...interactions between diverse interests and stages in which political pressure groups take different strategies. Australian society has had an increasing number of pressure groups, one of main concerns of which has been public welfare policies. As the history of Australian welfare state has developed with substantial inputs from pressure groups, it is worth questioning whether their influence is still considerable in shaping or changing public policy outcomes. This essay will argue that the history of Australian welfare state development has largely prevented pressure groups from establishing a solid foundation in the welfare policy area, and that their participation in the welfare policymaking process...
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...roles in society. The informative and narrative essay “Can You Tell the Truth in a Small Town” by Kathleen Norris focuses on a small town community in the Dakotas in order to explain a bigger picture on how American society does not want to highlight failures and mistakes from the past. Norris conveys many individuals apart of this community have been trying to remember things the way they want to than how things actually are in reality, and therefore the community masks the truth and hides their history. On the other side of the spectrum, the informative and revealing essay “A Secret Society of the Starving” by Mim Udovitch validates the way individuals, especially young girls, engage themselves in dangerous activities and behaviors because of the familiar environment they have with others who can relate to them. Specifically in Udovitch’s essay, she targets a population of young girls who have an eating disorder and seek an emotional understanding within others on websites that promote an eating disorder community by sharing their experiences. Norris and Udovitch present different issues regarding communities in their essays, but they both explain that acceptance in American society affects how people cope with their problems, how they tell the truth, and what crucial details of their stories they leave out for others to hear. In both essays, females are pushed to follow their role in society if they want to fit in with the rest of their community. In Norris’s essay, she focuses...
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...The Concept of the Outsider Literature often persecutes the most vulnerable, a person who lacks support and therefore power within society. Described by Terry Eagleton for The Guardian as the “literary mainstream”; these characters are often referred to as the Outsider due to their exclusion from the community in which the text is set. The characters who are referred to as Outsiders can be portrayed in different ways; their initial exclusion from society can ultimately lead to a narrative of their acquisition of power throughout the text but similarly, can portray a story of their maintenance of the minimal power they have over the course of the text’s plot. However, this is not to argue that some Outsiders presented within literature do not have power over the course of the development of the text so, as a consequence, remain excluded from the society. In this case, the text would then be considered an exposition of the character’s experience from their position in society rather than the author’s attempt of trying to integrate their character into society through their work. Furthermore, the author themselves may be considered an Outsider through their own status in society; they command their readers to be Outsiders themselves within the novel. As well as to read and observe the narrative in order to emulate the same feeling within themselves, within the reader or to have a specific impact on the issues surrounding humanity at the time. The contrast in the ways in which...
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...Compare and Contrast Essay: Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass What is hypocrisy? It is feigning someone to believe what is or to believe what is not. Basically, an individual who is pretending to be someone he or she is not. All members of society can be a subject to be hypocritical. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the different types of hypocrisies between Frederick Douglass's and modern time. The three main differences are religious, political, and racial hypocrisy. In today's society, religious hypocrisy has withstood the test of time. Many people in the past and in the present time do not attend church on Sunday because of conflict with their hypocritical values, while the true hypocrites proclaim their devotion to God on Sunday, and ironically talk about their neighbor's lives, fight over simple traffic rules refuse to see poverty around them. Almost an outsider, Frederick Douglass witnessed withstanding of religious hypocrisy when it came to the slave holders and non-abolitionist of southern society. "Poor man! such was his disposition, and success at deceiving, I do verily believe that he sometimes deceived himself into the solemn belief, that he was a sincere worshipper of the most high God." (80). Mr. Covey showed that being a slave holder and a Christian is hypocritical to himself, because it is not possible for him to own and direct slaves while remaining faithful to their religion. During the 2008 presidential election, the Democratic...
