Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay -- Things Fall

Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart  Ã‚  Ã‚   Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man. Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was "a failure," "a loafer," and "People laughed at him" (1426). This would bring great shame to any man as it did for Okonkwo. In Umuofia "a man is judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father" (1427). In Umuofia "achievement was revered." Okonkwo became obsessed with the need to prove to everyone that he, unlike his father, was a man worthy of respect. Okonkwo worked hard and in time his "prosperity showed in his household" (1429). Okonkwo had "a large compound," "three wives" (1429), "two barns full of yams" and "two titles" (1427). Okonkwo had become a wealthy and respectable man. Still he feared that all would fall apart if he were to allow any slight deviation, any sign of weakness. Weakness could be a slight disobedience of a wife, as happened during the "Week of Peace." Ojiugo was not home in time to prepare Okonkwo's meal and though it was "unheard of to beat someone during the sacred week" (1435), Okonkwo beat Ojiugo unmercifully. Likely, Okonkwo feared that others would view Ojiugo's indifference to her responsibilities as a sign of Okonkwo's inability to control his wife. Okonkwo was just as demanding upon his children and he wanted his "son to be a great farmer and a great man" (1437). Okonkwo would become overly angry if Nwoye made small mistakes while learning. When Nwoye and Ikemefuna were splitting yam... ...ch so that he chose "evil" and took his own life. Achebe, for the most part, does seem to follow the Western formula for tragedy and the tragic hero. Okonkwo, while not born into wealth or privilege, does become a wealthy and powerful man in Umuofia. Okonkwo is neither "good" nor "thoroughly evil" yet does possess a "tragic flaw" that leads to a series of tragic events. Okonkwo begins in poverty and rises to the height of wealth and prestige among his people. He is so obsessed with control, control at all costs, that he begins to make tragic mistakes: beating his wife during Peace Week, killing Ikemefuna, having to flee Umuofia, killing the messenger and then himself. This fits the criteria of "disregard of divine law and trying to escape his fate," as outlined in the study guide. Works Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Ballantine, 1969.

Leadership Development Article Analysis Essay -- Article Analysis Lead

Groves, K. S. 2007. Integrating leadership development and succession planning best practices. Journal of Management Development, 26(3): 239-260. Summary: This article begins by informing the reader of various leadership development challenges that organizations of all sizes and industries encounter. Due to a lack of understanding the importance of best practice leadership, organizations can critically damage their future success. The author points out those depriving high-potential candidates of critical work experience will ultimately create shortfalls for employees to attain senior-level positions once the current CEOs are retired. On top of that, remaining deficient in the resources necessary for employee development, and the inability to adapt to a rapidly aging workforce, also creates underperformance for employees. These processes include mentoring, networking and action learning. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to better understand how organizations can implement these processes effectively in the healthcare industry. Outline: I. The author begins by presenting â€Å"workforce statistics that pose a severe challenge as the baby boomer generation retires and far fewer college-educated workers are prepared to replace them† (240). a. A lack of personal networks and mentoring programs decreases morale; therefore, employees do not completely understand what it takes to be successful in their roles. b. â€Å"Companies are successful to the extent that they have leaders at all levels of the organization.†(241) c. Career advancement challenges for women and people of color are also present in corporate environments that discourage networking opportunities and/or promote stereotyping. i. Therefore, in this sect... ...rm benefits are exceptionally plentiful. †¢ Secondly, I learned that it is also beneficial for employees to have multiple mentors within the organization. Since the beginning of my employment, I only call one of my co-workers my mentor, and that’s simply because I feel a greater confidence when relying on him for support and guidance in the workplace. After reading this article, I am more prone to seek other individuals that have the potential to provide their distinctive opinions. †¢ Lastly, I learned that there is a greater outcome from employees who participate in workshops facilitated from their senior executives. I undergo a lot of training at HMA and some of the seminars are proctored by senior management. After reading this article, and looking back on the few seminars taught by upper management, I can agree that I was more focused and motivated to learn.

Unit 4 Per Diary Task

Unit 4 Practice Evidence Record Diary 4. 1-  During my time at placement I have had to encourage children to use resources in a safe and controlled way. For example while working outside in the settings back garden the children wanted to play on the slide. For children to be playing on the slide they will need to climb up from the one side where there are steps. However I made sure that I was close by in case a child injures themselves.While supporting the children I also allow myself to encourage the children to hold onto the handrail allowing them to have a steady balance, preventing them from falling. Due to keeping children safe and secure I am able to acknowledge that I am suppose to be asking the children not to run to fast and ensure that I am providing positive instructions for example to take turns on the slide allowing all the children to have a chance in playing on the slide I also supervised the children during the activity to make sure they were safe.It states in Tasso ni. P ^et al^ Heinemann 4th edition child care and education cache level 3 that P. Tassoni, 2007, page, 218 says  Ã‚  health and safety policy- this will give guidelines on how to keep children, parents and staff safe, for example guidelines on handing over children at the end of a session safely. However this practice shows that I am able to follow all policies and procedures such as the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 or the Equal opportunity policy.

