psych 101

psych 101 Magiera PAGE 8Evelyn MagieraApril 24 , 2014Professor RolonThe MetamorphosisKafka's perspective on society as uncovered in his Metamorphosis recommends that man (as spoke to by Gregor Samsa) is diminished to a bug by the cutting edge world and his family, and human instinct is totally self ingested. Kafka mirrors a conviction that the more liberal and magnanimous one is, the more regrettable one is dealt with. This view is in direct clash with the manner in which things ought to be; man (explicitly Gregor) ought to be treated in understanding to his activities. Gregor ought to be significantly cherished by his family paying little heed to his state in light of his extraordinary love of them. This thought is shown in three separate subjects. To start with, Gregor's family is just worried about the impact Gregor's change will have on them, explicitly the impact it will have on their accounts and notoriety. They are more than ready to exploit Gregor; he attempts to pay their obligation a nd they are glad to entertain themselves with luxury.English: 3:4 Portrait yield of Franz KafkaGregor is the spirit utilized individual from his family and this is their essential intrigue when Gregor is changed. Besides, Gregor is punished for his endeavors to be a decent child, and a decent specialist; his works are totally underestimated by both family and boss. The Samsa family isn't keen on Gregor past their own needs, pariahs are respectfully rewarded. Thirdly, by the positive changes that happen in the Samsa family as Gregor slides into catastrophe and irrelevance. As Gregor's life turns out to be increasingly agonizing, secluded, and useless the Samsa family turns out to be progressively useful and self-reliant.Metamorphosis is totally self continued as a novella, anyway it takes on a more profound importance when one knows about its connection to the creator; hence I am giving a few...

Leonardo Da Vinci one of the greatest artists pertold in history. He created several tremendous and infamous art pieces including The Mona Lisa. This was only one of his several extradinary works.

Leonardo Da Vinci perhaps the best craftsman pertold ever. He made a few enormous and scandalous workmanship pieces including The Mona Lisa. This was just one of his few extradinary works. Leonardo Da Vinci was conceived in 1452 on his dad's domain in Vinci, Italy. He got his instruction on the home until the age of fifteen. Which is the point at which his dad had seen Leonardo's latent capacity and had chosen to send him to be a student to the craftsman Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. There he considered figure and the mechanical expressions. This was additionally when he initially built up an enthusiasm for life structures. In 1472 Leonardo was acknowledged into the painters' organization at Florence, where he stayed for the following ten years. In 1482, Leonardo was recruited by the duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, to be craftsman and architect in habitation. During his stay in Milan, he began to make a brought together hypothesis out of the world and to delineate it in a progression of voluminous scratch pad. Sadly because of his quest for logical information he needed to leave a large number of his imaginative manifestations unfinished.Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, Galleria dell'...He remained in Milan for a long time. There he finished six artworks: two representations of the 'Last Supper', two adaptations of 'The Virgin of the Rocks', and a brightening roof painting in the Castello Sforzesco. Different works of art were either incomplete or have vanished. In the mid 1500's, Leonardo come back to his home city. In Florence, he was charged to do various works of art, however different interests and errands shielded him from completing them. The most notable piece to get by from this timeframe was the acclaimed Mona Lisa, which is presently in the Louver in Paris. For ten months during 1502, Leonardo filled in as military counsel and architect. During the years 1513 to 1516, Leonardo was in Rome at the greeting of Cardinal Giuliano de' Medici, sibling of Pope Leo X. Probably the best specialists of the time were grinding away in Rome for...

Presidential Candidates and Colleges

Presidential Candidates and Colleges December 28, 2011 Find out where the Republican presidential contenders went to college (photo credit: Gage Skidmore). Wondering where the current slate of Republican presidential hopefuls attended college? Wonder no more. Governor Mitt Romney started off his college education at Stanford University but later transferred to Brigham Young University. Hed then receive a JD-MBA from Harvard University. And how about Speaker Newt Gingrich? He attended Emory University as an undergrad and would go on to receive his MA and Ph.D from Tulane University. Rick Santorum? He received his BA at Penn State University followed by an MBA at the University of Pittsburgh and a JD from the Dickinson School of Law. Never heard of that law school? We suspect youre not alone. Congressman Ron Paul received his BA from Gettysburg College before attending Duke University for his MD. Ambassador Jon Huntsman started off at the University of Utah before he decided to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in international politics. And how about Michele Bachmann? Well, she got her BA at Winona State University. We hear that admission to Winona State is quite competitive. Thats pure sarcasm if you didnt catch our drift. She went on to get her JD at Oral Roberts University and her LL.M from William Mary University. So, basically, in the 2012 Republican field, Romney, Gingrich, and Huntsman went to good schools (Paul did go to a good medical school). And the candidates who dont have a shot Bachmann of Winona State and Santorum of Dickinson Law School (in spite of his recent surge in Iowa) attended schools that arent exactly prestigious. Does that impact your vote? You tell us by posting below! And check out this post on Presidential Candidates and Universities.

