How Buddhism Integrated to the Chinese Society Essay

How Buddhism Integrated to the Chinese Society - Essay Example Buddhism succeeded to integrate to the Chinese society through its branched meditative practices, ethical practices, and theories of psychological, philosophical, and cosmological trends. In addition, Buddhism appealed to the Chinese people through its prospect of the release of frustration, the full development of human potential, with a personal relationship with an intangible and ultimate spiritual reality ("Buddhist Principles, Customs and Manners"). Hence, analytically speaking, the Chinese people accepted Buddhism with its teachings, which come from Siddhartha Gautama (the "awake"), and considered the historical Buddha. The life of the Buddha is rich in legends describing miracles and divine apparitions. But only 300 years after his death it began to be known by text, along with his teachings, with the Emperor Ashoka that the promotion throughout its area and sends missions abroad (Background to Buddhism: A history of Buddhism"). One of the paths through which Buddhism reaches the Chinese people is related to the essence of the Buddha, who is not regarded as a god or even as a divine messenger. It is the symbol of a principle, a thing which cannot be achieved but we must try to sketch by definitions ("Buddhist Principles, Customs and Manners"). ... However, modern Buddhism does not believe in reincarnation in a strict sense, but uses this concept in the form of parable ("Buddhism: What Buddhism is"). This parable says that a person is sentenced to die and return to Earth on the number of times it will take until it has reached the spiritual level necessary to escape from earthly life. Each time he dies he will be reincarnated in a different shape. These suites of reincarnations symbolize what Chinese people are experiencing in their lives ("Buddhist Principles, Customs and Manners"). Thus, according to the Buddhist theory of incarnation, if we drive someone brutal to satisfy our needs, we are reborn into an animal. In a spiritual work, we can kill these horrible things that we are born again and become once more, in a better form (â€Å"Background to Buddhism: A history of Buddhism"). Hence, these spiritual beliefs that are related to the theory of incarnation helped Buddhism to be integrated to the Chinese society. Moreover, for the Chinese people, what seemed appealing in Buddhism is the concept of "Dharma". It is the idea that the universe has meaning and humans have a role to play. There is only one dharma, by definition the same for everyone. Each religion is a light on the nature of Dharma, it teaches men how they should behave. A religion like Buddhism, for the Chinese, bases its teaching on the absolute. This religion teaches that the soul of the dead will live forever ("Buddhism: What Buddhism is"). It gives a specific instruction. It therefore resembles in many points of view other Chinese principles and religions derived from the Bible. What is unique about Buddhism, from the Chinese point of view is that it teaches that nothing is absolute

Management and Leadership Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management and Leadership Paper - Essay Example The founder of Wal-Mart was Sam Walton. He opened up the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962. The goal of the Mr. Walton when he opened up the first retail store was to save people money to help them live a better life (Walmartstores, 2009). The company took off very fast and by 1969 the firm became a publicly traded company. The company’s trading symbol on Wall Street is WMT. Today the corporation enjoys a great level of success. The company is the market leader in the retail industry due to the fact that the service and prices the entity offers are superior to the competition. In fiscal year 2009 Wal-Mart generated $401 billion in global revenues while serving nearly 200 million customers per week (Walmartstores, 2009). Leadership and effective management are two critical success factors that enabled the company to achieve high levels of success. Management and leadership are two completely different business concepts. Leadership can be defined as a special case of interpersonal influence that gets an individual or group to do what the leader wants (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003, p.286). Management is the act of performing the four managerial functions which are planning, leading, organizing and controlling. In order for a person to become an effective leader the group has to trust the individual. Leadership is not a trait that is limited to the managerial staff. Anybody within an organization can display leadership. It is very common for leadership to manifest itself within a team setting. In such a setting leadership provides the vision to achieve the end state goal (Kumle & Kelly, 2009). I have personally worked in teams in which I became the leader of the team in order to ensure that the team completed the project at hand. Depending on the circumstance a manager has to decide whether to act as a manager or as a

American post civil war (1861 - 1865)poet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American post civil war (1861 - 1865)poet - Essay Example on the market in the fifties rather than to, say, Equanil or Valium, gains ominous proportions when put in the perspective of a canvas which makes Lowell see the sun as a feared savage and the white magnolia blossoms as "murderous". True the metaphors are localised and the "rising sun" is symptomatic of the jaundiced imagination of the poet who fears passion and vitality, very much like an Indian savage in "war paint" who "dyes us red.† But what is more important than the intensifying death-in-life existence of the couple as explained by the pun on "dyes", is the association of this feeling of death with the word Miltown in the beginning of the poem. It is now that the word Miltown no longer remains a torment, but goes onto metonymically suggest such terms as Mill town, mill stone, and small town. It becomes an emblem of the space of doubt, of frustration, of angst that loomed large over the American population at a time when the first effects of a looming Cold War was being fe lt. The poets state of anxiety is thus immediately seen as true representation of a larger American dilemma, of a crisis that occurs in Small Town or Any Town in the United States. The image of neurotic fracture is intensified in the second half of the line and the dislocation of humankind is aptly shown in the image of the nuptial bed that has been replaced by "Mothers bed". Lowell seems to imply that this voice of degeneration, of aridity, of being a dislocated whole, is so alike the husband and wife, locked in a social charter called marriage and continuing to feel consummated, exhausted and dead in the relationship. He feels that these shadow lines can only grow larger until of course the marriage falls apart. In a way, the poem, trying to show the failure of the relationship, is an attempt to question the so-called Christian idea of family and happiness. It seems to make a mockery of the Christian values in a world where Miltown, the tranquilliser rules, and a space where, Miltown the

