Significance of Black Madonna

Notwithstanding its sociological, historical, literary and religious significance to the life of many people in different parts of the world, the origin and essence of the Black Madonna which serves as the holy icon of the Virgin Mary and Poland's national symbol remains to be a debate to many people as far as the history, literature and religion are concerned. The presence of Black Madonna are widespread all across the country and they are mostly found insidethe churches and cathedrals and they all point towards the image of Mary and the Christ.This image may have been formed centuries ago but its historical significance and importance travelled and withstood the test of time. The word Madonna originated from Italy which means â€Å"our lady†. Thie term connotes a title of respect for the Virgin Mary and it is often applied to works of art, most especially to the mother andchildimagewhich is popularly known as Madonna and Child . Religion tells that Black Madonna is the repre sentation of the image of Virgin Mary which was tested by times that is why it was transformed into its today's black image.Also, church leaders claim that Black Madonna has noting to do with the Culture of the African-Americans. It is stated, nevertheless, that the Black Madonnas became black they were greatly influenced by the cultures and traditions of the Black Americans. The icon transformed into black because it was affected by the place where most of these images can be found. On the other hand, history and literature dictate that Black Madonna is the changed representation of the early statues of the African Goddess Isis and her son Horus which greatly influenced most of the religions of the world today.Society has associated the color black with something negative but in the past, this was not the case. For instance, black was connected with fertility and growth and it is good to think of it not as a color bt as an absence of color. From this perspective, the Black Madonna became an icon for inclusion. She became a guide and a comfort for people from all walks of life and race. In terms of psychology, darkness represents somethin unknown to consciousness and more often than not, thse gifts involve qualities of the females like intuition and emotion.It must be born in mind that the term feminine does not necessarily refer to the female specie because both sexes have masculine and feminine qualities. With this in mind, it can be said that the Black Madonnas symnolize transformation because this image helps people discover their inner gifts and assists them in bringing those gifts into the surface . Amid these numerous explanations from the different perspectives in the society, until today, there are no clear and definite position on the real origin of the Black Madonna which is believed to be the representation of Virgin Mary.Even though the different claims seem to contradict each other with regards to the origin of the icon or image, the Black Madonn a is considered to be one of the most influential religious icon to most of the people in the present generation. The origin of Black Madonna A Black Madonna may refer to an icon, painting, fresco or sculpture of Virgin Mary which is usually found in churches, sanctuaries and chapels. It is also called as Black Virgin since Mary is portrayed with dark or black skin.Some believe that this portrayal of Virgin Mary was originated from the culture of the Black Americans since many of these Black Madonnas were found in the areas with large black populations such as in the United States. Some claim that the color of these images have no significance or value since they were only repainted by black color after being restored to its original pale-skinned coloring brought by the age of time. Nevertheless, amidst its sociological, historical and religious significance to many parts of the world, the origin of the Black Madonna still remains a question left unanswered to many of its devotees.S ome of the famous Black Virgin shrines, which we usually see in the cathedrals and churches, are Loreto, Zaragoza, Chartes, Rocamadour, Guadalupe and Montserrat . Black Madonnas are found throughout the world including Belgium, Croatia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Sicily, Spain, Switzerland and the United States . The first â€Å"Black Madonna and Child† portraits and statues were believed to be from Isis and Horus . Isis was a black African goddess from Nile Valley civilizations whose worship diffused to most of ancient civilizations.Before the first Egyptian dynasty, Isis was worshiped by the Nubians for more than 300 years. It is believed that Isis religion had a lot of similarities to the to the world's religions which include Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. For instance, Horus, the son of Isis, was from a virgin mother's immaculate conception and said to walk on water like Jesus Ch