Major General Carl Schurz in the Civil War

Major General Carl Schurz in the Civil War Carl Schurz - Early Life Career: Born March 2, 1829 near Cologne, Rhenish Prussia (Germany), Carl Schurz was the son of Christian and Marianne Schurz.   The product of a schoolteacher and a journalist, Schurz initially attended the Jesuit Gymnasium of Cologne but was forced leave a year before graduation due to his familys financial problems.   Despite this setback, he secured his diploma via a special exam and commenced study at the University of Bonn.   Developing a close friendship with Professor Gottfried Kinkel, Schurz became engaged in the revolutionary liberal movement that was sweeping through Germany in 1848.   Taking up arms in support of this cause, he met future fellow Union generals Franz Sigel and Alexander Schimmelfennig.   Serving as a staff officer in the revolutionary forces, Schurz was captured by the Prussians in 1849 when the fortress of Rastatt fell.   Escaping, he traveled south to safety in Switzerland.   Learning that his mentor Kinkel was being held at Spandau prison in Berlin, Schurz slipped into Prussia in late 1850 and facilitated his escape.   After a brief stay in France, Schurz moved to London in 1851.   While there, he married Margarethe Meyer, an early advocate of the kindergarten system.   Shortly afterwards, the couple departed for the United States and arrived in August 1852.   Initially living in Philadelphia, they soon moved west to Watertown, WI.   Ã‚   Carl Schurz - Political Rise: Improving his English, Schurz quickly became active in politics through the newly-formed Republican Party.   Speaking out against slavery, he gained a following among the immigrant communities in Wisconsin and was an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 1857.   Traveling south the following year, Schurz spoke to German-American communities on behalf of Abraham Lincolns campaign for US Senate in Illinois.   Passing the bar exam in 1858, he commenced practicing law in Milwaukee and increasingly became a national voice for the party due to his appeal to immigrant voters.   Attending the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Schurz served as the  spokesman of the delegation from Wisconsin. Carl Schurz - The Civil War Begins: With the election of Lincoln that fall, Schurz received an appointment to serve as US Ambassador to Spain.   Assuming the post in July 1861, shortly after the start of the Civil War, he worked to ensure that Spain remained neutral and did not provide aid to the Confederacy.   Eager to be part of the events unfolding at home, Schurz left his post in December and returned to the United States in January 1862.   Immediately traveling to Washington, he pressed Lincoln to advance the issue of emancipation as well as give him a military commission.   Though the president resisted the latter, he ultimately appointed Schurz a brigadier general on April 15.   A purely political move, Lincoln hoped to win additional support in German-American communities. Carl Schurz - Into Battle: Given command of a division in Major General John C. Frà ©monts forces in the Shenandoah Valley in June, Schurzs men then moved east to join Major General John Popes newly-created Army of Virginia.   Serving in Sigels I Corps, he made his combat debut at Freemans Ford in late August.   Performing poorly, Schurz saw one of his brigades suffer heavy losses.   Recovering from this outing, he showed better on August 29 when his men mounted determined, but unsuccessful assaults against Major General A.P. Hills division at the Second Battle of Manassas.   That fall, Sigels corps was re-designated XI Corps and remained on the defensive in front of Washington, DC.   As a result, it did not take part in the Battles of Antietam or Fredericksburg.   In early 1863, command of the corps passed to Major General Oliver O. Howard as Sigel departed due to a dispute with new army commander Major General Joseph Hooker.   Ã‚      Carl Schurz - Chancellorsville Gettysburg: In March 1863, Schurz received a promotion to major general.   This caused some ire in the Union ranks due to its political nature and his performance relative to his peers.   In early May, Schurzs men were positioned along the Orange Turnpike facing south as Hooker conducted the opening moves of the Battle of Chancellorsville.   To Schurzs right, the division of Brigadier General Charles Devens, Jr. represented the right flank of the army.   Not anchored on any type of natural obstacle, this force was preparing for dinner around 5:30 PM on May 2 when it was surprised attacked by Lieutenant General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons corps.   As Devens men fled east, Schurz was able to realign his men to meet the threat.   Badly outnumbered, his division was overwhelmed and he was forced to order a retreat around 6:30 PM.   Falling back, his division played little role in the rest of the battle.   Carl Schurz - Gettysburg: The following month, Schurzs division and the rest of XI Corps moved north as the Army of the Potomac pursued General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia towards Pennsylvania.   Though a diligent officer, Schurz became increasingly overbearing during this time leading Howard to correctly guess that his subordinate was lobbying Lincoln to have Sigel returned to XI Corps.   Despite the tension between the two men, Schurz moved quickly on July 1 when Howard sent him a dispatch stating that Major General John Reynolds I Corps was engaged at Gettysburg.   Riding ahead he met with Howard on Cemetery Hill around 10:30 AM.   