Compose Yourself:Writing & Identity in Douglas, Williams & Walker :: essays papers

Compose Yourself:Writing & Identity in Douglas, Williams & Walker For the last several years, whenever I teach an introductory composition course I use an anthology of essays called Fields of Writing.One of the strengths of this collection is the exemplary diversity of its selections, and among the best of these are many essays by African Americans.I assign a number of these in the course, but four in particular I have found to be consistently useful in teaching basic ideas about composition. These four are Frederick Douglass's "Learning to Read & Write," Patricia Williams's "On Being the Object of Property,"and two by Alice Walker, "Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self" and "Am I Blue?" Each of these essays conveys a different aspect of the important link between literacy and identity, between the ability to express oneself and the process of knowing oneself. Let me explain what I mean by beginning with the oldest essay among this group, "Learning to Read & Write" by Frederick Douglas. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]--> Douglas's essay is a short excerpt from his Autobiography.It describes the laborious process he had to go through in order to teach himself how to read and write.Douglas informs us that, in the beginning of his education, his "mistress" had begun his instruction, but "in compliance with the advice and direction of her husband, not only ceased to instruct, but had set her face against my being instructed by any one else." Thus Douglas's situation becomes one in which he not only has to be his own teacher, he also has to, as he says, "resort to various stratagems" in order to outflank the considerable resistance to his acquisition of literacy. Douglas's essay first teaches the students that, in circumstances which in fact resist the formation of an identity--in this case, Douglas's identity as a freely literate human being--then literacy and specifically writing is the only way to carve out a space for one's own thoughts. If the words that define you all belong to others--to his mistress and master--then his sense of his own identity is at the mercy of their words, and can, to a certain extent, only be expressed in their terms. As Douglas goes on to point out, it isn't until he is at least partially literate that he can fully conceive the nature of his lack of an independent identity. Without his own language, he has no way to see himself as separate from the world constructed by the language of those who control him.

Causes Of The Great Depression Essay -- American History

Between the late 1890’s, after the panic of 1893, and the late 1920’s, the American people led good lives in which most prospered. In the 1920’s the problems that led to the Great Depression were dispersed over a time of maldistribution of wealth, and what was called a bull market. A bull market is a stock market that is based on speculation. Speculation was a system of borrowing money to buy stocks and selling for a profit. Speculation only worked if the stock market was on the rise though. To this day people who have not been properly educated about the Great Depression believe that President Hoover was the cause. The idea that President Herbert Hoover caused the Depression could have arisen from the fact that he was the President at the time the Depression began. However, the people who do not believe that President Hoover was the cause deem the crash of the stock market in 1929 as the real culprit. The truth behind the stock market crash is that it was the ev ent that caused the already unstable economy to go over the limit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If the president and the stock market crash did not cause the Great Depression, then what did? According to research done on the Great Depression, the causes rest on of different factors, but can be put under two main categories. The responsibility for the Great Depression falls not only on the Stock Market Crash, but also on the maldistribution of wealth, an unstable economy and the wild stock market practices of the 1920’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The largest reason for the growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the sudden increase in manufacturing during the 1920’s. The people of the working class were significantly increasing their output, but their wages only increased slightly. For example, the average worker out put from 1923-1929 increased about 32%, but the average income of the worker only increased about 8% (Gusmorino, Main Causes of the Great Depression). Therefore one may conclude that wages only increased one-fourth the amount production increased. Another amazing feat of the manufacturing increase was that prices for goods stayed the same, therefore the executives in the companies were keeping the mass amounts of profit that were now coming into the company. In fact, one can see that top executives in a certain company increased significantly because their salaries from 1923-1929 rose 64% (Gusmorino, Main Cau... ...cantly, and investors began selling quickly. On the following Tuesday and Wednesday the prices began to stabilize. Then on Thursday, October 24, stock prices fell hard and even the biggest investors gave up on the market and sold their stocks. On the following Tuesday the stock market fell and the market was not able to get back up. This day is forever known as â€Å"Black Tuesday,† and the official start of the Great Depression. The speculation and the resulting stock market crash acted as the trigger for the already unstable United States economy. Due to the maldistribution of wealth and the unstable economy of the 1920’s, the nation headed into a decade of trouble. In response to its economic difficulties, the United States set up even higher trade barriers with other nations, causing more trouble within the nation. Many of the working class lost their jobs, and since these people did not have savings, they were in big trouble. Unemployment grew to 13 million by 1932 as the country quickly spiraled into a catastrophe. The Great Depression had begun due to the maldistribution of wealth, a bad economy based on over confidence, and the irresponsible erratic of the â€Å"bull† stock market.

