Black Masculinity Essay Essay Example

Black Masculinity Essay Essay Example Black Masculinity Essay Essay Black Masculinity Essay Essay Essay Topic: Black Boy The Beast in the Jungle What is an cultural group? An cultural group is a human population whose members identify with each other. normally on the footing of a presumed common family tree or lineage. These cultural groups are normally united by shared cultural values. common Fieldss of communicating. or spiritual patterns. So possibly the theory of Black maleness can be considered an cultural group. There is the obvious factors of being ‘Black’ and ‘male’ that connects these members in this group ; they have skin colour and gender in common. Possibly this cultural group has come together to be more so merely a group who have race and gender in common. It goes beyond that and Black maleness has members who are non ‘Black’ . Possibly this inquiries if history. lineage. and family tree are factored in when going a members of a group. But will these members be genuinely accepted in the cult of Black maleness. Within the dominant civilization African American work forces have developed their ain sense of individuality. These work forces have integrated themselves into American society making a civilization of their ain. They have established a linguistic communication. a sense of frock. and behaviours. These protocols help this group of work forces emphasize their ethnicity and gender. Members of this group who follow these traits are considered to be portion of the cult of Black maleness. What is go oning is that white work forces. because of the influence of dad civilization. are pervading the boundaries of the Black masculine cult. This is an experience of somewhat rearward assimilation. At first it was the assimilation of the Black adult male into the white man’s universe and now it is as if functions are reversed. How the white work forces see the Black maleness portrayed through the media and want to be portion of it. Anthropologist Fredrik Barth specifies three conditions under which cultural groups develop and define themselves: ( a ) a dominant civilization is present with the power to keep conditions whereby other groups of people. ( B ) are stereotyped. and ( degree Celsius ) are constrained to certain functions that function complementarily in the general civilization. Barth argues that cultural differentiations are born out of struggle. The above conditions are necessary for the care of cultural differentiations. So. the care of cultural diverseness requires domination by one group of the remainder. Using Barth’s definition of what an cultural group is and which boundaries are defined by these regulations this paper will turn out how Black maleness conforms to these guidelines set uping them as an cultural group within the dominant civilization. This paper will besides research the difference that is expressed by black males in American civilization through the usage of linguistic communication. frock and behaviour. The cult of Black maleness will turn out that cultural groups can make something of their ain while contriving a new civilization in which they can partake in and be control of. Black Masculinity â€Å"A peculiar type of black masculinity–one defined chiefly by an urban aesthetic. a nihilistic attitude. and an aggressive posturing–has made its manner into the cultural mainstream in the last two decennaries. † There are many lending factors but the image of Black maleness has come about due to the popularisation of hip-hop civilization and the prominence of blame music and the â€Å"videomercials† that sell it. More specifically. it is the consequence of the popularity of the urban â€Å"gangsta† and his incarnation in the â€Å"gangsta† blame of creative persons such as Dr. Dre. Ice Cube. Snoop Doggy Dogg. and Tupak Shakur. Black maleness is the effort for black males to integrate what the dominant civilization believes to be masculine. Most surveies have. nevertheless regarded Black Masculinity as an option to societal position. instead than as an extension of it. ‘Black Macho’ has been portrayed. hence. as differing in sort instead than degree from the wider gendered power dealingss within Society at large†¦ It is nevertheless ; merely within the context of wider power dealingss - and as an extension of them –that Black maleness can be to the full understood†¦ Black maleness is so possibly best understood as an articulated response to structural inequality. enacting and overthrowing dominant definitions of power and control. instead so replacing for them. Rather than a hostile and recluse entity [ black maleness ] can be seen as a base for interaction and dialogue with wider society. These work forces have taken an thought which already exists harmonizing to society and incorporated what they believe is their definition of maleness. This look of maleness. harmonizing to Mercer and Julien: â€Å"subjectively incorporates properties associated with dominant definitions of manhood – such as being tough. in control. independent – in order to recover some grade of power or active influence over nonsubjective conditions of impotence created by racism. † Black maleness embraces the stereotyped function of what a Black adult male typically resembles. What the dominant civilization portrays: the tough cat. more organic structure so head. This is received as negative because they are non accomplishing what the ideal is. what â€Å"Whiteness† is. So would this group of work forces be considered an cultural group within the American society? Harmonizing to Barth an cultural group embodies the followers: â€Å"Largely biologically self-perpetuating. portions cardinal cultural values. realized in open integrity in cultural signifiers. makes up a field of communicating and interaction. has a rank which identifies itself. and is identified by others. as representing a class distinguishable from other classs of the same order. † Those who choose to conform to these norms of this group will reject or know apart against others and this leads to the inclusion of this specific group. Behavior How one behaves will find what group they will suit into. These behaviours include how one dresses. Acts of the Apostless and negotiations. Black maleness has their ain sense of frock. actions and even linguistic communication. Depicted through the media the Black masculine male will dress â€Å"gangster† . There stereotypic baggie denims and large jerseies with the jewellery and baseball caps. This reinforces the hyper-sexualized stereotypic male in society. Recently. Richard G. Major’s construct of the â€Å"cool pose† has proved an insightful term for understanding the kineticss of black maleness as it has developed in response to unequal conditions in the modern urban environment. In a series of closely related plants ( listed at the terminal of this essay ) . Major leagues argues that black males have accepted the traditional values of maleness but are so restricted by societal and political factors that many of them have been profoundly frustrated by their inability to ordain these traditional masculine functions. â€Å"In brief. † Majors explains. â€Å"cool pose originated as a header mechanism for the ‘invisibility. ’ defeat. favoritism. and educational and employment unfairnesss faced by Black males. In response to these obstructions. many of these persons have channeled their originative endowments and energies into the building of masculine symbols and into the usage of conspicuous gestural behaviours ( e. g. . demeanours. gestures. vesture. hairdos. walks. stances and handshakings ) † . Major leagues includes in his illustrations of the cool airs such diverse behaviours as the