Sociology education assignment submit free essay sample

The School is an important agency of secondary socialisation. All children in the UK are given Equal opportunities to succeed.Despite the department of education stating that they wish to provide equal opportunities for children and young people no matter what their background or family circumstances. (Department of education. 2014) Statistics referencing school childrens performance in the UK indicates a childs class, ethnicity or gender can have an effect on their overall school performance.As family is the primary means of socialisation, a parents attitude towards education is important for the progress of children in schools. Charles Desforges and Alberto Abouchaars, (2003) study into parental involvement in schools found that; at-home good parenting had a positive effect on a childs attainment. The report suggests this is done through shaping childrens self concepts through setting high aspirations and then concludes, by stating that achievement of working class pupils can be furthered by increasing parental involvement. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology education assignment submit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This shows that it is widely recognised that class directly effects the opportunities children in the UK receive. How parents present themselves is also influential to childs education, Abigail Beall, (2003) states how Facebook researchers found that children often have similar, if not identical, careers to their parents. The study suggests that working class families with working class jobs, could result in lack of motivation for children to aspire to earn more or have better careers than their parents, they instead seek immediate gratification, often obtaining jobs in manual labour due to a lack of interest in education. In middle class families however, children often apply themselves educationally to follow in their parents footsteps, this deferred gratification usually leads to further education such as university. (Kennon, J., 2012)Apart from the influence of parents, the effects of housing and the environment can also effect opportunities within education. A leaflet by Lisa Harker 2006, for Shelter England details how one study found that: parents in overcrowded homes were less responsive and spoke to their children in less sophisticated ways as opposed to parents in less overcrowded homes. This lack of communication and sophisticated language was linked to having a negative effect on children s learning, as they became less expressive and unable to voice their thoughts with the correct vocabulary. Furthermore overcrowding results in a lack of suitable space for children to study, creating disruption at school. Attendance at school from Children in overcrowded homes was low as a result of health reasons, as illness can travel faster between individuals in close proximity. According to a National Child Development Study, into the effects of poor housing conditions, the effects of cold and damp also correlates to a lack of attendance in school due to illness. A study completed in Cornwall found: installing central heating into rooms of children aged 9 to 11 helped respiratory problems and increased school attendance. Prior to this children lost 9.3 days out of 100 due to breathing problems, this decreased to 2.3 days lost after intervention. (Harker, l. , 2006) Apart from poor housing conditions, catchment areas can also effect childrens educational progression. Kate Hughes (2017) claims that: 25% of parents relocate to a particular catchment area, and were willing to spend an additional 12% on top of the market value. This proves that middle class parents can afford to provide children with better educational chances before school begins. (Hughes, k., 2017)Apart from location, whats within the home can also effect educational attainment. Lack of accessible technology/internet, creates poor performance at schools. Valerie Thompson of E – Learning Foundation states lack of a home internet connection or a computer could mean that children struggled to research homework or complete coursework. This could also suggest that children were unable to receive feedback or access school resources. Her research established that there were 750,000 children in households without internet access, and 650,000 without a computer. According to the E-Learning Foundation, that figure shows the divide between rich and poor and the effects this has on childrens progression within education. (Burns, J., 2013)The divide between class and educational attainment is argued by Diane Reay to have not yet occurred. Within education, she states that: the working classes are still getting less education than the middle classes, just as they had when my dad was at school at the beginning of the 20th century. She argues this is as a result of less affluent children being given more restrictive educational offers, thus effecting the league tables and resulting in teachers focusing on Maths and English. (Ferguson, F., 2017) Diane Reays suggests that teachers therefore treat children differently based on their class; the issue of labelling then comes into effect. Theorised by Snyder et als, self-fulfilling prophecy theory, if ones is labelled enough they begin to act in accordance to that label. The article states that working class children aged 4 can tell theyre in the monkeys (a lower set,) because theyre not very clever. Teachers then labelling these children as lower sets will have a negative effect on their overall learning and