Thursday, March 26, 2020

The Authors That Face Various Hurdles and Overcome Them

Introduction Malcolm X, Helen Keller and David Raymond are all writers that struggled with self expression, identity and social conformity. These challenges emanated from the lack of language proficiency. However, all three authors succeeded in overcoming insurmountable challenges, and eventually cause audiences to relate to the plight of other people in similar circumstances.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on X. Malcolm, H. Keller and D. Raymond – The Authors That Face Various Hurdles and Overcome Them specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More How the authors are alike and different In all three short stories, the writers are struggling with some type of language-related inadequacy. Helen Keller was blind and deaf, so she could not express herself in written or spoken words. She explains that she was â€Å"at sea in a dense fog† meaning that she was trapped in a world of darkness and numbness (Keller 5). This caused her to become resentful and angry because she could not interact with the world around her. Keller was subsequently shut out from society because of these physical disabilities. Similarly, David Raymond struggled with another type of disability; which was a mental one known as Dyslexia. The condition caused him to be shunned by his playmates. His routine was never the usual one in class; for instance, he had to meet lots of psychiatrists for evaluation (Raymond 14). At some point, Raymond was even taken to a special school. He resented the bus that came to pick him up because it carried mentally retarded or severely deformed children. David did not want his neighbours to see him getting into the bus because they would judge him; all he wanted was to be like everyone else. The condition prevented him from expressing himself or performing normal classroom activities. Malcolm X, had his own type of struggle too; illiteracy. He was dealing with another type of mental darkness as well. This condition prevented him from expressing his ideas as clearly as he needed to. Having been a street hustler, he lacked the opportunities needed to acquire literacy skills. The writer was unable to communicate or interact with people properly, and this put him in a self-created prison. Despite these common struggles among the three authors, one also realises that their social and cultural circumstances had a profound effect on their perception of lack and limitation. As an African American male living in a discriminative society, Malcolm X, felt that his illiteracy contributed to the oppression of his people. His expression of these struggles was influenced by his worldview as a member of the black race. Conversely, Keller felt that her unfamiliarity with language caused her to be isolated. Her identity was defined by her physical disabilities. It is from this background, that she expresses her agonies. Raymond’s worldview was determined by his status as a dyslexic individual. Therefore, his inadequacies, identity crisis, and low self esteem all stemmed from this background. David’s style is symptomatic of this position in society.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Keller, Raymond and Malcolm X gain a degree of self awareness when they discover the power of language. Malcolm X could never realise his goals of liberation for the black people unless he could express himself well in the English language; when he recognized this, then he became a new person. Malcolm admired his peer’s command of the language, and made the decision to change his circumstances (Malcolm 277). The life-changing moment occurred when he appreciated that there were so many words to learn from the dictionary. He even copied entire pages – word for word – in order to concretise what he was learning. Malcolm decided that the mastery of lang uage would deliver him from oppression; it would be his tool to personal empowerment and fulfilment. In this regard, the author became self aware. He realised his real potential, and gets a renewed purpose in life. The same thing happened to Keller after she discovered the power of language. When her teacher passed this strange liquid over her palm, and spelt its name on her other hand, she experienced a great awakening. She realised that she had been set free, and that all the barriers that held her hostage would soon be â€Å"swept away†. To Keller, the discovery of language signified the discovery of her ability to live a meaningful and joyous life. David Raymond also became self aware after realising that is was possible to still be intelligent or achieve great things when one was Dyslexic. He cites examples such as Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci. All three authors succeed in explaining life in the context of their experiences. Language mastery is something that many peop le take for granted because it comes naturally to them. However, Keller, Raymond and Malcolm X all have peculiar circumstances that make it quite difficult to learn how to read and write. After reading these short stories, one gets to understand the significance of words and their meanings. The narratives are important in raising awareness about racial oppression, physical and mental disabilities, and how they relate to self expression and language. Conclusion The short stories under analysis are quite similar to one another because the authors face various hurdles and overcome them; they become self aware, and teach audiences about challenges in literacy based on their circumstances. Consequently, the three narratives are important in instilling empathy among audiences concerning the experiences of others who are different.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on X. Malcolm, H. Keller and D. Raymond – The Authors That Face Various Hurdles and Overcome Them spe cifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Keller, Helen. The day language came into my life. USI, 2011. Web.. Malcolm, X. â€Å"Discovering the power of language.† Language awareness: readings for college writers. Eds. Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa and Virginia Clark. NY: St. Martin’s Press, 2004. 271-284. Print. Raymond, David. On being seventeen, bright, and unable to read. Mrshatzi, 2011. Web. This essay on X. Malcolm, H. Keller and D. Raymond – The Authors That Face Various Hurdles and Overcome Them was written and submitted by user Giana Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Friday, March 6, 2020

