Being Black Means Being Underestimated - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1536 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Citizenship Essay Did you like this example? We always have the least amount of faith put in us as if we arent capable of making great accomplishments. Being black means facing many challenges and obstacles that white Americans normally wouldnt face. Sometimes we have a harder time getting our foot in the door for certain positions because we are of color. This makes us go even harder in life to achieve success. Being black means being bold, dominant, and prosperous. No matter what we go through we find a way to get things done. Have African-Americans truly received the full rights of citizenship? What is citizenship? Citizenship means having the position of status of being a citizen of a particular country. Most African-Americans may agree that they never actually received the full rights of citizenship. To gain citizenship in America today, people have to undergo an extensive process. This process includes interviews, examinations, and other things required so see if a person is eligible for citizenship in the United States. However, African-Americans had a difficult process in order to gain their citizenship. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Being Black Means Being Underestimated" essay for you Create order The fight for citizenship all started around the time of slavery when African-Americans were captured and sold as property to be used as slaves for plantation owners. From that very moment African-Americans didnt have any rights and were referred to as less than human. They didnt even get a chance to fight for their equality in America. Some slaves decided to rebel by running away and some slaves tried to outsmart their oppressors by learning as much as they could about them. African-Americans who ran away made things a lot harder for other slaves as well as themselves. At that time Americans knew land more than the slaves, and the slaves were illiterate, with no education so most slaves ended up getting caught. Some slaves managed to make it to a free state but by that time the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 had been passed. This bill had 10 sections that went in depth about the consequences and penalties slaves would receive if they were caught in a free state. This act forced slaves t o be returned to their owners if found, so that made all federal officials responsible for keeping the act in place. In 1852 Frederick Douglass, a slavery abolitionist delivered a speech talking about what the 4th of July means for the African-American people. Its ironic how he has to give his speech to citizens of America while he is enslaved. In this speech he explained how he heard the mournful wail of millions over the citizens national, tumultuous joy. He justifies how slaves are actually human also, and how America is treating the people of color unfairly. He tries to get citizens to see how they are wrong by treating slaves as property even though they are all human beings. Frederick Douglass continues to go in depth about the wrongful treatments of African-Americans, and how the 4th of July may be celebrated by citizens, but mourned upon by slaves because they dont have citizenship in this country and they were taken away from their lives to be treated as animals in the nation. This speech helps you understand the hardships slaves are going through and possibly could have made some America ns think twice about how they are treating their slaves. The Civil War also played a huge part in the road to gaining partial citizenship. This war is one of the most historical wars known to mankind to this day. This war was caused for many reasons. Some of these reasons are slavery, succession, expansion, and Bleeding Kansas. All of these played a huge part in starting the war. When it came down to slavery, the southern states needed slavery because that was their way of being economically stable and being able to produce and grow and a whole. Their way of providing resources was from slaves working in the field picking crops and other farming practices. However Northern states relied more on industry machines, and they didnt need slave labor to keep their economy stable. This started a conflict because the northern didnt need slaves, but the south were so use to them that they thought they wouldnt be able to succeed without their slaves. The South wanted to succeed from the United States when Abraham Lincoln became the president. They felt this way because Abraham Lincoln was against slavery and had views on emancipating the slaves and since he was becoming the president, he would more than likely be able to make that happen so the South didnt want to be on his side. As stated in the article, Bleeding Kansas was the first fight to take place over slavery. This was caused mainly because the government passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed residents to vote on whether or not Kansas would be a slave state or free state. These all contributed to the start of the war including other reasons not stated. During this war, 3 very important amendments was passed. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment allowed citizenship, and the 15th Amendment gave African-American men the right to vote. These amendments were passed but it wasnt easy. This time in history was very important regarding gaining citizenship in America. African-Americans made a bold move volunteering and signing up for the war draft. This itself, could have showed the nation an act of nationality stating that even though they were treated as less, they were ready to fight for their country. For the first year and a half African-Americans were excluded from the Union Army. They later accepted African-Americans to join the Union Army. Even southern slaves wanted to join the Union Army however, their purpose for fighting was for freedom. They didnt want to show nationalism or patriotism, they just wanted to fight for a side that would not let them be enslaved any longer. Some slaves still fought for the southern states, maybe they were content with their condition, but the government most likely forced them against their will. The blacks