All about environmentalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

All about environmentalism - Assignment Example In this regard, this prejudice is relating environmentalism to racial, sexual, and economic discrimination; this has pushed some environmentalists to protect the rights of all the people to expand the entire ecosystem. Environmental history regards moral code is revolutionary and has caused theatrical development of the human thought. On the other hand, this discrimination was being driven forward by a certain group of individual who was enjoying the fruits from the contradiction of ethics to other groups. However, the science of ecology and diffusion into dispersal traditional eagerness, and biology came up with new commencement for a moral community (Nash, 1989). Scientific concern on the subject of the quality of the environment and interrelated public health and ecological is continuing to be rigorous. The environmental health and fortification have gone ahead to request the public, media, and the political leaders to consider being acceptable (Mikhailovich, Morrison & Arabena, 2007). In this regard, the environmental health and protection has sustained to spread out and become multifarious, they come up with programs based on managerial structure. In the same context, peculiarities are synthetic and have pushed to unsuitable organizational bewilderment, unwanted programmatic gaps and overlaps, and different activities have shared the common objective of guiding the public‘s health and ensuring environmental quality. However, in some cases, various terminologies have molded discordant administrative barriers rather than erecting organizational bridges amid the organizations involved in the fight back for environmental quality. In oth er environmental health and protection organization, programs are performed by agencies rather than the public health service (Webb & King, 2004). Moreover, environmental health and safety supervision is complicated causing challenges entailing both

Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay Example for Free

Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay Trfles’ By Susan Glaspell I believe had several small defining moments leading to the one larger defining moment, which brings together all of them together. The defining moment is the discovery of the dead bird hidden in the pretty red box, this leads back to smaller points such as her sewing and the bird cage. â€Å" Here’s some red. I expect this has got sewing things in it. (Brings out a fancy box.) What a pretty box. Looks like something somebody would give you. Maybe her scissors are in here. (Opens box. Suddenly puts her hand to her nose.) Why—(Mrs. Peters bends nearer, then turns her face away.) There’s something wrapped up in this piece of silk.† â€Å"It’s the bird† † (Glaspell, 2011, p. 144), I believe that the two main characters in this play are Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife. At first is seems they are part of the background story, that they are there but not part of the main action. When the ladies first sit down in the kitchen they are uneasy about being there and how the situation is making them uncomfortable. They feel as if they are judging Mrs. Wright about her house and the way things are. As the ladies discuss her situation they begin to speculate on her guilt. Initially they don’t consider Mrs. Wright as having the personality or ability to commit the crime she has been arrested for. However, as the story continues, signs begin emerging that point to the possibility of her guilt, yet they still are in disbelief. When the author introduces the quilting, it is easy to assume a mental picture of a woman under stress using it to calm her. Once the ladies find the bird cage, at first consideration, as certainly the author intended, is â€Å"what happened to the bird? Did a cat get it? Did it get ill? What could have happened?† Then, given new information about the door to the cage is broken, as if someone yanked it open. It still could have been a cat trying to get at the bird, but then Mrs. Wright didn’t like cats, so that possibility is out. The ladies begin discussing Mr. Wright and how he was a hard man to be around. Here the author begins to give readers more background story of the couple, and plants seeds for reasons to take sides with Mrs. Wright. They describe him as a good man in the way that he didn’t drink and paid his debts but was a hard man to be around, and how she was different before she became Mrs. Wright. Comparing her to a songbird, how she liked to sing and be involved in town things like church, giving her a likeable personality prior to her marriage. As they talk and pass time they are looking for her sewing things to take her so she can pass the time, they discover a pretty red box in with her quilting patches. Thinking it is a box for her scissors, they instead find the dead bird. Not just dead but someone has wrung its neck, a violent end to a tiny life. Mrs. Hale knows that Mrs. Wright was going to bury the bird in the pretty box and begins to think about the bird and how the bird would have kept her company and the beauty of its singing. Their thoughts turn to Mr. Wright and how he would have hated the birds’ singing because he killed Mrs. Wright’s singing. Mrs. Peters recounts a story of when she was a child and had a cat that was killed in front of her and how it could have, would have, hurt the person that killed her cat. At this