Get More with Organic Food Essay

With the growing population across the globe, technology has been trying to intervene to produce more food for everyone. The concurrent food crisis assaults man’s staple food source. Different departments have been called to help alleviate the problem. Scientists have been pushed to find a means to help the agriculture of these crops. They use chemicals, hormones and other genetic re-engineering to produce more. Unfortunately, this process also dilutes what one can get in consuming food. The nutritional value is then degraded to none. In this regard, this essay stand firm in the notion that organic food will deliver more benefits than non-organic food. There are definite reasons behind this claim. To affirm the claim, the benefits of both categories will be laid out. By utilizing this process, one will be able to have an educated stance regarding the debate. The simple question relies on whether countries will choose the science of quality or quantity. Organic Food Organic food is defined by the process by which it is produced. This process makes use of the natural means of growing produce. Natural fertilizers and traditional means of cultivating them are practiced. They do not make use of modern technology to reap these produce. This kind of food does not undergo any sort of preservation process to prolong its shelf life. This, of course, calls for a lot of advantages. These are (1) the nutritional values of the food are kept intact, (2) being chemical free renders consumers emancipated from substances that may inevitably incur illness to a person, and (3) it leaves soil free from residue brought by chemicals for the next crops to be planted. Since organic products are grown with the most natural means possible, most of the nutrients products naturally have are well maintained. When products undergo a process, to prolong its shelf life and enhance its flavor, before being sold to the market, it loses its nutrients at a certain point. The primary purpose of eating is to attain nutrients to sustain life. But with the numerous process one could only imagine that a lot of nutrients are taken away and drained to waste. The processes denied food of his primary purpose. The second benefit of organic food is that there are no chemicals used in it that may have potential harm on the people. Since it was grown in the most natural manner, it did not have to use chemicals to cultivate. These chemicals, even when the produce or livestock has been processed, it remains in its composition. When people eat these kinds of food, they in turn absorb these chemicals. But with organic food, the people are spared of this endeavor. They are also given the opportunity to live longer. The third benefit, and most probably one of the most important, of organic food is rather for the long term consequences. When chemicals are used to push produce to grow faster and bigger, these are also absorbed by the soil. When other crops are planted in the same area, these will also absorb the chemicals. The soil will continue to be contaminated unless unused for a long period of time. On the other hand, organic produce does not make use any kind of chemicals. The soil will be contaminant free. It likewise promotes biological diversity, as mentioned by an article from the website Medical Wellness Association. Some of the chemicals they expose to the environment harms more than the pests they want to remove. Non-Organic On the other hand, non-organic food also has its own benefits. This category of food refers to products, both crop and livestock, which have been enhanced by scientific advances. Its size, taste and quantity has been changed so that it is bigger, tastier, and more. Since these are enhanced products, it has been assumed that these are also better. It is not about finding means of making a profit. It is about trying to find answers as man surpasses what is. It is not creation, but intervention. It was designed to primarily make more for the hungry. With the help of technology, non-organic food is also able to reap the following benefits: (1) longer shelf life and better flavor, (2) it is relatively cheaper due to how it was produced, and (3) it could be the answer to world hunger. In certain parts of the world, the climate and technology prohibits some people from being able to store food for a long period of time. But with the help of advanced technology, they are given more than an opportunity. They were given an answer. In relation to the enhanced flavor, perhaps that is just an added benefit to the storage. With this advancement, individuals are able to have a hefty meal with just opening a can or heating a pack in a microwave. It has become a matter of convenience. Since non-organic food is also produced in great numbers, it becomes relatively cheaper than organic food. The process is easier and significantly takes a shorter time in manufacturing. With cheaper food, more people are able to purchase them. Especially in third world countries, availing food should be able to fit into their daily budget. In some countries, where a lot of people are at the brink of extreme poverty, it is important that they are provided with food with reasonable prices. In this light, with the above mentioned benefits of non-organic food, perhaps it has become the answer to world hunger. The world is getting over populated, and there is less food for everyone. There is food crisis simultaneously in different nations. On top of that, famine and drought in certain countries even forbade their people to even try to plant crops or raise livestocks. Some are dying because of hunger or illnesses brought by it. But because there are crops and livestock that are easily produced in great numbers, it could be that they will be able to finally give a spark to the hope of many hungry people. Organic products sometimes take too long to grow or produce that the rate of how population increases is not matched by the rate these crops and livestocks grow. The Better Option After laying out what each food category can offer, one should be able to find which is better. Organic food is a natural product free from chemicals. It also allows the environment to produce without the influences from synthetic substances that could be potentially harmful in the long run. On the other hand, non-organic food has longer shelf life and better taste. It is also relatively cheaper from the former category. More importantly, it silently declares to answer world hunger. Unfortunately, even if non-organic food presents a lot of promises to the people and the economy, organic food is still the better option. Feeding the people with non-organic food does not assure the extension of their lives than when they go hungry. Perhaps when they are fed, they will be able to survive. But they should not depend on it. When the chemicals get accumulated in their systems, it could result to terminal illnesses, like cancer. Yes, the growing population is being fed satisfactory amounts. However, what purpose does it serve when more harm is done? It harms not only the people, but also the environment. Even when the people get to eat, if the earth gets damaged due to these chemicals and residues, what will be left to the people? They are not hungry, but the inevitability of their choice will cope, and then devastation.

The Plot Line for Esperanza Rising

Severance's rich and loving father was murdered by bandits. Spenserian and what is left of her family are threaten by her dad's wicked stepbrothers that may have had a hand in his death. In order to get away from their evil grasp they ran to the US Of A. Working as plantation workers with their servants. Amidst all this she had to leave behind her grandma due to injuries probably caused by her wicked stepsons. Also like Spenserian Diego De la Vega's family was taken away from him, his daughter stolen, wife murdered, and sent to a Mexican equivalent of Augmentation Bay to plot his revenge.Rising action Spenserian has to learn how sweep, care for babies, and take care for her mom that has valley fever who need to go to the hospital. She is having a hard time to adjust having living a life envied by princesses to a life that is hard not to pity upon, her bratty side is shown. Unlike Spenserian who deals with cleaning Diego escapes from prison with only one objective find his daughter, b ut his got sidetracked only to find a man who he help back in the days when he was Zero named Alexandra. As Hollywood would have it this man's brother was murdered and now he is plotting to avenge him.So Diego sakes him in and trains him to become a new Zero. While training Diego makes Alexandra go to a ball and tells him to spy on Don Rafael who stole Doggie's daughter and basically killed his wife. Alexandra goes to the ball meets meet Elena Doggie's long lost daughter and Don Rafael. After the ball Don Rafael invites Alexandra to see his â€Å"vision†. Climax At this crucial point in the story Spenserian learns how to care for her mom, she gets a job to pay for her mother's hospital expenses and a ticket for her grandma who she left back in Mexico, and she learns how to deal with all the racism that goes on in the camp.Also she has a argument with her former servant now plantation colleague. He gathers all the money she been saving and runs away. While Spenserian adjusts t o her new life, Alexandra learns of a plot to buy California from the Spanish with gold mined from California worked buy orphans, and random hobos, even a priest. Denouement Severance's mom gets healthier enough to come home, and the servant who ran away with her money came back with Severance's grandma. Now everyone is happy and reunited. As Spenserian is being reunited with her family Diego tries to get reunited with his family. With the help of AlexandraDiego invades the home of Don Rafael discovers a plot to destroy the gold mine with all the workers tank tries to tell Elena the she IS his daughter and he succeeds but Rafael throws him in confinement. Elena rescues her newly discovered father and brings him to Alexandra where he is with Captain Love the psychotic man who killed Alexandrine brother and then made him into a beverage. Diego then confronts Rafael as he tries to get his gold to the governor of California. As both of them win their own duels for Hollywood forbid them to lose, Elena finally does something she helps the workers with he help of Alexandra.

What is Gender Identity?

