Biology Key Questions Essay - 675 Words

Biology Key Questions – Lesson #1 1. How many electrons does Mg2+ have? Answer: Mg2+ has 10 electrons. A Magnesium atom has 12 electrons, 2 of which are valence electrons. The atom will lose the 2 outermost electrons in order to stabilize its electron shell. The nucleus maintains its 12 protons and becomes a Mg2+ ion. 2. Given that the half-life of the radioisotope carbon-14 is 5730 years, how useful do you think this isotope would be for dating bones that are over a million years old? Answer: Carbon-14 is incorporated in the tissues of plants and animals through their environment. When they die the incorporation of carbon-14 ends, and what remains in the specimen decays at a constant rate, with a half-life of†¦show more content†¦When the two smaller reactants join together, water is produced and removed during the synthesis of the larger molecule. This is also called Dehydration Synthesis. For example, molecules with projecting Hydrogen atoms bond with molecules with projecting Hydroxyl groups (-OH), forming water. The water molecule then leaves the reactants, allowing them to bond to form a larger, more complex molecule. This type of reaction occurs continuously throughout the body in the joining of amino acids to form protein. Amino acid + Amino acid ïÆ'   Protein + Water Oxidation and Reduction (Redox) A chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons rather than molecules is classified as a Redox reaction. A reaction involving the loss of electrons is called Oxidation, and a reaction involving the gain of electrons is called Reduction. Oxidation and Reduction always occur together, as one reactant loses electrons, and the other gains them. This exchange often effects the physical states of molecules, as their solubility is changed with their charge. *Zn(s) + Cu2+ ïÆ'   Cu(s) + Zn2+(aq) Cellular respiration is a redox reaction that combines glucose oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Neutralization: Neutralization reactions are those that involve the reaction of an acid and a base to form water and salt. A solution with a high hydrogen ion concentration is acidic, and a solution with a high concentration of hydroxide ions isShow MoreRelatedUnit 1 Lesson 1 Key Question Biology SBI4U Essay1283 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Unit 1 Lesson 1 Key Question Biology SBI4U-C ILC 1) Mg2+ Has 10 electrons. 2) Carbon -14 would not be effective at dating bones that are millions of years old. Carbon -14 is effective at dating to a maximum of 40 000 to 50 000 years old. The isotope decays over time and would not be present on bones that are millions of years old. 3) Hydrolysis - Water used to breakdown molecules. Hydro means water and lysis means to breakdown. An example of hydrolysis in action within our bodies is how ourRead MoreWhy I Am Interested Of Taking The Chromatin, Epigenetics, And Gene Expression Course995 Words   |  4 PagesChromatin, Epigenetics, and Gene Expression course. I have always had a lifelong thirst for knowledge. As a child I was always asking questions about why or how things worked. I would always tinker with things, taking them apart and reassembling them. I questioned pretty much everything and longed to be able to do experiments and find solutions to unanswered questions on my own. In high school, I volunteered, participated in athletics, held leadership roles in several clubs, and also worked part-timeRead MoreThe Research Methods Of Internet Articles1554 Words   |  7 PagesThere were four research methods that were used in this research question. The use of internet articles, email interview, library books and visits to the museum. Out of all those research methods, the most effective was the internet articles and the visits to the SA museum. In this evaluation the four research methods will be discussed in details along with their pros and cons. Internet articles were one of the main research methods, and it was chosen because using search engines such as googleRead MoreBiology : Evolution, Energy, Information, And Systems1436 Words   |  6 PagesBiology, the study of life and living organisms, is complex and encompasses a multitude of theories and ideas. In AP Biology, the fourth unit covered was genetics. Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18 in the textbook, Campbell’s Biology in Focus, not only discusses the four main ideas of biology: evolution, energy, information, and systems, but it also gives examples of each in order to help guide the reader’s understanding of the concepts. The first big idea of AP Biology is: â€Å"the processRead MoreReflection On Metacognition799 Words   |  4 Pagestime for friends and family, this song has given me motivation like no other. There were MANY times where Ive felt unmotivated and this song has lifted me right back up. In particular, I took this class without having too much of a background in biology. However, I needed to take this class as a pre-requisite for medical school. And it was important that I thoroughly understand all the content in order to succeed in this class as well as in medical school. The textbook itself looked daunting whenRead MoreImportance Of Cell Biology1122 Words   |  5 Pagesruns the gamut of activities expected in a cell biology lab: feeding, passaging, expanding, and freezing cell strains grown in our lab; FACS sorting cells based on lineage specific surface markers; immunofluorescence imaging; gene expression analysis. As a research associate, I also make stock solutions and provide support for the staff scientists, post-docs, and graduate students that work in the lab. I work to help them find the answers to the questions they wish to ask about the biological systemRead More Daniel Dennetts Darwins Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life1022 Words   |à ‚  5 Pagesinferior, it just happened that way because of social circumstances. It has nothing to do with biology. So what! Science here offers no ethical insight; it only prompts indifference. Even if Darwinism is no justification for social injustice, it does nothing to suggest that there is an urgent need for social change. At worst, if one does not take away from this a warning not to mix ideas about society and biology lightly, it might lead one to think that social circumstances are just another random differenceRead MoreThe Role Of The Circulatory Systems And Defense Systems1712 Words   |  7 Pages1. Relation to the Alberta Program of Studies. Unit D: Human Systems in Biology 20 is one of the main sections that becomes relatable to the Program of Studies (POS) for the Heart Rate and Exercise LabQuest activity. General Outcome #2 focuses on how students will explain the role of the circulatory systems and defense systems in maintaining an internal equilibrium. This further goes into measuring the students level of understanding the concepts of heart rate and the factors that affect it (AlbertaRead MoreDevelopmental Psychology : Psychology And Psychology943 Words   |  4 Pagescurrent major in biology are Developmental Psychology, Neurological Psychology, and Clinical Psychology; they have influenced me by Developmental Psychology relating to my future goal to work with pediatrics, Neurological Psychology relating to both biology in a general sense and also my potential interests in the neurology field, and Clinical Psychology relating to being a doctor in general. One of the fields of Psychology that has influenced me and my current major of biology is developmentalRead MorePsychological Perspectives Of Human Behavior1542 Words   |  7 PagesThey will also be criticised and compared to one another. A brief description on psychology will occur, and there will also be a short summarisation on some key early influences of psychology, from its origins in philosophy. Psychology is a scientific application of behaviourism. It evolved from three key areas of research, philosophy, biology and physics. In 1879 a man named Wilhelm Wundt created the first laboratory with the sole purpose of researching psychological matters, during this time psychology

Themes of Failure, Self Delusion, and Conflict in Death...

Throughout the play â€Å"Death of a Salesman† there are multiple themes, some are obvious and others are just noticeable. Much of it revolves around the Main Character Willy and how he has confused reality with constant illusions and dreams. Based on my experience with â€Å"Death of a Salesman† I can say that there are multiple themes fused through this play. For example the author used these themes to create a strong central meaning or message that the reader can clearly understand. Overall I believe Arthur Miller has delivered conflict, self-delusion and failure to be the root of the many themes included in his book. Conflict is detected much around Willy’s character and everything that revolves around him. On one hand he is constantly†¦show more content†¦According to Biff Loman, his entire life has been a joke. â€Å"I realize what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been! We’ve been talking in a dream for 15 years.† (Death of a Salesm an 81) However Biff realizes that his father and his own dreams were nothing but dreams and illusions. The self-delusion of Biff shows that he has been living in a dream world along with his father, Willy. The Author fixes the mood on pity and sympathy towards Biff and Willy. Self Delusion is strongly backed up by the moods of characters throughout the play as dreams and mere illusions about the average American life. I believe failure is the largest and yet most obvious theme in the story â€Å"Death of a Salesman.† After Willy’s death, during his funeral Biff said â€Å"He had all the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong. He never knew who he was.† (Death of a Salesman 111) Willy accomplished nothing, he felt as if there was nothing he could leave behind for his children and wife. â€Å"I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground.† (Death of a Salesman 96) His entire life was nothing but dr eams and illusions and when it finally came down to the point where those lies had to stop, he knew he had nothing at all. In conclusion failure is expressed in common ways that we are all familiar with, this way the Author can reach his audience clearly and vividly. Arthur Miller placed the thoughts and feelings of the charactersShow MoreRelatedWilly Lowman s Death Of A Salesman962 Words   |  4 PagesMany believe that â€Å"Death of a Salesman† represents a working man’s goal of achieving the American dream, but the disillusioned Willy Lowman uses it as a faà §ade. This faà §ade conceals his narcissistic personality while accommodating for his lack of self-esteem and failures. Willy lives in his own utopic fantasy where everyone knows who he is and he’s treated like a king. A man full of delusion in an ever changing world which is advancing and leaving him both mentally and physically stale, if only heRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman Self Deception Essay1447 W ords   |  6 Pagesindividual’s ability to successfully recognize the reality from illusions is significantly influenced by their understanding of themselves. Many choose to use self-perception to prevent themselves from the realization of living through self-deception. However, in Arthur Miller’s modern play, Death of a Salesman, Miller explores the relationship between self-deception and reality through the character development of Biff Loman. Initially, Biff’s perception of himself is tremendously influenced by his fatherRead MoreArthur Millers Dissatisfaction with the American People Expressed in Three of His Major Works1632 Words   |  7 Pagessituations. People are born every day and raised in all different situations and conditions but they always try to achieve the best they can to the highest of their ability. With life, comes expectations and responsibilities which often lead to conflict and tragedy. Every man has his own way of dealing with issue s. After the Second World War, people had the opinion that play writer Arthur Miller transferred the theater. The work Miller created was influenced by the worldly depression and the warRead MoreEssay on Death of a Salesman and Street Car Named Desire4007 Words   |  17 PagesBiff: â€Å"will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens† Compare how the authors of Death of a salesman and â€Å"street car named desire explore the conflict between truth and illusion Truth and illusion are utilized in Tennessee Williams â€Å"Streetcar Named Desire† and Arthur Millers â€Å"Death of a salesman† through the use of the character; to lead the reader to a possible conclusion on the beliefs that went into the American dream that prompted people to work hard was that americaRead MoreSeminar: Literary Theory Applied to H.P. Lovecraft-Notably â€Å"the Beast in the Cave†6821 Words   |  28 Pagesunderstanding the works of H.P. Lovecraft in his own the words (Lovecraft, H. P. Supernatural Horror in Literature). Even when wrote with such debatable simplicity, it is an excellent self-description of Lovecraft’s writing style and a backdrop to understanding his most re-occurring theme. Since the time of his death, over seventy-five years ago, H.P. Lovecraft has been criticized with iron teeth or not at all, yet his work continues to spread vast influence over a subculture and will continue toRead MoreStrategic Marketing Managem ent337596 Words   |  1351 Pagescompete Identifying competitors’ objectives Identifying competitors’ likely response profiles Competitor analysis and the development of strategy The competitive intelligence system The development of a competitive stance: the potential for ethical conflict Summary CONTENTS vii Stage Two: Where do we want to be? Strategic direction and strategic formulation 7 Missions and objectives 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Learning objectives Introduction The purpose of planning Establishing the corporateRead MoreConfucianism in Journey to the West31834 Words   |  128 Pagesadministrative and technical.[41] Party control seems to be largely unscathed during these years. 3.2. Confucianism in Journey to the West Although it is generally accepted among literary scholars that Journey to the West embodies several ideological themes, scholars have disagreed for decades on what the novel’s most important ideological focus is. Plaks, among others, argues that Confucianism is the availing ideology and should be seen as the main ideology.[42] Others, such as Dudbridge oppose thisRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pageswhich cases would be appropriate for the traditional coverage of topics as organized in typical marketing texts. With most cases it is not possible to truly compartmentalize the mistake or success to merely one topic. The patterns of success or failure tend to be more pervasive. Still, I think you will find the following classification of cases by subject matter to be helpful. I thank those of you who made this and other suggestions. Classification of Cases by Major Marketing Topics Topics

