Ethics and Morality in the Health Professions Essay

Ethics and Morality in the Health Professions - Essay Example If at all God created every creature, then why should one think of taking his or her life away. It would be quite unethical in my career to leave such an individual to die when I knew in real sense that he or she was going to die. The only way that one could tell if someone else has feelings for suicide, could be through a conversation where he or she will confess such feelings. It was the right step undertaken by a patient who required suicidal assistance to approach you Dr. Deborah. It is quite true that a suicidal person who locks him or herself away tends to feel isolation and for that matter, they may end up attempting suicide without the knowledge of his or her friends and relatives. If at all Dr. Brody you would put yourself in the patient’s shoe, then you would not imagine that someone wishes you to take your life away. In most countries in the west, suicide has significantly shown that it is the foremost cause of death (Gutheil 29). These countries spend anonymous amo unt of money in maintenance of safety on roads but unaware on suicide and its prevention. It is the best option for a country to engage into campaigns on choices to make good life. A person who wants to attempt suicide or has feelings or thoughts of suicide, it is then quite evident that such individuals have symptoms to indicate that they can no more cope up with life. It is repeatedly as a result of series of events or cases that make somebody overwhelmed in distress or trauma. There is no doubt that this patient wanted you to be available in order to listen to him or her and feel about what he or she could be experiencing in life. A problem talked about in my view, sometimes creates a road map towards fundamental solutions. All doctors and even nurses for that matter have no substantial grounds to ignore their patients who request for assistance in suicide. It could be quite unethical if we rather allowed and assist patients to die. When anyone demands for help to die, such a req uest should enhance discussions to ascertain the reasoning of the patient through needs assessment with no grounds of judgment. Therefore Dr. Deborah, it would be my advice that you should not hesitate to assist. Acknowledge this request and oppose the inclination to abandon or ignore the dialogue. Listen to the patient and even more and establish a contract of no-suicide. Ask the patient to make a promise that he or she will eradicate such feelings of suicide. Such issues should be taken seriously to extend that if the patient appears acutely suicidal; endorse him or her under care in the hospital department of emergency. It would be also important to seek opinions from psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists. It is a question that most doctors should continuously ask themselves why people attempt suicide. People who want to avoid emotional pain that is unbearable normally result into suicide (Gutheil 40-42). It is therefore a task ahead of you Dr. Debora Brody to help your pat ient look for better choices that will enable him or her to think critically and analyze every situation in life. Why I would give such an advice to Dr. Brody is a decision that I fundamentally consider. I believe that life is such a precious thing that one should be neither denied nor think of taking it away. Suicide can not be the last option because death does not solve our worst experiences. One would think that it would be the end of our pains. I would not deny that painful life ends at the grave but

Brand Development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brand Development - Case Study Example Using the concept of the Thai workers along with some modifications in the taste have led to the evolution of one of the most successful energy drinks introduced in the market. Actually, the name was also patterned after a popular Thai drink. Since its release, the product has gained considerable rate of success. From the classic flavour, Red Bull today is produced In different versions catering the needs of various market segments. The product that served as the blueprint of Red Bull was prominently consumed in rural areas. Red Bull, however, attempted to penetrate urban markets and industrialised locations. The target of Red Bull innovators was to inform the working world of the energy drink's existence. Eventually, Red Bull has become a popular choice among individuals who require sustained energy during the course of their work. The main of components of Red Bull includes taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, and b-group vitamins. Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid occurring naturally in human bodies. Basically, there are certain situations wherein taurine becomes as effective component. Glucuronolactone, however, exists in a form of a carbohydrate and serves as a vital facilitator of bodily waste elimination. Moreover, caffeine is an established ingredient that improves concentration and alertness. Finally, the b-group vitamins primarily function to develop the metabolism. Red bull has established a bandwagon because of performance. Indeed, there are several benefits that Red bull consumption provides. Basically, Red bull improves the performance of individuals in their work. Drinking Red bull also wakens the senses of drinkers improving their concentration. It has been observed that drinking Red bull improves vigilance and reaction to instantaneous events. Most important, Red bull is a helpful drink that simulates metabolism and facilitates the movements inside the body. These the fundamental reasons why Red bull has gained the most compared