Saturday, May 23, 2020

Essay philosophy of education - 545 Words

Progressivism My personal philosophy of education is most closely related to progressivism, which is a school of thought advocating that truth is determined by function. Progressivism is an educational philosophy focused on providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary not only to survive but also to succeed in a contemporary and competitive society. William James and John Dewey are accredited for developing the characteristically American philosophy of education that is progressivism. As the name suggests, progressivism is a philosophy that is adaptable for society’s current state. It is a philosophy that promotes education aimed at helping students to develop the kind of problem solving skills that will enable them to†¦show more content†¦In line with the progressivism philosophy, the role of the teacher is to facilitate learning by posing questions for students that exercise their minds in a practical manner. Teachers are responsible for the preparation of students for the real world and it is within the classroom setting that teachers must recreate problems that exist in society and guide students in the direction of solving these problems. Teachers of the progressivism philosophy encourage creative thinking as well as analytic thinking. The questions they pose for their students are often open-ended questions that may or may not have prescribed answers. Progressivism is centered on an ever-changing society, and so today’s problems consta ntly become more intricate and complex, demanding that students use creativity and ingenuity to find the most viable solution. Teachers act as liaisons between the shelter of childhood and the harshness of the real world, and it is their responsibility to introduce the reality of being a productive member of society to their students and the expectations as well as obstacles that lay before them on their path to success in the real world. The teaching methods used in a progressivism classroom support the idea of problem-based learning wherein the student is required to develop original solutions to existing or potential societal problems. Together with the teacher and classmates, students are given the opportunity to speculateShow MoreRelatedMy Teaching Philosophy Of Education880 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the Education Philosophy test that we took in class, my education philosophy matched with social reconstruction. Social Reconstructionist believes that systems must keep changing to improve human conditions. Also, emphasizes social questions and to create a better society. Social reconstructionist believe that you have to start over to make things better. While going through the PowerPoint that explained what social reconstitution is, in a deeper way, I came to the conclusion that socialRead MorePhilosophy : Philosophy Of Education1328 Words   |  6 Pages Philosophy of Education Jihyae Choe Liberty University TESL 419 â€Æ' Philosophy of Education A good educator decides the direction of teaching based on a resolute educational philosophy. A firm and resolute philosophy does not equate with a fixed perspective, instead it is a strong foundation that can stabilize the life long educational career. In order to establish a firm philosophical basis, passion toward education should accompany proper understanding. Successful educators who establishedRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Education828 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy of Education Teachers, especially those in the early years of school, have the extraordinary task of instilling a life-long love of learning in their students. We are there to cultivate their young minds in an arena where children feel safe and secure while expanding and exploring their knowledge of the world around them. We are to create responsible, productive and model citizens of the world. We are given an incredible task to carry out! With that in mind, however education needsRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Education1866 Words   |  8 PagesPhilosophy of Education An educational philosophy gives teachers and all educators’ ways to use problem solving in schools. For a lot of practitioners, actual teaching has been reduced to action lacking of a rationale or justification. According to Alan Sadovick, the author of our textbook, a philosophy of education is â€Å"firmly rooted in practice, whereas philosophy, as a discipline, stands on its own with no specific end in mind† (Sadovnik, 2013, pg. 179). All teachers and prospective teachers haveRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Education And Education1175 Words   |  5 Pagesbeliefs is called a philosophy of education. â€Å"A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher s role, and what should be taught and by what methods† (Philosophy of Education). Educational philosophies differ among all individuals in education. With individual educators, some choose a teacher-centered philosophy and others choose a student-centered philosop hy. It appears that both realms of philosophy play an important role in education inside the typicalRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Education And Education Essay1545 Words   |  7 PagesThe philosophy of education is not a topic that can be fully taught and understood by reading and studying a textbook, or a few textbooks for that matter. I believe that the philosophy of education is somewhat subjective, rather than objective, and that there exists numerous answers to what is the â€Å"philosophy of education†. I feel that one’s answers can not be expressed with a single word nor a sentence; and that one has to â€Å"experience† rather than just read to find the answer. Yes, a huge part ofRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Education And Education1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe philosophy of education seeks to study the process and discipline of education in order to understand how it works, improve its methods and perfect its purposes in today’s society. How this is done is determined by how well the learner internalizes the concepts of the discipline taught by the educator. Educators have a tremendous responsibility not only to prepare students for their lives ahead, but also to contribute to the evolution of knowledge for future generations. Each generation notRead MorePhilosophy Of Education And Education928 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy of Education I believe philosophy of education is defined with learning in many ways. In order to reach a certain level of learning there’s recourse along the way that defines the person and goal. John Dewey said â€Å"educational philosophy centers pragmatism and the method of learning by doing.† Purpose of Schooling A hundred years ago the definition and purpose of schooling changed tremendously. There was a point in time where education was very mediocre and a diploma was not requiredRead MorePhilosophy of Education985 Words   |  4 PagesMy Personal Philosophy of Special Education Christina L. Richardson Grand Canyon University: SPE-529N November 18, 2012 My Personal Philosophy of Special Education As educators, we need a foundation for why we want to teach, where students with different disabilities fit in that foundation, a rationale for how we teach, and a principle that keeps us striving to be the best educators we can be. The purpose of this essay is to point out what I believe the foundation, student location, rationaleRead MoreMy Philosophy On The Philosophy Of Education844 Words   |  4 PagesIn mathematics, as in life, everything must be brought to the simplest of terms. I base my teaching philosophy on the foundation that every student is capable of learning mathematics. I will strive, as a teacher, to ensure that my students are able to have a strong foundation of mathematical skills when they leave my classroom. Some students believe that they are not mathematically gifted; therefore, incapable of learning mathematics. I believe to the contrary, all students with motivation, sustained

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The Minimum Wage War - 1167 Words

