The Inferno And The Perfection Of Gods Justice Religion Essay

The Inferno And The Perfection Of Gods Justice Religion Essay The Inferno was written in the early fourteenth century by Italian politician Dante Alighieri, the book is the first part of the epic poem the Divine Comedy and it is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. The book Inferno, which is the Italian translation for Hell, narrates the journey of its author through what he believes is Hell, consisting of nine circles of suffering underneath the earth. In his journey Dante is guided through the nine regions by the poet Virgil, who represents Human Reason, each circle in the book represents a different type of sin with a different type of punishment, varying according to the degree of offense they committed in life. In his trip through every one of these circles, Dante realizes and emphasizes the perfection of Gods Justice and the seriousness of each offense towards the creator of all life. Certainly, Dante as a Christian realizes the perfection of Gods justice; he is able to create a connection between a souls sin on Earth and the punishment he or she receives in Hell. In Inferno, Dante explains that God created Hell by justice, a specific example of this, might be when he was entering the Gates of Hell, he read on the entrance of the gate the sign that said, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Sacred Justice moved my Architect I was raised here by the Divine Omnipotence (Alighieri Canto III, 5) undoubtedly, attributing the creation of Hell to God and his divine justice, and Gods divine justice is exactly what shapes Dantes nine circles of Hell and their punishments, depending on the severity of the sin, the soul is send farther away from God and closer to the Devil. In addition, Dante is conscious of the qualities of God, first that He is just, according to the Bible in Exodus 34:7, He will by no means clear the guilty also that He is merciful à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦For God is love(Kershaw 1 John 4:8) and, in accordance with the Bible, it is also stated that Gods Justice is described as fair, when people receive justice, they receive the penalty they deserve, or they are repaid for the damages done to them, in the bible, justice is related to the Law of Moses, which the Lord gave to the people of Israel as a gift for their protection and well being in the Old Testament of the Bible(Justice). Psalms 96: 13 tells us that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He [God] is coming to judge all people on earth with fairness and truth.(Kershaw) No doubt, Dante praises Gods justice in Hell O Sovereign Wisdomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.How justly doth Thy power judge and assign!(Alighieri Canto XIX, 10-13) however, he will still along his journey show pity for the souls,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how could I check my tears, when near at hand I saw the image of humanity distortedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Certainly I weptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Alighieri Canto XX, 21), and fear to Gods punishmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and there we saw what fearful arts the hand of Justice knowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Alighieri Canto XIV, 17), projecting to the reader an image of a vengeful and cruel God, who was punishing harshly all those sinners, these reactions from Dante makes Virgil scold Dante assuring him that Gods justice is divine and perfect. Who is more impious than one who dares to sorrow at Gods Judgment?(Alighieri Canto XX, 30).Therefore, as consequence of the magnitude of the offenses that are being punished in Hell, it is understandable that Dante depicts Hell as a place of perpetual pain and suffering. Starting on the Dark Wood, the Perfection of Gods Justice revolves around the entire journey of Dante. In the first circle with all the non-Christian adults in addition to unbaptized infants, Dante depicts the mercy and justice of God, many of the great heroes, thinkers and creative minds of ancient Greece such as Homer, Horace and Lucan are located in this circle, although they do not suffer, because of the honor and merits they gained in Earth and Heaven, they are hopeless and cannot gain their way into heaven, yet some of the major figures from the Hebrew Bible, according to Virgil, were liberated by Jesus following his crucifixion. In the second circle, Dante analyzes the power of love over desire; He describes God as merciful and caring, but Gods justice is more important, the lustful are located in this circle, they are the first ones to be truly punished in Hell, the souls are blown about to and fro by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without hope of rest. From the souls that are being punish here, Dante concludes that love should not be confused with sexual desires, even if the line that separates both of them seems really thin. Furthermore in the third circle are place those that are given out to carnal desires too, the gluttons who are to forced to lie in a vile slush produced by ceaseless foul. In this circle Virgil tells Dante that the souls trapped here will not rise again until the Day of the Final Judgment where he also describes God as just and fair à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦on which the host shall come to judge all menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Alighieri, Canto VI,90). In the fourth circle the Hoarders and the Wasters, are being punished according to their sins in the same circle, they are carrying enormous weights, rolling them at one another, then in haste they rolled them back, and start all over again creating a vicious cycle. In this region Dante starts to feel pity for those souls and is shocked for the first time at the power of Gods justice. In the fifth circle are the two forms of anger located, the anger that is expressed and the one that is repressed, Gods Justice in this region is seen when Philippo Argenti is attacked by the other souls after he tried to grab Dante, much to Dantes liking, and when God sends his angel to open the gates of Dis. Dante learns from Virgil that as the story progresses himself has been less inclined toward pity, and thus the text asserts the infinite wisdom of divine justice, where sinners receive their punishment in perfect proportion to their sin and to pity their suffering is to demonstrate a lack of under standing. In level six begins a much more serious descent into the realm where the sins turn into more severe and the punishments are harsher. In this area are located the heretics, they are tormented in fiery tombs because of their denial of the souls immortality when they were alive, showing the reader once more how the seriousness of the offense towards God decides how He proportionally assigns the punishment. In the seventh circle, are located the violent, these sinners are separated in three forms, given that each kind of violence is different to the creator, one are the violent toward others, for example killing someone, these souls are punished in a river of blood, another are the violent against themselves, these are the ones that commit suicide, they are punished more painfully than the previous sinners, they change into trees and they can only speak if a limb is broken off and they bleed, as in life they sought relief through pain, they are now suffering in Hell and are constantly being hurt seeking relief. The third group of violent sinners, are the violent against God, these souls are the most painfully tormented souls of the group of violent, the blasphemers, sodomites and the usurers are placed on a burning plain while they are tormented by a rain of fire from heaven ceaselessly. Consecutively, the eight circle is basically full of malice and forethought , the majority of the souls that are located in this circle are evil and when they were alive they knew they were being evil, and did nothing to change their ways, therefore the seducers, panderers, simoniacs, fortune tellers and diviners, grafters, thieves, hypocrites, evil counselors, sowers of discords and falsifiers are place in this level, most of them serve painful punishments, Dante permits the reader to observe the perfection of Gods justice, because even when all these souls are in the same circle, they are punish in accordance to the severity of their sins. For instance, the fortune tellers and diviners are permitted to walk only with their heads backwards; the evil counselors are sentenced to walk inside a flaming tongue and the thieves are bitten by snakes and burst into flames until ashes remain, and from the ashes the sinner reforms painfully. As Dante gradually descents through every level of Hell, he finally finds himself in the ninth circle, this is the last circle and the most evil of all, the traitors and the Devil are