Definition Of Feudalism Essays - Middle Ages, Feudalism, Free Essays

Definition Of Feudalism Essays - Middle Ages, Feudalism, Free Essays Definition Of Feudalism Feudalism is not an easy term to define. The use of the word feudalism was not a term that is created by scholars in the seventeenth century, well after the medieval age. Thus the term is filled with confusion and inaccuracy. In a way, the term feudalism tries to condense all the aspects of a complex society into one term. By creating the term, scholars tried to condense the society into connections to the feud, or estate granted to vassus by lords. The terms vassus and lord meant different things to different groups of peoples in different areas and during different times. Thus it is hard define precisely what feudalism is. Scholars however have two differing descriptions about how to view feudalism. In one view, that of Marc Bloch, viewed feudalism as the complete society, political, military, social, and economic. He saw all of these issues centering around lordship. Karl Marx also took this perspective with one major difference; he centered on peasants. Marxisms main emphasis is that of the plight of the worker thus in his view of feudalism only the peasants contributed to society. In another major view, feudalism is largely a political term. The political power in feudalism, these individuals claim, was treated as an individual possession and held by those who owned the land. Thus the government was ruled by the lords and royal officials who ruled over their land. Under the lords were their bodyguards or knights. Below these knights were the retainers or vassals. Just as there is confusion over the precise definition of feudalism, there is confusion over its origins. Some scholars claim that with the invention of the stirrup, the bodyguards or retainers became more important. Those that were trained in using the stirrup to spear his enemy became valuable to the lords, who made these men take oaths of allegiance to them. This started the dependency of the lower class on the aristocratic lords. In the more widely held, modern view, Martel purchased the loyalty of subjects with land or other wealth. These retainers became the vassals. These vassals were not members of the nobility and thus could not rule. The ruling counts were below kings in early feudalism, however when the kings failed to protect, the counts stepped in and protected their people for a price, that of subservience. In this sense feudalism takes on a form of government, the vassals and retainers making up the lower class and the counts making up the aristocracy. In analyzing the reading, it appears the feudalism was a source of order in Europe. In a time of civil war and danger from barbarian invaders, feudalism provided protection and a way of life to the peasants of Europe. While peasants were, from a modern view, owned by the lords, in the sense that they were indebted to the lords, the peasants were willing to sacrifice complete freedom for the protection. The direct influence of this way of life on the peasants was that they were protected by and indebted to the lords. The lords became their rulers as opposed to the kings. Bibliography McKay, Hill, Buckner. A History of Western Society. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999

Homeland Security Exercise Program Research Paper

Homeland Security Exercise Program - Research Paper Example They provide infrastructure security and analysis of the information. This consists of identifying and assessing both current and future threats to our homeland, 4. Homeland Security also focuses on prevention of terrorists, detection, and being prepared to respond, protect, and recover from any activity. This work is not only at a Federal level but also at the State and Local levels of government. While Homeland Security is most often thought of as a government responsibility it is also the responsibility of the private sector to work with Federal, State, and local government agencies, owner/operators of business, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations and other infrastructure stakeholders such as trade associations. The Federal government controls the guidelines and policies that affect the planning, development, design, implementation, exercise and evaluation of an emergency readiness program, However, its up to each state to assess its own n eeds and develop an exercise and evaluation program. ... o gives financial and direct support designed to assist the state and local governments with design and implementation of a state level program to evaluate and enhance its domestic preparedness. Exercises are used for training, practice prevention, dealing with vulnerability reduction, response time, and the recovery capabilities in a risk free setting. They are also used to evaluate and improve performance. Exercises are also a way to show community awareness in preparing for disastrous events. The State Homeland Security Strategy development process begins with the evaluation phase. This is when the states and local governments implement their own vulnerability, risk and needs evaluations. The knowledge that they gain during this evaluation period allows the development of plans and procedures. The plans and procedures are developed further into planning for equipment, training and exercise requirements. The results of this analysis are used to form the State Homeland Security Stra tegy. Strategy requires that the states conduct a vulnerability, risk and needs assessment. These assessments are formed at the state and local levels using what strategy the states adopt. There are also guidelines that they must follow in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in development of State Homeland Security Strategies in responding to, for example, a terrorism incident. The evaluation is prepared by the State’s planning team. The evaluation stipulates the goals for emphasizing prevention, response and recovery capabilities. It also gives specific objectives and steps for carrying out the planning, training, equipment and resources necessary to reach the goals. These guidelines also include an agricultural