became the topic of discussion politically and economically. The topic of discussion in the African-American society was why should our people fight their war, and why are we trying to help the people who dont want to help us? At this time the amendments havent been passed yet, so were African-Americans fighting for America or for their citizenship. They were smart because in a sense, they were fighting for both. While they were fighting for America, they were also fighting to show their nationalism towards America, and maybe that would have an impact on them gaining citizenship an d being citizens of the country. The government still treated African-Americans bad. In 1857, there was the Dred Scott v. Sanford Case, where the Supreme Court had ruled that black werent citizens of the United States. This probably killed the hope of the African-American community and also caused some confusion. Were free blacks technically citizens? Even though they didnt have the same rights as citizens they werent slaves so could they pass as a citizen or were they just free? The case never really went in depth about citizenship for free blacks, so people probably assumed they still didnt have their citizenship rights. There were also cartoons that made that depicted scenarios that was going on during the time. One cartoon that was made during the time that Blacks couldnt join the war was called Vanity Fair. This cartoon showed how white military men were marching by an African-American who was grinning because he knew he couldnt be drafted, and the Union wasnt accepting black volunteers at the time neither. It was ironic how he seemed happy that he wasnt eligible to participate in the war and he could just go on about his day. This could also be a concern dealing with citizenship. If you are a citizen of the United States, do they have the right to just draft you into the military? What about your personal life, and family? There were times in history that Blacks, or Americans in general would just be drafted if they met the requirements. This is wrong, and it forces you to do something that you cant even decide for yourself if you want to do it or not. The government sometimes goes too far and t akes advantage of the power that they have. Abraham Lincoln was a legendary figure during this time. His perspective on slavery had a great effect on the nation. Frederick Douglass and many southerners supported Abraham Lincoln campaign, and when he was elected as president in 1860, it gave hope to America. He stood firm on his beliefs and was able abolish slavery and also issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This stated that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free. At this time Around 1865 Black Codes were put in place which restricted the rights of black citizens to own property, to engage in occupations, and to testify in court. This was extremely wrong. Our people were basically being treated like animals, and we didnt have any equality. The government had also put strict labor requirements on us that put us in a bad position if we broke the contract.

Public Opinion And The Death Penalty - 1324 Words

Diana, Tina (2011) article entitled Public Opinion and the Death Penalty: A qualitative Approach, Political leaders, judges, criminal justice administrators, and citizen Groups support the capital punishment. Bohm (2003) argues that the public supports the death penalty because it contributes in five ways. First, if the public supports the legislators, he/she can vote in favor of the death penalty and of course against any statutes that are looking for its repeal. Second, Bohm argues that the prosecutors always seek the death penalty for political instead of legal purposes. Third, it influences the judges to force the death penalty instead of death sentences on appeal. The government since they are fear of risking re-election they may be less likely to veto death penalty, and fifth, Bohm (2003) argues that the supreme court both state and federal, study how support the death penalty as a measure of â€Å"evolving standards of decency† and if the capital punishment violates the US Constitution’s Amendment. Author stated that Political leaders, judges, criminal justice administrators, and citizen groups support the capital punishment are in favor of the death Penalty because it contribute in favor of their elections, which take me to think that they really don t care about someone s life, they are only care about their own goods, leaving the rest of the world thinking about who are the real criminals. Methodology Morgan (1998)Show MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty : A Multi Level Analysis Of Public Opinion1179 Words   |  5 PagesIn society, the death penalty is used to punish those who had committed certain types of crimes. Over the years, the percentage of US citizens supporting the death penalty has decrease, however Proximally 64%-70% of the population still support it. The majority of the polls created to evaluate the opinion of citizens on the death penalty use simple questions to address the issue. Those questions separate people into those against it and those supporting it. The death penalty opinion is more complexRead MoreCase Study: Gregg vs. Georgia Death Penalty1141 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Running Head: GREGG V. GEORGIA DEATH PENALTY -1976 1 Gregg v. Georgia Death Penalty 1976 [Name of the Writer] [Name of the Institution] [Date of Submission] Table of Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 3 Legal Subculture 3 Judicial Background 4 Political Party Affiliation 4 Public Opinion 5 Politics 5 Conclusion 6 Gregg v. Georgia Death Penalty - 1976 Introduction At least as early as the year of 1735, since colonial times, capital punishment was employed by Georgia withRead MoreThe Death Penalty Doesnt Deter Crime Essay examples1065 Words   |  5 Pages I would characterize the public opinion on the death penalty as being an uninformed opinion. More people are in favor of the death penalty, now then back a few decades ago. People are not well informed on the statistics of the death penalty, like the number of prisoners, or the racial discrimination etc. I think that if more people were informed that some opinions would be changed. It has been shown that men over women, whites over blacks, and Republicans over Democrats, conservativesRead MoreCapital Punishment Was Abolished By Harold Wilson1184 Words   |  5 Pagesreinstatement of the death penalty in the UK.