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The Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21 as a Policy Problem

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The Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21 as a Policy Problem

Introduction

Target audience: scholars and policy designers, and implementers

The legal minimum drinking age is 21 years across all 50 US states, although there are exceptions to this rule. Exceptions include medical reasons, basic consumption and under adult supervision. The legal age for purchasing alcohol varied from state to state before enacting the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Some reasons cited for having the legal drinking age as 21 include reduced motor vehicle crashes and protecting users from adverse birth outcomes, drug dependence, and homicide and suicide. While the outcomes of having 21 as the minimum legal drinking age benefit health, there is a policy gap as it only pushes underage individuals to binge drink (Fell & Scherer, 2017). Maintaining the legal drinking age of 21 does not guarantee that 18-year-olds will not drink as it only results in drinking in less controlled environments.

Analysis

The only alternative to the MLDA law is reducing the legal drinking age to 18 years. Having 18 as the minimum drinking age has pros and cons. One advantage is that it would help reduce binge drinking. This follows the belief that when young people have easier access to alcohol, they will not have the thrill of drinking excessively granted an opportunity. This is because they do not have to deal with hiding or obtaining fake IDs. Another pro is that it creates a much safer drinking environment as individuals are likely to call higher authorities such as the police in case of an emergency situation like alcohol poisoning (Carpenter & Dobkin, 2017). On the downside, lowering the legal drinking age to 18 is not advisable as a person’s brain is not fully developed by then. Alcohol interferes with the brain development process. It would also increase irresponsible drinking behavior as eighteen-year-olds are usually not as experienced.

Recommendation

To resolve the minimum legal drinking age dilemma in the United States, the ideal solution is to reduce the minimum drinking age to 18 years. Policy designers and implementers must push for having 18 years as the minimum drinking age and comparing outcomes. This would be the best solution because it would give society a chance to witness, document, and compare the actual outcomes of having 18 and 21 years as minimum legal requirements. Reducing the legal drinking age would be the right move as we would see reduced cases of road fatalities. After all, the United States has more drunken driving-related fatalities than countries with 18 years are its minimum legal drinking age.

Implementation

Various steps must be followed to implement the policy of 18 years as the minimum legal drinking age. The first step is identifying a need which in this case is reducing the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 years. The next step would be appointing an individual or team to lead responsibility, such as a committee. Step three has to do with collecting information and step four is drafting the policy (Zainal, 2020). In step five, consultation with appropriate stakeholders takes place, and in the next step, the policy is finalized. Then, it is considered whether procedures are required to provide guidance on how the policy shall be implemented. For instance, procedures for collecting and addressing complaints and who will handle them. The next step is implementing the policy itself, and this includes supporting the policy implementers. The final step is all monitoring, reviewing, and revising.

References

Carpenter, C., & Dobkin, C. (2017). The minimum legal drinking age and morbidity in the United States. Review of Economics and Statistics, 99(1), 95-104.

Fell, J. C., & Scherer, M. (2017). Estimation of the potential effectiveness of lowering the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving from 0.08 to 0.05 grams per deciliter in the United States. Alcoholism: clinical and experimental research, 41(12), 2128-2139.

Zainal, A. G. (2020). Requirement and Difficulties to Implement the Policy Lifecycle Model for Systems Management. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(6s), 472-478.

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The Media Dependency TheoryThe media system dependency theory also referred to as media dependency theory was advanced by two individuals in the mid twentieth century and the proponents were Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin Defleur. The theory is believed to have emerged in 1976 with its main arguments based in classical sociological information that suggested that the media and those who consume it could not be studied in isolation of the larger social systems in the society. The theory is used in explaining the links that exist between the mass media, individuals’ consumers of the mass media and the existing social systems in the society. The media system dependency theory is based on the hypothesis that, ‘the more an individual depends of the media in meeting their needs, the more the media becomes useful in that individual’s life, and hence the more influence the media will have in defining the lifestyle of such a person.’

The media system dependency theory is based on the relationships that exist between the society, media and the individual persons. The understanding of these relationships is important in understanding how the theory is applicable in reality. The first relationship is between the society and the media. In creating an effective relationship between the society and media, proponents of this theory believe that the critical issues involved are accessibility and availability of media channels to the society. The media dependence developed based on societal systems varies significantly from one societal system to another based on the different economic, political and cultural setups that exist. For instance, many people across the United States currently depend on social media platforms as source of information due to the easy availability of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. When it is compared to less developed countries where internet penetration is limited, people are likely to depend on the mainstream media especially radio and internet as a source of information.

