Cultures: The Case Of Genital Mutilation

Cultures: The Case Of Genital Mutilation This article explained the reasoning and differing views on female genital mutilation. The article describes in detail the three types of female genital mutilation, or FGM. The first is called clitoridectomy, in which part of the clitoris or the whole clitoris is removed. The bleeding caused by this procedure is usually stopped by either applying direct pressure or stitching the wound. The second type of genital cutting is call excision. In this procedure, both the clitoris and the labia minora are removed, and the bleeding after the procedure is stopped by stitching up the wound. The third and most extreme method of genital cutting is called infibulation. In this method, the entire clitoris and labia minora are removed, and incisions are made into the labia majora. The raw surfaces of the labia majora are then either stitched together or made to be held together until they heal together. The newly formed skin covers the urethra and the majority of the vaginal opening. Infibulation i s not used as frequently as the clitoridectomy or excision, but it is still used on rare occasion. No matter which form of genital cutting is used, there have been many extensive and sometimes chronic health problems associated with female genital mutilation. These include chronic and repeated infections, difficulties in urination and menstruation, pain during intercourse, infertility, and obstruction during childbirth, causing painful tearing and excess bleeding. Most of these are caused most by the infibulation method, as it obstructs the most. However, major complications can still arise from the other two methods as well. These complications are generally ignored in cultures where female genital mutilation is accepted as a cultural norm. This practice is seen as a cultural norm in such countries as Africa and the Middle East. The World Health Organization states that between 85 and 115 million women worldwide have undergone genital cutting. Most of these instances have occurred in regions of Africa or the Middle East, although there are now beginning to be small numbers of cases reported in countries such as Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It seems that the conclusion being argued for in this article is that the mutilation of female genitalia is wrong, regardless of any persuasion cultural or otherwise. This article makes reference to several cases that argue for the ethical soundness of female genital mutilation, and it refutes each of these as invalid arguments. The first of these arguments states that it is morally wrong to criticize the practices of another country unless we are prepared to equally criticize similar practices in our own country, and states that the United States is guilty of doing this. While it may be true that the United States can tend to be oblivious to the plight of other countries in some respects, body image is not one of them. American women are all too aware of what it means to feel pressure to adapt to the right or ideal body image, because of the heavy influence the Western culture feels from the media to look a certain way. The tacit influence the media has on the Western culture is that if you do not look like the women on the television screen, you are a failure. It is untrue for this argument to state that the United States is not critical of themselves in the same way. Therefore, this argument is not valid. The second argument states that it is morally impermissible to criticize the practices of another culture until their own culture is completely free of all evil and immoral practices. This argument is, to put it plainly, ridiculous; how can it be morally permissible to ignore a cry for help just because the one who hears the call is not perfect? This would make helping anybody at any time completely immoral. For example, a doctor would not be able to help a patient if he engaged in a morally questionable activity at any time in the near past. This goes directly against the Hippocratic Oath that the doctor takes that explicitly states that he is to help people. This argument is also invalid. The third argument says that female genital mutilation is equal in morality to dieting and body shaping in the Western culture. However, there are several basic differences between the two practices. The first difference is that while dieting and body shaping is completely voluntary, genital mutilation is an involuntary procedure. The father makes the decision about whether or not to make is daughter participate in genital mutilation. The girl is then held down by several grown women while the procedure is performed so she doesnt jerk away. Dieting and body shaping are completely by choice, regardless of the pressure one may feel from the media or their peers. Another difference is that genital mutilation cannot be undone. Dieting, on the other hand, is very easily reversed. A third difference is that genital mutilation is mostly performed in unsafe and unsanitary conditions that children should not be exposed to, and dieting is not. A fourth difference is that female genital mutilat ion causes extreme health risks, not limited to death. Dieting only causes problems like this when taken to extremes, such as anorexia and bulimia. These are both reversible and treatable. A fifth difference is that female genital mutilation is usually performed on girls much too young to know the difference, or even give consent. (Even if she were old enough, consent would be irrelevant anyway.) Dieting, on the other hand, is something young adults and adults partake in. All of these differences illustrated are more than enough to prove that dieting and genital mutilation are not even close to being related in any sense. Therefore, this argument is also invalid. The fourth argument states that female genital mutilation involves the loss of a function that is not vitally essential to the lives of those losing it, and that the Western culture attaches far too much significance to it. To imply that genital cutting is depriving a woman of sexual pleasure is to say that she is merely a sexual being, and that is degrading to women. There