Southern Folk Music and Race Relations :: Racism American Culture Research

Southern Folk Music and Race Relations Abstract In this paper, I propose that the history and development of southern folk music may serve as an important vehicle for examining and elaborating the dynamics of southern race relations. I am not suggesting a causal relationship; merely an interactional one. Both southern race relations and southern music are reflections of the social structure of the rural south. In the structurally segregated south, black and white musical traditions display the same divergences and convergences which have historically characterized black/white relations. This is not a lyrical analysis; rather, it is a socio-historical analysis of regional popular culture which focuses upon the interaction between two important features of that culture: race and music. Intoduction The development of the American folk music reservoir is a process which parallels the historical and cultural development of American society. In the formation of this reservoir, two major streams, British and African, and several lesser tributaries, e.g., French, German, Mexican, Cajun, etc., flowed together over a two century period (Malone, 1979:4). Alan Lomax, one of folk music's leading historians, has observed that the convergence of these diverse elements has resulted in a cultural product which is "more British than anything one can find in Britain" (1960:155). Southern music is an important part of the folk tradition; in many ways it is synonymous with American folk music. And, its history is well documented (Malone, 1979, 1985; Carr, 1979; Wolfe, 1977). What has been neglected until recently is the sociological examination of the relationship between this form of popular culture and important social, cultural and historical issues and conditions which gave rise to it and are expressed by it (Fine, 1977:381-384; cf. also Albrecht, 1954).1 Country music is a reflection of the southern region's culture, history and social structure at the macro level and of the hopes, fears, beliefs and attitudes of its people at the micro level (Gritzner, 1978). In this paper, I propose that the history and development of southern folk music may serve as an important vehicle for examining and elaborating the dynamics of southern race relations. I am not suggesting a causal relationship; merely an interactional one. Both southern race relations and southern music are reflections of the social structure of the rural south. In the structurally segregated south, black and white musical traditions display the same divergences and convergences which have historically characterized black/white relations. This is not a lyrical analysis; rather, it is a socio-historical analysis of regional popular culture which focuses upon the interaction between two important features of that culture: race and music.

Dialogue Between Plato and Aristotle Essay

Pluto: No, listen. What I am saying is that the environment or form that we live in is full of unevenness, imperfection and impurity this due to the fact that this form is merely a copy of the ideal world that one would understand once they rise above our physical environment and grasp it intellectually. Aristotle: I understand you just fine but I disagree with you. I agree that our world is an imperfect world but I object to the notion that it is not real or that there is another invisible form out there from which it is cloned. I find that preposterous, everything is right here on earth, physically. Pluto: No. What we see on earth ‘physically’ as you say are just mimics or artificial replicas of the real thing only with a lot of imperfections. This is just an illusion of the real thing. Aristotle: How can that be when our natural world is real and physical? Let me explain it to you clearly, our world, this world is made up of many forms. Sure, they may not be ideal, pure or perfect but our senses identify with them. Pluto: Well, our senses identify with them because they are copies of the perfect form and we have knowledge of them. Let me explain it to you. Knowledge must have as its object that which is openly real as juxtaposed with that which is an appearance only, that which is fully real must be fixed, permanent and unchanging- in the realm of being as opposed to that which is in the realm of physical. That is why you call these world ‘physical’ when it is just a perception from the true ideal form. Aristotle: That is absurd! If experience has shown us anything is that individual substances exist and are real, being predicated of the substance and that an individual is not produced by some idea or model the actually exist! Pluto: Now you have joined people inexperienced in the theory of forms. Captives in a cave, bound to the wall with no likelihood of turning your heads. With fire burning behind you, you can only see the wall of the cave and the shadows of the puppets placed between you and the fire. You are incapable to fathom that the shadows you see and the echoes you hear are a reflection of real objects, behind you. This world that is available to our senses exists only as a reflection of the real world. Aristotle: Here is where I differ to you completely! !An individual is not formed from the perception of another’s  mind but from an individual who through germ or seed was able to reproduce another one hence, the seed in the individual would be in potency form because of its capacity to become an individual in future. Every individual is a compound of matter and form, not a mirror or perception of another from another form. Pluto: That is just how easy it is to mistake appearance for reality, just like the captives in the cave experience, they easily refer to the shadows using the names of the real objects that the shadows reflect. This just shows that knowledge is only a reflection of the real ideas in our minds. What is seen on the earth is an imitation of the real thing. The captives, by looking at the shadows may learn what an item is but this does not enable them to claim that it refers to an object, which they have seen. Likewise, we need the physical objects in order to enable us acquire concepts. Aristotle: So your idea is that we live in an imagined world and that is copied from an ideal world and that the physical items and entities we encounter on our day to day activities and with which our senses identify with are merely there for us to acquire concepts? Pluto: Yes. Exactly! Aristotle: You are not serious! You do realize that the possibility of error forces the mind to determine the truth validity of a given statement. Meaning the intellect must have adequate reasons, which can ensure the proposed judgment conforms to reality. These are the foundation of perfect knowledge, knowledge through causes. Not that we originate from some made up form that we cannot access, but that we originate from an individual. Matter is the indeterminate element, which is unchanging, and form is the force and power shaping and developing the individual. That is a structure of two statements leading to correct reasoning. Pluto: So you object to my whole idea? Aristotle: Completely! It lacks a foundation and crumbles upon itself. Your own argument argues that there is need for physical objects to enable us acquire concepts but your idea is based on an unseen form that cannot be confirmed physically. Pluto: We could argue about it for hours. It’s a stalemate. Aristotle: Seems we have found an impasse, but I win!

