Global Systems Theory Essay

Global systems theory is perhaps one of the many theories related to capitalism and transnational corporations. This paper attempts to look into global systems theory in the context of capitalism by making use of three articles as part of the literature for the research. By outlining the major contentions for each of these three articles, this paper will further juxtapose these main points with global systems theory and arrive at a more developed and comprehensive understanding of the theory as a whole. Brief Literature Review In Robert Granfield’s article â€Å"Making It by Faking It: Working Class Students in an Elite Academic Environment†, he indicates how working class law students experience inequalities among upper class students which influences the class of law students. By collecting data through observation, personal interviews, small group interview and survey from a national law school in the eastern part of the United States, Granfield was able to expose the essential differences between law students in terms of class background. Through class background, Granfield also identifies the apparent discrimination between working class students and upper class students at school whenever working class students feel that they are being treated as ‘cultural outsiders’. In Hays’ article â€Å"The Ideology of Intensive Mothering: A Cultural Analysis of the Bestselling Gurus of Appropriate Childbearing†, he presents the key components of the ideology of intensive mothering, specifically: children are outside the market value, are priceless and are not economic assets; good childrearing requires intensive commitment on the part of the caregiver, and; childcare is the primary responsibility of the individual mother. The central focus of Hays’ article focuses on childcare especially on the role of mothers towards their children. The author further gives the emphasis that children are ‘sacred’ in a sociological sense because of the fact that childrearing and its effects on children reaffirm the belief in the importance of children. It creates a protected space of security, trust and close human connection inasmuch as it illustrates the generous and nurturing characteristic of individuals rather than being individualistic and always inclined for competition. In Webb’s newspaper article â€Å"A Crowded Family Enters the Space Age† featured in the New York Times, the author explores the case of Eric Alan’s family through the functionalist perspective. From a functionalist perspective, social institutions such as families and governments are analyzed and explained as collective means to satisfy specific or individual biological requisites. These social institutions, along with the rest, are composed of interconnected roles or norms such as the interconnected roles within the family (e. g. father, mother, etc. ). In the case of the family of Eric Alan, the worth of his family proves the idea that the family as a social institution has interconnected roles with the larger society. In particular, having to redesign his family’s home into something more ‘breathable’ exemplifies the presumption that the individual roles in the family, such as the role of the father to provide an ‘inhabitable’ home for his family, and the family in general is tied with the other segments of the society in such a way that one reinforces the values of the other and vice versa. Featured in the November 8 issue of the New York Times, â€Å"A Crowded Family Enters the Space Age† conveys the story of a father, Eric Alan, wanting to provide a larger house for his growing family with the aid of Architect Neil Denari. In return, Denari’s expertise and skills acquire a ‘living experience’ thus proving to be another feat not only in his career as an architect but also in the discipline of architecture. From a functionalist perspective, this very well provides a real life example of how the units of the society interact together harmoniously in order to continue with survival. Description of the Case Global system theory is a base for the concept of transnational practices. However, cross state boundaries do not necessarily originate with state agencies or actors. The global capitalist system operates to maximize profits at the expense of others. Murray Dobbing (1998) claims that the economic world order has changed and the nation-state is in decline. This paper will outline and support the claims of Dobbing through a discussion of the transnational practices in the economic and the cultural-ideological spheres in relation to the political sphere. The paper will further discuss the agencies that facilitate transnational growth. In the economic sphere, the global capitalist system offers a limited place to the wage earning masses in most countries. It has very little need of the subordinate classes in this sphere as sophisticated machines replace human laborers for cost saving and greater profit for capitalists. As John Kenneth Galbraith in Rifkin’s The End of Work (1995) indicates, the global capital system requires scientific minded managers who have specialized talent and can operate sophisticated machines. Unskilled workers and their families become part of an underclass and face permanent unemployment. Meanwhile, the global economy has created an environment in which many large corporations are becoming transnational corporations which bring wealth to both developing and developed countries often by lobbying to their governments so as to gain access to these developing countries. The governments of developing countries are jeopardizing their own legitimacy to cultivate an inviting environment for the private sector. While the global capital system provides resources for economic development, the global capitals’ desires for low prices and high dividends result in child labor, environmental destruction and the expropriation of land and resources from local communities including indigenous people. In the culture-ideology sphere, the aim of global capitalists is to persuade all classes, especially the working middle-classes, to consume above their â€Å"biological needs† for pursuit of capitalists’ profit, which will ensure the belief that global capitalist system will be perpetuated. The cultural ideology of transnational growth proclaims that the meaning of life can be found in the things that we possess. To consume, therefore, is to be fully alive, and to remain fully alive people must continuously consume. Moreover, the notions of men and women as economic or political beings are discarded by global capitalism as the system does not even pretend to satisfy everyone in the economic or political spheres. Their value to society is determined by what they can afford to purchase. Therefore, people primarily become consumers rather than citizens. The point of economic activity for working middle-class of the global capitalist system is to provide the resources for consumption to create the â€Å"global shoppers,† and the point of political activity is to ensure that the conditions for consuming are maintained. The advancement of the internet and technology has hastened the reduction of trade barriers and the increment of the â€Å"global shoppers. † According to Chomsky (2003), mass media overwhelmingly corporate and embraces the values of corporate leaders. Moreover, the major media outlets are linked in huge media chains, with many of these conglomerates owned by transnational corporations. Corporate control is further solidified by advertising paid in dollars to the media by corporations. Thus, the mass media consistently supports globalization, neo-liberalism, and the politicians who push these corporate agendas. Transnational marketing such as TV commercials, billboards, etc. are forced on the world’s middle-class consumers. Transnational corporations, such as Disney, heavily market their American pop culture products. By selling the same thing, the same way, everywhere with little or no reference to local cultural differences, transnational corporations has homogenized world culture. Analysis of the Case Robert Granfield’s article helps one to understand ‘global system theory’ as a whole. For the most part, Granfield’s discussion on how working class students adapt in the academic environment dominated by upper class law students gives us a brief but useful overview of how working class students attempt to join the remainder of the upper class of the workforce. The startling irony is that while Granfield espouses the idea that working class law students can blend well with their environment which is presumed to give much preference to upper class students by ‘faking it’ or by posing as one of the upper class, global system theory on the other hand implies that there is no substantial place for these working class students especially in the workforce. This is because the lower classes of the society or the working force comprising the bulk of the lower hierarchy, have already been replaced by sophisticated machines. Hence, manpower or physical labor becomes confined to those individuals who have sufficient learning to operate these sophisticated machines. If this is indeed the case, then it must also be the case that global system theory also espouses the presumption that the disparity between the highest and the lowest ranks of the social hierarchy grows parallel to the pace of global capitalism. But Granfield suggests that the working class students have the ability to ‘fake it’ which may also suggest the probability that even the individuals from the lower ranks can also make it to the bulk of the workforce able to operate the sophisticated machineries of the contemporary world. Nevertheless, the totality of the global workforce remains to this day comprised of a large number of working class citizens who fall at the median of the social hierarchy, notwithstanding children or minors who work which leads us to the next point. In Hays’ â€Å"The Ideology of Intensive Mothering: A Cultural Analysis of the Bestselling Gurus of Appropriate Childbearing†, we are given the presumption that children should be given the sufficient care and attention. This includes the idea that children or minors are not individuals who are expected to literally work whether in offices or factories. However, the opposite is true especially among nations below the poverty line or less-developed third-world countries. It is estimated that around 250 million children are under what we call â€Å"child labor† according to the statistics provided by Think Quest, an online database providing global child labor information (Think Quest, 2007). If global system theory is indeed true, then there would be little reason to believe that there is child labor among the less-developed countries where capitalism is beginning to grow its roots since children have very little knowledge on the use of sophisticated machines intended to replace the workers who handle the basics of the tasks in the corporations, for instance. But the case is that 250 million children work across the globe, which prompts us to question the claims of global system theory. On the other hand, global system theory may respond to this criticism by stating that the replacement of manpower with sophisticated machineries is only true for those transnational corporations operating in developed countries. Part of the reason to this is the idea that underdeveloped countries are not suitable locations for transnational corporate ventures largely because developed nations have what it takes for global capitalism—a strong and sustained demand for the goods and services being offered by these corporations. Webb’s article â€Å"A Crowded Family Enters the Space Age† reiterates the presumption that the family has its roles in nurturing its members which partially relates to Hay’s article that children should be nurtured and protected and should be treated as economic assets especially in terms of manpower or a part of the work force. The fact that Webb implies the idea that there are parental responsibilities towards the needs of the family especially of the children at least in terms of a suitable place to live point us to the idea that children or minors should be nurtured and cared for instead of being treated as members of the working class whether or not parents are able to provide for their needs. Ultimately, this brings us to the understanding that the decline of the nation-state as espoused by global systems theory is not fully achieved precisely because the basic unit of the society or of the nation-states for that matter—the family—reinforces the entirety of the nation-state by sustaining its integrity as a functional basic unit able to maintain its internal status. Conclusion In the end, global systems theory may not necessarily apply to the broadest range of nations, from developed to the developing and less-developed precisely because these nations have differences although similarities may also be noted. The presumption that the family remains a cohesive force in the society may substantially refute the claim that the nation-state is dissolving. Nevertheless, there are certain arguments of global systems theory that remains to this day a force with grains of truth in it. Apart from the fact that sophisticated machineries have slowly replaced the manpower of the working and lower classes of the society, capitalism has been reinforced by the expansion of transnational corporations worldwide. Works Cited Chomsky, Noam. Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies. House of Anansi Press, 2003. 1-20. Dobbing, Murray. The Myth of the Good Corporate Citizen: Democracy under the Rule of Big Business. Stoddart, 1998. 49-60. Hawken, Paul. The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability. 1st ed: Harper Business, 1993. 1-17. Rifkin, Jeremy. The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post-Market Era. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1995. 3-14. Think Quest, http://library. thinkquest. org/03oct/01908/800/whatisit_childlabor. htm, December 4, 2007.