On Saturday, June 25, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 121 bills. Among these bills was a landmark law in the United States’ social and economic development—Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) or otherwise known as the Wages and Hours Bill. This new law created a maximum forty-four hour workweek, guaranteed â€Å"time-and-a-half† for overtime hours in certain jobs, banned oppressive child labor, and established the nation’s first minimum wage. By definition, a minimum wage is the lowest wage permitted by law or by a special agreement (such as one with a labor union). Throughout the years, the minimum wage has been a central debate topic for the socioeconomic world and now in 2014, the debate has broken through the surface once†¦show more content†¦Because these workers spend all the money they make, the $35 billion in extra wages would get pumped right back into the U.S. economy (Dickinson). However, not everyone is on the bandwagon. Conservative economists point out the negative effects the wage increase could have on the economy. They see it having an effect on the demand of jobs. Businesses facing higher labor costs would raise prices, passing those higher costs on to their customers. That would lead their customers to cut back on their purchases, meaning that businesses would need fewer workers (Lowrey). Raising the minimum wage would also make hiring low-wage workers more expensive relative to other investments, like new machinery. Businesses might then reduce their use of low-wage workers and shift their spending toward other things, such as automated systems. In contrast, an article written in the New York Times by Paul Krugman states that when it comes to the minimum wage, we have a number of cases in which a state raised its own minimum wage while a neighboring state did not. If there were anything to the notion that minimum wage increases have big negative effe cts on employment, that result should show up in state-to-state comparisons. It doesn’t. A University of California, Berkeley study found Wal-Mart could finance a pay hike to $12 an hour for its nearly one million low-wage associates by boasting prices just 1.1%—at a cost to theShow MoreRelatedThe Minimum Wage War, By Barbara Ehrenreich And The Article938 Words   |  4 Pageslike these arise in both the story Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America by Barbara Ehrenreich and the article â€Å"The Minimum-Wage War† by Rolling Stone. At first glance, these writings may seem unrelated; However, the themes of minimum wage and work ethic go hand-in-hand with respect to these texts. These writings express the correlation that working a minimum wage job and having a strong work ethic does not always result in enough money to pay for the cost of living. Consequently, unskilledRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Change 1151 Words   |  5 Pagesthe topic of minimum wag e. With president Obama’s increase in the minimum wage to 10.10$ per hour people, both economists and politicians alike, have been debating whether raising the bar is a smart idea. At a time when the country the country’s inflation continues to rise at a steady pace and Americans are constantly working to feed their families, some economists know that a raise in the minimum wage would help elevate some of the difficulty. The last time the federal minimum wage was raised wasRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised For A Better Standard Of Living1636 Words   |  7 PagesVamsi Sanagala Hannah Manshel Dec 15 2014 English 1 Minimum Wage Almost 3.3 out of 76 million workers in the US receive minimum wage (Source: BLS reports). Activists for raising the minimum wage claim that the federal minimum wage of $7.25 is the reason they are living in poverty, and that the wage must be raised for a better standard of living. Many people who take on minimum wage jobs are young and work in companies that don’t carry much prestige; however, they stillRead MoreMinimum Wage vs. Slavery1407 Words   |  6 PagesSLAVERY VS. MINIMUM WAGE Le’Sean Marks English 102; Civil War Term Paper March 21, 2013 In a time like today, everyone who has ever received minimum wage could agree that it is not ideal, nor is it fair in most cases. However, to compare the brutality of minimum wage to that of slavery is preposterous! In slavery, especially the slavery that occurred in America, human beings lacked more than just proper compensation for their labor. Along with not being fairly rewarded: families were rippedRead MoreThe Effects of a Minimum Wage Law655 Words   |  3 PagesWhat are the Effects of a Minimum Wage Law? A minimum wage is the lowest amount of money per hour that the government of the country assigns employers to pay their employees. The minimum wage is based on an idea that the employers have a responsibility for their employees to live in a reasonable standard of living. The minimum wage laws have directly effect to most industries because of the potential of decreasing their budget. As a result, the minimum wage is still an issue that people researchRead MoreMinimum Wage863 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is a controversial topic because everybody wants more. People want more money and some think that just increasing minimum wage can increase more money that they get. However, this is far from the truth as sometimes employers can’t pay their employers more than minimum wage. Not to mention that if the minimum wage goes up so does the price of everything else in order to adjust for the new price. So essentially increasing the wage majorly does nothing except maybe lower th e value of yourRead MoreThe Effects Of Low Income Affects The Lifestyles Of Minimum Wage Essay1450 Words   |  6 Pagesthis dissertation, describes how the impact of low income affects the lifestyles of minimum wage earners. These impacts stem from two significant factors; Smith’s (2015) theory from a psychological perspective, and Rogers’ (2014) minimum wage laws and social equality. While several areas are encompassed by these two factors, comparison of the human behavior and social groups, provides insight on how minimum wage earners are affected by each. According to Smith’s theory, indicators that are impactedRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Debacle1320 Words   |  6 PagesThe Minimum Wage Debacle â€Å"I could be easily replaced by someone tomorrow for less money.† What a dispiriting statement. I was told this from a coworker in October of last year. This coworker has worked for the same grocery store for over twenty years. His remark caused me to formulate many questions about the ethics of business. More specifically though is the question of how this can be a bigger problem than I had originally thought. I have worked many low end jobs, and have seen firstRead MoreJohn Keynes And Friedrich Hayek901 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent times. Keynes and Hayek had opposite ideas on what created a working economy that would be successful and avoid economical depressions like that of the United States great depression and the European depressions that resulted from the two World Wars. Keynes believes that the best way to maintain a strong economy was to have government micromanage any and all aspects of the economy. He believes that in order to maintain full employment of citizens, countries must spend money to create jobs andRead MoreThe Presidential Election Made History1252 Words   |  6 Pagesthough? Some experts believe that Trump’s economic policies will increase the inflation rate. Trump’s considered spending on infrastructure will potentially lead to an enlarged employment rate and a larger money supply within the economy. If exchange wars with China and Mexico actually happen, import prices could increase, which will lead to inflation. For example, just after the election results were broadcasted, the Mexican peso plummeted 7.3% opposed to the US dollar. The United States is responsible

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

on killing a tree Essay - 1240 Words

this blog belongs to me, Pankaj. visit this blog and know me and my way of thinking. samaj the society samaj the society Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Monday, April 4, 2011 Posted by Pankaj Bora at 10:18 PM BEHAVIORAL AND POST BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO POLITICAL SCIENCE Meaning and definition of Behavioural Approach: The behavioural approach to political science mainly emphasizes on scientific, objective and value free study of political phenomenon. This approach stresses upon the use of empirical as well as scientific methods of study political behavior. This approach shifts its emphasis from the study of the state and government to the day-today problems, activities and behaviour of†¦show more content†¦Here, we can derive the answer that though theoretically behavioralism is a much applicable approach but that lakes fruitful application in practice. Post-Behavioural Approach After discussing the Behavioural Approach, we put light on the Post- Behavioural Approach to develop a greater understanding of the prospects of Political Science. The Post-Behaviouural Approach is such an approach which developed after witnessing the loopholes of Behavioral Approach. Considering the popularity in 1940’s, Behavioural Approach has been one of the most important approaches to Political Scienc e. But in 1970’s, there was general dissatisfaction with the achievements of behaviouralist as it failed to solve practical problems of the society and it led to the emergence of the post-Behavioural Approach. The failure of the Behavioural Approach to make any real progress towards the objective of building a scientific political theory compelled the