Monday, January 20, 2020

Edwin Blacks War Against the Weak: Eugenics and Americas Campaign to Create a Master Race :: Edwin Black Eugenics Master Race Essays

Edwin Black's War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race To the average American it seems unfathomable that US based research into the "scientific" practice of eugenics could have been the foundation and impetus for Hitler's Nazi genocide and atrocities. In addition, notions of racial superiority and the scientific quest for the development of a pure Aryan nation, both by the United States and foreign countries, particularly Germany, were funded and fueled by monies from such prominent families as the Rockefellers, Carnegies and Harriman's. In his book, War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race, author Edwin Black traces the history of the American eugenics movement, its influence on the rise to power of the Third Reich, and how it was the foundation for the development of scientific racism. Consequently, Black fears that though eugenics in the sense that we recall from the past is gone in name, the future still presents eugenic-like research under the guise of human genetic science, which once again i s supported by corporate funding whose goals are more for monetary gain and globalization, rather than for the benefit of mankind. The origins of eugenic ideology can be traced to the mid-nineteenth century when English philosopher, Herbert Spencer coined the term "survival of the fittest." Those strong and "fittest" would naturally rise to the top, for the benefit of society. Spencer, along with other leading scientists like Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel advocated the principles of the improvement of the human race based on this superiority logic; supporting their findings through the combined applications of science and mathematics. In 1865, statistician Francis J. Galton "postulated that heredity not only transmitted physical features, such as hair color and height, but mental, emotional and creative qualities as well," and so new theories were born. (Page: 15). These characteristics were more than coincidental and Galton set about classifying and categorizing thousands of people based upon his hypothesis that negative hereditary existed, and that bad traits would out weigh the good and as a result, peo ple would spiral biologically downward. Thus the term "eugenics" was utilized as "the study of all agencies under social control which can improve or impair the racial quality of future generations." (Page: 18). Using the principles expounded by Galton and through Mendel's research in laws of recessive and dominant traits discovered in plant breeding, American researchers entered this new scientific field.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Development and Aging

Human development has led to have an insight into the developmental processes in humans throughout the life cycle. Biological, cognitive and personality are some of the aspects of development, which have been explored. The development in life cycle at all points can be understood by taking into account some primary forces; these are the mixture of past temporal conceptualizations, current developmental themes, and environmental influences. They constitute â€Å"Time sense†.According to the reports on American family history, the four approaches perceived by social scientists to study family are household composition, generations, family cycle and life-course. The study of life-course has been proved the most fruitful approach for a dynamic, complex view of families that acts as a linking line between domestic sphere and wider societal trends and concerns. The analytical approach of life-course contributes historiographically in four areas of family: life- childbearing, early c hild development, adolescence and old age.Development of health problems with growing age is another area to be focused on; study of difference in adjustment level of people in mid-life, late life transitions and stressful life events, the effect of family conditions on mental health is studied, the frequency of occurrence of mental disorders such as organic problems, schizophrenia and depression, with age. Age related sexual problems, substance abuse and psychosomatic problems are other areas of research during early, middle, late and elderly hood.However, it is quiet usual that most dramatic developmental changes takes place during infancy and early childhood. Researchers have accepted adolescence as the age of major changes. Middle-aged people are often found to be indulged in severe life events such as redundancy or divorce. In early old age (i. e 50s and 60s), people are encountered with the problems of retirement and reduced standard of living. The late old age consists of dea th of life partner and serious health problems. In nutshell, important developmental changes take place throughout our life. REFERENCES: Referred to http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/UCDWebCatalog/PDF/HDE.pdf Human Development http://www.p-e-p.org/ 1998). Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 53:113-140 A Developmental Line of Time Sense: In Late Adulthood and throughout the Life Cycle Calvin A. Colarusso, M.D. http://links.jstor.org/ Changing Perspectives on the American Family in the Past Susan M. Juster, Maris A. Vinovskis Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 13, 1987 (1987), pp. 193-216 http://links.jstor.org/ Clinical Issues of Middle Age and Later Life Boaz Kahana, Eva Kahana Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 464, Middle and Late Life Transitions (Nov., 1982), pp. 140-161 http://www.psypress.com/pip/resources/chapters/PIP_adolescence.pdf Adolscence, adulthood, and old age Michael W. Eysenck Dated 21st July 2007

