...the 320 million people currently populating the United States, one percent is actually a little more than 3 million people. We decided to look at celibacy and do a cross cultural comparison within different regions around the world. We looked at nine different cultures in different parts of the world. In Southern Europe, we studied the Basques, in South Eastern Europe, we studied the Greeks, in Southern South America, we studied the Onas, in Eastern South America, we studied the Guarani and the Bahia Brazilians, in Southern Africa, we studied the Zulu, in Western Africa, we studied the Akan, in Southern Asia, we studied the Vietnamese, and lastly we briefly looked at the Monguors in Eastern Asia. In some of these cultures, celibacy seems like a very odd and unusual concept to the people, whereas in other cultures, celibacy is a cultural norm, and is practiced among the people. We will be comparing these cultures in order to determine what characteristics they share that lead to the practice of celibacy, what are the differences in their practices, and we will also compare them to cultures that disapprove the practice of celibacy. The Basques reside in Southern Europe and mostly consist of extended families that focus mostly on farming. According to Douglass, it is expected that farms in Murelaga should hold a three generation family: an elderly couple, their adult children, and their grandchildren. Within this family, there is one heir, usually the...
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...on the Basque Culture which spanned across some of the granite peaks of the Pyrenees mountain zone between Spain and France. Firstly, the Basque Country is also known as Euskal Herria. This Euuskal Herria is known to mean for the home of Basque Country, which also includes the community of the area they live in. As stated by an article online by Wikipedia, Basque Country refers to a certain amount of regions inhabited by the Basque community people, known as this same word Euskal Herria in the Basque language, and its first known as including about seven traditional territories in Axular’s literary work Gero in the early 17th century. Due to the wide range of meaning of the Basque word herri, Euskal Herria is difficult to translate. Herri can be translated as nation; land,...
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... is the case of Basque nationalism in Spain. In order to tackle a subject of this complexity, this essay will review a brief history of the Basque people, including: historical ties to the land, language and literature. Furthermore, the political situation in both during the times of General Franco’s regime and post-Franco Spain are examined in order to analyze the politics of Basque Nationalism. The notion of nationalism plays a critical role in the development on domestic and international politics. There are cases around the globe of how ethnically related politics, or ethnopolitcs, have infiltrated the international political arena. One such case, and the focus of this essay, is the case of Basque nationalism in Spain. In order to tackle a subject of this complexity, this essay will review a brief history of the Basque people, including: historical ties to the land, language and literature. Furthermore, the political situation in both during the times of General Franco’s regime and post-Franco Spain are examined in order to analyze the politics of Basque Nationalism. While the history of the Basque people has been littered with political and social unrest, the Basque people have protected their culture and way of life to ensure its continued survival in the 21st century. With a collective sense of self-preservation, Basques today are not only surviving, they are growing politically, socially and economically. Tension exists, however, between the Basques and the Spanish government...
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...BASQUE COUNTRY The Basque Country was an autonomous region of Spain in the north of the nation, bordering France and the Bay of Biscay. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. The Basques were known for their strong sense of self-government, distinct culture, and language, Euskera, which was the oldest surviving language in Europe, spoken by one third of inhabitants and the second official language in addition to Spanish. The predominant religion was Catholicism. The Basque Autonomous Community ranks first in Spain in terms of per capita income, with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita being 40% higher than that of the European Union and 33.8% higher than Spain's average in 2010. Rich iron ore deposits, forests, and ample availability of hydraulic energy from water spurred the region’s industrial development. Basque iron foundries and shipyards dated from the Middle Ages. The industries, together with trade, transport, and later firearms were the bedrock of the economy. In the 15th century, the Basque Country became the leading iron producing region of Spain and one of the most important in Europe. The shipbuilding industry was the largest in Spain and expanded considerably as commerce flourished. A strong legal framework and a broad array of schools and research centers emerged. Industrial activities were traditionally centered on steel and shipbuilding, mainly due to the rich iron ore resources found during the 19th century around Bilbao. The...
