The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essays

The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essays The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essay The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essay The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships 1 For decades, interracial relationships have been a deep seated conflict among many people and families in our history. Not only in the United States, but many countries around the world have debated and banned such acts. Although it has now been found to be unconstitutional based on the violation of the fourteenth amendment, societal perceptions, norms, and hate groups have still managed to persist. We as a country have come a long way in the past fifty years by recognizing the injustice in banning and punishing certain marriages, but there is still a definite stigma and an abundance of prejudice, resentment, and negative reactions attached to those who are involved in an interracial relationship. Studies have shown that as recently as 1991, 42% of respondents said that they still disapprove of interracial marriage (About). Further studies done by Bramlett and Mosher in 2002 had found that by the tenth year of marriage, 41% of interracial couples had divorced compared to 31% of same-race couples. In the years of 1985 to 1989, an astonishing 55% had ended (Bratter King, p. 160). One tends to wonder if these rates are higher because of the outside factors and people that are against these couples, or if this could be a reason that so many people are against the concept of interracial marriage. Some have hypothesized that interracial marriage selects on those persons that are already likely to divorce because of certain personal characteristics. Yet another explanation states that these marriages potentially unite persons from differing interpersonal styles, and varying values attached to marriage and family. Therefore, maintaining that relationship may be more difficult eventually ending them in divorce (Bratter King, p. 161-62). Many other theories have been conceived about what it is that tends to lead these couples toward divorce more than others; we will go over a few of 2 them. Up until 1967 with the case of Loving versus Virginia, sixteen states in the United States had laws prohibiting interracial marriage between a white and olored person. Just as it is made known through these previous laws addressing only black and white marriages, those relationships that consist of an African American and a white are still seen as the most controversial in America (About). A Ford poll from 2003 surveyed 1,314 Americans which resulted in three in ten participants expressing disagreement with black and white intermarriage. Howeve r, they were more willing to accept white-Hispanic or white-Asian marriages(About). The hypotheses for these attitudes were related to economic prosperity, skin color, and history of economic hardship. It is hard to determine exactly why these feelings are so strong. Many saw interracial couples as violating the goodness of fit belief, that these people were less likely to be compatible (Lewandowski, p. 289) and also loss of racial caste privilege†, mostly for whites (Bratter Eschbach, p. 1029). So what do these statistics and attitudes imply for interracial couples of today? Research shows that interracial marriages have an amplified risk of marital disillusionment. Many of the previously mentioned attitudes have been shown to increase this high divorce rate, but many more theories will be explored further throughout this paper. Because of so many varying attitudes about the topic of interracial marriage, many people that are in these relationships find themselves knowing a friend or family member that disagrees with their beliefs and way of life with an interracial partner. Bratter and King say that the negative reactions to interracial couples from strangers and 3 the diminished social support from family and friends generally characterize the experience of Black/White couples (p. 62). These couples will many times avoid community activities because of feared racism and also have a harder time integrating into larger family/social networks. One example would be a white female partner dating a black man. She may be less equipped for dealing with the negative reactions toward her black partner and also may be disliked by black females because sh e is seen as a threat to their own marriage prospects and also said to be unfit to raise and nurture her punitively non-white offspring. These types of experiences and attitudes lead many Black/white couples to isolate from their communities to rotect themselves (Bratter King, p. 170). As one can see, when social support is lacking it can lead to couples isolation. Isolation in turn can lead to other psychological issues and problems between the couple making arguments and distress much easier to come by. One could almost say that at least outside of the direct home of the couple, negativity seems to be lurking on all sides of them. It would be easy to see how divorce may sometimes seem like the most logical or conceivable solution to these stresses. It is clear that negative reactions from family as well as from society and also outsider beliefs are aspects that can contribute to stress and negative marital dynamics, yet there are still other variables like background/values, age, and psychological distress that was just touched on briefly. In the past, interracial relationships were seen by many as a psychological flaw or disorder in the person involved; someone who had low self esteem, self-loathing, deep psychological sicknesses, and inferiority issues. These attitudes put even more of a 4 negative impression on interracial couplings and the people that participated in them. However, after many new studies, we have seen that these views have been backward. People involved in interracial relationships have a very unique bag of issues compared to same race couples. Many can be or feel abandoned and rejected by their own community because they are viewed as selling out- abandoning their race rather than embracing their race as a valued characteristic in themselves and others(Lewandowski, p. 01). Instead of seeing them as finding someone they love regardless of color it seems that a racial spin always has to be put into the picture. There is also an underlying resentment in many African American females when their men marry outside of their race because they see this as a threat to their own personal marital opportunities and is also felt as a negative reflection of their personal self worth (Childs, p. 558). Also, as mentioned earlier, isolation is a common trait for interracial couples. Whether because of family disapproval, society prejudice, or just irrational beliefs, social isolation can be very damaging to individuals as well as a couple with no outlets. Both recent and classical scholarship predict that among all married persons, those in interracial relationships are more likely to experience conditions that create psychological distress relative to their same race counterparts with a same race partner (Brater Eschbach, p. 1028). Now that new research has been given a chance, society can see that rather than assuming that there is some underlying psychological issue in those that partake in interracial relationships, but that lack in support, isolation, negativity, and attitudes from outsiders can lead to psychological distress. Therefore, the previously thought cause is now a possible effect. Stress in relationships without the proper support and outlets can easily lead to tense 5 marital situations and lead to what may seem like the only logical escape; divorce. When looking at a general risk of divorce for any couple, age has seemed to play an important role. This is also relevant for interracial marriages, if not more so, as you will see. Marriage at a younger age has shown to be a large characteristic of many divorced couples. Of all predictors of divorce, age at marriage is the most well established and most consistently predictive, regardless of time period when the marriage began (Bratter King, p. 161-62). Studies done by Bramlett and Mosher have estimated that there is a dramatic increase in divorce rates, over 20%, between those who marry before the wife turns 18 years of age and those who marry after the age of 25 years. This is worth mentioning when researching the explanation behind such high divorce rates among interracial couples because historically, specifically those African Americans that marry outside of their race have tended to marry at a younger age than if they were to marry someone inside of their race (Bratter King, p. 62). African American/White relationships are mentioned specifically because these tend to be the most controversial marriage because of such social distance and also the least likely to succeed (Childs, p. 544). Although this cannot be named the sole reason for such high divorce rates among these couples, it can possibly be a starting point to explain some of the different dynamics that go on inside of these relationships. Stress from outside sources have definitely decreased over the last decades for interracial couples, but from news and studies we can tell that it is not completely abolished like the previous marital bans have been. Just look at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Even up into the twenty first century, this school was blatantly 6 prohibiting interracial relationships on their campus by way of threats of expulsion (About). Unfortunately these types of scenarios will most likely continue on through the years and may continue to carry on the discrepancy of divorce rates between couples of same and different race marriages. Although divorce rates for interracial marriages are significantly higher than their same race counterparts, there are many differing and unique qualities and dynamics that need to be factored in when examining the reasons behind it. There is no single cause and it most likely cannot be chalked up to different skin color. The perceptions, attitudes, treatment, support (and lack of), values, and backgrounds of individuals in the relationship and of those interacting with the couple, all contribute to the environment that they are in and surrounded by on a daily basis. The way that these things impact the interracial couple will also play out into their own marital relationship once they are at home. Seeing as though many times these outside forces are very negative, one would guess that the relationship would also take a turn in that direction. Many of these mentioned theories and dynamics contribute to the high divorce rate among interracial couples in America, although many more aspects most likely add to this problem.