Describe factors that may contribute to an individual being vulnerable to abuse free essay sample

Factors may include if theindividual has a mental disabilty such as dementia or not having the mental capacity. If the individual is secluded or isolated or vulnerable.There could be factors for the abuser which could include the abuser having lack of training, also abusing their power. Sometimespersonal issues have a part to play which could include the carer/abuser being stressed or having a history of abuse and continuing the cycle. There are numerous factors that may make a person more suseptable to abuse. The factors include if one has low self esteem or self worth. If they have had abuse before, nobody to protect them, and the mentally ill. unit 2.1 explain the actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused. The actions to take constitute the learners responsibilities in responding to allegations or suspicions of abuse. Always report to the appropriate person(s), record the facts on appropriate paperwork, listen do not judge, stay calm and collected, do not tamper with evidence. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe factors that may contribute to an individual being vulnerable to abuse or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page unit 2.2 explain the actions to take if an individual alleges that they have been abused. If you work for a company or agency there should be policies and procedures already in place to follow most would state to report to the appropriate person(s) record the facts on appropriate paperwork, listen not judge. Always establish what it is that has occured and report any suspicions to the appropriate manager. Reassuring the individual at all times and take every allegation seriously. Always date the paperwork and have it signed by any witness (if any). Take photographs of evidence if possible. Speak clearly and precise and avoid any leading questions. unit 2.3 Identify ways to ensure any evidence of abuse is preserved Always record the facts immediately report evidence immediately to line manager do not tamper with any evidence unit 3.1 Identify national policies and local systema that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse. Local systems may include: employer/organisational policies and procedures multi-agency adult protection arrangements for a locality National policies: safeguarding,safeguarding training. Organisational-employer policy on protection/safeguarding Systems: Local authority Adult Services Department (social services) Safeguarding team investigate and ensure safety Care quality commission-inspect care providers Policeto investiget/prosecute Carers direct helpline

Richard Wrights Novel, Native Son, Stirred Up A Real Controversy By Sh

Richard Wright's novel, Native Son, stirred up a real controversy by shocking the sensibilities of both black and white America. The protagonist, Bigger Thomas, is from the lowest ring of society, and Wright does not blend him with any of the romantic elements common to literary heroes. Bigger is what one expects him to be because of the social conditions in which he lives: he is sullen, frightened, violent, hateful, and resentful. He is the product of the condemnation the "white" society has brought upon him. He is a "native son." Native Son opens with an act of violence. The alarm clock abruptly awakens Bigger and his family to their miserable reality--a rat-infested, one bedroom apartment in the urban ghetto of Chicago. Bigger's battle with the rat reveals his capacity for brutality. He crushes the rat's head after he has killed it with a skillet. Bigger represents a persuasive racial stereotype of black men--violent, criminal, and cowardly. The powerful, racist white majority considers his personality a natural characteristic of his race. However, Wright shows how Bigger's consciousness is in fact shaped by his environment. Bigger was not born a violent criminal, but became one in the unforgiving world of racism and poverty in American society. Bigger's entire existence is a prison. His crowded, rat-infested apartment is only one of his prison cells. He is imprisoned in the urban ghetto by racist rental policies. His own consciousness is a prison. His entire life is filled by a sense of failure, inadequacy, and most importantly, unyielding fear. Racist white society, his mother, and even Bigger himself all believe that he is destined to meet a bad end. His relentless conviction of an impending awful fate demonstrates that Bigger feels a nearly complete lack of control over his life. He is permitted access only to menial jobs, substandard housing, substandard food. Basically, white society permits him no choice but a substandard life. Gus and Bigger play-act at being white. They alternately play at being a general, J.P. Morgan and President. Gus and Bigger act out a skit in which the President wants to keep the niggers under control. They associate whiteness with the power, wealth, and authority to deny them control over their own lives. Bigger hates and fears whiteness. Therefore, he has a latent desire to do violence to the force that oppresses him. Backed into a corner, he is primed to lash out at the very force that restrains him through fear. Buckley's campaign poster states the message that Bigger believes is written all over his very existence: You Can't Win. His poster foreshadows Bigger's inevitable, losing confrontation with white authority. Bigger is alienated in the most profound sense. He is alienated from the middle-class comforts of white society, alienated from his family, his friends, and ultimately, himself by his overwhelming sense of impotent shame and frustration. He cannot bear to feel the full range of his rage and misery, so he resorts to self-deception. The hopelessness of this social reality threatens to utterly destroy him. Bigger has no solidarity with his family, because their misery only accentuates his helplessness to alleviate it. He has no solidarity with his friends. His fear and theirs perpetually keep their relations full of tension and barely suppressed anger. He has no sense of solidarity based on race except the same companionship based on misery that he has with his family. He even robs other black people--who are almost certainly poor as well--because he is too afraid to break a dangerous social taboo by robbing a white man. Racism has conditioned not only Bigger's relationship with white, but his relationship with other members of his race as well. Wright wants to show that, considering the conditions of Bigger's existence, his violent personality and his criminal behavior are not surprising. Bigger wants to feel like a human being with a free, independent will. Crime is one avenue to obtain money without submitting to white authority by taking the menial jobs assigned to him. His overwhelming sense of fear arises from his feeling of impotence in the face of an unnamed, impending doom. Crime is an act of rebellion, an affirmation of his independent will to act against the voice of social authority.

An Insiders Look At Whats New And Whats Next For CoSchedule

An Insiders Look At Whats New And Whats Next For 2016 has already been an epic year for  . We launched a ton of new features and have more in store before the year is up. We are so excited that we hosted a live demo to show off the new features and talk about what next. Garrett Moon, our CEO and co-founder brought an insiders look and answered your questions. Check out the recording below! Watch This:  4 New Features Launching This Year + 3 You Should Already Be Using!Whats New Your NEW best friend in the social queue: Social Tagging. How to schedule all your social videos directly in . Why your social messages should live in ONE place (and how to end the tedious, repetition of scheduling them one at a time). With a full calendar, its sometimes hard to find things. Our improved search feature will let you find what you need, when you need it. Whats Next Instagram. Yeah thats right! Social Media Automation (We call it ReQueue) Analytics.  Get details on how you messages are performing. An entirely new editing experience. Does this feel like Christmas yet?

sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essays

sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essays sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essay sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essay JFK stated, the basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution. Resolved: Development assistance should be prioritized over military aid in the Sahel region of Africa. F. C. S. D. Development assistance- the transfer of resources (cash, commodities or services) which promote the economic or welfare development of the recipient. (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Prioritized- to list in order of importance of need. (MW) Military aid- aid which comes in the source of armed forces in warlike matters. eserso dictionary) Sahel Region of Africa- A semiarid region of north-central Africa south of the Sahara Desert. That has been afflicted by prolonged periods of extensive drought. (the free dictionary) Before I start into my contentions Id like to clarify a few points. Military force should be used when necessary, but developmental assistance should be more highly prioritized. Secondly, The resolution states nothing of whom will be prov iding military aid or developmental assistance. So, any argument by the opponent stated his aid would impede on the welfare of any one country or organization should be regarded as ill relevant to the resolution. Contention one, In the Sahel Region of Africa peace-time militarism is Just as violent as the events they call war. Positive peace is the only way to avoid military ecocide and extermination of indigenous peoples. Positive Peace is defined by the Oxford as The condition characterized by the existence of peaceful social and cultural beliefs and norms; the presence of Justice at all levels (economic, social, and political); the shared emocratic use of power; and non-violent. Contention two, Many African leaders have recognized that developmental assistance promotes capability. USIAD stated we cant stop droughts from happening, but we can enable communities to withstand these shocks and move forward by building resilience and fostering sustainable growth. recognizing that drought related crises are no longer cyclical but chronic, East African leaders met in Nairobi and requested support for ecosystem sustainability, anticipate and manage climate change. They also called for eform of the humanitarian response and development assistance, to enhance resilience and promote long-term solutions. Also, the US supports developmental assistance over military aid. ThinkAfricaPress states Western governments look set to increase their military support for Sahelian and Saharan countries. But they do this based on incorrect assumptions, misguided objectives and questionable methods. At best, this trend will cost a lot of money and lives, and achieve little. At worst, it will lead to a worsening spiral of violence, producing the very outcomes Western powers fear. My Last Contention, Humanitarian problems (which would be solved by Developmental aid) far out way the conflict problem (which would could be solved my military aid. ) Proof of this comes from state. gov where they state the Sahel faced a serious humanitarian crisis in 2012 brought on by a severe drought and failed harvests that put 18. 7 million people at risk for food insecurity, including one million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Furthermore proof that military is not of much use, comes from Scott Johnson in Newsweek, where he speaks on the terrorists in the Sahel, He states that the terrorists which many people are worried about and demand military action to be taken against have failed to outline a clear rationale for their attacks, and their operations are more like those of small-time criminals than purveyors of ideological hatred bent on regional or global domination and that they are not a threat on the world stage, It has no global ambitions. It doesnt even seem to have local ambitions. TheyVe devolved into a gang. Which doesnt merit the use of military force. The paper Lacher 2013 also says on the threat of drug-dealing in the Sahel, the widespread talk of a drug-terror nexus in the Sahel is misleading, for several reasons. First, much of the evidence presented as basis for such claims can either be easily debunked, or is impossible to verify. the Abraham Flexner stated, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both. For this reason we believe that

What is India Philosophy is there India Philosophy Essay

What is India Philosophy is there India Philosophy - Essay Example General opinions are that just as prohibition was ineffective through rebellion, so is likely to be the case with prohibiting use of such recreational drugs as the marijuana. The exercise of imposition of such an amendment is definitely much high and this would caution ratification for the impending likelihood of inefficiencies as people would reason thus supporting the legalization of the same. Among pointed out arguments in support to the legalization of these recreational drugs is increased government income through tax and the likelihood of controlling drug abuse. Reasons against the success of the prohibition revolve around the likelihood of the ban to lead to increased drug abuse besides heightened crime, as was the case with the 18th amendment. There have been heated debates within the US in support of or against legalization of such drugs as marijuana, which are considered recreational. According to Swift (para 1-7), the support to legalization of Marijuana has increased substantially to double since 1970. The boost to the increase in acceptance comes with the flexibility exhibited by the current administration under president Obama who shows high flexibility on the topic. Swift points out the increased acceptance in the use of marijuana for medical reasons as a reason enough to support the benefits that would be derived in the legalized use of the same. However, he also points to the shortcomings that are pointed out from the medical perspective in increased use of the same. It is argued that increased use of marijuana has the potential of increasing health problems such as through respiratory complications, memory problems and increase in heart rate. These are arguments that would be raised to counter the presumed benef its that would be derived from the legalization (Swift, para 1-6). It is worth noting that

Ionian and Pythagorean schools Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ionian and Pythagorean schools - Case Study Example The Pythagoreans on the other hand, with their basic conception of abstract form and permanence, stressed deductive reasoning or theory to arrive at conclusions. However, both Greek schools of thought round out the basics of what constitutes science - providing both for observation and theories as both essential to scientific knowledge. The Ionians and Pythagoreans moved away from the divine explanation of things --- that is, pointing to religion as key to understanding the world and its phenomena. Although, like them, the Egyptians and Babylonians were excellent scientists and mathematicians, the Greek philosophers did not view religion as supreme and sacred when it came to the pursuit of knowledge. For the Greeks, mysticism and reason could be separated (although Pythagorian school was said to be a religious sect which practiced abstinence, clean living, certain dietary preferences, and Pythagoras believed in one God as the source and cause of the order of the universe). Thus the Greek philosophers had a The Ionians were primarily concerned with what goes on with the physical world. Their school was focused on what are observable in nature, thus the followers were called "phusikoi" or natural philosophers . The word physics was derived from the Greek word for nature, "phusis". The Ionians, most of whom were born in Ionia in the 6th to the 5th centuries B.C. were interested in the origins of the universe, the causes of natural phenomena and the materials that compose the universe. On of their most important contributions to scientific knowledge was their search for the basic substance that makes up the universe, which can be said to have led to modern-day pathways to chemistry's identification of elements and substance, and the basic physical configuration of the universe in the notion of atomic particles. The Ionian philosopher Thales and Anixamander conceived of water or air as the basic matter that explains the seemingly clash of opposites in nature. Thus, they theorized on how ea rth and life formed on earth - out of the action of heat on moisture or water. They somehow correctly antedated the accepted scientific theory in biology and in particular evolution that life most likely was first formed in the oceans before appearing as life forms on land. Heraclitus added a significant impetus to the Ionian school when he focused on why and what moves observable phenomena of which chaos and strife are all too evident. He posited that fire, not air or water constitutes the basic form of the universe. Balance or equilibrium is always achieved by the upward and the downward paths of "fire". Fire here was defined Ionian and Pythagorean views by movement, not just as basic matter -- thus it can be understood as energy or movement. According to Heraclitus, fire or energy moves and unites the working of the natural world - antedating modern scientific findings on the laws of thermodynamics, that energy can be changed from one form to another but cannot be destroyed. In Einstein's theory of relativity, early Ionians position on matter and Heraclitus' energy or fire would again be unified - with matter and energy being the same. Pythagoras and

Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay The quandary people find themselves in when they have to decide if they should act in a way that might help another person or group, and is the â€Å"right† thing to do, even though doing so might not be in their own self-interest. A dilemma may also arise when a person has to decide between two different courses of action, knowing that whichever course he or she chooses will result in harm to one person or group even though it may benefit another. The ethical dilemma here is to decide which course of action is the â€Å"lesser of two evils. † Suppose we see a person being mugged in the street. How will we behave? Will we act in some way to help even though you risk being hurt? Will we walk away? Perhaps we might adopt a â€Å"middle-of-the-road approach† and not intervene but call the police instead? Does the way we act depend on whether the person being mugged is a fit male, an elderly person, or even a street person? Does it depend on whether there are other people around, so we can tell ourselves, â€Å"Oh well, someone else will help or call the police. I don’t need to†? People often know they are confronting an ethical dilemma when their moral scruples come into play and cause them to hesitate, debate, and reflect upon the â€Å"rightness† or â€Å"goodness† of a course of action. Moral scruples are thoughts and feelings that tell a person what is right or wrong; they are a part of a person’s ethics. Ethics Ethics are the inner-guiding moral principles, values, and beliefs people use to analyze a situation and decide what is â€Å"right. † At the same time, ethics also indicate what inappropriate behavior is and how a person should behave to avoid doing harm to another person. Ethics is that study or discipline which concerns itself with judgments of approval and disapproval, judgments as to the rightness or wrongness, goodness or badness, virtue or vice, desirability or wisdom of actions, dispositions, ends, objects, or states of affairs. There are two main directions which this study may take. It may concern itself with a psychological or sociological analysis and explanation of our ethical judgments, showing what our approvals and disapprovals consist in and why we approve or disapprove what we do. Or it may concern itself with establishing or recommending certain courses of action, ends, or ways of life as to be taken or pursued, either as right or as good or as virtuous or as wise, as over against others which are wrong, bad, vicious, or foolish. The essential problem in dealing with ethical issues, and thus solving moral dilemmas, is that there are no absolute or indisputable rules or principles that can be developed to decide if an action is ethical or unethical. Put simply, different people or groups may dispute which actions are ethical or unethical depending on their own personal self-interest and specific attitudes, beliefs, and values. Ethical Behavior It is one thing to decide, in theory, that being ethical is good; in practice, it can be much more difficult to make the right decisions. Many people feel the same way about ethics—that somehow, instinctively, they know what is right and wrong. In real life, however, ethical dilemmas are often not black and white, but many shades of gray. The following ethics checklist will aid to managers in making tough decisions: †¢ What are the facts? †¢ What are the critical issues? †¢ Who are the stakeholders? †¢ What are the alternatives? †¢ What are the ethical implications of each alternative? †¢ Is it legal? †¢ How would it look in the light of day? †¢ What are the consequences? †¢ Does it violate important values? †¢ What kind of world would this be if everyone behaved this way? †¢ Is more than one alternative right? †¢ Which values are in conflict? †¢ Which of these values are most important? †¢ Can you find an alternative that is consistent with your values? What Are the Facts? Although this question seems obvious, people often forget in the heat of battle to listen to (and, more importantly, to hear) all the different viewpoints. Instead of relying on hearsay and rumor, it is crucial to discover the facts, firsthand, from the people involved. There is always another side to the story. What Are the Critical Issues? In analyzing ethical dilemmas, expand your thinking to include all the important issues. Avoid a narrow focus that encompasses only one or two aspects. Who Are the Stakeholders? Stakeholders are all the people potentially affected by the decision. That list might include subordinates, bosses, shareholders, suppliers, customers, members of the community in which the business operates, society as a whole, or even more remote stakeholders, such as future generations. The interests of these stakeholders often conflict. Current shareholders may benefit from a company’s decision to manufacture a product that contributes to global warming, while future generations are left to contend with a potential environmental nightmare. What Are the Alternatives? The next step is to list the reasonable alternatives. A creative manager may find a clever solution that is a winner for everyone. What Are the Ethical Implications of Each Alternative? Is the Alternative Legal? Illegal may not always be synonymous with unethical, but, as a general rule, you need to think long and hard about the ethics of any illegal activities. How Would the Alternative Look in the Light of Day? If your activities were reported on the evening news, how would you feel? Proud? Embarrassed? Horrified? What Are the Consequences of This Alternative? Ask yourself: Am I hurting anyone by this decision? Which alternative will cause the greatest good (or the least harm) to the most people? For example, you would like to fire an incompetent employee. That decision will clearly have adverse consequences for him. But the other employees in your division will benefit and so will the shareholders of your company. Overall, your decision will cause more good than harm. You should look with a particularly critical eye if an alternative benefits you while harming others. Suppose that you become CEO of a company whose headquarters are located in a distant suburb. You would like to move the headquarters closer to your home to cut your commuting time. Of course, such a decision would be expensive for shareholders and inconvenient for other employees. Do you simply impose your will on the company or consider the consequences for everyone? Does the Alternative Violate Important Values? In addition to consequences, consider fundamental values. It is possible to commit an act that does not harm anyone else, but is still the wrong thing to do. Some people question whether, as a diverse, heterogeneous society, we have common values. The following values are almost universal: †¢ Compassion means being aware of and concerned about other people’s feelings, desires, and needs. The compassionate person is able to imagine how he would feel in someone else’s place. †¢ Courage is the strength to act in the face of fear and danger. Courage can require dramatic action (saving a buddy on a battlefield) or quiet strength (doing what you think is right, despite opposition from your boss). †¢ Fairness requires that decisions be made without fraud, prejudice or favoritism. The fair manager treats those he likes at work the same as those who are not his friends. †¢ Integrity means being sincere, honest, and loyal. If you have integrity, you do not criticize others behind their back or take credit for their ideas and efforts. †¢ Responsibility means being trustworthy and dependable. The responsible person meets her commitments, lives up to her promises and contributes to her community. People can count on her. †¢ Self-control is the ability to resist temptation. The person with self-control does not drink or eat too much, party too hard, watch too much television, or spend too much money. Try compiling your own list of values and then check it periodically to see if you are living up to it in your business and personal life. What Kind of World Would This Be if Everyone Behaved This Way? Is this the kind of world in which you would want to live? Imagine that you could cheat on an exam without getting caught. You might gain some short-term benefit—a higher grade. But what would happen if everyone cheated? The professor would have to make the exams harder or curve everyone’s grade down. If your school developed a reputation for cheating, you might not be able to find a job after graduation. Cheating works where most people are honest. To take advantage of everyone else’s honesty is contemptible. Is More than One Alternative Right? Often, the most difficult decisions arise not in cases of right versus wrong but in situations of right versus right. 10 President Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on two Japanese cities is a classic example of right versus right. He argued that if he had not ended the war by using nuclear weapons, more Americans and Japanese would have died during a land invasion. Looking simply at the consequences, he concluded that the terrible suffering by the Japanese people was justified because, ultimately, fewer people died overall. At the same time, none of us want to live in a world where nuclear weapons are used. Indeed, since the end of World War II, the United States has worked hard to ensure that no one else ever deploys nuclear weapons. Which Values Are in Conflict? There are many ways to justify a decision to lay off workers, even 40,000 of them. If managers avoid layoffs, then profits suffer, stock prices fall, companies merge, and executives lose their own jobs. Which of These Values Are Most Important? Suppose that, growing up, you had seen family members or neighbors suffering through bouts of unemployment. That experience might have taught you that compassion is a high priority. Managers must determine which values are important in their own lives. Can You Find an Alternative That Is Consistent with Your Values? The decision you make not only determines the kind of person you are now, but also sets your course for the future. Can you reach a decision that is consistent with the kind of person you are or want to be? Instead of announcing massive layoffs, some companies offer generous severance packages, retraining programs, and other voluntary methods of reducing the workforce. Shareholders may receive less benefit, but employees suffer less harm. Changes in Ethics Change over time: Neither laws nor ethics are fixed principles cast in stone, however. Both change over time. As a society’s ethical beliefs change, its laws change to reflect them. It was considered both ethical and legal to own slaves in ancient Rome and Greece and in the United States until the nineteenth century. Ethical views regarding whether slavery was morally right subsequently changed, however, and slavery was later outlawed. Confusing behavior: In most societies today behaviors like murder, theft, slavery, and rape are considered unacceptable and prohibited. But many other kinds of behaviors are open to dispute when it comes to whether they are ethical or should be made illegal or not. Some people might believe that a particular behavior such as smoking tobacco or possessing guns is unethical and should be made illegal. Others might argue that it is up to individual people if they want to own guns or smoke. Vary from country to country: In the United States it is, of course, illegal to possess or use marijuana even though it has been shown to have many medical uses. Some cancer sufferers and AIDS patients find that marijuana relieves many of the side effects of medical treatment, like nausea and lack of appetite. Yet, in the United States, the Supreme Court has held that the federal government can prohibit doctors from prescribing marijuana to these patients, so their suffering goes on. By contrast in Canada there has been a widespread movement to decriminalize marijuana, and in other countries, marijuana is perfectly legal. Laws can and do change as people’s ethical beliefs change: The point is laws can and do change as people’s ethical beliefs change. For example, in Britain in 1830, there were over 350 different crimes for which a person could be executed, including sheep stealing. Today there are none. Capital punishment has been abolished. No absolute standards exist to determine how we should behave: No absolute standards exist to determine how we should behave. Consequently, we frequently get caught in moral dilemmas and are continually faced with ethical choices. It is a part of life. Importance of Ethics to Society Does ethical behavior maximize profitability? Some people argue that, in the long run, ethical behavior does indeed pay. But they must mean the very long run, because to date there is little evidence that ethical behavior necessarily pays financially, either in the short or the long run. Society as a whole benefits from ethical behavior: Ethics and competitiveness are inseparable. We compete as a society. No society anywhere will compete very long or successfully with people stabbing each other in the back; with people trying to steal from each other; with everything requiring notarized confirmation because you can’t trust the other fellow; with every little squabble ending in litigation; and with government writing reams of regulatory legislation, tying business hand and foot to keep it honest. That is a recipe not only for headaches in running a company; it is a recipe for a nation to become wasteful, inefficient, and noncompetitive. There is no escaping this fact: the greater the measure of mutual trust and confidence in the ethics of a society, the greater its economic strength. Money does not buy happiness: Researchers who study happiness find that people expect material goods to make them happier than they actually do. Sure, you enjoy driving that snappy new car home from the dealership, but afterward your happiness quickly returns to its natural base level. People find themselves on the so-called â€Å"hedonic treadmill†Ã¢â‚¬â€struggling to buy more and more things so they can get that buyer’s high, only to discover that they can never buy enough to maintain the thrill. Almost no matter how much people earn, they feel they would be happier if their income were just a little bit higher. So what does make people happy in the long run? Good relationships, satisfying work, ties to the community—all available at no additional cost. People feel better when they behave ethically: Profitability is generally not what motivates managers to care about ethics. Managers want to feel good about themselves and the decisions they have made; they want to sleep at night. Their decisions—to lay off employees, install safety devices in cars, burn a cleaner fuel—affect peoples’ lives. Unethical behavior can be very costly: Unethical behavior is a risky business strategy—it may lead to disaster. An engaged couple made a reservation, and put down a $1,500 deposit, to hold their wedding reception at a New Hampshire restaurant. Tragically, the bride died of asthma four months before the wedding. Invoking the terms of the contract, the restaurant owner refused to return the couple’s deposit. In a letter to the groom, he admitted, â€Å"Morally, I would of course agree that the deposit should be returned. † When newspapers reported this story, customers deserted the restaurant and it was forced into bankruptcy—over a $1,500 disagreement. Unethical behavior does not always damage a business, but it certainly has the potential of destroying a company overnight. So why take the risk? Even if unethical behavior does not devastate a business, it can cause other, subtler damage. In one survey, a majority of those questioned said that they had witnessed unethical behavior in their workplace and that this behavior had reduced productivity, job stability, and profits. Unethical behavior in an organization creates a cynical, resentful, and unproductive workforce. Ethical behavior is more likely to pay off: Although there is no guarantee that ethical behavior pays in the short or long run, there is evidence that the ethical company is more