Race Is Socially Constructed free essay sample

Today race is thought of differently than it ever was before. With so many mixes out there it is almost impossible to guess a person’s race based solely on appearance. Race is not something we can see or even prove scientifically. In modern terms, â€Å"race is a socially constructed category composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of society consider important. † (Farrell 2012). Which means race is something made up by humans to categorize people who share biological traits. In a scientific sense race cannot be proven or even real, however race is still very important. The idea of race is modern; people have not always been categorized in this way. â€Å"Ancient societies did not divide people according to physical differences, but according to religion, status, class, even language. † (web sight activity) Not until people started exploring and moving across seas did they distinguish differences among others and have a need for classification. We will write a custom essay sample on Race Is Socially Constructed or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Over time and as immigration became popular there was more intermarriage, new races and ethnic groups. Today sociologist understand race as a social concept and not a biological fact. For example White Americans are able to choose and pass for what race and ethnic backgrounds they want to claim. The decision to claim Irish American, rather than Irish and French American depends on the situation. During St. Patrick’s Day one might claim to be Irish and not French because the French is irreverent to the situation. This person would be called an optional ethnic because their social situation makes it most convenient to be just Irish. Another example is when parents fill out their children’s census ancestry reports. â€Å"Only about 60 percent of the children of English-German marriages are labeled as English-German or German-English. About 15 percent of the children of these parents are simplified to just English, and another 15 percent are reported as just German. The remainder of the children are either not given an ancestry or are described as American. (pg 98 Optional Ethnicites Mary Waters 2004) This shows how easy it is for whites to pass for which ever race is more convenient and it has nothing to do with biology. On the other hand, a black person does not have this luxury. â€Å"In the United States, individuals who are actually â€Å"black† by the logic of hypo-descent have attempted to skirt the discriminatory barriers imposed by law and custom by attempting to â€Å" pass† for white. Ironically, these same individuals would not be able to pass for â€Å"black† in many Latin American societies. (pg 23 racial formations 2007 michael omi and Howard winant) Since there are so many ideas of black, someone who has even the slightest bit of black in them generally is seen as black and cannot pass for anything else. expand Countries and places all over the world view race differently, this is why race is socially constructed and cannot be proven scientifically. For example â€Å"in many Latin American countries, race is not a meta-concept based on biological categories but rather a classification dependent on time and context. â€Å"the determination and relative salience of race categories depend not on their â€Å"inherent† nature as physical characteristics but on the historical development of the context in which these categories are valued. Within this framework, the points of social reference in which a given individual operates are important determinants of racial identity. † (pg 59 rethinking the color line 2007 Charles gallagher) This Latin American idea of race coming from language, family history and upbringing pro ves race is socially constructed.

