Discussion for African American study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion for African American study - Essay Example Today, beauty values, as well as white European features over the others especially on women’s appearances. I choose to discuss the constructs with skin color, as well as the beauty discourse of women, as beauty concepts are usually directed mostly to the women. A lingering question on my mind is â€Å"Are white women beautiful or is it the society that makes them?† According to Gilman (2001), beauty is an appearance created for women to use as a mechanism to boost their self-worth (p. 255). Dark women are particularly exposed to the effects of Europeans standards of beauty because the European ideals emphasize on skin color and hair texture. This automatically excludes the black women especially the one with the dark skin (Bryant, Para1). This is noted because mostly in the United States, the main stream beauty ideal is exclusively white, making it difficult for women with dark skin. Although there are women with dark skin who have made it in the United States for example; Jennifer Hudson, the media and the culture of these women have been ‘white washed’ with lighter colored, straight hair, lots of makeup, and artificial eye contacts among others so as they would resemble the white women (Admin, Para 5). Even though a woman is recognized for something else rather than their beauty, the magazines, or the media still feel that they need to white wash her in order to feature her image. Pecolas insanity and obsession with blue eyes still is pertinent in the United States. According to Valdivia (2000), the people of the United States consider individual with blue eyes as beautiful. The society has always believed in the idea that the white are better than the dark colored, thus preferring the blue-eyed individuals (p. 146). It is known that only the white people can acquire blue eyes naturally. The dark colored people often are

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Cover letter - Essay Example My most recent internship at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Capital provided an opportunity to develop strong office assisting skills. Prior to this experience, I spent several summers working with several other firms in their customer service departments, which enhanced my ability to work in a fast paced environment and resolve problems, which are all listed in your preferred qualifications for this position. From these past work experiences, I was also able to develop on my interpersonal skills while socializing within the teams we were in as well as in the entire firm. Granted this opportunity and basing on my ability to work, I believe I will be able to help GWSB to achieve its organizational objectives as well as cement a position as an organization in the corporate settings. Besides, I am quite familiar with the Microsoft Office applications, strong customer care skills and am also motivated to work with a diverse group of constituents (Ryan, 20). I would appreciate discussing this position with you in the near future. I would be glad to receive an interview call from you asking me to appear before your recruitment board. If you require any additional materials or information, I would be happy to avail it. Thank you for your

