Sociology: Privilege :: Sociology Essays

1. (a) Privilege is defined as a favor or right granted to some people, but not to everyone. (b) Power is defined as strength, ability, or a driving force. (c) Difference is defined as the way in which two things are not the same. (d) According to MacIntosh there are two types of privileges. The first is based on what she calls â€Å"unearned entitlements,† which are things that all people should have. Some examples are feeling safe in a public place or working in a place where they feel that they belong and are valued for what they can contribute. The other type of privilege is what MacIntosh calls â€Å"unearned advantage,† and occurs when â€Å"unearned entitlements† are restricted to certain groups. An example would be a white person feeling out of place at a downtown nightclub. (e) The paradox in privilege is that individuals are the one’s who experience privilege or the lack of it, but individuals are not what are actually privileged. Instead, privilege is defined in relation to a group or a social category. For example, race privilege is mo re about white people than it is about white people. Privileges are only granted in society when people identify the individual as belonging to a specific category, race, gender, or cultural background. By saying that oppression is the flip side of privilege the author means that for every social category that is privileged, one or more other categories are oppressed in relation to it. Oppression points toward the social forces that â€Å"press† upon people and hold them back, thus blocking their pursuit of a good life. 2. (a) Capitalism is defined as an economic system based on ownership of resources by individuals or companies and not by the state. Capitalism as it relates to sociology has to do with the fact that it not only produces enormous amounts of wealth, but that it creates extreme levels of inequality among social classes and societies. Capitalism also has made the rich richer and the poor poorer and has opened the gap in the U.S. class system. The matrix of domination says that each particular form of privilege, whether based on race, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, or ethnicity, exists only as a much larger system of privilege. It works by simplifying and clarifying the gray areas that we encounter in privilege. It allows us to see that each form of privilege exists only in relation to all the rest and keeps us from trying to figure out which is the worst or most oppressive.

Mathematical Impacts :: essays research papers

Mathematical Impacts The art of mathematics is an intrinsic part of the many physical sciences which humanity strives to learn; it began as a way to explain the celestial guides, which became the science of astronomy and astrophysics. This essay will explain the use of math in astronomy, chemistry, physics, and their relation. The study of astronomy is the oldest of the physical sciences it began as an inspiration. For the purpose of this essay, the study will begin with the ancient’s knowledge of this science. They had many different views on how those nocturnal guides worked. Many of these civilizations studied their arrival and departure along with the weather to understand their own existence. Humboldt (1849) stated, â€Å"Physical laws depend upon mean numerical values; which shows us the constant amid change.† This change was the foundation of time, time that would assist in measuring and explaining how those guides work. Boorstin (1985) explains that, â€Å"The first grand discovery was time, the landscape of experience.† He went further with his explanation of how important it was for humans to measure time, if it had been simple, humans would have, â€Å"lacked the incentive to study the heavens and to become mathematicians.† With the use of this curiosity, humans searc hed and learned how they worked. Math had made it possible to understand this aspect of the cosmos, yet there were some differences on how they really worked. The Greeks were the first to â€Å"propose explanations for the motions of astronomical objects that relied on logic and geometry† Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (2004). Math, helped explain, and defy the beliefs held for many years. The Greeks created a geocentric model, which places the earth in the center of the universe. This was attributed, to Thales (c. 624-546 B.C.), which many other Greeks held to be true even after another Greek named Aristarchus (c. 310-230 B.C.) â€Å"Suggested that the Earth goes around the Sun, a view that ultimately prevailed, but until almost 2,000 years later† Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (2004). With all of this in mind, the mathematicians who followed these great men of genius will utilize the ideas and mathematical equations in search of the truth. It is important to understand that in order for these new discoveries be found, the evolution of logic, math, and other sciences, which derived from the mathematical ideals of the past. To put it in a better perspective of how these evolutions helped these advancements, it is important to understand that before the discovery of the telescope, calculations and logical premises made the old discoveries.

