Response to Environment/Industrial Revolution reading:
World War I officially began in August of 1914. I was wondering how a war officially is declared because it is obviously not a joyful event, so how are they established and then formally ended? I think that through media and through progression in our society this answer will continue to unfold itself. Because of the communications that we have today, we can state things in a much easier and more efficient fashion. Another point that I gathered from reading this was the idea of followers listening to their leaders. Actually not necessarily were these soldiers mentioned in the text followers, however they listened to authority just because they are ultimately considered "superior." Students listen to their teachers in class and they do everything they are told just because the teacher has a title placed on them which is known as being the authority, and no one dares to break those rules, otherwise you are looked at weirdly and differently. What if soldiers didn't listen to their commanders? What if students didn't listen to their principles? What if children didn't listen to their parents? What if society ignored the government? What if employees didn't listen to their bosses? Would life really be that different? I think that if no one attempts to step up, be a leader, and/or break the rules sometimes than not much will ever get accomplished or be changed. To have your own voice, or simply a voice at all is essential in many situations, and to just listen to someone and be blindly obedient will not get us very far in life. Just like our doctors tell us to eat in moderation, we need to listen in moderation; in other words there is a balance between following the rules while also speaking your mind and staying true to yourself and your own beliefs. To continue, after reading this I further understand the link and the connection between environmental based catastrophes and the idea of globalization. The mobility of humans and how interconnected everyone was, plus the close bondage between the environment and its people, plus the technologic advancements really shows how each layer of everyday life is interwoven. Not only do the causes and the origin of the influenza matter, or even the aftermath, but the way it impacted and changed life is what really mattered in the long run. One could argue that the reasons for something happening is more important that what actually happened. Just like in math someone could say it doesn't matter what your answer is in the end, it matters how you got there and what process and route you took. However the devastation and the realization that this epidemic brought to the world was far more important than logistically why it happened.
The mobility allowed for a virus such as influenza was mainly possible because of the advancements that took place in society.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
blog 1 (11-6-11)
"PAPER" (responses to the Black Death reading"
Purpose:
Author- Giovanni
Giovanni is evidently educated yet in this article he does not reference himself as a royal, how much money he has, or his personal place in society. I think Giovanni wrote this article because it was something that he experienced and witnessed with his own eyes. The purpose of writing this was to record an epoch disease and how it made an impact in the world. This article was written in order to state the causes and why this disease broke out, the events that took place, and the aftermath and how it affected future societies. The author is at stake because of his bias opinion, however any author and any piece of history has a bias, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The author does have a thesis, which I think is, "In the mid-fourteenth century, an outbreak of bunion plague spread rapidly across Europe from east to west. The Black Death was a social catastrophe that tore communities apart. The tearing of communities was referenced a lot in this article and how groups of people were isolated and destroyed.
Argument:
This text is trying to factually and fairly express what happened in Europe many years ago. In this article it talks about what the bubonic plague is and how the disease works, how it affected people and their placed in society, and how those people reacted and responded to such an epidemic. The text makes its case by showing and not telling that when chaos breaks out people are significantly more frantic and less able to make important decisions. Also, the negative responses from this disease only made things worse. I get a good sense that Giovanni executed his goal in trying to explain that because of all the details and knowledge that Giovanni expressed. The intended audience for this piece of writing is most likely anyone who did not experience the Bubonic Plague first hand. People who did know what happened and who were living in those moments either physically felt the pain and affects, or know what happened and have their own set of opinions. It was intended for that sort of audience because people who did not experience it should can learn what to do and what not to do in a situation like that, which is something anyone can take away from reading this article. The author made one point that was not clearly stated which was how some people lived "neutrally" while all of this was happening, meaning they were not super worried and didn't hide in their houses, but they didn't smile through life and remain joyful at every second either. I think this idea is unclear and very vague. If this thought were to be in detail the author would tell us how those "neutral" people interacted with others, if they lived separately from those with different approaches on life, and how and why they were not as affected as others. This author is reliable and credible because he described how he legitamently saw a dead man in the street, and watched two pigs go over to that dead man and take the rags and clothes off of that man, and only a few minutes later those pigs dropped dead on the floor. This specific scene shows how fast the plague spread and how severe it was. Obviously there are opinions in this article, but the amount of facts dominates the amount of opinion which is why I know this is reliable and truthful.
