The Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example This was while the latter had no time to care for their own families. This paper will examine the novel The Help, connecting its themes and events to those of the civil rights movement and other relevant issues. The Help offers insight into the provocative subject of racial, gender and class segregation during the civil rights movement era. Stockett’s novel is an intriguing novel that examines the lives of black maids during the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Stockett shows the relationship between African Americans and the whites as a complex continuum of abuse, mistrust, hate, dependence, attachment and shockingly, love. Notably, Stockett wittingly portrays this array of emotions in a humorous and agile manner. However, her expression at the end of the novel shows that portraying these mixed emotions was not an easy feat. In a personal excerpt at the novel’s conclusion, Stockett notes that there is no trickier subject for a Southern writer than that of love between a white and a black person within the imbalanced world of segregation. Nonetheless, Stockett portrays these emotions with equal degrees of seriousness and humor. However, the absence of reference to one of the most critical mass struggles of the South gives a sense of inaccuracy with regard to the novel. The mass struggle in this case refers to that which shattered the Jim Crow structure in the South during the civil rights movement. ... Prior to the year, 1965, African Americans sought to break state disfranchisement but were unsuccessful. However, the motiveless attack of peaceful marchers by state troopers, in Alabama, forced Congress and President Johnson to counter the resistance of Southern legislators to allow African American’s enfranchisement. The Help centers on the lives of three characters. They include: Skeeter, a fresh grandaunt from an affluent white family aiming at a journalist career; Aibileen and Minny, black maids who consented to speak out about the tribulations of African Americans. The three set out on a project to expose the ills of racial segregation in the South. The trio’s project coincides with the upsurge of the second wave of the feminist movement. Although the novel revolves around feminist movement events that preceded the Women’s Liberation Movement and the foundation of the National Organization for Women (NOW) by feminist leaders like Betty Friedman, the novel s hows that women, particularly African American women, began seeking freedom from segregation before such movements become public (Maslin 16). While The Help does not provide a perfect description of the events of the 1960s by suppressing the budding feminism of certain characters, the novel still touches on many pertinent issues relevant to 1960s feminism movement and civil rights movement. The Help showcases the role of women’s feminism movements in the larger civil rights movement. Stockett uses different characters to describe the feminist issues at the center of the civil rights movement. Firstly, Skeeter’s independence and rebelliousness towards restrictions enforced by societal norms shows not only a hint of feminism, but also the progress of the civil rights

Moral Values Essay Example for Free

Moral Values Essay A moral value is a universally accepted ethical principle that governs the day to day living of life. These principles are important in maintaining unity, harmony and honour between people. Moral values are usually communal and shared by the public in general, thus if there is no agreement among community members no moral values will be established. Moral values define the principles and standards which determine the extent to which human action or conduct is right or wrong. They encompass a wide range of universally accepted character traits such as compassion, love, humility and kindness. Morality (from the Latin moralitas manner, character, proper behavior) is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and those that are bad (or wrong). The philosophy of morality is ethics. A moral code is a system of morality (according to a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc. and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code. Morality may also be specifically synonymous with goodness or rightness. Immorality is the active opposition to morality (i. e. opposition to that which is good or right), whileamorality is variously defined as an unawareness of, indifference toward, or disbelief in any set of moral standards or principles. An example of a moral code is the Golden Rule which states that, One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. [5] Morality and ethics[edit] Ethics (also known as moral philosophy) is that branch of philosophy which addresses questions about morality. The word ethics is commonly used interchangeably with morality and sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular tradition, group, or individual. [6] Likewise, certain types of ethical theories, especially deontological ethics, sometimes distinguish between ethics and morals: Although the morality of people and their ethics amounts to the same thing, there is a usage that restricts morality to systems such as that of Kant, based on notions such as duty, obligation, and principles of conduct, reserving ethics for the more Aristotelian approach to practical reasoning, based on the notion of a virtue, and generally avoiding the separation of moral considerations from other practical c onsiderations. Although the words are often used as synonyms, morals are beliefs based on practices or teachings regarding how people conduct themselves in personal relationships and in society, while ethics refers to a set or system of principles, or a philosophy or theory behind them. When comparing morality with ethics, the word ethics is often used to refer to a philosophical analysis of a particular morality, especially when the formal definition is applied.

