White Privilege and the Myth of Meritocracy-Diversity in Organizations Essay

White Privilege and the Myth of Meritocracy-Diversity in Organizations - Essay Example The discussion is also made in the additional contexts of the questions that are required to be answered relating to white privileges that have relevance with regard to organizational diversity; white privileges from the vantage point of non-white minority groups; how discrimination fosters white privileges and whites’ perception of their own capabilities and merits; the use of the terms qualified minorities, qualified whites, and qualified women; gender-based privileges; the relationship between wealth and privileges (Bell, 2011; pp. 223-256; McIntosh, 1990; McIntosh, 2009; McNamee and Miller, 2004; Unz, 2012). Discussion Whites here refer to the ethnic groups that fall under the umbrella of non-Hispanic white and have roots in Europe, or else are from North Africa or the Middle East. They include those who self-report being white, or else report themselves to be one or other of the following: Arab, Irish, Polish, Lebanese, Italian, German, or from the Near East. This is also the definition espoused by the US Census Bureau, and forms the basis of the definition for the paper (Bell, 2011, p. 225). By white privileges is meant those privileges that accrue to Whites in America by virtue of the social conventions that work on either positively discriminating whites based on their color to confer special work, consumption, and other social privileges, or to negatively discriminate against non-whites to effectively put whites in positions of economic, social and political power, and in other relevant aspects of social and cultural life in the country. The myth of meritocracy, meanwhile, posits that whites earned their privileges and positions of dominance and power, and that conversely other minority groups effectively have not earned power and therefore are unable to rise into similar positions as whites. The myth of meritocracy also exists as divisions in â€Å"earned† power and privileges along gender lines, with white women being in inferior positi ons at work for instance due to white males having earned their positions through the merits of their own work and capabilities. While there are parties that assert that reverse discrimination exist, and documented in the courts, the reality is that white privilege persists as a social force acting in ways that reinforce those privileges at the expense of women and minorities, even as whites themselves in significant numbers have historically worked for more egalitarian social arrangements among races, viewing diversity in organizations as sources of strength and advantage that lift all in turn (Bell, 2011; pp. 223-256). Answering the first question, McIntosh presents many of the subtle ways by which white privilege presents itself in daily life, and it is easy to imagine that in the context of organizational diversity, many of those presentations are relevant, especially with regard to not being racially profiled for a host of activities including participating in race-based discus sions and in discussions on promotions, and with regard to the impact of subtle segregation rules in the choice of housing for employees that may work against drives by organizations to foster greater racial diversity in its employee pools. In promotions discussions, if majority of upper management is white too, then ingrained social forces operating within an organization would work against greater ethnic diversity in the management ranks too, to cite another example (McIntosh, 2009; McIntosh, 1990). To answer question two, If I were a member of a minority ethnic group, the white privileges relating to natural social tendencies to promote and enhance the power of whites over

Cultural Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cultural Music - Essay Example What we are going to explore in this paper are the values, cultural music uphold, its historical significance, where it came from and the factors that distinguishes the cultural music from that of popular culture. We would put light across factors like religious rituals, social rituals, materialism and how it developed. Cultural value becomes a relative idea today because it is everywhere turned into something quantifiable, as the principle of exchange value (i.e., price) is extended into all spheres of life. Music when considered on a broad spectrum, is an art, and the value of art becomes a shifting term in an economy of cultural meanings, defined by its relation to other signifying elements in the cultural system, not to anything "real" to which it might ultimately refer. But when it comes to musical judgments, cultures are never explored in the context of social values. Though the formation of "taste cultures" has always been socially defined. Participation in certain genres of music say, grand opera, street ballads, or rural folk music was historically determined by a person's social position, not by a purely independent aesthetic choice. Indeed, from a sociological perspective, cultural taste is always a social category rather than an aesthetic one; it refers to the way we use cultural judgments as social "currency, " to mark our social positions. This may be less clear today, since contemporary society is characterized by the fragmentation of older taste cultures and the proliferation of new ones. In this context, cultural musical transactions take place with increasing rapidity hence the heating up of the cultural economy and its rapid turnover of new products. Not only are taste cultures themselves shifting, but people now tend to move between them with greater ease. These factors contribute to a sense of the relativity of any single position. Contemporary musical choices enable us to make selection from among umpteen choices, such choices refer to the pluralism, and the effect of that plurality is inevitably to confirm that, in matters of musical judgment, the individual can be the only authority. (Johnson, 2002, p. 7) Musician Perception Musicians are perceived as "speaking on behalf" of the cultures they perform. As Harnish says, "For those of us teaching in geographic areas of little diversity, we are charged with or charge ourselves with the task of representing the music and culture of the ensemble". (Solis, 2004, p. 14) Debate about music, even technical debate between musicians, has always been an attempt to wrestle with this conundrum: music flows from individuals to other individuals and yet seems to be shaped by supra individual forces. The basic model of that conundrum does not change. Music teachers, however, are the only