The Jim Crow Era

The Jim Crow Era The Jim Crow Era in United States history began towards the end of the Reconstruction Period and lasted until 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The Jim Crow Era was more than a body of legislative acts on the federal, state and local levels that barred African-Americans from being full American citizens. It was also a way of life that allowed de jure racial segregation to exist in the South and de facto segregation to thrive in the North. Origin of the Term "Jim Crow" In 1832,  Thomas D. Rice, a white actor, performed in blackface to a routine known as â€Å"Jump Jim Crow.†Ã‚   By the end of the 19th Century, as southern states passed legislation that segregated African-Americans, the term Jim Crow was used to define these laws In 1904, the phrase Jim Crow Law was appearing in American newspapers. Establishment of a Jim Crow Society In 1865, African-Americans were emancipated from enslavement with the thirteenth amendment. By 1870, the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments are also passed, granting citizenship to African-Americans and allowing African-American the right to vote. By the end of the Reconstruction period, African-Americans were losing federal support in the South. As a result, white legislators on state and local levels passed a series of laws that separated African-Americans and whites in public facilities such as schools, parks, cemeteries, theaters, and restaurants. In addition to barring African-Americans and whites from being in integrated public areas, laws were established prohibiting African-American men from participating in the election process. By enacting poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses, state and local governments were able to exclude African-American from voting.   The Jim Crow Era was not just laws passed to separate blacks from whites. It was also a way of life. White intimidation from organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan kept African-Americans from rebelling against these laws and becoming too successful in southern society.  For instance, when  writer Ida B. Wells began exposing the practice of lynching and other forms of terrorism through her newspaper, Free Speech and Headlight, her printing office was burned to the ground by white vigilantes.   Impact on American Society In response to Jim Crow Era laws and lynchings, African-Americans in the South began participating in the Great Migration. African-Americans moved to cities and industrial towns in the North and West hoping to escape the de jure segregation of the South. However, they were unable to elude de facto segregation, which barred African-Americans in the North from joining specific unions or being hired in particular industries, purchasing homes in some communities, and attending choice schools. In 1896, a group of African-American women established the National Association of Colored Women to support women’s suffrage and fight against other forms of social injustice. By 1905, W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter developed the Niagara Movement, assembling more than 100 African-American men throughout the United States to aggressively fight against racial inequality.  Four years later, the Niagara Movement morphed into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight against social and racial inequality through legislation, court cases, and protests. The African-American press exposed the horrors of Jim Crow to readers throughout the country. Publications such as the Chicago Defender provided readers in southern states with news about urban environments- listing train schedules and job opportunities. An End to the Jim Crow Era During World War II the wall of Jim Crow began to slowly crumble. On the federal level, Franklin D. Roosevelt  established the Fair Employment Act or Executive Order 8802 in 1941 which desegregated employment in war industries after civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph threatened a March on Washington in protest to racial discrimination in the war industries.   Thirteen years later, in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education ruling found the separate but equal laws unconstitutional and desegregated public schools. In 1955, a seamstress and NAACP secretary named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus. Her refusal led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year and began the modern Civil Rights Movement. By 1960s, college students were working with organizations such as CORE and SNCC, traveling to the South to spearhead voter registration drives.  Men such as Martin Luther King Jr. were speaking not only throughout the United State but the world, about the horrors of segregation. Finally, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Jim Crow Era was buried for good.

Energy Conservation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy Conservation - Essay Example Use of fossil fuel to generate electricity is the largest contributor of carbon emission (Shorrock & Dunster, 2008 p.134). In property industries across the United Kingdom, emissions of carbon are due to different household chores such as, lighting, cooling, heating homes during winter and use of machines especially those that could be powered by electricity. In industries, carbon could be emitted through activities such as mining, manufacturing and construction. For example, the chemical industries, food industries, paper and mineral production, petroleum refining and primary metal production. These industries consume energy in vast quantities (Terry 2011, p.23). The United Kingdom is committed in reducing its carbon emission, and it has taken a number of steps in order to ensure that it keeps up with the fight against carbon emissions. The main ones include: Carbon Budget, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and Climate Change agreements. Carbon Budget would be established to curb green h ouse gas emission for a given period in the United Kingdom; the government would be committed in cutting the discharge by 80% by 2050. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme would be aimed at cutting emissions and achieving energy efficiency in the United Kingdom. The Climate Change Agreements entails conventions of the government with the energy intensive industries. Other strategies that the government has established to reduce emission of green house gases such as carbon emission include; carbon capture and storage, carbon offsetting, carbon valuation, carbon neutrality, climate change levy, climate change policy and regulations and European Union emission trading scheme (Miller 2008, p.150). Application of Issues to Property and Construction Industries Energy conservation should be enhanced in different areas where carbon could be extremely emitted. The greatest carbon emitted, could be due to burning of fossil fuel to generate electricity. Electricity in the United Kingdom could be c ommonly used in industries, construction, residential as well as transportation sector (Ellerman 2010, p.30). Conservation of Energy in Property Energy consumed in homes should be conserved for sustainability. This entails efficiency use of energy in a manner that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. This need may comprise of using energy for lighting, heating homes, cooling and use of appliance especially those powered by electricity (Cline 2002 p.76). Energy could be used for heating homes especially during winter and cooling during summer. In United Kingdom, energy conservation could be enhanced by the establishment of Energy Saving Trust. Its mandate is to examine tips and advice on how one can reduce the energy bills as well check reduced carbon emission to the atmosphere. It also provides guidance on products that meets the criterion of energy efficiency and add label for easy access during shopping (Lern er, 2008 p.32). a) Heating On heating and hot water in homes, the trust provides tips to for energy efficiency use such as understanding the heating system. The UK governments have ensured that all homes use electric storage heater or the boiler and radiator. The electric storage heater could be discouraged due to its deep emission of carbon. It heats up water during at night when electricity is off-peak and at lower cost. Use of central heating could be highly regarded by the UK government

