Mechanical Solidarity in Eating Christmas in the Kalahari

As of today, the suggestion that human societies can be categorized as primitive, on the one hand, and advanced, on the other, is considered politically incorrect. This, however, does not undermine the suggestion’s factual appropriateness, as the considerations of political correctness do not affect the actual state of affairs, in this respect. In my paper, I will explore the validity of the above statement at length, in regards to what appears to be the discursive significance of Richard Borshay Lee’s article Eating Christmas in the Kalahari.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mechanical Solidarity in Eating Christmas in the Kalahari specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When discussing the concerned subject matter, I will promote the idea that it is precisely the primitive people’s endowment with the sense of a mechanical solidarity (as defined by Emil Durkheim), which allows them to maintain the i ntegrity of their traditional societies, while simultaneously denying them the prospect of a socio-cultural and technological advancement. In his article, Lee expounds upon his experience of having bought an ox for the members of one of the Bushmen tribes in Africa, so that the animal could be slaughtered by them, during the course of these people participating in their traditional Christmas festivities. However, even though Lee made a deliberate point in choosing the biggest ox out of those available for purchasing, the Bushmen appeared utterly dismayed by the fact that in their eyes, the animal in question was too small and skinny. As one of the tribe members pointed out: â€Å"Everybody knows there’s no meat on that old ox. What did you expect us to eat off it, the horns?† (Lee 1). Initially, Lee did not know what to make out the tribesmen’s reaction, as there appeared to be no reason whatsoever for them to complain about his Christmas offer. Nevertheless, as time went on, it started to dawn upon Lee that the reason why the Bushmen were so critical about the slaughtered ox, is that it was their way of preventing him from growing too prideful, on the account of having succeeded in appeasing them in reality. Moreover, as it appeared later, downsizing each other’s hunting-related accomplishments represents a commonplace practice among the Bushmen, because it helps them to maintain the inner stability of their tribes. Apparently, the earlier mentioned practice is meant to discourage particularly successful tribesmen from aspiring to claim the position of a leadership, which would threaten the interests the tribe’s elders. As it was implied in the Introduction, Lee’s account can be best discussed within the conceptual framework of how Emil Durkheim used to reflect upon the notions of mechanical and organic solidarities. According Durkheim, in archaic (primitive) societies, people’s individual identities are being ‘dissolved’ within what happened to be this society’s ‘collective archetype’.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This explains why in primitive societies, people tend to lead highly ritualized lifestyles while striving to objectualize themselves within the surrounding environment – hence, their endowment with the mostly tribal (mechanical) sense of solidarity (Durkheim 140). As it was shown in Lee’s article, while possessing the rudimentary understanding of the fact that certain preconditions should be created for tribesmen to refrain from challenging each other’s positioning, within the tribe, the Bushmen could not come up with any better (as the mean of encouraging the tribe members to live peacefully), than practicing the ‘ritual of humility’. This presupposes the tribesmen’s automatic assumption that oneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s strive to attain a social prominence is necessarily counterproductive, as it is being potentially capable of undermining the harmony of interrelationships within the tribe. Nevertheless, such an assumption, on the part of the Bushmen, is exactly what prevented them from being able to evolve beyond the Stone Age, as it is namely the never-ending competition between the society’s members for a particular environmental niche, which sets this society on the path of progress. Due to their intellectual primitiveness, it never occurred to the Bushmen that it is possible for people to be simultaneously competitive and moral/tolerant, as it happened to be the case with individuals in Western industrialized societies, the integrity of which is maintained by the citizens’ willingness to profess the virtue of an organic solidarity. People that practice an organic solidarity understand that it is not solely the particulars of their kinship-relationship with each other, whi ch cause them to act in one way or another, but rather the specifics of their professional affiliation and their varying ability to relate to a number of cognitively abstract notions, such as morality or ethics, for example. In its turn, this is being made possible by the fact that in industrialized societies, people are encouraged to distance themselves from what happened to be their animalistic instincts, as the main prerequisite for them to be able to rise to the position of social prominence. This, of course, makes these people naturally predisposed towards entering into ‘social contracts’ with each other, which empowers them even further, as functionally independent but thoroughly integrated parts of the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mechanical Solidarity in Eating Christmas in the Kalahari specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, we can well assume that the fact that the Bushmen profe ss the virtue of a mechanical solidarity signifies these people’s inability to rise above their genetically predetermined perceptual and cognitive atavism. The validity of this suggestion can be well illustrated in regards to the scene in Lee’s article, where the tribe member reflects upon what the Bushmen consider the actual purpose of their existence: â€Å"We love meat. And even more than that, we love fat. When we hunt, we always search for the fat ones, the ones dripping with layers of white fat†¦ fat that slides down your gullet, fills your stomach and gives you a roaring diarrhea† (2). In other words, it is specifically the sheer strength of the Bushmen’s animalistic instincts, which define their existential mode more than anything else does. This creates a specific dead-end circle – being unable to exercise a rational control over their atavistic urges, the Bushmen do not evolve cognitively, which in turn prevents the functioning of th eir societies to be observant of the principle of division of labor. Consequently, this leaves Bushmen with no other option but to practice a number of essentially meaningless rituals, as the mean of preventing their tribes from being destroyed from within. However, whereas, this practice does appear sensible, as a ‘thing in itself’, it makes it rather impossible for the Bushmen to remain on the path of a continual evolvement – hence, these people’s socio-cultural and technological backwardness. I believe that the earlier deployed line of argumentation, in regards to what should be considered the discursive implications of Lee’s article, is fully consistent with the paper’s initial thesis. Apparently, there is indeed a good rationale in referring to the particulars of one’s ‘cultural uniqueness’, as such cannot be discussed outside of what accounts for the measure of his or her evolutionary fitness. This, of course, expose s the methodological fallaciousness of culturally relativist sociological theories. Works Cited Durkheim, Emil. The Division of Labor in Society, London: Macmillan, 1984. Print. Lee, Richard Borshay 1969, Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. 2013. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Mechanical Solidarity in Eating Christmas in the Kalahari was written and submitted by user Estrella Buckner to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