Saturday, January 4, 2020

U.s. Government Accountability Office - 1578 Words

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress (GAO 2014). The GAO falls under the legislative branch of the federal government and works extensively with the executive branch, or more specifically, the Department of the Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget. How When it Began The GAO was founded in 1921 when the Budget and Accounting Act transferred accounting, auditing responsibilities, and claims functions away from the treasury Department to the new agency (GAO 2014). Federal financial management was a disaster after World War I due to wartime spending that had driven up the national debt. As a result, Congress felt it needed more information and better control over expenditures. The Budget and Accounting Act made the GAO independent from the executive branch and gave it the task of investigating how federal dollars are truly spent. Legislation made after the creation of the GAO added new nuances to its role in the federal government role, but the Budget and Accounting Act continues to serve as its foundation for all work it partakes in. Purpose or Mission The GAO researches, investigates, and checks how each division of the federal government spends taxpayer dollars by conducting audits and other types of investigations (GAO 2014). The purpose of GAO is to advise Congress, along with executive agency heads, about ways to make government more efficient, effective, ethical, equitable andShow MoreRelatedThe Defense Of Homeland Security1126 Words   |  5 Pageslong 13 years has passes since the Department of Homeland Security has stood up and began the ultra important job of protecting the United States from both state and non-state sponsored threats. There have also been great strides made to protect the U.S. from insider threats as well. The monumental effort it took to synergize all 22 agencies with inherently different jobs into one living breathing unit took significant patience and forethought. There has been and will continue to be heated debatesRead MorePresident Obama s Semblance Of Education Reform Essay1593 Words   |  7 Pagesparty opposed RTT advanced Common Core State Standards, which promote a â€Å"one size fits all approach to education† (Spring, 2015, 63). Along with political factions, those majorly impacted by RTT objected to its premise. The main teachers unions in the U.S., the National Education Association as well as the American Federation of Teachers, highlighted several points of disagreement in RTT which would lead to challenges in implementation. At the time, the NEA said it cannot support RTT’s endorsement ofRead MoreCommunity Benefit Analysis on Federal Tax-Exemption for Charitable Organizations1648 Words   |  7 Pagespromoted, as a charitable purpose. (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2008) Thus, not all hospitals are considered charitable organizations, creating a distinction between for-profit facilities and nonprofit facilities. Two distinguishing factors of nonprofit hospitals is that they must be organized and operate in such a manner that promotes health while ensuring that no part of their net earnings benefit private individuals. (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2008) All federally tax-exemptRead MoreEssay on Project Critique1355 Words   |  6 Pages Analysis and Critique The Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) project, undertaken by Electronic Data Communications (EDC) is the biggest government undertaking of its kind. It aims to provide a single seamless network which would provide a centralized communication to the Navy and Marine. It also aims to integrate the legacy systems with the new secured environment. The NMCI project aimed to connect about 400,000 desktops into a common network, which would provide a unified communicationRead MoreEssay on First Union Case Study1750 Words   |  7 PagesFirst Union: An Office Without Walls Introduction The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Integrative Case 5.0, â€Å"First Union: An Office Without Walls,† found on page 589 of the text book Organization Theory Design, by Richard L. Daft, and to respond to the questions relating to the case study. â€Æ' Problem Statement First Union Federal is a large savings and loan banking organization at which Meg Rabb has been employed with since she was 18. Meg has been recently promoted to Vice PresidentRead MoreAppointment Strategies And Hiring Freezes Influenced The U.s. Environmental Protection Agency Essay1881 Words   |  8 Pagesappointments can encourage loyalty to an incoming administration, however actions that exemplify loyalty can come at the expenses of organizational effectiveness and efficient. 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TheRead MoreEssay On Data Breach880 Words   |  4 Pages03, 1901 and now headquartered Gaithersburg, Maryland. Founded by U.S. Congress, NIST was established to impose general measurement standards laboratory; it is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. The fledgling agency quickly assembled standards for electricity, length and mass, temperature, light, and time, and created a system to transfer those values to the public (History, 2016). The FISMA is a U.S. federal law that was established in 2002 to create a number of importantRead MoreEssay on Socioeconomics of Government Contracting747 Words   |  3 PagesAssignment 2: Socioeconomics of Government Contracting Tyasheen Anderson Dr. Bonita Campbell LEG440 February 3, 2013 After reading the sample request for proposal, it has been determined that the proposal does not meet the government’s standard form for solicitation. A typical form is much lengthier than the provided sample; however the information provided is very straight to the point. It does specify the services they would like to have performed and does ask the bidder to provideRead MoreFaith-Based Funding1677 Words   |  7 Pagescitizen is the desire to help their fellow man. By the government funding social programs, taxpayer money is granted regardless of race, faith, or sexual preference. If a group wants to receive government funding, then complying with all laws, rules and regulations is perfunctory and their core philosophy may not be used as a basis for discrimination. By extending special assistance to faith-based organizations (FBO), the federal government is shirking their constitutional responsibility to not

