On the Subway Essay

â€Å"On the Subway† is a poem by Sharon Olds that unfolds â€Å"to convey a sense of fear, ambiguity, inequality, and inner city tension. The situation is set by the title, and this makes all that follows clear as far as its meaning is concerned.†(para. 1). Ms. Olds tells the story through the narrator who while riding the train observes that she is alone with a young black boy. â€Å"While nothing really happens beyond the two observing each other, the poem still manages to shed light to inequality, prejudice, and stereotypes.†(para 1). The poem begins with the narrator telling the story of the two of them alone on the subway train through her observations and predisposed prejudices. There are many Symbolic references about class, race, and inequality made throughout the story. As the story begins the first symbolic reference unfolds as the narrator describes the boy’s feet and his shoes. As she goes on to further describe the boy’s shoe laces we get the sense of the imbalance of equality of the races. While the sneakers themselves are black it is the laces that are white and form a complex pattern which is referred to as intentional scars. The author uses the white laces to symbolize the imbalance of power that the young boy has had have more power to face as a minority. They also suggest that since the laces keep the shoes on or together that they. The laces could also be symbolic of the markings left on the boys’ ancestors back in the day when they were slaves and had received a beating thus bearing the scars of the beating. The woman also uses the boy’s clothing to further symbolize the stereotypes and the injustices between the races. She is fearful of the boy because of the type of clothing that he wears. She feels that because he is dressed in clothing that is considered to be more urban and open that he was dressed like someone who would be a mugger. The woman who was clothed in fur was covered. The woman is fearful of being attacked because she is more affluent and therefore more of a target. Both the boy and the woman are sizing each other and without really knowing one another they both have their own feelings about each other. The boy knows that since the woman is a white woman she is covered in fur and therefore she has more affluence and power. The woman is truly fearful of the boy because of her own preconceived thoughts about race. She cannot look passed what the boy looks like woman is uncertain of the boy. She looks at him with fear that he can attack her at any moment because of he r affluence. The author continues to discuss the separation of races by discussing how much easier it is to be a White person than it is to be an African American. The poem indicates that being white offers privileges that being African American does not. It is the color of her skin that has provided her with better opportunity and separated her from the boy on the train. This poem is relevant today as it exemplifies stereotypes and inequalities that are still present in our society. The woman on the train represents wealth and power. The boy represents missed opportunity and poverty. The woman on the train feared that she was going to be attacked by the boy on the train simply because of past experiences and making judgments on someone simply based on the color of his skin and how he was dressed. Chances are that had the boy on the train been white the woman on the train would not have the same fear or feel the same way. Even in our society today we have people who are still quick to make rash judgments while not having all the facts or making a decision based on past experience. I also think the poem does reference some compassion between the boy and the woman by the end of the poem as the woman mentions that both races can be misunderstood and that both of them can get hurt or be harmed by being judged. They each have struggles that they have to overcome.