The Strength of Women in Trifles Essay - 1512 Words

During the 1900’s women were viewed as nothing more than house wives. They were expected to cook, clean, and take care of their children and husbands. The lack of respect women received during this time is extremely evident in â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell. In this play women are depicted as incapable, and these ladies are very much aware of this. Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife practically says throughout the play we cannot do this we are women, and she seems quite content with that; whereas Mrs. Hale is a little edgier, and converts Mrs. Peters to the â€Å"dark side.† This play is not only a great read, but a great example of the lack of knowledge men give to women, the unity of women, and the women’s rebelliousness to their insignificant†¦show more content†¦The Attorney is just saying wow she has such little to worry about, and yet she cannot even keep her house clean. This is such a male insensitive statement that it screams how mu ch men view the lack of intelligence women have. Throughout the rest of the play the play continue to make jokes about women, including their wives. When the women first find the quilt the men overhear them saying â€Å"It’s a log cabin pattern. Pretty, isn’t it? I wonder if she is goin’ to quilt it or just knot it?† (1286). The Sheriff walks in on the scene and says â€Å"They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it!† (1286). The men laugh, and the women look embarrassed. Once again the men are just making fun of women, and Mrs. Hale again tries to back herself up with saying â€Å"I don’t know as there’s anything so strange, our takin’ up our time with little things while were waiting for them to get the evidence. I don’t see as it’s anything to laugh about.† (1286). Mrs. Peters tries to cover up for the men and says apologetically â€Å"Of course they’ve got awful important things on their minds.† (1286). The Attorney makes a joke again at the end of the play saying â€Å"Well, Henry, at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to---what is it you call it, ladies?†, as if sewing and its terms are something only the women would know (1290). The men constantly are knocking the women, and Mrs. Hale tries to rebuttal everyShow MoreRelatedComparing Ibsens A Dolls House and Glaspells Trifles754 Words   |  3 PagesA Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen and Trifles by Susan Glaspell are two plays that depict sexist attitudes towards women as both take place in societies where men are deemed as strong and smart and women as vulnerable and even silly. In A Dolls House, women are depicted as beings whom are there to sacrifice for their men. Women are not to be taken seriously. Men, by and large, take women for granted because they are blind to the sacrifices that women do make for them; instead men see themselves asRead MoreWomen In Susan Glaspells Trifles931 Words   |  4 PagesSusan Glaspell’s â€Å"Trifles† attempts to answer a single question for the public. Why do women, a stereotypically quiet and submissive group, turn to murder? The male dominated society of the 1900’s found answers by simply branding them as insane; men were never to blame because only a crazy women would turn on a man. However, Glaspell empowers the women of her play in their submissive roles by utilizing the oppression by men to point out the holes in the male-dominated legal system. Linda Ben-ZviRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1577 Words   |  7 Pagespeople treated men better than women as men’s strength took an important role to live in the past before the society develops. However, as the people generally thought of women insignificant, women have started to speak up to get over this unchanging perspective. In the early twentieth century, more women maintain for an equality in gender which is called feminism. As feminist group gets larger, more literacy works supporting feminism are published. One of those is ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell as the AmericanRead MoreTrifles by Susan Glaspell: Women’s Silent Voices Essay1040 Words   |  5 Pagesmen dominated women and women were often seen as left with less important or treated as an inferior being. Women were often expected to be good mothers to their children as well as caretakers to their husband. After reading the play â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell, I was able to grasp the important facts about social views of women and their domestic roles. Glaspell’s play depicts the gender inequality which exists in the society, drawing significant attention to the societal values of women at that timeRead MoreUnderstanding Feminism in Susan Glaspells Trifles1577 Words   |  7 PagesUnderstanding Feminism in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles Susan Glaspell lived during a time where women’s rights were not fully acknowledged. The oppression of women during this time stretched to the point that they were not truly acknowledged as their own person. They were to be seen and not heard so to speak. Their sole purpose was to take care of their families by keeping house and performing their caretaker duties. Glaspell even demonstrates in her story that the women in this town were referred to asRead MoreThe Tone Of August Wilson1377 Words   |  6 Pagesfriends and family members together. With this in mind Rose sees the fence as symbol of her love. To point out Bono indicates that Troy pushes Rose away from him by cheating on her. The wholeness of the fence comes to mean the strength the Maxson family and ironically the strength of the man who shredded them, who also brings them together once again, in death. Different from fences, Amy tan wrote Two Kinds, we realize that the story moves from place to place in San Francisco, with some action takingRead MoreComparison essay -- Trifles and A Dolls House1460 Words   |  6 Pagescrazy things! Nora, in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, loved her husband so much that she committed forgery just for the sake of his wellbeing. Susan Glaspell’s character in Trifles, Mrs. Wright, murders her husband after she discovers that he killed the one most precious thing to her, her pet bird. It was out of love that these women committed illegal crimes. Nora wanted her husband to be healthy because she loved him and knew that without his salary coming in, their home would fall apart. In contrastRead MoreBreaking The Status Quo : Free From The Shadows977 Words   |  4 PagesShadows American society has always been dominated by misogyny. It has allowed men to subjugate women in their actions and words, though the women fight this through their own actions and words. In â€Å"Trifles†, Susan Glaspell gives the women power over the men by setting the play in a female dominated area of the house, defending their friend, and by conducting their own small investigation. The women succeed in tearing from the shadows of their husbands for brief moments and in the process, theyRead MoreFeminism Is Not About Making Women Stronger1441 Words   |  6 PagesFeminism is not about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It s about changing the way the world perceives that strength. - G.D Anderson      Our culture in the early Twentieth Century was biased in many ways, as it still is to this day in the Twenty-first Century. One of the major struggles were men s biased writing about women. Many women then and to this day still stand up and try to fight for equality. Women used to be  given certain roles to be a part of society in our history.Read MoreTrifles by Susan Glaspell Essay1253 Words   |  6 PagesGlaspell’s most memorable one-act play, Trifles (1916) was based on murder trial case that happened in the 1900’s. Glaspell worked as a reporter, where she appointed a report of a murder case. It was about a farmer, John Hossack who was killed while he was asleep in bed one night. His wife claimed that she was asleep next to him when the attack occurred. No one believed in her statement, she was arrested and was charged on first degree murder. In Trifles, the play takes place at an abandon house