progression from an early age.Labelling and stereotyping also influences the academic achievement of ethnic minorities. Professor Jennifer Eberhardt, took two scenarios of children misbehaving and asked teachers how they would punish the children based on their actions. In scenarios in which the students were black, teachers seen the bad behaviour as more concerning. Interviews were also conducted with teachers, parents, and head teachers about their opinions on black pupils/students. Overall participants expressed strong feelings about how black boys are labelled as a result of their clothing, friends; reputation and how they communicated. The report concluded that once black pupils gained a reputation for bad behaviour, it became difficult to convince teachers that they could improve. (Demie, f., McLean, C. 2017)Despite underachievement of Black/Caribbean students, other ethnic minorities are surpassing their White British counterparts. In 2013 of all children receiving free school meals it was proven that at aged 16, ethnic minority groups were outperforming white working class pupils in attaining five GCSEs grade C and above. Existing government funded studies suggest that this is due to parental factors, including high aspirations and expectations resulting in higher attendance and few exclusions.Language barriers are also an influential factor to ones attainment. When children immigrate to England, they are assigned English intervention classes, and only allowed to integrate into classes once they had basic level English. Once in mainstream classes, teachers are often strict on pronunciation and writing. This sparks debate whether separating students based on their language barriers is the right thing to do. Arguments made, suggest students could integrate in all their classes with specialist support however, as linking pupils together regardless of language causes faster integration, which in turn creates a mo re positive approach to education. (Morrison, N., 2014)In recent news, it has been discussed that boys may need additional support throughout their educational lives, due to women achieving better grades. Camilla Turner (2015) reports that girls now seem to outperform boys in mathematics, reading and science literacy within 70% of all countries. The article clarifies, that except for over achievers, boys have poorer educational outcomes than girls in the UK. Hannah Richardson references research by the Higher Education Policy institute to argue why boys underachieve in schools, it was found boys and girls will often have different attitudes towards school work. Furthermore, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development found boys tend to spend an hour less on homework when compared to girls. The report also states that boys are more likely to get distracted, which in turn means they are less likely to study from home. Despite this however, men still outperform women when it comes to prestigious subjects and applying to universities. (Richardson, H., 2016)In addition, Rowenna Davis (2010) explains that there is a decline in women entering into stereotypical male based subjects. In 2005 women made up 24% of computer study classes however five years later in 2010, women only accounted for 19%. Since the year 2000 there has been no increase in women entering maths, this statistic remains at 38%. The same rule applies for engineering and technology where women only make up 15% of all classes. The article argues that womens intolerance towards STEM subjects (Science, technology, engineering and maths) are deep rooted as career advisors are teaching students to go into stereotypical subjects. An argument can therefore be made that subject choices within schools are not providing pupils with equal opportunities, as they at reinforcing careers advice based on gender.Lastly, the way in which pupils are graded also has a significant impact on performance within education. Despite evidence stated above, 2017 A-Level results witnessed men surpassing females in quality of grades. Rachel Pells (2017) argues this is because assessment types have been changed in favour of exam based grading. Previously it was a mixture of both exam and coursework based assessments. The article argues females apply themselves better in coursework based studies, whereas boys tend to revise heavily a couple of weeks before exams, thus meaning equal opportunity within school assessing isnt achieved.To conclude, despite government policy stating that equal education is given to all, it is evident that both internal and external factors indicate that this is an impossible task. The research suggests that educational achievement and attainment is predisposed from birth. Ones class, ethnicity and gender dictate how well they will achieve or underachieve within education. To claim that all children in the UK are given equal opportunities to succeed is incorrect due to different factors playing a huge part throughout their academic life, and into adulthood.Bibliography:Beall, A. (2016). Facebook research shows how our parents career choices affect our own. [online] Mail Online. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3504404/Taking-family-business-Children-tend-make-career-choices-based-jobs-parents-siblings-have.html [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018].Burns, J. (2013). Poorest pupils lack home internet. [online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20899109 [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].Demie, F. and McLean, C. (2017). Black Caribbean Underachievement in Schools in England. [online] Lambeth.gov. uk. Available at: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/rsu/sites/www.lambeth.gov. uk.rsu/files/black_caribbean_underachievement_in_schools_in_england_2017.pdf [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].Davis, R. (2010). Women students stick to traditional subjects. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/jul/13/women-students-stem-subjects [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018].Desforges, C. and Abouchaar, A. (2003). The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment: A literature review | Creativity, Culture and Education. [online] Creativitycultureeducation.org. Available at: http://www.creativitycultureeducation.org/the-impact-of-parental-involvement-parental-support-and-family-education-on-pupil-achievement-and-adjustment-a-literature-review [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018].Ferguson, D. (2017). Working-class children get less of everything in education including respect. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian. com/education/2017/nov/21/english-class-system-shaped-in-schools [Accessed 4 Apr. 2018].Hawker, L. (2006). Chance of a Lifetime. [online] England.shelter. org.uk. Available at: https://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/39202/Chance_of_a_Lifetime.pdf [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018].Hughes, K. (2017). Quarter of UK parents move house for the school catchment area. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent. co.uk/money/spend-save/uk-parents-move-house-school-catchment-area-quarter-best-education-a7908046.html [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].Kennon, J. (2012). New Study Finds The Ability to Delay Gratification Correlates with Reliability of Others. [online] Joshuakennon.com. Available at: https://www.joshuakennon.com/new-study-finds-the-ability-to-delay-gratification-correlates-with-the-reliability-of-adults-in-a-childs-life/ [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018].Morrison, N. (2014). Breaking down the language barrier for EAL pupils. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/mar/05/teaching-eal-foreign-languages-students-integration-schools [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018]. Pells, R. (2017). Boys overtake girls in top A-level grades for first time in a generation. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co. uk/news/education/education-news/a-level-results-2017-boys-beat-birls-top-subjects-english-maths-history-first-time-a7898186.html [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018].Richardson, H. (2016). Why do more girls go to university?. [online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37107208 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018].Turner, C. (2015). Girls do better than boys at school, despite inequality. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co. uk/education/11364130/Girls-do-better-than-boys-at-school-despite-inequality.html [Accessed 6 Apr. 2018].

Fidel Castro Biographical Profile

Fidel Castro Biographical Profile Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (1926–2016) was a Cuban lawyer, revolutionary, and politician. He was the central figure in the Cuban Revolution (1956-1959), which removed dictator Fulgencio Batista from power and replaced him with a communist regime friendly to the Soviet Union. For decades, he defied the United States, which tried to assassinate or replace him countless times. A controversial figure, many Cubans consider him a monster who destroyed Cuba, while others consider him a visionary who saved their nation from the horrors of capitalism. Early Years Fidel Castro was one of the  several illegitimate children born to middle-class sugar farmer Angel Castro y Argà ­z and his household maid, Lina Ruz Gonzlez. Castro’s father eventually divorced his wife and married Lina, but young Fidel still grew up with the stigma of being illegitimate. He was given his fathers last name at age 17 and had the benefits of being raised in a wealthy household. He was a talented student, educated at Jesuit boarding schools, and decided to pursue a career in law, entering the University of Havana Law School in 1945. While in school, he became increasingly involved in politics, joining the Orthodox Party, which was in favor of drastic government reform to reduce corruption. Personal Life Castro married Mirta  Dà ­az Balart in 1948. She came from a wealthy and politically-connected family. They had one child and divorced in 1955. Later in life, he married Dalia Soto del Valle in 1980 and had five more children. He had several other children outside of his marriages, including Alina Fernndez, who escaped Cuba to Spain using false papers and then lived in Miami where she criticized the Cuban government. Revolution Brewing in Cuba When Batista, who had been president in the early 1940s, abruptly seized power in 1952, Castro became even more politicized. Castro, as a lawyer, tried to mount a legal challenge to Batista’s reign, demonstrating that the Cuban Constitution had been violated by his power grab. When Cuban courts refused to hear the petition, Castro decided that legal assaults on Batista would never work: if he wanted change, he would have to use other means. Attack on the Moncada Barracks The charismatic Castro began drawing converts to his cause, including his brother Raà ºl. Together, they acquired weapons and began organizing an assault on the military barracks at Moncada. They attacked on July 26, 1953, the day after a festival, hoping to catch the soldiers still drunk or hung over. Once the barracks were captured, there would be enough weapons to mount a full-scale insurgency. Unfortunately for Castro, the attack failed: most of the 160 or so rebels were killed, either in the initial assault or in government prisons later. Fidel and his brother Raul were captured. History Will Absolve Me Castro led his own defense, using his public trial as a platform to bring his argument to the people of Cuba. He wrote an impassioned defense for his actions and smuggled it out of prison. While on trial, he uttered his famous slogan: â€Å"History will absolve me.