Viruses of the Mind by Richard Dawkins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Viruses of the Mind by Richard Dawkins - Essay Example Religion does not have much to do with reason. Religion imposes a reality rife with belief and faith, and without requiring reason (it is interesting that the very few people who claim that they can converse with god are labeled as quacks or insane by the very ones who believe in god). Religion does have much to do with the pressure of conformity; this, among other reasons, is why most people unquestioningly accept and adhere to the religion of their youth. As Dawkins states, "...it is a telling fact that, the world over, the vast majority of children follow the religion of their parents rather than any of the other available religions." According to Dawkins, a person exhibits faith when he is "impelled by some deep, inner conviction that something is true, or right, or virtuous: a conviction that doesn't seem to owe anything to evidence or reason, but which, nevertheless, he feels as totally compelling and convincing." and that most religions "make a positive virtue of faith's being strong and unshakable, in spite of not being based upon evidence.

Kelley School of Business Essay Example for Free

Kelley School of Business Essay Business has had a captivation over my intellectual interests ever since my freshmen year of high school. I chose to be independent and wanted to make my own path in my field of my interests and hence chose finance. I wish to make an impact on the business world and also be a successful entrepreneur. I have started early and taken the steps to ensure my success in the field. I have always liked subjects like mathematics, accounting and management and this is why I chose to major in Business. This is my 2nd semester at Kelley and I started off with my intention to major in Finance. But after exploring more opportunities I plan to major in Accounting and Finance with a minor in Economics. I then plan to work in a financial institution for couple of years and prepare for GMAT simultaneously. I want to get into the best Business school for my MBA. Furthermore, I plan to work at a good position in a good institution and reach the top level management of that institution. My goal is to become a CFO of a company. I have always been involved in a lot of intra-collegiate and inter-collegiate festivals in high school. I have performed duties of a Division Representative, Contingent Leader, etc. and represented my high school/junior college in city-level festivals. I have managed to win one of Mumbai’s (India) biggest inter-collegiate festival. I am an active member of the International Club, Indian Students Advisory Council (ISAC), Indian Students Cultural Association (ISCA) and Student Activities Programming Board (SAPB) at IUPUI. I have performed a dance and walked the ramp for ISACs biggest festival here on campus. Additionally, I have volunteered to walk the ramp for International Clubs biggest event of the year, International Fashion and Cultural Show. I also plan on applying for the Advertising Officer position for International Club and Cultural Secretary position for ISAC. I love volunteering and I think its a really good way to serve the community. I have volunteered for 5 medical camps back in Mumbai and have also been a part of a NGO i.e., Once again green. We basically looked for the greenery in the city and planted new trees every weekend. At IUPUI I have volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis which was my best experience so far. Also, I have volunteered for IUPUI Flag corps. Recently, I volunteered for MLK day of service and felt attached to the community. Furthermore, I have registered to volunteer for the Kelley Career Fair on Feb 12th, 2012. Well, I am taking 18 credit hours this semester. I do have a scholarship of $4,000 every semester but my dad still ends up paying $14,000. Being an International Student our fees is much more than the In-State students it becomes really expensive. My dad also pays for my rent and personal expense which comes to about $1000-1200 every month. Hence, I am applying for various scholarships and programs which can help me pay my tuition fee and reduce the burden on my dad. Furthermore, I am looking for more job opportunities to get hands on experience and get my personal expenses covered. I am a direct admit to the Kelley School of Business. I have also been awarded Deans Recognition Scholarship of $32,000 for 4 years. I successfully secured a GPA of 3.614 in my first semester of my freshman year and hence I was fortunate enough and gain recognition to be admitted to Kelley School of Business, Dean’s Honor List. In addition, I have been invited to be a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS). I have been dedicated to Kelley school throughout. I have also been asked by my Kelley Academic Advisor to be interviewed for a video and printed material to recruit other International students.