Another relationship that is involved in the media dependency theory involves the relationship between the audience and the media. The relationship that is developed between the media and audience determines how useful the media is likely to be to the people based on the opportunities that exist to the people as a result of the relationship. The relationship between the media channels and the audience determines how the people use the media and it is different across different media systems. The more relevant the information provided by media systems to the audience the higher the dependency of the audience on the media system hence the stronger motivation for people to seek information from the media system. This therefore increases the probability of the media system to impact more on the people and the audience becoming larger.

In the media dependency theory, there is the relationship between the society and the audience. Proponents of this theory argue that the society in which audiences are determines the media consumer’s needs and reasons for using it. The society is also essential in the relationship as it is responsible for the creation of values, knowledge systems, norms and rules and regulations that guide media access, availability and use. At times, the social systems within a particular society can perform functions of the media through the modification of the norms, knowledge, values and laws that regulate the conduct of people. The society within which a media system is found determines what the media can offer to its audience. For instance many people across the United States have preference for technology and automobiles and this shapes what media outlets provide to their audience. If the media does not provide what the audience prefers, they are likely to lose viewership hence low influence on the audience while the media that focuses on audience interests is likely to get more viewership hence more influence on the behavior of its audience.

The developers of the media dependency theory, Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur identified the three needs that they believed shaped the importance a person associates with a media at any particular moment. The first need they identified is the need for people to get an understanding of their social world or simply for surveillance purposes. The two believed that people value any media depending on how useful it is for them to get an in-depth understanding of their social world. This was based on the fact that the media is used by many people as a way of surveillance of their surroundings. People who are interested in sporting activities become attracted to media channels that provide them with news on the sporting activities they develop dependency on such media compared to media channels that focus on political news that they might not be interested in.

The second media need that the developers of the media system dependency theory believed determine how useful a media is to people is based on the need and desire by people to act effectively and meaningfully. This is also considered the social utility aspect of the media to users. The media dependency theory holds that if people realize that the media is able to guide them to act effective and meaningful, they get attracted to that media channel and become dependent on it. This increases the chances that the media will influence how people will act. When people find a media source reliable in providing them with the necessary information that they need to make meaningful and effective decisions, they will develop dependency on such media. For instance if the public realizes that CNN provides reliable information when it comes to impending natural disasters like the tsunami or hurricane, they develop a reliance on CNN reporting on natural disasters.

The media dependency theory proponents argue that the media becomes relevant to the audience depending on how it is able to help them escape reality when it becomes unbearable. People are often attracted to media channels that allow them to evade the harsh reality and escape to their own imaginary environment commonly known as fantasy-escape.

The media is important in influencing people during times of conflict or social change, as it is an essential source of knowledge and information on the topic. The media influences agenda setting, by allowing the public to get the information that they need. When the needs of the people are high and people find it difficult to achieve them, more people turn to media as a way of meeting their needs hence there are higher chances for the media to have influence on them. This has been defined as the social and solitary play when individuals find media as a way of relaxing and evading troubling circumstances. For instance, people who find it relaxing to watch a movie when tired or bored are liked to be dependent on a media that allows them access to relaxing content like movies and sporting activities. During hurricane Katrina, the US public relied on media reporting to get updates on the situation. Most of the information that was available to the public was only limited to media reporting and this created a sense on dependency on the media.

Media system dependency theory is essential in driving multi-disciplinary studies. It has been used as a theoretical basis for understanding various relationships that have developed between the media, society and individuals over the years. Such relationships explain the interrelationships that exist in the society and how they are shaping it.

The Mirtanda Act

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The Miranda Act

The Miranda act is a set of specific rights that anyone under police custody is entitled to. It is considered as standard police procedure as police officers are required to recite these laws to a suspect under custody. Miranda warnings are given verbally during an arrest and on paper when a written confession is being taken. It is made up of four parts being; An individual’s right to remain silent, any statements made may be used as evidence against them in a court of law, the individual’s right to an attorney and if the individual cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for them before questioning, if so desired.

The Miranda act originates from a 1966 supreme court ruling Miranda v. Arizona (1966) under chief justice Earl Warren (Miranda, 1966). He released a 60 paged written opinion outlining a police procedure that would ensure all suspects are informed of their rights during arrests and before being interrogated Under this act, unless this warning is given to a suspect, no evidence or information obtained during questioning can be used against the suspect, nor can it be viable in a court of law. The Miranda act is meant to protect a suspect’s Fifth Amendment right so as to eliminate self-incrimination during interrogations.

This act is based on the belief that during interrogations, there is such pressure on the suspects that undermines their will to resist speaking where otherwise they would not, therefore making it hard for one to exercise their constitutional rights. The Miranda rights are meant to reconcile the power police officers have with the basic rights of an individual. It gives a suspect the power to make informed decisions on whether or not to waiver their rights as given to them by the constitution.

