Criminology Coursework †Assessing the riots Essay Example for Free

Criminology Coursework – Assessing the riots Essay Criminology is focused on the attempt to understand the meanings involved in social interaction. Theorists have tried to explain sociological behaviour by looking at the patterns created by individuals that commit crime. The August 2011 riots are pivotal in explaining criminological behaviour since official statistics show that 865 individuals were put in prison by the 9th September 2011 for offences related to the disorder between 6th and 9th August 2011. This is not to say that others were not involved, but that they have simply not been identified to date and may never be identified, however the evidence we do have about the recent riots gives us plenty to talk about. This essay will provide a basis for causes of the 2011 riots by applying the ‘Labelling theory’ and the ‘Anomie theory’ to events that led to such behaviour. Mark Duggan was shot by a police officer from the specialist firearms command team and as life-taking errors were made on behalf of the police force, such events that led up to the riots suggest that the police service could be to blame. It was on the 6th August that relatives sparked the riots by setting fire to police vehicles as they demanded information about Duggan’s death, however the British Prime Minister David Cameron rejected a causal relationship between the death of Mark Duggan and the subsequent looting. Some say labelling is not a ‘theory’ because it does not give an explanation of law, but questions why we have such rules. For Labelling theorists there is no such thing as crime, as we create the laws and punishments by defining certain acts to be deviant. Deviant means to depart from usual or accepted standards. Leading theorist Kitsuse said â€Å"it is the responses of the conventional and conforming members of society which identify and interpret behaviour as deviant which sociology transforms persons into deviants†. This means that it is not the actions themselves that are crimes but the social response to such actions that the majority of people deem to be unacceptable and so these actions have been made crimes. This is how we label individuals to be criminals as they do not conform to the behaviour of the ideal majority. This can be unfair to minority groups since they may not deem their actions to be criminal but do not have a choice, for example the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act which criminalised previously civil offences such as  section 63 which gives police the powers to remove persons attending or preparing for a rave. The aim of the act was to give greater penalties for anti-social behaviour; however such activities like raves may be anti-social in behaviour from some perspectives but is merely a form of entertainment to others and so this is discriminatory against ravers as their recreational activity has been barred. Commentators have seen the Act as a draconian piece of legislation which was explicitly aimed at suppressing the activities of certain strands of alternative culture. In response to this Bill, the band ‘Dreadzone’ released a single called ‘Fight the Power’ which links into the Anomie theory (see anomie below) as the band were taking action to rebel the change in the law by getting the message across through their music. This also reflects Tannenbaum’s view of labelling; that the process of defining someone as a delinquent is due to conflict over particular activities, which results in tagging in which the person becomes the thing he is described as being and that the only way out is through a refusal to dramatize the evil. This can be applied to the recent riots the people involved were in conflict with the rest of society. Official statistics have shown that 73 per cent of those that appeared before the courts for the disorders involved in the riots had a previous caution or conviction and so this fits in with Tannenbaum’s debate that once a person is labelled to be ‘ bad’ they will continue in that manner. However, this data is only reliable to a certain extent as we do not know what sort of convictions the rioters already had and so they have been labelled as criminals due to deviance. According to Becker deviance is ‘a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender’. Becker came to the conclusion that people are criminalised through the process of negotiation, known to be social constructionism for example the Crown Prosecution Service may drop the charge of murder to manslaughter if there is not enough evidence to convict for murder. By doing this the defendant becomes labelled for the crime of manslaughter even though he may truly be guilty of murder. By introducing what could be regarded as ‘petty’ legislation more people will be labelled criminals, which in turn may lead the offender to act further on this basis. Lemert referred to this as secondary deviance as when a person is labelled criminal they change their view of t hemselves and this then becomes their ‘master status’. On the other  hand primary deviance is when someone violates a social code, but does not get labelled. Therefore a person is only labelled a criminal if he is caught and since ethnic minorities are subject to much more scrutiny than the white population this puts black people at an automatic disadvantage. Following the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence it was uncovered that the police are institutionally racist. Institutional racism can be defined as ‘the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to the people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin’. This can be seen where police failed to identify the attack on Stephen Lawrence as being racially aggravated and presumed it was gang related. This is due to the labels attached to black people that they are all associated with black on black gun crime. Official figures show that black people in England and Wales are six times more likely to be stopped and searched by police in comparison with their white counterparts. The power given to police to stop and search is found under the Criminal Justice Act and requires the police to anticipate violence. For the Mark Duggan case although the officer may have reasonably believed the suspect had a gun this was due to the label attached to him because of the colour of his skin and so such an assumption was not as a result of any proper intelligence. This reflects institutional racism as it is hard to believe that a white person would have been treated in the same way. Despite many black deaths in police custody there has been no conviction of a police officer. This is because of assumptions made that the victim must have been at fault because of the stigma that is attached to black people. This suggests an element of class because the lower class would most likely be punished when caught, w hereas many officials manage to escape minor crimes and so the rich and powerful are protected. The Brixton and Toxteth riots were also in response to such discrimination as at this time the police thought they were ‘the law’ and so used brute force against many individuals for mere suspicion when in matter of fact they had done nothing wrong. Goffman referred to stigma as ‘spoiled identities’ which he defined as ‘an attribute that is deeply discrediting within a particular social interaction’. Referring back to the riots this means that certain people, in particular black people cannot rid themselves of such ‘spoiled identities’ and as a result are much more likely to be subject to assumptions that they are deviant. It was Schur that outlined  that a person employs deviant behaviour as a means of defence. This is relevant to the recent riots since one man declared that he only joined in after being stopped and searched several times while trying to make his way home from the disturbances in the city centre. This suggests th at the riot was escalated by anger towards the police as they inherit discrimination in carrying out their duties. Although racism is rooted in widely shared attitudes, values and beliefs, discrimination can occur irrespective of the intent of the individuals who carry out the activities of the institution. This means that the police may not even be aware that they are being racist, but the labels they attach to certain individuals are present regardless of whether it is intentional. This could be because of the small number of ethnic minority police officers and so the force is not representative, which in turn reflects the ignorance to the modern, multi-cultural society that we live in. So is it fair to say that the police are to blame for the break out of the riots or that they did not carry out their duties efficiently enough to prevent them? The telegraph has cited that Mark Duggan was well known to the police. They had assumed that Duggan had a gun and further misleading information leaked to the public that the victim had actually fired bullets at the police first. Both assumptions made by the police turned out to be false and so this created an outburst of anger since it appeared that such assumptions were based on the fact that Duggan was black. Labelling is a problem that cannot be reversed easily and was acknowledged by Sir Paul Condon where he stated â€Å"I acknowledge the danger of institutionalisation of racism. However, labels can cause more problems than they solve.† Deviancy Amplication, as Leslie Wilkins pointed out is the process where the reaction by agents or agencies of social control may lead to an escalation, rather than a diminution of deviancy. The riots reflect this as the deviant behaviour spirals out of control as more acts are defined as crimes which leads to more restraints against deviants which in turn leaves them feeling as outsiders and so pushes them into the surroundings of other criminals which again leads to more deviant acts. The 1981 Brixton riots produced the Scarman report which emphasised the duty of police to apply the law firmly and sensitively without differing standards and although many measures were introduced to improve trust and understanding between the police and ethnic mi nority communities, the  Macpherson inquiry in 2000 said the Metropolitan police still suffered from institutional racism. Although it is evident that labelling causes many problems that cannot be reverted, it would not have been diplomatic to keep the truth behind the institutional racism a secret from the public and so on its emergence it is fair to say that this caused the beginning of the riots. As a result of this the police have now too been labelled and therefore much trust has been lost in the eyes of the public. The Anomie theory was established in the aftermath of the industrial revolution where society had been subject to a social transformation, which saw a drop in the ability to maintain order. Durkheim said crime is normal in any society and is functional in two ways. The first being an adaptive function that ensures change in society by introducing new ideas and practices and the second type is the boundary maintenance function that reinforces social values and norms through collective action against deviance. He then progressed by outlining two typical social formations; organic solidarit y and mechanical solidarity. Organic solidarity is organised around difference, whereas mechanical solidarity displays identical and shared values and so sanctioning is served here to identify and exclude offenders. The two latter formations were used to understand the rates of suicide. Durkheim said that the suicide rates are down to social solidarity; that is the integration into social groups and the regulation of social norms. His findings showed that anomic suicide occurred where the degree of regulation was insufficient because individuals feel a sense of ‘normlessness’. This can be shown through the amount of suicides within prisons, namely Kilmarnock’s private prison, where six suicides have occurred since the prison opened in 1999 until 2005. In the BBC Panorama programme investigating Kilmarnock Prison a riot within the prison was described, where officers recall witnessing inmates setting fires, flooding and smashing televisions. This can be compared to the riots outside the prisons as the time at which they occur is when individuals are subject to economic and social change. In times of rapid social change, such as that from mechanical to organic solidarity system s of regulations may be insufficient to effectively limit individual desires and so what emerges is a state of anomie. This theory is therefore applicable as the Toxteth outburst, that followed the Brixton riot reflects a civil protest against the social change because during this time Toxteth had one of the highest  unemployment rates in the country. The citizens of Toxteth felt let down by the Government as the city hit a decline and they were given little help to be able to survive and so could not fit in with society. This is also the same for the more recent London riots as society struggles through the recession where high unemployment and high crime is also present. Durkheim also related organic solidarity to the sexual difference between men and women. He outlined that men are much more likely to commit crime due to the higher impact social change has upon males. This can be reflected through the 2011 riots as statistics show that out of all offenders brought before the courts10% were female and 90% were male. Whereas Durkheim’s work related crime to insufficient normative regulation , Merton’s Anomie theory was a result of the absence of alignment between socially-desired aspirations, such as wealth, and the means available to people to achieve such objectives. According to Merton every society has cultural goals in which to strive for throughout one’s lifetime and it was the ‘American Dream’ that this theory derived from. Although Martin Luther King, Jr. strived for racial equality, few will deny that American’s are focused on the ‘almighty dollar’. It was the idea that prosperity and success were available to all those that worked hard, however Merton argued that the cultural demands on persons to achieve wealth brought about the use of illegitimate means, where they are denied effective opportunities to do so institutionally. Although this is based on American culture it can be applied to the UK as our society today aims for material success. This is reflected throughout the looting that transpired out of the 2011 riots as much of the disorder was in aid of stealing goods and electrical products. The BBC referred to this in headlines as ‘greed and criminality’, however others argue that the subsequent looting was due to the lack of help from the Government, which has left many people in a state of desperation. Merton recognised that the majority of society will conform even though they suffer the strain of anomie, however those that do not conform can be categorised into four types of deviants. These four human