My Antonia Essay: Role of Women -- My Antonia Essays

Role of   Women in My Antonia   The role of the women in My Antonia as the showcased laborers and workers in the new community does not, certainly, alleviate the questions of patriarchal influence offered in the discussions of gender. Certainly, the fact that à ntonia is deprived of the education she longs for and yet cannot have, because it is she who is responsible for her family's success--"'School is all right for little boys. I help make this land one good farm'" (94)--cannot be seen as entirely good, if we agree that "the value of education is among the greatest of all human values" (Woolf 45); and in spite of her protests to the contrary, the bitter recognition of exclusion brings à ntonia to tears. However, recognizing the women's relationship to the development of national culture does suggest some alternative readings to the conclusions often reached, even as à ntonia's sacrifice of her own education does not exclude the contribution she makes to American culture, as we shall see.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recognition of nation-construction effects our reading of the play of gender in the text. One such instance is in the case of narrative authority, which has frequently been cited as Jim's patriarchal subsuming of à ntonia, as we have seen. While Jim appends the "my" to his transcription of à ntonia's history, however, it is worth reiterating that à ntonia is never, in fact, Jim's; rather, his possessive "My" reflects a failed attempt at possession, as his amorous advances were firmly rebuffed and as the adult à ntonia never seeks his assistance or support. At the same time, that the tale is proffered via an anonymous female narrator further undermines Jim's narrative authority, for his masculine presumption to speak for à ntonia undergoes... ...hts the unconstructedness of the American frontier and the central role of women in forging a community, and by extension in negotiating a fledgling national consciousness. Through the subversion of Jim Burden's narrative authority and a disrespect for gender delineations, Cather emphasizes the constructedness of patriarchal norms, highlighting their irrelevance to successful cultural consciousness. Finally, through à ntonia's final assumption of a nurturing role, she assumes not a passive feminine identification or a sudden retreat into traditional female roles. Rather, à ntonia becomes emblematic of the women who forged the frontier community in their own image, infusing it with their own ethnicities and resisting the hegemonizing impulse of the tangle of norms we now know as the American nation. Works Cited: Cather, Willa. My Antonia. Boston: Houghton, 1977.

Communication and Ethical Issues Summary Essay

The first example of the SWAT Team raiding a suspected meth house showed no ethics at all. The officers probably assumed no one was home since they pulled over their suspect away from his home, When they see a man coming down the stairs they should have noticed a golf club un his hand not a gun. The use of their power in this case was not justified even if he resisted non of the officers would have been hurt by the helmet and body armor they wear. Their use of power was unjustified (Balko, 2013). The second example where a homeless man is carrying a knife and would not drop it was shot. It was legal for him to have and carry the knife and if a bystander has to ask a police officer why he shot him tells me that he was not doing anything threatening with the knife. He was shot because he did not drop it. This is the shortcomings of the officer culture of leadership in his department because the officer was cleared of any wrong doing. His use of power was unjustified (Balko, 2013). The third example is where the police raid a recording studio thinking there are a large quantity of drugs located there. They only find personal consumption quantity and they try to decide what equipment in the recording studio they will take on asset forfeiture grounds. The police conversations were recorded because the equipment was left on when they raided the home. This is clearly an ethical problem within their agency with the leadership and the culture they have developed. Their use of power was unjustified (Balko, 2013). When you see your own leadership in your own agency does things that are not quite by the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), it can give you the understanding that if you copy what they do or their wrong you would be justified. The author of this paper watched a correctional sergeant spray a can of pepper spray into a cell just to mess with the inmate that was inside, no other reason. An investigation  was held and the sergeant was given a verbal reprimand. The officers who worked directly for this sergeant also felt that if they broke the SOP, this sergeant would have their back and help in justifying their actions like not pulling inmates out of their cells for showers during their shower time, purposely dropping their food trays on the floor or spitting in their food. This action happens and in the report that is turned in it gets justified by that sergeant signing off on the action. Reference Balko, R. (2013, September 10). Radley Balko on the 3 Worst Cases of Police Abuse in 2011 [Video file]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Media Library website: https://portal.phoenix.edu/medialibrary/videodetails.05V110608001512139.html

