odyssey, a look :: essays research papers

There are many traditions and values that the people of Ancient Greece followed very closely. These acts, such as, hospitality and respect for one’s peers are usually overlooked by gods and goddesses. The people are expected follow these traditions or they may feel wrath from a god or goddess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Odyssey, the tradition of hospitality is shown being broke in several ways. When a person in Ancient Greece received a guest, they were to treat them with the highest respect and they should offer them gifts. The host was expected to give the guest a place to bathe, something to eat, and if they were of importance they should make a sacrifice. This tradition was not followed by the Cyclops Polyphemus and the suitors in Ithaca. When Odysseus and his men arrived in the cave of Polyphemus, they were hardly treated with proper hospitality. Not only did Polyphemus eat some of Odysseus’ men, but he also blocked the only entrance to the cave with a giant boulder. Odysseus was offended by the treatment and warned the Cyclops that Zeus will punish him. Polyphemus ignored the warning and was eventually outsmarted by Odysseus for his escape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guests are expected to not take advantage of hospitality given out by the host. The suitors in Ithaca took tremendous advantage of Penelope and others in Odysseus’ absence. The suitors lived there for many years eating the food and drinking the wine owned by Odysseus. They wore their welcome very much and were eventually punished by Odysseus and Telemachus upon Odysseus’ return.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Odyssey showed a couple instances that someone disrespects another peer. Two good examples are Agamemnon and Achilles, and Paris and Hector.

Disparities in Health Care

Problems of Disparities in Health Care Insurance The United States leads the world in spending on health care. Yet , other countries spending substantially less than the United States have healthier populations. America’s performance is marred by deep inequalities linked to income, health insurance coverage, race, ethnicity, geography, and – critically – access to care. Employer-based Insurance plans Income The United States is the only wealthy country with no universal health insurance system. Its mix of employer-based private insurance and public coverage has never reached all Americans.All working Americans are categorized based on annual income – top-income (earning on average $210,100 annually), higher-middle-income (earning an average of $84,800 annually), lower-middle-income earning on average $41,500), and bottom-income (earning an average of $14,800 annually) (Auguste, Laboissiere, & Mendonca, 2009). As the general population knows that those are in the both top-income category and higher-middle-income category can afford any expenses that are incurred in facilities, doctor visits, ER visits, etc. ithout any hindrance (Auguste et al. , 2009). The lower-middle-income and bottom-income population have much harder time in paying for services because it puts them in a tight budget. Paying for out-of-pocket costs can be detrimental to one's credit and often those patients are sent to collections if they can't pay. As reported in the 2011 study done in Arizona by Herman, Rissi, and Walsh, it also confirmed that individuals who have higher incomes were able to pay for medical expenses without going through financial hardships. CostIts been reported that immigrants have less access to care due to having no insurance plans and the cost of services when they are sick than the general population born in the United States (Pandey, 2010). In Herman et al. ‘s study (2011), out-of-pocket medical expenses caused financial hardships an d that top-income individuals were able to cover cost of medical services without hardships. It has been made known by many employers are making employees be responsible for a portion of health care costs by raising premiums or deductibles (Auguste et al. , 2009).Because of rising costs of deductibles (out-of-pocket costs) and the rising cost of premiums, employees are opting-out of enrolling into employer-based health insurance plan saying that to get the coinsurance amount, the deductible amount that they have to meet is out of their financial budget (Quinn, 2011). Race/Ethnicity and Environment Evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health-care is, with few exceptions, remarkably consistent across a range of illnesses and health-care services. These disparities are associated with socioeconomic differences.Its been reported that immigrants are less likely to use the health care system yet alone have no health insurance coverage (Pandey, 2010). Its not only immigrants who ha ve trouble getting care, but different nationalities in the United States population have trouble as well – just to name a few – American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics, populations that live in rural and urban areas, and the general population ranging from infants to senior citizens (Copeland, 2005). Especially the Hispanic or Latino population were less likely to seek care (Herman, et al. , 2011).African American populations are the most researched when it comes to health care issues. For example, a study was done on racial disparities in exposure, susceptibility, and access to health care in the United States H1N1 Influenza pandemic which reported that Hispanics were at greater risk of exposure, however Blacks were a lot more susceptible in contracting H1N1 (Quinn, 2011). Access to Care Unequal access to health care has clear links to health outcomes. The uninsured are less likely to have regular outpatient care, so they are more likely to be hospitalized for a voidable health problems.The lack of transportation, health insurance, providers, appointment access, and inconvenient location of doctors offices caused many people to have poor health (Copeland, 2005). In 2011, a study in Arizona was performed to see is access to care was an issue among the residents. The study found that people who were uninsured had problems paying bills which prevented the ability to seek care and receive treatment (Herman, et al. , 2011). Individuals with higher incomes were able to seek care as well as ace/ethnicity background were indicators that individuals were less likely to seek care (Herman, et al. , 2011). Conclusion Income level and race/ethnicity in relation to environment, cost of medical services, access to care, play big roles as to why there are disparities in health care insurance. References Auguste, B. G. , Laboissiere, M. , & Mendonca, L. T. (2009). How health care costs contribute to income disparity in the United States. Mckinsey Quarterly, (2), 50-51. Copeland, V. (2005). African Americans: Disparities in Health Care Access and Utilization. Health &Social Work, 30(3), 265. Herman, P. E. (2011). Health Insurance Status, Medical Debt, and Their Impact on Access to Care in Arizona. American Journal Of Public Health, 101(8), 1437. doi:10. 2105/AJPH. 2010. 300080 Quinn, S. (2011). Racial Disparities in Exposure, Susceptibility, and Access to Health Care in the US H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. American Journal Of Public Health, 101(2), 285. doi:10. 2105/AJPH. 2009. 188029 Pandey, S. (2010). Health Insurance Disparities among Immigrants: Are Some Legal Immigrants More Vulnerable Than Others?. Health & Social Work, 35(4), 267.