Informed that Reynolds was dead, Schurz assumed command of XI Corps as Howard took overall control of Union forces on the field. Directed to deploy his men north of town to the right of I Corps, Schurz ordered his division (now led by  Schimmelfennig) to secure Oak Hill.   Finding it occupied by Confederate forces, he also saw the XI Corps division of Brigadier General Francis Barlow arrive and form too far forward of Schimmelfennigs right.   Before Schurz could address this gap, the two XI Corps divisions came under attack from the divisions of Major General Robert Rodes and Jubal A. Early.   Though he showed energy in organizing a defense, Schurzs men were overwhelmed and driven back through the town with around 50% losses.   Re-forming on Cemetery Hill, he resumed command of his division and aided in repelling a Confederate attack against the heights the next day.      Carl Schurz - Ordered West:       In September 1863, XI and XII Corps were ordered west to aid the beleaguered Army of the Cumberland after its defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga.   Under the leadership of Hooker, the two corps reached Tennessee and took part in Major General Ulysses S. Grants campaign to lift the siege of Chattanooga.   During the resulting Battle of Chattanooga in late November, Schurzs division operated on the Union left in support of Major General William T. Shermans forces.   In April 1864, XI and XII Corps were combined into XX Corps.   As part of this reorganization, Schurz left his division to oversee a Corps of Instruction in Nashville. In this post briefly, Schurz took leave to serve as an orator on behalf of Lincolns reelection campaign.   Seeking to return to active duty following the election that fall, he had difficulty securing a command.   Finally obtaining a post as chief of staff in Major General Henry Slocums Army of Georgia, Schurz saw service in the Carolinas during the final months of the war.   With the end of hostilities, he was tasked by President Andrew Johnson with conducting a tour of the South to assess conditions throughout the region.   Returning to private life, Schurz operated a newspaper in Detroit before moving to St. Louis. Carl Schurz - Politician: Elected to the US Senate in 1868, Schurz advocated fiscal responsibility and anti-imperialism.   Breaking with the Grant Administration in 1870, he helped start the Liberal Republican movement.   Overseeing the partys convention two years later, Schurz campaigned for its presidential nominee, Horace Greeley.   Defeated in 1874, Schurz returned to newspapers until appointed Secretary of the Interior by President Rutherford B. Hayes three years later.   In this role, he worked to reduce racism towards Native Americans on the frontier, fought to keep the Office of Indian Affairs in his department, and advocated for a merit-based system of advancement in the civil service. Leaving office in 1881, Schurz settled in New York City and aided in overseeing several newspapers.   After serving as a representative of the Hamburg American Steamship Company from 1888 to 1892, he accepted a position as president of the National Civil Service Reform League. Active in attempts to modernize the civil service, he remained an outspoken anti-imperialist.   This saw him speak out against the Spanish-American War and lobby President William McKinley against annexing land taken during the conflict.   Remaining engaged in politics into the early 20th century, Schurz died in New York City on May 14, 1906.   His remains were interred at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, NY.           Ã‚     Ã‚   Selected Sources Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Carl SchurzGettysburg: Major General Carl SchurzMr. Lincolns White House: Carl Schurz

Stephen Cranes The Blue Hotel

Stephen Cranes The Blue Hotel Free Online Research Papers Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Blue Hotel† illustrates how we affect the out comes of reality by our preconceived notions of reality itself. Reality in the story was not definite, but it was in the characters minds. Specifically, the Swede, his view of the situation made the evening go in a direction no one could have predicted. Reality in the end is not as set in stone as we like to think. We create it as we make decisions only the past is set in stone. I also feel the story shows to a slight extent how everyone pays for the decisions they make. This story emphasizes how even the smallest decisions can change our life if dramatic fashion. What might have happened if the Swede had read Sherlock Holmes instead of cheap western novels? Would he have been calmer? Would he have been in Nebraska at all? In addition the western novels gave him the idea of right and wrong and how things worked in the West. If he had not had the stories of the Wild West floating around in his head he likely would have played a harmless card game and went to bed. Instead he made Johnny angry, got involved in a fight, which eventually lead to his death. In addition the Swede’s awkward mannerisms were largely due to the fact that he was imaging himself in the Wild West when he was really in a small rail station town. The character I most closely identify with is the easterner. Throughout the story he is largely a bystander and does not get involved any more than he must. In the end he blames himself for the Swede’s death. He did not say anything about Johnny cheating. He just sat back and let the fight happen. These two facts make him feel guilty about the course of events. I think it shows something about human nature. When something bad happens people always