Sive

Sive – The abuse of power Power and the abuse of power is a central theme in Sive. The text examines the way in which empowerment can corrupt certain individuals and become a destructive factor in families and in relationships. Mena uses her powers of persuasion and her position in the family unit to satisfy her own ends and ambitions. Mena’s attitude to Sive’s education is one of begrudgery and resentment. Mena abuses her position in the family. She is empowered by her man who is easily manipulated and overcome.Mike Glavin does not have the ability to thwart the wills of his respected wife. A further abuse of her power can be seen in each text in the way Mena try’s to break up a positive relationship. Mena keeps Sive a prisoner in the house and lies to her concerning Liam Scuab’s feelings about her proposed marriage. What we observe here is a woman who seeks to control and manipulate a young person in order to suit her own agenda. The text provides a serious and devastating example of woman abusing psychological power by revealing secrets about fathers to control and influence Sive.She believes that she has succeeded and enjoys a temporary triumph. Thomasheen Rua is another example of an individual who holds tremendous power and sway over the live of others. He has a nasty streak and exploit others for his on ends. Thomasheen’s threats to Nanna engage in abuse and personal insults, which gives him an over-arching sense of his own power a sadistic streak can be observed in Thomasheen. The former enjoys talking about the County Home to terrify Nanna.Mena’s controlling manipulative behaviour has a destructive effect on the family relationships and creates a toxic atmosphere in the household. Mena has strong abjections to Sive getting an education. Mena is more motivated by jealousy and spite. On the opening of the play, â€Å"Out working with a farmer you should be instead of getting your head filled with high not ions†. Her resentment is palpable when she complains about how she has to work herself to â€Å" the marrow of the bones to give you schooling†. At this point of the play Mena does not have power to prevent Sive attending school.This power comes later when she is considering the possibility of marrying Sive off to Sean Dota. Mena uses her power over Mike Glavin to convince him that Sive should abandon her education. She asks him contemptuously if he is â€Å"forgetting the money† they will get if they manage to marry Sive to Sean Dota and wonders if â€Å" There is a soft bone somewhere in your head man†. Mike’s comment that â€Å"Sive is young with a brain by her† is ignored while Mena goes on to play on his fears that Liam Scuab is meeting Sive secretly.She exploits the hatred Mike has for Liam by deciding that Sive will not go to school again but remain under Mena’s supervision in the house â€Å" there’s one easy way to sto p that sort of thing and that is to move Sive into the west room where I can keep my eye on her and her only mean of coming and going will be through our bedroom†. Having manipulated Mike later flings Sive’s schoolbag across the room and shouts at her that there â€Å"will be no more school for you†. Using her power over both Mike and Sive Mena succeeds with her plan. Mike has no option but to comply and inform the nuns that Sive will not be attending school again.In this text we see women abusing their power over weaker men to satisfy their own selfish plans. Mena manages to separate Sive from Liam Scuab. Mena keeps Sive a prisoner in her own home. She lied to Liam Scuab as to Sive’s whereabouts she attacks him even threatening him with a knife screaming â€Å" I’ll open you! I’ll open you if you vex me more† Twisting the truth of Liam’s intentions in an effort to finally break Sive’s spirit she tells her that Liam calle d to the house to wish her well in her marriage and that he was â€Å" going away to foreign places†.Mena has no respect for the grief her actions cause others and thinks only of herself. A key scene in Sive depicts a revelation concerning the identity of Sive’s father. Mena previously uses secret information to manipulate and gain a powerful advantage over Sive. When Sive says to Mena that she doesn’t want to marry Sean Dota Mena manipulates the situation by telling Sive that her â€Å"was never a father, he had no name, you have no name† Sive is shocked and is left speechless. There’s some truth to Mena’s story but so much of what Mena says is twisted.If Sive feels the same shame as her mother because she is â€Å"a bye-child, a common bye-child a bastard† Mena will succeed in breaking her down making her compliant. Thomasheen Rua is another example of an person who misuses the power of persuasion for self-gain. He’s the cent re of a battle to ensure the Sive marries Sean Dota and he thrives on bulling and abusing those who put forward any obstacle in his desired end. Thomasheen thinks he is hard done by â€Å"making love between people I spend my days and no thanks for it†. He is capable of welding power through sarcastic comments .Thomasheen abuses and threatens Nanna who has to defend Sive. He callously tells her that she is â€Å"a lone woman with you husband feeding worms in his trench. You have terrible gumption with no one left to back you† he engages in threats by referring to the â€Å" the county home staring you in the face†. At that time many old people lived in fear of ending their days in such a place. His words have the desired effect as Nanna seems to withdraw from the attack. He has no hesitation in encouraging Mena to assert her power over Sive by threatening her with violence if she refuses to marry Sean Dota â€Å"isn’t she a bye-child.Tell her you will be ll-rag her through the parish if she goes against you. Tell her you will hunt the oul’ woman into the county home†. Later he turns on Mike mocking his naivety concerning the love letter from Liam Scuab â€Å" it comes to me that you are the greatest lump of a fool, of an eejit in the seven parishes†. Humiliation is his trump card â€Å" if you ever get out of the bog there is an asylum for lunatics where you could put down a bit of time without doing yourself any harm†.Sive chooses death as her only method of refusing to obey those who like to control her. Sive thinking that Liam has left her and that her position is hopeless escapes from her tormentors by drowning herself in a bog-hole. Sive disempowers her tomentors by committing suicide in the bog rather than agreeing to marry Sean Dota. This character chooses death to make a stand against those who abuse power for their own private often fully acknowledged reasons. Her suicide brings the play to a poig nant close and illustrates the destruction caused by a greedy abuse of power

