Social Work Personal Reflections On Becoming A Social Worker

Social Work Personal Reflections On Becoming A Social Worker Personal Reflections On Becoming A Social Worker In this assignment I am going to explore the reasons and motivations that inspired me to redirect my life and enter the social work profession. I am going to reflect on my life, so that I am able to realise the probable impact of my experiences on my professional life. My story begins with my grandparents, both paternal and maternal, who were working class, suffering disadvantage and poverty. Both my grandmothers worked in the mill doing piecework to try and keep their families afloat. My maternal grandmother was always in debt, borrowing on HP to buy goods, and my paternal grandmother was a widow who brought my father up alone. There was no benefit system then, therefore, she had to work to survive. My father passed the grammar school exams but was unable to attend, as my grandmother could not afford for him to go, hence he had to seek employment instead. My father worked hard and eventually acquired his own business. As I grew up I became aware that my father was very thrifty, a consequence of the hardship he suffered as a child and not wanting to return to this state, which made me very aware of the disadvantages of poverty. My father and grandmother brought me up, with my brother. We lived in a terraced house, in East Lancashire, with no bathroom and an outside toilet. I do not remember life as a ‘normal’ family as my parents divorced when I was young. My grandmother was upset by the divorce, inducing her to ‘split’ (Klein identified this process as a defence) favouring her son. She idealised my brother, and I was left to my own devices, (I was denigrated, I assume because I resembled my mother) often playing with friends and joining them on family outings. I felt isolated and as though I did not belong anywhere. I promptly adapted my own survival techniques by splitting; becoming a ‘free spirit’, and pretending I belonged to the families I joined on outings. ‘Splitting’ being the â€Å"most primitive of the defences† (Froggett, 2008). Growing up I remember there was not much money, my grandmother buying clothes from jumble sales, and I only remember getting new socks for Easter. I was not particularly aware of my socio-economic position, however, I did recognise that we were different from other families. Although people no doubt did feel sorry for me, I used my personality to gain recognition as an individual. This, perhaps, was the beginning of my interest in less fortunate individuals, influencing my decision to enter social work. I was unaware, at this time, that I had a mother but I did have contact with my maternal grandparents. My father was not particularly political, however, my grandparents were very much of the labour mindset, having split, and adapted a ‘them and us’ mentality regarding their status of working class. My maternal grandmother was involved with the Catholic Church and helped others less fortunate by knitting clothes and baking cakes. She was very kind and caring in one way, but to a lesser extent if people were of a different religion. During that time the community relied on their faith and helped their neighbours, seeing it as a Christian duty. My grandmother was a respected member of the community who was aware of, and took responsibility, showing empathy and compassion for those less fortunate than herself. She believed that she was improving their lives, but was realistic recognising that she could only assist them with emotional and practical needs, not material wealth. Hence, she was not alleviating their poverty but making it more bearable, and it could be said that she acted as a ‘container’ for others. Containment (Froggett, 2002, pg 13) â€Å"refers to the capacity of an individual, †¦.., to mentally receive and hold the disorganised or troubling psychic material of another, rendering it more bearable.† This resulted in, according to Klein, her realizing the ‘depressive position’ (seeing the other as whole). Looking back now I believe this is where I gained my values and beliefs, my grandmother being an important role model. Her influence was the beginning of my need to enter a caring profession, feeling a sense of obligation to support and care for others. My grandparents often talked of wartime, the struggles and hardship, remembering rationing and institutions. They welcomed the new welfare state, seeing it as an end to their struggles providing benefits, healthcare and education. I grew up not knowing anything other than a welfare state, accepting it as a right for everyone; however, I can imagine how difficult life was for them and the disadvantages they suffered as a result of their social position. Prior to commencement of this course I have criticised welfare for creating a ‘dependency culture’ and demonised those who could work and never tried to find employment. At the time I was suffering hardship, being widowed and pregnant at the age of 27 with 3 boys already aged 18 months, 3 and 5 years respectively. I received widowed mother’s allowance but also worked part time to support my family. I was not in receipt of any other benefits, free school dinners or free school uniforms. I would have been better off on benefits but chose self-respect, not wanting to be a burden, and I feel this has made me a more independent person. I realise now that others lives are more complex and involve other issues, nevertheless, by working I was not allowing myself time to grieve and by demonising others I was blaming them for my situation. Now I can see all angles and have reached the ‘depressive position’, having mourned and can feel compassion for those on welfare. The ‘depressive position’ being a â€Å"†¦ selfless capacity to acknowledge other people for their unique qualities and moral worth.