Netherlands Example

Essays on Netherlands PowerPoint Presentation Speech Netherlands geography, population and religion Netherlands that is double the size of New Jersey lies along the coast of the North Sea. Much of the European Netherlands lies below the sea level. This land that is surrounded by dikes is reclaimed from the sea. On the basis of its level, Netherlands can be divided into two areas. The higher part has hills both on its south and the east. Most of the higher Netherlands is flat except for the southern extreme that is significantly higher than the rest. The maximum point till which the land rises is the place where Vaalserberg is located. This is at 322.7 m above sea level. It is in the foot of the Ardennes Mountains and happens to be the apogee of the European Netherlands. The west and north of Netherlands is lower and is a flat area. These lands lie at less than 1 m above the sea level. Netherlands’s population has steadily increased since 1960. In 1960, the population of Netherlands was about 12 million. Today, Netherlands’s population is above 17 million (World Bank, 2011). Netherlands, today, is the 15th most densely populated country of the world. For much of her history, Netherlands has been a Christian country. Today, Netherlands is characterized by religious diversity. Only 39 per cent of the people of Netherlands have a religion and the percentage of regular church visitors is less than 20 (Becker and Hart, 2006). Netherlands business ethics and dress code Some of the most fundamental principles of the business in Netherlands are cooperation, tolerance and neutrality. While doing business in Netherlands, it is advisable to take care of certain rules that are as follows: You should not be late. In case you cannot manage to be in time, make sure you inform the authorities well in time. You should pay attention towards the long-term perspective. You should not make the employees work beyond the regular duty hours or on weekends. Dutch people maintain conservatism in dress. Their dress is the similar to that of the Europeans. Traditional costumes are rare to be worn. Different areas of Netherlands have different traditional dresses. Men wear wooden shoes and clogs. Women wear bonnets made of lace with a Dutch cap. References: Becker, J, and Hart, J de 2006, Godsdienstige veranderingen in Nederland, Centraal Boekhuis. World Bank 2011, Visualization, viewed, 22 Oct. 2011, .