The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization

The author, Elton Mayo was able to show his ground-breaking work in this book. It is an apt title for it captures what Mayo is trying to say from the onset. The human problems arising from the industrial age is not brought about by machines and technology but surprisingly it comes from how man treats his fellow man. Technology is a tool in the industrial age but it is human behavior that dictates the success and failures of businesses. Mayo's insight seems to be so advanced that one wonders how his ideas was received during his time. An example of his ideas can be seen in the following statements, â€Å"The human aspect of industry has changed considerably [†¦] Whereas the human problems of industry were regarded until recently as lying within the strict province of the specialist, it is now beginning to be realized that a clear statement of such problems [†¦] is necessary to the effective thinking of every business administrator and every economic expert† (p. 1). Another thing that is interesting about this book is the fact that the author focused his research not on how to maximize production and how to increase the productivity on the basis of correct usage of technology. Mayo went the other route and he set his sights on the human aspect of industry. It was such a refreshing view and its effect no doubt is to reawaken the businessman's passion for people and reinvigorate the administrator's basic belief that the most important resource is not the raw materials and the machineries needed to create goods and services; but the people working for the company. Mayo acknowledged that the foray into the human aspect of industrialization is a fairly recent endeavor.   He traced this development in the early research of England's Sir William Mather of the firm of Mather and Platt in Manchester. Mather experimented on reducing the weekly hours of working. The result was positive and production increased while there is a significant reduction of time lost. From this experiment Mayo expressed amazement at this breakthrough. For the first time there is now a documented body of evidence that improving work conditions can improve the efficiency of the operations. But Mayo was quick to point out that the only significant development coming from this discovery is the institution of the forty-eight hour week in the â€Å"arsenals and dockyards of the British government† (p.2).   Mayo lamented however that, â€Å"†¦apart from this, the results of the experiment did not lead to any general adoption of analogous methods on the part of the privately owned establishments† (p.2). Fatigue According to Mayo the general disregard for this revolutionary idea of the positive effects of improving working conditions continued until the World Wars came. In this special circumstances behaviorists and like-minded individuals were exposed for the very first time on the varying forces and factors that affect a large scale production area such as those that produces munitions for the war. â€Å"Apparently no one had ever sufficiently considered the enormous demand upon industry that would be organized by a war-machine organized upon so heroic a scale [†¦] The authorities became aware of the â€Å"national lack of knowledge of the primary laws governing human efficiency† (p.2). Monotony In the recently described problem of sustained activity and heavy workload, the government created health committees to assure the continuous ability of worker to perform at a higher level. The same health committee was able to discover that fatigue is not the only problem. There is also such a thing as monotony caused by repetitive work. Dr. H. M. Vernon, one of the influential members of the committee and board suggested two possible solutions to this problem: 1) the use of rest-pause (or taking breaks); and 2) creating variety in repetitive work (p.29). At his point it is good to take a pause and re-examine one of the highpoints of the book. In the description of major concepts or major problems that human beings face in the industrialized world, Mayo was able to build a believable case. Again, one has to remember that this was written from a world view that just came out of the agricultural economy of the old world. In that old way of doing things, management of workers depended on a very crude method of determining what to do and what not to do. In the agricultural system workers are dictated by nature and the seasons. In other words, summer is the time for planting and winter is the time for rest. Crops mature, gets harvested and a new cycle of planting begins. The seasons of harvest and of the four major