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...A Small Place Essay British colonization is what led to the corruption of Antigua and society through the eyes of Jamaica Kincaid. The book shows the significance of the arrival of outside countries and people and the effect it had on Caribbean islands. Through Kincaid’s various views throughout the book, perspectives range from viewpoints of tourists traveling to the Caribbean to viewing society through the eyes of Antiguan natives; even through the eyes of Jamaica Kincaid herself as a young child during the colonization periods. Kincaid’s sour tone throughout the text shows her passion for her home country and its history as she feels Antigua has been and is corrupted by the outside presence of other nations. A majority of A Small Place is expressed through Kincaid’s personal point of view and, consequently, is written in the first-person. However, she tends to write in the second-person point of view when she’s referring to tourists and even early English colonists. Her constant use of “you” in her writing makes her claims more personal and strong in distinguishing the dislike for what the tourists represent. Her tone even gets more aggressive at times. “Do you ever try to understand why people like me cannot get over the past, cannot forgive and cannot forget? There is the Barclay’s Bank. The Barclay brothers are dead. The human beings they traded, the human beings who to them were only commodities, are dead.” (Kincaid 27) Her claims towards the tourists are...
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...certify that the following essay is my own work and that I have not received any unauthorized assistance with it. Signed: Michael Raymond, November 30, 2013. “Write an essay interpreting how one rock group or singer's music reflected and/or influenced the 1960s.” Living Dead: The Cultural Impact of the Grateful Dead The decade of the 1960’s saw plenty of musicians become involved in the protest movement. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, among others, wrote of the injustices of American society. While the Beatles were singing “All You Need Is Love”, the Rolling Stones wrote about the “Street Fighting Man”. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young sang about the Kent State shootings in “Ohio”. Country Joe McDonald encouraged the burning of draft cards while leading the “Fish Cheer”. However, the degree of influence each had on not just the 1960’s, but ensuing decades waned as burnout, family life, and lifestyle choices took their toll. The act whose music reflected and influenced not just the 60’s, but decades to come, was the Grateful Dead. The music of the Dead reflected the counterculture of the 1960’s, fostered a self-sustaining, traveling multicultural community, and delivered a message of peace and love for thirty years. San Francisco was the center of the counterculture movement of the 1960’s. The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood attracted thousands of youths from across the country, looking to drop out of traditional society and build a new society. In the middle of this scene...
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...What does Mersault mean by the following: “Mother used to say that you’re never altogether unhappy. And lying there in my prison when the sky turned red and a new day slid into my cell, I’d agree with her. Because I could have just as easily heard footsteps and my heart could have burst.” (The Outsider, p.109). Discuss. In Albert Camus’ The Outsider, the cental protagonist Mersault is able to form a relationship with the reader, pushing them to question their own place in society and look at their lives from a very existential point of view, without seeming to make a direct connection to them. Mersault is very much an outsider (hence the title), unable to accept pre-determined so called socially norms and refuses to conform to anybody else’s standards of right and wrong, or good and bad, than his own. Richard H. Akeroyd remarks that, ‘Mersault may be lazy, indifferent, amoral in his outlook but he is completely honest’ (Akeroyd p33). The above statement (essay question) is a clear demonstration of Mersault’s vague but certain voice carries readers through the novel. Although at the time of this contemplation Mersault faces what many men would consider the lowest possible point of their life, Mersault remains almost subjective in his thoughts and feelings of his own life and where it is headed. Lazere adds, ‘Nor can he understand why anyone should want to judge him’, (Lazere p.33). One of the concepts that seem to have an...
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...Examine and asses the usefulness of a theory of crime and deviance in terms of explaining crime and or social problems in modern society. This essay is going to examine and asses the usefulness of labelling theory in our understanding of crime and social problems in modern society. This essay is going to firstly look at what labelling theory is and also look at the key writes that have influenced and help to develop the term labelling theory. The essay will then go on to look at empirical research that has been carried out such as Jock Young’s study of marijuana users and their experience of labelling which in turn led to further deviance and also different examples that will help illustrate the key points being put forward in the essay. Finally it will look at some of the criticisms labelling theorists face. This essay will draw information from academic books, websites and articles to illustrate and support the points of few being put forward in the essay. Interactionist generally sees society from the point of view of individuals. They believe that individuals are creative free thinking people who are able to choose their own behaviour and the also believe that behaviour is self-directed based on the interactions we have with one another. The labelling views on deviance is generally grounded in what is now known as labelling theory which emerged in the 1960’s from the work of American sociologist Howard Becker. Labelling theorists are mainly concerned with how and why certain...
