Racism In America Essays (282 words) - Discrimination, Hatred

Racism In America Racism In America Race is a socially constructed category. Society assigns races to people based on opinion and social experience. If races are socially constructed, then racism must also be an offshoot of race and derived from social experiences too. Racism, as defined by Webster's New American Dictionary, is ?a belief that some races are by nature superior to others.? Why is there racism in America today? There are two distinct schools of thought; the social psychologists and the sociological theorists. There are two social psychological theories. The scapegoat theory, that argues ?historically, members of the dominant group in the United States have harbored various frustrations in their desire to achieve social and economic success? and vent these frustrations in the form of anger towards other racial groups (Andersen, Taylor, 291). The authoritarian theory ?is characterized by a tendency to rigidly characterize people? (Andersen, Taylor, 291). The sociological theories focus more on institutional racism. Racism appears to be a mixture of the scapegoat, authoritarian, and sociological theories. While majority of the people automatically characterize people into groups, they also have a tendency to turn these groups in punching bags. The reason from this may be the detachment associated with categorizing people into groups other than your own. Therefore, detachment of one person from another allows each person to feel able to blame or hate the other without feeling guilt. George Ritzer would argue that ?Mcdonaldization of society? definitely helps to create the dehumanization needed to ignite and cultivate racism. Symbolic interaction theorists ague that greater interaction within the groups will reduce racism. If racism is socially constructed, then changing the structure of how society allows only brief and indifferent interactions between people, (curbing the growth of mcdonaldization) will help create a more equal society. Environmental Issues

The eNotes Blog Should Everyone Go to College New Studies Suggest the Answer is ProbablyNot

Should Everyone Go to College New Studies Suggest the Answer is ProbablyNot I was listening to  The  Diane Rehm  Show  on my commute to go teach my classes this morning. Dianes guests were  Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institue, Nina Marks of Collegiate Directions Inc, and Robert Lerman, professor of economics at American University. I wasnt surprised that the answer to the question, Should everyone go to college? seemed to be a qualified no. I have been a community college professor for more than a decade.   Please dont misunderstand. I believe anyone who wants an education should   pursue one. But I also see many incredibly gifted students who have skills that they are actively discouraged from mastering because they are supposed to have a Bachelors degree.   I see young people who have no real interest or desire to stay in school another four years who are miserable and many who are racking up debt when they could be doing something they enjoy, avoiding debt, and making money. The reasons many students embark on a college career is that society expects them to do so. High schools now are heavily invested in Advanced Placement classes; this push to be college ready actually begins in middle school, where Pre-AP classes are not the exception, but the rule. Gone, for the most part, are offerings that used to be alternatives in high school electives, like shop classes. One of Dianes guests remarked that kids go to college because they have no idea what else to do. They know simply having a high school diploma is not enough so they enroll in community colleges or universities, with no clear idea why or what they truly want to do with their lives. Of course, not being sure about ones career path in their late teens or early 20s is not unusual, but some students never settle on a true choice and a fair percentage drop out by their junior year. Now they have little to show for their efforts (some college doesnt say much to a potential employer) and most have debt to boot. Ironically, trades in this country, like welders, mechanics, and plumbers, are sorely lacking skilled people yet we continue to insist that everyone go to college. So why do so many still go? Statistics like this are indeed compelling: Well, because most kids havent taken statistics yet, they are blinded by that number at the end. But what they miss is that key, determining word AVERAGE. Many of us, (and I have far more than a BA), earn FAR LESS.   Three factors, studies show, greatly affect on what end of that average you will be: school selectivity, college major, and graduation rate. If you do decide to go to college, considering what to major in ought to be a part of your process. For me, I love literature and writing and I wholeheartedly pursued advanced degrees in those fields. But now well, I do not regret for a minute what I learned BUT I do wish I had pursued something with higher earnings potential that would allow me more free time to indulge my passion rather than being dependent on it. Ya feel me? So take a look at this, The Cold Hard Facts. I wonder if its too late for me to become a plumber. Ive got the perfect pair of pants

