Monday, September 30, 2019

Movie questions

First I think they are both determined, ambitious, but they both failed on something. Vincent has a lifelong dream of going Into the space, and he will do anything to make It happen. Jerome has always been a good swimmer and he's always winning. But once he got a third place Instead of a first, he melted down and walked in front of a car then sits in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. 2. I don't think he was mentally ill, instead I think he was depressed. Because he was kissable could no longer do thing he loves the most in his life swim. . Because each time Anton swum with Vincent, he saved his energy to swim back. But for Vincent, like I said, he is determined, he wants to beat his brother so bad. He gave out all his strength to achieve his goal. 4. Because the society Is running In the way they (the people with genetically disable) can't win on, they don't get to have a chance on something they might good at, Just because of the gene In their body. They begin to lose the faith In this society, thus, the resistance comes up. 5. There's no more trust between people, the only thing that people trust is genes.People don't get to treated equally, children get abandoned or neglected. The society judge and determine people's Jobs based on their genetic background. 6. Yes, parents want that for their children. But sometimes having the perfect genes is not everything that the child wants, it's sort of extra pressure for them. But once anyone who doesn't fit Into those ‘perfect' features Is thrown away and disregarded like garbage even though they're people. It's devoid of fun and vitality and everything eke that because everything Is controlled and restricted for them, and the people are all obey to the rules and laws. . Because he's using Groomer's identity, cause Groomer's genes were enhanced, also his hard working and his determined mind. 8. As the president of a corporation, I could (as many do) hire whatever I think are the best individuals for my busi ness. With all the diversity in my corporation, I believe it would create a comfortable work environment for my employees, which might show the customers we are not only care about our profit, we also care about our employees Like we care about you! Not only the money In your pocket!The Implication of this might be In the future, the standard of getting hired by some high profit or state-owned company will be raised. Personality that modified by their parents. Which means they might become what their parents wanted them to be instead of what themselves really want to be. This might cause the society with no diversity. 10. Yes I agree with this, because nobody is perfect. The progress of the human being is similar to we overcome ours weakness. Without weakness, a person will be incomplete† 11 . Certainly!If they can predict my future life, what's the point of selling me the insurance if I will be dead under their insurance? The way to stop this would be forbid this kind of tech nology in certain company to secure our rights. 12. They were trying to tell us the genes are not always accurate. It's not wise and considerate to Judge a person by their genes 13. They were trying to show us that although something as beautiful as music could be created from engineering children to have 12 fingers, it wouldn't be ultimately eight to genetically change the human structure.Sure, 12 fingers would help, but a mutant really be necessary Just for perfection? Some things are better off as is, and more beautiful natural. 14. I think it should be limited in medicinal area. It could be allowed only if it's for good purpose. 15 and 16. For me, it is not practical for us to start cloning humans until we start reaching out to other plants so we will have room for them. Remember, more people, the more land, food, waste, etc. So until we either start sending people out into space, r we have a global disaster that wipes out a large number of the population, I would say no.Regardl ess it's cloning myself or cloning other people. But if it's for personal multiply, I would say we need to consider it very carefully. 17. Yes they would, even they are not naturally born, but they are still human. Every human being deserves the equal rights, which supports my opinion: we really need to consider it carefully about cloning human. 18. Psychology: self worth, determination, failure Anthropology: perfection and imperfection Sociology: discrimination, family

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Afam Studies

Michelle Fleming AFAM Ch 18 Questions 1. Explain why and how some of the New Deal programs, like the AAA and the Civilian Conservation Corps, were discriminatory. The New Deal marked an important shift in the American electoral landscape as significant numbers of African Americans gave their votes to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Democratic Party for the first time, establishing a political loyalty that has endured for roughly seventy years. New Deal recovery and relief programs rapidly became a central element in blacks' endeavors to survive the harsh economic realities of the Depression.One of these programs, the Civilian Conservation Corps, provided more than a quarter of a million young black men with jobs and was consequently another arena in which the black community waged the struggle for greater equality. Although policy prohibited discrimination, blacks and other minorities encountered numerous difficulties in the CCC. In the early years of the program, some camps were integ rated. By 1935, however, there was, in the words of CCC director Fechner, a â€Å"complete segregation of colored and white enrollees,† but â€Å"segregation is not discrimination. At its peak, more than 250,000 African Americans were enrolled in nearly 150 all-black CCC company. 2. What was the effect of the Social Security Act on African Americans? How did that program reveal that whites often wanted to keep poor white women and blacks in subservient positions? The Social Security Act excluded those job categories blacks traditionally filled. â€Å"Negro Work† such as garbage collection, working in foundries, or domestic service was seen as jobs for blacks; now desperate whites used terror and intimidation of get employers to fire blacks so whites could have those jobs . How did African Americans survive the Great Depression? The depression hit African Americans hard. While many African Americans were already living in poverty, white employers felt no reservations a bout firing their black workers first and by 1932 more than half of African Americans were out of the jobs. Racial tensions grew as economic tensions mounted; lynching's in the south saw a huge resurgence. â€Å"Although there were many inequities in the New Deal housing, agricultural and economic programs, blacks had opportunities to obtain employment, some in areas previously closed to them.Black writers, for example, participated in the New Deal's writing projects, while other black Americans interviewed former slaves for the Works Project Administration (WPA)† 3. What was the NAACP role during the 1920s through the 1940s? NAACP’s anti-lynching campaign of the 1930s combined widespread publicity about the causes and costs of lynching, a successful drive to defeat Supreme Court nominee John J. Parker for his white supremacist and anti-union views and then defeat senators who voted for confirmation, and a skillful effort to lobby Congress and the Roosevelt administrat ion to pass a federal anti-lynching law.Southern senators filibustered, but they could not prevent the formation of a national consensus against lynching; by 1938 the number of lynching’s declined steeply. Through the 1930s and much of the 1940s, the NAACP initiated suits that dismantled aspects of the edifice of segregated education, each building on the precedent of the previous one. Not until the late 1940s did the NAACP believe it politically feasible to challenge directly the constitutionality of â€Å"separate but equal† education itself. . What did the â€Å"Scottsboro Boys† case illustrate about society? What role did racism play? The case of the Scottsboro Boys shows the deep seated, racist, white fear of the alleged black male rapist, in this case in the guise of youth. It showed the power of this fear to, override evidence and reason in the determination of guilt and innocence. The issue was neither guilt nor innocence; rather, it maintained white sup remacy and the repression of black freedom.Nevertheless, the concerted efforts to undo the wrongs against the Scottsboro Boys contributed significantly to the ongoing African-American struggle and the interrelated struggle to defeat Jim Crow 5. What was the role of the Communist Party during the 1920s and 1930s. Why did some blacks find communism appealing? How did the communists affect civil rights activism? During the 1930's, the Communist Party was heavily involved in the struggles of the people which arose during the Depression. Communists advocated for unemployment insurance, the right to organize, and for Social Security.The Communist Party attracted some blacks because it consistently renounced racism, worked on economic issues, and pursued legal equity and social justice for blacks. Ch 19 Questions 7. How did the Chicago Renaissance differ from the Harlem Renaissance? 8. How did African Americans create and employ popular culture to counteract negative stereotypes of black p eople? 9. How did music create a bridge between blacks and whites? 10. How did radio allow African Americans to get their music heard? 11. How did Hollywood films portray African American men and women during the 1930s and 1940s? 2. How did the images of African Americans in film and radio affect white attitudes and behavior toward blacks? 13. Why did black athletes become prominent during the 1930s and 1940s? 14. Explain what the Tuskegee Experiment was, who was responsible for the study, how did it reflect racism in America, and how did it then and now affect the attitudes of African Americans in regard to trusting the health care industry? You may need to review video clips on YouTube on this subject to gather information. Assessment

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A) Explain why many Basques in Spain feel they are not Spanairds and Essay

A) Explain why many Basques in Spain feel they are not Spanairds and b) discuss the socioeconomic organization of the French Basque Community of Santazai. Make reference to the readings - Essay Example By 1876, all the land belonging to Basques was divided between Spain and France. The Basque culture and language in the Spanish territories were prohibited during the time of General Francisco Franco. By 1950s, resistant groups had been formed, mostly the Basque Homeland and Liberty and the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna symbolized by (ETA). The ETA decided to commit terrorist attacks in 1970s and 1980s after the Spanish had ruled over the Basques were later liberalized when Franco died in 1975. Three Spanish Basques provinces were united together in 1980 as Basque autonomous Community (Cooper 65). The three provinces out of four were; Navarra, Vizcaya, and Guipuzcoa. The residents were given limited recognition of their language, culture, and autonomy and control over their police force and schools. The ETA were representing a small minority group, but they continued fighting for independence. There has been no comparable activity between Basques in Spain and French Basques who were subjected to the same repression. ETA has been provided with safe havens and material as sistance by sympathizers in the French side. Basque country consists of three regions on the French side and four regions in Spanish side. The regions on the Spanish side are; Navarra, Vizcaya, Alava, and Guipuzcoa (Cooper 46). The regions on the French side are; Soule, Labourd, and Basse-Navarre. The Basques renamed these regions collectively as Euskal-Herraia or Euskadi meaning land of the Basques. These regions were unified approximately a thousand years ago. The geographical area is varied, it contains foothills and ridges, mountain streams, narrow and steep valleys, and short coastal plains. The land of Basques is densely populated, with 3 million residents. Out of the 3 million inhabitants, 0.5 million are in France while 2.5 million are in Spain. Genetic information including blood types suggests that the Basques are ancient people