† (Froggett, 2002, pg 45) I have always wanted to enter a caring profession; when I was younger people would comment on how I would make a good nurse, but until the death of my husband I did not pursue this, as life had presented me with other obstacles. It was due to my own lack of support after my husband’s death that I became more determined to help others who could not help themselves. However, during the process of becoming a social worker I have become aware of and welcomed the help I am also giving myself, resolving hidden issues from the past. Being abandoned by my mother left me feeling rejected, isolated, and feeling of no importance to anyone. The experience made me a very independent and untrusting person, making me feel as though I could only rely on myself, and this remains with me to this day with exception of the ‘untrusting’. As I matured and formed a relationship with my mother, albeit a fragmented one, I now understand her reasons for leaving, (a characteristic of the ‘depressive position’), although, having been widowed with 4 children to raise in later life, I cannot condone her actions. She has expressed guilt and sorrow, and felt that she was doing the right thing at the time, reasoning with herself that I was better off with my father and stability. She entered a new relationship, having a second family and ‘split’ her feelings for me as a response. I ‘split’ in a way that I denied I had a mother, repressing her into my unconscious, and erased her from my memory. I remember at the age of 6 coming home from school to find my mother with my grandmother and not knowing who she was. From the age of 7 I moved area to live with my mother and new family and felt like a prisoner. My anxiety caused me to demonise my mother as I blamed her for taking me away from my father and for trying to indoctrinate me to have bad feelings for him. I could not see any positive qualities about our relationship (Froggett, 2008). Consequently my relationship with my mother was never a good one, and I constantly challenged her attitudes, and beliefs. The challenges were sometimes in my actions, but mostly within my thoughts as I was too scared to challenge her directly as she was manipulative and controlling which in turn made me split and become more independent, refusing to ask for help. I felt I didn’t need anyone and could manage on my own. The contemptuous relationship with my mother was a result of a damaged transition into ‘twoness’, (separation from my mother) which made me, at times, mistrustful and uncertain of relationships in my adult life, fearing rejection and unreliability (Froggett, 2008). My childhood experiences meant that I lost confidence in ‘the reliability of the social world’ (Honneth, 1992, p133) and was insecure. My life changed dramatically when I was 13 and my mother was diagnosed with cancer. It was at this time that integration became apparent, and I was able to forgive and re-build our relationship, achieving a ‘depressive position’. I felt needed, and guilt at the same time regarding my feelings for my mother. She was very ill and I was expected to become an adult and run the guesthouse we lived in. I felt very isolated; I no longer saw my friends from school as I looked after my family, did the household chores, paid the bills, did the shopping, visited my mother in hospital (before I went to school) and had no spare time to socialise. I managed to cope with the extra responsibility but experienced loneliness at home; and at school where I was bullied for a time because I was permitted to enter school at 9.30. Other children recognised this as being given special treatment, whereas, it was ‘misrecognition’, as I had chores to complete before school, which was difficult, â€Å"†¦. misrecognition can inflict harm, can be a form of oppression, imprisoning someone in a false, distorted and reduced mode of being.