Health And Public Health India Is Experiencing A Rapid...

Introduction The term health has many meanings in terms of Indian development as since from the colonial past till the present. Health is the pillar on which life of people and the well-being of the economy depend. With respect to public health, India is experiencing a rapid epidemiological and demographic transition whereby it has to deal with an unfinished business of infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies as well as escalating epidemics of non-communicable diseases. Such threat to the nation’s health and development requires prioritizing of public health policy with the objective of cost-effective interventions for health promotion, disease prevention and affordable health care. After years of neglect, public health in India is witnessing some changes in terms of greater financial commitment from the government for public and primary health care, pressure to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and implementation of national level programs such as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and National Rural Healt Mission, but the effectiveness and outcomes of such changes needs to be analysed. Literature Review Healthy population is very important for a developed nation and public health is an important indicator of holistic development yet public health is often ignored or at least its whole scope is not very often realized as it is often reduced to medical services. Public health services as Monica Das Gupta says is lot more than just medical services that areShow MoreRelatedFunctional Aspects of Health Status2384 Words   |  10 Pages Health is a relative expression of metabolic efficiency, and is a valued state of existence in individuals especially during adulthood. Food intake is directly associated with the health and wellbeing of a person. Background: Co existence of under nutrition and obesity is a matter of major concern. Objective: It was proposed to develop data base about the mean nutrient intake, its difference among genders, and anthropometric profile of adult population and association between BMI and WHR. Methodology:Read MoreLgbt19540 Words   |  79 Pagespublicly and can be a complex process. People who wish to transition often start by expressing their gender identity in situations where they feel safe. They typically work up to living full-time in a different gender, by making gradual changes to their gender expression. Connecting with other transgender people through peer support groups and transgender community organisations is also very helpful for people when they are going through the tra nsition process. Transitioning typically involves changes inRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography: Plagiarism39529 Words   |  158 Pagesscience and the public. Organization, 19(6): 881- 889. Global Health Bibliography Carabali, J. M. and Hendricks, D. (2012), Dengue and health care access: the role of social determinants of health in dengue surveillance in Colombia. Global Health Promotion, 19(4): 45-50. Deguen, S., Sà ©gala, C., Pà ©drono, G. and Mesbah, M. (2012), A New Air Quality Perception Scale for Global Assessment of Air Pollution Health Effects. Risk Analysis, 32(12): 2043-2054. Hassoun, N. (2012), Global Health Impact: A Basis

Corrections And The Criminal Justice System - 2445 Words

Corrections Corrections is a component of the criminal justice system and refers to the array of programs, services, facilities and organizations responsible for managing offenders or those who have been accused of committing a crime. Incarceration and probation are two of the basic ways that punishment is applied. If someone is a repeat offender or commits a more serious crime, they are more likely to be incarcerated, which means they are imprisoned. If someone is a first time offender or commits a lesser crime, they could be sentenced to probation, which allows them to serve in the community under the supervision of a probation officer (Cole, Smith DeJong, 2014). Probation and incarceration both have their own origin and definitions,†¦show more content†¦Other forms of punishment included branding and mutilation. Punishments of being incarcerated have become less severe over time (History of Probation, 2016). When someone is sentenced to probation, it often times includes a period of incarceration that will be suspended if the defendant properly complies with the terms of probation (Cole, Smith DeJong, 2014). It is also somewhat likely that offenders will be sentenced to a short incarceration term and then sentenced to probation following the incarceration term. This is known as a split sentence (Probation, 2016). Probation is the most frequently used criminal sanction. It allows offenders to serve their community under supervision of a probation officer throughout their sentence. First time offenders, youthful offenders, and those who commit minor crimes, such as shoplifting, are most likely to be sentenced to probation, as it is a lesser form of punishment. Those under probation must abide by certain rules. Often times, people on probation are required to be employed, maintain and orderly life, or attend school. Along with that, they are required to report back to their probation offic ers as often as requested. If these standards are not met, the judge may have the opportunity to revoke the probation and impose a greater form of punishment, such as a short prison sentence. Other rules these offenders might have to abide by include having curfews, taking regular drug