Lost In Translation Vietnam A Combat Advisor’s Story

Lost In Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor's Story is a very well-known book, which was penned down by Martin J. Dockery. The author of the book has presented a very well-documented account of the experiences of a young officer’s which he encountered during the early years of America’s Vietnam War. This is a description of the time when President Kennedy had sent hundreds and thousands of advisors to Vietnam in order to teach the South Vietnamese Army the ways to fight their war. The author has basically presented the history of American military. The book is fairly enjoyable and informative at the same time. The author of the book, that is, Martin J. Dockery was one of the advisors that were sent by President Kennedy to Saigon. Initially he was a very strong-minded, idealistic first lieutenant of the Army of the United States of America. When he arrived at Saigon, Dockery was certain of America’s coming up victory in Vietnam. A vast number of in-country military advisors of the United States of America filled basic support positions in Saigon and other major cities of Vietnam, Dockery was one of the few advisors who had been assigned Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) combat units. Dockery lived with and fought with an ARVN infantry battalion in the Mekong Delta for nearly eight months during which they carried out missions and operations that usually lasted for a number of days. Dockery here was the single American soldier in the entire unit and most of their time was spent traipsing all the way through the sweltering jungle which was infested by leeches, hiking across canals, or getting involved in unexpected firefights. This stay with the ARVN right in the beginning of the American participation in Southeast Asia provided Dockery with a chance to understand Vietnam far more better than any of the other Americans.   Through this book, the author has gained attention towards the chiefly disregarded part of American combat advisors in the war. By the use of sounds, smells and the view of the country as well as its people, Dockery has put forward the image of an army that was not properly trained, was ineffectual, and reluctant to fight for a government, which was perhaps as corrupt as the French colonial empire which it had replaced. But, for Dockery, his seclusion, threat and annoyance were nothing as compared to his emergent certainty that the advisory program was prone to turn out as a disaster. He believed that even though the advisors would work to their best and that too under the most difficult situation, they would not be able to succeed in the war. Basically, through this book the author has tried to tell us about the reasons which were the cause of the American failure in Vietnam. These causes range from the arrogance of the American views of people and culture to the complete misapprehension of the Americans regarding the influence of the dead on a culture. Through this book, the author has depicted the transformation of his preliminary zest and optimism into discontent with the responsibility that was laid down upon him by his government. The experiences of the author are extremely absorbing, but the most insightful experiences are those which he encountered during his encounters with the hosts of Vietnam regarding the cultural differences. His expression of the social values and the traditions of the Vietnamese people are extremely emotional and touching. Book Report As mentioned above, Lost In Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor’s Story by Martin J. Dockery is a very well-known which was written by the author in order to raise awareness regarding the causes of the loss suffered by the Americans in the Vietnam war. Right in the beginning of the book the author writes, â€Å"This book is not a scholarly work or a comprehensive history. There are no footnotes. It is a memoir based primarily on my recollection of events that occurred when I was a combat advisor in Vietnam in 1962-63. It is only my story† (Dockery, Acknowledgements). Clearly this book is just his memoir, but it has raised much awareness and has unfolded the mistakes of the American government and the military. Further on he says, â€Å"next to the birth of my sons, Vietnam has been the defining experience of my life; it has impacted me profoundly. Not a day goes by when I do not think about Vietnam and my experiences there. Even now I recollect with clarity the sounds, smells and vistas of that place and its people. My tour of duty in Vietnam was marked by isolation, frustration and danger. Nevertheless Vietnam transported me. This is primarily an account of my assignment as a combat advisor to a South Vietnamese infantry battalion. It is an old tale from an old war, but I think it is relevant and instructive today† (Dockery, Preface). This opening statement basically clears out the fact that the book was written in order to inform us of the wrong doings of the American military and government, but when we look closely as the statement it shows how much the author, or in that case all the combat advisors had suffered during those trying times. The book begins by the author describing his history. He begins by telling us of his family background. The memoir guides the reader through the life of the author in a very interesting yet morbid manner. Starting by his birth and his family’s background, his education, he moves on to tell us about his military training and then eventually guides the reader to his experience in Vietnam, which include not only his views over the war but also a number of interesting stories and encounters with the people and information about the land itself. Perhaps through this book the author wishes to share the grief and frustration suffered by him as a completely isolated man. This can be seen in a number of places where he constantly mentions his loneliness. In the words of the author, â€Å"I lived and fought with a South Vietnamese infantry unit. Much of the time, I was isolated from the other Americans and was usually the only American soldier with these Vietnamese soldiers. Most field advisors in 1963   Ã‚   had experiences similar to mine. The thousands of U.S. combat troops who came after me had different experiences and faced perhaps greater dangers. They have their own stories, unlike mine† (Dockery, Preface). But, the author also moves on to say that these experiences have had a profound effect on his personality. He believes that he was rather immature when he arrived in South Vietnam, but these experiences, the hardships he faced; even the loneliness helped him build his character and perhaps become a much stronger man. According to the author, â€Å"the cumulative effect of these events was to turn an immature and insecure person into someone capable, confident and caring. That is how I see myself today. We all grow up; the Vietnam War was the period during which I matured. Although my character was tested, I was fortunate and came home a stronger person† (Dockery, Preface). The book has been written by the author in a rather very interesting way, beginning as mentioned earlier from his childhood to his military services and then eventually to his return to USA and then back to Vietnam. The chapters have been given names which give us hints as to what to expect in the chapter. The names of the chapters are: Early Lessons, A volunteer, The participants, In the field, The cement plant, Delta Life, Back to the USA, Reflections, Return to Vietnam. The book has succeeded in presenting the abrupt and invalid of superfluities. The author portrays his aggravation with moral compass to eventually realize self actualization as persistent warrior turn civilian. This book is highly recommendable for anyone interested in policy planning, volunteerism and also for students of Asian American studies. The contents of the book are particularly persuasive for those obligated in the meandering rational, that basic disagreement founds a respected democratic value system. The reader here is given a loose end to think as to why unshakable dishonest civil war settings over and over again prompt this â€Å"Christo-American† reaction. After going through this book, it is hard to believe that anyone actually believed that experienced Vietnamese commanders, a vast number of whom had a very different schema, would take suggestions from a few newly appointed, rather inexperienced Americans. The author has criticized the ways of the Americans in a rather clear and concise manner without any care for anything. In very clear words, the author’s has presented a testimony which provides unavoidable confirmation that the outcomes of the Vietnam war were extremely clear since perhaps the start of 1962, when the troops had arrived there. The result of the war was evident but it went ignored by the higher authorities. The author has put forward the fact that perhaps the U.S. leaders would learn in a decade what the young officer’s at Vietnam learnt in perhaps a year only. The book and its realities are extremely important to go through and should especially be ready by the authorities that send soldiers off to war. The author in the book has openly claimed that for most part of his life, he was not a very caring person. He was never sensitive and could never understand the feelings of others, not even his mother, sisters or family. But after all that he saw in the Vietnam war, his heart started realizing and feeling these things. In the words of the author, â€Å"the letters I wrote to my parents from Vietnam were devoid of hardship, danger and combat. They touched on politics, weather, food, geography and religion. I was learning to be sensitive, incrementally. Still am† (Dockery, p.6). The book has a morbid outlook all the way through, for it is the tale of a man who has suffered a lot. It should be read by those who wish to join the military services for they have the right to know just what they might face during war. The realities and truths within these pages are to be read by all. Especially those who believe in the righteousness of the American military to know just how wrong their actions were. Every combat advisor at war has his own distinctive incidents and Martin Dockery provides us with something very readable and worth turning pages for. He explains that when they arrived at Saigon, both of the troops (the American and the South Vietnamese) were completely different from each other. They had difference cultures, religions, philosophies, educational backgrounds, traditions etc. What was worst was the difference between their languages which was the basic cause of an umber of misunderstandings and conflicts, which basically shows why he named the book ‘Lost in Translation’. As he was completely isolated, his qualities started being brought up in him. His service ended when he had ended up with malaria, hepatitis, dysentery, skin fungus and worms. The books takes us from his birth in White Plains, NY, to his education, the Vietnam experience as well as his service in the American army’s â€Å"Old Guard†. It is full of interesting stories from which we derive much morals and realize just how wrong the American military was during the Vietnam war. Conclusion In the light of the above discussion, we can hereby culminate that Lost In Translation Vietnam A Combat Advisor's Story, is a very well-known book which has been written by Martin J. Dockery. Martin J. Dockery was one of the vast numbers of combat advisors that were sent by President Kennedy to South Vietnam in order to teach them how to fight. The book is basically the author’s personal tale and he has written this in order to show just where the American military went wrong and faced disaster at Vietnam. He believes that most of the wrong doings were the attitudes of the Americans towards others, their arrogance etc. The book is a must read for all and it presents us with information about the sufferings of the combat advisors who had long before predicted that the American would face disaster but the higher authorities had ignored their warnings. Anyone who believes that the military is out to work for our best or that they would win the hearts of many must read this book to see what the military made these innocent people go   through. The outlook of the book is very morbid but that is because of the baseline of the book. It begins form his childhood and then guides the reader through his entire life including his education, military training, the Vietnam experience, then coming back to USA and then going back to Vietnam. The book is full of interesting stories and can be read by all especially the students of history. Works Cited Dockery, Martin. Lost In Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor's Story. United States of America. Presidio Press. ISBN-10: 0891418512   

