Views of Cultural Ecologists on Religion and Magic Research Paper

Views of Cultural Ecologists on Religion and Magic - Research Paper Example The history of religions tends to adopt an evolutionary view where it appears that the horizon of religion developed from the earth to heavens. The evolutionary approach mainly supported by cultural ecologists tends to support the connection between religion and ecology. Cultural ecologists focus on discovering the similarities and differences of different cultures with the interest of understanding why people live the way they do and why certain things are unique to some cultures. Ecologists present different views on religion with a particular consistent disagreement with the thinking of outsiders that the more isolated tribe style cultures believe in magic. This paper shows how cultural ecologists view religion and magic, how they relate, as well as why some cultures might believe in one, or both. According to Debnath (2003), the oldest layer of religion, under headings, such as natural religion, hunting magic and agrarian religion, is intimately linked to the relationship between humans and nature. One of the renowned cultural ecologists, Marvin Harris takes pleasure in finding concrete ecological pragmatism everywhere in the history of religion, from Aztec human sacrifice to the Hindu veneration of the cows. The ritual engagement with nature, whether in hunting magic or agricultural fertility rites, often contains an element of magic and thus the attempt to gain power nature. Cultural ecologists view magic as an attempt to gain power over nature, a concept that greatly differs from the religious views where nature appears to influence the way things are and they are not. From an ecological perspective, magic remains an old dream of humankind which has been partially fulfilled in the modern error (Olson, 2010). Religion and magic are viewed as cognitively instrumental, where they provide an explanation of the world in terms of superhuman agency to believers and by extension a religious or magical technique by which they can exert significant control over th eir surroundings. A distinctive difference between religion and magic revolves around the concept of reason and faith in which the reason belongs to the latter while faith and rituals belong to religion (Debnath, 2003). Reasons Why Some Cultures Accept either Religion or Magic or Both Cultural ecologists assert that good or evil fortune follows from one’s choices of habitation. For example, Feng-shui is recognized to have a strong magical or religious component, in which it was believed that cutting down the Feng-shui grove often translates into a disaster to town, and the more old the trees were found the more good luck it conferred to the town residents (Sutton & Anderson, 2009). The magical component associated with the tree is widely accepted in south China, serving to persuade millions of peasants to sacrifice personal gains for the long-term community benefit. This example explains the connection between magic and environment and its role in the conservation of the ecos ystems. The Chinese community widely accepts the concept of magic than any other part of the world owing to its close association to their environment and the perceived benefits in believing in certain magic components in the ecosystem. In many case, religion is widely accepted due to its detachment from the individual figure compared to magic which focuses on the capabilities of the person performing the magic. In addition, the concept of realism and the basis fiction that surround magic further

Informal Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Informal Care - Assignment Example Management of CHF requires shared responsibilities as increasing number of CHF patients have decreased formal care provision. Informal care is an avenue that has best potential for ensuring adequate quality of life for CHF patients, and at the same time also ensuring that CHF patients get more attention than would have been possible in formal care. Clark et al (2007) survey of informal carers and their patients has pointed out that informal care givers have been able to manage and ensure adequate quality of life for CHF patients. Authors have pointed out that informal and invisibl3 care could be even better managed if the informal care givers were given basic training for recognizing and managing some of CHF symptoms. Francine et al (2002) provides enlightening statistics that in 2002 there were at least 41 million people with chronic debilitating conditions. Another issue might be increased longevity through intervention better nutrition and quality of life - thus the proportion of old people afflicted with chronic conditions is continually rising. Informal caring which may be through family or friends (and usually is honorary) has taken on increasingly important role as formal carers reduce in proportion to the chronically ill. Incidentally most of the informal care is given by women, be it daughters or sometimes wives. The toll on women caregivers is quite stressful with many women being forced to take lower paying jobs that allow them more time for. Care giving has also been known to be mentally taxing and causing emotional stress. Caregivers are more susceptible to indigestion and high blood pressure and caregivers, who care for patients with Alzheimer and psychopathological disorders, may h ave bouts of depression. Informal care givers are not given adequate governmental support and many of the services performed for ill disposed may not be reimbursable through NHA or Medicaid. Francine et al (2002) reiterate that policies should be introduced that recognize the efforts and work performed by the care givers. As care givers tend to be over 40, many of the social workers and care givers might themselves be in need of support in coming years (Francine et al 2002). Understanding Chronic Heart Failure may be important to appreciate the need for informal care. Donovan (2008) defines CHF as condition affecting older population which affects temperament and frequently is terminal. Using survey of care givers gave 3 dimensions which were important in informal care. Caring for CHF patient was frequently a shared activity and involved both visible and invisible methods of caring. The severity of symptoms determined the type and quantity of intervention requirements. The carer's lack of formal knowledge was contrasted by knowledge gleaned from experience with CHF patient. The informal care givers were cognizant of patient's mood, physiology temperament changes and could relate to these changes with corresponding requirements of more intensive care provision. The visible caring activities, managing medicine and personal care, were found to be tiring. As CHF conditioned worsened CHF patients were found to require