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

Biol - Essay Example (Lipstadt 27) Lipstadt is a well-known researcher and historian with a Ph.D. and the professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University. (Alumni, Lipstadt Ph.D.) What Dawkins is discussing is the inevitable progression of people from belief to disbelief to outright lies in the attempt to ignore what we know is true. He later makes the statement that evolution is fact not a theory and that there is a difference between the fact that is evolution and the theory of its journey (Dawkins, Ph.D. FRS, FRSL) Clearly the purpose of this book is to first discredit attempts to disprove evolutionary theory while providing a basis for his approach. It is my opinion that he does a credible job in his approach In continued reading it becomes apparent to me that he has done his research and his proofs abound. His clear delineations between the â€Å"fact† as he calls it and the â€Å"theory† of what drives it tend to be very convincing.

Improving ones own performance Essay Example for Free

Improving ones own performance Essay Every fortnight on a Friday morning my line manager and I have a meeting to discuss my progress. This meeting is also for her feed back so she can see if there is anything I am struggling with, anything I need help with or I am not happy about. To the right is a picture of the scheduled meetings. This is on our Microsoft outlook account. The reason for this is so that if there are areas I am slipping with, for example my time keeping, we can discuss these issues comfortably and resolve them before they become an occurring issue. The need for these meetings is very important. They help monitor my progress by reflecting to my manager what I’ve been working on and how fast/slow I’ve been completing them. By doing these meetings it improves my performance by clearly showing my improvements giving me job satisfaction. I can also gain benefits from theses meetings too as I am improving my performance I may be more likely to be put forwards for a promotion because when my manager sees my hard work, she will inform the managing director and update him upon my progress. She gives me feedback on how I’ve been working and encourages me to do the same as without this I wouldn’t know what to improve or keep the same. Its adds value to my work as I am continuously improving, it also strengthens our relationship as I know what to do next time. During these meeting I have been asked to keep a record of achievement. I have also been asked to evaluate my own performance with a SWOT analysis every six months, so we can compare if there are any changes or areas of improvement. At times she suggest ways of possibly improving my work this helps me greatly as I may not have thought of the idea myself or even have tried it as I am not used to the method. It sometimes saves me a lot of time; this benefits my team and I as I can take on new tasks as I have spare time. Throughout my work I am constantly improving as I am learning new things all the time. As discussed by my manager and me, I have picked up a lot of important information just being in the office. When I am continuously learning it is helping me as when I learn something new I can apply it to situations, where needed. When I am enhancing my skills this helps me too as I know and understand more making my more aware. With my knowledge that has grown I will, in the future, apply it to other companies/organisations. This will benefit my career as I will know crucial information needed, not only to help me with an interview but help me secure another job. In my later life I would like to either study more business administration at university or possibly stay in the world of work and work my way up to become a manager in an office environment. At the end of my contract with Medilink I hope they would keep me on as I could grow my skills to adapt to learning about the other opportunities such as finance or even international work. Throughout my working life I use a PDP to show my achievement that aren’t actually a credited for. This adds great value to me as when I am going for an interview I can show this to my possible new employer. When Sarah and I have our fortnightly meeting I ask for feedback and on the occasion I write this down in my note book as I can reflect on it at a later date. This is because I won’t forget what she has said. I accept it with open arms as this will help me and is not said in a spiteful manor to upset me. It is constructive criticism, this is being assertive. If she wasn’t being assertive then it wouldn’t be good within our working environment. The benefit to this is that she can put her point across without sounding nasty and putting her point across in a respectful manor. I myself also have to be assertive too, for example if I get given a task and I have too much on I simply have say no as I would miss my deadline from taking over someone else job. I will offer an alternative if I can help as we work as a team and if I can save time for someone else I will. Plus when someone one is helping me and I do not agree with a certain way I voice my opinion and suggest to improve their performance, like when Tina was helping me with finding contacts on our database I suggested to sure the search bar rather than looking under the subheadings and finding them by trial and error. When having this meeting sometimes my manager, Sarah and I discus targets for when work needs to be completed. The reason for this is so that I get used to deadlines and can work to realistic target as my input is as important in these discussions as hers. It benefits me as I know I can structure myself to meet these target and they are within my reach. For example: I was given a task to go through the international managers, charlottes, mailing list in correspond to the members list, and our data base to update all three and ensure they are all up to date. We decided because there was 217 contacts on charlottes list that I would be given 22 working days to complete as this allows me to complete 10 a day so I could pick it up and put down the task in hand here and there amongst other tasks. With these discussions about targets we also discus the quality of my work. I set high standards as there are always room for improvements and if I am constantly aiming for the highest possible standard then overtime I should up the bar of my skills. This resulting in be being more knowledgeable. During day to day work there are setbacks that I may come across to overcome these and move forwards I first must accept these otherwise I can’t overcome them. When dealing with them there is one major benefit, it makes me a stronger worker as I know how to tackle them if they occur in the future. Everyday at work there are new challenges and the reason why I adapt the taking them on is because it will be a learning curve and will benefit my future. By adapting to change I grow my personality and move with the time, I am constantly growing my knowledge base and understanding what I need to take in. Treating others with respect honesty and consideration add to the business environment it ensure that the atmosphere we working in is enjoyable. When it is comfortable it promotes more effective working. When helping and supporting others at work, it saves them time as they don’t need to look for the answers and it add to the relationship within the working environment. To do this it is useful and very helpful. To show my targets in order of priority for my own work; is attached a sheet, listed in a random order but there is a coloured key to follow on the back. As you can see I have highlighted them corresponding to the coloured priority. In one of our meetings with Sarah I renegotiated the dead line of the previously mentioned task, the mailing list for Charlotte, in conjunction with the members list and our database. The reason for this was because we had a lot on for the awards event and I slipped behind due to bad time management therefore not being able to complete my task. On a weekly basis I like to achieve the highest possible outcome I can, to do this I set myself high standards. Such as: exceeding my targets. When helping Paul with his signs I completed them up to a brilliant aesthetic look and before my deadline. I laminated each one and got them all ready before he needed them. I was so committed that I stayed behind on one of the days to finish them off before my deadline. This demonstrated my passion for my work. I use my own needs to complete a task and it is my own right to use my own time during work to finish what I have been given. Like last week for example, I used my time during work to start a task I have been given by one of our members of the PR team, Martin. I treat all of my colleagues with respect, as I speak to them all with the right tone. Like in our weekly team briefing, I talk with politeness and do not use harsh tones.

Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart :: Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart "The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart." As the British colonized the areas of Nigeria inhabited by the Ibo, they brought with them their new religion of Christianity, which sought to overrun the traditional animist way of life that had endured in the area for centuries. The new religion was treated with skepticism early on, but the lure of the wealth that British traders brought into the city, along with the support of the British government and judicial system eventually displaced Ibo society completely. Although many historians make the assertion that the tribes’ conversion to Christianity by English missionaries was responsible, even noble, the truth is that the fragmentation of Ibo culture was not for the love of God, but for the love of money and power. For the colonialists, Christianity was used as an effective wedge between the Ibo and their land. They knew that without infiltration from the inside, the people of Umofia and surrounding villages would continue to rebel against British authority in the area. By introducing Christianity into the villages, and creating conflict amongst the natives, they were able to gain a foothold into the psyches of the tribespeople. Converted Christians, having been ostracized by the rest of their communities, were forced to rely on the British for support. The presence of natives loyal to the Queen gave the British blanket jurisdiction over the entire village, and the Royal administrative and judicial system could now enforce British law over the Ibo. Although the argument can me made that these effects were merely byproducts of a noble effort on the part of the Europeans to bring the Christian faith to Africa, more evidence suggests that the real motivation was money, not religion. The colonists had much to gain from a colonized Africa, including abundant natural resources and workers to tend farms and chop trees for the Queen. As the proverb goes, â€Å"Before the White Man came, we had the land and they had the Bible. Now we have the Bible and they have the land.

