Interracial Relationships Essays - Marriage, Racism, Antisemitism

Interracial Relationships African Americans and whites in the United States have witnessed a large amount of social and cultural desegregation of. Through years of desegregation, however, social and cultural differences still exist. They exist in the institution of marriage. Americans have been and are continually moving slowly away from segregation. "In the past forty years, laws have transformed schools, jobs, voting booths, neighborhoods, hotels, restaurants and even the wedding altar" (Ties that Bind). Since the 1960's, when housing discrimination was outlawed, many African Americans moved into predominately white neighborhoods. The steadily growing areas in the west and southwest are least segregated, because these areas never had the?"entrenched African American and white sections of town" (Afgen). There are other signs that are visibly seen in the areas of education. A study, done by the University of Michigan, shows that integration on campuses occur on a regular basis. The racial lines are crossed routinely; about 50% of African Americans and 15% of whites reportedly study together and a percentage close to that also eat together. Socially, there has been a steady focus of opinion on a variety of racial issues. Since 1972, surveys have asked whether the respondent would favor a law making inter-racial marriages illegal. "Since 1901, there has been a ban on these interracial marriages in Alabama" (Afgen). In 1980 the results showed that 30% of whites and 18.3% of African Americans favor such a law. By 1994, data showed 14.7% and 3.2% respectively. Similar trends have also been observed in busing and even integrated social clubs (Ties that Bind). A simple analysis shows that complete desegregation is moving in the right direction. Regardless of these examples of desegregation, a deeper look shows that there are still signs of racial discriminations, mostly seen in the institution of marriage between African Americans and whites. "By 1996, there were more than 340,000 marriages between blacks and whites, according to the census updates, of which fewer than 1 in 3 interracial marriages were between African Americans and whites in the 1960" (Ties that Bind). These numbers do not reflect the spread of desegregation very well. If there is such a large spread of desegregation between African Americans and whites from the past to the present, then the numbers should reflect a much larger count of interracial marriages between these races. This is, however, untrue. There are less such barriers African American and white couple's face today. One of the major barriers that face these couples does not come from themselves but rather from family disapproval. Ruth, an African American woman, and her husband Steve, a white man, were married in 1982. They have no prejudice toward each other and they share the equal love of any other married couple. Problems did not arise from friends because they shared friendship with people from different races along with those who looked at the person, not the color. However, they had problems with other people, such as Steve's mother. His mother had sat him down and asked him why he could not marry his own kind. Steve, of course, stood firm and married Ruth, which unfortunately resulted in the ties between his mother and himself breaking away. Robert, an African American man, married Michelle, a White Lutheran woman. Not one of Michelle's relatives attended the wedding, except for her mother. Her father was furious that he was expected to accept an African American into the family. "It is not the disfavor of strangers that hurts these couples the most, but rather the disfavor of family"(Newsline). "Territa, a African American women, had broken up with Todd, her White husband, several times before getting married because of the initial reaction of Todd's family "(Newsline). Nevertheless, they did not let their family's disapproval stop them from continuing on what they had. In another occurrence, Fred and Anita Prinzing, both white, were aware that interracial marriage brought problems. Both their son and daughter married African Americans. Fred and Anita believed that they were not prejudiced, but as far as their children were concerned, they couldn't justify the prejudice they felt for their children marrying African Americans. The only way they believed that they could have been persuaded from prejudice was the fact that they had been

Effective Grad School Recommendation Letters

Effective Grad School Recommendation Letters Youve been asked to write a letter of recommendation. No easy task. What makes a recommendation letter good? Effective letters of recommendation have these 8 characteristics in common. 8 Simple Characteristics to Feature Explains how you know the student. What is the context for your evaluation? Was the student in your class, an advisee, a research assistant?Evaluates the student within your area of knowledge. Within the context in which you know the student, how did he or she perform? How effective is a research assistant?Evaluates the students academic capacity. This is easy if the student was in your class. What if the student is not? You can refer to his or her transcript, but only very briefly as the committee will have a copy. Dont waste space talking about the objective material they already have. Talk about your experience with the student. If a research assistant, you should have some grasp on his or her academic competence. If an advisee, refer briefly to your discussions and provide clear examples that illustrate academic potential. If you have little as academic contact with the student, then make a broad evaluative statement and use evidence from another area to support. For example, I e xpect Stu Dent to be a meticulous student, as he keeps very careful and accurate records as the Biology Club Treasurer. Evaluates the students motivation. Graduate study entails more than academic skills. Its a long haul that takes a great deal of perseverance.Evaluates the students maturity and psychological competence. Is the student mature enough to accept the responsibility and manage the inevitable criticisms and even failures that will accompany graduate study?Discusses the students strengths. What are his or her most positive attributes? Provide examples to illustrate.Its detailed. One of the most important things you can do in improving the effectiveness f your letter is to make it as detailed as possible. Dont just tell them about the student, show them. Dont just say that the student can understand complex topics or work well with others, provide detailed examples that illustrate your point.Its honest. Remember that although you want the student to get into graduate school, it is your name that is on the line. If the student really isnt a good fit for graduate study and you recommend him any way, the faculty at that school potentially could remember and in the future take your letters less seriously. All in all, a good letter is highly positive and detailed. Remember that a neutral letter will not help your student. Recommendation letters, in general, are very positive. Because of that, neutral letters are viewed as negative letters. If you cant write a glowing letter of recommendation, then the most honest thing that you can do for your student is to tell him or her and decline their request to write a letter.

