The Good Earth :: essays research papers

In The Good Earth, Pearl Buck describes the lifestyle and customs of the Chinese through the character of Wang Lung. She also shows the rise of a simple peasant to the enviable position of a wealthy landowner. At the beginning of the novel, Wang Lung, a poor farmer, is ready to marry O-Lan, a slave who is purchased from the great house of Hwang. She is a sturdy, silent woman who has immense resourcefulness. She is Wang Lung's helpmate throughout the book. Wang Lung and O-Lan, in the span of a few years, have five children. Wang Lung has always believed that the earth is a wonderful provider. When he manages to save some silver from his farming efforts, he decides to invest it in the good earth. He buys a parcel of land belonging to the House of Hwang. Wang's Uncle, who is lazy and evil, knows of his nephew's success and repeatedly comes to Wang to beg for help and food. It is the Chinese custom to help relatives, so Wang reluctantly aids him. Unfortunately, a famine strikes, and everyone, including the Wang family, suffers. The Uncle spreads the rumor that Wang is hoarding food and money, which causes the famished villages to plunder Wang's house; but they find nothing, for Wang is also starving and unable to provide for the basic needs of his family. As a result, Wang takes his family and flees to the South, where they eke out a living. Wang pulls a rickshaw through the streets to earn money. During Wang's stay in the South, the first rumbles of the revolution are heard. One day in Kiangsu, the angry peasants break down the gates of a huge mansion and enter it to plunder and pillage its riches. At first, Wang Lung is unable to steal anything; but when he sees the fat Lord clobbering the peasants, he picks up as much gold as he can and leaves. Wang returns to his homeland with his family. He keeps buying more and more land from the House of Hwang, which has now fallen into decay. As his children grow up, his life begins to prosper. Wang educates his first two sons. The eldest, Nun En, marries a girl from a well-bred family. The second son, Nun Wen, becomes a grain merchant. The third child, a daughter born during the famine, is retarded; Wang loves her dearly and affectionately calls her "poor fool.

Education of the Middle Ages Essay

Education, as we know it today, did not exist in the Middle Ages. Illiteracy was dominant among the population. Scribes were the exception to the rule. Churches were the main source of knowledge and schooling. Real interest in learning grew along with the development of towns. The towns’ officials needed to be educated. At the same time a need for legal institutions was created and so started the university phenomenon. Modern education was on its way. There were few schools in the Middle ages, so everyone had limited education. Even the Lord of the Manor was often unable to read or write. Some of the first schools were Cathedral schools. As well as Parish, Monastic, and Palace schools. Here people learned a particular role in society. Naturally the primary job was training the clergy in their professional duties as priests of the Christian people. The bishop was the head of the complex and he had a staff of priest to help him with the several of the diocese. These skills that were taught here were reading, singing of hymns, church law, writing of documents and the performing of Church duties and sacraments. An example of educating for a specific role in life were the Knights who had learn how to fight with various weapons so that they could fight for their king. The common people, however, had no way of being educated other than going a monastic school. However, if they did this, they had to donate their property to the church. The people who went to this school later become monks or nuns. They had to follow three important laws: chastity, obedience, and the law or the lord if not followed they would be thrown out of the monastery. Most monasteries had a rule of silence: monks could not talk which other except for a short period of time. During meals one monk might read passages from the bible while the others mediated. Even though monks’ lives seem to be so hard it was the best place to go for a good education for anybody from a king to a beggar (Monasteries 488-499). Women took part in monastic life by living in a convent under a direction of an abbess. Known as nuns, they wore simple clothes and wrapped a white cloth called a wimple around their face and neck. They alternated prayer with spinning, weaving, and embroiling items such as tapestries and banners. They also taught needlework and the medicinal use of herbs to daughters of nobles (Couglin A6). Although monks and nuns lived apart from society, they were not completely isolated. Indeed, they played a crucial role in medieval intellectual and social life. Since few people could read or write, the regular clergy preserved ancient and the classical writings. Scribes copied all the books by hand working in a small drafty room with one candle or a small window for light. Illuminated manuscripts decorated with rich colors and intricate pictures indicate that, although the task was done with hard work, it was also lovingly done (Monastaries 499-501). Monasteries and convents provided not only schools for young people, but hospitals for the sick, food for the needy, and a home for travelers who need a place to stay (Monasteries 499-501). Cathedral schools were there to train higher-member of the Church in their professional duties as ministers of the Christian people. The bishop in whose Cathedral complex the school was located needed a group of trained priests to administer the various needs dioceses. The Cathedral school largely emphasized practical skills, effective reading, singing, and knowledge of Church Law, public speaking and the administration of the holy sacraments (Corbishely 28). At first the university was not so much a place as it was a group of scholars organized