American Racism Essays - Discrimination, Post-structuralism

American Racism American Racism Society In Nathan McCalls Makes Me Wanna Holler, he describes the difficulties he must face as a young black boy experiencing the slow, never-ending process of the integration of blacks and whites. Through this process, his autobiography serves as an excellent example of my theory on the formation and definition of racial identity; a theory which is based upon a combination of the claims which Stuart Hall and George Lipsitz present in their essays regarding racial identity. Therefore the definition I have concocted is one in which racial identity consists of an unstable historical process through which one comes to know themselves in relation to an outside group. In this paper I will present Hall and Lipsitzs arguments, describing how they confirm and support one another, leading to my theory concerning racial identity. I will then show how this theory is clearly exemplified in the story of McCalls childhood. In Stuart Halls Ethnicity: Identity and Difference, he claims that identity is a volatile social process through which one comes to see the self. Hall argues that identity is not a thing rather a process that happens over time, that is never absolutely stable, that is subject to the play of history, and the play of difference. (Hall 10) These factors are constantly entering the individual in a never-ending cycle, re-establishing and affirming who one is. The play of difference contributes to this cycle through what Hall identifies as the Other, an outside group used for differentiation. He claims that only when there is an Other can you know who you are. The Other serves to provide a comparison in order to discover that which one is not; this is differentiation. Identity does not solely rely on the social differentiation of the self identity is mutually constructed. It does not exist without the dialogic relationship to the Other.(Hall, 11) That is, ones personal narrative of the self must also come into play, relating identity to difference. This personal narrative is attained only because of the important role History plays in tying these factors together. In order for one to relate identity to difference using the dialogical method, he/she must position [themselves] somewhere in order to say anything at all.(Hall, 12) This position is attained through an understanding of history; a history which is constructed not only politically, but also through narrative and memory. (Hall, 13) The past is recovered and therefore present in our lives. Throughout his essay, Hall applies his ideas regarding identity to race and racism through the examples he presents. He describes instances that show how members of certain races come to relate themselves to their race through the identity process he presents. The discovery of race, how people interpret ones biological makeup, is also attributed to history and the Other. The form of racism, the system of providing disadvantages and advantages due to race, that Hall talks about is a definition which shows the way all of our behavior/conduct is pervaded by certain racist elements. He argues that racism is a structure of discourse and representation that tries to expel the Other symbolically (Hall, 11) Race is attributed to the mutual construction of ones social position as seen by the Other and the individuals position. In this respect, racism is relational because people rely on differentiation to know who they are. They must sustain the Other by recovering history to expel the other symbolically. (Hall, 11) In Lipsitzs The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: Racialized Social Democracy and the White Problem in American Studies, he explores the political aspect of the history which is recovered in respect to race through a specific set of political policies. He argues that through the historical process of political institution and various explicit racist policies since World War II, whites develop an economic advantage. He discusses numerous governmental policies concerning housing, employment, and education which have led to racism today by creating a certain identity and investment in whites. This possessive investment, which began as covert with previous racist policies and is now inscribed within the U.S. social democracy, means that being white came to mean economic advantages and these advantages became natural. (Lipsitz, 198) In accordance with Hall, this history of governmental policies