likely to win financially. Ethical companies tend to have a better reputation, more creative and cooperative employees and higher returns than those that engage in wrong-doing. So why bother with ethics? Because when managers behave ethically, society will be benefited. Money does not buy happiness. Because ethical managers have happier, more satisfying lives. Because unethical behavior can destroy a business faster than a snake can bite. And because, in the end, ethical behavior is more likely to pay off. Stakeholders and Business Ethics The people and groups affected by the way a company does business are called its stakeholders. Stakeholders supply a company with its productive resources. As a result, they have a claim on and stake in the company. Because stakeholders can directly benefit or be harmed by its actions, the business ethics of a company and its managers are important to them. These various stakeholders are shown in Figure Stockholders Stockholders have a claim on a company because when they buy its stock, or shares, they become its owners. This stock grants them the right to receive some of the company’s profits in the form of dividends. And they expect to get these dividends. Stockholders are interested in the way a company operates because they want to maximize their return on their investment. Thus, they watch the company and its managers closely to ensure they are working diligently to increase the company’s profitability. Stockholders also want to ensure that managers are behaving ethically and not risking investors’ capital by engaging in actions that could hurt the company’s reputation and quickly bankrupt it. Managers Managers are a vital stakeholder group because they are responsible for using a company’s financial capital and human resources to increase its profitability and stock price. Managers have a claim on an organization because they bring to it their skills, expertise, and experience. They have the right to expect a good return or reward by investing their human capital to improve a company’s performance. Such rewards include good salaries and benefits, the prospect of promotion and a career, and stock options and bonuses tied to the company’s performance. Managers must be motivated and given incentives to work hard in the interests of stockholders. Their behavior must also be scrutinized to ensure they do not behave illegally or unethically and pursue goals that threaten stockholders’ (and employees’) interests. Employees A company’s employees are the hundreds of thousands of people who work in its various functions, like research, sales, and manufacturing. Employees expect that they will receive rewards consistent with their performance. One principal way a company acts ethically toward employees and meets their expectations is by creating an occupational structure that fairly and equitably rewards them for their contributions. Companies, for example, need to develop recruitment, training, performance appraisal, and reward systems that do not discriminate between employees and that employees believe are fair. Suppliers and Distributors No company operates alone. Every company relies on a network of other companies that supply it with the inputs it needs to operate. Companies also depend on intermediaries such as wholesalers and retailers to distribute its products to the final customer. Suppliers expect to be paid fairly and promptly for their inputs; distributors expect to receive quality products at agreed-upon prices. Once again, many ethical issues arise in the way companies contract and interact with their suppliers and distributors. Important issues concerning how and when payments are to be made or product quality specifications are governed by the terms of the legal contracts a company signs with its suppliers and distributors. Many other issues are dependent on business ethics. Customers Customers are often regarded as the most critical stakeholders: If a company cannot persuade them to buy its products, it cannot stay in business. Thus, managers and employees must work to increase efficiency and effectiveness in order to create loyal customers and attract new ones. They do so by selling customers quality products at a fair price and providing good after-sales service. They can also strive to improve their products over time. Many laws exist that protect customers from companies that attempt to provide dangerous or shoddy products. Laws exist that allow customers to sue a company that produces a bad product, such as a defective tire or vehicle, causing them harm. Other laws force companies to clearly disclose the interest rates they charge on purchases—a cost that customers frequently do not factor into their purchase decisions. Every year thousands of companies are prosecuted for breaking these laws, so â€Å"buyer beware† is an important business rule customers must follow. Community, Society, and Nation Community refers to the physical location in which a company is located, like a city, town, or neighborhood. A community provides a company with the physical and social infrastructure that allows it to do business; its utilities and labor force; the homes in which its managers and employees live; the schools, colleges, and hospitals that service their needs, and so on. Through the salaries, wages, and taxes it pays, a company contributes to the economy of the town or region in which it operates and often determines whether the community prospers or suffers. Similarly, a company affects the prosperity of a society and a nation and, to the degree that a company is involved in global trade, all of the countries in which it operates. Sources of Business Ethics Primarily ethics in business is affected by three sources culture, religion and laws of the state. It is for this reason we do not have uniform or completely similar standards across the globe. These three factors exert influences to varying degrees on humans which ultimately get reflected in the ethics of the organization. Religion It is one of the oldest foundations of ethical standards. Religion wields varying influences across various sects of people. It is believed that ethics is a manifestation of the divine and so it draws a line between the good and the bad in the society. Depending upon the degree of religious influence we have different sects of people; we have sects, those who are referred to as orthodox or fundamentalists and those who are called as moderates. Needless to mention, religion exerts itself to a greater degree among the orthodox and to lesser extent in case of moderates. Fundamentally however all the religions operate on the principle of reciprocity towards ones fellow beings. Culture Culture is a pattern of behaviors and values that are transferred from one generation to another, those that are considered as ideal or within the acceptable limits. No wonder therefore that it is the culture that predominantly determines what is wrong and what is right. It is the culture that defines certain behavior as acceptable and others as unacceptable. Human civilization in fact has passed through various cultures, wherein the moral code was redrafted depending upon the epoch that was. What was immoral or unacceptable in certain culture became acceptable later on and vice versa. During the early years of human development where ones who were the strongest were the ones who survived! Violence, hostility and ferocity were thus the acceptable. Approximately 10,000 year ago when human civilization entered the settlement phase, hard work, patience and peace were seen as virtues and the earlier ones were considered otherwise. These values are still put in practice by the managers of today. Still further, when human civilization witnessed the industrial revolution, the ethics of agrarian economy was replaced by the law pertaining to technology, property rights etc. Ever since a tussle has ensued between the values of the agrarian and the industrial economy! Law Laws are procedures and code of conduct that are laid down by the legal system of the state. They are meant to guide human behavior within the social fabric. The major problem with the law is that all the ethical expectations cannot be covered by the law and specially with ever changing outer environment the law keeps on changing but often fails to keep pace. In business, complying with the rule of law is taken as ethical behavior, but organizations often break laws by evading taxes, compromising on quality, service norms etc. Childhood Upbringing Without really thinking or even being able to avoid it, each person learns ethics from his or her parents—what they teach in words and perhaps more importantly through their actions. These teachings shape our most fundamental attitudes about what is right and what is wrong. As a very brief insurance-related example, the child of an insurance agent, upon reaching adulthood, is much more likely to be honest and truthful in settling claims under his or her insurance policies than is the grown child of another insurance agent if the other agent was terminated by the insurer under disputed circumstances. The child may not have understood the intricacies of those circumstances at the time, but as an adult, he or she is likely to believe in their heart that insurers are not to be trusted and do not deserve to be treated honestly. Later Life Experiences Similarly, a life-shaping event later in life may more directly and consciously shape a persons ethics. Thus, someone severely injured in an automobile accident may have a much higher opinion of the entire automobile-injury reparations system—including the police who investigated, the hospital that provided care, the lawyers and courts that resolved any legal issues, and the insurers that helped finance so much of the injured persons recovery—if that person is satisfied with the ultimate medical and financial result months and years after the accident. If, however, this victim feels the result was medically inferior or legally unfair, the victim may well treat everyone in the system unfairly—even years later in circumstances unrelated to the original accident—just to seek some measure of personal justice. Religious Beliefs Virtually all the worlds religions teach an essentially similar code of ethics that emphasizes honesty, respect for others and their rights, and selflessness. Therefore, in both business and personal situations, a highly religious person is likely to act in ways that most of us will regard as highly ethical. Their religion will give them highly explicit, generally internally consistent, guides to good personal conduct. These guidelines usually can be broadened to apply quite well to business activity. Moreover, those for whom religion is not a central force in their lives are more likely to act in self-centered, ethically questionable ways. Codes of Ethics Perhaps the most direct and explicit sources of our daily ethical guidance are codes of ethics for business conduct. Whether issued by professional societies (such as the Risk and Insurance Management Society, the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters, or the American Society of Safety Engineers), by a business or fraternal society (such as an insurance agents association or the Lions or Elks), or by civic groups (such as local or national chambers of commerce), these ethical codes generally have two goals. The first is to set forth objectives like quality output, honesty, and public service in the customer or community dealings by the people who are governed by, or choose to subscribe to, a particular code. The second typical goal is to protect those to whom the code applies from harmful conduct by others governed by that particular code—conduct such as unfair competition or actions that that cast the entire group in a bad light. This second goal often is expressed through rather specific rules about what those governed by the code definitely must, or must not, do in their dealings with customers, one another, and the public at large. These self-protective rules can sometimes appear to conflict with religious, philosophical, or other sources of ethical guidance. Discussions with Others Almost daily, quite casually, and sometimes without thinking, virtually all of us talk about others and our own actions—offering frequent opinions about whether what they or we have been doing is good, right, and sensible (or perhaps very much the opposite). Buried in this small talk, chit chat, gossip, and mealtime conversations are implicit—sometimes very explicit—ethical judgments about the behavior being discussed. People and their words and actions are labeled wonderful, mean, greedy, generous, or hundreds of other qualities. Over time, these discussions lead each of us to a sense of what the people around us consider to be good and bad, ethical and unethical, conduct. Unless we have strong personal reasons or other commitments to believe otherwise, most of us tend to go along with the opinions of those around us, rather than bucking the tide by independently evaluating the ethical aspects of others actions. Thus, often almost automatically, the social consensus can become the approved, although unexamined, ethical standard. Ethical Philosophers In sharp contrast to these ethics of casual social consensus, the philosophers who have developed systems of ethics—such people as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Bentham, and more recent ethical thinkers throughout the world—have developed basic principles from which they have derived systems of ethics. These principles fall into two general groups: those that are rules-based and those that are results-based. Examples of rule-based ethics appear in the Bibles Ten Commandments, in many professions codes of ethics, and in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Results-based systems of ethics emphasize principles such as physicians never knowingly doing or allowing medical harm; doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Bentham and other utilitarian), and Kants principle of universality—taking an action only if everyone could take the same action without bringing about more harm than good and without creating logical impossibilities (like the logical impossibility of every person being more generous to every other person than anyone is to the first person). Ethical Dilemmas. A final source of ethical insight (more a way of developing ones ethical awareness and sensibilities than a separate source of ethical guidance) is pondering ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas are real or imagined situations that pit two or more ethical principles, rules, or objectives against one another. To resolve the dilemma, one has to decide which of these ethically desirable ends is the more/most important or, alternatively, if there is a way to achieve both/all of these ends without committing some other ethical wrong. For example, if you are an adult and your father, convicted as a murderer, has escaped a federal prison in California to hide in your Missouri house, how do you respond when an FBI agent standing in your yard asks Is your father in your house now? Assuming he is, Yes breaks the commandment to honor ones parents, but No breaks the commandment to tell the truth in all morally significant situations. (When your spouse asks if she/he is especially beautiful/handsome as you are leaving you house to go to a friends birthday party, your response probably is not ethically significant for the community, but it may be very significant within your marriage. ) Classification of Ethics Ethics may be divided into four major areas of study 1. Meta-ethics 2. Normative ethics 3. Descriptive ethics 4. Applied ethics Meta-ethics Meta-ethics is a field within ethics that seeks to understand the nature of normative ethics. The focus of meta-ethics is on how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. Normative Ethics Normative ethics is the study of ethical action. It is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how one ought to act, morally speaking. Normative ethics is distinct from meta-ethics because it examines standards for the rightness and wrongnes.

