Race Pierre Van Den Berghe Essays - Social Inequality,

Race: Pierre Van Den Berghe When we look at physical characteristics such as skin color from the social definition perspective, there is no clear meaning, but these characteristics do have what is referred to as social meaning. Pierre van den Berghe defined a racial group as a human group that defines itself and/or is defined by other groups as different from other groups by virtue of innate and immutable physical characteristics (8). Racial group distinctions are based upon ideological racism, which links physical qualities to the lesser or greater cultural and intellectual characteristics. Originating more than one hundred years ago, people with only one-eighth African ancestry, but even without any physical characteristics normally associated with African Americans, is still considered black by todays society. People refer to this as the one drop of blood rule, which basically is saying that if you have any African blood in you, you will most likely still be considered black no matter how much of any other blood you have in you. This is very unfair to mixed people around the world because people want to be considered whatever they feel they should be, not what society classifies them as. If this were true for all races, then how come someone who is only one-eighth white isnt considered white by society? Probably because society considers African Americans as the minority, so this became a cultural universal on how to judge if someone should be considered black or white. Ethnicity comes from the Greek word Ethnos, which means nation. Its earliest English usage referred to countries or nations that werent Jewish or Christian. There are two different definitions of ethnicity, one broad and one narrow. The broad definition refers to an ethnic group as being a social group distinguished by race, religion, or national origin. If we look closer, we will see that these characteristics are both physical and cultural, thats why this is referred to as the broad definition. The narrow definition refers to groups that are distinguished primarily on the basis of cultural or national-origin characteristics. The cultural characteristics being language, and the national-original characteristics being the country from which a person or his/her ancestors came. Today, the narrower definition is more preferred by social scientists because it matches up more precisely with the original Greek meaning of nationality. Ethnocentrism should also be mentioned here because this is a big cause of racism today. Ethnocentrism is the belief that your group or country believes that they are better than all the other groups and countries in the world. These groups always compare everything about other groups to their own group and try to pick out that groups weaknesses or differences. With all this, we get the words prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice can be defined as an antipathy based on a faulty generalization. It may be felt or expressed. It may be directed toward a group as a whole, or toward an individual because he or she is a member of that group (16). With prejudice being the feelings people have against specific people or groups, discrimination is actually the actions one carries out upon these people or groups. There are specific steps that have been used to show how discrimination is formed, and they are broken down in to the following: Motivation, discriminatory actions, effects, the relation between motivation and actions, the relation between actions and effects, the immediate institutional context, and the larger societal context (18). Even today, racial discrimination continues to be a multi-dimensional problem surrounding all institutional areas of our society. Sociology Essays

John Quincy Adams Essays (1590 words) - Adams Family, Free Essays

John Quincy Adams Essays (1590 words) - Adams Family, Free Essays John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams was the only son of a president to become president. He had an impressive political background that began at the age of fourteen. He was an intelligent and industrious individual. He was a man of strong character and high principles. By all account, his presidency should have been a huge success, yet it wasn't. John Quincy Adams' presidency was frustrating and judged a failure because of the scandal, attached to his election, the pettiness of his political rivals, and his strong character. John Quincy Adams was born on July 1767, in Braintree Massachusetts. His parents were John and Abigail Adams. Quincy, had every advantage as a youngster. At the time of his birth, his father was an increasingly admired and prospering lawyer, and his mother Abigail Smith Adams, was the daughter of an esteemed minister, whose wife's family combined two prestigious and influential lines, the Nortons and the Quincys. Accompanying his father on diplomatic missions in Europe, young John Quincy Adams received a splendid education at private schools in Paris, Leiden, and Amsterdam, early developing his penchant for omnivorous reading. He was able to speak several languages. At the age of fourteen, he was asked to serve as secretary and translator to Francis Dana, the first US ambassador to Russia. Despite his age, young Adams was a valuable aid to the consul; he enjoyed Russia and the exposure to diplomatic circles. He later returned to the United States and attended Harvard. He graduated in two years and entered the law offices of Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Passing the bar in 1790, he set up practice in Boston. In 1794 John began his long political career. George Washington appointed John Quincy Adams an Ambassador to the Netherlands. After his father was elected as the second president of the United States, he was reassigned to the post of minister to Prussia. He kept this post throughout his fathers term of office. After his fathers defeat to Thomas Jefferson he returned home. In 1802 he was elected to the Massachusetts senate, which sent him to the U. S senate the following year. He was also appointed to the Supreme Court, a membership he declined. President James Madison then appointed him to minister to Russia in 1809. He continued to serve his country and gained a well-respected reputation. Adding to his reputation was his brilliant and tough-minded performance as chief American peace commissioner in the negotiations at Gent that ended the War of 1812 and his effectiveness as minister to Great Britain during the last two years of the Madison administration. He continued to distinguish himself by negotiating a treaty with Spain. The Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain, concluded with Spain on February 22, 1819. Provided for the transfer of East and West Florida to the United States and the establishment of a border between Spanish and US territory running from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains and along the forty- second parallel to the Pacific ocean. Historians regard the treaty as a brilliant act of diplomacy, and Adams himself called its conclusion the most important event of my life. Many historians give credit to Adams for his contributions to the Monroe Doctrine. Adams also was the mind behind the Monroe Doctrine, which warned that the United States would oppose any European interference in the internal affairs of an American nation or further European colonization of territory in the Western Hemisphere. There was no doubt that Adams was a deserving candidate for the presidential election of 1824. He had held high diplomatic positions and displayed both aptitude and ability. He wanted to be President, but although Adams was the most distinguished member of the Monroe Cabinet, his successes were somewhat neutralized by his lack of friends and organizational backing He had also earned himself a reputation of being stubborn and unflexable. He had no problems speaking out against issues he felt were unjust. He also spoke out against his own political party. The son of a leading Federalist Party, Adams proved to be anything but a slavish devotee to that political cause. When he thought the party was in the wrong, he stood ready to oppose it. In fact,