rist. The husband of Isis named Osiris was also resurrected, like Jesus, after he was murdered. When other religions became popular, the â€Å"Black Madonna and Child† statues of Isis and Horus were not destroyed but their names were only changed.For example, Isis and Horus were changed to Devaki and Krishna in Hinduism or Maya and Buddha in Buddhism. The Japanese called Isis as Kwannon while Chinese changed the name to Kwa-yin. In the 1985 book of Ean Begg entitled The Cult of the Black Virgin, there were 450 identified images of the Black Virgin and Child in Europe with 190 statues in France only. Because of the dominating influence of the Isis religion, it is believed that the African goddess had significant contributions to the civilization of the continent.For instance, Paris is actually believed to be named after Isis since Para-Isis signifies â€Å"Place of Isis†. Likewise, Note Dame which means â€Å"Our Lady† is a manifestation that the cathedral of the Catholics is nothing but more than as enlargement of the temple of Isis in the ancient civilizations . Some also believe that Black Virgin, aside from its resemblance to the portrayal of Isis and Horus of the ancient Egyptians, has the strong connection to the medieval Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene .For instance, the famous Black Virgin – la Madone des Fenestres which means â€Å"The Madonna of the Windows† was believed to have folk traditional significance since the place where this statue was believed to be a place where many Templars were massacred. Some associate Black Madonnas with African-American cultures. Nevertheless, church literature strongly denies this claim since church officials insist that the Madonnas became black because of the smoke from candles and dirt and eventually because of the old age of the statues .Meanwhile, the Black Madonna in Southern Provencal tradition is associated with the patron of the Gypsies called St. Lara . The patron sain t is considered to be the black assistant who accompanied the three Marys to France when they escaped from the Holy Land after Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, during 1934, an icon of the Virgin Mother and Child was brought to the Pauline monastery of Jasna Gora or the â€Å"Bright Mountain† in Western Poland. The icon was said to be donated by the Prince of Opole in Silesia. Some told that the icon was painted by St. Luke on boards from table of the Holy Family in Nazareth.And the face of the said icon is black . There are other countless theories about the origin of the Black Madonnas or Black Virgins but until today, there is no concrete explanation about the history or origin of the now famous image in the religious sectors of the world. There are many who look at Black Madonna in relation to some of the goddesses know to men like Kali of India, Hecate and Medusa of Greece and Isis of Egypt. These grounds generates a spiritual as well as a psychological substance t hat raises the Black Madona to a level of great importance and significance in the modern world .Today, the statues of Isis and Horus are now called Mary and Jesus and there are millions of pilgrims who are visiting the Black Madonna shrines since they are believed to be miraculous to the devotees. Some claim that the statues can help heal towns of plague, make infertile women pregnant, bring back dead babies to life, save countries from war and the like. One of the obvious testimonies of the miracle from the Black Virgin in Poland was the experience of Pope John Paul II when he prayed to the statue for his recovery from his gun shot wound .After the miracle happened to Pope John Paul II, several miraculous events were credited after the Black Virgins including saving Poland from Russia in 1769. In fact, in 1968, the Black Madonna shrine in Poland received over 66, 000 thank you letters for healing and other miraculous events . The meaning of Black Madonna Theories about the definit ion of darkness of the figure and mystery behind the dark image have been established everywhere. What Black Madonna represents is not an easy question to answer.There is a tendency that one answer may lead to several more questions which demand plenty more explanations. One of the possible reasons for this dilemma lies in the difficulty of consciously incorporating the feminine aspect of life in a particular culture and most especially, a darker side of it. Another reason is the characteristic and nature of the dark feminine itself which clearly defies any attempt to generate limits as to what she really represents. However, no matter what many people may say and observe, the Black Madonna mirrors herself in the personal as well as collective lives of the people.This dark side generates intimations to the most essential of meanings through the use of images, literature, works of arts and even dreams . It is noteworthy to mention that the word black can be a misnomer