Free Essay: 17th century Life Exposed in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

17th century Life Exposed in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses the aspects of relationships, religion, community, discipline and punishment in the puritan community of 17th century Boston. Relationships between men and women were very constrained and that is what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone in the community. Religion seemed to govern over all, people would look up to reverends and the community believed that fate was their destiny. Public discipline and punishment were used to discourage everyone else from committing the same crime or sin as the offending "criminal" did. The community was to follow the beliefs of god and to do their duties the best they could, yet were there to criticize and punish all who disobeyed the religion or laws. In 17th century Boston every thing was very strict and everyone was expected to follow the laws, which makes Hester's sin such an excellent example of the beliefs of that time period. The first scaffold scene is very important because the scene sums up the beliefs of the general public at that time, and gives a prospective of what Hester Prynne must deal with. In the beginning of chapter two the scene is descri bed as "it could have betokened nothing short of the anticipated execution of some noted culprit,"(47) showing that the whole town was there for a ruthless public punishment. The crowd was not there for an execution though, but there for a public punishment of Hester Prynne who had committed adultery. A townsman describes Hester's punishment to a stranger as, "they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom."(58) This scene shows the weight of values and morals upon society in the 17th century and how public punishment was not only used as punishment but as a way to discourage others from committing the same crime. The community was key in this punishment because it helped alienate Hester and further her pain. The punishment brings forth Hester's underlying pain, "[Hester] sent forth a cry she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real.

Describe the characteristics and cause of challenging behaviour Essay

Case study 1 In case study 1 Winston is physically aggressive. However over recent months he has become very withdrawn, extremely grumpy and agitated. In the case study it says how Winston wife known as Ruby was assisting him to get ready for bed when he lasted out punching her in her chest. This shows he has become physically aggressive. The characteristics for his behavioural change, was that he shouts obscenities loudly, especially in the evening before going to bed. The cause of his behaviour is due to the fact he had Alzheimer disease. 1. What type of challenging behaviour is being displayed? The challenging behaviour being displayed is reactive. 2. How do you know this? Describe the characteristics His characteristic of his challenging behaviour is intimidating, aggressive and abusive. I know this because it says in the case study that Winston ‘shouts obscenities loudly, especially in the evening before going to bed, and has now become physically aggressive towards his wife’ another stage that shows his challenging behaviour is when Ruby is assisting him and he lashes out punching her in the chest. 3. What are the causes or triggers?  Winston has Alzheimer Disease. This is a type of dementia. Dementia is a group of symptoms which affects the way the brain functions; this could also affect the way Winston behaves as he could become aggressive. The cause of Winston’s anger is due to his physical illness, (Alzheimer Disease) this makes it difficult for him to do some activities and that’s why he has the help of his wife. Case study 2 Sean’s 21 years old and has been living with his auntie for the past two months because life at home has been very uncertain due to his parents going through a divorce. He does not know his auntie very well and is slightly uncomfortable to talk to her about his personal issues. Sean regularly attends youth club and enjoys meeting his friends from school there. She asks him about his career history and he doesn’t seem to like it as he responds abruptly. He suddenly appears to be very offended by the questions and starts to swear at the support worker repetitively and says ‘what do you need to know this for?’ He gets up and says ‘Forget it’. He starts to walk away while shouting racist comments towards the support worker. 1. What type of challenging behaviour is being displayed? In the case study it says Sean’s, ‘starts to walk away while shouting racist comments towards the support worker.’ This shows that his behaviour is challenging and he shows this verbally. 2. How do you know this? Describe the characteristics I know this because when Sean’s support worker talks to him, he’s response with a short reply, he swears at the support worker over and over asking why the support worker is questioning him. Sean characteristics are intimidating and violent. 3. What are the causes or triggers?  Sean’s behaviour is could be caused due to the fact his mother and father are separated and divorced. Because of this, he may feel unhappy and stressed. When his support worker questions him about his employment history he might have been worried about being judged.