Compare and Contrast of Agriculture Technology Between hang Dynasty and Han Dynasty free essay sample

For the past five thousand years, human civilizations have existed on the earth and constantly reforming and contributing to our society. The excellences human made are unprecedented, and the experience theses civilizations cumulated can also be continuously studied by the people nowadays. This year, we learnt many great civilizations, among the civilizations in ancient China, the Shang dynasty and the Han dynasty are the most outstanding civilizations. Their cultures are distinct and their contributions are tremendous. Although now we can find their stories, cultures and inventions only on history books, their contributions and achievements are still having deep affection to us. Agriculture is a very significant part of a civilization. Without agriculture, making progress is impossible. Agriculture is the foundation of everything. Agriculture is a good reflection of science and technology in a civilization. During the comparing and contrasting of the agriculture of Shang dynasty and Han dynasty, we can get a deeper understanding of the great knowledge and intelligent of the people of the two dynasties. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and Contrast of Agriculture Technology Between hang Dynasty and Han Dynasty or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We can also discover the development and progress they have made. The Shang dynasty is the second dynasty in Chinese history. The Shang Dynasty last from 1600 B. C. to 1046 B. C. and experienced three big stages. The Han dynasty can be divided into two historical period which are western Han dynasty (202 B. C. to 9 A. D. ) and eastern Han dynasty (25A. D. to 220 A. D. ) Both Shang dynasty and Han dynasty are important civilization in Chinese history. Also, both dynasties made big breakthrough in agriculture. From the research of a large number of archaeological material and oracle records, archaeologists concluded that the Shang dynasty is operating mostly on agriculture. Although at that time, the handicraft industry has been developed, agriculture is still the ifeline of the economy during Shang dynasty. Basically, the main type of agriculture during Shang dynasty was glebe farming, and in the southward of Shang dynasty, which is the Yangtze River area, the popular agriculture type was paddy fields farming. A very important reason that stimulates the development of agricultural technology during the Shang dynasty is the development of bronze industry. During Shang dynasty, the bronze industry developed very quickly. Especially in the late Shang dynasty, the development of bronze industry came into its own stage. The appearance of bronze tools made the agricultural technology developed quickly. The question that most people will concern is that how did people in Shang dynasty make bronze tools? It is true that it was a very hard process for people in the Shang dynasty to make bronze tools. So, at the beginning, the amounts of bronze tools are very limited. People in the Shang dynasty usually use carpentry tools including knife, adz, and axes to make bronze tools. In the middle Shang period, craftsmen can already made variety kinds of bronze tools like shovels, Jues, adz. However, at that time, there were no enough sources of cooper metal compared with sources of stone tools; also, the process of making bronze tools is complicated. As the result, in the middle period of Shang dynasty, bronze tools were not widely used. Also, most of the bronze tools were under the control of agricultural officers. Civilians and slaves cannot have these bronze tools. They can only use the heavy farm tools like stone spade, axes. Then, at the late period of the Shang dynasty, this problem got solved because of the expansion of the production scale. At the same time, the appearance of irrigation technology and the strict management also helped to make the development of the agriculture in the Shang dynasty. As the main production department during the Shang dynasty, the developed agricultural technology provided the society with lots of food, in this way, a large number of people leave the career of agricultural production and began to work in other aspects for example business people, officers, soldiers, professional producers and so on. The government of Han dynasty put lots of effort on the restore and development of agricultural. Han dynasty began after the perish of Qin dynasty. At the beginning of the Han dynasty, because of the long period of wars occur during the late period of the Qin dynasty, the agricultural and economy paralyzed. The people died in the wars are mostly farmers, as a result, the labor decrease and there‘s not enough people to take care of the cropland. At that time, the total