Explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents male characters Essay Example for Free

Explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents male characters Essay The female characters in Hamlet have several vital roles within the play that serve to add depth and interest to the overall plot. Shakespeare employs the women to emphasize key themes such as betrayal, that might not otherwise be drawn out, and also enable the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the main male characters through the way in which they view and treat women. It is important to closely examine the male-female interaction and relationships in order to understand how Shakespeare uses the women as a dramatic device. The main male characters of Hamlet, Claudius, Polonius and Laertes are repeatedly shown to possess negative attitudes towards women. These attitudes result in unjust, oppressive and abusive relationships with the female characters of Gertrude and Ophelia. The primary male character, Hamlet, bears no exception to this general negativity directed at women. Shakespeare presents Hamlet as a man with a progressive hatred of womankind, having a detrimental influence upon his relationships with the female characters. Shakespeare implies the reason for Hamlets increased negativity to be his mothers remarriage to his uncle, Claudius. The extent this has affected Hamlet is implied through repeated mention of it, such as in his second soliloquy when he speaks of Claudius two crimes as making his mother a whore and the murder of [his] father. Here, Shakespeare uses the order in which Hamlet lists Claudius crimes to convey which event Hamlet views most severely. Damage caused by the remarriage is again seen through Hamlets resulting negativity towards women. One such attitude is the belief that women are overtly sexual. Upon Hamlets Chance meeting with Ophelia, he comments unfavourably on her tendency as a woman to jig, amble and lisp. Shakespeares chosen combination of verbs implies that Hamlet thinks women to have an inherently flirtatious nature. Hamlet also speaks to Ophelia of womens wantonness becoming their ignorance, implying that sexual desires become their downfall. It seems that this view of women as sexual tempters leads Hamlet to believe that they should be cut off from men, so as not to cause men detriment. Shakespeare conveys this through Hamlets instruction to Ophelia to get thee to a nunnery; repeating this line to demonstrate his conviction that women should remain separate so their overtly sexual nature cannot negatively influence men. Shakespeare emphasizes this through the forceful language Hamlet uses to instruct Ophelia in this action, for example go, and quickly too and that she must go now. Through Hamlets repetition of the imperative verb go, Shakespeare conveys his commanding tone, leaving the audience with no doubt of his vehemence. Shakespeare again shows Hamlets problem with womens sexuality through his repulsion at his mothers relationship with Claudius. In Hamlets first soliloquy he speaks of the speed of the marriage, saying how Gertrude did post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. Here, Shakespeares repetition of s sounds acts as a sibilant to emphasise that Hamlet is hissing the words, conveying disgust at his mothers remarriage and sexual relationship. In negatively viewing the sexuality of both women in his life, Shakespeare hints that Hamlet not only has a problem with them individually, but that his grudge also lies with womankind. This is epitomized through his suggestion to Ophelia at the Chance Meeting that there should be no more marriage, thus effectively terminating sexual relationships. Hamlets disapproval of womens sexuality is linked with his belief that they have a ruinous influence upon men. Shakespeare shows this attitude through the way that in the Chance Meeting with Ophelia, Hamlet suggests that women in general corrupt men, saying wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. Shakespeare again shows Hamlet blaming women for mens faults including his own insanity, saying their flirtatious games hath made [him] mad. Thus, Hamlet is shown to hold women as scapegoats, accountable for mens faults. Hamlets negative attitudes of women combine to produce unequal and oppressive relationships with both women in his life. Shakespeare demonstrates the imbalance in Hamlets relationship with Ophelia through the way the two characters treat one another so differently. Whilst Hamlet carries out a character assassination of her in the Chance Meeting saying that she is corrupt and a sinner, Ophelia glorifies him. Ophelia implies that Hamlet is awed saying he is observed and the glass of fashion. Also, Ophelia believes him to be of good character, saying he has a noble mind. This suggests Ophelias adoration of Hamlet, prior to his madness, and hints at her love for him. Through this contrast between Ophelias treatment of Hamlet with his of her, Shakespeare indicates who dominates their imbalanced relationship. The result is confusion and pain for the subservient Ophelia, shown through her repeated questions such as what means this my lord? and her declaration of grief at Hamlets rejection, proclaiming O woe is me.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: An Overview

