How Does The Carbon Cycle Work Environmental Sciences Essay

How Does The Carbon Cycle Work Environmental Sciences Essay The carbon cycle can be defined as the continuous biological process through which the carbon is exchanged between the environment and the organisms. It also refers to the thermonuclear reactions which are brought about by nucleus of a carbon -12 atom when it absorbs protons. The sporadic climate changes being experienced in the world today are attributable to the disruption of carbon cycle in one way or the other. Top of the possible causes of this disruption are human activities. Nations are reluctant to accept their share of blame on the whole issue leading to a blame game. Unless the world unites against this common cause, the worst is expected to come. This paper covers the carbon cycle, how it works and how its changing in response to human activities. Carbon is found in the atmosphere in form of the carbon dioxide gas. Other atmosphere gases which contain carbon dioxide include chlorofluorocarbons and methane. The lack or the improper functioning of this cycle can be very dreadful since plants and animals entirely depend on this cycle during their major biological processes. The work of the carbon cycle can be evaluated or assessed in accordance to the different processes that change or move carbon from one form to another. These processes are namely decomposition, photosynthesis, natural weathering of rocks, respiration and the ignition of fossil fuels. During the process of photosynthesis carbon which remains in the atmosphere as the carbon dioxide gas enters into the network of consumers and producers or what is referred to as the ecological food web. After its entry the photosynthetic organisms (algae, plants) absorb the carbon dioxide through the tiny pores found in their leaves. Via photosynthesis the plants can now use the absorbed carbon dioxide and convert it into simple sugars which are essential in the plants growth and reproduction. Plants also pass carbon to the animals especially when the animals feed o the plants since they do not have the ability to make their own food (Ryn and Cowan 87). Respiration process is also found in the carbon cycle but it is unlike photosynthesis because it occurs in the decomposers, plants and animals. The respiration process also produces carbon because the component of oxygen is used in breaking down organic compounds into the carbon dioxide gas and water. Through this process of respiration carbon atoms which start out as the compounds of carbon dioxide are absorbed through the body of human organism and then passed to the atmosphere ready for another recycling. Decomposition happens to be the major process through which carbon is passed to the atmosphere in form of carbon dioxide. This is achieved through the use of decomposers (micro-organisms) which are mainly found in soil and water. These decomposers usually take in dead and waste products which are mainly found in form of rotting remains of animals and plants. At the same time they release carbon dioxide through the process of respiration. As earlier stated, weathering of rocks is the other process through which carbon atoms are released. For example the lime rock (an ocean floor stone formed by marine plankton shells) traps many carbon atoms. These carbon atoms are released sometimes after a million years when the ocean waters recede and the lime rock becomes exposed. Scientifically, its noted that when a lime rock is set out to the natural process of weathering it releases the already trapped atoms becomes a very active part of the carbon cycle once. Human activities/processes also increase the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One of these activities is the combustion of the fossils fuels. Due to the rapid expansion of industrial revolution many people have been burning the fuels which contain oil and coal to power their engines. The constant production of these fuels has resulted into huge amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Most of the carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of these fuels is however absorbed by plants, oceans and soils thus reducing the increasing effects of global warming (Scienceclarified.com 1). The human activities that influence the carbon cycle Human activities have greatly interfered with the processes involved in the carbon cycle. An example of these human activities is deforestation. Deforestation is the removal of natural occurring forests through cutting and burning of trees in any forested area. People cut trees to use them as fuel, to use the land for pasture, farming and to build settlements. Active deforestation means that there will be no trees which emit oxygen while consuming carbon components (carbon dioxide). This leads to increased carbon dioxide than its consumed thus destroying the carbon cycle. The increase in carbon components in the air results into global warming (excessive heating o the earths and oceans surface). This excessive heating results into dried rivers or decreased volumes of water in the earths surface because the hydrological cycle will be affected by higher rates of precipitation (Miller 217). According to White (1203), the ecologies have greatly been changed by overgrazing, terracing, irrigation and the cutting of trees. For example he says that the Romans used to cut trees to build ships which were used to fight Carthaginians. He also states that the banks on the lower parts of the river Nile are now a human artifact instead of the African jungle which nature could have created instead of man. He also talks of historic ecological change which has been caused by the agricultural invention. Farming prompts deforestation because there must be cutting down of trees to create more space for farming. This ecological change will be contributed by the increase of carbon components in the air since the forest cover is not available. The green house kind of farming is one of the major agricultural contributors to the disruption of the carbon cycle. This is because the green houses emit gases which are not utilized thus bringing about global warming. Some of the gases emitted inclu de the form of carbon referred to as chlorofluorocarbons. It therefore transpires that the amount of the carbon produced is higher than the amounts consumed. Another human activity which has contributed immensely to the disruption of the carbon cycle is the combustion of fuels. This is because of the increased burning of fuels emits huge amounts of carbon components. This will lead to greater volumes of carbon dioxide in the air which will not be consumed thus making the carbon cycle in effective. White (1204) states that by 1925, London had experienced a smog problem which was caused by the continuous burning of soft coal. He also suggests that the current combustion of fossil fuels is high up to the point of threatening to change the worlds atmosphere as a whole. White also suggests that war was another human activity which resulted in to ecological changes including the disruption of the carbon cycle. He asserts that the first cannon were fired in the early 14th century and this affected the ecology because workers were forced to the forests and mountains to scramble for more, sulfur, potash, iron ore and charcoal where by some resulte d into erosion and deforestation. He also warns that a war fought with hydrogen bombs can alter the genetics of life. For example it will affect the processes of the carbon cycle between human beings and plants. According to Mackenzie (1), fishing and whaling activities will affect the global carbon cycle. This is because the continuous removal of the marine biota has resulted into increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. She also suggests