Thursday, January 30, 2020
White people Essay Example for Free
White people Essay Use the following as a guide. The test covers chapterââ¬â¢s 1-3 plus any supplementary articles or documentaries that were required. This is only a guide. Remember that since this is an open book test, ANY question pertaining to the readings could show up. Be sure to have read thoroughly before beginning the test. Please note that starred items could be included as possible short essays (requiring a 1-2 paragraph response). I also suggest that you go over the discussions as well. Questions pertaining to ideas in the discussions may be included. Chapter 1: Minority group ââ¬â a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. The five characteristics of a minority or subordinate group are unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage. *Racial and ethnic groupsâ⬠¦Why the distinction? A racial group is a group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Each society defines what would be considered the obvious physical differences. We know for certain one of the most obvious is skin color. Here in our country, we basically use black and white as the color distinction. Other countries use a different distinction because, for example, in one culture, most individuals may be classified as black but they may be various shades of black which is where the racial difference occurs. In the US, many smaller clusters of individuals are categorized as ethnic area which holds a specific ethnic group. For example, South Brunswick has a large Indian population which is to say, Indianââ¬â¢s make up a large ethnic group within the township. New Brunswick could be another example as there is a large community of Hispanics within the town. Whereas the term racial group is primarily used to discuss minorities, the term ethnic group is used to discuss a group of individuals of the same race. Also, racial groups are defined by their physical differences and ethnic groups are defined by their cultures. Using these definitions there is clearly a distinction between the two terms. Why this distinction exists is probably so that society can categorize the individuals they are discussing. What is important is that racial groups are inherently who a person is so although it may be hidden or changed at times based on the individual, a personââ¬â¢s race is who they are. In contrast, an ethnic group can be a group of racial similar people or even religiously similar. So sometimes, an ethnic group can be chosen. *WEB DuBois: The problem of the color line and double consciousness W. E. B. DuBois was an African American sociologist who received a doctorate degree from Harvard and is considered the first black individual to do so. From our text we learn that he was instrumental in the organization of the NAACP which is a prominent organization designed to support the black individuals of society. (Schaefer pg 8). DuBois played a large role in opening up opinions to the disparities and discriminations of the black individuals of our society. Dubois says so very eloquently, ââ¬Å"Let not color or race be a feature of distinction between White and Black men, regardless of worth or abilityâ⬠¦,â⬠(Schaefer pg 9). When DuBois speaks of color line, he is discussing the differences of races in regards to their color and other physical characteristics. From what I can interpret, DuBois may have developed the term double consciousness when referring to how people see themselves through others eyes. Also, what they see is how they measure their self worth in the grand scheme of society. * Does Race Matter? (p. 10 begin) and the social construction of race Our text answers this question by saying, ââ¬Å"No, but because so many people have for so long acted as if difference in physical characteristics as well as geographic origin and shared culture do matter, distinct groups have been created in peopleââ¬â¢s minds. â⬠(Schaefer pg 10). Social construction is a sociological term used to describe what opinions society places on particular subjects. In this case, the social construction of race refers to not what a personââ¬â¢s race is but how society perceives the races. ââ¬Å"Race is a social construction, and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is privileged and who is not,â⬠(Schaefer pg 12). Basically, we all know there are numerous races that make up our culture but what determines which is the dominate race? It is argued that people in power make those determinations so they are telling everyone which race is superior to the other. Because of these opinions and social construction, yes, race is important. Race could be the difference between success and failure. Our society has not evolved enough to treat all races equally even though our forefathers determined that we all are equal. *Although we learn in grade school to salute the merits of living in the great ââ¬Å"melting pot,â⬠true cultural pluralism has always been more of an ideal than a realityâ⬠¦In the U. S. and globally. Explain why by identifying and giving examples of the following patterns of intergroup contact: genocide, expulsion, secession, segregation, amalgamation, assimilation, and pluralism. ââ¬Å"Pluralism implies that various groups in a society have mutual respect for one anotherââ¬â¢s culture, a respect that allows minorities to express their own culture without suffering prejudice or discrimination,â⬠(Schaefer pg 25). Our text describes this term as an ââ¬Å"idealâ⬠meaning that it is something our society hopes to be able to practice amongst all individuals. However, it is quick to note that it should be more like a ââ¬Å"realityâ⬠in the sense that it is something that society is obligated to believe in, (Schaefer pg 26). It can definitely be seen as a conflict within society as individuals may be forced to make opinions based on what is right versus what they may have been taught to believe all their lives. The US is truly a ââ¬Å"melting potâ⬠meaning a society with a variety of cultures and races that make up the whole. Because of this, we have an obligation