Nucleic Acid Question and Answer Essay Sample free essay sample

A. DNA Extraction Virtual Lab [ 2 Markss ] Question 1 [ 1. 0 grade ] Isolate nucleated cells into eppendorf tubing ( right get downing measure ) . Add 500 ul 10 % SDS and 55 ul protease K ( 10 mg/ml stock ) . Incubate at 37?C with soft commixture or rocking. Add 1. 4 milliliter saturated NaCl solution ( about 6M ) . Spin eppendorf tubings at 10000 revolutions per minute in a extractor for 15 proceedingss. Shake the tubing smartly for 15 seconds to let protein to precipitate. Transfer the supernatant to another eppendorf tubing. go forthing behind the precipitated protein pellet Add precisely two volumes of 100 % isopropyl alcohol at room temperature. Spin eppendorf tubings at 2500 revolutions per minute in a extractor for 15 proceedingss. Invert the tubing several times until the DNA precipitate is seeable. Remove supernatant from tubing. go forthing behind the precipitated DNA pellet. Dissolve DNA pellet in little volume of TE ( Tris-EDTA ) buffer or H2O ( right stoping measure ) . Question 2 [ 1. 0 grade ] When TE buffer or H2O is added. the Deoxyribonucleic acid pellet is able to fade out. We will write a custom essay sample on Nucleic Acid Question and Answer Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However. in the presence of ethyl alcohol. the Deoxyribonucleic acid will precipitate. This is because. unlike H2O. ethyl alcohol has a low insulator invariable as it is less polar. That means that Na+ and PO3- could interact with each other more easy and do the Deoxyribonucleic acid to go less hydrophilic and be precipitated alternatively. B. Gel Electrophoresis Virtual Lab [ 2 Markss ] Question 1 [ 1. 0 grade ] The pieces of Deoxyribonucleic acid have to travel through the gel. where there will be some opposition. Large DNA fragments will confront more trouble in making so as they can non steal through the holes easy. Higher concentration of the gel will do the hole size to diminish so the Deoxyribonucleic acid can non go through through it easy. It will be slowed down and travel an even shorter distance or non be able to go much at all. This could take to inaccurate or indecipherable consequences. Question 2 [ 1. 0 grade ] Dye is used so as to better observe and track the motion of the atoms during cataphoresis. This is because we can non see the DNA coloring material with bare oculus. The lading dye will assist weigh down the Deoxyribonucleic acid so it will drop the underside of the gel and non float. C. PCR Virtual Lab [ 2 Markss ] Question 1 [ 1. 0 grade ] Extracted Deoxyribonucleic acid: this is of import so that we can retroflex the Deoxyribonucleic acid more times. It is used as a t emplet. Primer 1: Primer attach to the sites on the DNA strands that will be amplified so that they can copy specific DNA sequences without aiming the incorrect site. So Primer 1 will attach to the first site ( the start ) . Primer 2: Primer 2 will attach to the 2nd site ( the terminal ) . Nucleotides: Forms the base that makes up the Deoxyribonucleic acid codification. DNA polymerase: Attaches the Deoxyribonucleic acid codification it reads to the fiting base to do multiple transcripts of the DNA. Question 2 [ 1. 0 grade ] EDTA acts as a chelating agent. It binds cations and prevents enzymes from adhering to the Deoxyribonucleic acid. With increased concentration of the EDTA. there may non be good reaction conditions for Deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases due to extra of cations. This means that the Deoxyribonucleic acid can sometimes non be identified decently. However. there will non be any other new DNA fragments added so no 1 will be wrongly convicted. Entire / Maximum Marks: / 6 Markss

Practical Tips and Prompts on How to Write Ethics Essay

Practical Tips and Prompts on How to Write Ethics Essay Ethics in every society is significant as it helps shape people’s behaviors. The ethics concept has been in use since the beginning of human civilization and has been used as a mechanism for preserving peace and promoting positive cohabitation among the members of society. Unlike the written law that governs people’s conduct on the basis of stipulated do’s and don’ts, ethics is a self-governing concept that keeps the society at equilibrium. In this case, ethics governs areas where laws are unavailable. Professors assign ethics essays to students to evaluate their ability to describe, illustrate, apply, and criticize concepts relating to ethics as a branch of philosophy. Ethics studies entail defending, systematizing, and recommending concepts regarding right and wrong conduct. Moreover, the ethics essay writing assignments help students not only to understand the factors that influence right and wrong decisions but also improve writing skills and analytica l abilities. When your ethics professor asks you to write an ethics essay, they are simply asking you to consider: Your understanding of the ethics philosophy field of study; Your ability to choose and explore appropriate and current ethics topics; Your ability to explore theoretical concepts in ethics and relate them to issues in real life; Your ability to draw conclusions on issues relating to ethics and morality. When drafting and compiling your essay on ethics, consider the above factors as they will help you write high-quality essays that not only help you refine your writing skills but also meet your professor and course requirements. The ethics essay writing guide below provides practical tips that will help with your writing process. Pre-Writing Tips Writing an ethics essay is a process that involves more than just drafting and compiling a write-up. Most students have a tendency to hold off essay assignments until the last minute. Understanding that essay writing is a process should guide you in altering your perceptions and expectations regarding the research and writing process. Writing a stellar ethics essay involves numerous steps ranging from topic selection to researching, and creating an outline. Prewriting tips refer to the processes you should engage in before compiling the first draft of the essay. The pre-writing steps are listed below. Topic selection. Topic selection is one of the most important aspects of essay writing regardless of the area of study. If your professor does not provide you with an ethics essay topic, you can write on, conduct preliminary research on various ethics topics, whether on philosophy or sociology before settling on one topic. Moreover, select a