Friday, January 24, 2020

Scottich Witch Trials of 1590 :: essays research papers fc

The European witch-hunts that took place from 1400 to 1800 were complete monstrosities of justice, but the brutality seemed to have been concentrated more in certain parts of Europe than other parts. This is especially true in the British Isles during the witch trials of 1590-1593, where Scotland, a country with a fourth of the population of England, experienced three times as many executions as them. Before these particular trials, England and Scotland were both only mildly involved in the hunts, but a Scottish witch’s confession in late 1590 unveiled a plot to kill King James VI by creating a storm to sink his ship. This confession led to the implementation of others and quickly festered into the widely publicized hunts throughout Scotland in the late 16th century. The Scottish witch-hunts of 1590 began in Tranent, a city just outside of Edinburgh, with the accusation of a maidservant named Geillis Duncane. Duncane was a kind hearted woman who used her vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and healing techniques to â€Å"[take] in hand all such as were troubled or grieved with anie kinde of sickness or infirmitie: and in short space did perfourme many matters most miraculous (sic).† Her ability to cure illness caused her master David Seaton, a deputy bailiff, to become suspicious of her. He was a callous and unsympathetic man who could not comprehend why someone would continuously go out of their way to help others. He was also wary of how a woman in such a humble position had acquired such an extensive knowledge of medicines and healing. Seaton’s suspicions seemed to be confirmed when he found Duncane sneaking out of the house late at night. When she was unable to answer where she was at night and how she gained her power to heal, sh e was immediately accused of consorting with the Devil. When she refused to confess to the crime of witchcraft, Seaton had her tortured. There was a plethora of torture devices used on those accused of witchcraft in the 1500’s, Duncane was fortunate to only have experienced a few. The first device used on Duncane was a vice called the pillwinkles, also known as thumbscrews, which crushed the bones in her fingers. When that did not work, her head was â€Å"thrawed†, which consisted of it being bound with rope or cord, then twisted and wrenched savagely. When she still would not confess, a diligent search of her body was conducted where the Devil’s mark was found on her throat.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Conflict, Functionalist, Feminiist Perspective View on Prostitution

