Race and Your Community Essay

My community is very diverse. On the left side of my house you will find a young, white on white, married couple and to my left the opposite is true; you will find an older, black on black, married couple. If you walk down my street you will find a wide range of colors and ages any of which may be married or single, in an interracial relationship or of the same race. The feeling tends to be live and let live, or so I thought until I actually spoke with some of my friends that are either of color or are in interracial relationships. What I found was shocking to me and that is that racism is very much alive in my community. I am a white female and I am 35 years old and I am married to a white man that is 30 years old. I have three children from a previous marriage and they are also white. Because the media tends to be geared toward people of white skin I would have to say that they represent people like me. Our local news station consists of two Hispanic news anchors and the rest of the journalists are primarily white, but I do know of one black gentleman. Every where you go in my community the two races that you see represented are whites and Hispanics. I’m not sure what the thinking is concerning the lack of recognition for the other races, but it does bother me that it is so very obvious in its exclusion of others. I am assuming that these decisions are made by leaders within the community, but who they might be I am not sure. I really don’t have much to do with â€Å"leaders† in my community outside of my Pastors and their view is very much the same as mine and that is that people are people and God made us all to be equal. My Pastor has a daughter that is mix and maybe this is one reason he is so open to all races and people. The one thing that you will notice when you walk into my church is that it looks like a racial rainbow. There are a great many races and ethnic groups represented and it is a great place to be. You have pretty much every kind of interracial marriage that you can put together with the races represented and out of this you have some pretty awesome children. I have the honor of working with the little ones and I think that it is so cool that they are growing up in a world that is so open and colorful. At least this is what I thought before I actually spoke with some of the adults about their daily lives as a person of color or in a mixed marriage with mixed children. I spoke with one woman named Roni; I have known this woman for 8 years and what I found out I will have to say was a shock to me. I was telling her some things that I was learning in this class and asked her what she thought about racism and if she experienced any form of it. I have to tell you that I honestly did not expect her to yes. Well, she did and she went on to tell me how when her oldest son was in Kindergarten she was at the Principals office on numerous occasions because of how her son was being treated. He even came home singing a song once that was slanderous towards black people. Obviously her son didn’t know what he was singing but she did and it grieved and angered her. Roni is a Hispanic woman that is married to a black man so keep this in mind when picturing her in the office of a white principal discussing racially slanderous songs that her son was taught in his class. I had such a hard time even empathizing with her. As a white woman I do not even think I have ever been a situation remotely like this. Needless to say she had to be very careful how she worded things to make the principal take responsibility for what was going on in the school. She went on to tell me many other stories of how her children were mistreated in class because of their skin color and how people look at them and stereotype them because they are not white. I would love to tell you that this was the only example of racism but I would not be telling you the truth. My best friend is a white woman in her mid-twenties and she is married to a black man and they have 4 children together. Her kids call me Aunt ShaSha. I was there when these children were born and I love them dearly. I see them as children and it never occurred to me that others may see them as anything else. Well, as I mentioned before I do not have any issues within the community. Everyone is friendly and helpful and I am usually welcomed with a smile, well if I am dressed nice but that is another paper, so imagine my shock when I took her children out to the grocery store and people actually treated my differently because I had mixed children with me. This was not the first time I had been in public with the children but it was the first time that I was out with them alone and to my dismay people actually looked down their noses to me and for the first time I realized what it must feel like to be a woman living in an interracial world. At first I thought maybe I was just having an off day so I talked to Alanna (the children’s mother) about it and she confirmed that she is treated like this on a regular basis. She went on to tell me a story about being at the doctor’s office and how the doctor was ugly to her and her son and even went so far as to refuse to treat her son. She complained to the department head and the issue was resolved, but she assured me this was not the only incident concerning racism. There is a section of my community where the racism is in reverse; it is blacks being racist towards whites. I honestly couldn’t figure it out and I was upset about it as well. In my ignorance I was upset about them always complaining about the slave days and how their ancestors were mistreated and so on and so forth. I wanted to shout to them to let it go and move on and to look around because those days were over and not everyone is racist anymore. Well, through this class I have learned so much about them and what has transpired over the last 100 years and have come to realize that it really hasn’t been long enough for the younger generations to separate it in their thinking yet and that they are upset for many reasons but one valid reason is that they have never been apologized to for the travesty they had to endure at the hands of greedy and self-serving people. I am so thankful for this class because it has afforded me the opportunity to get shocked out of my little bubble and to really get to know my brothers and sisters and some of what they go through on a daily basis. I think that my community does a good job at representing minority group interests. Our schools have ESL programs in place and there is a community health clinic that runs off of a sliding scale for those that cannot afford medical insurance. There’s child care provided at no cost by the government. I don’t mention these things to portray that all minority groups are poor, but the numbers show that there is a poverty issue among some minority groups and so I am thankful that these services are provided. I am one such person that cannot afford medical insurance at this time so I am grateful for these services. I honestly don’t know what other services need to be implemented but you can be sure that I will be talking to more people and finding out. I feel so liberated! I find myself wanting to stop people and ask them what their experiences are and how it affects them and what they would change and why. I am just not sure how people will receive those kinds of questions from a 115 pound, white woman. I think that if there was one area that I could change it would be advertising because I honestly do not believe that America is represented by the people that model for these pictures or advertisements. I would love to use people of color. Not just black or Hispanic, but the real color of America, at least in my community, is mix. It is Philippine and white or Puerto Rican and Black, but it is definitely colorful and diverse. I love my community. I know that it is not perfect but no community is or will ever be, but what my community has is a huge mix of people who the majority of love one another or at least accept everyone. Through this thinking I would have to say that we are the same. There are the ones that still have some growing to do, but progress is being made and through education and time more progress will be made.

America’s First Black President

America’s First Black President Years of terror and war brought Americans of all ethnicities to believed that a time for change had come; change came in the form of two minorities who had the ability and desire to revitalize a country that had been burdened with doubt and financial frailty. Times have changed, race is still controversy topic, but due to programs like Affirmative Action and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, minorities are stepping up to take places of power in our country. African Americans are no longer the disadvantaged citizens they once were considered to be, the media, internet and entertainment industries have evolved the thinking of Americans leading to the social acceptance of African Americans and other minority groups. Americans’ have elected their first minority President and he won’t be the last. After 43 Presidential elections Americans made history by elected their 44th President, in 2008 Barack Obama, an African American man, was nominated and elected President of the United States. Obama was not the first African American to run for the honored position as United States President, the honor of the first African American who ran for this position belongs to a woman. In 1968, as a Democratic Party nomination for Presidency, Shirley Chisholm of New York made history by running not only being the first African American woman to run for President. She was followed by Jesse Jackson who ran for President in 1984 and 1988 and Lenora Fulani who also ran in 1988. In 2004, Carol Mosely Braun and Minister Al Sharpton also ran as Democratic Party candidates for United States President. The only African American Republican to run for President has been Alan Keys, he ran in 1996 and 2000. Obama faces criticism for not being ‘black enough' even though anyone with even a small percentage of African American blood is considered, mixed blood has never before kept a man from being considered ‘black’ until the chance of a ‘black man’ being elected President became probable. For example, historical evidence has shown that Warren G. Harding the 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 1923 was an ‘octoroon' passing as white, with one African-American great-grandparent. Evidence of his mixed ancestry and the efforts to cover it up by his family because in the 1920’s even a hint of African American ancestry would have ruined his political career. Obviously even an individual with a smaller percentage of African American blood than President Barack Obama have been deemed ‘black enough’ for it to ruin their careers so claims that President Obama isn’t black enough are unfounded and just another attempt to belittle and criticize a black man for attempting to be great. African American have desired to lead their country for half a century, their country however, wasn’t ready for a minority leader until the state affairs became a mockery that was questioned by both it’s citizens and foreign allies. Some say that President Obama was the least qualified of all major candidates in both parties and the farthest to the left; with absolutely no military experience and no foreign policy experience. If this is true, then the question that begs to be answered is what prompted Americans to elect him as their President. Is the war on terror the only contributing factor that resulted in the election of an African American man as President of a country who historically only elected married Christian white middle aged males as their President or did the power of the media and youth lead to this victory? No, the war on terror is not what determined the 44th President of the United States. President Obama’s landmark victory was due, in part, to a groundswell of support among young Americans; he won nearly 70% of the vote among young Americans under 25. Unlike the African American who ran in the past President Obama had the media in his corner; the internet with social networking sites like Facebook and Youtube had significant impact on each candidate’s ability to garner voters support. With 2 million American supporters on Facebook and over 1500 video’s on YouTube about Barack Obama, it’s no wonder that his name and face was recognizable by so many. When Barack Obama first announced his candidacy, many said that America was not ready to elect a black president and that he could not garner the votes necessary to defeat first the Democratic favorite, Hillary Clinton, and later John McCain in a nationwide election. Understanding the power of the media and influence American youth who are taking more active roles in politics is how President Barack Obama and his team managed to accomplish the difficult task of getting an African American elected as President. Debaters still argue whether that American’s first African American President is qualified for his role or not; the fact remains that whether he is ready or not his is President and has a duty to do his best just as the Presidents before him have done. Race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation should not have any bearings on the qualification of a presidential candidate; the fact that these characteristic do have influence the perception of a person’s ability proves that America hasn’t come as far as many minorities would hope for. Shunryu Suzuki says â€Å"Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. † A change has been made, it’s up to American citizens to accept that minorities are no longer minorities; men and women of every race, religion and sexual orientation know that in electing an African American as President we are one step closer to genuine equality in all Americans.

