Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discrimination - Essay Example Being of the minority of Chinese descent living in the United States, I am often subjected to racial discrimination on matters that might not even relate to me personally. Such prejudice is a result of the generalized misconceptions (Ruchlis 2) that people have fostered about the Chinese population in the United States, and I often fall victim to such stereotypic prejudice (Ruchlis 1). Working as a cashier in a store, one day I was faced with a situation in which a white lady made a ride remark about my ethnicity. Our store has a policy that customers can only use a card to make a purchase if the bill amounts to a minimum of three dollars. This lady bought a lollipop and wanted to make the payment through a credit card. I politely explained to her that this was not possible since her transaction did not amount to the minimum set by our store manager. Instead of trying to abide by this rule, she commented that such a behavior was typical of â€Å"you Chinese people†. I was disa ppointed and heartbroken by this comment, as it was not my fault and I had no way of assisting her. Nevertheless, I was viewed as a troublemaker for the customers just because of my ethnicity. I feel that had the cashier been a white native, he or she would not have been subjected to such comments by the same customer. This is an example of the social prejudice that people nurture in their hearts when they have too little information about a group of people whom they have to deal with on a daily basis (Ruchlis 2).... This discrimination, according to Ruchlis, forms the third level of social prejudice (8). On the other hand, I sometimes act as a perpetrator, too, practicing social discrimination and prejudice against certain groups of people that I either do not like or do not feel comfortable with. I have often held a negative view about the black population of the area that I live and work in. Some of this discrimination has resulted due to unpleasant experiences that I have had with that group (Ruchlis 2), and those feelings of resentment have been augmented by the general views of my friends and the people around me about the black populace (Ruchlis 4). I generally believe them to be rude and stingy, and although I am well aware that holding such negative notions about a community in general is faulty on my part (Ruchlis 3), I still keep on harboring such feelings. For instance, just recently a black lady came to our store to buy groceries. It was the first time she had come, so she needed som e directions as to the location of certain items and some help with choosing among the options. Although I assisted her, my manner was very rude. I did not address her as â€Å"ma’am† or â€Å"lady†, rather I answered her questions in merely â€Å"yes† and â€Å"no†, and overall had a very exasperated air to me. Thinking that she would be so stingy as to deny me any tip for assisting her, I did not put my best foot forward, and did not give her my best advice. Nevertheless, she was very sweet of me, and on her way out at the counter, she gave me a handsome compensation for helping her, which was very surprising for me. She has not visited the store since then, so

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Education - Essay Example After the final work, you will find the areas in your work I edited. The ideas I added are typed in RED to make you spot the new additions. I have also attached one more article that I used. If your teacher requests for it, you may provide it to him. Thank you and hoping we work again in the nearest future since my field is Education. Isaac #72032 TUI UNIVERSITY Grear Dale III MAE 515 MOD 3 SLP Dr. Xiaoying Wu February 21, 2011 Texas Public School System Education is an important aspect of society. In the view of Goer (2007), education has an enormous impact on the human society. It trains the human mind to think and take the right decision. To this effect, human is regarded as a rational being and distinguished from other animals when he is educated to take control of himself and over the environment around him. Education therefore equips humankind with the knowledge to take charge over his immediate environment and make it suitable for his existence. It is for the reason of this im mense impact of education that States all over the world adapt educational systems that will be most suitable to the needs of its citizens and help solve the immediate problems of its people. To ensure that the adapted educational system meets the expectation of society, there are systems put in place to check for success and progress of the entire educational system. Checking for success of the educational system includes checking whether the curriculum answers the most immediate perturbing issues of society and whether stakeholders in the educational system; including students and teachers are living up to the standards of the educational system. The system that is used for checking