Adolescent Obesity in Canada

Adolescent Obesity in Canada Free Online Research Papers When is it too much? Since when has a simple act of eating become one of the world’s biggest issues? Since when has adolescent obesity caused so much mental damage to adolescents? Recent studies have shown that approximately 16 percent of adolescents are obese in the United States when in the 1960’s it was only four percent(FDA). What is being obese? MedicineNet defines being obese as being over twenty percent over their ideal weight. This varies from gender, age and height and adolescents being defined as students from ages 13-17.(MedicineNet) Obesity became a problem for adolescents when fast food restaurants became the most viable nutritional option. Luckily for Quebec schools, however, the Premier Jean-Charest passed a bill banning schools from serving or selling fast food. â€Å"Kids who eat better, who are well-fed, with a balanced diet, have more chances of having a healthy lifestyle, of being able to concentrate and to function to the maximum of their capacity, said Jean-Charest, the Premier of Quebec (CBC). Most of these teenagers become obese because it is a genetic trait from their parents. It is known that adolescents have a bigger appetite during adolescence generating a real passion for food. Many schools have decide to sell out to fast food companies and let their students have easy access to unhealthy food; making obesity in adolescents a common problem. Taking fast food out of schools and replacing them with more nutritional foods would promote healthy eating to adolescents. Schools should take a bigger part in the health of adolescents by banning fast food in schools because of stress, physical health and the fast food industry influence. Adolescent obesity causes major amounts of mental stress that can affect their behaviour in school which is why schools should make sure their students keep a positive and healthy lifestyle. Studies have also shown that when adolescents become obese and rely on food as a comfort zone, they do not do as well as other students academically and physically. They become lazy and stressed which leads to more eating. This routine causes emotional stress and can even lead to mental illness. This depression makes it even harder for obese teenagers to work out. â€Å"Fast food is also inexpensive; most menu items offer a full meal for under ten dollars. It is easy to see why fast food is so popular these days- it is convenient and reduces our stress† (Hyde 1). Though fast food is convenient, it is addictive and its satisfaction is only temporary. The stress it relieves is also temporary because, just like cigarettes, it is easily accessible but in the long term it increases stress. Fast food may be inexpensive, but adolescents cannot afford to become lazy and inactive over the long-term. It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that health of its students is a top priority. Over the years fast food has been served throughout many schools causing very unhealthy lifestyles but it reached a new level on December 8th, 2007 when ABC news reported that McDonald’s coupons are being printed on student’s report cards. Certain schools in Florida and many other places have decided to let McDonald’s promote their fatty foods to students who get good grades. The deal between these schools and McDonald’s is that every student that gets A’s or B’s will have a McDonald’s coupon for a free Big Mac. The schools are rewarding good students by giving them fatty foods. The schools commented saying that McDonald’s is contributing to the school by adding to the school’s budget. This was helpful to schools that wanted to increase their budget. This situation is not only in the United States, in Fredericton, Canada, a crowd of students at a local high school were interviewed. CTV news interviewed certain studen ts asking them why they had left school to eat at the nearest McDonald’s. They said that the school food was not good. The B.C. government said that by 2009, all junk food would be banned in schools (CTV). The McDonald’s representatives say that they never approached the schools, the schools came to them. One example of these schools is a certain school in Florida that was paid $1,600 to put a free burger or fries coupon on every single report card containing all A’s or B’s. â€Å"Teaching healthy eating in the classroom and providing fast-food vouchers for fundraising efforts is not sending a consistent message (Neville). Putting fast food vouchers on report cards only leads to confusion. â€Å"To have significant use of fast-food vouchers very much flies in the face of all the efforts to remove these poor food choices† (Haikerwal). Schools should not confuse their students by teaching them to not eat fast food while giving them McDonald’s coupons; they should find other ways to avoid advertising fast food as it is the school’s responsibility. The physical health of adolescents is in danger when unhealthy food is easily accessible. Most schools have one to two physical education classes each week. A simple adjustment made by the school could give students proper exercise and would help them live a healthy lifestyle. In many schools there are laws about recess but in some schools children are not allowed to play tag or even run. This does not promote an active lifestyle. Some people debate that it is the parent’s responsibility to make sure that their children are healthy, physically and mentally. They say that parents should talk to their child about exercise and educate them about it. It is a dangerous to assume that parents are always capable to take care of their children. It is the school’s responsibility to educate. It is their responsibility because, unless homeschooled, children spend most of their day at school. If school prepares you for life, then shouldn’t it tell you how to eat right therefore simply showing students how to eat healthy in small easy steps might encourage them to try and live a healthy