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: An Overview Substructures are anything constructed below DPC or ground floor level for example foundations or cellar floors on social housing or even tunnels for commercial use. Substructure legislations include the town and country planning legislation, Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 and COSHH. The Town and Country Planning legislation means that the towns and developments will be planned appropriately and safely bearing in mind fellow housing owners that may be affected by any developments. Planning is necessary to ensure that the buildings and the environment is safe, secure and happy amongst the public. Local authorities are responsible through their planning committees to decide whether a new building or an alteration to an existing building is needed and suitable. Planning permission is not always required, for example internal alterations or work which does not change the appearance of the outside of a property does not require planning permission. Extending or altering the shape of a building, planning permission will be required and if failed to apply for or have a planning application you may risk having the building demolished by the council or planning committee. Some developments even make sure that other property owners are happy by keeping fencing a certain he ight and shape for them not to contact planning permission. Some old fashioned houses may also be affected by this legislation as you may not be legally allowed to put a new, modern, contemporary house in an old, vintage village or near any other old existing houses as it does not fit in or the neighbours may have objected. This legislation applies before construction as you have to apply for planning permission before a building is built to see whether it fits in, it is safe and suitable for the location and the public however during construction it also applies as housing developers apply for planning permission on site for temporary roads or compounds to help planning committees keep the existing properties safe and happy too. The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 means that you should promote, stimulate and encourage high standards of health and safety in places of work. It protects employees and the public from work activities that may cause danger to them in that very moment or in the future. Everyone must abide by the act or you may be prosecuted for not doing so if someone has an injury because of you. The act means that the employers have a duty of ensuring that there employees are safe and secure within the work place. Depending on the type of work place you must wear protection, for instance if the job is construction related the employer must provide you with PPE like a hard hat, steel toe cap boots and a hi-vis. They must also ensure that all your equipment and materials are safe, handled well and have had recent services and lastly they must provide you with training, supervision or simply a site induction which includes details of your job, the health and safety on site and the site rules. Site managers or your employer must provide a written safety policy or risk assessment and depending on your age a young persons risk assessment. Employees objectives are to take care of their own health and safety, and that of others, cooperate with their employer and not to interfere with anything provided in the interest of health and safety. A HSE is a health and safety executive, this person observes and monitors the site under strict instructions and guidelines under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. If the HSE are unhappy they are allowed to shut the site down completely. They have the right to have entry, close the site, see documents and take copies, size substances and ask questions. They even produce an improvement or prohibition notice. Both employers and employees may face prosecution if the site is unfit by the HSE. This act applies before construction as the employer has to provide everyone with PPE, inspect the site to see if it is safe before construction star ts and set up risk assessments and first aid boxes however during construction this applies as the employer doesnt want any accidents or illnesses on site, they would like the PPE to protect their workers, the equipment to be safe, serviced and used well, the fences to protect the public and the vehicles have reversing sirens to protect everyone. COSHH stands for the control of substances hazardous to health. COSHH covers any chemicals used on site for instance adhesive glues or paint thinners. Every chemical that is used on site must have a risk assessed by the site manager on behalf of the COSHH act. The regulations recommend that you do a risk assessment, decide what precautions are needed for example PPE, prevent or control exposure for example dust masks or gloves, ensure that control measures are maintained