Nike and International Labor Practice Essay

Problem Identification Established in the early 70’s Nike, Inc., based in Beaverton, Oregon, USA faced a severe stream of criticism and experienced growing problems concerning their plants and employee treatment, mainly in Indonesia and Vietnam in 1988. Rising demand for Nike products, which almost doubled within a short period of time, led the company and its 350+ subcontractors to raise the production level. Series of labor problems and abuse such as cheap labor wages, poor working conditions, health and safety issues and underage workers exploitation, were the main issues Nike had to deal with. Furthermore, Nike, Inc. had to deal with managing the diversity of cultures and language barriers had to be overcome, while still be able to produce the high-quality product Nike is famous for. Throughout the 1990’s Phil Knight, CEO of Nike, Inc. and the company itself lost their superb corporate image in the eye of the world and it became an international incident. Causes of Problem After establishing a name in the world, Phil Knight, decided to manufacture Nike’s apparel in South Korea and Taiwan, and by 1982 already 86% of Nike’s sneakers came from these two countries. Realizing that Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and China provide cheaper labor cost, better government support and higher profit, Nike moved their production lines there, with Indonesia becoming an important location. In 1991, the daily minimum wage was barely $1 in Indonesia, compared to a typical daily wage of $24.40 in South Korea and a US hourly wage of about $8 in athletic shoe manufacturing. Even that the Indonesian government raised the minimum wage from 2,100 Rupiah ($1.00/day) to 2,500 Rupiah ($1.25/day), the new wage was still underneath the workers’ living expenses. In 1992, these issues went outside of Indonesia and even hit Washington D.C., when President Clinton introduced the task force Apparel Industry Partnership (AIP) to develop and control labor st andards for foreign factories. Although Nike was the first one to join, they had trouble convincing people that everything went right in their plants in Asia. Ernst & Young was being hired to control and audit the factories, but soon voices became loud, that there was not a really  objective view at the problems, since Nike was paying them. It hit the peak in 1997/ 1998, when TV shows, newspapers and even a movie (The Big One) were talking about the bad conditions within Nike’s factories in Asia and publicly challenged Phil Knight to change the way workers were treated, compensated and how underage workers were employed. Adidas, Reebok and New Balance took advantage of Nike’s down slope and gained in competitive advantage. This led to diminishing sales number, earnings fell 69%, and for the first time in 13 years Nike, Inc. had a loss at the end of the year 1998. Alternatives 1.Government regulation of Nike Advantages: a)Local Government would have a closer look onto what is happening in its own country and with their people b)US Government could also have a closer look onto what Nike is doing abroad and would be able to intervene any illegal activity from the motherland c)Both governments would work closer together and it would open doors for other US companies to invest in the foreign country Disadvantages: a)As indicated in the case, some governments just see the money that is brought into the country, regardless what is happening within the company, or better said to its people. b)Ties between the US government and the foreign country might not be the best, due to political tensions, and makes it therefore tougher to work together. 2.Improve employee’s working and living standards Advantages: a)†A happy employee is a better worker† – improve the employees living standard by raising his wage, giving him more benefits (health insurance, vacation time), lessen his working hours, etc. b)Equal Opportunity – give chances to workers to move up the company ladder, and not only bring outside people in. Furthermore, adjust worker’s compensation, working hours and labor conditions to human standards. c)Extensive training and development for managers – All managers should learn foreign country’s language, living habits and adapt to culture. Training the workers on the job will also help to overcome workforce diversity and make the workplace a better place to be. Disadvantages: a)The changes will take time and will be cost effective. b)Adapt to western working habits, might be a huge change for Asian workforce and might not be adapted well 3.Documentation and Inspection Advantages: a)Factories will be supervised, by either the local government or organizations b)Inspections will lead to better working conditions c)Workers will have someone to talk to and will not be left alone Disadvantages: a)Again, organizations might be paid by Nike and not report the whole truth b)Reports from workers might be left alone and not brought up to people in charge Best Alternative The best alternative for Nike, Inc. is to undertake all three alternatives simultaneously. In order to gain back the market share and competitive advantage, their global view has to strengthen. They started off very well by implementing some of the above-mentioned ideas. These alternatives will just help them to become a stronger player in this fast growing and very competitive business world. Implementation Steps The actions, that Nike, Inc. should take are as followed: First they should work on getting their name back into the right spotlight, by implementing the alternatives. The governments will be more than willing to help them and since Nike is recognized all over the world, even the local governments/ countries are keen on keeping them in their country and employ their citizens. This might even bring countries like the USA and Indonesia closer together and more companies from the US will be ready to go to Indonesia and produce there. Secondly, the workers’ benefits, life standard and work habits are the most important of all of the alternatives. Nike, Inc. should invest most of their research and development in this field, since the wages are still not as they should be. An idea would be to start raising the wages to at least the country’s standard, so that people can live off their earnings a normal life. Nike started successfully the implementation of programs that involved increasing the workers’ living standard in the developing world, but still the compensation of the worker is the main problem that needs to be taken on right away. Secure working places, no lay-offs and safe working environments should be steps that must be taken immediately, only then we can see the difference and make a worker a happy  and productive employee. Last but not least, Nike should be watched, inspected and documented upon. It will not only help the factories in Vietnam or Indonesia, but also the company itself. Once outside organizations tell Nike where they need to improve on and do it after being told, then the company will also get into the positive spotlight, which will resume in higher sales and more profit. Nike will then be again the strongest contender in supporting and sponsoring universities, pro athletes and teams and most important a company that everybody wants to work for, regardless where.