The Influence of the 9/11 Tragedy On the Marketplace

The Influence of the 9/11 Tragedy On the Marketplace The Fundamentals of the Market In post 9/11 America, identity regarding gender, race, and class flipped completely, causing many members in contemporary American society to question themselves and their worth in the United States. In the novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid, readers are able to track the influence of the 9/11 tragedy into the marketplace, corporate America, and living life in general in America through his main character, Changez. Changez is a hardworking individual that experiences racial discrimination while participating in corporate Americas market fundamentals a tragic mix of being destined to fail, and racial inequality for those working in the field. The dehumanizing nature of post 9/11 America sends influential shivers down the spine of corporate America and bleeds into the work place for minorities through the way Changez interacts with his coworkers, regular citizens, and the market in general. When Changez reflects on what makes Underwood Samson so different and reveals American ideals and culture, he recalls a conversation with Sherman It was a testament to the systematic pragmatism call it professionalism that underpins your countrys success in so many fields (Hamid 36). While Changez understands the old adage of business is business, he still finds it hard to believe the stark differnce between Underwood Samson and when he was a student at Princeton, at Princeton, learning was imbued with an aura of creativity; at Underwood Samson, creativity was not excised it was still present and valued but it ceded its primacy to efficiency (Hamid 37). This instance of reflection by Changez reveals several things about Underwood Samson, not only the fact that it promotes a lifeless atmosphere and hires people who do not encompass a team attitude, but it is open about this. While they boast this hard knocks theory of working, they do so to devalue the life of Changez, and get a leg up against him. This establishes the mantra of corporate America even if you can help in some way, it is not about what you know, but who you know. Hamid writes, through the trials of Changez, this dehumanization of a minority in a post 9/11 setting. Hamid communicates these ideals through the way he is handled in the work place, with several interactions that are cringe worthy and generally unfortunate. In Peter Moreys article, The rules of he game have changed: Mohsin Hamids The Reluctant Fundamentalist and post-9/11 fiction, Morey recognizes the intent of Hamid while also appreciating and informing his own readers about what literature framed in this time period does not only for the sake of the novels plot, but for the community at large, and how writing about these injustices helps reconfigure the main tropes of corporate America. While Morey understands that the initial reaction for many of Hamids readers is to have an immense sense of nationalism when reacting to the tragedy of 9/11, he identifies this book as something that challenges that nationalism by exposing what really happens when speaking about minorities participating in corporate America. Morey also claims that the novel defamiliarizes our relation to literary projects of national identification (Morey 136), a tactic that allows Hamids readers to exit their comfort zone in order to feel what someone from the outside might feel. Hamids unreliable narrator also aids this literary strategy because it reaches out to Hamids main audience people living in America in this post 9/11 world. It makes it more understandable to view the re-institution of learning these fundamentals through the eyes of someone who does not approve of them, and is incredibly suspicious of them at the same time. Just as Changez is ready and willing to break down the American system of doing things, he certainly also is not afraid to speak up about it. Hamid adjusts his readers lens at the end of the novel to see Changez as someone to trusts, as opposed to the unreliable, ever-changing narrator we grew to know him as. Changez reflects later in the novel about his distrust with the American way, specifically referring to Americans and America using the word you (Hamid 168). This word choice sticks out because it is used to describe a nation that has theoretically given Changez so much, but in reality, it has chewed him up thoroughly and spat him out. This reflection from Changez addresses what he truly feels about the manifestation of corporate America into the modern society which he has had so much trouble with living, believing, and trusting it. He belittles America and labels America acting out the beliefs which he understands as myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority (Hamid 168) by claiming Americans threw a tantrum for the rest of the world to clean up. Essentially, the way America handles change and indifference makes them less superior, and framing this theory through the lens of the work place allows readers to understand exactly what Changez sees about America. While his ideas are justified, he sees the corporate world, and almost exclusively the parts of American culture that exhibit the dire competitive nature of how America functions. In the environment he experiences, he obviously expects competition, but never to the point of public humiliation and dehumanization that comes to physical confrontation. One instance of Changez experiencing this was when he was when he finally decides he has had enough of Underwood Samson, and he decides to quit. As Changez leaves Jims office for the final time, he writes that almost non of the fellow employees even bother to look up from their work and see him out. He confesses that even Wainwright, the man he considered to be looking out for him, does not bother to show any real affection or love towards him. In fact, Changez feels violated even in his parting, thinking the others, if they bothered to look at me at all, did so with evident unease and, in some cases, a fear which would not have been ina ppropriate had I been convicted of plotting to kill them rather than of abandoning my post in mid-assignment (Hamid 160). This was the last straw for Changez, and the irony lies in these actions from his co-workers because while they put on a facade throughout the entirety of his employment at Underwood Samson, they pretend to be a team. They speak like they are working together for a common goal, however in reality, they break Changez down consistently throughout the novel both mentally and physically. While most of post 9/11 America, was busy mourning the loss of many lives in the tragic incidents, many people were preaching the importance of staying close together. The president at the time, George Bush, told people to remain close, and to remember what America consisted of brave, powerful, and strong people that cared deeply about their country and who belonged to it. However, as reflected by the actions of Underwood Samson, unity in a post 9/11 America is selective. Those whom you choose to unite with should be looking out for you, essentially, but besides the core people, there is no room for charity when it comes to corporate America. Unity, to the members of Underwood Samson, should only be used for your own benefit, instead of following the actual definition of the word, being inclusive. These fundamentals that have been unfortunately framed by 9/11 and the culture of America post 9/11 are designed to be inclusive, yet are incredibly discriminatory. The execution, as shown by the actions of the American characters in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, are fairly poor while exhibiting the Americans fatal flaw of caring too much about other people and their impending business. The interaction that Changez shares with his former co-workers is then also highlighted by the way he is forced to leave. The guards did not leave me until I was outside the building, and it was only then that I allowed myself to rub my eyes with the back of my hand, for they had been watering slightly (Hamid 160). Up until this point in the novel, explicit emotion responding to this American aggression has been difficult to capture from Changez. While we see his physical and mental response, readers have not seen him cry tears of frustration, disappointment, and pure anger. Here, readers are allowed into the world of our narrator, Changez, and how even at the end of his time at Underwood Samson, he identifies that his hunches he once had, especially at the beginning of the novel, turned out to be true. Michael Kimmel, author of the essay Masculine Entitlement and the Future of Terrorism, displays the white perception of 9/11 and how anybody of a different color or origin will automatically be seen as an outsider who is stealing their place at the table (Kimmel 617). While Kimmel does not directly relate his argument to The Reluctant Fundamentalist, his argument does explain a lot of the possible motives and motivations that some of the other characters might feel towards Changez. While it is inexcusable, Kimmel sheds a little light on why they might do what they do. This aching fear of losing a job, or being ousted by an outsider that is displayed in physical aggression and attempted mental breakdowns from the other characters stems directly from Americas post 9/11 culture. In Changezs struggles to adapt to American culture, he is met with another difficulty that places him under a deep spell of confusion. He is confronted by many people at Underwood Samson about the fact that he allows his beard to grow out, I was subjected to verbal abuse by complete strangers, and at Underwood Samson I seemed to become overnight a subject of whispers and stares (Hamid 130). Not only does this puzzle him deeply as to why anyone would care about how he wore his hair, but he is deeply concerned that the one other minority at his company, Wainwright, insults his culture and heritage by making a rude and demeaning comment about his beard, saying They are common where I come from, I told him. Jerk chicken is common where I come from, he replied, but I dont go sme ar it all over my face. You need to be careful. This whole corporate collegiality veneer only goes so deep' (Hamid 130-31). This dialogue between Wainwright and Changez tells readers how little his coworkers care for him, and even more surprisingly, the ones who supposedly do care for him really do not. While Wainwright sounds like he is protecting him by telling him to shave his beard, he cannot allow himself to give Changez any advice without giving him his own personal insult. Part of the reason Wainwright expresses himself in such a way is the divide between not knowing exactly what to say to help Changez and the trouble with American society. On some level, he wants to help Changez, but on another, he wants to stay secure in his own skin, and to fit in with all the other corporate clones that they both work with. Besides the verbal abuse that Changez receives from everyone, the mental intimidation factor is incredibly high, especially in a high-pressured office such as Underwood Samson. In addition to Wainwright showing his true colors, many of the people that surround Changez show themselves to him shamelessly with their dehumanization. This is done on a strangerly, face-to-face basis through aggressive discourse that is not only offensive to Changez, but several other cultures that misinformed Americans often confuse together, especially after the events of 9/11. In the parking lot after leaving work, Changez is confronted by a man who begins to make noises at him, mocking the way he looks, and evidently labeling him as a fucking Arab' (Hamid 117). This exchange is wildly harmful because as Changez greets the man mocking him, he thinks he might be mad, or drunk; I thought also that he might be a mugger, and I prepared to defend myself to strike (Hamid 117). However, as the man began to approach Changez, he slowly realizes that the man does not want anything from Changez, he comes to recognize that this man is merely racist. Changez can see that this man does not want to harm him physically, just to pass along hateful discourse for his own enjoyment. It is with a confused and angry response that Changez questions this idea of working as a team, and Americas ideals in general. After a few murderous seconds (Hamid 118), Changez and his attacker chose to not physically confront each other, which was most likely in the best interest of the attac ker. However, this does not absolve any part of the conflict for either party. Changez walks away shaken, not knowing what to do, and questioning the morals of the American citizens he is supposed to be respecting and striving to be like. Mahmood Mamdani, author of the essay Good Muslim, Bad Muslim works to approach American readers on how not to talk about Islam and politics two very controversial and fragile topics of discussion among common Americans. I found this essay interesting because it connects some of the similar topics Mohsin Hamid attempts to bridge in his novel. In the essay, Mamdani writes about George Bushs public flirtation with the idea of an anti-Muslim crusade, (Mamdani 24), something that sounds slightly outrageous to a more modern audience, but was tragically true. In this post 9/11 warzone of America, Bush would continuously preach to Americans about distinguishing good Muslims from bad Muslims' (Mamdani 24). While Bush did this, many people saw this proclamation as an opportunity to implement this into their workplace rituals and everyday routines, something we see prime examples of in the characters in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. After 9/11, many Americans, similar to those we see directly in the novel, decided to make this assumed religion, meaning anyone who was suspected to practice Islam, was a political problem. If someone appeared, to a white American, to be Muslim, they should be placed in the good or bad category, and should be dealt with accordingly. The good vs. bad culture that was raised in the United States produced toxic mindsets that evidently leaked into the way people lived their lives, which is what Hamid tries to teach his readers in his novel. The politicization of culture appears to be a direct result of the Bush administration, and although not every single American thought/thinks like this, there are the select groups that really believe in this Us vs. Them discourse that continues, to the dismay of many, to this day in the United States of America, the supposed greatest country on Earth. Studying this odd dichotomy between those who have reserved their seat at the table of corporate America and those who are begging for the scraps brings about many interesting arguments and analyses. Mohsin Hamid, through the dialogue, plot, and interesting and powerful character dynamics pioneers his way through the epicenter of writing literature through the scope of post 9/11 America. Hamid trains his readers not to trust his narrator, just as the narrator should never trust those he deals with, to put his readers in a similar seat as Changez. This novel, just like many novels similar to it, is meant to make readers uncomfortable, yet it is also used to instruct, teach, and challenge the readers connotations of America, specifically after 9/11, and how we, as a nation, deal with problems on a large and small scale. These fundamentals that we have discussed throughout the study of this novel are not something Changez wants to subscribe to. In his efforts to become like the people he hates, he realizes the toxicity and the hardships that he must endure to do something he does not exactly want to do with the same people that falsely supported him throughout his journey. On a large scale, this is an inverse coming of age novel, one in which the protagonist realizes that coming of age is not exactly what he is meant to do, especially not in America. Hamid paints these lessons well and continues to write with a purpose throughout the entire novel, not once letting up his grip on telling the story of a man whose ambition was stolen by the crooked setup of the American corporate realm, the government, and the society in general.