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...The Crucible vs. The Holocaust: Compare and Contrast Essay Throughout history, millions of people have been unjustly persecuted. In the 1940s, The Holocaust became one of the most famous genocides known to man. Also, the witch hangings that took place during the 1600s in Salem are another prime example of people being wrongfully accused and punished. Although the two circumstances have numerous differences, the amount of similarities is appalling. As the leader of the party, had an enormous amount of control over people and the decisions they made. Because had convinced them that the world would be a better place once all of the Jewish people had been killed, The soldiers were torturing and ing millions of Jewish people. In the similar situation written about in The Crucible, Abigail Williams convinced the town of Salem that select people throughout the town were practicing witchcraft. A trial was held to determine if the people were actually witches, and Abigail found she had great power when she blamed the people of her town. Despite the fact that Abigail was a child, the s listened to her accusations and were convinced that she was telling the truth. Amongst the children is where Abigail’s influence was the greatest. In every situation she found herself in with the others, Abigail only had to lead the way in order for the s to follow. Both Abigail and have parallel characteristics that enable them to have power over people’s ideas and opinions. Besides sharing similar traits...
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...Are the media the “terrorists’ best friends”? (Laqueur, 1976) This essay will propose that the media coverage of acts of terror occurs for the main purpose of reporting on the news, it heightens the public’s awareness of such incidents and aids in counterterrorism, thus having a detrimental effect on the terrorists and their cause. Laqueur’s statement that the media are the terrorists’ best friends implies that their coverage of terrorism aids the terrorists. We will examine and disprove the hypotheses that coverage of terrorism in the media, and the publicity and attention terrorists gain through media reporting of their acts of terror are beneficial to their cause. For the purposes of this essay media will be used as a “…generic term meaning all the methods or channels of information and entertainment” (P.Wilkinson, 1997:51) and as found within majority of the theories and concepts discussed, the term terrorism, and therefore terrorist, is used to describe violence carried out in the name of a political, ideological or racial cause by a person who wishes to influence the government and, or, intimidate the public. (www.mi5.gov.uk) Terrorism is a psychological weapon (P.Wilkinson, 1997:54), which is dependent upon communication of its threat. The easiest way terrorists can disseminate their messages of threat is through the manipulation of the media. When using the media, the terrorists’ have four core objectives; communicate propaganda; mobilise support from the public...
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...outcome of white rule and colonization of the native African’s land of which Zambia is not an exception. Africans were in pursuit of uniting all of Africa with black solidarity and eventually self- governing rule. Those who sought that were called Pan-Africanists and started their revolt with protests and by reminding Africans with liberating sparks of freedom in slogans and ideas such as “Africa for the Africans”.PanAfricanist believed that Africa had a glorious past and that Africans had deeply influenced Western civilization. All of this talk and liberating actions prided Africans to join in their own movement, but was of course met by struggles and challenges.Therefore, this academic essay aims at discussing the impact of nationalism towards Zambian culture. In order to achieve this, the essay will begin by giving brief explanation on Zambian culture as well as Nationalism and thereafter stretch negative and positive impact of nationalism on this culture. Zambia’s contemporary culture is a blend of values, norms, material and spiritual traditions of more than 73 ethnically diverse people. It is believed that most of the tribes of Zambia moved into the area in a series of migratory waves a few centuries ago. They grew in numbers and many travelled in search of establishing new kingdoms, farming land and pastures. Culture comes in many forms and shapes that are constantly evolving. One way of thinking about culture is as “an iceberg sticking out of the ocean. At the tip of the...