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...* Spainish social structure Society * Spain itself is divided into 17 regions, each of which elect leaders in direct elections allowing for every region to have a level of autonomy. The Spanish constitution of 1978 protects the democratic independence for, “distinct and nationalities and regions” (Gale 2009b). Because of this, attempting to define the social structure, gender roles, family structure, social identity, and political structure for the entire country is a difficult task. Within Spain, there are six major cultures including the Castilians, the Galicians, the Basques, the Catalans, the Levante, and the Andalucians (Gale. 2009a) and other minority cultures include the Roma and the Asturians (Gale 2009b). Spaniards as a whole do share some cultural traits. * Political Structure: * The political structure of Spain at large is one of a parliamentary monarchy. The king, determined by hereditary, serves as the head of state, however, legislative powers are held within General Courts, or the Cortes Generales, which is spilt between the Congress of Deputies, the Congresso de los Diputados, and the Senate, or the Senado (Gale 2009b.). There are 350 deputies, all of which are elected by the people, and 259 senators, 208 are chosen by the people while 51 are decided by the regions of Spain. Spain, within their executive branch, holds the Council of Ministers which includes a president, a first, second, and third vice president who also serve as ministers for...
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...How far does the disaster of 1898 account for the growth of Catalan and Basque nationalism? The humiliating defeat of Spain to America during the Spanish-American War of 1898 dealt a catastrophic blow to the Spanish nation. In the subsequent Treaty of Paris signed on December 10th 1898, Spain relinquished its remaining colonial territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The disaster evoked heavy criticism of the Restoration government and its inherent corruption amongst many groups within Spanish society and served as a catalyst for the emergence of new political forces seeking to contest against the ruling oligarchy, most notably Catalan and Basque nationalism. This essay will argue that the disaster of 1898 was largely accountable for the growth of this nationalist sentiment in Catalonia and the Basque country. However, it will go on to assert that it was not wholly responsible: Catalanism had been built upon a steadily growing tide of Catalan particularism throughout the nineteenth century, and in the Basque Country its growth was ephemeral and would in fact enter a period of a more accelerated development during the years of the First World War. In Catalonia, friction had long existed between its regional demands and the centralising mission of the Spanish state. This tension had grown as a process of modernisation encouraged by industrial development in Catalonia had widened the cultural and economic gap between it and a stagnant central and southern Spain...
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...Basque nationalism Basque nationalism is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or, chiefly, full independence of the Basque Country in the wider sense. As a whole, support for Basque nationalism is stronger in the Spanish Basque Autonomous Community and northwest Navarre, whereas in the French Basque Country support is low. Basque nationalism, spanning three different regions in two states (the autonomous communities of Basque Country and Navarre in Spain and the French Basque Country in France) is "irredentist in nature" due to its claims regarding the French provinces. Political violence and devolved autonomy In 1959, young nationalists founded the separatist group ETA, which soon adopted a Marxist revolutionary policy in the 1960s. Inspired by movements like those of Castro in Cuba and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, the group aimed to establish an independent socialist Basque country through violence and extortion. ETA's first confirmed assassinations occurred in 1968, although it is not clear when it adopted assassination as a policy. It is currently the last remaining Spanish political group which supports violent direct action. At an ideological level, although ETA has not rejected race to be a defining feature of the Basque people, the organization is stressing instead the importance of language and customs. When Spain re-emerged as a democracy in 1978, autonomy was restored to the Basques, who achieved a degree of self-government without precedent...
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...Interamerican University of Puerto Rico Metropolitan Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico The Basque Country: Strategy for Economic Development Case Study Manuel Joglar M00057903 BADM 5600: Entrepreneurial Strategy Prof. Dr. Milan Historical Background: Autonomous region of Spain with strong distinctive cultural roots, an autonomous government with a vision of important economic and social development, have made this region become a leader among other regions of Spain and some countries in Europe. The Basque region has been characterized by its history of maintaining a progressive vision of economic development, where the government has always played an important role, establishing plans and designing strategies for the development of industries in their economy. In the middle ages the development of the iron, shipbuilding industries and arms subsequently laid the foundation for the growth of the economy. The geographical location of the region gives an additional advantage because it has ports and navigable estuaries which facilitate trade, plus it is on the trade route between Spain and northern Europe. Because this development was one of the most important of the time in Spain, the Basques developed laws , and began to establish schools for research and development that attracted many European scientists. During the Industrial Revolution, large investments in transportation, communications and schools were made. Entrepreneurs began to modernize traditional industries and new industries...
