Tingunee Of The Lower Quebin River Valley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tingunee Of The Lower Quebin River Valley - Essay Example They may be what we would consider a primitive tribe or they may be an advanced culture. There is no way of knowing because no one has studied them in the past, which They may find tubers and plants that are not indigenous to other areas of the world. They may have animals or fish that they eat, or they may be vegetarian, all of which would be based on their environment. They may make use of their environment for building materials and they may or may not have access to healthcare. They may be what we would consider a primitive tribe or they may be an advanced culture. There is no way of knowing because no one has studied them in the past, which means that this would be a very important study. Haviland, Harald, and Prins (2008) suggest that each culture has their own rules and standards that are not obvious to the observer. This means that as part of the study, anthropologists would need to understand these rules and standards. The first step in studying these people would be to do preliminary research. Because there are no written materials on this culture, it would be important to see whether there are cultures around it that have some oral knowledge about them. There would need to be an understanding of how to gain access to them in their environment. Since they have never been visited by other people they may be suspicious of anyone who they do not know. The anthropologists would have to gain the trust of the people by perhaps bringing them something that they could value. Most small cultures will have some type of understanding about the world around them, but it will be tied to their religion or their superstitions. Consideration should be given to this issue because new cultures are often frightened by those things they do not understand. We do not know what race the Tingunee are and therefore we would want to understand what they looked like so that we could bring into the area people who may look like them so they would not be as frightened by strangers. Ferraro (2008) suggests that when studying cultures it is important to keep an open mind and understand the culture from their perspective rather than from our own. This would make sense in studying the Tingunee because they are a new culture that we have no frame of reference towards. In studying them we would want to observe them in a subjective manner instead of through our own culture. Language may be a barrier and an interpreter may need to be found. Once trust had been established, the anthropologists would need to use participant observation to gain a deeper entrance into the culture. This would allow the researchers an understanding of what the culture does on a daily basis and how the Tingunee interact with each other and with strangers. Once everyone was comfortable (the researchers and the Tingunee) there may be a few villagers who would help the researchers understand more about the culture. The goal of the study would be to document everything we could about this new culture. We would want to know their approximate age, what they ate, how they slept, where they lived and how they went about their day. We would want to know about their religion if they had one, how they governed themselves and what seemed to be most important for them. The initial contact with this culture would be crucial in defining whether we could continue to study them. The information that would be taken would be a combination of qualitative and quantitative information. The demographics would be important as well as the density of the population, the size and structure of their living space, whether they do farming and have crops that they grow for food, how they interact with their environment, and what they use for fuel to cook their food. On a qualitative basis, it would be important to know how the group interacts socially, and understand "what, why, and how they

Normative ethical subjectivism Essay Example for Free

Normative ethical subjectivism Essay Normative ethical subjectivism is an ethical stance that attempts to specify circumstances under which an action is morally right or wrong using four distinct arguments that try to prove this claim. Normative ethical subjectivism claims that an act is morally right if, and only if, the person judging the action approves of it. Stemming form this view on ethics a normative ethical theory has been made. An ethical theory is a theory of what is right and wrong. This stance on ethics is the opposite of another ethical stance called methethical antirealism. Methethical antirealism is centered on the idea that because there is no right and wrong actions, just personal preferences there is no such thing as morality. It also states that morals are just a personal preference. Normative ethical subjectivism makes its claim in four different arguments witch are democracy, tolerance, disagreement and atheism. The democracy argument makes the premise that if everyone has an equal right to have and voice moral opinions then everyones moral opinions are equally plausible. The next premise states that everyone does have an equal right to have and voice moral opinions. These two premises lead to the conclusion that everyones moral opinions are equally plausible. The first premise of the argument creates a problem because not everyones moral opinions are equally valid and plausible. I have lots of opinions like the location of LSU, how far away the moon is and, the speed limit on College Drive. My opinion is LSU is located in Arizona, the moon is 100 miles away and the speed limit on College Drive is 75 miles per hour. My opinions are all incorrect showing that the plausibility of an opinion really has nothing to do with ones right to hold it. Having a right to an opinion is one thing, the truth of that opinion quite another. This undermines the first premise of the argument causing me to reject a crucial part of the democracy argument. Consequently making the argument for democracy unstable and not a good foundation for supporting normative ethical subjectivism. The next argument for normative ethical subjectivism is the argument of disagreement. The first premise states that if there is a constant disagreement