However the act has had some limitations one being that a police officer is not required to explain these rights to the suspect, nor the consequences of waiving such rights, hence most suspects are unable to fully grasp the importance of these rights, limiting their ability to exercise it. Another limitation is that the Miranda act almost has no impactful difference in a police interrogations and behavior, as the police continue to use psychological tactics in getting confessions such as the use of threats and promises to induce suspects into signing waiver forms and confessions. Many police departments have also been giving training to their officers on how to carry out interrogations with regards to this act, hence finding deceptive ways of influencing suspects to waive their rights (Miranda & Arizona,). A classic example of such a scenario is when police officers persuade suspects that they are better off giving their statements to a friendly police officer rather than wait for an unsympathetic public attorney

Despite all these challenges the Miranda act has been able to bring about a balance that enables for the protection of essential constitutional rights of suspects without law enforcement agencies having to prove the legitimacy of the confessions they submit, as the evidence they collect holds up in courts. The Miranda act has therefore been very influential in ensuring all American people enjoy their freedom, as police officers are able to do their job without infringing the fundamental rights of all citizens. It is after all one of the fundamental American rights.

References

“50 years since Miranda vs. Arizona case argued at Supreme Court,” March 1, 2016, azcentral.

Miranda v Arizona, 384 u.s. 436 [1966])

Miranda v. Arizona, Justia U.S. Supreme Court.

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The Media

Media simply refers to the excessive amounts of information that is transmitted through television, radio, and other types of mass communication. This includes the stories and images that are pushed out by any form of media outlet. The messages that are being relayed by the media can vary greatly depending on what type it is. For example, a story about a car accident would have a much different effect when it was told on Facebook versus in an article for USA Today. Furthermore, no matter what type of media it may be, people tend to misinterpret what they hear or see from outlets and take those messages at face value without doing any independent research themselves (Market Business News, 1).

Digital media such as the Internet allows for a direct connection with the source of information, which gives people more insight into the matter. “Media” can refer to a variety of things, for example writing, the mass communications system in society, an individual’s life outside of work, or a way of thinking about social problems. Media effects can be divided into two types: direct and indirect. Direct media effects occur when exposure to media causes changes directly related to what is being presented in that medium. This is also referred to as mediated or interactive effects.

There are various issues that arise with the media, but tis post is only going to focus on two here: ethical issues and intrusions with privacy. The media is divided into several different categories, such as forms of advertising, mainstream news and editorial opinion, film and television programming, radio broadcasts, and social media. These types are almost always regulated by a set of rules which must be met in order for them to use open spaces for their marketing. In regards to privacy issues that arise from this unregulated medium; there has not been much research done on the subject so it is difficult to come up with a concrete definition or policy. However, what we see is an increasing number of individuals who are trying to establish terms concerning how an individual’s privacy should be protected online.

Media’s ethical issues arise from a number of different aspects. There is the issue of financial gain, in which case the media will usually remain objective in order to avoid any conflict of interest. However, there are other areas that ethical issues can arise from, such as product endorsement and advertisement(Rao, Akash, 30). An example of an ethical issue drawn out by this is when the media takes an interest in certain brands or products because they are being endorsed by someone in the public eye. Another example is when news producers seem to get more pleasure out of showing pornographic content rather than things that truly matter like, politics or current events.

The main ethical concern that arises from the media relates to privacy. With the use of social media and internet to communicate, people no longer feel safe at home. Because of this, people are using social media as a way of finding out what’s going on in the world or even just checking up on themselves. For instance, a Facebook user took to Twitter in an attempt to find out if there was a local news station broadcasting his home. While there is an ethical issue here, it’s important that we look at it with more than just our own interests in mind (Rao, Akash, 34). Although we wouldn’t want anyone spying on us while we are doing something personal, other people want this same access too. Because of this, there shouldn’t be a hard set of rules put in place that can prevent the public from what they want.

Work Cited

“What Is Media? Definition And meaning”. Market Business News, 2022, https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/media-definition-meaning/. Accessed 11 Mar 2022.

Rao, Akash. “Ethical Issues with Social Media Business Practices: Motivation, Consequences, and Character Formation.” (2021).

The median voter theorem asserts that in a voting system where the majority determines the winner, then the outcome is determined by the median voter. The main assumption underlying the theorem is that voters put the candidates in a one-dimensional spectrum and that there are two main parties in the election. The United States has the Republican and Democratic Party as the two main political parties in competition; hence the median voter theorem is applicable in this case. Using this strategy, a candidate tries to identify the median voter in their area and appeal to them so that they can get the maximum number of votes and consequently win.