adaptions are known as the Innovator, the Ritualist, the Retreatist and the Rebellion. In the UK the typical ‘drug dealer’ would be an innovator as they accept the cultural goals, but do not use the standard institutionalised means. This could be for reasons such as previous convictions preventing them from achieving a respected job and  therefore other means are used in order to reach the desired material success. Ritualism in contrast refers to those that still have the attachment to the institutional means, however the cultural goals have been lost. Here could fall the single parent working hard at all costs and not actually achieving the goal. Retreatism is where both the objectives and means have been rejected. Merton says that Retreatism concerns people who ‘are in society but not of it’, for example a typical British tramp. The Rebellion refers to the behaviour of many young individuals in Britain as they replace the cultural goals and the institutional means with their own rules to cope with anomic strain. The recession is a prime example of an economic break down in Britain, which would result in some members of society turning to illegitimate means in order to achieve goals where society has made the end goal much harder to achieve. So, for the offenders involved there is a display of Innovation as they have the goals but not the means to achieve them and so have jumped on the opportunity of crisis in order to gain material success. Merton went on to argue that non-conformity resulted from differential access to opportunities, such as education and employment. From this there is a clear link to labelling as it is societies label that holds back the individual and prevents them from being able to achieve the end goals legitimately. This refers to the majority of the rioters since 73% of the offenders involved had previous convictions, and so although the desired goals are still prominent the label restricts the opportunity of getting a decent job which in turn stops them achieving this ideology of material success. Even without a criminal conviction ethnic minority groups struggle to get the same opportunities in terms of employment. Looking at the UK as a whole, ethnic minorities make up about 7% of the population, yet in police forces across England and Wales, just 2% of their officers are non-white. It is also much harder for a police officer from an ethnic minority background to reach the rank of superintendent and so after much rejection they eventually ‘give up’. Following the Brixton riots the Scarman report recommended efforts to recruit more ethnic minorities into the police force, and changes in training and law enforcement. The Macpherson report somewhat 17 years later showed that nothing has changed. The main problem with this theory is that it looks to assess financial crimes and ignores mindless crimes such as vandalism.  However, as the riots are mainly concerned with burglary and theft (statistics show 13% of disorder was due to theft and 44% was assigned to burglary) this theory is applicable. Looking at the overall causes of the riots it is fair to say that the police have discriminated on the way a person looks and although this may have provoked further crime as deviancy amplication suggests, it is the Anomie theory that best explains the reasoning behind the riots. In order to prevent such mass atrocities occurring again, discrimination in any form must be eliminated from the Criminal Justice System. It was George Orwell that explained how society will become a ‘police state’ and although surveillance programmes and more police powers have been enforced to give greater security to citizens much freedom is subsequently lost. Technology has been put in place in order to secure convictions, however in order for this to work the police must also be subject to the same kind of control. This would prevent discrimination on their part and also regain the public’s trust in the police. The lack of opportunity from the Government has led to a proportion of society to ignore the law, which in turn creates disturbance between the law enforcers i.e. the police and the public. As the recent 2011 riots saw a more ‘stand back’ approach by the police, they argued that they did not have the proper resources to respond due to ‘cut backs’ from the Government, however much of the police fund is spent on the wrong resources and so this must also be addressed for society to be controlled effectively. After the Brixton and Toxteth riots the British public managed to regain police trust, however since the UK returned to an economic state like of that time it was evident that some form of protest would also reoccur. As this has happened, equal opportunities must be available to give everybody in society a chance to succeed, which in turn would lose the resentment that is held towards the Government and police. Bibliography Textbooks: Bowling, B., Violent Racism: Victimisation, Policing and Social Context, 1998, Clarendon Press Gilbert, J., Discographies: Dance Music, Culture, and the Politics of Sound, 1999, Routledge Newburn, T., Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing Orwell, G., 1984, 1949, 1st edition, London: Secker and Warburg Journals: Bowling, B. and Phillips C., (2007) â€Å"Disproportionate and Discriminatory: Reviewing the Evidence on Police Stop and Search†. Modern Law Review. 70(6) Dicristina, B., (2006), â€Å"Durkheims latent theory of gender and homicide†. British Journal of Criminology. 46(2) Reports: Bell, I., 2011, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011 King, M.L., Jr., (1968) The American Dream, Negro History Bulletin 31 (5) Macpherson, W., 1998, The Stephen Lawrence Enquiry, London: Home Office Scarman, Lord J., 1981, ‘The Brixton disorders 10-12 April 1981’, London: HMSO Legislation: Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c.33) Websites: BBC, December 2011, ‘Toxteth riots: Howe proposed managed decline for the city’, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-16355281 BBC, 11th August 2011, ‘riots: David Cameron’s commons statement in full’, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14492789 BBC News London, ‘London riots: looting and violence continues’, 8th August 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14439970 Cached BBC, ‘On this day: 1981 Brixton riots report blames racial tension’, http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/25 Guardian, T., 6th December 2011, ‘Reading the Riots: Humiliating stop and search a key factor in anger towards police’, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/06/stop-and-search Peter Gould, BBC News online home affairs, ‘Changing face of justice’, http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/changing_face_of_justice.stm Kerry Townsend, ‘Frank Tannenbau m: Dramatization of evil’, http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/tannenbaum.htm Cached Similar CachedOxford Dictionary, ‘definition for deviant’, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com Scottish Government, ‘HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report on HM Prison Kilmarnock: January 2005’, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/04/14103535 Cached Warshauer, M., Liverpool John Moores University, ‘Who wants to be a millionaire: Changing conceptions of the American Dream’ (2002), http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/American_Dream.htm Wheatle, A., Evening Standard, 9th August 2011, ‘We need answers about the death of Mark Duggan’ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23976405 Television Programmes: BBC One, 2005, â€Å"Panorama: Kilmarnock Prison Part 1†, LondonCached [ 1 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 212 [ 2 ]. Ministry of Justice, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011, (15th Sept 2011) page 11 [ 3 ]. BBC, 11th August 2011, ‘riots: David Cameron’s commons statement in full’, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14492789 accessed 18/02/2012Cached [ 4 ]. Oxford Dictionary, ‘definition for deviant’, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com accessed 20/02/2012 [ 5 ]. John Itsuro Kitsuse, 1962 [ 6 ]. Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c.33) [ 7 ]. Jeremy Gilbert, Discographies: Dance Music, Culture, and the Politics of Sound, 1999, Routledge, page 150 [ 8 ]. 1994 [ 9 ]. Frank Tannenbaum, 1938 [ 10 ]. Kerry Townsend, ‘Frank Tannenbaum: Dramatization of evil’, http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/tannenbaum.htm accessed 19/02/2012Cached Similar [ 11 ]. Iain Bell, Ministry of Justice, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011, (15th Sept 2011) page 5 [ 12 ]. Howard Becker, 1963 [ 13 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 212 [ 14 ]. Edwin Lemert, 1967 [ 15 ]. ibid [ 16 ]. William Macpherson, 1998, ‘The Stephen Lawrence Enquiry, London: Home Office, chapter 6.25 [ 17 ]. Ben Bowling and Coretta Phillips, (2007) ‘Disproportionate and Discriminatory: Reviewing the Evidence on Police Stop and Search’. Modern Law Review. 70(6) 944 [ 18 ]. Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c.33) section 60 [ 19 ]. Alex Wheatle, Evening Standard, 9th August 2011, ‘We need answers about the death of Mark Duggan’ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23976405 accessed 21/02/2012 [ 20 ]. Erving Goffman, 1963 [ 21 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 217 [ 22 ]. Edwin Schur, 1951 [ 23 ]. The Guardian, 6th December 2011, ‘Reading the Riots: Humiliating stop and search a key factor in anger towards police’, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/06/stop-and-search accessed 20/02/2012 [ 24 ]. Benjamin Bowling, Violent Racism: Victimisation, Policing and Social Context, 1998, Clarendon Press, page 3 [ 25 ]. William Macpherson, 1998, ‘The Stephen Lawrence Enquiry, London: Home Office, chapter 6.25 [ 26 ]. Leslie Wilkins 1964 [ 27 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 218 [ 28 ]. BBC, ‘On this day: 1981 Brixton riots report blames racial tension’, http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/25 accessed 21/02/2012 [ 29 ]. Emile Durkheim, 1972 [ 30 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 170 [ 31 ]. ibid [ 32 ]. The Scottish Government, ‘HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report on HM Prison Kilmarnock: January 2005’, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/04/14103535 accessed 21/02/2012Cached [ 33 ]. â€Å"Panorama: Kilmarnock Prison Part 1†, London: BBC One, 27/02/05, Retrieved 03/02/2012 [ 34 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 173 [ 35 ]. BBC, December 2011, ‘Toxteth riots: Howe proposed managed decline for the city’, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-16355281 accessed 23/02/2012Cached [ 36 ]. London riots, (6 August 2011) [ 37 ]. B. Dicristina, (2006), â€Å"Durkheims latent theory of gender and homicide†. British Journal of Criminology. 46(2), 212-233 [ 38 ]. Ministry of Justice, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011, (15th Sept 2011) page 3 [ 39 ]. Robert Merton, 1949 [ 40 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 175 [ 41 ]. Martin Luther King, Jr., (1968) The American Dream, Negro History Bulletin 31 (5), 10-15 [ 42 ]. Matthew Warshauer, Liverpool John Moores University, ‘Who wants to be a millionaire: Changing conceptions of the American Dream’ (2002), http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/American_Dream.htm accessed 21/02/2012 [ 43 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 175-176 [ 44 ]. BBC News London, ‘London riots: looting and violence continues’, 8th August 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14439970 Cachedaccessed 22/02/2012 [ 45 ]. T. Newburn, Criminology, 2009, 1st edition, Willian Publishing, page 175-177 [ 46 ]. Iain Bell, Ministry of Justice, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011, (15th Sept 2011) page 5 [ 47 ]. Peter Gould, BBC News online home affairs, ‘Changing face of justice’, http://n ews.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/changing_face_of_justice.stm accessed 22/02/2012 [ 48 ]. ibid [ 49 ]. 1981 [ 50 ]. Lord Scarman, 25th November 1981, ‘The Brixton Disorders10-12 April 1981’, London: HMSO [ 51 ]. Iain Bell, Ministry of Justice, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011, (15th Sept 2011) page 7 [ 52 ]. George Orwell, 1984, 8th June 1949, 1st edition, London: Secker and Warburg

Honest Iago Essay -- essays papers

Honest Iago The poet Coleridge appropriately described the character of Iago as being one of "motiveless malignity." Throughout the play Iago’s motives are secondary to, and seem only to serve as justification for, his actions. Iago is driven by his nature of character. To discuss Coleridge’s assessment we must look at Iago’s character—from Iago’s point of view and that of the other characters—his motives, methods, and pawns. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him; all the while he is pushing Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo, Emilia, and Cassio to their tragic end. According to Websters New International Dictionary, Second Edition, malignity is partially defined as "disposition to do evil." "Motiveless" is implied in the definition of malignity. That one has a "disposition to do evil" is to say evil is in the nature of the malignant person; motive is not an issue. "Motiveless malignity" is redundant in the pure meaning of the words. Does Coleridge mean to say that Iago cannot help himself from being evil or does he mean that what Iago did was without motive? For the sake of this discussion, Coleridge intends the later. Abbott states "in truth character is what a person is; reputation is what he is supposed to be." (Websters) Is Iago evil? No, he is not. Walter Lippmann says that "evil is not a quality of things as such. It is a quality of our relation to them." (Websters) Iago is not opposed to good (a partial definition of evil) however, he is amoral and malicious. How does Iago see himself? "Others there are who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty, keep yet their hearts attending on themselves, and t... ...d knowledge of the nature of things to play a game and win. He does not make each move with conscious reason, only to win the game; thus Iago is motiveless at each step. He is like a child who only enjoys tumbling down the blocks of other children; he is the play-yard bully. When asked why, the bully generally shrugs and says "I don’t know." Similarly when asked why, Iago's response is just as simple: "What you know, you know." [Act V, Scene 2, Line 302] And Iago knew why; and he knew how. Iago most honestly confesses to Emily "I told him what I thought, and told no more than what he found himself was apt and true" [Act V, Scene 2, Line 175] The unspoken line comes next: they believed what they wanted—they are the guilty not I. Iago is a crafty, intelligent, manipulative school-yard bully, who is motiveless at each move. Iago is an honest man--deadly honest.

