History of Civil Rights | Essay

History of Civil Rights | Essay Racism entails the belief that some races are more superior to others in society. From as early as the colonial era, racism in the United States of America has been a major issue. Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, American Jews, Irish Americans and some other immigrant groups and their descendants were all considered as the minority groups. Racism has many forms. However, no one is born a racist. This develops from the environment from which our children grow into. Racism in the United States of America has been a major issue ever since the slave and the colonial era. Legally endorsed racial discrimination imposed a grave burden on African Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and Asian Americans. European Americans were from the beginning at an advantage since the American law favored them in matters of voting rights, literacy standards, immigration, land acquisition, citizenship, and criminal procedure over periods of time extend from as early as the 17th century to the 1960s. Majority of the European ethnic groups, particularly Eastern Europe, Irish Americans, American Jews, Southern European immigrants, in addition other immigrants, suffered discrimination and other kinds of racism in American society. The major racially structured institutions at the time included Indian wars, slavery, segregation, Native American reservations, internment camps and residential schools (for Native Americans. In America, official racial bias was largely prohibited in the mid-20th century; moreover, it came to be viewed as socially intolerable. However, racial politics remained a major phenomenon in American territory. Historical racism up to date has continued to be perceived in socio-economic inequality. Nevertheless, racial stratification continued to take place in all avenues in our society including government, housing, employment, housing, lending and education sectors. As is the case in most countries, many people in the United States of America continue to harbor some discrimination against individuals from other races. Discrimination infiltrates almost all aspects of life in the United States of America, and it further extends to all communities of color. SLAVERY Slavery in the United States was a kind of forced labor that existed in North America as a legal institution for over a century. This was before the United States was founded in the year 1776. Later on, slavery began to spread to the south. This continued until the thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was passed in 1865. The first lot of Africans to land in the United States was brought into North America in 1619. The ship docked in Virginia carrying about 20 Africans. This was the beginning of slavery in America. Slavery gradually spread into areas with good fertile soils where large plantations of high value cash crops were being grown. The key crops being grown were sugar, Cotton, coffee and tobacco. During the 18th century, legislatures and colonial courts had radicalized slavery. Fundamentally this created a caste system in which slavery applied exclusively to Black Africans and other people of African origin. However, Native Americans were also occasionally turned into slaves. Between the 16th à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 19th centuries, more than 12 million Africans had been shipped into America to become slaves to the Americans. By the 19th century, majority of the slave holders were located in South Americas where the land was more fertile. The African slaves were managed by overseers who were usually white Americans. Slavery was a touchy subject in the politics of the United States of America between 1770s-1860s. Thus it became a matter of discussion in the drafting of the American Constitution. Moreover, it became a key issue in Federal legislation and Supreme Court cases. Slaves resisted the legalization of slavery and the whole institution that supported it. To show their dismay, they held rebellions and non-compliance. In addition, they escaped slavery by travelling to non-slave states and Canada. This was made possible by the Underground Railroad. Activists of abolitionism were constantly engaged in political and moral debates in an effort to encourage the creation of Free Soil states as Western expansion proceeded. Slavery was a major subject that led to the start of the American Civil War. Once the Union won the war, slavery became illegal throughout the United States of America. In addition, the country adopted the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. B. Freedom Fighters Once slavery was abolished, African American people began to rise into positions of power in America. Some of them are discussed below. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr was not only an American clergyman and activist but also a prominent leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement. He is famous for his contribution to the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world. He advocated for the use of non violent methods with regards to Mahatma Gandhi. He is also famous for being a Nobel peace laureate in 1964 for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination using non violent means. When he was assassinated in 1968, he was posthumously honored the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This was in 1977 and in 2004; he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. In the year 1986, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday. 2. Autherine Lucy Foster Autherine Lucy Foster went down in history as the first black student to ever attend the University of Alabama. At the time, university policies prohibited her from attending the university since she was black. She therefore approached the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for assistance. Court proceedings began on July 1953 