Explore Dickens presentation of education in Hard Times Essay

Dickens’ presents The Victorian education system in ‘Hard Times’ in a fundamentally negative way, Dickens’ expresses the idea that having an imaginative aspect to our education is essential. He does this through satirising the education system and mocking the characters. Throughout the novel, it is a purpose of Dickens being satirical towards the education system. Dickens opens the novel with a satirical description of Thomas Gradgrind and his utilitarian educational methods as he teaches the room full of students â€Å"Facts alone are wanted in life† (9) Dickens satirises Gradgrind’s commitment to an education comprised only of facts as Gradgrind exaggerates that facts are the only essential thing in life. â€Å"Fancy† (14) symbolises imagination and wonder compared to facts. Dickens emphasise â€Å"Fact† more than he does with â€Å"Fancy† he does this by repeating â€Å"fact† itself, sounds more forceful. Gradgrind’s view on education is his children are to never imagine or wonder. Gradgrind rejects the concept of â€Å"fancy† or imagination; ‘fancy’ has nothing to contribute to understanding; only things that can be measured are important. Gradgrind’s disapproving rant on fancy â€Å"You don’t walk upon flowers in fact† (14) to the students underlines that fancy is bad and it should be â€Å"facts!† (14) In his satirical description of Gradgrind, Dickens’ aim is of what he experienced in the industrial England during his time when education varied vastly, according to location, gender, and class, meaning that Dickens view on Utilitarianism is shown in a satirical way, and his beliefs stood out throughout the novel, this indicates how the education system was controlled. Dickens uses characters’ names to continue his satire of the utilitarian education system prevalent in Victorian Britain. Mr Gradgrind breaks into the word â€Å"Grind† as a means to crush, signifying his method of grinding down the students’ individuality and any imagination they may have entered the school with. Mr M’Choakumchild, breaks into â€Å"me, choke, child† Dickens’ exaggerates with the name as we don’t think the new teacher is literally choking the children in his care, that this Fact-obsessed creature will only choke imagination and feelings out of them. â€Å"If he had only learnt a little less, how infinitely better be he might have taught much more!† (15) This highlights that the utilitarianism system would function much better, if it were not so strung on facts. If Mr. M’Choakumchild had learnt less and been practically involved with his students more and would have taught far better. This is criticizing the way the system works. Dickens is suggesting that in the utilitarianism system, suggesting that ramming facts into students might not be the most effective way of teaching them. Not everything can be reduced to facts alone. Mr Gradgrind and Mr Bounderby are the main representations of utilitarianism and followers of the system. In Louisa’s proposed marriage to Bounderby, Dickens shows us a disastrous consequence of Gradgrind’s system that denied everything but facts. â€Å"You have been accustomed to consider every other question, simply as one of tangible Fact† (97) This illustrates that Gradgrind, who is incapable of expressing his emotions effectively toward Louisa, edges her into a marriage with Bounderby by stating various facts and statistics to her. Louisa is hesitant to communicate her feelings towards him â€Å"she returned, without any visible emotion† (96) David Lodge’s ‘How Successful Was Hard Times?’ (1981) argues that Gradgrind’s ideology in his system is questionable, Lodge explains that it is a â€Å"primary index of what is wrong with his system† Mr Bounderby is also a character with utilitarian beliefs, doubtlessly one of th e major characters that has a firm belief in the system, â€Å"you may force him to swallow boiling fat, but you shall never suppress force him to suppress the facts of his life† (23) He signifies the very essence of his ruthless principles that only has room for facts and statistics. ‘Hard Times’ outlines that a utilitarian approach to life is unsuccessful and costs those who follow their imaginations become robotic and inadequate to the system. Imagination and heart is found in the circus where Mr Bounderby and Mr Gradgrind despise â€Å"No young people have circus masters†¦ or attend circus lectures about circuses† (23) Gradgrind implies that circuses are not like a practical schoolroom. Dickens represents Sissy Jupe as an influential character of the novel who presents the value of a warm heart and embodies feelings and emotions. She is seen as a complete failure of Gradgrind’s system. However Dickens and the reader judge her as a success. The young innocent girl mocked by the teacher and presented as the â€Å"dumb† girl in the start of the novel, gradually turns out to be the most key character in the whole novel. Since the foundational significance of fact and the removal of fancy that Gradgrind’s education obli ges, Sissy Jupe will never succeed. Nevertheless, in spite of the education, Sissy becomes a young woman who is able to maintain her own principles and beliefs. The contrasting descriptions of Sissy and Bitzer are shown in their appearance. For example Sissy is described as radiant and warm â€Å"dark eyed and dark haired† (11) referring to her as someone who is the face of vitality. However Bitzer is portrayed as â€Å"what little colour he ever possessed† (11) and â€Å"His cold eyes would hardly have been eyes† (11)) Demonstrating that he is cold and emotionless with no heart and all calculation. Dickens uses Bitzer to demonstrate that other students are influenced by him, showing that he is a follower of Gradgrind’s system, whereas Sissy is the foreigner to the system. The Utilitarian education system relates to the industrial town ‘Coketown’ which consists of factories and â€Å"large streets †¦ like one another †¦ people equally like one another† (27) The town is linked to a â€Å"painted face of a savage† (27) that is described as barbaric and uncultured, the children are being deprived from the â€Å"ill-smelling dye† (27) Dickens suggests the society that the children/workers are living in is unsanitary â€Å"Jail† (28) indicating that they have no escape from their problems. The utilitarian system stamps out all imagination in the pupils and prepares them perfectly for the life of drudgery. Dickens describes as their lot as ‘hands’ in Coketown’s factories. Education presented in ‘Hard Times’ is shown as satirical in Dickensian vision of Utilitarianism. This is because Dickens is able to create a fool out of the system cunningly. Furthermore it is certain that what Dickens has presented is humorous and convincing with making the utilitarian ideology seem absurd through the novel. I find David Lodge’s argument towards Dickens opinion as liberal and potent.

A Unified And Empowered Europe Towards Modernization Essay

No matter how historical events are being interpreted Europe’s history after World War II suggest just one clear reality: it has unified its countries which were once shattered by bitter invasion and had since then been trying to move towards an empowered modern Europe. For whatever reasons others cannot believe and accept such reality, there is one certain thing about Europe after World War II: Europe’s dream of modernization defied its diversity of culture and differing political ideals. Before the war, Europe has traditionally been divided into East and West based by different political system; Communism and Capitalism. A new blend of Europe has been the main path which directed its member countries after the war. It is for this reason that this writer proposed to integrate the concept of unity or unification in the thematic title of this course. There are several events that will justify this assumption. For example, the power of Communism has significantly weakened after the war and so were the influences it left in the formerly communist countries then known as the Eastern bloc. With the call for unification and reconciliation by Winston Churchill in 1946 and the creation of European Union of Federalists, the desire of the people to completely pin down Soviet Union arose and heightened. The call for the establishment of United States in Europe called for uprisings and movements to express their disgust to its proponents. These events, instead of creating conflict had provided the people the opportunity to block the domination of European Union of Federalists and the United Nations of Europe and so the European (Atlantic) model of government was born. With the nationalistic aim of Schumann and Benet, Europeans were encouraged to reconciliation. What is remarkable however in with Schumann and Benet was that they were against America’s entering into the scene. The two stood to their beliefs that the Franco-German reconciliation should be left to the sole responsibility of the Europeans and not with the help of any nation. With this we can say that these European leaders genuinely aimed for a long-term unity of European countries. Europe also took vital steps towards modernization and progress by means of allowing the spirit of reconciliation dominates them. On May 01, 1950, the famous Schuman Declaration occurred which brought hopes for progress to the unifying Europe. The establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community marked that date in the European calendar. Such community was vital in the initial steps taken by Europe in moving towards genuine progress. The declaration made Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg nod to the proposal of an authority. This is first time in the European history that these powerful countries agreed and united. Culture and religion were also major elements which played in the ideological division of Europe into East and West. However with modernization and the end of Cold War, Europe removed these walls. It is important to note that West Europe was then dominated by Western Christianity religion while the East bloc was dominated by Orthodox Christianity and Islam. Because of these, member countries of the two divisions clashed trying to display dominance over the other and genocide was the other’s most powerful tool. With the establishment of the European Union, eastern borders were extended through the countries dominated by Western and Eastern Orthodox civilizations. The memberships of most protestant and Roman Catholic countries in the European Union finally erased the mark of cultural conflict between the two divisions. The step by step movement of European countries towards unification brought considerably good results for the whole European nation. Despite the resistance of others to join the prominent European Union, Europe obviously is moving forward towards globalization. Although it is not the union which solely and ultimately unified Europe and its people, somehow the prominence of the European organization is of great help. As of May 2004, the European Union has 25 member countries after 10 countries joined including Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus and others. Such memberships are indications of the member countries’ willingness to extend help to each other. More importantly, these member countries now recognize a higher authority other than their own. With growing concerns on national security and issues of war and human aggression, European Union’s leaders have been criticizing each other point out the shortcomings of one another. Such disagreements do not however suggest that E. U. can no more live up to its dream of ultimate peace and unity. These situations especially in the political arena are indicative of the active participation and exercise of their power to choose and to independently decide for their people. Their unity as a legacy of the wars does not necessarily requires them to implement uniform laws and policies to their constituents. United Europe after the war had actually provided each member country the sense of accountability and responsibility by defending their stand over an issue that significantly affect them. Despite the diversity of culture and its bitter past, united Europe has been continuously moving towards a globally competitive and empowered nation. The wars undoubtedly left the enduring culture of hatred and violence behind. Europe was left with one vital responsibility to take: use its available time and resources to manage its economic, social and political affairs in the most prudent manner in such a way that it has secured its people and their future. There were no more walls in their midst, no more threat of genocide, and no more religious conflicts. Everyone is free to live a peaceful life in the land where no culture is regarded dominant over the other.