that the rise of carbon dioxide or carbon has been caused by progressive fishing which has caused biomass depletion of the worlds ocean. Nowadays, the marine productivity is now relatively lower than it used to be when there was a maintained carbon balance in the ocean-atmosphere. Another form of human activities which have influenced the flow of the carbon cycle is air conditioning and refrigeration. This is because they utilize the carbon available in the air which is in form of chlorofluorocarbon thus inhibiting the continuity of carbon cycle between plants and animals. These human activities are however very important in the world because they reduce the effects of global warming by absorbing the extra carbon available in the air. Another human activity t hat has influenced the carbon cycle is the conversion of wild lands and agricultural lands into settlements. These human settlements are the major contributors to the increased emissions of the global carbon dioxide. They affect the carbon cycle through the direct emissions of the carbon dioxide resulting from combustion of fuels, the alterations of the plant and carbon cycles during the conversion of wild lands to urban and residential land cover and the indirect effects of urban and residential land cover on energy use ecosystem carbon cycling. In human settlements the soil carbon is lost through the soil disturbances caused by the conversion from natural to urban or sub-urban land cover type. The conversion of well settled and managed land cover into human settlements results into higher rates of carbon sequestration and storage due to large inputs of fertilizer, water and organic matter (Pataki et al 1). Works cited Carbon cycle Science clarified. Retrieved on 27th January 2010 from http://www.scienceclarified.com/Ca-Ch/Carbon-Cycle.html Mackenzie, Debbie. THE EFFECTS OF FISHING AND WHALING ACTIVITIES ON THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE, 2001. Retrieved on 27th January 2010 from http://www.fisherycrisis.com/strangelove.html Miller Tyler. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connection. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2008 Pataki, Diane. Human settlements and the North American carbon cycle, 2006. Retrieved on 27th January 2010 from http://www.climate.noaa.gov/ccsp/22_SOCCR_Chapter14.pdf Ryn, Sim, and Cowan, Stuart. Ecological design. Washington: Island press, 1996 White, Lynn. The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis, Vol 155 (number 3767), march 10 1967, pp 1203-1207. Cycle Human Settlements and the North

Phase 1 – Intro to Economic Thinking

Phase 1 – Intro to Economic Thinking ECON202-1302A-02: Microeconomics Colorado Technical University Joseph Keller 4/14/13 As prices increase, should health economists advocate giving something up (opportunity costs/trade-offs)? I feel that health economists should promote giving something up in as prices rise. The reason I feel this way is because as the prices increase a lot of people would not be able to pay for the services . So in this case I believe that they should consider lowering the prices, this in return should encourage people to continue to receive the services.The tradeoff probably would be lowering the salaries of some of the health providers. As the quantity of health services provided goes up, does the benefit of each additional unit of service become smaller (marginal analysis)? If the number of services goes up the benefit of each service would become smaller, because using marginal analysis every addition is considered less value. So if you use marginal ana lysis it will help you figure if generating different services will benefit your company (Cliff's Notes, 2013).Discuss the issue of health care in the context of the following microeconomic concepts: Marginal analysis Marginal analysis in the health care industry for example would be if you were spending $1000 for 5 units of health service, sold in $200 increments, marginal analysis would work like this, if you were to buy another $200 you would get 1/2 units, if you bought another $200 you would gain 1/4more ,another 1/8 . So as you can see you could get to a point were buying more units would work negatively because you would no longer be gaining anything (Cliff's Notes, 2013). Trade-offs /Opportunity costsTrade-off in the industry would be if a facility badly needed to add another unit, the trade of could be to lower some of the workers’ salaries in order to compensate for that extra money being spent. The opportunity cost is the money lost from the employees in order to g et the extra unit needed. (Hubbard, G & O’brien, and T 2013). Normative versus positive economics Normative economics deals with what the economy ought to be like or what particular policy actions ought to be suggested to attain a necessary goal. Positive economics is the part of economics that concentrates on realities and cause-and-effect relationships. Hubbard, G & O’brien, and T 2013). . Should this decision be made in a centrally planned economy or a market economy? I think that health care in particular should be controlled by a centrally planned economy. These I think will promote a more fairly run system and decisions basically are made for the greater good. The reason that I feel this way is because if you let the market control the economy then they most likely would do what’s best for their self’s instead of what is best for all. If it was a market economy we would probably have the same problem that we have with the gas industry, prices steady rising until it is unbearable .People would still need the service but it would be on a must have basis (Hubbard, G & O’brien, T 2013). At least now there are plans in affect to insure that everyone has affordable health insurance, along with things like Medicaid and Medicare. Is health care a macroeconomic or microeconomic issue? I think that healthcare is both because you have to look at it from both perspectives, on one hand healthcare is a microeconomic issue because it is the study of individual firms and their economics .I think the micro part of health care comes into play when you’re talking about individual offices and hospitals . Then it can be viewed as macroeconomics when you look at health care in the bigger sense, meaning health care as a whole. The macro part comes into play when you look at health care and government assistance laws etc. How would this affect production efficiency? Healthcare offers a unique subject, because if a person is having a lif e threatening issue, people will still obtain the services no matter the cost if they can afford it.If the health issue is not that serious then a person may shop around for trying to find the best deal available, or if they don’t have medical insurance they may choose to forego the procedure needed altogether. References Cliff's Notes. (2013, April 14). Economic analysis. Retrieved from http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/Economic-Analysis. topicArticleId-9789,articleId- 9726. html Hubbard, G ; O’brien, T. (2013). Microeconomics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

The History of Rent - 1852 Words