start pointing fingers. The people who were nearby often look at what they did as opposed to what they could have done to change things. People always try to blame themselves. The easterner did not kill the Swede, he did not start the fight, and he did not cheat. He only feels guilty because he was in a position to do something and did nothing. I feel we only have to pay for our actions. If someone else gets themselves into a bad spot they can not expect anyone to bail them out. I see no reason why the eastern feels any guilt about t he Swede getting himself killed. I would like to defend his actions here because I feel I would have done the same. When he saw Johnny cheating it did not matter to him. There was no money involved and it was just for fun. Why should he have jumped in to save the Swede, when the card game did not matter? Then when Johnny took offense the accusation why was in the easterners business. If two guys want to fight over a game I think I would just let them. Then later on the easterner did not make the Swede got to the bar nor did he make him drink. As for grabbing the gambler, I think the drinks and the Swedes arrogance are directly to blame for his death. The eastern did not kill the Swede nor was it his job to look after him. The person most directly to blame for the Swede’s death was the Swede. Johnny did not escape his wrong doings either. He could, however, have helped the situation by remaining clam. Had he just politely chuckled and said ok you got me Swede just having a little fun no harm meant. The characters might have been able to get along with less serious repercussions. Maybe they would have been able to explain to the Swede that the Wild West in his books was gone and he could lived out his life instead of the abrupt end he finds. I feel Johnny paid for his wrong doings, possibly too much. The story makes it seems like Johnny barely survived the fight and was bedridden for some time after. For no more than he did Johnny seems to have paid for his actions. The gambler takes the harshest punishment for the Swede’s murder, but even his sentence is not too harsh. He gets three years for murder. It was probably viewed as self defense since the Swede was a large man and was clearly intoxicated. I question the gambler’s actions more than the other characters. Could he not have simply cut the Swede’s arm to make him let go. The gambler instantly went for the kill; it is as if he was not thinking when he did this. Had he been more thoughtful he could have avoided jail and the murder of the Swede. He seems to be the least real character, because a man with a wife and two kids generally is not as reckless as the gambler. He did give the Swede a chance to walk away; I just question his use of lethal force. From his description I feel the gambler would have known what he had to lose and not risked killing the Swede until there was no way around it. One character that we hear little from is the bartender. He serves the Swede a few drinks then watches his quick murder. Should he have kept serving the Swede? Or at some point would it have hurt him to have one drink to calm down a rowdy customer? In the end the cowboy even says, â€Å"If the bartender had been any good, he would have gone in and cracked that there Dutchman on the head with a bottle in the beginnin of it and stopped all this here murderin.† Unlike the easterner the bartender did have a certain obligation to the Swede. I would not describe the Swede as a stable character anyway and with a few drinks in him he would be even worse. I think the bartender gets away far too blameless when he could have had a great outcome in the events that unfolded. He seems to be the exception in this story, because the Swede, Johnny, and the gambler all have to pay for their actions directly. The only punishment for the bartender seems to be his longing for a companion after the Swede’s murder. Use of the term square in this story caught my attention as I reread this story. I noticed that the gambler is described as square by the narrator. Then near the end of the story the Cowboy says, â€Å"The Swede might not have been killed if everything had been square†. Earlier in the story the Cowboy also said to the Swede, â€Å"Stranger, I don’t see how you come to be so gay around here.† These lines in the story seem to put the Swede and the gambler in different classes. To me this stresses that they are total opposites. I think the term square is a kind of silent theme in the story. To be square in this story implies even or normal. In the end all the characters are square in one way or another. Everyone paid for their actions and ended up square. The Swede dies in the end because he was never square. His view of reality did not work and he paid for the mistake his view lead him to. In the end your view of reality affects you decisions and you have to pay fo r your decisions. Research Papers on Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Blue Hotel†The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West MeetAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMind TravelThe Hockey GameBringing Democracy to AfricaHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