Gay Men Born Gay Essay Example for Free

Gay Men Born Gay Essay Gay men often claim that even as children they knew they were somehow different from other boys. Many say that sense even preceded puberty. And yet, though researchers have tried for decades to identify a biological basis for homosexuality which seems to be present in all human societies they have mostly come up dry. Tantalizing clues have surfaced: gays are more likely to be left-handed, for instance. But in the end, there has been little proof that biology is sexual destiny. Now new research offers evidence that there may indeed be a physiological basis for sexual orientation. In a study of 41 brains taken from people who died before age 60, Simon LeVay, a biologist at San Diegos Salk Institute for Biological Studies, found that one tiny region in the brain of homosexual men was more like that in women than that in heterosexual men. Sexuality is an important part of who we are, notes LeVay, who is gay. And now we have a specific part of the brain to look at and to study. That specific part is found at the front of the hypothalamus in an area of the brain that is known to help regulate male sexual behavior. Within this site, LeVay looked at four different groupings of cells, technically referred to as the interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus, or INAH for short. Other researchers had already reported that INAH 2 and 3 were larger in men than in women. LeVay hypothesized that one or both of them might vary with sexual orientation as well. Routine autopsies provided the tissue LeVay needed. All 19 homosexual men had died of AIDS. So had six of the 16 presumed heterosexual men and one of the six women. Although LeVay hoped to include lesbians in his study, he was unable to obtain brains from women identified as such. After careful examination of the brain samples, he found that the INAH-3 areas of most of the women and homosexual men were about the same size. In straight men this region was on average twice as large or about the size of a grain of sand. In the past, much research on sexual orientation has focused on the role of interpersonal relationships in early childhood. Psychological literature is replete with material suggesting that male homosexuality is triggered by relationships with an overly protective mother or with a distant, even hostile father. Here is a whole other way of looking at the question, says LeVay. These children may already be determined to become homosexual or heterosexual. The development plan that is laid out for them may be what causes them to develop certain troubled relationships with their parents. LeVays findings are certain to trigger a good deal of controversy. Many technical aspects of the study are subject to question, as the author concedes. He cannot be certain, for instance, that all the heterosexual men in the control group were heterosexual. And since the AIDS virus attacks the brain, the size difference could be an artifact of the disease. It is also possible that the difference actually has nothing to do with sexual orientation or that it is the result rather than the cause of homosexuality. (2 of 3) My freshman biology students know enough to sink this study, declares Anne Fausto-Sterling, professor of medical science at Brown University. Others are more receptive to LeVays work. It makes sense, says Laura Allen, a neuroanatomist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Finding a difference in the INAH, which influences male sexual behavior, is what one would expect. The finding also has social implications. People who believe that sexual orientation is a choice help legitimize discrimination against homosexuals, says Melissa Hines, a UCLA psychologist. But if it is immutable, or partly so, then that argues for legal protections. The new study is the second to find some sort of difference between the hypothalami of gay and straight men. Last year a Dutch research team discovered that another group of neurons in this tiny gland is larger in homosexual than in straight men. But some scientists believe this structure governs daily rhythms rather than sexual behavior, so it is difficult to see any significance in the finding. Investigations of right- and left-handedness have also provided evidence of a physiological distinction. Sandra Witelson, a professor of psychiatry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. , has found more left-handers among homosexual women in her studies than among heterosexual women. Others have made the same observation among men. Since hand preference may be determined in part by the influence of sex hormones on the brain during gestation, Witelson believes these early hormonal influences could also play a role in sexual orientation. Animal studies provide a good deal of evidence for a biological basis of sexual orientation. Through careful manipulation of hormone levels in newborn rats, Roger Gorski, a neuroendocrinologist at UCLA, has been able to produce male rodents that demonstrate feminine behavior. Other researchers, working with mice, have noted that female fetuses that develop between two male fetuses in a litter appear to be masculinized to some degree by their brothers testosterone. They look more like males than females, mature more slowly, have fewer reproductive cycles as adults and are less attractive to male mice. In many species, particularly among mammals, homosexual-like activity is an integral part of social interaction. As any cattle rancher can attest, cows frequently mount each other. Apparently this ensures that all the females coordinate their reproductive cycles and then produce their calves at the same time. Female rhesus monkeys mount other females as a way of establishing a dominant rank in their troops hierarchy. (3 of 3) Researchers estimate that a third of American males experiment sexually with each other during their teen years, even though approximately 9 out of 10 eventually settle into relationships with girls. But both men and women may switch gears later on or be bisexual throughout life. There are some people in whom sexual orientation does not maintain itself, says June Reinisch, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University. Its not a matter of what they prefer; its whom they fall in love with. She cites the example of a woman who fell in love with and was married to a man for 10 years, then at the age of 30 fell in love with a woman and spent 11 years in that relationship, and at 41 fell in love with a man. Clearly, even if sexual orientation does have a biological basis in the brain, it is not necessarily fixed. All of us believe that genetic and hormonal influences are involved in homosexuality, says Reinisch, but theres also an interaction with the environment. Over the years much research on homosexuality has been motivated by a desire to eradicate the behavior rather than understand, let alone celebrate, diversity.