with other energy drinks. To prove its worth, Red bull has been used by several well-known athletes and personalities. The blend of quality ingredients and natural benefits combine to create one of the most dynamic beverages in the market. Aside from the top tier individuals, middle and low profile drinkers have recognised the effectiveness of Red bull energy drink. Definitely, drinking Red bull goes beyond replenishment as it is valued for its consistent performance. Industry Analysis The energy drink industry is relatively small compared with the scope covered by beverages. The industry, however, is gradually making a presence with the emergence of intelligent strategies and marketing initiatives. It is evident that the market catered by energy companies is young and shows trace of maturity. Another important attribute observed in the market is that some groups are portrayed as health conscious individuals. The market of Red bull and other energy drink manufacturers are teenagers and consumers in the stage of early adulthood and are considered as young professionals. Essentially, manufacturers of energy drinks consider their market as tight, but recent trends have indicated an expanding potentials and prospects. At present, there are no giant companies controlling majority of the market shares. Therefore, the competition is stiff

War Poetry Essay Example for Free

War Poetry Essay Read Owens Dulce et Decorum est. the Kings speech before Agincourt in Shakespeares Henry v. Compare how and why the two Writers manipulate their audiences feelings about war. Dulce et Decorum est was written by Wilfred Owen during the time of world war one. The poem is known for its horrifying imagery and its condemnation of war. The difference between Dulce et Decorum est to Henry v, is that first of all it is written as a personal experience of war where as Henry v is written as a poem in a history play, so its themes and imagery is portrayed from a more personal perspective of war. William Shakespeare the famous playwright, is the author of the poem taken from the history play Henry V. The poem taken is a dramatic monologue by Henry v responding from a comment his cousin Westmoreland. The idea or theme of war is portrayed in both Owens D. E. D and William Shakespeares Henry v. , but they are put across in two very different ways. First of all in Henry v poem is more of a speech from a king ho is trying to install faith among his soldiers and most importantly his cousin Westmoreland. Where as Owens D. E. D is more of a physical and traumatizing account of a war that has already taken place. In Owens D. E. D we can see that the images that are given out are those of struggle not only physical suffering but also those of also mental suffering. With use of similes the physical suffering is shown to us. Coughing like hags is a simile used to relate to something we know and to give us not just to give us an image but a sound of the suffering. As hags is a word used to describe old witch like people. Whereas in HenryV the image created is that of honour and triumph. Images such as st crispians day a day created to remember the soldiers that fought for their country and king.

Analysing The Compatibility Of Islam And Democracy Politics Essay

Analysing The Compatibility Of Islam And Democracy Politics Essay This chapter presents the arguments for and against the compatibility of Islam and democracy, not to Islamic states specifically per se but more to Muslim-majority states as a whole. By doing so, it encompasses the wide range of arguments that scholars have made on the issue and shows clearly what makes it possible for Islam and democracy to be compatible and what does not. Taking these arguments into consideration, this chapter then puts it into context for Islamic states and analyzes if it is possible for them to be democratic without essentially loosing what makes it an Islamic state. The relationship between Islam and democracy, its compatibility and the issue of the democratic deficit in the Muslim world is one that has been put in the spotlight especially after the catastrophe and repercussions of September 11 (Hasan 2007: 10) as well as the sustained potency of Islamic revivalism and the rise in involvement of Islamic movements in electoral politics (Esposito Piscatori 1991: 428). Although not all hope is lost for the Muslim world as there are Muslim-majority states such as Indonesia and Turkey that are recognized as democracies, there is still the problem of the non-existence of democratic Islamic states and that the majority of the Muslim world remains undemocratic. The relationship that Islam and democracy have in the contemporary world and modern-day politics is one that is rather complicated (Esposito Voll 2001). There are many perspectives regarding the coexistence of Islam and democracy. On the one hand, many prominent Islamic intellectuals and groups argue that Islam and democracy are compatible (Esposito Voll 2001). On the other hand, there are others who see the democratization of Islam as a threat, that it may promote an even more virulent anti-Westernism view or others who see the two as inherently antithetical due to the different beliefs that the two promote (Espositio Piscatori 1991: 428). Esposito and Voll present the idea that the Muslim world is not ideological monolithic and therefore presents a broad spectrum of perspectives ranging from the extremes of those who deny a connection between Islam and democracy to those who argue that Islam requires a democratic system (2001). In addition to this, they argue that there are pers pectives that lie in between the two extremes that consist of Muslims in Muslim-majority states who believe that Islam is a support