How Important is it for managers today to have a good understanding of Essay

How Important is it for managers today to have a good understanding of the process of globalization - Essay Example (Steger, 2003: p. 37) With regards to the large supply of available work force in the labour market, medium- and large-scale businesses are taking advantage of hiring competitive employees. Likewise, it is also crucial for businesses today to actively participate in the trading of goods and services in the world market. As part of discussing the valid reasons that makes it important for modern managers today to have a good understanding of the process of globalization, a literature review will be conducted in the study. To give the readers a better understanding of the subject matter, the first part of the literature review will discuss about the general information and the main purpose of globalization followed by analyzing the factors that makes it important for modern managers to have a good understanding of the globalization process. To determine how well modern managers understand the globalization process, a structured personal interview with two selected managers combined with a Globalization is â€Å"a process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments of different countries which is driven by international trade and investment through the use of information technology.† (The Levin Institute, 2008) Basically, the concept of globalization allows business people to maximize their available financial resources by taking advantage of the low-cost products and services that are readily available from developing countries. Because of the differences in monetary exchange rate, large-scale businesses from developed countries are able to purchase more homogenous products and highly competitive human resources at a much lesser price. Therefore, large multinational companies could easily compete with small-scale local businesses by being able to offer homogenous products to its target

Mali Empire and New World Encyclopedia Essay Example for Free

Mali Empire and New World Encyclopedia Essay Timbuktu was established by the Taureg, a nomadic group, in the tenth- eleventh century along the caravan routes that were along the west coast of Africa (New World Encyclopedia 2007). Timbuktu was in a good spot for trade but not for defending against attacks, and Timbuktu was constantly attacked by Taureg raiders (New World Encyclopedia 2007). Timbuktu was never able to grow due to the raids, but Gao, Timbuktu’s neighboring city grew to be the political capital (New World Encyclopedia 2007). As Timbuktu developed and became a city that traded gold, ivory, slaves, and salt Timbuktu became immensely wealthy (New World Encyclopedia 2007). Since Timbuktu was so wealthy it was a target for many European empires seeking wealth (New World Encyclopedia 2007). It started to decline in the 16th century by the Portuguese traders choosing to send the goods upriver instead of down river (New World Encyclopedia 2007). As Timbuktu developed into a more intellectual center in the early 15th century it became known for its religious study of Islam (New World Encyclopedia 2007). While Islam was the main religion of Timbuktu, most of the rural population were non-Muslim traditionalists (New World Encyclopedia 2007). The University of Sankore, also known as the most prominent Islamic institution, was established in 1581 C. E. and taught mostly centered around the Qur’an (New World Encyclopedia 2007). In Timbuktu there were more than 120 library’s in which housed millions of books, and some of which have not been found yet (New World Encyclopedia 2007). As stories of Timbuktu’s wealth reached Europe many explorers journeyed downward into Africa to have their own taste of the wealth (Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa 2013). As countless European explorers journeyed to Timbuktu and never returned The Geographic Society of Paris offered a reward to whatever explorer that could make it there and 2 back and live to tell the tale (Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa 2013). The first explorer to reach Timbuktu was Gordon Laing in 1826, but he didn’t make it back alive (Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa 2013). The first explorer to reach Timbuktu was Rene-Auguste Caillie in 1828, by disguising himself as an Arab traveling in a caravan (Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa 2013). When Rene returned to Europe he wrote three volumes over how unimpressed he was about the city in that it being a mud-walled city, in the middle of the desert, and not having any gold (Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa 2013). Although in 1512 when Timbuktu was at its peak and Leo Africanus visited he stated: The rich king of Tombuto hath many plates and sceptres of gold, some whereof weigh 1300 pounds He hath always 3000 horsemen (and) a great store of doctors, judges, priests, and other learned men, that are bountifully maintained at the kings expense. (New World Encyclopedia 2007) Although from Shabeni’s point of view of Timbuktu in 1787 he stated: On the east side of the city of Timbuctoo, there is a large forest, in which are a great many elephants. The timber here is very large. The trees on the outside of the forest are remarkable they are of such a size that the largest cannot be girded by two men. They bear a kind of berry about the size of a walnut, in clusters consisting of from ten to twenty berries. Shabeeny cannot say what is the extent of this forest, but it is very large. (New World Encyclopedia 2007) In 1591 Timbuktu started to slowly decline due to the Morisco mercenaries armed with guns (New World Encyclopedia 2007). One of the few reasons Timbuktu is still in existence is 3 because it is a major tourist attraction that attracts people from all over the world to see the mystical city (New World Encyclopedia 2007). 4 Alistair Boddy-Evans (2013). Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa. [ONLINE] Available at: http://africanhistory. about. com/od/mali/p/Timbuktu. htm. [Last Accessed September 10 2013]. unknown (2007). Timbuktu. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Timbuktu. [Last Accessed September 10 2013]. unknown (2013). Sankore Madrasah. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sankore_Madrasah. [Last Accessed Sepember 10 2013].