The Duty of Obligation Essays

The Duty of Obligation Essays The Duty of Obligation Paper The Duty of Obligation Paper Essay Topic: Second Treatise of Government In this paper I will show the circumstances under which parents have a stronger obligation to care for their children, in accordance with Locke’s concept of tacit consent. I will also describe the certain conditions in which children should obey their parents using the idea of Rawls’ fair play. When a couple decides to have a child they are agreeing to be responsible for the life they bring into the world. According to Locke, the conditions for tacit consent begin with being aware of the situation and the consequences. Secondly, there must be a period of consideration available. Thirdly, the consequences of not accepting cannot be detrimental. Therefore, when a couple has sex knowing that they run the risk of pregnancy, they are aware of the situation. When a couple finds out that the woman is pregnant and they talk about possible outcomes, this suffices a consideration period and provides a reasonable way to express objections. For the third requisite the couple only has two options. They can choose to have the baby or they can choose to have an abortion. The option they choose depends on which outcome would be most detrimental to them personally. For example, a 13 year-old girl who gets pregnant might feel that being pregnant could jeopardize her life in a social or educational aspect. She may feel it is more detrimental than another person who is in the same situation but does not believe in abortion. Locke would suggest the best decision would be the most moral one. Thus, let us assume the couple has the child but cannot provide for it. Imagine that they were young, did not have a steady income and had no place to live so they gave the child up for adoption. Locke would argue that this is the most moral alternative for the couple. The child has a right from the parents to receive the basic means to survive: Conjugal society is made by a voluntary compact between man and woman; and though it consist chiefly in such a communion and right in one another’s bodies as is necessary to its chief end, procreation: yet it draws with it mutual support and assistance, and a communion of interests too, as necessary not only to unite their care and affection, but also necessary to their common offspring, who have a right to be nourished and maintained by them, till they are able to provide for themselves. (Locke, 37) In the Second Treatise of Government Locke describes that a child has the right to be nourished and maintained by its parents until the child is able to tend for itself. If children have the right to be cared for by their parents, then the parents must be obligated to provide the necessary essentials for living. I think Locke would agree that if a couple could not offer their offspring the care and nourishment needed to survive, that finding someone who could would be the best solution in this case. If parents have an obligation to care for their children, do children therefore have an obligation to obey their parents? Under Rawls’ principle of fair play, children have an obligation to obey their parents if the circumstance meets certain stipulations. First, a mutually beneficial and just scheme of social cooperation must be present. Cooperation comes through some type of cost, or effort. Finally, the advantages that succumb can only be obtained if all, or nearly all cooperate. However, if the majority participates, benefits can still be obtained without cooperation. Let us imagine a situation in which a drug addict mother is raising a child alone. Suppose she has no job and is on welfare. One month she blows her entire check buying drugs and has no money to pay the rent. She tells her 11 year-old son to go out and sell drugs to try to get money to pay the bills. Her son disobeys her because he does not want to be a drug dealer and end up an addict like his mother. Rawls would assert that the son does not have an obligation to obey his mother. According to the principle of fair play, in this situation there is no scheme of social cooperation and there is no mutual benefits. Rawls would also argue that the child does not have a prima facie obligation to obey his mother: I shall assume, as requiring no argument, that there is, at least in a society such as ours, a moral obligation to obey the law, although it may, of course, be overridden in certain cases by other more stringent obligations. I shall assume that this obligation must rest on some general moral principle; that is, it must depend on some principle of justice or upon some principle of social utility or the common good, and the like. (Rawls, 144) If the child were to obey his mother he would be violating his own morals and the justice system. He disobeys his mother out of personal belief and the respect for the law. I will now describe a scenario in which Rawls would agree that the child has an obligation to obey his or her parents. Suppose two other children (teenagers) grow up in the same neighborhood as the drug addict mother and 11 year-old son from the previous example. In this example the mother works all day long in order to barely pay the bills and put food on the table. She tries to make sure that her children stay off the streets and helps them with their homework. The mother tells the children that they need to get after school jobs to help with the bills. Only one child obeys. This example complies with the requirements of the principle of fair play. Rawls would argue that in this instance, the units of the family are cooperative in the sense that the mother works extremely hard to provide the best environment