and used, monitor exposure through measurements, carry out regular health tests for example blood tests, prepare plans and procedures if an accident was to occur and ensure the employees are properly informed and trained usually by the HSE. A prime example of a hazardous substance is asbestos which is now banned due to the harm it does to your body when inhaled. The fibres within the material are the parts of the asbestos that are dangerous. Some products require careful control like the extraction of asbestos like s ome foam product instillations. This act applies before construction as the site manager needs to know if there is any products already on the site that may need to be removed or a risk assessment done for them however during construction it still applies as the chemicals and materials brought on site during the build may be hazardous too and may need to be risk assessed. Superstructures are all the elements visible above the substructure level for example a multi storey building, a social house or even a sky scraper. Superstructure legislations include Building regulations, RIDOR and Construction design management regulations 2008. Building regulations apply in England and wales and these promote standards for most aspects of a buildings construction process, energy efficiency in buildings, the needs of all people even including the disabled. The regulations apply to most new buildings, and many alterations of existing buildings, whether domestic, commercial or industrial. The types of work that do need to comply with the building regulations is the erection or extension of a building, the installation or extension of a service or fitting which is controlled under the regulations, an alteration involving work which will temporarily or permanently affect the on-going compliance of the building, service or fitting with the requirements relating to structure, fire, or access to and use of buildings, the insertion of insulation into a cavity wall and the underpinning of the foundations of a building. All buildings within this list must meet the requirements as they are for danger purposes for example a fire escape and air supplies for the combustion for some appliances. The main requirements come in 14 parts: Part A Structure Part B Fire safety Part C Site preparation and resistance to moisture Part D Toxic substances Part E Resistance to the passage of sound Part F Ventilation Part G Hygiene Part H Drainage and waste disposal Part J Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems Part K Protection from falling, collision and impact Part L Conservation of fuel and power Part M Access to and use of buildings Part N Glazing safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning Part P Electrical safety This regulation applies before construction as the planning department need to put in the fire escapes e.t.c.. however during construction it still applies as the building regs managers or the HSE may test the products to see if they meet the standards. RIDDOR stands for reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations. RIDDOR covers deaths, major injuries; accidents resulting in an over-three-day injury, diseases, dangerous occurrences and gas accidents. If an accident did happen an accident investigation must be done as it is a legal requirement under the RIDDOR regulations. If a member of public is hurt or killed the HSE must be informed. Over three days injuries must be reported to the HSE too. When you report the injuries under RIDDOR you must issue the date and time, a brief description of what happened, put the name and address of the person injured and the date and method of reporting. The injuries listed as RIDDOR are fractures other than fingers, thumbs or toes, amputation, dislocation of shoulder, hip, knee or spine, loss or sight temporarily or permanently and chemical or hot metal burns to the eye that is penetrating. This regulation applies before construction as the site manger may need to write o ut methods of what to do in the event of certain injuries however during construction this will carry on as the site manager may need to write a report after an injury or inform the HSE. Construction design and management regulations 2008 aim to reduce the large numbers of serious, fatal accidents and cases of ill health which occur in construction. CDM places responsibilities on key members such as the design and management teams to keep the projects running safely and smoothly. CDM duties are to select and appoint a planning supervisor and principal contractor that will both allocate adequate resources for health and safety, be satisfied that the designers and contractors arrange for work to be done smoothly and safely, provide the planning supervisor with information on health and safety and ensure the health and safety files are up to date and construction starts and ends well. This regulation applies before construction as the planning, contractors and site managers need to organise whos doing what and when however during they must all make sure it is running as they planned without any health and safety risks.

