Womanism or Black Feminism free essay sample

Black women started to speak up in 1970s and during the 1980s and 1990s black womanhood started to be an important point of debates and since then African American women? s thoughts and ideas are a very significant part of literature. Gender studies are taught at universities and black women writers are known of. Their books are studied and researches done. They took a long and hard journey from slavery until today and it was not easy. Despite all disadvantages, critiques, obstacles and problems, they managed to get a word in the world which had only three categories: White men, White women and Black men. In this essay I would like to deal with two terms which are topical in current debates: Womanism and Black Feminism. Womanism is described in the first paragraph, Black feminism in the second followed by the conclusion. First I will focus on Alice Walker? s multiple definitions of â€Å"womanismâ€Å" in In Search of Our Mother? s Gardens. We will write a custom essay sample on Womanism or Black Feminism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She offers several meanings. She sees the term as rooted in history which was full of racial and gender oppression. â€Å"You acting womanishâ€Å" taken from the black folk tradition meant that the girls acted in outrageous, courageous and willful ways – it freed them from conventions. They behaved like white women could not, they wanted to know more than was good for them. To understand what she means we have to know that the history of black women and white women is different. Not only as a history of events but history of language. The conventions for black women were different, they were supposed to behave differently and the society took them less serious. But Alice Walker in her definition says that â€Å"womanishâ€Å" is also being serious, grown up, responsible – which is an opposite to white understanding of black women. Walker somehow implies that black women are superior to white women because of black folk tradition. Also Walker? s much cited phrase â€Å"womanist is to feminist as purple to lavenderâ€Å" black women are womanists and white women are only feminists. Then, we have to think about the colours purple and lavender. According to my opinion purple is almost red, full, and shining with energy. It is a colour darker, more lovely, and richer than lavender. Lavender is pale, poorer, and relaxing. It is an opposite to purple, yet there is a similarity. Both are connected to violet as violet would be something which connects them. I would say that this something could be a metaphor to humanity. They are different but both human, different race but still human. Walker also presents a visionary meaning for womanism. As part of her second definition, Walker has a girl asking a question â€Å"Mama why are we brown, pink and yellow, and our cousins are white, beige, and black? â€Å" The response is â€Å"Well, you know the colored race is just like a flower garden, with every color flower represented. â€Å" It criticizes the colorism within African American communities and broadens the notion of humanity to make all people people of color. Women and men coexist in the same garden but retaining their cultural distinctiveness. Womanism provides a space for Black women and women of color to create a dialogue in a non threatening environment. According to Katie Cannon, womanism is always in the making – it is not a closed fixed system of ideas but one that continually evolves through its rejection of all forms of oppression and commitment to social justice. Another definition concerns wholeness â€Å"A woman is committed to survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female,â€Å" which proposes that males are not the enemy whereas in feminism they are. Walker also sees womanist as a woman who loves other women, which implies that womanists could be lesbians but it remains unacknowledged in the work of African American writers (Collins 10). Secondly I would like to comment on feminism and Black feminism. According to Pearl Cleage, feminism is the belief that women are full human beings capable of participation and leadership in the full range of human activities. I think that for white women and also black women, it already works. Well, almost. Because there are still women who are not equal to men, their salaries are lower, they are supposed to work and also take care of the family but on the other hand, there are lot of women who work as managers and on the top-list positions or they are prosperous businesswomen. There are female presidents and governon generals, white and black. For example, Park Geun-hye from the South Korea, Joyce Banda from Malawi, Slavica Dukic Dejanovic from Serbia, Dilma Rousseff from Brazil, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from Argentina and others. I was really impressed how many white and also black women occupy high positions in the politics because in the Czech republic, there are not many of them. Even now in the twenty-first century I would find it rare to have a female president. But there is going to be time in the future when it will be normal, I hope. Then I would like to comment on Black Feminism. It is the acknowledgement that women of color have been oppressed by sexism and racism, that there was a failure to recognize and address these issues in the Feminist Movement and the Black Liberation Movement, and that women of color have their own agenda that neither movement can take on. Black Feminism focuses on the experiences, needs, and desires of women of color (Aldridge 193). In establishing why Black Feminism is relevant, it must be established that women of color have been thrice victimized: by racism, sexism and economic exploitation. These three oppressive forces affect women of color simultaneously and equally relentlessly (Gordon 166). The goal of Black Feminism is to create a criterion by which women of color can assess their realities, both in thought and in action (Hudson-Weems 210). Black women have long struggled with the exclusionary white feminism and challenged the racism within feminist organization. The specific issues worked on in the Black Feminist Movement, according to Barbara Smith, were/are: reproductive rights, sterilization abuse, equal access to abortion, health care, child care, the rights of the disabled, violence against women, rape, battering, sexual harassment, welfare rights, lesbian and gay rights, aging, police brutality, labor organizing, anti-imperialist struggles, anti-racist organizing, nuclear disarmament, and preserving the environment. To this end, several organizations were established during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Most importantly, the movement must find a way to broaden support among black and Third World women. Education about the true nature and goal of the movement as well as resources and strategies for change must reach the women who have little or no access to the movement. There is a need for the development of mentor relationships between black women scholar/activists and young black students, both female and male. Individual struggle must be connected with a larger feminist movement to effect change, and so that new black feminists need not reinvent theory or search again for history that was never recorded. There is also a need to develop black female subjectivity to address black women as the primary audience of theoretical and critical black feminism. Black women and men need to develop a critical style which encourages further dialogue and development of ideas rather than merely trashing and silencing new black feminist voices. Respect for fellow black women must be developed and guarded in spite of the sexist, racist, and classist cultural baggage with which all Americans are weighed down. Differences among black women must be acknowledged and affirmed, rather than ignored. Finally, alliances must be strengthened between the black feminist movement and its parent movements. The black feminist movement must hold the current male-dominated black liberation movement accountable for its sexism and at the same time work with the movement to end the oppression of black people. As well, there must be a working dialogue between the white-dominated feminist movement and the black feminist movement to continue to develop theory and action which strives toward the end of sexism. The power and influence that each of these groups has cannot be ignored. As one NBFO (National Black Feminist Organization) member has said, White women are our natural allies; we cant take down the system alone. (Hull, Scott, Smith). As previously mentioned, there are differences between Black Feminism and Womanism. Black Feminism is still a derivative of Feminism, which is female-centered. Womanism is centered around the natural order of life, family and a complimentary relationship with men and women. It is all-inclusive and universal. Black Feminism tackles the social, political, and educational struggle of African-American women in the United States but it does not address all the global issues that women in the African origin are dealing with. It should be noted that in no way is Black Feminism any more or less important than Womanism. In fact, there are many elements in Black Feminism that are considered womanist values, such as the recognition of African roots, the pattern of defining a Black woman’s standpoint and the struggle to correct sexist attitudes. Rather, Womanism is the direction that Black Feminism should be evolving towards. Since Black Feminism is primarily focused on issues in the United States, it is not enough for the current conditions of the world. Currently, as more women around the world take a stand against the injustices each respective country has, the need for global solidarity continues to grow.

