Describe the Role and Status of Women in the 1940s and 1950s Essay Example for Free

Describe the Role and Status of Women in the 1940s and 1950s Essay After the First World War women had gained a huge step towards having equality with men. In 1918 married women over the age of 30 were given the right to vote. During the war women had proved themselves as capable as men, not only as nurses near the front lines working in very dangerous positions but also back in Britain working to help the war effort in jobs that before the war they could never have even had a chance of getting. However women were still a long way of having any vague equality with men, and when the men returned from war things changed as men were still considered far above women. Although it had got worse since the end of the war it should be recognised that womens role in society had been greatly improved since the days before the First World War. During the Second World War many of the men were conscripted to go away to war. This meant that their jobs now needed to be filled in order for the country to work., women got jobs in all areas of employment from working in manual labour to working in banks. They also managed to prove that they could do the jobs just as well as men and were able to work in jobs that had previously been for men only. Gaining all these new jobs had been a huge leap towards women gaining equality with men, however when the men returned from war most if the women lost their war time jobs. This happened because of a number of reasons. Firstly, public opinion in general believed that the soldiers who had been fighting deserved to come back to jobs and not have to struggle with unemployment. Also some bosses of small and large companies felt that men were still better and didnt want to employ women over men. A women who had worked as a welder during the war years was told, Oh my goodness, youve got the best qualifications that we ever had apply for the job, but your a woman, and I wonder what the boys would say if I employed a woman A newspaper editor was told when she was dismissed,Oh its nothing wrong with your work, but we have to safeguard the succession and the successor has to be a man. Bosses who were taking this line, and most of them were were infact taking and supporting the governments line. The governments official line said it is doubtless true that there are many jobs done during the war by women for which men are better suited, both mentally and physically. And, if there is to be a nation in the future, there must be children and children mean homes and endless chores. So that there must naturally be a drift back from the services and the factories to domestic work. I believe that this is showing that men and the government (dominated by men) were showing an incompetence to realise that women were able to do the jobs that men traditionally did. So although women had again gained a further step towards equality after the war they had again lost some of that newly gained freedom when the war ended in 1945. However not all women were displeased at societys attitude as after the war many women wanted to start families and now the men had come back from the war they were able to do this. The evidence for this lies in an area known as the baby boom, when the birth rate soared dramatically after the war. Even after the war when women were gaining more equality with men they did not have equal pay rates as men. A woman doing the same amount of work as a man would be paid two thirds of what a man would be paid. Women didnt, understandably find this fair and in August 1943 them women who worked at a Rolls Royce factory went on strike and after a week on strike they were given equal pay. However all over the rest of the country women continued be exploited by societies views. Even the government were not willing to even think about women being equal to men. When female school teachers asked for equal pay with men, Churchill dismissed their demand with one word. Even though now he was falling out of favour with the people and was soon to lose the general election, it showed that some men and in incredibly important positions within society, had no respect still for womens role in society. This meant that their status remained below a mans status even though in some cases they had become more equal, such as the right it do certain types of jobs. Before 1948 the government offered no medical assistance to women or their children only a small amount to men. In 1942 the Beveridge report was published which illustrated the importance of setting up a Welfare State which would look after all citizens equally. In July 1948 the National Health Service Act and the National Insurance Act were introduced for a weekly payment by all people earning wages. This was a huge advance for womens equality and their place in society as it now made them equal. In the first few months thousands of women went to the NHS to be treated of illnesses that they had previously had to suffer in silence. The introduction of the Welfare State also brought about the Butler Education Act. This meant that the minimum age to leave school was now raised to fifteen for all children. This was another huge advance for girls in school as it meant that there was now not only had free secondary education, and therefor this meant that the government recognised girls ability to thrive within a working and intellectual environment. It also meant that they were being put on the same level platform and being given equal opportunities in schools