Care Values and Communication in a Hospital setting Essay

The care values are a set of rules and guidelines that every care practitioner has to follow in order to provide services to their clients. The overall aim of the standards is to improve client’s quality of life by ensuring that each person gets the care that is most appropriate for them as an individual. The three main care values are Confidentiality, Equality and Diversity and Individual rights and beliefs. By achieving these care values we can improve the quality of care and allow all patients to be treated as an individual with respect. Slideshare.net (2012) http://www.slideshare.net/j.slack/what-is-the-care-value-base (Accessed: 22 January 2013) Confidentiality is an important principle in health and social care as it imposes boundaries on the amount of personal information and data that can be disclosed without consent. Confidentiality is where a person disclosing personal information expects their privacy to be protected, such as in a relationship of trust. However in some situations confidentiality can be countered, when there is public interest in others being protected from harm. UCeL (2012_ http://www.ucel.ac.uk/rlos/confidentiality/ (Accessed: 22 January 2013) Confidentiality is very important because as healthcare workers our ability to correctly diagnose and treat our patients depends on getting a correct medical and social history, and having our patients trusts us. If a patients feels that the professional would share this information they may not give them the truth and without that important information they could make the wrong diagnosis and wrong treatment. Yahoo answers (2012) http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070820014312AAuFE9q (Accessed: 25 January 2013) Confidentiality can be used in oral communication in a hospital setting, For example if a patients approached their GP about a private and embarrassing problem they would be expected to show that patient respect and not to share the information given with anyone else. An example of a time where this could be shared is if their GP wanted to send them for tests and had to inform a specialist about their condition. Another type of communication is written this could be used to promote confidentiality as all paper based records must be locked away in a filing cabinet and only be accessed by those authorised to. Also to access your own records you must write a letter and wait approval for this. Also for documents written on the computer there are various passwords and back up options for if the server goes down or a records is deleted. An example of how confidentiality can be used in computerised communication would be having passwords and automatic locks on staff’s computers and email accounts so only they can access their own patient’s information and no other members of staff or unauthorised persons. The last type of communication is specialist one example of how this can be used in confidentiality is if a person has hearing barriers and has to use sign language to communicate with their doctor. If their doctor is giving those results or information on their health and has to use sign language they may need an interpreter and the patients may want to use a quiet and enclosed room with the blinds shut just in case anybody else can see the sign language being used and understands it. Another care value is Equality and Diversity. This means treating everyone equally regardless of their colour, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability etc. This is different to treating people the same as different people have different needs, so individuality should be taken in to account. For example, it would not be equal treatment to provide two different people with information about the services available written in English, if one of those people spoke another language and could not understand English. Wiki.Answers (2012) http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_equality_and_diversity_mean_in_health_and_social_care (Accessed: 22 January 2013) We live in an increasingly diverse society and need to be able to respond appropriately and sensitively to this diversity. Learners in the healthcare setting will reflect this diversity around gender, race and ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, class and age. Successful implementation of equality and diversity in all aspects of work ensures that colleagues, staff and students are valued, motivated and treated fairly. London Deanery (2012) http://www.faculty.londondeanery.ac.uk/e-learning/diversity-equal-opportunities-and-human-rights/what-is-equality-and-diversity (Accessed: 25 January 2013) One example of how Equality and Diversity can be used in oral communication in a hospital setting is that a doctor would speak differently to a child than they would to an adult as children may not be able to understand some of the information they are being told if they used big words and medical jargon. Doctors should also use a slower pace and soft tone when speaking to younger patients and ask them regularly if they understand what is being said although they normally have a parent or guardian to accompany them. An example of how Equality and Diversity can be used in written communication would be if a patient cannot read or speak English they may have to produce leaflets in their language so they understand their condition or illness and what treatment is needed more clearly. An example of how Equality and Diversity can be used in computerised communication would be having audio descriptions and talking pages on the NHS website so that people with sight barriers can still access the information they have to offer. The last type of communication is specialist and an example of how this can promote equality and Diversity is if a patient doesn’t speak English they may need a translator to assist the patient in talking to the doctor and to assist the doctor diagnosing the patient. This allows the patient to get the medical attention they require and are entitled to without them learning a second language which makes them equal but also individual. Individual’s rights and Beliefs means being treated as an individual according to our own needs, every individual wants to be treated fairly, in the care sector it is of the utmost importance that a service user is treated fairly and also treated with love, care and respect. The individual rights are respect, choice, dignity, protection, and equality, access to information, non-discrimination, and effective communication. They also have the right to their own beliefs and a doctor must respect a patients beliefs and choice’s when treating them. Wiki.Answers (2012) http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_individual_rights_in_health_and_social_care (Accessed: 22 January 2013) When working within a health and social care sector based environment is to ensure that each service user feels that they can trust you as the service provider.