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Literature Review - Essay Example Evaluation/Assessment: Brunn’s books is a collection of works and analytical studies conducted by more than twenty business scholars, therefore it offers a broad view on the subject – why Wa-Mart became a business phenomenon, and why it became so controversial. Quotations: â€Å"Wal-Mart always tries to look for specific places to build its stores, where the small stores are located. Because Wal-Mart wants to build it’s store next to small stores† (Brunn, p. 294). â€Å"The salaries are lower than the others stores and it is $4 to $7 depending on the employees’ level.† Summary: Dicker’s book is a successful attempt to explain the controversial nature of Wal-Mart as American retail phenomenon. Dicker’s provides a thorough analysis explain the social and economic problems associated with Wal-Mart’s retail dominance, particularly its low wages, continuously decreasing social benefits for its workers, anti-union policies, outsourcing, and negative impact on local communities and local business. Evaluation/Assessment: Dicker’s book, besides being a solid analytic study on Wal-Mart, provides an additional sociocultural emphasis on Wal-Mart’s lasting consequences. Book’s chapter two effectively explains how Wal-Mart became an â€Å"ethos† for contemporary American, and what business and cultural determinants led to this. Summary: Unlike the mainstream literature on Wal-Mart, Charles Fishman’s book represents an analytical attempt to evaluate both â€Å"pros† and â€Å"cons† of Wal-Mart operations. Fishman provides an explanation that Wal-Mart constitutes a typical reflection of American economy and its transformation over the last 20 years. Evaluation/Assessment: Fishman objectively analyzes Wal-Mart’s positive and negative effects on American economy and social and cultural parts of American society. Author admits that Wal-Mart brings some specific monetary benefits to an average American family. Simultaneously, utilizing

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Project management - Essay Example This is where all the required materials and methodologies are put on board so that the project is delivered on time. Control: This is important to control the cost, issues and the scope of the project to manage risks, time the project benefits effectively. This generates a report that gives the information required to result a good project. Team management: As a project manager, one is responsible for managing the project team members (Lock 194). Project work is mostly different from most business activity and needs proper management and training for better results. Communication: One must make sure that clear communication to all the team members is enhanced and to all the stake holder of a project. In adequate communication among team members, leads to a project failure, and hence communication is very vital. Procurement: This is the area that requires high level professionals especially when it comes to buy materials such as it systems to be used in the project. A project manager should take extra care when making a choice in this area for the appropriate materials. Integration: As majorities of projects do not stand on their own they often carry impacts to other areas in an organization. In project management, it is always important to make sure that the project will interface freely with other existing

Critical Adoption Factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Adoption Factors - Essay Example urity is highly critical factor simply because without it the consumers that utilize MasterCard ® daily would simply switch from using them to utilizing a competitor with better assumed and visible security. The socio-economic factors at play affect hundreds of billions of processing and consumer based dollars every day. Without the ability to project absolute security to its clients it would quickly loose the trust necessary to continue its ability to control such a large financial position. Part of the MasterCard ® approach to maintaining a visible air of impenetrable security is their initiation of series of seminars and training modules specifically addressing security. According to MasterCard Academy of Risk Management or (ARM), â€Å"ARM courses provide best-in-class knowledge and expertise to customers to enhance their risk management capabilities. MasterCard has created a comprehensive curriculum for those seeking to increase their skills and knowledge of fraud and risk mitigation.† (MasterCard Academy of Risk Management, 2011) Obviously, MasterCard takes security extremely seriously, as a result any new collaboration technologies integrated would need the utmost care a nd additional reassurance to the consumer base regardless of status as end user banks or transaction making

Multilateral Diplomacy: The Preferred Path?