Deaf Culture Paper

To better appreciate what Deaf culture is, let's go to an opposing view and take a look at what Deaf culture is not. There are those who insist there is no such thing as Deaf culture. Some people will argue that deafness is nothing more than a disability, a disability that must be fixed. Getting this disability â€Å"fixed† may involve repeated visits to an audiologist, getting fitted for hearing aids, attending numerous speech therapy sessions, or even undergoing surgery to get a cochlear implant.This is what's called the pathological approach to deafness. It focuses on what's wrong–the inability to hear–and utilizes numerous technological and therapeutic strategies to solve the problem. The success of this approach varies from individual to individual. For many hard of hearing or late-deafened people, technology may be a welcomed addition that allows them to continue functioning in the world of their choice. â€Å"Deafness is a disability that is so unique, it s very nature causes a culture to emerge from it.Participation in this culture is voluntary. † There have been numerous Deaf publications over the years, such as Silent News, DeafNation, SIGNews, Deaf Life, and more. There are also catalogs chock full of books written by Deaf authors covering a wide range of topics. Some of these books include fascinating accounts of Deaf history and folklore. We've been blessed with numerous Deaf performing artists such as Clayton Valli, Patrick Graybill, Bernard Bragg, Mary Beth Miller, Freda Norman, Gil Eastman, Peter Cook, C.J. Jones, Nathie Marbury, Evelyn Zola, The Wild Zappers, Rathskellar, and many more. In hearing culture, it is rude to stare. However, in Deaf culture, staring is necessary. If you break eye contact while a person is signing to you, you are incredibly rude. That's like plugging your ears when someone is speaking to you. In hearing culture, facial expression is very limited. If you move your face or body a lot while you are talking, you can be seen as â€Å"weird† (and nobody wants to be weird).However, in Deaf culture, facial expression and body movement is required for ASL. It's part of ASL grammar. It's OK to be â€Å"weird† in Deaf culture†¦ it's normal! And absolutely necessary. In hearing culture, you normally introduce yourself by your first name only. Deaf people, however, introduce themselves by their full names, and sometimes even what city they're from or what school they went to. By city, I mean the city you grew up in, not what city you are currently residing in. And by school I usually mean a residential school you attended.The Deaf community is very small, and Deaf people like to find those specific commonalities with each other. Men are more likely to develop hearing loss or complete deafness than women. About 20% of Americans have reported some degree of hearing loss. 2-3 children out of 1,000 are born deaf every year. 9/10 children with a degree of hearing loss are born from hearing parents. 1 out of 5 people who’d benefit from hearing aids; actually wear them. About 4,000 cases of sudden deafness occur each year. 10-15 percent of sudden deafness patients know how they lost their hearing.