point both ladies begin to understand a little more of what happened in the house and why. What do they do though, the men are looking for evidence. Mrs. Peters says â€Å"It was an awful thing was done in this house that night, Mrs. Hale. Killing a man while he slept, slipping a rope around his neck that choked the life out of him† (Glaspell, 2011, p. 145), and as she says this Mrs. Hale compares the similarities between the bird and Mr. Wright’s deaths. Mrs. Peters reiterates that they don’t know who killed Mr. Wright. As the women sit and talk they begin to think about what it would have been like for Mrs. Wright to have that little bird to sing to her and then have silence again. Mrs. Peters relates to Mrs. Wright’s situation by sharing her story of having lost a child before, knowing the silence or sadness that comes with a loss like that. Mrs. Hale begins to blame herself for not being a better friend and seeing what was going on, And how she could have been a better neighbor she might have been able to change things. Knowing that they should be blaming themselves for what happened there. Mrs. Peter’s comments on what the men would think if they could hear them getting carried away with a dead canary the way they are and how absurd they must sound. But would they find it as absurd as they think or would it be the evidence they are looking for? As the men come back downstairs Mrs. Hale decides to try and hide the dead bird but it won’t fit in her pocket, at the last second Mrs. Peters puts it in her purse and hides it from the sheriff and attorney that enter the room. With this action, readers are lead to believe that the women have decided that Mrs. Wright in fact did kill her husband while he slept, and that they sympathize with her. Perhaps they haven’t been in the same situation but in a way they empathize with her hopelessness and sadness, and stand unified to protect her. It is interesting that the women find evidence in the case as where the men are looking and can’t seem to come up with anything, to serve as a motive. Another example of how women were perceived in this story is how instead of asking the opinion of the women or if they found anything all they ask is if the women decided if she was going to quilt-it or knot-it. â€Å"Well, ladies, have you decided whether she was going to quilt i t or knot it?† (Glaspell, 2011, p. 144) Reference: Glaspell, S. (2011). Trifles. In D.L. Pike and A.M. Acosta (Eds.) Literature: A world of writing stories, poems, plays, and essays [VitalSource digital version] (pp. 139-145). Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions. Acosta, David L. Pike and Ana (). Literature: A World of Writing Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays VitalSource eBook for Education Management Corporation [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/books/9780558711825/S1.4/54

Strategies for Discrimination in Adult Community Care

Strategies for Discrimination in Adult Community Care Identify and reflect on potential strategies for addressing oppression  and unfair discrimination encountered in community care for adults. Examine the implications of this process for a social worker value base. The Audit Commission report of 1986 and the Griffiths report 1988 emphasised the need for care to become consumer-led; traditionally state run services were quickly contracted out to private and voluntary sector providers. Value-for-money became key, and community care became the favoured option over and above residential care (Blakemore, 2003). Some argued that social work values became secondary to resource-led decision-making (Banks, 1995). Negative discrimination can be defined as the attribution of negative traits or features with regard to an individual, or a group of people (Thompson 2003). Generally negative discrimination relates to social and biological constructs and can be based upon a multitude of characteristics, such as gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, class, age and so on. Negative discrimination creates situations that can lead to oppressive practices, which is defined by Thompson (2001) as: â€Å"Inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups; hardship and injustice brought about by one group or another; the negative and demeaning exercise of power† (pg 34) The core principle of the NHS Community Care Act 1990 was to give people the choice, where possible, being cared for in their own home (Blackmore, 2003), and the social care field was opened to market forces; services users became consumers. However, the purchasing power of service users is disparate, dependant upon social, economic and individual variables. Adults partaking in community care are particularly vulnerable to oppression where there is an imbalance in the distribution of financial or other material resources; economic status can create real disparities in the standard of care received. Service users will often find their financial resources are controlled by their carers, placing the carer in a powerful position and disempowering the service user. This can be countered by being very open with the service user and avoiding â€Å"closed† decision-making and mystery (Topps, 2001). The service user should be involved at all levels of decision-making regarding resourc es. The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 is encouraging as it allows local authorities to make direct payments to service users, enabling them to arrange and pay for their own care