Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé Essay Example for Free

Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somà © Essay With Of Water and Spirit Malidoma Patrice Some has written a very interesting, engaging autobiography in which he details his life as a man living between two different lifestyles: the traditional life of his people, the Dagara, who live in rural Burkina Faso, the former French Colony known as the Upper Volta, and the life of a highly educated African man with two PhDs who travels throughout the western nations writing, lecturing, and teaching about his people and their relationship between the normal world and the spirit world. According to Some his first name Malidoma means be friends with the stranger/enemy. The Dagara believe a persons name has an affect on the his life so they name their children something that will always remind them of their mission in life. Some, then, is here in the West to tell the world about my people any way I can, and to take back to my people the knowledge I gain about this world (Some 1994, 1). Some was named Patrice when he was baptized by Jesuit priests at the insistence of his father who had converted to Catholicism. The attitude of Some and the Dagara people is very interesting. Instead of feeling hatred against the white men who had colonized the country and basically enslaved the people while stealing their land and resources, the Dagara are concerned about all people, including the white people and are convinced that the West is as endangered as the indigenous cultures it has decimated in the name of colonialism (Some 1994, 1). They believe that western cultures abandonment of functional spiritual values has made the West sick with a sickness of the soul (Some 1994, 1). Some was basically kidnapped from his tribe at the age of four when he was taken away to study at the Jesuit school. At the time the Jesuits were trying create a native missionary force to help in converting the people of Upper Volta. Prior to being kidnapped Some had spent much of his childhood with his grandfather, a great leader of the Dagara. His grandfather taught him many of the stories of the Dagara people, their spiritual beliefs, and their history. Somes grandfather emphasized the close spiritual relationship of the Dagara with the world, the land, and the spirits of their deceased ancestors. The Dagara believe there is an important connection between an individual, his people, his land, and his god. Somes grandfather could not understand the Catholic Churchs attempts at missionary work throughout the world, . . . let me tell you that a God who would send his people away from their land must be drinking a very strong wine all the time (Some 1994, 29). At the time of his death, Somes grandfather told Some that the ancestors had designated Some to follow the white man so that you may serve as the eye of the compound, the ear of your many brothers, and the mouth of your tribe (Some 1994, 40). Somes grandfather also told him that he came back to the tribe he would appear strange to the Dagara, he would only be part Dagara and would have to undergo the month long initiation in the wilderness to become a member of the tribe. Somes time at the Jesuit school was unpleasant. The priests often beat him while they were teaching him as if the beatings would reinforce the lessons and make him confirm to the Jesuit teachings. When he graduated to the seminary school at Nansi he had similar experiences and often found that he lived outside of himself. He would make his thoughts go away from my body so that when the first blow fell, I [he] was not even aware of it (Some 1994, 114). Some resented the way he was treated and found himself rebelling against the method of instruction. This rebellion reached its climax when Some was twenty and became involved in a physical altercation with one of the priests. During the struggle the priest fell through the window and landed in the dirt outside. Consequently, Some ran away from the school to return to his home. His journey home took him eleven days since he was forced to walk the entire way. Ironically, on his journey, Some learned that the country had gained its independence from France in 1960 and such forced schooling had come to an end. Since Some was about four-years-old both when independence occurred and when he was taken away from his people to attend school, he could have returned to his people long before (Some 1994, 153; 99-156). By the time he returned to his village, the Jesuit missionary priests on the hill were gone, although a day school still existed. Once Some was in his home compound, he found he no longer fit it with his people. He had forgotten how to speak the language; the village had changed with independence. His people were not comfortable with him there, nor was he comfortable with them. Consequently the elders decided he should undergo the Baor, the month long initiation, to quiet the white man in your soul . . . so that his soul [would] come back home and . . . stop being a stranger to yourself and to us (Some 1994, 178). Some describes his spiritual initiation in detail and tells how he was able to return to the Dagara. Once he had returned fully to the Dagara, Some found that he was again not comfortable living with his people because he had not yet completed his mission that his grandfather had told him about and that his ancestors had assigned him. Once again it became necessary to leave his people so the he might be friends with the stranger/enemy. This is what Some continues to do today through his writings and lecturing. However, he is careful to return to his home every year to make certain he reconnects with his home and people. Bibliography Some, Malidoma Patrice. Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, A Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Book, 1994.

