Introduction to Sociology of Religion

Introduction to Sociology of Religion What is Sociology of Religion? Sociology is concerned with people’s interaction in groups and interactions of different groups of people. Admittedly, religion can be regarded as a social phenomenon, a set of beliefs and doctrines that unite people in certain groups. Notably, in the majority of countries religion and state are divided, though in some countries these two entities are combined into one.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Sociology of Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, it is possible to state that religion plays crucial role in people’s lives in some countries. More so, there are lots of people who claim they do not relate themselves to any religious groups. Nonetheless, every individual is affected by certain religious beliefs. For instance, the western world is based on principles of Christianity which shape behavior of many nations. Furthermore, there are a lot of religious groups which interact with each other. These religious groups also influence (or try to influence) other people, e.g. those who are not members of the group. There have been many examples when religious groups tried to make other people adopt their principles. For instance, indigenous people of Americas, Africa, Australia, etc. were turned into Christianity. Therefore, religion is also concerned with people’s interaction in groups. It is but natural that Sociology of Religion is a very important branch of sociology. In the first place, it is necessary to define this branch of Sociology of Religion. It is a non-evaluative and empirical study of interactions between people in different religious groups and interactions between different religious groups. Importantly, sociology of religion is based on empirical data. This means that it operates specific data and draws conclusions based on facts rather than assumptions. Any theory is carefully checked by anthrop ologists and sociologists. It is also important to add that sociology of religion is not concerned with assessment and evaluation of religions. This study does not answer the questions concerning the best religion or best religious practices. Moreover, sociologists try to remain as unbiased as possible. Though, everyone understands that researchers can hardly be totally unbiased as they are raised in terms of specific cultural conventions. However, scientific approach helps sociologists be quite unbiased. This branch of sociology explores origins of religions, peculiarities of beliefs and rituals and it also determines the extent to which these beliefs and rituals affect people. Why Is This Subject Important? As has been mentioned above, religion is still an important part of people’s life. It has shaped people’s behavioral patterns within certain communities. Thus, the study exploring peculiarities of this phenomenon is very important as it helps understand to what ex tent religion shapes people’s behavior.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sociologists can also help understand the reasons why religion is so important for people. This study can help foresee the future of religion as well as humanity. In other words, researchers will be able to understand what makes people develop certain beliefs and rituals and how (why) these practices help people live. It is quite important to see which components of religious practices are essential and why they differ in different groups. Understanding the nature of religion will help sociologists understand the nature of humanity. The majority of religions have much in common. However, religions are also characterized by considerable diversity. Sociologists may come up with certain explanations of this diversity. These differences may help understand what is important for different grou ps of people and how certain principles and codes of conduct affect their lives. This can also help determine the way environment affects people’s behavior and choices. Sociologists are also preoccupied with the origins of religion. It is quite important to understand how and why religions originated, in the first place. This will help people understand the exact role religions have played in the history of humanity. Anthropologists and sociologists will also define similarities and differences in people’s behavior in different situations and/or conditions. Basically, people will be able to understand their own nature. What is the Rational Choice Theory The rational choice theory is rooted in the field of economics. According to this theory, people tend to make a variety of rational choices throughout their lifetime. These choices are shaped by people’s goals. In other words, people tend to try to reach certain goals and make choices in order to achieve their ai ms. This theory is applicable to a variety of disciplines. The rational choice theory also provides interesting insights into the field of sociology of religion. According to the rational choice theory, people adopt some religious beliefs and are involved in certain religious practices to achieve their goals. It is also possible to trace the aims of people throughout centuries. For instance, people longed for eternal lives or better lives in other worlds or in other reincarnations. Therefore, people of the Middle Ages and Renaissance sought for better life. Now many people also strive for such a goal. Many people seek for being a part of a group. They feel care of other people and they do not feel lonely or neglected. Being social creature, the vast majority of people need some sort of community and religious groups give the feeling of being connected with others. Some people need certain status which religious groups can provide. Many people seek for financial gains. All these goal s make people enter some religious groups. Notably, the rational choice theory provides specific answers to questions concerning people’s motivation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Sociology of Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It also explains the spread of certain religions, at least, at some periods. The spread of Christianity among poor people and slaves in the first centuries A.D. can be explained with the help of the theory. Poor people got the hope to live a better life, even after their death. They accepted their social position and were ready to endure lots of hardships as they had been promised to get something more important. Nowadays people also adopt different religious beliefs. Remarkably, many of people change their religious views throughout their lifetime. These different choices can also be explained (to certain extent) with the help of the theory mentioned above. Fo r instance, children are baptized according to their parent’s religious choices. However, when children grow up, they start making their choices. People often change their religious beliefs as they fail to get the answers or reach their aims. Popularity of numerous religious groups within Christianity can also be explained with the help of rational choice theory. Nonetheless, it is also necessary to note that this theory cannot provide all the answers as people often make irrational choices, i.e. they cannot even explain their deeds. Moreover, religion is often associated with spirituality which can hardly be measured or explained. Therefore, it is necessary to be cautious when using the rational choice theory in sociology of religion.