Princess Diana- Media Victim or Media Manipulator :: essays research papers fc

Princess Diana "Lady Diana was born into a privileged family as the daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer and Lady Frances Althorp in Norfolk, England. Princess Diana was raised by nannies, separated from her parents by divorce and isolated from her sisters and brother when sent to boarding schools. Her life was filled with activities, friends and social events that 'bred' her for royal status and community involvement". At first glance we can easily assume that such a person would easily be one who knew how to handle themselves in front of a camera, being that royalty were never left alone by the media. When she first married the prince the world of the media was rather new to her, and not necessarily unappreciated or ignored in the sense that it could give her a bad name. Considering that she was raised in royalty to some degree, it was only natural that she takes advantage of the media, once she knew how. Yet, at the same time Diana seemed destined to work for others through her status as royalty, which may have been manipulation, but seemed far more sincere than that. In an interesting spiritual judgment of her personality: "Diana's first trait determined how she made choices. In balance, this trait gave her a strong desire to stabilize all aspects of her life. Because of that pull, Diana's goals focused on the equilibrium between motherhood, attention to her nation, charity work and responsibility to her husband. Without effort to achieve balance in one's life, those with this trait in excess can become lifeless--at times lacking the desire to work towards stability and only existing. Through Diana's much publicized life, depression and immobilizing mental turmoil threatened at times her very existence" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.html). She married into royalty and though, at times, got caught up her status and her appearance, slowly changed her focus to people in need, which caused her conflict in relationship to here station in life, which caused her turmoil and misery. Yet, she pursued these events at whatever the cost. Before her death she had become known as a powerful force for good in the world as she "embraced all those requiring care, even breaking the barriers associated with AIDS, leprosy, and those maimed from land mines. She had such a deep concern for each individual taught the world for which we will be forever blessed" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana. Princess Diana- Media Victim or Media Manipulator :: essays research papers fc Princess Diana "Lady Diana was born into a privileged family as the daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer and Lady Frances Althorp in Norfolk, England. Princess Diana was raised by nannies, separated from her parents by divorce and isolated from her sisters and brother when sent to boarding schools. Her life was filled with activities, friends and social events that 'bred' her for royal status and community involvement". At first glance we can easily assume that such a person would easily be one who knew how to handle themselves in front of a camera, being that royalty were never left alone by the media. When she first married the prince the world of the media was rather new to her, and not necessarily unappreciated or ignored in the sense that it could give her a bad name. Considering that she was raised in royalty to some degree, it was only natural that she takes advantage of the media, once she knew how. Yet, at the same time Diana seemed destined to work for others through her status as royalty, which may have been manipulation, but seemed far more sincere than that. In an interesting spiritual judgment of her personality: "Diana's first trait determined how she made choices. In balance, this trait gave her a strong desire to stabilize all aspects of her life. Because of that pull, Diana's goals focused on the equilibrium between motherhood, attention to her nation, charity work and responsibility to her husband. Without effort to achieve balance in one's life, those with this trait in excess can become lifeless--at times lacking the desire to work towards stability and only existing. Through Diana's much publicized life, depression and immobilizing mental turmoil threatened at times her very existence" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.html). She married into royalty and though, at times, got caught up her status and her appearance, slowly changed her focus to people in need, which caused her conflict in relationship to here station in life, which caused her turmoil and misery. Yet, she pursued these events at whatever the cost. Before her death she had become known as a powerful force for good in the world as she "embraced all those requiring care, even breaking the barriers associated with AIDS, leprosy, and those maimed from land mines. She had such a deep concern for each individual taught the world for which we will be forever blessed" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.

Benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution Essay -- ADR

The purpose of this paper is to discuss what Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is and how it came about, what different types of ADR there is to choose from and how ADR benefits both parties compared to litigation. ADR can quickly resolve almost any minor issue regarding most civil cases family, neighbors, employers, contractors, etc. ADR includes mediation (also known as conciliation), arbitration and settlement conferences. Some of the benefits of ADR include cost, speed, confidentiality, control, cooperative resolution and industry experts. Brief History of ADR ADR has been around for many years but has really taken off over the past few decades specifically after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. In the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed â€Å"discrimination in employment or public accommodations on the basis of race, sex or national origin.† These laws opened up the â€Å"gateway† for employee's to fight employer's for fair treatment. Also, during this time the women's movement and the environmental movements where growing quickly leading to more and more court cases. The court system where becoming overwhelmed and cases were being delayed for long period of times. As the courts were trying to resolve cases quickly there were more and more procedural errors being made. ADR's like mediation and arbitration became a popular way of to deal with these types of cases and others and it was helping relieve pressure on the already overloaded court system. The judicial system is still considered a fair way of disputing resolutions. However, it's time consuming and expensive. Some pro's of litigation, according to Citizen's Guide.ca: Pro's and Con's of litigation, are they can create a precedent that will prevent future ... ... 2011 Henton, Lesley. What is a Settlement Conference? 2009-2011. July 18, 2011 Woods, Robert E. What are the Benefits to Alternative Dispute Resolution? 1995. July 6, 2011 Judicial Council of California. Alternative Dispute Resolution: Options for Resolving Your Dispute. 2011. July 12, 2011 Bakke-Norman Law Offices. Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Client's Guide to the Language and Procedure. 2010. July 15, 2011 Beyond Factory Farming Coalition. Citizen's Guide to Confronting a Factory Farm. April 2007. July 9, 2011

Essay --

Introduction Cancer is a wide-ranging group of diseases caused by uncontrolled cell growth that more than 200 different types have been identified. In this disease, the cells divide and grow intensity, forming malignant tumors, and invading nearby parts of the body(1). Cancer has been in the whole of human history. The oldest written record dates back to about 1600 years BC in Egypt described breast cancer(2). The cause of cancer is complex and partly unknown. Although only 5-10% of cancers are due to inherited gene defects, tobacco, poor diet, certain infections, treated with radiation, lack of physical activity, obesity and pollution can directly damage genes and ultimately lead to carcinogenic mutations (3). Rendering to recent statistics, cancer is responsible for 23% of all deaths in USA and is the second most common cause of death after heart disease (4). It is expected that by 2020 the world population reaches 7.5 billion that 15 million new cases diagnosed and 12 million patients will lose their lives (5). Based on figures provided in 2013 by the American Cancer Society, the most common cancer in women is breast cancer (29%) and in men is prostate cancer (28%) (6). Surgery as a primary method in treatment of solid cancers involved in pain relief and patients survival. In surgery the tumor was completely removed along with the lymph nodes in the area. This method is the only way to eliminate some cases of cancer (7). Other intrusive processes that commonly used are radiation and chemotherapy with the aim of killing the cancerous cells. Because they grow and divide faster than healthy cells so they are sensitive to chemotherapeutic and radiation agents(8). Regarding that the efficiency of a method directly depends on its ab... ...sed to form silica xerogels loaded with drugs, so a changing production conditions(as the ratio of reagents, temperature and concentration of catalyst may alter the properties of xerogels(14). In comparison, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) form into homogenous structure with higher surface area that is favorable for adsorption of therapeutic drugs(41). MSN particles possess the ability to load large and small molecules, adsorption of DNA and gene transfering(14). A variety of drugs including antibiotics(42), anticancer drugs(41) and heart disease drugs(43) are loaded into mesoporous silica nanoparticles by chemichal or physical adsorption mechanism(41). Through the work of various research groups, it has been shown that silica particles are biocompatible and have a great potential for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications, but recent studied

How Did the Australian Government Respond to the Threat of Communism After WWII?

