Bowen (Bohannan) and Davis’ notable work “Return to Laughter” Essay Example for Free

Bowen (Bohannan) and Davis’ notable work â€Å"Return to Laughter† Essay Bowen (Bohannan) and Davis’ notable works â€Å"Return to Laughter† and â€Å"The Serpent and the Rainbow† respectively, serves as reliable references mainly for the field of anthropology. In both books, the authors dealt with exploring the practice of witchcraft from separate parts of the world Bowen’s semi-fictional novel covered Nigerian witchery, alongside personal-based experiences; while Davis’ was of entirely non-fiction, focusing on â€Å"the secret societies of Haitian voodoo, zombies, and magic†. Witchcraft, by definition, is the alleged use of magic or supernatural powers. Throughout history, common people often women and children are accused and condemned for using spells, acquiring human body parts, and the like, with no concrete proof. With even the slightest suspicion, a person will immediately be disowned, otherwise executed, by their community, and even by their own family. People regard it as evil it’s a ‘condemning quality’ for their society. Oftentimes, witch accusations rise from (simple) social tensions or unexplained misfortunes. Though witch trials and executions have already been illegalized in the contemporary world, Wiccan activities continue to be greatly frowned upon one cannot simply eliminate it off certain cultures; in a way, it’s already embedded in their system. This is as evident in Bowen’s â€Å"Return to Laughter†, a detailed account of her experience living with a Nigerian primitive bush tribe it revealed how she struggled to learn and understand local culture and beliefs, whilst handling the conflicts it caused with her own; how she made it through being ostracized by the locals because of being involved with a supposed witch; and how her decision changed the course of her study greatly. She wasn’t only there, she was out there she witnessed firsthand society’s conviction over such practice and realized how much of a big deal it was in their area. As for Davis’ case, his study highlighted especially on the Haitian process of zombification the psychiatric condition in which the victims believe that their awareness is retained in a bottle or jar while their bodies are enslaved by the bokor, the voodoo sorcerer who summoned them. This was seen as a form of witchcraft despite the obvious physiological causes (though there are still some specifics left unclear). The bokor in Haitian Vodou, an indigenous religion, refers to a sorcerer or a houngan (priests) for hire, said to be able to practice both good and dark magic, though some sources plainly refer to them as the evil opposites of houngan. Due to these claims, they, too, are outlawed by their community. In studying social relationships in their corresponding communities, both authors’ used witchcraft as their basis perhaps because of the fact that witchery is (nearly) the center of the communities’ belief systems; they might’ve tried to understand the nature of that particular society through how they react towards the people they’ve categorized as witches. They try to see how society accepts those ‘in’ or how those ‘out’ are reprimanded alleged witches being of the ‘out’ crowd. Despite both areas’ same claims of involvement in the practice of witchcraft, there are still differences to be noted. For one, there’s no concrete proof for the existence of witches or their said ‘witchcraft’ the locals’ only bases are another’s unusual habits and such; then, they also say that witches can perform ‘magic’ even without solid provisions they can cause misfortune to befall upon their enemy without physically doing anything; and they can cause famine, rain, landslides, etc. whenever. Besides these, they also say that power of witchcraft can be passed on to whomever. For the bokor, on the other hand, their black magic is almost limited to the creation of zombies and ‘ousngans’, talismans that house spirits; and their rank isn’t simply passed on to anyone but only to those believed to posses great power at birth. The said creation of zombies is actually plausible: Haitian zombies aren’t literal dead-people-come-to-life. In fact, they’ve never been dead in the first place they’ve been drugged, putting them in a state of deep coma thus, giving the impression of being ‘dead’; later, they’re induced with an indefinite set of chemicals and awakened in a state of emotional and mental detachment now giving the impression of being ‘reanimated’. So unlike witches, the bokor’s existence can actually be detected. Furthermore, witches are common people while the bokor are highly ranked in their society. Still, there are specific similarities apparent too: both witch and bokor deal with spirits and magic and are said to be able to perform both good and evil magic; also, they perform sacred rituals and carry talismans and so on. â€Å"Religious† wouldn’t exactly be the term I would use to describe how I see the Nigerian and Haitian belief system based on the gathered information above; I wouldn’t say that it’s all â€Å"superstitious† either but I’d rather go with this point. From where I stand, these people see witchery as a product of the devil, which I believe, still counts in religious beliefs; however, their way of finding fault in a person is but irrational, it’s already of the ‘superstitious’ kind the peculiar habits or the unusual appearance of a person doesn’t make a person any less human! Besides, the witch and bokor are conflicted between good and evil, and their purpose in the great cosmos isn’t clear too; therefore, their divine involvement is, overall, uncertain and that’s going against the definition of ‘religious’. Witchcraft, magic, zombies, talismans†¦these terms are already passe and ridiculed in the 21st century setting but they continue to survive amongst today’s trends. Not to mention that they still maintain a long line of followers. Nonetheless, in spite of its relative share of adverse effects today, it is still living proof of our ancestors’ exertions in reaching the extent of their imagination to satisfy their curiosity and that’s certainly something! Bibliography Agar, M. (1996). The Professional Stranger: An Informal Introduction to Ethnography. New York: Academic Press. Bowen, E. S. (1964). Return to Laughter: an Anthropological Novel . New York: Anchor Books. Craven, W. (Director). (1988). The Serpent and the Rainbow [Motion Picture].