usage of wit. feigned emotional withdrawal. and specific stylistic looks like the black athlete’s imaginative hoops dunking. football spiking. and stop zone dancing. every bit good as black musical performers’ aggressive sitting and graceful yet strenuous dance manners. A premier ingredient of the cool airs as a compensatory signifier of maleness is an overdone manner of stamina: â€Å"Symbolic shows of toughness support his individuality and addition him respect ; they can besides advance chumminess and solidarity among black males† . Unfortunately. as Majors is careful to indicate out. the ritualized hyper maleness performed by many black work forces as a cool airs. peculiarly the preoccupation with ordaining a tough character is rife with the negative potency to advance unsafe life styles ( e. g. . pack bangers. tough cats. drug traders. street streetwalkers. and procurers ) and to reenforce harmful stereotypes. These images illuminate the figure of the endangering Black male. He embodies images of the black heterosexual rapper. jock. and film star which challenge the racialist word pictures of black maleness as incompetent. highly-sexed and rude. in the terminal a menace to middle category impressions of muliebrity. household and state. Possibly with these incarnations this is why Black maleness is its ain cultural group. They were unable to absorb into the dominant civilization because they were seen as a hyper sexualized menace to white adult females. This left these work forces to make something of their ain. through frock. linguistic communication and action. This group uses linguistic communication as another look of societal difference. African American Vernacular English is the linguistic communication that is used to pass on. it is besides known as Black English. Black Vernacular. or Black English Vernacular. Black English is besides known as African american vernacular englishs. a combination of â€Å"ebony† and â€Å"phonics† . this linguistic communication is spoken by many Blacks in the United States and around the universe. Black maleness has accepted African american vernacular englishs as their linguistic communication because it is something that is alone to the African American civilization. The job with this signifier of communicating is that it is non widely accepted within the dominant society. The kids who are raised by work forces who are portion of this cult of Black maleness are told to talk otherwise because the signifier of communicating that they have learned is non acceptable. This is a miscommunication and some parties tried to acquire Ebonics recognized as a linguistic communication and to be taught in the school systems. This jurisprudence was non passed but it was interpreted and they are now learning the kids how to interpret African American Vernacular English into American Standard English. Jackson sees linguistic communication as â€Å"badges and emblems of individuality can be seen as a sort of message. the successful transmittal. response. and decryption of which necessary to the interaction is taking topographic point. † This is why Black maleness is every bit strong as it is because it embraces their ain linguistic communication and through this they are able to keep relationships with others in this group of work forces. Such as the word â€Å"Nigga† . if this word were used by person exterior of this cultural group so they would be considered racialist but through music and usage within the group it is considered to be a term used to place each other. It would be seen as uneven if person who did non embody Black maleness started talking in African American Vernacular English because they may non hold the lineage which allows them to incarnate Black Masculinity and their linguistic communication. Boundaries To organize a cultural boundary it is presumed that the boundary lines would be between different fatherlands. ethnicities. faiths or linguistic communication groups. In the instance of Black maleness the bulk are situated all over North America and the remainder of the universe. With such a diverse spread it would be difficult to put physical boundary lines on this group. â€Å"Ethnic groups are non simply or needfully based on the business of sole districts ; and the different ways in which they are maintained. non merely by once-and-for-all enlisting but by continual look and validation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In stating this. those who partake in the cult of Black maleness erect boundary lines through communicating such as linguistic communication and organic structure linguistic communication. Those who do non react to these actions are non considered to be portion Black male society. There is certain protocol which will be followed within the group and if this is non followed so there is the designation of an foreigner who is seeking to interrupt through the boundary lines. The job with Black maleness and the exclusivity of this civilization is that it is widely available in pop civilization. It would be easy for person who is non portion of this cultural group to analyze the mass media and larn the traits which define Black maleness. Black maleness is based on attribution how people identify their civilization and how they identify themselves within this civilization. Their boundaries are socially constructed. Cultural groups portion common civilization which includes shared faith. linguistic communication. manner of frock. lodging. shared imposts ; attitudes. beliefs and most have the same perceptual experience of a common yesteryear. As discussed earlier this group embraces a shared common civilization which separates them from the dominant civilization. They have created themselves due to a peculiar historical circumstance and in this instance it is colonisation and the invasion of the White adult male. The individuality of Black maleness is reliant on how persons embrace it. constrained by it ; act on it and through this Black maleness will hold a separate individuality as an cultural group. To divide themselves they have must be able to separate them from the dominant civilization by â€Å"creating visual aspect of cultural discontinuity† . Black maleness has done this by presuming functions such as the mobster rapper. the black jock or film star. By making these individualities they are building a boundary between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† . Overtime groups tend to go culturally more homogeneous. This endangers the boundary and makes it harder to keep but in order to continue its distinguishable individuality these boundaries need to be maintained by the group. Boundary care serves to insulate the group from alternate value systems ( harmonizing to which its members may happen themselves ranked otherwise ) . preserves the group’s bing internal power construction. and provides a possible beginning of political power for the group through solidarity and Numberss. Black maleness is a strong force in the media and to follow what their cultural beliefs are would be easy. They have familiarized their civilization with the dominant civilization leting anyone to be able to take part in their beliefs. This weakens their boundary lines and makes it harder to keep a fastness at their boundary lines. The lone thing that would non be broken within Black maleness is in the name. To be a true portion of this cultural group one would hold to be a Black male. This is the lone thing that will keep true to keep the boundary lines of Black maleness. Biologically Self Perpetuating Black maleness has become such a widely known phenomenon and even those who do non portion the same lineage seem to be able to incarnate traits of this