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Use of Symbolism in Joseph Hellers Catch-22 Essay example

Use of Symbolism in Joseph Hellers Catch-22 The clerk sneezed three times in rapid succession and looked at me through watery eyes. What did you say your name was? I told him my name and he turned to a towering file cabinet overflowing with papers and brown manila envelopes. After sneezing three times and searching through a drawer, he pulled out a thin folder and laid it on the counter. Ah, he said in a nasal voice laden with condescension and impatience. I see you have no experience in our particular area of expertise. Come back when you get some experience. I explained that I was there to get experience. Well, I dont see how you can find any work with your experience, the clerk groused, peering at me through a pair of†¦show more content†¦He spends extensive time in the squadron hospital with various contrived maladies. He tries acting insane to be grounded and sent home, but in this encounters Catch-22, a shady rule that prevents Yossarian from going home throughout the novel. If Yossarian only asks to be grounded for insanity, he will be. However, showing that he knows he is insane makes him sane, and he will be cleared for the next mission. As his friends die one by one and the insanity and confusion of everyone in the squadron become overwhelming, Yossarian finally decides that Catch-22 does not exist and that the only way to escape is to quit and flee to Sweden. Throughout the novel, Heller uses his characters to symbolize various wrongs found in society that Heller sees. For instance, the insensitivity and dehumanization of the officers shows what Heller perceives as the loss of morality and compassion in the modern world. In what seems to be one of the main themes of the book, the mess officer Milo Minderbender seems to symbolize the military-industrial complex that dominated the Cold War. Following World War II, President Eisenhower coined the term military-industrial complex to describe the relationship between private arms manufacturers, the armed forces and the government. This coalition collaborated to bloat the American military budget in order to make money for the companies. Corruption in the government contributed to allowing this. TheShow MoreRelated`` Catch 22, By Joseph Heller1788 Words   |  8 Pagesdebate of whether soldiers’ lives are being lost for necessary causes. Unlike other war novels, Joseph Heller criticizes the cruel bureaucracy within the military, influenced by his own experiences as a bombardier in World War II. In Heller’s satirical novel, Catch-22, he defines the infuriating, contradictory processes the military uses to run its soldiers’ lives and control their fates through his use of satirical dark humor, literary techniques, structure and various themes. Satire is woven throughoutRead MoreDefying Convention, By Joseph Heller2506 Words   |  11 PagesDefying convention, Joseph Heller in Catch-22 dehumanizes the soldier and introduces the reader to the decay of a grim world structured by bureaucracies. With the amalgamation of incoherent chronology and scattered symbols throughout the novel, he presents his ideas in an absurd manner. His sullen irony mirrors that of society. Rendering mankind’s abilities moot, Heller dismantles language and its significance. The very substance of his work - the mindless symbols, dark satire, and deconstruction