When moving from a primary to a general election, candidates can sometimes change their position as they try to appeal to more voters. The reason for this is that the general election has more voters from diverse backgrounds and with different beliefs. In a primary election, it is easier to determine if the median voter is liberal or conservative, although people usually have varied opinions depending on the issue at hand. However, at the general election level, they have to appeal to more people hence they can change their position or express it differently. Bernie Sanders was one of the presidential candidates in the 2016 election. Most of his policies resonate with the median voter; hence I would say that he followed the median voter. Bernie behaved both ethically and strategically. The middle class makes up the majority of voters and by appealing to them, he appealed to the median voter. Ethically, he addressed many of the issues facing the majority of voters which he has always championed for since his early years.

The Medicated Child

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The Medicated Child

The issue of bipolar disorder has been a problem in the American society for a long time. A lot of people have been diagnosed as depressed and having psychotic issues and one of the most rampant issues that have been making parents worried is the issue if their children developing bipolar disorders when they are so young and still developing. Because of this, parents have become worried and they have tried different types of medications to prevent their children from becoming fully bipolar. Some of these medications have worked while others have not been able to work because according to doctors, children are still developing and the drugs which are used are the drugs for adults and they do not affect children the same way that they affect the young children (Barlow et al, 2020). It is a difficult situation because even the doctors seem to be not aware of what kind of medication to give to them children to do away with the psychiatric diseases that afflict them. This is from a documentary called ‘The Medicated Child’ by PBS frontline that was produced on 8th January 2008 and seeks to illuminate the issue of children not getting medication for the different diseases they might have and in particular focus towards the high amount of medicine given to children instead of psychotherapy and the manner in which these medications affect the children. This paper discusses the documentary and gives insights towards what it presents.

Firstly, the documentary presents the cases of different children who have been diagnosed with symptoms that are related to bipolar disorder and the cases are discussed in a very good way as even the doctors of the children are even interviewed. This presents the information in a very clear and straightforward or even investigative manner (The Medicated Child, 2018). This kind of information presentation makes the information presented more trustworthy and believable and it is directly from the people involved into the different cases of children who were being treated for such disorders. Parents are also interviewed and their emotions and love for their children make the documentary emotional. The parents of Jacob are presented as one who had a lot of difficulty when it came to their child Jacob. He was a good healthy kid but later as he was growing developed problems after his first three years. However, his teachers at school complained of hypersensitivity and even though the parents of Jacob were reluctant to take him to a doctor because to them he seemed perfectly normal the teachers continued to insist. According to the documentary this is one of the worries or issues that make American society spend a lot of money on treating very little conditions or even conditions that never existed and actually develop a serious problem from the medication from a problem that did not exist.

After Jacobs parents took him to hospital, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyper activity disorder. This was after they had resisted taking him to hospital for almost a year. This condition forced them to begin medication for Jacob who to them seemed perfectly normal. Therefore, they began the medications and that medication led to another condition and after that they had to take another medication that was to deal with the side effect of the second medication (The Medicated Child, 2018). The story of medication seemed to continue growing and every time they wanted to him to have a normal life there was a medication he was supposed to be taking. This was a difficult situation for them because as his father describes the situation, its like taking a lot of medications just to treat a disease that has been caused by the other medication that was taken and it was too much for them. In fact, they decided at one point to just stop all the medications because it was too much and maybe even nothing. They were very worried of the effects the medications had on their little child and they had to do everything within their ability to make the medication go away.

Not only the case of Jacob, other cases are presented in the documentary and they are quite astonishing because children are given very heavy medication when they are a very young and this to some extent affects their development and growth. In fact, deducing from the examples and the cases given as well as the views of the different doctors who present their points of view for the documentary, it might be true that some medications for the cases presented were completely unnecessary. The best thing that could have been done would have been to see a psychologist and make sure that the psychologist tries to understand the behaviors of the children and try to modify them (Crego et al, 2020). It is also concerning how the doctors even state that the medications that they gave to some of the children were just try and error because there were no drugs developed for kids. What is even more disconcerting is the fact that these doctors preferred to use medications they were not fully aware of their effects on children for treatment of the conditions instead of preferring a better way like psychological methods.

The film therefore is an overall point of view and there is no bias since all the sides are involved and they all present their ideas as to what they believe is the right thing and what could have been done better as well as the way forward. The documentary even goes ahead to bring in the governmental body in charge of medications and ask them about medications for children and why doctors keep prescribing drugs that they are not sure about. The response is that the medication for young children is tricky because its effects are not static but rather varied since children keep developing and medicine affect them differently. The purpose of the documentary seems to inform and make parents aware of the issues that take place in the medical world so as to enable them to take the necessary precautions for their children. The sources of the documentary are narrator, parents, personal doctors, university and other researchers, FDA researchers and doctors, the children and other people involved in the cases of the children.

