It is a well known fact that the United States healthcare system is one of the most inefficient among the advanced economies. Despite being the leading economic power, its ranks below Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden and Western European countries such as France, Britain and Germany in terms of costs incurred, health outcomes, etc. …
Tag: New York
The role agents of socialization play in shaping an individual’s political culture
Agents of political socialization play a key role in constructing our perceptions of government and what we could expect of it. Some prominent agents of socialization are the family, the education system, media outlets, religious institutions, etc. All these agents play a role in shaping our conception of government during our formative years. For many…
A vignette on Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is one of the disciplines in psychology that focuses on studying internal mental processes. How individuals perceive, conceive, recall from memory, articulate their views and arrive at conclusions, etc, are all studied. As opposed to Freudian psychology, Cognitive psychology adopts a scientific analytic method rather than introspective or speculative theorizing. At the outset,…
Empirical and rationalistic arguments for the existence of God
Rationalists and Empiricists have both argued in their own fashion in supporting the existence of God. Differences in their views are based on the extent of emphasis each side lays on human sense experience. Empiricists claim the existence of God based on information and knowledge gathered through sense faculties endowed to humans. Rationalists on the…
‘Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley’ and Full Frontal Feminism
In the article titled Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley, written by Claire Cain Miller for the New York Times, some relevant issues pertaining to gender equality in the technology industry is raised. The high-tech industry, represented by the Silicon Valley in California, is a progressive place with ‘innovation’, ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘creativity’ being the…
How is ‘genre’ questioned in ‘If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler’ by Italo Calvino?
One of the hallmarks of good literature is its incompatibility with any of the recognized genres. In pulp fiction, commonly identified genres are horror, romance, mystery, adventure, etc. But these genres do not qualify for serious literary discourse. Being one of the pre-eminent writers of the twentieth century, Italo Calvino’s works generally defy being classified…
How did Humanism affect Christian beliefs during the Renaissance?
Humanism is a school of thought in philosophy that is based upon established and emerging facts about human nature. Humanism, which flourished during the Italian Renaissance is largely secular in its composition, making no references to the unknown and the supernatural. But in the centuries that have gone by, it has been adopted into various…
Summary of The Populist Addiction by David Brooks
Noted New York Times columnist David Brooks makes a scathing criticism of the notion of populism in American political culture today. The crux of his argument is that populist politics divides the country when what is actually required is unity. He criticizes the leadership of both the Democratic Party as well as the Republican Party…
The importance of patriotism (aiguozhuyi) for Chinese intellectuals: A study w.r.t. Confucian values, historical events and the idea of ‘national humiliation’
It is a widely acknowledged fact that Chinese society and its prevailing culture are closely linked to its unique conception of terms such as ‘nation’ and ‘patriotism’. Contributing to this uniqueness is the fact that Imperial China of the last five centuries had evaded attempts by European Imperial powers to fully colonize it. Barring the…
Roots of Blues and Country Music
Both Country music and Blues have their roots in American history and culture, especially that of the rural South. These two music genres have the longest tradition when compared to more recent genres such as Jazz, Pop, Rock n Roll, and Rap. Indeed, their roots can be traced back to early European settlers in the…