Graffiti as a Voice for Teens Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Graffiti as a Voice for Teens - Term Paper Example Peer pressure may be in either positive or negative ways; where the students that succumb to its negative side, will end up making bad choices that lead them to a slippery slope. The result of a slippery slope is the unfortunate development of bad habits such as smoking, alcohol and/or drug abuse and engaging in criminal activities. For this reason, every high school should create an open forum for the students where they are free and at ease to discuss challenges they face in their everyday lives. Teachers and counselors should then be at hand to talk them through overcoming the challenges and turning them into opportunities for growth and success into the future. In creating such an open forum, the school should consider the emotional, physical and mental status of the students and come up with creative and exciting activities in order to encourage their participation. Considering their emotional, physical and mental status includes recognizing that the students will be talented in different areas where non-performance in academics does not render them failures. Students may instead be skilled in non-academic activities such as painting, drawing, playing musical instruments or photography. Teachers should hence, reserve this in mind when interacting with the students in the class. The administration should also consider this when structuring such open forums. The adolescent has thoughts and interpretations about various issues in their environment and will want to express these through various means. Because of their youthfulness, their energy needs to be directed into positive ways of voicing their views and opinions to prevent them from being destructive. Besides that, there may be students that lack interest in political or environmental issues, which undoubtedly will affect them. The administrations should then use the ‘crowd mentality’ to arouse interest in such students using creative works from the students that have an interest.  

WhatsApp Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

WhatsApp - Case Study Example In addition, WhatsApp has been able to beat existing and new competitors in the instant messaging industry. This success led to its acquisition by Facebook. The main problem facing the future success of the app is the competition and the changing paradigm of the industry. Across the globe, competitors have been steadily increasing with more effective strategies in regards to the creation of new trends and monetization. Given the current market situation, how can WhatsApp adapt its strategy to overcome emerging competition in future? Over the years, the instant messaging industry has been characterized by its massive growth. Consequently, entrants in the market have greatly increased. Regardless of the trend, WhatsApp has been able to position itself as a market leader in the six years it has been in existence. Since the creation of the application in 2009, WhatsApp has been largely preferred by the consumer population in the United States as well in the global market. The success of WhatsApp in the global market is solely based on that these markets lack a cheaper option for text messaging (Page, 2015, 1). The strategy was also effective in beating existing competition in the industry. However, in markets with cheaper text messaging options the application has not been massively embraced. This is due to the few features and products that the application offers to the trendy market. This is a major problem in the future in regards to the creation of a greater competitive advantage over the emerging competition. The ability to compete effectively is created by the development of operational structures based on the strategies implemented by competitors (Porter, 1980, 29). By WhatsApp lacking these structures, the app does not have a competitive advantage over emerging competitors in the future market. The future success of the instant messaging industry is directed by the level of creativity embraced by existing and emerging applications. WhatsApp has not

Negative impacts of tourism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Negative impacts of tourism - Assignment Example n the oil price on the economy is not supported by economic growth contraction and this remarkable fall in the oil price has been experienced by the economy for the first time. The present decrease in the oil price on the economy is not due to the fall in demand but increase in supply of oil on the economy. The consumption of oil on the economy is directly related to the economic growth. The fall in the oil price has negative impact on the exporters of the world. The fall in the oil prices will result in the deficit budget of the government and this requires the increase in the taxes and cut in the government spending. The decrease in the oil prices will result in the situation of budget deficit on the economy and emergence of various social problems. The fall in the oil price leads to the situation of weak global demand of oil on the economy and it leads to the decrease in the investment and consumer spending and increase in the debt burden. The fall in the oil price has negatively affected the economy. The crash of oil price on the economy has an adverse affect on the global economy. The decrease in the oil prices were considered as favourable for the countries like US and Japan where the price of Gasoline was very low . On the contrary the decrease in the oil price has affected severely to the oil exporting countries like Russia and Venezuela since Venezuela may encounter unrest on the economy and increase in the debt obligation and the fall in the oil prices have adversely affected the oil rich countries like Saudi Arabia as they will face severe loss if the price of oil continued to remain low. And this fall in the oil price experienced by the economy in the year 2014 has resulted due to the fact that the price of oil has rouse significantly in the year 2000 and with the increase in the oil price many of the energy companies gained profit through the extraction of oil from the difficult oil drilling places .In U.S they adopted the technology of drilling

Design an Adoption Agreement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design an Adoption Agreement - Case Study Example ipants Compensation not to exceed the limits imposed by Sections 401(k), 402(g), 404, and 415 of the Code in effect at the beginning of such taxable year for example, In safe harbor 401(k) plans, all necessary employer aids are always 100 percent bestowed. D. Yes the employer will be making matching contributions because the Actual contribution percentage (ACP) test requires that the employee and matching contributions provided for highly compensated employees be proportional to those for no highly compensated employee. I. Yes a participant may request a distribution of his or her elective deferrals on account of hardship pursuant to the hardship per sue rule since the amount of elective contributions available for a hardship distribution cannot be more than the amount of the employees total elective contribution. A participant may make changes to the investment within his / her individual account quarterly since the rules impose a minimum on the frequency of changes among the three core investment options, requiring at least quarterly changes (Heneghan et al, 2007). An automatic admission 401(k) plan allows you to automatically register employees and place deductions from their incomes in certain default investments, unless the worker elects otherwise. This is an effective way for many bosses to increase their contribution in their 401(k)

