Christopher Columbus Was a Murderer Essay -- Expository Exemplificatio

Christopher Columbus Was a Murderer The second Monday in October is celebrated across America as Columbus Day. It is a celebration of the man who discovered America. In school, children are taught that Christopher Columbus was a national hero. In actuality, the man was a murderer. It is true that he found a land that was unknown to the "civilized" world, yet in this discovery, he erased the natives inhabiting the land. With slavery, warfare, and inhumane acts, Christopher Columbus and the men who accompanied him completely destroyed a people, a culture, and a land. These are not actions that should be heralded as heroic. When his thoughts and actions throughout his voyages are considered, one can see that Columbus was never respectful of the rights of the natives he encountered. His first sight of what he termed "Indians" was of a group of attractive, unclothed people. Speculation is that, to him, their nakedness represented a lack of culture, customs, and religion (Wilford 159). Columbus saw this as an opportunity to spread the word of God, while at the same considering how they could possibly be exploited. He believed that they would be easy to conquer because they appeared defenseless, easy to trick because they lacked experience in trade, and an easy source of profit because they could be enslaved (Fernandez-Armesto 83). It obviously did not occur to Columbus to consider these people in any terms aside from that of master and slave. These thoughts were merely a foreshadowing of what was to come. Even in Columbus's own letters one can see the arrogance he possessed in claiming the islands he found. In a letter describing his findings to his friend Luis de Santangel, he wrote, "And there I found very many islands fil... ...a by traversing the western oceans. He died feeling a failure because of this, not because of the tragedy he had brought to the Indians. His great accomplishment was the destruction of an entire population. How is that heroic? Works Cited Casas, Bartolome de las. "From the Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. 5th ed. Vol. 1 New York: Norton, 1998. 16-18. Columbus, Christopher. "From Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. 5th ed. Vol. 1 New York: Norton, 1998. 11-13. Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Columbus. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Wilford, John Noble. The Mysterious History of Columbus: An Exploration of the Man, the Myth, the Legacy. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1991. Christopher Columbus Was a Murderer Essay -- Expository Exemplificatio Christopher Columbus Was a Murderer The second Monday in October is celebrated across America as Columbus Day. It is a celebration of the man who discovered America. In school, children are taught that Christopher Columbus was a national hero. In actuality, the man was a murderer. It is true that he found a land that was unknown to the "civilized" world, yet in this discovery, he erased the natives inhabiting the land. With slavery, warfare, and inhumane acts, Christopher Columbus and the men who accompanied him completely destroyed a people, a culture, and a land. These are not actions that should be heralded as heroic. When his thoughts and actions throughout his voyages are considered, one can see that Columbus was never respectful of the rights of the natives he encountered. His first sight of what he termed "Indians" was of a group of attractive, unclothed people. Speculation is that, to him, their nakedness represented a lack of culture, customs, and religion (Wilford 159). Columbus saw this as an opportunity to spread the word of God, while at the same considering how they could possibly be exploited. He believed that they would be easy to conquer because they appeared defenseless, easy to trick because they lacked experience in trade, and an easy source of profit because they could be enslaved (Fernandez-Armesto 83). It obviously did not occur to Columbus to consider these people in any terms aside from that of master and slave. These thoughts were merely a foreshadowing of what was to come. Even in Columbus's own letters one can see the arrogance he possessed in claiming the islands he found. In a letter describing his findings to his friend Luis de Santangel, he wrote, "And there I found very many islands fil... ...a by traversing the western oceans. He died feeling a failure because of this, not because of the tragedy he had brought to the Indians. His great accomplishment was the destruction of an entire population. How is that heroic? Works Cited Casas, Bartolome de las. "From the Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. 5th ed. Vol. 1 New York: Norton, 1998. 16-18. Columbus, Christopher. "From Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. 5th ed. Vol. 1 New York: Norton, 1998. 11-13. Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Columbus. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Wilford, John Noble. The Mysterious History of Columbus: An Exploration of the Man, the Myth, the Legacy. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1991.