as boys, which would then go onto to effect the whole generations and its way of dealing with women as equals. However the system was slightly corrupt and it was not entirely equal. When pupils went up into secondary schools they had to take an 11+ exam to determine which type of school they would go in to. There were three different types, grammar for the most academic, secondary modern and technical for pupils who would be more suited to manual and primary sector jobs. Although the system seemed to give equal opportunities for both girls and boys there were infact more grammar schools for boys than there were for girls. The Welfare State also introduced family allowances to try and deal with poverty among families with a large numbers of children. It meant that for each child a small payment was paid to the women to help keep the child. This meant that the women now had some control over the finances within the household and that the man could not just go out and spend the money needed for the children. I believe that in the 1940s and 50s womens role in society improved greatly and that there were huge leaps made towards equality. However there were still some major issues that still had not been resolved and needed to be if there was going to get equality between men and women

Grinding to a Halt :: American Government Politics Elections Essays

Grinding to a Halt What's the U.S. all about? When asked that question almost everyone I know would reply: "Well, the U.S. represents democracy, capitalism, freedom, etc." The first thing I noticed is that everyone seems to mention democracy first. If you quiz a random American on this, that's probably what they'll think of too. It's also a point of view that might be the source of resentment for many Americans who are unhappy with our government right now. Why would that be? Because the U.S. is actually not a pure democracy, as I'm sure you already knew, but a republic. This means the government is set up in such a way that the people as a whole elect their leaders, those who they think would best represent them, and then those leaders handle the big issues, such as foreign policy, legislation, or legal interpretation. In principle this is a good system, since it would be virtually impossible for everyone in the U.S. to vote on every issue facing our nation. With this vision our forefathers cre ated a strong governmental system, one they hoped would withstand the tests of time. And it has. Until now. Many Americans feel the modern American government is bloated, deceptive and overly convoluted beast that isn't living up to its founding principles. This has become quite apparent in the 2000 Presidential election in which a process that should last little more than a day, the counting of ballots, has lasted more than two weeks. The foremost problem that this election demonstrates very clearly is a lack of any real political direction. Neither candidate, or party for that matter, can presently demonstrate substantial division on major subjects. While the parties generally tend one way or the other on issues, there are no longer strong and fast party-wide philosophies that one can count on. When our Government was first created there were major divisions between the parties of the time. Even up until around WWII both parties had strong separate characters that helped voters in choosing the right person to represent them. Over the last fifty years, however, the parties have started to grow together, neither side feeling safe as the representation of a political or philosophical extreme. Now this move towards mediocrity has finally culminated in one of the closest races for the presidency in U.

Cultural Identity Interview and Analysis

An interview with a member of the Mexican American community was conducted on December 1st, 2007. This research will provide a summary of that interview; particularly, it will include a description of the rules, norms, traditions, and values of Mexican American culture. The research will also discuss: a) how the assumptions regarding cultural norms affect the interviewee’s behavior in his daily life; b) any disadvantages related to his culture being outside â€Å"the norm† and how he reacts to that; c) any advantages related to being assimilated to the â€Å"normative† culture and how he reacts; d) his sources of strength or support; e) an analysis of the four dimension theory and how it relates to the interviewee’s life. Finally, the research will provide some insight on how one can effectively communicate with people of other cultures. In fact, communication with various members that belong to other ethnic groups (i.e. Arab Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, etc) may be difficult some at times because of the cultural difference that exists between the groups. Jose Luis Aguilar was born in Tijuana, Mexico on January 7th, 1972. Mexican is the ethnic group he belongs. He lived in Mexico for 29 years. In 2001, he immigrated in Los Angeles, California. Job opportunities, presence of family members, and the presence of a massive Mexican community were the factors that brought him to immigrate into the United States. Mexican Americans are the largest Hispanic or Latino ethnic group in the United States. According to the 2000 Census, approximately 20 million Hispanic or Latinos of the 35 million in the United States are Mexican Americans (U.S. Census, 2000). Mr. Aguilar’s native language is Spanish. However, during the past years spent in California, he was able to learn basic English, although it remains