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HIV: The Unveiling of the Virus Scientists believe HIV originated from a chimpanzee in Western Africa. The best approved theory about the source of HIV is that it is a descendant of a related virus, Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV), which infects monkeys (Perlin, David, and Cohen, Ann, 2002, 79-92). People may have come in contact with HIV from hunting and eating infected animals (Perlin, David, and Cohen, Ann, 2002, 79-92). The earliest known case of infection with HIV in a human was identified in a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Genetic analysis of this blood sample suggested that HIV-1 may have expanded from a single virus in the late 1940s to early 1950s (â€Å"The AIDS Institute.org,† 2011). Background Information In 1982, public health officials began to use the name acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS, to describe the occurrences of opportunistic infections, Kaposi's sarcoma, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in previously healthy people. Formal tracking of AIDS cases also began in the United States In 1982. In 1983, scientists discovered the virus that caused AIDS. The virus was first named HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy associated virus) by an international scientific committee. The name for HIV was later changed to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (â€Å"The AIDS Institute.org,† 2011). There are two species of the virus, HIV-1 and HIV-2. The first developed from a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) found in chimpanzees, whereas the second came from an SIV in a type of monkey called the sooty mangabey. HIV-1, which is responsible for the majority of AIDS cases worldwide, is divided into three groups—the main group M, the much rarer gro... ...M), predominantly black men, are most seriously affected by HIV. 1,144,500 people over the age of 13 are living with HIV, including 15.8 percent who are unaware. Over the past decade, the number of HIV has risen, while the annual rate of new infections has remained consistent (â€Å"AIDS.gov,† 2012). HIV disease prevails as a serious health issue for parts of the world. Worldwide, there were about 2.5 million new cases of HIV in 2011. Around 34.2 million people are living with HIV around the world. In 2010, there were about 1.8 million deaths in people with AIDS. Nearly 30 million people with AIDS have died worldwide since the epidemic began. Although Sub-Saharan Africa bears the biggest burden of HIV/AIDS, countries such as South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and parts of Latin America are significantly affected by HIV and AIDS (â€Å"CDC.gov,† 2013).

A discussion of the symbolism of death in Edgar Allen Poe

Only   the   people   of   his   age   or   generation   oblique   in   opening   up   areas   of   human   experience   for   creative   handling   which   he   established.   The   reality   for   human   being   is   basically   very   deep   according   to   his   idea,   his   idea   also   states   that   human   being’s   reality   differs   to   outside   reality,   and   nature   is   intensely   unreasonable.As   the   telepathist   of   the   current   emotional   response,   symbolist   association   or   group   called   him   after   the   generation   gap   of   two.   Edgar   lost   his   mother   through   exploitation   and   father   through   neglecting   at   very   young   age   of   3   years;   he   has   only   older   brother   and   younger   sister.The   childr en   of   his   families   were   divided   up,   going   to   different   people   house   to   live.   Edgar   went   Virginia   that   is   home   of   Frances   Allan   and   John   which   gave   him   a   middle   name   Poe,   and   the   house   was   a   charitable   Richmond.The   connection   between   Poe’s   effort,   hard   work   and   his   terrifying   life   isn’t   tough.   Behind   a   show   of   sometimes   significant,   sometimes   reduced   â€Å"realism,†Ã‚   his   imaginary   work   looks   like   the   dreams   of   a   troubled   individual   who   keeps   coming   back,   night   after   night,   to   the   same   pattern   of   dream.At   that   period   he   traces   out   the   pattern   evenly,   at   other   times   in   a   â€Å"conside rate†Ã‚   humor,   but   normally   the   manner   is   terror.   He   finds   himself   downward,   into   a   basement,   a   wine   burial   chamber,   eddy,   always   falling.To   show   the   investigation   of   the   human   being,   an   example   was   given   to   his   opponent   by   Poe.   The   example   was   about   the   final   arrival   of   the   deep   privacy   of   his   internal   personality   for   himself   by   going   away   deep   into   himself   .According   to   the   investigation,   to   distinguish   much   of   20th-century   skill,   and   it   is   the   notable   success   of   Poe   as   an   performer   that   his   work   looks   ahead   with   such   amazing   accuracy   to   the   work   of   the   century   that   followed.  When   seei ng   the   building   at   first   sight,   his   courage   was   pervade,   seeing   the   unbearable   darkness,   he   was   not   knowing   how   it   happened   to   him.Before   him   he   looked   at   the   scene   of   the   walls   which   where   unwelcoming,   the   windows   which   were   vacant,   the   house   which   are   plain   or   measly,   and   the   straightforward   scenery   features   of   the   area,   he   also   looked   upon   a   small   number   of   grade   sedges,   the   trees   where   decomposed   and   had   white   trunks,   with   an   absolute   depression   of   soul   which   he   can   compare   to   no   possible   feeling   more   correctly   than   to   the   after,   in   everyday   life   there   is   sour   fall,   the   covering   was   too   dropping   and   ugly,   dream   of   the   reveller   upon   opium.Presently   there   was   coolness,   a   dipping;   an   illness   of   the   heart,   not   convert   dullness   of   thinking   which   not   make   of   the   imagination   might   suffer   into   aught   of   the   inspiring.   What   was   it   –   He   silenced   to   believe   –   what   was   it   that   so   scared   him   in   the   meditation   of   the   House   of   Usher?It   neither   was   an   inscrutability   every   one   unsolvable;   nor   can   He   struggle   by   way   of   the   obscure   imagine   that   packed   ahead   him   because   He   considered.He   was   required   to   drop   reverse   ahead   the   unacceptable   end,   that   at   the   same   time   as ,   further   than   uncertainty,   there   are   mixtures   of   extremely   straightforward   ordinary   substance   which   contain   the   control   of   therefore   touching   everyone,   unmoving   the   examination   of   this   authority   dishonesty   amongst   thoughts   away   from   the   deepness.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work   cited   page:www.bookrags.com.   March   26,   2008.   http://www.bookrags.com/biography/edgar-allan-poe/.www.classic-literature.co.uk.   March   26,   2008.   http://www.classic-literature.co.uk/american-authors/19th-century/edgar-allan-poe/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher/www.classic-literature.co.uk.   March   26,   2008.   http:// www.classic-literature.co.uk/american-authors/19th-century/edgar-allan-poe/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher/book-page-02.asp   