is no difference between genital cutting and leading a life of celibacy. While the outcome of genital cutting and celibacy may be the same, we cannot say that the two are equal. Celibacy can be ended at any time, if the individual so chooses. That is the fundamental difference: choice. Female genital mutilation is not optional, voluntary, or reversible. Therefore, this argument is invalid because the premises do not match the outcome. ENTRY 2 Sex Consequences: World Population Growth vs. Reproductive Rights by Margaret P. Battin This article addresses the issue of world population growth while also explaining how the human race can have children within the carrying capacity of the land and the environment around them, thus proving more responsible. The conflict in the article is that human can reproduce at a rate that strips the land of vital, life sustaining resources by overpopulating it. This can be dangerous and life threatening to the human race as a whole. Land is a finite resource and can only sustain and support a certain number of people. Anything beyond that number could be fatal. According to the author, Battin, our current world population is 5.8 billion people. The growth rate of the population is that it doubles once roughly every 40 years. At this rate, the population is set to hit 12.5 billion by the end of the century. Another 40 years later, and the population will be at 25 billion, and then 50 billion, 100 billion, and so on. However, the land cannot sustain this many people, so the population will never actually hit this extreme. The population will shrink in size again due starvation or other natural causes before it ever gets that high. Now the problem is, how to keep that from happening? Thomas Malthus th eorized that the population needs to be controlled; while he did not advocate direct population control, he thought perhaps the morality and common sense of the population would serve as a sort of birth control. However, he knew that the reality was the population would still go through stages of overpopulation and starvation. Therefore he said that population control must be exerted from an outside source to keep the human population from dooming themselves to extinction. The feminist group, on the other hand, believes that the controlling of the population growth equates to controlling people. Also, they are convinced that contraceptive programs are tested exclusively by first world male doctors, and they test their programs on less privileged third world women. As one feminist movement states, population control is racist, sexist, and classist. It also states that the contraception programs try to force the values of a first world, well-off group of people onto the less privileged. There is a conclusion to help settle this dispute, which will be explored in detail. The solution that the author argues for is that everybody in the world, male and female, should use a form of super effective, easily reversible automatic birth control, or contraception. There are two major types already on the market for women. These are the intrauteral Copper T380A, and the subdermal Norplant. For men, nothing is readily on the market; however, there are several automatic contraceptive options for men being tested for use on humans. If everyone used a form of automatic background birth control, pregnancy would be a choice rather than a chance. The argument for this type of logic is that in the United States, roughly 50% of all pregnancies are not planned. Also, half of these unplanned pregnancies are aborted. This is generally due to the fact that the parents are simply not prepared for a pregnancy, including and especially pregnancies that occur because of failed birth control. These pregnancies would most likely be welcomed at a later time, when the parents were more prepared and ready for a pregnancy and to start a family. Granting the individual the ability to choose when they wanted a pregnancy to occur would put much more power in the hands of the individual to help control the population growth. Generally speaking, parents would not choose to have as many children or pregnancies as they would if they left it to chance. Also, women would not fall prey to agreeing to something in the heat of the moment, or being coerced into agreeing to bear a child. A pregnancy would not occur as a result of rape, or because of a m isuse or nonuse of a birth control method. This opens a whole new world to women; instead of making the option to be pregnant a negative choice to a positive choice. Instead of risking getting pregnant, a woman would be able to choose when to allow her body to become pregnant. There would also be a degree of reproductive freedom for men as well. They would not have to worry about accidentally causing a pregnancy, and then having to be responsible for the child that they helped create. They would be completely free. While they could still be tricked by a woman who had her device removed without his knowledge, there is much less risk than if the woman forgot accidentally or purposely to use her birth control or misused it. However, the woman still holds the majority of control over the result of the contraception in the intercourse. The logic used here is that if everyone used background contraception, then everyone would be free to make the decision on whether or not to become pregnant or not. Everyone has the right to choose whether or not they want to be pregnant. Background contraception grants that choice. Therefore, all humans should be made to install automatic contraception. While this is a valid argument, I am not sure I agree with it. While this would indeed solve the reproduction growth crisis, it would also take away human free will. Many people may not be receptive to this type of control, not to mention that these types of automatic contraception are not particularly inexpensive. It would not make sense to initiate a population growth control based on these two factors alone. As Battin points out, the initiation of this type of control has an almost fascist sound. Forcing everyone into the same type of contraception would pose as a major threat to free will, and would cause some dire