Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Criminal Justice - Essay Example Recent studies have revealed however, that the law did not only fail to meet its purposes but it has, at times, became a tool of injustice. The idea of a Three Strikes Law became compelling in the early 1990s because of the proliferation of serious crimes and several widely publicized cases. The cases of Polly Klass, a 23-year old girl, who was abducted and murdered in California and Diane Ballasiotes, a Washington resident who was raped and murdered served as catalysts to the adoption of the law. In both cases, the culprits were parolees. Thus, in 1993, Washington adopted the Three-Strikes Law and a year later California passed and ratified theirs. The fundamental feature of this law is that it increases the penalty of convicted offenders on their third conviction (Samaha 2005 p. 376). To date, thirty-six states, in addition to the earlier two, have three-strike laws (Other States 2002). In 2002, the Justice Policy Institute conducted a research on the impact of the law. The study which covers the period from 1993-2002 shows that California had imposed the law four times the number of those of the other striking states, combined. Yet, as shown on Table 1, there is not much significance in the change of crime rates between striking and non-striking states (Schiraldi et al pp 9, 13-16). The study also compared the crime rate decline in California and the state of New York, a non-striking state, in the same given period. Surprisingly, New York outperformed California both in Index Crime Rate and Violent Crime Rate decline, as shown in Table 2 (Schiraldi p 10). The Criminal Defense Clinic of the Stanford Law School recently reviewed cases of incarcerated offenders under California’s Three Strikes Law (Three Strikes Sanity 2009). To date, four offenders have been freed after judges were persuaded to take a second look at their cases. Most of these convicts had prior convictions in drug and theft, as well

Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Movement - Essay Example In my opinion, the human brain is quite a powerful organ for it normally plays a major role when it comes to the issue of sight because whereas it is capable of making the visible become invisible, it can also do the vice versa. In this study besides addressing the aspect of visual illusions, it also analyses the issue of movement, this is by relaying information on whether movement is actual or is it just an illusion. Illusions normally come when one tends to perceive something is in a form different from the actual form (Conway et al.). Illusions are of different types, in the case of movement, optical illusion is an illusion related to sight. During the occurrence of an optical illusion, a number of brain regions are involved in accordance with aspects like shape and color. Studies contend the most common form of optical illusion is that of movement especially when objects appear to be in motion but it is the contrary in reality. For instance, when in a film theatre, one normally has the perception that he or she is watching a motion picture though studies prove this is not the case. Films are not motion pictures but rather comprise of thousands of still pictures shown in series and in so doing make the viewer have the perception that they are moving (Carrol & Choi 287). I think this perception is true, whereby a motion comes because of static repeated patterns. Mainly, this comes due to the in voluntary eye movements such as blinking, normally triggered by the brain intentionally in a move to create a shortcut, hence not showing some of the information. Studies show that eyeballs of humans are normally in constant vibration, which is imperceptible. However, when one sees an object, neurons end up emitting negative signals stronger compared to the positive ones (Llg & Guillaume 19). This is due to the optical illusions that take place. Optical illusion, also known as illusionary motion is a situation whereby static

MIM and the Rise of Muslim Identity Politics

MIM and the Rise of Muslim Identity Politics Akshay Shetty The 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections were perhaps one of the most interesting electoral experiments in recent history. The 15 year old Congress-NCP alliance and the 25 year old Shiv Sena-BJP alliance came to an end and the four parties contested elections on their own. While the results of the elections didnt come as a surprise to any of the four parties, the success of one party has attracted massive media attention, albeit alarmist. Making its debut in Maharashtra, the Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) won 2 seats in the 288-member assembly, grabbing a 0.9% share of votes. Waris Pathan won the Byculla assembly seat by a narrow margin of 1,357 votes, beating rivals Madhu Chavan of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Geeta Gawli of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS). However, MIM sprung a major surprise in the Aurangabad Central seat, where its candidate, former NDTV journalist Imtiaz Jaleel defeated sitting Shiv Sena MLA Pradeep Jaiswal by 19,982 votes. It also lost three seats by a narrow margin and finished third in nine constituencies. Overall, MIM polled over 5.13 lakh votes, even though it fielded, in many cases, political novices. The party also cut into the traditional vote banks of the Congress, the NCP and managed to wrest control of some areas where the BJP was believed to be strong. Buoyed by the victory, MIM president Asaduddin Owasi is planning to expand the party base in the state. The MIM has decided to contest all municipal elections in the state, including the BMC election in 2017 and the Aurangabad municipal election in 2015. It already has 13 corporators in the Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation. Plans are also afoot to expand in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka. The MIM’s victory can be attributed to two main factors, the division of votes in other parties and the polarization of the Muslim votes. With the BJP led by Narendra Modi sweeping to victory after winning elections across India, the delicate balance between the country’s religious and ethnic minorities, and especially its Muslims, and the majority Hindu population is shifting. MIM fed off the growing