Health Promotion Among Retirees

Health Promotion Among Retirees The purpose of this report is to investigate the general area of life after employment for the older person. The main focus of the report is on preparation for retirement for the older person as well as the specific services that are available to older people such as lifelong learning, education and leisure. INTRODUCTION As little as 10 years ago if you asked a 25 year old if they have a plan for retirement they would probably respond with â€Å"no, retirement is for old people – I’m only 25†. The reality is that we should be planning for retirement from the first day we start work. With Ireland’s increasing strength in the workforce and our impending numbers of people retiring within the next 30 years it has become a national standard to introduce schemes for people to plan their retirement. In the past people who never even thought of retirement until the year it was upon them have had very negative effects. In order to soften the blow from being active workers with a routine, a purpose, personal connections and a strong sense of self-worth trying to fall into the category of a permanent holiday seems great at first but as time passes by the holiday feeling ends and the empty useless feeling sets in. This in turn leads to numerous personal problems such as, financial, so cial, and physical and health. (Businessworld.ie, 2015), (ncaop.ie,2014), (cso.ie,2014). In the past carers predominantly come in contact with retirees who are no longer working as they have either retired due to ill health or have retired – unprepared and unable to psychologically cope with the situation – and have failed in some way to care for themselves. To this end the carer’s role is to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team including family members of the retiree to assist them with their activities of daily living in their home or in a care home setting. Carers of people in their home have found that they have become a major support in more ways than one – guiding clients through various options in order to alleviate depression – such as information on joining groups for retired people to organising their will. Carers are now able to support and promote a more positive attitude to retirement with the help of organisations – such as The Pensions Authority, Active Retirement Ireland, Citizens Information and the Retireme nt Planning Council and Age Action Ireland to name but a few. Irish people can now be completely prepared for retirement from the day they start work. These organisations have opened a whole new world of opportunities for retired people giving them access to copious amounts of information that will service their needs such as Age Action Ireland who will meet individuals and groups who wish to continue their education through the Lifelong Learning Programme in Colleges and Universities and the local Active Retirement Groups who hold regular meetings for members so they can socially interact and support each other through various activities which include sporting activities, outings, foreign travel and educational courses and interaction programmes which are run in conjunction with local youth groups and schools. These organisations have helped to remove the age old stigma attached to retirement and converted it to be now seen as life experienced people helping future generations; whi ch in turn allows young people to be mentored by retirees and they generally no longer see them as old – removing the age barrier. (ncaop.ie,2014), The Health Service Executive provides many supports for older people such as Primary Care, Social Workers and Home Care. Other non-governmental bodies also provide health promotion for older people ie, local leisure centres, G.A.A, ICA, Macra Na Feirme and Charity and Voluntary bodies. The Primary Care team provide many services for older people from health screening to occupational therapy and chiropody both in a client’s home and at local health care centres. Older people are encouraged – by family members, carers and medical staff to attend the centres as they not only provide basic healthcare facilities and counselling but also a point of support and encouragement for those who may be fearful of seeking further medical attention or may not realise that they need assistance with their activities of daily living. There are also many therapeutic interventions such as cognitive behaviour therapy which has proven to help alleviate depression and anxiety in older people which in turn enables retirees to better cope with their current situation. Pre-retirement courses are also an excellent way for people to be prepared for their retirement through their courses people have all the necessary available tools and information to retire with very little stress and have connections made with groups and associations that can enhance their quality of life after employment. (Beck and Beck, 2011) The change in the make-up of the Irish population has had an immense impact on our views of retirement and how older adults are treated. Various other cultures hold their elders in the highest regard and are rewarded for a lifetime of work – their families take over caring for them and they continue their retirement in comfort knowing that all their needs are completely taken care of. It is the influence of cultures such as these that Ireland has now began to adapt its views towards retirement and older adults enabling people to have a more positive feeling towards retirement rather than fear of loneliness and desperation. (Aranda and Knight, 1997) Some people retire before the national age for retirement of 65 not only due to illness but because they may feel they are financially stable enough to give up work – or reduce their hours of work through a phased retirement scheme with their current employer. These people still want to be active members of their family and community and as such families should be encouraged to help them with their decisions and help to keep them from becoming depressed through allowing them to help with their lives – ie child-minding, arranging family outings and holidays, giving advice to them on financial and other dilemmas – this will help to keep a retirees sense of self worth which will prevent illness and depression. For people who have retired as they are over the age limit – families can help support them in their new lives, visiting them often, encouraging them to join groups and associations and if they are not able to travel to the group meetings or outings etc , organise travel for them ensuring they are able to attend the meetings etc. If they are a member of an association, families should attend any shows or activities that they are involved in and express an interest in what they are doing. Younger family members should also be encouraged to accompany them on outings and also help them with chores around the house and do odd jobs for them. This helps with feelings of depression and loneliness as older adults will chat away to younger people telling them stories and advising them on various aspects of their lives. CONCLUSION Before starting this assignment I did not consider that I will be retiring one day and did not realise the effects it can have on my life both psychologically and physically. Through the course of my research I have found that many people who have not been prepared for retirement have a lower mortality rate that people who have a fully operational retirement plan. I am going to make sure I am fully prepared for retirement and during my interviews with members of the various local groups around Mountmellick and Portlaoise I have a good understanding of the groups I would like to join and currently become active in with. There is a wide variety of information available to people who wish to prepare for retirement and who are currently retired and I now feel as a carer I will be able to help my clients with their needs and have a good understanding of the processes involved in post-employment life to be able to support them with their needs and wishes. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/psychotherapy.aspx http://www.irishtraining.ie/general/preparing_for_your_retirement.html http://www.ncaop.ie/publications/research/reports/94_AFS_Conf_Procs.pdf http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/3/342.short http://www.thehealthwell.info/node/10467?source=relatedblockcontent=resourcemember=416catalogue=nonecollection=nonetokens_complete=true http://www.laois.ie/YourCouncil/Publications/CommunityampEnterprise/FileDownload,1877,en.pdf http://www.ncaop.ie/publications/research/reports/67_OP_Prefs_Emp_Ret.pdf http://www.ageandopportunity.ie/ https://books.google.ie/books?id=RdmZAgAAQBAJpg=PA31lpg=PA31dq=care+of+the+confused+client+assignmentsource=blots=i_PM5i6OxWsig=uHvkwWPwpJgfTXCQmJuwuul10Zwhl=ensa=Xei=ubOiVPC9JvGt7Abi84CQDwved=0CDIQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepageq=care of the confused client assignmentf=false http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/3/342.full.pdf http://www.annalsoflongtermcare.com/article/4786 http://consultgerirn.org/topics/ethnogeriatrics_and_cultural_competence_for_nursing_practice/want_to_know_more http://www.adultmeducation.com/socialandeconomicfactors_4.html http://www.activeirl.ie/ http://www.hse.ie REFERENCES BOOKS Beck, J. and Beck, J. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy. New York: Guilford Press. EBOOK/PDF Healthcare.uiowa.edu, (2015). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/icmh/evidence/documents/EBPOlderAdults.pdf [Accessed 4 Jan. 2015]. NCAOP.IE, (2015). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://www.ncaop.ie/publications/research/reports/94_AFS_Conf_Procs.pdf [Accessed 4 Jan. 2015]. JOURNAL ARTICLES Aranda, M. and Knight, B. (1997). The Influence of Ethnicity and Culture on the Caregiver Stress and Coping Process: A Sociocultural Review and Analysis. The Gerontologist, 37(3), pp.342-354. WEBSITES Currentpsychiatry.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/home/article/how-to-adapt-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-for-older-adults/99ca3dc03cddedc62b20b672dcc4e56c.html [Accessed 4 Jan. 2015]. The Pensions Board, (2015). Welcome to the Pensions Authority. [online] Available at: http://www.pensionsauthority.ie/en/ [Accessed 4 Jan. 2015]. Rpc.ie, (2015). Retirement Planning Council of Ireland – Why Plan. [online] Available at: http://www.rpc.ie/why-plan/ [Accessed 4 Jan. 2015]. FETAC Level 5 Healthcare Support 5M4339 Page 1 of 10Sabrina Delaney