for democracy despite the fact that their political system and governance is not overtly recognized as democratic (Esposito Voll 2001). Having laid out the range of different opinions and stances on the compatibility of Islam and democracy, it is important to note that this chapter will not deal with every single argument present in the ongoing debate of the relationship between Islam and democracy but rather focus on the main substantial points. Khan, in his book Islamic Democratic Discourse, identifies two main schools of thought of Islamic political theory. First there are the political Islamists who advocate the establishment of an Islamic state, an authoritarian and ideological entity whose central concepts are al-Hakimiyyah (the sovereignty of God) and Sharia (the law of God) (Khan 2006: 160). The second school of thought is that of liberal Muslims who advocate an Islamic democracy whose central themes are Shura (consultation) and Sahifat al Madinah (Constitutionalism a la the Compact of Medina) (Khan 2006: 160). It is significant to note that political Islamists do conceive the concept of Shura as a vital comp onent of their Islamic state, but for them consultative governance is not necessary for legitimacy, since legitimacy comes from the enforcement of the Sharia, regardless of the will of the people (Khan 2006: 160). For liberal Muslim scholars, on the other hand, Shura is a paramount and Sharia too must be arrived at through consultative processes and not taken as given (Khan 2006: 160). Therefore, it can be seen that political Islamists, according to Khan, do not see the need for democracy as the legitimacy democracy is meant to give to a states governance and politics is done through the implementation of the Sharia laws. El Fadl argues that for democracy to work inside the framework of Islam and its ideals, it must understand the centrality of Gods sovereignty in Islam and cannot eliminate the element of the Sharia laws as a whole but rather show how it respects and compliments it. However, El Fadls argument is not feasible as it is not possible to enforce Sharia without taking into consideration the will of the people because that already is considered undemocratic. Khan argues that the only way El Fadls Islamic state can be democratic is if the authority of those who interpret the Sharia are dismantled and interpreted by the people themselves (2006: 161). This in turn may jeopardize the quality of Islamic democracy within the state but according to Khan, it is a risk that should be taken for the sake of implementing democracy (2006: 161). Moving on to the second school of thought, liberal Muslims, who believe in an Islamic democracy centred on the ideals of Shura and the Constitution of Medina. Esposito and Picastori argue that Muslim interpretations of democracy build on the well-established concept of Shura (consultation), but place varying emphases on the extent to which the people are able to exercise this duty (1991: 434). They identify a perspective that claims that it is not only the notion of consultation that makes Islam intrinsically democratic, but it is also due to the concepts of ijthihad (independent reasoning) and ijma (consensus) (Esposito Picastori 1991: 434). The Constitution of Medina establishes the importance of consent and cooperation for governance and according to this compact Muslims and non-Muslims are equal citizens of the Islamic state, with identical rights and duties (Khan 2001). Khan argues that according to this constitution, which was the interpretation of the Quran by Prophet Muhamma d, the principles of equality, consensual governance and pluralism are integrated into the Islamic state (2001). He then goes on to point out the difference between Muhammads democratic and tolerant Islamic state to contemporary Muslims such as the Taliban, who interpret the Quran in a completely different and radical way (Khan 2001). Choudry backs up the liberal Muslim perspective by asserting that the fundamentals of democracy are present in Islam: Islam recognizes popular sovereignty, government is based on rule of law, political leaders are elected and accountable to the people and equality of citizens is ensure in the Quran itself (Choudry in Ehteshami 2004: 96). But if this were the case in all Muslim-majority countries, why are there so few democracies in the Muslim world? The answer is simple. Using Khans argument regarding the interpretation of the Quran, it can be argued that the compatibility of Islam and democracy depends on the interpretation of Islamic spiritual scriptures of the Quran by Muslims themselves. Khan argues along identical lines stating that all arguments that advocate Islamic democracies or the compatibility of Islam and democracy take the Quran as a revealed document, whose text is absolute but meanings are open to interpretations (2006: 158). This is a very important piece of informat ion as it highlights the fact that when the Quran is interpreted differently by different Muslims it would result in different understandings of what the Quran encompasses. This would explain why not all Muslim-majority states, Islamic states in particular, are similar in the extent to which Sharia law is implemented in aspects of governance, economics and everyday life. Additionally, Khan uses the theologian perspective to back up liberal Muslim scholars as theologians go to Islamic roots and identify and exemplify those elements that correspond to liberal democratic principles (2006: 158) thus specifically looking for democratic ideals present in Islam. In his book, The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism, theologian Sachedina relies solely on Quranic sources and eschewing other socially