The History Of Indonesia

The History Of Indonesia Intercultural management is an emerging but increasingly important area of study. Intercultural management are on work forces that function in different cultural backgrounds. These differences can be either external, where an organization operates across national and ethnic cultures, or internal, where an organization operates across company differences, branches or regions. Cultures express different values and priorities when they make and implement decisions. These values influence work relationships, whether between superior and subordinate, peers, international joint venture partners, managers in headquarters and subsidiaries, and others. Intercultural Management subject is extremely important because of the cultural diversity and ethnic that exists within the organisation today. Specifically, with regard to global organisations, it try to settle the unevenness between global and local concerns by proposing a framework that combines a new understanding of culture with a classica l leadership approach. It is also about accommodating a range of structural and behavioural dimensions that address different facets of organizational functioning. Intercultural management is expensive, but also give away a high return on investment. The objective is to achieve more effective cross-cultural practice. In this assignment, students of Intercultural Management are required to experience a Field Trip to Indonesia, Medan. Students are expected to carry culture analysis and findings on the problems that are asked to fulfil the requirement of this module and prepared a report in the end. 2.0 Background of Country Visited, Indonesia Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world by number of population which expanse between the Indian and Pacific Oceans with thousands island scattered across. Its closest neighbours are the new country of East Timor which formerly a part of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia. It is an archipelago country, made up of 17,508 islands with a land area of 1,905 thousand square kilometres. It has 33 provinces populated by 242 million people. From the western tip of Sumatra to the eastern edge of Papua, it runs along the equator for 5000km. Indonesia has been an independent republic for more than fifty years and its capital city is Jakarta. Indonesias peoples are regional interests, diverse and cultural elements differ widely. 2.1 History of Indonesia Indonesian history, hominid fossils was found by Eugene Dubois in 1809 near Trinil village, East Java. Human immigration occurred 3000 BC. These immigrants are either came from the Pacific islands or southern China and brought their language, Austronesia with them. Since they arrived in a small group and set up around the coast, Austronesia language was quickly diversified with distant descendant of Java Man. However, Bahasa Indonesia is the national language of Indonesia. At the 5th century, Hinduism first came to Indonesia with the advent of Indian merchants as on purpose act of preaching by the Brahmans. By this time Indonesias trading partners was southern China, hence the influence of Buddhism also started to take part. In the 11th century, merchants brought Islam in. By the time, there was no centre of Indonesian Islamic culture and this leads to weakness when the Dutch arrived. Dutch East India Company ruled Indonesia from 1602 to 1799 and stayed until 1942 as a Dutch colony. Before the Dutch returned to claim their colonies from 1942-1945, the Japanese occupied the islands. Sukarno declared independence and was appointed as president after the surrender of Japanese in August 1945. 2.2 Indonesias Political System Republic of Indonesia came into existence in 1945 followed by the federal government under the United Republic of Indonesia. Based on the 1945 constitution, it then returned to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The 1945 constitution controls responsibilities and position of state officials, duties, their authorities and relationships between government institutions. (executive, legislative and judicial). The Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR), being the highest state institution promulgates the constitution, decide state policy guidelines and appoint or dismiss the president and vice president. Direction of the government, laws and drafts regulations is monitored by The House of Representatives (DPR). Position of other high-level state institutions, including the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives are occupied by the president, who is also the Head of State and Head of Government. The President also carries out the mandate of the MPR, implementing the state policy guidelines, and appointed ministers and heads of non-ministry with the ministry (the Attorney General, Police and Armed Forces) that assist in the implementation of these tasks. The Supreme Court is the judicial branch of the State around the executive and legislative branches. Governments finances are examined by The State Audit Board. The State Audit Board is reported to the Peoples Legislative Assembly, the body that approves the inspected Expenditure and State Income. On matters related to issues of economic, political, the military and socio-cultural, The Supreme Advisory Council provides advice to the President on request. 2.3 Indonesias Economic With inflation reducing, solid growth and falling unemployment, Indonesia is currently enjoying positive economic conditions. Indonesia has recently become more recognized for providing investment opportunities as there has been a lot of foreign interest. Due to the rich deposits of natural resources, Indonesia has become a major beneficiary of the strong growth in China and other developing countries. This helps the strong economic growth through foreign investment and international competitiveness. Inflationary pressures continue to be a problem for Indonesia although the rate of growth has been strong, driven by higher food and utilities including fuel for the countrys domestic demand grows rapidly. Indonesias central bank (Bank Indonesia) to take action to help restrain inflation as it began to pose a threat to economic growth. Through Monetary policy tightening, inflation has been reduced to a more manageable rate. The unemployment rate in Indonesia has reduced since 2005-2006 i n line with the strong growth of the economy. Corruption continues to be a major problem for the Indonesian economy which can have the effect of distribution. By reducing economic growth, this affects income inequality and scarcity. 