With reference to Emily Bronte’s characterisation of Cathy and Heathcliff, discuss whom you may feel most sympathy for and why?

I am aiming to discuss (the above) whom I may feel most sympathy for and why out of Catherine (Cathy for short) and Heathcliff. Wuthering Heights is a novel written by Emily Bronte between 1846-1847 and is vastly influenced and dominated by the characters of Heathcliff and Catherine and their eternal, everlasting love for each other. The novel is told through the eyes of several narrators and most of them do not understand the depth and intensity of Cathy and Heathcliff and so they cannot describe it. This book is extremely complexed and our sympathy for each character constantly shifts from one person to another as Bronte keeps giving us reasons to change our views. Even though Heathcliff is an unreclaimed creature, without refinement and whose purpose in life is to seek revenge on all those who have wronged or crossed him, Bronte changes our views by changing his status from hero to villain. Emily Bronte constantly changes the characters status and this adds intrigue to the book. Another example of our fluxuating views is when we first meet Cathy as she clearly talks about disliking her whole life in her diary and this makes us sympathise towards her as she practically thinks that nothings worth living for. However when Nelly describes the treatment that Cathy gave Heathcliff, ‘spitting at the stupid little thing' (Pg30, line 14), we all change our views about her and instead we sympathise with Heathcliff because of his mistreatment and we start to detest/dislike her. There are many gothic elements in Wuthering Heights. An example of this is when Cathy's ghost taps at the window of Lockwood's bedchamber when a snowstorm throws him on the mercy of Heathcliff's grudging hospitality and he saws the child's arm on broken glass, (Pg20). Throughout the book Heathcliff is linked with bestial nature and called ghoul, goblin and vampire and this is no surprise. Cathy was, at first, awful to Heathcliff but when they became to love each other they were thought to be inseparable. However after her father dies she decides to marry Edgar Linton for further social development and not for love. This hurt Heathcliff as she said, to Nelly; it would degrade her to marry him and Heathcliff was silently eavesdropping in the dark to her heart-breaking words and so he ran away. ‘It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff' (pg67, line 13). This significant event creates sympathy for both Cathy and Heathcliff. She still loves him and she insists that she wants what's best for him-‘whereas, if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and out of my brothers power' (Pg68, line 12-13). However Heathcliff flees Wuthering Heights without listening to the rest of the conversation and so he does not know of Cathy's true intentions. During childhood, Heathcliff is brought in off the streets and is abused by both Catherine and Hindley. Even though Catherine grows to love him, Hindley becomes more and more abusive towards him as Heathcliff is quickly becoming the household's favourite. Heathcliff however, defies being understood, and it is difficult for the readers to resist seeing what they want or expect to see in him. As Heathcliff becomes older Mr Earnshaw sends his son, Hindley, away to college and this feeds Hindley's revenge. The novel teases the reader with the possibility that Heathcliff is something other than what he seems-that his cruelty is merely an expression of his frustrated love for Catherine, or that his sinister behaviours serve to conceal the heart of a romantic hero. We expect Heathcliff's character to contain such a hidden virtue because he resembles a hero in a romance novel. Traditionally, romance novel heroes appear dangerous, brooding, and cold at first, only later to emerge as fiercely devoted and loving. However, Heathcliff does not reform, and his malevolence proves so great and long-lasting that it cannot be adequately explained even as a desire for revenge against Hindley, Catherine, Edgar, etc. As he himself points out, his abuse of Isabella is purely sadistic, as he amuses himself by seeing how much abuse she can take and still come cringing back for more. However even though Heathcliff's childhood excuses his behaviour later on in life, it is only acceptable to a certain extent as he takes it too far. He does this by ruining the lives of the people who have wronged him or taken something/someone (in Edgar Linton's case) that he cares dearly for but he takes his revenge too far as he ruins his own son's (Linton's) life by making him marry his cousin, Cathy Linton (Edgar's and Cathy's daughter), just so that Heathcliff can inherit Thrushcross Grange. This makes you feel deep sympathy for Linton and Catherine Linton. It is significant that Heathcliff begins his life as a homeless orphan on the streets of Liverpool. When Bronti composed her book, in the 1840s, the English economy was severely depressed, and the conditions of the factory workers in industrial areas like Liverpool were so appalling that the upper and middle classes feared violent revolt. Thus, many of the more affluent members of society beheld these workers with a mixture of sympathy and fear. In literature, the smoky, threatening, miserable factory-towns were often represented in religious terms, and compared to hell. The poet William Blake, writing near the turn of the nineteenth century, speaks of England's â€Å"dark Satanic Mills. † Heathcliff, of course, is frequently compared to a demon by the other characters in the book. Considering this historical context, Heathcliff seems to embody the anxieties that the book's upper- and middle-class audience had about the working classes. The reader may easily sympathize with him when he is powerless, as a child tyrannized by Hindley Earnshaw, but he becomes a villain when he acquires power and returns to Wuthering Heights with money and the trappings of a gentleman. This corresponds with the ambivalence the upper classes felt toward the lower classes-the upper classes had charitable impulses toward lower-class citizens when they were miserable, but feared the prospect of the lower classes trying to escape their miserable circumstances by acquiring political, social, cultural, or economic power. Catherine's childhood is somewhat different to Heathcliff's as she has no reason to hate or despise anyone, but she does detest the way Heathcliff is treated. As a child, Catherine behaves spontaneously and naturally. She is selfish and believes she may act autonomously. Nelly Dean describes Catherine as ‘mischievous and wayward'. Evidence of Catherine's wildness can be seen from the pledge she and Heathcliff made-: â€Å"promised fair to grow up as rude as savages† in response to the terinay of Hindley. Catherine is defiant of authority and seemed to enjoy the wrath of others-: â€Å"she was never so happy as when we were all scalding her at once† Catherine's passionate nature, evident throughout her childhood, seemed not to exist in her early months of her marriage to Edgar. Her passion was described as-: â€Å"gunpowder which lay as harmless as sand because no fire came near to explode it†. As the book is based on Cathy and Heathcliff's profound love for each other it seems strange that they both marry other people. Although Cathy is the one who triggered Heathcliff's revenge by marrying Edgar Linton but what Heathcliff didn't realise was that it wasn't for love but for money to help him escape the clutches of Hindley. Before Cathy decides to marry Edgar Linton, Nelly reminds her how Heathcliff would feel about the idea and questions how they'll both bear the separation. As soon as you become Mrs Linton, he loses friend, and love, and all! Have you considered how you'll bear the separation, and how he'll bear to be quite deserted in the world? ‘ (Pg67, lines 36-39). Even though Cathy believes she is doing the best for her and Heathcliff, he alternately thinks she is being selfish and only wants social advancement. This creates sympathy for Heathcliff but also for Cathy as she is disillusioned to what Heathcliff wants as he would gladly be tormented for the rest of his life if that was the only way they could love and be together with each other. However when Cathy nears death she abandons Edgar and pleads instead for Heathcliff to stay. ‘Oh, don't go, don't go! ‘ (Pg138, line 12), however Cathy spent a few days of solitude in her room without talking to her husband even when he made the effort. This gives us enough to slightly resent her as Edgar loves her even if she does not love him. After Cathy dies, Heathcliff grows to become deranged and he begs her spirit to remain on Earth and he didn't care if she haunted him or drove him mad as long as she never left him alone. This shows Heathcliff is unwilling to let go of Catherine and this attracts our sympathy for Heathcliff as he clearly loved Cathy and she meant the world to him. In chapter 29 there is another example of Heathcliff's unwillingness to let go as he explains to Nelly that he felt Cathy's presence. ‘I felt her by me-I could almost see her' (Pg244, lines 25-26). The reader would not believe this however, but they would believe that Heathcliff thought he did feel her as he has suffered a lot of anguish from Cathy dying recently. Shortly after, Isabella flees to London and she gives birth to Linton (Heathcliff's son). This shows us that Isabella wanted her son to have nothing to do with his father. Thirteen years after, Isabella dies and Linton comes to live with Heathcliff and he is treated as bad as his mother was. When young Linton meets Cathy they start a secret romance through a collection of letters but Nelly destroys Catherine's share. Although it becomes more and more obvious that Heathcliff is making his son pursue her, just so that they can marry each other. This was all part of his revenge as once they married he would have legal claims over Thrushcross Grange and his revenge upon Edgar would be complete. He made them marry by taking Catherine and Nelly hostage at Wuthering Heights until Catherine married Linton. After Heathcliff made sure this happened he then made sure that his son left Thrushcross Grange to him in his will. This reveals that Heathcliff no longer cares about anyone and not even his son, his own flesh and blood. It also reveals that Heathcliff will stop at nothing to get what he wants and it shows us that he can practically overcome all obstacles to do it. Our opinions constantly change throughout this book. At first I think that when Heathcliff comes back he is a sophisticated and reformed man who has risen high above his ill treatment as a child. However soon after his return he reveals that he is not and you see this towards the end of the book as he ruins most, if not all, of the characters lives. We can feel sympathy for him however because the causes of what he is by the end of the novel is the disloyalty of Cathy and the constant abuse by Hindley as a child. These bad influences on a young child provide slight excuses for his bad behaviour in the future but there is no excuse for Heathcliff taking revenge on their children as well, even though they are innocent but he believes as they share the same blood as their parents they are also in the wrong. This is also why Heathcliff has brought suffering on himself. Cathy is the dominant female spirit in this novel. I believe she has brought her suffering on herself, as she has not been true to her nature and she had swapped the outdoor life she had with Heathcliff to be the lady of Edgar's manor. As she breathed the stifled air of the Grange instead of the wild air of the moors, she has effectively cut off her oxygen supply and then she eventually dies, a situation entirely her fault. However in death she had regained her freedom by returning to nature, the dire consequences of her failure to remain loyal to her true self. When Cathy dies and her coffin is buried, Nelly describes that she is buried in the corner of the yard between Edgar and Heathcliff. I believe Emily Bronte is trying to show Cathy's conflicted loyalties to each character as she had reasons to marry Edgar and to love Heathcliff. My conclusion about her is that she represents wild nature in her lively spirits and her occasional cruelty. I feel most sympathy for Heathcliff as he has had the worst in life despite inflicting pain on others. I think this because Cathy has had a better life and other characters in the novel have treated her better whereas Heathcliff has been badly treated by nearly all of the characters. I also feel sympathy for his character because he is not sure what Cathy wants, him or Edgar, as she says she loves him and yet she marries Edgar?

