The Architecture of Race and Identity in the United States Essay

The Architecture of Race and Identity in the United States - Essay Example The American dream is an impressive ideology that has lured people to America and moved them around within it. It is that idea that has encouraged millions of immigrants to strive in horrible conditions against impossible odds for centuries. Most Americans celebrate it unthinkingly, along with apple pie and motherhood; criticism is usually limited to imperfections in its application. But like apple pie and motherhood, the American dream turns out to be less than perfect upon closer examination. President Clinton has captured the bundle of shared tenets about achieving success that make up the ideology of the American dream. Those tenets answer the questions: Who may pursue the American dream In what does the pursuit consist How does one successfully pursue the dream Why is the pursuit worthy of our deepest commitment Although describing each tenet in detail is beyond the scope of this essay, we have to look at the flaws intrinsic to this dream, to gain better understanding of its val idity and applicability in contemporary America. The first persuasion, which is that everyone can participate equally and can always start over, is troubling, as throughout most part of the American history, women of any race and men who were Native American, Asian, black, or just poor, were barred from all but a narrow range of elective positions. White men, especially European immigrants, able to ride the wave of the Industrial Revolution to comfort or prosperity, have always been the most valued members of the American society. Those who do not fit to that description, disappear from the collective self-portrait. The situation is that not only has the ideal of universal participation been denied to most Americans, but also the very fact of its denial is been denied in our national self-image. This state of things determines deep misunderstandings and correspondingly deep political tensions. In this essay, we will focus primarily on the first tenet. There is a huge population of Asian and Jewish immigrants who have carved a niche for themselves although there are a million others who have not succeeded. Media is laced with numerous success stories, but no one writes about those, who haven't used their golden chance, who live on welfare or charity. It would be tenable to imply that there are some qualities a person has to possess in order to become successful in the USA. Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" is reffered to as a classical work in sociology and political science. For modern Americans his observations that the president with, his almost royal prerogatives, will have a great need of virtue, are almost prophetic. Nowadays we see what is going on in Iraq, we observe the disenfranchising of voters in the USA, and, of course, we remember the "Patriot Act", which in effect repeals the Fourth Amendment. Thus we can conclude that Tocqueville was rightfully worried about the unlimited power of the majority, and its consequences. Many of his observations are as timeless and applicable as they were in his day. He stated : "Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations...In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the

Concept of surface area of a cube Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concept of surface area of a cube - Essay Example When the bottom is joined to the sides, all four edges can be glued at the same time. That is, the bottom counts as one seam. After the bottom and sides are assembled, the top will be attached. Part 1 - The prerequisite skills necessary to complete this problem; Guiding the students so that they can calculate how many sheets of plywood must be used and determine how many solid seams must be made The prerequisites for this task include recognition of the cube and knowledge of its properties, and the concept of surface area in general. This in turn expects that the students have previously dealt with the concept of the square and flat area in earlier classes so that they can now grasp the concept of the surface area of the cube. The skills required are the ability to measure in feet, derive formulae, and perform simple addition and multiplication calculations related to working out areas, the time taken to complete a project, and the cost of materials. Besides this is the simple ability to compare quantities required at the final stage. They must also be familiar with the concept of 3 dimensions as found in objects around us; that there is a third measure of depth/height besides length and breadth of two dimensional objects and drawings. And, appreciate how we can use (apparently) two-dimensional materials (the plywood sheets) to construct three-dimensional objects (the cube shaped bin). Students should recognize that the number of pieces that need to be cut corresponds to the six faces of the cube. To account for the thickness of the sheets and allow the seams of edges to be made, four of these parts will have shorter dimensions than the 3 ft. x 3 ft. dimensions of the first two parts (from the first sheet for the top and bottom sides). Given the information contained in part 2 of the notes, the students should be aware how only 5 seams need to be made. The cube has 12 edges in total and two meet to form a seam except that in some cases more