AIDS and Philadelphia (1993)

Later, the virus can enter the host's bloodstream through a hole in the surface of the tissue. The risk of this happening is the biggest among anal sex, whether it is between two men or between men and women. HIV is transmitted by direct exchange of blood or blood products This type of infection is most common when injecting drug users injecting drugs Hemophilia patients and other people receiving blood transfusion, As well as the fetus of the mother of HIV. Since the onset of AIDS epidemics, AIDS has caused considerable interest and controversy. This scene is taken from the box office income of Philadelphia. The 1993 TV series has become the first movie to discuss publicly about AIDS, crossing the wall of the movie. Philadelphia is also a representative example of homophobia in the workplace (irrational fear and hate against homosexuals). Homosexuals desire equal and equitable treatment in the workplace (Mc Naught 65); recognizing this, the movie is doing very well. Philadelphia cla ims that it meets all four criteria and is a successful high quality social drama. (Social drama is a movie including reality (modern) social problem.Social drama must deal with conflict as some plots contain solution to the problem.) Philadelphia is preparing to conduct a critical analysis of Philadelphia movie (1993). Please answer the following questions. * Homosexual myths and stereotypes, and those living in HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) will help promote him to be dismissed by the company? * Prejudice, discrimination, oppression and institutional discrimination. * Including analysis of gay and lesbian other issues such as granting legal authority, violence against them, out, race, AIDS. * Proposed Strategy ... Star Wars became an American classic in popular culture. George Lucas is a wonderful person behind the movie, and he suggests everything we call now Star Wars. He is the creator of this wonderful phenomenon in popular culture. He can not do it by himself, but many people are involv ed in film production. Music is the most important factor in making movies. As he heard, Lucas decided to pass this responsibility to the famous composer John Williams When Philadelphia was released in 1993, it helped to change these perceptions. The movie is the story of a young gay attorney, acted by Tom Hanks, who was fired by his company after discovering that he had AIDS. This is the first Hollywood movie to deal with AIDS and homophobia. Until there were few people who wanted to discuss the theme, it helped to delete themes. Gary Bell, advocate of HIV, says:

The Main Issues Involved in Iranians Annotated Bibliography

The Main Issues Involved in Iranians - Annotated Bibliography Example This research will begin with the review of â€Å"Irangeles: Iranians in Los Angeles† written by Ron Kelley, Jonathan Friedlander, and Anita Colby. The researcher states that in a novel format, this work is a combination of essays, interviews, and photographs of the Iranian immigrants in Southern California. According to the research findings, the work shows how Iranian women in the U.S try to adopt the Western culture and to deny their Iranian roots. This work  helps in explaining the general tendency among the Iranian women writers after the revolution to present themselves as liberal, freedom-loving, and democratic human beings who have nothing to do with terrorism and extremism. The present research has identified that Nesta Ramazani is another female contemporary of Satrapi. With an Iranian father and English mother, Nesta narrates her life in Iran before and after the revolution. This paper illustrates that the writer faces a lot of pressure in the fundamental Iranian society, and manages to struggle through with luck and hard work.   The work shows how Iranian, Islamic, and Western cultures collide, mingle, and influence the lives of people in Iran. The autobiography by Nesta is used in two ways. Firstly, it helps understand the influence of fundamentalism on Iranian people, and secondly, it helps explore the general tendency among Iranian women writers to show adherence to the West.  

Temporal Analysis in Crime Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Temporal Analysis in Crime Analysis - Assignment Example Analyzing the subject requires time to observe on their changing characters and reasons of change. Crime analysis is a complex task that requires not only adequate time but also resources. It requires human skills and higher level of training to execute this kind of analysis. Other forms of analysis such as qualitative analysis involve using the available data and records to come up with a particular finding and advice on the most appropriate directions to take based on the results of the analysis. In crime analysis, it requires the utilization of numerous strategies/techniques to come up with the most feasible solution to crime related issues. In crime analysis, the analyst should utilize both the available data and also he should also be able to visit the crime scene to correct the necessary data (Bruce, Hick, Cooper & International Association of Crime Analysts, 2004). The crime series entails the flow of events that took place from the time the crime is yet to be up to the time it had been committed. The use of temporal analysis plays a significant role in the analysis of crime series. Good example of temporal analysis is spatial analysis. This is where ellipses are established to help identify the distribution of crime incidence (Weisburd, Groff & Yang, 2012). Bruce, C. W., Hick, S. R., Cooper, J. P., & International Association of Crime Analysts.(2004). Exploring crime analysis: Readings on essential skills (2nd ed.). NorthCharleston, S.C: BookSurge.

Mahatma Gandhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Mahatma Gandhi - Essay Example This has been personally attained by the writer of this paper through his experience as an intern in the Regional Management Division of Deutsche Bank and based on empirical evidence. Personal values of public service, integrity, and creativity promote commercial success by acting as a source of sustainable motivation and establishing the connection between work and self-identity. Public service is not constrained to working in the government, but also applies to the motivation of seeing one’s work as a form of public service for others. Gandhi stresses that customers give businesses the opportunity to serve them; they are the precursors of public service. This writer believes that being able to serve customers starts with seeing them as recipients of his service. They are going to receive this service, only because they wanted to in the first place. Thus, this writer realizes that his existence as an employee relies on the existence of the customer. Collaboration should take place afterwards, where he must ensure the satisfaction of the customer because it can result to repeat business and the affirmation of his identity as an employee. A good example is handling a difficult, but highly profitable client in Deutsche Bank. This client wanted some help in ensuring the posting of funds to several accounts in a timely manner. This required extra work for the employee, but he eagerly went the extra mile. He monitored the client’s accounts faithfully and when the expected transactions took place, he transferred funds appropriately. After that, he called the client for follow up to check if the transactions went along smoothly. This client expressed significant happiness with the customer service he received. He mentioned something that affected the employee: â€Å"It’s nice to be seen and treated as a person. Thank you.† This statement embodies another aspect of customer service as

Fire Protection Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Fire Protection Strategy - Essay Example Safety engineering is much needed in fire safety because engineering involves careful planning. Incorporating safety measures in structures and buildings is a must under the Building Regulations 2000 (Health and Safety Executive, 2007) and other significant legislations on fire safety and prevention. It should occupy careful study by engineers and architects. The principles in the code must enable the engineer to properly plan the fire safety framework. Experience tells us that many causes of fire are due to poor building design, inadequate emergency procedures, and other necessary measures not being implemented, or not adhering to proper regulations. Furthermore, interior furnishings exacerbate the growth of fires, or they could be the primary cause of fire. Engineers and architects should not neglect installing the necessary fire protective devices in buildings and structures. In public buildings, such as the JB Firth Building, owners should be extra careful in installing furnishings or linings which can be said as â€Å"fuel load† to possible fires. Our report will cover the fire safety strategy, including conclusions and recommendations from our study with respect to the fire safety measures as incorporated in the plan. This will also evaluate whether these are in accordance with the Building Regulations 2000 on Fire Safety and other important legislations on fire safety and prevention. Also included in the report are the application methods of fire risk assessment. We will also examine the materials used in furnishings, structures and linings which should have the strength to withstand fire or heat. We will provide our assessment and summary of the building, and the provisions of the Building Regulations, whether these are being implemented and executed with respect to the detection and warning systems; the means of escape should there be a fire; the internal fire spread linings; the internal