The Role of Afro-Cubans in the Formation of Cuba Essays -- History Cub

The Role of Afro-Cubans in the Formation of Cuba Introduction In the formation of the Cuban nation, the role of Afro-Cubans is undeniably of great importance. The success and riches obtained by Cuba as a Spanish colony would have been unthinkable without the exploitation of African slave labor. Even before emancipation, there were key figures in the Cuban independence movement, such as Antonio Maceo, who were free men of Afro-Cuban origin. After emancipation in 1886, Afro-Cuban ex-slaves showed their enthusiasm for their future in Cuba by volunteering in large numbers to fight in the Liberation Army. Yet in the victory over the Spanish in 1898, Afro-Cubans were given little recognition for their overwhelming support, and were bypassed for positions of authority during the American occupation. The Americans generally appointed white Cuban exiles or Spanish soldiers over Afro-Cubans, destroying the hopes many had of finally receiving their "rightful share", in the words of historian Aline Helg. Helg’s book Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuba n Struggle for Equality, 1886-1912, discusses these repeated disappointments felt by Afro-Cubans. In 1902 Cubans were at last free to govern themselves, and a constitution was drafted declaring all men equal, and granting universal male suffrage. Yet whites still dominated the positions of power in Cuba, and justified themselves by adhering to a myth that racial equality had been established (Helg, 70). Dissatisfied with their lot, Afro-Cubans again participated in large numbers in a revolution, this time under the liberal Jose Miguel Gomez, who promised them improved representation in government positions. Following the disappointment surrounding the 1908 elections, Afro-Cubans began to d... ...top sacrificing everything for the good of Cuba. They had to love themselves and recognize their personal value; then they had to love their families, then, their race; and then, only after all this, their homeland" (241). The myth, or maybe ideal of racial equality and unity had been forgotten. The failure of Afro-Cubans to attain equality in Cuba was the result of a racist societal hierarchy dominated by a white upper class. The more Afro-Cubans pushed for reforms, the more whites resisted. Eventually, Afro-Cuban tactics became more radical, which led to the violent response to the Partido Independiente de Color. The ideal of fraternity between the races, held by the Cuban revolutionary heroes Maceo and Marti, was not able to survive. Resources Helg, Aline. Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality, 1886-1912. UNC Press, Chapel Hill, 1995.