consequences to occur for those enforcing it. ENTRY 3 Womens Rights as Human Rights: Toward a Re-Vision of Human Rights by Charlotte Bunch For centuries, there has been a distinction between human rights and womens rights. This distinction is disconcerting; because of it, numerous heinous crimes have been committed against women, including mutilation, starvation, and murder. Technically, because there is a distinction, womens rights are not classified as human rights. Since women are humans, why are womens rights not viewed as human rights? Does this make women less human than men? Surely this cannot be so. While it is obvious that women are no less human than men, they are sometimes treated as such a lower life form. Even in situations that men and women are both treated unfairly, it is the male that is seen as mistreated, and the female almost fades into background noise. In a male-predominate culture, women are seen as not as important, and are often treated as lesser to the male, even in their suffering. While the concept of human rights is one that is widely internationally known and accepted, womens rights are not as commonly accepted as humane or even right. However, it has been theorized that the universality of human rights can be used as a tie to help bridge the gap between human rights and womens rights. In 1948, the Declaration of Human Rights was set forth. This outlines the guidelines of the basic rights we as human beings have. In that Declaration, Eleanor Roosevelt fought to add Article 2, which says that all people have the right to everything enclosed in the Declaration, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. The addition of not discriminating against gender was meant to begin to fix the issue of womens subordination. There are four approaches that the author, Bunch, speaks about, which she believes to be an effective way to bridge the gap, so to speak, between human rights and womens rights. While these approaches can apply to several areas of life, she writes that they are particularly helpful in drawing a connection between human rights and womens rights. They also demonstrate how violence toward women is a violation of basic human rights. The first approach that Bunch speaks about is to take into account the specific needs of women as civil and political rights, while also calling to attention the particularly heinous tortures women suffer through simply because of the fact that they are female. One instance where this has been done is when the Womens Task Force of Amnesty International took a stand to launch a campaign for women who are held as political prisoners and are sexually abused, which causes them to not be able to care for their children and thus causing a violation of human rights on the children. This directly links a violation of womens rights to a violation of human rights. This is a valid and sound argument; it shows a clear, direct correlation between the two premises that a violation of womens rights causes a violation of human rights and therefore, it is wrong. The second approach is to regard womens rights as socioeconomic rights. This is in regards to food, employment, shelter, and health care. This is the view taken by those who would view human rights as too individualized, and take womens rights as a purely economic issue. In other words, human rights do not have meaning without an economic definition. This helps to galvanize women into protecting themselves from workplace violence, and from being taken advantage of by employers. Women cannot be targeted as cheap, easily exploited employment, because this would violate their human rights. This is also a valid argument. The third approach is to view womens rights through a legal scope. There have been new legal guidelines set in place to guard against gender discrimination, and this has added a new dimension to the womens rights debate. The specific laws that state the legal issues behind gender discrimination and violence against women are one major example of this third approach. These laws have made it possible for women to be able to fight for their rights to be treated fairly, as human beings, rather than a lower life form to males. The most important international form of this law is called the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which has been stated to be essentially an international bill of rights for women and a framework for womens participation in the development processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[which] spells out internationally accepted principles and standards for achieving equality between women and men. This Convention has been accepted by 104 countries, as of January 1990. This means that all countries that have agreed to and accepted the Convention must adhere to and abide by the laws stated within it, and a report must be submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, proving their compliance to the Convention. However, the Convention never actually directly addresses the issue of violence against women. This is its one shortcoming; it does, however, clearly state a human rights outline for women within it. If all governments accepted this Convention, this would be a great way to start heading in the right direction toward men and women being treated equally. This is a valid and sound argument The fourth and final approach that Bunch explains is to view human rights through feminist lenses, so to speak. What this means is that we are to view human rights in such a way that more thoroughly examines how human rights affect this lives of women in depth, and then asking how human rights can be more responsive and sensitive to women. While the other three approaches merely had a feminist taint, this approach is the most blatantly feminist; it clearly takes a stance that purely centered around women, and waits for no one to tell them if their approach is an accurate human rights issue or not. The danger in approaching the issue with this narrow scope is that it rules out too much reason. While it may be a valid argument, in my opinion, it has not been thought through thoroughly enough and is simply ignoring some of the basic rules of logic.

