African American Culture Essay

Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans’ desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Br’er Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speaker’s tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980’s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or â€Å"Black Arts Movement. The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin’), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later becam e known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that â€Å"black is beautiful. † During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the â€Å"Negro National Anthem† by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidor’s Hallelujah! and operas such as George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and R;B developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of ‘rapping’ grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic] The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name â€Å"The Highwaymen†. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic] A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and cademic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African Americ an women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, â€Å"†¦ very woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head†¦ â€Å", has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as â€Å"crowns. † Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave one’s hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in God’s eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one’s master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: â€Å"The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africa†¦ onsequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction† Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to â€Å"jump the broom† as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative esponses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes creative use of inexpensive products procured through farming and subsistence hunting and fishing. Pig intestines are boiled and sometimes battered and fried to make chitterlings, also known as â€Å"chitlins. Ham hocks and neck bones provide seasoning to soups, beans and boiled greens (turnip greens, collard greens, and mustard greens). Other common foods, such as fried chicken and fish, macaroni and cheese, cornbread and hoppin’ john (black-eyed peas and rice) are prepared simply. When the African American population was considerably more rural than it generally is today, rabbit, possum, squirrel, and waterfowl were important additions to the diet. Many of these food traditions are especially predominant in many parts of the rural South. Traditionally prepared soul food is often high in fat, sodium and starch. Highly suited to the physically demanding lives of laborers, farmhands and rural lifestyles generally, it is now a contributing factor to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in a population that has become increasingly more urban and sedentary. As a result, more health-conscious African-Americans are using alternative methods of preparation, eschewing trans fats in favor of natural vegetable oils and substituting smoked turkey for fatback and other, cured pork products; limiting the amount of refined sugar in desserts; and emphasizing the consumption of more fruits and vegetables than animal protein. There is some resistance to such changes, however, as they involve deviating from long culinary tradition. Holidays and observances [pic] A woman wearing traditional West African clothing lighting the candles on a kinara for a Kwanzaa celebration. As with other American racial and ethnic groups, African Americans observe ethnic holidays alongside traditional American holidays. Holidays observed in African American culture are not only observed by African Americans. The birthday of noted American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr has been observed nationally since 1983. It is one of three federal holidays named for an individual. Black History Month is another example of another African American observance that has been adopted nationally. Black History Month is an attempt to focus attention on previously neglected aspects of the African American experience. It is observed during the month of February to coincide with the founding of the NAACP and the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a prominent African American abolitionist, and Abraham Lincoln, the United States president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Less widely observed outside of the African American community is Emancipation Day. The nature and timing of the celebration vary regionally. It is most widely observed as Juneteenth, in recognition of the official reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865 in Texas. Another holiday not widely observed outside of the African American community is the birthday of Malcolm X. The day is observed on May 19 in American cities with a significant African American population, including Washington, D. C.. One of the most noted African American holidays is Kwanzaa. Like Emancipation Day, it is not widely observed outside of the African American community, although it is growing in popularity within the community. African American scholar and activist â€Å"Maulana† Ron Karenga invented the festival of Kwanzaa in 1966, as an alternative to the increasing commercialization of Christmas. Derived from the harvest rituals of Africans, Kwanzaa is observed each year from December 26 through January 1. Participants in Kwanzaa celebrations affirm their African heritage and the importance of family and community by drinking from a unity cup; lighting red, black, and green candles; exchanging heritage symbols, such as African art; and recounting the lives of people who struggled for African and African American freedom. Names African American names are often drawn from the same language groups as other popular names found in the United States. The practice of adopting neo-African or Islamic names did not gain popularity until the late Civil Rights era. Efforts to recover African heritage inspired selection of names with deeper cultural significance. Prior to this, using African names was not practical for two reasons. First, many African Americans were several generations removed from the last ancestor to have an African name since slaves were often given European names. Second, a traditional American name helps an individual fit into American society. Another African American naming practice that predates the use of African names is the use of â€Å"made-up† names. In an attempt to create their own identity, growing numbers of African American parents, starting in the post-World War II era, began creating new names based on sounds they found pleasing such as Marquon, DaShawn, LaTasha, or Shandra. Family When slavery was practiced in the United States, it was common for families to be separated through sale. Even during slavery, however, African American families managed to maintain strong familial bonds. Free, African men and women, who managed to buy their own freedom by being hired out, who were emancipated, or who had escaped their masters, often worked long and hard to buy the members of their families who remained in bondage and send for them. Others, separated from blood kin, formed close bonds comprised of fictive kin; play relations, play aunts, cousins and the like. This practice, perhaps a holdover from African tradition, survived Emancipation, with non-blood family friends commonly accorded the status and titles of blood relations. This broader, more African concept of what constitutes family and community, and the deeply rooted respect for elders that is part of African traditional societies may be the genesis of the common use of the terms like â€Å"aunt†, â€Å"uncle†, â€Å"brother,† â€Å"sister†, â€Å"Mother† and â€Å"Mama† when addressing other African American people, some of whom may be complete strangers. Or, it could have arisen in the Christian church as a way of greeting fellow congregants and believers. Immediately after slavery, African American families struggled to reunite and rebuild what had been taken. As late as 1960, 78% of African American families were headed by married couples. This number steadily declined over the latter half of the 20th century. A number of factors, including attitudes towards education, gender roles, and poverty have created a situation where, for the first time since slavery, a majority of African American children live in a household with only one parent, typically the mother. These figures appear to indicate a weak African American nuclear family structure, especially within a large patriarchal society. This apparent weakness is balanced by mutual aid systems established by extended family members to provide emotional and economic support. Older family members pass on social and cultural traditions such as religion and manners to younger family members. In turn, the older family members are cared for by younger family members when they are unable to care for themselves. These relationships exist at all economic levels in the African American community, providing strength and support both to the African American family and the community. Politics and social issues Since the passing of the Voting Rights Act, African Americans are voting and being elected to public office in increasing numbers. As of January 2001 there were 9,101 African American elected officials in America. African Americans are overwhelmingly Democratic. Only 11% of African Americans voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 Presidential Election. Social issues such as racial profiling, the racial disparity in sentencing, higher rates of poverty, institutional racism, and lower access to health care are important to the African American community. While the divide on racial and fiscal issues has remained consistently wide for decades, seemingly indicating a wide social divide, African Americans tend to hold the same optimism and concern for America as Whites. In the case of many moral issues such as religion, and family values, African Americans tend to be more conservative than Whites. Another area where African Americans outstrip Whites in their conservatism is on the issue of homosexuality. Prominent leaders in the Black church have demonstrated against gay rights issues such as gay marriage. There are those within the community who take a more inclusive position most notably, the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and the Reverend Al Sharpton, who, when asked in 2003 whether he supported gay marriage, replied that he might as well have been asked if he supported black marriage or white marriage. Neighborhoods African American neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. The formation of African American neighborhoods is closely linked to the history of segregation in the United States, either through formal laws, or as a product of social norms. Despite this, African American neighborhoods have played an important role in the development of nearly all aspects of both African American culture and broader American culture. Due to segregated conditions and widespread poverty some African American neighborhoods in the United States have been called â€Å"ghettos. † The use of this term is controversial and, depending on the context, potentially offensive. Despite mainstream America’s use of the term â€Å"ghetto† to signify a poor urban area populated by ethnic minorities, those living in the area often used it to signify something positive. The African American ghettos did not always contain dilapidated houses and deteriorating projects, nor were all of its residents poverty-stricken. For many African Americans, the ghetto was â€Å"home† a place representing authentic blackness and a feeling, passion, or emotion derived from the rising above the struggle and suffering of being of African descent in America. Langston Hughes relays in the â€Å"Negro Ghetto† (1931) and â€Å"The Heart of Harlem† (1945): â€Å"The buildings in Harlem are brick and stone/And the streets are long and wide,/But Harlem’s much more than these alone,/Harlem is what’s inside. Playwright August Wilson used the term â€Å"ghetto† in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984) and Fences (1987), both of which draw upon the author’s experience growing up in the Hill district of Pittsburgh, an African American ghetto. Although African American neighborhoods may suffer from civic disinvestment, with lower q uality schools, less effective policing and fire protection. There are institutions such as churches and museums and political organizations that help to improve the physical and social capital of African American neighborhoods. In African American neighborhoods the churches may be important sources of social cohesion. For some African Americans the kind spirituality learned through these churches works as a protective factor against the corrosive forces of racism. Museums devoted to African American history are also found in many African American neighborhoods. Many African American neighborhoods are located in inner cities, These are the mostly residential neighborhoods located closest to the central business district. The built environment is often row houses or brownstones, mixed with older single family homes that may be converted to multi family homes. In some areas there are larger apartment buildings. Shotgun houses are an important part of the built environment of some southern African American neighborhoods. The houses consist of three to five rooms in a row with no hallways. This African American house design is found in both rural and urban southern areas, mainly in African-American communities and neighborhoods.