and on June 29, 1955, the NAACP secured a court order preventing the University from turning down the admission applications of Lucy and her friend based upon their race. Few days later, the court amended the decision to apply to all other African-American students who were seeking admission in the university. The Supreme Court upheld this in Lucy v. Adams on October 10, 1955. The university reluctantly allowed Lucy to register, however, she was excluded from all dormitories and dining halls. On February 3, 1956, Lucy enrolled as a graduate student in library science, becoming the first African American to ever get admitted to a w hite public school or university in the state. However, things were not smooth sailing for Lucy since on the third day of classes, a hostile mob gathered to keep her from attending her classes. The police intervened however that evening Lucy was suspended from university on grounds that she disrupted the peace in the university. She filed suit against the university and as a result, they expelled her on grounds that she slandered the university reputation after decades of law suits, the University overturned her expulsion. This was in 1980, and in 1992, she finally earned her Masters degree in Elementary Education from the University. The University named a scholarship in her honor as well as unveiled a portrait of her in the student union. The inscription on it reads Her initiative and courage won the right for students of all races to attend the University. 3. Ida B. Wells- Barnet Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862 March 25, 1931) was an African American female news paper editor and journalist. Her husband, Ferdinand L. Barnett, was the newspaper owner as well as an early civil rights movement leader. Ida documented the extent of killings that were being executed in the United States. She was also dynamic in the womens rights movement as well as the womens suffrage movement in America. Since she was little, she was aggressive in her demands for equality and justice for African-Americans. She always maintained that the African-American community could only gain justice through its own determination and efforts. Since her death, in March 25, 1931, the significance of her life as well as her legacy has greatly grown. Her life story has been the subject of a extensively performed musical drama, which debuted in 2006, by Tazewell Thompson. In history, she is labeled the woman who was at one time born in slavery yet she grew to overcome all odds and become one of the great pioneer activists of the Civil Rights Movement in America. III. Civil Rights Movements in the United States Brown vs. Board of Education Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a land mark decision made by United States Warren Supreme court on May 17, 1954. The land mark declared the previous state laws that ensured the establishing separate public schools for white and black students were unconstitutional. This court ruling overturned the Ferguson vs. Plessey decision of 1896 which advocated for state-sponsored segregation. The court decision stated that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. As a result, de jure racial segregation was declared a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States constitution. This ruling paved the way for integration of all people irrespective of their race and civil rights movement. B. Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance began as a result of changes that had occurred in the African American community since slave was legally abolished. These changes were further hastened by the outcome of World War I. another catalyst to the movement was the great social and cultural changes that occurred in early 20th century in the United States. Industrialization was attracting people to urban areas from the rural areas and as a result, this gave rise to a new mass culture. Some of the contributing factors that lead to the Harlem Renaissance were the First World War, which had produced new industrial employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people and the Great Migration of African Americans to northern cities in America. This in turn led to the concentration of ambitious people in areas where they could hearten each other. Thus, the movement emerged stronger and more determined than ever. Harlem is a section of New York City. In the early 1900s, mostly in the1920s and early 1930s, African American literature started to thrive in Harlem. The New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance were names referring the African American movement that was aimed at fighting for the blacks rights in America. This movement came forward towards the end of the First World War in 1918. The Harlem Renaissance marked the crucial moment in American history when the mainstream writers and critics took African American literature seriously. This is because; they realized that African American literature and arts was gaining significant attention from the world as a whole. Although it was mainly a fictional movement, it was very much related to progress in African American theater, music, politics and art. The Harlem Renaissance seemed to be the best of times for America to recognize and appreciate the African American people. The Harlem renaissance main objective was to fight for equality. However, once the great depression came about, the Harlem renaissance collapsed. Conclusion The election of Barrack Obama as a US president was a major milestone in the history of the United States. Being an African American, it was the peoples way of telling the world that the end of the dark ages of racism in America had come. People like martin Luther King Jr. dreamt of the day all Americans would accept each other and learn to live together in harmony. Finally this dream is slowly becoming a reality. Racism is a global harm on society, yet with persistence equality can be made.