Land has been necessary for human survival since early civilization. Man has used rent in order to produce vital items for survival. Land has served as the backbone for producing clothing, food, and a place of living. We may take advantage of these commodities that wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for land. Land holds great contribution to humankind and has played a great part in many generations before us. The hunter-gatherer role is a simple example of how man has used land as a tool for his own growth. Rent was created out of the need for land. Rent has been around before any economic theory was used to theorize it. The Latin word rendita was used to refer to a return (Keiper, 1961, p.3). The first theory of rent was seen in the late seventeenth century. The mercantilist economists created some central theories to theorize rent even though it wasn’t one of their more important worries. The history of the theory of rent can start with the mercantilists. Sir William Petty, one of the first major contributors to the mercantilists’ theory of rent, can accredit a lot of his work to the influences of Thomas Hobbes. His first major contribution in 1662, A Treatise on Taxes and Contributions, refers to rent as a net return on land used for livestock and agriculture. He explains: Suppose a man could with his own hands plant a certain scope of land with corn, that is, could dig, or plough, harrow, weed, reap, carry home, thresh, and winnow so much as the husbandry of thisShow MoreRelatedThe Other Civil War1176 Words   |  5 PagesThe Other Civil War If we read deep into Zinns A Peoples history of the United States, we may find details into our American DNA. Where and what we originally come from, what it took to get here, and how far we have progressed. While uncovering many chapters in the book, I found myself going back for more of Chapter 10: The Other Civil War. As for myself, I was never aware of another Civil War, only familiarizing myself with one. As I was reading these historical pages and awing at my foundersRead MoreHome Ownership And The Foreclosure Crisis996 Words   |  4 Pagesforeclosure during the recent economic downturn in the US economy. These former homeowners became renters as the national home ownership rate dropped. Many families felt that home ownership would remain out of their reach due to previous foreclosure history. In addition, losing your home and transitioning to renting is tough on your psyche. However, as rental rates continue to increase and the economy recovers these same families now se e possibilities of home ownership again. The housing market hasRead MoreBuying A New Property Management Companies1468 Words   |  6 PagesAdministration’s (FHA) Back-To-Work Program, â€Å"The participant could buy a new property in as few as twelve months following his foreclosure or short sale.† (www.heraldtribune.com) The ‘rent-to-own’ option is a great and promising option for ‘boomerang buyers’ to regain homeownership. First off, it gives these buyers time. Generally, rent-to-own lease agreements range from one to three years depending on their negotiated terms; this can coincide with the imposed waiting periods. Meanwhile, these boomerangRead MoreRental Rent : A Rent1653 Words   |  7 PagesWith home prices still at an attractive level, a way for buyers working to repair their credit is to leverage a â€Å"rent-to-own† agreement. A rent-to-own agreement is a contract that allows a potential home buyer to pay an agreed uponmonthly rental amount to live in a given house. But beyond simple home rental privileges, the agreement also appliesa predetermined amount of the rent toward a down payment to ultimately purchase the home at a later date, usually in around three years. So while a buyerRead MoreRent Control Of The United States1601 Words   |  7 Pages Philippe Bouchereau Prof. Kaycea Campbell Economics 2 11 May 2016 Rent Control in the United States Rent control is a law that places a price ceiling on the amount of rent a landlord can charge a tenant. People from middle and lower income brackets tend to benefit from rent control, while people from the upper income brackets do not. The whole purpose as to why rent control exists is so that tenants from the lower income groups are not exploited by â€Å"greedy† landlords through government interventionRead MoreThe Emotional Impact Of Losing A Home On Foreclosure1048 Words   |  5 Pagesbetter prepared to own your next home, think of this as a learning experience. There are many options to home ownership, such as a rent to own home, building equity while renting a home. Most options have positives and negatives and weighing your options are veryimportant. Always remember your history is exactly that, history, so past employment and references are your history. The emotional impact of losing a home to foreclosure can be a devastating hit on personal confidence and self-esteem. I wouldRead MoreBuying A House After A Foreclosure Crisis863 Words   |  4 Pagesa mortgage. There are multiple strategies for buying a house after a foreclosure. In all of these strategies the families must be determined and hard working. The first is the rent to own option. The rent to own option requires prospective buyers to pay a monthly rent to the homeowner with a portion of the rent going towards purchase of the home at a later date. Usually this will last 2-5 years before the standard home purchase contract goers into effect. This option is good for the sellersRead MoreThe On The Foreclosure Crisis850 Words   |  4 Pagesagain with some more creative financing options. Many sellers are turning to options such as rent-to-own or seller carrying the contract with a down payment as well as buyers borrowing against existing retirement and life insurance accounts. The rent-to-own option is one that very desirable for potential home buyers as well as sellers. They are able to live in the home that they desire to own and all rent payments that are made are put towards to the future mortgage similar to a buying a car. TheRead MoreThe Economic Crisis Of Boomerang Buyers1478 Words   |  6 Pagesforeclosed property (Rent-to-Own/Lease with an Option to Buy) is a viable option to take steps in buyingfinancing a home. Therefore, with distance (minimum two years) between the prior foreclosure event and locating a potential new home, the â€Å"boomerang buyer† is facing the opportunity of a lifetime to buy a home again(Martin). Current boomerang buyers† are opting to rent-to own as a possible way to procure a home.According to an article, entitled How to Buy A House Using A Lease, â€Å"Rent-to-own is a goodRead MoreMarketing Segmentation for Rental Business1361 Words   |  6 Pageseach refrigerator; even though the retail price of a pre-rented refrigerator will drop, being able to rent such a fridge even a few times before sale will increase the ROI per unit. Marketing Segment The segment to which Koolie Kool is targeting its rental services is twofold: (1) middle and lower-middle class families who cannot afford to own a refrigerator outright, but who can pay modest rent-to-own installments on a refrigerator; (2) more well-off but cautious buyers who wish to test a refrigerator

Royal Dutch Shell Case Study Essay examples - 684 Words

Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria 1. Does Shell bear some responsibility for the problems in the Ogoni region of Nigeria? I believe Shell is somewhat responsible for the problems. They seem to be taking advantage of a lower classed and less advanced country and its natural resources. If they had practiced better corporate responsibility then things would not have escalated as much. 2. What steps might Shell have taken to nip some of the protests against it in the butt, or even preempt them? Shell should have stepped into the happenings in the Ogoni Region and what the Nigerian government was doing. They should have used their large company business power to enact some type of regulation to make the Nigerian government to†¦show more content†¦They had already shown poor decisions morally when it comes to human rights. 