Friday, September 27, 2019

Using the IS-LM framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Using the IS-LM framework - Essay Example The model is represented in the form of a graph. The horizontal axis represents the national income or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of an economy. The vertical axis represents the variable â€Å"i† which denotes the prevailing interest rates in the economy. The model achieves equilibrium at a point where â€Å"IS† curve intersects the LM curve. Inflation is considered as an exogenous factor in this model in the short run. This means that in the short-run real and nominal interest rates are same and any changes in the nominal interest rates affect the demand for money in the economy. (Lipsey & Chrystal 2003) IS curve is drawn just like a conventional demand curve. The independent variable of this curve is the interest rate and the dependent variable is the national income of the economy which is denoted by â€Å"Y†. The curve is a downward sloping line. The reason for the downward or negative slop of the curve is the fact that at lower interest rates demand for mo ney â€Å"Y† is high. At higher interest rate levels, the demand drops down. This is in line with the rational behavior of consumers, institutions, businesses and governments. Since interest rate is a cost of money, many people would demand more money when it is being offered at cheaper rates. Similarly businesses will demand more money when the interest rates are low which lowers down their cost of doing business. Governments and other institutions will also borrow when the interest rate is low because of the fact that they will have to give lower amount to the party lending the fund, for the use of funds. In other words opportunity cost of borrowing is low when interest rates are low and high when interest rates are higher. All the parties needing money borrow more at lower interest rates unless the demand for money is inelastic. (Brue & McConnell 2006) IS Curve can be mathematically explained by the following equation: In the above equation, C(Y-T(Y)) represents the consum er spending part of the function. I(r) represent the investment function which is affected by the interest rates. It must be remembered that the relationship between investment and interest rate is negatively proportional at all times. G represents the government spending part which is exogenous or given. No factor affects the government spending and since it is solely determined by the government’s own policy hence it is considered as an exogenous factor. The last part of the function is related to international trade. NX(Y) represents the net import minus exports and denotes the net international trade as a function of real income. It must be remembered that the relationship between the international trade and disposable income is positive all the times. This makes sense as it tells the readers that the more income the people have, more they will be willing to spend. (Anabtwi & Smith 1994) In the diagram â€Å"Figure 1†, it can be seen that the IS curve is downward s loping. In other words, the relationship between national income (GDP) and interest rate is negatively correlated. Any fall in interest rate increases the national income and any rise in interest rate decreases the national income (GDP). The relationship is more explicitly point out in numerical figures. The rise in interest rates from 4 percent to 5 percent has resulted in the fall in national income from $700 to $600. The relationship between these two variables is negative. The relationship makes sense because of the opportunity cost

Thursday, September 26, 2019

EPI in MRI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

EPI in MRI - Essay Example Notably, the boundaries existing between fat and compact bone are affected by the rapid de-phasing of the transverse magnetic field as well as distorts the signal. Resultantly, this leads to the wrong positioning of the frequency in the phase direction. K-space line is another parameter that could be optimized so as to change the EPI. A shift in the k-space line from its normal line leads to geometric distortion (Amin & Afzal, 2009, p.232). Such a shift may be resulting from field in-homogeneities. However, this artefact is reduced by spin echo sequences, which do rephrase the spins each time a 180-degree pulse is applied. On the other hand, gradient echo structures of the refocusing of the artefact. Undeniably, EPI makes use of a gradient echo sequence, thus leading to the accumulation of the effect with no radiofrequency (RF) pulse to correct the same. It is worth noting that any accumulation of errors arising from phase encoding will be wrongly registered, thus exposing EPI to thi s artefact. In the event that the duration of the EPI trajectory if considerably long, the EPI itself gets to be affected even by small field in-homogeneities (Ye et al, 1996, p.219). Change in the parameter can be so achieved through increasing the bandwidth. Such an action will lead to a reduction in the echo time (TE). So as to realize more ramp sampling, the dwell time can be increased. In optimizing EPI, the frequency of the phase encoding can be increased using a zero filling. The end result of this is an increase in resolution. On the other hand, TE can be increased so as to increase the transverse magnetization, thus giving a greater T2 and T2*. Moreover, a gradient with a relatively high performance can be used in optimising EPI (Ye et al, 1996, p.220). Bandwidth represents the frequency range resulting from the already read gradient across the field-of-view (FOV). This measure is quite imperative in the determination the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Write about Auguste Escoffier Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write about Auguste Escoffier - Research Paper Example He moved to Carlton Hotel in 1899 to make his haunte cuisine familiar to the people. Emperor William II is reported to have said to Escoffier, "I am the emperor of Germany but you are the emperor of chefs"(Aakanksh, 13). He received an award of Legion of Honor in 1920 and was made officer of the order in 1928 (Aakanksh, 13). The beginning of 20th century made Escoffier France’s most skillful and popular chef. (Les, n.d) One of the most remarkable contributions made by Escoffier was to organize discipline in his kitchen by introducing a systematic method to eliminate chaos. This method was known as the brigade de cuisine system in which each section of the kitchen was to be handled by a different chef. Escoffier is popular all over the world. Even today his techniques, recipes, traditions and approaches to kitchen management remain highly influential today. (Les, n.d) Besides being a well known chef, Escoffier was a great writer as well. Le Guide culinaire (1903), Le Livre des menus (1912) and Ma cuisine (1934) are his books that have contributed to his writings. From 1911 to 1914, the monthly magazine Le Carnet d’epicure was published by Escoffier which became reputed in its time. Escoffier died on February 12 1935 in Monte-Carlo, Monacco. (Aakanksh,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Human Biology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Biology - Assignment Example Based on the significant evolutionary development that have taken place in on earth, the organisms that have contributed a lot the evolutionary changes are the simple organisms. According to Darwin’s theory, multi-cellular and high organisms are thought to have evolved from simple organisms (Darwin, 1859). Indeed, it could be argued that such simple organisms continue to undergo evolution, considering the emergence of new strains of viruses and bacteria that threaten human health. For example, it is widely concurred that Malaria causative agents have noticeably evolved to become drug resistant. The new exotic organisms are accompanied by far-reaching implication on the ecosystems. In the most common way, these organisms have altered food chains and food webs through increased competition, as well as their harmful activities on the environment. The impact of such organism to human beings can also be speculated based on the food web relationships. If one component on the food web is altered or threatened, the impact is transferred to the rest of the organisms in the ecosystems, including human beings. The impact may always be direct, but comes with profound consequences, such introduction of toxins to the environment, which gets to the human body through the food chains (Cronon, 2005). Becoming a vegetarian has also some implications on the environment. One is that vegetable dependency deprives the ecosystems the primary producer capacity to cater for the ecosystem needs, such as carbon dioxide recapture. Secondly, over-reliance on vegetables could harmful because it concentrates only certain form of energy in the body, which could be harmful. Lastly, vegetables alone are not adequate for a balanced diet. One misses out essential nutrient such as animal proteins that are crucial for the body functioning. The most convenient sources of energy are hydroelectric power. Currently, a lot of emphasis is being laid on green energy

Monday, September 23, 2019

A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (1590) Assignment

A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (1590) - Assignment Example sometimes â€Å"v† represents the /u/ sound as in â€Å"vnto.† Definitely, however, the culture did not care about the sound as much as they cared about the spelling. On the other hand, since the same word is spelled consistently like â€Å"watche† and â€Å"solemne,† it only seems that English culture may not be sloppy but may be one that favors someone in a hurry to take down notes. Due to the intricacy of the picture in terms of detail, it is possible that the engraver’s skill and tools were satisfactory. The artist’s skills may also be good enough as he was able to draw the Indian village using third-dimensional point of view. Through the publicists, people may learn that the people of the New World are rather peace-loving and united as a community. They will also be thought of as organized and religious. However, some Europeans may view them either as primitive because of their use of fire, or as fit to be used as slaves as they cultivate good plants like tobacco and corn. The Indians gather around a broad plot to meet with their neighbors, to celebrate their solemn feasts and to engage in merrymaking after the feast. The Indians also assemble themselves together to say their solemn prayers. There is also a place where they make fire to light up their feasts. The two observers made such observations and clearly and carefully documented the activities of the town of Secota because they wanted to somehow get a blueprint of what it is like to live among the Native Americans. The observers did this because they themselves wanted to establish a settlement in that place. To the Europeans, a clear understanding of the life of Native Americans is essential to building a long-lasting and harmonious relationship with them. The two observers provided realistic portrayals of Indian culture because they made such claims from an ordinary observer’s point of view. There were no details or explanations as to why the Indians were meeting their neighbors or conducting

Sunday, September 22, 2019

EasyJet A No Frills Airline Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EasyJet A No Frills Airline - Coursework Example Strategy refers to the action plan, which is designed for attaining long-term objectives (Nickols, 2012). A strategy framed at the business level is usually termed as business level strategy. It can be further defined as the adoption along with the implementation of vital decisions towards the attainment of long-term objectives (Beard & Dess, 1981). The term ‘competitive advantage’ refers to the competitive position, wherein one organisation is able to generate more revenues as compared to other related companies. For instance, Micromax, a mobile phone company, grabbed a high market share in nations such as India through the utilisation of cost leadership strategy. A company achieves greater competitive position, when it is able to gain control over its competitors relating to every business or operational aspect (Ware & Grantham, 2010). Although Easyjet has utilised several strategies for developing its competitive position, the airline company mainly focused on cost leadership strategy amid the prime ones (Gallagher, 2004). Cost leadership strategy refers to gaining high market share by providing goods and services at the lowest possible prices. Michael Porter first developed and defined the concept of this particular strategy. The other available options can be reckoned as ‘differentiation’ and ‘niche marketing’ strategies (Dess & Davis, 1984). Michael Porter developed three generic strategies that aimed at supporting the organisations towards fulfilling their respective objectives. In this regard, one of such strategies is cost leadership, which leads to attain superior competitive advantage through reduction in costs. Differentiation strategy aims at gaining competitive advantage by providing the customers with unique features embedded in the products and services (Dess & Davis, 1984). Focus or niche marketing strategy derives