How has globalization affected employment and communities in Essay

How has globalization affected employment and communities in contemporary Britain Focus on the de-industrialised Greater Glasgow area as discussed in a recent report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - Essay Example In the end, this affects the whole economy as communities feel the effects of uneven distribution of resources especially in regards to industrialisation. However, this is not only experienced in Greater Glasgow area but it is the same case in other places like the Heathrow village which is in west London. First, globalisation has a major impact on migration and labour markets. The migration details are differential in that different places experience different levels of migration. Some people migrate to get to a better place in terms of working places and wages. However, some people are on the receiving end as they are most likely to experience low wages to whichever place they are migrating to in search of a better working environment (Industrial Communities Alliance, 2009:24). Similarly, the labour markets are unevenly distributed. Whereas some labour markets are having an environment that is conducive to some people, other labour markets are offering adverse conditions. Similarly, some labour markets in the area are highly benefiting from globalisation as they are well established. Apparently, some people in this region are experiencing adverse market conditions. This is broadly experienced in the Greater Glasgow area where some individuals and groups are reaping the advantages of globalisation while others are not (MacKinnon, Cumbers, Featherstone, Ince and Strauss, 2011:2). In bizarre instances, some people in the same area are excluded from the labour markets instigated by globalisation. Therefore, some people are benefitting at the plight of others owing to the spread of globalisation. Inequalities in the Greater Glasgow area have threatened an increased effect from recession to some individuals and groups that reside here. It is considered that while globalisation is intensifying, the marginalised groups will experience harder financial situations. This is owing to the

Impact of Music Education and Issues Stopping its Implementation Essay

Impact of Music Education and Issues Stopping its Implementation - Essay Example Therefore, through this research I would like to find the answers to the following two questions:What are the effects of music on overall development of the brain including academics? Why is music education not taken seriously by educators and what are the reasons withholding them from implementing music education permanently?To answer the first question, there is a lot of secondary research available. Many experts and researchers in the field have already addressed the issue. Some researchers have conducted studies that show that there is a link between music and brain functioning. â€Å"Mozart effect† is a result of one such study. Studies have been conducted to identify specific effects such as effects of music on learning, reading skills, standardized tests, grade-point averages, etc. Therefore to answer this and prove my thesis that music has positive effects, I will depend primarily on secondary research. The sources that I will use are mentioned in the bibliography. Thi s is based on initial research and new resources will be added as after detailed research.Therefore I will concentrate more on primary research. This will involve conducting surveys and interviews of scholars in the field, both from music and education. The administration in educational institutions will be contacted and requested to take part and assist in the research so as to get to the bottom of the issue. If necessary, the participant’s privacy will be respected and their identity will be kept anonymous.

