Slavery as a Major Theme in Robert A. Gross - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1596 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/02/05 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Racism Essay Did you like this example? Slavery acts as a major theme in Robert A. Gross’s The Minutemen and Their World and Maya Jasanoff’s Liberty’s Exiles. As a result, racism is integrated in the societies of both works, furthering the point that racism is and will continue be a problem we face in our society today. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Slavery as a Major Theme in Robert A. Gross" essay for you Create order Racism is instilled within the colonies, Britain and their territories, the Caribbean, and the world as a whole through many instances. The instances of slavery and oppression explained in The Minutemen and Their World and Liberty’s Exiles create a foundation for racism, dehumanizing and making black people out to be burdens, creating major obstacles for blacks- both free and enslaved to practice religion, hold basic human rights, and exist without fear of assault or being wrongly sold into slavery. Black people are dehumanized in numerous ways in both of these historical monographs. In chapter four of Liberty’s Exiles, black people were said to be â€Å"begging about the streets of London, and suffering all those evils, and inconveniences, consequent on idleness and poverty† (Jasanoff 128). This fueled what Jasanoff describes as racial hostility. This hostility instills a toxic ideology within London and beyond. The idea that black people are all poor beggars in need of saving creates a negative stigma that dehumanizes the group as a whole. Although people like Jonas Hanway came up with solutions to this problem (the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor), the stigma still exists that black people are the ones who need help. This creates a hierarchy in which white people are above black people because of their position to help. This hierarchy reappears in The Minutemen and Their World, when it is explained that the war was being fought mainly by â€Å"landle ss younger sons, by the permanent poor, and by blacks† (Gross 151). This, again, associates black people with poor people, placing them below wealthy land owning white people. What is interesting is the association of landless younger sons with black and poor people. Land, as well as economic status and the color of your skin, were important factors to an individual’s place within a society during this time period. The huge population difference between black and white people is pointed out multiple times in Liberty’s Exiles. By the time of the Revolution, â€Å"only about seventeen hundred whites and twenty-three hundred blacks (about half of these free) lived on New Providence, Eleuthera, and Harbor Island† (Jasanoff 219). With black people outnumbering white people in so many instances, one might think it absurd that black people can’t do things like vote. Free blacks were excluded from the right to vote in New Brunswick and other colonies. It is evident that before the Constitution was written, colonists did not view North America as a government for the people, by the people especially when the specific group of voters at t he time didn’t represent the entire population. Denying voting rights to people because of their skin color is just another factor that contributes to the dehumanizing of blacks during this time period. The initiative to help the black poor was followed by Henry Smeathman’s persuasion of the committee to send the black poor to Sierra Leone to be the first colonist’s there in Liberty’s Exiles. This action makes black people out to look like a burden to the community, but still uses them as commodities to experiment with. In The Minutemen and Their World, slaves were seen as badges of status because â€Å"the profits of slave dealing built the elegant mansions of some of Boston’s and Salem’s best families† (Gross 95). Only wealthy white families could own slaves and the number of slaves per family served as a testament to their wealth and status. Black people are consistently seen as products, especially when referring to the slave trade. In both monographs, slaves were talked about like items to be sold and traded among other goods like rum and molasses. Slaves were also treated as items; they were often crammed in ships with no room to move much like a product. This is the worst form of dehumanization in both texts, creating a barrier between white and black people. If someone can disassociate blackness with being human, it is easy for these individuals not to feel bad for them and their conditions. This ideology acts as a major foundation for racism and is seen in both Liberty’s Exiles and The Minutemen and Their World. As expected, religion became an issue when it started to bring slaves hope. A name brought up a lot in Liberty’s Exiles was