Law and Legal Instrumentalism Essay

Law, a set of coherent rules and values within a society, is a human process. As such, it is crucial to approach its application within society in a pragmatic and realistic sense rather than a formal one, which views law as a set of mechanical and abstract principles. A legal realist approach on law takes into account extra-legal factors which help shape how law is used within a social context. This approach does not view the discipline of law as a literal set of principles to be formally detected and applied, but recognizes that the interpretation of law by legal actors is manipulated by situational factors. BrianTamanaha in Law as a Means to an End: Threat to the Rule of Law examines how law, originally understood as an â€Å"instrumental to serve the social good†, is now just a mere instrument to further the goals and agendas of those who have access in its use (Tamanaha, 4). In essence, the notion of a common â€Å"social good† is no longer a qualifiable condition of law. In a complex, multi-faceted society, it is optimistic to presume that there is a true identifiable social good. Thus, lawyers, legislatures, judges and other legal actors are capable of using law to further their personal or collective political, social and economic interests. Tamanaha examines the ways in which legal actors, specifically cause litigants and judges, instrumentally exercise law. Thus, the term instrumentalism, a form of legal realism, is a pragmatic method which stems away from a formal application of law by critically examining cause litigation and judicial activism. Although law may be used as a mechanism to achieve a certain outcome, it is not used lawlessly and without merit as lawyers are advocating for a broad social cause and judges use law based on the merits of the constitution, given the benefit of time and postulated reason of their decision making. Brown, a case regarding segregation within the United States emerged with lawyers stirring up lawsuits by informing African American citizens of their legal rights (Tamanaha 159). The process of instigating litigation was previously prohibited in common law practice; it was not professionally ethical for lawyers to set lawsuits in motion. However, it became increasingly common for lawyers to achieve change in public policy and legislation by fighting for a specific cause within the judicial arena. This ethod was forward-looking in that the courts became a battle field for interest groups seeking remedial change; the decision of the law was not necessarily to compensate for any harm inflicted in the past, but to change the policy in the future. This expansion from the traditional bilateral litigation no longer was to award the affected parties with compensation, but became a method to attain a reformative decree (Tamanaha 161). Eventually, cause litigation was an encouraged means to a dvance societal goals, in the sectors of environment protection, political reform and mental health, to name a few (Tamanaha 160). Although such issues of public policy appear to benefit society as a whole, the intent of the cause lawyers who instigate such legal actions is questionable to Tamanaha. The lawyers in these situations are no longer amoral technicians of law, but individuals who seek their own ideological implementation (Tamanaha 156). The cause which lawyers strive towards becomes the primary concern, whereas the clients themselves are secondary, fulfilling the standing requirement before the court (Tamanaha 156). This can be very detrimental to the clients because they may not be aware of the consequences of their legal actions. For instance, Baehr v. Lewin, 1993 was a successful lawsuit brought forth to legalize same-sex marriage in Hawaii. Although the litigants won, the ultimate consequence was detrimental; following it was a series of amendments nation-wide which prohibited same-sex marriage (Tamanaha 167). The battlefield within the court became not a place to determine legal rights, but a remedial catalyst in public policy. Such political battles focus on adversarial ideologies rather than legal rules and merit. However, the work of cause litigants cannot be narrowly categorized as one that is purely self-serving. More often than not, cause lawyers instigate lawsuits by informing the oppressed and disadvantaged of their rights. By doing so, they use law to encourage political change to the otherwise uninformed public. These causes often grow to become social movements as it â€Å"provides the basis for a sustained series of interactions between power holders and persons successfully claiming to speak on behalf of a constituency lacking formal representation (Austin 2)†. This formal epresentation demands change from the power holders with a strong backing of social support. Often, these groups lack the resources and skills which lawyers can provide, offering their advice to enlighten the marginalized group to â€Å"initiate and nurture political mobilization† (Austin 4). The instrumental use of law by judges is immensely threatening to the judicial system and to a democratic soc iety as a whole. Judges who use law to achieve a certain outcome undermines the rule of law. The legal system requires that judges be objective arbitrators of the law. As independent bodies, it is essential that they remain impartial in their decision making and delegate based on rule, and not personal preferences (Tamanaha 227). This is a crucial aspect of the rule of law, which binds the action of the state to pre-fixed rules, placing judges equal under and before the law, just as all other subjects of society. The rule of law ensures transparency and predictability which prevents