A Study of the Healing Process from Slavery and Racism Essay -- Racial

â€Å"A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.†-Frederick Douglass When you think of slavery, you may want to consider the effects of an earthquake because that’s how powerful it was. Like many earthquakes, slavery produced various damaging ramifications to everything around it. This included devastation to family structures and in worst cases the loss of human life; and without doubt slavery claimed the lives of many just as Harriet Jacobs expressed â€Å"I once saw a slave girl dying after the birth of a child nearly white. In her agony she cried out, â€Å"O Lord, come and take me!† Her mistress stood by, and mocked at her like an incarnate friend (Jacobs 20).†The energy released from slavery is interminable and will always live on throughout African-Americans. Although, being practiced years before, slavery became well prominent in America in the 18th century. African-Americans were beaten, starved, and deprived of their rights. It was common for them to live in dreadful conditions, and work in unjust circumstances. Along w ith being raped day by day, certainly not least, they were bereaved of their freedom. They were handled as assets and dismantled from society, as well as their relatives. And if this was not alarming sufficiently, when slavery was legitimately abolished â€Å"White America† found another way to control African-Americans, through Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws immediately became the modernized slavery institution. Further creating a barrier between opportunities and Blacks, for they were seen as intellectually and culturally inferior to mainstream America. African-Americans needed to heal from ongo... ...all. However, society’s dividing beliefs soon began to influence all that was to become of them. Their struggles became their motivations in life, especially as they took on a new world and found what was beyond plantations and hard work. Why was slavery and racism so powerful? They were no longer just units of language, they had obtained meaning. â€Å"White America† had become aroused and attached its emotional and physical sensations to the controlling of African-Americans. They had merely separated their feelings from life. And even so, they used fear as a shield to protect their sentiments. However accordingly, through African-Americans past, present, and growing future, a wound can never be fully healed, for you will always carry it for the rest of your life. But, through mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional practices it is easier to succumb to the pain. A Study of the Healing Process from Slavery and Racism Essay -- Racial â€Å"A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.†-Frederick Douglass When you think of slavery, you may want to consider the effects of an earthquake because that’s how powerful it was. Like many earthquakes, slavery produced various damaging ramifications to everything around it. This included devastation to family structures and in worst cases the loss of human life; and without doubt slavery claimed the lives of many just as Harriet Jacobs expressed â€Å"I once saw a slave girl dying after the birth of a child nearly white. In her agony she cried out, â€Å"O Lord, come and take me!† Her mistress stood by, and mocked at her like an incarnate friend (Jacobs 20).†The energy released from slavery is interminable and will always live on throughout African-Americans. Although, being practiced years before, slavery became well prominent in America in the 18th century. African-Americans were beaten, starved, and deprived of their rights. It was common for them to live in dreadful conditions, and work in unjust circumstances. Along w ith being raped day by day, certainly not least, they were bereaved of their freedom. They were handled as assets and dismantled from society, as well as their relatives. And if this was not alarming sufficiently, when slavery was legitimately abolished â€Å"White America† found another way to control African-Americans, through Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws immediately became the modernized slavery institution. Further creating a barrier between opportunities and Blacks, for they were seen as intellectually and culturally inferior to mainstream America. African-Americans needed to heal from ongo... ...all. However, society’s dividing beliefs soon began to influence all that was to become of them. Their struggles became their motivations in life, especially as they took on a new world and found what was beyond plantations and hard work. Why was slavery and racism so powerful? They were no longer just units of language, they had obtained meaning. â€Å"White America† had become aroused and attached its emotional and physical sensations to the controlling of African-Americans. They had merely separated their feelings from life. And even so, they used fear as a shield to protect their sentiments. However accordingly, through African-Americans past, present, and growing future, a wound can never be fully healed, for you will always carry it for the rest of your life. But, through mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional practices it is easier to succumb to the pain.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry :: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Essays

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry In Mildred Taylor's enthralling novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, the Logan family serves as an excellent model of family values and self worth. In the face of racial and economic adversities, Mama and Papa Logan provide their children with the important lessons they need to be successful in life. First, the Logan children; Stacey, Cassie, Little Man, and Christopher-John, learn to be persistent and determined. Next, the children acquire the knowledge of caring for each other. Last, they become able to stand up for what they believe in. An example when the Logans teach their children strong work ethnic occurs when Papa explains the importance of owning their land. Cassie considers her father's words as she thinks: For it he would work a long, hot summer pounding steel; Mama would teach and run the farm; Big Ma, in her sixties, would work like a woman of twenty in the fields and keep the house; and the boys and I would wear threadbare clothing washed to dishwasher color; but always, the taxes and mortgage would be paid.(4) Papa's explanation to the family about working hard makes Cassie think about the sacrifices the family will have to make to keep the land. These sacrifices might be hard to make but it will be necessary to keep the land and pay taxes. Another quality is that the Logans care for each other when Stacey stands up for Little Man when Miss Crocker hands out old, dirty, and torn books. Cassie exclaims, "Yes'm, he been reading since he was four. He can't read all them big words, but he can read the columns. See what's in the last row. Please look, Miz Crocker." (18) Cassie's courage to stand up for her little brother is phenomenal. She does so even though she knows she might get whipped. Her bravery shows that she supports the fact that blacks are treated inferior to whites. Miss Crocker at first refuses to look and then she say, "well that's what you are." Miss Crocker is in a state of denial in trying to convince herself that there is no problem with the school. Last, the Loga ns instruct their kids to stand up for what they believe in.