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...Hamid Sbai Ethnic Conflict In contemporary terms the source of ‘the troubles’ can be traced back to the partition of 1922 when 26 of Irelands 32 counties were transferred to the control of the new Irish Republic whereas 6 of the nine counties from the province of Ulster remained under British control due to the fact that they contained a majority of Unionists, generally of the protestant faith, although they did also contain a significant minority of nationalists, around a third of the population, who were generally of the Roman catholic faith. This then led to nationalists being treated unequally in terms of housing and employment with nationalists facing significantly higher rates of unemployment than their protestant neighbors. The catholic population of the six counties also faced a problem, in that the police force of the north, the RUC, were predominantly from protestant/unionist backgrounds, with Catholics accounting for around 12% of the total force, and were seen as upholding the unionist domination of the six counties, although the auxiliary police force, the B specials, were even more vehemently hated by Catholics perhaps with good reason given that due to their actions they were disbanded by the British prime minister in 1970. By 1969 then there was a powder keg atmosphere in the six counties with nationalists, inspired by events in America, agitating for civil rights and unionists attempting to sustain their domination. By the end of 1969 the RUC were no longer...
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...March 2010 - Research from the University of the Basque Country published in the Spanish Journal of Psychology found that despite changing attitudes towards interpersonal relationships, women feel significantly more guilt than men. This did not simply reflect higher levels of this emotion in women but a lack of it in men. Lead author Itziar Etxebarria explained: "Our initial hypothesis was that feelings of guilt are more intense among females, not only among adolescents but also among young and adult women, and they also show the highest scores for interpersonal sensitivity." The study was based on data from an equal number of male and female subjects across the age range: 156 teenagers, 96 young people and 108 adults. Participants were asked to identify situations in which they felt most guilt. They also completed interpersonal sensitivity tests - the Davis Empathetic Concern Scale, and a questionnaire on Interpersonal Guilt, developed specifically for this research. Researchers found that intensity of habitual guilt was significantly higher for women in all three age groups but particularly in those between 40-50 years. They also identified gender differences in interpersonal sensitivity, although the disparity was less marked in that age group. Generally, levels of interpersonal sensitivity in men (especially those aged between 25-33) was found to be "comparatively low". Researchers suggest this could have detrimental effects on relationships and social functioning...
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...Christianity developed from the Jewish faith in the person and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The Christian religion, as with the ancient Greek religion, was first generated through the oral tradition. Jesus was believed to be the only Son of God by the early Christians, and this belief has endured in the modern Christian world. The Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament, is the basic scripture for Christians, and although Christianity and Greek Mythology are very distinct, they are similar in many interesting ways. Statement of Purpose I am a Christian, and in writing this piece I am in no way saying that Christianity is a myth. It is my intention to point out how Greek mythology and Christianity are similar, and nothing more. It is interesting to learn how ancient people lived and worshiped, and psychology finds mythology useful in classifying modern modes of action. Three Major Ways Greek Mythology and Christianity are Similar Although the gods and heroes of Ancient Greece are not worshiped today, this ancient religion is still comparable to modern Christianity. Greek mythology and Christianity are similar in that they: (1) teach a moral way of life; (2) teach that a woman (Pandora or Eve) caused the downfall of mankind; (3) and both have a savior figure. Although Greek mythology and Christianity are similar, they differ in their concept of sacrifice, punishment, and doctrine, and I will discuss this in a separate piece. A Moral Way of Life To begin, Greek...
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...Religion to me is a part of everyday life. The decisions and judgments I make on a day-to-day basis are created based upon my upbringing and what religion I was taught being raised as a child, which is what was instilled in my parents from their parents and so on. I was raised Catholic and try my very best to attend Church on a weekly to monthly basis. I went through the ranks having been Baptized, First communized and Confirmed. I don’t consider myself a “religious” person in the sense that I am an avid member of the church, but I do believe there is a being that exists that looks over us. I think it’s important to have religious beliefs because in a time of need or desperation, there is a supreme being that you can instill your faith in and ask for help when needed. For me, Religion officially kicked in and made me a little bit more faithful during my time in the United States Air Force. From Basic training to deployments on the front line, Religion was something that gave me solace during concern and fear. Basic training was so in your face that on Sunday’s the military gave you some time for you to escape a few hours each day from the constant stresses the Training can provide. Sundays were a day that you looked forward to and each an every day, the harder you pressed on, the closer you were to a few measly hours of peace and quiet away from the Technical Instructors that wanted to make your life unbearable. Religion offered me a time then, to get closer in touch...