Characteristics of Exploration Literature

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C. cedar trees †¢ â€Å"The complexion of these people is black, not much different from that of the Ethiopians; their hair is black and thick, and not very long, it is worn tied back upon the head in the form of a little tail. †¢ â€Å"Our sailors in the boat seeing a great fire made up, and their companion placed very near it, full of fear, as is usual in all cases of novelty, imagined that the natives were about to roast him for food. † †¢ â€Å"By searching around we discovered in the grass a very cold woman and a young girl of about eighteen or twenty, who had concealed themselves for the same reason; the old woman carried two infants on her shoulders, and behind her neck a little boy eight years of age; when we came up to them they began to shriek and make signs to the men who had fed to the woods. †¢ â€Å"We found them fairer than the others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  †¢ American Dream: Resources that the land has & space. Champlain: Voyages of Samuel de Champlain : The Voyages of 1604-1607 †¢ Est. Quebec; compares in his writing †¢ â€Å"We saw eighteen or twenty savages, who came to the shore and began to dance. † †¢ â€Å"We did not wish them harm, although it was in our power to avenge ourselves. † †¢ â€Å"As for weapons, they have only pikes, clubs, bows and arrows.It would seem from their appearance that they have a good disposition, better than those of the north, but they are all in face of no great worth. Even a slight intercourse wit h them gives you at once a knowledge of them. They are great thieves and, if they cannot lay hold of any thing with their hands, they try to do so with their feet, as we have oftentimes learned by experience. I am of opinion of that, if they had any thing to exchange with us, they would not give themselves to thieving. †¢ â€Å"It is necessary to be on one’s guard against this people, and live in a start of distrust of them, yet without letting them perceive it. † †¢ Single-Minded, descriptive of the natives John Smith: The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles †¢ Started traveling at 16 yrs old; Captured in Turkey and sold as a slave; thinks much of himself, he spent most of the voyage in chains in the boat on the way to Jamestown. †¢ 7 out of 105; He was a leader; 35 were gentlemen, Smith was a leader, 38 stayed alive. Wrote in 3rd Person; adventure; New England (he named it) †¢ â€Å"Smith little dreaming of that ac cident, being got to the marshes at the river’s head, twenty miles in the desert, had his two men slain (as is supposed) sleeping by the canoe, while himself by fowling sought them victual: who finding he was beset with 200 salvages, two of them he slew, still defending himself with the aid of a salvage his guide, whom he bound to his arm with his garters, and used him as a buckler.Yet he was shot in his thigh a little, and had many arrows that stuck in his clothes but no great hurt, till at last they took him prisoner. † †¢ â€Å"From Penobscot to Sagadahoc. This coast is mountainous, and isles of huge rocks, but overgrown for the most part, with most sorts of excellent good woods, for building houses, boats, barks or ships, with an incredible abundance of most sorts of fish, much fowl, and sundry sorts of good fruits for man’s use. †¢ â€Å"And surely by reason of those sandy cliffs, and cliffs of rocks, both which we saw so planted with gardens and corn fields, and so well inhabited with a goodly, strong, and well proportioned people, besides the greatness of the timber growing on them, the greatness of the fish, and the moderate temper of the air (for of five and forty not a man was sick, but two that were many years diseased before they went, not withstanding our bad lodging and accidental diet) who can but approve this a most excellent place, both for health and fertility.And of all the four parts of the world I have yet seen not inhabited, could I have but means to transport a colony, I would rather live here than anywhere; and if it did not maintain itself, were we but once indifferently well fitted, let us starve. † †¢ â€Å"So freely hath God and his Majesty bestowed those lessings on them [that] will attempt to obtain them, as here every man may be master of his own labor and land, or the greatest part (if his Majesty’s royal meaning be not abused) and if he have nothing but his hands, he may set up his trade; and by industry quickly grown rich, spending but half that time well which in England we abuse in idleness, worse, or as ill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  †¢ â€Å".. here man, woman and child, with a small hook and line, by angling many take divers sorts of excellence fish at their pleasures; and it is not pretty sport to pull up two pence, six pence, and twelve pence as fast as you can haul and veer a line; he is a very bad fisher [that] cannot kill in one day with his hook and line one, two, or three hundred cods, if they be sold there for ten shillings a hundred, though in England they will give more than twenty, may not both servant, master and merchant be well content with this gain?If a man work but three days in seven, he may get more than he can spend unless he will be exceedingly excessive. † †¢ â€Å"Thus though all men be not fishers, yet all men whatsoever may in other matters do as well, for necessary doth in these cases so rule a commonwealth, and each i n their several functions, as their labors in their qualities may be as profitable because there is a necessary mutual use of all. †¢ My purpose is not persuade children from their parents, men from their wives, not servants from their masters, only such as with free constant may be spared: but that each parish, or village, in city, or country, that will but apparel their fatherless children of thirteen or fourteen years of age, or young married people that have small wealth to live on, here by their labor may live exceeding well. † †¢ Pg: 48: How we owe our God †¢ Reasons for settling Jamestown: o Gold o God o Glory †¢ American Dream: Middle-Class Utopia William Bradford: Of Plymouth Plantation, Book 1 Orphan when very young, very religious (16 yrs old); self-taught; 1621 elected Governor, served 33 years total; wife fell overboard and died; very humble. †¢ Pilgram: Israelites following Moses; â€Å"God’s chosen† †¢ â€Å"What coul d now sustain them but the Spirit of God and His grace? 