The parents seem more effective and able to communicate more effectively since they are not just stating the facts but they are narrating the events with some kind of emotional attachment and that is to their children. Therefore, they seem more convincing that the medication they were being given even though understood to be of good help seemed more harmful than helpful to their children. The film does not differ in any great from what I have learnt (Gershon et al, 2020). This is because all the facts presented are medical facts and personal stories which are manifestations of how some things like medication affect the behavior of a person or even change it.

In conclusion, the medication that were given to the different children cases presented in the documentary seem to have affected the behaviour of the children in a great way. However, this is not everything since some of the medications have actually worked and helped the children get better. The documentary is informative and it is an important thing to be looked at and researched so that proper medication for the different psychiatric diseases for children are developed.

References

Barlow, D. H., Ellard, K. K., Cummings, J. A., Deleurme, K., & Campoli, J. (2020). 4.1 Anxiety and Related Disorders. Abnormal Psychology.

Crego, C., Widiger, T., Cummings, J. A., & Strauss, C. (2020). 9.1 Personality Disorders. Abnormal Psychology.

Gershon, A., Thompson, R., & Cummings, J. A. (2020). 3.1 Mood Disorders. Abnormal Psychology.

The Medicated Child. (2018). FRONTLINE. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/medicatedchild/

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The Medieval Church

The religious activity in medieval Europe was controlled and well-versed by the Catholic Church. A big number of the inhabitants was Christian, and the term “Christian” at that period meant “Catholic” This was for the reason that there was originally no other practice of that religion. The extensive corruption of the medieval church however, brought about to reformers for example John Wycliffe and Jan Hus and religious sects, condemned as unorthodoxies by the religion, for example Cathars and the Bogomils, among many others. Despite that, the Church retained its authority and practiced massive impact over individual’s day-to-day lives from the ruler on his throne to the farmer in the field. The Medieval era of the church was the period of development and new comprehension of the Christian belief. On the other hand, this inventive birth of knowledge did have shortcomings. Catholicism shifted from centering on God to assisting to purify the nation of individuals. Inquisition was used at the time of the decline of the Roman Realm up to the Spanish Inquisition’s failure in the early 1800s. Both the church and civil authorities may run an inquisition in order to get rid of non-believers from the religion or nation. The Spanish Inquisition was one of the very bad inquisitions in history.

The Church asked for power from God through Jesus Christ who, according to the Holy book, chose his apostle Peter as “the rock at which my church will be put up” to whom he offered the keys of the realm of heaven. Peter was for that reason considered as the first Pope, the leader of the apostolic church, and every other as his replacement endowed with the similar heavenly power. By the time of the middle age the church had an established hierarchy consisting of: The pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and Monastic orders. By manner of the sacraments, the Church took part in almost every single main aspect of the people’s life, imposing a set of morals that defined the joint sanctity of Christendom. Because only religious officials could give out the sacraments, the priesthood held domination on individual redemption. Medieval Christians therefore considered the agents of the Mother Church as shepherds leading the associates of their herd on their hazardous and long journey from birth to the grave. Their behavior on the world determined whether their souls went to paradise, hades, or purgatory (the dwelling of cleansing of sins). But only by approach of the ordained priests could they obtain the gifts of grace that enabled salvation to be possible

The Pilgrimage Church

In the middle Ages the basilica encouraged individuals to construct pilgrimages to exceptional sacred places called shrines. It was thought that if someone prays at these shrines he may be forgiven for the sins and have more opportunities of going to heaven. In the past years, the Pilgrimages were thought of a vital measure in the religious life of Christians. In the duration of 150 years, more than one thousand abbey and monasteries churches were constructed all the way through Western Europe. A lot of of the new churches preserved vestiges obtained locally or carried back from the sacred place by the Crusaders. These vestiges, the relics of martyrs and saints, the part of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was executed, and the corresponding—turned out to be items of holy veneration. They were housed in reliquaries, or ornamented containers, that were normally designed to replicate the body part they enshrined or the person of the saint.