located here, Dante divides this level in four regions, the Caina, the Antenora, Ptolomea and Judecca. The Caina is named after the biblical Cain, who was the first son of Adam and Eve, and who killed his brother out of envy (Kershaw Genesis 4 1-17). The second region is Antenora, is named for the Trojan prince Antenor, one of those in favor of returning Helen to the Greeks for the good of Troy, the third zone is Ptolomea, this region is named after the captain of Jericho, Ptolemy, who murdered his guests while they were being honored, and finally the last region is Judecca, Dante chooses this name because of Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus the Son of God. In this circle Divine Justice doesnt have exceptions, because whether they betrayed their families, country, guests or the Son of God, they are all encased in ice, however their punishment is proportional, some of the souls are covered up to their necks, others up to their eyes, only Judas is covered up to his head completely in ice. Nevertheless, we cant evade the fact that Gods justice in the Inferno is created by a medieval mans intellect, and that his point of view on Divine Justice is influenced by his religious views, however, Dante, during his journey changes his attitude and he finally starts to observe the perfection of Gods Justice, he acknowledges how Divine Justice doesnt punish the souls in Hell harshly and cruelly, but the punishment is definitely a mirror of their sins, which ironically creates an eternal torment for the hopeless souls trapped in Hell. In conclusion, Divine Justice takes many forms in Dantes work, but each punishment is proportional to the seriousness of the souls crime, Dante started his journey feeling compassion toward the sinners and fearing Gods Justice, he descends through the nine circles of Hell, where he reflects, and begins to acknowledge the Perfection of Gods Justice. Each of the levels is different; the souls are punished according to the gravity of their offenses toward God, after Dante reaches Cocytus, which is the center of Hell, He continues to the Purgatory. The Inferno is only the first part of Dantes Masterpiece The Divine Comedy, and it is in this journey through Hell where Dante realizes the perfection of Gods justice, he will later experience in Heaven Divine Grace from God himself. Works Consulted Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno. New York, New York: NAL PENGUIN INC, 1954. 288. Print. This book describes Dantes visit to the lower realms of the next world BCC Writing Lab. Writing a Literary Analysis. Bellevue College, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. . This source explains how a literary analysis should be written; it provides examples of different works and discusses how a thesis should be written. Birky, Beth. Literature and writing essay resources Analyzing a passage. Literary Analysis Guide. Goshen College, 08 2009. Web. 24 May 2010. . This source discusses ways to analyzed a literature piece and helps you to show more understanding of the text that is being read. Cachey, Theodore, and Louis Jordan. Renaissance Dante in Print. Main Exposition of Dantes Renaissance. Universtity of Notre Dame, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. . This exhibition presents Renaissance editions of Dantes Divine Comedy from the Zahm, Dante Collection at the University of Notre Dame. This exhibit constitutes essential primary sources for both the history of Dantes reception during the Renaissance and the early history of the printed book. Cruz, Kristen. Literary Genres. List defines each of the genres included in Recommended Literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. California Department of Education, 30 Nov 2009. Web. 17 May 2010. . This source provides a brief description of all literary genres, does not offer links or details; additional sources needed Dantes Inferno. Dantes World. University of Texas at Austin, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. . This source is an integrated multimedia journeycombining artistic images, textual commentary, and audio recordingsthrough the three realms of the afterlife (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise) presented in Dantes Divine Comedy. Justice. American Bible Society. American Bible Society, 2010. Web. 17 May 2010. . This web site discusses the definition of Gods Justice according to the bible Kershaw, Simon. Bible The New Revised Version. Oremus Bible Browser. Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, 03 Mar 2008. Web. 17 May 2010. This source provides information about the bible with some verses helpful to comparing Gods Justice in the bible to Dantes book. MHS Composition Guide. Philosophical and Religious: The religious and ethical climate influences writers and their texts. Merryville School, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. . This source provides basic descriptions of a variety of criticism techniques Wiehardt, Ginny. Types of Characters. Types of characters in Fiction. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. . This source provides the information we need to know about every type of character we need to know as we study literature

The Politics Of Secularism In India

The Politics Of Secularism In India Secularism in India has always been more of a political than a philosophical phenomenon. Secularism may be one of the basic features of the Preamble but its validity as one of the basic features of the Constitution and its practicability in Indian society is questionable. There is an increasing use of religion in the social construction of ethnic and communal identity which is made the basis for the articulation of common economic interests and political mobilization. There is also the construction of a pan Indian Hindu consciousness that cuts across caste and regional divisions. While secularism has been integral to Indias democracy for more than 50 years, its limitations implementations are indeed matters of acrimonious debate even to this day. Discussions on the place of religious community in Indian society have turned on the opposition of secularism communalism and of modernity tradition. Secularism is unalterably linked with modernity, but the ideal of equal respect for all religions has not been translated into social reality, and the end result is something termed as pseudo-secularism. Modernity was characterized by the emergence of public, civic and privatized religious entities, concepts of a liberal democracy and a nation state, and the secularized individual who is unfettered by ascriptive identities. But such a trajectory of human development and social transformation required an understanding of humanity that was fundamentally ahistorical. Both the Round Table Conferences as well as the Constituent Assembly Debates struggled with the dilemma of formulating a liberal democracy for people who had historically been represented, and in turn came to represent themselves, as determined by the ascriptive identities of sect and caste.  [1]  Whenever critiquing secularism, the question of caste has always been sidelined by the preoccupation with religion. But the politics of secularism in India is integrally reliant and revolves around the co-optation of untouchables into an upper caste Hindu identity. The crucial fact that needs to be clarified is that, rather th an being distinct from the categories of community and caste, nationalism and communalism, liberalism and democracy, Indian secularism emerged as the nexus of all of these.  [2]   The Indian Constitution has spelt out several provisions regarding the secular state even before the term secularism was introduced into the Preamble of the Constitution in 1976. Articles 14, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 325 all incorporate the principles of 1. Freedom of religion to individuals as well as to religions. 2. Equality of citizenship and no discrimination on grounds of religion. 3. Separation of State from religion. It is evident that the intention of the Constitution is neither to oppose religion nor to promote a rationalization of culture, but merely to maintain the neutrality and impartiality of the state in matters of religion. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 stated that Secular means a republic in which there is equal respect for all religions, but the Supreme Court of India has been interpreting secularism in the Constitution differently over the years in its various judgments. To examine the vicissitudes of the Indian experiment with secularism, one needs to understand that there is a dichotomy in Indian society- Firstly, the political society comprising parties, movements, non party political formations which channelise popular demands through a form of mobilization termed as democracy- and secondly the civil society for whom the affirmation of secularism has been through the state and its institutions, schools, universities and the English media. In Indian society, the merits of secularism have been familiarized only by the academy and intellectual circles (civil society) whereas Hindu communal history has pervaded the streets and common sense (political society).  [3]   The relations between state, society and religion are not well defined, personal laws vary with religious communities, the precarious position of religious minorities, the affiliations of political formations with religious fundamentalists, increasing importance of the Hindu and more importantly the Hindutva philosophies pose severe challenges to the success and future of secularism in India.  [4]  It must be conceded that secularism in India today is too politicized and statist acting as an ideology of the state and an instrument of power. It is necessary to find ways to depoliticize secularism and to move it further into the domain of civil society. The project will put forward and comparatively analyze both the Gandhian and Nehruvian approaches to understanding secularism, the way secularism has been interpreted by the judiciary at times even contravening constitutional provisions, and finally the researcher will attempt to discuss whether a coexistence of democracy and secularism can be successful in a diverse and plural society like that of ours. Through the research paper, the researcher attempts to advocate the following: Secular means a Republic in which there is equal respect for all religions In the light of this remark, comparatively analyze the Nehruvian and the Gandhian understanding of the concept of secularism? Referring to the Constituent Assembly Debates 1946-1950, and landmark Supreme Court Cases, discuss the changing perceptions to the concept of secularism and whether such decisions have been a reflection of the Nehruvian or the Gandhian understanding? Can Secularism in India survive the functioning of democracy where the will of the majority is imposed on the minority and their consent is gained by a mere strength in numbers? Chapter 1. Secularism: Nehruvian Understanding Vs. Gandhian Understanding. Religion, Nehru wrote to Gandhi in 1933, is not familiar ground for me, as I have grown older I have definitely drifted away from it. I have something else in its place, something older than just intellect and reason, which gives me strength and hope. Apart from this indefinable and indefinite urge, which may just have a tinge of religion in it yet is wholly different from it, I have grown entirely to rely on the workings of the mind. Perhaps they are weak supports to rely upon, but, search as I will, I can see no better ones  [5]   Gandhis use of the term secular in relation to the state is such as may, in contemporary political discourse, be described as Nehruvian.Likewise, Nehrus positions on the definition of the Indian nation are the same as Gandhis.  [6]  That is, Gandhi does not attach any meaning to the term secular that would have been unacceptable to or unintelligible to Nehru.  [7]  Both possessed a remarkable steadfastness of faith. Even though they had strong mutual synergies on vital issues, nonetheless there was a creative tension in the Gandhi-Nehru relationship.  [8]  Gandhi and Nehru had differences. Gandhis religiosity and non violent principles was not shared by Nehru. Although he opposed the concept of theocratic statehood, Gandhi strongly advocated the importance of religious ethics in political practice. Perhaps no single leader has succeeded to the same extent as Gandhi in terms of effectively appealing to the Indian masses from all walks of life.  [9]   Gandhi expressed the opinion that the state should undoubtedly be secular.  [10]  It could never promote denominational education out of public funds. Everyone living in it should be entitled to profess his religion without hindrance, so long as the citizen obeyed the common law of the land. There should be no interference with missionary effort, but no mission could enjoy the patronage of the state as it did during the foreign regime.  [11]  This understanding came subsequently to be reflected in Articles 25, 26 and 27 of the Constitution. . In the last years of Gandhis life, a withdrawal from the political sphere to that of private moral experimentation is evident. . Unlike Gandhi, Nehru was hurled into the ruckus of politics, in command of a state, the most powerful structured concentration of modern instrumental reason that exists. He subjected Gandhis principle to scrutiny could the principle of non-violence make sense in politics, where governments are notoriously based on violence which is indeed the very lifeblood of the modern state. Nehruvian secularism was characterized by an equal contempt for all religions. Secularism as an element of modernity, required therefore a non-discriminatory rejection of all religions and all religiosity from public, as distinct from private, affirmation. Nehru was neither irreligious nor antireligious but his approach to religion was influenced by 3 basic assumptions of humanist liberal tradition- individualism, rationalism and universalism. Nehrus secularism meant freedom of religion and conscience, including freedom for those who have no religion, subject only to their not interfering with the basic con ceptions of our state. Nehru envisaged for India a secularist programme that gave religion little role in national affairs. Nehrus political wisdom was based on a theory of democracy, socialism, secularism and non-alignment. His strategy lay in an all-out attack on those forces that threatened disunity: provincialism, separatism, communalism and above all casteism. He could claim credit for making democratic secularism Indias pathway to the modern world. In his opinion Indias encounter with the Wests humanism, skepticism, and its ascendant science and technology, demanded a radical evaluation of all that India knew and was, and in that effort Indias outstanding religious heritage must correspondingly bear the strain of the encounter because in the final analysis the encounter of civilizations is a matter of spiritual discernment and active exchange.  [12]  Nehru was acutely aware and reflected expansively on the meaning of religion in the history of Indian civilization, but interestingly he was far from attempting a philosophy of religion but talked about religion in an anecdotal fashion, allowing others to distil from his remarks a refined Nehruvian theory of religion.  [13]   To summarise, analogous to post modernitys concern with immediacy and the present-Gandhi was a relentless explorer of immediacy- immediate needs, immediate means, immediate ends. In a very short span of time Gandhi introduced new themes in Indian politics with mass effect. But throughout his long career as a political thinker and activist, Gandhi encountered the dilemma of either remaining faithful to his non-violent principles and risking the failure of the Indian nationalist movement, or focusing at the seizure of political power at the expense of his moral message. Nehrus writings reveal full awareness on his part of the need to strengthen nationalism and democracy in a multireligious society characterized by arrested development while his style of functioning is an acknowledgement of the limitations under which he had to work.  [14]  A point that deserves mention is that Nehru did not intervene even once in the discussions on the clauses related to religious freedom in the constitution assembly debates. An in depth analysis of Nehruvian philosophy reflects his strong belief that the crucial choice for society is not between a fixed present and a proposed innovation, but more importantly it is concerned with an uncritical abandonment and structural engagement. The essence of Nehruvian philosophy lies in his intellectual and political understanding, in his struggles trying to base public life on a reasoned morality.  [15]  When dwelling on the thought provoking question of whether secularism has a future in India or not, the Nehruvian analysis regarding the parallel streams of the material and the spiritual which he identified as the fundamental matrix of life, for persons and civilizations alike, seems particularly relevant even to this day. Chapter 2. Secularism: Constituent Assembly Debates Landmark Cases. Constituent Assembly Debates [1946-50]: A look into the Constituent Assemblys debates clearly reveals that the general understanding amongst members of the assembly was that India was to be a secular state. They have emphasized the secular foundation of the Indian state. They also declare that secularism as adopted in the Indian constitution is not an anti-religious concept; rather it prevents discrimination against the citizens on the basis of religion. According to H V Kamath, When I say that a state should not identify itself with any particular religion, I do not mean that a state should be anti-religious or irreligious. India would be a secular state but according to me a secular state is neither a godless state nor an irreligious nor an anti-religious state. During the debate in the Constituent Assembly, Prime Minister Nehru declared that secularism was an ideal to be achieved and that the establishment of a secular state was an act of faith  [16]  . It is unfortunate that he failed to identify what faith the faith that he was referring to actually meant and in an unfortunate turn of events and circumstances it has been progressively interpreted by the courts to mean the Hindu faith. The dominant position on secularism that a democratic Constitution find place for religion as a way of life for most Indians triumphed over those who wished for the Assembly to grant only a narrow right to religious freedom, or to make the uniform civil code a fundamental right.  [17]   The crucial questions that arose by way of discussions in these debates were: Was a state secular only when it stayed strictly away from religion, and could such a secular state survive only if society was secularised as well? Did a state that equally respected all religions best capture the meaning of secularism in the Indian context? How could a democratic state represent a religious majority at the expense of the rights and liberties of a minority? The issue of religious freedom and secularism was discussed in the light of three alternative theoretical positions: The no-concern theory of secularism saw a definite line of separation between religion and state. Given the principles of religious liberty and freedom of expression, it was up to the individual to decide whether to be a believer or not, or to adhere to this religion or that.  [18]  Based on a doctrine of intolerance it confined religion to the private realm. This approach led to a conception of a secular state as one that stays away from religion per se. India was engaged in creating a modern nation state and in this enterprise, religion which seemed to be an obscurantist and divisive force, had no place. The second position was that no links between the state and religion should be permitted, not because it would weaken the state, but it would demean religion. Religion could not be made subject to the whims of changing majorities by allowing the democratic state to intervene in religious affairs.  [19]   The third position termed as the equal respect theory began with the principle of religious liberty, but held that in a society like India where religion is integrally related to the lives of the people, the state should not stay away from all religions equally but that it respects all religions alike. Thus it is evident the in these Constituent Assembly Debates the main issues of contention were: Whether the right to religious freedom should be the right to religious worship or to religious practice; Whether the state should recognise only linguistic minorities or religious minorities as well; The dispute over the Uniform Civil Code, over political reservation of religious minorities; Whether there should be religious instruction in state-aided schools. What is finally reflected in the articles of the constitution is a broad definition of the right to religion as the right to religious practice, but nonetheless there were no political safeguards for the religious minorities. Landmark Cases In Sardar Taheruddin Syedna Sahib v. State of Bombay  [20]  , the apex court claimed that Art. 25 26 serve to emphasize the secular nature of the Indian democracy which the founding fathers considered to be the very basis of the Constitution. Although in Kesavananda Bharati case, it was declared that secularism was a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution, but interestingly a year later in St. Xaviers College Society v. State of Gujarat  [21]  , Supreme Court ruled that it was only by implication that the Constitution envisaged a Secular State.  [22]  For the first time there seemed to be an apparent contradiction between the judicially constructed concept of secularism and that in the text of the Constitution. In 1976 the court adopted a more philosophical and utilitarian approach in the Ziyauddin Bukhari  [23]  case. In the S.R. Bommai  [24]  case it was reasserted that secularism was a part of the Basic Structure and that it was based on principles of accommodation and tolerance. Herein what is evident is a euphemistic approach an espousal of a soft secularism.  [25]  In this case it was ruled that The State has the duty to ensure secularism by duty or by executive order. It is the duty of the court to bring every errant political party in line if it goes against secular ideals like casteism and religious antagonisms Jus. Ramaswamy. The State has the power to legislate on religion including personal laws under Art.44 and secular affairs of places of worship Jus. Jeevan Reddy. If a political party indirectly espouses a religious cause, it will be considered unconstitutional Jus. Agrawal. It is interesting to note that the Court withdrew from most of these commitments in the subsequent years. In the Ramjanmabhoomi case, the court went on to elaborate on secularism in terms of Indian scriptures thereby going back to the Gandhian Sarva Dharma Sambhava tolerance of all religions. In resorting to religious scriptures the court seems to have rejected the western concept of secularism of separation of church and state as propounded in S.R. Bommai case and has gone back to initial approach of equating secularism with tolerance and the fact that state has the power to take over any religious place.  [26]   Lastly with reference to the latest Hindutva judgements  [27]  the court enunciated, contrary to the Bommai decision that a speech with a secular stance alleging discrimination against any particular religion cannot be treated as an appeal on the ground of religion . Moreover the court seemed to have conveniently shifted its stance to uphold the constitutional duty to get political parties in line with secularism and most importantly it equated Hinduism and Hindutva with Indianisation and are not to be construed in a narrow sense. Thus what is clearly evident is the lack of consistency in these abovementioned Court decisions. The court has mostly stuck to secularism not being a wall between the church and the state but a sense of toleration between people of different religions. There have been frequent deviations from the Bommai decision, but it seems that the Ramjanmabhoomi case encapsulates the essence of Indian secularism toleration based on tradition. The Hindutva judgements reassert the recognition and increasing importance of the essential Hindu identity of tradition.  [28]   Clearly the judiciary in India is a significant site where contests under the banner of secularism have been taking place over the last sixty odd years. Though landmark judgements of the apex court of the nation has been interpreting secularism in the Constitution differently over the years in its various judgments  [29]  reiterating the fact that secularism is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution and that secularism involves liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, even though secularism as a term appears in very few Supreme Court judgements yet it is evident that a crisis of secularism indeed exists in the worlds largest and most fractious democracy. With reference to the Constituent Assembly debates and the landmark cases the following interesting observations can be deduced: When discussing the concept of religious freedom in the Debates, there arose a paradox- it is precisely some of the advocates of a broad right to religious freedom who were also the most vociferous opponents of any political rights for religious minorities. The no-concern and equal-respect positions on secularism clashed constantly during the debates in the Constituent Assembly as the question of secularism cropped up in discussions about innumerable articles. The distinction between tolerance and secularism has never been made by the Indian judiciary. The apex court conveniently avoids exact direct mention of the word secular in its various prior judgements eg. Kesavananda Bharati case. A valid argument could be that the Supreme Court has not directly addressed the issue of secularism for the simple adjectival reason that it is a thorny issue with also the Constitution being suitably ambiguous would never permit a justifiable interpretation. The interpretation by the court reflects the interpretation of the Constitution which society is more likely to accept. As opposed to the prior cases such as Kesavananda Bharati and S.R.Bommai , post the Hindutva cases, the line of thinking of the Court has gradually been inclined towards secularism being tolerance based on tradition but the interpretation of tolerance is more in terms of grudging accommodation than wholehearted notions of acceptance. What is most extraordinary about the courts reasoning, from