Homeless English Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homeless English - Assignment Example I based this research on homelessness on a total period of two months and the strategy chosen by me was to interview as many of the homeless people in the local park as possible in the evening time, when the park is really full of public. In an order to draw results by doing interviews, I first made myself familiar with the local homeless people. This study was based on a qualitative and observational approach, while the interview questions to be asked from the homeless participants of my study were very personal and meant to gain information about the nature of difficulties and the level of illegal activities occurring as a result of homelessness. Almost all the poor and homeless people are often found in very old apartment buildings and living with other people while not being considered as their family members. A portion of these homeless people can also be found living on the street and footpaths during the night while hanging around uselessly in the local park for spending the d ay, thus very forced on going along with the bad and bitter life. This small portion of homeless people also faces the threat of eviction continuously by the host family members with which they are forced to live and share living and as a result of which they are often found wandering in the local park in a great number. The looks of hunger, helplessness, and greed which these homeless people spare the financially stable and well-off passing by people in the hope that some of them might give them the opportunity to spend their lives in a better and decent manner simply creates a very sad and tragic atmosphere at some special spots in the park. Such particular spots are especially found full of these homeless people where some of them may even go out of control for bringing a change in their lives, like annoying the well-off park goers and irritating them very much. This observation both goes in favor and against of the highly accepted idea that majority of the homeless people think very little about bringing a good change in their lives and doing something for earning a decent living. This is because the homeless people I observed in the park liked to find a good and decent opportunity for earning a living, though some of them were also found to be very annoying and disturbing due to the amount of trouble they created for the financially stable park visitors. It is also a big reality that I found the risk of theft and crime to be fairly average in this local park, though those criminal incidents that did occur and involved theft were more often than not justly connected to these homeless people by the police forces. One very important finding by the ethnographic research made on homelessness and observing the nature of issues faced by each homeless person I interviewed during the two month period is that the health issues faced by such people often go unreported and unresolved. The risk of substance abuse is also very high among these people, which leads to ot her criminal activities like burglary, rape, and murders. The facts told by the homeless peop

Issues In Researching and Developing Media Projects Research Paper

Issues In Researching and Developing Media Projects - Research Paper Example The portrayal of multicultural aspect of European society commenced during the 1960s in Britain and France with the key motive of creating awareness among the migrant populations regarding the host society’s customs and policies. However, the contemporary media, has a completely reformed agenda, that of assimilating and integrating the migrant and multicultural populations within the predominantly white communities and cater to their needs and demands at par with those of their counterparts. The European mass media, today, through its multicultural approach, largely aims to eliminate or reduce the cultural misunderstandings through representation of culturally diverse communities, as opposed to the historical approach, of merely educating the migrants about the way of life of their host societies. It seeks to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of race, culture or social backgrounds of the individuals and encourage peaceful co-existence through intercultural exchange (Alle yne, 2010). This paper seeks to explore the extent to and manner in which multiculturalism is driven by advertising in different media. For the purpose of this study, various forms of mass media i.e. advertisements, books and films have been analyzed to understand the effect it has on promoting and depicting multiculturalism. The advertisements of popular brands, such as McDonalds, American Airlines, and Dove Real Beauty Campaign among others; the book ‘Londonstani’ by Gautam Malkani; and the film ‘Somers Town’ directed by Shane Meadows are studied, analyzed and discussed to gain a broader understanding of the subject. It concludes that the depiction of multicultural ideologies in the mass media, and advertising has facilitated a greater assimilation of culturally diverse communities and has fostered their identification as significant strata of society which is also a lucrative business