like a guild for the purpose of learning. Classes were held in rented rooms or churches even in the open air. Books were scarce. In most classes teacher read the text and discussed it, while students took notes on slates or memorized as much information as possible. Classes did, however meet regularly schedule. University rules established the obligations of the students and the teachers toward each other. To qualify as a teacher students had to pass an exam leading to a degree, or a certificate of completion (Cantor 58). By the end of the 1200’s universities had spread throughout Europe. Most southern European universities were modeled after the law school at Bologna, Italy, and specialized in law and medicine. Universities in Northern Europe on the contrary, specialized in liberal arts in Theology. These were generally modeled after the University of Paris (Bailey 89). At medieval universities, scholars studied Latin classics and Roman law in depth. They also acquired knowledge from the works of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and from the Islamic scholarship in the sciences. This interest in the physical world eventually led a rise of western science (Schools 291-292). Many church leaders opposed the study of Aristotle’s works, fearing that his ideas feared the Christian teachings. In contrast some scholars thought that new knowledge could be used ideas. The applied Aristotle philosophy to theological questions and developed a system of thought called scholasticism. This new type of learning emphasized reason as well as the faith in the interpretations of Christian doctrine. Scholastic sought to bring back classical philosophy along side with the teachings of the Church. They believed that knowledge could be integrated into a coherent whole (Schools 295). One scholastic teacher, Peter Aberlard taught theology in Paris during the early 1100’s. In his book Sic et Non, he collected statements from the bible writings of early Christian leaders that showed both sides of controversial questions. Abearld then had his students reconcile the difference though logic. In the 1200’s the most important scholastic thinker was Thomas Aquinas a brilliant theologian and philosopher who taught philosophy in Naples and France. In his work Summa Theolgica Aquinas claimed that reason was a gift from god that could provide answers to basic philosophical questions. The catholic later accepted and promoted Aquinas’s way of teaching and thinking (Schools 310). The education of a knight proceeded in a way similar to that of many medieval occupations. At an early age the prospective knight was apprenticed to serve as a page, or attendant, in a knight’s household. In his teens the page graduated to the status of a squire and received more responsibilities. As a squire the boy tended his knight’s horses and armor, but he also gained his first battle experience. Several squires were usually apprenticed to a knight at the same time and on the battlefield they might fight as a small band of infantry around their master. Here they acquired the many skills in arms necessary for their profession. To graduate to the status of a knight, a squire usually performed some heroic deed in battle. The squire was welcomed into the order of knights by being dubbed with a sword or slapped in the face by his lord. Afterwards the new knight would receive his fief, or gift of land. As the cult of chivalry developed in the 12th and 13th centuries, knighting ceremonies became more involved. Often they occurred at court, and a knight’s dubbing might be preceded by a religious vigil in which the knight vowed to uphold Christian and chivalric principles (Davies 12-13). Finally the Renaissance, or rebirth of learning, began in Europe in the 14th century and reached its height in the 15th century. Scholars became more interested in the humanist features that is, the secular or worldly rather than the religious aspects of the Greek and Latin classics. Humanist educators found their models of literary style in the classics. The Renaissance was a particularly powerful force in Italy, most notably in art, literature, and architecture. In literature, the works of such Italian writers as Dante Aleghieri, Petrarch, and Giovanni Boccaccio became especially important (Renaissance 228-229). Humanist educators designed teaching methods to prepare well-rounded, liberally educated persons. Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus was particularly influential. Erasmus believed that understanding and conversing about the meaning of literature was more important than memorizing it, as had been required at many of the medieval religious schools. He advised teachers to study such fields as archeology, astronomy, mythology, history, and Scripture (Renaissance 220). The invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century made books more widely available and increased literacy rates. But school attendance did not increase greatly during the Renaissance. Elementary schools educated middle-class children while lower-class children received little, if any, formal schooling. Children of the nobility and upper classes attended humanist secondary schools (Bailey 112). Educational opportunities for women improved slightly during the Renaissance, especially for the upper classes. Some girls from wealthy families attended schools of the royal court or received private lessons at home. The curriculum studied by young women was still based on the belief that only certain subjects, such as art, music, needlework, dancing, and poetry, were suited for females. For working-class girls, especially rural peasants, education was still limited to training in household duties such as cooking and sewing (Couglin, A8). As it shows education the Middle Ages seems to be so diverse and a starting point for modern education. But the reader must always keep in mind only about five percent of the whole population did all of these educational activities.