† He was sentenced to death, but when the death penalty was abolished, his sentence was changed to 15 years imprisonment. In 1955, Batista came under increasing political pressure to reform his dictatorship, and he freed a number of political prisoners, including Castro. Mexico The newly-freed Castro went to Mexico, where he made contact with other Cuban exiles eager to overthrow Batista. He founded the 26th of July Movement and began making plans for a return to Cuba. While in Mexico, he met Ernesto â€Å"Chà ©Ã¢â‚¬  Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos, who were destined to play important roles in the Cuban Revolution. The rebels acquired weapons and trained and coordinated their return with fellow insurgents in Cuban cities. On November 25, 1956, 82 members of the movement boarded the yacht Granma and set sail for Cuba, arriving on December 2. Back in Cuba The Granma force was detected and ambushed, and many of the rebels were killed. Castro and the other leaders survived, however, and made it to the mountains in southern Cuba. They remained there for a while, attacking government forces and installations and organizing resistance cells in cities across Cuba. The movement slowly but surely gained in strength, especially as the dictatorship cracked down further on the populace. Castros Revolution Succeeds In May of 1958, Batista launched a massive campaign aimed at ending the rebellion once and for all. It backfired, however, as Castro and his forces scored a number of unlikely victories over Batista’s forces, which led to mass desertions in the army. By the end of 1958, the rebels were able to go on the offensive, and columns led by Castro, Cienfuegos and Guevara captured major towns. On January 1, 1959, Batista spooked and fled the country. On January 8, 1959, Castro and his men marched into Havana in triumph. Cubas Communist Regime Castro soon implemented a Soviet-style communist regime in Cuba, much to the dismay of the United States. This led to decades of conflict between Cuba and the USA, including such incidents as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Mariel boatlift. Castro survived countless assassination attempts, some of them crude, some quite clever. Cuba was placed under an economic embargo, which had serious effects on the Cuban economy. In February of 2008 Castro resigned from duties as President, although he remained active in the communist party. He died on November 25, 2016, at the age of 90. Legacy Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution have had a profound effect on worldwide politics since 1959. His revolution inspired many attempts at imitation and revolutions broke out in nations such as Nicaragua, El Salvador, Bolivia and more. In southern South America, a whole crop of insurgencies sprang up in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Tupamaros in Uruguay, the MIR in Chile and the Montoneros in Argentina, just to name a few. Operation Condor, a collaboration of military governments in South America, was organized to destroy these groups, all of which hoped to incite the next Cuban-style Revolution in their home nations. Cuba aided many of these insurgent groups with weapons and training. While some were inspired by Castro and his revolution, others were aghast. Many politicians in the United States saw the Cuban Revolution as a dangerous â€Å"toehold† for communism in the Americas, and billions of dollars were spent propping up right-wing governments in places like Chile and Guatemala. Dictators such as Chile’s Augusto Pinochet were gross violators of human rights in their countries, but they were effective in keeping Cuban-style revolutions from taking over. Many Cubans, particularly those in the middle and upper classes, fled Cuba shortly after the revolution. These Cuban emigrants generally despise Castro and his revolution. Many fled because they feared the crackdown that followed Castro’s conversion of the Cuban state and economy to communism. As part of the transition to communism, many private companies and lands were confiscated by the government. Over the years, Castro maintained his grip on Cuban politics. He never gave up on communism even after the fall of the Soviet Union, which supported Cuba with money and food for decades. Cuba is a genuine communist state where the people share labor and rewards, but it has come at the cost of privation, corruption, and repression. Many Cubans fled the nation, many taking to the sea in leaky rafts hoping to make it to Florida. Castro once uttered the famous phrase: â€Å"History will absolve me.† The jury is still out on Fidel Castro, and history may absolve him and may curse him. Either way, what is certain is that history will not forget him anytime soon. Sources: Castaà ±eda, Jorge C. Compaà ±ero: the Life and Death of Che Guevara.  New York: Vintage Books, 1997. Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. New Haven and London: the Yale University Press, 2003.