7. A decade after Shell pulled its people out of the Ogoni region, they have yet to return despite the region’s rich oil reserves. Some have suggested that it serves the political interests of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People to have Shell cast in the villain’s role. Do you think this is true? Is there anything Shell can do about this? Who suffers most from Shell’s continued absence in the Ogoni region? I think it is true that it plays out well for Shell to be in the villain role. This only further establishes the Ogoni people’s claims and arguments against Shell. Shell could do something about it but it would require them to make some changes in their dealings in Nigeria as well as probably playing a large sum of amount to fix and reestablish things with the Ogoni. Obviously Shell suffers due to them not being able to get to the oil reserves, but it also hurts the Nigerian people. If Shell could use those oil reserves, then th ey could provide many jobs to the people and bring money to the country. 8. This case written in 2002; using research tools at your disposal, give an update on this case. 9. What types of responsibilities does a business have when operating in a foreign environment? How should conflicts of priority (ie, shareholder value vs. pollutionShow MoreRelatedCase Study : Royal Dutch Shell1003 Words   |  5 PagesOxfam Intermon. This has led her in expertise about development management and human rights. Dealing with issues such as the involvement of corporations in major environmental disasters such the oil spill that occurred in Niger delta by shell. Her title â€Å"Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria: Where Do Responsibilities End?† explains the problem of fractured responsibility coupled with harm produced by collective action. Her journal focuses on the cause, integrity and reputation of the perpetrators involved inRead MoreManagement and Leadership- A case study of Royal Dutch Shell1410 Words   |  6 Pages Research Paper 3: Leadership and Management: A case study of Royal Dutch Shell Submitted Management and Leadership MGMT 704 - 102 October 15th, 2013. Introduction A change in a company’s leadership can trigger a shift in strategy and is usually followed by periods of convergence. The convergence periods are characterized by small incremental changes which have both advantages and disadvantages. A company leader with high social intelligence can leverage on the advantages of the convergenceRead MoreSi Report Case Study Royal Dutch Shell2804 Words   |  12 PagesROYAL DUTCH SHELL Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) is a worldwide group of oil, gas and petrochemical companies that explores for, produces and trades in a range of energy resources. Royal Dutch Shell also has a broad portfolio of hydrogen, biofuels, wind and solar power interests, and also provides consultancy and technical services as well as research and development expertise to the energy industry. Royal Dutch Shell is active in more than 130 countries and territories, and employs 108,000 people worldwideRead MoreSi Report Case Study Royal Dutch Shell2794 Words   |  12 PagesROYAL DUTCH SHELL Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) is a worldwide group of oil, gas and petrochemical companies that explores for, produces and trades in a range of energy resources. Royal Dutch Shell also has a broad portfolio of hydrogen, biofuels, wind and solar power interests, and also provides consultancy and technical services as well as research and development expertise to the energy industry. Royal Dutch Shell is active in more than 130 countries and territories, and employs 108,000 people worldwideRead MorePaper581 Words   |  3 Pagesstructure of Royal Dutch/Shell Group. Does it differ from the equity listings of other companies that you know? These equity listings are different from companies such as BP and Exxon. All subsidiary companies’ shares were held by the Group Holding Companies in the ratio of 60/40 (Royal Dutch/Shell). The corporate structure is outlined in the figure below. Individuals and Institutions Individuals and Institutions Royal Dutch Petroleum Company Netherlands 60% The â€Å"Shell† Transport andRead MoreRoyal Dutch and Shell1212 Words   |  5 PagesBackground. Royal Dutch Shell Group is one of the world’s largest oil corporations and one of the largest companies in Europe. The company was created as a result of a merge between Netherlands’ Royal Dutch and UK’s Shell Corporation. The case looks at the issue of price differentials between several equity listings in different markets from the perspective of investors seeking an arbitrage opportunity. Royal Dutch trades more actively in the Netherlands and U.S. markets, whereas Shell trades moreRead MoreSWOT Analysis of Shell in Nigeria1364 Words   |  5 PagesOverview of Shell and Operations - Shell is a group of energy and petrochemicals companies, which are operating in more than 140 countries and territories. The Royal Dutch/Shell Group, commonly know as Shell, is an amalgam of over 1,700 companies all over the world. 60% of the Group is owned by Royal Dutch o f the Netherlands, and 40% is owned by the Shell Transport and Trading Group of Great Britain. These two companies have worked together since 1903. Shell includes companies like Shell PetroleumRead MoreOil Production Of Nigeria s Niger Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pagespolluted fish ponds and declining growth of crops in Niger communities. Shell has personally financed Nigerian militants to insure the production of oil, and this has led to brutal murders and illegal executions of community members who tried to protest the damages that shell was creating to their environment. So why and how is Shell still operating and still committing human right crimes in Nigeria? This paper will explain why Shell has dominated Nigeria since the 1950s, how the company has damaged theRead MoreShell Case Study838 Words   |  4 PagesThe Case Study on â€Å"Organizational change at Royal Dutch/Shell† This case study on â€Å"Organizational Change at Royal Dutch/Shell† deals with the organizational change that the world’s largest non-state-owned oil company made to respond its operating environmental changes in 1990s (Hill, C 2005, pp. 476-477) While there are a few different structures of global organizations such as worldwide area structure, worldwide product divisional structure and global matrix structure, the Anglo-Dutch companyRead MoreRoyal Dutch/Shell, Acquisitions, and Globalization3225 Words   |  13 PagesRoyal Dutch/Shell, Acquisitions and Globalization Question 1: Royal Dutch/Shell Group operates on a global basis, and is well known for continuously striving to look beyond horizons. Using examples from the case study, critically examine the main arguments for and against globalization in the global mining and metals industry in terms of: (a) The threat of new entrants and substitutes in emerging markets, and The oil and natural gas industries are inherently global in nature. This is likewise

Essay Marx and His Theory of Alienation - 636 Words