behaviouralists to admit reforms in Behavioural Approach and that result in Post-Behavioural Approach. David Easton, who at one time was a Behaviouralist, criticized it for its limitations in later course. Thus, the Post- Behavioural Approach complains that the Behavioural Approach had not taken into account serious social matters. Post- Behavioural Approach is both a movement and academic tendency. It opposed the efforts of theShow MoreRelatedThe And Chemical Kill Off Bacteria720 Words   |  3 Pagesnatural and chemical kill off bacteria. I’ll be testing different products such as Vinegar, Manuka honey, Ajax, tea tree oil and Dettol Hand Sanitizer. By testing the rate at which these products kill off bacteria I will be able to determine the most effective products and compare the differences between each products efficiency. Vinegar: Vinegar has been efficiently tested in killing bacteria. An experiment done in February 201 found that Vinegar has a large effect on reducing Tuberculosis mycobacteriaRead MoreEssay on Chestnut Blight and American Chestnut Trees1241 Words   |  5 Pagesthose in the timber industry who cannot lumber Asian species of chestnut primarily because of their size. In the 1880s a harmful fungus known as blight, inhabited the United States from imported Japanese chestnut trees. Blight quickly spread, killing chestnuts and chinquapins, which is another species of chestnut that produces 1 nut per bur. In 1904, Chestnut blight appeared infecting trees in New York City and spread at a rate of 20-50 miles per year. By 1906, W.A. Murrill reported that thisRead MoreWild Bees by James K. Baxter1218 Words   |  5 Pagesblack at the crevice / Of a rotten cabbage tree† (lines 5-6). The phrasing â€Å"passionless industry† is metaphor comparing the bees to machines without emotions or feelings. In addition, the rotten cabbage tree symbolizes how the boys see the bee’s worth. The tree is considered unimportant due to its decaying and dying state, and therefore causes the bees to be determined as useless. The rotting tree even foreshadows that bees, too, shall join the tree in its festering state. After the boys determineRead MoreCompare And Contrast The Cask Of Amontillado And A Poison Tree1174 Words   |  5 Pagesand A Poison Tree. Edgar Allen Poe is the author of The Cask Of Amontillado, and William Blake is the poet who wrote A Poison Tree. The authors Poe and Blake use conflict and setting to convey the theme that suppressed anger sometimes induces revenge which can result in explosive violence. The setting in A Cask of Amontillado and in A Poison Tree is used to convey the theme and reveals the chain of suppressed anger, revenge, and violence. In A Poison Tree, the author uses a tree to show the growingRead MoreThe Spread Of The Blight995 Words   |  4 Pagesmigration of the tree species to New England contributed to the development of agriculture of the European chestnut (Castanea sativa) (Russell, 1987). The tree was huge with a mean of 0.9-1.2 meters in diameter and 25-40 meters in height (Hawkins, 2006). Some samples were even larger. Originally, only the Indians that had settled in Northeastern US took advantage of the hardwood beauty and used it for lumbering ventures and edible nuts. In New England, the farmers discovered a better tree than C. sativaRead MoreEvil : Evil And Evil981 Words   |  4 Pageswhat is good. The people that kill others in the War and never end it unless they are successful, having the believe that they are doing the right thing. Where is the good in killing innocent civilians. Definitely there s something wrong in the concept of being a good man having morals in life. If that is true that killing is right, then what s evil we are afraid from to face? Some people believe that evil is the lack of sympathy, having no mercy in the heart, which can lead afterward into murderingRead MoreDaniel Holland . Professor Milford . 1102 . 5/3/17 . Magical1586 Wo rds   |  7 PagesOfelia goes in to the fig tree and how it relates to her Mothers state in her current state in her pregnancy, then I will compare the captain vidals relation to the pale man and how they are similar, next I will compare the mutilation of the captains face and how it ties to the monsters in the movie. And finally I will explain the connection of the mandrake root to the baby. In the movie pans labyrinth, by Guillermo Del Toro, ofielia has to venture in to a fig tree where the giant toad residesRead MoreValmiki1153 Words   |  5 Pagesalso Narada Maharshi sat beneath a tree and was singing Harinama sankeertana. Narada Maharshi told Ratnakara that Robbering that profession. and killing of animals is sinful job and asked him to give up Narada Maharshi told him to ask his Ratnakara thought Narada parents, wife and children as to what profession – Robbery is a sin or not? Maharshi is trying to escape from him by sending him to his parents and tied Narada with a rope to a nearby tree and went to his house. WWW.SUMADHWASEVARead MoreThe Epic of Gilgamesh versus The Book of Mark829 Words   |  4 Pageskills a fig tree, and puts a curse on the fig tree by saying â€Å"May no one ever eat fruit from you again,† (Mark 11:14). This is acting with no impulse because Jesus doesn’t realize what effect killing a cursing a fig tree could have on people. The fig tree is a source of food, and does more good for society than bad. He uses his powers for bad when killing the fig tree when he could have used them for good. For instance, Jesus could have used his powers to make it so that the fig tree is always growingRead MoreNew Zealand Native Plants By Miguel Derraik914 Words   |  4 Pageskahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides) 4. Figure 4: A large kauri tree (Agathis australis) Angiosperms - a group of flowering vascular plants in which ovules are enclosed in a carpel and seeds are made in fruits 2. There are two types of angiosperms: Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons 2. This is a very diverse group of plants, including the pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) (Figure 5), manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and the cabbage tree (Cordyline australis). Figure 5: Pohutukawa flowers (Metrosideros

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Liberal Vs. Liberal Views On A Political Issue - 876 Words

Conservative Versus Liberal and Their Views on a Political Issue: Liberals believe in government assistance to solve problems. The government’s job is to protect its citizens’ rights and the civil liberties. It is also to ensure that no citizen is in need and provide the equality for all humans. In regards to abortion, liberals believe in women’s right of choice. They don’t view a fetus as human life, not granting it separate rights. They also believe that abortions should be funded by taxpayer dollars, if the mother cannot afford it (Editors of Student News Daily). However, conservatives believe in limited government control, traditional values, and individual responsibility. The government should give their citizens freedom to pursue their own dreams. The citizens should be able to solve their own problems without government help. When it concerns abortion, conservatives believe that the human life begins at the moment that the baby is conceived (Editors of Student News Daily). A conceived baby is made because of the decision to have sex (Ross). Therefore, abortion is murdering a human being. The baby and the mother also have separate rights. Tax payer’s money shouldn’t go towards abortions, because that would be funding murder (Editors of Student News Daily). The liberals believe that the conservatives are hypocrites. The conservatives are in favor of the death penalty, but against abortion. They believe the conservatives can’t differ between guilty and innocence.Show MoreRelatedEssay about The New Side of the News Media1040 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Everything is known not according to itself, but according to the capacity of the knower†- Boethius. News reporters know everything about an issue and have many ways to present their information to the public. People do not realize their opinions are influenced through the media’s reportings, since no one has warned them. These reporters are often called â€Å"the fourth branch of government†(Gabbs) because of their actions. The media is responsible for conveying opinions through their reports, whichRead MoreAbortion In The United States Is A Major Topic Of Debate1218 Words   |  5 Pagespro-life, which represent the liberal and conservative views on this issu e, respectively. First made illegal in the late 1800s, the federal government did not rule that abortion was legal again until the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973. Despite this ruling, citizens still fight for women’s ability to terminate their pregnancies as they face legislature that is making it increasingly harder to do so in the United States. The events surrounding the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973, its