Modern Gadgets Have Made Us Slaves

Disaster Mitigation of Debris Flows, Slope Failures and Landslides 727 Development of Earthquake- and Landslide-Proof Public Buildings and their Transformation into Shelters in Case of Emergency Emmerich Simoncsics Institute for Architecture and Design, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria ([email  protected] ac. at) Abstract Due to the occurrences of the Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake 2004, last October the Vienna University of Technology already delivered proposals concerning the reconstruction and future disaster mitigation for the protection of the people in the Niigata prefecture.Humane accommodation for the victims should be provided in public buildings, which are earthquake- and landslide-resistant, as well. Last year a selection of earthquake and landslide resistant public buildings have been designed in interdisciplinary cooperation between students of architecture and experts for structural engineers, dealing with projects of tourist facilities , schools, sports and health centers, buildings for research, congress and administration centers with exhibition areas.The buildings have a regular function in â€Å"normal case†, but each of them can be converted within 6 (six) hours into a shelter for 2,000 victims in case of emergency, providing humane accommodation and board for several months. Integrated are emergency hospitals, storages, water reservoir and energy supply. So-called â€Å"familystands† (3 ? 3m), which can be easily assembled, can accommodate six persons each (in three levels, like in a train for overnight trip). The experiences show that emergency accommodations should be made possible in all kinds of public buildings in hazard-prone countries like Japan.Regarding the â€Å"Reconstruction Activities†, according to the future demands, the economical development of the Niigata prefecture shall be enhanced by the above proposed buildings. This year, therefore, covering the topic of â€Å"Str ategy for Disaster Mitigation†, additional public facilities with various functions will be developed and concerning the theme of â€Å"Risk Management† the organization of immediate medical aid (emergency hospitals) and the procedure of quick ccommodation (transformation of the buildings and transportation of victims) will be treated. It is intended to show the research results in the framework of a poster exhibition. Keywords: Niigata, earthquake, landslide, reconstruction, disaster mitigation, Introduction The engineer has the task to do research in the ? eld of natural sciences and to ? nd the truth about the violating forces of Nature. He has to detect the danger for human beings and call the society’s attention to the risks.Moreover, the engineer (including the architect) is supposed to propose practice oriented solutions in order to reduce the hazards and the politicians together with the engineers are responsible to realize the relevant countermeasures in order to protect the population from catastrophes. However, close cooperation with the public is necessary, as well. The truth is that no engineer can stop earthquake and they will occur also in the future. Therefore, necessary preparations have to be done. Expectancy of life may increase in the future. After forty years it might be even 90 years.The last repeat of an earthquake in Niigata was after 40 years (1964–2004). It is not impossible, that an earthquake may happen after 40 years again. Considering the life expectancy, people of even 50 years old today, living in Niigata, may once more experience an earthquake. Based on this awareness, â€Å"middle-aged† and younger engineers and politicians are responsible for the protection of human life and property. In the framework of this symposium we exchange our experiences and thoughts about possible improvements of the present situation.How does future look like? â€Å"Future† is a very important concept in thi s connection. We cannot create improvements for the future with our present attitude toward our present situation. With our present attitude no change into a more safe life in future can be achieved. We cannot in? uence the laws of Nature: violating forces will always threaten our population. In order to protect our lives against hazards, we have to detect the truth and change our mind accordingly. In order to be able to work e? iently and in a practice-oriented way, in 2002 (after a severe disaster in Austria caused by ? ood) the â€Å"VUT (Vienna University of Technology) Cooperation Center for pp. 727–732 c 2006 by Universal Academy Press, Inc. / Tokyo, Japan 728 Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings† was founded. It is a platform and network to foster meetings of several institutes, in order to exchange and coordinate their research activities and form groups to continue their research topics in interdisciplinary cooperation.The most important events are th e yearly arranged public exhibitions, in which the research results are presented. Basically it consists of two sections — the â€Å"Section for Fundamental Research† and the â€Å"Section for Objectoriented Research†. Whereas the â€Å"Section of Fundamental Research† elaborates the basic theories by means of the data and facts about natural hazards (case studies), the â€Å"Section for Object-oriented Research† aims at the practical application of this knowledge to buildings, in order to mitigate or even prevent structural damages and the loss of human life.The proposals are developed by means of â€Å"Research Driven Education Programs†, involving interested and talented students in the design procedure of buildings for concretely de? ned hazard-prone areas, under the constant surveillance of consulting engineers and experts. The Vienna University of Technology has been conducting research activities on the topic of â€Å"Disaster Mitiga tion† already since the year 2000 in cooperation with the University of Tokyo and other related institutes and universities.The method of interdisciplinary cooperation became the basis for the research principles of the above described â€Å"VUT (Vienna University of Technology) Cooperation Center for Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings†. As most of the damages caused by natural hazards concern buildings and consequently the people within them, the main focus is placed on the development of hazard-proof construction techniques for public and residential buildings, as well. Method The subject of investigation is ? exibility in public buildings. There are di? erent types of buildings with di? erent functions. There are buildings with several functions (e. . o? ce building mixed with hotel and exhibition hall) and others with one main function (school, exhibition hall, theater, sports facilities, congress center, museum, library, cultural center, hotel, hospital, health center, etc. ). These buildings are very di? erent in their operation, as well. A comparative method helps to investigate the degree of ?exibility in each type of building, which shows the e? ciency of these buildings as a shelter for the accommodation of victims in case of emergency. The ? rst target is to develop some public building types and investigate the possibilities of ? exibility.Within a building there are spaces, which 1) fully can be evacuated to give place for another function (e. g. seminary rooms, exhibition hall, gym, stadium, etc. ) provided there are su? cient storages available, 2) can be rearranged, e. g. : a) hotel rooms, by additional bunk beds in order to increase the capacity of accommodation or b) a banquet hall, in order to enlarge the capacity of a restaurant also for victims, or c) a foyer / lobby to provide space for organization and discussions between the victims and the crisis managers or d) a wellness center / swimming pool, to use them for sanitary purposes, etc.Function of crisis management 1) Public buildings usually lack some special facilities for the case of emergency (e. g. ?rst aid, smaller scale medical center or clinic, su? cient storage area for food, drinking water, clothes and family stands, water reservoir also for cleaning, sanitary and catering facilities, energy supply, etc. ) These facilities are supposed to be planned in addition, in order to achieve a humane environment for the victims. 2) In those buildings, which serve as a shelter, transportation of persons (victims) and necessary objects (blankets, food, etc. temporarily increases. Heliports near to these buildings are required because the access roads might be destroyed after a disaster. Family stands 1) are equipments, which in normal case are mainly used in exhibition buildings / halls or international fairs. However, nowadays, many other public buildings (schools, universities, museums, o? ce buildings, hotels, department stores, etc. ) also o? er exhibition areas and use stands to display the relevant exhibits. 729 2) By means of a very simple additional device these stands can be equipped with attachable â€Å"beds† (max. ix in each family stand of 3 ? 3 m). The goal of these stands is to achieve privacy for each family and to increase the capacity of a ? oor for accommodation purposes. In order to reach an economical arrangement of the family stands, the newly designed buildings have to take the size and layout of the family stands into consideration. Projects, Examples Some architectural projects carried out in the last years shall demonstrate the methods and aims of our interdisciplinary research cooperation. â€Å"Sports hotel and Bull? ght Arena†, Design: R.Malinov This project considers a local attraction — the bull? ght — for the design of a hotel building in combination with sports- and training-facilities. Additionally, the structure provides a medical center and can be transforme d into a shelter for up to 2000 victims within 6 hours. â€Å"Theatre in landslide-prone Area† in Niigata, Design: I. Mach This project takes the risks of a landslide-prone area into consideration. The structure is ? xed in the ? rm ground by anchor-foundations and the access way protected by a wall. â€Å"High-rise building in Tokyo†, Design: A.Gr? nanger u In cooperation with Dr. M. Hochrainer (Assistant, Institute for Structural Engineering and Technology) the application of a so called â€Å"Tuned Liquid Column Damper† was tested on a high-rise building. By means of an experiment on the shaking table the functionality of the proposed construction was proved. The facility is very economical and can be installed even on the top of existing buildings. Tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) are passive energy absorbing substructures to control vibrations of buildings when e. g. exposed to earthquake or wind loads.They can be used to prevent structural Fig. 1. Earth quake-proof Sports Hotel and Bull? ght Arena, model and section Fig. 2. Sports Hotel and Bull? ght Arena — ? oor plans: equipment with family stands in case of emergency 730 Fig. 3. Landslide-proof Theatre and Exhibition Hall for Niigata Fig. 4. Increase of the capacity of hotel rooms in case of emergency by bunk beds and family stands Fig. 5. Earthquake-proof high rise building: model+shaking-table-experiment with tuned liquid column damper 731 Fig. 6. Detail: TLCD — Tuned Liquid Column Damper lements from damage (earthquake load) or increase human comfort due to reduced ? oor accelerations (strong wind load). The actual implementation of a TLCD is uncomplicated, since it only consists of a rigid piping system, partially ?lled with water, allowing the water column to move inside the piping system. A movement of the TLCD housing induces a motion of the water column, and vibrational energy is transferred to the TLCD in a desired way. The energy dissipation of a TLCD is caused by viscous and turbulent ? uid damping, which can be regulated by the insertion of hydraulic resistances (ori? e plates) to obtain a required damping characteristics. In addition to the plane TLCD already established in literature, an entirely new arrangement, called the torsional TLCD (TTLCD) has been proposed. Plane TLCDs are very promising in mitigating ? exural vibrations whereas TTLCDs are used to reduce torsional or coupled ? exural torsional vibrations. Although the construction of a tuned liquid column damper is quite di? erent from the well known tuned mass damper (TMD), a TMD-TLCD analogy has been found, which allows to use design guidelines of the extensively researched TMD.The conventional TLCD is a purely passive energy absorbing device, and its application reduces the steady state dynamic response of vibrating structures substantially. However, especially during the strong motion phase of earthquakes several response peaks remain, which can be eliminated by the application of an actively controlled air-spring setup integrated into the TLCD. This extended hybrid TLCD concept combined with an energy saving control design preserves the salient features of TLCDs: cheap and easy implementation into civil engineering structures, little maintenance costs and a performance comparable to TMD.Considerable vibration reduction has been shown in extended numerical simulations for both, wind and ground excitation. Existing buildings 1) In 2004 around 100. 000 people needed temporary accommodation. As newly built buildings will not cover the required space completely, it will be necessary to investigate the possibilities in existing buildings (gyms, exhibition areas, sports stadiums, etc. ) as well, whether appropriate areas can be converted into a shelter in case of emergency. 2) In this connection the students’ help is absolutely necessary.In the framework of the general education program, students could carry out analyses on the above theme, as king for the cooperation of the managers of some existing buildings. Future development 1) A part of the public buildings may serve in the most attractive mountainous areas of the Niigata Prefecture to enhance the interest of tourists and last but not least of the young generation to ? nd a job in the ? eld of tourism and resort facilities. This could become also a countermeasure against the aging society in the mountainous areas.Also for this purpose the investigation of the geological quality of possible sites is necessary. 2) In this connection the feasibility of this idea has to be investigated. However, simultaneously a realistic project has to be developed and announced among the population (questionnaire). 732 Conclusions 1) According to the experiences of the Chuetsu Earthquake the value of the lost property (including private houses) should be compared with the possible sum of future investments. The horrible amount of the lost value should make us conscious that investment s are worth making before a disaster ccurs again. 2) In the framework of this symposium we exchange our experiences and thoughts about possible improvements. Therefore, I suggest ? nishing this symposium with a RESOLUTION on immediate measures to be proposed to the government. 3) In order to achieve an e? cient international cooperation, based on the experiences of the â€Å"VUT (Vienna University of Technology) Cooperation Center for Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings† the principles should be extended also in other universities.It is not enough to meet every 4th year, the research and realization activities must be done uninterruptedly.References Catalogues of the exhibitions — 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005: Vienna University of Technology (2001), Disaster Mitigation — Catalogue Exhibition 2001 Vienna University of Technology (2002), Architecture and Disaster Vienna University of Technology (2003), Innovations for Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings Vienna University of Technology (2004), Disaster Prevention and Security in Buildings Vienna University of Technology (2005), The Niigata Project