Multilateral Diplomacy: The Preferred Path? When states are confronted with diplomatic challenges or in the conduct of their foreign policy, international actors make use of several types of foreign policy strategy: multilateral, bilateral and unilateral. For the purpose of this essay, this paper will focus only on multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. Multilateral and bilateral diplomacy are sometimes seen as twines from the same destiny, for example the European Union constitutes an emerging diplomatic order in which multilateralism and bilateralism are intertwined and bilateralism, whilst constituting a significant component of this multilateral order, is at the same time being re-situated within it and policy areas re-located from predominantly bilateral to the multilateral framework or a mixed bi-multilateral set of processes (Keukeleire,2000: 4-5 cited in Batora and Hocking, 2008:14). The rise of multilateral diplomacy can be traced back to the nineteenth century when the concert of Europe sat around the table together a t the congress of Vienna. Yet this diplomacy, developed in its full form in the twentieth century with the creation of the League of Nations in the aftermath of the First World War and with the United Nations, embodiment of multilateral diplomacy, born after the Second World War (Moore, 2012:1). Today, the UN has a worldwide membership and the global landscape is peppered with economic and regional institutions that are multilateral in nature, such as World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the G20 (Moore, 2012:1). For the purpose of this essay, this paper, first and foremost seeks to define the terms bilateral and multilateral diplomacy respectively. The paper will examine whether multilateral diplomacy is the preferred path for larger states. It will then proceed to examine if bilateral diplomacy still have a role to play. Multilateralism will be discussed from a realist and neoliberals perspective. The paper will also look at bilateral diplomacy in a multilateral context using North Korea as an example. This paper will finally draw a conclusion, by arguing that both multilateral and bilateral diplomacy have various roles to play, multilateral diplomacy is the preferred path for larger states. DEFINITION OF BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY On one hand bilateral diplomacy is characterised by a-sometimes asymmetric-focus on the goal of two actors. It usually means the consensual handling of bilateral relations between two sovereign states. Equal sovereign states are the central actors in the relationship, and any conduct of the relationship needs consensual will from both sides (Klein, Reiners, Zhimin, Junbo, and Slosarcik, 2010:6-20). On the other hand, multilateral diplomacy is defined as a situation where three or more actors are engaged in voluntary and (more or less) institutionalised co-operation governed by norms and principles, with rules that apply (more or less) equally to all (Klein, Reiners, Zhimin, Junbo, and Slosarcik, 2010:7). Furthermore, multilateral diplomacy is viewed as a process linked with norms and ideals about greater international justice, legal equality (or at least non-discrimination) and legitimacy. It is not solely about the number of participating states (Johnson, 2009:56). Moreover, it is defined as the management of international relations among three or more states through diplomatic or representatives without the services of a specialised secretariat (Diplomats, 2009:1). According to Moore, multilateral diplomacy is academically defined as diplomacy conducted via conferences attended by three or more states on the basis of generalised rules of conduct, while a UN envoy has defined it in simpler terms, depicting the diplomatic form as a bunch of countries pushing their own barrows but in the one room (Moore, 2012:1). For the purpose of this essay, this paper defines multilateral diplomacy as a collective, cooperative action by states when necessary in concert with non- state actors-to deal with common challenges and problems when these are best managed collectively at the internal level. In other words, it is the negotiations and discussions which allow these collective and cooperative actions between states and non-states (Cockburn, 2012:1). IS MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY THE PREFERRED PATH FOR LARGER STATES The growing importance of multilateral diplomacy is a phenomenon of the 21st century, partly because the 21st century has thrown up problems which are universal in nature such as human rights, the international control of disease, the international flow of capital and information, humanitarian assistance, labour rights, trade, natural environmental issues with transnational fall-out and environmental issues of an international nature (Cockburn, 2012:1). The above mentioned problems supersede national sovereignty and this have required some form other and above bilateral diplomacy in order to address them (Cockburn, 2012:1). However, a mounting backlash against globalisation is mingling with widespread loss of faith in the multilateral system- with the conspicuous gap between expectations and outcomes in Copenhagen being