Black studies about slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Black studies about slavery - Essay Example This paper gives a brief reaction to the video about Frederick Douglass, new things learnt from the video and the times he lived in, critically rating the video as a device for learning about Douglass and his times. Though the video paints a gloomy picture of what transpired from the pre-colonial Africa to the post-colonial Africa concerning slavery and slave trade, it is clear that some heroes such as Frederick Douglass spend a better part of their lifetime and great efforts in refining the American dream. One can deduce from the brief biography of Frederick Douglass that while the slave trade could not be prevented especially due to the large number of nations involved, it was possible to tame slavery more so that which consisted of torture and other inhumane acts. Frederick Douglass came out as a strong social reformer, who championed for the rights of the African Americans, his slavery status notwithstanding. This was especially so because despite being a diplomat, he was also a great orator and writer. This means that one had to be courageous enough to present a tough stance to the authorities and all the parties involves without giving it a second thought, at least according to the video. Perhaps another important point worth noting from the video is that while Frederick Douglass fought slavery through his antislavery writing and through the political front, it became apparent even to the whites that slavery was causing more polarization as opposed to driving the nation towards achieving the American dream. Although the video does not explicitly reveal how Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery, it is particularly clear that his strong stance for women’s rights gave him an edge in fighting slavery especially when more people from diverse backgrounds started believing in his ideology. Certainly, the nineteenth century was the most traumatic period for the African Americans especially those that were subjected to hard labour. From the video about

Macro Economics - Supply Side Options Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macro Economics - Supply Side Options - Essay Example Classical economists therefore focus on endogenous supply-side causes of unemployment and will prescribe policies that affect the aggregate supply of labor such as reducing information asymmetries and removing constraints on worker's mobility to lower unemployment in the long-run. On the other hand, Keynesian economists view the labor market in the short-run assuming fluctuations in the economy; the Keynesian aggregate supply curve is horizontal where wages are "sticky" and not everyone in the labor force finds jobs. Thus, Keynesian unemployment is demand-driven and caused by variables exogenous to the labor market, such as economic recessions and decreases in output that alters aggregate demand causing disequilibrium. Keynesian economists who give importance to exogenous demand-driven causes of unemployment will therefore prescribe expansionary fiscal policies to stimulate aggregate demand such as increasing government expenditures and inducing consumption to restore equilibrium and lower short-run unemployment. Supply-siders focus on managing aggregate supply to stabilize short-run fluctuations, and increase output in the long-run. They begin with the implications that without structural policies to shift the aggregate supply curve outward, fiscal policies focusing on demand-effects cannot increase aggregate output in the long-run because of crowding-out effects; while at the same time causing inflation because despite the shift in the aggregate demand curve, the crowding-effect causes excess demand, thereby increasing prices. However, since structural policies are difficult to implement, supply-siders emphasize the supply-side effects of fiscal policies assuming that aside from demand-effects, fiscal policies have strong supply-side effects, which can shift both the short-run and long-run aggregate supply curves to the right, offsetting inflationary pressures while increasing aggregate output. Hence, supply-siders would advocate fiscal policies that reduce taxes affecting the labor force, such as an income tax cut because of its ability to stimulate aggregate supply by providing laborers greater incentives to work thereby increasing over-all productivity. Furthermore, the shift in aggregate supply offsets inflationary pressures in the long-run, such that if the supply curve shifts far enough, aggregate output can increase without increasing prices. Question 3: In reaction to Keynesian prescriptions that governments must take an active policy role in stabilizing the economy, Monetarists take a more passive stance regarding economic policy, advising that the Fed must simply allow money supply to grow at a constant rate, and make adjustments only if the rate which the full employment economy grows deviate from nominal targets. Hence, Monetarists prefer rules-based policy regimes as opposed to discretionary ones, where the margin for error is larger. The rationale for Monetarist prescriptions lies in the assumption that the economy is inherently stable, wherein disruptions within the economy are caused by wrong economic policies. Monetarists argue that the economy is better-off if policymakers, with their limited abilities, refrain from fine-tuning the economy. They emphasize the time lags present in implementing economic policie

Comparing Imagery in Frosts Acquainted with the Night and Sexton s He

Imagery in Frost's Acquainted with the Night and Sexton 's Her Kind In order to maximize meaning and overall total effect of a piece of work, writers use various literary devices. These techniques enhance the author's work and add a dimension that results in higher reader satisfaction. Throughout the poems I have read this quarter thus far, I have discovered the use of imagery as a prominent source of literary embellishment. In particular the image of night is used in poems "Acquainted with the Night," written by Robert Frost, and "Her Kind," written by Anne Sexton, to portray a dark and lonely tone. All through both poems there is a dark feeling due to word selection and associations to evil things. The use of night in both cases helps to solidify the idea of loneliness. Each poem puts to work the same image to create the same affect but each work has slight differences and similarities in the way it makes night apply to loneliness. Imagery can be presented in many different ways. A strong image of night exists all over Robert Frost's piece, "Acquainted with the Night," due to a very descriptive representation of things that happen or belong to the night. By simply describing the details of night Frost can paint a picture of a lonely man. The key to using imagery is to choose images that have very distinct characteristics that associate themselves with that image. Frost's idea of choosing night to portray a sense of being alone is due to the connections of cold, dark, wet and unknowns that go along with the night. The same affect would not be able to be created if the ... ...unt the night with power. Through the use of imagery the writer is able to apply several different meanings by using one simple image. This makes the poems overall affect more efficient in making its point. The composition has become less wordy and is able to make a vivid scene with out the need of extensive descriptions. Examining the differences and similarities of the two different applications of night as an image of loneliness, is a good way to determine what the overall feel of the poem is. When reading these works one must take the existing mold of an image and see if there are any dual meanings of why the author chose that particular concept. The use of an image as a literary devise allows the piece to touch its readers on a more personal level.

