Isolation of Casein From Milk

In this experiment, casein was isolated from milk by means of isoelectric precipitation. A percent yield of 5% was obtained by the group.IntroductionMilk is an opaque white or bluish-white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals, serving for the nourishment of their young. This liquid, as secreted by cows, goats or certain other animals are used by humans as food and as a source of dairy products such as cheese and butter. Milk composition differs widely among species. Factors causing these variances include: the type of protein; the proportion of protein, fat, and sugar; the levels of various vitamins and minerals; and the size of the butterfat globules, and the strength of the curd. On average, cow milk contains 3.4% protein, 3.6% fat, and 4.6% lactose, 0.7% minerals and supplies 66 kcal of energy per 100 grams. Bovine milk normally contains 30-35 grams of protein per liter. Of which, 80% is arranged in casein micelles.Figure 1. Model of Casein SupramoleculeContaini ng a fairly high number of proline residues, which do not interact and no disulfide bridges, casein has, as a result, relatively minimal tertiary structure. It is comparatively hydrophobic, resulting to its poor solubility in water. Showing only limited resemblance with surfactant-type micellae in a sense that the hydrophilic parts reside at the surface and are spherical, casein is found in milk as a suspension of particles called â€Å"casein micelles.† On the other hand, the interior of a casein micelle is highly hydrated. The caseins in the micelles are held together by calcium ions and hydrophobic interactions.Casein’s isolelectric point is 4.6. It has a negative. The isoelectric point (pI) is the pH of a solution at which the net primary charge of a protein becomes zero. At a solution pH that is above the pI the surface of the protein is predominantly negatively charged and therefore like-charged molecules will exhibit repulsive forces. Likewise, at a solution pH that is below the pI, the surface of the protein is predominantly positively charged and repulsion between proteins occurs. However, at the pI the negative and positive charges cancel, repulsive electrostatic forces are reduced and the attraction forces predominate. The  attraction forces will cause aggregation and precipitation. The pI of most proteins is in the pH range of 4-6.Mineral acids, such as hydrochloric and sulfuric acid are used as precipitants. The greatest disadvantage to isoelectric point precipitation is the irreversible denaturation caused by the mineral acids. For this reason isoelectric point precipitation is most often used to precipitate contaminant proteins, rather than the target protein. The precipitation of casein during cheesemaking, or during production of sodium caseinate, is an isoelectric precipitation.tive charge in milk since milk’s pH is 6.6.1 Results and DiscssionCasein was isolated from milk by means of isoelectric precipitation. A percent yield of % was obtained by the group. Table 1 presents the data and results obtained from the experiment which includes: (1) the weight of powdered milk, (2) the initial pH, (3) the final pH, (4) the volume of the acetic acid used, (5) the weight of casein and (6) the percent yield. In order to compute for the percent yield, the weight of the isolated casein was divided by the weight of the powdered milk, and then multiplied by 100%.Table 1. Data and results of the experiment: Isolation of Casein from Milk. Before autoclaving, the isolate was a white-yellowish solid with smooth texture. After autoclaving, it turned into a brown solution with black precipitate. The filtrate was a yellowish solution. The general principle behind this experiment is that when casein is at its isoelectric point, it is generally at the pH where it is least soluble. As a result, casein precipitates at this pH. To explain further, casein is present in milk as calcium salt, calcium caseinate. It is a mixtur e of alpha, beta and kappa caseins to form a cluster called micelle. These micelles were responsible for the white opaque appearance of milk.The casein, as proteins, is made up of many hundreds of individual amino acids, each of which may have a positive or a negative charge, depending on the pH of the [milk] system. At some pH value, all the positive charges and all the negative charges on the [casein] protein will be in balance, so that the net charge on the protein will be zero. That pH value is known as the isoelectric point (IEP) of the protein and is generally the pH at which the protein is least soluble. For casein, the IEP is approximately 4.6 and it is the pH value at which acid casein is precipitated. In milk, which has a pH of about 6.6, the casein micelles have a net negative charge and are quite stable.During the addition of acid to milk, the negative charges on the outer surface of the micelle are neutralized (the phosphate groups are protonated), and the neutral prote in precipitates. The same principle applies when milk is fermented to curd. The lactic acid bacillus produces lactic acid as the major metabolic end-product of carbohydrate [lactose in milk] fermentation. The lactic acid production lowers the pH of milk to the IEP of casein. At this pH, casein precipitates.2. Experimental5g of powdered non-fat dry milk was dissolved in 20 mL warm distilled water in a 100-mL beaker. The solution was heated on a hot plate to 55 °C. The beaker was then removed from the hot plate. The initial pH of the milk solution was noted. A solution of 10% acetic acid was then added dropwise whole while being stirred by a stirring rod. The acid solution was continuously added until the pH reached 4.6. The volume of the acetic acid used was noted. The solution was left standing until a large amorphous mass was formed.The isolated casein was dried between filter papers. The casein was weighed and the percent yield was determined. The isolated casein was then divide d into two portions. One portion was used for acid/base hydrolysis. The other portion was stored in the refrigerator (to be characterized later using various chemical tests).

The Value of Philosophy

The Value of Philosophy and the Point of Our Lives It is basic human nature to question. There is a curiosity inside all of us that leads us to wonder about everything. Curiosity leads to examination, which leads to contemplation. Through this process the mysteries of life and the universe are slowly discovered. But there are some questions that can never be answered with certainty. These questions make up the study of philosophy, and are considered using reason and logic. Two of the main arguments in philosophy discuss its value and the meaning of life.Socrates, Bertrand Russell, Blaise Pascal and Thomas Nagel attempt in their own way to reason through these questions and form their own unique answers. In Bertrand Russell’s â€Å"The Value of Philosophy†, he discusses what philosophy is and why it is important. He concludes that the value of philosophy is rooted in its very uncertainty. He maintains that all those questions that cannot be answered are a part of philoso phical discussion, and questions with definite answers are a product of the physical sciences.When Russell is explaining in detail the value of philosophy he says, â€Å"These questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation† (Russell 12). For Russell, philosophy opens the mind and dispels ignorance and dogmatism, allowing us to think more freely and consider more possibilities. In Plato’s â€Å"Apology: Defence of Socrates,† Socrates also holds the view that philosophy is a necessary practice for all persons when he argues, â€Å"An unexamined life is no life for a human being to live† (Plato 40).Socrates has just been found guilty of corrupting the youth and not acknowledging the gods of the city. Once the verdict is reached, he argues for execution rather than exile because he believes that his study of philosophy is supreme in his lif e and it would be more honorable to die than to flee and study philosophy elsewhere, under subpar conditions than those in Athens. Philosophy is important to him because it allows people to think for themselves rather than go along with what they are told to believe.Russell and Socrates both uphold that the importance of philosophy come from what is does for the mind. Philosophy opens our minds, allowing unawareness and hypocrisy to dissipate. By questioning, we come to know more about the universe, and ourselves. However, Russell and Socrates do disagree on the certainty of truth. Socrates believes that there is certain truth, and one can reach it through reason and contemplation. Conversely, Russell maintains that everything is uncertain, but philosophy is still valuable because thinking of all possible explanations enlarges our minds.Through philosophy we are released from presumption, obliviousness, and bigotry. Whether or not we can know the absolute truth, contemplation throug h reason still holds immense importance for human beings. I draw from Socrates as well as Russell when I consider the value of philosophy. Philosophy allows me to see the world for what it is, instead of being bogged down by the opinion of the masses, or the societal norms. Through reason I can consider the truth and it’s importance to me. Similar to Russell, I see that much of philosophy’s greatness lies in its uncertainty.We cannot know for sure what the answers are, but through observation and thought we can form many possibilities, enlarging our minds to hold more than one solution to any given problem. Consequently this allows us to have a more open mind, and we can approach life with a broadened sense of self. Another question philosophers ask is â€Å"What is the point of our lives? † The answer varies greatly between each individual, demonstrated by the separate thoughts of Socrates, Pascal, and Nagel. Socrates argues that it is worse than death to be un just.He gives some examples of what qualifies as unjust. Injustice includes: lying, injuring others, breaking the law of a just state, and hurting those who hurt you. Above all, Socrates argues that the point of our lives is to seek the truth. He condemns the sophists because they have no regard for the truth; they only appreciate material things. The sophists were a group of philosophers around the time of Socrates who taught the youth of Athens how to win arguments, whether what they were arguing for was true or not. Socrates maintains that this is not the way to live.Life is not about money or material things, rather, the point of life is to be just, honorable, and true to yourself as well as the laws of the state. He even argues that one ought rather die than live a bad life. â€Å"I suggest that it is not death that is hard to avoid, gentlemen, but wickedness is far harder, since it is fleeter of foot than death† (Plato 41). Socrates claims that it is much easier to live in wickedness than die. Therefore, injustice and dishonor are two of the greatest evils and one should avoid them at all costs.In â€Å"The Wager,† Pascal presents a view of life