package. This is a positive step forward in empowering community care service users. It is also important for practitioners and carers to consider their use of language and its potential effects. Dehumanizing and medicalised language can result in a loss of esteem and a sense of disempowerment for the any service user, particularly those with intellectual impairments who maybe less able to understand medical terms. This can be prevented by avoiding jargon and providing lots of opportunities for questions and open discussion. Carers and social services staff should continually check themselves for use of infantilising language and ensure they engage in mature, adult discourse with service users. An example of dehumanizing language that is still used regularly in care setting is the term â€Å"manual handling†. Many physically impaired service users have reported this term as degrading (Elder-Woodward, 2001), as the implication is that the person is an object to be handled. The term â€Å"moving and assisting† is more widely accepted now. We should also consider the power that is implied through the assumption that â€Å"professionals† have superior medical knowledge, skills and expertise in relation to the community care service user. Often, care plans are based upon the medical model; the impairment is seen as the problem and the service users dependence is emphasized (Adams et al, 2002). Thompson (2001) says social work should take a â€Å"demedicalised† stance and look past the pathology, utilizing the social model of disability as described by Adams et al (2002). The social model suggests the service users needs should be considered in a much wider context, ensuring their social and mental health are given equal consideration to their medical needs. Viewing societal constraints as the problem, and not the individual, creates the frame of mind to consider how to remove barriers to mainstream social, political and economic life. Social workers should liase with service users and look towards a solutio n-focused (not impairment-focused) care plan whereby barriers are identified and solutions sought collaboratively, utilizing strengths. Social workers are trained to critically reflect on their practice to ensure they continually monitoring their reactions to, and engagement with, service users. Critically reflective practice is crucial in anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory work. Until recently, community carers were not trained in such practice and therefore were more likely to repeat oppressive practices over and over as they maybe not be aware of the implicit discriminatory messages of some behaviours. The issue is tackled by new regulations, which require all paid carers to hold an NVQ qualification. The NVQ requires carers to consider issues of discrimination and oppression, and look at significant elements of their own identity. It is important this training is followed up by regular supervision and support (Thompson 2003). Care can be stressful, and it is crucial that steps are taken to minimise pressure, where possible, and for managers/social workers to take the opportunity to debrief with carers as nec essary. The ability to identify and promote non-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice and procedure is a focal point of the social work value base (Training Organisation for Personal Social Services, 1989). Social workers must maintain awareness of the value base by using a variety of strategies to ensure service users are not discriminated against. The aforementioned strategies mean the social work value base is referred to, and reflected upon on a regular basis; it makes it a working, â€Å"live† document. All of the aforementioned strategies are referred to within the value base as issued raised by service users. Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices are once again key focus areas for social workers and carers alike. It is encouraging that all workers are required to consider such issues within their training and as part of their value base, and steps are being taken to empower service users by facilitating the co-ordination and funding of their own care package. It remains the case that many care-receivers live with friends/family, who ultimately are in a position of considerable power over the service user, which can lead to oppression and discrimination. References Adams, Robert et al (eds) 2002 Critical Practice in Social Work. Basingstoke, Palgrave. Banks, S (1995) Ethics and Values in Social Work. Macmillan Press LTD, London Blackmore, k (2003) Social Policy: An Introduction. 2nd Ed. Buckingham, Open University Press Elder-Woodward, J (2001) Making Sense of Community Care Recent Initiatives: A service users perspective; or, Farewell to Welfare The perspective of  an ungrateful bastard. Retrieved 16th August 2005 from: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/elderwood/CCPS paper3 (Times12).pdf Thompson, Neil (2001) Anti-discriminatory Practice 3rd Ed. Basingstoke, Palgrave. Thompson, Neil (2003) Promoting Equality: Challenging Discrimination and Oppression 2nd Ed. New York, Palgrave Training Organisation for Personal Social Services (2001) National Occupational Standards for Social Work. Topps, Leeds

Music by Phillip Evergood :: Essays Papers