I Have a Dream Metaphoric Criticism - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2030 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: I Have a Dream Essay Martin Luther King Essay Did you like this example? Rhetoric lies at the center of our human experience and facilitates human interaction. It consists of language (made up entirely of symbols) that ultimately allows us to construct our reality. A significant component of rhetoric is rhetorical criticism. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "I Have a Dream Metaphoric Criticism" essay for you Create order Rhetorical criticism analyzes artifacts of communication; from images to phrases to films and speeches. It serves as a qualitative research method that strives to investigate and find an explanation for the true meaning behind these artifacts and their impact on our society. The entirety of this paper centers around the application of Metaphoric Criticism to the legendary I have a Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, allowing us to surpass linguistic embellishment and acknowledge the injustice faced by the African American community. It elaborates on the context of the artifact, expands on the chosen rhetorical critic method, and significantly, showcases discoveries from applying rhetorical criticism to the artifact.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beginning with an elaboration on the context of the chosen artifact, Martin Luther King stands as not only one of the most significant figures in American history but one of the most influential figures in the world. Fueled by the injustice surrounding segregation, African Americans began the fight for racial equality with the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King, a young pastor from Atlanta, Georgia, stood at the center of this movement. His I have a Dream Speech (the most notable speech he gave throughout the course of his activism) put the Civil Rights Movement on the map. The speech was given in 1963 during the March on Washington, an event where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to advocate for freedom and jobs. After directing a nonviolent protest (the march), Dr. King took center stage at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and began sharing his hopes and dreams for the American population. He identifies the role the Emancipatio n Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln played in freeing the American population and highlights how the change must continue until equality has been established. While countless inspirational artifacts exist in our society, this speech, as a result of its effective incorporation of metaphors, truly exemplifies the power of rhetoric and the role it plays in moving a nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now that the context of the artifact has been elaborated upon, lets discuss the chosen rhetorical criticism method. Metaphoric Criticism revolves around the use of metaphors in artifacts to convey the underlining message of the artifact. A metaphor can be defined as a figure of speech in which an action or phrase denoting a symbol is used in comparison to another as a way of illustrating meaning. There are two components to a metaphor, the tenor and the vehicle. The tenor can be described as the topic or subject that is being explained, while the vehicle is the mechanism or lens through which the topic is viewed (Foss, 285, 2018). These comparisons are nonliteral and simply suggest a similarity between the two words/phrases. To provide an example take the metaphor life is a journey. Life (the tenor) is compared to the journey (the vehicle), so as to more effectively capture the rigor and tedious nature of life. To continue with the discussion on metap hors, these forms of figurative language are linguistic embroidery that the rhetor uses only occasionally to give extra force to language (Foss, 286, 2018). Metaphors bring beauty and drama to an otherwise dry description. Often times, topics of discussion can be difficult to comprehend or difficult to mention candidly. Metaphors allow its rhetors to effectively capture these instances. The use and purpose of metaphors go far beyond being a form of decoration. Metaphors are also a constituting force by being a basic way by which the process of using symbols to construct reality occur (Foss, 287, 2018). Metaphors have the ability to shine a light of certain phenomena, while continuing to keep others hidden, paving the way to a formulation of perspective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With an understanding of the meaning of metaphors and the role they place in communication, lets delve deeper into metaphoric criticism. Sonja Foss highlights a four-step procedure to effectively utilizing and applying metaphoric criticism. The four-step procedure consists of selecting an artifact, analyzing the artifact, formulating a research question and writing the essay (Foss, 289, 2018). The significant aspect of this four-step procedure is the 2nd step, analyzing an artifact. Analyzing an artifact contains five essential parts: examining the artifact as a whole, isolating the metaphors, sorting the metaphors, and discovering an explanation for the artifact. Examining the artifact as a whole pertains to becoming familiar with the text or elements of the artifact and its context to gain a sense of the complete experience of the artifact (Foss, 290, 2018). Understanding the text as a whole improves understanding of the metaphors within them. The s econd step, isolating the metaphors, is as it says. It captures the process of isolating the metaphors used by the rhetor. Effectively identifying these metaphors is relevant for the next step, sorting the metaphors. This step involves sorting the metaphors you have identified into groups and looking for patterns (Foss, 293, 2018). Finding patterns leads to the creation of themes, which paves the way towards the last step of metaphoric criticism, discovering an explanation for the artifact. Also known as identifying the deeper meaning. Now that weve discussed the moving parts of Metaphoric Criticism, lets begin with the application by addressing the four components of metaphoric criticism previously discussed. We examined the artifact as a whole by elaborating on the context behind the I have a Dream speech and its significance. Lets proceed to the isolation of the metaphors within the speech itself. For the sake of comprehension