Career Goals And Learning Plan

Career Goals And Learning Plan My ultimate career goal is to work as a school psychologist in either primary middle or high school, and to achieve my objective I must first complete my master’s degree in psychology at University of Phoenix; as indicated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009), school psychologists in most states are required to have a specialist degree but some states recognize a master’s degree; thus it is my intention to complete my master’s degree in 18 months and obtain work as a school psychologist while continuing to undertake further study; perhaps I will study within a specialist Ed.S degree in school psychology, which requires a further two years study, and a one year internship, which I could accomplish at my place of then current employment. While studying COM505 Communication Skills for Graduates at University of Phoenix, I discovered a new area of knowledge related to learning styles and how personality factors influence career choices. In light of these finding s, and because I have already decided on my career path, I will not be using the knowledge pertaining to my personality and learning styles as a means of determining a career. My objective within this paper therefore, is to determine why I have chosen the particular career path I have; in other words, whether my personality and learning styles have led me down this particular route. On completion of the Multiple Pathways to Learning Questionnaire (Carter, Kravits, Bishop they but also include problem-solving and new approaches to issues (Carter et al, 2007). The specific strengths pertaining to my personality type and learning styles all point in the direction of the career I have already chosen.

Law and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law and Society - Essay Example He expounded on several approaches to conflict management and then justifies why his movement has chosen the one he calls, â€Å"direct action†. In this regard, the essay will be used to analyze the conflict management approaches presented by Donald Black. Forms of Conflict Management Discuss and define the 3 approaches: From the lecture notes on Law as Social Control, there are three general approaches to resolving conflict are categorized into unilateral, bilateral and through third party. The unilateral form actually focuses on toleration where it was noted that the victim is perceived to be socially inferior or estranged from the offender. The bilateral form is parallel with applying negotiation techniques where both parties are deemed of equal status and seek some form of agreement or arrangement to settle their conflicts that would be amenable to both. Finally, if despite all resolutions techniques have been exhausted and conflicts remain unresolved, the third-party sett lement form requires seeking a neutral third party (not affiliated to any of the offending nor offended parties) to evaluate the issue and arrive at the most appropriate solution. Description of Circumstances for Application of Conflict Management Forms Using Donald Black’s article, entitled â€Å"Crime as Social Control†, the forms of conflict management are: toleration, negotiation, settlement, law and self-help. Self-help was defined by Black (1983) as â€Å"the expression of a grievance by unilateral aggression such as personal violence or property destruction† (p. 34). Law, on the other hand, was noted as a form of governmental social control (Black, 1983, p. 41). His focus was to present law and self-help as forms of conflict management that functions more as social control mechanisms. Using these forms of conflict management in the case of King, from the circumstances relayed in his letter, he clearly noted the application of a rational four step process in his nonviolent campaign in conflict management, to wit: â€Å"collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† (King, 1963, p. 1). But evidently, the form of unilateral form of conflict management was applied when toleration was upheld for the longest time. King averred that â€Å"we have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights† (King, 1963, p. 3). Since he acknowledged that colored people have been discriminated and prejudiced for so long exemplifying the inferior status socially imposed, this form was therefore eventually rejected as effective and applicable. The bilateral form of conflict management had been applied when King noted that negotiations were apparently tried but proven ineffective. As proven, there were negotiations (or supposedly agreed upon settlements) made between the leaders of the Birmingham’s economic community and the Negro citizens in t erms of removing racial signs in merchants’ stores, for instance. Apparently, these leaders and merchants failed to comply with the promise as few signs were briefly removed but return eventually and others were not removed at all (King, 1963, p. 2). Therefore, ordinary negotiations were proven to be ineffective and were arbitrarily rejected by King. Likewise, the direct action through demonstrations were a call for further negotiations possible seeking third party infusion to resolve the conflict by invoking public protests to make others aware that there is a need to bring justice and equality to the oppressed. This option was regarded as the best course of action for reasons identified and justified below. Law intercedes in King’s quest for conflict resolution through admitting that their direct action do no violate any persisting law or

Self Evaluation in Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Self Evaluation in Business law - Essay Example The paper is done using the Harvard referencing system and proper in-text citation and bibliography is provided. There is also a list of appendices used in the research report. Familiar cases and ruling have been applied appropriately, for example the case of in liability for allergic reaction of goods purchased under the sale of goods agreement. Most importantly has been submitted in good time. Last but not least the answer provide in different question have demonstrated that reasonable reach has been conducted and there is understanding of the Sale of good Act of 1974 and the Consumer Credit Act. It is one thing knowing about the Acts, and it is another thing being able to apply the provisions in handling complex real situations.Under the Sale of Goods Act, Julia has a right to complain to the seller of the washing machine. It is the buyers duty to inspect goods once there are delivered and to notify the seller of any faults within reasonable time. Some products have warranty perio ds but the Sale of goods act stipulates that the rights of a buyer can not be curtailed by simple warranty terms and conditions. A buyer has the right to inspect goods within reasonable time and place before accepting them. Generally, a buyer who finds goods purchase too be faulty is entitled with the responsibility to proof that the goods were faulty at the time of purchase. This way, a buyer can request for a full refund. Had Julia inspected the washing machine before six months, it would have been agreed that the machine was fault at the time of sale. However, Julia has reasonable circumstances as to why she did not return the machine earlier. She was traveling and thus had no time to inspect the machine. Julia was not in position to inspect and check the washing machine when it was delivered because she was called immediately the machine was delivered to an emergency and was away for 6 months. Her responsibility in this case is to just proof that the machine was not in satisfact ory condition at the time of purchase because she has never used it even once. It is her right as a consumer to get goods of acceptable standard and that are fit for their purpose (National Consumer agency 2011). It is now Julia’s responsibility to act promptly. She can seek refund, replacement or repair under the sale of goods Act. Oliver bought a luxury deep filled duck –down pillow so he would sleep well. However, he did not ask the sellers for man –made fibre pillow. The sellers were unaware of his allergy reactions to feather. Therefore, the sellers acted in good faith while selling Oliver the luxury pillow; he wanted to sleep well and he never told them about any problems with feather. The seller’s responsibility under consumer Act was to let the buyers know that the pillow had feather in it. The case would have been different if Oliver had told the seller that he was allergic to feather. Then, he would have statutory rights to be compensated for the harm suffered and may get another feather free luxury pillow. The product was not faulty or defective, it is just that he was allergic and other buyers may be not allergic. In the case of Adelman-Tremblay V.Jewel Companies, Inc in 1988, it was

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example Disney issued its first batch of floating rate notes in the year 2007. Floating-rate notes are debts that reimburse the investors a rate of interest that is reset in every quarter. Disney was one of the companies in the small club, which could sell its debts below the London interbank rate (LIBOR) (First Share, 2008). The floating-rate debt notes assist the companies to trade bonds which are attached to different benchmark other than that of US Treasury. It offers diversity for customers cautious of increasing interest rates. Issuing Floating-rate notes is a way to hedge the risk against the interest rates that arises while abiding to be in corporate. The company also planned to promote stock ownership which is for long-term to the existing as well to the new investors, so they developed an investment plan to offer customers Disney’s common stock which will also provide the existing investors of Disney to re-invest their dividends. Two-year notes were sold by Disney that could yield one basis point in a pan of less than three moths LIBOR. These securities were rated as A2 by the Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s rated it as A. The last floaters were sold by Disney was in April 2008. However, the last debt was sold by the company in November, which assisted the company to raise $3 billion. Disney sold their debt at a record amount because the interest rates were the lowest. The company issued bonds amounting to $3 billion and it was the considered to be the fourth part of their coupons. This issue was considered to be the biggest in the 89 years history of the California based company called Burbank (First Share, 2008). Since The Federal Revenue in US has been absorbing around 90 percent of the government bonds, scarcity in treasure can be felt. The Fed as well as the Obama administration assisted the customers as well as Walt Disney by keeping the borrowing cost low, so that the company can raise funds successful from its debt instruments. Apart from this, the company also lured its customers by revealing a strong financial status of the company and a prospect of growth in future. The investors go for acquiring those securities which are readily marketable than the identical assets that are not easily marketable. The genera; cash flow methods cannot be utilized for making securities marketable (Bajaj, Denis, Ferris, & Sarin, n. d.). When securities are not marketable, companies apply a discount to the estimated value for making them acceptable to investors. The concept of marketability lies in the fact that how quick the debt or asset can be converted to near cash or cash, without any transaction cost to be borne by the owner. Even when an individual wishes to convert the common stock into cash, it can be easily done by incurring a minimum transaction cost and there would be minimum impact on the market price (The Walt Disney Company, 2008). Question 2 List the dollar amount of debt Disney proposed to se ll to the public. Indicate whether this amount has increased or decreased from 2008 to 2010. Discuss some potential causes of this increase or decrease. Answer It has been already discussed in the first part of the study that Disney issued two-years floating-rate notes which amounted to around $800 million. The company initially planned to offer $500 million, which increase to $800 in the next five years (Gangar, 2013). The last sold floater, which was a three year debenture, amounted to aroun

