The Survival Of The Yucatec Maya Culture - 1490 Words

The era of Spanish Conquest often serves as an archetype for a clash of cultures and civilizations, sparking a myriad of intellectuals spanning the humanities to attempt to discern the most salient characteristics and processes that define the period. Historians Inga Clendinnen and George Lovell, both focus on the effect the landing of the conquistadors had on the indigenous Mayans, with their respective focuses standing in diametric opposition to one another. In â€Å"The Survival of the Yucatec Maya Culture,† Clendinnen stresses the importance of how Mayan tradition persisted through the traumas of conquest and the ruthless conversion campaign imposed by colonial leaders. Furthermore, she argues that despite the slaughters and disease that†¦show more content†¦The indigenous leader’s willingness to show these sacred texts to the Spanish, lends great insight into how the Mayans rationalized Spanish conquest - the landing was not viewed as an unprecedented, for thcoming cultural calamity - but one that was forecasted within the cyclical framework of Mayan culture. Furthermore, this idea of the cyclical relationship between prophecy and history, enabled the Mayans to interpret Spanish dominance as something temporal. A provisional â€Å"eclipse† that they only needed to endure, in order to survive and reach the part of their historical cycle where â€Å"they would rule again.† This necessity to endure trying times in a cyclical process, was a mindset that enabled Mayan religious resilience to Spanish conversion (Clendinnen, pg. 384-85). Moreover, Clendinnen explains how culturally subjugated Mayans sought to endure the historical determined Spanish landing, through rebellion. When the indigenous population was required to both teach and learn Christian doctrine in schools - often times teachers â€Å"persisted in their traditional rituals†¦pretend[ing] to teach the Christian doctrine.† Furthermore, Clendinnen cites the research of historian Alfredo Barrera Vasquez, a 20th century Mayan scholar, in explaining how Mayans quickly adapted to the confiscation and subsequent burning of their sacred books by friars, by â€Å"transcrib[ing]†Show MoreRelatedMayan Civilization and Culture1077 Words   |  5 PagesMayans used in their respective territories for food, shelter, home remedies and medications, and water. We will also discuss how the Mayans marked and defended their territories, their political views, and their subsistence strategies. The Mayan Culture and Subsistence Farming Slash-and-burn farming is the process of chopping down any vegetation in a specific plot of land, setting fire to it, and using the ashes as fertilizer for future crops that will be used for food (Rice, 1983). Also referredRead MoreEssay on Maya2969 Words   |  12 PagesMaya The ancient Maya were a group of American Indian peoples who lived in southern Mexico, particularly the present-day states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo, and in Belize, Guatemala, and adjacent Honduras. Their descendants, the modern Maya, live in the same regions today, in both highlands and lowlands, from cool highland plains ringed by volcanos to deep tropical rain forests. Through the region runs a single major river system, the Apasion-Usumacinta and its

Artificial Nigger and Judgement Day Analysis...

â€Å"Artificial Nigger† â€Å"Judgement Day† Analysis Regarding Color After reading this story over five times I certainly think I have an understanding of what this story is about. Mr. Head is an old racist who believes everything that he says is word. He is domineering and seems to argue with Nelson whenever he gets the chance. Whether it be about the place Nelson calls home or the color of skin. Nelson is only ten; it makes you wonder why a man who is supposedly intelligent seems awfully absurd. O’Connor associates the role of color in regards to race. Through her portrayal of race, apart from color, she draws a link between the roles people play in society. Not only do these elements of race refer to color and positions in society, but†¦show more content†¦As they dismount the train Nelson soon becomes aware that his grandfather is in fact lost. When Nelson criticizes his grandfather for having gotten them lost, Mr. Head replies, â€Å"If you want to direct this trip, I’ll go on by myself and leave you right here.† O`Connor then depicts Mr. Head as being â€Å"pleased to see the boy turn white.† This is very ironic because Nelson is in fact white skinned. Following much talk of seeing â€Å"Nigger after Nigger,† the reader is left with the feeling that Mr. Head is not only happy to have silence Nelson, but further emphasizes the very color of Nelson’s face. This solidifies the character of Mr. Head as one who is so disgust ed by Negros that he attempts to turn even his grandson whiter. As Nelson and Mr. Head continue on in search of the train station to take them home, they come across a rich neighborhood full of mansions. After having received directions from a passer-by, Mr. Head catches the glimpse of a plaster figure of a Negro just down the road. â€Å"One of his eyes was entirely white and he held a piece of brown watermelon.† O’Connor has chosen her words very carefully. No eye is completely white, but in depicting this figure O`Connor wishes to show that in this world African Americans are forced to see the world in white. Whiteness in this regard is being thrust upon them. Not only are Negros forced to view the world in White, the