U.S. History project 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S. History project 1 - Essay Example The perspective of persecuting people who belonged to the other religions motivated hundreds and thousands of people to leave their homes and migrate. People escaping these punishments being conducted by the authorities of the King Charles I mostly settled in the province of Maryland. This religious freedom was the main reason that helped establishing colonies in America which also affected the economic, social and political development in America. Therefore, diversity became the identity of the American nation. Although every individual had the freedom to practice their religion as they pleased but some people looked badly upon other religions. One of them were the close-minded New English settlers in America, it was a good and bad thing at the same time because they brought the other settlers together which later on shaped colonies but it also pushed outsiders away. These colonies accepted many other churches because of the cultural diversity. This proves that these people had much importance for religion and migrating to America provided then the incentive to practice their religion as they pleased. Religion was the basis that brought people together from other countries that belonged to a common religion. The time of the â€Å"great Awakening† when occurred in the mid of the 18th century it provided more reasons and chances to the people to practice their religion. Preachers travelled from town to town and inspired people to accept their religion. As many people believe that religion was the case that sparked revolution in England, at the same time there is a never ending debate that economics was the reason. It is valid to say that not only religious freedom was the cause; in fact economic factor was also a major aspect in the English Revolution that encouraged colonial development in North America. The statement that â€Å"the economic concerns were the major contributor for bring in British settlers† cannot be denied. These economic concern s mostly outweighed the religious concerns for British North America. Christopher Columbus used a term â€Å"New World† for the unexplored lands of North and South America. The economic concerns of the British formed the English colonies in North America; these economic concerns included exploring lands for acquiring the reserves of gold and silver. It also included a waterway that connected North America to China and also for countering dominance of any other nation in North America. The English also sought for obtaining the essential raw materials in North America that they had to buy from the European countries for large amounts of money and gold. Apart from getting a hold of the lands and acquiring valuable resources of North America, English migrates also had other plans like England needed to renew some of its assets to export them to other countries. They also wanted to help them maintain their powerful naval forces through making business ties with the prospect of flo urishing their economy by providing help to the unemployed. Therefore, it is true that both factors motivated British to migrate to North America and establish colonies. PART 2 There are multitude of reason to justify American rebel against the English empire, things that kept adding up to their frustration and then resulted in becoming a painful historical event. It is true that the American colonists