Presuppositions:
The ideas and values in this source differ from those values in our age. The way they treated those got sick back then is very different than the majority of people would treat and interact with sick people today. During the outbreak of the plague people avoided the sick, did not visit them, plus there was minimal decent medicine. On the other hand, today we have quality medicine and way more technology and we do not avoid people when they are sick we help them and visit them as much as possible. Additionally, during the Black Death in Europe people isolated themselves and decided to free their worries in their lives and simply "drink and laugh" constantly. This differs from society today because it is not that easy, meaning at this point in time there are too many distractions and things to worry about that that would not realistically happen. I assumed and interpreted that everyone in Europe and near there was completely and utterly aware of what was happening. A lot of times when something like this happens we don't realized how important and how horrifying it was until we stop and look back on it. This false assumption probably changed the way I read things in this article. There are things in America, even in Chicago, that happen which I do not always know about, so I can't assume that everyone knew what was happening and how serious it truly was.
Epistemology:
One interpretation and opinion that Giovanni expressed was how most of the lower class and big portion of the middle class were "pathetic" because they chose to stay in their homes hoping to stay safe. First of all, placing the title on the lower class and middle class is not fair because "the lower class" is not one person or one type of people and within the "lower class" live many different people with many different opinions and choices. Also, to place an adjective like pathetic on someone clearly shows it is an opinion. One fact that was presented in this article is that the disease spread through touching, talking, and simply interacting with people. I know that this is true because of the results of the disease- how many people ended up getting it, and how many people died. I don't think people would exaggerate a fact like this and it makes sense with all of the other context and facts throughout the article.
Relate:
(no other article to relate to)
Purpose:
Author- Giovanni
Giovanni is evidently educated yet in this article he does not reference himself as a royal, how much money he has, or his personal place in society. I think Giovanni wrote this article because it was something that he experienced and witnessed with his own eyes. The purpose of writing this was to record an epoch disease and how it made an impact in the world. This article was written in order to state the causes and why this disease broke out, the events that took place, and the aftermath and how it affected future societies. The author is at stake because of his bias opinion, however any author and any piece of history has a bias, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The author does have a thesis, which I think is, "In the mid-fourteenth century, an outbreak of bunion plague spread rapidly across Europe from east to west. The Black Death was a social catastrophe that tore communities apart. The tearing of communities was referenced a lot in this article and how groups of people were isolated and destroyed.
Argument:
This text is trying to factually and fairly express what happened in Europe many years ago. In this article it talks about what the bubonic plague is and how the disease works, how it affected people and their placed in society, and how those people reacted and responded to such an epidemic. The text makes its case by showing and not telling that when chaos breaks out people are significantly more frantic and less able to make important decisions. Also, the negative responses from this disease only made things worse. I get a good sense that Giovanni executed his goal in trying to explain that because of all the details and knowledge that Giovanni expressed. The intended audience for this piece of writing is most likely anyone who did not experience the Bubonic Plague first hand. People who did know what happened and who were living in those moments either physically felt the pain and affects, or know what happened and have their own set of opinions. It was intended for that sort of audience because people who did not experience it should can learn what to do and what not to do in a situation like that, which is something anyone can take away from reading this article. The author made one point that was not clearly stated which was how some people lived "neutrally" while all of this was happening, meaning they were not super worried and didn't hide in their houses, but they didn't smile through life and remain joyful at every second either. I think this idea is unclear and very vague. If this thought were to be in detail the author would tell us how those "neutral" people interacted with others, if they lived separately from those with different approaches on life, and how and why they were not as affected as others. This author is reliable and credible because he described how he legitamently saw a dead man in the street, and watched two pigs go over to that dead man and take the rags and clothes off of that man, and only a few minutes later those pigs dropped dead on the floor. This specific scene shows how fast the plague spread and how severe it was. Obviously there are opinions in this article, but the amount of facts dominates the amount of opinion which is why I know this is reliable and truthful.