Music by Phillip Evergood The Painting Music by Philip Evergood is most definitely one of my all-time favorite paintings. The painting has so many rich colors and lively shapes. It literally makes you feel as though you were sitting either in the same room as the people in the painting or possibly even playing music along with them. I think that what Philip Evergood was trying to accomplish with this painting was a feeling of unity through music and I believe that he did an outstanding job of showing this. He made a great effort to show the diversity in his subjects. He shows old men, young men, black men, white men, old women, young women white women, and black women. He uses his theme of music to show incredible unification. One other thing that I especially liked about the painting was the fact that you could almost feel the type of music being played in this modest room. You actually get a feel for the time period and just by being able to see the detail in the individuals clothing and expressions on there face there is something here that screams jazz. In further research I found that Evergood was indeed a jazz fan and the time period 1933- 1959 does indeed make it a possibility that jazz was the music that these individuals were playing. I especially like how Evergood incorporated so many different instruments in his work. Yet another link to jazz in my opinion. He has an insane amalgamation of horns and brass and drums and violins. He has not only portrayed the diversity of music and people but he has shown the unity in music and I think that this was his main theme and I believe that it could not have been executed more beautifully by any other artist at any other time. From the theme of unity and his ability to express it so well to his actual painting technique I believe that Evergood has accomplished something that so many artists reach for. He has given his painting life. He has shown that there is a direct meaning behind themes in his painting. Themes that are not so much hidden but more or less right in your face, ready to be taken in.

Virgin Mobile Case Analysis

Virgin Mobile has strategically shaped its marketing mix to appropriately target the younger demographic. First, lets look at it’s the product element. The younger demographic is more open to new things like text messaging, downloading information from their phones, ring tones, faceplates, graphics, having access to popular entertainment on their phone, etc. For younger people, phones are less of a tool and more of a fashion accessory or personal statement. To appeal to these needs, Virgin Mobile created â€Å"VirginXtras,† which involve the delivery of popular content, features, and entertainment. They signed an exclusive, multi-year content and marketing agreement with MTV networks to deliver music, games, and other such content to Virgin Mobile subscribers. Consumers have access to branded accessories and phones, graphics, ring tones, text alerts, and voice mail. In addition to the MTV-branded content, Virgin Mobile also included the following VirginXtras: text messaging, online real-time billion, rescue ring (a prearranged â€Å"escape† call such as to avoid a bad date), wake up calls, fun audio clips, a hit list of top 10 songs in which subscribers can listen to and vote for, a music messenger that allows subscribers to shoot a message to their friends so that they listen to a song, and a movie application that provides descriptions, show times, and ticket purchases in advance. All of these features appeal to the youth market, and generate additional usage and loyalty. Next lets look at the elements of placement and distribution. Virgin Mobile adopted a channel strategy that was more closely aligned to its target-market segment. They decided to distribute their products in channels where youth shop, which means places like Target, Sam Goody, music stores, and Best Buy. These are the stores that kids usually buy consumer electronic products, such as CD players and MP3 players. Virgin Mobile decided to package their products in similar consumer electronics packaging so it would be familiar to these consumers. They created a clear, see through package where consumers can examine the phone without a salesperson helping them and purchase it like they would any other consumer electronics product they would normally buy. Virgin made a contract with the handset manufacturer Kyocera from which it buys different phone models with different features and functions. The first two basic models were bundled with interchangeable faceplates that would be decorated with eye-catching colors and patterns, bundled into a bright red starter pack. This starter pack would be easily visible on large point-of-sale displays, and available at all of the popular retailers that the younger demographic shops at. The younger demographic doesn’t want to be hassled with sales people and extra obstacles in purchasing a phone. They want fashionable, accessible, easily located, and conveniently located products. That is the exact aim Virgin Mobile was going for in its placement and distribution strategy. Another important element of the marketing mix is promotion. Virgin mobile had a much tighter focus and narrower target market than that of their competitors. This meant that they could target the youth demographic in a more direct, efficient, and less-cluttered way. As generally noted, the younger generation is more responsive to advertisement that is up-to-date, modern, fun, and relates to the â€Å"young and hip† attitude of their generation. Since younger consumers often view their phone as a personal statement, it was important for Virgin Mobile to reach this personal and youthful side. They devised