They Died With Their Boots On :: essays papers

They Died With Their Boots On Produced in 1943, They Died With Their Boots On, a Warner Brothers ® film, is a horribly inaccurate account of the events that lead to the Battle of Little Big Horn. His early days in war were depicted accurately, however. Boots told of his experiences at West Pointe; the most important experience is, notably, his graduation. He received the absolute worst scores ever recorded at West Pointe upon his commencement. After that point, it all goes down hill. Custer was also a womanizer, but in this film he was quite a gentlemen, being sure to get Elizabeth Bacon’s father’s permission for everything the two did together. Custer was displayed as a very sympathetic and warm-hearted general, while he was, in actuality, not such. Custer was known to be rather a large egoist and somewhat of a rude man. Then, for â€Å"dramatic effect†, filmmakers fabricated a conspiracy that Custer’s â€Å"enemies† concocted to remove him from opposition. His opponents, e xecutives of a large company which he refused a position in, â€Å"lied† about gold in the Black Hills in order to trick thousands of Americans into violating a peace treaty with the Sioux. The truth: there really WAS gold in the Black Hills. Negro slaves were depicted as goofy and silly, added only for comic effect. One lady in particular danced about singing a rhyme, â€Å"Rabbit’s foot, work your charm, protect that lady’s man from harm!† after reading the â€Å"tea leaves† for a friend. The Sioux Indians were also depicted rather inaccurately. They all wore a single feather in the backs of their heads and yipped and hollered just as â€Å"Indians† would do. They screamed and beat their hands on their mouths, all the while speaking English in the manner of a five year-old. Finally, the film’s depiction of Civil War battles, not to mention the battle of Little Big Horn, were laughable. There were twenty, MAYBE thirty men all lined u p on either side of the field, and every time the Union soldiers fought, at least two Confederate soldiers or Indians fell, dead. However, when the opposing side fired or attacked, the Union cavalries were nearly impregnable.