Informative Speech Outline on Addiction to Prescription Drugs

Informative Speech – Topical Orientation General purpose: Addiction to prescription drugs Specific purpose: To inform my audience about the growing problem of prescription drug abuse, some common drugs that cause abuse, and their effects and some common treatments. Pattern: People living in today’s society must be aware about the dangers that prescription Drugs can cause them, as well as the people around them. Introduction: * Attention : Is it possible that you or someone you love is addicted to prescription drugs? An estimated 48 million people according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons in their lifetime. According to * Credibility: It was a big epidemic in my high school and surrounding schools. Ive lost relationships with people close to me due to their prescription drug addiction. * . Drug addiction is growing rapidly throughout the united states and its effecting all age ranges. * There needs to be more r estrictions placed because people think because the doctor is giving it to them, it is safe to abuse them * .Today im going to discuss what types of prescription drugs are being abused, how it effects your life and health, and possible ways to overcome the spread of the addiction. * Reason to listen: * . Ive come to realize that unfortunately everyone knows someone who is addicted to prescription drugs. * . * Preview: * Types of prescription drugs * The harms they cause * Ways to overcome the spread of addiction Body: A. . 1 .. The three different classes of prescription drugs a. . opioids- used to treat pain-oxycodone, vicodin, roxicet b. depressants-used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders- Xanax, Valium, Klonopin c. . stimulants- used to treat attention deficit disorders- Adderrall, ritalin 2. .. The harms that prescription drugs cause d. . opioids can cause drowsiness constipation and long term could cause severe respiratory depression which is†¦ or in highest doses, death . e. .anti depressants as well as anti anxiety they can cause sexual disfunction weight gain fatigue. with the use of these drugs it’s a chance you can be physically uncoordinated for the first few days until you build your tolerance. . .stimulants can cause enhanced brain activity increase and llertness in energy elevated blood pressure increase heart rate increase respiration and sleep deprivation†¦. Ultimately these three drugs possess the same long term affect when abused; high potential for physical dependence and addiction. 3. Ways for physiciaisn patients and pharamasists to all play a role in identidying and preventing prescription drug abuse. g. . physicians- ask about any and all drug abuse; screening for prescription drug use can be incorporated into routine medical visits.Take note of of rapid increases in the amount of medication needed. f. patients follow directions and be aware of potential interactions with other drugs. Don’t just change your dose without discussing with your doctor first. Never use another persons prescription. Transition: .. B. . Why is prescription drug addiction on the rise? 1. Why is prescription drug addiction on the rise a. Doctors don’t exactly know how many people are addicted to pain medication, but one of the reasons so many people are is the availability. b. Vastly more people have access to these medicines today than 15 or 20 years ago. † a. Responding to patients and pain advocacy groups, doctors may have become less restrictive in prescribing opioid pain pills. There has been a surge in prescriptions for opioids over the past decade — and the creation of millions of potential drug stashes in medicine cabinets across the country. b. Teen drug abuse with opioids is now second only to marijuana in popularity. Almost one in 10 high school seniors report taking hydrocodone (Vicodin) within the past year.Not by coincidence, many of their parents are taking it too: Vicodin and its generic form were the most-prescribed drug of any kind for much of this decade. Transition: .. C. . 2 . What are some ways that we can treat these prescribed drug addictions? h. .Some addictions, such as opioid addiction, can be treated with medications. i. . These pharmacological treatments counter the effects of the drug on the brain and behavior, and can be used to relieve withdrawal symptoms, help overcome drug cravings, or treat an overdose. a.Although a behavioral or pharmacological approach alone may be sufficient for treating some patients, research shows that a combined approach may be best. Conclusion: * Review. * . Types of prescription drugs * .. the harms that prescription drugs can cause * .. ways to overcome the spread of addiction * .. People living in today’s society must be aware about the dangers that prescription drugs can cause them, as well as the people around them. * Closure: Drug addiction is such a wide spread epidemic and all of the people with pote ntial are losing control of their lives by abusing these drugs.