The human body is amazing. And even though there are many researchers that conduct studies on human anatomy, there are so many questions that are unanswered still to this day. But what we do know has helped many people and continues to benefit certain theories that have been made over many centuries. One part of the human body that has lots of answered and unanswered questions is gender identity. There are many factors when it comes to gender identity. Some people think simply: Men act as men, women act as women, and man to be with woman. It has been thought to be the â€Å"right way† for many centuries. But people are all different and to think that one way is the right way would be a misunderstanding of how the body works and what can happen to the human body if something is out of tune. Gender identity can be defined as a person’s inner sense of being male or female. Gender identity is believed to be developed during early childhood an effect of how the child was brought up by parents and societal influences. When the child reaches puberty, the influences are reinforced by hormones. Is gender identity a result of nature of nurture? What are the biological factors that play a role in gender identity? What is the difference between how the male and female develop? Does nature or nurture play a bigger role in gender identity? This will all be discussed later on in this essay, along with some of the arguments about sexual identity and how evidence from biopsychology may help resolve these arguments. There are many roles that play a part in sexual differentiation, as well as gender identity. Some of those roles are tied to biological factors or nature and yet others may be linked to environmental influences or nurture. It is impossible to know all the details, but we do know a great deal of how the body of a male versus the body of a female. The role of biological factors is largely dependent on hormones in the body system, as well as genes, gonads, chromosomes, and anatomy. During childhood, levels of circulating gonadal hormones are low, reproductive organs are immature, and males and females differ little in general appearance (Pinel 2009). When a child reaches puberty, the body makes significant changes. These changes can be seen and even heard, but these changes are also different in a boy than in a girl. While both male and female have many similarities, both also have many differences within the body. The differences in chromosomes and hormones are what completes the natural evolution of a child into an adult and ultimately decides whether the sex of a person is male or female at birth. When speaking of hormones, most people will think of testosterone for men and estrogens for women. But in fact, women produce testosterone and men produce estrogen. The difference is the ratio in which the body produces these two types of hormones. Men produce more testosterone and women produce more estrogen. There are many differences like the example above in the bodies of male and female. Increases in the release of gonadotropic hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone cause the gonads and adrenal cortex to increase their release of gonadal and adrenal hormones, which in turn initiate the maturation of the genitals and the development of secondary sex characteristics (Pinel 2009). Along with biological roles, it is also believed that the environment or surrounding of a person may be a factor of gender identity. Some of these nurture factors include one’s self-concept, social and political attitudes, and perceptions and relationships about other people. Family, peers, schooling, religious training, mass media, and popular culture are just a few of the agents through which gender socialization happens (Crossman, 2012). Through this evaluation, making a conclusion on which has more of an influence on gender identity, nature or nurture, is a hard decision to make. Reading and hearing of stories of people’s gender identity crisis has a pull towards nature, but nurture still has a big role in gender identity as well. Gender identity shapes how we think about others and ourselves and also influences our behaviors (Crossman, 2012). For example, gender differences exist in the likelihood of drug and alcohol abuse, violent behavior, depression, and aggressive driving. Gender identity also has an especially strong effect on our feelings about our appearance and our body image, especially for females (Crossman, 2012). Each of these can be linked both to biological and environment factors. The story that may have the most evident factor is the story of the twin that lost his penis. After losing his penis to a circumcision procedure, the doctor advised the parents to let doctors perform a surgery in which they castrate the boy and create an artificial vagina, and raising the boy as a female. The parents agreed, but it would later prove that their child was not acting or wanting to act as a girl. In fact, the child wanted to do things that a normal man would do and took no interest in any female activities, like playing with dolls. Even with treatment, the child still developed as a man would. When approached with an estrogen regimen at the age of twelve, the child refused not liking the changes of the estrogen. At fourteen, the now teenager decided to live as a male. Shortly after, the twin’s father decided to share the truth with his son. Now the kid could have an identity not only of himself but of his gender. He requested androgen treatment and surgery that would remove the breast and create a penis. The man regained use of his new penis with the help of androgen treatment, but was never able to reproduce children of his own. In the end, the doctors and parents could not change how the boy felt on the inside. Just how much influence does nurture have on gender identity? It could just depend on the situation in itself. There are many arguments that surround gender identity. Theorists have come up with their own opinions and views regarding gender and the why gender inequality exist. Functionalist theorists argue that men fill instrumental roles in society while women fill expressive roles, which works to the benefit of society (Crossman, 2012). Further, it is our socialization into prescribed roles that is the driving force behind gender inequality. For example, these theorists see wage inequalities as the result of choices women make, which involve family roles that compete with their work roles (Crossman, 2012). Symbolic interactionists look at gender from the micro perspective and examine gender stratification on a day-to-day level. For example, men are more likely to interrupt women in conversations and their workspaces generally reflect greater power. These theorists also focus on how gender roles are internalized by males and females (Crossman, 2012). Conflict theorists view women as disadvantaged because of power inequalities between women and men that are built into the social structure. For example, from this viewpoint, wage inequalities that exist between men and women result from men’s historic power to devalue women’s work and benefit as a group from the services that women’s labor provides (Crossman, 2012). Feminist theory emerged out of the women’s movement and aims to understand the position of women in society for the sole purpose of improving their position in society. There are four major frameworks that have developed out of feminist theory: liberal feminism, socialist feminism, radical feminism, and multiracial feminism. People will always have their own opinion about gender (Crossman, 2012). There may never be a way to solve these arguments, not until there is scientific proof or people can decide on which opinion they believe is all true. Gender identity is one’s sense of being male or female. Both biological (nature) factors and environment (nurture) influences play roles in both sexual differentiation and gender identity. Hormones are the biggest biological factor and the biggest environment influence is how one is brought up in their childhood. During the evaluation, I have thought about nature being more of a factor when it comes to gender identity, but have come to the conclusion that it may depend on the situation of a person. Through the years of research, many people have argued over gender identity and gender inequality. Theorists have formed many opinions surrounding gender identity and unless there is some kind of scientific proof the argument may continue. References Pinel, J. P. J. (2009).  Biopsychology  (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Crossman, A.  (2012).  About.com.  Retrieved from http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of- Gender.htm

TESCO Annual Report 2011 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TESCO Annual Report 2011 - Coursework Example It has particularly realized that for this relationship to materialize it has to continue to be grounded by ethical business practices. In doing so it has established a code of ethics for its staff, which basically set the standards for business behavior within it. In realization of the impossibility of covering every aspect of its activities, TESCO has instead set out principles of business ethics that have to be applied by every team member of TESCO. These sets of principles are in form of laws, policies, local customs and regulations, all of which lays down some of the crucial duties and responsibilities that have been placed on the employees, whenever they might be based. An important component of this code of ethics is the so-called â€Å"protector Line† which is basically an anonymous and confidential helpline that allow staffs to report any wrongdoing that they might encounter in course of their day to day activities from their colleagues. Code of Ethic This code of eth ics also contains modalities on how to raise queries on compliance with the code of ethics where need arises. It is this code of ethics that reinforces TESCO’s commitment in doing business in a way that make a positive contribution to each and every stakeholder in the company. TESCO has always endeavored to work within the British Code of Advertising, Sale Promotion and Direct Marketing. It’s standard contracts that include standard terms and condition guides all its business transactions with external parties like suppliers. TESCO has however faced accusation of price fixing in the past. In this regard, I am referring to the 2007 investigation by the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) over accusation of acting as part a cartel with a number of UK hypermarkets (Asda, Safeway, Salisbury and Morrison) in fixing butter, cheese, and milk prices, an accusation that it still rebuff even after a number of its co-accused admitted acting against consumer interests. I have heard on the news that the retail industry has been performing badly because of the ongoing global financial crisis. How serious are the elements of risk faced by Tesco Plc? Do you think the company will improve in the future? The group policy of TESCO is not to use derivatives for the trading purposes; rather some derivatives do not qualify for hedging financial risk which is brought about by global financial crisis. This is because if the hedge is designated where losses and gains on the instrument offset the overall group income. Considering TESCO group, it had a liability relating to the future purchase of minority shareholding of its subsidiary which was purchased during the year. This strategy was aimed at hedging over the risk of global financial crisis. Other than the above strategies, the company would considerable hedge against, foreign exchange risk, credit risk as well as interest rate risk. Therefore, considering the above strategies adopted by the company then it is likely to improve in the future. Do you have any insights from the financial press on this? The main aim of preparing financial statements is to inform the public about the performance of the company so that they can make appropriate investment decisions s whether to invest or not to do so based on their personal decision. The fact that the financial press published the weaknesses that firms are experiencing the global financial crisis, then this was sufficient information to be relied upon in making any decision. What sort of audit opinion

Week 5 refrace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Week 5 refrace - Essay Example In an organization, especially an account’s practice such as mine, leaders and disciples often trade places several times a day. In some cases, such an arrangement is referred to as distributed leadership. Across the board, the traits of authenticity, coupled with the dispositions of integrity and fidelity that vary between individuals, form the basic principles in the pursuit of conceptualizing good in my organization (this conclusion was drawn after rigorous action research (AR) that took form of interviews of members in informal settings conducted during the course of my dissertation module). Ben-Yoav, Hollander, and Carnevale (1983) discussed argumentatively the difference authenticity makes to a movement initiated by a member who aims to promulgate relationship building between members or project an action within the member community of the organization. The followers, in order to assist with the protagonist’s motion, must witness for themselves the goodness of his intent in order to be willing to follow and subsequently play their role as supporters when the situation leads to that. The focus of my paper is to assess the legitimacy of this statement. The aim is to highlight the ethical frameworks which develop into principles which help direct the participants to collaborate amongst themselves, as opposed to defining the ‘inside’ groups and the outside collaborators which proved deceptively hard to completely define. Thus, the underlying qualities of a leader were assessed in light of ethical and moral justness. In order to achieve this, the focus has been primarily placed on the communicative bridge called leader authenticity, a concept that dictates the flow of conscience amongst members which then enables them to follow their leader’s word (widely believed by the majority to be the best way to incite support and action with the prevailing cultural norms, subject to unforeseen changes). This notion translates to the fol lowing understanding,

Native American Cultural Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Native American Cultural - Research Paper Example However, these groups of Americans show inspirational inner strategies and reserves for survival. Some major concepts of the Native American’s identity, cultural context, perseverance, and adaptability include a desire to promote a group’s well being, a holistic approach to life, respect for all healing ways, and an enduring spirit. Cultural aspects widespread among Native Americans usually comprise of valuing cooperation, and being oriented in the present. They also place a great value on spiritual beliefs and family. To them, a state of health exists when an individual lives in totality with nature. Sickness is not viewed as an alteration in one’s physiological state, rather as an imbalance between the ill individual and supernatural forces or nature in general. Their medicine men or women, called ‘shaman’ are conducted in case of an illness (Barry, 2000). Traditional healing systems are meant for balancing the body, spirit, and mind within the com munity context of the Native Americans. Contrary to the Western advance to health and healing, this group of people finds it odd to isolate one part of a human being and try by all means to heal that part, a holistic approach that has been practiced for a long time. Their survival depends on their wisdom of the connectedness and interrelatedness of everything in the universe. Their holistic perception involves a sense of connection with land and place. It also entails the practical application of techniques of preventing illnesses that they believe are caused naturally, such as broken bones, as well as illnesses of the spirit and mind. According to Barry, 2000, conventional healing practices rotate around gains to the psychological, emotional, spiritual, and cultural facets of the tribal group. Systems of healing share the belief that huge, communal ceremonies act as a way to promote the well being of all Natives. The role of a healer is to reaffirm the cultural values of the group, combine all the pieces into the cultural framework, and to consider everybody in the community. To them, medicine is all about healing the patient but not curing the disease. Furthermore, some believe that inherited conditions like birth defects are a result of the parent’s immoral life and thus are not easily treated. To others, such conditions are a reflection of God’s touch and may consider them a sort of gift. Native American’s healing approaches aim to bring back wholeness and balance and restore spirituality and healthy pure state. From the cultural beliefs of Native Americans, severity of an illness is often judged with the pain, discomfort, and disability related to it. They also believe that no human part should be eliminated from the body but rather left to heal. For instance, a member of this group has to undergo a surgical procedure but when he reaches the physicians room, he informs him that he has already made peace with his creator and he is will ing to die. Some of the members who are strong believers in culture will not opt to take the patient to the hospital; instead take him to a spiritual healer or use herbs, which may have toxic effects to the affected body part. A Native American patient may not come back for treatment just because the therapist did not recognize the worth of traditional curing interventions. In such cases, a therapist may mistakenly believe that the patient is a victim of neglect or that he is not taking