and organization, the quotes highlighted will be numbered (with subscripts) for further analysis. At the beginning of the speech, MLK mentions the Emancipation Proclamation and how this momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice1 (King, 1963). With this metaphor, the emancipation proclamation, which serves as a tenor is compared to a beacon of hope, the vehicle. King also mentions that this sweltering summer of the Negros legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of fr eedom and equality2 (King 1963). With this metaphor, the anger of the African American community (tenor) is compared to the sweltering summer sun (vehicle) and freedom and equality (tenor) are compared to invigorating autumn (vehicle). Continuing with the isolation of metaphors from the artifact, King mentions toward the middle of the speech let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred3 (King 1963). Freedom (tenor) is compared to a draught (vehicle), while hatred (tenor) is compared to a cup of bitterness (vehicle). Other significant quotes from the artifact are the whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nations until the bright day of justice emerges4 and I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice5 (King, 1963). With the first quote, the danger that the nation will continue to face if the needs of the Civil Rights Movement are not met (the tenor) is compared to a whirlwind (vehicle). For the second quote, injustice and oppression (tenor) are compared to heat (vehicle), while freedom and justice (tenor) are compared to an oasis (vehicle). Following isolation of the metaphors, comes sorting of the metaphors. Exemplified through the highlighted quotes from the artifact, King relies heavily on weather metaphors and high and low contrasts. The theme of incorporating weather can be found in the 2nd, 4th, and 5th quotes, when he speaks of the sweltering summer, the invigorating autumn, the whirlwinds of revolt, the bright rays of justice, and the oasis of freedom. As for the high and low contrast, these can be found when King compares the whirlwinds of revolt (low) to the bright days of justice (high). It can also be found in his juxtaposition between the sweltering summer and the invigorating autumn (the 2nd quote). Another significant theme within Kings I have a Dream speech is the notion of love and brotherhood. Despite the injustice, the African American community continued to face and despite their efforts for equality being dismissed, King continues to stand by non-violent revolt and dispels anger and hatred. This is evident in the 3rd quote when he speaks of how the thirst (desire) for freedom and equality shouldnt be satisfied with bitterness and hatred. Its also evident when he argues we must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. He continues, we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again, and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force (King, 1963). Even after personally experiencing the detrimental effects of racism and inequality, love stands at the center of his heart and he urges for it to stand at the center of the Civil Rights Movement. Weve isolated significant quotes from the artifact and sorted them through the creation of themes, so what does this analysis reveal about the artifact in particular and about the rhetorical process in general? Through metaphoric criticism, weve been able to gain a more profound insight into the intentions of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. Upon initial recognition, many viewed the intentions of MLK and the Civil Rights Movements as advocacy for the black perspective and moreover that their desires were driven by pain and hatred with no regard for how their actions could negatively impact the population at large. In addition to this, many (those around the world and in the United States) remained completely unaware of the struggles faced by the African American population. They believed the Emancipation Proclamation was sufficient and that through segregation (separate but equal) the circumstances of the black man had improved. MLKs I Have a Dream speech addressed t hese misconceptions. As revealed through Metaphoric Criticism, the metaphors embedded in his speech exemplified the true nature of the Civil Rights Movement and their true intentions. As previously mentioned in the 3rd and 6th quote (introduced above), King dismissed desires of hatred and bitterness and pushed for individuals to act with kindness and love. He encouraged the African American population and the world in general that violence, pain, and damage should be welcomed with dignity, discipline, and compassion. As for awareness regarding the struggles faced by the African American community, the metaphors within Kings I Have a Dream speech shines a light to its full extent. Lets take as an example the 2nd quote where King says this sweltering summer of the Negros legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality (King, 1963). As previously mentioned, the I Have a Dream speech was given in Washington D.C. Anyone who has spent a summer in the south or a nywhere, in general, know its accompanied by frustration, a sense of suffering, misery, and significantly, a longing for relief. Theres difficulty in understanding struggles faced by those outside your community. Metaphors such as the one mentioned above (and just about everywhere in the artifact), not only enable those outside the African American community to understand the extent of their struggle, but it allows them to relate to it, and become advocates for change. As exemplified through metaphoric criticism of Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech, metaphors are far more than forms of figurative language. The metaphors highlighted in Kings speech drew on themes such as nature, brotherhood, compassion, and high/low juxtapositions. They made the American population and the world knowledgeable on the intentions of the black community, as well as the extent of their struggles. Metaphors and metaphoric criticism are means of exemplifying intentions, perspectives, and truth that would otherwise remain silent and submerged. They capture the power of rhetoric on the human experience and its ability to shape our reality. Through specific, purposeful, persuasive, and metaphoric communication, Kings speech propelled the American Civil Rights Movement and began the establishment of change and equality for all.