The Silicon Valley Technology

The Silicon Valley Technology simulation created a good opportunity for me to observe situations and expectation under a corporate environment. Through interactions with other managers and executives, I had experienced many issues regarding business operation and management that were mentioned in the class. I would like to share what I observed, encountered, and applied into four main topics: interpersonal communication, relationship management, influencing people, and decision-making process. Interpersonal communication technique played a crucial role in the SVT simulation. As a Director of Advanced Product, I had to report to the vice president and also pass information to other directors and managers. Our division worked closely because all of us knew each other from the same class. That basic trust was built quickly during the early stage of development. The Vice President of Advance Product made sure everyone’s voice and concern were included into every discussion to reduce blind spots. For example, I had a request to set aside at least 21 million dollars to fully develop the video products. The VP asked the Director of Product Development if she had the same budget plan or related concerns. This way, we could allocate the budget efficiently to prevent double-spending. We also set a basic norm to focus and respond appropriately when others were sharing important information. This active listening will help others to gain clear understanding of the situation, so I can take responsible actions. When I talked to the product managers about the shipping schedule, I would let them finish their talk first and try to suspend my judgments, and then repeat what I have heard to ensure correctness and share my point of views. What I observed was the way I received messages through multiple channels, the facial expressions, gestures and non-verbal language to clearly understand their points. Although our group communication was truly informative and supportive, I am aware of spending a lot of times in prioritizing the issues and exchanging information to the extent that I ran out of the time to come up with possible alternatives and had to make decisions hastily. What I could have done better was to avoid ambiguous communication and emotional involvement. When I suggested hiring new sales forces and establishing international offices in Europe, I did not provide a clear answer or data to support my ideas. When our discussion became heated, I felt that the greater the emotional involvement, the greater the likelihood of distortion. If I could eliminate these communication issues, I could have allocated more quality time to make better decisions and received fewer complaints about the deadline. Management of Relationship is one of the key functions in the SVT simulation. There were several situations where I had applied what I learned from the case study â€Å"Managing Your Boss. Even though everyone in our division knew each other already, I had no clues about their preferred working styles. It took me some times to figure them out. My VP was very energetic with a get-it-done attitude, but she intended to interrupt the discussions and instructed us to get to the main points directly. The other product manager was very down to earth and a detail-oriented person. For example, when I spoke to the VP about our target estimate for video products, I used bulleted points and data, such as the focus on global market expansion, hiring qualified sale engineers, and budget allocations. On the other hand, since the product manager is more detail-oriented, I would cover information in depth whenever possible. Thus, understanding your boss and peers would definitely enhance the efficiency. I also had experienced a paradox of information flow in two different directions. I usually received a lot of information from my region sale forces and supplied to my VP to make decisions. The upward flow of information, which was adapted by the VP, was a standard norm in Advance Product division. Besides, I could report both good news and negative surprises. When the level went up to the president and vice presidents, the flow of information went downward. There seemed to be much information was related to Advance Product but only known by the top management. When it comes to gaining supports from top management under Silicon Valley Technology, the best way to do it was through influencing people. For instance, in order to reduce employee turnovers and shipping costs, the production director and I tried to relocate the manufacturing factory to Indiana. However, unless there would be an additional budget and an action plan approved from the top management, this plan wouldn’t work out. Therefore, I went to the corporate library to look up the forecast of future regional sale growth and the shipment schedule predictions. I implemented influence tactic by persuading the VP with a complete budget plan and forecasts through an adequate levels of communication. The VP also chose the correct combination of influence tactics such as ingratiation and a rational plan for the president to be nfluenced. Finally, the committee meeting granted our request to include sufficient funds in the next year annual budget. What I observed was that the persuasion went smoothly because it was a simulation; there were not many arguments and push backs. It will not be as easy in real world settings. In addition, the another way to influence people was developing a network of resourceful people whom can be called upon for assistance, such as the special project manager who was in charge of the strategic planning for the future of the company. With deadlines in mind, the timeliness of decision making process became relatively important in SVT simulation. As a director, I have many decisions to make between my regional sales teams and international salespeople. Many of these decisions are programmed decisions, which are repetitive and routine. A routine procedure has been developed for handling them, such as a request from my Northwestern Sales Office to have rewards to celebrate the success of getting the biggest order from NorCal Power. In this case, I would follow the recognition policy to give them rewards. However, most decisions are non-programmed not only in SVT simulation, but also in the real world situations. These decisions were required by unique and complex management problems and were consisted of a complete process including a clear objective, resource allocations, time management and so on. In our first meeting of Advance Product with the VP, the product development directors and product managers, the VP urgently informed us that Flemming Inc. ould like to partner with AP to expand its market in Europe and a division decision was due before the committee meeting in 45 minutes. Under this time pressure, we quickly established specific goals, using this opportunity to increase market presence in Europe and to test out international markets of new home video products. We also identified problems that Flemming Inc. might steal our technology because SVT was mainly responsible for the R&D, not marketing and sales. It might delay our own R&D process since this partnership would receive most of the resources. Thirdly, although the VP was patient to include our voices and ideas, we spent a lot of time prioritizing issues and doing cost/benefit analysis to come up with only a few alternatives, such as asking Flemming Inc. to include our brand name on the future products, and increase our forecast revenue to almost double by 40%. But In the end of the discussion, we ran out the time to evaluate the alternatives and decision was made by the VP hastily since she had to go to the meeting and had the final say. After the VP left for the meeting, I reflected on our decision making process, which was inefficient in term of pre-work and time management. First, in the beginning, I did not have any information about Flemming Inc. since the information was from our President to only the VP as an urgent matter. Second, when the meeting was called, I was not informed of the agenda that would be discussed. As a result of that, time management generated the most impact on the decision making process. This could be improved by setting up a clear agenda before the meeting, obtaining extra information from the corporate library, and working out the cost-benefit analysis. These improvements would bring us to a reasonable expectation on what we were trying to achieve and would not waste time to brainstorm the pro and con during the meeting. Instead, the time we spent could work on evaluating the alternatives and choosing one. Eventually, we could have more time to make a group decision rather than relying on one person’s decision. Although there were many mistakes and learning opportunities during the decision making process, I was glad to have the managers and peers who were willing to listen and accept everyone’s ideas so we could quickly establish specific goals and identify the problems. Through the SVT simulation, it was a great experience for me because I had never worked in a corporate environment so I was impressed what I observed and experienced. Although the time wasn’t enough for me to apply what I have learned from the class, I could tell the importance of interpersonal communication and relationship management that. These techniques would definitely help me sharp my tactics of influencing people and then apply to the decision making process.