Respons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Respons - Essay Example I agree with the author because using phone while walking is dangerous as it distracts a person from external environment and causes accidents and even death. Many a times, people underestimate the negative consequences of using a cell phone while walking or driving. For instance, last week while I was walking along the side way, I saw a young man talking on the phone and crossing the road. In a second, I could here is scream as he was hit by a car and injured his leg. Here Matt Ritchell is right in focusing on multi – tasking while on phone as it is a very dangerous act. The use of cell- phone can have many adverse effect including legal penalties .It is seen that many times children use cell phone at schools which can get them punishment. Last month, one of my neighbor’s kid was thrown out of class due the use of cell phone during class hours. Even at work, excessive use of cell phone can result in harmful consequences. Few days back my friend’s brother was fired from work due to his excessive texting at work. In the article â€Å"Behavior: Imitation of Film: Heres Smoking at You, Kid† Nicholas Bakalar claims of the imitation of smoking behavior in children due to watching smoking in movies. Generally children have a high tendency to imitate, and smoking is the most easily imitated behavior from movies. According to a study conducted with 6522 children nationwide it was revealed that children exposed to smoking in movies had two and half times chance to start smoking. I agree with the author here as it is a proven fact that children exposed to smoking through movies have a high tendency to end up as smokers in future. It is usually observed that parents and government authorities ignore the effect of smoking in movies on young children. When last time I visited movies, I have noticed bunch of young children smoking outside the theatre.It could be that these children were regular visitor to

Rational Choice Theory Essay Example for Free

Rational Choice Theory Essay â€Å"Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason. † As seen from Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, rationality is one of the most crucial and controversial subjects in studying human behavior. To study and examine this rationality, numerous scholars have tried to establish their own theories and generalize their explanation with empirical evidences from real world, which ultimately produces so called, the theory of rational choice. Rational Choice Theory is an approach to understand human behavior. The approach has long been the dominant paradigm in economics, but in recent several decades it has become more widely used in other fileds such as Sociology, Political Science, and Anthropology. The main purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of rational choice theory and briefly discuss its basic assumptions, critiques, political implication, and alternative explanations of individual choice mechanism. First of all, historical backgrounds of rational choice theory and its transition from the field of Economics to that of Political Science will be elaborated. Next, various definitions and meanings of the rational choice will be discussed. The basic assumptions of the rational choice approach with political implication will be followed. Several issues raised by rational choice theory will be followed after this discussion. This paper will suggest some of the main criticisms that have been levied against the rational choice approach. Limited empirical validity of rational choice theory and methodological individualism, which reveals innate problematic nature of the theory, will be discussed. Finally, alternative explanations of individual choice mechanism will sum up this discussion. Before elaborating its theoretical discussion, it is necessary to discuss historical backgrounds of rational choice theory. In the article, â€Å"A Genealogy of Rational Choice: Rationalism, Elitism, and Democracy†, Maloy introduces Skinner’s analysis of behaviorism as fundamental background for the discussion of rational choice theory. He argues that, â€Å"Skinner’s analysis deserves the attention of the recent debates around rational choice ecause it calls attention to the ineluctable ideological features of methodological debate† (Maloy 751). According to Maloy, Skinner could â€Å"clarify the sorts of normative force which attach to empirical theories in social sciences by a close textual analysis of some leading contributions to the behaviorist debate†, which ultimately enables the discussion of rational choice to be furthered applied into different fields of study (Maloy 751). Milton Freidman is another crucial figure that provides profound theoretical base for discussing rational choice theory. In â€Å"The Methodology of Positive Economics†, Friedman argues that people and firms make decisions that can maximize their profit under perfect information. He defended rational choice model by arguing that, â€Å"a theory should be judged by its predictive accuracy, not the realism of its assumptions† (Friedman 10). His argument provides theoretical foundations of rational choice theory in Economics, even though it is often criticized by later scholars because of its weak empirical validity and ceteris paribus nature. While rational choice theory has been dominant paradigm in Economics, it has become â€Å"adapted and adjusted in a number of ways to fit† different fields of study such as Political Science; Maloy explains that â€Å"the distinctiveness of the rational choice approach among political scientists consists, in general terms, in the use of economic models to explain and predict political behavior (Maloy 753). Maloy points out three prominent figures, Arrow, Downs, and Olson as rational choice founders especially in the field of political science. According to Maloy, Arrow’s work focuses on so called, â€Å"collective rationality whose underlying purpose is to measure collective choices using standards normally applied to individual choices (Maloy 753). Down uses Arrow’s collective rationality as the starting point of his study and â€Å"aims to articulate a behavior rule for democratic governments so that they could be included in economic theories of general equilibrium, alongside non-state agents like private firms and consumers (Maloy 754). Finally, Olson’s analysis has taken â€Å"the key elements of Arrow’s