an advertising that the company described as â€Å"quirky, offbeat, and completely different. The ads featured teens and made use of strange, quirky metaphors. They named their phone models â€Å"Party Animal† and â€Å"Super Model† to relate to pop culture and the younger generation’s lifestyle. Virgin Mobile used this unique promotional strategy to stand out from the rest of crowd and truly make a statement to the younger demographic with ads that are not boring and â€Å"run-of-the-mill. † They were a lot more unique, creative, and entertaining—all attributes that younger consumers value. Furthermore, the company worked with popular youth magazines to publish â€Å"advertorial† pieces. Virgin Mobile also executed numerous high-profile street marketing events that featured paid performers—dancers and gymnasts dressed in red from head to toe—who engaged in various stunts. Perhaps the most famous and attention grabbing promotional stint was for the launch of the Virgin Mobile USA service. The cast of The Full Monty—a popular Broadway show—appeared with Sir Richard Branson (Virgin founder) dangling from a building in NYC Time Square wearing nothing but a large Virgin Mobile red phone. It is events and promotional stints like these that truly reach out the younger aged consumers—bold, exciting, modern, and fun. Virgin Mobile Case Analysis Virgin Mobile has strategically shaped its marketing mix to appropriately target the younger demographic. First, lets look at it’s the product element. The younger demographic is more open to new things like text messaging, downloading information from their phones, ring tones, faceplates, graphics, having access to popular entertainment on their phone, etc. For younger people, phones are less of a tool and more of a fashion accessory or personal statement. To appeal to these needs, Virgin Mobile created â€Å"VirginXtras,† which involve the delivery of popular content, features, and entertainment. They signed an exclusive, multi-year content and marketing agreement with MTV networks to deliver music, games, and other such content to Virgin Mobile subscribers. Consumers have access to branded accessories and phones, graphics, ring tones, text alerts, and voice mail. In addition to the MTV-branded content, Virgin Mobile also included the following VirginXtras: text messaging, online real-time billion, rescue ring (a prearranged â€Å"escape† call such as to avoid a bad date), wake up calls, fun audio clips, a hit list of top 10 songs in which subscribers can listen to and vote for, a music messenger that allows subscribers to shoot a message to their friends so that they listen to a song, and a movie application that provides descriptions, show times, and ticket purchases in advance. All of these features appeal to the youth market, and generate additional usage and loyalty. Next lets look at the elements of placement and distribution. Virgin Mobile adopted a channel strategy that was more closely aligned to its target-market segment. They decided to distribute their products in channels where youth shop, which means places like Target, Sam Goody, music stores, and Best Buy. These are the stores that kids usually buy consumer electronic products, such as CD players and MP3 players. Virgin Mobile decided to package their products in similar consumer electronics packaging so it would be familiar to these consumers. They created a clear, see through package where consumers can examine the phone without a salesperson helping them and purchase it like they would any other consumer electronics product they would normally buy. Virgin made a contract with the handset manufacturer Kyocera from which it buys different phone models with different features and functions. The first two basic models were bundled with interchangeable faceplates that would be decorated with eye-catching colors and patterns, bundled into a bright red starter pack. This starter pack would be easily visible on large point-of-sale displays, and available at all of the popular retailers that the younger demographic shops at. The younger demographic doesn’t want to be hassled with sales people and extra obstacles in purchasing a phone. They want fashionable, accessible, easily located, and conveniently located products. That is the exact aim Virgin Mobile was going for in its placement and distribution strategy. Another important element of the marketing mix is promotion. Virgin mobile had a much tighter focus and narrower target market than that of their competitors. This meant that they could target the youth demographic in a more direct, efficient, and less-cluttered way. As generally noted, the younger generation is more responsive to advertisement that is up-to-date, modern, fun, and relates to the â€Å"young and hip† attitude of their generation. Since younger consumers often view their phone as a personal statement, it was important for Virgin Mobile to reach this personal and youthful side. They devised an advertising that the company described as â€Å"quirky, offbeat, and completely different. The ads featured teens and made use of strange, quirky metaphors. They named their phone models â€Å"Party Animal† and â€Å"Super Model† to relate to pop culture and the younger generation’s lifestyle. Virgin Mobile used this unique promotional strategy to stand out from the rest of crowd and truly make a statement to the younger demographic with ads that are not boring and â€Å"run-of-the-mill. † They were a lot more unique, creative, and entertaining—all attributes that younger consumers value. Furthermore, the company worked with popular youth magazines to publish â€Å"advertorial† pieces. Virgin Mobile also executed numerous high-profile street marketing events that featured paid performers—dancers and gymnasts dressed in red from head to toe—who engaged in various stunts. Perhaps the most famous and attention grabbing promotional stint was for the launch of the Virgin Mobile USA service. The cast of The Full Monty—a popular Broadway show—appeared with Sir Richard Branson (Virgin founder) dangling from a building in NYC Time Square wearing nothing but a large Virgin Mobile red phone. It is events and promotional stints like these that truly reach out the younger aged consumers—bold, exciting, modern, and fun.