Essay on Corruption of the Family and Society in Kafkas Metamorphosis

Corruption of the Family and Society Exposed in Metamorphosis Franz Kafka's existentialistic perspective on the meaning of life (or rather, the lack thereof), is clearly portrayed through Gregor Samsa in Metamorphosis. Kafka's belief that there is no meaning to life nor any reason to hold an optimistic outlook towards life, is a dominant force in the story. The author is able to create conflict by portraying Gregor as being the complete opposite of his own personal beliefs: Kafka's almost paradoxical belief that, though there is no meaning to life, the individual can create one for himself, is entirely missed by Gregor. Kafka's weighty emphasis on individualism and the corruption that society and the familial infrastructure represent is demonstrated through Gregor's interactions with the members of his own family and those of society. This leads to the development of Gregor Samsa as more than a sympathetic character, and makes Metamorphosis a novella of fantastical, fable-like proportions, complete with a moral and a superficially happy ending. Kafka's Metamorphosis was written in 1912, in the midst of a German cultural, social, and economic metamorphosis. Industrialization had reached Germany, and changed the mindset of the people. The increasing number of factorial jobs available, the numbing shifts and schedules, . . . - all this came with industrialization, and it was to this that Kafka was writing in protest. Through Gregor, Kafka demonstrates the dehumanization that industrialization was bringing to Germany, to the extent that there was little to no difference between humans and animals. By turning Gregor's physical being into an unnamed and abhorrent bug, Kafka emphasizes the similarities between th... ... followed by a period of "vacant and peaceful meditation" (Kafka, 127), in which he reflects with new insight his past life, and, while in the process of making tentative plans for the future, dies a peaceful death. Gregor's death, followed so closely by his dawning comprehension of individuality, closes the story to a full and complete circle, which began with his physical transformation into a bug and ended with his humanization. Kafka uses Gregor Samsa as almost a fable-istic character, as if to warn his reader "Don't be like Gregor! Follow your own paths or die a death like a dung bug!" Kafka's emphasis on individualism and how the corruption that society and familial infrastructure affects a human being develops this story into one with moralistic consequences for the reader, persuading him to review his own priorities and to reset them accordingly.