Marx and His Theory of Alienation Marx wrote On The Jewish Question in 1844. It was a written response to Bauers works. In his works, Bauer said that Jews should give up their religion and fight for their civil rights. Bauer believed the Jews should become emancipated from the Germans and Christians. Marx contradicted this entire belief through the idea that civil emancipation does truly emancipate. In On the Jewish Question, Marx went on to criticize the liberal notion of universal human rights. These rights were directly related to the emancipation problem. Since Bauer believed in universal human rights, he believed that everybody should be emancipated and that those rights justified the emancipation. Marx†¦show more content†¦The need to work is a basic necessity of mankind. Capitalism corrupts this need into unfulfilling labor. The labor which man produces is not done for the well being of himself. Since man does not have control over what he makes, he is alienating himself from his work. The product which is produced is taken from the worker and used for the betterment of the Capitalist, or the owner of the industry. Since the worker does not control the form of labor, the intensity, the duration, or the end products, it in no way can be called his work. He works only to serve the capitalist, therefore alienating himself from his work. Since man is alienated from his work, he is therefore alienated from the product of his labor. The more the worker alienates himself through his work, the more distance is found between the worker and the product. The product cannot be used by the worker for himself. It is given to the Capitalist who benefits from it. The more time the worker spends on the product and the more labor devoted to it, the more the benefit for the Capitalist. Since the Capitalist benefits and the worker does not, the worker is alienated from his fellowmen. The Capitalist owns the product; as a result, hostility arises between the worker and the employ er. This hostility promotes people to use and abuse each other. The Communist essence which is a natural feeling associated with mankind is lost. LastlyShow MoreRelatedMarx first discussed his alienation theory in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844[1],700 Words   |  3 PagesMarx first discussed his alienation theory in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844[1], mainly talking about the types of human relations that are not controlled by their participants and the consequent results. This theory represents his research findings of bourgeois economics theory, which is central to all of Marx’s earlier philosophical writings and as a social phenomenon still informs his later work. Alienation means separation of people from things that naturally belong to themRead MoreKarl Marx s Theory Of Alienation Essay1686 Words   |  7 PagesSociologist Karl Marx concentrated deeply on economic problems and related these matters to social issues. For example, when Marx examined capitalism in the labour sector he came to the conclusion that it drove workers to feel alienated from the product, themselves and those surrounding them. This essay will firstly give a brief overview of industrial capitalism and discuss Karl Marx’s early life and how he came up with the theory of alienation through his influences and life experiences. SecondlyRead MoreThe Between Class And Alienation1655 Words   |  7 PagesWhat are the links between Class and Alienation According to Marx? According to Marx the types of alienation are an inevitable outcome of a class structured society, which is why he foresaw communism as the solution to prevent alienation and its negative effects. A communist society could potentially resolve structural economic related alienation between humans by removing class conflict. However it does not account for alienation as a result of other forms of stratification such as gender and ethnicityRead MoreAdolf Marx : A Central Concern For The Young Karl Marx Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Alienation‟ was a central concern for the young Karl Marx. Discuss the dimensions of this alienation in connection to Marx’s critique of capitalist society and comment on the contemporary relevance of this concept. Karl Marx is a critically renowned, prolific and revolutionary figure amongst historic academia and is considered to be one of the three founding fathers of Sociology. Working throughout the 19th century Marx’s work included the theory of ‘alienation’. Born in Germany, young Marx wasRead MoreKarl Marx And Alienation ( 2000 )1034 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx and Alienation (1,800 – 2,000 words) Introduction about Marx (1818 – 1883): mention the materials that are going to be used to back up your points (minimum of 5 scholarly materials) Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) was a German theorist who had taken the theory of alienation into consideration. He was also involved in communist party in Germany, trying to overthrow the class system. Marx had been banished from Germany for his critical thinking, and moved to England where he had become a communistRead MoreKarl Marx And The Great Philosopher Essay988 Words   |  4 PagesKarl Marx was born in Trier, Prussia in 1818 to a Jewish family, but despite his baptism at age 6, he later became an atheist. Marx attended University of Bonn, but due to his imprisonment for drunkenness and variances with another student, he was enrolled in the University of Berlin by his parents. Marx earned his degree in philosophy and began writing for Rheinische Zeitung, a liberal democratic newspaper. He later became their editor. Marx was a member of Young Hegelian movement which was groupRead MoreKarl Marx And Max Weber1003 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Karl Marx and Max Weber both made tremendous contribution on the development of Sociology. Their studies and theories still have significant meaning for modern sociologists to explore the social world. As Weber are born after Marx about several decades, his theories are influenced by Marx to a great extend so that Weber finds much common ground with Marx. Their conceptions about religion,capitalism, social class and power are in some ways compatible. The aspects of their study areRead MoreMarx And Engels s Impact On Society1349 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"to a mere money relation,† (Marx and Engels [1848] 2013:35]. Marx, saw the tear down of the old as the only way for the bourgeoisie to survive. Periodically, a crisis occurred where productive forces threatened their conditions and bourgeoisie would have to bring in new productive forces and destroy the old. Marx believed that these changes to technology and productive capacity were the main influence on how society a nd the economy were organized. The bourgeoisie had to push for the modern worldRead MoreIndustrial Revolution Essay1684 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent theories came up on how society was affected as well as the working class. Karl Marx was one of the theorists that had a take on the Industrial Revolution and what it really meant to work. He began his theory at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. While the other theorist was Emilie Durkheim; he wrote this theory about 50 years after the Industrial Revolution began. Both men had different views about what work really meant to them and how our society was changing. Karl Marx had manyRead MoreKarl Marx : A German Influential Philosopher And One Of The Intellectual Fathers Of Communism1477 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx is known to be a German influential philosopher and one of the intellectual fathers of communism, writing when the industrial revolution and imperialism period was changing the nature of both the economies of i ndividual nations and the global economy itself. He eradicated his view on the effects these changes had on individual workers and society. This introduced many of his theories, one of which was the idea of alienated labor. Alienated labor was written in 1844, Marx sets the view that

Review of “the Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages.” Free Essays