feeling of political disempowerment among Muslims and the disenchantment with the Congress, a party which traditionally received the bulk of the Muslim vote. The vitriolic speeches of the Owaisi brothers, with fervent appeals to Allah and claims of Muslim victimhood contributed to the polarization. Clips of Akbaruddin Owaisi were widely circulated on WhatsApp, and the Muslim youth who are wary of the hysteria surrounding Narendra Modi were attracted to them (Lokhande, 2014). Thus the MIM’s victory is a combined result of Muslims being fed up of the token secularism of the Congress and the indifference and alienation by the BJP. India’s Muslims are at crossroads today. Before delving into the politics of the MIM, it is important to understand the state of India’s largest minority community. India’s Muslims Muslims make up about 14.4 percent of India’s total population. However, according to a 2013 report by the Pew Research Center, the country maintains â€Å"the world’s second-largest Muslim population in raw numbers (roughly 176 million).†Often referred to as â€Å"the lost children of India’s partition† (Gayer Jaffrelot, 2012), Muslims who chose to stay in India have struggled to keep pace with the majority community. The Sachar Commission report (2006), ordered by the then prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh showed Muslims to be stuck at the bottom of almost every economic or social indicator. They were poorly represented in public sector jobs, school and university places politics. Low literacy levels and low fertility were other major findings. India’s Muslims tend to be excluded from 3 sites of power within the state machinery: the judiciary, the administration and the police. In 2002, they represented only 6.26% of the 479 High Court judges in India, 2.95% of the 5,018 Indian Administrative Service officers and 4.02% of the 3,236 IPS officers. By contrast, according to a report in the Times of India, nearly 20% of India’s prisoners were Muslims. Experts believe that this trend is not because Muslims commit more crimes. Rather, it’s a product of economic and social deprivation. With no money for litigation and for getting bail, they end up languishing in jails for years. There have been several instances of false cases slapped against Muslims, especially after terror attacks and riots. Closer home, the Mahmoodur Rahman Committee appointed in 2008 by the Maharashtra government revealed the shocking social, economic and educational condition of Muslims in the state. Maharashtra has witnessed the highest number of Hindu-Muslim riots post-Independence. This has led to ghettoisation which has further contributed to their neglect. About 45% of Muslim households have a per capita income of less than Rs. 500 a month. About 58 % of urban Muslims live in slums. Muslims constitute only 8.1% of the state’s farmers, 44.4% of rural Muslims work as agricultural labourers, compared to 36.1% of Hindus. Only 4.4 % of Maharashtra’s Muslims work in the government services. In 2012, there was not a single Muslim in the entire cadre of the Indian Administrative Services. The committee also found that in the urban areas, bus stops are located at a 1.3 km distance from Muslim areas. Fearing a backlash from the state’s Muslims and the media, the government never tabled the report in the Assembly, though it was submitted in 2013. The above statistics paint a grim picture. However, this doesn’t suggest that Muslims haven’t progressed in independent India. In addition to being appointed to a number of top positions, Muslims in India â€Å"enjoy complete political and religious liberty, a free legislative environment to undertake economic and educational initiatives, a vibrant television media and cinema that teach liberal coexistence, and access to a vast number of universities and institutes of modern education† (Ahmad, 2014). However, the benefits of a democratic, secular and pluralistic polity haven’t trickled to the vast majority of the country’s Muslims. One of the main reasons for this has been their poor representation in our elective bodies. Muslim representation With every election, the position of Muslims has deteriorated. Muslims representation in the 16th Lok Sabha hit an all-time low of 22. For the first time in the history of Lok Sabha, not a single Muslim got elected from Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated and electorally decisive state. Maharashtra’s Muslims too have been affected by the growing communal schism generated during the 1990’s. The number of Muslim MLAs in the recently elected Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has dropped to an abysmal nine. The state’s five main political parties put up only 45 Muslim candidates in the election. Out of the nine MLAs, eight have been elected from Muslim-dominated constituencies. Votes polled by Muslim candidates have been steadily falling since 1990. In 2009, while a non-Muslim candidate polled an average of 13,766 votes, a Muslim candidate attracted only 4,453 votes. This is the reason why most parties refuse tickets to Muslim candidates. No political party dares to put up a Muslim candidate unless the constituency has a substantial Muslim population. Even the avowed secular parties continue to succumb to communal consideration in the selection of their candidates. While it is not necessary that Muslims should be represented only by their co-religionists, electorally ignoring an important group is not good for the health of a nation. Representation gives a community a sense of belonging. Further, representation of multiple identities is the essence of modern democracy. During the first five decades after independence, the vast majority of Indian Muslims saw in the Congress their natural protector, for its commitment to secularism. However after the demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, the pluralism of the Congress soon started changing. Muslims’ faith in the Congress started eroding with the escalation of anti-Muslim violence and the political, social and economic marginalization of the community, sometimes at the hands of the Congress itself (such as during the Emergency). The party started milking the community for electoral gains, by conceding religious and cultural space to the Deobandi Ulemas. Banning Salman Rushdie’s novel Satanic Verses, overturning the Shah Bano judgment were among several of the party’s tropes which contributed to the disenchantment of moderate Muslims from the Congress. Muslim Identity Politics Despite the love lost with the Congress and other ‘secular’ parties, Indian Muslims have generally been reluctant to form their own political parties. However, in the last decade or so, a number of Muslim dominated political parties have emerged in India. The Peace Party was founded in Uttar Pradesh in 2008 by Mohamed Ayub. It won four seats in the 2012 Assembly elections and expanded its base in a number of states. The Kerala-based Indian Union Muslim League enjoys considerable popularity in the state. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal formed the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam after falling out with Congress leader Tarun Gogoi in Assam. It is now the main opposition party in the state. Other Muslim identity based parties include the Parcham Party, Rashtriya Ulama Council and Welfare Party. However, none of these parties could achieve any substantial success. The MIM and its history It is in this context that the rise of MIM in Maharashtra should be seen. The MIM was formally founded in 1927 â€Å"for educational and social uplift of Muslims†, however it first arose as a proto-Islamist movement to defend the Nizam’s autocracy through an armed militia called the Razakars. They unleashed brutal violence against Hindus, the communists and all those wished to merge Hyderabad with independent India. In 1948, the Indian government sent in the army to overpower the Razakars, an operation that left several thousands dead. Hyderabad was annexed to India and Kasim Rizvi, the Majlis leader was imprisoned and the organization banned. Rizvi was released about a decade later only on the condition that he would leave for Pakistan in 48 hours. Before leaving, Rizvi handed over the reins to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, the grandfather of Asaduduin Owaisi. Owaisi re-drafted the Majlis constitution in keeping with the provisions of the Indian Constitution and heralded a new age in the party’s history. Though MIM remained on the margins of Hyderabad’s politics for about fifteen years, the situation soon started changing in the 1970s. Under the new president Salahuddin Owaisi, the party made great inroads in the city. Votes polled by Majlis in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat rose from 58,000 in 1962 to over four lakhs in 1989. It also set up a number of educational institutions for Muslims in the city. Thus, a party that was a part of the Razakars has found acceptance in the very city that had celebrated its ouster. The mainstream media has reacted to MIM’s victory in Maharashtra with a sense of paranoia. There are fears that the party could accentuate communal differences in the state. Moderate Muslims accuse the MIM of milking the sufferings of Muslims, while not doing anything for the community’s development. Party MP Akbaruddin Owaisi is known for his vitriolic hate speeches instigating Muslims to stand up against Hindu violence. MIM’s politics represent a reactionary agenda that seeks to counter the violent communal politics of the right-wing Hindu parties. On the other hand, Muslims are also hopeful about the MIM as they feel it can better represent the community’s interests. MIM’s rise represents the failure of all ‘secular’ parties in checking atrocities against India’s minorities and preventing majoritarianism. Muslim youth who fail to see themselves as a part of the youth Narendra Modi keeps gloating about are attracted to the MIM and its aspirational politics which largely involves invoking a false pride of the â€Å"glorious history of Muslim rulers†. However, the same youth need to realize that the MIM has done nothing to defend the human rights of young Muslims who are falsely accused of being terrorists and who end up spending years in jails. MIM has never spoken out against radicals within the community; neither has it done anything to empower Muslim women. It wouldn’t be long before India’s Muslims see through the farce that the MIM represents and the process of disillusionment sets in. Problems with identity politics The deeply problematic nature of MIM’s politics still doesn’t justify the media’s sustained and critical coverage of its victory in Maharashtra. Identity politics is not a new phenomenon. India’s ruling party BJP has its roots in Hindu nationalism, the Akali Dal was formed to give a political voice to Sikh issues, the RPI and its more than 50 factions claim to represent Dalits. The UP-based Apna Dal enjoys a following among the Kurmi caste. The Shiv Sena and now the MNS have, from time to time, raised the bogie of the Marathi manoos for electoral gains. The media’s hypocrisy while reporting about these parties needs to be called out. Muslim identity politics is as dangerous as the identity politics of any other community. According to Irfan Engineer, director of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, â€Å"Identity politics can be oppressive, hegemonic and exclusionary to strengthen hierarchies and hierarchical structures, to defend the privileges of the social, political and economic elite.† It is part of a larger trend of a greater assertiveness of identity in India. To counter this, it is important to strengthen the county’s secular and pluralistic ideals. Conclusion So what does that leave India’s Muslims with? They don’t need parties which essentialize their identity. Voting en bloc for hegemonic identity based parties isn’t going to yield any dividends. All they need is democratic representation of their interests. They need parties and candidates that stand for the values of equality, liberty and justice. MS Sathyu’s iconic film Garm Hava is perhaps the best film made on India’s partition. It shows Balraj Sahni’s family members leave for Pakistan, one after another, because of the increasing discrimination faced by them. In the end, Sahni and his son, Farooq Sheikh too decide to leave the country. On their way to the railway station, they come across a protest march by angry youth demanding jobs. Sheikh and, eventually, Sahni too join the march, thereby deciding to survive and succeed in his own homeland. An Urdu poem by Kaifi Azmi is heard in a voice-over as we see Sahni joining the protesters: â€Å"Jo door se toofan ka karte hain nazaara, unke liye toofan vahaan bhi hai yahan bhi, Dhaare mein jo mil jaaoge, ban jaaoge dhara, Ye vaqt ka elaan vahan bhi hai yahan bhi.