How History Haunts the Present in Louise Erdrich’s Plague of Doves and Love Medicine - Literature Essay Samples

Louise Erdrich’s novels Love Medicine and Plague of Doves are filled with a multitude of characters. These characters are different from one another with their own struggles and problems but are connected, not just by blood but by their shared cultural history. This cultural history is filled with oppression and hardships which undoubtedly affect all generations, including the current generations. Some of these issues include acculturation and assimilation, poor mental health, alcoholism and domestic violence which are all major issues that Native Americans face today and they’re all issues that Louise Erdrich touches on in her novels Love Medicine and The Plague of Doves. By looking at the history of these issues, there can be a better, fuller understanding of the source of these issues and the harmful effects Europeans had on Native Americans, namely the Chippewa tribe. Exploring the history of Europeans and Native Americans starting with their first encounters is imp ortant because it is the beginning of the Chippewa’s complicated relationship with Europeans and therefore, the complicated relationship with themselves. According to Encyclopedia Britannica â€Å"The Ojibwa constituted one of the largest indigenous North American groups in the early 21st century†. It was 1640 when the Jesuits and French traders first contacted the Chippewa tribe The Chippewa tribe previously traded amongst each other and other surrounding tribes such as the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes. The Chippewas had to depend on the French fur traders because their resources were growing scarce. This was the beginning of acculturation for the Chippewa tribe. â€Å"The fur trade deepened the relationships between the Ojibway and Cree, and French traders, resulting in marriages between them† (Britannica). Over time, the offspring of Chippewa and Cree people became known as â€Å"Mà ©tis† or â€Å"Metchif† which is another way to say â€Å"mixed American Indian and Euro-American. Louise Erdrich herself was born to a European father and partly Chippewa mother. She had already experienced the blending of cultures at a young age and grew up to go to college at both Dartmouth college and Johns Hopkins university. This awareness of white society definitely lends to the credibility of the issue of acculturation in Louise Erdrich’s novels. Acculturation is defined by (Britannica) as â€Å"the processes of change in artifacts, customs, and beliefs that result from the contact of two or more cultures. The term is also used to refer to the results of such changes. Two major types of acculturation, incorporation and directed change, may be distinguished on the basis of the conditions under which cultural contact and change take place.†Acculturation is portrayed this way in Love Medicine through the stories and characters. For instance, the chapter â€Å"The Tomahawk Factory† in Love Medicine. In this chapter, there is a clear clash of Native American culture and European society’s ideology. Lulu even accuses her son Lyman of selling out. The Tomahawk Factory is a factory that sells Native American trinkets. The acculturation is evident here because there is a devaluing of Native American culture in favor of making a quick buck by means of mass production. In fact, the creator or â€Å"father† of the American factory system was indeed an Anglo-American man named Samuel Slater. This is also an example of assimilation which is defined as â€Å"the process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society† (Britannica). In this instance, Lyman had to absorb the capitalist culture of Anglo-American society in order to improve his financial situation. In Love Medicine and in The Plague of Doves we see assimilation to the extreme. In the beginning of The Plague of Doves we are told that â€Å"His human flock had taken up the plow and farmed among German and Norwegian settlers. Those people, unlike the French who mingled with my ancestors, took little interest in the women native to the land and did not intermarry. In fact, the Norwegians disregarded everybody but themselves and were quite clannish. But the doves ate their crops the same†. In Love Medicine it is the Chippewa people that leave home and assimilate to Anglo culture. In fact, Albertine doesn’t just leave home, she runs away. She lives as a nursing student, studying modern medicine as opposed to Native American â€Å"medicine†. The distance she has put between herself and her Chippewa culture is especially evident in her relationships. â€Å"Our relationship was like a file we sharpened on, and necessary in that way† Albertine says about her m other. This shows Albertine’s disconnection with her heritage. It seems as though she views going home as an obligation as opposed to a positive thing that many other Native Americans do, as seen in stories with a â€Å"homing† plot. â€Å"The acceptance of the French fur trader had a social and psychological impact on the culture of the Ojibway† (Britannica). Studies as recent as 2015 conclude that â€Å"Mental illness plays a role in almost 90 percent of suicides, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and such conditions are often treatable. In the case of the AIAN (American Indian and Alaska Native) community, mental health resources are in short supply and don’t always reach them† (Huffpost). Simply put, there are limited resources for Native Americans suffering from mental health. Many times, these mental health issues are brought on by Anglo-American society. One issue that can cause a great deal of depression and other mental health issues would be the fact that â€Å"compared to the total U.S. population, more than twice as many Native Americans live in poverty† (mental health America). Most Native Americans are impoverished. Native Americans suffer from PTSD and many times, drug and alcohol abuse. Many mental health issues such as PTSD can be attributed to historical trauma. â€Å"Historical trauma response (HTR) theory is based on the hypothesis that when people were victims of cultural trauma, the aftereffects can be passed down through the