string(41) " how they could have held so much power\." The â€Å"Propoganda of Saints in the Middle Ages† article, written by Esther Cohen, goes over many of the methods the Catholic Church employed to gain power over the people in Europe. Cohen goes through the middle ages by describing how the Catholic Church was spreading its faith; mainly through the use of propaganda. An Age of Faith took place between the fall of the Roman Empire and the discovery of America. We will write a custom essay sample on Review of â€Å"the Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages.† or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cohen describes how the in the early years of the church, martyred Christians rapidly assumed a high position in the churches hierarchy of faith. These saints where given to have special powers and gradually became central to the Catholic Church; as opposed to God. Cohen describes a clear attempt from the Church to portray a consistent propaganda campaign aimed at raising the level of sainthood in the public eye. This was not difficult to do as the church had three things with it that gave it absolute power. First thing the church had, was that its message it brought with it that could not be questioned in any way. The information they brought with them could not be voluntarily accepted or rejected, and the church had an obligation to spread that message. Secondly, the churches message was absolute and its authority was unquestionable. The church had no competition in that there was no one who could match the propaganda they brought. Lastly, the church had a centrally organized, universal message, which meant that it could be easily tailored for the masses. Pilgrimages became common; this cemented the church even further as they build grand churches filled with â€Å"holy relics† of the saints. These relics were given to have special powers when yielded by the saints of the church. Many of the pilgrims believed this message and probably never questioned it. Many of them were filled with awe when they saw the grand magnificence of the church and the stained glass windows within them (peasants would never see such sights if it hadn’t been for the church). The fact is that all of the church’s teachings came from a central point, making the message more or less universal and uniform. The central church was able to put together its message, and then pass it along to other churches that administered it to the masses. The message was hammered in generation to generation. The Catholic Church was a big influence in the lives of people in Europe. This essay by Cohen illustrates just how big an influence it actually was. From the very beginning, it brought a centralized message which was labelled indisputable. The reason it was followed was that since no one could actually challenge their message; they destroyed everything in their way to ensure it. Cohen really describes the transgression well as he describes it progress thru the ages and develop into what amounts to an international conglomerate. They opened up many different franchises, preaching the same message. Of course the message had its deviations; much of the church’s beliefs stemmed from the local saints. As saints were given more and more power; this was another good way of getting the locals to support their cause. It is remarkable at the amount of effective propaganda that came from the church in the earlier period of history; as there is not too much in the way of intelligent, centralized, effective messages before that time period. The church truly did stand the test of time even until today. It has and had tremendous effects over people’s lives as they try to come to terms with the world around them. The reason it’s so important is that even though Gods message has always been around over time, no one was more able to use it to their advantage other than the Catholic Church. The message became centralized and faith was transferred from God to local Saints, which also took away from any truth that the church might have brought with it. Their reason for doing it may be obvious, in that they ended up controlling massive amounts of territory and even holding sway over Kings and Nobles; the ultimate aphrodisiac happens to be power. The church had no boundaries so it could cross vast amounts of areas relatively untouched. Cohen s article really is a shocking look at some of the practises of the Clergy creating magnificent churches and housing â€Å"Holy Relics† in them to prove their point. This is the precursor to what we knew as propaganda as it seems the Catholic Church must have had people working for them who knew how to get the masses attention. Their organization stood the test of time; and possibly did everything they possibly could to maintain it. Towards the end of the Church’s iron grip over Europe, the organization was so engrained in the people’s hearts and minds that it, even hundreds of years later, still holds tremendous sway over what kinds of decisions people make in their lives. Even if there are not as many people who follow the Catholic Church as much as they would have done in the past, the Pope is regarded as an important symbol for peace the world over (even though the words peaceful and the Roman Catholic Church can hardly be used in the same sentence). It appears that the Church values its image very highly, and tend to move with the times according to the general feeling what it would consider its subjects. In the past, the church would not hesitate to use force to establish themselves in a certain area; but in this politically charged world, they have given themselves more of a cleaner image by not physically attacking their opposition. It is shocking to read about how they Church went as far as to make fake relics filled with tears, etc. Going to the lengths they went to, it is clear how they could have held so much power. You read "Review of â€Å"the Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages.†" in category "Papers" The Catholic Church was known to be ruthless in their all encompassing network. They went to great lengths to preserve this power. This is evident from the very beginning of the church as its entire history is drenched with warfare and power grabbing. One of the tools church had at its disposal was the power of knowledge, which it did its best to hoard. Knowledge is power, and keeping the masses ignorant helped it keep its power structure. The Catholic Church confiscated or destroyed everything that it considered against the church. This led to many works that may have criticised the power structure labelled as heresy; resulting in the torture and death of the writer or anyone associated with it. The article delves into some important details about the manipulation of materials to grab people’s attention. The strategies and tactics the church used were remarkable in that they built magnificent cathedrals just so they could bring in pilgrims to show them holy relics, which they were told had special powers. Having the knowledge and expertise to build such churches at such a time shows a very large concerted effort to push an agenda forward. The Catholic Church has truly stood the test of time in many ways; they were able to successfully push their message across and labelled it undisputable, at the same time making an effort to expand and keep the people eating from their hands. Even today, there are very few in politics who would dare cross the line to admonish the church, as it would mean suicide in the world of politicians. They would rather have the church as an ally, which does tend to give them a better image in the public’s view. In the past and even now, top elected officials have to appear to be faithful, or otherwise the mentality of the voting public would hardly chose them. In â€Å"Critical Theory and TechnoCulture: Habermas and Baudrillard,† Karl Marx’s theories are reviewed by two big contributors to communication theory: Jurgen Habermas and Jean Baudrillard. Mark Poster writes about how these two theorist dove into the areas where Marx was ambiguous and tried to explain the situation in more detail. Although they weren’t completely successful in their quest to explain the behaviour of mankind, Habermas and Baudrillard did make a big leap forward in their respective contributions. One of the problems with Karl Marx’s theories is that he tends to overlook