US President Mr. George W. Bush Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

US President Mr. George W. Bush - Essay Example Dear Mr. President, please accept my sincere regards on behalf of CatttleMag. I wish to put forth our recent findings on feedlots. Sir, as you know, we have a large cattle population that is of immense importance to our economy. We are also the world's largest consumers of dairy products.The cattle products are vital to our food habits, the diary and meat products are consumed internally as well as exported and cattle are pivotal to our thriving leather business. The above only strengthen the fact that the US internal production of dairy is not enough and if we can utilize our potential, the industry can generate economical prosperity and employment.The US is the world’s largest consumer of dairy products. The US is also the largest importer of dairy products. A look into the consumption pattern shows a huge domestic demand for cattle products. The lack of cattle feedlots and their improper distribution across the country is a logistical challenge and an environmental hazard. Added to these are reports that suggest improper material management at the cattle feedlots causing serious environmental concerns. Unfortunately, these bright lights harbor darkness beneath them. The cattle feedlots that cater to the country are also a major health concern. Improper handling of livestock, poor slaughtering, and waste and carcass management has given rise to obnoxious fumes that not only smell bad but also have adverse respiratory implications. This is amid reports that in the race to have higher production, cattle are allowed to feed on grass for just 6 to 8 months. Their life at the cattle feedlots is spent feeding on grains, with loads of antibiotics, chemicals and hormones to promote unnatural growth over the next 8 to 12 months. This fattening on unnatural grain and supplemental protein diet causes of two serious digestive disorders found in feedlot-bred cattle. These call for immediate legislative actions so that the animals are treated ethically and environme ntal standards maintained in our culinary and economic quests FOCUS STATEMENT Sir, cattle feedlots are crucial to successful cattle health and associated economy management. Cattle feedlots: 1. Minimize streamline handling of cattle and reduce stress on both cattle and the workers, 2. Environmental balance is maintained, 3. Cattle feed and feeding habits are standardized, 4. Ensures scientific waste management, and 5. Ensures an efficient and profitable operation But the above has to be achieved within scientific standards of the environment and should confirm to ethical standards of treatment to animals. This is even more important after recent revelations that the industry has also failed to implement any type of welfare audit system for cattle operations and no federal laws protect the welfare of beef cattle in the U.S., other than the Humane Method of Slaughter Act. There should be monitoring of the cattle feed in the feedlots to check use of growth promoting medications that not only sicken the cattle but also put human health at risk on consumption of dairy products and meat of these cattle. BACKGROUND / NARRATION Since 1980, US has been the single largest importer of dairy products from New Zealand, valued at over $1000 million in 2004 alone. Till 2003, US has been the largest consumer of cheese and butter and ranked among the highest in overall consumption of dairy products. (U.S. Dairy at a New Crossroads in a Global Setting1). Kansas ranks third in the value of live animals and meat exported to other countries at $343.2 million (CJOnline2). A recent study suggests that in spite of the pivotal role of cattle in the economy, the cattle industry has failed to maintain meaningful standards for the care of beef cattle (Summary of Scientific Evidence Illustrates the Life of Cattle 3). It is indeed unfortunate. And that makes formulation of new policies essential. It must be appreciated by all concerned that an industry takes considerable time to lose its position and relevance. But once that happens, it will take even longer to regain the position. In the backdrop of a global economy, our present position & success and the outlook of our counterparts, it is essential that we look at the reasons for the collective success, find our weaknesses and

Describe and critically analyse a conceptual supply network and Essay

Describe and critically analyse a conceptual supply network and discuss the likely areas of strength and weakness - Essay Example Recent development in this era of new business strategies that must minimize risk in business by using friendly environment machinery , social acknowledgement as requirement of the Government to smooth and sequential running of a business operation . (Amlan M., Helen M., 2010). Supply chain could improve the cash transaction, manufacturing cost of materials, and communication flaws by planning of company’s coordination to correlate finance, society that helps to end user and stake holders. (Craig C., Dale R., Nov 2007) ( Seuring & Muller, 2008) (Lutz P., 2009). Supply chain management is a core element of any manufacturing phenomena that engage in producing of commodities or preparing unfurnished materials. (Anna N., Ladimer S., 2010 ). A satisfaction of society is always the responsibility of the supply chain management (Laura S., Michael B., 2009). Over the passage of time, the industrial progress has triggered a process of adaptability and innovation in all the things relat ed to industrial manufacturing, services and even the consumers. A new term has been coined recently i.e. corporate responsibility, it represents and incorporates social, financial, ethical and even ecological challenges which are faced by corporations that are trying to adopt sustainability factors in their supply chains. Following are the key features of a sustainable supply chain. Wastage: disposal of waste materials is the key responsibility of a supply chain management to satisfy the society by assuring the recycling or safe disposal of non toxic element that can be harmful to human beings. Energy resources: Managing and ensuring the availability of energy must require the keen observation as a basic factor of supply chain management. Water management: usage of water in every part of a business is necessary to control its wastage on priorities bases. Globally a short fall in water resources is the burning issue or current scenario is the big threat for supply chain management. Shipment: a prompt and in-time shipment or transportation is required for a growing and developing business faculty by using time management, supply chain management. Means of access: Availability of a right product in right time on right place is the responsibility of supply chain management by using of all tools of intra and intercommunications however; it will improve the optimum quality of work. Training sessions: Skill developing of workers is the necessity/requirement of an organization for long last their employees by awareness of recent era development in every field. This is the main development program should under supply chain management. Competitive Forces Model of an organization. When entering a market, every new entrepreneur faces some problems that are common to all kinds of markets as well as all types of products, though the details and intensities can vary from scenario to scenario. A standard model was generated that represents the common and most important issue s faced by any manufacturer. It is called the competitive five forces model. A) Competitive Market: Entering a market is not an easy task as there are well established manufacturers in every market and launching a product against theirs will require marketing strategies that can rival and defeat those of the corporate giants. B) Alternative strength and Threat: This is the threat for manufacturer substitution probability but the feasibilities are limited for those companies which are scientifically sound and have large

CRIMINAL EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURE ONLINE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

CRIMINAL EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURE ONLINE WRITTEN - Assignment Example Hymon identified himself as a police officer and ordered the suspect to stop. The young man crouched at the fence ignored the officer's command and attempted to over the fence. While the suspect was going over the fence, the police officer fired at the suspect hitting him in the head. The burglary suspect was a fifteen-year-old named Edward Garner who consequently died as a result of the shooting. The officer who shot Garner was acting pursuant to the law of Tennessee and the Memphis police department policy. The Memphis police policy authorizes a police officer to use deadly force to apprehend a fleeing suspect. It provides that where all other means to apprehend that suspect have been exhausted. The police are taught to shoot to kill and not trained to shoot to wound, therefore, it is apparent that Garner's death was not accidental. Thereafter the suspect’s father brought a civil rights action against the Director of Police, the Memphis Police Department, the City, the mayor and officer Hymon. Legal point of issue The action was founded on the claim that when Hymon shot and killed Garners he violated his constitutional rights as under the fourth, eighth and fourteenth amendments. The other defendants in the case were enjoined in the suit on the basis that they failed to exercise due care in the employment, training, and supervision of officer Hymon and, therefore, they were equally responsible for Garners death. Decision of the court The court decided that the using deadly force to seize a fleeing and unarmed felon is unconstitutional as indicated by the mandates of fourth, eighth and fourteenth amendments. Additionally the court found that the rule of the fleeing felon does not violate the provisions of either the fourth or the eighth amendments. Reasoning of the court In arriving at its decision, the court reasoned that a police officer could arrest an individual if there is the probable reason that the individual has committed a crime. The fourth am endment does not make any provisions concerning how the seizure is made. The seizure should have a balance of the extent of intrusion as against the reasonableness of the manner the arrest is made. To determine the reasonability of an arrest, there must be a balance of both nature and the quality of the intrusion on the individuals interests as provided for by the fourth amendment against the importance of the interests of the government to justify the seizure. The court referred to the case of Michigan v summers where it was held that the key principles of the fourth amendment are balancing competing interests. Furthermore, the court found that reasonableness depends on when the arrest is made and how it is executed. In view of this and in light of the current case, the court found that irrespective of the probable cause to apprehend a suspect the officer apprehending the suspect must not always do so by killing him. The use of such deadly force by an officer in conducting an arres t is unmatched (Kevin, Rick, & Betsy 2007). The fundamental interest of the suspect is his life and the use of lethal force in effecting an arrest frustrates the interest of the individual (Gino 2003). The use of lethal force also frustrates the interest of the society in judicially determining the guilt of the suspect and