to respect every different culture as well as every race. Social construction tends to make this a difficult goal to obtain but there are many organizations in place which try to make these gaps smaller. There are many advantages to integrating one culture into another. For example, in my hometown, many of us love to eat sushi. With the uprising of this wonderful food choice, those that are not Asian have been able to dive into the culture through a wonderful eating experience. Another example could be many of the courses offered here at Rutgers. There are courses in Russian literature and Chinese film for example. I would imagine that a large portion of the participants may have some cultural interest but there are many that take these types of classes just to broaden their own experiences. These types of classes could help in making the gap smaller between cultures and could help to improve cultural pluralism. Chapter 2: Ethnocentrism ââ¬â or the tendency to assume that oneââ¬â¢s culture and way of life are superior to all others. This is a form of prejudice and would result in discrimination. Our text describes this (pg34) as a motivating factor behind some criminal acts. *Prejudice and Discrimination ââ¬â Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire category of people. For example, the Klu Klux Klan who we were exposed to in the CP Ellis story was extremely prejudice against blacks. Another example would be Nazi germany and Hitlerââ¬â¢s prejudice again jewish people. Showing both of these examples also give us a look at some of the most horrendous hate crimes in human history. Discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons. Whereas prejudice is an attitude, discrimination is an action. For example, if someone says they donââ¬â¢t like a person because they are black, that is prejudice. If that same person refuses to allow the black individual into their restaurant, that is discrimination. Our society has had some severe cases of both of these and we are still struggling to overcome some of the cruelties of the past. Unfortunately, these actions didnââ¬â¢t die off in the past, I think they have just become less obvious. Merton and LaPiere Studies ââ¬â Robert Merton showed that prejudice and discrimination are related to each other but are not the same. He gives 4 types of people when discussing this issue and they are, ââ¬Å"unprejudiced nondiscriminatory (all weather liberal), unprejudiced discriminator (reluctant liberal), prejudiced nondiscriminatory (timid bigot), and prejudiced discriminator (all weather bigot),â⬠(Schaefer pg 36). I can immediately tell from the descriptions that the final one would be the most severe because the implications to the term show that this individual is always in a mode that is highly discriminatory. I would agree with these categories mostly based on personal observations and knowing some people that do have tendencies to be discriminatory. Mertonââ¬â¢s is saying that not all individualsââ¬â¢ personal opinions and attitudes toward other should be construed as negative behavior as well. The LaPiere study was about half a century ago and ââ¬Å"exposed the relationship between racial attitudes and social conduct,â⬠(Schaefer pg 37). What LaPiere did was travel with a Chinese couple and observes if the racial attitudes he expected or were historically evident actually occurred. His conclusion was that it wasnââ¬â¢t apparent all the time. This could show that people tend to be polite in person but what they say or do in private is another situation. *Theories of prejudice: Scapegoating theory, Authoritarian Personality, Exploitation theory, Normative approach ââ¬â Scapegoating says that prejudiced people believe they are societyââ¬â¢s victims. They blame what bad things happen to them or other misfortunes on people of a different race. Again, the CP Ellis story we read later our lessons was a perfect example. CP Ellis felt he was given a very hard life and has suffered not only with personal troubles but also money issues. He wanted to blame someone and his association with his father and the Klan made it easy for him to blame the blacks. Authoritarian Personality is ââ¬Å"a psychological construct of a personality type likely to be prejudiced and to use others as scapegoats,â⬠(Schaefer pg 39). So, using the same previous example, it could be said the CP Ellisââ¬â¢ suffers from authoritarian personality because his actions of using the blacks as scapegoats. Exploitation theory is, ââ¬Å"a Marxist theory that views racial subordination in the US as a manifestation of the class system inherent in capitalism,â⬠(Schaefer pg 39). It is to say that in the jungle there is a food chain, the lion eats the rabbit that eats the mice, etc. Within current society, it is expected that there are different classes of individuals and some who will say this is a necessary part of life. It is unfortunate that sometimes this class system reflects on a specific racial group. The normative approach is, ââ¬Å"the view that prejudice is influenced by societal norms and situations that encourage or discourage the tolerance of minorities,â⬠(Schaefer pg 40). This is a very important concept because it shows that a lot of the actions and opinions of people that are discriminatory get that way because they are taught that or they grow up in an atmosphere of prejudice. Again, CP Ellis grew up with a Klan father so it was only natural that he developed some of these tendencies as well. What is even more significant is being able to recognize all these theories and to combat their existence with education. Some individuals may be beyond help but many can learn to change given the right education. Stereotypes and Racial Profiling ââ¬â Stereotypes are unreliable generalizations about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account. For example, Hitler did not care how much or little Jewish heritage an individual had when he systematically exterminated millions, he only cared that a drop of Jewish blood ran through their veins. He didnââ¬â¢t care about the persons