constructed discourses, how Islam strongly advocates pluralism (Khan 2006: 158). However, just because Islam promotes pluralism, does not instantly make it democratic. Liberal Muslims and theologians make the mistake of being complacent with the fact that just one or two aspects of democracy are found in Islam, namely Shura and aspects of pluralism, hence automatically making Islam and democracy compatible. If this were the case, democracy would be more prevalent in the Muslim world. Maududi uses the theologian perspective when studying Islam as he also argues that whatever aspect of the Islamic ideology one may like to study, he must, first of all, go to the roots and look at the fundamental principles (1977: 119-120) emphasizing the importance of having to study Islam from the inside out and not just take it at face value. However, Maududi takes a step further than theologians and coins the idea of a theo-democracy, the mixture of theocracy and democracy in Islamic states (1977: 133). According to theo-democracy, God is equally sovereign as the people represented by an elected assembly that is controlled by religious leaders (Maududi in Lane Redissi 2004: 171). Nevertheless, this concept of theo-democracy, as argued by Lane and Redissi, does not fulfil the essential requirement of democracy as the legitimacy of the Mullahs is not derived from the people but from their insight into the Quran (2004: 171). Maududi himself points out that a democratic Islamic stat e would be a fallacy as the sovereignty of God and sovereignty of the people are mutually exclusive and that an Islamic democracy would be the antithesis of secular Western democracy (Maududi in Bukay 2007). The issue of sovereignty of God and the people is what distinguishes Islam and democracy. The two are completely different sets of ideals that cannot be combined together as only one can take precedence over the other, and when this is done, a country either is a democracy or an Islamic state. Going back to the concept of Shura, many scholars use this concept to show that Islam has similar values to those of democracy. Shura can be defined as the obligation for Muslims in managing their political affairs to engage in mutual consultation (Esposito Voll 2001). Lane and Redissi argue that the effort to find the missing link between Islam and modern democracy is focused upon the possibility of finding a link between the concept of consultation Shura and the key institutions of modern democracy the vote and the participation of the people in relation to the religious elite including the caliph (2004: 170). Ahmad uses the Islamist perspective to argue that the Quran allows Muslims to use Shura and the opportunity of Gods vicegerency to select a Muslim ruler based on the free will of the Muslim masses (2002) pointing out the democratic aspects of the Quran when it comes to choosing a ruler. However, it seems that despite the fact that Shura is the so-called democratic compone nt of Islam, majority of the Muslim world are not democratic thus proving that it is easy to correlate the two (Shura and democracy) as similar entities in theory but in practice, it is not enough to ensure a democratic Muslim-majority state, let alone an Islamic state. As Khan puts it: a democratic theory cannot just emerge by itself from a part of a verse (2006: 158). Apart from Khans two main schools of thought, there is another perspective where in which scholars believe that Islam and democracy are intrinsically incompatible. Sivan suggests that Islam has very little to offer in the realm of politics as after Muhammads death, political history was shaped by circumstances Islamic law had little to no say on constitutional matters (Sivan in Ehteshami 2004: 96). According to Sivan, Sharia does not stand a chance of being the superior law of the land when democracy is implemented thus implying that Islamic fundamentals of politics and democracy cannot coexist without one being more superior to the other thus determining whether a state is either Islamic or democratic, they cannot be both. Furthermore, Maududis argument supports that of Sivans as he claims that an Islamic democracy would be the antithesis of secular Western democracy (Maududi in Bukay 2007). Despite the fact that numerous Muslim activists have rejected the concept of democracy as a western import designed to destroy Islam and the Sharia, there are Muslim and non-Muslim scholars alike that strongly argue that there is no contradiction between Islam and democracy (Ehteshami 2004: 94). Ehteshami claims that Muslim teachings and practices of collective debate, consensus, accountability and transparency, if followed properly, will produce Muslim versions of democratic rule (2004: 94). Nevertheless, he argues that if Islam and democracy were to be seen as two different systems, one of the main differences between an Islamic state and a democracy is the sphere of sovereignty, where in a democratic society sovereignty lies with the people, and in an Islamic state it resides in God (2004: 94). Ahmad argues along the same lines as Ehteshami but uses the Islamist approach claiming that a fundamental difference between the Western and Islamist concept of democracy: the sovereignty o f the people vs. the sovereignty of God or the Shariah (2002). That being said, it is not possible to remove the sovereignty of God and the Sharia and move them to the sidelines of politics within an Islamic state with democracy at the top, because when that happens, an Islamic state is no longer an Islamic state for the reason that the core essence of it has been removed and replaced. When put in this context, it is not feasible for an Islamic state to be democratic. Bukay brings up an interesting