† (Taylor, 1995). However, my relationship with my mother had changed and I was able to convey my feelings to her and contain my anxieties. This new found desire to help led me to become involved, as a teenager, with helping children and committing to some voluntary work at a psychiatric hospital. Identifying with similar people was a form of release, helping myself by helping others, allowing me to deal with my feelings of abandonment, exclusion and isolation. I developed this further when I later became involved with Home Start, as a volunteer, which was the determining factor in my decision to become a social worker. My relationship with my mother deteriorated again when my brother died. I felt alone again, as my brother had been the one stable element in my life, and my way of coping was to blame my mother for uprooting us and bringing us to live with her. I detached myself and denied my brother was dead for a while by pretending he was away, (he had been in the RAF living in various camps) as a defence mechanism. I had just met my husband at this time and his strength allowed me to deal with my loss and come to terms with it; he became my ‘container’ allowing me to reach the ‘depressive position’. At the age of 18 years old my mother told me to leave after constant confrontations. We could not live together as we were both finding it very difficult dealing with our own grief, and each other’s. I felt liberated and was relieved as I had always been too scared of my mother before but my husband, my ‘container’, gave me the strength to stand up to her, and I finally found the strength to attain recognition as an individual. When my husband died I feel I split once more. I no longer felt I belonged, I hated everyone, particularly happy families, and I felt isolated and alone (Woods and Hollis, 1990). This could be defined in Kleinian terms as being the ‘paranoid schizoid’ position (a form of splitting) (Beckett, 2002). This was the worse time in my life and affected me deeply. I did start to drink at this stage to enable me to experience ‘oneness’, but did not attain this (Froggett, 2008). I was pregnant at the time; therefore, for the sake of my sanity I addressed my negative behaviour to prevent damage to my child. I realised that I had an unborn child who needed me, as well as 3 other children, who loved me unconditionally and I somehow found the strength to resolutely challenge myself not to disappoint them as my mother had me, this being my reason for containment (Froggett, 2008). During this time I was never asked or given a choice about any form of counselling, and I received very little support. This became my motivation for embarking on social work as a career, as I felt I could do a better job than some; as I had experienced disadvantage, trauma and been marginalized. I felt that I would be committed and reliable to the people who needed my support. My experiences have given me an inner strength, making me stronger (Hollis and Woods, 1990), enabling me to empathise and show compassion to others, and I felt that I had a lot to offer others less fortunate than myself. I had always been of an altruistic nature, and during this period of my life I realised social work, as a career, would allow me to practice altruism on a larger scale, gaining emotional gratification (Woods and Hollis, 1990). Hollis and Woods (1990) suggest that ‘motivation is very much affected by hope’ (p274), and although I had suffered traumatic events throughout my life I was able to acknowledge that I could use these experiences for the benefit of others. I had reached the ‘depressive position’, could begin to move forward, integrate the experience, and make sense of everything, the world being a better place (Beckett,2002). I embarked on a course at college, studying at night while I worked during the day, and continued my development when accepted on this course. My family felt this was an inappropriate choice, as they felt I had enough to do bringing up four children. My mother in particular thought it was a waste of time as she considered social workers to be ‘do gooders’. I felt that I wanted to give something back to society, and make a difference to those who are vulnerable, oppressed and struggling to cope with the pressures of social injustice and poverty. I wanted to make sure people have basic resources to meet their needs regardless of race, age, sex, or sexual orientation, empowering them to take control of their lives and promoting well-being. My mother’s attitude just made me more determined to pursue this route. Whilst at university I have developed my practice on placement, learning many new ideas, and realising the importance of social work on peoples’ lives. â€Å"Understanding the impact of transitions within a person’s life course is important for social work practice in order to help us understand other people’s lives† (Crawford and Walker, 2003, p5). On placement I worked within a family support team, and found one situation, with a young girl, particularly difficult as I identified with her complex situation. The girl had been abandoned by her mother, and was living with her father and stepfamily. Recognising her feelings I assisted the girl to develop an internal container by giving her a secret diary to record her thoughts and feelings, and we would discuss these feelings weekly. Whilst supporting the girl I experienced ‘transference’, feelings evoked from past attachments with her mother were transferred onto me, (Froggett, 2008)) and she became very attached and dependent on my visits. I was overwhelmed by the strong emotions projected from the girl, however, was unable to reject her, and as a consequence of her actions encountered ‘counter-transference’, relating my own personal experiences (Froggett, 2008). My vision became blurred with my own internal feelings, resulting in my inability to see the girl realistically. I found myself very protective of her, working extremely hard; advocating for