contributions to society or their intelligence. Part of this concept of stereotyping is a term called racial profiling which is any arbitrary police initiated action based on race, ethnicity, or natural origin rather than a personââ¬â¢s belief. We see many news reports about this very subject where police use unnecessary force or violence just because of a personââ¬â¢s race. A ââ¬Å"post racialâ⬠era? Color-blind racism ââ¬â Color-blind racism refers to the use of race-neutral principles to defend the racially unequal status quo. One example the book gives is how Asianââ¬â¢s are rarely used in feature films except where martial arts is also highlighted. Postracialism is a common theme and is another tem used to describe color-blind racism. Other terms are laissez-faire and aversive racism. *Reducing prejudice (p. 48 begin) ââ¬â The question remains after all these discussions, can prejudice be reduced? Our text suggests many different ways in which it is possible to treat and educate those who practice prejudicial attitudes. For example, education, mass media, avoidance versus friendship, and corporate response (diversity training). The education portion of reducing prejudice would be in the form of programs and conferences designed at teaching people what to look for, ways to combat the situations and additional training that could be passed on. For example, we viewed the video about Jane Eliottââ¬â¢s school. Her program with small children appears to be groundbreaking and based on the follow up with the studentââ¬â¢s years later, also successful. Another important tool is mass media. For example, in my previous women study classes I was exposed to the way the media shows women. There are a excessive amount of commercials featuring women as the cook, cleaner, and childcare provider however very limited showing a man in the same roles. There have been advances however and our text discusses one such TV show called The Cosbyââ¬â¢s which had a huge television audience which included all races, not just black as all the characters on the show were, (Schaefer pg 49). The next area is avoidance versus friendship. This discusses the social distance scale by Robert Park and Ernest Burgess which ââ¬Å"asks people how willing they would be to interact with various racial and ethnic groups in specified social situations,â⬠(Schaefer pg 51). The importance of this study is to show the patterns that become evident particularly within the White American and Europeans. This is an example of the Social Distance Scale. There was another scale mentioned called the Equal Status Contact which states, ââ¬Å"intergroup contact between people of equal status in harmonious circumstances will cause them to become less prejudiced and to abandon previously held stereotypes,â⬠(Schaefer pgs 51-52). Therefore, by incorporating more fun and interesting activities that are not racially motivated, the pattern of prejudice could be learned to be reduced. What do you think about Jane Eliottââ¬â¢s efforts at reducing prejudice (presented in the documentary A Class Divided)? What are the strengths and weaknesses of her methods? What else might you suggest? Jane Elliottââ¬â¢s efforts in the documentary we watched for class should be applauded. It was interesting to note that the town where Jane worked as a teacher was primarily white Christian and to this day, that status hasnââ¬â¢t changed much. However, Jane continues to give her lesson on prejudice and it appears to be particularly helpful. When the students of one class were interviewed years later after watching themselves in the documentary, it was fascinating to see how emotional they were. Even years later, the lesson was felt very deeply. The strengths would be the instant feelings of rejection on the children. But the weakness could be that they may recognize it is not a real situation. Also, if the lessons taught are not encouraged at home or within their community, it may not make a difference. Although starting young is particularly important, I would propose all family members be exposed to the lesson. The documentary mentioned how the concepts used were taken into the work force within a conference type atmosphere. Although adults do react the same, I personally do not see the impact as much as I did with the small children. That may be because as we get older, we get tougher in our emotions and it could be hard to break old habits. Chapter 3: *Total discrimination ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons,â⬠(Schaefer pg 61). I think in the US we recognize that there is discrimination but many choose to believe that they are incapable of it or that it is not as horrible as people may make it out to be. Total discrimination is a more recent concept which is, ââ¬Å"current discrimination operating in the labor market and past discrimination,â⬠(Schaefer pg 62). It is saying that because of particular items in a personââ¬â¢s past like education and social status, individuals are discriminated against in the work place. That discrimination can show itself in such areas as hiring, advancement and even pay scales. It is not something that is randomly made up but an actual occurrence. For example, someone who was not provided a decent education because of their social status or ethnic group would have difficulty finding advanced employment. In current day, employers wonââ¬â¢t even look at a person unless they have a full four year degree or higher. Many individuals just arenââ¬â¢t able to take advantage of that type of education. Hate Crimes ââ¬â when a victim is selected because of certain characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. We see numerous hate crimes in the news almost daily. The Rutgers campus recently became a focal point of a perceived hate crime when Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers, committed suicide after his roommates posted him in gay videos. *Institutional discrimination (Why is institutional discrimination considered more important than the everyday discrimination of individuals? ) ââ¬â This form of discrimination