Catalog Shopping - Mail Order Homes and Stock Plans

Catalog Shopping - Mail Order Homes and Stock Plans Did your old house come in the mail? Between 1906 and 1940, thousands of North American homes were built according to plans sold by mail order companies such as Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Wards. Often the entire mail order house (in the form of labeled timbers) came via freight train. Other times, builders used local materials to construct homes according to the mail order catalog house plans. Today, catalog homes can be bought online. Stock plans are pre-drawn building plans that you can order from a catalog, magazine, or website. Most builders and developers offer a number of house plans in stock from which you may choose. Stock plans ordered through the mail or downloaded from a website may include floor plans, foundation plans, structural framing plans, electrical and plumbing plans, cross-section drawings, and elevation drawings. If you are not sure about your selection, you can usually obtain an inexpensive floor plan to review. However, you will need to buy the full set of plans before you can apply for a building permit and begin construction. Catalog house plans by Sears, Montgomery Wards, Aladdin, and other companies were widely distributed in the United States and Canada in what has generally been called pattern books. Where are those plans now? To find the original plans and to learn other important information about your mail order house, follow the steps listed below. Search for Written Records The neighbors may say your home was made by Sears, but they could be mistaken. Several other companies also sold house kits and house plans. To find out who made your house, check building permits, mortgage agreements, deeds, and other public records. Also look through scrapbooks, old correspondence, and ledgers to discover how old is your house. Look for Physical Clues Scout around in the cellar and attic for numbers or words stamped on joists and rafters. Also check your homes hardware and plumbing fixtures. You may be able to find trade names that will identify the manufacturer of your home. Keep in mind that the popular catalog houses were widely copied by local builders. Its easy to mistake a locally-made home for one designed by Sears or Wards. Use the process of architectural investigation. Browse  Online Catalogs Actual pages from historic house plan catalogs are reproduced on several websites. As you browse through these pages, remember that plans were often used for several years after they were first created. So, if your house was built in 1921, make sure to also browse plans for earlier years. Here are some good places to start: Mail Order House Plans  Index in  ThoughtCo.comSears Archives - Find catalog images and network with owners of Sears Mail Order houses. Browse Print Catalogs Cant find anything that resembles your house online? Dont give up. Browse through original or reproduction catalogs at your library or bookstore. Some catalogs even include construction information such as the type of woods to use. Here are a few reproduction Sears catalogs availalble from Amazon.com: Small Houses of the Twenties, the Sears, Roebuck 1926 House Catalog. Construction information includes detailed illustrations of interiors and fixtures.  Sears, Roebuck Homebuilders Catalog  - The Complete Illustrated 1910 Edition. Well-illustrated with construction specifications.  Homes in a Box, Modern Homes from Sears Roebuck, Schiffer Publishing. Reproduction of Sears 1912 Modern Homes catalog.   Be Open-Minded Local builders and homeowners often customized mail order plans, adding porches, moving doors, and adapting details to accommodate personal tastes and needs. The mail order plans you find may not resemble your own home exactly. Study the Ads The catalog page for your mail order home will provide a wealth of information. Youll find the original retail price of the house and the types of materials used. Youll see floor plans and a simple drawing of the house. You might even find some construction details and specifications. Stock Plans Today Stock plans dont have to be from Sears, Roebuck and Company, although bungalows by mail were popular at the turn of the 20th century. Pre-drawn plans dont have to be manufactured built or prefab homes. These days, architects may make custom plans for a client and then put those plans on the market as stock plans.  Houseplans.com is one avenue for these architects. Does all this seem like a lot of work? You bet! But researching your mail order home is also fun and fascinating. Youll enjoy the journey, and along the way youre likely to meet friends who share your enthusiasm for older homes.  Good luck!