The monastic place of worship that preserved the holy vestiges of martyrs and saints enticed many of Christian pilgrims. Several of them journeyed to the shrine to pray for forgiveness for their sins or to visit a particular saint. Individuals troubled with leprosy, blindness, and other related diseases over and over again slumbered near the saint’s catacomb in hopefulness of a miraculous cure or healing vision. Four main pilgrimage paths connected the capitals of France with the beloved shrine of Christian pilgrims: the basilica of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. Santiago, that is to say, Saint James brother of John the Evangelist was said to have taken Christianity to Spain and was martyred upon his return. His body was astoundingly recovered in the early ninth period and concealed at Compostela, where frequent wonders and miracles made his tomb a major pilgrimage center. Alongside the pathways that brought the pilgrims from Paris through the Pyrenees, old cathedrals were reconstructed and new cathedrals built, making one eleventh-century raconteur to perceive, “The entire universe appears to have shaken off her stagnation, get rid of her old rags, and dressed herself in a white covering of new churches.” Compared to the crusades, pilgrimages were a countenance of economic revitalization and increased mobility. Since pilgrims like contemporary tourists, established the main basis of returns for churches and European towns, communities contended for them by increasing the number of reliquary chapels and expanding church interiors.

The Gothic Style

The foundation of this exciting type of construction has been much disputed. The basis of Gothic Architecture is attributed to Abbot Suger and the repair of The Church Basilica of Saint-Denis. The Ecclesiastical was mainly well-defined by the Gothic Style at the the Middle Ages. This style was incorporation of formerly styles, and subsequent to being acknowledged as “Gothic”, was not essentially common nor was it not part of the innovative structure of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis. This eventually transformed and it turned out to be commonplace for basilicas to use pointy arches, flying buttresses, and rose windows for the period of their beginning- all of which were extremely distinct to and symbolic of the Gothic style of architecture.

The Gothic style was initially called the French style but later the name was changed to Gothic style. Particular outstanding instances of Gothic design were the Gothic churches in England. Some of the greatest recognized Gothic styles were Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral. The name “Gothic” originates from the term of a barbaric community, the Goths, who governed some areas of Europe. The society was not recognized for their architectural accomplishments, but for their warlike and cruel nature. The term “Gothic” was then accredited to the elegance by people who supposed the details and designs signified the groups’ way of governing. The antiquity of Gothic architecture traversed 300 years. Numerous unique design components progressed over that period. Most of the best astonishing instances of this architecture are the basilicas. Design is the greatest important feature of Gothic architecture and it is something that makes it unique. It took more than a few kinds of materials, tools, and craftsmen to build these giant constructions. Gothic basilicas were the clearest symbol of the Basilica’s power and wealth in medieval England. Well-known churches are located in major capitals such as Lincoln, Chichester, and Worcester. The cash required to build these constructions emanate from individuals providing payments to the Catholic Church. Numerous expert and specified individuals were needed. A draftsman had to be brought to build the designs. Several kinds of craftsmen were required such as a carpenter, a blacksmith, a stone cutter, sculptor, glassmaker, and a roofer. These people were each in control of their own section.

Religious Icons: Hindu and Buddhist

Unlike Buddhism or Christianity, Hinduism did not originate from the knowledge of a single founder. Furthermore, it has different customs, owing to its extended antiquity and constant advancement over the period of more than 3000 years. The name Hindu in the beginning denoted to those people who were living on the different side of the Indus watercourse, and by the thirteenth span it merely signified to those existing in India. It was merely in the eighteenth period that the name Hindu turned out to be exactly associated to an Indic belief commonly. Hindus follow the ethics of the Vedas, which are a form of Sanskrit manuscripts that records as early as 1700 B.C.E. Although, different from the Islamic or Christians mores, which have the Koran and the Bible, Hinduism does not follow any single manuscript. The absence of the single writing, among additional things, furthermore makes Hinduism a hard religious conviction to define.

Hinduism is neither polytheistic nor is it monotheistic. Hinduism’s focus on the general spirit, or Brahman, permits for the way of life of a pantheon of theologies while continuing dedicated to a specific god. It is for this motive that some researchers have denoted to Hinduism as a henotheistic religious conviction (the worship and belief of a single god while accepting the presence or likely presence of other divinities). Hinduism may perhaps also be defined as a belief that appreciates right to praxis or orthopraxy. Since doctrinal opinions differ so broadly among Hindus, there is no custom grounded on orthodoxy or correct faith. By difference, ritualized actions are constant among opposing Hindu groups. On the other hand Buddhism originated in northern India in the 6th century BCE. The ancient initiator of this religion was Siddhartha. It is normally argued in the religious societies whether or not Buddhism is considered as a religion or as an ethical teaching.

Reference

Eliot, Charles. Hinduism and Buddhism. Vol. 3. BoD–Books on Demand, 2019.Gray, David B. “Tantra and the tantric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. 2016.

Chimienti, Guglielmina, et al. “Profile of microbial communities on carbonate stones of the medieval church of San Leonardo di Siponto (Italy) by Illumina-based deep sequencing.” Applied microbiology and biotechnology 100.19 (2016): 8537-8548.