The Mighty Dung Beetle

While the majority of the human population quivers at the thought of ingesting manure, the mighty dung beetle rises to the challenge, and uses the manure in unique ways. Without dung beetles, pastures would be overrun with manure and flies- and parasites would run amuck. I’m no expert but according to the Sustainable Parasite Management division at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, affectionately known as PU, the dung beetle is beneficial to our environment. They help keep the soil cleaner, reduce pollution and algae formation in our waters, and acts as an organic pooper scooper for our livestock farms. First let’s begin by identifying the different types of dung beetles. These meadow muffin munchers are divided into three classifications, Rollers, Tunnellers and Dwellers. The Rollers do just that.. they roll the prairie patties into smooth, round balls called brood balls. Then they roll the brood balls away to a more desirable location. Once the rollers find the perfect location for their new abode, they bury it into the ground. The female will lay a single egg into the brood ball and then coat and seal it with a mixture of dung, saliva, and of course, her own fecal matter. After the egg hatches, the baby dung beetle devours the dung and lives in the brood ball until it reaches maturity. Then there are the Tunnellers. They dig tunnels in the ground in depths of between a few centimeters to 1 meter. This is large enough for them to live and move around in. Once the tunnel has been dug, they pull the manure in to the tunnel and place it throughout. Inside their new home is where the female lays her eggs. Storing the manure underground helps keep it fresh and protects the growing babies from predators and parasites. The last of the waste managers are the Dwellers who live on top of the pasture patty. The female lays her eggs on top of manure piles, and the entire development from egg to adult takes place inside the pile. Dwellers are smallest of the three and they seem to like cow patties the best for raising a family. The adults can be found in fresh, moist droppings, while the babies are slowly growing in dung that is drying out. Now that you know a little about the different types of dung beetles, let’s see how they are drawn to manure. Dr.  Patricia Richardson, Research Associate at the University of Texas, states, adult dung beetles are drawn to manure by odor. Many are species-specific in that they prefer a certain type of animal manure. Just like people searching for the perfect home, the dung beetle will fly up to ten miles in search of just the right patty. They can attack dung pats within seconds after they drop. Some dung beetles will even hitch a ride near the tails of animals in anticipation of a deposit. Once drawn by the odor, the adults use the liquid contents of the manure for their nourishment. In addition; a single cow patty can attract 60-80 adult flies. That would be a lot of flies if it were not for the competitive dung beetle. With all of the rolling and tunneling and dwelling of the dung beetle, flies and other harmful parasites don’t have a chance. Our society isn’t the first to appreciate the contributions of the dung beetles. The scarab is in the roller family of dung beetles. Yep! The Egyptians have long been known to have a fascination with the dropping dwellers. Jewelry has been crafted and carvings have been drafted in admiration of our mighty dung friends. In summation while the dung beetle keeps the soil cleaner, reduces pollution and algae formation in our waters, and acts as an organic pooper scooper for our livestock farms, it is also important to understand by removing the dung pat from its original location, this helps cut down on the fly population which is attracted to the dung pat. By making tunnels this will increase soil capacity to absorb and hold water. Therefore one can see how the dung beetle is very important to our environment. So if you really look at it, the world would be a much smeller place if it were not for the tireless efforts of the dung beetles.

The Path Of Happiness. . “Folks Are Usually About As Happy

The Path of Happiness â€Å"Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be†, exclaimed Abraham Lincoln in Goodreads.com. Happiness is defined in many ways that not a single person can give a true definition of. People have been searching the true meaning of happiness, but in reality there are no actual definitions. Happiness is all around, a person just needs to find their path to what makes them truly happy. On the website Goodreads.com, Dalai Lama XIV states,† Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions†. The Dalai Lama is trying to get people to understand that happiness comes from what a person does with their life. From how they treat people to how they treat themselves and the environment†¦show more content†¦Older adults have more free time to do the things they have always wanted to do without stress such as traveling, hobbies, spending time with family and even volunteer work to stay active. Whitbourne believes that happiness is not just a feeling of emotion, but it is also a state of successfulness of a person’s life goal of not having to stress. People who are not retired are not happy because they have not fulfilled the goal that they want because of financial situations. They feel they have not fulfilled their lifetime goal and stand in the negative feeling of the idea that there is no such thing as true happiness. Happine ss is not just about money. It is about feeling secure with relief of all the troubles that come in life. â€Å"Sometimes, whether a desire is excessive or negative depends on the circumstances or society in which you live. For example, if you live in a prosperous society where a car is required to help you manage in your daily life, then of course there’s nothing wrong in desiring a car (792)†, stated The Dalai Lama in the essay,† Inner Contentment†. The Dalai Lama goes in great detail of how people’s happiness can come from the environment that they are surrounded with. If a person is poor their resources and happiness varies from someone with wealth. For example, a person who is poor may not have the funds to buy a car right away unlike a person of moreShow MoreRelatedFairy Tales By Arthur Schlesinger907 Words   |  4 Pagesused to describe something adored with unusual happiness, like â€Å"fairy tale ending† a happing ending or â€Å"fairy tale romance†, though not all fairy tale as a happy ending. A fairy tales is a type of short sto ry that consistently features European folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Fairy Tale Fairy tales may be acclaimed from other folk narratives such as legends which generally involvesRead MoreChandas Secret- Stigma1512 Words   |  7 Pages In this period, their disease will turn into AIDS, which has taken countless lives of people and left the pain for many families in society. Surrounding this incurable disease, there are plenty of intractable problems. Especially the perceptions about AIDS of community and even the