population went straight down from 20 million to 8 million. Emperor Gaozu of Han solved these problems and agriculture of Han dynasty restored and developed very quickly. There were lots of innovations and invention of agriculture during the Han dynasty. These achievements can be divided into three aspects. Firstly, there are huge developments towards the irrigation. Secondly, there are improvements of agricultural tools and technology. The third one is the cultivation of crops and vegetables. At the beginning of the Han dynasty, there are flood from upstream the Yellow River every year. It is a big hazard to the residents who lived in the downstream of the Yellow River. Their croplands got destroyed and some of them lost their houses. Emperor Wudi of Han lead his people solved this problem. Thirty thousand people work together to remove the siltation of the river and planted trees on the upstream of the river. After this recuperation, there was no big flood occurred in the Yellow River. There are lots of interesting and useful inventions during the Han dynasty. Above is agriculture equipment called Libi. Libi is a plow equipped with a double moldboard. People put Libi on a plough can turns up the soil on each side of the furrow. With the Libi, the efficiency of cultivation increase. The application of Libi is a big improvement in agriculture. Also, it is nearly 1000 years earlier than Europe of using the similar thing. Above is another invention which is called Lou. It is an animal- drawn seed plough. It has three feed. With Lou, people can do cultivation job three rows at a time. Lou can do three tasks: opening ditches, sowing, covering with soil at one time. Lou made farmers during the Han dynasty save much times and did more works. Lou increased the efficiency of the busy working farmers. The popularization of cultivation works with cattle would be another development on agriculture during the Han Dynasty. At that time, the most popular ways of cultivation are two people with three cattle and one people with two cattle. The ways that cultivation using cattle made people worked easily. The third achievement that we mentioned above is the cultivation crops and vegetables. Firstly, people made the cultivation of crops regionalized. In the northern area, people grew wheat, and In the Yangtze River area and Southern area, people grew rice. Also then the scales of the cultivation get larger. Another impressive improvement on agriculture is the cultivation of vegetables. During the Han dynasty, people already has variety chooses of vegetables including the vegetables we usually eat now like celeries, carrot, taro, green onion, garlic and so on. The most amazing thing is that during Han dynasty, people already learnt to grow vegetables in the greenhouse. During the eastern Han period, there were over 20 kinds of vegetables grew in the greenhouse. The use of greenhouse is one thousand years earlier than Europe. The biggest difference of agriculture between Shang Dynasty and Han Dynasty is the mode of production. Shang dynasty is a slavery society, slaves worked collectively. Also, During Shang dynasty, the croplands were all belonged to the emperor of Shang, and he put the land law of serf society into practice. As the image show above, at that time, the roads and channel crisscross and partitioned the cropland into squares. The emperor of Shang forced people work on the cropland. The outside parts are private fields and the inside part is public field. On the opposite, during the Han dynasty, people live and cultivation in the unit of a family. People have their own croplands. This kind of mode of production was usually described as small-scale farming by individual owners. Nowadays, in the remote mountain area or countryside, people are still using this kind of mode of production. A question may come out, why the first kind of production mode didn’t last long and in the contrary the second kind of production mode last till today. In my opinion, in the Shang dynasty’s example, people don’t have their own croplands. They work hard but the wheat and rice that come out of the croplands did not belongs to them, so they are not satisfy with the works they are doing. In contrast, with the second kind of mode of production, people are glad because if they put more effort, they will get more payback, so they are satisfy with their works and willing to do better. From the analyzing of the agriculture technology and development of Shang dynasty and Han dynasty, we can certainly conclude that the development in agriculture of both dynasties are significant and they both show their incredible intelligence to us. Their inventions and new ideas gave us inspirations. We can also see the huge improvement from Shang dynasty to Han dynasty in the 800 years. Their progresses are starling.