American Association of Retired Persons

American Association of Retired Persons Introduction Social organizations refer to social institutions that are established to serve a specified task usually in the interest of the society at large. Over the years social organizations and groups have played important role in enlightening and mobilizing individuals over various issues facing the society hence contributing to society transformation. In the United States, these groups have significantly influenced the way of life as well as governance.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on American Association of Retired Persons specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More American association of retired persons (AARP) is one of the leading global organizations whose purpose constitutes promotion of positive social change in society. It was founded in 1958 at a time when the elderly experienced a lot of difficulties while acquiring life insurance. John Rother, the organization’s vice president for policy, strat egy and international affairs, approximates the number of members aged fifty and above to be over four million (AARP, 2010). This organization does not approach aging as a negative component in the society but analyses the world ageing demographics as the driving force to enhance transformation of the social policy that aim at improving the quality of life among people of all generations and all ages (AARP, 2010). The organization supports and promotes the ageing process all over the world through encouraging aging members to reside in places that promote decent living with affordable housing and accessible services, empowering and encouraging individuals to maintain their health and productivity, as well as promoting policies that provide healthy older people with opportunities to continue contributing towards the work force (AARP, 2010). This helps the older generation to maintain a source of income and provides diversity in the labor market. The organization further believes impr oved standards of living are directly related to longer lifespan. AARP provides an opportunity in which diverse societies can share the challenges and opportunities encountered as the members advance in age (AARP, 2010). The organization deals with issues that relate to improvement of the overall welfare of the population that is advancing in term of age and advocates for issues such as the elderly population access to affordable health care. In addition, the organization advocates for availability of retirement security through pension schemes as well as ensuring a firm background for traditional informal support system and creating effective policies around the global aging agenda (AARP, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Improved welfare among the elderly people in the society is associated with economic growth, social equity in distribution of resource s as well as ecological maintenance and preservation which are the key pillars of overall development in any society (AARP, 2010). AARP is a secondary social group whose functions are geared towards achieving high quality of life among the population. The organization has significantly transformed the attitude of Americans towards old age. National association for the advancement of colored people (NAACP) is a civil rights organization that diligently fights for the social justice of the minority groups in America. It was founded in 1909 and it’s the largest of its kind in the United States (NAACP, 2010). Ever since 1941, the organization has been the driving force behind civil rights advocacy in the United States. The organization spearheaded the enactment of 1964 civil rights act, the voting rights passed in 1965, and the1968 fair housing act among other achievements. It aims at promoting voting and voter education among the youth as a way of airing their preferences as wel l as promoting voting rights (NAACP, 2010). The organization further focuses on diverse issues such as climate change facing the country e.g. the hurricane Katrina. It has established climate justice initiative that was created for the purpose of mobilizing and educating people on the climate issue to enable them address the problem of climate change facing the society (NAACP, 2010). The organization has also devised mechanisms to uplift civil and human rights as they relate to economic opportunities (NAACP, 2010). It aims at ensuring that there is just and fair allocation of resources as the country embarks on a road towards economic recovery. It further promotes national education program by ensuring that American students have access to equal and high quality public education by discouraging racial and ethnic disparities prevalent in public institutions (NAACP, 2010). This organization is also a secondary social group whose aim is promoting the rights of the minority groups in Am erica. Bureaucratic Characteristics of Organizations The above bureaucratic organizations are characterized by division of labor where all tasks are classified into highly specialized fields which are allocated to qualified personnel (Lunenburg, 2007). The organizations also have an outlined hierarchy of authority that flows from the board of directors to the employees through senior staff. Bureaucracies are characterized by Impersonality (Lunenburg, 2007) which checks favorism and prejudice among staff members. In these institutions, recruitment, employment and promotions are based on competence and qualification and every task in the organizations is governed by outlined rules to ensure uniformity.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on American Association of Retired Persons specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, extensive division of labor kills innovation and promotes monotony. Reliance to rules in these s tructures often results in inertia and rigidity and the organizations practically promote downward communication only. Conclusion Social groups play an important role in the society as they strive to ensure that the rights of individuals are not violated against. To ensure their effectiveness, the government and the society should support them in their activities. However, the organization should minimize bureaucratic procedures in order to achieve better results. Reference List Lunenburg, F. E. Ornstein, A. C (2007). Educational administration: Concepts and practices, NY: Cengage learning publishers. NAACP (2010). Advocacy and issues. Official website. Web. Rother, J. (2010). Aging as a global issue. AARP. Web.