generations†. Often, there is no help or treatment for Native Americans as far as mental health is concerned. This leads to addictions and other issues, and even death. In Love Medicine, we see three mentally ill or unwell people die and two of them take their own lives. Henry Lamartine Jr. commits suicide by jumping into the river and drowning and Gordie Kashpaw commits suicide, although unintentionally, by drinking Lysol when he had ran out of alcohol. â€Å"He was sick, sick again, blindly sick, knocking into shelves and pulling down the flour bin, throwing himself toward the door† (259). Addiction is a mental illness and it’s one that if not treated, could be passed down. Gordie’s son King is also an alcoholic. â€Å"Among the behavioral traits parents can pass on to their children is a predisposition toward alcohol abuse and addiction. Among those abusing alcohol, people who are genetically predisposed to alcoholism have a higher risk of becoming addicted† (Addiction Center). The first time that alcoholism grew from the pain of their reality, they increased the chance that their offspring would also become addicted. Alcohol and other drugs are coping mechanisms. Native Americans have experienced a lot of trauma. â€Å"Rates of all types of addiction — not just alcohol — are elevated in aboriginal peoples around the world, not only in America. It’s unlikely that these scattered groups randomly happen to share more vulnerability genes for addiction than any other similarly dispersed people. But what they clearly do have in common is an ongoing multi-generational experience of trauma† (The Verge). In The Plague of Doves, Billy Peace becomes the leader of a cult. Various religions such as Catholicism cannot be proven or disproven due to a lack of tangible â€Å"evidence†. Therefore, one cannot say emphatically that Billy Peace is automatically mentally ill because he sees spirits but we do have to question his mental state. Like Harry Lamartine Jr., Billy has been in battle. More than likely, Billy would have post-traumatic stress disorder. We also have to consider the fact that he has created a following. The word â€Å"cult† or the idea of a cult has negative connotations in our society and that’s because we see the followers of cults as being brainwashed sheep. If we look at Billy’s cult in that way, then most likely Billy himself is delusional and he’s imagining things. Perhaps he’s schizophrenic. Either that or his ego is so inflated that he needs to have followers. This in itself is a sign of mental illness and could also be a sym ptom of oppression. After being told that you and your people aren’t worthy, that you don’t matter, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities to assume that he would thrive on attention from those that paint him as a hero as a opposed to a villain as so many Anglo-Americans do. Native Americans, namely those of the Chippewa tribe struggle immensely due to the influence of the Anglos. This is something that we see in the books Love Medicine and The Plague of Doves. Erdrich herself is a result of these two cultures mixing and uses this perspective to reveal the ugly truths about the oppression of the Chippewa tribe. They struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, assimilation and acculturation as well as mental health and a slew of other issues brought on by the English.

Theology- Church and Sacraments - 4375 Words

All of which I am about to write in this short synthesis is solely taken from the book entitled, â€Å"Church and Sacraments† by Victoria D. Corral, Ed.D. Et al. No other reference was used in the makings. The 12 chosen apostles of Jesus Christ were the first footsteps taken to the creation of the Church, which was born from the Father’s plan in order to continue the mission He had done and that is to proclaim the Kingdom of God. The early Christian community was the beginning of the Church as each apostle begins the journey of spreading His Word to all nations. Despite the universal acceptance of the many, it had not always been as acceptable as it is now, before in Christ’s time. The division between Jews and Gentile had been in continuous†¦show more content†¦Despite attempts to regain the lost during the disparities, much of the original doctrines have been shattered. Arianism at some point ended but was again spread due to the coming of the West migrants such as Visigoths. Destroying many Catholic churches and bringing disaster, Roman Empire enters the Dark Ages period. Although, at the time, bishops and popes became more functional in civil authority, it wa s not of power, but because of the opportunity to impart the religious authority. Afterwards, Catholic Church soon became the Roman Catholic Church. On the other hand, the East maintained traditions and at the Council of Chalcedon, Pope Leo disagreed with the decision to make Constantinople equal to Rome and fought for papal primacy. Written in Pope Leo’s papacy was the greatest mission taken place that when the empire collapses, the only way to protect all was the conversion of the barbarians. When Christendom was created, it paved the way to the conversion of the barbarians. When Clovis, for example, was baptized, he used the Church in stabilizing moral codes towards his men. Gregory the Great laid the foundation of the medieval Christendom making the pope supreme. But still corruption and abuses remained. Monks also played another role in the Church as they accompany the dissolution of the Empire. The monks who created monasteries allowedShow MoreRelatedTheology of Worship1367 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"My Theology of Worship† My theology of worship can be found in John 4:24: â€Å"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.