group. Traditionally an cultural group would portion a common background and family. Through the usage of mass media the cult of the Black male has become extremely sexualized and those who see this machismo want to be portion of it. Cultural groups are chiefly endogamic and this new assimilation into their group will do jobs with this. This is a job because it takes off from the power of what this group stands for and what they embody as the butch adult male. â€Å"In a societal order where white beliefs signifier cardinal accounts of how persons should ordain their color-sex places and associated function outlooks. black males do non. regardless of their economic position or rational capablenesss. have the cultural privilege to take the enterprise. † This quotation mark redefines that there is a dominant civilization and leting assimilation this group is leting the power to be taken off. As these work forces are portrayed as hyper sexualized in the media it introduces them to something that the dominant civilization positions as the ideal. this goes back to colonisation and the privation of what the White adult male has. the unachievable. â€Å"A major ground for the initial brush was the mystique attached to the hitherto unavailable ‘the white goddess’ † . This â€Å"white goddess† . the unavailable. is the difference between the dominant civilization and the Black Masculinity. Black work forces move between bulk and minority civilizations and must negociate the racism and favoritism that accompany caste-like minority position. Frazier suggests that Black maleness and male function individuality must be viewed in these changing societal and cultural contexts. Specifically. Black work forces are expected to conform to dominant gender function outlooks ( e. g. . to be successful. competitory. aggressive ) . every bit good as meeting culturally specific demands ( e. g. . cooperation. publicity of group. and endurance of group ) of the Black community. â€Å"certain patriarchal values such as physical strength. sexual art and being in control as a agency of endurance against the repressive and violent system of subordination to which they were subjected† . The dehumanising facet of this myth. a myth that Mercer claims many black work forces do non desire demystified because it in some ways ( e. g. . strength. sexual art ) raises them above the position of white work forces. is that. while an accent on the organic structure as beastly force is a marker of the difference between male and female. it is besides a cardinal symbol in the division between nature and civilization. Possibly this is why Black maleness came to be. It is argued that the members of the Black Power motion defined the political relations of race within â€Å"metaphoric of phallic power. † which developed out of male activists’ desires to counter cultural articulations of black male lower status. and that this is readily seen in the Hagiographas of influential figures such as Malcolm X. Huey Newton. Eldridge Clever. and Amiri Baraka. Wiegman farther claims that the phallocentric position was besides articulated through the macho. hyper masculine characters looking in the blaxploitation movies of the early 1970s. It is through Wiegman’s phallic theories about Black males that this cultural group created the term and civilization of Black maleness. Conclusion Through Barth this paper has been able to discourse the boundaries which the cultural group Black maleness was able to command. They were able to make their ain cultural group in response to the dominant civilization. They defined themselves through being Black males. They embodied what it meant to be. They did this by frock and action. This is late obvious through the media and ‘gangta’ blame and possibly with this incarnation they are able to turn out that they are able to be as a powerful force within the dominant civilization. Black maleness members are able to hold their ain sense of linguistic communication whether it be verbal. Ebonics. of physical. â€Å"cool pose† . This is how they established members of the group and were able to pass on with each other by these agencies. They reinforced that the â€Å"cool pose† shows stamina and it additions him respect and from this it promotes solidarity within the group of Black males. The â€Å"cool pose† is non ever a good thing. In the media the dominant society does non see the jock but the mobster and the stereotype which is created by the dominant civilization. They are seen as a menace and to maintain them safe Black maleness was created in an effort to make values and regulations of their ain in order to obtain position in a dominant civilization. To maintain this group sole these Black work forces created a linguistic communication of their ain and through this they communicate and they are able to keep a strong bond through these agencies of communicating. Through the usage of linguistic communication they create boundary lines. The boundary lines which they created let them to keep who they are without being assimilated into the dominant civilization. They have embraced and emphasized who they are and what they stand for. To protect this they erected boundary lines such as similar dress/style. linguistic communication. sense of history and shared imposts. These facets are alone to them but as popular civilization embraced these facets such as linguistic communication and dress the boundary lines began to interrupt. One thing that the dominant civilization could non interrupt is their gender and race. They were African American work forces and no affair what the dominant civilization did to seek and absorb them they had this to observe. This is of import to keep the strength of your boundary lines. Black maleness is a group of Black males who have been able to continue that they are portion of an cultural group and they have history which needs to be respected. They are seeking to prolong a civilization that is easy being integrated into the dominant civilization. If this group follows what Barth has laid out in order to keep boundaries so Black maleness will be able to be whomever they want within the dominant civilization. REFERENCES Alexander. C. The Art of Being Black. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1996. Barths. F. Ethnic Groups and Boundaries. Christiania: Universitesforlaget. 1969. Frazier. E. Franklin. The Negro Family in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1939. Gray. H. â€Å"He Is a â€Å"Bad Mother*S % @ ! # † : Shaft and Contemporary Black Masculinity. American Quarterly. Vol. 50. No. 2. 1998. Gray. H. Cultural Politics. A Particular Section: Black Masculinity and Ocular Culture. Callaloo. Vol. 18. No. 2. ( Spring. 1995 ) . Jackson. J. Language Identity of The Colombian Vaupes Indians. In Baumand. R. . Sherzer. J. . Exploration in the Ethnography of Speaking: Surveies in the Socialand Cultural Foundations of Language. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1989. Major leagues. R. . A ; Bilson. J. M. Cool Pose. New York: Lexington. 1989. Mercer. K. Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge. 1994. Mercer. K. A ; Julien. I. Race. Sexual Politics and Black Masculinity: A Dossier. London: Lawerence A ; Wishart. 1998. Smith. A. D. The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Blackwell. 1987. Staples. R. Black Masculinity: The Black Male’s Role in American Society. San Francisco: The Black Scholar Press. 1982. Wiegman. R. Feminism. ‘The Boyz’ and Other Matters Sing the Male: Screening the Male: Exploring Malenesss in Hollywood Cinema. London: Routledge. 1993. Wilikinson. D. Y. Expectations and Salience in White Female – African Male Self-Other Role Definitions. Chicago: Nelson-Hall. 1977.