Lord of the Flies Essay

1-Ralph calls the assembly and reminds everyone of their agreement to maintain fresh water supplies, observe sanitation measures, build shelters, and keep the signal fire going. He then addresses the growing fear that he knows is beginning to overwhelm many of the boys by opening up the floor for discussion. 2-Jack takes the conch to point out that if a beast were on the island, he would have seen it during his hunting trips 3-.Piggy adds that the field of psychology can be used as a tool to explain logically the experience of fear, thereby invalidating it 4- Simon attempts to explain that the boys themselves, or something inherent in human nature, could be the beast they fear. His unsuccessful explanation leads to talk of ghosts. But the assembly ends chaotically. 5- Ralph ,piggy and simon are left lamenting the orderly adult-dominated lives they had before coming to the island. 6- After the assembly, all the boys go to sleep. Above them an aerial battle is taking place. A casualty of the battle floats down to the island on his opened parachute. The wind drags the body to rest at the top of the mountain. The breeze inflates the parachute occasionally, making the body appear to sit up and then sink forward again.  7- Samneric, tending the fire on the mountain, catch a glimpse of the body’s movement and hear the parachute inflating.  8-They flee to Ralph in a panic with a story exaggerated by their fear. 9-At dawn, Ralph calls an assembly, where they decide to investigate the only spot on the island left unexplored: the castle-like rock formation at one end. Ralph goes first by himself, followed a few minutes later by Jack. After they establish that the beast is not there, the other boys join them in the castle and want to play there a while. They resist when Ralph announces that they need to all go check on the fire, but he forces the issue and Jack leads the way back up to the fire site.

Nursing Socialization Essay

Abstract In this paper you will learn about socialization of nursing and the important role that it plays in staff retention. The goal of business’s that employee nurses are to not only retain staff but to keep them happy and satisfied as well. I have included several examples of how to do this. I have also included examples of the attitudes and values of a well socialized nurse and how this affects not only the nurse herself but her coworkers as well. The importance of a well trained, encouraging preceptor and the role this person plays in staff retention is also discussed. Without the preceptor and her positive role it can be very difficult to retain staff. Employers are constantly looking for new ways to keep staff happy, that is discussed in detail in this paper. New nurse’s often feel overwhelmed and it is the duty of senior nurses to help them feel comfortable and â€Å"part of the family†. Socialization into Nursing Socialization into nursing is a concept that is discussed throughout nursing journals, textbooks, colleges, and amongst nurse’s themselves. It is often discussed in nursing classes and is a concern with each new class of graduates coming out of nursing school in the next phase of their careers. The first year of employment is the most critical for all new graduates. It is exciting and new but can also be intimidating and overwhelming as well. This is a time when new nurses will depend on their senior coworkers more than ever. Socialization to professional nursing is an interactive process that begins in the educational setting and continues throughout one’s nursing career. (Creasia & Friberg, 2011, p. 44) Socialization is defined as the process of making someone ready for a particular societal role. It is described as â€Å"a person acquiring values, skills, behaviors, and norms appropriate to nursing practice†. (Creasia & Friberg, 2011, p. 44) Nurses have to adapt to their changing roles within an organization. Nurses can make choices from a multitude of positions within the nursing profession ranging from jobs at the bedside to research to management. Success is most often achieved when nurses feel competent and are accepted as team members by their colleagues. It is of the utmost importance that the healthcare organization has an organized and effective orientation and preceptor program. It is not only important for the new graduate to be competent, but also to be included amongst the other members of the team. The preceptor should be available to the new nurse to answer questions, guide, and to help the new nurse to integrate herself with the current staff. It is important for the preceptor to be â€Å"nurturing† to the new nurse so they can begin to feel comfortable on the unit (Reising, 2009, p. 22). The preceptor is here to help the new nurse become accepted by others, provide confidence, teach and build confi dence. As a clinical coordinator on a busy oncology unit, I have experienced the difficulty associated with a lack of socialization with new graduate nurses. At times the new nurse feels uncomfortable and excluded. With the new staffing grid (showing a higher patient to nurse ratio) senior staff often feel overwhelmed and â€Å"too busy† to preceptor properly. The preceptor needs to have the time to cultivate and socialize the new nurse into his/her career. If this does not happen the nurse begins to feel unsupported and unwelcome as part of the team. These employees never become included and look for new employment in a short period of time. Socialization can commence with something as simple as checking blood with another nurse or helping the nurse start an IV. It is important for the new nurse to feel that his/her opinion is being heard and matters. All nurses, senior or new, desire