Emile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim stands among the seminal classical theorists of sociology such as Karl Marx, Max Webber and Ferdinand Tonnies (Morrison, 2006). At a time where the subject of sociology itself was in its stages of infancy in universities, Durkheim’s contribution is described as the foundation for what we recognize today as social sciences (Morrison, 2006).Though he never considered himself a ‘sociologist’, Durkheim’s theoretical perspectives and social concerns were profound and comprehensive, straddling aspects of   religion, education, economics, law, psychology, ethics, philosophy, and theology. Among his central attention were regarding the aspects of Gemenshaft and Geselshaft: how societies were able to function and be efficient as they progressed into modernization when shared religion, culture and ethnic background seemed to deteriorate in tandem as they develop (Giddens, 1971).Durkheim borrowed August Comte’s social analysis where he deconstr ucted society into several parts and described each piece as playing a significant role in keeping the community alive and healthy, much like how each limb and organ throughout our bodies co-exist with one another. For one component to deteriorate or malfunction, the whole system would be affected. He then compounded the Gemenshaft theory with â€Å"social facts† as he moved towards Geselshaft, a term he coined to describe how each component had â€Å"an independent existence greater and more objective than the actions of the individuals that composed society† (Giddens, 1971).His predecessors like Tonnies hypothesized that we all have a purpose to and for each other that motivates us to co-exists, like a barter system, with the exception that humans are the commodities. For Durkheim, the â€Å"collective consciousness† that underlies a traditional society changes to â€Å"individual consciousness† in a modern society as a result of division of labor. Henc e, the simplicity, complacency and structured moderation that gelled people together peacefully slowly dissipates as it becomes complex with different specialization in employment and social roles (Poggi, 2000).Needless to say, Durkheim broke the mold of looking at Comte’s society as a simple family where there was no conflict, confusion and â€Å"anomalies† among its members. It is through these anomalies, or social problems, that we create forms of deviant behavior, most notably, suicide (Poggi, 2000). In a nutshell, the more progressive or â€Å"organic† we become, the more social problems are created called anomalies. And these anomalies are the diseases that corrupt who we are that can eventually tip us over the edge with suicide.Since young, Durkheim was notably a hard-working, studious and scholarly individual.   He was born on April 15 1858 in Lorraine, France into a family of devout Jews. His father and forefathers were all rabbis, yet since young, Du rkheim knew he was not to follow suit (Poggi, 2000). He took an alternative path into the secular movement holding on to a belief that even the role of religious phenomena in society had its roots in social understanding rather than a higher, ethereal Being or Divine intervention (Poggi, 2000). His religious deviation could be due to the insurgence of Marxist politics that were sweeping Europe as repercussions of the French Revolution and Prussian War (Poggi, 2000). Nonetheless, the backbone of all his work was influenced by his family’s religious upbringing though they may not be distinct.At college, Durkheim grew a reputation for being obnoxious. Though he won many accolades upon entering École Normale Supà ©rieure in 1879 his lecturers did not think much of him unlike his peers: Henri Bergson, Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges and Jean Jaurà ¨s, the latter who later became Durkheim’s closest friend (Giddens, 1971).Politics at the time made Durkheim a staunch soci alist. Tensions of the Franco-Prussian war, the siege of Paris and a new republican government overturned many changes intellectually for scholars throughout Europe, including Durkheim (Morrison, 2006). In America, tensions were also arising from the civil war between the Union and the eleven southern states led by President Lincoln (Morrison, 2006). It is interesting to point out that as Durkheim germinated a keen observation for social studies and social deviant behavior, America was experiencing the booming explosion of migration from all over Europe (Mclaughlin, 1990) due to the political instability.Despite America’s own civil conflicts, North America was becoming the goal destination for transatlantic migration. With its rapid influx of racial and cultural assimilation from Africa, South Americas through to Ireland, Durkheim’s work were soon to be seminal and timely in analyzing the social discrepancies that were to befall the new melting pot America (Mclaughlin, 1990). Soon, the country, under the leadership of President William McKinley at the turn of 1890, was experiencing the very problems Durkheim and his peers were scientifically trying to prove in rapidly developing organic societies. America was undergoing what sociologists describe as â€Å"transplanted networks† – foreign cultures taken out of its roots and transplanted amongst each other in a new climate allowing the plurality to blend into a concoction of some sort (Mclaughlin, 1990).For most Americans, immigration had caused an acute problem: the loss of the true â€Å"American† identity. America was not just having problems with cultural diversity, but also color diversity. Racial inequality was also due to color division. Though the civil wars had removed the term slavery from its context, the stigma, prejudice and discrimination among the African American and the whites continued to persist, causing an over-layering of marginality on top of the European migration (Mclaughlin, 1990). This racial division soon led to insufficiency and inequality in opportunities leading to so many social anomalies (Mclaughlin, 1990). Considering the fact that Durkheim never set foot in America, it is ironic that America was to become the perfect guinea pig of a society for his all future analyses.As more Europeans fled to America, Durkheim grew increasingly nationalistic for a weakened France but left for Germany for a year. His return brought new inspiration. He helped to revolutionize the secular education by introducing social science as a teacher in pedagogy and reforming the French school system (Giddens, 1971). A slew of famous accomplishments came after: in 1893 he wrote The Division of Labor in Society, in 1895 he finished Rules of the Sociological Method and founded the first European Department of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux, in 1896 founded the journal L'Annà ©e Sociologique, and in 1897 published Suicide (Morrison, 2006).For a man of his astounding contribution, scholastic achievement and nationalistic pride, Durkheim succumbed to a bullet much closer to his heart: the death of his son in World War I. He never recovered from his sadness and two years later in November 15 1917, Durkheim, emotionally overwhelmed and devastated, died from exhaustion.Though he died at a young age of fifty-nine, Durkheim left a legacy of social understanding that speaks in volume up till today. One of his remarkable works is his book entitled Le Suicide (1897) that argues how collective forces are instrumental determinants for suicide than individual factors. Though the book was greatly challenged by scholars and skeptics alike, Durkheim’s investigations warrant a legitimate space for understanding, if not comparative study (Brym and Lie, 2006).Though suicide is commonly associated with psychiatric illness, human weaknesses as an escape to life’s difficulties, or mental dysfunction due to substance abuses, Durk heim contends that it is society and its trappings that leads an individual over the edge (Edles and Appelrouth, 2004). What has been recorded such as race, heredity, psychiatric factors, etc are all â€Å"peripheral factors†, far from the nucleus of the causes. The nucleus is by not looking at suicide as an individual or isolated case, but by looking at the totality of suicide in a society: what are the factors causing people to commit suicide? Why are people committing suicide?Based on Le Suicide, one strong basis is caused by an individual’s poor integration into his society (Emirbayer, 2003). By not being able to fit in, one becomes a social outcast – an anomaly – and being left out or misplaced is what leads one to want to be completely out of the whole community, hence suicide. Another cause is when there is no moral or social integration or regulation for the individual within his society (Edles and Appelrouth, 2004). His formulation: each society has an aptitude for suicide. This is measured by taking the proportion between the total number of voluntary deaths and the population of every age and sex against its historical period (Emirbayer, 2003).Durkheim creates a linking between individual pathologies to social conditions (Edles and Appelrouth, 2004). He describes four types of suicides: egoistic, altruistic, anomic and fatalistic (Emirbayer, 2003). Egoistic suicide occurs when man finds no more purpose in life. An example is when a person lives alone or has loosened his bonds with his family, is divorced and feels disconnected with others. His sense of non-belonging and feeling non-appreciated would be the triggers that end his life (Edles and Appelrouth, 2004). It is considered the most extreme form and a natural disposition for individuals living in highly developed and modern societies.Altruistic suicide is when an individual gives his life for his group. Examples of this would be the practice of human sacrifices in ce rtain remote tribal cultures and suicide bombers.   Durkheim describes another type of suicide that stems from this extreme form of helplessness – fatalistic suicide. Such suicide results in primitive groups or societies where the individual is rendered powerless in releasing himself from a form of oppression such as slavery or sacrificial cult.Anomic suicide happens when there is lack of moral regulation to the individual and his social group. This occurs when the individual feels morally lost and adrift, setting him apart from everyone else. He may have deviated himself from not wanting to be a part of any religion because there many to choose from, or because the religious plurality has reduced his insight on the true meaning of religion (Brym and Lie, 2006).Through Durkheim’s teachings, we learn that if all members of a society were anchored to common sets of symbolic representations, to common assumptions about the world around them, individuals in their social groups would feel a sense of belonging and help prevent societies from social decay and degeneration.References1.Applerouth, S. A. and Edlers, L. D. (2004). Sociological Theory in the Classical Era: Text and Readings. Thousand Oaks. Pine Forge Press2.Brym, R. J. and Lie, J. (2006). Sociology Your Campus for a New World. Australia. Thomson Wadsworth3.Emirbayer, M. (2003). Emile Durkheim Sociologist of Modernity. MA. Blackwell Publishing Ltd4.Giddens, A. 91971). Capitalism and Modern Social Theory. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press5.   Poggi, G. (2000). The Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought. Oxford. Oxford University Press6.Morrison, K. (2006). Marx, Durkheim, Weber. London. Sage Publications Inc.7.   V. Yans-Mclaughlin. (1990). Immigration Reconsidered History, Sociology and Politics. Oxford. Oxford University Press