Paganism and Christianity in Beowulf Essay

Like a man outlawed for wickedness, he must await the mighty judgement of God in majesty. † (Beowulf, Heaney, p. 65) Finally, as Beowulf is dying after being mortally wounded by the Dragon, he ultimately thanks and praises God for the future prosperity of his kingdom, passing off the fame and glory to God instead of claiming it solely himself: â€Å"To the everlasting Lord of All, to the King of Glory, I give thanks that I behold this treasure here in front of me, that I have been allowed to leave my people so well endowed on the day I die. (Beowulf, Heaney, p. 189) The attempt at bridging Pagan tradition with Christianity is clear and powerful. Fate and personal fame and glory are important doctrine in Paganism, and the author of Beowulf is able to mend these characteristics with the Will of God and the ultimate power and glory of God, all major aspects of Christianity. 2-B2 The Gospel of Matthew was and still remains a critical text to Christians, both cradle Christians and converts from Judaism. It depicts the life of Jesus, as did the other two synoptic gospels – Mark and Luke. It includes depictions of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, his temptation, his baptism by John the Baptist, his teachings, his crucifixion, and his resurrection and Great Commission to his disciples. ?The Great Commission is arguably the most significant excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew as is believed to be Jesus’ instructions dictated to his disciples to go out and spread the teachings of Jesus. It is found in Chapter 28, verses 16-20: â€Å"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, â€Å"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. † This excerpt has been interpreted by Christians as divine instruction to evangelize nations, baptize non-Christians, as well as to perform missionary work. It is central to the theology of most Christian religions. Also of note, the Gospel of Matthew served as a bridge from Judaism to Christianity. In it, Matthew attempts to demonstrate how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament and that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah foretold in the old texts.

Multilingualism or Not? Essay

Today in America, there is a raging debate going on: should we promote multilingualism or accept a â€Å"melting pot† ideology? The melting pot ideology dictates assimilating into a common culture and language. Views on this issue are very polarized, which make a compromise seem hard to accomplish. Two articles that pertain to this topic are â€Å"American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy,† by Franklin Raff published on WND.com, and â€Å"English Only Laws Divide and Demean,† by Warren J. Blumenfeld published in The Huffington Post. Both articles are direct contradictions of each other with Raff saying languages other than English are unduly practiced and embraced in America while Blumenfeld argues that America should promote the practice of multiple languages. While I do not find myself agreeing completely with either one, there are points in both that appeal to me and give me a better understanding of multilingualism, and the influences of its wide reaching effects on society. In â€Å"American Multilingualism: A National Tragedy,† writer Franklin Raff introduces an ad broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday. It is a Toyota car ad, which is touted to be the first â€Å"bicultural, bilingual† advertisement. The spot compares the benefits of being bilingual to a hybrid car. Raff claims that the ad agency responsible for the ad has bluffed in equating bilingualism to anything good. He even goes as far as to say that the effects of promoting bilingualism can be fatal. To support his claim of fatality he uses the situation in where doctors are unable to  comprehend their patients. He also brings up the fact that workers who are unable to comprehend safety regulations at worksites meet untimely deaths. Raff speaks of the Chicago school system, which has an overwhelming population of Hispanics and is also the worst performing of all school systems. He then introduces a janitor, who cannot speak English and as such cannot get a better job despite his attention to detail, and a little Spanish speaking girl, who he encountered in the supermarket and cannot offer her help due to her not understanding English. Raff also provides statistics that portray Hispanics as unable to complete higher education courses due to their knowledge of Spanish and not English. He closes by saying it is a disservice to oneself to speak Spanish and as such it is a national tragedy. Raff’s article has a feeling of immense passion on something he feels is a great plague to the nation. He argues to great lengths on the extent of â€Å"damage† that speaking other languages causes to society. The Spanish language is his argument’s main adversary. He uses rhetorical strategies such as pathos and angle of vision to significant effect to support his claim. In his attempt to gain emotional support from his readers he makes impassioned pleas and relates personal experiences. He introduces the idea of being unable to comprehend languages as being detrimental to the point of even causing deaths. He uses examples of miscommunication in a health care facility and safety regulations at work sites. Death being the worst fate of mankind is a useful point for Raff as readers would be appalled that death is a possibility for some and that it could be avoided. He also speaks of the failing Chicago school system which is densely populated by Hispanics and he insinuates that their practice of language is what fails them. Others he says afflicted by speaking Spanish include a janitor he knows and a girl he encounters at the supermarket. Raff seeks to gain support by relating the troubles he perceives and leading  people to believe that Hispanics would be afforded a better quality of life and possibility of success by relinquishing the Spanish language and adopting the English language. Franklin Raff’s use of angle of vision lies in subtle inferences that readers have to make on their own. As it relates to the janitor he describes as a â€Å"fast, meticulous and good-natured worker,† Raff claims he can communicate with the janitor due to his knowledge of Italian, but Raff fails to write about the janitor’s feelings but rather what he believes the janitor should feel. Raff also speaks of high failure rates of Hispanics but he fails to account for any success of Hispanics in America, by doing this he can gain support from people who do not choose to consider more factors than the ones only stated by Raff. He makes it seem as though it is all doom and gloom because of knowing another language. In â€Å"English Only Laws Divide and Demean,† Warren Blumenfeld starts by relating an experience he had with his multilingual cousin, living in Belgium. His cousin poses a riddle to him, with the outcome saying that persons that can only speak one language are referred to as â€Å"US-American† as opposed to monolingual. Blumenfeld accepts this as a truth and goes on to lament that despite being so closely bordered by countries that speak other languages, Americans are stuck in their monolingual ways. He states that Americans’ lack of care for other languages has been endorsed by major political figures such as former President Theodore Roosevelt and Senator Rick Santorum. The ideas that there has been a campaign to make English the â€Å"official† language and that laws have been proposed to outlaw other languages are slammed by Blumenfeld, who states he has even started a petition against this movement. He also uses a personal experience of a friend of Mexican descent, who as a child was berated and punished for making an exclamation in Spanish at school. Blumenfeld states that this prejudice is a violation  of democracy and no true patriot could support it. He proclaims that America  should embrace its rich diversity and shed its â€Å"melting pot† ideology if it is to become a beacon to the world. Warren Blumenfeld in his attempt to gain the support of his readers employs the use of appeals to emotions and values. In his retelling of his encounter with his cousin he seeks to make Americans, including himself, feel as though they have not done enough to embrace linguistic diversity. By doing this he is able to make Americans feel t hat they should work assiduously to overcome this rather true stereotype. He also speaks of the extent American society will go to eliminate other languages, including campaigns by political leaders and proposition of laws. By highlighting these details and framing them in such a way that depicts them as promoting ignorance, Blumenfeld is able to gain the readers’ support. To show just how serious and credible his claim is, Blumenfeld then identifies that he has started a petition, which encourages readers to a call to action. To then gain the readers’ sympathy Blumenfeld uses an experience from a friend who as a child was castigated for speaking Spanish. This experience causes readers to be appalled that in their society, people, especially children are being chastised because of their cultural differences. The highpoint of Blumenfeld’s argument is introduced near the end when he begins to speak about the founding principles of America. He proclaims that the values of democracy and diversity are woven into the fabric of the nation and its people, and as such the people should work to protect and propagate these American values. True American patriots would then see the issue of multilingualism as an important part of the great nation’s future. In terms of a comparison between both articles, the only similarities lie in both writers’ use of rhetorical appeals and angle of vision. Both writers rely heavily on the emotional and value appeal of pathos to connect with their readers. The difference between both articles is the ideology of the authors. The authors directly contradict each other. Franklin Raff would have  Americans believe that the practice of languages other than English can lead  to death and failure. On the other hand, Warren Blumenfeld implores Americans to embrace learning and practicing other languages as it allows people to communicate across borders easily. After reading and analyzing both Franklin Raff’s and Warren Blumenfeld’s articles in detail I was able to gain new knowledge on the subject of multilingualism. From personal experiences I previously had opinions on the topic but from my newly attained knowledge I was able to strengthen my opinions. The basics of my ideology are that I believe that all government and other official documents should be printed in one language, most suitably English, for ease of communication. Though we should also encourage people to learn and practice multiple languages as that ability enhances a person’s effectiveness to themselves and to society as a whole. I was fortunate to be raised in a society that promoted learning multiple languages, though English was my native tongue. I learnt the fundamentals of both French and Spanish up until the 8th grade in Jamaica. Now I can read and write both languages at a level I perceive to be fair, which is something I am proud of. Though I lack in speaking fluency of these languages I plan to eventually become fluent. After 8th grade I moved to Florida. There I was surprised to know that my new peers had no foreign language course after the 5th grade and then they would only have a two-year crash course in high school. Having had that two-year crash course as well, I felt that it was more about getting a grade rather than learning to appreciate and comprehend the language. On the other hand, the peers I left in Jamaica went on to learn either one or both languages at a higher level. In America, I believe middle and high schools should operate a continuous curriculum for foreign languages as it will enhance students’ abilities. Franklin Raff in his article claims that Hispanics have a higher failure rate at school, particularly in Chicago, because of their knowledge of another language. Having had Hispanic classmates I am in complete disagreement with  Raff as it was apparent they were just as inclined for success and I believed that their ability to speak both English and Spanish gave them somewhat of an edge in being successful. As it pertains to the Chicago school system there is likely to be social factors other than language, including poverty in a densely populated area, that can lead to higher failure rates that Raff fails to account for. I also disagree with Warren Blumenfeld that English should not be made the official language of America and that government documents should be printed in multiple languages. Blumenfeld states that it is unnecessary to make English the official language but I believe not making English the official language is just as unnecessary. America unlike many other countries that promote multilingualism, does not have an official language. Having an official language does not mean that a country ignores other languages. In Jamaica, English is the official language but foreign languages are given great emphasis in the education system. For American governments to reduce spending, printing long documents in English only would be a good idea, but smaller statements such as safety information on airplanes can be printed in multiple languages, including French and Spanish. Though I have disagreements with the points the writers make, I do find some common ground with them. Franklin Raff’s claim that different languages make communication between people difficult is very understandable. There have been a few instances where I’ve heard people say they could not communicate with people at places such as the gas station as one person solely speaks English and the other solely Spanish. To achieve goals and make things happen require effective communication between people. I also agree with Blumenfeld that promoting Williams  multilingualism creates a better global society. I believe people should attempt to learn and appreciate other languages as it is a show of competence and facilitates good relations among different groups of people. America, in particular, has a few negative connotations around the world, and I believe if we as a people can embrace other cultures and languages America will gain a deserved mutual respect. As the topic of multilingualism holds great significance to me, I found it imperative to explore the writings of both Franklin Raff and Warren Blumenfeld. Both articles related interesting and contrasting ideas on the topic. As seen with my agreements and disagreements it is best to only consider the ideas rather than accepting any one as the truth. In my opinion, the importance of communication cannot be overstated, as it is a component of progress. While one language makes such communication easy, diversity among the world’s citizens cannot be eliminated and as such governments should encourage acceptance of other societies’ diversities and languages. It starts with education, to facilitate students to learn and gain appreciation for other languages and create a more connected world. Works Cited Blumenfeld, Warren J. â€Å"†English Only† Laws Divide and Demean.† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 October 2013. Raff, Franklin. â€Å"American ‘multilingualism’: A National Tragedy.† WND. WND.com, 02 May 2006. Web. 16 November 2013.