to be a valued member of the team. The average new nurse on the Oncology unit is overwhelmed with the demands of caring for a patient that is often in pain, nauseated, needs blood and has numerous other needs. It is important for the new nurse to be supported when learning how to delegate to others. It is vital to the new nurse that the patient care team is ready to assist and offer encouragement. Lack of support can discourage open communication and can cause patient care to suffer. If the work environment does not encourage socialization of the nurse it can lead to high nurse turnover, poor patient outcomes, and excessive cost to the organization to hire and train for vacancies. Retaining new Registered Nurses can be particularly cost effective if preceptor properly and can save an organization from $82,000 to $88,000 per RN (Pellico, Kovner, & Brewer, 2009, para. 3). Socialization is a lifelong process that continues throughout the career of a nurse. As the new nurse progresses they begin to function more independently and reflect upon the changes they feel with their coworkers and preceptor. (Reising, 2009, p. 23) In each different role the socialization of the nurse is a little different. As a bedside nurse, it is important to learn basic tasks and time management, it is vital to focus on patient safety and work as a team member. If the nurse grows and moves up the ranks and assumes a leadership position he/she will try to gain support of peers and subordinates. The nurse leader will work to earn respect and learn to engage employees. Each nurse will be socialized based on his/her present job description. As a nurse for over 5 years now and working at the bedside and as a clinical coordinator I have experienced many different levels of socialization. From the first day of nursing school I reached different milestones that prepared me for the culture in healthcare organizations. Orientation prepared me for the interpersonal relationships I would develop and as I gained experience those relationships strengthened. As I grew into my new profession and tried new roles, I began to use my strengths to excel and my confidence increased. I knew what questions to ask and how to answer questions that were asked of me. I began to feel comfortable in my surrounding and knew who I could count on to help me clinically and to lend support. I pride myself in now offering my knowledge to new nurses, to assisting them in feeling welcome and comfortable. I know that I cannot do what I do every day alone. I need coworkers that are willing to work together and know that it is the responsibility of every nurse to embrace the new nurse and give her the support she needs to love her profession. I also remember what I feared as a new nurse and I hope that I can help alleviate those fears as I take an inexperienced caregiver under my wing. Nobody knows what the future holds for your career as an RN. The new nurse that you may have mentored and taught may be teaching you a thing or two in the future. That is the great thing about nursing. Nurses grow and the profession changes. Always be kind to those that need you because chances are you will need them too! References Creasia, J. L., & Friberg, E. E. (2011). Conceptual Foundations (5th ed.). St. Louis, MI: Elsevier Mosby. Pellico, L. H., Kovner, C. T., & Brewer, C. S. (2009, November 2). Moving On, Up, or Out: Changing Work Needs of New RNs at Different Stages of Their Beginning Nursing Practice. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/mainmenucategories/anamarketplace/anaperidocials/OJIN Reising, D. L. (2009). Early Socialization of New Critical Care Nurses. American Journal of Critical Care, 11, 19-26. Retrieved from ajcc.aacnjournals.org

Executive Privilege essays

Executive Privilege essays The term executive privilege is defined by the Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition (2001) as the "exemption of the executive branch of government, or its officers, from having to give evidence, specifically, in U.S. law, the exemption of the president from disclosing information to congressional inquiries or the judiciary." That's a fairly broad definition because there is no explanation of what information need not be disclosed, and, in fact, determining that has often been a matter for the courts. The same source notes that claims of executive privilege are usually invoked to protect confidential or diplomatic operations and may also be involved to protect the private discussions between the president and his close aides. Although the courts have been inclined to support claims of executive privilege, those claims are often not honored when it is a case that is or might become criminal, such as that of President Richard M. Nixon invoking executive privilege after the Watergate break-in. Another area that often causes the courts to refuse claims of executive privilege is when an investigation is leading toward an impeachment, as with Bill Clinton. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2001) The way the claim of executive privilege is being used during the Bush administration makes it seem that the concept is little more than the Fifth Amendment for those in high political office regarding what they've done that the American public might have a legitimate need to know. In short, the way it has been invoked lately has made it appear that the administration wants some protection from self-incrimination. While many observers note that the Bush administration operates in secrecy, a report a year and a half ago in Presidential Studies Quarterly noted that "even before September 11, 2001, the administration had sought to limit press and public access to some information, includin...

