Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

December 11, 2012 Section 1: Who is the one to delineate fault for a miscommunication and misunderstanding between two cultures? In Anne Fadiman’s novel, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, she begins the novel as an attempt to allocate responsibility for the mistreatment and exacerbation of Lia Lee’s epilepsy. The tension between the Hmong and United States medical culture exemplified the strain in America between a foreign culture dependent on rituals and society’s norm. As the novel progress, Fadiman realizes that neither culture is truly at fault.Lia’s situation stemmed from a clash of cultural beliefs and practices that could have been solved by a respect and empathy of the significance of cross-cultural communication. Throughout the narrative, there were characters that were able to be culturally empathetic while some were unable to appreciate the cultural differences between the two entities and realize the necessity for cooperation and unders tanding. The Hmong have a saying that they repeat at the beginning of every story, â€Å"Hais cuaj txub kaum txub,† which means, â€Å"speak of all kinds of things† (Fadiman 13).These words depict the belief in the Hmong culture that the world is full of things that might not appear related but actually are. This concept relates to the Hmong’s history. Their development as a culture is tainted with inconsiderate counter cultures that restricted their freedom to practice their cultural rituals. This greatly influenced their ability to trust cultures that are not their own. Their general distrust in any culture different from their own can be mainly traced back to the Chinese and Indochinese portion of their saga.Basically, the Hmong have been chased out of any home they have ever had due to their unwillingness to take orders, their affliction to losing and the imperative detail that they would rather flee, fight, or die than surrender. This all boils down to the fact that they are not easily swayed by other culture’s customs. This ethnocentric attitude has greatly attributed to the Hmong culture’s general distrust and distaste for any culture but their own. Lia’s parents, Nao Kao and Foua Lee, and much of the Hmong community were skeptical of trusting the â€Å"white people† in the medical profession and in the community.In fact, Lia’s case became the litmus test for Hmong community and turned out to be a deciding factor as to whether the Hmong community in Merced, California would trust the medical professionals when they found themselves at MCMC in a similar state as Lia. Despite this inherent distrust of any culture dissimilar to their own, the Lee’s were able to trust one CPA worker, Jeanine Hilt, who took the Lee’s case very personally. Jeanine made it her mission to fight the medical industry tyranny on behalf of the Hmong culture and became the only person to ask the Lees their opinion .Because of the language barrier, many medical professionals saw talking to the Lee’s as a lost cause to communicate with, which led the Lees to believe they were being taken advantage of. Jeanine was the only one who thought to ask how the Lees felt about how the doctors were treating Lia and their culture. Because of this openness to communication and genuine interest in their answers, she explained to the hospital how the Lees, and the Hmong culture, felt about Lia’s epilepsy and why they were running into to so many conflicts with the Hmong culture.Jeanine’s open approach allowed her to see what the barrier was between the Lees ad the medical profession. The Lee’s and the Hmong culture considered Lia an anointed one and her â€Å"illness† as a blessing rather than a weakness. In the Hmong culture, people born with epilepsy are believed to be the anointed ones and are destined to a life as a shaman. They call it â€Å"qaug dab peg,† or â €Å"the spirit catches you and you fall down. † People in the medical profession did not understand the concept of spirits and the importance of epilepsy for the Hmong. Jeanine was the only white person who adamantly fought for the rights of the Hmong.She was able to do this by the ability to effectively and cross culturally communicate. A similar problem occurred when the Lees refused to give their daughter her daily medicine regimen. Lia was taken away from her family and put into foster care. Jeanine fought to get Lia back to her family as her epileptic episodes became more frequent and dangerous. After she succeeded, it was Jeanine’s mission to educate the Lees, especially Foua, on the drug regimen and explain to her the importance of the drugs and to understand Nao Kao and Foua’s aversion to medicine.Hilt was the only person that took the time to listen to Foua and her concerns regarding the unnatural substances. And after Lia’s large grand mal seizu re, she was the only one who tackled the problem of how the Hmong family was treating Lia’s developmental delays. Jeanine’s key to success was always keeping the lines of communication open between herself and the Lees and therefore between the Lees and the MCMC. In order to cross culturally communicate, Jeanine focused on a caring approach that was â€Å"culturally empathetic† and used the Lees daughter, May, as her translator.She did this because having another unfamiliar person in the room, especially a translater, would make the Lees uncomfortable and less open to effective communication. Hilt also took the time to get to know the Lees. She knew the names of all their seven surviving children and most importantly never abandoned Lia or her family even in Nao Kao’s darkest moments. As part of the Hmong culture, they are naturally very violent and are not deterred by being outnumbered. Nao Kao threatened a translator that came and told the Child Protect ive Services were taking Lia away.Jeanine understood the aversion to having someone’s child taken away and made sure the threats Nao Kao made didn’t affect the courts decision to let Lia return. Jeanine’s empathy was deepened by two factors. She understood the burden of a chronic illness because she had asthma. She also admired the connection and closeness of the Hmong families. She was deeply connected to this family and to this child so she harassed the government and the hospital until the Lees got what they deserved. This included a pediatric hospital bed for Lia’s last days at home.This led the Lees to hold Jeanine in high esteem and allowed for a trust that was incredibly hard to earn from the Hmong culture. While Jeanine took the time to understand the Hmong culture, Nao Kao, Lia’s father, did little to reciprocate. He greatly appreciated her attempt at being understanding, however he never believed it was his responsibility to do the same. Even then, Foua was usually the most receptive to Jeanine’s triumphs. Historically Hmongs have become the pariahs of society.With this in mind, Nao Kao never really made the effort to be part of a society that he knew went against his beliefs and therefore was rejecting him. It is also prominent in Hmong culture, that the man is the strongest part of the family and the most emotionally disconnected. While the Hmong were fighting the Chinese, they even killed their wives and children so they wouldn’t be emotionally distracted. Nao Kao hyper masculine attitude led him and his wife to be passively obedient. In the book, Fadiman writes â€Å"It was typical or Hmong patients to appear passively obedient – thus protecting their own dignity by concealing their ignorance and their doctor’s dignity by acting deferential – and then, as soon as they left the hospital, to ignore everything to which they had supposedly assented† (Fadiman 68). This is no way to effectively communicate between two cultures. By Nao Kao affirming that he would give the medicine and not at least trying to explain that it is against his belief and/or he does not understand how to give the medicine, he falsely gives the impression to the doctors that Lia will be cared for at home.Not only does not communicate that he will not give the medicine, but he also doesn’t communicate that he has not given the medicine to Lia when the Lees continue to take her to the hospital seizure after seizure. While the Hmongs believed being epileptic was a sort of blessing, they also understood the repercussions and knew the disease was at least semi-dangerous. That is the reason the Lees continued to take Lia to MCMC over and over again, despite their hatred for the medical culture and the inability to effectively communicate. However Nao Kao Lee was most definitely stuck in his ways.Fadiman explains a observation by Francois Marie Savina as to his first impressions to the Hmong in 1924. Savina, a missionary, stated â€Å"ethnic durability can be attributed to six factors: religion; love of liberty; traditional costumes; refusal to marry outside their race; life in the cold, dry mountainous areas; and the toughening effects of war† (Fadiman 208). The Lee family did little the acculturate themselves into the United States culture and came here to merely escape prosecution. When the Lees came to America, their relatives had to show them how the country worked. They relied greatly on their children.After Seventeen years of living here they still speak only Hmong and practice only Hmong traditions. The Hmong culture is famously stuck in its ways and it was no different for Nao Kao. The mixture between his role in his culture as well as the culture itself lends itself to the inability to communicate between the Lee family and the MCMC medical staff. The first thing that would allow two cultures, such as the Hmong and the United States medical culture, to effectively communicate is knowing what their core values, core distinction, and some key elements to their culture in regards to value dimensions.The Hmong’s value dimensions tend to fall on one extreme, while America falls on the other side of the spectrum. For example, in the Identity value dimension, the Hmong are highly collectivist, which means their core value is group harmony and their core distinction is whether you’re in group/out group. However, the United States population is based on individualist side of the identity spectrum. This means they believe in individual freedom and the core distinction is whether its me/others (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 94-97).This has a large impact in how two cultures interact with each other because while the United States will believe that the Hmong should do whatever it takes to protect themselves while the Hmong believe they should maintain the peace with the gods or else they will be punished which focusâ⠂¬â„¢ on group harmony. The virtue value dimension also has a strong effect on the differences between these cultures. The Hmong are considered extreme long-term orientation, which values the long-term benefits. The US medical culture is more oriented on today’s effects, otherwise known as extreme short-term orientation (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 109-112).This shows why the Hmong are so superstitious because they are worried about the futures of their children and even their grandchildren. The medical industry is not superstitious and therefore believes in saving the life that needs saving now and not later. They do not discriminate on between now and later. A lot of lessons can be learned from how Jeanine was able to effectively communicate between the Hmong and US medical cultures. First of all, it is important to be open to new ways of communication between cultures and to not only find similarities, but also understand the differences between cultures.The Hmong culture a nd the Medical culture in the United States seem on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. In that brief period of Lia’s seizures being decreased and her seemingly getting better, the Lees understood that they had to give Lia her medicine regularly and the hospital understood why the Lees were hesitant about giving their child too many unnatural substances. When the two entities understood each other’s culture and cultural differences, Lia’s health improved and they were able to understand each other beyond the most basic level.This is called being culturally empathetic. Lia’s illness was a test for the two cultures. It was a situation that forced a broken system to recognize its faults and demonstrate how it needs to be fixed. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who worsened Lia’s illness because placing blame won’t help either culture understand each other. By the end of the text, as Fadiman is reflecting on the case, she writ es â€Å"I do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp.However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding† (Fadiman 262). The MCMC has learned multiple lessons from Lia’s epilepsy. They learned to be culturally conscious, they removed the organ donor box from the hospital waiver and posted details about Lia’s case so her illness won’t be mistreated ever again. The key to communicating effectively is to realize that a culture is different from yours and value their judgments just as much as you value your own.Jeanine was able to do it, hopefully Nao Kao will one day do it as well as every doctor in the medical profession, and especially the doctors that are in heavily populated minority areas. Bibliography 1. Fadiman, Anne. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong chil d, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. 2. Hofstede, Gert Jan, Paul Pedersen, and Geert H. Hofstede. Exploring culture. Yarmouth, Me. : Intercultural Press, 2002 Section II: Throughout my life, I have always been a person who loved traveling.I will always love traveling and someday, I hope to have a job where traveling is a requirement. When I travel, I hoped to come as close to emersion as possible in the time span I’m there. I believe interacting with other cultures can seriously give you a whole new outlook on life and learning perspectives of different cultures and humans always fascinates me which is why, next year, I am planning to take a year off to work at a bed and breakfast in France. People from all over the globe come to bed and breakfasts, which will give e a lot of face time with a lot of different cultures and learn a little bit about everything. My housing and dining will be paid for while I meet people, make lifelong connections and put all the things I learned about in cross cultural communication to work. Cross Cultural Communication opened up my eyes to some pretty basic things that you just never really put names to. The best lesson I learned was on cultural empathy. The idea that you don’t only tolerate another culture, but you understand it at its most basic level is incredibly important in how you connect with other people.A lot of my best friends are actually international and live in other countries. One of my best friends ever lives in Greece and looking back on our friendship, I realize how I subconsciously underwent the process of cultural empathy by asking her about the different practices she went through and the different ways she understood American culture and society. Unfortunately, I did not do the same with my German ex-boyfriend who lived in Germany which probably could have saved a lot of grief on my end.Another lesson I found interesting in cro ss-cultural communication was reflexivity. Reflexivity is the ability and willingness of a researcher to acknowledge their bias. When I went to H Street, I realized my bias growing up in small town liberal suburbia. I realize my bias everyday when I meet people who grow up in different countries, parts of the country or even socio economic class. While interviewing Josh Parrish for my interview project, I saw how different our lives were and yet how similar we were.Reflexivity is not only important to acknowledge for reliable research, but for dependable relationships as well. Talking about white privilege really interested me throughout the course. Growing up as white, I kind of always resented the doors that automatically opened for me in some sense of the word. I can’t pinpoint why, but I like the challenge of overcoming adversity. In the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, we talked about the idea of Privilege and Power and we watched an interesting TED talks tha t introduced the idea of â€Å"The Power of a Single Story. Acknowledging the different presets in society is important to society and to be able to communicate with each other. If I could change one thing about this class, it would definitely be about the reading. The readings were incredibly numerous and sometimes, I couldn’t finish everything, which led to a serious cycle of me falling incredibly behind. I would’ve loved for a way to cut down the readings, perhaps only read important excerpts or something because the workload was either really hard or very laid back.The lessons I learned in cross cultural communication feel less immense than other classes, but I already notice how I look around and see how these lessons are applicable in real life. I constantly look back at my history and realize how helpful these skills would have been months and even years ago. Being culturally empathetic is the most important lesson I could have learned and I feel was the overar ching theme to the whole course. I found it helpful to learn how to properly acculturate into a foreign culture and while I may not become a foreign diplomat because of this class, I definitely learned some important imformation. Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down December 11, 2012 Section 1: Who is the one to delineate fault for a miscommunication and misunderstanding between two cultures? In Anne Fadiman’s novel, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, she begins the novel as an attempt to allocate responsibility for the mistreatment and exacerbation of Lia Lee’s epilepsy. The tension between the Hmong and United States medical culture exemplified the strain in America between a foreign culture dependent on rituals and society’s norm. As the novel progress, Fadiman realizes that neither culture is truly at fault.Lia’s situation stemmed from a clash of cultural beliefs and practices that could have been solved by a respect and empathy of the significance of cross-cultural communication. Throughout the narrative, there were characters that were able to be culturally empathetic while some were unable to appreciate the cultural differences between the two entities and realize the necessity for cooperation and unders tanding. The Hmong have a saying that they repeat at the beginning of every story, â€Å"Hais cuaj txub kaum txub,† which means, â€Å"speak of all kinds of things† (Fadiman 13).These words depict the belief in the Hmong culture that the world is full of things that might not appear related but actually are. This concept relates to the Hmong’s history. Their development as a culture is tainted with inconsiderate counter cultures that restricted their freedom to practice their cultural rituals. This greatly influenced their ability to trust cultures that are not their own. Their general distrust in any culture different from their own can be mainly traced back to the Chinese and Indochinese portion of their saga.Basically, the Hmong have been chased out of any home they have ever had due to their unwillingness to take orders, their affliction to losing and the imperative detail that they would rather flee, fight, or die than surrender. This all boils down to the fact that they are not easily swayed by other culture’s customs. This ethnocentric attitude has greatly attributed to the Hmong culture’s general distrust and distaste for any culture but their own. Lia’s parents, Nao Kao and Foua Lee, and much of the Hmong community were skeptical of trusting the â€Å"white people† in the medical profession and in the community.In fact, Lia’s case became the litmus test for Hmong community and turned out to be a deciding factor as to whether the Hmong community in Merced, California would trust the medical professionals when they found themselves at MCMC in a similar state as Lia. Despite this inherent distrust of any culture dissimilar to their own, the Lee’s were able to trust one CPA worker, Jeanine Hilt, who took the Lee’s case very personally. Jeanine made it her mission to fight the medical industry tyranny on behalf of the Hmong culture and became the only person to ask the Lees their opinion .Because of the language barrier, many medical professionals saw talking to the Lee’s as a lost cause to communicate with, which led the Lees to believe they were being taken advantage of. Jeanine was the only one who thought to ask how the Lees felt about how the doctors were treating Lia and their culture. Because of this openness to communication and genuine interest in their answers, she explained to the hospital how the Lees, and the Hmong culture, felt about Lia’s epilepsy and why they were running into to so many conflicts with the Hmong culture.Jeanine’s open approach allowed her to see what the barrier was between the Lees ad the medical profession. The Lee’s and the Hmong culture considered Lia an anointed one and her â€Å"illness† as a blessing rather than a weakness. In the Hmong culture, people born with epilepsy are believed to be the anointed ones and are destined to a life as a shaman. They call it â€Å"qaug dab peg,† or â €Å"the spirit catches you and you fall down. † People in the medical profession did not understand the concept of spirits and the importance of epilepsy for the Hmong. Jeanine was the only white person who adamantly fought for the rights of the Hmong.She was able to do this by the ability to effectively and cross culturally communicate. A similar problem occurred when the Lees refused to give their daughter her daily medicine regimen. Lia was taken away from her family and put into foster care. Jeanine fought to get Lia back to her family as her epileptic episodes became more frequent and dangerous. After she succeeded, it was Jeanine’s mission to educate the Lees, especially Foua, on the drug regimen and explain to her the importance of the drugs and to understand Nao Kao and Foua’s aversion to medicine.Hilt was the only person that took the time to listen to Foua and her concerns regarding the unnatural substances. And after Lia’s large grand mal seizu re, she was the only one who tackled the problem of how the Hmong family was treating Lia’s developmental delays. Jeanine’s key to success was always keeping the lines of communication open between herself and the Lees and therefore between the Lees and the MCMC. In order to cross culturally communicate, Jeanine focused on a caring approach that was â€Å"culturally empathetic† and used the Lees daughter, May, as her translator.She did this because having another unfamiliar person in the room, especially a translater, would make the Lees uncomfortable and less open to effective communication. Hilt also took the time to get to know the Lees. She knew the names of all their seven surviving children and most importantly never abandoned Lia or her family even in Nao Kao’s darkest moments. As part of the Hmong culture, they are naturally very violent and are not deterred by being outnumbered. Nao Kao threatened a translator that came and told the Child Protect ive Services were taking Lia away.Jeanine