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...European publication: It is a rationalistic effort to use philosophy in order to "vindicate the ways of God to man" (l.16), a variation of John Milton's claim in the opening lines of Paradise Lost, that he will "justify the ways of God to man" (1.26). It is concerned with the natural order God has decreed for man. Because man cannot know God's purposes, he cannot complain about his position in the Great Chain of Being (ll.33-34) and must accept that "Whatever IS, is RIGHT" (l.292), a theme that would soon be satirized by Voltaire in Candide.[1] More than any other work, it popularized optimistic philosophy throughout England and the rest of Europe. Pope's Essay on Man and Moral Epistles were designed to be the parts of a system of ethics which he wanted to express in poetry. Moral Epistles have been known under various other names including Ethic Epistles and Moral Essays. On its publication, An Essay on Man met with great admiration throughout Europe. Voltaire called it "the most beautiful, the most useful, the most sublime didactic poem ever written in any language". In 1756 Rousseau wrote to Voltaire admiring the poem and saying that it "softens my ills and brings me patience". Kant was fond of the poem and would recite long passages of the poem to his students [2]. However later Voltaire renounced his admiration for Pope andLeibniz's optimism and even wrote a novel, Candide, as a satire on Pope and Leibnitz's philosophy of ethics. The essay, written in heroic couplets...
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...political theory and philosophy and poses acute questions about the basic moral foundations of liberal societies. Lord Plant focuses on the role that religious belief can and ought to play in argument about public policy in a pluralistic society. He examines the potential political implications of Christian belief and the ways in which it may be deployed in political debate. The book is a contribution to the modern debate about the moral pluralism of western liberal societies, discussing the place of religious belief in the formation of policy and asking what sorts of issues in modern society might be the legitimate objects of a Christian social and political concern. Raymond Plant has written an important study of the relationship between religion and politics which will be of value to students, academics, politicians, church professionals, policy makers and all concerned with the moral fabric of contemporary life. r ay m on d pl an t is Professor of European Political Thought at the University of Southampton and a Member of the House of Lords. He was a Home affairs spokesperson for the Labour Party from 1992 to 1996, and Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford, from 1994 to 2000. Lord Plant's main publications are Social and Moral Theory in Casework (1970), Community and Ideology: An Essay in Applied Moral Philosophy (1974), Hegel (1974), Political Philosophy and Social Welfare (with H. Lesser and P. TaylorGooby, 1979), Philosophy, Politics and Citizenship (with A. Vincent, 1983)...
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...Here I am on Earth trying to determine if the people here are religious or not?? Here I am on Earth trying to determine if the people here are religious or not. Three things I am looking for are prayer to a higher entity, sacrifice, and public acknowledgment of their god in ways other than prayer. The clues I am now assessing include people attending their houses of worship, people wearing crosses around their necks as jewelry, and people with their heads bowed in prayer. These people with their heads bowed in prayer have so many variations in their actions. Some people are at their dinner table praying, some people kneel on the ground in a line with other people five times per day to pray, and some bow their heads and put their hands together, and use a string of beads to pray with. The earthlings seem to practice sacrifice openly and variably. They are not, perhaps, killing a goat, burning it, and attempting to give it to the deity, but instead, people are sacrificing personal actions. The man who used to steal does not steal anymore, hoping this sacrifice will please his god. So it is with the woman who used foul words heavily in speech. She now, however, is trying to give up (sacrifice) her obscene language because she feels like she cannot reap the benefits of being a servant of her god if her language is not pure. She does not want to grieve her higher being, so she sacrificed her abhorrent language. Sacrifice occurs in Buddhism when practicing Sutra and one...
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