Humfress, C. (2018). A new legal cosmos: Late Roman lawyers and the early medieval Church. Routledge.de Jong, Sigrid. “Experiencing the Gothic Style.” Architectural Histories 7.1 (2019).Kim, Byung-Wan, and Young-Jae Kim. “Accommodating the Collegiate Gothic Style in Modern School Buildings of Korea.” Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design 35.11 (2019): 89-100.

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Dance 2303 – section

The memory of a Memory lost was a dance performed by the dancers of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre II. The performance took place in Mountview College at a local TEDx event and lasted for approximately fifteen minutes. The Dallas Black Dance Theatre II is a semi-professional firm that comprises of eight aspiring artists. Moreover, the organization provides a platform young and upcoming artists to hone their skills in dancing while performing across the country and also serving in the Dallas/Ft. worth community. The choreographer of the dance is directed by Nycole ray who is the founder of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre II. The organization has fourteen seasons of performing and is on its fifteenth season whereby its performances are based on African, emerging, spiritual and lyrical works (TEDx). In a nutshell, the paper begins by giving a brief description of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre II performance. Further, it outlines the main elements of the choreographic dance which include space, time and energy, thus concluding by evaluating the entire dance as well as the elements of the dance choreography.

The dance choreography includes three main elements; space, time and energy. Space is an element of choreography that has been widely used in the performance. The dancers have incorporated different levels of space such as lifting moves, medium standing, and low-floor moves. The low-floor moves are incorporated in several instances during the performance such as the beginning where the dance make an entrance into the stage while rolling. The roll towards the audience until they reach the edge of the stage where there is a soft glow of lighting. Rolling of the bodies makes a dramatic entrance which piques the interest of the audience. Again, the movements from up to down the stage engage and draw in the audience making them feel as if they are part of the dance. On the other hand, the lifting moves are used minimally as the choreography alternates between low-floor moves and medium standing (TEDx). Notably, the dancers’ movement on the stage is changing as it lacks a consistent direction.

Energy is another element of choreography which is evident through the smooth and soft movements depicted by the dancers. Notably, the dancers exhibit a quality of movements which is line with the music rhythm (TEDx).The energy varies during the performance whereby at some points where the music is upbeats, the dancers adopt fast and energetic moves while at other points where the music comes to a slow fade, the movements are smooth and seem effortless.

On the other hand, time during the performance inculcates music rhythm, movement of speed and the slowing of movements to a stop. In terms of rhythm, the dancers’ movements flowed seamlessly with the music. The choreography also involved slow and fast movements and at times the movements came to a stop. Thus, the different pattern of movements in conjunction with the music and lighting was aimed at providing a unique visual effect of the audience. Rhythm was used effectively to change the dancer’s movements as well as exhibit the tone of the dance.

In sum, the use of energy, space and time within the performance was effective and successful since it created various movements altogether. In doing so the audience was engaged throughout the performance. Ultimately, the choices made by the choreographer provided a better understanding of the performance.

Works Cited:

TEDx. Memory of a Memory Lost | Dallas Black Dance Theatre II. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. 26 Jul. 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jHOMkOHSmQ

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The Merchant of Venice

‘The Merchant of Venice’ is one of Shakespeare’s most widely-read plays. The play is set in the sixteenth century, with Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, and Shylock as the main characters of the story. Bassanio is a wealthy prince who lost all his money but wants to seek the hand of Portia, a wealthy heiress in marriage. To do this, he needs a loan, and he approaches Antonio, a Christian lender who does not believe in usury. Unfortunately, Antonio committed all his money on a shipping investment but promises to guarantee Bassanio’s loan from Shylock. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who has no mercy on his debtors if they fail to repay their loans. Shylock despise Antonio because Antonio practices his business differently, lending money without interest and repaying some of Shylock’s debts. In 2004, Michael Radford made a film based on the play. He tried to adapt the play to the modern audiences by changing aspects such as the language used in the play (Magnus), but the major themes of gender, money and justice remain the same in both the film and play.

One of the significant points of contention in The Merchant of Venice is the character of Shylock. In the original play, Shakespeare presents Shylock as a ruthless and bloodthirsty Jew, intent upon causing harm and suffering to those who could not repay his money. Many have argued that Shakespeare was either anti-Semitic or tried to expose the anti-Semitism in Venice at the time. Radford tried to change this view of Shylock, but this proved a difficult task (Magnus). In contrast to this, Antonio is presented as a merciful and understanding Christian, lending money at no interest showing that his main aim was helping others.

