Citizenship; Civil Society And Civilization Essay Example for Free

Citizenship; Civil Society And Civilization Essay Citizenship as depicted by Weber has its root from Medieval European city, due to the political demands of the rising class, merchants, professionals and skilled workers to control the environment. (Ibid, 294) As earlier mentioned the spate of globalization and interconnectedness has generated a similarity in the construction and design of buildings, structures in the city. This was really not totally possible before with the variables of religion, culture playing a key perspective before. Religion to a greater extent determined the way things were done, for example, buildings in china where not built high , because in the belief that gods work on the earth, no hierarchical order like the Christians, temples built in the country which symbolises the belief system of the Chinese. The lack of citizenship or identity points to the fact that the system of governance does not allow for this, they had no citizens but subjects were present. (ibid 297). The Changan dynasty is a typical example of how the modern city developed ,with the regulation of the behaviour of the populace, already we can observe the existence of institutions which shows a little bit of modernity as we have today. Kaifeng is another city which is known for its trade and commerce potentials, the development of cities here is influenced by interaction with other players in the globe, just like the example of Kaifeng been unwalled,later on we can see that they also built a wall as the population was increasing, therefore we can conclude that population, external influence has a large part in moulding a city towards modernization or civilization. The educational sector also addresses the point of civilization, more educational empowerment; the more success can be achieved by a political system. The Hanghzou and Kaifeng,further stresses the point earlier submitted ,that the economy is a substructure on which the political interest of actors rest, the urbanization of the duo cities led to a change in the way of lie of different people, the migration of population further widened the chance of development. The aforementioned is further buttressed as a cogent point as Hangzhou by the end of the Song dynasty was the largest city in the globe. (Ibid, 302) The centrality of the progress of the City of Hangzhou ,therefore remains the economy, but the political system unlike the Ancient Athens state never gave in for a democratic rule, what was in operation was religious beliefs cum ancestral beliefs. The Islamic cities were not as progressive as compared to the Chinese; the political system was theocratic, with the sultan controlling the affairs of the cities. The distance between the ruled and ruler was a negating influence on the development of city or states in the Arab world, the level of freedom here also was restricted as you have the populace been more or less subjects ,unlike the only case in this paper i. e. the Athenians that demonstrated a major enshrinement of the democratic ethos. The lack of municipal authority in Islamic cities undermined the pace of evolution to civilization. The revival of cities in the West was prompted by a shift in history of class relations, this promoted freedom of association and other democratic ethos. The modern city however grew from the village level, down to the urban from which civilization got to the peak. (Ibid,310-316). The rights of citizens and not subjects were therefore in full force here, the Italian city of Pavias shows how the act of political representation was more in the polity, like the first ever in Athens, more representation meant more active participation by the civil society. The emergence of artist, professionals further paved way for civilization as evidenced by Artist and professionals from Florence and Siena. The emergence of institutions and democracy, however concluded the stage or phases of civilization with liberalism, Neo- liberalism playing a crucial part in the move towards civilization and Liberalism in the globe. CONCLUSION The paper has been able to find out the reasons for the civilization of cities or the evolution of cities in the current or contemporary globe, this was necessitated by religion ,systems of governance, interrelationships among empires ,trade and commerce to mention but a few. The Interesting part however remains the development of some continents at the expense of the other, this was briefly depicted as a result of religion and system of governance, the Islamic countries case is crucial here. However further scholarly submissions to the thesis is prevalent in the academia. REFERENCE Reilly, K, 1989, The West and the World A history of civilization. Second Edition volume 1