Program Planning Terminology - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 333 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/09/19 Category Management Essay Type Argumentative essay Topics: Organization Essay Relationship Essay Did you like this example? Hey Sheila, Guess what? I am so excited! I have just been promoted to Program Manager! I am going to make such a difference for this Organization. There will be so much to do you know, with the Programs since they all have a limited time on them. Things like Purpose of Evaluations so that I can review and possibly make it better for the outcome of service/program, Evaluative Research which I can look into research on methods, Descriptive Research will be awesome because I can explain what is in the studying that goes on. The Theory is a great one; it is facts, propositions that are used in the relationship to everything of the program activities. I will be able to Input so that I can step in and use the proper methods and help with the staffing of the service that is being needed. I can oversee the Outputs as well making sure that the outcomes of the services are achieved. There is a Service Delivery Model which is the activity going on to what makes the turning the input and going to the output. Any Organization or human services needs a solid foundation in order to run properly and to be successful and achieve the end results that are to me mandatory so if there are any problems and things are not going as expected then there will have to be an evaluation and a deeper look into that organization of what the problem is to which I will call the Needs and problem Assessment. However the Outcomes of all of this will always be changing and new ways and theories to improvement on the status of services as you well know. I know that I am going to be the best that I can be and make a difference and I just had to share this with you because you have been my inspiration and role model in human services and my best friend. You’re Friend KimmieLev Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Program Planning Terminology" essay for you Create order