Abstract This paper examines how demographic, cultural, and other forms of diversity on a workplace team can contribute to overall productivity. It looks at how communication and tolerance can subsume all cultural differences and styles.
From the Paper "Self-awareness exercises regarding communication style differences and assumptions before the actual project is embarked upon can be profound ice-breakers and mark the difference between a group of individuals merely sitting side by side one another, and functioning as a team. Forcing individuals to not simply assume they are the norm but to ask, who am I and how do I communicate, forces them to understand their unique, as opposed to general commitment to the work team."
Abstract An analysis of the narrative book 'Frederick Douglas'. A narration about slavery experienced by Frederick Douglass, a slave during the American period of slavery. The author discusses the history of slavery in the American society, its causes and effects.
From the Paper "This narrative of an American slave shows in great detail, the horrors of being a slave, and the severity and callousness of the slaveholders of the South. The reader witnesses the growth of Frederick Douglass from a young slave to a free man, all the while experiencing the great terrors and misfortunes of slave life. In the South, during the 1800s, it was a crime punishable by death for a slave to be taught to read and write. However, Douglass secretly taught himself, and because of this, we have the opportunity to read one of the most powerful testimonies of slavery in American history."
Tags: civil, trade, war, cruel, abuse, torture, calousness, suffer, freedom, imprisonment, force
Abstract The author uses Primo Levi's autobiography, "Survival in Auschwitz," to describe the everyday life of a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. The author gives a brief biography of Primo Levi, and describes how he ended up at Auschwitz, including his experiences on the train ride from Italy. Some of the issues discussed are the day-to-day activities in the camp, and how Levi actually managed to survive the horror in which he was living.
From the Paper "Yet another element in his survival was his friendship with two Italians, Alberto, a fellow H"ftling, and Lorenzo, an Italian civilian worker at the Buna installation whom Levi met by chance. Levi was assigned to Alfredo's block after a two-week stay in the Ka-Be (sick house.) Levi and Alberto shared rations and supported each other in their quest for survival. Lorenzo's friendship was of even greater importance. Lorenzo became Levi's protector and brought him a piece of bread and what was left of his ration every day for six months. Lorenzo's conduct was atypical of the civilian behavior toward the H"ftlinge in the camp. The civilians saw the degraded and disfigured slaves as deserving of their fate even when they threw them potatoes or bread. Above all, Lorenzo treated Levi as a human being, and it was that treatment which Levi believes kept him alive."
Abstract This paper views modern America's social diversity as an asset to business. It also describes the discrimination minority members of this workplace experience. The paper outlines the types of discrimination and the laws protecting the citizens of this society.
From the Paper "With the 21st century workplace ahead of us and a country full of diversity surrounding us, the changing ethnic, racial, age, and gender composition of the workforce will become more evident in the years to come. This modern workplace will bring in a group of diverse employees to accompany tighter labor markets and changing worker demographics. These changes in the modern workplace will have important implications for employers across the country. ?High skills and knowledge are important to American firms competing in a global economy.? (Dresser, 1996) As always, the best measure of a employee or potential employee is skills and knowledge. But we all know that it doesn?t always work that way. And, while the U.S. workforce as a whole has a higher educational level than ever, some problems evolving in the modern workplace are clear; discrimination is part of the problem. All the greater knowledge and skills level the United States is welcoming is coming to employers in all new packages."
Abstract This paper introduces and discusses Primo Levi's concept of "the drowned and the saved" in chapter nine of "Survival at Auschwitz." Specifically it compares two individuals that are not mentioned in that chapter, as examples of men that Levi might put into those two categories, and what it is about these men that put them in these categories.
From the Paper "Levi's concept of the "drowned and the saved" is simple. He describes those who make it through living in the concentration camp of Auschwitz, and those who do not. The bottom line is, those who make it are the saved, and those who do not are the drowned. There is much more to it than that, and Levi tries to delve into the people themselves, and what made them give up, or not give up, but essentially, the principle is the same, there are saved and drowned individuals in each of the camps. "?the drowned, form the backbone of the camp, an anonymous mass, continually renewed and always identical, of non-men who march and labour in silence, the divine spark dead within them, already too empty to really suffer" (Levi 82)."
Abstract The paper discusses the book which was written by a participant-observer of the culture surrounding a Jewish Senior Citizen Center in California. The paper shows that the novel depicts life in the Jewish ghetto for the men and women, most of them in their eighties or nineties.