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling Essay

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling - Essay Example In both cases, dreams were a factor in the analysis (Neuman, 1954). A method pioneered by psychologist Carl Rogers was a person-centered approach known as humanistic counseling, and B.F. Skinner was interested in what could actually be observed in the outside world, leading at first to therapy as a separate strand from counseling (History: Freud, 2007). Freud believed in psychoanalysis as a field for laypersons, but in the United States lay analysis was not considered legitimate, and is in fact illegal at present. U.S. psychoanalysts are required to be medically qualified. This prejudice against lay therapists led to Roger's adoption of the word "counseling" instead of therapist to describe his method since he was medically trained (Rohan, 2001). The terms "psychotherapy" and "counseling" have now become interchangeable in psychiatry, but Roger's holistic approach to the human side of counseling is unique in the field and has led to hundreds of research agendas. He brought many new ideas into therapy that were resisted at the time they were introduced and continue to be resisted even now (History: Counseling vs. Psychotherapy Divide, 2007). It is the approach to the whole person rather than just analysis of conscious and unconscious thought that makes humanistic counseling a produc... We live in a global community with a mix of cultures and social norms throughout the world. If we look at ourselves as individuals interacting with others and making an effort to determine what factors give us the most satisfaction, we become our own therapists. Humanistic counseling is comprised of self-actualization, creativity, and free choice. John Rowan (2001) describes Rogers' person-centered approach to psychiatric analysis as empathetic, genuine, and non-possessive warmth on the part of the counselor and goes on to discuss the various factors that make this a working form of counseling and analysis. Influences Shaping My Understanding of Counseling Humanistic counseling is somewhere in the middle of the therapeutic system, with Freud and Jung still a major force in the field and family therapy a derivative of humanistic counseling. With the advent of child guidance clinics, family therapy became the recommended treatment in the belief that "a child's symptoms were usually a function of emotional distress in the family" (Family Therapy. par. 8). However, the bottom line is the ability of the individual to understand and accept self, and in that respect humanistic counseling would be the preferred method. The following shows the stages of individual development from the inside out (Rowan, 2001): The first is the importance of self-esteem, trust, and acceptance between client and counselor. Next, it is necessary for the client to gain personal control by being honest with self. The second aspect of humanistic psychology is what is called "self actualization," the whole person: body, feelings, intellect, transpersonal self, and spirit. Neglecting any one of these areas defeats the effort. With so much attention now on the body-diet

You must submit an essay describing an ethical dilemma you have faced

You must submit an describing an ethical dilemma you have faced and how you resolved it - Essay Example In the early period of my career, I worked in one of the accounting firms. Being new in the profession, I worked as a subordinate employee, though with significant roles in the firm. However, my ethical dilemma arose when one of the senior managers in our department asked to me deliberately make a false recording. I was to alter the dates of some important transactions in the organization. Immediately the senior manager stated the request, I declined initially. The argument of my senior manager was that if I altered the dates, this would be of great benefit to the firm. The profits of the firm would increase, as the transaction will be identified under a different calendar year, and that would be beneficial to the company. I was responsible recording transactions in different financial years. For this reason, the senior manager had no other person to approach except me. In order to get me to accept this idea and perform as per his wish, the senior manager promised to give me a bonus. He also promised that upon acting on his demands, I would be considered for recognition in future performance review in the firm. Nonetheless, like any other employee that wishes to succeed in their career, I did not make a decision immediately after the senior manager had mentioned all the privileges that I would be entitled to. This incident thus is an ethical dilemma, since as a subordinate employee, questions of â€Å"should I† or should I not† lingered on my mind. I knew altering the records was ethically wrong. However, thinking of the benefits that I would be entitled to made me to hesitate on making a decision. Since I am a supporter of ethics in organizations, I decided to take considerable time, and ensure that I came up with the right decision that would not exhibit any selfishness in me, anger the senior manager, or which would not result in a tainted image for me as an individual employee, and for the organization. This was

Florence Regarding Investment Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Florence Regarding Investment Appraisal - Essay Example Capital budgeting is primarily undertaken when investment outlay is done for a long period. In the context of this paper, the investment will be done in heavy machinery and the project period is 5 years. Payback period denotes the time period that is absorbed by the project for recovering the total cost of the project. Payback may not be the primary technique but it is an important technique that determines whether a firm should undertake a particular project. The criterion is that when projects are compared on the basis of payback period, a project with shorter payback period is selected (Sangster, 1993; Cooper, Cornick and Redmon, 2011). The calculated payback period for each project is as follows: It was calculated that project A required the least amount of time followed by project B and project C respectively. In other words, Project B requires 0.52 years or about 6 months more than project A. From the perspective of payback period, project A can be recommended over the other pr ojects as it takes the shortest amount of time to recoup the initial outlay (Sangster, 1993). Accounting rate of return is often considered as the true measure of profitability with respect to a project in capital budgeting as it not only take into account the net cash inflow but also focuses on expected net earnings from each project with respect to the fund invested initially. This technique works on the notion that earnings instead of generally cash flow are better measure of success of an investment. A project with higher accounting rate of return is generally considered as the superior choice (Kida, Moreno and Smith, 2001). The calculated accounting rate of return of each project is as follows: It is important to discuss the reason for using incremental revenue prior analyzing the outcome.  

Valuation of AirThread Connections Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Valuation of AirThread Connections - Assignment Example The biggest assumption which is taken for this scenario is the steady as well as lower cost pattern especially in terms of recurring cost of people and supervisor which is estimated to be $20,000 per year for the next years. On the other hand, the estimated benefits of to be derived from this project in next five years are also another contributing factor in arriving such huge NPV such that increased profits amounts to around $160,000 per year over the next five years. In this way, this project would successfully achieve the positive NPV of $257,065. The second scenario is referred to as the neutral strategy such that in this particular scenario, the final figure of NPV would be zero as the cost of capital of the project (discount rate) would be exactly equal to the Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The other assumptions of this strategy are the same however there are few changes as well. The major change in the assumptions of this scenario is that the software cost of the project has been reduced from $175,000 to around $118,128. The other major changes include the increase in the recurring cost of people and supervisor which has been increased from $20,000 to $50,000 and $40,000 in first and second year respectively and kept constant at $30,000 each year for the next three years of the project. The other major change is the decrease in the amount of profits such that profits are assumed to be reduced from $160,000 to $40,000 and $60,000 in first and second year respectively whereas it is kept constant at $80,000 per year for the rest of the project life. In this way, the cash outflows are exactly equal to the project cash inflows, thereby generating nil NPV for the project which indicates a breakeven position of the project. The defensive strategy is developed to highlight the negative consequences and effects of cash flows upon the project. All the assumptions

