Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay

I belong to the White ethnic group which was responsible for the colonization of North America. While I am part of the White ethnic group, my family immigrated to the United States from Germany quite some time after the major colonization of North America. When most people think about the colonization of North America they think of White people on the Mayflower landing on Plymouth Rock. While the pilgrims did colonize what is now referred to as New England, the Spanish were actually the first to colonize North America. No matter who first colonized North America, this colonization caused an influx of immigrants that asserted their dominance over the native people. This colonization was also the root cause of slavery being introduced to this â€Å"New World†. Pilgrims are most notably identified as coming to North America to escape religious persecution. The ironic part of the colonization is that the pilgrims forced their religion on those native to North America. It is important to note that this may be one of the first indications of future ethnic and racial problems that would caused by the colonization of North America. I don’t think people normally think about racism happening to Caucasians. Unfortunately it is very common for racism to happen to all ethnic groups in the U. S. Caucasian racism and prejudice against other ethnic and racial groups always seem to get the most publicity. It would be better to broaden our view of prejudice and racism so that we could get the whole story. I think that the Caucasian group had brought most of this negative attention on itself. Historically the U. S. has been dominated by Caucasians, which means this group doesn’t have as much to worry about restrictions due to ethnicity or racial group. If we break down the Caucasian group even further we can see that this is even truer for the males, which I am, of this group. Male Caucasians have long been the dominant force in U. S. society. The majority of restrictions placed on females and ethnic groups have been enforced by Male Caucasians. The most notable Caucasian discrimination has been against African Americans. African Americans were largely used for slave labor during the beginning of the U. S. Going from slave to equal isn’t easy, in both occurrence and acceptance from the former dominant or controlling group. This dominant position can be seen as a major reason why the view of discrimination is still focused on Caucasians. Since the Caucasian males of the past have put restrictions on most other ethnic groups, this wrong was attempted to be â€Å"undone† by Affirmative Action laws (Fullinwider, Robert). While most people see Affirmative Action as being helpful, it has also caused discrimination against Caucasian males. Some government agencies require a quota on hiring certain ethnic groups (this included female Caucasians). This can cause a job candidate that has hirer qualifications to be passed over just to fulfill a quota. I have seen this happen to my father while he was applying for a firefighter/EMT position. You can easily see the Caucasian male dominance by noticing the â€Å"dual labor market† effect. I see it more as a â€Å"multiple labor market† since I would also include female Caucasians as another labor market. Immigrants from Mexico often enter into a portion of this multiple labor market, most notably the farming community. Whether it is farming, manual labor, or the lower-end service sector it seems that it seems more acceptable to Caucasians for other ethnic groups to occupy these types of jobs. When the other ethnic groups occupy positions normally held by Caucasian males, we often see a limitation in their ability to progress in that profession (â€Å"glass ceiling†). If you look at the breakdown of people who run companies you will see this is dominated by Caucasians males, followed by males of the other ethnic groups, then females of all ethnic groups. Discrimination isn’t only apparent in the job market, but in how companies invest in certain areas. It is seen in our response to what is happening in other areas of cities or areas of the country. We have slums and â€Å"ghettos† that don’t get investment monies to fix them up due to the lower class segregation. We have other areas occupied by a high number of non-Caucasians that don’t get investments just because of their ethnicity. New Orleans is a perfect example of all of these inequalities. It was a city segregated by race, ethnicity, and social class standing. The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina happened to people who couldn’t afford to get out on their own, and was compounded by the predominantly Caucasian government’s lack of response (arguably due to the racial differences between U. S. leaders and with the people effected by the disaster). I don’t feel that I fit in with the standard culture for my Caucasian ethnic group or the U. S. mainstream culture. I don’t participate in any religions, as I believe in myself and science that can be proved. I don’t feel that I am or need to be â€Å"better† than any other ethnic group. I couldn’t care less about what style is popular or what haircuts are â€Å"in†. I just try to be myself and try to ignore things that try to sway my opinions. Instead of taking someone’s word for something I would rather research and come to my own decision (almost to a fault). I think it is better to be different than a lemming following the crowd running off the cliff. References Fullinwider, Robert (2005). Affirmative Action. Retrieved February 1, 2006 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/.