lifestyle. â€Å"From 25-40 percent of children inherit the tendency towards overweight† (HelpGuide). For the reason of parents not having enough time with their children, schools should teach their students how to maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid adolescent obesity. Fast food is becoming easily accessible and it is the responsibility of the schools to make sure that students are not exposed or encouraged to eat it in schools. Fast food companies around the world used different tactics to advertise to adolescents and have put fast food in some schools. This made many schools ban fast food in vending machines. A recent survey was taken at 345 high schools all around the United States asking them what they sell, how much they make and how much each product takes in. The results showed that all schools said fast food makes up 70 percent of all food sales. The schools should not encourage eating fast food on a regular basis. They should be helping all students by not serving fast food and making sure no students bring fast food with them to school which might encourage other students to do the same. One might argue that the fast food companies benefit the schools by helping the funding. What many don’t realize is that staying healthy is as important if not more important than education. Making sure that children know how to eat right is extremely important and they must know what is healthy and what isn’t therefore schools can use advertising of fast food but not in any blatant form that would send the wrong message to students. Schools should focus more on the students’ health and exercise rather than advertising fast food because it will lead to obesity at an even younger age. Schools should take a bigger part in the health of adolescents by banning fast food in schools because of stress, physical health and the fast food industry influence. The schools should remove vending machines and fast food as an option for lunch as it is extremely unhealthy and can lead to an obese lifestyle. Schools should set their priorities straight because if schools will advertise fast food and not show students how to live a healthy lifestyle then there will be very few who will be able to eat right. By keeping all these fast foods from schools and out of the students’ reach, the students will not have easy access to it in schools and this will promote eating healthy. Children who have one obese parents have a 50 percent chance of being obese. To prevent obesity from being passed down through parents, we should teach adolescents about the healthy lifestyle and what it can do. Obesity can lead to diabetes and heart diseases therefore the school should take full respons ibilities of the students. Research Papers on Adolescent Obesity in CanadaStandardized TestingQuebec and CanadaGenetic EngineeringEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Effects of Illegal Immigration19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductHip-Hop is ArtNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology

The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology Introduction: What is social psychology? Social psychology is a scientific discipline in which social scientists attempt to look at the influence of other people on an individual’s feelings, behavior, and thoughts. In most cases, the presence of other people in an individual’s surrounding is taken to be actual, implied, or imagined (Fiske, 2010, p. 4; Sanderson, 2010, p. 4).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, social psychology revolves around the study of social influence, which is the impact of other human beings on others, and thus people tend to do what others (in their immediate environment) are doing at a given period in time. As a result, the human being(s) that influence one or more persons in the social set-up constitute a social situation. Therefore, social situations can be anything from one person (bystander) to a group of people (students in a classroom). This paper seeks to analyze the core characteristics of social psychology before looking at the concept of situationism and its relevance to social psychology. Finally, the paper will look at the core social motives and their significance to the field of social psychology. The core characteristics of social psychology There are four core features of social psychology including broad scope, cultural mandate, scientific methods, and search for wisdom (Fiske, 2010, pp. 29-34). As noted in the foregoing discussions, the fact that social psychology entails the study of the social influence makes it have a broad scope in many aspects. Here, it is important to note that social influence exists because people are always motivated to exist and/or comply with different social situations. For instance, social influence is the driving force behind fashion dynamics, career choices, politics, and sports among other human activities or b ehaviors. Therefore, since social psychology aims at looking into each of these social activities relative to the conduct of the human beings involved, its scope is not limited to only a few items. As a result, for one to adequately cover the topic of social influence there is the need to break it down into manageable subcategories, which will then form the basis of scientific experiments and other investigations. On the other hand, social psychology is culturally mandated in that its evolution/development is pegged on cultural changes, which in turn implies that people will devise different social motives in order to survive in the ever-changing/diverse cultures in the contemporary societies.