The Elderly And Mental Health

The Elderly And Mental Health This assignment will look issues around older peoples mental health, in particular, dementia and abuse; this will include demographics of older people, statistics, the history, definitions and causes of dementia, and finally the lack of legislation to protect vulnerable people from harm and the implications for social work practice. The population surge at the end of world war 2 has gave rise to an unprecedented population explosion and to what we now call the baby boomers, these people are now in their retirement years'(Summers Et al, 2006), and our population now contains larger percentage of older people that ever. In society today elder people are becoming the fastest increasing population in the UK, National Statistics (2009) states that the population of the UK is ageing. Over the last 25 years the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15 per cent in 1983 to 16 per cent in 2008, an increase of 1.5 million people in this age group. Due to the increase of the ageing population we are now seeing emerging health and social care issues in our society. Many older people will be active, involved within the community, and independent of others. However, as you get older it is natural to experience pain, a decline in mobility or mental awareness. Mind (2010) states that the most common mental health problems in older people are depression and dementia. There is a widespread belief that these problems are a natural part of the ageing process, but this not the case; it can start as early 40 but is more common in older people (Royal college of Psychiatrists, 2009), however, there only 20 per cent of people over 85, and 5 per cent over 65, have dementia; 10-15 per cent of people over 65 have depression (Mind, 2010). It is important to remember that the majority of older people remain in good mental health. Dementia mainly affects older people, although it can affect younger people; there are 15,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 who have dementia (Alzheimers society, 2010). However, currently 700,000 or one person in every 88 in the UK have dementia, incurring a yearly cost of  £17bn, and the London School of Economics and Institute of Psychiatry research calculated that more that 1.7 million people will have dementia b y 2051 reported by BBC news (2007). The word dementia comes from the Latin demens meaning without a mind. References to dementia can be found in Roman medical texts and in the philosophical works of Cicero. The term dementia came into common usage from the 18th Century when it had both clinical and legal connotations. Dementia implied a lack of competence and an inability to manage ones own affairs. Medical use of the term dementia evolved throughout the 19th century and was used to describe people whose mental disabilities were secondary to acquired brain damage, usually degenerative and often associated with old age (Kennard 2006). From the 20th century onwards scientific knowledge was supplemented through the examination of the brain and brain tissue which was founded and performed by a physician Alois Alzheimer (Plontz, 2010). The National service framework (Department of Health, 2001, p96) now defines dementia as a clinical syndrome characterised by a widespread loss of mental function. The term dementia is used to describe the symptoms that occur in a group of diseases that affect the normal working functions of the brain. This can lead to a decline of mental ability, affecting memory, thinking, problem solving, concentration and perception, also problems with speech and understanding (Mind, 2010). Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual. Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way (Alzheimers society, 2010). Symptoms of dementia include: Loss of memory, Mood changes, and Communication problems. In the later stages of dementia, the person affected will have problems carrying out everyday tasks, and will become increasingly dependent on other people, two thirds of people with dementia live in the community while one third live in a care home (Alzheimers society, 2010). There are many types of dementia, and some of the causes of dementia are rarer th an others, Alzheimers disease is the most common cause, damaged tissue builds up in the brain to form deposits called plaques and tangles, these cause the brain cells around them to die (Royal college of Psychiatrists, 2009). Other most commonly known is vascular disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Fronto-temporal dementia. Mostly, patients themselves do not present to the clinician with dementia, owing to gradual onset and denial of the problem. There is no cure for dementia but there is medication that will help to slow down the progression of the disease. When finding help for dementia it is usually the primary carers, caregivers, supporters, partners or family members who initiate asking help and a diagnosis (Brodaty, 1990). Depression may be misdiagnosed as dementia the difference being that people who have depression are more likely to be aware of their issues therefore are able to discuss them, whereas someone with dementia may not be able to do this due to their symptoms. Nonetheless, the Mental Capacity Act (2005) states that every person has the right to make their own decisions and must be assumed to have capacity unless otherwise proven and people should be supported to make any decisions. Under the MCA, you are required to make an assessment of capacity before carrying out any care or treatment (Office of the public guardian, 2009). The Mental capacity act is an act that protects individual rights and ensures that the persons liberty is not taken. It is based on best practice and creates a single, coherent framework for dealing with mental capacity issues and an improved system for settling disputes, dealing with personal welfare issues and the property and affairs of people who lack capacity. I t puts the individual who lacks capacity at the heart of decision making and places a strong emphasis on supporting and enabling the individual to make their own decisions (Office of the public guardian, 2009). However, even with a structure in place to protect individuals rights and liberties many people who have dementia are more vulnerable to abuse due to their lack of capacity. The University College London research revealed that a third of carers admitted significant abuse, in total 115 carers reported at least some abusive behaviour, and 74 reported more serious levels of mistreatment (Cooper et al, 2009). Caregivers can also be on the receiving end of verbal or physical abuse directed at them by parents or spouses who are confused and angry over declining mental capacities due to stroke and Alzheimers disease. In some cases, Alzheimers