Holmes Is Made Possible By Watson. :: Free Essay Writer

Holmes Is Made Possible By Watson. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular characters in literature. I read the three stories; ‘The Speckled Band,’ ‘The Engineer’s Thumb’ and ‘The Beryl Coronet.’ I have looked at; how the stories were structured, Dr Watson as the narrator, language used in the stories and the difference between Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes as characters in the stories. Most crime fiction stories are structured in the same way. Sherlock Holmes stories usually employ this structure; the crime is committed, an investigation is launched, a solution is thought up and an explanation is given. This structure is used to build up suspense and keep you guessing what happened until the end, when it is revealed. An example of this is in ‘The Engineer’s Thumb,’ where the crime was reported to Holmes, Holmes then investigated the crime, by making observations and deducing he reveals the solution and finally explains his solution to the characters and readers. Dr Watson is vital in the structure of the stories because he is an eye-witness throughout all the cases. Holmes explains his theories and methods to him, so Watson is in the reader’s position. This is because he obtains information from Holmes and writes it as the narrator for the readers. As the narrator, Watson eye-witnesses the investigations and tells us every development in the cases. Watson also enables Holmes to explain his methods, the explanation to each case and how he solved it. For example where it says in ‘The Speckled Band’, â€Å"There is no mystery, my dear madam†, said he, smiling. â€Å"The left arm of your jacket is splattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dig-cart which throws up mud in that way and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver.† Holmes makes a deduction from the fresh mud on her left arm that she had come in a dog-cart. This is achieved by Watson allowing Holmes to convey his method. Every time that Holmes explains something to Watson, another clue is revealed to the reader. He does this by explaining in detail to Watson and the readers in detail. An example of this is in ‘The Engineer’s Thumb,’ â€Å"†¦as fast as the horse could go.† â€Å"One horse?† Interjected Holmes. â€Å"Yes, only one.† â€Å"Did you observe the colour?† â€Å"Yes †¦ It was a chestnut.† Watson makes all this possible, just by narrating ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.’ Holmes and Watson are two very different characters, Holmes is the detective and Watson is his sidekick. This makes Sherlock look

Analysis of the Poem: The Darkling Thrush Essay

Speaker: The speaker in the first two stanzas is portrayed as pessimistic and dark, but this changed in the two last stanzas. In any case, the speaker is conveyed to have strong feelings for nature. Form: Rhyming scheme is clearly visible giving to poem a rhythm. The 3rd stanza’s rhyming scheme seems to have been modified, if not a little disturbed having a not as good phonetic ending at the end of each stanza conveying the speaker’s disturbance and surprise at the appearance of the thrush. Imagery: L.1 the coppice became a gate conveying that it’s not in its natural state, humans could have modified it. L2: â€Å"When Frost was spectre-grey† a spectre/ghost is something dangerous, menacing, conveying Frost is dangerous, and cold is dangerous, deadly. The Frost being as cold as a ghost. L2-3: Frost and Winter with capital letters, this personifies them. ïÆ'   Cold, winter, death theme introduced. They will be the two â€Å"main characters â€Å"of the poem. L3: â€Å"Winter’s dregs† winters residue, conveys the snow. L3-4: â€Å"Winter’s dregs made desolate, The weakening eye of day† The snow is taking over the day, dark over light. â€Å"Eye of day† conveys the sun symbolizing light, happiness, warmth, is being taken over by â€Å"Winter’s dreg’s† darkness, snow, cold. L5-6: â€Å"The tangled bine-stems scored the sky, like strings of broken lyres† this simile compares plants that are reaching for t he sky, like broken lyres, lyres are instruments symbolizing usually illusion, and mostly the instruments of the gods. Lyres are therefor in the sky with the gods, and the plants are trying to do the same, but will never reach it â€Å"Broken Lyres† or broken â€Å"illusions†. This simile conveys somehow the sky in contrast to earth, heaven, and hell that plants are trying to flee â€Å"score the sky†. L7-8: â€Å"And all mankind that haunted nigh† all the men that were hunting close by, â€Å"Had sought their household fires† had gone back to their house by the fire for warmth. Winter, or death, is more powerful than men with guns. L9: â€Å"The land’s sharp features seemed to be† sharp here conveys the cold. This verse introduces the nature or â€Å"land† as main theme of the stanza. L9-10 â€Å"The land’s sharp features seemed to be† the lands cold features seemed to be â€Å"The Century’s corpse outleant† the Century’s dead body. This metaphor connects the two verses and develops them further in doing so. The land’s â€Å"features† are now clearer to convey member’s like body members. This metaphor also connects â€Å"the land† to the â€Å"Century’s dead body† the speaker here could also convey his thoughts that our present Century is dying. L11-12: â€Å"His crypt the cloudy canopy† This verse conveys the transformation of the â€Å"cloudy† canopy, the unclear, mysterious conveying menace canopy (human being afraid of the unknown) into a crypt, chamber for the dead. Once again the death (here of nature specifically) is here conveyed. This continues the metaphor of the dying land by â€Å"his† asserting a personification of the land. This verse transforms the â€Å"cloudy canopy† into the chamber of death â€Å"crypt† of the land. Finally, to finish the portraying image of a dead body in a crypt, the image of a funeral is clearly conveyed through the 12th verse. â€Å"The wind his death-lament.† This image portrays the wind as the relative, or witness, grieving the land’s death. L13-14: â€Å"The ancient pulse of germ and birth† the verse bring through the image of a â€Å"pulse† of life, that is now no more â€Å"ancient† used to be, but no longer is. â€Å"Was shrunken hard and dry† this continuation of the verse beforehand confirms the death of the â€Å"pulse of germ and birth†, of life, that was â€Å"shrunken hard and dry† that was killed by winter. The use of â€Å"shrunken hard and dry† contrasting â€Å"the pulse of germ and birth† is very well chosen. The pulse of germ and birth is something soft, happy, promising, whereas the use of â€Å"shrunken† shrinks the promising life, turns it into something hard and dry. The contrast of life and death is portrayed here through nature. L15-16: â€Å"And every spirit upon earth seemed fervourless as I† This conveys the desperation and hopelessness that seems to be shared by â€Å"every spirit upon this earth† the whole world seems to have no more hope for better days. With these two last verses, it leaves the second stanza on sorrowful â€Å"fervourless† tone. L16-17: â€Å"At once a voice arose among the bleak twigs overhead† The 3rd stanza starts off with an element of surprise, raising the curiosity of the reader creating suspense of who this might be, or what. This also somehow creates a certain feeling of hope. The 3rd stanza also starts of unlike the other first stanzas through hearing, and not seeing. Therefor the images that were up to now conveyed through the eyes, is not conveyed through the ears. L19-20: â€Å"In full-hearted evensong of joy unlimited† this element brings about hope and joy which was not brought through so far. L21-22: â€Å"An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small, in blast-beruffled plume† The suspense is now broken, we find out what this element of surprise and joy is, a bird, a â€Å"Thrush† like indicated in the poem’s title. The sense goes back to seeing now, and the bird is portrayed as â€Å"frail, gaunt, and small† in contrast to the merciless powerful cold winter and death that was conveyed beforehand transforming an entire land into corpse, and yet this bird is full of joy and life unlike â€Å"every spirit on earth†. The bird’s appearance is further more explicit in verse 22 â€Å"In blast-beruffled plume† This feeds further the contrast between the bird and the harsh winter. Indeed the thrush is not only portrayed as markedly frail, but the sharp wind has ruffled his feathers, and we can imag ine the tail-feathers blown nearly inside-out by the sharp blast. L23-24: These verses are very important as they mark another contrast between the bird’s appearance, and â€Å"character†. Indeed this feeble blast-beruffled bird that was conveyed earlier on â€Å"had chosen thus to fling his soul upon the growing gloom† This small bird is like a brave small weak, and yet brave soldier â€Å"flinging† his soul into the midst of a battle, â€Å"upon a growing gloom† that menaces to kill him at any moment. The 3rd stanza brings through an element of hope and surprise. L25-29: The senses are now changed into hearing again as the speaker describes the â€Å"carolings† of the little bird that seems to light up â€Å"terrestrial things â€Å"afar or nigh around† (near or far) into this growing gloom that the speaker doesn’t seem to understand. L30-32: The final 3 verses of the last stanza are very important as they will change the view of the speaker. Indeed the â€Å"happy good night air† of this bird â€Å"some blessed Hope† which is conveyed to be brought through to the speaker by this thrush â€Å"whereof he knew, and I was unaware† The speaker here conveys the relief and comfort and wisdom that was brought to him through the natural wisdom and bravery as well as optimism of this feeble and delicate, yet brave, and tenacious thrush. On this the poem ends on a good note full of hope and optimism for the future.