Australia faced the threat of communism after WWII ended in 1945. The threat was known as the Red Menace which was caused by all the conflicts in Asia and also things that were going on in Australia at the time. The Australian government responded to the Red Menace in many ways. They took military action, made alliances, gave economoc aid and tried banning the Communist Party in Australia. Communism is a social organisation where everyone in the country/community all have common property and money is shared equally. Australia didn't see communism as a threat until China was taken into control and turned into a communist country. Australia then began to fear that it would only be a matter of time ‘before the reds were on our doorsteps. ‘ Australia responded to the threat of communism in Asia by joining the Korean War in 1950. We joined it because we had a belief that it would be better to fight communism overseas rather than wait for it to reach Australia and fight it here. The Korean War was a part of our government's ‘Forward Defense Policy'. Military action was sent to Korea to help our allies to fight communism overseas. Another response to communism in Asia was the ANZUS Treaty which was one of the most important steps that Australia took to protect Australia from the threat of communism. The treaty was an agreement signed by Australia, New Zealand and the United States; it meant that each of the three nations involved would be obliged to help the other if one was attacked. It was an agreement of aid in common defense. The reason why it was signed by Australia was because we believed that a strong ally was needed to keep Australia safe from communism. There was also another agreement that Australia got involved with called the SEATO alliance. The SEATO alliance was signed by Britain, Thailand, Pakistan, the Phillipines, France, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, in 1954. The alliance was started by the United States becasue of the increasing communist activity in South-east Asia from 1945. The Korean War had just ended and communist activity was spreading to France and communist guerillas were currently active in Malaya. This made the United States feel vulnerable, so they proposed an alliance with the East- Asian countries to fight ‘communist aggression'. Australia was very happy to sign this alliance because it confirmes to the Unites States that we had their back and it supported our ‘Forward Defense Policy'. Australia later joined the Vietnam war to support their role of an ally and to maintain a close tie with the United States. In 1962, Prime Minister Robert Menzies began sending 30 Australian military instructors to South Vietnam where Vietcong were trying to overthrow non-communist South Vietnam. The reason why Australia felt that it was vital to help the United States fight in this war was because of the advice we received from Washington telling us that if we help the United States fight North Vietnam, then when Australia need military assisstance, USA would help us. Fear of communism was also another reason which lead to Australia fighting in the Vietnam war. We believed that if one more Asian country fell into communism, other countries as well as Australia would follow. This was called the ‘Domino Theory'. As well as responding to the threat of communism overseas, Australia also took precautions within the country. In 1949, Robert Menzies promised that he would ban the Communist Party Dissolution Bill which outlawed the Communist Party. The Bill was ruled as unconstitutional by the High Court and was narrowly defeated after a referendum was held. Many Australians feared that communism was getting closer and they were quite worried. It was time for an elction and the Labor Party was confident that they were going to win thhe next elecion. Just shortly before the election, there was a huge ‘spy scare'. This was the Petrov affair. It was about Petrov and his wife Evdokia who provided detailed documents about a Soviet Spy Ring operating in Australia. Robert Menzies used this case and used the fear of communism for his own political ends, which made him win the election. This was how the Australian government responded to the threat of communism after WWII ended.

Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination Essay

Racial discrimination has long been an issue especially in the United States which is considered as a melting pot of different people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Black people have experienced extreme even radical form of discrimination for centuries, but now, the black people found an ally in the affirmative action policy. This policy, after some time of implementation sparked debate since some people, even the blacks themselves, say that giving racial preferences is never a good thing. The policy has affected admission aspects in schools and employment in jobs. Two job applicants, a white male and a black male, even with the same qualifications, the black male will likely get the job because of racial preference provided by affirmative action. Black people are being given a definite advantage and white people would find this an unfair treatment. The same goes for school admission policies where minorities are being given a higher preference over white people in order to maintain a diverse student body. Thesis Affirmative action laws were made to eliminate or reduce discriminatory acts but there are numerous claims that these laws have reversed the tide. Affirmative actions laws may no longer be considered fair in this current setting since it only results in reverse discrimination and it is no longer an effective means of providing opportunities for minority groups. This reverse discrimination is constituted by racial preferences for blacks. This racial preference clouds the judgment of many educational institutions and employers since racial background is being analyzed