Midsummer Nights Dream :: essays research papers

Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions and Answers 1. What does Shakespeare accomplish by setting most of the action at night and in the wood? Explain thoroughly. Use examples. Setting most of the action at night and in the woods creates a dreamlike world. There is no other place that holds more myth than the forest. Obernon makes clear that nighttime is fairies’ time. Theseus, who is present during the daylight, represents reason.The visions of fairies and magic are all related to the nighttime forest setting. Shakespeare was interested in how dreams worked, in how the events in the play transpired, and how time seems to change and loses track. Throughout the entire play, the young lovers are overcome by the magical power of the woods. They are put into a situation that is unrealistic which leads to bizarre mishaps. Even uncanny incidents happen to the fairies of the woods. Titania is put under a love spell and falls in the love with the ass-headed Nick Bottom. Puck reminds us in the end that if the play has offended anyone, they should simply remember it as being a dream. This helps make the play an incredible occurrence, rather than an intense dra ma. 2. Explain how Theseus represents the voice of reason and moderation. Be specific. Use examples and quotes (include act and line numbers) Theseus represents the voice of reason and moderation in the play because he seems to be the only normal character left. He only appears in the play during the daytime, when nothing magical occurs. He is the only character who shows complete sanity in the dreamlike fantasy world around him. He is the Duke of Athens so many people come to him with their problems. When Egeus comes to Theseus about the problem he is having with his daughter, Hermia, Theseus takes power over the situation. He explains to Hermia that if she goes against her father’s rules, by his words, she will be sentenced to death or sent to a convent. (Act 1, Scene 1, Pages 4 and 5, Lines 30-34). He states, â€Å"For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself to fit your fancies to your father’s will; Or else the law of Athens yields you up,- which by no means we may extenuate,- to death, or to a vow of single life.† Hermia is so in love that she can not make a reasonable decision, so she runs off in to the imaginative woods with Lysander.

A Christmas Carol Essay -- English Literature

A Christmas Carol In a Christmas Carol, Dickens uses some of his past childhood experiences to show us that Christmas is very important and many messages come across in this book. It is split up into five ‘staves.’ The reason that they are staves instead of chapters as staves are used in music and it is called a Christmas ‘carol.’ In most cases, when people hear the word ‘Christmas’, we think of a time for giving and sharing with people less fortunate, a time for being thankful for everything we have no matter how little or how big, a chance to spend time with the people we love, joking, laughing and smiling. Generally a good time is had by all. Possibly the only exception is Scrooge. Scrooge is a cruel, cold, heartless, unwelcoming character who changes his heart and mind at Christmas. What messages were given by Dickens about Christmas? Can we change our hearts and ourselves just like Scrooge? Scrooge is an elderly miser. He’s living in the Victorian times when it was quite different to how we live nowadays, especially at Christmas. When we wake up on Christmas morning, the first thing we want to do is open our presents hoping someone has remembered what we asked for, watch others open gifts we’ve bought, cram as much turkey down our throats as possible and have parties with friends and family. In the Victorian times, they celebrated the birth of Christ. Even the poor who had hardly anything thanked God for all that they had, even though it was so little. Most people spent time with their family, singing songs and eating lovely dinners. It was usually the best dinner of the year. Scrooge did none of this. He hated Christmas. Whenever anything was mentioned about the event, he usually replied ... ...the same as any other day. I like how Dickens used the repetitiveness of the word ‘melancholy,’ as it just highlights how sad, depressed and boring his evening is. You can just imagine the street at which he lives. People in all the houses are laughing, enjoying themselves, singing, spending time together, apart from one man. All Christmas decorations are put up and the rooms are all bright, cheery and warm apart from in one home – Scrooge’s! After reading the final part, Stave 5, our feeling towards Scrooge changes dramatically and we start to feel empathetic because of his changes. Just the first sentence in the 5th Stave shows something has changed. A Holophrastic phrase is exclaimed and it is a total change from the 1st Stave. It says ‘Yes!’ Although Scrooge doesn’t actually say it, it is a positive comment which we rarely saw in the first Stave.

The Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights :: American History Governmental Rights Essays

The Articles of Confederation 1776 brought a declaration of and a war for independence to Britain’s North American colonies. While they had all acted in concert to reach this decision, their memories of colonial life under the centralized British monarchy had lasting effect upon their views of what the federal government of their new republic would have the power to do. In the years following the Declaration of Independence, Congress came up with the Articles of Confederation to loosely govern the new republic at the federal level. 1781 found all 13 states ratifying the Articles of the Confederation as well as the conclusion of the War for Independence, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Already, the weaknesses of the Articles of the Confederation were beginning to show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every one of the 13 colonies suffered economic setbacks as a result of the War for Independence. Devalued American currency as a result of the Congress’ habit of printing new paper money to cover the new republic’s war debt and the British blockade created high prices for goods. The end of the war hardly helped the situation as Congress found itself powerless to levy taxes to pay off the war debt, powerless to regulate trade with other nations, and powerless to regulate workers wages and the price of goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This unregulated economic climate provoked citizens who were shouldering much of the debt as a result. Farmers of western Massachusetts who saw banks moving to foreclose on the mortgages of their farms demanded that the government do something to protect them in their time of financial need. They saw the lower legislative house of Massachusetts draft and approve a measure, which included relief measures for them. Under the influence of the farmers’ creditors, the upper house blocked the actions of the lower house, which further enraged these local farmers. In 1786, a captain of the old Continental army Daniel Shays, led 2000 armed farmers against the state government. They shut down county courts to prevent foreclosure proceedings on their farms, and marched on the Federal Arsenal at Springfield, evidently to properly arm themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eventually in 1787, the Massachusetts state militia put down the rebellion. Both sides in the mess were unhappy with the new republic’s role (or lack thereof) in the crisis. Farmers were unhappy that the government wasn’t taking steps to protect their property from creditors, and creditors were unhappy that the The Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights :: American History Governmental Rights Essays The Articles of Confederation 1776 brought a declaration of and a war for independence to Britain’s North American colonies. While they had all acted in concert to reach this decision, their memories of colonial life under the centralized British monarchy had lasting effect upon their views of what the federal government of their new republic would have the power to do. In the years following the Declaration of Independence, Congress came up with the Articles of Confederation to loosely govern the new republic at the federal level. 1781 found all 13 states ratifying the Articles of the Confederation as well as the conclusion of the War for Independence, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Already, the weaknesses of the Articles of the Confederation were beginning to show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every one of the 13 colonies suffered economic setbacks as a result of the War for Independence. Devalued American currency as a result of the Congress’ habit of printing new paper money to cover the new republic’s war debt and the British blockade created high prices for goods. The end of the war hardly helped the situation as Congress found itself powerless to levy taxes to pay off the war debt, powerless to regulate trade with other nations, and powerless to regulate workers wages and the price of goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This unregulated economic climate provoked citizens who were shouldering much of the debt as a result. Farmers of western Massachusetts who saw banks moving to foreclose on the mortgages of their farms demanded that the government do something to protect them in their time of financial need. They saw the lower legislative house of Massachusetts draft and approve a measure, which included relief measures for them. Under the influence of the farmers’ creditors, the upper house blocked the actions of the lower house, which further enraged these local farmers. In 1786, a captain of the old Continental army Daniel Shays, led 2000 armed farmers against the state government. They shut down county courts to prevent foreclosure proceedings on their farms, and marched on the Federal Arsenal at Springfield, evidently to properly arm themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eventually in 1787, the Massachusetts state militia put down the rebellion. Both sides in the mess were unhappy with the new republic’s role (or lack thereof) in the crisis. Farmers were unhappy that the government wasn’t taking steps to protect their property from creditors, and creditors were unhappy that the