In sociology, conflict theory states that the society or organization functions so that each individual participant and its groups struggle to maximize their benefits, which inevitably contributes to social change such as changes in politics and revolutions. Prostitution is a way for an individual to maximize their monetary intake (benefit) by selling the thing that have readily, their bodies. Because this power that individuals have, the government had to come in and outlaw prostitution.The Conflict PerspectiveThe conflict perspective highlights the relationship between power in society and sex work. The laws that make prostitution illegal are created by powerful dominant group members who seek to maintain cultural dominance by criminalizing sexual conduct that they consider immoral or in bad taste.Conflict theorists argue that women become prostitutes because of structural factors such as economic inequality and patriarchy. Capitalism and patriarchy foster economic inequality betwe en men and women and force women to view their bodies as commodities.Conflict theorists suggest that criminalizing prostitution uniquely affects poor women, especially poor women of color, who are overrepresented among street prostitutes. The Functionalist PerspectiveThe functionalist perspective argues that the presence of a certain amount of deviance in society contributes to its overall stability. According to Emile Durkheim, deviance clarifies social norms and helps societies to maintain social control over people’s behavior. By punishing those who engage in deviant behavior such as prostitution, the society reaffirms its commitment to its sexual norms and creates loyalty to the society as people bind together to oppose this behavior.According to Kingsley Davis, in societies that have restrictive norms governing sexual conduct—including the United States—prostitution will always exist because it serves important functions:1) Prostitution provides quick, impe rsonal sexual gratification that does not require emotional attachment or a continuing relationship with another person2) Prostitution provides a sexual outlet for men who do not have ongoing sexual relationships because they are not married or have heavy work schedules3) It provides people with the opportunity to engage in sexual practices (e.g., multiple sex partners, fellatio, cunnilingus, anal intercourse, sadomasochism) that regular sex partners or spouses may view as distasteful or immoral4) Prostitution protects the family as a social institution by making a distinction between â€Å"bad girls† and â€Å"bad boys†Ã¢â‚¬â€with whom one engages in promiscuous sexual behavior—and those â€Å"good girls† and â€Å"good boys† with whom one establishes a family5) Prostitution benefits the economy by providing jobs for people who have limited formal education and job skills Some ask why prostitution spreads like a wildfire through our cities and st reets. This is an easy question for functionalists, prostitution flourishes because it satisfies sexual needs that are not able to be met elsewhere(Henslin 51). Prostitutes almost seem to serve as an outlet for sexually frustrated men. When a man is unable to find a partner he always holds the option of paying for sexual pleasure.A functionalist, Kingsley Davis, concluded that prostitutes provide a sexual outlet for men who: have difficulty in establishing sexual relationships, cannot find long-term partners, have a broken relationship, want sexual gratification that is defined as immoral, desire quick sexual gratification without attachment, are curious, and are sexually dissatisfied in marriage.From this it is shown that by meeting such needs prostitution functions as a form of social control over sexual behavior. This is beneficial because it brings men with sexual desires away from unwilling partners to partners that are willing but for a certain price. This undoubtedly helps br ing down the number of rapes and sexual assault for any given society. Also it brings in trashy hookers or prostitutes that seem to degrade any given city or  society.The functionalist theory is the best way to view prostitution through a sociological perspective. Functionalists see prostitution as a means of controlling or channeling sexual behaviors (Henslin 53).Prostitutes meet the needs of men who otherwise do not have women always available to them. Also it meets the needs of a man because it is inexpensive, non emotional and a fleeting relationship. Through looking at prostitution we see that it persists because it serves social functions.This works by servicing people who are sexually frustrated. Prostitutes relieve pressures that otherwise might be placed on people who are unwilling to participate. Without the aid from prostitutes stimulating the un-stimulated, there might be other social problems that become bigger issues such as, rape sexual assault, kidnap and many more . Functionalism allows seeing each function that prostitution serves in a society.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Character Analysis Undine Spragg and Elmer Moffat

Edith Wharton is well known for her vivid descriptions of wealthy, upper class New York society and their old-fashioned mores. The Custom of the Country illustrates not only the strict values of ‘old money, from which Wharton herself descended, but, also, the variance in customs held by those with new money, as well as those from other states and abroad. Two of the novels main characters that attempt to join this society exemplify the conflicts they face as their imbedded small-town, yet, somewhat modern values clash with those of New York society, further demonstrating the shift of values in American society near the end of the Gilded Age. As Undine Spragg and her family move to New York in hopes of securing a fortune and social status†¦show more content†¦Like her second husband, Raymond de Chelles family held titles, property, and possessions worth money; however, their lifestyles were much less than ostentatious. Undine wanted grandiose surroundings and to hob-knob w ith all the social elite. Regrettably, this was not going to be apart of her future with Chelles, nor would her past behavior be tolerated with her new husband. It seemed as though Undine had finally been beat. However, when she reunited with Elmer Moffat, her first, yet short-lived husband and first love, Undine came back to life as she heard of his success amongst New York society, as well as, and more importantly, his worth. Unlike Undine, Elmer Moffat had no existing family fortune to rely on, however small or insignificant compared to that of New York society. He made his way to New York and began to build a name for himself, by himself. Although some of his methods in acquiring social status included his using information against people, he somehow emerges appearing loyal to those he cares about, including Undine. As little as Wharton really elaborates on Moffats acquiring wealth, his business dealings appear on the up and up, and so he climbs the social ladder and the elite b egin to utter his name and wonder who the refaced man is. While Undine used her beauty to capture her desires, Moffat uses his acquaintances and business sense to gain his. As the novel unfolds, Moffat appears and disappears, yet remains a constant