she can for her children. The majority of the family cooperates and sacrifices to ensure the security of a place to call home. This example also shows how one can benefit from the situation by not cooperating. The teenager who did not get a job benefits from the hard work of the mother and sibling. The teenager who does not actively participate in contributing still benefits from having a roof over above their head, food, and electricity. Suppose we combine the two examples I have just described and form a third example in which a mother who works just as hard as the mother in example two but the children, despite the mothers good intentions, rebel and fall into dealing drugs and the life of crime. Let us suppose that in this scenario the teenagers are dealing drugs in the house and have no respect for their mother who earns an honest living to provide for them. In example one I explained how parents are obligated to care for their children through tacit consent. Locke stated that children have the right to be nourished and maintained by their parents until they are old enough to provide for themselves. It is illogical to think that in a situation such as this that a parent is responsible for paying the rent, providing nourishment, and showing affection to children who do not even respect the rules of the household. Is a parent still obligated to their children if their children’s actions jeopardize their moral beliefs, violate their parental authority, and place the family in danger? Perhaps what Locke means is that the parent must try to provide for their children. If the intention of the parent is to look after the welfare of their child even if the child disobeys the parent, the parent is still obliging to the rules of tacit consent. The parent still wishes to help and care for her children but if by doing so she is putting herself in severe danger she must take drastic measures. Locke strives for the good of the whole, â€Å"no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions†(Locke, 32). This idea that Locke applies to the Law of Nature can be applied to this example. Locke would likely argue that the mother should not have to subject herself to a dangerous atmosphere. Yet, she still is obligated to be concerned for welfare of her children despite their lifestyle and even if she cannot help them. In conclusion, a parent’s obligation to a child is stronger than a child’s obligation to a parent. The reason is because under tacit consent a parent agrees to take care of the child. Even if the child does not obey the parent when he should, the parent is still bound to see to his well-being. However, if the parent does not fulfill the obligations to the welfare of the child, the child does not have to obey the parent. To decide if a child has to obey his parents the situation or demand must be applied to the principle of fair play.

Substance abuse essays

Substance abuse essays My name is Clifford Wise Jr., Im going to tell you about my history of substance abuse. Then Im going to tell you about my attitude towards crime and drugs now. It all started when I was about 11 or 12 years old it was my first time skipping school. I was supposed wait for my cousin to come pick me up so we could go to the park, but I walked to the park and waited for him there and some high school students were skipping school there too so I met all of them and they asked me if I smoked weed and I told them no because I havent. Then they pulled out some cocaine and was snorting it and they asked me if I wanted to try it so I did, I snorted about 3 or 4 lines, but I didnt like the way it made me feel. About 30 minutes after that they pulled out a bag of weed and they put it in a metal pipe and started smoking it and they passed it to me so I smoked it and they were telling me to hold it in so I could get real high so I did. I hit it a couple of times and I started to feel real slow. After that day I started smoking it whenever it was around, then I started smoking like every other weekend, then I started smoking more and more until one da y I got caught with some at Marshall Middle School, which was the school I was going to at that time, and that is what I went to my first program for. After doing nine months in that program I was on aftercare for about 3 months, until I started smoking weed again, but this time it was different because I was doing it everyday several times a day. One day one of my old friends, Eric, told me about crystal meth, I was 16 at the time. He told me how it makes you feel and he was making it sound like a good thing, so I decided to try it and I liked it. I started smoking meth like every weekend with Eric until I started wanting more of it, but the thing about it is that I didnt have the money for it so I started stealing CD players, speakers, and speaker amplifiers so ...

Diversity in the Workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Diversity in the Workplace - Research Paper Example Examples of such high power distances are found in countries like Spain, South America, Italy, Africa, Mexico and the European countries having a predominantly Latin population. The relationships between individuals working in the same organization are known as individualism – collectivism. According to Hofstede, a rich and developed nation gives more emphasis to the individual manner of its people and a poor and underdeveloped nation believes in dwelling in a collective manner. The third reference found by Hofstede, is that of the prejudices made on the criterion of genders. He explains this as the emphasis provided by a particular culture on gender equality and terms it as masculineness – womanhood. A male dominated society has