centered on belief in God. Similar to Socrates, he upholds that life is about pursuing the truth as well as living a good life. He argues for the existence of absolute truth when he states, â€Å"Is there not one substantial truth, seeing there are so many things which are not the truth itself† (Pascal 83). Pascal maintains that this â€Å"one substantial truth† is God, and reasons for His existence. He claims that in life, we have two choices: to believe in God, or to not believe in God.We must accept the wager; we have no choice. There are four possible outcomes from this wager, according to Pascal. If God does indeed exist, and we so believe that he exists, we will gain infinite bliss; if we do not believe that he exists, then we are damned for eternity. However, if God does not exi st and we believe the same, then we lose nothing, but we also gain nothing. If we believe that He exists and He does not, then we also lose nothing, but have lived a good life with faith, humility, and compassion.Above all, Pascal wants us to believe. His main points are summarized when he writes, â€Å"If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing† (Pascal 83). We must wager, and we must believe in God, for He is the ultimate truth. Thomas Nagel discusses absurdity, which is the discrepancy between how seriously humans take their lives, and how uncertain life actually is. Everything is open to doubt, and that causes us to feel that our lives are insignificant, and therefore, nothing matters.He maintains that humans deem life absurd through epistemological skepticism, or the view that nothing can be known with certainty. He presents five options, which vary from completely avoiding life’s absurdity to embracing it fully. His thoughts on absurdity and his sol ution to it are best portrayed when he states, â€Å"If†¦there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our lives with irony instead of heroism or despair† (Nagel 27).By accepting the view that nothing matters, we accept the view that believing nothing matters also does not matter, freeing us from absurdity. Nagel urges us to not despair, but also not take life too seriously. Pascal, Nagel, and Socrates present different views of how to make our lives worthwhile; but all agree that our lives should be spent in search of the truth, which is reached through honest reasoning and individual contemplation. When faced with the absurdity and uncertainty of life, Pascal and Nagel agree that suicide is not a legitimate escape.It is not necessary and ends up robbing us of the possibility of infinite happiness or a life free from absurdity. I agree with Socrates’ view, that dishonor and injustice must be avoided in order to live a good and honest life. I accept Pascal’s wager, and am willing to place my bet on the existence of God, hoping to gain all. I have also experienced some of the absurdity Nagel discusses and have come to my own conclusions. I maintain that we should live for today. By living in the present we escape the fear of the future.We do not get hung up on the uncertainties, but still acknowledge their existence. I also agree with Nagel that life should be approached with irony, and we should not take ourselves too seriously. Russell, Socrates, Pascal and Nagel all present plausible answers to the questions â€Å"What is the value of philosophy,† and â€Å"What is the purpose of our lives†. They use reason and logic to reach their conclusions. Through philosophy, we can broaden our minds and free ourselves from the dogmatism of society.Once our minds are expanded, we are able to think with reason and discover, for ourselves, the truth. References Nagel, Thom as, â€Å"The Absurd,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Pascal, Blaise, â€Å"The Wager,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007.Plato, â€Å"Apology: Defence of Socrates,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Russell, Bertrand, â€Å"The Value of Philosophy,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007.

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International Human resource Mangament Case Study

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Two Important Virtues Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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White people Essay Example for Free

White people Essay Use the following as a guide. The test covers chapter’s 1-3 plus any supplementary articles or documentaries that were required. This is only a guide. Remember that since this is an open book test, ANY question pertaining to the readings could show up. Be sure to have read thoroughly before beginning the test. Please note that starred items could be included as possible short essays (requiring a 1-2 paragraph response). I also suggest that you go over the discussions as well. Questions pertaining to ideas in the discussions may be included. Chapter 1: Minority group – a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. The five characteristics of a minority or subordinate group are unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage. *Racial and ethnic groups†¦Why the distinction? A racial group is a group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Each society defines what would be considered the obvious physical differences. We know for certain one of the most obvious is skin color. Here in our country, we basically use black and white as the color distinction. Other countries use a different distinction because, for example, in one culture, most individuals may be classified as black but they may be various shades of black which is where the racial difference occurs. In the US, many smaller clusters of individuals are categorized as ethnic area which holds a specific ethnic group. For example, South Brunswick has a large Indian population which is to say, Indian’s make up a large ethnic group within the township. New Brunswick could be another example as there is a large community of Hispanics within the town. Whereas the term racial group is primarily used to discuss minorities, the term ethnic group is used to discuss a group of individuals of the same race. Also, racial groups are defined by their physical differences and ethnic groups are defined by their cultures. Using these definitions there is clearly a distinction between the two terms. Why this distinction exists is probably so that society can categorize the individuals they are discussing. What is important is that racial groups are inherently who a person is so although it may be hidden or changed at times based on the individual, a person’s race is who they are. In contrast, an ethnic group can be a group of racial similar people or even religiously similar. So sometimes, an ethnic group can be chosen. *WEB DuBois: The problem of the color line and double consciousness W. E. B. DuBois was an African American sociologist who received a doctorate degree from Harvard and is considered the first black individual to do so. From our text we learn that he was instrumental in the organization of the NAACP which is a prominent organization designed to support the black individuals of society. (Schaefer pg 8). DuBois played a large role in opening up opinions to the disparities and discriminations of the black individuals of our society. Dubois says so very eloquently, â€Å"Let not color or race be a feature of distinction between White and Black men, regardless of worth or ability†¦,† (Schaefer pg 9). When DuBois speaks of color line, he is discussing the differences of races in regards to their color and other physical characteristics. From what I can interpret, DuBois may have developed the term double consciousness when referring to how people see themselves through others eyes. Also, what they see is how they measure their self worth in the grand scheme of society. * Does Race Matter? (p. 10 begin) and the social construction of race Our text answers this question by saying, â€Å"No, but because so many people have for so long acted as if difference in physical characteristics as well as geographic origin and shared culture do matter, distinct groups have been created in people’s minds. † (Schaefer pg 10). Social construction is a sociological term used to describe what opinions society places on particular subjects. In this case, the social construction of race refers to not what a person’s race is but how society perceives the races. â€Å"Race is a social construction, and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is privileged and who is not,† (Schaefer pg 12). Basically, we all know there are numerous races that make up our culture but what determines which is the dominate race? It is argued that people in power make those determinations so they are telling everyone which race is superior to the other. Because of these opinions and social construction, yes, race is important. Race could be the difference between success and failure. Our society has not evolved enough to treat all races equally even though our forefathers determined that we all are equal. *Although we learn in grade school to salute the merits of living in the great â€Å"melting pot,† true cultural pluralism has always been more of an ideal than a reality†¦In the U. S. and globally. Explain why by identifying and giving examples of the following patterns of intergroup contact: genocide, expulsion, secession, segregation, amalgamation, assimilation, and pluralism. â€Å"Pluralism implies that various groups in a society have mutual respect for one another’s culture, a respect that allows minorities to express their own culture without suffering prejudice or discrimination,† (Schaefer pg 25). Our text describes this term as an â€Å"ideal† meaning that it is something our society hopes to be able to practice amongst all individuals. However, it is quick to note that it should be more like a â€Å"reality† in the sense that it is something that society is obligated to believe in, (Schaefer pg 26). It can definitely be seen as a conflict within society as individuals may be forced to make opinions based on what is right versus what they may have been taught to believe all their lives. The US is truly a â€Å"melting pot† meaning a society with a variety of cultures and races that make up the whole. Because of this, we have an obligation to respect every different culture as well as every race. Social construction tends to make this a difficult goal to obtain but there are many organizations in place which try to make these gaps smaller. There are many advantages to integrating one culture into another. For example, in my hometown, many of us love to eat sushi. With the uprising of this wonderful food choice, those that are not Asian have been able to dive into the culture through a wonderful eating experience. Another example could be many of the courses offered here at Rutgers. There are courses in Russian literature and Chinese film for example. I would imagine that a large portion of the participants may have some cultural interest but there are many that take these types of classes just to broaden their own experiences. These