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Qualitative Validity and Reliability Qualitative Data Collection Assignment

Essays on Qualitative Validity and Reliability Qualitative Data Collection Assignment The paper "Qualitative Validity and Reliability Qualitative Data Collection" is a wonderful example of an assignment on education. 1. Throughout the article, the authors establish qualitative validity and reliability through the use of a historical perspective which is heavily laden with statistical information. This statistical information and their historical perspective lay a firm foundation for the proper evaluation of the research article on homeless women with preschool children. Additionally, the sampling choices consisting of two groups of different environments ensured that the research was presented with a case that covered all the possible environments, thereby resulting in a more reliable representation of the issue under research (Creswell 2013, pp. 188). This was further augmented through the use of focus groups as a data collection mechanism, which helped ensure reliable data consequently improving the validity and reliability of the research holistically.   2. The qualitative article primarily uses focus groups to collect the data used in the research article. This is whereby the researchers come up with a conducive setting and ensure that the sampled individuals feel safe about giving out as much information about the topic as possible (Averitt 2003, pp. 85). The safety and confidentiality associated with such focus groups ensure that the data is as reliable and valid as possible. Moreover, the researcher gets to interact with the sample in such a way that he/she experiences the effects of homelessness in the context that it is presented. Women for the focus groups were selected from the two identified shelters based on their adherence to criteria that filtered them based on having at least one preschool child. These sessions are then recorded, and this is what constitutes the data collection mechanism for qualitative research.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