Presuppositions:
The ideas and values in this source differ from those values in our age. The way they treated those got sick back then is very different than the majority of people would treat and interact with sick people today. During the outbreak of the plague people avoided the sick, did not visit them, plus there was minimal decent medicine. On the other hand, today we have quality medicine and way more technology and we do not avoid people when they are sick we help them and visit them as much as possible. Additionally, during the Black Death in Europe people isolated themselves and decided to free their worries in their lives and simply "drink and laugh" constantly. This differs from society today because it is not that easy, meaning at this point in time there are too many distractions and things to worry about that that would not realistically happen. I assumed and interpreted that everyone in Europe and near there was completely and utterly aware of what was happening. A lot of times when something like this happens we don't realized how important and how horrifying it was until we stop and look back on it. This false assumption probably changed the way I read things in this article. There are things in America, even in Chicago, that happen which I do not always know about, so I can't assume that everyone knew what was happening and how serious it truly was.
Epistemology:
One interpretation and opinion that Giovanni expressed was how most of the lower class and big portion of the middle class were "pathetic" because they chose to stay in their homes hoping to stay safe. First of all, placing the title on the lower class and middle class is not fair because "the lower class" is not one person or one type of people and within the "lower class" live many different people with many different opinions and choices. Also, to place an adjective like pathetic on someone clearly shows it is an opinion. One fact that was presented in this article is that the disease spread through touching, talking, and simply interacting with people. I know that this is true because of the results of the disease- how many people ended up getting it, and how many people died. I don't think people would exaggerate a fact like this and it makes sense with all of the other context and facts throughout the article.
Relate:
(no other article to relate to)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
blog 3 (11-3-11)
Extended/ expanded notes/ ideas from questions in class...
There are laws of modern society that are comparable to the Laws of Manu. There are also things that we do in our modern society that conflict with the spirit of the Laws of Manu. Some similar things are that many people are vegetarians and in the Laws of Manu it is illegal to eat meat. Today it is illegal to litter and throw garbage on the ground, and in the Laws of Manu they enforce how it is forbidden to harm the environment. Another way that we conserve the environment and organisms just like they did in the Laws of Manu is by only hunting and fishing strictly during certain seasons. However we use tons of gas, we unnecessarily kill animals, and we kill plants regularly which is causing pollution and extinction which is not something that is positively enforced in the Laws of Manu. The Laws of Manu prevented the spread of plagues to a great extent. Lots of disease is food-born and spread through meat and a polluted environment. Disease spreads through meat easily because of the way it is killed, and then the way it is handled, processed, and manufactured after that. When there are strict laws and an abundance of organic food, more health is present. The Laws of Manu projected hygienic living and prevented the spread of plagues. There are distinct connections between disease and the need for balance between humans and their environment. Us humans are the ones screwing and hurting the environment and in return we are the ones who get the diseases. The environment goes bad and then we are harmed, so when humans do something, there is a consequence placed on us in return. It is like one big cycle where we do something negative and get a negative outcome as well; a double negative does not make a positive, especially when humans the environment work so closely together. The way in which people responded to the Black Plague only made things worse. The doctors treatment of patients has improved because of the knowledge, technological advancements, and social skills we have gained up to this day. Also the containing of sewage, trash, and disease containing rats and animals has gotten a lot more organized and clean. When people complain and cause chaos during a viral and rapidly spreading disease, their train of thought becomes distorted. Just like those victims of the holocaust have seen experienced such trauma, that their ability to make decisions and just the way they live their lives is much more different than that of an "ordinary citizen." Those individuals become less able and less thoughtful, therefor it made the situation worse. Today we trust doctors more and we have so much technology that we are not as frantic and as worried when a disease breaks out.