Victorian America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Victorian America - Essay Example The country gained 12 new states, doubling its geographical area, voted on 10 new amendments to their constitution and increased its population by more than twice its number at the beginning of this period. â€Å"Americans were becoming more diverse, more urban, and more mobile.†2 Slavery had legally come to an end and an entirely new population was struggling to redefine itself and find a home. Social norms were questioned and the preconceptions of the elders were no longer automatically assumed honorable. Technology had changed too, bringing with it the mechanized tools of the factory, enabling large groups of workers to earn living wages within a single location rather than struggle to grow crops out on the farm. With the advent of the machine and the production line, more and more Americans were moving to the cities to seek work, bringing the women in from the fields on the farms to the kitchens and family rooms of the middle class. This emerging middle class gave birth to what has since been referred to as the Cult of the True Woman, coined first by Barbara Welter in the mid-1960s3, a set of ideas and beliefs regarding the proper structure of the quintessential American family. However, through this ideology, women were brought into closer contact with one another, gaining power and voice enough to finally give rise to the feminist movements that marked the tremendous strides toward equal rights that were accomplished in the early part of the twentieth century. Through this process of growth and change, moving from the True Woman to the New Woman, the feminist movement was seen primarily as a masculine movement with very little to suggest the ‘feminisation of American culture’, with its emphasis on compassion, consideration, and control that would emerge in the twenty-first century. In leaving the farms for the cities with the new modernization of the cities and factories, Welter and others hypothesized that it became necessary for women to uphold the traditional ideologies the family had held dear while in a rural setting, thereby restricting them to a single idealized image of what embodies the True Woman.

All dance is narrative not only in its presentation but also in its Essay

All dance is narrative not only in its presentation but also in its form, its technique and its ways of continuing its lineage - Essay Example (The library of Congress, 2008). With time this evolved as a narrative tool. However, the narration was limited to the presentation of the dance. However in the nineteenth century, the art of dancing was more popularized through literatures. The influence of the popularization of music also contributed to the popularity of dance. Many other factors like an improvisation of the women’s role in the society and the strengthening of their physical activeness towards the beginning of the twentieth century were also influential in the development of social dance styles (The library of Congress, 2008). With this, techniques specific to different kind of dances evolved and were standerdised. Gradually these techniques became so expressive that these within itself tuned out to be narrative in nature. An good example to this is the evoloution of social dancing. The arena of social dancing emphasizes on the sociability of the art than on set rules and competition. The inclusiveness is the basic principle adhering to the social style of dancing and is not performance oriented. This style of dancing more relies on the spontaneity in accordance to the situation than on the rules and regulations. However the various disciples with in the social dancing style share some universal principles. It is creative, spontaneous, coordinated and conventional in terms of these principles (Renzland P, 2008). Some of the social dances which are popular in America today are Break Dancing, Alpine, Hip Hop Dancing, Argentine Tango, Balboa, Cajun, Ceili(dh), Charleston, Circle Mixers, Contra, Hambo, Irish Set, Lindy Hop, Old-Time-Waltz, Polka, Ragtime, Scandinavian, Scottish (Country/Folk) Dancing, Square, Vintage, Zwiefache and Zydeco. In short, it is the style of dance which connects the art form wit h the common public.Here the techniques of dancing in terms of these

Public University Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public University Analysis - Research Paper Example The financial statements in this institution contains some remarkable disclosure of the cost that the institution goes through in providing retirement benefits, related gains, assets and lastly all liabilities. These financial statements therefore, are able to provide the employees with a clear view of the risks and rewards that arise from the defined benefits. In addition, all funding obligations which are in relations to all liabilities of the benefits schemes defined are all clearly identified (University of Maryland, 2012). GAASB proposed changes are likely to reduce the liability burden as they will increase the level of accountability an aspect that is likely to reduce the cash lost due to cases of negligence. Proposed changes also address deeply on issues of common deposits and other investment risks such as interest rate risks and even fluctuating of the foreign currency risks. The policy recommendations to disclose all investments that are highly sensitive to these risks wil l reduce the money lost through fluctuating of the currency and changes in the interest rates (University of Maryland, 2012). One of the major economic condition that s likely to affect the growth of this institution is government changes in labor policies. Government is likely to change the policies such as medical policies and retirement policies. Some of the likely changes that are likely to be outlined include; increased amount contributed towards the pension scheme and specified amount that the institution should direct towards payment of medical insurance for its employees. This is likely to reduce the amount of money directed towards improving the status of the university. Second aspect that is likely to affect the future success of university of Maryland is increased government intervention and regulations in university through taxation. This is likely to slower the level of activities in the institution an aspect that will be replicated in the overall growth rate of the ins titution (University of Maryland, 2012). Changes in the foreign currency and interest rates will have direct impact on the overall growth of university of Maryland. The institution conducts many transactions some of which depend largely on the interest rates. Fluctuations in the currency and changes in the overall economy will therefore hamper the level of growth in the university (Gibson, 2012). In university of Maryland grants are used to fund major projects that are aimed at improving the education status in the university. In addition to this, they are used in daily running of the institution. Also, they are sometimes used to cover the liabilities that the institutions have incurred over the past periods in order to reduce burden to the institution (Gibson, 2012). Grants such as federal grants are used by the institution to offer students with the scholarships. This is aimed at helping the needy students who are not capable of paying for their school fees. In addition to this, t hese funds are directed towards equipping the institution with the current technology in order to improve the level of research conducted by the institution. As a result, the institution has been able to conduct many researches in different fields an aspect that has improved the overall growth of the state and economy at large (Gibson, 2012). With GAADB laid procedures on how to use funds in the institutio