From the Paper "The Center is located near the beach in an urban California area. At one time it was in the heart of a thriving Jewish community, but the neighborhood has changed drastically, particularly in the last ten years before the research for the book was begun. Because of the age and physical condition of the members, as well as the downward trend in the socioeconomic status of the surrounding area, the Center is constantly threatened with extinction. This is one of the reasons that the author was so anxious to do this particular fieldwork."
Abstract Bilingual education programs set up to provide support to non-English-speaking children allow immigrant children to keep up with studies in other academic subjects while they work on their English skills. The paper shows that the controversy over the effectiveness of bilingual education programs continues to rage in the community as educators attempt to find ways to accommodate the needs of the increasing numbers of immigrant children. Thus far, there is no conclusive evidence that bilingual education programs or other strategies provide the best education for immigrant children. The paper discusses how past experiences have shown that immigrant children from different parts of the world perform differently in response to particular strategies. Socio-economic backgrounds of the immigrant children may also be a decisive factor in determining the outcome of the children's success. The paper concludes that it is ultimately up to the parents and educators to collaborate in order to provide an education that caters to the individualized needs of their children.
From the Paper "However, critics of bilingual education point out that bilingual education programs have been an utter failure in enabling immigrant children to succeed in schools. Even after thirty years of implementation, there is still no indication that bilingual education programs work in helping non-English-speaking students succeed. They argue that immigrant children are still dropping out of schools in droves and few immigrant children transition to full English instruction classes (Rothstein, 1998, p. 672). According to these critics, the premise of bilingual education classes is a divisive concept that slows down the assimilation process of these immigrant children. By keeping children straddled between two worlds, bilingual education advocates are sabotaging the immigrant children's chances of learning a sufficient level of English to allow them to survive in the workplace (Rothstein, 1998, p. 672). Immigrant children who are immersed in their native language at school and at home will not feel the incentive to tackle the difficult challenge of learning another language (Rothstein, 1998, p. 679)."
Abstract This paper reviews "Out of This Furnace" by Thomas Bell, which depicts the process by which a small group of Slovak immigrants are gradually transformed into active participants in a stable American society. The paper uses the social history technique to examine Slovak immigrants in a Pennsylvania mining town.
From the Paper "In the dirty, dangerous cauldron of western Pennsylvania, the uneducated muscle of the eastern Slovak mountains would be transformed into the confident skill of an organizer of men. Through the trials and tribulations of work in and transition to American life overcome by these immigrants, one can observe the forging of a new and more powerful American nation that would be ready to save the entire world from the challenges shortly to come."
A study of the methods used by the two most populous nations on earth, emphasizing the difference between China's coercive policy and India's voluntary policy.
4,122 words (approx. 16.5 pages), 23 sources, 2000, $ 110.95
From the Paper "Overpopulation is perhaps the single most pervading force of today's society. Transcending boundaries of political science, economics, sociology or any other field working with issues relevant to contemporary society, the mathematical certainty of exponential population growth is simple; By the time we begin to sense overpopulation, it is only a short time until the problem reaches mammoth and uncontrollable scale. Particularly in the third world, where resources are scarce, the imperative for action for clear. China and India are the two most heavily populated nations of the world, yet have taken radically different approaches to population control. India has maintained a strictly non-coercive population policy, and indeed the population has skyrocketed. China, on the other hand, has succeeded in curbing the population growth rate quite significantly by taking a much more proactive stance. While pragmatically effective, China's policies are so authoritarian and coercive that they lead to consequences considered simply inhuman by many."
Abstract This paper closely examines the black civil rights movement in Mississippi through the book "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Anne Moody. The paper gives great historic detail to events and issues of the 1950s and 60s. It gives biographic details of Anne Moody's courageous life.
From the Paper "African Americans had been struggling for their right for freedom and equality in the United States since the early 1600's and the struggle had undergone a metamorphosis many times. As the times and social attitudes changed so did the strategy of the fight. African Americans adapted to the mood and behavior of the era they were in."
Tags: african, americans, freedom, equality, united, states, america, 1950, 1960, social, injustices, color, racial, civil, rights, movement
Abstract This essay examines the claims of India and Pakistan over Kashmir, and examines some of the more viable solutions towards ending the fifty year standoff, concluding with a proposition for self-determination. It also suggests solutions to avoiding a nuclear conflict.
