The stories of two women represented in Imperial Woman and Esther intertwined as both were chosen to come before their respective rulers in search for a new queen and impress. As their stories unfolded, each wondered if she would be chosen...
Orchid was from the house of Manchu Bannerman. Her kinsman, Jung Lu, had hoped to ask for her hand in marriage on a visit to her villiage, but found himself delivering the Golden Summons, as a guardsman for the emperor. Beautiful young women were being summoned by the Dowager Mother and Emperor for service as concubines in the Forbidden City. She was chosen among sixty virgins. Her serving girl spoke of her destiny before she left her home, possibly forever. Upon arrival, the young women were placed into particular classes, according to their families. Orchid was placed in Kuei Jen, third class. They were then bathed in perfumed soaps and oils. Their hair took an hour to be coiled perfectly for the emperor's visit. Yehonola, Orchid's clan name, was noticed by the tiring women and chief eunuchs immediately.
Hadassah was a Jewish orphan taken in a kingdom-wide search for beautiful young women. King Xerxes had banished Queen Vashti from the throne, and after four years, was seeking a new queen. According to custom, the queen was to be chosen from 7 noble families, however, the rules were altered for this occasion. For her safety, Mordecai, Hadassah's cousin, had told her to use the Persian name, Esther. This would aid in keeping her nationality hidden, as the Jewish people had been taken as exiles. The chosen girls were given 10 months of beauty treatments in the palace. The eunuchs administered special diets, spice baths, oil and beauty treatments, before they were brought before the king. Esther's chief eunuch quickly noticed her above the others.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
BLOG #6 Ch. 3
Income, education, occupation, wealth, and power are aspects interrelated with socio-economic status (SES). These components have a strong role in ranking individuals and families in specific classes. As children, women, minorities, and people with disabilities are born into a particular status, education seems to be a helpful step for moving into a higher class ranking. Although the United States is a democratic society with the ideals of equality, this country contains some of the largest gaps in pay wages when compared to other industrialized nations.
Unfortunately, those inequalities tend to continue from one generation to the next. The lack of affordable housing is one cause of poverty and homelessness in our country. 12.7% of the population actually remain in poverty, and between 500,000 and 1.3 million children have experienced homelessness each year. Poverty persists in the young, minorities, women, workers in low status jobs, and the illiterate. However, women typically earn less and remain in poverty more than any other group.
While education offers hope to our nation's children, the institution is not without its flaws. The funding of schools, negative aspects of tracking, inequality of the curriculum, and unbalanced expectations of teachers are among the more difficult issues in education today. Two views of current eduacational practices suggest that schools can either aid in the future successes of its students, or continue to prepare students for jobs that correlate with current economic status.
Unfortunately, those inequalities tend to continue from one generation to the next. The lack of affordable housing is one cause of poverty and homelessness in our country. 12.7% of the population actually remain in poverty, and between 500,000 and 1.3 million children have experienced homelessness each year. Poverty persists in the young, minorities, women, workers in low status jobs, and the illiterate. However, women typically earn less and remain in poverty more than any other group.
While education offers hope to our nation's children, the institution is not without its flaws. The funding of schools, negative aspects of tracking, inequality of the curriculum, and unbalanced expectations of teachers are among the more difficult issues in education today. Two views of current eduacational practices suggest that schools can either aid in the future successes of its students, or continue to prepare students for jobs that correlate with current economic status.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
BLOG #5 String of church fires in East Texas
As we were driving back to East Texas after Monday night's class, two more churches were becoming victims of arson. While firefighters attempted to put out a church fire in Lindale, another church was set on fire in Tyler. Both churches experienced total losses.
Ten churches have been targeted in East Texas towns, such as Tyler, Lindale, Athens, and Will's Point. As the group or person are still at large, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have gotten involved with the investigations. The churches being burned have been smaller, more rural churches with mainly white congregations which serve a variety of denominations.
As these churches served smaller congregations, electronic security systems were not in place, due to financial constraints. Churches in our area are developing differing systems, which usually involve church members patroling the premises on a regular basis. What is the motive? It is anyone's guess at this point. Are these arsonists covering up another crime, or is this a group or person with issues involving hatred towards God or another group of people.
Ten churches have been targeted in East Texas towns, such as Tyler, Lindale, Athens, and Will's Point. As the group or person are still at large, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have gotten involved with the investigations. The churches being burned have been smaller, more rural churches with mainly white congregations which serve a variety of denominations.
