A Class Struggle in Desperate Times Essay Example for Free

A Class Struggle in Desperate Times Essay John Steinbeck’s novel entitled The Grapes of Wrath is a story which depicts the spirit and dignity of a person during the most desperate of situations. The novel is a fictional account of the life of the Joad family on their way to the Promised Land of California from the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma during the 1930s (Steinbeck 2). The family, similar to several other sharecroppers and farmers living in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and other states at the time of the dust bowl and the Great Depression were forced to leave their lands (Steinbeck 3). When it was first published in April 14, 1939, it quickly became a bestselling novel (Steiner 2). Although there were those who criticized the novel for apparently being basically sentimental and still others dismissed it as another example of social journalism or documentation more than it is a novel, most critics recognize the literary value of Steinbeck’s work. In fact, the author even received a Pulitzer Prize for his work the following year (Steiner 2). The novel is an attack on capitalism as it is about the plight of the migrant workers. It condemned cruel industrialism and monopoly capitalism (Choi 90). The theme of finding a home entwined with the political issues of the time is of the essence. This is because even though the story primarily has a political undertone, the author nevertheless explores the reason behind the migration of people, how they struggle to find their new homes while seeking to find out how it can really be done. The novel was written at a time the United States was struggling to survive a severe economic depression (Steinbeck 3). People all over the country have practically lost everything they own. The farming areas located at the Midwest experienced the worst consequence of such crisis. Soil depletion was brought about by poor farming practices. As a result, farmers who depend on it for survival were forced to seek for other ways to support their families. Moreover, the prices as well as markets for the crops have dropped. These events produced a significant change in agriculture of the region. Small farm lands merged with bigger and more commercial ones. Manual labor has been replaced by mechanical means. The country experienced dry soil erosion brought about by mighty wind blows and endured serious food crisis during middle part of the 1930s. The condition produced what came to be known as the â€Å"dust bowl† in Colorado, Kansa, Texas, and Oklahoma. The farmers together with their families were driven out of the land they depend on for years of survival. They traveled all the way to California, whose fertile land presents the promise of a better life. Unfortunately, life in the so-called Promised Land has not been good to them either. They suffered oppression, resentment, low wages, and unemployment. They were accused as communist in a land they counted on to rescue them from the ill-fated life they left back home (Steinbeck 3). Steinbeck traveled with the migrants to gain a first-hand experience of the unfortunate life they had to live. In writing the novel, the author sought more than just to illustrate the class struggle at the time of the Great Depression. He even presented a critical analysis of the policies that had been the root cause of their misfortune. In this regard, the characters portrayed in the story usually come out as classic heroes or romanticized models. He did this on purpose instead of utilizing his characters to investigate the individual human psyche. Rather, he presents his characters as personification of the universal struggles and principles of the human race. Hence, The Grapes of Wrath serves as an account of the Great Depression as it was an assessment of the social and fiscal system that contributed to the emergence of this particular period in American history. Works Cited Choi, Jungsun. â€Å"John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath: Home-Seeking and the Ambiguity of the Ending. † Journal of British American Studies 14 (2006): 89-110. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Steiner, Bernd. A Survey of John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath. † Munich: GRIN Verlag, 2007.

Theoretical Framework Essay Example for Free

Theoretical Framework Essay Amongst the continued violence between Sudan government’s Army and Minnawi’s SLM/A, Minni Arcua Minnawi, was sworn as the senior assistant to Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir. This appointment was a result of the agreement that was signed by the SLM/A and the government in the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).   The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed on May 5, 2006 between the Sudan’s government and the various factions in the country that were involved in civil war since the last five decades. It would be worthwhile if we can go through the disturbing history of Sudan which has hardly known what peace is since its independence. â€Å" The Sudan Peace Process – A comparison of the Addis Abba Peace agreement of 1972 and the Comprehensive Peace agreement of 2005† by Sara Basha in March 2006 not only gives a comprehensive review of the violent past of the country but also compares the two most important peace agreements in the country that promised peace to its people. According to Sara Basha, the reason the tension started brewing in the country was the divided rule that the Britishers implemented. They had demarcated such a strong line between the north Sudan and South Sudan that people no more got along each other. The Britisher’s deliberate emphasis on the North in terms of governance, business and appreciation led to its growth as more developed and rich when compared to south. In fact, at the time of independence, there was only one school in the whole of south Sudan. Over time, religion and ethnic differences also contributed to the conflict thereby making it a North Arabs vs. South Christians war. Sara Basha’s review gives a clear outline of the two civil wars that was fought in the country. The first civil war broke out immediately after independence, i.e., from 1955 and it lasted till 1972 when the Addis Abba Peace Agreement was signed. There was period of ten years of null when the people of Sudan first tasted peace. The agreement was signed under the rule of General Jaffer Nemeiri who was quite instrumental and influential in Sudan’s political history. It was due to his compliance and non-compliance of the agreement that failed the whole peace process. The first civil war, as Sara Basha reveals, was fought for South Sudan’s autonomy from the oppressive North. The Addis Abba Agreement sought to address that issue and South Sudan was given regional autonomous powers. Peace, according to Sara, was brought in to the picture when both the parties dutifully observed the conditions in the agreement. However, from 1977, hitherto peace-engaging ruler, Nemeiri started Islamization of the whole country and in 1983, imposed some new decrees and division of the south Sudan into three provinces without even consulting the regional heads of the South. That proved the last straw and the second civil war broke out which lasted for twenty one painful years. As Sara mentioned, this time the reason cited was not autonomy but a â€Å"New Sudan†. The faction fighting wanted a united Sudan that would ensure a fresh beginning to the nation.   The war ended in 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the Government and SLM/A. This historical agreement was signed in January 2005. The review states the various provisions in the agreement that can work wonders if they were followed strictly. The review also questions how effective this peace process can be. Provided the non-compliance of the conditions in the previous peace agreement by the Government, the review does seem a bit pessimistic about the outcome of the process. It specially mentions the not-so-enthusiastic face the government has managed to put forth about the power sharing between the rebel factions and it. Moreover, the transition of the SLM/A from a rebel faction to a governing body was also under question. The current study seeks to fill this gap and gives the situation post-2005 when the implementation of CPA started. The Sara Basha’s review had come up with a hypothesis that the CPA can bring lasting peace in the country if both the sides adhere to it. The current study gives further credence to this hypothesis as it clearly explains the steps taken by the Sudanese government to implement the provisions. The election of Minnawi in the cabinet, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), the efforts to resolve problems with the Eastern Front give weight to the whole peace process. There are, however, continued reports of deteriorating situation in the country where the human rights have been violated unabashedly. This partly answers the various questions and hypothesis raised by Sara Basha’s review. Though the current review does not explicitly state that the peace process would be a failure, the unabated violence in the country definitely leaves much to be desired. The current review cleared lot of gaps that Sara Basha’s review sought in future reviews. One of the main issues was the Darfur conflict and others that it could not cover. The current review not only covers that but also gives insights in to the latest developments in the issue. And the latest development doesn’t yet give promise of the lasting peace that Sara Basha’s review wished for.       References Basha, Sara. 2006. Sudan Peace Process: A comparison of Addis Abba Peace Agreement of 1972 and the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005. Online. Available from internet, http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/politics/depnews/ProposalPresentations/2006/Proposal%20Basha%20S%2017mar06.doc

Socialization Leads To Identity Formation

Socialization Leads To Identity Formation What is socialization? Socialization is the process in which human beings interact with each other individually and in groups. It is the process by which one learns the traditions, customs and accepted behaviour in any given society. It is not a onetime process, but it is a lifelong process that provides individuals with skills, values and attitudes that are necessary for interacting with the society. Human beings need social experiences to learn their culture and survive in the society. They are not born with values and skills. They learn from what they see, hear and experience throughout their life. They have the capability to learn and absorb from what they see around them. Socialization is not a just a simple term that can be seen at face value. It has many layers, and each layer is different from the other and leads to different processes and situations. Socialization has three layers; primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary is what we learn from our family and when we are youn g, secondary is what we learn in school, and tertiary is what we learn throughout our lives. We now know what socialization means, but what is identity? Identity is what makes an individual who he really is and what his purpose in life is. It is what makes an individual definable and recognizable. It is who you are and where you come from and what makes you unique from every other human being. It gives an individual a sense of being. Identity can be defined as individuality, personality, distinctiveness or uniqueness that makes an individual stand out. Like socialization, identity too cannot be seen at face value. Identity has many layers to itself, and as we walk through life, each new layer keeps unfolding in front of us. Now, since we know what socialization and identity both mean, we can bring them together and relate them to answer our question does socialization lead to identity formation? Well, I think yes, socialization does lead to identity formation as we discover who we really are and where we fit in, only in the midst of people and in our interaction with them. Once we start interacting with the society, we learn so much about ourselves as well as about others (individuals or societies), their culture, customs, behaviour, etc. We learn that we are similar to some people, and different from others. Socialization makes an individual more confident. The more people we talk to, the more topics we talk about, and this in turn widens our scope. Also, we make ourselves more visible to society and hence people recognize us. Thus socialization helps in building ones identity. Todays world is all about power and identity. If one has an identity as well as the right attitude, he can achieve whatever h e wants. Socializing also leads to better networking. Better networking means more connections and more connections means higher opportunities at work or elsewhere as well. Hence socialization leads to a boost in ones career or talent and thus helps in identity formation. The more we interact with people, the more we discover ourselves and form judgements about ourselves as well as others. One is only able to discover his true self when he interacts with others and reacts in certain ways that are different from others. Everyone has a different and unique reaction to a certain situation. This uniqueness is what gives an individual his identity. For example, if we see Phillip Zimbardos Stanford Prison Study Experiment (Zimbardo, 1971), that was undertaken to study the behavioural and psychological consequences of becoming a prisoner or prison guard, we observe that the prisoners started to lose their identity, and didnt see it as an experiment, but as a real prison run by psychologist. They forgot that they were actually just college students and not actually prisoners. The prisoners actually gave up their freedom and forgot their rights and liberties. The situation was such that it made them feel that way. The environment was so realistic that they act ually believed they were prisoners and thus behaved in rebellion. It is the prisoners who created in the guards a sadistic impulse. The guards were compelled to act in ways that were totally opposite from what they were feeling inside. But few of the guards were actually cruel, and felt no guilt or regret while doing their job. They had completely lost themselves and started behaving in the role that was assigned to them, i.e. the role of a prison guard. The prisoners as well as the guards lost their true identity and became what the situation required them to be. The fresh prison routine, the privilege cell for the obedient ones and the hole for those who were punished, the clothes they were made to wear, the food they were made to eat, the number given to them by which they were now addressed, made them lose their true identity and become someone else. Thus, from this experiment we learn that situations affect us more than we think. What the volunteers in this experiment experienc ed was the power of the situation and not anything to do with their personality. Prisons are institutions which attempt to rid individuals of their previous identity, and this can be clearly seen in Zimbardos prison experiment. Another example is The Clark Doll Experiment (Clark, 1939) that was carried out by Dr. Kenneth Clark and his wife, where they asked black children to choose between a black doll and a white doll. Most of the children said the white doll was nicer, prettier and the one they preferred playing with, whereas the black doll was the bad doll. All these children were aged from 6 to 9 only and were already so damaged by racism at such a young age. This racism was due to the school segregation between white and black kids. It was distorting their minds, causing them to have stereotypes and hate themselves. When asked the last question of the experiment-which doll looks like you? the children hesitated and answered. They wanted to choose the white doll, but reluctantly pick the black one. Thus, prejudice, discrimination and segregation caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self hatred. These children were embarrassed of who they truly were, and hated themselves for being black. They wanted to be white like the other kids. Thus, they lost their identity at such a young age and in fact were ashamed of who they actually were. They preferred being someone else. Thus, socialization does lead to identity formation, and this identity formation starts at a young age itself. Even before children learn the basic dos and donts. So, it is very important to keep children away from bad influences and situations that can make them form bad judgements and ideas about themselves. Now, arguing against the motion, socialization leads to identity formation, I would completely disagree upon this statement. Identity is who we are and where we come from. We form our identity by how we behave, how our family has brought us up, what education we get, where our interests lie, etc. It is what we do and how we behave as individuals that form our identity and make us who we truly are. Socialization has nothing to do with identity formation. Socialization will not pour knowledge or talents into an individual; it will not build ones identity. It is important because we get to know more people, and get to widen our base. But it doesnt form who we are. It is we ourselves who from who we are, not the people around us. Primary and Tertiary socialization may lead to identity formation, but I can confidently say that Secondary socialization does not lead to identity formation. This can be proved by Paul Williss Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs (Willis, 1977). In this study, we see that it is the family that gives the children their identity and even schooling could not change this identity. This is because the school did not teach them what they actually required in life and what they need to live life the way their society lives it. It is the students who distance themselves from the school culture and requirements, and develop their own counterculture. They are resistant to the schooling, and reject what the school offers to them. Willis finds that they are not less talented, but they do develop an antagonism towards the work hard move forward mentality of modern education, and develop what Willis terms as counter school culture (Willis, 1977). Thus, these children do not form a different identity that their school wants them to become. They stick to what their family has taught them and what their family requires them to be. Their family requires them to be labourers, who earn their living by hard work and labour, not by sitting on a desk and signing papers. Thus, these children reject the education and school culture that schooling is supposed to embed in a student, and prefer living life the way their family has been doing so, not because they want to, but because it is their duty, it is who they are and where they belong.

Taxidermy in Victorian England :: Victorian Era

Taxidermy in Victorian England: The â€Å"Bone Articulators† â€Å"Taxidermy† is Such a Funny Word! The word â€Å"taxidermy† has its roots in Greek, and it means â€Å"to arrange skin† (Historical Review of Taxidermy 1). The text from which I found most of my material (A Historical Review of Taxidermy) stated that taxidermy could have meant many things in ancient times, such as preserving mummies, or even leather working (arranging of animal skins) but by the time it reached England it was known quite solely as the arrangement of animal skins to represent life (1). A Compressed History Taxidermy was then not the art that we know today. In its earliest days (18th century) birds were especially difficult to reproduce. After the long and tedious procedures, specimens were often unrecognizable. This changed with the ideas of a Frenchman named Becoeur (1718-1777). He was the first man to use a paste containing arsenic to preserve bird skins and his methods reaped amazing results. You could actually tell that the specimens were birds. Becoeur never published his recipe during his life so that he might protect his business, but in 1820 a French taxidermist named Louis Dufresne (1752-1832) did. This was a landmark in the history of taxidermy, for it allowed many people to be able to create life-like specimens very similar to Becoeur‘s (3). The British read Dufresne’s books, and thus much of their taxidermy mimicked the French styles for a time. However, new styles and methods of preservation began to appear, such as the non-poisonous preservative formulae developed by Rowland Ward (1848-1912) and Montague Brown (1837-1923) in the mid to late 19 th century (4). For the first half of the 19 th century, taxidermy was still trying to become established. The difficulty owed much to the fact that the art was still being perfected. Most specimens from this period were rather stiff and un-lifelike in appearance. The idea of creativity combined with taxidermy had not yet taken flight, but this changed with the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. This show exhibited some of the first â€Å"creative† â€Å"taxidermical† (coined by me) works of art; the particular works created by John Hancock of Newcastle especially grabbed the attention of the judges. Hancock’s works, such as his tableaux of a falcon grappling with a heron, were â€Å" unsurpassed at the time for their quality and realism† (5). A judge commented that they â€Å"... will go far towards raising the art of taxidermy to a level with other arts which have hitherto held higher pretensions† (5).

Capital Punishment in the United States Essay -- Capital Punishment, De

Capital punishment has been a controversial topic in association to ethics all of its existence. Issues pertaining to the execution methods, reasonability in the relationship of punishment to the crime, who receives the death penalty, and innocence have been discussed and researched in great lengths. Capital punishment is still an active form of â€Å"deterrence† in the United States for crimes considered the worst of the worst. In this paper I will discuss the history of the death penalty. I will also disclose information on the dynamics of race, method, and court cases valid to the death penalty. History: The origination of the death penalty in America stems mainly from the influence of Britain. Capital punishment was a common exercise in British culture and the British brought the practice with them when they settled in America. The death penalty was used as punishment for a variety of crimes, ranging from murder to disobedience of one’s mother or father. In 1612 the Divine, Moral and Marital laws were passed. These laws allowed the punishment of death for petty crimes like stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Native Americans. Executions were a public scene until the 1830’s, but most were eventually moved to the interior of prisons. However, there were some public executions (especially in the South and West) that were done in public until the twentieth century. The laws and regulations pertaining to the death penalty differed from colony to colony (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011). Though capital punishment was common there were critics of the practice. Some questioned its morality and effectiveness as a deterrent to crime. There were many abolitionists supporting the movement to eliminate th... ...nity, staff, a spiritual or religious advisor, media, and state selected witnesses (Lethal Injection Procedure, 2010). Innocent people do end up on death row, some are exonerated and some die waiting for their execution or at their scheduled death. Since 1973 there have been 139 exonerations (Innocence Project, 2011). The criterion that permits exoneration are they were ac-quitted at retrial, all charges were dropped, or they were given an absolute pardon given by the governor based on new evidence of innocence (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011). Individuals on death row typically serve a 13 year average before their exoneration. However, there are those that are innocent to still receive the death penalty. The number is hard to pin down, but most cases where innocence was still lingering are often not looked into after the death of the individual.