and Down’s constructs and applied them to a narrower field†; He argues that â€Å"as long as the service provided by a voluntary association is a public good on which an individual can ride-free, there is no incentive actually to take on the costs associated with joining, membership and participation, unless the marginal contribution of that individual appreciably advances the organizational cause† (Maloy 754). All three choice founders’ works have enabled rational choice theory to be in the central place of political discussion in â€Å"the creative and cross-disciplinary ways† (Maloy 755). By arguing that voting results have no specific social meaning, voting has no individual efficacy, and participation in interest group activity has no special individual efficacy, these rational choice founders could criticize unrealistic and irrational assumptions and norms of traditional democratic system and bring rational choice model to the place of political discussion from the field of Economics (Maloy 755). Rational Choice Theory generally starts with consideration of the choice behavior of individual decision-making units, which in economics are often consumers and firms. The theory suggests that the individual decision-making unit is certain larger group such as buyers or sellers in a particular market. Once individual behavior is set up, the analysis generally moves on to examine how individual choices interact to produce outcomes. Then, what does it mean by arguing that a choice is rational? In rational choice theory it means that an agent’s choices reflect the most preferred possible alternative among given opportunities. In other words, choices must reflect utility maximization. Elinor Ostrom defines rational choice theory as a guide to â€Å"understand humans as self-interested, short-term maximizers† in his work, â€Å"A Behavioral Approach to the Rational Choice Theory of Collective Action† (Ostrom 2). In the article, â€Å"The Political Psychology of Rational Choice Theory†, William H.  Riker also suggests that â€Å"the rational choice model begins with the assumption that actors know what they want and can order their wants transitively† (Riker 25). â€Å"Transitively† here means that an agent of rational choice model can do so called, â€Å"a transitive ordering†; â€Å"To know what one wants requires one to choose the best from among several goals and, failing to attain it, to choose the second best, etc† (Riker 24). This formulation of ordering enables an agent to pursue the best option with given constraints that limit choices he or she can have. In their work, â€Å"Rational Choice Theory†, Coleman and Fararo define rational choice sociologically as they use the term, â€Å"models of purposive action†, rather than rational choice; â€Å"These models rest on the assumption that actors are purposive which means they act in ways that tend to produce beneficial results† (Coleman and Fararo 21). These several definitions point out that choices pursuing utility maximization and outcomes made by these choices are key elements in rational choice theory. Then how is different when rational choice theory is applied into the field of Political Science instead of other fields of study such as Economics and Sociology? According to Riker, Economists’ main concern for rational choice is â€Å"the process and outcomes produced by voluntary exchange, where of course, all participants benefit. On the other hand, â€Å"Politics mainly concerns processes and outcomes produced by group decisions which are practically binding on those who cannot resign from the group. Thus, there can be losers and winners in politics according to Riker’s argument (Riker 24). Although Rational choice theory has long been the dominant paradigm in Economics and other fields of study, it has been subject to vigorous criticism. In â€Å"Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory†, Don Green and Ian Shapiro raises several empirical problems that rational choice theory possess; they â€Å"conclude that a number of methodological deficiencies plague empirical applications of rational choice models. They argue that, â€Å"fundamental and recurrent methodological failings rooted in the universalist aspirations that motivate so much rational choice theorizing† (Freidman 59). According to Green and Shapiro, â€Å"these mistakes stem from a method-driven rather than a problem-driven approach to research, in which practitioners are more eager to vindicate one or another universalist model than to understand and explain actual political outcomes† (Friedman 59). Green and Shapiro’s argument can be summarized into three propositions; â€Å"there is a list of methodological characteristics that are undesirable in an empirical science and are thus to be avoided. † â€Å"Empirical applications of rational choice theory are more likely to commit these mistakes than other types of empirical analysis in political science. â€Å"These pathologies are not due to and historical coincidence, but are rooted in fundamental characteristics of rational choice theory, especially its universalist aspirations and the lack of specificity in the rational actor assumption† (Freidman 60). These propositions suggest that rational choice theory has its empirical limit for testing and predicting actual political outcomes. In detail, Green and Shapiro point out several problems of rational choice theory that possibly undermines the empirical validity of the theory itself. Post hoc theory development† known to statisticians as â€Å"curve fitting† is one of these problems that rational choice theory contains. Green and Shapiro â€Å"contend that