understood the aversion to having someone’s child taken away and made sure the threats Nao Kao made didn’t affect the courts decision to let Lia return. Jeanine’s empathy was deepened by two factors. She understood the burden of a chronic illness because she had asthma. She also admired the connection and closeness of the Hmong families. She was deeply connected to this family and to this child so she harassed the government and the hospital until the Lees got what they deserved. This included a pediatric hospital bed for Lia’s last days at home.This led the Lees to hold Jeanine in high esteem and allowed for a trust that was incredibly hard to earn from the Hmong culture. While Jeanine took the time to understand the Hmong culture, Nao Kao, Lia’s father, did little to reciprocate. He greatly appreciated her attempt at being understanding, however he never believed it was his responsibility to do the same. Even then, Foua was usually the most receptive to Jeanine’s triumphs. Historically Hmongs have become the pariahs of society.With this in mind, Nao Kao never really made the effort to be part of a society that he knew went against his beliefs and therefore was rejecting him. It is also prominent in Hmong culture, that the man is the strongest part of the family and the most emotionally disconnected. While the Hmong were fighting the Chinese, they even killed their wives and children so they wouldn’t be emotionally distracted. Nao Kao hyper masculine attitude led him and his wife to be passively obedient. In the book, Fadiman writes â€Å"It was typical or Hmong patients to appear passively obedient – thus protecting their own dignity by concealing their ignorance and their doctor’s dignity by acting deferential – and then, as soon as they left the hospital, to ignore everything to which they had supposedly assented† (Fadiman 68). This is no way to effectively communicate between two cultures. By Nao Kao affirming that he would give the medicine and not at least trying to explain that it is against his belief and/or he does not understand how to give the medicine, he falsely gives the impression to the doctors that Lia will be cared for at home.Not only does not communicate that he will not give the medicine, but he also doesn’t communicate that he has not given the medicine to Lia when the Lees continue to take her to the hospital seizure after seizure. While the Hmongs believed being epileptic was a sort of blessing, they also understood the repercussions and knew the disease was at least semi-dangerous. That is the reason the Lees continued to take Lia to MCMC over and over again, despite their hatred for the medical culture and the inability to effectively communicate. However Nao Kao Lee was most definitely stuck in his ways.Fadiman explains a observation by Francois Marie Savina as to his first impressions to the Hmong in 1924. Savina, a missionary, stated â€Å"ethnic durability can be attributed to six factors: religion; love of liberty; traditional costumes; refusal to marry outside their race; life in the cold, dry mountainous areas; and the toughening effects of war† (Fadiman 208). The Lee family did little the acculturate themselves into the United States culture and came here to merely escape prosecution. When the Lees came to America, their relatives had to show them how the country worked. They relied greatly on their children.After Seventeen years of living here they still speak only Hmong and practice only Hmong traditions. The Hmong culture is famously stuck in its ways and it was no different for Nao Kao. The mixture between his role in his culture as well as the culture itself lends itself to the inability to communicate between the Lee family and the MCMC medical staff. The first thing that would allow two cultures, such as the Hmong and the United States medical culture, to effectively communicate is knowing what their core values, core distinction, and some key elements to their culture in regards to value dimensions.The Hmong’s value dimensions tend to fall on one extreme, while America falls on the other side of the spectrum. For example, in the Identity value dimension, the Hmong are highly collectivist, which means their core value is group harmony and their core distinction is whether you’re in group/out group. However, the United States population is based on individualist side of the identity spectrum. This means they believe in individual freedom and the core distinction is whether its me/others (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 94-97).This has a large impact in how two cultures interact with each other because while the United States will believe that the Hmong should do whatever it takes to protect themselves while the Hmong believe they should maintain the peace with the gods or else they will be punished which focusâ⠂¬â„¢ on group harmony. The virtue value dimension also has a strong effect on the differences between these cultures. The Hmong are considered extreme long-term orientation, which values the long-term benefits. The US medical culture is more oriented on today’s effects, otherwise known as extreme short-term orientation (Hofstede Pederson Hofstede 109-112).This shows why the Hmong are so superstitious because they are worried about the futures of their children and even their grandchildren. The medical industry is not superstitious and therefore believes in saving the life that needs saving now and not later. They do not discriminate on between now and later. A lot of lessons can be learned from how Jeanine was able to effectively communicate between the Hmong and US medical cultures. First of all, it is important to be open to new ways of communication between cultures and to not only find similarities, but also understand the differences between cultures.The Hmong culture a nd the Medical culture in the United States seem on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. In that brief period of Lia’s seizures being decreased and her seemingly getting better, the Lees understood that they had to give Lia her medicine regularly and the hospital understood why the Lees were hesitant about giving their child too many unnatural substances. When the two entities understood each other’s culture and cultural differences, Lia’s health improved and they were able to understand each other beyond the most basic level.This is called being culturally empathetic. Lia’s illness was a test for the two cultures. It was a situation that forced a broken system to recognize its faults and demonstrate how it needs to be fixed. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who worsened Lia’s illness because placing blame won’t help either culture understand each other. By the end of the text, as Fadiman is reflecting on the case, she writ es â€Å"I do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp.However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding† (Fadiman 262). The MCMC has learned multiple lessons from Lia’s epilepsy. They learned to be culturally conscious, they removed the organ donor box from the hospital waiver and posted details about Lia’s case so her illness won’t be mistreated ever again. The key to communicating effectively is to realize that a culture is different from yours and value their judgments just as much as you value your own.Jeanine was able to do it, hopefully Nao Kao will one day do it as well as every doctor in the medical profession, and especially the doctors that are in heavily populated minority areas. Bibliography 1. Fadiman, Anne. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong chil d, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. 2. Hofstede, Gert Jan, Paul Pedersen, and Geert H. Hofstede. Exploring culture. Yarmouth, Me. : Intercultural Press, 2002 Section II: Throughout my life, I have always been a person who loved traveling.I will always love traveling and someday, I hope to have a job where traveling is a requirement. When I travel, I hoped to come as close to emersion as possible in the time span I’m there. I believe interacting with other cultures can seriously give you a whole new outlook on life and learning perspectives of different cultures and humans always fascinates me which is why, next year, I am planning to take a year off to work at a bed and breakfast in France. People from all over the globe come to bed and breakfasts, which will give e a lot of face time with a lot of different cultures and learn a little bit about everything. My housing and dining will be paid for while I meet people, make lifelong connections and put all the things I learned about in cross cultural communication to work. Cross Cultural Communication opened up my eyes to some pretty basic things that you just never really put names to. The best lesson I learned was on cultural empathy. The idea that you don’t only tolerate another culture, but you understand it at its most basic level is incredibly important in how you connect with other people.A lot of my best friends are actually international and live in other countries. One of my best friends ever lives in Greece and looking back on our friendship, I realize how I subconsciously underwent the process of cultural empathy by asking her about the different practices she went through and the different ways she understood American culture and society. Unfortunately, I did not do the same with my German ex-boyfriend who lived in Germany which probably could have saved a lot of grief on my end.Another lesson I found interesting in cro ss-cultural communication was reflexivity. Reflexivity is the ability and willingness of a researcher to acknowledge their bias. When I went to H Street, I realized my bias growing up in small town liberal suburbia. I realize my bias everyday when I meet people who grow up in different countries, parts of the country or even socio economic class. While interviewing Josh Parrish for my interview project, I saw how different our lives were and yet how similar we were.Reflexivity is not only important to acknowledge for reliable research, but for dependable relationships as well. Talking about white privilege really interested me throughout the course. Growing up as white, I kind of always resented the doors that automatically opened for me in some sense of the word. I can’t pinpoint why, but I like the challenge of overcoming adversity. In the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, we talked about the idea of Privilege and Power and we watched an interesting TED talks tha t introduced the idea of â€Å"The Power of a Single Story. Acknowledging the different presets in society is important to society and to be able to communicate with each other. If I could change one thing about this class, it would definitely be about the reading. The readings were incredibly numerous and sometimes, I couldn’t finish everything, which led to a serious cycle of me falling incredibly behind. I would’ve loved for a way to cut down the readings, perhaps only read important excerpts or something because the workload was either really hard or very laid back.The lessons I learned in cross cultural communication feel less immense than other classes, but I already notice how I look around and see how these lessons are applicable in real life. I constantly look back at my history and realize how helpful these skills would have been months and even years ago. Being culturally empathetic is the most important lesson I could have learned and I feel was the overar ching theme to the whole course. I found it helpful to learn how to properly acculturate into a foreign culture and while I may not become a foreign diplomat because of this class, I definitely learned some important imformation.