Econ3077 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Econ3077 - Essay Example In such cases, a buyer will be willing to purchase or rather to pay an average price for any quality stock. At this point, he brings in the idea of high and a low quality company. For a high quality company, the executives will not be willing to sell anything at an average price; whether stock or shares. However, for the companies that agree to sell at an average price, they are deemed to be of low quality since it will destroy the quality of the stock market. Additionally, Akerlof (2003) mentions how heterogeneity in quality and the asymmetric information leads to diminishing or distraction of markets that have indefinite guarantees. Thus, presence of asymmetry information makes the buyer not to distinguish the quality of products. As a result, this gives sellers an opportunity to sell the low-quality goods at the same value as the high quality goods. However, the buyer takes quality into consideration and the goods with the average quality are the only ones considered. Consequentially, the goods that have high quality will be driven off the market in a recurring manner until there is no trade

What is Polanyis central thesis in The Great Transformation Define Essay

What is Polanyis central thesis in The Great Transformation Define double move- ment - Essay Example Unlike after the great evolution, people premised their economies on trade and redistribution of resources but paid little attention on the vital rational utility exploiters. Polanyi notes that following the great revolution of the market society, members of different societies became more level-headed when making economic decisions (Deutschmann, 2009). They started being guided by pointers of neoclassical economic concepts. The establishment of capitalist structures not only transformed the legal regime along those lines but also substantially changed various economic mentalities of members of various societies such that in the run-up to the revolution, markets contributed very minimally in shaping the trends of human affairs. However, they could not fix prices because they lacked the influence that comes with big movements. As Deutschmann (2009) noted, it was just after the establishment of new market structures and the growth of industries that the theory of humanitys penchant for trade became common. The transformation contributed immensely towards shaping human culture to be in line with the then existing market-based economic agents. Polanyi thus suggests a different ethnographic theory known as substantivism which discredits formalism as a way of achieving the great transformation. Double movement is a phrase coined by Polanyi in reference to unpredictable protective responses against declining market forces occasioned by social factors within countries (Polanyi, 2001). Recent Occupy Wall Street protests by local communities seeking to outmanoeuvre powerful forces behind inequalities in the world and the more powerful social movements which threaten to reverse the prevailing paradigm by creating new structures and processes that can offset the social and economic establishment are the impact of double movement actions (Polanyi, 2001). Whereas the

Ethical theories Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical theories - Research Paper Example There is a way of classifying ethical theories. It begins by evaluating a given theory based on how it connects the right conduct with the right character. Some theories evaluate that the consequences of a given conduct is due to its right conduct. However, the theories focus less on moral character. Such theories are classified as teleological. Theories that focus more on the moral character are classified as deontological. Another way is evaluating the theories based on its consequences if they exist. There are theories with more emphasis on the consequences. They are classified as consequentialist. Those that do not concentrate on the consequences are classified as non consequentialist. The other way is determining how many principles that guide each theory’s view concerning morality of actions. Some theories only rely on a single rule to determine the morality of an action. Such theories are classified as monistic. The theories that rely on multiple rules are classified as pluralistic, for example, the moral life of a nun. A nun’s moral life does not match with a mother’s moral life; however, there is no measure to determine which is preferable. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism. It deals with more with consequences of these theories. According to studies, the utilitarianism is easy to apply. Furthermore, it has specifications for what is wrong or right. It has clear-cut choices between actions. However, utilitarianism has its own disadvantages. The theory often depends on predicting the results of actions. It is not easy to know the consequences of certain actions. Researchers argue that the calculations used to determine the right actions in this theory are time consuming and very complicated. Furthermore, the theory does not identify any individual rights violated for the sake of the great good. Due to the above disadvantages, some scholars proposed a modification to the theory. The modification will demand the behavior to be

Maximizing Shareholder Wealth Essay Example for Free

Maximizing Shareholder Wealth Essay The goal of a firm and a financial manager should involve maximizing the wealth of a firm’s shareholders through achieving the highest possible value for the firm (Block 13). It is a vital task to oversee properly as a financial manager, and while the manager cannot directly control the firm’s stock price, it can act consistently with the desires of the shareholder. Accounting, financial and other irregularities can erode consumer confidence that says the system will operate in the best interests of shareholders, taxpayers and other constituents (Hintzen 2003). Therefore, ethical practices must be upheld to convey confidence to your clients. Your clients care about two major topics when hiring you: what is their return going to be, and is it going to occur when promised. Current stock prices as well as future expectations of value are controlled by the economic environment, but are difficult to forecast. In addition, expectations of stockholders are constantly varying depending on the economic climate. For instance, during the economic boom of . com businesses, people had high expectations of their money spent because of similar stocks. However, many companies had very high stock prices, with no real earnings yet, which distorted to economic health of some companies (Block 14). As related to business firms, social responsibility concerns such things as protecting the consumer, paying fair wages to employees, maintaining fair hiring practices, supporting education, and becoming actively involved in environmental issues like clean air and water. Many people feel that a firm has no choice but to act in socially responsible ways; they argue that shareholder wealth and, perhaps, the corporations very existence depends upon its being socially responsible. However, the criteria for social responsibility are not clearly defined, making formulation of a consistent objective function difficult (Dent 2005). As Christians, our social responsibility is defined through the Bible, and through it we should have perspective on what is right and wrong. While our job is to make money for our company and client, we must do so according to our beliefs, and what we know in our heart to be right, which God shows us. Philippians 1:9-10 (ESV) says, it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Genetic engineering - Maize Essay Example for Free