Gender Roles The New Man Of Disney / Pixar `` And Dude,...

Many People are interested to know how we get our gender roles. The articles â€Å"Why Do We Make So Much Of Gender?†, â€Å"Post-Princess Models Of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar† and â€Å"Dude, You’re a Fag: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse† comply well with this topic. Gender roles have dramatically changed in the past few decades especially the roles of females as in the past they were thought to be the property of men. Stereotypes have played a big part on gender roles. The most common male stereotypes are independent, strong, and aggressive; whereas females are delicate, emotional and supportive. However, when these sexes act in opposite manners they are labeled â€Å"fags†. Although Gender role discrimination may be considered nonexistent in today s society it still plays a huge role in our lives. Ever since the beginning of history, women have been discriminated because of their gender. They were not allowed to attend school much of the time, couldn t vote, couldn t possess anything and couldn’t even work for themselves. Such denial of freedom has made females seem weak and unequipped for making their own decisions. Kids start to take in their sex roles at an extremely young age. Boys must identify what men do, what they like, and even how they think and feel. The girls do the same as they take in the parts for the women. The media s emphasis on appearance has contributed to low self-esteem in many teenage girls. Feminist believe young girls are becoming more

Brown The Last Discovery Of America Essay example

Brown: The Last Discovery of America completes Richard Rodriguezs three-volume work in which he explains and explores the ethnic and racial future of America. In this particular book, the author defines the color brown not as the representation of the Hispanic race but as the color of the future. Black, white, yellow, the author explains, are incorrect racial categories for it is not how nature works. Nature yearns for combination of all different colors, and brown is the final result. In the chapter Hispanics, as seen through imagery, personification, and humor, Richard Rodriguez upsets the reader to show that racial categorization is unfit and that racial barriers are meant to be broken.†¦show more content†¦Rodriguez questions their credibility as Hispanics because Hispanics who call Anglos Anglo are themselves Anglo (110). In other words, by using the Anglo language, the Hispanics themselves are also Anglos. Because there a re no true Hispanics, the author concludes that racial categorization, not only of Hispanics, is unfit. Americans, explains the author, do not speak English but American English (115). Americans have taken the English language and transformed it into their own property. While becoming a hybrid, the language has also devoured other languages as well, causing boundaries, whether literary or racial, to mesh together. One of the devices in which Rodriguez employs is imagery; it is used to illustrate the confusion created by racial categorization. When the Nixon administration created the five racial categories Ââ€" African American, Caucasian, Asian American, Native Americans, and Hispanic Ââ€" mass confusion resulted: Statisticians in overalls moved India Ââ€" oufff Ââ€" over beneath the green silk tent of Asia.Show MoreRelatedBrown: the Last Discovery of America1331 Words   |  6 PagesBrown: The Last Discovery of America completes Richard Rodriguez s three-volume work in which he explains and explores the ethnic and racial future of America. In this particular book, the author defines the color brown not as the representation of the Hispanic race but as the color of the future. Black, white, yellow, the author explains, are incorrect racial categories for it is not how nature works. Nature yearns for combination of all different colors, and brown is the final result. In theRead MoreRichard Rodriguez s Brown : The Last Discovery Of America1135 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica is a melting pot of different people, culture, and religion. Although there are millions of different people from different parts of the world, it s citizens would like to appear united and patriotic. To foreigners, e very person living in the United States is an American; however, within the country, there are divisions among the society through a concept called race. No citizen calls themselves an American to another American. The individual labels themselves Hispanics, Asians, [or]Read MoreEssay on Inventions and Discoveries of the 1960’s1605 Words   |  7 PagesInventions and Discoveries of the 1960’s The 1960’s era was a time period notorious for its technology and innovation. This particular era of time was booming with creativity. People started to venture outside of the traditional mindset established by their elders, and the new generation made a great impact on the American lifestyle. The original models of these creations have been modified into complex designs, yet as we strive for perfection, we still use these revolutionary concepts. LikeRead MoreAnalysis of James Howard Kunstlers The Long Emergency1043 Words   |  4 Pagesdoesnt have to have great credentials as a scholar to write a book like this one, Kunstlers credibility is on the line when his narrative is overloaded with claims like: a) †¦all bets are off about civilizations future; b) a dazed and crippled America will either regroup or die-back; and c) while society struggles with a loss of electricity, designer viruses will whittle down the worlds population. Indeed the world is going to run o ut of oil in at some point in time, but Kunstler offers anRead MoreHistorical Events Between 1920- 1990787 Words   |  4 PagesHistorical Events between 1920- 1990 The 1920 census indicates a population in the United States over 100 million people, for the first time. The 15% increase since the last census now showed a count of 106,021,537. The geographic center of