Fashion Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fashion Marketing - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Marketing" concerns the marketing in fashion. With a success story that continues even today, Hanes has defined the clothing industry like no other company ever has. Hanes, in 2012 used the social medium Facebook to help grow their relationship with their consumers. Underwear isn’t the first thing you would think of when listing your passions, but Hanes thought it can build an â€Å"emotional connection† with underwear shoppers and get them talking. This type of marketing succeeded. Social media, like Facebook, is at the center of this strategy. On Facebook, where it has 2.5 million likes asked open-ended questions on what your favorite underwear type is or posts that ask you to share your first experience wearing a bra. The brand is trying to get consumers talking. â€Å"Hanes wants to be able to connect with consumers beyond just the transaction,† said David Robertson, director of marketing at Hanes. â€Å"We want to communicate what the bra nd stands for. We want to hear from them and we want to establish more of an emotional connection. That ongoing relationship will lead to increased loyalty and advocacy.† H&M opened its first store in Sweden. Hennes, the name at the time specialized in women’s fashion. The franchise slowly grew opening its first store outside of Sweden in 1963. Today the company has over 2,800 locations worldwide and they specialize in clothing for women, men, and kids, and now underwear. In 2013, H&M incorporated location-based campaigns into their marketing mix.

Intelligence-led policing requirements of COMPSTAT Essay

Intelligence-led policing requirements of COMPSTAT - Essay Example The implication of this is that the commander naturally throws in his ‘enthusiastic support and energetic leadership’ to the program and the immediate goal of the program considering that his name and reputation is on the line, which is tangibly manifested by his obligation to personally deliver the report in the presence of the top brass and other units. COMPSTAT, like ILP, is largely based on the analysis of crime-related data and statistics, with analysts forming an integral part of its operations collating all submitted crime-related data and making sense of them through the crime mapping. The analysts then prepare the COMPSAT book, upon which the week’s presentation and discussions during the standard COMPSAT session are based on. The only difference is that in the ILP, the data gathered and collected are not necessarily known facts and statistics but unconventionally gathered data from tips, leads and reports of suspicious activities. Meetings and sessions a re also held in the COMPSTAT policing program periodically conducted usually, at least, once a week. This meetings and sessions, however, cannot be strictly categorized as the strategic and tactical, as required in ILP, because they consist mostly of presentation by a commander of the crime-related incidents in his/her jurisdiction and the strategies taken as a consequence and an interrogation of some sort by a facilitator, usually the chief or his designated assistant, of the law enforcers commander.

The African Continent

The African Continent Introduction As the African continent gained its independence, countries hoped for booming growth and expected rapid changes. This however did not happen. So after the independence, economists, journalists and researchers started examining the causes of those failures. They have been doing so for over four decades and the situation on the continent does not seem to be much better than it was. Since it is a complex and definitely the most urgent issue of the region, I consider this paper as an opportunity to analyze and discuss possibilities for improvement. In order to limit my scope to a reasonable size, I would like to focus on one particular country Zambia, as the country was a subject to similar, but much briefer analysis I have done and therefore I already have some background information. Since the country is generally underdeveloped, this condition affects all areas of life. That is why it is necessary to work on social, economic, political, environmental and other policies to foster development. Even though these fields are interconnected, I would like to focus on Zambian local governance system in this paper. According to my topic, I assume that the state may be having troubles to fulfill its role since its institutions and ways of governing were created from the elites downward; its system should be adjusted to find more links between itself and its citizens. The hypothesis is that Zambian local governance institutions are not effective as they could be, it would be favorable to use their potential better. My goal is to find out improvements or adjustments for the present system into a more efficient scheme, more suitable to the society and its customs. For this I will start with examining how the society used to regulate its own members, predominantly in small units, throughout the centuries, how it evolved and what were the contributing factors that shaped its present form. For this I would like to start as early as possible in the pre-colonial period. It may seem just too long ago, but that was the longest period with fewest outer influences building foundations that last until now. Later it is indispensable to see how the western civilization attempted to shape the people to the western image, what marks it left and how the states coped with these two ways of life for the last few decades to bring about growth and stability. If there is any viable way of the traditional type of governance I would like to use it as a building brick. In this part, I will rely mostly on Alex Thomsons Introduction to African Politics. Subsequently I will have to come up with a way to incorporate those traditional elements into the present network. To be particular, I would like to focus mainly on the issue of local chiefs and the incorporation of their authorities into administrative system. Resources supporting my conclusions and helping me understand the African reality better are among others blog platforms Zambian Economist, House of Chiefs, and Fareed Zakarias book