(BBC NEWS, 2011) reports that the Conservative party MP calls for submission on capital punishment in the UK. The Brigg and Goole MP â€Å"is one of a number of Tory backbenchers calling for a commons debate of the return of capital punishment.†(BBC NEWS, 5th August 2011) Currently, Paul Staines, who writes the Guido Fawkes ‘ calls for the death to be brought back for child and police officer murderers,† he carried out a public opinion poll, which recommendsRead MoreCapital Punishment Is Abolished By Harold Wilsons Labour Government1186 Words   |  5 Pagesreinstatement of the death penalty in the UK.(BBC NEWS, 2011) reports that the conservative party MP calls for submission on capital punishment in the UK. The Brigg and Goole M P â€Å"is one of a number of Tory backbenchers calling for a commons debate of the return of capital punishment.†(BBC NEWS, 5th August 2011) Currently, Paul Staines, who writes the Guido Fawkes ‘ calls for the death to be brought back for child and police officer murderers,† he carried out a public opinion poll, which recommendsRead MoreBureau Of Justice Statistics : The United States Primary Source For Criminal Justice1439 Words   |  6 Pagestopic as the site have information such as information on executions, trends, clear definition, and time between imposition of death sentence and execution. The site was revised the same date of access, therefore the information is up to date and would be useful. Death Penalty: Pros and Cons ProCon.org. n.p.13 Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. ProCon.org is a nonprofit public charity. It provides resources for critical thinking without bias. The information in the site is balanced, comprehensive, straightforwardRead MoreAn Examination of Capital Punishment Essay1389 Words   |  6 PagesCapital punishment also known as the death penalty is when a person who has been convicted by the court of law can be sentenced to death. This occurs when a defendant is being tried with a criminal offense; such as the conscious murder of a peace officer on active duty, or a federal agent. This punishment has been a constant debate throughout our history. People claim it to be unjust or a cruel and unusual punishment, while another part of our population claims that this consequence is not used enoughRead MoreEssay on Summary: the Changing Nature of Death Penalty Debates.894 Words   |  4 Pageshow the death penalty argument has changed in the last 25 years in the United States. They examine six specific issues: deterrence, incapacitation, caprice and bias, cost innocence and retribution; and how public opinion has change regarding these issues. They argue that social science research is changing the way Americans view the death penalty and suggest that Americans are moving toward an eventual abolition of the death penalty. The authors describe the history of the death penalty statuesRead MoreThe Death Penalty And Capital Punishment931 Words   |  4 Pageswritten down (Robert). The death penalty was applied for a particularly wide range of crimes. The Romans also used death penalty for a wide range of offenses. Historically, the death sentence was often handled with torture, and executions, except that it was done in public. In this century, the death penalty, execution or capital punishment, whatever you’d like to refer it as, is the result for committing capital crimes or capital offences and it is not in public. The death penalty has been practiced byRead MorePublicizing Execution of the Death Penalty Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pagesof doing so is not. In fact, there is a wide variety of opinion on the single issue of publicizing execution. For example, Even though Sister Helen Prejean, a spiritual advisor who worked with death row inmates wrote the deeply moving novel Dead Man Walking, her ideas to make a difference may be impractical wishes to others. In addition, Prejean finds the moral cost of death penalty too damaging to tolerate, and thus she believes those death row inmates who have died a thousand times already deserve

Complete lives Free Essays

The Complete Lives System The allocation of healthcare has always been a huge issue in our society and the principles to allocate this resource also has come under fire. In the past it has always been â€Å"first come first serve† basis. Whether or not this approach is ethical is another question, but is it practical. We will write a custom essay sample on Complete lives or any similar topic only for you Order Now The authors of â€Å"Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions† have discussed a new approach called the Complete Lives System. The complete lives system posses five principles for allocation that Include: ingest first, prognosis, save the most lives, lottery, and Instrumental value (Principles 6). The priority of this system Is to lad those who have not yet lived a complete life and will not be able to do so unless they get the aid necessary. This idea also considers many ethical factors such as saving the most lives possible, as well as a lottery, which takes into account the little information needed for recipients. While this system is not practical for an entire economy at this point, it is a step closer to determining an appropriate approach to our health care system. The Complete Lives System is an ethically Justified and practical approach to health care because; it takes into account various practical approaches to healthcare, and it focuses on those able and capable to live a complete life with the public resources that they have used in the past. The Complete Lives system takes into account a variety of different principles used around the world. As stated before, the core principle Is youngest first. The system focuses on â€Å"youngest first† by giving the priority to those between the ages of 15 and 40. The mall reason why this first approach Is ethically Justified Is that adolescents eve received substantial education and parental care, and these investments would be wasted without a chance at a