Language Analysis Bullying

Girls College wrote an opinion piece â€Å"It's time for us to take a stand†, which was published In the Breadboard Leader on the 9th of December, 2013, she contends In a critical and negative tone that the young people of Australia must stand up against the cruel, vindictive and cowardly practice of bullying. Elise explains how bullying has been around since the start of time, but social media is making acts such as bullying too easy for these bullies to argue their victims and little is being done about it.Stakeholders include friends, family, workers, schools, social media, victims, and the medical industry. The target audience for this text is the victims, to encourage them to stand up for themselves. Elise opens up the article in a serious and urgent tone, explaining how serious this really is, and how little Is being done about it, strongly suggesting something needs to be done now. Social Media sites such as Backbone and Twitter play a huge role In Weber bullying, they make millions of dollars In advertising and Elise explains how It Is only fair If they use some of the money to help stop the spellbinding that their platforms allow.She draws In the audience with a persuasive technique appealing them to fear by stating â€Å"it seems that not a month goes by when we don't hear another story of a teen somewhere overseas or in Australia that has taken their life due to the bullying that has occurred on line. † Another effective technique she has used is the use of rhetorical questions for example â€Å"Can we as young people sit idly y while these companies become indirectly wealthy from the misery they help create? Can parents knowingly let their children use websites that allow such cruel behavior to be facilitated? Elise continues to explain the causes of bullying with reason and logic, stating that most bullies are highly sensitive so they bully to avoid getting bullied themselves, and making them feel the bigger person, or to compensate for some short coming In their lives. She then explains In a call and clear tone how Important It Is for the parents to educate their children that bullying s not acceptable, suggesting how can the children take a stand for themselves if they have no guidance by their parents?Elise explains more in depth how the parents need to be educated themselves, so they can educate their children that the appalling behavior of bullying is wrong. The best way to stop bullying is to prevent it, and the parents and education department play a key role in that. She explains the effects of bullying in every aspect, not only the physical and emotional cost, but the financial cost too for example it costs the tax areas money every time they have to go to the doctor's surgery.She uses evidence and repetition as a persuasive technique that Is supporting her contention effectively. For example â€Å"Based on 2009 studies, 27 per cent of students In years four to nine are bullied regularly – let' s call It one In four students. Personally I am horrified by this statistic. One in four! ONE IN FOUR! † Elise closes the article with an for themselves. She says â€Å"Remember that we the good people outnumber the bullies. Don't let the unnecessary suffering continue. United we stand, divided they fall. In the visual piece of the text there is a photograph of a young child with innocent eyes looking right up at you, with his hands up showing the words written across them â€Å"stop bullying†. The camera is angled in front and above the boy, creating a dominating effect, making the boy look more vulnerable, innocent and weak. It is a simple but powerful photograph taken by James Luckier. The effects on the stakeholders such as the victims of bullies sends out a message to them to take a stand for themselves.The effect on the bullies is that they would hopefully feel bad for what they do and actually consider thinking about stopping. In conclusion, Elise uses many diff erent techniques and tones in this argument, with a lot of logic and evidence to support her main points, so overall this is an effective persuasive piece, leaving the audience convinced to take a stand. We outnumber the bullies, they are truly the weak ones. Target audience – young people themselves, taking a stand Stakeholders – friends, family, workers, schools, social media, victims, medical industry