ââ¬Å"is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that result from the normal operations of society,â⬠(Schaefer pg 65). This is particularly important because it goes to the root of functioning as an average human being within society. One example mentioned is that IQ tests are geared towards middle class white American children therefore any other child taking the test would be at a disadvantage before even answering the questions. If everyone starts out on an even playing field and then points are taken away for items that cannot be mastered, then society may be working towards treating every individual equally. But this isnââ¬â¢t the case. When a hard working Hispanic man who has been in his employment for 20 years is denied credit or needs additional collateral when compared to a hard working white man, this type of discrimination is inexcusable because it comes from a personââ¬â¢s perception not from what abilities they may or may not have. Measuring discrimination (p.66 begin) ââ¬â There are many ways in which society measures discrimination. For example, economics is probably the most prevalent as it is the easiest to examine and study. The chart in our text shows that median incomes vary quite a bit depending on a personââ¬â¢s race, ethnicity and even gender. What is particularly interesting to me, but not surprising, is that white American males do not hold the highest title any longer. This now goes to the group of Asian American men within society. Although the salaries are higher, the statistics havenââ¬â¢t changed much. Hispanics and Native Americans still fall on the lowest end of the economic tier. *Civil Rights Act of 1964 ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Prohibited discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations and amusement parks. Publicly owned facilities such as parks, stadiums and swimming pools also prohibited from discriminating. Also forbade discrimination in all federally supported programs and institutions such as hospitals, colleges and road construction projects. Since then there have been numerous amendments because as times change, so does the need for the Act to change. (pg 69) Redlining ââ¬â African Americans, Latinos, and other fall victim to redlining or the pattern of discrimination against people trying to buy homes in minority and racially changing neighborhoods. *Why does the text author make the distinction between income and wealth? ââ¬Å"Income refers to salaries and wages, and wealth is a more inclusive term that encompasses all of a personââ¬â¢s material assets including land, stocks and other types of property,â⬠(Schaefer pg 71). I feel the main reason for the distinction is because many individuals of specific ethnic groups cannot obtain property, sometimes even regardless of the income they make. Because of this, for some individuals, wealth may not be a possibility. *Environmental justice ââ¬â Refers to the efforts to ensure that hazardous substances are controlled so that all communities receive protection regardless of race or socioeconomic circumstance. (Schaefer pg 72-73). Affirmative action ââ¬â Affirmative action is the positive effort to recruit subordinate-group members, including women, for jobs, promotions, and educational opportunities. (Schaefer pg 73). It was a phrased coined by President John F. Kennedy calling all to the cause of making sure that applicants were treated properly and fairly during all stages of the interview through employment process. Reverse discrimination ââ¬â is an emotional term because it conjures up the notion that somehow women and minorities will subject white men in the US to the same treatment received by minorities during the last three centuries. (Schaefer pg 76) Glass Ceiling ââ¬â Refers to the barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified worker because of gender or minority membership. (Schaefer pg 78). *Be able to discuss the article on CP Ellis.. What led to his involvement in the Klan and what led to his denunciation of it? What factors led to the change? What made CP Ellis join the Klan? What made him change? Why is this relevant today? Does CPââ¬â¢s account support any of the theories we have read about in this section (for example, scapegoat theory on page 38 of our textbook or the contact hypothesis on page 51)? What role does the economy play in shaping intergroup relations? (You can speculate on this last oneâ⬠¦) The story of CP Ellis was particularly interesting because of the evolution his life took. I think there were many reasons that guided CP Ellis into the paths he choose in life. For example, he had a rough upbringing and then when he was married and had his own children, he suffered a lot as well. It appears his life was a constant struggle to survive while he worked extremely hard to support his family. The moment that the Klan came into his life was when he was at his service station observing Klan members. They would come in talking once a week and they approached him to join the group with them. He was immediately interested because he felt his current struggles needed to be blamed on someone and who better, in his opinion, then the black people. This came natural to him because he was familiar with the Klan from his father. I feel that his attitudes began to change when he started to notice that the government was discriminating against all people, not just blacks. He started to understand what those in power were doing to every citizen and it was a real eye opener. One of the theories we discussed during this section is called scapegoat theory. ââ¬Å"Scapegoating theory says that prejudiced people believe they are societyââ¬â¢s victims,â⬠(Schaefer pg 38). I can definitely see the correlation between this theory and CP Ellisââ¬â¢ feelings towards black people. He needed to blame someone for his troubles and the hard times he was experiencing so he selected the group of individuals that he had grown up feeling negatively against. The root meaning of scapegoating is that it is more convenient to blame another individual then