American Revolution vs. French Revolution essays

American Revolution vs. French Revolution essays The French Revolution was one of the most significant turning points in French History. It may not have given France a proper democracy or have given France a good reputation with the Reign of Terror and all the deaths, but it did unify the French people together, which helped them over throw their cruel monarch. But when compared to the American Revolution, the French Revolution would be considered a big circle, with death in various parts of it. Why did each revolution start? Was it because they needed attention? Or was it because they were bored? Maybe it was it because they werent being listened to, and they wouldnt take it any more. That sounds a little better than the first two. I know that the American Revolution started because there was no representation of the original thirteen colonies and the British taxed them on every minor thing, for example the stamp tax. The French on the other hand started their revolution because they lived in poverty, in hunger, and in a land were the monarch will do nothing about it. As the poor peasants starved, the noblemen and clergy lived comfortable lives and had enough food for them. It sounds as if the French Revolution had a better reason to be started. Both wars were fought with different strategies that led to there over all victory. During the American Revolution, most standard military procedures were dropped and guerrilla warfare was used. Guerrilla warfare is like a hit and run but without the car and more causalities form the one that was hit. The British during revolution also gave the Americans the home felid advantage and gave them easy targets by wearing their red coats. Also the, Americans had a lot of outside help from Native Americans and the French (Irony). The French Revolution was fought without very many weapons and a lot of people. There were few guns to be found but there were probably a lot of farming tools like pitchforks and axes maybe even swor...