Future of Freedom. I. Traits of the society Present African society is a blend of two different realities a traditional way of life that had been evolving throughout the centuries of its pre-colonial existence and a modern way of life brought first by the colonization and impacting the continent from the outside more intensely as driven by the globalization process. It is not only a melting pot of different entities, but it is a place where two different lifestyles mix and to some extent clash. Therefore to understand the structure and traits of this society we need to know those two currents that form its foundations. Pre-colonial period The continent has ever been diverse just as it is right now, but there are some general characteristics that applied to the most of the region. Africa had been spotted with so-called non-hegemonic states. Their nature was fundamentally different from that time Europe. Pre-colonial African states were not led by all-powerful governments that administered a part of delineated territory. The abundance of land allowed people to move away, further from the unfavorable authority, splitting, merging, and creating new polities. This type of governance is also way different from todays perception of a state that has, after all, evolved from a European model. As Alex Thomson notes in the Introduction to African Politics that is one of the explanations, why some of the African states did not succeed in building a governing state authority (Thomson: 10). Other trait he mentions is the importance of lineage groups. An individual is always a member of a larger community (e.g. extended family) and as this member adopts the scheme of customs and rules that determine his or her life. Identity of a person is therefore determined as identity of the group. In return this scheme provides welfare and security to its members (Thomson: 10). With these rules, the chief has a significant deal of power over his clan, because the individuals will generally behave as they are expected to. Clans or extended families are able of self-containment. These facts add up to the conclusion that this is a model of society that is able to manage itself well in small units. Colonial Period The above mentioned structures were something different from the European perception of a state and state power. Therefore with the colonization, the Europeans were trying to civilize the African people. In their meaning it was to categorize them into some predefined and clear categories so they became nations just like the European ones were. Repeatedly criticized arbitrary boundaries have split nations apart and left various different nations closed in one state. This division put barriers to earlier loose transition of an individual from one community to another and lay foundations of hostility towards each other. The impact of modernity As the decolonization process has brought the independence to the continent, the new countries and their leaders attempted to catch up with the developed world within few decades (or a single one). The simplest way of doing that was to adopt modern ways of governing the state. Longing for the developed state, the countries wanted to hurry up, so what got adopted the quickest were the most visible signs of the modern world, without adjusting them to the African society. Constitutions, parliaments, voting rights, all of that was included without having people understand them, or without having even the leaders understand the principles of these systems. There was industrialization without considering economic capabilities. George Ayittey calls that development by imitation (Ayittey: 87). Nowadays Africa is a melting pot of clans, families, tribes, and nations that fully realize their identity. Compared to the pre-colonial period however, the changes and overlaps are not as loose anymore. Needless to count how many times in Africa has the group solidarity been abused as a means to escalate a conflict. It is very easy to divide people on the basis of something that does not really impact their everyday life such as race or ethnicity. Current conditions In the previous parts of this work I have described the pre-colonial inheritance of the society. Extended families (or other entities) in which individuals behave according to customs and their social status, gives the entities ability to rule themselves effectively. This creates an informal structure and makes the unit of family or a similar community a suitable building brick for the wider structure and allows for a bottom-up strategy. In spite of some conditions that formed African society and left a mark on it until the present times, certain conditions have changed. What has changed has not only been people and their minds (as a result of colonial rule or modernization), but there have been changes also in the outer conditions. What has once been a continent with abundant land and low population density is now a bit different. The number of people inhabiting the continent has multiplied over the past few decades. The land has shrunk relatively; with growing density of population the land is becoming more important. Apart from the higher density there are now rigid borders that do not allow people to move freely wherever they want. Boundaries that are known to be artificial and illogical have existed for about half a century so nowadays they are starting to work. Despite any border conflicts, irredentist movements and spillovers they cannot be adjusted or removed. II. Zambia overview This landlocked country in the south of the African continent is not much of an exception from other African countries considering its GDP, HDI (or respectively HPI) rates. It is one of the poorest countries in the world; ranking 164th out of total 182 included in the UN HDI statistics.[1] Political system: It is a presidential republic (the president is both head of state and head of government). The cabinet is chosen from the members of the National Assembly and is appointed by president. Tthat gives the president quite strong power over the country. Ethnicity: Major ethnic groups include Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Lala, Kaonde and Lunda.[2] Nine largest groups add up to approximately 90 percent of the population. Apart from these, many people, predominantly in towns and cities see themselves as Zambians.