causesRead MoreLiberalism and Realism Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pagesmust use a pragmatic approach to solve imminent issues. They desired states to have supreme power over themselves in order to actively engage in the use and expansion of military preeminence. George Evans and Jeffrey Newnham (Graham Evans and Newnham, 1998) composed in their dictionary, that his fundamental outlying attainment of authority is appropriate, lucid, and is a highly anticipated ambition of foreign policy. Realism is branded a pessimistic view in that they argue that states will amass alliancesRead MorePolitical Party Issues742 Words   |  3 PagesPolitical Party Issues In political campaigns, the viewpoints of the individual candidates are often reflective of the positions of their political parties. In the upcoming presidential election, there are issues which have the power to divide the nation. One of the most divisive issues at present is the question of gay marriage and whether or not the federal government should weigh in on what has thus far been a states rights issue. Both on the state and national levels, the perspective of theRead MorePolitical Idelogies: Differences Between Liberalism and Conservatives1460 Words   |  6 Pagesthirty years since the long anticipated letter was written and I’m sure that you are excited to see what your little mind had to offer at that time. Don’t worry you will be in for a surprise. So my lecturer gave this assignment to figure out which political ideology I really loved. It is important for me to mention that as I wrote this I had not really decided on which one I strongly believed in. Sit back and relax while I take you on a journey to discover what my heart believes in I’m telling youRead MoreLiberal, Conservative, and Libertarian Political Philosophies1292 Words   |  6 Pageshow closely our political perspectives are to each other relative to those of foreign countries. While there are many political views and stances that an individual might take on any given topic, generally people in the United States fall into one of three categories: liberals, conservatives, and libertarians. Keep in mind that most people will not support all of the ideals of their advocated faction, but they must support the vast majority of them. People that fall into the liberal category believeRead MoreThe Political Economy Of The Media978 Words   |  4 PagesThis unit â€Å"The Political Economy of the Media† we try to understand what the correlation is between the political economy and its influence on the media and when did the economy start to effect the media. We will discuss within three different issues based on the readings issued; Newspaper, the discipline of journalism and the politics of the film industry. Each reading makes valid points and gives great real life examples of how politics and the media are in a symbiotic relationship. In BennettRead MoreLiberalism Is The Root Of Our American Soil Essay1217 Words   |  5 PagesWe have all heard the terms â€Å"right wing conservatives† and â€Å"left wing liberals,† but many people are not quite sure which wing is correct. Although both sides have good arguments for separate issues, in my opinion, liberalism should be guiding our thinking when it comes to our economic ways, and political rights; liberalism is the root of our American soil. Many people believe that steering away from liberalism is the right way to create change, and build upon our freedoms, but by returning to whatRead MoreThe Debate Over Abortion On Abortion Essay1682 Words   |  7 PagesSo long as political debate has existed in America, there has been a strong tension between the ideologies of conservatism and liberalism. While there are numerous differences between the two ideologies, the core of each is expressed clearly through the modern debate of abortion. The vision, ideal s, and assumptions of each ideology can be identified through the way in which each ideology argues its position on abortion. The debate over abortion has been taking place since the 19th century. AbortionsRead MoreComparing Canadian Federal Political Parties1528 Words   |  6 PagesThe social media campaigns of the Canadian Federal Political Parties (Liberal, Conservative, and NDP) have been compared to one another in an attempt to understand their choices made to persuade audiences to take part in actively addressing and supporting their campaigns. Concepts discussed throughout this course have been applied to the three varying campaigns, including attention, earned media, branding, spreadability, intended audience, tone, navigation, and participation. These aspects have been

The Mbuti Tribe Free Essays

Ashley Jones ANT 101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology March 04, 2012 Introduction The way of life in a distant African rainforest where harsh climate and availability of resources were common, the Mbuti tribe were foraging society that hunt and gather and live in a band of 10-50 people. Their environment influenced their modes of subsistence, cultural aspects and lifestyle in a deep-seated system. A culture normally describes a method of concepts, outlook, beliefs and language, which examines the way of life of a specific group of people with similar interests. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mbuti Tribe or any similar topic only for you Order Now The cultural system defines and forms necessary activities, views, opinions and interactions among people and their cultures, as well as their surrounding. The central African Mbuti or Bambuti tribe comprised an indigenous people who live within and on the border of the Congo basin rainforest in the Central African Republic of Congo. Their language falls into a classification of the Nilo-Saharan phylum. These groups of indigenous people, primarily settles in the Ituri forest. The forest is a component of a vast tropical rainforest within the Congo basin. This region receives higher precipitations each year, ranges between 50-70 inches amount of rain. The long duration of rain are interrupted by short periods of dry season for two months. The region is wet and humid all year round, and has various lakes and rivers. The community experienced difficulties such as diseases, which is prevalent due to humidity and plenty of rain that contributes to the scarcity of their food supplies. The rapid spread of diseases claims people and animals, and as well as shortage of food. Tsetse flies limit the breeding of large animals, which causes sleeping sickness. The inhabitants of the Bambuti tribe is roughly 30-40 thousand people. The Mbuti were the oldest inhabitants of the central African region. The Ituri is a rainforest and does not produced adequate food all year to support the Mbuti tribe. The Mbuti are hunters and gatherers. They believed that the forest is everything to them. They consider it as their God, parent, and provider. They perceived themselves as the children of the forest (Mosko,1987). According to Mosko, all other tribes that were not Mbuti live outside of the Ituri forest. The Mbuti do not practice any recognized type of kinship patterns in their social organization (Mosko,1987). There are recognitions of kinship in some practices; for instance, in rules of exogamous marriage or when setting up camp. The huts are laid out according to patrilineage, for mutual support, but no acknowledgement of kinship is given (Mosko,1987). The Mbuti hunt and gather resources such as meat, honey, fruits, nuts and mushrooms in the forest. They trade either labor or wild resources from their hunting and gathering for products from horticulturalist societies to supplement their diets (Bailey, Head, Jenke, Owen, Rechtman and Zechenter, 1989). And in return, the Bambuti receives agricultural foods, salt, cloth, pots, pans, axes and blades, and other items not available in the forest. Mainly, the subsistence occupation of men consists of hunting animals and gathering wild honey. Like the other foraging societies, the Mbuti were very close to nature. The Mbuti believed that the forest is their God, and possessed all the qualities of a god, parent, and partner (Mosko,1987). They believed that all living things have a spirit and are equal (Mosko,1987). The Mbuti considered their tribe as one family and they are all related biologically, to some extent. They call each other by names of close family members; if they are the same age, they call each other brothers and sisters (Mosko,1987). The older people are called Father or Mother and the elders are described as grandparents. Aside from the nuclear family settling in the same hut, there is small number of areas in which the tribe expressed acknowledgement of biological kinship. This is contrary to most foraging societies, where kinship system are the bases of social structure (Nowak Laird, 2010). The bands relocate from one place to another in search for resources. Cooperation is also a valuable asset, since hunting and gathering is a cooperative