climate changes were the only needed time frame which man uses to create a human resource management scheme. In the industrial age everything was different. When factories were build and warehouses were made, men and women are placed inside shelters that are not affected by weather and climate. Inside these workplaces people can even work on 24 hour shifts 12 months a year, winter, spring, summer and fall. That transition from the old to the new was expertly captured by Elton Mayo in the introductory chapters when he was describing the nature of fatigue and monotony. No doubt fatigue and monotony are not exclusive in the industrial age but there was no way of bringing it into focus and there is no way of placing it in an environment where it could be studied. Mayo was successful in using the setting of the two World Wars to provide a backdrop and some needed contrast between the farming systems and the industries that sprang up in the 20th century. Mayo could have used other examples to show forth the differences between the two worlds but the readers may not be able to appreciate it as much as when he used the historical development of the early 1900s. By doing so, the readers could see the transition from farm to industries. Then he was able to paint the picture of the new human problems encountered in the new scheme of doing things. Not Merely Improving Conditions Elton Mayo was not merely contented in sharing groundbreaking research. Just like every researcher worth his salt, Mayo pushed the newly discovered idea to the limit. In re-examining the Hawthorne experiment, the author was implying that it is not merely the improving of working conditions that affected the efficiency of workers but it is due to a host of other factors and one of them is called â€Å"morale†. In succeeding chapters Mayo was able to explain morale and gave examples to illustrate it. His favorite model though is an organization called the Western Electric Company. He listed the innovative ways that the company tried just to improve efficiency: 1) nutrition (access to an affordable restaurant; 2) access to clinic/hospital; 3) training opportunities; 4) vacation packages etc. This prompted him to say, â€Å"†¦an unmistakable determination to fulfill humane intention to the utmost† (p. 99). Society and Industry Surprisingly, the author did not rest in the fact that he had discovered something really revolutionary. Instead of stopping he continued on with his research. It may be an understatement that he was trying his best to get to the bottom of things. After the numerous experiments that brought the readers from a 19th century firm to World War I munition factory and then to an Electric Company, Mayo did not only wanted to be diverse but he also wanted to change the conditions of the experiment. In the latter part of the book he described the effects of the environment or the society in the ability of workers to give a decent output. To have a good feedback Mayo chose areas where delinquency is a problem. Governments and Industry To complete his holistic approach Mayo has to tackle the role of governments. He was confident in saying that the form of government is insignificant since human problems in the industrial age remains the same wherever one goes. By reaching this part of the research one can say that Mayo has come full circle and was able to show not only that there is a need to look closely into the human aspect of industry but also that there are many factors to be considered. Conclusion The way the book builds its case and the flow of information is very satisfying for both the student and researcher. Mayo was able to slowly build his case using a not so heavy historical approach. By using highpoint in the history of man, he was able to provide a sketch of how human problems in the industrial age came to be. He was not only able to show the cause of the problems but Mayo was also able to show convincingly the cures for this ills. To make his argument rock solid he was not merely content on using feedbacks from one particular source or even one particular method of study. He brought the readers to insights in human behavior in the late 19th century and demonstrated that it was consistent even after the turn of the century. By using multiple sources of data the readers can be easily convinced about the assertions made in the book. In so doing the author was able to make it clear what he meant by, â€Å"The Human Problems of An Industrial Civilization†. References Mayo, Elton(1933) The Human Problems of An Industrial Civilization. In K. Thompson (Ed.) The Early Sociology of Management and Organizations. New York: Routledge.      