Should Laser Eye Surgery Be Encouraged Essay Example for Free

Should Laser Eye Surgery Be Encouraged Essay What is laser eye surgery? Laser eye surgery or laser corneal sculpting is a medical procedure that utilizes a laser to reshape the surface of the eye in order to improve or correct eye vision (Better Health Channel, 2011). Laser eye surgery has become prevalence and there are several types of treatment available. The most popular laser eye surgery is known as LASIK, which stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis. LASIK is an eye surgery that permanently changes the shape of the cornea to treat the variety of vision problem (Linda, 2012). The first laser eye surgery was done on a patient who suffered astigmatism and it was successfully performed by E. Faber, a Dutch surgeon. Today as we walk into the streets, we can see many people wearing glasses. There is a study in some areas, such as China, India and Malaysia that up to 41 per cent of the adult population is suffering refractive errors (News Medical, n. d. ). Most of them depend on glasses and contact lenses because they are having eye problems such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness, etc. It has reached a critical phenomenon in our neighbour country that is Singapore, where 90 per cent of young people are short-sighted, compared with 15 to 30 per cent in Europe and the U. S (Coghlan and Page, 2002). If they had the choice, they would like to be free of this dependence by correcting their vision. One of the solutions to solve eye problems is undergoing laser eye surgery. However, people still worry about the possible problems that will happen during laser eye surgery. Although laser eye surgery has many adverse effects, in actual it increases a patient’s living convenience and comfort, is highly effective and cost-efficient, and provides surgical patients an improved lifestyle. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to indicate the points of advocating laser eye surgery which could bring advantages in society. There is no doubt that wearing glasses or contact lenses has become a daily routine for many people. A normal eye vision has always been an unimaginable dream especially for those who are having eye sight problems. Therefore, it is common that people who are suffering from eye diseases consider the beneficial effects of having laser eye surgery to restore their vision back to normal. Laser eye surgery could free one from the hassle of wearing glasses. Especially for those who are active in sports, most of them prefer not to wear glasses or contact lenses because wearing contact lenses or glasses may affect their performance. For instance, people who engage in water sports such as swimming might not be able to enjoy themselves as water splashing is a problem. Apparently, taking up sports especially water sports are no longer suitable for people who need to wear glasses or contact lenses. Hence, laser eye surgery would be a favourable option for them. Contact lenses and glasses are no longer applicable in their lives after undergoing laser eye surgery. Furthermore, such activities as swimming and even spending a day at the beach become more pleasurable without the worries associated with corrective eyewear (Docshop, n. d. ). They do not need to worry about contact lenses drying off or glasses falling out, or need to prepare a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses after undergoing laser eye surgery. Patients are able to enjoy their life with a clear vision. In addition, people who have undergone laser eye surgery have found their vision improved. As a result, laser eye surgery improves convenience, comfort and productivity of their daily lives. For instance, people who suffer night-blindness are not able to drive at night. Also, glasses often steams up on cold nights. This has become a problem for people who are wearing glasses. People who are bothered by blurriness when driving a car are suitable to undergo laser eye surgery. As a result, they could drive easier especially at night. Ninety-nine per cent of all patients are able see well enough, independent of glasses, and able to drive a car by the next day of laser eye surgery (Laser Sight, n. d. ). They no longer need to rub their glasses while they are driving. Consequently, laser eye surgery could reduce the chances of car accidents. Besides, patients see increased confidence as their eye sight is nearly perfect after undergoing laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery can be considered not only for people who have eye problems but also for cosmetic purposes especially for those who do not like to wear glasses. Some people may think that they would look better without wearing glasses. Even though contact lenses have the same function as glasses, sometimes wearing contact lenses may dry off and irritate their eyes. Furthermore, laser eye surgery could improve their social life. After undergoing laser eye surgery, many patients find that the ability to see more clearly than ever before help them to be more outgoing socially (DocShop, n. . ). They feel at ease in dimly-lit atmosphere especially for those people who are formerly disoriented while trying to see in a dark place. They also would have a better appearance without wearing glasses as glasses always been a ‘barrier’ in front of their eyes. Next, laser eye surgery is also highly effective and safe for most people. LASIK has been proven to be safe and effective for most people (Randleman, n. d. ). Ninety-nine percent of people who have had LASIK have excellent results (Carollo, 2010, cited in Dr. Robert, 2010). Ninety per cent of patients in between the age range of forty to sixty years old who underwent the LASIK procedure said they were happy with the results (Laino, 2011). With the advancement of technology, surgical success rate has increased. The professional skills and modern precautionary measures in addition alleviate the risks of laser eye surgery since there are many safety measures available. Hence, people should not be too worried about the risks of laser eye surgery, but to put more trust in today’s technology. Furthermore, as laser eye surgery has become more prevalent, the surgical costs have become more competitive. Many clinics reduce the surgical costs of laser eye surgery to a reasonable price so that it is affordable. Instead of comparing the qualification and standard of surgeon, usually people who are considering laser eye surgery will make price comparison so that they would not waste much money. There are also several parties that provide financial assistance and subsidies to help with those who need to undergo eye surgery. For instance, Lions Club International, Mission Cataract USA, Knights Templar Eye Foundation and many other organizations give out financial help to those who are having financial problem (Helaine, n. d. ). Government also gives subsidies for patients to undergo eye surgery at government hospitals or health institutes. With the aid by government and organizations, patients no longer worry about lack of insurance and they are able to undergo eye treatment. Apart from the costs of laser eye surgery, the efficiency of laser eye surgery is also considerable. For some people, time can be as valuable as money. Therefore, it is very common that many people worry how long it would take for a laser eye surgery. With the rapid advancement of technology, actually laser eye surgery is not time-consuming at all. Nowadays, the procedure of this surgery is fast. In most cases, laser eye surgery can be done within fifteen minutes for both eyes (Wachler, 2012). This means that the surgery only takes few minutes for both eyes. Furthermore, the healing process after undergoing laser eye surgery is fast too. If patients listen to the instructions and take good care of their yes, the recovery will only take a few days (Hamilton, 2011). Besides efficiency of laser eye surgery, it can be also a life-changing chance for the deprived. Laser eye surgery can be a turning point for those who are having difficulty in seeing distant objects. Some people who are born with poor eye vision or eye diseases can be corrected by undergoing laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery may be necessary for those who are having se vere eye diseases to slow down the deterioration of eye vision. Their eyes will feel more comfortable after undergoing laser eye surgery. Most of the nearsighted patients who have undergone LASIK eye surgery will enjoy â€Å"good distance vision their whole life’ (Thau, 2011, cited in Dr. Salz, 2011). However, there are still groups of people who are against laser eye surgery. They strongly believe that going for laser eye surgery can lead to possibility of blindness. This could result from flap-related complications, equipment malfunction, infection, scarring, or extreme changes in corneal shape postoperatively (Randleman, n. d. ). Besides that, some of the patients who have undergone laser eye surgery might have their eye vision improved temporarily. Their eye sight problem might return after several years of surgery. This is more common in patients with hyperopia, or farsightedness (Randleman, n. d. ). Reading glasses are needed to prevent any changes in their vision after LASIK surgery. They may need to undergo an additional surgery after their initial LASIK. In actual fact, there are many safety measures available in this modern era, so people actually do not need to worry about the implications of laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery has proven to be safe. It is an effective alternative to eye drops as a first-line treatment for patients (NEI Press Release, 1995). Besides, laser eye surgery has been available since the late ‘80s in Canada and it was approved in the US since 1995 (Soyouwanna, n. d. ). The number of patients increases every year and it is expected that over one million people have undergone the surgery in the United States. Normally, laser eye surgery is done by a licensed surgeon. Therefore, patients have remote chances of having complications. Actually with any surgical procedures, there are risks. People should understand any possible side effects or complications that might happen by undergoing laser eye surgery. With the rapid advancement of technology, the invention of laser eye surgery decreases the complication into a very low rate and it brings hope for those who are having eye sight problem. Nowadays, many scientists have invented new technologies in order to change the way the world operates. However, new technologies are not trustable. This is because people are unable to enhance the new technologies since they are all new. Even the professionals need some time to learn to utilize the new installations. The ability of a surgeon is more important than promoting the technology. Lack of ability and practice in handling new equipments might cause disastrous consequences to the patients. Insufficient of standard professionals also remain a difficulty for the department of ophthalmology. The ratio of ophthalmologists to population was 1:200,000 and that of mid-level ophthalmic personnel was 1:229,126 (Husainzada, 2007). The lack of human resources in eye care makes it unable to provide efficient eye medical services to the patients. This will likely affect the quality in delivering the medical care to the patients. At the same time, patients should do preparations before laser eye surgery. If people want to undergo laser eye surgery, they should find suitable qualified doctors. They should do more researches on surgical providers’ credentials and qualifications. The surgeon should be an experienced specialist. On the other fact is that if patients follow the instructions strictly, the complications can be reduced. Patients should know what they have to do or don’t for their surgery. With careful patient selection, reasonable expectations, and in the care of an experienced surgeon, most of the patients will be happy with their results (Randleman, n. d. ). Next, there are also some problems to be faced while considering laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery can be the best way to restore one’s vision back to normal. Somehow, it may worsen the vision after undergoing laser eye surgery. For instance, glare is experienced by many laser eye surgery patients which results in decreased night vision (Dlxguard, n. d. ). They could not drive at night as they could not see clearly while they are driving. This condition could not be corrected by wearing glasses and contact lenses. Laser eye surgery, like any procedure, carries with it some degree of risk. On the other hand, side effects are uncommon and only happen on a small percentage of patients. There will be no significant vision loss if the condition is treated early. The procedure is generally accurate and precise because the laser is guided by a computer. According to a study done by at ARVO reporting on 1,510 eyes that underwent wavefront-guided LASIK using VisX CustomVue technology and IntraLase flaps and the results showed that 95. 6% of the eyes were 20/20 or better in three months (Helzner, 2010, cited in Dr. Probst, 2010). If the patients are really involved in any complications, enhancements can be done. Further treatment can improve the vision if it is treated early. Patients have to undergo additional surgery after initial surgery for a better vision. Somehow, most of the complications can be solved if it is discovered early. All in all, laser eye surgery not only increases a patient’s living convenience and comfort, it also provides surgical patients an improved lifestyle. In addition to that, it is highly effective and cost-efficient because it can reduce expenses in the long run. Hence, it is worth to pay for the surgery as it could change how a person sees the world differently with a perfect eye sight. The false beliefs of the risks of laser eye surgery should be corrected as people should understand that every surgical procedure has its risks. Nowadays, the technology has developed in many countries. This shows that the technology is trustable to be utilized as many safety measures are available. Patients should follow the precautionary steps to prevent any possible complications occur. Complications are rare. Even if it really happens, further treatment can be done. Therefore, laser eye surgery has become safer. In conclusion, laser eye surgery has beneficial effects for society and it is a better way to return their vision quickly. Eye is a unique creation of God. It is like a window that keeps us stay connected with this beautiful world to let us see what is happening around us. Nobody would ever want to be without vision. Hence, people should not neglect the importance of eye care. The discovery of laser eye surgery has revolutionized the eye care industry. Ever since, the laser eye surgery has become increasingly popular and people are looking forward for further improvement of laser eye surgery. The government and relevant authorities should implement strict regulatory enforcement, so as to ensure surgical providers comply with the required standards and safety measures. Individuals contemplating the surgery should also be aware of the potential risks and make informed decisions. Therefore, laser eye surgery should be encouraged as there are some beneficial effects for society, such as being highly economical and effective, improving patient’s appearance and productivity, as well as enhancing patient’s lifestyle.