types of classes could help in making the gap smaller between cultures and could help to improve cultural pluralism. Chapter 2: Ethnocentrism – or the tendency to assume that one’s culture and way of life are superior to all others. This is a form of prejudice and would result in discrimination. Our text describes this (pg34) as a motivating factor behind some criminal acts. *Prejudice and Discrimination – Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire category of people. For example, the Klu Klux Klan who we were exposed to in the CP Ellis story was extremely prejudice against blacks. Another example would be Nazi germany and Hitler’s prejudice again jewish people. Showing both of these examples also give us a look at some of the most horrendous hate crimes in human history. Discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons. Whereas prejudice is an attitude, discrimination is an action. For example, if someone says they don’t like a person because they are black, that is prejudice. If that same person refuses to allow the black individual into their restaurant, that is discrimination. Our society has had some severe cases of both of these and we are still struggling to overcome some of the cruelties of the past. Unfortunately, these actions didn’t die off in the past, I think they have just become less obvious. Merton and LaPiere Studies – Robert Merton showed that prejudice and discrimination are related to each other but are not the same. He gives 4 types of people when discussing this issue and they are, â€Å"unprejudiced nondiscriminatory (all weather liberal), unprejudiced discriminator (reluctant liberal), prejudiced nondiscriminatory (timid bigot), and prejudiced discriminator (all weather bigot),† (Schaefer pg 36). I can immediately tell from the descriptions that the final one would be the most severe because the implications to the term show that this individual is always in a mode that is highly discriminatory. I would agree with these categories mostly based on personal observations and knowing some people that do have tendencies to be discriminatory. Merton’s is saying that not all individuals’ personal opinions and attitudes toward other should be construed as negative behavior as well. The LaPiere study was about half a century ago and â€Å"exposed the relationship between racial attitudes and social conduct,† (Schaefer pg 37). What LaPiere did was travel with a Chinese couple and observes if the racial attitudes he expected or were historically evident actually occurred. His conclusion was that it wasn’t apparent all the time. This could show that people tend to be polite in person but what they say or do in private is another situation. *Theories of prejudice: Scapegoating theory, Authoritarian Personality, Exploitation theory, Normative approach – Scapegoating says that prejudiced people believe they are society’s victims. They blame what bad things happen to them or other misfortunes on people of a different race. Again, the CP Ellis story we read later our lessons was a perfect example. CP Ellis felt he was given a very hard life and has suffered not only with personal troubles but also money issues. He wanted to blame someone and his association with his father and the Klan made it easy for him to blame the blacks. Authoritarian Personality is â€Å"a psychological construct of a personality type likely to be prejudiced and to use others as scapegoats,† (Schaefer pg 39). So, using the same previous example, it could be said the CP Ellis’ suffers from authoritarian personality because his actions of using the blacks as scapegoats. Exploitation theory is, â€Å"a Marxist theory that views racial subordination in the US as a manifestation of the class system inherent in capitalism,† (Schaefer pg 39). It is to say that in the jungle there is a food chain, the lion eats the rabbit that eats the mice, etc. Within current society, it is expected that there are different classes of individuals and some who will say this is a necessary part of life. It is unfortunate that sometimes this class system reflects on a specific racial group. The normative approach is, â€Å"the view that prejudice is influenced by societal norms and situations that encourage or discourage the tolerance of minorities,† (Schaefer pg 40). This is a very important concept because it shows that a lot of the actions and opinions of people that are discriminatory get that way because they are taught that or they grow up in an atmosphere of prejudice. Again, CP Ellis grew up with a Klan father so it was only natural that he developed some of these tendencies as well. What is even more significant is being able to recognize all these theories and to combat their existence with education. Some individuals may be beyond help but many can learn to change given the right education. Stereotypes and Racial Profiling – Stereotypes are unreliable generalizations about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account. For example, Hitler did not care how much or little Jewish heritage an individual had when he systematically exterminated millions, he only cared that a drop of Jewish blood ran through their veins. He didn’t care about the persons contributions to society or their intelligence. Part of this concept of stereotyping is a term called racial profiling which is any arbitrary police initiated action based on race, ethnicity, or natural origin rather than a person’s belief. We see many news reports about this very subject where police use unnecessary force or violence just because of a person’s race. A â€Å"post racial† era? Color-blind racism – Color-blind racism refers to the use of race-neutral principles to defend the racially unequal status quo. One example the book gives is how Asian’s are rarely used in feature films except where martial arts is also highlighted. Postracialism is a common theme and is another tem used to describe color-blind racism. Other terms are laissez-faire and aversive racism. *Reducing prejudice (p. 48 begin) – The question remains after all these discussions, can prejudice be reduced? Our text suggests many different ways in which it is possible to treat and educate those who practice prejudicial attitudes. For example, education, mass media, avoidance versus friendship, and corporate response (diversity training). The education portion of reducing prejudice would be in the form of programs and conferences designed at teaching people what to look for, ways to combat the situations and additional training that could be passed on. For example, we viewed the video about Jane Eliott’s school. Her program with small children appears to be groundbreaking and based on the follow up with the student’s years later, also successful. Another important tool is mass media. For example, in my previous women study classes I was exposed to the way the media shows women. There are a excessive amount of commercials featuring women as the cook, cleaner, and childcare provider however very limited showing a man in the same roles. There have been advances however and our text discusses one such TV show called The Cosby’s which had a huge television audience which included all races, not just black as all the characters on the show were, (Schaefer pg 49). The next area is avoidance versus friendship. This discusses the social distance scale by Robert Park and Ernest Burgess which â€Å"asks people how willing they would be to interact with various racial and ethnic groups in specified social situations,† (Schaefer pg 51). The importance of this study is to show the patterns that become evident particularly within the White American and Europeans. This is an example of the Social Distance Scale. There was another scale mentioned called the Equal Status Contact which states, â€Å"intergroup contact between people of equal status in harmonious circumstances will cause them to become less prejudiced and to abandon previously held stereotypes,† (Schaefer pgs 51-52). Therefore, by incorporating more fun and interesting activities that are not racially motivated, the pattern of prejudice could be learned to be reduced. What do you think about Jane Eliott’s efforts at reducing prejudice (presented in the documentary A Class Divided)? What are the strengths and weaknesses of her methods? What else might you suggest? Jane Elliott’s efforts in the documentary we watched for class should be applauded. It was interesting to note that the town where Jane worked as a teacher was primarily white Christian and to this day, that status hasn’t changed much. However, Jane continues to give her lesson on prejudice and it appears to be particularly helpful. When the students of one class were interviewed years later after watching themselves in the documentary, it was fascinating to see how emotional they were. Even years later, the lesson was felt very deeply. The strengths would be the instant feelings of rejection on the children. But the weakness could be that they may recognize it is not a real situation. Also, if the lessons taught are not encouraged at home or within their community, it may not make a difference. Although starting young is particularly important, I would propose all family members be exposed to the lesson. The documentary mentioned how the concepts used were taken into the work force within a conference type atmosphere. Although adults do react the same, I personally do not see the impact as much as I did with the small children. That may be because as we get older, we get tougher in our emotions and it could be hard to break old habits. Chapter 3: *Total discrimination – â€Å"Discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons,† (Schaefer pg 61). I think in the US we recognize that there is discrimination but many choose to believe that they are incapable of it or that it is not as horrible as people may make it out to be. Total discrimination is a more recent concept which is, â€Å"current discrimination operating in the labor market and past discrimination,† (Schaefer pg 62). It is saying that because of particular items in a person’s past like education and social status, individuals are discriminated against in the work place. That discrimination can show itself in such areas as hiring, advancement and even pay scales. It is not something that is randomly made up but an actual occurrence. For example, someone who was not provided a decent education because of their social status or ethnic group would have difficulty finding advanced employment. In current day, employers won’t even look at a person unless they have a full four year degree or higher. Many individuals just aren’t able to take advantage of that type of education. Hate Crimes – when a victim is selected because of certain characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. We see numerous hate crimes in the news almost daily. The Rutgers campus recently became a focal point of a perceived hate crime when Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers, committed suicide after his roommates posted him in gay videos. *Institutional discrimination (Why