Definition and Examples of Productivity in Language

Definition and Examples of Productivity in Language Definition Productivity is a general term in linguistics for the limitless ability to use language (i.e., any natural language) to say new things. Also known as open-endedness or creativity. The term productivity is also applied in a narrower sense to particular forms or constructions (such as affixes) that can be used to produce new instances of the same type. In this sense, productivity is most commonly discussed in connection with word formation. See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: ArbitrarinessCultural TransmissionDisplacementDuality of PatterningEnglish LanguageNatural LanguageWhat Is Language? Examples and Observations Humans are continually creating new expressions and novel utterances by manipulating their linguistic resources to describe new objects and situations. This property is described as productivity (or creativity or open-endedness) and it is linked to the fact that the potential number of utterances in any human language is infinite.The communication systems of other creatures do not appear to have this type of flexibility. Cicadas have four signals to choose from and vervet monkeys have 36 vocal calls. Nor does it seem possible for creatures to produce new signals to communicate novel experiences or events. . . .This limiting factor of animal communication is described in terms of fixed reference. Each signal in the system is fixed as relating to a particular object or occasion. Among the vervet monkeys repertoire, there is one danger signal CHUTTER, which is used when a snake is around, and another RRAUP, used when an eagle is spotted nearby. These signals are fixed in terms of their reference and cannot be manipulated. (George Yule, The Study of Language, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Open-Endedness, Duality of Patterning, and Freedom From Stimulus Control [M]ost of the utterances you produce and hear every day have very likely never before been produced by anybody. Consider a few examples: A large tear rolled down the little pink dragons nose; Peanut butter is a poor substitute for putty; Luxembourg has declared war on New Zealand; Shakespeare wrote his plays in Swahili, and they were translated into English by his African bodyguards. You have no difficulty in understanding theseeven if you dont believe all of them...This limitless ability to produce and understand totally new utterances is called open-endedness, and it should be perfectly clear to you that, without it, our languages and indeed our lives would be unrecognizably different from what they are. Perhaps no other feature of language so dramatically illustrates the vast, unbridgeable gulf separating human language from the signaling systems of all other creatures.The importance of open-endedness has been realized by linguists for decades; the term was coined by the American linguist Charles Hockett in 1960, though others have sometimes preferred the labels productivity or creativity.  (R.L. Trask, Language, and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed., edited by Peter Stockwell. Routledge, 2007)[I]n human language the meaningful messages (both sentences and words) are infinite in variety by virtue of the fact that words are produced from a system of combining a finite set of meaningless units. Linguists since Hockett in the 1960s have described this hallmark property of language as duality of patterning.  (Dani Byrd and Toben H. Mintz, Discovering Speech, Words, and Mind. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010)The ability to respond freely is another key aspect of creativity: no human is obliged to make a fixed response to any situation. People can say whatever they want, or even stay silent... Having a limitless range of possible responses is known (technically) as freedom from stimulus control. (Jean Aitchison, The Word Weavers: Newshounds and Wordsmiths. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Productive, Nonproductive, and Semiproductive Forms and Patterns A pattern is productive if it is repeatedly used in language to produce further instances of the same type (e.g. the past-tense affix -ed in English is productive, in that any new verb will be automatically assigned this past-tense form). Non-productive (or unproductive) patterns lack any such potential; e.g. the change from mouse to mice is not a productive plural formation - new nouns would not adopt it, but would use instead the productive -s-ending pattern. Semi-productive forms are those where there is a limited or occasional creativity, as when a prefix such as un- is sometimes, but not universally, applied to words to form their opposites, e.g. happy → unhappy, but not sad → *unsad. (David Crystal, Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 6th ed. Blackwell, 2008)[T]he plural affix s which is added onto the base form of nouns is productive because any new noun which is adopted into English will employ it, whereas the change from foot to feet is unproductive becau se it represents a fossilised plural form limited to a small set of nouns. (Geoffrey Finch, Linguistic Terms, and Concepts. Palgrave Macmillan, 2000) The productivity of a pattern can change. Until recently, the adverb-forming suffix -wise was unproductive and confined to a handful of cases such as likewise, clockwise, lengthwise and otherwise. But today it has become highly productive, and we frequently coin new words like healthwise, moneywise, clothes wise and romancewise (as in How are you getting on romancewise?).  (R.L. Trask, Dictionary of English Grammar. Penguin, 2000) The Lighter Side of Productivity Now, our language, Tiger, our language. Hundreds of thousands of available words, trillions of legitimate new ideas. Hm? So that I can say the following sentence and be utterly sure that nobody has ever said it before in the history of human communication: Hold the newsreaders nose squarely, waiter or friendly milk will countermand my trousers. (Stephen Fry, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, 1989)

