Loneliness Of Long Distan Essays - Social Realism, Alan Sillitoe

Loneliness of Long Distan annon By Alan Sillitoe Born in Nottingham in 1928 to a working class family, serving in the Air Force, and going through many struggles, Alan Sillitoe is known as an effective representative of the English working class. Through his story The Loneliness of the Long-Distance R unner and the other stories contained within the book, Sillitoe effectively criticises the legal system of England, which deprives individualism from its people, is ineffective and interferes with people's lives. His stories Uncle Ernest, On Saturday Afternoon, and The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner show these themes. The issues presented still are pertinent today. Sillitoe effectively criticises the legal system in Uncle Ernest. Uncle Ernest is a working-class lonely man who lives an isolated, despondent existence. Joan and Alma, whom he befriends, are very poor and in need of a father figure. Ernest has lost all of his old friends. His family has left him. He is need of company. He can no longer cover up his loneliness like he covers up the sofas he re-upholsters for a living. Ernest buys food for them, clothes, and gifts. All three are happy in the rela tionship they have with one-another. However, one day, he was told, Now look here, we don't want any more trouble from you, but if ever we see you near those girls again, you'll find yourself up before a magistrate (57). Ernest is deprived his life, w hat makes him happy. He is deprived the only friendship he has because the unwritten social code suggests that a man such as himself befriending young girls as such means that he is a paedophile. The detectives interfere with his life. Sillitoe shows t he legal system not only makes false assumptions, but goes by an unwritten social code that is accusational. The issue of conformity is central; Ernest is not a normal member of society, therefore he is further ostracised. In On Saturday Afternoon, Sillitoe's narrative is of an account of a bloke hanging himself. The man survived. When found by a copper, he was told, Its against the law. It ain't your life. And it's a crime to take your own life. It's killing your self. Its suicide. (103). The legal system is ineffective; the man proved to the coppers whose life it was. He jumped out of a hospital window to his death. Furthermore, the legal system is questioned. In this almost spooky story, Sillitoe raises the issue of whether or not the law has a right to decide for someone else whether or not that person has a right to take their own life. He answers with a decisive no through his use of tone, and by making the copper look foolish. Sillitoe's story also im plies that the legal system interferes with one's life by preventing one from doing as they wish, especially when it is not harmful to others. Finally, and most dramatically, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner questions the legal system's juvenile reform programs. They can spy on us all day to see if we're pulling our puddings and if we're doing our 'athletics', Colin Smith states, but they can't make an X-ray out of our guts to find out what we're telling ourselves (10). This is just one of Smith's comments which serve as a tool of satire, to say that the reform system is ineffective. It cannot change what the kids who go throu gh it feel inside. Borstal can make the students go through the motions but it cannot reform them. When Smith leaves, he says that the six months wasn't a bad life (46) and that his stay at Borstal made him stronger. It is implied that he commits a nother burglary. Sillitoe also criticises the system's lack of consideration for the juvenile, but rather personal glory. Smith does not want to be a runner. He does not feel any desire to win the race. Smith loses the race because he too is not a con formist. He will not succumb to the governor. He will not win the race because, It don't mean a bloody thing to me...only to him (12). Before going to Borstal, when a police officer questions Smith about robbing the bakery, the copper is shown to be incredibly foolish as Smith mocks him for days. Smith negotiates with the copper like a lawyer, asking him where his warrant is and mocking him in jest. Sillitoe shows the intelligence Smith. What makes Smith run? Is it the peace of the woods, the bea uty of the wildlife and animals

A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Essay Example

A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Essay Example A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Paper A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Paper A Review of the American Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Vanessa R. Wood Walden University 2/18/2011 In the world there are many different, interesting and complex cultural groups. One of these groups is known as Skinheads. Although they have been known to be very closed minded and negative, they are still an interesting cultural group that should be understood better to fully grasp the reasons behind their behaviors and actions. The moved that I reviewed was American History X, which is a movie about one family that is deeply affected by the cultural aspects of the fascist movement (Kaye, 1998). Summary The movie is about Derek and Danny Vineyard and their involvement with a Skinhead group in Venice Beach California. Derek was a leader in the Skinheads group in Venice Beach under a very influential fascist man who taught him everything he knew. Derek began running with the group because his father was killed by a black gang member while at work with the fire station and he was filled with hate and sadness because of his dad’s death. Derek recruited other scared and hurt youth and encouraged them to rise up against minorities because Derek claimed they were ruining the country. He eventually catches a few black gang members breaking into his car and kills several of them before brutally curb stomping one of them, all which is done in front of his little brother Danny (Kaye, 1998). After the murders, he is sent away to jail where he tries to use the protection of the Skinheads in prison but