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Social Change According to Foucault and Fromm Essay Example for Free

Social Change According to Foucault and Fromm Essay For many years before Michel Foucault and Erich Fromm put forward their respective theories on social analysis, Karl Marx’s concepts on the contradiction between social classes based on the relations of production were dominant in providing theoretical and practical guidance of forces promoting social change. As a result, revolutions were waged by the forces of social change, which later on gave birth to the world’s biggest socialist countries, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the People’s Republic of China. Other countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America followed suit, with leading revolutionary organizations also espousing basic Marxist doctrines. Due to the successes achieved by such revolutions, many sociologists and academics began accepting the correctness of Marxism and socialism as an alternative social system to capitalism. However, even before the 1950’s, major weaknesses in the socialist systems as practiced by the Soviet Union and China began to emerge. Such weaknesses led sociologists to reconsider their admiration of Marxism without necessarily compromising their stand for social change. Erich Fromm, who belonged to the Frankfurt School which advocated the adaptation of Marxism to the realities of the 20th century, observed the excesses of the Soviet Union under Stalin and became critical of the model of social change advocated by the Soviets as well as radical socialist revolutionaries. Michel Foucault, on the other hand, who was a member of the French Communist Party, became disillusioned with the party’s continuing support of the Soviet Union and with its position in France’s national politics. Both Foucault and Fromm, at one point, considered themselves adherents to Marxist social analysis and its theory and practice of social change. This does not, however, mean that they can be compared to Marxist-Leninist revolutionary theoreticians in terms of strictly adhering to the concepts of dialectical materialism, socialist revolution, and communism as the ultimate objective. They upheld only essential part of Marxism that is characterized by humanism and its stand for progressive social change in order to achieve humanist concerns. In doing so, both Fromm and Foucault managed to develop respectively their own distinct perspectives on the methods of analyzing society. Such theories were not truly devoid of Marxist elements but, nevertheless, these were meant to be applications of some of Marx’s ideas to the more contemporary social issues. Consequently, they also proposed novel concepts on how social change must be achieved, all of which essentially do not espouse violent revolutions or the authoritarian one-party state structure that socialism in practice has been known for. Because of this, both Fromm and Foucault were criticized by Marxists and socialists even within the academic circles to which they belong. Foucault’s Discipline and Punish: the Birth of the Prison is a study on the social foundations and the theoretical concepts in the establishment of the modern prison systems. The study focuses on the Foucault’s observation and historical research on the development of the penal system in his native France. However, his findings and conclusions are proven to be relevant not just for his particular society alone but for all modern societies in Europe and North America. Before Foucault came out with his ideas in Discipline and Punish, most of the conclusions regarding the development of the prison system were based on the notion that reformists within the state were decisive in introducing more humane forms of punishment. The reformists, allegedly, just happened to become more compassionate through time and had determined that criminals and other deviants should no longer be subjected with corporal punishments done in full view of the public. Foucault argued that the invention of the prison was the decisive factor why such public corporal punishments were no longer the preferred mode of penalizing criminals. In this regard, he asserted on the idea that that it was not the government or the powerful bloc of people running it that grew the moral conscience which prompted them to discard corporal punishments but the introduction of a new form technology that allows disciplinary measures instead. Foucault cited the Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon as the embodiment of such technological advance. With this concept, he subscribed to the Marxist theory that man’s ideas are not independent of material objects but is influenced by it. Here lies the essence of Foucault’s view on social change; that it cannot be achieved merely because man’s ideas willed it but that it should be based on material conditions. Foucault explained that society is itself a prison. He wrote that â€Å"prison continues, on those who are entrusted to it, a work begun elsewhere, which the whole of society pursues on each individual through innumerable mechanisms of discipline† (Discipline and Punish). With the state above it and with the existence of different forms of hierarchies in schools, churches, and organizations, society is essentially held together by a structure of disciplines. Because of this, it is necessary for penal systems to be established in order for society to survive. Without it, there will be chaos that can lead to the disintegration of society itself. To this effect, it appears that Foucault is an apologist for the existence of prisons or the maintenance of status quo. In his book, he pointed out that â€Å"in its function, the power to punish is not essentially different from that of curing or educating† (Discipline and Punish). Thus, he insisted that the state is necessary. The coercive apparatuses of the government must be maintained. This does not, however, mean that Foucault had departed from the progressive standpoint of social change. He explained that it prisons are indispensable facilities but these are also subject to changes. However, such changes should not lead to the elimination of the prison system but to the improvement of its conditions in order to make it more effective in disciplining and rehabilitating the incarcerated. Since society is like prison, it is clear that Foucault advocate social change but not the extent of destroying the state and ultimately the concept of modern society itself. For him, the key to social change is clearly not revolutionary cataclysm but discourse. Intellectual discourse is the venue in which social issues are addressed and solutions that encourage the transformation of society are achieved. He placed emphasis on the importance of intellectuals in social change, whose work is â€Å"is not to mould the political will of others; it is, through the analyses that he does in his own field, to re-examine evidence and assumptions, to shake up habitual ways of working and thinking, to dissipate conventional familiarities, to re-evaluate rules and institutions and to participate in the formation of a political will (where he has his role as citizen to play)† (Green 1997 p. vii). Erich Fromm’s Escape from Freedom, which came out in 1941, was influential in introducing a new perspective on analyzing society. While most of the earlier methods of social analysis were based on observations of human interaction within a society, Fromm focused on the psychological and philosophical aspects of individuals. Consequently, his analysis on society is primarily dependent of the individual’s mental and moral state and not on the structures or hierarchies in the political, economic, and cultural spheres. In this sense, he deviates from the Marxist theory that man’s ideas are shaped by forces beyond his subjective control. In Escape from Freedom, Fromm explained that man is inherently an advocate of his own freedom but he also seeks a particular order or hierarchy of power that would guarantee the advancement or the defense of such freedom. While he was critical of capitalism, he was also disillusioned with the socialist alternative as practiced by the Soviet Union. Because of this, he found the medieval societies more beneficial towards man than either capitalism or socialism. He articulated that medieval societies were indeed inadequate in providing freedom to the individual along contemporary definitions but then the individual was also not alienated. Instead, â€Å"in having a distinct, unchangeable, and unquestionable place in the social world from the moment of birth, man was rooted in a structuralized whole, and thus life had a meaning which left no place, and no need for doubt†¦There was comparatively little competition† (Escape from Freedom). Fromm believed that people did not sense any form of exploitation or oppression during the medieval era because an individual â€Å"was born into a certain economic position which guaranteed a livelihood determined by tradition, just as it carried economic obligations to those higher in the social hierarchy† (Escape from Freedom). It is clear Fromm places so much emphasis on the human being’s psychological factor in analyzing society and even in achieving social change. Contrary to Marx who stressed on the conflict or hatred between social classes and the inevitability of social transformation through revolutions, Fromm stated that â€Å"love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence† (Art of Loving 1956 p. 133). In elucidating about freedom, he wrote in Escape from Freedom that human beings naturally desire freedom but they also fear it so much. The excesses in the capitalist culture are proofs how such abuse of freedom has become detrimental to society. Because of this, Fromm does see the necessity of social change. However, his eclectic mix religious eastern and western religious mysticism with social critique has resulted into a standpoint for social change without the necessary concrete exposition on how this can be achieved. Both Michel Foucault and Erich Fromm stood for the necessity of social change. However, they differ in the means of analyzing society. Foucault based his on the premise of power relations in society while Fromm on the innate human nature of freedom and love. Foucault considers the material structures as the principal factors that affect social change. Fromm, on the other hand, points out that it is the will of human beings that is decisive. What is common to both, however, is the necessity for dialogue. Foucault sees the importance of intellectual discourse in order for social reforms to be initiated. For Fromm, such dialogues are necessary so that men will come to agree on the vital changes that should be achieved. For the left, however, especially the Marxists from which they were associated in their earlier years, both are reformists or even conformists. For them, the theories of Foucault and Fromm only serve as an excuse for the continuation of the status quo. References Foucault, M. (1975). Discipline and Punish. Retrieved 12 May, 2010. http://www. sparknotes. com/philosophy/disciplinepunish. Fromm, E. (1956). The Art of Loving. New York, NY: Harper. Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from Freedom. Retrieved 12 May, 2010. http://www. scholierenliefde. nl/Frommenglisch. html. Green, R. L. (1997). English with an Accent: Language, Ideology, and Discrimination in the United States. London, UK: Routledge.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Women’s Changing Role in the Family and Society