2.4 Infrastructure and Technological Information Dial-up service over noisy line is commonly used to access the Internet. Most of these wireless access points are in cities. Wireless infrastructure may be away to go for deploying Internet for rural, under-served, poor Indonesian neighbourhood. However, issues in rural areas would not only telecommunication or Internet access technology, it is more on the demand, people, social, cultural side as well as the higher stumbling block in the regulatory framework. Need on information and knowledge is virtually non-existence in such areas. The major problem is mainly lack of content written in Indonesian. Speak-and listen is much common way to communicate in Indonesian culture as compared to read and- write. 2.5.1 Population Indonesia, with number of 234 million populations, is the worlds fourth most populated country. There are more than 300 people per square mile (160 per square km), which four time more than the population in the United States. The rate of population grow in Indonesia is around 1.5% per year which means this country will have 282 million population by the year 2025 and more than 315 million population by the year 2050. About 40 % of the population is urban while 45% of the population is engaged in agriculture. 2.5.2 People In Indonesia most islands can be considered as multiethnic, which large and small groups forming geographical enclaves. In ethnic areas, arguments between members of different ethnic groups can be resolved by either the leader or the two groups, by feud or by the courts. In many regions with settled populations, a customary settlement is honoured over a court one, and many rural areas are peaceful havens. 2.5.3 Language There are over 650 dialects and languages are spoken in Indonesia. Since they lived isolated from one and another, unique cultures are developed different islands. However, they local languanges are Sundanese, Javanese, Balinese, Sasak are still being used in some other parts although Bahasa Indonesia is known as the national language. Bahasa Indonesia is a variation of the Malay language. Dutch and English are also often used, this is because Indonesia was a colony of Dutch and English where this both language has became the international language of business during that time. 2.5.4 Religion Indonesia has a largest Muslim population practicing Islam. Besides Islam, Protestants, Catholics, Hindus, and Buddhists are also practiced. Form hybrid religious practices, Islam have mixed with traditions and local customs. A Javanese Muslim from rural may go the mosque to pray but later on pray at the grace of local Catholic saint. Since the 1500s, Christianity has already been practised. It was then influenced by the Protestant and Roman Catholic with arrival of Portuguese and Dutch. Buddhism has a long history in Indonesia since the Srivijaya dynasty and it lasted from the 7th-14th century. In Indonesia, Hinduism is the oldest religion. The Hindus lived at Bali, Hinduism came from India has been greatly adapted by Indonesians to fit it ancestral practices, animist and local. 2.5.4 Ethnic/Culture Groups More than 500 different ethnic groups live in this country. In North Sumatera ethnic groups are the Malay, the Sudanese, the Acehnese, the Bataks, are the big majority of the local population.  Migration, to the North Sumatra to seek fortune has given these people a lot of the regions agricultural and commercial activities. Largest group of ethnic is The Javanese, followed by followed by Sundanese, and the Malays. The Javanese are given named after the island on which their culture expands.    2.5.5 Cultural Practices and Tradition Wayang or shadow theatre is well known because of the Javanese. The Javanese also created Batik. The Sundanese and Javanese somewhat can understand each other with some linguistic connection. The Javanese and the Sudanese are both Muslims. Both cultures, the Sudanese and Javanese perform wooden puppets called wayang goleks. Kendang a local drum of Sundanese provides faster rhythm than the one usually found in Javanese culture. The Batak houses are separated into three levels symbolising a threefold division of the cosmos (upper world, the underworld and the earth). The Toba church are the largest church in Indonesia, they were once obvious and early target for Christian European missionaries. In traditional Batak community, woven fabrics play an important part. The woven fabrics are not only as clothing, but as an important gift in the ritual, which to strengthen the ties that exist between the symbol and the group of related people. 3.1 Common Business/ Economic Activity Based on my observation, the local people of Medan mostly make a living by opening small businesses. There are dozens of food streets along the roads and hawkers centre around Medan. From Chinese home-cooking style food, to Bataks grilled dish, to spicy Malay sambal, and tasty Indian curry, the city is definitely a food heaven for locals and tourists. Pajak Ikan Lama is the most famous traditional clothes market sells souvenirs, fabrics, handbags, belts, shirts, pants and local food. It also a local market which located near Dataran Merdeka best known for textiles and batik. In Berastagi, vegetables and fruits market known as the main economic activities of the local people. This area is quite cold in climate and highly fertile which situated between Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung. Besides vegetables and fruits, Berastagi is also known for producer of sugar cane, flowers, and rice. Most uneducated local men in Medan earn a living as a becak driver. It is very easy to start a busine ss as a becak driver because becak is a public transport in Medan. Due to large population, the labour cost in Medan is very cheap which leads the local people to starts their own businesses. 