her with her father who was oppressive and controlling, as I felt she was alone, and unable to challenge him. Furthermore, I wanted to ‘mother’ the girl to boost her self-esteem, and thus prevent her isolation. After our sessions I would go home mentally drained. Bion (1977) suggests there are three types of container-contained relationships: ‘parasitic’ dependent and unhealthy ‘commensal’ mutual containment, of benefit to both parties ‘symbiotic’ – receiving support to manage feelings, and seen as a healthy relationship. Fortunately I was able to express these anxiety provoking feelings with my assessor, hence she became my ‘container’. We had a ‘symbiotic’ relationship and she enabled me to disentangle myself from the situation, regain my ability to hold painful feelings, allowing me the capacity to perceive the girl as separate, and re-integrate (Menzies-Lyth, 1988). I was in a position to reflect, appreciating complexity, achieving ‘3rd position thinking’, ## I became stronger as a result, thus I was able to perceive things from a different perspective. During reflection I recognized emotional factors had clouded my judgement and I reached a better understanding of the situation, realising I had transferred my personal experiences onto the family (Winnicott, 1971). I acknowledged this intervention had proven difficult, bearing resemblance to my own experiences, and resolved to be more aware, making sure my professional boundaries were firmly established for subsequent visits and for the future (Froggett, 2008). Towards the end of my placement I referred the girl to a counsellor at school, so she did not feel abandoned, making effective use of another support network. Initially I had been attracted to working with children and families, however, supporting this girl made me realise that perhaps family support is not an area of practice that I should go into, as it may prove too emotional a field for me. Getting too involved with a client could prove ineffective and I could lose my focus. I have faced many challenges throughout my life but I have always managed somehow to rise above these, drawing on my reserve strengths and becoming a more resilient person. The importance being that I feel I have become self-assured, and can be an asset to the profession of social work. â€Å"The personality traits that I have as an adult are a direct result of my experiences from childhood† (Woods and Hollis, 1990, p34) Undertaking this assignment has been challenging and difficult, however, I found that putting my life into words was quite therapeutic, releasing certain issues that I had repressed. Freud suggests repression is â€Å"the most important of all defences† (Froggett, 2008 pg. 8) but releasing my feelings and thoughts about my life experiences enabled me to understand how I came to develop my own beliefs and values, as Crawford and Walker (2003) inform us â€Å"Social workers need to understand their own life course development and the significance that this has had on the values and beliefs that they have developed themselves.† Pg.13. According to the Code of Ethics, a social workers objective is to support people in need, addressing social problems. Experiences have made me the person I am, and utilising my skills, both personal and educational, will help me perform this duty. I believe my personal experiences changed me, making me more open to new ideas, and although I am very much aware of the past I have dealt with it, and do not dwell, moving forward. I have achieved ‘3rd position thinking’, realising that I can be a ‘good enough’ mother, whilst achieving success as a professional (Froggett, 2008). 3289 BIBLIOGRAPHY Beckett, C. (2002) Human Growth and Development. London. Sage Bion, W. (1977) ‘Learning from experience’, in Seven Servants, New York, Jason Aronson Crawford, K. and Walker, J. (2003) Social Work and Human Development. Exeter. Learning Matters Froggett, L. (2002) Love, Hate and Welfare – Psychosocial approaches to policy and practice. Bristol. The Policy Press Froggett, L. (2008) Psychosocial Theory and Practice for Social Work: A Conceptual Introduction to an Object Relations Approach. Preston. University of Central Lancashire. Unpublished manuscript Hollis, F. and Woods, M (1990) Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy 4th Edition. USA. Library of Congress Honneth, G. (1969) Integrity and Disrespect: Principles of a Conception of Morality based on the Theory of Recognition. In: Political Theory. 20 (2). 187-201 Menzies-Lyth, I. (1988) Containing Anxiety in Institutions: Selected Essays, Volume One. London; Free Association Books Taylor, C. (1995) The Politics of Recognition, in: Philosophical Arguments, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press. (First published 1992 in Gutmann, A. (ED) Multiculturalism and ‘The Politics of Recognition’, Princetown NJ, Princetown University Press). Winnicott, D. (1971) Playing and Reality. London. Tavistock Publications Limited Aldridge, M (1994) Unlimited liability: Emotional Labour in Nursing and Social Work. In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. 4. 722-8 Hochschild, A (2003) 2nd edition The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. USA; University of California Press.