for some of the Madonnas because not all of them are color black in its literal sense, some of them are painted with different shades of black. The original artists of many Black Madonnas are lost in time but most people know that the most powerful representations of the Black Madonna were made during the 11th and 12th centuries.The Shrines of the Black Madonnas are often located in the seat of great power and in the locations where the earth emits energies. From a religious perspective, the Black Madonna represents the honor and devotion of the female form. Christ, the center of Christianity is a male and it was from Mary that the church found a representative of the female specie towards divinity . Theories about the meaning of Black Madonna are often connected to the image of pre-Christian ideas and their religions.Because the Madonna and Child looks like the Egyptian images of Isis and Horus, there is a possibility that the dark skin of the Black Madonnas may be a referene to the Egyptian root s of the image. The Dark-Skinned madoonas may likewise be based on other pre-Christian figures. There are also other theories that the Black Madonnas were made as a representation of a mother or a feminine figure by using earthly tones. This theory suggests that the light-skinned Madonnas depict purity and chastity while another theory holds that the Black Madonnas were intended to bea historically accurate imageof a Semitic woman from the Middle East named Mary.There are some historians who said that the Black Madonnas were conceptualized after Middle Ages because during these times, the light-skinned images were the norm but regardless of what the case maybe, the Black Madonnas captured the attention of believers and non-believers for centuries . During the Victorian society, there was a time when the black female writers seemed to lean towards binding their female characters in an image of chastity because they want to overcomea heritage of concubinage.The women then were portray ed as either a martyr or a saint and in the attempt of the writers such as Harriet Jacobs and Frances Harper to remove the stereotype of a sinful woman, they robbed the personalities of their characters of their sexual identity thereby makingthem pure and holy much like the Virgin Mary. This situation combined with the gender dilemma becomes a double jeopardy. According to Faith Pullin, the black woman faces a painful situation of the double strain of being a woman in a dominant male society and being black amidst the racial discrimination.Novels about the early African American women talks abou the situation of double jeopardy for black women. These women are marginalized by race and gender. According to the notions of the period during that time, the true woman is a character of virtue like Madonna: pure, pious and submissive . Some theologians say that Black Madonna represents diversity. The femininity and the blackness of the Black Madonna calls men towards gender and racial div ersity. This figure calls for uniformity of the masculine and feminine sex, the combination of the white and the dark goddess in order for the wholeness and unity can arise amidst the diversity.The Black Madonna may be interpreted as a symbolism of man in the form of a metaphor as men moves towards the newreality of the modern wornd. The survival of men in this age will depend on their willingness to appreciate and understand the unity amidst the diversity . Conclusion There are plenty of images of Black Madonna that exist worldwide. Reports showthat at one time, there may have been more than 500 images that are mostly in Europe and France. In today's world, there are many people whose interest in the Black Madonna's have increased over the years.Some of her most popular incarnations are found in countries from all over the globe in the form of literature, art and paintings. The Black Madonna may mean many things to many people but everyone must bear in mind that this image serves a s a powerful reminder of the inspiration that it brought to the society. In her image, many people found their comforter, guide and power. She has been and always will be the feminine side of men that will never fail to shed light during trying times. Bibliography Davies, Norman. Europe: a history. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.Dickson, Elinor, Woodman, Marion. Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness. Toronto: Canada Publishing, 1996. Faqs. org. â€Å"Madonna, Religious†. Faqs. org. http://www. faqs. org/childhood/Ke- Me/ Madonna-Religious. html (Accessed May 6, 2010). Foster, Nikki. â€Å"What is Black Madonna? †. WiseGeek. com. http://www. wisegeek. com/ what-is-a-black-madonna. htm (Accessed May 6, 2010). Gustafson, Fred. The Black Madonna. USA: Daion Verdag, 2008. Kaiser, Laurie. â€Å"The Black Madonna: Notions of True Womanhood from Jacobs to Hurston†. South Atlantic Review, 2008, 60 (), 97-09.