among educated, open-minded and, good-willed people about some subject matter, then that subject matter does not admit to an objective  truth. Followed by the premise there is persistent disagreement about ethical issues among educated, open-minded and, good-willed people. These two statements lead to the conclusion that there are no objective ethical truths. There is persistent disagreement among educated, open-minded and, good-willed physicists and mathematicians. We assume that their work is aimed at discovering objective facts. Physicists continue to disagree about that started the universe. But this is not evidence that their views are subjective, it is evidence that the facts they arrive at are merely expressions of personal opinion about some fact. This shows that a professions may deal in objective truths even if its open minded and educated deeply disagree with one another. In rebuttal to this, normative ethical subjectivist would state that objective truths dont exist, but for a finding to be true someone has to believe in it. Thus proving that the first premise of the argument of disagreement if false giving no support for normative ethical subjectivism. The tolerance argument of normative ethical subjectivism has two premises. The first premise states if normative subjectivism is true, then no ones deepest opinions are more plausible than anyone elses. The next premise states if no ones deepest opinions are more plausible than anyone elses, then we have to respect and tolerate the opinions of all others. Generating the conclusion that if normative subjectivism is true, then we have to respect and tolerate the opinions of all others. Tolerance is defined as the capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others (Websters Dictionary). In the normative ethical subjectivism argument tolerance is good thus making it good for others to respect the actions and beliefs of that other people. The tolerance argument is still not a persuasive argument for normative ethical subjectivism. The problem with tolerance argument is that we all have to be tolerance of peoples opinions if they truly believe in them, making their opinion morally right. If a person truly believes in intolerance and that intolerant behavior is acceptable then according to normative ethical subjectivism it is morally right. According to the tolerance argument if a racist feels that be does not what to be tolerant of other races and goes around killing them off but truly feels that that he is doing is right then to a normative  ethical subjectivist we must be tolerant of opinion. The tolerance argument does not seem to be helping persuade a person towards normal ethical subjectivism view. The final argument for normative ethical subjectivism is the atheism argument. The atheism arguments premise states if ethics are objective, then God must exist. Followed by the premise that God does not exist. Structuring the conclusion ethics is not objective. Since it cannot be proven through science and nature that God does exist, it validates the atheist argument. But lets suppose God does exist and he does issue commands on that is morally right and wrong. This brings up the euthyphro question, which asks are actions good because God commands them, or does God command them because they are good? The first part of the question, actions good because God commands them, makes Gods commands arbitrary and so if God commands us to throw our children into volcanoes, to rape, or to murder, then these actions would be good actions according to God. And for the next part of the question, God command them because they are good, seems to imply that there is a standard of goodness over God. It also leaves open the question who is the commander behind moral commands? These arguments against the euthyphro question create doubt in the atheism argument. The arguments for normal ethical subjectivism are not very strong and could deter persons away form relativism. The above arguments against normal ethical subjectivism are few in numbers. For the majority of moral values and situations, actions are not complete but are relative to the persons or groups holding them. Lets say there is an objective moral fact that lying was wrong for all cases and should never be done. Avery close friend of yours is on the edge and suicidal. He asks you if he is an attractive person. You are this persons only friend and every thing you tell him he takes very literally. He could be the most hideous person you have ever seen, but if you tell him he is ugly he will without doubt kill him self. According to the objective moral fact about lying that I have just made, you have to tell him the truth, that he is revolting. Or you could have a relativism stance and tell him he is an attractive person and stop him form killing him self. In this situation it would be ideal to save the persons  life and prevent the mental problems stemming for know you killed someone. Although normal ethical subjectivism and metaethical antirealism are different but there is a relationship between them. Both of these views on ethics are subjective and both have its problems convincing people to follow them. Facts are mentioned as not important in their arguments. In the atheist argument of normal ethical subjectivism, Gods commands are not to be taken as facts but as suggestions. A big part of metaethical antirealism is that moral facts dont exist but facts are just part of the role in making decisions. Normative ethical subjectivism is an ethical stance that attempts to establish the situations under which an action is morally right or wrong. It states an act is morally right if the person judging the act approves of it. Normative ethical subjectivism uses the arguments of democracy, tolerance, disagreement and atheism to try proving this claim. Methethical antirealism is an ethical stance that claims there are no right or wrong views or stances on ethical options. Methethical antirealism goes on to state that morals do not exist at all. Even thought normative ethical subjectivism failed make its calm a person can still be a relativist, but I still feel that every moral case must be taken on a base to base cineraria. Works Cited Tolerance. The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary. Revised and Expanded edition 1981.

