Michael Olesker's Journeys to the heart of Baltimore - Term Paper Example

Michael Olesker's Journeys to the heart of Baltimore In his book, Olesker can be described to have written a sentimental a corny and good-natured hectic spirit based from the life of the street corners. These are stories that are derived from a good place, a place where people sat around kitchen tables and discussed on issues that reflected the kind of life they were living. The book revolves around ethnic teenagers who are from different backgrounds. In this book, we are reminded about the country’s ethnic and racial pasts (Michael 18). Though it is fictional, we see young men going into war into Italy where their allegiance is been tested. Back home, the city will be struggling through racial convulsions. Olesker goes ahead and writes, “We overlap—or what's the point of America?”; “We compromise, we shed the garments of the past. But we simultaneously strain to hold onto yesterdays. It is the hunger of memory.” It is in this sense that we note that there is the need for the current youngsters to understand the rich history America has to offer (Michael 74). This simply means we should not forget our ethnic diversities in the long run. He manages to discuss the various immigrants’ groupings that did settle in Baltimore. We are able to see the struggles that they did go through at those times. He manages to bring out the first hand experiences of the first generation Americans who tried so had to be Americans back in the 1950s and 1960s.Through this book, I have been able to learn the following when it comes to race and ethnicity not only in Baltimore but the whole of US. Recognizing racial discrimination The most complicated aspect of racial discrimination is that it can take place entirely undetected. Given a scenario that the employer fails to admit to this form of discrimination, no one can ascertain that the decision made to hire, promote or fire an individual was based on his race. There has been situations whereby it can be argued out that the employer tend to portray some discriminatory intentions (Michael 28). An example is whereby one is asked a question about his or her race in an interview. If the prospect employee fails to get the job, it can be argued out that race had a role in the employer making his or her decisions. These forms of circumstances have been rare. It should be known that the employers can inquire about an individual’s race as long as it does not have any role to play in the decision making process of hiring the person. Nonetheless, racial discrimination is far more understated. This is because a person will not have any assurance as to why they were not hired or promoted as discussed in the above example. One may inquire from the employer, but the employer is known to have the option of offering a viable reason that is not based on the individual race and may be the false reason. There is also the option of using the hiring and promotion trends in the organization as a form of evidence for racial discrimination (Richard 88). The other option is using the example of a lesser qualified employee who is been promoted or hired to a certain position as compared to another applicant of another race. This is a good example of racial discrimination. To conclude on this issue, there have been situations whereby employers are discriminating without them realizing it. Employers are known to put in place mechanisms for hiring or promoting in their work policies that will have a certain effect on a given race. If this is not done along the legal channels, it can be deemed racial discrimination. We cannot talk about racial discrimination in workplaces without looking at discrimination of people with disabilities at work place. They tend to go hand in hand. Relationship of the Books to Race and Ethnicity Theories Race and Ethnicity Theories An affirmation action program is presently an important tool, which is designed to make sure there is equality in the society and present equal employment opportunities in organizations. Such programs are encouraged to benefit the oppressed members of the society due to religion, gender, color, or race. Other areas of focus include education sector, health programs and in public contracting. In the workplace, the program includes all procedures, policies and practices that an organization implements to ensure that all employees and applications with necessary qualifications receive equal opportunity for selection, recruitment, training, advancement, development and all other employment privileges (Michael 11). There are a number of theories, which support or oppose affirmation action programs in the society. The order theory stipulates that the entire society based on values, which are shared. The logic of the theory is that the society can only be explained by the values it defends and practices. Discrimination, according to the theory, occurs as the society tries hard to defend such values from those advocated by ‘intruding’ values brought by immigrants (Richard 18). More often than not, the order theory will support affirmative action programs because it tries to find, establish and defend the existing and new order and values, which are then maintained in the society. The second theory is internal colonialism. This theory explains many issues in a society with different races or ethnic groups. This theory presents a notion that there should be economic and structural inequalities between different groups in a given state. The outcome and notion of the theory is an ‘uneven societal’ development. Generally, the majority groups in the society do everything possible to exploit the minorities in the same region (Richard 46). Labor is obtained cheaply from the exploited group. On the other hand, the same groups are made to pay a lot for any products or services provided to them. This theory is definitely opposed to affirmative action programs in the society. Conflict theories became meaningful as the world continued to advance. The conflict theory argues that an organization or society will only functions such that all groups or individuals can struggle to achieve the maximum benefits thus contributing to social changes. The class conflict theory is used to explain the disagreements and conflicts existing between the rich and poor members of the society in an attempt to achieve equality (Richard 28). These form the