Hobbit to Hero: Transformation of Bilbo Baggins Essay

In the beginning of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Gandalf, a supporting character, describes Bilbo, the protagonist, as a great thief and the perfect member a team of dwarves require for their expedition. During the start of their adventure we see that Bilbo is not very keen on going, but as he embarks on these adventures, he gradually begins to rely on his own abilities and starts to take initiative. In The Hobbit, the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, changes from a mere thieving hobbit to an admired hero by stepping out of his comfort zone, the strength and bravery Gandalf sees in him, and through the trials he overcomes. Hobbits are laid back, easy going, love peace and quiet, like to live in comfort and are inclined to be fat. Bilbo Baggins had all of these traits and qualities, being a hobbit, but being a Baggins also made him predictable, â€Å"†¦. you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him.† (p2). Bilbo’s mother, Belladonna Took; being a Took meant she was adventurous and did unhobbit-like things. Even with his mother’s Took blood present in him, he chose to stay home; which he’d rather do anyways, but upon the arrival of the dwarves and Gandalf, Bilbo finds something that stirs up in him and is convinced to go on the great quest. By going on such an adventure, Bilbo was going against typical hobbit behavior, in doing so, upon his arrival home his hobbit neighbors and friends lost respect for him. Knowing that Bilbo was the ‘man for the job’, Gandalf encouraged him to join him in their quest for Thorin’s gold. Even though Bilbo was just a simple hobbit, Gandalf knew that he had Took blood in him, and that he longed for adventures, so he was sure that Bilbo would be a great adventurer. The dwarves and Bilbo doubted Gandalf, but he knew that Bilbo was needed. Gandalf thought that they would doubt him, and that Bilbo would doubt himself, but he assured them that he was the one needed, â€Å"There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea about himself.† (p19). With Gandalf’s encouragement, even with the dwarf’s doubt and Bilbo’s in himself, he goes on the expedition in search of these qualities that are seen in him. Bilbo overcomes the obstacles in his path throughout the adventure by taking initiative and by displaying leadership. When Bilbo makes a reluctant attempt at taking a troll’s wallet, he displays the beginning of his transformation from a simple hobbit into a Tookish adventurer. After Bilbo slays a spider, he displays his hidden courage and bravery that has been in him this all along. Naming his sword after killing the spider is a major turning point in his conversion into a hero; since in ancient epic literature a named sword is a sign of bravery and heroism. Bilbo finally begins to see himself as a hero when he is speaking face to face with the great dragon Smaug, as he begins to create a name for himself, â€Å"†¦ I am he that walks unseen†¦ I am the clue finder†¦ I am the Ringwinnner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p152). This would have been a difficult task for anyone, as everyone feared the dragon for one reason or another. As we see Bilbo went against traditional hobbit ways, but became better for it as he discovered hidden qualities in himself that made him a better hobbit. He became a hero and a leader by facing the challenges bestowed upon him head on. Even though he may have lost the respect of his fellow hobbits, due to his new Tookish nature, he has gained the title of a hero throughout the land. Bibliography Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989. Print. Tolkien, J.R.R. â€Å"Fellowship of The Ring.† PDF file. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on The Hobbit.† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.

Benefits of Volunteering Abroad

The Benefits of Doing Volunteer Work Abroad Being a volunteer abroad does not give you monetary compensation for the time spent working. However, the time spent on volunteering abroad can improve the community and the world at large. The unselfish work that you do has innumerable benefits – for both oneself and others. Although you may not receive a fat cheque for the effort that you put in undertaking volunteer work aboard, there are many indirect benefits volunteering for work abroad. Here are some of the benefits of doing volunteer work abroad In everyday life you experience situations that call for your help. A passion to help others can be fulfilled by volunteering for work abroad. Committing your time and energy to the cause that you care about will bring you immense satisfaction. Improving Your Skills There are two things which are important in every individual's life: a) Change and improvement in one's skill b) Sharing the skills, knowledge and experience with others When you do volunteer work abroad you get a chance to do both. Each person that you interact with when you volunteer has some skill and knowledge to impart. You get to learn more and more things about the issue that you support. You can get an opportunity to practice the new skills that you learned while volunteering. Also, you get an opportunity to pass on the knowledge that you have. The satisfaction of sharing your knowledge with co-volunteers and children can be rewarding. 1 / 3 The Benefits of Doing Volunteer Work Abroad Make New Friends You can make many new friends when you do volunteer work abroad. The volunteers and employees of non-profit organisations are often some of the kindest people you can meet. These people are always ready to help, no matter what the problem. These people are unselfish and live in the hardest of conditions to make the world a better place. They are the best people you will come across, so make sure you value your friendship with them. You also get to meet people from diverse backgrounds that you may never get an opportunity to meet in your daily life. Feeling good about helping others Have you ever given a meal to a stranger or helped someone who is sick? If you haven't, then I suggest you give it a try. If you have helped someone, then you know how it feels to help others without expecting anything in return. You get the same feeling when volunteering abroad for a cause that you care about. You will feel good when you help someone. Over time, you will realise that you are addicted to helping others and you want to devote as much time as possible to helping others. Make a Difference The fact that you can make a difference in someone else's life will give you immense satisfaction. Volunteering aboard will give you an opportunity to help others. Putting in time and effort will help in: a) Making a difference in someone else's life b) Making the community and world at large a better place to live in. This effort that you put in will have a long-lasting impact on the community. 2 / 3 The Benefits of Doing Volunteer Work Abroad Confidence Building When you volunteer for work abroad you face many new challenges. These challenges help in developing your skills and improving your self-confidence. Also, you have so many people to help you that you learn a lot from them. These experiences will help you to deal with difficult situations in everyday life. So, volunteer for cause that you believe and help improve yourself – and the world. 3 / 3