Alexander the Great--Vision beyond Conquests Essay

Alexander the Great--Vision beyond Conquests - Essay Example During the years of his fearless and ferocious life span, Alexander conquered almost a quarter of the earth’s total land surface area in a very young age. The world knows him only to be the war heroic icon; however, the actions and initiatives he had undertaken for the battles and the strategies he had framed for them reflect the political structure of the then western countries and the subsequent changes in the trends of administrative as well as cultural aspects in the past. This essay will focus on the merits and influence of the Great Alexander’s imperial majesty through an evaluation of events and incidents and their positive effects on the world history of politics and culture consisting of ancient European and West Asian provinces centered by the Roman regime. A comprehensive study of his warfare tactics and military surveillance strategy hopefully gives the best effect of the required material literature. The Making of a Conqueror Alexander, who was born to King Philip II of Macedonia and Princess Olympia in 356BC, was much luckier than a normal prince to see his father’s consecutive victories and continuous strive for administrative excellence. An otherwise wise Alexander was a genius in all the fields he had been trained by Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher. In his early teenage itself, he became a scholar of science, medicine, literature and philosophy, which later helped him in turning to a complete military think-tank. The incredible achievement streak of Alexander’s imperial life had a rather fantastic inception with his successful undertaking of his father’s army against the rebels of Thrace through a swift and successful power demonstration. Alexander’s thirst for supremacy over the entire European provinces then led him through conquering Greece and Illyria before he set his aim on Asia Minor. All through the battles fought against the powers across the southern belt of Asia Minor, Alexander had to face the resistance of the Greek army and entered the invincible Gordium. It is said that, â€Å"Alexander knew the legend that the man who could untie the ancient knot was destined to rule the entire world† (Alexander of Macedonia). Based on this fundamental approach, Alexander captured the power of Persia and began the expedition to the Asian mainland with an invasion through the Issus pass in northwestern Syria. The major credits from his philosophical abilities and the definite levels of leadership skills helped him unite and raise the morale of soldiers of the armies of all the countries he conquered. Marching towards the Persian Empire was not easy for him as expected with Darius’ mammoth number of soldiers blocking his way, but at the end of the Battle of Issus, success turned the Macedonian way. From then, the path became easy for him to Syria and Phoenicia except for a considerable amount of resistance from the city of Tyre, which he eventually defeated and c ontinued the expedition towards Egypt. The Spiritual Line The entry to Egypt was in fact the most specific period of Alexander’s time, as he had a spiritual route to the Egyptian culture. The passionate natives even believed him to be the divine ruler descended as their God’s own son. According to certain findings, â€Å"Alexander no doubt won great popularity with the Egyptians by conducting proper,

Privacy in Biometrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Privacy in Biometrics - Essay Example Although there are various advantages of using biometrics technology, such as its validity and authenticity and its wide-ranging utilization in passports, identity cards, attendance systems, etc. In the field of information technology, biometrics refers to â€Å"those technologies that measure and analyze human characteristics such as DNA, eye retina, irises, fingerprints, voice pattern, facial pattern and hand measurements† (Rouse, 2008). In this paper, the focus will remain on the use of fingerprints as the major characteristics for identifying a person. More importantly, the paper will include discussion and arguments regarding some of the issues that arise due to usage of biometrics publicly (Woodward, 2003, pp. 23-25). Although biometrics has resulted in number of benefits to the organizations in terms of identity management, however, the advancement of this technology and the application of this technology on public level have raised various questions regarding the accur acy of this technology along with privacy and confidentiality of the data that has been one of the major issues related to biometrics. Expansion in the utilization of internet has been one of the foremost reasons that have resulted in greater utilization of biometrics in various parts of the world. Nowadays, biometrics has become one of the most suitable and affordable solution for organizations to identify their employees for identification purpose at entry and exit locations, as well as during attendance on daily basis. At the same time, biometrics has also helped e-commerce industry to progress by ensuring security of data in finance-related organizations such as banks, shopping centers, etc that now use biometrics technology (Zhang, 2006, pp. 31-38) to prevent any fraudulent actions that usually occur in absence of such technologies. One of the basic reasons of huge popularity of biometrics technology has been its use by the law enforcement agencies around the world that has res ulted in its usage on mass level. While this utilization became the reason of its popularity, it has resulted in initiation of debates regarding the confidentiality and security of the data; in other words, data and information management by the law enforcement agencies and various governments globally (Ex-sight, n.d.). Discussion As mentioned earlier in the paper, biometrics while providing enormous number of advantages in terms of identification and verification of individuals in terms of their characteristics, it has resulted in various ethical, social, and professional issues that have been the major focus of this paper. Most importantly, personal privacy is the foremost issue that has remained under debate related to biometrics for a long time. Analysis of literature (Campisi, 2013, pp. 11-17) has indicated that although biometrics technology allows organizations and law enforcement agencies to identify an individual and trace a criminal out of the huge population, it is a dire ct failure to comply with human rights regulations for privacy and anonymity. At various platforms, there have been protests regarding the inappropriate usage of biometric data by law enforcement agencies, which results in an adverse impact on right of freedom of the public. Besides breach of personal privacy, biometrics techno

Read two essays, and which historian (Dan Carter or Bruce Schulman) Assignment

Read two essays, and which historian (Dan Carter or Bruce Schulman) does the best job of describing the origins of the New Right Why - Assignment Example Carter’s approach of depicting the origins of the New Right is from an event’s (politician’s race) perspective. However, his work neglected to explore the holistic nature of the New Right phenomenon and presented a one-sided argument -- that political movement alone spurred its resurgence. Carter’s work focused on Wallace’s contribution: â€Å"his attacks on the federal government have become the gospel of modern conservatism; his angry rhetoric, the foundation for the new ground rules of political warfare† (Hoffman, Blum, and Gjerde 485). According to his work, the resurgence of New Right started with â€Å"George Wallace’s racist populism, sharpened with Nixon and Agnew’s ‘law and order’ demagogy and triumphant with Reagan’s ‘tough on crime’ policies† (Lyons 28). Schulman’s work capitalized in his clear demographic story of the economic shifting towards the Sunbelt (a rightist territory) and establishment of supporting arguments about the strengthening of New Right. His arguments include the 1) stating of economic developments; 2) fostering of a less federal government; 3) posing the effects of the failure of North and Eastern unions like, they â€Å"had risen with the great industrial revolution in the heartland, and they were falling with it too† (Hoffman, Blum, and Gjerde 488); and emphasizing, not just political developments but socio-cultural developments. Schulman’s format worked well in presenting the emergence of New Right as a participating event in the â€Å"reconfiguration of twentieth-century American politics† (McGirr 273). Much of New Right activities took center stage in politics, yet its big picture lies in the industrial and commercial movements of the economy, and socio-cultural flow within the civilian spheres. Thus, it is appropriate to include not just a single perspective in presenting the New Right’s origins. Bruce Schulman’s work took heed of this topic’s nature and

The Thomas Kincaid Galleries Essay Example for Free

The Thomas Kincaid Galleries Essay Consider what you think of as art and then try to explain what makes it art. What do you respond to in a work of art? Is it the way it looks, or the way it makes you feel or the ideas it brings to mind? How important are the formal qualities?. How important is the content? Should one be subservient to the other? These are somewhat subjective criteria and there are really no right and wrong answers, but please think about the question seriously and be sure to reference actual works of art in your discussion to illustrate your ideas. The text of the question seriously and be sure to reference actual works of art in your discussion to illustrate your ideas. Hands on Art Project 100 points Create a work of art that makes a statement. It can be done in any medium you like. See what materials you might already have on hand.. (i. e. crayons, markers, fabric scraps, paints or any interesting objects that would serve your purpose. ) It can be composed completely of collaged images or found objects so that you do not need to be able to draw. The work can make a political or social statement or it can be of a more personal nature, but you need to be able to verbalize the basic premise of the piece. The purpose of this project is to experience some of the processes of creating a work of art. Essay 2: Compare and Contrast The text of this essay is to be at least 750 words 160 points 1. Select a work of art from the text (preferably a color image) 2. First, spend time looking thoroughly at this work of art, then write an analysis of it. Think in terms of subject, form and content. Look for the elements of design and the principles of organization. How is the artist using shape, color, line, and texture? How is the piece balanced? What rhythms are established? Do we get a sense of movement? How is he or she using these formal aspects to help convey a mood, or idea? Also, you may want to find out a little about the artists and the historical period they represent. What do you think was the purpose for making this piece? What do you think they were trying to say? 3. Find another work that is similar in some way. For example, two still-lifes, portraits, landscapes, or works on a similar theme, like mother and child, the crucifixion, etc. Look carefully at both, compare, and contrast the two. Again, think in terms of form, subject and content. How are they similar? In what ways are they different? Be specific. 4. Respond to these works of art, both critically and personally. Do you think they are equally successful as works of art? Why? How do they make you feel? Do you like them? Why or why not? Essay 3: Art Review (at least. 500 words) 100 Points Go to an art exhibition at a museum or gallery near you. Colleges universities often have art exhibitions on campus. This must be an actual, not a virtual exhibition. (Note: The Thomas Kincaid galleries are not acceptable for this assignment) Look at the whole show and give your overall impression of the show. Does the show have a theme? What kind of work does it include? Choose a piece or two to describe (as you did in the compare and contrast essay. ) Did you like the work? Why or why not? Which pieces were particularly meaningful? The Thomas Kincaid Galleries are not suitable for this assignment.