disease or other forms of dementia may cause the patient to be uncharacteristically aggressive (Coyne, 1996). It is only in recent years that abuse of the elderly has become more apparent, Crawford Et al (2008, p122) argues that over time it has very slowly come to the attention of people in the last 50 years that abuse does actually exist behind closed doors; in the 1950s older people lived in large families where issues were hidden, and in the 60s to 70s older people started living alone or in residential homes and it was not until the early 80s that abuse had started to be recognised and defined. Penhale and Kingston(1997) argue that over the years it has been difficult to emphasise the issues of abuse due to not finding a sound theoretical base to which an agreement of a standard definition can be made and applied. Action on elder abuse (2006) defines elder abuse as A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. Abuse comes in not just physical abuse it com es also in sexual, psychological, neglect, discrimination and financial as well. Older people may be abused by a wide range of people including family members, friends, professional staff, care workers, volunteers or other service users, abuse can also be perpetrated as a result of deliberate, negligence or ignorance (Royal pharmaceutical society (RCA), 2007). Abuse can occur in a variety of circumstances and places such as, in own home, in a residential or day care setting or hospital and can by more than one person or organisation. Pritchard (2005) asserts that we will never have a true picture of the prevalence of elder abuse due to the unreported cases, and can only count ones that are known to organisations and services. Most abuse is still unreported due to victims being frightened, ashamed and embarrassed to report the abuse, not realising their rights or not being able to due to tier mental health. Summers et al (2006, p7) points out that those statutes that make abuse criminal are often ineffective due to them not being utilised by the victim, and this means that this will be the biggest challenge and barrier for change in getting people to recognise the scale of the problem and raising awareness so that the government agree to change the legislation to protect older people. Abuse of any kind should not be ignored and there should be legislation to protect adults from abuse like there is in child protection, people who recognise the extent of elder abuse argue why should adults be treated as second class to children, is their suffering and deaths any less important? The Alzheimers Society (2010) states that abuse of people with dementia should be considered in the same way as child abuse. Crawford and Walker (2008, p12) state that prejudice refers to an inflexibility of the mind and thought, to values and attitudes that stand in the way of fair and non judgmental practice. Thompson (2006, p13) defines discrimination as the process in which difference is identified and that difference is used as the basis of unfair treatment. A barrier to recognising the abuse of people with dementia and older people is that of social stigma, negative perceptions and connotations of words for mental health, such as confused or senile. Confused is something that we all experience at some time in our lives, whereas senile is a more complex word and the first recording of its usage was neutral meaning pertaining to old age, but now has negative connotations linked to mental decline due to age (Crawford and Walker, 2008). Therefore, challenging peoples perceptions needs to done to change these social constructs to enable a change in legislation and protection of vulnerable adults. In March 2010 the department of health ran a series of campaigns to address poor public understanding of dementia which included TV, radio, press and online advertising featuring real-people with dementia (Department of health, 2009). In 2009 the first ever dementia strategy was launched that hopes to transform the quality of dementia care, It sets out initiatives designed to make the lives of people with dementia, their carers and families better and more fulfilled It will increase awareness of dementia, ensure early diagnosis and intervention and radically improve the quality of care that people with the condition receive. Proposals include the introduction of a dementia specialist into every general hospital and care home and for mental health teams to assess people with dementia (Department of health, 2009). However, this is not legislation it is just a strategy for dealing with people with dementia. The government are recognising that there is little protection for vulnerable adults and that further legislation need to be put in place and stating that dementia care is a priority (BBC news, 2007). At present, there is no one specific legislation which directly protects vulnerable adults, instead the applicable duties and powers to assess and intervene are contained within a range of legislation and frameworks, such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Mental Health Act 2007 and the national service framework for older people. One of the themes for national service framework (NSF) is respecting the individual which was triggered by a concern about widespread infringement of dignity and unfair discrimination in older peoples access to care. The NSF therefore leads plans to tackle age discrimination and to ensure that older people are treated with respect, according to their individual needs, specifically in standard 2 it relates to person centred care (Crawford and Walker, 2008, p8). And expectation of NSF is that there must be systems and processes put in place to enable multi agency working. In 2000 the government published No secrets which is guidance that requires local authorities to set up a multi agency framework which includes health and the police with a lead person (adult social care) to carry out procedures into the allegations of abuse whilst balancing confidentiality and information sharing (Samuel, 2008). No Secrets is only guidance and does not carry the same status as legislation, the LAs compliance is assessed through an inspection process, therefore the LA can with good reason choose to ignore the guidance (Action on elder abuse, 2006). This has concerned agencies who want to see the protection of adults given the same equivalent priorities as child protection and think that legislation is the only way to accomplish this. A review of No Secrets guidance has been carried out in 2008 and consulted with over 12000 people (Department of Health, 2009), the report found that over half (68%) of the respondents were in agreement to new safeguarding legislation and 92% wanted local safeguarding boards to be placed on a statutory footing and still there is no legislation to protect vulnerable