Genetic engineering Maize Essay Introduction Genetically modified, by definition, is a term denoting or derived from an organism whose DNA has been altered for the purpose of improvement or correction of defects. (dictionary. com) Genetically modified foods are foods that have been altered to enhance certain traits for the purpose of making them more desirable to consumers. Since the development of this process, modified foods have become more common throughout the years, and with their increase in production there has also been great controversy. History of Genetically Modified Foods In 1994, the first genetically modified food the Food and Drug Administration deemed safe enough for human consumption was a tomato called the â€Å"Flavr Savr,† produced in California. The purpose of altering the tomato was for it to be resistant to rotting and decaying as quickly as tomatoes usually do. They were not labeled as being genetically modified and they were between two and five time more expensive than ordinary tomatoes, but consumers still purchased them. However, due to competition, brought on by a tomato made conventionally and with a longer shelf life, the Flavr Savr tomatoes were not profitable. Genetically modified tomatoes were then made into a tomato puree and sold in Europe in the mid-1990s, but a couple years later controversy arose over the concept of genetically modifying food. In 1998, a doctor from Aberdeen, in Scotland, published results from a research study he conducted suggesting that genetically modified potatoes, injected with an insecticide gene from the snowdrop plant, were toxic to rats. A year later it was announced that beginning in 1999, there were to be trials of genetically modified crops engineered to be resistant to herbicides. The purpose of the trials was to uncover the effects of these crops on farmland wildlife. However, this was criticized to be potentially dangerous to nearby crops, as well as honey that could be affected by cross-pollination. Sure enough, later that year pollen from genetically modified oilseed rape, a plant that is used to produce canola oil, was found at beehives almost three miles away. Two out of nine samples of honey being sold in supermarkets were contaminated in May 2000. At this point in time, nine out of ten people were against the idea of genetically modifying foods. (dailymail. co. uk) Despite the controversy surrounding genetically modified plants and foods in earlier years, technologies have advanced, and in 2006, 10. 3 million farmers planted 252 million acres of transgenic crops in 22 countries. The United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, China, Paraguay, and South Africa grew 97% of these crops. Soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and alfalfa were modified to be herbicide and insect resistant, whereas other crops, like sweet potatoes for instance were modified to be able to survive harsh weather conditions. (Ornl. gov) The process of genetic modification Genetically modifying foods changes their genetic makeup in some way. The purpose of doing this is to enhance certain aspects of the food, for example, increasing its resistance to herbicides or its nutritional value. Traditionally, this has been done by way of selectively breeding plants or animals for specific genetic traits, however this method has proven to be potentially inaccurate and very time consuming. Genetic modification on the other hand can physically isolate a particular gene and insert it into another substance, enabling it to then posses that quality. This is done very quickly and accurately. Plants can be made insect resistant, virus resistant, or more tolerant to herbicides. Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium that produces a gene for toxin production that is safe for human production. To achieve insect resistance, the gene is injected into the crops that will then be able to produce this toxin on their own, leading to a decreased need for insecticides. To achieve virus resistance, crops must be introduced to the gene from that particular disease-causing virus. This results in less susceptibility to the disease and higher crop yields. Similarly, to achieve herbicide tolerance, a gene from a bacterium that will transmit resistance to some herbicides must be injected into the crops, in turn reducing the amount of herbicides used. Purpose of genetically modifying foods. There are many reasons for producing and selling genetically modified foods over those that are traditionally produced. Originally, the intent was increased protection of crops. This is still one of the process’ objectives, however there are many additional benefits recognized today. Both consumers and producers who feel that genetically modified foods are advantageous believe that these foods can be cheaper, more durable, and more nutritional. Genetically modifying foods is also a way to ensure that with a world population that is predicted to double in the future, a food shortage will not be encountered. In addition to increased protection from diseases, pests and herbicides, there are other key reasons for genetic modification. Many crops are destroyed due to troubling weather conditions. Frost can come at unexpected times causing destruction to sensitive crops. Cold water fish have an antifreeze gene which, when introduced to plants like tobacco and potatoes, can lead to a higher tolerance to cold temperatures. Similarly, plants can also develop the ability to withstand droughts. A very important quality of food is the nutritional value that is possesses. Malnutrition is quite prevalent, especially in third world countries where people tend to rely on only one crop to fulfill their dietary needs. If however, these crops could be genetically modified to contain the amount of vitamins and nutrients necessary to sustain a healthy diet, it would be a great advantage. For example, in third world countries blindness caused by a vitamin A deficiency is very common, so researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have developed what they call, â€Å"golden† rice, which contains uniquely high levels of vitamin A. The hope in this development is that this rice, funded by the non-profit organization Rockefeller Foundation, can be sent to any countries that request it. Vaccinations and medicines can be very difficult to produce, and they can also be very costly. Through genetic modification there is hope that the ability to produce foods with edible vaccinations in them will become a possibility. Common Genetically Modified Foods According to a WebMD article, experts say that about sixty to seventy percent of processed foods sold in the United States contain genetically modified ingredients. Soybeans, , corn, cotton, and rapeseed oil are the most commonly genetically modified foods. In other words, any foods that contain field corn, high-fructose corn syrup, soybeans, cottonseed oil, or canola oil all contain genetically modified ingredients. These ingredients are extremely common in most foods, much more so than most people are aware of. According to a study funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, only 52% of Americans are aware that genetically modified foods are even sold in grocery stores. The United States is the largest producer of corn in the world, and in 2000 it was estimated that 25% of corn crops growing in the United States were genetically modified. Corn is an ingredient in beer, salad dressing, margarine, flour, and anything containing corn syrup. The corn sold in stores is not necessarily intended to be genetically modified, however the concern for cross contamination between crops is there, since corn is wind-pollinated. Soy is the most heavily modified crop, and more than half the soy in the world was made up of genetically modified strains in 2007. There are different reasons for the modification of soy, including an added resistance to insects, and increasing its vitamin or fat and protein content in order to be suitable for animal feed. Soy is also used for creating chemicals used in pharmaceuticals. The likelihood of products in the United States containing genetically modified materials if they contain soy is very high, despite the lack of any labeling stating so. Tofu and soy milk are obviously effected products, however soy is also present in bread, cereal, ice cream and chocolate. Milk can be made from a genetically modified hormone called the recombinant bovine growth hormone. The function of this hormone is to produce more milk by keeping cells to produce milk alive in cows for longer periods of time. There is no proven difference between milk produced with the hormone versus that produced without it, however cows injected with the hormone are more prone to disease which can in turn have negative effects on the milk. Rapeseed oil, or canola oil, is one of the most genetically modified crops used. 80% of canola crops in Western Canada have been genetically modified. It is modified in the area of herbicide resistance. Also, modified rapeseed crops produce the main pollen used in the making of honey, suggesting that most honey from Canada could likely qualify as genetically modified. Advantages of Genetically Modified Foods Genetically modified foods offer several advantages. As already mentioned, an increased resistance to pests and diseases, the tolerance against bad weather conditions, and an increase in food supply are all obviously positive aspects. Crops have a better taste and quality when they are modified and they also have increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance. The time it takes for crops to mature is reduced as well. As far as the advantages for animals, they develop an increased resistance, productivity, and feed efficiency. They also produce more food, and their health can improve. The environment can benefit from genetically modifying foods as well. Firstly, the bioherbicides and bioinsecticides are environmentally friendly. Because genetic modification improves the resistance of plants and reduces their maturation time, soil, water, and energy can also be conserved. There is better natural waste management associated with genetic modification, and food processing is more efficient. Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Foods Despite the advantages of genetically modifying foods, the disadvantages of doing so seem to greatly outweigh the positive aspects of it. The most common criticisms against GM foods are in regards to the environment, health risks, and economic worries. Firstly, there have been several harmful, yet unintended effects on organisms in the environment. Monarch butterfly caterpillars have suffered an increased mortality rate due to the gene injected in corn crops. Though the caterpillars do not consume corn crops, they consume milkweed plants in neighboring fields, where the wind could easily transfer the pollen. There was a study done to test this theory, and the study did in fact support it. Another environmental concern is that the genes used to enhance certain crops will be transferred over to species unintended to contain the gene. For instance, in the case of crops that are introduced to a gene enabling them to develop an increased resistance to herbicides, the gene can potentially spread into the weeds themselves, causing them too to develop a higher herbicide resistance. This could cause problems because the weeds would then become very difficult to combat which could possibly ruin the crops. The concern for human health risks in regards to genetically modified foods is very high as well. Firstly, food allergies are very common among people in Europe and the United States, and in some cases these allergies can be fatal. The possibility that adding genes to plants could cause allergic reactions in susceptible people is there, and it is a very threatening possibility. Secondly, genetically modified foods pose an unknown overall threat to human health. Despite the lack of proof that foods made of genetically modified materials can be harmful to people, there have been studies showing that certain GM foods are in fact harmful to the digestive tract of rats. Just the fact that the effects of GM food on people are still not completely known also poses a huge threat in itself. From an economic perspective, genetically modifying foods is very costly. With new technologies that are continuously surfacing, companies are starting to want to patent their ideas, and this raises the concern that with patents will come a raise in price of seeds, making business very difficult for farmers who will not be able to afford them. This would result in the domination of food production throughout the world by only a few companies if GM foods reached such a high existence. It would also increase the dependence of developing countries on industrialized nations. Lastly, it could also result in biopiracy, or foreign exploitation of natural resources. There are ethical issues surrounding genetic modification as well. Many people question if it is unethical to alter nature by taking the genes of one species and mixing it with another. There is also the question of whether or not it is ethically wrong to violate the essential values of organisms. This process can stress animals as well, as their natural ways of life and food production are being compromised in ways that are having essentially unknown effects on the animal. The ethicality of labeling foods as genetically modified is a very controversial issue. In the United States, labeling foods is not mandatory and to the many people who do not want to consume these foods, this is viewed as very unethical. Laws of Genetically Modified Foods The laws and governmental regulations of genetically modifying food varies throughout the world, yet a common factor is that all of these different governments are in fact working towards establishing regulatory processes. In Japan, as of April 2001, testing GM foods was made mandatory. In the United States, regulation is achieved by several different governmental agencies, such as the US Environmental Protection. Agency, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US Food and Drug Administration. The EPA is responsible for regulating the substances used that may cause possible harm to the environment and human health, pesticides for example. Farmers need to obtain licenses in order to use such chemicals, and the amount they are permitted ot use is regulated. The USDA includes different divisions each responsible for their own branch of assessment. â€Å" Among these divisions are APHIS, the Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service, which conducts field tests and issues permits to grow GM crops, the Agricultural Research Service which performs in-house GM food research, and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service which oversees the USDA risk assessment program. † (Csa. com) The FDA is involved when companies producing GM foods have issues they feel they want to consult with them about. They are not required to go to the FDA though. The future of Genetically Modified Foods Currently, genetically modified ingredients are present in many foods, however the process is mostly limited to altering the ingredients in the area of improved sustainability. In the future, there are plans to genetically modify much more. For example, there are plans to try to produce foods with the ability to produce human vaccinations. There are also plans to genetically alter food animals, like pigs, cows, and most recently salmon. Conclusion Genetically modified foods have come a long way since their first introduction into the market. They have great potential to solve many problems and improve upon many conditions. However, there are many challenges facing governments as far as the advancement of genetically modified foods is concerned. Regulations, food testing, and uncovering more of the possible effects on both human health and the environment are all great issues involved. The concept of genetic modification is also very controversial. However, regardless of the obstacles and controversy surrounding this phenomenon, it is becoming much more widespread throughout the world. Works Cited Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? CSA. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php . Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms HGP Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. ornl. gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi /gmfood. shtml. Development and History of GM Foods Genetically Modified Foods (UK). Comphrensive Advice on Genetically Modified Foods at Genetically Modified Foods (UK). Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. geneticallymodifiedfoods. co. uk/development-hi story-gm-foods. html. Chapman, By James. History of Genetically Modified Food | Mail Online. Home | Mail Online. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-419985/History-ge netically-modified-food. html. Jibrin, By Janis. Genetically Modified Foods (Biotech Foods) Pros and Cons. WebMD Better Information. Better Health. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. http://www. webmd. com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-s afe-to-eat. dictionary. com.