Sociology Investigation Essay Example for Free

Sociology Investigation Essay With the use of covert participant observation and study of secondary data, I will be analyzing and investigation the question â€Å"Why do girls do better at school than boys? † I will come to a conclusion on whether this question is correct and if it is true or not, then explaining the reasons why they do better or why they do not. Hypothesis – We believe that girls do better in school and this is because most girls can multi task and think about their future much more than boys who are trying to â€Å"live in the moment†. Boys are also socialized into being violent and being slightly rebellious so will not concentrate enough in lessons. Girls are however socialized to be respectable and get a good job to help the family and also to be sensible so they can raise children. Finally I feel girls generally can be distracted one day for many reasons but keep quiet and everyone knows not to annoy them, but on the other hand boys if they get distracted tend to disturb everyone around them. Why do girls do better than Investigation Discussion of Secondary Data – In some research it highlights how boys by the age of eight are meant to have adopted these boys by the age of eight are meant to have adopted these perceptions and that from that age the perceptions and that from that age the gap between intelligence is visible. They saw that boys could become products of self-fulfilling prophecy. The research also shows that boys lag behind girls in nearly all subjects at A-level and GCSE. Girls from reception to year 5 said that girls were cleverer, performed better and more focused and respectful. Boys in reception, yr1 and yr2 had an equal split between boys and girls and in yr3 they all said girls were better showing as they get older the gap is bigger and more visible to see. Adults that also believe girls do better the research showed. In a separate investigation two groups we held both full of boys, the first was told that girls performed better than girls and the second were not. The first group performed significantly worse than the second. This could show how their poor performance could be because of low expectations of teachers. Stats – 25. 5% of entries by girls were A/A* compared with 19. 5% for boys. The gap narrows at A-level, with 27. 6% of entries which are girls were awarded A/A* compared with 26. 1%. Method – I am going to use covert participant observation to investigate my hypothesis. This will involve watching a lesson and recording notes on how behavior and attention differ between boys and girls. I will make sure that no one knows I’m doing this so they don’t change their behavior to make them look better or alter what they would do because they know they are being watched. It important to control these to make accurate results are noted down. I will then record my results in a need and structure paragraph using qualitative analysis. I am also going to do a survey asking an equal amount of boys and girls from a range of years asking if they think boys or girls do better in school. This will be good to do as a comparison could be made between my results and secondary data. The pros of this method are that we can easily compare secondary data and also with the survey being quantitative we can make a graph and with the qualitative data we can make a clear and detailed conclusion. The cons are when asking the survey it may be hard to get real opinions as boys may say boys do better in school because of their â€Å"honor† but really they believe girls do better. Ethical issues – Some issues I might face with this investigation is the use of covert participant observation because some people may feel they are being involved with something they don’t want to be involved with and that we are going behind their back as we have not asked them to be involved. They may not feel comfortable with being involved and we have to think about and respect that. Finally if we are watching teacher they may not feel that it appropriate for us to watch them and make notes as they are our elders and they may believe we are judging them. Pilot Study – I made my first pilot study in the first lesson of planning. Something I noticed were that the group behind us of all girls was planning and mind mapping ideas about how they could go about their investigation and started writing the norms. However the group of boys at the back we getting distracted said they would do it after the holiday and were clearly bored so tried to practice the covert participant observation method but were laughing and not doing it properly by as they were laughing and we knew they were watching us In turn automatically changing our behavior towards them. Evaluation of pilot study – From the pilot study we see that our hypothesis was correct and girls are more focused which maybe a reason why they have been shown to do better in school than boys. The study also highlighted how if you are caught using covert participant observation then people will change their behavior distracting them as well from their work also confirming my ideas about how boys distract everyone around them when they are bored. Presentation of results – Notes: * Girls seemed to settle in a lot quicker than boys. * More boys got more penalties than girls * Boys asking for pens and equipment Couples of boys and girls work better than two boys sitting together * Boys seen to distract a lot of people around then and the whole class are disturbed and the teacher had to stop * Boys are always the once making funny comments and trying to be the jokers * Some boys got a bad result in the end of term test they seem to just be fine with it and even use it as something to laugh about, also some girls do that and on one hand they may have struggled and then they get help but on the other they do sometimes use it as an excuse maybe just because they didn’t revise or concentrate in lessons Conclusion and discussion of results – My results strongly collaborate my hypothesis as they indicate that boys’ behavior is a lot worse than those of girls and this I feel is directly related to the lower grades on average that girls get. My results also show how boys have been socialized into being the class clowns and that to be popular they have to make rude or annoying comments that people laugh at. This highlights the idea about some boys just thinking about the current time and not there future, whereas on the other hand girls are thinking about their future. On the whole my results did collaborate with my hypothesis and from the results I got I feel girls are more focused and doing this investigation opened my eyes up to this fact and how boys do seem to be a lot less bothered and this in turn affects their school in terms of grades and results they receive at the end of their schooling lives. Evaluation of method – I used covert participant observation to gather qualitative information, this gave me detailed results that a structured conclusion would be made from. There were no problems with the use of the covert participant observation method and at the end I also spoke to some people and told them they had been filmed, they seemed fine about it but I was weary that some people may have not liked being watched and that is understandable so I was careful. The use of the survey allowed me to compare data that was gathered in research and the results we found out. Although next time I feel I could have asked a wider range of people and also a wider range of ages because students can often lie to make their sex or the opposite sex seem better and have biases because of one reason or another.