The various stages in the development of warfare Essay Example for Free

The various stages in the development of warfare Essay Technology defines the strategic agenda of a nation at any given time; in particular, the concepts of war, crisis, terrorism and therefore military warfare. Military technology has allowed for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, Precision Guided Munitions, Long Range Theatre Nuclear Weapons, Ballistic Missile-Carrying Submarines and many more. New military concepts have arisen out from the advancement of military technology, for example arms races or Mutually Assured Destruction; all of these complex military terminologies were unheard of in the middle of the 19th century, therefore showing how drastic warfare has developed since then. As military warfare has an extremely strong influence on the state of international relations as it affects the balance of power and the polarity of the world, it is important to understand both why and how the wars that happen today have expanded. The industrial revolution in the middle of the 19th century brought about a fundamental transformation in military technology; gone were the cavalry wars with spears as weapons and castles as defence, in was the mass production of war machinery. Nearly every aspect of warfare changed, and has been advancing and increasing ever since. The firepower of guns and bombs evolved from 3/4 rounds per minute muzzle loading muskets to machine guns capable of firing 650 rounds per minute1; although first used in the 1883 American Civil War which led to 600,000 dead, machine guns were widely used in World War One and helped make 400,0002 British casualties in the Battle of the Somme. From the middle of the 20th century the focus moved to weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, where technology allowed for more range and accuracy, and ICBMs and PGMs are capable of wiping out whole towns. Due to this, war has extended from armies to ordinary civilians, therefore potentially increasing death tolls and creating more fear among inhabitants of a country at war as attacks can be secret. The mobility and transport of armies has also changed which has an effect on the development of warfare; the pre-mid 19th century wooden sail powered ships with cannons used during many of the British invasions of India, Australia and Africa proved impractical and from the 1870s onwards, iron steam powered battleships were built. This allowed for access to enemy lands by sea with a lower risk of being sunk, and so invasions became easier, for example the Boer War from 1899 to 1902. The industrial revolution of the mid 1800s created advanced railways so soldiers could be deployed rapidly; this increased the speed of wars from the traditional wars on foot, and prevented enemy stated from having time to prepare for war. The introduction of the motorcar in the beginning of the 20th century also helped the mobility of warfare, with army trucks being used in most of the wars since then; in addition, the invention of tanks and submarines combined strong defence with the ability to attack, therefore causing more damage with fewer home casualties. The development of aircraft since the mid 19th century has been extremely significant; the first victims of air war were Arab villagers in Libya during the Italian war on Turkey 1911-123, and although aircraft was used in World War One, the turning point of air warfare was the Second World War, where the Blitzkrieg strikes on British civilian towns by the German Luftwaffe created a new warfare that involved ordinary inhabitants. Similarly, in recent air strikes on Afghanistan and Iraq by technologically advanced fighter planes such as B-1 and B52 bombers have further increased the speed and devastation caused by war. Protection has also changed over the years, from impractical individual heavy metal armour used by armies before the mid 19th century to much more alternative methods of protection. In World War One, the use of trenches to protect soldiers proved ineffective, however the civilian attacks during the Second World War meant that new types of protection were introduced: air raid sirens, blackouts and gas masks from enemy air warfare. Technology in the late 20th century extended methods of protection to Electronic Counter Measures to locate enemy weapons even before they are deployed the ultimate method of protection. This would not have been possible without the advancement in artificial intelligence through sophisticated computers to perform operations such as detecting long-range missiles from satellite cameras. The advancement of military warfare is due to a number of things: the progression of science and development of human intelligence mainly as a result of better education and more of a desire to be all-knowing has created more effective and practical ideas for warfare. In addition, the influx capitalism after the industrial revolution has meant that the munitions industry has profit to be made, and as capitalism seems ever increasing the production of weapons has also amplified. Also, countries around the world have increased their defence spending budgets therefore more money is constantly being spent on inventing the best, most destructive, powerful weapons. This, along with the enlarged competition between states to have the most advanced technological warfare machinery has led to a number of disputes which set the agenda for international relations at the time. The Cold War between Russia and the United States from the middle of the 20th century until the collapse of the Soviet Union mainly consisted of an unofficial arms race: repeated, competitive and reciprocal adjustments of their war making capacities between two nations4, with both countries building up baroque arsenals of ICBMs and the most advanced nuclear bombs. Action-Reaction models such as the Cold War creates a security dilemma not just for those involved but for the whole world: An action by any state to increase its military strength will raise the level of threat seen by other states and cause them to react by increasing their own strength5. An example of this recently could be the nuclear proliferation of the nine states who presently have nuclear weapons; countries who dont have nuclear arms may feel threatened by those who do and wish to build up their arms, and so this potential horizontal proliferation would in turn make those who have arms build up theirs even more, creating increased vertical proliferation. Nuclear multi-polarity in the world is likely to be dangerous as there is more chance of rogue states using their weapons and creating more prolific, devastating wars. While many argue the move to nuclear warfare is better than outdated methods of warfare such as battles as it creates deterrence between states to use their weapons. This could be proven by the fact that since the invention of nuclear weapons in the middle of the 20th century there has been no nuclear wars; however the example of the United States atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 show how much devastation and horror they could cause. Also, the new threat of biological and chemical weapons has added to the potential threat of large-scale modern warfare that no longer involves a countrys army only; it seems like the world could potentially be moving into a second nuclear age. The progress between offensive and defensive warfare has also changed since the middle of the 19th century; however it seems to have followed a regular pattern. Pre 19th century cavalry wars were largely offensive wars, with attacks on foot and high casualties; the first World War consisted of mainly defence tactics like building extensive trenches; the second World War was again offensive, with air warfare bombing campaigns; the evolution of nuclear arms is largely as a defence mechanism, for example the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction; and recent wars such as the US attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan have been mostly offensive bombing campaigns. Another factor to consider of how warfare has changed is how the world is not entirely a multi-polar earth; recently, it seems like a potentially unstable combination of unifying centripetal and separating centrifugal forces struggling over the periphery. In addition, the threat of non state actors has also changed warfare; until recently, the enemy could be located in one state, however the main problem for western democracies in international relations today is the threat of terrorism, with the Al Quaida network appearing all over the world. This creates the problem of not knowing where to attack, and counties such as America attacking countries like Afghanistan just because they believe they were harbouring terrorists after the September the 11th attacks. It is likely that warfare technology will advance in the future despite the disarmament issue over the past few decades. While superpower countries like the United States continue with their arms building, refuse to ratify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty or participate in talks regarding the Antiballistic Missile Treaty in June, and continue to own 95% of the 31,000-plus nuclear weapons along with Russia6, the Doomsday Clock might actually reach midnight. After World War One, Sir Edward Grey said that the horrors of the Great War would make it possible for states to find as least one common ground on which they should come together in confident understanding: an agreement that, in the disputes between them, war must be ruled out as a means of settlement that entails ruin7. Obviously, this idea seems much too idealistic when we look back at the technological advancements in warfare since World War One, which can maybe suggest that states will always dispute and technology will always adva nce the terrifying thought of a future super-war is very possible. BIBLIOGRAPHY Buzan, Barry, Strategic Studies: Military Technology and International Relations, London: Macmillan, 1987 Freedman, Lawrence, The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy, London: Macmillan, 1989 Goldstein, Joshua, International Relations, New York: Longman, 1999 Gray, Colin, The Second Nuclear Age, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 1999 Waltz, Kenneth, Man, the State and War, New York: Colombia University Press, 1959 www.thebulletin.org 1 Buzan, Barry, Strategic Studies: Military Technology and International Relations, London: Macmillan, 1987 2 http://www.phoenixpress.co.uk/articles/events/somme-battle-of-pp.asp 3 Freedman, Lawrence, The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy, London: Macmillan, 1989, p4 4 Steiner, Barry, Arms Races, Diplomacy and Recurring Behaviour: Lessons from Two Cases, Beverly Hills: Sage, 1973 5 Rathjens, G. W., The Dynamics of the Arms Race, in Herbert York (ed.), Arms Control, San Francisco: Freeman, 1973 6 www.thebulletin.org 7 Grey, Edward, Twenty Five Years, New York: Frederick A Stokes Co., 1925, p285

Examine sociological explanations of the difference in the educational performance of ethnic minorities in Britain Essay Example for Free

Examine sociological explanations of the difference in the educational performance of ethnic minorities in Britain Essay The connection between ethnicity and educational accomplishment is very complicated as there is a great deal of difference between achievements between each of the ethnic groups. In previous studies, such as those carried out to compile the Swann report (1985), used very simplistic classifications of each of the ethnic groups, Afro-Caribbean, Asian and All others (including white). There was clear ranking between these groups with all others at the top, followed by Asians, and then Afro-Caribbean. Later on more complex classification systems were introduced and so a more detailed picture of the relationships between class and education emerged. For example, Kysel (1988) used eleven classifications to measure success at 16. This study placed Indian, African, Asian and Pakistani pupils at the top, followed by South East Asian and Greek students. Students of UK origin came in the middle of the range, followed by pupils from Turkish, Arab and Caribbean origin. At the bottom were Bangladeshi pupils. Most sociological explanations point to home back ground, educational experiences and factors to do with society. However studies dont usually apply such sophisticated classifications, as used by Kysel, so making it difficult to explain distinctions between the categories. There are three main reasons for different ethnicities achieving differently in the cultural factors, social class and school factors. Cultural factors are thought by sociologists to have a large influence on the difference in attainment of the ethnic groups. Findings of those such as Douglas have provided support for what came to be known as cultural deprivation theory. This theory states that many of the values, attitudes and skills needed for high educational success are missing in the culture of certain ethnic groups. This was a particularly popular theory in the 1960-70s, it was notably supported by the Swann committee (1985), however evidence can be seen as weak, even the Swann report said this argument was sketchy. Driver and Ballard adopted this explanation in their study of children with parents of South Asian origin. They found that these parents quickly developed high expectations of their childrens abilities and such attitudes may have attributed to their success. Ken Pryce rejected theory. He did a study of the Afro-Caribbean community in Bristol (1979) and although he described their way of life as turbulent he also said that Afro-Caribbean parents have great aspirations for their children, and that they were not socially deprived because their parents are supportive, interested and provide all of the educational aid the can. Rex and Tomlinson also rejected the cultural deprivation theory in their study in Handsworth. Their rejected the theory because the data they collected points to Asians achieving highest at school and yet their parents go into school the least, indicating that they are not as interested as Afro-Caribbean parents who go into school the most. In spite of their parents frequent visits to school Afro-Caribbean are achieving the least in school. Another important theory is cultural difference theory, this about children being disadvantaged because their culture differs from the schools, the main example of this is if a child go to an English speaking school and speaks a different language at home, this means that they will not be as practiced as the children for whom English is their first language, they will be subjected to constant correction by teacher and their confidence and self esteem may suffer as a result. This theory is rejected by Driver and Ballard who found that by sixteen Asian childrens command of English is at least as good as their class mate, and in some cases, much better. The Swann report also noted that linguistic factors held back some Afro-Caribbean students but most did not have a problem. Social class is another important factor to consider. Some research suggests that much of the differential educational advantage that Afro-Caribbeans face is due to the fact that most Afro-Caribbeans are working class, disproportionately so. Swann said social class adds up to half of the reason behind educational achievement. Smith and Tomlinson agreed with this with their study of inner city junior schools and found a large variation due to class but a much smaller discrepancy due to ethnicity. The only problem with this is Asian pupils are primarily working class yet they achieve better that their white middle class counterparts. Many researchers have looked at the impact a range of school factors; this idea takes the stance that the difference in attainment between the ethnic groups is due to school environment. In studying school factors researches may have looked at curriculum content, teachers attitudes, ethnocentric resources, banding, language and many other things. Mac and Ghaill found that there was no clearly defined relationship between students who have been the victims of racism and the ones who have been predicted a fail. What he found was how well students did was influenced mainly by the schools they had come from. Pupils from suburban schools did better than pupils from inner city schools. Most studies showed that teachers were not racist to ethnic minorities. Taylor saw that many teachers were very sensitive in their handling of cultural issues and Hammersley went on to say most racist teachers did not bring this into the classroom. Wright studied primary schools and noticed how Asian pupils were largely invisible to the teacher and was treated insensitively by both staff and peers. Coard said that institutional racism lead to ethic minority children having self-esteem problems, which developed into low achievement. This is extremely apt with Afro-Caribbean students who are seen as a threat to classroom management and because they have been treated like this they start to conform to the labels they have been given. The DfEE found in a recent study that Afro-Caribbean pupils were four times more likely be permanently excluded from school than white children. To conclude, the area of ethnicity is a very delicate one and it is important to view it in the context of individuals and not stereotype people. More research is needed in to the experience of small, specific racial groups, not just Asian or White. It is also important to note that it can never be seen as just one factor, it is always going to be a combination of factors and also age and gender can not be ignored, no one factor can never be measured accurately on its own.

