Double-Consciousness Under the White Gaze Essay Example for Free

Double-Consciousness Under the White Gaze Essay The theme of double-consciousness was first defined by Du Bois in The Souls of the Black Folk. He put the term â€Å"double-consciousness† in a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. (Du Bois) It is obvious that the protagonist as well as several lesser characters in Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks suffer from this distressing double-consciousness, especially Maud Martha. Maud Martha realized that she was not the cherished one because of her darker skin color at an very early age, thus â€Å"to be cherished was the dearest wish of the heart of Maud Martha Brown†. ( Brooks 1650) In her own family, her beloved father preferred her sister Helen because Helen was lighter; At school her schoolmates also liked Helen and ignored her; When she grew into womanhood and got married, her husband Paul also showed a partiality to lighter women. Martha’s father, classmates and husband acted this way because as black people they themselves were treated as inferior creatures all the time by white Americans. Under this white gaze, the value that the black was inferior was accepted and internalized by the gazed over time. This internalizing also happened to Martha as she struggled all the way to build up her subjectivity. That accounts for her inferiority about her appearance and jealous of Helen her prettier. When a white schoolmate Charles came to visit Martha, she should feel â€Å"a sort of gratitude. † (Brooks 1653) According to Michel Foucault, the gaze is actually imposed upon people by themselves even though it looks like that it is imposed from something superior upon everyone. No need for weapons, physical violence or prohibition, it takes only a surveillant gaze to humble anyone, to make them the overseers of themselves. Luckily, Martha was a woman with artistic sensibility. Although living an ordinary life in a racist world, still she can find beauty and dignity in her life. When she spared the mouse, she experienced a new cleanness in her because â€Å"she had not destroyed. In the center of that simple restraint was—creation. She had created a piece of life. It was wonderful. †(Brooks 1667) This is a prelude revealing that her subjectivity was budding. Later when she gave birth to a daughter, her subjectivity was much improved by this motherhood—she did create a new life who was totally dependent on her at that time. At the beauty salon, she was shocked that the salon owner Mrs. Johnson just put up with a white saleswoman’s humiliation of referring them as â€Å"niggers†. It is not difficult to associate to what happened when Martha went to millinery with this. She decided against the hat even though the owner promised to cut price, and this lack of manners was attributed to her skin color by the salesgirl. â€Å"Black—oh,black† Her subjectivity is helpful yet not strong enough to fight everything. When Paul was laid off she went to work as a house maid in the Burns-Coopers’, she experienced that white gaze even more violently because the white woman Mrs. Coopers showed obvious contempt towards her. At this moment, she suddenly realized what her husband had suffered all the time in his working environment. Feeling this humiliation, she quitted the job the next day. She understood better about the struggles and frustrations caused by the white American now, even though she could not do much about it. She was always sensitive to the exclusion of the Negro in a white world, yet even cannot explain to her little girl why a store Santa Claus did not like her- or even smile at her—a wishful blindness. No matter what, Martha never gave up her love for life. At the end of the novella, Martha’s brother was back from the wars alive and well which made her sense the beauty of life again. She went such a long way fighting the confliction in her life, the problem of double identity and double-consciousness, and found her equanimity finally. So she would think that â€Å"At a moment like this one was ready for anything, was not afraid of anything†¦.. At a moment like this, one could even think of death with a sharp exhilaration, feel that death was a part of life; that life was good and death would be good too. † This reconciliation can be considered as Martha’s triumph of the struggle. In a word, Maud Martha captures the essence of Black life with regard to their double-consciousness under the white gaze, and Brooks recognizes the beauty and strength that lies within each of us. References: The Souls of the Black Folk, Du Bois, W. E. B. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison , Michel Foucault Maud Martha, Gwendolyn Gwendolyn.