Who was Adam Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Who was Adam Smith - Essay Example This historic distinction later became an anthropological and historical interest for those who would visit Edinburgh (Smith (b), n. d.). Smith was born in Scotland and got education in Glasgow. He also spent his academic life in Oxford and gained extensive knowledge on literature there. He became the tutor of the Duke of Buccleuc in 1752 and travelled with him a lot around France and Switzerland. This experience gave Smith an opportunity to get acquainted with Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau,  Francois Quesnay, and Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot--his contemporaries (Smith (a), n. d.).   He spent his earning paid by the Duke to write The Wealth of Nations, which was published in 1776, the year when the American Declaration of Independence was inked (Smith (a), n. d.).   In 1778, he was appointed as the Commissioner to the Custom and this experience sharpened his understanding on trading. He fought against smuggling with much enthusiasm, according to historical accounts. He had rema ined single during his entire life and died in Edinburgh on July 19, 1790 (Smith (a), n. d.). ... d.). He published the book on the Wealth of Nations to reveal the nature and cause of a nation’s prosperity from the increasing division of labour to systematize its production (Smith (a), n. d.). He professed that individual would invest resource e.g. land and labour, to earn the highest possible return of investment but such must yield to the equal rate of return (Smith (b), n. d.). For other economist, this was the core of Smith’s proposition of economic theory. Smith advocated equality of returns to explain the differences of salaries based on the knowledge, skills, expertise and skills of workers (Smith (a), n. d.). Those difficult jobs to do would be bit higher in compensation – and this explicated the notion of human capital. Hence, the differences of the nature of work are compensated differently (Smith (a), n. d.). The Wealth of Nations likewise discussed the high cost of British imperialism and substantially—about the relation of supply and deman d (Smith (a), n. d.). He observed that economic inequities are caused by monopoly that burdened consumers of the whole expense of maintaining and defending that empire (Smith (a), n. d.). Smith opposed  mercantilism because it artificially maintained a trade surplus on the erroneous belief that doing so increases wealth (Smith (a), n. d.). Although trade opened up new markets for surplus goods offer access to commodities from abroad at a lower cost but comparative advantage of the products from the outside will weaken the price of the goods from within ((Smith (a), n. d.). Akin to most modern believers in free markets, Smith believed that the government should enforce contracts, grant patents and copyrights to motivate