History of the Caste System in India

History of the Caste System in India The origins of the caste system in India and Nepal are not fully known, but castes seems to have originated more than two thousand years ago. Under this system, which is associated with Hinduism, people were categorized by their occupations. Although originally caste depended upon a persons work, it soon became hereditary. Each person was born into an unalterable social status. The four primary castes are Brahmin, the priests; Kshatriya, warriors and nobility; Vaisya, farmers, traders and artisans; and Shudra, tenant farmers, and servants. Some people were born outside of (and below) the caste system. They were called untouchables or Dalits- the crushed ones. Theology Behind the Castes Reincarnation is the process by which a soul is reborn into a new material form after each life; it is one of the central features of the Hindu cosmology. Souls can move not only among different levels of human society, but also into other animals. This belief is thought to be one of the primary reasons for the vegetarianism of many Hindus. Within a single lifetime, people in India historically had little social mobility. They had to strive for virtue during their present lives in order to attain a higher station their next time around. In this system, a particular souls new form depends upon the virtuousness of its previous behavior. Thus, a truly virtuous person from the Shudra caste could be rewarded with rebirth as a Brahmin in his or her next life. Daily Significance of Caste Practices associated with caste varied through time and across India, but all shared some common features. The three key areas of life historically dominated by caste were marriage, meals, and religious worship. Marriage across caste lines was strictly forbidden. Most people even married within their own sub-caste or jati. At mealtimes, anyone could accept food from the hands of a Brahmin, but a Brahmin would be polluted if he or she took certain types of food from a lower caste person. At the other extreme, if an untouchable dared to draw water from a public well, he or she polluted the water, and nobody else could use it. In religious worship, Brahmins, as the priestly class, presided over rituals and services including preparation for festivals and holidays, as well as marriages and funerals. The Kshatrya and Vaisya castes had full rights to worship, but in some places, Shudras (the servant caste) were not allowed to offer sacrifices to the gods. Untouchables were barred entirely from temples, and sometimes they were not even allowed to set foot on temple grounds. If the shadow of an untouchable touched a Brahmin, the Brahmin would be polluted, so untouchables had to lay face-down at a distance when a Brahmin passed. Thousands of Castes Although the early Vedic sources name four primary castes, in fact, there were thousands of castes, sub-castes, and communities within Indian society. These jati were the basis of both social status and occupation. Castes or sub-castes besides the four mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita include such groups as the Bhumihar or landowners, Kayastha or scribes, and the Rajput, a northern sector of the Kshatriya, or warrior, caste. Some castes arose from very specific occupations, such as the Garudi- snake charmers- or the Sonjhari, who collected gold from river beds. The Untouchables People who violated social norms could be punished by being made untouchables. This was not the lowest caste. The person deemed untouchable- and their descendants- were condemned and completely outside of the caste system. Untouchables were considered so impure that any contact with them by a caste member would contaminate the member. The polluted person would have to bathe and wash his or her clothing immediately.  The untouchables historically did work that no one else would do, like scavenging animal carcasses, leather-work, or killing rats and other pests.  