is institutional discrimination considered more important than the everyday discrimination of individuals? ) – This form of discrimination â€Å"is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that result from the normal operations of society,† (Schaefer pg 65). This is particularly important because it goes to the root of functioning as an average human being within society. One example mentioned is that IQ tests are geared towards middle class white American children therefore any other child taking the test would be at a disadvantage before even answering the questions. If everyone starts out on an even playing field and then points are taken away for items that cannot be mastered, then society may be working towards treating every individual equally. But this isn’t the case. When a hard working Hispanic man who has been in his employment for 20 years is denied credit or needs additional collateral when compared to a hard working white man, this type of discrimination is inexcusable because it comes from a person’s perception not from what abilities they may or may not have. Measuring discrimination (p.66 begin) – There are many ways in which society measures discrimination. For example, economics is probably the most prevalent as it is the easiest to examine and study. The chart in our text shows that median incomes vary quite a bit depending on a person’s race, ethnicity and even gender. What is particularly interesting to me, but not surprising, is that white American males do not hold the highest title any longer. This now goes to the group of Asian American men within society. Although the salaries are higher, the statistics haven’t changed much. Hispanics and Native Americans still fall on the lowest end of the economic tier. *Civil Rights Act of 1964 – â€Å"Prohibited discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations and amusement parks. Publicly owned facilities such as parks, stadiums and swimming pools also prohibited from discriminating. Also forbade discrimination in all federally supported programs and institutions such as hospitals, colleges and road construction projects. Since then there have been numerous amendments because as times change, so does the need for the Act to change. (pg 69) Redlining – African Americans, Latinos, and other fall victim to redlining or the pattern of discrimination against people trying to buy homes in minority and racially changing neighborhoods. *Why does the text author make the distinction between income and wealth? â€Å"Income refers to salaries and wages, and wealth is a more inclusive term that encompasses all of a person’s material assets including land, stocks and other types of property,† (Schaefer pg 71). I feel the main reason for the distinction is because many individuals of specific ethnic groups cannot obtain property, sometimes even regardless of the income they make. Because of this, for some individuals, wealth may not be a possibility. *Environmental justice – Refers to the efforts to ensure that hazardous substances are controlled so that all communities receive protection regardless of race or socioeconomic circumstance. (Schaefer pg 72-73). Affirmative action – Affirmative action is the positive effort to recruit subordinate-group members, including women, for jobs, promotions, and educational opportunities. (Schaefer pg 73). It was a phrased coined by President John F. Kennedy calling all to the cause of making sure that applicants were treated properly and fairly during all stages of the interview through employment process. Reverse discrimination – is an emotional term because it conjures up the notion that somehow women and minorities will subject white men in the US to the same treatment received by minorities during the last three centuries. (Schaefer pg 76) Glass Ceiling – Refers to the barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified worker because of gender or minority membership. (Schaefer pg 78). *Be able to discuss the article on CP Ellis.. What led to his involvement in the Klan and what led to his denunciation of it? What factors led to the change? What made CP Ellis join the Klan? What made him change? Why is this relevant today? Does CP’s account support any of the theories we have read about in this section (for example, scapegoat theory on page 38 of our textbook or the contact hypothesis on page 51)? What role does the economy play in shaping intergroup relations? (You can speculate on this last one†¦) The story of CP Ellis was particularly interesting because of the evolution his life took. I think there were many reasons that guided CP Ellis into the paths he choose in life. For example, he had a rough upbringing and then when he was married and had his own children, he suffered a lot as well. It appears his life was a constant struggle to survive while he worked extremely hard to support his family. The moment that the Klan came into his life was when he was at his service station observing Klan members. They would come in talking once a week and they approached him to join the group with them. He was immediately interested because he felt his current struggles needed to be blamed on someone and who better, in his opinion, then the black people. This came natural to him because he was familiar with the Klan from his father. I feel that his attitudes began to change when he started to notice that the government was discriminating against all people, not just blacks. He started to understand what those in power were doing to every citizen and it was a real eye opener. One of the theories we discussed during this section is called scapegoat theory. â€Å"Scapegoating theory says that prejudiced people believe they are society’s victims,† (Schaefer pg 38). I can definitely see the correlation between this theory and CP Ellis’ feelings towards black people. He needed to blame someone for his troubles and the hard times he was experiencing so he selected the group of individuals that he had grown up feeling negatively against. The root meaning of scapegoating is that it is more convenient to blame another individual then to take responsibility for a person’s own short comings. Intergroup relations are how we look at ourselves and how we look at others and the way that different groups interact with each other within society. I feel that the economy plays a huge role in intergroup relations because some races and ethnic groups are not only defined by the color of their skin but also by their social class. Intergroup relations focus on the comparisons of groups based on many aspects including economic ones. Even as an outsider speculating on this subject, it is easy to see that under many circumstances, black individuals are stereotypically placed in a different economic level than many white individuals are. It is some of these types of opinions that historically have caused animosity amongst difference ethnic groups. Unit 9: Week 3 Some notes on the Social Construction of Race Notes on The One-Drop-Rule and the Social Construction of Race 2/4/2013 Eleanor LaPointe (Note that many of the ideas below were presented by you in Discussion B last week. This is a synopsis with perhaps a few additional ideas. ) The idea of race does not come from biology. It started in Europe as Europeans moved out across the world and found that they needed a way to control people as they took over their land or enslaved or exterminated them. The invention of scientific racism was one of the most effective weapons devised to conquer and subjugate. Carolus Linnaeus was a botanist in the 1700s (from Norway, I believe). He is credited with the first scientific classification of humans into groups now called races. He wanted to classify humans in the same way that clams, flowers, and insects were classified. But, he wasnt just an objective nonpartisan scientist. He classified in a particular wayone that put his group on top and all others below. The result was the beginnings of a scientifically-backed hierarchical ordering of people. It should be mentioned that even during Linnaeuss time, the ideas he put forth were highly contested. That is, not everyone agreed. In fact many disagreed, including scientists like the German physiologist Blumenbach who felt that no real differences existed between people and that any visible differences were superficial. However, Linnaeuss ideas were more successfully incorporated into popular ideologies (or mythologies) because they supported the dominate group need to justify growing inequalities at the time. That is, the idea of race allowed oppressors to define who was privileged and who was not. Since this time, how humans have been categorized has changed a lot and there is much variation from place to place. How a Race is defined at any given time depends on an arbitrary set of features chosen to suit the labelers purposes or biases or both. A good example is how U. S. laws concerning the definition of race have been used. Early on in the U. S. the question became: How to define or draw the line? This is an ongoing question. But in any case, from state to state, there was very little consistency in terms of how race would be defined. Some segregation-era artifacts include: Missouri: 1/8 or more Negro blood was the criterion. Georgia: The term white person shall include only persons of the white race, who have no ascertainable trace of either Negro, African, Western Indian, Asiatic Indian, Mongolian, Japanese or Chinese blood in their veins. Virginia: Had a similar law but with exceptions. A person could have a little Indian or African blood. Arent these old laws though Actually, some are still on the books and have been upheld as recently as 1982. Louisiana is a good example. In this state, the 1/32 law was actually created in 1971 (prior to this, a persons race classification was less formal). On September of 1982, Susie Phipps obtained her birth certificate and was surprised to find that it listed her as black. At the age of 49, she had always thought she was white! She brought the matter to court and requested it be changed, but the state/court objected after being shown an 11-generation family tree with ancestors who included an early eighteenth-century black slave and a white plantation owner. The court claimed that she was 3/32 blackenough to make her black under state law. What is interesting is that the state of Louisiana could have decided that this law was outdated law and of no use anymore, but it did not! The bottom line is that historically, as now, where black and white begins and ends depends on who is doing the defining and for what purpose. Moreover, if you are raised in the U. S. , it is nearly impossible to escape the fix that race has on how we think about ourselves and others. No matter how it is used these days, it is important to keep in mind the origins of these ideas and institutionalized practices: as a set of justifications in a hierarchical system allowing the privileged to reduce competition for valued resources. For ideas on the social construction of race in other countries, see chapter 16 in our text.