As these churches served smaller congregations, electronic security systems were not in place, due to financial constraints. Churches in our area are developing differing systems, which usually involve church members patroling the premises on a regular basis. What is the motive? It is anyone's guess at this point. Are these arsonists covering up another crime, or is this a group or person with issues involving hatred towards God or another group of people.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
BLOG #4 Ethnicity and Race
The chapter covering "Ethnicity and Race" incorporated historical aspects of the United States' history on immigration. Information from the immigration of certain ethnic groups, such as the Chinese in 1882, to the requirement of literacy tests, to the era of the Civil Rights Movement were included. Particular court cases regarding the desegregation of schools were highlighted and put in chronological order on a timeline. There were interesting educational correlations that could be associated with those court decisions.
One correlation involved the formation of Special Education Services (SPED)during the desegration of schools. Large numbers of minority students were referred to the program, due to a lack of educational foundation in their previous schools. The desegregation of schools was a direct result of the 1954 decision regarding Brown vs. Board of Education.
Another association was noticed between the halt of minority students' progress in the 1990's with court cases, such as the 1995 Supreme Court decision in Missouri vs. Jenkins. In that case, the courts returned the desegregation plans to the schools or local control. The "Ripple Effect" was certainly apparent as one compared court decisions to the impacts they had on the education of the nations' children.
One correlation involved the formation of Special Education Services (SPED)during the desegration of schools. Large numbers of minority students were referred to the program, due to a lack of educational foundation in their previous schools. The desegregation of schools was a direct result of the 1954 decision regarding Brown vs. Board of Education.
Another association was noticed between the halt of minority students' progress in the 1990's with court cases, such as the 1995 Supreme Court decision in Missouri vs. Jenkins. In that case, the courts returned the desegregation plans to the schools or local control. The "Ripple Effect" was certainly apparent as one compared court decisions to the impacts they had on the education of the nations' children.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
BLOG #3 Novel
In choosing a novel that correlates with topics discussed in this course, I found myself drawn to the lives of two extraordinary women. The lives of Queen Esther and Tzu Hsi, the last ruling Empress of China, were truly examples of both diversity and adversity. While Imperial Woman and Esther represented vastly different lands and time periods, their biographies included aspects of diversity in society.
Although each woman's life varied, there were aspects of their lives that seemed to parallel. Both represented the female race in a world where women's rights and position in society differed from culture to culture. Historically, women have represented the inferior gender.
In addition to their inferiority of gender, both rose from lower classes or ethnic groups in their respective societies of ancient Persia and China. Born in the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty, at 17 years of age, Tzu Hsi was sent to the Forbidden City to become one of the Emporer's hundreds of concubines. Enslaved and brought to the land of Persia, Esther was not only Jewish, but an orphan as well. While Imperial Woman is considered historical fiction, the stories of this Persian queen and Chinese Empress displayed various attributes of our diverse world.
Although each woman's life varied, there were aspects of their lives that seemed to parallel. Both represented the female race in a world where women's rights and position in society differed from culture to culture. Historically, women have represented the inferior gender.
In addition to their inferiority of gender, both rose from lower classes or ethnic groups in their respective societies of ancient Persia and China. Born in the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty, at 17 years of age, Tzu Hsi was sent to the Forbidden City to become one of the Emporer's hundreds of concubines. Enslaved and brought to the land of Persia, Esther was not only Jewish, but an orphan as well. While Imperial Woman is considered historical fiction, the stories of this Persian queen and Chinese Empress displayed various attributes of our diverse world.
BLOG #2 Multicultural Education
Multicultural Education in the 21st century is a greatly debated topic. As the United States' population grows and changes, the education of our nation's children is of the upmost priority. While our democratic society seeks equality for all of its citizens, those ideals must permeate into our classrooms.
School district staff have the challenge of meeting the needs of all of their students. As more and more cultures are being represented in the classroom, it is vital that teachers have a strong understanding of concepts in multi-cultural education. Some of those concepts would include culture, cultural identity, pluralism, equality, and social justice.
While the English language is a mixture of many languages which represent many cultures, the dominant culture in America, the white, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant (WASP), continues to have immense influence on formal institutions, such as the government. Although many minorities assimilate with the dominate culture, others remain bicultural. Unfortunately, prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping continue to exist in our world today, causing people to fear, hate, and distrust certain groups or cultures.
School district staff have the challenge of meeting the needs of all of their students. As more and more cultures are being represented in the classroom, it is vital that teachers have a strong understanding of concepts in multi-cultural education. Some of those concepts would include culture, cultural identity, pluralism, equality, and social justice.
While the English language is a mixture of many languages which represent many cultures, the dominant culture in America, the white, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant (WASP), continues to have immense influence on formal institutions, such as the government. Although many minorities assimilate with the dominate culture, others remain bicultural. Unfortunately, prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping continue to exist in our world today, causing people to fear, hate, and distrust certain groups or cultures.
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