Compare and contrast between Polish and American Christmas Holiday Essay

Compare and contrast between Polish and American Christmas Holiday - Essay Example The date of Christmas may have been earlier chosen to match with either the day exactly nine months after it is believed that Jesus was conceived, the date of the Roman winter solstice, or any one of the ancient winter festivals. The Christmas holiday was especially a Christian holiday celebrated by most Christians but in recent times it has seen a shift such that many non-Christians also celebrate or engage in the Christmas festivities. This day is also celebrated in different ways by different people, cultures and may involve gift giving, church celebrations, special meals and tree decorations. In other areas it is taken as a time to meet with family and neighbors and forgive each other of the past. Christmas is celebrated differently in different countries with traditions and customs that follow it. Christmas in the in the United States is a huge phenomenon. It begins in November and ends in January. It is not a single day but a long period that culminates with the New Year celebr ations. The entire period is associated with huge spending and festivities that most Americans engage into before the day of Christmas. During this time Americans decorate both the interior and the exterior of their homes. As significant decoration that is popular with the Americans is the Christmas tree. These trees are cultivated before the Christmas holiday and families and businesses including the white house order these trees that are then placed centrally in the home. It is then decorated with ornaments, tinsel and light with a star placed at the very top of the tree. This star symbolizes the star of Bethlehem that is believed to have guided the wise men in locating Jesus (USIA). The Christmas Eve, which is the day before Christmas, experiences so many activities. The day is associated with Santa Claus or Father Christmas whom it is believed that he visits homes while children are sleeping. Father Christmas is believed to fill stockings that are hung on the mantelpiece with gi fts for the children. It is a tradition for children in the United States to leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies for Father Christmas as they go to sleep. This day is also important as people buy gifts, wrap them and place them near the tree. These presents received from parents, friends and relatives are not opened until the Christmas morning. During this day too, there is a special church service called the midnight mass, that is held during the night and people spend in the church. For families with small children candle light services are held for them and these symbolize the nativity of Christ (USIA). During the Christmas day, families open their gifts in the morning before they head for the morning service that is held to bear witness to the birth of Jesus. The whole day is usually filled with celebrations with parents and relatives spending time together. The evening is marked by a special Christmas diner where lots of a food variety is served. For most American fami lies’ sweet pastry, eggnog that is sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg are served. Other popular dishes served include casseroles; the deserts are usually prepared with a family recipe that is usually kept a secret. Some of the snacks that are enjoyed during this time include nuts, cheeses and chocolates. Christmas holiday in polish resembles most of the aspects found in the American Christmas holiday; however there are few exceptions for as it will be seen in the discussion. The

Media studies comparative Essay Example for Free

Media studies comparative Essay Over the last twenty-five years the television series Doctor Who (and others) have altered massively. Different styles of presenting television shows, the way actors act and the certain way the story flows ultimately means that the new Doctor Who series is shown in a brand new light. This essay sets out to outline and highlight similarities and differences between the old Doctor Who of the 1980s and the brand new series that was recently aired. Many techniques have changed over the years; the new series is a prime comparative example of whats changed, and whats not. Russell T Davis, the writer of Doctor Who has written the story in such a way it reflects current society truths. He wrote Rose Tylers part on par with the Doctors own story; he later said neither was more important than the other. However in The Leisure Hive the author gives the Doctor a much more superior role compared to Romana who isnt that important and doesnt do very much. In the new series Tyler is given a much bigger part, she has more to say and do and is vital for the Doctors plans to succeed. Tyler and Romana also get very different times on the screen. For instance in the Leisure Hive the Doctor and Romana are in the shot. They both have equal space, the doctor is standing and is ready for action, but Romana is sitting down looking casual ready to sit and watch it all. (This is the scene where the space ship goes over their head). As I have already deduced Romana isnt that essential in the Doctors plans and so naturally doesnt spend as much time acting as the Doctor, whilst Tyler, the Doctors close assistant does. Its all down to the fact that society has changed the way we portray and look at women on television. Something else that has also changed is the way Tyler acts. She is a lot more masculine than Romana who can be described as girlie and weak. Tyler wears more casual and unisex clothes like jeans, trainers and a tee shirt while Romana is wearing a much more eccentric dress and heels. Tyler and Romana also contribute very different narrative. Tyler has more to say and do than Romana who is basically a background support actor. Because Tyler is invaluable to the story line she is given much more action than Romana. Most key points and advances in knowledge are made by Tyler, Romana on the other hand does help but she is also a slight hindrance. This is due to her weak attitude and the way she shows herself to the audience. Romana seems to be the person to go with the flow. She comes across to the audience as someone who means well, but is very lazy and doesnt want to be there. This is also something else that makes Tyler seem more genuine and realistic. Over the years people have slowly began to stop speaking in Standard English. They began talking in a much more slangeey way. Romana still speaks in Standard English. She is very posh, and thinks highly of herself, Tyler on the other hand is much more forward chatty and seems down-to-earth the average person youd see in the street. This attracts us in, as Tyler is someone we would like to know, she behaves and acts, as we would like to do ourselves. Many things have happened since the release of The Leisure Hive. Romana was told to act in a certain way and she did. Now we can look back and discuss what has not changed. In some cases they can be very similar, but mostly they act both as they are expected. In general both characters have got the characteristics to be successful assistants. They are brave, heroic and clever these are some of the type of abilities needed which have not changed over the years. Tyler and Romana are the same in the sense that they both want to help, but overall Tyler swings it with the authentic acting, and genuine personality with really makes differences to the viewer and how he or she portrays women now. Many different things have happened, that have affected the way we watch, and portray women in British society. Women are now shown to be leaders, people to stand up and fight for righteousness and oppose evilness, and this follows the typical plot of a drama series (or film), which is why Doctor Who is such a popular and enjoyable series to watch. Richard Callus Media Studies Comparative Textual Analysis Coursework