the government from ruling coercively. It is an essential component to a democratic state. However, when judges decide a cases, they may be inclined to achieve a particular result. In essence, they are using laws to achieving another end, namely one that strengthens their own ideological beliefs and interests. Whether it is a certain political philosophy or a particular social policy which they seek, arbitrarily decided cases and manipulated law enforcement defeats the characteristics of the judicial branch of the state. Because there is no particular hierarchy of values, judges are able to promote some while extinguishing others. The general terms of legal rules allows judges to focus on the consequences of their decision. Their decisions will naturally be based on their political affiliations or ideological tendencies. Consequently, it is difficult to believe that judges are truly impartial in decision making. The result of judicial activism is that private attitudes become public law (Tamanaha 234). Furthermore, the procedural process of the case takes a backwards approach; the decision is made first, then it is justified by the legal rules which judges find applicable (Tamanaha 236) Nevertheless, there is a certain form of procedure which judges are bound to. Although values are not ranked hierarchically, there are two forms of rights obtained from the constitution: specified rights and secondary rights (Bork 17). The latter is of utmost importance as it addresses the values held by the constitution, such as the right to vote or procedures in criminal processing, all which the courts need to protect (Bork 17). The former alludes to the principled rules which the original framers of the text intended to convey (Bork 17). Because constitutional law does not have a concrete theoretical premise on which adjudicators are required to base their decision making processes on, they are founded on neutral principles. That is, issues are addressed based on general principles postulated on reason to ensure that conflicting values are not lawlessly chosen over one another (Bork 2). Granted, there are adversaries in the legal principles to which judges ascribe. Therefore, it is critical for the judges to recognize that in deciding cases, they are setting legal precedent, and therefore should have a firm belief that the values being applied are done so lawfully. These beliefs are in relation to the legal system as a whole, not their personal preferences (Bork 2). Ultimately, Bork’s concern lies not with the decisions made by judges but what makes their decisions legitimate. The courts essentially work as advocates for the minority who otherwise would have no say on the issue at hand. Helping the powerless realize their rights is a form of advocacy that judges take. It is not about undermining the rule of law, but giving opportunity to access the law (Bork 3). Nevertheless, it is crucial for judges to base their decisions off of neutral principles; just as principles and values cannot be applied lawlessly, they just the same cannot be defined lawlessly (Bork 8). The critical examination of judicial review goes beyond it’s obvious implications and expositions of undermining the rule of rule. It is unfair to presume that judges are completely unreasoned in their decision making. There is a level of predictability as judges are bound to legal precedent and cannot decide cases in an tyrannical manner. Although the courts are not elected officials who are granted the power to delegitimize legislation, they are in many ways better equipped in making such decisions. For instance, the courts are distanced from political or social pressure allows them to make sound decisions in a timely matter. Elected officials tend to act on expediency and pressure when it comes to making value-based decisions (Bickel 25). Essentially, they are inclined towards one side of the issue in order to appeal to the interest of the predominate voters, as opposed to abiding to the fundamental values of law (Bickel 25). Judges on the other hand make decisions far from societal pressures, with more leeway in terms of time. This gives the courts the ability to make more calculated decisions, taking into consideration not only the fundamental values of the state but also the unforeseen implications of a decision. (Bickel 26) In dealing with the pith and substance of a case, decisions are argued to be â€Å"sober second thoughts† (Bickel 26). Ultimately, the use of law within a judicial context by judges and lawyers is not an arbitrarily unfair process. Such legal actors are bound to the values of the laws within society. Such values are premised on the rule of law, the foundational concept of a democratic society. Cause litigants are often involved in social issues and advocate for those who require a formal delegate. These cause lawyers may use law in such a way to achieve a certain outcome, but this outcome results in change in public policy to those who are otherwise be unaware of their legal rights. Moreover, although judges may have their own social desires and political preferences, they cannot easily sway towards them. Their professional duty requires them to be consciously rule-bound and rely on the precedent. Further, the basis of their decision is on neutral principles. Such principles are not vague and abstract, but stem from the precedent of previous judges in common law. Instrumentalism is pragmatic in that it recognizes that law is not a math; there is not a formula which judges rely on. However, social movements and changes through the judiciary ensures that fresh insight is continuously brought about within society, giving room for social change and progress.