Urban Transportation :: essays research papers

The development of urban transportation has not changed with the cities; cities have changed with transportation. In the early years of transportation it was the mass transit of horse and buggies or electric rail cars that shaped cities. Then as the automobile became affordable to the public, personal transportation redefined the city as it was known. It is the automobile and the movement to the suburbs that has public transportation struggling to make money today. The very first transportation was with the horse. Then someone came up with the idea to pair a horse up with a buggy. Now four to six people could be carried at one time. These horse and buggies began to be common sight in cities and public transportation was born. Before the horse and buggy people were confined to the distance they could walk, so cities could not grow much. People lived in the central business district because that is where they worked. Now with the simple horse and buggy, people that can afford the transportation can move a mile or two out of the central city (Guathier 174).The big explosion of growth and increased ridership came at the turn of the century. The cause of this explosion was the electric streetcars that were installed in many cities. Whichever direction the rail lines were laid down and the streetcar moved, people began building their homes in that direction. The automobile was just getting its beginning and people were depending on public transportation to get them to work. As the streetcar's tracks expanded east and west, the city's population shifted that way as well. People did not need to be in walking distance of their workplace anymore, but in walking distance of the nearest pickup point of the streetcars (Guathier 175). As streetcars increased their length of lines and service, the public increased their choices of residential locations. People with higher incomes were able to move out of the central part of cities and into outer areas (Guathier 174). This also fostered the concentration of different ethnic groups within separate neighborhoods (Guathier 175). This separation reversed the intermingling that had been taking place during the late 1800's between various economic groups and the different ethnic groups in the cities. Social stratification and sorting of different groups throughout the city was rapidly increased thanks to the streetcar spreading out the cities (Guathier 175).As cities spread out in the early 1900's, railroads developed interurban and suburban railroad to connect the outlying areas of the city.

Brown’s Installation Service

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Peplau’s Contribution to the Advancement of Nursing Knowledge Essay

Peplau’s Contribution to the Advancement of Nursing Knowledge in Support of Multidisciplinary Science Nursing is still a young profession that is still evolving. It is still developing its theoretical support for the nursing practice and how its discipline is unique from other disciplines (Johnson, B. & Webber, and P.). Many of the nursing theorists have drawn from other disciplines (psychology, sociology etc.) in forming their nursing theories. Hildegard Peplau is one of those theorists who used another discipline in formulation of her Interpersonal Relations in Nursing Theory. In this paper, I will describe her career development and how she contributed to nursing’s body of knowledge, showing her support of multidisciplinary science. I will also describe how her theory has been adopted within the nursing field by reporting the results of a current literature review. Peplau’s Career and How She Contributed to Nursing’s Body of Knowledge It is important to know Peplau’s nursing education in order to understand how she came to think and perceive the nursing profession, its practice and theory, particularly with an influence from the science of psychology. Peplau entered the nursing profession after earning a diploma in nursing at a hospital in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. She took a variety of nursing positions and within a few years, she earned her Baccalaureate Degree in Psychology. It was then that Peplau really began to form her ideas about psychiatric nursing and the nursing profession (Holden, 2002). She worked in psychiatric nursing afterwards and was greatly influenced from working with Eric and Frieda Fromm, who were highly influential and successful psychologists at that time. She was also in contact with and influenced by Harry Stack Sullivan. During World War II she stationed in London at a neuropsychiatric center. While she was there she had conversations with many significant people in psychiatry. During her shifts, the psychiatrists would discuss their cases and it became an extension of her psychiatric course work from her Bachelor Degree in Psychology (Holden, 2002)Afterwards, over several years, Peplau earned her Masters and Doctorate Degrees at Teacher’s College at Columbia University and her Doctorate in Education (Parker & Smith, 2010). She was also certified in psychoanalysis by the William Alanson White Institute of New York City, in the early 1950’s. In her career she not only developed the Interpersonal Relation  Theory of Nursing but developed several graduate psychiatric nursing programs (Holden, 2002). Hildegard Peplau received special recognition by the ANA Council of Advanced Practitioners in