My Career In International Management Education Essay

My Career In International Management Education Essay The main purpose of this report is a self-evaluation of my skill, attributes and competencies relevant for my career in International Management. Point out skill that an international manager should have, evaluate these skills and see where my strengths and weaknesses are, and also giving evidence of my experience with these skills. Also included is a review of progress made regarding the mid semester SMART development plan, that had to do with targets within a period of six weeks. A smart development plan for a period of six months will be included in this report and it will focus on two important targets that i intend to improve on to help me for the next six months, it will be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. 2.0 SELF EVALUATION The main aim of this self development plan is a guide in identifying skills, competences and attributes relevant to me for a future career as an international manager. According to MacBeath 2006, self evaluation is a process of discovery, knowing ones self and identifying strengths and capabilities, identifying weaknesses and also improving on them. For a future career in international management i have to first identify some skills and competences that i should have and that are important to be effective as an international manager these skills are: Cross cultural Communication skill Interpersonal skill Cultural intelligence Teamwork Time management Leadership skill Decision making Negotiation skill Cultural empathy There are so many other skills and competences that are not mentioned above, although these are the few that i can relate myself with and show to what extent i have developed in these areas. 2.01 CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION SKILL Personally, i prefer face to face communication which involves direct contact with speaker involved, knowing the speakers facial expressions and gestures and to be able to listen properly and avoid miscommunications, having proper understanding of what the speakers is saying. For example when i started my masters programme i found it difficult to communicate with my lectures, because i had to send emails to them, this was a new experience for me. In communication across cultures contexts is very important, according to Browaeys and Price (2008), Hall (1990) settled firmly on two groups of culture high context and low context cultures. An example of the high context cultures are central Europe, Arabs and Asians who leave their messages unspecified and most of the message is hidden in the text making it a bit difficult to understand, while an example of the low context cultures are Germans, Americans their messages are explicit and can be understood through facial expressions and gestu res. Although communication with Chinese and Indian colleagues and class mates was very difficult a first due to the accent they have but with time, i began to understand them better without having any problems because of the everyday encounter. 2.02 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS Interpersonal skill is mostly regarded as important as an international manager, having this skill will aid integration socially to gain knowledge and also establish relationships with people. I dont think i have any problem fitting into a new environment, i usually observe my environment first to know the kind of people, know what to say and what not to say to them that might hurt their feelings. After doing this most of the time i dont find it difficult getting along well with people. This skill has built my confidence a lot and it has also improved my relationship with people from different cultures 2.03 CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE CQ Cultural intelligence has to do with understanding different cultures by interpreting unfamiliar and ambiguous gestures (Earley and Mosakowski 2004). After taking a test on cultural intelligence from the article from my MCME module guide, the result reflected that i have a reasonable level of cultural intelligence. There were three aspects cognitive CQ, physical CQ and emotional/ motivational CQ. The total points out of 5 where, for Cognitive CQ 4, Physical CQ 4.3 and Emotional/ motivational CQ 4.5. I am confident with this result because before interacting with people i stop to think before acting and i can also change the form of speech like my accent. I scored higher in the Emotional/ motivational CQ i am confident that i can deal with people from different cultures and i can also adapt to the lifestyle of different cultures. When i first came into the UK i had to change my accent for people to understand and i also had to get used to the word love which is used often here. 2.04 TEAM WORK AND PRESENTATION SKILLS Working in teams is no new thing to me and it is a very important skill for an international manager. My course international business and management entails a lot of team work and we are usually put into groups of students from different countries. In these groups there are different people from different parts of the world, Chinese, Indians, Germans, and Italians with different team roles. According to Belbins team roles (Duggan 2009), people have different roles like coordinators, sharper, implementer, completer, specialist, resource investigators, having one or more of this skill will enhance a role in a team. Out of all these roles my preferred role is by coordinating, for example calling my group members and fixing meetings and also a team builder as well. I happened to have done a lot of group work for my masters degree, where we are put into for five to six members and a mixture of students from different cultures, Chinese, Indians and the outcome has been rewarding especiall y through feed backs of marks awarded by my tutors. This also relates to my presentation skill as the outcome for most of my presentations have been good and i have evaluated this form feed backs gotten form the tutors and also my class mates. Since the beginning of my course i have worked on my presentation skill and also my power point skill. I have used the skills online website provided by my school to enhance this skill. It has helped me focus more on main points in the presentation, being confident and making eye contact with the audience. 2.05 TIME MANAGEMENT SKILL This is a very important skill, when there is no good management of time they tend to be a lot of procrastinations, and this affects time because there is a tendency to delay in doing something that has been previously planned. Initially this was a problem for me and it started affecting most of my daily activities due to procrastination, this was really bad at first because it kept on occurring and then it began to affect my school work. I decided to have a to-do-list mapping out things i had to do on a daily bases and followed this list religiously, because as a student in the UK i have keep to time because it is part of the culture of the people to do so. Time is very crucial and important for a future career in international management because in the future, i have to be on time for business appointments and meetings. Developing this skill has been of good use to me. 2.06 LEADERSHIP SKILLS In evaluating my leadership skill, by looking at my role as a team member which is that of a coordinator and it has to do with organising members for group meetings and also building an effective team. I have had an experience in school where i had to take up a leading role because my group members where a bit relaxed and nonchalant about our presentation so i took up the role of coordinating the group and made sure the work was done properly. Out of the six leadership styles which are coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and coaching leaders, over time i have observed that i am more of an affiliative/ femininity leader in the sense that i tend not to be too hard on people and create an emotional bond with the people around me. Leadership varies depending on the culture, according to Hofsteds findings, there are four dimensions of different cultures, and they are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism / collectivism, and masculinity/ femininity . Although in Nigeria where Im from leadership is more collective and masculine and also a high level of power distance. With my little work experience a lot of respect is shown by those who are being led. 2.07 NEGOTIATION SKILLS This is an essential skill for most business dealings today. Negotiation styles vary across different cultures. An example is a negotiation exercise i participated in, where we were divided into groups of US negotiators and Chinese negotiators, i realised that the US negotiators are mostly based on getting the deal done and are eager to get as much information they can to make progress in negotiations, while Chinese negotiators mostly try not to give information and this may cause frustration, for example for a US negotiator. The categories of different cultures of negotiation by Richard D Lewis (Rushton 2009 ) are linear active, multi active and reactive cultures. I am from a multi active culture where most people are extroverts, they talk a lot, but personally i am more of an introvert, i tend to be quiet sometimes. Although havent yet had much experience of negotiating professionally, i do have to negotiate at times for example, going to a local market and negotiating on a price for an item. I still need to improve on this skill because it essential for me if i intend to pursue a career in international Business. 