Politics Of Displacement Essays - Guggenheim Fellows, Free Essays

Politics Of Displacement Essays - Guggenheim Fellows, Free Essays Politics Of Displacement Jean Elshtain, Chp.2 Democracy and the Politics of Displacement Response to Question 1: In the excerpted chapter titled Democracy and the Politics of Displacement, Jean Elshtain discusses the concept of politics of identity'. In discussing the politics of identity', Elshtain argues there is an emerging social phenomenon, wherein society is turning the private affairs of our lives into public discourse. The Western World has become a public pool, in which the information mediums and venues of society are overflowing with confessions and apologies. We have made the private affairs of our lives, into a booming business. Society has witnessed a proliferation of self - help groups, twelve- step' programs, anger management programs, television shows broadcasting a tell all' theme and Internet chat groups designed for people to post the confession and/or apology of the day. Inherently, it has not only become socially acceptable, but socially encouraged to air our dirty laundry. We are actively creating an Apologizing Society.' Elshtain argues that as the boundary separating the private and the public becomes increasingly hazed, a new social identity emerges. Elshtain argues that as this new social identity emerges, there arises a politics of identity.'Our social identity is no longer composed of differentiated spheres of human activity, but rather it has become a dichotomous social relationship involving those who are victims and those who are victimizers. Moreover, it is the quality or character of being a victim' that becomes public discourse. In turn, this quality of being a victim becomes an individual's primary or dominant identity: it defines their entire being. Through the process of class discussion, it was realized, that as the quality of being a victim enters the public lime- light, there emerges a social accumulation of victims and victimizers. The social accumulation of victims emerges as a result of two factors: 1) as the quality of being a victim becomes more public, it's definition and defining characteristics begin to broaden. Thereby, accumulating and embracing a variety of victims,'that otherwise, may never have come to view themselves as having been victimized; 2) as the definition of being a victim becomes more broad in the public sphere, it simultaneously becomes glorified and popularized. That is to say, society begins to credit a great deal of sympathy to, and focus a lot of attention on, those who have been victimized. As a result, a social phenomenon emerges, wherein everyone wants to be a victim.'As a final note, the social accumulation of victims continues, as some victims feel compelled to engage in the public service o f sharing their experience with the world. For example, we often hear victims injecting society with notions of victimization through injunctions such as, My experience will have served a purpose, if I can help one person to understand that they are not alone. Essentially, there is a collective engagement among victims, to accumulate' more victims. Response to Question #2: Elshtain argues that the politics of displacement' are essentially bound up in the politics of identity, as the private self become increasingly more public, and therefore, the public begins to displace' the private self within society. Moreover, Elshtain argues that the politics of displacement are circumvented by two paradoxical connections, wherein: 1) everything private becomes public and 2) everything public becomes private. Through the course of class discussion, it was realized, that although Elshtain argues that everything public become private, she does not mean this, in its literal sense. Elshtain, merely presents the paradox to create the necessary juxtaposition, in which her politics of displacement can be clearly articulated. For Elshtain, the politics of displacement remain emphatic of the increasing disappearance of the boundary separating the private from the public spheres of social life. Elshtain further argues, that the politics of displacement are increasingly cutting away the social space necessary for society to maintain conventional politics. Elshtain concedes, that conventional politics have now become bound up in the politics of displacement and inherently, the politics of identity. Hence, this new social identity of being a victim,'which was discussed in the above response, has increasingly billowed over into conventional politics. For example, conventional or traditional politics did not encourage politicians to disclose information and details about their personal life, in contemporary society, telling all'

Definition and Examples of Attain and Obtain

Definition and Examples of Attain and Obtain The verb attain means to achieve, accomplish, or succeed in reaching a goal (usually through some effort). The verb obtain means to acquire or get possession of something. As an intransitive verb, obtain means to be prevalent or established. Examples As you begin your college career, you should also be aware of the difference between learning things for a test or to attain a high grade versus mastering content and skills that are essential for you to succeed in life.(Jeffrey Kottler, Excelling in College. Wadsworth, 2012)The most important function of a bibliographic entry is to help the reader obtain a copy of the cited work.(Daniel J. Bernstein)Both his philosophy and his techniques of leadership were products of a different world, of relationships which no longer obtain and expectations which are no longer valid.(David Garrow, Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. HarperCollins, 1986)There can be no assurance that the Company will attain its expected results, successfully integrate and achieve anticipated synergies from any of its acquisitions, obtain acceptable financing, or attain its published guidance metrics . . ..(Press release, DFC Global Corp. Announces Launch of $650 Million Senior Note Private Offering. The Wall Street Journal, November 15, 2013) Usage Notes These two- both formal words- are sometimes confused. . . .Occasionally- as a malapropism- obtain is used to attain. E.g.: The same exception . . . applies if U.S. residency or citizenship is renounced before obtaining [read attaining] age 18.(Bryan A. Garner, Garners Modern American Usage, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2009)Attain involves the idea of considerable effort, while obtain does not necessarily imply effort at all.(The Century Dictionary) Practice Exercise (a) She selected a pair of patterned silk stockings, which she did not needat least not for their usual purpose. Still hoping to _____ whatever information she could from the peddler, she sought to buy his goodwill along with the stockings.(Carrie Bebris, The Intrigue at Highbury, 2010)(b) The amount of money you think it might take to _____ your goals can be much more than your goal actually requires.(Jack Cummings, Real Estate Finance and Investment Manual, 2010) Answers to Practice Exercise (a) She selected a pair of patterned silk stockings, which she did not needat least not for their usual purpose. Still hoping to  obtain  whatever information she could from the peddler, she sought to buy his goodwill along with the stockings.(Carrie Bebris,  The Intrigue at Highbury, 2010)(b) The amount of money you think it might take to  attain  your goals can be much more than your goal actually requires.(Jack Cummings,  Real Estate Finance and Investment Manual, 2010)

Which Factors may Encourage an Individual to Assimilate to a New Essay

Which Factors may Encourage an Individual to Assimilate to a New Society - Essay Example Assimilation can be difficult and it can be successful yet detrimental to the individual at the same time. According to the dictionary "assimilation" is "The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture." (American Heritage Dictionary). For many immigrants this is expected of them and they automatically attempt to do it, especially in the United States. There are man factors that go into assimilation that cannot be anticipated by the individual coming into the new culture. According to Le (2008) there are two basic theories that categorize how assimilation is going to happen. The primordial or essentialist theory says that people have a sense of ethnic identity that is fixed and it is a part of who they are and it cannot be changed. They say that most people have an instinct that tells them to take care of their kin and or co-kin and leave those who are not kin out of their assistance. (par. 3). Situational theory (also known as constructionist theory) suggests that people are always adapting to their environment and that ethnic identity is more fluid. Instead of being fixed they are more socially defined. They believe that ethnic identity is constantly changing and in their words "being renegotiated, revised, and redefined, depending on specific situations and set of circumstances that each individual or ethnic group encounters" (Le, par. 4). The situational theorists also suggest sub theories that work within the framework of ethnicity. Some sociolo gists suggest that people can ignore their ethnic identity depending on the circumstances they are in and after a specific event have a resurgence of that particular identity. This happened after World War II when many Japanese Americans tried to assimilate into the American culture and let go of their Japanese culture because of their imprisonment inside the internment camps. In 1980 many people protested this treatment and Japanese

Bertrand Russells criticism of direct realism Essay

Bertrand Russells criticism of direct realism - Essay Example To begin with, it may be important to highlight several important aspects of the view which was developed by Bertrand Russell. Thus, he questions whether there is some kind of knowledge that everyone would agree on. He concludes that the knowledge about the objects that exist in reality can be such knowledge as two people who walk into the same room would see in the similar manner. However, that is exactly the kind of approach that he wants to criticism, suggesting that the knowledge that he was of the ordinary objects (he particularly focuses on the example of the table) is, in fact, relative. Russell points out that the perception of a physical object is largely conditioned by the state of the observer; for example the color of the table will change based on the angle of view. The same can be said about texture shape and so on. Keeping in mind that all these states exist simultaneously, he argues that it is not logical to talk about the â€Å"real† color or shape of the tabl e.The philosopher in question then moves to the issue of norm in terms of determining properties of the object. Having established that the color can be bright (under direct sunlight), moderate (under artificial light) and invisible (if perceived in the darkness), Russell notes that most people would agree that the â€Å"real† color is the one found in the second case. However, in his view this leads to â€Å"favoritism† that can hardly be justified since it is grounded on such vague assumptions as â€Å"normal spectator †¦ an ordinary point of view †¦ usual conditions of light†.

American Civil War Essay -- essays research papers

The American Civil War In 1860, arguably the world's greatest nation was locked in Civil War. The war divided the country between the North (Union) and South (Confederate). The war lasted five years and by 1865 the Confederate forces were truly beaten. Out of this horrendous war though, where some 600,000 men died grew a greater sense of nationalism than is today, unrivalled around the world. The American Civil War is interpreted differently by many historians but most see the catalyst as slavery, the motivation as economic, the outcome was a unified national identity. Slavery was a major issue that triggered the American Civil War. Slavery started out, as a few individual slaves coming from England that were generally white. This changed however, and soon the Southern slave traders began 'stealing' blacks to take back to the South. The slaves were forced to work 16-hour days, slave women were only seen as breeders and there were no laws against the rape of a female slave. In 1860 slaves accounted for one third of the South's population and even still they had no rights (see appendix one). The Unionist North many people believed it was immoral to own another human being. These people were called Abolitionists. The South relied strongly on the slave trade and when the North spoke of abolishing it, the South spoke of forming there own country, The Confederate states of America. The South began to see that the North was going to take action against the South's inhumane slav...

How does Arthur miller show Abigails character in The Crucible Essay

Throughout act one Abigail is the only character that is omnipresent. At first she seems to be an innocent child however it soon changes. As the play goes on we learn that Abigail is manipulative and cunning to get her own way. In addition she does this to persuade her uncle that she is innocent, and she has nothing to do with Betty or witch craft. Therefore the audience are confused and don’t know how to respond to her. Abigail behaves differently with different characters, with John Proctor she is more open and every emotional also he is her weakness; he makes her feel loved but not the way Abigail thinks or wants. â€Å"You loved me John proctor and whatever sin it is, you love me yet.† The words â€Å"Love, sin† are oxymoron’s as well it shows that Abigail is bewildered, utterly puzzled and her emotions are taking over her. However with Betty she is powerful, strong and contently controlling. She is extremely manipulative to get her own way. On the other hand she clearly display her desperation to be with John proctor and shows how she can face vulnerability. This shows she can expose her true self and does not seem as strong and powerful by this the audience realise that she is not the leading power as it seems to the other girls, however she has a different side to her. Furthermore, this damages the opinion of the audience in the later play as she accuses people including John proctors wife, Elizabeth Proctor. Arthur miller uses short sentences to show Abigail’s innocence. Short sentences in the crucible are dramatic. This quotation has dramatic affects â€Å"I’m a good girl I’m a proper girl†. This quotation also has a repetition of the word â€Å"girl† which also shows Abigail’s innocence. Abigail is presented as a very manipulative character. â€Å"Smack’s her across the face.† This quotation sows Abigail’s extreme violence. Arthur miller also shows Abigail as a deferential girl. â€Å"I will uncle† Lastly she is shown as a strong powerful young women â€Å"I saw Indians smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine† The word â€Å"I saw† represents that she’s not afraid however she could be lying because no one could be that strong to watch their parents be killed. However do not eternally believe this statement as she is already lying in the play about the previous night. Moreover she uses these statements to scare the other girls. Arthur miller relates to his messages and ideas about America through Abigail in a few different ways. Firstly by the themes like religion â€Å"You loved me John proctor, and whatever sin it is you love me yet†. The word she has repeated â€Å"love† shows that she is pleading and asking in desperation for John proctor’s company. This shows the audience that she may need him as she is lonely. However it’s not just Abigail that he shows his message through. It’s also Hale who stands for Senator McCarthy. In conclusion Arthur miller shows Abigail’s character as a desperate and emotional. She is also a manipulative person.

Find Out What the Word Punic Means

Basically, Punic refers to the Punic people, i.e., the Phoenicians. It is an ethnic label. The English term Punic comes from the Latin Poenus. Should we be using the term Carthaginian (a civic label referring to the city of North Africa the Romans called ​Carthago) or Punic when referring to the people of northern Africa fighting in the wars with Rome known as the Punic Wars, since Punic can refer to cities elsewhere, like Utica? Here are two articles that elaborate this confusion and may help you, too: Poenus Plane Est - But Who Were the Punickes?Jonathan R. W. PragPapers of the British School at Rome, Vol. 74, (2006), pp. 1-37The Use of Poenus and Carthaginiensis in Early Latin Literature,George Fredric FrankoClassical Philology, Vol. 89, No. 2 (Apr., 1994), pp. 153-158 The Greek term for Punic is ÃŽ ¦ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ºÃŽ µÃâ€š Phoenikes (Phoenix); whence, Poenus. The Greeks did not distinguish between western and eastern Phoenicians, but the Romans did -- once those western Phoenicians in Carthage started to compete with the Romans. Phoenicians in the period from 1200 (dates, as on most pages of this site, are B.C./B.C.E.) until the conquest by Alexander the Great in 333, lived along the Levantine coastline (and so, they would be considered eastern Phoenicians). The Greek term for all the Semitic Levantine peoples was ÃŽ ¦ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ºÃŽ µÃâ€š Phoenikes. After the Phoenician diaspora, Phoenician was used to refer to Phoenician people living west of Greece. Phoenician was not, in general, users of the western area until the Carthaginians came to power (mid-6th century). The term Phoenicio-Punic is sometimes used for the areas of Spain, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy, where there was a Phoenician presence (this would be the western Phoenicians). Carthaginian is used specifically for Phoenicians who lived in Carthage. The Latin designation, without value-added content, is Carthaginiensis or Afer since Carthage was in northern Africa. Carthage and African are the geographic or civic designations. Prag writes: The basis of the terminological problem is that, if Punic replaces Phoenician as the general term for the western Mediterranean subsequent to the mid-sixth century, then that which is Carthaginian is Punic, but that which is Punic is not necessarily Carthaginian (and ultimately all is still Phoenician). In the ancient world, the Phoenicians were notorious for their trickiness, as is shown in the expression from Livy 21.4.9 about Hannibal: perfidia plus quam punica (treachery more than Punic).