The Lack Of Cultural Diversity In Small Towns

People in various parts of the world differ in certain hereditary features, including the color of their skin, the texture of their hair, their facial features, their stature, and the shape of their heads. But by the same token, the features that humans everywhere share are substantially larger and of considerably greater importance than their differences. The disparities between blacks and whites are not virtually as remarkable as between carnivores and humans. But physical distinctions, such as a handicap or race, become strengthened by societal insights, which consequently generate bigger spaces between people (Carbaugh, 1990).Most people belong to a number of groups, some voluntary, some by birth, adoption, or selection into those groups. Salient groups, the ones we consciously value, provide a source of identity. Structurally, these are microcultures or co-cultures within a macroculture. A person might identify an elderly microculture, a cowboy microculture, an Appalachian micro culture, or a volunteer association microculture. Each group exhibits some similarities to the large culture, but also some differences (Locke and Stern, 1942).Within the United States, blacks, Hispanics, Indians, Asian-Americans, and Jews have been the victims of prejudice and discrimination. Throughout much of the nations’ history, they have been confined to subordinate statuses that have not been justified by their individual abilities and talents (Frazier, 1957). The conceptual baggage we often carry with us, such as stereotypes of other racial groups, can easily blind us to the fact that, in many instancesm few significant differences exist between two people.Real cultural differences do not always exist beyond ethnicity and race, In a diverse society, we simply magnify the immediate through stereotypes (Frazier, 1957). The great merit of culture is that it permits human beings to circumvent the slowness of genetic evolution. Behavior patterns that are wired into organis ms by their genes do not allow rapid adaptation to changing conditions. In contrast, cultural change can be rapid. Indeed, some social scientists contend that cultural evolution has swamped biological evoulution as the chief source of behavior change for human beings.The functioning of the human brain is no longer rapidly prescribed by genetic programs (Locke and Stern, 1942). Instead, genes have allowed the construction of a liberated brain, one that permits a flexible repertoire of responses. The more culture human beings have acquired, the more biological capacity for culture has then evolved, leading to more culture, and so on. The fact that culture has increasingly usurped nature as the primary moving force in human development has implications for cultural unity and diversity (Locke and Stern, 1942). Cultural diversity may also be found within a society.In many modern nations, the members of some groups participate in the main culture of the society while simulatenously sharin g with one another a number of unique values, norms, traditions, and lifestyles. These distinctive cultural patterns are termed a subculture. Subcultures abound in American life, and find expression in various religious, racial, ethnic, occupational, and age groups (Locke and Stern, 1942). Generally, when we communicate with members of our own culture, we have internalized the cultural rules that govern the behavior within the context, and we are able to communicate without giving much thought to those rules.But when we are engaged in intercultural encounters, we must be aware of how our culture influences the communication context; otherwise, we may stumble upon a variety of surprises (Castro, 2003). Obviously, there are large global regions and national cultures that are structurally and organically bound together in a social system where people have developed a cultural network. Examples include what might be globally described as North American culture, Latin American culture, A frican culture, Middle Eastern culture, European culture, and Asian culture.These global differences, marked by geopolitical factors and national identity, fit into the study of culture influence on diversity (Harris and Moran, 1979). Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of a multicultural society, though, is the form of acculturation used. There are three processes through which disparities between the dominant culture and minority cultures can be treated (Castro, 2003). The first of these, assimilation, is a unilateral process by which minority culture members adopt the norms and values of the dominant group in the society (Harris and Moran, 1979).The second, cultural separatism, is a situation where there is little adaptation on either side. Finally, pluralism is a process by which both minority and majority culture members adopt some norms of the other group. Perhaps, the pluralistic form of acculturation is the defining feature of a multicultural society. It is only t hrough pluralism that members of any society can come to understand and truly value cultural and gender diversity (Harris and Moran, 1979). A shared cultural background makes people feel more comfortable with other people from their own culture.Many people initially may feel confused and uneasy when they deal with people of another culture. The discomfort that people often feel when they have contact with an unfamiliar culture is called culture shock. Culture shock usually passes if a person stays in a new culture long enough to understand it and get used to its ways (Lambert and Taylor, 1990). Immigrants need to cope with the cultural changes brought about by continuous firsthand contact with another culture. One of the chief characteristics of the acculturation process is that elements of the original culture can never be completely erased.An awareness of American culture along with examples of contrasting cultures contributes to the individual’s understanding of her- or hi mself as a cultural being (Chiswick, 1982). The Old Order Amish are a case in point. The Amish are a religious sect that originated in Germany and Switzerland during the reformaiton conflicts of the sixteenth century. Because of religious persecution, many Amish families live on farms, although a minority work in skilled crafts like carpentry, furniture-makingm and blacksmithing.They believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible and turn their backs on modern standards of dress, â€Å"progressive† morality, â€Å"worldly† amusement, automobiles, and higher education. Above all, the Amish value hard physical work and believe that those who do not find joy in work are somehow abnormal. Far from being ashamed of their nonconformity to worldly standards, the Amish pride themselves on being a peculiar people who separate themselves from the world (Castro, 2003).Within the American society, there exist many subcultures, or ways of life that differ from one another in many important respects. Some of these subcultures exist partly because the nation has been settled over the years by people from many different parts of the world, bringing with them their own particular customs and values. Whatever the customs and rules may be, every culture and every subculture molds the settlers accordingly (Harris and Moran, 1979). Learning how to be open and flexible helps facilitate strangers’ adaptation by enabling them to endure stressful challenges and maximize learning.Openness implies the immigrant’s willingness to accept change and exposure to new ideas (Chavez, 2001). Flexibility also means that communicatively competent immigrants develop a repertoire of interpersonal tactics. As sociologist Foster put in an analogy, â€Å"the better international negotiators are ultimately pragmatic. They are not oaks; rather they are more like willows. Unable to predict every situation, every twist and turn, even in domestic situation, they know that it i s nearly impossible to do so in a cross-cultural one† (Locke and Stern, 1942).The immigrant’s efforts at being adaptable will be greatly facilitated if he or she learns how to tolerate a degree of ambiguity while trying to analyze what role to play. The intercultural encounter is full of potential ambiguity. The ability to react to new and ambiguous situations with minimal discomfort has long been thought to be an important asset when adjusting to a new culture. If the immigrant is self-conscious, tense, and anxious when confronted with the unknown, he is apt to use his energy to alleviate his frustration instead of trying to decide how best to adapt to the person and situation (Locke and Stern, 1942).Some non-Hispanics in the United States fear that the country's rapidly growing Hispanic population will not adopt the language, customs, and viewpoint of the dominant, English-speaking culture. Some of these people fear that their way of life will be replaced by the †Å"foreign ways† of Hispanic Americans (Sanchez, 1995). Others worry that a large Spanish-speaking minority will become a permanent underclass, locked out of economic advancement by a lack of fluency in English. Many historians and sociologists discount such fears. They point to the many immigrant groups that have become part of American culture.They also note that except for recent immigrants, most Hispanic Americans can speak English (Hinkle, 1994). No society is so isolated that it does