3.2 Level of Education/ Job Requirement The highest educational level in Berastagi and Lake Toba is until Primary. Where else in Medan the highest education level is until middle school (secondary). The Hotel receptionist with a bachelor degree who speaks English stated that her monthly salary is only Rp.2, 000,000. In Lake Toba, we interviewed the captain that drive us Samosir Island. He stated that he is also the staff of Carolina Hotel but does not want state his salary when we asked him. A becak driver usually did not have a proper education and had finished elementary school. They speak bahasa Indonesia and only speaks few words In English. To become a becak driver was one of the limited choices they had to earn. The  income  of  becak drivers  is unstable and varies on a daily basis.  The monthly income  was 600000 Rupiah with 7 hours working daily. Sometimes they earn much money but sometimes they wait for passengers for several days and earn nothing at all. The fees they charge the passengers are moreov er negotiable. They do not have any fixed charge for each trip. It very much depends on who uses their services and how good they are in bargaining. At strategic places in cities or towns, people can easily find becak drivers waiting in groups for passengers. Usually they can be found at bus terminals or train stations to serve people who have just got off from trains or buses. We usually get short becak ride for 5000 Rupiah to 10000 Rupiah but more for than 10minutes rides will cost around 15000 Rupiah. Most drivers will charge for 30000 Rupiah for foreigners then will came down to 15000 Rupiah when spoken to in Bahasa Indonesia. 3.3 Taboos/ Disturbing Cultural Practices It seemed that the King has many warriors and one of the famous warriors would go totally naked when going for wars. For Batak people, showing your genitals is a taboo.  The Batak traditionally allowed polygamy, but it didnt come up very often because the man had to be wealthy enough to support the additional wives and children. After Christian conversion, this practice became taboo. Once again, the Christian answer was given. In reality, tribal people usually have a number of superstitions and rituals associated with death. Some tribes actually relocate the entire village if one person dies. According to Dr. Fernandez, the Batak would burn the house where the dead person had lived, and no one would live in that house again. This superstition had the practical function of preventing the spread of communicable diseases. In certain tribe such as the Batak, raised breeds of dogs and slaughtered them for their meat. This may be for some medicinal purposes benefits attributed to differe nt parts of a dog or as an alternative for other meat.  Eating dog meat is usually associated with their culture, who cooks a traditional dog-meat stew. I find this most disturbing cultural practice because in other part the world dogs views  as a companion and humans best friend. It is cruel and disgusting to consume dogs meat. Apart from cultural  practice, it is not acceptable  by other groups of people. 3.4 Bargaining and Negotiating Bargaining is usual in small shops and markets in Medan, Tomok and Berastagi. Bargaining works by asking the price and slowly increases the offer until a compromise is reached. We bargain for everything in here. It is fine to say no, or to ignore the seller. But, we only bargain when we really want to buy something. With so many shops competing, it is easy to find the good price.   The locals usually speak in quiet, gentle tones. However, this only reflects their politeness and respect for others. Because being friendly and saving face are so important in this culture, communication is generally very indirect. The Indonesian usually prefers to do business with others who treat them with respect and genuinely, it is important to demonstrate similar behaviours. Causing embarrassment to another person may cause a loss of face for all parties involved and can be disastrous for business negotiations Building lasting and trusting personal relationships is therefore critically important t o most Indonesians, who expect to establish strong bonds prior to closing any deals. The large population in Medan caused traffic jam. We really feel impressed on how the drivers negotiate and tolerate among themselves when they uses the road. They will normally hon to let other drivers to know that they want to go other side or change the lane. 3.5 Cultural Implication on Advertisement Religions affect consumption behaviours and the purchase pattern. A high level of familiarity with the local  culture  is the significant  impact  on the effectiveness of marketing strategies. One of the television advertisements that I go through is regarding McDonalds Delivery. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxv73s6YQ88) The advertisement is about young man wanted to take his car to buy dinner/ supper. But his car tyre got punctured, so he decided to get some satay at the nearby street. When he went there, the satay man says he sold off the satays. In the end, he ended up calling for Mc Delivery. From this, I can see that the Mc Delivery advertisement is connected to their local preferences. Satay is one of their local food so the advertisement appealing to their taste. McDonalds in  Indonesia now has McSatay, Mc Rice where its known that Indonesia basic food is rice served with egg. McDonals in Indonesia does not offer pork burger as most of the population are Muslims. One of the outdoor advertisements that I came across is a politician poster behind one of the becak that we took. Since only the low income group of people who will frequently take the becak, the advertisement of politician figure will appeal into local people of needs for unity on establishment of peace in spite of political. It also makes them think logical on values such as righteousness, justice, freedom, and dignity.   Television Advertisement Outdoor Advertisement 4.1 Power Distance Indonesia has high power distance which means there are no equivalent rights between power holders and non power holders. The employees in Indonesia are expected to be directed by the employers. Dekker in 2008 stated that power distance is represented by the social position on the basis of the authorities among the most powerful to the least powerful in their communities. It is designed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹by the government in accordance with its own conception of political ideology, socio-economic system, technical development and culture in the various member states. As part of their cultural heritage, Indonesian also has wealth inequalities in society. This is not  forced by the population, but  accepted by the community  as part of  their cultural heritage.   