Critical Review Assignment Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Review Assignment - Statistics Project Example One of such is to determine the level of utilization of health care in the country. In answering this, the researchers set out to determine the means that people use in seeking medical services. They try to determine the number of people with insurance services and compare the quality of services such people receive from medical facilities to the service accessed by people without insurance policies. Additionally, the researchers analyze the rate at which the medical homes have increased and the rate at which more people show preference to such facilities. They later therefore compare the quality of services that patients receive in such facilities to the conventional medical facilities such as hospitals and dispensaries. The nature of their research and the type of research questions they answer imply that the research covers the entire country. However, such a research is nearly impossible to conduct, they therefore use various sampling techniques to determine their subjects, which they thereafter use in the study and make conclusions denoting to the entire country. After using a number of data collection methods and adequate sampling techniques, the researchers analyze their data and conclude that indeed medical homes are cheaper and offer better services especially to the aged and the poor in the American society. Right from the beginning of the research report, the researchers clearly articulate the issues they seek to study. They have an effective introduction, which offers preliminary information on their research topic. The introduction offers basic information and an adequate background to the questions they study. In this section of the report, they include their research questions, which they cover in proses in an attempt to increase readership of the report. Additionally, researchers have a sequential arrangement of the issues they discuss in their research through clearly labeled sub topics. Under the literature review

Research ethics and nature of practitioner research Literature review

Research ethics and nature of practitioner research - Literature review Example Even so, it has only been until recent that, in education, teachers began benefitting from the practice. Practitioner research has been employed as a means of bridging the gap between practices and theory. There have been the urges for teachers to cultivate action research as a way of improving education, as well as reconstructing knowledge (Berker 103). Other areas of practice have also not been left behind, all targeting to add to existing information, as well as bridging the gap between theory and practice. Various debates pertaining to practitioner research have emerged. As such, there have been deliberations pertaining to the real nature of practitioner research, as well as its values, qualities and the underlying activities. This paper explores the nature of practitioner research. Besides, ethical codes of conduct have been one of the areas that can not be overlooked as far as the efficacy of practitioner research is concerned. Putting this into consideration, this paper explor es various issues pertaining to ethics, in relation to practitioner research. Ethics and practitioner Research Ethics are about actions people or members of certain community should undertake. There is a close relationship between ethics and morality. Thus, a practitioner who behaves in a manner that is moral can be said to uphold ethics For instance, journalists who tell the truth would be said to be ethical. In the same way, soldiers ought to be courageous and a research practitioner should stick to ethics of research (Pewro 56). Ethics are also a set of desirable feature that an organization needs its members to uphold. Despite the fact that fact that ethics have often been associated with mannerism or etiquette, the two terms are not the same. In this regard, codes of ethics should not incline on areas such as a mode of dressing, as well as politeness of the research practitioners. Additionally, there is no association between aesthetics and ethics. Parallels can only be drawn b etween morality and ethics. Thus, ethical codes of conduct are based on principles of morality. Nevertheless, it also encompasses what is desirable. For instance, a mechanical engineer may insist on certain wheels because he is concerned about upholding safety. Research practitioners may insist on certain approaches because of reliability. Clearly, such may be beyond the stipulations of moral principles, as well as the law (Ayres and Braithwaite 23). Sanctions should only be applied in relation to minimum standards (morality), rather than the expected ideals (ethics). The perception that ethical codes of conduct are rules that delineate actions that are supposed to be carried out is not comprehensive. More often than not, ethics allude to virtues, such as those pertaining to integrity, and condemn vices such as those associated with dishonesty. In addition, codes of conduct ought to touch on attitudes such as empathy and sympathy (Bless 34). In all these cases, ethos and the culture of organization, society or community are what influence the ethical code of conduct. Culture can be viewed as attitudes of people towards certain subjects, people or actions. The subject of ethic is often inclined on culture; thus, any approach pertaining to ethics and ethical code of conduct should put into consideration various cultural aspects. In this regard, the ethical codes of