The Impact of Coffee on the Global Marke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The Impact of Coffee on the Global Marke - Essay Example Consumer demand is on the rise for such coffee and as people continue to drink such coffees the quality of coffee is one issue that will not be overlooked (Myers, n.d). Coffee is also consumed for its value of inhibiting sleep. This usually enables individuals who were involved in an activity to continue even late in the night without the inhibition of sleep.  Additionally, Coffee is a source of employment for many people of the world. Coffee is said to be the second most traded product after Oil (Solange   et..Al, 2011).  Ã‚   This potentially means that it provides employment to many people at different levels. These include the famers who plant the crop, the people who transport the crop to the market, the people involved in the conversion of coffee from berries to the finished product, the individuals providing packaging for the coffee as well as the marketers, distributers, Warehouse operators and also the shipping companies and many more.  In addition, the impact of Cof fee has many positives about the provision of a beverage and employments at different levels. That said, it cannot be overlooked that there have been certain challenges with regard to employment and the remuneration of people involved globally in the production of Coffee which need to be addressed. These have led to maintaining of the poverty cycle, gender discrimination, as well as enrichment of a few intermediaries at the expense of the majority who are involved in the production cycle. If these issues are not addressed.

Ten questions, Ethical Issues in sports Assignment

Ten questions, Ethical Issues in sports - Assignment Example Researcher Todd Crosset stressed that his data were limited, but also wrote, "To suggest that all of these cases are simply a result of athletes being targeted because of their high profile status denies reality. The best interests of institutions cannot be served until those working within the institutions admit that a problem exists." Clearly, the universities do not make any effort to recognize a problem, and then to punish their star athletes for their horrendous actions. Without a doubt, student athletes with criminal records should not posses free-ride scholarships for various reasons. A student playing for a university is a privilege and not a right. If a student is immature and lacks decision making skills, then clearly the student does not deserve a free-ride scholarship. Furthermore, a student who is disciplined in his behaviors and ethics deserves a free-ride scholarship more than an athlete who does not value a free-ride scholarship. In this competitive business, agents play the race card in order to retain black athletes. With so much propaganda brewing from the media, playing the race card usually yields success for agents. A classic example of â€Å"playing the card† was portrayed in the trial of OJ Simpson, an ex-football athlete accused of murder as Roger Simon writes, October 1995 â€Å""Why was playing the race card necessary in order for O. J. Simpson to go free? The race card was instilled because it was the only way for the defense to deal with the massive physical evidence against him." This is a tough scenario since these statements are not always made by black and white agents. For instance, if a white agent grew up in a poor town and family, they will say this statement. In a lot of cases, background plays a vital role. Some black athletes are born in prestigious families while most come from poor neighborhoods.