: ) Presentation on Science

The value of science †¢ Science is man’s most powerful weapon, with which man has freed himself from the yoke of ignorance and subsequent fear. Science is man’s treasure house, which has constantly provided him with vitality, hopes, ambitions, understanding and insights †¢ We are in the age of science and technology. Man cannot live without the aid of science. Science has so much engulfed our lives that nothing can take place in our day to day work without the help of science. Our food, transport, learning, administration, recreation and social life are all linked with science in various ways. To answer the question whether science has come to mankind as a boon or as a use for ruin (bane), one should know what science exactly means. Science is said to be a systematic classification of experiences. We, men wonder at the various things and events happening around us. We get doubts; what are they? These questions are the basic seeds for science. Then starts the t hinking, reasoning, analysis, synthesis, comparison and contrast and finally the truth emerges †¢ Leaving that apart, another creation of science is pollution of the environment. Industrialization with the aid of science has polluted air, water, food and the atmosphere.The ozone layer is giving threatening signals. So here is a case for man to consider science as a cause of ruin. The aim of science is search for truth, and to know things, hitherto unknown. A scientist does not accept ideas, simply because, they were accepted by others earlier. Great discoveries are a result of reasoning. A lot of patience and observation are required. Civilization, as it is today, is the result of a number of discoveries made in the field of science. The invention of them simple wheel has resulted in our modern industrialization. †¢ The aim of science is search for truth, and to know things, hitherto unknown.A scientist does not accept ideas, simply because, they were accepted by others ea rlier. Great discoveries are a result of reasoning. A lot of patience and observation are required. Civilization, as it is today, is the result of a number of discoveries made in the field of science. The invention of them simple wheel has resulted in our modern industrialization. When the universe reveals more secrets to man by means of science, there is hope that the present man will become a superman and eventually science would be only a boon and not a bane of his life. Science without conscience is death of the soul.