whether the educational system is up to standard is commonly referred to as assessment. In the State of Texas, the public school system is one of the most esteemed forms of education. Texas’ public school system continues to use a variety of assessments in which to evaluate curriculum and teache rs/instructors. Assessments are conducted by students in determining where their school ranks within districts throughout the state. The rankings are not always used in a positive manner. Some assessments are in an attempt to solicit student enrollment into certain school districts. The State of Texas’ overall intent for its ranking procedure and policies is also used to promote schools as Magnet schools, which is a positive step to improve student outcomes. Magnet schools throughout the state of Texas receive much more funding regular schools. It focuses on special funding for special programs and compensation to teachers/instructors who deliver their curriculum to a certain standard. It is noticeable that the typical standard school receives far less funding and therefore students are less likely to receive the same standard of education. The intent of this analysis is to compare certification programs and evaluation requirements for teachers as well as students within the state of Texas school districts. What is a Magnet School? The article â€Å"Public School Review,† suggest that the difference between a Magnet and regular public schools â€Å"is that they usually have something special to offer over a regular school, which makes attending Magnet schools an attractive choice to many students, thereby increasing the diversity of the student population within them.† (Chen, 2007) Students who are privileged to enroll in Magnet schools

Social impact of Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social impact of Facebook - Essay Example Likewise, Wilson (2009) reported in The Australian that the negative effect of Facebook in students grades is due to putting off schoolwork; because of the addictive nature of scrolling through photos, reacting to messages and viewing video clips, a student’s attention is diverted from his schoolwork onto Facebook skimming without noticing the passing of time. While many studies prove the negative impact of Facebook on grades, there are, however, also those that disprove this relationship. A more recent study by Pasek, More and Hargittai (2009) found that based on data gathered from a nationally representative sample of American 14- to 22-year-olds, there was no significant relationship between the use of Facebook and the level of grades and that changes in academic performance were no different from non-users. The Pasek study noted that â€Å"if anything, Facebook is more common among individuals with higher grades†. Those who have formed an obsession with the service and are constantly connected to it could not be healthy nor helpful to a student’s studies, but anything overdone is likely to be harmful. Used in moderation as it was intended to be used, there is little connection between grades and the usage of Facebook. There are other broader effects that the use of Facebook has not only on students but society in general. It seems that the particular attraction of Facebook compared to other online services is the relative lack of commercial advertisements, making the interaction feel personal (McConnell, 2009).

The Morality of Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Morality of Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Why death penalty is moralProponents of death penalty argue that aspiring criminals are likely to refrain from murder if the system makes it undoubtedly clear, through constant executions, that the same fate will befall them if they continued their criminal behavior of murder (Moore, 2014). The fact that murder is planned justifies death penalty. However, owing to the fact that there are other equally pertinent triggers of murder, capital punishment may arguably reduce cases of murder but only among those who are reasonable in the run-up to the commission of the crime. Regardless, while capital punishment prevents cases of murder among a majority of criminals, especially those who fear for their lives, the remaining cases of murders are arguably attributed to other stimuli such as substance influence, extreme anger, betrayal and or vengeance. Hinman (2012) noted that with capital punishment being made real for murderers, many criminals will likely participate in lesser crimes as a wa y of self-preservation. As such, capital punishment serves as the ultimate cautionary against all felonies including theft. The argument is especially credible because a criminal who is fully aware that the criminal justice system will hand him or her death penalty will seek more favorable penalties by refraining from murder. It is rational, therefore, to argue that the average criminal may refrain from robbery even if they did not have the intention of murdering the property owner or possessor.