The employment relationship Essay Example for Free

The employment relationship Essay This essay explores and discusses the employment relationship while considering the value of a systems approach to industrial relations and the fact that individuals view issues from a particular frame of reference. The employment relationship is developed on an inter-related basis involving economic, social and legal dimensions of wider society (Fells, 1989). Organisations are subject to the economic conditions in which they operate. Employers rely on the availability of suitable labour to perform the work of the organisation and although viewed as a commodity by the employer, significant investment in the development of the employee can be lost or unused should the employee decide to leave or remain unmotivated. The unavailability of suitable labour can lead to segmentation of the labour market and a division of labour at the workplace. The division of labour is the breaking down of work into its smallest components in order to achieve effective specialisation, minimal worker discretion and the most efficient output (Sutcliffe and Callus, 1994). This division of labour can have far reaching implications for the management and the organisation, including the control and motivation of the workforce. The legal dimension is concerned with the law of contract between an employer and employee which enables the parties to enter into and enforce agreements (Fells, 1989). By its very nature the employment contract implies a subordination relationship where the employer commands and the employee obeys. The introduction of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 also implies legal boundaries in which the employment relationship must operate (for example the rules relating to unfair dismissal and enterprise bargaining). The social dimension, unlike the economic and legal dimension, is one that chiefly impacts on employees. There are two aspects to this dimension according to Fells (1989), the first being the impact of society on the workplace and secondly employees experiencing management pressures at the workplace as well as pressures from other individual employees who work within a team environment. It is clear that most of us want more out of a working relationship than just a monetary return for our labour. An employer must also provide a job that can stimulate and challenge the worker. Many jobs however are mundane and boring which is a consequence of the increasing division of labour in our industrial society. Industrial relations in a broad sense, is about the behaviour and interaction of people at work. It is concerned with how individuals, groups, organisations and institutions make decisions that shape the employment relationship between management and labour (Deery and Plowman, 1991). It is also closely entwined with political, economic and social forces (Salamon, 1992). As a consequence, people differ in their approaches and views on industrial relations which as a result can lead to industrial conflict. Fox in 1966 attempted to explain the reasons for the differing views of industrial conflict by management and the public, by proposing a frames of reference concept in his paper to the UK Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employer Associations (Berrell, 1999). Fox believed that some people view industrial relations as a class conflict, others in terms of mutual co-operation and others still in terms of competing interests of various groups. Three approaches were identified: unitary, pluralist and marxist. The unitarian approach believes that industrial relations is based on mutual co-operation, individual treatment, team work and the sharing of common objectives (Stone, 1996). Conflict in the workplace is seen as an anomaly which has occurred because of either union activity, poor management decisions or practice or employees who dont fit the organisations culture. Conflict resulting in strikes for example, is not only considered as unnecessary but destructive. As result, unions are regarded as competitors for employees loyalty and commitment. In essence the unitarian approach is seen as a management ideology which legitimises their authority and control. It blames conflict on employees and threatens unions existence. It is manipulative and exploitative (Horwitz, 1990). In contrast, the pluralist approach accepts the inevitability of conflict (Deery and Plowman, 1991). It sees organisations as coalitions of competing interests where managements role is to mediate amongst the different interests groups. It sees unions as a legitimate representative of employee interests. Management authority under this approach is not automatically accepted. Employees join unions to promote their interests and influence management decision making. As unions are considered to be important in their role of balancing the power between employers and employees, they are considered not only desirable, but necessary. Societies interests at large are protected by state intervention through legislation and industrial tribunals which provide orderly processes for the regulation and resolution of conflict. The marxist approach like pluralists regard conflict between management and employees as inevitable. However, where pluralists see conflict as inherent within all organisations, marxists see it as a product of capitalist society. Adversarial relations in the workplace are seen as simply one aspect of class conflict. Unions under this approach, are seen as instruments for challenging the capitalist system of class domination. By assimilating a persons behaviour to one of the three frames of references, it determines how we would react and shapes the method for altering such behaviour. As a tool for understanding a parties behaviour when conflict occurs we need to undertake a social action perspective, that is to suspend our own judgment when analysing the cause of conflict and accept the persons frame of reference. Individually, our frames of references are molded and influenced by a multiplicity of variables including, values and behaviour, education, political views, work experiences and religious beliefs to name a few. Our position in the class structure and status hierarchy almost certainly has a significant influence as well (Keenoy and Kelly, 1995). It is important to understand these concepts as employers and employees bring to the employment relationship different strategies to gain as much as they can from the relationship. This in turn makes the relationship inherently competitive. Fells (1989) observes that this points to the duality of the employment relationship. Both the employer and employee put their resources, motives, expectations and own interests into the relationshipthese being influenced by the social and economic structure of society (Fells 1989, P 476). In essence therefore, conflict can arise because of the parties differing social and economic interests and strategies. Keenoy and Kelly (1996) take this further by describing the three great struggles which results from the distribution of authority (inherent in an organisational hierarchy) and the division of labour which are sources of potential conflict and competition within the employment relationship. These are identified as the struggle over interests, control and motivation. Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs theory argued that individuals sought to satisfy basic needs required to live; that is food, warmth and shelter (Bartol et al 1995). An employee therefore, seeks is in his/her strategy to satisfy their basic needs for survival. Once satisfied, the employee seeks to improve their social standing by earning more money and purchasing material symbols to demonstrate their success. In contrast however, is the organisations strategy to run an efficient and cost effective business. The nature of the employment relationship is such that the employees interest in maximising income is in direct conflict with the employers interest in minimising costs (Keenoy and Kelly 1996). However, both parties in the relationship are equally dependent upon each other for without labour there is no profit and without capital this is no jobs. This is simply termed structured antagonism as the relationship produces both mutual and conflicting interests. Fells (1989) argues that a frontier of control exists between an employer and employee which is born out of the legal, social and economic pressures effecting the distribution of power within the employment relationship. It represents the point of confrontation and interaction between the structure of management control and the challenge from organised labour (Storey, 1980 p 12). The struggle for control arises out of the vagueness of the employment contract, as it rarely specifies the parameters and preciseness of the work to be performed by the employee in exchange for payment (for example, level of effort and range of duties). Both parties tend therefore to have their own expectations as to what has been initially agreed upon and as such, this vagueness can often lead to conflict. In response, the employers strategy is to set up an array of control mechanisms, one being the hierarchy of authority where people are employed to supervise the work of others. This act in itself can lead to tensions within the employment relationship as industrial conflict often occurs when employees challenge the limits of managerial authority. Variations in the degree of control is also apparent within many jobs. For example production line workers experience tight control mechanisms whereas politicians, doctors and lawyers experience little or no control over their particular functions. This last group especially enjoy an elevated position in the hierarchy of authority and a high level of control and autonomy over their work (Kennoy and Kelly, 1996). As a result, conflict may occur over the inability of an organisation to provide a suitable career path which allows an employee access to a higher level of authority within the hierarchy. Securing employee commitment can be a difficult task for an employer as not all employees are motivated to work by monetary rewards alone. Although theorists have argued that motivation is the key to employee behaviour and productivity, work undertaken by the likes of Frederick Herzberg and his two-factor theory have largely been ignored due to the advantages of increasing the division of labour over the benefits of increasing employee satisfaction (Keenoy and Kelly, 1996). Management are faced therefore with a dilemma over ensuring employees remain sufficiently motivated to ensure job effectiveness whilst maintaining the cost effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation. Increasing market competition and a greater emphasis on quality and service provided to customers, may force employers to redefine their strategies towards motivation of their employees. Up to this point the employment relationship has been discussed in terms of its dual nature. However, it is clear that a more holistic approach is required. A systems approach provides a useful look at the employment relationship because it expands on the dual focus to include a third group of actors and the environment within which the relationship operates. John Dunlop proposed an industrial relations system comprised of actors operating within an environment influenced by technology, economics and power distribution. The system is bound together by both ideology and rules to govern behaviour. Three main groups of actors have been defined as managers, workers and their representatives and other bodies concerned with the relationship between workers and employers. The major output of the system is a set of rules and regulations that apply both in the individual workplace and in the wider work community. (Deery and Plowman, 1991). Dunlops industrial relations system has been criticised from a number of quarters (Margerison, 1969; Bain and Clegg, 1974; Hyman) for paying insufficient attention to conflict focusing more on conflict resolution than the root of the conflict, and for suggesting that the industrial relations system is naturally stable. Despite these negative views the system perspective of industrial relations remains valid if only as an analytical tool (Deery and Plowman, 1991). The employment relationship is a unique but fundamental feature of modern society. It commences when an employer engages an employee to perform work in exchange for money. Although this concept of the relationship appears simplistic in nature, it is subject to many stresses and strains brought about by political, social and economic interference. Bibliography Bain, G.S Clegg, H.A, 1974, A Strategy for Industrial Relations Research in Great Britain, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol 12, no. 1, p92. Bartol, K.M., Martin, D.C., Tein, M Matthews, G. 1995, Management a Pacific Rim Focus, McGraw-Hill, Sydney. Berrell, M. 1999, Subject Book: Industrial Relations, Monash Distrance Education Centre, Monash University, Churchill, Vic. Deery, S.J. Plowman, D.H. 1991, Australian Industrial Relations, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, Sydney Fells, R.E., 1989, The Employment Relationship Control and Strategic Choice in the Study of Industrial Relations in Labour and Industry, Vol 2(3), October pp470-492 Fox, A. 1980, Industrial Relations: A Social Critique of Pluralist Ideology in Barrett, B., Rhodes, E and Beishon, J. (eds), Industrial Relations in the Wider Society; Aspects of Interaction, Collier MacMillan, London. Horwitz, F.M., 1990, HRM: an ideological perspective, Personnel Review, Vol 19, No.2 pp 10-15. Hyman, R., 1975, Industrial Relations: A Marxist Introduction. MacMillan, London. Keenoy, T. Kelley, D. 1998, The Employment Relationship in Australia, 2nd Ed. Harcourt Brace and Co, Sydney. Margerison, C.J., 1969, What do we mean by Industrial Relations? A Behavioural Science Approach. British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol 7, no.2, , p273 Salamon, M. 1992, Industrial relations Theory and Practice, 2nd Ed, Prentice-Hall, London. Stone, R. 1995. Human Resource Management, 2nd Ed, John Wiley and sons, Brisbane. Storey, J. 1980, The Challenge to Management Control, Kogan Page, London. Suttcliffe, P. Callus, R. 1994, Glossary of Industrial Relations Terms, ACIRRT and ACSM, Sydney, Brisbane. Industrial Relations Assn 1 pg 11

A Report About Bloods Vs Crips

A Report About Bloods Vs Crips My exam paper is about one of the biggest gang wars in the whole world: The Bloods versus The Crips. The reason I have chosen this subject is because not so many people are aware of whats going on between those two gangs. There are more gangs who are sometimes involved in this war, such as MS-13 (Florence 13) and the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), but the arguments with these groups arent half as worse as the war between the Bloods and the Crips. The MS 13 is a Mexican gang. They are the one of the most dangerous gangs in the whole world, sais the FBI. They mostly operate in Mexico, but also in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and in Nicaragua. In the US they operate in states as Texas and California. The Ku Klux Klan is a group of people who are very racial against outsiders. They mostly hate black people (à   Bloods and Cribs), because they werent happy about the decision back in the days that all black people were free. But the do not only hate black people, they also hate other people with a color, people who are anti-catholic and Jews. Sometimes these people get killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan. But as I was saying, the conflicts with these groups arent half as bas as the conflicts between the Bloods and the Cribs. Everyday people die because of these conflicts. Also everyday more and more people become members of these groups. The two groups operate especially in the West coast and in the South coast, mostly in Los Angeles and Compton. First Im going to give you some information about The Crips, than Im going to give you some information about The Bloods. The Crips TheCrips(Community Revolution In Progress) are a primarily, but not exclusively,African Americangang. They were founded inLos Angeles, Californiain 1971 by Raymond WashingtonandStanley Williams. File:Stanley Tookie Williams mugshot.jpgStanley Tookie Williams met Raymond Lee Washington in 1969, and the two decided to unite their local gang members from the west and east sides ofSouth Central Los Angelesin order to battle neighboring street gangs. Most of the members were very young.Some of them werent even 18 years old yet. The most of them were African American, but there were also Mexican people who joined there group. Stanley Tookie Williams(December 29, 1953 December 13, 2005) was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana andwas one of the two leaders of the Crips. In 1979 he was condemned of four murders that he committed during robberies and he went to prison for the rest of his life. In jail, he write many books about his live and other things, like books including anti-gang and violence literature. Tookie Williams was asked to help the police with the investigation to get the criminals of his gang, but he refused to help and was involved with many attacks on guards, tried to escape a couple, but there wasnt any evidence that he planned this. In 1993, Williams began making changes in his behavior, and became an anti-gang activist while onDeath Row inCalifornia. He renounced his gang affiliation and apologized for his role in founding the Crips. He also co-wrote childrens books and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs.[1]A biographical TV-movie entitledRedemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Storywas made in 2004, and featuredJamie Foxxas Williams. On December 13, 2005, Williams was executed bylethal injectionafterclemencyand a four-week stay of execution were both rejected byGovernorArnold Schwarzenegger, amidst debate over thedeath penaltyand whether Williams anti-gang advocacy in prison represented genuine atonement. Williams was the second inmate in California to be executed in 2005. The original name for the alliance was Cribs, a name that was chosen from a list with many options and chosen unanimously from three final choices, which included the Black Overlords, and the Assassins. Cribs was chosen to reflect the young age of the majority of the gang members. The name Cribs turned into the name Crips when gang members began carrying around canes to display their pimp status. People in the neighborhood then began calling them cripples, or Crips for short.ALos Angeles Sentinelarticle in February 1972 referred to some members as Crips (for cripples).[1]The name had no political, organizational, cryptic, oracronymicmeaning. Williams, in his memoir, further discounted claims that the group was a spin-off of theBlack Panther Partyor formed for a community agenda, the name depicted a fighting alliance against street gangs—nothing more, nothing less, Williams wrote.[9]Washington, who attended Fremont High School, was the leader of the East Side Crips, and William s, who attended Washington High School, led the West Side Crips. Williams recalled that a blue bandanna was first worn by Crips founding member Buddha, as a part of his color-coordinated clothing of blue Levis, a blue shirt, and dark blue suspenders. A blue bandanna was worn in memorium to Buddha after he was shot and killed on February 23, 1973, which eventually became the color of blue associated with Crips.[9] The Crips became popular throughout southernLos Angelesas more youth gangs joined; at one point they outnumbered non-Crip gangs by 3 to 1, sparking disputes with non-Crip gangs, including the L.A. Brims, Athens Park Boys, the Bishops, The Drill Company, and the Denver Lanes. By 1971 the gangs notoriety had spread across Los Angeles. Initially Crips leaders did not occupy leadership positions, but were recognized as leaders because of their personal charisma and influence. These leaders gave priority to expanding the gangs membership to increase its power. By 1978, there were 45 Crips gangs, called sets, operating inLos Angeles. The gang became increasingly violent as they attempted to expand their turf. By the early 1980s the gang was heavily involved with drug trade.[15]Some of these Crips sets began to produce and distributePCP(phencyclidine) within the city. They also began to distributemarijuanaandamphetaminein Los Angeles. In the early 1980s Crips sets began distributing crack cocaine in Los Angeles. The huge profits resulting fromcrack cocainedistribution induced many Crips members to establish new markets in other cities and states. In addition, many young men in other states adopted the Crips name and lifestyle. As a result of these two factors, Crips membership increased throughout the 1980s, making it one of the largest street gang associations in the country.[1]In 1999, there were at least 600 Crips sets with more than 30,000 members transporting drugs in theUnited States.[1] The Crips are one of the largest and most violent associations of street gangs in the United States of America. Crips has over 800 sets with 30,000 to 35,000 members and associate members, including more than 13,000 members in Los Angeles. The states with the highest estimated number of Crips sets areCalifornia,Missouri,OklahomaandTexas. Membership typically consists of young African American men, with members beingwhite,HispanicandAsian The gang is known to be involved inmurders, robberies, anddrugdealing, among many othercriminalpursuits. The gang is known for its gang members use of the colorbluein their clothing. The Crips are publicly known to have an intense and bitter rivalry with theBloodsand other little feuds with othergangs.Crips have been documented in theU.S. military, found in bases in the United States and abroad. There is a movie about the creator of the Crips, Stanley ‘Tookie Williams The Bloods The Bloods gang was formed initially to compete against the influence of theCripsinLos Angeles.[5]The origin of the Bloods and their rivalry with the Crips dates to the 1970s, where thePirusstreet gang, originally a set, or faction, of the Crips,[6][7]broke off during an internal gang war, and allied with other smaller gangs to found the gang that would eventually become known as the Bloods.[5]At the time, Crips sets outnumbered Bloods sets by three to one. To assert their power despite this difference in numbers, Bloods sets became increasingly violent, especially against rival Crips members.[1]The Pirus are therefore considered to be the original founders of the Bloods.[5]During the rise ofcrack cocaine, the gangs focus shifted to drug production. Bloods sets operate independently of each other, and are currently located in almost all States.[5]Blood sets on the East Coast are often seen as affiliated with theUnited Blood Nation, a gang which originated inRikers Island.[5] The United Blood Nation, simply called the Bloods, formed in 1993, within the New York City jail system on Rikers Islands GMDC (George Mochen Detention Center), sometimes called C 73. GMDC was used to segregate problem inmates from the rest of the detention center. Prior to this time period, the Latin Kings were the most prevalent and organized gang in the NYC jail system. TheLatin Kings, with mostlyHispanicmembers, were targeting African American inmates with violence. These African American inmates, organized by some of the more violent and charismatic inmates, formed a protection group which they called the United Blood Nation. This United Blood Nation, which was actually a prison gang, was emulating the Bloods street gangs in Los Angeles, California. Several of the leaders of this recently created prison gang formed eight original Blood sets to recruit in their neighborhoods across New York City.[8] By 1996, thousands of members of the Blood street gang were establishing themselves as a formidable force among gangs and continued a steady drive for recruitment. At this time, the Bloods were more violent than other gangs but much less organized. Numerous slashings (razor blade or knife attacks) were reported during robberies and discovered to be initiations into the Bloods. This Blood in ritual became the trademark for the Bloods. Bloods recruited throughout the East Coast.[9] Membership Bloods refers to a loosely structured association of smaller street gangs, known as â€Å"sets,† which has adopted a common gang culture. Each set has its own leader and generally operates independently from the others. Most Bloods members are African American males, although some sets have recruited female members as well as members from other races and ethnic backgrounds. Members range in age from early teens to mid-twenties, however some hold leadership positions into their late twenties and occasionally thirties. There is no known national leader of the Bloods but individual Bloods sets have a hierarchical leadership structure with identifiable levels of membership. These levels of membership indicate status within a gang. A leader, typically an older member with a more extensive criminal background, runs each set. A set leader is not elected but rather asserts himself by developing and managing the gangs criminal enterprises through his reputation for violence and ruthlessness and through his personal charisma. The majority of set members are called â€Å"Soldiers,† who are typically between the ages of 16 and 22. Soldiers have a strong sense of commitment to their set and are extremely dangerous because of their willingness to use violence both to obtain the respect of gang members and to respond to any person who â€Å"disrespects† the set. â€Å"Associates† are not full members, but they identify with the gang and take part in various criminal activities. To the exten t that women belong to the gang, they are usually associate members and tend to be used by their male counterparts to carry weapons, hold drugs, or prostitute themselves to make money for their set. Recruitment is often influenced by a recruitees environment. Bloods recruit heavily among school-age youth in predominantly poor African American communities. Gang membership offers youth a sense of belonging and protection. It also offers immediate gratification to economically disadvantaged youth who view the trappings of gang life: gold jewelry, cash, expensive sports clothing.