instead of just the plain qualifications which some white people might find inappropriate. Affirmative action was envisioned to put an end to racial discrimination especially against black people. Under this policy, black people were given higher preferences in job and in admission policies in universities. This is however not an answer to eliminating discrimination. Instead of giving higher preferences to those people who are being discriminated such as the black people, a better alternative solution to racial discrimination would be to find steps to eliminate discriminatory acts and leveling the field so that all people from different ethnic backgrounds will be presented with equal opportunities. Since the black people are being given higher preferences, this may appear as a form of discrimination against white people. Affirmative action, instead of fulfilling its intention of eliminating discrimination, rather contributes to it. One of the major focuses of the affirmative action debate is its inclusion in university admission policies which show higher preferences for black applicants. Many people have been calling for the ban of the use of affirmative action in the public arena. Voters in California, Washington and Michigan have already submitted amendments to their state constitutions that would prohibit the use of affirmative action in the public setting (Prince & Ryan, 2007). According to actor and columnist Joseph Phillips, affirmative action is not an issue of nondiscrimination, it is now about racial preferences. He emphasized on the point that racial preferences is not an effective way of fighting racism, instead, it brings about negative stereotypes especially in the educational sector wherein it pertains to a person’s intellectual capacity and academic capabilities (Prince & Ryan, 2007). In a Supreme Court ruling in 2003 which involves the University of Michigan which makes use of racial preferences in its admission policies, the court highlighted the goal of having a diverse student body which is brought about by affirmative action but critics say that this decision by the court would only spark more law suits and that the critics of affirmative action would continue to put pressure on the Department of Education to discontinue the use of the policy (Marklein, 2003). Evidences have been presented regarding the effects of affirmative action; however, these evidences always seem imperfect and ambiguous. A review of the policy during the Clinton administration indicated that active federal enforcement of the policy in the 1970s resulted in government contractors moderately increasing the hiring of minority workers. Studies have indicated that there is only a meager increase in the employment of black males. Employment share of black males in contractor firms in 1974 was 5. 8 percent and this figure only increased to 6. 7 percent in 1980. On the other hand, the increase in non-contractor firms was from 5. 3 percent to 5. 9 percent. Also, a substantial number of black government employees got their jobs or promotion to managerial rank because of affirmative action even if qualifications are questionable (Galston). In the education sector, it was only during the height of the affirmative action policy that the enrollment of black people was on a steady rise. From only 4. 9 percent in 1955, black enrollment went up to 7. 8 percent in 1970. The figure further increased to 9. 1 percent in 1980 and 11. 3 percent in 1990. On the other hand, according to a report from the Census Bureau, Hispanics holding bachelor’s degrees or other advanced degrees went up to 9 percent in 1994 from only 5 percent in 1970 while the rate for blacks is 12. 9 percent from 4. 5 percent (Galston). Another issue that rises with affirmative action is that minority groups may gain an image of inferiority since the whites may think that a black student was able to enter the university or a black person is able to get a job only because of affirmative action even if the black person has all the necessary qualifications (Hoffman). Overall, the past 30 years has been fruitful for the black people as they generally lived better lives with better education and income all because of racial preferences. This has resulted into what Seymour Martin Lipset classifies as a â€Å"growing differentiation† within the community of black people from the growing black middle class to the ghetto poor. The affirmative action program would work better if it would remove barriers for those who have the credentials to succeed instead of giving them a definite advantage in admissions. Anti-Thesis Supporters of affirmative action make use of the argument that it is necessary for the people compensate for years of discriminations against blacks. Many black people approve of affirmative action because it provides recompense against the discrimination that they have experienced and endured in the past but not all black people share this kind of insight. Steele said that, theoretically, affirmative action is in moral symmetry with fairness. She described the policy as reformist and corrective as well as repentant and redemptive. The country is trying to make up for its sins and wants to correct it but black people will lose more than what they will gain from the policy (Steele). Some also argue that it is difficult to remove stereotyping and discrimination without the policy and that it is needed to maintain diversity. Another argument states that affirmative action should continue because racism still exists in this society. The argument that affirmative action is needed for the white people to compensate for the discrimination against blacks is shrouded in hatred and appears as a form of retaliation against the white people. However, retaliation will not improve the situation. It might even spark more discrimination against black people if affirmative action policies continue to be implemented and