Human racial inequality from early colonization to Civil War Essay

Human racial inequality from early colonization to Civil War - Essay Example The act of enslaving other people, highlights on the paradox of the great American history, founded based on the ideals of fostering freedom and equality. In essence, the ramification of such paradox lingers in the American society, even at the present (Dempsey 129). Race as a term, defines a social category classified in terms of social conventions and in this light, racial boundaries, are often drawn to mean different things. In the United States, one may be categorized as â€Å"Black† incase that person belong to a lineage of African ancestry. In essence, such categorization or classification denotes an extreme type of binary racial categorization and reflects on the trend on how individuals were classified in the United States, after the end of the Civil War. In America, the act of propagating inequality during the period of colonies to the end of the Civil War did not affect only one group, the African Americans, but also, other minority groups as well. Racism, has a prof ound impact in the American society and continues to impacts on the lives of all American citizens including, the Whites (Seligman 78). The Whites, during this period, were oppressed in two different ways that includes a repeated division of political and social movements that undermines individual’s capacity to oppose the existing types of inequality and power. In this sense, the elite and those in power continue to capitalize on the race issue as a tool to divide people while, amassing more power for purpose of protecting the interests of their class. Around 1880s, there existed a political movement consisting of subsistence farmers and workers in the Midwest and the south. This movement appeared as though making some inroads in their quest against the elites in the south and other large landowners. This populist group, posed a challenge to the political elites of the time however, racial conflict, ended up disintegrating the unity among the agrarian populists thus contribu ting to the fall of the movement (Seligman 80). On the other hand, the second manner in which the existence of inequality affect the lives of the disadvantaged Whites of that period, involved, undermining the universalistic aspects related to the welfare state. This programs, are supposed to benefit everyone in the society, however, such programs, are contrasted with the identified programs meant only to benefit a designated group. At the period the welfare program was implemented in the United States, opposition emerged from the Democrats in the South concerning universalistic policies since, such policies may benefit both the White, as well as the African Americans. These in essence, are ideals propagated because of advancing racist notions as evident from the conservative Southern Democrats (Young 20). On another note, when the European settlers migrated to America, there was already an indigenous population residing in that region of the world and had control over their economic resource, which, was land. In order to amass this resource, the British colony engaged in acts of displacement to confiscate the land from the Native community. The government of the United States later used this practice as the saying