Vampire Academy Chapter 10

TEN â€Å"EXCUSE ME, MR. NAGY? I CANT really concentrate with Lissa and Rose passing notes over there.† Mia was attempting to distract attention from herself – as well as from her inability to answer Mr. Nagy's question – and it was ruining what had otherwise been a promising day. A few of the fox rumors still circulated, but most people wanted to talk about Christian attacking Ralf. I still hadn't cleared Christian of the fox incident – I was pretty sure he was psycho enough to have done it as some crazy sign of affection for Lissa – but whatever his motives, he had shifted the attention off her, just as he'd said. Mr. Nagy legendary for his ability to humiliate students by reading notes aloud, homed in on us like a missile. He snatched the note away, and the excited class settled in for a full reading. I swallowed my groan, trying to look as blank and unconcerned as possible. Beside me, Lissa looked like she wanted to die. â€Å"My, my,† he said, looking the note over. â€Å"If only students would write this much in their essays. One of you has considerably worse writing than the other, so forgive me if I get anything wrong here.† He cleared his throat. † ? ®So, I saw J last night,' begins the person with bad handwriting, to which the response is, ? ®What happened,' followed by no fewer than five question marks. Understandable, since sometimes one – let alone four – just won't get the point across, eh?† The class laughed, and I noticed Mia throwing me a particularly mean smile. â€Å"The first speaker responds: ? ®What do you think happened? We hooked up in one of the empty lounges.' â€Å" Mr. Nagy glanced up after hearing some more giggles in the room. His British accent only added to the hilarity. â€Å"May I assume by this reaction that the use of ? ®hook up' pertains to the more recent, shall we say, carnal application of the term than the tamer one I grew up with?† More snickers ensued. Straightening up, I said boldly, â€Å"Yes, sir, Mr. Nagy. That would be correct, sir.† A number of people in the class laughed outright. â€Å"Thank you for that confirmation, Miss Hathaway. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the other speaker then asks, ? ®How was it?' The response is, ? ®Good,' punctuated with a smiley face to confirm said adjective. Well. I suppose kudos are in order for the mysterious J, hmmm? ? ®So, like, how far did you guys go?' Uh, ladies,† said Mr. Nagy, â€Å"I do hope this doesn't surpass a PG rating. ? ®Not very. We got caught.' And again, we are shown the severity of the situation, this time through the use of a not-smiling face. ? ®What happened?' ? ®Dimitri showed up. He threw Jesse out and then bitched me out.' â€Å" The class lost it, both from hearing Mr. Nagy say â€Å"bitched† and from finally getting some participants named. â€Å"Why, Mr. Zeklos, are you the aforementioned J? The one who earned a smiley face from the sloppy writer?† Jesse's face turned beet red, but he didn't look entirely displeased at having his exploits made known in front of his friends. He'd kept what had happened a secret thus far – including the blood talk – because I suspected Dimitri had scared the hell out of him. â€Å"Well, while I applaud a good misadventure as much as the next teacher whose time is utterly wasted, do remind your ? ®friends' in the future that my class is not a chat room.† He tossed the paper back on to Lissa's desk. â€Å"Miss Hathaway, it seems there's no feasible way to punish you, since you're already maxed out on penalties around here. Ergo, you, Miss Dragomir, will serve two detentions instead of one on behalf of your friend. Stay here when the bell rings, please.† After class, Jesse found me, an uneasy look on his face. â€Å"Hey, um, about that note†¦you know I didn't have anything to do with that. If Belikov finds out about it†¦you'll tell him? I mean, you'll let him know I didn't – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† I interrupted him. â€Å"Don't worry, you're safe.† Standing with me, Lissa watched him walk out of the room. Thinking of how easily Dimitri had thrown him around – and of his apparent cowardice – I couldn't help but remark, â€Å"You know, Jesse's suddenly not as hot as I used to think.† She only laughed. â€Å"You'd better go. I've got desks to wash.† I left her, heading back for my dorm. As I did, I passed a number of students gathered in small clusters outside the building. I regarded them wistfully, wishing I had the free time to socialize. â€Å"No, it's true,† I heard a confident voice say. Camille Conta. Beautiful and popular, from one of the most prestigious families in the Conta clan. She and Lissa had sort of been friends before we left, in the uneasy way two powerful forces keep an eye on each other. â€Å"They, like, clean toilets or something.† â€Å"Oh my God,† her friend said. â€Å"I'd die if I was Mia.† I smiled. Apparently Jesse had spread some of the stories I'd told him last night. Unfortunately, the next overheard conversation shattered my victory. † – heard it was still alive. Like, twitching on her bed.† â€Å"That is so gross. Why would they just leave it there?† â€Å"I don't know. Why kill it in the first place?† â€Å"You think Ralf was right? That she and Rose did it to get kicked – â€Å" They saw me and shut up. Scowling, I skulked off across the quadrangle. Still alive, still alive. I'd refused to let Lissa talk about the similarities between the fox and what had happened two years ago. I didn't want to believe they were connected, and I certainly didn't want her to either. But I hadn't been able to stop thinking about that incident, not only because it was chilling, but because it really did remind me of what had just happened in her room. We had been out in the woods near campus one evening, having skipped out on our last class. I'd traded a pair of cute, rhinestone-studded sandals to Abby Badica for a bottle of peach schnapps – desperate, yes, but you did what you had to in Montana – which she'd somehow gotten hold of. Lissa had shaken her head in disapproval when I suggested cutting class to go put the bottle out of its misery, but she'd come along anyway. Like always. We found an old log to sit on near a scummy green marsh. A half-moon cast a tiny sliver of light on us, but it was more than enough for vampires and half-vampires to see by. Passing the bottle back and forth, I grilled her on Aaron. She'd fessed up that the two of them had had sex the weekend before, and I felt a surge of jealousy that she'd been the one to have sex first. â€Å"So what was it like?† She shrugged and took another drink. â€Å"I don't know. It wasn't anything.