Global Warming And Climate Change Essay - 1387 Words

Climatic changes have been a major concern in the recent researches. The changes have negatively affected the production across the world and also the human lives are at stake. There are so many occurrences of unpredicted climatic effects such as the drought occurrences and the tides which affects the people. The unpredicted climatic changes have been as a result of the many factors. One of the most controversial things is that climatic changes have been caused by the social factors, which government takes number one responsible for it pros and cons. Climatic changes is therefore attributable to certain sociological perspectives. The question is, are human activities causing climate change? Should government promote different social contexts of what actions should be made? Global warming and climate changes are two of the biggest problems we face today. The temperature of the Earth is rising and the climate is changing. Although the climate has been changing throughout Earth’s history, the issues we are experiencing now are most likely human induced. The main cause of global warming is due to the â€Å"human expansion of the greenhouse effect† which is â€Å"warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space† (Patz, J. Holloway T, 2005). The effects of climate change are already having effects on the environment, such as â€Å"shrinking glaciers, earlier flowering of trees, and the shift of plant and animal ranges†. Most of these effects are whatShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And Climate Change974 Words   |  4 Pagesabout global warming, whether it is true or false. Is there evidence to prove that global warming has impacted the climate due to the rise in the earth’s temperature ? Climate change is a problem that is worldwide that should be reviewed. The rise in the earth’s temperature has caused some impact to the weather and climate changes to many places worldwide. This rise in temperature has the potential of causing drastic changes to the earth in many ways. It is time to view the global warming concernsRead MoreClimate Change Of Global Warming924 Words   |  4 Pages Figure 0.1 shows the different effects of global warming. Global warming is the warming of our planet at an extreme rate. The Earth’s climate has warmed by 7.8OC since 1880. (Quick facts about science, 2015). What causes global warming? The cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide. This acts like a blanket. Protecting the earth, and heating the earth. Sun rays would normally bounce around the earth, but with the blanket, the sun rays heat the blanket which heats the earth. (Petersen ScienceRead MoreGlobal Warming And Climate Change1398 Words   |  6 Pages Global warming and climate change have been frequent topics of discussion over the past several years. Although people tend to focus on the politics, it is important to look past the media aspects of it into the cold hard facts of what our Earth is currently experiencing, and what has caused it in the first place. The cause of climate change includes natural causes, but human causes are what is generating such a rapid global temperature change. It’s time that the ways in which humanity affectsRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1060 Words   |  5 PagesClimate change (Klaus) 1000 The terms â€Å"global warming†, â€Å"climate change† or â€Å"greenhouse effect† have become more than just parts of the popular lexicon as they rather are subject of public discussions, scientific research or political debates. Despite the popularity and the ubiquity of these terms, the public’s theoretical and conceptual understanding of them and their causal relations is often based on superficial knowledge and buzzwords or caricatures outlined and depicted in several popular mediaRead MoreClimate Change : Global Warming1194 Words   |  5 PagesDonya Curtis April 19, 2017 English 1001-rough draft Global Warming Global warming is one facet of the broader term climate change. It is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth s surface air and oceans from the mid 20th century and the projected continuation. The Global warming is primarily the consequence of building up greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Emission rates for most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, CO2, have increased 120 fold in the past 140 years. WhileRead MoreClimate Change and Global Warming1074 Words   |  5 PagesClimate change and Global Warming are out of control. This means that, no matter what policies, processes or actions are implemented, the Earth as we know it will never be the same again. There is significant evidence to support this hypothesis. The dilemma becomes whether we can limit the damage and adapt to a new status quo or not. Rising sea levels and the damage caused by this phenomenon has irreversible impacts on coastlines worldwide. Damage to sensitive reef systems cannot be fixed. This alsoRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1022 Words   |  5 PagesWhat = Climate Change Who = Emma, Aoife, Julia, Rachael, Mariah and Cà ©line What is it? Climate Change is a change in the demographic distribution of weather patterns, and related change in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, happening over time scales of decades or longer. It’s the world’s greatest threat. Climate change is the change in temperature over a period of time. It involves the greenhouse effect and global warming. Where is it? It is an issue affecting everyone everywhere. ClimateRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1474 Words   |  6 Pagesphenomenon, known as â€Å"smog† became an often daily occurrence in big, urbanized cites across the globe. Also, Al Gore’s book, An Inconvenient Truth, popularized the issue of climate change and global warming as a result of the damage that the modern world has done to the atmosphere. He noted that people resist the facts about climate change due to the inconvenience of changing their lifestyles. But, uninhibited industrialization of several countries has led to intense modernization and revolution of theRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming928 Words   |  4 PagesThis paper will discuss climate change and global warming on the economy. The paper also gives a description on climate change and global warming. As well as what it hold for future business owners. It will also discuss what the government is doing about climate change/global warming. 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Patriotism in Spiderman Movies Essay Example For Students