Racism in To Kill A Mockingbird :: essays research papers

Racism presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. Some are blatant and open, but others are more insidious. One obvious way that racism presents itself is in the result of Tom Robinson’s trial. Another apparent example is the bullying Jem and Scout had to endure as a result of Atticus’s appointment as Tom Robinson’s defense attorney. A less easily discernible case is the persecution of Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who chose to live his life in close relation with the colored community. Tom Robinson’s trial, and in fact his entire life, was badly affected by racism. It is truly a testament to the corruption of society when a person who has earned a bad reputation is held in higher esteem than a person who was born with it, as is the case with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Even though Tom was obviously honest in his testament, the jury sided with Bob Ewell because he was white. They made this decision despite the fact that the Ewell family was widely known to be a worthless part of society. Jem, not being racially prejudiced, could not understand this mentality. As Atticus pointed out, â€Å"If you (Jem) had been on the jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.† The hatred that the citizens of Maycomb felt towards the black community extended to anyone who became involved with them, especially the Finch family because Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson. Scout and Jem suffered the most from this hatred because their peers were children, who are nearly always less candid than adults. Most of the people who were unhappy with Atticus would just try to keep away from him, which was bad enough. The children however, verbally abused Scout and Jem. Scout responded to this with physical violence, even though it was discouraged by her father. The sad thing is that they were mistreated even by members of their family, like Scout’s cousin Francis. Mr. Dolphus Raymond is another character who suffered from Maycomb’s racism. He was a respected, wealthy member of the community, but then he chose to live with the black community. This was considered a felony by the inhabitants of Maycomb. He knew they would never be able to understand his choice, so he made it easier for them by pretending to be the town drunk.

Functions of Management Essay

Great managers are fair and respectful to employees. They don’t ask employees to do anything they would not do themselves. They show up on time, and they are a good role model who leads by example. Great managers are honest and accept their faults, and they are able to publicly admit when they are wrong. Great manager is someone who is a good listener and is proactive in dealing with issues and not afraid to get in the trenches with his or her coworkers. A great manager leads workers, but at the same time does not generate resentment by being too bossy. A great manager builds close connections with the people they supervise. A great manager recognizes employees for their contributions at work. This is one of the surest ways to secure employee loyalty and earn the perception that you are smart enough to understand that you don’t know everything. Recognition and rewards do not typically need to be monetary. In most cases, simple public recognition is all that is required. Recognition nurtures the soul, it feels good, and it stimulates a desire to repeat positive behavior at work. great manager is approachable and possesses a likeable personality. Moreover, a great manager has a sense of humor about the world and themselves. And a great manager understands that they need to manage systems, but more importantly they need to manage the way they relate to their employees. I haven’t seen nor work for an ineffective manager. An ineffective manager can make workers of all levels miserable, which can result in low employee morale, stress, and turnover. Why are some managers ineffective? It could be because these managers define themselves only as a manager, and not also as a leader because managers try to plan, organize, and coordinate, and leaders aim to inspire and motivate. They may view leadership and management as two different entities, when in reality leadership and management need to go hand-in-hand. – The management does meaningful work in a culture of respect, camaraderie and teamwork. They begin by analyzing the culture to establish a benchmark, then measure progress regularly. Determine what matters most to your employees; Meaningful work, Recognition, Respect for management, Communications, and Empowerment. Acknowledging individual differences, they maximize individual strengths. They commit to continuous improvement. Management must place as high a priority on employee satisfaction as it does on customer satisfaction, quality, financials and other strategic performance measures.