patients are not enough to rescue the patient from improper judgments of society. To bear resentment against society for having boycotted the patients, Allan Stratton wrote Chanda’s Secrets. Through this novel, he showsRead MoreUniversal Truths in Japanese Literature1573 Words   |  7 PagesTales of Japan-Illustrated Folk Tales, Fairy Tales and Mythology by Birgit Amadoi there are examples of Universal truths. The Universal Truths such as Good vs. Evil, Greed vs. Generosity, and Outer Strength vs. Inner Strength affect the people of Japan, and reflects on how the live their life, and their outlook on the world. The universal truth of Good vs. Evil reflects Japanese culture through, the history, the people, their outlook on life, and their actions. Evil is usually perceived as the oppositeRead MoreCatholics Goals are to Find Themselves and their God-given Talents3371 Words   |  14 Pages These worldly possessions stand in the way of one choosing to follow God. In today’s society one is bombarded by messages of consumerism, supporting the idea that things have a value past their price, or that these things alone can bring one’s happiness. The complexity of this argument comes into play when you evaluate that being wealthy is sometimes sinful. It can prevent one from gaining eternal life. The problem is the flawed social institutions. In order to accumulate wealth one must useRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Point of View in Kate Chopin’s Fiction3285 Words   |  14 Pagesseems surprising in light of her successful short story career. The themes that Chopin exp lores in her novel are present in both Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie, her short story collections published before The Awakening, and the other short stories she published separately. The only reasonable explanation is that people misinterpreted Chopin’s short stories about male/female relationships as sentimental and witty stories rather than serious condemnations of the social order that left women so littleRead MoreProblems of Upbringing4514 Words   |  19 Pageschildren obtain straight ‘A’s in their examinations and excel in everything else. In this rat-race they turn their children into display objects; possessions which they can be proud to show off to their friends and relatives and for others to talk about. In the good old days, life as a child and a teenager was never stressful because there were not too many expectations to fulfil. But children these days, especially those in urban areas, seem to have so many things to do and compete in that they areRead MorePre-Spanish Period8197 Words   |  33 Pagesthe Spaniards and other foreigners landed or set foot on Philippine shores, our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of our race. Our ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as traced in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. Our ancestors also had their own alphabet which was different from that brought by the Spaniards. The first alphabet used by our ancestor was similar to that of the Malayo-Polynesian alphabet. Why certainRead MoreFemale Portrayal in Disney Cartoon Films2218 Words   |  9 Pagesanything wrong with the films and see it as harmless entertainment for their kids. Their apathy over the matter can be due to the fact that they genuinely don’t care or just don’t think about it. Although everyone should care to an extent, people who actually might care or think about this subject matter are usually feminists. But even feminists have different ideologies and takes on Disney and whether or not its movies are sexist or not. For many centuries, girls have been raised to live a traditionalRead MoreEssay about Sikh Marriage2564 Words   |  11 Pagesinto one. It is analogous to the union of god and man, which is the goal of Sikh piety. Various hymns give advice on marriage: Text Box: Ask the happy one by what ways they have won the beloved. They will answer, by sweetness of speech and the beauty of contentment. A loaf of dry bread and a bed of bare earth is full of happiness in the company of the beloved. Let humility be the word, contentment be the offering, the tongue be the mint of sweet speech. Adopt these habits dear sisterRead MoreMask Dances of Bhutan4671 Words   |  19 Pagesdrums drive away all malevolent evils and demons. Witnessing the dances is believed to remove sin and take one closer towards attaining nirvana or enlightenment. Dances are performed annually in all important Dzongs, temples and in monasteries and usually lasts for three to five days. The occasion is known as Tshechu as they are normally performed on the 10th day of the months and is an occasion for the village people to gather round and partake in the festive occasion. Dressed in their finest clothes

Elizabeth Woodville And Anne Boleyn - 1747 Words

Women throughout history rarely receive attention for more than superficial causes: their influence on style, manners, or less. However, many women found themselves contributing to the formation of postmodern constructs of marriage for love, partnership, and fidelity. Foremost among these, temporally and popularly, are the examples of Elizabeth Woodville and Anne Boleyn. Undoubtedly, these cases hold great significance to cultural studies of the temporal periods in which the English identify as participants, but they also aid in seeing the eventual popular degradation of women from chaste matrons and aloof maidens to lusty bawds and traitorous whores. By this degradation and extensive primary sources, scholars can easily find these women as examples of the use of one’s image for power in redefining concepts of queenship, and also women who set the standard to view the gradual combination of partner and lover in understanding social history. Aristocratic women in the Court syst em as a whole find relatively little attention by the most popular works on its culture. David Starkey , Alison Weir , and David Gunn , even though they offer insights on topic largely relegated to popular histories and romances; women, in fact, receive little merit for their Courtly careers. Yet, it is important to recognize that the late medieval and Tudor Court offered an increasing number of roles for women to fill, as well as, a semblance of stability. The key to the ability for young women toShow MoreRelatedAnne s Uncanny Similarities Of Henry Viii1344 Words   |  6 Pagesmistress and wife in her reign In conjunction with radical laws and policies, Anne’s tenure as Queen also shows new religious involvement. Former queens, like Catherine, focused on self-improvement, alms, women’s issues, Catholic rites, and prayer. Anne adopted these aspects and more. Her preferred religious activities focused on education. Her circulation of translated religious texts and the New Testament; dictation of high standards of behavior similar to Vives’ instructions; and worked to aidRead MoreAnne Boleyn - Paper1823 Words   |  8 PagesAnne Boleyn lived a strategic lifestyle in the English court of Henry VIII. As a pawn of her family, she went from a small girl in the French court to the queen. Henry had an obsession with Anne and would stop at nothing until they were together causing many long term affects on England. Many people had different contrasting views of Anne Boleyn; on one hand she was viewed as a jezebel or concubine by the Catholics but at the same time she was viewed as a saintly queen by protestant writers. BothRead MoreLiterary Aspects Of Annes S2041 Words   |  9 Pagesturns to her two extant portraits. Holbein’s portrayals of the smirking young woman proves the commissioner’s idealized lady, as well as what they desired to show her as. This destruction of items relating to her time as Queen leads any examination of Anne to rely on what is known, rather than what would successfully relate her to her peers throughout history, in order to determine her role in ruling. Continuing from the literary aspects of Anne’s life, the scholar finds the physical remnants, two paintings