The Impact of Ophelia on Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Impact of Ophelia on Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚   Could the Bard of Avon have created a more innocent and obedient young lady in Hamlet than the victimized Ophelia? I think not. Let us discuss the ups and downs of her life in the play.    Michael Pennington in â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven,† describes personality traits of the young lady: This is the woman she might have become – warm, tolerant and imaginative. Instead she becomes jagged, benighted and imaginative. . . .Ophelia is made mad not only by circumstance but by something in herself. A personality forced into such deep hiding that it has seemed almost vacant, has all the time been so painfully open to impressions that they now usurp her reflexes and take possession of her. She has loved, or been prepared to love, the wrong man; her father has brought disaster on himself, and she has no mother: she is terribly lonely. (73-74)    Helena Faucit (Lady Martin) in On Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters reveals the misunderstood character of Ophelia:    My views of Shakespeare's women have been wont to take their shape in the living portraiture of the stage, and not in words. I have, in imagination, lived their lives from the very beginning to the end; and Ophelia, as I have pictured her to myself, is so unlike what I hear and read about her, and have seen represented on the stage, that I can scarcely hope to make any one think of her as I do. It hurts me to hear her spoken of, as she often is, as a weak creature, wanting in truthfulness, in purpose, in force of character, and only interesting when she loses the little wits she had. And yet who can wonder that a character so delicately outlined, and shaded in with touches so fine, should be o... ...    Lehmann, Courtney and Lisa S. Starks. "Making Mother Matter: Repression, Revision, and the Stakes of 'Reading Psychoanalysis Into' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24 <URL: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm>.    Pennington, Michael. â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

How far do these sources suggest that young Henry

How far do these sources suggest that young Henry VIII was an impressive figure as a king? In the 16th century an impressive figure of a king would mean that he demonstrated power both physically and economically and a good education. However as source two suggests, Henry might be considered less than impressive as he shows insecurities. A stronger argument though is that Henry did demonstrate the features of an impressive king as he had all the attributes listed above which is clear from all three sources.It might be inferred that Henry was less than impressive as he was clearly insecure. Source two shows Henry seeking to compare favourability with his rival king Francis I of France. He persistently asks the Venetian ambassador whether he is more physically impressive than Francis e. g. Henry asks What sort of legs has he got? Such insecurity might encourage challenges as Henry could be seen as unconfident about his own authority. This argument could gain weight from the fact that t he ambassador would be seeking to provide accurate information to the government of Venice.It could however be seen as the only one incident by a king who had only been on the throne for six years. Also it is not sustained in the other two sources. The strongest argument suggests that Henry VIII was an impressive figure as king. From source two it might be inferred that Henry is very well educated as it shows Henry addressing the Venetian ambassador in French, â€Å"His majesty addressing me in French†. During his time on the throne only rich, well educated people could speak more than their native language.His good education also shows that he has an attribute of an impressive fgure of king. The strongest argument which suggests that Henry was an impressive king gains weight from the Venetian ambassador being a eliable source. Source two is a written article so it is more likely to be reliable than a painting. The Venetian ambassador is also likely to be speaking the truth a s he wants to tell the Venetian government accurate information and has no reason to lie. Source one also lends weight to the strongest argument that Henry VIII was an impressive fgure as a king.Source one implies that Henry is a very rich and powerful king as it shows us spending time practicing his archery with his guards. â€Å"The king was practicing archery in the garden with the archers of the guard. † It could be nferred from this that Henry has free recreational time as he is already in control of everything else. The argument that he is an impressive king gains weight from this because he has power over everyone, and that he gets people to do the Jobs he would normally have to do.This can be inferred from source one as Henry spends his time in the garden â€Å"practicing archery with the archers of the guards. † This suggests that Henry has appointed other people to do the Jobs he would have to do whilst he is in the garden practicing archery. It could also be inferred that he is wealthy because ne would e paying these people to do Jobs tor him. The source is a written document taken from a personal diary of the kings Chaplin, John Taylor in 1513; he was also a royal official. The source is likely to be accurate and reliable as it is a personal diary.John Taylor would have been recording what he sees and as it is personal, there is no need to lie. Therefore we can infer that source one is a reliable source, this lends weight to the strongest argument that Henry VII was an impressive fgure as king. Henry tried to portray himself as a warrior king during his early reign showing his mpressive fgure as king. Source two implies that Henry was an impressive warrior king because he says â€Å"look here and I also have a good calf to my leg†. This shows that he is physically impressive, a characteristic of an impressive warrior king.We can rely on this source