12 German Movie Recommendations For German Learners

12 German Movie Recommendations For German Learners Watching a movie in a foreign language is a fun and helpful way to help you learn the language. If youre at the beginning of your language-learning journey, look for films with subtitles, either in German or English translations, depending on your level of ability. But even if youre not a pro, letting your brain relax and not try so hard and just absorb the language on the screen taps into a different way of learning. Its how people naturally learn their native tongue: by listening and needing to understand. We asked our readers what movies were especially helpful to help them learn the language. Here are 12 of their German movie recommendations: 1. Sophie Scholl – Die Letzten Tage,  2005 Ken Masters says: Sorry, don’t have time to write a full review, but it’s not necessary- these films, especially Sophie Scholl, speak for themselves. And, if you’re interested in the history of film, then you have to watch the silent film Metropolis (1927). 2. The Edukators, 2004 Kieran Chart says: â€Å"I would recommend ‘The Edukators.’ It’s a really good movie and also has an interesting message. To add to that, ‘The Counterfeiters’ (‘Die Flscher’) is a really good German war movie concerning a Nazi plot to counterfeit English and American money and flood the economy with these false notes, bringing it to its knees. Then, of course, it would be remiss of me to not include ‘Das Boot.’ Really worth a watch. Suspense doesn’t get better in a movie. Enjoy.† 3. â€Å"Die Welle† (â€Å"The Wave†), 2008 Vlasta Veres says: â€Å"‘Die Welle’ is also one of my favorites. The story starts with a simple high school workshop, where through a game, a teacher explains how fascism works. However, you can see how gradually students start getting carried away and start acting violently toward other groups. This movie perfectly depicts the psychology of a group and how humanness can step away in front of instincts inside us that are frightening. Definitely a must see.† 4. â€Å"Himmel uber Berlin† (â€Å"Wings of Desire†), 1987 Christopher G says: This â€Å"is a film I have seen often; it never fails to challenge and force questions. Wonderful direction and script by Wim Wenders. Bruno Ganz communicates with silent gestures more than his words. Intriguing line: ‘Ich weiss jetzt, was kein Engel weiss.’† 5. â€Å"Erbsen auf Halb 6,† 2004 Apollon says: â€Å"The last film that I watched was ‘Drei.’ Such a good movie. But I’ve watched before a better one called â€Å"Erbsen auf Halb 6,† about a blind woman and a famous movie director who becomes blind after an accident.† 6. â€Å"Das Boot,† 1981 Sachin Kulkarni says: â€Å"The last German film I saw was ‘Das Boot’ by Wolfgang Petersen. This movie dates back to World War II and is about a submarine carrying a relatively young crew. Very good movie with a sad ending.† 7. â€Å"Almanya - Willkommen in Deutschland,† 2011 Ken Masters says: â€Å"A serious/comical look at Turks in Germany. Mostly lighthearted, but dealing with sometimes serious subjects and cultural differences.† 8. â€Å"Pina,† 2011 Amelia says: â€Å"Testimonials and dance moves created by the company’s dancers make a beautiful tribute to the choreographer Pina Bausch.† 9. â€Å"Nosferatu the Vampyre,† 1979 Gary NJ says: Werner â€Å"Herzog’s ‘Nosferatu’ from 1979 with Klaus Kinski and Bruno Ganz is very good. The scenery and music are great. A good creepy movie for fall or Halloween.† This film is an art-house vampire horror flick. 10. â€Å"Goodbye Lenin,† 2003 Jaime says â€Å"... a bittersweet take on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the western economic change in East Germany, which he tries to hide from his ill mother.† 11. â€Å"Das Leben der Anderen,† 2006 Emmett Hoops says: â€Å"‘Das Leben der Anderen’ is probably the most beautiful, most moving film to come out of Germany in the past 30 years. Another good one is ‘Der Untergang,’ with Bruno Ganz as Hitler. It shows the insanity of National Socialism brought to its inevitable (and hotly desired by Hitler) conclusion.† 12. â€Å"Chinesisches Roulette,† 1976 Anonymous  says: â€Å"The climax of the film is the 15-minute guessing game of the title, with lots of questions of the form ‘if this person were X, what kind of X would they be?’ Plenty of practice with Konjunktiv 2.†