Freedom of Speech to Criticize Teachers Essay

It is good practice to respect teachers by word and deed. Even so, if a teacher is incompetent, students do not consider it disrespect to badmouth him or her. After all, students’ lives are significantly impacted by the competence or incompetence of their teachers. Thus, Tim Davis, a special education teacher from California who helped to start a website called RateMyTeachers. com supports the site that allows students to either praise or openly criticize their teachers by stating: â€Å"It’s the first time I really feel that students have a voice in their education (â€Å"Teachers Earn An F In Freedom†). † Davis’ opinion is consonant with the freedom of speech theory which grants perfect freedom to all people to express their opinions. The only condition posed by the freedom of speech postulate is that hate speech and verbal abuse are unacceptable in all situations and in all forms. With this essential condition in place, RateMyTeachers. com grants perfect freedom to students to express their positive and negative opinions about their teachers. Many students praise their teachers on the site. However, one teacher was described on the selfsame website as somebody who â€Å"just shows up for a paycheck (â€Å"Teachers Earn An F In Freedom†). † Although a number of teachers have protested against the website because it allows them to be openly criticized by their students, a lawyer representing the New York State United Teachers has observed that the site must surely fall â€Å"under constitutional free-speech protection (â€Å"Teachers Earn An F In Freedom†). † It is clear, therefore, that teachers must be tolerant of the opinions of their students. If the opinions are positive, they should encourage the teachers to focus on their strengths and continue improving their teaching styles. But even if students’ opinions are negative, teachers must show empathy and work on improving themselves with the support of their students’ opinions. After all, students care that their teachers do the best that they can in the classroom. RateMyTeachers. com is an excellent example of the freedom of speech theory in action in this context. Seeing that the opinions of students on the website may be read by anybody with access to the Internet, nothing is hidden from teachers that are truly interested in learning how they are secretly rated by their students. Even without the website, however, students would continue to praise and constructively criticize their teachers. As a matter of fact, students take it in their stride to make good or bad comments about their teachers. Given that this experience is a regular part of schooling, it is worthwhile for teachers to consider allowing all students to provide them with feedback about their teaching methods on a regular basis. Indeed, teachers may want to show respect for their students’ opinions – regardless of whether they are positive or negative – with the understanding that their students’ opinions support them in their quest to improve their teaching styles. What is more, students should be allowed to openly praise or constructively criticize their teachers without having to fill out anonymous evaluation forms. This would also help to build greater rapport between students and teachers. Most importantly, such practice would help students to gain more confidence in their effort to make politically correct speech; and for both students and teachers to learn and grow together, despite the divergency of their developmental stages. Works Cited â€Å"Teachers Earn An F In Freedom. † New York Library Association (8 October 2003). 1 April 2008. .

Character of Curley’s wife and how she reacts to others Essay

In Of Mice and Men, we see various different sides of Curley’s wife. We are first introduced to her near the beginning of the book and she plays a big role towards the conclusion of the book. Her flirtatious character leads to her being killed by Lennie, in a confused state. Candy, the old swamper, introduces us to Curley’s wife during his first discussion with George and Lennie. Candy tells them that Curley’s wife is a â€Å"tart†. The fact that Curley’s wife is introduced to us with having â€Å"the eye† tells us that she is very flirtatious with other men in the ranch despite having a husband (Curley). The fact that we, the readers, are introduced to Curley’s wife through malicious rumours means that already the reader has a negatively biased opinion on Curley’s wife and women in general at those times. Curley’s wife is first physically introduced to us in the doorway of the bunkhouse where George and Lennie are at, asking for the whereabouts of her husband. She is described as wearing â€Å"a cotton house dress and red mules† which had â€Å"bouquets of red ostrich feathers† on the insteps. In the description of Curley’s wife’s clothes the colour red is repeated and emphasized many times. Red is often referred to as the colour of love and passion, which further emphasizes her sexual and flirtatious personality. Also the â€Å"bouquets of red ostrich feathers† on her insteps would have probably been very expensive at the time of the Great Depression and the fact that she wears them in the middle of a dusty and dirty environment where they could easily be ruined tells us that she is desperate to catch the attention of the workers and to also impress them despite having a husband, further emphasizing her character as a â€Å"tart†. Curley’s wife is hated by the ranch workers . When she enters the room of Crooks, Candy and Crooks are â€Å"scowling down away from her eyes†. This tells us that they are either afraid of of Curley’s wife or that they are aware of the fact that anything involving Curley’s wife can bring no good. Either way  the use of the word â€Å"scowling† tells us that the presence of Curley’s wife displeases Crooks and Candy. This tells us that all of the ranch workers dislike Curley’s wife as they know that there will be trouble if they ever speak to her. Curley’s wife is not only described as being flirtatious but she is also shown to be cruel at times. Since Crooks and Candy keep ignoring her she gets frustrated and explodes when Crooks stands up for himself by saying threatening comments like â€Å"I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny†. This causes Crook to realize his place in society and causes him to become very weak. This tells us that at the time the words of a white woman were superior to that of a black man. This also emphasizes the amount of racism during the Great Depression. During the same scene, you start to see a new side of Curley’s wife and start to see the loneliness she feels. We see this when Curley†s wife says to Crooks, Candy and Lennie saying that she is talking to â€Å"a bunch of bindle stiffs†¦ an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else†. This makes us understand the reason why she acts flirtatiously around the ranch workers. This is because she feels lonely as she is the only woman on the ranch and even though she has a husband he barely spends any time at home or with her. This shows that even though Curley’s wife married Curley, he thinks of her as nothing more than an object. Curley’s wife’s last appearance has a big impact on how we see her. While the other ranch worker’s were playing horseshoe, Curley tells Lennie about the time which could have changed her life totally. She tells him that she could have been â€Å"in the movies†. In this line Steinbeck uses very clever irony. The fact that she wants to be under the spot light is unrealistic as all she ever does is cast shadows on herself and attract negative attention. Although, Lennie is not very interested in her stories, we learn about the true presonality of Curley’s wife, her innocence and her desperate need to escape the situation she is in. At the scene of her death her pure personality is emphasized. This is  conveyed to us when her face is described as being â€Å"sweet and young† and that her â€Å"ache for attention was all gone for her face†. The word ‘ache’ tells us that Curley’s wife’s desperate need for attention was so strong that it began to hurt her. When she dies she is no longer potrayed in a negative light but is instead shown in a very positive light. When she dies also the atmosphere in the ranch changes. This is shown to us when in the book it says the â€Å"sun streaks were high on the walls† and the barn was light again. This could be that John Steinbeck is trying to use pathetic fallacy by trying to tell us that the positive change in the weather reflect the positive changes in the mood and appearance of Curley’s wife. Despite all the positive changes in her personality there are lots of different things that made her death inevitable. We see this when even though Lennie says he likes petting soft things and that most of the things he pets dies she still lets Lennie touch her hair. This tells us that her never ending want for attention, in the end, foreshadowed her death and ultimately lead to it. We can see that the reason for Curley’s wife’s hostility towards the ranch workers is because of constant betrayals from them (eg. Curley because he married her but never showed any signs of affection towards her.) and because her needs for attention weren’t met. To Curley, Curley’s wife is just a trophy which he shows off to people. The fact that her real name is never mentioned tells us that people on the ranch showed no signs of interest in Curley’s wife. The fact that she lives in the boss’s house and that she is married to the boss’s son makes her a woman of power even though she is treated as one of the lowest in the hierarchy of people at the ranch in terms of freedom and rights. This loneliness causes Curley’s wife to make people who are in a low position feel worse so that she feels more important, powerful and authorative. We see this when she enters Crooks room and says â€Å"They left all the weak ones here†. This tells us that she thinks that she is superior to Crooks, Candy and Lennie even though Steinbeck doesn’t give her the dignity of having a name. In conclusion, I think that even though she is a complicated and cruel character sometimes, she never planned on or thought herself to be a flirtatious person. Even though she often acted like one, there were hints telling us why she was acting this way and that her real personality was nenver clearly shown.