Managers are respected for their position and control is accepted. In Indonesia, in general seniority and elderly people play important role in the society and community; people usually respect the elderly as well as value their social status in the community. 4.2 Collectivism Indonesia has high collectivism, which means they hold their traditions tightly. Many of Indonesias ethnic groups have strong kinship groupings based upon patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilateral descent. The children are committed to their elders. Indonesia family keep their grandparents at home instead sending them to any institution. Their children want their parents life easier. Jones in 2007 assumes that this dimension gauge the level of integration of the people in the community as well as capability of the people who work in groups or individually. If one wishes to marry in Indonesia, it is important the men to meet the womens family. He has to introduce himself to the family of the woman. It is not appropriate having a relationship without notifying the parents of the girl first. Indonesias ideas about tolerance, the faith of God, social justice, human, and democracy (5 principles), to reflect the countrys way of life and the basic thinking, such as the reflection of collectivi sm ideologies are integrated. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is based on social rules and other regulations. The society practices strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for other members of their group. 4.3 Masculinity and Femininity Indonesia has both Masculinity and femininity is at the same level. Women have the same rights and opportunities in every aspect such as occupations. According to Chang in 2003 womens role changing are the factor of economy rapid growth and globalisation in Indonesia. In past women the one should care for children and does the housework where else man the one earn for the family. Now, women are becoming more adapted together with men. The principle of gender equality becomes more comfortable and treats them same as the men. This shows that the Indonesia has a degree of gender differences where both men and women dominate a significant portion of the society and power structure. This leads to women to act more as a man and away from their role as women. In Indonesia although masculinity and femininity are both in same level but men still sometimes have more power. In general, although there are traditional roles for women and men in the society these roles sometimes overlap. 4.4 Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance explains either people feel secure or comfort with chaos, uncertain events, unstructured situation and risks. It about how Indonesian takes action in order to reach their goal and good inherent balance in controlling situation. Indonesian tends to provide and arrange everything for future events. Harris and Moran in 2006 relate the condition of uncertainty avoidance with Tolerating Ambiguity, which demotes to the ability to react to new, unpredictable situations with little visible discomfort or irritation, different and at times. This explains that there is a strong preference in Indonesia towards separation Javanese culture of external self to internal self. It is common for Indonesian not show anger even though they are really upset, no matter how angry is them they will still be polite. This means maintaining healthy relationship in work place is very important in Indonesia. This shows that the Indonesian people easily accept unstructured situations. Unstruc tured situation is a new situation, not known surprising, different from usual. Moreover, Indonesian people in general are also more comfortable with stable and predictable conditions. For example, they prefer to become civil servants rather than to become entrepreneurs although in some cases they prefer to leave everything to God for the situations that they cannot control and manipulate anymore. Another aspect of this element can be viewed at a resolution of conflicts. Direct Communication is the way to solve conflict is usually seen as a threatening and one that they are uncomfortable in. It allows exchange of views without losing face, and since one of the main manifestations of the uncertain Indonesia is to maintain a harmonious appearance in the workplace; intermediary remove uncertainties associated with confrontation. 4.5 Long Term Orientation Long term orientation is related with people through particular criteria such as obligation, reciprocal, loyalty and honesty. It is more like having good behaviours in relationship. Indonesia seems to be long term oriented. Because the hard work of people today looking forward to a long-term compensation in the Indonesian culture has a strong work ethic. Countries such as Indonesia and the Indonesian tend to have inter-religious views around the world on tolerance features. There is recognition that there are several truths on the seeker because Indonesian people embracing several different religions, such as Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism. The Indonesia are typically not punctual, this because they are long term orientation. Taylor in 2008 stated with highest numbers of Muslims in the world, combining Power Distance and Unaccepted Avoidance shows the Indonesian community is highly regulation oriented with controls, rules, laws and regulations. Motivating Indonesian Muslim employees would necessitate leader to give an environment of rules and guidelines to decrease uncertainty, show ultimate power and provide rewards to employee based on age, position, and status. Employees of Indonesia can be motivated by Hofstedes theory. Indonesian workers have a low tolerance for uncertainty, which Depending on tight control as a motivator. 5.0 Conclusion

“Our Day out” by Willie Russell Essay