argument in relation to the compatibility of Islam and democracy. He claims that some Western scholars maintain the Islamist argument that not only are parliamentary democracy and representative elections congruent with Sharia, but that Islam actually encourages democracy (Bukay 2007). Bukay identifies two ways in which these scholars maintain the above claims: either they twist definitions to make them fit the apparatuses of Islamic government terms such as democracy become relative or they bend the reality in Muslim countries to fit their theories (2007). He points out the phrases used by Esposito and his different co-authors such as democracy has many and varied meanings; every culture will mold an independent model of democratic government; and there can develop a religious democracy (Bukay 2007) proving his above statement true. Having exhausted all the prominent arguments in the general sphere of democracy and Muslim-majority countries, this chapter will now put these arguments into the context of Islamic states specifically. The arguments of political Islamists is one of the few realistic argument that keeps what essentially makes Islamic states Islamic as it does not disregard Sharia as unimportant or unnecessary when it comes to the governance of a Muslim country. Rather it argues the point that for democracy to work within an Islamic state, it is the responsibility of democracy to show that it encompasses Islamic ideals rather than the other way around. The liberal Muslim school of thought is also useful in finding the possibility of Islamic states being democratic as they argue from the point of view that the interpretation of the Quran is what is essential. However, no matter how evident it is in theory that there are possibilities of Islamic states becoming democratic, there is no denying that in pra ctice, not a single Islamic state exists. The non-existence of democratic Islamic states raises a number of important questions: Why are there no democratic Islamic states? Why is it possible for Indonesia and Turkey to be democratic but not Pakistan, Iran or Bahrain? Is Islam the sole, main reason why there are no democratic Islamic states? These questions will be answered in the next two chapters as the next chapter focus primarily on specific case studies of Islamic states, namely Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and Bahrain, where as the fourth chapter deals with democratic and semi-democratic Muslim-majority states, such as Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Area 51 Essay -- essays research papers

The creation of Area 51 began in April of 1955, when a Lockheed test pilot, Tony LeVier, searched for a remote site to test the U-2. Grooms Lake is chosen as the location for the runway. By August of 1955, the U-2 makes its first flight from Grooms Lake. That was only the beginning for test flights from Area 51. In April 1962, the first A-12 Blackbird was tested at Groom Lake. February 1982, the F-117A Stealth fighter takes off for the first time. All other test flights have not been released to the public, but that doesn't mean they don't occur. However, they are, in no way, shape or form, alien test flights. Nearly all of the evidence that supports the alien spacecraft theory, is without backing, or solid information. Also, the US government played on the UFO theories to hide their own testing plans. Today, Area 51 is the home to the latest top secret aircraft: the Aurora, among others Many of these aircraft, past and present, are able to perform incredible feats in the sky. Some so unbelievable, that they could be mistaken for alien spacecraft by fanatics of extra-terrestrials. However, based on the falsified eye-witness accounts of Area 51, and declassification of military spy planes like the U-2 and F-117A Stealth fighter, I am here to tell you that these flights are not alien crafts, but actually secret military aircraft. I. According to Glenn Campbell, a leading researcher on Area 51, Bob Lazar provided the most incredible source for information supporting alien ships at Area 51, and also the most falsified.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. He claims to have worked with alien spacecraft at an area called Area S-4,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  which is right next to Area 51.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. He claims he worked there until 1988 as a senior researcher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Government papers have shown that he was merely a repair technician.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. He also claims that he gained complete exposure to Area 51.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. He only made a few visits to the site between Nov 1988 and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  April ... ...sp;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  things that can't be checked?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. The UFO sightings can be easily explained by military aircraft that are   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  being tested.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. dispy doodle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. green exhaust   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. Aurora sonic booms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  d. glowing leading edge of Aurora Just because the military doesn't tell civilians about their aircraft does not mean that there must be alien intervention. It simply means that the government is trying to protect it new toys. They have every right to keep their top secret aircraft a secret.....that's why it is called top secret, right? The government is like a little kid. How many of you when you were little wanted to share your new toys? I didn