the United States population still remained in Indiana, eight miles south-southeast of Spencer, in Owen County. Then on January 10, 1920 The League of Nations is established with the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, ending the hostilities of theRead MoreA Pair Of Tickets By Amy Tan1555 Words   |  7 PagesChinese despite her mother’s insistence. Jing-mei is ignorant about the people and places in China, which could be the most likely cause of her being raised in America and only knowing American culture. Setting is integral for Jing-mei to finally understand herself. In Amy Tan’s short story â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† setting is used to emphasize the discovery of self-identity as well as heritage and culture for the protagonist Jing-mei. Having lived all her life in San Francesco, Jing-mei has never consideredRead MoreDavid Walker ( 1785-1830 ) Traces For Events That Transpired During The Civil War1593 Words   |  7 Pagesignorance and deracination, aggressive to last privation would he ask to be God? Alluring of which ought to be slavery to the American person and children forever is the main problem. Too it is the most egregious historical analysis of slavery that condition crueler. Almost deign an  ¬Ã‚ ¬enlighten and Christian people. Only they created characters that represent how people felt at the time. They are crests of characters with many years ago of expression has in Afro America life. Also He had international workplaceRead MoreDavid Walker ( 1785-1830 ) Traces From Events That Transpired During The Civil War1593 Words   |  7 Pagesignorance and deracination, aggressive to last privation would he ask to be God? Alluring of which ought to be slavery to the American person and children forever is t he main problem. Too it is the most egregious historical analysis of slavery that condition crueler. Almost deign an enlighten and Christian people. Only they created characters that represent how people felt in the time. They are crest of characters with many years ago of expression has in afro America life. Also He had international workRead MoreAnalysis Of Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesBury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a non-fiction book written by Dee Brown on the removal and extinction of the native peoples that called America their home. The title was created by utilizing a line from Stephen Vincent Benà ©t’s poem â€Å"American Names†. Furthermore, the book demonstrates the deteriorating relations between the natives and whites over time through the descriptions of atrocities imposed upon each Native American tribe by the white settlers. The number of these atrocities greatly outnumbersRead More Transformation Essay1810 Words   |  8 Pages America is ever changing. Over the centuries it has transformed in many ways. There has been an increase in immigrants, especially Hispanics, which has caused a transformation of both language and culture. Richard Rodriguez in his book Brown: The Last Discovery of America, and in other essays has brought his views on these matters and presents brown as a new way of describing America. Brown as color; as impurity; as language; as America. Richard Rodriguez is a writer who is artistic, and has an

Policies to Reduce Pollution Free Essays

The two policies that are mostly used to reduce pollution are the taxation of the pollution producers (Pigovian tax) and standards-change approaches. The Pigovian taxes are usually generally levied as an excise tax, which will raise the price of the goods produced. This causes the company to produce less which in turn lowers pollution. We will write a custom essay sample on Policies to Reduce Pollution or any similar topic only for you Order Now The standards-charge approach is to tax the pollution directly. The government determines the level of pollution that it thinks is appropriate, and then will charge a fine for each unit that is above the appropriate amount. This is how the standard-charge approach rewards the companies that produce less pollution and punishes the companies that exceed the allotted pollution amount. Unfortunately, standard-charge approaches don’t enable policy makers to control the air quality. The government has to estimate how much a company will reduce their pollution when they are fined. If the government sets a fine to low, the company may determine that it is cheaper to pay the fines rather than reduce its pollution. This also will not give the company an incentive to reduce their pollution level below what the government has set as the desired limit. The positive benefits to these measures are that our ecosystems are healthier and this also helps the health of the people living in the local environment. Air pollution is known to cause a great deal of disease in the population, especially respiratory disease. The environments ecosystems will benefit when people and companies lower their use of fossil fuels, this will help to lower greenhouse gases. Taxes and fines always have some sort of losses involved, both to the companies and to the government applying the fines. When the different taxes are levied, companies will find ways to reduce costs by either cuts in staffing or outsourcing what they are able to send to foreign companies. Another cost involves the failure of the government. The different taxes and fines levied on companies are paid over to the government and the government is notorious in their inefficiency in the use of their funds. Most government agencies are overly bureaucratic and cumbersome which can create unnecessary regulations that are impossible to enforce. It is impossible to determine the exact level of pollution reduction needed to produce a healthier living environment. At this point in time, society controls the pollution levels until the costs outweigh the benefits of additional controls. This assumption isn’t always valid. It has been proven, through past actions, which as air quality improves it becomes more difficult to reduce the levels of pollution at a reasonable cost. Even though society demands a clean environment for health reasons, it is a higher concern depending on income levels. The higher the income level the more of a concern it will be. Those with a lower income that are without medical insurance are less inclined to worry about pollutions that will harm them over time. Pollution should be reduced so that it will not negatively affect the health of the population or the environment. Unfortunately we also have to weigh the lowering of pollution against the cost of job loss and the cost of goods. In the end, as long as the government policies are able to reduce pollution to a level that is socially acceptable they can be viewed a success. How to cite Policies to Reduce Pollution, Essay examples