finds out that the leader of the Skinheads in prison deals directly with minorities to sell drugs. Derek begins to disassociate with the Skinhead group and plays basketball with other races and begins to get along with others. As revenge, the Skinhead group rapes Derek and leaves him unconscious in the showers. He speaks with Dr. Sweeney, a teacher and outreach worker who he asks for help from. He gives him literature and advice and Derek begins to change his outlook on life. Lamont, a black man that Derek becomes friends with advises him that he is going to be beaten by the other gangs. Derek waits for a fight, but nothing ever happens and he eventually gets paroled. When he gets out he finds that his little brother Danny is going down the same path he once was. Derek tells his little brother of his experience in jail and tells him that he was wrong and had everything wrong in his ways (Kaye, 1998). His little brother is touched by Derek’s story and begins taking down the fascist insignia all over his room and writes an essay about the experience his family went through and how perhaps Derek was right and that hate is wrong. As he is going to turn in his essay, his brother drops him off at school and Danny gets shot in the bathroom by a black boy that had earlier felt persecuted by Danny. In the end of the movie his essay flies through the air and it is finished with Danny saying a quote by Abraham Lincoln saying â€Å"we are not enemies, we are friends,† (Kaye, 1998). I think that what interests me about the Skinhead cultural group is that it really is a group powered by hate and anger, but it is so much more complex than it appears to an outside observer such as myself. I think that in order to really be able to help people become accepting of other cultures, we need to know why they act the way they do. I know that in many classes I’ve taken, I have been asked to define mental illness and define different diagnosis. I believe that a mental problem can be defined as a skewed version of reality or norms in a society which affects basic life. If that was the case, Skinheads could possibly be diagnosed with mental illnesses, but they are really just acting on the social and cultural group they were involved in. Psychological Processes This culture bases much of its energy on aggression and the expression of aggression to those outside of their in-group culture. The group itself is very collectivist and put everything they have up to help the group reach the top and dominate over those individuals they hate. They are fueled by hate and anger, and therefore react that way even towards the people they love. The group feels they need to prove their identity, their power, their sexuality and ability to control a situation which can all be done by the expression of anger (Arena, Arrigo, 2000). In other American cultural group people may not necessarily show the same reactions to situations even if they do want to prove themselves (Matsumoto, Juang, 2008). I have learned in personal experiences, that education is the best way to get the point across and facts speak louder than a thundering tone of voice. From the Skinhead point of view, Derek yelled, scared and threatened his family into fear (Kaye, 1998). Personally, I may have discussed my opinion with my family and tried to point out evidence of my point. We try to teach children from an early age that all men and woman are created equal despite the color of their skin, their religion, their race or any differences they may have from the overall population. If that is instilled into the youth of America, there should be no need for hatred and aggression between races because one should have no reason to hate the other. If young children learn that we are simply all people despite our differences, there may be fewer opportunities to allow our differences to separate us. When we turn the lights off in a room full of people from a southern small town and fumble around in the dark, several people may have a southern accent, but you cannot tell the difference between a homosexual, a African American or a Asian individual, because without visual stigmas, people are just people. Through aggression Skinheads promote a sense of power over those not within their intergroup, they create a sense of fear. In other American culture, aggression may be a reaction to something or possibly a learned behavior to a situation, but in Skinhead culture it is a projection to cause a reaction (Baron, 1997). It has been said that many Skinhead members become involved in the group because of the known violence that they will become involved with. Youth from broken, violent homes, and kids from very aggressive households are often drawn to what they have learned throughout their lives. The general population of Skinheads is known to live off the streets and thrive off of crime to survive (Baron, 1997). One way that the Skinhead cultural group justifies their behaviors towards others is on the basis of morality. They feel they are only doing the things they are supposed to do because it is morally right. The idea of Skinheads committing harmful acts upon others or raising their intergroup to the top is because it is a means of self-preservation, an act of bettering the lives of their families and friends, their race (Arena, Arrigo, 2000). Many feel that it is their own moral obligation to uphold society in the way the group projects is right. Their own cultural definition of morality might be something it is completely different from other individuals definitions of morality. In the movie American History X, Derek committed the crimes he did because he felt it was his job to protect his family from the evils of minorities and other groups that might come along and hurt his family. He was convinced that minorities were completely a deficit on society and that they were draining the country that hard working white Americans had built. Although there are some African American’s that are jobless, gang members, there are also plenty of jobless gang members who are white that would also come in and hurt his family. From the outside perspective looking in, much average American’s might view the whole