as it was taken directly from the Venetian ambassador's report to his government . We can also infer from source three that Henry is physically impressive as the portrait shows a large man with broad shoulders. This agrees with source two and therefore supports the strongest argument that Henry was an impressive fgure as king. However this portrait is by an unknown artist therefore it is very unreliable. It is also highly likely that Henry has paid the artist to make him look like an impressive warrior king.The argument that Henry was an impressive warrior king is also strengthened by source one. We can infer from source one that he had characteristics of a warrior because it tells us of how he was practicing with his guards at archery. Not only was he practicing with them, he also beat them as he hit the mark in the middle. We can rely on this source as it is taken as an extract from a personal diary written by the kings Chaplin. The strongest argument suggests that henry was an impressive figure as king. This can be inferred from all three sources.Source one i mplies that Henry is an impressive fgure as king as he is superior to all of his guards as he beats them at archery, hitting â€Å"the mark in the middle†. We can also infer from source one that he has power over everyone else. He has enough time to practice archery; this means that he is employing people to do his Jobs he would otherwise have to do. Source two also implies Henry was an impressive figure of a king as it tells us that Henry was physically impressive. l also have a good calf to my leg†.The argument that Henry was an impressive fgure as king is also supported by source three as Henry VIII's portrait shows a physically impressive King with broad shoulders. We can also infer from source three that Henry VIII is very wealthy as he is wearing a lot of Jewellery. Source two also implies that Henry was well educated as it shows Henry addressing the Venetian ambassador in French, â€Å"His majesty addressing me in French. † nery was HHhffAll three sources suggest that Henry was an impressive king as he demonstrates power both physically, economically and he has a good education.

A reflective writing of the module within the academic year

Within the academic year 201 2/13, I took on a module named Context of Business. It alms to develop and understand companies' traditional and contemporary management and structural approaches (Chokshl, 2012). Within the academic year we were tested on our understanding of what was taught. This report Is a reflective writing of the year. This will be done by looking critically at the two assignments given to us. First assignment was to give a report of an organisational structure and draw up its chart. The second was to perform a group presentation of two companies of different sizes on various factors.This report will look in to the process, the challenges and outcome of each assignment. Assignment one: Presented at Week 6 The class was given an assignment to conduct a research of the structure of a business of our choice. We were to present our findings by researching the structure ofa business and draw up its organisational chart within six weeks. 2. 1 Outline First of all, I had t o look for a business of my choice. This Involved in looking Into businesses In my local vicinity or further afar. I finally settled on Syngenta, An International agricultural business Into crop productlvlty and protection of environment (Syngenta, 2013).I then had to start researching Into the business to find out what sort of organisational structure it had. For Syngenta it had a matrix style structure, a structure where highly skilled individual form teams for projects (Stanford, 2007). I also had to look into its span of control. Syngenta had a flat structure of operation, a structure where there are few layers of authority and delegation is used to carry out task effectively (The times 100, 2013). From this I was to prepare an organisational chart, a chart which shows the way the chain of command works in an organisation (The times 100, 2013).For this I was to take into onsideration of the matrix style and its flat structure of operation to draw up Its organisational chart. 2. 2 Challenges There were some challenges I faced while conducting this research. One maln challenge was the declslon of which company to choose. There was no restrlctlon on what company one could choose and I had to find one for which I would be able to find all relevant information. Another problem faced was distinguishing between the company's organisational structure and its span of control. had to go back to the lecture notes and other readings to find out their differences.As it was an individual ork I had no second opinion on matters and had to be careful that my decisions made were right. The assignment turned out to be more challenging than what I thought. This was due to the depth of research that was needed to acquire specific relevant information and the ability to back them up with substantial evidence. Over a period of time, looking back I can evaluate my performance as being done In a haste. This Is due to the fact that, not fully understanding the scope of the assignme nt given at the start of the work. This went against my time given hence I had to quickly do the work In order to beat the clock.Fortunately I was able to receive informal feedback from our tutor on our drafts. This helped recognise my mistakes was to give the audience a clear distinction between the organisational structure and the span of control of the company. I was warned on the penalty of improper referencing and plagiarism of content used. From what was given in the feedback for the draft I was able to develop on transferable skills such as proper referencing. In the end I was also able to learn new skills such as time management, the ability to plan and prioritise ones workload (The University of Manchester, 2012). 2. 