Organic Food Speech Essay

I have a question for you at the beginning of this speech. Who just eat organic food everyday? Obviously! According my research, which I gave the question to my friends. Most of them know about organic food, but only few of them just eat organic food which including the vegetable, meat and eggs and other people don’t take it seriously and eat fast food always. What is organic food? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic crops are raised without using most conventional pesticides and using no petroleum-based or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers. Do ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ mean the same thing? And four main reasons to choice organic food! No, â€Å"natural† and â€Å"organic† are not same. You may see â€Å"natural†, â€Å"all natural,† â€Å"free-range† or â€Å"hormone-free† on food labels. These descriptions must be truthful, but don’t mean they are â€Å"organic. † Only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic. According to USDA: Organic food such as fruits, vegetables and meat can make people become healthier and organic farming can protect the environment. Choice organic vegetable! The picture for strawberry: On the right is non-organic and left is organic. For the picture down: one the right is non-organic and the left is organic. Normally, non-organic fruit or vegetable will grow faster and taste not as good as organic food. For the last picture: the right side is organic egg and left side is non-organic. The reason why the color is different is because organic chicken also eats organic feed. Choice organic meat! We also need to choice organic meet. From the picture we see. Organic Meat Comes from Animals Treated Ethically and Humanely. The organic farming looks cleaner and animal form there lives healthier. Here are some of the reasons why you should buy organic animal products. 1. Organic meat comes from animals that were given a pesticide-free diet. 2. These animals may have had some limited access to pasture. 3. They were not loaded with antibiotics, steroids and other poisons. 4. Organic meat has not been irradiated. Therefore, organic meat is not loaded with toxins–that are subsequently passed on to you when you eat them–like conventional meat is. Health and money which one you prefer: Non-organic food can cause lots of disease. Even the organic food is expensive; there is nothing important than our lives and our family’s health. According to the research from Organic Liaison: Because factory-fed cattle eat the ground-up remains of their SAME SPECIES, this can cause mad cow disease, destroying a human’s central nervous system and brain. Also the animal, which grows up in dirty environment, can cause many parasitic disease and diarrhea. Studies also show that grass-fed beef contains more nutritional value, including higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Here is another new research from Maryland University: Non-organic Chicken has one kind bacterium, which is resistant to modern medicine. This kind of bacteria that can cause serious and unpleasant disease that becomes a lot harder to cure. Conclusion: We know that eating organic fruits, vegetables, and other produce is the way to go. It’s healthier, it tastes better, and it doesn’t have any nasty toxins or chemicals. Healthy and happy life cannot live without organic food. Now let us choice organic food!

Aging with Spirituality: A Review of the Literatu Essay

Aging with Spirituality: A Review of the Literature Sherry A. Tattersall South University Tampa Abstract The intention of this subject is to spread awareness of the impact that religion and spirituality play in the aging process, specifically those over the age of eighty-five. It is becoming more and more acceptable to incorporate a person’s faith in their care, both at home and in a clinical setting. The impact of spirituality and/or religion in terms of how much better a person will age physically, mentally and emotionally is overwhelmingly positive. This wisdom and love of God that is not only gained through years of experiences, good and bad, but also through a deep-rooted faith, is often overlooked and even sadly ignored. The elderly have so much to offer anyone that will take the time to listen, as they have a precious ability to embrace the end of life and a love for the Creator that goes beyond the understanding of most young people. It is only recently that spirituality and the neurobiological effects that it has on the aging in relation to mental and physical health, as well as attitudes about death and dying, have been taken seriously enough to study and implement into care. Faith in God seems to be the key to doing what our mothers always told us to do†¦age gracefully. In this day and age, it is acceptable to consider age 85+ years old as elderly, and upon accomplishing the age of 100 years, we win the prestigious title of Centenarian. Due to the baby birth explosion Post WWII, hence the ‘Baby Boomers’, born between the years 1946 and 1964 (U.S. Census Bureau), along with healthier lifestyle, eating habits and advances in science and medicine, more people are living longer. Research has shown that the effects of religious faith and personal spirituality in the elderly are extremely beneficial in understanding the meaning behind death and illness, as well as coping and healing. It makes sense that as we age, we also develop our spiritual capacities, drifting away from the hustle and bustle  of work and raising children, making it easier to explore spirituality and participate in religious activities.After all, there is within each one of us, a strong desire to connect with the Holy. Atchley (2008) defines spirituality as, ‘an in ner, subjective region of life that revolves around individual experiences of being, transcending the personal self, and connecting with the sacred.’ With the loss, disability, illness, and general physical breakdown of the body in the aging process, it becomes increasingly valuable for us to understand our spirituality, ultimately connecting with our Creator as this is truly where all peace and understanding originate. Spirituality is a way of making sense out of what is happening in the aging process and gives the elderly a sense of peace while grappling with serious issues. Even coping with dementia seems to become a more peaceful experience for the older caretaker. The Duke Longitudinal Study of Aging found that, although religious satisfaction and attitudes do not change much with aging, the feelings of being useful and happy, as well as personal adjustment, tend to increase. Tornstam (1997) coined the term, ‘gerotranscendence’, referring to how the older, mature adult experiences conception of time, an awareness of death and mortality, which may result in an increased desire to explore individual spirituality. Tornstam reports the following comments made by an 86-year old woman in relation to this philosophy: â€Å"You go back to childhood almost daily. It comes without reflection. I talked to a good friend about this. We both go back to the town where we grew up (in our thoughts). Childhood means much more than one thinks; I go back to it all the time.† Ironically, the older adult’s childhood may seem nearer at age eighty-five than at age forty-five. Throughout life, we store away life experiences through language and perception as memory in the brain. Some of these experiences could be ‘spiritual’ depending on the individual’s actual capacity to be enchanted in wonder. For example, looking at Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon could be a spiritual experience if the individual has developed the capacity to perceive the absolute beauty of nature. The wonder or enchantment is not inherent in the falls or the canyon, but in each of us as human beings. Throughout life, spirituality is developed spontaneously, subconsciously, and even purposely as we get into our later years and really begin to accept  our mortality. We do this by nurturing our spiritual being with reading spiritual material, attending church, listening to and watching spiritual programs, spending more time in prayer, and desiring to be around spiritual or religious people. The elderly generally develop a â€Å"let be† attitude about life’s journey, and know that developing spiritually cannot be forced. It is enjoyable and educational to listen to the wisdom expressed by the elderly when they speak or write about their spiritual journey. They teach us that wisdom and spirituality is a living process. Aging successfully through spirituality really sparked interest in the 1990’s by the McArthur Research Network. Their studies showed that religious participation in the elderly is just as beneficial as diet, exercise, mental stimulation and being connected socially. A better quality of life in spiritually-connected elderly can also be linked to the decreased use of tobacco products, abuse of drugs and alcohol, longer marriages and of course their supportive networks that all bring about a sense of peace and tranquility. There are many large-scale community studies that assess religion and spirituality as it coincides with the health and well-being of elderly men and women. The Established Populations for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly (Lavretsky, 2010) did a study on approximately 20,000 U. S. adults, revealing that involvement in religion can prolong a life by seven years on the average. In another study, Comstock’s and Partridge’s analysis of 91,000 peo ple in Maryland that attended church showed a decrease in the prevalence of cirrhosis, heart disease, and suicide.A great number of studies reveal a direct correlation in commitment to one’s spiritual self with lower rates of hypertension, cancer pain and stroke. Studies also prove that religion or spirituality is also associated with decreased anxiety, stress, strong relationships and better overall mental, physical and emotional health. All of these types of studies have proven similar results in all parts of the world and in all races, cultures and religions. The benefits of spirituality for the aging adult may be a fairly new concept in that it has really only been studied in the past twenty to thirty years, however, it is being taken seriously in geriatric care by practitioners everywhere. In many clinics, religion and spirituality are now taken seriously as a part of an individual’s history when it comes to  assisting elderly or seriously ill patients in order to help them cope, and even heal. Of course, the subject of religion may be a touchy one for some; therefore practitioners know that they must approach this area cautiously. One way to do this is by asking open-ended questions, such as, ‘is faith (religion, spirituality) important to you in this illness’; ‘has faith been important to you at other times in your life’; ‘do you have someone to talk to about religious m atters’; and ‘would you like to discuss religious matters with someone?’ The sense of well-being through spirituality and religion equally runs through White, Mexican, and African-Americans as studies have demonstrated, because inherently, people of faith, no matter what the race or culture, internalize peace and tranquility about aging and illness, leading to better self-esteem, attitudes and lower rates of depression and anxiety. â€Å"Evidence suggests that meditation, prayer, and other religious and spiritual practices may have significant effects on the aging brain – positive effects that may help improve memory and cognition, mood, and overall mental health† (Newberg, 2011). Gerascophobia, the fear of aging, is common in people that have a difficult time experiencing birthdays, and that do everything within their power to ‘stop the clock’. We see as people age that they experience disengagement and loss like never before, such as losing professional identities, incomes, and seeing friends and/or family die or move away. This is a ‘time for working out a philosophy, and then working that philosophy in to a way of life; a time for transcending the senses to find, and dwell with, the reality that underlies this natural world’ (Smith, 1991). As Pope Benedict said to the residents of a nursing home in Rome, Italy in 2012, â€Å"It is beautiful to be elderly!†¦We must never let ourselves be imprisoned by sadness! We received the gift of long life. On our face there must always be the joy of feeling ourselves loved by God, never sadness.†

What do you consider to be the main causes of social conflict in Britain’s cities in the last ten years?