clearly demarcated roles of woman and man. Such cultures are seen in countries like Italy, Greece, Venezuela, Switzerland and Japan. This is not the case in cultures which are predominantly feminine in nature. Here such roles can be interchange d and there exists greater equality and integration between both sexes. Such cultures are dominant in countries like Finland, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden (Hofstede, 1996). The fear of the unknown is termed by Hofstede as the control of the incertitude. This fear is far more dominant in cultures which has a greater need for planning, order and security and can be viewed in countries like Greece, Japan, France, Belgium and Portugal. The fear of the unknown is far less in developed nations like United Kingdom, Sweden, United States of America and Denmark. Depending on the constraints of time which can be further divided into long and short, the factor of Confucianism – dynamism has been provided by Hosstede (Lynch, 2002). The societies which are the forbearers of Confucianism, advocate...International Business Machines or IBM displays a diverse and talented manpower. Getting the full advantage out of diversity is one of the primary aims of this multinational firm as it belie ves that diversity leads to obtaining competitive edge over rivals. One of the main functions of this organization’s focus on diversity in workforce is its promise to provide the same opportunities to all individuals (IBM, 2012). By IBM terms, diversity means that individual discrepancies are expected, encouraged and revered so that every personnel in order to enhance productivity, achievement and innovation. The main goal of this organization is to form and preserve a culture which makes personnel valued and welcomed to this firm by maximizing the best use of varied talents and make IBM as the organization of choice to its customers and workforce. Currently IBM is focusing on the below mentioned diverse networking clusters. a) Disabled people – This is an association of disabled personnel and has strong links with the wider groups and is one of the most active clusters in IBM. b) Flexibility – This is another set up which actively finds personnel open to job sharing, part time or other supple working choices. c) Women in technology – Another association aiming to encourage and bear the development, growth, recognition and advancement of IBM’s current female workforce in the technical area. d) In order to emphasize multiculturalism, IBM has especially come out with a cultural diversity group.

Peer review of classmate's paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peer review of classmate's paper - Essay Example This provides the reader with very well organized information. Having read such a comparison essay, the reader can easily remember the conflicts of opinions of the scholars that were discussed in the essay. Block system, on the other hand, provides a writer with increased convenience but it does so, on the cost of the quality of comparison. In the block system of a comparison essay, the writer discusses the opinions of only one scholar in the whole paragraph or a series of paragraphs on several aspects of the subject under consideration, and later, totally discusses the views and opinions of the second scholar. This is exactly what you have done in a major part of the essay. In such a system, the reader forgets the essay’s status of a comparison essay, and takes it as a regular essay. Although the reader gains knowledge about the opinions of both the scholars, yet he/she may feel difficulty recapitulating conflicting views of the two scholars over specific aspects of the subje ct.

Strategic HRD and HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Strategic HRD and HRM - Essay Example Each cupboard is a complex ensemble of fume extraction units, plumbing, and electrical systems to be designed and fitted. Each cupboard is unique and requires flexibility and an attention to detail within the manufacturing process to suit client’s customization needs. The company delivers bespoke fume-cupboards to customers gate but does not get involved in its installation. The Company consists of 220 personnel, 175 of them work on manufacturing process-the core process. Balance of 45 personnel work in the sales department, design department and the support function. Support functions include payroll, accounts, HRM, and administration. HRD problem as identified in company structure appears to be the fact that HRM function is small and inadequately staffed within the company. Further evidence in the case reveals that this function is not able to achieve its objectives to a very large extent. Similarly, sales and design departments appear to be under Staffed.The Company has cor e operations in the manufacturing process in which 80% of employees are deployed. It comprises of several functional sections like the sheet metal cutting and folding for the cupboards, protective coating application, initial assembly, plumbing, and electrical sections. The first HRD/Organizational problem identified in core operations appears to be a loose span of supervisory control over laborers. Assuming 4 supervisors per functional section, we have about 20 supervisors in 5 sections and 155 laborers under such supervisors. Each supervisor on an average has about 8 laborers under him. The second problem relates to very high labor turnover on manufacturing shop floor. This disturbs the supervisor span of control further which is already high at 8 laborers and possibly obstructs the product customization process leading to defectives and quality deficiencies. Moreover, quality control function at the company is very weak too.