or downplay the parts that are uncertain. Habermas and Baudrillard talked about how Marx failed to acknowledge basic communication theory, and the fact that he ignored technology as one of the biggest drivers of human civilization. Marx’s only aim seemed to be was the wage labourer to free himself from the greedy capitalist. Mark Poster attempts to ask about the theories of Karl Marx is that: did Marx give enough reasoning behind the relationships between technology and culture, labour and symbolism in work, and whether he really understood human consciousness? His argument is that Marx’s vision was too easy, and that he did not pay attention anything that was too complicated to explain or did not fit as part of his predictions. Poster understands that Marx knew his history, and was very knowledgeable about his topics, but there were still gaps in his writings that needed further explanation: The critique of political economy explores every turn of the capitalist structure; the critique of cultural politics is general, vague, and undeveloped. †[1] Poster explains that when Marx was doing his analysis, he did not theorize enough about the nature of social communication and how technology becomes signified objects. Technology is peculiar as it seems to have a two pronged approach; one where it levels the playing field for general society, or one where it extends the gap between the haves and have not’s. Language is termed as one of the central tools of social interaction and that needed more explanation before the theory could be complete. Without this missing piece, Marx was way off in his predictions of what would happen to capitalism and the role of workers. The spread of bureaucracy also solidified the way language was used. Technology and the change it brought also included change in language structure. The essay goes on to explain the extensions that Jurgen Habermas and Jean Baudrillard make to the critical theory. One of Habermas’s arguments is that Marx was unable to distinguish between emancipation and science. Habermas came from a school of thought which was worried about the fact that the scientific movement became the reason for domination, instead of it being used as a tool for freedom. He believes that Marx had left out the communication and language aspect of individuals which is a major part of our behaviour. For Habermas, speech has an important aspect as it can be used to distort the truth and can be a means of domination. His argument is that any time a speech situation fails; it can be down to the class struggle which Marx talked about. Of course, in practise, it is very difficult to find an ideal speech situation; making it difficult to analyse the truth. Jean Baudrillard criticizes Marxism’s analysis Marx analysis of the mode of production as the driving force of society. Commodities become social signifiers rather than something useful. One of the problems Baudrillard sees with Marxist ideology is that he ignores culture. The problem with Marx is that he never saw the symbolic nature of products and production. Baudrillard maintains that products become symbols whether by intention or not. The word â€Å"hyper-reality† is used to describe the fact that products began to contain their own reality; that is, nothing becomes more than ownership of the product itself. There is much missing from Baudrillards theories. He fails to describe what he meant by the â€Å"code,† which is how he described the relationship between consumers and consumed. At some points, he failed to realize the real positive potential that the media brought with it. But what Baudrillard brought to critical theory was remarkable. The insights provided by him went beyond convention to explain these theories in more detail. Mark Posters article brings a lot of interesting points about the missing pieces in Marx’s theories. There were many missing pieces of Marx and some of them are pointed out from the writings of Baudrillard and Habermas. One feels that Marx did leave out many details of his work, because people do not necessarily think about working for the state in the way it was described. Marx did not realize the importance of technology and its place in society. But in his world, there would not be much room available for research and development. When we put technology as a big part of human evolution, good things happen as the quality of life has improved. The idea behind everyone in society being equal sounds nice; but in practise, is rarely possible. The elements of language and technology where important to the framework of human interaction, this is one of the reasons why Marx’s predictions didn’t go to plan. He did not envision the fact that politicians would use bureaucracy to further establish their control over society. This use of language was not present in earlier periods, which may be why it may have been overlooked. New technology also changed the way language was used to further complicate the communication process. Technology also brought with it further divisions between those who have it and those who don’t. New products or technology has a materialistic nature to it that is still unexplained with the critical theory of Marx. One of the reasons Marx may have failed to have predicted violent revolt from the masses is that they do not want violent rebellion. Marx failed to foresee the fact that people would try to work together by creating unions and similar institutions to protect themselves from undue distress from their work. Marx was half right in that the powerful capitalists at the time were exploiting their workers for mostly the owner’s benefit. The other half that Marx did not envision was that most people would not choose violence; given the circumstances force became the last possible option. Technology also helped the regular working class to live comfortably by at home. Habermas picks up where Marx left in the explanation of critical theory. There were many missing pieces that Marx did not talk about; some of these were about technology and communication theories. Technology changes over time and can be very beneficial to us; failing to see its advantages and disadvantages is ignoring a big aspect of human behaviour and actions. As technology improves, our lives improve as well and modes of production change as well. Of course the other aspect of technology is that it can be used to dominate. Marx should have explored this topic further and he would have understood the consequences better. Ignoring these ideas shows that Marx probably had his own agenda in place as he wrote his theories. He may have deliberately left these things out in his argument to make it seem simpler than it first appeared. Maybe if he mentioned technology, it would have opened up a new world to mention and explain. The same can be said when it came to the communication aspect of Marx. Habermas also mentions how class struggle is bourne out of a failure in communication. This statement has a lot of fact because it is ultimately the class we identify with as the class we understand. The aspirations and lives of those who are poor are different than those of the middle class or ultra-rich, and those 3 groups barely understand one another. But these divisions will always exist – there will always be people who are well off and those who are not, even in a ideal communist society. Mark Poster also writes about how Habermas tries to fill in the gaps of communication theories left unexplained by Marx. Would the masses really want a violent revolution? People do not have a thirst for warfare; it is usually forced upon them by their leaders. Having endless war to bring about easier lives does not seem too economical; so they would prefer resistance by nonviolent means as it is understood that they are the drivers of