variety of topics you are familiar with and those with readily available information. Brainstorming. Brainstorming involves thinking about the items you are going to write about. You should seek answers to the following questions as a way of brainstorming: What questions will I answer in the ethics essay and each paragraph? How best can I respond to the questions? What facts and supporting arguments can I use to support my claims? Do I need more facts about the chosen ethics topic? At this point, note down any ideas that cross your mind to help you structure concepts concerning issues pertaining to topics in ethics. Gather facts. Gathering facts entails conducting research immediately after brainstorming. During this phase, search and write down facts that will help you answer the questions listed above. Ensure the facts you gather and those you intend to use are related to the questions you are going to answer in each paragraph. Information gathering should be purposeful and should focus on the theme of your chosen ethics field of study. Note taking. Once you have gathered enough content on the subject matter, you should take notes. The note-taking process should accompany the researching process to lay down the essential elements of your topic. It also helps you save time when you’re writing your essay. Make an outline. Now that you are equipped with an overall idea of your essay topic, the content you will incorporate in the essay, and the idea of what information to write each paragraph on, make an outline of what content should be written in the introduction section, the body, and the conclusion. The outline should provide a platform for developing the essay theme. Moreover, outlining the points structures your ideas into concrete pieces of information that can be written for informative purposes. Working On Your Ethics Essay Topic: A Few Ideas from Our Top Writers Often, professors assign students a common topic in the respective ethics area of study. Consequently, the chances are that your professor has selected and assigned you the topic for your ethics essay. If this is the case, you can skip this part and go to other sections of the guide. However, the articulated ethics essay writing tips may help you with other essays that you will encounter in the course of your studies. Additionally, the lecturer may present several topics from which you are required to select a topic for your ethics essay. If this is the case, choose a topic you are conversant with and the one with adequate and readily available information. Regardless of whether you are selecting a topic from a list or whether you are required to identify an issue, you will study, you need to analyze the general outline of the chosen subject matter to understand whether the topic requires you to analyze, apply, or evaluate a certain aspect of ethics. Topic selection provides you with skills and necessary flexibility to choose topics that interest and challenge your abilities. Follow the next steps to help you with the topic selection process. Define your essay objective. The purpose of your intended essay is the first guide that provides you with a direction for drafting an essay. Therefore, think and analyze the purpose of your essay before settling on a particular type. In other words, explore whether your essay should be informative, persuasive, evaluative, or based on the application of concepts. Brainstorm topics of interest. After defining the objective of your essay, write down several topics in the field of ethics. In case you face problems coming up with suitable topics, seek advice from your professor or your peers on suitable ethics topics. However, the chosen topic should interest you and be in line with the lecturer’s expectations. Evaluate the potential topics. Evaluate each potential topic individually and assess which fits your intended purpose, intended scope, availability of resources, and your ability to tackle it. The examples below provide you with an overview of ethics essay topics: Should Violent Criminals Be Executed or Incarcerated when the Likelihood of Rehabilitation Is Low? Should Prostitution Be Legalized as a Form of Trade? Should the Right to Die Be Protected by Law? Is It Immoral to Consume the Flesh of Other Creatures? Is It Ethical to Limit Population Growth to a Level that the Planet Can Maintain Sustainably? The Main Terms that Define Urban Studies Essays Your professor can ask you to write essays in ethics for analysis, application, or evaluation of ethical practices that guide human behavior and conduct in a society, as well as the judgment of certain behaviors, either right or wrong. Analysis. The analysis in ethic denotes the act of defining concepts into smaller entities to promote understanding of the way different elements constitute an idea. In the ethics analysis essays, think about each element of the chosen topic and how it contributes to the success of the entire piece. For instance, when analyzing the concept of abortion among teenagers, think about the factors that influence thoughts about abortion, issues that predispose teenagers to early pregnancies, the impacts of abortion on the teenagers and significant kin. In addition, ensure the essay provides statements that can be explained step-by-step. An appropriate ethics essay should answer why and how questions rather than what questions. Application. The lecturer may not ask you to apply concepts directly. However, it is important that you apply concepts in the ethics field of study into practical day occurrences somewhere in your essay. Consequently, you need to understand important terms in ethics, as well as concepts and theories that can be applied in context. Evaluation. When writing evaluation forms of essays, ensure you participate in the research and writing process. You should provide the overall context of your ethics essay and assess the application of specific concepts into different contexts. An evaluative ethics case should provide arguments and counter-arguments, as well as evidence that supports your claim. On the other occasions, the professor may ask you to critique or evaluate case studies of research articles on ethics topics. In such a case, be objective and assess every aspect of the case study or research article. Persuasion. Persuasive essays are written to persuade the target audience to accept a certain point of view or adopt certain practices. In persuasive essays, the write up should be structured in a way that provides supportive evidence