Ideal Family: Defining the Ideal Family Throughout American History Es

The ideal American family was transformed in the 19th century in large part due to the great changes taking place in the American society. Many family groups fit this changing mold while some did not. In this essay I will show how this concept of the ideal American family changed. I will also try to explain which groups of Americans followed this concept and why. The end of the 18th century was a turbulent time in American history. The country had just won its independence from Great Britain and was attempting to find an identity for itself. Up to this point families in America were similar to British families. The father was the head of the household, but lived in harmony with his wife. The children were seen as part of the family’s labor force, helping to produce food and supplies for the family. The church ruled the family as much as colonial law in the late 18th. A change in the general economy paved the way for the emergence of a new type of family. The market economy arose in the 1800’s in America. Goods were no longer being produced solely for family consumption. The families of this period were producing goods in excess to sell at markets. Goods able to be purchased at a market as well as the slave trade in the south helped to lessen the amount of household production for the average American family. With a market economy now in place in America, the door was open for the factory system and industrialization. This factory system created two main types of families in America: Middle Class and Working Class. Middle class families were better off economically than their working class counterparts. In these families men worked in jobs considered to be middle class white-collar occupations. Women were therefore staying home and surviving on the man’s salary. With these middle class women staying home along with the smaller amounts of household production, a new type of labor arises. Women in this early 19th century time period become more and more involved in child rearing. The household work for these middle class women is task-oriented and unwaged. This makes them more and more dependent on their husband’s salary and more responsible for the children who were also out of the labor force. Working class families were different in some ways from middle class families. Often in a marriage, the man’s wages were not enough... ...y are allowed to do. Although the Irish were oppressed in this country I feel that they were proud to be Irish. Possibly more so in relation to the surrounding social order. The two cultures, Irish and Protestant, held such different ideals that I believe that the Irish were as proud to be who they were as the Protestants were sure of the virtue of their own ways. The idea of an ideal American family seems ridiculous today. Two hundred years ago many Americans may not have thought twice about the idea that there was a correct form that a family should follow. In the 19th century our country was young and was one of a few to have to come up with its own national identity in such a short period of time. In hindsight and with a bit of anachronism one could say that America dealt with its immigrant population with a great deal of hypocrisy. Instead of being a haven for immigrants America was almost a factory, attempting to take in different people and create a melting pot in which everything becomes alike. Every ingredient eventually loses its uniqueness. Bibliography: christine stansell "women children and the uses of the streets" Femenists studies 8 (sep.82)