2.08 DECISION MAKING AND CULTURAL EMPATHY Decision making is not an easy process although it is required as an international manager to be able to make good decisions for an organisation or business. It is also essential for good leadership. When its times to take decisions on my own, i usually seek advice from family, friend and people around me. Making good decision a times could be a problem for me. For cultural empathy i always try to listen to people, appreciate their views and use my cultural intelligence skill in this as well. 3.0 MID SEMESTER SMART DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW In relation to a review of the progress made in my mid semester SMART development plan which was set at the beginning of my course, Msc International business and Management for a period of six weeks had positive results. Although due to the fact that i had many skills to improve on, it was a bit difficult to achieve all of them. One of the skills i planned to improve on which didnt quite work out fine was the writing skills. The reason why it wasnt too successful was because the period of time given was too short for me to have covered all i wanted to and i was not able to attend the session on writing skills made available by graduate skills programme because some of the sessions clashed with my classes. Although i made some progress on my power point skill, and this skill is relevant for me to produce good visual aids for presentations during my course. I had a lot of practise done on my own and also i also volunteered to produce visual aid for group presentation which was a good outcome with regards to feed backs from my presentations. Also progress was made on my research skills, and this was done by exploring different sources of text books, articles, journals and this was very helpful during my course. I have also been able to manage my time by making use of my to-do-list which i made on a weekly basis . On the to-do-list i put high priorities first before any other activity and this helped me to a great extent. I was able to make time for my research, course work and also create time for myself. My mid semester development plan had both negative and positive outcomes, although it was very useful for me because it helped me identify skills to be developed and improved on. 4.0 SMART DEVELPOMENT PLAN With this SMART development plan, i will focus on a specific goal to be improved on within the next six months. By so doing i intend to take specific steps on improving on skills that will be of good use for both my course and in my professional life. I would like to improve on my writing skill and on my leadership skills, but for the purpose report i would improve on my writing skill, because writing is a very important skill as a student and as an international manager. To justify my reasons for improving on this skill, below is a SMART development plan for the next six months SPECIFIC I plan to improve on my writhing skill within the next six months, given that its a longer period i should be able to work on this skill and accomplish it by the end of the sixth month. MEASURABLE In six months time i should have improved on my writing skill by: Reading relevant books, articles and journals on writing especially on academic writing. Using information from the skills online website made available for me by the school. I should be able to know the appropriate structure and format for both essay writing and report writing because it is very relevant for my course. Properly apply the right grammar and punctuations in my writing. Going for sessions on how to develop writing skills offered by the graduate skills programme of Sheffield business school. ACHIEVABLE This skill can be achieved by putting a lot of effort and by making use of the resources from the library, the internet to help me with this skill, although there might be some restraints due to other commitments in terms of course work. These are the activities that i should be able to achieve in the next six months: 1st Month First month starting from February i will attend class sessions like English for post graduate students by the university English scheme. This will help focus on general language skills like writing and also preparing for my dissertation. I will attend these classes at least 2 times in a week for a month. 2nd Month Make use of the learning centre find books on writing that will enable me understand writing properly. 3rd Month Make use of the key skills online which has been made available for me by my school; explore every option including a skill check on writing which will help me get clearer view off my writing skills. 4th Month Search for books, articles journals that relate to essay and report writing. Look at examples and identify structures, the use of English. 5th Month Get books that can help me with my use of English, punctuations, grammar, vocabulary and also learn how to proof read my essays and reports. 6th Month practice writing on my own, using all the information and knowledge learnt from previous months, show a friend or colleague that is good in writing to double check what i have written and make corrections. REALISTIC The need to improve on my writing skill is realistic in the sense that it will be useful for the remaining part of my course for my assignments and my dissertation. It will influence my assignments by writing proper essays and reports use proper grammar and punctuations and also it help me in the future if i intend to pursue a career in international management. TIME BOUND The time set for my SMART development plan is six months and within this period i will still be undergoing my masters program, writing will be a good skill to develop on because i will be doing a lot of writing and the time of six months is realistic. 5.0 CONCLUSION The self evaluation was mostly about the skills and competences that are relevant to me as i would like to pursue a future career in international management. Hopefully with more work on these skills it wont be difficult for me to work in a multicultural environment. The SMART development plan is about the skill i intend to improve, it is very important to me as a student and also in my future career in international management. BIBLOGRAGHY BROWAEYS , Marie Joelle and PRICE Roger (2008). Understanding cross cultural Management, Prentice Hall DUGGAN, Chris (2009). Multicultural team work. [Lecture hand outs]. From an MCME lecture held on 17th November at Sheffield Hallam University. EARLY Christopher P and MOSAKOWSKI Elaine (2004). Cultural Intelligence. Harvard Business Review, October 2004. GOMAN Carol Kinsey , Ph.D ( 2007) Communicating Across Cultures[online]. Last accessed 26th January 2010 at: http://www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/Newsletters/METoday/Articles/Communicating_Across_Cultures.cfm MACBEATH John (2006). Self inspection and self evaluation: Working with new relationship, USA and Canada, Routledge RUSHTON, Diane (2009). Leadership skill for 21st century MNCs (lecture hand out) from an MCME lecture held in November at Sheffield Hallam University . RUSHTON Daine (2009). Cross Cultural Negotiation [lecture hand outs]. From an MCME lecture held on 10th November at Sheffield Hallam University SCHNEIDER, Susan C, and BARSOUX, Jean Louis (2003). Managing Across cultures, prentice Hall Skills online website, last accessed 26th January 2010 at: http://keyskills.shu.ac.uk/lskills/TLTP3/entersite.html

Discussion On Patois Is Not A Language English Language Essay

Discussion On Patois Is Not A Language English Language Essay Assignment #1: Discussion on the Topic Patois is Not a Language The use of the English language, which has been paramount to my development as a Jamaican citizen, has indeed created a tremendous impact on my life, thus enhancing my ability to communicate effectively within society as English language is currently recognized as the official language of education, international business, communication, media, the internet, technology, entertainment, instruction manuals and electrical and other appliances. Knowing Standard English, the most global of languages, has afforded me the ability to comfortably interact and benefit from its multiple international possibilities as today, only the verbally advantaged speakers are considered trainable, employable and are accepted professionally. While conducting my research, I noted very interestingly that over the years, there has been minor or no changes in the definition of language. Language, as explained by Soanes Stevenson in the Concise Oxford Dictionary 2008, 11th Edition can be defined as the system of communication used by a particular community or country, while a definition from the Book Human Communication: Motivation, Knowledge and Skills, describes language as a complex phenomenon whose meaning depends on where and when it is used. It is further explained to be a verbal symbol system that allows us to take messages and utterances in the form of words and translate them into meaning. (Morrale, Spitzberg Barge, 2006). I also gathered from the website http://wordnet.web.princeton.edu/perl/webwn that Language is the forms of speech, or the methods of expressing ideas, peculiar to a particular nation. The term Patois is used widely in Jamaica, and can refer to any sort of indistinct or broken language in any country of the world. Patois is used to refer to a variety of creole languages. A creole language develops from the combination of two or more languages. Patois is any language that is not spoken in its original form. The patois that is spoken in the Caribbean is called creole. The creole patois was developed by the slaves in slavery days. The slaves learned their masters native language-French, and combined it with their African Language to form this dialect. This dialect was created so that the slaves could speak amongst themselves without their masters knowing what they were saying. The culture was passed down to many generations and is still spokenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (http://whattocook.com/what_is_patois.html- obtained from source Friday, September 24, 2010) Patois is not officially a language in Jamaica; I am able to state same based on research that it has not (yet) been made official by the Government of Jamaica. And, although most Jamaicans primarily use patois for daily communication, it is quite interesting to note that, if you ask a Jamaican citizen at this particular moment, what language he or she speaks, the immediate response would be English. However, not all Jamaicans use patois. Patois is mostly spoken among the poorer class in Jamaica although many middle class people use patois as a casual language in various social settings. The general feeling about Patois is that it is a poor mans language and it is considered in this way because no strict rules outlining the standard grammar of the English language are followed and this gives the appearance of the person using it to seem uneducated which is why writers are encouraged to stay away from dialect as it is often hard for their reading audience to understand. Based on my personal investigation, I have come to understand that patois has always been considered unacceptable and it has been debated that it should be kept informal and is not to be used for any official purpose. This, I have noticed, as