Primark faces inquiry over use of illegal labour 'Research proposal' Essay

Primark faces inquiry over use of illegal labour 'Research proposal' - Essay Example This increased awareness of the consumer in terms of ethics and its impact on buyer behaviour is a relatively new phenomenon and is gaining momentum with each passing year. This research proposal discusses the impact of ethical conduct by a business on its consumer’s buying behaviour and if there is any impact on the brand acceptance of a product caused by negative publicity related to ethics. Primark has been chosen as the organization for which this research will be conducted. This organization is perfect for this research as there have been controversial issues related to their business practices in the past. The literature review provides a complete background of the issue, followed by the research design of the proposed research. Ethical and practical considerations are named after, followed by the timetable of activities and a brief of data collection instruments that will be used for this research. Literature Review: The organization chosen for this research proposal, o wing to the recent controversy that they are in, is Primark. Primark is a 200 plus store clothing retailer working in the European region; this includes Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland (where it is branded by the name of Penneys). There are mammoth stores present across Europe providing consumers with cheap clothing retail products. Their tag line â€Å"Look Good, Pay Less† is reflective of their strategy and their target market. They are segmented to target the young population passionate about looking their best, for the prices that they can afford. They are known to be selective in providing only the most popular sizes of their target market, buying and selling in bulk in order to save for themselves and for their consumers (Company Website, 2011). Throughout the past decade, Primark has been the subject of intense investigative actions by freelancers as well as government authorities for their suppliers and if their products meet ethical standards set by the Ethical Trading Initiative. In fact, Primark joined the ETI after they had been calculated at 3.5 out of 20 in an ethical index by Ethical Consumer (Press Release, 2006). ETI is an initiative that works on labour rights issues in supply chain; members have to make sure that they only employ suppliers that follow the code of conduct based on International Labour Standards and ITE’s core conventions. However, reports in 2008 and 2009 further exposed that their suppliers were not following the code of conduct and the company faced tremendous criticism from major stakeholders in their business environment. Empirical research has continuously shown that organizations that are ethical in their conduct and business processes are rated as favourites among the masses. The general population is highly appreciative of organizations that boast about their ethical standards and provide quality service to such an extent that they are willing to pay extra v alue for the product. In today’s generation, working unethically can be disastrous for an organization. Still, organizations are involving themselves in cost cutting, low standard methods that make sure they are able to provide product at a lower price. Price still dominates as the primary factor for many people; for the same