rich and poor classes in the society. As explained by Karl Marx, this conflict between the two classes can result in revolutions and changes in the society whereby the poor need equality. Looking at the logic of this theory, it should be observed that it will definitely be opposed to any affirmative action program and might result in constant fighting and the desire to have equality in the society. This is because there is always a ruling class, which wants to continue oppressing the subject class. The group conflict theory is similar to the class conflict theory. However, this theory applies to different groups within a given society. The logic and underlying assumption attached to this theory is that every society is usually made up of smaller groups with competing interests. Each group fights hard to challenge the other and prosper quickly than the other (Michael 54). This theory best explains the differences, which exist between races and tribes in different societies and nations. Just like the class conflict theory, this theory does not support any affirmative action program because it will bring equality in the society and in the workplace. The events of the 1930s and the Civil War are the two defining moments in the history of the United States of America. Specifically, the Civil War marked the culmination of all happenings and historical events and ever since, it reshaped the future of the nation. Not only can we suggest that the political situation of the nineteenth century radically changed, but also so were the social, economic and moral ideologies of the American people. Such changes should be acknowledged to have had profound impacts upon the United Nations, both for the ill and the good. From the above discussions and explanations, therefore, we should observe that the context of U.S.A. history after the 1870s is the society created between 1830s and the end of the Civil War. Biracial Relationships Sometime back, biracial relationships in America used to be forbidden and even illegal. Currently, it has become outdated and no longer regarded as a prohibited behavior. Our modern society has accepted such relationships and as we will see, it has its pros and cons. Human beings are social creatures, meaning that they cannot live without the support, concern and care for each other. Due to this kind of understanding, human beings have been keen on developing permanent and useful relationships, which shall serve them, right (Michael, 19). These relationships would range straight from the family context all the way to global interrelationships between nations. In order for man to have in a healthy relationship, there should be a number of things that have to be always right, otherwise the relationship shall end or become unhealthy. This is a research paper that will only focus on issues surrounding biracial relationships. Biracial relationship is where two people of different races are in a marriage relationship or in a courtship. Race has been a major issue when it comes to relationship and as we know people have even been charged under the law for racially discriminating others (Richard 54). In this world, biracial relationships have become very important because they play a big role in determining how different individuals interact or live with one another. Biracial Relationships are the exact thing that unites us as human beings from different areas, societies and professions towards living together and understanding one another. In terms of relationships, human beings will talk of friendships, relationships that involve dating and resultant marriages, other interactions within the community, and towards the exchange of ideas among different societies (Richard 62). This means that we cannot talk of sociology without talking about relationships (biracial), and with the vice-versa being true. Biracial relationships occur in the society today, and these relationships would be guided by different personalities developed by different individuals within a given society. Understanding Biracial Relationships As it shall be well known, going by sociology, human beings cannot live without being in some form of relationships. This comes about by default or through some organized means. A biracial relationship will be any kind of association existing between some two people or even more, and in which the association is based on thing like love, liking or even luminance (Michael 17). At times biracial relationships might spring about from regular business practices and interactions, and sometimes from some social commitments between individuals. Different biracial relationships would end up being interpersonal, and these takes place in friendships, family contexts, marriages, churches, work, from the neighborhood among others (Richard 71). At times, we might end up having these relationships being governed by the law, some mutual agreements, or even through cultural beliefs (Richard 19). In nature, majority of the human relationships tend to be expected to be healthy unless otherwise. However, it should be well understood that, since we are human beings, not all biracial relationships tend to be healthy whatsoever. For instance, we will have cases of relationships, which are purely abusive, and others, which are of codependency. Family relationships come as a default so that one will have to be in a relationship with his family without question (Richard 12). The nature in which different individuals in a given family relate with one another determines the success of the relationship. Characterization of Biracial Relationships in the Books Acceptance and forbearance of biracial relationships in programs and social groups in where writers are also involved has been witnessed. With immigration to the United States been on rise, this translates to an increase in diversification population and so is the case in schools. Books and academic presses are some of the tools that have been effective in eliminating problems associated with racial discrimination. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that there is a thin line between conserving cultural distinctiveness and maintaining biracial equality. Works Cited Michael, Olesker. Journeys to the Heart of Baltimore. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2001. Richard, Schaefer. Race and Ethnicity in the United States. New York: HarperCollins College Division 1994. Read More