[1] Identification The Gang symbol of theBloods, as the sign reads the word blood Bloods members identify themselves through various gang indicators such as colors, clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, graffiti, language, and hand signs. The Bloods gang color is red. They like to wear sports clothing, including team â€Å"Starter† jackets that show their gang color. Some of their favorite teams include the San Francisco Forty Niners, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Chicago Bulls. They are also known to wear Dallas Cowboys clothing, whose logo contains a five-pointed star. The most commonly used Bloods symbols include the number â€Å"5,† the five pointed star, and the five pointed crown. These symbols are meant to show the Bloods affiliation with the People Nation, a large coalition of affiliates created to protect alliance members within the federal and state prison systems. These symbols may be seen in the tattoos, jewelry, and clothing that gang members wear as well as in gang graffiti, which is used by the Bloods to mark their territory. Many graffiti include gang name, nicknames, declaration of loyalty, threats against rival gangs, or a description of criminal acts in which the gang has been involved. Bloods graffiti might also include the word â€Å"Piru† which refers to the fact that the first known Bloods gang was formed by individuals from Piru Street inCompton, California. Finally, Bloods graffiti might include rival gang symbols (particularly those of the Crips) that are drawn upside down. This is meant as an insult to the rival group and its symbols. Bloods members also have a unique slang. Bloods greet each other using the word â€Å"Blood† and often avoid using words with the letter â€Å"C.† Finally, Bloods use hand signs to communicate with one another. Hand signs may be a singular movement, like the American Sign Language letter â€Å"B,† or a series of movements using one or both hands for more complex phrases. United Blood Nation (UBN) or East Coast Bloods initiates often receive a dog-paw mark, represented by three dots often burned with a cigarette, on their right shoulder. Other UBN symbols include a bulldog and a bull.[1] Alliances and rivals Bloods consider themselves allies with members of thePeople Nationand rivals of all gangs associated with the Folk Nation gang alliance. These alliances were established in the 1980s to protect alliance members within the federal and state prison systems. The People Nation alliance includes Black Peace Stones, Cobra Stones, Insane Popes, Gaylords, Future Stones, Insane Unknown, King Cobras, Latin Counts, Latin Dragons,Latin Kings, Latin Pachucos, Latin Saints, Spanish Lords, and Vice Lord Nation. TheFolk Nationalliance members (and thus, Bloods rivals) include the Bloods biggest rival, theCrips, as well as many other gangs, including theGangster Disciples, the Black Disciples, and the Black Gangsters. In some instances, Bloods and UBN sets will associate with traditional rival gangs, such as the Crips or the Latin Kings, when such associations benefit the criminal enterprises of both gangs.[1] In Los Angeles and other urban areas in the United States, the formation of street gangs increased at an alarming pace throughout the 1980s and 1990s.The Bloods and the Crips, the most well-known gangs of Los Angeles, are predominately African American[1]and they have steadily increased in number since their beginnings in 1969.In addition, there areapproximately600 Hispanic gangs in Los Angeles County with a growing Asian gang population numbering approximately 20,000 members. Surprisingly, little has been written about the historical background of black gangs in Los Angeles (LA).Literature and firsthand interviews with Los Angeles residents seem to point to three significant periods relevant to the development of the contemporary black gangs.The first period, which followed WWII and significant black migrations from the South, is when the first major black clubs formed.After the Watts rebellion of 1965, the second period gave way to the civil rights period of Los Angeles where blacks, including those who where former club members who became politically active for the remainder of the 1960s.By the early 1970s black street gangs began to reemerge.By 1972, the Crips were firmly established and the Bloods were beginning to organize.This period saw the rise of LAs newest gangs, which continued to grow during the 1970s, and later formed in several other cities throughout the United States by the 1990s.While black gangs do not make up the largest or most active gang population in Los Angeles today, their influence on street gang culture nationally has been profound. In order to better understand the rise of these groups, I went into the original neighborhoods to document the history which led to these groups.There are 88 incorporated cities and dozens of other unincorporated places in Los Angeles County (LAC). In the process of conducting this research, I visited all of these places in an attempt to not just identify gangs active in Los Angeles, but to determine their territories. Through several weeks of field work and research conducted in 1996, I identified 274 black gangs in 17 cities and four unincorporated areas in LAC. Post WWIIto 1965 The first major period of black gangs in Los Angeles began in the late 1940s and ended in 1965.There were black gangs in Los Angeles prior to this period, but they were small in numbers; little is known about the activity of these groups.Some of the black groups that existed in Los Angeles in the late 1920s and 1930s werethe Boozies, Goodlows, Blogettes, Kelleys, and theDriver Brothers.Most of these groups were family oriented, and they referred to themselves as clubs.[2]Max Bond (1936:270) wrote briefly about a black gang of 15-year-old kids from the Central Avenue area that mostly stole automobile accessories and bicycles.It was not until the late 1940s that the first major black clubs surfaced on the East side[3]of Los Angeles near Jefferson High School in the Central Avenue area.This was the original settlement area of blacks in Los Angeles.South of 92ndStreet in Watts and in the Jefferson Park/West Adams area on the West side, there were significant black populations.By 1960 sev eral black clubs were operating on the West side[4]of Los Angeles, an area that had previously restricted black residents during the 1940s. Several of the first black clubs to emerge in the late 1940s and early 1950s formed initially as a defensive reaction to combat much of the white violence that had been plaguing the black community for several years.In the surrounding communities of the original black ghetto of Central Avenue and Watts, and in the cities of Huntington Park and South Gate, white Angelenos were developing a dissatisfaction for the growing black population that was migrating from the South during WWII.During the 1940s, resentment from the white community grew as several blacks challenged the legal housing discrimination laws that prevented them from purchasing property outside the original settlement neighborhoods and integrate into the public schools.Areas outside of the original black settlement of Los Angeles were neighborhoods covered by legally enforced, racially restrictive covenants or deed restrictions.This practice, adapted by white homeowners, was established in 1922 and was designed to mainta in social and racial homogeneity of neighborhoods by denying non-whites access to property ownership. By the 1940s, such exclusionary practices made much of Los Angeles off-limits to most minorities (Bond 1936; Davis 1990:161,273; Dymski and Veitch 1996:40).This process contributed to increasing homogeneity of communities in Los Angeles, further exacerbating racial conflict between whites and blacks, as the latter existed in mostly segregated