[3] Speaking of ethnicity, the country has avoided serious ethnic conflict issues yet. Administration: The country is divided into 9 administrative provinces. Further there areis 72 local authorities which will be described in the next chapter. III. Proposals As I have mentioned before, people in remote rural areas do not identify themselves with the administrative system and have maintained a parallel system of managing their communities. To advocate the importance of traditional authorities, it is necessary to gain the inside look. Since it is hard to acquire from the Czech Republic, I would like to use the words of Chola Mukanga, a Zambian economist, posted on his blog. As he writes about majority of people living in rural areas where they do not rely on the government system maintaining social order, he describes the role of the customary governance: The chieftaincy therefore serves a critical function in promoting economic development, when it fills this critical gap in maintaining social order. Although he admits a weakness: Equally the chieftaincy may be seen to stand in the way of economic development where its system of administration appears to restrict the expansion of stronger reforms of social order e.g. expansion of formal s tate structures with greater accountability, all things being equal.[4] The biggest challenge therefore is to make one system out of the two of them. If the existing system is perceived as an alien element it is a reason why it should be abolished. Administrative System Western way of governance counts on clearly delineated boundaries. Border inviolability and territorial integrity are two of the conditions that define a sovereign state nowadays. The same principle is projected inward to the country, since it is subdivided into the smaller units. To have the administrative system working properly, it is necessary to ensure the balance of the geographical division. There are three factors that might influence balance among administrative units: ethnicity not to repeat the disaster of African boundaries, ethnic conflicts and subsequent civil wars population density and its demographic estimate to the future to keep the system viable and balanced in long term resources, wealth and overall economic level to prevent conflicts emerging from regional disparities However, for any adjustments of the administrative division, it is necessary to have thorough statistical information. For any successful plan that is to be implemented, it is necessary to know the starting conditions perfectly. The trouble with creating a picture of a Sub-Saharan country is a dismal state of any statistical data to base plans and proposals on. There is either lack of information or the researchers warn against inaccurate and misleading data that often poorly reflects reality. Apart from the geographical adjustments, there is more that can be changed in the division of power and overall structure. Bornwell Chikulo offers a comprehensive description of the present system and the following analysis is based on his review: [5] There are 72 local authorities countrywide: 4 are designated as City Councils 12 are Municipal Councils 56 are District Councils (comprised of smaller rural-based local authorities). The composition of councils is as follows: All elected councillors in the district All members of parliament in the district Two representatives appointed by all chiefs in the district as a means of involving traditional rulers in local governance. The weakness in this scheme is lack of participation of the locals the councilors that are elected to hold quite large powers, moreover they are not responsible to any of the local powers, but solely to the government. Two chief representatives that are members of the council representing something like voice of the people however cannot be chiefs themselves, as chiefs are prohibited by constitution to hold any public office. Moreover, the evidence shows, the way they are able to discuss and solve the local issues is to talk and cooperate with their members of parliament. This is exactly where the problem is, either the chiefs or their representatives have troubles cooperating with the MPs. Chieftaincy The issue of chieftaincy is lively discussed in Zambia, also in the wider regional level, since the situation in surrounding countries is similar. Although the traditional center of local power National Authorities were bequeathed soon after the independence, president Mwanawasa brought these authorities back in 1996 when the House of Chiefs was established. It consists of local chiefs that are respected within certain areas, some of them called kingdoms. By the constitution they are forbidden to hold any elected office while holding their functions as chiefs. The main issue can be comprised into the question: To what extent should the chiefs be considered and subsequently incorporated as political authorities? It is important to add that Zambian Chola Mukanga sees chiefs as not only a tradition that has prevailed until now, but as an element that is demanded: It goes without saying that the existence of traditional authorities is essentially a function of history and current demand for their services. That chiefs exist is clearly because their existence is demanded. But it was in the area of court administration where significant problems emerged which has continued to fuel significant demand for customary justice as mediated through traditional courts. This demand has principally emerged from two critical sources: insufficient capacity by central government to provide appropriate court capacity and necessarily expertise to adjudicate cases. This is despite the fact that traditional courts (and customary laws) have no formal status and exist parallel to the formal legal system.