adults (Ahmed, 2009). A recent article in community care told the failure of the government to commit to making a policy has only strengthened campaigners fight and given rise to criticism (Ahmed, 2009). The need to protect vulnerable people brought about the protection of vulnerable adults scheme (POVA) which is run by the Department of Health to regulate and monitor the employment of staff in the social care workforce, through this scheme a list of people who are unsuitable to work with vulnerable people is kept. More recently, the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 which was launched in 2008 replaced POVA with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (IDeA, 2009). The problem with this is that abusers of dementia sufferers are usually family member or informal carer that are under considerable stress and may not receiving help from within the health and social care system, therefore, an abusive situation can carry on for some time until the situation is found by an outsider. This situation may only be found when a informal carer starts asking for help, and when informed of the situation it is good practice and essential to make sure that carers are getting the help they need which can prevent the abusive situations. Under the 1995 Carers (Recognition and Services) Act carers are entitled their own assessment of need and by doing so this may allow for respite or payments to be made for their services (Parker Et al, 2003). University College London researchers who interviewed people caring for relatives with dementia in their own homes stated within their research that Giving carers access to respite, psychological support and financial security could help end mistreatment (Cooper et al,2009). When working with relatives who are carers it is important to remember who is the service user, although it is important to ascertain the wishes of the relative it should not override the wishes of the service user, this is especially true when there is a break down in the care of the service user and the carer wishes the service user to be placed in care. Many older people with dementia receive care in a residential home; this may be due to family member no longer being able to cope with the care of the person. The local authority has a duty to assess the needs of a person with dementia ensuring that their wishes are heard and adequate care is put in place. Assessment is an ongoing process, in which the client participates, the purpose of which is to understand people in relation to their environment; it is a basis for planning what needs to be done to maintain, improve or bring about change in the person, the environment or both (Anderson Et al, 2005). The trouble with placing people with dementia in care homes is there are not enough care homes specifically for people with dementia and people end up in a home that do not have trained staff to cope with individual needs of someone with dementia, therefore, people s wishes may not be heard. As part of the joint assessment process it is the social workers role to ascertain the wishes of the individual, this is done by assessing their needs in an holistic way which includes and medical and social aspects of the person. If there is doubt as to the mental capacity of the person then a mental capacity assessment will need to be acquired by asking to joint assess with community psychiatric nurses (CPN). Priestley (1998) states that the community care reforms established the principle of joint working between health and social services authorities as a priority for effective care assessment and management with social services taking the lead role. In conclusion there seem to have been many shifts in the direction of how policy and procedures framework and guidance care for people with dementia, although there is still no firm legislation to protect them. However, there seems to be more recognition of the issues that surround dementia and future goals are towards the training of people to understand those issues so that professionals are able to deal with the complex needs of a person with dementia. Word count 2969

A Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Research Essay -- Article Analysis

Described below is a critical appraisal of a qualitative article by Lisa Booth using the frame-work suggested by Ryan, Coughlan and Cronin 2007 to establish its believability, robustness, credibility and integrity (Ryan, Coughlan & Cronin, 2007). Qualitative research is regarded as an inductive process, which within natural settings attempts to produce insights on the subjective experiences, meanings, practices and point of views of those involved (Craig & Smyth, 2007). The aim here was to investigate factors influencing the communication styles used by the radiographers, therefore, allowing a better understanding to patient-centred care within diagnostic radiography. The title was well formulated and unambiguous, however, why a more precise title of "diagnostic radiographer-patient relationship" was not selected is unclear as the study incorporated diagnostic radiographers only (Dawson, 2002). The article had appropriate citations except the researcher's qualification and designation, which otherwise indicate the degree of knowledge in the field (Ryan et al, 2007). Included was the 'Keyword' section facilitating retrieving of the search by those interested (Hart, 2001). Its publication in a peer-reviewed journal allowed scrutiny from suitable experts, thus making more valid and original. In contrast, to a non peer-reviewed journal where high chances of information being flawed cannot be denied (Holloway & Wheeler, 2002)? Losing the relevance of the information was not a threat as it was published within the optimum time (Hart, 2001). Abstract is a condensed version of the full report; this was well formulated by using headings instead of single paragraph style, thus looked uncluttered (Macnee, 2004). The purpose had c... ...the data did not involve member checking thus reducing its robustness and enable to exclude researcher’s bias. Although a constant comparative method was evident in the discussion which improved the plausibility of the final findings. Themes identified were well corroborated but not declared was anytime a point of theoretical saturation ï‚ ¯Thus, the published report was found to be particularly strong in the area of believability and dependability; less strong in the area of transferability; and is weak in the area of credibility and confirmability, although, editorial limitations can be a barrier in providing a detailed account (Craig & Smyth, 2007; Ryan, Coughlan, & Cronin, 2007). Works Cited Ryan, F., Couglan, M. & Cronin, P. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 2: qualitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(12), 738-744.