† This is my theology of worship from this text, which can further be broken down into these four questions, which I will go in detail about how they relate to my theology. How worship functions in the relationship between God and humanity, where the sacraments fits into my theology of worship, the role of the church in corporate worship(community)Read MoreThe Importance of Sacraments1085 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the history of religion, the significance of sacraments has remained unchanged. According to Downey, there are key terms in relation to the language of sacraments. These words are rite, ritual, liturgy, worship, grace, sign, symbol, and sacrament (Downey, Michael). Although these outward signs, symbols, and tokens may differ among various religions, the role they play in worship is unanimous. Many of these sacraments are held as sa cred practices and viewed as necessary. Within the practiceRead MoreThe Holy Communion And The Communion Essay1361 Words   |  6 Pagestherefore, important to discuss what the holy communion means about theology. The Holy Communion has several names given to it. Among them are: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Divine Liturgy, and the Mass. Inside the New Testament, there are also varying details given there concerning what entails the Holy Communion on accounts given by Christ himself.[1] The Holy Communion does not compare to Baptism which is another sacrament that is non-repeatable. It is repeatable to some certain degrees asRead MoreDefinition Of Marriage On The Church And Beyond Essay1349 Words   |  6 PagesDEFINITION OF MARRIAGE Bibliographic Resource: Gary H. and Woolverton A. â€Å"Marriage Ministry by Design: Designing Effective Ministry to Marriages in the Church and Beyond† Bloomington: WestBow Press, (2012) 4. Annotation: Gary and Woolverton defined marriage as an agreement between one man and one woman that joins their lives legitimately, financially, inwardly, and physically. It can be characterized further as a social union between individuals that makes family relationship. HISTORY BibliographicRead MoreThe Theology Of The Sacrament Of Baptism1206 Words   |  5 Pageshim and thus one among yourselves†. This assignment which will principally focus on three areas, namely, the theology of the sacrament of Baptism, the meaning of the symbols employed in the sacrament, and some of the pastoral issues surrounding the sacrament. Our group presented on the sacrament of Baptism, in particular, the Baptism of a catechumen. Our group decided to choose this sacrament so that we could gain a deeper understanding of its theological aspect, as well as a sense of our understandingRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Lord s Supper1597 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, is one of three sacraments that are recognized in the Evangelical church. Through the sacraments Christians are brought closer to God through the work of the Holy Spirit. There have been several views of the Lord’s Supper throughout church history including: transubstantiation, consubstantiation, the symbolic nature of the Eucharist, and the most commonly accepted view of the Lord’s Supper today. Even today, the Lord’s Supper, orRead MoreLutheranism And Calvinism857 Words   |  4 PagesThese are the reasons I believe Lutheranism is better than Calvinism and why you should leave the Catholic Church and come and join Lutheranism. Firstly, Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity which identifies with the theology of Martin Luther. Martin Luther (1483–1546) was a German monk, reformer, and theologian. Calvinism is the religious doctrines of John Calvin. Calvin stressed that people are saved through Gods grace, not through their own merits. The most famous of CalvinsRead MoreThe Three Models Of The Christian Church1381 Words   |  6 PagesChristian Church. â€Å"The multiple models of church function to make the spiritual life of humans complete in varied and complementary ways. No value is superior to another although the individuals values may in some ways incorporate the other values. ï‚ · Institution – conveys the tradition that interprets God’s message to the world. ï‚ · Community unites one person with many and the eternal God through the Body of Christ. ï‚ · Sacrament – brings God’s grace into the world through the church. ï‚ · Engage/EvangelizeRead MoreThe Council of Trent: The Thirteenth Session Essay example2467 Words   |  10 Pagessuch as the church fathers, and scripture that gave a completely new approach to looking at the Bible. The birth of the European Reformation (or Protestantism) is often marked by Martin Luther’s posting of The Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517 protesting the Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences. Luther’s initial intent was not to separate and divide the Holy Mother Church, but to reform ill practices and corruption. However, his good intention grew into a great schism in the Church as doctrinalRead MoreThe Between Cathedrals And Universities1096 Words   |  5 PagesDavid Drogos Theology 11- Honors Mr. Sebik 12-1-15 Sacramental History- Confirmation The growth in the number of Cathedrals and Universities were better known in the middle ages. Universities were for higher learning and were spread out in England, France, Italy and especially Spain (predominantly catholic country)(Scannell). Bishops created schools for preaching. The Renaissance was largely known for its contributions to architecture, literature, and painting. Common features that were lacking

Oedipus Essay - 734 Words

This analysis of Oedipus’s character shows how Oedipus, the protagonist and the antagonist against himself, dealt with unfortunate situations which sealed his fate. Oedipus was a strange round character that was really interesting and mysterious. Oedipus’s life was a good example of a true Greek tragedy; he worked himself up to be a great king and ultimately in the end he died with only his perception on life. Oedipus was once a man of power who falls impoverished. He goes from having much respect in his great position to being impure, blind, and expelled from the land that he once ruled. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus’s wisdom and actions as a king are very effective. To his subjects he is respected and very well†¦show more content†¦His pride in himself is even greater than what the people propose it to be. However, Oedipus pride can be backed up by the fact that he did save the city from disaster while virtually becoming king almost imm ediately after his knowledge was known. Oedipus seems to use his pride to embellish his power. â€Å"Here I am myself— / you all know me, the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus† (Oedipus the King, 7–9). Unfortunately Oedipus’s initial attribute of pride and confidence soon dwindled throughout the play. From the time that Oedipus’s fate comes into action, when he hears the perception of Tiresias, Oedipus is in due course in losing his fulsome nature. We see the round nature of Oedipus go a full circle throughout the play; first he is flattering of himself and self-governing, yet later we see him as impoverished and dependent on others. Oedipus’s fate seems to always win even though he tries tirelessly to beat it. His doesn’t allow him to lose due to his cockiness, but in the closing stages the story seems to show that Oedipus is starting to accept the fact that he will never win. Towards the conclusion of the play when Oedipus gives his trust to Theseus over his fortune giving burial he seems to find a peace again even though his life is still not impressive. Oedipus’s reflection towards the end of the play can be summed up by Jocasta’s statement, â€Å"Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earthShow MoreRelatedThe Oedipus Complex ( Oedipus )1666 Words   |  7 Pagesmother and her son. Sigmund Freud himself came up with the Oedipus complex, which is when a boy has an attachment to the mother, which in turns results in aggressive and envious feelings toward the father and these feelings are largely repressed. The Oedipus complex comes from Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus but has largely been associated with Hamlet as well, since he and his mother Gertrude, have an extremely complicated relationship (Oedipus Complex). Hamlet is the predecessor of modern psychologicalRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Oedipus Oedipus Rex 928 Words   |  4 Pagesbetwe en Oedipus’ irrevocable circumstances as well as his flawed character that makes Sophocles’ â€Å"Oedipus Rex† a quintessential example of Greek drama. His circumstances, which are set by the Gods, are profound and beyond anyone’s control; either he must be killed or there will be great consequences. His parent’s rejection of the oracle set by the gods, the degrees of separation from his origin, and his flawed sense of pride is the complexity of the plot as well as what makes Oedipus the complexRead MoreOedipus The King Of Oedipus868 Words   |  4 Pageschallenge that waits upon one. Confidence overpowers cockiness. The cocky trait is heavily represented in the story â€Å"Oedipus the King† (c. 430 B.C.) by Sophocles. In the story, Oedipus the king of Thebes has the cocky trait and it results in torture for life. Oedipus’s arrogant personality shows throughout the story as he tries to find the killer of the former king of Thebes, his father. Oedipus tends to deem himself as a god throughout the story which plays a big role in interaction with people around himRead MoreOedipus The King Of Oedipus1019 Words   |  5 Pageswhat makes Oedipus actions in his quarrel with Teiresias and also throughout the play so dramatically compelling, is the fact that the audience knows the outcome of the story. We know Oedipus fate even before he does, and there is no suspen se about the outcome itself, instead, the audience anxiously awaits Oedipus to reveal his fate unto himself in his desperate quest to rid his city of the terrible plague, or maybe even more so, to simply discover his own unfortunate tale. Oedipus is relentlessRead MoreOedipus The King : Oedipus1328 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus the King Oedipus had a lot of different character traits both good and bad. He had a good conscience; he cared deeply for the people in his life and protected them. He was very empathetic, smart and a dependable man who lived his life with great integrity. He was an honest man with strong moral principles and lived a righteous life. He found it difficult to live anything less than a righteous life; when he realized what had become of his life, his guilty conscience consumed him. He was filledRead MoreOedipus By William Shakespeare s Oedipus1096 Words   |  5 PagesThebes is that they have a plague. Oedipus wants to discover the murderer of Laius in order to end the suffering of his people. 2. (Question 2) Oedipus is a man of action, but he is also a man of temper. Oedipus bullies Tiresias into answering him. It is at this point that Tiresias reveals that Oedipus has killed the previous king, Laius. A pattern emerges regarding Oedipus behavior. He has a temper, but is also used to having his way. At one point Oedipus becomes extremely angry and accusesRead More The Character of Oedipus in Oedipus and The Infernal Machine893 Words   |  4 Pages The Character of Oedipus in Oedipus and The Infernal Machine   Ã‚   The stories of Oedipus, as told through Senecas Oedipus and Cocteaus The Infernal Machine, contain both similarites and differences. Both authors portray the character of Oedipus as being obstinate, ignorant, and inquisitive. Yet Seneca and Cocteau differ on their interpretation of the motives that propelled these characteristics of Oedipus. Seneca portrays Oedipus as a mature man who, in seeing the troubles of the plague thatRead More tragoed Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)1217 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King In the introduction to Sophocles Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines a tragic hero as one who [behaves] admirably as a man, [but who] is nevertheless tripped up by forces beyond his control and understanding... (Sophocles 76).   In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero. The force that trips up the hero is fate, or, moira. It is Oedipuss actions that set the events into motion,   but it is ultimately his fate, and his attemptedRead MoreThe Characterization Of Oedipus Oedipus Rex 1303 Words   |  6 PagesIn Sophocles tragic play, Oedipus Rex, there is often feedback when discussing the characterization of Oedipus. Key issues in this play are pointed towards in realm of a tragedy, because Oedipus suffers a few character flaws such as anger, pride and arrogance. Within those flaws, he fails to reflect upon his actions; causing blindness and later, result his honor to be under minded and seen at the forefront of Thebes. What makes this play more on the fringe than other tragic plays are Oedipus’sRead MoreOedipus Essay767 Words   |  4 PagesSophocles Oedipus the King is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well known to the athenian s. Oedipus is the embodiement of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the sphinx

