segunda-feira, 9 de março de 2009

Capital punishment: what it is?

Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the killing of a person by judicial process for retribution and incapacitation. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. Not all countries aprove this act. The ones that aprove are refered in next:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Botswana, China, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, USA, Vietnam, Yemen.


I agree with this type of punishment to the people that make homicides, because they must suffer what the people that they killed suffered.



Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment

Euthanasia

What does Euthanasia means:

Euthanasia is the voluntary request to be killed, i mean, its the request that some person can make to get killed legaly, but this form of "suicide" isn't legal in all countries. This method it's just legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain), and Thailand.


This voluntary request should be just accepted in case of terminal sick people, in my opinion.



Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia
http://www.qrtl.org.au/Euth%20Meaning.htm

domingo, 8 de março de 2009

Xenofobia

Xenofobia is a kind of racism or a kind of preconception that a person have for something. A xenofobic it's a person that also have fear for something, like for example, a xenofobic see's one science fiction film about aliens, that can be not real but they fear for of it . The xenofobia is considered a psychological hillness.


Sources: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenofobia

English as a Global language

Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "world language", the lingua franca of the modern era. While English is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a second language around the world. Some linguists[who?] believe that it is no longer the exclusive cultural sign of "native English speakers", but is rather a language that is absorbing aspects of cultures worldwide as it continues to grow. It is, by international treaty, the official language for aerial and maritime communications. English is an official language of the United Nations and many other international organizations, including the International Olympic Committee.
English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union (by 89% of schoolchildren).
Books, magazines, and newspapers written in English are available in many countries around the world. English is also the most commonly used language in the sciences. In 1997, the Science Citation Index reported that 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries.
So we can conclude that every countries have their main language and their main cultures, but we need to have a global language to communicate arround the world, and to share our cultures with everyone, that's why English is like, the perfect language.





Sources: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language

sábado, 7 de março de 2009

Nationalism

Nationalism refers to an ideology , a sentiment, a form of culture, or a social movement that focuses on the nation . While there is significant debate over the historical origins of nations, nearly all specialists accept that nationalism, at least as an ideology and social movement, is a modern phenomenon originating in Europe. Precisely where and when it emerged is difficult to determine, but its development is closely related to that of the modern state and the push for popular sovereignty that came to a head with the french revolution in the late 18th century.In many cases nationalist pursuit of self-determination has caused conflict between people and states including war

Types of nationalism


Nationalism may manifest itself as part of official state ideology or as a popular (non-state) movement and may be expressed along civic , ethnic, irredentism, expansionist, etc....

Civic nationalism

Civic or cultural nationalism is focused on cultural rather than hereditary connections between people. Civic nationalism promotes common cultural values and allows people different origins to assimilate into the nation.

Ethnic nationalism

Ethnic nationalism is based on the hereditary connections of people. Ethnic nationalism specifically seeks to unite all people of a certain ethnicity heritage together. Ethnic nationalism does not seek to include people of other ethnicities.

Irredentism

Irredentism is a form of nationalism promotes the the annexation of territories, which have or previously had members of the nation residing within them, to a state which composes most or all of the nation's members.

Expansionist nationalism

Expansionist nationalism promoted spreading the nation's members to new territories, usually on the claimed basis that existing territory which the nation has resided in is too small or is not able to physically or economically sustain the nation's population.



Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/07/04/world/04macedonia.xlarge1.jpg

Permanent residence (United States)

A United States Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card is an Identification card attesting to the permanent resident status of an alien in the United States of America. Green card also refers to an immigration process of becoming a permanent resident. The green card serves as proof that its holder, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the USA. The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the US if certain conditions of this status are not met.

The card must be in the possession of the U.S. permanent resident at all times. This means that the permanent resident must have a currently valid card on the person at all times and be able to show it to a USCIS officer, if requested. Though aliens with permanent resident status are required to carry these identification cards, american citizens
are not required to carry any citizenship identification. Before the September 11, 2001 attacks.