Our Day out by Willie Russell is an energetic and humorous play, about a school trip to Conwy castle. The ‘progress class’, a class for illiterate children, are on a trip to Wales where the liberal Mrs Kay and the strict Mr Briggs have completely different ideas about the day should be organised. Mrs Kay and Mr Briggs have two distinct personalities that clash frequently throughout the play and Willie Russell presents both in an interesting and comical way in his drama. Mrs Kay is a benevolent and fun teacher who treats the children as if they were her own. ‘She always reminds me of a mother hen rather than a teacher’. Mr Briggs says this and it sums up exactly what Mrs Kay is like and her attitude to the children. Her aim on the school trip is for everyone to have fun with the only rule being ‘†¦think of yourselves but also think of others’. She genuinely cares for the children and wants them to have an enjoyable day out to assuage the social injustice that they find themselves up against. Mr Briggs’ ideology of the children is contrary to Mrs Kay’s. Mr Briggs is a strict, intolerant and old-fashioned teacher who is has firm standards and is harsh towards the students. ‘Stop! Slater, walk†¦walk! You, boy†¦come here. Now stop. All of you†¦stop!’ Mr Briggs is shouting as the children get off the coach but Mrs Kay casually walks past and pours out some coffee. At the zoo, Mr Briggs lightens up a little and we get to see more of the soft and loving side that he conceals in favour of the harsh and angry one. He is enjoying himself when he explains about all of the different animal types to the children, and in the cafà © with Mrs Kay, he even offers to do a small presentation at school with some slides. ‘I didn’t think the kids who came to you would be too interested in animals’. He is pleasantly surprised with the interest of the children in a topic that he holds close to this heart. However, all the reader’s hopes of Mr Briggs turning ‘nice’ are dashed when the children attempt to steal the animals and he returns with vengeance back to the old Mr Briggs, and, with a ‘face of thunder’, shouts at the children  again. Mrs Kay understands that a lot of the children come from a deprived background and sympathises with their predicament. She shows this when she chooses to go on the side of the Progress Class when they attempt to steal some animals from the zoo. ‘Well I’d suggest that if you want the chaos to stop then you should stop seeing it as chaos†¦It’s too late for them. Most of them were rejects the day they were born†¦can’t we try and give them a good day out†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She realises that it was probably the closest that they would ever get to an animal and many were just over-excited at the prospect of having something that they would never have. Mr Briggs’ encounter with Carol Chandler is a defining moment of the play because when Carol is on the top of the cliff we can see that Mr Briggs does not know what it is like to be Carol and children like her in that situation. He is taken aback at the fact that Carol talks back at him which he is not use to. Carol doesn’t want to go back to school, she dreams of living in a ‘nice place’ and has really enjoyed the outing. Briggs thinks she is just being stubborn but what has Carol got to go back to in Liverpool? Briggs begins to see that she is a poor, innocent girl whom no one loves. After the incident with Carol, Mr Briggs changes, he sees the world from her perspective. He becomes more relaxed, insists on a visit to the fair and lets the children treat him like they do Mrs Kay. At the fair he starts to have fun with the children and most are astounded at his attitude change – ‘I didn’t know you was like that, sir. Y’ know, all right for a laugh an’ that’. However, as the coach nears Liverpool, reality returns, and Mr Briggs purposely destroys the photo film, which held evidence of his changed relationship with the Progress Class. It is plainly evident in the play, that Mr Briggs is the better teacher academically than Mrs Kay. The headmaster asked Mr Briggs to go along on the school trip ‘keep things in some sort of order’ and the headmaster describes Mrs Kay’s attitude to education as ‘one long game’. This epitomises Mrs Kay’s attitude to teaching as something that should be fun, entertaining and not too serious. Mrs Kay may be an incompetent teacher, but the question that needs to be asked is: Can the Progress Class be educated? Mrs Kay doesn’t seem to think so and is more interested in letting them have an enjoyable childhood than in expanding their knowledge. ‘Teach them? Teach them what? You’ll never teach them because nobody knows what to do with them†¦they haven’t got anything to aim for†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I think Willie Russell intends us to sympathise with Mr Briggs and with the children in the Progress Class, especially Carol Chandler. The children are from poor background and have no hope for the future. Carol Chandler’s school uniform ‘doubles as a street outfit and her Sunday best’. This shows just how poor the children are – their best clothes are their school uniform. Carol, who dreams of being in a ‘nice place’, is probably the child worst affected because she has no one to love and no one to love her. She comes from a rough neighbourhood because she says – ‘ That’s why we never have nothing nice round our way – ‘cos we’d just smash it up’. She took the guinea pig and was affectionate towards it because it was something that was her own and something that she could love. Also, the other children seem to ostracise her and the only person she seems to have a proper conversation with is Mrs Kay. Mr Briggs is an intelligent man trying to educate puerile students. All throughout the play he means well to the children and it is a real stab-in-the heart when Carol says ‘ I know you hate me. I’ve seen you goin’ home in your car, passin’ us on the street. And the way y’ look at us. You hate all the kids!’ When he tells off kids, they take it but after they just ignore him and carry on as normal. He is also the only teacher who doesn’t realise (until after the Carol Chandler incident) that the Progress Class are incapable of being educated. Our Day Out by Willie Russell is a funny and light-hearted play but with lots of hidden messages. Wille Russell presents the characteristics of Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay very interestingly and with good humour. We are left with a feeling of ambivalence at the end when Mr Briggs destroys the camera film.  Has he changed for good or was it just a one off?