Report of Marketing Campaign review-Vodafone New Zealand PXT service Essay

Report of Marketing Campaign review-Vodafone New Zealand PXT service - Essay Example Vodafone Group was established in the United Kingdom back in 1983. The company acquired its New Zealand business – previously known as BellSouth New Zealand in November 1998. At the time Vodafone Group made the purchase, BellSouth had a total of 138,000 customers. As of June 2006, Vodafone New Zealand had a customer base of 2.1 million customers that is composed of 55% share of the New Zealand mobile market.1 The competition in the New Zealand mobile market is very tight. For this reason, the company needs to constantly upgrade its system such as PXT messaging. In 2001, Vodafone New Zealand signed up a commercial agreement with Telecom New Zealand today in order to enable their customers to send sound enables photo and video messages between the two mobile networks.2, 3 Vodafone New Zealand introduces its free weekend use of PXT messaging as a marketing campaign between the periods of December 2003 until September 2004.4, 5 Vodafone PXT â„ ¢ uses this strategy with the attempt to boost the demand for multimedia messaging. Since January 2004, the PXT messaging across the Vodafone network has increased at a rate between 35 – 50% month-on-month despite the price of 75 cents per message.5 In line with the increase in the use of PXT messaging, the sales of more featured phones were also increasing. Vodafone used the GO-Race (Loo-Racer) as a unique way of launching the new PXT capable phones. This event was featured on 30 second TV commercial throughout New Zealand and Australia together with some print ads campaign. This campaign was successful in reaching for Vodafone’s target market. There is only one competitor in the New Zealand mobile industry – The Telecom NZ because of the high cost of infrastructure requirements. This also becomes a barrier to exit. Due to globalisation, it is still possible for International Telecommunications Company to penetrate the industry

The Value of a University Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Value of a University Education - Assignment Example Studies consistently demonstrate that graduates have higher levels of earnings than high school graduates. According to the US Census Bureau, the median earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients working full-time year-round in 2008 were $55,700 - $21,900 more than the median earnings of high school graduates. Individuals with higher levels of education are more likely to have earnings and more likely to work full-time year round. Eighty percent of college graduates ages 25 or older had earnings in 2008 and 60% worked full-time year-round. In comparison, only sixty-three percent of high school graduates ages 25 or older had earnings, and only 44% worked full-time year-round. When lifetime earnings are computed, the typical bachelor’s degree recipient can expect to earn about 66% more during a 40-year working life than the typical high school graduate earns over the same period. After the fall in employment rates at the start of the economic recession in early 2008, it was four-year college graduates whose employment levels first recovered in 2010, with a 2% increase. Individuals with higher levels of education report greater job satisfaction and derive a sense of fulfillment from their work. Finally, the unemployment rate for university graduates â€Å"is consistently about half the unemployment rate for high school graduates† (Baum, Ma and Payea, 2010). Higher education also confers non-monetary benefits to individuals. These include health benefits and an improved sense of self-esteem. As the medical consensus on the adverse health effects of smoking became more emphatic, the smoking rates for college graduates showed a much more rapid rate of decline than that for high school graduates. By 2008, only 9% of college graduates smoked,... This paper comes to the conclusion that it is clear that university education imparts value to the individual, the local community and society at large. Individual benefits are both monetary and non-monetary. Monetary benefits include increased income and consistently high employment rates. Non-monetary advantages range from to better health and healthy lifestyles to a greater sense of well-being and better care of children. In the context of the local community, universities develop the skills of the local community by enlisting and training local students, generate employment opportunities on the campus, participate in community activities, give local community access to university facilities, address the issue of social disadvantage in the locality and raise the prestige and visibility of the region. Society at large benefits in several ways from higher education, with graduates showing greater political participation, decreased crime and incarceration rates, more racial and relig ious tolerance and less dependence on public welfare programs. This paper approves that the higher wages of college graduates obviously translates into a higher national income, which leads to a healthier population and a better functioning society. The benefits of a university education are indisputable. As it is evident that the benefits of higher education are not confined to the individual alone, but also spill over into the local community and society at large, public investment in higher education is a step in the right direction. University education is the best way to ensure that the well-being of all citizens is enhanced and that the nation retains its competitiveness in the knowledge economy of the contemporary world.

Planning Theory & Practice Essay Example for Free

Planning Theory Practice Essay The creation of a whole new type of community, the `virtual community’, has done much to highlight the potential for communities to form beyond the confines of geographic space (Rheingold, 1993). Technological utopians have found community in cyberspace. Largely anecdotal evidence emphasizes the ability of computer networks to connect people across time and space in strong supportive relationships, blindly extending beyond characteristics of ethnicity, religion or national origin. Guilty of Plagiarism  The creation of a new community, which is called a virtual community, has allowed people to live beyond geographic space. Cyberspace is where technological people have found a sense of community. Computers can connect people across time and space no matter what their characteristics (Hampton, 2002). Not Guilty of Plagiarism Keith Hampton (2002), has coined the term â€Å"virtual community† to refer to a place where people can form social groups â€Å"beyond the confines of geographic space† (p. 228). This â€Å"cyberspace† provides a chance for individuals of varying races and religions to meet and interact via computer. Many technologically savvy people now have a place to meet other without having to physically travel (Hampton, 2002). Not Guilty of Plagiarism. Computers have allowed for people to meet those of other nationalities and cultures worlds away from one another through the computer. The networking capabilities of computers allow for people to build social groups, or communities, in cyberspace rather than in person. An ocean or a mountain will no longer be able to keep these technologically savvy pioneers apart (Hampton, 2002).

Man’s Domination Over Woman in Kate Chopins Desirees Baby Essay

Man’s Domination Over Woman in Desiree’s Baby Differences between people create conflicts between people.   This is especially true between men and women, since throughout history society has viewed women as subservient to men.   Kate Chopin’s feminist short story, Desiree’s Baby, illustrates man’s domination over woman.   Since Desiree meekly accepts being ruled by Armand, and Armand regards Desiree as his possession, the master/slave relationship that exists between Armand and Desiree is undeniable. Armand believes that since he possesses a superior social position than does Desiree, he is at liberty to be master over her.   As a plantation owner and a descendant of the Aubigny family which bears "one of the oldest and proudest [names] in Louisiana" (316), Armand owns tens and hundreds of slaves.   In contrast Desiree is adopted into a family without a respected name.   Since, "Young Aubigny's rule was a strict one†, he not only treats the slaves as if they were animals, but also treats Desiree as but a beautiful possession.   Although Desiree truly loves Armand, the relationship is not reciprocal, which is evident by the fact that Armand has affairs with other women.   Desiree’s love for Armand elevates him in the relationship, while Armand’s domination over Desiree only makes her more submissive. Armand’s ego exhibits his qualities as a master.   His respected name, large plantation, and position as a master over slaves inflate his pride.   The fact that, â€Å"Armand is the proudest father in the parish†¦ because it is a boy, to bear his name† (317), illustrates that Armand does not truly love his family; instead he sees them as possessions – extensions of his property.   To Armand the baby serves the purpose of honoring him by ... ...e denies both her and the child, she loses personhood and therefore commits suicide and infanticide. The word, desperately, that describes her love for Armand illustrates how truly attached she is to him.   When Armand accuses Desiree of being black and disowns her because he believes this, Desiree completely loses her identity.   Without Armand she thinks, â€Å"I shall die. I must die. I cannot be so unhappy, and live.† (319). It is not only Armand’s dominance, but also Desiree’s meek subservience that kills Desiree and the baby, while ruining Armand’s life.   In Armand and Desiree’s already teetering master/slave relationship, a trivial conflict over race is the final blow that splits them up.   Yet it was the difference between the perceptions of themselves and each other, set in place by a male dominated society, that doomed their relationship even from the beginning. Man’s Domination Over Woman in Kate Chopin's Desiree's Baby Essay Man’s Domination Over Woman in Desiree’s Baby Differences between people create conflicts between people.   This is especially true between men and women, since throughout history society has viewed women as subservient to men.   Kate Chopin’s feminist short story, Desiree’s Baby, illustrates man’s domination over woman.   Since Desiree meekly accepts being ruled by Armand, and Armand regards Desiree as his possession, the master/slave relationship that exists between Armand and Desiree is undeniable. Armand believes that since he possesses a superior social position than does Desiree, he is at liberty to be master over her.   As a plantation owner and a descendant of the Aubigny family which bears "one of the oldest and proudest [names] in Louisiana" (316), Armand owns tens and hundreds of slaves.   In contrast Desiree is adopted into a family without a respected name.   Since, "Young Aubigny's rule was a strict one†, he not only treats the slaves as if they were animals, but also treats Desiree as but a beautiful possession.   Although Desiree truly loves Armand, the relationship is not reciprocal, which is evident by the fact that Armand has affairs with other women.   Desiree’s love for Armand elevates him in the relationship, while Armand’s domination over Desiree only makes her more submissive. Armand’s ego exhibits his qualities as a master.   His respected name, large plantation, and position as a master over slaves inflate his pride.   The fact that, â€Å"Armand is the proudest father in the parish†¦ because it is a boy, to bear his name† (317), illustrates that Armand does not truly love his family; instead he sees them as possessions – extensions of his property.   To Armand the baby serves the purpose of honoring him by ... ...e denies both her and the child, she loses personhood and therefore commits suicide and infanticide. The word, desperately, that describes her love for Armand illustrates how truly attached she is to him.   When Armand accuses Desiree of being black and disowns her because he believes this, Desiree completely loses her identity.   Without Armand she thinks, â€Å"I shall die. I must die. I cannot be so unhappy, and live.† (319). It is not only Armand’s dominance, but also Desiree’s meek subservience that kills Desiree and the baby, while ruining Armand’s life.   In Armand and Desiree’s already teetering master/slave relationship, a trivial conflict over race is the final blow that splits them up.   Yet it was the difference between the perceptions of themselves and each other, set in place by a male dominated society, that doomed their relationship even from the beginning.