Amy Chua Hanna Rosen Essay Example for Free

Amy Chua Hanna Rosen Essay Amy Chua and Hannah Rosin: a comparison and contrast of parenting styles In recent years, Yale professor Amy Chua has drawn a great deal of attention due to her focus on a parenting style that is foreign – both figuratively and literally – to most Western parents. This style centers on a Chinese model that Chua espouses, and that has become famous, or infamous, for the stern and rigorous practices that Chua enforced with her own two daughters. Chua has received a large amount of criticism; one of her critics is Hannah Rosin, a prominent writer and editor. In response to Chua, Rosin outlines an alternative method of parenting. It can be argued that while both Chua and Rosin are involved and devoted mothers, they have distinctly contrasting views on how to raise children. There are three areas in which this contrast can be most clearly seen: attitudes to success, attitudes to self-esteem, and attitudes to happiness. Amy Chua’s model of parenting has success at its core. Chua sums up the Chinese approach to activities in this way: â€Å"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you’re good at it† (Chua, 2011). With this as a mantra, Chua promotes an extremely rigorous approach to such activities as learning a musical instrument; she believes that two or three hours of practicing an instrument daily is appropriate for young children. Furthermore, Chua believes that parents should not give their children any choice over which musical instruments to learn; the violin and piano are the only acceptable choices, regardless of the child’s natural talent or predilection. This approach is also evident in academics. Chua says, â€Å"†¦the vast majority of Chinese mothers†¦believe their children can be ‘the best’ students, that ‘academic achievement reflects successful parenting’ and that if children did not excel at school there was ‘a problem’ and parents ‘were not doing their job’† (Chua, 2011). Hannah Rosin takes a distinctly different approach to success, one that is arguably more reflective of Western attitudes in general. Rosin says, â€Å"Ms. Chua has the diagnosis of American childhood exactly backward. What privileged American children need is not more skills and rules and math drills. They need to lighten up and roam free, to express themselves in ways  not dictated by their uptight, over-invested parents† (Rosin, 2011). In Rosin’s view, Chua’s version of success is ultimately very limiting. Rosin doesn’t argue that success is a negative thing in and of itself; however, her looser, freer approach suggests that it can be achieved differently. Another area where Rosin and Chua differ from each other is in their approach to self-esteem and the way in which parents should treat their children. Chua openly admits that it is common for Chinese parents to make comments to their children that Western parents find reprehensible, such as â€Å"Hey fatty, lose some weight†, or referring to a child as â€Å"garbage† (Chua, 2011). However, Chua defends these comments by arguing that in fact, Chinese parents speak in this way because ultimately, they believe that their children are capable of being the â€Å"best†. She contends that Chinese children know that their parents think highly of them, and criticize them only because they have high expectations and know that their children can meet them. Hannah Rosin disagrees. She says, â€Å"†¦there is no reason to believe that calling your child ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid’ or ‘worthless’ is a better way to motivate her to be good than some other more gentle but persistent mode’† (Rosin, 2011). She believes that a parent’s role is not to act as a harsh critic and task master, but rather to guide them through the inevitable difficulties of life that arise. Unlike Chua, Rosin is not concerned with forcing her children to be â€Å"the best†. Rather, she says that â€Å"It is better to have a happy, moderately successful child than a miserable high-achiever† (Rosin, 2011). It is in this area, pertaining to notions of happiness that Chua and Rosin depart most distinctly from each other. It can be argued that the idea of happiness is almost completely absent from Amy Chua’s template. Chua says, â€Å"Chinese parents believe that they know that is best for their children and therefore override all of their children’s own desires and preferences† (Chua, 2011). In other words, the feelings or preference of the child as an individual are lacking completely from the Chinese framework of parenting. The child’s happiness, or misery, is completely irrelevant, because the  parent is the supreme authority, acting in the child’s best interest. Chua claims, â€Å"It’s not that Chinese parents don’t care about their children , just the opposite. They would give up anything for their children† (Chua, 2011). However, the one thing that Chua and other parents will not give up is complete authoritarian control. Rosin takes an entirely different approach to the value of individual happiness. She observes that happiness does not come through being successful; furthermore, â€Å"happiness is the great human quest† (Rosin, 2011). Parents cannot possibly always be in a position to know what will make a child happy or not; children must work out their own path to happiness (Rosin, 2011). Rosin believes that an over-emphasis on perfection will not lead to greater happiness and may even create less happiness in the end. In conclusion, it is undeniable that both Amy Chua and Hannah Rosin love their children and believe that their approach to parenting is based on a desire to do what is best for those children. However, the two approaches present a sharp contrast to each other. Amy Chua believes that success, perfection and being â€Å"the best† are of paramount importance, and will ultimately build a child’s self-esteem (Chua, 2011). Hannah Rosin is critical of the harshness of the Chinese template and argues for a gentler approach, one that takes the natural interests and talent of the child into account (Rosin, 2011). Rosin notes that the idea of enjoyment or happiness is strikingly absent from Chua’s parenting style; in turn, Chua observes that many Western parents are disappointed with the choices that their children make in their lives (Rosin, 2011; Chua, 2011). It can be argued that both the Eastern approach and Western approach have a great deal to offer each other; a wise parent knows how to walk a middle ground. Amy Chua Hanna Rosen. (2016, May 10).