† â€Å"What do you mean it wasn't anything? Didn't the earth move or the planets align or something?† â€Å"No,† she said, smothering a laugh. â€Å"Of course not.† I didn't really get why that should be funny, but I could tell she didn't want to talk about it. This was around the time the bond had begun forming, and her emotions were starting to creep into me now and then. I held up the bottle and glared at it. â€Å"I don't think this stuff is working.† â€Å"That's because there's barely any alcohol in – â€Å" The sound of something moving in the brush came from nearby. I immediately shot up, putting my body between her and the noise. â€Å"It's some animal,† she said when a minute went by in silence. That didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. The school's wards kept out Strigoi, but wild animals often wandered into the outskirts of campus, posing their own threats. Bears. Cougars. â€Å"Come on,† I told her. â€Å"Let's head back.† We hadn't gone very far when I heard something moving again, and someone stepped out into our path. â€Å"Ladies.† Ms. Karp. We froze, and whatever quick reactions I'd shown back by the marsh disappeared as I delayed a few moments in hiding the bottle behind my back. A half-smile crossed her face, and she held out her hand. Sheepishly, I gave the bottle to her, and she tucked it under her arm. She turned without another word, and we followed, knowing there would be consequences to deal with. â€Å"You think no one notices when half a class is gone?† she asked after a little while. â€Å"Half a class?† â€Å"A few of you apparently chose today to skip. Must be the nice weather. Spring fever.† Lissa and I trudged along. I'd never been comfortable around Ms. Karp since the time she'd healed my hands. Her weird, paranoid behavior had taken on a strange quality to me – a lot stranger than before. Scary, even. And lately I couldn't look at her without seeing those marks by her forehead. Her deep red hair usually covered them but not always. Sometimes there were new marks; sometimes the old ones faded to nothing. A weird fluttering noise sounded to my right. We all stopped. â€Å"One of your classmates, I imagine,† murmured Ms. Karp, turning toward the sound. But when we reached the spot, we found a large black bird lying on the on the ground. Birds – and most animals – didn't do anything for me, but even I had to admire its sleek feathers and fierce beak. It could probably peck someone's eyes out in thirty seconds – if it weren't obviously dying. With a last, halfhearted shake, the bird finally went still. â€Å"What is that? Is it a crow?† I asked. â€Å"Too big,† said Ms. Karp. â€Å"It's a raven.† â€Å"Is it dead?† asked Lissa. I peered at it. â€Å"Yeah. Definitely dead. Don't touch it.† â€Å"Probably attacked by another bird,† observed Ms. Karp. â€Å"They fight over territory and resources sometimes.† Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals. She'd lectured me for days after I'd instigated the infamous hamster-and-hermit-crab fight. I'd viewed the fight as a testing of worthy opponents. She'd seen it as animal cruelty. Transfixed, she reached toward the raven. â€Å"Liss!† I exclaimed, horrified. â€Å"It's probably got a disease.† But her hand moved out like she hadn't even heard me. Ms. Karp stood there like a statue, her white face looking like a ghost's. Lissa's fingers stroked the raven's wings. â€Å"Liss,† I repeated, starting to move toward her, to pull her back. Suddenly, a strange sensation flooded through my head, a sweetness that was beautiful and full of life. The feeling was so intense, it stopped me in my tracks. Then the raven moved. Lissa gave a small scream and snatched her hand back. We both stared wide-eyed. The raven flapped its wings, slowly trying to right itself and stand up. When it managed to do so, it turned toward us, fixing Lissa with a look that seemed too intelligent for a bird, its eyes held hers, and I couldn't read her reaction through the bond. At long last, the raven broke the gaze and lifted into the air, strong wings carrying it away. Wind stirring the leaves was the only sound left. â€Å"Oh my God,† breathed Lissa. â€Å"What just happened?† â€Å"Hell if I know,† I said, hiding my stark terror. Ms. Karp strode forward and grabbed Lissa's arm, forcefully turning her so that they faced each other. I was there in a flash, ready to take action if Crazy Karp tried anything, though even I had qualms about taking down a teacher. â€Å"Nothing happened,† said Ms. Karp in an urgent voice, her eyes wild-looking. â€Å"Do you hear me? Nothing. And you can't tell anyone – anyone – about what you saw. Both of you. Promise me. Promise me you won't ever talk about this again.† Lissa and I exchanged uneasy glances. â€Å"Okay† she croaked out. Ms. Karp's grip relaxed a little. â€Å"And don't ever do it again. If you do, they'll find out. They'll try to find you.† She turned to me. â€Å"You can't let her do it. Not ever again.† On the quad, outside my dorm, someone was saying my name. â€Å"Hey, Rose? I've called you, like, a hundred times.† I forgot about Ms. Karp and the raven and glanced over at Mason, who had apparently started walking with me toward the dorm while I was off in la-la land. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled. â€Å"I'm out of it. Just†¦um, tired.† â€Å"Too much excitement last night?† I gave him a narrow-eyed look. â€Å"Nothing I couldn't handle.† â€Å"I guess,† he laughed, though he didn't exactly sound amused. â€Å"Sounds like Jesse couldn't handle it.† â€Å"He did okay.† â€Å"If you say so. But personally, I think you've got bad taste.† I stopped walking. â€Å"And I don't think it's any of your business.† He looked away angrily. â€Å"You made it the whole class's business.† â€Å"Hey, I didn't do that on purpose.† â€Å"Would've happened anyway. Jesse's got a big mouth.† â€Å"He wouldn't have told.† â€Å"Yeah,† said Mason. â€Å"Because he's so cute and has such an important family.† â€Å"Stop being an idiot,† I snapped. â€Å"And why do you even care? Jealous I'm not doing it with you?† His flush grew, going all the way to the roots of his red hair. â€Å"I just don't like hearing people talk shit about you, that's all. There are a lot of nasty jokes going around. They're calling you a slut.† â€Å"I don't care what they call me.† â€Å"Oh, yeah. You're really tough. You don't need anyone.† I stopped. â€Å"I don't. I'm one of the best novices in this fucking place. I don't need you acting all gallant and coming to my defense. Don't treat me like I'm some helpless girl.† I turned around and kept walking, but he caught up to me easily. The woes of being five-seven. â€Å"Look†¦I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just worried about you.