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, in the recent past, if one wanted to predict the behavior of another person, and in turn explain why the latter acted in whichev er way, the explanation will be based on religion or tradition. However, with emergence of social sciences, human behavior can be examined and elaborated on the basis of scientific methods, theories, and hypotheses. Simply put, social psychology and other social sciences provide various scientific explanations, which underpin social behavior and cultures in the contemporary society (Fiske, 2010, p. 33). Further, scientific methods form the integral part of social psychology in that they aid the development of theories and their validation in order to provide the scientific understanding of human behavior. Moreover, the knowledge base informing social psychology is based on various aspects of the scientific methods including techniques, methodologies, analyses, and standards. Finally, scientific methods supply the research strategies needed in social psychology. For instance, it is common practice for social psychologists to carry out experimental and observational research studies w hile observing some stipulated procedures and standards before making final statements about the influence of people on others (Fiske, 2010). Accordingly, the goals and objectives of any research survey under the field of social psychology are based on the need to search for wisdom. Here, since social psychology intends to tackle practical social issues, it is obvious that the scientific knowledge put forth is meant to build on existing knowledge and making the whole society knowledgeable. Most importantly, the practical implications of the knowledge gathered from scientific investigations form the key goal of almost all social psychology experiments. Hence, it is widely believed that if people are made to understand how and why people influence others, perhaps the negative implications of social influence will be ameliorated at some point. Overall, the scientific knowledge obtained in social psychology fits into the much needed wisdom in the world today (Fiske, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Situationism The concept of situationism underlies the scientific relevance of the social context in investigating social influence. Unlike the belief that social behavior is occasioned by individual personality, Fiske (2010, p. 7) posits that social behavior is a product of people’s immediate surroundings (social context). Therefore, experiments conducted by Lewin and his students have shown that the impact of situations on social behaviors surpasses individual personalities. In most cases, situations tend to be democratic in that social situations will always influence all the people involved irrespective of their personalities. Therefore, social situations can be used to predict social behaviors. Unlike ordinary people, social psychologists find situations to be more important than personalities in in vestigating people’s behavior because of various reasons. First, ordinary people tend to over-rely on personalities more than situations in explaining human behaviors. Secondly, it is widely accepted that the study of personality is a complex topic that should be studied as a single entity. Moreover, personality theorists tend to disagree on the methods of measuring personality. Thirdly, the personality-based explanation of human behavior is deficient in terms of measuring/predicting specific behaviors in a random situation. Sometimes, situations and personalities taken together have been found to be more accurate in predicting specific behaviors. Therefore, as scientists, social psychologists find it more appropriate to engage the concept of situationism in explaining and predicting behavior because it is a concept that is usually underestimated in most studies (Fiske, 2010, p. 10). Core social motives As noted earlier, for people to survive in a given group, there is the ne ed to devise ways (social motives) that fit into the existing social situation. Therefore, social motives are the fundamental psychological processes, which inform people’s behaviors, feelings, and thoughts in the presence of other people. According to Fiske (2010), the major social motives are trusting, understanding, belonging, controlling, and self-enhancing. These motives are the product of the interaction between personality and situations unlike other personality predispositions, which predict consistent behaviors irrespective of the underlying situations. Therefore, each of these core motives is important to social psychology because they inform different psychological analyses.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Here, studies have shown that a motive is the driving force behind the behavioral characteristics of a person existing in a given situation (life space). Furthermore, certain defining characteristics of a situation serve to facilitate or hinder the behavioral changes in a person (Fiske, 2010, p. 15). Accordingly, the situational characteristics acquire either negative or positive values (Valence) depending on an individual’s perception of the situation. Therefore, there is evidence to suggest that the social motives underlie situationism, which as earlier stated, is an important concept in social psychology. Moreover, social psychologists agree that a person’s motives characterize a psychological situation relative to that individual’s interpretations, and thus form the basis of situationism. Accordingly, social motives are important in explaining, describing, and unifying various seemingly independent lines of psychological research in that they inform specific theories and research methodologies in social psychology (Fiske, 2010). However, despite that the motives have not been adopted into research as a framework, there seems to be widespread acceptance of the five motives by both social and personality psychologists. As a result, there is the need to devise ways of incorporating these motives as a framework in future studies involving human behavior and social influence. References Fiske, S.T. (2010). Social beings: Core motives in social psychology (2nd ed.). River Street, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Web. Sanderson, C.A. (2010). Social psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Web.