Patriotism in Spiderman Movies Essay The portrayal of the feelings of the general public is constantly used in film to stir the audience. If the filmmaker can rouse their feelings, people will be more engrossed in the movie than they would be otherwise. What is arguably the strongest emotion in many people is the feeling of patriotism. As George Bernard Shaw said, Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. Though this feeling is not necessarily based on logic, it is none-the-less one of the most powerful feelings along with hatred and love. Depending on when a movie is made, the amount of patriotism portrayed is directly related to the political and social climate on the time. Specifically, the recent movies Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) both show the differing amounts of patriotism that were in the American psyche at those two close but far different times in history. Additionally, it can be shown that the movies can even have their own effect on the patriotic feelings of the time. Comparing and contrasting the two movies reveals how the differing times affected the final product of both movies. Spider-Man (2002) was filmed in 2001 before and after the events of September eleventh, 2001, but wasnt released until eight months after in May of 2002. Though when the film was originally written and shot the amount of patriotism was evident, after 9/11 the political climate changed so drastically that the movie was edited to reflect this newfound patriotism in America. As the red, white, and blue Spiderman swung about the skyscrapers of New York City, no movie-goer could help but feel good about the American superhero saving the city in which only eight months earlier had been attacked so viciously. The movie shot straight into the hearts of Americans who had not experienced a climate of so much patriotism since World War II. Looking for an ultimate uniter of the people against evil, the movie-going public found him in Spiderman. Though Americans already felt great patriotism before the movies release, Spider-Man reinvigorated the public with patriotism and quite possibly caused a temporary increase in the amount of patriotism felt throughout the country. This is a definitive case where a movie not only reflects the patriotism of the era, but can also make an impact on the climate the film portrays. Spider-Man 2 (2004), though it came out soon after the first Spider-Man, used the superhero to portray patriotism very differently. The message in this movie was just as strong as the first, but the methods used to create the feeling of patriotism were not the same. By 2004 the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had been either completed or had been going on for over a year. The American public had lost much of its blind patriotism and was very segregated when it came to the current foreign policy. One feeling that remained very passionate in almost every American was the support for our troops overseas. This dissimilar feeling of patriotism was used very well in the second Spider-Man movie, with Spiderman representing the American troops. In this movie he was still fighting for the people, protecting them from the enemy, but much more of how Spiderman was more a boy came out in this movie. In one scene when Spidermans mask has come off, a passenger seeing his face while Spiderman tries to stop the train says My God, he is just a boy. He cant be any older than my son. This, along with many other scenes in the movie use Spiderman to represent our troops overseas, many of who are teenagers themselves. This patriotic message is very strong throughout the movie, though it is less in-your-face than the first Spider-Man movie. This movie doesnt jolt the viewer into having a greater feeling of patriotism afterwards, but it does reaffirm their support for the troops and however much patriotism they felt beforehand. Though Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) are very close together in terms of time and plotline, the way they use the superhero to bring out the movie-goers feeling of patriotism is very different. .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 , .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .postImageUrl , .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 , .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:hover , .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:visited , .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:active { border:0!important; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:active , .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1 .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua29476da77bc297b608b5d50d7d2bfb1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Atomic Bomb Flashed Above Hiroshima Essay The first is almost completely blind in .