to take responsibility for a personââ¬â¢s own short comings. Intergroup relations are how we look at ourselves and how we look at others and the way that different groups interact with each other within society. I feel that the economy plays a huge role in intergroup relations because some races and ethnic groups are not only defined by the color of their skin but also by their social class. Intergroup relations focus on the comparisons of groups based on many aspects including economic ones. Even as an outsider speculating on this subject, it is easy to see that under many circumstances, black individuals are stereotypically placed in a different economic level than many white individuals are. It is some of these types of opinions that historically have caused animosity amongst difference ethnic groups. Unit 9: Week 3 Some notes on the Social Construction of Race Notes on The One-Drop-Rule and the Social Construction of Race 2/4/2013 Eleanor LaPointe (Note that many of the ideas below were presented by you in Discussion B last week. This is a synopsis with perhaps a few additional ideas. ) The idea of race does not come from biology. It started in Europe as Europeans moved out across the world and found that they needed a way to control people as they took over their land or enslaved or exterminated them. The invention of scientific racism was one of the most effective weapons devised to conquer and subjugate. Carolus Linnaeus was a botanist in the 1700s (from Norway, I believe). He is credited with the first scientific classification of humans into groups now called races. He wanted to classify humans in the same way that clams, flowers, and insects were classified. But, he wasnt just an objective nonpartisan scientist. He classified in a particular wayone that put his group on top and all others below. The result was the beginnings of a scientifically-backed hierarchical ordering of people. It should be mentioned that even during Linnaeuss time, the ideas he put forth were highly contested. That is, not everyone agreed. In fact many disagreed, including scientists like the German physiologist Blumenbach who felt that no real differences existed between people and that any visible differences were superficial. However, Linnaeuss ideas were more successfully incorporated into popular ideologies (or mythologies) because they supported the dominate group need to justify growing inequalities at the time. That is, the idea of race allowed oppressors to define who was privileged and who was not. Since this time, how humans have been categorized has changed a lot and there is much variation from place to place. How a Race is defined at any given time depends on an arbitrary set of features chosen to suit the labelers purposes or biases or both. A good example is how U. S. laws concerning the definition of race have been used. Early on in the U. S. the question became: How to define or draw the line? This is an ongoing question. But in any case, from state to state, there was very little consistency in terms of how race would be defined. Some segregation-era artifacts include: Missouri: 1/8 or more Negro blood was the criterion. Georgia: The term white person shall include only persons of the white race, who have no ascertainable trace of either Negro, African, Western Indian, Asiatic Indian, Mongolian, Japanese or Chinese blood in their veins. Virginia: Had a similar law but with exceptions. A person could have a little Indian or African blood. Arent these old laws though Actually, some are still on the books and have been upheld as recently as 1982. Louisiana is a good example. In this state, the 1/32 law was actually created in 1971 (prior to this, a persons race classification was less formal). On September of 1982, Susie Phipps obtained her birth certificate and was surprised to find that it listed her as black. At the age of 49, she had always thought she was white! She brought the matter to court and requested it be changed, but the state/court objected after being shown an 11-generation family tree with ancestors who included an early eighteenth-century black slave and a white plantation owner. The court claimed that she was 3/32 blackenough to make her black under state law. What is interesting is that the state of Louisiana could have decided that this law was outdated law and of no use anymore, but it did not! The bottom line is that historically, as now, where black and white begins and ends depends on who is doing the defining and for what purpose. Moreover, if you are raised in the U. S. , it is nearly impossible to escape the fix that race has on how we think about ourselves and others. No matter how it is used these days, it is important to keep in mind the origins of these ideas and institutionalized practices: as a set of justifications in a hierarchical system allowing the privileged to reduce competition for valued resources. For ideas on the social construction of race in other countries, see chapter 16 in our text.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Comparison of a Popular and Academic Scientific Article Essay -- Healt
Comparison of a Popular and Academic Scientific Article Retinitis Pigmentosa, (RP) is currently an incurable, degenerative sight disease in which cells located in the retina of an eye die prematurely. Progressively these dead retinal cells lead to complete and irreversible vision loss. Recent scientific breakthroughs and studies involving gene therapy lend support to the fact that it may be possible to heal the blind through nonparticle gene therapy. Two articles published in the spring of 2010 suggests that gene replacement therapy, the modification of genes by means of addition, removal, or alteration, may provide answers and treatment options for patients suffering from RP. The FASEB Journal published the academic article Gene delivery to mitotic and postmitotic photoreceptors via compacted DNA nanoparticles results in improved phenotype in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. A brief overview and summation of the process was