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But it pleased God before they came half seas over to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was hims elf that first that was thrown overboard. o The wilderness (winter upon arrival) ? â€Å"But here I cannot but stay and make a pause, and stand half amazed at this poor people’s present condition; and so I think will the reader, too, when he well considers that same. Being this passed that vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation (as may be remembered by that which went before), they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair to, to seek for succour.It is recorded in Scripture as a mercy to the Apostle and his shipwrecked company, that the barbarians, when they met with them (as after will appear) were readier to fill their sides full of arrows than otherwise. † o Indians (attack on beach; savages take tools, etc. ) o Non-Puritans o Self-Doubt ? â€Å"And for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, and subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known places, much more to search an unknown coast. 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What canst desire but thou mayst see true substance in variety? Dost honor like? Acquire the same, as some of their immortal fame; and trophies to thy name erect which wearing time shall ne’er deject. For riches dost thou long full sore? Behold enough of precious store. Earth hath more silver, pearls, and gold than eyes can see or hands can hold. Affect’st thou pleasure?Take thy fill, Earth hath enough of what you will, then let not go, what thou mayst find, for things unknown, only in mind. † ( What not have things that you can feel instead of just hoping? ) o â⠂¬Å"This City pure is not for thee, for things unclean there shall not be. If I of heaven may have my fill, take thou the world, and all that will. † (Reaffirms her faith) †¢ To My Dear and Loving Husband o Sex was meant to only have kids †¢ A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment o Breaking of Stereotypes Mary Rowlandson: A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration †¢ A captivity narrative is a psychological drama that includes: o A Loss of freedom (being caught) o Self- Realization (hardships) o Redemption (gets away from the Indians) o â€Å"The Lord hereby would make us the more to acknowledge his hand, and to see that our help is always in him. † o â€Å" I then remembered how careless I had been of Gods holy time, how many Sabbaths I had lost and misspent, and how evily I had walked in God’s sight; which lay so close unto my Spirit, that it was easier for me to see his presence for ever.Yet the Lord still shewed mercy to me, and upheld me; and as he wounded me with one hand, so he healed me with the other. † o â€Å"Yet I can say, that in all my sorrows and afflictions, God did not leave me to have my impatience work towards himself, as if his wayes were unrighteous. But I knew that he laid upon me less that I deserved. † o â€Å"Before I knew what affliction meant, I was ready sometimes to wish for it. Also read  Driver’s Ed Module Reflection JournalWhen I lived in prosperity, having the comforts of the World about me, my relations by me, my Heart chearfull, and taking little care for any thing; and yet seeing many, whom I preferred before my self, under many tryals and afflictions, in sickness, weakness, poverty, losses, crosses, and cares of the World, I should be sometime jealous least I should have my portion in this life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (jealously) o â€Å"Affliction I wanted, and affliction I had, full measure (I thought) pressed down and running over; yet I see, when God calls a Person to any thing, and through never so many difficulties, yet he is fully able to carry them through and make them see, and say they have been gainers thereby. And I hope I can say in some measure, As David did, It is good for me that I have been afflicted. † †¢ Crosscurrents †¢ Settler’s views of Indians have envolved: o Manageable Child-like o Friendly (Bradford) o Threat o Enemy †¢ Spectral Evidence ( John Winthrop) o The Trial of Margaret Jones: â€Å"Her behavior at her trial was very intemperate, lying notoriously and railing upon the jury and witnesses, and in the like distemper she died. The same day and hour she was executed, there was a very tempest at Connecticut, which blew down many trees. † o Mary Towne Easty: â€Å"I petition to your Honors not for my own life, for I know I must die and my appointed time is set, but (the Lord knows it is) that if it be possible, no more innocent blood may be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be avoided in the way and course you go in†¦.The Lord above, who is the searcher of all hearts, knows that as I shall answer it at the tribunal seat that I know not the least thing of witchcraft–therefore I cannot, I dare not, belie my own Soul. I beg your Honors not to deny this my humble petition from a poor dying innocent person, and I question not but that the Lord will give a blessi ng to your endeavors. † †¢ Cotton Mather †¢ The Wonders of the Invisible World o Characteristics of Puritanism that supported Salem witch trials: †¢ Affliction is necessary and good †¢ Watchdog mentality (neighbors) †¢ No Fiction was allowed (drama) †¢ God’s chosen people vs. Satan o Lasting effects of Salem Witch Trails: †¢ Hastened the Demise of Puritan Dominance †¢ Accused is Innocent until proven guilty