Racial and Criminal Profiling: a Deductive Argument Essay

Erin Callihan, AIUSA, states that â€Å"Increased national security should not equate to decreased civil liberties. All people are entitled to due process and other basic human rights and constitutional protections† (Amnesty International). Racial Profiling, according to Amnesty International, occurs when race is used by law enforcement or private security officials, to any degree, as a basis for criminal suspicion in non-suspect specific investigations. The Constitution, which is arguably the most important document of the United States, clearly states that every person has the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This document sets the American people apart from many other countries in that it is supposed to give us equal rights. An issue that has risen in the United States time and time again and has threatened this equality is that of race and racism. Now in law enforcement from the levels of your local police department to that of prestigious FBI units there is the specialization in profiling, racial profiling to be more exact. Racial profiling has not only proven to be largely unsuccessful, but it is violating our equal rights ending up in over representation in America’s prisons and discrimination in the real world. Race is a socially constructed form of categorization that has often been misunderstood, leading to different forms of racism. It is a set of shared interests, characteristics, and culture. Race is an illusion that has been created to construct identity. Identity is not totally decided by you, but chosen for you by what people have decided about you. The way that people see other people and things as right or wrong depends on the culture you, the individual, is living in. This then makes identity as something that is mostly cultural. Race is like a stereotype, or over generalization, that is making prejudices that lead to racism. A prejudice is any preconceived opinion without correct or adequate information. Through something that is socially constructed through culture, like race, Race is difficult to measure and apply to people because it is self identified. According to Ailya Saperstein and Andrew M. Penner in their article â€Å"The Race of a Criminal Record: How Incarceration Colors Racial Perceptions†, â€Å"Most research on race in the United States treats race as an intrinsic characteristic of individuals, a fixed group membership ascribed at birth and based on one’s ancestry† (93). This is difficult to put into use in the real world because if you have one idea of what each race is you will find that people are different depending on where you are, the time period you are there, the amount of interaction with other cultures, and the history in that land among many other variables. An example of this would be how I was considered to be really Mexican at UCSB, yet I am considered â€Å"White washed† by my family, and I consider myself to be a combination of both as well as Colombian. As having been grown up first generation American it is very hard on me to have been Latina. When I studied abroad last year in Argentina I was not considered Latina at all, but White. The Argentine had a different perception of race and insisted that it didn’t matter where your parents were from, it only mattered where you were born. The majority of the population does not fit into only that one mold most researchers have put them in. Race is affected by the population in power and as such can be seen as a form to keep the status quo. The minorities in a society are often the ones that have a negative reputation and have to deal with the social construct others have made about them. Examples of minorities would be Blacks, Latinos and Muslims. The three races have faced a lot of scrutiny here in the United States. They have been accused of being a large part of the crime population, being uneducated, and being terrorists. Although most are not this is the stereotype they have to live with every day. When you are part of the majority you get to make up your own identity, which usually ends up being positive. When you are part of the majority, in the case of the United States this would White, it usually means you a doing well or better than others socially. Other things associated with Whites would be a higher education and the suburbs. As the dominant culture all the laws that are created have had them in mind. Racism is institutional prejudice and as such it is hidden. Therefore in order to be racist I would argue you need to be part of the dominant culture. There is a misrepresentation in the incarceration is an example of racial profiling as being unconstitutional. The majority of the population of incarcerated rates is made up of Blacks and Latinos. Can it be that they are truly a crime committing race and since Whites are educated they perform less than half the crime? The answer to this is no. African Americans have long been subjugated to felons since the history of the United States began. They were seen as lowly and uneducated and convicted of crimes they did not commit. Unable to fight back due to the fact that no one would listen or care even if they knew they were wrong they had to endure punishment. It is a fact that if you are part of the dominant culture the punishment will be less severe. The thing about the Rodney King incident that enraged people was not whether he was guilty