that convinces the audience to accept your perspectives. You need to respond to the following questions when writing a persuasive essay on the ethics topics: Do I have the right type of information needed to convince the readers about my position and claims in ethics? What type of statistics, evidence, and facts do I need to present to the target readers? The well-thought answers to the above questions will help you determine the keywords you need to use in the ethics essay. Appropriate Structure for an Ethics Essay Writing An appropriate outline of the ethics essay should have at least the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. The outline should appear as indicated below: Introduction. The introduction should occupy approximately 10% of the entire essay and explain the way your essay interprets the title, the issues it explores, and the conclusion that you draw from the essay discussion. Moreover, it is important to provide an outline of the essay. In this regard, explain the parts of the essay and the issues it discusses. Both the purpose statement and the thesis statement should form the last element of the introduction and provide accurate information concerning the essay’s content and arguments. Body. The body of the essay should take up to 80% of the essay content because it is the main part of the paper. Depending on the ideas and themes you intend to explore in your essay, the number of paragraphs may vary from three to four. However, the length of the essay helps in determining the number of paragraphs that constitute the body section. For instance, a one-page essay may only accommodate one body paragraph. Regardless of the number of the body paragraphs each should develop and explore the major essay arguments. Each should have a topic sentence and evidence that supports claims made in each topic sentence. Focus on the following elements when writing each essay paragraph. The main discussion point in each paragraph; The arguments that need to be provided within each paragraph; The type of evidence required to support the claims made and its implication; The paragraph’s ability to link the essay topic and essay title. Conclusion. Similar to the introduction, the last part of the ethics essay should comprise approximately 10% of the essay. At this point, you should restate your thesis statement, summarize the essay, describe why your essay is significant, and make recommendations where necessary. Do not introduce new points and arguments in the conclusion section. However, you can provide an action plan where possible. The recommendations can be a stand-alone text or form part of the conclusion. Post-Writing Tips Proofreading and referencing constitute the most important tips in ensuring your essay is appropriate and suitable to attain a high grade. Proofreading is equivalent to reviewing your essay to ensure it is free of grammar, sentence structure, and tense mistakes among other errors that occur during the writing process. The content should be coherent. This implies that proofreading should involve reading through the text to ensure the sentences and ideas make sense and are clear. The proofreading should not begin immediately after writing the final draft of the essay; rather, take a break to enhance your objectivity.

Hamlet - Character Analysis and Relationships

Hamlet - Character Analysis and Relationships Hamlet is the melancholy Prince of Denmark and grieving son to the recently deceased King. Thanks to Shakespeare’s skillful and psychologically-astute characterization, Hamlet is now considered to be the greatest dramatic character ever created. Hamlets Grief From our very first encounter with Hamlet, he is consumed by grief and obsessed by death. Although he is dressed in black to signify his mourning, his emotions run deeper than his appearance or words can convey. In Act 1, Scene 2, he says to his mother: ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good-mother,Nor customary suits of solemn black ...Together with all forms, moods, shows of griefThat can denote me truly. These indeed ‘seem’,For they are actions that a man might play;But I have that within which passeth show –These but the trappings and the suits of woe. The depth of Hamlet’s emotional turmoil can be measured against the high spirits displayed by the rest of the court. Hamlet is pained to think that everyone has managed to forget his father so quickly – especially his mother, Gertrude. Within a month of her husband’s death, Gertrude has married her brother-in-law. Hamlet cannot comprehend his mother’s actions and considers them to be an act of treachery. Hamlet and Claudius Hamlet idealizes his father in death and describes him as â€Å"so excellent a king† in his â€Å"O that this too too solid flesh would melt† speech in Act 1, Scene 2. It is, therefore, impossible for the new king, Claudius, to live up to Hamlet’s expectations. In the same scene, he pleads with Hamlet to think upon him as a father – an idea that furthers Hamlet’s contempt: We pray you to throw to earthThis unprevailing woe, and think of usAs of a father When the ghost reveals that Claudius killed the king to take the throne, Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s murder. However, Hamlet is emotionally disorientated and finds it difficult to take action. He cannot balance his overwhelming hatred for Claudius, his all-encompassing grief and the evil required to carry out his revenge. Hamlet’s desperate philosophizing leads him into a moral paradox: that he must commit murder to avenge murder. Hamlet’s act of revenge is inevitably delayed amid his emotional turmoil. Hamlet After Exile We see a different Hamlet return from exile in Act 5: his emotional turmoil has been replaced by perspective, and his anxiety replaced by cool rationality. By the final scene, Hamlet has come to the realization that killing Claudius is his destiny: Theres a divinity that shapes our ends,Rough-hew them how we will. Perhaps Hamlet’s new-found confidence in fate is little more than a form of self-justification; a way to rationally and morally distance himself from the murder he is about to commit. It is the complexity of Hamlet’s characterization that has made him so enduring. Today, it is difficult to appreciate how revolutionary Shakespeare’s approach to Hamlet was because his contemporaries were still penning two-dimensional characters. Hamlet’s psychological subtlety emerged in a time before the concept of psychology had been invented – a truly remarkable feat.