Cross-Cultural Connections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross-Cultural Connections - Essay Example The author of the paper states that due to globalization, civilization, and increased ease and speed of transportation from one corner of the globe to another, cultures have traveled to new areas rather fast (Elmer 86). It is thus imperative that people know what to expect when they encounter new cultures and how to deal with the resultant culture shock so that they may truly connect with the new cultures. One value of connecting with other cultures is that one has the opportunity to compare different cultures and lives, enabling us to examine our own lives’ views and postulations (Elmer 35). Further, meeting and interacting with other cultures allows one to look at cultural assumptions from different viewpoints. In interconnecting with other cultures such as Chinese, South American, and Japanese cultures, it is of the essence that one looks out for and avoids cultural pitfalls and exploits every opportunity that is helpful in the building of positive cross-cultural relationsh ips. For immigrants and established cultures to attain a level of cross-cultural understanding that creates comfort in society, sound social and cultural interactions are in order. In fact, these social and cultural interactions are not only essential for communal comfort but also for a widened appreciation of all cultures. Cross-cultural and social interactions also direct people’s attention to the commonalities among cultures that unite people while diminishing the differences that could divide them. As a matter of fact, cross-cultural interactions have improved the relationship among communities, more so immigrant and resident cultures that constantly compete for jobs and other resources (Smith 2). Therefore an integrated process in which new and old cultures are treated equally and benefit one another should be encouraged for the general enrichment of the recipient society.  Ã‚  Because cultures play such integral and defining roles in society’s worldview and ide ntity, it should remain the basic framework for interacting with others, be it in community centers, school, grocery shops, or parks. Notwithstanding the venues of these interactions, it is important that exact information on cultures is disseminated in frank discussions for the sole purpose of eliminating or reducing misperceptions and misunderstandings, which hamper social and cultural integration and oneness (Smith 4). There are numerous real-life illustrations and tools on how an individual may avoid or reduce cross-cultural apprehension and communicate effectively, and establish trust and acceptance across cultures. Instead of being cultural imperialists, people should be authentic ambassadors of their cultures whether just traveling or living among different cultures (Smith 5). There are several tips that have been rather useful in promoting cross-cultural interconnectivity. First, people should travel to and interact extensively with other cultures to feel and understand them . Instead of traveling with own people, one should travel and meet the local communities in the visited country and try to ask about things not understood from own cultural perspective. It has also been established that listening more and talking less could helping in addressing one’s curiosity about certain aspects of new cultures. Further, cross-cultural relations require an open mind instead of a judgmental one since what one sees may not be the truth.  

Understanding And Promoting Children’s Development.