How To Improve Your Concentration English Language Essay

How To Improve Your Concentration English Language Essay If you wish to improve your memory skills, i.e. your ability to remember information and recollect it when you so desire, it is imperative that you improve your concentration. Concentration requires you to focus intently on whatever you are trying to remember. Concentration enables you to: learn new facts recall information that you have already memorised It is obvious that you need to focus on the information to be learnt if you want to remember it. So you must improve your concentration to improve your memory. You cannot claim that your powers of concentration are weak and hence you suffer from a weak memory. Concentration is a mental skill. It can be developed by you, just like any other skill. There are several exciting ways in which you can boost your concentration power. Step 1: Power Your Brain If you really wish to improve your concentration, try the following tips and you will find a marked improvement in a relatively short time period. There have been several books that have been written on the subject of how the brain works and how you can use this knowledge to improve its functioning. In Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, Sharon Begley explains that the structure and function of the adult brain is not set in stone. The connections between the neurons in your brain grow and change all the time. When you learn to play the guitar, study the human anatomy, read a book, practise the Chinese style of cutting vegetables, or develop a new habit, you are increasing the networking in the brain. As with any other muscle in the body, the more you use the brain, the better it becomes. You need to exercise a muscle regularly to develop it. In the same manner, you must exercise your brain regularly to develop and keep it in good shape. Your brain has the ability to change and grow all the time. This is a continuous process and does not happen overnight. With continuous and consistent effort, you can improve your brains ability to concentrate. Build into your daily regime the following habits: Mindfulness meditation: Begin by meditating for five minutes in the morning and for five minutes again at night before going to bed. If you do this everyday, you will notice that your power of concentration is improving. Mindfulness means to be aware or conscious. Meditation sharpens your focus and memory. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have proved that regular meditation creates changes in the physical structure of the brain by thickening the cortex. Then thickening of the cortex happens because of increased blood flow to that area. The cortex is that area of the brain that deals with the higher mental functions. So, meditation and memory are inextricably linked to each other. By meditating regularly, you improve your brains power to focus. It also helps bring clarity in your thinking. I found mindfulness meditation is the best way to meditate. In this way you have to do the reverse of other meditation methods commonly used. Here you will not try to empty your mind but you will try to fill your mind with as much as information you can. But it should be from the present only not from the past and the future. E.g. sit comfortably and try to focus on your breathing sound, listen the sound of it. Feel it, try to imagine that air going in and out. I mean make your all the senses/ perception busy enough in receiving information from the present moment. It will make busy your mind in the present passing movement and you will l not get the time to wonder in past and future. And concentration is all about staying in present. You can do the same thing which eating, bathing, walking by making your senses busy in receiving the information in the present movement. Like what is the temperature of water you are using for bath or what are the ingredients of the food your are eating also try to analyse their quantity. Proper sleep: It is a well known fact that sleep contributes to the long-term consolidation of new memories (Nature journal, November 2006). Going by this, any new memories that are formed require enough sleep to enable the brain to organize and retain them. If a night has been slept in tossing and turning (if its due to an old mattress, throw it out and get a new one), the brain is not fresh and ready to face a new day of work. It is foggy and sleepy, and it will not function with clarity and sharpness. Its ability to retain anything will be reduced. Both concentration and memory will suffer because of poor sleep. To improve the quality of your sleep have a hot cup of milk before going to bed, remove stressful thoughts from your mind, darken the room, have warm shower, put on some light music and read a boring book. All these things are aimed at ensuring that you get a good