I Am a Student of Nazarbayev Ntelectual School Essay

Kazakhstan is situated in Central Asia. For all Kazakhstan’s people Kazakhstan is very important, precious, beloved country, because it’s our Motherland. Our republic is washed by Caspian Sea and Aral Sea. When snow is lying in the north, fruit trees are blossomed at the foot of the mountains in the south. There are many rivers and lakes. The land in Kazakhstan is very diverse and has different types of terrains like flatlands, rock-canyons, hills, mountains and etc. The bowels of Kazakh ground is rich. We have coal, strike oil, gold, urn, lead, zinc, iron. Dombra is one of national stringed instrument. When we hear a folk air of dombra, we imagine immense steppes, free wind, and rider on dashing horse. Fifteen millions persons are lived as a united family in Kazakhstan. The population includes above one hundred twenty nationalities. Although people speak on different languages, confess different religions and have different cultures, they live in agreement. Kazakh ground is famous for her hospitableness, so why here live so different nationalities. Kazakhstan is home to a large number of talented people: Abay Kunanbaev, Mukhtar Auezov, Kanysh Satpayev, Gabit Musirepov, Saken Seyfullin, Kurmangazy, Jambyl Jabayev, among many others. When we get independent, president of new country became Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbaev. He is very wise, honest, righteous leader. Due to his diplomacy, we live in prosperity, people can speak out, the sky is always blue, and we have never wars. However I am just a teenager now, I’m planning my future, I’m dreaming to become somebody, who will develop our republic. Our work is our study, it is lying in being kind and generous, to esteem elderly persons and contemporaries, to be interested in many things. We shouldn’t leave persons in a difficult situation and without help. Of course, each person wants to be sure that his live in safe. Peace and agreement are the most important things for everybody. We are sure in our future; our president will do everything to make his nation happy. We believe him! Nation of Kazakhstan is unity. It helps to conserve peace on ancient, splendid Kazakh lands. As a result I would like to say that peace is the most important condition future prosperity. Kazakhstan is a country of big opportunities. Her development goes with great speed. Such is my Motherland: peaceable, free, rich, multinational. How we can’t love so amazing country? We pride in our history. We should devote our lives to her present for our common future.

Measure the Current Understanding of Chlamydia in the UK Essay

Measure the Current Understanding of Chlamydia in the UK - Essay Example Chlamydia is very common in western countries. â€Å"Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK. It affects both sexes, although young women are more at risk. In 2009, 216,000 people were treated at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for Chlamydia. Of these, 130,000 were women, and 86,000 were men. Many more cases were treated by GPs or by private doctors. And it’s thought that tens of thousands of other people have caught the infection, but they are unaware that they’ve got it. Screening has recently shown that in some parts of Britain, 10 per cent to 20 per cent young adults have Chlamydia† (Okkhattak 2012). Chlamydia is known as a silent disease, because in most cases Chlamydia doesn’t show any symptoms. â€Å"Around 70-80% of women with Chlamydia don't notice any symptoms. If women do get symptoms, the most common  include:   Pain when urinating (peeing) A change in vaginal discharge Pain in the lower abdomen Pain and/or bleeding during sex Blee ding after sex Bleeding between periods Heavier periods than usual† (Symptoms of Chlamydia 2011). As many as 1 in 4 men with Chlamydia have no symptoms. In men, Chlamydia may produce symptoms similar to gonorrhea. Symptoms may include: Burning sensation during urination Discharge from the penis or rectum Testicular tenderness  or pain Rectal discharge or pain† (Chlamydia 2010). 1. Prevalence of STIs in England then lead to the prevalence of STIs in London, then link it to Chlamydia. There has been a substantial increase in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases in the United Kingdom, especially among the young. â€Å"In 2009 there were 482, 696 new STI diagnoses in the UK, 3 per cent more than in 2008. Young people aged between 15 and 24 continue to be the group most affected by STIs in the UK. In 2009, around two thirds of new STI diagnoses in women were in those aged under 25, and over half of the new diagnoses in men were in under 25s† (Sexually Trans mitted Infections Fact sheet (November 2010)). The residents of urban areas in London are more affected with acute STIs. There can be many reasons for that, like increased population, more people having sex with infected people etc. Chlamydia is the most common STI, diagnosed in the United Kingdom. â€Å"Since 1999 the number of annual cases of Chlamydia has more than doubled. In 2008 there were 123,018 new diagnoses of Chlamydia in GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics, which was a record number. Between 2008 and 2009, an estimated 16 percent of young people aged between 15 and 24 in England were tested for Chlamydia at a community setting (outside GUM clinics).By 2009, an estimated 1.5 million Chlamydia tests performed under the programme† (STD Statistics and STDs in the UK n.d.). The rate of Chlamydia infection will be much larger, since Chlamydia remains undetected, and also because people don’t come forward for testing. But Chlamydia can be easily diagnosed and if diagnosed, and treated, it is easily curable. 2. What are the modes of transmission of STI’s especially Chlamydia? In gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HIV, hepatitis, STI is transmitted by vaginal, anal or oral sex, in which exchange of body fluids takes place. It can also be transmitted through skin to skin contact, like genital warts, herpes, scabies, and pubic lice. Some are transmitted thro