perspective and see both sides of the situation, but Derek did not because he felt it was his moral duty. The definition of morality is also cultural; the Skinheads have their own definition just as other different cultural groups may have different definitions from my own. The Skinheads interpret many of their morals from sections of the Bible, although it may not be direct quotes, as other cultural and religious groups may do, they interpret their own meaning. America thrives off of opinion and freedom of speech, which is exactly what the Skinhead group has done. Although they have interpreted information to come up with morals outside of others way of thinking, they just believe what they are doing is right. Any average American would say they have their own morals and values they live by, the same statement may be said of a Skinhead. A third psychological process that may be present in an observation of the cultural aspects of the Skinhead group would be that of communication techniques. Skinhead communicate in similar ways to average Americans, they have body language styles and verbal terminologies just like all other cultures. They also have symbols and signs that have deep seeded abilities to communicate to others who they are that may also communicate danger to outside groups (Young, Craig, 1997). When speaking about individuals they dislike or feel are living outside of their set of constraints, they refer to them in derogatory or belittling manner. They have different derogatory terms for every race that is outside their own, they also have belittling terms for those within their group who are friendly or accepting to other groups. They communicate with harsh and forceful terminology to create that sense of fear that is apparent in many of the psychological processes. The symbols and signs that are in their homes, on their bodies, painted on their houses, project the same sense of fear and aggression (Baron, 1997). The communication they give to those within their intergroup is always a sense of family and brotherly love, but still full of masculinity, aggression and dominance. To those who are outside the Skinhead group, the still produce a sense of masculinity, aggression and dominance, but they communicate a feeling of hatred and fear. In the suburban average American culture, there is more of a free flowing less aggressive sense of communication (Gardiner Kosmitzki, 2011). Signs and symbols still have an effect as a communication technique in our cultural group, but there is not the sense of fear that a Skinhead sign or symbol may reveal (Young, Craig, 1997). The average American isn’t overly hostile to individuals they come across on the street, and normally don’t try to put off aggressive body language, or any offensive posture of any kind, but the Skinhead culture makes it their goal to promote dominance and power (Baron, 1997). There is still civilized conversation between Skinhead members, and much of the time falsified or skewed information is given to younger members to encourage them to band together and become part of the group (Baron, 1997). Although many other American subcultures may falsify information or skew situation, there is an overall slander of most people who are not Skinhead intergroup member (Gardiner Kosmitzki, 2011). Finally, one of the most evident psychological processes is that of emotion within the Skinhead culture. The Skinhead culture is very careful about whom they express emotion too, at least emotion that appears to give off weakness (Christensen, 1994). A Skinhead member may show joy, happiness, excitement and obviously anger, but when they show emotions like love, sadness and fear there is a possibility for them to be looked upon as vulnerable so they might try at all costs to keep those emotions at bay. The ideals behind hiding emotions of weakness revert back to dominance and power. Another reason for their lack of certain types of emotion stems from feelings of vulnerability at a young age (Blee, 1996). Many Skinheads start within the group at a young age, being taken advantage of, beaten, and emotionally abused and much more, which leaves them very susceptible to the world and weak (Christensen, 1994). From the initial feeling of weakness and hopelessness, they become guarded and focus on acceptable social norms of the Skinhead culture such as only showing certain types of emotion. Most American’s show whatever emotions they feel like, we are a loud boisterous culture, similar to the Skinhead culture (Matsumoto, Juang. 008). The difference between the two cultures, however, is that some American’s will sit and cry on the street, whereas a Skinhead would not. Culture influences the psychological processes of the Skinhead culture in a very large way. The observe communication techniques, aggressive behaviors and displays of emotion directly from other members of the group and because they are taught that their culture is dominant over all others, the act as other membe rs act within their Skinhead intergroup. Just as American’s live by social norms, cultural norms and learned behaviors, so do the members of the Skinheads group. References Arena, M. P. , Arrigo, B. A. (2000). White supremacist behavior: Toward an integrated social psychological model. Deviant Behavior, 21(3), 213-244. Baron, S. W. (1997). Canadian male street skinheads: street gang or street terrorists? Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 34(2), 125-154. Blee, K. M. ( 1996). Becoming a racist : Women in contemporary Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi groups. Gender Society, 10(6), 680-702. Christensen, L. (1994). Skinhead Street Gangs. Boulder, CO : Paladin Press. Garniner, H. W. , Kosmitzki, C. (2011). Lives across cultures: cross-cultural human development (5th ed. ). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education. Kaye, T. (Director). (1998). American History X [Theater]. Matsumoto, D. , Juang, L. (2008). Culture and Psychology (4th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Young, K. and Craig, L. (1997). Beyond white pride: Identity, meaning and contradiction in the Canadian Skinhead subculture. The Canadian Review, 34(2), 175–206.

World War II Research Essay Topics

World War II Research Essay Topics Students are often required to write a paper on a topic as broad as World War II, but you should know that the instructor will expect you to narrow your focus to a specific thesis. This is especially true if you are in high school or college. Narrow your focus by making a list of words, much like the list of words and phrases that are presented in bold type below. Then begin to explore related questions, like those that follow the words in this list and come up with your own cool WWII topics. The answer to questions like these can become a good starting point of a thesis statement. Culture and People When the US entered into war, everyday life across the country changed drastically. From civil rights, racism, and resistance movements to basic human needs like food, clothing, and medicine, the aspects of how life was impacted are immense. African-Americans and rights. What impact did the war years have on the rights of African-Americans? What were they allowed or not allowed to do?Animals. How were horses, dogs, birds, or other animals used? Did they play a special role?Art. What art movements were inspired by wartime events? Is there one specific work of art that tells a story about the war?Clothing. How was fashion impacted? How did clothing save lives or hinder movement? What materials were used or not used?Domestic violence. Was there an increase or a decrease?Families. Did new family customs develop? What was the impact on children of soldiers?Fashion. Did fashion change significantly for civilians? What changes had to be made during wartime?Food preservation. What new preservation and packaging methods occurred during and after the war? How was this helpful?Food rationing. How did rationing impact families? Were rations always the same for different groups of people? Were soldiers affected by rations?Love letter s. What do letters tell us about relationships, families, and friendships? What about gender roles? New words. What new vocabulary words emerged during and after WWII?Nutrition. Were there battles that were lost or won because of the foods available? How did nutrition change at home during the war because of the availability of certain products?Penicillin and other medicine. How was penicillin used? What medical developments occurred during and after the war?Resistance movements. How did families deal with living in an occupied territory?Sacrifices. How did family life change?Womens work at home. How did womens work change at home during the war? What about after the war ended? Economy and Workforce For a nation that was still recovering from the Great Depression, World War II had a major impact on this countrys economy and workforce. When the war began, the fate of the workforce changed; overnight, American factories were repurposed to produce goods to support the war effort and women took on jobs that were traditionally held by men, who were now off to war. Advertising. How did food packaging change during the war? How did advertisements change in general? What were the advertisements for?Occupations. What new jobs were created? Who filled these new roles? Who filled the roles that were previously held by many of the men who went off to war?Propaganda. How did society respond to the war? Do you know why?Toys. How did the war impact the toys that were manufactured?New products. What products were invented and became a part of popular culture? Were these products present only during war times, or did they exist after? Military, Government, and War Americans were mostly against entering the war up until the bombing of Pearl Harbor, after which support for the war grew, as did armed forces. Before the war, the US didnt have the large military forces it soon became known for, with the war resulting in 16 million entering the service. The role the military played in the war, and the impacts of the war itself, were vast. Americas entry into the war. How is the timing significant? What factors are not so well known?Churchill, Winston. What role did this leader play that interests you most? How did his background prepare him for his role?Clandestine operations. Governments went to great lengths to hide the true date, time, and place of their actions.Destruction. Many historic cities and sites were destroyed in the U.K.- Liverpool, Manchester, London, and Coventry- and in other nations.Hawaii. How did events impact families or society in general?The Holocaust. Do you have access to any personal stories?Italy. What special circumstances were in effect?Kilroy was here. Why was this phrase important to  soldiers?  Nationalist Socialist movement in America. What impact has this movement had in society and government since WWII?Political impact. How was your local town impacted politically and socially?POW camps after the war. Where were they and what happened to them after the war? Heres a starting poin t: Some were turned into race tracks after the war! Prisoners of war. How many POWs were there? How many made it home safely? What were some long-lasting effects?Spies. Who were the spies? Were they men or women? What side were they on? What happened to spies who were caught?Submarines. Were there enemy submarines on a coast near you? What role did submarines play in the war?Surviving an attack. How were military units attacked? How did it feel to jump from a plane that was disabled?Troop logistics. How were troop movements kept secret? What were some challenges of troop logistics?Views on freedom. How was freedom curtailed or expanded?Views on governments role. Where was the governments role expanded? What about governments elsewhere?War crime trials. How were trials conducted? What were the political challenges or consequences? Who was or wasnt tried?Weather. Were there battles that were lost or won because of the weather conditions? Were there places where people suffered more because of the weather?Women in warfare. What roles did women play during the war? What surprises you about womens work in World War II? Technology and Transportation With the war came advancements in technology and transportation, impacting communications capabilities, the spread of news, and even entertainment. Bridges and roads. What transportation-related developments came from wartime or postwar policies?Communication. How did radio or other types of communication impact key events?Motorcycles. What needs to be led to the development of folding motorcycles? Why was there widespread use of military motorcycles by the government?Technology. What technology came from the war, and how was it used after the war?TV technology. When did televisions start to appear in homes, and what is significant about the timing? What TV shows were inspired by the war, and how realistic were they? How long did World War II affect TV programming?Jet engine technology. What advances can be traced to WWII needs?Radar. What role did radar play, if any?Rockets. How important was rocket technology? Shipbuilding achievements. The achievements were quite remarkable during the war. Why and how did this happen?