a second language as the majority of the Mexican American who live in the United States. Richard Schaefer stated â€Å"as of 2002, about 23 percent of Mexican Americans are English dominant, 26 percent are bilingual, and 51 percent are Spanish dominant† (Schaefer, 2006, p. 241). Mr. Aguilar’s religion is Catholic. Indeed, Mexican Americans represent â€Å"the largest number of Catholic immigrants to the United States comes from Mexico; Mexico also sends the largest number of Protestant immigrants to the United States† (Murray, 2006). Mr. Aguilar is married. He has a 1 year-old son. Aguilar’s family has a patriarchal organization as the same as other many Mexican American families have. According to Kathleen Niska, Mexican Americans Families â€Å"continuity was characterized by mothers doing tasks inside the house, fathers doing tasks outside the house, and both parents performing toddler and early childhood tasks† (Niska, 2001). One of the Mexican traditions that Mr. Aguilar mentioned during the interview was â€Å"quinceanera†. This ritual is celebrated in church when women reach the age of 15 to thank God that they arrived to this stage of their lives. Similar to a wedding day celebration, the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday is a major event in most Hispanic girls’ lives as it means that she begins her journey to adulthood (Mattel, 2001). They are ready to get married. The ritual of quinceanera is viewed not only as a gesture to strengthen faith and family but also as a means to prevent teen pregnancies. A quinceanera also allows for sending a message of sexual responsibility (NC Times, 2008). Mr. Aguilar is an independent contractor mainly for real estate management companies. He provides general maintenance services at $10 an hour. So far, he had limited choices regarding the jobs (e.g. janitorial, landscaping, and maintenance) he could do since he moved into United States. Lack of education and his pending status with INS (he has not received his green card yet, work permit only) were the obstacles that did not allow him to obtain better paid jobs. According to David Spener, â€Å"Mexican immigrant workers play an important economic role inside the United States as well. They constitute a significant portion (8 percent) of the total U.S. manufacturing work force† (Spener, 2000). Mexican Americans are usually have been seen by American companies as â€Å"cheap labor†. Mr. Aguilar shared that members of his culture had been affected by any form of racism, prejudice or discrimination. In particular, he pointed out the bilingualism issue and the tension that the proposition 227 created among his community. Proposition 227 went into effect in 1998 and required that all public school instruction had to be in English. A) How do assumptions about cultural â€Å"norms† impact your interviewee’s behavior on a day-to-day basis? Mr. Aguilar pointed out how one particular assumption regarding Mexican Americans culture affects his life on a day-to-day basis. He mentioned that one of his cousins was a gang member; he was killed months ago. A popular assumption is that Mexican American gang membership is generational which means the membership from a father to a son or from a family member to another one. Therefore, based on this assumption, people believe that he is a gang member. So, Mr. Aguilar’s behavior is direct to prevent anything that may mislead people in this sense, e.g. wearing red or blue, or specific clothing, or having tattoos. B) Does your interviewee recognize any challenges or disadvantages related to her/his culture being outside the â€Å"norm†? How does he/she respond to those challenges? Similar to several other fellow Mexican Americans, Mr. Aguilar is able to communicate in his native language without learning English properly. In fact, Spanish language is commonly spoken in the city of Los Angeles. Almost every place (grocery stores, restaurants, public offices, and so forth) has signs and directions in Spanish language. This massive promotion of Mr. Aguilar’s native language in the United States encouraged by Mass Media represents a disadvantage. Radio and television have also been factors that allowed Mexican Americans, as Mr. Aguilar, to maintain their original cultural values. In fact, in 2004, there were over 678 Spanish language radio stations compared to 1982, when there were 12 Spanish language television stations in the United States. This number more than doubled within 10 years. Several artists (e.g. Jennifer Lopez or Shakira) helped to promote their cultures by singing in their traditional languages (Jandt, 2007). Mr. Aguilar has responded to this challenge by enrolling himself in an adult school in order to improve his English. However, as of today, he is still struggling to write, read and speak English fluently. C) Does your interviewee recognize any privileges or advantages associated with assimilating to the â€Å"normative† culture? How does he/she react to that recognition? Mr. Aguilar recognized that being assimilated to the â€Å"normative† culture has some advantages. In particular, he stated that a positive aspect is that immigrants learn the language of the â€Å"normative† culture; they are able to avoid any form of isolation and segregation. Furthermore, these immigrants likely will not face any prejudice from the dominant society as he experienced during his stay in the United States. During the interview Mr. Aguilar recalled a few family acquaintances with 3rd generation sons and daughters who had an adaptation in the American culture different