Literacy Case Study

Literature serves as a repository of human experience. The possibility of such is evident in the personal and political character evident in the creation of a literary work. Such a character is present in the process of creating a literary work. The literary work may be depicted as an artist’s compilation of thoughts and ideas formulated into a coherent whole. The process of formulating such is spearheaded by the artist’s acquisition of language through the socialization process. Socialization occurs at the formal and informal level. The formal level is generally characterized by the acquisition of the syntactical and semantical rules of a language. Such a process occurs during a child’s education. The acquisition of language, as well as the development of the interest for a particular language may occur during the early part of a child’s socialization process with the family. The family serves as the main element for a child’s acquisition of interest for particular styles or one may even state for particular literary genres. Hence, a child who has been introduced at an early age to fairly tales may have a taste for the fantastic and the supernatural. At the same time, a child introduced to personal narratives may develop an interest for personal narrations. In lieu of this, what follows is the result of literacy case study conducted with a peer/classmate. The study opts to present an analysis of a peer’s literacy level though the analysis of his/her reading and writing skills. Such an analysis involves the assessment of the individual’s personal views to the reading and writing process and the relation of these views to the individual’s assessment of his literacy level. Method The methodology employed for this case study involves a one on one interview with a particular peer/classmate. The methodology used enables the interviewer to assess the literacy level of the interviewee in terms of conversational language. Such an assessment enables the interviewer to consider the interviewee’s communication skills, which mirrors the interviewee’s self-perceived competency of his literacy level. Evaluation This case study was conducted with a classmate [Ali]. Several questions were posed which considered Ali’s socialization experience in terms of language acquisition. The study shows that an individual’s literacy level increasingly develops throughout the life span because of the continuous stimulation of various stimuli that necessitates the individual’s continuous use of his reading and writing skills. In Ali’s case, this is evident, as he perceives literature as the focal point, which enabled him to develop an interest for the other subjects during his junior year. In relation to this, his later years of development [specifically that which is situated within the University] mirrors his literacy development. Ali’s development has shifted towards a highly personal consideration of the role of these aforementioned skills in the development of his own voice and hence his own identity. Summary and Recommendations Based upon the interview, I perceive Ali’s utilization of the personal value that literature serves for the individual. Personal here ought to be understood as private. Literature for Ali thereby serves as an ensemble of various accounts that serve to reject the discursive unity that constructs subjectivity as simultaneously individualized and totalized since literature as Ali perceives it or utilizes it in his life takes the form or style of several generic discourses. The acts correlated with literature [reading and writing] thereby stand for Ali as acts that enable the discovery of the self through the daily recording of events that allows the creation of his singular account of the transactions and movements of his life. As I reckon, Ali’s interest lies in the creation of self-narratives in the form of daily records of his daily transactions. Such an act may be seen as an exercise of selfhood wherein Ali portrays his perception of his intimate self while recognizing that it is his mere perception of his self. Ali thereby allows the subversion of the act of turning â€Å"real lives into writing† as he allows the existence of conflicts and confusions in the formation of his identity [as depicted in his writings]. Ali himself notes that literature enables him to perceive the mistakes the he continuously commits in the act of delving within and understanding a literary work. Literature, in this sense, presents Ali with the form in which he may be able to continuously exercise the act of self-formation and hence self-creation. The possibility of such is evident if one considers that Ali takes the act of understanding a literary work as an internal act, which necessitates the reader’s complete understanding of the content of literary work. Such an understanding, although enabled and nurtured within a group through the introduction of various diverse views is only possible when one isolates one’s self in order to reassess one’s thoughts in connection to the simultaneous views presented within a group. To understand a literary work thereby serves as a process of reconsidering the self in order to attain a form of consensus within one’s self that enables the self’s creation and hence specification of its view. Literature, for Ali, thereby serves as a medium for self discovery and self creation wherein the acts of both reading and writing serve as the facilitators for the initial creation and finally in the end Ali’s own medium for the specification and exposition of his self as represented through his own creative work.      