not come in contact with other societies. When contact occurs, societies borrow cultural traits from one another. As a result, cultural traits and patterns tend to spread from the society in which they originated (Chavez, 2001). It seems logical therefore that a change in an attitude, caused by new beliefs or new emotional responses, should a cause a change in behavior. Yet, the sequence of events is often exactly the opposite.In many cases, the change in behavior comes first, and this new be havior creates the change in attitude (Locke and Stern, 1942). New social situations often push the immigrants in the direction of changes in behavior, and these in turn often lead to changes in attitudes. This has been especially noticeable in recent years in the attitudes of whites toward blacks and of blacks toward whites. In general, it has been found that people who have worked with members of the other race hold more favorable attitudes, while those who have had no interracial contacts tend to feel less favorable.Undoubtedly, the explanation is that new forms of behavior have produced attitude changes (Chavez, 2001). At times, the norms, values, and lifestyles of a subculture are substantially at odds with those of the larger society and constitute a counterculture. A counterculture rejects many of the behavioral standrads and guideposts that hold in the dominant culture. The hangloose orientation found among some youth in the early 1970s had a good many countercultural overto nes.The young people questioned the legitimacy of the Establishment, rejected the hard-work ethic of their elders, turned to drugs in a search for new experiences, and dropped out of middle-class life. Controversy surrounding youthful involvement in the hangloose counterculture resurfaced in the late 1980s when Judge Douglas H, Ginsburg was compelled to withdraw as a Supreme Court nominee after it was disclosed that he had used marijuana as a youthl the debate widened when Democratic presidential contenders Senator Albert Gore, Jr. , and Bruce Babbitt admitted that they too had used marijuana in te 1960s. Delinquent gangs, Satanic cults, and the survivalist right are other illustrations of counterculture groups (Hinkle, 1994).People of one culture who move to a country where another culture dominates may give up their old ways and become part of the dominant culture. The process by which they do this is called assimilation. Through assimilation, a minority group eventually disappear s because its members lose the cultural characteristics that set them apart.Assimilation is the process through which one social and cultural group becomes part of another social and cultural group (Locke and Stern, 1942). In a diverse society, dominant groups and minority groups often approach assimilation differently. Within the United States, two views toward assimilation have dominated. One, the melting pot tradition, has seen assimilation as a process whereby peoples and cultures would fuse within the nation to produce a new people and a new civilization.The other, the Americanization tradition, has viewed American culture as an essentially finished product on the Anglo-Saxon pattern, and has insisted that immigrants promptly give up their cultural traits for those of the dominant American group (Hinkle, 1994). To sum it up, recognition of multiculturalism and cultural diversity are key to developing a climate of a healthy relationship and respect among the peoples. While racia l anxieties exist in modern society, the sundry peoples may blend merely with others of common cultural upbringing.Works Cited Carbaugh, Donal. Cultural Communication and Intercultural Contact. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1990. Castro, Vanessa Smith. Acculturation and Psychological Adaptation. Greenwood Press, 2003. Chavez, Leo R. Covering Immigration: Popular Images and the Politics of the Nation. University of California Press, 2001. Chiswick, Barry R. The Gateway: U. S. Immigration Issues and Policies. American Enterprise Institute, 1982. Frazier, Franklin. Race and Culture Contacts in the Modern World. Alfred A. Knopf Publishing, 1957.Harris, Philip R.and Moran, Robert T. Managing Cultural Differences. Texas: Gulf Publishing, 1979. Hinkle, Gisela J. The Development of Modern Sociology: Its Nature and Growth in the United States. Random House, 1994. Lambert, Wallace E. and Donald M. Taylor. Coping with Cultural and Racial Diversity in Urban America. Praeger Publishers, 1990. Loc ke, Alain and Bernhard J. Stern. When Peoples Meet: A Study in Race and Culture Contacts. Progressive Education Association, 1942. Saney, Parviz. Crime and Culture in America: A Comparative Perspective. Greenwood Press, 2000.