communities.From 1940 to 1944, there was over a 100 percent increase in the black population of Los Angeles, and ethnic and racial paranoia began to develop among white residents. Chronic overcrowding was taking a toll, and housing congestion became a serious problem, as blacks were forced to live in substandard housing (Collins 1980:26).From 1945-1948, black residents continually challenged restrictive covenants in several court cases in an effort to move out of the dense,overcrowdedblackcommunity.Theseattemptsresultedinviolentclashes between whites and blacks (Collins 1980:30).The Ku Klux Klan resurfaced during the 1940s, 20 years after their presence faded during the late 1920s (Adler 1977; Collins 1980), and white youths were forming street clubs to battle integration of the community and schools of black residents. In Huntington Park, Bell, and South Gate, towns that were predominately white, teenagers formed some of the early street clubs during the 1940s. One of the most infamous clubs of that time was theSpook Hunters, a group of white teenagers that often attacked black youths. If blacks were seen outside of the black settlement area, which was roughly bounded by Slauson to the South, Alameda Avenue to the east, and Main[5]Street to the west, they were often attacked. The name of this club emphasized their racist attitude towards blacks, as â€Å"Spook† is a derogatory term used to identify blacks and â€Å"Hunters† highlighted their desire to attack blacks as their method of fighting integration and promoting residential segregation. Their animosity towards blacks was publicly known; the back of their club jackets displayed an animated black face with exaggerated facial features and a noose hanging around the neck. TheSpookHunterswould often cross Alameda traveling west to vi olently attack black youths from the area.In Thrashers study of Chicago gangs, he observed a similar white gang in Chicago during the 1920s, theDirty Dozens,who often attacked black youths with knives, blackjacks, and revolvers because of racial differences (Thrasher 1963:37).Raymond Wright was one of the founders of a black club called theBusinessmen,a large East side club based at South Park between Slauson Avenue and Vernon Avenue.He stated that â€Å"you couldnt pass Alameda, because those white boys in South Gate would set you on fire,†[6]and fear of attack among black youths was not, surprisingly, common. In 1941, white students at Fremont High School threatened blacks by burning them in effigy and displaying posters saying, â€Å"we want no niggers at this school† (Bunch 1990: 118).There were racial confrontations at Manual Arts High School on Vermont and 42ndStreet, and at Adams High School during the 1940s (Davis 1990:293).In 1943, conflicts between blacks and whites occurred at 5thand San Pedro Streets, resulting in a riot on Central Avenue (Bunch 1990:118).white clubs in Inglewood, Gardena, and on the West side engaged in similar acts, but theSpook Hunterswere the most violent of all white clubs in Los Angeles. The black youths in Aliso Village, a housing project in East Los Angeles, started a club called theDevil Huntersin response to theSpook Huntersand other white clubs that were engaging in violent confrontations with blacks.The term Devil reflected how blacks viewed racist whites and Ku Klux Klan members.TheDevil Huntersand other black residents fought back against white violence with their own form of violence.In 1944, nearly 100 frustrated black youths, who were denied jobs on the citys streetcar system, attacked a passing streetcar and assaulted several white passengers (Collins 1980: 29).During the late 1940s and early 1950s, other neighborhood clubs emerged to fight the white establishment.Members of theBusinessmenand other black clubs had several encounters with theSpook Huntersand other white clubs of the time. In Watts, several of the clubs were organized geographically by the housing projects in the area.The projects were built for war workers in the 1940s and were intended to be interracial.The first public housing project of Watts was the Hacienda Village: single-story units, built in 1942.In May 1944, the Imperial Courts (498 units) was built, and in September, Jordan Downs (700 units) was completed.In 1955, the most massive of all public housing projects was completed and named the Nickerson Gardens (1,100 units) (Bullock 1969:14-15).By the end of the 1950s, over one-third of the population of Watts lived in public housing (Bullock 1969:16). Clubs like theHunsand theFarmerswere active in the Watts housing projects. Several of these groups fought against the established white clubs for several years.As black clubs began to negotiate strategies to combat white intimidation and violence, the effectiveness of whites to fight against integration and residential segregation began to fail. Eventually white flight occurred, as white residents began to move into the growing suburban areas that flourished in the 1950s, leaving the city areas of South Los Angeles behind. This left the central city of Los Angeles as a primarily black enclave, with blacks accounting for 71 percent of the inner-city population (Brunn et al. 1993: 53). By 1960, the three separate communities of Watts, Central Ave, and West Adams had amalgamated into one continuous black settlement area where low, middle, and upper class black neighborhoods were adjoined into a single community. During the 1960s, conflicts among the black clubs were growing and, as more white residents continued to move and the white clubs began to fade, the black clubs moved from interracial violence to intraracial violence.TheGladiators, based at 54thStreet and Vermont Avenue, were the largest black club on the West side, and clashes between other black gangs were increasing as intra-racial violence between black club members was on the rise. By 1960 several clubs emerged onthe West side and rivalrybetween East side and West side clubs developed, along with infighting among clubs organized on the same side of town (Figure 4.1).TheBusinessmen(an East side club)hadarivalrywithboththeSlausons(an East side club) and the Gladiators (a West side club).Even though more than 50 percent of the gangs active in Los Angeles were Hispanic, black gangs represented a significant proportion of gang incidents that were rapidly increasing in numbers (Study of Delinquent Gangs1962: 1).During this time, dispu tes among these were handled by hand-to-hand combat and by the use of weapons, such as tire irons and knives, but murders were rare.In 1960, the six gang-related murders that occurred in Los Angeles were considered an extremely high number.At that point, black-on-black violence between the clubs was becoming a serious concern in Los Angeles.On the surface, the rivalry between East side and West side clubs was associated with altercations on the football field, disputes over girlfriends, and disagreements at parties, but most of their clashes were rooted in socioeconomic differences between the two.East side youths resented the upwardly mobile West side youths, because East side residents were viewed as economically inferior to those residents who lived on the West side.On the other hand, West side youths were considered less intimidating and lacking the skills to be street savvy and tough.In an effort to prove themselves equally tough, West side youths engaged in several confrontati ons with East side youths during the early 1960s. Several of these clubs fought against each other during this period, but in 1965 after the Watts Rebellion and under the leadership of several socially conscious organizations, most of the rivalry was eradicated. Young black youths moved towards being more politically aware and having greater concern for the social problems that plagued their community. Alprentice â€Å"Bunchy† Carter, a member of theSlausons, was successful in transforming several black youths of South Los Angeles into revolutionary soldiers against police brutality (Hilliard Cole 1993:218), and several other organizations were also contributing to the change. The Watts Riots of 1965 were considered â€Å"the Last Great Rumble,† as members of these groups dismissed old rivalries and supported each other against the despised Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) (Baker 1988:28; Davis 1990: 297). Paul Bullock wrote that a result of the riot activity in Watts was a movement to build organizations and inst itutions which were led by and entirely responsible to the [black] community (1969:69). Social-Political Period, 1965-1970 In the aftermath of the rebellion, young