John Hick and Pluralism free essay sample

John Hick was born in 1922 in England to a middle class family. He developed an interest in philosophy and religion in his teens, being encouraged by his uncle, who was an author and teacher at  Manchester University. Hick initially pursued a  law degree  at  Hull University, but converted to  Evangelical Christianity  from the fundamentalist Christian beliefs with which he was raised, and decided to change his career and enrolled at the  University of Edinburgh  in 1941. During his studies, he became liable for military service in  World War II, but as a  conscientious objector  on moral grounds, enrolled in the  Friends Ambulance Unit. After the war, he returned to Edinburgh and became attracted to the philosophy of  Immanuel Kant, and began to question his fundamentalism. In 1948, he completed his MA dissertation, which formed the basis of his book  Faith and Knowledge (Peters). He went on to earn a Doctorate in Philosophy from  Oxford University  in 1950 and a Doctorate in Literature from Edinburgh in 1975. In 1953, he married Joan Hazel Bowers, and the couple had three children. After many years as a member of the United Reformed Church, in October 2009 he was accepted into membership of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain. Hick has twice been the subject of heresy proceedings. In 1961-1962, when he was teaching at Princeton Theological Seminary, he sought, as a Presbyterian minister, to join the local Presbytery of New Brunswick. He was asked whether he took exception to anything in the Westminster Confession of 1647 and answered that several points were open to question; for example, he was agnostic on the historical truth of the Virgin Birth and did not regard it as an essential item of Christian faith. Because of this, some of the local ministers appealed against his reception into the Presbytery. Their appeal was sustained by the Synod. A year later, a counter-appeal was sustained by the Judicial Committee of the General Assembly, and Hick became a member of the Presbytery (Furlong). In the mid-1980s, when teaching at the  Claremont Graduate University  in California, Hick sought to join the local Presbytery of San Gabriel. His application was strongly opposed by certain local ministers. After long discussion, the relevant committee told him that his application would be extremely divisive and invited him to withdraw it, which he did (Furlong). John Hick is often cited as one of the most—if not simply the most—significant philosopher of religion in the twentieth century (Cramer). His contributions to this field have been so substantial that they easily spill immense implications over into related fields. Clearly, Hick’s work has such implications for theology. Hick challenges theologians to transform Christian Religion to address effectively the modern world, which is now undoubtedly pluralistic. He both criticizes what he considers outmoded Christian in light of recent developments in religious epistemology, while simultaneously suggesting new possibilities for the enrichment of Christian experience as religious experience. While some of these suggestions are certainly open to debate, it is nonetheless certain that Hick, like Columbus, has discovered the new world—a new pluralistic world—which all future theology must take into account (although it is clear that, despite this recent discovery, the Indians—though this time the  real  Indians—have long since beaten us here as well). In light of his Kantian influences, Hick claims that knowledge of the Real (his generic term for Transcendent Reality) can only be known as it is being perceived. For that reason, absolute truth claims about God (to use Christian language) are really truth claims about perceptions of God; that is, claims about the phenomenal God and not the noumenal God. Furthermore, because all knowledge is rooted in experience, which is then perceived and interpreted into human categories of conception, cultural and historical contexts that inevitably influence human perception are necessarily components of knowledge of the Real. This means that knowledge of God and religious truth claims pertaining thereof are culturally and historically influenced; and for that reason should not be considered absolute. This is a significant aspect of Hicks argument against Christian  exclusivism, which holds that although other religions might contain partial goodness and truth,  salvation  is provided only in  Jesus  Christ, and the complete truth of God is contained only in Christianity (Hick, Christ. Theo. ). Perhaps the simplest manner in which to understand Hicks theory of pluralism of religions is to share the comparison he makes between his own understanding of religion and the Copernican view of our solar system. Before Copernicus disseminated his views of the solar centered universe, the Ptolemaic system ruled in which the stars were painted in the sky, the earth was flat, and the sun rose and set around the earth. In short, the rest of the universe existed for and was centered on our little planet. On the other hand, Copernicus asserted that the earth and other planets as well, circled the sun, which in fact, did not move, but only appeared to move due to the revolution of our planet. Copernicus introduced our world to the understanding that other planets took similar paths around the sun; while each path differed, all served the same purpose and generated the same result: every planet makes a full path around our central star, and those revolutions create day and night for each planet, just as day and night occur on earth. Although the time frames for a full trip around the sun and for a full day-night cycle, differs on a planet-by-planet basis, the concept remains constant throughout our solar system (Hick, Christ. Theo. ). Similarly, Hick draws the metaphor that the Ptolemaic view of religion would be that Christianity is the only way to true salvation and knowledge of the one true God. Ptolemaic Christianity would assert that everything exists and all of history has played out in specific patterns for the glory of the Christian God, and there is no other possibility that will lead to salvation. Hick appears as Copernicus, offering the belief that perhaps all theistic religions are focused toward the one true God, and simply take different paths to achieve the same goal (Hick, God Univ. f Faith). A speaker on religious pluralism, Keith E. Johnson, compares Hicks pluralistic theology to a tale of three blind men attempting to describe an elephant, one touching the leg, the second touching the trunk, the third feeling the elephants side. Each man describes the elephant differently, and, although each is accurate, each is convinced of their own correctness and the mistakenness of the other two. Robert Sm id  states that Hick believes that the tenets of Christianity are no longer feasible in the present age, and must be effectively lowered'. Moreover, Mark Mann notes that Hick argues that there have been people throughout history who have been exemplars of the Real (Mann). Hicks position is â€Å"not an exclusively Christian inclusivism [like that of Karl Rahner and his ‘Anonymous Christian’], but a plurality of mutually inclusive inclusivism†Ã‚  (Hick, 23). Hick contends that the diverse religious expressions (religions) are the result of diverse historically and culturally influenced responses to diverse perceptions of the Real. He states that the different religious traditions, with heir complex internal differentiations, have developed to meet the needs of the range of mentalities expressed in the different human cultures. Criticism of Hicks theory comes from many places but in essence, they offer the same major critiques. A major concern is Hicks concept of the Real. If this is the center of the universe and also unknowable, are we not just worshipping an idol when we follow the path of Christi anity, Buddhism or Islam? Another issue is Hicks Christology in which he says that the incarnation is just a myth made up by the early Church and that Jesus is not divine in any way. I can see his point from a scientific standpoint and can agree to a point. Hicks hypothesis also does not take seriously the otherness of the major religions; how can monotheistic and polytheistic or primitive and highly developed religions all be lumped together? Although there is much within the religions that are similar, some things are contradictory and Hick does not give an adequate explanation for why these things are so if there is the same God behind it all. Although Hicks model is perhaps appealing to our post-modern sensibilities that wish to condemn no one, his theory still raises too many questions for many Christians to accept it in full. The person and work of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith and for Hick to devalue the divinity of Jesus so much is to perhaps move Christianity away from its very core. As such, Hick offers a view that can challenge our exclusive positions but that perhaps is not much use in our debate about religious pluralism. We live in a pluralistic world with regard to religious beliefs. This is all the more evident today with globalization and greater mobility of people and ideas. This raises the question of what is the relationship between the major world religions and more specifically how Christianity relates to the other major faiths. The traditional exclusivist position is not that helpful for our discussion because it is offensive and does not take seriously the goodness in the other religions. The pluralist position, while challenging is also not that helpful because it does not take the otherness of religions seriously and it also discounts the centrality of Christ. The inclusivist position, while far from perfect offers an alternative middle ground that affirms the centrality of Christ in salvation. This position also takes the other religions seriously and can serve as an appropriate model for which to base Christian interaction with the world. This interaction can take the form of hospitality, dialogue and mission from joy both at the micro and macro level.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