Autobiographical Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Autobiographical Narrative - Essay Example ces, although I did not want to be a high school teacher, listening to my mum and her students arguing about various issues in literature sparked my curiosity. I enjoyed hearing them criticize each other and I wished someday I could have the courage and knowledge to debate issues as competently as my mum could. As I grew up, I became an active debater from grade school through to high school, I studied widely more so in literature and politics, which were my favorite subjects. In high school, I ran for the position of class representative and I won. As a class representative, I had the chance to discuss issues that affected students with teachers and with fellow students. I discovered a completely new world of intrigues and vested interest albeit limited to a high school level. Afterwards when I joined college, I continued with my interest in student politics, however it is possible that the gusto with which I immersed myself may have negatively impacted on my performance as since after the first year, my mother insisted that until I stopped scoring anything below B minus, I would have to give politics a wide berth. Frankly, I thought she was being paranoid and overprotective but after giving the matter considerable thought, I decided to conform, not so much because I agreed with her opinion but out of respect and the fact that she had brought me up to respect my elders. It was during my hiatus from active politics that I discovered my other talent which came to dominate my next three years and which took the place of my interest in politics. One of the subjects in that I was failing was contemporary literature and my professor suggested that I might want to try writing something for myself and see how it compares to the work of some of the writers I was s tudying. I started reporting about the student politics and in one particularly sensational case, I investigated; I discovered two candidates for campus leadership had been involved in smear campaigns against

Process of exploring acomplex situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Process of exploring acomplex situation - Essay Example Technology is one particular element in the current human culture that connects every nationality together in the present system of things. The material culture that it opens up to the current human generation actually increases the capability of the people to relate to each other even beyond understanding the cultures and values of each nationality through the existence of language. Likely, the idea is that technology becomes an undeniably fine link between people around the world today especially because of the advancement that it implies on every group of people regardless of their culture and values as members of the human society. Certainly, although different, people are made one with the help of the recognition and understanding of different norms and regularities in the human society. Meanwhile, perspective naturally refers to individual belief. It may or may not be accordingly related to the worldviews accepted by the society, but it certainly is based upon one's own understanding and beliefs. For instance, such matter could be identified through the understanding of one's culture. Elements of culture are significant in explaining the differences of people in the different areas of the world. Understandably, such elements make a certain implication on how and who a certain group of people is depending on their perceptions of life, their language and their historical background as well. Likely, such elements of culture are used to identify people regarding their lifestyle and how they are actually able to contribute to the development of the society at present. Value conflict usually occurs when a person's ideas of something or someone does not connect with that of the others. Likely, in terms of language, such situation occurs when one does not understand a language based on the perception of others. If one foreigner does not understand the way English should be understood, comprehension of the conversation becomes impossible. Perspective is then based upon the belief of a person and the basic understanding that he has upon himself and the society that he lives in. 3. (a) Read through the article of The Environmental Crisis (at the end of TMA 01).As you read through the article create one summary spray diagram to illustrate the main ideas you obtained from the article material. (15% marks) (b) Then create a rich picture for the article. The rich picture should capture both what you have read about and what you personally think and feel about this issue. (15% marks) The environment exists in connection with the kind of society that lives in it, everyone living in it then should recognize the responsibility they have towards protecting the resources provided by the environment to them. (c) Determine if this issue is a mess or a difficulty. Give justification for your choice (not more than 200 words). Your justification should indicate that you have understood the concept of these situations. (20% marks) At the present, the society is critically involved and focused with the rapid industrialization and the technological advancement in every field that is connected

A comparison of black no more by george schuyler and the souls of black folk by w e b du bois Essay Example for Free