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...imposed on them in the name of castism in India and racism in America. Writers from these marginalized groups express their revolt against slavery through words. This presentation focuses on one black and one Dalit novel as a manifestation of the quest for self and space. Joseph Macwan comes forward as a prophet of Dalits’ welfare in Gujarat with his Angaliyat (1987) which is a representation of the emerging genre of the Dalit novel. It criticizes systems of internal colonization that exist within the Hindu caste system. Today, Dalits are both asserting their identity and challenging a society that had earlier excluded them, by writing about their lives themselves. Through the protagonist Teeha, the novel succeeds in demystifying ‘dalitness’ and redefining the real freedom of his fellow people. Richard Wright is one of the most acclaimed African American authors of the twentieth century. His Outsider (1953) depicts racial discrimination and the quest for identity. He creates a compelling story with his protagonist Cross Damon, a man of superior intellect who craves for peace and searches for his identity. In this quest, Cross Damon attempts to escape his past and start anew in a new set-up. But he brings terror and destruction wherever he goes. His existential crisis is mainly the result of the marginality propounded by Whites in general and the Communist Party in particular. Both authors have depicted the disease of racism, castism and marginalization and then suggested a cure:...
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...Alice Sewah Michael Davros English 101 28 February 2012 Society and Surveillance In today’s society we are under surveillance everywhere we step our feet to. The only place we get privacy is when we are at home, everywhere else there are cameras hidden watching you, without even noticing. At shopping malls, there are hidden cameras. The reason why they exist is simple: to prevent shopliftings, or in some cases, to catch shoplifters. Most customers realize that they are being watched and try to act properly, though there are some who fail to recognize or decide to ignore this fact and take the wrong path. It is not just shopping malls that have surveillance watching over people. Even when you’re driving on the street there is a hidden camera somewhere watching you to make sure you run a red light. Foucault starts Panopticism with a talk on the plague. After the explanatory introduction, Foucault presents an analysis of the prison system created by a famous economist Betham, Panopticon Readers could perceive a different conclusion as to what Panopticism is. According to my point of view Panopticism is the idea that schools are similar to prisons, and it is emphasized as well as stated throughout in the reading multiple times. The text gives a variety of examples to help the readers understand as well as analyze what the author is trying to portray. I concur with most of the ideas displayed in the text. Schools are similar to prisons due to the fact that individuals...
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...Ethnic stereotypes and multiculturalism. Summary of course "Ethnic psychology" Contents: 1. The concept and properties of ethnic stereotypes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 4 2. National prejudices. Types etnostereotipov ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .7 3. 4. Variants of the reactions to cultural diversity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 5. Advantages and disadvantages of multiculturalism ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 Bibliographic list ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 20 Introduction. Considering the cultural differences in thinking, beliefs, attitudes and behavior, it is easy to succumb to cognitive and emotional reactions to the material to begin to make generalizations, to form negative stereotypes about other people and even pre-make judgments about these differences, and people who are inherent in this behavior before you really understand what lies at its core. These processes and reactions are common in today's world, and to describe them often use the terms ethnic stereotypes, prejudice, multiculturalism, discrimination. Unfortunately, these terms are often used without a clear idea about them, which only exacerbates the problems that they need to clarify. Some of today's most pressing social issues associated with these processes, as boundaries between countries and cultures are becoming more permeable as...
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...issues or concerns that the book have implied within the text. One good book that was written during the depressions hit the sensitive spot for society and therefore sparked a controversy. The following book was based on social, political, economic and scientific issues that was happening at the time. It was controversial through some literature authors who were against such text. Brave New World is set in future-London 632 A.F. (After Henry Ford). The society is set as utopian times. Humans are produced in assembly lines and are manipulated right away after being born. They develop a hatred for books and flowers or anything that is ordinary in our world that brings...
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