Buddhism and Vegetarianism

All Buddhists are vegetarians, right? Well, no. Some Buddhists are vegetarians, but some are not. Attitudes about vegetarianism vary from sect to sect as well as from individual to individual. If you are wondering whether you must commit to being a vegetarian to become a Buddhist, the answer is, maybe, but possibly not. It is unlikely the historical Buddha was a vegetarian. In the earliest recording of his teachings, the Tripitaka, the Buddha did not categorically forbid his disciples to eat meat. In fact, if meat were put into a monks alms bowl, the monk was supposed to eat it. Monks were to gratefully receive and consume all food they were given, including meat. Exceptions There was an exception to the meat for alms rule, however. If monks knew or suspected that an animal had been slaughtered specifically to feed monks, they were to refuse to take the meat. On the other hand, leftover meat from an animal slaughtered to feed a lay family was acceptable. The Buddha also listed certain types of meat that were not to be eaten. This included horse, elephant, dog, snake, tiger, leopard, and bear. Because only some meat was specifically forbidden, we can infer that eating other meat was permissible. Vegetarianism and the First Precept The First Precept of Buddhism is do not kill. The Buddha told his followers not to kill, participate in killing, or cause to have any living thing killed. To eat meat, some argue, is taking part in killing by proxy. In response, it is argued that if an animal were already dead and not slaughtered specifically to feed oneself, then it is not quite the same thing as killing the animal oneself. This seems to be how the historical Buddha understood eating meat. However, the historical Buddha and the monks and nuns who followed him were homeless wanderers who lived on the alms they received. Buddhists did not begin to build monasteries and other permanent communities until some time after the Buddha died. Monastic Buddhists do not live on alms alone but also on food grown by, donated to, or purchased by monks. It is hard to argue that meat provided to an entire monastic community did not come from an animal specifically slaughtered on behalf of that community. Thus, many sects of Mahayana Buddhism, in particular, began to emphasize vegetarianism. Some of the Mahayana Sutras, such as the Lankavatara, provide decidedly vegetarian teachings. Buddhism and Vegetarianism Today Today, attitudes toward vegetarianism vary from sect to sect and even within sects. On the whole, Theravada Buddhists do not kill animals themselves but consider vegetarianism to be a personal choice. The Vajrayana schools, which include Tibetan and Japanese Shingon Buddhism, encourage vegetarianism but do not consider it to be absolutely necessary to Buddhist practice. Mahayana schools are more often vegetarian, but even within many Mahayana sects, there is a  diversity of practice. In keeping with the original rules, some Buddhists might not purchase meat for themselves, or choose a live lobster out of the tank and have it boiled, but might eat a meat dish offered them at a friends dinner party. The Middle Way Buddhism discourages fanatical perfectionism. The Buddha taught his followers to find a middle way between extreme practices and opinions. For this reason, Buddhists who do practice vegetarianism are discouraged from becoming fanatically attached to it. A Buddhist practices metta, which is loving kindness to all beings without selfish attachment. Buddhist refrain from eating meat out of loving kindness for living animals, not because there is something unwholesome or corrupt about an animals body. In other words, the meat itself is not the point, and under some circumstances, compassion might cause a Buddhist to break the rules. For example, lets say you visit your elderly grandmother, whom you have not seen for a long time. You arrive at her home and find that she has cooked what had been your favorite dish when you were a child—stuffed pork chops. She doesnt do much cooking anymore  because her elderly body doesnt move around the kitchen so well. But it is the dearest wish of her heart to give you something special and watch you dig into those stuffed pork chops the way you used to. She has been looking forward to this for weeks. I say that if you hesitate to eat those pork chops for even a second, you are no Buddhist. The Business of Suffering When I was a girl growing up in rural Missouri, livestock grazed in open meadows and chickens wandered and scratched outside hen houses. That was a long time ago. You still see free-ranging livestock on small farms, but big factory farms can be cruel places for animals. Breeding sows live most of their lives in cages so small they cannot turn around. Egg-laying hens kept in battery cages cannot spread their wings. These practices make the vegetarian question more critical. As Buddhists, we should consider if products we purchase were made with suffering. This includes human suffering as well as animal suffering. If your vegan faux-leather shoes were made by exploited laborers working under inhumane conditions, you might as well have bought leather. Live Mindfully The fact is, to live is to kill. It cannot be avoided. Fruits and vegetables come from living organisms, and farming them requires killing insects, rodents, and other animal life. The electricity and heat for our homes may come from facilities that harm the environment. Dont even think about the cars we drive. We are all entangled in a web of killing and destruction, and as long as we live we cannot be completely free of it. As Buddhists, our role is not to mindlessly follow rules written in books, but to be mindful of the harm we do and do as little of it as possible.

Electronic Medical Records Of Four Senior Surgeons For All...