The Social Practice Of Untouchability Sociology Essay

The Social Practice Of Untouchability Sociology Essay Untouchability is the social practice of casting out a minority group by regarding them as ritually polluted and segregating them from the mainstream. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers and criminals. This exclusion was a method of punishing law-breakers and also protected against contagion from strangers. A member of the excluded group is known as an untouchable. The people who are said untouchable are from that section of society which is not only held in the lowest esteem, but which is behaved by the other castes as unclean. Who are found to be the sweepers, cleaner, and leather tanners are considered as unfit for human society or co-mingling. They are not permitted to take their water from the public wells. The word caste was loosely used by the Portuguese to denote the Indian social classification as they thought that the system was intended to preserver purity of blood. The system is such a peculiar and complex thing that no satisfactory definition is possible. Hence we find no unanimity among scholars on the subject. Senart states that a caste is a close corporation, exclusive and in theory at any rate rigorously hereditary. It is equipped with ascertain traditional and independent organization, including a chief and a council, meeting on occasion in assemblies endowed with less full authority. According to sir H. Risley, a caste may be defined as a collection of families or groups of families bearing a common name, claiming common descent from a mythical ancestor, human or divine, professing to follow the same hereditary calling, and regarded by those who are competent to give opinion as forming a single homogeneous community .the name generally denotes or is associated with a specific occupation. A caste is almost invariably endogamous in the sense that a member of the large circle denoted by the common name may not marry outside that circle, but within the circle there are usually a number of smaller circles each which is also endogamous. The untouchables have been referred to as Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes. Local names for the untouchables are in different parts of India and known by different names: Bhangi, Pakhi, Chandal, etc. Mahatma Gandhi called them Harijans, which means children of God. It is still in wide use especially in Gandhis home state of Gujarat. Harijans are now Dalits, which means broken people. Historical background: Hindu culture was made of four castes according to work of people. There are the brahmins, the highest or scholarly people, kshatriya, the caste of the ancient kings or warriors; the vaisya, the farmers and traders; and the sudras, laborers. The people, who come under the sudras caste, are treated with disdain, but not as outcasts. Today, the caste system is become more complicated and having many subdivisions, each forming a social organization whose function is to protect caste members. In Manu Smriti there is written that the first part of a Brahmins name should denote something auspicious, a Kshatriyas name should be connected with power, and that a Vaishyas name should reminds wealth. The first part of a Sudras name should express something contemptible and the second part should describe the service, because of the Sudras low origin. According to Hindu practice, only the upper castes are given right to study the Vedas. If the Sudra intentionally listens for committing to memory the Veda, then his ears should be filled with molten lead and lac; if he utters the Veda, then his tongue should be cut off, if he has mastered the Veda his body should be cut to pieces says the Manu Smriti. In the epic Ramayana, after Lord Ramas return from exile, a Brahmin accuses him of causing the death of his son by his toleration of Shambuka, a Sudra who recited the Vedas. In order to control the situation, Rama finds Shambuka and killed him. The Brahmin boy got life again. In Manu Smriti different punishments are given for the same crime, depending on the culprits caste. If this much punishments were for the Sudras, what was the treatment reserved for the untouchables who were outside the caste system, and placed even lower than the Sudras in society. In the 1500s, during the rule of the Marathas and the Peshwas untouchables were not allowed within the gates of the Poona between 3.00 pm and 9.00 am. The reason was that during this time their bodies were casting long shadows, with the reason that the shadow of an untouchable might fall on a Brahmin and pollute him. An untouchable used to carry an earthen pot around his neck so his spittle might not pollute the earth by the shadow. In Maharashtra an untouchable wore a black thread either in his neck or on his wrist for ready identification of upper caste people, while in Gujarat a horn was being worn for identification. It must be remembered that Dalit does not mean Caste or low-Caste  or poor; it refers to the deplorable state or condition to which a large group of people has been reduced by social convention and in which they are now living. Protection under constitution: Indias government and legal system when dealing with dalits or untouchables is fraught with contradiction. This is evident in the disparities between upper and lower castes, in terms of economic and political power, and is a consequence of the States differential treatment of these sections. The Indian Constitution the writing of which was chaired by the most powerful dalit advocate for dalit rights, Dr. Ambedkar embodies civil and legal rights providing for non-discrimination. However, secular legal and constitutional structures are contradictory to the prevalent ancient Hindu law: religious, social and economic practices that involve a discriminative hierarchy based on hereditary social status, occupation and ritual duties. Stratification of society benefits the upper classes as it secures positions of economic and social power, and allows the exploitation of the lower castes; Hindu beliefs and law sanction this. It is therefore not in their interest to remove discrimination by th e implementation of the constitutional principles and laws in favors of the dalits. The Indian state hasnt, to date, taken a serious approach to the betterment of the dalit situation because it is essentially aligned with the upper castes. The provision of reservations for government seats, employment and higher education has improved the living standard of some dalits, yet most remain in poverty. Reservations provide positive discrimination; ironically this also stereotypes dalits, resulting in their continual segregation in society. The state has not successfully provided due access to education, equitable employment, ownership of land and legal protection to break the cycle of caste based oppression. Dalit political parties and movements for the assertion of rights and self determination have been numerous and varied, but have been successfully quelled by the state and upper castes through the use of political power, violence, and police intimidation, all contrary to the constitu tion. Hindus maintain the caste system because their religion requires them to do so, and caste is a characteristic of Brahmanism, the Brahmans being at the top of the system.1 Dalits, as they will be referred to here, are a sub caste of people at the bottom of the Hindu social and religious hierarchy called Varna Dharma; due to polluting nature of their occupations which include handling dead animals, cleaning, and jobs to do with human excrement. They are forced to behave in de-humanizing ways such the eating of excrement. The interaction of the castes and 1 L.G. Havanur, Backward Classes, Judicial Meaning, Socio-legal Services and Research Centre, Bangalore, 1991, p.55 jatis, or endogamous sub divisions relating to occupation, is known as the jajmani system. Hindus have relied on this system to divide labour, social and commensally relations and ensure economic and social co-operation.2 On every level the dalits have been discriminated against, and subordinated into servitude.3 Ambedkar in his leadership role in the Indian constituent assembly sought to erase the oppressive caste system by raising dalit awareness and empowerment through provisions in the constitution. Article 15 and 17 prohibits the practice of untouchability and discrimination based on caste.4 In hindsight, these basic aims seem too lofty to be realized, given that dalits still remain disenfranchised in relation to the implementation of these articles. Forty years later, writing in 1994, Dr. B.D Sharma describes the Indian micro-universe as separated into the first world, where people exercise their rights and have access to courts and police for protection under the law and the o ther world where people do not.5 The first world comprises of only 15-20% of the population and the other world makes up the majority of disinherited and exploited people.6 In addition, The Civil Rights Protection Act, 1955, intended to abolish disabilities associated with backward classes including dalits. While creating an atmosphere where the inequalities suffered by the dalits have been publicly condemned, the constitutional measures have been rendered ineffective as they are mostly ignored in practice.7 Dalits make up 77% of agricultural labour which is classified as unskilled and unorganised. In the urban setting, they are labourers in construction, scavengers and sanitation workers, also falling into the unorganized category. Wages in the organized sector are regulated by the State so that they rise with increased prices, and are adequate enough for one wage earner to sustain a family. Labourers bear the brunt of the disparity between organized and unorganized sections. Viola tions of minimum wage, set very low in the first place, and payment in kind are common, and go unchecked.8 Consequently, one wage cannot support a family and children and the elderly are forced to work, children dont go to school and are trapped by poverty.9 The State allows illegal labour practices because exploitation results in economic benefits for landowners and employers who are mostly upper caste, if it should interfere, more 2 Sumit Ganguly Neil DeVotta eds, Understanding Contemporary India, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, London, 2003, p.233 -234 3 Robert.W.Stern, Changing India, 2nd edit, Cambridge university press, Cambridge, 2003. p.60-61 4 Sumit Ganguly Neil DeVotta eds, Understanding Contemporary India, p.243 5 Dr. B.D. Sharma, Dalits Betrayed, Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi, 1994, p.13 6 Ibid. 7Robert.W.Stern, Changing India, 2nd edit, p. 242 8 Prem.K.Shinde ed, Dalits and Human Rights, volume 1, (Dalits and Racial Justice) Isha Books, Delhi, p.84 9 Dr. B.D. Sharma, Dalits Betrayed, p.47 dalits may be able to enter the organised sector, and thus this exploitable labour resource would be drained. Although this massive failure of participation in the organised economy could be corrected by affirmative action policies, these have also been insufficient. Article 330 and 332 of the constitution call for affirmative action in the form of special reservations in government representation, government employment and higher education, intended to raise the dalit position in society. Reserved seats are allocated in the Lok Sabha, and the legislative assemblies of the states, effectively giving dalits representation. The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (The Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 was designed to better punish offences such as injury or harassment directed at dalits. In addition, Article 14 of the constitution states that no citizen be denied equality before the law. Ghandi believed that the superior/inferior relations between dalits and upper castes could not be remedied by the state, but needed to be addressed by the upper castes themselves who were responsible for the system.10 10 Lelah Dushkin, Scheduled Caste Policy in India, p.632 Untoucability, A social Evil: Untouchability is basically not from India. It was practiced in parts of Europe until a few centuries ago, and Japan still has a large number of Untouchables, called the Burakumin. But it is in the Indian Sub-continent that this system survives, closely bound with culture, religion, history and politics. Today over 170 million people in India are considered Untouchable, and their development has been slow despite the Legal safeguards and the Government programs. According to the Manu Smriti there are four castes in Hindu society and each caste has assigned duties, responsibilities and privileges. The Brahmins are the learned, the Kshatriyas are the warriors, the Vaishyas are the traders, and the Sudras perform menial tasks and physical labour, and are considered as the lowest. And only uppers castes have the right to study the Vedas. The upper castes alone have the right to the thread ceremony which is performed as a rite of passage, allowing them to be termed twice-born. What is a Dharma? A study reveals that he who has the knowledge of Brahmagnan is called the Brahmana, and not by caste or not by the birth. Each one of us is an untouchable, because who among us is free from disobedience to Natures laws, from impurity of heart and mind, from fears of a thousand kinds, from selfishness and greed. Let us remove the untouchability in us. Anyone is not perfect, but through right dharma, by eliminating our differences and by strengthening our virtues, we move towards perfection. Let us develop the virtue of efficiency and skill to become Shudras; the virtue of charity and become Vaishyas; the courage and become Kshatriyas; the sacrifice and become Brahman, and make ourselves in the copy of the Great Purusha, the Radiant. According to the Bhagwadgeetha or The Bible or any other, written, or said, is the same, that all humans are equal. The Air we breathe, the Water we drink, the Fire, the Sky, the Earth are same. These days Indian students and citizens are being attacked in some countries, and we are discussing and talking about the RACISM and craving for justice. We should condemn these at any cost, but it would be fair if we stop those things in here. What is Untouchability? Untouchability in India is a practice where a particular community considers even touching another community person as polluting one.   A person who touches the untouchables is usually made to undergo cleansing process, like bathing, or spraying of water, depending on the regional practice. Who practices untouchability? There is an intense propaganda that untouchability is practiced by higher caste people over lower caste people.   But that is no right.   Untouchability is practiced by almost all castes, right from brahmin caste to the dalit caste. Even the dalit castes practice untouchability over others.  One dalit caste will not even drink water from another dalit caste. Does Untouchability mean segregation? Segregation in western sense, means, classification and isolating a certain groups of people, for varied reasons.   Segregation is mostly associated with authority based society like the western one.   Normally, the criminals, rebels, and other anti-social elements only are segregated from the mainstream society, and deported to far off lands or put in jail.   This is what happened in the western societies. In general, segregation  means, separation of different groups of people from one another, and no relationship exists among these groups.   For example, in Europe, the protestants and the catholics are segregated, and there is no healthy relationship b/w them, except for that both worship jesus.   Similarly, shias and sunnis are segregated people, without any interdependence. But, untouchability does not mean segregating. Because, untouchability was mutually practiced by all groups.  In caste system, even though people practiced untouchability, the different castes are interdependent on one another, thus always having some kind of interaction and relationship. Does Untouchability mean isolation? Definitely not,  there may be segregation of houses of castes in some villages.   But there is never isolation in any villages.   Almost all castes interact with each other, because, all castes depend on one another for some needs. The level of interaction differs from caste to caste.   For example, the dalits will strictly not mingle with other dalit caste, eg. Sakkiliars will never drink water from parayars.   But, they will get food and water from the dominant caste of that region.   Similarly, the dominant castes like chettiyars, devars, nayakkars, etc may have interactions on equal footing.   But still, they do not mingle with one another. There are few communities, who have to closely interact with one another.   Particularly in kongu region, the naavithars, vannan community, kosavar community, etc have close interaction with the dominant gounder community.   The naavithars (barbers) usually conduct most of the rituals, right from birth to death in the gounders family.   It is they who used to sing mangazha vaazhthu during gounders marriage. Why does a caste practice untouchability? There is no definite answer to this, as the reason may vary from place to place.   But based on my understanding, untouchability is practices because of extreme cultural contradictions.   Let me list out the possible reasons for untouchability, as i perceive. Life style: We all know India is a land of cultural diversity, and that the life style of one community largely differs from others.   For eg, a brahmin community follows strict hygiene, and are strict vegetarians.   On the other hand, the farmers and farm laborer castes usually work in fields; do not have hygienic life practices.   The dalit community works on cow skins, which is a sin to brahmin community. So its natural that the brahmins could not mingle with other castes. Commune Living: Most of the castes live a strong commune life, with a common profession.   So, the life styles of all the community members are aligned towards that lifestyle.   And there are strong inter dependencies among the community member.   In such commune living, people used to live as large families, with common interest.   In such cases, when a member of the family or community, elopes with the other community girl or boy, it creates a confusion in the large family.   The incoming girl/boy may not adapt to the family life style, and may not adapt to the community profession.   For example, a brahmin girl will not be able to work in fields if she marries a farmer.   Or a farming girl may not be able to work in leather products if she marries a dalit.   So, the society has evolved itself to an inbuilt arrangement, not to mingle with each other. Prisoners of war: On those days (before Muslim invasion), when a king was defeated in a war, he captures the prisoners of war, and deports to his kingdom to work as laborers   or current empire may be ruled by the enemy for few years, and recaptured by the original king. In such case, the people settled there by the former temporary ruler, may lose their status, and become laborers.   In such cases, the victorious king may take steps to suppress the settled external people, so that they dont again attempt to overthrow him.   Religious Differences: I need not mention about Hindu Muslim differences.   That is entirely a different subject.   However, there are many sub sects within Hinduism, which had opposed each other.   Particularly the influence of Buddhism had profound impact on suppressing those people who work on leather products, as Buddhist believed in ahimsa.   The vegetarian character of India is believed to have acquired during Buddhist rule.  Ã‚   Also, since anyone who left the caste is usually abandoned by the community, those who had converted to Buddhism might have been left out after Buddhism waned way. Today, for many of the dalit people, their kula deivam is Vishnu. Cultural Differences: Apart from life style, the cultural values of the castes also an important reason for untouchability.   For example, the ruling castes had stricter cultural values, which they have followed for generations.   For example, widow remarriage is not allowed in dominant castes.   But its normal in dalit castes.   The widow in dominant caste often follows sati, whereas it is not required in the dalit castes. Lineages: The common culture and profession resulted in a common lineage over centuries, which evolved the respective castes in to distinctive identities, which had made them not to mingle with others. Exceptions from Untouchability: The saints and rishis are mostly exempted from untouchability.   It means, almost all communities welcomed rishis and saints, and the saints also embraced all communities. Also, the saints are placed outside the caste system, as they have raised one level above in their life, towards the god. Most of the kings never practiced untouchability, and they were mostly secular.   Moreover, they did not have the situation or the time to do that. Good and Bad in this world are highly relative term rather than a universally defined one.  In the society of barbarians, murderers and rapists, a thief could be the best person among others. However, in a society of saints and nobles, the same thief would be the worst person.   Thus when we are judging anything as good/bad, we need to consider the environment and prevailing situation. There was heavy propaganda of dalit oppression and suppression by the Marxists, for around a century here.   But even assuming their propaganda to be true, lets see how the dalit people were treated here. The dalits lived in a separate colony in the same village. The dalits are not slaves.   They were mere laborers to the land owners.   They have the right to move to other village, if they feel, the current village is discriminatory or not able to live in. A typical dalit community is allowed to have their own commune life, simply because, untouchability prevented the dominant caste from abusing or exploiting them. The dalits had their own temple, their own festivals. The dalits had similar type of caste structure, with gothrams and kula deivams.   A dalit married from a different gothram of his caste from another village.   These ensured that the dalit people also had relations among multiple villages and have their own social structure to follow with. Since the dalit people were allowed to live as a community, their women had the inherent protection from exploitation.   In the case of American slave system each African women is an individual slave, which the owner can do whatever he want.   Other slaves cannot come to rescue if the owner rapes the slave women.   However, in our caste system, the women were part of the dalit community, and they could not be exploited.   Also, since the dominant caste practiced untouchability over the dalits, their youths refrained from mingling with dalit girls; as such an act would excommunication from his caste.   It is same for the dalit people too. The dalit people had their own panchayat for issue resolution.   This is the highest point of freedom that any community might have.  Ã‚   The elders in the dalit caste usually try to solve the problem.   If that fails, they take the case to the village panchayat head. To quote a recent history of India, the entire Kashmir valley had been ethnically cleansed of Hindus, just because the Muslims could not tolerate the presence of Hindus.   So when they became majority they persecuted the Hindus. However, it has to be noted that the Hindus, even though invaded by Muslims were able to tolerate them for thousands of years, by simply practicing untouchability. There are many other instances in the history where I find that untouchability would have prevented genocides, persecution and other horrors of the history. Comparing those incidents with our caste system, we find that untouchability is a practical system evolved as a solution to peaceful existence of conflicting communities. We all know that the urban people are classified as higher class, middle class and lower class.   But its a fact that these class peoples mostly lived isolated from others. For example, the higher class people live in posh areas, with neat roads, electricity water facility and spacious homes, public parks etc.   The middle class usually lives in comfortable homes, but in congested areas. The lower class people often were the slum dwellers who live in unhygienic and horrific conditions. Let me ask the following questions: How many upper class people live along with slum dwellers? Suppose a slum dweller roams in front of a posh bungalow, what will the security of the bungalow will do?   We often find that the rich people drive away the slum people through their securities. How many of the higher class people allow their children to play with middle class people? How many of the middle class people allow their children to play with the slum boys girls? In villages, even though castes follow untouchability, each caste knows the members of the other caste.   When the dalit caste had any needs, they always approach the dominant caste.   The dominant caste provides food to the dalit people, when they come to the home.   The dalit women often share their problems with the dominant caste women and seek solution.   Thus there is a mutually supporting life in villages, inspire of untouchability.   Let me ask, how many people in rich posh areas, know the people of the nearby slum.   Or how many rich people help the slum people in needy times? Lets take the case of gang wars in colleges.   Students belonging to one group wont interact with the other.   Its the norm in many colleges.   Its natural because, when there are differences, people chose to live away.