How People Handle Grief Essay

Grief can be elucidated as a natural human reaction to loss. People in different stages of their life span undergo with grief when there is a major loss (Linda, 2000). People usually assume of grief as happening in the perspective of bereavement, death of a loved one, a close relationship ends through separation, or when a person is enforced to give up some facet of life that was imperative. This paper focuses on grief, which entails an entire range of emotions and experiences and various ways to deal with grief. Introduction Grief is a general attribute of human existence. It is not related to specific culture, though it is experienced by humans in varied form and intensity. Robert Burton described grief as a ‘cruel torment’. Scientifically, it is first described as people who had suffered sadness under traumatic circumstances, or who had looked for psychiatric assistance to overcome troubles linked with grief. Grief can be experienced under two broad circumstances, one, when a sudden and traumatic death of a dependent relationship, it involved strong and prolonged mournful and the other, related with the repression of throbbing thoughts or with an bitter relationship, involved deferred grief. When grief is experienced under traumatic circumstances it is labeled as a post-traumatic stress disorder. It exhibits severe and exaggerated types of grief responses such as severe depression or pronounced panic or anxiety, can lead to a psychiatric diagnosis (Kim and Jacobs, 1993; Prigerson, 1994). Robert Burton highlighted that grief can have adverse effect on health, and gave reference to examples of historical figures who lost their life because of grief, such as the Roman Emperor Severus (Archer, pg-3). Dealing with grief The concept of grief is usually understood when it is triggered by a specific loss that is why resolution can only be attained through a long and intricate process of face up to thoughts of the loss, and that there are no easy ways to come up from grieving state. Grieving people mull over their loss in thought, and since its cause is a specific event, therefore it subsides over a period of time. Cobb and Lindemann (1943) wrote, â€Å"It seems that the grieving person can delay his grieving period but not avoid it† (Archer, pg: 108). There are individual differences, so each person grieves in his own manner and take his own time to overcome. Grief period can be for one year, two years or still longer. During that period, person may be passing through a wave of grief. There are numerous ways to deal with grief. To deal with grief initially is to share one’s happening with others. It is important to express feelings through communication. A close friend or family member is ideal with whom the person can speak out his intense inner feelings and allow the tears to flow out. Tears can washout sadness along with anger, guilt, loneliness and exhaustion. Another influential way to deal with grief is to write a diary of event. For example, writing letters to deceased loved one, sharing regrets, things which could not be conveyed, feelings and what is missed. When it is difficult to live under grief due to great loss, person may join a support group. Loneliness may enhance bitter feelings and it takes time to come out from grief period. When a person adheres to some social group, he gets a chance to talk with others who understand and share the experience of grief and it will work as an effective medicine in healing grief. It is well understood that grief affects one’s mind, body and soul. To come out from grief situation, person must care for himself with a healthy diet, exercise and adequate sleep. If possible he may look for professional help. If the grief lasts longer than two months, one must talk to a doctor. Best way to cope up with grief situation is to pass time in useful manner such as reading literary or religious books, go to recovery programs, and enter therapy. Conclusion To sum up, Grief is a usual but sometimes a puzzling and irrepressible sentiment. To cope up with grief is a long, aching process. Grief is lessening when we give vent to it. Good cry always help to reduce sore feelings. In grief, source of the emotional feeling is clearly perceived as being external and not due to personal inadequacies so person can again enjoy living and loving, having good appetite back, the pain will weaken, and one will be able to have sound sleep. It is a universal truth that everybody experiences loss in his life and needs to find ways and means to deal with these feelings with a healthy approach. Work cited 1) Linda Goldman; Life & Loss: A guide to help grieving children. Philadelphia: Accelerated Development Inc. Year:2000. 2) John Archer; The Nature of Grief: The Evolution and Psychology of Reactions to Loss. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 1999. Page Number: 3.