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay He was not joining some far-flung military effort of his country of birth: The 25-yearold from Brooklyn was joining the U. S. Marine Corps. A legal permanent resident, Alexandr can join the U. S. military even though he is not a citizen. His decision is not that unusual. Thousands of immigrants join each year; indeed, recently in cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles immigrant enlistees have been joining in higher proportions than their peers in the general population. Some do it for the training or employment possibilities, but others are motivated by allegiance to their new country. As Alexandr said, â€Å"It doesn’t matter that America is not my country; New York is my city, and what happened shook my life. I feel patriotic, and I have this itch now to go sooner† (Chen and Sengupta 2001:A1). So the United States, with its diverse racial and ethnic heritage and new immigrants, is a country that respects its multiculturalism. Or does it? In July 2004, Jefferson County in Texas tried to bring to a close a century of debate. Over the objections of many residents, the County Board decided to rename a stretch of road known as â€Å"Jap Road. † Named for the Japanese rice farmers who had settled there in the 19TH century, the name had stuck despite generations of objections by Asian Americans and others. Finally change came (T. Marshall 2004). Lewiston, Maine, is also adjusting. In this old New England town, hundreds of Somalis have arrived seeking work and affordable housing thousands of miles from their African hometowns, which were torn apart by civil strife and famine. Residents expressed alarm over this influx, prompting the mayor to send a letter to all the Somalis already in Lewiston to discourage friends and relatives from relocating there. The pace of Somalis resettling to the Lewistown, many of them American citizens, slowed significantly amidst the furor (C. Jones 2003). Relations between racial and ethnic groups are not like relations between family members. The history of the United States is one of racial oppression. It goes well beyond a mayor in Maine or people living on a road in Texas not liking people of a certain color or national origin. Episodes of a new social identity developing, as in the case of Alexandr Manin, are not unusual, but that does not mean that the society is not structured to keep some groups of people down and extend privileges automatically to other groups based on race, ethnicity, or gender. People in the United States and elsewhere are beginning to consider that the same principles that guarantee equality based on race or gender can apply to other groups who are discriminated against. There have been growing efforts to ensure that the same rights and privileges are available to all people, regardless of age, disability, or sexual orientation. These concerns are emerging even as the old divisions over race, ethnicity, and religion continue to fester and occasionally explode into violence that envelops entire nations. The United States is a very diverse nation, as shown in Table 1. 1. According to the 2000 census, about 17 percent of the population are members of racial minorities, and about another 13 percent are Hispanic. These percentages represent almost one of three people in the United States, without counting White ethnic groups. As shown in Figure 1. 1, between 2000 and 2100 the population in the United States is expected to rise from 30 percent Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American to 60 percent. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 5 TABLE 1. 1 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States, 2000 Classification RACIAL GROUPS Whites (includes 16.9 million White Hispanic). Blacks/African Americans Native Americans, Alaskan Native Asian Americans Chinese Filipinos Asian Indians Vietnamese Koreans Japanese Other ETHNIC GROUPS White ancestry (single or mixed) Germans Irish English Italians Poles French Jews Hispanics (or Latinos) Mexican Americans Central and South Americans Puerto Ricans Cubans Other TOTAL (ALL GROUPS) Number in Thousands 211,461 34,658 2,476 10,243 2,433 1,850 1,679 1,123 1,077 797 1,285 Percentage of Total Population 75. 1 12. 3 0. 9 3. 6 0. 9 0. 7 0. 6 0. 4 0. 4 0. 2 0. 5 42,842 30,525 24,509 15,638 8,977 8,310 5,200 35,306 23,337 5,119 3,178 1,412 2,260 281,422. 15. 2 10. 8 8. 7 5. 6 3. 2 3. 0 1. 8 12. 5 8. 3 1. 8 1. 1 0. 5 0. 8 Note: Percentages do not total 100 percent, and subheads do not add up to figures in major heads because of overlap between groups (e. g. , Polish American Jews or people of mixed ancestry, such as Irish and Italian). Source: Brittingham and de la Cruz 2004; Bureau of the Census 2003a; Grieco and Cassidy 2001; Therrien and Ramirez 2001; United Jewish Communities 2001. Although the composition of the population is changing, the problems of prejudice, discrimination, and mistrust remain. What Is a Subordinate Group? Identifying a subordinate group or a minority in a society seems to be a simple enough task. In the United States, the groups readily identified as minorities— Blacks and Native Americans, for example—are outnumbered by non-Blacks and non-Native Americans. However, minority status is not necessarily the result of being outnumbered. A social minority need not be a mathematical one. A minority group is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. In sociology, minority means the same as subordinate, and dominant is used interchangeably with majority. minority group A subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 6 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 2000 African Americans 12% Hispanic 13% White non-Hispanic 70% American Indian 1% 2100 (projected) Asian and other 4% White non-Hispanic 40%. Hispanic 33% African Asian Americans and other 13% 14% FIGURE 1. 1 Population of the United States by Race and Ethnicity, 2000 and 2100 (Projected) According to projections by the Census Bureau, the proportion of residents of the United States who are White and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2050. By contrast, there will be a striking rise in the proportion of both Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Source: Bureau of the Census 2004b. Confronted with evidence that a particular minority in the United States is subordinate to the majority, some people respond, â€Å"Why not? After all, this is a democracy, so the majority rules. † However, the subordination of a minority involves more than its inability to rule over society. A member of a subordinate or minority group experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities—for success, education, wealth, the pursuit of happiness—that goes beyond any personal shortcoming he or she may have. A minority group does not share in proportion to its numbers what a given society, such as the United States, defines as valuable. Being superior in numbers does not guarantee a group control over its destiny and ensure majority status. In 1920, the majority of people in Mississippi and South Carolina were African Americans. Yet African Americans did not have as much control over their lives as Whites, let alone control of the states of Mississippi and South Carolina. Throughout the United States today are counties or neighborhoods in which the majority of people are African American, Native American, or Hispanic, but White Americans are the dominant force. Nationally, 50. 8 percent of the population is female, but males still dominate positions of authority and wealth well beyond their numbers. A minority or subordinate group has five characteristics: unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage (Wagley and Harris 1958): 1. Members of a minority experience unequal treatment and have less power over their lives than members of a dominant group have over theirs. Prejudice, discrimination, segregation, and even extermination create this social inequality. 2. Members of a minority group share physical or cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant group, such as skin color or language. Each society has its own arbitrary standard for determining which characteristics are most important in defining dominant and minority groups. 3. Membership in a dominant or minority group is not voluntary: People are born into the group. A person does not choose to be African American or White. 4. Minority-group members have a strong sense of group solidarity. William Graham Sumner, writing in 1906, noted that people make distinctions between members ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity 7 of their own group (the in-group) and everyone else (the out-group). When a group is the object of long-term prejudice and discrimination, the feeling of â€Å"us versus them† often becomes intense. 5. Members of a minority generally marry others from the same group. A member of a dominant group often is unwilling to join a supposedly inferior minority by marrying one of its members. In addition, the minority group’s sense of solidarity encourages marriage within the group and discourages marriage to outsiders. racial group A group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. ethnic group A group set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Types of Subordinate Groups There are four types of minority or subordinate groups. All four, except where noted, have the five properties previously outlined. The four criteria for classifying minority groups are race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. Racial Groups The term racial group is reserved for minorities and the corresponding majorities that are socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Notice the two crucial words in the definition: obvious and physical. What is obvious? Hair color? Shape of an earlobe? Presence of body hair? To whom are these differences obvious, and why? Each society defines what it finds obvious. In the United States, skin color is one obvious difference. On a cold winter day when one has clothing covering all but one’s head, however, skin color may be less obvious than hair color. Yet people in the United States have learned informally that skin color is important, and hair color is unimportant. We need to say more than that. In the United States, people have traditionally classified and classify themselves as either Black or White. There is no in-between state except for people readily identified as Native Americans or Asian Americans. Later in this chapter we will explore this issue more deeply and see how such assumptions have very complex implications. Other societies use skin color as a standard but may have a more elaborate system of classification. In Brazil, where hostility between races is less than in the United States, numerous categories identify people on the basis of skin color. In the United States, a person is Black or White. In Brazil, a variety of terms, such as cafuso, mazombo, preto, and escuro, are applied to describe various combinations of skin color, facial features, and hair texture. What makes differences obvious is subject to a society’s definition. The designation of a racial group emphasizes physical differences as opposed to cultural distinctions. In the United States, minority races include Blacks, Native Americans (or American Indians), Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Arab Americans, Filipinos, Hawaiians, and other Asian peoples. The issue of race and racial differences has been an important one, not only in the United States but throughout the entire sphere of European influence. Later in this chapter we will examine race and its significance more closely. We should not forget that Whites are a race, too. As we will consider in Chapter 5, who is White has been subject to change over time as certain European groups were felt historically not to deserve being considered White, but over time, partly to compete against a growing Black population, the whiting of some European Americans has occurred. Ethnic Groups ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Ethnic minority groups are differentiated from the dominant group on the basis of cultural differences, such as language, attitudes toward marriage and parenting, and food habits. Ethnic groups are groups set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 8 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity Ethnic groups in the United States include a grouping that we call Hispanics or Latinos, which includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latin Americans in the United States. Hispanics can be either Black or White, as in the case of a dark-skinned Puerto Rican who may be taken as Black in central Texas but be viewed as a Puerto Rican in New York City. The ethnic group category also includes White ethnics, such as Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Norwegian Americans. The cultural traits that make groups distinctive usually originate from their homeland or, for Jews, from a long history of being segregated and prohibited from becoming a part of the host society. Once in the United States, an immigrant group may maintain distinctive cultural practices through associations, clubs, and worship. Ethnic enclaves such as a Little Haiti or a Greektown in urban areas also perpetuate cultural distinctiveness. Some racial groups may also have unique cultural traditions, as we can readily see in the many Chinatowns throughout the United States. For racial groups, however, the physical distinctiveness and not the cultural differences generally prove to be the barrier to acceptance by the host society. For example, Chinese Americans who are faithful Protestants and know the names of all the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame may be bearers of American culture. Yet these Chinese Americans are still part of a minority because they are seen as physically different. Ethnicity continues to be important, as recent events in Bosnia and other parts of Eastern Europe have demonstrated. Almost a century ago, African American sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois, addressing an audience in London, called attention to the overwhelming importance of the color line throughout the world. In â€Å"Listen to Our Voices,† we read the remarks of Du Bois, the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Harvard, who later helped to organize the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois’s observances give us a historic perspective on the struggle for equality. We can look ahead, knowing how far we have come and speculating on how much further we have to go. Religious Groups Association with a religion other than the dominant faith is the third basis for minoritygroup status. In the United States, Protestants, as a group, outnumber members of all other religions. Roman Catholics form the largest minority religion. Chapter 5 focuses on the increasing Judeo-Christian-Islamic diversity of the United States. For people who are not a part of the Christian tradition, such as followers of Islam, allegiance to the faith often is misunderstood and stigmatizes people. This stigmatization became especially widespread and legitimated by government action in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Religious minorities include such groups as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish, Muslims, and Buddhists. Cults or sects associated with such practices as animal sacrifice, doomsday prophecy, demon worship, or the use of snakes in a ritualistic fashion would also constitute minorities. Jews are excluded from this category and placed among ethnic groups. Culture is a more important defining trait for Jewish people worldwide than is religious dogma. Jewish Americans share a cultural tradition that goes beyond theology. In this sense, it is appropriate to view them as an ethnic group rather than as members of a religious faith. Gender Groups Gender is another attribute that creates dominant and subordinate groups. Males are the social majority; females, although more numerous, are relegated to the position of the social minority—a subordinate status to be explored in detail in Chapter 15. Women are considered a minority even though they do not exhibit all the characteristics outlined earlier (e. g. , there is little in-group marriage). Women encounter prejuISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 9 ur oices Voices Listen to Our Voices Listen to. PROBLEM OF THE COLOR LINE sively refused to let the spirit of n the metropolis of the class, of caste, of privilege, or of modern world, in this the birth, debar from life, liberty closing year of the nineand the pursuit of happiness a teenth century, there has been striving human soul. assembled a congress of men Let not color or race be a and women of African blood, to feature of distinction between deliberate solemnly upon the white and black men, regardless present situation and outlook of of worth or ability. . . . the darker races of mankind. Thus we appeal with boldness The problem of the twentieth W. E. B. Du Bois and confidence to the Great century is the problem of the Powers of the civilized world, trusting in the color line, the question as to how far differwide spirit of humanity, and the deep sense ences of race—which show themselves chiefly of justice of our age, for a generous recogniin the color of the skin and the texture of the tion of the righteousness of our cause.  ¦ hair—will hereafter be made the basis of denying to over half the world the right of sharing to their utmost ability the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization. . . . Let the world take no backward step in Source: Du Bois [1969a]. From pp. 20–21, 23, in An ABC of Color, that slow but sure progress which has succesby W. E. B. Du Bois. Copyright 1969 by International Publishers. I dice and discrimination and are physically distinguishable. Group membership is involuntary, and many women have developed a sense of sisterhood. Women who are members of racial and ethnic minorities face a special challenge to achieving equality. They suffer from double jeopardy because they belong to two separate minority groups: a racial or ethnic group plus a subordinate gender group. Other Subordinate Groups This book focuses on groups that meet a set of criteria for subordinate status. People encounter prejudice or are excluded from full participation in society for many reasons. Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender barriers are the main ones, but there are others. Age, disabilities, and sexual orientation are among the factors that are used to subordinate groups of people. As a result, in Chapter 17 we will go beyond the title of the book and consider other groups of people who have been excluded from all that society offers and witness their fight against prejudice and discrimination. Does Race Matter? ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 We see people around us—some of whom may look quite different from us. Do these differences matter? The simple answer is no, but because so many people have for so long acted as if difference in physical characteristics as well geographic origin and shared culture do matter, distinct groups have been created in people’s minds. Race Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 10 Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity NOT AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC VIEWING has many meanings for many people. Often these meanings are inaccurate and based on theories discarded by scientists generations ago. As we will see, race is a socially constructed concept (J. Young 2003). Biological Meaning The way the term race has been used by some people to apply to human beings lacks any scientific meaning. We cannot identify distinctive physical characteristics for groups of human beings the way scientists do to distinguish one animal species from another. The idea of biological race is based on the mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. Even among past proponents that sharp, scientific divisions exist among humans, there were endless debates over what the races of the world were. Given people’s frequent migration, exploration, and invasions, pure genetic types have not existed for some time, if they ever did. There are no mutually exclusive races. Skin color among African Americans varies tremendously, as it does among White Americans. There is even an overlapping of dark-skinned Whites and light-skinned African Americans. If we grouped people by genetic resistance to malaria and by fingerprint patterns, Norwegians and many African groups would be of the same race. If we grouped people by some digestive capacities, some Africans, Asians, and southern Europeans would be of one group and West Africans and northern Europeans of another (Leehotz 1995; Shanklin 1994). Biologically there are no pure, distinct races. For example, blood type cannot distinguish racial groups with any accuracy. Furthermore, applying pure racial types to humans is problematic because of interbreeding. Despite continuing prejudice about Black-White marriages, a large number of Whites have African American ancestry. Scientists, using various techniques, maintain that the proportion of African Americans with White ancestry is between 20 and 75 percent. Despite the wide range of these estimates, the mixed ancestry of today’s Blacks and Whites is part of the biological reality of race (Herskovits 1930:15; Roberts 1955). biological race The mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 11 Even the latest research as a part of the Human Genome Project mapping human DNA has only served to confirm genetic diversity with differences within traditionally regarded racial groups (e. g. , Black Africans) much greater than that between groups (e. g. , between Black Africans and Europeans). Research has also been conducted to determine whether personality characteristics such as temperament and nervous habits are inherited among minority groups. Not surprisingly, the question of whether races have different innate levels of intelligence has led to the most explosive controversy (Bamshad and Olson 2003). Typically, intelligence is measured as an intelligence quotient (IQ), the ratio of a person’s mental age to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100, where 100 represents average intelligence and higher scores represent greater intelligence. It should be noted that there is little consensus over just what intelligence is, other than as defined by such IQ tests. Intelligence tests are adjusted for a person’s age, so that 10-year-olds take a very different test from someone aged 20. Although research shows that certain learning strategies can improve a person’s IQ, generally IQ remains stable as one ages. A great deal of debate continues over the accuracy of these tests. Are they biased toward people who come to the tests with knowledge similar to that of the test writers? Consider the following two questions used on standard tests. 1. Runner: marathon (A) envoy: embassy, (B) oarsman: regatta, (C) martyr: massacre, (D) referee: tournament. 2. Your mother sends you to a store to get a loaf of bread. The store is closed. What should you do? (A) return home, (B) go to the next store, (C) wait until it opens, (D) ask a stranger for advice. Both correct answers are B. But is a lower-class youth likely to know, in the first question, what a regatta is? Skeptics argue that such test questions do not truly measure intellectual potential. Inner-city youths often have been shown to respond with A to the second question because that may be the only store with which the family has credit. Youths in rural areas, where the next store may be miles away, are also unlikely to respond with the designated correct answer. The issue of culture bias in tests remains an unresolved concern. The most recent research shows that differences in intelligence scores between Blacks and Whites are almost eliminated when adjustments are made for social and economic characteristics (Brooks-Gunn et al. 1996; Herrnstein and Murray 1994:30; Kagan 1971; J. Young 2003). The second issue, trying to associate these results with certain subpopulations such as races, also has a long history. In the past, a few have contended that Whites have more intelligence on average than Blacks. All researchers agree that within-group differences are greater than any speculated differences between groups. The range of intelligence among, for example, Korean Americans is much greater than any average difference between them as a group and Japanese Americans. The third issue relates to the subpopulations themselves. If Blacks or Whites are not mutually exclusive biologically, how can there be measurable differences? Many Whites and most Blacks have mixed ancestry that complicates any supposed inheritance of intelligence issue. Both groups reflect a rich heritage of very dissimilar populations, from Swedes to Slovaks and Zulus to Tutus. In 1994, an 845-page book unleashed a new national debate on the issue of IQ. The latest research effort of psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and social scientist Charles Murray (1994), published in The Bell Curve, concluded that 60 percent of IQ is inheritable and that racial groups offer a convenient means to generalize about any differences in intelligence. Unlike most other proponents of the race-IQ link, the authors offered policy suggestions that include ending welfare to discourage births among low-IQ poor women and changing immigration laws so that the IQ pool in the United States is not diminished. Herrnstein and Murray even made generalizations intelligence quotient The ratio of a person’s mental age (as computed by an IQ test) to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 12 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity about IQ levels among Asians and Hispanics in the United States, groups subject to even more intermarriage. It is not possible to generalize about absolute differences between groups, such as Latinos versus Whites, when almost half of Latinos in the United States marry non-Hispanics. Years later, the mere mention of â€Å"the bell curve† signals to many the belief in a racial hierarchy with Whites toward the top and Blacks near the bottom. The research present then and repeated today points to the difficulty in definitions: What is intelligence, and what constitutes a racial group, given generations, if not centuries, of intermarriage? How can we speak of definitive inherited racial differences if there has been intermarriage between people of every color? Furthermore, as people on both sides of the debate have noted, regardless of the findings, we would still want to strive to maximize the talents of each individual. All research shows that the differences within a group are much greater than any alleged differences between group averages. All these issues and controversial research have led to the basic question of what difference it would make if there were significant differences. No researcher believes that race can be used to predict one’s intelligence. Also, there is a general agreement that certain intervention strategies can improve scholastic achievement and even intelligence as defined by standard tests. Should we mount efforts to upgrade the abilities of those alleged to be below average? These debates tend to contribute to a sense of hopelessness among some policy makers who think that biology is destiny, rather than causing them to rethink the issue or expand positive intervention efforts. Why does such IQ research re-emerge if the data are subject to different interpretations? The argument that â€Å"we† are superior to â€Å"them† is very appealing to the dominant group. It justifies receiving opportunities that are denied to others. For example, the authors of The Bell Curve argue that intelligence significantly determines the poverty problem in the United States. We can anticipate that the debate over IQ and the allegations of significant group differences will continue. Policy makers need to acknowledge the difficulty in treating race as a biologically significant characteristic. Social Construction of Race If race does not distinguish humans from one another biologically, why does it seem to be so important? It is important because of the social meaning people have attached to it. The 1950 (UNESCO) Statement on Race maintains that â€Å"for all practical social purposes ‘race’ is not so much a biological phenomenon as a social myth† (Montagu 1972:118). Adolf Hitler expressed concern over the â€Å"Jewish race† and translated this concern into Nazi death camps. Winston Churchill spoke proudly of the â€Å"British race† and used that pride to spur a nation to fight. Evidently, race was a useful political tool for two very different leaders in the 1930s and 1940s. Race is a social construction, and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is privileged and who is not. The acceptance of race in a society as a legitimate category allows racial hierarchies to emerge to the benefit of the dominant â€Å"races. † For example, inner-city drive-by shootings have come to be seen as a race-specific problem worthy of local officials cleaning up troubled neighborhoods. Yet schoolyard shoot-outs are viewed as a societal concern and placed on the national agenda. People could speculate that if human groups have obvious physical differences, then they could have corresponding mental or personality differences. No one disagrees that people differ in temperament, potential to learn, and sense of humor. In its social sense, race implies that groups that differ physically also bear distinctive emotional and mental abilities or disabilities. These beliefs are based on the notion that humankind can be divided into distinct groups. We have already seen the difficulties associated with pigeonholing people into racial categories. Despite these difficulties, belief in the inheritance of behavior patterns and in an association between physical and cultural traits is widespread. It is called racism when this belief is coupled with the feeling that certain ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 racism A doctrine that one race is superior. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 13 groups or races are inherently superior to others. Racism is a doctrine of racial supremacy, stating that one race is superior to another (Bash 2001; Bonilla-Silva 1996). We questioned the biological significance of race in the previous section. In modern complex industrial societies, we find little adaptive utility in the presence or absence of prominent chins, epicanthic folds of the eyelids, or the comparative amount of melanin in the skin. What is important is not that people are genetically different but that they approach one another with dissimilar perspectives. It is in the social setting that race is decisive. Race is significant because people have given it significance. Race definitions are crystallized through what Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1994) cal.

