Malcolm Xs Life and Accomplishments - 628 Words

Malcolm X, Born name Malcolm Little, was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. His mother was Louise Norton, which had eight children including Malcolm. His father’s name was Earl Little, who was a Baptist preacher and strong supporter of the Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Before Malcolm’s fourth birthday, the family was forced twice to relocate due to death threats from the white supremacist organization, Black Legion. Despite their efforts to get away from them in 1929, the Legion burned their home down to ashes. After two years, Earl was killed and found laying on the trolley tracks in the town. The police ruled these events as accidents, the Little family was sure that the Black Legion were the people responsible for killing their father and husband. After this, Louise was put into a mental institution because of her emotional breakdown years after the death of her husband. Growing up, Malcolm was a smart and focused student. He lost his interest in studies from school, when his favorite junior high teacher told him that trying to become a lawyer was â€Å"not a realistic life goal for a nigger†. He later dropped out of school and spent time in Boston, MA, and Harlem, New York. He worked odd jobs and committed petty crimes. Malcolm began putting together multiple narcotics, prostitution, and gambling rings. Later in life when he was determined for striving for greatness, he said, â€Å"early in life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make someShow MoreRelatedMalcolm Xs Life and Accomplishments1407 Words   |  6 Pages Malcolm X was an African American minister and civil rights leader. Unlike many activists of his time, he took a different approach on the movement. In his lifetime, from 1925 to 1965, he was known as an advocate for the rights of blacks, and has been named one of the greatest and most influential men in hi story. Early Life Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Louise and Earl Little. His Father, Earl, was a Baptist minister and an active member of the Universal Negro ImprovementRead MoreThe Death Before Disunity : Malcolm X, Civil Rights Activist And Muslim Leader1173 Words   |  5 PagesDeath before Disunity Malcolm X, Civil Rights activist and Muslim leader, was an advocate of unity by all means necessary. Throughout history, people have often pondered what X intended to obtain before his tragic death at the hands of Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X Johnson (â€Å"Biography†). Several people downplay X’s achievements in comparison to the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Majority of activists such as Mohandas Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and Cesar Chavez are notoriousRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil Rights Movement1624 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical movements also arose as a result of the assassinations of some of the most influential leaders in America. Malcolm X changed the way Americans viewed oppression and discrimination of African Americans. The movie Malcolm X is an accurate depiction or a product of its time. It showcased many of the problems that lead up to the civil rights movement within the life of Malcolm X as well as what proceeded after he became a prominant civil rights leader.What’s interesting about this movie is thatRead MoreMalcolm X Essay855 Words   |  4 PagesMalcolm X was one of the most prominent and controversial leaders during the civil rights era of the 1950’s and 1960’s. By the early 1960’s he had grown frustrated with the non violent, integrated struggle for civil rights and worried that blacks would ultimately lose control of their own movement. Malcolm X was a key spokesman for the nation of Islam, epitomized the â€Å"Black Power† philosophy. Malcolm became an influential leader of the nation of islam, which combined Islam with black nationalismRead MoreMalcolm X : A Influential Figure Of The Nation Of Islam1497 Words   |  6 Pagesleader, Malcolm X fough t for equal rights for African Americans. He viewed civil rights differently than most civil rights activists; this is why when he is talked about, there are mixed emotions. Many know of Martin Luther King Junior’s standpoints and highlighted moments, but less know of the many accomplishments that Malcolm X had as well. He sometimes came off harsh to the public, because non-violence was the tactic used for other advocates. Also a former member of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X developedRead MoreMalcolm X And The Civil Rights Movement1180 Words   |  5 Pagesby Negros. With racial injustice at its hand, America was blessed to receive civil rights activists Malcolm X. In order to understand Malcolm X’s philosophies, one must look back and examine his past, paying attention to key events which led him to become the black nationalist he is known as today. Born in a little town in Omaha Nebraska on May 19, 1935, Malcolm Little, soon to be known as Malcolm X, was born to Louise and Earl Little. His mother was a homemaker while his father was a preacher andRead MoreAnalysis Of Malcolm X By William F. Martin Luther King Jr.975 Words   |  4 Pagesmillions who had never heard it before. His name was Malcolm X. As the title of the book suggests, The Autobiography of Malcolm X tells the life story of Malcolm Little from his childhood