Duncan’s room

There's no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. † (2. 1. 23). Macbeth's brain is so overloaded or agitated, about the murder that It projects a symbol of murder, the bloody dagger. After killing Duncan, Shakespeare uses the blood symbol to express Macbeth's fear and guilt over his crime. Macbeth says, â€Å"What hands are here! Hal they pluck out mine eyes† (2. 1. 24). Macbeth says that the sight of the blood or even the idea is so awful it figuratively hurts his eyes, indicating the extent of his stonishment.Macbeth not only is horrified by the murder, but also feels extreme guilt After the killing of King Duncan. â€Å"this Is a sorry sight† (2. 2. 18), proclaimed Macbeth looking at his bloody hands movements after the murder. Maybe Shakespeare is trying to show us that Macbeth has a little sympathy for his wrong doing; however, Lady Macbeth seems to think that's a foolish thing to say. Later that evening lady Macbeth notices a spot on her hand. â€Å"Out, damned spot! , I say! † (5. 5. 29-31). This bloody spot will not come out. Is this a sign of guilt or perhapsShakespeare Is hinting she wont get away with what she did. â€Å"It will have blood, they say, Blood will have blood† (3. 3. 5-39). This meaning whoever is involved In these crimes will someday become victims of them or maybe â€Å"a little water clears us of these deeds† (22. 64) Lady Macbeth thinks this as she washes her hands with water. As seen in the quote, blood symbolism serves as a continuous indicator of characters Sleep is another one of the many symbols used. Sleep is something that is meant to be peaceful and innocent, â€Å"sleep signifies the nature and essence for a person Bernard).In this play it symbolizes death and culpability. It became something people feared rather enjoyed. Some didn't feel safe because they felt like they might be next person to die. â€Å"Me thought I heard a voice crying sleep no mor e! † (2. 2 34-50). Macbeth has killed someone in their sleep but now he cannot sleep. He killed a blameless man and now it's coming back. â€Å"Sleep has now become a torture of the mind rather than to lie in restless ecstasy' (Barnard). It was said before sleep is a representation of innocence; so now that virtuousness has been murdered.He will o longer be able to sleep because of this fault he holds. â€Å"Shakespeare allows Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to commit these crimes but punishes them by not allowing them to rest† (Bernard). They will never be able to turn back. â€Å"done cannot be undone† (5. 1. 30-45). Lady Macbeth states later that once something had been done, you can't go back and reverse it. So even if Macbeth is starting to fell contrite for what he had done it is too late. Shakespeare continues to use the symbols of sleep and sleep withdrawal in his play to express pain and repentance. Both Lady Macbeth andMacbeth experience unfruitful nights. Th e sleep walking scene is a perfectly logical outcome of these feelings. Lady Macbeth was seen sleep walking while talking about the murder. â€Å"Shakespeare is expressing the importance of sleep by using sleep deprivation as a sign of remorse† (Bernard). Her talking in her sleep showed that she felt guilty. Shakespeare also uses the Banquds murderers to warn him of what will happen to him if he continued to go through with the prophecy. â€Å"It will drain him dry as hay; sleep neither night not day hang upon his pent house lid he shall live a man f forbid† (3. 1-20). This is another example of Shakespeare warning Macbeth that his wrong doings will come with no reward. Through the play Shakespeare brilliantly plays around with sleep by using it in ways that are obvious and hidden. He makes the audience think their own definitions of sleep. It makes someone believe that although sleep is precious, it is one thing that only comes easily to people with clear conscience. In Macbeth case, he cannot sleep until he himself is killed. He loses something precious that is often taken for granted because of what he has done.Shakespeare chose to repeatedly mention sleep because whether it is at the end of the day or end the end of ones life, everyone eventually goes to sleep. Yet Shakespeare gives the reader a better idea of how valuable it truly is, Shakespeare also knows how to get you mind thinking by using symbols in the form of other living objects like animals. Sleep and blood are only two of the many symbols used in the play. Shakespeare has interwoven the symbol use of animals throughout his play. Not only does he allude with the accuracy of a naturalist to the peculiarities and habits of ertain targets but also to animals. Shakespeare use of animals is often repellent and even repugnant to the audience† (Olsen). They always serve a purpose. For example the owl was used to represents fatality. â€Å"Tis unnatural a falcon tow ring in her prid e of place was by a musing owl hawked at and killed† (2. 2. 10-21). The owl represents Macbeth and the falcon represents King Duncan who Macbeth killed. Expressing how unnatural it is for an owl to kill a hawk because owls usually for mice. Duncan. The owl announcing Duncan's death is revealing how it is connected to the upernatural world.Just like the owl was used as an import and symbol, so was the bird. â€Å"The raven himself is hoarse: that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlement†(l . 5. 38-40). The raven is a bird of ill. Lady Macbeth was referring that even the bird was Horace from saying king Duncan must die, lady Macbeth was trying to say the bird was a sign that they should go on with the plan and kill the king. This symbol Just like all the others, is giving the reader a hint for something to happen in the future of the play, Shakespeare also has ways to make an audience feel some ype of way when something has occurred. They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly but bear like I must fght the curse†

Business Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business Management - Research Paper Example While costlier than the previous method, the experiment demonstrated promising results, only to be shut down by company executives (Beer, 9). An overemphasis on top-down management forced ASDA’s mid- and lower-level managers to abandon their entrepreneurial spirit and to quit providing upper-level management with valuable insight from the customer and store levels. This is evident in one manager’s quote, â€Å"†¦the stores were full of people who did care, and who knew how to run a store, but were not allowed to do it,† (Beer, 6). The behaviors and activities of executives that led to this culture within ASDA are best stated by the terminology ASDA store employees chose for ASDA’s corporate headquarters: the Dream Factory. As one store manager stated, â€Å" †¦ASDA House never bothered to find out whether their policies had realistic time scales or even whether they were achievable at all,† (Beer, 9). Clearly, top executives had become so focused on the corporate lifestyle they created, complete with â€Å"hunting and partying,† that they were actively choosing to ignore advice from store-level management that could have potentially saved the company (Beer, 6). A human resource manager captured this environment best, stating, â€Å"The top managers at ASDA knew the company had lost focus, but they didn’t seem to care,† (Beer, 6). Clearly, important decisions were waiting on Archie Norman in the winter of 1991 that would affect the future of the company. The important question is what is to be done? How should ASDA turn itself around? I believe the most important lesson new ASDA executives could learn is that top-down, dictatorial management failed in ASDA. The Perry Barr experiment demonstrates the potential impact skill teams and compensation based on skill can have not just on productivity and morale, but on changing the toxic culture at ASDA. Skill teams show employees that upper-level management doesn’t care

ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT - Essay Example The brand was successful as for the first time it introduced direct business to consumer transactions. As the first no frills airline, it charges even for meals onboard. Its revenues were reported at $2786 million by the end of 2006. In the year 2007, it posted pretax profits of 48% up to September. A new financial system will be installed by Agresso in 2008 to match its 15% annual growth rate of passengers. Stelios, who began EasyJet in 1995, is the single largest stakeholder in the brand. Many prefer EasyJet for its low costs, easy booking and network of routes to both holiday and business destinations. Its ancillary services of car hire, travel insurance, food and excess baggage, attract many. People are also attracted to offers like the one given on Thameslink trains where customers can avail discounts for traveling between Central London and the Luton airport. The EasyJet fleet operates with 107 Airbus A319-100 and 30 Boeing 737-700. Booking is allowed to be done online through the site easyjet.com. However immediately two weeks before a flight is scheduled, phone booking can also be availed. The organization interacts with the UK government and has a United Kingdom type A operating license that allows its aircrafts to carry passengers, cargo and mail with a seating capacity of twenty or more. The public limited company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its top competitors are British Airways Plc and Ryanair Holdings Plc. The industry is the largest in UK that operates on low fares. Meeting the APD and high fuel prices are their major economic challenges. It opposes Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax and suggests a new tax that depends upon distance traveled and the type of flight used. In October, the company agreed to acquire GB airways. The UK office has invited comments to check whether the merger would reduce competition within UK. The airline connects various important destinations in UK which include England, Belfast in

Same Sex Marriages and the U.S.Constitution Term Paper

Same Sex Marriages and the U.S.Constitution - Term Paper Example By turning marriage into something decided on by the law, the civil rights of people stand the risk of being violated. The civil rights of people are perhaps the largest part of the argument on the side of people that approve of same-sex marriages. Civil rights allow all people to be treated equally in their political and social endeavors. By denying them the opportunity to marry whomever they choose, they are being denied their civil rights, based on the definition of civil rights. Equality is not being observed when same-sex couple is denied the chance to marry; therefore, the civil rights of people are not only being violated, but they are not being properly upheld. Furthermore, â€Å"the Constitution may already have embedded in its wisdom, equal rights for all people, including gay people who want to get married.† The Constitution does not mention marriage directly, but it does point out that everyone should be treated equally. The Constitution of the United States does n ot define anything in regard to what marriage is, nor does it discuss the specifics of the people that are allowed to be married or those who are not. The only thing even remotely close to marriage in the U.S. Constitution is the concept of civil rights, which states the equality of all peoples. (Gerstmann, pg. 44). The U.S. Constitution may be mum on the topic of marriage, but the introduction of federalism has given each individual state the ability to make their own constitutions. As such, each state is able to make their own sets of rules or amendments, ones that can go against what is already written in the U.S. Constitution, essentially overriding the original Constitution. This has prompted many state governments to put a ban on same sex marriage or to otherwise have these unions be called by something other than a marriage. These states are going against the civil rights of its people. In only a few cases, states have approved of same sex marriage. In 1996, former President Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which stated that the federal government defines a marriage as being between a man and a woman. While states could decide for themselves if they would recognize same sex unions, this law made it so that a same sex couple married legally in one state would not be recognized in a state that banned same sex marriages or did not recognize them as being lawful unions. This would cause many same sex marriages to be invalid should a married same sex couple decide to move. Again, the decision was still left up to the states, but Clinton made it clear where he and the federal government stood. The equality of people was, once again, shunted aside over someone else’s discomfort. The approval of same sex marriage took a different turn in 2003, during the case of Lawrence versus Texas, when the Supreme Court announced a new Constitution that would â€Å"prohibit state legislatures from treating homosexuality any differently than heterosexuality (Taylor).† This allowed marriage to find its way into the Constitution, seeming to favor more those that are for same sex marriages. By forbidding states to distinguish or make any notice of difference between homosexuality and heterosexuality, they were approving same sex marriage, as well as acknowledging the civil rights of Americans, which has always been the main component of rights when it comes to marriage. Also in 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Research Proposal - Essay Example Either consciously or unconsciously these variables influence on residents’ health behaviour significantly. Urban planning and design may affect human personality and its behaviour in multiple ways: to a greater or lesser extent all people are the products of their areas. Already in the late XIX century French sociologist F. Siegfried defined that there are several major cleavages in society that affect human mentalities and behaviour. The most important of these cleavages was the one between cities and towns. Presumably, city planning may be one of the most important factors that determine differences between the residents. Intensification of city’s life on human mentality and behaviour requires, hence, more in-depth analysis. Speaking from this perspective, favourable or unfavourable planning may shape people’s health behaviour and, respectively evil or good health habits. Statistic shows that percentage of children-smokers may be higher in the neighbourhoods where the average percent of smokers is greater. People who live in more favourable areas may be more devoted walking, running or outdoor activities than those who live outside the recreation options. Observing Suarez (2000) narrow streets, wide sidewalks, and accessibility of commercial to residential areas make walking easier and much more pleasant. Reversely, poor street design with garages, fences and plenty of barriers for neighbour-to-neighbour communication have altogether negative effect on human health behaviour. Besides, the areas with worse transportation systems, poor night lighting, etc. may be in their turn more dangerous for the residents and have higher criminal statistics. In this project I will attempt to study the correlation between area’s night lighting and criminal rate. A number of disciplines, including criminology, sociology, psychology and architecture, seek to explain crime from their particular perspectives. Many of