Mad or Bad free essay sample

Are murderers suffering from mental illness or simply evil? The question of whether murderers are suffering from psychiatric illness or are just simply evil is a debate that runs rife throughout not only the psychological community, but society as a whole. We will write a custom essay sample on Mad or Bad or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Murders are rare events in Australia; nevertheless they do occur. The media coverage of such events can be extensive and often dramatized, without addressing the potential underlying processes such as mental health and/or intoxicating influences that may contribute to such antisocial behaviour. Presented will be a focus on those underlying factors such as mental health and substance abuse, psychopathy will also be critically examined to draw the conclusion that murderers behaviour cannot be excluded as bad even if a mental health issue is present at the time of offence. The question of whether murderers are suffering from psychiatric illness or are just simply evil is a debate that runs rife throughout not only the psychological community, but society as a whole. Murders are rare events in Australia; nevertheless they do occur. The media coverage of such events can be extensive and often dramatized, without addressing the potential underlying processes such as mental health and/or intoxicating influences that may contribute to such antisocial behaviour. To understand and determine whether or not murderers are mad or just bad, the defining terms of â€Å"mental illness† and â€Å"evil† are imperative. The psychological definition of mental illness is â€Å"any of various disorders in which a persons thoughts, emotions, or behaviour are so abnormal as to cause suffering to himself, herself, or other people† (Oxford dictionary. 2012) and on the other hand evil is defined as the â€Å"quality or an instance of being morally wrong; causing harm or injury† (Oxford dictionary. 2012). It is vital that we differentiate these terms as often the media portrayal of murderers is only based on the evil quality without considering other possible underlying influences that may provide further explanations for behaviour. In arguing the differentiation of the mad from the bad, this paper will discuss homicide in Australia and how it differs, address influences such as mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse and provide an overview of psychopathy to murder. Homicide in Australia is a rare event, and is among the most serious of all crimes, unfortunately however, it does occur. The term ‘homicide’ refers to a person killed (unlawfully); a murder is the willful killing of a person either intentionally or with reckless indifference to life (Hayes amp; Prenzler, 2009). In 2007-08 there were 260 homicide incidents in Australia involving the deaths of 273 victims. In trend terms however, this rate at which homicide occurs remains at an historical low. Within Australia, most homicides were domestic homicides involving one or more victims, who shared a family or domestic relationship with the offender, furthermore intimate partner homicides comprised the largest proportion of domestic homicides at 60%; leaving stranger homicide relatively low at 12%. The vast majority of victims of homicide died from stab wounds than from any other single cause of death. Secondly, victims died as a result of a gunshot wound. Although the vast majority of victims died as a result of stab wounds for domestic and acquaintance homicides, for stranger homicides the most frequently recorded cause of death was beatings at 53% (Virueda amp; Payne, 2010). The social context of most homicides suggests they are likely to occur between people who are generally from similar backgrounds and socio-economic groups (Hayes amp; Prenzler, 2009). Importantly, the location of a homicide is largely influenced by the type of homicide, with domestic homicides accounting for the largest proportion, majority occurred within a residential location most often the victims’ home; however occasionally in the offenders. In order to understand the factors or situations that are likely to precipitate a homicide event, the motives behind such behaviour must be acknowledged, although assigning a single reason or motive may be difficult because the reasons or lack thereof may be varied and complicated. Relating alcohol, drugs and psychiatric illness to homicide is key to understanding potential situational causes of murder and whether the offender is mad or bad. Given that domestic homicides were the largest category of homicide, the 2007-08 data shows that domestic arguments were the most commonly recorded motive. The second most frequently recorded motive was alcohol related arguments which was identified as having preceded two in five homicides in 2007-08. Another intoxicating influence which could lead to explain such behaviour was illicit drug use; found in one in five homicide ncidents in the reported year alone (Virueda amp; Payne, 2010). For the continued differentiation of the mad from the bad it is crucial to compare motives, only seven homicides occurred as a result of the offender suffering from mental health which is a considerable decrease compared to domestic argument or alcohol related offences. Although homicides caused due to the offender suffering from mental health issues is not the most predominant cause, is this due to the homicide being explained primarily due to a form of substance abuse therefore categorizing the offence as an alcohol related argument. Bennett et al. 2011) argues that patients with schizophrenia are signi? cantly more likely than those in the general community to commit homicide offences. Although based on the Homicide in Australia: 2007–08 National Homicide Monitoring Program annual report, this has been disproved based on statistical findings. Interestingly, 39. 