A comparison of black no more by george schuyler and the souls of black folk by w e b du bois Essay As African Americans who lived around the turn of the 20th century, both George S. Schuyler and W.E.B. Du Bois encountered the issue of race in the United States in the intimate fashion. The identity of the African American was an unresolved question during this period, and as prolific writers and social commentators, these two men constructed solutions to this matter through their respective literary approach. Schuyler composed a provocative narrative entitled Black No More, which offered an answer to the issue of race through satire. Du Bois alternatively held a more practical approach to dissolving racial barriers in the United States, which took into account the identity of the modern African American within a series of essays entitled The Souls of Black Folk. To the same extent that their literary styles differed, so too did their perspectives on race. Through fictional example, Schuyler regarded race as a quality among human beings which served to mislead, allowing it to be wielded as a tool for separation and disparity among the groups which is defined, while Du Bois’ insight into the Afro-American condition, both past, and present, uplifted race as being a stronghold of community and therefore a source of individual empowerment. In Black No More, Schuyler presented the quality of race as an obstacle that stood between African Americans and realizing their true identity. Schuyler understood, as did all African Americans in the 1930s, that the problem with race is the social pressure that being of a certain race can impose. Being of an inferior race, it can barricade an individual and a group’s collective aspirations. Race can be reminiscent of a smokescreen that hangs before one’s actual identity. If this is the case, race becomes something that we want to escape and to transcend. Given this confinement, Black No More presents the idea that if we were able to change our race, we should. As compared to finding a way for the black community to assimilate into the white community through social reform, Schuyler proposed an end to the color line by assimilating African Americans visually. Through Dr. Junius Crookman’s technological creation, known as Black No More, Inc., the skin of blacks ca n miraculously be turned white. In the book, the process is tremendously effective because the black people who undergo the Black No More process are not only white in color but become virtually indistinguishable from whites in physical appearance as well. This provided an avenue for many people to live a life of increased privilege without the anxiety of racial discrimination. In spite of all of the promise that this business scheme presented, by erasing the black population in the United States, Crookman effectively erodes the significance of race along with it. The dynamic of race changes from an inherent, inborn quality that all human beings possess to something that is constructed and we, therefore, have a choice in deciding. As the birth of black babies from seemingly white couples within the novel indicates, the race is still defined to be a genetic characteristic. In such a world where the color of one’s skin is mutable, however, the race has meaning only as something socially constructed. In alignment with the selfish views that many of Schuyler’s characters possess, we would all choose to be white because it is the race that is in the majority and provides the greatest personal advantage. In this context, the race is a fiction. Given this notion that race resembles a smokescreen that clouds our true identity, Black No More shows how race can be very misleading. African Americans living during the early 20th century felt their culture to be inferior to that of whites and the attitudes of black characters within the book are a reflection of that sentiment. Instead of promoting an inferior culture, the normative choice for them was to look for ways to become white. This ability to fully enter into white culture is what made Black No More such a lucrative business. Schuyler, however, was convinced that black culture was equal to that of white culture, and articulated this lack of difference through the intelligence that many of his black, or previously black characters possess in contrast to the white characters. Dr. Crookman, for example, is clearly very intelligent to have created such a powerful force behind the Black No More operation. Additionally, Max, the guinea pig of the operation, lives in a world tha t has convinced him that he is inferior by his skin color alone, yet he becomes a white man, who goes out to exploit droves of white men for his own personal gain. The setbacks which Max faced as a black man were not innate, but were imposed by society. Max is a smart individual, and the only factor that played into his social disparity before and after his transformation was the color of his skin. Yet, undergoing such a seemingly simple transition from black to white indicates the lack of a black culture. This lack of a black culture was seen through Max’s lack of self-evaluation when undergoing the Black No More process. There is no regret that Max encounters by turning his back on his kind, and neither do the individuals that follow him in the process. The only thing Max realizes is the lie that white culture perpetuates. For as much freedom and as many liberties as being white provides, the superiority of white culture in comparison to a black culture within the United States has misled him into thinking that white people are more interesting than they truly are, while that is simply not the case. Even though Max finds the black culture more interesting, he still does not think twice about turning his back on his kind in exchange for greater prosperity and happiness. Considering that race can be manipulated to change one’s appearance and consequently, their liberties, race exists