300 word essay, history of history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

300 word , history of history - Essay Example He states that the rulers of England, and indeed, of Europe as a whole, have all laid siege to the countries, and have reaped benefits after their own interests, sidelining the interests of the common man who was thought of as inferior to the ruling class4. He draws a sketch of the different evolutionary stages that occurred in the styles of government in England, and pinpoints the flaws of each form of Government, or each new policy of the ruler5. The letter is written in a style of comparison; Voltaire compares the government of England that existed historically with the form of Government that exists presently, evidently siding with the present form of government and presenting its benefits and superiority as compared to the historical form6. He also compares the ruling class with the common masses, treating the former with contempt and disgust, and the latter with appreciation and pity7. His writing his highly prejudiced; he does not make an effort to critically analyze the rulers of the past, instead merely submits their unfair disposition towards the masses8. Similarly, he does not weigh the pros and cons of the present form of Government, rather simply praises it as flawless9. Therefore, his letter cannot be considered a critical analysis on the Government. 1. Paul Halsall, â€Å"Voltaire (1694-1778): Letters on the English or Lettres Philosophiques, c. 1778,† Fordham University, August 1998, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-lettres.asp#Letter

The Hisory of Investigations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Hisory of Investigations - Research Paper Example This research tells that historical aspect of investigations is widely studied in cultural, social, political, and economic concepts. The recent decades have seen vast numbers of researchers and scholars develop interest and enthusiasm to the study of how investigations are conducted, as well as the rationales for these processes. This includes investigation activities primarily owing to the drastic pace of industrialization, the arising security needs in all phenomenon, the improvements in the technological knowledge, and rampant changes that have taken preeminence in all realms among others. Investigations have been conducted since the beginning of the middle age as a result of knowledge requirements by the early man, who made many historical discoveries. The carrying out of investigations acts as a vital instrument in the provision of a road to essential information discoveries in accordance with its requirements. Moreover, the impacts of investigations conduction include vital in formation retrievement, the realization of various problems that are taken as matters of concern by particular people and at particular periods or seasons as well as providing a rationale for implementing change within various sectors. The context of investigation is quite wide owing to it application in all realms regardless of the kind of operations that are dealt with. Appropriate investigation procedures are those that employ ample methodologies and approaches with an intention of promoting effectiveness and efficiency measures in addition to providing the desired findings.... It is also crucial to provide a presentation of the investigation process conduction by the subjects entrusted with such roles. This will also study factors that influence the need for investigations, its development, and limitations, in addition to the strengths and weaknesses of a public defendant’s office. An overview of the context of investigations The process of studying phenomena in details to enhance comprehension of its course of action entails investigations. The investigation that is conducted in any study field entails efforts of a team, individual searches, or classes of professional groups in certain fields. A wide array of specific studies and subjects are applied in distinct phenomena in order to develop better comprehension of the original requirements. The completion of any kind of investigation entails the interplay of the factors driving to such a study need, the importance of the investigation being conducted, the involved investigators, as well as the sco pe into which the investigations are conducted. The methodologies and processes of conducting the investigations also play a major part in the investigation activities. In addition, evidence of study by investigators include the skin cells or body fluids that are biological like, course dynamics and fingerprints in the study of crimes and other required areas (Husserl and Moran xxix). Investigations require the application of proper formats with the intention of capturing real details in the required field. Different investigators apply distinct investigatory procedures and methodologies in a bid to promote efficiency and effective measures. There are different phenomena in the

Lying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lying - Essay Example However, sometimes in life, one is faced with situations that require some amount of lying, or rather twisting the truth. For instance, parents do relate white lies to children, by saying that a demon would come and kidnap the baby, if he or she does not eat. A teacher might threaten a student, to prevent him or her from getting attuned to what is not morally right. One is, sometimes, forced to lie due to the turn around of circumstances. At such a juncture, one might be troubled by the question, as to whether it is right to lie or not. When is it alright, to lie and when is it not This question is one that is ethically quite perception-oriented. What might seem right to some might not to the rest. In the Indian epic of Mahabharatha, Lord Krishna says that it is alright to lie, if it translates into being committed for the welfare of the others. This, is considered ethically appropriate. If lying does not bring about harm and is more so, good for the majority, it is alright to lie. According to Buddhist scriptures, there ar

The Vietnam War affected America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Vietnam War affected America - Essay Example The Northern Vietnamese were communists and consequently had the support of the USSR and its allies, while the South received support from the US given that they were capitalists ideologically. Even though the war was fought outside the boundaries of the US, the USA got involved in it following the pursuit of the Marshall plan. This plan provided for military and financial assistance to countries that were at risk of being coerced to accept communism policy that the US was vehemently against (Anderson 86). Effect of the War on America Economy The Vietnam War had several significant effects on the US ranging from heavy economic expenditure during the war to loss of substantial number of solders in the military combat. As recognized in the Marshal plan in the United States countries that are under coercion by the communist allies would be accorded military and monetary help to come out of their situation, the US in these regard spent billions of dollars in fulfilling their commitment i n the Vietnam situations. Within the period of the war, the US spent close to $ 170 billion dollars. This was incurred in terms of the military support and financial aids during the war to the southern Vietnam. This expenditure was more than anticipated and in the eventual consideration, it had a negative impact on the economy of the US where it was pushed to the limits, and it should be noted that the expenses were only incurred in a span of 11 years in which the war was fought. The amount of money that was spent by the US mainly was incurred in military related costs; for instance, it was used mainly in the purchase of military equipment, training, and general logistics of managing a military combat, and this is according to the congressional research information following the end of the war in 1975. The hefty cost incurred in the war is a manifestation of how directly the war led to economic down falls in the US. Indirectly, the war also led to economic hindrance in a more disgui sed manner (Moyar 41). Obviously, during the times of war, there is persistent demand of military equipments and other materials. The fact that industries are always in the business of making profit given a looming demand of a product, they will not waste any of such opportunities to make money. In this relation, most companies in the US that were involved in manufacturing of other products switched their production to conform to the then military equipment demands, which included ammunition and bullets. In the end of the war, the companies had no opportunity for the markets as they had configured their companies to suit production of military materials at the expense of other economic goods. This situation led to widespread inflation in the US, leading to economic problems in the country because of the Vietnam War. Division in the US In the initial periods, the US citizens approved the Vietnam War on the basis that it was championing for the ideological freedom of the nations and o bjected the unlimited spread of the communism by the Russians-a period before the media started making coverage of the situation in the country. When the situation of the war was transmitted via television to the citizen and horrors of the war became apparent, many of the US citizens appreciated the need to end the war as it subjected humanity to unnecessary suffering that could be avoided. Through television, the US

Integrated Reporting Framwork Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Integrated Reporting Framwork - Assignment Example This created the need to improve the financial reporting standards by having in place an improved conceptual framework. The main objective of financial reporting is outlined as providing information that is useful to present and potential investors and creditors in making investment and credit decisions and other users, and also in resource allocation. The previous concept that laid emphasis in providing information to management and owners and others on enterprise performance or profitability in describing how management has performed is lacking enough information. The recognition of every user of financial information is the key for the conceptual framework. IASB recognises the following users of financial information equity investors, loan creditors, suppliers, employees, customers, members’ of public, the government and government bodies. With such robust of potential users it is important to provide financial information in a clear format that benefits all. ... Information should be relevant, have faithful representation, be comparable and finally understandable. These aspects bring in the economic sense of financial reporting. The real world economic value should be elaborated in the financial reports. This brings in the aspect of valuation and measurement aspects. It is important to understand how to express assets and liabilities in monetary terms. The historical cost that has been in use is being phased out by incorporating market value, calculated fair value, depreciated historical value, valuations by actuaries, and finally measurements modified by impairment tests. With increasing reporting aspects it becomes even harder to substantiate all the financial, nonfinancial, social, governance, and environment in reports using the previous reporting framework The US FASB is among the partners who are engaged in developing the conceptual framework defined under the grounds of a constitution, a coherent system of interrelated objectives and fundamentals that can amount to consistent standards and that prescribe the nature, functions and the extent of financial accounting and financial statements. In this context it explains the objectives of financial reporting, the quality aspects of accounting information, elements, recognition and measurement of financial statements. Role of a conceptual framework in setting out the needs of Integrated Reporting The accounting standards board has defined the statement of principle for financial reporting that addresses the concepts underlying the information presented in financial statements. The aim of this statement is to give a framework for consistency and logical formulation of individual accounting standards. The statement allows users of financial

Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson Essay Example for Free

Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson Essay The poem Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson is a tone rollercoaster. The tone changes throughout the poem. The poem goes from happiness, to envious, ending in depression. The author successfully uses different tones to keep the readers attention and realistically tell a story that can be identified with todays society. The author uses happiness to draw in the readers attention and to keep the reader happy as if he or she was actually there. The author describes Richard Cory in a manor that makes the reader feel like he or she is happy to see Richard walking down the street. The author states: Whenever Richard Cory went down the town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. (Robinson 1-4) The author also starts off by giving Richard Cory the characteristics of a happy person instead of a person that was gloomy. The author states: And he was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked; But still he fluttered pulses when he said, Good-morning, and he glittered when he walked. (Robinson 5-8) LaRue 2 The author does successfully uses the tone of happiness to start off the first two paragraphs of the poem. The second tone used by the author is envious. The author changes the tome from happiness to envious to keep the readers attention. The author makes the reader envy Richard Cory by giving him to envious traits wealth and intelligence. The author writes: And he was rich-yes, richer than a king- And admirably schooled in every grace: In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place. (Robinson 9-12) This is true with todays society everyone wants what he or she doesnt have and to be who he or she isnt. The final tone used by the author is depression. This is the most drastic and unexpected change in tone throughout the poem. The author states, And so we worked, and waited for the light, and went without the meat and cursed the bread(Robinson 13-14). This makes the reader depressed for realizing all the sacrifices one makes to get a head in life. Then the most depressing part of the poem is when the author states, And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head. Everyone liked what Richard Cory had on the outside but they never knew what he felt on the inside. In conclusion, even though the author takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster he keeps the readers attention throughout the poem with his different uses of tone. The three different types of tones the author uses accurately portray how regular society feels toward celebrities. The truth is everyone has problems and even if not financially than some sort of other problem.