What do you consider to be the main causes of social conflict in Britain's cities in the last ten years? Stephenie Thourgood What do you consider to be the main causes of social conflict in Britain's Cities in the last ten years? This essay aims to introduce types of social conflict that prevail in today's society and identify possible causes to the social conflict that has occurred in British cities within the last decade. Social conflict is the struggle between individuals or groups of people within a society that have opposing beliefs/ interests to other groups. From these struggles, tensions are produced and are expressed in a variety of ways often through anti-social behaviour such as theft, drugs, riots, attacks, demonstrations, strikes, hooliganism and vandalism. The main focus of this paper will be the causes behind the riots in British cities in the last ten years, as riots are a form of social conflict easier to measure than the other forms; Riots occur sporadically and last for a certain duration. Crime for example is an ongoing process in all areas of the country. The essay will conclude by suggesting changes to be made to reduce social conflict in Britain. Britain has a history of city riots that were probably most prominent in the 1980's in areas such as Brixton and Manchester. There have been thirteen recorded riots between 1991 and 1992 where the police temporarily lost control over the violence. All of the riots occurred in council estates on the periphery of London in low-income areas with long standing socio-economic problems. Unemployment levels were far above the national average. The participants were predominantly young white British males aged between 10 and 30 years old. There tended to be a high concentration of young people, in some areas over half of the residents were under 24 years of age (Power, A 1997. ppix). Individuals in society have labelled this group of people the ‘underclass'. There are however different understandings of what is meant by the ‘underclass'. It would seem that in a time where the class system is supposedly dead, class differences still exist. The ‘underclass' in this paper will be considered as people with † low educational attainment, a lack of adequate skills †¦. ,shared spatial location, dependency on welfare, unemployment and under-employment†¦ pathological family structures and the inter-generational transmission of poverty; involvement in the unreported economy and a pre-disposition to criminal and disorderly behaviour†( Crowther, C, 1997 pp7). In the way that the working class had little power in the capitalist system until they formed a global alliance of all workers (proletariat), the underclass too struggle to make a difference until they unite and riot (Dicken, P 1990). There are many reasons behind social conflict and there are also catalysts that trigger the social disorder such as riots. Community is often a group of people with shared interests, a neighbourhood where residents feel a sense of identification and belonging. Traditionally a sense of community was based around the neighbourhood you resided. This concept is fast deteriorating as new community identities within communities evolve e. g. the ‘gay community' and ‘ethnic communities'. These divisions within the community produce conflict as the various groups have different interests and perceived priorities in the neighbourhood (Hogget, P, 1997). Social tensions also occur due to demographical factors surrounding the communities. The housing estates that often witness violent outbreaks tend to have a population of predominantly young people, unemployed or on a low income, living in council housing. The estate is then branded an economically deprived area. If there were a mix in the wealth of the estate then role models for the less affluent would exist and give the deprived younger resident something to aspire to. Due to the young age of a large percentage of the residents, they are easily influenced and attracted to the mobilized violence, as there is support from fellow young residents and peers. Smaller groups of youngsters living on the estates would find it difficult to make an impression as numbers would be too small to cause the large scale of disorder evident in the riots of the last decade. â€Å"A mix of more mature households with younger families would provide stronger community constraints† (Power, A etal, 1997, ppxi). There was an increase in the amount of migrants living in Britain since the 1950's, this is no longer encouraged and constraints have been placed upon the process. Newly arriving immigrants were housed in the poorer areas of Britain. Obviously different ethnic groups have different cultures and interests. By housing them alongside the poorer British residents, very different groups were forced to live together in one community. As a result of this process there became a high concentration of poverty stricken ethnic minority groups living in densely overpopulated areas, which created tensions and pressure on local services. Equal opportunities policies sought to eliminate racial discrimination suffered by the ethnic minorities, by increasing the amount of minority employees. White unemployed residents job-hunting would find themselves in direct competition with the minority groups and therefore feel bitter that the minority groups can obtain work in Britain where some of the British can not (Crowther, C 1997). â€Å"Although race was not a dominant issue in the riots, individual minority families became targets of hate† (Power, A etal. 1997 pp 20) The white residents of the estates wanted to blame someone for their undesirable situation and targeted ethnic minorities as scapegoats to take their anger out upon in some of the riots. The economic disadvantage of the residents of these estates also contributed to the outbreaks. Education was often not reinforced by families on the estates, as they too had never had the importance of education demonstrated to them. Due to the lack of education, they knew of no alternative option to voice their opinions other than by violent methods such as rioting. Low educational attainment meant that children did not have the skills required of them to become a member of the labour force, and so often became dependent upon welfare (Crowther, C 1997). The provision of welfare undermines individual responsibility by giving rational human