Salaries of Athletes are too High Essays -- Professional Athlete Athle

Salaries of Athletes What should athletes deserve to be paid? Many players have risen to stardom by becoming a professional athlete. Athletes have come from many different backgrounds; some from wealthy and some from poverty raised backgrounds. Salaries are continuing to rise, and money doesn’t seem to be an issue. Athletes are getting what they want from the owners by negotiating through their agents. Athletes’ salaries aren’t from their owners, but they come from other sources (â€Å"Athletes’ Salary†). Athletes get paid an extremely high salary for the work they do, and should consider the value of their work. They do not deserve the extreme amount they get paid and something should by done about it. One issue that these high salaries cause is that having all this money spoils the athletes. Athletes buy so much unnecessary stuff after they get their money. For example, Michael Jordan has about 28 cars. Who needs all these cars? He didn’t buy all of these, but there is a certain limit on how many cars a person needs. Athletes spend their money on cars, entertainment, clothes, and their big mansions. Another instance of athletes spoiling themselves is the use of illegal drugs (â€Å"Pro Salaries†). Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys has been involved in many of these altercations. He has been through all the punishments there possibly is and still makes his money (â€Å"Pro Salaries†). Athletes think they are at a higher level and that they can do whatever they want. An issue that everyone hears about everyday that a pro athlete has committed a murder/crime. Ray Lewis, a safety for the Baltimore Ravens, is being tried for two accounts of murder. He is an excellent athlete. He is on the pro-bowl team for the 1999 season and led the league in tackles. He has just ruined his career by even being involved in a situation like this. Another player is Robert Lewis, a 20 year-old basketball player from the Dallas Mavericks. He was convicted of beating his girlfriend almost to death. A 20-year-old basketball star doesn’t need to feel that he is a king to be a leader. What kind of role model is he setting to other youngsters that want to follow in the same footsteps? The salaries of athletes are extremely high for the effort that they put through. For example, basketball, baseball, and hockey athletes only compete for about 6-8 months a year. Then they have... ...r salaries are too high to compare. They do entertain the public, but the expense for the entertainment is too steep. Athletes should make a decent salary, but they should have control over their limits. They deserve a salary that would compare to other officials who are more important to the people and that have a role which effects the people as a whole. Something must be done before a drastic change occurs. Bibliography: â€Å"Athletes’ Salary.† CQ Researcher. 2000. Bagnato, Andrew. â€Å"Against the (cash) flow as revenue streams into college coffers, Some athletes are clamoring for their cut of the profits.† Chicago Tribune 23 Feb. 1997: 1. Bryjak, George J. â€Å"The Name of the Game is Money.† USA TODAY Sept. 1998: 67-69. Danziger, Lucy S. â€Å"Sweet Inequity.† Women’s Sports and Fitness July 1999: 17. Kindred, David. â€Å"In the name of sanity.† The Sporting News 20 Apr. 1998: 63. â€Å"Pro Salaries.† n. pag. On-line. Internet. http://www.nonline.com/procon/html/prosalary.htm. 12 Jan. 2000. Spiegel, Peter. â€Å"Athletes.† Forbes 22 Mar. 1999: 220. Wigge, Larry. â€Å"Millennium mind-set: Open up game and close wallets.† Sporting News 10 Jan. 2000: 58-59.