Herbert Marcuse: One Dimensional Man

Herbert Marcuse: One Dimensional Man This thinking paper will examine Brookfields interpretations of the above article, and endeavour to explain from the empirical writings of Herbert Marcuse, his thoughts on emancipating Ideological beliefs and encouraging Liberation. Marcuse beliefs highlighted further what he saw was a One Dimensional Society with only a One Dimensional Thought. Their way or the high way! This predisposes challenges in these social movements to combat oppression and thus encourage Liberation, in a genuine socialist society. Although Marcuses writings signify he was a fan of elements to Marxs Ideology, he also found Marx, in his day, was not a true libertarian who did not consider or connect himself with the individual. As a result, if Marxs theory was to continue to remain credible, Marcuse decided to act as a catalyst for the reassessing and re-examination of oppositional social movements in combating oppression and domination. His movement directed us through three pathways Rebellious subjectivity, liberating tolerance and Conceptual thought in Criticality, from the perspectives of reassessing Marxism and in the practices of Adult Education. Marcuse, found the concept of socialism, to be the most important issue, which precipitated and gave rise to his movement. He felt the concept of socialism had taken Marxs theory and developed it to become more focussed on the development of the productive forces Capitalisation and promotion of learning as a commodity, into another higher productive society which alienated and isolated individuals. Furthering his view, this could generate critical dispositions which he termed as rebellious subjectivity. To alleviate rebellious subjectivity, encouraging liberation of aesthetics from the demands of capitalism within classrooms, adult educators endeavour daily to create conducive learning environments Ultimately inspiring liberation in a genuine socialist society today! Concurring with Brookfields resonation to Marcuses idea of repressive tolerance, diversity in education could be construed as the dominant culture appearing to be more open to the learners voices, when in fact it is a refined way of reasserting its control over public discourse remoulding the junior and leaving certificates and with the introduction of CAS (common awards system) in 2010, into adult education. We can, as adults be resistant to change but we also recognise manipulation. Thus surmising as adult educators, in the field, we need to critically be very carefully in our classrooms too! In the practice of liberating tolerance, Marcuse identified to be inclusive, fair and equal to all running discussions, listening to the voice of the learner and developing curricula to accommodate different learning styles, was of paramount importance in critical adult education. However, is this really in existence and to what level of acceptance is it? Brookfield highlighted Marcuses disagreement for those who did possess radical opinions and rebellious perspectives and argued that such tolerance is repressive, not liberating. (Brookfield, 2002) Although concurring with the majority of the literature and Marcuses ideas, as an advocate of listening to the voice of the learners, with the freedom to express their viewpoints, are educators allowing this to selfishly improve their own practices? However, I too am dancing to the tune of somebody elses fiddle, by issuing a disciplinary for time keeping, attendance, disruptive behaviours. Could this not subtly be perceived as a contradi ction to my beliefs, reasserting control over public discourse too, and constricting freedom more and more? Unwittingly serving to reinforce an unfair status quo (Brookfield, 2002) concluding that dominant mainstream perspectives still overshadow the minority in practice! Lastly, Brookfield reviewed the writings of Newman and his view on conceptual thought in Criticality. Newman(1994) states that critical thinking is about laying blame and defining enemies, both are necessary precursors to informed social change. (Brookfield, 2002). It can be argued that to liberate learners, accountability and ownership are crucial to develop individual positive visions. Yes, criticality can be both positive and negative. Negative feedback in the classroom can motivate learners! Concurring with Marcuse, in order to truly feel great liberation, we need to get great refusal. We get knocked down, but we get back up again! Onwards, upwards and forwards Change and liberation does not happen without the forwards. However, in general, adults are not always receiving of constructive criticism, previous experiences can cloud judgements! Brookfield states that Marcuse is at odds with those adult educators who emphasize that the road of criticality begins with examining the sp ecific experiences of adult learners. (Brookfield, 2002). On the other hand, it can be argued that this view is crucial in criticality in order to enable the learners to self-correct. References Brookfield, S., 2002. Reassessing Subjectivity, Criticality, and Inclusivity: Marcuses Challenge to Adult Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(4), p. 274. Brookfield, S., 2002. Reassessing Subjectivity, Criticality, and Inclusivity: Marcuses Challenge to Adult Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(4), pp. 265-280. Brookfield, S., 2002. Reassessing Subjectivity, Criticality, and Inclusivity: Marcuses Challenge to Adult Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(4), p. 271. Brookfield, S. D., 2005. Critical Theory for Adult Learning and Teaching. Berkshire: Open University Press. Brookfield, S. D., 2005. Learning Liberation. In: Critical Theory for Adult Learning and Teaching. Berkshire: Open University Press, p. 182. Graham Cagney, A., 2016. Reading No. 10 Marcuse on Liberation, Waterford: s.n. Does Hip Hop Culture Influence Youth Gangs? Does Hip Hop Culture Influence Youth Gangs? Gang violence and the use of violent weapons have been highlighted by the media recently. The government have initiated aims in order to curb and deal with gang violence in the United Kingdom. In order deal with this issue, influencing factors have been acknowledged. This research explores the supposed influence that the hip hop culture has on young males engaged in gangs, and their willingness to use violent weapons. a systematic review of the literature and a qualitative content analysis of four songs lyrics have confirmed that there are themes which are consistent with the attitudes and behaviours that young people express due to the music they listen to. A significant proportion of the literature that surround young people and youth gangs in the UK focuses on possession and use of weapons (e.g. Bullock and Tilley, 2002; Bennett and Holloway, 2004b; Marshall et al, 2005). Research by Lemos (2004) found that some young people were likely to carry weapons through fear of being attacked by other gang members or more worryingly because they associated it with being cool. This was also reflected in Kinsellaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s (2011) report for the government, following the murder of her brother Ben during a knife attack in 2008. Through visiting several projects across the country, Kinsella found two prominent motivational factors that were highlighted in each project. Those were à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾fearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾fashionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Some young people in the projects explained that they carried knives because they feared that others were also weapons, and so felt it necessary to carry knifes as a method of self-protecti on. Chapter 1:  Introduction Youth gangs and the attitudes and behaviours of young males have been a major issue in the United Kingdom. Researches and theories have been conducted in order to evaluate the emergence of youth street gangs. The murders of innocent young people in the last decade have urged the government and academics to conduct reports and research on gang and post code gang feuds. Due to an increase of gang violence the government introduced the Gang Injunction within the Police and Crime Act 2009. The gang Injunction is aimed at preventing young people from engaging in, encouraging and assisting gang related violence (Home Office). Research from the Associations of Chief Police Officers (2007) and Pickle (2009) show that apart from gang members being involved in gangs, they are also engaging in the use and possession of violent weapons. Hip hop artists have been criticised by politicians and the media for influencing young males to engage in violent behaviour. However this idea is not supported by research and can be rejected, because when looking at research from government reports and academics there is no evidence to support the idea that hip hop influencing young males behaviour and attitudes. However research from Kubrin (2005) and Miranda and Claes (2004) who are both Canadian and American, suggest that some of the themes in hip hop are reflected in the behaviour of young males. So therefore there is a relationship between hip hop and young males, but unfortunately this research has not been conducted in the United Kingdom. In the response to the lack of research on the link between hip hop and youth gangs and violence, the aim of this study is to the answer the research question: Youth Gangs: Does the Hip Hop culture Influence Young Males in the UK to Join Street Gangs and the Use of Violent Weapons? In order to answer this research question and to find out whether there is a link between youth gangs and hip hop culture, this research will explore if the use and possession of violent weapons is really glamorised by hip hop, or whether the claims by the government and media are unjustified. The main aims in this research are to: Find out if beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of young gang members can be attributed to the lifestyle portrayed by hip hop artists. Establish where prominent behaviours in the literature, song lyrics and images of hip hop artists can be associated with the influence of violent weapons Apply theory to the attitudes, behaviours and the prominent themes associated with gangs in order to provide a more holistic approach. These aims will be conducted through a discussion of literature from books, journals, government reports, newspapers and media articles. A content analysis will be conducted on hip hop (Grime UK) song that young males may listen to, and a semiotic analysis on images of hip hop artists. Chapter 2 of this research provides a literature review looking into the problems with gang definition, the UK new gang culture, the background of gangs, gang membership, the possession and use of violent weapons and the hip hop culture and the influence of hip hop. Chapter 3 focuses on the methodology and outlines the approach that has been conducted during the research process. The research design and the analyses are included in this chapter, alongside the ethical considerations. Chapter 4 discusses and evaluates the analysis of the hip hop song lyrics, the signs that images from hip hop portray using a semiotic approach and then finally the themes that emerged from the literature and lyrics. These three themes are drug dealing, which is discussed in relation to rational choice theory, strain theory and differential association theory. The second theme is street credibility and this is discussed in relation to social identity theory and masculine theories. The final theme is the Territorial post code wars, this theme is discussed in relation to social capital theory and social learning theory. Chapter 2:  Literature Review This chapter will be exploring the literature surrounding young males, gangs, violence and weapons. As well as the influence the hip hop culture can have on these young males. Different literature such as books, journals, government reports, newspaper articles and research studies will be examined and reviewed in order to view the current state of gang culture and violence in the UK. The following issues will be discussed in order to examine relevant literature on the study. Gang definition, the UK gang culture, gang membership, and the background of gangs in general, the possession and use of violent weapons and finally the influence of hip hop culture on young people. The problem with definition The term Gang has had some issues surrounding its definition, and this is a problem that remains dominant within the UK based literature. The definition of the term has been mainly developed with reference to American gang culture. Some theorists argued that a new definition of the term gang should be given for the new gang culture in the UK. The reason behind some definitions given to describe the gang culture in America was investigated by Ball and Curry (1995) they believed that although it is easy to identify a gang, the real issue arises when attempting to create a definition. After engaging in a lengthy linguistic analysis of various ways to define gang, they proposed that gang definitions would do better to focus on the abstract, formal characteristics of the phenomenon rather than connotative, normative content (Ball Curry, 1995:240). Ball and Curry (1995) also stated that old definitions for the term are acceptable but due to the frequent changes in sociological, political and cultural changes it is important to have a new definition for the term, because the changes may affect the phenomenon of gang culture. Despite the need for a current definition, government and academic organisations believe that a fixed definition is essential in order to develop further research into gangs. For example the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) stated that it was difficult to determine the proportion of crime that contributed to gangs, because the agreed definition of gangs on the data base was non-existent (ACPO, 2007:14). The Metropolitan Police Service (2008) also identified several other factors that differentiate a gang from relatively small, unorganised and transient peer groups. These factors include names, an organisable structure, and the use of violence and delinquent behaviour to promote group identity and to acquire social capital (Metropolitan Police Service, 2007: 21) The UK New Gang Culture The media, government and professional academics have all raised their concerns about the growing perception of gang culture in the UK. The media frequently report criminal activity, and in response some academics have argued that the media sensationalises the gang problem in the UK (Alexander, 2008:4). Other academics such as Bullock and Tiley (2002) have also suggested that the need to understand and tackle the gang violence is more important instead of sectionalising gang violence. Following the medias numerous reports regarding the increase in high profile gang related crimes since 2007, Heale (2008) stated that youth gangs have been frequently highlighted in the media. The fatal shooting of an innocent five year old girl in Stockwell in 2012, Is another incident that caught the medias attention. Thusha Kamaleswaran was left permanently paralysed after a gang related shooting occurred at her aunts shop (Telegraph, 2012). The media suggested that the shooting was linked to youth g ang violence; the metropolitan police gave a statement stating, It is believed two black youths ran into the shop before shots were fired. Peter Robbins who is the counsellor from Lambeth council also gave a statement, there is a fairly well known problem with gangs and guns in Lambeth (Daily Mail, 2012). Gangs are not only running into shops and causing injury to innocent individuals, they are also engaging in the American style drive by shootings. For example, the Telegraph (2011) reported a drive by shooting in west London which injured three teenage girls and left one girl in critical condition. These shootings also attracted the media and public attention and the they believed that the American style drive by shootings performed by UK gangs where indeed becoming a lot more like the American gangs. Academics have criticised the media despite there being evidence of growing youth violence taking place in the UK, academics believe that the media solely focuses on the dramatic consequences of gang violence, instead of how it can be prevented and tackled (Fitch, 2009: 2). Deuchar (2008) suggested that the majority of gang members tend to predominantly be from black or ethnic minority groups, despite this suggestion Bennett and Holloway (2004a: 319) found that the majority of gang members were white, followed by Caribbean and Bangladeshi. Due to this inconsistency in literature surrounding the race and ethnic minority of gang members, it is clear that the race and ethnicity of gang members is not an important factor in researching gangs. So therefore this study will not focus on race and ethnicity. Instead this study will focus on why young people join gangs and the characteristics of gang members. Background Studies and research where conducted in order to give an insight into the increase of gang membership. Bennett and Holloway (2004a: 305) found evidence from governments reports, newspapers, local agencies and national bodies that suggested gangs in the UK and the number of gang members where increasing. Bennett and Holloway (2004a) argued that with the obvious increase in violent weapons and the possessions and the use of guns, the British gangs where not that different to the American stereotype that the UK often rejected. Research into gangs in America could not be generalised to the rising youth gang culture in Britain, despite the early research into gangs and youth groups. Subculture theorists in America have largely focused on the study of youth groups and gangs for almost over a century. Research into gangs in America mainly focused on the Chicago city, which is a research that has provided what is known as the first study into the gang culture phenomena. After the research in Chicago gang culture, subculture theorist Merton began his research into delinquent groups, with the help of Cohen (1955) and Cloward and Ohlin (1961). Mertons (1938) research on the Social structure and Anomie thesis anticipated that the American Dream was at the forefront of every individuals aspirations in life. But not every individual would be able to acquire this. For example education was only accessible to some people and this led to anomie. Also deviant behaviours such as violence and petty crimes amongst young working class males who were most affect were caused by the feeling of strain. Cohen (1955: 66) extended the concept of social structure and anomie by explaining that in order to explain non instrumental vandalism and violence was due to status frustration. He stated that the individuals who felt frustrated would, gravitate towards one another to establish new norms and new criteria of status, and this would then form a delinquent subculture. This statement