[6] This view clearly indicates that two representatives for the districts are just not enough. It is not about the number, but also about their power. Even if they are respected by the people and often serve as the judiciary system, they cannot promote much development in their district. It is always the parliament members that vote for the budget and decide on the amount and structure of the transfer money they receive from the government. The MPs also vote on the legislation and their vote is not subjected to any feedback from the chiefs (or currently their representatives) other than a friendly discussion. If the MPs do not reflect the local demands for the love of the people, the chiefs have practically no ability to change it. Appointing special chief representatives is another factor that hinders the process of change and development. Not only it means extra costs, but it also is an extra element in the chain of decisions. The decisions travel from the people to the chief from the chief to the chief representative from the representative to the MP and finally to the parliament. This contains too many members and therefore leaves gaps for possible conflicts. If the structure existed in order to provide, what can be called checks and balances, than it would have an advantage of being stable. However, the power is not distributed evenly among all the agents, but it is still concentrated in the top the parliament and centralized. From Chikulos review as well as from other articles it seems that even though local council exist, they lack decision-making autonomy and are dependent on the central budget. Some opinions indicate that often the politicians from the central apparatus are corrupt and therefore afraid of the power the chiefs have. That is why the politicians want to prevent them from the official power.[7] So even if the traditional ways of governance prevail in the society and are popular it should be clear that it is favorable to use it as a means to make the administrative system more effective and comprehensive. It would be the act of bringing the power closer to the people, just like the motto of the reforms that had been done in the early years of independence. With this act the motto would finally apply. However, the problem does not lie in the obsolete or primitive structure of the society, but in the unwillingness of those that have the power and the means of changing it. Conclusions This paper definitely discusses a complex topic. Although I lack direct experience as I have never been to Africa, I wanted to gain a deeper look into the problems of the Sub-Saharan countries. My conclusions might omit some important factors that otherwise are a part of the reality in Africa. Having read some amount of literature, attempting to present Sub-Saharan Africa however precisely and accurately, still does not make up for the real experience from the region. Therefore I stress that any of the presumptions I have made are based solely on someone elses observations. For people that are not familiar with the topic the root of all the problems often seems very simple. It is easy to put all the blame either on the colonialists for having exploited their colonies during their rule, or the present political leaders for exploiting their countries now, or even the people of those countries for their supposedly insufficient education, inertia, intolerance, or anything else. Even though that my work criticizes few elements of the state and its governance, I hope I have stayed away from prejudices in my work. I have found out that a fair deal of promoting development depends on few people. It might be a challenge for those that have that power to change the system which is beneficial for themselves. American political scientist Fareed Zakaria concludes, in a very general, but very point-blank way Africa needs good governance more urgently than democracy (Zakaria: 120). I have whatsoever no sympathy for any autocratic governments and I have no intention of taking democracy away from the countries that have it. My point is that no one has found a system of government with perfect balance of powers that does not leave a slightest gap for corrupt intentions. Until Zambia gets closer to this model, at least on track to catch up with the western world, it needs a leadership that will not abuse its power; a leadership that will take responsibility for its actions done on purpose as well as those unintended and one that will be able to face the consequences; a leadership that will show every cit izen that the things just work smoother when everyone plays by rules. But these wishes are perhaps utopian for most of the developed countries as well. References AYITTEY, George: Africa Unchained, New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, Chapter 3, The Postcolonial Elite Development Model CHIKULO, Bornwell: Local Government Reforms in Zambia, 2009, retrieved: Dec 18, 2009, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ComJlLocGov/2009/7.html THOMSON, Alex: An Introduction to African Politics, Abingdon, Oxon, Routledge, 2004, Chapter 2 History ZAKARIA, Fareed: Budoucnost svobody, Prague, Academia, 2004, 1st edition CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/za.html MWANANGOMBE Lewis: ZAMBIA: Let our Chiefs Govern, Lusaka, published Dec 21, 2009, retrieved: Jan 12, 2010, http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49771 MUKANGA, Chola: Zambian Economist, http://www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.html, published Jan 3, 2010, retrieved Jan 12, 2010 United Nations: Human Development Reports: retrieved on Jan 14, 2010, http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/ CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/za.html KVà CA, Vladimà ­r: Africa in International Relations, class handout MUKANGA, Chola: Zambian Economist blog, retrieved: Jan 12, 2010, http://www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.html CHIKULO, Bornwell: Local Government Reforms in Zambia, 2009, retrieved: Dec 18, 2009, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ComJlLocGov/2009/7.html MUKANGA, Chola: Zambian Economist blog, retrieved: Jan 12, 2010, http://www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.html The complaints are not difficult to find in the internet. Web platforms like Zambian House of Chiefs (http://www.houseofchiefs.com/) or Zambian Economist (http://www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.html) contain a number of articles discussing this problem. African Inter Press Agency brings related articles every once in a while as well. Recent publishing dates indicate that similar complaints are quite frequent.