Understanding And Promoting Children’s Development. A childs development usually follows an expected patten, although children do develop at different rates but this usually follows a pattern. There are five key areas to keep in mind when working with children to help and identify if a child requires additional support. Keeping in mind development in a holistic way (the whole rather than parts of something). Physical Development This looks at a child’s physical movement but is divided into key parts. Gross motor skills:- Theses include jumping, hopping, skipping etc. and are more large limb movements. Fine motor skills:- Which include writing, painting, threading etc. these are more precise movements. Locomotive skills:- these include running, walking, balancing these are full body movements. Cognitive Development This is usually the way a child develops in their brain process. How a child uses skills in different ways. Creative and imaginative skills problem solving, using language to explain reasoning. Communication Development This looks at how a child communicates with someone, e.g. language to explain reading, writing and describing events. There are also non-verbal ways to communicate such as sign language. Social And Emotional Development This looks at feelings, self-esteem, self-expression and learning about others feelings this also covers a child’s understanding on behaviour and what is acceptable e.g. taking turns, co-operating with others and feeding one-self. Moral Development This is linked to social and emotional development and covers choices and decisions e.g. Not always going first in the line and letting someone else this also covers behaviour and attitudes towards others e.g. saying sorry even if its not their fault but knowing that it may make someone feel a little better. Climbing the ladder of a slide Physical, cognitive Playing football in a team Physical, cognitive, communication, social and emotional and moral. Using a pencil to write their name and draw a picture Physical, Cognitive, Communication, Social and Emotional development. Using a knife and fork to eat a meal Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional. Expected Stages Of Development Reserve gathered form Carolyn Meggitts child development book 0-6 Months Physical:- Babies lie supine (on their backs) with their head to one-side, Prone position (on their front). Cognitive babes will start to show a preference to tastes sweet over salty or sour. Startled by sudden noises. At around 3 months babies smile in response to speech. Often suck their lips at the sounds of food preparation. 6-12 Months Babies use their whole hand (palmer grasp) to pass things from one hand to the other. Start to understand the meanings of some words e.g. bye- bye mummy or daddy. When babies are around 9 months they will start to use a pincer grasp (finger and thumb) move arms and legs together when excited. Babies enjoy pointing at objects. 12-18 months At around 13 months most babies can walk but will fall-over frequently and sit down rather suddenly. Babies will start to show a preference for one hand over the other. By 15 months babies will copy you to build a tower of two cubes. Babies will understand more words such like show me, look at that. Babies are still shy with strangers. At 18 months babies can squat to pick up a toy,can thread large beads onto a lace. Babies are more eager for independence e.g. â€Å"me do it† 2-3 years At 2 years babies an throw a ball overhand but cannot yet catch one. Babies can copy simple lines and sometimes a v using their preferred hand. From 2  ½ years babies can recognise themselves in photos, they will continually ask questions what, who, why. 3-5 years At this age children can stand on tip-toe they can catch a ball with their arms outstretched start to understand the concept of one and lots of. Children often develop fears e.g. fear of the dark, as they become capable of pretending and imagining, at around 4 years children hold a pen or pencil in an adult fashion. Can wash and dry themselves. 5-7 years At this age children are more familiar with past/present and future and will talk about these with a good sense of time, show sympathy and comfort others who are hurt. At 6 years children can skip to music alternating their feet, draw people in some detail for instance eyebrows, eyelashes. Talk fluently and with confidence. 9-11 years Children start to differ in physical maturity, they may be curious about drugs, alcohol and tobacco. 11-13 years Children begin to experience conflict between parents values and peers, at this age children will start to go through puberty, this is different between the sexes. 13-19 years Children often feel misunderstood in the early part of this age range they all want to be accepted and liked. It is important to listen to their ideas and show them respect. Influence on development Personal Factors Problems during pregnancy and at birth. A child begins to develop at a the moment of conception, a healthy embryo is made up of 46 chromosomes, 23 from the egg (mother) and 23 from the sperm (father). If there are more or less than 46 It will have an effect on the way the child develops and learns. Down syndrome is caused by an extra chromosome, additional chromosome 21 which means the child will have 47 instead of 46. During pregnancy if the mother smokes takes drugs or drinks alcohol this will also affect the baby. Birth can influence a child’s development if a baby is born prematurely or suffers from lack of oxygen this can affect brain development. Reserve from NHS web How FAS Develops During Pregnancy Dr Raja Mukherjee says that when a mother consumes alcohol it goes around the placenta, because the foetus liver isn’t fully formed it cant metabolise the alcohol quickly enough. In turn it has a high blood alcohol concentration, therefore lacks oxygen and nutrients so organs and the brain don’t grow properly. White matter which is need to speed up the processes of information is sensitive to alcohol, so more the mother drinks alcohol more the foetus suffers. Professor Neil McIntosh says evidence shows that drinking during the six to nine weeks of pregnancy when the facial features are formed babies are more likely to suffer from facial deformities and that damage to the organs most likely happen in the first three months. Signs And Symptoms OF FAS Some signs may not show up until the child goes to school. Learning difficulties Language problems Lack of appropriate social boundaries (over friendliness to strangers) Poor short term memory Inability to grasp instructions Failure to learn from the consequences of their actions Egocentricity (excessive interest in oneself) Mixing reality and fiction Difficulty with group social interaction Poor problem solving and planning Hyperactivity and poor attention Poor co-ordination Health Genetic factors (passed on through parents) can have a impact on a child’s development the child may not be able to participate fully in physical or strenuous activities. Disabilities Many disabilities are genetic, children can be affected by a disability they were born with. Different disabilities affect development in different ways. Coeliac Disease (www.coeliac.uk) Coeliac disease is a common digestive condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten. This disease is not an allergy or an intolerance to gluten, the disease mistakenly attacks healthy tissue this causes symptoms such as Diarrhoea, Bloating and Flatulence, Abdominal pains, Weight loss, Feeling tired all the time and malnutrition due to not getting enough nutrients from food. This disease is a common condition and affects approx 1-100 people in the UK. This can cause frequent absences from school which in turn will affect the progress of a child’s learning it will not help a child to become friends with their peers and will influence a child’s confidence. Sickle Cell Disease (www.nhs choices) This is a serious inherited blood disorder where the red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body develop abnormally. The sickle cell gene is inherited from both parents, if only one parent has the gene then the child will have what’s know as sickle cell trait. Lifestyle an help the symptoms and drinking plenty of fluid can help. Symptoms can be Stroke Vulnerability to infection This disease can cause time away from school which impacts on a child’s learning and social skills leaving a child feeling very isolated. Turner Syndrome (www.your hormones) This is a chromosomal disorder and affects 1 in 2500 of girls, this is a inherited disorder and affects one of the female sex chromosome. Where as boys have x and y chromosome girls have x x this is an abnormality in one of the x chromosomes. This disorder causes short stature, delayed puberty, puffy hands along with other syndromes, this shouldn’t have much affect on a child’s learning in the early years how ever as a child develops and all around start puberty they wont which can lead to stress and depression. Although medication is available Turner syndrome will cause infertility. External Factors A child’s development can be affected by external factors. Poverty This is spilt into two groups Relative poverty:- is income related and concerns material things. Absolute poverty:- This is a lack of basic human needs e.g. shelter, food, warmth and education. Absolute poverty is rare in the UK. Family Background This can be were a child is from what’s know as a broken family, mum and dad split up and a child is torn between the two. This can have an impact on education as the child will be upset, going from one house to the other and leaving homework at one then worrying about getting into trouble at school. Housing Poor housing can lead to asthma in children, over crowding can lead to poor physical skills as there is no room to play. Family Circumstance Sometimes the family unit changes and as a result can have a effect on a child from long-term illness, bereavement or parental separation all these things can cause stress and changes in behaviour. Personal Choices And Decisions As a child gets older they want to become more independent as a result of this and with peer pressure children can make mistakes, drugs, alcohol and substance abuse can all have a effect on their body. Eating is also a choice by picking the wrong diet young people can become obese or under weight. Education A good education will enhance a child’s life, attending school on a daily basic will help the child to know rules and boundaries. Attending clubs and church will also help there social and moral development. Why Development May Not Follow The Expected Pattern Children develop at different rates and in their own time however if a child isn’t atchving certain milestones this may be a sign of delayed development and may need to be investigated. Emotional Influences When a child has their emotional needs met then it will have a positive impact on their learning. Just knowing that there is someone they trust and can talk to may make a huge impact. Physical Reasons Physical growth can have a impact on a child if they haven’t had much exercise as infants then their muscles wont be formed correctly. Environmental Factors Where a child grows up can impact on a child’s education. If say a child is a traveller and moves often therefore moving school frequently this will impact on their education. Cultural Reasons Different cultures see different values e.g. girls from boys some cultures see girls as home-makers and education isn’t need after the age of 11 if at all. Social Influences When a family structure changes this can also impact on a child if there is a death in the family, children comes to turns with things differently. Disability Children are not always born with disabilities but can develop them. Early Intervention This is crucial in identifying if a child needs help all schools will asses a child when starting so key areas can be picked up on and if any intervention is needed for that child.