Unions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Unions - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the organization is committed towards advancing their mission by engaging local communities, collective bargaining, organizing and political activism through the efforts of their members (American Federation of Teachers, 2012). Although, AFT members do not work in core industrial environment, there are numerous hazards involved due to the complex situations that they work in. Teachers have greater possibilities for respiratory infections and work related asthma. Furthermore, it has been observed that many paraprofessionals leave the organization citing voice disorders. Moreover, renovation of schools, internal air quality and cleaning chemicals relatively affect the health systems of various members in the workplace (American Federation of Teachers, 2012). A Washington DC based organization First Class Education (FCE), introduced a ‘65 percent solution’ scheme, which needs to be maintained compulsorily by schools of all states. The scheme endorsed all schools to spend 65% of their budgets on ‘classroom instruction’. However, the members of AFT feel that the scheme will adversely affect schools and its students. Moreover, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) classroom instruction includes the cost of teachers and most of the classroom supplies. However, it excludes costs regarding the staff and services essential for conducting numerous programs. The services include professional development, libraries, food and nutrition, custodial work and transportation which enable classroom learning in the initial stages (American Federation of Teachers, 2012). The environment in which the members of AFT work is deemed to violate Occupational Safety and Health Act 1970 (OSHA) which states that employers should be responsible for providing secure as well as healthy working environment which is not being complied with by the leaders of the