or not it was the manner in which he was prosecuted. He was beaten severely unfairly without being able to have a trial to see if he was guilty. In the eye of the law you are â€Å"innocent until proven guilty†, and Mr. King was never given a fighting chance. Another example of discrimination through racism would be the immigration law in Arizona that â€Å"requires police officers, â€Å"when practicable,† to detain people they reasonably suspect are in the country without authorization and to verify their status with federal officials† according to Randall C. Archibold of the NY Times (par. 22). How is a person reasonably suspect of being an illegal? This is done those physical features. The fourteenth amendment provides protection against unreasonable searches based on race. Is this law not an example of that? Saperstein and Penner argue that racial profiling, through incarceration rates, affects the individuals, families and communities (93-94). If we start from the top we see that Latinos and Blacks do not constitute even half of our government making it misrepresentative of our population. One way racial profiling affects the individual is by making it harder for them to obtain a job, let alone a well paying job. Sometimes the individual has to work at a young age to help their parents with rent and other necessities. This is why we see and therefore associate Latinos and Blacks in low income neighborhoods. Once you are part of the minority and have been incarcerated the odds of you succeeding in life get significantly slimmer. According to Saperstein and Penner if you have been incarcerated for something narcotics related then you are disqualified for a lot of the aid the government offers. In your FAFSA application you are asked if you have been convicted of any drug related felony. If you press yes then you are not eligible for financial aid. Since most of these families cannot afford to send their children off to college that option completely diminishes. As a result you have communities with low income, who are most educated to the high school level, if that with high unemployment. Let’s put aside the fact that racial profiling goes against the constitution and look to see if it actually works. According to sources the FBI’s use of criminal profiling has a low success rate. Their success rate can be equaled by that of psychics some would argue. Captain Ron Davis of the Oakland Police Department said it best in September 9, 2003 to NOBLE when he stated that â€Å"Racial profiling . . . is one of the most ineffective strategies, and I call it nothing less than lazy, sloppy police work. It’s basically saying you don’t want to learn about your community, you don’t want to learn about people’s behavior, you don’t want to do your job, and don’t want to investigate, you just want to stop a lot of people and see if you can come up with some statistical number at the end of the evening. . . .†. (Amnesty International) There has been criticism on the process because essentially what you are is forgetting about the hard evidence and guessing up a picture of what the perpetrator looks like. Profilers have forgotten was fieldwork is and have become armchair professionals that don’t need to go to the crime scene to get insight. In Macolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw he describes the job of a profiler as relying on typology to paint a picture of the killer. Most of reasoning behind this technique is that of homology, the relationship between the culprit and the action. Gladwell noticed that there were two categories of killers, organized and unorganized. The organized chose their victim carefully and went through great measures to not be caught. The disorganized killer chose their victim randomly with usually high stakes of being caught. Gladwell finds out that people don’t fall strictly into one category therefore crimes don’t fall into one category. You can have the same crime done for different motives. By relying on connections they are making up based on theories they have made up that have made this guessing game that Gladwell calls a â€Å"party trick† (354). The moral of his story being in a way like Einstein’s in that if you get enough wrongs you eventually get a right. However, there is too much a stake, one of these being people’s lives, to play a guessing game at that level. Racial profiling and Criminal profiling are unconstitutional and frankly a waste of time. Racial profiling opens the door and accepts discrimination to uphold the status quo. Criminal profiling is a waste of time, tax dollar money and obscured by racial profiling. Let’s stop with these erroneous short cuts and actually take the time to evaluate what racial profiling actually does to others. Works Cited Amnesty International | Working to Protect Human Rights. Amnesty International USA, 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. Archibold, Randall C. â€Å"Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration.† New York Times 23 Apr. 2010, New York ed., A1 sec. New York TImes, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"Dangerous Minds.† What the Dog Saw: and Other Adventure Stories. Camberwell, Vic.: Allen Lane, 2009. 336-56. Print. Saperstein, Aliva, and Andrew M. Penner. â€Å"The Race of a Criminal Record: How Incarceration Colors Racial Perceptions.† Social Problems 57.1 (2010): 92-113. JSTOR. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.