Psychiatric/ Mental Health Nursing. Because of her extensive education and exposure to the science of psychology (and some of its finest professional member’s), she was able to pave the way for psychiatric nursing within the nursing profession. Up until her influence, it was the nurse’s responsibility to simply administer the medication the psychiatrists ordered and assist the patient with basic health care as needed. Peplau’s Support of Multidisciplinary Sciences in the Field of Nursing It is obvious that Peplau’s development of the Interpersonal Relations in Nursing Theory also was birthed out of her psychology/psychiatry education and experience. It was her goal to bring psychiatric nursing to more that nurses giving medication and caring for basic physical needs. She was the mother of psychiatric nursing. She paved the way for nurses to practice psychotherapy by first training them to â€Å"talk to patients†. Her theory was greatly influenced by Sullivan’s Interpersonal Theory. Sullivan was the first American psychiatrist to develop a Comprehensive Personality Theory and saw psychiatric problems as being developed from bad interpersonal relationships. (Slide show site). Peplau also utilized the discipline of â€Å"education† to further her development and promotion of the Interpersonal Relations Theory. She also utilized it to train other’s in more advanced ways of practicing as psychiatric nursing (Holden, 2002). Peplau did not only show her approval of using the multidiscipline sciences in nursing by utilizing them in her practice and teaching, but she taught that this was the best practice to do in the field of nursing. In an interview that was done in 1999 she was questioned on the use of other disciplines by nursing and was it acceptable for nurses to practice using someone else’s knowledge. She answered by first saying that she promoted scientific research in neuropsychiatry, genetics and biochemistry and had served on government committees regarding them. She believed that it was important for nurses to continue to study and know about human beings biologically and about their existence in the environment (Spray, 1999). She confirmed that she always supported the development of all social sciences. She hoped that â€Å"the  basics of science (neuroscience, biology, and brain research) and the social sciences (the psychosocial humanistic piece), that is, the connections and the integrations of these, will be identified and formulated â€Å" (Spray, 1999). In saying that she validated the use of all knowledge, coming together so as to serve nursing in becoming its best. The writer believes, with many others, that Hildegard Peplau was a great pioneer in the nursing profession and not only supported multidiscipline of sciences for use in nursing but exemplified it wonderfully. Literature Review on Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations Theory of Nursing A literary review, using the subject for research as â€Å"Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory of Nursing† was done using ProQuest’s website for peer-reviewed literary articles. The result is that the subject was discussed in 95 peer reviewed journals and two trade journals. Using Google Books a research was done using the same. There were too many books, including psychiatric text books by Brunner and Saddarth and Lippincott, which included a full description on Peplau and her founding nursing theory. It is quite obvious that her theory has been adopted by nursing profession. She has been called the â€Å"mother of psychiatric nursing† (Holden, 2002). References Gregg, D. (1999, Jul-Sep ). Hildegard E. Peplau: Her contributions. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 35(3), 10-12. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200788729?accountid=34574 Holden, M. (2002, Nov.). Hildegard Peplau: Psychiatric Nurse of the Century. Military Medicine, 167(12), 111. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/217052138?accountid=34574 Parker, M. (2010). Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice. Philadelphia, PA, United States of America: FA Davis. Spray, S. L. ( 1999, Jul-Sep ). The evolution of the psychiatric clinical nurse specialist: An interview with Hildegard E. Peplau. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 35(3), 27-37. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200788948?accountid=34574

Vampire Academy Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE I'D NEVER BEEN COMPLETELY NAKED around a guy before. It scared the hell out of me – even though it excited me, too. Lying on the covers, we clung to each other and kept kissing – and kissing and kissing and kissing. His hands and lips took possession of my body, and every touch was like fire on my skin. After yearning for him for so long, I could barely believe this was happening. And while the physical stuff felt great, I also just liked being close to him. I liked the way he looked at me, like I was the sexiest, most wonderful thing in the world. I liked the way he would say my name in Russian, murmured like a prayer: Roza, Roza†¦ And somewhere, somewhere in all of this, was that same urging voice that had driven me up to his room, a voice that didn't sound like my own but that I was powerless to ignore. Stay with him, stay with him. Don't think about anything else except him. Keep touching him. Forget about everything else. I listened – not that I really needed any extra convincing. The burning in his eyes told me he wanted to do a lot more than we were, but he took things slow, maybe because he knew I was nervous. His pajama pants stayed on. At one point, I shifted so that I hovered over him, my hair hanging around him. He tilted his head slightly, and I just barely caught sight of the back of his neck. I brushed my fingertips over the six tiny marks tattooed there. â€Å"Did you really kill six Strigoi?