Saturday, January 25, 2020

James :: essays research papers

A captivating tale of relationship of two troubling brothers in Harlem, "Sonny's Blues" is told from a perspective of Sonny's brother, whose name is never mentioned. Baldwin's choice of Sonny's brother as a narrator is what makes "Sonny's Blues" significant in terms of illustrating the relationship and emotional complications of Sonny and his brother. The significance of "Sonny's Blues" lies in the way Sonny's brother describes the relationship based on what he observes, hears, and feels, and how he struggles trying to understand Sonny through the course of the story. As Sonny's brother, he gets to be physically and mentally as close to Sonny as anyone else can. Readers get to know that Sonny's brother is a fairly reliable narrator from the fact that he is an algebra teacher and far less abused by "horse" or "the low ceiling of their actual possibilities" than the kids around the neighborhood, including Sonny. Sonny's brother is aware of what is going on between Sonny and him and accurately describes the relationship, "The seven years' difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm: I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge." (44) The "chasm" is where the story begins, and revolves around the entire story. Sonny's brother is aware of the "chasm," yet what Sonny is thinking remains mysterious since the narrator himself does not know. His narration allows readers to keep wondering and exploring flaky and "dreamlike" mind of Sonny. Sonny's brother stands as a major character and also as a first person narrator, meaning that he is a participant in the action. Baldwin achieves the sense of vividness by placing the narrator right in the middle of the action. "I started down the steps, whistling to keep from crying, I kept whistling to myself, You going to need me, baby, one of these cold, rainy days." (54) After an awful fight, Sonny's brother is disappointed at Sonny and himself. His whistling vividly conveys his struggle, despair and also love for his brother, allowing readers to get into his feeling. Dialogue is effectively used from Sonny's brother's point of view to convey how misunderstanding of two brothers gets built up. In the middle of a long conversation, Sonny's brother notes, "I simply couldn't see why on earth he'd want to spend his time hanging around nightclubs, clowning around on bandstands, while people pushed each other around a dance floor.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Managing Diversity in the Workplace