a strictly legal point of view, is that it can draw such an unequivocal conclusion as to the meaning of Hindutva without having cited virtually any authorities-judicial or otherwise in its support. Even when the apex court has addressed the issue of secularism it has not been uniform in its judgements. On the one hand it has effectively legitimized the Hindu Rights understanding of secularism and supported its nonsecular agenda, but on the other hand it has also in no uncertain terms condemned the practices of several members of the Hindu Right. Thus the decision given by the court in the Hindutva cases is a contradictory one, wherein it has both condemned as well as condemned the Hindu Right. Chapter 3. Secularism Democracy: A Misunderstood Relation. Sixty years ago, 565 princely states and 13 British-ruled states became united into one sovereign nation, with a secular democracy as its Constitutions primary guiding principle. In our country, eight major religious communities co-exist ,namely the Hindus(82%), Muslims(12.12%), Christians(2.6%), Sikhs(2%), Buddhists(0.7%), Jains(0.4%), Parsis(0.3%) and Jews(0.1%). The single-most defining element of the Indian democracy is the acceptance of all religions in the nations Constitution, granting explicit freedom to all its citizens and residents to practice their faiths without violating the others right to do so. It is from this explicit freedom that citizens experience other freedoms necessary to realize their lives. In stark contrast to some 90 percent of Asian nations, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, India guarantees that right. A state that arises from democracy need not be strictly secular. Democracies are perfectly capable of giving an important role to religion in the affairs of the state. It is the problem of aggregation that is of utmost importance. A democratic state will tend to reflect in its own makeup the complexity of the individuals it represents.  [30]   The challenge facing the theorists of Indian secularism is therefore to devise an answer to the problem of intolerant religions. If one or more religions in a pluralistic society preach their unwillingness to co-exist with the others, and insist on religion as the unitary framework for individual, society, and state, how do we define a secular regime for such societies? No viable model of secularism can be built on terms defined by any one religious group even if it is the majority community, especially so since its mode of toleration has historically included absorption, subjugation and marginalisation of religious minorities. The Indian democracy provides mechanisms, available in a secular democracy, to temper extremism and intolerance inherent in most religions; it leads diverse religious communities, especially the Hindu majority, to accept that the well being of all human beings consists in respecting the others religious and civil rights, particularly that of minorities. Many critics  [31]  reject secularism as radically alien to Indian culture and tradition and advocate a return to genuine religion and the indigenous traditions of religious tolerance as the best means to preserve a pluralist and multireligious Indian society. On the contrary Nehruvian theory suggests that democracy would have never been possible in a non-secular India. Nehru claims that if democracy requires a minimum consensus about the basic values and institutions of society and the rules of the political game, then such a consensus could not have been built on a religious basis in a pluralist nation like India.  [32]  This fact is clearly reflected in the failure and subsequent removal of the communal electorate system in the wake of Indias independence. Whether India is a sufficiently secular state and whether circumstances are favourable for the survival of secularism depends ultimately upon the readiness and ability of its people to maintain an autonomous political community. The challenges of casteism, communalism and religious fundamentalism involving separatism in India are the major threats to our Secular state. They weaken the working and stability of our democratic secular Federal state and militate against the basic principles governing our national life and providing means to our new identity. Communal riots and caste carnage has to stop if India has to emerge as a secular and democratic polity. Large-scale communal riots broke out in India after the demolition of Babri Masjid by the Sangh Parivar in Ayodhya . Both Hindus and Muslims were killed in the communal backlash that followed. The attacks on Christians in Orissa and Gujarat made headlines in electronic and print media. The grouse of the Sangh Parivar is that the Muslims had demolished their temples, humiliated Hindus during Muslim rule and partitioned India and thus justified their animosity and attacks on Muslims. The Godhra and Post-Godhra incidents pointed to the absence of political sanity in Gujarat. Nothing could represent a more provocative insult to the national commitment to communal harmony and pluralist co-existence than Narendra Modis repeated taunts of the Muslim minority people of his own state, his insinuations that they are susceptible to the supposedly adventurous designs of Pakistan and his final desperate suggestion that if the opposition Congress wins the election, it would represent a victory for Pakistan. The terrorist attack on Indian Parliament on December 13,2001, was unprecedented not only in the history of India but also in the annals of democracy in the world. It manifests utter disregard and contempt for parliamentary democracy by Pakistan which only can boast of a military democracy. Thus it is evident that during the last 60 years of independence, India has witnessed both successes and failures in running the secular democratic processes. It has evolved a lasting secular constitution, a viable political system and a functional federal secular polity and with strong democratic traditions on the one hand, but on the other hand it has also garnered several communal riots and caste wars. However, it is politics, which proved to be divisive and not religion. It is not religious leaders by and large (with few exceptions) who divide but politicians who seek to mobilise votes on grounds of primordial identities like relig

Eradicating the Deaf-World Essay -- Hearing Auditory Essays

Eradicating the Deaf-World Just like members of other minorities, such as Hispanics and African-Americans, Deaf people experience some of the same oppression and hardships. Although the attempts to "fix" members of and obliterate the DEAF-WORLD are not as highly publicized as problems with other minorities, they still exist. Throughout time, hearing people have been trying to destroy the DEAF-WORLD with the eugenics movement, the mainstreaming of Deaf children into public hearing schools, and cochlear implants. Overall, the eugenics movement was meant to discourage Deaf people from socializing, intermarrying, and reproducing with each other. But these goals are very much unachievable. When Deaf children are growing up in a residential school, they have no choice but to socialize with other Deaf children. Since they all pretty much use the same language, socialization is not a problem for them. Because these children grow up with others who use their language, they tend to remain close to their friends and often intermarry. Many people, including A. G. Bell, were opposed to Deaf marrying other Deaf. Bell said that sign language "causes the intermarriage of deaf-mutes and the propagation of their physical defect" (Lane, 1996:382). Bell also claimed that society was condoning the spread of "a defective race of human beings" by allowing Deaf people to socialize with each other (Jankowski, 1997:53). Since others too saw deafness as a physical defect, they agreed with Bell and started adopting or al schools for the Deaf where signed language is prohibited. If oral schools ended up being the only schools for Deaf, then their signed languages would have diminished along with a part of their heritage and culture. A long time ago, m... ...eliminated. The eugenic movement, mainstreaming, and cochlear implants have yet to prove that the culture of Deaf people can be taken away from them, which is ultimately a wonderful thing. Bibliography Jankowski, Katherine A. (1997). Deaf Empowerment: Emergence, Strugge, and Rhetoric. Gallaudet University Press, Washington DC. Lane, Harlan (1992). â€Å"Cochlear Implants are Wrong for Young Deaf Children.† Viewpoints on Deafness. Ed. Mervin D. Garretson. National Association of the Deaf, Silver Spring, MD. 89-92. Lane, Harlan; Hoffmeister, Rob and Bahan, Ben (1996). A Journey Into the DEAF-WORLD. Dawn Sign Press, San Diego, Ca. Padden, Carol and Humphries, Tom (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. Sacks, Oliver (1990). Seeing Voices: A Journey Into the World of the Deaf. Harper Perennial, New York, NY.