† He nodded. â€Å"Wow.† He brought my own neck down to his mouth and kissed me. His teeth gently grazed my skin, different from a vampire but every bit as thrilling. â€Å"Don't worry. You'll have a lot more than me someday.† â€Å"Do you feel guilty about it?† â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Killing them. You said in the van that it was the right thing to do, but it still bothers you. It's why you go to church, isn't it? I see you there, but you aren't really into the services.† He smiled, surprised and amused I'd guessed another secret about him. â€Å"How do you know these things? I'm not guilty exactly†¦just sad sometimes. All of them used to be human or dhampir or Moroi. It's a waste, that's all, but as I said before, it's something I have to do. Something we all have to do. Sometimes it bothers me, and the chapel is a good place to think about those kinds of things. Sometimes I find peace there, but not often. I find more peace with you.† He rolled me off of him and moved on top of me again. The kissing picked up once more, harder this time. More urgent. Oh God, I thought. I'm finally going to do it. This is it. I can feel it. He must have seen the decision in my eyes. Smiling, he slid his hands behind my neck and unfastened Victor's necklace. He set it on the bedside table. As soon as the chain left his fingers, I felt like I'd been slapped in the face. I blinked in surprise. Dimitri must have felt the same way. â€Å"What happened?† he asked. â€Å"I-I don't know.† I felt like I was trying to wake up, like I'd been asleep for two days. I needed to remember something. Lissa. Something with Lissa. My head felt funny. Not pain or dizziness, but†¦the voice, I realized. The voice urging me toward Dimitri was gone. That wasn't to say I didn't want him anymore because hey, seeing him there in those sexy pajama bottoms, with that brown hair spilling over the side of face was pretty fine. But I no longer had that outside influence pushing me to him. Weird. He frowned, no longer turned on. After several moments of thought, he reached over and picked up the necklace. The instant his fingers touched it, I saw desire sweep over him again. He slid his other hand onto my hip, and suddenly, that burning lust slammed back into me. My stomach went queasy while my skin started to prickle and grow warm again. My breathing became heavy. His lips moved toward mine again. Some inner part of me fought through. â€Å"Lissa,† I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. â€Å"I have to tell you something about Lissa. But I can't†¦remember†¦I feel so strange†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† Still holding onto me, he rested his cheek against my forehead. â€Å"There's something†¦something here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pulled his face away, and I opened my eyes. â€Å"This necklace. That's the one Prince Victor gave you?† I nodded and could see the sluggish thought process trying to wake up behind his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he removed his hand from my hip and pushed himself away. â€Å"What are you doing?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Come back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked like he wanted to – very badly – but instead he climbed out of the bed. He and the necklace moved away from me. I felt like he'd ripped part of me away, but at the same time, I had that startling sensation of waking up, like I could think clearly once more without my body making all the decisions. On the other hand, Dimitri still wore a look of animal passion on him, and it seemed to take a great deal of effort for him to walk across the room. He reached the window and managed to open it one-handed. Cold air blasted in, and I rubbed my hands over my arms for warmth. â€Å"What are you going to – ?† The answer hit me, and I sprang out of bed, just as the necklace flew out the window. â€Å"No! Do you know how much that must have – ?† The necklace disappeared, and I no longer felt like I was waking up. I was awake. Painfully, startlingly so. I took in my surroundings. Dimitri's room. Me naked. The rumpled bed. But all that was nothing compared to what hit me next. â€Å"Lissa!† I gasped out. It all came back, the memories and the emotions. And, in fact, her held-back emotions suddenly poured into me – at staggering levels. More terror. Intense terror. Those feelings wanted to suck me back into her body, but I couldn't let them. Not quite yet. I fought against her, needing to stay here. With the words coming out in a rush, I told Dimitri everything that had happened. He was in motion before I finished, putting on clothes and looking every bit like a badass god. Ordering me to get dressed, he tossed me a sweatshirt with Cyrillic writing on it to wear over the skimpy dress. I had a hard time following him downstairs; he made no effort to slow for me this time. Calls were made when we got there. Orders shouted. Before long, I ended up in the guardians' main office with him. Kirova and other teachers were there. Most of the campus's guardians. Everyone seemed to speak at once. All the while, I felt Lissa's fear, felt her moving farther and farther away. I yelled at them to hurry up and do something, but no one except Dimitri would believe my story about her abduction until someone retrieved Christian from the chapel and then verified Lissa really wasn't on campus. Christian staggered in, supported by two guardians. Dr. Olendzki appeared shortly thereafter, checking him out and wiping blood away from the back of his head. Finally, I thought, something would happen. â€Å"How many Strigoi were there?