people, namely former club members from the community, began to build political institutions to contest social injustices, specifically police brutality, which sparked the 1965 Watts Riots.Following the Watts Riots, and throughout the rest of the 1960s, black groups were organizing and becoming politically radical. For nearly five years, beginning in 1965, there were almost no active black street gangs in Los Angeles. Several reports that black gang activity was on the decline began to circulate (Klein 1971: 22).According to Sergeant Warren Johnson, â€Å"during the mid and late 1960s, juvenile gang activity in black neighborhoods was scarcely visible to the public at large and of minimal concern to south-central residents† (Cohen 1972).It was the formation of these new movements that offered black youths a vehicle of positive identification and self-affirmation that occupied the time and energies that might have been spent in gang activity.A sense of cohesiveness began to form, along with self-worth and positive identification, as pride pervaded the black community (Los Angeles Times3/19/72). After the Rebellion in 1965, club members began to organize neighborhood political groups to monitor the LAPD and to document their treatment towards blacks. Ron Wilkins (ex-member of theSlausons), created theCommunity Action Patrol (CAP)to monitor police abuses (Davis 1990:297), and William Sampson (ex-member of theSlausons), along with Gerald Aubry (ex-member of theOrientals), started theSons of Watts,whose key function was to â€Å"police the police† (Obtola 1972:7). TheBstarted a chapter in Los Angeles shortly after Huey Newton, and Bobby Seale started the Party in Oakland, California, in 1966. The BPP in Los Angeles also organized both theblackon several high schools campuses in Los Angeles and theblack, a meeting place for black residents concerning community issues on Florence and Broadway in 1967. Ron Maulana Karenga organized a nationalistic group calledUS Organization,and Tommy Jacquette organized theSelf Leadership for All Nationalities Today (SLANT)in October of 19 66 (Bullock 1969:67; Tyler 1982: 222). After splitting away from the US Organization, Hakim Jamal started theMalcolm X Foundationin 1968, and Robaire Nyjuky founded theMarxist Leninist Maoist (MLM)which had an office on 78thStreet and San Pedro (Tyler 1983:237).Student Non-ViolentCoordinating Committee (SNCC), a national organization of black nationalists visited Los Angeles and opened an office on Central Avenue in 1967. Also during this period, Ron Karenga createdKwanza,a non-religious holiday that celebrates African heritage. All these groups were formed in the wake of the 1965 rebellion to provide political support to the civil rights movement that was gaining strength within the black community of Los Angeles.There were several other black nationalist groups in Los Angeles, but the Panthers and US Organization were considered to have the largest following and the most political influence in the black community of Los Angeles following the Watts Rebellion. The BPP heavily recruited members from theSlausons, an East side club, while the US Organization had a large a following from the West side clubs, including theGladiators,but members of both political groups came from a variety of different clubs from all over Los Angeles._____________Carter was elected president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the black Panther Party (BPP), whose

Understanding the Ten Commandments :: Religion

The Ten Commandments have been a subject matter of a large amount of controversy. Several do not beyond doubt understand its significance. A number of people believe that it should not be practiced today whereas others have a strong conviction that it should be. Although these Ten Commandments have been a obscurity for society it is possible to understand its true meaning. To accomplish this we must understand the Ten Commandments origin. Of course, we need to understand their main purpose, where they are found, who they were for, and how they relate to us today. So that we can embark on our analysis of the Ten Commandments we ought to commence with their derivation. As we take a look the Ten Commandments can be found in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 20. There we determine the purpose of these Ten Commandments. When the Israelites are freed from Egypt by Jehovah or God, Jehovah gives Moses some six hundred laws for the Israelites to live by. The reason for these laws was so they can be reminded daily of being sinners. From Mountain Sinai, an angel of Jehovah conveyed orally the commandments, ten of which are most commonly known, located in Exodus 20: 1-17. Later on, Moses went up to Mountain Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, written on two pieces of stone, and other commandments and instructions. These laws were a pact between Jehovah and his people. Using Moses as a mediator between them, he provided these laws that would guide them and protect them in every field of their lives. While they would maintain loyal and obedient to him, he would be by their side and use them to bless other nations to come. Sadly enough, as we continue to read in the bible, while Moses long forty day stay on the mountain, the people of Israel grew impatient and made a statue to worship. When Moses descended from the Mountain and saw the sight of idolatry, he destroyed the two pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments. Obviously, by their actions, the vast majority of the Israelites did not have trust or faith in Jehovah. As punishment, Jehovah obligated them to journey across the desert for forty years. However, better times did come subsequent to their blunder. Although today some do know the history of the Ten Commandments and know some information about it, they do not understand how it relates to them in current times.

Thurgood Marshalls Fight for Equality Essay -- essays research papers

It was Thurgood Marshall who helped end legal segregation in the United States. He won Supreme Court victories creating transportation for children, which proved that separate but equal, is not equal. Marshall was able to prove to the Supreme Court that separate but equal was not equal by using his legal expertise. Marshall was able to have a more direct influence on society and the way the government was treating blacks at the time. Thurgood Marshall also had the help of lawyer Kenneth Clark to solve the case of segregation. Kenneth Clark conducted an experiment with the colored children at the school. To conduct the experiment, Clark had several baby dolls, some were white, and some were colored. Clark asked the children of the colored school a number of questions such as, ?Which one of the dolls is your favorite or, ?Which one of the dolls is ugly Of all the subjects questioned, 65% of the black children said that the white doll was the nice doll. The majority of the colored children rejected the black doll. This was obviously due to self-esteem issues. A little colored boy was forced to walk several miles home, the school had no money in their budget to pay for a bus for the black school. But, the white school had over 40 buses, which clearly proves that they were being discriminated against. Marshall started a petition and fought for equal rights. The principal of the school for the colored children had his job taken away from him and his house was burned down all because of segregation. The KKK started to threaten colored people. The KKK were doing everything in their power to make the black people feel inferior and to punish them for going against the whites. This event helped the case go to Supreme Court. It was pr... ...rked a turning point in the history. The Supreme Court ruled against the Board of Education and Kenneth Clark. Marshall forced rights to be extended equally from colored school children to full-grown colored individuals. In conclusion the roles of the NAACP and individuals such as Thurgood Marshall, Chief Justice Earl Warren, and Mr. Kelly made history and proved that separate but equal, is not equal. Marshall?s use of the courts led to rulings that judged the discrimination of colored children given equal rights to use a school bus. Clark?s experiment was powerful. It showed that segregation psychologically harmed the colored children. The NAACP worked very diligently on the case. But it was Marshall that was able to have poignant control on the public and the way the government was treating blacks at the time. Thurgood Marshall was truly an American revolutionary.