The central theme in both the play and the film is money. Bassanio lost all his wealth, yet he wanted to woo Portia and get access to her wealth. Bassanio is forced to take a loan from Shylock when Antonio cannot lend him any money. Antonio stands in as a guarantor for Bassanio, promising Shylock a pound of flesh if he failed to repay the loan on time (Gale). Antonio’s investment is lost at sea, and Shylock insists on the pound of flesh he had been promised. The whole play revolves around the theme of money, and how it affects other areas of the character’s lives such as love, family and friendship. Connected to the topic of money is the theme of justice, presented similarly in both the play and the film. Justice mainly relates to the situation between Antonio and Shylock. Shylock is Jewish, and he believes in the Old Testament which emphasizes following the law to the letter. Antonio’s Christian beliefs are based on the New Testament that focuses on mercy. Which direction will ensure that justice prevails? Shylock is unjust because he refused to take Bassanio’s money and instead insisted on a pound of Antonio’s flesh, motivated by his long-standing hatred for Antonio.

The theme of gender is also evident and remains similar in both the play and the film. Shakespeare challenged the idea that women should be subservient and submissive as per sixteenth-century standards. Instead, the women in The Merchant of Venice defy stereotypes and show strength. An example of this is Portia and Nerissa who had the courage to disguise themselves and defend Antonio against Shylock (Gale). In conclusion, the film retains many of the themes found in the original play, ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ The themes of gender, money and justice are the base around which the plot of the play revolves, and Radford did a spectacular job showcasing these themes.

Works Cited

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for William Shakespeare’s” The Merchant of Venice”. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Magnus, Laury. “Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice and the Vexed Question of Performance.” Literature/Film Quarterly 35.2 (2007): 108.

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The Methods of Ethics

Henry Sidgwick published the book ‘The Methods of Ethics’ in 1974. The book mainly examines three forms of ethical theories; utilitarianism, egoism, and intuitionism. Many ethicists believe that Sidgwick supported the utilitarian approach more than the others. Sidgwick proposed that these three ethical theories should coincide and lead a person to make a similar decision no matter the methods they use. He examines the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and gives possible improvements that can be made so that each ethical position can be made into its best possible version.

To begin, Sidgwick that ethics should be based on common sense, which he refers to as common sense morality. The ordinary people in the society should give their views on what they consider to be ethical and this is the basis for moral theories. The main focus of the book is to provide a clear understanding of conventional moral theories of utilitarianism and egoism and also to suggest ways to make them better in areas where they may be vague or inconsistent. In his other works, Sidgwick is known to be a supporter of utilitarianism. He speaks positively of the theory in many parts of ‘The Methods of Ethics’ but does not explicitly endorse it over the others.

The three standard methods used by the ordinary man in decision making are egoisms, utilitarianism, and intuitionism. Intuitionism means that from the onset, we can be able to tell what is right and wrong without too much thought. Egoism dictates that each person should always pursue what is best for them regardless of how it affects the others. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, underlines the greatest good as the basis of decision-making (Sidgwick). A person should choose an action that brings the most benefit to the maximum number of people involved. Sidgwick gives suggestions on how each of these three methods can be improved so that the same reasoning can be used in choosing a course of action. He, however, acknowledges that it is impossible to come up with a completely unified method of reasoning.

According to Sidgwick, utilitarianism and intuitionism are the easiest to reconcile. Many moral principles applied in life are claimed to be self-evident although they are not so obvious. However, there are some that are quite clear. These self-evident axioms turn out to be compatible with the utilitarian principle of decision-making. In addition to this, the moral basis of intuitionism is often full of utilitarian assumptions. It is infinitely more difficult to reconcile the laws of egoism and utilitarianism. The pursuit of self-interest clashes with morality in many situations (Sidgwick). Sidgwick explains that we cannot always demonstrate that the two coincide. The only reconciliation between the two is the existence of God who uses punishments and rewards to ensure that a person always acts ethically. On the other hand, he also explains that such religious references should be avoided in ethics; the theories should be based on science.

In conclusion of the conflicts, Sidgwick says that people often have two conflicting ethical voices speaking to them, and it is impossible to reconcile the two (Sidgwick). Sidgwick greatly influenced many ethical theorists that came after him. The founders of utilitarian theory including John Stuart Mill and William Paley did not examine the relationship with other theories of ethics. Sidgwick’s approach to show compatibility between utilitarianism and other theories of egoism and intuitionism increased the popularity of utilitarianism. He gave a careful analysis of each method including the problems associated with each, and this has been of great value to ethical theorists that came after him. Even in modern times, it helps in the comparison of common sense and ethical principles in making decisions.

Works Cited

Sidgwick, Henry. The methods of ethics. Hackett Publishing, 1981.