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Research Paper Example (â€Å"Smith et al†). Many organizations feel irritated by the changes which they have to make in order to be compliant. Even when many companies carry out the required changes and achieve compliance they usually feel that there is no more need for change. Basically most organizations see compliance as an imposition. However compliance is only the bear minimum level of competency and organizations should ideally never tire in making improvements upon this. 3. The City of Scottsdale has initiated many environmental leadership policies. What are the City’s two most well recognized (nationally and internationally) initiatives? What is the next planned step to enhance one of the policies? Please cite your sources. 50 words or less. In 1997 Scottsdale initiated the EPA EMS municipal pilot proframme.In 2001 the Scottsdale environmental management system (EvMS) was implemented in five continents: North America;Europe;Africa;Asia and South America.(Scottsdale, 2008) Their next objective is to create a â€Å"greener Scottsdale†(OEIS) There are three pillars to creating a workable environmental management system (EMS).These are: compliance; improvement and prevention. The organization must be compliant with existing legislation and guidelines. Furthermore there is no perfection in EMS so there must always be a movement towards improvement and regarding prevention it is far easier to protect the environment through prevention rather than through a clean up operation. Also it is important to build a set of objects and targets based upon the three pillars but geared around the unique circumstances presented by your organization. These must be regularly reviewed. (â€Å"Stapleton and Glover†) Wilcox and Theodore quote Carter’s ( Wilcox and Theodore,xxviii) point out that in order for people to do the right thing they need not only be honest, rather they must have integrity and this integrity must be combined with social

The Desirability of Engagement Strategies in the 21st Century Essay

The Desirability of Engagement Strategies in the 21st Century - Essay Example An accurate definition of ‘engagement’ is needed in order to identify its actual importance to organisations and employees (Torrington, Hall, & Taylor, 2008). However, the best definition depends on the specific circumstances and features of the organisation. MacLeod defines engagement as a process of building ‘mutual respect in the workplace’ (MacLeod & Clarke, 2009, p. 6). He believes that engagement is not only beneficial to the organisation or the employees, but to the nation as a whole. MacLeod views employee engagement as an organisational or corporate strategy intended to make sure that the members of the organisation are committed to its objectives and ideals, driven to contribute to the success of the organisation, and are simultaneously capable of improving their self-respect. The 2012 CIPD Report stated that there are two forms of engagement, namely, emotional and transactional. Emotional engagement takes place when individuals genuinely identify with their organisation and job. It occurs when employees are driven by the desire to perform well at work. On the other hand, transactional engagement refers to a two-way relationship. It appears to be about acknowledging the dynamic involvement of all members of a relationship (e.g. employer and employee). Basically, engagement is characterised as a psychological condition that involves an affective and cognitive aspect, or, feeling and thinking, respectively. Basically, work engagement is a constructive affective and cognitive condition that is stimulated and tends to lead to motivated attitude and behaviour at work (Armstrong, 2006). According to Lucas and colleagues (2007), engagement is a... Employee engagement has been correlated in different studies to greater innovation and efficiency, lower turnover and number of absences, higher earnings per share, and so on. For example, the study of Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) reported that organisations with a well engaged workforce progress more rapidly than companies with disengaged employees. Likewise, the study of Towers Watson discovered that companies with high levels of engagement experienced an increase in net profit margin and operating margin. Company studies also emphasise correlations between organisational outcome and engagement. The 2005 ISR research reported that organisations with low engagement levels experienced a decline in operating margin and net profit over a 3-year period. The Hay Group reported that specialised service companies with high levels of employee engagement were significantly more efficient. Stanford University reports that employee engagement leads to substantial organisational advantage s. Gallup studies found out that engaged employees are more likely to remain in the organisation, more efficient, and friendlier to customers.

