A Tragedy that Resulted from the African Diaspora Research Paper

A Tragedy that Resulted from the African Diaspora - Research Paper Example However, the concept of African Diaspora resulted when the West Africans regained their traditional customs, and reformed their religion, language, and culture. However, they have not been able to regain that identity that they lost in the slave trade. This loss of identity has made them suffer from racial discrimination since the time they were transported into the Western hemisphere (Berkin et al. 2011). It was not planned, but was a natural course of action. The Diaspora has given rise to anti-black sentiments all around the globe. These sentiments are not only for African-Americans, but for all blacks anywhere in the world, including African, Caribbean, and otherwise dark people. There is an interesting history of a mish-mash of African identity in America. This paper tends to discuss the theory of cultural materialism in relation to loss of identity in African Diaspora, and strives to answer the complex question regarding how the African Diaspora has created an impact upon the A frican identity throughout history. The anthropological theory of cultural materialism has been presented by the iconoclastic anthropologist, Marvin Harris (1927-2001). Erickson and Murphy (2008, p.148) state in their book that, â€Å"Cultural materialism addresses a central problem for scientific anthropology: people can be both subjects and objects of scientific investigation.† This means that people have the right to think as they like, and say about them as they wish. Where the true knowledge resides, is answered by Harris in two domains. One is mental domain, and the other is behavioral domain. Mental domain is based on what people think, and the behavioral domain is based on what people actually do. The Diasporic sense of blackness relates to cultural materialism in that, the mental domain makes the Africans fight back for their lost identity, while the behavioral domain is based on how they behave in the society, and how the society understands their behavior. This beh avioral domain is what has been the reason for labor market discrimination or racial discrimination that the African-Americans have been seeing through ages (Mason, as cited in Conrad, 2005, p.141). The question that arises now is- How the African Diaspora has affected the African identity throughout history? Thesis: Africans lost their identities in the African Diaspora. Anti-thesis: Africans regained their identities in the African Diaspora. Synthesis: Although Africans have made struggles to regain their traditional customs, religion, and cultural practices in the new world, yet they have been unable to find their lost identities, due to which they have been subject to racial discrimination since the slavery trade till date. To start with, let’s define who a slave is. A slave is a person who is owned by another person for labor, and who does not have an identity of his own. Does this definition mean that Africans should always be understood as objects of ridicule, not havi ng identities of their own, and meant for slavery of white people? This question has yet not been answered even after the end of the period of slavery. Black people in America are yet supposed to suffer from discrimination and a loss of identity, in all physical, mental and social terms. Nothing has been done ever, or can be done, to make them reform their true identities with which they lived in their own homeland. Affirmative action policies and anti-racism actions cannot bring

Europeans and Disease: Allies in Conquering Continents :: European Europe History

Europeans and Disease: Allies in Conquering Continents Chinese proverb claims that the rat is the most clever and strongest survivor of all animals. The rat proved itself in the beginning of time when god held a race for all of his animals; the rat was clever enough to hide in the ear of a large beast, and at the last second he leapt out of the beast's ear and crossed the finish line before the beast. Disease tells a similar history, in which it has been able to spread itself through out the entire world, through the naà ¯ve and unknowing help of humans and animals. Earlier in history, Europe seemed to be an epicenter for disease. This was rooted in the fact that the Europeans, more so than any other population, lived intimately with their livestock. Farmers and the surrounding aggregate nations survived harsh winters and hot summers where it was necessary to share indoor space with animals. Additionally, they had excessive contact with them and little understanding of what hubs of nastiness their fury friends were or what control centers for disease they themselves would become. Humans have historically shown a deep affinity for livestock and continue to do so, currently, in New Zealand there are more sheep kept than there are people on the island. In fact, in some cases, people seemed to have developed such a tenderness for their animals that they resort to practicing bestiality. Several common human diseases are closely related to animal diseases. Smallpox developed from cowpox and measles is closely related to rinderpest (another bovine dise ase). But whether it is through cuddling, milking or whipping our animals, we have managed to remain intimately involved over the centuries; and disease has lovingly appreciated it by spreading itself far and wide. The populations of the American continents however, did not experience the same spread of disease that the Europeans did. They kept almost no domestic animals. Consequently, their immune systems had few antibodies developed to combat even the weakest strings of disease. Also, they did not live in crowds the way that Europeans did. Early in the middle ages the Europeans had not only settled and become dependent on their agriculture and livestock, but they had developed large cities like London where thousands of people lived in close quarters, and had given little thought to the disposal of waste. Native Americans did live in tribes but did not have permanent living quarters that compared to the size of some of the European cities.