this could lead to more hatred and discrimination against the minority groups. According to Kimberle Crenshaw, a professor of law at the University of California, affirmative actions removes the obstacles so that people from the minority groups can qualify and compete. With affirmative action, blacks, Hispanics and other minority group find it easier to get a job because of racial preferences geared toward these minorities (Prince & Ryan, 2007). Affirmative action exists because there is discrimination, if there is no discriminations, affirmative action would not be needed in this society. The fact that affirmative action exists is because there is still discrimination and it is still needed in the current setting. Those who believe that affirmative action is in conflict with their interest must be made to see what benefits it provides to the society. Racism is still dominant in the United States which is why affirmative action must stay (Noguera, 1996). According to Linda Chavez, founder and president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, the Michigan University case speaks of admission and scholarship programs for minority groups which make use of substantially different standards and must include the racial background. People against the policy said that they will take their case to the ballots but the court has already made it clear that it is the university’s prerogative to include race in the admission policy to ensure the diversity of the student body (Marklein, 2003). The 2003 Supreme Court ruling allowed admission officials to consider race in the selection process. Colleges and universities have no obligation to use racial preferences but they may adopt such policies to meet a satisfactory level of student diversity. Arthur Coleman, a former official under the Department of Education said that adopting diversity is a choice and is not mandated by any law or policy. According to a survey by Public Agenda, 79 percent of Americans agreed that it is important for schools to have a diverse student body while only 54 percent approved of affirmative action programs. In a separate poll conducted by Gallup before the court handed out its ruling, only 49 percent said that they are in favor of affirmative action while 43 percent said that they are not in favor (Marklein, 2003). Synthesis Affirmative action was made to eliminate discrimination but discrimination would not likely be eliminated if the method used to eliminate it is discriminating in itself since it results in a reverse discrimination. Instead of blacks being discriminated, the white people are now the ones being discriminated because of racial preferences given to black people in school admission policies and employment opportunities. Arguing that affirmative action is fair because blacks were once discriminated to a great extent is not valid since it is only driven by hatred towards white people who were discriminating the blacks and other minorities (Steele). Also, continuing affirmative actions only causes white people to hate the blacks because of the racial preferences that they are being handed. White people who believe that they have the qualifications but are turned down while a black person gets in may think that affirmative action gave him a disadvantage and not because the black person is really qualified (Hoffman). Affirmative action will not eliminate racial discrimination but it rather contributes to it. The policy may have its benefits every now and then, but generally, it is no longer applicable in the current setting as more and more white people are feeling the negative effects of the policy. It does remove barriers so that people from minorities can compete but it comes with a price. They gain an image of inferiority because people may think that it is only because of affirmative action that they have reached a certain level of success and not because they are really qualified (Hoffman). The Supreme Court has handed out its decision in the Michigan University case and the decision maintained that the school may use the race as part of the admission policy to maintain the diversity of the student body. Even without affirmative action, colleges can use race as a basis of application to meet a desired rate of student diversity since having a diverse student body promotes a better learning environment (Marklein, 2003). Ultimately, data indicates that affirmative action is no longer effective which means that it is time to adopt an alternative policy (Galston). A better way of embracing diversity would be to encourage minorities from a young age to work for their goals and get a good education. Assisting people from poor socio-economic backgrounds to gain resources and motivation should also be done so that they will also be competent when it comes to school admission and job-seeking. This is a lot better than giving them preferential treatment because they would not be treated as inferiors (Hoffman). Conclusion To conclude, affirmative action may have been an effective way of reducing racial discrimination against minorities, but now, it is no longer applicable to be used in the current setting since it results in reverse discrimination. The white people are now put in a seat that was once held by other minorities. Affirmative action might trigger hate targeted towards the blacks and other minorities because of the reverse discrimination. The policy which gives racial preferences also connects inferiority with minority groups. A better way of eliminating discrimination is by leveling the playing field not by racial preferences but by providing equal opportunities for whites and minority groups. References Prince, Andrew & Ryan, Erica. 21 November 2007. Is it Time to End Affirmative Action?. National Public Radio. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=16337441 Marklein, Mary Beth. 24 June 2003. Despite ruling, affirmative action debate is far fr