† one of the guardians asked me. â€Å"How in the world did they get in?† muttered someone else. I stared. â€Å"Wh – ? There weren't any Strigoi.† Several sets of eyes stared at me. â€Å"Who else would have taken her?† asked Ms. Kirova primly. â€Å"You must have seen it wrong through the†¦vision.† â€Å"No. I'm positive. It was†¦they were†¦guardians.† â€Å"She's right,† mumbled Christian, still under the doctor's ministrations. He winced as she did something to the back of his head. â€Å"Guardians.† â€Å"That's impossible,† someone said. â€Å"They weren't school guardians.† I rubbed my forehead, fighting hard to keep from leaving the conversation and going back to Lissa. My irritation grew. â€Å"Will you guys get moving? She's getting farther away!† â€Å"You're saying a group of privately retained guardians came in and kidnapped her?† The tone in Kirova's voice implied I was playing some kind of joke. â€Å"Yes,† I replied through gritted teeth. â€Å"They†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Slowly, carefully, I slipped my mental restraint and flew into Lissa's body. I sat in a car, an expensive car with tinted windows to keep out most of the light. It might be â€Å"night† here, but it was full day for the rest of the world. One of the guardians from the chapel drove; another sat beside him in the front – one I recognized. Spiridon. In the back, Lissa sat with tied hands, another guardian beside her, and on the other side – â€Å"They work for Victor Dashkov,† I gasped out, focusing back on Kirova and the others. â€Å"They're his.† â€Å"Prince Victor Dashkov?† asked one of the guardians with a snort. Like there was any other freaking Victor Dashkov. â€Å"Please,† I moaned, hands clutching my head. â€Å"Do something. They're getting so far away. They're on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A brief image, seen outside the car window, flared in my vision. â€Å"Eighty-three. Headed south.† â€Å"Eighty-three already? How long ago did they leave? Why didn't you come sooner?† My eyes turned anxiously to Dimitri. â€Å"A compulsion spell,† he said slowly. â€Å"A compulsion spell put into a necklace he gave her. It made her attack me.† â€Å"No one can use that kind of compulsion,† exclaimed Kirova. â€Å"No one's done that in ages.† â€Å"Well, someone did. By the time I'd restrained her and taken the necklace, a lot of time had passed,† Dimitri continued, face perfectly controlled. No one questioned the story. Finally, finally, the group moved into action. No one wanted to bring me, but Dimitri insisted when he realized I could lead them to her. Three details of guardians set out in sinister black SUVs. I rode in the first one, sitting in the passenger seat while Dimitri drove. Minutes passed. The only times we spoke was when I gave a report. â€Å"They're still on Eighty-three†¦but their turn is coming. They aren't speeding. They don't want to get pulled over.† He nodded, not looking at me. He most definitely was speeding. Giving him a sidelong glance, I replayed tonight's earlier events. In my mind's eye, I could see it all again, the way he'd looked at me and kissed me. But what had it been? An illusion? A trick? On the way to the car, he'd told me there really had been a compulsion spell in the necklace, a lust one. I had never heard of such a thing, but when I'd asked for more information, he just said it was a type of magic earth users once practiced but never did anymore. â€Å"They're turning,† I said suddenly. â€Å"I can't see the road name, but I'll know when we're close.† Dimitri grunted in acknowledgment, and I sank further into my seat. What had it all meant? Had it meant anything to him? It had definitely meant a lot to me. â€Å"There,† I said about twenty minutes later, indicating the rough road Victor's car had turned off on. It was unpaved gravel, and the SUV gave us an edge over his luxury car. We drove on in silence, the only sound coming from the crunching of the gravel under the tires. Dust kicked up outside the windows, swirling around us. â€Å"They're turning again.† Farther and farther off the main routes they went, and we followed the whole time, led by my instructions. Finally, I felt Victor's car come to a stop. â€Å"They're outside a small cabin,† I said. â€Å"They're taking her – â€Å" â€Å"Why are you doing this? What's going on?† Lissa. Cringing and scared. Her feelings had pulled me into her. â€Å"Come, child,† said Victor, moving into the cabin, unsteady on his cane. One of his guardians held the door open. Another pushed Lissa along and settled her into a chair near a small table inside. It was cold in here, especially in the pink dress. Victor sat across from her. When she started to get up, a guardian gave her a warning look. â€Å"Do you think I'd seriously hurt you?