The Mask of Melville’s Lawyer in Bartleby

Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener gives the reader an unnerving, yet nonchalant look at a story of a man dulled by the repetitiveness of urban life. Melville’s characters are rife with symbolism, but it is also the many allegories of modern life that makes it so powerful.   Indeed setting the story in 19th century Wall Street portends of the coming wealth and power of New York City, and the real life existence of the characters in Bartleby that predated this prosperity and who continue to exist today. The character of the Lawyer in Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener is thrust into an outright confusing situation that he has never encountered in his life. â€Å"All who know me, consider me an eminently safe man,† (Melville 2) he says as he describes himself.   Although a lawyer by profession, he does not involve himself with the intricacies and ethics of the law, merely content on dealing with property and other rich men’s businesses. As Davis says: Obviously, the lawyer is a man dedicated to the laws of the earth, and, not only has he dedicated himself to these laws, but deals exclusively with the laws of property, of rich men's bonds and mortgages and title deeds. The narrator seems to hold no interest, or, at the least, no ambition in practicing law that demands of him thoughts of â€Å"higher† things.   Before the appearance of Bartleby, by the narrator's own admission, he has not struggled with the ethics of justice, of good and evil; rather, he makes his way in this world comfortable by dealing with the physical, the tangible, that which he can know. (2) Relating this idea to Dunbar’s We Wear the Mask, the Lawyer who hires Bartleby has hidden himself from these higher functions from the world, and the people around him, by wearing this mask of feigned simple-mindedness.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes—â€Å" (Dunbar 1-2).   It prevents the Lawyer from actually accepting who Bartleby is till the end of the story.   Through the years, this mask becomes ingrained to the personality of the Lawyer, that he fails to understand anything that touches him through this shield. Yet this is exactly what Bartleby does, and what evokes the Lawyer and the reader’s interest at the same time.   We are curious as to who this strange creature is and why he is that odd.   Chisdes provides an interesting comparison   between the two main characters. This story is a story of contrast between Bartleby and the narrator.   The narrator does everything possible to reach out to his fellow humans; and Bartleby does everything possible to cut himself off from his fellow humans.   Whereas the narrator embraces life, Bartleby rejects it. (Chisdes par. 23) Bartleby does not choose a mask for himself, rather, his has already eroded into the sullen drudgery of office life.   The Lawyer’s narration of his â€Å"rumor† at the end, of how Bartleby was working at a Dead Letter Office (Melville 37) reveal that although Bartleby changed him, his mask remains on him.   In the words of Mason, â€Å"The lawyer gives Bartleby a peaceful and contented  ending to diminish his culpability in Bartleby’s demise.† (par 7). Till the end, the Lawyer does not recognize his relationship with Bartleby outside his mask of pretend virtue. He first decides to place him aside, but with his associates getting curious about this shell of a man in his office, he decides he cannot take anymore. Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs?   Nay, let them only see us while, We wear the mask. (Dunbar 6-9) The Lawyer cannot stomach this aberration. Not because he is worried about himself, but about what other people think of him.   He only lets the world see him while wearing his mask. At last I was made aware that all through the circle of my professional acquaintance, a whisper of wonder was running round, having reference to the strange creature I kept at my office.   This worried me very much. (Melville 28) Bartleby only serves to highlight this deficiency in the Lawyer’s character, something that is true for each one of us. Dunbar’s poem reflects our inner weaknesses, that we only integrate with culture through a persona. As the Lawyer was presented with someone whom the mask of himself is not affecting, he becomes confused, leading to the darkly humorous events that follow. R E F E R E N C E S Chisdes, Jonathan. The Narrator in Melville's â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener†: Morally Corrupt or Deep Humanitarian?. May 12 1995. chisdes.com October 28, 2007. http://www.chisdes.com/bartleby.html Davis, Todd F. â€Å"The Narrator's Dilemma in â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener†: The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Excellently Illustrated Re-statement of a Problem. Spring 1997. Studies in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Short Fiction. October 28, 2007.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dunbar, Paul Laurence. â€Å"We Wear the Mask†. The Complete Poems of Paul   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laurence Dunbar. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1913. Mason, Joe. Ideological Justification in Herman Melville’s â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street† and â€Å"Poor Man’s Pudding†. Southern Connecticut   University. 2005. October 28, 2007. Melville, Herman. Bartleby, the Scrivener. 1853.   Kessinger Publishing. 2004.   