merely the latest example. This matters a great deal, because if publics believe that cooperation doesnt work, governments will have greater difficulty marshalling the political will or financial resources to carry out multilateral solutions (Jones, 2010:4). Critiques of multilateral diplomacy argued that multilateral agreements will have to target ambiguous and sometimes elusive common denomination of the many national interests involved and this tends to the lowest common denominator of all the countries involved as a result of the need to reach a political consensus among the participants (Reich, 2009:13).The negotiation and drafting process is usually decided by the large and powerful countries, whereas the small countries have almost no ability to influence the outcome of multilater al negotiation (Reich, 2009:13). Again in a multilateral agreement, it is extremely difficult to reach the necessary consensus in order to conclude such an agreement and therefore in many cases it remains a desirable, but unattainable goal (Reich, 2009:17). Additionally, the US, Russia and China all fail to recognise the international criminal court, thus this drastically reducing its power. Also the most published fight against global warming appears to have been brought to a halt by the failure of the major powers to sign up to the Kyoto protocol (Cockburn, 2012:4). Cockburn again argued that multitude of multilateral treaties concerning weapons of war have ended up very little of what they promised because of major powers refusing to sign them. These are black marks against the name multilateral diplomacy and there are cases where rather than recognising a common good and making concessions on all sides, national interest have triumphed (Cockburn, 2012:4). Although achieving broadly multilateral efforts admittedly has its own set of obstacles and pitfalls, but it also has benefits that are inherently is not possible for any nation, even the United States to, achieve when it acts without others or even with a select few (Jentleson, 2003-4:9). For the purpose of this essay, this paper argues that multilateral diplomacy is the preferred path for larger states. The global war against terrorism has only proven the importance of multilateral cooperation. Much of the successes that have been achieved thus far in the war on terrorism has been through broad multilateral cooperation on a number of lower-profile fronts such as intelligence sharing, border security, economic sanctions and law enforcement (Jentleson,2003-4:9; Rademaker, 2006:1). Multilateral diplomacy, has a comparative advantage, by which different nations, relevant international institutions, and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) all bring to bear their complementary expertise based on their own historical experience, traditional relationships, and policy emphasis (Jentleson, 2003-4:9). The redistribution of power on a global scale pushed by the emergence of new centres of power and the urgency of global challenges (the financial crisis, climate change, maritime security, to name a few) highlights the need for a multilateral diplomacy that deliver global public goods and contain emerging rivalries (Policy brief, 2011:2). As stated by Jones, the 9/11 attacks on the United States intensified multilateral cooperation both through formal and informal institutions, to tackle a range of transnational threats (Jones, 2012:2). Furthermore, there are a category of circumstances which may require only multilateral action through multilateral diplomacy. One example of such is the fight against international money laundry. This fight cannot be handle by a single state due to its nature. However, it has been successfully carried out by a multilateral strategy aimed a t all countries with no exceptions. It is done through a multilateral body named the Financial Action Tax Force (FATF) (Reich, 2009:22) Moreover, multilateral agreements, through multilateral diplomacy offer of course the advantage of lower transaction costs in one central negotiation and drafting process that results in the binding of all the parties to mutual obligation to one another (Reich, 2009:25). And other reason to prefer multilateral action is in circumstances where bilateral action will give unique advantages to the stronger party to the negotiation, and lead to suboptimal outcomes either from a distributive justice or efficiency perspective. In such situations multilateral negotiations that allow weaker countries-such as developing and least developed countries- the possibility to coordinate their positions and bargain collectively with the stronger countries may lead to better results (Reich, 2009:26). This paper argues that in an increasingly interdependent and globalised world, multilateral diplomacy is of value more so ever before in its history. The UN, if reformed accordingly, will continue to be used as a viable multilateral channel to counter fresh global challenges which confront not just a few states but all states (Moore, 2012:1). To further demonstrate how important multilateral diplomacy is to larger states, in his 2010 national security strategy, President Obama acknowledged the fact that the US had been successful after the second world