Final Exam Essay

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Title of the project Access Control Proposal Project 1.2 Project schedule summary The project will be a multi-year phased approach to have all sites (except JV and SA) on the same hardware and software platforms. 1.3 Project deliverables †¢ Solutions to the issues that the specifies location of IDI is facing †¢ Plans to implement corporate-wide information access methods to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability †¢ Assessment of strengths and weaknesses in current IDI systems †¢ Address remote user and Web site user’s secure access requirements †¢ Proposed budget for the project—Hardware only †¢ Prepare detailed network and configuration diagrams outlining the proposed change †¢ Prepare a 5 to 10 minute PowerPoint assisted presentation on important access control infrastructure, and management aspects from each location. 1.4 Project Guides Course Project Access Control Proposal Guide Juniper Networks Campus LAN Reference Architecture 1.5 Project Members Members of the Technology Staff: Phil Kurutz, IT Architect and IT Security Specialist Nathan Gleed, Chief Information Officer (CIO) 1.6 Purpose This project is done as a part of fulfillment of the course IS404 (Access Control, Authentication, and Public Key Infrastructure). It is a proposal for improving IDI’s computer network infrastructure. This project is intended to be used by IDI’s information security team to developing a plan to improve IDI’s computer network infrastructure at multiple locations. 1.7 Goals and Objectives †¢ 1st Objective To assess the aging infrastructure and then develop a multi-year phased approach to have all sites (except for JV and SA) on the same hardware and software platforms. †¢ 2nd Objective The core infrastructure (switches, routers, firewalls, servers and etc.) must capable of withstanding 10 – 15% growth every year for the next seven years with a three-to-four year phased technology refresh cycle. †¢ 3rd Objective Solutions to the issues that the specifies location of IDI is facing †¢ 4th Objective Assessment of strengths and weaknesses in current IDI systems †¢ 5th Objective Address remote user and Web site user’s secure access requirements †¢ 6th Objective Prepare detailed network and configuration diagrams outlining the proposed change †¢ 7th Objective Prepare a 5 to 10 minute PowerPoint assisted presentation on important access control infrastructure, and management aspects from each location. †¢ 8th Objective A comprehensive network design that will incorporate all submitted requirements and allow for projected growth. †¢ 9th Objective: Final testing of all installed hardware, software, and network connectivity. †¢ 10th (Final) Objective: Initialization of the entire network and any last minute configuration adjustments to have the network up and operating within all specified ranges. 2 Risks and Vulnerabilities 2.1 Overall: There is a hodgepodge of servers, switches, routers, and internal hardware firewalls. Each of the organization’s locations is operating with different information technologies and infrastructure—IT systems, applications, and databases. Various levels of IT security and access management have been implemented and embedded within their respective locations. The information technology infrastructure is aging and many locations are running on outdated hardware and software. Also, the infrastructure is woefully out-of-dated in terms of patches and upgrades which greatly increase the risk to the network in terms of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. 2.2 Billings, Montana:   Logisuite 4.2.2 has not been upgraded in almost 10 years. Also, over 350 modifications have been made to the core engine and the license agreement has expired. Progressive upgrading to the current version will be required. As a result, renewing this product will be extremely cost and time-prohibitive. RouteSim is a destination delivery program used to simulate routes, costs, and profits. It is not integrated into Logisuite or Oracle financials to take advantage of the databases for real-time currency valuation and profit or loss projections.   IDI’s office automation hardware and software has not been standardized. Managers have too much liberty to buy what they want according to personal preferences. Other software problems include early versions of MS Office 5, WordPerfect  7.0, and PC-Write that are not compatible. Telecommunications has not been since the company moved its current headquarters 15 years ago. This has left many  of the new features for telecommunic ations lacking and not integrated with the customer service database to improve call management efficiency. The generic system was acquired from a service provider who is now out of business.   Policies for personal devices are being ignored by many of the executives who have local administrators install the clients on their unsupported, non-standard personal laptop computers and workstations that interface with the internet. These devices   The original WAN was designed by in the early 2000’s and has not been upgraded. During peak periods, usually between September and March, the capacity is insufficient for the organization resulting in lost internet customers which further reduces growth and revenue.   