there are always whispers, negative utterances and even scoffing at persons who are unable to speak Standard English, whether in a social setting or workplace; such persons have been labeled as socially and linguistically inferior. Nevertheless, Patois is continuously being promoted daily via music (especially dancehall), poetry, for example those by Joan Andrea Hutchinson and Mutabaruka) and the media (newspapers, radio, television etc.). Gleaner writers such as Jennifer Keane Dawes and Dr. Kingsley Stewart have been trying to keep Jamaicans connected to their roots by writing columns about life situations or just for humour, strictly in patois, however, I dont think that this is helping the patois vocabulary of the readers. I, myself, read the columns and find some of them interesting yet very hard to read and interpret. Dr. Carolyn Cooper and Mrs. Barbara Gloudon, among others, also write articles in patois from time to time in the media, however, these are much easier on the eye. It is an issue of debate as to making patois an official language, which some believe will help to increase the self-esteem of many Jamaicans and add more strength to their identity if patois is considered as valuable a language as any. It is also discussed that recognition of patois may also increase communication skills and social interaction in Jamaica. In my opinion, most Jamaicans already know patois and, being that it is a form of language which is not considered appropriate for official purposes such as public functions etc., I dont believe that this is necessary to make it official or to even teach it, as some propose. I read an article where it is explained that in March 1999, a group of students from the UWI, Mona Campus put together a proposal in the hope of gaining Jamaican Language or patois, an official status. It is argued that this effort to make patois official is quite unnecessary because students are already having a hard time mastering Standard English in school, (Vascianne, 1999) much to my agreement. I am also in full agreement with Mooris Cargill, a Jamaican columnist that if patois continues to gain legitimacy, it will destroy English. Pryce (1997) states that the high illiteracy state is partially blamed by many Jamaicans on the presence of two languages in the country and outlined the belief of Professor Carl Stone that the reason students are having trouble with the English Language is more as a result of students not reading enough. I dont believe it is intelligent to implement certain changes such as food labels or even The Bible into patois. (N.B. Recently the book of Luke was translated into patois by a group of graduates of the UWI and became available in stores on 08/09/10) (http://wwww.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100809/lead/lead2.html- obtained from source on Sunday, September 26) 2010) and I think it is would be quite absurd to see road traffic signs in patois. Imagine for example: instead of Buses only you read Ongle bus or instead of Reserved for handicaps you see Fi di andycap dem, etc. I work in a public educational institution, and at times am privileged to read some of the errors recorded by students at the advanced level in the secondary education system. Some of the students dont seem to remember that English is the recognized first language of the society and often make their response in their own form of patois. I believe that some teachers are to be blamed for this because at times, they themselves do not use the Standard English in the classroom and this, I believe, may be the reason why the students feel it is okay to record their responses in the manner that most of them do. Most of the students at the institution hail from the small fishing and peasant farming community of Annotto Bay and most of their parents have never had the opportunity to learn Standard English and most times do not necessarily speak patois out of cultural pride, but as a result of a lack of education, therefore if the students are not taught proper English by their teachers at scho ol, then they eventually become verbally disadvantaged and rely solely on what they have learnt from their uneducated parents at home and what they pick up on the streets, therefore, my point is that there will never be an end to illiteracy as far as this is concerned if the teachers fail to carry out their purpose. While I embrace my home tongue, patois, I honestly have a strong rejection to it being allowed and accepted everywhere. No language is a uniform system in which everyone talks just like everyone else. People who speak a given language share knowledge of its basic rules. Such common knowledge is the basis of mutually intelligible communication. (Kottak, 2002) It is a fact that there are certain social situations that influence our speech such as Geographical location, Cultural practices, and Socioeconomic differences and whatever phonological differences which are present are looked down on. Whether it is fair or not, people judge you not only by the way you look but by the way you speak. Proper language becomes a strategic resource, correlated with wealth, prestige and power. (Kattak, 2002). I believe that in order to effectively learn and properly use Standard English, it has to be practiced. Everyone needs to practice and learn Standard English in order to develop a career for if we should examine closely, we will notice that all academic institutions list English Language as a requirement for admission and all organizations, no matter what the job may be, requires Standard English as an asset for obtaining a job. Some of the most industrious people in society are those who are proud active speakers of patois, yet are not limited to learning and using the English language and encourage their children to do so. The Clergy, Lawyers, Doctors, Chief Executive Officers, Lecturers, Teachers and the rest of Jamaicas learned class primarily use English, not because they have access to the enlightened larger world, but because we continue to stigmatize the language that is used for official purposes all over the world. I will never look down on patois or scoff at persons who are unable to speak Standard English because, to me, some persons are simply not able to express themselves fluently no matter how hard they try, and I another reason is that I am aware that many Jamaicans feed their families from work done in the informal economy (eg. Factory, beauty shop, taxi service, vending etc.) where patois is the main language used not necessarily because they are illiterate but because that is what is available to them in this country. Everyone, at some time or another say words in patois. I cannot imagine any single Jamaican who I interact with on a daily basis who does not use it. Our Jamaican everyday language, as I affectionately call patois, when used by certain professionals gain them a respect or a certain cooperation and I believe that is the main reason why it is really used to get cooperation. I enquired of my brother who has been a Police Officer for seventeen years (who speaks mostly English when around friends and family) why they use patois when accosting bad men, and he explained to me, that some of the things they want to say may not have the same effect when said in Standard English. He shared some examples with me: A ded you waa ded instead of Do you want to die? Stap gwaan like you bad instead of Stop behaving badly and I could go on. I have also observed the Dean of Discipline at my school on several occasions handling certain situations, and for a situation with a very unruly child, especially boys, I realized that patois is often used. When I asked her why, she told me that at times, it is the only way to control them by speaking to them in the way they understand and as most times administered to them at home. She confirmed that whenever patois is used, they know that there is no joking. Other persons, such as vendors in a craft market, use patois to promote their wares to tourists; radio talk show hosts and media personalities use it to add real Jamaican vibes to their presentations; teachers sometimes use it to get across a point in class or to reprimand an unruly child; and children/students, oftentimes as they prefer, mostly because of peer pressure. I, myself, at work, interacting with my co-workers use some amount of patois, and from time to time, the members of my department, and students whom I supervise, have made me put aside all English (which I mostly use) and level with them in the language which they know and can easily relate to. Personally, I dont have a problem with patois. I grew up in a home where it wasnt looked down on, however, I was strictly required to address my parents (and everyone else whenever in their presence in Standard English). Most of the English Language I know and speak fluently today has been taught to me in my home, and this has often caused me to wonder about those children whose parents are uneducated and are unable to teach them. I am not saying that patois doesnt qualify, but I dont believe that one should be limited to learning only patois, because then, one may not be able to expand or move on to the world scale. I know that many Jamaicans are very foreign minded and this limitation would impact very negatively. In the meantime, I continue to embrace our beloved Patois and believe that as Jamaicans, it is not intelligible to want it to be made official so that other nations may be able to buy a manual or dictionary and learn it and be able to take advantage of it. I want patois to remain unique to us as Jamaicans. Other countries have their own creole which has not been made official and for example, even though I speak a little Spanish and can understand when spoken to in the language, if a native Spanish speaker wants to make disparaging comments about me in his native Creole right in front of my face, I would not be able to understand what is being said about me. Although I admit to hearing patois rather than poor English, I do believe that there is a time and place for patois. As a Jamaican, I like the humor and versatility our everyday language. And while I remain in agreement that patois is an effective medium of communication through which countless traditions and life skills have been passed, I emphasize my position nevertheless, that it is not necessary to teach patois or to promote it because Jamaicans naturally acquire the . patois necessary for cultural expressions and social and informal occasions.