published on the Science Daily website in a popular article entitled Toward Making the Blind See: Gene Ther apy Restores Vision in Mice. In these two separate articles it is obvious to see that the purpose, audience, amount of content, and writing styles vary drastically. This variation results primarily from the popular article being written with general public in mind whereas academic articles are normally written to a scientific audience. Other elements such as genre, stance, and subject of focus remain the same throughout the two articles, since both articles, however different, were written about the same retinal disease. In the Popular source it is evident that the article exists primarily to inform readers of a recent finding, that it may be possible to manipulate genes in a way so that it co... ...and his awareness to his writing styles. The contrary applies to academic articles. Academic articles are written as a process and a compilation of found data. Because the data is so complex and the processes so involved this audience typically falls into the hands of those who know it best, therefore resulting in a smaller reader window. Since the process and information must be replicable the amount of content varies wildly with every experiment and technique and writing styles. To tie all pieces together, popular articles are more effective at presenting small amounts of information to a large group, whereas academic articles are great resources for references to experiments and tests. These articles differ greatly but when compared and contrasted it is obvious that each difference is present so that the article can properly cater to its appropriate audience.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Traffic Jam in a Big City
Ever read about Science of observation, deduction and analysis? Oh, Iââ¬â¢m not going to give a physics lecture! Well, itââ¬â¢s a grate thing. Imagine that somebody is coming to you and you already know what s/he was up to in the past or what s/he is going to ask you and so onâ⬠¦ there could be many cases in which science of deduction can be used. Here are some of the points which can help you all in deducing. But you can always read novels of Arthur Conan Doyle in your leisurely time to known more about it. They are available on the net as e-books for free, and in printed form as well.SHERLOCK HOLMESââ¬â¢ SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION AND ANALYSIS Note: Nos. 1-60 are from the Doyle complete canon; 61-94 are from the Basil Rathbone movies, and 95-97 are from the Young Sherlock Holmes movie. 1. Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study, nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest pos sible perfection in it. Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems.Let him on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man and the trade or profession to which he belongs. Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation, and teaches one where to look and what to look for. By a manââ¬â¢s finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuffs ââ¬â by each of these things a manââ¬â¢s calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable. 2.You should consider your brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilled workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment and all in the most perfect order.It is a mistake to think that that a little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forgot something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones. 3. An observant man can learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way. From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other.So all life is a great cha in, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it. 4. Always approach a case with an absolutely blank mind, which is always an advantage. Form no theories, just simply observe and draw inferences from your observations. 5. It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. Insensibly, one begins to twist the facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. It biases the judgment. 6. The temptation to form premature theories upon insufficient data is the bane of this profession. 7.They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. Itââ¬â¢s a very bad definition, but it does apply to detective work. 8. The height of a man, in nine cases out of ten, can be told from the length of his stride. 9. When a man writes on a wall, his instinct leads him to write above the level of his own eyes. 10. To a great mind, nothing is little. 11. It is a mistake to confound strangeness with mystery. The most commonplace crime is often the most mysterious, because it presents no new or special features from which deductions may be drawn. 12. There is nothing new under the sun.It has all been done before. 13. Often what is out of the common is usually a guide rather than a hindrance. In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backward. That is a very useful accomplishment, and a very easy one, but people do not practice it much. In the everyday affairs of life it is more useful to reason forward, and so the other comes to be neglected. Most people, if you describe a train of events to them, will tell you what the results would be. They can put those events together in their minds, and argue from them that something will come to pass.There are a few people, however, who, if you told them a result, would be able to evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which led up to that result. This power is what I mean when I talk of reasoning backward, or analytically. 14. There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected as the art of tracing footsteps. Always lay great stress upon it, and practice it till it becomes second nature. 15. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. 16. Never guess.It is a shocking habit ââ¬â destructive to the logical faculty. Observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. 17. When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. 