Argument Against the Death Penalty Free Essays

Argument Essay for the Death Penalty Every day through media streams, we hear news about murders, homicides, and killing. It is hard to spend a day without hearing about these things nowadays. We have our own right to our own lives, but that doesn’t mean we have rights to the person sitting next to us or anyone else. We will write a custom essay sample on Argument Against the Death Penalty or any similar topic only for you Order Now I’ve studied on this topic for almost a year now and I know main issues related to this topic and a few important historical movements related to the death penalty. In the past few years, the death penalty was a controversial issue in many pro death penalty nations like the United States, China, Iran and many more. Since 1990, more than thirty countries abolished the death penalty because it was considered immoral (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). Supporters of the death penalty consider killing the person who killed others people and that supports why the death penalty is immoral in many ways. First, it violates religious views and beliefs, innocent people get wrongly accused and mostly executed, costs way too much money, and lastly it is not how we deal with crimes. California and Oklahoma were two states involved in the death penalty survey proving that it has reduced crime rate or not (Gorecki). The survey proved to be negative showing that the death penalty actually had increased crime rate rather than decreasing it (Gorecki). Professor Craig Haney of University of California at Santa Cruz conducted the survey on 800 citizens of Santa Cruz, they were chosen randomly by their social security numbers (Gorecki). Professor Haney conducted this same kind of survey back in 1989 when he received strong favor of the death penalty (Gorecki). In 1989, 74% of 800 citizens favored the death penalty, but in 2009, those numbers fell drastically to 44% (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). The Supreme Court cases Ballard v. Florida, Thibodeaux v. Louisiana are some of the many recent cases of innocent execution that took place in less than a decade (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). There are many other reasons that I will present later in this essay to prove that the death penalty is not a rightful way to punish a criminal (Schabas). To abolish the death penalty, we should replace it with life imprisonment without parole. Doing so will save us money and maybe increase budgets for things that communities require, it could save the lives of innocents from dying, no more violation of the Eighth Amendment and human morals, and no evidence that it deters crime rate. First, Innocent people are getting executed ever since the death penalty has been around. The death penalty has claimed lives of 141 innocent citizens since 1973-today with little over half being black and the other half are whites and other races (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). The Innocence protection Act became a law in 2004 (Ross). Law had a huge effect on innocent executions because the law forced the Supreme Court to test the DNA of an inmate and match it with the sample found at the crime scene (Guernesey). Act also started charging money to the United States prisons for every wrong conviction made since the effect of the law (Guernesey). Innocent convictions were also caused by racism, bribing, eyewitness error, snitch, government misconduct, and false confessions. To stop innocent executions we should appeal to the courts to allow two different lawyers to have a look in at the same case for errors that could have been missed by one. Judges should not go straight on conclusion, but ask if anyone on both sides have a lingering doubt they might want to clear, and Secondly, the death penalty costs up to $117 million for up to four executions per year (Costanzo). Estimated cost for keeping an inmate in a cell until the execution date average around $90,000 – $95,000 (Costanzo). State of California itself has held 1940 executions since 1978 up until 2009; estimated total cost for 1940 execution was around $4 billion (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). In comparison to the death penalty cases, life imprisonment cases cost 4 times less (Costanzo). The United States can save up to $12 million per year if the death penalty gets replaced by life imprisonment without parole (Costanzo). The American Civil Liberties Union reviewed the statistics on taxpayers’ money and concluded that, approximately $90 million goes towards the death penalty executions (Costanzo). Capital trails costs up to $11 million per execution comparing to $4 million for life imprisonment (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). Almost everyone in the United States, whether they’re against the death penalty or not, complains about current condition of the US economy not being very good. Due to that fact, we should replace the death penalty with life imprisonment; this could save money for infrastructures, schools, colleges and health care and increase their yearly budgets. Biases also play a big role in determining who will and who will not get executed (Ross). Types of biases that I’m referring to are racial bias and class