The Development of Musical Literacy in Relation to the Learning of a Primary Language :: Musical Education Music Essays

The Development of Musical Literacy in Relation to the Learning of a Primary Language Many parents demolish their child’s chance to succeed before they send them off to their first day of kindergarten. So much of American society believes more or less that the talent and abilities of a child can only be as good as what was passed onto them from the genes of their parents. Therefore, before they even enter the school system, parents, teachers, and students alike hold high, average, or low expectations for the success of the child. These expectations can be held for all areas of school subject matter, but they tend to especially apply in areas where society considers talent instead of persistence to be one of the chief attributors of success. Such an area is music. I am always amazed at the amount of parents who are willing to say â€Å"Well, I’ve never been able to understand music, and my child certainly could not have inherited any kind of musical ability from me. Therefore, even if they really want to try to learn music, they probably won’t be very good at it.† This kind of rationality can at best set up the child to believe that they have a very small chance of being good at music, and cause them to give it a try anyway, and to keep persisting if they are met with a moderately surprising amount of success. Typically, a child will be resistant against any musical instruction they are faced with if they have been told either verbally or indirectly that they have not inherited any talent for it, and thus continue the cycle of â€Å"Well, I was never good in music, therefore my children won’t be either†. What would happen, however, if children were all raised from birth with the attitude that regard less of their background, they could all achieve amazing measures of success in whatever they tried to do? What would be the outcome of a society that believed talent was something that could be developed upon entrance into the world, instead of a set amount being instilled into a child based upon what they inherited from their parents? First, I would like to show that talent, especially musical talent, can be developed. Second, I would like to offer more successful ways of teaching children to develop these talents.