Many people believe that discrimination is a thing of the past. They acknowledge that discrimination in the workplace was a serious problem in earlier times. In the present times, there is already heightened awareness of the problem, as well as the significant legal and financial consequences, have eliminated most forms of discrimination.Aside from globalization, â€Å"multiculturalism† has become one of the buzzwords of the Information Age. Multiculturalism connotes diversity in culture and society. In realization of the diversity in American culture, multiculturalism has its roots in the things that separate people from each other. Varieties of multiculturalism go in different directions; but whether radical or liberal, whether emphasizing power or weakness and the distinct contributions of each ethnic group, multiculturalism keeps coming back to its roots in the word â€Å"difference†.The ideal of diversity, the mixing of things up, spreading the wealth, creating a n ew concept of â€Å"us†, never quite ensued rapidly. In relating to racial, ethnic and sexual identity, multiculturalism carved out discrete areas of high visibility but kept those areas self-contained. Since the middle of the 1990's, dissatisfaction with this situation has been widespread, especially as the very concept of race has been forcefully called into question. Black may have been beautiful in the 1960's, and powerful in the 1970's, but it has also become increasingly viewed by cultural historians as a social construct, one fixed in place only by racism itself (Cotter, 2001).As most of the people leading America's major institutions have grown up in segregated communities with segregated schools, they have had limited opportunities to interact with people from different cultures-people whose first language may not be English, or whose skin color is not the same as their own. Many of these leaders have internalized all the stereotypes about race, gender, sexual orient ation and ethnicity that are built into the structures of our society and our organizations.They are ill prepared for the heterogeneity which exists in most organizations today and will surely exist in all organizations tomorrow. The dramatic changes that are upon us are creating an imperative to consider real integration of all workers–not as a matter of social justice or civil rights, but as a necessity for survival (Cross, 2000, p. 2).Despite the fact that there are laws that inhibit, discrimination still exists in many corporations. Class-action discrimination lawsuits are still being settled every day to the tune of millions of dollars. For example, Texaco settled a $176.1 million racial discrimination lawsuit involving 1,400 employees;Ford Motor Company agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations that women and minority applicants were discriminated against in the hiring process at several Ford plants; and Coca-Cola settled a racial discrimination lawsuit for $192.5 million. Currently, unsettled suits alleging workplace discrimination are pending at organizations ranging from Johnson & Johnson and BellSouth to the National Football League (George and Jones 2005, 341).In someone's place of employment, for example, what does it mean when individual differences are distributed unequally across organizational levels or among work functions? What are the implications of some members holding majority status while others are minorities in respect to representation with the organization?The daily work challenges faced by minority cultures or populations in organizations can range from having to deal with misunderstandings and lack of sensitivity on the one hand to suffering harassment and discrimination, active or subtle, on the other. In respect to race relations in the workplace, a Fortune magazine article once concluded: â€Å"The good news is, there's plenty of progress for companies and employees to talk about.†¦ But what often doesn't get s aid, especially in mixed-race settings, is how much remains to get done† (Mehta 2000, p. 182).A recent study revealed that when rà ©sumà ©s are sent to potential employers, those with white-sounding first names, such as Brett, received 50 percent more responses than those with black-sounding first names, such as Kareem. The fact is that such bias can still be limiting factors in too many work settings (Columbus Dispatch, 2003). Prejudice, or the holding of negative, irrational opinions and attitudes regarding members of diverse populations, sets the stage for diversity bias in the workplace.Such bias can result in discrimination that actively disadvantages individuals by treating them unfairly and denying them the full benefits of organizational membership. This means that even though organizations are changing today, people are still aware that most senior executives in large organizations are older, white, and male. There is still likely to be more workforce diversity at l ower and middle levels of most organizations than at the top.In seeing diversity, one common theme in some approaches is that â€Å"diversity is about all kinds of difference.† However, this view takes us down a dead-end road. Surely, the goal of management in general is just that: â€Å"managing all kinds of difference.† It is clear that what is   needed from a field that is called â€Å"managing diversity† are theories and practices that help organizations reduce discrimination and enable employees who are increasingly diverse by race, gender, sexual orientation and ability to work together effectively.Managers not only need to be competent in basic management skills, they need to learn how to apply those skills competently and comfortably when the employees in their charge are not like them. They need to know how to apply the organization's policies and practices equitably to all employees.When managers become aware of evidence of potential discrimination, they need to pay immediate attention and act proactively to address the potential problem and perhaps change the organization's policies and practices. The management and leadership implications should be summed up in the concept of managing diversity. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. (1992) defines this as the process of comprehensively developing a work environment that is for everyone, that allows â€Å"all kinds of people to reach their full potential.†To help guide others in managing diversity, he poses these questions: (1) â€Å"What do I as a manager need to do to ensure the effective and efficient utilization of employees in pursuit of the corporate mission?† (2) â€Å"What are the implications of diversity for the way I manage?† When all managers can answer these questions positively Thomas calls the organization â€Å"diversity mature.†In such organizations, there is a diversity mission as well as an organizational mission; diversity is viewed as a strat egic imperative and the members understand diversity concepts. Ultimately, Thomas & Woodruff (1999) considered the basic building block of a diversity-mature organization is to become the â€Å"diversity-mature individual†. According to Thomas & Woodruff, a â€Å"diversity-mature individual† is someone who can positively and honestly answer the nine questions posed in The Effective Manager 2.1:Are You Mature on Diversity?1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do you accept personal responsibility for improving your performance?2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do you accept personal responsibility for improving your organization's performance?3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do you understand yourself and your organization?4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do you understand important diversity concepts?Do you make decisions involving differences based on ability to meet job requirements? Do you understand that diversity is complex and accompanied by tensions? Are you able to cope with complexity and tensions in addr essing diversity? Are you willing to challenge the way things are? Are you willing to learn continuously?In a research reported by the Gallup Management Journal (December 2001), revealed that establishing a racially and ethnically inclusive workplace is good for morale. In a study of 2014 American workers, those who felt included were more likely to stay with their employers and recommend them to others. Survey questions asked such things as: â€Å"Do you always trust your company to be fair to all employees?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"At work, are all employees always treated with respect?† â€Å"Does your supervisor always make the best use of employees' skills?† they have gathered a conclusion that organizational culture of inclusivity counts both in terms of respect for people and in building organizational capacities for sustainable high performance.Thus, managers and business leaders today find that managing diversity makes good business sense as a strategic imperative, not ju st a legal and moral one. A diverse workforce offers a rich pool of talents, ideas, and viewpoints useful for solving the complex problems of highly competitive and often-uncertain environments. No doubt that well-managed workforce diversity increases human capital. If we are to succeed in helping our organizations and our society become more equitable, more open, more inclusive and more profitable, we must not fall into power struggles between the management and its subordinates.There is still no panacea that would eventually eliminate racial and gender biases, but in working together to the advantage of everyone will somehow dissolve the various barriers that impede productive output and understanding our fellowmen. This is because the success of an organization mainly lies on a common consensus that considers diversity to be an opportunity for everyone in an organization to learn from each other and harness each other’s cooperation in order to improve the quality of the pe rformance – as an individual, as a group and as a company.ReferencesColumbus Dispatch. (2003, January 17). Racism in Hiring Remains, Study Says. p. B2.Cross, E. Y. (2000). Managing Diversity–The Courage to Lead. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.Gallup Management Journal. (2001, December). The Most Inclusive Workplaces Generate the Most Loyal Employees. Gallup Group.George, Jennifer M. & Jones, Gareth R. (2005). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior, (4th ed.), New York: Prentice-Hall – Pearson Education Company.Mehta, Stephanie N. (2000, July 10). What Minority Employees Really Want, Fortune, pp. 181–186.Thomas, R. Roosevelt Jr. (1992). Beyond Race and Gender (New York: AMACOM), p. 10Thomas, R. Roosevelt Jr. & Woodruff, Marjorie I. (1999).Building a House for Diversity (New York: AMACOM).

