Construction and De-construction of Race Essay Example for Free

Construction and De-construction of Race Essay Races exist. They are everywhere in the world. In our history classes, we have discussed the existence of Caucasians, Mongoloids, Negroes, etc. The members of each racial group have common characteristics that make them distinct from other groups. However, in the quest to understand better the human variations across races, professionals from various fields – medicine, biology, anthropology, etc – have conducted studies to prove, or disprove, the existence of races in the scientific sense. In Modern Human Variation: An Introduction to Contemporary Human Biological Diversity , three models of human classification were discussed. First is the typological model which â€Å"focuses on a small number of traits that are readily observable from a distance such as skin color, hair form, body build, and stature. † Diamond (1994) gives truth to this, citing that â€Å"all native Swedes differ from all native Nigerians in appearance† and that one race cannot be mistaken with the other. However, Diamond also argued that â€Å"there are many different, equally valid procedures for defining races, and those different procedures yield very different classifications. † He further discussed other studies in which the differing geographical locations of humans contribute to their varying human traits. Factors such as survival and sexual selection, and a third possible explanation which is no function at all, were considered in human classification. Again, inconsistencies of this theory were later discovered, showing evidences that â€Å"among topical peoples, anthropologists love to stress the dark skins of African blacks, people of the southern Indian peninsula, and New Guineans and love to forget the pale skins of Amazonian Indians and Southeast Asians living at the same latitudes† (Diamond, 2004). With these contentions, the typological model is contradicted. On the other hand, the population model â€Å"looks for breeding populations first and then considers the anatomical and physiological traits that may distinguish them. † This means looking into a single group where members mate only with people within the group. The same article discussed, however, that with the relatively convenient means of intercontinental travel, intermixture of humanity has emerged, thus making the population model relatively ambiguous in the study of human variation today. The third model, the clinal model, â€Å"is based on the fact that genetically inherited traits most often change gradually in frequency from one geographic area to another. † With this framework, the clinal model may seem to be the soundest theory on human classification. However, it cannot be fully relied on since â€Å"the distribution of some traits is partly discontinuous†¦ these can be understood as results of historical migrations or exclusive breeding within more or less closed communities. † We have tried to construct races through scientific studies but failed to establish its exact definition. This brings us back to again to the crux of our contention. Do races exist? Yes, they do. People from all over the world have been grouped based on their physical characteristics, culture, religion, ethnicity, and other factors. Groups were given names so that individuals can easily identify in which group they belong. This is how lay humans understand the word â€Å"race† today. The concept has been constructed to satisfy the human need for order. But as Goodman (2005) puts it, â€Å"race is not a mere social construct, but as a lived experience has devastatingly real effects. † The construction of race led to the emergence of racial discrimination, making some â€Å"races† assume superiority over others. With this assumption, people of the â€Å"superior race† consequently assumed power over the â€Å"minorities†. The political advantage of the â€Å"superior race† gave way for them to gain more access to resources and wealth. Discrimination further reached the social sphere, with the â€Å"minorities† being labeled as the â€Å"ugly† people since their physical traits differ, most of the time in the opposite manner, from those of the â€Å"superior race†. Looking back through world history, our books tell us stories of some â€Å"races† (e. g. Africans) who were enslaved by the â€Å"superior races† during the earlier times. At present, racism still exists in the form of prejudice to certain â€Å"races† that have been generalized to possess certain characteristics. In Asia, the revolt of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has caused prejudice against Muslims in most parts of the world, generalizing these people as terrorists. Accordingly, the social construction of races have inflicted numerous, and perhaps even millions, of incidents of social injustice worldwide. Then again, combining the clinal and population models, Keita et al (2004) contend that â€Å"the nonexistence of ‘races’ or subspecies in modern humans does not preclude substantial genetic variation that may be localized to regions or populations. † The authors cited a recent study on the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome, which can â€Å"make forensic distinctions possible even within restricted regions such as Scandinavia. † It was however clarified that â€Å"because this identification is possible does not mean that there is a level of differentiation equal to ‘races’. † We cannot totally negate the scientific studies conducted and currently being conducted on human biological variation. These studies, as in the point of view of Keita et al have policy implications for health studies. While Keita et al advocate for more refined and detailed study on human biological variation, Goodman is also supported in his position to â€Å"call for a new vocabulary and concepts† to study the same. This way, the widely-known concept of race may be de-constructed. Difference in skin color, hair form, body build, religion, culture, ethnicity, and others, does not make an individual less of a human, and as such these characteristics should not be seen as barriers to social justice.