Battle of Eniwetok in World War II

Following the U.S. victory at Tarawa in November 1943, Allied forces pressed forward with their island-hopping campaign by advancing against Japanese positions in the Marshall Islands. Part of the Eastern Mandates, the Marshalls had been a German possession and were given to Japan after World War I. Though held as part of the outer ring of Japanese territory, planners in Tokyo decided after the loss of the Solomons and New Guinea that the chain was expendable. With this in mind, what forces were available were moved to the area to make the islands capture as costly as possible. Eniwetok Armies and Commanders United StatesVice-Admiral Harry W. HillBrigadier General Thomas E. Watson2 regimentsJapanMajor General  Yoshimi Nishida3,500 men Background Commanded by Rear Admiral Monzo Akiyama, Japanese troops in the Marshalls consisted of the 6th Base Force, which originally numbered around 8,100 men and 110 aircraft. While a relatively large force, Akiyamas strength was diluted by the requirement to spread his command over all of the Marshalls. Also, much of Akiyamas command included labor/construction details or naval troops with little infantry training. As a result, Akiyama could only muster around 4,000 effective. Anticipating that the assault would strike one of the outlying islands first, he positioned the majority of his men on Jaluit, Millie, Maloelap, and Wotje. American Plans In November 1943, American airstrikes commenced eliminating Akiyamas airpower, destroying 71 aircraft. These were partially replaced by reinforcements brought in from Truk during the following weeks. On the Allied side, Admiral Chester Nimitz initially planned a series of attacks on the outer islands of the Marshalls, but upon receiving word of Japanese troop dispositions through ULTRA radio intercepts elected to change his approach. Rather than assault where Akiyamas defenses were strongest, Nimitz ordered his forces to move against Kwajalein Atoll in the central Marshalls.  Attacking on Jan. 31, 1944, Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turners 5th Amphibious Force landed elements of Major General Holland M. Smiths V Amphibious Corps on the islands that formed the atoll.  With support from Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitschers carriers, American forces secured Kwajalein in four days. Shifting Timeline With the rapid capture of Kwajalein, Nimitz flew out from Pearl Harbor to meet with his commanders.  The resulting discussions led to the decision to immediately move against Eniwetok Atoll, 330 miles to the northwest.  Initially scheduled for May, the invasion of Eniwetok was assigned to Brigadier General Thomas E. Watsons command which was centered on the 22nd Marines and 106th Infantry Regiment.  Advanced to mid-February, plans for capturing the atoll called for landings on three of its islands: Engebi, Eniwetok, and Parry.   Key Events Arriving off Engebi on Feb. 17, 1944, Allied warships commenced bombarding the island while elements of the  2nd Separate Pack Howitzer Battalion and the 104th Field Artillery Battalion landed on adjacent islets. Capture of Engebi The next morning the 1st and 2nd Battalions from Colonel John T. Walkers 22nd Marines began landing and moved ashore.  Encountering the enemy, they found that the Japanese had centered their defense in a palm grove in the islands center.  Fighting from spider holes (concealed foxholes) and the underbrush, the Japanese proved difficult to locate.  Supported by artillery which had landed the day before, the Marines succeeded in overwhelming the defenders and secured the island by that afternoon.  The next day was spent eliminating the remaining pockets of resistance. Focus on Eniwetok With Engebi taken, Watson shifted his focus to Eniwetok.  Following a brief naval bombardment on February 19, the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 106th Infantry moved towards the beach.  Encountering fierce resistance, the 106th was also hampered by a steep bluff that blocked their advance inland.  This also caused traffic issues on the beach, as AmTracs were unable to move forward. Concerned about the delays, Watson instructed the 106ths commander, Colonel Russell G. Ayers, to press his attack.  Fighting from spider holes and from behind log barriers, the Japanese continued to slow Ayers men.  To quickly secure the island, Watson directed the 3rd Battalion of the 22nd Marines to land early that afternoon. Hitting the beach, the Marines were quickly engaged and soon bore the brunt of the fight to secure the southern part of Eniwetok. After pausing for the night, they renewed their attack in the morning, and eliminated enemy resistance later in the day.  In the northern part of the island, the Japanese continued to hold out and were not overcome until late on February 21. Taking Parry The extended fight for Eniwetok compelled Watson to alter his plans for the attack on Parry.  For this part of the operation, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 22nd Marines were withdrawn from Engebi, while the 3rd Battalion was pulled from Eniwetok.   To expedite Parrys capture, the island was subjected to an intense naval bombardment on February 22.  Led by the battleships USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and USS Tennessee (BB-43), Allied warships hit Parry with over 900 tons of shells.  At 9 a.m., the 1st and 2nd Battalions moved ashore behind a creeping bombardment.  Encountering similar defenses to Engebi and Eniwetok, the Marines steadily advanced and secured the island around 7:30 p.m.  Sporadic fighting lasted through the following day as the last Japanese holdouts were eliminated. Aftermath The fighting for Eniwetok Atoll saw Allied forces sustain 348 killed and 866 wounded while the Japanese garrison incurred losses of 3,380 killed and 105 captured.  With key objectives in the Marshalls secured, Nimitzs forces briefly shifted south to aid General Douglas MacArthurs campaign in New Guinea.  This done, plans moved forward for continuing the campaign in the Central Pacific with landings in the Marianas.  Advancing in June, Allied forces won victories at Saipan, Guam, and Tinian as well as a decisive naval triumph at the Philippine Sea.