Themes of Modern Terrorism Bakunin’s God and the State

Mohit Mulani Prof. James Gilligan 22/12/12 â€Å"God and the State† The idea of malevolent terrorism is fundamentally rooted in an extremist interpretation of religion enabled and to a great extent encouraged by priests and political figures. To examine this closely with reference to historical situations and ideas, we can apply the notions bought forward by the Russian 19th century philosopher and nihilist Bakunin in his seminal book, â€Å"God and State. †In the book, doctinaires are critiqued quite heavily for their relentless imposition of impractical ideals upon the world. With regards to the, Bakunin states, â€Å"They are so jealous of the glory of their God and of the triumph of their idea that they have no heart left for the liberty or the dignity or even the sufferings of living men, of real men. Divine zeal, preoccupation with the idea, finally dry up the tenderest souls, the most compassionate hearts, the sources of human love. God & the State, 65)† C omparing these 19th century doctinaires with modern day terrorists we see a group of people so completely enthralled by the superiority of their belief systems that they are more than willing to compromise the lives of non-believers to ‘persuade' others. This follows in the line of a traditional process that requires the destruction and absolute overhaul of a current system and its institutions in order for a new one to establish itself and thrive.Referred to in the line, â€Å"Every development necessarily implies a negation,† the idea is the basis of aggressive and violent terrorism globally (God & the State, 9). The September 11th attacks for instance were planned to include bombings of the Pentagon and White House, both symbolic locations representing the centers of Western imperialism and sources of resentment for the jihadis. This is particularly important given how modern day authors, journalists and thinkers have emphasized the peaceful nature of Islam when inte rpreted by its scriptures. Looking at the sheer organization and potency of terrorist rganizations, it seems as though the hyper-violent aspect of this otherwise ‘peaceful' religion must have arisen from an understanding of this dogma. There must prevail the idea that without the destruction of certain reviled Western ideals, their preferred value systems cannot be secured across the world. Another aspect bought up in Bakunin's statement about doctrinaires was the erasure of love and sympathy towards the victims of terrorist acts. The perpetrators here have been blinded by the aggressive, nationalistic rivalry between ideologies towards the pain and suffering of others.In some cases, the real or imagined suffering of their own people, often at the hands of the West is used as a tool to harden their emotional facilities towards demonized groups of people. Several recruitment communications and propaganda display in explicit detail the torture practices, prison camp conditions a nd drone attacks the Western nations have inflicted upon suspected terrorists. This intensifies the unbridled hatred that ultimately fuels the metaphorical terror machine-churning out thousands of graduates armed with suicide vests and destructive ideals that they wish to impose upon the world.An important point here is that the origin of such behaviour isn't singularly caused by hate or resentment; it is rather the amalgamation of several factors including socio-political ones that in their totality create this belligerent section of the world. Bakunin speaks of, â€Å"the whole history of humanity, intellectual and moral, political and social, [being] but a reflection of its economic history (God & the State, 9). † The fiscal nature of countries and their people often have direct consequences on the views and positions adopted by them.The effect of poverty on the terrorist world-view most directly can be two fold. In the first case, people join jihadist factions for direct monetary recompense to themselves or their family; a significant factor in desperately poor nations and villages. An instance of this was seen after the Mumbai train bombings of 2008 in which the prime suspect Ajmal Kassab confessed to expecting approximately US$3,352 after succeeding in his mission. According to police sources, he was unaware of any Islamic tenets or verses from the Quran but had a virulent message to send nonetheless.The other effect of a poor economic state is an increased susceptibility to false priests and their version of religion. Lower socio-economic groups when faced with inconsequential lives resort to belief systems that give them comfort, solace and often a sense of superiority with respect to ideology held. This often translates to more suicide bombers by means of greater anticipation for the afterlife. A fair amount of terrorists that go onto perform suicide missions do so after comparing their current lives with the ones they expect to lead in heaven or jannah.They see poverty, distress, debt and suffering as something they can leave behind to reach a land of fountains, gardens, angels and virgins if they do the right thing. Here is where opportunistic priests and politicians swoop in employing, â€Å"base and criminal means †¦ to keep the nations in perpetual slavery. (God & the State, 11)† These self-proclaimed, â€Å"guardians and the fathers of the people,† clearly do not have their best interests at heart and see them rather as tools by which they can achieve their respective political and religious agendas.A preacher who sermonizes on the value of taking lives, leveling cities and particularly in Iran- the use of nuclear weapons, cannot possibly be representing to the people any interpretation of religious texts. Instead of performing his duties as the spiritual head of a community, he uses incendiary rhetoric to stir people who are repeatedly manipulated by their governments into believing serious propa ganda against Western nations. Bakunin expresses particular outrage at such figures referring to their acts as, â€Å" this crime of treason against humanity committed daily, in broad day, over the whole surface of the civilized world. This is interesting mostly because it alters our perspective on ideas of terrorism and makes us look intensely at what goes into the formation of one. As a global community, we express daily outrage when acts of terror be they car bombings, hijackings, kidnappings and murders occur. Caught up in these, it gets difficult to see the simultaneous crime being carried out throughout large tracts of the Middle East where the populace is systematically denied a real education in lieu of religious madrasas and indoctrination.Though vastly different, we can examine Bakunin's analysis of 19th century education and modern day madrasas. â€Å"Such are the absurd tales that are told and the monstrous doctrines that are taught, in the full light of the nineteenth century, in all the public schools of Europe, at the express command of the government. They call this civilizing the people! Is it not plain that all these governments are systematic poisoners, interested stupefies of the masses? † ( God ; the State, 11) There is quite certainly a reason for the establishment of such schools.We can posit that due to a certain moral vacuum, created by the influx of Western/European morality which itself was a consequence of the Scientific Revolution, there exists a motive to enforce conservative and restrictive moral systems. These motives when taken to their extreme engender resentment towards other forms of thinking and see them as