Reflection ( Communication Around The World ) Essay

Reflection ( Communication Around The World ) - Essay Example I found it extraordinary the way the people there articulate sounds and give intonations to words. I recall at suppertime, while the whole family was dinning when I wanted salt because I felt the food did not have enough salt. I did not remember I was a visitor, and found myself speaking in my language. I only realized I was mistaken when all the family burst out in laughter. On inquiry, I learnt that the salt word in my language meant a frog in the new place. The experience embarrassed me and aroused an interest in studying the relationship between languages of the world and their cultures. What I learnt from my findings is that language is a unifying factor and an identity to people who can communicate effectively using it. However, behind this useful finding, there lies a barrier to the people of different languages. Along such lines, language ceases to unite, but instead becomes a tool of discriminating against each other (Chase & Shamo, 2013). A common language unites people, but a different language discriminates against others who do not understand it. Therefore, it is important to study the cultures of the people and relate with their

Comparing Feminism and Marxism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Comparing Feminism and Marxism - Essay Example The Marxists disagree on few things and one of those things is the scale to which they see a worker's revolution as the way of achieving human liberation and illumination and also the methods by which such revolution can occur in real. Marxism is sometimes described as 'Socialism'. According to some Marxists, the real and full Marxists principles were never implemented in any country; however, socialist countries implemented some part of Marxism. According to Karl Marx, a particular class of a society exploits the other class and according to him, this attitude in the society is the result of capitalism and free market. Marx defined the profit as the difference between the value of the product made by the laborer and the actual salary or the wage, which the laborer receives. He lighted his point that in Capitalist economy, money is earned by paying fewer wage to laborers, but profit is not moderated in terms of risks vs. return. According to Marx, people are getting away from their nature and natural behavior, and he accused capitalism for this. In capitalist economy, all benefits are being transferred to the employers and employees get a very low share out of the profit. Like this, employer is actually taking the advantages, which are earned by the hardworking laborers1. According to Marx, alimentation is the situation in which a person lays in capitalism, and it is not necessary that he or she himself admit that they are alienated. 3. Base and superstructure: According to Marx, the 'base structure' explains their point that the entire relations among people with respect to 'the social production of their existence' makes the economic basis in the society. And on this economic basis, the political and legal institutions are formed finally. The other factors affecting this are the religion, philosophy and other ideas. There is always a conflict between the development of material productive forces and the relation of production. This conflict results in the change in economic basis and finally it will cause the transformation of the superstructure2. According to Marx, this relationship is not a one-way process, but both sides are involved in it. And their relationship is considered as dialectical and not a distinction. 4. Class-consciousness: this is used to refer the awareness of oneself and also of the social world around oneself where we live. The awareness about the social class helps in understanding the capacity and it should be known before the class starts a successful revolution. 5. Ideology: Marx used the term 'ideology' in a special meaning and that is to allocate the production of social reality. Engels describes ideology as, 'a process accomplished by the so-called thinker consciously, it is true, but with a false consciousness. The real motive forces impelling him remain unknown to him; otherwise it simply would not be an ideological process. Hence he imagines false of seeming motive forces.'3 This all happens due to the reason that the ruling class controls the resources and in this way they also controls the superstructure of society. In this way, the decisions made would be in favor of ruling class and we cannot expect that they will make any decision which will be in favor of lower class. Marx states in his The

Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heart of Darkness - Essay Example Kurtz is repeatedly described as mad and this madness had its sources in two important things: a) intellect/genius and b) unbridled power. Perhaps Marlow gave one of the best explanations for madness within Kurtz when he tries to understand the sources of depths of madness that he noticed in Kurtz. It is where he overcomes with this deep urge to kill Kurtz because the man looked just so extraordinarily inhuman: "Soul! If anybody has ever struggled with a soul, I am the man. And I wasn't arguing with a lunatic either. Believe me or not, his intelligence was perfectly clear-concentrated, it is true, upon himself with horrible intensity, yet clear; and therein was my only chance-barring of course, the killing him there and then, which wasn't so good, on account of the unavoidable noise. But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad. He struggled with himself, too. I saw it,-I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself." (144-145) This passage makes one thing clear. Kurtz was not a lunatic. His soul was the center of his corruption and his senseless antics. The man had lost faith, fear and anything else that could keep a watchful eye on his soul. Marlow testifies in favor of Kurtz's clear thinking.