How to Speak Like a Italian Like

How to Speak Like a Italian Like If you want to learn Italian, forget your native tongue. If you want to speak Italian like a native, then spend some time in Italy speaking only Italian. If you want to read Italian, then pick up an Italian newspaper and peruse whatever section interests you. The point is, if you want to achieve competency in Italian, you must think like an Italian- and that means getting rid of the helpers that are real hindrances and standing on your own two (linguistic) feet. Bilingual Dictionaries Are a Crutch Speaking English to your friends is a waste of time if your goal is to speak Italian. Making grammatical comparisons between English and Italian are worthless. It sounds counterintuitive, but in the end, each language has rules and forms that are unique and sometimes illogical. And translating back and forth in your head before speaking or reading is the ultimate fools errand that will never lead to real-time speaking competence. Interact With Native Speakers So many people approach language as a science and get completely tongue-tied- witness the e-mail questions this SiteGuide receives daily about obscure Italian grammatical points and textbook recommendations. Learners obsess over minutiae, as if Italian could be dissected, instead of speaking Italian and interacting with native speakers. Imitate them. Mimic them. Ape them. Copy them. Let go of your ego and make believe youre an actor trying to sound Italian. But please- no books with something else to memorize. That turns off students immediately and is not effective in the least. Ignore English Grammar If there’s one bit of advice I can offer to anyone studying Italian, regardless of your level: Stop thinking in English! Ignore English grammar- you’re wasting a lot of mental energy trying to translate literally and construct sentences according to English syntax. In a letter to the editor in The New York Times Magazine, Lance Strate, an associate professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University in The Bronx reinforces this point: ...it does not follow that all languages are equal, and therefore interchangeable. If this were true, the translation would be a relatively simple and straightforward affair, and learning another language would involve nothing more than learning to substitute one code for another, much like using Roman numerals. The truth is that different languages differ in highly significant ways, in grammar as well as vocabulary, which is why each language represents a unique way of codifying, expressing, and understanding the world. We do not become fluent in a new language until we stop translating and simply start thinking in the new language, because each language represents a distinctive medium of thought. Let Go of Your Fear of Making Mistakes Your goal should be to communicate, not sound as if you have a Ph.D. in Italian grammar (you’ll never do it, anyway, since there are only a small number of native Italians who are that well-versed in the intricacies of their own language. But certainly, most of them can communicate their every emotion, fear, want, and need.). Your biggest mistake, and what will hold you back, is using English as a crutch and being afraid of opening your mouth wide and singing that lovely language called la bella lingua. At the risk of sounding discouraging, a lot of language learners just don’t get it, and never will. It’s similar to taking dance lessons. You can put cut-out feet on the floor with numbers on them and take lessons from an expert, but if you don’t have rhythm, and you don’t have that swing, you’re always and forever going to look like a klutz on the dance floor, no matter how many lessons you take and how much you practice. So what do you do if you’re not a good dancer and weren’t born with natural rhythm? Scripted Responses Learning scripted responses in foreign languages is unproductive. Every textbook for beginners devotes many pages to dialogue that’s stilted and simply doesn’t occur in real life. So why teach it?! If you ask a person on the street Dov’e’ il museo? and he doesn’t respond according to the script you memorized, then what? You’re stuck, because there is an infinite number of potential responses, and none of us has enough time on the face of this earth to memorize them. And that person on the street is going to keep on walking because he’s headed to a great pizzeria. Learning scripted responses in foreign languages encourages a false sense of confidence. It doesnt translate into real-time speaking competence nor will you understand the musicality of the language. It’s like looking at a musical score and expecting to be a master violinist just because youve memorized the notes. Instead, you have to play it, and play it again and again. Likewise with the Italian language. Play with it! Practice! Listen to native Italian speakers and mimic them. Laugh at yourself trying to pronounce gli correctly. Italian, more so than many languages, is musical, and if you remember that analogy it will come easier. There is no secret, no Rosetta Stone, no silver bullet when it comes to learning a language. You have to listen and repeat ad nauseum. You will make a quantum leap in learning Italian when you abandon your native tongue and disengage from the grammar that you implicitly learned when you were a child.

Writing Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing Application - Essay Example I plan to learn the language and immerse myself into reading more about their culture. I could also find out more from our colleagues who were previously assigned in Japan and have had diverse working experiences. I can therefore gather guidelines and techniques that would improve our business transactions with them. I would follow your advice to smile a lot; to listen without interrupting and to learn to accept the blame when misunderstandings in communication could ensue. I am sure that when I develop a level of proficiency in their language, lesser miscommunications would occur. I look forward to the new assignment and I assure you that you will be apprised on new updates and developments that would happen between our Kansai office and our head office, as needed. Again, my sincerest thanks and best regards to you. I am scheduled to take a vacation from the period July 17 to July 24 of 2012 and am therefore interested to take my family for a houseboat vacation. I have three kids and together with my wife, we plan to go to the California Delta area. We have never done this before, but it sounds interesting. Please send me any information you may have. I will have to make my vacation plans soon. I am particularly interested to find out details on rental costs and insurance, amenities (television set, bedding, kitchenware), and the needed orientation to operate the houseboat, if any. I would also appreciate if you can advise on the boundaries within which the houseboats could be safely and appropriately maneuvered. Lastly, reservation details would be expected and appreciated; including any options to extend the vacation to another week, if possible. The rental fee for a houseboat is $175 per day or $1,000 per week which already include insurance. The houseboat is complete with amenities such as a TV set, bedding, dishes and kitchenware. We can also provide an AM/FM radio and a CD player upon request. We have a houseboat available for July