bias, and political bias (Ross). According to NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People), out of 40 percent of inmates on death row, 12 percent accused inmates are penalized due to the racial bias in their case (Winters147). Another study was conducted by NAACP, informing us that killers of whites are more likely to get executed than the killers of black (Ross). To avoid racial bias effecting capital punishment decisions, U. S. Senate suggested a Racial Justice Act, an act that outlawed any case that was suspected and held under racial discrimination, but it was consistently defeated (Bohm). Class biases are much more common than racial bias, class biases occurs when a lower class person gets accused and doesn’t have enough wealth to hire a good defense lawyer (Haag 167). Protagonist side would argue that the death penalty cause deterrence in crime rates, DNA Testing saved many innocent victims, even bible supported the death penalty, â€Å"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image† (Genesis 9:6) and life imprisonment keep the fear alive inside victims’ family. The American Civil Liberties Union collected some data on crime rates over the past few years and concluded that, the pro death penalty states had higher crime by up to 46 percent than the states without the death penalty (www. aclu. org). Statistics showed that, Eventhough, crime rates in the pro death penalty states has decreased, crime rates in states without the death penalty had also decreased. In 2011, 11,221 people were killed in thirty-four pro death penalty states, whereas only 6,395 people were killed in sixteen anti-death penalty states (www. deathpenaltyinfo. com). DNA testing was first used in 1990s, but massive effect of that system took place in the September 2011 when it saved 273 lives of innocents that were once announced guilty (www. aclu. org). DNA system saved 75 percent of innocent convictions in past few years, but what about rest 25 percent (www. clu. org)? Now this could be where the class biases come in, rich people could force to not have DNA testing conducted with the power of their money, or poor people could not afford a tests like these once they started paying lawyer fees (www. aclu. org). Pro-death penalty people would also argue that if the death penalty is replaced with life imprisonm ent without parole, it would keep the fear of criminal being alive inside them. But think about other side effects the death penalty is having on the society, the death penalty is doing nothing but executing. As mentioned earlier in the essay, the death penalty does not deter crime rate, it kills innocent people, and it costs 4 times more than life imprisonment (Costanzo). The life imprisonment could save lives of many innocent people who would have been executed by the death penalty. Exactly what people are worried about are inmates escaping the prisons, but there are low chances of escaping, because according to the Bureau of Justice Department, in 2006, inmates escape rate was 3 percent for every 2 million inmates (www. bjs. ov). In 2011, numbers are around 1. 3 percent per 2 million inmates (www. bjs. gov). I am sure that if everyone knew all facts related to the death penalty, they would have never stood by it and it is not late to be so yet. By looking at the both sides carefully and patiently, I think we should replace death penalty with life imprisonment, because death penalty has many bad effects like high costs, innocent executions, different types of biases effecting final judg ment, violation of the eighth amendment and human morals. Whereas, life imprisonment 4 times less than the death penalty, and innocent people have a chance to be free if they are proven not guilty. It is not our job to take revenge on people, listen to the word of creator, â€Å"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath†, for it is written: â€Å"It is mine to avenge; I will repay†. Work Cited Bohm, Robert M. Ultimate Sanction: Understanding the Death Penalty through Its Many Voices and Many Sides. New York: Kaplan Pub. , 2010. Print. 13 Feb. 2013 Costanzo, Mark: Just revenge: costs and consequences of the death penalty; St. Martin’s Press, New York, Academic Search Complete, 1997. Print. 18 January 2013. Gorecki, Jan. Capital Punishment: Crimial Law and Social Evolution. New York: Columbia UP, Academic Search Complete, 2000. Print. 22 January 2013. Guernsey, JoAnn Bren. The Death Penalty: Fair Solution or Moral Failure? Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century, 2010. Print. 22 February 2013. Schabas, William. The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law. Cambridge, U. K. Cambridge UP, Academic Search Complte 1997. Print. 11 February 2013. Winters, Paul A. The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, Academic Search Complete 1997. Print. 20 February 2013. United States. Bureau Of Justice. US Department of Justice. Prisoners in 2011. By Ann E. Carson and William J. Sabol. N. p. , Dec. 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. Cooper, David. â€Å"Deterrence: States Without the Death Penalty Have Had Consistently Lower Murder Rates. † Death Penalty Information Center. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org . How to cite Argument Against the Death Penalty, Essays