Women’s Changing Role in the Family and Society Nicole M. Tortoris Today, women are tipping the balance of power in their favor. Women have gained power because society is becoming more aware of women’s potential, not only as mothers and housewives, but as businesswomen and entrepreneurs (Schoen, Astone, Rothert, Standish, Kim, 2002). The battle of the sexes continues; women are becoming more independent and more preoccupied with their careers. Women’s independence is why they are less dependent on men and men’s financial support, and less willing to start a family for reasons concerning only economic safety. The emancipation of women, which began decades ago, led to a more active and influential presence in the business world, also known as â€Å"a man’s world.† The time to be an obedient housewife and a dedicated mother has passed, while the time for education and profession is present. Women are becoming too busy for large families for whom they must care during their entire youth (Schoen, Astone, Rothert, Stan dish, Kim, 2002). In their study, Schoen, Aston, Rothert, Standish and Kim (2002) investigated whether or not married women’s employment threatens their marriages. They pose a complex three-part hypothesis in which they examine the likelihood of a marriage to end in divorce based on the woman’s employment and the happiness of both or either spouse. They investigated these hypotheses using data from the 1988 and 1992-94 National Survey of Families and Households. In their analysis of this data, the authors consider two theories using the variables role specialization, interdependence, and economic opportunity. The first suggests that a married woman’s employment does pose a threat to her marriage; however, the second argues that in itself, the wife’s work does not endanger her marriage, but would allow her to leave if she were unhappy with the marriage. The authors’ findings support the second theory, that a working woman would be more likely to leave an unhappy marri age. The risk of divorce for a full time employed wife when both partners are unhappy is 4.94 times greater than not getting a divorce, p Women’s fuller participation in the decision-making processes of our social institutions has shattered stereotypes that tended to limit females to feminine activities and pushed males into male activities (Heslin, 2007). As structural barriers continue to fall and more activities are degendered, both males and females will be freer to pursue activities that are more compatible with their individual abilities and desires instead of society’s prescribed roles. As stereotypes continue to be broken, new role models develop and socialization of children changes. Males and females will gain new perceptions of themselves and of one another. Sociologist Janet Chafetz (1974) conducted a qualitative longitudinal study utilizing focus groups, (based in large part on small class project by her students). In this study, Chafetz identifies 16 acceptable behaviors, eight for men and eight for women. Each of these themes focused on specific behaviors that are considered acceptable for men and women. This study’s findings were more useful in determining acceptable behaviors for men and women, and efforts to understand how far both men and women have advanced in terms of acceptable behaviors. This study was also useful because it looked at behaviors instead of stereotypes. In an attempt to take a new approach to this area of study, this study coded specific sex-typed behaviors, instead of using stereotypes, to assess gender in commercials. Chafetz (1974) explained that this change will allow men and women to express needs and emotions that traditional social arrangements denied them. Women and girls will likely perceive themselves as more in control of their lives, more assertive, and striving more for positions of leadership. With these roles changing, men and women will also develop a new consciousness of their capacities and their options, which will change relationships among men and women. Offen (1990) predicted that if current trends continue, American society may see a growing appreciation of sexual differences coupled with greater equality of opportunity. This has the potential of transforming society. According to Rogers and Amato (2000), there have been fundamental changes to gender relations. Since the 1960s, both men and women have become less traditional in their gender-role attitudes. Judge and Livingston (2008) examined the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a panel study administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sample was a nationally representative sample of 12,686 individuals between the ages of 14 and 22 years of age when the participants were first surveyed in 1979. Individuals were surveyed annually through 1994 and then interviewed on a biennial basis through to 2005. F rom the original sample, 60.4% of participants remained in the study. Judge and Livingston (2008) found that women have a more egalitarian orientation than men do (B=-.361, p Kulik (2002) analyzed 232 Israeli retirees aged 58 to 85 years to compare the differences between husbands and wives and their views on marital satisfaction. The results of this comparison suggest that gender may have implications for those couples who are at similar life stages versus those who are not. Participants in the study were asked to complete a 20 minute questionnaire. Research assistants made sure the couples filled out the questionnaire separately. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were differences between husbands and wives with respect to marital satisfaction and gender role ideology, power relations, and division of family roles. Wives reported a lower level of marital satisfaction than their husbands F(2,103)=7.45,p In Kulik’s 1999 study of 348 men, 137 were pre-retired (up to 18 months prior to retirement) and 211 had been retired from 2 to 10 years. MANOVA revealed significant differences between pre-retired and retired husbands in gender role ideology (F [2,324] = 6.25, p Several potential explanations for a gendered division of household labor have been posited (Blair Lichter, 1991). One explanation suggests that household responsibilities continue to be shouldered by women because women are socialized to adopt this as part of their identity as a woman. Therefore, many women may discourage help from their husbands because this challenges their self-identity. Recognizing that husbands contribute more to household duties upon retirement (Atchley, 1992), regardless of their wives’ employment status, may suggest a potential source of conflict as men encroach upon what has traditionally been accepted as a â€Å"woman’s domain.† This may be an issue that is more pronounced for individuals in age discrepant relationships who transition into retirement at different times. Although Kuliks (1999; 2001) results do not suggest that age discrepancy may exacerbate potential sources of conflict that couples in age-similar marriages have alread y confronted and resolved, it is important to recognize that no specific data regarding age similarity between partners was provided. Moreover, Kuliks (2001) study focused on Israeli couples who were in dual-earner marriages. As a result, the potential impact of culture may fail to extend to American couples. Kurdek (1998) provides further support for the link between gendered divisions of household labor and gender socialization. Kurdek examined the relation among division of household labor, gender role orientation, and marital satisfaction. The link between gender role orientation and division of household labor were consistent with Kulik’s (1999; 2001) findings. Although the women in Kulik’s sample shouldered more of the household responsibilities than men, the division of household labor was not significantly related to marital satisfaction. According to Kulik, this may be because an inequitable division of household labor is consistent with traditional views regarding the roles of men and women and is therefore congruent with the expectations of both husbands and wives. Ward’s (1993) study provides additional insight regarding the relation between marital satisfaction and the division of household labor. Unlike Kurdek (1998), Ward’s study provided evidence supporting the link between the division of household labor and marital satisfaction for wives, but not husbands. Ward analyzed the National Survey of Families and Households, which conducted interviews with a national probability sample of 13,017 participants. According to Ward, unequal divisions of household labor are not responsible for gender differences in marital satisfaction. The link to marital satisfaction is based on whether wives consider these labor divisions to be fair. Ward used multivariate analyses to investigate the predictors of perceived fairness in household labor and marital happiness. According to his findings, women participate in household tasks more often than men do (means: women=37, men=15, p=.0001). Perceived fairness of household chores appeared to be rel ated to marital happiness. For women, unfairness to self is related to lower happiness, χ2 (1, N=538) =38.4, p Several studies have linked gender role ideologies to the division of household labor (Kurdek, 1998; Gerson 2004; Mannino Deutsch, 2007; Mickelson, Claffey, Williams 2006; Robinson Hunter, 2008), yet the impact of aging on attitudes toward sex roles remains unclear (Kulik, 1999). Inglehart, Norris, and Welzel (2003) found evidence that younger adults displayed more modern gender role ideologies when compared to older adults. Inglehar, Norris, and Welzel (2003) note that the differences between younger and older couples may reflect differences in socialization related to cohort. As a result, couples who are age discrepant may be more likely to experience conflicts related to the impact of cohort differences on attitudes toward sex roles. However, Burke and Cast (1997) note that newlyweds who have a newborn during the first year of marriage experience changes in gender identity that accompany gender role taking. According to Burke and Cast, gender-role-taking yields more congruency between partners with regard to gender identity. The implications of Burke and Castâ⠂¬â„¢s study indicate that retirement may present the same opportunity for gender role taking among age discrepant marriages that the birth of a child does for newlyweds. These are issues that have yet to be examined among older couples and age discrepant marriages in particular. Researchers have attempted to explore power, decision-making, and relationship satisfaction differences between males and females for years. There appears to be some sex difference in the levels of satisfaction within marriages. For example, there seems to be a difference in relationship satisfaction based on gender roles and ideologies (Mickelson, Claffey, Williams, 2006; Sprecher, 2001). One predictor of relationship satisfaction may be equal participation in household work. Many women perceive the contribution by their partner, however limited, as an expression of love or support (Pina Bengtson, 1993). Similarly, other studies suggest that balanced roles in relation to equal division of household labor (Mickelson, Claffey, Williams, 2006; Rachlin, 1987) and equal contributions to child-rearing (Coltrane, 2000; Dempsey, 2002; Yogman Bragelton, 1986) led to higher levels of relationship satisfaction. Tsang and colleagues (2003) and Marks and colleagues (2001) also concluded that when both spouses were employed full-time, relationship satisfaction was increased (Marks, Huston, Johnson, Macdermid, 2001; Tsang, Harvey, Duncan, Sommer, 2003). REFERENCES Amato, P., Johnson, D., Booth, A., Rogers, S. (2003). Continuity and change in mariatl quarily between 1980 and 2000. Journal of Marriage and the Family , pp. 1-22. Atchely, R. (1993). Retirement and marial satisfaction. In M. Szinovacz, D. Ekerdt, B. Vinick, Families and Retirement (pp. 145-158). Newbury Park, California: Sage. Blair, S., Lichter, D. (1991). Measuring the dividion of household labor. Journal of Family Issues , 12, 91-113. Burke, P., Cast, A. (1997). Stability and change int he gender identieies of newly married couples. Social Psychology Quarterly , 60, 277-290. Chafetz, J.S. (1974). Masculine/feminine or human? An overview of the sociologt of sex roles. Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock. Chafetz, J.S. (1990). Gender equaily: An intergrated theory of stability and change. Newburry Park, CA: Sage Publications. Gerson, K. (2004). Understanding work and family through a gender lens. Community, Work and Family , 7 (2), 163-178. Grote, N., Clark, M. (2001). Perceiving unfairness in the family: Cause or consequece of marital distress? Journal of Personaility and Social Psychology , 80 (2), pp. 281-293. Henslin, J. (2007). Sociology: A down-to- earth approach (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Inglehart, R., Norris, P., and Welzel, C. (2003). Gender equality and democracy. Comparative Sociology , 1 (3-4), pp. 321-346. Judge, T. A., and Livingston, B. A.. Is the gap more than gender? A longitudinal analysis of gender, gender role orientation, and earnings. Journal of Applied Psychology 93.5 (2008): 994-1012. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. Kulik, L.(1998). The effect of gender and social environment on gender role perceptions and sex identity: A comparative study of kibbutz and urban adolescence in Israel.Journal of Community Psychology, 30(6), 533-548. Kulik, L. (1999, May-June). Continuity and discontinuity in marital life after retirement: Life orientations, gender role ideology, intimacy, and satisfaction. The Journal of Contemporary Human Services , 286-294. Kulik, L.(2001). The impact of men’s and women’s retirement on marital relations: A comparative analysis. Journal of Women and Aging, 13(2), 21-37. Kulik, L.(2002). Marital equality and the quality of long term marriage in later life.Ageing and Society, 22,459-481. Kurdek, L. (1998). The allocation of household labor in gay, lesbian, and heterosexual married couples. In D. Anselmi, A. Law, Questions of gender: Perspectives and paradoxes (pp. 582-591). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. Mannino, C., Deutsch, F. (2007). Changing the dividion of houselold labor: A negotiated process between partners. Rex Roles , 56, pp. 309-324. Marks, S., Huston, T., Johnson, E., MacDermid, S. (2001). Role balance among white married couples. Journal of Marriage and Family , 63, 1083-1098. Mickelson, K., Claffey, S., Williams, S. (2006). The moderating role of gender and gender role attitudes on the link between spousal support and marital quailty. Rex Roles , 55 (73), 81-91. Offen, K. (1990). Feminism and sexual difference in histroical perpective. In D. Rhode, Theortical perspectives on sexual differences (pp. 13-20). New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Schoen, R., Astone, N., Rothert, K., Standish, N., Kim, Y. (2002). Womens employment, marital happiness, and divorce. Social Forces , 81 (2), 643-663. Tsang, L., Harvey, C., Duncan, K., Sommer, R. (2003). The effect of children on marital happiness: Evidence from a longitudinal sample. Journal of Family and Economic Issues , 24, 5-26. Ward, R. (1993). Marital happiness adn houshold equilty in later life. Journal of Marriage Family , 55, 427-438.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