The role of technology Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The role of technology - Research Proposal Example According to him it is the driving force behind the major social and cultural adaptations. This paper seeks to evaluate the various technological factors that affect a great deal in altering the social structure and cultural trends. The facets where these factors bring evident alteration are also identified and explored and discussed in this study. Culture does not have a stringent definition. It is rather more of a concept which defines the collective practices, perceptions and doings of individuals constituting a social group. The magnitude of a social group while defining culture varies to all extents. It might be a culture within an organization, a city/town or a whole nation. What holds importance is the common ground that gives birth to a particular trend in culture. However, the trends and extension of culture is not the point of relevance here. What this paper attempts to evaluate is that how changes are brought in a culture and what are the channels which bring these changes as well the facets where these changes are felt the most. We can trace the effects of technology on culture through history but the study focuses the effect of technology on culture in the current scenario. Internet, email, television and mobile phones are some of the aspects that have revolutionized the way we think, act and live our lives in the past few decades. Now man is no more bounded by limitation in any facet of life. He has got access to any place, individual or happening since things now are just a few clicks away and very easy to approach. These inventions were just not mere creations which were going to be totally replaced by some other thing later on. On the other hand, they have developed into mediums which are now borrowing heavily from even the slightest of cultural trends and social needs. These inventions have progressed and developed themselves to be tools which have got their own self prevailing mechanisms. They tune themselves towards the needs of the public and boomerang them back to the society after injecting them with self formulated mechanisms. The impact of internet in reshaping our social and communal lives has been vastly debated by L. Siegel (2009) in his work Against the Machine: How the Web Is Reshaping Culture and Commerce": And Why It Matters. He comments that everything from every day living to shopping and business has been modified itself according to the web. Results & Discussions The modern day technology has grasped all of us in a way that we can not opt to live outside its sphere. Individual independence along with knowledge and awareness has considerably increased. The speed and accuracy for things have remarkably increased along with the ease in handling stuff. On a general level, people are becoming more and more alienated from social groupings and getting confined to their own zones. Each person is equipped and occupied with his own virtual world and real time interaction and actions have

Social Studies Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Studies Standards - Essay Example The national standards for social studies and the standards set for social studies by Washington state have much in common. The national standards broadly reflect a scenario where the rudimentary elements of the subject are highlighted. Also, the nature and scope of knowledge and skills for students in the different school grades that must be developed are provided (National Standards for Social Studies). The Washington state social studies standards are more specific to its region. It highlights the role of a citizen in society and his rights and responsibilities. It makes study of the constitution of the United States and the constitution of Washington State compulsory for students desirous of graduating from this state (Social Studies). Students in the early grades, middle grades and high school learn social studies in the context of their understanding and grasp. The level of learning and understanding naturally advance as the students scale higher up on the academic ladder, year by year. The students' understanding of the subject gives them greater awareness of their rights and responsibilities in society. Their knowledge of the locality as well as their state and the world at large and their interdependence, also become sharper. Their capability to think and address issues of local application and global importance also gain significantly. For instance, environment and the need to do something to reduce pollution are fresh in the minds of students (Wyoming Social Studies Content and Performance Standards). Social Studies Knowledge As mentioned earlier, the knowledge of social studies advance as students go up the academic grades. The basic knowledge of social studies is essential for every student. For students intending to pursue any branch of study where social studies play vital role like history and geology there is benefit in good score. For middle graders, an understanding that different scholars may interpret similar events in different ways may suffice. For high school students, it becomes necessary to demonstrate that historical knowledge and the concept of time are socially influenced constructions and the questions they raise need to be handled selectively according to the time they occurred (National Standards for Social Studies). Meaningful Learning A systematic and cohesive learning makes study of social studies interesting and meaningful. The student looks forward to such learning and his curiosity is heightened and satisfied step by step with each passing grade. Learning must be such that interest in the subject is awakened. The curriculum must be composed of not only contents but also the means of conveying the message. There must be good use of visuals, audiovisuals, group discussions and interactions with students. The use of computers and search engines like google and yahoo must be encouraged. Students must be given projects highlighting issues on social studies. It is great to note that use of pictures and words in a project enhance knowledge. There is a Chinese saying that one picture is as good as a thousand words. Conclusion As a subject, the indispensability of social studies cannot be overemphasized. It is not possible that one can do without it. Thanks to the technological advancements in communication and travel, the world has become a global