Restaurant Procedures Purchasing, Receiving, Storage, Preparation, Assignment

Restaurant Procedures Purchasing, Receiving, Storage, Preparation, Selling And Service - Assignment Example Starting a restaurant business comes with its challenges though it can be a paying job. Before starting a restaurant, it is wise research on the restaurant service and location. This will assure that are doing the correct thing and offer a satisfaction that your restaurant will be a successful. Trust is necessary to your produce or service as it may consume your time, particularly during the start-up period. There are common matters to consider such as principles, financing, handling your business, promoting, and taxation. Working in the restaurant and learning the essentials is significant first step to becoming a proprietor. Knowing your target market will help solidify the menu, determine the locality, design and the overall atmosphere of your restaurant. A restaurant will need a brief business strategy. This strategy should include: concept and goal of your restaurant; definite financial information and estimates; an n account of your target market; an advertising and marketing p lan; your menu and pricing and a potential exit strategy. Make sure the menu is striking to your target market, affordable within your budget, and matches your restaurant's design concept. Site is important in the restaurant world. It is important to find a location that has a convenient parking and is in proximity to other businesses particularly if you are catering to the lunch customers. When designing your kitchen, reflect about what's on the menu in order to fix what is needed for the food preparation area. Identify a suitable

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Questions and answers - Assignment Example Shiva is both destructive and reproductive. It holds the life cycle which includes the death, birth and rebirth. Vishnu is considered as the guardian of the world, preserver and restorer of the morality. However, Devi is considered as a supreme being among all the Hindu gods, she has been considered as the creator of Brahman. And the supreme power holder among all the other gods. 6) Guru Nank was born in Indian sub continent where two main religions conflicted in their diversities. He was born in a Hindu family but due to his work experience with Muslims was familiarized with their traditions, norms and customs as well. He created a new religion, fusion of Islam and Hinduism, where one didn’t worship idols and all the human beings were considered equal. The existence of one god and the traditional Japji Hymn were the idea of peace with one self. 7) Freedom is in the way a person lives life with his family and keep peace among them and not the ascetic way of life. Guru Nank and his nine successors worked on establishing the core of it by keeping three elements in mind, the religious dilemma of the continent, Sikhism surveillance and Punjab’s society (family life). The five K’s uncut hair, a short sword, breeches, a comb for topknot and a wrist ring are compulsory for Khalsa. These are the most visible symbols of a Sikhs. 8) Guru Granth Sahib defines the pattern of life lived by Gurus. Thus, it tells what tradition, practices and rituals to follow and which to leave. It guides to live a life of accuracy and virtues. It specifically signals towards the recitation of holy hymns as a part of faith. 9) Confucianism, the oldest Chinese rational and moral living style is based on humanism. Its main idea is that humans can learn, change, adapt through self effort and evaluation. It beliefs in one god’s existence and interpersonal

Political ecnomony of japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political ecnomony of japan - Essay Example er the Second World War where Japan not only needed rebuilding but the people in Japan were so completely defeated that there was essentially no resistance to the occupation. The American army was certainly not welcomed as a heroic force but was largely seen with a sense of resignation. The Japanese were weary of the war and were more than willing to start over again under the guidance of the American political agenda which supported democratic ideals. The civilian casualties suffered by Japan had put them at such a low point that they might have accepted anything to end the war and return to normalcy. On the other hand, after a short war which was thought to have ended the whole drama, the Iraqi people fought against the occupation as well as against each other (Al-Khabbaz, 2009). Most importantly, the American occupation of Japan after the Second World War came with support. Support from the American public, support from the regional countries and even support for the person leading the occupation who had an excellent understanding of the culture and the people. In Iraq, America has none of these things mentioned above. The American public may have supported the occupation initially but as the death toll rose and sentiments of the public changed, the American public largely does not seem to support the Iraq occupation. The region is becoming increasingly anti-American as the radical elements continue to use Iraq as a symbol of American dominance and cruelty while the American leaders in Iraq appear to have little understanding of what is actually going on in the country (Schwartz, 2004). All these factors show that the Japanese and the Iraqi occupations are considerably different from each other. Schwartz, F. 2004, ‘Forced to be Free: Democratizing Occupations in Japan, Germany, and Iraq’, [Online] Available at:

Global Climate Change Essay Example for Free

Global Climate Change Essay Climate change pertains to the deviation in the global temperature through a course of time. It portrays the alterations in the standard condition of the atmosphere for a particular period of time, extending from years to centuries. It has been determined that climate change is the result of various courses, both internal and external with respect to the planet. The phrase climate change has lately been applied to issues of environmental planning strategies and approximately 90 – 95% of this variation has been attributed to human activities. This human derived concept has then been categorized as anthropogenic climate change and the media has then presented this phenomenon as global warming. Other non-governmental agencies have also referred to this occurrence as climate variability. In this paper, climate change and global warming will be used interchangeably to refer to the increase in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. DETAILS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change pertains to the increase in temperature of the atmosphere based on the entrapment of gases that are emitted from activities on the surface of the earth. The increase in temperature is a direct result of the greenhouse effect, which involves heat that originated from the sun, which is entrapped within the atmosphere due to several factors. Scientists have determined that the atmosphere’s temperature has increased since the industrial revolution, which has maximized the use of chemicals in manufacturing various kinds of materials in industry. There are four principal gases that have been identified to be primarily responsible for the onset of global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is accountable for approximately half of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Pearson and Palmer, 2000). This gas is a by-product of fossil fuel combustion, which involves burning of coal, natural gas and oil. It is also generated from deforestation activities, which have increased for expansion of industrialization areas. Trees utilize carbon dioxide in their photosynthetic reactions, but it there are fewer trees in the environment, less CO2 is removed from the atmosphere, leaving the environment with excess amounts of CO2. Another gas that has been determined to be responsible for global warming is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are the primary constituent of plastics and aerosols, as well as refrigerants in air conditioners. Chlorofluorocarbons make up approximately 25% of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Thirdly, methane gas (CH4), which comprises approximately 12% of the greenhouse gases, is also accountable for global warming. Methane gas is released during the decay of organic matter, as well as in the stomachs of cattle, sheep and termites, yet, most of the gas is currently generated by industrial companies. Lastly, nitrous oxide (N2O) is responsible for approximately 6% of the greenhouse gases. It is a by-product of industries, as well as nitrogen fertilizers, volcanic eruptions and livestock manure. HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF CLIMATE CHANGE The process of global warming through the greenhouse effect was historically described in 1824 by Joseph Fourier. The details of the greenhouse effect were eventually examined in 1896 by Svante Arrhenius. These investigations resulted in the determination of the mechanisms behind the increase in temperature through the absorption and release of infrared radiation by gases that existed in the atmosphere. The radiation in turn increased the temperature of the Earth’s surface and its adjacent surrounding atmosphere. Research has shown that the greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence that is influenced by gases that are naturally present in the atmosphere. It has actually been postulated that the initial greenhouse effect of the Earth is beneficial for biological species to survive because it warms the Earth’s surface to a temperature of approximately 33oC. Should the greenhouse effect be absent, any biological species would not be able to survive through the harsh cold temperature of the Earth. However, the accumulated effect of human activity during the last few centuries has affected the greenhouse phenomenon, resulting in a significant increase in the concentration of particular gases. This increase in concentration subsequently influenced the atmospheric temperature to increase. The first greenhouse gas that was identified is water vapor. This gas comprises around 36 to 70% of the total greenhouse effect. Another greenhouse gas that was recognized is carbon dioxide which makes up 9 to 26% of the total atmospheric complex. Approximately 4 to 9% of the atmosphere is also composed of methane gas, while around 4 to 9% is made up of ozone. Historical atmospheric analysis has shown that the amount of these gases has increase by almost 75% since the 18th century industrial era. Geological research has indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached its highest concentration in the last 20 million years of the Earth’s existence.

Same Sex Marriage Essay Example for Free

Same Sex Marriage Essay Same sex marriage is a legally or socially recognized marriage between two people of the same biological sex or social gender. This topic is an issue in marriages and families today because there has been an ongoing debate, arguments and so much confusion involved with same sex marriage for a very long time. There are many reasons that are given as to why same sex marriages should be discouraged. Some of these include; others feeling that marriage is an institution between one man and one woman while others feel that this type of marriage is not a good environment to raise kids. Same sex marriage affects almost everybody, some people are unhappy while others are happy with lots of confusion that needs to be cleared and at the same time other people are dying due to the choices that they make. If one decides to go for same sex marriage, they are either shunned by family, friends and the society. Others might be beaten to death or even tortured. In other gay marriages, I feel that the children in the families might be going through a hard time in trying to fit in. Children have a hard time in school which might lead to more issues with the children and trying to fix the situation. In this course, one learns ways and means of dealing with all these issues and they can be in a better position to avoid some of them. Through this paper, I intend to explain the benefits of same sex marriage to those that are in this type of marriage and why it is essential to them; the children in these types of marriages and their living situations and at the same time, I will include some of the reasons why a lot of people are so much against this idea. Same sex marriage is one of the biggest debates that has been going on for a very long time since people can never come to a consensus about this whole issue with lots of different Same sex marriage3 reasons. People feel that churches would be forced to marry gay people against their will. If gay marriage is legalized, homosexuality would be promoted in the public schools. The 2000 United States Census revealed 594,000 same-sex couples nationwide, with 46,490 in New York alone figures that may undercount the true number of couples by as much as 62 percent. There’s a gay baby boom accelerating over the past decade, 34.3 percent of female same-sex households and 22.3 percent of male households have children nationwide (the figures for New York are 34.3 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively). These rates are not that much below the national rate for married opposite-sex couples of 45.6 percent and of unmarried opposite-sex couples of 43.1 percent. Using reasonable estimates, this would suggest around 400,000 children being raised by same-sex couples nationwide, and 31,000 in New York. Same sex marriage should not be encouraged because there’s so much controversy involved around it. There are different reasons given for the benefits for those in the same sex marriage. (www.religioustolerance.org) Examples include; the financial security, dignity respect and the equal rights. Denying one group the right to marry has many adverse emotional and financial consequences. Examples of these are Social Security, Medicare, medical leave, and other benefits; property inheritance; the right to visit their spouse in hospital, and make medical decisions if they are incapacitated; security of the couple and of their children. In todays economic environment, it often takes two incomes to live. A married couple shares rent, utilities, and other bills, which are often difficult for one person to take on alone. This is especially truly if a dependent person is involved such as a child. In addition, a married couple can often financially support each other when times get tough, such as when one of the two is out of work. The other can continue to pay the bills until the unemployed person gets back on his/her feet. Same sex marriage4 As for the equal rights, denying marriage to same-sex couples removes from one group a fundamental, important human right which is the right to marry the person that one loves and to whom one has made a commitment. That is unfair and unjust in a democracy. At the same time, The institution of marriage conveys dignity and respect towards a couple that make a lifetime commitment to support each other. â€Å"Same-sex couples deserve this dignity and respect. Another benefit is that it encourages people to have strong family values and give up high-risk sexual lifestyles. One of the main arguments against gay marriage is that it would further erode family values; however, the opposite is true. www.balancedpolitics.org. The problems related to sexuality in our society such as STDs stem from carefree, frivolous lifestyles; in other words, having frequent, unprotected sex with many partners. Marriage encourages people to settle down and to give up that type of lifestyle. Married people commit themselves to one partner and work to build a life together. Isnt that the type of behavior we want to encourage? (The marriage and family experience Bryan strong Pgs. 368-369); talks about the children in the same sex marriage. Aware of the social stigma and lack of support, gay and lesbian families face, there may be a tendency to minimize differences in the children’s behavior. In so doing, some differences that might be strengths of gay and lesbian families may go under-emphasized. According to (www.religioustolerance.org); those opposed to same-sex marriage (SSM) often point to studies which show that children raised in families headed by a father and mother fare much better, both in childhood and later as adults. But further examination shows that most of these studies are not applicable here, because they compare families with opposite-sex parents to single-parent families, not with those headed by same-sex parents. Of course, many perhaps most children in single-parent families will be disadvantaged because of Same sex marriage5 poverty and the lack of a second parent to give the children more care and attention than one parent can provide. Those who advocate same-sex marriage often point to studies which show that children raised in two-parent families do well, regardless of whether the parents are of the same sex or opposite sex. But most of these studies are deeply flawed because: They involve self-selected subjects, and/or, they do not study families over a sufficiently long interval, and/or they demonstrate bias on the part of the researchers. Children raised in families led by same-sex parents would be continually exposed to homosexuality. They may choose to become gay or lesbian at a higher rate than those raised by a father and mother. Men and women have very different personalities, brain structure, talents, etc. They are designed to fit into very different roles within the family. In order for children to be properly socialized, they need to be brought up by both a father and a mother. The long range effects on children who are brought up by two women or two men are unknown and can only be speculated upon. Children of same-sex couples will be exposed to a great deal of ridicule and hatred by their fellow students and this could negatively affect their development. The desire to marry and settle down with a companion for life is very strong in some adults. So is the desire to have children. Other people also believe that if same sex marriage is not allowed, then at least some homosexuals may well be motivated to marry a person of the opposite sex, to leave the homosexual lifestyle, and to become an ex-gay or ex-lesbian. Others feel like same-sex marriage would weaken the institution of marriage by creating a counterfeit version of marriage which will harm the entire population, including children. Some studies show that the incidence of Same sex marriage6 violence between same-sex couples is higher than that between opposite-sex couples. This may also be true of same-sex couples in loving, committed relationships. If so, then children are bound to be harmed by the presence of violence in the home. These are some of the more reasons why many people are against same sex marriage. www.bidstrup.com. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Virtually every religion in the world, including the major ones in this country, consider homosexuality unacceptable. It is offensive and a swipe to the religious freedom of the majority to have to recognize a relationship they consider sinful. The legal system in the United States evolved out of the laws contained in the Bible. We shouldnt go even farther to tear down those laws. It would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. The 50 percent divorce rate has already weakened the definition of marriage. We shouldnt be taking further steps to define what marriage is. A law allowing gay marriage would increase the number of joke or non-serious marriages, such as a couple of friends who want to save on taxes. Marriage is the most sacred institution in this country, and every society considers it the joining of a man and a woman. It makes biological sense since only a man and woman can pro-create. It would further weaken the traditional family values essential to our society. The building blocks of our society and the thing that makes it strong is the traditional family of man, woman, and children. It is what has sustained us through two world wars, terrorist attacks, a Great Depression, and numerous other challenges over the centuries. While friends lovers come and go, your family is always there. The main reason our culture and values have started to crumble is the weakening of families. Introducing another form of family would only make the Same sex marriage7 situation worse. It could provide a slippery slope in the legality of marriage (e.g. having multiple wives or marrying an animal could be next). Gay rights activists claim that these marriages should be allowed because it doesnt hurt anyone, but it could start a chain reaction that destroys the whole idea of marriage. If someone wants to marry his dog, why shouldnt he be able to? What if someone wants to marry their brother or parent? What if someone wants to marry their blow-up doll or have 10 wives? Unless we develop some firm definition of what a marriage is, the options are endless. If these options sound absurd, remember that all it takes is a few activist judges to use the statute to open the door. It doesnt matter if 95 percent of the population disagrees with the policy; one judge can interpret the case the way he or she wants. Do you remember how two judges in California recently declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional? If the decision hadnt been overturned, it would have prevented millions of children from being able to say the pledge every morning, despite the fact that 95+ percent of Americans disagreed with the decision. A lot of people feel that same sex marriage is not something to be encouraged, as a lot of research shows it leads to a much lower life expectancy, psychological disorders, and other problems. Studies show that homosexuals, for a variety of reasons, have life expectancies of approximately 20 years less than the general population. Just like a lifestyle of smoking, drinking, unhealthy lifestyles should be discouraged. www.religioustolerance.org. Same sex marriage is a debate that will always be there no matter what happens but people should never judge the same sex couple who decide to come together and get married. So long as they are happy and the children are well cared for, we should be happy for them. Same sex marriage8 REFERENCES Bidstrup, Scott (2009, June 3). Gay Marriage, The Arguments And The Motives http://www.balancedpolitics.org/ same sex marriage The marriage and Family Experience http://www.ibiblio.org/gaylaw Same-Sex Marriage in the United States: Focus on the Facts Post-2004 Election Edition by Sean Cahill. You tube Video The ViewArgues over Gay Marriage www.religioustolerance.org