Eleanor Roosevelt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eleanor Roosevelt - Essay Example During 40 years of public service Eleanor Roosevelt was able to change America's viewpoint on gender, race, and our integral part of a global society. To begin to understand Eleanor Roosevelt's contribution to America demands that we evaluate her commitment to Franklin Roosevelt and his desire for a more equal America. After serving a short stint with the American Red Cross and volunteer work in Navy hospitals during World War I, FDR was stricken with polio in 1921 ("Eleanor Roosevelt: First lady of the World" (1)). This propelled Eleanor into the life of politics, as she became a staunch supporter of FDR. It has often been said that she was the eyes and ears of FDR as she traveled the country and the world to report to FDR and offer her advice. These initial actions by Ms. Roosevelt laid the groundwork for one of the most influential figures in American history. One of the first, and certainly the most public, activities that Eleanor Roosevelt undertook was advocating for the poor in the face of Hoover's vision of America. She worked to get FDR elected and then changed her focus to the poor and minorities of America. She traveled the country insuring that the programs of the New Deal were being implemented fairly in regards to women and minorities. According to a recent article in Human Quest, a liberal Episcopalian publication, Ms. Roosevelt, "...gathered evidence and pressured the President to sign a series of Executive Orders to stop the discrimination in the New Deal projects. That was effective, and the share of blacks in New Deal work projects expanded" ("Eleanor Roosevelt, 'First Lady of the World'" (2)). This commitment to civil rights would be carried forward and later influence the desegregation of the armed forces under President Truman. Eleanor Roosevelt's political activism expanded to include women's rights and brought about the public's awareness that gender should be treated as a minority component. As a US Delegate to the United Nations she was instrumental in the writing and advocacy for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The Declaration begins with article 1 stating, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood" ("Universal Declaration of Human Rights"). Eleanor campaigned to have the wording of this important passage changed from "all men" to its current form ("Eleanor Roosevelt: The World's First Lady."(3)). This was one of the most influential documents regarding women's rights to date and was vital to securing the future of women's rights (Bunch 488). Eleanor was making her influence felt 60 years ago in the arena of women's rights on the international stage. Her pr ogressive thinking continues to reverberate through the vision where women are afforded equality in the workplace and within the law. Ms. Roosevelt's activities did not end with the most visible minority groups of race and gender but extended themselves to the area of the children most affected by the discrimination. In this area, Eleanor Roosevelt was instrumental in forming the African-American voting bloc as a key component of Democratic politics. Her support of the 'Black Cabinet' assured black politicians and administrators access to the president to push for favorable legislation that affected equal employment for women and blacks

How would a change in the executive-legislative relationship in Research Paper

How would a change in the executive-legislative relationship in Honduras have an outcome of more democratic stability in the cou - Research Paper Example As a function of discussing and analyzing the case of Honduras, the following analysis will be concentric upon the manner in which a change in the legislative – executive relationship that exists within Honduras would ultimately be beneficial to the democratic stability of the nation. As a function of this particular piece of analysis and research, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed and nuanced understanding with respect to the way in which this unicameral and executive led structure of government works, the means through which abuse ultimately exists, and a key prescription for growth and change that could be engaged as a means of ameliorating these issues. Rather than coming to the understanding of the fact that anyone nations democratic system is invariably better than another’s, the analysis will strictly focus upon known and measurable shortcomings that exist and means through which these shortcomings can be addressed in order t o promote efficiency, utility, equity, and fairness within the nation of Honduras. Like many nations throughout Central America, Honduras exhibit a surprising lack of diversity. For instance, the broad majority of Hondurans, approximately 90%, can be described as mestizos (a mixture between natives and European background). The remaining 10% of the population is split between indigenous peoples, Amerindians – comprising 7% of the total population, black Africans, comprising 2% of the total population, and whites – comprising 1% of the population.1 Accordingly, this relative lack of diversity creates a situation in which the minority needs of key individuals throughout society are likely brushed aside within a democratically elected government; due to the fact that these diverse stakeholders are not able to have a powerful enough voice within the nation’s unicameral legislature in order to promote the rights and interests that they deem most important. Historical ly speaking, Honduras has had, as with so many Central American nations, something of a rugged past.2 From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, a military junta held complete and total control over the internal and external affairs that this small nation exhibited. Ultimately, this junta was propped up and supported by the United States due to his the opposition to any communism or Marxist ideology within the nation of Honduras. The overall level of importance that this rugged past has had upon the development and governmental structure of Honduras is profound. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that individuals within Honduras have come to experience something of a shared history in which a powerful and dynamic government has defined and structured the way in which life, business, and politics have taken place. Such a collective understanding of governance is perhaps one of the causal and most definitive stumbling blocks in seeking to engender a further level o f Democratic change and representation of the people within Honduras. As described briefly within the introduction of this analysis, the current executive – legislative institution relationship in Honduras is one that places an undue level of control within the hands of a single individual; namely the president.3 Even though it is true that the president of Honduras is a democratically

The Atlantic World in the Early Modern Period Essay Example for Free