Excel 1 Assignment-- Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Excel 1 -- - Assignment Example The new value was used to determine the percentage reduction for each category. The findings show that both salaries & wages and employee benefits reduced by 10%, while the supplies and services reduced by 1% each. There were no reduction in capital outlays, central services, and transfers because values were zero. Besides, the total expenditure Arapahoe County 2014 budget reduced by 5% ($256,027). The rationale for adopting such a method aims to reduce the funds that originated from the general funds because those were the only funds that were impacted. Besides, the approach ensured we keep intact the essential services. From the analysis of the budgetary expenditure of the County Attorney Department, it is apparent that a percentage reduction of 10% is likely to reduce to the general budget by 5%. Therefore, department needs to adopt and implement a reduction of 10 percent. A reduction of departmental salaries, & wages, and employee benefit will reflect a similar reduction margin for the Arapahoe County budget. Although the salaries, wages, and employees result in 10% reduction, the suppliers and services reduce by 1%. We need to reduce the expenditures originating from the general funds by 10 % to 1 %, which I think is possible to ensure our institutions is in a better position to handle the problem of increasing spending. The impact of these changes brings a reduction of the total budget by 5%, which is a significant step toward the realisation of spending adjustment. It should be noted that my recommendation did take into account all the source of expenditures that come from the general fund. Th erefore, this should not raise an alarm but should act as a model for future decision-making. The model aims to achieve exactly 10% reduction from the general fund to ensure availability of funds for another department that has scaled up their activities and hence need additional funds. For that reason, the department should provide some measures are in place to

Low risk 1 his civi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Low risk 1 his civi - Essay Example Limit to immediate as well as ordinary jurisdiction by the pope. In this law, the pope has power accorded to him by virtue of the office that he holds. In this regard, due to the virtue of his office, the pope has some powers to forgive sins and mistakes as per his judgment of the nature of the sins (Spielvogel, 5). Despite having massive powers bestowed upon him, the pope is not above God. God is the supreme creator and controller of the earth who everyone ought to worship (Ratzinger, 12). Therefore, pope is just but a servant who leads his flock or people to the direction that pleases him. In case the faithful and the pope goes astray, he humbles them. This case limits the powers of the pope to the interpretation of the natural law. Therefore, all powers of determining that is lawful in the family and society rests with the pope (Newadvent, 1). The pope thereby, interprets the manner and way by which the faithful are supposed to live on earth since they are living things. The pope has a limit to the legislative power where he has powers to alter, abrogate, and alter the laws he has established or those crafted by the predecessors. The pope is the only person who can free people from canonical rules, thus releasing them and forgiving the sins that they had committed (Ratzinger, 18). The canonical rules are issues of great moment and thus, require the intervention of the pope who provides direction and resolves the technical issues or cases. Moreover, the pope can dispense the faithful from committing to pure canonical or ecclesiastical laws as well as grant exemptions and privileges as per their

Reading response papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading response papers - Essay Example ecting these matters; but I will endeavor to describe, in the best manner in my power, what I have myself seen; and imperfectly as I may succeed in the attempt, I am fully aware that the account will appear so wonderful as to be deemed scarcely worthy of credit; since even we who have seen these things with our own eyes, are yet so amazed as to be unable to comprehend their reality. But your Majesty may be assured that if there is any fault in my relation, either in regard to the present subject, or to any other matters of which I shall give your Majesty an account, it will arise from too great brevity rather than extravagance or prolixity in the details; and it seems to me but just to my Prince and Sovereign to declare the truth in the clearest manner, without saying anything that would detract from it, or add to it. Hernan Cortà ©s’ introduction to his description of the city of Temixtitlan is designed to arouse Charles V’s interest, and to impress the monarch with the great value of the territory which the conquistador has obtained for him. Cortà ©s’ is obviously under great need to justify his unilateral actions in Mexico and seeks to obtain the king’s sanction. His account of the treasure in the city, the marvelous architecture, the cornucopia of products available in the numerous markets, the magnificent temples, pleasure houses and palaces, the enviable water supply system, the refinement of the natives, his estimation of the extent of Moctezuma’s domain and Moctezuma’s elaborate lifestyle, are all couched in the most extravagant terms. It is difficult to believe Cortà ©s’ claim that his account is â€Å"the truth in the clearest manner.† The excessive length of his descriptions of everything, ranging from the produce available in the marketplace to the birds and animals in the pleasure houses, can definitely be considered to be examples of â€Å"prolixity.† Cortà ©s is evidently keen that Charles V perceives Temixtitlan to be superior to any city