† The scene is a poignant reminder for India’s Muslims that their future depends on engaging with politics of social justice and security rather than falling prey to leaders stoking their insecurities. Bibliography: Ahmad, T. (2014). Democracy and Indian Muslims. Daily Times. Retrieved 29 November 2014, from http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/16-Mar-2013/comment-democracy-and-indian-muslims-tufail-ahmad Ananth, V., Gadgil, M. (2014). Religious polarization helps AIMIM debut in Maharashtra. Mint. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.livemint.com/Politics/FxsUExgM2i03mSOH6w3RmO/Religious-polarization-helps-AIMIM-debut-in-Maharashtra.html?utm_source=ref_article Ashraf, A. (2014). Hidden history of the Owaisis. Firstpost. Retrieved 28 November 2014, from http://www.firstpost.com/politics/hidden-history-owaisis-aimim-doesnt-want-know-1817267.html Bagri, N. (2014). Indian Muslims Lose Hope in National Secular Party. The New York Times. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/world/asia/indian-muslims-lose-hope-in-national-secular-party.html?_r=1 Engineer, I. (2014). Political Mobilisation of Muslims in India Changing Pattern. Secular Perspective, XVII (21). Gayer, L., Jaffrelot, C. (2012). Muslims in Indian cities. New Delhi: HarperCollins India. Ghosh, S. (1987). Muslim politics in India. New Delhi: Ashish Pub. House. Lokhande, D. (2014). Why we should be concerned about MIM victories in Maharashtra. DNA. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-why-we-should-be-concerned-about-mim-victories-in-maharashtra-2027543 Noorani, A. (2003). The Muslims of India. Delhi: Oxford University Press. Rahman, M. (2013). The Condition of Muslims in Maharashtra. Mumbai. Sachar, R. (2006). Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India. New Delhi. Shaikh, Z. (2014). Force behind MIM. The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/force-behind-mim/99/ Sharma, S. (2014). Behind the victory of a Muslim party in Maharashtra, the gamble of a journalist. Scroll. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://scroll.in/article/685327/Behind-the-victory-of-a-Muslim-party-in-Maharashtra,-the-gamble-of-a-journalist Shukla, A. (2014). Maharashtra polls: Opinions among Muslims on AIMIM pitch vary. DNA. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-maharashtra-polls-opinions-among-muslims-on-aimim-pitch-vary-2018458 The Hindu : Holding them captive?. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2003/04/27/stories/2003042700081500.htm Zakaria, R. (1995). The widening divide. New Delhi: New York, N.Y.

Elements of Relationship in D.H. Lawrences Works Essay -- D.H. Lawren

After spending a semester experiencing and analyzing the work of D.H. Lawrence, it has become obvious that he had several messages to convey to his audience. Through his characters, Lawrence commented on the condition of England, on social issues, and also on relationships. In his novels Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lawrence reveals three important aspects of relationships, and shows his audience the devastating results when one or more of those aspects are missing. When it comes to intellectual, spiritual and sexual connections, Lawrence makes it clear that all of these elements must be present in order for a relationship to be successful; it's either all or none. Lawrence's first example of relational incompleteness comes through Paul in Sons and Lovers. By the middle of the novel, the reader is well aware of Paul's connection to his mother, Mrs. Morel. Paul's awareness of his mother comes in the notion that ?when she fretted he understood, and could have no peace,? (51) and also in the way they act like excited ?lovers having an adventure together.? (81) Through Paul?s relationships, Lawrence reveals how ?an exaggerated intense spiritual love from the parents,? can make it difficult for the receiver of that love to cultivate healthy relationships outside the familial sphere. (Yudhishtar, 87) Because of his deep spiritual connection with his mother, it is difficult for Paul to give himself to other women, as can be seen through his relationship with Miriam. Although Paul likes Miriam and the two get along very well, his connection to his mother prevents the young man from really giving himself to her. Paul is turned off not only by how spiritual Miriam makes him (165), but also ... ...ming deeply connected spiritually with one?s children, and how that connection can prove disastrous for non-familial relations. Through Birkin, Ursula, Gudrun and Gerald in Women in Love, he shows the crippling effects that result when intellect is emphasized drastically more than spirituality and sexuality. Lawrence arrives at a perfect balance between Connie and Mellors in Lady Chatterley?s Lover, and although Connie suffers through two failed relationships before meeting success, Lawrence shows that intellectual, spiritual and sexual connects can indeed simultaneously exist on the same plane. Through these characters, Lawrence demonstrates the importance of having a balance of all three ingredients. Without a physical connection based on spirituality and a common intellect, Sir Jon would not be able to ?say good night to Lady Jane?with a hopeful heart.? (328)

Christian life Essay