Past, Present, and Future: An Examination of the Hood and Historical Fi

Society has always been influential to fads that are displaced throughout media; the public witnesses a direct mirror of themselves and current culture portrayed on movie screens, musical lyrics, and televisions scripts. During the 1990s, African-American filmmakers depicted stereotypical black youth and culture in films such as Do the Right Thing (1989) and Menace II Society (1993), otherwise known as the â€Å"hood† films. However, as much to the popularity and success of the hood films, there was great opposition to it. Historical movies like Daughters of the Dust (1991) and Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) were created to argue against hood films to portray a different African-American community that is not racialized. I am going to compare and contrast both the hood and historical films Edward Guerrero and Paula Massood both believed that the hood film was created for the benefit of portraying reality in African-American communities. Yet, Mark Berrettini, Joel Brouwer, Roger Berger, and Marilyn Wesley argue that the hood films are counterfactual to society and historical films are necessary to show a positive African-American culture. Mirroring the anger and frustration of the African-American community of the 1960s-1970s, 1990s black filmmakers created the hood film. Like the Blaxploitation era, the film industry noted an increase in moviegoers and films to watch hood films. Both 1960s and 1990s, African-Americans were frustrated with their political and economic conditions in urban environments and addressed their anger towards making movies (Guerrero 159). It became Hollywood’s strategy to create an answer to black frustration with movies that illustrated social pressure in the ghetto (Guerrero 158). Hollywood also portrayed the ... ...he black population. Paula Massood and Edward Guerrero believed that hood films were essential to illustrate the social frustration of young African-American communities within urban communities. Although youth of color were criminalized and violent, it illustrated a hard truth for the greater society emphasizing the need for social and economic help in impoverish environments. On the other hand, Mark Berrettini, Joel Brouwer, Roger Berger, and Marilyn Wesley argue that historical films represented a community that was lost to the hood films; an African-American community that is resilient and spirited during times of slavery and racial inequality. Historical films are genuine for African-American communities because they displayed a positive outlook of their culture. Ultimately, both the hood and historical films are realistic to the African-American communities.