Discuss, using examples, how the Internet may change Michael Porter's Essay

Discuss, using examples, how the Internet may change Michael Porter's five competitive forces - Essay Example The introduction of computers and internet has significant effects on Porter’s five forces model. According to Poon (1997), global computer network has far-reaching abilities and is capable of reducing the normal business expenditure. This paper analyses how Internet may change Michael Porter’s five competitive forces. How the Internet may change Michael Porter’s five competitive forces? Internet and Threat of substitute products Threat of substitute products is increasing day by day in global market after the arrival of internet and the subsequent development of ecommerce. As per the statistics released by US Department of Commerce in May 2005, e-commerce sales in the first quarter of the year had been $19.8 billion (Eschen, 2005). In other words, business in the virtual world is increasing rapidly at present because of the arrival of internet. It should be noted that Chinese companies are manufacturing plenty of duplicate products in their country. It is easy f or them to make a duplicate for iPhone 5 or Galaxy S4 and sell it at a cheaper rate. People in America or Europe can easily purchase these duplicate products with the help of internet. In short, threat of substitute products is increasing day by day because of the arrival of internet and subsequent development of ecommerce. ... As a result of that retailers forced to start business in the virtual world also. Wal-Mart and Tesco like prominent retailers have already started ecommerce because of the challenges facing by them from new entrants in the virtual world. Vitez (2013) pointed out that companies should implement current technologies in business. Otherwise competitors may use new Internet-based technology for creating a competitive advantage in the economic marketplace. For example, outsourcing is one of the latest business concepts developed in the corporate world with the arrival of internet. According to Thompson (2009), outsourcing is a business process in which a company contracts with another company to provide services that might normally performed by in-house employees. Because of manpower shortage, labor costs in America and Europe are extremely higher than that in Asian countries. Therefore, goods and services produced in these countries may struggle to compete effectively with Indian or Chine se products and services in the market. In order to avoid this problem, American and European companies are outsourcing their business to cheap labor oriented countries to compete effectively in the market. It should be noted that Indian or Chinese companies can sell cheaper products in American or European market through internet. As a result of that, American and European companies may struggle to sell their products even in the local market. â€Å"For existing businesses, these new online sellers represent a challenge to retain customers† (Hartman, 2013). To avoid this problem from new entrants, these companies are currently outsourcing and offshoring their business activities to cheap labor oriented overseas

Global englishes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Global englishes - Essay Example Starting with the British Isles’ invasion by the German tribes of the Jutes, the Saxons, and the Angles, the English language has come a long way. English has undergone numerous transformations since its creation to date. Various historical events have played a role in its transformation that include but are not limited to Britain’s Christianization in the year 597, the Invasions of the Viking, the Conquest of the Norman, Bible’s translation, William Caxton’s introduction of the printing press, the Renaissance, and the British Empire’s expansion (Wilton, 2001). All of these events have helped English language be what it is today. English language also derives its popularity and power from the advancement of science and technology in general, and the emergence of the US as the world power. Given the popularity of the English language and its significance in the contemporary age, this paper makes forecasts about the future of the global Englishes disc ussing different aspects like the growing influence of the English language and its tendency to take over regional languages. ... of us can guess what the English language will be like in a hundred years time [and that] the history of the language in the coming century will depend on the history of the community itself† (Barber, 1993, p. 276). While Barber is right, English’s status today and the surfacing of the variety of Englishes all over the world have caused people to predict the future of this language. Changes in the English language’s status are influential upon a large population of the world in general and its linguistic choices in particular. Considering the profile of spread of English in the past, it can be estimated that English language would spread even more in the future than it has so far. Mori Arinori, in the 19th century, proposed to replace the Japanese language with another language that is stronger and better like French and English. He emphasized on the need to adopt one of these languages in these words: â€Å"The march of civilization in Japan has already reached the heart of the nation – the English language following it suppresses the use of both Chinese and Japanese. The commercial power of the English-speaking race which now rules the world drives our people into some knowledge of their commercial ways and habits. The absolute necessity of mastering the English language is thus forced upon us. It is a requisite of our independence in the community of nations. Under the circumstances, our meager language, which can never be of any use outside of our islands, is doomed to yield to the domination of the English tongue, especially when the power of steam and electricity shall have pervaded the land† (Mori cited in Kachru, 1992, p. 5). English cannot Extinguish Other National Languages Although English has attained the status of an international language, and is

Do culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in Essay

Do culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order - Essay Example Realism on the other hand believe that the way that international order is achieved is through states’ pursuit of power (Bromley and Smith, 2004). Liberalism theories of transformation are especially useful for analyzing whether or not culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order. Liberalism theories draw attention to universality and particularity. In this regard, the question for consideration is different standpoints (particularity) find commonality and thus universality in structuring international order (Bromley and Smith, 2004). Human rights in the international political order is often perceived in terms of universality, yet strands of particularity are observed. Therefore, according to cultural relativism, while it is often claimed that human rights are universal because we are all human beings, there are individual claims that what rights are applicable and inalienable depends on cultural values, beliefs and practices (Donnelly, 2007). Cultural relativism is said to be more profound with the challenges resulting from globalization and a multicultural world (Ayton-Shenker, 1995). Disparities in terms of income, access to resources, cultural clashes and so on have raised concerns about whether or not universality in the international ordering can be achieved amidst profound and divergent particularity. Ayton-Shenker (1995) argues that cultural clashes and inequitable differences threatens the international order in that societies may inevitably resort to cultivating their own cultural values and identities. This research paper will therefore use liberalism theories of transformation, especially concepts of universality and particularity to analyse whether or not culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order. This research paper hypothesized that if cultural relativism

Urban Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Urban Education - Essay Example Teachers are central to the excellence of students. There are no poor students, there are bad teachers. A good teacher is able to see the potential of every student and help develop that potential. A good teacher considers intellectual, physical, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions of students’ human experience, enhancing students’ social interactions and belief in democracy and other ideas of the US. A good teacher is always a leader. Such a professional becomes a caring mother (or father) for his students, creating comfortable and favorable conditions for the development of each of them. He effectively communicates with parents and community and inspires colleagues to be flexible, to recognize talents and hidden resources of their students and adopt an individual approach. A teacher should be a leader able to encourage others to be creative. Such a leader can organize a thoughtful change process in his school, facing everybody’s needs and aims. A teacher who is a leader educates through all his life, influencing his students, colleagues, parents, and community. As we can see the reforms are to take place not in the sphere of urban education, but in the minds of educators themselves. Then one sees wonders of urban education when students from the poorest districts show results much better than those from prestigious schools when students become valuable citizens and realized personalities. There has always been needed in teachers–leaders, able to inspire and educate others. The fact is that that the profession has always been undervalued. Teachers are underpaid. They are not listened to even in cases when decisions directly concern their needs and work.  