in Lancing, Michigan, up to his assassination (told in the epilogue) in 1965. His childhood was rough, his father was killed by a racist mob, and his mother was committed to a mental home when he was young. After moving to Boston to live with his sister, Malcolm fell in with the various â€Å"hustlers† in the city involvedRead MorePhysical Appearance Says What Words Cannot: Comparing Gandhi and Malcolm X831 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout their lives, both Malcolm X and Gandhi had similar and contrasting physical traits. In many ways, how they appeared on the outside shaped the people they were on the inside. Clothing became a device of nonverbal communication. Whether they recognized that themselves or not, that’s how it was. Had they not been colored, they would not have had advocated for justice. Though their personal philosophies drove th em in different ways to resolve oppression; one with violence and the otherRead MoreMalcolm X Education Essay1560 Words   |  7 PagesMalcolm X once said â€Å"education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today†. From adolescence to adulthood almost every person is put through schooling. As one gets older in age, the education they obtain becomes more rigorous in order to stretch their minds far beyond two plus two or what color the sky is. The strategies of critically thinking and being able to analyze/decipher information in front is them is reinforced routinely in the educational systemRead MoreMalcom X s Experiences Inspired His Autobiography1223 Words   |  5 PagesMalcom X’s Experiences inspired his Autobiography Considered as one of the greatest and influential in African Americans in history, Malcon Little was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, and murder on February 21, 1965 in New York by three Nation of Islam members. Best known as Malcon X, he was also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, an American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. Malcon X was a fervent advocate the separation of black and white Americans, and rejected the civil rights

Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining Free Essays

string(92) " Christian denominations meet and work together as Christians this is called Ecumenicalism\." The UK is lucky to have such a vibrant, diverse and cultured population from migrants that have entered our small islands from the past few thousand years. However each time they make Britain there home, they bring there religion. This gives rise to the many religions and there denominations that have a presence. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining or any similar topic only for you Order Now But what is a religion? According to the Penguin Dictionary of Sociology it is â€Å"A set of cultural ideas, symbols, and practices that focus on the meaning of life and the nature of the unknown. † Secularisation had been happening for long time before Nietzsche proclaimed, â€Å"God is Dead† and is a far more complex process than just a drop in church attendance. Marxists believe that religion is form of social control on the proletariat by the bourgeoisie. He saw religion as the opium of the masses, teaching them acceptance which was reinforced by hymns like ‘All things bright and beautiful’ which had verses akin to â€Å"The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them, high or lowly, and ordered their estate. † aided there exploitation by teaching them to accept there place in society because it was God wished. When Marx wrote this, churches had a high monopoly on truth so people would be more inclined to believe it. Looking at statistics of ex and current communist countries it is clear that secularisation is very high with the majority of Britain from Chinese decent claiming they have no religion, it is also known that countries that follow a Marxist, however stringently, doctrine that government officials must have no religion, this is very widely enforced within the Peoples Republic of China’s administration but not as obligatory within the soviets of the USSR. With only one class there should be no reason for a religion to control society, however when countries became communist the did not all suddenly drop there views and become atheists, even if these values were taught at school, they were still taught in the home as primary socialisation always comes before secondary such as the school. The media openly ridicules religion by broadcasting comedies such as Father Ted and The Vicar of Dibley which portray very un orthodox Ministers and there they very un orthodox parishioners. But the media does not stop there it regularly comments on the flaws in religion through various mediums such as articles printed about the bonuses of secularisation and TV programs calling for religions to be abolished in the bid for world peace. However many of the Abrahamic religions forgot the second commandment â€Å"Though shall not worship false idols† but would God really smite the celebrities that use there fame to help highlight charitable work and those less fortunate than ourselves? However jealous a god he is, does he approve of celebrities such as The Pope or Grand Ayatollah? Even with there religious leadership they still fit the job description of a celebrity. Religions are often accused of being behind the times on items seen as very taboo yet have always been there, especially gay rights