Friday, January 31, 2020

The Influence of Culture on Language Essay Example for Free

The Influence of Culture on Language Essay In this movies, I can find a lot of concepts that we have been studied in this four chapter. Although I mostly disagree the main idea of this movie, I think it is fight for survive and there are not clear justice, I admit it is a good movie to study intercultural communication. After watching this movie, I first think about the Identity. Identities are sets of social expectation related to ourselves and others that are grounded in the interplay between similarities and difference and pertain to personal, relational and communal aspects of lives. As you can see from the opening scene when the general hope the Lieutenant Jim to fight for human, even he make him to choose between his brother life or Mala. A role is something one puts on and takes off depending on the needs of the situation. In this situation, the general expected the Lieutenant Jim to fight for him but not for parliament, because he think Jim is a human and soldier, he could not fight for Terrian. It is a role expectation. I also find the communications relationship to identity in this movie and it is Ironically. When the soldiers find the Mala in their Ark, they first thought is she will destroy Ark, they should catch her as soon as possible. Such identity label always take this common idea that Mala is not human, she must in order to destroy to come the Ark. The communication naturally reflects her identities, also her identities will common reflect what she will doing. But ironically, who arrest human to capture the planet uncompromising is not Mala, but Lieutenant Jim, also a human. It is no doubt to find the movie is most to focus on personal identity. The movie highly praise the personal identity has special power to solve the conflicts between relational identity and communal identity. As a human, he has a communal identity. But he also has a relational identity that he is a friend of Mala. During the battle, he want to save his brother and also do not want to hurt Mala, at this time, he did another choice. At last, there a scene shows a big sculpture about Lieutenant Jim. Heroism most present a personal identity. In the movie, I find another conflict about the worldview. What is our relationship with the nature, mastery or adaptive. The general certainly stand for mastery the world. He want to capture the planet and change the world to another earth. Human is mostly like to mastery the world. We can find at the movie stated, it is because of absolute mastery the nature, we are ver-exploitation, destroy the nature and fight each other that lead to lose our world. But the parliament seems to change. It is more like Terrian to adaptive the world. They stand to share the world and lend into the environment. At this point, we can find another concept which we study in this for chapter is Similarities and Differences. So when we discuss the culture, we could not be overgeneralization. Back to the worldview, we find the Terrians world view is more in accordance with that current environmental protection organization advocated. At this view, I really love to adapt the world or not to master it. But at last, I mostly find that human is more like to make a big cage to close ourselves. I thought the author is rather extreme. At last, I think to study a intercultural communication in a movie is a meaningful and interesting. But maybe it is a little exaggeration, because the movie always take some authors personal value in it.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Francois Rabelais’ Satire of Medieval and Renaissance Learning In Garga

Francois Rabelais’ Satire of Medieval and Renaissance Learning In Gargantua and Pantagruel In his book Gargantua and Pantagruel, Francois Rabelais uses satire to address the dislocation felt by Renaissance Humanists. By providing an exaggerated fable, comical in nature, Rabelais poses a serious introspection into the extremes of both the Medieval and the Renaissance man. More importantly, however, he brings into question his own ideals of Humanism. Through an analysis of Rabelais’ satirical technique and by examining his social parody of the Medieval and the Renaissance man, we are able to better understand Rabelais’ introspection into the ideals of his own generation and to accept his argument that learning is transitory and often a necessary, yet futile, attempt to understand our world. To understand the Gargantua and Pantagruel it is necessary to first understand Rabelais’ use of satire. As a man whose life spans the transition between the Medieval (Middle) Ages and the Renaissance, Rabelais, as most scholars of the time period, had to cope with a huge shift in thoughts and ideals. Between the changes in religion stemming from the Protestant Reformation, the changes in education stemming from the popularity of great philosophical thinkers, the move towards science and humanism, and the questioning of the universe arising from Copernicus’ discoveries, Rabelais felt the immense dislocation of his generation. He used satire, parody, and fantasy as a means to cope with this dislocation. Through the monstrous and grotesque comedy of Gargantua and Pantagruel, Rabelais is able to ridicule the institutions of his world without necessarily being offensive. He entices his readers to laugh at the events and human thoughts of ... ... of quenching the thirst for knowledge. He writes, â€Å"Every good drinker, every good and gouty one, if he is thirsty, let him come to this barrel of mine† (395). In the end, Rabelais suggests that, like the comical giants of his stories, we are characterized by the desire to know, sometimes beyond our ability to understand. In conclusion, through his depiction of the giant in his Gargantua and Pantagruel, Rabelais effectively satirizes two periods of thought, Medieval and Renaissance, and creates the argument that each, in its extreme, is limited. By comparing these two ages in the same satirical manner, Rabelais suggests that both schools of thought are transitory and that learning is often a necessary, yet futile, attempt to understand our world. Work Cited Putnam, Samuel, sel., transl., and ed. The Portable Rabelais. New York: Penguin Books, 1946.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Research: Children With Mental Illness Essay

The purpose of this paper is to critique an article from the National Association of Social Workers, Inc. The article selected is titled â€Å"Child custody loss among women with persistent severe mental illness.† (Hollingsworth, 2004) I selected this article due to its applicability to child protective services which is where my field practicum is taking place. The components of this article are clearly defined and broken down into subheadings as followed: Abstract, Introduction, Theoretical Framework and Research Design, Method, Analysis, Results, Discussion, Implications for Mental Health Policy and Services, Conclusion, and References. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The layout of the article makes it easy for the reader to follow and understand key elements and terms of the research. The title provides a clear cut description of what the article is written about as well. The variables are identified and defined under the â€Å"methods† subheading; it also provides a definiti on of individual variables, environmental variables, and how child custody is defined for the purposes of this research. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The statement of the problem is descriptively explained in the introduction and supported with statistical analysis provided in the research article. The purpose is clearly defined under the â€Å"theoretical framework and research design† section explaining that the study was to test the hypothesis which stated that by researching history of child custody loss among women with severe persistent mental illness the custody loss would be higher than those women who did not have this type of illness. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The hypothesis and research question provide insight into how the author plans to show a correlation and then build effective policies and interventions based upon this evidence. The research question asks â€Å"What are the circumstances under which women with severe mental illness lose custody of their children?† (Hollingsworth,  2004) This gives the reader a concise question that allows them to visualize the direction of the research itself. The rese arch question is quickly followed by characteristics that have been observed among the participants which define what may have led to a mother losing custody of her child. The article then provides examples of behavior patterns and socioeconomic factors that may impact the variables mentioned. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The theoretical framework and research section re-states the purpose of this research and also provides supportive information as to why this knowledge is important to obtain for the target population mention. The theoretical framework states that the author used the Human Ecology Theory, which fits the problem presented because there is enough past information available, and biopsychosocial elements provided to be able to test the hypothesis and provide reliable/measurable data. (Hollingsworth, 2004) Based upon the information in the article the Human Ecology Theory will view the mother with severe persistent mental illness in her environment, assist in predicting outcomes, and also provide measurable data. The data collected will enable social workers and mental health workers to connect these women and families to the correct resources so that the mother may regain custody and have access to the resources that she requires. The variables presented appear to be appropriate for the problem as it has been defined. The individual’s biopsychosocial information is measurable including whether there is a history of substance abuse and treatment for mental illness. The environmental variables are also measurable by gathering data related to the individual’s neighborhood, child behavior, poverty conditions, and social support. (Hollingsworth, 2004) It is important to mention that each term used in the variables section was further defined and a description was given as to how the information was considered from these separate groups. The author also recognizes that there are factors besides the mother’s mental illness that could play a part in her mental functioning. (Hollingsworth, 2004) I feel that it is important for the author to acknowledge these outlying factors that may influence the data that has been collected. The assumptions made in this article include some bias toward how child protective services and the legal system will treat a mother that has persistent severe mental illness. It is not hard to understand why this assumption is made and it is reasonable to assume that the legal system and  child protective services may assume too much based upon a quick assessment of the mother’s mental state. I feel that the discrimination based on the research information provided is also related to geographic areas more so than others. If there is a low income area that is lacking access to qualified mental health professionals it would be safe to assume that child protective services would remove the children since other resources are not available. The overall design of this article is constructed around quantitative data with the results of the research being constructed around this format; the author also provides some supportive evidence through qualitative research. The design is ap propriate to answering the research questions and providing an easy to follow guide for the readers to digest the information. In my opinion the author also did a good job recognizing different threats to the validity of the data that was collected. The author did this by recognizing what those threats were and how it was accounted for in the data that was collected, and what impact it may have had on the results. The sample selection was appropriately described and broken down into measurable categories. The author stated: â€Å"Participants were identified from among those enrolled in a National Institute for Mental Illness funded three-wave longitudinal study of mothers with severe mental illness.† (Hollingsworth, 2004) The author further explains that the sample size began with 379 women; after wave 3 of the study 322 women remained. (Hollingsworth, 2004) Women were removed from the study throughout the study depending upon different variables listed as disqualifiers, such as a mother losing custody of her child/children for less than three months. Some women chose to remove themselves from the study and others lost contact with the individuals conducting the study at different times which in turn made the women disqualified. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The process of collecting the data is clearly defined under the â€Å"method† section of the article. The author describes the structure of the questionnaire as a â€Å"3 wave longitudinal study.† (Hollingsworth, 2004) In my opinion the inconsistencies would come from the participant answering truthfully and consistently within the 3 wave study. In the 3 wave study the data was collected initially through structured interview questions, with some open-ended questions used, this is where some of the inconsistencies could be from depending on who was analyzing the answers. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The author stated that a â€Å"life  history calendar† was included in the 3rd wave to increase accuracy. (Hollingsworth, 2004) Another consideration would be to note that the participants were paid to participate in the study, but the interview was conducted in the privacy of the participant’s home. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The interviews were conducted by a trained female interviewer that was racially and ethnically similar to that of the participant. (Hollingsworth, 2004) This is note-worthy because it shows some variables that were not stated as having a possible influence on the results of the data collected. I would take into consideration that the interviewer, although professionally trained, may have had biases in favor of the participants that were subconsciously conveyed and could have led the participants to answer the interviewer in a particular manner. The results were able to depict what the variables between the participants that permanently lost custody of their children and those that did not lose custody of their children. One interesting finding is that women that were not married were more likely to permanently lose custody of their children. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The hypothesis for this provided by the author is that the married women more than likely had more immediate support in th e home. (Hollingsworth, 2004) One of the variables listed was the behavior problems from the children of women with persistent mental illness; the author notes that in order to determine whether this is the children simply reacting to the mother’s persistent severe mental illness or whether the children have true behavioral issues needs to be studied further. (Hollingsworth, 2004) With that being considered the results found that the children’s behavioral issues had little impact on whether or not the mother lost custody. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The implications recognized are geared toward mental health policy and services; the author states that one part of the study that was initially thought of as an individual variable was actually something that could be considered as an environmental factor as well. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The example given was that unmarried women may not be discriminated against due to be unmarried and this being the cause for their custody loss, but may have lost custody due to less resources than someone who has a partner.(Hollingsworth, 2004) The second noteworthy implication is that individuals with active symptoms of psychosis or depression can present a significant risk to their children, so the children are removed for their  own protection and not due to discriminatory factors.(Hollingsworth, 2004)

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Ethical Dilemm Abortion Essay - 1233 Words

Ethical Dilemma: Abortion Abortion is a widely discussed topic that has opened a moral debate on whether it should, or not, be allowed. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study which will be addressed from a Christian based worldview. Additionally, since abortion is a controversial subject, it is necessary to take into account the potential resolutions of the issue, and how they can be contrasted to Christian values and core beliefs. Ethical Dilemma A woman gets pregnant after a long time of trying, however, medical tests confirm that the baby has Down syndrome. She has a successful career but wants to maintain it balance with her family. Although the woman feels uncomfortable with abortion, her doctor suggests it as the best option. On the other hand, she looks for advice with a recognized professor, who is an expert in human potential and suffering, and he also suggests abortion as the most ethical solution to avoid bringing suffering to the world. The moral issue falls in the decision of either terminate the pregnancy, and therefore life of the fetus, or give birth to a baby that will need special care for his/her entire life. Therefore, in this case scenario there are limited solutions; other than choosing to abort or keep the baby, the mother could also consider giving the baby for adoption as a plan. These three alternatives may be subjected to moral judgements since abortion is a form of killing, bring lif e to the world without the proper care is a