Politics Essays Radical Islam Uzbekistan

Politics Essays Radical Islam Uzbekistan Radical Islam Uzbekistan Preventing Radical Islam and Conflicts in Uzbekistan If one thing hasn’t changed in Central Asia and especially in Uzbekistan after US War on terrorism, it’s the authorities fear of â€Å"Hizb-ut-Tahrir† and â€Å"IMU† Islamic movements banned in all Central Asian countries, with its headquarters in Europe, that strives to recreate an undivided Muslim caliphate, encompassing all Muslim lands. Soon after Uzbekistan gain independence after Soviet Union’s collapse, Uzbekistan like other 15 former Soviet countries began its own way in socioeconomic and democratic development. As we can see from 1991 till about 1998 Uzbekistan achieved some progress comparing other four Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Great potential of Uzbekistan like rich natural resources, industrial and agricultural sectors and human resources (Uzbekistan is most populous country in Central Asia and during Soviet period was fourth most important country in whole Soviet Union) and other factors helped Uzbekistan to become the first country in Central Asia in the early stages of Independence. It is still the region’s most militarily capable and populous country, and large Uzbek minorities live in neighboring states. But those great reforms of too corrupt and repressive government were short term and self interests of President, his family and too much corrupt centralized Government and their authoritarian rule showed that Uzbekistan could not achieve those ideal results, which were promised before by President. Socioeconomic decline caused and still causes many conflicts inside country and Uzbekistan’s unequal relations with its neighbors and efforts trying to be dominant country in the region resulted many conflicts among other Central Asian Countries. Uzbekistan is multinational country consisting majority of Uzbeks and 85 percent of the country is Muslims (99 percent Sunnites). My great fear is that soon after Uzbekistan President’s rule ends, who has been on the post more than 18 years, a civil war for Uzbek throne will be began by Fundamental Islamists Groups and main Governmental clans and it may last long time spreading to other Central Asian states and could be bloody. That the conflict in Uzbekistan poses a threat is largely a result of government policies that have led to a combination of authoritarian rule, economic decline, social discontent, and a polarized political arena in which radical Islamist groups have begun to occupy an important underground role. These domestic pressures are played against a backdrop of poor relations with neighboring states, and in a region characterized by instability and may cause many conflicts. Authoritarian Regime The government is highly centralized and personalized around President. Uzbekistan has neither any opposition nor democratic parties. Uzbekistan is now considered as one the ten most repressive and authoritarian countries in the world and the situation is becoming more and more severe. Evidence continues to mount that Uzbekistan’s â€Å"unique state-construction model† is falling apart. However, now after recent Andijan (an east city of the country) massacre in 2005, where thousands of people led by mainly local businessmen protested against President’s brutal regime, the President showed no intention to leave his post killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Decisions are largely made by President only and parliament is nothing but a puppet show. There is widespread evidence of human-rights abuses by the security forces against political opponents of the regime. Media has no democracy and the main role of media is propaganda and informing people that Uzbekistan is achieving great results in development and plays great role in International arena, and praising the President for his merits. Besides, the fact is that one cannot get access for Independent Internet web sites which shows the real picture. Any International media, organizations, and NGOs criticizing Uzbekistan is banned and prohibited in the state. Elections are held both to the presidency and to parliament do not meet international standards of free and fair elections. OSCE and other International Organizations refused many times to participate in elections announcing all elections of Uzbekistan against democratic standards. However, the first election for presidency after independence was fairly democratic, but still taking into account the fact that current president Mr. Karimov was at that time a First Secretary of the Communist Party of the state (same as President of a State), the elections were viewed as not free and fair by international observers. After independence Mr. Karimov encouraged anti-Russian nationalist sentiment and millions of Russians and many other nations fled Uzbekistan. Activities of missionaries from some Islamic countries with absence of real opportunities to participate in public affairs contributed to popularization of radical interpretation of Islam. In 1999, 2000, and 2004 some terroristic acts were held in Uzbekistan and even an attempt to kill President but President Karimov nearly escaped an attempt. The government blamed the â€Å"Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan† (IMU), â€Å"Hizb-ut-Tahrir†, â€Å"Wahhabism† and other Radical Islamists Groups in the attacks. In result of law-enforcement operations, thousands of people were suspected and imprisoned. During the early stages of independence, many observers considered Uzbekistan’s relative socio-economic and political stability to President Islam Karimov’s authoritarian policies. Despite the country’s often abysmal human rights record, and over the protests of human rights organizations and increasingly repressed opposition groups, most international financial assistance (including security aid) has continued to flow. Ironically, in past the Uzbekistan government’s frequent abuses out of concerns regarding Islamist radicalism in the region, the international community has inadvertently helped create exactly the conditions that it has always feared the most. Growing political repression and poverty now provide a fertile breeding ground for violence, instability and increasingly active Islamist extremist groups. The authoritarian approach has at best postponed, but not defused, economic and political crisis. It requires relatively enormous financial, human and other resources for the government of Uzbekistan to maintain authoritarian rule and keep control over competing internal factions based on regionalism, ethnicity, and patronage networks. The establishment of near absolute power by the executive branch has only been achieved though a brutal crackdown on moderate voices and through power-sharing arrangements with leftover Soviet-era bureaucrats in the â€Å"power† ministries. Tashkent’s authoritarian domestic approach has sparked a political crisis marked by mismanagement, the emergence of a strong Islamist opposition, broad economic dislocation, endemic corruption, growing dissatisfaction with the government, poor relations with neighbors and continuing regional turmoil. Radical Islam Thus as mentioned before, Uzbek government’s eliminating all oppositions and democratic leaders created exactly the conditions that it has always feared the most. Socioeconomic decline, human rights abuses, corrupted government acts and other factors caused many people who are tired of government to follow only existing leaders Radical Islamists Groups leaders. Two major groups opposed to the regime have been active after independence. These are the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and â€Å"Hizb ut-Tahrir†. Main ideology of these groups is almost the same: to overthrown the President’s regime and to create a â€Å"Caliphate† Islamic State according to â€Å"Sharia† (Islam Constitution) not only in Uzbekistan but also in some other Central Asian countries. The main difference of these two Islamic groups is that Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a military violent group, while Hizb-ut-Tahrir is more a politic group and against violence, which is based on Islamic Ideology. However, both of them are considered as Radical Islamist Groups. IMU Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan The unrest that led to the formation of the IMU began in late 1991, when some unemployed young Muslims seized the Communist Party headquarters in the eastern city of Namangan, incensed at the mayors refusal to give them land on which to build a mosque. The men were led by Mr. Tohir Yuldeshev, and Mr. Jumaboi Khojaev. Mr. Yuldeshev, a 24-year-old college drop-out, was a well-known â€Å"mullah† in the Islamic underground movement, while Mr. Khojaev was a former Soviet paratrooper who had served in Afghanistan where he was said to have developed a high regard for the â€Å"mujahidin† against whom he fought and revitalized his Muslim faith. The group led by Yuldeshev and Khojaev, who later adopted the alias Juma Namanganiy, after his hometown (Namangan city), were members of the recently formed Uzbekistan branch of the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP). Disillusioned at the IRPs refusal to demand the establishment of a Muslim state, these men set up their own splinter movement, â€Å"Adolat† (or Justice) which called for an Islamic revolution in Uzbekistan. President Karimov banned â€Å"Adolat† party in 1992, arresting many of its members. The groups leadership fled to Tajikistan, enlisting with the IRP there. With the outbreak of that countrys civil war, Yuldeshev moved to Afghanistan, later beginning a networking odyssey around the worlds Islamic states, visiting Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. He also met with various intelligence agencies, requesting funds and sanctuary. He received both from Pakistans Interservices Intelligence, and was based in Peshawar from 1995 to 1998. It has been claimed that Yuldeshev was also funded by intelligence services and Islamic charities in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey. He also met with Chechen rebel leaders during the first Chechen war of 1994-96, as well as establishing underground cells of the â€Å"Adolat† party across Central Asia which would be crucial in the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) campaigns five years later. Meanwhile, Namangani fought in the Tajik civil war, establishing a reputation for himself as a daring fighter and becoming a revered and charismatic leader. When the war ended, Namangani at first refused to accept the cease-fire. Eventually he was persuaded to do so, settling with his family and some fifty of his men at a farm in the village. Here he began working in the transportation business and, it has been alleged, first became involved in heroin smuggling as a way of feeding his growing camp of followers, which attracted many of Central Asias Islamic radicals, disaffected at the ceasefire in Tajikistan which many viewed as a sell-out. Proceedings from drug smuggling were also used to finance the group which, in 1998, became known as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). This connection with drug trafficking has continued, and the organization reportedly handles 70 percent of the heroin and opium traffic through Central Asia. The IMUs creation was announced from Kabul by Namangani and Yuldeshev, the latter having settled here by this time as a guest of the Taliban. Yuldeshev was also given a residence in Kandahar, where Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Talibans spiritual leader, and Osama bin Laden also lived. By now Yuldeshev had met Bin Laden, who recognized the Uzbek as a potential ally in Central Asia, a region where al Qaeda had few contacts and cultivated him as such. Namangani and Yuldeshev decided to move their operations to Afghanistan in 1997 in the face of fresh crackdowns in Uzbekistan, provoked by a series of bloody murders attributed to the Uzbek Islamic extremists. Moreover, the ceasefire in Tajikistan made it an unreliable sanctuary, while the Taliban made natural allies for Yuldeshev and Namangani, not least in that Uzbek President Karimov was supporting the anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The United States believed that bin Laden supplied most of the funding for setting up the IMU, with some Uzbek and Tajik officials saying the al Qaeda leader encouraged Yuldeshev and Namangani to organize such a the group in the first place, which declared a â€Å"jihad† against the Uzbek government and sought to establish an Islamic state in Uzbekistan. The organization is also believed to have received funding from Saudi sources, including some close to Prince Turki al-Faisal, the head of Saudi intelligence. The IMU, like the Taliban and al Qaeda has no overarching political manifesto, being more interested in implementing â€Å"sharia† not as a way of creating just society but simply as a means to regulate personal behavior and dress code for Muslims a concept that distorts centuries of tradition, culture, history, and even the religion of Islam itself. The organization also lacks the legitimacy of the Tajik Islamicists, drawing its idea of Islamism from foreign sources, namely, Saudi â€Å"Wahhabism† and the Talibans version of â€Å"Deobandism†. Central Asias Ferghana Valley, where the Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik borders converge, has been the main area for IMU operations, and the organization has launched punitive campaigns here in 1999, 2000 and 2001, which have affected all three countries and disrupted relations between them. There were some fights between Uzbek military forces and IMU units came through borders of Tajikistan and Kirgizstan. Uzbekistan responded by laying mines on much of its border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which have led to the deaths of scores of local people. Moreover, Uzbek Air forces bombed a village in Kirgizstan which was occupied by IMU warriors. These and other events led to disrupted relations among Central Asian countries. In addition, the IMU was responsible for a series of car bombings in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent which killed many people in 1999, as well as numerous kidnappings. The group also fought in the civil war in Afghanistan, and is currently fighting alongside Taliban and al Qaeda forces. Pakistani sources claim that the IMU may have supplied bin Laden with fissile material for manufacturing an improvised nuclear explosive device. More recently, significant numbers of IMU fighters were involved in the battle in the Shah-I-Kot valley, and there is little doubt that