Telecommunications works through a limited Mitel SX-2000 private automatic branch exchange (PABX) that only provides voice mail and call forwarding. 2.3 Warsaw, Poland This is the largest office based on number of employees, strategically located to assist IDI for major growth in the Middle East and Asia, and the home portal for expansion and geographical client development, yet there is insufficient computing power to stay afloat on a day-to-day basis.   The primary freight forwarding application is almost 10 years old and does not interface with the McCormack dodge accounting and finance system   There are 6 Web servers (4 are primary and 2 fail during clustered load balancing) The cafeteria sponsors a public wireless network running WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) with no password protection.   Telecommunications is an 8 year old Siemens Saturn series PBX, some of whose features have become faulty. The desktop phones have not been replaced or upgraded during this time. There is a lack of separation of duties between the network operations and the accounts receivable department and there is evidence of nepotism and embezzlement. 3 Proposed Budget 4 IDI Proposed Solutions 4.1 Billings, Montana Consolidate 14 Hewitt-Packard (HP) UNIX servers to 1 UNIX server Upgrade 75 Microsoft (MS) Windows servers to Windows server 2008 R2 Upgrade MS exchange e-mail to latest version Find another software vendor to replace Oracle financials for accounting  and financial systems, Logisuite 4.2.2, RouteSim Hire developers to standardize the office automation hardware and software. Convert telecommunications system to a VOIP system Design and implement a new Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) Upgrade WAN to a T1 MPLS to increase bandwidth 4.2 Warsaw, Poland Find a new proxy server to replace the IBM Infinity hardened served Hire a new in-house application developer Convert the Siemens Saturn series PBX telecommunications system with desktop phones to a VOIP system Enforce the current Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Chapter 1 the Investment Environment

Chapter 1 The Investment Environment 1. 1. Real Assets versus Financial Assets (Page 30) ? Real Assets ? Determine the productive capacity and net income of the economy ? Examples: Land, buildings, machines, and knowledge used to produce goods and services ? Financial Assets ? Claims on real assets 1-2 1. 2. Financial Assets (Page 32) ? Three types: 1. Fixed income or debt Common stock or equity Derivative securities 2. 3. 1-3 Fixed Income ? ? ? ? 1-4 Payments fixed or determined by a formula Money market debt: short term, highly marketable, sually low credit risk (T-bills, certificates of deposits etc) Capital market debt: long term bonds, can be safe or risky (Treasury bonds, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, etc) Bond ratings: in terms of default risk, from very safe to junk Common Stock and Derivatives ? Common Stock is equity or ownership in a corporation. ? ? Derivatives ? ? 1-5 Payments to stockholders are not fixed, but depend on the success of the firm Value derives from pri ces of other securities such as stocks and bonds Used to transfer risk (hedge) 1. 3.Financial Markets and the Economy (page 33-36) ? ? ? ? ? 1-6 Information Role: Capital flows to companies with best prospects Consumption Timing: Use securities to store wealth and transfer consumption to the future Allocation of Risk: Investors can select securities consistent with their tastes for risk Separation of Ownership and Management: minimize the famous agency costs and maximize firm value Corporate Governance and Corporate Ethics How to reduce the agency problems (Page 34-35) ? ? ? ? 1-7 Compensation plans: bonus, stock options, etc.The power of the board of directors Outsiders’ monitor Threat of takeover: proxy contest, mergers, etc. 1. 4. The Investment Process (page 36) ? When constructing a portfolio, investors need to decide: ? ? 1-8 Asset allocation ? Choice among broad asset classes Security selection ? Choice of which securities to hold within asset class ? Security analysis to value securities and determine investment attractiveness 1. 4. The Investment Process (page 37) ? 1-9 Portfolio strategies ? Top-down: starts from asset allocation Bottom-up: starts from individual securities 1. 5. Markets are Competitive (page 37-39) ? Implications from â€Å"no-free-lunch† proposition: ? ? Risk-Return Trade-Off Efficient Markets (security prices have reflected all information) (Chapter 11-12): ? Passive management ? No attempt to find undervalued securities ? No ? attempt to time the market ? Holding a highly diversified portfolio Active Management ? ? 1-10 Finding mispriced securities Timing the market 1. 6. The Players (page 39-42) ? ? ? ? Business Firms– net borrowersHouseholds – net savers Governments – can be both borrowers and savers Financial Intermediaries: Pool and invest funds ? Investment Companies ? Banks ? Insurance companies ? Credit unions 1-11 Universal Bank Activities Investment Banking †¢ Underwrite new stock and bond issues †¢ Sell newly issued securities to public in the primary market †¢ Investors trade previously issued securities among themselves in the secondary markets Commercial Banking †¢ Take deposits and make loans †¢ †¢ 1-12 1. 7. Financial Crisis of 2008 Reading (page 42-51) 1-13