Theory And Research :: essays research papers fc

Theory and Research Introduction This paper will focus on the quantitative correlation study method used in survey based researches such as the attached article entitled "Horatio Alger lives". Social research is a collection of methods people use to systematically combine theories and ideas to produce knowledge. Because of it's complexity, researchers must be able to carefully select a method or methods that will best suit their study objectives. Quantitative research method consists of: experiment, content analysis, existing statistics (correlation), and survey. The correlation and survey will be the two main methods that will be emphasized. In a survey research, people are asked questions either through the use of questionnaires or during an interview. Unlike the experiment approach, the condition and situation in a survey requires no manipulation. All the subject have to do is to answer questions. Good quantitative research is determined by validity and reliability of the research method used (Teevan, 1995:161). Therefo re, the straight correlation study method used in the survey research of "Horatio Alger lives" lack components of validity and reliability. News Article Summary This article entitled "Horatio Alger lives" is basically a survey correlation study done on two distinct social classes; sons of wealthy fathers and sons of lower income fathers. The goal in this research was to determine which sons of the two distinct social groups mentioned, were to likely make more money in the future. Therefore, they surveyed 400,000 males age 16 and 19 that was still living with their fathers. After the eleven year period the same groups of men were again surveyed, and their incomes was correlated with their fathers. The research revealed that overall sons of wealthy fathers was more likely to earn higher salaries than their dads. Based on this fact the researcher further generalized that sons of wealthy fathers was more than likely to obtain a higher income than those sons of lower income fathers. Despite the overall results a small percentage of sons of fathers in the lower income families made more money than their father. Class Discussion The class discussion evolved around two questions. The first question was; do you agree with the researcher's angle in which he derived a general assumption that, sons of wealthy fathers will make more money than sons of lower income fathers? Before allowing anyone to answer I quickly brought up the third variable which was attitude, in addition to the previous question. This question had two very interesting but opposing points of views brought to light by two very different opinionated classmates. One classmate (female) agreed with the researchers measures and assumptions, arguing on the bases that if your

Phonics vs. whole language? Essay -- Essays Papers

Phonics vs. whole language? Like other issues of education, educators and theorists debate and analyze methods of reading instruction. They judge methods and curricula not only by their efficacy but also by their appropriateness and ease. Throughout the history of education these methods and curricula have changed, shifted, and transformed. Currently, though, there are two front-runners in the debate—phonics and whole language. Popular belief is that these curricula are diametrically opposed. Researchers of effective reading instruction assert the opposite, saying that â€Å"an artificial, simplistic dichotomy† has no reality in the discussion of phonics and whole language (Dahl & Scharer, 2000,  ¶43). The purpose of this research paper is to compare these two seemingly different curricula in the realm of reading instruction, to determine their individual levels of appropriateness, and to decide which, if either, is ultimately more appropriate in the school setting. Phonics Defined What is phonics? The word â€Å"phonics† comes from the Greek word for sound and is defined by the Webster’s II New Collegiate Dictionary as the â€Å"use of elementary phonetics in the teaching of reading.† The Britannica Student Encyclopedia says, â€Å"phonics is translating parts of written words into the sounds they represent.† From these two definitions of phonics, one can deduce that it is a method of segmentation, visual and auditory recognition, and decoding. Phonics is the vehicle by which learners begin to understand the individual sounds, or phonemes, of a word. The sounds—there are about 45 in the English language—are the basic building blocks of language, and mastery of them ensures success in future reading attempts (Hempenstall, 1997,  ¶16). Educators use phonics at several levels of reading instruction, including early childhood, remediation, and adult literacy. In an article about Dorothy Strickland’s book Teaching Phonics Today: A Primer for Educators, Linda Starr (1999) quotes Strickland: â€Å"Historically, those who have denounced poor reading achievement in the United States have turned to phonics as a solution† (qtd. in Starr, 1999,  ¶2). Phonics is, indeed, a solution, for its basic principle of breaking words into parts allows the reader to approach any new word with confidence, assuming that he has learned all of the written sounds successfully. Phonics is used in both in... ...s in diverse classroom settings† (Dahl & Scharer, 2000,  ¶52). Based upon the data set forth in this paper, a system of balanced instruction seems to be the most beneficial route for reading instruction. Students should learn about the relationships between letters and sounds through both traditional instruction and on the spot direction. They should be encouraged to express themselves through writing and educators should give feedback and constructive criticism about their mistakes as well as their creativity. Diane Weaver Dunne (2000) tells us â€Å"there is no magic bullet that can teach all children how to read† ( ¶ 1). As such, educators should individualize instruction to reach all learners, and reading and writing should take place in every area of the curriculum. The problem in this debate lies not in the direct opposition of whole language to phonics but in the misconceptions of both camps. 1 The whole language camp seems to be split on this issue: â€Å"Some Whole Language theorists still believe that any emphasis on phonics is unfruitful, or even harmful— ‘The rules of phonics are to complex†¦and too unreliable†¦to be useful’†(Smith qtd. in Hempenstall,  ¶ 58).