Leadership Mgmt free essay sample

During the departmental meeting, Carl is using the consultation-influencing tactic – he feels strongly that there should be a policy, but he hasn’t already decided what the policy should be and seeking input from his faculty. As a tenured faculty member without an administrative title, Latoya Washington does not have position power – she relies on personal power. Initially, she is probably hoping to use referent power, and win her fellow faculty over to her side based on her relationships with them. Thus, her first influencing tactic is personal appeal. When this isn’t successful, she tries another angle by using rational persuasion, providing facts (although unsubstantiated at least for the moment) and logical arguments to convince her fellow faculty that graduate assistants should be allowed to grade objective exams, or barring that, to convince the department chair that there should be no policy at all. 2. What would you do if you were John Carl? According to the case, â€Å"Carl likes to have policies in place, so that faculty members have guides for their behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Mgmt or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After consulting with his superiors, he has determined that there should be a departmental policy on the use of graduate assistants. Graduate assistantships serve two purposes. First, they provide graduate students with meaningful work experience in higher education. The work is generally not high profile or glorious, but is related to the career they are pursuing. Second, they provide faculty with something akin to paraprofessional support in fulfilling their duties. Thus, GA duties are typically ted directly to faculty activities, such as research. Graduate assistants are in a particularly vulnerable position. The faculty who give them work assignments are the same faculty who assign their course grades, and even determine whether they complete their programs. In some cases, GAs are prohibited from holding outside employment, and are dependent on their GA positions for their income. While the hopes is that faculty will make appropriate use of their Gas, there is always a risk that a GA will be asked to pick up dry cleaning, wash a car, or mow a lawn. In order to protect Gas from this type of imposition, establishing a common sense policy on the appropriate use of Gas is a good idea. Asking the faculty to develop the content of the policy as a group signals the faculty that Carl generally trusts their judgment, and is establishing the policy only as a precaution; it is an effective use of the consultation-influencing tactic. Therefore, up to this point Carl has made no serious errors. The fact that Carl was not prepared for the debate over the use of Gas to grade exams suggests that he has missed some political undercurrents among the faculty who have been in the department longer than he has. Using Gas to grade objective exams seems rather innocuous to receive this much faculty opposition. If I were Carl, I would make discreet inquiries regarding Washington’s relationships with her colleagues to find out if some other conflict is at work. My suspicion would be that Washington’s colleagues perceive her as lazy. In the meantime, I would invite my dean to lunch at a restaurant frequented by my faculty, and over lunch I would casually mention that my announcement regarding the GA policy was not universally popular, and he might hear from one or two disgruntled faculty. This conversation serves three purposes. First, it assures my dean that I will keep him informed about my department and not let him be blindsided. Second, it conveys to the dean that I have my department under control. Finally, the visibility of the lunch reminds my faculty of my connection power, and suggests that the dean will support whatever decision I make concerning the policy. 3. How would you evaluate Latoya Washington’s actions in this case? Would you have done the same thing? Did she make any mistakes? Washington has been using her GA to grade objective exams, and it is a practice she would like to continue. However, she makes her case poorly in the meeting. One of her arguments is that faculty in other departments and at other universities use GAs in teaching and assessment situations which require far more professional judgment. While this is true, and her colleagues undoubtedly know that it is true, her presentation of the argument strictly as a device to justify her own behavior weakens the point. She weakens her case further by following this with â€Å"it’s not fair. Finally, rather than asserting that the policy should not prohibit using Gas as graders, she contends that there need not be a policy at all – in effect, attempting to dismiss her colleagues’ position by attacking Carl’s. This is a calculated risk; she perceives Carl, as a relatively new administrator, to be a more vulnerable opponent than her fellow tenured faculty. If Carl is an ins ecure leader, or cannot rely on the support of his dean, the tactic could work. However, it could also result in Washington fighting a war on two fronts. If I had been in Washington’s position, I would have taken steps to slow down the