To Whome do we belong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

To Whome do we belong - Essay Example nts and tragedies forces an individual to change his true self and wipes away everything he believes in forcing him to acquire a new identity in an unimaginable way. The work of Victor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, will be used as a reference for the purpose of this paper. Obi was an ordinary Nigerian man, of the Igbo tribe, who was brought up in the best of moral character within the conservative Nigerian cultural setting. His problems began when he undertook a scholarship to further his education in Britain. The Western culture in Britain did not hesitate to influence him to a multi-cultured person, obviously bringing in conflict. In Britain, it was alright to take bribes, to marry a person from any tribe or race and to have sexual relations with them even before marriage. Actually, it was alright to do a lot of things. End of four years of study in Britain and Obi is ready to return to home sweet home. The only problem is the people back home are still the same as he left them four years ago: the same culture, same mind set, same believes, same everything. They do not allow marriage to certain casts (Obi’s girlfriend was from a cast that was considered an outcast, Osu) leaving him with no choice but to perform an abortion for the girl who was carrying his child. Bribery was an abomination and unheard of especially from a son of the village whom the community had made a collection for him to take higher studies so as to come back and help the village people maneuver around the new white-dominated Nigeria. Within a few years, he had changed a lot, but he was the one who changed not the world and now he was back to reality: he has roots as a traditional Nigerian man and uprooting them was hard if not impossible. He had no choice but to adapt to his old ways of life. Within no time, Ibo finds himself a prisoner of his multiple identity in a conflict that would later tear down his whole life; career wise, socially and morally, eventually turning him

Women Trafficking and the Industry of Prostitution Research Paper

Women Trafficking and the Industry of Prostitution - Research Paper Example It is now a fiercely debated topic within the academic, legal, and social communities. This paper discusses and analyzes the debate over the legalization of prostitution. The argument of the paper is not to legalize prostitution. The points of the debate that the paper focuses on are the issue of ‘professionalizing’ prostitution, protecting the sexual wellbeing of prostituted women, and making a rational decision to engage in the industry of prostitution. But according to a large number of empirical findings, legalization of prostitution brings more harm than benefit to sex workers. A discussion of studies conducted in countries where prostitution is legalized is carried out in order to determine the actual nature and consequences of legalization of prostitution. Further research is needed on this subject in order to conclusively determine the merits and disadvantages of the legalization of prostitution. More country-specific studies are needed in order to decisively det ermine the universality of the harm prostitution brings to its victims. Introduction Prostitution is the ‘world’s oldest profession’. For centuries, women and children are dragged into a world that does not respect individual dignity and morality. Today, millions of women are trafficked into prostitution all over the world. Women trafficking and prostitution have been a challenging and complex issue for policymakers, the academic community, feminists, and social activists at the international, regional, and national levels. The problems posed by women trafficking and prostitution concern not just the abuse of women’s body by profiteers, but also the commodification and denigration of female dignity. The discourse on women trafficking and prostitution has spurred a rigorous debate on the legalization of prostitution as a solution to the growing problem of women trafficking. Prostitution should not be legalized. Prostitution will always be a form of ‘v ictimization’ because it is damaging to those who are involved in it. Legalization of prostitution will only further encourage women trafficking and prostitution. And prostitution could never be an unforced or voluntary form of labor because victims are not able to make a rational decision to take part in prostitution. The choices of these women are limited to economic survival only, which prevent them from making rationally based decisions. Prostitution is always involuntary and coerced because it is rooted in universal supremacy of men over women and is naturally and essentially a contemporary kind of sex slavery that is abusive, demoralizing, and damaging. The Debate Prostitution is widely described as a ‘crime without a victim’, particularly by those who argue that it should be legalized. But the truth is prostitution is a form of ‘victimization’: it is damaging to those who are involved in it, and it is usually coerced on an individual by severa l factors, mostly by poverty. Legalizing prostitution does not raise the status of the women; it merely professionalizes the industry of prostitution (Kara, 2010). Ditmore (2011) explains that the supporters of legalization of prostitution generally do not understand that legalization implies decriminalization of the entire industry of prostitution, not only the women trapped in it. But supporters of legalization respond to this by arguing that if the sex industry is legalized, it â€Å"would be subject to standard labor and occupation safety regulations, and it would be easier for women to fight the abuses and crimes that accompany their work† (Flowers, 2011, p. 49). Majority of prostituted women view legalization of the

