African American Essay Example for Free

African American Essay James Baldwin once said, â€Å"I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also so much more than that. So are we all. † When the subject of race comes up, I feel like that quote is very meaningful. According to class lecture, race is an arbitrary social classification of clearly bounded categories based on skin color which corresponds to no biological reality. To be able to understand race today, a person should have a background on the history of race. According to the American Anthropological Association, by the 1600s, English colonists had established a system of indentured servitude that included both Europeans and Africans. But by the time of Bacon’s Rebellion the status of Africans began to change. Servants who once had an opportunity for freedom following servitude were relegated to a life of permanent slavery in the colonies. Thomas Jefferson was influential in the idea of race with a biological and social hierarchy. He stated that, â€Å"blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind. Not only did people begin to base their opinions on Thomas Jefferson’s statement, but when Carolus Linnaeus developed a biological classification system and the German scientist Johann Blumenbach introduced a race-based classification of humans, the concept of race expanded and whites saw themselves as superior. I feel that even though race is so deeply embedded into our lives, and it also appears to be the natural order of things, it is not a useful way to talk about human variation. Skin color alone does not provide any reliable information about at person’s race, culture, or susceptibility to disease. Ryan A. Brown and George J. Armelagos in the review, Apportionment of Racial Diversity, makes a good point by saying, â€Å"A single trait such as skin color will result in a classification system that is easily determined. Add another trait and classification becomes a more difficult task, and there usually are groups that cannot be classified. † For too long people have been basing human variation on a person’s race. Many people are guilty of simply looking at an individual and grouping them by their skin color. The sorting exercise on the PBS website confirms this. When I completed the exercise, the results said that I only had grouped 3 individuals in the right group. I was using appearance and appearance only to classify the individuals. Appearance doesn’t always tell a person about someone’s ancestry of self-identity. It’s hard to make any accurate predictions based on appearance alone. According to the Me, My Race, and I reading on the PBS website, I realized that whites and nonwhites had very different things to say. A Caucasian individual stated, â€Å"race does not affect his life so he doesn’t dwell on it. † It is quite different for nonwhites. An African American male stated that he feels as if people automatically perceive him as a robber. An Asian said she was expected to be good at math and sciences, just because of the way she looked. According to the Why Genes Don’t Count (for Racial Differences in Health) article, Human variation is non-concordant. â€Å"Traits tend to vary independently of other traits. Race classifications vary, therefore, by the traits used in the classification. † For example, a classification based on the sickle cell trait might include equatorial Africans, Greeks, and Turks. Sickle cell is not a â€Å"black† disease. According to AAA, â€Å"Contrary to popular perception, the gene variant that causes sickle cell disease evolved as a result of its surprising upside – malaria resistance. The gene variant for sickle cell disease is related to malaria, not skin color. † There is no possibility for consistency. Because skin color correlates with only a few other phenotype traits such as hair and eye color, it is true that â€Å"race is only skin deep. † Another reason why I would say race is not a useful way to talk about human variation is the reason that human variation is continuous. Alan H. Goodman, PhD says â€Å"there is no clear place to designate where one race begins and another ends. Skin color, for example, slowly changes from place to place. † Whether than using race to talk about human variation, I think there is a better way to talk about groups of humans. I think the better way to talk about groups of humans is based on culture. In lecture we learned how a person’s ethnic group is the emphasis of cultural construction over genes. Ethnicity is a multifactorial concept including, but not limited to cultural constructs, genetic background, ecological specialization, and self-specialization. According to the article Culture, Not Race, Explains Human Diversity, â€Å"races† are imagined by the public and do not actually exist. If you think about it, ethnicity/culture is such a better way to talk about groups of people rather than grouping according to skin color. Skin color is based simply on appearance, whereas ethnicity/culture brings multiple concepts into play. Mark Nathan Cohen says, â€Å"The anthropological concept of culture can be explained best by an analogy with language. Just as language is more than vocabulary, culture is more than, say art and music. † Culture structures our behavior, thoughts, perceptions, values, goals, morals, and cognitive processes. Mr. Cohen makes a good point by stressing that people should stray from their egocentric ways and look more carefully at what other people are doing and try to understand their behavior in context before judgment. A person’s culture shapes many things once thought determined by biology, including sexuality, aggression, perception, and susceptibility to disease. This exercise of exploring on the websites and reading all the outside readings, did reinforce our classroom discussions. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that we talked about a girl from Lau Lagoon, Solomon Islands who had dark skin but was born with blond hair. This example also came up in our outside reading as an example. This emphasized that skin color does not come with a certain set of hair colors. Another way this exercise reinforced our classroom discussion was that the websites and reading both reinforced the concept that race has no genetic basis. Not one characteristic, trait or gene distinguishes all members of one so-called race from all members of another so-called society. I feel that that was the overall major concept that was learned in both this exercise and classroom lecture. As I was on the PBS website, I came across one of the background reading entitled â€Å"Where Race Lives. † I found this article very interesting because I read that in 1993, â€Å"86% of suburban whites still lived in places with a black population of less than 1%. † This was interesting to me because in 1994 my family moved to what was considered a white suburb. Even though I was only 1 years of age, at the time, my mom told me that we were 1 of the 2 African Americans families living in the neighborhood at the time. We were the only African American family on our street at the time. Today our street has more African American families on it than white families. It is sad to say but as more African American families moved on our street, more white families moved away. All in all, Genes and environments work together to make each person unique. Why just look at a person’s skin color and make judgments, when there is more to a person than their skin color. Characteristics such as skin color, height and susceptibility to disease are determined by complex combinations of genetic traits, environmental factors and cultural experience.