Theory and concepts of creating a financial model Essay

Theory and concepts of creating a financial model - Essay Example Management should be skeptical of the model assumptions that will be related to the recommendation. There are different types of financial models that are used for various purposes. For example, a cash flow model is regarded as a powerful tool that can assist a financial team with project future performance in a business venture by evaluating the effect of that type transaction such as an an acquisition and LBO(Shim 2007, 67)2. It is also able to calculate returns and perform ration analysis. Financial models for investment options or product services are often custom developed in excel sheets as they take into account for unique characteristics such as cost structure, product market and competitive situation. The following guidelines should be used: Outline the model the type of model structure that would include the general output and the key components.The weight cost and the advantages of the type of model will also be factored in. The forecasting future method should be used in any financial model (Fernholz 2002, 56). When constructing a cash flow model there are a number assumptions that must be included. In this kind of financial model, there is a deterministic approach that uses certain simplifications.Among them is the investment of return that is known and does not usually vary from year to year. Another important aspect is that this rate is the same rate that will be used to discount the reserves and the third aspect is that the ultimate loss ration will be accurately predicted. There are some concepts that one has to know when creating a financial model like a cash flow model. Firstly, you have to have to start with the in mind- This will be inclusive of whether you are pricing options of an investment or building3. With the Cash flow model, you should be able to check for assumptions. From this you would be able to get truthfully generate outputs with a certain number of inputs. This kind of model should be one that you are able to adjust automatic ally and should be dynamic depending on your inputs. This model does not give room for a formula, like for instance, that will multiply a specific number of units with the determined price (Hambrook 2003, 95). This gives room in case the price might change in future. If you use a fixed formula and the prices change in the future, you will be forced to go the right cell of the Excel sheet and make changes every time the price changes. One of the major concerns that most investors have is determining the relationship between the risk and the return of a financial asset. This kind of information can be obtained in his portfolio. It is general knowledge that there is a good relationship between the risk and the expected return of a financial asset. In other words, when the risk of an asset increases, so does its expected return. What this means is that if an investor is taking on a big risk, he is expected to be compensated for doing so with a higher return of sales in the futures. Simi larly, if the investor wants to boost or increase the the expected return of the investment, he needs to be prepared to take on more risk. This is the reason why a portfolio is used to give this important relationship. It is important to note that the concept of Modern Portfolio Theory to show the connection between the risk and return of a portfolio of financial assets. The three types of portfolios that will help us

Roger Shimomura's artwork writing assignment Essay

Roger Shimomura's artwork writing assignment - Essay Example e strategies include, but are not limited to: appropriation, masquerade, subversion, juxtaposition, irony, tabulation, and disturbing stereotypical thinking. The paper will aim at undertaking the analysis in order to understand how the strategies were used to represent racism and stereotypes that were directed towards Asians and how this racist and stereotypical representation is not behind the society. In Roger Shimomura’s yellow terror, there are many themes that this works display and they can be understood by having a close look and interpretation of the collection. At the Wing Luke Asian Museum, the fact that the paintings are professional works of art that says it all. One of the paintings known as the different citizens is made up such that on the right of the painting someone sees a modest gray self portrait of Roger Shimomura. On the left side there is a ridiculous caricature of a Japanese military officer who is smiling and the officer is represented as a person who has yellow skin, buck teeth, slanted eyes and oversized ears1. Through this work of art, Roger Shimomura is trying to presents some aspects of racism that existed and until today. The artwork can specifically be interpreted as the use of artwork by Roger Shimomura to show his audience the racist lens that filtered the perception of Japanese Americans. Another obvious piece of art that depicts racism by Roger Shimomura is the Roger and Janet art work in which Roger Shimomura is shown to be a big-mouthed individual, who has buck- tooth, the stereotypical big ears, and a screaming mouth next to the blue eyed wife as depicted in the art. Examining the largest painting in the exhibition yellow terror, it is evident that Roger Shimomura uses the caricatures of Japanese soldiers, which are represented as individuals who crash, tumble and collide. Roger Shimomura himself is at the center of this chaos which pushes his eyes into a slant as if creating the nightmare mental picture of the Japanese

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay He was not joining some far-flung military effort of his country of birth: The 25-yearold from Brooklyn was joining the U. S. Marine Corps. A legal permanent resident, Alexandr can join the U. S. military even though he is not a citizen. His decision is not that unusual. Thousands of immigrants join each year; indeed, recently in cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles immigrant enlistees have been joining in higher proportions than their peers in the general population. Some do it for the training or employment possibilities, but others are motivated by allegiance to their new country. As Alexandr said, â€Å"It doesn’t matter that America is not my country; New York is my city, and what happened shook my life. I feel patriotic, and I have this itch now to go sooner† (Chen and Sengupta 2001:A1). So the United States, with its diverse racial and ethnic heritage and new immigrants, is a country that respects its multiculturalism. Or does it? In July 2004, Jefferson County in Texas tried to bring to a close a century of debate. Over the objections of many residents, the County Board decided to rename a stretch of road known as â€Å"Jap Road. † Named for the Japanese rice farmers who had settled there in the 19TH century, the name had stuck despite generations of objections by Asian Americans and others. Finally change came (T. Marshall 2004). Lewiston, Maine, is also adjusting. In this old New England town, hundreds of Somalis have arrived seeking work and affordable housing thousands of miles from their African hometowns, which were torn apart by civil strife and famine. Residents expressed alarm over this influx, prompting the mayor to send a letter to all the Somalis already in Lewiston to discourage friends and relatives from relocating there. The pace of Somalis resettling to the Lewistown, many of them American citizens, slowed significantly amidst the furor (C. Jones 2003). Relations between racial and ethnic groups are not like relations between family members. The history of the United States is one of racial oppression. It goes well beyond a mayor in Maine or people living on a road in Texas not liking people of a certain color or national origin. Episodes of a new social identity developing, as in the case of Alexandr Manin, are not unusual, but that does not mean that the society is not structured to keep some groups of people down and extend privileges automatically to other groups based on race, ethnicity, or gender. People in the United States and elsewhere are beginning to consider that the same principles that guarantee equality based on race or gender can apply to other groups who are discriminated against. There have been growing efforts to ensure that the same rights and privileges are available to all people, regardless of age, disability, or sexual orientation. These concerns are emerging even as the old divisions over race, ethnicity, and religion continue to fester and occasionally explode into violence that envelops entire nations. The United States is a very diverse nation, as shown in Table 1. 