Living in a multicultural society takes time Essay

‘Living in a multicultural society takes time.’ To what extend is this illustrated by the challenge of multicultural societies in the UK? (40) A multicultural society is the status of several different ethnic, racial, religious or cultural groups coexisting in harmony in the same society. From the early 19th century people have immigrated to England, developing its diversity. During World War 2 polish and Jewish people immigrated to the UK to escape fascism. Also as the UK is part of the European Union, free and fair movement between the 28 member states means that there are no limits on immigration between these countries. This has seen it compulsory for the UK to adapt and change in order to accommodate for these individuals. For different ethnic minorities to coexist in harmony time is imperative, groups of different people will never coexist harmoniously over night. This is evidenced by holiday and school timetables being altered for ethnic minority groups, opportuni ties for people to learn English for free and websites being available in other languages. The vast majority of immigrants to the UK have settled in the industrial cities and towns as there is a demand for workers. Consequently, councils then have to work to help integrate these ethnic minorities into the communities, limiting tensions that may occur as a result of groups of people lacking understanding of each other. For example, Birmingham city council has created a festival to promote and express culture within Birmingham. Using twitter and other social media they have emphasised ‘your postracial is a myth #itooambirmingham’ this is the idea that no matter what ethnic group you originate from are equal and almost labelling Birmingham as an ethnic group with no specific image. This integrates ethnic minorities in to society and creates a sense of community by almost blurring the lines between people differences. The process of integration takes time, therefore supporting the statement. However, some council’s are better than others at creating a sense of community and educating their population about different cultures; moreover councils are not literally able to force peo ple to be accepting of change. This issue can create racial tensions. In 2005 Riots started in Birmingham initially due to the alleged rape of a Jamaican girl. Violence erupted between gangs of Black and Asians; Isiah Young-Sam was stabbed and later died as a result. Even though Birmingham council have worked to create a sense of community between ethnic minorities, it did not stop gangs fighting for revenge. This  may suggest that council’s efforts are rendered ineffective and ethnic groups in society will never coexist harmoniously, because these groups still see themselves as different and don’t completely understand each other which consequently cause tensions. This racial violence can then cause other ethnic groups to resent the groups that were involved because they are seen as unpleasant trouble makers causing more of a divide. Furthermore, political parties like UKIP and the BNP feed off this negative image created and demonstrate intolerance towards others. In times of crisis people may lo ok to more extreme parties and favour them as they believe government is ineffective. Another issue that the UK faces due to the development of multicultural societies is in education. Holiday patterns, school meals and school timetable may need to be altered for ethnic minorities groups. Religious holidays may demand time off school, the English school holiday is based on the Christian calendar, but people of different religions such as Islam celebrate at different times. For example schools in Tower Hamlet are now allowed two days off to celebrate Eid. School meals have to be altered for Muslims as they can only eat Halah meat and no pork so an alternative needs to be given. Furthermore, prayers occur on Friday afternoons, in Oxford Spire Academy in Oxfordshire pupils are allowed to travel to the mosque on Cowley road during lunch to attend prayers, if they are too young to travel alone there is a prayer room located onsite. The school adapting to changes in requirements shows they are accepting of a multicultural society, it has taken time to cater for these differing ethnic minorities. On the other hand, faith schools have developed in some areas to teach children according to a particular religion. Faith schools make up around a third of the education system. This limits choice for parents who do not want a religious education for their children, or do not share the faith of their local school. For example, in hackney Lubavitch Senior Girls’ School is a strictly orthodox, small secondary school for girls only. Liberal secularists argue that faith schools have no place in a growing diverse population as they promote segregation. Children should be educated around others from all religions and cultures as it is a truer representation of society. Moreover, enclaves of ethnic minorities are likely to locate near a school of their own faith this demotes integration and interaction within the community, resulting in a lack of understanding of others which consequently can cause racial tensions. Conservative people would argue that parents should have the right to bring a child according to religion and they should be able to continue to practise the religion at school. Faith schools demote integration with others who do not share the same beliefs; this is evidence to show that as long as there is faith schools in the UK ethnic minorities will never coexist in harmony. In the 1970’s and 80’s ethnic minorities were subject to racial discrimination in the workplace. Racial discrimination is still present today but it is declining slowly, Of the Civil Service employees in March 2014 who declared their ethnicity, 10.1% were from an ethnic minority, an increase of 0.5 percentage points on March 2013. 7.5% of these people are of senior civil service. This suggests that the UK has changed and become more accepting of other ethnic minorities, giving them access to promotions and roles with more power. Some people would argue work places reflect society and there is still more work to do to protect ethnic minorities’ from discrimination and enable them to progress in their jobs. This slow change in decreasing racial discrimination has taken time and will continue to need help to completely abolish racial discrimination. Although, there are still incidents of worker exploitation and discrimination in the UK. A poultry farmer had to pay over  £5,000 in compensation to a Polish worker who also won a case of racial discrimination. The worker, who had not been paid the same as his British co-workers, was unreasonably criticised over his work and was not allowed to attend English classes. The Polish Embassy stated that number of Polish workers in Britain was between 500,000-600,000. The amount of polish migrants who have settled in the UK increased after Poland joined the European Union, as the minimum wage in Poland is half of the UK meaning workers are prepared to work for less and longer than a native British worker. This is appealing to an employer’s as low skilled jobs become cheap labour as the migrants are prepared to work for less, some companies then take advantage of this and there have been examples were breaks are not given or employees are being paid less than the minimum wage. This suggests that immigrants can be vulnerable and some don’t even realise that how they are being treated is wrong. It could be argued that ethnic groups will never live harmoniously as there will always be a way to exploit immigrants. On the other hand, if all immigrants were educated of their rights it would  make it a lot harder for employer’s to take advantage of them as the person would know right from wrong. Some UK-born people may completely disagree with the statement. This is because some unemployed may feel that the immigrants are ‘taking their jobs’ as they are prepared to work for less than them and an employer favours this and not investing in our country as they may be sending money back to their families. However others may argue that they are just benefit tourists and they have only come to live off the state as the welfare system in their country is not as generous. In times of crisis (housing, economic) anti-immigration parties feed of the negative image painted for immigrants and the people which have these crisis’s hit them the hardest may decide to support them. Parties like UKIP and the English Defence league promote intolerance towards others this can influence people to stop trying to accept other ethnic minorities. In conclusion, I think there are many challenges of multicultural societies in the UK and some are easier to overcome than others. I strongly believe that living in a multicultural society harmoniously does and will still take time. People need time to accept change and some people will never accept it but as time goes on generations are taught to be tolerant of others. Councils holding events to educate everyone about the different religions, cultures and ethnicity can bring a sense of community and help ethnic groups understand each other. However, I feel as if there will always be obstacles such as faith schools and scapegoating different groups of people but it is the attitudes of society towards these obstacles that will allow for everyone to coexist harmoniously.