David George. George was a black loyalist who escaped from slavery in Virginia and founded different Baptist congregations. When he went to Nova Scotia in 1783, he founded his first black congregation where he sang hymns and baptized people in the community while instilling a sense of hope among slaves. At Shelburne, he sang hymns that attracted both black and white people and on his first Sunday, he â€Å"could not speak for tears† of joy (Jasanoff 173). The Baptist preacher eventually took his congregation to Sierra Leone. In Jamaica, George Liele came and preached the same things David George did in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The slaves learned a lot from him and they gained a newfound culture of African spirituality. Because of their poor conditions, Liele’s message was a source of hope. Leile built the first Baptist chapel in Jamaica and baptized converts in the river, but his actions were not met with tolerance by white slave-owning supporters. â€Å"The idea that too much prevails here amongst the masters of slaves is, that if their minds are considerably enlightened by religion or otherwise, that it would be attended with the most dangerous consequences† (Jasanoff 267-268). Slave-owning supporters would rather black people remain illiterate and at their disposal than practice a religion and possess a mind of their own. This ideology drives home the point that white people wanted to literally own black people, both physically and mentally. The fact that there were more blacks than whites created a fear among white people of a slave revolt, which they acted on before any such thing happened. Liele had to assure white slave-owners that he was not trying to threaten slavery and slaves had to be let into the church at the discretion of their owners. In Saint Do mingue, racial laws were created to keep blacks and whites safely apart. The fear of being sold into slavery because of the color of your skin, free or not, was just one of many fears that black people of the time faced. In Liberty’s Exiles, Britain needed to do something about their overcrowded prisons so they sent a fleet to Botany Bay in 1787. On that ship were seven black loyalists. Whites often seized black loyalists and sold them into slavery in the United States and the Caribbean. These events could be seen as merely an accident or, an attempt to get rid of black people. In Birchtown, many black people were either forced into low-paying jobs or indentured to white people in Shelburne where their jobs â€Å"replicated their former positions of slavery† (Jasanoff 174). Another fear instilled in the lives of black people was something as simple as appearing in public in Kingston in 1971. White Jamaicans were scared of a slave revolt at the time so violence was common. In The Minutemen and Their World, slavery is seen in a different light . Although it is clear slaves are denied many rights, Gross is sure to mention that in New England, slaves could â€Å"hold property, sue for freedom, and testify in court against both whites and other blacks† (Gross 95). There is a slight contrast in the way slavery is explained in these two books. Liberty’s Exiles is sure to paint a picture of misery and oppression while The Minutemen and Their World explains the advantages certain slaves had over others, making their situation appear to be, in the slightest of ways, tolerable. The word â€Å"slavery† was used in a different context throughout The Minutemen and Their World for white colonists. The white citizens of Concord saw blacks as â€Å"embodiments of what British ‘slavery’ could mean†: â€Å"deprived of independence, denied the fruits of their labor, [and] always subject to the will of others† (Gross 94). This comparison shows the attitudes of white colonists towards what is considered to be oppression. When faced with what extreme oppression looked like for black people at the time, this use of the word â€Å"slavery† is arbitrary. In Liberty’s Exiles, Jasanoff keeps the word â€Å"slavery† exclusive to the oppression of black people and the industry of such oppression and objectification. The different accounts explained in Liberty’s Exiles and The Minutemen and Their World offer an explanation for the deep-seated racism in our country and how dehumanizing and making black people out to be burdens created major obstacles for blacks to practice religion, hold basic human rights, and exist without fear of assault or being wrongly sold into slavery. These two historical monographs give a deeper look into what makes our country what it is today. When looking at American and world history, slavery is an immensely important theme and explains the racism black people experience even in today’s world. There is a big need for change in America’s attitudes towards black people even today. Racism has deep roots in our society and it is our duty to uproot them and continue to progress together for a more compassionate world.