Abstract Introduction Intra-operative cultures may be obtained in revision spine surgery despite the absence of pre-operative clinical markers of infection (wound drainage, fevers, elevated ESR/CRP/WBC, etc). The microbiologic profile of culture positive cases in which there is no clear evidence of infection preoperatively has not been described. The aim of this investigation is to report on the microbiologic profile of this unique patient population. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of four senior surgeons for all revision spine surgery cases performed between 2008-2013. During the study period, 595 revision surgeries were performed. Seventeen cases were performed for the primary diagnosis of†¦show more content†¦Pseudarthrosis was the most common diagnosis overall (49.1%) in which intra-operative cultures were obtained, followed by recurrent index disease (17.0%). Pseudarthrosis was also the most common revision surgical diagnosis where cultures were positive (55.6%). Including all patients who had revision surgery for the diagnosis of pseudoarthrosis (both cultured and not cultured), 18.9%(24/127) had positive cultures. When pseudarthrosis was the primary diagnosis at revision surgery and cultures were taken, Propionobacterium acnes was cultured in 54.2% of cases; though, this was not stastistically more common than other organisms (p = 0.6381). Overall, staphylococcal species were found most commonly (57.8% of cases), but Propionobacterium acnes was at least one of the isolates in 48.9% of cases and was the most common organism isolated. Polymicrobial cultures were obtained in 22.2% of cases. MRSA infections were found in only 6.7% of cases. Non-instrumented cases were significantly more likely to develop an infection (p = 0.0253) than instrumented cases. Positive cultures were seen more commonly in non-fusion cases than fusion cases (p = 0.027). Those fused to the sacrum were less likely to have positive cultures than those who did not have fusion to the sacrum (p = 0.032). Conclusions Intra-operative cultures are commonly obtained in the setting of revision spine surgery without overwhelming clinical evidence for infection. The

John Locke And His Ideas Of Rebellion During The English...

John Locke was an English writer, and his writings were based on the events that took place during the Glorious Revolution in England in 1689, when the people of England overthrew King James II. John Locke was interestingly enough, brought up in a loyalist and Evangelical family. He was born to a very wealthy family, and received much prestige in Oxford for his connections to the higher ups. Locke presented his ideas of rebellion during the English civil war which took place in the mid-1600s, in favor of the revolts against the King’s rule in England at the time. John Locke graduated with a degree in medicine from Oxford University. He spent his entire life living in England until he was exiled to Holland, after the English government found his writings on the freedom from religion to be defiant of the king’s authority. The main idea that Locke was trying to establish was that rebellions against tyrannical governments should be viewed in a respected eye from the rest of the world. He used the â€Å"Treatises of Government† to differentiate the rule of a civil government and an uncivil government. Without the influence of a rebellious Englishman there may never have been the United States of America. Some of the founding fathers have been firm believers in the ideas posed in John Locke’s â€Å"Second Treatise of Government†. The one idea that can be seen quite clearly is the complete dissenting stance taken by Locke on the thought of monarchy in civil government. â€Å"Absolute monarchy,Show MoreRelatedThomas Hobbes And John Locke1426 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical philosophers in Europe --Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. England was in constant unrest, choosing new forms of government almost on a whim in desperate attempts to restore order in the Country. 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Employ Motivation Organizational Effective -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Employ Motivation Organizational Effective? Answer: Introduction With time and dynamics in the international commercial scenario, there have been considerable modifications in the way of doing businesses across the globe. With Globalization and a more inclusive global business set up, the industries have become more integrated and their operational structures have also become complicated and multi-dimensional (Wild, Wild Han, 2014). The businesses, nowadays, not only face competitions from their domestic rivals but also from the similar companies operating in other countries, due to increased ease of import and export of not only goods and services but also resources of production, labor being one of the primary ones. Keeping this into consideration, the organizations have been incorporating different strategies in their operational framework, with the objective of maintaining a stable, productive and efficient employee base, which in turn contributes to long term profitability and sustainability of the companies, by helping them gaining cost effectiveness, advantages in productivity and an edge over their competitors. These operations of the companies fall under the domain of Human Resource Management department of the companies (Cavusgil, Ghauri Akcal, 2012). Of the different roles of the human resource departments of the commercial institutions across the world, one of the primary one is to keep the employees motivated to work efficiently and to encourage to keep them dedicated to the company through all thick and thins. Keeping this into consideration, the report tries to discuss the strategies taken by the companies across the global for maintaining a productive and sustaining employee base. For studying the same, the report takes reference of an article by Kris Carlon, on the recent strategy taken by the tech giant, Samsung in the aspect of human resource management (Jiang et al., 2012). The report analyzes and tries to interpret the same using the Strategic Human Resource Management Framework. Summary of the Article For the purpose of studying the implications of strategies taken in the human resource management framework, in the real world scenario, the article refers to the article, by Kris Carlon, published in Android Authority, on January 27th, 2016. The article specifically highlights the case of Samsung Mobiles in the year 2015 (Carlon, 2018). The international tech giant, had not received expected profitability from their mobile division in 2015, much of which can be attributed to the strict and continually increasing competition which the company have been facing in the recent times with the entry of many international mobile producing companies, some of which are most cost efficient than the company itself. However, in spite of the poor performance of the mobile division, the company decided to pay extremely high bonuses to their employees working in this division, especially, with the highest capping of their bonus framework being 50% of the individual salaries of the respective employees. As the article suggests, the company had done this, mainly to encourage the employees of the mobile division and to keep them working with increased enthusiasm, to overcome the slowdown in the profitability of the concerned sector (Janeczko, 2017). The company, however, have not been equally giving for all the sectors, as not all the sectors received such high bonuses, which primarily includes the battery division of the company (receiving only 3% as their bonus) and the electronics sector (receiving only 10%), both the sectors being moderately profitable in the contemporary periods. These are considerably lower compared to the bonus received by the less productive mobile division of the company (Berman et al., 2012). The only sectors, which got bonuses comparable to that of the mobile sector, were the semiconductor division and the software and psychology sector, both of which have been highly productive and profitable. Implications of Rewarding Strategy taken by Samsung Mobiles From the above summary of the concerned article, it can be asserted that Samsung had resorted to reward the employees of the mobile division in spite of the fact that the division did not perform as efficiently and productively as it was expected to and lagged behind sectors like semiconductors and technology sector of the company (Lee Jung, 2015). However, other sectors like battery division got much lower bonuses. There can be several reasons behind such discrete rewarding strategies taken by the company in 2015, which can be highlighted and explained in the lights of the exiting theoretical frameworks present in the Strategic Human Resource Management scenario in the global framework (Singer, 2012). Keeping this into consideration, the following section of the report tries to explore the theories and concepts, which exist in the domain of human resource management in the global framework. It also tries to link the same with the current issue of consideration, that is the rewarding mechanism of Samsung, thereby analyzing the implications of such a strategy on the employees of the company and the company itself and also identifying the issues of concern within the strategic framework of the company. Rewarding workers: Human Resource Management Perspectives The concerned article highlights several bothering problems, which have been faced by the otherwise predominant player in the global tech market, Samsung, of which the primary one has been the problem of reduction in the revenue of the company, especially in several sectors, which primarily includes the mobile sector, as can be seen from the following figure: As is evident from the above diagram, in the last few years, there have been severe dynamics in the revenue generation of the different sectors of Samsung (Manzoor, 2012). However, barring the semi-conductor sector, whose profit has been increasing more or less consistently, the other sectors have seen reduction in their revenue generation, especially between 2013 and 2015, with the telecom sector being one of the prominent ones. One of the main reasons behind the same can be attributed to the increase in the popularity of other competitors and shift in the share of clientele to the other companies. In this context, the decision of the company to provide high bonus to the employees in its mobile section may have considerable implications on the performance of the sector as a whole, though it may seem to be irrational in the first look. The reasons behind implementation of such a strategy on part of Samsung can be explained with the help of Human Resource Management in the following sections (Wilkins, Thakur-Weigold Wagner, 2012). Possible reasons behind rewarding the employees There may be several reasons behind the strategy of rewarding the employees of the concerned company even though the profitability of the sector had been low. The primary reasons behind the same are as follows: Motivation of the employees One of the main requirements for the efficient working of the contemporary commercial companies is evidently the presence of a workforce, which is efficient, productive, innovative and dedicated. To stay constantly productive and efficient sufficient amount of motivation is required for the employees, which has to be provided by the companies themselves, for the vested interest of the companies themselves (Manzoor, 2012). This is because much of the competencies, efficiency, profitability and long-term prospects of the companies depend on the productivity and dedication of the workforce. The management of the workers falling under the domain of human resource department of any company, there are several measures and strategies are taken by the same for ensuring that the employees are motivated to work hard and contribute significantly in good as well as in bad phases of the company. This has to be done particularly by the HR department of the company so that the same sail swiftly through any kind of situations (Presslee, Vance Webb, 2013). One of the strategies which are most commonly incorporated by the human resource management of any company for the purpose of motivating their employees is the strategy of rewarding and recognizing the employees for their efforts. The recognition of the efforts put in by the employees of a company, in general has considerable positive implications in the aspect of motivating them as they feel appreciated and important for the company (Jiang et al., 2012). This in turn increased their incentive to work harder for the company, which reflects in their increased performances, which in turn has high probability of increasing the profitability and sustainability of the company itself. However, recognition of the efforts of employees being verbal and not adding to the materialistic welfare of the employees, it works only up to a certain extent and is not enough for the purpose of constant providing motivation of the employees. For this purpose, rewarding the employees can pose as a more effective strategy. These rewards, which the companies mostly provide to acknowledge the performances of their employees, come in cash or in kind. One of the most common ways of monetarily rewarding the employees is by providing them bonuses, which are in general paid as a percentage of the employees salary (Dobre, 2013). This framework is also followed by Samsung, as can be seen from the concerned article, with the percentages varying according to the level of performances of the different employees. This may have been one of the probable underlying reasons behind the strategy of the concerned company to reward their employees of the mobile division in spite of the decrease in the production of the same in 2015. Cash reward being mostly considered by the employees as the worth of their efforts, this might have helped the company to motivate their mobile division workers to keep on working harder and with more dedication to overcome the slowdown in its revenue generation. Management of performance of the employees One of the primary reasons for rewarding the employees in general, as can be seen to be done by Samsung in this case, apart from motivating them, is also to increase and enhance the performances of the same. As can be seen from the above figure, work stress in Samsung is higher compared to the level of satisfaction in the same workplace. The level of stress is also higher compared to similar companies in the global framework. This, clubbed with the high competition, which the mobile division of the company has been facing in the recent periods, could probably effect the performance of the employees negatively. Keeping this in consideration, one of the primary and effective strategies, which can be taken to enhance the performance of the employees in the otherwise stressful environment, is by providing them financial rewards for their efforts. Employee Retention Another probable reason behind the bonus paid by Samsung to the employees of its mobile division in spite of their comparatively poor performance is to retain them in the company itself and give them incentives to work harder staying in the company (Edirisooriyaa, 2014). This is highly relevant in the contemporary global business scenarios as with increased number of supply side players in the market, the demand for labors, especially skilled labors has also been consistently increasing. This increases the number of job opportunities in the hands of the employees and can increase the risk of resignations and layoffs of considerable number of employees if they are not paid appropriately and if they are not given enough incentive to stay back in the company (Das Baruah, 2013). As can be seen from the above figure, in spite of the poor performance of the mobile division, the company did not experience a major decrease in their employee strength. This may be because of the fact that the company tries to retain the employees by providing them incentives and encouragements in the forms of financial incentives and bonuses, even when the company does not generate high revenue. The action of the company can be thus justified from the perspective of employee retention (Terera Ngirande, 2014). Conclusion One of the problems, which can arise from the incentive structure of the company, is the problem of the feeling of discrimination among the workers of the different divisions of the company. The battery division got only 3% bonus in spite of being moderately productive whiles the mobile employees got much higher bonus. This may create the notion that the company values the mobile division much more than the battery division. Keeping this into consideration the company needs to redesign their bonus structure in such a way that the employees in all the divisions feel motivated and feel that their efforts are appreciated. This, if designed and implemented efficiently on part of the company, can help in building up a loyal, dedicated, motivated and productive workforce, which in turn can considerably contribute in the long term profitability and sustainability of the company, giving them an edge over their competitors. References Berman, E. M., Bowman, J. S., West, J. P., Van Wart, M. R. (2012). Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes, processes, and problems. Sage. Carlon, K. (2018).Samsung rewards Mobile division employees despite poor performance in 2015.Android Authority. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-rewards-mobile-division-employees-669904/ Cavusgil, S. T., Ghauri, P. N., Akcal, A. A. (2012).Doing business in emerging markets. Sage. Dailymail.co.uk. (2018).96 percent of Facebook workers are extremely happy with their job.Mail Online. Retrieved 2 February 2018, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3474085/96-percent-Facebook-workers-extremely-happy-job.html Das, B. L., Baruah, M. (2013). Employee retention: A review of literature.Journal of Business and Management,14(2), 8-16. Dediu, H. (2018).Samsungs profit center.Asymco. Retrieved 2 February 2018, from https://www.asymco.com/2015/07/30/samsungs-profit-center/ Dobre, O. I. (2013). Employee motivation and organizational performance.Tabel of Contents. Edirisooriyaa, W. A. (2014, February). Impact of Rewards on Employee Performance: With Special Reference to ElectriCo. InProceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Management and Economics(Vol. 26, p. 27). Janeczko, S. (2017). Samsung Technical and Fundamental Analysis. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Han, K., Hong, Y., Kim, A., Winkler, A. L. (2012). Clarifying the construct of human resource systems: Relating human resource management to employee performance.Human resource management review,22(2), 73-85. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Hu, J., Baer, J. C. (2012). How does human resource management influence organizational outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating mechanisms.Academy of management Journal,55(6), 1264-1294. Lee, K., Jung, M. (2015). Overseas factories, domestic employment, and technological hollowing out: a case study of Samsungs mobile phone business.Review of World Economics,151(3), 461-475. Manzoor, Q. A. (2012). Impact of employees motivation on organizational effectiveness.Business management and strategy,3(1), 1. Presslee, A., Vance, T. W., Webb, R. A. (2013). The effects of reward type on employee goal setting, goal commitment, and performance.The Accounting Review,88(5), 1805-1831. Richter, F. (2018).Infographic: Samsung's Profit Growth Is Coming Back to Earth.Statista Infographics. Retrieved 2 February 2018, from https://www.statista.com/chart/1248/samsungs-profit-growth/ Singer, N. (2012). Youve won a badge (and now we know all about you).New York Times,4. Statista.com. (2018).Topic: Samsung Electronics.www.statista.com. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from https://www.statista.com/topics/985/samsung-electronics/ Terera, S. R., Ngirande, H. (2014). The impact of rewards on job satisfaction and employee retention.Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences,5(1), 481. Wild, J. J., Wild, K. L., Han, J. C. (2014).International business. Pearson Education Limited. Wilkins, R., Thakur-Weigold, B., Wagner, S. M. (2012). Managing demand uncertainty.Industrial Engineer,44(8).