Italian Neorealism In Bicycle Thieves

Italian Neorealism In Bicycle Thieves It is evident that Italian Neorealism and the life of post-war shaped DeSisas film Bicycle Thieves (1948). However, with much debate, one can argue that the sentimental nature of the film overwhelms the films potential to make a powerful political statement. With reference to important scenes from the film, Italian neorealist principles focused on; location, lighting, typage, dà ©cor, loose camera shots, eye-level angles, invincible editing and reportage, as well as and the usage of sentiment One can justifiably claim that the powerful political statement is not overwhelmed by sentiment, and in fact enhances the message the film aims to give off. The uniqueness of the Italian works, vise-a-visa other relevant cineamas, lies in their stylistic organization of elements of apparent rawness, their emotional intensity, and their focus on current political and social problems. (P. Adams Sitney, 1995) Thus, one is able to identify Italian Neorealism as the harmonizing of sentiment (emotional intensity) and awareness of political and social problems through Neorealist principles, which inevitably feeds off from an happening that affected the world, and specifically as we see in the history influence in this film; Italy. This change in society brought about characteristics and principles which became noticeable in cinema during this time period. These principles not only molded the film Bicycle Thieves, but were used to bring about a message to the audience. A message which was not overwhelmed by emotional rawness but a message of a social movement awareness reflected through cinema. Neorealism was not only what I came to see as a propaganda device, but an influential and significant movement in film history, which occurred in Italy at the ending of World War II. (John Stubbs, 2010: pg 1) Italy moved from fascism and dictatorship, whereby much was revolved around a single-party position as one can clearly see in the Holocaust, to an equal and democratic society. Here we see this so effectively reflected through Bicycle Thieves when converging neorealist principles, the idea of sentiment to enhance the political statement and the apparent rawness which adds power to the social conditions through the overall statement to justifiably prove that sentiment was not a downfall to DeSicas focus. The filmmakers and directors clearly believed they had an ethical task to use cinema and film as a means to promote the social amendment that had just occurred post the war. Ideally, it wasnt so much about the storyline of the film and its characters, but more about making the public aware of the difficulties that working people had to face. Here we see a Marxist approach on the rebuilding of Italy whereby unlike the mythology of Classic Hollywood, no single person can change the world and the ultimate society would inevitably be a classless society, as Leo Tolstroy (1882) successfully explains; Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself, for when everyone changes themselves, the world will change.   Neorealisms origin of strength lies in the documentary excellence which is used to portray the realism of the story as realism can only occupy in art a dialectal position. (Andrà © Bazin, 1971) One might speculate what Bicycle Thieves would be like in colour, however the black and white aspect highlights the tone of the film being a bleak, depressing emotion contrary to the usage of colour which would highlight liveliness and energy and go against the tone of the film. Black and white not only attaches a emotion, but Thus, clearly showing that the sentiment brings about the tone of the film which enhances the message of presenting the gloomy conditions of poverty in post-war Italy. Andre Bazin (1971: 20) describes this through referring to the term reconstituted reportage. Reconstituted reportage is seen through how the every day events are shown, and the daily happenings which would have and did happen in Italy at that period of time. This adds, as discussed above, far more truth to the film and is not the making of a documentary but rather shown and seen in a documentary-type way through what Bazin (1971) refers to as a journalistic style. Bicycle Thieves has gives off a documentary experience to the audience which could not be removed from the script without thereby eliminating the whole social setting into which its roots are so deeply sunk (Bazin, 1971: 20). Bazin (1971) points out that realism and truth in film is a product of artifice. Truth is an important principle of neorealism, as truth brings realism; the more believable the film is to the audience, the more truthful it is thus, it is seen as realistic. We see this through DeSicas film techniques extensively set out to enhance the opportunity for the audience to live in the story. The real location shooting aids far more freedom and looseness for mise-en-scene, to such an extend that the camera-man is unsure what to look for. An example from the film can be seen when Antonio and Bruno walk away from a car in the street, meander in the streets for a bit heading in the same direction and then suddenly they both go the opposite way. As a viewer, the focus of the camera comes across somewhat as uncertain as the viewer experiences when watching a film for the first time. Here we see how such a camera technique can enhance realism and the opportunity for the audience to experience it. Another technique which is so different to Eisensteins Battleships Potempkin (1925) is that montage is avoided due to jump cutting, removing a sense of truth and realism, with noting that montage is, if anything, modifies realism. This can be seen through the truth of the characters the aesthetics of realism; lighting, location, dà ©cor, camera shots, camera angles and editing. This not only brings about authenticity but also creates a much stronger message for the audience. In Bicycle Thieves, there is a correlation between truth and sentiment, and truth and the political statement Which are justifiably both used in this film without over powering one another (balance) in order to positively enhance the films message. Inevitably, in order for a director to get an actual event (post-war) understood by his audience truth and realism is the most effective approach. Neorealism focuses on the characters and themes without much focus on the plot itself as the plot is seen to warp the truth about people if focus is too much on the execution statement and not the input which is the reasoning for the statement and the very focal point the viewers need exposure to (John Stubbs, 2010: pg 4) Thus, the film wouldve not only been monotonous if there was no sentiment (due to there not being enough material if there was no storyline about characters and a central theme), but to know and understand a situation, one must be put in a stance where one has the opportunity of learning a huge amount about the faith and frustrations of a human being. Equally, a monotonous film due to no sentiment from characters and a central theme, is inevitably a failed film. Through this, neorealists are able to portray truth to a greater extend through bringing about simplicity yet a means of understanding the real life through everyday characters and a central theme (getting t he bicycle back); a main appeal in films even today. Likewise, without sentiment, we wouldnt be exposed to a equilibrium between objective shots of each of the characters and subjective shots showing the audience the characters point-of-view in the social and political conditions they are experiencing. One can also agree that the sentiment aids the whole use of Neorealism principles. Without characters, loose shots wouldnt be blatant to the audience (also in comparison to the few novelty used close-up shots) as loose shots show freedom, which thus emphasizes truth and realism. The storyline being as simple as the search for a bicycle, doesnt take the political statement too far away from the message. Likewise, the actual characters in the film are everyday normal people. We can see this through the workman being found in the factory, the child being found wondering around the streets and the wife being found through her writing. (Andre Bazin, 1971) This is known as Typage whereby there is no star system which immediately creates a far more realistic/truth approach and feel. Similarly, the locations and dà ©cor are real and not built-up or made-up, the lighting is natural which attempts to present reality as it is, the editing is invincible which enhances truth and the camera is free which is unrestricted and brings about a far more convincing viewing. Neorealists not only conformed to such techniques for that these techniques best suited execution of maximum realism in cinema, but is a cinema movement which brought about much rebellion too. Italian Neorealism had already provided a cinematic model for rebellion, both against the conventions imposed by the political and social states ideology (Mark Mesaros, 2010) and past cinema movements such as the success seen in montage in German Expressionism. With the storyline of the characters and the truth which is by principle brought about, I fully agree that it brings sentiment to the screens. However, it puts you (the audience) in a far more heart-felt and understanding position which I believe brings about the political statement in a far more expressive way, rather than a