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

African American English ( Aae ) - 1305 Words

African American English (AAE) is commonly referred to as Ebonics, as well as black speech, black vernacular, and several other phrases. According to William Labov, â€Å"This African American Vernacular English shares most of its grammar and vocabulary with other dialects of English. But it is distinct in many ways, and it is more different from Standard English (SE) than any other dialect spoken in continental North America.† (Pullum, 39) AAE is a precious product of a people who mastered a language under the inhumane conditions of slavery. African American English is in fact a form of Standard English, and can be considered as the common dialect of African Americans. The historical phonological patterns of the dialect highlight the continuous intergenerational strength of the African American people. Research on AAE increased after the 1996 recognition of African American English being the primary language in several U.S. school systems. Prior to this recognition, African American English was considered to be incorrect and especially inappropriate in any formal setting. However, in recent years African American English has been acknowledged as a unique set of phonological rules and patterns and has been deemed by linguists, speech pathologists, and some educators acceptable to speak in all settings. Being that AAE is my primary dialect and that I study both African American Studies and Communication Sciences and Disorders, the study of the AAE is especially interesting toShow MoreRelatedToni Cade Bambaras The Lesson Essay3186 Words   |  13 Pagesuses language and experience to incite change in a warped society that marginalizes its people based on language, race, and class. With the utilization of African American English (AAE), Bambara sheds light on some questionable prejudices and problems with capitalism in American society. Bambara’s works are noted for their use of traditional AAE and its support in teaching the overall â€Å"lesson† and the underlying message to the public. The majority of Bambara’s works were inspired by and written inRead MoreThe Future Of Black English And Its Academic Impact On African American Children1291 Words   |  6 PagesThe Future of ‘Black English’ and its Academic Impact on African-American Children Introduction Language plays a key role in communication in any society, culture and organization. This medium of social interaction is universal and has been passed down for centuries as a legacy. Therefore, it is imperative that the purity of the language is kept within each framework of heritage. Culture also plays a very important role in the evolution of language. It is the foundation of social engagement andRead More Copula Variation Across Two Decades of Hip Hop Nation Language3142 Words   |  13 PagesThis paper is missing several charts. 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Words are created for many different reasons including scientific use, technological advances, and lastly, words that are created in contemporary culture. Expressions that have been created by the youth have become such a part of American culture, that they often times end up being added to the dictionary.Read MoreSocial Justice, Fair And Unbiased Treatment Of The Population Essay1593 Words   |  7 Pagesrights among minority races and gender. Social justice includes basic necessities, standards and rights that should be extended to all (Vasquez 2012). Social justice is an area that some countries, such as ____, would consider Americans to be privileged in. However, Americ ans, especially those who have never experienced social injustice tend to be blind to many social injustices that happen everyday in America. Describe five specific events/political issues/ economic issues/ religious issues/ educationalRead MoreStandardized Testing And Its Impact On The Classroom1633 Words   |  7 Pagescorrect use of AAE and demonstrated accurate rules for this dialect. However, the student did not directly answer the question posed. Instead of listing quality traits he listed an individual. A combination of his grammar mixed with his response resulted in receiving a score of a 3 from Puthoff. This response grade although was overturned by his supervisor to a 2 (Lussenhop). Puthoff claims the essay was deserving of a higher grade but the student’s use of African American English encouraged hisRead MoreTeaching Hel Is The Variation Of Language And Give Voice Of Ordinary People Speaking796 Words   |  4 Pagessamples, we do have recordings of older speakers in American English that continue to exhibit some of the same dialect features found in early Englishes. These voices are found in the interv iew data collected for the Dictionary of American Regional English, a six-volume dictionary of regional American English variation (DARE, 1985-2012). As we near the end of our HEL course, we present an overview of the settlement patterns that have most influenced American regional dialects. Throughout these lecturesRead MoreUnusual Languages of the World2351 Words   |  9 Pagesdefining and describing the use of English by region. Kachrus model shows English users in three groupings. The first is the Inner Circle made up of the United States, United Kingdom, and Austrailia. The speakers of the Inner Circle are native English speakers who use English in almost all functions. The Outer Circle is made up of countries such as the Phillipines and South Africa, whose speakers are non-native English speakers that use an institutionalized English variety. The Expanding Circle