The Power of Sympathy Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Hill Brown

In the novel, The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, there is a contrast between the opposing ideas of sentiment and reason. Characters in the text play to this underlying contrast and are affected by the polar ideas, ultimately resulting in the taking of their own lives. These acts of suicide results from a detachment, or ignorance, of reason. When overcome by emotional misery of sentiment, reason may, for however long a period, become lost or inferior to overbearing ideas of sentimental thoughts directed toward one's death. Bearing the pain of one's own reason leads one to direct their actions by means of sentimental reasoning. The story of Ophelia, as told by Harriot, depicts the reasonable daughter of Shepard becoming lost to the sentimental thoughts of suicide. While rationally stating her argument to her father, she claims to be speaking with the intention to â€Å"demonstrate the sincerity of her repentance† (39) and regain the peace that was once within her home. She recognized that she was wrong in her action, claiming that â€Å"All...are not blest with the like happiness of resisting temptation† (39) and she wished to display her sincerity with this confession. The transition from reasonable to melancholy occurs when her father rejects the notion of Ophelia's confession, her â€Å"sensibility became more exquisite† (39) indicating that her sensibility came from the attempt to make things right with her family; however, the attempt failed and she lost her rational thought. The emotional part of Ophelia became stronger as her repentance was rejected; reason had failed her, her family was not influenced by her words. There is a drastic leap to conduct that â€Å"bordered upon insanity† (40), a lack of sane and rational thought th... ... reason. When the character remains reasonable, they face an inner pain, whether it be guilt, passion or confusion. Rather than suffer with this pain, the characters abandon reason and succumb to the overbearing strength of emotion. Ophelia, reasonable despite being unforgiven, loses her sanity to emotional melancholy and ends her life with poison. Harriot, who was just before owner her virtue, gave her life away to passion thinking that reason is unable to aid suffering in patience. And Harrington, who makes no attempt to reclaim his clear mind, is driven to death because he fails to direct his thoughts elsewhere, even when urged to. The sentimental forces in this novel initiate a thought of suicide. The characters develop the thoughts individually, yet all give in to the powers of passion due to their lost sense of reason and overbearing sentimental thoughts.

The Program Design and Evaluation Process

This article will address the data collection of aggressive behavior incidents at Pathway High School. We will address several different data collections and measurements to the following subjects: The occurrences of aggressive behavior incidents reported before and after a program implementation, the data and success rate on the behavior correction procedures in the classroom by teachers and the success rate to the implementation of the School-Wide Positive Behavioral Support (SWPBS) program, within Pathway High SchoolWe will use the already recorded data from our Spreadsheet (Kaplan University, 2013) in comparing the measurements and success rates of our implemented program.Figure 1: The purpose of this data requirement is to implement an affective program to decrease the student’s aggressive behavior incidents at Pathway High School. The quantitative data collection is used for this kind of measurement and data collection, because the distribution of variables can be genera lized to entire population (Dawson, C., 2002). In this case we will concentrate on the aggressive behavior of the students and the measurements of occurrences of the aggressive behavior of students, with the focus to decrease the number of aggressive behavior of the students.The occurrence of aggressive behavior incidents reported before the implemented program started was reported to the following: In September the  aggressive behavior incidents occurred 248 times. In October it went to 262 times and for November the behavior incidents occurred 275 times. This brings the aggressive behavior incidents, within the 3 month time scale, to the number of: 785 aggressive behavior incidents.After the program implementation began in December and was concluded in May. The behavior incident number indicates a decline of aggressive behavior in December with the number of 225, followed by decreasing numbers for January > 198, February > 144, March > 127, April > 99 and May > 83. The graph ind icates a significant decline in the aggressive behavior incidents, within the time of 5 month after the program was implemented in the number of 702 less incidents within 5 month. 785 > 3 month – 83 in May, after implementation of program for 5 month = 702 less incidents by May (Spreadsheet Kaplan University, 2013).This collected data will indicate that the program was successful because the aggressive behavior incidents of students declined, once the program implementation has started.Figure 2The purpose of this data requirement is to measure the impact of the program on behavior correction procedures in the classroom by teachers. In the collection of the impact of the program to behavior correction in the classroom by teachers, the quantitative data collection is used to measure and collect the results of the implicating program. This is measured to the following:Before implementation of program465 div. by 8 = 58.125 = meanTotal number of teachers A – H = 8 Total num ber before implementation of program = 465 Mean before program implementation is = 58.125 Mean is 58.125After implementation of program530 div. by 8 = 66.25 = meanTotal number of teachers A – H = 8 Total number after implementation of program = 530 Mean after program implementation of program = 66.25 Mean is 66.26 (Spreadsheet Kaplan University, 2013)Since the mean before implementation of the program is lower 58.125 then the mean after implementation of the program 66.25, then this would indicate the implementation of the program may have failed or provided little impact to the behavior correction procedures in the classroom, conducted by teachers.Figure 3The purpose of this data requirement is to rate the students satisfactory school experience before and after the SWPBS program was implemented. The data is recorded in the calculated measures of percentage and the quantitative data collection is used within this requirement.The data collection brings forth the following mea sures: Before the program started, the students satisfactory rate within their school experience provided the data of the highest level = 0 = 0% and the lowest level = 70 = 31%.After the program was implicated for three (3) month, the students satisfactory rate within their school experience provided the information of an increase, within the highest level = 15 = 6.6 = 7% and the lowest level = 25 = 11%.Six (6) months after program started, the student’s satisfactory rate within their school experience showed a significant increase in the highest level = 15 = 6.6 = 7% and significant decrease in the Lowest level = 10 = 4.4†¦ = 4% (Spreadsheet Kaplan University, 2013).These measures and data collection provides the information of the success to the implicated SWPBS program.The follow up on all of the collected data and the evaluation of the follow up, provides us with the feedback on results, accomplishments, or impacts on the students behavior by the program implementati on. In addition it will provide us information about the effectiveness and the appropriateness of the implemented program (Kettner, P. 2012).