Ethics & Philosophy Essay

Free markets can be said to be the markets which have no government interference or regulation. The only regulations present are the ones which involve protecting property rights and maintaining the legal system. Free markets are markets in which the product prices are solely set through market forces, as opposed to interference by external forces. There is also free competition in free markets, and the law of supply and demand is used to fix prices of goods and services in such markets. There are various philosophers who support free markets while others are opposed to such markets. The paper will analyze the contributions of Adam smith, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman on the issue and will give a brief conclusion on the issues discussed. Karl Marx. Karl Marx was a German philosophers who is considered to be amongst the most controversial philosophers in history. He was against capitalism and free markets, which he viewed to be a means with which property owners or the rich use to maintain control over the peasants or poor. Karl Marx viewed the capitalist system as a system meant to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. He explained that initially, capitalism was meant to be a means with which people exchanged commodities which they did not have. However, after money was created, it evolved and became a means with which people could make profits as opposed to satisfying the demand for products. Over time, capitalism undermined the human development and well being, and products created could now dictate how interactions between human beings would be. Soon, the relations between society became material as everything was treated in terms of its monetary worth, as opposed to creative and artistic qualities possessed. Capitalism led to the alienation of workers since they were separated from owning the means which was used for production, and they became slaves to the people who owned those means. This led to the emergence of two economic groups; the property owners and the workers, and the latter were oppressed by the former. This is the reason which made him predict the collapse of capitalism and its replacement with socialism. Socialism is a system in which the government or authority controls production so that it may be mutually beneficial to all members of the society or state. Karl Marx was opposed to free markets since they tended to favor the rich and oppress the poor. Free markets are a feature of the capitalist system, which made Karl Marx oppose them. Weaknesses of this argument. Karl Marx is opposed to free markets due to the weaknesses which he views in capitalism. Karl Marx views capitalism to be a system where the rich oppress the poor. He therefore opposes all features of capitalist systems which he views to be a means which promote the exploitation of the poor . However, Karl Marx does not consider the model which combines both capitalism and socialism in order to take advantage of the positive attributes of the two models. Since socialism has its weaknesses, combining both models may be more beneficial to the economy. In this respect, moderate government interference in trade by the government is an option which Karl Marx should have pursued. Adam Smith. He is considered to be the father of the modern economics and he contributed a lot toward the modern capitalist system. Adam Smith was of the opinion that production was the key to economic growth and that this could only be achieved through economic liberalization. Adam Smith therefore supported unregulated markets since he saw them as a means of stimulating economic growth. He explained that free markets would enable individuals to develop a business without having government intervention, and that the people who consume the products developed would do so at prices which have been determined by demand and supply forces . Adam Smith added that free markets enabled the most competitive producers and consumers to survive, which was beneficial to the economy. He viewed free markets are independent problem solvers which did not require government interference, since market forces eventually address any surpluses or shortages which are inherent in the market. Adam Smith uses the ‘invisible hand’ theory to explain the way in which different parts of the economy are integrated. Smith explains that each individual is guided by an invisible hand in making their decisions which benefit the economy, without their knowledge. He explains that individuals carry out actions which are meant to benefit themselves, but they end up benefiting the society at large, which is not the initial aim of the individual. Smith gives an illustration of the creation of a wool coat. He says that the coat is developed after a series of processes which are undertaken by different people. The shepherd who owns the sheep, the spinner who develops the coats, and the shipper who transports them to the market all play a role in the creation of the finished product. He explains that this subconscious process by the different parties involved achieves higher levels of efficiencies than would be achieved had the process been planned by the players involved. It means that markets which are regulated by the government have lower efficiency levels compared to markets which are not regulated . This is the major reason why Adam Smith supports the free markets as opposed to regulated markets. Weaknesses of this argument. Adam smith is of the opinion that free markets enabled the most competitive producers and consumers to survive, which is beneficial to the economy. He gives many attributes of free markets, most of which are true. However, he does not discuss the weaknesses of free markets. Free markets suffer from certain weaknesses such as inhibiting the growth of small firms. Free markets may also experience monopolistic and oligopolistic tendencies which adversely affect the economy. The economy may also suffer certain effects attributed to unfair practices in trade. Other effects like inflation, market downturns and others require regulation by a central authority. Adam Smith does not discuss these situations, which makes his argument inconclusive. Milton Friedman. Friedman made major contributions to the economic crisis during the early 20th century. He viewed the 1920s as a period of sustainable and vital growth. Friedman believed that economic growth and freedom had a direct relationship. He used several principles and arguments to further his support from free markets. The political principle was used by Friedman to define the features of free markets. He explained that in free markets, individuals cannot coerce each other and that there is voluntary cooperation between the parties involved . He further explained that parties which are involved in transactions under such circumstances benefit in one way or another, otherwise they would not participate in these transactions. In free market transactions, there are no social responsibilities and values; there are only shared responsibilities and values. However, Friedman was also of the opinion that the government should intervene in the economy if there is threat