18. The main thing with people when you talk to them in an investigation is to never let them know that their information can be of the slightest importance to you. If you do they will instantly shut up like an oyster. If you listen to them under protest, as it were, you are very likely to get what you want. 19. Women are never to be entirely trusted ââ¬â not the best of them. 0. It is good to adopt a system of docketing all pa ragraphs concerning men and things, so that it would be difficult to name a subject or a person on which one could not at once furnish information. 21. When someone thinks their house is on fire, their first instinct is at once to rush to the thing which they value most. It is a perfectly overpowering impulse. 22. Often the strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with the larger but with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where there is room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed. 3. As a rule, the most bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify. 24. Usually in unimportant matters there is a field for the observation, and for the quick analysis of cause and effect which gives the charm to the investigation. The larger crimes are apt to be the simpler, for the bigger the crime the more obvious , as a rule, is the motive. 25. It should be your business to know things. To train yourself to see what others overlook. 26.In an investigation, the little things are infinitely the most important. 27. Never trust to general impressions, but concentrate yourself upon details. On examining a womanââ¬â¢s appearance, you should realize the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb-nails, or the great issues that may hang from a boot-lace. In a man it is perhaps better first to take the knee of the trouser. 28. Singularity is almost invariably a clue. The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more difficult it is to bring it home. 29. The most difficult crime to track is the one which is purposeless. 0. Depend on it, there is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace. 31. You must look for consistency. Where there is a want of it you must suspect deception. 32. Your eyes should be trained to examine faces and not their trimmings. It is the first quality of a crimin al investigation that you should see through a disguise. 33. Circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing. It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shift your own point of view a little, you may find it pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different. 34.Your method should be founded upon the observation of trifles. 35. The ideal reason would, when one had been shown a single fact in all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which led up to it but also all the results which would follow from it. As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after. We have not yet grasped the results which the reason alone can attain to.Problems may be solved in the study which have baffled all those who have sought a solution by the aid of the senses. To carry the art, however, to its highest pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to utilize all the facts which have come to his knowledge; and this in itself implies, as you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which, even in these days of free education and encyclopedias, is a somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not impossible, however, that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to him in his work.A man should keep his little brain-attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it. 36. Often the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner. 37. Read nothing but the criminal news and the agony column. The latter is always instructive. 38. The most practical thing that you ever can do in your life would be to shut yourself up for three months and read twelve h ours a day at the annals of crime.Everything comes in circles. The old wheel turns, and the same spoke comes up. Itââ¬â¢s all been done before, and will be again. Then when you have heard some slight indication of the course of events in an investigation, you should be able to guide yourself by the thousands of other similar cases which should occur to your memory. 39. An investigator should look at everything with reference to his own special subject. One, for example, can see some scattered houses along a countryside, and become impressed by their beauty.But to the investigator, the only thought sometimes should be a feeling of their isolation and the impunity with which crime may be committed there. 40. Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon logic rather than upon crime that you should dwell. 41. Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest. Nothing has more individuality, save perhaps watches and bootlaces. 42. Always in an investigation you should put yours elf in the manââ¬â¢s place, and, having first gauged his intelligence, try to imagine how you would proceed under the same circumstances. 43.Results are come by always putting yourself in the other fellowââ¬â¢s place, and thinking what you would do yourself. It takes some imagination, but it pays. 44. It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize, out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated. 45. Make it a point of never having any prejudices, and of following docilely wherever a fact may lead you. 46. In an investigation, it is only the colourless, uneventful cases which are hopeless. 7. In an investigation, always look for a possible alternative, and provide against it. It is the first rule of criminal investigations. 48. The features given to man are means by which he shall express his emotions, and you can read a manââ¬â¢s train of th ought from his features, especially his eyes. 49. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. 50. As long as the criminal remains upon two legs so must there be some indentation, some abrasion, some trifling displacement which can be detected by the scientific searcher. 