Recent orders
The heart of whiteness
THE HEART OF WHITENESS
Student’s name
Professor
Course
Date
Introduction
The heart of whiteness is a very controversial book that looked at from the side of white supremacy. However, when looked at from the black lives matter movement, it gives a sense of hope, and it assures a person that white supremacy is the problem, that being white is the problem and not being black. It is one of the books that are instrumental in bringing racial issues to a standstill and making people question everything they do. The book makes a person think of racism, and it makes most people who through social constructions think they are right to get many questions as they think those they might be the problem and not the people being mistreated. This, to some extent and supported by other scholars, is true (McGregor, 2002). Therefore this paper discusses this great work of art produced by Robert Jensen.
As he states that the dreams of the end of white supremacy will only remain dreams, “… unless we speak, and act harshly. We need that love-not just love but a truly harsh and dreadful love.” (Jensen, 2005 page. 9)
Summary
This book looks into the historical background of the people of the United States of America. It looks deeply into how different individuals and situations have harnessed racial discrimination at different times in history until the current time when many people are suffering in society due to racial discrimination. It is a book that can make a person think twice of their identity and how that identity is linked to race, with a major focus on the United States of America.
Jansen describes the United States of America as a white supremacist country, and this is brought out so clearly and firmly through his experiences and hard facts presented in his book. (Jensen, 2005). Through his book, we see how these structures that have been set-up by white supremacists can be brought down and the opportunities made available even to the black population. In this book, Jansen tries to bring to the mind of white supremacists that even if they try to stop the blacks from their localities, they are doing so at their own risk because the society at any other point has to be balanced and therefore, it will always be balanced if people take the right decisions to uphold equality among all types of people instead of breeding anger, jealousy, and hate.
How Jansen discusses white supremacy is meant to create emotion and question the foundations’ people have set for themselves and how effective they are. Through reading this book, the reader is assured of having emotional impulses talking of how injustice has been tolerated for so long and therefore, this makes one wish for action to be taken so that justice can be given back to those who deserve it, to those to whom it has been deprived for so long till ages back in time.
In the book, Jansen looks into racism issues, which range from redlining to all other issues related to racism, and how these constructions based on a white supremacist country affect the black people in that country. This white supremacy occurs when a white person has more and better privileges than their black counterparts. He quotes, “white privilege like any social phenomenon is complex, in a white supremacist economy; however, al white people have some privileges in some settings.”
This is a clear sign that racism intertwined with white supremacy is always very bad and can destroy many people’s lives. This is because there is always a constant conflict and repulsion from one group of the population as they try to fight for their rights. In contrast, another group tries to undermine these rights and privileges, thus making life very difficult for the less privileged people. In this case, the people less privileged are the blacks in the United States of America.
Analysis and evaluation
The solutions to these problems experienced between white people and blacks are contextual. However, Jansen gives an idea of how solutions can be found through discourse. This happens between these two groups, which are rivals, and he encourages the blacks to adopt new uncomfortable ideas and strategies in the fight for their rights.
This book also focuses on the privileges the black people lose because they are not white and cannot get them. It talks of this as a system of privileges created by the white supremacists who enjoy the rights and not being able to share them with another common person, especially the blacks or generally a person who is not white.
This book’s analysis can be termed as an introspection into the reality of the situation in the United States of America through this book. This is because the book’s contents to the real world are very relatable as most white people continue looking down upon people who are not of their color. White supremacy continues to rise, and it is one of the things which is making the country go through many problems of late.
President Donald Trump’s refusal to denounce white supremacy during the presidential debate relates closely to this. It informs us of how white supremacy is used to suppress blacks and make their lives miserable as other people. In this case, the whites continue to have lives that flourish daily. This can be termed institutionalized racism, whereby a certain group decides to be against people of a certain color. In this case, President Donald Trump represents the white supremacists and others under the same category of a white supremacist as he says, “process of racial signification goes on at all levels; from the intra-physic to the supranational.” This is a very clear sign that racial discrimination happens not only in certain social settings but also beyond what a person can think of.
Reading this novel opened up my mind about white supremacy and racism, but it reminded me vividly of the murder of George Floyd, the protests which took place after a white police officer killed him. Another area which stroke me as I read through was the issue of why a white person may not always like to interact with a black person, and this not only tells me of how much racial a person is but also their nature of selectively avoiding human importance despite the type of black human being next to them.