Sociology and Religion

Introduction Sociology and religion have significant relationships, as sociology is the study of human behaviors and interactions at the individual level or group level. On the other hand, religion is composed of a group of individuals having the same beliefs, values, and principles, and thus they influence one another and society in the development of social systems that hold people together.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology and Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Usually, sociology has two important aspects in the study of groups or individuals. First, sociology enhances understanding of group dynamics in terms of their functioning, nature, interaction, and individual differences. Secondly, sociology provides a way of understanding how a social group influences individuals and humanity in the society. The process of socialization has enduring impact on one’s life because from birth to old age, social forces shape human behavior and societal beliefs, values, and principles. Fundamentally, religion comprises a group of people that share same social dynamics and have the same influence on individuals and society, thus it is of great interest to sociologists. In exploring religion in society, this essay examines sociological assumptions and features with a view of observing the sociology of religion. Sociological Assumptions The first sociological assumption is that an individual is a biological organism. As a biological organism, an individual has physiological needs, drives, potentials, and limitations that are subject to biological factors. Essentially, biological factors can either limit or enhance the socializing influence of groups on individuals and society. In this case, religion is a group that has the capacity to socialize and influence biological factors of an individual. As religious beliefs, values, and principles differ from one religion to another, they ha ve varied influence on individuals. While some religions are liberals, others are very restrictive, thus they have differential influence on the development of human behavior and social interactions. For example, a religion can have beliefs, values, and principles that encourage its members to segregate from the rest of society. The influence of causing segregation is central in sociology because it changes biological factors that determine human behavior in the society. The second sociological assumption is that human beings have the ability to attach meanings and symbols to certain things that they associate with within their environments.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through the process of socialization, human beings build consensus on how to label or attach meanings and enhance communication. In religious circles, people can attach meanings to abstract concepts such as love, righteousness, wickedness, and happiness. Symbolization enables people to communicate effectively among group members without involving other people. Moreover, symbolization enables people to communicate intricate meanings regarding religion given that different religions have different beliefs in which people can best present them symbolically. The use of symbols in religious activities allows people to internalize religious beliefs and gain a deep understanding on religious mysteries. Thus, the interpretation of religious symbols indicates maturity of religious growth for symbols have intricate meanings that enable believers to comprehend the essence of religion in their lives. The third sociological assumption is that groups play a central role in human development because through socialization, people can gain their human nature. If social groups do not exist in the society, people will not gain their human nature. As babies grow into adulthood, the experiences of sociali zation influence their development into humans, who have internalized societal values, principles, and beliefs that people hold in the society. Normally, when children grow up, they acquire their behaviors from the immediate environment, which has significant influence in their lives, thus shaping their behaviors in society. In the aspect of religion, children grow up while internalizing religious beliefs, values, and principles, which shape them to behave as dominant members of the religions. Therefore, a religious group has considerable impact in humanization of people through the process of socialization. The fourth sociological assumption is that human actions exist because they are important in problem solving. Every action that human beings carry out in society has the ultimate function of solving a given problem. For instance, one can struggle to get biological needs such as food to avoid hunger or strive in school to improve literacy and gain new knowledge and skills. This a spect implies that hunger and illiteracy are problems that human beings struggle to overcome, for without their resolution people would perish. In this case, religion enables human beings to solve problems because by adhering to religious laws, beliefs, values, and principles, they avoid evil behaviors that have detrimental effects on their lives. Hence, religion is important in the society because it promotes peaceful coexistence in the diverse society by pushing for good moral behaviors. Since sociology examines interactive behaviors of people, the fifth sociological assumption is that various social phenomena that exist in a given group interrelate. Different social phenomena interrelate either in an indirect or direct manner. In religious groups, religion influences humans and humans in turn influence religion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology and Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From a soc iological perspective, religion is both an independent and dependent variable having the ability to influence or be under influence respectively. The interrelationship of sociology with other social phenomena in a cause-effect manner is central in understanding the sociology of religion. Sociological features of Religion The first sociological feature of a religion is that it is a group phenomenon. The group phenomenon is an evident feature of sociology because people gather in hundreds or thousands in worship places. People gather as they have common beliefs and expectations in a given gathering. For example, Christians gather during Easter to celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca to celebrate the life of Prophet Mohammed. For a gathering of people to become a group, sociologists state that a group must have two or more people who share common goals, norms, responsibilities, assigned functions, and should profess as a m