the system. Without their input, machinery could not move, so the â€Å"greedy capitalist† was somewhat marginalized by labour unions and laws. Marx failed to see this, even though the powder keg was definitely in place. Habermas’s theories about the ideal speech situations are interesting. There would be very few times indeed that it would be true. It seems possibly one of the societies that come to mind that bear a place for the ideal speech would be the oral Greek tradition. A man who knows how to use speech could possibly get away with murder if he knows how to sway the audience. Again, the ideal speech situation might not garner good things; it may present powerful people with bad intentions using it to dominate their society. Baudrillards arguments about Marx have also have also showed gaps about critical theory. He feels that it can be dangerous for a society to be solely reliant on commodities for the states benefit. Every society has some sort of culture that it brings. Marx, in Baudrillards view, ignores culture as one of the major driving forces of society. Culture is ultimately what decides the direction society takes and the ideas it chooses to adopt. An idea from one culture might not be acceptable in other cultures, so it becomes difficult to transmit ideas across nations. Marx does not mention these facts and pretty much ignores them. It is difficult to understand how Marx, who was well aware of history and its nuances, could ignore such an important factor. Baudrillards analysis of products is an interesting one. It is remarkable that he could see that commodities become status symbols. This is exactly what happens to products; they become more for show than for the function they are supposed to carry. This is evident is the advertising that is presented in the mass media. These status symbols can become part of who we are as people, and this has always been the case throughout history; whether it is gold and other precious metals and stones in the past, or Bentlys and Valentino suits today. These things cannot change under any kind of rule, so ignoring these facts means ignoring our general makeup. In missing this analysis, Marx ignores the true nature of products and production; to keep the masses quite and consumed. One of the pieces missing from Baudrillard is the proper explanation of what he meant by his â€Å"code. The reader gets a sense of what he meant by reading and analysing his work, but a good definition would go a long way in explaining just what he was talking about here. It is unclear whether he is talking about the materialistic nature of things or the guidelines by which they are advertised. It is remarkable that Baudrillard understood these facts; he would have witnessed firsthand, the world of advertising taking its current form. This new form stopped advertising things with simple functional messages, and started advertising them with relation to fantasies that play against our minds to capture our attention. Early psychologists understood this and used their knowledge to help advertisers come up with these new messages. Mark Poster tries to explain the missing parts of Marx critical theory. The missing gaps were quite gapping and Jean Baudrillard and Jurgen Habermas exposed many of them. The essay delves into these gaps and tries to explain the missing pieces, as told by well known communication theorists. It seems that Marx, rather than a genuine interest in the freedom for man, has an agenda behind his writings. There as so many important gaps that he just completely ignored, so this scenario seems likely to be true. Technology and culture are important to us, without them, we can become aimless and self destructive. Poster brought it together very well by indicating that there are many parts still to be explored, indicating the work on the complete analysis for critical theory is still incomplete. Bibliography Cohen, Esther. â€Å"The Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages. † Journal of Communication, 1981. Poster, Mark. â€Å"Critical Theory and TechnoCulture: Habermas and Baudrillard. † In The Second Media Age. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1992. ———————– [1] Poster, Mark â€Å"Critical Theory and Technoculture† pg. 97 How to cite Review of â€Å"the Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages.†, Papers

Citizen Ray free essay sample

I always wondered about celebrities who were hospitalized for exhaustion, but maybe this was how they felt. My eyes hurt from supporting the weight of my drooping eyelids, and I was pretty sure I couldn’t flip to the next page of the agenda as instructed even if I wanted to. School was long and draining, and today had been a particularly grueling practice at field hockey. I didn’t even want to think about the piles of homework sitting on my desk at home. And yet the Youth Commission meeting had only just started. I wanted to go home and crawl into bed, not discuss the youth involvement in the annual holiday parade, much less listen to the rants of Ray D. Ray D. came to every meeting of every commission. The local papers characterized him as â€Å"a thorn in the sides of public officials† and â€Å"open, honest, overactive, and pessimistic. We will write a custom essay sample on Citizen Ray or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † He gave himself the title of â€Å"Citizen Ray† and even wore a customized baseball cap with this name emblazoned on the front. He came to the Youth Commission meetings and fumed about unsafe bike lanes and noise complaints, even though they had nothing to do with our duties and we could do nothing about them. He always went over the two-minute limit for guest speakers, and would not cease speaking until one of us would meekly tell him his time was up, sometimes after ten minutes if he was particularly impassioned. After countless nights of staying up into the wee hours finishing work because of meetings that ran late, largely due to distractions provided by Citizen Ray, I began to resent his presence. Why did he waste his time with the Youth Commission, when we couldn’t even help him with all of his issues? After all, we planned youth forums and relayed information about the town government to our peers; we didn’t fix potholes or give out building permits like he seemed to need. It took me months of working on the commission to finally understand the motivations of Citizen Ray. Most people in their late seventies are happy to leave the workplace and bask in the relaxation provided by retirement. Ray D., however, considered retreating into the background as a violation of his duties as a citizen. It was his job to participate in the public good. His efforts, while eccentric, should be admired, not resented. After all, Ray is motivated, dedicated, and ambitious, much like me. He is a former businessman, a field in which I plan to pursue and I hope to excel at. Ray’s qualities of persistence and determination would prove valuable in any field of study or work, and I realized that I should value his presence. Even after I left the Youth Commission, Ray’s ideals stuck with me. I interned at the Town’s Planning Department, a place where Ray’s wrath was often felt the most, and learned even more about the inner workings of my community. I volunteered my time to the Freshman Skills Day program at my school in order to help the younger students adjust to the sometimes dangerous environment of high school. I tried to fulfill my civic duty, just as Ray had always done. While I don’t plan on aggravating city council members as a grandmother, I do plan on reflecting Ray’s unrelenting spirit in all my future efforts. He profoundly impacted my perspective on the endeavors of others, no matter how unusual, and motivated me to never stop working hard for my beliefs.