1. According to the 2000 census, about 17 percent of the population are members of racial minorities, and about another 13 percent are Hispanic. These percentages represent almost one of three people in the United States, without counting White ethnic groups. As shown in Figure 1. 1, between 2000 and 2100 the population in the United States is expected to rise from 30 percent Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American to 60 percent. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 5 TABLE 1. 1 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States, 2000 Classification RACIAL GROUPS Whites (includes 16.9 million White Hispanic). Blacks/African Americans Native Americans, Alaskan Native Asian Americans Chinese Filipinos Asian Indians Vietnamese Koreans Japanese Other ETHNIC GROUPS White ancestry (single or mixed) Germans Irish English Italians Poles French Jews Hispanics (or Latinos) Mexican Americans Central and South Americans Puerto Ricans Cubans Other TOTAL (ALL GROUPS) Number in Thousands 211,461 34,658 2,476 10,243 2,433 1,850 1,679 1,123 1,077 797 1,285 Percentage of Total Population 75. 1 12. 3 0. 9 3. 6 0. 9 0. 7 0. 6 0. 4 0. 4 0. 2 0. 5 42,842 30,525 24,509 15,638 8,977 8,310 5,200 35,306 23,337 5,119 3,178 1,412 2,260 281,422. 15. 2 10. 8 8. 7 5. 6 3. 2 3. 0 1. 8 12. 5 8. 3 1. 8 1. 1 0. 5 0. 8 Note: Percentages do not total 100 percent, and subheads do not add up to figures in major heads because of overlap between groups (e. g. , Polish American Jews or people of mixed ancestry, such as Irish and Italian). Source: Brittingham and de la Cruz 2004; Bureau of the Census 2003a; Grieco and Cassidy 2001; Therrien and Ramirez 2001; United Jewish Communities 2001. Although the composition of the population is changing, the problems of prejudice, discrimination, and mistrust remain. What Is a Subordinate Group? Identifying a subordinate group or a minority in a society seems to be a simple enough task. In the United States, the groups readily identified as minorities— Blacks and Native Americans, for example—are outnumbered by non-Blacks and non-Native Americans. However, minority status is not necessarily the result of being outnumbered. A social minority need not be a mathematical one. A minority group is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. In sociology, minority means the same as subordinate, and dominant is used interchangeably with majority. minority group A subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 6 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 2000 African Americans 12% Hispanic 13% White non-Hispanic 70% American Indian 1% 2100 (projected) Asian and other 4% White non-Hispanic 40%. Hispanic 33% African Asian Americans and other 13% 14% FIGURE 1. 1 Population of the United States by Race and Ethnicity, 2000 and 2100 (Projected) According to projections by the Census Bureau, the proportion of residents of the United States who are White and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2050. By contrast, there will be a striking rise in the proportion of both Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Source: Bureau of the Census 2004b. Confronted with evidence that a particular minority in the United States is subordinate to the majority, some people respond, â€Å"Why not? After all, this is a democracy, so the majority rules. † However, the subordination of a minority involves more than its inability to rule over society. A member of a subordinate or minority group experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities—for success, education, wealth, the pursuit of happiness—that goes beyond any personal shortcoming he or she may have. A minority group does not share in proportion to its numbers what a given society, such as the United States, defines as valuable. Being superior in numbers does not guarantee a group control over its destiny and ensure majority status. In 1920, the majority of people in Mississippi and South Carolina were African Americans. Yet African Americans did not have as much control over their lives as Whites, let alone control of the states of Mississippi and South Carolina. Throughout the United States today are counties or neighborhoods in which the majority of people are African American, Native American, or Hispanic, but White Americans are the dominant force. Nationally, 50. 8 percent of the population is female, but males still dominate positions of authority and wealth well beyond their numbers. A minority or subordinate group has five characteristics: unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage (Wagley and Harris 1958): 1. Members of a minority experience unequal treatment and have less power over their lives than members of a dominant group have over theirs. Prejudice, discrimination, segregation, and even extermination create this social inequality. 2. Members of a minority group share physical or cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant group, such as skin color or language. Each society has its own arbitrary standard for determining which characteristics are most important in defining dominant and minority groups. 3. Membership in a dominant or minority group is not voluntary: People are born into the group. A person does not choose to be African American or White. 4. Minority-group members have a strong sense of group solidarity. William Graham Sumner, writing in 1906, noted that people make distinctions between members ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity 7 of their own group (the in-group) and everyone else (the out-group). When a group is the object of long-term prejudice and discrimination, the feeling of â€Å"us versus them† often becomes intense. 