The Atlantic World in the Early Modern Period Essay Atlantic slave trade is a trade that involved the sale of African people to the colonies of the new world which took place in and around the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic slave trade was also referred to transatlantic slave trade and begun in the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. Most slaves were acquired through coastal trading with the Africans, nevertheless others were incarcerated by European slave traders through raiding and kidnapping. Out of many stories that have been written about the Atlantic slave trade, most of them talk mainly about the economic benefits that the trade rendered to Europe and North America and the injustices that the slaves received while in America, even though little attention has been given to the devastative effect of the damage that was done to the Africans. From this point, it is arguable that the Atlantic slave trade enriched and developed Europe and impoverished and under developed Africa. The slave trade involved commercial trading system which involved forced recruitment of African workers and their transportation to Europe. The Atlantic slave trade unlike other slave trades was capital intensive and competitive among several European countries. The participants of this trade included both the Africans and the Europeans who were both influenced by the trade The question on whether the Atlantic slave trade enriched and developed Europe and impoverished and under developed Africa can be answered under three categories of discussions that is; the social cost in Africa of forced migration, the Atlantic slave trade and the rise and expansion of the western world and the enduring legacies of the world of slaves. The costs and the benefits of the Atlantic slave trade differentiate between the private, social costs and the benefits. From the Atlantic slave trade it can be said that the people who raided and took captives from Africans and the African leaders who were involved in the buying and the selling of slaves all gained privately. It is not clear on what quantity of gains were got by the slave raiders and traders of the slave trade or the amount of losses suffered by the Africans, though it is argued from human rationality that the slave traders and raiders would not have continued with the captive business for several years if they were not getting some private gains. Due to Atlantic slave trade, there was loss of labor in Africa because most working group were taken as slaves and under population because most people were taken as slaves and others even died in the process of slave raiding. These reasons meant that Africa, unlike Europe would not have sufficient labor force that would drive the real wages and work towards making possible industrial profits. This therefore leads to the say that Europe underdeveloped Africa through Atlantic slave trade. Several arguments have been put across claiming that the Atlantic slave trade, exported to the European continent part of the African’s comparative advantage in the production of commodities for the dynamic world market. This as a result is said to have hindered the growth and development of goods production for international, markets by the African continent. Further argument has been made that the African societies have been under structured and underdeveloped as a result of the Atlantic trade. In trying to relate the wealth of the European continent and that of Africa, it can be noted that through the Atlantic trade, Europe underdeveloped Africa when a comparison between the enrichment of Europe and impoverishment of Africa through the removal of labor power in the process of slave trading is made. The slave trade was followed by the entry of the Europeans into the interior part of the coastal region. This as a result facilitated the expansion of the slave trade at the interior parts of the coastal regions. The slave comprised an element of an economic cycle which consists of three parts. The Atlantic slave trade involved four centuries that is; from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century, four continents and several people. According to the Africans and African – American scholars the slave trade would rather be called a great disaster since it involved a lot of suffering on the part of the Africans who were sold as slaves and especially those who were taken through raids and kidnapping. The suffering on the Africans was not however only felt by those who were taken as slaves but also the families of those who were taken as slaves and Africa as a whole. This is because in the process of raiding to get the slaves so many people were killed and several others injured rendering thousands of children orphans. In addition lots of property was destroyed during the raids leaving most Africans homeless and without any food. Furthermore many families lost their loved ones either by being kidnapped as slaves, being sold as slaves or being killed through the raids. Economically, Africans lost a lot, first from the destruction of property during the raids and secondly, most of the African men who were taken as slaves were the strong energetic men who could have worked in the African farms and industries to improve the economy of Africa. Other than the deaths that occurred in Africa during the acquisition of slaves, several other deaths occurred among the African captives both inside and outside America. These deaths occurred during the transportation of the Africans to the new continent, during their storage and at the preliminary landing in the new continent or so it is said. The total number of deaths that occurred is claimed to remain unknown up to this moment though the number was approximated to be between sixteen to twenty million. The Trans Atlantic slave trade was associated with cruelty and inhumanity when dealing with the African slaves which reduced the slaves to just mere commodities other than human beings. For the slaves who survived the middle passage were provided with very little amount of food, shelter and clothing and were expected to do a lot of work. The African slaves however were not enslaved for life, the slaves were paid salaries and from that they were able to acquire wealth. In addition to the salary and acquisition of wealth, the African slaves could buy their freedom and be given social promotion which was not good enough compared to the lives they could have led in their homes with their families. Looking at the economists like David Ricardo and Adam Smith they believe that the Atlantic trade impoverished Africa and advocating trade and competition are the source of maximum welfare gains to humanity. Since the occurrence of the Atlantic slave trade Africa has always been left behind with the Africans stagnating in the continent prevalent with disorders, AIDS, and negative growth rate. The Atlantic slave trade indeed contributed to the development of Europe. However according to some scholars the Atlantic trade brought