3Outcome Learning from this assignment, given the opportunity to another work of this type, I will dedicate more time to each aspect of the work. Key lessons that I have identified for this work, is the ability to properly prepare and conduct intensive research . Through practice I will be able to develop these abilities. Looking at the skills learnt, most if not all are invaluable and beneficial transferable skills. These are competencies that could be carried from an activity to another (Graduate prospects ltd, 2013). What might be able to hold me back will be the technicality needed in the referencing.Referencing is the process of acknowledging sources consulted in pieces of work (London metropolitan university, 2013). For this I can refer to the materials available on the university library services. Assignment two: Presented on Week 22 For our second assessment, we were given a group work to conduct. We were to form groups of 4 or 5 members and give a presentation to the class on the topic of comparing two companies of different sizes. We were to compare and contrast their legal and ethical issues. 3. 1 Outline The first thing I had to do was to form a group. We then had to decide on which companies to choose.For the sake of comparing them we decided on companies that are within the same industry. Kelloggs, which manufactures and markets ready-to- eat cereals and convenience foods (Bureau van DiJk, 2013) and Eat ltd, a I-JK fresh food retail company (Bureau van DiJk, 2013). Then from the chosen companies we were to compare them on certain criteria. Them being, their vision, a description of what a business wants to be in future. Their mission statement, a more current description of a company's basic goals, philosophies and purpose (Chokshi, 2012). Also the size of the companies based on our own elements.Factors with affected heir mission statements and their legal and ethical issues. We then had to research on each company for information. After which we organised our data and created a draft. After the draft we designed our presentation for practising as a group. On the day of the presentation we made sure we arrived before time. We tested out our equipment and software on the screen and had a dry run so as to know how the actual event will feel like. We then presented our work when our turn approached and stayed within the time limit and allowed questions to be asked at the end. . 2 Challenges I personally encountered some challenges with this project. It proved quite difficult to form a group. We were not automatically placed into groups and the class was being selective with their choices. I was left with a two classmates without a group and a fourth was added under our tutor recommendation. I also had a challenge in my presentation skills. Presentation according to Oxford Dictionaries (2013) is a speech or talk where ideas or pieces of work are shown and explained to an audience. I when delivering. I moved about too much and spoke too fast.But through practise and the help of the group I was able to develop on my presentation skills. I realised hat I did not only personally face some problems but also the group as a whole faced some difficulties. One of such was our communication ski lls, the ability to clearly and confidently express one view to an audience (University of Kent Careers and Employability Service, no date). As we were mostly new to each other, communication between us proved difficult. Noticing this, I decided we take some time for us to know each other informally such as having chit-chats before meetings.Boocher (1999) suggested that small talk is a simple tool that helps build rapport and trust with co-workers which in turn helps build communication between them. It helped build a bond between us and in effect our communication increased. Other obstacles observed were our manner of conducting our research. Due to each having different courses, our times did not align and we could not meet to discuss the work as a group as frequently as desired. We then went about this using phones and emails and dividing the work and organising our finding when we do meet.We also had the challenge of getting our presentation right. We had to make sure it did not sound robotic and was interactive with the audience without losing the content of the presentation. Looking back and evaluating my performance; I would say we had a good performance. Even though we had many challenges and obstacles it was the fact that we were able to overcome them that determined our performance. We received some informal feedback form our tutor at the end our presentation which was helpful as she said that it was well executed and needed few minor adjustments.Also after the marking we received a formal feedback both as a group and individually. As a group we were told that our time allocation for each aspect was good but areas of more importance needed more time than others. As an individually, I was told my communication with my team and audience was good but I needed to speak more clearly and assertively. 3. 3 Outcome In order for me to improve, the next time I will do some aspects differently, such as having frequent group meetings to prevent work being done i n a hurry.Some key features that I have identified were my leadership skills. This is being able to motivate others and inspire them to take your lead (Graduate prospects ltd, 2013). Though it was a group work, I was able to personally oversee some aspects of the project which helped me develop such abilities. I was also able to develop my communication skills. Even as strangers to one another we were able to communicate efficiently between ourselves by the end of the project. By abiding to the 10 minutes limit we were able to develop our time management skills.In future, if I was to encounter other group works, the prospect of working with strangers might hold me back. In some cases this might be inevitable but it is the ability to adapt to this and establish a relationship that will help in the execution of the work. All in all, being given this assignment has had its difficulties and obstacles to overcome but it has lso developed my skills and taught me new ones. All which are cr itical skills needed in most career paths in this modern day.

Designing A Thermodynamics Experiment essays

Designing A Thermodynamics Experiment essays The final design was very simple. It consisted of a stainless steel tank and a tank cover that we made out of a piece of carton. All of the equipments that were used (thermometer, pump, heater, inlet and outlet pipes) had it place on the cover The equipments we used had the following restrictions on its usage: 1. The maximum pressure for the pump is 40psi and the normal operation pressure is 18psi. 2. The pump provides a steady flow rate that ranges between .4 to 987 ml/min depending of the tubing that is being used. 3. The maximum section left that the pump provides with water is 29ft (8.8m). 4. The electric current needed to operate the pump is 2 amps. 5. The angular velocity of the pump is 58rpm. 1. This heater can only be used for heating water; it cannot be used to heat other liquids. 2. The round base should be always covered with water. 3. The heater should not be operated with out water; it will disconnect with in 2-3 minutes if that was done. 4. Allow 10 minutes per gallon of water to heat. 5. The electric current needed to operate the heater is 10amps. 6. If the water is heated to the desired temperature disconnect the heater. 7. The heater should be placed in water having a depth of from 1.5in to a height just below but not toughing the bottom of the black handle. 1. The instructions and limitations of using the equipments should be read and understood to avoid damaging the equipment. 2. Chose the appropriate tubing for the desired flow rate. 3. Assemble the tubing to the pump (refer to the pump instructions manual for extra help) 4. Using a measuring tape measure the height of the tank, the diameter of the thermometer used, and the diameter of the pipes going in and out of the tank and the diameter of the heater ¡s handle. 5. Using a pencil draw a circle for each diameter that has been recorded in step 4 on the piece of carton that is going to be used as a cover. 6. Cut these ci...

Deviant behavior Prostitution

Deviant behavior Prostitution Deviant behavior is an act that breaches the cultural norms. Norms are considered to be the behavior standards that define the actions that are acceptable in the society. Thus they form a paradigm for predicting actions or behaviors in the society. This means that deviance is any â€Å"thought, feeling or act† (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 45) that according to the social audience’s judgment violates the cultural norms (formal or informal rules) or values.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deviant behavior: Prostitution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper will focus on prostitution as a deviant behavior. It will begin by defining prostitution and explaining why it is considered to be a deviant behavior. Then two sociological theories namely, the labeling theory and the differential association theory will be used to explain why the behavior continues to exist. Finally, the paper will end by discussing the reasons as to why prostitution is best explained by the differential association theory. Prostitution Prostitution is defined as â€Å"the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return of payment† (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 68). Thus the person who offers such services is referred to as a prostitute. In some countries the act is legalized and regulated by the government while in others it is illegal and attracts severe punishment. Prostitution is some times viewed as a profession since there is a significant level of expertise or skills and practice that is required in order to successfully offer the services (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 69). According to religious teachings, prostitution is considered to be a sinful act that should be condemned. The social audience also has a negative attitude towards it since they believe that sex is meant for procreation and not for mere pleasure. Thus commercializing it is unacceptable (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 69). The medical perspective on prostitution condemns the act on the ground that it facilitates the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Thus prostitution is labeled as a deviant behavior since it does not meet the standards of morality as defined by religious perspectives, health principles and social perspectives. The prostitutes are thus labeled as deviants due to the fact that they â€Å"willfully sell their bodies in exchange for material things† (Taylor, 2010, p. 59). The causes of prostitution are as follows. First, the rising levels of permissiveness in the society have provided an opportunity for individuals to engage in deviant behaviors without being punished (Taylor, 2010, p. 63). Second, rising levels of poverty has forced people to engage in the act in order to earn a living. Finally, the rise in cases of failed relationships and marriages has forced the affected individuals to embark on prostitution in order to fulfill their sexual desires. Sociological Pe rspectives Differential Association Theory According to this theory, criminal or deviant behaviors develop through learning. This means that deviance is not an inherent trait of the individual since it only develops as the deviant learns about the outlawed acts from others. The learning occurs as individuals interact by â€Å"communicating ideas and symbols† (Taylor, 2010, p. 71).