For Understandable Reasons, the Founders of Sociology

Jessamy O’Dwyer 18/10/2012 Introduction to Sociology Mark: A- Essay Qs. For understandable reasons, the founders of sociology paid little attention to ‘’ environmental issues’’. However modern-day sociologists do. Discuss the sociology of the environment in terms of globalisation, consumption and sustainability. Introduction Over the course of this essay I will address the area of environmental sociology in two parts. Firstly, I hope to explain why the field of environmental sociology was not an area of relevance to the founders of sociological thought.Then in the second part of the essay I will go on to discuss the birth of the field of environmental sociology. Within this new subfield sociologists have written at great length about the many environmental issues facing the world today. Many of these issues are overlapping and interconnected. I will address three of these challenges I believe to be most acute; (1) Globalisation, (2) Human consumption , and (3) Sustainability.Sociology in context The founders of Sociology (Marx, Durkheim and Weber) paid little attention to environmental issues because they were not seen as relevant or particularly problematic to society at the time, and therefore were not considered as topics of significance to classical social scientists. Instead they focused on matters such as poverty, stratification, social inequality, class systems, industrial development, religion and government.The detrimental impact of human beings on our natural surroundings were not yet acknowledged and the â€Å"natural landscape was taken for granted, simply as the backdrop to the much more pressing and urgent social problems generated by industrial capitalism† (Glidden’s, 2007). The Emergence of Environmental Sociology It wasn’t until the late 1960s that environmental issues were first recognised as relevant challenges in the field of sociology. In the United States the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act highlighted the strain hat the environment was under as a result of human consumption, and the increased demands of agriculture and industry. This was one of the first written laws designed to lay down a broad national framework for protecting the environment (NEPA, 1969). The emergence of this subfield was a direct consequence of the growing interest in environmentalism in the 1970’s. I will now address the environmental challenges posed by (1) globalisation, (2) human consumption, and (3) sustainability from a sociological perspective. GlobalisationOne of the contributing factors that has magnified environmental awareness in the latter half of the twentieth century are the impacts of globalisation. Globalisation is a process where the amount of economic, social and cultural activity carried out across national borders is increased. The process of globalisation has significant economic, social and environmental implications, both positive and negative. It ‘ ’enables free flow of goods, capital and technology and thus it becomes a motivational force for nations to develop themselves and (can) create a more gainful environment in the world scenario’’( Alamar.K, 2010). While this growing flow of capital, technology and trade has arguably helped the developed nations of the world to expand further, this has often come at the expense and exploitation of natural resources in developing countries. For example ‘’the demand for hardwood and woodchips in developed countries, such as Japan and the Netherlands, accelerates deforestation, soil impoverishment and a loss of local biodiversity in less-developed parts of the world, such as Brazil and Indonesia’’ (Dreher.A, Gaston . N. 2008). The world has been recast as one big universal market place and whilst the benefits of this are many, it is also having a negative effect on our environment. Some of the other negative effects of globalisation on the environment manifest themselves in the increase in air traffic, cars, sea transport, waste and the ever rising consumption of water and fossil energy. These factors all have profound impacts on the environment ranging from local to global (Dreher. A, Gaston. N, 2008).Increased Human Consumption As previously stated in the introduction the issues of globalisation and consumption are interdependent. The increased ‘flow of goods’ made possible by globalisation has led to a greater international demand for consumer goods. Much of the debate surrounding environmental challenges centres on this area of changing human consumption patterns. Consumption refers to â€Å"the goods, services, energy and resources that are used up by people, institutions and societies’’ (Gidden's, 2001).There is a direct correlation between high levels of consumption and economic development. As economies have flourished particularly in developed countries, this in turn has resulted i n the average person having more disposable income to spend on luxuries after necessities. These luxuries come in the form of more food, clothing, personal items, leisure time, cosmetics, holidays, cars and so forth (Giddens 2001). In a lifetime the average person consumes tons of raw materials, which must be extracted, processed and eventually disposed of as waste.In industrialised countries it is becoming increasingly difficult to dispose of the enormous amounts of refuse. Landfills are fast filling up and many urban areas are struggling to find places to dispose of domestic waste. For example, a report released by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency for the year 2011 found that uncollected household waste was estimated at 128,000 tonnes, which is a matter for on-going concern given the likely hood that some of it may have been burned or dumped. This is a trend common to most if not all developed economies.The impact of deforestation is not always confined to the local area; it can also have regional and potentially more global effects (e. g. , global climate change). Human impact as a contributing factor to many regional natural disasters (e. g. Bangladesh floods in 2007) cannot be easily quantified. What is clear however is that we are witnessing major shifts in our natural environment. These changes are manifesting themselves at local level in uncultivable soil, desertification, water contamination and air pollution. SustainabilityThe modern concept of sustainable development has emerged gradually over the last 40 years. During this time individuals, communities, governments, and nongovernmental organisations (NGO’s) have developed an awareness for the importance of the environment and humans’ increasing negative impacts on the natural world (Hardisty. P, 2012). Sustainable development is defined as ‘’the use of renewable resources to promote economic growth, the protection of animal species and biodiversity, and the commi tment to maintaining clean air, water and land’’ (United Nations Our Common Future Report 1987).Sustainable development means that growth, ideally, be carried out in such a way as to recycle physical resources, rather than deplete and destroy them, and to keep pollution levels to a minimum (Gidden’s 2001). Currently a third of the world’s population live directly off their own local produce (UNDP 1998). These people’s livelihoods are entirely dependent on the land. Therefore this makes them extremely vulnerable to any environmental change. One example of these changes is soil degradation experienced in parts of Asia and Africa.As local populations grow, so too does the demand for increased agricultural output, which leads to over-farming (Giddens, 2001). More efficient and sustainable methods of farming need to be urgently employed so as not to completely exhaust the land for future generations. In order for sustainable development to make an impac t it requires individuals, businesses, multinational corporations and the government to commit to a policy of reform in how they consume resources and the methods they use to dispose of solid waste and manage air pollution.There is reluctance amongst many to adapt to sustainable development as they argue it will come at the expense of economic growth. Therefore the real challenge facing environmental sociologists is to find ways to convince or incentivise these individuals and organizations that sustainable development is the only way forward. Conclusion Over the course of this assignment I have explored the emergence of environmental sociology beginning in the 1960s.I have analysed three of the most urgent challenges facing scholars of sociology including globalisation, changing human consumption patterns, and sustainability. One thing that has become apparent is that these challenges are all interlinked, and therefore cannot be addressed in isolation. The effects of globalisation and changing consumer patterns are evident on both a local and global scale. In support of this argument I have endeavoured to provide both local and global examples of the impacts of these sociological forces.Clearly the relationship between humans and the environment is a complex one. Our increasing demand for raw materials is stripping the earth of its already scarce resources, and therefore this relationship is unsustainable, and in urgent need of rebalancing. The urgency and scale of these environmental challenges have meant that sociologists have had to redefine the parameters of classical sociology. If the environment was once merely a ‘backdrop’ to the study of â€Å"human social life, groups and societies† (reference), changing circumstances have dictated that it can no longer be side-lined.Instead, environmental sociology must be understood, appreciated and addressed with the same diligence a traditional disciplines of sociology. Bibliography Books: * G iddens, Anthony, Sociology 4th edition, Polity Press, 2001, Ch. 19, Pg 609-621. * Hardisty, Paul E, Environmental and Economic Sustainability, CRC Press, 2010, Ch. 2. Journals: * Alamar. K and Murali. N, Globalisation, the Environment and sustainable Development, Taylor and Francis Group, London 2010. * Alamar. K and Murali.N, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development and Human Health, Taylor and Francis Group, London, 2008. * Dreher. A, Gaston. N, Martens. P, Measuring Globalisation; Gauging its’ Consequences, Springer Science + Business Media, LLC, 2008. * Internet Resources: * National Environmental Policy Act, 1969 http://www. epa. gov/region1/nepa/ (accessed 7/10/12) * Environmental Protection Agency, Irelands Environmental Challenges and Priorities Report, 2012 http://www. epa. ie/ (accessed 4/10/12)

Sports Should Be Mandatory Public Schools - 888 Words

Unicef illustrates, Sport is a good-entry point for the promotion of life skills-based education and healthy lifestyles, including the values of physical fitness, proper nutrition and how to make choices that positively impact health. In other words, Unicef believes that sports assist an individual in all aspects of life, whether it is physical, mental, or life skills oriented. Simply put, participating in a sport has multiple benefits that can be applied to everyday life. For this exact reason, sports should be implemented mandatory in public schools. Although some parents believe that sports have more consequences than benefits, the physical activity included in athletics is proven to increase child health. Accordingly, there are articles such as, Younger Kids. Longer Seasons. More Injuries, conclude that children should lay off physical activity due to the ever-looming threat of injuries and children are safer and better off staying away from sports. 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