and abortion. Many religions see all human life as sacred and that abortion is an act of killing one of gods children so a sin, they also conform to functionalist view of homogonous, heterosexual, monogamous marriage been the only appropriate view on raising children. Within the past hundred years many laws have been passed that work towards an egalitarian society in which no person is superior or inferior to another such as gay rights, abortion rights and gender equality, which have been advocated for as long as Plato in his â€Å"The Republic† in which he sees men and woman indifferent albeit for childbirth and strength, to which he argues that some woman are stronger than some men. Moreover, some religious organisations have moved slightly with times, notably the Anglican faith which no allows gay and female Vicars, abortion in certain circumstances as well as divorce and remarriage. So as many equality principles have been oppressed by religion and are only recently winning it over, only one has been supported which is race equality, which was lead and fronted by one the most famous men in the world, a Methodist minister, Dr Martin Luther King. But to counter that the Dutch Reform Church openly supported Apartheid in South Africa, as well as many Far Right Political Groups mainly National Socialism Groups such as Hitler’s Administration but also the BNP and NF groups which solely believe in Aryan Protestants to be the superior race, a dumbfounded patriarchal view that contradicts many statements within the bible including when Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins he removed all barriers including that of gender, race, and nationality. This is as said by the apostle Paul â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ then you are†¦ heirs according to the promise† (Galatians 3:28-29). Weber first introduced his theory of rationalization in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, He predicts a decline in religion due to industrial advancement, plurality of religions and a rise in science and technology to answer questions that gave rational answers juxtaposed to religions ambiguous statement of it was Gods will. He looks at the Protestant denomination of ‘Calvinism’ who believed in predestination and worked hard to beat their anxiety on whether they would be accepted into heaven. Eventually this evolved from a monopoly on truth to a monopoly of industry with many Calvinites becoming successful capitalistic businesspeople, for which Weber argued was inevitable. A rise in religious pluralism also adds to secularisation as individual religions are loosing their monopoly on truth as they are co-habiting and recognising other religions. Many large religious buildings now have faith rooms in which all religions are welcome. Also some Christian denominations meet and work together as Christians this is called Ecumenicalism. You read "Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining" in category "Papers" Within the past 250 years scientific advancement has gone from virtually nothing to a vital part our lifes today, religion has caught along on this bandwagon as well, but to only a certain extent. Darwin’s theory of evolution is still questioned by some many religious individuals however these are mainly creationists. Weber suggested that eventually the mystical ideas would be succumbed by scientific ones. Durkheim (1965) suggests that religion was about celebrating the rules of your society and making the citizens keep to those rules. Yet, he argues, that as a society becomes more complex religion struggles to bind individuals due to industrialization and social fragmentation that regulate religion into a corner of where it becomes one of many beliefs and fails to unify members of society. Secularists and Antidisestablishmentarians have fought along side the broad left and broad right respectively, but hardly any battles have been as severe as the Spanish civil war (1936 – 1939) The Republicans were secularists and some of the more radical groups within in them such as the Stalinists NKVD committed terrible atrocities against the catholic church in Spain such as massacring clergy and destroying churches and monasteries. While the Nationalists were led by the infamous General Francisco Franco and had largely fascist yet catholic views and ties. They suppressed the terrorist secularist activities by executing teachers that promoted the removal of the church from education. Clear Statistics prove a decline in church attendance (All Protestant and Roman Catholic) from 30% of the population in 1900 to 12% in 1990, Hamilton (? ) Table 1. However a Social Attitudes Survey (1992) cited in Haralambous et al (2000) table 7. 