Annotated Bibliography free essay sample

This article gives a good overview of actual computer crimes and general information and examples such. Information about what is involved in a computer crime and what the laws enforced are all discussed in this article. The Challenge Of White Collar Sentencing. (2007,Spring) Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 731(29). Retrieved July 1st from Gale Power Search Database Great source of explanation and real examples of how it is tough to keep white collar criminals behind bars and what is being done to fix this problem. Examples of what the author thinks to enforce white collar sentencing are also given. Multilevel Franchise or Pyramid Scheme? (1985, October) Journal of Small Business Management, 54 (5). Retrieved July 1st from Gale Power Search Database The famous pyramid scheme is dissected and shows the ins and outs. This article discusses how legal businesses find loop holes and teeter on the edge of legality. The Fight Against Fraud: A Look At Best Practices Used in the Effort to Defeat Corporate Fraud. I feel as if the male community is lashing out against the women, almost I a way on giving then a taste of their own medicine. Yet in reality I shouldnt be structured as a war of the sexes, but ather an attempt on the part of all sexes, to acknowledge and condemn gender stereotypes. Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. 1972. London, Penguin, 1990. In the book, Ways of Seeing Ch. 7, John Berger tells us that the role of publicity has evolved from oil paintings. Publicity images draw on the visual language of oil paintings, but their purpose is to manufacture glamour. This is due to the fact that the spectator-buyer is always changing, publicity aims to sell us something, and in order to do this it must make the spectator-buyer appear incomplete to his or herself. It must make us think we are in need of something more. The more, is a dream that is created from the spectator-buyer, using the mystique and lure from what publicity has given them of how they can become more derisible, by imposing a false standard of what and what is not desirable. I have a similar opinion to that of Berger. I feel that publicity is not natural, but the product of a culture that defines an individual by what they possess. This idea of identity has been prostituted to a culture that tells an individual that they are no one if they do not buy the life publicized. The interesting point that Berger makes is that publicity never paints the full picture for the consumer. It only provides the tools and a canvas for which to paint. Publicity allows the spectator-buyer, to paint for his or herself of what he or she could be. It is not obscence to suggest that this has become the lifeblood of our publicity promise of transformation. Fowles, Jib. Advertisings 15 Basic Appeals. Mass Advertising as Social Forecast. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 1976. (16-27). Print. In the article, advertisings 15 Basic Appeals written by Jib Fowles, we learn that dvertisements make an attempt to reach out to one or more of our 15 basic emotions as outlined by Fowles. These are the fifteen basic emotional appeals that we as humans need, and if crafted correctly, might result in us engaging in the advertised product. As we learn of these essential needs, we learn that advertisements are not so thoughtless as we may have previously assumed. We learn that it is an art. The emotional appeals made in these advertisements act as the thin end on a wedge, when driven in to our conscious it then allows for the true message o flow in without almost any defense, thus accomplishing its purpose. I completely agree with the claim that Fowles made in his article. Advertisers seek to highlight and ultimately tap into our emotions to use them to persuade us into using the given product. One such emotion that is highlighted is the need for affiliation. Despite the fact that recent statistics have shown that people are doing things on their own more than ever before, the majority of advertisements are linked to this basic and fundamental emotion. This is because, Just as we as a people have an inner desire to chieve things on our own, we also need Just as much if not more than our independence, people to share in our achievements. Fowles does a great Job in highlighting this fact as well as many others in his article based on our 15 basic emotions. Kilbourne, Jean. Bath Tissue Is Like Marriage: The Corruption of Relationships. Cant Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel. New York: Touchstone, 1999. (76-94). Print. In the article, Bath Tissue Is Like Marriage: The Corruption of Relationships, Jean Kilbourne speaks out about how advertisements sink into our deepest needs for love and nurturing, and transfer them onto any given product. In order to accomplish this, advertisers must be able to capture our attention with something that the consumer yearns for, and then make the underlying message about how their product will achieve this goal. We learn that the roles of an advertiser not to care about the potential buyer, but to make the consumer feel as if they are loved. When an advertisement is able to lull us into a false sense of security, then it has ccomplished its Job. Kilbourne concludes with exposing that advertising has come to the point of promising that a product can deliver that which can only be given given by Kilbourne. In her article she sates that that advertisements exist to exploit or very real and inner human desires. As we look at advertisement in any medium, we find out that until we have associated ourselves with a certain product or brand, we are not enough. Whether it be ads replacing human relationships, men dominating women, or even that one cell phone is superior to another, all tug at the need to be n top, and without these products we are found wanting. But the hang up with the promise of accomplishment from a product is that it only last as long as the ads. Every time we turn on the television or the radio, we are exposed to hundreds of ads that dissect everything that is human about us and assigns a product to it. We shall ever be found wanting in the eyes in the world, the only escape is for us to search for what truly matters and stick to it. Wall, David. It Is And It Isnt: Stereotypes, Advertising And Narrative. Journal Of Popular Culture 41. (2008): 1033-1050. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Sept. 2013. In the article, It Is And It Isnt: Stereotypes, Advertising And Narrative. by David Wall, is claimed that stereotypes in advertising are still being used because they are still a viable way for advertisers to move a product because of familiarity. A point that Wall makes is that consumers see through the stereotype and the false climas made by advertisers, and the advertisers know this. So what the advertiser does is then play on manipulation of the mixed emotions of desire and anxiety. The product then ecomes, by the consumers own doing, the essence of happiness, freedom, and the channel to an altered paradisiacal reality. I agree with the claims made in this article. Interestingly enough Wall makes the accusation stereotypes will tell us much more about those doing the representing than those being represented(1037). This is interesting because in the rest of the article Wall discusses the fact of stereotyping and the reasons behind it, political, historical, cultural, and so on. But he never really comes back to his very strong comment. I would go a step further with this remark nd say that not only do stereotypes in advertisements reflect what the presenters think about different situation, but what the presenter believes the viewer-consumer believes about different situations. For the viewer not to be overly effected by the stereotypes they are exposed to, they need to learn, what Wall calls the language of analysis. Which is to allow those whom are targeted to see beyond smoke and mirrors of it all and understand stereotype as a form of cultural advertisement for the self that is inseparable from the wider cultural narratives that create it(1049).