Criminal Orginizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Orginizations - Essay Example No wonder that the same device which socially is a help may bring about new social trouble when groups clash with groups, or when minor units, families, crowds, or neighborhoods run counter to the demands of the supreme unit, the state. It is not always easy to reconcile conflicting codes and loyalties. The reading suggests that organized crime can be explained as illegal activities aimed to gain financial profits with the help of unlawful actions of disciple; Ned groups of people. The code is acknowledged and the state sets its categorical claims aside. Again group loyalty is permitted to assume the first place. Organized crime group life and structure are subject to other forces which do not stand still. They are deeply affected by technological innovations, the machine age, the age of birth control, the age of ideologies. Through the medium of nascent and dying units all these basic factors of human development and reversion bear on criminal behavior. A group comes into existence when at least one other person enters into relations with a given individual. Organized crime life presupposes interaction. The contact should therefore be not completely ephemeral or one-sided. A passer-by who happens to be knocked down in a dark street does not form a unit with the robber. He may be d runk and scarcely aware of the aggressor. He may even fight back. In no case has a group been set up. Yet there can be beginnings of organized crime with the policeman on his regular beat, with the boss, with a teacher or a priest. Imaginary partners and a person's sincere belief may constitute a social unit, fanciful, it is true, but operative (Lunde and Morton 2004). In general, organized crime groups require some continuity, intimacy, and emotional content. There are certainly group relations between father and son, between two friends, two lovers. Hate and fear are not absolutely group-preventing when compulsive nearness in a prison, in an office, in a neighborhood establishes a contact that otherwise would be avoided. Such units, of course, by necessity live on compromises, private nonaggression pacts, and methods of cooperation. Yet they may have a bearing on both partners' behavior. The "good" prisoner and the warden often live for years in the interdependence of this relationship and act accordingly. Much more often we think of a plurality of persons when we speak of social units. But the simple aggregate is not yet a group sociologically. It does not matter that they meet by chance in a certain square or room. This is just a multitude. But as soon as they go into the streets to show their love or their hate for the same man or the same cau se a metamorphosis has taken place. For a short time at least they have fallen in line psychologically; among all the remaining disparities one identity has made its appearance, which takes command of the multitude and suddenly makes it one, "unum," an organized crime unit. The permanence of these groups does not mean that behind their rigid structure individuals do not come and go. Young people leave their families and set up their own homes. In a highly competitive world, Organized crime groups are designed to substitute for individual competition. The strength of the organized crime u

Singapore education system Essay Example for Free

Singapore education system Essay Singapore’s education system is one of the top among the world. I am glad to grow up in such system whereby we are trained since young to try and achieve the best of both worlds balancing academic and non-academic achievements like CCAs. I would like to know the views on looking into various â€Å"loopholes† in the education systems. Ministry of Education (MOE) is offering new paths for students, who did well for their GCE ‘N’ Level, to further their studies at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or even local Polytechnics without taking the GCE ‘O’ Level, yet at the same time do not have any plans to further support these students such that most of them could not enter the local universities due to lack of qualifications. Singapore’s education system is one of the top among the world. I am glad to grow up in such system whereby we are trained since young to try and achieve the best of both worlds balancing academic and non-academic achievements like CCAs. I would ask the Prime Minister for his views on looking into various â€Å"loopholes† in the education systems. Ministry of Education (MOE) is offering new paths for students, who did well for their GCE ‘N’ Level, to further their studies at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or even local Polytechnics without taking the GCE ‘O’ Level, yet at the same time do not have any plans to further support these students such that most of them could not enter the local universities due to lack of qualifications. Singapore’s education system is one of the top among the world. I am glad to grow up in such system whereby we are trained since young to try and achieve the best of both worlds balancing academic and non-academic achievements like CCAs. I would ask the Prime Minister for his views on looking into various â€Å"loopholes† in the education systems. Ministry of Education (MOE) is offering new paths for students, who did well for their GCE ‘N’ Level, to further their studies at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or even local Polytechnics without taking the GCE ‘O’ Level, yet at the same time do not have any plans to further support these students such that most of them could not enter the local universities due to lack of qualifications. Singapore’s education system is one of the top among the world. I am glad to grow up in such system whereby we are trained since young to try and achieve  the best of both worlds balancing academic and non-academic achievements like CCAs. I would ask the Prime Minister for his views on looking into various â€Å"loopholes† in the education systems. Ministry of Education (MOE) is offering new paths for students, who did well for their GCE ‘N’ Level, to further their studies at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or even local Polytech nics without taking the GCE ‘O’ Level, yet at the same time do not have any plans to further support these students such that most of them could not enter the local universities due to lack of qualifications.

A Presentation Of George Orwell And His Protest Novels :: essays research papers

Eric Arthur Blair was born on June 5, 1903, in Bengal, India. His father was not a wealthy man. He supported his family only on the salary of a civil servant. When his writing career began, his penname became George Orwell. Orwell received his formal education from Eton Academy during a period ranging from 1917 to 1921. After completion of Eton, Orwell did not continue his education; instead he joined forces with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. He served with the police until he began teaching. He was a high-ranking officer during his years on the police force. His life was poverty stricken until the mid-1930’s. He was considered to be a â€Å"combination of middle class intellectual and working class reformer† (Stewart). Orwell chose to live among tramps in England and the working class in Paris. His experience in England and Paris was the basis for his first book Down and Out in Paris in London, first published in 1933. For many years, Orwell worked as a teacher . A Clergyman’s Daughter was based on his experience as a teacher (Borman 5-6). Considered a novelist and a social critic, Orwell’s fame began in 1945 with the publication of his first protest novel, Animal Farm (Stewart).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Animal Farm is just one of Orwell’s protest novels, but disputably the best protest novel of all time. The novel is allegedly based on the Russian Revolution. Animal Farm is an allegory of the political strife in twentieth-century Europe (Brown 72). According to Orwell his inspiration for Animal Farm came from a little boy, perhaps ten years old driving a huge cart-horse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat. (Williams 339) During the Russian Revolution, leaders such as Russia’s Joseph Stalin negotiated with England but made plans secretly with other leaders and nations. In Animal Farm various animals personify or represent political leaders and factions of the Russian Revolution. In the novel Old Major represents Karl Marx, a German economist of the Russian Revolution. Joseph Stalin is portrayed, in the novel, by Napoleon. Stalin was known for negotiating with England but also leading acts of corruption with other countries. In Animal Farm Napoleon negotiates with Mr.