as a tool. One would imagine that the abolition of blackness in Black No More would result in an end to racism, the solution to the race problem in the United States yet, in a paradoxical twist, a color line must be fabricated. It becomes known that the extremely pale people are the black people who turned white. Pale individuals become the target of discrimination, which influences all people to collectively desire a darker skin color. Instead of being a bastion of values that has the ability to unite groups of people, the race is acknowledged as something divisive. This is signified by the droves of African Americans who turn their back on their kind with little thought and pay for the Black No More process day after day. In a capitalist society, the race ultimately matters more than class. As compared to a world where race is indicative of something beneath the surface, Black No More creates a reality in which race is controllable, and at the fee of $50, it is a tool accessible for all black people, even in a post-Depression society. To use race as a means of providing an underclass is a problem that is deeply rooted in our economic system, and cannot be purged without great social change. Schuyler conveyed the absurdity of this system through the public lynching of the book’s political figures. This event shows that even at a time when there is great social change, humans still possess a fundamental desire to discriminate against others based on the color of their skin. As a former socialist, Schuyler may have been making a point about the flaw of the capitalist system, but the oppression of others is an ethical matter that undoubtedly falls upon the shoulders of the American people. Instead of intending to fabricate a panacea to the tune of Black No More, Inc., Du Bois’ intent within The Souls of Black Folk was to flesh out the impediment that being black provided for the African American individual. Du Bois’ main concern in his essays rested in what he called the â€Å"veil.† This veil is a symbol of the ignorance of America towards the problems of blacks. It blocks insight into the problems of African Americans and serves to prevent blacks from taking their place in society as full American citizens. Until the veil is removed, argued Du Bois, the continuing schism between the two races will grow wider and wider. Closely tied to the concept of the veil is that of double consciousness, or the process by which blacks have two identities within one body. Du Bois historically charts the development of the ‘World Spirit’ through its many peoples: Chinese, Egyptians, Indians, Greeks, Romans and Germans. Of this 7th type, the African American, Du Bois conceives sort of the seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world—a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world†1 It is this seventh son, who possesses a distinct â€Å"twoness.† For Du Bois, the African American possessed no direct vision but was measured only by the tape of the white world that oppressed him. This seventh son lives as both an American and an African American. The trouble with this was not the possession of two identities, but the possession of two contradictory identities. To survive i n America, the black man must assimilate, yet he has bound to a unifying sense of community that his color provides. This duality of serving as a kind of self-alienation for the black individual. Although the African American alone shares this crisis of identity, Du Bois expressed that this uniqueness of boring a united community that was empowered by their shared experience. Du Bois noted that the black community was signified by a number of defining cultural developments. In particular, he gave credit to the African American church as an institution that served to bind the souls of black folk. He described the church as â€Å"a real conserver of morals, a strengthener of family life, and the final authority on what is Good and Right.2 While some churches had simply become places of business that aimed to avoid unpleasant questions both within and without the black world,†3 they still remained a place where social, political, and economic inequity could be addressed in a public forum. The development of African American spirituals, or â€Å"sorrow songs,† also spoke to a development in which hope and community had been forged from despair. Sorrow songs had a gr eat depth of meaning to them and were written at the intersection of history, poetry, celebration, sadness, and soul. They had been refined through years of repetition and were songs that brought together a group through the collective spirit that is embodied within the song. The ability for spirituals to reinforce the value of preserving a distinctly black culture may have been the reason for why Du Bois called this music â€Å"the greatest gift of the Negro people.†4 Both the church and sorrow songs provided an avenue for African Americans to turn angst and frustration regarding their racial barriers into strength through numbers. Only other African Americans could truly empathize with their struggle and this public recognition of their shared plight served to channel negative emotions into an atmosphere of hope. According to Du Bois, the mutual understanding of the black community did not only serve uplift the African American; it defined him. The solution to many of the problems that afflicted African Americans emerged for Du Bois in the form of education. Du Bois was an impassioned advocate for higher education. While Booker T. Washington focused on educating blacks for the trades and manual labor, Du Bois insisted that blacks should have access to intellectual education rivaling that available to whites. It