Management of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management of Change - Essay Example However, several environmental changes such as global climate change and demographic changes pose greater risks to the effectiveness of Victoria State Emergency Service. There is an increasing shortage of volunteers. Increased demand for work, increasing costs of labor and diversification of the emergency management services. Victoria State Emergency Service will have to undergo change in order to attain comprehensive, coordinated and integrated emergency management capabilities. The agency must use innovative, professional and progressive approach to emergency management by ensuring high preparedness and excellent disaster mitigation services especially in the response and recovery cycle. The critical factors that have triggered change at the agency include the external environment that requires a change in the mission, leadership, operational strategies and culture of the emergency management agency. The current scenario at the organization has the likelihood of causing a decline i n overall performance, poor emergency services and conflict in the organization. Burke-Litwin Model of organizational performance and change can be used in diagnosing the need for change and making essential recommendations for the change at Victoria State Emergency Service. The model contains 12 organizational dimensions that determine how the performance of an organization is influence by the external and internal factors. The 12 dimensions include the external environment, mission and strategy, leadership, organizational culture, structure, systems, management practices, work unit climate, tasks and individual skills, individuals’ needs and values, motivation and finally individual and overall organizational performance (Burke, 2008). Some external drivers of change in the external environment include the changes in demography, technological changes, economic changes and climate change. Apart from the vision,

The Strategic Connotations of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Dissertation

The Strategic Connotations of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Performance and Sustainability of UK Banks - Dissertation Example This report declare that Corporate Social Responsibility has become an indispensable element amongst the current day business organizations. Over and above enhancing their operational and financial performances, it had become obligatory for the organizations to concentrate in the same way on social aspects such as, biodiversity, dearth of food and water, weather change, environmental safety, and poverty etc. This is owing to the fact that the various groups of stakeholders are keen to know how the business houses contribute to the overall society and lend a hand in the development of a sustainable planet, rather than concentrating merely on their business activities. This discusion explores that banks, amongst all the financial services organizations, have become increasingly proactive about corporate social responsibility activities owing to the pressures from the society as well as the government and other regulatory bodies. There are number of industry initiatives that endorse sustainable activities among banks, namely, Equator Principles, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, London Principles etc. These initiatives have been formulated to offer guiding principles and framework for banks to take up lending policies that are socially as well as environmentally sound. However, there are number of aspects that have been continuously discussed amongst researchers. These include, to what degree these initiatives have impacted the operations of the banks, what are the issues that impel the banks to pursue and take on these initiatives, whether these initiatives are only meant to guarantee long term success and improvement of bran d name and do not have much to do with participation in sustainable development. Thus, this would be appealing to evaluate how the social responsibility issues and initiatives influence the CSR activities of banks and how do these initiatives contribute to the accomplishment of the bank’s strategic goals and above all to its overall sustainable development. Research Objective The chief objective of this research is to identify the aspects of reaction of the UK based Banks to matters pertaining to sustainability by endowing with a clear comprehension of the present activities of the banking industry in terms of sustainability. To be specific, this research study would attempt to illustrate the sustainability issues that the banking industry is UK is encountering, assess the condition of the sustainable banking plans at the banking industry or organization levels of UK. The study would also evaluate the function of different stakeholders and their impact on sustainable banking in addition to assessing the impelling factors as well as the difficulties of sustainable banking in the UK banking industry. The research study wo

Mission and vision statements Essay Example for Free

Mission and vision statements Essay Mission of Toyota is to provide safe sound journey. Toyota is developing various new technologies from the perspective of energy saving and diversifying energy sources. Environment has been first and most important issue in priorities of Toyota and working toward creating a prosperous society and clean world. 3. Dell vision and mission Vision: It’s the way we do business. Its the way we interact with the community. Its the way we interpret the world around us our customers need, the future of technology, and the global business climate. Whatever changes the future may bring our vision Dell Vision will be our guiding force. Mission: To be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. 4. Pepsi Vision and Mission Vision: PepsiCos responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate environment, social, economic creating a better tomorrow than today. Mission: Our mission is to be the worlds premier consumer products company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity 5. Vision Mission of Titan Vision: To be a world-class, innovative and progressive organization and to build worlds’s most desirable brands. Mission: To create wealth for all our stakeholders by building highly successful businesses based on a customer-centric approach, and to contribute to the community.