Values-Based Leadership Essay -- Transformational Leaders

Leadership Background Values-based leadership has a significant impact on the performance and the functioning of an organization. Boje,(2000) cites Burn’s (1978) theoretical work on transformational leadership basing his argument on Kohlberg’s moral development theory and Weber’s (1947) theory of leadership and authority. In his work, Boje, 2000 agrees with Burn’s that a moral value based leader, is the one who emphasizes social exchange between leader and follower in the form of the psychological and mutual needs contract driven by charisma, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation.(Homrig, 2001) The transcendent values of transformational leaders have great potential to promote performance beyond expectations and to effect enormous change on how the organization operates since they seek liberty, justice, equality and collective well being. It therefore appears that a transformational leadership is that kind of leadership that seeks to exploit the full potential of individuals through satisfaction of collective needs. While Weber’s theory (1947) is cited by Boje, (2000) as having several forms of leadership like charismatic, bureaucratic and traditional aspects, all co-exist together and change from the other occurs gradually. Even though the two theorists; Weber (1947) and Burn’s (1978) approaches leadership from different perspectives, Boje acknowledges that both of them share a similarity in their work in the sense that both see moral values as an important consideration in any form of leadership.( Boje, 2000). Transformational leaders inspire followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes by providing both meaning and understanding, questioning assumptions, refraining problems, and... ...e vision and mission of the company in order to align their goals with of the company. When Robert Eaton became the chairman in 1993 he involved company officers to develop the vision and the mission. Consequently, better communications, continuous training became part and puzzle of doing business in a new way. (Ashley, 1997) In conclusion, leadership is not only important to companies that operate on a global scale but to domestic firms as well. It’s clear that when a leader takes his or her rightful position as a leader change, performance and results manifest. Their values and beliefs become the guiding principles where ideas, imaginations and talents are shared by all. Such transformational leaders not only make their employees to follow them, but they help one another to grow, motivate raise the morale of achieving extraordinary outcomes with few resources.