the organization has suffered heavy losses at the hands of U.S. and coalition forces. There has also been speculation that Namangani was killed in earlier U.S. air raids. If so, his death did not stop his men putting up fierce resistance at Shah-I-Kot. Moreover, the IMUs power base lies not in Afghanistan, but in the Ferghana Valley itself, a region the organization has found to be a fertile recruiting ground, largely due to the brutal and counterproductive reprisals of the President Karimov regime. It may well be there that any final show-down with the remnants of the group that poses the greatest threat to Central Asias security will take place. Hizb ut-Tahrir Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (The Party of Islamic Liberation) stands apart from better known radical Islamist movements by its apparent opposition to the use of violence. But its views are highly radical, advocating the overthrow of governments throughout the Muslim world and their replacement by an Islamic state in the form of a recreated â€Å"Caliphate†. It has grown quickly in Central Asia and been met with a heavy-handed repression that threatens to radicalize members still further and sow the seeds of greater Islamist extremism in the region. Hizb ut-Tahrir first emerged among Palestinians in Jordan in the early 1950s. It has achieved a small, but highly committed following in a number of Middle Eastern states and has also gained in popularity among Muslims in Western Europe and Indonesia. It began working in Central Asia in the mid-1990s and has developed a committed following inside Uzbekistan, and to a lesser extent in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Estimates of its strength vary widely, but a rough figure is probably 15-20,000 throughout Central Asia. Its influence should not be exaggerated it has little public support in a region where there is limited appetite for political Islam but it has become by far the largest radical Islamist movement in the area. Hizb ut-Tahrir is not a religious organization, but rather a political party whose ideology is based on Islam. It aims to re-establish the historical â€Å"Caliphate† in order to bring together all Muslim lands under Islamic rule and establish a state capable of counterbalancing the West. It rejects contemporary efforts to establish Islamic states, asserting that Saudi Arabia and Iran do not meet the necessary criteria. According to Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Islamic state is one in which Islamic law Sharia is applied to all walks of life, and there is no compromise with other forms of legislation. Hizb ut-Tahrir claims to reject violence as a form of political struggle, and most of its activities are peaceful. In theory, the group rejects terrorism, considering the killing of innocents to be against Islamic law. However, behind this rhetoric, there is some ideological justification for violence in its literature, and it admits participation in a number of failed coup attempts in the Middle East. It also has contacts with some groups much less scrupulous about violence. But despite the allegations of governments, there is no proof of its involvement in terrorist activities in Central Asia or elsewhere. Government responses have been contradictory and often ineffective. In much of the Middle East, the organization is banned from acting openly, and many of its members have been imprisoned. Central Asian governments have taken particularly harsh stances, with Uzbekistan leading the way by arresting and sentencing thousands of members to long prison terms. In some other Muslim countries, such as Indonesia, Hizb ut-Tahrir acts more or less openly, as it does in much of Western Europe. Wider policies of governments in Central Asia have probably contributed to the growth of Hizb ut-Tahrir, particularly in Uzbekistan. Repression by the Uzbek government has given it a certain mystique among some of the population, and the lack of alternative forms of political opposition or expression of discontent has ensured that it has attracted members from the mass of those opposed to the regime for political reasons. Poor economic policies have further undermined support for the government, and induced discontent among traders a key Hizb ut-Tahrir constituency. Uzbekistan’s restrictive border regime has also increased support for a group that advocates a universal Muslim state, with no national distinctions. For a small but significant group of predominantly young men, Hizb ut-Tahrir gives an easy explanation for their own failure to achieve change in their personal lives, in society or in the state system. It provides young men with some meaning and structured belief in an era of otherwise confusing and difficult social change. It also offers occasional material benefit and social support in states characterized by extreme poverty and social breakdown. Repression of its members, and often of those merely associated with them, has radicalized the movement, and had an impact on wider societies. Given the radical ideas of the group and the conspiratorial nature of its political struggle, it is understandable that governments are concerned about its impact on stability. But too often governments in the region, particularly in Uzbekistan, use Hizb ut-Tahrir as an excuse for their own failure to carry out political and economic reform and for continuing suppression of religious activity outside narrow official structures. Too often the international community has turned a blind eye to this repression. The West, and the U.S. in particular, is in danger of damaging its reputation in the region by close association with Central Asian dictatorships. Concern over Nuclear Terrorism Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asia and especially Kazakhstan with Uzbekistan played an active role in the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) due to its massive reserves of uranium tapped for fissile material. As the Soviet Union collapsed, the Soviet military-industrial complex left behind significant amounts of WMD as well as poorly guarded reactors and facilities for uranium enrichment. These facilities have been of increasing concern for the states in the region, as well as the United States, as nuclear weapons and material could get into the hands of terrorists or rogue states. The Institute of Nuclear Physics in Tashkent has been considered as especially vulnerable to terrorism due to the presence of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in the country and their ties to Al Qaeda. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama Bin-Laden’s top deputy, reportedly bragged that they would send their people to Moscow, to Tashkent, to other Central Asian states, and they negotiate, and Terroristic groups would purchase some suitcase nuclear bombs. The truth behind this could be disputed, but the fact remains that the United States have since 9/11 invested large sums to prevent such a development in Central Asia. Clans Warfare The Samarkand and Tashkent (two biggest cities of the state) clans are believed to be the most powerful on Uzbekistan’s political scene. And it looks like the rivalry between the two has deepened lately. President Islam Karimov, a native of Samarkand, a former finance minister in the Uzbek Soviet republic, came to power in 1989 with the support of the head of the Samarkand clan. Since the early days of independence, Karimov not wanting to damage his own position has attempted to achieve a balance of power among different political groups. However, that has fueled rivalries even more. Actually, President Karimov benefits from the rivalry most of all. He can be calmly sitting in his office, watching, and feeling very safe. What happened recently to top officials, and what is likely to happen to many others is nothing but clan rivalry. The rivalry between the Interior Ministry (MVD) and National Security Council (SNB) (former KGB) is typical in ex-Soviet countries. But in Uzbekistan this rivalry has deepened lately. One is inclined to think that all processes are driven by inter-clan relationships. The two strongest clans for the time being are the MVD and the SNB. They compete and fight with each other all the time. Does President Karimov, who has skillfully maintained the balance of power among the clans for several years, have full control over the situation? Or has he been influenced by those clans? Analysts say that Karimov doesn’t have full control. President Karimov benefits from the rivalry among the clans. However, he is playing a dangerous game, as one of these clans is likely to overthrow President Karimov and put in power someone from their clan instead of him. I don’t know how long this agony will last, but society could explode any moment, triggered by some insignificant event that will then have a chain reaction. People are on the edge. The authorities haven’t grasped the situation. They don’t understand how strong people’s despair is and what the people are capable of doing at this moment. But within more than 16 years of Independence any conditions for a peaceful and democratic handover of power have not been created, statehood remains clannish, and no politicians with public personas have appeared in the last 16 years. Conclusion Closed political systems, lack of freedom of speech, lack of economic progress, socioeconomic decline and unreformed and brutal security services all contribute to the growth of radical opposition groups. In order to avoid future conflicts the followings should be implemented by the Government of Uzbekistan such as: Decentralization, the delegation of power to a lower level, and the expansion of the power and opportunities for local self-governance bodies and local government authorities in Uzbekistan today must be combined with the establishment of judicial oversight independent of executive bodies, the strengthening of the role of civil-based organizations and the development of an independent mass media. Without the simultaneous development of all the aforementioned components, decentralization and the promotion of local self governance may result in continuing management by the authorities of the local community organizations, limiting the citizens’ participation in local governance. Such a reduction of people’s participation in community actions is likely to increase social tension. The government should permit secular as well as religious opposition groups, including the â€Å"Birlik People’s Movement† and the â€Å"Erk Democratic Party† and other Islamists Parties, to register as political parties. Moreover, government should to allow Representatives of Islam to join and actively act in the Parliament. The government should allow human rights groups of Uzbekistan to register officially as non-governmental organizations and should direct the security services to stop intimidating their staff. More resources should be channeled directly into improving national living standards, rather than enlarging the already considerable role of regional police and military forces. The constitutional right to practice religion in private and public, freely and without interference, should be upheld. The government should implement the constitutional separation of state and religion and end its practice of designating state-sponsored Islamic leaders. The separation and equality of the executive, judiciary and legislative branches declared by the Constitution should be upheld. The government should combat unlawful practices by security agencies, such as the harassment of journalists and human rights activists. The International Community The International Community has a key role to play and it is in the security interests of the international community to ensure that political opposition to unpopular regimes does not by default coalesce into a more militant group, with a more violent and dangerous agenda than the present-day some Radical Islamists Groups. The international community, in particular the United States, the European Union nations and Japan, must be more discriminating in their response to the problem of Islamist extremism, recognizing that unquestioning support for secular dictatorships only antagonizes Central Asian Muslim communities, thus encouraging extremism and an anti-Western orientation. Government donors to Uzbekistan should make it clear that their assistance will be predicated on political liberalization, including such measures as registering opposition parties and human rights organizations to encourage the establishment of a legitimate political opposition and an unhindered civil society. The U.S. Russian and Chinese governments should withhold security assistance until Uzbekistan’s human rights record, including performance of the security services, improves significantly, and, in keeping with the International Religious Freedom Act, should condition the future of the Joint Commissions on Uzbekistan’s efforts to combat human rights abuses based on the religious convictions of its citizens. The United States, the EU and Japan should demand investigations into the case of the Human Rights Defenders and other Political â€Å"Enemies† of Uzbekistan who are right now in jails of Uzbekistan or were killed by regional police and military forces. The international financial institutions should condition their aid on the Uzbek government making considerable progress in opening the economy, developing the rule of law and fostering democracy. Bibliography and References Uzbekistan at ten Repression and Instability, International Crisis Group Report, Brussel/Osh, 21 August 2001 Civil society, religious freedom, and Islam Karimov: Uzbekistans struggle for a decent society, John R. Pottenger, Routledge, March 2004 Uzbekistan: Transition to Authoritarian on the Silk Road, Neil J. Melvin. Amsterdam, Harwood, 2000 Islam and Central Asia, S. Eisenhower and R. Sagdaeev, Washington, DC. The Eisenhower Institute, 2000 Civil conflict and the construction of democratic polities in the Muslim world: The cases of Algeria and Uzbekistan, European consortium for political research Joint Sessions of Workshops Uppsala, 13-18 April 2004 Central Asia Caucasus Analysthttp://www.cacianalyst.org/index.php Fergana.ruhttp://enews.ferghana.ru/index.php?cid=2 History of Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Uzbekistan International Crisis Grouphttp://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1432l=1 Stop dictator Karimov! Stop totalitarian regimes around the world! http://dot-stopdictatorkarimov.com-614467.namezero.com//id6.html Terrorism Projectshttp://www.cdi.org/terrorism/imu.cfm Hizb ut-Tahrirhttp://hrw.org/reports/2004/uzbekistan0304/6.htm

Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Socialization Essay

Masculinity is a topic that has been debated in our society extensively, through research as well as in informal settings. Many wonder what it means to be masculine, and if we can really assign a definition to such a subjective term. After all, shouldn't one's own perception be the determinant of what constitutes masculinity? This self-construction would be the ideal in our society, but unfortunately, it represents a false belief. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. In this paper I will explore the many facets of masculinity and demonstrate how certain beliefs pertaining to it are perpetuated in our society. I will also uncover many of the contradictions between society's assigned definition of masculinity and the expectation that males will somehow learn how to act contrary to that assigned and learned meaning.Definition of Masculinity Men are primarily and secondarily socialized into believing certain characteristics are definitive in determining their manliness and masculinity. These characteristics range from not crying when they get hurt to being and playing violently. The socialization of masculinity in our society begins as early as the first stages of infancy. A child's burgeoning sense of self or self-concept is a result of the multitude of ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs to which he is exposed (Witt 1997). Later in this paper the question of whether there are genetic factors will be discussed. However, to further my argument at this point, I will discuss masculinity as it is socially defined. From the outset of a boy's life he is socialized into the belief that he should be 'tough'. Often when boys get hurt, 'scrape their knee', or come whimpering to their mother or father, the fated words, "Little boys don't cry", issue forth. Children internalize parental messages regarding gender at an early age, with awareness of adult sex role differences being found in two-year-old children. One study found that children at two and a half years of age use gender stereotypes in negotiating their world and are likely to generalize gender stereotypes to a variety of activities, objects, and occupations (Witt 1997). This legitimization teaches males that boys and men are not allowed to cry. There also exists the belief that boys are often required to do 'men's work' outside of the home such as mowing th... ...iographyBetcher, William R. et al. (1993) In a time of fallen Heroes. New York, NY, Macmillan Publishing Company. Bowker, Lee H. (1998) Masculinities and Violence. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications, Inc.Buss, David. (1994) The Evolution of Desire. New York, NY, St. Martin's Press, Inc. Gwartney, Debra. (October 17, 1998) "Double bind of boys concerns psychologists." Oregon Times.Katz, Jackson. (1995) "Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity" In Dines, Gail and Humez, Jean. (Eds.) Gender, Race and Class in Media. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications. Pollack, William. (1995) "Deconstructing Dis-identification: Rethinking psychoanalytic Concepts of male development." Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. 12(1)30-45.Stearns, Peter N. (1990) Be A Man! Males in Modern Society. New York, NY, Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc.Thompson, Neil. (1995) "Men and Anti-Sexism" British Journal of Social Work. 25(4)459-475.Witt, Susan D. (1997) "Parental influence on children's socialization to gender roles." Adolescence. 32(126)253-257.Wrangham R. et al. (1997) Relationship Violence in Demonic Males. New York, NY, Routledge.

Movie: Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Essay -- essays research papers

Movie: What's Eating Gilbert Grape "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", as directed by Lasse Hallstrom, is a comedy, drama, romance, all wrapped up into one grand movie. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a mentally impaired boy with a caring brother, who always took care of his brother until the love of his life came to town, proposing the essential question: What is a boy willing to sacrifice in order to be with the one he loves? Johnny Deep plays Gilbert Grape whose father left when he was little, causing his mother to become depressed and never leave the house again. Gilbert referees to her as a â€Å"beached whale† because she has gained so much weight. One afternoon a silver camper had engine trouble, forcing them to stay in town for a few weeks until it is fixed...

Faking the Grade

Such as Bluetooth earphone, hiring academic gunners and buying essays online, and that the technical know-how tutorials in which the instructions of cheating are elaborated have been going viral on the Youth. According to the experts, cheating not only lose students' brains in telling right from wrong, but also caused a vicious circle that keeps constant cheating. Also, It gives multiple types of cheating, Including sabotage, plagiarism. ND bribing teachers with cash or sex. And then the documentary discusses the external factors that account for students' cheating, which virtually come from parents, news, events, society, and almost everywhere in the living world. After demonstrating an example, that a man made his career by selling his essays to students and their parents even offered to pay the ghostwriter for his works, the documentary reveals that parents have something to do with students' cheating.First, students are under much stress from parents, marks, and expectations and become vulnerable to cheat; second, according to the professor, with parents modeling, students internalize and they approach success by cheating to feel loved by their parents; third, parents look at it another way as documentary shows some parents were willing to buy cheating tools for their children. With showing many interviews with different audience, the documentary contends that cheating is related to a bigger issue, a dishonesty culture that penetrates news, events, society, and the whole world.After demonstrating two adult examples about a doctor copying other†s work for his research paper and some polices cheating for promotion, the documentary says a message is being delivered to young generation that endless pursuit of fame and fortune lead to a wrong mean—cheating to get ahead in today's dog-eat-dog environment according to the expert. Besides, Internal factors take much blame for cheating as a psychologist contends that personality is crucially responsible for cheating.In the documentary, an example of a used-to casino experienced cheater is illustrated where he pointed out that cheating is driven mostly by a risk-taking personality while prizes and marks seem less important. Moreover, according to the psychologist, people who like wearing fake brand clothes and Jewels are more likely to cheat; watching peers cheating would convince themselves to cheat under a worse style of studying, since a news is shown n the documentary that teachers changed score sheets for students to give the appearance of improved performance of the school instead of risking losing Jobs.However, this provoking behavior results in schools' fight back as it's illustrated in the documentary that teachers use high techs to catch cheaters, that schools set tests to examine students' academic integrity, and that harsh punishment would be given to cheaters with it showing the detecting tools and demonstrating examples of a girl who got accused of plagiarism because of strict rules of citing failing the exam or an unintentional mistake and of a boy who cheated getting a spot in his record with him forever.In the end, the documentary concludes by insisting a change is needed to prevent students from cheating and to cultivate a culture of honesty and integrity, after showing an example that students were devastated about their ceremony being called off due to a few students' cheating. According to the expert, reducing economic inequality, increasing students' sense of security, and eliminating the idea of dog-eat- dog environment are very means to pull the society back from dishonesty and welcome a reformation.