History Vietnam Controlled Assessment Essay Example for Free

History Vietnam Controlled Assessment Essay P1 Para-starter: Use of Defoliation to win hearts and minds. Point 1: Causes birth defects  Evidence: â€Å"Agent Orange is fifty times more concentrated than normal agricultural herbicides; this extreme intensity completely destroyed all plants in the area. Agent Orange not only had devastating effects on agriculture but also on people and animals. The Vietnam Red Cross recorded over 4.8 million deaths and 400,000 children born with birth defects due to exposure to Agent Orange. (http://vietnamawbb.weebly.com/napalm-agent-orange.html) Explanation: So it affected South Vietnam negatively, caused them to hate US and feel sympathy for VC. Evidence 2: Point 2: Use of napalm strikes Evidence: â€Å"Fail grey smoke where they’d burnt off the rice fields, brilliant white smoke from phosphorus, and deep black smoke from napalm. They said that if you stood at the base of the column it would suck the air right out of your lungs.† (Sauvain, Philip: Vietnam) Explanation: Consequently shows how bad it is from American POV so would be worse for random civilian. Evidence 2: Para-ender: Overall, defoliation is bad because it makes civilians hate US. P2 Para-starter: Use of Search and Destroy to win hearts and minds Point 1: Ruthless aggression of Americans Evidence: â€Å"Frustrated and frightened American troops settled on searching villages and destroying those instead. In most cases these villages played no role in supporting the VC.†(Demarco, Neil: Vietnam) Explanation: Because of this Americans would kill innocents (Refer to My Lai Massacre and Zippo lighters) Evidence 2: Para-ender: As a result, brutality of US caused the civilains to hate the US P3 Para-Starter: In addition, use of Search and Destroy to counter VC Point 1: VC were well prepared Evidence: Such missions were ineffective because at the slightest hint of american activity the communist forces would slip away into the jungle.(Bircher, Rob and May-History controlled assessment) Explanation: Shows how well prepared VC were compared to americans Evidence 2: 60%of US casualties from the war came from traps and mines Explanation: Shows how vulnerable Americans were, demoralized American troops and failed to counter VC P4 Para-starter: Finally, Defoliation counters VC Point 1: Successful to an extent Evidence: It is estimated that approximately 77 million litres of this acid was sprayed over Vietnam (Rob Bircher and Steve May History Controlled Assessment) Evidence 2:Nearly 5.5 million acres of South Vietnamese forest and cropland(Gibson, Michael The war in Vietnam) Explanation: initial plan to uncover Ho Chi Minh trail, but not fully achieved. Para-ender: In Addition, they couldnt do more damage cause communists are supported by USSR and China.

Community Service is a Way of Giving Back Essay -- Contribution to My C

Many think that community service is just something you are forced to do for school. To me, community service is a way of giving back. I like making people feel as though they matter, and it gives me a warm feeling at the end of the day because I feel I have made a difference. I grow as a person each time I do community service. Some people do community service because they have to, but I do it because I want to. I have volunteered about 52 hours of community service in the READ program at a local elementary school on east 3rd street and ave S. Two days a week, after school I would take the B82 and take it down to east 3rd street and walk to the school. I would wait about 10 min before the children would come into the classroom. I tutored first graders and thought them how to read better...