15 Classic Poems for the New Year

15 Classic Poems for the New Year The turning of the calendar from one year to the next has always been a time of reflection and hope. We spend the days  summing up past experiences, bidding farewell to those we have lost, renewing old friendships, making plans and resolutions, and expressing our hopes for the future. All of these are fit subjects for poems, like these classics on New Year’s themes. Robert Burns,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Song- Auld Lang Syne† (1788) It is a song that millions choose to sing every year as the clock strikes midnight and it is a timeless classic. Auld Lang Syne is both a song and a poem, after all, songs are poetry set to music, right? And yet, the tune we know today isnt quite the same thing that Robert Burns had in mind when he wrote it over two centuries ago. The melody has changed and a few of the words have been updated (and others have not) to meet modern tongues. For instance, in the last verse, Burns wrote: And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!And gie’s a hand o’ thine!And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught, The modern version prefers: And thers a hand, my trusty friend,And gies a hand o thine;Well tak a cup o kindness yet, It is the phrase gude-willie waught that catches most people by surprise and its easy to see why many people choose to repeat cup o kindness yet. They do mean the same thing though, as gude-willie is Scottish adjective meaning  good-will  and  waught  means  hearty drink. Tip:  Ã‚  A common misconception is that  Sin is pronounced  zine  when really it is more like  sign. It means  since  and  auld lang syne  refers to something like old long since. Ella Wheeler Wilcox,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Year† (1910) If there is a New Years Eve poem worth putting to memory, it is Ella Wheeler Wilcoxs The Year. This short and rhythmical poem sums up everything we experience with the passing of each year and it rolls off the tongue when recited. What can be said in New Year rhymes,That’s not been said a thousand times?The new years come, the old years go,We know we dream, we dream we know.We rise up laughing with the light,We lie down weeping with the night.We hug the world until it stings,We curse it then and sigh for wings.We live, we love, we woo, we wed,We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,And that’s the burden of the year. If you get the opportunity, read Wilcoxs  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year: A Dialogue.† Written in  1909, it is a fantastic dialogue between Mortal and The New Year in which the latter knocks on the door with offers of good cheer, hope, success, health, and love. The reluctant and downcast mortal is finally lured in. It is a brilliant commentary on how the new year often revives us even though it is just another day on the calendar. Helen Hunt Jackson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Morning† (1892) Along those same lines, Hellen Hunt Jacksons poem, New Years Morning discusses how its only one night and that each morning can be New Years. This is a fantastic piece of inspirational prose that ends with: Only a night from old to new;Only a sleep from night to morn.The new is but the old come true;Each sunrise sees a new year born. Alfred, Lord Tennyson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Death of the Old Year† (1842) Poets often relate the old year with drudgery and sorrow and the new year with hope and lifted spirits. Alfred, Lord Tennyson did not shy away from these thoughts and the title of his poem, The Death of the Old Year captures the sentiment of the verses perfectly. In this classic poem, Tennyson spends the first four verses lamenting the years passing as if it were an old and dear friend on his death bed. The first stanza ends with four poignant lines: Old year you must not die;You came to us so readily,You lived with us so steadily,Old year you shall not die. As the verses move on, he counts down the hours: ’ Tis nearly twelve o’clock. Shake hands, before you die. Eventually, a new face is at his door and the narrator must Step from the corpse, and let him in. Tennyson addresses the new year in  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ring Out, Wild Bells† (from In Memoriam A.H.H., 1849) as well. In this poem, he pleads with the wild bells to Ring out the grief, dying, pride, spite, and many more distasteful traits. As he does this, he asks the bells to ring in the good, the peace, the noble, and the true. More New Years Poetry Death, life, sadness, and hope; poets in the 19th and 20th centuries took these New Years themes to great extremes as they wrote. Some took an optimistic view while, for others, it seems to have only led to despair. As you explore this theme, be sure to read these classic poems and study some of the context of the poets lives as the influence is often very profound in understanding. William Cullen Bryant,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Song for New Year’s Eve† (1859) - Bryant reminds us that the old year is not yet gone and that we should enjoy it to the last second. Many people take this as a great reminder for life in general. Emily Dickinson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One Year ago - jots what?† (#296) - The new year makes many people look back and reflect. While not specifically about New Years Day, this brilliant poem is wildly introspective. The poet wrote it on the anniversary of her fathers death and her writing seems so jumbled, so distraught that it moves the reader. No matter your anniversary - death, loss... whatever - you have likely felt the same as Dickinson at one time. Christina Rossetti,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Old and New Year Ditties† (1862) - The Victorian poet could be quite morbid and, surprisingly, this poem from the collection Goblin Market and Other Poems is one of her brighter works. It is very Biblical and offers hope and fulfillment. Also Recommended Francis Thompson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Chimes† (1897)Thomas Hardy,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Darkling Thrush† (composed December 31, 1900, published 1902)Thomas Hardy,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Eve† (1906)D.H. Lawrence,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Eve† (1917) and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Night† (1917)John Clare,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Old Year† (1920)