George Catlin, Biography of Painter of Native Americans

George Catlin, Biography of Painter of Native Americans The American artist George Catlin became fascinated with Native Americans in the early 1800s and traveled extensively throughout North America so he could document their lives on canvas. In his paintings and writings, Catlin portrayed Indian society in considerable detail. â€Å"Catlin’s Indian Gallery,† an exhibit which opened in New York City in 1837, was an early opportunity for people living in an eastern city to appreciate the lives of the Indians still living freely and practicing their traditions on the western frontier. The vivid paintings produced by Catlin were not always appreciated in his own time. He tried to sell his paintings to the U.S. government and was rebuffed. But eventually he was recognized as a remarkable artist and today many of his paintings reside in the Smithsonian Institution and other museums. Catlin wrote of his travels. And he is credited with first proposing the idea of National Parks  in one of his books.  Catlins proposal came decades before the US government would create the first National Park. Early Life George Catlin was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on July 26, 1796. His mother and grandmother had been held hostage during an Indian uprising in Pennsylvania known as the Wyoming Valley Massacre some 20 years earlier, and Catlin would have heard many stories about Indians as a child. He spent much of his childhood wandering in the woods and searching for Indian artifacts. As a young man, Catlin trained to be a lawyer, and he briefly practiced law in Wilkes Barre. But he developed a passion for painting. By 1821, at the age of 25, Catlin was living in Philadelphia and trying to pursue a career as a portrait painter. While in Philadelphia Catlin enjoyed visiting the museum administered by Charles Wilson Peale, which contained numerous items related to Indians and also to the expedition of Lewis and Clark. When a delegation of western Indians visited Philadelphia, Catlin painted them and decided to learn all he could of their history. In the late 1820s, Catlin painted portraits, including one of New York governor DeWitt Clinton. At one point Clinton gave him a commission to create lithographs of scenes from the newly opened Erie Canal, for a commemorative booklet. In 1828 Catlin married Clara Gregory, who was from a prosperous family of merchants in Albany, New York. Despite his happy marriage, Catlin desired to venture off see the west. Western Travels In 1830, Catlin realized his ambition to visit the west and arrived in St. Louis, which was then the edge of the American frontier. He met William Clark, who, a quarter-century earlier, had led the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and back. Clark held an official position as the superintendent of Indian affairs. He was impressed by Catlin’s desire to document Indian life and provided him with passes so he could visit Indian reservations. The aging explorer shared with Catlin an extremely valuable piece of knowledge, Clark’s map of the West. It was, at the time, the most detailed map of North America west of the Mississippi. Throughout the 1830s Catlin traveled extensively, often living among the Indians. In 1832 he began to paint the Sioux, who were at first highly suspicious of his ability to record detailed images on paper. However, one of the chiefs declared that Catlin’s â€Å"medicine† was good, and he was allowed to paint the tribe extensively. Catlin often painted portraits of individual Indians, but he also depicted daily life, recording scenes of rituals and even sports. In one painting Catlin depicts himself and an Indian guide wearing the pelts of wolves while crawling in the prairie grass to closely observe a herd of buffalo. Catlins Indian Gallery In 1837 Catlin opened a gallery of his paintings in New York City, billing it as â€Å"Catlin’s Indian Gallery.† It could be considered the first â€Å"Wild West† show, as it revealed the exotic life of the Indians of the west to city dwellers. Catlin wanted his exhibit to be taken seriously as historical documentation of Indian life, and he endeavored to sell his collected paintings to the US Congress. One of his great hopes was that his paintings would be the centerpiece of a national museum devoted to Indian life. The Congress was not interested in purchasing Catlin’s paintings, and when he exhibited them in other eastern cities they were not as popular as they had been in New York. Frustrated, Catlin left for England, where he found success showing his paintings in London. Decades later, Catlins obituary on the front page of the New York Times noted that in London he had reached great popularity, with members of the aristocracy flocking to see his paintings.   