Impact of Electronic Information on Individuals & Society

In this report I will discuss the impact of electronic information on individuals and society. I am going to talk about how the ways people access information has changed and how new technologies have played a part in this. Firstly I will talk about how increased availability of electronic information has changed mine and my family’s daily lives. Then I'll consider how this has affected the older generation, in particular, the elderly.After that, I’ll explore some of the ways organisations these days communicate with individuals and society, and finally I'll talk about people who do not have access or don't want to have access to the internet and the possible consequences of this. Over the past few years the amount of information I receive from paper-based information sources has decreased dramatically while electronic information is becoming more and more significant to mine, and my family’s daily lives. On a daily basis I access many different types of electron ic information such as text messages, internet and television.All these things have a huge impact on me and my family. For example, if I want to meet a friend, first of all I text them to find out if they’re at home and are not busy, while not so long ago when I didn't have a mobile phone I would go to their house and find out if they were at home, which isn’t very time efficient. Another example of how increased availability of electronic information has changed my life is the way I find the information I need. Not so long ago I was searching for information I need in paper-based sources such as books, newspapers and magazines.While now I mostly use the internet, and a search engine such as Google for searching for information. But the problem with search engines is that you have to be very accurate and know exactly what kind of information you want to find, otherwise you may not find what you need or not exactly the kind of information you need. I sometimes also watc h the television; television provides light entertainment, education and information. It means that I can be kept up to date with what is going on in the world by watching the news, or alternatively can be kept amused.In the rapidly aging population, the elderly are called upon to adapt to new technology and the demands of modern society. It is widely accepted that elder individuals show low adjustment to new technologies compared to younger generations, either because they do not have the technological experience or because of their current health status. At their effort to use new technologies, they usually face many difficulties related to the complexity of new technology. Other contributing factors for this low adjustment to new technologies are the lack of incentives, economical obstacles, digital skills and appropriate training.A commonly held view is that the market is not currently investing enough on innovations for the elder users, such as comprehensive and user-friendly s ervices for healthier living conditions. In addition, many products and services often are not appropriate to the needs of elder users, exacerbating the sense of frustration and leading to dependence on other people. The main sources of information for the elderly are the internet, thematic television channels and magazines.In their effort to take greater responsibility for their personal health, physical status and independent living conditions, the elderly users need to be more informed through the use of these sources. Technology may involve the use of most simple everyday electrical appliances (TV, kitchen, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, etc. ) or other more complex machines (ATMs, PCs, mobile phones etc. ) This widely accepted use of new technology by the elderly population has a beneficial effect on their quality of life. More and more organizations are equipping the use websites to advertise themselves.When an organization has a website, they suddenly have a home base for the me ssages their customers have to share with everyone. They can take that to the next level by branching out and allowing their customers to sign up to be on an e-mail list on their website. They can then send potential customers updates for the latest deals, blog posts, and more. Although e-mail is a valuable communication tool, its widespread use in academic and business settings has introduced some new challenges for some people. I believe every business needs to use technology to gain competitive advantage.In today’s world, time and efficiency are very essential factors in business growth, so if you want your business to survive in this technologically demanding century, you will need to use technology. The type of technology used in business varies, as they do not all have the same needs of technology; it can be used for communication, manufacturing, packaging, quality control, record keeping, accounting, human resource management, data security, decision making, used to im prove customer service, business marketing and promotion and more.Because it is a relatively new form of communication, basic social conventions for writing and responding to e-mail are still being worked out. Miscommunication can easily occur when people have different expectations about the e-mails that they send and receive. In addition, e-mail is used for many different purposes, including contacting friends, communicating with professors and supervisors, requesting information, and applying for jobs, internships, and scholarships.Depending on your purposes, the messages you send will differ in their formality, intended audience, and desired outcome. The individuals who do not have access to the internet, do not know how to use it, or simply do not want to use it are being deprived of the benefits, social opportunities, and time saving methods the internet provides. This further segregates certain groups of society. For example, most uneducated people probably do not have access to the internet, and if they did, they would not be able to use it as efficiently as more educated people.The internet has changed the way we live, interact with others, and go about our daily lives. Social interaction no longer relies on physical location, which has many implications that sociologists are interested in studying. As a relatively new invention, we have yet to see the full implications and effects that the internet has on societies around the world. This opens up an entirely new and exciting field within sociology and it will be interesting to see where it takes us.

The World Mental Health Organization - 1452 Words

The World Mental Health Organization (WHO) define mental health as â€Å"A state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.† There are many factors that go into what categorizes a person as â€Å"at risk†. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, an at-risk person is one that a person that has demonstrated or expressed the thought of self-harm or suicide. An at-risk person may have a current diagnosed mental illness or one that has gone undiagnosed. Some of these diagnoses include, but are not limited to, depression, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence, personality†¦show more content†¦About nineteen percent of young people contemplate or attempt suicide each year. So how do these statistics matter to you? Think about it like this, according to the center for disease control, (CD C), every 12 minutes, a person will die because of suicide attempt. That is roughly five deaths every hour. However, you do not hear about suicide like I have so bluntly put it to you. We see suicide on the news and social media and it is written so positively. When Robin William’s died of suicide in 2014 the media started the phrase â€Å"Genie you are free†, but could this quote be potentially glorifying suicide in a way that changes society’s perception on suicide. Throughout the years, media has continually grown and has had a huge impact on people of all ages. According to the authors of â€Å"The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families†, social media is both a blessing and a curse, social media encourages creativity, connection between peers, and helping shape ones individuality. However it also can lead to â€Å"Facebook depression† which is depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression.†(O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson). O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson also point out the flaws that social media has privacy, advertisements, and