Impact of festivals on environment Essay

Introduction India is a land where the life of its people is beautified with festivals. Festival is acelebration of the changing seasons, harvest, reconciliation and the birth anniversaries of saints, gurus and prophets and honours the gods and goddesses. History of festivals Epigraphical evidences prove that festivals have been celebrated in India since Vedictimes. The Aryans conquered India around 1500 B.C. and cultural integration with thelocal population took place. 1. Religious Festivals A large number of festivals being celebrated in India have a religious outlook. Thesefestivals are being celebrated in commemoration of some saints, gurus and prophets, thegods and goddesses or events celebrating their victories. 2. Temple Festivals No festival in India is complete without a feast, and the Hindu temple provides feastsduring the temple festivals. The attendees spend all day at the temple, enjoyingthemselves 3. Fairs or Melas Melas or Fairs are extremely popular not just in India but all over the world. Mela servesa very important role as most of the festivals are celebrated in individual homes. Melasthat are normally celebrated for a week to over a month help to bring the communitytogether and share greetings. 4. National Festivals Independence Day, August 15, commemorates the day in 1947 when India achievedfreedom from British rule. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth of the world`s biggest democracy as a national festival. 5. Regional Festivals India presents a cultural potpourri of number of religions with their festivals andcelebrations but the four major religions followed in India are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism in the descending order. There are a number of regionalfestivals that are celebrated in particular areas only 6. New Year Festivals Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is the first day of the month of Vaisakha, the beginning of theHindu year in some parts of the country. For the Sikhs in Punjab and other parts of thecountry, this day has a particular significance, as it was on this day in 1699 that GuruGobind Singh founded the Khalsa. Here are few festivals with their impact on environment GANESH CHATURTHI Rebirth of Lord Ganesh. Lokmanya Tilak – The Founder Of Ganesh Festival Serves as a meeting ground for people. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Contamination Of Water bodies. Noise pollution – An unfortunate outcome of this joyous festival. Soil pollution due to dumping of ‘Nirmalya’. DIWALI To celebrate return of Ram & Sita. Signifies the end of darkness . ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF DIWALI Air Pollution through Firecrackers Excessive Consumerism. High Energy Consumption. HOLI The symbol of victory overevilness. To celebrate the arrival of Spring. Reflection of the various colorsof spring season. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT HOLI The use of toxic chemical colours. The use of wood for burning Holi fires. The wasteful use of water during Holi. NAG PANCHAMI Celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the mythical Kaliya. Worship of Snakes. To express Gratitude towards snakes. IMPACTS Hunting of snakes. Torture to snakes. Unnecessary feeding of milk. Impact of Festivals on Environment Festivals are becoming significant contributors to air pollution in India. We have so manyfestivals and increasing commercialization – a growing economy is turning everycelebration into grand occasions to splurge. Are we aware of what this is doing to our environment? Here’s a look at how all those festivities affect the air quality.Air pollution levels in big cities are appalling at the best of times and are a growingcause for concern. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) – dust, fumes,smoke, and gases – is way above permissible limits in many of our big cities. This levelsees a quantum jump during festivals, the main culprits being crackers, inflammablesubstances, and artificial colors. Pollution due to festivals Air Pollution due to smoke of crackers. Water Pollution due to immerging statues of God and Goddess made of artificialor synthetic harmful chemicals into rivers,ponds and dams. Noise Pollution due to loudness of music system. Water Pollution The practice of immersion of Ganesh idols after the Ganesh festival invarious cities is causing severe water pollution which leads to the death of tonnes of fishand many aquatic creatures. Gone are the days when the idols are made with clay,nowadays idols are made with Plaster Of Paris and chemical dyes. The repeated cautions and warnings of ecologists and environmental scientists towardsthe possible hazards inflicted by the Plaster Of Paris are falling into the deaf ears of theidol makers and buyers. According to scientists, Plaster Of Paris does not get dissolved or disintegrated fast. Moreover, the chemical dyes and colours being used to colour the idolscontain poisonous elements. Particularly, Red, Blue, Orange and Green colours containMercury, Zinc oxide, Chromium and Lead, the potential causes of developing cancer.According to one estimate, 7500 idols of Ganesh are  weighing about 20,000 kg or inother words, 20 tons. The sea-shore of Mumbai absorbs the immersion of about 1.5 lakhidols every year. The very calculation of the accumulation of clay, Plaster Of Paris,dangerous Chemicals from the paints and colours will shatter the thinking faculty of any brain. The immersion of Durga Statutes during the Durga pooja is also a cause of concern for environmentalists. In Orissa alone 5,000 Durga pooja idols are made, most of them using harmful paints. Heavy metals like lead and chrome are not easily assimilated in an aquatic environmentand can lead to the massive hurt of flora and fauna of the river, pond, lake and coastalareas. As the same river, pond and lake water is used for bathing and drinking purposehigh levels of lead can damage the heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory system and centralnervous system, the environmentalist warned. Impact of air pollution on health Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratorydiseases, and allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children.Suspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseaseSulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like wheezing and shortnessof breath.Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory problems in children.Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium, and otherscan have various harmful effects. Noise Pollution Loudspeakers, fire crackers and loud musical instruments, appear to be one of the biggest culprits of noise pollution during festivals in our country. With the advent of urbanisation, people in the metros had to grapple with the problem of noise pollution in everyday living, and any kind of public celebration only aggravates this lurking issue. A study by World Health Organisation (WHO) asserts that noise pollution is not only a nuisance to the environment but it also poses considerable threat to public health. In residential neighbourhoods, the Supreme Court limits the noise levels to 55 decibels in the day and 45 decibels at night. The local authorities are here to maintain decorum during festivals but we as citizens should also be responsible enough to keep noise within permissible limits. Time and again  people have violated these levels during Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and the list goes on. Despite being worldly-wise, we ignore the health impacts of incessant exposure to such high-decibel sounds. Besides affecting toddlers and children, they bring health issues in adults like hypertension, sleep disturbance, tinnitus and acute hearing loss. Water Pollution Ganpati celebrations shortly followed by Durga Puja this year saw immersion areas littered with flowers and parts of idols. The mess created by bursting of crackers cannot be ignored as well. The materials such as plaster of Paris used in making idols add to the water pollution. Paints used for decorating the idols, loaded with high levels of mercury and lead, increases the toxin levels of water bodies after immersion days. These toxins eventually enter the food chain after affecting the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity. The highly contaminated Ganga is now saturated with litres of paint, bulks of plaster of Paris, toxic synthetic materials and non-biodegradable wastes like plastic flowers, plunged into the holy river. Every year, in the aftermath of Ganpati celebrations, newspapers publish images of Girgaum Chowpatty and other immersion areas littered with huge parts of idols. The main culprit is, of course, the plaster of Paris (PoP) that is used to make majority of the idols. PoP takes several months to completely dissolve. Also, the paints used for colouring and decorating the idols contain high levels of mercury and lead, which adds to the pollution. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has found significantly higher levels of toxins in water bodies after immersion days. These pose a great danger to the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity. These toxins also eventually enter the food chain. Air Pollution Apart from releasing toxic gases, bursting of crackers also leads to pollution of air. Diwali, every year leads to an alarming rise in the level of Respirable Suspended Particulate Material (RSPM) in the air, due to bursting of fire crackers. RSPM are minute particles and can contribute to various health issues including asthma and bronchitis. On the Ganpati  immersion days in 2012, the MPCB found an alarming rise in the level of respirable suspended particulate material (RSPM) across Mumbai and in other cities in the state. RSPM are suspended particles in the air due to bursting of fire crackers and large number of heavy vehicles plying on the roads taking idols for immersion. Since RSPM are small enough to be breathed in, they can contribute to various health issues such as asthma, bronchitis and reduced lung function. These are chronic ailments and persist long after the direct source of pollution is removed. Dry Waste Festivals also generate a humongous amount of dry waste. With firecrackers being the main ingredient to Diwali celebrations, the problem of dry waste increases by leaps and bounds due to lack of dumping space and other neglected constraints. Diwali being round the corner, local government bodies should take a meticulous approach towards guidance notes for municipal solid waste disposal. Garbage that can easily be recycled or reused also ends up in mounting landfills. And heaps of garbage including fruits, flowers, incenses and camphor coming out of puja pandals cannot be ignored either. Relentless social activism is essential to educate people to switch to eco-friendly methods of celebration. In several parts of the country, craftsmen have started using eco-friendly materials and organic paints to make idols. For instance, the idol makers in Kumartuli, the nerve centre of idol makers in Kolkata, took steps this year to check toxic waste levels by using paints devoid of lead, mercury and chromium to embellish the idols. Clay idols instead of the PoP ones are also getting their share of popularity. Spreading the message of civic sense this Diwali might help to curb or at least limit the pollution levels. We must get our social act together before blaming it on local administrators and civic amenities. Today one can easily find sustainable ways of adding to the glory of the festivals and we as ‘law abiding citizens’ should also take initiatives to cooperate with the government. If you have better ways of protecting the environment and saving our Mother Earth, you are most welcome to go ahead and spread the message. There are several ways to do so and Google will definitely come to your rescue. My Opinion about festivals of India Our country India is a very big country and every day of a year is a festival and it can becelebrated here with great joy and happiness. â€Å"India a country Where Everyday Is A Celebration.† Every festival takes an important part in the life of different peoples from differentcommunities of India. There are many festivals can be celebrated on different religiousoccasions. Indian Festivals are celebrated across the world because the Indian people areeverywhere in the world. some of them are doing jobs abroad or some of them are good big businessmen But no one can left Indian culture and festival celebrating. festivals colours our life in anew way. Every festival In India have different colors, prayers, sweets and old uniquerituals Many types of festivals are celebrated here in India like national, regional, local, religiousor seasonal festivals. In every months many festival comes and fill colors in our lives CONCLUSION We should contribute equally towards society for controlling pollution. Lets make festivals more joyful & meaningful in eco- friendly manner. Use of natural clay idols . Immersion of idols in a bucket or artificial tank of water. Deposit all the floral offerings into Nirmalaya pots. Celebrate the Ganesh Procession in traditional way. Lighting lamps the green way. â€Å"Say No to Fire crackers and Yes to life!â€Å" Light Diyas instead of electrical light. Usage of eco-friendly colors. Celebrating bonfire in unity. A Dry Holi. Use of frames & idols Careful handling of snakes. Avoidance of use of milk. Biblography http://www.yowoto.com/posts/the-impact-of-festivals-on-the-environment http://www.scribd.com/doc/160418855/Festivals-of-India-Impact-of-Festivals-on -Environment http://www.skymetweather.com/content/2013/10/lifestyle-and-culture/dangerous-relationship-of-environment-and-festivals/ http://www.slideshare.net/ketakishinde/indian-festivals-and-environment