Father Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) presents a deeply spiritual and insight book with Reach Out. He presents a Christian approach to living with a systematic form of spiritual life, occurring in three defined steps; loneliness to solitude; hostility to hospitality; and illusion to prayer. Through each step Nouwen encourages a person to question themselves, and to seek an â€Å"ascent† to a higher way of being that achieves unity with God. His presentation of his message however is not an attempt to â€Å"bible bash† the reader, rather he uses the Bible as a filter to draw analogies to his interpretation of a meaningful life. Nouwen’s defined categories distinguishes the stages of the journey of Christian life as he sees it, basically reaching out to; the innermost self, to the rest of humankind; and to God. In itself the book is a beautiful rendition of a way of living that focuses on humankind as a community, and as sharing in their experiences of emotional states. It provides the reader with practical methods to apply change to their lifestyle that will cultivate a greater sense of peace and contentment. The phrasing and choice of words in titles and headings has been carefully considered and in themselves transports the reader to a place of reflection and prayer. The strength of Nouwen’s book is his ability to question his own values, decision-making and actions. He has gone to places of hardship in his experiences of loneliness, hostility and illusion and returned with treasures to share. Nouwen uses the movement between emotional states to provide a systematic process for the living the Christian life, which completes modern day values of systems thought, and critical analysis. However, the writer presents his material also in a highly capitalistic manner, in that emotional states are basically divided into two distinct forms: positive (winning) and negative (losing) and ignores the possibility that each state may not actually be so absolute; a milestone on the continuum of what it is to be human. The dichotomy he sets up may in itself be the cause of internal conflict for people, as Western societies value distinct black and white boxes in which to place information; Nouwen maintains this cultural value in his differentiation of distinct categories, and the application of a model of â€Å"ascent† for emotional states. The book is richly spiritual and helpful in learning to cope with loneliness, anger and misperceptions, and Nouwen’s voice tends to be presented as one of experience, that has gone to the depths of each of these states. His approach implies that all people feel loneliness, illusion or hostility and that â€Å"you like to stay away from†. The Bible describes many experiences of Jesus, prophets and other of the Lord’s people being tested, polished like jewels, or smelted like pure gold and other metals. The message is that if we are not prepared to undergo hardship how can we expect to lose ourselves of that which is not important? Nouwen encourages the reader to cultivate their faith and sense of hope by allowing ourselves to experience a forward movement into a more spiritual and subsequently balanced life. 2. Concrete Responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of confinement that implies that Nouwen has really been there himself. I imagined the soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about what it is to be alone and to have something happening to you beyond your control; a life threatening experience. Another heading, Between Competition and Togetherness, cam across to me as being very Zen, as the juxtaposition of words threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. Not unlike those silhouette pictures of the vase which is a face, or is it the other way around! The phrase further implies that there is a point between the two which each of us are at; though this point is unlikely to be static-given the human experience and we are dynamic beings. Nouwen encourages the reader to find a point of balance between these two concepts, and in my minds eye I saw a see-saw and a set of scales, and wondered to myself whereabouts on the continuum I was today (N. B. , near the competitive edge as I have a game of bingo in an hour). I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself, and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change, as well as harmony and balance. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what is important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I am also a writer and sometime poet and delight in the juxtaposition of words and the images that they provide which take me to places within myself that may have ever undiscovered. And the use of words in new ways helps me to see the world from another perspective, which is always a discovery. 2. Concrete responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of a time for me when I felt confined by my problems and unable to reach out for concrete help from others – no one seemed to understand where I was, what I was trying to communicate to them. I imagined at the time my soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about those times when I have felt absolutely alone and separated from all others, and that life was completely beyond your control; a life threatening experience. The juxtaposition of words in the chapter heading threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what’s important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I have in the past drawn on Bible accounts of suffering and grief to understand the experiences of difficulty I have (do) have. The phrasing of many of the Biblical passages, such as those in Proverbs, are easy to â€Å"write upon one’s heart† and Nouwen’s voice has a similar effect in his blending and weaving of words and phrases. 3. Reflection I wonder why the author portrays loneliness as a negative and unwanted state, particularly as he is a Christian. Many verses in the Bible, in fact the whole book of Job, contends that pain such as that felt in loneliness is necessary to â€Å"remove the dross† form a person’s soul. Going into the crucible of fire, such as the suffering of loneliness may cultivate, is a way that many mystics, monks, prophets and medicine women and men claim is the path to become more the person that â€Å"God†/we want us to be. Loneliness is an emotion, and so by virtue of the Christian teachings that emotion is also God, as our emotions are the flux of hormones, neurotransmitters and bioelectric currents, tangible substances which omnipotent God intrinsically exists within; God is everywhere at once. Also, God created all, so all emotions can be sourced from God; humans are made in his image, suggesting that God has knowledge of what loneliness is. It perplexes me that a state of loneliness is seen by Father Nouwen as the â€Å"bottom rung† in his ascent model; John the Baptist lived in the desert and has been often described as experiencing intense loneliness; Jesus spent 40 days and nights alone in the desert; Moses was alone with his â€Å"crazy† dream of the chosen people, and Mary mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene suffered deep loneliness many times during their lives. 