A Seperate Peace, by John Knowles :: essays research papers

A Separate Peace was written by active author John Knowles from his real experiences and personal struggles. Knowles attended Phillips Exeter Academy, an exclusive New Hampshire prep school, for two summer sessions in 1943 and 1944. This book vaguely outlines his experiences at Exeter with himself as the main character but under the name of Gene Forrester. Knowles' novel tells the somber story of a young man's struggle to escape from himself and his world; to achieve a special and separate peace. The primary setting of A Separate Peace is at the Devon School. The exact location of this school is not known in terms of a state, but it is identified as being in the South, sitting between a freshwater and a saltwater stream. The bulk of the story takes place in the years of 1942 through 1944 at the same time as World War II, but the beginning and end of the book consist of Gene looking back on his years at the Devon School 15 years after he had attended it. A Separate Peace considers two conflicts: man against man and man against himself. Early in the story Gene believes that his problems lie within his best friend Phineas (Finny), but later he realizes that his conflict is internal. Misplaced jealousy, fear, love and hate fight for control of Gene's actions. When the dark side of him wins for a brief moment and he pushes Finny out of a tree it ends his man against man conflict and makes Gene realize that Finny's intention has never been to sabotage him. He had only wanted to have a close and meaningful relationship with his best friend, but their relationship was forever scarred by Gene's betrayal. Gene also learns that people destruct themselves all of the time for no reason, believing that others are enemies when they actually are not.. This can be observed in the last lines of the book when Gene states, "All of them, all except Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thoug ht they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way -if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy." The climax of the story occurs when Gene and Finny finally have a two-sited discussion about the incident at the tree. This tear-filled conversation makes each boy realize how much they actually care for each other.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

John Donne :: essays research papers

Essay on John Donne John Donne, a master at his work, was born some time during the year 1572. The exact date of his birth date is unknown. Donne accomplished many and experienced many things in his life. He got married secretly, went to prison, and wrote many poems that are world known John Donne attended both Oxford and Cambridge universities, and he also attended Lincoln's Inn. At Lincoln's Inn Donne studied law, but never practiced it there after. Donne did not get degrees at any of the universities that he attended, but he did obtain a mind full of knowledge. As Donne grew up as a child, his parents raised him up in a Catholic household. During the 1590's, Donne abandoned Catholicism and looked toward to become an Anglican. In Donne's later years he wrote two Anti-Catholic poems (Pseudo-Martyr and Ignatius his Conclave). Donne later became a preacher. He had a metaphorical style which made him a great preacher. Donne received a degree of divinity from the University of Cambridge and was made a royal chaplain. In 1601 John Donne secretly married a woman by the name of Ann More. This act ruined his employment at that time. Donne was appointed private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton in 1958. Ann More was, ironically, the niece of Lady Egerton.The secret marriage diminished Donne's hope for his advancement with Sir Thomas Egerton. John Donne was even imprisoned by Sir George More for marrying Ann More. One of the most traumatic experiences that Donne faced was the death of his wife. Ann died while giving birth to a still born in August of 1617. John loved his wife very much and mourned the death of her loss. They were married to each other for fifteen and a half years. Donne pays tribute to her on her grave stone by inscribing words such as "a most excellent and beloved woman, a most loving and chaste wife, a most dutiful and forbearing mother".

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Leadership Essay -- Communication, Accountability

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE In this section of the paper, I will discuss current relevant literary articles that are related to ineffective leader skills, effective leadership skills, and inadequate communication skills. These scholarly references will show how others are dealing with the issues of ineffective leadership skill. It will also illustrate what can be done to improve poor leadership behavior. By reviewing these references, I will be able to help my organization become more successful. First, Allen and Dennis states leadership and accountability go hand in hand. This study shows that nurses are incompetent because they lack sufficient leadership skills. They do not have the ability and skills to manage with compassion and/or competence. Also, they do not empower their team to be sufficient. So why were they hired in the first place if they lacked the necessary skills to perform their jobs? Sometimes, organizations fill the opening because they are desperate to get help. But this causes hospitals to fail. When managers are ineffective, there is overall failure. Managers and nurses alike lose sight of their purpose because they are overworked and lack guidance from senior management. They are told to work harder and smarter but do not have the necessary tools to perform their jobs successfully. By providing efficient training and tools, these nurses were able to provide better care and became more sufficient (Allen and Dennis, 2010). Another problem is ineffective communication. According Herman Aguinis, managers should listen to others, process the information and communicate effectively. They should also instill trust and provide proper direction to their team. As leaders, they should guide, develop and motivate to im... ...s fail to change their culture, they are bound to be unsuccessful (Want, 2006). Finally, according to Wilkins there are more than 11 million employees working in the field of healthcare services. To retain these employees, leaders should be equipped to keep these employees motivated. A national study was done in 2003 through 2004 by Healthcare@Work showed healthcare employees have the lowest level of commitment to their job. The study indicated that healthcare managers are lacking the necessary leadership skills that keep employees committed and motivated. The study also showed that healthcare organizations should look deeper into its management culture and rethink the effectiveness of its current leaders. Healthcare@Work found that challenges in the workplace if ineffective leadership and what steps needs to be done to improve this problem (Wilkins, 2004).