complete life (Principles 6). These resources primarily schooling would be a waste if without aid necessary. Infants have not received this benefit so they should not be considered a factor for instrumental value. They are also unable and incapable forming long term plans and values that some have already received before they turn 18. While alone this principle is impractical, the combination of prognosis and instrumental values makes this model ethically sound. Demand will always be larger than supply In the healthcare system it is almost an Inevitable factor when determining a correct model. The argument of which healthcare model should be used Is focused around who will receive the appropriate care, and who will be left out. The abandonment of the â€Å"sickest first† Is ethically Justified based on the principle of prognosis. Factoring prognosis Into the model takes into account that large amounts of resources will not be use the majority of resources to those that can benefit the most? I believe so, and the tutors of this article also agree. If the care given to those terminally ill only give benefits of a couple of weeks or a few months compared to multiple years for those that are better off, it is hard to not see this as an ethically Justified model. As I said before not every person is able to reap equal benefits of the healthcare system, no country possesses the resources capable of achieving this utopia. The most practical method is providing aid to those that can reap the most benefit from the care. Objections to the Complete Lives System is said to discriminate against older people. Everyone was once the age of 25 and able to seek the benefits of the system but why now that they are 65 that they cannot? Some tend to say that this is discrimination and â€Å"ageist†. The system was designed to give each person an equal responsibility of living a complete life, which has been accomplished at the age of 65. They have already had the chance to live a complete life and reap the benefits designed by society such as education e. T. C. When the system is maximized, it is designed to offer the greatest benefit to those that need it. An adolescent offers more infinite to society in the future then an elderly one would. As an economics major I have always thought to look at decisions based on the opportunity cost, or the cost associated with an alternative decision that is forgone. What would be the opportunity cost of choosing to extend an elder life potentially 10 years, over an adolescent for maybe 50-60? Obviously it depends on the specific person but the benefit to society by one living another 50 years triumphs one that only has a few left. If the United States would switch to the Complete Lives system then my current enervation would benefit greatly from this change. We would be able to look forward to the high possibly of benefiting from a â€Å"complete† life. It gives a sense of relief knowing that if I were to develop an ailment in the near future that I would be able to get the care I need to regain my quality of life. In contrast those that are past the age to be prioritize will not feel the same way about the system. One quote I found particularly interesting was the rule of rescue, â€Å"our moral response to the imminence of death demands that we rescue the doomed† (Principles 2). The Complete Lives System does not factor the sickest first, which usually is the elder generation. Its hard to agree with the principle knowing that when I get older and my quality of life decreases, that I will not receive the same treatment as I once did. This is the only flaw of this system it does make you question whether or not it could be effective when it is put into action. Even with this flaw in the system it is still nice to know that the priority is given to those that have not lived a complete quality filled life. Recently I had a close family member of mine pass away at the age of 87. He had been dealing with various health problems the last 5 years or so and had been receiving pretty extensive medical care. I definitely believe that under this system that he would not have received the same amount of care and most likely would not have lived as long. When the time came for my family and him to decide what the future plan of action would be, they decided he did not want to continue the treatment to only be in pain for maybe a couple extra months. When he passed it was very hard for all of us to accept the news and the decision but in the end it was to receiving the treatment he needed years ago under the Complete Lives System and looking at it now I probably would not want the system to apply. I believe that this system is a step forward in the right direction for our healthcare system but any person is selfish in dealing with one of his or her own friends or family members. While I wouldn’t have wanted the system to apply to my family member I could accept the fact knowing that the resources necessary too keep him alive could be better used on someone else to increase their quality of life. The Complete Lives System uses a variety of different principles to try and have a concise system in place to designate who receives the appropriate care. At this time it would be hard to put a system like this into place in somewhere such as the United States, but if used appropriately for the correct system it could be considered as an ethical approach to this big question. Some of the opposing viewpoints accurately generate questions about various aspects of the Complete Lives, but I believe that it is a legitimate policy that factors in all aspects of morality. How to cite Complete lives, Papers

Dantes Inferno2 Essay Example For Students