Essay On The American Dream - 936 Words

The history of immigration in the United states defines the movement of immigrants and migrants to America seeking refugee from poverty, social strife, political turmoil, economic hardships and religious persecution. Starting with the European settlements in the 1600s and many waves of diverse groups of people migrated after thus creating this ideology known as the America Dream which encompasses the opportunity at a better life and growth in all aspects political, economic religious etc. But at what cost what is often forgot is the American nightmare which is included the perverse and horrifying accounts of colonialism, diaspora and slavery. Slaves were not migrants they did not come here on their own volition and were property. This†¦show more content†¦Otermin’s letter was an attempt to justify failure because the governor had lost the entire province and over a century of collected investments in livestock and land. Furthermore, he allowed the defeat of represen tatives of the royal crown by natives. Otermin’s letter also illustrates the state of confusion the Spanish were in during the attack as well as fleeing to save their lives. The second document â€Å"Thomas Phillips a slave trader, describes middle passage 1693 Thomas Phillips describes the journey from Africa to Barbados aboard his slave ship Hannibal. Phillips talks about the slave’s desperate attempts to escape to freedom or revolt against the captain. In his account some of the slaves willfully drowned and starved themselves to death to avoid enduring more abuse degradation. Also, due to the confined space., shacking and grossly poor conditions it lead to white flux caused massive deaths among the slaves. In the Third document â€Å"Moore vs. People Upholds the Fugitive Slavery Acts of 1852 â€Å"depicts a case that was brought up from the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois by a writ of error. 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Many people might think of the American Dream as being able to get a job in order for them to be able to help their family members who they left back in their native country, while for others t he American Dream will be to be able to purchase their first home in the United States, while for others the American Dream might be to have a good job in order for them to pay forRead MoreAmerican Dream Essay992 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent issues as they settle in the United States. Although these problems may vary, the message is the same; the American dream is a lot more difficult to achieve than previously thought. Although every immigrant is different in the problems they face while in the country, one problem seems to stand out from the rest. The biggest obstacle for immigrants to overcome to achieve the American dream is in the field of jobs. The biggest problem immigrants face is finding work in which they can support themselvesRead MoreThe American Dream Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream is a concept that has circulated around the world and has caused people from other countries, and those who live in America, to come to our nation and take advantage of the opportunities in place to better their lives. The definition of the American Dream, provided by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (1931), is â€Å"a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦It is not a dreamRead MoreThe American Dream Essay819 Words   |  4 PagesGrowing up, I always thought the â€Å"American Dream† was having a nice suburban house with a husband, a few kids, and a golden retriever. I think of people within the Middle Class had it pretty good because of the nice house and adorable, tightknit family. The drea m has never really changed, and I don’t think what my imagination of it ever will. Something else I think of when thinking about the â€Å"American Dream,† I immediately think about is all the people that come to the United States from all overRead MoreThe American Dream Essay799 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the American Dream? In America, numerous cultures and ethnic backgrounds are present. The American Dream is a subjective phrase, with different meanings for different people. The novels Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, portray different definitions of the American Dream. In theory, the American Dream is the thought that through hard work, anyone can achieve their goals in this country. In Into the WildRead MoreEssay On The American Dream1328 Words   |  6 Pagestheir personal needs. But of course, as many other families in America did and still do, they had a dream. The American Dream. Which was to come to America for a better life and provide a better future for their family and the future generations of the family. And I am proud to say that they accomplished that American dream. Because I, as an American who comes from Latino origins am the American dream. My family s past has had a very profound influence on me as a person. Since I was a child, I