was through enlightened public schooling that education would not only reach blacks but whites as well. Only through this mutual knowledge could this veil and consequently the affliction of the black individual be lifted. Although Du Bois received a classical education, as the numerous Greek and Roman allusions within his essays display, he did not believe every black should receive a classical education. He recognized that many are not up to the task, but a â€Å"talented tenth† could receive this type of education. These blacks would then go out and spread education and culture within the black community. Du Bois himself is an exemplum of his own ideas, by showing how a black can benefit from education and provide a common ground between black and white. During a speech which addressed the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy advised that we â€Å"tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.† This quotation serves to characterize the relationship that these two works share. Schuyler’s Black No More provides as a normative view for how people and the idea of race functions in a society, while Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk offers a prescriptive view for how all groups in the United States should behave with respect to the presence of race. By virtue of a sweeping and seemingly brilliant solution to the African American identity, Black No More serves to show that there is no immediate solution to problems of race. The most common trait among the characters within Schuyler’s novel, regardless of their race, is the materialist sentiment that they possess. The reality is that individual interests and aspirations of dominance over others will always motivate people. Even in a society with one race, there will always be an effort for individuals to stratify themselves through class. In light of these constants within society, we must uphold the ideals that Du Bois espoused. Whether race is a social construction or it is indicative of something more essential about who we are, its effects on society are very real. Du Bois provides us with a manner of dealing with the ubiquity of the color line, whether black or white. While African Americans may struggle to live with this twoness of identity, race can be an important quality to embrace because it provides the support of a specific community. Guided by the collective good of both races, Du Bois’ proposition for the availability of higher education would ease the social afflictions of black folk by allowing them to achieve greater prosperity and to provide white individuals the ability to better understand and appreciate their position within society. Works Cited 1Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Oxford Univ Pr, 2009, p. 3. Print. 2Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Oxford Univ Pr, 2009, p. 128. Print. 3Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Oxford Univ Pr, 2009, p. 149. Print. 4Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Oxford Univ Pr, 2009, p. 181. Print.

Violence in the American Workplace Essay -- Business Management Essays

Violence in the American Workplace The American workplace has become a battle ground. Each year thousands of worker’s fall victim to workplace violence, or are at least threatened with acts of violence. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Workplace violence has emerged as an important safety and health issue in today's workplace. It's most extreme form, homicide, is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. Nearly 1,000 workers are murdered, and 1.5 million are assaulted in the workplace each year. The threat of violence in the workplace is a growing phenomena that affects all levels of the work force from taxi drivers to stock traders. According to information provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): Crime, harassment, and internal violence has created a strikingly visible safety and health problem for the workplace. Recent figures from NIOSH and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that people at work are increasingly exposed to lethal violence. Homicide accounts for 17% of all deaths in the workplace. It was the leading cause of death for women in the workplace in ..... These figures, now well publicized, create a perception that the workplace is not safe. The picture of the angry worker bent on revenge has become the symbol for the sense of betrayal and loss felt by the American worker in the face of the sweeping changes affecting all levels of the workforce. We must now add to this the frightening picture of gas station attendants, store clerks, and taxi drivers who are dying at work in unacceptably high numbers. Although crime statistics are dropping nationally across the board, violence in the workplace... ...o. 8, Pg. 54 - 57, August 1998, American Hospital Publishing, Inc. Fesseden, Ford, et al. "Rampage Killer’s: A Statistical Portrait". New York Times 9 April 20000, pg. 1, col. 1 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Web Page; http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/violcont.htm; Current Intelligence Bulletin 57: Violence in the Workplace. Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies. July1996, n.p. National Crime Center for Victims of Crime Infolink Web Page; http://207.222.132.10/infolink/info54.htm. Infolink: Workplace Violence - Employer Information. March 8, 2000, n.p. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Web Page; http://www.osha.gov/oshinfo/priorities/violence.html. n.d., n.p. Robinson, Janet L. "10 Facts Every Employer Should Know About Workplace Violence", Smart Business Supersite. Internet Search Engine: Google.com, n.d., n.p.