There are laws of modern society that are comparable to the Laws of Manu. There are also things that we do in our modern society that conflict with the spirit of the Laws of Manu. Some similar things are that many people are vegetarians and in the Laws of Manu it is illegal to eat meat. Today it is illegal to litter and throw garbage on the ground, and in the Laws of Manu they enforce how it is forbidden to harm the environment. Another way that we conserve the environment and organisms just like they did in the Laws of Manu is by only hunting and fishing strictly during certain seasons. However we use tons of gas, we unnecessarily kill animals, and we kill plants regularly which is causing pollution and extinction which is not something that is positively enforced in the Laws of Manu. The Laws of Manu prevented the spread of plagues to a great extent. Lots of disease is food-born and spread through meat and a polluted environment. Disease spreads through meat easily because of the way it is killed, and then the way it is handled, processed, and manufactured after that. When there are strict laws and an abundance of organic food, more health is present. The Laws of Manu projected hygienic living and prevented the spread of plagues. There are distinct connections between disease and the need for balance between humans and their environment. Us humans are the ones screwing and hurting the environment and in return we are the ones who get the diseases. The environment goes bad and then we are harmed, so when humans do something, there is a consequence placed on us in return. It is like one big cycle where we do something negative and get a negative outcome as well; a double negative does not make a positive, especially when humans the environment work so closely together. The way in which people responded to the Black Plague only made things worse. The doctors treatment of patients has improved because of the knowledge, technological advancements, and social skills we have gained up to this day. Also the containing of sewage, trash, and disease containing rats and animals has gotten a lot more organized and clean. When people complain and cause chaos during a viral and rapidly spreading disease, their train of thought becomes distorted. Just like those victims of the holocaust have seen experienced such trauma, that their ability to make decisions and just the way they live their lives is much more different than that of an "ordinary citizen." Those individuals become less able and less thoughtful, therefor it made the situation worse. Today we trust doctors more and we have so much technology that we are not as frantic and as worried when a disease breaks out.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
blog 2 (11-2-11)
There are patterns in history. A constant factor that has appeared in history is the fact that one human can make a difference, big or small, negative or positive, still a difference. It is obvious that individual leaders have had an impact on their followers. One man's idea, invention, or push to a revolution changes history. Great men and women change the course of history and they will continue to do so no matter what society is like, because humans have an inclination to admire and envy other people and their ideas. In other words, you always want to push yourself because you know there are always those people who are better than you, and those people influence you and you want to follow them which is why that is one pattern in history. Another pattern is that history is completely random. Environmentally history is completely unpredictable because natural disasters and the way our ecosystem reacts is something we have never been able to fully predict in the past and will never be able to completely prepare for. It depends a lot on the situation of the land a disaster is about to hit, and the after-effects which come with that. Additionally, we do not know when someone will come up with the next epoch invention or cure to a disease, and history unfolds itself slowly, we just have to be patient. Another pattern in world history is the fact that things move from simple to more complex. We keep gaining knowledge and though this knowledge might distract us from other things, we will never loose all of this knowledge and technological advancements that we have gained. There is continuously a better and more efficient way of accomplishing a job, and it will only get more rapid and more complex as the world continues to evolve. Something else that is a pattern in history is that there have seemingly always been systems within cultures. What I mean by that is when a civilization or a group is developed, there is always further divisions and "sections within those sections." For example, a civilization was formed and then within that there was a religious group, and within that religious group there was a racial group, and within than racial group was a middle class (soceoeconimical class) group, and within that group was a family, and within that family were the gendered groups, etc. Not only are things constantly getting more specific and more detailed, but the competition between groups of different people, as well as the similarities and unity amongst our nations is becoming more apparent. Something that is visible in all of history is the idea of economics. Not only does the amount of money one family have affect that specific family, it affects the economy and statistics in the world as whole. Money means a lot whether we like it or not because our economic status determines how we maneuver throughout our lives, and make important decisions. There are clear patterns in history, and one major one is the idea of change in general.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
blog 1 (11-1-11)
I agree with The Laws of Manu, and I think they should be enforced today just like they were in the past. It is interesting to think about what things from our past have lasted until today, and what has completely been abolished and forgotten. These laws were separated into three categories, one being ethical dictums, another was offensive dictums, and the last one was self restriction dictums. Ethical dictums referred to offenses against the environment, but it does not just mean that there is a law against destructing the environment, but it includes a consequence if you break this law. From reading these set of rules I get the impression that the consequences are more serious and people are more afraid to break the rules than some laws and consequences that are around today. This is efficient because this way people know if they attempt to break the rules there will be a serious punishment. The motto that I took away from these set of rules was "never harm a living creature," whether that be plants (environment), animals (organisms), or human beings. Also, in these set of rules enforced how eating meat is a serious and inexcusable crime. I would actually agree with that statement because killing millions of animals for food, especially living and innocent animals, is horrific. How would humans feel if we killed each other for food and business? That is not morally fair or acceptable and people would view other humans very different if a human did this but humans do not view other humans different when they kill and destroy animals... Another "small" thing that does not get a lot of concern and attention is the obstruction of plants in our ecosystems and environments. Us humans, being the "virus" we are step on plants and pollute them, as well as pull them out in the middle of their growing and thriving process to use for food and for leisure. I agree with all these rules that are supplied in the Laws of Manu, yet I do not strictly follow all of them, and I feel very badly about that. For another example, I disagree with homophobes and I one hundred percent accept gays and transgenders, however sometimes I feel uncomfortable around transgenders because they are so different from me. The way we treat our environment affects our bodies which affects our government, therefore all of these rules are well organized and interconnected!