5. Members of a minority generally marry others from the same group. A member of a dominant group often is unwilling to join a supposedly inferior minority by marrying one of its members. In addition, the minority group’s sense of solidarity encourages marriage within the group and discourages marriage to outsiders. racial group A group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. ethnic group A group set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Types of Subordinate Groups There are four types of minority or subordinate groups. All four, except where noted, have the five properties previously outlined. The four criteria for classifying minority groups are race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. Racial Groups The term racial group is reserved for minorities and the corresponding majorities that are socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Notice the two crucial words in the definition: obvious and physical. What is obvious? Hair color? Shape of an earlobe? Presence of body hair? To whom are these differences obvious, and why? Each society defines what it finds obvious. In the United States, skin color is one obvious difference. On a cold winter day when one has clothing covering all but one’s head, however, skin color may be less obvious than hair color. Yet people in the United States have learned informally that skin color is important, and hair color is unimportant. We need to say more than that. In the United States, people have traditionally classified and classify themselves as either Black or White. There is no in-between state except for people readily identified as Native Americans or Asian Americans. Later in this chapter we will explore this issue more deeply and see how such assumptions have very complex implications. Other societies use skin color as a standard but may have a more elaborate system of classification. In Brazil, where hostility between races is less than in the United States, numerous categories identify people on the basis of skin color. In the United States, a person is Black or White. In Brazil, a variety of terms, such as cafuso, mazombo, preto, and escuro, are applied to describe various combinations of skin color, facial features, and hair texture. What makes differences obvious is subject to a society’s definition. The designation of a racial group emphasizes physical differences as opposed to cultural distinctions. In the United States, minority races include Blacks, Native Americans (or American Indians), Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Arab Americans, Filipinos, Hawaiians, and other Asian peoples. The issue of race and racial differences has been an important one, not only in the United States but throughout the entire sphere of European influence. Later in this chapter we will examine race and its significance more closely. We should not forget that Whites are a race, too. As we will consider in Chapter 5, who is White has been subject to change over time as certain European groups were felt historically not to deserve being considered White, but over time, partly to compete against a growing Black population, the whiting of some European Americans has occurred. Ethnic Groups ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Ethnic minority groups are differentiated from the dominant group on the basis of cultural differences, such as language, attitudes toward marriage and parenting, and food habits. Ethnic groups are groups set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 8 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity Ethnic groups in the United States include a grouping that we call Hispanics or Latinos, which includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latin Americans in the United States. Hispanics can be either Black or White, as in the case of a dark-skinned Puerto Rican who may be taken as Black in central Texas but be viewed as a Puerto Rican in New York City. The ethnic group category also includes White ethnics, such as Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Norwegian Americans. The cultural traits that make groups distinctive usually originate from their homeland or, for Jews, from a long history of being segregated and prohibited from becoming a part of the host society. Once in the United States, an immigrant group may maintain distinctive cultural practices through associations, clubs, and worship. Ethnic enclaves such as a Little Haiti or a Greektown in urban areas also perpetuate cultural distinctiveness. Some racial groups may also have unique cultural traditions, as we can readily see in the many Chinatowns throughout the United States. For racial groups, however, the physical distinctiveness and not the cultural differences generally prove to be the barrier to acceptance by the host society. For example, Chinese Americans who are faithful Protestants and know the names of all the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame may be bearers of American culture. Yet these Chinese Americans are still part of a minority because they are seen as physically different. Ethnicity continues to be important, as recent events in Bosnia and other parts of Eastern Europe have demonstrated. Almost a century ago, African American sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois, addressing an audience in London, called attention to the overwhelming importance of the color line throughout the world. In â€Å"Listen to Our Voices,† we read the remarks of Du Bois, the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Harvard, who later helped to organize the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois’s observances give us a historic perspective on the struggle for equality. We can look ahead, knowing how far we have come and speculating on how much further we have to go. Religious Groups Association with a religion other than the dominant faith is the third basis for minoritygroup status. In the United States, Protestants, as a group, outnumber members of all other religions. Roman Catholics form the largest minority religion. Chapter 5 focuses on the increasing Judeo-Christian-Islamic diversity of the United States. For people who are not a part of the Christian tradition, such as followers of Islam, allegiance to the faith often is misunderstood and stigmatizes people. This stigmatization became especially widespread and legitimated by government action in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Religious minorities include such groups as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish, Muslims, and Buddhists. Cults or sects associated with such practices as animal sacrifice, doomsday prophecy, demon worship, or the use of snakes in a ritualistic fashion would also constitute minorities. Jews are excluded from this category and placed among ethnic groups. Culture is a more important defining trait for Jewish people worldwide than is religious dogma. Jewish Americans share a cultural tradition that goes beyond theology. In this sense, it is appropriate to view them as an ethnic group rather than as members of a religious faith. Gender Groups Gender is another attribute that creates dominant and subordinate groups. Males are the social majority; females, although more numerous, are relegated to the position of the social minority—a subordinate status to be explored in detail in Chapter 15. Women are considered a minority even though they do not exhibit all the characteristics outlined earlier (e. g. , there is little in-group marriage). Women encounter prejuISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 9 ur oices Voices Listen to Our Voices Listen to. PROBLEM OF THE COLOR LINE sively refused to let the spirit of n the metropolis of the class, of caste, of privilege, or of modern world, in this the birth, debar from life, liberty closing year of the nineand the pursuit of happiness a teenth century, there has been striving human soul. assembled a congress of men Let not color or race be a and women of African blood, to feature of distinction between deliberate solemnly upon the white and black men, regardless present situation and outlook of of worth or ability. . . . the darker races of mankind. Thus we appeal with boldness The problem of the twentieth W. E. B. Du Bois and confidence to the Great century is the problem of the Powers of the civilized world, trusting in the color line, the question as to how far differwide spirit of humanity, and the deep sense ences of race—which show themselves chiefly of justice of our age, for a generous recogniin the color of the skin and the texture of the tion of the righteousness of our cause.  ¦ hair—will hereafter be made the basis of denying to over half the world the right of sharing to their utmost ability the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization. . . . Let the world take no backward step in Source: Du Bois [1969a]. From pp. 20–21, 23, in An ABC of Color, that slow but sure progress which has succesby W. E. B. Du Bois. Copyright 1969 by International Publishers. I dice and discrimination and are physically distinguishable. Group membership is involuntary, and many women have developed a sense of sisterhood. Women who are members of racial and ethnic minorities face a special challenge to achieving equality. They suffer from double jeopardy because they belong to two separate minority groups: a racial or ethnic group plus a subordinate gender group. Other Subordinate Groups This book focuses on groups that meet a set of criteria for subordinate status. People encounter prejudice or are excluded from full participation in society for many reasons. Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender barriers are the main ones, but there are others. Age, disabilities, and sexual orientation are among the factors that are used to subordinate groups of people. As a result, in Chapter 17 we will go beyond the title of the book and consider other groups of people who have been excluded from all that society offers and witness their fight against prejudice and discrimination. Does Race Matter? ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 We see people around us—some of whom may look quite different from us. Do these differences matter? The simple answer is no, but because so many people have for so long acted as if difference in physical characteristics as well geographic origin and shared culture do matter, distinct groups have been created in people’s minds. Race Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 10 Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity NOT AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC VIEWING has many meanings for many people. Often these meanings are inaccurate and based on theories discarded by scientists generations ago. As we will see, race is a socially constructed concept (J. Young 2003). Biological Meaning The way the term race has been used by some people to apply to human beings lacks any scientific meaning. We cannot identify distinctive physical characteristics for groups of human beings the way scientists do to distinguish one animal species from another. The idea of biological race is based on the mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. Even among past proponents that sharp, scientific divisions exist among humans, there were endless debates over what the races of the world were. Given people’s frequent migration, exploration, and invasions, pure genetic types have not existed for some time, if they ever did. There are no mutually exclusive races. Skin color among African Americans varies tremendously, as it does among White Americans. There is even an overlapping of dark-skinned Whites and light-skinned African Americans. If we grouped people by genetic resistance to malaria and by fingerprint patterns, Norwegians and many African groups would be of the same race. If we grouped people by some digestive capacities, some Africans, Asians, and southern Europeans would be of one group and West Africans and northern Europeans of another (Leehotz 1995; Shanklin 1994). Biologically there are no pure, distinct races. For example, blood type cannot distinguish racial groups with any accuracy. Furthermore, applying pure racial types to humans is problematic because of interbreeding. Despite continuing prejudice about Black-White marriages, a large number of Whites have African American ancestry. Scientists, using various techniques, maintain that the proportion of African Americans with White ancestry is between 20 and 75 percent. Despite the wide range of these estimates, the mixed ancestry of today’s Blacks and Whites is part of the biological reality of race (Herskovits 1930:15; Roberts 1955). biological race The mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 11 Even the latest research as a part of the Human Genome Project mapping human DNA has only served to confirm genetic diversity with differences within traditionally regarded racial groups (e. g. , Black Africans) much greater than that between groups (e. g. , between Black Africans and Europeans). Research has also been conducted to determine whether personality characteristics such as temperament and nervous habits are inherited among minority groups. Not surprisingly, the question of whether races have different innate levels of intelligence has led to the most explosive controversy (Bamshad and Olson 2003). Typically, intelligence is measured as an intelligence quotient (IQ), the ratio of a person’s mental age to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100, where 100 represents average intelligence and higher scores represent greater intelligence. It should be noted that there is little consensus over just what intelligence is, other than as defined by such IQ tests. Intelligence tests are adjusted for a person’s age, so that 10-year-olds take a very different test from someone aged 20. Although research shows that certain learning strategies can improve a person’s IQ, generally IQ remains stable as one ages. A great deal of debate continues over the accuracy of these tests. Are they biased toward people who come to the tests with knowledge similar to that of the test writers? Consider the following two questions used on standard tests. 1. Runner: marathon (A) envoy: embassy, (B) oarsman: regatta, (C) martyr: massacre, (D) referee: tournament. 2. Your mother sends you to a store to get a loaf of bread. The store is closed. What should you do? (A) return home, (B) go to the next store, (C) wait until it opens, (D) ask a stranger for advice. Both correct answers are B. But is a lower-class youth likely to know, in the first question, what a regatta is? Skeptics argue that such test questions do not truly measure intellectual potential. Inner-city youths often have been shown to respond with A to the second question because that may be the only store with which the family has credit. Youths in rural areas, where the next store may be miles away, are also unlikely to respond with the designated correct answer. The issue of culture bias in tests remains an unresolved concern. The most recent research shows that differences in intelligence scores between Blacks and Whites are almost eliminated when adjustments are made for social and economic characteristics (Brooks-Gunn et al. 1996; Herrnstein and Murray 1994:30; Kagan 1971; J. Young 2003). The second issue, trying to associate these results with certain subpopulations such as races, also has a long history. In the past, a few have contended that Whites have more intelligence on average than Blacks. All researchers agree that within-group differences are greater than any speculated differences between groups. The range of intelligence among, for example, Korean Americans is much greater than any average difference between them as a group and Japanese Americans. The third issue relates to the subpopulations themselves. If Blacks or Whites are not mutually exclusive biologically, how can there be measurable differences? Many Whites and most Blacks have mixed ancestry that complicates any supposed inheritance of intelligence issue. Both groups reflect a rich heritage of very dissimilar populations, from Swedes to Slovaks and Zulus to Tutus. In 1994, an 845-page book unleashed a new national debate on the issue of IQ. The latest research effort of psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and social scientist Charles Murray (1994), published in The Bell Curve, concluded that 60 percent of IQ is inheritable and that racial groups offer a convenient means to generalize about any differences in intelligence. Unlike most other proponents