Womanism Universal Black Feminism - 751 Words

WOMANISM The term womanism is coined by Alice Walker, the author best known for her book â€Å"The Color Purple.† Walker used the term for the first time in 1983, when she talked about the womanist theory in her book In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist prose. The womanist movement centres on the feminist effort of black women. Womanism grew because activists felt that the feminist movement did not fully cover the plight of black women. Rather than focusing on social change or activism, womanism (sometimes referred to as â€Å"black feminism†) focuses more on celebrating womanhood and the African American woman’s strength and experiences. When they push for change and attention to social issues, womanists focus on racism and class†¦show more content†¦It critically addresses the dynamics of the conflict between the main stream feminist, the Black Feminist, the African Feminist and the Africana Womanist. The conclusion is that Africana Womanism and its agenda are unique and separate from both white feminism and Black Feminism, and more over, to the extent of naming in particular, Africana Womanisms differs from Africana feminism†(Alexander-Floyd amp; Simien 2006: 67). Critiques of Womenism Patricia Hill Collins addresses the issue of how focussing on the naming of particular struggle can become a â€Å"political distraction† from gendered racist and sexist oppression that Black Women face (Alexander-Floyd amp; Simien 2006) Collins contends that womanism â€Å"exaggerates out group differences and minimises in group variation by assembling a stable and homogenous racial group identity† (Alexander-Floyd amp; Simien 2006) potentially, this comes with the ubiquitous essentialisation of Black Women struggles, which denies varied experience of Black Women who align with various social-culture heritages. Walker, Alice: In search of our Mothers Gardens Womanist Prose, Mariner Books,Show MoreRelatedWomanism762 Words   |  4 PagesAfricana Womanism: An Historical, Global Prespective for Women of African Descent Africana Womanism: An Historical, Global Perspective for Women of African Descent is an essay based on Africana Womanism and how it compares to white feminism. The essay was written by Clenora Hudson-Weems, an African American writer and literary critic. She was born in Oxford, Mississippi and she was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. I will compare Africana Womanism and Feminism and discuss the definition of theRead More15. . . . . Womanism Vs Feminism . Tessa King. Evans High4725 Words   |  19 Pages Womanism vs Feminism Tessa King Evans High School â€Å"Most of us did not learn when we were young that our capacity to be self-loving would be shaped by the work we do and whether that work enhances our well-being.† – Bell Hooks Black Feminism is a theory which argues that sexism, class oppression, gender identity, and racism are interconnected. However, womanism or white feminism is a social theory which is strictly racial and gender-based oppression of black women. Black feminism and womanismRead MoreThe Power of Self Definition in Feminism of the African Diaspora1853 Words   |  8 Pagesgenerally believed that feminism originated in the West, for over time, it has assumed the role of ‘science’ (Mangena, 2003). As a science, western feminism insists that it should be adopted by women all over the globe and used to deal with their specific and foundational problems. However, women of the African diaspora have come to deny such universality and define their own struggle. Uprooted from their motherland and sent to lands in Latin America and the United States, Black women experience unique

Government Dominated By Big Business - 900 Words

There has been a lot of fuss over big business influencing the government in the United States lately. Now there is no doubt that the business elite have some influence on politics. It can even be traced back to the early 1900’s, when â€Å"the People’s Party had disintegrated, but many writers and activists have continued to echo the Populists’ central thesis: that the U.S. democratic political system is in fact dominated by business elites† (). Although there are countless arguments to go against this idea, the questions still comes up today: Is government dominated by big business? Political Scientist G. William Domhoff believes that government is dominated by big business. More specifically, Domhoff believes that owners and top-level managers in income-producing properties are not only dominant power figures in the US, but they also have inordinate influence in the federal government (). Another political scientist however, Sheldon Kamieniecki, believe s otherwise. He states that businesses do not really get involved in policies that affect them; and even when they do, their success rate at influencing policies is not consistent. In fact, he believes that other factions have more influence on government policies (). Let’s go a little more in-depth on Domhoff’s argument. Domhoff is a firm believer in big business dominating government. He states that â€Å"lobbyists from corporations, law firms, and trade associations play a key role in shaping government on narrow issues ofShow MoreRelatedThe Changing Economy: 1865-1939 Essay628 Words   |  3 Pagesa flourishing big business dominated