...and their punishments. It is one of the first written codes of law in history, and it is the longest code that has been discovered. The laws were made to equalize society, establish justice and fairness, bring about the rule of righteousness, and protect the weak from the strong. However, the rich and poor, men and women, and elites and commoners were treated differently under the law. This deepened the social hierarchy and distinctions between classes and genders, which soon became normal and accepted in society. L. W. King states that “Hammurabi laws also influenced the need for one, powerful leader. It used the political power to generate bonds between the people of different races and backgrounds. The Code of Hammurabi was developed by the Babylonian ruler, Hammburabi. He ruled Babylon, which he expanded to cover most of Mesopotamia, from 1792-1750 BCE. Laws, judgments, and decrees were incorporated into the 282 laws that make up the code. The code was given to Hammurabi by the sun God, Shamash. The Babylonian God, Marduk, facilitated Hammurabi's rule. He gave Hammurabi the authority to rule Babylon. Also, the code gave people moral standards, created distinct social classes, and worked to create equality. It was supposed to "protect the weak from the strong", but it in turn favored the rich and was harsher on the poor. After the fall of Babylon, Hammurabi left a great legacy. His system of laws are seen throughout history and today”.1 The conquerors of Babylon, the Assyrians...
Words: 1874 - Pages: 8
...20, 2012 Soc 101 Ivy Tech Community College Word Count: 984 One of the most controversial public discussions of the past twenty years has been gay marriage. Most of the opinions of the topic are either heavily on one side or the other. Some say gays shouldn’t be able to marry because it hurts the sanctity of marriage and they shouldn’t be able to adopt kids because it does harm to them growing up. While the opposing side insists that denying them the right to get married is a violation of religious freedom and that a gay couple raising a child is no different than a straight home. This topic has been going through the legal system a lot the past few years and it will probably be there for years to come. It’s in the public eye and children are hearing about it and we need to be able to send the kids a unified message on the issue. The gay marriage debate has evolved a lot over the years of the public opinion. If you polled everyone their opinion on the issue forty years ago, I believe it would be 75% against gay marriage while the rest supporting it. After it’s been through the legal system some and everyone getting more examples on kids that have grown up in gay households and if they are any different than the average child. If we polled everyone today I believe it would be more around 55% supporting gay marriage. The world is constantly changing its common views and I believe it’s moving towards accepting people more despite their different from the norm beliefs....
Words: 926 - Pages: 4
...to the top in life, you are going to have to take the stairs.” Getting married is the bridge to get you to a real successful life. With marriage, couples will show seriousness in working together to make their relationship powerful and faithful if love is present. Some people who are in love get inspiration to get married soon enough to build the bright expectation for their future together. In order to get a step on that stair you need someone who loves and cares about you deeply. The motivation that leads people to get married is the feeling of loneliness. When couples are married, they will not feel alone even if they are a thousand miles away from their own families because relationship between husband and wife is dominant with love. However, many of people in the United States prefer to live together before marriage so they can find out if they are capable getting along well together. From my perspective and my culture, living together before marriage has disadvantages to the couples, so people should get married in order to protect their rights and enjoy their lives together. One reason why I strongly support marriage over living together is that marriage will give the couple the energy to work on their strong commitment to each other. When people get married, they have full knowledge of what responsibilities involve with their marriage. And that will make the relationship last longer than ever. The partners share sorrow and happiness with each other and they also can face...
Words: 752 - Pages: 4
...Why Sexual Education Should Be Taught In Public Schools In today’s society where children are exposed to sex through various media outlets, the need for sexual education in public schools is necessary. Instead of abstinence-only education, which teaches refraining from sexual activity until marriage, today’s youth needs to be informed about the various aspects of sexuality including pregnancy, contraception, STDs, and abstinence. According to a survey conducted by National Public Radio, The Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, ninety percent of American parents believe that comprehensive sexual education should be taught in public schools to students in grades 7 through 12. This type of education encourages abstinence, but also teaches proper condom use and other contraceptive methods to protect youth from unwanted pregnancies and STD (“Sex Education in America”). In order to reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, Douglas Bernard Kirby, Ph.D. from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy states in his 2007 publication of Emerging Answers: To be effective, such programs must be straightforward and specific; for example, they might discuss realistic situations that could lead to unprotected sex and methods for avoiding those situations, for remaining abstinent, and for using condoms and other contraceptives. (Kirby 16) Even though studies have shown mixed results...