agents the incentives to not work and provide for themselves, thereby creating welfare dependency† (Crowther, C 1997. pp9). Girls very rarely played any major part in the rioting. This can be explained by the fact that girls achieved higher in school. They were more successful than boys in gaining employment and so had a sense of self-fulfilment. As boys' educational attainment levels were lower they were exposed to the feeling of failure, which carried on into their years of job seeking (Power, A etal, 1997). Many of the girls may have been mothers and as mother women may have recognised their responsibilities socially and did not want to be associated with the violence. Males, however, did not maintain their social role as a father and readily participated in the riots (Ginsberg, N 1993). The recession contributed to rioting also as it caused changes in the labour market that when combined with racial competition led to ever increasing tensions: â€Å"Throughout the course of their struggle to improve their market situation the ‘white' labour force often entered into antagonistic relations with ‘black labourers. Thus the segregation of ‘white' from ‘black' workers is shaped by individual attitudes and actions† (Crowther, C 1997, pp 12) The young unemployed people become bored as they have much free time and limited finance to pursue on interesting activities/hobbies. As a result of this they often turn to crime for means of enjoyment, excitement and to increase their income. Unemployment can give people a feeling of low self worth and a lack of respect from their family. Various types of crime such as stealing a car may often earn them respect from their peers and families especially if there is financial gain. This had a circular effect however as crime on the estate caused conflict between the victimised residents and the criminal population of the area (Altman, I 1975). Political factors can also help to explain the reasons behind social conflict. The areas that tend to be prone to disturbance tend to be areas that major government programmes are focussed upon. The Government created massive programmes that entailed investing money to improve housing, transport and urban renewal. An estate based housing office, a tenants association, health projects, community development trusts, policing projects are examples of the types of programmes initiated. They aimed to improve the immediate vicinity of the poorer estates, but the programmes had a short-term impact. It is true that the projects improved the quality of life for the residents, but nothing was done to increase education or job prospects. The government provided the estates with no means to continually support themselves and sustain their improved lifestyle. After time the services became run down again and the unemployed resident is still poor and frustrated. Government resources were scarce as they tried to divide the budget between all the different needs of the sub-communities within the community (Hogget, P 1997). â€Å"The cost of growing dependency by community organisations on such programmes in any areas became apparent†¦. community groups often found themselves in a struggle for scarce resources†¦ which exacerbated existing lines of tension between communities of difference† ( Hoggett, P 1997 pp10). Residents were previously not involved in the decision-making process on how funding was to be spent; they had no control over what was done in their community space. Had they been consulted they would probably have opted for a scheme that aimed to obtain businesses reinvestment in the area. â€Å"Most externally funded programmes were driven by outside constraints and did very little to change the prospects for young men or their stake in what happened† (Power, A etal 1997. ppx). Social aspects are considered to cause social conflict. All of the aforementioned reasons for social conflict lead to an accumulation of pressure upon a family. Home is perceived as a haven where people can take shelter from society, if the home is of poor quality and overcrowded with family breakdown there is no escape for those residing there; they are constantly faced with their deprivation and problems (Dickens, P, 1990). An increase in single parent families means for many youngsters there is no role model to reinforce ideal behaviour. From a study on youth and crime undertaken by ‘The Joseph Rowntree Foundation' it was discovered that damaged adults create damaged children (Power, A etal 1997). Poor quality parenting, parental conflict, little enthusiasm for education, criminal behaviour and poverty set examples to children that they too would follow. Pressure on the head of the family to be the provider can lead to tensions particularly if the family is in poverty and the parents are unemployed and dependent on welfare. The rest of the family may lose respect for that person, as they cannot provide an affluent lifestyle for their children. The media contribute to social conflict, as they provided a method by which the residents could communicate to the wider society. The media always reported on the riots and often exaggerated the situation. In some cases the media have been prosecuted for encouraging youths to riot so that the reporters could gain a good story for the sake of ratings. â€Å"the newspaper headlines provide a relentless reportage of the consequences of the collapse of excluded communities† (Hoggett, P 1997 pp13) Areas were often stereotyped as being ‘bad' by the media. The estates then experienced difficulties in trying to escape this labelling especially when applying for jobs. Weak social control caused by weak links with the wider society also contributed to social conflict. The youths were rarely punished for the riots and often gained support, attention and funding from the Government as a result. Due to lack of enforcement upon them they were constantly pushing the boundaries. They felt they had nothing to lose by rioting. Changes in society lead to increased tensions between marginalized groups and the police service. The police provided little protection to the community, they only responded to reported crimes. Due to the intimidation of the residents from the criminals on the estates, police struggled to find witnesses for the incidents. The police were therefore limited. Tensions between the criminals and the police grew, as the youths antagonised