Reefer Madness Essay -- essays research papers

I. Introduction and Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is something very interesting about a book with a cover promising lurid tales of sex, drugs, and cheap labor. The persona of Eric Schlosser's subject and the effective marketing behind it are very verbose in nature. Here in this book, Eric Schlosser is keeping with the long tradition of the so called, â€Å"yellow† journalism, in wresting the black market, from the back alleys of public consciousness and putting it on display in the storefront of the eye of everyone. In the painfully, yet enjoyable essays, Eric Schlosser takes us on many numerous excursions through the war on marijuana, the lives of immigrant farm workers, and the very dirty sex industry in the United States. He paints a very graphic image of hypocrisy in the policies of the U.S. government by examining the power of the economy of the underground and the misuse of government resources in legislating morality to its public. . II. Major Issues In each of the authors essays in this book, is the truth of the smut and other things of the American ideal. You could say it is a liitle bit Weber's Protestant Ethic meets Larry Flynt. In each scenario, whether through agricultural facility and personal liberties, in the case of marijuana criminalization; immigrants in search of a better life, in the case of stigmatized farm workers; or punishing a successful businessman because of his lack of morals, Eric Schlosser returns to the unpleasant image of America as a bundle of hypocrisies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On one level, each scenario is of an American archetype of success. For a country that prides itself on its immigrant history, hard-work ethic, and financial success stories, it seems strange to make these folks look like the villains. This is what Eric Schlosser is getting at: that these people would be heroes if the American ideal were anything more than a myth. Forgotten in that ideal, rationalized somehow, is the fact that our national heritage also includes a strong grounding in Puritanical morality somewhat. This is perhaps one of the most dissatisfying aspects of Schlosser's book, that the exploration of our moral grounding is never explored all that deeply, even though it is criticized. However, it is indisputable that the author, Schlosser, feels that the American ideal has a dangerous and powerful hold on the public co... ...ese topics, or is he attempting to establish himself as a liberal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps, ironically, Schlosser's book is attractive for the same reasons that its subjects are, it is a type of book you do not want to be caught reading. In the United States, especially in the patriotic surge following the 2001 terrorist attacks, it is unfashionable to question nationalistic conventions. If teenagers are drawn to marijuana because their parents forbid it and married men are lured by the pornography stands because it is immoral, is it also possible that disenchanted citizens are tempted by a book that portrays its government and policies as laced with duplicity? We may never know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Table Of Contents I. Introduction and Overview II. Major Issues In The Book III. Conclusion â€Å"Reefer Madness† overview

Hand Guns and Conceal Ability :: Guns Weapons Violence Essays

Hand Guns and Conceal Ability The debate of hand guns is highly argued among American citizens. The article "Handgun Bands" from GunCite.com, and the article "Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" from CCNCrime.com, advocate the legal possession of a concealed handgun. They attempt to show that legal handguns actually deter crime and violence. The first article "Handgun Bands" takes an emotional approach followed by statistical information to prove the point that handgun bands, or limitations on the ability to purchase and carry a hand gun, do not effectively counter violence. The author begins by giving the statistic from the F.B.I. Uniform Crime Report that over 55% of all murders are committed with handguns. This leads you to believe that the author is an advocate of handgun bands. This idea is quickly thrown out in the next paragraph where it is stated that handguns are more often used in self defense than in crime. The claim is also made that most instances of self defense involving a handgun result in no shots fired. The question is then brought up, if handguns are banned will violent crime decrease? The author claims that not only will crime not decrease but, will grow resulting in more violence than ever. A survey from the National Institute of Justice shows that 72% of felons that use handguns would simply switch over to other weapons, such as shotguns in order to commit their violent acts. The author then gets information from an article by R. Taylor called "Gunshot Wounds of the Abdomen." This article proves that shotguns and rifles cause much more damage to the abdomen than handguns. The author is also able to show that studies taken by Don B. Jr. in his article ‘Guns, Murders, and the Constitution," show that 54% to 80% of homicides committed with handguns could have just as easily been committed with a long gun. The author effectively defends his idea that banning handguns will have no effect on the reduction of violent crime, but may actually increase instances of gun crimes. This is due to the fact that civilians would no longer be able to defend themselves effectively. The second article, " Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" tries to persuade the reader that the right to carry concealed weapons will deter criminals. Most of the information in this article is taken from a July 26, 1996-article called "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," written by John R. Hand Guns and Conceal Ability :: Guns Weapons Violence Essays Hand Guns and Conceal Ability The debate of hand guns is highly argued among American citizens. The article "Handgun Bands" from GunCite.com, and the article "Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" from CCNCrime.com, advocate the legal possession of a concealed handgun. They attempt to show that legal handguns actually deter crime and violence. The first article "Handgun Bands" takes an emotional approach followed by statistical information to prove the point that handgun bands, or limitations on the ability to purchase and carry a hand gun, do not effectively counter violence. The author begins by giving the statistic from the F.B.I. Uniform Crime Report that over 55% of all murders are committed with handguns. This leads you to believe that the author is an advocate of handgun bands. This idea is quickly thrown out in the next paragraph where it is stated that handguns are more often used in self defense than in crime. The claim is also made that most instances of self defense involving a handgun result in no shots fired. The question is then brought up, if handguns are banned will violent crime decrease? The author claims that not only will crime not decrease but, will grow resulting in more violence than ever. A survey from the National Institute of Justice shows that 72% of felons that use handguns would simply switch over to other weapons, such as shotguns in order to commit their violent acts. The author then gets information from an article by R. Taylor called "Gunshot Wounds of the Abdomen." This article proves that shotguns and rifles cause much more damage to the abdomen than handguns. The author is also able to show that studies taken by Don B. Jr. in his article ‘Guns, Murders, and the Constitution," show that 54% to 80% of homicides committed with handguns could have just as easily been committed with a long gun. The author effectively defends his idea that banning handguns will have no effect on the reduction of violent crime, but may actually increase instances of gun crimes. This is due to the fact that civilians would no longer be able to defend themselves effectively. The second article, " Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" tries to persuade the reader that the right to carry concealed weapons will deter criminals. Most of the information in this article is taken from a July 26, 1996-article called "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," written by John R.