Childhood experiences Essay

The quality and type of relationships differ between individuals:some are happy with long term-relationships, others prefer more temporary, less passionate relationships. Some individuals seem ‘lucky in love’, while others seem to struggle to maintain a long term stable relationship. Bowlby (1951) believed that the type of quality of relationship that individuals have with their primary caregivers provides the foundation for adult relationships by forming an internal working model hat acts as a template for all future relationships. This is the Continuity Hypothesis, the belief that similar relationships will occur as an adult. One theory that is thought to affect someones future relationships is the attachment styles a child can develop. These Attachment styles are determined by Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment, where a child is either Secure attachment, Insecure-resistant attachment or Insecure-avoidant attachment type. It is believed attachment style provides children with a set of beliefs about themselves and others and the nature of relationships. The Continuity Hypothesis sees attachment as a main factor as predicting the nature of adult relationships. Therefore, someone who is securely attached as an infant will have similar relationships throughout life. This is Theory is supported by the study of HAZAN & SHAVER (1987). The experiment consisted of a ‘love quiz’ questionnaire that was published in a newspaper. The questions were designed to classify and individual as one of Ainsworth’s attachment type. The questionnaire also included q’s which aimed to assess the pps childhood relationships with their caregivers, and their romantic experiences in their life. Results showed that attachment type that individual had shown as a child was related to how they felt about adult relationships. Showed secure attachment types in childhood were more likely to enjoy secure relationships as an adult. Those with insecure-avoidant found it more hard to trust people in an adult relationship. Those with  insecure-resistant were more likely to feel anxious in adult relationships and find it hard to get as close to them as they wanted. As a result they concluded that relationships formed with parents during childhood affect relationships in adulthood. However this study does have issues with reliability as it is based on self-report data which is subjective. Furthermore the data is also retrospective further reducing reliability of the study. Also because the study relied on volunteer sampling, so the sample they have may not be truly representative of the population. However there are contradicting results in experiments done on the effect of attachment type on adult relationships as STEELE et al. (1998) found a small correlation of 0.17 between having a secure attachment type in childhood and early adulthood. This is also true for the study of RUTTER et al. (1999) who reported that individuals without secure attachments to their parents went on to secure stable relationships contradicting the findings of HAZAN & SHAVER. It is also believed that interaction with peers during childhood also influences later adult relationships. Peers become more influential as children progress into adulthood, playing a significant role in individuals becoming independent adults, helping develop social skills including those needed for adult relationships. GARNETT(2007) suggests that friendships during childhood give opportunities to develop skills needed to form successful adult relationships including: how to resolve conflict and how to take on different roles needed in relationships. COLLINS VAN DULMAN (2006) supports this theory and also suggests that relationships with peers give individuals the opportunity to learn behaviours and expectations involved in adult relationships. Supporting the idea that experiences during childhood and adolescence influence the quality of adult relationships. However some believed that it is difficult to measure the impact of a childs peer relationships on adult relationships, as there is a need to differentiate between having friends, who the friends are and the quality of each of the relationships, making it hard to identify the direct influence each of these factors has on quality of adult relationships. Furthermore it is thought that children who have witnessed unstable relationships between their parents and others around them will be influenced by this and thus influences their adult relationships. Studies have shown that people who experienced parental divorce during childhood have more negative attitudes towards relationships than those who didn’t experience parental divorce. These negative attitudes include being less optimistic about having a successful relationship, feeling less trustful of partners, having more favourable attitudes towards divorce and more negative attitude towards marriage. SILVESTRI (1991) supports this notion as he found that having divorced parents significantly increased an individuals own chances of getting divorced. JOHNSTON and THOMAS provide an explanation for this suggesting that this could be because individuals model their behaviour on their parents behaviours. Linking back to bowlbys theory that children form an internal working model as to how relationships should be whilst not only being in a dysfunctional relationship themselves but observing these dysfunctional relationships too. However this theory cannot be generalised to the entire population as there are a large amount of people who experience divorce during childhood but still go on to have successful adult relationships. Thus proving that their must be many other factors that can influence the long term effects. Also research into this area of how divorce effects a child’s adult relationships can be used to minimise the effect of divorce on children. To conclude it seems that there is sufficient evidence to support bowlbys theory that early childhood experiences both being involved in relationships and observations of parents to does to some extent play a role in affecting their adult relationships. However due to the causal nature of much of the studies related to this area means that it can be difficult to establish what the true cause and effects are of early childhood experiences or whether it is other factors that are contributing to this, supported by the contradicting results of many studies in this area. Furthermore attachment theories are somewhat deterministic, perceiving childhood/peer attachments as causing later adult relationships. However it is likely that other factors are influential such as the different attachment types other people  bring to the relationship. e.g if a insecurely attached person can have a secure relationship if they are in a relationship with a securely attached person.

Discourse Analysis of the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Discourse Analysis of the Article - Essay Example "Sometimes the way we ask for something, or our reasons for not doing something, are examples of faulty thinking and a 'victim' mentality. Eg: you want to return something to a shop, it's not right or it doesn't work. What type of language would work best "The first is a question, which is asking for a refusal. The second is a statement that demands good service. Whenever you need to ask or negotiate for something it is better to follow the 'Reason/Proposal' formula. "This type of language is sometimes called being assertive and it doesn't have to be unpleasant or aggressive. If you go for a neutral, nonpleading tone and a straightforward statement of fact, it's bound to work. "People will connect with you better if you try to match their tone of voice. If your tone is high pitched and fasts while the other people are slow and laid back, then the conversation will be out of synch. So pace your voice and tone to another person's and you will find that you will communicate better. "Victim of circumstance "It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking life is 'out to get you' or that success is for other people. Even in the worst of situations, some people manage to be victors rather than victims, so watch your language or your negative thoughts. Every time you say or think: "I can't do that" try asking yourself, "What would happen if I did" "That's not a good thing to do" try asking yourself, "Who says it's not good" "It could all go horribly wrong" try asking yourself, "What's the worst thing that could happen" (BBC, OneLife).