world and eventually in 1929 came crashing down. I agree only partially with the quote The Civil War saw the beginning of an 80-year decline of real individual economic opportunity; nonetheless, the vast majority of Americans continued to profess their belief in individualism as evidenced by the Presidents they elected. Thus, betw een 1865 and 1939, the majority of Americans accepted big business dominance and rejected all forms of government interference andRead MoreThe American Public Policy Process966 Words   |  4 Pagesprocess system that is in place within the federal government was developed within the framework of the United States Constitution and those with special interests. Within the current system of policy process utilized by the federal government America’s affluent community holds the greatest interests. Over the past 220 years the federal government has fallen to an oligarchy control. An oligarchy is a form of power structure used within governments in which the power effectively remains in controlRead MoreApush- Monopolies968 Words   |  4 Pagesimpacted the economic and political aspects of our nation. These corporations dominated American business and defined the American culture. The Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain, was used to describe the conditions within the Uni ted States during this time. The nation was â€Å"lined with gold†, but had many struggles and obstacles that spread through the social, political, and economic aspects of the United States. These big businesses initiated many transformations within the United States andRead MoreInternational Business And International Marketing1457 Words   |  6 PagesInternational business compares all commercial transactions like private and government, investments and sales and transportation which take place between two or more regions , nations and countries beyond their political boundries.simply international business is exchange of goods and services among business and individual in multiple countries. International business such as an essential subject for students around the world because international business is vital ingredient in entrepreneurshipRead MoreGovernment Business Relations1518 Words   |  6 PagesGovernment business relations American businesses wield much political powers. This has been there for quite some time. Prior to the Civil War, some Americans worried less about the power of businesses. This was partly due to the fact that firms at this time were relatively small. This restricted the powers of the proprietors to local political arenas. When multinational corporations emerged in the late 19th Century the role played by businesses in the political scenes completely changed. TensionsRead MoreJohn D. Rockefeller And Commodore Vanderbilt Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pageswere both powerful businessmen of their time. They both dominated the markets that they were in, and they brought innovation and efficiency to their trades. Both entrepreneurs used hard work to break into their markets and become some of the most successful businessmen of history. These men both made such a large impact on their industries, without their contribution those industries would not be what they are today. John D. Rockefeller dominated the oil industry and was an entrepreneurial powerhouseRead MoreDystopia Speech1258 Words   |  6 PagesWall-E, we discover the sequence of events that led to the evacuation of the planet Earth. In the past, one large megacorporation has gained control of all business and government on the planet. The human population is so distracted by consumerism that they never notice that they have been stripped of all their freedoms and are now dominated by the BnL megacorporation. The axiom cannot be questioned or challenged; the passengers therefore never question their lives or their existence. Under thisRead MoreEverythingis Bigger In Texas. This Phrase Has Been Said1161 Words   |  5 Pagesitself; many beliefs and habits blended into one single community, but involving politics. Texas especially, has a variety of international beliefs, but its politics mainly revolves around one subculture.   Texas is dominated by the individualistic subculture   becaus e it prefers limited government intervention, and supports personal marketplace and businesses. Texas is a state with many cultural differences because of its location and history. Texas first was in the middle of a turf war between MexicoRead MoreImpact of Big Business on Politics and the Economy Essay849 Words   |  4 Pagesrevolution, the government upheld a hands-off approach towards business. Under the laissez-faire principle, free, unregulated markets led to competition, yet this system suffered under the wrath of growing corporations. The impact of big business on the economy and politics was immense during 1870 to 1899. Corporations were growing significantly in number and size, which had a domineering affect on American economy and defined American life. The growing corporations in America dominated most of theRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Johnson Miller Essay1631 Words   |  7 Pagesat Arlington, majoring business administration with minor in political science, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She also studied for four months in Spain during 1983. She graduated from University of Texas at Arlington in 1985. She received her PhD from Harvard Business School in 1989, where she was executive editor of Harvard Journal of International Business and an editor of the Harvard business Journal. She holds her Master’s degree from Stanford Business School. She is the

Never Let Me Go What it Means to be Human Free Essays

Ishiguro’s novel is not really a science fiction story, because science fiction writers usually try to explain how the technology they write about (in this novel, cloning) works. Ishiguro just says that cloning and harvesting is taking place, without saying anything about how it works. Never Let Me Go is really about what it means to be human. We will write a custom essay sample on Never Let Me Go: What it Means to be Human or any similar topic only for you Order Now The novel is narrated by Kathy, who used to be a student at Hailsham but is now a carer. A carer is a person who helps people through their donations. Kathy does not explain right away what a carer or a donor is, because finding that out is what the whole book is about. Kathy keeps talking about different memories she has from going to school at Hailsham and from growing up, and as she keeps talking, we start to understand what carers and donors are. The beginning of the book makes you think that the children at Hailsham are normal children, who go to classes, play sports, and even tease each other. They do not pick Tommy to play soccer with them, even though he is one of the best players, because he gets angry and makes playing no fun for anyone else. When Tommy is not picked, he responds like any normal child would: â€Å"Then he began to scream and shout, a nonsensical jumble of swear words and insults† (9). Tommy is also not creative, which makes the other children at Hailsham not like him because he never has anything to put in the Exchanges, which are the special times at the school where the children trade the different creative things they have made, like poems, sculptures, and paintings, and where the best things they make are selected to be taken out of the school to go to a special exhibit. The best things are taken away to the Gallery by Madame, a woman who visits the school occasionally and is â€Å"afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders. We hadn’t been ready for that† (35). Madame is afraid of the children because they are clones, but the children do not know what they are yet, so they do not understand what she could be afraid of. During the first part of Never Let Me Go, the students at Hailsham keep hearing the guardians talk about how the children should know more, but they are not told what that means. When the guardians see a student, they always stop talking about what the children should know. Some of the guardians give the children hints about who they are, like when Miss Lucy tells them, â€Å"It’s not good that I smoked. It wasn’t good for me so I stopped it. But what you must understand is that for you, all of you, it’s much, much worse to smoke than it ever was for me† (68). Because they will eventually be donors for people who need their organs, it would be especially bad for the children to smoke because smoking would damage their organs. Another time when they children get a hint of who they are is when Kathy is listening to her tape of â€Å"Never Let Me Go.† While she sings along with it and pretends she is dancing with her baby, she looks up and sees that Madame is watching her (71). Madame is crying, because she knows that Kathy will never be able to have a baby, but she runs away and does not say anything to Kathy. One day, Miss Lucy tells the children what they really are: â€Å"Your lives are set out for you. You’ll become adults, then before you’re old, before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs. That’s what each of you was created to do† (80). No one is really surprised by what Miss Lucy tells them, because they have sort of known all along what they were going to be. Miss Lucy was just the first one to tell them directly. After the children leave the school and go to the cottages, they continue growing up like normal children. They have boyfriends and girlfriends, do their homework, talk, and fight with each other sometimes. The cottages are where they go when they are too old to stay at Hailsham but are not old enough to live in the real world or become donors yet. They do get to go on trips sometimes, and on one of these trips, Ruth, Kathy’s best friend, tries to find her â€Å"possible,† the person who is possibly the original person she was cloned from (139). When Tommy was still a student at Hailsham, Miss Lucy told him that it was not important that he was not creative or artistic, but later she told him that she had been wrong when she said that. Tommy ends up thinking that Miss Lucy meant that â€Å"the thing about being from Hailsham was that you had this special chance. And if you didn’t get into Madame’s gallery, then you were as good as throwing that chance away† (176). At this point in the story, the children think that if they are artistic, it will give them a chance to delay becoming donors. But since Tommy never got anything into the Gallery, he is afraid that he might have missed his chance. That is not why it was important for the students at Hailsham to be artistic, though. The best things the children made, the ones that were taken to the Gallery, were taken there because Madame wanted to show people on the outside that clones could make paintings and write poems, because she thought that if everyone saw what they could do, they would think the cloned kids were real people. This is most important point in the book. Ishiguro wrote Never Let Me Go to ask the question of what makes a human being a real person, and one of the things the book talks about is that if clones can be creative and make beautiful art, then maybe they are real people, because only real people can make beautiful things. When Tommy starts thinking about trying to delay when he becomes a donor, he starts making little drawings that he wants to show to Madame because he hopes that maybe it is not too late for him to show what he can do. At the end of Never Let Me Go, Tommy, Kathy, and Ruth try to find Madame because they think she can get the time when they have to start donating their organs pushed back. Ruth has already started donating, so she wants Tommy and Kathy to become a couple and ask for themselves. They find Madame’s house and go in, and they tell her that they are really in love. They also ask her about the gallery, and they tell her that they think the things they put into it could show her what they were really like. Madame tells them, â€Å"Your art will reveal your inner selves! That’s it, isn’t it? Because your art will display your souls† (254)! Madame stops talking then, and Miss Emily starts talking to Tommy and Kathy. Miss Emily was a guardian at Hailsham. She tells them that the rumor about getting a deferral is not true, and that for most people, the hope of getting a deferral is just â€Å"something for them to dream about, a harmless little fantasy† (258) because they never actually try to find out if the dream is true. Another point Ishiguro makes about what is means to be human comes from this part of the book. He seems to be saying that wanting to find out what your purpose in life is, to dream about it and then to try and make your dreams come true, is part of what it means to really be human. When Miss Emily tells them that the purpose of the gallery was to try and prove that they really did have souls, Kathy asks, â€Å"Why did we have to prove a thing like that, Miss Emily? Did someone think we didn’t have souls† (260)? Kathy assumes that everyone thinks that they have souls even though they are clones, but Miss Emily tells her that now, no one thinks clones have souls, because â€Å"all around the country, at this very moment, there are students being reared in deplorable conditions, conditions you Hailsham students could hardly imagine. And now we’re no more, things will only get worse† (261). Close to the end of the novel, after they leave Madame and Miss Emily, Tommy makes Kathy pull the car over. He gets out and Kathy goes after him, and she sees â€Å"Tommy’s figure, raging, shouting, flinging his fists and kicking out† (274). He is shouting because he is so upset about what he has learned from Miss Emily, that no one thinks clones have souls or are real people. In a way, he does the same things at the end of the book that he does at the beginning, except that at the beginning, he was shouting and screaming because no one picked him for soccer, but now he is screaming because so many people think he is not a real person. When Tommy cries at the end of the book, and when Kathy tries to comfort him, you have to feel sad for everything they have gone through, and for what they have learned. They have acted like real people their entire lives, they have gone to school and drawn pictures and fallen in love, but now society is telling them that they are just clones and that their only purpose is to give up their organs. Ishiguro wants us to feel sad for Kathy and Tommy, and for all the clones, because he wants us to think that they are real people. If the clones really are there just so other people can have organs, then we should not feel bad for them. It’s kind of like how most people do not feel bad for farm animals like cows and pigs when they are killed, because they think that the purpose of a cow or a pig’s life is to be killed so humans can eat them. But by showing us how real the things the students from Hailsham are, and how they things they go through are the same as what any normal person goes through, Ishiguro is saying that it is what you do and who you are, not why or how you were made, that makes you really human.    How to cite Never Let Me Go: What it Means to be Human, Essay examples

Poems Dear Mr Lee and Reports Essay Example For Students

Poems Dear Mr Lee and Reports Essay Throughout this essay I will be comparing the two poems Dear Mr Lee and Reports and discussing how the poet Ursula A Fanthorpe presents school. Both poets present the topic of school, however they differ in perspective. From the titles alone we can decipher that Dear Mr Lee is a letter and Reports is about reports. Throughout this poem the child goes on about her love for the book Dear Mr. Lee by U A Fanthorpe. The poem Dear Mr Lee uses a letter to explore the perspective of a student. The letter involves the student giving their opinion on school to present school in a negative manner mainly attacking a teacher. The student is writing a letter to Mr Lee during their English exam. The student wrote the letter because they didnt want to answer questions about a book called Cider. Mr Lee is the author of the book Cider. The reason for this is because I didnt want to write a character sketch of your mother under headings, it seemed wrong somehow In Reports the poet uses the perspective of the teachers. In this poem the author gives us the perspective of an experienced teacher who seems to be dictating to a new and inexperienced teacher about how to write reports. In the poem Dear Mr Lee we hear a student speaking directly. The student seems to be 15 or 16 years old. The student has either taken their English exams or is taking her English exams. Indirectly we can hear the students English Teacher who is called Mr Smart (this name seems to be ironic or a nickname. ) The poet seems to be suggesting the relationship between the teacher and student as being distant. Mr Smart criticises the student and imposes sarcasm towards the student. Mr Smart says for anyone with my punctuation to consider poetry as a career is enough to make the angels weep. The first line that mentions Mr Smart is criticism made towards the student. Mr Smart has no respect for the student and also the student has a lack of respect for the teacher. Mr Smart is roughly my least favourite person. The student does not say, I hate Mr Smart but gives an honest opinion about the teacher. The student may dislike him but the student may still have respect for that teacher. What I am trying to imply is that it is not clear what the student is saying. However you may argue that it is clear what the student is implying then again the teacher has no respect for the student as the teacher does not bestow encouragement towards the student but inflicts discouragement, sarcasm and criticism. In this poem the poet implies that teacher (Mr Smart) thinks the only thing that is important in English is Shakespeare and anthology. As well as understanding jokes made by Shakespeare and the ability to write terse and cogent answers. However this poem implies that students find the above reasons boring and English hard. The teacher believes that he is the most important person and students have no power. The poet implies that the only thing important in English to the student is reading the book called Cider and the author. The student does not want to study Shakespeare because they do not enjoy reading his books or Anthology by P. Larkin or T. Hughes. And as for Shakespeare (were doing him too) I think he is a national disaster. The student thinks that you should not study a book in a certain way. This is why the student refuses to answer questions about the book Cider provided by the examiners. The student then goes off to write this letter. The poet suggests that exams only want terse and cogent answers. Students who fail exams of subjects they dislike may still have talent. .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 , .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .postImageUrl , .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 , .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:hover , .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:visited , .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:active { border:0!important; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:active , .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210 .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3f3486dd8371b0cd187113743dd12210:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Much Ado about noting EssayThe poet suggests that getting pleasure out of Literature is what is important in English. To try to get an emotional feeling of books you read. You should not study Shakespeare if you do not like his plays. Teachers are not understanding, not very helpful and degrade students. The teacher only values the syllabus. By this poem it suggests that students should be Seen but not heard or they should Put up and shut up. They should get to work and learn how to do terse and cogent answers. This is the role of the pupil. The poem implies that reading Shakespeare to pass exams is what is important in education. One interpretation of this poem is that the ideas suggested in this poem are realistically true and that teachers are discouraging, sarcastic and inflicts criticism to students. The poet is being cynical and is showing teachers in bad light. This poem maybe an experience from Ursula A Fanthorpe in which schools may have been run differently from schools today. For now lets say its not then we can appreciate her choice of books where she included the book Cider with Rosie. This was a cleverly chosen book as in the book Laurie Lee talks about class struggle. Ursula then gives us the reaction of the Teacher Mr Smart which he says Mr Smart says that you view of the class struggle is nai ve. I think that was cleverly planned to put across her view that concurs with the author Laurie Lee opinion. This interpretation presents school in a negative way, attacking the syllabus and teachers. . I think this perspective is an uninformed one. Another interpretation is although Dear Mr. Lee has a positive tone in spite of criticism of the teachings and examining of English. Its showing that students can still enjoy a subject even if the teacher uses discouraging methods of teaching the student.