compared to their parents. In fact, they were able to go to school, learn the language, get a college education, and obtain a good job. They became a part of the American culture. In fact, they celebrate the 4th of July and the Thanksgiving, which are truly American holidays. They also had to learn about professional sports other than Mexican soccer. He now is also watching baseball, basketball, and American football games. D) What does that person cite as being sources of strength or support? Mr. Aguilar cited church and family as his sources of strength or support. As many others fellow Mexicans Americans, Mr. Aguilar gives exceptional importance to religion and family on a day-to-day basis; he is very active in his community especially with humanitarian initiative promoted by his catholic church. Mr. Aguilar is very family orientated. He tries to spend as much time as possible with his family; it may be common to see him doing business with his families around. E) An analysis of the four dimension theory and how it relates to the interviewee’s life A theory from the course that was well related to Mr. Aguilar’s interview is the â€Å"four dimensions of culture† by Geert Hofstede. Particularly, Aguilar’s interview confirmed that in the Mexican culture masculinity is predominant, mostly due its history. Mexican families were mainly patriarchal therefore men were in charge of the family; they were working to provide money and food while women were at home taking care of the children. Mexican culture is based more on collectivism due mainly to the fact that more people with financial difficul ties seek to one another for help or gather together (e.g. two or three families living in the same apartment). Power distance is embodied in the Mexican culture. Mexico is a developing country with significant financial problems. The difference between people (e.g. poor and rich people) is well marked. Finally, the fourth dimension, uncertainty avoidance, is correlated to religion and history of the cultures (Jandt, 2007). Roman Catholic Christian cultures and cultures with Romance languages (e.g. Mexico) tend to score high. In conclusion, communication with various members that belong to other ethnic groups may be difficult at times because of the cultural difference that exists between the groups. However, inclusive language can be an effective way to communicate with such members. Mr. Aguilar and the interviewer are from different culture backgrounds. There were times during the interview where inclusive language was used to avoid miscommunication. Choosing the right words when communicating with members who have different backgrounds may help to prevent miscommunication that may end up stereotyping them on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion, or other factors. Furthermore, conducting research and gathering information on members with different backgrounds may help not only to overcome language issues but also can assist people in becoming more culturally sensitive.References http://nsq.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/4/322 http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/05/faith/17_56_271_3_08.txt

Adult Onset Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes - 1479 Words

Adult-Onset Diabetes, also known as Type 2 diabetes, is a condition that affects the metabolizing of sugar within your body; this is one of the body’s most important sources for fuel so it is crucial for the function to work or for you to be in control of the condition. The disease is most common in adults, but it is becoming more common in children because of the increase in childhood obesity in America and across the World. (Staff, Mayo Clinic 2016) Beginning in the 1990’s investigators began to observe that in some regions of the United States, Type 2 diabetes is as frequent as Type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and teens. Type 2 diabetes is a serious and costly disease. There are many chronic complications that can arise, including†¦show more content†¦(Staff, Mayo Clinic 2016) There are three main causes to developing Type 2 Diabetes. The most common is insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that comes from the pancreas. The pancreas secretes this horm one to the bloodstream, where it then circulates to give sugar to the cells within our body. Glucose is extremely important, it is the main source of energy for our cells that make up our muscles and other tissues. Glucose is able to enter the cells with the help of insulin. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream so as the sugar levels drop, the secretion of insulin from your pancreas does as well. However, in Type 2 diabetes the process does not always work as it should and sugar often builds up in your blood stream. (Staff, Mayo Clinic 2016) You do not have to be insulin resistant to develop this type of diabetes though. A second cause could be your family history and genetics, as it can be hereditary. Just because your mother or father had this type of diabetes does not mean that you are guaranteed to develop it, but you become much more likely to. As of right now researchers are not sure which genes carry the risk, but research is being done to figure out the gen eticShow MoreRelatedDiabetes Mellitus As A Chronic Metabolic Disorder Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pages Chapter - 23 Diabetes Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that prevents the body to utilise glucose completely or partially. It is characterised by raised