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The symbols and ideas in regard to deviance can be favorable or unfavorable. Thus a person will take the favorable symbols and ideas, especially if they outweigh the unfavorable ones. This means that a person will engage in a deviant behavior if the merits are greater than the demerits. In the context of prostitution, the behavior is usually learned as individuals share their ideas about sexuality. Besides, most people usually join the sex industry after learning about the material benefits that are associated with prostitution. Research studies in sex industry reveal that the success of the practitioners depends on the level of their expertise or skills (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 67). Such skills are usually acquired as prostitutes interact and share ideas on prostitution. Besides, advancement in communication technology such as the introduction of the internet has made it easy to share information on prostitution. This encourages individuals to join the sex industry as they learn more about it. These trends show that learning is an integral aspect of prostitution. Thus according to the differential association theory, prostitution continues to gain popularity in the society as individuals learn about it from each other through their interactions. The Labeling Theory According to this theory, deviance is created as members of the society formulate norms whose violation amounts to deviance (Taylor, 2010, p. 73). Labeling in this cas e is the process whereby the members of the society judge the actions of individuals based on accepted norms and then stereotype such actions as either deviant or not. Thus it involves the â€Å"invention, selection and manipulation of beliefs that define conduct in a negative way† (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 76). This forms the basis for labeling individuals as deviants. Thus according to this theory, deviance occurs when an individual is labeled as a wicked person. After sometime, the deviant person internalizes the label and focuses on engaging in acts that are associated with the label. This theory suggests that prostitution is a social construction that can cease to exist if those who engage in it are not labeled as deviants (Taylor, 2010, p. 73). The society usually punishes those found to engage in prostitution. However, this does not prevent such individuals from engaging in the act. As they continue to engage in prostitution, they get more severe punishments and stigma from the community. Eventually the prostitutes accept their status and continue to engage in prostitution. This means that the actions of the prostitutes are reinforced by the punishments that they receive from the community. This is based on the fact that prostitutes are considered to be outcasts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deviant behavior: Prostitution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus they continue to engage in prostitution due to the fact that they can not be accepted by the society. This means that, according to the labeling theory, individuals practice the act because they have been labeled as prostitutes. It also means that prostitution continues to exist since the punishments used against it reinforce the actions of those who engage in it. Conclusion The above discussion shows that prostitution is considered to be a deviant behavior. The reason as to why a person can engage in prostitution and the persistence of the act in the society is best explained by the differential association theory. This is because prostitution just like any other behavior is learned through interaction (Clinard Meier, 2008, p. 64). Thus individuals continue to engage in it after realizing that the gains are more than the costs. Prostitution does not exist simply because those who engage in it have been labeled as deviants as suggested by the labeling theory. This can be proved by the fact that even in countries where the act has been legalized; its popularity has increased instead of diminishing. Besides, consequences such as stigmatization have resulted into a significant reduction in the prevalence of the act instead of perpetuating it. However, it is apparent that an increase in availability of prostitution literature and free interaction has significantly increased the popularity of the act in the society. It is for this reason that differential association theory is considered to be the best in explaining prostitution and its prevalence in the society. References Clinard, M., Meier, R. (2008). Sociology of deviant behavior. New York: Cengage. Taylor, H. (2010). Sociology. New York: Cengage.