Hemingway’s novel “The Old Man and the Sea” Essay

Hemingway’s late novel â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† lends itself readily to allegorical and religious interpretation; indeed, myriad critical texts exist wherein   â€Å"solutions† to the novel’s extensive and haunting symbolism crowd the pages until the reader begins to doubt the efficacy of any single interpretation. The complexity of Hemingway’s â€Å"fish† story demands as wide an appraisal as can be summoned by the reader and critic, forfeiting claims to any single or final statement on the novel’s specific religious connotations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Without a doubt, traditional components of Roman Catholicism (as well as ancient pagan religious imagery and themes) form a vibrant part of the novel’s theme. For example, the concepts of sin (and original sin) rise as central to the tension, suspense, and character development of the novel. Santiago, the novel’s protagonist undergoes two seemingly separate battles during the course of the novel: first against a gigantic marlin he hopes to catch while fishing alone, far at sea; the second battle he wages – against sharks who â€Å"steal† his prize – leads to a pyrrhic victory. Along the way, both external events blend with Santiago’s internal monologues, which indicate an inner, spiritual struggle, one which first intimates itself and then clearly reveals itself to be universal, rather than personal, in nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By creating a deeply sympathetic character during the first third of the novel, and extending this reader-identification through the more morally ambiguous and treacherous parts of the story, Hemingway allows for universal reader sympathy. Santiago’s portrayal is one of honor, courage, compassion, and humility. These aspects of his character align him with a state of â€Å"purity† or sinless-ness, as though his world mirrors that of the â€Å"pre-fallen† Eden. After killing the great marlin and then losing this trophy to a feeding frenzy of sharks, Santiago embodies the original sin of all men, women and, in fact, Satan Himself, as described by traditional Catholicism.   The sin, stated simply is: pride. A more complex interpretation: that Santiago by traveling far out to sea beyond where any other fisherman would go and in attempting to catch a bigger fish than any fisher man could catch alone, demonstrates Santiago’s will toward individualism and – so – a will against his hitherto modest station in life.  Ã‚   When the sharks attack, Santiago construes them as a punishment for what he has done, by venturing out â€Å"beyond all people. Beyond all people in the world.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the first night of his fight with the marlin, Santiago starts to feel a sense of guilt for what he is doing. â€Å"I am only better than him through trickery,† he thinks, â€Å"and he meant me no harm.† Previously, Santiago believed that fishing for food was a noble act, at sea, fighting the marlin, he begins to believe differently. His self-directed comment about trickery parallels the idea of the Tree of Knowledge and original sin. Mankind’s pride in intelligence leads to senseless destruction, fueled not by need, but by vanity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Santiago’s plight brings upon intense reader-sympathy and the inner-struggle described through Santiago’s monologues helps introduce and sustain the spiritual catharsis Santiago experiences, also in the reader. One perceives that an act of vanity or pride carries deep repercussions even if it may seem trivial: a fisherman who fishes not for food but for fame  Ã‚   will wound and destroy   beauty.   At the end of the novel all that is left of the great fish is a skeleton washed away in the tide. Santiago’s sin is that he should have loved and not hunted and killed the great marlin, but in falling prey to his vanity he enacted a universal, human urge, which ultimately produced tragedy and then †¦ wisdom, rather than mere â€Å"trickery.†