Frankfurts notion of Second Order Volition Essay

Frankfurts notion of Second Order Volition - Essay Example Frankfurt’s essay opens with his views on the concept of â€Å"person†. When his contemporaries seek to define a person as merely a body with states of consciousness, Frankfurt begs to differ. He states that a person is not just the singular form of ‘people’. It does not merely refer to the members of certain biological species with a set of specific physical and mental characteristics that are supposed to be uniquely human. Humans are not the only creatures with desires, motives and choices. But it is the capacity of reflective self-evaluation and a desire to be different from what they are that makes the persons a class apart from the other living beings.The primary feature that differentiates a person from other creatures is his structure of will. To define â€Å"will†, one needs to first understand the concept of first order desire. A first order desire is simply a desire for something or a desire to do or not to do one thing or another. For exam ple, a desire to smoke a cigarette or to watch a movie or to read a book is a first order desire. ... Therefore, a desire which determines the behaviour of a person at a critical moment and leads him to action in the presence of other conflicting desires is termed as will. (Frankfurt, 1971, pp. 4-5) To define â€Å"free will†, Frankfurt introduces another type of desires- second order desires. A second order desire refers to a desire about a first order desire or a desire to have or not to have a first order desire. Or in other words, a second order desire is a manifestation of the uniquely human ability of reflection on one’s first order desires. For example, a habitual smoker may have a desire to smoke but a smoker who is trying to quit may want â€Å"not to have a desire to smoke†. The latter is a case of second order desire.It is these second order desires that are regarded as a mark of ‘personhood’. (Frankfurt, 1971, p. 3) Second order desires which refer to effective first order desires are termed as second order volitions. In simpler terms, wh en a person wants a second order desire to be his will, it becomes a second order volition. To illustrate the concept better, we may take the example of a psychologist dealing with a drug addict patient. To understand his patient better, he may want to have the desire for drugs (second order desire). But he does not want his desire to be effective (to actually take drugs). The doctor thus demonstrates a second order desire but no second order volition. It is not second order desire but second order volition that is essential to being a person and this leads us to the definition of free will and freedom of action.((Frankfurt, 1971, p. 5) Free will is a situation wherein a person’s second order volition determines his behaviour. The definition of â€Å"freedom of will†

Identified Limitations and Threats to Validity Essay

Identified Limitations and Threats to Validity - Essay Example Corporate associations determine the information the person holds about the company, which determines the responses given in a questionnaire. The participants were at least 18 years old, and lived in Lima. This selection predisposes the respondents to certain outcomes. Reliability is affected by the stability of collected data. The responses of the recipient are bound to change during different periods. External validity refers to the extent to which the findings can be extended to other areas. The respondents were selected randomly and came only from Lima. Their responses could therefore fail to cover the behavior of customers in other cities and countries (Marquina, 2007). Questionnaires are effective for collecting large amounts of data. In this case, over 600 customers participated and each answered 32 questions. In this way the researcher was able to collect large amounts of customer views. Correlation between the different sets of data could be used to determine its reliability. However, respondents might not be willing to give responses. The researcher used two interview phases to using the same subjects. This provided more accurate responses. Interviews can be used for qualitative research. A research for CSR utilization in Nigeria used interviews as the source of information. The research method affects the quality of results collected. In this case interviews were used and the interviewer cross-examined respondents for detailed answers. In this way, the researcher collects detailed information regarding the study question. The same interview questions were used, and the previous interviewees could discuss the questions with others. This influenced their view regarding CSR in the country. The environment of the interviewees determines the quality of answers they give. In this case the respondents came from different sectors and the answers given depend on their knowledge about CSR. Respondents were from