The Social Construction of the Amish Community

Sociology 1101 The Amish Community, an Example of Social Construction The Amish culture qualifies as an example of social construction because it is a belief that has important consequences for a large group of people. The people of the Amish community have specific rules they must follow. They believe that the outside culture has a morally polluting effect and that it promotes pride, greed, immorality and materialism. Some of the Amish beliefs include the concept that God will judge them on how well they have obeyed the church rules during their lifetime and that contact with the â€Å"outside world† makes it harder to obey their rules.This is the reason for their extreme isolation. Even though the Amish culture believes that the â€Å"outside world† has a polluting effect on them and their children, there is a time within the Amish community that the parents throughout the community allow their children to participate in events and activities that they usually wouldnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t be allowed to participate in. This time is referred to as Rumspringa. Rumspringa is also referred to as â€Å"running around† This is the term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around the age of sixteen.The parents of the children who choose to participate in this opportunity feel that their children cannot be shunned from the Amish community because they are not yet baptized and they are not yet under the authority of the church. Rumspringa helps the young adults to choose whether they want to join the church or not. The young adults can choose to join a youth group on the weekends usually. These different youth groups have different activities or events they participate in. There are two main groups; one considered the slower or plainer group and the other considered the faster group.The slower groups participates in activities such as volleyball games, and singing groups and are even sometimes supervised by adults while the fa ster group participates in parties and other activities considered less conservative. Although most people seem to think that the youth who participate in these groups are participating in heavy partying, drug use, premarital sex or other extreme behaviors this is usually not the case although these are not unheard of throughout the faster youth groups. The Amish community serves as an example of social construction because the ideas of this culture are passed along by xplaining each aspect of the community through personal interactions and friendships, people begin to believe these strict aspects are what are to be expected because so many other people of the Amish community are believing them and practicing them. Then the strict aspects of the Amish culture are eventually accepted and passed down from generation to generation. â€Å"The Amish people are direct descendants of the Anabaptists of the sixteenth century Europe. Anabaptism is the religion that came about during the ref ormation era.The term Anabaptist first started out as a nickname that meant re-baptizer, because this group rejected the idea of infant baptism, since an infant doesn’t yet have the knowledge of good and evil. The Anabaptists were seen as a threat to Europe’s religious and social institutions and were therefore persecuted. † The idea of Rumspringa first begins because of this specific aspect of the Amish culture, the belief that their children cannot be shunned by the Amish community because they are not old enough to know the difference between good and evil.This then allows the people of the Amish community to consider what the specific age of knowing good from evil is and then they present the specific idea of Rumspringa to the Amish culture. The Amish community passed through the three phases of Berger and Luckmann’s analysis by first; externalizing the ideas of the culture by putting an explanation of the ideas â€Å"out there† The Amish commun ity first presented the idea of Rumspringa to the entire community when they felt that their young adults should have a choice whether or not they wanted to continue to practice the Amish believes and pass them down to their children.Although it may seem that this act of Rumspringa is going completely against what the Amish community believes, the Amish parents do not encourage their youth to leave home and participate in sinful behaviors but they feel there must be at least some room for free choice in the decision to become Amish. Rumspringa was also explained as the time the Amish community allowed their young adult children to participate in youth groups that would lead them to finding a spouse and if this happened and the two young adults decided to get married their time of Rumspringa was over and they were now to be baptized.The second phase they passed their belief through is objectivation. This is the most crucial phase of construction. The strict rules of the Amish communi ty led the people of the Amish community to believe that being exposed to the outside world would pollute their minds. But, when the idea of Rumspringa was first put out there for people to consider, it showed that this would allow their children to participate in activities and groups that they were not usually allowing them too.At first the people of the Amish community felt this idea was crazy, but after it was explained that their children would not be shunned from the community because they had not yet been baptized and were not yet under the authority of the church and that their young adult children needed free choice in whether or not to continue the practices of the Amish culture, people began to really consider this idea. Many Amish families decided this was a good idea and began to practice this new belief.They felt this could actually help their family continue from generation to generation. The third phase of Berger and Luckmann is the phase of internalization. This new ly introduced belief of the Amish community was spreading quickly and more and more people began practicing this belief. More people of the Amish community began to involve this belief into their everyday lives because they felt this could lead their children to marriage and then they would soon be baptized and be considered under the authority of the church.People of the Amish community had children and has these children grew up they were introduced to the idea of Rumspringa and as these children grew into adults and had their own children they passed down the belief to their children and eventually the belief of Rumspringa throughout the Amish culture was now passed down from generation to generation religiously. Even though the idea of Rumspringa was doubted when it was first presented to the Amish community, the people of the Amish community began to actually consider the aspects of this new idea and realize this could help their children and even their families for generations .This is how the beliefs of the Amish community passed through the third phase of Berger and Luckmanns reality of construction. I believe that the beliefs of the Amish community could either be effectively challenged or accepted depending on the person who is examining and judging the culture. The Amish culture thoroughly explains each aspect of their culture and why they participate in each aspect. They have specific background information on why they now accept the idea of Rumspringa.I feel he Amish culture could also be effectively challenged because, even though the Amish culture presents their ideas of Rumspringa and explains that they feel this certain period of time in their children’s lives could effectively alter their lives for the better, this time doesn’t actually let their children move outside the community or even the home. The young adults of the Amish community don’t actually get to experience what it is like to live in a house where there is te levision or dress differently or even eat food they have never tried before.I feel the period of Rumspringa should be widened completely. The young adults should be able to spend six months to year physically living and working in a whole different world and this would actually allow them to make a completely honest choice about whether to join the Amish community church without the heavy influence of their parents. I feel this would effectively allow the young adults experience Rumspringa.