mutual benefit to both Europe and Africa, for instance a comment made at the university of Bender Arena on the history of slavery and the development of America and Europe pointed out that â€Å"Africa subsidized America with all the labor provided, America subsidized Europe and therefore Africa was the mother of all subsidies. For the Europeans the Atlantic slave trade was a source of development as they believed that labor was removed from where it was totally unproductive to where it was tremendously productive. They claim that this gave an opportunity for the world output to grow far beyond what it would have been if the slaves could have been kept within the African continent. According to the Europeans it was better off for Africans to be taken to Europe and America as slaved than remain in Africa since they believed that Africans stagnate in their continent due to diseases, primitive technology and short lives. According to the Americans the slave was for the good of the Africans since they claimed that the Atlantic slave trade involved the transfer of the slaves from a region with scarce labor to a region with abundant labor. The African leaders sold away inland populations who lacked protection. In return to this the African leaders came with foreign commodities including the European gunpowder and Indian cloth among others which were some of the merchandise that the Europeans and the North Americans exchanged for the slaves. The Atlantic slave trade actually developed the European empire given that one of the reasons why the Atlantic slave trade was started was because one of the resources that were missing in the expansion of the European empires was work force. The African slaves were therefore to provide this work force to help in the expansion of European colonies. Therefore Europeans became beneficiaries of the Atlantic slave trade since through the trade they were able to expand their empires. The indigenous people had proved so unreliable in the expansion of European empire forcing the Europeans to go for more reliable work force. Most of the indigenous people were found to have been dying from diseases that were brought from Europe. On the other hand the climate was not fit for the Europeans and they also suffered from tropical diseases. The only people who were found to be reliable were the Africans who proved to be excellent workers and with their experience in agriculture and cattle keeping, they got used to the tropical climate, were resistant to tropical diseases and could be used to work very hard both in the plantations and mines. Due to this reliability, the Europeans had no option but to go for Africans whom they were convinced could work perfectly well. As a result they resorted to slave trade which they thought was the easiest way to obtain the Africans to work for them. The development of the Europeans also came about as a result of immediate planting of tobacco which they began as soon as they captured the African slaves and were therefore sure that they had sufficient labor to work in their tobacco plantations. The tobacco plantations became very productive making tobacco to become the first successful commercial crop in Europe. As a result of this slave trade plantation agriculture and sugar production also became very common in the parts of the Mediterranean which led to the production of sugar from Asia to Europe. In addition there was the production of indigo which was used in textile dyes and later became the turn toward sugar making it the most expensive commercial crop to produce in Europe. Apart from the plantation agriculture and sugar production, the Europeans also populated the African slaves in their mines and factories. In general the African slaves became very important labor force in European agricultural production. The Atlantic slave marked the revival of the European long distance trading. This was due to the first crusade which brought the European Christians into the slave trade and slave production. In addition, the Europeans got an opportunity to gain a plentiful labor supply for the exploitation of their new colonies from the Atlantic slave trade. As a result Europe began experiencing increased population growth by the sixteenth century and therefore relied so much on the migrations of her poorer peasants and urban dwellers to America to provide its American labor needs. The rise and the fall of Atlantic slave trade pose different problems to the participants. For the Africans the rise of the Atlantic slave trade was such a problem in that its effects on the African society became a critical problem in the African history. The rise of the Atlantic trade however for the European history was a multipart economic being which was centered on the production of tropical staples in America and which was to be consumed by the Europeans. The fact that this production of tropical staples was facilitated by the labor of African slaves was a very important factor for the Europeans in their competition for overseas empire in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries. On the other hand the fall of the Atlantic slave trade was an important moment for the Africans as it marked a time when they were to start recollecting their lives and recovering their lost property. It also marked the end of mass killing of Africans by the slave traders. For the Europeans it marked a time when they had to seek alternative labor sources to be able to continue with their developments and productions in their plantations, farms, mines and factories. Conclusion It is a fact that development in Africa remains mysterious, not because there are poor rulers or perverted leadership in Africa but because Africa was severely destroyed in the process of slave trading and also by colonialism which came as a result slave trade. As this happens however, the Europeans continue to enjoy their success in the plantations which became successful as a result of labor force provided by the African slaves. The Atlantic trade indeed brought problems of population growth and economic development for the Africans while it became of European economic interests. The Atlantic slave trade definitely enriched and developed Europe and impoverished and under developed Africa. Bibliography Roger, Anstey. The Atlantic Slave Trade and British abolition, 1760-1810. London: Macmillan, 1975, 245- 53. Clarke, John Henrik. Christopher Columbus and the African Great Disaster. Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism London: Macmillan Press, 1999, 167- 179. Curtin, Philip D. Atlantic Slave Trade. University of Wisconsin Press, 1969, 463-69. Rescher, R. and Seymour J. From Slavery to Freedom: Comparative Studies in the Rise and Fall of Atlantic Slavery. London: Macmillan Press, 1999, 128- 135. Jacob Klein Herbert S. Slave Trade in the Atlantic. Cambridge: University Press, 1999, 15- 20. Thomas and Hugh. The Slave Trading: The Histories of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440 1870. London: Picador, 1997, 400- 11.