Reflective Account – Plan, Prioritise and Balance Time

A situation arose relating to a Live – in carer, (to be known in this reflective account as carer A) who was due to go into a placement and relieve an existing member of staff ( to be known in this reflective account as carer B) as part of a two-week job share. Carer A had problems with regard to her residency and as a matter of urgency had to adjust the dates of the changeover. When first the call was made by carer A, she was so upset that I did not know if she was going back at all. My personal knowledge of the circumstances of the client was extensive, learned time and lots of communicating with the clients’ wife and the client himself and the achievement of home visits. I was wholeheartedly aware of how a change at such short notice would affect the clients’ wife who lives in the home, along with the client and who oversees the care provision of her husband who has advanced dementia and cannot communicate his needs at all. My immediate thoughts were not to alarm the clients’ wife unnecessarily but to establish the facts involved in situation and solve the issue with the best possible outcome for all parties in mind. In planning my steps to ensure an effective outcome, my first thoughts were to secure the existing care arrangements, which involved contacting carer B. This meant a discreet phone call to her to ask if and how long she would be able to stay to cover for carer A. I was aware that I possibly only had a window of opportunity of one week because carer B was to be placed into another live – in, with another client. I also knew that carer B had a hospital appointment to attend within the timeframe which meant that the clients’ wife would possibly require extra support for this time. Carer B agreed to stay but did need off duty for a whole day because of the distance to and from the hospital. Once the cover had been successfully secured, my next step was to find out how long this extra cover would be required for. This involved contacting carer A. It may have seemed better if I had started my enquiries the other way around but my thoughts were that if carer B had made other private plans for the week then I would have been looking for a replacement with a carer C and so I stored the information in my head. In communicating with carer A, my thoughts were to ensure that I was offering practical professional support to assist where possible with her issues and also offer a sympathetic ear to support her emotional state at the time. I had to be realistic about what I needed to achieve to ensure a positive outcome for all parties and I could only achieve a positive outcome by planning the next steps. Carer A came to the office to discuss the situation with me and together we worked out a practical plan of action. This involved a longer- term approach and would be running in the background after carer A returned to her placement and would not involve the client further at this stage. A call was then made to the clients’ wife to inform her of the situation and the steps I had already taken to ensure that our obligation as a care provider would be met. In communicating with the clients’ wife I was to be mindful as to the conversation held, my considerations toward all parties was to be factual, honest, practical and professional. The new changeover date was established, consideration was given to how best carer B could achieve her visit to the hospital and all parties agreed an arrangement as to how best both would be achieved. My involvement continued as I escorted both carer A and carer B too and from their respective placements by using my personal transport, as neither carer is a driver and access to the clients home is more challenging than most as they live away from the use of public transport. My support will continue as I will be offering practical help to carer A in ensuring a positive outcome for her. I will maintain contact with the clients’ wife by phone fortnightly In the timeframe allocated to this example of how I plan, prioritise and balance my time, I still work within the office supporting the office staff to deal with other issues that occur within any working day. I ensured that the office would be covered adequately when I was to be out of the office, I ensured that I could be contacted in the case of an emergency, should the staff need my support when out and about. I made sure that an affirmative plan of action was in place for any eventuality that could occur in this situation.