Causes and Effects of Gender Inequality - Essay - 1544 Words

Thao Nguyen English 101 Mr. Merchant October 19, 2012 Essay #2 Causes and Effects of Gender Inequality Throughout history, countless acts of gender inequality can be identified; the causes of these discriminating accounts can be traced back to different causes. The general morality of the inequity relies on a belief that men are superior to women; because of this idea, women have spent generations suffering under their counterparts. Also, a common expectation is that men tend to be more assertive and absolute because of their biological hormones or instinctive intellect. Another huge origin is sexual discrimination; even in the world today, many women are viewed by men as just sex objects rather than a real human being with†¦show more content†¦Although they have been given more rights and equality, women still lack fairness in areas such as education, domestic abuse, crime, and lower class value. Cassandra Clifford states in her article â€Å"Are Girls still marginalized? Discrimination and Gender Inequality in Today’s Societyà ¢â‚¬ , â€Å"Woman and girls are abused by their husbands and fathers, young girls are exploited by sex tourism and trafficking, girls in many countries are forced into arranged marriages at early ages. Twice as many women are illiterate as men, due to the large gap in education, and girls are still less likely to get jobs and excel in the work place than boys.† She describes some of the issues that women face today around the world. These issues are what keep society from coming together to form a better world. Today, women have more rights than ever before, but the belief of male has resulted in a never ending convention toward women. This leads to predetermined thought from younger girls that they must become inferior. Clifford states in her article, â€Å"Children look first to their own parents for examples and inspiration, therefore when a child see their mother living a life of inequality, the cycle often continues as girls feel there is no alternative for themselves.† When younger girls see their mother or any woman submitting to the standard, they feel they must do the same. An effect on men is that they have to live up to theShow MoreRelatedGender Equality Essay1069 Words   |  5 Pagestogether to be equal but that is far from true. No Im not talking about the inequality of people based off of race or background, the grouping of sex is the issue here. From the beginning of time till now, cultural practices have formed these boundaries. There has always been a separation of males and females and the way they are raised and taught even to what occupations they take on. Over time these became a set of gender boundaries. I believe that this behavior and way of thinking can over timeRead MoreThe Inequality Of People Based Off Of Race1369 Words   |  6 Pagesabout the inequality of people based off of race or background, the grouping of sex is the issue here. From the beginning of time till now, cultural practices have formed these boundaries. There has always been a separation of males and females and the way they are raised and taught even to what occupations they take on. Boys are thought to be strong, be the man of the family and girls are thought to act like a woman, give a man whatever he wants. Over time these became a set of gender boundariesRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Tuberculosis, Kenya, Uganda And The Democratic Republic Of The Congo1665 Words   |  7 Pagesareas. This essay will focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, an area with a wide proportion of resource poor settings. WHO (2015d) estimated around 3.2million people in Africa to have TB, with a mortality rate of 450,000. 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Through her refutation of many different authors arguments, she b egins to build her thesis as well as discuss how important this topic is in society andRead MoreThe Work Of Maria Del Mar Alonso Almeida1390 Words   |  6 PagesThere are 3,418,059,380 women in the world (Geohive.com, 2015) and yet, women, in 2010, earned a staggering 19% lesser in wages across the world (Economist, 2011). Such wage differentials have been a cause of gender inequality and thereby segregation in the workforce across the globe. The staggering numbers of economic contributions of women compared to men has however, highlighted that there are fewer women to men ratios in the workforce due to the where we live, maternal implications (pregnancies)