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The Documented Life By Sherry Turkle - 1078 Words

The Documented Life is an article wrote by Sherry Turkle on December 15, 2013 and published in The New York Times. In the article, she talks about how modern technology has caused us to put our lives on hold. Turkle states that people do not feel like themselves if they are not sharing their thoughts and views. The article states that technology has changed us by putting our interpersonal communications on pause. Turkle says we no longer see interruptions as a kind of disruption anymore. She adds that the most frequently heard phrase is, â€Å"wait, what?† as people fall back into missed conversions has become the new norm. Turkle also states that when people are alone or bored, they reach for a device. It has become so natural that they forget there is a time and place not to use their gadgets. Turkle suggests that there might be hope for the younger generation as they witness the price being paid by preoccupied, device carrying adults. Youngsters have come to value the devic e-free zones set up by parents for family conversion time. Technology has become so integrated into our daily lives. It is now common to see people with a hands-free earpiece plugged into their ear and who appear to be talking to themselves. The above summary is from an article by Sherry Turkle titled, The Documented Life, and discusses how modern technology has caused us to put our lives on hold. I do agree with Turkle as she made several good points that there has been a negative shift in the way weShow MoreRelatedIs Social Media A Form Of Narcissism?1238 Words   |  5 Pagesthe desired identity in real life will create and control indemnity to achieve it in the virtual world. In â€Å"Discovering Intimacy on Facebook†, Alex Lambert approaches Facebook use from a different angle. He proposes that what seems as narcissism is more of a new way of fostering intimacy and social connections. He cites a study of Canadian social media users that states that the users are more likely to disclose personal information on social media than in real life. The study states that thereRead MoreEssay on Technology: Friend or Foe?2221 Words   |  9 PagesPropagandist for technology will tell the average person a computer is useful to him because it can be used to balance checkbooks, keep track of addresses or recipes, shop at home, vote at home, communicate across the world at home, and thus make community life unnecessary (Informing 2). Postman fears this Technopoly, a society motivated and controlled by technology, will take over our lives and eliminate the need for personal human interaction if a computer can do it all for us. Lastly, Postman arguesRead MoreComputer and Internet in Education13526 Words   |  55 Pagesincreases in loneliness and depression. Of most concern are the findings that playing violent computer games may increase aggressiveness and desensitize a child to suffering, and that the use of computers may blur a child’s ability to distinguish real life from simulation. The authors conclude that more systematic research is needed in these areas to help parents and policymakers maximize the positive effects and to minimize the negative effects of home computers in children’s lives. The Future of Children