Physico-Chemical Properties of Dna

DNA, as we all know, is esteemed with the title of ‘Master Molecule ’. The three letters of DNA denotes of deoxyribonucleic acid . Now the thing that we ponder on is why DNA is so important to us. Why are the researchers & scientist persistently working on DNA? Why it is so important to know the tiniest details of DNA structure and function.? The simplest answer for â€Å"Why Is DNA Important? † is that DNA is the prerequisite for life’s inception. Firstly, it transfers hereditary information from generation to generation. Secondly, it controls the production of proteins. DNA even determines the structure of the cell, meaning whether it would be a nerve cell or eye cell etc. Our DNA seems to be ultimately responsible for the size, shape and function of every protein that our bodies make. Similarly, the DNA of each plant and animal seems to be ultimately responsible for the size, shape and function of every protein that each of them makes. We will now take a small overview on history, physical properties , chemical properties of DNA. Overview on History : DNA was first isolated by Friedrich Miescher , who in 1869 discovered a microscopic substance in the pus of discarded surgical bandages that he called ‘NUCLEIN’ Finally in 1953, working together at the University of Cambridge in England, James Watson, an American scientist, and Francis Crick, a British researcher, made a major scientific breakthrough when they discovered the famous â€Å"double helix† – the structure of DNA, the molecule of life. In 2000 , a rough draft of a map of entire human genome was completed. In 2003,the final draft was completed . This information is being used to understand and function of disease. An interesting fact is If we unwrap all of the DNA of one individual’s body cell , we could reach the moon ! Physical Properties In living organisms such as humans, DNA exists as a pair of molecules rather than a single molecule. These strands are entwined in the shape of a double helix and the helix is kept stable by hydrogen bonds, which can be found between the bases attached to the two strands. A long polymer, DNA is made up of smaller units called nucleotides. In turn, each nucleotide consists of a phosphate group, a sugar and a nitrogenous base. two helical chains each coiled round the same axis, and each with a pitch of 34  A and a radius of 10  A According to another study, when measured in a particular solution, the DNA chain measured 22 to 26  A wide, and one nucleotide unit measured 3. 3  A (0. 33  nm) long * Base Pairing 1. Base pairing is a defining property of DNA and was particularly exciting when it was first discovered because it suggested the ‘copying' mechanism for DNA. 2. In DNA, bases are specific in that an adenine base, for example, only pairs with a thymine base. Following on that premise, a cytosine base will only bond to a guanine base. This base pairing is also known as complementary base pairing. * DNA Grooves DNA has two kinds of grooves that play important roles in its functioning. 1. Major and minor grooves are structures to allow for necessary proteins in your body to make contact with bases. You might wonder what makes it so important for proteins to attach to the bases. * DNA Supercoiling If you try to picture a rope, you can get a visual image of DNA supercoiling. 1. This coiling is a central property of DNA. DNA can be in a relaxed or coiled state and it is this coiling that allows our extremely long strands of DNA to fit or ‘pack' into the comparatively much smaller cells in our bodies. * DNA Conformations DNA can exist in different conformations and these are important for a range of DNA mechanisms. These conformations interact with enzymes in your body and are also involved in aspects such as DNA repair. * Temperature As thermal energy increases, the frequency of hydrogen bonds breaking between the molecules increases. The Tm (melting temperature) of a DNA molecule is the temperature in which half the DNA molecules are denatures * DENSITY A. Density can be measured by CsCl-density ultracentrifugation B. Density can be used to estimate G+C content C. Density studies show the existence of satellite DNA * pH pH is lower then one result in the breakage of phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides and breakage of the N-glycosidic bond between the sugar and purine bases . H of around 4 results in the selective breakage of N-glycosidic bonds between the sugar and purinesBase tends to change the polarity of groups involved in hydrogen bondsDNA is resistant to hydrolysis to about pH 13 * DENATURATION: DNA is considered denatured when the double stranded DNA molecule is converted into two single stranded molecules CHEMICAL PROPERTIES A nucleoside is made of a sugar + a nitrogenous base. A nucleotide is made of a phosphate + a sugar + a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the nucleotide is a deoxyribonucleotide (in RNA, the nucleotide is a ribonucleotide). * Phosphoric acid Gives a phosphate group. * Sugar: Deoxyribose, which is a cyclic pentose (5-carbon sugar). Note: the sugar in RNA is a ribose. Carbons in the sugar are noted from 1†² to 5†². A nitrogen atom from the nitrogenous base links to C1†² (glycosidic link), and the phosphate links to C5†² (ester link) to make the nucleotide. The nucleotide is therefore: phosphate – C5†² sugar C1†² – base. * Nitrogenous bases: Aromatic heterocycles; there are