was furt her extended by Cloward and Ohlin (1961:1), they believed that every individual had access to legitimate and illegitimate opportunities and suggested three types of subculture. The retreatist subculture which fails to find legitimate or illegitimate means in order to succeed, so therefore the individual turns to alcohol or drug abuse while the conflict subculture is when individuals use manipulation of violence as a way of winning status. The criminal subculture describes a group of individuals who rely on theft and extortion as a means of getting income. The subculture that is most relevant to this research on the young males and the influence of hip hop is the Conflict subculture. Downes (1966) systematic review found no evidence that Cloward and Ohlin (1961) retreats, conflict and criminal subcultures existed in the UK because the young males lacked structured cohesion that the American gangs boasted about. Cohen (1955) notion of status frustration was criticised by Downes who believed that by Cohen conducting his research in only one borough meant that his findings may not be generalised to the rest of the UK. Despite this Downes concluded that the research into gang delinquency in the UK is a reflection of its absence (Downes, 1966:116). In addition to this Campbell et al (1989) believed that the gang notion belonged to America, whilst the subculture notion belonged to the UK. As a result of this Campbell et al (1982) felt that a separate definition and research for youth gangs in the UK would need to be developed in order to provide a better framework for future research into gangs Campbell et al, 1989: 276) Gang Membership It is believed that young people especially males are known to join gang memberships for different psychological or social reasons (Bennett and Holloway, 2004a: 307). Some of the psychological reasons for young people joining gangs are believed to be because they have a desire for money, to gain status and respect from other gang members and the feeling of being protected and having a connection within the gang membership. Psychological reasons for young people joining gangs usually develop from lack of effective support from their parents, family, teachers and the police (Harris et al, 2001: 9). Sociological reasons have been heavily focused on in terms of explaining gang membership. Research by the NASUWT Teachers union (2008) found that if there is an absence or lack of positive role models in a young individuals life, then in order to build a social identity they will look towards accessible role models. Also the study found that young people from broken families where a father f igure was not present are more likely to look up to individuals in gangs or family members involved in gang memberships (NASUWT Teachers union, 2008: 11). Wood and Alleyne (2009) found evidence that gang membership gives young people a chance to acquire powerful status amongst their friends, opportunity for excitement especially if they live a boring life. Protection from other gang members and most importantly it offers social support that is lacking in young peoples lives from their family. Whereas Marshall et al (2005) suggests that the reason for young people engaging in gang membership is due to their exclusion and alienation from mainstream society, particularly education and employment. Whilst most theorists offer an explanation as to why young people join gangs, they have failed to outline the specific features and characteristics of gang members. Evidence from Bennett and Holloway (2004a) suggests that gang members tend to me male, involved in drug taking and supplying, mor e likely to carry weapons and are criminally active. Possession and the violent use of weapons There are various literatures that focus on youth gangs and the use of violent weapons amongst young people in the UK. Lemos (2004) report on Fear and Fashion: The use of knives and other weapons by young people believed that most young people were more likely to carry violent weapons due to the fear of being attacked by other young individuals or just because they believed that carrying a violent weapon made them look cool. The home office affairs select committee published a knife crime report which investigated the levels and causes of knife crime and the attitudes of the offenders. Knife crime has been and still is a persistent and worrying concern that has a huge impact on young people in the UK. During June 2012 there were approximately 29,513 recorded offences involving knives and other sharp instruments, accounting for 7% of selected offences (Berman: Knife Crime Statistics, 2012). In the UK more than 70 teenagers were violently killed by the use of violent weapons. Majority of these deaths were gang related violences. In 2008 gang and knife crime were regularly featured in the media headlines, these crimes were mapped out in various locations around the UK, but London suffered the highest number of crime amongst young people. Dr Bob Golding, who is a criminal justice lecturer at the university of Portsmouth, stated that knife crime is simply a symptom; you have associated with this a development of gang culture (Golding, BBC News: 2008). The possession and the use of violent weapons were also reflected in Brooke Kinsellas (2011) Tackling Knife Crime Together report. Kinsella report was conducted following the death of her brother in a knife attack in 2008. The report also gave the public an insight into the seriousness of violent weapon crimes. Kinsella found that motivational factors influence young people into carrying violent weapons, these two factors were fear and fashion. In the report it was also discovered that youths reasons for carrying weapons was due to the fear of being attacked by other individuals, so therefore they felt the need to protect themselves. The reason that was more worrying was the need to be in possession of violent weapons because they believed it was fashionable or a cool thing to do (Kinsella, 2011: 2). Recently the media reported two incidents that allegedly occurred with five hours. The first incident was the shooting of a 19 year old male in Clapton, east London and the stabbing of a 16 year old male in Wandsworth, south west London. Although the police believe that these crimes where not linked to gangs, it just shows the frequent use of violent weapons within the community. (BBC, 2013) Although it is difficult to determine the link between violent weapon crimes and gangs, recent research into gangs has noted the relationship between firearms and gangs (Squires et al, 2008). A research report was carried out by Bullock and Tilley (2002), they found that 60% of firearm crimes can be linked to gangs meanwhile; the Home Office 2009/2010 reported 5% increase of injuries as a result of firearms. In order for the government to tackle the possession and use of violent weapons, they need to establish the main reasons why young people engage in violent weapons. As this could enable them or it could be a starting point for them to limit gang violence. The Hip Hop Culture and the Influence of Hip Hop Hip hop today is known as a cultural reform and social reconstruction. Hip hop first developed in the drug infested gang streets of the Bronx in New York City. Apart from the glamorous and provocative nature of hip hop, it is mainly associated with and for freedom, peace, equality and social harmony. Alongside creating a successful industry hip hop also gave ethnic minorities in America a chance to voice their opinions internationally, a civil rights movement that is still relevant today. Price (2006:1) defines hip hop as a liberation movement in the form of a diverse culture, it was a next generation civil (human) rights movement sparked by ostracized, marginalized and oppressed inner- city youths. Hip hop culture has grown to represent urban, rural, suburban and global communities of all ages, genders, religions and races. One main factor that is mainly held responsible for the increase in gang violence is the hip hop culture. It is believed that the hip hop has a negative influence on young people. David Blunkett reportedly made a statement about gang violence, stating idiots like so solid crew are glorifying gun culture and violence. This statement was made a year after one of the members from So Solid Crew Ashley Walters was sentenced to 18 months for the possession of a firearm (Telegraph, Sally Pook: 2003). David Cameroon also voiced his opinions on violent music. In the British society (2006) he asked BBC radio station 1, do you realise some of the stuff you play on Saturday nights encourages people to carry guns and knives? Despite the perception that the hip hop culture glamorises gang and violence, there is very little research on this concept. United Kingdom based research has dismissed the concept that hip hop influences young males into gangs and violent weapon. Hallsworth and Silverstone (2009: 362) suggested that style and music do not define the relationships between the individuals and the violence that they do, or the weapon they carry. There is no empirical support for the statement; however they do believe that those who carry weapons tend to imitate the American hip hop style by carrying guns. Well-known hip hop artists spoke about the comparison between hip hop and the trend of violence amongst young people in the communities. 50 Cent who has recently turned to acting and has become an entrepreneur refuted claims of there being a connection between hip hop and gun violence. He stated in his interview that his music was more a reflection of his experiences in life, rather than a glorificati on of assault weapons (CBS News, 2013). Hip hop and gangs have always been linked in some form. It is believed that the hip hop culture has created and influenced gang violence over the decades. Literature in the UK regarding the effect of hip hop music on young males and gangs on focuses on deviant behaviour in adolescence, whereas literature in the USA have a wider range of research and literature. Miranda and Claes (2009) researched the possible link between preference of rap music and deviant behaviours such as, drug use, violence and street gang involvement amongst French Canadian adolescents. Miranda and Claes found that despite trying to control the adolescent deviancy, a significant link can still be found between rap music and deviant behaviour. However despite their finding they did not find a link between hip hop and street gang involvement. This shows that there needs to be future research in order to come to a conclusion as to whether or not there is an association between hip hop and gang violence (Miranda a nd Claes, 2009). The issue of hip hop music lyrics and how they may have an effect on young people has been approached by Kubrins (2005) study. Kubrin conducted a content analysis of rap songs in America and also addressed the use of violent weapons suggesting that the gun becomes a symbol of power and a remedy for disputes (Kubrin, 2005:363). Research from Miranda, Claes and Kubrin, found that young people joined street gangs in order to acquire status and a social identity, which is seen and stated in the music they listen to. Because the majority of these studies are based on American and Canadian individuals, it is possible that the findings cannot be generalised to gangs in the UK. Chapter 3:  Methodology This section will explain the methodological approach that this research has adopted in order to establish if the hip hop culture has an influence on youth gangs and the use of violent weapons in the UK. The method which was chosen for the purpose of this paper was desk research, sometimes known as secondary data or secondary research (Bryman, 2008). This research involves gathering data that already exists from internal sources, publications of governmental and non-governmental institutions, free access data from the internet, in articles, newspapers and other relevant sources (Bryman, 2008:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..). A systematic review of literature, a qualitative content analysis on four hip hop song lyrics, and a semiotic analysis on a hip hop image will be conducted in order to establish if a relationship between hip hop culture, youth gang and the use of violent weapons exists. At first a qualitative research was initially considered in order to gather data and in order to answer the research question. The majority of research in to gangs and the use of violent weapons are normally conducted through qualitative surveys and interviews with current or previous gang members and offenders. These types of primary research would be dangerous and difficult to replicate as an undergraduate student. Research Design The research design of this study discusses the literature in the form of a systematic review. Government reports, journal articles and published texts on gangs and the use of violent weapons from the last decade have all been reviewed. Secondary data has been used to conduct this study. The secondary data has been used with caution and all literature used are from trustworthy sources. Literature based research has its strengths, and they mainly fall on the fact that the research is able to analyse data that is already available because the time consuming research has already been conducted by academics. There will be no contact with current or previous offenders who have been involved in gangs or crimes involving violent weapons, so the potential harm and risk involved in this research is minimised. However as explained by Bryman, (2008) not conducting a primary research means that there will be no control over the variables and so it is acknowledged that the grounds may be differen t to the present study. therefore this research has been conducted carefully in order not to manipulate the literature to support the hypothesis of the present study By conducting a content analysis of hip hop song lyrics, this study will be able to establish whether the genre of music can be held responsible for the behaviour of youth gang members or whether claims by the media are false. Out of the four songs that have been analysed, two demonstrate how the hip hop culture can influence young males, particularly in regards to joining gangs and the use of violent weapons. The two other songs acknowledge social exclusion as a reason for delinquency. The Song lyrics where obtained from lyric databases such as, Metro lyrics, sweet lyrics, urban lyrics and AZ lyrics. Even though the validity and reliability of these lyrics are questionable, all the songs used are from official version on YouTube, a reliable video broadcasting website. Due to the fact that majority of the songs analysed are likely to contain words and languages that are likely to be difficult to understand, a slang website called Urban Dictionary was used as a means to translate any difficult words. Analysis Key themes have been highlighted in the literature articles through a process of thematic analysis during a systematic review. These themes include repetition, differences and similarities. The following analytical chapters will be discussing these themes in relation to theories in order to give a better understanding as to why young males may seek these identities. Firstly the song lyrics will be discussed in relation to the themes that have been highlighted through the thematic analysis. This will be done using a similar approach conducted by Kubrin (2005) study on Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas. Song lyrics will be discussed and the images will be discussed using a semiotic approach in order to evaluate whether or not the music that is marketed to youths encourages the use of violent weapons. This will then be followed by a discussion of the themes in relation to the literature. Theory will be included in order to provide a more holistic understanding as to why young people join youth gangs, their behaviour and attitudes. In order to identify the themes within the literature a critical discussion of the findings will provide a foundation for recommendation on future research on this topic. By using these analytical methods a detailed account of the influence the hip hop culture has on young males can be generated from the literature. Ethical Considerations Due to this research being a secondary research, it does involve as many ethical issues as a primary research. For example no participants will be interviewed, so there is no need for informed consents and there are no issues regarding deception and invasion of privacy. Also there is no need to consider data protection or storage because the research studies reports are available and have been published for public viewing. The following ethical considerations from the British Society of Criminology (BSC) Code of Ethics have been considered and relate to this research. As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, there will be no contact with previous or current gang members so the emotional and physical well-being of the researcher will be maintained (BSC 3: iii). As the BSC states, researchers should promote equal opportunity in all aspects of their professional work and actively seek to avoid discriminatory behaviour (BSC, 3: iv).Whilst doing this research every effort has been m ade not to address young male gang members in terms of age, and racial or ethnic group sensitively and to use non-biased language. Also this research has made every effort not to disrespect the views and beliefs of young gang members, as one of the aims for this dissertation is to focus on developing a theoretical and holistic understanding of the behaviour of gang members. Also the views and beliefs of the gang members have not been disrespected whilst conducting a systematic review of the literature and analysing the literature through the themes that developed in the content analysis, alongside the arguments for and against hip hop culture influencing violence, the use and possession of violent weapons. Research studies by academics include young gang members who have consented to taking part in a published research study, so it is believed that any data from interviews conducted in previous reports are acceptable to use for secondary data. This therefore means that the ethical c ode (4: iii) will not be breached. However, if an entire data set was used for the present research, a Research Ethics Committee would have been required to conduct an expedited review (Economic and Social Research Council). Because this is a secondary research one of the major limitations is that some sources, especially internet sources may not be reliable, so a serious amount of importance was placed when using reliable data and sources from the internet as well as sources where the reliability of the internet information was uncertain. In addition to this No favoured judgement has been made towards certain research findings and a conscious effort has been made by the researcher not to manipulate or misinterpret the findings to suit the research question. By doing so a one sided argumen