Monday, September 16, 2019

A Novel About The Absence Of A Nurturing Parent Essay

‘Frankenstein’ was written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1816, after a frightful and horrific nightmare of a man conceiving outside the womb. Shelley had been staying with her husband and Lord Byron on the banks of Lake Geneva. She used the influences of her own personal experiences, Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’, Luigi Galvanni’s electrical experiments and the nightmare which occurred only a few nights before. I think that her experiences of losing her mother and having a negligent father were fundamental in developing the core of the story. When the novel was first published in 1818, it was the first example of Gothic fiction. It also got mixed reviews as society at the time was extremely religious however, the Age Of Enlightenment was just coming to an end and so science was also highly important. ‘Frankenstein’ is a novel about a scientist, determined to push back the boundaries of what is humanly possible, blinded by a hubristic desire for human omnipotence. Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist, artificially creates being by reanimating lifeless body parts. The being is then rejected by his creator and society, resulting in disastrous consequences including the death of Victor’s closest friends and family. ‘Frankenstein’ is definitely a novel about the absence of a nurturing parent and the effects which it can cause. I believe that it is a parent’s responsibility and duty to love and care for their child, making sure to raise them sufficiently. Parents should teach their children morals and should set a good example for them to follow. However, in the novel, none of this is observed as Victor abandons his creation almost immediately and only serves to be an awful role model to his child. On numerous occasions, he calls the creation, ‘wretched thing’, ‘demoniacal being’ and ‘monster’. This is due to the fact that Victor never gives his creation a name which is a basic responsibility of a parent as without a name, a person lacks identity. This is the foundation of all the monster’s crimes and the mayhem he created as the monster says, ‘misery made me a fiend, make me happy, and I shall be virtuous’. This suggests that due to Victor’s absence and the disregard he had for his creation, the creation was miserable and wreaked havoc. In chapter five, Victor animates his creation. Immediately after the monster awakes, Shelley utilises a horrifying lexis to create a semantic field of horror thus giving the readers the image of a truly disgusting being. Shelley writes, ‘I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster whom I had created’ and, ‘his shrivelled complexion and straight back lips’. These give a sense of the disgust which Victor straight away has for his creation and creates pathos for the monster as we see that even his father does not love or respect him. Also in this chapter, Victor says, ‘his arm stretched out seemingly to detain me’. Victor sees this as an act of aggression however, it is most likely a sign to connote the being’s need and love for his creator. In chapter ten, Victor faces up to his monster however, his feelings and the perspective in which he views his creation have not altered as he ‘trembled with rage and horror’ and was ready to engage in ‘mortal combat’. He also describes his monster as, ‘unearthly ugly’, ‘too horrible for human eyes’, ‘devil’ and ‘vile insect’. The monster however reacts in an extremely mature fashion, and in a more reasonable and rational approach than Victor himself. The monster says, ‘be calm, I entreat you to hear me, before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head’. This shows the harsh and enormously diverse duality between the monster and Victor. However, the monster is acting like the mature and reasonable parent in this situation and Victor is acting like the immature and selfish child who isn’t getting his way and therefore has to throw a tantrum. This constant rejection by his creator creates severe pathos for the monster as we feel sorry for his misfortune and the fact that he is unloved. In chapter seventeen, the monster asks his father to create a female companion for him as he sees this as an opportunity to escape from the hatred and rejection which he faces from society. Shelley’s lexis creates pathos by writing the monster as portraying himself as lonely and desperate. He sees the prospect of a companion ‘as hideous as [himself]’ to be a way to mitigate the contempt shown towards him. In chapter twenty-four, Victor dies on Captain Walton’s ship in the Arctic. Shelley writes the monster mourning over his creator’s death. He takes full responsibility for his Victor’s demise, saying, ‘this is also my victim’. He is saddened and livid with himself for his actions, saying, ‘I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned and, and kicked, and trampled on’. This shows that the monster loved Victor even though Victor never felt the same way. This shows that the monster has good inside him and always had the potential to be good however, the absence of his father and the lack of any form of nurturing parent. Pathos is created here as the monster wants forgiveness for the death of Victor and all his other misdeeds. Shelley uses a broad variety of lexis in her novel to create pathos for example, Victor calls the monster ‘devil’, ‘vile insect’, ‘wretched thing’ and ‘demoniacal being’. Some of these words are religious which is a recurring theme throughout the novel. Shelley contrasts the pro and antagonists, especially during belligerent scenes by portraying the monster as a calm, relaxed and modest being whereas Victor is a haughty, out-spoken and agitated. This is shown through numerous exclamation marks during Victor’s dialogue and often the mention of the phrase, ‘be calm’ during the monster’s. This shows the monster’s superior maturity and wisdom which is also shown through the contrast in sentence structure of each character’s discourse. Victor uses short, sharp sentences whereas the monster’s vocabulary is extremely fluent, articulate and expressive. I believe that ‘Frankenstein’ is indeed a novel about the absence of a nurturing parent. Although it confronts many other issues for example: the consequences of the lack of a maternal figure, reciprocity and also the penalties of man rivalling God, the fact that the monster had no real parents to raise him sufficiently, is the most prominent theme of the novel and the main reason of all of his transgressions.

Debates on Advertising Essay

In the text , introduction to mass communication media literacy and culture, Stanley Baran states specific complaints about advertising. He states that advertising is intrusive , deceptive, exploits children, and demean and corrupts culture. Ads can be intrusive because they are everywhere and interfere with and alters our experience. It can be deceptive because the ads implicitly and sometimes explicitly says that it came improve someone’s lives through a purchase of a product. Ads also exploit children because they are targeted. There are ads that are specifically mind blowing go them. Finally, ads demanding and corrupts culture by appealing to human values and needs. Advertisers accomplish this goal by using the AIDA approach and consumer culture. The AIDA approach is used to persuade consumers and the consumer culture is used to impose new definitions that serve the advertiser and not the cultures important aspects of our lives. The disagreements that are shown by Baran in Chapter 12 are legitimate. The arguments that are provided supports the complaints given. I believe the accusations that support advertising are tolerable. Advertising is everywhere and interferes with and alters our experience. Advertising is all over the world. Ads does not have to be actual billboards or commercials on television. The clothes that we wear and the products that we use are also advertisements. This is also called 360-marketing. Advertising can also be deceptive. There are many products in our society where it is supposed to change out lives. For example, â€Å"AXE† , a male shampoo, is supposed to attract more women if you wear it. These products can be deceiving to our culture because of this. The advertisers know that people in society want an excitement in their lives , so to improve that they create products that excite the consumers. I also think that advertisements do exploit children. Ads specially create ads for children because they are the influence on their parents. This means that the advertisers will use the children to their advantage to get their products brought. For example , when children see a product that’s eye catching to them , they will beg their parents to buy that product which will eventually happen because the parents would not want to keep hearing their children beg. Lastly , advertisements does demean and corrupt our culture. I believe this is true because advertisements come about to seek products that we need. They attract us by producing products that we use everyday. For an example , we use soap everyday to wash our bodies. The advertisers will produce many soap ads to intrigue us to buy a particular soap. Also, producers create many soaps , with different scents to give us the idea that it will make you smell better which leads back to the idea of advertisements being deceptive. This shows that advertisers do demean and corrupt our culture.The article â€Å"Boosting Smoking Among Children† supports the complaint of advertising exploiting children. In the article RJR Nabisco created a new campaign for its camel brand cigarettes. Anti smoking groups accused the company of attacking young smokers as they saw Joe Camel repeating the same path as to smoke go an† untapped market†. It was stated by Dr. Joseph DiFranza that,† children as young as 3 years old could recognize Joe, and more kids could identify him than could identify Mickey Mouse†(page 335). DiFranza researched that Joe camel was the single most recognizable logo in the country. This shows that advertisements connect to children because they can realize a character at the age of 3. The children do not understand what is going on , but the advertisers know that the parents will buy their cigarettes because of the children. Also , when the children get older , the camel on the cigarette box will be more common and if decided to smoke they would buy only that product because they are used to seeing it. The Ad Council and Media Foundation does challenge common practices of the advertising industry by creating â€Å"uncommercials†. Uncommercials are commercials ,at no cost if used, challenge known actual commercials. In the article ,†Challenging Advertising: Ad Busters and Uncommercials† it is stated that ,†those who wish to use them to , as the Media Foundation likes to call it, â€Å"culture jam,† or challenge the prevailing commercial culture†(page 336). This shows that the uncommercials are used to show that the advertisements demean and corrupt out culture. This is done by showing and telling us that we need to buy a certain product to live. It also connects to the complaint that advertisements are deceptive. This is because seeing that we supposedly need a certain product in our life makes us want to buy the product not knowing that it is just for money.In the documentaries â€Å"Consuming Kids† and â€Å"Killing Us Softly 4† shows us the specific complaints against advertising. In â€Å"consuming kids† it was showed that children are targeted in many wa ys. This connects to the idea that advertisements exploit children because in the documentary it is shown that the children do influence parents. For example, a new car was brought because the children were attracted and begged their parents to buy it because of what was inside. The parents do not realize that the children are why their money is spent on unnecessary things. In â€Å"Killing Us Softly 4† it was shown that advertisements demean and corrupts our culture because women are portrayed and used as an object to sell products. Also in the documentaries they tell the society how to prevent the unbalanced advertising. In â€Å"Consuming kids â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In â€Å"Killing Us Softly 4 † lady name stated that the society should , † become aware and pay attention , teach media literacy in school, protest and speak out about the problem , deface ads, and get involved and change the attitudes that are presented for us†. This shows that there are ways that we can maneuver around the pile up of advertisements. In conclusion , the advertising industries received many complaints on the ways they attack consumers. The reasons stated were because of advertisements being intrusive , deceptive, exploiting children and demeaning and corrupting our culture. AIDA approach and consumer culture helped these complaints conquer their goal. This created a controversy between industries and social groups. The social groups were the ones who complain about these problems.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