Answer quesitons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer quesitons - Essay Example This can cause confusion, and much worse. Sometimes people even use this confusion to promote their own goals, politically or otherwise. This is what has happened with the current climate change debate. An objective look and scientific data show that climate change is in fact happening, that, historically, a shifting climate rather than a stable climate is the norm on Earth, and there is a relationship between carbon in the atmosphere and global temperature – though there are also a great deal of complicating factors as well. On the one hand, it would appear that it is very difficult to establish a historical trend of world temperatures – we have only been measuring and recording temperatures for around the past one hundred and fifty years – before that we supposedly know very little. And on the surface this is true, we do not know exactly what temperature existed before the current period. But this belies the fact that there are excellent proxy measurements that have been shown to be relatively accurate when calibrated to current temperatures. We have ice-core samples that demonstrate how much snow has fallen in particular years, which can give a rough gauge of temperatures (National Research Council), as well as tree rings which show how well trees grew in a particular year (NRC). This data, when taken collectively and studied with statistical and scientific eye, can give a relatively accurate approximation of temperature over the last two thousand years. This can be combined with histori cal records (good and bad harvests, for instance, or records of when lakes and rivers freeze and when they do not), to be extra sure that the calibration is accurate, which has been done by several scientists/historians (Edwards 129). But this is something that lay people have a hard time understanding, which might cause some to doubt their findings. These