Conformity vs. Rebellion (Bartleby the Scrivener) Essay

Conformity and rebellion are evil twins that humanity has been nourishing since the beginning of civilization. As we conform to the social norms that surround us everyday, we are trapped inside of this overwhelming system where we easily lose ourselves as individuals. On the other hand, the urges of rebellion that live in our ego compel us to break from the state of our bondages. Yet, our superegos are trying to keep us in a reasonable threshold, and enable us to stay in the system. As a result, people are fighting a constant internal battle of conformity versus rebellion. As Herman Melville describes in his story â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener,† humanity is hopelessly struggling between conformity and rebellion. He presents us with images of entrapment and death to address his concerns for the issues of conformity and rebellion. The images of entrapment are evident throughout the story. From the â€Å"lofty brick wall† outside of the office window to the sound-dividing prison walls which Bartleby died within, the narrator traps the readers in his dark replica of reality. Looking out the office windows, â€Å"the light came down from far above, between two lofty buildings, as from a very small opening in a dome.† The physical confinement of their dark and depressed office space is apparent through the images of the dim lighting and restricted view. For Bartleby, the confinement is no longer physical but psychological. â€Å"From his long-continued motionlessness, that behind his screen he must be standing in one of those dead-wall reveries of his.† This unusual behavior is a common act of such character. It is not the act of boredom but desperation and hopelessness that disintegrates from within and disables him from engaging in any productive activates. As the narrator takes the readers to the final resting place of Bartleby, he portrays the ultimate human confinement, the prison. The extreme thickness of the prison walls â€Å"kept off all sound behind them.† The images of entrapment are clear, that the inescapable prison walls trap any living souls inside of their boundaries. However, to Bartleby it is just another empty place, for his soul has already died long ago. The walls only keep off the outside world from him rather than restricting the already seized motions of Bartleby’s. It is the place where Bartleby chooses to escape from all, and rest for an eternity â€Å"with kings and counselors.† Images of death come as a natural companion of entrapment. The character of Bartleby appears ghostly and lifeless. He is â€Å"a motionless young man,† who works quietly like a machine in his dark and confined space. Unlike the way the narrator describes the other three employees of his, Bartleby has no anger, no ambition, and almost nothing human about him at all. The â€Å"idly cadaverous† response, â€Å"I would prefer not to† from Bartleby, implies that this man’s spirit has died long before his physical death. There is nothing in this world excites him or motivates him, leaving him only dreaded depression. This emotional emptiness must drive Bartleby to insanity, to the extent that he gives up all life burdens including basic biological functions such as eating and sleeping. Later in the story, Bartleby is sent to the â€Å"Tombs,† because of the uncooperative nature of this man. The name of the jail â€Å"Tombs† carries a symbolic meaning of death. In the narrator’s description of the interior of the jail: â€Å"the Egyptian character of the masonry weighed upon me with its gloom,† he reinforces the indestructible and inevitable power of death with these chilling images. The images of entrapment and death are excellent representations of to the concept of conformity and rebellion, whereas Bartleby lives with the entrapment of his unfulfilling life, and finally chooses death as his ultimate rebellion. The narrator, Herman Melville, constructs the abstract character, Bartleby, to extract and speak for his desperation and hopelessness feeling towards the fate of humanity as a whole. Quite like the dilemma Melville brought to our attention a half century ago, societies today are still struggling with issues of conformity and rebellion. We are so driven by the â€Å"errands of life,† and rarely stop and think about the reasons of our very existence. As the train of life speeds us to the final destination, we realize that we have traveled the exact same track as everyone else did.