The Horrors of U.X.Os

The Horrors of U.X.Os Hannah Chartier The Vietnam War is the second longest war in United States history. It began on August 7, 1964 when the U.S. congress passed a joint resolution to go to war against the Communist North Vietnamese. It ended on April 30, 1975 with the fall of Saigon. The Vietnamese government estimates that around 14m tonnes of ordnance, nearly three times that used by the Allies in the second world war, was dropped on Vietnam between 1959 and 1975. Between 10% and 30% of it failed to detonate (Cordall). No one really knows for sure how many undetonated bombs are still there because everyday more are discovered. Unfortunately, these undetonated bombs continue to maim and kill the inhabitants of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Unexploded Munitions pose a continuing obstacle to agriculture and a threat to children (Black). On September 6, 2016, President Barack Obama pledged $90 million to help with the removal of unexploded ordnances dropped during the Vietnam War. For almost fifty yea rs the U.S. ignored this problem. The United States military bombing tactics during the Vietnam War were unjust because these bombs continue to kill and injure ordinary people everyday. Clearing the undetonated ordinances left behind from the Vietnam War has never been a priority of the United States government. The U.S. government evacuated its last citizens and allies as quickly as possible to avoid the risk of casualties. It was the largest helicopter evacuation in history. The U.S. had lost the war, so it was not responsible for rebuilding the nations involved. No fewer than 119 countries have banned the use of cluster bombs, but the U.S. government still utilizes them to this day. Unexploded ordnances affect farmers the most in these post-war countries. The fields they farm are contaminated with cluster bomblets that were buried and forgotten. It is not unusual for a farmer to accidentally hit an unexploded ordnance with his/her shovel or hoe. The Guardian recently published a story about a Vietnamese farmer. Nguyen Dinh Thu was hoeing the small piece of land his parents had given him [when] he struck the unexploded U.S. military bomb that had lain undisturbed there for fifteen years (Cordall). When he awoke, he came round to find both his hands had been blown off and his face and legs were riddled with shrapnel which will stay inside him permanently (Cordall). His story is not unique Channapha Khamvongsa, the executive director of Legacies of War, has seen the horrors of the undetonated bombs in Laos. She was just a toddler when her parents left Laos for the United States. She has made it her mission to educate the world about the unexploded bombs in her home country of Laos. Eighty percent of people rely on their land to grow food in Laos. So they still use their land even at the risk of their own lives (Khamvongsa). Laos is one of the poorest countries in Eastern Asia. While most of the victims used to be farmers working their fields, these days, with more of the countryside cleared, those most at risk are scrap-metal scavengers, who cut up rusted bombs and shells in the hope of earning a few dollars (Black). About 40 percent of the accidents result in death and 60 percent of the victims are children. Also, (the bombies) are tennis ball sized weapons. The children often mistake the bombs for toys, and pick them up and throw them around. This is often the cause of an explosion (Khamvongsa). A typical example is A 13-year-old boy was killed in An My by an unexploded bomb four years ago as he played in his garden, and the shock waves still reverberate through this tiny community (Cordall). During the Vietnam War, the United States used bombs as a way of attacking the Vietnamese people and villages. It was a very poor decision because now, after the war, there are still bombs that continue to detonate every day, destroying the villages more and more. According to The New Yorker article written by George Black, Since the end of the war in 1975, more than forty thousand Vietnamese have been killed by U.X.O.

Judaisms Beliefs on Suffering :: essays research papers

Judaisms beliefs on suffering by Alex Barnett Why do the innocent suffer? This question has been asked for ages. Jewish sources, from the earliest to the latest, have tried themselves to answer this. It occurs to every single person with an interest in religion or not. We all know cases of good people who suffer terrible pains for no obvious reason. From a religious side of life this disturbs me because it seems to contradict certain basic Jewish beliefs. In particular, we believe: God is omniscient (He knows everything), God is omnipotent (He can do anything), and God is just. If these beliefs are right then how is it possible that innocent people suffer? In this essay I am going to briefly tell you what Judaism says about the concept of suffering and then I?m going to attempt explaining the two main explanations! The firstly and the most widely used answer across many religions is ?We simply do not know. Our rabbis (teachers) tell us that god?s logic and actions are way, way, way more advanced than us, physical human beings would ever be able, even to attempt trying to understand. We simply will never understand until we meet the big guy in heaven! Also some people although may seem innocent may actually not be so great and are punished for the things they do wrong. For me in Judaism by far the more impressive explanation is free will, God made Satan, he is not a rebellious angel. God created both good and evil. The Bible says so, in Isaiah 45:?God created the universe because God wanted to do good.? So there had to be people to receive that goodness. But God does not want to just give away good as a present. God wants people to appreciate it. Something you get for free you do not appreciate. And in fact, if you got something amazingly good for free, and you were allowed to enjoy it for all eternity, you would not appreciate it. If you didn't work for it, you don't deserve it. So G-d decided that people would have to work for it, and receive the ultimate goodness as a reward for hard work. People are tempted every day by their yetzer tov and yetzer horah, whether to do good or bad things, you need to overcome your yetzer horah to become a great person and receive reward in the afterlife. Say, for example, you have a desire to tell harmful gossip about someone.