Impact of Lyndon B. Johnson

Impact of Lyndon B. Johnson Discuss the historical significance of Lyndon B. Johnson LBJ, LBJ, how many kids have you killed today? Was one of the principal protest chants of the 1960s in the United States. It was directed at President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was about the war in Vietnam that the American government under the Johnson administration had been steadily become more involved in each passing year after he came to office following Kennedys assassination in November 1963. One can only imagine how this must have hurt for a man of Johnsons pride and character. Being accused of killing children is not something that anyone takes lightly. His reputation as a connoisseur of Washington hid visionary leadership qualities. He knew how to get what he wanted and when. He realized that American society had to change as the first post-World War Two generation was clamouring for a greater voice in society. His election in 1964 was one of the biggest majorities ever. It is hard to find a historical figure that does not have more than one facet or side to their political legacy and life, and Lyndon Johnson was no exception, but in his case, it was so much more pronounced. Yes, he was historically significant. Itis impossible to argue that he was not. This significance is firstly in his ‘Great Society legislation and philosophy, and secondly in his prosecution of the war in Vietnam. Each of these will be discussed in turn. Part A) Visionary: Kennedys footsteps and Great Society. Any president who comes to office following the death, accidental or not, of another president finds himself or herself in that shadow of that person. The position of vice-president is not an easy one in American government and politics. It carries no power and limited stature. One constantly feels second to holder of the office of president. Naturally, the vice-president is part of the cabinet and provides advice, but the political ideals and program belong to the current president. Looking at Kennedy and Johnson, one can only see differences, but the political need of Kennedy for Southern votes in 1960 made him choose Johnson. His victory created the myth of Camelot, which still stands to this date. He believed in civil rights for all Americans and wanted a more peaceful relationship with the Soviet Union. He was young and handsome, which generated a huge amount of charisma. His death robbed the United States of a leader of great potential. On November 22, 1963, Lyndon Johnson step ped into his shoes following his assassination. He lacked Kennedys charisma, but soon showed confidence. His reputation as a master of the Senate was proof of competence and knowledge. These skills would be soon into great demand as he was immediately confronted with the need to resolve multiple societal problems, such as race relations in the South and health care; issues that Kennedy had started looking at in his brief tenure as president. Johnson felt he had to bring the solutions to fruition, both for the country and Kennedy, and lastly for himself, which meant putting his imprint on them. The United States of the 1960s was in the throes of racial tensions and economic retardation. Southern states were resisting and ignoring federal attempts to impose civil rights for blacks. The result of which was the low voting levels and harassment of blacks in the American Deep South. There were periodical racial riots requiring at times the intervention of federal National Guard to quell them. Unemployment was rising and many Americans had no kind of medical coverage. The American constitutional order placed checks and balances on every level of power, but as the source of the racial inequalities was being ignored for very many reasons that are beyond the scope of this discussion, although one of them was that many presidents were reluctant to rock the boat fearing electoral and legislative setbacks. Such fears did not scare Johnson, as he had earned and cherished a Senate reputation of bending and cajoling other lawmakers to his way of thinking. He could be many things to many p eople. His birth in the Southern state of Texas gave him the image of a good olboy, which could be utilized to great effect. This appeal and experience would be highly beneficial as he was able to push through many legislative reforms by the end of 1965. Every January, the current American president gives a State of the Union address during which he or she proposes various ideas and programs for that year. At this point, Johnson declared a War on Poverty  and called for the passing of Kennedys tax cut and civil rights bill; the first easily passed its hurdles, while the second quickly got delayed. Part of his war on poverty involved creating jobs through massive government aid and intervention, very much on the scale of Roosevelts Great Deal in the 1930s, which served as his inspiration as he understood that the state could not stand by while the people suffered. This realization was in stark contrast to his view of the United States as the true representative of freedom in the world, which meant bringing violence and suffering to people around the world as everyone had their own There were two other major legislative elements of the Great Society, namely Medicare and Medicaid, and the Higher and Elementary and Secondary Education Acts in 1965;the former two set up health care funding for the elderly and the needy, while the latter two provided federal aid to schools. Some of his opponents argued that these reforms were federal involvement in state affairs and fought court cases to resist or delay them. A country of the stature of the United States could not claim to be torch bearer of democracy and freedom,  when a quarter of citizens were denied their rights and many governmental institutions either colluded in their denial or stood by while it occurred. Kennedy recognized this horror, although his predecessor Eisenhower had started redressing the ill when he ordered the National Guard to intervene during the Little Rock crisis in 1957. The Civil Rights Act was passed in July 1964, while the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The riots and violence soon became things of the past except when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April 1968resulting in riots across 100 cities. A new Civil Rights Act was passed later that year. On a more personal level, he was the first American president to nominate a black person to the Supreme Court and the Cabinet, who were Thurgood Marshall previously having served as the solicitor-general of the United States in 1967 and Robert Weaver as secretary of housing and urban development in 1966. Both decisions opened some of the last bureaucratic rooms to racial integration despite the racist cringing of many Southern senators and governors. Part B) Ideologue: Cold War and the quicksand of Vietnam. The war in Vietnam would become Johnsons undoing. Like almost any other project or idea that he had, he wanted to fight and win it. His major pieces of legislation had been passed by early 1965 or were on their way. This freedom permitted him to increase the American presence in Vietnam. He ordered the first combat troops into Vietnam reversing a Kennedy policy of pulling out of Vietnam as he believed in the ‘Domino Theory whereby if one country fell to Communism, others would follow, so a stand had to be made and Vietnam fulfilled that role. This geo-political theory developed in the 1950s and soon became a guiding principle of many elements of American foreign policy, but sadly it was very blinkered way of thinking, because the theory soon became the reality as facts were manipulated, or even created, to fit into it. The inability to grow beyond it would hamper much of Johnsons thinking on Vietnam. The initial American involvement in Vietnam dated from 1955 after the French h ad been defeated atDien Bien Phu when the United States under Eisenhower felt it had to buttress non-Communist forces in South East Asia. The world of the 1960s was in the throes of a cooling-off period in the Cold War after having closely brushed with nuclear Armageddon in Cuba in October 1962, and the growing American involvement was perceived as a renewed hot period. Not everyone believed in this war, as they realized that it was a battle between two opposing ideologies, Capitalism and Communism; both of which had their supporters and critics, and the question was why did someone have to choose between them. Many counties did ignore the two superpowers and formed the Non-Aligned Movement. ‘Unsurprisingly, this act angered both superpowers. The nature of this war was that the United States and Soviet Union never actually fought each other, but used proxies to fulfil their ideological agendas. Ironically, the political nature of many of these proxies was that they were corrupt, repressive and dictatorial; for instance, in the case of Vietnam, the Diem government in the South supported by the Johnson administrati on was suppressing opposition to its rule, while Ho Chi Minh in the North was widely praised and respected. In atwist of irony, the repressive policies of the Diem government led the American government to overthrow him, but this only further destabilized the country and accelerated its slide into chaos. The basic Cold War philosophy meant that the legitimate democratic needs and hopes of millions were ignored, and it can be argued that this fact damaged the United States more than it did the Soviet Union as the United States claimed to be leader in world democracy and freedom. Johnson’s belief in the American mission to bring democracy to the world was one of his justifications to get involved in Vietnam. This argument begs belief. In the end, this contradiction could not be resolved, and it became the source of the American military and political loss. When Lyndon Johnson came to office, there were only about 16000 advisers in Vietnam, but he would raise the number of combat soldiers to almost 50000 by the late 1960s. He increased the number of bomber missions in the hope of crushing the spirit of the Vietnamese. Not only was the cost in lives was enormous, but also in infrastructure, as bridges, dams and building were destroyed. Such destruction put a stop to any development projects by the Vietnamese. One of the consequences of such a massive bombing was the scarring of the landscape whereby huge holes were made across the country creating impediments to agricultural development. One of the more tragic episodes of the Vietnam War was the authorization to use a weed killer to defoliate trees and shrubs in the hope of uncovering supply routes used by the Vietnamese. It was code-named Agent Orange and was sprayed from planes flying over jungles. It was a pesticide and was never thought of as being dangerous to the health of humans. Protests quickly grew as claims were raised that it was causing various forms of cancer in both Vietnamese civilians and American soldiers, and recently studies have slowly tended to support such views. The psychological success but military failure of the North Vietnameses Tet offensive in 1968started the American military withdrawal process. In a major reversal, Johnson stopped increasing troops and thought of ways to extricate himself and his country from Vietnam. The failure of Johnson to realize that the war was based on the desire of independence of a people at all costs meant that regardless of how many military victories were achieved, the war never ended. It has been a standing law in American politics to not bring back soldiers in body bags as it is politically damaging. Every death was a nail in Johnson’s political coffin. The chant How, Ho Chi Minh shouted by American protesters must have been devastating to Johnson as they cheered his opponent in a war that he su pported. In other areas of the gloomy world of the Cold War, Johnson was quite forward thinking and deserved credit. The close call of nuclear destruction during the Cuba Missile Crisis meant that a special red phone line was installed so that the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union could talk to each other quickly. To accelerate communication and travel, a new air route was installed between Moscow and New York City. His meeting with Premier Kosygin in June 1967 was another in a recent line of summits between American and Soviet leaders, and their discussions led to proposals to reduce the development of nuclear weapons, which later grew into the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ratified internationally in March 1970, but unfortunately as this was passed by the American Senate in 1969 after Johnson had left office, much of the credit went to his successor, Richard Nixon. This agreement was one of the first major limitations of nuclear use and was the father of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, otherwise known as SALT. Conclusion According to ancient Egyptian mythology, the soul of every person was weighed measuring his or her good and bad deeds to decide their place in the Afterword. This view has both negative and positive aspects as every action has a value, but one huge good or bad act can outweigh a lot of small bad or good ones. Depending on whom you ask, both the Vietnam War and the Great Society can be either, but prosecuting an unnecessary war is hard to defend, while programs designed to help the needy is so much easier to do so. The war in Vietnam failed to achieve any of its objectives of liberating people and extending American power in the region, while the Great Society opened American society to new levels and made more people feel part of it. In this regard, a very simple description of Lyndon Johnsons place in history is that he was a divisive figure. He was the author of two great things in American society; firstly the Great Society and secondly the Vietnam War, although the present use of the term great is in its sense of social grandeur and socially revolutionary. He is remembered affectionately and hated deeply for each of them, but not always in the way that some of us might think. It is a mark of this divisiveness, which he himself recognized, that he stepped aside from running again as president in March 1968. His successor as president was Richard Nixon. Bibliography Morris, Errol. The Fog of War. DVD. Columbia Tri Star, 2004. Johnson, Lyndon. The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963-1969. Holt, Rinehartand Winston, 1971. Caro, Robert A. Master of the Senate: the years of Lyndon Johnson. Cape, 2002. Bernstein, Irving. Gunsor Butter: the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. Oxford University Press, 1995. Dallek, Robert. Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson and his times, 1961-1973. Oxford University Press,1998.