† â€Å"What did you do to Christian?† she cried, ignoring the question. â€Å"Is he dead? â€Å"The Ozera boy? I didn't mean for that to happen. We didn't expect him to be there. We'd hoped to catch you alone, to convince others you'd run away again. We'd made sure rumors already circulated about that.† We? I recalled how the stories had resurfaced this week†¦from Natalie. â€Å"Now?† He sighed, spreading his hands wide in a helpless gesture. â€Å"I don't know. I doubt anyone will connect it to us, even if they don't believe you ran away. Rose is the biggest liability. We'd intended to†¦dispatch her, letting others think she'd run away as well. The spectacle she created at your dance made that impossible, but I had another plan in place to make sure she stays occupied for some time†¦probably until tomorrow. We will have to contend with her later.† He hadn't counted on Dimitri figuring out the spell. He'd figured we'd be too busy getting it on all night. â€Å"Why?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Why are you doing all this?† His green eyes widened, reminding her of her father's. They might be distant relatives, but that jade-green color ran in both the Dragomirs and the Dashkovs. â€Å"I'm surprised you even have to ask, my dear. I need you. I need you to heal me.†

Human Motivation the Influential Drive Behind Human Altruism

Human motivation the influential drive behind human altruism At the forefront of social psychology the issue of what motivates one to act in a prosocial manner has arisen with a vast array of theory and response. The heart of the topic lies in the ambiguity as to whether one acts altruistically as a result of an innate response of empathy and compassion, or merely due to self interest. By definition altruism refers to, â€Å"behaviour that helps people with no apparent gain or with potential cost to one’s self†, (Western 2006). Yet, this concept in itself is not unproblematic in that undoubtedly displays of altruism exist, but may not ultimately be driven by selflessness. Motivation is indisputably the integral drive behind human behaviour, and is the most crucial factor influencing human altruism. Reciprocal altruism; simply the idea that we offer assistance and expect it returned, is undeniably practiced with the motivation of one’s personal wellbeing in mind. Similarly, the concept of motivation also provides a logical understanding of kin selection whereby we are inclined to help our genetic related, as aiding one’s family will ultimate better one’s self. A cost rewards analysis, as well as social exclusion can also be depicted as highly motivated by a person’s needs and survival; and therefore can once more be deemed selfish. Thus, by grasping a concrete understanding of one’s ultimate purpose in a given situation, the question as whether we are driven by a natural selfless capacity or with intention of maximizing personal gain can be ascertained. Unquestionably, acts of genuine and authentic altruism exist, however in situations that help is required, consciously or subconsciously the helper is more likely to personally benefit from their action, than not. A motive refers to the goal or object of a person’s action. Human nature is inherently selfish, therefore when deciding whether to engage in a prosocial act; an individual’s primary concern is oneself. This is not always conscious to the individual, yet whether it is a simple question of the motives for an occupation, or concern for the environment; it is linked to maximizing personally or for society as a whole. Krous (2005), conducted research in order to determine what would motivate people in help related fields such as psychology, education and nursing to work with underserved populations; which consist of groups such as ethnic minorities, the mentally ill, the homeless and elderly. The research was conducted using 135 students from Midwestern University majoring in help related fields. Whilst factors such as work autonomy, troubled past experiences or a parent in a helping profession did inspire some to work with such groups, economic reward and prosperity as well as diverse training proved to be vital to a vast majority. Another way in which we can relate people’s motivations with the concern for themselves is through their view on the environment. This was put to the test through a study by Berenguer (2007) whereby participants were presented with illustrations of eight large trees being cut down and a dead bird on the beach covered in oil. The findings concluded that participants conveyed empathy and were dismayed by the devastating state of the environment. One needs to pose the question; what motivates one to act altruistically toward the environment? The simple fact that they are ultimately a part of the environment that they endeavor to save, and thus prevent the personal and societal hardship that would follow its total destruction. The concept that an individual’s sense of belonging in a group impacts upon their willingness to behave in a socially caring manner, once more brings the notion of selfishness to the fore. People are encouraged by their culture and society to take part in prosocial behavior. While engaging in a prosocial act often entails risk and cost to oneself, in the big picture, belonging to a group provides vast benefits. The concept that one’s belongingness will ultimately impact upon a person’s willingness to engage in a prosocial act is questioned in a number