Setting up an Organic Farming Business Assignment

Setting up an Organic Farming Business - Assignment Example The mission of this business is to provide high quality, healthy, organic produce that is otherwise difficult to find. By targeting the right sellers and customers the business will be able to sustain itself and expand; the customer profile for the produce encompasses people who believe that fresh, organic produce is important to healthy living, and that the preservation of traditional, rare vegetables is important for the ecosystem and maintenance of high vitamin and mineral levels. Once a foundational customer base is established the business can expand to produce a wider variety of rare vegetables as well as seeds for home use. Land value will rise, however equipment will need maintenance and replacing regularly; as the business expands more land will need to be acquired. By starting locally and selling organic produce in small farmer's markets a customer base will form, after which larger sellers can be called upon to buy in larger quantities. By focusing on unique produce with the organic label, this business will succeed where the average produce selling business fails.

Inner City Violence Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inner City Violence Article Critique - Essay Example It rules out the popularly held belief that girls, owing to their gender, do not get involved in incidents of violence in the inner cities. Most of the ethnographic literature written hitherto on the concept of inner city violence has focussed mainly, if not only, on the experiences of distressed men and boys in inner city neighbourhoods. But the fact is that girls are not simply exempted of such treatment owing to their gender. Jones’ article attempts to reveal the impact of the interplay of â€Å"reputation, respect and retaliation† on the poor, urban girls and women (Jones, 2008, p.63). It also aims at exploring the role of gender in shaping up the experiences of urban and ethnically marginalised girls with inner city violence. It thus helps in establishing the complicated though much-needed relationship between gender and violence in the urban US. The author establishes her view on the basis of her analysis of interviews with several adolescents who had been involved in inner city violence. All the respondents approached in this study belonged to the age group 12 to 24 years. They were all African-Americans who were enrolled in a city-hospital-based intervention for checking violence in the city. These individuals who had voluntarily enrolled for this violence intervention program had been involved in recent activities of racial violence and ran the risk of getting involved in similar incidents in their near future. The author’s fieldwork for this study extended over a period of three years (2001-03) and in three distinct phases. The first phase of research was characterised by a discussion with the intervention counsellors who had the first-hand experience of interacting with the teenagers. It was complemented by a participant observation of the teenaged youth who were enrolled in the program and interviews with their peers, family and relatives. This was followed by the second phase in which 24