Dantes Inferno2 Essay In The Inferno, by Dante many of the sinners punishments are questionable to the sins theyve committed. Like Dante, one feels great pity for many of the sinners that exist in all of the levels of Hell. Many of their retributions seem much too severe for some of the sins that just dont seem that dire. Francesca and Paolo di Rimini have no control over the love that develops between the two of them, but are forced to spend eternity in the Second Circle of Hell. The sinners in this area of Hell, the lustful, experience an eternity of torrential rain fall and extremely powerful winds, which toss the souls of these sinners throughout the air. After reading of Lancelot and Guinevere both Francesca and Paolo realize that theyre situation is just like theirs. Francesca does begin having an affair with her husbands younger, better-looking brother; but how could either of the two resist a feeling like that? Lust, yeah its selfish, and maybe it hurts others but if one doesnt give in to its lustful feelings that they too may get hurt. Her husband takes both theirs, and Hell prevents the two of them from ever experiencing that love, from ever being happy again. After hearing Francescas story Dante faints, but who wouldnt pity her; she did what she did in the name of love. Ulysses, a man who fought for his people, bound in the Eighth Pouch of the Eighth Circle of Hell for going against the Christian morals of his time. Among the others guilty of Spiritual Theft he exists within a flame, with Diomedes; they stole from God, so they were stolen from life. Their first mistake was a joint effort; their actions in the Trojan War, with the Wooden Horse, which resulted in the fall of Troy and Aeneas founding of the country of Rome. Also, the statue of Pallas from Palladium was believed to have been a sacred statue that Troys existence depending on; theft of this would result in the downfall of Troy, and what do you know Ulysses stole it. Although Ulysses hurt others, he also helped others; if he hadnt done any of theses things, Troy wouldnt have fallen, and Rome wouldnt have been found. Having nothing but a guilty conscience can make a person insane; their intentions were nothing but good for their people, so one understands why they did the things they did. Lastly, Pier della Bigna commits suicide after realizing that he can no longer deal with the terrible life envious people around him have created for him. Trapped in the Second Ring, Seventh Circle of Hell, he is forced to spend eternity as a tree. The Harpies, a kind of bird, feed on these trees, damaging the leaves and the limbs, causing him to bleed; they cause him endless pain. His punishment for destroying his body is no body at all; hes able to talk only through tears of pain, which are created anything that touches him. His self-destruction was a result of all the pain rumors caused for him in his own life, but yet he must live in Hell with constant pain as a reminder of what he did. He tried to leave the pain on earth, but instead was punished with an eternity of pain and more destructionnow how is that fair, how do you not feel compassion for a man like that?Many of the sinners deserve these horrible punishments, but then as Dante comes across the less serious offenses or the offenses that were just intended to help the sinners one feels compassion for the pain that they must endure for eternity. .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 , .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .postImageUrl , .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 , .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:hover , .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:visited , .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:active { border:0!important; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:active , .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3 .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udcc724e3cfbeaf268c4c6b44c60be8d3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: THE SUPERMICRO P4DC6 MOTHERBOARD Essay Whether it is an uncontrollable feeling of pain or love, or a yearning for some one or to do something good for some one a serious penalty like the ones that many of these characters tolerate shouldnt be so extreme. Many times pity is felt because one knows that lust, envy, fear to go on, or a desire to help others is something that he knows he wouldnt be able to resist.Bibliography:

Adam smith vs Karl marks philosophy economics contribution free essay sample

To begin with, Smith came up with the concept of the ‘invisible hand’ (Communist (1848)). This concept was to explain that seeking self interest is not necessarily bad but it sought to explain the reality that people tend to act in their own self-interests. When individuals pursue their self interests, they promote without their knowledge the good of the community at large and so it can be said that an individual who wants to maximize their revenue maximizes the revenue of the society too. This liberty to customers to buy freely what they want and for the producers to produce what they want without any pressure enables the market to settle on a product distribution and prices that are beneficial to all individual members of the community. This liberty to both producers and consumers and the greed to maximize their interests, drives them into a behavior that is beneficial to all in that particular community. We will write a custom essay sample on Adam smith vs Karl marks philosophy economics contribution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Due to this, producers are forced to employ methods of production that are efficient with an aim o maximize their profits. This leads to low prices that are meant to out do their competitors and this forces investors to go for firms that wants to maximize their profits and hence this works as mechanism of balancing. The invisible hand concept acts as the root of modern economics. A good example is the general equilibrium which states that if the economic forces are balanced in the absence of external influences, then the economic variables will not change. This requires that everything in the market beginning with pricing to production be controlled by the players in the market but not by other forces. These external forces may include among others the regulations that are imposed by the government or other organizations that may have a say on the market. According to the general equilibrium, when the prices are very low, then there is surplus supply and when the prices are very low, then there’s a shortage in supply. As a result of this, the situations tend to control themselves without the need for any regulator from outside. These outside forces in the market slow the rate at which the economy grows and they also lead to infancy in the division of labor. As a result of that need for self improvement, efficient division of labor is realized as well as improved efficiency in the economy. This concept is very much in use even in today’s economy . The modern market structure borrows greatly from the earlier ideas of natural monopoly by Adam Smith.