Cultural Relativism Is Important For Many Reasons

Cultural Relativism is defined as, â€Å"The principle that an individual s beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual s own culture†. Wilson talked about this term extensively in his class and he noticed a common trend within his classroom. The trend was that his students warned him, â€Å"Not to be judgmental or to impose your values on other people.†(Soccio 2007). This is a common trend found with a lot of people in my opinion. In fact, I have the same belief as many of Wilson’s students. Cultural relativism is important for many reasons. First, having a sense of cultural relativism provides people with a form of tolerance towards other cultures. Second, it helps people understand acts or actions†¦show more content†¦When these two cultures were told any other way of disposing of their dead, they were completely shocked and almost disgusted (Rachels 2015). This helps support the fact that different cultures have different practices and therefore different moral codes. Furthermore, if different cultures have different moral codes and practices that are based on their own personal culture, another culture should not be able to judge them, simply because they are unique to that culture. Tolerance is another good quality that comes with cultural relativism. Tolerance helps us have a sort of explanation on why other cultures act the way they do. It gives the reason of an action or act being based on one’s culture rather than because of the type of individual that they are. Take a cultural group such as the Eskimos. The Eskimos believe in and practice infanticide throughout their villages (Rachels 2015). This practice is considered highly wrong in American cultures, but is considered morally acceptable in cultures like the Eskimo (Rachels 2015). What a lot of people forget to take into account is the reason the Eskimos perform infanticide. It is not because they are cruel people, no, it is because they are thinking about the possible future life of the child and the future life of their village. Another baby is simply another mouth to feed, a task which can be difficult for some Eskimo families. Therefore, in order to prevent a bad life for the babyShow MoreRelatedCultural Relativism : The Moral Code Of A Culture1470 Words   |  6 PagesCultural relativism is self-explanatory in its name but goes deeper beyond that. Cultural relativism states that standards are relative to one’s culture. There are no standards of morality shared by all societies; all rules are controlled by the society in which a person lives. If the moral code of a culture says that an action is right than according to those standards, the action is right. If the society says that a certain action is wrong, without any input from other cultures, the action is wrongRead MoreCultural Relativism And Anti Foundationalism1556 Words   |  7 Pagesseeks to explore the concept of cultural re lativism and anti-foundationalism in philosophy. Cultural Relativism is a philosophical doctrine that makes the claim that moral or ethical systems, which vary from culture to culture, are relative to culture and therefore equally valid. This is the chief argument to support the anti-foundationalist view of the pre-Socratic era that denies the possibility of an ethical or moral foundation, because of the multitude of cultural differences in ethical valuesRead MoreDifferences And Cultural Differences1275 Words   |  6 Pagesargument of Cultural Differences and how it is not a viable defense for Moral Relativism. First, I will explain what Moral Relativism is. Then, I will give examples of cultural differences that support Moral Relativism and state what the Cultural Differences Argument is. After this, I will point out why Rachels believe the argument is flawed and the proof he provides to back up his belief. Next, I will discuss how Moral Relativism is false for other reasons, as well, and not just the reason that RachelsRead MoreThe Challenges Of Cultural Relativism And Ethical Egoism1659 Words   |  7 PagesChallenges of Cultural Relativism† and â€Å"Ethical Egoism.† There is an important distinction that can be made between cultural moral relativism and individual moral relativism, but ultimately their meanings rejoin. The distinction does allow individual moral relativism to be compared to ethical egoism. Both theories begin by being centered around the individual, before they diverge in important ways. By exploring the way individual moral relativism compares with cultural moral relativism and moral egoismRead MoreMoral Relativism : Morality And War879 Words   |  4 PagesMoral Relativism Debate Moral relativism is the idea that there is no absolute moral standard that is applicable to any person at any place at any given time. It suggests that there are situations in which certain behavior that would normally be considered â€Å"wrong† can actually be considered â€Å"right†. Moral relativism has played an increasingly significant role in today’s society, particularly regarding the differences between the countries of the world. This essay will summarize and explain bothRead MoreETHICAL (MORAL) RELATIVISM Essay1022 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿RUNNING HEADING: ETHICAL (MORAL) RELATIVISM Ethical (Moral) Relativism Exploring Kohlberg’s stance on Ethical Relativism JebbehG Ethics in Contemporary Society | PHI101 A01 July 17, 2013 Introduction Presently, Americans are comfortable relating ethics to individuality. Often times, American citizens expresses their right of freedoms to enhance their own sense of ethics or relativity. In defining relativism, moral principles are a matter of personal feelings andRead MoreCultural Relativism1386 Words   |  6 PagesJames Rachels essay titled The Challenge of Cultural Relativism is more of a critique over what philosophers call Cultural Relativism. A theory in which states that there is no real sense of morality and that it is one’s own culture that makes up their own morality. A lot of people tend to reason things in the way that Cultural Relativists might, by saying things such as â€Å"Oh, well it’s what that culture does. It’s okay that they’re doing