The Construction Of The Roman Empire - 1415 Words

Motorways Thousands of years ago, the invention of the wheel gave the people the opportunity to complete their work easier, moving around the areas faster. The construction of the Roman Empire roads allowed people to reach the Roman dominion around Europe. Their first effort to create a road system was between 43AD and 400AD, when they conquered Britain in order to have better access to main financial centres. By creating road network, they tried to expand the potential market throughout the empire. The whole network was 3,000 kilometres in length, covered most of England, Wales and Southern Scotland [1]. After the departure of Romans from Britain and the fall of the Roman Empire, little effort was made for the improvement of the network system in Europe. Only at the first decades of the 18th century, due to the Industrial Revolution, there was an increased need for transport. At the first decades of the twentieth century, the demand for faster movement between cities and the increasing use of the automobile (from one third of million at the end of the First World War to over three millions at the end of the World War II) were the main reasons for the construction of different-type motorways around the world. Typical examples are AVUS in Berlin, the oldest controlled-access highway in Europe, in Italy in 1924 between Milan and Varese. Britain created the first motorway in 1958 [2, 3]. The design of motorways is a complicated process, included specific parameters andShow MoreRelatedRoman Roads1495 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Roman Roads: An Empire Connected LVV4U1 December 16, 2013 â€Å"Man has always moved along a road. It’s just what the road has looked like that’s changed over time† (Dan McNichol). 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