Analyse the dramatic effectiveness in Act 3, Scene 5 Essay Example for Free

Analyse the dramatic effectiveness in Act 3, Scene 5 Essay Looking closely at the characters and language in Romeo and Juliet, analyse the dramatic effectiveness in Act 3, Scene 5 William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in 1954, although the basic plot can be traced back as early as the third century. In the play, Shakespeare relies heavily on the poem The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke. Most of the people in the Elizabethan era were perceptive enough to concentrate on how the play was being performed and engaged themselves in the language the characters were using. Shakespeares audiences had different expectations towards his play, as many of them recognised the story already, they were settled enough to watch it providing the dramatists interpretation proved to be unique and original. I have been looking closely at Act 3, Scene 5 where Romeo and Juliet have just been secretly married. The scene opens with the two lovers having to part quickly after the Nurse informs Juliet her mother is swiftly approaching. Already a dramatic atmosphere is created, the audience is almost waiting for Romeo and Juliet to be caught out, this they know can simply not happen. Juliet is understandably tearful; Romeo is sympathetic towards her, showing he really cares for her: I will omit no opportunity That will convey my greetings, love, to thee All this is in comparison to later scenes in the play showing Juliet solitary and unsupported. Between the two lovers, there is a great difference, Romeo appears more optimistic than Juliet who is full of fear, sensing premonitions of her next seeing Romeo dead in a tomb. Her premonitions affect the audience, making them apprehensive and tense: O God, I have an ill- divining soul! Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low As one dead in the bottom of a tomb. The audience hears these harsh, severe words and are reminded of Romeos earlier startling premonition that he would die young: . My mind misgives Some consequence not yet hanging in the stars.. By come vile forfeit of untimely death. A chilling effect is created on those viewing the play as they start to realise and understand the significance of the two premonitions. By looking back into earlier scenes, dramatic effectiveness is created. Juliet uses language that shows how she is fearful of how her life with Romeo could easily be destroyed. She speaks to him strongly, showing a strong contrast to her soft words used previously. The strong bond that has been created between the two lovers before the audiences eyes is momentarily going to be destroyed; tension is created as an aftermath of this feeling. This tension carries on and becomes hugely greater as the news of County Paris proposal is first heard of. The audience watch, already aware of the proposal, as the news is given to an extremely shocked Juliet. They wait anxiously for Juliets sake as she learns of it, and so a dramatic effectiveness is cast over them. The scene is made effective by the use of irony from Lady Capulet. As Lady Capulet refers to her joyful tidings and Juliets response is ironically a pleased one: And joy comes well in such a needy time But then the audience sees the real reason of Lady Capulets announcement and the hesitation of the crucial words proves to be highly dramatic, Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride Juliets intense anger would make great drama on stage, she shows her raging reaction well: Now by Saint Peters church and Peter too He shall not make me there a joyful bride! Juliets response shows exactly how she is feeling about the matter; she does not hold back at all. The audience knows the dilemma she is facing, one of bigamy, they are deeply involved and show much needed sympathy to Juliet. In the conversation that follows the cold and sharp language both Juliet and her mother used are very effective. Both sides address each other very formally, Juliet calling Lady Capulet, My Lady, Mother where Lady Capulet calls Juliet girl and child. This doesnt seem to be the language one would expect from a close knit and loving family. This could lead to the conclusion that Juliets relationship is far from the relationship she has with Romeo; a loving and stable one. When Lord Capulet enters Juliets room, it proves to be a significantly dramatic scene because of the violence and fury portrayed by Lord Capulet. He arrives in her room in a threatening manner; his wife shows fear warning us to expect the worst, Here comes your father. Tell him so yourself And see how he will take it at your hands. Lord Capulet does not expect Juliet to disobey him, he would simply expect grateful thanks and obedience from his daughter. He portrays himself as someone who is used to getting his own way and the way that he regards himself as royalty emphasises to his huge ego and elevated formal language,Have you delivered to our decree? He shows great enthusiasm as he enters Juliets room, he seems delighted with his plan and congratulates himself on stage. Being the only man on stage, he is showing domination and the audience can see that he likes to be in control. He makes the women afraid; his centre role on stage shows this. The language that he uses is indeed very dramatic and effective. He poses questions to Juliet, being sharp and short when he does so showing how bewildered he is, and he vociferously attacks his daughter overwhelming her with numerous with numerous questions which she does not have time to answer, How? Will she none? Doth she not give us thanks? Capulets sentence construction is cleverly disjointed emphasising greatly on his anger that is building up rapidly. He shows more of an interest in finding a way to answer Juliets questions and his concern is more about his cleverness than the distress of his only daughter. He uses aggressive terms to Juliet, you greensickness carrion, young baggage, both examples are very aggressive and devegiating.