that† however, sometimes people think the opposite â€Å"No, itRead MoreCultural Relativism And Racial Relativism Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion 1 Cultural Relativism is a theory arguing that each different society follows a different moral code that is created by the majority and that is completely right and acceptable. A moral code is right, not because of any moral reason, but because a specific culture says it is. It is important to understand that Cultural Relativists believe that each group has the right moral code for themselves, even if there are contradictory moral codes in different societies. In James Rachels’ articleRead MoreCultural Relativism Is Not Ideal1677 Words   |  7 Pages Cultural Relativism is not Ideal In The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, James Rachel’s main argument is that cultural relativism is not creditable, but the whole theory of what cultural relativists believe, isn’t completely incorrect. Cultural relativism is the theory that beliefs, activities, and most values are based on the person’s culture. In other words, right and wrong is different in each culture. I agree with James Rachel on his view of cultural relativism because he has very good reasonsRead MoreEthical Relativism Is An Unsound And Unreliable Ethical Philosophy1742 Words   |  7 Pages Ethical Relativism is an unsound and unreliable ethical philosophy Mohammed Jweihan Ethics for a Global Economy Ethical Relativism is an unsound and unreliable ethical philosophy Cultural and ethical relativisms are widely used theories that explain differences among cultures and their ethics and morals. Morality deals with individual character and the moral rules that are meant to govern and limit one’s character. On the other hand Ethics is somewhat interchangeable with morals

Critical Essay On The Pedestrian Used A free essay sample

Critical Essay On The Pedestrian ( Used A Lot In England ) Essay, Research Paper Critical essay Fifty-three old ages from now a author is taken to a psychiatric Centre for aid because he was walking along the streets. In this essay I will be sing the image of the hereafter created in this short narrative by analyzing the secret plan, puting, character and subject. This short narrative is about a adult male called Leonard Mead who goes for a quiet amble on a brumous eventide at eight Os clock. He stops at the corner of an intersection, equals down and chooses which route he wants to take. Mr Leonard Mead had done this every dark for 10 old ages. Sometimes he would travel out and non return until after 12. The unusual thing is that he has non met anybody in the street for the last 10 old ages, but by pure happenstance, the lone constabulary auto in the metropolis of three million happened to halt him that dark. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Essay On The Pedestrian Used A or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The constabulary auto interrogates him as to why he is walking the streets and inquiries him about his profession and matrimonial position. The auto can non believe that he is merely walking for air and merely to see. The auto tells Leonard to acquire in and he does. Mr Mead assumes that he will be taken place but when he is in the auto and the doors locked shut he asks where he is being taken, the auto he replies to the psychiatric Centre for research on regressive inclinations. Leonard Mead is non a normal individual in the manner that his neighbors are, because all they do is sit all dark with their lazy eyes glued to the telecasting. Leonard is a author in a non-reading society. Peoples neer read books, all they do is watch telecasting and that is likely the ground why he has non met anybody on the streets in the last 10 old ages. Leonard seems to hold a critical attitude to all his neighbors being so unsociable. He is considered unnatural by the constabulary auto because he does non hold a screening screen and he does non hold a married woman. The other character in the narrative is the constabulary auto that stops him. The auto is a automaton auto without anybody inside it and it seems to be acquiring its orders from an outside beginning. The narrative is set in the hereafter in the twelvemonth 2052 in a metropolis of three million. It is a cold November eventide and Leonard Mead is foremost introduced at eight Os clock. The metropolis seems like a shade town, even Leonard describes the topographic point as a cemetery. The writer introduced Leonard at eight Os clock because it is a clip when people are usually outside, so thi s makes it look even more obvious that no 1 is on the streets. The clasping concrete walls and grassy seams give the feeling of a barren. The writer gives a intimation of enigma by rearranging the words at the beginning of the narrative, he gives the feeling that the universe is a lonely and barbarous topographic point, # 8216 ; he was entirely or every bit good as entirely. The writer besides sets the clip in November when it is cold so the trail of frigid air increases the eiry feeling. He uses similes to do the vicinity seem as if it is dead, it was non unlike walking through a cemetery or there were rustles and mutters where a window in a grave like edifice was still unfastened. The writer makes the neighbors seem as if they are dead because they do non socialize or hold involvements in the outside universe. This gives the feeling that the hereafter will be black and the general populations are moving like living deads. For long ago he had sagely changed to gym shoes when strolling, because the Canis familiariss in intermittent squad. These words suggest that he shouldn t be on the streets and there is some danger involved. He pretends to inquire what is on telecasting in a joking sort of mode, which indicates that he dislikes everyone being cooped up whith their eyes on the screen. The writer makes the topographic point seem like it deserted ; but now these main roads were similar watercourses in a dry season, all rock and Moon glow. What are you making out says the constabulary auto wonderingly as if he s perpetrating a offense. Walking Mead answers Walking where, for what as if it s an unnatural activity. And do you non hold a sing screen in you re house to see with? as if you do non necessitate to see things in world, you merely utilize the telecasting. When the constabulary auto asks for his profession Mr Mead answers that he is a author. The auto responds that this is no profession. I think that the ground that the auto took Leonard to the psychiatric Centre because a author would be a menace to governmental control. This is because authors have a graphic imaginativeness and would oppugn the system. I think the subject of this piece is that the hereafter will be a black and cheerless topographic point where practical world will be the lone beginning of amusement. It is besides about how authorities wants supreme control and attempts to stomp out anybody with the ability to overturn them. An illustration of this is Leonard, who shows individualism and is taken away to the psychiatric Centre.