† I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"I'm serious. Wait†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began. â€Å"I, uh, did something for you. Sort of. I went to the library last night and tried to look up St. Vladimir,† I stopped again. â€Å"You did?† â€Å"Yeah, but there wasn't much on Anna. All the books were kind of generic. Just talked about him healing people, bringing them back from the edge of death.† That last part hit a nerve. â€Å"Was†¦was there anything else?† I stammered. He shook his head. â€Å"No. You probably need some primary sources, but we don't have any here.† â€Å"Primary what?† He scoffed, a smile breaking over his face. â€Å"Do you do anything but pass notes? We just talked about them the other day in Andrews' class. They're books from the actual time period you want to study. Secondary ones are written by people living today. You'll get better information if you find something written by the guy himself. Or someone who actually knew him.† â€Å"Huh. Okay. What are you, like, a boy genius now?† Mason gave me a light punch in the arm. â€Å"I pay attention, that's all. You're so oblivious. You miss all sorts of things.† He smiled nervously. â€Å"And look†¦I really am sorry about what I said. I was just – â€Å" Jealous, I realized. I could see it in his eyes. How had I never noticed this before? He was crazy about me. I guess I really was oblivious. â€Å"It's all right, Mase. Forget about it.† I smiled. â€Å"And thanks for looking that stuff up.† He smiled back, and I went inside, sad that I didn't feel the same way about him.

Culture Acceptance of Homosexuality in the African-American Culture Essay

Different factions of sociologists depict men. Functionalists suggest that a division of labor originally arose between man and women because of the woman’s role in reproduction. By virtue of their larger size and greater muscular strength, men were assigned hunting and defense tasks. Conflict theorists reject functionalist arguments as simply offering a rationale for male dominance. They contend that a sexual division of labor is a social vehicle devised by men to assure themselves of privilege, prestige, and power in their relationships with women. By relegating women to the home, men have been able to deny women those resources they need to succeed in the larger world. Others say that the fundamental motive is men’s desire to have women readily available for sexual gratification. And still others emphasize that the appropriation of women is not for copulation but for procreation, especially to produce male heirs and daughters who can be used as exchanges in cementing political economic alliances with other families (Hinkle, 1994). Indeed, this gender stratification promotes the survival of the species and fulfilling their label to be strong, men even use violence to assert their so-called masculinity, which in any case is portrayed by the sociologists as the more superior specie. But when one takes a closer look into Kinsey’s reports, he or she won’t help but notice an honest existence of a â€Å"third kind† or the second-class citizens as the popular belief says in the persons of the homosexuals (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993). For the best information on sexual characteristics, we are indebted to the Kinsey reports. Kinsey’s greatest contribution was the discovery that individual differences in sexual behavior are truly amazing. The reports were designed to give a scientific gloss to the normalization of promiscuity and deviancy. Kinsey’s initial report, released in 1948 stunned the nation by saying that American men were so sexually wild that â€Å"95% of them could be accused of some kind of sexual offense under 1940s laws† (Kinsey et al. , 1948). The report included reports of sexual activity by boys, even babies, and said, â€Å"37% of adult males had had at least one homosexual experience† (Kinsey et al. , 1948). Homosexuality is a preference for an individual of the same sex as a sexual partner. The Alfred C. Kinsey Institute for Sex Research estimates that five to six percent of the adult population is predominantly homosexual. However, since there are so many gradations in sexual behavior and preferences, many sociologists and psychologists take the view that there heterosexual or homosexual practices but not homosexual individuals (Halgin, 2006). In brief, homosexuality and heterosexuality are terms that describe behavior, not the identity of a person. But gender identity confusion can lead to fear of homosexuality. But behavior is not grossly disorganized, nor is functioning impaired if the delusions are not acted out. A gay man or a lesbian may or may not elect to engage in homosexual behavior (Bell and Weinberg, 1998). Father’s Presence A boy prefers the company of boys; his favorite toys are cars and trucks and wants to be a fireman or policeman. The parents treated both the children differently, even though they are technically the same. This shows how parents do seek to socialize children into their gender roles, even if they are doing it unconsciously. Parents provide distinctive environments for boys and girls. They give them different toys and clothes and decorate their rooms differently (Fagot, 1995). They respond negatively to more obvious forms of cross-sex behavior. A very young boy who tries on his mother high-heeled shoes or puts on a dress or lipstick may be regarded with amused tolerance, but such behavior in older children is regarded as outrageous rather than funny. Father reacts especially strongly to any such signs of feminine tendencies in their sons (Nicolosi, 1991). The men may interpret certain kinds of feminine interests or actions as signs of developing homosexual tendencies in their sons and react to their tendencies in the strongest terms (Nicolosi, 1991). Psychologists described the uniformity of reports from literature that gay males had poorer relations with their fathers and concludes, â€Å"Every study reported findings that their relationships with their fathers were unsatisfying with the father variously described as cold, rejecting, indifferent, hostile, or simply distant† (Moberly, 1983). Likewise it was concluded that the homosexuals hurtful relationship with the father results in defensive detachment, which is carried over to relationships with other men. Homosexuality becomes a form of a reparative drive (Nicolosi, 1991) in which the boy seeks a nurturing male relationship to undo the repression and regain the lost father. Significant environmental issues such