war by pursuing their interest within multilateral forums such as the United Nations and not outside of them( Moore, 2012:2). The global financial crisis of 2008 and the European Unions sovereign debt crisis have demonstrated just how interdependent the economies of the western world are and this crisis has created an age of austerity in which multilateralism is needed ever than before (Moore, 2012:2). With the United States now working multilaterally through the UN and with the onset of a multipolar world, it appears that multilateral diplomacy will continue to be relevant in the 21st century, with the United Nations as the foremost institution for international cooperation. This position has restored UN credibility and revitalised multilateral diplomacy (Moore, 2012:3). The increasingly global nature of the threats that the world faces and the interdependency that is present amongst states shows that multilateral diplomacy remains and will continue to remain, relevant in the 21st century (Moore, 2012:3).The Libya campaign and the efforts to counter Irans nuclear threat are perfect examples of multilateral diplomacy being used effectively in a post 9/11 world. By taking all of these factors into account, it is therefore logical to concur with G.R. Berridge that multilateral diplomacy is here to stay (Moore, 2012:3). DOES BILATERAL DIPLOMACY STILL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY The past few years have witnessed an outburst of bilateral diplomacy and treaties signed in the field of international law, in general, and in international trade in particular (Reich, 2009:1). Even the United States of America a former champion of multilateralism, which only in 1985 signed its first bilateral free trade agreement (with Israel), has been in a signing spree of such bilateral agreements, with the count now standing on no less than 37 countries with which the US has signed or is in the process of negotiating an (FTA) (Reich, 2009:1). Accordingly, in the field of international investment protection, the attempt by the OECD to create a multilateral investment agreement (MAI) failed in 1998, instead around 2009 we had some 2,750 bilateral investment treaties (BITs), with the number constantly on the rise (Reich, 2009:2). In certain instances, bilateral relations, including the formation of free trade zones, were described as a supplement to the multilateral negotiations on the liberalisation of the trade and the programme explicitly referred to trade relations with the US, Canada and Korea (Czech Republic, 2009:28). Bilateral arrangements also free states from multilateral rules and the demands of diffuse reciprocity; it allows states to obtain benefits from their relationships with weaker states (Klein, Reiners, Zhimin, Junbo and Slosarcik, 2010:22). Furthermore, bilateral-policies enacted by two parties are relatively easy. Simple negotiations reveal what each party wants and does not want. They can quickly resolve differences and move ahead with policy (Jones, 2011:1). Despite all the benefits associated with bilateral diplomacy, this paper still argues that multilateral diplomacy is the preferred path for larger states. As the world becomes smaller through advances in technology and communications, and the more independent the world becomes, the further multilateral diplomacy will develop as a vehicle for international cooperation on major global issues. Regional diplomacy is beginning to develop further with the creation, in the last decades of organisations such as the African Union, the continued enlargement and integration of the European Union after 9/11, and established organisations such as NATO and the Arab League remaining prevalent (Moore, 2012:2). MULTILATERALISM, REALISM AND NEOLIBERALISM Both realist and neoliberals make the assumption that states can be treated as unitary, rational actors pursuing their interests in an anarchic international system (Johnson, 2006:57). For the realist, the international system is portrayed as a brutal arena where states look for opportunities to take advantage of each other, and therefore have little reason to trust each other. Daily life is essentially a struggle for power, where each state strives not only to be the most powerful actor in the system, but also to ensure that no other state achieves that lofty position (Mearsheimer, 1995:9). However, realisms anarchy problematique is outdated, and multilateralism needs to address the more substantive-global problematique of trans-border human security challenges, such as poverty, pollution, climate change, terrorism, drugs, crime and violence- not just state security but human security (Johnson, 2006:57) Realists frame the world in terms of sovereign states competing to maximise their power and individual security. Multilateralism is viewed as a kind of mechanism through which states that rely on self-help can cooperate on the basis of temporarily shared interest (Johnson, 2006:58). Furthermore, the realists consider that the practices, processes and outcomes of multilateralism essentially reflect the participating states power and interest which may shift overtime. By contrast, neoliberals see the institution itself playing a role in embedding norms and practices