Legacies of colonialism in the world today Essay Example for Free

Legacies of colonialism in the world today Essay The colonization of one country by another is rampant throughout history. One country invades and subdues another, extending its sovereignty over the said country or territory for various reasons. Mainly, it is to use the resources of the invaded territory in order to enrich and strengthen itself. As early as the 16th Century, various empires were colonizing nations and territories all over the world. The Portuguese, French, Japanese, British and Spanish were all out to enlarge their territories and empires. When the age of colonialism was finally over, many of the colonized people found that there way of life had changed. Their colonizers had left legacies, both good and bad. Three area’s were the legacy of colonization is felt strongly are economic development, civilization development and cultural transformation. 2. 0 Economic Development Prior to colonization, the indigenous people of any country traded mostly with the surrounding peoples. Most of it was a barter trade that was aimed at making sure there was an even distribution of resources among the people. When the colonizers invaded the countries, they came in search of what resources they could use to enrich their own country, often at the expense of the natives. They looked at agriculture, what crops would easily grow in the region based on the climate of the colony that would satisfy the demands of the people in their home country. They also looked at the natural resources and minerals available in the said colony. In so doing, the colonizers dominated trade, trade routes and even products that could be traded. In the 15th Century Portuguese ships were exploring Africa, Asia and the America’s. Henry the Navigator was pursuing trade in gold and slaves on the West African coast, Bartolomeu Dias was discovering the Cape of Good Hope on the Southern tip of Africa, and Vasco da Gama reached India (Portuguese Empire). Islands like Madagascar, discovered by Trista da Cunha, did not escape. In all these places they established trading posts and fortresses, moving aggressively in their quest to dominate. They took over the ports and controlled trade in the bordering oceans. Brazil, discovered in the year 1500 by Pedro Alvares Cabral, become Portugal’s most important colony. The Portuguese were able to get gold, sugar cane, coffee, precious stones as well as other cash crops from Brazil (Portuguese Empire). 2. 1 Trade in Brazil The economic backbone of present day Brazil is still agriculture, mining and manufacturing. Having discovered the importance of their natural resource during the error of colonization, Brazil’s economy has been doing very well with a GDP per capita of US$ 10,300 estimated in the year 2008 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2009) With the rise of the sugar industry in Brazil established by the Portuguese, it became apparent that there was a great need for labour to ensure that the crop received the needed attention. This gave rise to a new form of international trade with a new product, African slaves. Diagram 1 – Slave Trade Routes Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://www. unc. edu/wrc/maps/08-Map. png Using their connections in Africa, Portuguese slave traders imported slaves by the millions to meet the demand for labour in the sugar plantations (Portuguese colonization). It is important to note though, that slave trade had began way before the need ever arose in Brazil, by the year 1470, the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, was already a major slave port. The rise of coffee plantations in the 19th century further increased the demand for slaves. There were other advantages to Portugal in businesses that were associated with the slave trade. These included the trade of Portuguese commodities that were traded and exchanged for slaves as well as goods produced by the slaves. In this period the Portuguese imported approximately three and a half million slaves (Slave routes, 2009). Due to this importation of slaves as well as the immigration into Brazil of other cultures, native Brazilians today are a minority. Of the approximately 180 Million Brazilians, 55% are Europeans mainly from Portugal, 38% are of mixed African and European descent, 6% are African and 1% are classified as other, which includes Amerindian (Brazil demographic profile). 2. 2 Introduction of new cash crops and plants. When the Portuguese came to Brazil they started the plantation method that had worked very well so far in their African colonies. This plantation method continued even after they left and is still in effect in Brazil today. Seeing as it is the world’s largest producer of coffee, sugar cane, orange juice frozen concentrate and tropical fruit, it is easy to understand why they have kept the plantation method all these years. Additionally, Brazil is also the world’s largest producer of beef, with 170 million head of cattle. Among the other cash crops produced by Brazil are soybeans, cotton, tobacco, cocoa, corn as well as forest products (US Department of State, 2009). Many plants were introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese when they came to colonize. Mangoes were among them, introduced to Brazil in the 1700’s (Tropical fruits). They also introduced rice and coffee, which was introduced in the 1600s and became the major cash crop of Brazil by the 1800s. Additionally, they brought sugarcane from South East Asia in the late 16th Century. Furthermore, the dende palm tree, whose oil is used in making most Brazilian foods was also introduced from Africa in the early 17th century and with it came hot peppers as well. Another plant introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese is okra, used in many Brazilian dishes today (Hamilton, 2005). It is therefore clear that Brazil owes much to their Portuguese colonizers who taught them how to farm by introducing the plantation method, introduced many plants and cash crops that are now the backbone of the Brazilian economy, and brought racial diversity to the country that in turn has created links to many parts of the world. 