German-American relations after the last Gulf War 2003 :: essays research papers

German-American relations after the last Gulf War 2003 There is hope for a future rapprochement between Germany and the USA. The relationships to the USA, since 1949 a leading part of the German foreign politics, deteriorated enormously and in March/April 2003 they hit an all-time low since the end of the Second World War. The administration of George W. Bush considered a military attack on the regime of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as an important component for the struggle against the terrorism. The German Federal Government considered the war as an unjustified diversion of the conflict with the terror organization Al-Qaida. The intensity and duration of the German-American annoyance in the course of the conflict in Iraq was surprising against the background of a close political cooperation between the two nations over 40 years. Germany made good experiences with the transatlantic relationship in the past. We share the same basic values and we have a similar understanding of representative democracy, human rights, constitutional state and market economy. In the time of the Cold War from 1949-1989 West Germany and the USA could be regarded as ideal cooperation partners because they followed the same aims with complementary capabilities. The interests of Bonn and Washington were the military protection of Western Europe against soviet attacks as well as the encouragement of democracy and market economy in Europe. The USA played a very important role for the German unification in 1989. The process of unification was not only a result of American support but encouraged the German-American relationship. However, with the end of the Cold War, Germany lost its important role it played for the US-foreign policies. In the 90Â ´s during the Balkan wars the power of the USA and the powerlessness of Europe became clearly expressed. All attempts of the European states to form a united policy on their own continent failed. They could not define a united policy. The USA were frustrated because they did not see in Europe a reliable partner for a security policy. The transatlantic annoyance over the war in Iraq was more than a difference of opinion over the best strategy in the struggle against international terrorism. The USA, a country with global security interests, view the thread of international acting terrorism organizations, which might possess weapons of wholesale destruction, with greater concern than European governments, including Germany. Instead of using military means, which they possess only in a limited way, the European governments strive for a legal attempt at conciliation by means of international organizations like the ONU and the international Criminal Court, ICC.

World War I and Group Member Names

Guidelines: Assign one group member to lead the group. The leader should divide their chapters and create deadlines prior to Novo. 26th. The leader should receive all outlines early and make the formatting cohesive and easy to read. Each group should turn in one full set of fact sheets and outlines In a folder. All group members' names should be listed on first page. Pages should be numbered. Fact sheets should precede outlines.Each chapter should be clearly labeled by number and title. Pages may run continuously in order to conserve paper and space. Remember to type all group member names on the cover and individual names on each section each member produced. Each group will produce typed: 1. Fact Sheets for each chapter Including, a. Summary of the chapter's main argument. B. List of main people and their role/title. C. Key terms and debates. D. Questions posed or inspired by the chapter. 2. Content Outlines of their assigned chapters from Laborer Including, e.Mall acts and events with dates. F. Relationship of events to causes of WWW as Identified by Laborer Characterization of varying national perspectives, alliance shifts, etc. Quotes. I. Analysis of Laborers choices/writing. H. Short key â€Å"The Long Fuse† OUR There Projects?All Scripts Due Tuesday, November 20th Guldens: 1. Scripted and researched performances to conceptualize history 2. 10-15 minutes 3. Rehearsed, but not memorized 4. Option to record in advanced; must be ready to perform live if technical difficulties arise 5. Utilize music, costume or set pieces .Begin with England, France, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary as starting point; research may guide you too more narrowed script 7. Turn In typed script & typed MEAL bibliography of scholarly sources (One source per person in group an additional source; limit to one internet) 8. Include a cover page describing the role that each group member played in the production of the presentation. Group topics:Effects of HAWAII groups should exa mine changes In society due