Gender Roles In The importance of Being Earnest Essay

In The Importance of Being Earnest, the question of each gender’s role in society often centers on power. In the Victorian world men had greater influence than women. Men made the decisions for their families, while women worked around the house. Wilde raises interesting questions about gender roles in The Importance of Being Earnest, by putting women (like Lady Bracknell) in positions of power and by showing that men can be irresponsible and bad at Decision-making The traditional view of gender relations in the Victorian era was that men were active, manly, assertive and economically independent whilst women were assumed to be passive, pliant and dependent. I believe that Oscar Wilde does challenge these traditional roles deliberately to make humor out of these characteristics and to make fun of the conventional roles of society. The two main male characters, Jack and Algernon, cannot really be regarded as masculine, or at any rate both of them do not fit the criteria for wha t characteristics a stereotypical Victorian man would be they are both what people at that time would call ‘dandy’s’. Algy and jacks un gentlemanly behavior and trivial pursuits can be seen as comic and deliberate in making men seem less powerful and serious. Algy is also a little too concerned with clothing to come across as masculine. This can be seen when he criticizes Jack by saying that he had ‘never known anyone to put so much effort into dressing and to produce so little effect’. Algernon also says in Act two when talking to Cecily that he wouldn’t trust Jack to buy his outfits as he has ‘†no taste in neckties†. Algy is dandy, making him unmasculine and a bit of a joke in the eyes of the Victorian audience. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ A time in the play when we see women as having more power then men is in the character lady Bracknel, she is strong and blunt even coming across as a bit intimidating we get the feel that even Algy is afraid of her as he would rather make up a fake man then tell her that â€Å" he cannot have the pleasure of dinning† with her. Another strong female character we see is Gwendolyn. She is feminine in some aspects like how se wanted the proper engagement (she makes jack proposes formally), but at the same time she can be seen as more masculine then Jack especially because she is quite assertive. Gwendolyn is also breaking stereotypes as when her  mother tells her to wait in the carriage but she defies her, were as most girls at this time would not even dare to disobey there mothers. A good example of Gwendolyn being assertive is when Jack is made to propose to her properly. Even though Gwendolyn knows exactly what he is going to ask her and she even tells him that she is going to accept him before he proposes, Gwendolyn insists on a proper proposal, which is absurd. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Gwendolyn is clearly going to be more and more like her mother as she matures we see Algy mention this when he says that a girl’s worst flaw is that â€Å"they will end up just like their mothers†. Her mother, Lady Bracknell, is probably the most masculine character in the play. She is very pompous and the most assertive of all the characters. She has the power to stop Jack from marrying Gwendolen and has the ability to boss the male characters of the play around. Lady Bracknell’s masculinity is funny because it is almost absurd. She is seen as lacking some more feminine characteristics like sympathy for example she has no sympathy for Bunbury who she claims â€Å"should just make up his mind whether he is going to live or die† .She gives Jack no condolences when he says that he had â€Å"lost† both his parents, instead she says that he was careless, and when he explains that he was found she appears to be outraged and shocked giving us the impression that she has control over the situation. Lady Bracknell has the upper hand over all the main characters in the play. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨After the examination of the female characters it can be concluded that the female characters are not really typical Victorian women than are Algernon and Jack typical Victorian men. Oscar Wilde has created characters that challenge the Victorian views of gender relations and this is what causes the play to be so funny. The characters are not what you would expect and can be seen as over exaggerated stereotypes of gender roles at the time.

Valens and the Battle of Adrianople (Hadrianopolis)

Valens and the Battle of Adrianople (Hadrianopolis) Bad intelligence gathering and the unwarranted confidence of Emperor Valens (A.D. c. 328 - A.D. 378) led to the worst Roman defeat since Hannibals victory at the Battle of Cannae. On August 9, A.D. 378, Valens was killed and his army lost to an army of Goths led by Fritigern, whom Valens had given permission only two years earlier to settle in Roman territory. Division of Rome In 364, a year after the death of Julian, the apostate emperor, Valens was made co-emperor with his brother Valentinian. They chose to split the territory, with Valentinian taking the West and Valens the East- a division that was to continue. (Three years later Valentinian conferred the rank of co-Augustus on his young son Gratian who would take over as emperor in the West in 375 when his father died with his infant half-brother, Gratian, co-emperor, but only in name.) Valentinian had had a successful military career prior to being elected emperor, but Valens, who had only joined the military in the 360s, had not. Valens Tries to Reclaim Land Lost to the Persians Since his predecessor had lost eastern territory to the Persians (5 provinces on the eastern side of the Tigris, various forts and the cities of Nisibis, Singara and Castra Maurorum), Valens set out to reclaim it, but revolts within the Eastern Empire kept him from completing his plans. One of the revolts was caused by the usurper Procopius, a relative of the last of the line of Constantine, Julian. Because of a claimed relationship with the family of the still popular Constantine, Procopius persuaded many of Valens troops to defect, but in 366, Valens defeated Procopius and sent his head to his brother Valentinian. Valens Makes a Treaty With the Goths The Tervingi Goths led by their king Athanaric had planned to attack Valens territory, but when they learned of Procopius plans, they became his allies, instead. Following his defeat of Procopius, Valens intended to attack the Goths, but was prevented, first by their flight, and then by a spring flood the next year. However, Valens persisted and defeated the Tervingi (and the Greuthungi, both Goths) in 369. They concluded a treaty quickly which allowed Valens to set to work on the still missing eastern (Persian) territory. Trouble From the Goths and Huns Unfortunately, troubles throughout the empire diverted his attention. In 374 he had deployed troops to the west and was faced with a military manpower shortage. In 375 the Huns pushed the Goths out of their homelands. The Greuthungi and Tervingi Goths appealed to Valens for a place to live. Valens, seeing this as an opportunity to increase his military, agreed to admit into Thrace those Goths who were led by their chieftain Fritigern, but not the other groups of Goths, including those led by Athanaric, who had conspired against him before. Those who were excluded followed Fritigern, anyway. Imperial troops, under the leadership of Lupicinus and Maximus, managed the immigration, but badly- and with corruption. Jordanes explains how the Roman officials took advantage of the Goths. Soon famine and want came upon them, as often happens to a people not yet well settled in a country. Their princes and the leaders who ruled them in place of kings, that is Fritigern, Alatheus and Safrac, began to lament the plight of their army and begged Lupicinus and Maximus, the Roman commanders, to open a market. But to what will not the cursed lust for gold compel men to assent? The generals, swayed by avarice, sold them at a high price not only the flesh of sheep and oxen, but even the carcasses of dogs and unclean animals, so that a slave would be bartered for a loaf of bread or ten pounds of meat.- Jordanes Driven to revolt, the Goths defeated the Roman military units in Thrace in 377. In May 378, Valens aborted his eastern mission in order to deal with the uprising of Goths (aided by Huns and Alans). Their number, Valens was assured, was no more than 10,000. [W]hen the barbarians ... arrived within fifteen miles from the station of Nike, ... the emperor, with wanton impetuosity, resolved on attacking them instantly, because those who had been sent forward to reconnoiter- what led to such a mistake is unknown- affirmed that their entire body did not exceed ten thousand men.- Ammianus Marcellinus,  The Battle of Hadrianopolis Occupation Index - Ruler By August 9, 378, Valens was outside of one of the cities named for the Roman emperor Hadrian, Adrianople. There Valens pitched his camp, built palisades and waited for Emperor Gratian (who had been fighting the Germanic Alamanni)  to arrive with the Gallic army. Meanwhile, ambassadors from the Gothic leader Fritigern arrived asking for a truce, but Valens didnt trust them, and so he sent them back. The historian Ammianus Marcellinus, the source of the only detailed version of the battle, says some Roman princes advised Valens not to wait for Gratian, because if Gratian fought Valens would have to share the glory of victory. So on that August day Valens, thinking his troops more than equal to the reported troop numbers of the Goths, led the Roman imperial army into battle. Roman and Gothic soldiers met each other in a crowded, confused, and very bloody line of battle.   Our left wing had advanced actually up to the wagons, with the intent to push on still further if they were properly supported; but they were deserted by the rest of the cavalry, and so pressed upon by the superior numbers of the enemy, that they were overwhelmed and beaten down.... And by this time such clouds of dust arose that it was scarcely possible to see the sky, which resounded with horrible cries; and in consequence, the darts, which were bearing death on every side, reached their mark, and fell with deadly effect, because no one could see them beforehand so as to guard against them.-  Ammianus Marcellinus: The Battle of Hadrianopolis Amid the fighting, an additional contingent of Gothic troops arrived, far outnumbering the distressed Roman troops. Gothic victory was assured. Death of Valens Two-thirds of the Eastern army were killed, according to Ammianus, putting an end to 16 divisions. Valens was among the casualties. While, like most of the details of the battle, the details of Valens demise are not known with any certainty, it is thought that Valens was either killed towards the end of the battle or wounded, escaped to a nearby farm, and there was burned to death by Gothic marauders. A supposed survivor brought the story to the Romans. So momentous and disastrous was the Battle of Adrianople that Ammianus Marcellinus called it the beginning of evils for the Roman empire then and thereafter. It is worth noting that this catastrophic Roman defeat occurred in the Eastern Empire. Despite this fact, and the fact that among the precipitating factors for the fall of Rome, barbarian invasions must rank very high, the fall of Rome, barely a century later, in A.D. 476, did not occur within the Eastern Empire. The next emperor in the East was Theodosius I who conducted clean up operations for 3 years before concluding a peace treaty with the Goths. See Accession of Theodosius the Great. Source: De Imperatoribus Romanis Valens(campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/Mediterranean/Adrianople.html) Map of the Battle of Adrianople (www.romanempire.net/collapse/valens.html) Valens