Words: 1759 - Pages: 8
...Family law satisfies the functions of law requirements as it protects and preserves societal values and human rights. For instance, the Commonwealth Parliament has passed the Marriage Act 1961 to give people fundamental right to marry as well as to establish a valid marriage. The Family Law Act 1975 has been passed as people are expected to receive the rights when they are involved in a legal dispute relating to divorce. Recently, as the rights of children are considered paramount, the laws regarding the safety and welfare of children have been adopted by the Family Law (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act (2006). The South Australian Parliament has passed the Statutes Amendment (Domestic Partners) Act (2006) in order to provide de facto couples legal rights similar to those enjoyed by a married spouse. ii) Set acceptable standards of behaviour and consequence To preserve and protect values and human rights, the Marriage Act 1961 provides the requirements for a valid marriage to exist, for example, marriage should not be done by fraud, between a person related by blood with other close family members and more than one person. The consequence of failing to meet with these criteria is an annulment of marriage, meaning a valid marriage never existed in the first place. iii) Three arms of government The Commonwealth parliament amended the Family Law Act 1975 in relation to Child support, the regular payment of money from a non-residence parent to the residence parent for the...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
...Most countries in the world have very different love and marriage laws. These laws are often adjusted over time to match change in social values. Transformative trend of the past one hundred years has led to large changes in attitudes to love and marriage between contemporary society and earlier times. Marriage can be defined as a vow between two people to remain together as a couple. It has a civil form and a religious form. There is a great diversity of types of love and marriage, and social attitudes to some of them have changed greatly. In particular, attitudes towards cohabitation, gay and lesbian marriage and sole parenting were more accepted in the world. A cohabitation relationship can be defined as living together of two people as partners but without a marriage certificate. Gay and lesbian refers to marriage between people of the same gender. Sole parenting concerns a parent who is raising their children without a spouse. One area of serious alteration is in attitudes towards cohabitation which has become more acceptable. In the past, cohabitation was considered to be shameful. However, today there are many people who live together as a couple without marriage. This is more popular in modern life than ever before. In Viet Nam for example, cohabitation is a new phenomenon in society over the last few years and has become a widely spreading trend. Viet Nam society used to base on Confucian values. Most children in the family were expected to live formally. Losing...
Words: 1454 - Pages: 6
...1. Think about Edna's desire to be free from financial dependence on her husband. In what ways does financial independence redefine a woman's self-hood, and alter her relationship with men, specifically her husband? The Financial aspects of a marriage play a huge part in the relationship between a husband and wife. Financially, it's typically the man who assumes the role of "sole-provider"and keeps the family financially afloat. In this scenario, a woman would depend on her husband and therefore assume a kind of submission to his "authority". Dependence on something or someone redifines one's self-hood in any situation. When it comes to women, financial dependence on a husband makes the woman slightly inferior, whereas if a woman is financially...
Words: 254 - Pages: 2
...America and live with him there. Sumita says yes to live with Somesh in America, and she became very nervous to know, how her new life will turn out to be. It turns out to be great. Somesh is very patient with her, and protect her. But one evening, when Somesh is at the store, a burglar enters his 7-eleven store, claims all the money, and shoots Somesh several times. Somesh died and left Sumita all by herself in big America. Somesh wanted Sumita to be a school teacher, but now, she has to move with her in-laws back to India, and serve tea for them, the rest of her life. She decides, she won't be that woman. She won't walk around in her widow sari, in her in-laws house the rest of her life. She has tasted the free life, and she wants the whole cake. Point of view: In the story there’s a reliable first person narrator. The point of view is from the main character herself, it’s her thoughts and feelings that you can feel when you read the short story. She is described indirectly, by what she says and does. Characterization of Sumita: Sumita is a young woman from India, her parents have made an arranged marriage with an Indian man who has mowed to America. In the beginning of the story, Sumita is very nervous and insecure. She isn’t very happy about the arranged marriage, but at the same time she knows...
Words: 569 - Pages: 3
...I know plenty of girls in high school with no job, no money, who have not finished their education, and have a child; this goes for guys also. And that makes me think; what happened to these young adults who had their whole lives ahead of them? The first thing that comes to my mind is sex before marriage. Now sex is a wonderful thing if it is performed correctly and at the right time. But if you do it at the wrong time, or with the wrong person, or perform it incorrectly, it could be detrimental to you and even your partner. Most young people do not even recognize the consequences that come with having sex before marriage, and more importantly, having unprotected sex. Sex or no sex before marriage? I chose no sex because of my Christian values. I was raised by what the Bible says and it says that you should not have sex before marriage (1 Corinthians 7:2). Now why would it say do not have sexual intercourse before marriage even though it says it is a great thing between a man and woman? Maybe because there are more things unseen behind having sex. I think God said this to protect us from STD’s, hurting relationships, and just from emotional scars. God was not just trying hold out on the good stuff from us, he was protecting us from things seen and unseen that could be detrimental to us. This is why I choose to be celibate until I have found the lady I choose to spend the rest of my life with. I have a friend named Renica who has recently turned seventeen. She is a very beautiful...
Words: 1039 - Pages: 5
...Gay marriage, it’s been an “issue” for years. Centuries even. Most anti-gay arguments involve religion, or “morals”. Why should conservatives impose their beliefs, and deny someone the right of a homosexual marriage if that person may not even be religious. The most common anti-gay argument is “we have to protect the institution of marriage”. Though some heterosexual couples get married out of love, this isn’t the case for most. Some women and men are “gold diggers”, meaning they got married to an older figure that has lots of money, when they die; they inherit all of the wealth. In other countries people of a lower class try to move up classes with arranged marriages. Some people just marry for health insurance! These are examples of heterosexual...