Kite Runner Essay Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Essay Essay Khaled Hosseini’s kite runner has many themes that are significant. This book also has themes that are hidden to the reader, to find these themes the reader needs to think about the events that occur in the book. In this book redemption, discrimination, and violence play a big role in the events in this book. Redemption is one of the most important themes in the kite runner. Throughout the story, Amir is trying to redeem himself because of many events that he was a part of. In the begging of the story Rahim Khan calls Amir and tells him â€Å"There is a way to be good again. † (Page 2) Putting this in the first chapter of the story tells the reader many things about Amir, it could tell us that Amir has done many things that he regrets, or he has done things that caused pain to someone else. Amir’s mother dies when she is giving birth to him, throughout the story Amir tries many different things to redeem himself to his father. When Amir wins the kite competition he thinks that he would finally redeem himself for his mothers death. Amir thinks that he redeems himself because â€Å"A smile played down on my father’s lips. He opened his arms† (Page 79) When someone does this someone will automatically think that you redeemed yourself to that person. Another event that Amir does that he redeems himself for later is when he blackmails Hassan. Amir’s father gives him a watch and Amir decides to put it under Hassan’s pillow. Later when Amir’s father finds out that he took his watch he forgives him, but Ali (Hassan’s father) says that they make the decision to leave. To the near end of the book, when Amir goes back to Afghanistan, he receives a letter from Hassan. The letter tells him that he (Hassan) died, and that he has a son that it taken by the Taliban. Amir tells Farid (The person who takes Amir around in Afghanistan) about Sohrab, and he tells him â€Å"You have a visa to go to America, to life with me and my wife. It’s true. I promise† (Page 355) When Amir found out that he lost his best friend he went through a lot of trouble to get Sohrab. Amir could have avoided this if he did not frame Hassan. If Amir did not frame Hassan, Hassan and Ali could have fled the country with Amir and his father. This event has a big impact on the events in the story. Without these examples of redemption, it is hard to picture the book ending in the way that it did. Along with many other themes, discrimination is one of the less discussed themes in this book. In my opinion I think that discrimination should be a theme that should be as important as any other theme. Discrimination plays a big role in the kite runner because of the structure of the social classes. In the begging of the story we know that Hassan is Amir’s Hazara but later we know that he is Amir’s brother. When Amir won the kite competition Hassan went to get the winning the kite. Hours had passed and Hassan did not show up. Amir goes looking for him and he asks Omar (only involved in one paragraph) if he saw Hassan, Omar answers him by saying â€Å"Your Hazara? † (Page 68) without saying more than two sentences, we can see that people in the class with Hassan are treated with no respect and they are called Hazaras. Another event that happens when Hassan finally finds the kite that allowed Amir to win the competition he is surrounded by Assef and his gang. Assef is one of the biggest discriminators towards Hazaras as he is intimidating Hassan, he says, â€Å"A loyal Hazara, Loyal as a dog† (Page 72) When Hassan said this he could of compared Hassan to something else, but he picked a dog to show the most disrespect towards Hassan. In my own opinion I think that discrimination towards Hazaras in Kabul is horrible because they are treated as if they are a different race of people. Hazaras have the exact physical features as any average human being but they are treated like they are slaves. This is how discrimination, which is one of the themes that is not talked about a lot, is significant in this book. Violence is also one of the themes that are not discussed as much, violence should be because it is important and it is hidden. There are many examples that show violence in the book. One of the examples that show violence is when Hassan gets raped when Assef and his gang surround him. The author does not tell the reader that Hassan got raped but instead he makes Wali, one of the members of Assef’s gang, tell Assef â€Å"My father says it’s sinful† (Page 75) This is a indirect message to inform the reader that Hassan gets raped. This is one great example that violence plays a big role in the process of this book. Assef could of threated Hassan instead of raping him. In my opinion I think that he could not have done something that wasn’t related to violence. Assef wanted to have his revenge on Hassan but it was hard to do something that has nothing to do with violence. Later on in the book, when Amir and Hassan do not talk to each other after Hassan got raped for him over a kite. Hassan asked if he could go under the pomegranate tree and let Amir read a story for him. When Amir and Hassan were under the pomegranate tree, Hassan asked Amir what he was doing wrong so he could stop, Amir told him that Hassan should stand up for himself. Hassan did not answer and Amir started to throw pomegranates on Hassan, Amir then told him â€Å"Hit me back! Hit me back goddamn you† (Page 92) this is another great example that shows the violence that is included in the book. Hassan is the most loyal person in the book and Amir does not appreciate it; instead Amir wants Hassan to hit him with a pomegranate. When Hassan stands up, he then smears a pomegranate on his face and walks away. This is how violence plays a theme in the book. It is not as visible as the other themes in the book but it is as significant as the other themes. Redemption, discrimination, and violence are themes in Khaled Hosseini’s kite runner that play a big role in the book. Without these three themes it is hard to picture if the book would end up the way that it actually ended up being. Quotes and Information taken from Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.