Huck Finn: an American Masterpiece Essay

For more than two centuries, American authors have consistently produced outstanding works that have achieved national acclaim and international recognition. Many of these works have achieved have come to be celebrated as masterpieces in American literature and influential in the shaping of our nation. Since its publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has risen to such a status and has been added to the curriculum of most schools. Unlike any other novel of its time, Mark Twain wrote an organic, realistic story drawn from his own personal struggles with being â€Å"sivilized† into the proper manners of society. He employed several literary techniques and methods to insure that his novel would be considered a classic. Three significant aspects of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn include the use of the vernacular, the use of satire, and the depiction of pastoral life in the South. One significant aspect of Huck Finn is the use of the vernacular. One can’t open the novel without noticing distinctly Southern terms like â€Å"bullyragged† and â€Å"corn-dodgers. † This use of the everyday language of the common folk adds a great deal of authenticity and believability to Huck’s adventures. Each character has his or her own bit of a Southern twang. For example, the Dauphin has a traditional, simple accent when he announces to the Wilks family, â€Å"Friends all, my poor brother that lays yonder has done generous by them that’s left behind in the vale of sorrers† (214). Nonetheless, the vernacular is most prominent when Jim speaks. For example, when he explains to Huck why Solomon wasn’t wise, he says, â€Å"I doan’ k’yer what de widder say, he warn’t no wise man nuther. He had some er der dad-fetchedes’ I ever see† (100). In fact, Twain’s novel was far ahead of its times. Something new happened with Huck Finn that had never happened before in American literature. It’s a book that deviated from the well-mannered English tradition of the times. Twain’s novel allows a different kind of writing to happen? a natural, realistic kind of writing that jumps off the page with energy and enthusiasm. Indeed, Huck Finn isn’t a book that can be read. It’s a book that talks. Another well-known aspect of Huck Finn is the use of satire. Twain uses this to explore and poke fun at many aspects of society, and uses Huck’s actions and thoughts to make things like education and the Wisdom of Solomon seem impractical. Religion is frequently satirized in the novel. When Widow Douglas tells Huck about Moses, Huck thinks to himself why she won’t let him smoke, â€Å"Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it† (Twain 3). He doesn’t see the point in worrying about people who died three-thousand years ago. Twain satirizes religion again when he describes the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords listening to a sermon about brotherly love at church with guns in between their knees. He also satirizes the Victorian culture of the time period. When Huck arrives at the Grangerford mansion, he is in awe at the intricate and ornate artwork in the parlor. He comments, â€Å"? there was beautiful curtains on the windows; white with pictures painted on them of castles with vines all down the walls, and cattle coming down to drink† (Twain 134). Twain uses Huck to show his own views of the period. Scenes like the one describing the clock on the mantelpiece clearly get the message across that the Grangerfords’ furniture and decorations are both tacky and absurd. Indeed, Twain has much to say about society and uses his characters to get his point across. The last noteworthy aspect of Huck Finn is its depiction of pastoral Southern life. Twain mentions several instances where Huck and Jim are free from the social constraints and problems of â€Å"sivilized† society, describing vivid scenes that call to mind watching the sunset across a pond as the crickets chirp among the cattails. Huck and Jim are truly free to do as they wish on the lazy Mississippi. Here, Huck treats Jim as an equal without a care as to what others may think. Before the two run into the Duke and the Dauphin, Twain describes the wind along the water, â€Å"Then the nice breeze springs up, and comes fanning you from over there, so cool and fresh and sweet to smell on account of the woods and the flowers† (Twain 151). This tranquil moment demonstrates that the South isn’t all about slavery and racism. It’s about enjoying life without all the worries and duties. Thanks to Twain, the American ideal of freedom is Huck and Jim rafting down the Mississippi. Twain also depicts the pastoral ideal when he describes the Phelps’ farm as â€Å"Sunday-like† and â€Å"hot and sunshiny† (Twain 278). He goes on to depict a picturesque farmhouse and lazy gardens. The pastoral ideal has been used to define the meaning of America since its discovery, and it has not yet lost its hold upon the imagination. Quaint scenes like these resonate in America’s heart, hitting strings that evoke a desperate longing for a laidback, carefree lifestyle. This truly is the closest thing there is to perfection, and Twain himself felt an affinity with this pastoral Southern life. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will forever be revered as a classic in American literature thanks to his artful style and clever technique. Three significant aspects include the use of the vernacular, the use of satire, and the depiction of pastoral life in the South. These characteristics have made this masterpiece what it is today and have captured the hearts of countless Americans and foreigners alike. Most importantly, Twain’s work set a precedent for future novelists for years to come through its witty language and unique personality. As author Ernest Hemingway commented, â€Å"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since† (348). Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"All modern American. . . † The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations. Ed. Joseph R. Strayer. 1 vol. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Pocket, 1994.