Night by Elie Wiesel | Book Analysis

Night by Elie Wiesel | Book Analysis 1. In the book, the narrators mentioning of the Exile of Providence and the destruction of the Temple at the beginning of the story foreshadows the events in this section of Night by showing the strong religious ties of the story to God and indicates the removing of the Jews from their homeland. The author was leaving small subtle hints that Jews were beginning to be deported to concentration camps. But the Exile of Providence and the destruction of the Temple both have very religious meanings, foreshadowing the themes and importance of God and religion faith that take place in the story. The Exile of Providence is a condition in some Jewish belief systems that humans will be delivered from evil and returned to Gods care. In the beginning of the book, Elie says that at night, he goes to weep over the destruction of the temple, which is a part of mourning in the Judaism belief. The Exile of Providence and the destruction of the Temple foreshadowed that Elie Wiesel had a very strong be lief in God and had a great interest in Judaism. But it also showed that God would play a very important role in Elies life. As Elies experiences of the holocaust progressed, Elie begins to question God, show signs of doubt, and lose faith in God. God and religion would also be the hope for prisoners in the concentration camps, helping them endure the suffering. 2. Using eyes to describe a person, at the beginning of the book, Elie describes how he likes Moishe the Beadles wide, dreamy eyes that gaze off into the distance. These eyes show that Moishe the Beadle has great wisdom, hope, and is a very great being. He seems to be a very humble and modest man. His eyes might also suggest his strong belief in God and hope to get past the holocaust, pain, death, and suffering. But in contrast, when Moishe De Beadle returns from his horrible experience and his witnessing of death and the killing of infants, his eyes are empty and hollow. His eyes no longer show joy, dreaminess, and the hope. Moishe De Beadle no longer even mentions God. His eyes show that he is overwhelmed by fear and horror and that he might have lost all hope. 3. The reason I think Elie Wiesel decided to wait a decade before attempting to express his experience in words was because that he was too afraid to speak out at the time. But I believe that even if Elie Wiesel tried to speak out, his voice would have been silenced along with millions of others. To this day, voices such as Elie Wiesel and Anne Frank are some of the not-so-many and preserved voices we can hear. Even if Elie tried to speak out, there would be no one to listen to him. He could have been killed, beaten, and hurt in the concentration camps just for expressing his thoughts. But I still believe that what he did was wrong. The silence and the victimà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s lack of resistance of what was happening was what allowed the holocaust to continue. Even it meant being killed or beaten, Elie should have tried loudly and boldly to speak of the horrors of the holocaust. It would be a very hard thing to do but it was the right thing to do. Elie had been controlled by fear and kept silent until the incident was all over. Unable to go back, Elie now speaks out. After his experience in the holocaust, Elie Wiesel lived on and spoke about it so that people could learn from the past to prevent history to repeat itself. He speaks of his memories and experiences so that the world can learn from its past mistakes. 4. Two examples of the theme, emotional death in the story is the way Mrs. Schachter behaves when her husband and two older sons were deported and when Moishe De Beadle escapes from the Galician forest, witnessing the deaths of many. Emotional death can easily allow the reader to understand how terrible the holocaust was and its horrors. Mrs. Schachter had lost her mind, crying and screaming hysterically. Moishe De Beadles eyes had become hollow and he had lost the will to live. Both were not dead yet but something inside them had died and they have lost hope of themselves. Two examples of the theme, self preservation vs. family commitment are Part 2 1. The prisoners recitation of the Kaddish prayer as they walk through Auschwitz conveys the theme of struggle to maintain faith by showing that the prisoners are beginning to realize the cruelty and evil of the holocaust. Recitation of the prayer may bring comfort for those who still believe in God. But the prisoners begin to doubt their faith. They wonder if God notices their pain or even cares. Reciting the prayer allows the prisoners to realize that the pain, suffering, and death has yet to be prevented by God. 2. The motif of night is used to explain Eliezers experiences in the camp because Elie Wiesels life could be easily compared to nighttime. At night, it is dark and frightening, just like Wiesels experiences in the camp. At night, there is no sunshine, no light. There is only darkness, just like the way life passed on for Elie Wiesel in those concentration camps. Elie Wiesel explained how he had lost track of time. Nighttime would come every day and the Jews would be afraid if they would live to go through the night and what would happen to them in the next hour. 3. A work of literature that I know that conveys a theme found in Night is a book I read called, The Hunger Games. It is a book about a teenage girl who is thrown into a game where she has to fight to the death against dozens of other teenagers, a show for the whole nation to watch. They both have themes of survival, self preservation, humanity, and hope. In Night, Elie Wiesel witnessed people fighting and beating one another over crumbs of bread and Jews beating and fighting each other for food. In the Hunger Games, contestants have to fight and kill each other until only one remains standing. Both books show the characters struggle against if they should go against humanity in order to save their own lives. Both books show how humans can be some cruel. Part 3 1. The statement, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Man raises himself towards God by the questions he asks Him.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Demonstrates the narratorà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s struggle with faith of Rosh Hashanah by showing that Eliezer doubts Godà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s justice and power, seeing that God does nothing to relieve the suffering in the Holocaust. On Rosh Hashanah, Elie refuses to pray, for he feels that God either does not care or cannot do anything about the horrors of the holocaust. Elie also begins to think that man is very strong, even greater than god. This behavior is entirely in contrast to Elieà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s past interest in his Judaism faith. Elie has witnessed so much torture and death that he beings to question God. 2. An example of the theme, self preservation vs. family commitment, is when Mier, a boy killed his father on a train for a small piece of bread. He then found out that his father had saved a piece for him. Mier had lost sight of what was important of him and only cared about saving himself, killing his own father for food. He had become a person without a sense of humanity. An example of the theme, emotional death, is how Elie feels after his fatherà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s death. Nothing matters to him anymore since his fatherà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s death. Elie no longer thinks of anything but the desire to eat. He lives on, but really, he is no longer himself. His fatherà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s death gives him great guilt and depression. He had ignored his fatherà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s call when he was dying and thirsty, guilty how he had felt his father as a burden. He realized that he had lost what he had loved most. An example of the theme, struggling to maintain faith, is the day of Rosh Hashanah where Elie Wiesel is full of anger towards God, refusing to pray for he blames that God has been cruel and uncaring, allowing the suffering and pain to continue. An example of the theme, dignity in the face of inhuman cruelty, is when Juliek was surrounded by hundreds of dead and dying bodies, yet he still played his violin, something he loved. An SS officer had not allowed Juliek to play what he had wanted, Beethoven. The day of his death, although not allowed, he played Beethoven, showing his dignity. 3. Elie Wiesel struggles to live, but also having to care for his father where survival is unbearably difficult. Elie did love his father but to continuously help and care for his father made it harder for him to ensure his own survival. He tried his best not to lose sight of what was important to him, family. But in the end, Elies self preservation behavior took over his commitment to his father. Elie was afraid to get another blow to the head by the officer and ignored his father who was desperately calling out his name, thirsty and dying. With the death of his father, Elie felt that he was finally free at last, seeing his father as nothing but a burden. He feels that his father is better off dead than having to suffer. 4. Based on what I know about history and what Wiesel writes in à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Nightà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ about human nature is that we are all scared and frightened beings. We can be so selfish, greedy, and we desire so many things because we are human. Humans are so imperfect by nature. Humans have also done the most evil things possible, to such an extent that humans would kill one another. But I think by nature, humans are individual social beings. All humans have lied, been greedy, and have been frightened but humans are able to learn from their past mistakes. Compared to the times of the holocaust, human behavior has gradually improved. 4. I think it was an effective way how Wiesel devoted only a few lines to the events after his liberation. After his liberation, Elie wrote little but what he wrote had very great meanings. He wrote how when he looked into the mirror, a corpse was looking back at him. Elie Wiesel could never forget the look in his eyes as they gazed back at him. This short phrase made me, the reader, have to analyze and comprehend what I had just read. The words spoke for themselves, showing Elieà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s great pain and sadness. I thought the ending was just enough to describe Elie Wieselà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s feelings. Something else that Wiesel might have done was explain how

Hamlet: Nature of Truth Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet:   Nature of Truth Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To some, truth is something that is absolute and unchanging. To others, truth is volatile and inconstant. In the 16th and 17th century, the foundations of civilization itself had been shaken. Many of the ideas which were thought to be absolutely true had been plunged into the depths of uncertainty. The cosmological, geographical, and religious revolutions called into question the nature of truth itself. It is no wonder, then, that some of the great writers at the time included within their works a treatise on the ways in which truth is constructed. Because of the major ideological revolutions that shaped his world Shakespeare used characters and theatrical devices to create their own ideas on the construction of truth. Shakespeare agrees that each individual must search for his or her conception of the truth, based upon our his or her current knowledge, but he uses the limitations of the stage itself to demonstrate this idea. When Ophelia dies at the end of Act IV, Gertrude gives Laertes a vivid description of Ophelia's death, but this death is never acted on stage. We never know for sure whether Gertrude is telling the truth, and if she was a witness to the death, why she didn't try to save Ophelia. The fact that we only hear about the death calls into question the validity of the transmission of knowledge from one person to another, suggesting that truth itself is not something that one will always learn from another, but something that one must find by oneself. Shakespeare further complicates the truth in Hamlet with the many unanswered questions he leaves us with. We don't know for sure if the ghost is truly good or e... ...d by the rest of history. The revolution of thought that occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries forced Shakespeare and other authors to change the foundations of their own thought. They were all willing to present to us their own ideology of truth so that we may benefit from their knowledge. Everyone faces these crises in life, the crisis of one's own opinions being shattered by reality. We may hold on to our opinions, disregarding fact or twisting the facts to fit our theories. But in order for progress to occur, we must at times shed our previous beliefs in favor of ones newly created. We must endeavor to find a version of the truth that is based in knowledge, and one that satisfies our desires. We may never find a version of truth that is satisfactory for everyone. But our search cannot cease. The truth, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.      