effort. More common to foragers is the belief in the spirituality of nature (Nowak Laird, 2010). Infectious disease in the forest lived on plants. Diseases are scarce enough that the community cannot create immunity. Malnutrition is uncommon and if found, it is mild (Fabrega, 1997). Hunter gatherers normally benefit from healthy diet. Sickness is usually a spiritual problem (Fabrega, 1997). The Mbuti considers the Ituri forest has a center. The round huts, in which the Mbuti nuclear families live, has a center or sphere. They store foods in a round shaped baskets. The arrangement of the family hut is a smaller depiction of the organization of the Mbuti tribe. The place of each band camps form a sphere, with the forest in its center. The Mbuti have an uncommon outlook of kinship and lineage, which are usually a determining factors in the social structures of other foraging societies, as well as horticulturist (Nowak Laird, 2010). The Mbuti community do not know their lineage, which is evidenced in the way the camps are each laid out (Mosko, 1987). Marriage is exogamous to the band to which a person lives. They cannot marry their kin because all are biologically related, that’s why they produced an exception to the kinship policy. Living elders who recognized the common ancestors of the band involved, then they are related. However, if the ancestors are no longer living before the living elders recognized them, then the band becomes unrelated. This rule permits the Mbuti community to preserve their rules against marrying relatives and outside marriages. The Mbutis are separated into age groups. Age together with knowledge is important. The elders have the most knowledge, which gives them the authority. However, their authority can sometimes over-rule by the younger adults. Because they all have the same parent which is the forest, and do not cooperate with any kinship organization because they are all equivalent. The Mbuti lives mainly in the Ituri forest, it is their God and parent. All foraging societies have a special reverence for nature (Nowak Laird, 2010). Hunting and gathering bring the tribe together and makes them closer to nature. They respect the forest and nature. Ownership have no importance because of their way of life, they move from one place to another. Personal traits and cooperative attitude are more important (Nowak Laird, 2010). They have a healthy selection of food, which helps them to fight diseases. Each feature of their way of life is nature-oriented and it all points out to their environment. The Mbuti is a complete culture that supports each portion of its survival on the forest, which is the cause for the subsistence technique from which they exist. References Bailey, R. C. , Head, G. , Jenike, M. , Owen, B. , Rechtman, R. , Zechenter, E. (1989). Hunting and gathering in tropical rainforest: Is it possible? American Anthropologist. New series 91(1) pp. 59-82. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. rg/stable/649276. Fabrega, H. Jr. (1997). Earliest phases in the evolution of sickness and healing. Medical Anthropology Quarterly. New series 11(1) pp. 26-55. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/stable/649276. Mosko, M. S. (1997). The symbols of â€Å"Forest†: A structural analysis of Mbuti culture and Social organization. American Anthropologist. New series 89(4) pp. 896-913. Retrieved from http://www . jstor. org/stable/677863. Nowak, B. , Laird, P. (2010). Cultural Anthropology. San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books. How to cite The Mbuti Tribe, Papers

Analyze The Cultural Differences In Between Australia And Singapore

Question: Discuss about the Cultural Differences In Between Australia And Singapore. Answer: Introduction Business expansions are much in practice because of its benefits. Many multinational companies have used this strategy to enhance their business expertise and the profitability. Companies across the globe look for potential market to use the opportunities, which is there (Lynch Jin, 2016). However, such expansions on the other side are full of challenges too. Despite the benefits that an international expansion can produce it is still a matter of serious concern for one important factor. Culture and global business has become a retarding block in the way of success. It is imperative for the aspiring company that it dislodges the block with suitable strategies to counter the cultural differences in between the home and the host country. This seems to be a challenging task as it requires an extra attention apart from other business strategies (Sarasvathy et al., 2014). In this regard, taking the help of Hofstede's cultural dimensions to understand the cultural differences of the two c ountries can be an effective strategy to move with. Moreover, this is really helpful while expanding into an international market (Hsu, Woodside Marshall, 2013). The main purpose of this assignment is to analyze the cultural differences in between Australia and Singapore. Moreover, the study also suggests some important points of consideration to avoid any cultural barriers while planning a business in the selected host country Australia. The rationale of Australia The rationale behind selecting Australia as a host country is that the learner is working in an Australian company. The learner is little aware of the culture, which is there in Australia. The learner has found some useful differences in the cultures of two countries Australia and Singapore. This is the one reason that has probably excited the learner to select Australia as the host country because this will help the learner in knowing more about the culture of Australia. This will help the learner in performing better in the country and will also help to get connected to the countrys culture. Moreover, the cultural differences in between Australia and the learners home country Singapore will provide utmost findings using which the learner can effectively analyze the changes required to be flexible with the cultural differences in Australia (Ferraro Briody, 2017). Another rationale behind selecting Australia is to understand the differences of business cultures in between the two co untries. This will help the learner in its academic. After completing the task, the learner will be able to know the ways to analyze the cultural differences in between the target and the home country (Stromquist Monkman, 2014). Detailed cultural analysis of Australia There are some notable cultural components that are unique when compared with any Asian countries in particular with the Singapore. Australia is unique to Singapore when it comes to working hours. In Australia, people have their tendency and its official as well to reach to office early in the morning and finish the work early as well. They do so to spend important moments with their families in the later part of afternoon and in the evening. This is entirely different to what is practiced in Singapore. People living in Singapore not even bother to be in office by 11 oclock. They are late as well in the night when they leave the office. In other words, it means that they have comparatively less time for their families (Williams, Long Morey, 2014). Organizational hierarchy is the other uniqueness that Australia has. It means that in Australia bosses are not treated the way it happens in Asian countries especially in Singapore. The bosses or the managers used to sit on the floor with the other colleagues and the employees. This is never possible in Singapore. Additionally, the cleaner who cleans the floor in Singapore gets an equal respect like that of a sales manager in Australia. There is no unnecessary respect to the boss of the company, which is easily prevalent in Singapore. There is no separate cabin for the mangers in Australia. They are comfortable sitting with the employees on the floor (Neuhaus et al., 2014). Australia is also unique in socializing activities. They wait for an event to get socialize with their colleagues. They also use to have drinks on Friday afternoon. There are often too many breakfasts in the morning. In Singapore, it is little different. They are reserved for their families in the weekends. They do every social activity such as haring of foods on weekdays. They consider sharing of food as a way to attain the social status. Australia is different to Singapore as they also believe in going outside to act social (Dare et al., 2014). Office layout is the one uniqueness in Australia, which is observed nowhere else in the world. Australian believes in designing their offices to prepare it look like local. The image of kangaroo on the wall is one of such examples. Australians are very creative in this regard. They give their utmost effort to appear local. This is very important because being an Australian one will feel free to fly high in the office. They have gone a long distance to prepare the offices matching the local touch (Soldan Nankervis, 2014). Asking questions is another uniqueness that