Catlin’s Classic Book on Indian Life In 1841 Catlin published, in London, a book titled Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Conditions of the North American Indians. The book, more than 800 pages in two volumes, contained a vast wealth of material gathered during Catlin’s travels among the Indians. The book went through a number of editions. At one point in the book Catlin detailed how the enormous herds of buffalo on the western plains were being destroyed because robes made of their fur had become so popular in eastern cities. Perceptively noting what today we would recognize as an ecological disaster, Catlin made a startling proposal. He suggested that the government should set aside enormous tracts of western lands to preserve them in their natural state. George Catlin can thus be credited with first suggesting the creation of National Parks. His Later Life Catlin returned to the United States and again tried to get the Congress to buy his paintings. He was unsuccessful. He was swindled in some land investments and was in financial distress. He decided to return to Europe. In Paris, Catlin managed to settle his debts by selling the bulk of his collection of paintings to an American businessman, who stored them in a locomotive factory in Philadelphia. Catlin’s wife died in Paris, and Catlin himself moved on to Brussels, where he would live until returning to America in 1870. Catlin died in Jersey City, New Jersey in late 1872. His obituary in the New York Times lauded him for his work documenting Indian life and criticized the Congress for not buying his collection of paintings. The collection of Catlin paintings stored in the factory in Philadelphia was eventually acquired by the Smithsonian Institution, where it resides today. Other Catlin works are in museums around the United States and Europe.

Nietzsche and The Meaningful Life Philosophy Essay

Nietzsche and The Meaningful Life Philosophy - Essay Example During the industrial revolution, the Western world engendered the new problem of individual existence in the world. This was based on the absurdity and alienation as portrayed in the sufferings of Etienne and Gervaise. People are still disturbed by the question of reasons of living and to find solutions on reasons of suffering. According to Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher meaning of human suffering lies on ‘styling’ through ‘becoming’. He believes that people suffer because they are under a delusion that there exists inherent meaning in themselves and the world. He believes that life is based on contingency and only individuals can instil meanings to their lives. He disagrees with persons following a ‘herd’ and a standard moral conduct. In a pursuit to find meaning in life, one must be courageous and avoid indoctrination of social morals and values. Individuals should then go out to decide on what they want to become because there are no societal intrinsic morals that are permanently embedded in us.( Gravil, 72). Nietzsche in understanding this creates a theoretical argument called ‘eternal recurrence’. This is where individuals live there life in an exact manner over and over again. Having such life demands aesthetic, ones desire harmony and experiences. Through this concept, our life is nothingness and it’s our responsibility to assert meaning to it. For styling to take place, everyone must be contended and build their lives from that. He holds that those who are dissatisfied with life will never find happiness as they will always resent who they are. Nietzsche also proposes the argument that God is dead in his book ‘The Gay Science’. He believes that God remains dead and humans have killed him and no longer aides the survival of species instead he kills them. Nietzsche believes that he is the first to have discovered the death of God. He states that the idea of God lost its fu ll power and creative force.

Bench mark assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bench mark assessment - Essay Example The heritage assessment tool identifies other factors such as family relations, place of origin and religion. In this regard, the tool exposes key issues that affect health in unknown capacities. Applying health assessment tool is an intelligent measure that enables health experts identify silent factors that affect health. Effective health policies can be devised from the results of the heritage assessment tools. From the tool, experts have a chance to access data that can trace historical health issues in the family. The point implies that health professionals can interpret various issues from the data that is given by the families. The different types of information in the tool, for example, commitment to religion, gives a clue to the health experts on which health threats a family might suffer or be suffering (World Health Organization). In this regard, effective control measures can be designed to protect them and how practitioners approach their health related problems. As the assessment results show, the most common health traditions include eating ethnic foods, engaging in religious activities and engaging in ethnic activities. Health is considered a combination of spiritual, mind and body well-being. Thus, understanding these issues and their effect on the health is the first step in ensuring a healthy community (Hollins 2009). All the issues positively identify a diverse health situation in a population. The families exposed a unique preference to ethnic foods. The families explained that at ethnic food from their background is art of their meals. In this regard, it is imperative to evaluate the nature of the consumed foods to ascertain the suitability for sustaining good health. The two families, with Asian and Caribbean origins, showed a tight relationship and preference to continue consuming ethnic foods. The cultural considerations in diet are critical in determining