Nursing Process Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing Process Theory - Case Study Example Hampe (1975) used her theory to talk about grieving families in a hospital setting. This paper will analyze the theory and try to understand what it means in the context of community health nursing. Orlando developed her theory in the 1950's. It was published the first time in her book, The Dynamic Nurse-Patient Relationship. Her theory was one of the first actually published on nursing process. She later continued her concepts in her second book, The Discipline and Teaching of the Nursing Process. Her original motivation for the work was to discover what the purpose of nursing was. To accomplish that she looked at nurse patient interactions both in the chart and during actual care episodes to determine what the outcomes of those actions were (Faust, 2002). These observations helped her formulate the basic thoughts behind her theory which are that the nurse has the role to discover and meet the patient's immediate needs. The most basic concept is "the nursing process describes the nurse's reactions to patient's behavior as generating a perception, thought and feeling in the nurse and then action by the nurse" (Sheldon & Ellington, 2008, pg1). This theory seems so well designed for nursing. It was when it was written and it seems it would be now. Many researchers as we have noted, have studied it and used it to build their own theory. However, there is nothing in the literature that indicates that the theory has ever been transformed into an actual nursing process. In 1961 Orlando wrote, "the purpose of nursing is to supply the help a patient requires in order for his needs to be met"(Orlando, 1961, pg 8). When you break it down as a nursing process, it becomes behavior of the patient, reaction of the nurse, and nursing action used to benefit the need of the patient. This writer believes that she is still right, that is what nursing is. At the same time, we must realize that Ida Jean Orlando came from a period in which education was only for those who had money and that included nursing education. This made their paradigms meet the needs of education more than the needs of the bedside nurse. She also used retroductive reasoning because she applied what she observed to what she already suspected (McEwen & Wills, 2007). Today it is still evident in some ways as we note that her theories are used more often by education than nursing itself. Her theory is noted among the Grand Theories considering her background and education as well as the time in which she worked. It also does not seem to meet all of the four nursing paradigms (Chinn & Kramer, 2008). She was quite explicit about individuals and nursing but she very briefly mentioned health as a state of well being and considered the environment only in the sense of now. Earlier it was noted that many nursing researchers of today study Orlando's nursing theory and it's applicability to specific types of nursing. The patient in the community may be in great distress and it may not be seen by anyone but the community health nurse. Orlando says that distress comes from unmet needs. Patient behavior needs to be assessed when it occurs. Any behavior may mean a plea for help. The relief of this stress depends on the caring nurse who is willing to participate in the solution of the need. The Community Health Nurse is confronted with this daily and responds

The Books Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Books Reading - Essay Example It enabled me to think beyond the mundane pursuits of life and made me believe that I can be happy in this world by pursuing my wishes and desires and by searching for my â€Å"treasure.† This book changed my view about how to live my life; it has taught me to be happy and to believe in the power of love, whether it is the love that God has bestowed on me or the love that I have for my fellow human beings. Books that are beautiful and touch people greatly automatically do good business. However, lately, there is a trend to treat the publishing industry as a business and not as a way to touch and/or improve the conscience of the reader. Publishing houses do not accept manuscripts which they feel will not fetch them enough money; on the same note, they are attracted to manuscripts that in their opinion would be â€Å"bestsellers† and fetch them business. This leads to the problem of various publishing houses churning out formula books; in other words, books written in a similar genre and pattern. The nineties obsession with thrillers is an example of this when almost every publishing house turned out similarly patterned books that seemed like renditions of Hollywood flicks; albeit some writers were actually writing great books in the genre, most of these books just seemed like cheap versions of the real thing. Lately, there is a trend of publishing religiously oriented books; acc ording to the Book Industry Survey Group, in 2004; there was an 11 percent increase in the gains of such books, reaching almost 2 billion in sales. With such large amounts of money involved, the publishers, of course, follow the trend and do not publish books that are not â€Å"trendy† so to speak.