Untouchables could not eat in the same room as caste members and could not be cremated when they died. Caste among Non-Hindus Curiously, non-Hindu populations in India sometimes organized themselves into castes as well. After the introduction of Islam on the subcontinent, for example, Muslims were divided into classes such as the Sayed, Sheikh, Mughal, Pathan, and Qureshi. These castes are drawn from several sources: The Mughal and Pathan are ethnic groups, roughly speaking, while the Qureshi name comes from the Prophet Muhammads clan in Mecca. Small numbers of Indians were Christian from around 50 CE onward. Christianity expanded in India after the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. Many Christian Indians continued to observe caste distinctions, however. Origins of the Caste System Early written evidence about the caste system appears in the Vedas, Sanskrit-language texts that date from as early as 1500 BCE. The Vedas form the basis of Hindu scripture. The Rigveda, however, which dates from around 1700–1100 BCE, rarely mentions caste distinctions and is taken as evidence that social mobility was common in its time. The Bhagavad Gita, which dates from around 200 BCE–200 CE, emphasizes the importance of caste. In addition, the Laws of Manu or Manusmriti, from the same era, defines the rights and duties of the four different castes or varnas. Thus, it seems that the Hindu caste system began to solidify sometime between 1000 and 200 BCE. The Caste System During Classical Indian History The caste system was not absolute during much of Indian history. For example, the renowned Gupta Dynasty, which ruled from 320 to 550 CE, was from the Vaishya caste rather than the Kshatriya. Many later rulers also were from different castes, such as the Madurai Nayaks (who ruled from 1559 to 1739 CE) who were Balijas (traders). From the 12th century to the 18th century CE, much of India was ruled by Muslims. These rulers reduced the power of the Hindu priestly caste, the Brahmins. The traditional Hindu rulers and warriors, or Kshatriyas, nearly ceased to exist in north and central India. The Vaishya and Shudra castes also virtually melded together. Although the Muslim rulers faith had a strong impact on the Hindu upper castes in the centers of power, anti-Muslim feeling in rural areas actually strengthened the caste system. Hindu villagers reconfirmed their identity through caste affiliation. Nonetheless, during the six centuries of Islamic domination (roughly 1150–1750 CE), the caste system evolved considerably. For example, Brahmins began to rely on farming for their income, since the Muslim kings did not give rich gifts to Hindu temples. This farming practice was considered justified so long as Shudras did the actual physical labor. The British Raj and Caste When the British Raj began to take power in India in 1757, they exploited the caste system as a means of social control. The British allied themselves with the Brahmin caste, restoring some of its privileges, which had been repealed by the Muslim rulers. However, many Indian customs concerning the lower castes seemed discriminatory to the British, so these were outlawed. During the 1930s and 1940s, the British government made laws to protect the Scheduled castes, untouchables and low-caste people. A movement toward the abolition of untouchability took place within Indian society in the 19th and early 20th centuries as well. In 1928, the first temple welcomed untouchables (Dalits) to worship with its upper-caste members. Mohandas Gandhi advocated emancipation for the Dalits, too, coining the term harijan or Children of God to describe them. Caste Relations in Independent India The Republic of India became independent on August 15, 1947. Indias new government instituted laws to protect the Scheduled castes and tribes which included both the untouchables and groups living traditional lifestyles. These laws include quota systems that help to ensure access to education and to government posts. Because of these shifts, a persons caste has become somewhat more of a political category than a social or religious one in modern India. Sources: Ali, Syed. Collective and Elective Ethnicity: Caste among Urban Muslims in India, Sociological Forum, vol. 17, no. 4, December 2002, pp. 593-620.Chandra, Ramesh. Identity and Genesis of Caste System in India. Gyan Books, 2005.Ghurye, G.S. Caste and Race in India. Popular Prakashan, 1996.Perez, Rosa Maria. Kings and Untouchables: A Study of the Caste System in Western India. Orient Blackswan, 2004.Reddy, Deepa S. The Ethnicity of Caste, Anthropological Quarterly, vol. 78, no. 3, Summer 2005, pp. 543-584.