( The Poverty of Philosophy human nature) The division of labor Division of labor is a clear indication of qualitative step towards increased productivity and so it acts as an engine that drives towards realization of economic progress. Smith realized that labor division and for that matter labor specialization would improve greatly on the concentration of workers on the duties they perform. This concentration would come as a result of doing a single task many times or repetitively. The need for improvements in productivity of the work force is said to be the root cause for labor division. According to Smith, labor division can lead to increased productivity. This productivity from the workers can be attributed to specialization in one task since specialization leads to greater skill on their particular subtasks compared to what would be accomplished by the same number of workers performing a broad task. For maximum productivity from workers, skills that they have should be matched with the corresponding equipments.   Most of today’s increase in productivity can be attributed to the matching of technological, human and physical capital and mostly in the manner in which they are organized. This means that laborers need to be equipped with the right skills so as to be effective in what they do compared to when there would be no job specialization and hence anybody could perform any job. Todays economics has borrowed greatly from these ideas from Adam smith. Many organization have realized the need to equip their employees and some even hire unskilled ones but pay for their acquisition of skills. Another outcome of labor division according to Adam smith is minimization of time that is wasted by employees when moving from one task to the other. A lot of time is wasted when people keep on relocating and this proves expensive to the company in the long run because they have to pay the employees. Through labor division, this time wastage is minimized . The modern concept of scientific management borrows greatly from Adam Smiths ideas .Scientific management emphasizes on the connection between activities and the transformation that occurs within the process. This is also supported by William Petty who notes and demonstrates its importance in the construction of Dutch ships. He admits that people with a particular task to perform had discovered new ways of doing their work which were later observed and justified by political writers on economy. (An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) specialisation) The wages of labor Wages of labor are dictated by mostly by the availability of job vacancies and also by the availability of workforce. When there are many workers and the available vacancies are few, the amount of money the workers are paid usually fall. Likewise, when employers compete against one another and the labor supply is limited, the wages paid to the employees usually rises but its worthy noting that this process is made possible by unity among laborers and masters. This kind of unity enables laborers to come together and stop biding for jobs against each other hence making the employers increase the wages paid to them. Likewise when employers come together in unity and stop binding against each other, the wages fall. However, in places where the amount of labor is more compared to the amount of the amount of revenue that can used to pay for waged labor, the competition among the employees in greater than the competition between the employers. Smith argues that the amount of revenue must keep on increasing constantly compared to the amount of labor so that wages may remain high. Profits of stock too have an impact on the wages because the more money is spent on compensating labor; little is left for personal profit. This is clearly shown in countries where competition amongst employees is great compared to competition among employers, profits will be much higher. Due to these views, Smith attacks people who are politically aligned and try to use their political influence to manipulate the government and other powers into their bidding. Smith feared that people of this class could form a powerful block and take advantage of their closeness with the authorities into manipulating the state into enforcing certain regulations meant to serve their interests against the general interests. These would maker other players vulnerable and have no say in the way businesses were being conducted. According to other people the level of specialization brought about by division of labor was externally determined but in the contrary, Smith argued that it was the dynamic engine towards economic progress. Surprisingly, Smith himself criticizes the division of labor arguing that it leads to mental mutilation of the workers hence rendering them ignorant and insular because their lives are limited only to doing a single task many times. These ideas by Smith are incorporated into today’s discussions on economic issues. Human capital is one of the discussions in which Adams Smiths ideas are used. Human capital is one of the four types of capital that were identified by Adam as being important for the success of a company. As argued by Smith previously, human capital and the productive ability of the labor force is both dependant on the division of labor. It’s worthy noting that human capital includes skills, dexterity, and the ability to make the right decisions and human capital can be acquired through informal schooling and on the so called on-the-job training. These acquisitions of skills aimed at improving the effectiveness of the workforce are still practiced today by ma ny companies. (An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) productivity) Adam Smith vs Karl Marx Both Adam Smith and Karl Marx shared a common idea and this common idea was their praise for capitalism .These two early pioneers of modern economics agreed that capitalism was the key in unleashing the