4. Action I will facilitate a counselee to find more functional ways to experience loneliness and to keep on going and not give up on themselves or humankind. I will also encourage them to consider the concept of living a more spiritual life and achieving a union with God; for me God is the unity of all things (omega and beta) so that I am never truly alone as all is from God and in God. So that loneliness for me is a temporary state when one forgets that we are all interconnected. Alternatively, Nouwen approaches loneliness, hostility and illusion as purely negative states and provides of all things an â€Å"evolutionary† model to explain â€Å"developing from† each state to another state. Firstly, I do not agree with this form of development as it certainly implies ascent from a lesser (primitive) quality to a higher (civilized) quality. Instead I would encourage the counselee to embrace their diversity and variability in experiencing their emotions. Movement away from a particular emotion is illusory, as our emotions are a continuum like a circle or a ring; we can move to another state but all are parallel, none higher or lower than others. I intend to start a reflective journal of my values, interpretations, decision-making and actions to learn more about myself, and to find the balance across my emotional states.

Working mothers

Instead traditional feminism has always focused on white middle-class needs. Traditional values fall to recognize how women's different identities such as race, class, and sexuality shape our views and beliefs about family and motherhood. Many believe that shared social issues such as women rights bring women together, but what many do not see are the different Identities such as class, race, and sexuality within gender, that can cause conflicting views. The quote above by Joan Williams Is a testament In understanding how these deferent identities within women can become a delving factor In their beliefs.Specifically women's beliefs and roles In the family are Influenced by their Individual Identities. These Intersections of identities play an important role in women's beliefs on motherhood. Through the course readings I will show how the notions of motherhood changes through these different identities. Women's participation in the labor, education, domestic duties as well as views o n marital status and child rearing will show the division within women's notions of motherhood. America underwent a change in 1945 that had never been seen before.Despite representation there was a conflict from WI in the ass'. There was a shift from reduction to consumption, where America was seen as ‘living the good life'. By 1960 America's Income had Increased, and by the end of the decade Americans were moving up In prosperity. What history falls to acknowledge are the women who feel disorientated and discontent. The ass's and ass's was also a time filled with anxiety and alienation. As Betty Friedman puts it there was a vague uneasiness' that is the mark of this period. The sass's was an odd period of time, where many social issues were taking place.Nevertheless women continued to enter the labor force, which suggested the growing antinomy for women after the war. In the 1 ass's as Friedman suggest people were politically and culturally conservative, particularly regardin g gender and family issues, which made exploring new opportunities difficult for women due to restrictive gender norms. Through the lives of middle-class white women Friedman uses labor force participation to show their beliefs of motherhood. The role of a housewife to some may seem simple, as If they have nothing to do but to take care of the children and domestic duties.But what many fall to see are that these women are well educated and hold traditional ideologies of the family in which women sacrifice ones fulfillment ender role expectations. Women's behaviors and beliefs were in relation to men, which created a lack of fulfillment amongst women. Friedman argues these housewives needed competition and should make contributions to society. Friedman's argues that middle-class white women needed to find something fulfilling in society to feel a since of purpose. To get away of what society tells them to do, and start living for what they would want to do.Surprisingly women's action s did not reflect their beliefs. Though these women were educated enough to have careers but, many found it best eatable to become a housewife because it was the gender norm for women to stay at home and be the caregivers while men should become the breadwinners outside the home. These beliefs countered women's fulfillment as a woman but filled their beliefs on motherhood. Friedman titles masculine ideologies of motherhood that creates feelings of emptiness as ‘The Feminine Mystique'. Its overpowering, hegemonic dynamic in the work place and in the homes, where men carry the power enforce gender roles.These women adopt the Feminine Mystique, for the purposes of appeasing to societies expectations, but Friedman clearly shows how the traditional views of others are not holding strong in these women's beliefs. Women were becoming board and tired of being a housewife. This shows the view of motherhood for these women would be to have a more active part in the community, take care of the domestic duties and fulfill the husbands needs but their fear of going against men's ideologies of motherhood keeps them confined.The intersecting identities of class, education status and gender played a role in how these women view their roles in the family. Becoming a stay at home mom may have not always been by choice but by sacrifice. Gender roles have proven to be influential on women's beliefs on others. Despite Friedman pushing for women to become contributing factors in society, Bart Laundry in â€Å"Black Working Wives† offers a counterpoint to the norms of white middle- class families. Black women are usually excluded from white framework of motherhood.He incorporates race unlike Friedman as a contributing identity that shapes black middle-class women's notions of motherhood. Participants were black middle-class two parent families. The black women in these families took care of domestic duties, cared for the children and had an active part in the community, which allowed black women more freedom. Black women in most cases did not have the option of staying home. They pursued