3. 0 Civilization Development Civilization development is tied in with human development. In many of the colonized territories, though the people had empires already in place, they were not literate, did not written laws or medical facilities. The colonizers brought these aspects to the colonized territories. However, in the process of bringing in their civilized ways, they erased much of the indigenous culture found there. 3. 1 French West Africa Much of West Africa was colonized by the French with a port set up in Senegal in 1659. By the early 1900s, countries like Mali, Benin, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea were under French rule. They were French subjects and were used in forced labor as well as imprisonment in a bid by the French to expand and maintain their interests. Agriculture was the main economic sector and they farmed cotton and peanuts where the climate allowed. They encouraged migration by the natives to areas where these plantations existed by touting them as wage-earning areas (Ali-Dinar). This is a legacy that has remained and pervaded all of Africa, with people in the countryside migrating to the cities in search of jobs. This has led to the creation of issues related to urban cities such as the creation of slums as low income housing, vices like prostitution as well as high crime rates. By the year 1960 all French West African countries were independent (Ali-Dinar). Diagram 2 – French West Africa Source: Earlham College http://www. earlham. edu/%7Emodelun/images/gif/west-africa. gif 3. 2 Legacy in Government in Senegal Prior to the French Colonization of Senegal, the Wolof Empire was ruling. It was ruled by a King who also doubled up as a religious ruler. The Portuguese, who had already been in Senegal before the French, had a mutually beneficial trade partnership with these people before the French came on the scene. (Wolof Empire, 2009). After they were colonized, the Senegalese people took a new form of Government that was introduced by the French. Even after the French were gone, that same form of government remained. Along with it, laws that had been laid down by the French stayed as well. In so doing, the traditional rulership of the Senegalese people was erased and the new form, which was very French, took over. The constitution, created in 1963, backs up a civilian government that has an executive branch, a judiciary that is independent and a National Assembly. In addition to these, the Senate, which is also legislative, was formed in 1999 (Diajayette). The president has the power to elect his Prime minister and together they elect the Council of Ministers who serve as the cabinet. The National assembly is made up of 140 members while the Senate is made up of 60. Of the 60 in the Senate, 45 are elected to office by local government officials and members of the National assembly, 12 are presidential elections, and Senegalese citizens in the Diaspora have the privilege of electing 3. Senegal is divided into 10 regions that are ruled by a governor. In regards to the Judiciary, Senegal has four courts above the level of tribunals and lower courts. These are the Council of State, the High Court, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council (Profile-Senegal). In addition to taking on French law and government as the basis of the countries executive, legislative and judicial system, the Senegalese also took on the French education system. Prior to colonization, there were no formal schools of any kind. Today the system includes primary, secondary and tertiary education. Senegal has six national languages and one official language, French (Bruhn, 1984). French is also the language of instruction in tertiary institutions although the Senegalese are undertaking English lessons as well. 3. 3 Formal Education in Senegal Along with the introduction to formal education that opened the Senegalese up to the rest of the world, there was an introduction to medicine. Whereas previously the sick would visit a witch doctor or a medicine man, now they have access to modern medicine. It is important to note that as the colonizers traveled, they brought with them diseases that the natives had no immunity against. As such, many of them died from these diseases since they did not have a cure for the same. This went a long way in causing the defeat of the natives, especially in the America’s where a small pox outbreak would kill almost whole colonies. The diseases brought by the colonizers included chicken pox, typhus, dysentery, measles, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, cholera and dysentery (Eddins). The legacies of colonialism in government, education and medicine have been beneficial and far reaching.