Racism Synthesis

Racism can be â€Å"defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes† (â€Å"What†). The face of racism over the past 50 years has changed but yet, some still stay the same. People made laws against racism and it is not as blunt anymore.But opinions and stereotypes will remain which will cause others to still be treated differently. One way the face of racism has changed is that there are now laws against it. Because racism was such a major problem back then, the 14th amendment was created, which provided everyone guaranteed equal protection of the law and â€Å"prevents unreasonable searches and seizures† (â€Å"Racial†). In my high school, there is a wide range of diversity in races among the students.Not just a school of Blacks, or just Whites, or even just Asians, but the students are made up of a variety of races. A law that allows this diversity to happen is called Affirmative Action. â€Å"Affirmative Action refers to policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group in areas of employment, education, and business, usually justified as countering the effects of a history of discrimination† (Affirmative).According to James McBride in The Color of Water, him and his family â€Å"were shocked by the racial division of the city and surrounding country, where most of the black kids attended understaffed and underfunded city schools while whites attended sparkling clean suburban schools with fantastic facilities† (McBride 180). This suggests that since racism changed up north, in New York, there aren’t as much segregated schools anymore. While in the south, in Delaware, there still are segregated schools and rough racism.Another way the face of racism has changed is that it is not as blunt anymore. Racism is more discrete. Back then, not all blacks had the same privileges and racism wasn’t just about black and white people. This is an example of colourism. Colourism can be â€Å"defined as a conscious or unconscious state of prejudice that may be experienced by both blacks and whites so that they label as less attractive and intelligent individuals of a darker complexion, particularly, when it comes to black women† â€Å"Demystifying†). Among the black community, there is racism between it as well. Back then, white slave owners â€Å"allowed those of a lighter complexion certain privileges and denied those of a darker complexion those privileges and created in the minds of blacks that â€Å"light† is better. In addition, the selling of lighter-skinned women into prostitution or to salve maste rs to become their mistresses helped to concretize the idea that light skin is better† (â€Å"Demystifying†).But racism is not just about blacks and whites. It can be between any races. With the internet and the power of social networking these days, it is even easier to repudiate and excoriate people. People can criticize you secretly and not include you in certain events without your knowing. You can express racism even behind a computer screen on a website plus make it private so it can’t be seen by the public. Although racism has changed over time these past 50 years, racism in many ways still exists.Everybody has their own opinion and those opinions are influenced by the public and the media. In some way, shape, or form, people are stereotypical towards one another. Racial profiling is an issue due to such opinions and stereotypes. Racial Profiling can be defined as â€Å"the practice by law enforcement officials of using race, national origin, or ethnicity as the primary or sole consideration when intervening in a law-enforcement capacity† (â€Å"Racial†).James McBride, in The Color of Water, states that â€Å"any black man who loiters in front of a building for a long time looking it over is bound to draw suspicion from cops and others who probably think he’s looking for an open entrance so he can climb in and steal something. † This is an example of racial profiling because the police are considering that since he is black, he is going to commit crime and steal something. In that time, â€Å"black males were closely associated with crime in America (McBride). † This is a contribution to the stereotype of black people always committing crimes.Although stereotypes are based off facts, they do not apply to everybody. According to Heather Mac Donald, â€Å"such disparities in criminal victimization mean that the police cannot target their resources at the neighborhoods that most need protection withou t producing racially disparate stop and arrest rates. Blacks are not just the most frequent victims of crime in New York; they are also its most frequent perpetrators†¦add Hispanics to black shootings, and you account for 98 percent of all gun violence in New York. † Racism still hasn’t changed in stereotypes.Blacks still commit most crimes and are racially profiled by suspicion. Racism over the past 50 years has changed because of such laws for example, the 14th amendment and Affirmative Action. Furthermore, racism has changed due to colourism as well. But on the contrary, even though time has passed and views have changed, racism still remains the same due to everyone’s opinions provided and influenced by stereotypes. Works Cited â€Å"Affirmative Action. † Wikipedia. 2012. N. pag. Print. â€Å"Demystifying Colourism, Racism [opinion]. † Africa News Service 19 June 2012.Global Issues In Context. Web. 5 Oct. 2012. Mac Donald, Heather. â€Å"T he crime reporting you never read: if it doesn’t bash the police, it isn’t fit to print. † National Review 30 July 2012: 32. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 5 Oct. 2012. McBride, James. The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother. New York: Riverhead, 1997. Print. â€Å"Racial Profiling. † Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 3 Sept. 2012. Web. 5 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"What Is Racism? † Anti-Defamation League. Anti-Defamation League, 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. .