the Australian workplace has. In Australia people do not wait for a meeting or any formal discussion. They rather bombard the CEO passing by the workplace with ample number of questions in a casual way. However, this is exactly not the case in Singapore. People there wait for a formal meeting. They prepare themselves before the meeting on what are the questions to be asked. However, in Australia, people do not warm um before they ask any question to the boss (Grunseit et al., 2013). Difference between the business culture of Australia and Singapore Power distance ustralia scores exactly half that of Singapore. It means that there is less distance between the different powers. It further means that every single member get fare chances at the workplace. One of such examples is of asking questions, which employees randomly ask to their CEO or boss without any formal meeting. The office layout is designed in a way that the CEO or the boss of the company has no separate cabin as it happens in Singapore (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Singapore is significantly different to Australia in terms of power distance. There is communication gap in between the CEO and the normal employee. Additionally, employees need to plan a meeting before they could ask any business related question to the CEO (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Individualism Australia score a way more than what Singapore scores. This means that individualist is more required in Australia. It further means that if someone is aspiring to work in Australia the aspirant need to possess the deliverable qualities. Only such aspirants are selected who can deliver or has the potential to deliver (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Singapore on the other hand is very less centered on individualistic. This further means that exploration for growth will be comparatively less in Singapore (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Masculinity Again in terms of Masculinity, Australia scores more than Singapore. This means that competition for success and recognition is much in Australia than it is in Singapore. This further means that utmost competitive skills will be required to be successful in Australia. In a more defined way, it means that success is for those who can deliver (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Uncertainty avoidance In terms of uncertainty avoidance, Australia scores far more than what Singapore scores. It simply denotes a fact that Australian are less concerned with the uncertain future. They tend to live in the present condition. Singapore in an unlike way is more concerned with the uncertain future. They are worried about that. It is not a healthy sign as thinking of an uncertain future might lead to a reserving nature in terms of innovation. Managers might not gather that power, which is needed to trust in innovative ideas (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Long term orientation Australia scores quite low to Singapore in terms of long term orientation. This means they focus more on present. They try to improve the current situation rather than going for a long term planning. They respect the present and work accordingly. This is good as this will prevent from any worrying thought about the future (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Indulgence Australia is more an indulgent society that believes in living the life on their will. They are very positive towards what they do. A very high score than what Singapore scores mean that people living in Australia will not hesitate to live the life of their choice. They will spend money where they feel it should be spent. They will work according to their desire. They will spend money on their cultural beliefs. They will spend money on fun moments, which can be either through an outing or spending moments with friends with some drinks and foods (Wise Velayutham, 2014). Recommended international strategies for foreign companies in Australia Hofstedes Cultural Dimension on Australia has provided ample of facts related to the culture practiced in the country. It is imperative for the international companies that they must understand those cultural facts and act accordingly. Globalization has brought multinational companies of different origin at just one platform. International places provide challenges in the form of diverse culture that make this difficult to succeed in the target host country (Sitkin Bowen, 2013). There are ample of cultural challenges, which are needed to be taken care with extensive strategies. It is imperative that a foreign company understands that there is no such difference in between the CEO of the company and the employees in terms of respect. It means that a foreign business can never expect employees respecting them like it happens in most part of world in particular the Singapore. Foreign companies need to have a human resource system that understands the quality of employees available in Australia. They need to prepare their selection criteria according to the type of employees in the country. This will make the selection process handful and will also help in get the ample amount of talented professionals. Foreign companies are needed to be optimistic about their future. They should not worry about the future, which means they should act differently than they do at their home country. Moreover, they should think of their present in a positive way without bothering much for an uncertain future (Wilson Wilson, 2016). Foreign business does also need to understand that Australian people work according to their will. It means that foreign companies need to be patient with the diverse culture in Australia. They should not expect the same kind of work habits as it is in other parts of world especially in Singapore. They need to understand the differences and move patiently with the employees. This way foreign company will actually be able to correlate things (Skinner Pocock, 2014). Additionally, the foreign companies also need to understand that Australian do not believe in working till late night. They rather prefer going to office early and returning back early as well. If they do understand they will find this lot easier to work with the Australians (Brunetto et al., 2013). Conclusion There is a strong cultural difference in between Australia and Singapore. Australia is more about respecting each others works, which is comparatively rare in Singapore. Australian likes to enjoy their working; however, people in Singapore believe in doing hard work. Additionally, Australians are very optimistic about their future. The discussions covered in this study indicate towards a fact that it is necessary to change significantly to get use to the cultures in Australia. This way foreign company can actually find this lot easier working with the Australian people. References Beugelsdijk, S., Kostova, T., Roth, K. (2017). An overview of Hofstede-inspired country-level culture research in international business since 2006.Journal of International Business Studies,48(1), 30-47. Brunetto, Y., Xerri, M., Shriberg, A., Farr?Wharton, R., Shacklock, K., Newman, S., Dienger, J. (2013). The impact of workplace relationships on engagement, well?being, commitment and turnover for nurses in Australia and the USA.Journal of Advanced Nursing,69(12), 2786-2799. Dare, J., Wilkinson, C., Allsop, S., Waters, S., McHale, S. (2014). Social engagement, setting and alcohol use among a sample of older Australians.Health social care in the community,22(5), 524-532. Ferraro, G. P., Briody, E. K. (2017).The cultural dimension of global business. Taylor Francis. Grunseit, A. C., Chau, J. Y. Y., van der Ploeg, H. P., Bauman, A. (2013). Thinking on your feet: A qualitative evaluation of sit-stand desks in an Australian workplace.BMC public health,13(1), 365. Hsu, S. Y., Woodside, A. G., Marshall, R. (2013). Critical tests of multiple theories of cultures consequences: Comparing the usefulness of models by Hofstede, Inglehart and Baker, Schwartz, Steenkamp, as well as GDP and distance for explaining overseas tourism behavior.Journal of Travel Research,52(6), 679-704. Lynch, R., Jin, Z. (2016). Exploring the institutional perspective on international business expansion: Towards a more detailed conceptual framework.Journal of Innovation Knowledge,1(2), 117-124. Neuhaus, M., Healy, G. N., Fjeldsoe, B. S., Lawler, S., Owen, N., Dunstan, D. W., ... Eakin, E. G. (2014). Iterative development of Stand Up Australia: a multi-component intervention to reduce workplace sitting.International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity,11(1), 21. Sarasvathy, S., Kumar, K., York, J. G., Bhagavatula, S. (2014). An effectual approach to international entrepreneurship: Overlaps, challenges, and provocative possibilities.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,38(1), 71-93. Sitkin, A., Bowen, N. (2013).International business: challenges and choices. Oxford University Press. Skinner, N. J., Pocock, B. (2014).The persistent challenge: Living, working and caring in Australia in 2014(Doctoral dissertation, Centre for Work and Life, University of South Australia). Soldan, Z., Nankervis, A. (2014). Employee perceptions of theeffectiveness of diversity management in the Australian public service: Rhetoric and reality. Public Personnel Management,43(4), 543-564. Stromquist, N. P., Monkman, K. (Eds.). (2014).Globalization and education: Integration and contestation across cultures. RL Education. Williams, P., Long, W. R., Morey, P. (2014). Anytime Email and Work-Life Balance: An Exploration into the Views of Adventist Schools Australia Employees.TEACH Journal of Christian Education,8(2), 8. Wilson, G., Wilson, S. (2016). Banking and regulation post-crisis: the significance of" culture" in the UK and experiences from Australia.Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation,31(7), 385-395. Wise, A., Velayutham, S. (2014). Conviviality in everyday multiculturalism: Some brief comparisons between Singapore and Sydney.European journal of cultural studies,17(4), 406-430.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Gerrymandering Elections and United States free essay sample