What Are The Major Components Of Biological Membranes And How Do They :: essays research papers fc

What Are The Major Components of Biological Membranes And How Do They Contribute To Membrane Function?. Summary. The role of the biological membrane has proved to be vital in countless mechanisms necessary to a cells survival. The phospholipid bilayer performs the simpler functions such as compartmentation, protection and osmoregulation. The proteins perform a wider range of functions such as extracellular interactions and metabolic processes. The carbohydrates are found in conjunction with both the lipids and proteins, and therefore enhance the properties of both. This may vary from recognition to protection. Overall the biological membrane is an extensive, self-sealing, fluid, asymmetric, selectively permeable, compartmental barrier essential for a cell or organelles correct functioning, and thus its survival. Introduction. Biological membranes surround all living cells, and may also be found surrounding many of an eukaryotes organelles. The membrane is essential to the survival of a cell due to its diverse range of functions. There are general functions common to all membranes such as control of permeability, and then there are specialised functions that depend upon the cell type, such as conveyance of an action potential in neurones. However, despite the diversity of function, the structure of membranes is remarkably similar. All membranes are composed of lipid, protein and carbohydrate, but it is the ratio of these components that varies. For example the protein component may be as high as 80% in Erythrocytes, and as low as 18% in myelinated neurones. Alternately, the lipid component may be as high as 80% in myelinated neurones, and as low as 15% in skeletal muscle fibres. The initial model for membrane structure was proposed by Danielli and Davson in the late 1930s. They suggested that the plasma membrane consisted of a lipid bilayer coated on both sides by protein. In 1960, Michael Robertson proposed the Unit Membrane Hypothesis which suggests that all biological membranes -regardless of location- have a similar basic structure. This has been confirmed by research techniques. In the 1970s, Singer and Nicholson announced a modified version of Danielli and Davsons membrane model, which they called the Fluid Mosaic Model. This suggested that the lipid bilayer supplies the backbone of the membrane, and proteins associated with the membrane are not fixed in regular positions. This model has yet to be disproved and will therefore be the basis of this essay. The lipid component. Lipid and protein are the two predominant components of the biological membrane. There are a variety of lipids found in membranes, the majority of which are phospholipids. The phosphate head of a lipid molecule is hydrophilic, while the long fatty acid tails are hydrophobic. This gives the overall molecule an amphipathic nature.

Technology In Our Daily Lives

Technology is increasingly dominate the lives of human race for the last hundred years. We are becoming more dependent on it in many regards. It is very useful in assisting us on doing household works, education and transports. Despite it’s peaceful use the advancement of technology is still a subject of much controversy. Many argue that the production or consumption of it can be very undesirable for the society. It’s because new kind of weapon develop as new technology advance. Besides, new type of crime also can occur. The dropping of two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki pictured modern technology as a threat to humanity.Our modern technology is also seen as something that can wipe out lives in a blink of an eye especially when we are talking about weaponry. Since the end of the First World War humanity has raced to develop weapons of mass destruction. During the Cold War, the American and Soviet Union had enough nuclear stockpiles to annihilate the human race. They both are trying to dismantle as much as they can since the Cold War ended long ago. But people are still fear the danger of nuclear terrorism. It’s when nuclear weapons fall to the hand of terrorist.The movie â€Å"Sum Of All Fears† dramatizes things that could happen when terrorists have a control over nuclear weapon. New type of crime also taking place as our technology advance. Cyberbullying can be one of the examples. It’s the use of information technology to harm or harass other people in a deliberate, repeated and hostile manner. It’s a very serious offence in some countries like in the United States, United Kingdom and many other developed nations. Other than that, new type of scams like voice pitching also occur as the way we communicate change because of advancement in communication technology.However, many also argue that the improvement of our technology improve health care services in many ways. In the last 50 years, doctors and scientist s have developed many new approaches and cures for deadly and contagious diseases like Tubercolosis. Also, doctors now able to detect symptoms of diseases earlier before it can cause harm to the patient. Now, surgeons also able to perform a surgery without physically present in the surgical room. This thing can happens because the help of our modernization of our communication technology and modern computer.Nevertheless, technology is also an engine of prosperity. It gives benefits to our economy as new machineries able to produce more variety of goods and provide better services. Economy able to satisfy the increasing needs and wants of the society as new technology enable producer to process things quicker. At home, machineries also assist us in finishing many of our household works. Now, working mother able to cook dishes without having to cook it by themselves. They can use their smartphone application to get it done for them.It affects educational field in many terms at the sam e time. Schools and universities able to provide better service by confronting students with up to date information from the internet. The invention of new software like Turnitin helps lecturers to prevent their students from plagiarize someone’s work. In conclusion, technology is very beneficial for the live of human race. It’s offers us a better medical care as its prolonged our life span. Besides, it’s also serve as an engine of prosperity as it can satisfy our needs and wants better and also it increases human well being.