A Lawful Permanent Resident can apply for United States citizenship , or naturalization, after five years of residency. This period is shortened to three years if married to a U.S. citizen, or four years if permanent residency was received throughpolitical asylum.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Permanent_Resident_Card
http://www.sairdobrasil.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/greencard.jpg

Black stereotypes

Early stereotypes:

In centuries before and during the first half of the 20th century black people were often depicted as dumb, evil, lazy, poor, animalistic, smelly, uncivilized, un-Christian people. The early British colonists brought these initial thoughts with them to the US. White colonists commonly believed that black people were inferior to white people. These thoughts helped to justify black slavery and the institution of many laws that continually condoned inhumane treatment and perpetuated to keep black people in a lower socioeconomic position. Black people were usually depicted as slaves or sevants, working in cane fields or carrying large piles of cotton . They were often portrayed as devout Christians going to church and singing gospel music.

Modern black stereotypes:

Since the 1960s the stereotypical image of black people has changed in some media. More positive depictions appeared where black people and African-Americans are portrayed as great athletes and superb singers and dancers. In many films and television series since the 1970s black people are depicted as good natured, kind, honest and intelligent persons.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes#Racial_and_ethnic_stereotyping
http://rachelchitra.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/ku_klux_klan.png

Are there really different races?

The truth, though, is that these so-called “racial characteristics” are only minor variations among people groups. If one were to take any two people anywhere in the world, scientists have found that the basic genetic differences between these two people would typically be around 0.2 percent—even if they came from the same people group. But these so-called “racial” characteristics that people think are major differences (skin color, eye shape, etc.) “account for only 0.012 percent of human biological variation.”
Dr. Harold Page Freeman, chief executive, president, and director of surgery at North General Hospital in Manhattan, reiterates, “If you ask what percentage of your genes is reflected in your external appearance, the basis by which we talk about race, the answer seems to be in the range of 0.01 percent.”
In other words, the so-called “racial” differences are absolutely trivial— overall, there is more variation within any group than there is between one group and another. If a white person is looking for a tissue match for an organ transplant, for instance, the best match may come from a black person, and vice versa. ABC News claims, “What the facts show is that there are differences among us, but they stem from culture, not race.”
The only reason many people think these differences are major is because they’ve been brought up in a culture that has taught them to see the differences this way.
Well as we saw there are pratically, no differences between white people and black people, but because of the different cultures arround the world, people is get the idea that there are huge differences between white people and black people, and so on. So we can conclude that this is one of the main causes of Racism, Nazism, Xenophobia etc...




Sources: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophobia, http:/ /www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/are-there-different-races

sexta-feira, 6 de março de 2009

multiracialism

The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races.
According to Michael Levin, most people can be clearly identified as belonging to one race or another, meaning that most people can trace at least 75% of their ancestors to the same geographic region associated with a major racial group; however, Levin insists that anyone with fewer than 75% of their ancestors originating from the same broad geographic region should be considered multiracial.
Countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, are good examples of societies that promote multi-ethnic and diverse populations. Over the past four decades, the increase of immigration has led to the increase of racial and ethnic diversity in the United States.
In the United States, the federal agency, or Office of Management Budget are the ones who determine racial and ethnic classifications. There are four racial groups in the United States: White, Black, American Indian, and Asian . In the 1960s and 1970s, the Bureau of Census adopted its racial classification scheme that showed that approximately 10 percent of Americans considered themselves non-white, and of that group, nearly all considered themselves as black. Since then, things have changed such as the notion of race due to an increase in intermarriage, and an increase in the growth of the Asian American and multiethnic Latino American populations. This resulted in one out of four Americans considering themselves White, Black, Asian, and/or Latino American.