They wanted to control how state legislative and congressional district boundaries would be drawn, so they set about to control the redistricting process. Therefore, even thou a majority of Americans voted for Democrats in the Presidential election†¦ the Republicans ended up controlling the house. They not only gerrymandered but, changed voting rules in the states and districts they controlled, and the ones they didn’t control they challenged the voting rules in court. [Gerrymandering- what can be done about it? First we should define just what gerrymandering is. Gerrymandering is redistricting; which is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census†. â€Å"To gerrymander is to divide an area into election districts giving one political party a majority in many districts. The word gerrymander is a portmanteau from the name of Elbridge Gerry and salamander . Gerry was the governor of Massachusetts when he signed a bill in 1812 to redraw the district boundaries to favor the Democrats and weaken the Federalists, who had better numbers at the voting booth. The shape of the district he formed was likened in appearance to a salamander, and political cartoonists emphasized that appearance to denigrate the Democrats. Gerry did not sponsor the bill in question and was said to have signed it reluctantly, but his name has gone into history as that of a villain. The word gerrymander is first found in 1812 (History)†. â€Å"In his satirical volume The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce (1911) defines politics as the â€Å"strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles; [t]he conduct of public affairs for private advantage. Nowhere is this definition more applicable than in the act of delimiting legislative districts, often seen as an opportunity for clever politicos to use insider knowledge in ways that manipulate future electoral outcomes (Cox 2006). Bullock (2010) goes so far as to call redistricting â€Å"the most political activity in America. † â€Å"Redistricting in the United States is the act of modif ying legislative boundaries in response to changing population conditions. The process is informed by the decennial census and designed to make districts equal in population and more reflective of intercensal demographic shifts. In most administrative units the responsibility of redrawing the lines is granted to the legislature itself (Tolson 2010; Bullock 2010; Cox 2006). Thus there are a number of reasons to expect some form of politically anticompetitive behavior, as self-interested legislators rationally endeavor to protect their incumbency and minimize political threats (McDonald 2004). Jurisdictions in the United States are granted considerable discretion in choosing the method by which they redraw their political boundaries following a decennial census. Two common methods are allowing legislatures to redistrict or creating a citizen commission to perform the task. Yet each of these processes frequently results in gridlock and/or political gerrymandering (Holden 2010). ] The recent proposals by some lawmakers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and elsewhere to apportion electoral votes in presidential elections based on congressional district rather than being awarded in the current winner-take all fashion by popular vote is outrageously undemocratic and would ignore the will of the voters in these states. In light of redistricting, which has created legislative districts in which one political party is overwhelmingly favored; creating a proportional system based on the results by congressional district would be fundamentally unfair especially a system pushed specifically to help one political party. Proposals for proportional apportionment of electoral votes based on percentage of the vote are also severely problematic. While allowing the national popular vote to determine the president as a wholesale alternative to the Electoral College system would be an idea at least worth debating, splitting electoral votes only in certain states in this case, states in which voting majorities tend to support Democratic presidential candidates would unfairly slant the playing field toward the other major partys advantage. Its a naked power grab, and an exploitation of electoral victories which should allow winners to serve their terms but not rig the system for the foreseeable future. Not dissimilar to attempts to suppress voting rights and ballot access in certain communities, these reforms are unacceptable and would do tremendous harm to American democracy. [In light of the long histories of racial violence, discrimination, and organized protest by racial and ethnic minority groups in both the U. S. and across established democracies, it is increasingly imperative to examine how minority groups achieve democratic inclusion, particularly greater voice in the regular channels of the democratic process. The growing literature on minority group politics focuses chiefly at the level of the â€Å"grassroots. † Previous research asks how racial and ethnic minorities achieve a critical mass, win numerical representation, and realize their policy goals (Browning 1984; Gurin 1989; Hero 1992; 1998; Tate 1994; Leighley 2001). † â€Å"Race relations in the U. S. and U. K. have been quite different, and remain unique, even as Great Britain has witnessed since World War II increasing racial diversity. Representing only one percent in 1961, by the 1991 Census approximately five percent of the U. K. opulation was â€Å"non-White,† and this proportion is currently estimated to have grown to 10 percent. The largest minority groups in Britain are Afro-Caribbean, African, Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi (Saggar 2000). The U. K. ’s expanding diversity has been accompanied by new restrictions on immigration, racially-motivated violence against minority residents, and race riots. Despite their strikingly different racial histories, including the long enslavement of Blacks in the U. S. , minorities in both countries has organized politically to press for greater political rights. The campaign for Black political empowerment took off in the 1970s in the U. S. as the civil rights movement formally ended (Smith 1981; Tate 1994). British minorities engaged in a similar campaign for greater inclusion in the 1970s in the U. K. , a campaign that has since gained additional momentum. Although significantly more muted than campaigns in the U. S. , Britain stands out in comparison with other continental European nations for its relatively higher level of ethnically-based mobilization (Nelson 2000; Saggar 2000). Broad similarities make the U. S. nd Britain ripe for comparison on this issue. The two nations share common Western values, historical political trajectories, and levels of socioeconomic development. Politically, both hold elections under single-member district systems where the winner of the plurality of votes takes office. In both cases, these electoral rules have yielded two-party systems, although in the British case the persistence of a third party makes i t a â€Å"two-and-one-half-party system. † The legal system in the U. S. certainly contributed importantly to Blacks’ political gains. The civil rights movement led Democratic Party leaders to make new laws and policies that advanced Blacks politically. Yet, these actions were not independent of the external environment, and indeed, one could argue that they only came about because of the great political pressures the civil rights movement and the threat of litigation created. The affirmative racial gerrymandering that Democrat party officials engaged in either in response to litigation or the threat thereof in part explains how Black Americans made significantly greater strides in winning elective office than minorities in the U. K. have been able to. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act was passed by a nearly all-White Congress (there were five Black members in Congress out of 535 members at that time) because of President Johnson’s leadership as his response to the civil rights movement. The judiciary ruled that election systems that are shown to discriminate against minorities are unconstitutional only when minorities can show that they were purposefully created with a racial animus against them. Voting rights activists responded to a more liberal judicial environment by pressing for the modification of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in 1982 (Grofman, Handley, and Niemi 1992; Pinderhughes 1995). The modification expressly prohibited voting procedures that afforded minorities â€Å"fewer opportunities. (Grofman, 1992; Davidson and Grofman 1994). Democrats in Congress were most likely reluctant to amend the Voting Rights Act but nevertheless went along fearing further intra-racial strife and litigation within the party. Republicans also went along with the amendment in 1982 because of the electoral benefits to their party in drawing new minority-majority congressional districts. In their effort to gain representation in mainstream party politics, minorities in Britain also utilized litigation. Minority litigants brought suit against political parties, claiming barriers to the election of minorities included unclear, ad hoc selection rules, and inherent ethnic biases in the selection criteria. The litigants argued that because minorities, in aggregate, lack the resources and connections of the traditional party nominee, they are at a disadvantage in the process. In Ishaq v McDonagh, an employment tribunal ruled Labour’s selection procedures discriminatory. Likewise, in Sawyer v Ashan a tribunal ruled that Race Relations Act, designed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of nationality, applies to candidate selection. Notably, the British cases have not been nearly as extensive in the United States, and the British claims have been framed in terms of equal opportunity employment, rather than political rights. Minorities in the U. S. , however, possess a strong base of constituents on the basis of race and ethnicity than do women on the basis of their gender (Tate 1997). Thus, in contrast to women, minority candidates, while lacking greatly in personal wealth, have political advantages over women in having this ready-to-mobilize constituency. Moreover, the power no mination in the hands of party gatekeepers means that these activists have the power to discriminate against minority candidates. In a study of Conservative Party selectors in the early 1980s, Bochel and Denver (1983) found evidence that selectors perceived minority candidates as an electoral handicap for their party. Furthermore, the Conservative Party has publicly recognized discrimination within the electorate and has sent special instruction to selectors to minimize bias in the selection process. The greater strides made by minorities in the U. S. lend support to the superiority of the open primary system in gaining numerical representation. However, pressure on parties to nominate more women took the form of adopting gender quotas in several European democracies (Caul 2001). Quotas for minorities is presently politically infeasible, and thus, opening up the nominating pressure to control by the electorate is the most likely way minorities are to win greater numerical representation in government. The two-party system that emerges under majoritarian electoral systems, which characterizes both the American and British party systems, is another factor that impedes minority political incorporation. As Paul Frymer (1999) argues, in a two-party system, minority voters lack alternatives to and are therefore made captives of the more liberal party precisely because the parties on the Right (i. e. , the Republican Party) do not want their votes. As a consequence, the Labour and Democratic parties do not necessarily have to reward minority voters for their loyalty by offering them more seats. The two-party system does not mean that minority voters are entirely ignored by party leaders. Presidential candidates in the U. S. n the left and right must publicly embrace minority voters because of their expansion in the national electorate. This is vividly demonstrated at recent presidential nominating conventions, and in the conscious efforts of recent presidents to ensure minority representation in their administrations. ] So, it is evident that the American people have to take necessary steps, on the platforms of all political parties, to further stop this erosion of our voting process; especially, in predominately minority communities across America. Republicans certainly have been given a dim outlook as to their continued existence and they are pulling out any trick they can†¦ such as changing the electoral rules to make it easier for a Republican candidate to win the presidency despite them losing the popular vote. The Republicans controlled the redistricting process after the 2010 census in a lot more states than the Democrats; as a result, they gained an unfair advantage in the battle for control of the House of Representatives, because†¦ even thou the Democratic candidates outpolled them the Republicans kept control of the House. It has now become clear that in order to stop this further erosion of our civil, voting and freedom rights we have to expand upon our getting out the vote efforts by: 1. Making sure all minorities and the elderly are registered to vote 2. Changing the laws that once a felon has served his time that their full rights of citizenship are restored, including voting. 3. Educating felons in certain states that do restore voting right; however, don’t tell them that they have to re-register to vote. 4. Establishing a grass-roots initiative across America to assure that every American registered†¦ has a chance to vote, unencumbered by roadblocks thrown in the way. 5. Expanding every option available, absentee ballots, voting early, voting by mail, provisional ballots and making sure that the polls are manned and opened the same amount of hours nationwide†¦ even opening additional stations for precincts with heavy voter turnout. 6. Making the voting laws a mandate by the Federal government and not subject to individual interpretation by the states. 7. Allowing citizens to update their registration, and register to vote online or at the polls. In addition to all that I have cited in this report, I think one stands out†¦ and that is the voter ID laws that are being used to suppress votes in minority and elderly communities across the nation†¦ college, welfare, state, military, driver’s license, any I D that has your picture, address and age should be valid. We need to establish blanket laws governing our voting rights with immediate consequences for violation, I, for one, would favor life in prison for ordinary citizens and death for elected official†¦ the later would include corporations and individuals who contribute large sums of money (lobbyist). We would also repeal all Citizens United initiatives and the ruling giving them personhood; on, to a fairer, and more equitable United States. Works Cited Browning, Robert P. , Dale Rogers Marshall, and David H. Tabb. 1984. Protest is Not Enough. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press Caul, Miki L. 1999. â€Å"Women’s Representation in Parliament: The Role of Political Parties†. Party Politics 5(1): 79-98. Caul-Kittilson, Miki. 2001. Challenging the Organization, Changing the Rules: Women, Parties, and Change in Western Europe, 1975 to 1997. Unpublished dissertation thesis. University of California Irvine Christiano, Thomas. 996. The Rule of the Many: Fundamental Issues in Democratic Theory. Boulder: Westview Press. Davis, et al. v. Bandemer, et al. 478 US 109 (1986) Friedman, John N. , and Richard T. Holden. 2008. Optimal Gerrymandering: Sometimes Pack, but Never Crack. American Economic Review 98 (1):113-144. Frymer, Paul. 1999l Uneasy Alliances: Rac e and Party Competition in America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Grofman, Bernard, Lisa Handley, and Richard G. Niemi. 1992. Minority Representation and the Quest for Voting Equality. New York: Cambridge University Press. Holden, Stephen (14 October 2010). Gerrymandering (2009), The Dark Art of Drawing Political Lines. New York Times Moves Reviews (New York Times). Retrieved 31 August 2011. Hout, Eliora van der, and Anthony J. McGann. 2009. Proportional Representation within the Limits of Liberalism Alone. British Journal of Political Science 39:735-54. McGann, Anthony J. , Department of Political Science, University of California, Irvin, 6/12/12 Pitkin, Hanna Fenichel. 1967. The Concept of Representation. Berkeley: University of California Press. Richard Vieth, et al. v. Robert C. Jubelirer, President of the Pennsylvania Senate, et al. 541 US 267 (2004).