process. As soon as someone suggested prohibiting the use of GAs for exam grading, Washington should have suggested that they take a step back and, instead of using the meeting to outline the policy, use it to develop a statement of philosophy regarding the use of GAs. This would give her an opening to talk about the importance of the GA experience in shaping future faculty, and the value of exposing GAs to the duties they would assume as professors, including research, service, and teaching. She could suggest several activities under the research and service headings to which her colleagues would readily agree. Once they have accepted the premise that a GA position is training for a faculty position, she could introduce the proposition that in terms of the teaching side of their development, GAs also benefit from supervising homework labs as well as correcting exams, particularly in situations where some degree of judgment is required to assign partial credit. Slowing sown the process gives Washington a greater opportunity to employ rational persuasion. Washington’s email to the department is inherently threatening to Carl. She has questioned the ethics and legality of adopting a policy she dislikes, and has stated that she is prepared to take it up the chain. The email is unnecessarily confrontational. While Washington is probably unaware that Carl spoke with his superiors prior to introducing the topic of a policy, she should consider the fact that, in the absence of actual wrongdoing, a dean is unlikely to rule against both a department chair that he appointed and the majority of the faculty in a department based on a single appeal. Thus, a better course of action would have been for Washington to approach Carl after the meeting and suggest that the department agree on a list of peer departments, either on campus or elsewhere, and review their GA policies to see if there were consistencies worth adopting; Washington herself would volunteer to collect and summarize the data. Again, she postponed a decision, giving her time to influence her colleagues through rational persuasion; offered meaningful support to her chair, thus building her referent power; and found a way to introduce her original arguments in a thoughtful and controlled way not easily dismissed. 4. If you were Latoya Washington, and John Carl drafted a policy to which the rest of the department agreed, what would you do? Theoretically, Washington could appeal the policy to the dean, using some variation on the grounds she attempted to use in the meeting. In her place, I would not file such an appeal, for the reasons I address in Question 5. Washington would need to accept the loss as gracefully as possible and discontinue using GAs to grade objective exams. 5. If you were the dean of the business school, knowing that the vice president does not want to set a college-wide policy, and Latoya Washington appealed to you, what would you do? The dean appointed Carl as chair of the department. He also gave his tacit approval of Carl’s plan to develop a departmental policy on the use of GAs. Granting Washington’s appeal would undermine Carl; his department would come to see him as ineffective, and his faculty would be more inclined to challenge his authority in the future, which would require the dean to intervene in the department more frequently. In addition, because the dean already supported Carl’s plan for a policy, reversing himself following Washington’s appeal would make him look weak and untrustworthy to his own subordinate. The dean’s long working relationship with Carl, and Carl’s with his faculty, hang in the balance. On the other hand, a dean who ignores or automatically denies a faculty appeal opens himself up to accusations of favoritism or tyranny. In his position, I would review the appeal, then notify Washington that I was providing Carl a copy and giving him two weeks to write his rebuttal. I would privately advise Carl to speak with his faculty individually to ensure that the policy he has written actually has the support of the majority, both tenured and untenured, and that no one feels he or she was coerced into approving it. After I reviewed Carl’s rebuttal, I would meet with Washington privately and tell her that, while I sympathize with her position, the policy is legal and ethical and enjoys majority support, and her appeal is denied. Then I would encourage her to explore options for obtaining the variety of support she needs outside the scope of the departmental policy. 6. What would you have done in Eddie Accorsi’s place? Would your decision have depended on whether Latoya Washington was a friend? Would it have depended on whether you were tenured? Assuming Accorsi’s motives are pure, he was in a difficult position in the meeting. As a tenure-track faculty member whose future employment depends to some extent, on remaining in his colleagues’ good graces, he would have taken a risk by defending Washington’s position in the meeting. Another explanation for his behavior is possible, however. Accorsi may not have had any opinion at all on the issue under debate. By remaining silent (and implying consent) in the meeting, he maintained his relationship with the majority. By approaching Washington after the meeting to express his support, he did what he could to preserve his relationship with her. In this case, his behavior was dishonest, but also politically savvy. If I were Accorsi, and I genuinely supported Washington’s position, I would have taken essentially the same actions described above for Washington: I would have suggested that we take the time to develop a statement of philosophy regarding the purpose of graduate assistantships; that we benchmark GA policies of other comparable departments; and that we develop a policy that was consistent with best practices elsewhere. His remarks would support Washington without being obviously partisan. This approach would have been appropriate regardless of his personal relationship with Washington or his tenure status.