Content And Process Theories Of Motivation Essay

Motivation is a big influencer of productivity. Many supervisors know that what motivates employees to reach their peak performance is not easy. This is because employees respond in many ways to their jobs and their organization’s practices. Thus, a behavior that is motivated is one which is voluntarily chosen by each employee. The content approach to motivation is one that is of the assumption that individuals are motivated by the desire to fulfill inner needs. Content theories are something that is on the needs that motivate people. On the other hand, process approach to motivation is on how and why people choose particular behavior in order to meet their personal goals. Process theories are on the outside influences or behaviors that people choose to meet their needs. These external or outside influences are usually available to supervisors. An example of the content approach to motivation is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which has five level of needs. People go up these levels as their needs are answered. As the lower needs are satisfied, then the higher needs are activated. The most powerful employee need is that one which has not be yet satisfied. Abraham Maslow presented his needs theory in 1942 and then was published in 1954 in Motivation and Personality. This can be advantageous because the employees’ needs are answered as the person is satisfied. But it has its weakness too because it is rigid and does not cover the other small details that need to be taken into consideration when discussing motivations of people. Another content need is the Alderfer’s ERG which identified three categories of needs and its advantage is that there is the addition of the frustration-regression hypothesis that when people are not able to meet their higher level of needs, then, the next lower level needs come out. Meanwhile, another one of the content theory is McClelland’s Learned Needs which divides motivation into the needs for power, affiliation and achievement. This is the theory that is more on people pursuing their goals. People like to control their situations so they take risks and get feedback on their progress. This is mainly what this content theory means. There is also the motivation for power and for affiliation all under McClelland’s Learned Needs. Content needs has advantages especially if the person is motivated internally. But if he is not motivated at all, then these content theories are of not much benefit. (McClelland). Examples of the process theory Vroom’s Expectancy Model which suggests that people must choose among the alternative behaviors because they will be expecting that these behaviors will also lead to one or more desired outcomes and that the other behaviors will also bring undesirable outcomes.   Expectancy states that effort will also lead to first-order outcomes. Equity is the thinking of fairness which is involved in rewards given. Another process theory is the Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction (ARCS) Model of Motivational Design or Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivation was conceived in the early 1980s by John Keller. This was derived from his theory of motivation, performance and instructional influence developed in the late 1970s. This is a macro theory that explains a network of relationships of personal and environmental characteristics with focus on the effort, performance and consequences. This is where the idea of reinforcement comes in. It confirms or denies expectations. Several views suggest that internal motivational drives control the lives of peak performers. When one sees a change that lasts, one can be almost be certain that it took roots within the individuals it affects, at the level of their own talents and motives. (Keller). By contrast, many of the quick fixes treat motivation as if it were a fuel one injects into one’s system to make one run, and propose solutions that are external to the individual. Peak performers usually claim that external motivators produce the shortest-lived results. In effect, this theory is based upon the coordinated ideas of many researches that involve human motivation.   It will sustain learner’s motivation to learn. In short, this theory aims at identifying major categories of variables of individual behavior and of instructional design related to individual effort and performance (Wongwiwatthananukit, Supakit)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ARCS theory integrates several motivational concepts such as the expectancy-value theory, attribution theory, self-efficacy theory, social learning theory, and environmental theories. An effective way of getting attention, the first building block of the ARCS theory is through the collaborative projects and different methods of presentation. Relevance, the next building block of Keller’s model is achieved by letting students take ownership of the learning experience, making them have more responsibility and commitment to the learning experience. By allowing them to choose a relevant task, they are able to better match their motives and values (Fernandez, Jerry). The third building block is confidence and students’ learning is enhanced because of his achievements. Confidence is ego building and can thus enhance the way they perceive and learn things. The final building block is satisfaction and learners must have the possibilities to apply new skills (Driscoll, 1993, p. 318 as qtd in Fernandez). These process theories are useful because there are many environmental factors that can influence a person in many ways since they are coming from outside the person. The only problem with this is when the person does not give attention to his external environment or when the external circumstances are not good for the individuals concerned. Indeed, motivation is why individuals behave the way they do. Two important dimensions of the â€Å"whys† of behavior are activation and direction. First, when people are motivated, they do something. Their behavior is activated or energized. Second, when people are motivated, their behavior also is directed. Motivation focuses on how adolescents direct their behavior, or put another way, the specific behaviors adolescents select in certain situations but not others. Thus, this is what defines motivation—it is why individuals behave, think, and feel the way they do, with special consideration of the activation and direction of their behavior (McClelland, David). WORKS CITED Keller’s ARC’s Model of Motivation. Retrieved May 6, 2008 at: http://www.ittheory.com/keller1.htm Fernandez, J. Attribution Theory and Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivation. Accessed Retrieved May 6, 2008 at:http://chd.gmu.edu/immersion/knowledgebase/strategies/cognitivism/keller_ARCS.htm Pitt, Douglas C. Leadership and Motivation: The Effective Application of Expectancy Theory. Journal of Managerial Issues. Retrieved May 6, 2008 at: http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-leadership/801576-1.html Wongwiwatthananukit, Supakit, Applying the ARCS model of motivational design to pharmaceutical education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. Retrieved May 6, 2008 at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3833/is_200007/ai_n8910222/pg_8