careers outside the home because they believed a true woman' could do both. The notion of mother hood was achievement in both public and private spears.The black community held a different standard then their white counterparts. The black community appreciated women's intelligence and their independence. Women's in Friedman's book looked to their husbands for the decision making rather then formatting and expressing their own views. There is a big divide in how women in Friedman's reading and Landers book viewed womanhood partially due to the racial preference and also because of class. For white families you could be middle-class solely on the husband's income.Black families did not share the same experience, to Laundry challenges domesticity as she focuses on African American women. Looking at black families we can see a transition of the traditional family to a more radical modern family. The male ideologies of motherhood were also different as unlike there white counterparts black husbands had the expectation for their wife's to work outside of the home, which allowed black women to become more active in the community. The egalitarian mindset of black families combined the public and irate spear.Working outside of the home gave black women more respect inside of the home. Race has played a significant difference in expectations of working wives. Black women did more because there family needed both incomes to be middle class. They face more criticism in the work place and carry the burden of isolation from the male counterparts coming home from an oppressed workplace. On the other hand white women stayed at home because they had stronger beliefs in ideologies. Catering to the household and their husbands were put over their own needs.Women in both readings lacked fulfillment. Men shared unequal responsibilities in doing housework, which is an issue that has been solved. The power dynamic of who is responsible for the domestic duties, stems from male ideologies. Men in both readings are the primary breadwinners therefore lack the obligating in helping with domestic duties. Friedman and Laundry take on two different perspectives on motherhood. While Friedman is pushing women to become active contributors in their communities Laundry is showing how black women have been working for year to support their families.Here we can see how identities such as class and race can create a division amongst gender and also shape beliefs on motherhood. Women who participate in labor both inside and outside of the home have contradicting beliefs on motherhood. In Mary Blair-Loss book â€Å"Competing Devotions† she looks at how women in both spears view labor and family schemas. Work devoted women in the reading were well education and help high power position Jobs. They worked full time which became time demanding and had to sacrifice their extracurricular time for work. They felt their Job was important and more like dynamic work.Women wanted to become more economically independent from men UT at the same time their high-end Jobs meant working long hours, which left them tired and facing discrimination from male dominance in the work place. Women felt that they were providing a better life for themselves and their children. Their beliefs of motherhood was not to fulfill domestic duties like cleaning and cooking every day but to provide the economic needs for their children so they would always have what they needed. The family devoted women sought marriage and child rearing as their primary devotion.Some women worked part time but still took care of the domestic duties. Families believed their roles to be biologically destined, where men should work full time outside the home. Family devoted mother criticized work devoted mother for not spending more time with their family and work devoted women critic ized stay at home mothers by saying they are lacking fulfillment and depended on men. Like the women in Friedman's reading these women held a more traditional view of womanhood. Like all mothers both schemas came with their sacrifices, which they people for support and shunned the opposite schema.The notions of motherhood aligned with the schema these women adopted. It is interesting to see the role education played in choosing which schema to adopt. Women's views on motherhood relied not only schemas but also their beliefs on marriage. Kathleen Eden and Andrew Cheering search to find the problems as to why low income white and black single mothers are not getting married. The study finds five reasons to why women are reluctant to enter or reenter into a marriage. The same five reasons are also how they define womanhood.Women sought having children before marriage fulfilling, but did not count on being single. Women saw affordability, respectability, control, trust and domestic viol ence as important measures when looking into marriage. These women felt if they were to be in another relationship it would be with a man that would uplift her status. These women wanted a man that they could trust and count on to support them and a child. Class, race and previous experiences shaped these low-income single women notion of motherhood. Due to their low social economic status they wanted a man that could take care of their family.Because they claimed there was a scarcity of black decent men, they looked for affordability and respectability and because of their previous experience they wanted someone they could trust. These women had their own economic stability but anted to gain upward mobility and believed having a decent trustworthy man will fulfill their notion of motherhood. Lastly through Mignon Moor's chapter â€Å"Lesbian Motherhood and Discourses of Respectability' we can see the ways in which lesbian women form motherhood through women's sexual autonomy, and an emphasis in strength and resilience.The reading discusses a lesbian woman named Jackie who has adopted her sister's child. Jackie overcame a massive struggle with social services in finalizing her adoptive rights to Andrew. Her refusal to hide her sexuality supports the notion of black womanhood that communicates a sense of sexual autonomy. Jackass's beliefs of what it meant to be a good mother derived from her childhood past. What she never had as a child she gave to Andrew and she made it her personal responsibility to see that he was