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay -- Steroids Drugs Sport At

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports When involved in sports, you have to be competitive. You need to win more than anybody else. However, athletes are taking winning to the extreme. As the use of performance enhancing drugs is becoming more popular amongst athletes, many of them do not understand the risks involved in taking these drugs. Many people are looking for a quick way to build muscles, or to get stronger the fastest way possible. Using these performance aids may very well be a quick fix for many athletes, but taking the drugs is unethical and dangerous. Using special drugs to boost an athlete’s performance is degrading to sports and to the athlete, but after they stop using the drugs and lose some strength, you become trapped in the steroid cycle. Steroids were developed in Europe around 1930 to treat undernourished and healing patients after surgery. Steroids are a synthetic version of the human hormone called testosterone. It stimulates development of bones and muscles. Competitive weightlifters began using these steroids around the 1950s as a way to increase their athletic performance and gain an upper hand on the rest of their competitors. After its initial use in bodybuilding, the drug spread like fire through the rest of the sports world, ranging from sports in high school to professional athlete in the Olympic Games. Steroids may be taken by injection or orally. Steroids can be divided into two types: anabolic and androgenic, but the distinction in some ways is artificial. Anabolic steroids mainly affect the metabolism, immunity and muscle, while androgenic steroids have strong masculinisation effects on women and sometimes feminisation on men. Athletes should not take steroids or supplements as they can lead to addiction and severe health problems and other side effects. Some of the health problems include sterility, heart or liver disease, kidney damage, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and cancer in males and females. Other common side effects are increased aggressiveness and paranoia. The list can go on and on. Female users face even more problems than male users. In females, many physical changes may occur such as growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, diminished breasts, and abnormal menstrual cycles. If taken by to early, anabolic steroids may stunt growth, by fusing the growth plates. ... ...ce today, but the laws against steroids should be enforced more often. While users believe it is their decision to use drugs to gain strength, their friends and family will have to deal with the consequences as well as the user because of the side effects and possible death of the user. A person can use steroids just one time, but that one time can kill him twenty years down the road. References American Fitness Magazine. (2004, September/October). Out of Control. Retrieved February 10, 2005, from EBSCOhost database. [Journal article] Leshner, A.I. (n.d.) Anabolic Steroid Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Steroids/Anabolicsteroids.html [Online] Mishra, R. (June 1, 1995). Steroids and Sports Are a Losing Combination, US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved February 10, 2005, from http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00107.html [Online] National Institute on Drug Abuse. Anabolic Steroid Abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2005 from http://www.steroidabuse.org [Online] â€Å"Steroids.† http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/steroids/index.html [Online] â€Å"Steroids.† Britannica Online Encyclopaedia [Online] Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay -- Steroids Drugs Sport At Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports When involved in sports, you have to be competitive. You need to win more than anybody else. However, athletes are taking winning to the extreme. As the use of performance enhancing drugs is becoming more popular amongst athletes, many of them do not understand the risks involved in taking these drugs. Many people are looking for a quick way to build muscles, or to get stronger the fastest way possible. Using these performance aids may very well be a quick fix for many athletes, but taking the drugs is unethical and dangerous. Using special drugs to boost an athlete’s performance is degrading to sports and to the athlete, but after they stop using the drugs and lose some strength, you become trapped in the steroid cycle. Steroids were developed in Europe around 1930 to treat undernourished and healing patients after surgery. Steroids are a synthetic version of the human hormone called testosterone. It stimulates development of bones and muscles. Competitive weightlifters began using these steroids around the 1950s as a way to increase their athletic performance and gain an upper hand on the rest of their competitors. After its initial use in bodybuilding, the drug spread like fire through the rest of the sports world, ranging from sports in high school to professional athlete in the Olympic Games. Steroids may be taken by injection or orally. Steroids can be divided into two types: anabolic and androgenic, but the distinction in some ways is artificial. Anabolic steroids mainly affect the metabolism, immunity and muscle, while androgenic steroids have strong masculinisation effects on women and sometimes feminisation on men. Athletes should not take steroids or supplements as they can lead to addiction and severe health problems and other side effects. Some of the health problems include sterility, heart or liver disease, kidney damage, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and cancer in males and females. Other common side effects are increased aggressiveness and paranoia. The list can go on and on. Female users face even more problems than male users. In females, many physical changes may occur such as growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, diminished breasts, and abnormal menstrual cycles. If taken by to early, anabolic steroids may stunt growth, by fusing the growth plates. ... ...ce today, but the laws against steroids should be enforced more often. While users believe it is their decision to use drugs to gain strength, their friends and family will have to deal with the consequences as well as the user because of the side effects and possible death of the user. A person can use steroids just one time, but that one time can kill him twenty years down the road. References American Fitness Magazine. (2004, September/October). Out of Control. Retrieved February 10, 2005, from EBSCOhost database. [Journal article] Leshner, A.I. (n.d.) Anabolic Steroid Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Steroids/Anabolicsteroids.html [Online] Mishra, R. (June 1, 1995). Steroids and Sports Are a Losing Combination, US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved February 10, 2005, from http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00107.html [Online] National Institute on Drug Abuse. Anabolic Steroid Abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2005 from http://www.steroidabuse.org [Online] â€Å"Steroids.† http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/steroids/index.html [Online] â€Å"Steroids.† Britannica Online Encyclopaedia [Online]