Johnson Surname Meaning and Origin

Johnson Surname Meaning and Origin Johnson is an English patronymic name meaning son of John (gift of God). The name John derives from the Latin Johannes, which is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning Jehovah has favored. The suffix meaning son, creates several different variations of the Johnson surname. Examples: English son, Norwegian sen, German sohn, and Swedish sson. Jones  is the common Welsh version of this surname. The JOHNSON surname may also be an Anglicisation of the Gaelic surname MacSeain or MacShane. Johnson was a very popular name among Christians, given the many saints named John, including St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Surname Origin:  English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings: Johnston, Jonson, Jonsen, Johanson, Johnstone, Johnsson, Johannsan, Jensen, MacShane, McShane, McSeain Fun Facts About the Johnston Surname Johnston/Johnstone combined was the 10th most frequent surname at the General Register Office of Scotland in 1995. Famous People with the Surname Johnson Andrew Johnson - Americas 17th PresidentLyndon B. Johnson - Americas 36th PresidentCaryn Elaine Johnson - AKA Whoopie Goldberg, African American ActressShawn Johnson - 2008 Olympics gymnastics gold medalist Genealogy Resources for the Surname Johnson Search Strategies for Common Last NamesUse these strategies for locating ancestors with common names like Johnson to help you research your JOHNSON ancestors online. 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Johnson Johnston Johnstone Surname DNA ProjectJohnsons around the world are having their DNA tested in order to learn more about their family origins, and connections to other Johnson and Johnston families. History of the Johnston/Johnstone ClanThere were a number of Johns towns in Scotland but the earliest record of the surname is a John Johnstone at the end of the 12th century. Johnson Name Meaning Family HistoryAn overview of the Johnson surname meaning, plus subscription-based access to genealogical records on Johnson families around the world from Ancestry.com. FamilySearch - JOHNSON GenealogyExplore over 37 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees available for the Johnson surname, and variations such as Johnston, on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Johnson Family Genealogy ForumSearch this forum for the Johnson surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Johnson query. Theres also a separate forum for the Johnston surname. DistantCousin.com - JOHNSON Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Johnson. The Johnson Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Johnson surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Technology Changes Healthcare Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology Changes Healthcare - Case Study Example The networked hospital TV’s apart from providing entertainment to patients also present health-related videos approved by the nurses. Moreover, patients can give the complaints and ideas through the TV interactive system. The healthcare organizations are unable to obtain the return on technology investment. The vital role played by Technology plays in healthcare organizations can go unnoticed by the management as suggested by Ogallaga (n.d). Technology in healthcare centers seems to operate a seamless supply chain despite the industry being inundated by errors that make the process slow, increasing costs, providing incorrect products to the wrong people. Technology has led to deterioration of management confidence in their healthcare organization’s capacity to support the anticipated benefit from its technological investments. This is due to inadequate IT running and communication. The healthcare organizations should adopt the execution of an enterprise wide Information Technology preparation and management strategy according to Ogallaga (n.d). This is to achieve a return on technology investment. Healthcare organizations must invest in technology that provide a return on investment and are managed by users with less cost. Additionally, healthcare institutions should support the administration by providing decision support systems that give incredible return on investment can be used without constant IT support. Similarly, in the education industry significant success brought about by technology, for instance, learners have access to wide range of information. There are also highly technological laboratory equipments used by science students. Technology has played a significant role in healthcare. This is depicted in most hospitals where use of technology has enabled networking of physicians, easy access to