Conclusion
Therefore this can be regarded as one of the evil forces we have in the society of late because even though there have been efforts to end it, it remains to be a challenge for most white supremacists to accept the black people and welcome them as people who belong to a common home place- mother earth.
References
Jensen, R. (2005). The heart of whiteness: Confronting race, racism, and white privilege. City Lights Books.
McGregor, R. (2002). ‘Breed out the Colour’or the Importance of Being White. Australian Historical Studies, 33(120), 286-302.
Rollock, N. (2018). The Heart of Whiteness: Racial gesture politics, equity, and higher education. In Dismantling Race in Higher Education (pp. 313-330). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Leggett, B. (2013). Heart of Whiteness. Contemporary Literature, 54(2), 403-410.
Pyne, S. J. (1986). Heart of whiteness: the exploration of Antarctica. Environmental Review: ER, 10(4), 231-246.
High School Graduation Speech
High School Graduation Speech
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon to you all and welcome to this graduation ceremony. It has been a long and adventurous journey that has exposed many of us to different challenging as well as inspiring environments. For the graduating class, this marks the very last day that we will be together, after having spent a significant thirteen years together. Many of us have over time dreamt about this important day and fantasized about it. Notably, we have counted days that turned in months, years and now the final day is here. We can now stop fantasizing and instead congratulate ourselves for the great work done. The fascinating reality is undoubtedly the best experience of all that we have had through time.
Having been in this institution for the past fourteen years, the experience has been indeed memorable. By this, I do not only remember the exciting football matches, but also the choir competitions and speech tournaments. It is certain the co curricula activities played a significant role in our growth. Perhaps the classroom experience was the most important of all these. May I thank the teachers for their patience, devotion and persistence in showing us the right way, even when the challenges were overwhelming. It is certain that nobody believed in our capabilities more than you did. Most of you can agree with me that the experience and time that has been spent with teachers, fellow students, team coaches and other professionals has borne exciting rewards.
The exemplary performance that has been exhibited by the graduating class is also commendable. Since its admission in this school, this class has shown distinctive performance that has surpassed previous levels. Their active participation in sports has placed the district at runners up position at the state level. Who can forget the excellent performance of the class choir at the district level? Coupled with the qualification of the olympic team to the next season, it can not be disputed that the members have commendable capabilities. Of course this could not have been possible without the assistance from teachers, parents and peers. I wish to thank all of you for your invaluable contribution to this success.
However, the past accomplishments cannot be compared to the dreams that this class is destined to attain in future. Having exemplified the ability to overcome various challenges, it is certain that the graduates are bound to succeed in future. Keep the ambition and determination burning; remember “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” In this group of graduates, I can see the first female president, the president of the most distinguished football club in this country as well as the most popular musician. Coupled with the learnt character, your pride will take you places.
I also wish to thank the parents and guardians that sacrificed over forty hours of their time each week to source for resources for our maintenance. With the financial and emotional help and guidance, you helped the graduates soar above the skies and achieve goals beyond their expectations. The attained intelligence and strength is fundamental for dealing with the emergent challenges that have increased in both frequency and complexity. Of great importance are the established solid and sustainable friendships with the teachers, peers, parents, coaches and different other individuals that we have interacted with through time. These are undeniably imperative and will certainly provide a strong basement upon which future goals would be based. For this, we will forever be grateful to all the involved stakeholders.