counterproductive or directly hostile to their own. In the case of Islamic theology, the teachings have been co-opted by a small, but active militant and extremist sector.This group opposes in principle all people who do not share their belief systems calling them indicatively; non-believers, infidels and heretic s. Much like how in post war Europe this very moral vacuum was filled with branches of Totalitarianism and Fascism, the radical Middle East has adopted a similarly authoritarian system. This system is firstly authoritarian in the literal sense as most nations like Saudi Arabia have no free press, democratic governments or political parties. Secondly on a more abstract level, its religious tenets when exercised by extremists or the Mutaween are highly prohibitory and insular.An example of this sprung to international attention when in March of 2002, a girl's school in Mecca caught on fire. Members of the Mutaween or the religious police were on hand to prevent improperly dressed girls from leaving the burning building. As school was in session with an entirely female population, for the sake of comfort most girls had seen fit to take of their confining abayas and headdresses. When attempting to escape, According to a civil defense officer, the girls were forced to return by use of fo rce.This is one of many examples of religious confinement and how it is inherently parochial and inhibitory. The masses must indeed be stupefied, as Bakunin says if they consider it God's will that girls burn to death for not being dressed appropriately. Though applicable to a wide range of scenarios, this example gives us insight into the aggressions of terrorist groups. It is clearly not enough that they follow the rigid principles set in the scriptures and interpreted by their mullahs, virtually everyone must do so as well.Some priests go so far as to imply that forcing or â€Å"converting† non-believers to the jihad proffers to them a place in heaven. With this tendency to make the world follow the teachings of Allah, it seems natural that they would resort to the means made popular by tradition and used quite frequently in history for such purposes; violence. Bakunin reprimands this agenda harshly in a letter to S. Nechayev: â€Å"You said that all men should be such, t hat a complete renunciation of self, of all personal wishes, pleasures, feelings affections and ties, should be a normal, natural, everyday condition to everybody without exception.You wished and still with to make your own selfless cruelty, your own truly extreme fanaticism, into a rule of common life. You wish for an absurdity, an impossibility, a total negation of nature, man and society†¦ no society however perfect its discipline and however powerful its organization can conquer nature(On Violence, 9). † This is precisely what the terrorists seem intent on doing, enforcing by means of violence their way of life upon the world. The term ‘nature' is used here to reference the progress and advancement of society, morals and behaviour.The Scientific revolution occurred some 300 years ago and since then we have evolved, developing new systems of morality and using the social sciences to fill in the gaps left by religious dogma. These â€Å"science[s] of the futureâ €  like psychology and sociology are tools we use to fashion a new way of thinking and living(God ; the State, 61). Though they exist popular and normative definitions of good and evil, we have to a great extent outgrown them as new, more ethically complex situations arise and we approach them differently.Observing moral gray areas that we face everyday like bioethics in legislation for instance gives us an idea as to how we have been forced to evolve our moral ideas to keep up with out lifestyles. Though significant, bioethics is representative of a much larger and more pervasive phenomenon due to which we approach virtually all situations differently. For one, we refrain from moralizing a lot of issues that we would have historically used an ethical framework to describe. Our collective moral psychology as a whole has become more imaginative and we have a much larger scope to use morality in out lives.This broad, nonconservative approach has been interpreted as an empty, decade nt and immoral (rather ironically) philosophy that is engendered by liberal Western culture and extends through its rather large sphere of influence. This perceived emptiness or moral vacuum is then filled by priests, zealots and a restrictive culture that is almost reactionary in its principles, formed so diametrically opposed to the ones it aims to eliminate. Bakunin explains to Nechayev that regardless of a particular society's moral system, it is impossible to â€Å"conquer nature† or stop progress.This evolving of moral systems is the progress we've made in a past few centuries and various terrorist movements are largely the backlash experienced as a result of it. The abandonment of traditional value systems is understandably frightening and this very fear has been molded into a consequential, aggressive and parochial movement that uses undiscerning violence to erase centuries of moral advancement and replace it with a very specific, scripture-based morality that is reas suring in its decisiveness.Of note is the attempt made thereafter to brutally enforce this morality upon to world, to ensure that every woman, man and child follows the distinctive set of rules that govern radical Islamic morality. To see how truly regressive such a system is, we can examine the treatment of women in particular. The advance of feminism, especially at the turn of the century, led a revolution of ideas and social norms. The roles previously dictated by a predominantly patriarchal tradition changed and the restrictions placed on women were more or less eliminated.All terrorist groups share a contempt for women's rights and this can be explained by their aversion to change and the reversal of traditional roles. Though this discomfort with feminism also involves an element of insecurity as male roles in these societies are so dependent and inverse to female roles, it cannot possibly by itself cause men to go around in trucks shooting schoolgirls; that requires priestly o r political influence. What the terrorists fail to account is the nature of advancement and how it cannot be prevented from happening by beating people into submission. Everyday there is resistance in the ranks.Malala Yousafzai, an activist from Pakistan was shot on the 9th of October, 2012 while on a school-bus. This sort of advancement is likely to perpetuate itself amidst a large portion of the world and even killing everyone who noticeably advocates it will not prevent its growth. In Somalia, at the age of five, Ayaan Hirsi Ali underwent the torturous procedure of female circumcision (of genital mutilation as it is commonly and aptly called). This was one amongst several regressive traditions of her tribe and yet she emerged from the harshest of circumstances as an adamant feminist and atheist thinker. Man has emancipated himself; he has separated himself from animality and constituted himself a man; he has begun his distinctively human history and development by an act of disob edience and science-that is, by rebellion and by thought. (God & the State, 12)† Herein lies the key to our humanity, the very feature that is being suppressed by terrorists in favour of a more convenient, straightforward and primitive form of thinking. It is inherent in out nature to seek change, to ask questions and to doubt the dogmas we have been handed down.The fact that