nights rest. It will help your brain boost its energy levels. This in turn will lead to improved concentration. Eat healthier: There is a direct correlation between your diet and your concentration and memory. The nutrients and energy needed by your brain are supplied by the food you eat. The brain uses glucose, a sugar, as fuel, so your blood sugar needs to be regulated. To help improve your memory, cut back on fast foods which are high in saturated fats and salt, both of which block your carotid arteries. Such blockages reduce the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain. The focusing power of the brain is then diminished. Reduce your weight to the normal levels, for being overweight makes your physical body and your mental capacities sluggish. Eat foods that enrich your brain to help in improving its functionality. Brain foods include apples, bananas, dark green vegetables such as spinach, eggs, flaxseed, and fish, and some essential fatty acids like Omega -3. Drinking at least one liter of water a day per 23 24 kg of body weight will also help. To keep your blood sugar steady, take five or six small meals throughout the day. Limit your calorie intake to what is essential. Vitamins and other supplements: Brain enhancement supplements do not do much and can be avoided. Taking a multi-vitamin tablet everyday as a supplement does help. It may fill in the lacuna created by any kind of vitamin deficiency in your diet. Cod liver oil capsules, Vitamin B and vitamin C tablets help in supplementing the vitamins that you get from your regular diet. Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of your brain. Brain games: You need to play the games that ask for greater focus. These should be played often to improve your concentration levels. This is because the brain becomes better at whatever it exercises on a regular basis. By playing those games that require concentrated effort, the brains ability to focus increases. Step 2. Optimize your Environment: A proper environment, conducive to studies, also helps in improving your concentration. A Study Area: It is good to have a designated spot for studying. You will get in the habit of studying there. Make sure its not the bed that you use for studies, for the bed relates to sleep. Have a desk in a quiet and secluded place away from noise to enable you to concentrate. Try Different Coloured Lights: Recent studies indicate that the use of a green light bulb in the study lamp improves concentration. You could try this out to see if it works for you. Red light is also supposed to improve concentration and memory. You may also decorate your study area with artifacts and items which are red in colour and see whether this helps in improving your concentration. Remove Distractions: Radio, television, and telephone are all distractions. They should be switched off during your study time. This will help you focus. Make sure that when you study, you are not disturbed by friends who call or drop in unexpectedly. Your study time should be clear to you as well as others. By demarcating your study hours, you will prevent the distractions that otherwise eat into your time. Use Time Boxes: For a particular portion of study, set a reasonable time limit. If you wish to learn a new chapter, set forty minutes for reading it and another twenty minutes for learning it. You should be able to complete the chapter in one hour. By doing this, you ensure that there is a deadline to be met and this helps you to focus on the work. Stay Motivated: The trick to staying motivated is promise yourself a reward at the end of a certain period of focused studying. For example, you may tell yourself that after a couple of hours of study, you will have earned the reward of watching your favourite T.V. show at night. Take a Regular Break: Every hour, take a five minute break, to prevent your energy levels from lagging. You should get up from the chair, walk a bit and stretch your legs. Have a gilas of water or a light snack. Do some eye exercises to relax your eyes. Change your Breathing: Change your breathing to activate your alpha waves. Switch your breathing pattern to deeper and slower. This helps your brain to switch to alpha waves, which mentally prepare your brain to concentrate on new facts. The alpha waves bring your mind to readiness to learn new facts. This is the cool and relax state of mind. Any learning requires concentration. Without focusing on the information, the brain will not be able to learn or remember. If your brain wanders, it will not recall a lesson. So concentration is a must for learning and retaining. Improvement in concentration will lead to improvement in the memory since learning, remembering and recollecting are all inter- related. If you have not learnt, how will you remember? Hence, improve your concentration and this will lead to an improved memory. *****