Now i'll show a movie about multiracialism in united states:



Sources: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiracialism

Illegal immigration

Illegal immigration refers to immigration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. In politics, the term may imply a larger set of social issues and time constraints with disputed consequences in areas such as economy, social welfare, education, health care, slavery, prostitution, legal protections, voting rights, public services, and human rights. Conversely, Illegal emigrtion refers to unlawfully leaving a country.

The primary cause of immigration is poverty.
Some people just want to escape war in the country of origin or non-economic push factors like persecution.

Dangers of illegal immigration:

Illegal immigrants expose themselves to dangers while engaged in illegal entry to another country. Aside from the possibility that they may be intercepted and deported, some considerably more dangerous outcomes have been known to result from their activity. As an example, illegal immigrants may be trafficked for exploitation.

Prostitution

Some people forced into sexual slavery face challenges of charges of illegal immigration.

Death

Each year there are several hundred immigrant deaths along U.S- Mexico border. Death by exposure occurs in the deserts of Southwestern United States during the hot summer season.

Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration http://banmilleronbusiness.com/files/illegal%20immigrants.jpg



Nazism

Nazism has come to stand for a belief in the superiority of an Aryan race, an abstraction of the Germanic peoples. During Hitler’s time, the Nazis advocated a strong, centralized government under the Führer and claimed to defend Germany and the German people (including those of German ethnicity abroad) against Communism and so-called Jewish subversion. Ultimately, the Nazis sought to create a largely homogeneous and autarkic ethnic state, absorbing the ideas of Pan-Germanism.
The term Nazi has become a generic term of abuse in popular culture, as have other Third Reich terms such as Führer (often spelled differently in English-speaking countries). Related terms (such as fascist or Gestapo or Hitler) are sometimes used to describe any people or behaviours that are viewed as thuggish, authoritarian, or extremist. Phrases such as grammar Nazi, feminazi, and parking enforcement Nazi, are sometimes used in the United States, Europe and Latin America. These uses are offensive to some, as indicated by the controversy in the mainstream media over the Seinfeld “Soup Nazi” episode. These types of terms are used frequently enough to inspire Godwin's Law.
Some people strongly associate the blackletter typefaces with Nazi propaganda (although the typeface is much older, and its usage was banned by the Nazi German government in 1941). In films such as the Indiana Jones series, Nazis are often portrayed as villains, whom the heroes battle without mercy. So in a short way, we can conclude that nazis are the people who follow hitler's steps.



Source: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism

Interculturality

So what is Interculturality?

The term interculturality refers to any aspect of any interaction between any cultures. A culture is understood as a group of people with a common identity that is based on common attributes, attitudes, practices and so on (such as a community of practice). Culture can include language, ways of thinking, ways of life, institutions, laws, rules of etiquette, sexual practices, material objects. When two groups meet whose cultures differ signific
antly in any respect, interculturality becomes an issue.

Interculturality is becoming increasingly important in the modern world as more and more people migrate from one country to another to escape from conflict, persecution or poverty, or to reunite families. Interculturality is often problematic, because racism and xenophobia are widespread and locals and migrants often compete for limited resources or employment opportunities. But interculturality also has benefits, including cultural enrichment and creativity.

Racism

Racism, is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. People with racist beliefs may resent certain groups of people according to their race. Racial discrimination typically points out taxonomic differences between different groups of people, even though anybody can be racialised, independently of their somatic differences. According to the United Nations conventions, there is no distinction between the term racial discrimination and ethnic discrimination.
Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege. In Portraits of White Racism David Wellman (1993) has defined racism as "culturally sanctioned beliefs, which, regardless of intentions involved, defend the advantages whites have because of the subordinated position of racial minorities". Sociologists Noël A. Cazenave and Darlene Alvarez Maddern define racism as “...a highly organized system of 'race'-based group privilege that operates at every level of society and is held together by a sophisticated ideology of color/'race' supremacy. Racist systems include, but cannot be reduced to, racial bigotry,”.
So if a certain person, for eg: white person, doesn't like a black person just because of his color, or any other genetical difference, it's considered racism.



Sources: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism