Brown v the board of education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brown v the board of education - Research Paper Example In the middle of the twentieth century,the struggle for racial equality in the United States was reaching a boiling point.Since the end of slavery,African-Americans had been fighting for the same rights and privileges enjoyed by white Americans. By the 1950s, civil rights activists were gaining ground in efforts to desegregate American society. One of the areas in which segregation was a major problem was education. Black students were not allowed to attend school with white students, and their education suffered because of it. In 1896, the United States Supreme Court heard the case Plessy v. Ferguson, and ruled that racial segregation was not illegal, so long as segregated facilities were "separate but equal."1 In 1954, the case Brown v. Board of Education challenged this ruling and led to its repudiation. Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that paved the way for integration and significantly impacted the civil rights movement. The case was brought to the Supreme Court by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund under the leadership of Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall. It was actually five cases that were heard under the name Brown v. Board of Education, after Oliver Brown, who was the lead of almost 200 plaintiffs.2 The unanimous ruling in Brown stated that â€Å"separate but equal† schools and facilities were in fact â€Å"inherently unequal... to cope with ordinary expressions of prejudice by regarding the prejudiced person as evil or misguided; but he cannot readily cope with symbols of authority, the full force of the authority of the State—the school or the school board, in this instance—in the same manner. 5 These feelings of inferiority were reinforced by the entirety of the society in which black children lived. It damaged their self-esteem and subsequently their chances for success later in life. Segregated education was not only harmful to children’s education, but also to their psyches. The Brown decision meant that black students would be able to attend the schools of their choice. Black schools were not only inferior in principle, they were inferior in practice, as well. Black schools employed black teachers who, because of segregation, had not had access to good educations themselves. They received fewer tax dollars due to the economic class of the neighborhoods in which the schools were lo cated, _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Patterson, 49 2. Martin, Waldo E. Brown v. Board of Education: A Brief History with Documents (Boston, MA: Bedford St. Martin’s, 1998), 146 3. Ibid a system perpetuated by segregation. After the Brown decision, black students had access to an education equal to that of white students, resulting in subsequent generations of black teachers who could further equal education goals, in addition to black professionals who had benefitted from the educational opportunities Brown afforded them. The decision was not a popular one in many segments of the American south. Students were threatened by whites who were unhappy with the decision, and in many cases were physically blocked from entering schools

Judaism - Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Judaism Meaning of life Essay The meaning of life is a philosophical question concerning the significance of life or existence in general. It can also be expressed in different forms, such as Why are we here? , What is life all about? , and What is the purpose of existence? It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history. There have been a large number of proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The meaning of life is in the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness, and borders on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple Gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the how of life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question What is the meaning of my life? The value of the question pertaining to the purpose of life may coincide with the achievement of ultimate reality, or a feeling of oneness, or even a feeling of sacredness. governs the universe. Closeness with the God of Israel is through study of His Torah, and adherence to its mitzvot (divine laws). In traditional Judaism, God established a special covenant with a people, the people of Israel, at Mount Sinai, giving the Jewish commandments. Torah comprises the written Pentateuch and the transcribed oral tradition, further developed through the generations. The Jewish people are intended as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation[69] and a light to the Nations, influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical Seven Laws of Noah. The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God. Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative and prohibative injunctions. Modern Jewish denominations differ over the nature, relevance and emphases of mitzvot. Jewish philosophy emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. The rationalist Maimonides sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe. [70] Among fundamental values in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education. [71][72] The world to come,[73] prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God. [74] Simeon the Righteous says, the world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness. The prayer book relates, blessed is our God who created us for his honor and planted within us everlasting life. Of this context, the Talmud states, everything that God does is for the good, including suffering. The Jewish mystical Kabbalah gives complimentary esoteric meanings of life. As well as Judaism providing an immanent relationship with God (personal theism), in Kabbalah the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of Gods Being (panentheism), related to the Shekhinah (Divine feminine). Jewish observance unites the sephirot (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of Gods persona, exiled in physical existence (the Kelipot shells), through the actions of Jewish observance. [75] Through this, in Hasidic Judaism the ultimate essential desire of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by man from within his limited physical realm, when the body will give life to the soul. Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy named after its prophet Zoroaster, which is believed to have influenced the beliefs of Judaism and its descendant religions. [77] Zoroastrians believe in a universe created by a transcendental God, Ahura Mazda, to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Ahura Mazdas creation is asha, truth and order, and it is in conflict with its antithesis, druj, falsehood and disorder. (See also Zoroastrian eschatology). Since humanity possesses free will, people must be responsible for their moral choices. By using free will, people must take an active role in the universal conflict, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

Critique of Kohlberg’s Claim of Cultural Moral Universality Essay

Critique of Kohlberg’s Claim of Cultural Moral Universality    Introduction As the American Heritage Dictionary plainly states, morality is "a system of ideas of right and wrong conduct" (American Heritage Dictionary 2000). People have been researching the development of this sense of morality for centuries. There is great debate over how a person’s morality is formed and then how to categorize one person’s level of morality compared to others. Most researchers believe that people reach different stages of morality within their lifetimes. The tougher issue is determining what comprises the various stages of morality, which is dependent on what a person’s ideas of right or wrong are to begin with. Therefore in order to establish a set of moral stages, one must clarify what exactly is thought of as right or wrong to a group of people. It has been stated that a person’s sense of morality deals with how he should act as a person, as opposed to acting on the basis of his race, ethnicity or religion. This statement therefore implies that all people should have the same set of morals. People should be concerned with how they should act as people in general and not let other aspects of who they are influence their sense of morality. But in the end this belief has been proven to be false. Different people across the world have contrasting moral reactions, natural responses and thoughts to moral dilemmas. (Fleischacker, 1994, p.8) All people worldwide go through the process of moral reasoning, which has been defined as "a cognitive process by which individuals make decisions about moral issues and justify these decisions, regardless of the context of the issue" (Gardiner, 1998, p.176). But not all of these people come to the s... ...d Corinne Kosmitzki. Lives Across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Kagan, Jerome. The Emergence of Morality in Young Children. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1987. Kohlberg, Lawrence. "Moral Stages and Moralization: The Cognitive-Developmental Approach." Moral Development and Behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1976. Kohlberg, Lawrence. The Philosophy of Moral Development. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1981. Kohlberg, Lawrence. The Psychology of Moral Development. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1984. Lei, Ting. "Being and Becoming Moral in a Chinese Culture: Unique or Universal?" Cross-Cultural Research, Feb94, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p58. Roopnarine, Jaipaul L. and D. Bruce Carter. Parent-Child Socialization in Diverse Cultures. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1992.

Tv an Idiot Box

Television nicknamed by the Americans as ‘idiot box'; is one of the most revolutionary inventions of the twentieth century. Its vast potentialities as a powerful medium of mass communication cannot be underestimated. It is, indeed, the last world in entertain ­ment and enlightenment. It can enlighten our illiterate and ignorant masses; it can widen their mental horizon and help them to rise above communalism, racialism, regionalism etc; it can promote inter ­national understanding; and it can generate a healthy climate for peaceful co-existence. But in the hands of incompetent people, it can damage public morals, it can breed religious fanaticism; and it can vitiate international atmosphere and even precipitate a war. In a country like India wherein a very large number of people do not know how to read, a visual medium like television has unlimi ­ted possibilities. Yet in the development of telecasting, India has lagged far behind many other countries including some which are otherwise much less developed. According to statistics released by UNESCO in 1970, the number of television sets per 100 inhabitants in India that year was only 0. 2 as compared to 0. 2 in Congo and 26. 4 in the Federal Republic of Germany. Television had been devised by John Legie Baird, a Scottish inventor, in 1928. Thereafter, its development in the technologically advanced countries of the west was rapid and very quick progress was registered in evolving sophisticated techniques which made multi-channel color television a possibility. The launchin g of com ­munication satellites in the space-age has given further fillip to television, investing it with a truly international character. Now it transcends international boundaries. It has enabled people in one corner of the globe to see with their own eyes events happening in another remote corner, making the world appear much smaller than it is. It was only in 1959 that the first experimental television station in the country was setup in Delhi with the co-operation of UNESCO and a private firm. The manufacture of TV sets stated seven years later, after the Central Engineering and Electronic Research. Institute had developed indigenous technology for the industry. In 1972, it was estimated that there were 20,000 TV sets in the country out of which 15,000 were in Delhi house holds. That India was on the brink of a television explosion was made clear, by a survey conducted by the Department of Atomic Energy which pointed out that the demand for TV sets was likely to exceed three lakhs by 1973. Today there are about 160 TV stations all over India and there are at least 2 lakhs TV sets in Delhi alone. Look ­ing to India's requirements, it is by on means an ambitious pro ­gramme. Translated into practice, it can fill an immensely useful purpose. It was can serve as an educational device and provide the missing link between the administration and the people, giving the latter a greater sense of involvement in the task of building a new India. Handled with imagination, it can be used for promoting national aims like population control, Rational integration etc. But in inept hands, it can be a formidable instrument for mischief. And that raises a number of questions: How and by whom should tele ­vision be controlled? What do we mean by imaginative handling? How best can ii be made a medium of mass instruction? What should be the proportion of entertainment and instruction in television programmes? etc. There are several ways in which the responsibility for running a national television service in India can be apportioned. We have complete state control of ‘Doordarshan' as exists in the case of the All India Radio. There is something to be said for that. In moving towards the goals it has set for itself, a developing country like India needs a greater amount of national discipline, even regiment ­ation, than could be countenanced in an economically well-deve ­loped democracy. But then State ownership tends to blunt the edge of creativity and exposes the government to the charge of placing restraints on freedom of expression by monopolizing another powerful mass-medium. Two of the basic objectives of the television are obviously to entertain people and to promote their social awareness. But what are the other social objectives to be achieved? Very high on this list should be the education of our ill-informed farmers. Television can play a very significant role in enlightening them about the latest technical devices of agricultures the utility of various kinds of ferti ­lizers and pesticides, or any other ethods of raising agriculture pro ­ductivity. It can also pull them out of their superstitious world and modernize their thinking Secondly, television can be used to disse ­minate the message of family planning. No other medium can reach such a large section of our society and communicate the message so effectively as television. Thirdly, television can be used to promote national integration. It can expose viewers to carefully designed programmes from various regions and emphasize on their minds the basic cultural unity, of India. Finally, television can be of immense use in educating students at schools and in the universities. In scientific education, in particular, good television programmes can easily make up for a bad teacher or an ill-equipped laboratory. Problems of technology and administration apart, the success of instructional televisions in India will depend in the ultimate analysis on the presentation, content and range of the programmes it brings into view, the extent to which the producers are successful in combining instruction with entertainment and the rapport they can establish with their audience. Considering that TV in India is yet in the primitive stage, we have no great tradition of professi ­onalism in the field, Television is neither a glorified version of the radio, nor a miniaturized film-show. It can flourish only if its distinct individuality is recognized and allowed to develop in its own way. The general standard of the programmes being telecast from our existing centres has gradually improved during the past few years. Rural folks stand substantially benefited from their exposu ­re to television. Educational programmes are more imaginatively produced and comprehend an interesting variety. News presenta ­tion is now quite interesting though there is still considerable scope for improvement in this sphere; Sunday pictures are no longer drab. The decision to hold the premier shows of award winning movies on television has warmed the hearts of even the staunch critics of ‘Doordarshan. ‘ But what has revolutionized the entire television world is the advent of sponsored serials. Programmes like ‘HumLog', ‘Buaiyad', ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi', ‘Rajni' have be ­come household words. ‘Ramayana' broke all records of achieve ­ments and all barriers of caste and creed. Viewers have taken to flies to honey. They heatedly discuss the last night, episodes and them like eagerly await the ones to follow. While these serials have undoubtedly raised the standard of television programmes in general, not all of them are commendable. Some of them appear to be mediocre stuff hurriedly produced in imitation of formula films. If cheap comedy, insipid romance, noisy, rhythm less music, blatant sex display and bloodcurdling violence—the hallmarks of an average Indian movie—capture the television serials also, it will do irreparable damage to social climate. It is heartening that some good directors like B. R. Chopra and Shy am Bengal have realized the potentialities of the medium and decided to produce meaningful serials. With the progress of the television age in India, the visual image is bound to overshadow the spoken and the printed word. The immense potentialities of the new medium can be exploited 6aly if its functioning is made mass oriented and it is not allowed to become another means of vulgar display of opulence. We have to make sure that for all the public funds invested in it, we get adequate social returns in accelerating our development effort, usefully augmenting educational facilities, familiarizing the farmer with improved agricultural techniques, and helping the people in general to rescue themselves from ignorance and disease.

Dance history Essay

Ballet is a form of dancing performed for theatre audiences. Like other dance forms, ballet may tell a story, express a mood, or simply reflect the music. But a ballet dancer’s technique (way of performing) and special skills differ greatly from those of other dancers. Ballet dancers perform many movements that are unnatural for the body. But when these movements are well executed, they look natural. The beginnings of ballet can be traced to Italy during the 1400’s at the time of the Renaissance. During the Renaissance, people developed a great interest in art and learning. At the same time, trade and commerce expanded rapidly, and the dukes who ruled Florence and other Italian city-states grew in wealth. The dukes did much to promote the arts. The Italian city-states became rival art centres as well as competing commercial centers. The Italian dukes competed with one another in giving costly, fancy entertainments that included dance performances. The dancers were not professionals. They were noblemen and noblewomen of a duke’s court who danced to please their ruler and to stir the admiration and envy of his rivals. Catherine de Medici, a member of the ruling family of Florence, became the queen of France in 1547. Catherine introduced into the French court the same kind of entertainments that she had known in Italy. They were staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx, a gifted musician. Beaujoyeulx had come from Italy to be Catherine’s chief musician. Ballet historians consider one of Beaujoyeulx’s entertainments, the Ballet Comique de la Reine, to be the first ballet. It was a magnificent spectacle of about 51/2 hours performed in 1581 in honour of a royal wedding. The ballet told the ancient Greek myth of Circe, who had the magical power to turn men into beasts. The ballet included specially written instrumental music, singing, and spoken verse as well as dancing–all based on the story of Circe. Dance technique was extremely limited, and so Beaujoyeulx depended on spectacular costumes and scenery to impress the audience. To make sure that the audience understood the story, he provided printed copies of the verses used in the ballet. The ballet was a great success, and was much imitated in other European courts. French leadership. The Ballet Comique de la Reine established Paris as the capital of the ballet world. King Louis XIV, who ruled France during the late 1600’s and early 1700’s, strengthened that leadership. Louis greatly enjoyed dancing. He took part in all the ballets given at his court, which his nobles performed, but stopped after he became fat and middle-aged. In 1661, Louis founded the Royal Academy of Dancing to train professional dancers to perform for him and his court. Professional ballet began with the king’s dancing academy. With serious training, the French professionals developed skills that had been impossible for the amateurs. Similar companies developed in other European countries. One of the greatest was the Russian Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, whose school was founded in 1738. The French professional dancers became so skilled that they began to perform publicly in theatres. But in 1760, the French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre criticized the professional dancers in his book Lettres sur la danse, et sur les ballets (Letters on Dancing and Ballets). Noverre complained that the dancers cared too much about showing their technical skills and too little about the true purpose of ballet. This purpose, he said, was to represent characters and express their feelings. Noverre urged that ballet dancers stop using masks, bulky costumes, and large wigs to illustrate or explain plot and character. He claimed that the dancers could express these things using only their bodies and faces. So long as the dancers did not look strained or uncomfortable doing difficult steps, they could show such emotions as anger, joy, fear, and love. Noverre developed the ballet d’action, a form of dramatic ballet that told the story completely through movement. Most of Noverre’s ballets told stories taken from ancient Greek myths or dramas. But during the early 1800’s, people no longer cared about old gods and heroes. The romantic period began as people became interested in stories of escape from the real world to dreamlike worlds or foreign lands.