to it. One of the instances when Friedman supported government interference was during the Great depression which occurred in 1929. The Great Depression changed the view that the United States economy was robust and that it should be totally free from government control, after the US Stock Exchange collapsed due to various factors. Friedman supports the market regulation and explains that if the Federal Government had intervened and applied the right policies, this depression would have been avoided. He explains that the Federal Government should have suspended payment for the withdrawals being requested by people. The policy which was used at the time, which involved printing more money to supplement the increased demand, is blamed for the Great Depression. This reveals a more soft approach to the initial stand that government intervention should not be allowed, and that the markets should be allowed to operate as free markets. However, it does not completely change the stance which had been taken by Friedman regarding free markets. Government interference is allowed only under special circumstances where lack of intervention would lead to severe effects to the economy. This was the case during the Great depression and is also currently the case in the event of the global financial crisis being experienced. Weaknesses of this argument. Friedman is categorical that there should be free markets if economies are to grow. He argues that the absence of social values and responsibilities and the presence of shared values are factors which facilitate economic growth. However, he appears to take a soft stand when discussing the Great Depression where he advocates for government interference, but using the right policies. This is a deviation from his stand that the government should not interfere with the business environment. It also reveals that free trade has weaknesses which he does not effectively address. Personal view. In my opinion, free markets do not lead to serious political, social, or environmental problems as explained by some philosophers. This is because free markets are the most effective and natural means in which prices should be set to ensure effectiveness. On the contrary, a wrong approach of interference by the government may lead to serious political, social, or environmental problems as was seen in the Great Depression. The current financial crisis which began in the United States can also be said to have been accelerated by the government failure to limit the borrowings by investors and excess lending by financial institutions using predatory lending practices. This is a similar problem which led to the great depressions, and the government interference is seen to have led to adverse effects rather than positive effects on the economy. However, in extreme cases of economic problems, the government should intervene. This should only be done to save the economy in cases where the market forces are clearly unable to rectify the situation. For instance, the current financial crisis facing the world requires the government’s intervention. This does not mean that the government supports the regulation of markets since in the absence of economic crises, the market forces would usually be used to set the product prices. My major reasons for supporting free markets is that regulated markets usually discourage investments, especially if the regulations are too strict. Investors prefer investing in countries where there is free trade since they can predict their future earnings or returns on investment, due to the absence of external factors in the business environment. Regulated markets may also adversely affect the economy especially if the policies which are applied are retrogressive. Summary and conclusion. It is evident that the three philosophers made major contributions to the modern world. Their theories are still in use several years after some of them passed away. However, it is important to note that their arguments relating to free trade are inconclusive since some of the facts which they used to support their arguments have changed. It is also important to note that none of them has a wrong view, it is only that they looked at free trade from different perspectives. The contributions which each of them has made to society should be appreciated since they all talked about various issues affecting the society, and not just free trade. It is important that other scholars improve on the theories which were advanced by Adam smith, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman. This will reflect the market environment as it is today, and the arguments developed can be used to improve the policies in the current business environment. Works cited. Amadae Samuel. Rationalizing capitalist democracy: the Cold War origins of rational choice liberalism.Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003, p255-261. Gagnier Regenia. The insatiability of human wants: economics and aesthetics in market society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, p25-35. Machaj Mateusz. Friedman for government intervention: the case of the great depression. Mises Daily. Retrieved on March 18, 2009 from . Sunderlin, William D. Ideology, social theory, and the environment. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002, p23-33.

Understanding The Mission And Values Of The Profession Essay

Introduction Historically social work has been a field aimed at helping improve quality of living for all people. Understanding the mission and values of the profession enables social workers to empathize with the groups and individuals they aim to help. Professional social workers must be able to understand situations from multiple perspectives to make the best informed decisions. #1 A: Social Work Definition and Value Assumptions Social work can be defined as a broad profession, with the sole purpose of improving the lives and relieving the hardships of the members of a population. Tbe field of social work addresses many problems for the well being of society, including: health care, criminal justice, domestic violence, economic and public policies, child and family welfare, as well as homelessness. Professional social workers are trained with the education and tools necessary to address problems from several different perspectives, and the ability to inform people in need of the resources available to help them achieve a wide variety of goals, whether personal social mobility, or financial independence. Assumed social work values include compassion and empathy for people who are in need, as well as selflessness to provide help to those who happen to be less fortunate. Social workers must be able to understand the misfortunes of society and its individuals, without necessarily having experienced the same struggles firsthand. Being able to empathize for people withoutShow MoreRelatedSocial Work s Fundamental Mission1048 Words   |  5 Pagesmind. The social work profession has a mission and this mission along with values, provide a guidance for the workers in this profession. To be simply stated; social work is here to improve quality of life. 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