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay Historical and scientific perspectives have molded homosexuality, and the way homosexuals are viewed by themselves and others. In past western society ancient Greece, homosexual teachings were performed by the Greek society, and were thought of as a societal norm Younger males were normally seen in a homosexual relationship with an older male, these types of relations were common in ancient Greece. The way Greek perceived life back in ancient times it is starting to ease up in our modern time, and homosexuality is beginning to be viewed as if we were in ancient times especially among western countries. In modern time homosexuals are learning to cope with their homosexuality, as it is beginning to be seen as something normal that has been here since ancient times for thousands of years. Homosexuality in the ancient Greek society shows that even back then people were aware of the different sexual behaviors and feelings certain people might have, and even back then they accepted people’s individual sexual choices. In modern day when a homosexual is first coming out and announcing his way of life he/she should be proud of what they are doing because it is something that has been going on for thousands of years, and is not something to be ashamed and secretive about. Homosexuals should not let judgmental people get to them by saying you were born that way or the environment influenced you to behave like that. The truth is the truth and you are who you are nothing can or will change that is if we stay true to our self. This means as long as we know where we came from and who we ar e why should we let peoples words bother us because we know the truth about our self. As we move along, back to ancient Greece and now also including the people of ancient Rome’s homosexuality. In both of the cities ancient Greece/Rome men would travel the streets of the city looking for someone to rock their world. On top of roaming the streets for some good quality male bonding they would dress and act as if they were not men, but female. This was look at in disapproval and unacceptable that is why when the religion of Christianity increased and started to grow the downfall of ancient Rome followed, and homosexual relations were banned. The new found law prohibited sexual behavior that was not found normal. Normal sexual behavior being male-female  and marriage any other acts of sex, and the people would be punished for their actions. This law continued for many years to follow, and people were committed and punished if they broke the law. Unfortunately this did not stop homosexuals from expressing their homosexuality they just became more discrete about it, so they would not see punishment from their actions. Today, most modern religions still do not approve of homosexuality seeing it as a sin. Some countries are very religious, and prohibit homosexual activity; those that are found guilty will be severely punished. The view that is seen on homosexuality in the modern day has been seen for thousands of years. That is why some homosexuals are afraid to accept their sexuality because of religious reasons (punishment from god) and society (disapproval). The hatred that is forced upon gay individuals has made it very difficult for them to be accepted among society. In our society it is normal when found to be gay to be criticized for it, and deal with harsh treatment that a straight person accepted in society would not have to deal with. When found to be a gay individual they even may have to change their church to one that accepts the view of a homosexuality. When growing up we learn that homosexuality is unnatural and not the right way of life that is not the case it is completely natural. Unfortunately many times in the beginning a homosexual might not know what they are experiencing wondering why they are different, and if it is alright they could grow to hate them self for it thinking that they are not normal. In modern time many countries still punish homosexuals, while others are more accepting they just deny homosexuals the right to marry due to religious reasons. That is all slowly changing and I think in the future will be seen differently. The scientific views on homosexuality are homosexuals inborn or is it caused due to environmental influences. That is a question that have been asked and wondered for many years, but in modern days there is evidence directing us towards homosexuality developing as an inborn characteristic. Research done on both identical and fraternal twins, show that there are higher concordance rates of gay monozygotic twins. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) report that about â€Å"52% of identical (MZ) twin pairs were found to be â€Å"concordant† (in agreement) for a gay male sexual  orientation, compared with 22% of fraternal (DZ) twins and only 11% of adoptive brothers† (p. 312). Also, evidence has suggested that hormonal influences could be responsible for differences in sexual orientation. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2005) explain that prenatal sex hormones be responsible for tissues in the brain to think sexually one way, but for genital development to be the other way. Also, structural examinations on the brains of heterosexual and homosexual males have provided speculative evidence that a part of the hypothalamus in gay males is smaller than that region of the hypothalamus in heterosexual males. Developing an understanding from the scientific view point on homosexuality has helped homosexuals understand why they are the way they are. Before scientific studies provided the information that homosexuality could be due to inborn, many individuals believed that people decided to be homosexuals. After the scientific studies though that thought is seen as false, and the reason why people become homosexuals is because they are born that way. Homosexuals do not choose their sexual path they are born having sexual arousals from the same sex. Homosexual people do not hate them self as much knowing the facts from the scientific studies that they were born that way, rather than choose to be that way now they feel it is how god wanted they to be and they can accept them self’s. Out The Closet and Accepting Who they are The biggest goal to overcome when being a homosexual is when the perfect time to come out the closet, and admit to our family and friends (hey I’m a homosexual). Not only is finding the perfect time hard to find, but also finding the right words to use when telling them you are not just going to say hey I’s a homosexual. Another difficult obstacle to overcome is accepting the different view we will see from society when coming out. Many homosexuals are afraid to tell friends and family because they have not completely grasped the concept of what they are. This is especially seen in someone who is transformed from heterosexual to homosexual. Another thing  that bobbles around their thoughts when coming out is that they will lose important people in their life or lose their job. Coming out or letting people into your homosexuality is a very challenging experience that is one of the most difficult task a homosexual will face. One of the most common deaths an early homosexual faces is suicide normally for one of two reasons understanding their new sexuality or the fear of coming out to other people about it. Once a homosexual takes control of their power and accepts the fact they are living a life of homosexuality they can adjust to what society expects from them. After they can accept what society thinks of them they can form a relationship with an intimate partner, and develop a perfect homosexual lifestyle. Historical and Scientific Views Reflected on Personal Sexuality One’s personal sexuality has been molded and determined by history and scientific views that are seen in one’s life culture or society. Historical and scientific views reflected the way people see their own personal sexuality for the better. It has helped homosexuals better understand why they are the way they are, and they are not different that throughout time there has been people of the same sexuality facing the same problems. In modern time the punishment might not be as harsh as back in ancient time, but it is still there and seen. Homosexuality is still frowned upon by many, and many also criticize and harass homosexuals because of their difference in behavior. In the future with homosexuality become more open and known about to the public I think that schools should teach about it at an earlier age to help the younger society better understand it. Homosexuality in most cases is misjudged and treated in the wrong way if people learned about it at an earlier age t hey could learn to have a kinder understanding, and be more accepted of homosexuals. Another benefit of teaching it at an earlier age is that it would give people the benefit of know why they are the way they are, and if they feel they are different.Homosexuality has been around for thousands of year before Christianity it was accepted freely, but after the religion started growing rules banned homosexuality from being free. Homosexuals had to live in the shadows hiding who they were afraid of society, and how they would be treated and the punishment they would receive  if found to be homosexuals. Throughout time the harsh treatment homosexuals faced has not ended it is becoming more in the open, and they are beginning to be accepted for who they are. Homosexuality is not always chosen it is sometimes something we are born being we cannot help they way we feel, but that does not make us different. Our sexuality might not be the same as everyone else’s, but neither are their sexuality to ours. Reference Rathus, S.A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