Understanding the Phenomenon of McDonaldization

McDonaldization is a concept developed by American sociologist George Ritzer which refers to the particular kind of rationalization of production, work, and consumption that rose to prominence in the late twentieth century. The basic idea is that these elements have been adapted based on the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant—efficiency, calculability, predictability and standardization, and control—and that this adaptation has ripple effects throughout all aspects of society. The McDonaldization of Society George Ritzer introduced the concept of McDonaldization with his 1993 book,  The McDonaldization of Society.  Since that time the concept has become central within the field of sociology and especially within the sociology of globalization. The sixth edition of the book, published in 2011, has been cited nearly 7,000 times. According to Ritzer, the McDonaldization of society is a phenomenon that occurs when society, its institutions, and its organizations are adapted to have the same characteristics that are found in fast-food chains. These include efficiency, calculability, predictability and standardization, and control. Ritzers theory of McDonaldization is an update on classical sociologist Max Webers theory of how scientific rationality produced bureaucracy, which became the central organizing force of modern societies through much of the twentieth century. According to Weber, the modern bureaucracy was defined by hierarchical roles, compartmentalized knowledge and roles, a perceived merit-based system of employment and advancement, and the legal-rationality authority of the rule of law. These characteristics could be observed (and still can be) throughout many aspects of societies around the world. According to Ritzer, changes within science, economy, and culture have shifted societies away from Webers bureaucracy to a new social structure and order that he calls McDonaldization. As he explains in his book of the same name, this new economic and social order is defined by four key aspects. Efficiency  entails a managerial focus on minimizing the time required to complete individual tasks as well as that required to complete the whole operation or process of production and distribution.Calculability  is a focus on quantifiable objectives (counting things) rather than subjective ones (evaluation of quality).Predictability and standardization  are found in repetitive and routinized production or service delivery processes and in the consistent output of products or experiences that are identical or close to it (predictability of the consumer experience).Finally, control within McDonaldization is wielded by the management to ensure that workers appear and act the same on a moment-to-moment and daily basis. It also refers to the use of robots and technology to reduce or replace human employees wherever possible. Ritzer asserts that these characteristics are not only observable in production, work, and in the consumer experience, but that their defining presence in these areas extends as ripple effects through all aspects of social life. McDonaldization affects our values, preferences, goals, and worldviews, our identities, and our social relationships. Further, sociologists recognize that McDonaldization is a global phenomenon, driven by Western corporations, the economic power and cultural dominance of the West, and as such it leads to a global homogenization of economic and social life. The Downside of McDonaldization After laying out how McDonaldization works in the book, Ritzer explains that this narrow focus on rationality actually produces irrationality. He observed, Most specifically, irrationality means that rational systems are unreasonable systems. By that, I mean that they deny the basic humanity, the human reason, of the people who work within or are served by them. Many have no doubt encountered what Ritzer describes here  when the human capacity for reason seems to be not at all present in transactions or experiences that are marred by rigid adherence to the rules and policies of an organization. Those that work under these conditions often experience them as dehumanizing as well. This is because McDonaldization does not require a skilled workforce. Focusing on the four key characteristics that produce McDonaldization has eliminated the need for skilled workers. Workers in these conditions engage in repetitive, routinized, highly focused and compartmentalized tasks that are quickly and cheaply taught, and thus easy to replace. This kind of work devalues labor and takes away workers bargaining power. Sociologists observe that this kind of work has reduced workers rights and wages in the US and around the world, which is exactly why workers at places like McDonalds and Walmart are leading the fight for a living wage in the U.S.  Meanwhile in China, workers who produced iPhones and iPads face similar conditions and struggles. The characteristics of McDonaldization have crept into the consumer experience too, with free consumer labor folded into the production process. Ever bus your own table at a restaurant or cafà ©? Dutifully follow the instructions to assemble Ikea furniture? Pick your own apples, pumpkins, or blueberries? Check yourself out at the grocery store? Then you have been socialized to complete the production or distribution process for free, thus aiding a company in achieving efficiency and control. Sociologists observe the characteristics of McDonaldization in other areas of life, like education and media too, with a clear shift from quality to quantifiable measures over time, standardization and efficiency playing significant roles in both, and control too. Look around, and you will be surprised to find that you will notice the impacts of McDonaldization throughout your life.