theoretical and cold approach. And as some agree, its not even sentimental its just painful. (The Internet Movie Database, 2010: retrieved 28 April) Instead of a cold theoretical approach which would entail no sentiment, we are introduced to a family who are ordinary and by no means are glamorous heros which is commonly seen in Classical Hollywood. Quite frankly, if we werent introduced to characters and the sentiment they bring, which play a role in this film, I personally dont think much of a political statement would be made as one needs interest to grasp a statement. As we see in Classic Hollywood, the emotional character identification influences the message of the film and is a central characteristic, contrary to Italian Neorealism where characters are everyday individuals who are put in a equal light which intention, also enhances the message this movement wishes to portray. The character of Ricci is the focus of the film, however we are not interested in him but rather what will happen next in the films sequence of events. And even though characters bring about sentiment and the viewer starts becoming attached to the ro le the characters plays, in Bicycle Thieves, Bruno the son unsentimentally still criticizes and looks down on his father. Noticeably very different to what we see in Classic Hollywood. In response to the representation of the political statement made in this film, we are clearly able to see this in noticeable scenes in the film. In the first scene, the camera follows Ricci from the unemployment gathering to his wife where the housing project is in the background, which is fully exhibited to the viewer showing the bleak conditions. We see the men and woman arguing about employment and shortage of water. This emphasis on long and medium shots which appeals to the truth in the film enhances the political message due to the events getting exhibited on a whole Whereas close up would bring more sentiment. Long and medium shots show the actor loosely framed in his environment and allow the viewer opportunity to look around in that environment with the added enhancement of the shots taken at eye level. As well as minimized jumps and shifts through editing to bring more real life to the cinema audience. Thus we see here that sentiment is not overwhelming the political statement, but rather the political statement is actually taking dominance in the shots. Of course DeSica did move in for close-up shots every now and then which becomes a novelty and is in effect very strong and holds the base to string along the story of the characters and the central object, which is needed to (as mentioned earlier) keep the audience interested and not bored. The central object being the bicycle. They are everywhere and yet treasured, and the shortcoming of the Ricci familys position is enforced when Antonios bicycle is stolen. Here, the object brings sentiment to enforce the political statement, and what I find even more interesting is how the title changed from Bicycle Thief to Bicycle Thieves as ultimately it becomes a vicious cycle of survival as one has to steal their own bicycle back from the thief, therefore becoming a thief resulting in thieves. This therefore constitutes to the message of the film, for the continuous battle of the haves and have-nots. Through the character of Antonio, it is the faith that drives him and allows him follow within his quest to find his stolen bicycle. Although DeSicas bleak realism of the post-war gives purpose to the central theme of the film, it is ultimately the conflict of human-optimism which gives the film and its political statement its power and without human sentiment, one can argue that the film would not produce affective power. If we look at three scenes, we are able to see how sentiment brings power to the political statement. In one scene we see Antonio and Maria trade in their bed linen. The camera moves away from them (long shot) and we see the heaps of bed-linen behind the counter-table, a tacit bleak reminder of the extensive nature of unemployment while recognizing its effect on the heart of families household lives. Again we see how realistic the lighting is and how the framing is loose to incorporate the environmental conditions to promote the political message. In another scene we see Ricci reporting his bicycle stolen and is directed by the policeman to the piles of alike reported cases. His account and circumstances are not singular, and we see here how it is not only this family that is going through this but also a lot of people. (Note the title: Thieves and not Thief) Thus portraying the political message that goes beyond this familys personal sentiment. Here we are also shown how humanitarianism prohibited Ricci from pressing official charges anti the thief, and the same moral fiber that spared him after he was caught stealing a bicycle. He did what the thief did to him. Such a film was essential in Italy as through this family we have the opportunity of being a bystander to the brutality of a civil war amoungst fascists and its on going of killing and reprisals through seeing how this effects one, and how not only effecting this family but many others. Italy in post-war was in need of healing and compassion even at the cost of a perceived injustice. (Paul Baxa, 2011) Healing does not come from the government and leaders of the country, but comes from within the everyday man on the streets you and me. Thus, from the Riccis, those being affected by the war and living within such conditions as well as the audience viewing this film who can in many ways relate. In another scene, arguably the most sentimental scene yet what I believe portrays the political message more powerfully than any other- we see the father and sons relationship come to a mend. It is understood with looking into the Italian family lifestyle, that the father and sons relationship is by far the strongest and most special. Little Brunos appearance when taking his fathers hand in the last scene is merely a realistic point of life and is a means of facing life with your father an important part in Italian culture. With Bruno being the witness of the tragedy and finally coming to realize his father is not a hero after all (contrary to Classic Hollywood), much like the audience being a witness too, this scene gives off a sense of aggravation, mortification, paradox and most of all acceptance to survival. These sentimental feelings therefore expresses the political statement as this ending of when the father and son take hands, expresses manhood and the hardship of survival one needs to go through with still looking for a sense of acceptance. Bazin (1971) explains this father/son scene as reaching puberty. Up to that moment the man has been like a god to his son and their relations came under the heading of admiration. By the fathers actions of becoming a thief, the father has in doing so compromised all heroism that his son had seen in him. However, this scene is seen as acceptance not only in survival, but also acceptance of ones father and supposed role model. He will love him henceforth as a human being, shame and all. (Bazin, 1971: pg 54) This scene inevitabely becomes a deceptive one, as the truth and reality of this acceptance and now found happiness through the fathers wrong doings, depends all on the central object the bicycle. Bicycle Thieves therefore inevitably portrayed the political statement through expressing the social conditions without expressing solutions. One might argue that this is a downfall, however at this moment in time solutions were not theoretical and if healing was going to occur it was going to have to come from the people. Thus, this film is inevitably awareness that needs to be found in each individual, which will create its own solution. Much like the theme and characters inevitably creating a plot on its own in Neorealism. The neorealist approach doesnt have an inbuilt political statement solution, as the most widespread attribute of neorealism is; on location shooting and the feeling of truth. (John Stubbs, 2010) Exactly what Bicycle Thieves so effectively does. One must also remember when viewing this film in the 21st century that twenty-five percent of the Italian workforce was unemployed at the time (William Heuvel, 2008) and if you were employed, getting to work was with th e use of a bicycle. The object of the bicycle thus symbolized survival. In conclusion, one can therefore justifiably argue that the sentimental nature of Bicycle Thieves does not overwhelm the political statement but essentially enhances it. If the political statement made in the film was to feed off a means of a solution, and the solution could only be found in the common individual like the Riccis family then one needs to understand the individuals situation as well as have an opportunity to walk in their shoes. Through sentiment that is not overly used in this film, one can see the hardship for survival through the story of these characters in order to become aware, as well as stay intrigued. Without focalizing power of the central character but rather the political statement through the characters, this film uses The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic. (Joseph Stalin, 1953) to its advantage by effectively showing the tragedy of individuals with indication to the masses statistic through apparent rawness and emotional intensity focused on such political and social problems. (P. Adams Sitney, 1995)