Essay about the values of Enlightenment and Romanticism through

About the values of Enlightenment and Romanticism through painting - Essay Example History has shown us that man moves in pendulous ways. From nature to divine, from reason to feelings, from private to public, from objective to subjective. Art is the ideal illustration for these movements, and this essay will discuss the contrasting values manifested in two paintings belonging to the historical movements of the Enlightenment and Romanticism: William Blake's Newton (1795), and Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich. Although Blake is considered usually a romantic precursor in art, in this particular painting, he depicts precisely the most characteristic values of the Enlightenment era. I will also include a typically enlightenment-era painting, Mr and Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough (1748-49), in order to directly contrast the different movements.The Enlightenment era, which belonged to the Age of Reason, describes a historical intellectual movement of the 18th century, which advocated rationality as a means to establish an authoritative system o f ethics, aesthetics, and knowledge. "The intellectual leaders of this movement regarded themselves as courageous and elite, and regarded their purpose as leading the world toward progress and out of a long period of doubtful tradition, full of irrationality, superstition, and tyranny now denominated as the Dark Age". (Cassirer, 1992).The Enlightenment believed in a rational, orderly and comprehensible universe. It extolled the ideals of liberty, property and rationality which are still recognizable as the basis for most political philosophies even in the present era. Science came to be the new man's religion, and based on the revolutionary ideas like Newton's, it was thought that all the truths of the world could be known by a systematic way of applying uniform laws. William Blake, an English poet and painter, made a series of pictures of Newton as a divine geometer while living in Lambeth in the late 1790s. Newton is portrayed here as a scientist, but at the same time as a divine figure, a creator. He is deciphering the laws of the world with his compass. The compass symbolizes the creation. We can clearly understand that rationality becomes the highest quality of human beings, and it challenges the existence of a divine being responsible for the creation. The enlightenment was a rebellion to the Middle Ages where faith wasn't to be questioned. Likewise, Romanticism was a rebellion to this age of reason. The Romantics found the Enlightenment worldview excessively dispassionate. With reason being the base for humanity's progress, the emotional side of man was set aside. Romanticism stressed strong emotion-which might include trepidation, awe and horror as aesthetic experiences-"the individual imagination as a critical authority, which permitted freedom within or even from classical notions of form in art, and overturning of previous social conventions, particularly the position of the aristocracy". (Romanticism, article by Wikepedia) Here is a painting of this artistic movement, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich, a 19th century German painter. His paintings portray the untamed power of nature; this is in sharp contrast to Enlightenment-era painters who used nature to bring out qualities in their human subjects. Mr and Mrs Andrews Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog What we can appreciate in the left painting is the power of nature versus the vulnerability of a man, a man who is alone against the world, a wanderer. The romantic worldview is charged with emotions such as fragility, drama, passion, and fate. The character here depicted seems to be at the edge of an abyss. In the second painting, nature is used on the opposite way, to bring out the qualities in the human subjects, the aristocrats. The colors of Friedrich's painting express the feelings of uncertainty, loneliness and vulnerability. While in, Gainsborough's Mr and Mrs Andrew, there is more a sense of confidence and stability. Nature is definitely more

Intersection of energy and international transport management Thesis

Intersection of energy and international transport management - Thesis Example Countries around the world have realized the fact that they are interdependent on one another, and their survival is dependent upon sharing of resources or in simple words exchanging the resources. As no country on this planet earth is self sufficient in all regards. It requires help and assistance of other countries in order to achieve development and to provide ameliorating ambiance for the masses. Considering this concept globalization came into existence, which has resulted in changing the shape of the world. with the advancement in different fields of life for instance technology, transportations, industries, health and care etc., and through sharing of cognition, experiences using computers and internet have revolutionized this world. As a result countries around the world on the daily basis share resources through import and export. Conventionally orthodox approach was put into practice i.e. they only traded basic necessities of life, however this approach was later changed (w ith the passage of time) with the modernization and globalization of the world. At present countries around the world are importing and exporting varieties of different products, no matter its cars, railway engines, airplanes, electronic gadgets, arms and ammunition, medical and healthcare equipments, agriculture and livestock, clothing, construction materials or it may be even the sources of energy like petrol, solar panel cells, bio gas, uranium, nuclear energy etc. Albeit there are varieties of products that countries export or import, however key focus is given in this research paper on the trade of energy sources with reference to international transport management. Abundance in Energy is the integral, prime and key most requirements for any country in order to entertain the purpose of development. As there is no concept of a developed country if that particular country does not have enough resources in terms of catering its energy needs. However countries in order to cope up w ith this problem import energy sources (different types of energy products like oil, bio gas etc.) from other countries and store these different energies in their reservoirs so that these energy products can be succinctly used in the future. As energy plays significant role in terms of contributing towards the economy of the country, with it, energy is the basic driving force for the innovation in technology or it is the basic requirement for technological advancements. Moreover since technological advancement has been carried out all over the world these days, therefore massive resources of energy should be available for them as the advancement in technology is dependent upon the availability of energy. Consequence this has not only resulted in increasing the use of energy but it has also resulted in creating more demand of energy as well. As energy is utilized in carrying out industrial and home work or if it is said that energy is the basic ingredient for the survival of the cou ntry or masses, that this statement would not be wrong. In terms of consumption of energy by different people or countries around the world, energy consumption or the demand of energy varies across the globe. If generalizing the situation one can classify easily that the countries that are developed or first world countries they consume more energy as compared with the third world or under developing countries. Moreover according to Yergin (2011) another classification can be made in terms of climatic conditions.