of the race-IQ link, the authors offered policy suggestions that include ending welfare to discourage births among low-IQ poor women and changing immigration laws so that the IQ pool in the United States is not diminished. Herrnstein and Murray even made generalizations intelligence quotient The ratio of a person’s mental age (as computed by an IQ test) to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 12 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity about IQ levels among Asians and Hispanics in the United States, groups subject to even more intermarriage. It is not possible to generalize about absolute differences between groups, such as Latinos versus Whites, when almost half of Latinos in the United States marry non-Hispanics. Years later, the mere mention of â€Å"the bell curve† signals to many the belief in a racial hierarchy with Whites toward the top and Blacks near the bottom. The research present then and repeated today points to the difficulty in definitions: What is intelligence, and what constitutes a racial group, given generations, if not centuries, of intermarriage? How can we speak of definitive inherited racial differences if there has been intermarriage between people of every color? Furthermore, as people on both sides of the debate have noted, regardless of the findings, we would still want to strive to maximize the talents of each individual. All research shows that the differences within a group are much greater than any alleged differences between group averages. All these issues and controversial research have led to the basic question of what difference it would make if there were significant differences. No researcher believes that race can be used to predict one’s intelligence. Also, there is a general agreement that certain intervention strategies can improve scholastic achievement and even intelligence as defined by standard tests. Should we mount efforts to upgrade the abilities of those alleged to be below average? These debates tend to contribute to a sense of hopelessness among some policy makers who think that biology is destiny, rather than causing them to rethink the issue or expand positive intervention efforts. Why does such IQ research re-emerge if the data are subject to different interpretations? The argument that â€Å"we† are superior to â€Å"them† is very appealing to the dominant group. It justifies receiving opportunities that are denied to others. For example, the authors of The Bell Curve argue that intelligence significantly determines the poverty problem in the United States. We can anticipate that the debate over IQ and the allegations of significant group differences will continue. Policy makers need to acknowledge the difficulty in treating race as a biologically significant characteristic. Social Construction of Race If race does not distinguish humans from one another biologically, why does it seem to be so important? It is important because of the social meaning people have attached to it. The 1950 (UNESCO) Statement on Race maintains that â€Å"for all practical social purposes ‘race’ is not so much a biological phenomenon as a social myth† (Montagu 1972:118). Adolf Hitler expressed concern over the â€Å"Jewish race† and translated this concern into Nazi death camps. Winston Churchill spoke proudly of the â€Å"British race† and used that pride to spur a nation to fight. Evidently, race was a useful political tool for two very different leaders in the 1930s and 1940s. Race is a social construction, and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is privileged and who is not. The acceptance of race in a society as a legitimate category allows racial hierarchies to emerge to the benefit of the dominant â€Å"races. † For example, inner-city drive-by shootings have come to be seen as a race-specific problem worthy of local officials cleaning up troubled neighborhoods. Yet schoolyard shoot-outs are viewed as a societal concern and placed on the national agenda. People could speculate that if human groups have obvious physical differences, then they could have corresponding mental or personality differences. No one disagrees that people differ in temperament, potential to learn, and sense of humor. In its social sense, race implies that groups that differ physically also bear distinctive emotional and mental abilities or disabilities. These beliefs are based on the notion that humankind can be divided into distinct groups. We have already seen the difficulties associated with pigeonholing people into racial categories. Despite these difficulties, belief in the inheritance of behavior patterns and in an association between physical and cultural traits is widespread. It is called racism when this belief is coupled with the feeling that certain ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 racism A doctrine that one race is superior. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 13 groups or races are inherently superior to others. Racism is a doctrine of racial supremacy, stating that one race is superior to another (Bash 2001; Bonilla-Silva 1996). We questioned the biological significance of race in the previous section. In modern complex industrial societies, we find little adaptive utility in the presence or absence of prominent chins, epicanthic folds of the eyelids, or the comparative amount of melanin in the skin. What is important is not that people are genetically different but that they approach one another with dissimilar perspectives. It is in the social setting that race is decisive. Race is significant because people have given it significance. Race definitions are crystallized through what Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1994) cal.

Intrapersonal Intern :: essays papers

Intrapersonal Intern In using my Intrapersonal communication I trying to process the information from the environment and sending explanations to myself. The first I can remember doing this a lot. I was watch the other members that work in the office very closely in how they talk to each other. What kind of verbal and non-verbal communication do they use. I do not think I was doing to be critical but to merely understand whom I am working with and get some kind of feeling where I will fit in. One interesting message that I picked up was small but something to remember. There are two different offices for the outdoor recreation program. Jared has one and Crissy has the other one. Walking into Crissy office everything is in place ver net and clean. You’re able to see everything easily. When you go into Jared office you got a disaster. Boxes of Tennis stuff all over the office. In the other corner you have outdoor magazines all over the floor and side desk. His desk is filled with paper work after paper work. On the other sided of the office you have the work-study desk and that is neat and cleaned off. Sometimes I wonder if it is a man woman thing that the desks are clean or disorder. See how Jared now works with four women in the offices. I do not think that it is true because I have some friends who are woman and their desks are dirtier than Jared’s is. The good thing that I have noticed about Jared thought is that his may look disorder but he know where everything is. If I would have asked the girls for something on their desk they could not have found it very quickly. I always see Jared and Crissy outside of the office and they always speak to me and ask me how I am doing. When they send me e-mails they are always friendly and telling me to have ‘good’ or ‘great’ weekends. So I do see that they are trying to make it as comfortable as they can or know how. They always tell me that education comes’ first so if I had a big exam or something like then I could work on that during my hour if I need to.