Gold Bear Golf INC. Essay Example for Free

Gold Bear Golf INC. Essay 1.The professional auditing standards have a set of five management assertions. Of the five assertions, three are very important in regards to the Paragon audit. The descriptions below, audit procedure is explained that would have ensured the audit was completed accurately. a.Occurrence- The management assertion that ensures a particular transaction actually happened. In the case of a construction company such as Paragon, this could be verified by going to a job site and checking to see if the job is actually happening. b.Valuation/Allocation- The management assertion that ensures the transactions are accounted for the correct amount. Changing from percentage-of completion method to the earned value method resulted in significantly overstated revenues and material misstatements in the financial statements. The audit procedure that should take place in this situation is inspection of the records. Looking back at the records would show the change was not supported by the accepted accounting standards. c.Presentation/Disclosure- The management assertion that ensures all changes within a company are stated in the notes of the financials. These changes should be easy to understand and depict a complete picture of the company from the year. The audit procedure that should have taken place during the audit is inquiry. Sullivan and the staff should have questioned the managers on his or her decisions instead of taking their word as to why the changes were made. 2.The audit failures the SEC were referring to was the fact that Sullivan and his staff relied on the manager’s word. Sullivan and staff did not perform the accurate assertions to test the information provided from Paragon’s managers. The audit partner, Sullivan in this case, is the individual who is in charge of ensuring everyone on the audit is performing his or her job completely and accurately. Sullivan will take the blunt of the responsibility because he is ultimately the person who is in charge of overseeing the auditing the audit as a whole, but the audit staff should also face consciences from the findings. 3.A high risk audit means the chance that of material misstatement and fraudulent activities are significantly higher. Weak controls, changes in management, and changes in accounting methods are several reasons why an auditor would conclude a company is a â€Å"high risk† engagement. The audit partner basis the risk of engagement on his or her observations from the company. When working a high  risk engagement, an auditor will examine a higher percentage of the transactions from throughout the year. Checking more transactions means the auditors are going to produce the most accurate financials possible and ensuring no fraudulent activities are taking place within the company. 4.Auditors do have the responsibility of following the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guides for specialized industries. The AICPPA set guidelines for companies in these industries to follow to ensure the end product is of highest quality. Auditors should make sure the managers are following all of the rules and regulation set forth for that type of company, but these guidelines should never override or replace the Statements on Auditing and Standards. The Statement and Auditing Standards is the rule book for how and what is to be performed in an audit. the AICPA should make the Audit and Accounting Guides for specialized industries in accordance with the Statement and Auditing Standards so the companies are operating with the highest quality, in both products and financial standing. 5.When making a change in the accounting principle used within a company, there has to be very good reason why the company wants to. When these changed are made, they must be presented retrospectively. Managers must produce the financial statements for the past several years so the public can see the effects it has on the company. On the other hand, the changes in accounting estimates are applied prospectively. Managers use the new method in estimating cost and revenues from that point forward. The changes Paragon made are for accounting estimates. The percentage-in-completion method and the earned value method are accounting estimate methods. Boyd and Curbello will use the new method from that point forward. The problem Paragon ran into is disclosure. The changes were not properly disclosed in the financials. This is a problem because two method result in very different numbers for the company.

Essay --

Jorge Luis Borges’ thought provoking and fantastical literature stems from his philosophical mind. His stories, especially â€Å"Death and the Compass†, focus on labyrinths and identity. Borges fascinates his audience with his analysis of reality. He combines fact and fiction to create the perfect genre of mystery. His characters’ conquest for the unknown defines his use of detective fiction. Borges often contemplated life and where man should find himself suitable in its situations. In â€Å"Death and the Compass†, detective Lonnrot works to solve a labyrinth that has been created for him through a series of murders. The labyrinth is considered the biggest secret in the short story. In the end the labyrinth proves to be worthless to Lonnrot. Borges strategically uses symbolism to prove his philosophy that, it is pointless to spend life endlessly searching through a â€Å"labyrinth† to find our purpose. Borges specified, â€Å"Man’s search for meaning in the world is a fruitless effort† (Borges). The idea of someone creating a series of murders that form a triangle with equidistant vertices is completely imaginary. It is a clear portrayal of Borges’ manipulation of fantasy to create alternate realisms. Borges’ varied literary methods in a single story help communicate his two life theories. Labyrinths and identity are consistent t opics that transpire in Borges’ short stories. â€Å"In Death and the Compass†, as well as several other short stories, Borges depicts characters that use reason to create and solve labyrinths. This symbolizes that people create their own paths in life. The labyrinth in Borges’ stories plays many roles. It examines the idea that life is a riddle and at times can seem endless. In â€Å"Death and the Compass† Red Scharlach, a criminal ... ...es it easier for their audiences to picture what is taking place. Borges manipulates fact and fiction in his stories to vividly and clearly describe events that occur in his mysterious novels and to make them seem more captivating. The influence of Jorge Borges’ stories comes from his philosophical mind more than it comes from his previous experiences. He based his stories on his philosophical beliefs that he believed applied most to life’s circumstances. Identity and labyrinths are unfailing topics that can be found in most of Borges’ short stories. Used to represent the unknown, identity and labyrinths are ideal symbolism in mysterious works. Borges skillfully uses fact and fiction to make his story interesting and fantastical while still maintaining authenticity. The unyielding inquiring Borges’ characters endure keeps â€Å"Death and the Compass†, detective fiction