How the Red Scare Created a Hollywood Blacklist Essay -- essays resear

In the 1930s and 1940s many Hollywood writers, actors, producers, and directors were suspected for communist affiliations. During this time, communism was a popular political movement in the United States, especially among young liberals. There was a growing fear of communism invading American society. By the end of World War Two an event known as the Red Scare resulted in communism become increasingly feared and hated by many in the United States. The Hollywood blacklist caused the Hollywood industry a lot of harm in its business and reputation. The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was created in 1938. They were focused on investigating and putting an end to Communists and Communist supporters in the American Society. Their first major attack was on the Hollywood film industry. Communists in the Hollywood industry were said to be placing subversive messages into films. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and others like Senator Joseph McCarthy pestered communists and supporters of the Communist party. McCarthy conducted â€Å"witch hunts† in effort to seek out and eliminate suspected Communists. Congressional hearings were in effect, not hearings, but trials for crimes that were not really crimes, with congressmen serving as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Unable to deprive a person of their life and liberty, they deprived him of his livelihood. If the person refused to give the names of other Communists, he or she would automatically be considered guilty. Witnesses of the trials were immediately classified as either friendly or unfriendly. Friendly witnesses answered questions concerning themselves and others. They were then cleared from the blacklist and allowed to go back to work in Holly... ...to obtain work in the American film and television industry for many years. Some of those blacklisted continued to write Hollywood films, using false names. This allowed movies such as The Bridge on the River Kwai to be completed. Several screenwriters moved to other countries, where they were able to find work in film. Most estimates indicate that the blacklist involved approximately three hundred and twenty-five employees in film and related industries. However nearly expert believes there were over five hundred victims of the Hollywood blacklist. It wasn’t until 1961, when a director named Otto Preminger announced he was hiring a writer named Trumbo who was on the blacklist to write a move that things began to slowly change. In 1997, a group named the Writers Guild of America voted to change the writing credits of 23 films made during the blacklist period. How the Red Scare Created a Hollywood Blacklist Essay -- essays resear In the 1930s and 1940s many Hollywood writers, actors, producers, and directors were suspected for communist affiliations. During this time, communism was a popular political movement in the United States, especially among young liberals. There was a growing fear of communism invading American society. By the end of World War Two an event known as the Red Scare resulted in communism become increasingly feared and hated by many in the United States. The Hollywood blacklist caused the Hollywood industry a lot of harm in its business and reputation. The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was created in 1938. They were focused on investigating and putting an end to Communists and Communist supporters in the American Society. Their first major attack was on the Hollywood film industry. Communists in the Hollywood industry were said to be placing subversive messages into films. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and others like Senator Joseph McCarthy pestered communists and supporters of the Communist party. McCarthy conducted â€Å"witch hunts† in effort to seek out and eliminate suspected Communists. Congressional hearings were in effect, not hearings, but trials for crimes that were not really crimes, with congressmen serving as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Unable to deprive a person of their life and liberty, they deprived him of his livelihood. If the person refused to give the names of other Communists, he or she would automatically be considered guilty. Witnesses of the trials were immediately classified as either friendly or unfriendly. Friendly witnesses answered questions concerning themselves and others. They were then cleared from the blacklist and allowed to go back to work in Holly... ...to obtain work in the American film and television industry for many years. Some of those blacklisted continued to write Hollywood films, using false names. This allowed movies such as The Bridge on the River Kwai to be completed. Several screenwriters moved to other countries, where they were able to find work in film. Most estimates indicate that the blacklist involved approximately three hundred and twenty-five employees in film and related industries. However nearly expert believes there were over five hundred victims of the Hollywood blacklist. It wasn’t until 1961, when a director named Otto Preminger announced he was hiring a writer named Trumbo who was on the blacklist to write a move that things began to slowly change. In 1997, a group named the Writers Guild of America voted to change the writing credits of 23 films made during the blacklist period.