Ascendency Through Knowledge Essay -- Intellectual History, Sociology,

Ascendency through Knowledge New Atlantis begins with the apparent utopian society successfully synthesizing scientific endeavor and achievement with Christian theology. This revelation is only half-hearted; Bacon’s true motive is nothing less than the subversion of Christian scholastic dogma and replacing it with material wellbeing through scientific scholarship as outlined in Bacon’s works. Through proper method a different kind of knowledge could be acquired liberating human destiny from divine intervention. Bacon’s knowledge empowers mankind reducing suffering and improving our wellbeing. â€Å"Wherefore, as in religion we are warned to show our faith by works, so in philosophy by the same rule the system should be judged by its fruits, and pronounced frivolous if it be barren,† (New Organon, Bacon, 12) Bacon in the 17th century elevated the measure for knowledge where it must be able to produce useful works separating itself from the past. Intellectual history as a discipline and as a way of thinking about the world has a history. Ideas and ways of thinking and ways of understanding the world have a history. Considering the history of human achievement whether we are talking about political history, economic history, military history, and gender history nothing compares in raw measure to our living history. This history includes what we think is possible or what is impossible. How we think about the world determines our relationship to it. Human thought has a history, which the way we think in modern times is not the way people have understood it or thought about it. Humanity changes how we think about the natural world, what is out there to be known? What is the stuff of the world? Why things happen? What is good evidence?... ...ist Bacon explains is a wise man or member of Solomon’s House where after receiving the heavenly manuscripts falls to his knees and remarked, â€Å"†¦to those of our order to know thy works of creation, and true secrets of them; and to discern, as far as appertaineth to the generations of men†¦.† (Bacon, New Atlantis, 67) Bacon outlines knowledge not from deduction from authority but induction from the distinct events in nature. Through patient observation we may form considerate thoughtful generalizations, where we may test these generalizations always refining and always open to new avenues of experimentation. Bacon’s Knowledge is verifiable and productive, the New Atlantis was dedicated to human knowledge and with it the technological progress that empowered humanity this view was in contrast to the scholastic perspective of an unchanging, contemplative universe.

Family Values, Personal Values Essay -- Ethnicity Culture Families Val

Family Values and Unity There are so many various types of people with different ethnic backgrounds, culture and manner of living that are the cause of distinct values in a family. These families have poor, mediocre or virtuous family values, however what one may consider as a mediocre family value may seem poor to someone else and vice-versa. These family values differ from family to family world-wide. The most significant values are family unity, honesty and education. Family unity, is a family being together in blissful harmony on holidays. Family unity is regardless how bad a situation may be it will bring us closer together and make our bond stronger. Family unity is my family watching me grow from infancy to adulthood, guiding me with good values. Family unity is communicating with each other. Unfortunately, my parents were seldom around during my childhood stages. Therefore they were rarely home to guide me through good family values. Now that I am an adult my parents are persistent to spend time with me and teach me values not taught to me when I was a child. I believe it's like teaching an old dog new tricks. A child needs direction from the childhood up to adulthood not the reverse. I recall coming home from school to an empty house. My parents were working to provide us with a home, things we needed and wanted. Regardless, as a child a family was just as important. A popular soul singer, Luther Vandross, sang a song whose lyrics expla...

Diversity and Individual Behaviour

Diversity is what the world is made of. Without diversity, the world would be an uninteresting and inhospitable place. Without diversity, there would be no variety of opinions or alternate views. There would be no different views or ways of thinking. Being diverse provides a way for people to express opinions and views to others who may not have pictured a situation the same. Four factors that cause diversity are ethnicity, gender, religion and sexual affinity. These groups have an outcome on the course of daily choices. The author of this paper will look into each of the groups and how the aspects have an impact on individual behavior. Ethnicity has an influence on behavior that cannot easily be ignored. At work the influences of ones ethnicity is dealt with everyday. African-American stereotypes have led to â€Å"being black as similar to having a felony conviction when regarding the chances of finding a job. The results of a study suggested black men must work at least twice as hard as equally qualified white men to rise above the stigma their skin color provides (Pager, 2009).† The humiliation is, for the most part, due to labeling. According to Devine and Elliot (1995), in the 1930’s the adjectives used to describe an African-American were superstitious, lazy, and ignorant, and today the adjectives vary from unintelligent, loud, and criminal to musical, athletic and very religious. Discrimination is often difficult to observe, and yet, despite the antidiscrimination laws discrimination still occurs. The author of this paper is a case manager for individuals with developmental disabilities, and observes the subtle nuance of bigotry almost on a day to day basis. Being articulate and having a name that belies the true ethnicity frequently surprises people when meeting in person. The dumbfounded expression is not easily hidden regardless of one’s efforts to mask it. Statements such as ‘you sounded different over the phone, or you look nothing as I imagined’ are uttered frequently during these meetings. After such meetings, those who are truly prejudiced will request to work with someone else; giving superficial explanations to the request.  For example, ‘we prefer to work with someone with more experience’, or with a man, regardless of the fact the author has more than 20 years of experience in the profession. Being African-American has its hardships. In addition to that adversity, consider the privation of being an African-American woman. The author’s supervisor admitted to being cautious with relaying the information about the requests of those who had recently met the author in person. Why was the supervisor afraid to approach the author? Because, the African-American woman is often portrayed as a defiant, smart-mouthed, sassy, finger-waving and eye-rolling person, it is easy to understand her fear. The African-American woman has to be diligent in the efforts to contradict the assumptions. Just being female impacts a woman’s behavior. Women are portrayed as and believed to be whiners, nags, flakes and shopaholics. Women are thought to be helpless and in need of rescuing; by a man, of course. In the business world certain jobs have traditionally been considered gender specific. A woman who holds a stereotypical masculine position, such as construction ‘foreman’, is capable to use the equipment just as successfully has the men, but often the men see her as delicate; unable to work too hard, resulting in less productivity and more stress in the workplace. Women want the same respect, opportunities and responsibilities as men. However, chauvinistic attitudes often obstruct a woman’s advancement. The author has overheard such comments as: ‘she doesn’t need a promotion, her husband makes more’, presuming a female employee has no right to a full fledged career, or a larger salary comparable to the male employees. Surprisingly, th e comment was made by a female. Sexism is evident in all areas of life. For example, people debate if women should play a sport traditionally played by men. The year 1896 is when women playing football was first documented. The men’s reaction to the football game was mentioned more than the game itself: ‘the crowd of men looking on, excited by the struggle, closed in with a rush.’ It was not until 1970 that a woman was allowed to play on a men’s semipro football team and not until 1999 did  The Women's Professional Football League begin playing professional women’s tackle football games (Women's Professional Football League, n.d). Sexism exists in religion as well. To the Catholic Church, Mary, the mother of God is the most perfect human being. Yet, a woman cannot be ordained as a priest. The woman’s highest role in the Catholic Church is that of a Nun; a servant living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In other faiths women have more of a role, for instance in the Episcopalian religion; a woman may be a priest. In Judaism rabbis have been known to depict women as envious, unproductive, lazy, greedy, and prone to gossip. In Judaism a Jewish woman’s role in life is traditionally a wife, mother and keeper of the household. The Jewish woman knows her place and the depictions have discouraged many women from pursuing an education, career advancement and sexual affinity (Marcy Hyatt, personal communication, January 7, 2009). Marcy Hyatt, a Jewish woman and a homosexual, also reported her experience of being homosexual and being Jewish as parallel. She has fought prejudice and fought for civil rights, and although she no longer has to fear being visible, she continues to work to maintain her self-worth in the face of ignorance and bigotry. According to the American Psychological Association (2004) while sexual orientation is not a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed, several homosexual and bisexual people seek to change their sexual orientation through therapy, often coerced by family members or religious groups. In the United States, homosexual and bisexual people often meet widespread violence, discrimination, and prejudice. The discrimination takes many forms from being denied raises, promotions and getting poor performance evaluations to bullying in schools. The fear of being known as a homosexual or bisexual has led to men hiding sexual orientation from loved ones and doctors thereby possibly putting themselves and loved ones at an increased risk for HIV/AIDS. Regardless of the fact that no one can avoid diversity, people fear differences and seek only what is perceived as safe; remaining ignorant to what others have to offer. Fearing people different from us is a natural tendency because of how we were raised. When we treat one another as individuals with feelings, then we will experience true multiculturalism.