American History X Essay -- essays research papers fc

American History X   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Will racism ever come to an end or will its path go on infinitely? For the most part, the majority of people respect those who are different either in color, race, and/or heritage; however, there are those few that hold bigoted views towards people who are different than they are. The movie American History X by Tony Kaye displays an example of people who hold bigoted views. Derek, a Neo-Nazi leader, must contend with his actions relating to his past racist views and actions. This powerful movie explores its characters thoroughly and gives reasons why people become so callous and turn towards a racist group. It also exposes insight to problems that plague America when it comes to racism in everyday life, from schoolyards to basketball courts. All together American History X presents its watchers with an impressive theme that makes everyone who watches it take a step back and just say, â€Å"WOW!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main characters are two brothers, Derek and Danny, and the way they became involved with the Neo-Nazist’s ideas are different, yet the same. Derek the older of the two by five years, is first influenced by his late father. One night at the dinner table they discussed what he was reading in English and Derek told him Native Son. The dad had never heard of it and so Derek explained that it was black history month and so they were reading a book by a black author. His father did not like that very much and angrily talked that with affirmative action, and other such things, blacks were taking away from what was already established by whites. When a black drug dealer shot his dad when he 601 2 was fighting a fire on duty as a firefighter, Derek blamed â€Å"blacks, brown, yellows, its all their fault† and that lead him down a dark path. Disgruntled and confused, Derek became a leading member in a Neo-Nazi group, which he called the D.O.C. Danny, his young brother, watched, listened, and breathed every word Derek spoke. He too bought into the world of hatred. During the time Derek spent in jail for killing three black burglars, Danny tried to do everything possible so his brother would respect him when he got out. But the time in jail transformed Derek. He rethought his whole life when his former black principal visited him in jail to ask, â€Å"Has anything you’ve done made your life better?† (Kaye). ... ... others more easily (McDougal). Hate itself takes up a lot of energy. All that wasted energy could be channeled into other areas that are more rewarding such as helping others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For an explanation unknown to anyone, some people are inclined to hating others. Motives may perhaps be because they are insecure of who they are, feel threaten by someone, or an explanation which no one has. The movie explains a major reason why people hate is because they want to blame someone else for their misfortunes. It is always nice to put the responsibility on somebody else’s shoulders. Hopefully in a near future people can begin to comprehend how foolish it is to hate all the time, and then start to love. Works Cited:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Impersonal Interview. 4 March 2000. Hron, John. â€Å"What does our future hold?† 10 March 2000. Available http://users.powernet.co.uk/orion/nazicnt.htm . Movie discussion. 10 March 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Movie discussion. 10 March 2000. Suall, Irwin. Skinhead International : A Worldwide Survey of Neo-Nazi Skinheads. Berlin. Anti-Defamation League of Bnai. April 1995 . Impersonal Interview. 4 March 2000.

Industrial Revolution :: British History

Britain was the perfect country to start the Industrial Revolution due to three factors. Britain had the natural resources of coal and iron. Coal was used for energy and iron was used for building the new machines. They also had surplus labor, which gave jobs to farmers, because of the Agricultural Revolution, which was led to farmers loosing their jobs. Britain had also had a lot of infrastructure, such as laws and in stable government, which helped with industrialization. Roads, ports and bridges played an important role in developing an industrialized nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some causes and effects of the industrial revolution, which also considered positive and negative effects of the Industrial revolution. Positive effects were the agricultural revolution meant more employment; Empires provided markets in which the price went down. There were also inventions, such as the steam engine; with this invention and more Britains economics were boosted. Negative effects were that natural resources led to urban squalor (when the city spread out and it was all a mess there was no organization). Enclosure act, which made urban population rise, Britain had lots of capital from colonies, in which the quality of goods went down but the quantity rose. Another negative cause and effect of the industrial revolution was that there was dynamo, variety went down there was more uniformity (in the products) and workers and consumers were abused.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were two different types of systems that Britain had. One was the Domestic system. In which, products were made in the home, quantity was lower but quality was higher, people worked at home and made the entire product from beginning to end, this was a good way to do it but took long hours and hard work. The other type of system was the industrialized system, in which the products were made in a factory, assembly lines were used, and workers only made a piece of the product, the quantity of product went up, but the quality went down. The working conditions of the workers were unbearable.

Alan Greenspan :: Essays Papers

Alan Greenspan Since Alan Greenspan became chairman of the FED, the country's economy has reflected many positive results. He has done a terrific job. Allan is a very bright man who is always thinking of ways to prevent problems before they happen in the economic sector of the nation. All economists have been very content with his job just until now. In a recent Time magazine article called Is That Really You, Allan?disapproval about some new rules that this man has suggested for the economy have been highly critized. The first new rule that Alan proposed was to keep down with producivity. In the article he responds to this new rule by saying that too much efficiency pushes demand and becomes inflationary. This meaning that too much is produced and stock prices are getting higher. When this happens people begin to feel very wealthy and start to buy and buy like crazy. This is something that can cause major inflation in a future. Alan's second rule is to keep stock market prices not rising more than 5% to 6%. Greenspan comments that this has to be done because shares should rise only as fast as the rest of the economy. These two new rules proposed by Alan are mainly to protect the country from inflation and many economists and other people don't understand it. The article also reflects that many people think that Alan is doing the wrong thing. This is mainly because they are not getting the economic benefits they wish and are not thinking about the country's economic future. A very clear example is given in this article as well. The chief economist of the Deutsche Bank, Edward Yardeni states that, "If the wealth effect continues to boost demand, then why can't productivity continue to boost supply?" I really think that this comment was really said in an angry and ambitious way. This is an economist of a bank and should really try to understand that what Alan is trying to do is right. I also think this man is seeking only his own benefits. The chairman's decisions have brought many investors to worry. But just as Edward Yardeni, all these people are only thinking about the harm these rules will bring to their own selves. They are not aware that what Alan is doing is taking precautions so inflation will not invade the economy in the coming years.

Nora †A Classical Hero in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll`s House Essay

Nora Helmer, the central character, wife of Torvald, and mother of three children, is indeed a classical hero in Isben’s A Doll’s House. She was hiding her character and personality throughout the play under the pretense of the ‘ideal 19th century wife’ who completely abides to her husband. The character of Nora is quite tough to interpret as she is made out of a combination of different traits. Even though she is found to be playful and silly in certain places, she appears very differently in certain other places being very practical and astute. She is indeed a hero as she was successful in showing that she is a supporting wife, and a good mother. Nora attempts to become a strong individual even though she was being locked in a male dominated world. Her husband Torvald’s dominating nature was the one that was preventing her from become self motivated. She appeared inexperienced, naà ¯ve and vulnerable till the end when she surprised everybody by boldly leaving her husband and children to live an independent life. Nora’s world appeared to be so childish that the author has named it as a ‘doll’s house’. She appeared as an alien to the real world with no real world experience. She was even found humorous in few incidents. But we can see the same Nora being serious and trying to be superior as she says â€Å"one isn’t without influence†. She is indeed a captivating character. Even though Nora is constructed as immature and silly, we can see that this nature is enforced by the society around her. However her true nature was destined to be revealed later. Nora is found to be an independent woman who was restricted within the ‘dollhouse’ by her husband. Her life was like that of a butterfly that is trying to get out of the cocoon to show its true colors. We can see Nora striving, throughout the play, and finally unveiling her original self. She is indeed a classical hero. She was submissive to her husband and was enthusiastic and smart. We can say that Nora was always right in her attitude as this was the best she can be towards her dominating husband. Towards the end of the play she discovered herself and took the big shocking decision to leave her husband and children for ever. Nora is found to be swinging along the extremes. We can find her extremely happy during some times and deeply depressed in certain other times. We can find her desperate and needy and also prosperous and self sufficient. Nora is sometimes wise and sometimes silly. She is tottering between the personality she wants to be and the personality she pretends to be. She was found subordinate to her husband Torvald who believed that women are frail and can never make decision of their own. However finally Nora gets hold of her individuality and dares to take the great decision to abandon her husband and children. Nora’s great passion for life and her strong feministic beliefs stimulated her to take the decision of her life. She courageously broke away from the doll house that appeared as a prison for her all through these days. Nora was always under the care of someone, first with her father and then with her husband. Nora was a materialistic, impulsive and babyish. But Nora appeared as a bold woman in the final scene of the play. We can see Nora the classical hero walking out of her house in the final scene to live her life. All this makes us doubt whether she was pretending to be silly all through these days to adjust with the patriarchal oppression she was suffering from her husband Torvald. Nora finally becomes fully independent to renounce the false union of marriage and the burden of motherhood. She says â€Å"Never see him again.   Never.   Never.   Never.   Never see the children again.   Them too.   Never. never.   Oh – the icy black water!   Oh – that bottomless – that -!   Oh, if only it were all over!   Now he’s got it – he’s reading it.   Oh, no, no!   Not yet!   Goodbye, Torvald!   Goodbye, my darlings.† Nora always wanted to get out of the clutch of her husband as she says to Rank and Linde â€Å"I’ve the most extraordinary longing to say: ‘Bloody hell!’†Ã‚  She finally gets out all her social and traditional commitments and obligations as become free as a hero. She is such a classical character that our hearts are with her even though she took the pitiless decision to leave her moral husband and innocent little children. She can be called as a hero as a fought for a good cause, the freedom for the weaker sex. The position of women in the 1800’s, during the time of Nora was too low. They lived as housewives with no right to vote, own property, and make any significant transactions. Nora recognized her slavery and preferred to break away and live a life with freedom. It is nothing but her courage to fight against oppression made her the most admirable stage heroine of the century. What she has done is perfectly justifiable in the light is modern ideology and culture. She was just being a model to the women of modern days. She stepped into a wider world and making her husband understand that he is not the noble person that she expected him to be. She understands that she can no longer continue as a shadow of her husband. She turned out to be a classical hero in the contemporary male dominated society that oppressed women to the core and considered them as a second-class citizen. She just initiated an awakening and made a classical turn in history. Work Cited Ibsen, Henrik. ‘A Doll’s House’. Introduction to Literature: Reading, Analyzing, and Writing. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1990