A Cry For Independence essays

A Cry For Independence essays In the last half of the nineteenth century, Victorian ideals still held sway in American society, at least among members of the middle and upper classes. Thus the cult of True Womanhood was still promoted which preached four cardinal virtues for women: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. Women were considered far more religious than men and, therefore, they had to be pure in heart, mind, and, of course, body, not engaging in sex until marriage, and even then not finding any pleasure in it. They were also supposed to be passive responders to men's decisions, actions, and needs. The true woman's place was her home; "females were uniquely suited to raise children, care for the needs of their men folk, and devote their lives to creating a nurturing home environment." (Norton 108). However, the tensions between old and new, traditional and untraditional, were great during the last years of nineteenth century and there was a debate among male and female writers and social think ers as to what the role of women should be. Among the female writers who devoted their work to defying their views about the woman's place in society was Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Gilman (1860-1935) was a social activist and theorist of the women's movement at the turn of the twentieth century. She developed her feminist ideals in her novels, short stories and nonfiction books such as Women and Economics. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is best known for her short story The Yellow Wallpaper, (1892) which is based on her own experience. As the story begins, the woman-whose name we never learn, tells of her depression and how it is being treated by her husband and brother who are both doctors. These two men are unable to see that there is more to her condition than just a stress and depression and prescribe for her rest as a cure. The narrator is taken to a summerhouse to recover form her condition where she is not allowed to do anything but rest and sleep. Furth...

Managing Financial Resources Example

Managing Financial Resources Example Managing Financial Resources – Article Example Managing the financial resources of a company is a very important function that must be administer well by the managerial staff of the firm. The mostimportant financial resource that must be tightly controlled is the cash account of the organization. Without cash a company will seize to exist. The movement of cash in a company is depicted in the statement of cash flow of a firm. The statement of cash flow divides the movement of cash in three activities which are operating, financing, and investment activities. The assets of the company are a resource that also must be administer well. A ratio that tells a manager whether the organization is using its assets well is the return on assets (ROA) metric. Return on assets measures how effective a company has been at generating profit from its assets (Garrison & Noreen). It is important form managers to establish control mechanisms to protect the financial resources of a company. A way to monitor the use of financial resources is by doing recurrent internal audits of the resources of the enterprise. I agree that managing the financial resources of a company is a very important function. When companies do not protect its financial resources it could lead to bad economic outcomes. Take for example the case of the Enron corporation. This company filed the largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States at the time because the managerial team did an extremely poor job of protecting its financial resources. Instead the executives robbed Enron of millions of dollars in bonuses by cooking up the books. The success of a business is highly depend on the ability of the company to manage its financial resources well. Work CitedGarrison, Ray, and Eric Noreen. Managerial Accounting (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. 2003. Print.