productive powers. This argument stated that for the employees to be more productive, they needed to be subject to their bosses or seniors. If the employees were left to work at their own leisure these two men agreed that their productivity would be minimal and as a result, their employers would incur big losses. This created the need for competition among both the employers and the employees as well since this would keep these two parties on their feet through out. But despite these similarities in their in their views, there was differences in their ideas as well. Marx and Smith both seem to agree that capitalism is the ultimate driving force in profit maximization .New profits and value added, they seem to agree came as result of the employers paying the workers the exact value that is in the market for their labor capacity. But the sad thing was that in most cases, the market value of the goods which the workers produced exceeded that market value. This clearly means that the employers were making maximum profits while paying little to their workers. Both Marx and Smith agree that     there are different types of capital and they play different roles during production. Production Capitals include things like land, natural resources or raw materials and lastly technology. All the above named different classes of capital were dependant on each other in production. These two men seemed to agree also that social relations of production should not only be made up of relationships between individuals but rather should be between large groups of people or certain classes of people. These two men had the same idea of a free market. They described a free market as a market in which all prices of the goods that are on offer are decided by mutual consent between sellers and buyers   and also one   that did not mislead both the sellers as well as the buyers. They both argued that these two major people in the market, the buyer and the seller, should not be forced into making decision by an external party. The relationship between these two players should not be manipulated by any one but to the contrary, it should be left to obey the natural law of supply and demand. The difference between free and controlled markets is that   controlled markets are controlled by external forces These forces mostly refers to governments which may directly or indirectly try to have control of prices or the supplies in the market. One area where these two men seem to differ is their idea of job specialization. Smith advocates for specialization for jobs among workers. He argues that laborers who were assigned too many different duties were less productive than those who were assigned a specific task to perform day in day out. He says that this leads to efficient usage of time and it seeks to save time that is usually wasted by workers when moving from one task to another. But to the contrary, Karl Marx disapproves this idea arguing that job specialization could result to workers with more poor overall skills. This, as he says would be brought about by tendency of people to resist change. He also says that when people perform one task repeatedly, it may lead to boredom and make them less enthusiastic about their work. He describes this whole process as a kind of alienation. According to him, the more workers become specialized and do the same thing over and over, they later become totally alienated. Marx goes ahead to argue that division of labor brings with it spiritual depression to the workers. This means that the workers perform their duties feeling as if they are being forced other than doing out of their own will .This greatly lowers the morale of the workers and as a result lower their productivity. Physical tiredness or fatigue can be brought about by job specialization as Marx goes ahead to argue since they no longer feel like human beings but they feel more of machines. Contrary to the idea of Smith, Marx believes that fullness of production is very essential to human liberation goes on to say that he would accept the idea of a strict division of labor as a temporary necessary evil. These views can be said to be in total contrast to those expressed by Smith. Smith on his part believed that any business was a collection of inter related tasks that were aimed at solving a particular issue. So as to effectively do this, Smith argued that the workload should be divided into simple sets of tasks which could be done effectively by workers who were equipped with special skills for doing that particular job. It’s worthy noting that Smith, despite his advocating for division of labor, he does not advocate for achievement of labor division at all costs. It’s worthy noting that in contrast to Smith’s view which were only limited to functional domain only and were made up of activities that were direct in sequence as far as the manufacturing process is concerned, modern processes are very inclusive. It was as a result of his ideas that labor division was adopted. Today, we can clearly say that much of today’s practices in the job markets have bor rowed greatly from the ideas of Smith. In all organization, there is job specialization. This has led to the rise of departments in many organizations and each department is allocated certain workers who are in most cases equipped with certain skill to enable them perform specific duties .The sense in this whole exercise as argued by Smith is that it saves a great deal of time that could be wasted by employees when moving from one task to another. This proves very essential since no employer will want to waste his money employees without maximizing their productivity. However, it is good to note that Smith admits that seeking self interests is not always good. All he tried to do was trying to reverse believe that self interest is generally bad. He also intended to bring to the light the idea that wile human motives are selfish and greedy; the out come of these human behaviors would bring benefits to the whole community at large. This is the direct opposite of the ideas that Marx had .In his arguments; Marx says that the major struggles are always between the producers and those who work in the industries. Another of his greatest contribution to modern economics was his sharp distinction between the two types of division namely social and economic division of labor .If these two labor divisions are conflated, it might look as if labor division is inevitable rather than being constructed socially and influenced by power. (Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) Karl Marx, The Poverty of Philosophy). References Edwin G. West, (1976)The Man and His Wor