The Last Supper Painting by Leonardo da Vinci | Analysis

The Last Supper Painting by Leonardo da Vinci | Analysis Through out history there have been many great artists who have made an impression on society as we see it today. Such as Michael Angelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo Davinci. (now you know where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got their names). These men took the chance and did what man had never done or tried, they took art to a whole new level. They did this by pushing limitations and elevated man through their paintings, drawings or sculptures. Many of men have tried to reproduce these arts, but couldnt get them as perfect as the artist themselves. The one man and his works we will be discussing in this paper is Leonardo Davinci, The Last Supper, his sketches, Humanism and how he has had an impact on society. Leonardo Davinci Life beginnings of Davinci Davincis life began when he was born out of wedlock on April 15, 1452 to the parents of  Piero Davinci who was a Notary and to a peasant woman named Caterina in a small town called  Vinci. His father raised him most of his life until later on when he married. Between his father  and biological mother they had a total of 17 children. Because Leonardo was born out of  wedlock he was not worthy of any formal education so he couldnt become a notary like his  father, or become a physician or any other noble profession of that time and period. Now Davincis father saw that he had talent at 16 years old and sent him to be an  apprentice to a Florentine artist named Andrea Verrochio. This is where Davinci began his  career as an artist. As Verrochio taught him many skills Davinci talents emerged as an artist and  a sculptor. While still a student of Verrochios Leonardo was accepted into the painters Guild of  Florence. In 1475 Verrochio and his student Leonardo Davinci together painted the Baptism of  Christ. After the painting Verrocchio realized Davinci was a better painter than him and that is  when he decided to put up his paint brushes for good and retired. Now Davinci was known to be a left handed and dyslexic as well as being a  procrastinating perfectionist who left many of his paintings unfinished and even destroyed some. The mystery will go unsolved to as why Davinci left a lot of his work unfinished. Maybe it was  because he was bored or went on to other projects. We also will never know why he destroyed a  lot of his own work, was it because it wasnt as perfect as he wanted it to be. No one will ever  know the answer, but Davinci himself. However Davinci did finish his first solo painting in  1478 of the Madonna and Child. In 1481 he started painting the Adoration of Magi but never  finished. But in this painting he did reveal what type of technique he used by painting with a  dark surface first than adding elements of light. Now in 1482 Leonardo entered the service of Duke of Milan. The seventeen years that  he spent with the Duke, The Duke always kept him busy painting, designing weapons buildings  and machinery. After the Duke was overthrown Davinci fled to Venice with his assistant and  friend the mathematician Luca Pacioli where he became employed as a military architect and  engineer, devising methods to defend the city from naval attack. In 1500 he returned to Florence  where he created the cartoon of The Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist. 1502 he entered the service of Cesare Borgia who was the son of Pope Alexander VI as  military architect and engineer. Maps were rare and probably a new concept, but Leonardo  created a map of Borgias stronghold and the township. After seeing the designs and liking  them Borgia made Leonardo his chief military engineer and architect. He was also know for  creating a map while working on another project of constructing a dam that would lead from the  sea to Florence and this would allow a supply of water to sustain the canal during all seasons. Even though Leonardo suffered from paralysis of his right hand he still went on to draw  and paint while teaching others how to paint and draw. Now it is said when Leonardo passed  away on May 2, 1519 the king of France was there by his side cradling his head in his arms. Leonarado Davinci: The original Renaissance man When one thinks of a Renaissance man, what names would one think of? They may  think of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Michael Angelo, Christopher Columbus, William  Shakespeare. Even though these men were very smart, well educated and well rounded for their  time, the only man that is known to be the Original Renaissance man is Leonardo Davinci.,  everything you could vision, do, or invent he had already done, vision or invented. Davinci had many talents; he was a sculptor even though none of his sculptures  survived. He was also a artist, an anatomist, a biologist, a botanist, an engineer, an inventor, a  meteorologist, a musician, a physicist and a writer. He was known to become a master in every  field that he studied. Like Albert Einstein he was a genius well ahead of his time by hundreds  of years. If one were to define the meaning of Renaissance man that definition would be  Leonardo Davinci. Davincis inventions and the modern world Davinci kept his writings, and drawings that pertained to art, science and philosophy in  notebooks which contained about 13,000 pages through out the course of his lifetime. Davincis  sketches have helped science in many ways. Such as his in-depth drawings of the human  anatomy. These sketches have assisted doctors to diagnose diseases and illness in people, and  because these sketches have been in great detail they have enable surgeons to perform better  during surgery. If it wasnt for Leonardo Davinci going into the morgue at night and stealing  bodies, to do autopsies then studying the human body, who knows we might not have any  sketches that is so elaborate of the bone and muscle structure, along with the reproductive  system as we know it today. His excellent description of the human body were well drawn and  easy to understand in his notebooks. In 1505 400 years before the Wright brothers launched their plane the Kitty Hawk,  Davinci had already designed a flying machine. Even though it was just an idea and remained  that way, he gave man wings and left them with an ego. This idea was considered to be part of a  new vision of man as and as a co-creator, almost equal to God. The Famous Last Supper The Last Supper and Humanism Now while Davinci still was serving for the Duke of Milan he was commissioned to paint The Last Supper. Davinci knowing how important this was, he had to decide the location of where the painting would be painted. After great though he decided the Last Supper should be painted on the dinning room wall of the monastery were the monks sat down to eat dinner, located in Santa Maria Delle Grazi. The reasoning behind this was every time the monks would sit down to dinner it would be like sitting down with Jesus and his disciples for their last meal. Therefore Davinci knew that when the Last Supper was painted before, the painters always focused on the breaking of the bread, not on the moment Jesus told the apostles that one would betray him. So Leonardo set out to do just that. First he wanted to bring realism to the Mural, and he actually wanted to show the dramatic moment when Jesus told his closest friends (disciples) that one of them would betray him. After the announcement there is s uch uproar amongst all the disciples, which at this time Leonardo captures, showing each of their reactions? Now the first step was to duplicate everything in the dinning room from the table at which Jesus and his apostles sat at, to the dinning hall windows, and to the illuminated wall that appears to be lit by the window of the room. The Second was to start painting, Leonardo look at how other artist isolated Judas, and putting him on one side of the table as if he was being punished. Leonardo seats him with the others, who are arranged in four groups of three around Jesus. (They say three is considered to be a holy number, such as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.) The other disciples arguing and looking at one another except the one on the right hand of Jesus who is Judas trying to find out who will betray him. But what Leonardo does he puts shadows around the guilty one. And the silence of Judas and his clutched hands had given him away. Now it is said the Leonardo used real subjects for The Last supper, and that he painted them one by one, putting them in where they belonged., and the person who he choose to pose as Jesus was not affected by sin. When he went to paint Judas he searched every where, and couldnt find anyone that would fit the description he was looking for. Until one day he stumbled upon this man in prison who was sentence to die for the life of crime and murder, that fit his description of a man who had long shaggy hair and was dark skinned, his face that had deceit it in and someone would betray his best friend no matter what the cost. It is said that after Davinci had finished his perfect painting, he told the guard to take the man a way. But the man looked at Davinci before being taken away he asked him if he remembered him, and he said no. He then Looked up into the heavens and said : Oh lord have I fallen so low, then turning his face to the painter he cried, Leonardo Davinci, look at me again, for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ (ANGELFAIRY.US, para. 6). We do know that this picture has a lot of human emotions, which would be the first of its kind. Also we do know during the Renaissance period artist did find ways of expressing themselves through their pieces of work, such as adding symbols that would convey someones thoughts and opinions. Also Artist also started adding realistic features to their painting to them look more human. This is where the concept of Humanism came into place. Philosophy of Humanism Chirtianity views on the Last Supper When The Last Supper is mentioned, what comes to mind? Is it the last meal that is offered to a death row inmate before he is put to death for the crimes he committed: Is it the last meal that we partake in before going to bed at night, it could be? But it actually is the last meal Jesus and his twelve disciples partook of the night before he was crutisfied. Now, no one knows what was exactly eaten at this meal, but we do know according to the Bible there was bread and wine at the table. Now Christians of all backgrounds of all religions believe The Last Supper was an important event, and no matter what name you may give it (sacrament, communion, eucharist) it has the same meaning each time they partake of it. They believe it is a quite time that is set aside to remember his death, and it should be always be done in a respectful manner to honor him and to thank him for giving his life for us on the cross. Christians also believe it should be a time when a person also reflects on his or her life. No matter how many times commuion is taken the bread will always symbolize his body and the wine will also symbolizes his blood. thats why he said to Take this bread and eat in remembrance of me for this is my body, then he took the wine and said drink for this my blood that I will shed for you do drink in remembrance of me. Christians believe when he partook in the last supper, he was trying to tell them that we were going to be persecuted for what we believe, and we may even reject him so no harm comes to them. How the Last Supper Influenced Contemporary Society? Davinci Code and The Last Supper Art is about suggestions, not answers. When you have an answer, if yourre not like most people, you tend to stop looking. With Great art, you never stop looking. (Art History for Dummies, 2007, p.164). Since Leonardos Davincis death there has been many theories about his paintings, some are lead to believe that there may be hidden images in them. But not until recently when Dan Browns book and the movie the The Davinci Code has there been such conterversy. He posed a lot of questions such as if what ifs such as What if Jesus was married, had a child with Mary Magdalene? Was he member of a secret society or the Priory of Sion. Mr. Brown has even gone as far as saying instead of John in the picture that the woman sitting next to Christ is Mary Magdalene. Many Catholics and Christians around the world have been intrigued in Mr Browns thoughts and thats why they go on to read the book and watch the movie. Is it truth or is it fiction. It is just what another man or men are led to believe and the mysteries that lie beyond Davincs paintings. Mr. Brown at least puts the questions out there along with other people who have gone on to do the research for themselves. It is not to question the Bible, but about what ifs. One just has to examine The Last Supper for themselves to see if these conspircys are true and it is up to them to believe or not.

