Cultural Relativism Is Truth Defined By Our Culture Or Our Culture By

Cultural Relativism: Is Truth Defined By Our Culture Or Our Culture By Truth? In his article Cultural relativism and cultural values, Melville Herkovits defines the principle of cultural relativism as judgements are based on experience, and experience is interpreted by each individual in terms of his own enculturation (26). This is the basic premise of cultural relativism, that beliefs, values, and morals are all based on ones culture. Therefore, since morality is based on society and different societies have different views of right and wrong, there can be no moral absolutes. Since there are no absolutes, under this view of cultural relativism all moral views determined by ones culture are deemed true whether they conflict or not. Upon first glance, relativism seems like a very appropriate concept of morality in the world. It is clear to see that there are differences of what is acceptable and unacceptable in different societies across the world. Growing up in Western culture I have grown a fondness for meat, especially steak. It is a momentous occasion when I can go out or fix a nice, juicy steak for a meal, the bigger the better. This is not a problem in my culture, save those few health conscience people who say I will die by heart disease, but I dont consider them part of my society anyway. However, if I were raised in an eastern, Hindu, culture these dietary practices would be considered wrong. My act of eating cow would be considered a moral atrocity. From examples like these and many others around the world we can see a good case for different cultures having different moral views, but is that really the case? I believe that at a surface level cultural relativism holds some merit, however if we look deeper into the issue we can find a flawed, and inaccurate theory for the way that the world should work. Some of the biggest arguments given in defense of cultural relativism are the many different practices of different cultures from around the world. Melville J. Herskovits gives examples of a West African culture of Dahomey, which practice polygamy. He also states different religious traditions of different cultures such as African societies that incorporate possession of an individual by a god to be the supreme religious experience. In an exert from his book Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong, Louis P. Pojman describes an Eskimo culture that, allow their elderly to die by starvation, (33). These are all strong examples, but do they actually support the idea that these cultures have different moral values? In the examples given by Herskovits about religious traditions being different this is true, there are various religious practices in various cultures that have dissimilar habits. These however are religious practices and not moral concepts. One church chooses to worship their god using a full orchestra and robed choir, while another chooses to simply have a piano and a singer. Do these churches have different moral principles, or are they merely choosing different expressions of worship? With Pojmans example of the practice of a harsh euthanasia by the Eskimos, he goes further to explain that it is not the moral principle that causes the Eskimos to leave their elderly to starve, but the harsh environment. In the harsh environment of the arctic it is not considered a good action, but a necessary one in order for the survival of the whole tribe. Were the tribes to live in a tropical or temperate environment where food is not so scarce this brand of euthanasia would not be practiced. If we also look closer into the example given in the beginning of this paper we can see that the immorality of eating beef is not based on moral principles, but different beliefs. The example of a Hindu culture, (taken from a very intelligent professor of mine) being outraged at the Western practice of eating cow meat is based on the religious belief that dead relatives are reincarnated into animals such as cows. Now this is not a belief held by other Western religions, therefore the consumption of beef is freely practiced. However, what the two cultures do share is that it is immoral to eat relatives. As we

Writing an Ecology Essay Here Are Effective Tips #038; a Full Guide

Writing an Ecology Essay Here Are Effective Tips #038; a Full Guide Many people relate the term ‘ecology’ to the environment. While similarities between the two terms are viable to an extent, their scope, mechanisms, and content slightly vary. Ecology concerns the study of organisms in their natural habitat interacting with their surroundings that consist of biotic (living) and abiotic (physical) elements. The term has evolved and is often defined as the study of ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, ponds, and estuaries, among others. Writing an essay on ecology is a daunting task for many students who are torn between understanding different dynamics that characterize the field of study and understanding components of the ecosystem. The study of ecology comprises processes that link the biotic to the abiotic components. The field of study is important to individuals and the community in general. Its importance explains why instructors at different levels of study require students to submit assignments in different areas of ecology. These assignments help students to explore the topic and appreciate its value. Besides understanding the dynamics of ecology, assignments on the noted field of study help in testing and improving different types of skills. When professors provide students with ecology essays writing tasks, they want the students to find answers to questions such as: What do you know about ecology? Do you understand the basics? How well do you understand the topic and how can you apply the knowledge in practice? Are you able to explore particular concepts in ecology and make inferences? It is important to keep the noted questions in mind when planning and writing ecology essays because they help one understand the instructor’s expectations. Moreover, ensure you have an idea of what to write about before beginning your writing journey. This ecology essay writing guide will provide step-by-step ecology essay writing tips tricks that will help you make up your mind on what to write about and how. How to Choose Suitable Topics for Ecology Essays There is no secret formula for identifying and choosing an appropriate topic in ecology or any other field of study. However, the following key points should be considered when choosing suitable essay topics. Interest and requirements. The chosen essay topic should not only be interesting to you but should also match your understanding of the topic and your ability to explore the topic. In this case, ask yourself, ‘How much do I know about this topic?’ It is important to choose the topic that you are familiar with. Topic reuse. It is possible and appropriate to reuse an ecology topic you have already written an essay on. However, approach it from a different angle to come up with a new and researchable essay topic. Open-mindedness. When choosing a topic, consider every idea that comes to your mind even when it sounds far-fetched. Importantly, look for topic inspiration in ecology articles and books, lecturers, peers, and from analyzing your daily interaction with the environment. Topic analysis. You should figure out whether the chosen topics are broad or narrow. Broad topics do not provide specific information about what needs to be written about. Source availability. Ensure the prospective essay topics have sources from which you can retrieve information that is credible enough to be included in your piece. The given key points should be considered before settling on a particular ecology essay topic. Meanwhile, the following 10 essay sample topics provide an idea of some of the ecology topics that can be explored for an informative essay. Use of Ecovillages as a Solution to Ecosystem Issues; The Role of Solar Energy in Reducing Carbon Footprint; Global Warming and Its Impacts on the Population; The Role of Wolves in Controlling the Population of Wildlife in the Forest; An Analysis of the Leading Endangered Species and the Importance of Protecting Them; The Role of Competition Between Species in Evolution; The Way Biogeochemical Cycling and Energy Transformations Constitute the Ecology Field? What Are the Different Types of Ecology? What Is the Hierarchical Organization of Ecology? Eco-Friendly Packaging. Advantages and Limitations. After deciding on the topic, it is important to understand how you should begin the essay writing process. Therefore, pre-writing tips are a necessity in this guide. Ecology Essay Pre-writing Tips Planning. A perfect ecology essay requires a lot of planning. Besides planning for the essay topic, you should develop an essay timeline to provide you with benchmarks that ensure you stay on schedule in terms of the essay requirements. The timeline ensures proper completion of the essay writing process, adherence to writing requirements, and observance of the ecology essay scope. Brainstorming. After you have selected an essay topic, do not lock yourself into the topic or an essay idea too quickly. Write out some more topics, questions, and associations that may cross your mind. Brainstorming opens your mind to new possibilities and allows you to discard ideas that do not match essay requirements or the ecology area of study. Research. Always conduct some preliminary research on the chosen ecology essay topic to have an idea of what has been written, what gaps need to be filled, and what sources are available. The further research helps you narrow or broaden the ecology essay topic. Research can be conducted online, or in ecology books and public articles. Moreover, researching provides an opportunity to create the essay outline. Outlining. Use an outline to map your essay ideas in a logical manner to ensure the drafting process is smooth and the essay is concise and coherent. Clustering. Idea mapping is an approach that helps you to explore the relationship between ecology concepts and ideas in the chosen ecology essay topic. Exploring the relationship between concepts and ideas can be done in a step-by-step process that involves: writing the subject of the essay in the center of a page and underlining it, linking new ideas as they come up during brainstorming to the central circle with connection lines, relating new ideas to the existing and added concepts. The outcome of the clustering process will appear as a web on a page. The web will help you in determining the relationship between ideas so that you can understand the possible directions your essay is likely to take. Once the clustering is done, take some time off (maybe an hour or a day) before creating the essay’s draft. Stepping away enhances your objectivity once you begin the writing process. Ecology Essay Title and Thesis Statement Coming up with an appropriate essay topic is an integral part of the essay writing process and creating an effective ecology essay title that is equally important. Crafting an effective title can be the most difficult part of your ecology essay despite having a good topic. A catchy title is important in numerous ways because it makes your essay stand out from your peers’ works and provides your audience with a perspective of the essay and a sense of its content. To craft a strong, effective, and standard title, you should focus on the hook, the key terms, and the sources you intend to use to write your essay. Crafting a title hook. In academic essays, most titles have the same basic structure. However, the title in your ecology essay should have a catchy phrase that draws the reader to the essay and provides information about what the essay will focus on. In the ecology essay, the hook can be a collection of keywords or a quote as opposed to an image. Key terms. The ecology essay title should have two or more phrases or crucial words that apply to the essay topic and give the reader an angle of your essay and a sense of the content. The key terms should function as a summary of the essay in less than ten words. Moreover, the keywords should not be too general and non-specific. For instance, when you choose the topic, ‘Does Biogeochemical Cycling and Energy Transformations Constitute the Ecology Field?’ the key terms are ‘biogeochemical cycling,’ ‘ecology field,’ and ‘energy transformations.’ In this case, the title could be, ‘The Role of Biogeochemical Cycling and Energy Transformations in the Ecology Field.’ Cite the source. The final aspect of crafting an essay title entails including a source or location where possible. The source informs the reader of the essays setting or the contents location. However, the inclusion of a location setting and its importance varies depending on the topic because some topics do not require a specific context. Depending on the chosen ecology essay topic, the source may be the population or the geographic location. For example, the topic ‘Eco-Friendly Packaging: Advantages and Limitations’ could be crafted to include a source or location, such as the UK or the US. Consequently, the title could read, ‘The Advantages and Limitations of Eco-Friendly Packaging in the UK.’ Ecology Essay Outline the Skeleton of Your Project! Interpretive, analytical, and persuasive ecology essays tend to follow a similar basic outline. An effective outline for your ecology essay has three essential parts, namely the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Introduction. The introduction should contain a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention. It should provide a concise summary of what the essay will discuss, an outline of its content, and a one-sentence thesis statement. A thesis statement presents the essay’s main argument and makes a claim that readers or other essay writers may dispute. Body. The body of the essay is the main part of the write up as it presents the essay’s main arguments and ideas along with supporting evidence. An outline for the body paragraphs should appear as indicated below. First main idea: a. Supporting evidence for the first idea b. Supporting evidence for the first idea c. Supporting evidence for the first idea Second main idea: a. Supporting evidence for the second main idea b. Supporting evidence for the second main idea c. Supporting evidence for the second main idea Third main idea: a. Supporting evidence for the third main idea b. Supporting evidence for the third main idea c. Supporting evidence for the third main idea Conclusion. The last part of the ecology essay should restate your thesis statement, sum up the essay, and provide an action plan where possible. Post-Writing Tips: Tricks Our Top Writers Use The writing process of your ecology essay should not end after typing the last full stop no matter how accurate you may perceive your writing abilities. Once the final draft has been written, check your piece for typing errors, spelling and grammar mistakes, look through your referencing – these activities of the post-writing stage are as important as planning, choosing a topic, and writing the essay. The post-writing tips are common to all types of essays form the next, and last part of this guide. Proofreading. The most important aspect entails checking your essay for grammar, typing, sentence structure, and content errors. It is recommended that you engage in proofreading after the writing process to ensure that you concentrate on creating a logical and coherent text. However, it does not mean that you need to proofread immediately after the writing process unless you have limited time. Take one or two hours a day before proofreading to enhance your objectivity. In this case, subdivide the proofreading into several sessions that focus on different aspects. Firstly, review the ecology essay for spelling and grammar mistakes and edit it accordingly. Secondly, evaluate the essay for content meaning, coherence, and logical flow of ideas and supporting evidence. Checking for plagiarism. If you fail to take note of where you read information quoted in the essay, it is likely that you will forget the book, journal, or article or even the page number the content was obtained from. Consequently, you may end up attributing content to someone else or not acknowledging the source entirely. This amounts to plagiarism and translates into taking credit for another authors work. When writing the essay, take note of the sources from which you acquire content, quote appropriately, and cite as required. Once you are done with proofreading for spelling and content, go through the essay once again to ensure that the information is cited appropriately. This guide on how to write an ecology essay contains all the necessary information to write an ecology essay on whatever topic you choose. Use it to maximize your ability to produce stellar ecology essays.

Interpreting New Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interpreting New Media - Essay Example As the paper stresses the significant contribution of Twitter towards citizen journalism is unquestionable. Platforms such as Twitter have become sources of information that can be regarded as ‘world changing’ and gaining legitimacy and respect in the provision of up-to-minute news. With increased wireless connectivity and rapid consumption of modern technology, mobile phones have become a means of data transfer systems and portable digital media production. The move has resulted to increase in some citizen journalists who are also eye witness reports. According to the essay findings citizen journalism on Twitter platforms is also challenging the practice and image of journalism in that the public is no longer solely depending on journalists to offer accurate reports. In the recent coverage of Hurricane Sandy in the United States of America, Live eye witness messages were instantly uploaded online sharing the results of the natural disasters from a subjective point of view. Even though these are valid representations of the individual news report, they lack structure, shape, and professional journalistic meaning. Twitter has played an important role in citizen journalism. Citizen journalism has gained much significance through its inclusion and incorporation in mass media report packages and has led to a restructuring and re-evaluation on how journalists network. Modern technology has changed and transformed journalism as a profession.