1 HUMAN NATURE: A CONTESTED CONCEPT Are we inherently good or bad? Are we driven by reason or emotions? Are we selfish or altruistic? Is the human mind malleable or predisposed? These questions are highly contested and the answers to them far from clear. This is due not only to the array of different perspectives on human nature‚ but also to seemingly contradictory evidence. We need only scratch the surface of history to find confirmation that humankind is capable of incredible cruelty and
Premium Psychology Morality Human nature
or to make certain ideas seem more profound than they really are. One main task of critical thinking is to identify these linguistic pitfalls. Let us start with the first major pitfall - obscurity. "Obscurity" here refers to unclear meaning. A concept or a linguistic expression can be unclear for various reasons. One reason is that it might be ambiguous‚ i.e. having more than one meaning. The other reason is that it might be vague. A term is said to be vague if there are borderline cases where
Premium Semantics Ambiguity Meaning of life
Vagueness‚ Ambiguity‚ and Clarity in Writing Costina Bullock June 29‚ 2014 CRT-205 In example three‚ the ambiguity causes this statement to have a lot of vagueness. When dealing with a situation such as collecting money for a project‚ all details should be clearly and factually stated first. The first thing said is‚ next Sunday; along with this should be a date. Also‚ when it says the collection will help with the cost I feel that the cost should be stated as
Premium Critical thinking
What is a Crime? A crime is an offence against the public law. It is an act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it and for which punishment is imposed upon conviction. Crimes violate the law and order of a society and it negatively affects the social structure and the society’s fundamental values‚ morale and belief system. The concept of Crime can vary from society to Society The crimes are events and actions that are proscribed by the criminal law of a particular
Premium Sociology
Question 4: Culture is both a key concept and a contested concept in anthropology. Discuss. I will be discussing how culture is used in anthropology‚ how it has seeped out into other fields of research and also its uses in normal everyday life. I will be looking at why this key concept has been and is still contested by some anthropologists. How it has created problems in the field and how we perceive people through the concept of culture. This done through the understanding of the definition of
Premium Anthropology Culture Cultural anthropology
Contested Space Although many strive to avoid it‚ people are running into contested space moments after they open their eyes each morning. We form these walls of contested space automatically‚ sometimes subconsciously which comes into play as we go about life. Contested space is a generally used term; that has a fairly vague definition. However‚ Mary Louise Pratt In her work: Arts Of The Contact Zone expresses it use well‚ stating: “ I use this term to refer to social spaces where cultures meet
Premium High school
How do the concept of ‘social harm’ and the understanding relations of power aid our understanding of the complexities of crime? Social harm is a concept that has no real definitive meaning and can be seen to be quite ambiguous with having several different meanings to people within society. Harm is defined as injury or damage imposed intentionally or unintentionally upon society‚ social institutions or individuals. Social harm allows for Criminologists to gauge recognition of certain behaviours
Premium Human trafficking Smuggling Sociology
“The Contested Plains: Indians‚ Goldseekers‚ and the Rush to Colorado” Written by Elliott West. I chose to write about this book because of the large range of events and transitions that occurred throughout the American West that the author includes in the text. Elliot West highlights the struggles that many endured while trying to create better circumstances for not only themselves but also their families by moving to the west. He chronicles the adaptations that many white settlers arriving in the
Premium Native Americans in the United States Montana
Culture as a Site of Contested Meaning For years‚ the modeling industry’s perception of what beauty is only consisted of super thin and super skinny women. Their idea of beauty‚ thereafter‚ influenced and shaped what our culture’s idea of beauty is as well. Recently though‚ the meaning of beauty is being challenged. I recently read an article on Fox News’ website discussing how magazine publishers were hiring “fatter” models and were also airbrushing pictures of thinner models in order for them
Premium Mass media Sociology Woman
The concepts of crime and punishment in the fiction of Roald Dahl Roald Dahl is probably one of the most noted writers of his time. His style of writing has earned him quite a large following of readers. His books cater to all ages from children to adults. He is equally popular for his children’s books as he is for his short stories and novels for adults. One of the earliest works of Roald Dahl was “Shot Down To Libya” which was inspired by a meeting with C.S. Forester. It
Free Roald Dahl