Five Ways to Look Up

Five Ways to Look Up Five Ways to Look Up Five Ways to Look Up By Maeve Maddox ESL learners have a tough row to hoe when they set themselves to learn English idioms. Note: â€Å"to have a tough row to hoe† = â€Å"to have a difficult task to carry out.† For example, each of the following sentences contains the verb look and the word up, but each conveys a different thought: 1. It’s a surprise! Keep your head down and don’t look up. In this sentence, up functions as an adverb modifying the verb look. In this context, â€Å"to look up,† means, â€Å"to direct one’s gaze upward.† 2. Before you use an unfamiliar word, be sure to look up the meaning. Here, â€Å"to look up† is a phrasal verb with the meaning â€Å"to search for an item of information, or seek information concerning (a person or thing), in a book or database, on the Internet, etc.† 3. Many youngsters look up to professional athletes. In this context, â€Å"to look up to† is a phrasal verb meaning, â€Å"to have a great deal of respect for, to admire, venerate.† 4. While I’m in Chicago, I intend to look up my old college roommate. This colloquial use of â€Å"to look up† means â€Å"to visit or contact a person, especially for the first time or after loss of contact. 5. My financial planner assures me that the economy is about to look up. This idiom is most commonly used in the progressive tense: â€Å"Things are looking up.† The meaning is â€Å"improving, getting better.† From the verb â€Å"look up† (to seek information) comes the noun lookup, a computer term meaning â€Å"the action or process of looking something up in a database.† Lookup is also used as a qualifier: I often  use the Passage Lookup to compare English translations from the NIV, ESV, NASB, and NKJV.   The  lookup feature  allows you to quickly search your contact manager or PIM (personal information manager) for phone numbers to dial. On my iPad, the  lookup feature  isnt working right for certain entries. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1Is There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Shore It Up

Understanding the Oppression of Women Research Paper

Understanding the Oppression of Women - Research Paper Example Understanding the Oppression of Women The situation of women in American society has progressed multi folds and is an ongoing process.Oppression of women is a topic that is talked about with passion by feminists but when we look at the history of oppression to women, we realize that it is quite a recent event. The woman was actually held in very high esteem as the mother of the clan and one who is responsible for building the clan. It is interesting to note that because of this quality, women were valued and considered too valuable to part with. Men leave their birth clans and get adopted by the clan of the women they choose to be with. This is quite complete contrast to modern society where it is the woman who leaves her family and takes on the man’s name. It is therefore arguable that the inequality came with the development of civilization, the growth of society, economic development and the onset of class distinctions in society. The superiority of man over woman came about around the fifteenth century as marr iage laws set in English society. The concept of one woman for one man resulted eventually in women becoming enslaved and segregated according to their childbearing abilities. The freedom to choose and father children out of wedlock was a prestige that was only given to the upper class. There was also a very distinct trend with regards to labour emerging from competition and extreme growth and demand for the economy. Until them women and men had enjoyed equal division of labour, apart from household chores, as the main source of income was agriculture. Their work places were not too far away or separated from their homes so women could take care of their children and household duties while contributing in the fields. However as the demand for industrial labour grew, women were relegated to low paying mundane tasks. Early in the century, the vast class segregation also brought in a different trend. Men were beginning to be seen as the breadwinners of the family and the one to support the household. The woman was regarded as valuable in her role in the house and her worth was based on the labour she could put in or the riches she brought with her as in the case of the richer class. This tradition continued till the nineteenth century. Women became housewives predominantly. This continuing trend of inequality between men and women in the work force took menacing proportions and women began to be oppressed more and more and lost their rightful place in society. Ancient Asian and African traditions still continue with patriarchal society trends and treat women as slaves and oppress them in marriage and in their own family. We hear about cases of sexual and emotional abuse by men to prove their dominion. Oppression to Women in the United States of America The United States of America, although considered a forward thinking western society has a history of oppression to women that still continues in its own subtle way. When we talk about this topic from Americaâ€⠄¢s perspective however we have to consider the history as seen in the various ethnic groups in the US. We will consider the two main ethnic groups and look at oppression based on them. We classify it as 1. Oppression of African American women 2. Oppression of white women Oppression of African American women The slave trade came to America in the early 1800s and brought many Africans along with it. They were treated as sex-slaves and bore many children out of wedlock to their white masters. They had little no place in society and continued subjugated lives. African women were employed to work in the fields and also as domestic help, which included taking care of the children of their white maste