Americans Attitude Change in the 60s Essay -- essays research papers

Question 1: For many Americans, the 1960s began with JFK’s â€Å"Age of Camelot,† an era that seemed to exude confidence in American institutions. Yet, by the early 1970s, those expectations and attitudes seemed to be replaced by a sense of bitterness and cynicism. Discuss and analyze the causes and consequences of this profound attitudinal shift. Question 3: How did official US policy towards Vietnam change between 1950 and 1975? How did American leaders link events in Vietnam to national security interests? How did the American public react to the war in the sixties and early seventies? Answer: These two questions are so intertwined with one another that combining the two answers is the most efficient way of telling the story. Vietnam was a legacy of Kennedy and a primary reason for the split in American society. I think one of the biggest reasons for such a change in American’s ideas and confidence comes from a major generational gap. The difference between the WWII era citizens (â€Å"the greatest generation†) and their children (â€Å"baby boomers†) is dramatic and holds within itself some of the keys to the answer. The answer also lies within sociological and political changes that occurred in and around the 60’s. During WWII, America had devoted itself almost entirely to the war effort. Countless numbers of able-bodied men were in the service in the Pacific and European theaters. Millions of women went to work in the factories and industries that had converted to full time war production. Food and raw materials such as rubber and oil were rationed and sacrificed. It is an easy conclusion to draw that WWII had affected every American. Like the previous generation, this last war was seen as the war to end wars. It was the bloodiest in all of humanity. Millions upon millions were killed. Entire European nations were wiped out. In America, returning troops and civilians though America had fought and won the â€Å"good† fight. In the late forties, and entire generation was born into one of the most prosperous times in American history. This new generation, which would come of age during the 1960’s, grew up with a different perspective for America. In such a prosperous time, more people went to college than ever before. People had more time and money to begin analyzing social issues with a greater sense of criticism. Following the victories of the U.S., Britain, Fren... ...74, congress begins to line up for impeachment. Barry Goldwater, a fellow Republican, tells Nixon that the Republicans in Congress won’t be backing Nixon. Upon Learning of this, Nixon resigns. This coup-de-tat is the last of the blows to the image of the American Government to the citizens. Throughout the sixties, the social climate of America changed. The decade started out with hope for the future. Kennedy symbolized youth and prosperity in America. His social beliefs and strong stance on communism allowed Americans to have hope for the future and belief in their government. However after Kennedy’s death, Johnson’s strong social programs were no match for the Vietnam Conflict. As the conflict itself changed from one of containment to one of full scale war, Americans were deceived into believing the war was going their way. As social issues of the day worsened, the new generation took to the streets to protest and become involved. When Nixon became president, the country was given even more chaos and scandal with Watergate and belief in the government failed. All of the events of the sixties symbolize the change from hope and belief in the government to the change to distain.

Apple Chairman’ Statement and Reflective Writing Essay

Apple Inc. is a multiplier company. The California Corporation founded in 1977. Its wholly-owned subsidiaries designs, manufactures and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media equipment, and other internet applications, it provides the products to the different type of customers. The company gives the strategy is free, The Company’s business strategy leverages its unique ability to design and develop its own operating systems, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products. The customer could through App store and iBook store to discover and download official software and third-party applications and books. The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. The Company’s reportable operating main segments include in the Americas, Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific and Retail. The Retail segment operates Apple-owned retail stores in the U.S. and in international markets. Each operating segment provides similar hardware and software products and similar services to customer. It unified the global organization. The company offers all kinds of products. Firstly, the Mac hardware products included desktop and portable computers. For instance, there are iMac, Mac Book, Mac Book Pro and Mac Book Air. Secondly, there are some small size products included iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV. Thirdly, the Company provides software products and computer technologies. The operating system software has Mac OS X and iOS system. The application software has iLife and iWork system. And there is other application software. Fourthly, Apple Care offers a range of support options for the Company’s customers. Such as the Apple Care Protection Plan is a fee-based service. The Company used all kinds of direct and indirect distribution channels, such as its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force, and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. The Company believes providing direct contact with its aim customers is an  useful way to show the benefit of its products. The Company sources components from a number of suppliers and manufacturing vendors. In the company competition, the Company’s ability to compete successfully is rely on its ability. The Company continues to develop new products and technologies and to improve existing products that extend the range of its product and intellectual property. The company faced some competition, there are prodigious pressures. Therefore, it needs to improve the quality of products, in the market, research and development new technology in main status. The company is focused on extend on market opportunities. Because of seasonal demand of consumer markets related to the holiday season and the beginning of the school year, it increased net sales. The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions. Some economic factors could affect demand for the Company’s products and services and the Company’s financial condition and operating results. The following graph shows a five-year comparison of cumulative total shareholder return, calculated on a dividend reinvested basis, and financial statement. We could found that the Apple Inc is a rise trend. Section 2: Reflective writing 1. Description Scanning the Apple Annual Report is organised into sections under the headings. I need to write an executive summary about the annual report. There are 21 headings in the first 26 pages of the annual report. For the short executive summary, it is too much to cover all of them. Therefore, I suppose. Those similar headings, we could join them together to make a single new heading. Finally, the left headings we chosen is 8. I would through those headings to complete the draft executive summary. 2. Feelings I am so interested in the Apple Company. I need to read the Annual Report,  and I need to have a general idea to write the executive summary. Since the Apple Company’s products are very popular in the world. There are many fans for Apple’s products. I want to know more information about the Apple Company. Consequently, when I finished the draft, I could get more detailed information. For instance, the Application Software, products and services. After the draft had completed, I had discussed with my partner. After exchange our ideas I find that we have different views towards the apple product, such as I inclined to choose apple product when buying certain kind of products because I like the apple company than thinking too much about the performance of it, my partner will compare three of more choices and then make decision which best meet his needs though she also like the apple product. I am more a fan than customer to apple product. Think that everyone read the annual report; there are different ideas about it. We could learn from each other. 3. Evaluation I enjoyed about writing the executive summary. Because of this documentation, I was interested in the Apple Company. Though, this summary is very short. I could learn from the management and market strategy. In order to have the market position, it needs to show some special and different facilities. When I read others’ draft and others read my draft. There is a process of mutual learning. We could exchange ideas. From reading the annual report and learnt from others draft; I could draw advantage and improve shortage. It could help me to finish the final version of an Executive Summary. 4. Analysis The draft is general summary about Apple Company’s annual report. Based on each heading, analyzing each part of the report, and I need to write the general idea. I think that writing the summary is a good way to analyze the report. If I have another similar work, I will use same way to analyze it. Every report has many parts. So I need to organize my time when I was working practices and organization. I think that we could analyze the producer, audience and text of the report. Then, I could clearly get the general idea of an article. 5. Conclusion All in all, I think that writing an executive summary need have means of each  part, and give the precise summarization of the annual report. If I have works need to do the next time, I could use the same way as by going through the headings to write the summary. I think the best side is 8 new headings; it narrows the scope of the annual report. We could clearly summarize the report. However, there still down side of doing the work like this . I might ignore some of the important information. From that decreased headings. Section 3: Final version of an Executive Summary Apple Inc. is a multiplier company which founded in 1977. Its wholly-owned subsidiaries designs, manufactures and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media equipment, and other internet applications. The Company’s business strategy is its unique ability to design and develop its own operating systems, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products. The customer could use App store and iBook store to discover and download official software and third-party applications and books. The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. Each operating segment provides similar hardware and software products and similar services to customer. The company offers many kinds of products. Firstly, the Mac hardware products include desktop and portable computers. There are iMac, Mac Book, Mac Book Pro and Mac Book Air. Secondly, there are some small size products included iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV. Thirdly, the Company provides software products and computer technologies. The operating system software has Mac OS X and iOS system. The application software has iLife and iWork system. Fourthly, Apple Care offers a range of support options for the Company’s customers. Such as the Apple Care Protection Plan is a fee based service. The Company used all kinds of direct and indirect distribution channels. They believe that providing direct contact with its aim customers is a useful way to show their benefit of its products. In the company competition, the Company’s ability to compete successfully is relying on its ability. The Company continues to develop new products and technologies and to improve existing products which extend the range of its product and intellectual property. The company is focused on extend on market opportunities. Because of seasonal demand of consumer markets related to the holiday season and the beginning of the school year, it increased net sales. The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions. It also provided graph shows the a five-year comparison of cumulative total shareholder return, calculated on a dividend reinvested basis, for the Company, the S&P 500 Composite Index, the S&P Computer Hardware Index, and the Dow Jones U.S.