From the Paper "Few current events are capable of conjuring the level of passion characteristically aroused in the debate over the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley that has historically been characterized by the beauty and fertility of its land is now depicted in routine acts of violence, religious extremism, and human rights atrocities, and the issues at hand are as convoluted as the region's ancient history. Most aspects regarding Kashmir's current turmoil remain obscured to outsiders by ambiguity and propaganda. What have become evident, however, are the countless atrocities routinely perpetrated over the past several decades. Since 1947, Pakistan and India have twice declared war over the disputed territory, and have persistently engaged in low-level border skirmishes, which have left thousands dead. Because both counties now possess nuclear weapons, the international stakes in resolving the conflict have never been greater. Although both India and Pakistan have undoubtedly played a role in the violence, one's view of the crisis depends upon which account has been given, as both countries seem more interested in distorting the facts to aid their own cause, rather than viewing acts of violence individually and objectively."
Abstract This paper reviews John Ehle's book, "Trail of Tears", which provides a thorough review of the Cherokee people, starting from their first encounter with Europeans. The paper presents the book's argument that the Cherokee efforts to adopt and adapt to the cultural achievements of whites, while advancing their own culture, fundamentally shaped their history.
From the Paper "In Trail of Tears, John Ehle poignantly depicts the unique struggle of the Cherokee to defend against the onslaught of the advancing ?white storm.? As they initially realized the futility of violent resistance, the Cherokee enthusiastically devoted themselves to ensuring the societal advancements that would grant them peaceful and prosperous co-existence with the whites. Thanks to the visionary leadership of individuals such as Major Ridge, the tribe successfully fought off internal division, reactionary traditionalism, and white interference in order to forever disprove the fallacy that Indians were incapable of ?civilization.?"
This paper reviews Julia Alvarez's "How the Garcia Girls lost their Accent", which is about four sisters who experienced a lifestyle change in coming to America from the Dominican Republic.
Abstract This paper examines the four sisters, their parents, the political backdrop, and the Dominican Republic's male-female nexus, which is so different from what one has come to view in America. The author points out that, in "How the Garcia Girls lost their Accent", which is set from the early 1960s to the mid 1980s, each sister brings her own dimensionality, which is a slice of what constitutes a woman. The paper states that the sisters? accents have completely changed; but, for better or worse, they have been fully assimilated into American culture.
From the Paper "It is in Fifi's relationships with men that we see the most vagaries. The start of the novel shows that she is really a person who would support a stable family. She is headstrong and independent. She generally gets what she wants. She presents her parents with their first grandchildren"a boy. She is the only one among her siblings that does not have a college degree, though there is no lack of intellect. Her husband is the most accomplished of all" ?? the German nobody turned out to be a world class chemist.?(p. 31) She seems to hold equal say in her marriage though her husband's character is not explored. Surprisingly, Fifi can adopt different roles."
Abstract This is a position paper that explains why reinstating race-based affirmative action is consistent with the intent of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The paper also argues that the society and citizens within need to realize that race-based affirmative action is not about putting burdens on innocent individuals; it is about providing minorities with opportunities. In order to draw the conclusion, the arguments of both advocates and opponents of the affirmative action are presented in such a manner where the advocates? arguments dispute opponents? arguments.
From the Paper "In 1977, Allan Bakke sued the University of California based on the fact that he had been denied to the admission of University of California Davis Medical School due to the fact that the University had reserved a number of spots for minority students ? quota system ? with lower GPA and MCAT scores. He claimed that he deserved to be admitted to the University, but had been denied twice because minority applicants with lower qualification were given advantage and priority based on their races. Ever since the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke 1977, the issue of affirmative action ?specifically race-based affirmative action in admissions ? has been the center of a number of debates...."
Tags: allan, bakke, california, davis, of, quota, system, university
An examination of the role myths and folk tales play in guiding the cultural, social, and religious life of the Native American community and the way religion as the backbone of culture also directs society, both individually and communally.
1,700 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 8 sources, 1998, $ 55.95
From the Paper "Myths and folk tales are the oral traditions that act as guides for the cultural, social, and religious life of the Native American community. Within Native American life, these factors are intertwined and cannot be easily separated into distinct categories. Native American religion as the backbone of culture also directs society, both individually and communally through the use and practice of sacred rituals, ceremonial dances, songs, prayers, and vision quests (Thomas et al., 1993). This belief system represents, as well as directs the Native American wayof life. A life that is in tune with and at the same time, at odds with the surrounding natural environment. This dichotomy found in their relationship with the natural world is the motivator for these oral and ritual traditions, and through these myths and folk tales the , people are able to create and maintain a sense of religious, cultural, and social identity and purpose within the larger picture of existence in an ever-changing and mystifying universe (Leeming, 1990)."