glucose concentration in the blood and alterations in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. This can be due to failure in the formation of insulin or liberation or action. Since insulin is produced by the p cells of the islets of Langerhans, any receding in the number of functioning cells will decrease the amountRead MoreThe Management Of Diabetes And Early Childhood Patients1239 Words   |  5 Pagesof this paper is to discuss the topic and objectives for the management of diabetes as it pertains to the Healthy People 2020 agenda. The National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014 shows that in 2012, 29.1 or 9.3 % of the population had diabetes (as cited by the CDC, 2014). The paper will be reviewing social media websites focused on health disorders to analyze and share some of the lived experiences of patients with diabetes and from that create a strategy for empowering patients living with the diseaseRead MoreDiabetes : A Growing Pandemic1627 Words   |  7 PagesType 1 diabetes is a growing pandemic in our world today, and is being diagnosed at a higher rate with each coming year. Diabetes prevention and education must be a top priority for countries such as the United States, so that this alarming trend of increased diagnosis can be brought to a halt. The United States has one of the best education systems in the world, however does not put a focus on diabetes education for those at risk. Diabetes is a growing pandemic in the United States and the worldRead MoreDiseases More Present in African American Populations837 Words   |  4 Pages If diabetes is not diagnosed at an early stage, individuals will not notice the presence of the symptoms until they experience trouble with their heart, brain, kidney, and etc. Therefore, it is always best to speak to a health care provider or ones doctor regarding hypertensi on. In 2009, Americans visited their health care providers more than 55 million times to treat their high blood pressure. (Roger, Lloyd-Jones, 2012). One can also prevent the risk of hypertension by exercising regular, maintainingRead MoreDiabetes- Informative Speech outline Essay892 Words   |  4 PagesGeneral Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform audience of the signs you can look for and types of diabetes. I. Introduction A. Attention Getter:   Show of hands. How many of you all have or know someone with Diabetes? B. Reason to Listen:    According to the â€Å"2013 Fast Fact Sheet† from the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, which is nearly 10% of the U.S. population. *exact facts are: 25.8 mil and 8.3% C. CredibilityRead MoreType Ii Diabetes Mellitus Among African Americans Essay782 Words   |  4 PagesType II Diabetes Mellitus among African Americans Type II Diabetes Mellitus is an adult-onset diabetes that affects 90% of the diabetes patients. It is when the body does not recognize the insulin being produced by the pancreas, or not enough is produced. Insulin is a hormone that causes different cells to take up glucose for energy. Resistance to insulin causes the build up of glucose in the blood, which causes improper functions of cells and blood circulation, damage to nerves and bloodRead MoreCauses of Type I and II Diabetes Essay544 Words   |  3 PagesDiabetes is a group of diseases caused by high blood glucose levels that come from deficiencies in the bodys ability to produce and use insulin. There are a few main causes of diabetes. There’s two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1 diabetes the diagnosis is often made in children and young adults, and was formerly known as juvenile diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is where your body does not produce insulin at all. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes yourRead MoreThe Correlation Between Sedentary Life Style And Eating Habits And Development Of Type II Diabetes1363 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment of Type II Diabetes in African American young adults under 30 years old.† A Non-Thesis Project Presented to The Faculty of the College of Graduate Studies Lamar University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Health Promotion Brittny Bratcher 12/1/2013 Introduction According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes is a metabolic disease that elevates the blood sugar or glucose levels in the blood. Persons with type II diabetes eitherRead MoreTypes Of Type II Diabetes1308 Words   |  6 PagesType II Diabetes Numerous individuals in today’s society are unaware that they might be living with an unknown disease. One of the most serious diseases and most common illness amongst people, and in most cases usually gets misconstrued in our country is, type II diabetes. Statistics show in 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2011). Then again, it is due to countless individuals being noninsulin-dependent and it starts with adultRead MoreDiabetes Environmental Factors That Affect It A genetic disorder called Diabetes affects nearly600 Words   |  3 PagesDiabetes Environmental Factors That Affect It A genetic disorder called Diabetes affects nearly 25.8 million people in the U.S. alone [2]. This disease is a metabolic disorder caused by the lack of production of insulin in the body or lack of the body’s use of insulin. The body produces insulin to help our digestive system break down carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and turns them into sugars that will enter the bloodstream [1]. If there is not enough insulin produced by your body then the