News Article Review. Zucchi, L & Lister, S (2012). Zurich unveils strategic priorities and organisational changes
News Article Review 2
Introduction
Zucchi, L & Lister, S (2012). Zurich unveils strategic priorities and organisational changes. Zurich Insurance Website. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.zurich.co.uk/home/mediacentre/lifenews/Zurich+unveils+strategic+priorities+and+organisational+changes.htm” http://www.zurich.co.uk/home/mediacentre/lifenews/Zurich+unveils+strategic+priorities+and+organisational+changes.htm
Decision making is one of the most fundamental aspects of organizations. It is an activity that is carried out by any manager irrespective of his or her stature in the organization. The fundamental nature of decision making in organizations is underlined by the fact that it may result in the growth, prosperity or even failure of the organization in question. It is worth noting, however, that decisions are mostly risky and uncertain, always incorporating no guarantee as to their success (Shapira, 2002). In fact, decision-making is usually done amidst constantly changing factors, conflicting points of view, as well as unclear information, something that could make even the best managers to make enormous and sometimes irreparable blunders (Shapira, 2002). Nevertheless, decision-making is almost always aimed at enhancing the position and fortunes of the organization. It refers to the mental or cognitive processes that lead to the selection of the certain course of action from varied alternatives (Blenko, 2010). It may also refer to a problem solving activity that ends only when the decision maker comes up with a satisfactory solution (Blenko, 2010). Needless to say, decision making underlines organizational changes, which could be in the long term or the short term. This is especially considering that most of them are strategic decisions aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and profitability of the organization (Shapira, 2002). While there may be varied tough decisions in organizations, decisions involving human resources or workers are some of the most difficult ones. This was the case for Zurich, a global insurer that proposed varied organizational changes in line with its strategic priorities in September 2012.
Zurich considered the changing and challenging market conditions, as well as the unprecedented regulatory variations and came up with varied priorities. The company aimed at persistent growth in the corporate and retail risk markets, as well as corporate savings market via a program that it had launched earlier in 2012. Zurich would also maintain its focus on intermediated and advisory market so as to be synchronized with the increased necessity for advice to its customers. Having established the Retail Redistribution Review Changes, the company also prioritizes on separately managing the business in force, so as to enhance service delivery to existing customers.
These changes in the priorities have necessitated further changes especially in the composition of its workforce. While there may have been varied alternatives, the company management proposed that role numbers are reduced so as to enhance its agility and efficiency, as well as ability to compete in the market. It will eliminate approximately 200 jobs from the management and functions layers across the business. The business evolution has been necessitated by the persistent transfer of financial responsibility all the way to individuals from the state through to the corporate, the impending basic regulatory changes, as well as the gap between savings and protection in UK (Zucchi & Lister, 2012). This evolution aims at meeting the demands of customers and intermediaries. Varied sales roles that the proposed changes affect are within the branch offices of the company, which will be streamlined during the implementation of the proposals (Zucchi & Lister, 2012).
The key theme of this article is informing the general public, as well as the company employees about the organizational changes that would be made in the company’s workforce in the coming months. While this information has been relegated almost to the end of the article, it goes without saying that the author is successful in relaying this information. This is especially considering that the article has been given the appropriate title, which serves as one way of piquing the interest of the reader especially due to the incorporation of the words “organizational changes”. In addition, the article aims at informing the general public and the workers about the justification for the proposed actions. It outlines the company’s commitment to meeting the needs of the stakeholders especially the customers, as well as enhancing the company’s competitiveness in the market. It states its reason as the necessity of building on its success, which can only be attained through focused and sustainable cost base. On the same note, it has affirmed the reputation of the company especially as a player who acts fairly with regards to its employees. This is especially considering that it is still consulting with union representatives and employee forums on the affected jobs.
However, the article seems unclear as to when the changes are to be effected, or even whether their implementation has already been decided. This is especially where the author states that the company has informed workers whose jobs “may” be rendered redundant. This undoubtedly creates an unclear picture as to whether the changes will be effected, as well as the sectors that would be affected. Nevertheless, the strength of the article lies in the comprehensive nature of the information especially with regard to the proposals and justification for the same. The validity of the information contained in the article cannot be doubted, especially considering that it is incorporated in the company’s website. Overall, it does a commendable job in informing the public and workers about the likely changes and the priorities of the company.
References
Zucchi, L & Lister, S (2012). Zurich unveils strategic priorities and organisational changes. Zurich Insurance Website. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.zurich.co.uk/home/mediacentre/lifenews/Zurich+unveils+strategic+priorities+and+organisational+changes.htm” http://www.zurich.co.uk/home/mediacentre/lifenews/Zurich+unveils+strategic+priorities+and+organisational+changes.htm
Blenko, M (2010). How Companies Can Make Better Decisions, Faster. HarvardBusiness. Accessed from http://sciencestage.com/v/37283/effective-decision-making-better-and-faster-decisions-how-to-improve-company-and-business-organizati.html
Shapira, Z. B. (2002). Organizational decision making. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.