as the impact of the father-son relationship are indicated as important in the development of adult male homosexual orientation. As scholars suggested, the father-child relationship is one of many crucial elements in the development of any child. Deficits in this area may result in adverse effects to the child’s (and later adult child’s) identification with self as an adult, and this identification is generally considered to be crucial in determining the way in which children and adults form relationships with others (Blankenhorn, 1995). Conversely, boys seemed to conform to the sex-role standards of their culture when their relationships with their fathers were warm, regardless of how masculine the fathers were, even though warmth and intimacy have traditionally been seen as feminine characteristics (Blankenhorn, 1995). Son’s pubertal development was a significant predictor of both information sharing and, to a lesser extent, values sharing, with fathers more likely to talk with sons who had attained more physical development. The father’s recognition of his son’s physical development appears to be an important factor in talking about sexuality. When fathers see their sons maturing physically, they may become aware of the increased possibility of sexual initiation, and this possibility spurs them to discussion of sexual topics (Moberly, 1983). In the movie Billy Elliot, the simple rights of gay people are also advanced. In terms of personality traits, boys are generally aggressive, independent, dominant, competitive, logical, direct, adventurous, self-confident, and ambitious. Boys are described as closemouthed, rough, and sloppy in their habits. Boys do not usually enjoy art and literature, and cannot easily express and find it easy to express their feelings. This is what it means to be masculine in the eyes of biased society. But Billy, more than the fondness for boxing his father wants for him, his natural flair falls for dancing, an art predominantly associated with girls. Most families, like that of Billy, urge boys to be little men even before they have any idea what it means to be a man. As a matter of fact, there is even more pressure on boys to be masculine than on girls to be feminine. They are constantly warned not to act like girls, not cry, not to be sissies. Most people have always considered it worse for a boy to be a sissy than for a girl to be a tomboy. Boys may have to prove themselves by being athletic or by being tough, men by making a lot of money or by being a man’s man in whatever way this is defined by their associates. But the burden of proof is always present. And the burden is heavier than most people think. When cooing to a baby in a crib, they use one tone of voice toward a girl, a different one toward a boy. Mothers look at baby girl more often and talk to her more frequently. By and large, children have been brought up to believe that women should be pretty and preferably slim, while men should be tall and strong (Sheinberg, 2004). This familial stereotyping is even carried on to the bigger world of the boys known as school. In the world that children enter at 6 there is a new adult, the teacher, whose discipline boys must conform to and whose acceptance they must court. Ordinarily the teacher is a woman, like the mother, and children’s behavior toward their mother can be generalized toward her. But boys who are identifying with their father and rebelling against their mother often have trouble in the early grades. They may be less fearful of rejection by the teacher and therefore more reluctant to accept her influence (Sheinberg, 2004). It was also found that father’s age at first intercourse would predict father-son sex-based communication. The rationale was that fathers who were sexually active at an earlier age would remember their experiences and would see their sons as needing information (Moberly, 1983). On the other hand, fathers who had sexual intercourse at a later age may believe it is best to wait, and they may talk with sons to instill this same value, while fathers who had sex at an early age might believe it best to inform their sons about sex in order to prepare them for it (Moberly, 1983). Without a doubt, among African Americans, a father is the most important thing a boy can have in his life. They relate to one another on a level that cannot be achieved through a mother-son relationship. It is important to have communication in the relationship because talking brings the two closer. A father, though, needs to know when to play an active role in his son’s life, and when to be more of an observer. If he mixes the two up, serious repercussions may occur. A father can be the best thing in his son’s life, but he needs to care for the right (Sheinberg, 2004). Masculinity Another expert to have studied sexuality is Margaret Mead. Margaret Mead (1949) edified a good number of Americans about the significance of examining sensitively and plainly at other cultures to better comprehend the intricacies of humanness. She contends that it seems quite probable that nature creates some inborn tendencies. But there is ample proof that heredity alone does not necessarily push men toward being independent and aggressive, nor women toward being passive and submissive (Mead, 1949). In one tribe that Mead studied, both men and women were what we would call highly feminine. Both sexes shunned aggression. Both took care of and nurtured the children. In modern times, girls and women are considered feminine unless they display overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but boys and men have to win the right to be called masculine. They have to prove their masculinity; they have to face and succeed in all kinds of financial, intellectual, sexual, and physical tests. The testing process starts early and continues throughout life (Mead, 1949). In the other tribe, the members of one sex spent all their time applying cosmetics, gossiping, putting, engaging in emotional outbursts, and taking care of the children. Members of the other sex had clean-shaven heads, scorned any makeup or ornamentation, were active and domineering, and provided most of the tribe’s food and other necessities. But the last sentence describes how the women behaved. The preceding sentence, about a fondness for cosmetics and emotional outbursts, describes the men (Mead, 1949). The motives for affiliation and dependency are universal. So are the emotions that accompany them. Society’s demand to suppress them is in effect a demand to transcend humanity. And efforts to do so can never completely succeed. Since it is impossible