My Experience Essays (617 words) - ITunes, Smartphones, IOS

I want to design the worlds most advanced computer software and the way I wanna do it is my way. I believe that I will one day be the best and most advanced system out there. When I was a young boy I first learned about computers from my mom and dad. They had a old windows 98 computer and oh boy was that computer slow. When I was about 9 years old I got this dream that I was gonna create the most advanced operating system for a computer and that?s still my dream today. When I got my first computer I was 14 it was a Windows XP computer and that is when I really wanted to learn to manipulate the system to make it the way I wanted because I didn?t like they way windows operated. When I was 16 I started learning how to manipulate windows, as I was almost done learning my dad bought me an iMac and I loved the mac operating system and I have stayed Mac because Windows is so broken and hard to figure out but Mac is easy to understand and to teach to people the mechanics of the operating system. When I was 16 I was able to teach people how to use Mac OS and to customize it to there liking and whatever other things they want. I got my first iPhone and loved it, it was the best phone out in my opinion. It had the first developed apps and the first facebook app. Then android came out and I found the phone I wanted it was the HTC Droid Eris. So when my contract was up with AT&T, I got Verizon and bought the Droid and that opened up a whole new world of hacking/breaking for me. I had one of my good friends Jon Sakura teach me how to break the android software and I finally did it myself. With the break I could change colors, sounds, and a whole bunch of other things. I have come to this conclusion that android is tedious and requires a lot of work to keep the break going or the phone gets to be really slow and eventually stops working.When I was 17 I got my first iPod, I started reading about hacking/breaking the operating system on the iPod to make it yours. So I read up and practiced it and bricked (crashed the operating system which makes them useless) a couple iPods. I gave up for a while and decided that maybe computers is what I was meant to do. To me computers are the easiest thing out there, some people think cars are easy or math but to me computers are. When I was 18 I got a brand new smartphone and I couldn't wait to break the system and make it mine. I didn?t know that all the smartphone manufactures put a block on there system and made it almos t impossible to break the system. So I tried and tried and it just wouldn't work and I started breaking my way and got rid of the block completely and that is what is making me go to college is to be a programmer and find out what all goes into making a system complete and how people break them. Now Im 19 and I have my iPhone and I have officially jailbroken over 50 iPods and 23 iPhones and I will be taking my programming class and be that much closer to my degree in what I love doing. Within my friends I have been dubbed the hacker and that is now what my friends call me.