“North and South” depends on contrasts for its momentum Essay

Gaskell is a very capable writer; she uses many skills to create atmosphere, tension and emotion in her book. However, to create the energy in her stories that makes her stand out as a writer, she uses contrast in many different forms The locations in the story contrast with each other, reflecting different stages in life of Margaret. In London, where she first starts off, it is polite, reserved and superficial. Her life there is complacently indolent. When she moves back to Helstone, we see it is still very leisurely and languid, but there is a solid and healthy feel to it. She then goes to Milton, which is in complete contrast. Here it is a very functional town; everyone is preoccupied and determined. There is more a feeling of energy about the people, it is a centre for new ideas, but it is also very dirty, smoggy and cold compared to the green of Helstone. In chapter 8 we see a clear contrast in Edith’s letter from Corfu, describing a hot, clean atmosphere of idleness and happiness compared to Margaret’s depressed north. Social values are another important factor in the story that gives it momentum Views on Religion help to distinguish the characters. Bessy believes very strongly in God while Mr. Higgins does not. This is mirrored in Margaret’s different attitudes to her father about questioning the church. There is also the importance of the employer and employee relationship. Margaret disagrees with the strong feeling of a parent and child relationship that exists between the masters and men, that often creates tension. There are differences not only between those that are rich and those that are not, but also gain and use of that wealth. There is an obvious contrast between Bessy, Margaret and Fanny. They are all the same age but live completely different lives according to their wealth. Bessy is poor and suffers greatly from the poverty. Margaret is comfortable while Fanny benefits from her brother’s wealth and like Edith enjoys an idle lifestyle. The Mr. Hales position is not as respected in the North as it is in the south, as reflected in the family’s trouble in getting a servant. There is also a difference in their route to wealth, Mr. Thornton’s is by being dynamic, working hard and seizing opportunities, while Mr. Hale’s was by doing dull, tedious work for many years. But it is their attitudes to wealth that are so different. The south prefer simple decoration, they have a secure knowledge of their wealth, while in the north, their need to heavily ornate and decorate themselves and surroundings is emphasised, showing a clear insecurity, and need to â€Å"show off†. This is best summed up at the dinner party, where Margaret shows distaste at the gross amount of food laid out before her, which is particularly shown up against her previous visit to Bessy’s house. The characters have to be both the easiest and strongest way of showing contrasts, and creating energy. The first contrast we see is at the beginning of chapter 1, where the differences between Edith and Margaret are made clear. Edith is superficial; she acts childishly, showing off her husband. Margaret on the other hand is full of intense reactions, nostalgia and basic sincerity. The next clear difference we see is of that between Margaret and her parents. Unlike both her parents, Margaret is strong and independent. Her father even has to rely on her to break news of the move to her mother. However, the best example of contrast is the first meeting of Margaret and Mr. Thornton. Here we see a strong sense of masculinity and femininity, the sexual tension is strong, and adds an electrifying air to the confrontation. Mr. Thornton’s masculinity is also contrasted with that of Margaret’s only other suitor, Mr. Lennox, who like her father is very feminine. Then there are the contrasts between and in the families. Mr. Thornton and Mrs. Thornton are both very strong characters, bullish almost, compared to the personality of Fanny, who is similar to Edith. However, Mrs. Thornton is more perceptive than her son, and sees that he has fallen in love with Margaret, even though Mr. Thornton cannot admit it to himself or anyone else. The two mothers are in deep contrast to each other. They are the personifications of the feeling of north and south. The north being strong and uncompromising, while the south is soft and snobbish. Another contrast that is picked out in the book is between the two males. One is described as soft, weak and tired even â€Å"almost feminine† the other is distinctly masculine, hardened, defined, astute and energetic. The final contrast in characters is between Bessy and Margaret. This is a clear contrast, as they are both girls, and are both the same age. They differ in wealth and attitudes and it is a clear indication of what is considered important when discussing what Margaret is going to wear to the dinner party. Interestingly, there is a feeling of contrast that, while Mr. Thornton is not academically learned, which Margaret is, he is much more socially and emotionally developed than her, while she is tormented by the sights of Bessy in her state. The first important example of contrasting dialogue is in chapter 9, between the Hales. Here, it helps to clearly show the different positions of each character. Mr. Hale is anxious, Mrs. Hale is querulous and Margaret is overworked. There is also a contrast between the Hales argument at the beginning of this chapter and the Thorntons, at the end, to emphasise how different they are. Other contrasts in dialogue include the way in which Mr. Thornton and then Mrs. Thornton talk to Margaret in chapter 15, and then in Margaret’s talk with Bessy where the contrasts between North and South are highlighted. Finally, another clear contrast is the discussion between Mr. Thornton and Margaret at the dinner party over the meaning of the word â€Å"gentleman†. Here, Gaskell skilfully uses the dialogue to create a sense of sexual tension between them. One major point in how the structure of the novel helps to create a contrast is in the titles. Significant titles like â€Å"haste to the wedding† are followed â€Å"roses and thorns† a juxtaposition of two images that heighten the point that Gaskell is trying to put across. The other is in Mr. Lennox proposing. Here we see a sudden crisis that Margaret faces which is mirrored by a deeply poignant crisis of having to move from Helstone. Similarities help to stress the contrasts in the novel. The easiest similarity is between Margaret and Mr. Thornton, most importantly in their pride. Another is the illness shared by the Higginses and the Hales. This can almost be seen as a reflection of social illnesses within the society. All these contrasts help to move the story along and create energy, particularly among the characters. One clear example of how Gaskell uses contrasts is in Mr. Thornton and Margaret’s first meeting where the sexual tension helps to create a strong atmosphere and well-written piece.

Romulus My Father + Ort Belonging Essays

Romulus My Father + Ort Belonging Essays Romulus My Father + Ort Belonging Essay Romulus My Father + Ort Belonging Essay â€Å"What are the most powerful influences that impact on an individual’s sense of belonging? Belonging is a concept of fitting in to a group, place or team. Belonging to place, identity, relationships and barriers are significant influences impacting on belonging in both the memoir Romulus, My father and a similar text in the poem Katrina by Bruce Dawe. The prescribed and related texts effectively demonstrate the importance of how integral a sense of belonging is to human existence and the impact it can have on one’s life. Belonging to place is a theme highly evident throughout the novel Romulus, My Father placing a high level of significance on Romulus and his family. Australians icons are highlighted throughout the text to put emphasis on the idea of belonging to place. â€Å"A dead red gum stood only a hundred metres from the house and became for my mother a symbol of her desolation†, the use of symbolism to represent the challenge of immigrating of Australia is effective in underlining the idea of place. This idea is a recurring motif throughout the text, the vastness of the landscape seems impersonal and uncaring to the eyes of the outsider, especially to Christine where it stood as a symbol of her isolation. * There is always a recurring notion that Raimond doesn’t belong as a child as he is constantly being moved around yet he seems to find solace at Frogmore and never worries about its deterioration even when he returns from boarding school. This is evident in his detailed description of the life at Frogmore and the greater attention paid to it over his life at St Kilda. The close attention to word choice in the line â€Å"†¦Tom lived with his wife Mary and her sister, Miss Jane Collard†, focuses on his connection with Miss Lillie. The informal language used when describing the name of Miss Lillie as Mary compared to Miss Jane highlights Raimond’s connection with Miss Lillie helped him find a connection within the life at Frogmore and in turn a sense of belonging. In Romulus, My Father, focus is placed on several different foundations for which our identity, and in turn our sense of belonging, is formed. An ndividual’s sense of self or identity is affected by his or her belonging to their community and its physical surroundings. Being an immigrant, Romulus gains recognition and respect by proving his value through hard work. Gaita uses personification in â€Å"his materials†¦seemed to be in friendship with him† to highlight the bond that exists between Romulus and his work, therefore stressing the significance of how influential identity is to his character. * * Romulus prides his identity on honesty, loyalty and respect of others. Raimond’s choice to take the aftershave, and deny any transgression, contradicts his father’s life philosophy. The rebelling of Raimond isn’t what made Romulus angry; it was the refusal to confess to his wrongdoing that infuriates him. â€Å"His anger grew till he could barely speak†. We witness a similar act where he disposes of the broken razor in the dam and denies any role in the misplacing of the razor. The use of a metaphor in â€Å"rigorous truthfulness could give a person the inner unity necessary for strength of character† is demonstrating what I perceive to be the anxiousness of Romulus that Raimond is adopting qualities of his mother. Its not until later in the novel that Raimond realises of his wrongdoing â€Å"I know what a good workman is; I know what an honest man is; I know what friendship is; I know because I remember these things in the person of my father†. * * Relationships possess great significance in Romulus, My Father. The relationship between Raimond’s parents Romulus and Christine is very fragmented, to which he describes the relationship as â€Å"intense and fraught†. The use of a metaphor in â€Å"Such was the rollercoaster of wild emotion at the time† is effective in highlighting the elevated emotional levels of the period, such as Romulus’s attempted suicide due to Christine leaving him. Christine’s infidelity is further exemplified with Gaita’s use of strong word choice in â€Å"My father must have been heartbroken by his unfathomable, troubled, vivacious†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to emphasise on the unfaithfulness Christine. * * The relationship between Raimond and his mother is another fragmented family relationship. His mother’s inability of catering to his simple needs such as feeding and bathing are factors of why the relationship is so disjointed. This is highlighted with Gaita’s word choice â€Å"†¦incapable of taking care of me, ignoring my elementary needs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the word elementary highlights the fact that the basic things in which should be found in a mother are not found in Christine and her inability to cater for Raimond and later Susan and Barbara. However Raimond feels his â€Å"mothers neglect of me was more then compensated for by her family†. * Barriers influence both Romulus and Christine to a great extent in the transition from Europe to Australia. Christine’s bad asthmatic illness leaves her with an inevitable decision, to immigrate to Australia in order to improve her health. However moving to Australia affects her health on a considerably deeper level mentally. Christine’s isolation, alienation and displacement affect her mentally to the point she can barely function. Her decline leads her to receive electric shock treatment that didn’t help in relieving her hallucinations. The use of alliteration in â€Å" †¦serious attack of asthma after she brought Raimond†¦Ã¢â‚¬  highlights the pinnacle reason for her decline and unhappy life before choosing to end it with an overdose on drugs. * When first immigrating to Australia Romulus faces the barrier of language and communication with others. This barrier prevented belonging into the new society of Australia, until Romulus returned to the camp and connected with the Romanian brothers Hora and Mitru. Gaita’s use of an aside helps the audience to connect with the story and understand difficulty for â€Å"New Australian’s† to converse without language, therefore highlighting the impact on the influences of barriers in relation to belonging. * Correspondingly in Katrina by Bruce Dawe, belonging to place as well as family is also an influence on Katrina’s sense of belonging. Her vulnerability is intensified by the common notion that she is alone in an unwelcoming environment, watched over in â€Å"Ward Fifteen† by a nameless â€Å"Nurse†. The use of Rhetorical question in â€Å"Opening again or closing finally? † further underlines Katrina’s defenselessness to â€Å"the black velvet of death threatening† against her life. The comparison is evident in the late stages of Romulus, My Father as Raimond watches as a helpless bystander o the death of his father. * * Similarly to Romulus, My father, identity is also explored with significance to belonging in Katrina. Her iden tity is clearly established as a member of the family in the beginning of the poem. The use of her first name, forces readers to accept and know her as an individual, intensifying the power of the poem. This also gives valuable insight to life as well as providing somewhat personal comfort the confronting the full situation. * * The identity of the father figure is also apparent in the poem. He struggles cope with the fact that he may lose his daughter, and in a depressed and distressed stated he aims to call to God in prayer, but is unable to do so. The personified â€Å"black velvet of death threatening† is a symbol of his helpless wait as he watches the babies struggle for survival awaiting a final outcome. The contrast between her and her twin brother’s two-month-old health figure hurts him a deeper level as it indicates the ultimate frailty of the baby. * * The parental relationships in Katrina and Romulus, My Father both greatly impact belonging; however the relationships are very different. The narrator’s love for Katrina is highlighted by the euphemism â€Å"The karate blow†, this violent image supports his claim that he is not ready to face the fact and lose the little girl. His love for Katrina is further emphasised through the use of a simile in â€Å"your life shines like a jewel†, painting an affectionate image of his value of her spirit. The relationship presents a connection to family as the daughter of two deeply distressed parents validating the importance of relationships and belonging. * * A barrier of health can be acknowledged in both the prescribed and related text. Katrina’s health is a barrier preventing life. The vulnerability of her health condition is apparent through her illness. Her â€Å"body’s wasting†, living of food through a tube and lost the ability to maintain her dummy, that It must be taped in her mouth. The metaphor â€Å"you are suspended between earth and sky† is effective in describing her position in limbo, between life and death. The repetition of this line in the end of the poem, gives it a cyclic structure, beginning and ending with the concept of being â€Å"between the earth and the sky†. The barrier of health in this circumstance is preventing Katrina from belonging to world of life, and forced between earth and heaven. * * The memoir Romulus, My father and a similar text in the poem Katrina by Bruce Dawe both effectively demonstrate the importance of how integral a sense of belonging is to human existence and the impact it can have on an individuals sense of belonging. They achieve this through focusing on influential aspects of belonging such as Belonging to place, identity, relationships and barriers. * *