19 pg 479 states that 75% of people believe in at some point God with or without scepticism, while the remaining 25% either stated they were Atheists, no answer or that they did not if there was a God and believed there was no way to find out. As 75% of people still believe in God at some point, this adds to the point that people may not be attending churches but still are retaining faith and does indicate a rise in Atheism. Davie calls this â€Å"believing without belonging†. Returning back to the Penguins Dictionary of Sociology’s definition of religion in no point of the description does it state that one has to attend a specific place of worship to practice there religion. This adds to the point that people have not stopped believing in god but merely openly practicing in public, this could be that a conventional church does not fit in with there views of a religion or their lifestyles. In America Evangelical Christians have used the TV to their advantage and started to broadcast live sermons, this is taking the idea of songs of praise to a new level and with channels emerging such as GOD channel, religious sermons can make it into our homes – if we choose. Furthermore, Christian Church attendance was only mentioned above so what would be held for other religions and the attendance at there place of worship. Other data suggests that Christianity is just for Christmas According to UK Census Data (2001) 71. 6% claim to be Christian, 2. 7% to be Muslim, 1. 0% to be Hindu, 0. 6% to be Sikh, 0. 5% to be Jewish, 0. 3% to Buddhist and 23. 2% either have no religion or did not state one. However, comparing this with data from Social Trends 30 (2000) cited in Moore (2001) pg 417 suggest that while Christianity may be on the decrease other religions are not. Islam in the UK had increased 380% from 130,000 individuals in 1970 to 495,000 individuals. As well the amount of people stating their religion as Sikhism increased 250% from 1970 to 1990. Interestingly, participants of other non-Christian religious institutions had increased 231% over the twenty-year period, these could be institutions that conform to the description of a religion but are either world rejecting or world affirming. World rejecting religions promise savoir on judgement day and normally have very tight, strict rules and regulations placed upon their members, and most of all see the world as a bad place in which will not make it into heaven. World affirming religions on the other hand are too promised savour but do not have as many tight restrictions on its members but maybe one or two, such as no sex before marriage or no drinking alcohol and most importantly do not see the world as a bad place. There are many methodical issues raised when researching any religion topic, let alone secularisation. There are many points to include when research is undertaken for instance the reliability of the data, would a different research get the same results or if a different sample of participants and method of data collection was used. Is their a true representative sample, this would be important as Britain is a highly religiously diverse country and a poor sample could obscure the results. How valid is the data actually gained; is it what the researcher aimed to find in their question or is it irrelevant due to an ambiguous question. Religion is a very private matter and a researcher must question there self on how far they may be intruding on a participant’s life or institution. Finally a researcher must be sensitive to the data and interaction with participants, as beliefs are very sacred to a person they must be fully aware of their customs so that they do not offend. Secondary sources must be looked at with great care and what they say applied today for example a woman practicing herbal medicine would not be seen as anything bizarre in today’s world but 400 years ago burnt at the stake for witchcraft. In conclusion the debate of secularisation has rage on with the sociological world for many year, yet a unified decision has yet too be and probably won’t be made. Bellah (1967) and Luckman (1996) both argue that religion is not in decline but is merely changing form. They say that the public side of religion may be in decline but the private side of religion and personal belief is not. Berger (1967) on the other hand says that religion is loosing its traditional place within society saying how the growth of science and technology has questioned it, and suggests that religion, as a way of life is no longer in capacity to do so. Wilson (1966) described secularisation as â€Å"the process whereby religious thinking, practices and institutions lose their social significance† But even though there is a drop in church attendance, society is not loosing its belief in a religion. Many religions have religious buildings to worship their god, yet with some religions it is not compulsory to attend them regularly, such as Islam and Judaism – perhaps Christianity has to learn from its religious ‘relatives’. On the contrary Voas (2005) gives evidence for a significant rise in church attendance around Christmas time, which can rise by 330% in some diocese in Anglican Britain. Perhaps this suggests that Anglicans choose to go to church only at special religious occasions. Many sociologists looking at secularisation focus on Britain and do to take into account other countries that have taken a huge rise of fundamentalism such as the USA and Iran, which are closely linked too politics. Fundamentalists, such as the Christian Coalition, helped shape the policies of the Reagan and Bush administrations, Bruce (1995). Finally Stark and Bainbridge (1990) suggest that secularisation and strong religious belief alternate in a cyclical pattern. From this I agree with Bellah and Luckman that religion is not in decline but merely changing the form in which it presents its self within society, as there is more corroboration between researchers that suggest people have not lost faith. How to cite Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining, Papers

Social Mimicry free essay sample