Personal Narrative The Story Of My Life - 935 Words

I woke up on a cold, torn up mattress. I try to stand up, struggling since I was tied to the wall behind me. My head was throbbing and my wrists and ankles burned from the rope. That s when I heard you walking down the stairs. My heart was pounding out of my chest. You then slowly unlocked the cage. For the first time I couldn’t save myself. You leaned over me, you stunk of stale cigarettes and booze. I knew I could survive the things you would do to me, I just didn’t know if I could ever get out. â€Å"Morning† you mumbled with a thick southern accent. I didn’t answer you, but you seemed to not care, I wanted you to care. You pulled out a granola bar from your pocket and gave me water, I was scared because I knew you wouldn’t do this if you†¦show more content†¦The woman was breathing heavily, but under her breath I could hear â€Å"why would Mike do this?† I started to wonder if she was his wife I heard him talking to the day befor e. What if she found out about me and threatened him by calling the authorities? â€Å"Are you okay?† I stuttered nervously, â€Å"What did he do to you?† she asked with concern. I had told her the story of the night he abducted me, she was told he had to work late. They were married for only 4 years. â€Å"I had started to notice psychotic tendencies in Mike but I thought he was just overwhelmed with work or something like that.† she rambled while I dozed off. I woke up she was passed out in the corner. A few weeks passed and because of my good behavior, I was fed more often. Unfortunately, the woman who had been the only other person I have been in contact with except for Mike was gone, she disappeared one night and I didn’t hear of her since. I’ve gotten closer to Mike, we talk occasionally and he even let me out of my cell for a good 20 minutes yesterday. While I was out, I had gotten hold of a spare key to my cell. I hid it in a book he had left me, I would hopefully escape within the next week. On the day I planned to leave, he woke me up with a cooked breakfast. I hadn’t eaten real food for what feels like years, the heat of the freshly cooked food tasted like it was made of gold. Part of me felt sorry since he seemed like an innocent guy, but I had to remind myself of all theShow MoreRelatedPersonal Narrative : My Life Story1043 Words   |  5 PagesMy love story is full of feelings of sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and saltiness, but, in my mind, memories of the day that my husband left me alone in Viet Nam still engraved in my mind. The fear of losing someone I have treasured created a storm in my chest. Struggling with many obstacles, choosing in many options, preparing for a new future lead my life to my situation at this time. I also made a storm in my husband’s chest too. 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This loud voice is screamin g in my head. How are you feeling? Are you okay?. She asked me with that soothing voice in hers. I haven t heard that soft voice in my entire life since my suffering and depression. As she keptRead MorePersonal Narrative : My Life Story2268 Words   |  10 PagesMy life story: †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨My life story begins on April 25, 1975. †¨I was the first born daughter to Larry and Debbie Goss in a small town called Fort Payne Alabama. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Looking back over my life I ve known from a very small age that God has a great plan and a purpose for my life. I can also see how the enemy has tried to destroy that purpose from the beginning. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨On April 25, in a little county hospital my mother is taken to the hospital to deliver there first child. 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Service Dominant Logic free essay sample

The following paper aims to analyze a current conglomerate in the light of modern marketing theory, using the collection of articles provided by Jonathan Schroeder as a conceptual platform to make evident the application of theory to practicality. The Oxford English Dictionary defines marketing simply as the promotion or selling of products. However, the school of thought around this facet of business that has arisen over the past several decades reveals a far more complicated and intricate world. The formal study of marketing focused at first on the distribution and exchange of commodities and manufactured products and featured a foundation in economics. The first marketing scholars directed their attention toward commodities exchange, the marketing institutions that made goods available and arranged for possession, and the functions that needed to be performed to facilitate the exchange of goods through marketing institutions. However, as evolution in the field continued into the 1950s, â€Å"the functional school began to morph into the marketing management school, which was characterized by a decision-making approach to managing the marketing functions and an overarching focus on the customer. We will write a custom essay sample on Service Dominant Logic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † (Vargo, 2004, pg 1) The contention that marketing is a discipline geared towards services shall be applied to a modern marketing practitioner. Specifically, this paper shall focus on the theory of a service-dominant logic for marketing, investigating the marketing workings of Universal Studios Orlando, a major theme park in the central Florida area. A brief introduction into the company currently under investigation is required. â€Å"With its grand opening in 1990 Universal Studios Florida became the first real challenge to Disneys dominance of the Orlando tourism market. † (http://www. wdwinfo. com/universal/universal-studios-florida/History-of-universal-orlando. tm) The first incarnation was found at the Universal Studios lot in Hollywood, California. Beginning as a simple backstage tour of the lot, it eventually developed into a fully fledged theme park. â€Å" It was the success of that venture that inspired Universal to eventually invest the princely sum of $250 million in 1990 to launch an east coast version of its theme park – this one designed to challenge Disney head