to program out all emotions, even the most extreme he-man can only approximate the masculine ideal. Thus every man, aware of the stirrings of the softer and weaker emotion he tries so dutifully to hide, is bound to worry about his own masculinity. Otherwise, he is prejudged as gay, a sissy, or a homosexual (Duberman, et al. , 1989). The Religion’s Take The church usually operates with a bureaucratic structure and claims to include most of the members of a society. The difficulties the society has experienced in recent years are reflective of that of the ancient times and have contributed to the resurgence of conservative Christianity (Fisher, et al. , 1994). We have seen in Christie Davies’ Sexual Taboos and Social Boundaries that religion may be a conservative force, impeding modernization and reaffirming traditional authority (Davies, 1982). The bold article tackles Christianity’s bias against such so-called sexual taboos as homosexuality, bestiality, and transvestism in North America and Europe. That is, Christianity is associable with such concepts as hypocrisy, racism, narrow-mindedness and conservativism (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Davies is referring to the passages in the Bible, which state that homosexuality is wrong. These occur most prominently in Deuteronomy. Is it not entirely possible for instance to believe that the Bible is entirely true except those passages which condemn homosexuality which were inserted later by corrupt scribes (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Second, because homosexuals are considered deviants, the religious, military, and political principals find a way to give them a reprehensible image by consolidating their boundaries. The symbolic interactionist perspective has been a useful tool for examining the complexities of this heterosexual-homosexual relationship. Thus, should the roles of certain members of the society depart from the normal conventions bordering on the taboo, as homosexuals have been automatically deemed doing, invariably there are spiteful consequences for their behavior and actions (Fisher, et al. , 1994). And third, Davies argues that the society’s mainstream institutions dictate and shape the homosexuals’ experiences. In large part, they unconsciously build up their sense of reality by the way the society orders its social agendas and structures social alternatives. To the extent that they are locked within the social environment provided by the heterosexual culture, the homosexual segment inhabits a somewhat restricted world outside and is thus considered an external threat to any open social frontier (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Homosexual acts were punishable by death among the ancient Hebrews, but accepted and even admired by the Greeks. Later, the early Christians held that abstinence was the noblest form of sexual behavior, but at about the same time, the Romans were indulging in their famous orgies in the Colosseum (Fisher, et al. , 1994). In England, at the time of Queen Elizabeth, sex was treated with a frankness and frequently with a ribaldry that has no parallel in Western history. A little later, under Queen Victoria, it was regarded with such great circumspection that among some groups of these very same Englishmen, one would hardly have known that coitus ever took place and any falls from propriety were the cause of great scandal and disgrace (Lenski and Lenski, 1999). Moreover, Davies also touches on dehumanization or slavery by way of Christian association. In the Western society, significant segments of the population reject coexistence with minorities in equal terms. Women and homosexuals are subsumed in the list of minorities in the large group of African Americans (Davies, 1982). The current debate suggests that Christianity or any religion for that matter, remains a powerful moving force in Western life. People are not close to resolving how to relate people’s religious lives to their religious lives. Each generation must tackle its own church-state question as Christie Davies does with homosexuality in her article (Davies, 1982). Furthermore, broadly considered, long-term relationship, heterosexual or homosexual, should be considered as families. The social definition of the family as a group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption has come to its revolutionary point of reshaping into such as a group of people who love and care or each other regardless of spiritual background or sexual preference (Fisher, et al. , 1994). Some gays and lesbians are married, have children, and lead lives that in most respects are indistinguishable from those of the larger population. However, homosexual adults who have come to terms with their homosexuality, who do not regret their sexual orientation, and who can function effectively sexually and socially, are no more distressed psychologically than are heterosexual men and women (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Homophobia Few people in the history of Western society have been more scorned, feared, and stigmatized than homosexuals. To put in a more appropriate context, these people who fear, hate, and persecute the homosexuals are homophobic (Kagay, 1999). Gays and lesbians often hold values and beliefs that are different from those of the dominant culture. Because of the controversial nature of being gay or lesbian, and the heavy social proscriptions against it, many individuals are reluctant to â€Å"come out of the closet† or to reveal their membership in this co-culture. As more gays and lesbians identify themselves publicly, they find that their attitudes and communication patterns often clash with people who do not understand the gay and lesbian co-cultures (Vander Zanden, 1995). When the collision involves the arbitrary denial of privilege, prestige, and power to members of the homosexual co-culture whose qualifications are equal to those of members of the dominant group as the heterosexuals, then generally, sociologists can easily label this as discrimination. And when the attitudes of aversion and hostility toward the homosexual co-culture abound because they simply belong to it and hence are presumed to have the objectionable qualities ascribed to it, then the label becomes prejudice (Vander Zanden, 1993). Whereas prejudice is an attitude or a state of mind, discrimination is action. Therefore, phobia as an irrational part of a person’s mentality makes homophobia basically a prejudice that may lead to discrimination but cannot grow to be a form of racism (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Racism