The Hot Topic of Immigration Essay - 791 Words

Immigration remains to be a hot topic. There are many issues to consider but let’s look at stereotypes and regulatory control issues. Just what are some of the stereotypes about the economic impact of immigration in the United States? We have all heard that immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans. This stereotype is based on two fallacies: that there are a fixed number of jobs to go around, and that foreign workers are direct substitutes for citizens (Dangelo 236). The truth is that immigrants fill the low-end jobs that increasingly the well-educated and comfortable citizens do not want (Dangelo 234). Another stereotype is that immigrant population is responsible for the rising costs of health care, education, and other human†¦show more content†¦In the late 19th century, there was a brief period of strict requirements for naturalization but immigration was basically unregulated through most of the 1800s. (Schaefer 90). Until 1870, naturalization was limited to â€Å"free white persons† (Schaefer 90). During the period of railroad building, Chinese immigrants were used for hard labor. As that period ended, the large number of Chinese entering the country caused concern. In 1882, Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, outlawing Chinese immigration for 10 years and explicitly denied naturalization rights to the Chinese (Schaefer91). In 1884 there was a 10 year ban on Chinese laborers and in 1992 Congress extended the Exclusion Act another10 years and stipulated that Chinese laborers obtain certificates of residence within a year or face deportation. As Congress closed the door to Chinese immigration, immigration laws turned in new directions (Schaefer 92). In 1908 the United States and Japan agreed that Japan would halt further immigration to the United States, and the United States agreed to end discrimination against the Japanese who had already arrived (Schaefer 92). A new era of immigration policies began in 1921. Immigration was now regulated by the National Origin System. Measures blocked the growing immigration from southern Europe and completely blocked Asian immigrants with a zero quota (SchaeferShow MoreRelatedIllegal Immigration Is A Hot Topic Debate864 Words   |  4 PagesIllegal immigration is a hot topic debate in today society as many people have their viewpoints on it. Immigration could be the second most talked about maybe first topic behind terrorism. Illegal immigration has been going on since foreigners were allowed in the US in the early 20th century. Even backed then, there were mixed emotions as many Americans did not favor foreigners and there were many attempts to restrict what they were allowed to do. Imm igrants come across the border every day. AccordingRead MoreImmigration : A Hot Topic On The United States897 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration continues to be a hot topic in the United States. The issue is a particularly sensitive one, as it affects matters such as national security, the economy, and the American way of life. Frustrated by Congress’ inaction, President Barack Obama is attempting to fix what many see as the broken immigration system, and one such move was through the executive actions he announced last November 20, which aims to provide relief from deportation for those who were brought to the country as childrenRead MoreImmigration Is A Foreign Policy Hot Topic1296 Words   |  6 PagesImmigration according to definitions online is â€Å"the movement of people into a destination country to which they are not native or do not possess its citizenship in order to settle or reside there, especially as permanent residents or naturalized citizens, or to take-u p employment as a migrant worker or temporarily as a foreign worker.† However, in order to understand why immigration has become a foreign policy hot topic, we must understand the history of immigration. Since the initial settlersRead MoreThe Hot Topic of the Immigration Issue Essay examples817 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals, and it has a process in place for those wishing to gain legal citizenship. The immigration issue is a hot topic in the United States today and concerns individuals who are entering the country illegally. Our representatives are proposing new laws to limit access to our country through other than legal means. There are strong feelings on each side. The opponents to â€Å"illegal† immigration believe that the cost to Americans is too high. According to this group, the â€Å"undocumented† areRead MoreImmigration Is A Hot Topic In Today’S World And Was Even1917 Words   |  8 PagesImmigration is a hot topic in today’s world and was even one of the main laws discussed by Donald Trump during his campaign. Both the Editorial Opinion: The Arizona Sentinel newspaper and â€Å"Immigration Sophistry† by Thomas Sowell demonstrate their views on how immigration should be handled in America, but the matter of how is where the two really branch off from each other. The Arizona Sentinel newspaper takes the stance that immigration is not as an immense problem as most Americans make it out toRead MoreImmigration reform has been one of the â€Å"hot† topics that have been consistently at the forefront of800 Words   |  4 Pages Immigration reform has been one of the â€Å"hot† topics that have been consistently at the forefront of many American discussions. At this time, there are more illegal immigrants in our country than legal immigrants. This is a major controversy in the realm of other social policies. Illegal immigration, or undocumented immigrants, refers to foreign people entering the United States without government permission or violating the immigration law. This is typically done by sneaking into the country orRead MoreImmigration Should Not Be A Controversial Topic888 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States of America was founded on immigration. The very foundation of the current modern country was founded by a group of European settlers searching freedom from a controlling monarch. Since the 1400’s the America’s have been a destination for European explorers seeking a new place rich with resources. They have been traveling long and hard voyages to capitalize on the American co ntinent and its promise of opportunity and riches. But in recent years the lineal descendents of the immigrantsRead MoreIllegal Immigrants: The Bad, The Ugly, and The Worst Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesIllegal Immigration is â€Å"the migration of people across national borders, or the residence of foreign nationals in a country, in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country.† (Google). Illegal immigrants are people that cross into boarders illegally. For immigrants trying to come to America, most of them resort to trying to cross the border illegally. They risk getting caught, bad conditions, and some even risk going through the Sonoran Desert. There is no boarder control aroundRead MoreIllegal Immigration : Illegal Immigrants949 Words   |  4 PagesIllegal immigrants have been a hot topic lately due to the popularity of this topic amongst the Republican Presidential Nominees, especially Donald Trump. These illegal immigrants bring various things to this country when they come. Some things are positive, such as a family simply seeking to find a better life, while some things are harmful to the United States, such as the amount of crime among illegal immigrants. In July 2015, the most recent estimate of illegal immigrants was 11.2 million. ThisRead MoreThe Issue Of Birthright Citizenship922 Words   |  4 PagesThe question of birthright citizenship, can be one of America’s hotly debated topic; that is next to illegal immigration which it is married. â€Å"Birthright Citizenship†, addresses the children born outside the country of their parent’s legal residence, and this is not just an American issue. While this previous statement, does not specify state illegal immigration, which appears to be some of the debate of this issue, during political season this does become a talking point in political circles. The