The Lottery: Litterary Response

The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, is a compelling story about the human race and how it is affected by its surrounding traditions. When the 27th of June arrives, a village is overtaken by a two hour lottery, which includes the picking of stones, a black box and ends in a fight for the â€Å"winners† life. One of the prominent themes in this story is human hypocrisy. Although most of the characters are shown through their words and actions, one particular person stands out: Mrs â€Å"Tessie† Hutchinson.At the beginning of the story, Tessie heads towards the town square, stating that she â€Å"forgot what day it was† to her neighbour Mrs. Delacroix as they both chuckled softly. Soon enough, phrases are shared between Tessie and her soon to be rivals: Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie†, (Mr. Summers), â€Å"Your in time, though†, (Mrs. Delacroix). Throughout the story, Mrs. Hutchinson doesn’t seem to mind the fact that so meone, close to her or not, will be stoned to death.Her attitude at the start of the lottery is calm and cheerful; Tessie is unaffecyed by what the outcome of the lottery might be, since she thinks that she wouldn't be in that situation. When it is her family's turn to pick up their lottery ticket and finds out that her husband got the â€Å"winning paper†, her character completely changes. Mrs. Hutchinson starts to lash out at Mr. Summers, the lottery director, saying that â€Å"you didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair! â€Å".Tessie's character evolves by a simple change in the lottery: her family becoming the center of it all. She tries to find ways of getting out of this situation, like including her eldest daughter Eva and her husband Don, in her family, but, little does she know that â€Å"daughters draw with their husbands' family†. Tessie continues to state that â€Å"it isn't fair† and I think we ought to start over. I tell you it wasn't fair†. When each member of her family takes turns to pick out their papers, Tessie becomes hesitant as her turn arrives.Her time is up as she is revealed as the â€Å"winning ticket† holder. She becomes upset and desperately tries to change everyones mind by saying her most famous last words: â€Å"It isn't fair† Tessie now realizes that she is in the once ignored position that all the other unlucky winners ahve been in the past and, soon enough, her â€Å"luck† comes to an end as she is stoned to death. Hypocrisy is a very big part of our society; everyday, someone is saying or creating false assumptions of an appearance of virtue or religion.They might indicate that it's wrong to practice a certain religion when they do it themselves . Even if hypocrites are a part of this world, we can learn that not everyone is as they seem. The second prominent theme is sacrifices. This village is run by a very old tradition which incl udes the sacrifice of a human being to please the gods, who will send down fresh food and crops to them. Everyone in the village, including the children, take part in this sacrifice, wether or not they fully understand why thay are doing this.Little Davey is handed a stone at the end of the story so that his mom can be stoned. He is a little boy, so he doesn’t understand what’s going on. Since he has been brought up in this society, he might start to accept that fact that at least he will have plenty of food on the table every day, even if the total number of people has gone down. This story shows us that the traditions we practice are still being questioned as a part of our society today. Such as imitating fath , going to church every Sunday because everyone else does.What happened in The Lottery was a necessary sacrifice in their struggle for the meaning of this ritual. If this sacrifice didn’t hurt or kill the person it was being done to, there wouldn’ t be any meaning to it. The villagers woulnd’t have sacrificed many innocent beings to please such gods. This all turns toward us: our inability as human beings to question such monstrosity is still an unanswered question above our heads. Shirley Jackson is trying to tell us that sacrifices have been around for centuries and aren’t uncommon, but our thoughts about them are common.A young child might ask,†What gods are we pleasing? †,and, â€Å"Are you sure we are doing the right thing? †, but they would still get the same answer: â€Å"because the bible said so† or , â€Å" We’ve been doing this for centuries†. The Lottery illustrates that we are living in a world where you are ostracised for believing in nothing at all and being brainwashed into believing in another. The first technique present in this story is symbolism. Two items are used during the lottery: a black box and stones. In a way, the black box holds each and every persons destiny and fate.The fact that it is black is a symbol of what they ahve witnessed every year: death. Every year, the lottery is taken place and, at the same time, death makes its mark. It comes back to take whoever’s been left behind. Like the old saying â€Å"It is always darkest before dawn†, death hangs over them until they have pleased the gods; until they have a lifetime supply of crops. This story brings us into the darker side of the lottery. The side where not everything is as it seems. If it weren’t for the color of the box, it would have been harder to interpret where the story was heading off to.The second items where the stones: â€Å"the young boys begin to gather their stones and make a pile in the corner, guarding them like their most prized weapon†. The stones symbolize the beating of a person, in this case. Someone is going to get beaten to death by these stones, which is an important part of the lottery. At least in the eyes of twisted beings. The second technique present is foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is found at the beginning of the story, where we are being introduced to a somewhat pleasant event that is about to take place.The fact that the lottery in this village takes less than two hours and, in others, two days, gives us an indication that this lottery is bigger than it seems; it isn’t some regular event, but a sinister one. While reading this story, a novel that shares one of the themes comes to mind. â€Å"Nothing†, a book by Janne Teller, tells the tale of a boy named Pierre Anthon who has known, for a long time, that nothing matters, just realized that nothing is worth doing and decides to leave his classroom, climb a plum tree and stay there. His friends and classmates try, with every attempt, to get him down but he won’t budge.So to prove to Pirre Anthon that there is a meaning to life, they set out to build a heap of meaning in an abandoned sawmill. Their plans slowly st art to take a defferent turn when their heap of meaning includes the scarification of a beloved neighbourly dog, Cinderella. They give up all their special belongings to find out what the meaning of life really is until it gets out of hand; they get upset towards Pierre Anthon for making them go through great lengths to discover the meaning, that they lash out and end up killing him.There is a primary connection between both stories: the sacrifice of a human or animal to obtain food or to re-discover the meaning of life. Globally, sacrifices and traditions have been around for entiries. They’ve shaped the cultures that are present in this generation, such as one ancient tribe of our civilization: the Hurons. Many decades ago, they used to have a special way of thanking the gods for the food they received. Every year, the leader of the tribe would dress in elaborate, colourful clothing and lead a family up a sacred mountain.There, the leader would dress the middle child, a gir l, between the ages of six and nine, in clothing similar to his. If the middle child was a boy, he wouldn’t be sacrificed; the family would wait until they gave birth to a girl. The family of the child would then sit in a circle around a large fire as the leader recites prayers to the gods. The child is then laid on the wood of fire and burnt alive. To this day, you can still hear the cries of the little girls, but those cries are memoirs of their lives. Memoirs on the sinister sacrifices that took place