ember of the group. Based of these characteristics, a religion qualifies as a sociological group. Additionally, in religion, one becomes a member of a given religion voluntarily without undue coercion, which means that religions cater for individual interests. Hence, religion exists as a group of people with common beliefs and interests, which hold them together since individuals are independent agents who have the freedom to interact and associate with other people irrespective of their religious backgrounds. Religion comprises a body or a system of beliefs, which is its second feature. The major difference amongst religions rests in the body of beliefs that a religion professes. The differences that exist among religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism emanate from differences in religious beliefs and principles. People choose to belong to a certain religion based on the religious beliefs that it holds. The diverse religious beliefs originate from teachings pas sed from one generation to another and scared books. Sacred books such as the Quran, the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Book of Mormon form the basis of religious beliefs that have caused the existence of diverse religions in the modern society. Although the diverse religions started from a given geographical location, the spread of beliefs across the world has led to the growth of religions, thus having considerable impact on society. The third feature of a religion is that it comprises a set of practices that people perform. Different religions have their own religious practices that they perform according to their ritual beliefs. Some of the prevalent religious practices include foot washing, baptism, Last Supper, Mass, dancing, fasting, and offerings. Although these practices are common amongst Christians, other religions have theirs.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, Muslims perform their prayers four times a day, while Buddhists perform their prayers as many times as they can. Actions that religions perform when they gather constitute religious practices because they have their basis on religious teachings, which are present in holy books. The religious practices are important because they define how people should conduct their worship in holy places. Worship usually entails rituals that guide worshipers to adhere to religious beliefs and principles. An important feature about religion is its role in prescribing morals in the society. In different societies, people agree that religions have a noble role of determining moral principles that are prevalent in society. Without religions, it could have been hard for the society to be the custodian of morals since it is very diverse and does not qualify to be a group with significant influences on societal members or other groups. Therefore, religions are not only custodians of moral val ues and principles, but also define them so that societal members can acquire moral behaviors. Through religion, supernatural powers influence society by causing transformation of human behavior. Since religious followers subscribe to given moral principles, they also advocate for these moral principles in the society, thus transforming societal perceptions on certain moral issues like abortion and drug abuse. The last feature of religion is that it entails sacred elements and teachings. The basis of any religion is sacredness. Religious leaders and followers alike believe that their religious beliefs are sacred because God has blessed and ordained them for humanity. Presumably, if human beings follow all sacred teachings and adhere to religious laws, one day they will link up with their God, who provides spiritual nourishment and healthy life to people. The sacredness of a religion is evident in the use of scared symbols like cross, manner of worship, offering of sacrifices, belief in blessings or curses, and respect for holy places of worship. Therefore, religion is a social group that values sacredness of their beliefs and practices in society. Sociology of Religion Based on sociological assumptions and features, it is evident that religion is a social phenomenon, which interacts with other social phenomena in the society. Since religion interacts with other social phenomena, empirical studies can determine how interactions occur and establish their extent in causing social changes that shape the society. Through the scientific method of study, sociologists can conduct systematic research to disapprove myths and verify theories associated with sociology. Although religion entails spiritual powers and supernatural forces, it is hard for sociologists to measure its impacts in shaping the society. However, given that religion is a social phenomenon, examination of its interactions with other social phenomena provides a means of empirically studying the sociolo gy of religion. Sociologists have examined religion from two different perspectives. The first perspective is substantive approach, which views religion from the perspective of its core principles. Examination of the core principles that underpin religion is central in the sociological study because they provide the foundation of the religion in question. The â€Å"substance† or â€Å"essence† of religion in society forms the basic understanding of the impact of religion on society because beliefs, values, and principles that it advocates are important in shaping human behavior in society. Owing to the complexity of substantive approach in studying religion, the second approach, viz. functional approach, is effective in studying the impact of religion on society. From the functional approach, sociologists examine what religions do to the society and how they influence human behavior. This perspective is important to sociologists because it facilitates the examination o f how religion, as a social phenomenon, interacts with other social groups that exist in a given society. Conclusion As religion comprises a group of people sharing the same beliefs, values, and principles about life, it qualifies as a sociological group. Based on sociological assumptions and features, religion meets the requirements of a social group in terms of being a group with common beliefs, practices, morals, and sacred teachings. Religion is a powerful social agent that aids in shaping human behaviors at the individual level or societal level. Therefore, sociology of religion is imperative in enhancing understanding on how religion interacts with other social phenomena, thus causing significant influence on human behavior in society. This essay on Sociology and Religion was written and submitted by user Sienna Osborne to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.