purines and pyrimidines. Purines: adenine (A) and guanine (G). – Pyrimidines: cytosine (C) and thymine (T) (Note: thymine is replaced by uracyle (U) in RNA) The backbone of the DNA strand is made from alternating phosphate and sugar residues. [10] The sugar in DNA is 2-deoxyribose, which is a pentose (five-carbon) sugar. * The sugars are joined together by phosphate groups that form phosphodies ter bonds between the third and fifth carbon atoms of adjacent sugar rings. * These asymmetric bonds mean a strand of DNA has a direction. In a double helix the direction of the nucleotides in one strand is opposite to their direction in the other strand: the strands are antiparallel. The asymmetric ends of DNA strands are called the 5? (five prime) and 3? (three prime) ends, with the 5†² end having a terminal phosphate group and the 3†² end a terminal hydroxyl group. The DNA double helix is stabilized primarily by two forces: hydrogen bonds between nucleotides & base-stacking interactions among the aromatic nucleobases Role that DNA plays in life: DNA is the blueprint of biological life from its inception to its growth and till death. Its discovery has not only revolutionized science and medicine but it has affected all walks of life; whether they are social, legal, criminal or inheritance related. DNA’s discovery has become important to the extent that it has even influenced a nation’s security parameters / concerns, as scientists have gone all the way to developing biological weapons. Genealogy:The study of ancestry, depends on the study of DNA. With the help of verbal and written history, and cues from DNA testing, one can trace his ancestors and learn about his family tree. Forensic science and its applications:DNA is an important part of it. It has resulted in many breakthroughs in criminal cases as it can be used to trace the criminals by comparing the DNA samples found on the crime scene with those extracted from the suspects. Agriculture: Scientists have used this knowledge to improve the food products and crops by genetically modifying them and making them more powerful to fight diseases. Some really Interesting information about DNA! * 99. 9% of our DNA sequence is the same as other humans. This 0. 1% DNA difference between us may have to do with the number of nucleotides in a person’s DNA! When DNA is copied into a new life , the nucleotides are either gained or lost in the process. This gain or loss results in our differences ! * It would take a person typing 60 words per minute, 8 hour a day, around 50 years to type the human genome! * Our entire DNA sequence is called a genome and there’s an estimated 3000,000,000 DNA bases in our genome! * A complete 3 billion base genome would take 3 GIGABYTES of storage space. * Our entire DNA sequence would fill 2001,000 pages! * Human and Chimps share anywhere between 94-99% of their DNA! * According to a recent research ,humans have at least 1-4% NEANDERTHAL DNA . At some point HOMOSAPIENS and NEANDERTHAL mingled and mated! References * Alberts, Bruce; Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts and Peter Walters (2002). Molecular Biology of the Cell; Fourth Edition. New York and London: Garland Science. * Wikipedia- http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/DNA * Watson J. D. and Crick F. H. C. (1953). â€Å"A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid† (PDF) * T. M. Devlin's Textbook of Biochemistry 7th (Seventh) edition(Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations (Textbook of Biochemistry w/ Clinical Correlations) [Hardcover])(2010)

How do the Montagues and Capulets react to loss in Romeo and Juliet? Essay

Throughout Romeo and Juliet loss is abound, making the text relatable for modern and contemporary audiences. Loss is an ineluctable part of human life allowing audiences from any era to be able to sympathise with the characters and connect with them. Many people share the view that lord Capulet cared little for his daughter, not unusual In Elizabethan times, but I feel there is much evidence to the contrary, lord Capulet, loved his â€Å"only child†, Juliet. PROLOGUE Juliet’s supposed death evoked intense feeling of grief and guilt, clearly shown in the successful use of alliteration. Capulet is overwhelmed by grief, exclaiming â€Å"O child, O child! My soul and not my child!†. Throughout the text â€Å"O† is used to express characters grief. Capulet use of the repetition of â€Å"O† Portrays his shock to Juliet’s death and the grief he feels over it. Shakespeare uses â€Å"O† numerous times to express grief because it can portrayed differently by each actor depending on their interpretation of the character. In Capulets case either the actor thinks he is truly grieving over the death of his â€Å"only child† or he is exaggerating his reaction due to the presence of Paris. It can be interpreted this way because Capulet doesn’t use â€Å"O† when talking about his loss until Paris enters. As soon as Paris sees Juliet he immediately exclaims â€Å"O love! O life!