Gender Roles in Thailand

Gender Roles in Thailand Thailand is located in South East Asia where it is one of the oldest countries full of history and rich in culture and has been sustained for a long time, until the new globalization, it never has been colonized to other countries and has been affected by things such as religion, the senility system making younger people believe and listen to older people in the old principle and teachings. In the past Thai families have a lot of members and have very close relationships, most of the men are commonly known as a leader, working outside the home, but women are known as a follower, taking care of children and household chores. Even if nowadays the western culture makes Thai women have more freedom in human rights, working more outside the home and getting more opportunities in education, being more powerful and influential in politics and economics but because of the old cultures and Thai society men still have more effect and power and still have more advantages than women. First of all, if mentioned in Thai society as Thailand still keeps old cultures and traditions from the ancient time men went out because of the war women would stay home look after their children and families, responsible for all kinds of work on the farm as Thailand mainly produces from Agriculture. Also the senility is very important in Thailand, younger people listen to older people, child listen to their parents. Thai women still listen and believe in old principles that make Thai women stereotypes, and are very good at motherhood, love to take care of their children and families, good manners and follow their husbands as an old Thai saying, men are the front legs of the Elephant and women are the back. But according to this reason and in wedding ceremonies, the groom needs to prepare a bride-price as a gift to the brides parents in the ceremony as it has been hard work for looking after his future wife and shows the parents he has a good financial life, and can take care of the ir daughter in the future. In my opinion it seems parents sell their daughters, Thai guys are more concerned about making money rather than taking care of his wife and end up with men who possibly have several wives and still believe they can support or take care of all their wives and according to Ane (2004, p..130) The practice of keeping major wives (mia luang) and minor wife (mia noi) still exist today and when it comes to the wealthy, powerful or famous. On the other hand it will not be acceptable for women to have many husbands or even if some women remarried after divorce or the husband died, it is still unusual. In religion, most of Thai are Buddhist, a temple is the center for all activities of the Thai communities, Buddhist is very influential and dharma principle is very strict in Thai society for example women are forbidden to touch and stay privately with a monk or even if standing higher. All Thai men need to be ordained to learn Bhuddhist as a monk from the belief that they will get good virtue and via it show gratitude to their parents as well, because of Buddhist principles as explained, almost all activities in the temple driven by men and women will be responsible only in preparing foods and some cleaning, same as if they are in the house. From these reasons it makes some Thai men still believe they are a higher level than Thai women in addition to Ane, (2004, p.130) who gave an opinion that Buddhism is often blamed for inequalities women in Thailand endure. At the center of Thai culture, it is seen by some as a kind of framework for male domination. The Second mention in education. From the past, education begins from temples as there is a center of Thai culture and is taught by monks and Thai girls could not have education opportunities as boys because of the old culture and that Thai girls should learn households at home, but the system was changed after King Rama VI had studied from abroad and came up with the idea that Thai women should get education and human rights same as western women to help men develop the country. The king supported and built up schools and drove all issues necessary for example free education for children in primary schools both for male and female. Also the support from the government helps Thai people have free education in higher levels both in genders and Thai parents have more concern about the important things for getting good education as their children will get a good job and good life. Refer to Liza (2012, pp.54-55) have shown the figures from the world bank website, school enrolments for me n and women in percentage, the gender gap in primary and secondary school is decreasing rapidly from the past year 1971 to 1978 and almost the same percentage in year 1991 to 2009. On the other hand the percentage of women in the tertiary school is higher than men between year 1993-2009, that means Thai women can get education equally with men and have abilities to study higher level same as men. In the third mention in Economics and Careers, women become more influential in Economics and get more opportunities in the work place because they have more opportunities in education than they have more capacities and are able to work outside home higher than they would in the past, whereas men are more involved in the household chores and look after children instead. And also from the changing of Thai Economics, having more investments and industries effect to Thai people migrate to the big cities, women tend to work far from home than before, leaving their children with grandparents and believe they can better afford a life than staying home or working in upcountry. The women roles in the past still occur in some areas of Thailand where as Western culture still is far away but controlling family business and finances is always the common roles for Thai women even from the past until now, big or small families and even in the big city through upcountry that means Thai women are very influential in Thai Economics, more than men. In industry fields, Thai Men normally do more physical work or in heavier industries than women for example in construction, automotive and electronics but for Women more often work in the light industries for example in tourist, food production and textile industries. Because of Thai culture, religion believes and practice and also the Physical human body make most of Thai men still believe that they are higher, has abilities and work harder than women. Discrimination in working place still appear in some career according to the website the Nation news (June 27, 2012) has comment on unequally system between Thai men and women in the police and military officer. Thai women is still bad known in sex-trafficking even though its illegal in the country but still appear by some reasons such as from women immigration to the big city but too difficult to find normal job then it directs them get involved in this business. By another reason is some women go straight to do this business as they want to get easier money and Thai and Foreigner men still satisfy to pay. In my opinion, it same as normal market, it has demand and supply if dont have both then business cant be survive. Final mention in Politics, Thailand is a Democracy country with strong believe in Royal family. Thai women can vote and get in a politics position same as men and nowadays from more opportunities in higher Education, Thai women have more space and powerful in politics roles. Thailand has changed politics history and will have changed in Thai women roles following to Yinglak Shinawat is the first women Prime Minister, boost government and create a lot of campaigns to support and develop Thai women roles all over Thailand for example setting up women fund to every cities to help any activities and improve women life especially women in South of Thailand where as more Muslim culture. But other point of view, Yinglak Shinawat still get some comments about her abilities and the way to get into this power as she is a sister of Taksin Shinawat, ex-prime minister of Thailand. In conclusion, Thailand is still unequal between men and women from the reason of culture, religion and old practical, that make Thailand hard to change in the gender roles in short term. Also the new globalization effected to Thai women, need more education, more abilities and more responsibilities. It is hard thing for Thai women now that they need to be a good mother, good taking care of their family, working in households, control family financial and need to work outside home in the same time to be acceptable in Thai society and apply in new world effected from Western culture.

Pokers Popularity Grows Among Teenagers :: essays research papers

In Chicago, Illinois, among many other cities across the nation, a new trend has swept teenagers like a plague. Poker, or the newly named Texas Holdem, has been the new hobby to most kids, boys in particular. Since the football season has been over, one boy even turned his dining room, a place for family time and bonding, into a full fledged poker parlor with chips, and plenty of decks of cards. Texas Holdem came about sometime in the beginning of the decade, and has become more an more popular among teenagers. Launched from TV competitions between everyday people and even celebrities, kids from even our community have become hooked. In fact, some parents condone it. They think that the game teaches strategy, critical-thinking, and math skills. One parent even compared it to smoking pot, saying he’d rather have his children play Holdem than not know where they are. It’s "safer" because unlike drugs that impair your judgments, the child is occupied with something that, if developed, can be cured by just taking it away. Josh Kohnstamm, father of Josh in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, says "it's become the perfect escape for his studious 16-year-old son, Josh, who ‘takes everything too seriously.’ Allowing him to ‘whoop’ the school's best athletes -- computer geek that he is -- and come away feeling lucky when that is a s ensation that rarely happens in his everyday life." But I could only wonder if the game was more about self-fulfillment and confidence, or critical thinking and math skills? Either way, the child is gaining, isn’t he? But then again there are also the adults who think that the game is a bad habit, and develops bad gambling habits. "It's fun. It's exciting. It's glamorized on TV and in the media in a way that other addictions are not," says Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. "There's the impression that through skill you can beat the odds. But randomness is always going to have a bigger factor in determining the outcome than your skill." The fact is, is that gambling is an addiction and has been known to be hard to overcome. However, I don’t think that anyone can actually say that it is forbidden because I really think that no matter what, every person takes a chance which can be considered gambling. I’m not sure where I stand on this issue.

Free Native Son Essays: White Like Me :: Native Son Essays

Native Son:  Ã‚   White Like Me  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Never have I read a book that has so clearly accounted for the African American’s feelings towards white people. The hate that brews inside of the African Americans is unbelievably strong. I am trying to see the racism from the African American’s point of view, rather than the â€Å"white view†Ã‚   I have had my entire life.   I feel guilty, I am afraid, I fear the black man.    The protagonist of the novel is Bigger Thomas. He is from the lowest rung of the American social ladder of Depression-era Chicago: he is black, and he is poor. He has been trapped his whole life by the white society, and he has a burning, eternal hate for them. White people made him live the life he lived. By not letting him become anything but a servant, they led him to a life of crime and hate. For so long, too long, the whites saw every black the same. They were all bad and dirty and awful people. In turn, Bigger saw all whites as being bad. To him, every white man is out to hurt him. He returns the racist attitude presented to him by all of the white folk. He does not know how else to act. He only does what he knows how to do. He follows the white man’s example. Bigger proves, though, that he can change. He is willing to learn and to change. He proves that he can be taught, that he is not just an ignorant Negro. Jan Erlone and Boris Max helped him to see this. They encoura ged Bigger to fight and to believe in himself as a human. Bigger begins to see that â€Å"whiteness† is really individual people, and racial conflicts aren’t simply â€Å"whiteness† vs. â€Å"blackness.† He gives Max more of a chance than a whole society gave him. Everyone automatically assumed that Bigger raped and murdered Mary; their minds never were really open to anything else. Bigger opened his mind. He gave white folk a chance. Max treated him like a man, a person, and Bigger was grateful for that and he let Max know that by talking to him. If only the white folk could have realized that they needed to give him a chance. Had they treated him like a human being then maybe he would have told them all they wanted to know. Free Native Son Essays: White Like Me :: Native Son Essays Native Son:  Ã‚   White Like Me  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Never have I read a book that has so clearly accounted for the African American’s feelings towards white people. The hate that brews inside of the African Americans is unbelievably strong. I am trying to see the racism from the African American’s point of view, rather than the â€Å"white view†Ã‚   I have had my entire life.   I feel guilty, I am afraid, I fear the black man.    The protagonist of the novel is Bigger Thomas. He is from the lowest rung of the American social ladder of Depression-era Chicago: he is black, and he is poor. He has been trapped his whole life by the white society, and he has a burning, eternal hate for them. White people made him live the life he lived. By not letting him become anything but a servant, they led him to a life of crime and hate. For so long, too long, the whites saw every black the same. They were all bad and dirty and awful people. In turn, Bigger saw all whites as being bad. To him, every white man is out to hurt him. He returns the racist attitude presented to him by all of the white folk. He does not know how else to act. He only does what he knows how to do. He follows the white man’s example. Bigger proves, though, that he can change. He is willing to learn and to change. He proves that he can be taught, that he is not just an ignorant Negro. Jan Erlone and Boris Max helped him to see this. They encoura ged Bigger to fight and to believe in himself as a human. Bigger begins to see that â€Å"whiteness† is really individual people, and racial conflicts aren’t simply â€Å"whiteness† vs. â€Å"blackness.† He gives Max more of a chance than a whole society gave him. Everyone automatically assumed that Bigger raped and murdered Mary; their minds never were really open to anything else. Bigger opened his mind. He gave white folk a chance. Max treated him like a man, a person, and Bigger was grateful for that and he let Max know that by talking to him. If only the white folk could have realized that they needed to give him a chance. Had they treated him like a human being then maybe he would have told them all they wanted to know.