1. The Press is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it. 52. One characteristic that the detective should have in the Science of Deduction and Analysis is the ability to throw the brain out of action and to switch all thoughts on to lighter things wherever you think things could no longer work to advantage. 53. Education never ends. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last. 54. First real insight into the character of parents is gained by studying their children. 55. Your thoughts about dogs should be analogous.A dog always reflects the family life. Whoever saw a frisky dog in a gloomy family, or a sad dog in a happy one? Snarling people have sn arling dogs, dangerous people have dangerous ones. And their passing moods may reflect the passing moods of others. 56. When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge. 57. When you follow two separate chains of thought, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth. 58. Do not agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues.To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate oneââ¬â¢s self is as much a departure from the truth as to exaggerate oneââ¬â¢s own powers. 59. It is always good to have someone with you on whom you can thoroughly rely. Local aid is always either worthless or else biased. 60. It is my belief, founded upon experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside. 61. The average petty thief has a more extensive knowledge of the value of objects, than the average collector. 62.The best place to hide anything, is where everyone can see it. 63. Itââ¬â¢s often a mistake to accept something as true, merely because itââ¬â¢s obvious. The truth is only arrived at by the painstaking process of eliminating the untrue. 64. One of the first principles in solving crime, is never to disregard anything, no matter how trivial. 65. People generally forget in assuming a disguise, that the shape of the ear is an almost infallible means of recognition and identification to the trained eye. 66. Facts are always convincing. Itââ¬â¢s the conclusions drawn from facts, that are frequently in error. 7. To the trained ear, footsteps have a characteristic rhythm as identifiable as fingerprints. 68. When murders are committed, there usually is something that unfortunate victims have in common, that might indicate the motive. If, on the other hand, they appear incidental, then they are sometimes a part of something more sinister. 69. The science of det ection is very much like stringing a handful of beads. In an investigation, the suspects are the beads, where you then must try to string them together with some thread to make a connection, in order to solve the mystery. 0. Houses, like people, have definite personalities. 71. Surgical instruments that save life, are hardly more pleasant to look at, than those that take it. 72. Murder like matrimony, generally has a motive. 73. In this profession, one has to take chances. 74. Egomaniacs are always so much more chatty when they feel they have the upper hand. 75. Suicides, invariably leave notes behind them. Murders do not, and when you drive a person to suicide, thatââ¬â¢s murder. 76. Often a good disguise to assume, is that of a postman. No one ever looks twice at a postman. 7. When women are involved in crime, their method, whatever it is, is apt to be peculiarly subtle and cruel. Feline not canine. 78. Poison is a womanââ¬â¢s weapon. 79. Whenever setting a trap, in order to catch someone, itââ¬â¢s best to bait it with the food they like. 80. In an attempt to solve a crime, itââ¬â¢s best to duplicate the conditions under which the crime occurred. 81. Never trust plans already made by other people, they have a habit of becoming to widely known. 82. Sometimes to leave one unguarded, can be a skillful trap for oneââ¬â¢s opponent. 3. The imagination is where crimes conceived, and where theyââ¬â¢re solved. 84. Even when facts clearly indicate one thing, it is not always the case. Thatââ¬â¢s why so many murders remain unsolved. People will stick to facts, even though they prove nothing. Now, if you go beyond facts, use the imagination as the criminal does, imagine what might have happened, and act upon it, you will usually find yourself justified. 85. An investigator always needs something more than legends and rumors. Proof, you must have proof. 6. When examining footprints, itââ¬â¢s good to know that, clubfooted people invariably bring th eir full weight down on the toe. If other peculiarities arise, such as, the footprint being balanced from toe to heel, then the footprint must have some other compensating deformity to explain it, such as, the footprint being made by a person not really clubfooted, but wearing a clubfooted shoe. 87. The obvious always appears simple. 88. No matter what situation arises, one must adapt oneself to the tools at hand. 89.Every crime, always exhibits a pattern and a purpose in it. 90. Purpose and motive are the last things a sane man would imply, if he were posing as a madman. Unless there is method in his madness. 91. The temptation of the sudden wealth, could possibly turn a once seemingly harmless person, into a ruthless killer. 92. Murder is an insidious thing. Once a person has dipped their fingers in blood, sooner or later theyââ¬â¢ll feel the urge to kill again. 93. The terrifying part about blackmail is, that the victim is afraid to fight the accusation, no matter how false.On ce the accusation is made, their name becomes smeared and sometimes their life is ruined. 94. Anything is possible, until proven otherwise. 95. Never trust the obvious. 96. The deductive mind never rests. Itââ¬â¢s not unlike a finely tuned musical instrument, which demands attention and practice. Problems of logic, mathematical equations and riddles are some ways of fine-tuning the mind. 97. A great detective relies on perception, intelligence, and imagination. ââ¬Å"Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot. ââ¬
Monday, January 6, 2020
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