Bata Shoe in Bangladesh

Term Paper selling Strategies of Retail Organizations of Bangladesh A involve on Bata enclothe Company (Bangladesh) Limited market Strategies of Retail Organization of Bangladesh A Study on Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. In Bangladesh, Bata started its operation in 1962. The company is superstar of the largest taxpaying corporate bodies add Tk. 1. 2 billion (year 2009) which represents approximately 70% of tax paid by the unblemished footwear sector of Bangladesh. Bata is the largest retail brass instrument in borders of their morsel of outlets round the country.Currently Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Limited operates ii manufacturing facilities whizz in Tongi and the other in Dhamrai. With a production capacity of 110,000 pairs of dress daily, the company also has a current tannery facility with an output of 5 meg square feet of leather annually. Annual slip sales currently stand at slightly more than 30 gazillion pairs with a turnover for the year 2009 of T k 5 billion. Acknowledgement At the inception of preparing this border penning, I would like to express gratitude to the overlord Allah for special blessing in complemental it.There is an English proverb Two orient are better than whiz. So, no one can obtain a august objective alone. This term paper is an compendium of many a(prenominal) peoples endeavor. For this, I am indebted to a number of people who helped me to prepare this and for their kind advice, suggestions, directions, and cooperation and prim guidelines for this. Our heartfelt thanks go to Dr. Md. Morshed Hasan Khan, touch base Professor, for providing us the opportunity and for his appropriate suggestions, honourable support and invaluable co-operation from date to time in completing the term paper especially in the last one week.Executive summary Bata started its journey in Bangladesh in 1962. So Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. is operate in our country from last 50 years. Bata is the largest cloth e manufacturing and marketing company in Bangladesh. In 2011, it sells 8. 5 billion pairs of space with annual turnover of Tk. 5 billion. Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has strived towards one goal guest satisfaction. With the vision of building a world-wide family of satisfied customers and dedicated workers the legacy of Tomas Bata continues unfaltering and unabated to this day the tradition is safe.As the largest shoe manufacturing and marketing company in Bangladesh, Bata follows several(prenominal) individual and coordinated strategies in marketing, pricing, in distribution, inventory that helps them to be the leader in the market and to increase sales and growth. close to important strategies are discussed in this term paper. Here their both the positive and ban sides are discussed thoroughly. Bata is performing CSR activities in many ways to be a proficient citizen of the country. Some recommendations are given after evaluating the overall activities of Bata Sho e Company (Bangladesh) Ltd.Table of circumscribe No. Name of the contents paginate Number 01. Background of the Problem 01 02. Objectives 01 03. methodology 02 04. Limitations 02 05. introduction 03 06. Bata Bangladesh 03 07. Company Profile 04 08. solicitude Overview 05 09. Financial Information 06 10. Product railroad line 07 11. Distribution Process of Bata Bangladesh 09 12. Marketing Strategies utilise by Bata Bangladesh 10 13. Corporate affectionate Responsibility 21 14. Lessons learn from Bata Bangladesh 23 15. Recommendations 24 16. Conclusion 24 17. References 24

Chapter 24 Discussion Questions

Chapter 24 Discussion Questions How salutary were houses of the British lower orders? The houses of the British lower orders were exclusively unsanitary and unhealthy. In various sections of Manchester, as some as 200 people shared iodine outhouse. These outhouses were not cleaned out often and sewage overflowed and seeped into dwellings. approximately courtyards became dung hills and sometimes excrement was ga in that respectd and interchange as fertilizer. How did womens status change during the nineteenth Century? Women usually did not work in the factories in nineteenth century Europe.It became expected of them to pose home and scoop up care of the electric shaverren. They configurationed bonds with their children because of the diminution in infant mortality range and unfeignedly loved their husbands because people married out of love, not for economic reasons. Women had legal inferiority to their husbands and worked to change that passim the 19th century. They cam paigned for equal voting rights and access to high education and professional employment. These groups gained important victories like the 1882 impartiality that gave English women complete property rights. Discuss the philosophical governing body of Auguste Comte.Auguste Comte was a French philospher who was an exceptionally influential system builder in the 19th century. He believed that clever activity goes through predictable stages. Comte believed that his brisk condition of sociology would identify the eternal laws of human relations by applying the scientific method, or positivist method as it is also known. These stages of knowledge illustrate the popularity of the sentiment of ontogeny in the 19th century. How was merchant vessels transformed in the 19th Century? In the 1870s horse-drawn streetcars operated in many European cities, which were invented in America.In the 1890s European cities utilized the electric streetcar, which was another American invention. ga lvanic streetcars were cheaper and faster than horse-drawn streetcars. Millions of Europeans made use of the ameliorate reality deportation, workers, shoppers, and schoolchildren alike. In 1886 horse-drawn streetcars were transporting 900 million riders in England, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and France. In 1910 electric streetcars were transporting 6. 7 million passengers in those four countries. The improvement in public transportation helped the over cosmos of urban cities.Urban workers were able to live further murder from the cities and still get to and from work using the innovations is public transportation. Art analysis Decide on a 19th Century painting that best describes urban living. Be prepared to show the painting and excuse how it reflects urban living. This painting shows urban living in the 19th century for a couple of reasons. The horse-drawn streetcars show the increase in public transportation during the 19th century. The spacious boulevards show the change in u rban planning in Paris by Georges Haussmann at that time.How did the rise of industrialization affect urban life and the family? Industrialization caused overcrowding in major cities which sped up the spread of diseases and germs. Most people who lived in major cities lived in buildings that were cramped with as many as ten people in one room. sustentation conditions were poor and unhealthy. Sewers flowed alongside or down the eye of unpaved streets. Millions of European families lived in shit. How did the scientific-technological thinking curve the social sciences and the arts? Many people move to apply the objective methods of science to the study of society.These new social scientists had access to huge sets of numerical selective information that various governments had started to accumulate on all things, from whoredom to population, from crime to children. Along with Auguste Comte, another influential philosopher and scientist was Charles Darwin. Darwin presented the ide a of natural selection and evolution in the 19th century. Darwin said that variations within a specific species result kill take the weaker members will die off and the stronger members will survive, based on Malthus theory that population will always outgrow the amount of supplies.How diverse are our attitudes toward gender and class issues from those of the Victorian come along? In the Victorian Age, the man had his place in the family and the women had theirs. Women were expected to stay home and manage the household, take care of the children, and manage the money. Men were expected to be the wage earners in factories and offices, not the women. Women only had caprioles remote the house if they were extremely poor. And women who did have jobs like this, were paying(a) significantly less than men who held the same job position.Nowadays, it is very common practice for women to have jobs outdoors the household. It is also illegal to pay employees more or less because of gen der or racial reasons nowadays. liken women and child-raising in the 16ththrough 18thCenturies with the 19thCentury? Throughout the 16th century, women were afraid to form bonds with their children because of the extremely high infant mortality rate. In the 18th century, the peasantry still did not become link up to their children until they were at least a year old. If the child survived the first year of life, his odds of surviving were practically greater.Older children helped in cottage industry and the more children there were to help produce textiles and other things, the better. During the 18th century, the speeding classes still neglected their children. Infants were usually handed off to wet nurses because breast-feeding was seen as a burden and by breast-feeding your children, there was a chance of becoming keep mum to them. Finally, in the 19th century, women formed bonds with their children, no guinea pig how young and breast-feeding was seen as a privilege, unlike before. Women were not as afraid of forming bonds with their children because infant mortality rates began to decrease.