Are Mental Images Real? :: Reality Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Are Mental Images Real? This essay was my first stab at defining and discussing reality for my freshman seminar, What is Reality?. Using a questionable topic of reality (in this case -- are mental images 'real'?), we were to attempt a working definition and method for determing that which is real. Pretty lousy, I'm not gonna lie, but an interesting assignment. In the middle of the night, a boy awakes from the most horrifying chase scene he’s ever witnessed, terrified in a cold sweat. His heart is pounding, he’s lost his breath. And yet he wakes to the comfortable knowledge that it was â€Å"all just a dream.† The mind is a strange entity, in that it is essentially our guide to that which we experience - it perceives, processes, interprets, analyzes, and utterly convinces. We respond physiologically to our minds’ wills, be it with elevated heart rates, elation, or a deep-rooted sense of confusion in the inability to distinguish between what our mind says and what we know to be true. Herein we see the quandary of existence as human beings in society : are the images and experiences of our mind truly real? To a schizophrenic, a hallucination in which he is attacked by a big black dog is as real to him as a true assault by a New York mugger. Where, then, is the line drawn between a pure mental image and reality, and what does this say about the nature of reality? Enlightened philosopher Rene Descartes said, â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† claiming the reality and validity of his existence based on the inner workings of his mind. The mental images and experiences he had were, to him, the fundamental proof that, as an entity, he was truly functional and definite. Yet how many of us have, at one point or another, asked ourselves, â€Å"Is this really happening?† and, despite the knowledge that we must be conscious to be questioning thusly, still couldn’t verify or discredit the reality of the situation? To quote a classmate in a discussion about the nature of existence, â€Å"All that individual existentialism stuff sounds pretty funky, but you’ve got to believe in it for it to work.† Indeed, the idea that reality is created or destroyed by one’s own willingness to exist is a terrifying and thought-provoking concept, riddled with metaphysical questions of procedure and mechanics of life. Do peopleâ€℠¢s minds allow them to know of their own horrifying and grotesque deaths, or is there perhaps an â€Å"I-am-dying-peacefully-in-my-sleep† hormone released when the body becomes aware of its infinite peril?

Twenty Years from Now

Wow, it’s weird picturing yourself twenty years in the future, but I love making goals for myself. First off, my job has to be the right one for me. I was thinking about managing hotels, like the Hilton, hotels that are all around the world. I want to be able to travel and see them in person. The money figure doesn’t really matter to me. I just want to have the job that I love, so that it won’t really be like working. Secondly, I want a marriage that will last forever. Looks aren’t really important to me. I want to have a big family, maybe four kids, no more than six. With a big family comes a big house.I don’t want a mansion, but I want a house that feels like home to me, something that I can actually claim as my own. Nothing to flashy, so people think that I have a lot of money, just something that I will feel comfortable with. With a house, you must be able to have a car. I want one minivan, and two really nice cars. Like I said about the house n othing to flashy, but something I am comfortable with in my own skin. One major thing that I know I will worry about in the future is my bank account. The main reason why I don’t want anything that is too flashy is because it can be taken away at any time or destroyed.That is why I want to have nice things, but also have a nice bank account, so that I know that in the future, if I need anything or just in case of an emergency, I have something that I can fall back on. Lastly I want a good health. At eighteen, I am not the healthiest person in the world. But I know I can work on it. With time, I can be a very healthy 38 year old man, with four to six children, an amazing wife, a nice size house, with the cars that I can dream about, and I can’t forget about the family dog. I had a daschund when I was younger name Rufus, and I think my children would love one as well. Twenty Years from Now Wow, it’s weird picturing yourself twenty years in the future, but I love making goals for myself. First off, my job has to be the right one for me. I was thinking about managing hotels, like the Hilton, hotels that are all around the world. I want to be able to travel and see them in person. The money figure doesn’t really matter to me. I just want to have the job that I love, so that it won’t really be like working. Secondly, I want a marriage that will last forever. Looks aren’t really important to me. I want to have a big family, maybe four kids, no more than six. With a big family comes a big house.I don’t want a mansion, but I want a house that feels like home to me, something that I can actually claim as my own. Nothing to flashy, so people think that I have a lot of money, just something that I will feel comfortable with. With a house, you must be able to have a car. I want one minivan, and two really nice cars. Like I said about the house n othing to flashy, but something I am comfortable with in my own skin. One major thing that I know I will worry about in the future is my bank account. The main reason why I don’t want anything that is too flashy is because it can be taken away at any time or destroyed.That is why I want to have nice things, but also have a nice bank account, so that I know that in the future, if I need anything or just in case of an emergency, I have something that I can fall back on. Lastly I want a good health. At eighteen, I am not the healthiest person in the world. But I know I can work on it. With time, I can be a very healthy 38 year old man, with four to six children, an amazing wife, a nice size house, with the cars that I can dream about, and I can’t forget about the family dog. I had a daschund when I was younger name Rufus, and I think my children would love one as well.