rather than formulating bold predictions that are falsifiable by empirical evidence, rational choice theorist tend first to look at the empirical evidence, then design a rational choice model that fits it† (Friedman 5). Another problem raised by Green and Shapiro is rational choice theorists’ engagement in â€Å"arbitrary domain restriction† (Friedman 5). As discussed earlier, certain restrictions or constraints enable â€Å"a transitive ordering† in rational choice theory. Green and Shapiro argue that these constraints and restrictions are defined in ambiguous ways in rational choice model, which ultimately makes the empirical validity of the theory weakened. Green and Shapiro’s examination of the phenomenon of voting behavior is another major example that shows these problems rational choice theory innately possesses. â€Å"In a real-world election with a large electorate, it is instrumentally irrational for anyone to case a ballot, since no single vote has more than an infinitesimal chance of deciding the outcome. Whether one favors selfish or selfless ends, virtually any activity in pursuit of those ends would be more effective than the time spent on voting and on educating oneself about candidates and issues. Yet hundreds of millions of people do vote. For rational choice theory, this would appear to be a gigantic anomaly† (Friedman 6); As noted earlier, rational choice theory presumes that an agent of the model seeks best possible outcomes to maximize his or her utility in given constraints. However, according to Green and Shapiro, in a real-world voting behavior does not confirm this assumption of rational choice theory where voters cast a ballot without having enough time to assess or predict its possible outcome and realizing whether his or her action of voting maximize benefit or not. Another issue raised by Green and Shapiro is free riding problem; While voters can easily pursue a free riding action on the efforts of others to help the cause succeed, there is no need for people to devote resources of time and money to cause desired results. In other words, â€Å"rational choice theory would seem to be refuted not only by people who vote, but by those who contribute small amounts of money to political campaigns, attend rallies, and engage in other forms of collective action designed to secure goals whose achievement is independent of the efforts of any single participant† (Friedman 7). As seen from Green and Shapiro’s founding, most criticisms of rational choice theory seem to be that the assumptions of the theory are not literally and completely true. No model can pass such a test, as all theories abstract from reality in certain way. Determining the empirical validity of a model would therefore seem to involve an examination of both feasibility of assumptions and conformity with real-world data. The most basic assumption of rational choice theory is that the primary unit of analysis is the individual decision-maker. Those who believe that groups are fundamental have criticized this assumption. This issue of so called, â€Å"methodological individualism† are dealt in many contexts in the social sciences. In the book, â€Å"Rational Choice Theory: Advocacy and Critique†, Coleman and Fararo argues that models of purposive action or rational choice model can be useful in explaining and predicting human behavior. They further their argument by saying that â€Å"because the values and beliefs of individuals are shaped primarily by the socializing influences of society, especially as mediated through social relationships with significant other, an understanding of the culture and structure of societies and of the positions of individuals within them is necessary† (Coleman and Fararo 22). According to Coleman and Fararo, major problem for applying rational choice model particularly into Economics and Political Science, in which the primary interest has been in aggregate level outcomes, â€Å"is that the postulate of purposive action has been linked to arbitrary and narrow assumptions about what individuals value and believe† (Coleman Fararo 33). Also the assumption that human behavior is narrowly self-interested and the use of the term rationality to refer to the efficient pursuit of economic benefits has often produced incorrect assumption that rational choice model are innately egoistic; â€Å"that they regard individuals as calculating the expected benefit to themselves of alternative lines of action and acting accordingly (Coleman and Fararo 34). Recent empirical evidences suggest that human beings are capable of acting in ways for the interests of others or the social group above their self-interest, which implies that the assumption of individual’s pursuit of self-interest does not match with reality. Coleman and Fararo further their discussion of this â€Å"methodological individualism† by arguing that a social norm can be one primary example, which refutes the basic assumption of rational choice model. According to Coleman and Fararo, â€Å"When a social norm is know to have been violated, some type of formal or informal sanction will result† (Coleman Fararo 35). Formal sanction like a legal code or a set of rules and informal sanction like a disapproval or social ostracism would affect individual’s choice making process. Therefore, unlike the basic assumption of rational choice model suggests that human behavior is oriented from self-interest, by the effect of social norms and values, individuals can consequently act in altruistic or selfless way for pursuing the interests of groups they are involved in. Because of its limit and problematic nature of rational choice