Nepal Essay Essay

Introduction I am doing my report on a country by the name of Nepal. The formal name is The Kingdom of Nepal. The term for citizens is Nepalese. The capital of Nepal is Katmandu. Nepal became independent in 1768 when a number of independent hill states were unified by Prithri Narayan Shah as the Kingdom of Gorkha. The area of Nepal is 56,827 square miles. Its population according to the 1991 census was 18,462, 081. Nepal is located between China and India. Population The most recent information about Nepal’s population is in the year of 1994. It was an estimate of about 20,000,000. At this time the average family was made up of 5.9 persons, and the life expectancy was about 50 years. About 70 percent of the total population was of working age, or between the ages of fifteen and fifty-nine years of age. Nearly 44 percent of the population is in the Terai Region, 48 percent in the Mountain Region. In 1981 the capital, Katmandu , had a population of 235,160. Government Nepal has a constitutional monarchy government. The multiparty democracy established along with the November 1990 constitution which replaced the panchayat system. Education The education system has expanded rapidly since 1951. Right now there are elementary and high schools found in most areas of the country. Tribharan University was established in 1961 to serve as the hub of a higher education system. The literacy rate is still only an estimated fifteen percent, with most of the literate population concentrated in Katmandu Valley and in the Terai. Language In Nepal there are numerous languages spoken which is a problem because they do not belong to the same family group. The most common and national language , Nepali, stems form the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo European family. Nepali is spoken by 60 percent of the population. A second category of languages in Nepal is the Tibeto- Burman languages, of which the most common are Newer, Magarkura, Gurangkura, Karin and Limbuani. Religion and Society Religion occupies an integral position in Nepalese life and society. The main religion in Nepal is Hinduism , but much of the population follows an unorthodox Buddhism strongly affected by mixtures of Hinduism. The fact that Hindus worship in Buddhist temples and Buddhists worship in Hindus temples has been one of the main reasons followers of the two dominate groups in Nepal have never engaged in any conflicts. Because of such dual faith practices the differences between Hindus and Buddhists have been generally in nature. In 1991 about 89.5 percent of the Nepalese people indenified themselves as Hindus. Buddhists and Muslims occupied only 5.3 and 2.7 percent. The remainder religion is Christianity. At least 87 percent of the population in every region is made of Hindus. Buddhists are mostly found in the Eastern Hills, the Katmandu Valley, and the Central Terai, in each area about 10 percent of the people were Buddhist. Terai The Terai region of Nepal is a low, fertile alluvial plain, in effect the northern extrusion of the Ganges plain. It is 20 miles wide at its broadest point and extends over most of the southern edge. North of this, bordering the forests of the Bhabar and Chria Hills, the Terai is marshy and malaria is endemic. A green belt of excellent timber parallels or dense elephant grass growing to a height of 15 feet. Climate The climate is moderate only in the mountain valleys, about 5,000 feet above sea level. The rest of Nepal is either extremely hot, as in the Terai, climate changes sharply with elevation. In the Himalayas, exposure to the sun and to rain-bearing winds produce complex patterns of local climates. Average temperatures in the Katmandu Valley range form 50 degrees in January to 78 degrees in July. Rainfall mainly  occurs between June and September. The dry season is November to January. Agriculture About 90 percent of Nepal’s working force is directly engaged in agricultural pursuits. Arable land is at 30 percent of the total land area, of which 60 percent is classified as suitable for wet cultivation and 30 percent for dry cultivation. The main crops are rice, corn, millet, wheat, sugarcane, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables. Rice is grown in the Teria, Katmandu Valley , and the lower hill area. Corn and millet are the main crops at higher altitudes , which is about 6,000 feet above sea level. Annual Rainfall Fire climate zones based on altitude range from subtropical in the South, to cool summers and severe winters in the North. The annual rainfall depends on a monsoon cycle which provides 60 to 80 percent of the total rainfall. The Eastern part of the country get the most with 2,500 millimeters. The Katmandu averages around 1,420 millimeters. And Western Nepal gets around 1,000 millimeters. Himalayans The Himalayans are what Nepal is known for. The Himalayans were formed about 60 million years ago, When the earth’s continents were still forming, a part of east Africa broke loose and began to driff slowly northward. When it rammed into Asia , the force of the collision caused the land to crumple up into a vast mountain range. More than 1,000 miles long and hundreds of miles wide. This system contains some of the highest mountains in the world. The most famous of these is Mount Everest. Bibliography Norton, Peter B., and Joseph J. Esposito. â€Å"Nepal.†Ã‚  Encyclopedia Britanica. 1995. Boehm, Richard G. World Geography. Westerville: The McGraw-Hill. 1997.