College Student Should Join Clubs Essay

Students of any university or community college attend school in pursuit of an education and career. Most of the time spent by college students is aimed towards studying, doing homework, and any other activity that will assist their education. What many college students are unaware of though, is by affiliating themselves with clubs and organizations, efforts to their education, social networking, and community can all be accomplished. Joining a club has the ability to enrich any student’s college experience and should be taken into consideration by all college students. Clubs give students opportunities to meet other students and individuals who share the same interests. Not only will they benefit in gaining a friend, they will have the opportunity to meet peers with similar majors and classes. Taking into consideration that incoming freshmen may need an extra boost; clubs will be able to provide the needed attention and information with guidance from the seniority. For example, freshmen can benefit in joining clubs by receiving guidance from other students on what classes or which professors to take. New freshmen tend to enroll into college as an undeclared major and sometimes may require assistance in the selection of classes. College organizations can play as a major factor in helping college students and should not be ignored. According to Jeff Milam, the eHow Contributor, not only will joining a club help â€Å"encourage you to form relationships with your peers, it may also lead to important business contacts in the future† (Milam). All college clubs must have at least one advisor that assists and overlooks the club. By being in a club, students will have the opportunity to meet and communicate with college staffs and instructors. In most scenarios, the advisor of a college club is an administrator of the campus. Thus, straight-forward information can always be received from a club advisor because of his or her credibility. By taking part in college clubs, an individual will also gain a chance at observing specialists in their career fields. Being in a club may even be life changing to college students. There will always be some bashful individuals who are simply too shy to ever socialize. By joining a club, it will provide a gateway to overcoming this personal problem. Whenever a student comes upon an interesting club, it is most notably because that individual has something in common with the club and its members. Students are more comfortable being around people who share the same interests or have particular things in common. In result, this can be the start of getting students out of their comfort zone and leading them to socialize more often. College clubs and organizations should be a part of college students because of the opportunity to establishing a student’s social skills. Most importantly to some students, joining a club is an escape from stress. Sometimes school can be stressful on individuals, or students may have other issues that require relief. School organizations are most certainly not always about accomplishing specific goals; school clubs can be a stress relief to those who may need an escape from reality once in a while. By taking action in a club, a student will be able to achieve great feats and at the same time, have some fun. According to Heidi Coghlan, former About.com guide, by participating in clubs, it can help individuals in â€Å"developing independence† (Coghlan). It helps students stand on their own and make their own decisions. Many school clubs are run for students and operated by students. By being a member, it increases the chance of a student being able to speak out for his or her ideas. This can contribute to a student’s future with leadership skills, communication, and to being a responsible individual. Affiliation with college clubs can also motivate students to do more for the campus or to argue for a cause. The opportunity of becoming a club member should not be missed because it can assist an individual in becoming well-rounded and an open-minded thinker. Many clubs take trips to visit other college campuses. This gives students a chance to explore how other schools function and how other campuses compare. Especially for the students who are planning to continue their education for a great period of time. Joining a college club is great opportunity in meeting other peers from school and establishing social networks. With the affiliation in a club or organization, campus visiting trips can be issued and beneficial to students. Most clubs do volunteer work and this is a good start to building a bond with the community. Students get to experience being in an environment where they can learn and yet have fun at the same time when they are involved with club activities. Joining a club really does make a difference in the world; and by having more students join in, the more impact it will have in establishing better community affiliation. As all students are striving for a professional career in the world, it should be taken into consideration that community involvement cannot be ignored. Thus, with college clubs, an individual can give back to the community. College clubs and organizations are all unnecessary in the pursuit of an education, but can be a factor in developing a well-rounded thinking and professional individual. Clubs provide all that may be necessary to a student. For example, a club provides a variety of peers, educators, and numerous other resources for students. Attending college can be hard on freshmen and anyone who is unaware of opportunities on and off campus. In conclusion, with the aid of school clubs, freshmen and anyone else will receive the chance to utilize any necessary information. School organizations and clubs should not be ignored and every student should instill some effort into a club because of the extraordinary investment it yields. Works Cited Coghlan, Heidi. â€Å"Reasons for Your Child to Join a Club.† Kids’ Clubs — Learn About Clubs, Organizations and After School Activities for Kids. The New York Times Company, 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. Milam, Jeff. â€Å"Reasons College Students Should Join a Club | EHow.com.† EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More – Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. Demand Media, Inc, 1999. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.

Animal and Insect Blood That Isnt Red

One fun Halloween chemistry project is making edible fake blood recipes. One of these recipes can be used to make blood in any color you like. Why colored blood? Blood comes in different colors, depending on species. While humans and many other species have red blood, due to the iron in their hemoglobin, other animals have different colored blood. Spiders (as well as horseshoe crabs and certain other arthropods) have blue blood due to the presence of copper-based hemocyanin in their blood. Some animals, such as the sea cucumbers, even have yellow blood. What could make blood yellow? The yellow coloration is due to a high concentration of the yellow vanadium-based pigment, vanabin. Unlike hemoglobin and hemocyanin, vanabin does not seem to be involved in oxygen transport. In addition to vanabin, sea cucumbers have enough hemocyanin in their blood to sustain their oxygen needs. Actually, the role of vanabin remains a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it is part of a defense mechanism to make the sea cucumbers unappealing or toxic to parasites and predators. However, sea cucumber is used for cooking in many cultures, where it is prized for its slippery texture and possible health benefits. Vanadium is a controversial dietary supplement, potentially affecting insulin sensitivity and athletic performance.