that integrate themselves in further multilateral practice and institutions, in the neoliberal view, even if the realist are correct in believing that anarchy constrains the willingness to cooperate, states nevertheless can work together and can do so especially with the assistance of institutions (Johnson, 2006:59). MULTILATERALISM VERSUS BILATERALISM: THE CASE OF NORTH KOREA When assessing negotiation approaches for global problems such as nuclear proliferation, it is convenient to assume the liberalist stance of multilateral diplomacy. The commonly cited indispensible element of any negotiation would be to involve all the parties with interests (Diplomats, 2009:1).There are other reasons why multilateral diplomacy such as the six-party talks seems to make sense. Instruments of diplomacy such as economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure are thought to be weaker unless applied multilaterally and there is also the likelihood that a number of bilateral negotiations, where there are conflicting goals, can derail an ongoing multilateral diplomatic effort (Diplomats, 2009:1-2). For the purpose of this essay, this paper suggests that it is better to think multilateral and act bilateral. The bilateral discussions must pre-empt any multilateral talks especially when the North Korean leaderships shows interest to talk. This could be in a series of bilateral meetings (Park, 2005:75-91). A combination of bilateral and multilateral negotiation strategies is the essence of progress in North Korea. The focus however should be on bilateral negotiations that pre-empt framework that suggest Thinking multilaterally and acting bilaterally. This reduces the impact of perceived weaknesses of bilateral approaches such as less effective sanctions and conflicting goals and methods. As long as the overriding multilateral framework has transparency and is cloaked by efficient reporting, no issues of isolation, belligerence or lack of consensus would arise (Diplomat, 2009:3-4). CONCLUSION Having critically examined, whether multilateral diplomacy is the preferred path for larger states, and whether bilateral diplomacy still have a role to play, looked at multilateralism from a realist and neoliberals perspective, and made a thorough examination of the two diplomatic approaches, this paper arrives at a conclusion. The position of this paper remains that in as much as bilateral diplomacy has a role to play, multilateral diplomacy remains the most effective diplomatic strategy in confronting current global threats.

The Nature of Child Development Essay -- Human Development

Human development has been a subject of interest since ancient Greece and Rome. Different approaches derive from two basic directions: the nativists` and empiricists` ones. The latter method is to regard human development as a gradual change which has been influenced by the individual`s experience .On the other hand, the former approach has found its roots in the biological structure of the human organism which considers our development as a series of stages. However, referring to human development only as continuous or gradual would produce inconsistent and insufficient understanding of the developmental process .As a result, combining ideas of both viewpoints(continuity and phases) will provide a more explicit of understanding of the developmental processes and their final aim which is to create individual`s integrity within the social norms. Jean Piaget(1929), widely known as one of the pioneers in investigating child development, has developed his theory on the basis of cognitive stages. He presents four aspects of the child `s concept formation: sensorimotor ,preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. All of these stages suggest the emergence of development precedes the ability to learn. Moreover, It is emphasised on the intellectual development regardless of the cultural influences and specific individual differences. Therefore, human cognitive development is regarded as universal for all human species. On the one hand, Piaget sees the human internal conception in interaction with external world messages conveyed. On the other hand, a child`s ability to perceive cognitive information in an effective way is not clearly defined. Resulting from this, old experiences receive new names. According to Piaget th... ...Tavistok Publishers. Vygotsky L.S. (1978), Tool and Symbol in child development(p.19-31),Problems of method(p.58-79),Interaction between learning and development(p.79-92).In Mind in society :the developmental of higher psychological processes. Harvard university Press , Cambridge, Massachusetts, London Sandstrom C.I.(1966).The psychology of childhood and adolescence. Methuen and Co Ltd, London Erikson E. H. (1965) Eight ages of man(p.239-261),The theory of infantile sexuality(p.43-91) In Childhood and society: Piaget J.(1929) Problems and Methods(p.1-33),The notion of thought(p.33-61),The concept of `Life`(p.194-206),The origin of the sun and moon(p.256-270)In Child`s conceptions of the world. Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd, London Jerome S. B. , Goodnow J. J. and Austin G.A. (1967) Overview ( p.231-247):In A study of thinking . John Wiley and Sons Ltd, USA