this leads to a complete social overhaul and the creation of multiple cognitive vacuums does not deter us from repeatedly being skeptical and thinking. The quote mentioned above refers to the Creation story of Genesis which showcases the act of disobedience, questioning of rules and the disastrous results that follow. At the end of it however, as humans we wouldn't have it any other way. Doubting the doctrines we were brought up with reduces the strangle-hold religion has upon out society and the amount of influence clergymen can exert.This is an important motivation for the priests of the Middle East to carry on with their rabble-rousing diatribes. Doing so can maintain the last vestiges of power they have over people who no longer believe in their divine capacity anymore. By diverting attention from the actual tenets of Islam and bringing to the forefront firebrand phrases from other scriptures to spur people on, they engage in self-preservation rather than the progress of the human race. The key to our development has always been in thought and rebellion, by preventing it combatively, the terrorists hold back the world nd regress us to an age before we challenged conventions. In another section of the letter to S. Nechayev, Bakunin refers to what he observes as, â€Å"an enormous lack of critical sense without which it is impossible to evaluate people and situations, and to reconcile means with ends. (On Violence, 9)† These shortcomings of Russian nihilistic revolutionaries are now echoed by Islamic terrorists. Despite their explicable beliefs, what is truly terrifying abo ut them is the raw violence and destruction jihadis seek to force upon the world.Their defensiveness towards tradition and resentment over past wars has been channeled into a form of nondiscriminatory havoc ceases to differentiate between military personnel and innocent citizens. This method is what is somewhat irreconcilable with the, â€Å"ends† it seeks to achieve. Though a destruction of the current system is required for any meaningful change to occur, it does not have to be gruesome and violent. It is however much harder for priests and politicians to spur their populace on towards peaceful goals than it is to make them favour blind violence.Speaking then about how to deal with an opposing civilization, Bakunin stats, â€Å"Societies which are inimical or positively harmful must be dissolved, and finally the government must be destroyed. All this cannot be achieved only by propagating the truth; cunning, diplomacy and deceit are necessary. (On Violence, 34)† Nowh ere in the aforementioned advise does he mention violence as a useful way to achieve success. This is particularly important as there hasn't as of yet been a noticeable conversion to the Islamic cause.Efficacy is a factor that the terrorists seem not to have consider seeking only to assuage their manufactured rage. â€Å"Hate, the negative side alone, does not create anything, does not even create the power necessary for destruction and thus destroys nothing. (On Violence, 29)† When four homegrown terrorists from London attacked the underground system, their primary motive was to avenge their fellow Muslims who had previously suffered as a result of actions undertaken by the Western governments.A large amount of bombings are becoming more about revenge and hatred than actually changing the status quo. This achieves nothing while a great deal is simultaneously sacrificed. Distinct from revenge, another cause for hatred is how the terrorists perceive the world. Bakunin refers t o the source of our progress as, â€Å"Satan, the eternal rebel, the first freethinker and the emancipator of worlds. He makes man ashamed of his bestial ignorance and obedience; he emancipates him, stamps upon his brow the seal of liberty and humanity, in urging him to disobey and eat of the fruit of knowledge. God & the State, 10)† It is fair to assume that they see the West and people such as Malala as Satanic and a corruptive influence. Both of these try to upend traditional thought and how we think about morality. By objecting to blind deference to a book or set of purportedly divine rules, democracies seek to alter people's moral psychology. This procedure has seen a backlash even in Western countries themselves in the form of radical Christianity. Ironically though this branch of religion despises Islam and the jihadis, it seeks to achieve incredibly similar goals.Every time a pastor in some midwestern state pushes for the inscription of the Hebrew commandments in fron t of court-houses, as a species, we take a collective step backwards into the Middle Ages where people believed in a fixed set of dogmas that seemed more interested in who they worshipped than in how they behaved. Similarly with the feminist movements, with the objectives of terrorism being so inherently misogynistic, we risk living in a world where women don't have the civil liberties we spent a good couple of centuries achieving.Though things in the past were straightforward and idealistic, they were also horrendously underdeveloped in modern concepts of liberty, freedom, thought, science and society. Reverting back to those circumstances involves necessarily having to deal with all its downfalls as well as the clarity of ethics it provides. We do not get to cherry-pick which part of the Middle Ages we'd like to being with us into this century as the terrorists have made amply clear.We will need to accept the oppression of women, religious minorities, homosexuals, transgenders and scientific thought as though we were actually living in the 16th century. This regression must be avoided at all costs. â€Å"Thus we come back to the essence of all religion–in other words, to the disparagement of humanity for the greater glory of divinity. (God & the State, 37)† With this statement Bakunin sums up the thrust of the religious terrorist movements around the world. They seek to avenge a perceived disrespect of a divine being and are willing to kill for it.Though they wouldn't do so spontaneously, this hatred ad murderous instinct has to be carefully cultivated from childhood by mullahs and other authoritative sources. These children then become people who are capable of leveling entire buildings for the glory of God whose existence they cannot be sure of and an afterlife they might never get to experience. Such is the power of, â€Å"collective insanity,† that drives a movement like this. (God & the State, 68) Since the 200,000 years we've exist ed, we've spent quite a lot of it questioning, developing and doubting.Attempts to prevent this are shameful in that they send us hurtling back hundreds of years to less enlightened times of dogma and religious persecution. We've outgrown the juvenile need for extremely strict religious guidance and have as a society agreed upon a set of common sense laws that don't vary significantly across national borders. We've developed social sciences to deal with the moral vacuum left after the removal of dogmas and are can deal with them without resorting to driving airplanes into skyscrapers.The existence of terrorism proves that for every collective step forward we take, there are elements that will be rendered irrelevant and have thus felt the need to make the loudest clamor possible. Though we cannot obviously devise a straightforward solution to a complex and varying problem, we can however seek to understand it. Bibliography Bakunin, Mikhail, â€Å"God and the State. † Dover Pub lications, Inc. , New York. 1970 Bakunin, Mikhail, â€Å"On Violence-letter to S Nechayev. † New York: Unity Press, [19–]