English as official language of the United States Essay

â€Å"News from 2000 Census is that 49 percent of Hispanics in America are not fluent in English. They are the fastest growing minority in the United States, representing 12. 5 percent of the population. The legal picture for Hispanics is also astonishing. EEOC complaints have more. than doubled in 5 years, and settlements have risen to over $50 million. † (Harrop, 2001) The inhabitants of the United States have never had any official language. Over 6 % of primary school children in the United States were instructed in German until the World War I. Over 45 million American nationals still state that their forefathers spoke German. Large scale immigration in the 20th century led to the inhabitance of multilingual people inside the US. Therefore, around 336 different languages are presently spoken which comprise of 176 endemic dialects. More than 47 million American nationals use a language other than English within their homes including 30 million Spanish speakers. Since a significant number of US nationals feel comfortable while speaking a language other than English, the federal government should not make English the official language of the United States. The US Senate voted to select English the official language and prohibited the use of other languages for federal government orders and services. â€Å"The 63-34 vote, on an amendment offered by the Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe, split the Senate along largely party lines, with only nine of the 44 Democrats voting for it, and just one Republican voting against. † (Cornwell, 2006) Democratic minority leader Harry Reid identified this amendment as â€Å"racist† whereas Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat of Hispanic origin, described it as â€Å"divisive and anti-American†. (Cornwell, 2006) Such a law neglects any provisions for services in languages other than English. This would be a problematic situation for those Americans who cannot speak English fluently. This would also force new immigrants to have considerable knowledge of English language before they get US nationality. It is surprising to note that English language voted out German by a difference of just one vote when it was selected as the official language of the US by Congressmen in the year 1795. (Cornwell, 2006) â€Å"Enacted at the apex of the Great Society, the Bilingual Education Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Johnson without a single voice raised in dissent. Americans have spent the past 30 years debating what it was meant to accomplish. Was this 1968 law intended primarily to assimilate limited-English-proficient (LEP) children more efficiently? To teach them English as rapidly as possible? To encourage bilingualism and biliteracy? To remedy academic underachievement and high dropout rates? To raise the self-esteem of minority students? To promote social equality? Or to pursue all of these goals simultaneously? The legislative history of the bill provides no definitive answer. † (Crawford, 50) English Only Movement The English Only Movement (EOM), a movement initiated in the 1980s, is a sequel of the procedure of domestic colonialism. This will also lead to the demolition of the other languages which are spoken by minorities. In the year 1979, a Report by Carnegie Corporation pointed out that â€Å"bilingual education was the preeminent civil rights issue within Hispanic communities. † (Penna, Shepherd, pg. 147) Bilingual education also became a key issue creating distress in the Mexican community inside the United States according to different researches carried out by the U. S. Civil Rights Commission ( 1967- 1975). Researches also reveled that the academic system inside the US was thought of as being against the cultural traditions of the Mexican population. This led to negative effects including inferiority complexes amongst the Mexicans. There is no doubt in the fact that the eradication of a community’s traditions and customs is an abuse of the basic civil rights regarding the linguistic and cultural survival of a specific community. On the domestic level, the English Only amendment in the state of California was a triumph for those who support the use of English as an official language. It gave legal status to an issue that goes against biculturalism and bilingualism. During the period between 1986 and 1989, voters and legislators in thirty-nine states took into account plans analogous to the Californian amendment. This led to the appearance of 17 states with English as the official language. The English only third house had been succeeded in bringing bilingual education policy to the leading position of national debate, it includes questions, the approach of scientific teachings of bilingual education and it also contains a federal resolution in this could help English be official language of the United States. Law at the highest point of the great society, the bilingual education act was passed by congress and it was signed to become a law by President Johnson without saying a single word against it. Americans, have spent thirty years in discussing that what it meant to achieve. â€Å"Was this 1968 law intended primarily to assimilate limited-English-proficient (LEP) children more efficiently? To raise the self-esteem of minority students? To promote social equality? Or to pursue all of these goals simultaneously? The legislative history of the bill provides no definitive answer. † (Crawford, 50) Melting Pot Theory The discussion over, if the United States is an assimilationist or form a society embracing many minority groups and culture traditions which are very old. There were some exchanging of views forcefully that United States is a melting pot, which means that people of various nations settle in America and forced to resemble which means to become an American completely. â€Å"The March 14 to 16 poll of 1,007 likely voters with a margin of error of three percentage points showed that 63 percent of Americans would like to have ballots and voting materials only in English, compared with 35 percent who wanted them printed in English and other languages. † (Lawmakers Push Official English, A06) Because these declarations repeat the study of Myths of the Melting Pot, as well as spread throughout wrong ideas about languages which are mostly not challenged but nothing is supported by the record of history. In fact, history of the US language policy – or lack of one – both work at lower price than the logical basis for official English and provide warning lessons about teaching actions to restrict languages which are rarely use. 1. Unfavorable to myth, the United States has never been a basic speaking and/or using only one language country. By the period of time, one from eight of permanent inhabitants reported a languages background other than English in 1976, this is variety of nothing new but some skilled persons in languages or study of languages believe that the United States has been the habitant of more persons able to speak two languages than any other nation in the history of the world. As early as 1664, when the colony of the New Netherlands came into possession of British, eighteen different languages were spoken on Manhattan Island, not including the language spoken by the local inhabitants of America which were numbered more than five hundred in North America at the time. 2. Considering the US history, the prevailing federal policy on languages has only maintained tolerance and adjustments. In spite of the language variety in 1787, the famous took no interest to protect or encourage English: United States constituents. Because discussion were held in private and we must depend on James Madison’s informal notes, it is not clear, if any language issues came up during the federal agreement on social behavior in Philadelphia (Farrand 1913). But available facts strongly suggest that our early leaders regarded language laws of any type as a cause of harm to civil freedom from captivity. 3. Recognizing about rarely spoken languages reflected bilingual and non-English – language schools which were ordinary in many districts until the long time period of World War I. In 1710, British missionaries were invited to maintain schools among the Iroquois League of Ally States, with the demand that students should be informed or taught with their national languages. Parts of bible which were translated in Mohawk language were included in the texts used. In 1802, Congress began a yearly devotion of ($15,000) to encourage â€Å"civilization among the old inhabitants (before the arrival of colonists). † This money was devoted to religious schools in which many schools were bilingual. 4. The liberation policy on languages was the best and ideal policy for this country, but it is no upheld especially among people conquered and angry for supposed un-justice; people living in colonies and some racial people. Attitudes of the 19th centuries towards their right of language were considerably less tolerant than say towards speakers of German, French or Scandinavian languages Conclusion As written in this paper, there are many ways that lower class is being saved from being forgotten in the US. For his reason, it is important to be known by the mysterious ways in which this is happening. Language is another simple of making sure that the class’s position in society is prevailing. â€Å"English as the nation’s dominant language is no more threatened at the turn of the 21st century than it was at the turn of the 20th. To the contrary, it is all the other languages that are endangered – and would soon die out, if not for the replenishing effects of immigration. † (Official English/English Only, n. p. ) It has been as issue for decades that some influential groups/people have been trying to restrict other languages and promote English Language. On the other hand, this policy has not been accepted and approved by the majority of Americans as it is discriminatory. This idea is not hidden that making English as the US official language is the agenda of White Americans – it also unveils the approach of White American as they don’t want more immigrants from the third world countries. Works Cited Cornwell, Rupert. May 20, 2006. At last, America has an official language (and yes, it’s English) Independent, The (London) James Crawford. Language Politics in the U. S. A. : The Paradox of Bilingual Education. Journal Social Justice. Volume: 25. Issue: 3. Year: 1998. Page Number: 50 Maureen E. Harrop. Managing a Non-English-Speaking Workforce – Hispanic Americans – Brief Article – Statistical Data Included. Modern Machine Shop, Nov, 2001 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3101/is_6_74/ai_79900955 Accessed, April 21, 2007 Lawmakers Push Official English; Bills Tied to Immigration Reform. The Washington Times. Publication Date: April 3, 2006. Page Number: A06. Official English/English Only . n. d. http://www. elladvocates. org/englishonly. html Accessed, April 21, 2007 David Penna and George W. Shepherd Jr. Racism and the Underclass: State Policy and Discrimination against Minorities. Publisher: Greenwood Press. Place of Publication: New York. Year: 1991. Page Number: 145.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