Consumer Culture Theory (CCT): Twenty Years of Research Essay

Past 20 years: Flurry of Research and studies abot aspects of consumption. CCT presents a non-exhaustive overview about consumption and marketplace behavior: A family of theoretical perspectives that address the dynamic relationships between consumer actions, the marketplace, and cultural meanings. Culture is not seen as a homogenous system of collective meanings, way of life and unified values ( eg. Americans / Asians). CCT explores cultural meanings as being numerous and fragmented – A heterogenous distribution of meanings. Culture therefore is an aglomeration of heterogeneous meanings and different cultural groupings, which are overlapping within a sociohistoric frame and mediated by markets. Consumer culture is viewed as â€Å"social arrangement in which the relations between lived culture and social resources, between meaningful ways of life and the symbolic and material resources on which they depend, are mediated through markets† and consumers as part of an interconnected system of commercially produced products and images which they use to construct their identity and orient their relationships with others. CCT conceptualizes culture as the very fabric of experience, meaning and action It frames consumers’horizons of conceivable action, feeling, and thought, making certain patterns of behavior and sense-making interpretations more likely than others. Demythologizing CCT (3 major misunderstandings in CCT) CCT does NOT particularly study consumption contexts. Theorists study in consumption contexts to gather theory and insight. Investigation of cultural dimensions of consumption IN context. The primary differences between CCT and other traditions of consumer Research are NOT only methodological. Qualitative data and an array of related data collection and analysis techniques have been quite central to CCT, however this methodological predilection follows from the aims that drive CCT rather than from a passion for qualitative data or vivid description per se. CCT focuses on the experiential and sociocultural dimensions of consumption that are not plainly accessible through experiments. (product symbolism, ritual practices, the consumer tories). CCT researchers do not only rely on qualitative methodologies but actually embrace methodological pluralism. CCT research is misperceived in some disciplinary quarters as a sphere of creative expression and managerial irrelevance. However, subsequent developments, such as customer relation management, lifestyle and multicultural marketing, and the proliferation of so-called identity brands, have brought consumer meanings to the center of managerial concerns, and consequently ethnographic methods have become commonplace in applied market research. An understanding of consumer symbolism and lifestyle orientations is essential to successful marketing strategies Illuminating CCT Investigation of the contextual, symbolic, and experiential aspects of consumption as they unfold across a consumption cycle that includes acquisition, consumption and possession, and disposition processes and analysis of these phenomena from macro-, meso-, and micro-theoretical perspectives ? symbolic, embodied, and experiential aspects of acquisition behavior. Consumption and possession practices, particularly their hedonic, aesthetic, and ritualistic dimensions have perhaps been the most widely studied constellation of phenomena identi? ed with the CCT tradition Consumer culture theory explores how consumers actively rework and transform symbolic meanings encoded in advertisements, brands, retail settings, or material goods to manifest their particular personal and social circumstances and further their identity and lifestyle goals. Research programs CCT Research cut across the process-oriented categories of acquisition, consumption, and disposition in way that the theoretical scope of marketing research transcends the 4Ps framework. It has advanced consumer behavior with knowledge of sociocultural processes and structures of: Consumer identity projects: Marketplace is seen as a source of symbolic values and consumers as Identity seekers and – makers. It includes several studies on ways in which consumers pursue personally edifying goals and create a coherent self-identity through consumption and the marketplace in general. Marketplace culture: features of the marketplace-culture intersection. Consumers are seen as culture producers (Traditionally Anthropological: people as culture bearers). How does the emergence of consumption as a dominant human practice reconfigure cultural blueprints for action and interpretation? â€Å"creation of consumption worlds or microcultures through the pursuit of consumption† Sociohistoric patterning of consumption: s the institutional and social structures that systematically influence consumption (class, community, ethnicity, gender). Consumers = enactors of social roles and positions. Study of â€Å"Consumer society† (influence of gender, ethnicity, social class hierarchy, families) Mass-mediated marketplace ideologies and consumers’ interpretive strategies: Normative message s about consumption transmitted by media and consumers’ response. Consumers are perceived as interpretive agents, that either tacitly embracing the dominant representation of consumer identity and lifestyle ideals portrayed in the media or consciously deviating from these ideological instructions Consumer ideology as a systems of meaning that tend to channel and reproduce consumers’ thoughts and actions in such a way as to defend dominate interests in society. It is increasingly influenced by economic and cultural globalization. Cultural production systems (e. g. marketing communications) orient consumers toward certain ideologies or identity projects. (raising criticisms of identity play, capitalism and marketing) Basically, CCT is concerned with Cultural Meanings, Sociohistoric Influences and Social Dynamics that shape consumer experiences and identities. Consumption is seen as a historically shaped mode of sociocultural practice within the structures and ideological imperatives of dynamic marketplaces.

The Golden Ages

In about the 2nd century AD. Rome had its golden age. Also, around 500 to 300 BC was the Greek golden age. They both had many achievements during they’re golden ages, and many of them have affected us today. In Rome’s golden age they made concrete and roads. This helps us today because concrete is used in many different ways. Concrete makes up most of the building structure on this earth. Before even the use of concrete for roads, it was used to make simple things, such as pots to cook in, new types of housing etc. nce buildings came into affect, jobs then formed, business started, then grew and so on. They also constructed roads. Something as simple as a roadway opened up new civilization to the early Romans. Places they never could have known about, or gotten to by foot or horse and carriage. Concrete really had the biggest impact on our infrastructure. Concrete today is still in high demand, and is still a source of employment for many people. In Greece’s golden age they made mathematics, and architecture. By them making math, it affects us today because without math, a lot of things wouldn’t be able to get done. For example bills being paid, buildings and cars being made, and even having some jobs. Mathematics started early by drawing a line each time the sun rose or set. Counting turning into simple math has changed the course of our world. Math in this era is totally different even than just 20 years ago when our parents were young. Mathematicians can even calculate weather, due to the eventual discovery of physics, they have found that math is even at the basics and almost every level of medicine and how the physiology of the body works. Archetecture started back when they used natural beautiful material to construct buildings. We have moved on to use less expensive and less beautiful materials, but have changed our architectural design. Those are some of the achievements of the Roman and Greek golden ages. Romans made concrete and roads that helped us have buildings and to get places. The Greek’s came up with mathematics, and architecture.