on. † (http://www. wdwinfo. com/universal/universal-studios-florida/History-of-universal-orlando. tm) Despite a substantial rough patch upon its opening, including malfunctioning rides, long lines and general dissatisfaction (providing the park a significant premiere black eye), Universal was able to become a key player in the Orlando theme park market. In order to further challenge the Disney dominance, by 1996 Universal had decided that they needed to create an entire resort destination. The expansion included a second theme park (Islands of Adventure), a night-life district (CityWalk), and an eventual three hotels (Hard Rock, Portofino Bay, and the Royal Pacific). Thanks to this major new expansion, the tourism downturn that nearly decimated most of the industry in 2001 and 2002 had little impact on Universal†¦ Rumours of expansion are back in the air – venues have been added, or remodelled at CityWalk (including the popular Red Coconut Room nightclub), the once venerable â€Å"Back to the Future† attraction at Universal Studios has been closed to make way for a new A-List attraction (rumoured to be based on the upcoming movie â€Å"The Simpsons† – from the Fox TV Show), and rumours persist that Harry Potter may be coming to Islands of Adventure – whether the specifics of these rumours are accurate remains to be seen – what has been confirmed is that major expansion is planned for the next three years. † (http://www. wdwinfo. com/universal/universal-studios-florida/History-of-universal-orlando. htm) While perhaps not the premiere resort/theme destination of the central Florida region as Disn ey is, Universal Orlando has certainly become a significant force. Before exploring how the marketing theory can be applied to Universal’s efforts in the Orlando theme park market, it is essential that one has an adequate understanding of the specific theory being applied. Stephen L. Vargo and Robert F. Lusch in their work â€Å"Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing† provide the basic foundational framework for this paper’s service-dominant logic theory. They declare that â€Å"marketing has moved from a goods-dominant view, in which tangible output and discrete transactions were central, to a service-dominant view, in which intangibility, exchange processes, and relationships are central. † (Vargo, 2004, pg 2) That is to say, marketing is a discipline geared towards services. They define services â€Å"as the application of specialized competencies (knowledge and skills) through deeds, processes, and performances for the benefit of another entity or the entity itself. (Vargo, 2004, pg 2) According to their view, the older way of thinking in the marketing discipline was the value comes from the product; this has passed, the newer mode of thinking being that value is embedded in the experience, and the consumers interaction in the brand community. It is this interaction in the brand community that can be seen in the Universal effort in Orlando. The producer and the consumer work together in a co-creation of value. While any consumer in the Orlando theme park market can stay in any hotel and enjoy the benefits of both Disney and Universal, consumers will often make the choice to revel in the ‘Universal resort experience. That is to say, localizing and centralizing their activities to the Universal Studios Orlando, staying among the choice of hotels, going to the multiple theme parks, and enjoying the nightlife offered in the CityWalk adult-oriented venues. Universal offers holiday packages that you can customize to create your own ‘ultimate holiday experience’ (located on their website http://www. universalorlando. co. uk/holidays. html). In the service-centred dominant logic, â€Å"the customer is a co-producer of service. Marketing is a process of doing things in interaction with the customer. † (Vargo, 2004, pg. 7) While the goods offered by Universal and the revenue taken in are certainly econom ic indicators of their marketing success, by co-producing their holiday experience, the customer is participating in an interaction with the brand of Universal itself. According to Vargo and Lusch, â€Å"in both the classification of economic activity and the economic eras, the common denominator is the increased refinement and exchange of knowledge and skills†¦Virtually all the activities performed today have always been performed in some manner; however, they have become increasingly separated into specialties and exchanged in the market. † (Vargo, 2004, pg. 10) So while the products offered by Universal are nothing new to the market, the service-oriented branding of a ‘holiday experience’ is in line with Vargo and Lusch’s service-dominant logic. George S. Day et al provide a responsive commentary on Vargo and Lusch’s working theory. Day believes that the dispersal of information technology has allowed the various tributaries of the marketing terrain (such as services marketing, market orientation, customer relationship management, networked markets, mass customization, and interactivity) to converge in the past decade. This connected knowledge system enables the real-time coordination of dispersed organizational activities and groups, the management of cross-functional processes, and the synchronization of the myriad points of customer contact that are integral to the new dominant logic. † (Day et al, 2004, pg. 18) This allows the various services provided by universal (not only in the theme park and resort market, but the very movie-producing studio in Hollywood) to create an overarching ‘Brand Universal’ that consumers can theoretically interact with. C. K. Prahalad, while congratulating Vargo and Lusch on their work, argues that they do not go far enough in the exploration of the customer a s a co-producer. One phase of co-producing the Prahalad evokes is that of â€Å"an experience in which the firm creates a context and the consumer is part of it (e. g. Disney World). The consumer is involved and engaged, but the context is firm driven. This is labelled the ‘experience economy. ’† (Day et al, 2004, pg. 23) Universal, as Disney’s competitor, operates in the same manner, creating the context in which the consumer is involved and engaged. Like Day, Prahalad sees a convergence due to modern information technology.