My Life in Pink Essay

The story of this sensitively-handled film concerns a young MtF transsexual. It is by turns comic and heartbreaking. Seven-year old Ludovic lives in an upper-middle class Belgian suburban neighborhood. He behaves in a way that is quite natural to him, dresses in a dress or skirt whenever possible, and is quite convinced he will be marrying a neighborhood boy, the son of his father’s boss. His favorite television program is a kitchy girls program about a Barbie-like doll called Pam who lives in a flowery girly pink cartoon fantasy world and has magic powers. Young Ludovic dances Pam’s dance to the haunting song â€Å"Rose†, and like some other girls of his age fantasizes about marriage to a handsome romantic man who will sweep his female love off her feet. The film depicts the difficulties facing a child with gender identity issues and the way the Ludovic himself, the confused parents and family, society, school, other children, and the neighborhood (hostile, hypocritical, and ignorant) handle the situation. Ludovic is seven years old. At first thinks he is a girl, then becomes confused as everyone attempts to disabuse him of this, then tries to find an acceptable common ground (I am a girlboy, or I am a boy but I will grow up to be a girl, or something went wrong and and I should have been born a girl). When he was born, the extra X chromosome accidentally landed in the trash and he got a Y instead! Even an identity as a girlboy is not allowed him by those around him. The only ones who have any understanding of what he is going through are his psychologist and his grandmother who thinks it might be a phase he is going through, but also confronts the situation with some understanding. His sister also sees Ludovich more as he is than as others believe or want him to be. Under increasing pressure from an ignorant community which gives the family the cold shoulder, the parents naturally have difficulty in dealing with Ludovic’s transsexuality, and eventually send him to a psychologist with the intention of â€Å"curing† him, but of course there is no cure – only understanding. Eventually they come to accept the inevitable. The movie, perhaps a larger than life fictionalisation, is a microcosm of the early life experience of a transsexual. The movie deals with homophobia, bigotry, misunderstanding, the retreat of the transsexual into a fantasy life to escape from unthinkable real life, the attempt of the transsexual to hide the condition because of his/her punishment for showing it, and the reaction of the transsexual’s parents, family, and society. Common to the experience, particlarly when the movie was made, is confusion of homosexuality and transsexualism, denial of its existence, the attempt to cure it, the successful discrimination and hostility against the transsexual and his/her family, the realization of the existence of both male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuality, and finally resigned acceptance. The father is fired from his job, and the family moves to a poorer neighborhood, where they find some acceptance and Ludovic meets a young butch girl, perhaps a young FtM transsexual of about the same age. The final relief from troubles is belied by the music which turns somber as the camera pans away from the petit Ludovic, on his own away from the other children. As his pubescent sister says, prophetically, â€Å"it only gets more difficult as you get older†. The final scene dissolves into the haunting theme.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Hitler's Table Talk Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hitler's Table Talk - Term Paper Example In the book, Hitler’s table talk, we find his thoughts brought out in his private conversations. Hitler was a man of many worlds as depicted by his varying thoughts. He talks about different aspects of life and brings out his personal opinion about such. Hitler addressed the mistakes of the monarchy system in Germany. He expressed his appreciation for social democracy, which abolished monarchies. He believed that the monarch system brought a great loss to the political, economical, and cultural setting of Germany. He argues that the Germans of that time should have condemned the injustice of the monarch system. In my opinion, he was not justified to criticize that system because he brought an economical collapse. He is also in history for the worst political system. One of the issues Hitler addresses is Christianity. Hitler has his own views about Christianity but this is justified as everyone has a right to hold opinion. When Hitler talks about Russia and the priest, he bring s about an issue of the hope Christianity brings to people. He believes that the priest only manages to convince Russia to reconciliation by promising him happiness in a foreign world. On another instance, Hitler claims that in every human being, there is a feeling of the existence of a supernatural being but the priests in society only exploit this feeling in people. They give these people threats that they will face punishment in the future. Hitler then elaborates that every individual needs a place to run to when there is danger implying that man should run to God for consolation. Hitler however does not take this as a reality in his world. Later in his thoughts, he also mentions that the church is irreplaceable. He claims that replacing the church would be terrifying but wisely notes that time would tell and honesty was fundamental. He however later points out that Christianity was the biggest blow that hit human race and believes that Christianity started the lie in religion. H e thought that Christianity established intolerance because of their belief in love. In my opinion, Hitler was not against Christianity but rather what Christians of that time thought and how they practiced their faith. He makes this clear to us in his October 14, conversation. He stated that Christians who preach love were the last people who practiced it. He acknowledges that each individual has a conviction from inside that there was a supernatural being and that included him. He was opposed to what the priests made of Christianity. Hitler does not agree to the fact Russia must consult the priest before making any major decision. He believes that this has caused Russia to lose its ability to think. During midday on October 14, he stated that the end of Christianity would not mean that the belief in God would fade. He describes the belief in God as a wonderful feeling. In another private conversation, he argues that Christianity encourages people to be poor, as the poor will go to heaven. The Church therefore takes advantage of this teaching to encourage people to give offerings. The leaders benefit from this teaching. He also indicated that Protestants and Catholics should not attack each other as they were doing. Therefore, Christians of Hitler’s time did not practice what they preached and this explains his opposition towards them. Hitler also addresses the issue of society making sure that equal opportunities are accessible to each

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Macro exam 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macro exam 3 - Assignment Example In any market, money flows from the buyer to the seller, the money will therefore move from the household to the firms. However, as indicated earlier, market for goods and services are not the only markets available lest the firms would have all the money in a given field. The firm therefore has to pay for the factors of production to have the finished product i.e. the automobile. The factors of production for example capital needs to be in place. To manufacture the automobile, there are the machines which need to be bought and the labor that will do the work. Therefore in the second phase of the model, the household will give labor, capital and land to the firms while the money flows back to the household. The model is circular due to the flow of money from the households to the firms and back. The main goals of any given economy include economic growth, reduction of the number of unemployed people in the given economy or country and low inflation. A country’s increase in the standard of peoples living is used to define a growth in the economy. This is done by enhancing production and ensuring that the economy is self-sustaining. A high rate of unemployment is seen in a country or society where many people want to get jobs where they are employed or are earning an income but they do not get it. Lack of economic growth is depicted by rise in unemployment levels in a given country among other factors. When inflation hits a given country, the price of goods and services shoot up. Using the price index, it is possible to measure the price level and establish whether there is inflation of prices or not. The peoples’ standard of living is determined by the economic growth in the specific region. If there is no economic growth, the peoples’ standard of living will be low. There were various reasons that led to the culmination of the great depression. These include; - the crisis in the agricultural sector that led to the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Nursing theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing theory - Research Paper Example These systems often apply different and distinctive aspects and concepts. For instance, the personal system is pegged on self, perceptions, growth and development space, time, body and image. On the other hand, the interpersonal systems apply interaction, transaction, role, communication, and stress concepts while social system involves organization, power, status, authority, status, and decision-making concepts. Notably, these concepts are applied in the nursing profession; however, with their advantages to success in the nursing practice, the theory and its concepts has some of its challenges in application (George, 2010). King just like other professionals pursued nursing career with the aim of improving the health conditions of the patients. Towards attaining his goals, she prompted means through which patients’ improvement goals can be attained. Moreover, through her theory she provide stepped through which her desired goals can be approved. In the Theory of Goal Attendance, Imogene King focuses on the processes that are likely to improve nurse patient relationship. Her main aim was to help nurses with techniques of meeting their health goals to patients. King was born on 30 January 1923, in West Point, Iowa. She attained her nursing diploma in 1945 from St. Johns Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri. She later earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1948 from St. Louis University. Later in 1957, she completed her Masters of Science in Nursing from the St. Louis University. In 1961, she earned doctoral degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Imogene King died on 24 December 2007 (George, 2010). In King’s career life, between 1966 and 1968, she was an assistant Chief of Research Grants Branch. During this period, she work for the Nursing Division in Washington, D.C. where she worked under Dr. Jessie Scott. From the year 1968 and 1972, she served as the director of the Ohio State University School of Nursing.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Hotel service operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Hotel service operation management - Essay Example SWOT analysis of the Web based training and development in this hotel helps us to carve a niche in the market. The marketing plan based on the hotel has to be designed and implemented to achieve the goals of business. It also provides knowledge regarding the strengths and the weaknesses of the business. By recognizing and analyzing the marketing strategic plan, the hotel can overcome its difficulties smoothly. The management and operation team of the Hotel solved the problem of worker turnover by increasing the expense of training and salary. For future strategic action plan, report recommended that room for conferences must be constructed at first rather than in the last year. The financial analysis of the Seaside Hotel includes the Total hotel revenue and total hotel net income, Rooms department revenue and rooms net income, Food & beverage department’s revenue and food & beverage net income, Occupancy, average daily rate (ADR), and REVPAR, Refurbishment spending and extra f acilities built analysis, Short term and long term stability ratios, Staff turnover and EMS spend and activities. This plan could attract more businessmen and raise hotel competitiveness. The report also provides information regarding the effectiveness of Web based training and development method in the Hotel business. Appendixes of the report include Current Balance Sheet, Statement of Income for 3 years and Monthly indicator report for the three years. Report also includes aims, objectives, strategy, and formulation of program feedback and control of the study. Report shows the proper implementation of promotional mix could raise the market share and develop business growth in the face of strong competition. HOTS report also shows client satisfaction and loyalty through employee training and development program, by way of increasing profitability and development of the hotel, which was formed by satisfied, faithful, and productive workers. Finally the report shows that the proper

Monday, September 9, 2019

Mexican Immigration and American Identity Essay

Mexican Immigration and American Identity - Essay Example According to the author, even though other values and principles of non-Protestant immigrants have helped to shape and modified this concept, most Americans accept these basic elements of an Anglo-Protestant culture as the key defining elements of their national identity. Yet, the author states that in the last decades of the 20th century, this culture has been challenged by a context of globalization and ideas of multiculturalism and diversity. The rise of groups that focus on race, ethnicity, and gender over a more general national identity are regarded as a threat to 'the country's cultural and political integrity'. Huntington views immigration from Latin America, especially from Mexico, as the single largest threat to the American identity. This due to a combination of six unique characteristics that differentiate contemporary Mexican immigration from past immigrant flows, being contiguity (boarder proximity), scale (steadily increasing numbers), illegality (illegal entry and permanence into the country), regional concentration (particularly concentrated in California and the Southwest), persistence (no signs of decline over the years), and historical presence (historical claim to the US territory). The boarder proximity with Mexico in the Southwest region encourages immigration and illegal entry into the U.S., which results in the steady increase of Mexican immigration throughout the 20th century. Similarly, it increases the concentration of Mexican immigrants in that area of the country and the illegal characteristics of the flow. Since the conditions creating such immigration (economic cond itions of Mexico, boarder proximity, etc) are unlikely to change, the flow is expected to persist. These factors, the author argues, differentiate the Mexican contingent from previous immigrant groups and are likely to hinder the assimilation of Mexicans into the United States culture. One of the author's main arguments defending the poor assimilation of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. society is the persistent use of their native language through successive generations. Huntington admits that statistics on English proficiency and Spanish preservation are limited and ambiguous. Nevertheless, the author insists that particular characteristics of the flow - scale, persistence and concentration - are likely to encourage the perpetuation of Spanish among successive generations of immigrants. Huntington considers that Spanish retention has a negative impact on the assimilation of the new culture even when proficiency in English is achieved. In addition, bilingualism would affect earnings and put English-only families in disadvantage within the job market. Finally, the concentration of Mexicans in certain areas transform portions of the country into bilingual and bicultural areas, reinforcing Mexican values over the traditional Anglo-Protestant values, which, according to the author, threatens the integrity of the nation, possibly dividing the nation 'into a country of two languages and two cultures'. From my point of view, Huntington's concept of the American identity is limited and excludes a great portion of the nation's cultural and ethnic background. The author's