Interactive spatial urban planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interactive spatial urban planning - Essay Example The urban population health is affected by interplay of multiple environmental factors such as air pollution, noise pollution, traffic and external safety (Galea & Vlahov, 2005). The traditional urban planning has increasingly been termed as an inefficient tool, due to its inability to take all these multiple environmental factors into consideration, when planning for urban developments. Consequently, Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSSs) for interactive spatial urban planning have become an important tool for the modern urban development planning (Sugumaran & Degroote, 2010). This is due to their ability to use high-tech computers that are linked to databases to simulate interactive models that create interplay of the multiple environmental factors that are of concern to the urban planning (TNO, n.d.). The overall effect is that with this type of technology, it is becoming increasingly easier to understand the problem of spatial planning for urban developments, long way before the actual planning and designing is done (Pearce, Richardson, Mitchell & Shortt, 2010). This is advantageous, sine it allows for understanding the likely problems and addressing them during the planning and designing stages, as opposed to controlling the problems later, when the urban developments have already been designed and constructed. This does not only help to solve the issues of h uman and environmental health associated with urban spatial planning, but also in the development of cities and urban regions that will not require to be redesigned in the future( Galea, Freudenberg & Vlahov, 2005). Therefore, the modern architectural design is not only affected by the issue of generating appropriate designs for cities and urban regions, but also ensuring that the health concerns are equally addressed (Pearce, Richardson, Mitchell & Shortt, 2010). A Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSSs) as an urban planning tool can be

Public Relations effectiveness and application Essay

Public Relations effectiveness and application - Essay Example Public relations in normally offered free of charge to create public understanding and acceptance. Public relations, therefore, target a wide group of people in the society. These include the employees, investors, the media, the sponsors’ supplies of the company and the community around. In this research, therefore, I seek to explore how companies ensure effective planning and execution of public relation. BBC’s promotion of the new series of Spook Public relations is a major tool that a company or an organization uses to create credibility with the public. Media coverage attracts quality prospects, avoid competition and make an organization a player (Smith, 2011). This is the reason the writers of spook decided to carry out their promotion program on the media. Spook is a drama series that was being run on the BBC news channel in an effort to make the public understand the effect of complex relations that existed between the United States, United Kingdom and Iran. The drama ran on the channel for a decade after which it came to an end registering high number of public viewing of close to six million audiences. This number of audience viewing was registered as a result of good public relations created by the media. To create good relations with the public, an organization has to set its objectives which will define the organization’s target and vision. ... BBC in tern builds this relation by airing the drama at 9 Pm when everyone is probably in the house. This attracted close to six million audiences in its decade of running. To avoid criticism from the government, episode four was to be aired on Tuesday to give way for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in the UK. In this way, the BBC avoided a situation where the Queen would have felt disobeyed which could have affected the good relation and acceptance by the government. According to Smith (2004) planning for public relations is vital in the creation of a good relationship with the public as it is considered more important than the advertisement itself. This involves defining objectives for creating public awareness, building good will with the public, creating good corporate image, and identifying and eliminating those issues that may portray your organization in a negative way. In this regard, Spook chose BBC to promote its product through televised means to reach many audienc es across he UK. For effectiveness, the BBC plans and allocates the 9 pm time as the best time for viewing the play. The time duration for each series is effectively planned; where each series was allocated 50 minutes and the series was to be shown every Monday. This kind of planning is important in public relations as each audience knows the time the drama was being aired. This gave them opportunity to plan for their activities of the day. Measures to create goodwill with the audience at the planning stage must be put in place as they are the main target. It was, however, unfortunate that by the time the bomb last hit Britain in July 7th, the drama had been written on terrorism. The airing of this drama we find causing eyebrows at some squatters claiming it