Addiction to recreational drugs is gaining epidemic proportions in the United States. These drugs include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. The focus of this essay will be heroin. The following passages will attempt to determine what are the factors that lead to heroin addiction and what role does the environment (meaning social setups) contribute to the…
Category: Society
The current leadership and membership composition of the Chinese Communist Party reflects the evolution of the Chinese state and society since 1949
Ever since the communist revolution of the late 1940s, and the subsequent formation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, many positive developments have taken place both within the party as well as for Chinese citizens. The rest of this essay will discuss how the internal party mechanism has evolved to reflect the progress…
Are we living in a period of ‘the cult of the personality’? An analysis in relation to docusoaps and reality TV
One of the markers of the 21st century popular culture is the apparent dilution in its quality and content. The medium with the widest reach, Television, is not only a source of entertainment but also employed by the powers that be to manipulate and deceive the gullible viewer in order to propagate its own political…
Forensic Science in the 21st Century
In the last decade or so, the applications of forensic science in criminal investigation have increased. For all sorts of criminal allegations, including rape and murder, the services of forensic scientists are being employed. The infiltration of forensic science into the field of criminal justice is so deep that courses in police academies have included…
Major social, economic, military, religious, and intellectual challenges during the Late Middle Ages in Europe
Identify the major challenges (social, economic, military, religious, and intellectual) facing Europeans during the Late Middle Ages in Europe. Then explain why Europe did not sink into a “dark age” similar to that which followed the fall of Rome and why instead there was a Renaissance first in Italy and then in Europe north of…
The Pros and Cons of Commercial Surrogacy
The advancement of technology in relation to artificial reproductive techniques have thrown open a social debate that has wide-ranging implications. The society is challenged to find a balance between new commercial opportunities and their moral underpinnings. In this essay, salient points in favor and against such reproductive practices will be presented from a neutral perspective….
Chappals and Gym Shorts – An Indian-Muslim Woman in the Land of Oz by Almas Sayeed
In her essay titled “Chappals and Gym Shorts”, author Almas Sayeed points to the sources of cultural conflict affronting people like her, when caught between an impulse for progress and the restrictions of tradition. Almas alludes to the fact that she herself is not certain about her sexual identity and orientation. For example, not only…
The Hazards of Naming Sexual Attraction by Michael Kauth
The essay taken for analysis is “The Hazards of Naming Sexual Attraction”, written by Michael Kauth. This piece deals with the technicalities involved with naming someone a homosexual. In a world made small by better connectivity and the Internet, words such as “gay, lesbian, homosexual, queer, straight, etc” assume different meanings in different cultural contexts. …
Anti-Gay Slurs Common at School – A lesson in Cruelty by Laura Sessions Stepp
The write-up named “Anti-gay Slurs Common at School”, written by Laura Sessions Stepp (Reading 34, p.267) offers another perspective on the contentious issue of verbal assaults on gay students. What stands out in the narrative is the fact that verbal slurs pertaining to one’s sexual orientation are being directed at High school students, whom one…
Furman v Georgia, 1972
The debate surrounding the imposition of death penalty for grave offences had been a divisive issue in the American political realm. The 1972 verdict on the case Furman v Georgia is a landmark event in the history of the nation’s judiciary. The 5-4 verdict of the judges against its imposition had set a valuable precedent…