second 5 sources
SOURCE ONE
Secondary-article
Collie, Tim. 'Silent emergency': Population, poverty ravage Haitian ecology. McClathy-Tribune News Service, Washington; December 14, 2004. Date accessed: November 1, 2011.
In this article is written how alarming the situation in Haiti was a few years ago, and how it is still that way today. It provides some statistics referring to the country as a whole, and the death toll, and the population. Lastly, the reason for some of Haiti’s disorganization and struggle is related to their relationship with the environment.
Quotes:
“A greater percentage of Haitians live in poverty than citizens of the war-ravaged Congo.”
“…The lack of trees and all. We're always at the mercy of the floods."
SOURCE TWO
Secondary, article
The Guardian, page 22. After the quake Haiti population on the rebound, June 30, 2010. Date accessed: November 1, 2011.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/527996056?accountid=3360
The population is shifted, the economy is shifted, the government is shifted; who is there to blame? Around 230,000 casualties occurred in this 7.0 earthquake, and Haiti as well as other countries will work to rebuild the pride in Haiti.
SOURCE THREE
Deckelbaum, D. L., M.D. (2010). The Haiti earthquake: A personal perspective. Canadian Medical Association.Journal, 182(5), E241-E241-2. Date accessed: November 1, 2011.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204842272?accountid=3360
The deaths and the sicknesses contributed to the poverty because of the money used to pay for surgery and hospitalization and for the deaths.
SOURCE FOUR
Helping the people of Haiti. 2010. Irish Times, Jan 18, 2010. Date accessed: November 1, 2011
Retrieved from:
“Madam - The terrible natural disaster that has befallen the people of Haiti should not blind us to the fact that many of the deaths were avoidable and many Haitians died simply from the effects of poverty.”
SOURCE FIVE
Primary- article and pictures
Costello, Emily. 2004. Fighting hunger in HAITI. Scholastic Action. May 10. Date accessed: November 1, 2011.
Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/211026495?accountid=3360
This connects hunger and poverty as one big, interconnected issue.
first 5 sources
SOURCE ONE
Primary-article
Boley, Albert. “Devastated Haiti needs our compassion.” Oscala Star- Banner, February 28, 2010. Date accessed: October 23, 2011.
Keywords: poverty, Haiti, earthquake, in
Retrieved from
--Reasons for poverty in Haiti
Quote: “But has this poverty been caused by overpopulation? No. Have their children caused this poverty? No. The poverty in Haiti has been caused by generations of greedy, dishonest and lawless leaders who have drained their nation. The leaders -- political, military and financial -- are responsible for Haiti's poverty.”
SOURCE TWO
Primary-article
Anonymous. “Haiti's self-inflicted poverty makes it helpless during a disaster.” (2010, Jan 20). Deseret News, pp. A.15. Date accessed: October 23, 2011.
Retrieved from
Deseret News
Keywords: anonymous interview in magazine article
SOURCE THREE
Primary- article
Starnes, R. (2006, Jul 31). Poverty in focus: Haiti shown through the eyes of its teens. The Gazette, pp. A.8-A8. Date accessed: October 23, 2011.
Retrieved from
Quote: “There is no better way to tell a story than through the eyes of the people living it.”
This article mostly says that through the youth and through expressing our feelings through art, problems can be solved.
SOURCE FOUR
“Poverty In Haiti” Video
SOURCE FIVE
Primary- article
Walton, David. “Responding to Cholera in Post-Earthquake Haiti” 2011.
From the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; the Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Partners in Health (all in Boston.) Date accessed: October 23, 2011.
Retrieved from
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