of research experiments conducted by Twenge (2007). Experiment One – donating money; had 34 participants take a personality test. Responders were randomly allocated a personality summary of either ‘future alone’, ‘future belonging’, or ‘misfortune control condition. ’ Each participant received $2 for taking part and were informed that there was a collection for the Student Emergency fund. The results had only 37% of the ‘future alone’ donate to the fund contrasting with 100% of the participants in the other groups. Thus, social exclusion lead to a significant decrease in helping behaviour. This suggests that one’s emotional state will pertain to their ability to offer empathetic understanding and an inclination to help others, as Twenge states, â€Å"Social exclusion apparently renders the prosocial behaviour tool temporarily useless. † Therefore, when an individual is emotionally vulnerable and lacking self-esteem they lose their ability to care for the wellbeing of others. Once more the proving human beings as self-interested creatures who are only willing to help when they feel they have been helped or that their society accepts them. Evolutionary theories pertaining to altruism have played a nodal role in understanding human motivations, and moreover through the kin selection theory and the concept of reciprocal altruism emphases once again that we are compelled by rational self-interest, to always put ourselves first. Kin selection focuses on actions of people who are genetically related as stated by Neyer (2003), â€Å"blood is thicker than water, implying that kin are generally favored over non-kin. The motive behind a parent, whether human or animal in protecting their off springs is in their attempt to protect and ensure the next generation. The protection of our genetic code is explored by Maynard Smith (1964), which explains that we are more than likely to help direct family over our more distant family and our more distant family over non-ki n. This idea is heightened in a study conducted by Burnstein (1994) which found that life or death helping was significantly more likely to be offered with close genetic relatedness. The notion of looking after one’s genetic coding for future generations, through the idea of kin selection once more exemplifies the way in which we are hard-wired to act in a socially caring manner to maximize person gain. â€Å"Reciprocal Altruism†, refers to the way in which humans help another person, thus building a relationship where help is expected to be returned at a later date. It is an evolutionary process that clarifies prosocial acts that occur among the non-related. A basic example of such an exchange is acknowledged by Fitness (2007), whereby two fishermen in a village agree to share what they catch for the day with one another. Therefore if one fisherman does not catch any fish they are reassured that they will not go hungry. Such an example supports the theory that engaging in reciprocal altruism increases the chances of survival over individuals who act selfishly, as long as both parties involved reciprocate. Our willingness to help is determined by the likelihood that the help will be returned, therefore in a situation where a stranger requires help it is unlikely that an act will be reciprocated and therefore we feel less inclined to help. In order for the survival of reciprocal altruism, Dovidio (2006) explains that there must be a willingness to chastise those who do cheat and find ways of gratifying individuals that voluntarily refrain from cheating. Reciprocal altruism can be considered a two way street, a relationship in which both parties will profit; and therefore is a response visibly motivated to maximize personal gain. The cost and benefits of engaging in a prosocial act ultimately determines ones willingness to involve themselves, hence supporting the concept that we are hard-wire for personal gain. From this view, humans are rational and chiefly concerned with their own self-interest and agenda. Dovidio (2006) explains the notion of a cost reward analysis, whereby in a potential helping situation the individual weighs the possible costs and benefits in order to reach the most desired outcome. An important aspect of grasping the parameters of prosocial behavior consists of learning when people will help. Dovidio (2006) references the assault of Kitty Genovese, whereby arriving home late from work she was brutally attacked outside her apartment building. This horrific event took place over 45 minutes whereby the attacker returned three times, finally stabbing her to death; with a shocking 38 onlookers that did nothing to help. This incident confirms the view that we are predominantly concerned with our own survival and self-interest as the potential helpers perceived the dangers to dominate over the benefits. Contrastingly, Dovidio (2006) cites the case of Reginald Denny, who was brutally beaten during the civil disturbance in Los Angeles in 1992. Four African Americans were watching nearby on live television and rushed to the scene fending off his attackers and transporting him to hospital, consequently saving his life. Whilst the four helpers were deemed heroes and rewarded with internal benefits of self satisfaction and fulfillment of one’s duty, it challenges the idea that we are hard-wired for personal gain as this act is undeniably a genuine expression of altruism. continuum There is a vast array of motivators that explain why humans engage in altruistic behaviour, a large majority pertaining to the desire to maximize personal gain. Such motivations are reinforced by the evolutionary theories on kin selection and reciprocal altruism; as well as one’s emotional state and the concept of a cost and reward analysis. This is not to say expressions of genuine altruism do not exist, as we have clearly established they do; they are simply few and far between. It is evident that humans have the capacity both to be incredibly selfish and heroically altruistic it would seem that tragically selfishness is hard-wired into us where we are motivated with one leading concern, ourselves. References * John F. Dovidio, Jane Allyn Piliavin, David A. Schroeder, Louis A. Penner. (2006) Social Psychology of Prosocial Behaviour. [Book] Chapter 3 – The Context: When will people help? Chapter 4 – Why do people help? * Krous, Tangala M. D. ; Nauta, Margaret M. (2005) Values, Motivations, and Learning Experiences of Future Professionals: Who Wants to Serve Underserved Populations? [Education and Training in Professional Psychology. ] Volume 36(6), pg 688-694 * Twenge, Jean (M). ; Baumeister, Roy (F); DeWall,(C). Nathan; Ciarocco, Natalie (J); Bartels, (J). Michael. (2007). Journal or Personality and Social Psychology. Social exclusion decrease Prosocial behaviour. Volume 92 (1) p56-66 * Berenguer, J. (2007). The Effect of Empathy in Proenvironmental Attitudes. Environment and Behaviour, 39; 269 * Westen, D. (2006). Psychology 4th edition. John Wiley and Sons, Hobeoken. United States of America * Neyer, Franz J. ; Lang, Frieder R. (2003). Blood is thicker than water. Kinship Orientation among adults. The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol – 84. Pg 310-321 * Fitness (2007). Lecture – Altruism and Prosocial Behaviour

Examine the functionalist view of the family Essay

Broadly speaking, the functionalist perspective has focused on the functions of the family in society and for its members. In other words, it looks at how the family, as an institution, helps in maintaining order and stability in society, and the significance of the family for its individual members. There are two main functionalist views on the family – Murdock’s view and Parsons’ view. Murdock’s view on the family is that the family performs four basic functions for its individual members and society at large. These are the ‘sexual’, ‘reproductive’, ‘economic’ and ‘educational’ functions. The ‘sexual’ function refers to the regulation of sexual activity. Evidence for this being a functionalist view on the family is that the idea of the four basic functions was created by George Murdock. Husbands and wives have sexual access to each other, and in all societies, there are norms concerning sexual activity outside marriage. Therefore, Murdock has argued that the family caters to the sexual needs of its adult members and also limits sexual access of other members of the society thereby maintaining stability. The ‘reproductive’ function relates to bearing and raising children. Again, this was part of the idea created by Murdock. The family provides the society with new members and assumes responsibility for raising them. The family is also an ‘economic’ unit, with a division of labour along gender lines. Evidence for this is Murdock’s consideration of this division of labour and his seeing it as rewarding for the spouses and as strengthening the bond between them, as they are perceived as doing distinct but complementary work. The ‘educational’ function can also be termed ‘socialisation’. Although initially an idea thought up by Murdock, Parsons also agreed with this view believing that this was one of the main functions of the family. The family has the responsibility of transmitting a society’s way of life, norms and values to the younger members. This function is an important one as, without culture, the society could not survive, and too much deviation from the norm would disrupt the stability of the society. Another view on the family is the view of Talcott Parsons. He has also written about the functions of the family. He has identified two functions that he perceives as being ‘basic and irreducible’. These functions are: the primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities of the population of the society. Primary socialisation occurs in early childhood and the family plays an important role at this stage. Evidence for this would be Parsons’ view and writings on the family. Later on, other institutions like the school or the peer group, will exercise much influence on the individual – this is called secondary socialisation. During primary socialisation, two important tasks are achieved by the family. Firstly, the family must transmit the culture of the society to the children. The child must not only be able to learn about the norms and values of the society he or she lives in, but should also be able to ‘internalise’ these norms and values, making them a part of himself or herself. Another functionalist view on the family is that it has the function of ‘stabilising the personality’ of its adult members. Evidence of this is Parsons’ view on the family. This means that family life provides adults with the emotional security that they need. The role of parents that they are asked to assume also provides them with opportunities for expressing their childish whims through their children.