the police knowing that the police were unable to arrest them (Crowther, C 1997). During the riots the battle between the police and the youths was therefore often personal (Power, A etal, 1997). A diagram to show how rioting may occur. Riot Denial of voice Alternative power Boys excluded from family, Control battle school, work, leisure facilities Violence in public areas Loss of control Alternative voice Control vacuum Gang Formation Police challenge Hard tough style Rumbling disorder Intimidation, law-breaking Display of power Notoriety (Power A etal, 1997 pp53) Several case studies can be used to reinforce the reasons given. I have selected Blackbird Lees, and Bradford. Blackbird Lees is a housing estate located on the periphery of a large town in the Midlands in the 1950's and 1960's to house workers from the local industries. Only 8% of the houses were owner-occupied. The estate had few basic services such as shops, a medical centre, public houses and a bus route to the town centre. The population was predominantly young with 56% being under the age of 25, and 94% of the estates population were white. Unemployment levels were high at 42% and 22% of households were single parented. By the mid 1980's the estate was perceived as being one of the least desirable estates in the area. The area has a history of anti-social behaviour such as crime and harassment. The ethnic minorities were usually the first to be harassed. In 1992, the estate was awarded 15 million pounds to improve housing, services, diversify the tenure and increase resident involvement. A particular activity of the youths was to steal and ride motorbikes over the large areas of open space near to the estate. Residents wanting to use the green for other purposes felt too intimidated to do so. Petitions were drawn up and handed to the police who found it hard to impose control. Bikes were difficult to chase and often the bikers outnumbered the police. The riot was triggered by the arrest of three youths for a motorbiking related offence. Later that day fifty youths congregated and caused damage to the surrounding area in protest. More youths were arrested and the disorder continued and escalated over the following nights. On the fifth night 150 police with protective equipment took control of the situation and the disturbances ceased. Many residents, police and Councillors felt the disturbances were minor, and that the media exaggerated the events. There were conflicting perspectives of the role of the police; some believed they neglected the brewing problems for too long, whilst others believed they overreacted to the disturbance (Power, A etal 1997) Bradford is another area that suffered riots only this year. Bradford used to be dominated by the textile industry; due to the industry's decline many people were made unemployed. During the summer of 2001, riots broke out sparked by the general election. The area has a large ethnic minority population, high unemployment numbers and a substantial young population. A high percentage of voters supported the British Nationalist Party (BNP). The BNP gained much of their support by feeding from the tensions between the minorities and the ‘whites'. The BNP fuelled ideas that the ‘Asians' were taking all the benefits and jobs from the ‘whites', and that the ‘Asians' were the reason the whites were deprived. Both gangs had been involved in attacks prior to these riots. One night the ‘Asians' congregated in the streets and caused a full scale violent riot where the local vicinity was attacked and vandalised. It is thought they did this due to the propaganda spread by the BNP, which made them feel alienated in their own neighbourhood. The riot was very territorial fighting for social space to exist freely within (www. bbc. co. uk. news 2001). In conclusion, social conflict is the result of a concoction of factors that when fused together result in an explosion of disorder. The factors are social, economical, racial, demographical, political and geographical (Benyon, J 1987). When the status of these factors leads to a socially excluded deprived ‘class' of people who feel discriminated against, rioting is often witnessed. There are however, some more deprived areas where rioting has never occurred. This may be because there is stronger police control, or the age of the population may be evenly dispersed. All the areas that witnessed riots had large groups of young unemployed males living in a similar deprived geographical location (Crowther, C 1997). These men are â€Å"more vulnerable to group solidarity with other, similarly excluded, vulnerable, disorientated and poorly prepared young men† (Power, A etal, 1997. p51) These men were socially excluded and so rioted to release aggression, to be noticed, and to attempt to break the vicious circle they were born into. Riots are perceived by many as the ‘revenge of the socially excluded' (Crowther, C. 1997). Riots can produce results. The people involved in the riots are very rarely reprimanded for their actions, instead more money and programmes are set up to improve the infrastructure, services and support. Positive action needs to be taken in order to prevent further outbreaks. For a stable future young people should be taught that there are other non-violent ways to voice their opinions and recognise that an interest in their education can lead to better job prospects. A population mix should be generated in order to diversify the types of people living together. Activities within the community to relieve boredom and give people a shared interest should be initiated. Improved support should be given to parents and families and to community development groups. These ideas should be taken into account when planning future housing development and regeneration (Power, A etal, 1997). It is also argued that planning decisions from the past have contributed to the racial tensions and exclusion of certain groups by creating ‘ghetto' type areas through the housing policies (Solomos, J 1993). There are many aspects as discussed previously that when integrated lead to social conflict; the major cause being the long term exclusion and deprivation that the so-called ‘underclass' are made to suffer. They endeavour to change their situation but with so many limitations upon them, they are rarely successful other than through rioting. Multiple deprivation has dangerous consequences.