Humans are creatures of a social nature. Our veins are filled with a burning desire to make new acquaintances and broaden our social network. From an evolutionary standpoint, this craving is imperative to survival so others can watch our back. The need for relationships dates back to hunter-gatherer times; those who chose to go on their own tended to succumb to predators and mother nature faster than those in large groups. This tendency is seen across many species of animals, not just humans; wolves exemplify this phenomenon with the common mantra, â€Å"wolf pack.† Taking into account the importance of social interactions, humans have developed many ways to facilitate this process; one of these methods is mimicry. Go out and try to buy a car. No, go right now. Go to a car dealership; pose an interest in purchasing a vehicle and pay attention to the salesperson and his actions. They have mastered social interaction to such a level that you’ll leave feeling good about si gning over a year’s worth of paychecks. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Mimicry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So how do they do it? How does a stranger become your best friend? Among the many tools in their arsenal lies in the careful manipulation of certain social and physical variables, one of them being mirroring. Biologically, we mimic others’ movements the moment we come out of the womb, both verbally and physically. We frequently see parents repeating words or actions in an attempt to get their child to perform the same thing. Mimicry has evolved as a way of learning. Mothers loom over their child while repeating phrases that we’ve all heard such as, â€Å"Say Mommy!† in hope that the infant will reproduce the sound. This skill has boundless educational potential. We learn new sports or skills by watching professionals and mimicking their actions. Furthermore, beyond using it for instructive purposes, this ability can be used to facilitate social interaction, and in the case of the salesperson, to warm up to the customer. You like yourself. That’s an undeniable fact; at the basic, cognitive level, we are predisposed to like ourselves. So naturally, we like others that seem like us; this is where mirroring comes into play. Psychologists have done numerous experiments in regards to this concept and have all reached the same basic conclusion: mirroring leads to smoother interpersonal interactions and great likability. Most mirroring comes naturally. We mirror the way a person talks by mimicking their speech, tone, pace, volume and the type of vocabulary that they use- we notice that we build an instant connection with them. We don’t consciously notice every tick and mannerism of our peers but sometimes we copy them exactly. This concept can be deliberately controlled and mastered to enhance a relation or to add an emotional bond. In the previous example, the salesman can use this tactic to gain people’s trust and to facilitate persuasion. Day in and day out we control our posture and gestures, the way we dress, and the tone of our voice to fit in. We are conditioned to act in such way that facilitates and increases our interactions with our peers and makes us successful. Mimicking or mirroring another person is like a tango. It requires a certain sequence of sensory acuity, diligence, and good timing. Have you noticed that it is so much easier to build a relation with someone after a face-to-face encounter rather than after a phone conversation? So what the aforementioned salesperson does through conscious mimicry is create a warm atmosphere, build rapport, and increase the chances of a sale. The mimicry simply makes us feel good; it’s almost a form of physical flattery and we don’t feel as awkward or anxious anymore. To quote the textbook Social Psychology, mimicry is the â€Å"first step on the road to harmonious interaction and goodwill.† However, this subtle strategy, if employed inadequately, can backfire; if the mirroring is performed too immediately or too obviously, then it might become offensive or bothersome and turn into mockery. Therefore, salespeople have to master this technique to not come off as a farce. A real world portrayal of mimicry’s powerful effect is the operations in the military. Why do the armed forces insist so heavily on uniforms, synchronized marching, and strict protocols? All of these efforts are geared towards creating camaraderie out of complete strangers, which, in a war situation, is very important. There have been psychological studies investigating the effect of marching in unison and have discovered that it generates familiarity and interpersonal liking. In these institutions, you almost become â€Å"one† with each other, joined by the forced guidelines. Our existence takes place within a social matrix, embedded with dynamic and ever-changing rules, norms, and expectations. To our surprise, whether we like to admit it or not, we conform to each other, and to society. We change our behavior constantly under peer pressure, looking for common ground. Evolutionarily, mirroring is used as a method of learning and unconsciously as a way of generating rapport and smooth interactions. However, someone consciously aware of this will be able to employ this skill in all facets of his or her social interaction, to a greater extent, and will facilitate networking. Subtle but complex, mirroring is an integral part of human nature an interpersonal interaction.