theory, the need for alternative explanation has become necessary for many scholars who criticize the theory. Dennis Chong provides some insights for the possible alternative of rational choice theory in his article, â€Å"Rational Choice Theory’s Mysterious Rivals†. According to Chong, even though Green and Shapiro’s critique against rational choice theory has failed to provide complete form of alternative explanation, there are some theoretical debates and discussions that suggest possible theoretical replacement or revision. Chong argues that, â€Å"Green and Shapiro occasionally allude to the influence of social-psychological and moral factors† such as group loyalties, emotions, political identities, ideology, obligation, and altruism (Friedman 47). As found in Coleman and Fararo’s arguments that institutional or social factors can affect individual’s choice making process, many scholars further their discussion of this social motivation as the alternative of rational choice theory. In his article, â€Å"When Rationality Fails†, Michael Taylor argues that social identification and intrinsic motivation can explain some of significant social phenomenon and collective action that has been ignored by rational choice theory; â€Å"If a person defines herself as a member of a group, or if her membership in a group is made cognitively salient, then she is more likely to observe the group’s norms and cooperate with group members in social dilemmas† (Friedman 230). For intrinsic motivation, Taylor explains that there are some activities that are intrinsically motivating people to be participated such as interesting work, volunteering, and political activities. In this case the activity itself or enjoyment of that activity is the reward for people. When extrinsic rewards like money are introduced, intrinsic motivation would diminish (Friedman 231). By suggesting the concept of social identification and intrinsic motivation, problems of rational choice model for explaining some collective action can be resolved. In this paper, a sense of how rational choice theory works and of its methodological foundations has been introduced. It has also been noticed that rational choice theory is not an ultimate answer. The theory is subject to a number of criticisms, but there is no doubt that its influence in various fields of study have brought tremendous amounts of theoretical debates, and increased the depth of economic, sociological, and political discussions. It is impossible to attain complete knowledge about anything, especially social phenomena. However, it is certain that rational choice approach is one of most crucial theoretical resources for human beings to explore and examine to gain this ultimate answer. It can be useful or misleading, depending on how it is treated. It is responsibility of remaining and future scholars and people to correctly apply and use this theory with open-minded attitude.

Christina Rossettis Goblin Market Essay -- Christina Rossetti Goblin

Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market One of the strongest emotions inherent in us as humans is desire. The majority of the time, we are unable to control what we crave; however, with practice, we learn not all things we want are necessary. As a result of this mature understanding, we are able to ease our feelings and sometimes even suppress our desires. Something even more mature is understanding that when we give in to our desires, we become vulnerable. In a harsh, brutal world, vulnerability will not work to our advantage. In Christina Rossetti’s â€Å"Goblin Market,† she writes about a sister who succumbs to her desire and pays dearly for it while the other sister resists her desires and receives the ultimate reward of her sister’s life. By creating such a spectacular tale, Rossetti stresses the importance of being in touch with one’s desires and being able to prevail over their strong hold because in the harsh world we live in, we cannot afford to let our desire get the best of us. Of the two sisters Lizzie and Laura, Laura is the one whose curious desires get the best of her. She and her sister encounter the goblin men and Lizzie just â€Å"thrust a dimpled finger / In each ear, shut her eyes and ran† (67 – 68); however, Laura’s curiosity gets the best of her and she chooses to stay: â€Å"Curious Laura chose to linger / Wondering at each merchant man† (69 – 70). These goblin men are selling fruit, and once Laura gets her hands on it, she is hardly able to stop herself. Quenching her desire is overwhelming for her, so much so that when she is finally done she â€Å"knew not was it night or day† (139). When she arrives home later, she tells her sister, â€Å"I ate and ate my fill, / Yet my mouth waters still; / Tomorrow night I ... ... men’s fruit. Because of this, she suffers premature aging. Rossetti is conveying the importance of being aware of the possible peril that waits in the outside world, and controlling one’s desires in order to keep oneself from being vulnerable. If one gives in to their desires and makes oneself vulnerable, one will ultimately suffer. Lizzie does not succumb and does not do what the goblin men want her to do. As a result of this refusal, she has the power to bring her sister back to normal and take away her premature aging. Christina Rossetti is conveying the importance of maintaining control over one’s self: if one keeps oneself from becoming vulnerable, resists desires, and chooses the right path, one will remain safe and be rewarded handsomely. Works Cited Rossetti, Christina. Goblin Market. Illustrated by Laurence Housman. 1893. New York: Dover, 1983.