Tears of a Tiger

Justin Evans Goodbye to love This song goes along with the mood of the story because it is a sad song about losing a loved one. In the story after Rob and Andy pass away their families were very sad about losing them. This was a major plot point in the story. Eye of a Tiger Eye of a tiger relates to the story because Andy tells his brother multiple times in the story â€Å"it’s ok to put dragons in the jungle and tears on a tiger† the title of the story comes from this quote.Basketball The Theme of Tears of a tiger is basketball. This rising action of the story is when Andy, Rob, and 20B. J were celebrating after a huge win. Basketball by Lil Bow Wow I could imagine that this song is Robert Washington’s favorite song. The song talks about playing basketball. Rob always wanted to be on the court, or practicing his shot. That is why I think this song was Roberts’s favorite song.Heaven wasn’t so far away. After Andy and Rob died, their families wished they could see them again. In this song it talks about going to heaven for a day which is what they wanted to do Wish you were here In the climax of this story Rob Washington dies. The song wish you were here fits the mood of the story because everybody wishes Rob was there. Robs girlfriend wishes Roberts was back several times in the story. Tears of a Tiger

Birth Skin To Skin Contact Health And Social Care Essay

The first hr after birth is a clip of peculiar sensitiveness for the female parent. Close contact with her babe during this clip facilitates the attachment procedure. Mother-baby bonding is enhanced when the bare neonate is placed on the female parent ‘s bare thorax. The female parent begins her scrutiny of her babe by researching the appendages and caput with her fingertips. Thereafter, she caresses her babe ‘s organic structure with her full manus before garnering her babe in her weaponries frequently in the en face place where eye-to-eye contact can be established. She talks to her babe with great emotion, looking for positive support from her spouse and other birth attenders. This sensitive period of interaction between the female parent and babe should advance ideal subsequently development of the babe. Therefore, it is of import after a gestation period of nine months, non to divide the babe from his female parent instantly after birth unless otherwise contraindicated due to wellness grounds A turning volume of research supports skin-to-skin contact between the female parent and the neonate in the immediate post-delivery period. Skin to clamber contact is defined as puting the bare newborn babe, prone covered across the dorsum with a warm cover, on the female parent ‘s bare thorax outright following birth. A significant figure of surveies showed that early skin-to-skin contact between the female parent and the neonate is good to the neonate. Some of the benefits of skin-to-skin contact include stabilisation of the neonate ‘s organic structure temperature through thermoregulation, ordinance of bosom rate and ordinance of respiratory rate ( Wallace & A ; Marshal, 2001 ) . Additionally, early skin-to-skin contact facilitates the induction of breastfeeding, helps neonatal thermoregulation and promotes maternal-infant bonding ( Dabrowski, 2007 ; Wallace & A ; Marshal, 2001 ) . Skin to clamber contact may besides guarantee colonisation of the babe with the female parent ‘s ain tegument vegetation, for which the kid will hold some opposition ( Wallace & A ; Marshal, 2001 ) . Despite its aforesaid benefits and despite the UNICEF ‘s Baby Friendly best pattern run which calls for early tegument to clamber contact. Nowadays, separation of female parents from their newborn babes at bringing has become a usual pattern despite the intensifying grounds that this may hold negative effects on the neonate. This pattern is still non being implemented in the labour room in Bahrain. This can be due to miss of labour room nurses knowledge about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact.Study intent:To measure the perceptual experience of labour room nurses about skin-to-skin contact.Problem statement:What is the perceptual experience of labour room nurses towards skin-to-skin contact between female parent and the neonate?Research inquiries:( 1 ) what do labour room nurses know about tegument to clamber contact? , ( 2 ) what are the factors labour room nurses place as barriers to execution of tegument to clamber contact, ( 3 ) what are the factors labour room nurses pl ace as facilitators to execution of tegument to clamber contact?Aims:Identifying cognition degree of labour room nurses will assist in planing and implementing in-service instruction plans to educate nurses about the importance of skin-to-skin contact. Additionally, placing the barriers and facilitators of skin-to-skin contact will assist in planing intercessions to diminish the barriers and increase the factors that will ease skin-to-skin contact. This in bend will increase the execution of skin-to-skin contact in the labour suites in Bahrain.Conceptual definition:Skin to clamber contact: Puting the bare neonate on the female parent ‘s bare thorax instantly after birth. Knowledge: Information about tegument to clamber contact Barriers: Factors that decrease the likeliness of implementing tegument to clamber contact Facilitators: Factors that encourage the execution of tegument to clamber contactOperational definition:Skin to clamber contact: puting the bare newborn babe, on his/her tummy covered across the dorsum with a warm cover, on the female parent ‘s bare thorax for at least 15 proceedingss get downing instantly after birth. Cognition: the sum of information labour room nurses have about how to implement skin-to-skin contact and the benefits of skin-to-skin contact. Barriers: the factors that prevent labour room nurses from implementing skin-to-skin contact. Facilitators: the factors that help labour room nurses to implement skin-to-skin contact.Literature reappraisal:Skin-to-skin contact between the female parent and her neonate has been extensively researched and debated over the past 40 old ages. A thorough hunt of the literature revealed a big figure of surveies that focused on assorted facets of skin-to-skin contact including benefits to the female parent. However, the focal point of this reappraisal of the literature is on the benefits of skin-to-skin contact to the newborn and on the consequence of increasing nurse ‘s cognition on the rate of skin-to-skin execution in the labour room. Five relevant articles were selected for inclusion in this paper. These included one meta-analysis, one literature reappraisal and three research surveies.Benefits of skin-to skin contact:Two of import benefits of skin-to-skin contact to the neonates are thermoregulation and increased success of suckling. Jonas et al. , ( 2008 ) investigated the relationship between thermoregulation and breast-feeding two yearss after birth in a sample of 47 mother-infant braces. They besides wanted to larn if this relationship would be affected by the disposal of extradural analgesia ( EDA ) and oxytocin ( OT ) during labour. The sample was divided into three groups: OT group ( n=9 ) , OT plus EDA group ( n=20 ) and control group ( n=18 ) . The research workers monitored the temperature of the babes at 5, 10, 20 and 30 proceedingss after