as well as preferences, with respect to honest and dishonest behavior, reveal his views regarding honesty and genuineness - but naturally such views manifest themselves with regard to other behaviors and to emotional responses also. Virtue of Justice While speaking of justice as a virtue, one is usually indicating tow ards a quality of individuals, even if considering the justice of individuals as having some indication towards social justice. Plato treats justice as an â€Å"overarching virtue† (Sandel, 2010) of people as well as of societies, signifying that more or less all issues he would consider as ethical appeared under the perception of justice. However, in contemporary practices, justice includes just a part of individual integrity, and one does not readily imagine people as unjust if they lie. Plato knows individual justice on equivalence with â€Å"justice writ large in the state† (Sandel, 2010), however, he considers the state, or democracy, as a form of organism or beehive, and the justice of people is not thought of as mainly involving orthodoxy to just organizations as well as regulations. Instead, the just person is someone whose psyche is directed by a revelation of the Good, someone in whom rationale rules enthusiasm and aspiration through this sort of a vision. Su ch a formation of individual justice is virtue ethical since it connects justice (or behaving in a just manner) to an inner condition of the person instead of the loyalty to social standards or to good outcomes. Plato and Aristotle both were rationalists because they consider human understanding and ethical causes; in addition, what they state

Origins of American Civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Origins of American Civilizations - Essay Example Douglas (2010) gives a narration of how the American society rejected the British rule; they formed social groups of like-minded citizens and began via demonstrations. The associations’ growth degenerated into militia groups fighting the British Army. It was strengthened by alliances with the French, Spaniards, and the Dutch. The war came to an end towards the south under general Washington opening doors for a peace treaty between the opposing factions of the American Revolt. The peace treaty was a platform designed to enable nation minded citizens to define the America constitution and governance. The political shape up that occurred in America made them stronger. It was a new beginning, a new America (Douglas). The persons who fought British rule included the patriots. Contrary to the oppression, British army and the loyalists within the American borders became the battle force. The war between the two factions defines the outfit taken by the American journey to freedom. The war was recorded to have lasted between the years 1775-1783. Whereas the war started in 1775, protests were witnessed as early as 1774. Patriotic groups, as recorded by Dull (1975), were designed to work in sync and conglomerate their energy towards rescuing America from British rule. The pioneer group documented among the majority of the social groups was the Suffolk Resolves. They had a strong force that managed to outplay the British royal government that led the Massachusetts borders. The activism that was organized by the group successfully confined the British rules to the city of Boston. The other nation dwellers must have had a jerk on their spirits from the Suffolk move. American Revolution evidently rode in groups of loyalists who took a bold move to outsmart and force the British rule one at a time (Dull). An incidence was witnessed in