5% of the homicide offenders with schizophrenia had a known substance abuse (Bennett et al. , 2011). The question, however, arises as to whether the link between schizophrenia and having committed homicide is in fact explained primarily by substance abuse and whether previous criminality also plays a role (Mullen, 2000). Soyka et al. (1992) puts forward the idea that alcohol or drug abuse could cause schizophrenia like psychosis which would be a major underlying process to offenders’ behaviour. The use of illicit substances by people with schizophrenia is markedly in excess of rates among the general population (Jablensky et al. , 2000). Cannabis is the most commonly used drug, followed by amphetamines. (REF) There is little doubt that illicit substances such as cannabis and amphetamines can cause acute psychotic symptoms, it is also clear that some people are more vulnerable to the effects of drugs such as cannabis (Arseneault et al. 2004) In terms of people with an established psychotic illness, illicit substances tend to result in a worsening of psychotic symptoms. This could potentially prove to be a major underlying factor to offenders who are suffering from mental health issues. A more contentious issue to consider when relating psychiatric illness to murder is whether illicit drug use can actually cause schizophrenia. There is considerable evidence that the use of methamphetamine can induce a picture that is very similar to that of positive symptoms of schizophrenia; in most cases, the symptoms clear once the drug taking ceases (Fergusson et al. 2005). This provides a substantial flaw to deciding whether a murder is suffering from mental illness or is simply evil as the mental illness may only be triggered due to intoxicating influences such as drug and alcohol use. The major limitation when relating psychiatric illness and substance abuse to homicide offenders are that there are many variables which are not strongly scientifically supported, as well as the diagnosis of the offenders mental health being diagnosed before or after the event has occurred. Psychopathy is a very in-depth and controversial disorder that is vital to comprehend when related to acts of murder. Many argue that psychopaths are not morally responsible because they lack some of the essential capacities for morality, they are considered by some to be both mad and bad however the insanity defense is not applicable to psychopaths. Psychopaths do not meet the insanity criteria as legal and moral responsibility stand as separate categories. Maibom (2008) explains that psychopaths do have impairments in a range of abilities but not to an extent that we should expect them to be unable to acquire any deep moral understanding, it may however be that they lack substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongness of their actions. When linking psychopathy to acts of murder and deciphering the argument of mad or bad, a major factor must be taken into consideration; murders by psychopaths compared to insanity cases, are not committed while in the grips of a hallucination or delusion (Maibom. ,2008). With psychopathy being considered a moral disorder and the relevant action of the circumstances under which it is performed, it again appears to be a bad action more than a mad action. Duff (1977) states that â€Å"a psychopath cannot understand the nature and quality of his actions, or the lives and interests of those around him; he cannot control his actions in the light of any rational concerns or values, not because his impulses are strictly irresistible, but because he has no conception of rational values as providing reasons for action. † (p. 199). It is argued by Maibom (2008) that the disorder that psychopaths experience and the sorts of murders they perpetrate are better examples of badness rather than madness. This is supported by his factor of psychopathic murder being preponderantly instrumental in nature, and by the offender seeking to gain from the offence in some way or other. On the contrary, recent research by a behavioural neuroscientist, Dr Kiehl has presented an attempt to understand a psychopaths’ brain functions. In a study, Dr Kiehl focused on a male offender charged with the brutal rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl, he performed two types of analysis on the offenders brain; focusing on the density and its function. Kiehls’ findings showed very low levels of density in the para-limbic system of the offenders’ brain. This scientifically supports the definition of a psychopath and their inability to process emotion to a normal degree. The major limitation of psychopathy is that there is minimal scientific research or empirical findings to clearly state whether they are in fact mad or bad, although based on the material that has been reviewed, the murders psychopaths perpetrate are better examples of bad acts than of madness. Based on all the reviewed literature discussed above, it is likely that murderers commit offences that are better examples of badness opposed to madness. As statistically found, the highest amount homicides were those of domestic and alcohol related arguments, with motives for the causation of such behaviour, many of which were not committed while the offender was delusional or having a hallucination. This provides reason to believe offenders were aware of their actions and the unlawful aspect of their behaviour however, committed the offence. Major limitations proved throughout this essay, as murders are often situational and need to be thoroughly investigated in their own context. Further research needs to be conducted as mental illness and substance abuse often overlap which is a potential flaw when categorizing offenders. In conclusion, murderers’ behaviour cannot be excluded as bad even if a mental health issue is present at the time of offence, the mental health aspect simply provides a potential reason for, and is used when prosecuting the offender.