External Analysis on Noble Energy INC Case Study

External Analysis on Noble Energy INC - Case Study Example An organization is directly impacted by the occurrences of the external environment in which the organization functions. Moreover, the external environment provides the impetus and paradigm that shapes the function of a company. A number of reports and observation of the eminent scholars reflected that organization having the ability to adjust itself to the exterior environment, essentially survives in the marketplace. On the contrary, companies that fail to match up with the external requirements get eliminated from the competition and the industry. Therefore, from the above discussion it is obvious that a company should carry out in-depth analysis of the external business environment to enhance the chances of prospering. Proper analysis will not only help in better understanding and formulating appropriate strategies, but will also ensure improved productivity and better performance of the company (Williams and Cutis 4-8). This study will analyze the external business environment o f Noble Energy INC, which is a US based company involved in manufacturing and distribution of petroleum and natural gas. The external analysis of the company will encompass an overview of the general environment. Demographic segment, economic segment, political/legal segment, socio-cultural segment, technological segment as well as the global segment will be highlighted. In addition to the analysis of the external business environment, the study will also shed light on the industry driving forces. The next half of the study will carry out the activities mentioned above. However, before getting further deep into the study, a brief overview of the company is presented below: - Noble Energy INC: A Brief Overview Noble Energy, Inc. also known as Noble Affiliates Inc. is a Houston based oil and natural gas production and exploration Company. The company was founded in the year 1932 and is currently headquartered in Houston, Texas, United States. During the year 1985, the Noble Affiliates spun off the subsidiary Noble Drilling Corporation to the shareholders. This company in turn went public in the early 1990s. From then Noble Energy, Inc. became one of the major brands of as Noble Affiliates and customers started to recognize this company in the name of Noble Energy Inc. It is now an S&P 500 company of the world. During this span of 80 years in the market, the company has been able to achieve colossal success and added several feathers to its cap. Noble Energy is also the first company to have explored the Gulf of Mexico for the purpose of oil exploration. Moreover, it enjoyed so much power during a phase that it helped in shaping the industry as well as shaped its own future. Charles D. Davidson is the current chairman of the company and also acts as the CEO and president of the firm. As per the views of the stakeholders and customers, the company is best known for the proficiency in exploration, flexibility, innovation and technical expertise. Furthermore, the st rong financial platform and a well balanced portfolio offer prospering opportunities across the commodity price and economic cycles. Apart from USA, the company operates in several other parts of the world as well. For example, in South America it operates in Nicaragua and Argentina; in Africa, it functions in Cameroon and

500 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

500 - Essay Example Here I will assign the extra time by seeing the nature of the activity. The main purpose of this section is to streamline the time and allocate the enough time resources project. Now I will discuss critical and non-critical activities, and their effect upon the shortest time needed to complete the project. Like we can save time from the activity of â€Å"call for nominations† we can have 3 days from this activity. Then in the â€Å"organize record sheets† task we can save 2 days. From the â€Å"ask for officials to volunteer† task we can have 2 days. We have saved overall 7 days out of 71 days project. In this project of the sporting event I have discussed the main events and tasks that we have to carry out regarding overall project implementation. Here I have tried to carry out activities in such a way that the there is no conflict among the activities in any scenario. Here I have also implemented the project management activities like WBS, OBS and

Relationship between christianity, judaism, and islam Research Paper

Relationship between christianity, judaism, and islam - Research Paper Example This word, historically and textually, is considered ambivalent since it can be interpreted as a simple struggle with one’s ego and it could also be interpreted as an act of physical violence against the infidels. Muslims were always accused of waging war against the non-believers. They were not the only ones that have waged wars in the name of religion because even Jews and Christians did.2 Dr. M. Amir Ali argued in this respect that â€Å"jihad is usually associated with Islam and Muslims, but in fact the concept of Jihad is found in all religions including Christianity, Judaism and political/economic ideologies†¦Islam defines Jihad as striving and struggling for improvement as well as fighting back to defend one’s self, assets and homeland.†3 Oddly, in the Christian tradition, Jesus is relegated to the level of God and he is viewed as the savior of all humankind. However, in Islam he is seen as a Prophet who was entrusted to fulfill God’s mission on earth. Very often, such difference in creeds lead to religious conflicts as every religion strives its best and utmost to impose its creeds amidst people. This is why it is recommended that a spirit of respect and tolerance should be developed in order to help these Abrahamic faiths co-exist. Theologian and religious scholars have therefore to consecrate all the efforts in order to reconsider the wrong meaning of Jihad and correct some falsehoods that are relevant to some versions of the