Stereotyping, Through the Eyes of Teenage Girls :: essays research papers fc

STEREOTYPES Through the Eyes of Teenage Girls A ‘stereotype’ by definition is a generalized image of a person or group, which does not acknowledge individual differences and which is often prejudicial to that person or group. People in general develop stereotypes when they can’t or are hesitant to get all of the information they need to make fair judgments about a person, or a group of people. When this type of situation happens, as it most often does, the person judging misses the ‘whole picture.’ Stereotypes in many cases allow us to ‘fill in the blanks’ and come to our own conclusions. Our society is the main culprit of the creation of stereotypes, but these stereotypes often lead to unfair discrimination and persecution when the stereotype is unfavorable. Stereotyping often results from, and leads to, prejudice and bigotry. (3) Concerning our group project we decided to narrow down this broad topic of stereotypes into specific teenage girl stereotypes. In starting we had to find out the major differences in the sexes, and how it related to stereotypes specifically. We decided to make up surveys to get answers that addressed our topic. We felt that with around 2,000 different answers we would be able to draw some kind of conclusion of the student body of girls in Souderton High School. Before we could do that though, we had to get the background information on some certain topics like how boys and girls differ in the issue of stereotypes, the consequences of stereotyping, and if stereotypes can be changed. Then we could address our specific questions like the different types of stereotypes, and the way each girl functions in her own stereotype. To start off, teenage boys tend to be more competitive and aware of their own achievements than teenage girls. Teenage girls tend to place a higher importance on forming close and meaningful friendships than boys at that age. The differences between teenage boys and girls are influenced by traditional sex role stereotypes. Teenage girls tend to communicate more with their parents, including them in their life, while teenage boys are less likely to share their feelings and their activities. But the teenage girls who are able to communicate feelings, despite a negative self-image, are better able to withstand peer group pressure than boys are. Boys have a greater want to fit in with the others than girls do. Through researching we found that a stereotype can have a great influence on the behavior of a certain individual in that group.

Government :: essays research papers

Conservatives, liberals, and radicals have different perspectives in important areas such as attitudes toward change, views of human nature, individual behavior, family, the social system, and the government and the economic system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conservatives tend to resist change. They think change is more negative than positive. Social welfare programs generally represent nontraditional means of dealing with problems. So conservatives are very suspicious of almost all social welfare programs, because they strongly emphasize tradition saying that problems should be handled in time-tested ways to the greatest extent. When it comes to human nature conservatives take a pessimistic view. People are seen as being corrupt, self-centered, lazy, incapable of true charity and need to be controlled. Conservatives say that each person is responsible for his or her own current behavior. They also say that people possess free will and can choose to engage in hard work to get ahead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conservatives revere the â€Å"traditional† family and try to preserve it. They feel it is a source of strength. They also oppose abortion, public funding of day-care centers, rights for homosexuals, sex education in school and counseling for minors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conservatives perspective sees the social system as inherently fair. If some groups are poorer than others and have less power and low status it is because this situation is necessary for being for the well-being of society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The view conservatives take on the government and economic system is that they think the less governments govern, the better. They think that most government activities constitute threats to individual liberty and to the functioning of the free market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liberals attitude toward change is a different one than conservatives. Liberals are generally in favor of change. They believe that the world can be changed for the better. They also think that continuing change will bring continuing progress. Liberals take an optimistic view of human nature. People do not have to be controlled, they need be protected from corrupting influences and given the freedom to follow their natural inclinations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although liberals and radicals do not completely deny free will and motivation, they put more emphasis on the environment as a factor in individual behavior. Family, to liberals is an evolving institution, and they can be more flexible and pragmatic in the ways in which they support it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liberals, like conservatives tend to view society as an orgasmic system, but they have less faith that the system will regulate itself without intervention.

Aviation Essay

Baker aviation-Rams take Flight George T. Baker Aviation School offers high school students a chance to explore possible opportunities with varies programs designed to enrich students with information and actual time in the field of aviation. Baker offers three main programs for students to enroll in. The Aircraft Maintenance Technician Program prepares students for the practice of Aircraft Mechanics.Those who complete the Airframe and Power plant Technician Program are qualified to take the Federal Aviation Administration written and the practice tests. The Airframe Technician Program is a two-year program designed to teach students a thorough study of aircraft structures and organization. Another two year program integrated within the Aircraft Maintenance Program is The Power plant Technician Program where students study power plant theories and maintenance of aircraft engines.Students enrolled in this program need a minimum of a 2. 0 GPA, perfect attendance, conduct, and effort. T he Electronics Technician program develops students for starter positions in electronics and avionics, and as a part of the class they also acquire knowledge of technical skills, academic skills, and experience needed to maintain a job. The course includes electronics and avionics. Program graduates of the three-year program receive an Electronic Technology program completion certificate.The last program offered by the George T. Baker Aviation School is the Aerospace Technology Program which provides students with actual knowledge and experience in a wide variety of careers in Aerospace Technology. Those interested in a career in Aircraft Mechanics have an opportunity to expand their horizon and gain real practical skill before embarking in the career they’ve dreamed of.

Boyles Law Worked Sample Chemistry Problem

Boyle's Law Worked Sample Chemistry Problem If you trap a sample of air and measure its volume at different pressures (constant temperature), then you can determine a relation between volume and pressure. If you do this experiment, you will find that as the pressure of a gas sample increases, its volume decreases. In other words, the volume of a gas sample at constant temperature is inversely proportional to its pressure. The product of the pressure multiplied by the volume is a constant: PV k or V k/P or P k/V where P is pressure, V is volume, k is a constant, and the temperature and quantity of gas are held constant. This relationship is called Boyles Law, after Robert Boyle, who discovered it in 1660. Key Takeaways: Boyle's Law Chemistry Problems Simply put, Boyles states that for a gas at constant temperature, pressure multiplied by volume is a constant value. The equation for this is PV k, where k is a constant.At a constant temperature, if you increase the pressure of a gas, its volume decreases. If you increase its volume, the pressure decreases.The volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure.Boyles law is a form of the Ideal Gas Law. At normal temperatures and pressures, it works well for real gases. However, at high temperature or pressure, it is not a valid approximation. Worked Example Problem The sections on the General Properties of Gases and Ideal Gas Law Problems may also be helpful when attempting to work Boyles Law problems. Problem A sample of helium gas at 25Â °C is compressed from 200 cm3 to 0.240 cm3. Its pressure is now 3.00 cm Hg. What was the original pressure of the helium? Solution Its always a good idea to write down the values of all known variables, indicating whether the values are for initial or final states. Boyles Law problems are essentially special cases of the Ideal Gas Law: Initial: P1 ?; V1 200 cm3; n1 n; T1 T Final: P2 3.00 cm Hg; V2 0.240 cm3; n2 n; T2 T P1V1 nRT (Ideal Gas Law) P2V2 nRT so, P1V1 P2V2 P1 P2V2/V1 P1 3.00 cm Hg x 0.240 cm3/200 cm3 P1 3.60 x 10-3 cm Hg Did you notice that the units for the pressure are in cm Hg? You may wish to convert this to a more common unit, such as millimeters of mercury, atmospheres, or pascals. 3.60 x 10-3 Hg x 10mm/1 cm 3.60 x 10-2 mm Hg 3.60 x 10-3 Hg x 1 atm/76.0 cm Hg 4.74 x 10-5 atm Source Levine, Ira N. (1978). Physical Chemistry. University of Brooklyn: McGraw-Hill.

Moments That Change You

Moments That Change You Free Online Research Papers There are few moments that really changed me. Some of these moments are no longer remembered, but others are. The story that I am about to tell is one of the forgotten moments, which is so emotional that in some point of my life, like a disavow, comes up. This story is different from other book or novels’ narrations, because this time I was the main character. This story starts with a typical Italian Sunday morning. It was stupendous day, because several components of my family had to come over to my place, for a traditional family reunion. With a bunch of food and drinks, the day past with in a relaxing and happy way. Uncle Frank was one of the invited. I always liked him because he was a humorist. He had a full white mustache, a bigger belly than a pregnant women, and a half bold head. He was not only my favorite, in fact he was loved by all of my family. I spent most of the day talking with him about random stuff, but then a phone call destroyed that happy and beautiful day that I past. My friend called me, and asked me if I was willing to go out, I told them that I was occupied, but he did not want an excuse. I was told that we had to do something that we had ever done before. I got my stuff and I got out. While I was getting out, my uncle stopped me and he said, â€Å"Where you going?†, and I answered him back, â€Å"I am gonna go with my friends†. His face looked really disappointed. I went to David’s, there we all met. We were seven guys in search of adventure. We headed to the main street of my city, it was far away form David’s and I’s. We took a walk, it was not as fun as my family reunion, but I kept going with them. While we were walking, all of my friends talked about a soccer game that we tried to organize, but I stayed quite, because I had nothing to say. We sat down in a bench in the middle of the square, and when continued talking. I was not feeling well because I did not want to leave my house, but my friends were all laughing and having fun. Anyway, we decided to go to the port, so we did. We were walking up and down the small port that we had in our city. I was starting to talk and have fun with them, but at one point, David called the attention of everybody, and pointed to a dark branch of the port. We always liked to do scary stuff, but this time I was not in the mood. But, as usual, I followed them. We decided to walk the lon gest harm of the port. It was a scary place. Big rocks formed the shape of the port’s arm. These big rocks where held in place by nothing other than the force of gravity. They were unsafe and really easy to roll them over. The water hit the two sides of the rocks like furious football players. We all climbed the rock and, naively, we decide to go to the end of the arm. I admit that I was quite scared at that point, but watching the others’ faces, I wasn’t the only one. Even at night I could see the changing of skin tone when the decision was taken. A greenish color drastically overtook the pink color, and on some of them I could see the sweat dropping as tears from their forehead. Telling jokes was the only thing that kept us calm enough from faint. For ten year old boy, in the middle of the night, this walk was a real deal. As we were walking a fisherman stopped us for some information. I could tell that he was a traveler by his strange way to talking, almost like a bear voice, deep and a strong accent on the end of each world. He asked us, â€Å"Where you’re doing on that rock?†, my friend bravely answered back â€Å"Nothing, just walking†. Point at me or the guy next to me, he said â€Å"You should go home right now before something happens to you†. As he said so, he goes back to his boat. At that point, I almost could not breathe anymore. I did not want to look like a chicken, so I kept going with them. The last thing I remember is me watching my foot go to this strange rock, and hear a big noise. After that I woke up at home, lying in my bed with all my family around me, with a mad and at the same time worried look to their face. My father asked everyone to leave the room, so that he could clarify thing to me and vice versa. But Uncle Frank, leaving the room he moved the lips trying to saying something like, â€Å"I told you to stay home, fool†. I was sad, but happy that I was home. My father said that the rock, which I was standing of, rolled into the water, and it bought me with it. Thankfully it was smaller than me and it did not fell over me. The fisherman pulled me out of the water, and brought me home. From this event, I have learned that I should follow my instinct, and do as I feel instead of what I am told, except by adults. I also have learned that doing dangerous thing is not cool at all. I wish I had listened to my uncle or the fisherman. I am also thankful that his happened so that I would not make this mistake again. This is my story, take it as a may, not a must. Research Papers on Moments That Change YouHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Hockey GamePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Spring and AutumnWhere Wild and West MeetCapital PunishmentMind Travel19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Fifth Horseman

How to Reduce Academic Stress

How to Reduce Academic Stress Amidst all the aspects of college that students deal with on a daily basis finances, friendships, roommates, romantic relationships, family issues, jobs, and countless other things academics always need to take priority. After all, if you dont do well in your classes, the rest of your college experience becomes impossible. So how can you deal with all the academic stress that college can easily and rapidly put into your life? Fortunately, there are ways even the most stressed-out student can cope. Take a Good Look at Your Course Load In high school, you could easily manage 5 or 6 classes plus all of your co-curricular activities. In college, however, the entire system changes. The number of units you take has a direct connection to how busy (and stressed) youll be throughout the semester. The difference between 16 and 18 or 19 units may seem small on paper, but its a big difference in real life (especially when it comes to how much studying you have to do for each class). If youre feeling overwhelmed with your course load, take a look at the number of units youre taking. If you can drop a class without creating even more stress in your life, you might want to consider it. Join a Study Group You may be studying 24/7, but if youre not studying effectively, all that time spent with your nose in your books might actually be causing you more stress. Consider joining a study group. Doing so will help hold you accountable for getting things done on time (after all, procrastination can be a major source of stress, too), help you better understand the material, and help you combine some social time with your homework. And if there isnt a study group you can join for any (or all) of your classes, consider starting one yourself. Learn How to Study More Effectively If you arent sure how to study effectively, it wont matter if you study by yourself, in a study group, or even with a private tutor. Make sure that all of your efforts to study are matching up with what your brain needs to retain and truly understand the material. Get Help from a Peer Tutor Everyone knows those students in class who clearly are mastering the material and not having a problem doing so. Consider asking one of them to tutor you. You can offer to pay them or even deal in some kind of trade (maybe you can help fix their computer, for example, or tutor them in a subject theyre struggling with). If you arent sure whom to ask in your class, check with some of the academic support offices on campus to see if they offer peer tutoring programs, ask your professor if he or she can recommend a peer tutor, or simply look for flyers on campus from other students offering themselves as tutors. Utilize Your Professor as a Resource Your professor can be one of your best assets when it comes to reducing the stress you feel in a particular course. While it may at first be intimidating to try to get to know your professor, he or she can help you figure out what material to focus on (instead of feeling overwhelmed by thinking you have to learn everything in class). He or she can also work with you if youre really struggling with a concept or with how to best prepare for an upcoming exam. After all, what could be better for helping you reduce your academic stress than to know that youre super prepared and ready to ace the upcoming exam? Make Sure You Always  Go to Class   Sure, your professor may just be reviewing the material that was covered in the reading. But you never know what additional snippets he or she might put in, and having someone go over material you may have already read will just help to solidify it in your mind. Additionally, if your professor sees that youve been in class every day but are still having problems, he or she might be more willing to work with you. Reduce Your Non-Academic Commitments It can be easy to lose your focus, but the main reason you are in school is to graduate. If you dont pass your classes, you dont get to stay in school. That simple equation should be motivation enough to help you prioritize your commitments when your stress level begins to get a little out of control. If you dont have enough time to handle your non-academic responsibilities in a way that doesnt leave you stressed all the time, take a moment to figure out what needs to go. Your friends will understand. Get the Rest of Your College Life in Balance   Sometimes, it can be easy to forget that taking care of your physical self can do wonders for reducing your stress. Make sure youre getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising on a regular basis. Think about it: Whens that last time you didnt feel less stressed after a good nights sleep, a healthy breakfast, and a good work out? Ask Upperclassmen for Advice With Difficult Professors If one of your classes or professors is greatly contributing to, or even the main cause of, your academic stress, ask students who have already taken the class how they handled it. Chances are you arent the first student to be struggling. Other students may have already figured out that your literature professor gives better grades when you quote lots of other researchers in your paper, or that your Art History professor always focuses on women artists on exams. Learning from the experiences of those who went before you can help reduce your own academic stress.