Words: 368 - Pages: 2
...19th century till the present day, the shift between tradition and modernity has developed incredibly. The relationship between traditional and modern society, also known as ‘Mass society,’ is distinguished between the past and present, along with continuity and change. The establishment of different inventions and customs from traditional society have been handed down from generations to generations, which help shape modern society. However, one may wonder, what are the main features from traditional society that have made a dramatic impact for life today? Also, is one more sympathetic to one society, than the other? Traditional and modern families have several differences in terms of family honour, gender roles in the labour force and marriage, along with the role of government on legitimate killings and the food markets. Furthermore, technology from the industrial revolution, such as, the automobile, coal mines, and steam engines also played a great role. Thus, through the many different concepts, the role of family, government and technology, one can see that modern society is better developed and more individualistic than traditional society. FAMILY In traditional society, the honour of one’s family is based on the behaviour of the family as a whole. An individual who does something wrong, can affect not only their own honour, but also the honour of the entire family. This results in a downfall of the family’s reputation and how that family is treated in their town or village...
Words: 3029 - Pages: 13
...Same sex marriage issue paves way for anti-discrimination bill By Artemio Dumlao (The Philippine Star) Updated July 05, 2011 12:00 AM BAGUIO CITY ,Philippines – Christian groups led by the Catholic Charismatic Christian Movement believes that the same sex marriage controversy is a “grand design” by some sectors to push House Bill 1483 (Anti-Discrimination bill) filed by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño. According to the group, the same sex unions officiated by the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) here on June 29 have been pitting family members against each other, the opposing Catholic Church and other Christian groups versus the proponents and even government officials caught in the controversy. Alexander Bangsoy, a member of the charismatic movement in the city and nearby Benguet, said the diverse reactions to the same sex marriages were part of a plot to stir debate and evoke discriminatory attitude against the third sex to gather sympathy for HB 1483. “It set the stage for them to say they are being discriminated, though (they) are not,” Bangsoy said. The group vowed to oppose HB 1483 by urging Baguio Rep. Bernardo Vergara, Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan, and all other congressmen to drop the measure. They have also taken their cause to social networking sites like Facebook (No To Same Sex Marriage in the Philippines group) and have initiated a signature campaign to counter the growing popularity of the “unions.” “We should oppose HB 1483...
Words: 1760 - Pages: 8
...Gay Marriage People have many views on gay marriage, many say that it should not be legalized, some say that it should. Legalizing gay marriage would end the fight for equal rights gays are looking for. Many area’s of certain countries have already legalized gay marriage, and are very accepting of gay marriage. There is a great cultural lag from other countries about issues that deal with gay marriage. In the District of Columbia, they just recently passed a law that other states have passed that condone same-sex marriages. “The District of Columbia has a distinguished tradition of statutes dating back to the 1970s that protect the rights of gay people. It passed its first domestic partnership law nearly 20 years ago and recently recognized same-sex marriages created in other jurisdictions” (Church 1). If the United States is open to same-sex marriages, and has legalized them, other countries will soon follow in our footsteps and there truly will be equal rights that the gays deserve. With the law recently passed in the District of Columbia, the people practicing catholic religious beliefs have more than a few choice words for elected officials. Most people of the church are trying to get a law passed that states: there are refusal rights for marriage commissioners employed as of 2004, when same-sex marriage became legal, and refusal rights for all marriage commissioners (Same-Sex). The commissioners of churches trying to get this law passed is about their beliefs and...
Words: 464 - Pages: 2
...effects of materialism, dishonesty, infidelity, and adultery. Tom shows adultery and infidelity, Daisy and Gatsby show dishonesty, and all three show the effects of materialism. The themes expressed in The Great Gatsby, as shown by the actions of Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom show us the flaws in living a life free of ethical values. Tom Buchanan truly embodies the wasteful, morally corrupt spirit of the 1920’s. He is arrogant, racist, prodigal, and has more family money than he could ever spend. Tom...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
...of laws to protect certain rights for laborers, while another system provided no protection from the law to protect laborer’s rights because they were simply considered a piece of property. This brief essay explains the differences between an indentured servant and a slave. In addition, readers will learn when and why masters began to choose slaves over indentured servants. Indentured Servants In 1607, the Virginia Company of London landed and settled in Jamestown. Early settlers realized they had an abundant amount of land to care for; however, there was no one to tend to the land. The Virginia Company developed a system known as the indentured servitude that would attract workers needed for cheap labor and a decade later, the first indentured servants arrived in America ("History Detectives Special Investigations", 2011). The indentured servitude system benefited both the masters and the servants. Masters were awarded 50 acres of land for every laborer brought across the Atlantic as well as the services of the laborers and servants worked under what was typically a five to seven years contract in exchange for freedom dues, lodging, room, board, and passage ("U.S. History Pre- Columbian to the New Millennium", 2014). Servants that lived to complete their contract may have also received land, clothes, money, food, and a gun. Although, the life of an indentured servant was harsh and it came with restrictions, unlike slavery, there were laws to protect some of their...
Words: 748 - Pages: 3