or racialism is a belief in the superiority of some races over others. It also involves prejudice against or hatred of other races. Discriminating behavior is also defining element in racism. Be that as it may, racism is based on none other than racial membership and in this paper’s case, on sexual preference or orientation too. Stereotypically, it is based on the color of the skin, the texture of the hair, the facial features, the stature, and the shape of the heads. Biologists typically view races as populations that differ in the incidence of various hereditary traits. More narrowly, they conceive of a race or subspecies as an inbreeding, geographically isolated population that differs in hereditary traits from other members of the species (Bullough & Bullough 1996). Hereditary is the key term. Although there are some floating nature-nurture debate on the tendency to be homosexual, being gay or lesbian is more broadly accepted as a behavior than a heritable peculiarity (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Homosexuality knows no color or physical feature. Although gays whiten the color of their skin, stretch their hair length, effeminize their facial features, glamorize their stature, or cosmetically alter the shape of their heads, they cannot be classified a race but a co-culture instead (Bell and Weinberg, 1998). Although racial stratification is similar to other systems of stratification in which African Americans are a part of, including gender stratification, in its essential features, there tends to be one major difference. Racial and ethnic groups often have the potential for carving their own independent nation from the existing state (Klonoff & Landrine, 2000). Political separatism may offer racial groups a solution that is not available to gender groups. Gender groups typically lack the potential for becoming self-sufficient political states because they do not function as self-sufficient social or economic groups (Vander Zanden, 1995). Homosexuals are a varied group. They are found in all occupational fields, political persuasions, religious faiths, and racial and ethnic groups. Some are married, have children, and lead lives that in most respects are indistinguishable from those of the larger population. Others enter homosexual unions that are relatively durable (Kagay, 1999). In fact, if homosexuality could be considered a part of the gender stratification, then homophobia could even be more appropriately subsumed by the realms of sexism than racism. But the homosexual population cannot be undervalued that a gay joke can testify to their numbers: â€Å"I wonder why gay people multiply. They don’t have any vagina but they seem born twice a straight baby girl’s chance. † In many modern nations, the members of some groups participate in the main culture of the society while simultaneously sharing with one another a number of unique values, norms, traditions, and lifestyles. These cultural patterns are termed a co-culture (Vander Zanden, 1993). African American co-cultures that have become prominent in the United States partly because of their numbers and partly because of their lack of subscription to many of the mainstream beliefs, attitudes, and values. Although there are many co-cultures in the United States, the homosexual culture has become increasingly prominent because of their demands for equality.

A Brief Analysis Of A Streetcar Named Desire

A Brief Analysis Of A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, is an American drama play written in 1947. The play is widely considered an American classic and revolves around a cultural clash between the main characters. One of the more tragic figures is Blanche DuBois, as she is a character who feels confused, lost, conflicted, and lashes out sexually. Blanche represents the â€Å"old† South because of her way of thinking, values, and lifestyle. Contrary to Blanche, Stanley Kowalski is a main character that is portrayed as being dominant, aggressive, and sexual. Stanley represents the â€Å"new† South because of his dominance and control over Stella. Both these characters embody values which portray William’s message of the â€Å"old† versus â€Å"new† South. Tennessee Williams attempts to show through Stanley’s character that American is changing into a more aggressive, direct, and raw society. Stanley is a very dominant and somewhat arrogant character , who usually gets what he desires, such as when he rapes Blanche. Another clear example of Stanley’s dominance is the Napoleonic code, â€Å"we have the Napoleonic code according to which what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband† (35). His controlling and sexual character is evident throughout the play, including in the end in which he makes love with Stella after Blanche is taken to the hospital. Sexuality is also a theme throughout the play, as Williams is a homosexual and attempts to demonstrate homosexuality in a positive light through Stanley’s superficial and egoistical actions. An evident example is when Blanche wanted Stella to come with her and says that Stella is almost everything that she has in this world. However, Stanley sees Blanche taking Stella away and refuses to let Stella go, acting as if an animal that is protecting his territory. An example is when Stanley establishes power over Blanche through his marriage, as they are both fightin g for Stella, â€Å"Stella has embraced him with both arms, fiercely, and full in the view of Blanche. He laughs and clasps her head to him. Over her head he grins through the curtains at Blanche† (73). Stanley remains hostile towards Blanche throughout the play because of this incident, and meanwhile Blanche is having a difficult time adapting to the â€Å"new† South. Stella is unlike Blanche in the sense that she has learned to accept and adapt to the â€Å"new† South, however Blanche is still trying to cope with the loss of her husband. She could not overcome losing her husband, as he was a large part of her life and she was becoming mentally ill and delusional from the loss, â€Å"you know what I shall die of? I shall die of eating an unwashed grape one day out on the ocean† (136). An example is how she is consistently bathing to feel like a â€Å"new person†. She attempts to wash off the dirt which resonates from the past and tries to clear he r mind with frequent showers. Blanche also resorts to alcohol to alleviate her problems; however she has to hide it, as she realizes that it will hurt her reputation, â€Å"She rushes about frantically, hiding the bottle in a closet† (113). All this begins with the death of her husband.