Five Myths About Multiracial People in the U.S.

Five Myths About Multiracial People in the U.S. When Barack Obama set his sights on the presidency, newspapers suddenly began devoting a lot more ink to the multiracial identity. Media outlets from Time Magazine and the New York Times to the British-based Guardian and BBC News pondered the significance of Obama’s mixed heritage. His mother was a white Kansan and his father a black Kenyan. Mixed-race people continue to make news headlines, thanks to the U.S. Census Bureau’s finding that the country’s multiracial population is exploding. But just because mixed-race people are in the spotlight doesn’t mean that the myths about them have vanished. What are the most common misconceptions about multiracial identity? This list both names and dispels them. Multiracial People Are Novelties What’s the fastest-growing group of young people? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the answer is multiracial youths. Today, the United States includes more than 4.2 million children identified as multiracial. That’s a jump of nearly 50 percent since the 2000 census. And among the total U.S. population, the number of people identifying as multiracial spiked by 32 percent, or 9 million. In the face of such groundbreaking statistics, it’s easy to conclude that multiracial people are a new phenomenon now rapidly growing in rank. The truth is, however, that multiracial people have been a part of the country’s fabric for centuries. Consider anthropologist Audrey Smedley’s finding that the first child of mixed Afro-European ancestry was born in the U.S. eons ago- way back in 1620. There’s also the fact that historical figures from Crispus Attucks to Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable to Frederick Douglass were all mixed-race. A major reason why it appears that the multiracial population has soared is that for years and years, Americans weren’t allowed to identify as more than one race on federal documents such as the census. Specifically, any American with a fraction of African ancestry was deemed black due to the â€Å"one-drop rule.† This rule proved particularly beneficial to slave owners, who routinely fathered children with slave women. Their mixed-race offspring would be considered black, not white, which served to increase the highly profitable slave population. The year 2000 marked the first time in ages that multiracial individuals could identify as such on the census. By that point in time, though, much of the multiracial population had grown accustomed to identifying as just one race. So, it’s uncertain if the number of multiracials is actually soaring or if ten years after they were first permitted to identify as mixed-race, Americans are finally acknowledging their diverse ancestry. Only Brainwashed Multiracials Identify as Black A year after President Obama identified himself as solely black on the 2010 census, he’s still garnering criticism. Most recently, Los Angeles Times columnist Gregory Rodriguez wrote that when Obama marked only black on the census form, â€Å"he missed an opportunity to articulate a more nuanced racial vision for the increasingly diverse country he heads.† Rodriguez added that historically Americans haven’t publicly acknowledged their multiracial heritage due to social pressures, taboos against miscegenation and the one-drop rule. But there’s no evidence that Obama identified as he did on the census for any of those reasons. In his memoir, Dreams From My Father, Obama remarks that the mixed people he’s encountered who insist on the multiracial label concern him because they often seem to make a concerted effort to distance themselves from other blacks. Other mixed-race people such as the author Danzy Senna or the artist Adrian Piper say that they choose to identify as black because of their political ideologies, which include standing in solidarity with the largely oppressed African-American community. Piper writes in her essay â€Å"Passing for White, Passing for Black†: â€Å"What joins me to other blacks†¦is not a set of shared physical characteristics, for there is none that all blacks share. Rather, it is the shared experience of being visually or cognitively identified as black by a white racist society, and the punitive and damaging effects of that identification.† People Who Identify as â€Å"Mixed† Are Sellouts Before Tiger Woods became a tabloid fixture, thanks to a string of infidelities with a slew of blondes, the most controversy he sparked involved his racial identity. In 1997, during an appearance on â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show,† Woods declared that he did not view himself as black but as â€Å"Cablinasian.† The term Woods coined to describe himself stands for each of the ethnic groups that make up his racial heritage- Caucasian, black, Indian (as in Native American) and Asian. After Woods made this declaration, members of the black community were livid. Colin Powell, for one, weighed in on the controversy by remarking, â€Å"In America, which I love from the depths of my heart and soul, when you look like me, you’re black.† After his â€Å"Cablinasian† remark, Woods was largely seen as a race-traitor, or at the very least, someone aiming to distance himself from blackness. The fact that none of Woods’ long line of mistresses was a woman of color only added to this perception. But many who identify as mixed-race don’t do so to reject their heritage. On the contrary, Laura Wood, a biracial student at the University of Maryland told the New York Times: â€Å"I think it’s really important to acknowledge who you are and everything that makes you that. If someone tries to call me black, I say, ‘yes - and white.’ People have the right not to acknowledge everything, but don’t do it because society tells you that you can’t.† Mixed People Are Raceless In the popular discourse, multiracial people are oft characterized as if they’re raceless. For example, the headlines of news articles about President Obama’s mixed-race heritage often ask, â€Å"Is Obama Biracial or Black?† It’s as if some people believe that the different racial groups in one’s heritage cancel each other out like positive and negative figures in a math equation. The question shouldnt be whether Obamas black or biracial. He’s both- black and white. Explained the black-Jewish writer Rebecca Walker: â€Å"Of course Obama is black. And he’s not black, too. He’s white, and he’s not white, too. ... He’s a lot of things, and neither of them necessarily exclude the other.† Race-Mixing Will End Racism Some people are positively thrilled that the number of mixed-race Americans appears to be soaring. These individuals even have the idealistic notion that race-mixing will lead to bigotry’s end. But these people ignore the obvious: ethnic groups in the U.S. have been mixing for centuries, yet racism hasn’t vanished. Racism even remains a factor in a country such as Brazil, where a wide swath of the population identifies as mixed-race. There, discrimination based on skin color, hair texture, and facial features is endemic- with the most European-looking Brazilians emerging as the country’s most privileged. This goes to show that miscegenation isn’t the cure for racism. Instead, racism will only be remedied when an ideological shift occurs in which people aren’t valued based on what they look like but on what they have to offer as human beings.