Homeless Books Essays - Homelessness, Humanitarian Aid, Poverty

Homeless Books Have you ever realized how lucky you really are when you are driving under a bridge or in poor part of town and you see a homeless person begging for work or food, or do you just drive by and act as though you never saw the horrible site and go on about your buisness? Just like in the book "Les Miserables" Fantine becomes homeless to take care of her daughter, who she gae to the Thenardiers, for what she thought was a better life. Everywhere you go, everwhere you look, there is always someone less fortunate than you, some places more than others. Homeless people come from all walks of life. Anyone can become homeless, you could be born to a rich or just well-off family and end up under a bridge across town. Have you ever wondered, what are some situations homeless people find themselves in every day liek Fantine did? Homeless people aren't as fortunate as people with roofs over their heads. THey have to search up and down to find a place to sleep where they won't be awaken by a police officer who doesn't like where they are. But regardless of who these people are, they are still people, "who come from all walks of life, all races, and religions" (Marx 4). Although many were born into homelessness or were brought down to it by their parents, many have lost their jobs during economic changes of the 1980's and weren't able to find other work, either because they were to old to be hired or didnt' have the correct skills (Marx 4). All over the world people because of the way they look and mainly becuse they arent' to the level of society the average person is on. But not only adults are homeless, teenagers and children are living on the streets as well. Many are "runaways and throwaways" (Hyde 52) Just because you dont' see the swaarms and swarms of children living on the street, it doesn't mean they arent' there. Seven hundred fifty thousand to one million three hundred thousand boys and girls are homeless because they are runaways from either broken, abusive, or dysfunctional families. But many also come from being thrown out of their homes, some for reasons and some for no reasons at all. (Hyde 52). But either way its no excuse to throw your child out on the street. But all teenagers, children and adults all need places to live ("Homeless in America" 146). Thousands of Americans stay in shelters each week ("Homelessness"). Shelters such as church basements, old hotels or even buildings built for shelters usually always stay full (Marx 4). Every day people are turned away adn even some have given up on finding a bed to sleep in (marx 4). So jsut like Fantine had to "sell herself" just to make it along, people on the streets are doing this everyday just to get a warn meal to eat (Hugo 97). Next time you are driving out of town don't look out your window and think poor soul, do something the best way you can, even if it is just giving a bottle of water.

Essay about Case Communication and Group

Essay about Case Communication and Group Essay about Case: Communication and Group Video Case Paper Nicole Young Psy/430 October 25, 2013 Robin Goins Video Case Paper Video Case One: Sociology Group Members Communication and Diversity Styles While viewing this video we watch a local college’s sociology department attempting to come up with which classes they should for the upcoming term. The group or team is made up of 2 females and 3 males. This group is in the middle of a discussion with each individual sharing their ideas and points of view. In watching this group we can see that it has vast mixture of ideas and individuals we can also see how their connections, allow them to communicate easily with one another. The group leader makes sure that each individual’s point is acknowledged by others in the group so that they can succeed in communicating with one another. Throughout the video we also saw that the leader helped keep each member on their set path or point of view helping to stop each member from losing track of their objective when other members are speaking off the subject. With the entire member’s efforts and skills, such as how well they know their team member, their knowledge of the discussion topic, the make up of the entire team, and unspoken norms helped the entire group the ability to correspond successfully from inside. Since both male and females were represented in the group there was diversity in view points which did not develop into an obstacle when the group attempted to speak as one. A group that is

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Business Environment - Essay Example (i) Political factors: These factors include but not limited to political and legal structures, political alliances, foreign trade legislation, trade union power, pressure groups, taxation policies, legislature structures, employment legislation and monopoly restrictions. (ii) Economic factors: These involve inflation rates, money supply, business cycles, trading blocks, the nature and bases of competition domestically and internationally, investment level and unemployment. (iv) Technological factors: These factors include but not limited to the level and focuses of government and industrial R&D expenditure, speed of technology transfer, technological shifts, the direction of technological transfer, the costs of technology and product lifecycles. Tesco is Britain’s largest retailer of grocery, clothing, consumer electronics, and operates general merchandising chain. It commands a greater share of UK market in both food and non-food categories (Humby, Hunt & Phillips 2007, p.1). Even though Tesco enjoys great patronage because of its high customer loyalty, the current financial crisis is indirectly affecting Tesco’s business activities in the following ways: (i) Economic effects: The economy in UK has resulted in many workers being laid off. As the level of unemployment rises, those in that population automatically lost their purchasing ability; because they have no money to order from Tesco stores. It has been reported that UK is currently in economic recession, like every other Western European economy; what this circumstance signifies is that people tend to cut back on their expenses. This attitude could rob Tesco of continuous in-flow of capital that is needed to keep the company operating. As banks face a crisis that see their customers’ deposits dwindled over the past months, Tesco will increasingly find it difficult to secure loans as operating capital to sustain its business activities. Worse still, the