†, Capulet then needs to outdo his reaction so that his love for Juliet is not questioned. Capulet is merely a misunderstood father as he truly grieves the death of his daughter although he neglects to show it to Juliet and the audience before her death. (effect on the audience) In Juliet’s â€Å"death† Capulet used a lot of imagery which serves to portray his emotions. He refers to her as the â€Å"sweetest flower† creating the image of how beautiful Juliet was. However as â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is a play the audience would have already seen Juliet so it portrays his inner feelings. To Capulet Juliet was the prettiest and â€Å"sweetest† woman. Afterwards he says â€Å"she was a flower deflowered by him†. He no longer feels Juliet is his â€Å"flower† because death has tainted her and took it away, it has â€Å"deflowered† Juliet. Juliet is far too young to die in the night, arousing Capulets  suspicions that Juliet may have been involved. Thus, she is no longer his â€Å"flower† as she betrayed his trust as she is now unable to marry Paris. Capulet was extremely egar for Paris and Juliet to get married and even referred to it is as â€Å"our† wedding. The marriage to a relative of the prince would raise the social standing of the Capulets and hopefully remove them from the watchful eye of the prince. This is dramatic irony because the audience knows Juliet and Paris will never wed because then the Montagues and Capulets won’t be â€Å"alike in dignity† as the Capulets will be valued higher than the Montagues. Upon learning of Juliet’s death lord Capulet acknowledges his mistake of pushing her to marry Paris, insisting the feud cease. Lord Capulet immediately pleads to Montague, â€Å"O brother Montague, give thy hand. This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more can I demand†. Lord Capulet refers to Juliet’s â€Å"jointure† as being her death bed, voicing his regret and guilt for forcing her to marry Paris; he now understands why Juliet didn’t want to marry him. A jointure is something a woman agrees on in consideration of marriage, by calling Juliet’s death her jointure he admits that he wanted Juliet to marry Paris for reasons other than love. However this was common in Elizabethan times which is why they would sympathise with him unlike today’s audience who would not as arranged marriages are not a supported or common aspect in society. The acknowledgement of Montague as Capulets â€Å"brother† infers that he is aware of the marriage between Romeo and Juliet. When Capulet talks about the â€Å"jointure† he is thinking about his son in law, Romeo. Therefore, in order to honour Juliet he ends the feud between the families as he knows this is the only â€Å"jointure† that would have pleased Juliet. This shows evolution of character as he’s ended an â€Å"ancient† feud due to his grief over the loss of his daughter. In act 1 Capulet refers to Romeo as â€Å"a virtuous and well governed youth† supporting the idea that if he had known, Capulet would have approved the wedding between Romeo and Juliet. Thus, if Juliet had told him she could have lived a fulfilling life with Romeo. However as this play is a tragedy it requires the hero to die a tragic death due the (can’t remember the word) (Mercutio’s death), foreshadowing that this would never happen. On  the other hand he could call his former enemy â€Å"brother Montague† because he is suffering the same sorrow for the death of his only child thus, they are brothers in sorrow. Death lies on her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. (31-32) Visual lightness and darkness within the scene corresponds to the image of life and death facing Juliet. MY GRAVE IS LIKE MY WEDDING BED-FORESHADOWING Dead art thou! Alack, my child is dead, And with my child my joys are buried. hy camest thou now To murder, murder our solemnity?

Rape- An Unwanted Sexual Violence - 1179 Words

Rape – An Unwanted Sexual Violence Sexual violence, especially rape, is a major emerging health related issue in the United States of America. According to the NISVS survey conducted by the CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 percent of the women and 1.5 percent of the men (in the U.S.) have been involved in rape cases at some times in the past, while about 50 percent of the women and 20 percent of the men have been victims of sexual violence (other than rape) at some point in their lifetime (this may include coercive sexual intercourse, unwanted and un-consented sexual contact as well as experiences). Discussion The Definition Of Rape. Rape basically is unwanted, forced sexual intercourse. It can happen to†¦show more content†¦They dont accept that attackers are crazy, yet accept that attackers have issues that disable them seeing someone when under anxiety through sexual roughness. Some different analysts accept that assault is brought about by a sexual habit. The normal analysts will state that an attacker is a man who had youth encounters that were moderately challenging to manage and now they cant identify with ladies in a great way which eventually is a deformity called sexual deficiency. Preventing Date, Acquaintance, And Other Forms Of Rape Rape as well as similar forms of sexual abuse can be stopped before they occur. The Violence against Women Act passed by the Congress in the year 1994 was a step towards preventing rape and sexual abuse; it contributed towards the establishment of the Rape Prevention Education – the RPE program. The program is an effective tool that can (and will) be used against the opportunities of rape and sexual abuse, it will help in preventing sexual abuse and add to the efforts at each level. It is currently operative in all fifty of the states in the US, Six United States Territories, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. 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