A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument Essay

â€Å"A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument† is a book that spans across multiple genres of literature and allows the reader to get a taste of classical and contemporary issues regarding the different values of society and how they evolve amongst secondary cultures (Barnet). The man to send rain clouds, by Leslie Marmon Silko â€Å"The man to send rain clouds† was originally published in the late 1960’s. The story revolves around the culture of the native Indians and the significance of culture in every day domestic life. The story presents to the reader how external influences impinge on these domestic values and customs, and how these external influences continue to do so as time passes by. Using the characters of the Catholics and the Pueblos, Leslie Marmon Silko has narrated how an evolving culture is considered to be a fading culture and how the people of that culture attempt to keep it alive in its original form through their actions and preferences. This is a story about an old man and his grandsons and their wives. It begins with the death of the old man, the story implies, that the old man and his grandsons were shepherds and farmers. The old man being left to tend to the sheep dies peacefully under the shade of the tree. The grandsons when discover that he has died, they adorn his face with paint symbols similar to that of the native Indian rain makers. Then this group heads on home. However in the entire story, there is a lack of emotion and expression on the grandson’s part. The only emotion that can be ascertained is that of interest and anticipation on the grandson Leon. Leon seems to see the old man’s death as a means to send them rain, which also brings to mind the fact that perhaps the town was suffering the drought season. Anyhow the old man is buried without any religious preliminaries mandatory for a Christian burial, with the exception of the sprinkling of Holy Water on the old man’s body, which Leon insists on, giving the excuse that by doing this the old man will never feel thirst. However even though the Priest insists on full religious ceremony, the grandsons take no heed and proceed without. However when the old man is buried Holy water is sprinkled on his body and grave. At this point Leon exclaims that his grandfather will be able to send rain. From the above story, comes forth an in depth view of common town life that hold secret beliefs of the Native Indians and their power of Indian magic. In this case it seems that the grandsons are in a way almost excited by the fact, that their grandfather will be able to initiate rain for the town. Or rather they presented their dead grandfather as a sacrifice to the rain maker. It is for this reason that they paint his face with symbols and lines and bury the Christian parishioner without any rightful Christian rights. â€Å"Only approved Indians can play: Made in USA†, by Jack Forbes This historic piece of penmanship was published in 1979 and like all the other works of literature in the book â€Å"A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument†, this too takes the reader In â€Å"Only approved Indians can play: Made in USA†, Jack Forbes writes about American Indians and how the modern day American society chooses to interact with them. Forbes has used characters of Indian descent to show how Indian Americans learn to visualize the change they long for even when it cannot be attained. Unique and struggling, the characters introduce the reader to the wide array of Indian American lifestyles. â€Å"The two†, by Gloria Naylor In Gloria Naylor’s, â€Å"The Two†, we see a metaphorical approach towards the sensitivities in the relationships of life. For instance, the yellow mist is observed to be a metaphor that presents to the reader the countless complicated and interrelated intricacies that swarm the lesbian couple. The Oriental Contingent, by Diana Chang Many books, articles and stories have been written about the influences of a culture upon a society or that of a society on a culture however few have been written about people of the same culture learning to live in a foreign country. One such is â€Å"The Original Contingent† by Diana Chang. The â€Å"Original Contingent† was published in 1989. In the â€Å"Oriental Contingent†, Diana Chang brings to light the ways in which the Asian populace measures up and compares each other. â€Å"The Original Contingent† achieves its purpose by taking us through a journey of two young women as they both consider each other to be of a better native heritage than the other. By portraying the two women pushed apart by the extent to which they have absorbed the cultural concept of being Chinese and having a Chinese heritage, the Original Contingent explores how the Chinese American culture evolves horizontally within the community and is passed down vertically. â€Å"Who’s Irish†, by Gish Jen â€Å"Who’s Irish† was first published in June 2000 by Vintage Publishers. Writer Gish Jen has been acclaimed by many critics to be an Asian American Writer with an east coast sense of culture and heritage. It is common knowledge that the process of migrating to America and often causes collisions in cultural respects and lead to much confusion. â€Å"Who’s Irish† by Gish Jen centers around the slow and painful process that people more than often have to go through after migrating to another land. Highly fascinating is the way Gish Jen has used a rare blend of Chinese and Irish cultures to demonstrate her point of view. â€Å"Who’s Irish† explores some of the most important avenues of the significance given to culture in the modern day society and how the process of transformation and adaption of culture influences the people directly as well as indirectly. â€Å"The lesson†, by Toni Cade Bambara Toni Cade Bambara’s â€Å"The Lesson† speaks about more than racial and economic inequalities but highlights a related subject that has been rarely given its due importance. Toni Cade Bambara speaks of beyond the injustice of life where man learns the importance of being willing to learn new things. Toni Cade Bambara uses his lead character in â€Å"The lesson† to portray the tendency people have to resist letting the process of learning shape their minds, yet choose to let the process take effect in their subconscious. At times, as Bambara shows us, the process takes place at an even higher level when we tend to accept the knowledge we are given but we choose not to show that we have accepted our error. By showing a stubborn little young girls journey through the process of learning and realization, Bambara speaks of how we learn new things as we live and how we choose to defend our pride as we learn that our perceptions of the reality we live in may be wrong. Works Cited Barnet, Sylvan. A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument. Longman, 2006. A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument Essay â€Å"A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument† is a book that spans across multiple genres of literature and allows the reader to get a taste of classical and contemporary issues regarding the different values of society and how they evolve amongst secondary cultures (Barnet). The man to send rain clouds, by Leslie Marmon Silko â€Å"The man to send rain clouds† was originally published in the late 1960’s. The story revolves around the culture of the native Indians and the significance of culture in every day domestic life. The story presents to the reader how external influences impinge on these domestic values and customs, and how these external influences continue to do so as time passes by. Using the characters of the Catholics and the Pueblos, Leslie Marmon Silko has narrated how an evolving culture is considered to be a fading culture and how the people of that culture attempt to keep it alive in its original form through their actions and preferences. This is a story about an old man and his grandsons and their wives. It begins with the death of the old man, the story implies, that the old man and his grandsons were shepherds and farmers. The old man being left to tend to the sheep dies peacefully under the shade of the tree. The grandsons when discover that he has died, they adorn his face with paint symbols similar to that of the native Indian rain makers. Then this group heads on home. However in the entire story, there is a lack of emotion and expression on the grandson’s part. The only emotion that can be ascertained is that of interest and anticipation on the grandson Leon. Leon seems to see the old man’s death as a means to send them rain, which also brings to mind the fact that perhaps the town was suffering the drought season. Anyhow the old man is buried without any religious preliminaries mandatory for a Christian burial, with the exception of the sprinkling of Holy Water on the old man’s body, which Leon insists on, giving the excuse that by doing this the old man will never feel thirst. However even though the Priest insists on full religious ceremony, the grandsons take no heed and proceed without. However when the old man is buried Holy water is sprinkled on his body and grave. At this point Leon exclaims that his grandfather will be able to send rain. From the above story, comes forth an in depth view of common town life that hold secret beliefs of the Native Indians and their power of Indian magic. In this case it seems that the grandsons are in a way almost excited by the fact, that their grandfather will be able to initiate rain for the town. Or rather they presented their dead grandfather as a sacrifice to the rain maker. It is for this reason that they paint his face with symbols and lines and bury the Christian parishioner without any rightful Christian rights. â€Å"Only approved Indians can play: Made in USA†, by Jack Forbes This historic piece of penmanship was published in 1979 and like all the other works of literature in the book â€Å"A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument†, this too takes the reader In â€Å"Only approved Indians can play: Made in USA†, Jack Forbes writes about American Indians and how the modern day American society chooses to interact with them. Forbes has used characters of Indian descent to show how Indian Americans learn to visualize the change they long for even when it cannot be attained. Unique and struggling, the characters introduce the reader to the wide array of Indian American lifestyles. â€Å"The two†, by Gloria Naylor In Gloria Naylor’s, â€Å"The Two†, we see a metaphorical approach towards the sensitivities in the relationships of life. For instance, the yellow mist is observed to be a metaphor that presents to the reader the countless complicated and interrelated intricacies that swarm the lesbian couple. The Oriental Contingent, by Diana Chang Many books, articles and stories have been written about the influences of a culture upon a society or that of a society on a culture however few have been written about people of the same culture learning to live in a foreign country. One such is â€Å"The Original Contingent† by Diana Chang. The â€Å"Original Contingent† was published in 1989. In the â€Å"Oriental Contingent†, Diana Chang brings to light the ways in which the Asian populace measures up and compares each other. â€Å"The Original Contingent† achieves its purpose by taking us through a journey of two young women as they both consider each other to be of a better native heritage than the other. By portraying the two women pushed apart by the extent to which they have absorbed the cultural concept of being Chinese and having a Chinese heritage, the Original Contingent explores how the Chinese American culture evolves horizontally within the community and is passed down vertically. â€Å"Who’s Irish†, by Gish Jen â€Å"Who’s Irish† was first published in June 2000 by Vintage Publishers. Writer Gish Jen has been acclaimed by many critics to be an Asian American Writer with an east coast sense of culture and heritage. It is common knowledge that the process of migrating to America and often causes collisions in cultural respects and lead to much confusion. â€Å"Who’s Irish† by Gish Jen centers around the slow and painful process that people more than often have to go through after migrating to another land. Highly fascinating is the way Gish Jen has used a rare blend of Chinese and Irish cultures to demonstrate her point of view. â€Å"Who’s Irish† explores some of the most important avenues of the significance given to culture in the modern day society and how the process of transformation and adaption of culture influences the people directly as well as indirectly. â€Å"The lesson†, by Toni Cade Bambara Toni Cade Bambara’s â€Å"The Lesson† speaks about more than racial and economic inequalities but highlights a related subject that has been rarely given its due importance. Toni Cade Bambara speaks of beyond the injustice of life where man learns the importance of being willing to learn new things. Toni Cade Bambara uses his lead character in â€Å"The lesson† to portray the tendency people have to resist letting the process of learning shape their minds, yet choose to let the process take effect in their subconscious. At times, as Bambara shows us, the process takes place at an even higher level when we tend to accept the knowledge we are given but we choose not to show that we have accepted our error. By showing a stubborn little young girls journey through the process of learning and realization, Bambara speaks of how we learn new things as we live and how we choose to defend our pride as we learn that our perceptions of the reality we live in may be wrong. Works Cited Barnet, Sylvan. A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument. Longman, 2006.