the neonate was placed skin-to-skin on the female parent ‘s thorax and covered with cover. They found that the babies whose female parents received EDA during labour their temperature increased foremost but remain same in comparing to OT and control group, which the tegument temperature increased significantly. Bystrova, et al. , ( 2007 ) investigated the effects of bringing ward patterns and early Suckling on maternal axillary and chest temperatures during the first 2 hours postpartum and related them to infant ‘s pes and alar temperatures. A sample of 176 mother-infant braces was randomized as follows: skin-to-skin contact group ( n=44 ) , which involved bare babies lying prone on their female parent ‘s bare thorax ; mother ‘s arm group ( n=44 ) , which involved appareled babies lying prone on their female parent ‘s thorax, and babies who were dressed and kept in the baby's room ( n=88 ) . Maternal alar and breast temperatures, babies ‘ axillary, and pes temperatures were measured at 15-minute intervals from 30-120 proceedingss after birth. The fluctuation in chest temperature was highest in female parents in the skin-to-skin group and lowest in female parents of babies who were placed in the baby's room. A positive relationship was found between the maternal alar temperature and the infant pes and alar temperature 90 proceedingss after the start of the experiment in the skin-to-skin and female parent ‘s weaponries group. No such relationship was established in nursery group. In add-on, foot temperature in babies from the skin-to-skin group was 2oC higher than those babies from the female parent ‘s weaponries group. Bergstrom et al. , ( 2006 ) investigated the immediate maternal thermal response to skin-to-skin attention of newborn. In a sample of 39 female parents, the research workers measured the maternal tegument and alar temperatures instantly before skin-to-skin contact, so every 2minutes for 20minutes and eventually 10minutes after taking the newborn. They besides, measured the newborn ‘s brow, alar temperatures instantly before skin-to-skin contact, and twice after originating skin-to-skin, followed by a measuring 10minutes after newborn has been removed. Researchers found a positive relationship between maternal tegument temperatures in response to skin-to-skin contact, as a rapid thermic response established in maternal chest tegument instantly after skin-to-skin contact. It rose by o.5Celcius grade on norm the first 2minutes after skin-to-skin contact and dropped by 0.5Celcius grade 10minutes after newborn has been removed. Maternal alar temperature besides, raised 2minutes afte r induction of skin-to-skin but stayed changeless 10minutes after removed of the newborn from skin-to-skin place. Anderson ( 2003 ) examined the relationship between early skin-to-skin contact and breast-feeding and found that skin-to-skin contact had positive effects on breast-feeding. In add-on, Anderson ( 2003 ) found that skin-to-skin contact improved infant-maternal bonding. Luclington ( 2004 ) discussed the positive physiological effects of kangaroo female parent attention ( KMC ) on babies ‘ temperature, weight, bosom rate and respiratory rate. The KMC is another nomenclature that describes skin-to-skin contact. Sloan ( 1994 ) found that babies who received KMC were less likely to develop pneumonia compared to the babies who did non have KMC. Tessier ( 2003 ) reported that the babies who received uninterrupted KMC had higher IQ degree compared to the other babies who did non have KMC. Johnston ( 2003 ) research showed that babies who received KMC demonstrated less hurting and Charpak ( 2005 ) showed that babies who receive KMC were discharged earlier than babies who did non have KMC . A Meta-analysis of 23 surveies was done by Mori, Khanna, Pledge and Nakayama ( 2009 ) to analyze the physiological effects of skin-to-skin contact on the newborn. Consequences of this analysis showed that skin-to-skin contact had positive effects on the neonate ‘s bosom rate and organic structure temperature. However, no relationship was found between skin-to-skin contact and the neonate ‘s O impregnations ( Mori et al. , 2009 ) . In drumhead, research on skin-to-skin contact indicates that this pattern has several benefits for both the female parent and the baby. Some of these benefits include ordinance of the baby ‘s organic structure temperature, increasing maternal-infant bonding, and bettering breast-feeding chances.Design:A descriptive, non-experimental design will be used to measure the perceptual experience of labour room nurses about skin-to-skin contact between the female parent and her neonate.Sample:The trying method that we will utilize in choosing our topics is convenience trying. The sample will include nurses who work in the labour suites of authorities infirmaries including Salmaniya Medical Complex and Jidhafs Maternity Hospital. The sample will dwell of 50 labour room nurses available on a indiscriminately selected twenty-four hours and displacement. The sample will be drawn from the two aforesaid infirmaries as follows: Jihafs Maternity Hospital ( n=20 ) , and Salmaniya Medical Comple x ( n=30 ) .Standards for inclusion of sample:The sample for this survey will dwell of labour room nurses working in authorities infirmaries in Bahrain. Nurses take parting in this survey must hold at least five old ages labour room experience. Bahraini and non-Bahraini nurses will be included. Nurses with Associate Degree or Bachelors of Science Degree will be included.Data bite instrument:A self-report questionnaire consisting of 12 inquiries on skin-to-skin contact and four demographic informations inquiries will be used to roll up informations from the sample.Pilot survey:A pilot survey will be conducted to prove the dependability and cogency of the questionnaire. The sample for the pilot survey will dwell of a convenience sample of 10 labour room nurses from Salmaniya Medical Center. The survey questionnaire will be modified as necessary based on the consequences of the pilot survey.Data aggregation processs:Permission to carry on the survey will be obtained from the head nursing services for infirmary. Following the blessing of the survey, the main nursing officer will administer an blessing missive to the nurses who are incharge of the labour suites in the three infirmaries. The questionnaires will be manus delivered in certain envelopes to the labour room incharges of the two infirmaries who will administer the questionnaire to their staff nurses. Each one of the research workers will be responsible for presenting the envelopes to one of the three infirmaries. The topics will be given two hebdomads to finish the questionnaires and return them to the office of the incharge individual of the labour room. The nurse incharge will be asked by the research worker to remind her staff to return the envelops with the completed questionnaires to her office. The envelops will so be collected by one of the research workers.Data analysis process:The statistical bundle for the societal scientific disciplines ( SPSS-version 17 ) will be used to analyse the information. Descriptive statistics will be used to depict the sample features. Inferential statistics including Chi square will be used to analyse informations sing cognition degree of labour room nurses of skin-to -skin contact.