safe, and stayed out of trouble.For women like Jackie challenges such as race, family structure and poverty influenced how she defined motherhood. Lesbian mothers have accepted a social responsibility based on family obligations, and have looked into their upbringing and personal experience for defining lesbian One woman named Athena had difficulty with telling her child from a previous heterosexual relationship that she was a lesbian. Athena did not feel comfortable identifying herself as a lesbian because she not only felt stigmatize from the community and family but she felt it was best to keep her sexuality unexposed to protect her child.By Athena not coming into terms with her lesbian identity it ruined her relationship and her chances to gain fulfillment in life. With the ending of her relationship with her partner we can see her understanding of motherhood. She defines motherhood as self-sacrificing for the good of the child. The move toward sexual autonomy is a struggle for women who are reluctant about their identity. Drawing a division between the two identities becomes difficult for women who are heterosexual lens and absorb cultural understandings of good motherhood in ways that make it difficult for them to view their lesbian sexuality in a positive light† (130).There is a constant battle when one is forced to choose between who they are and what is best for their child. Unfortunately the one parallel betw een all women are the sacrifices they endure for their families. We can she a range of mothers living in traditional families to more radical contemporary families, and all define motherhood differently. Women re forced to navigate motherhood through tough circumstances, which can become difficult.As seen in the reading women's roles are stretched so thin it becomes inevitable to find a suitable balance for themselves within the family needs. We can see that motherhood can vary through the different identities such as class, race and sexuality. No women's identities and experiences are the same, which make ‘motherhood' hard to generalize and allows motherhood to also divide gender. It becomes a forced decision rather then a choice that women struggle with in their daily life. Motherhood has become an internal battle between selfish and selfless.

These 7 Work Stereotypes about Millennials are NOT Necessarily True

These 7 Work Stereotypes about Millennials are NOT Necessarily True Millennials have been told for a decade just how bad they are at life. They’re lazy, live with their parents, are totally entitled, etc. The list goes on. If you’re a millennial, this can do a lot to hamper your self-esteem and even your career goals. But a lot of the hate out there is based on very little fact. Millennials aren’t much different from any other generation that came before. In fact, if naysayers bothered to talk to millennials, they’d find that this young generation has the same career aspirations, life goals, and general motivation as older generations. Plus, they’re indispensable: millennials will make up more than 50% of the workforce in the years to come.Given all of that, we should start debunking a few of those millennial myths.Myth #1: Millennials are all â€Å"me, me, me,† all the time.Reality: Every generation is all â€Å"me, me, me.† It’s just human nature. Every older generation thinks the new one is s elfish and self-obsessed. If you’re feeling picked on, you’re not alone. The Baby Boomers were the original â€Å"me† generation, and there’ll be more after you. Maybe you’ll even be the one doing the nagging when you’re higher up in the career ranks.Myth #2: Millennials want a party and ribbon just for showing up.Reality: Millennials don’t actually crave constant unearned acclaim. In fact, as kids they may have been trained for this by their helicopter parents, but they’re grown-ups now and want to earn their accolades like everyone else. Trust: It’s really the Baby Boomers who think all members should be rewarded when the team is successful. Millennials are pretty cutthroat and competitive about winning fair and square.Myth #3: Millennials are tech-obsessed and can’t live a life offline.Reality: Yes, millennials are strapped to their devices as though their phones are vital limbs. But they are also capable, and even eager, for face-to-face interaction when that makes most sense (i.e. in the workplace). And they’re actually more likely to draw a line between personal and professional on social media than older generations.Myth #4: Millennials are wafflers.Reality: Everyone solicits advice and gets friends, colleagues, and family to weigh in on important decisions. Millennials perhaps look to a larger variety of sources to make more informed decisions than their more independent-minded elders. This is actually a shrewd move, especially in today’s increasingly interconnected and complex business world.Myth #5: Millennials aren’t loyal and will jump ship whenever they lose interest.Reality: While â€Å"passion† is certainly important to this generation, millennials actually stay with their employers longer than their Gen X counterparts. The market is scarier and leaner out there, so they know when to stay put and be more calculating with their career moves. Perhaps they will have held more jobs by a certain age than other generations, but that has more to do with the cutthroat economy and less to do with laziness or wanderlust.Myth #6: Millennials don’t work hard.Reality: The skill set of this century is already markedly different than the skill set of the old one. Workplaces, and workplace culture, look nothing like they used to. As such, making comparisons between them is fruitless. Given the demands of today’s high tech interconnected workforce, millennials are actually working very hard and innovating at an exponential rate. They’re also a little more competitive than Baby Boomers, which goes hand-in-hand with hard work, hustle, and long hours.Myth #7: Millennials need work to babysit them.Reality: Millennials are actually quite capable of taking care of themselves. Corporations don’t have to talk down to them or treat them like children. Also, with the ever-changing structure of the workforce, millennials have a choice to work for corporations or for themselves in today’s economy. Corporations would do well to realize they need millennials more than millennials need them!