Perception Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Perception - Assignment Example In addition, we continue to modify our schemas as we experience new events or situations and learn from them, which enable our ideas and perceptions to evolve with time (Kesteren et al, 2012). Generally, schematic perceptions are based on events that we compare to other events, running the risk of oversimplifying events. Indeed, due to all the information that we take in, coupled with the need to simplify events and experiences, people tend to categorize events, which allows for immediate response based on established perceptions about these events (Kesteren et al, 2012). As a result, we do not need to perceive each football player whether from Spain, England, or Italy as unique categories, for example, instead identifying them as members of the football player category, which enables us to respond accordingly. Similarly, when one encounters other people, they tend to perceive them in terms of category, instead of unique individuals they have not encountered before, based on nationality, religion gender, or race. These categories are referred to as schemas and constitute cognitive or knowledge structures that organize incoming information, hence influencing how the individual perceives further information about events and people and responds to them (Kesteren et al,

Exploring the Link between Organizational Learning, Knowledge and Dissertation

Exploring the Link between Organizational Learning, Knowledge and Individual Performance in a Further Education College - Dissertation Example Results 6. Conclusion Recommendations Scope for Future Study Abstract Organizational learning is the study about an organizations learning process. It includes how the organization learns from its former mistakes, gain insight on various aspects of management from their past actions and how they implement certain changes for the future based on these lessons. The modern trends in today's business environment like globalization, technical dependence and extreme marketing activities affect every organizations culture and structure to a certain extent. Understanding about an organizations learning capacity as a whole in adapting to these new trends will determine how far organizational learning is important to gain competitive advantage over others. The link between organization learning, the performance of the employees and the knowledge gained about the process is not explored in detail in organizational learning literature. The project will focus on exploring this missing link and at tempt to underline how far organizational learning enhances the process knowledge of their employees on the whole. A Community College or a Further Education College in UK is selected as the point of research. ... Narrative analysis method is used to explore the data collected and draw conclusions. Our results state that organizational learning or organizational learning influences the staff working for the college to a substantial level. People who tend to fall back in following the authority’s procedure also heed to organizational learning when it comes to mission, trust level and participating in the big picture or goal of the company and accessing the various technologies used to implement the same. Introduction Organizational learning and organizational culture are usually interlinked. Every organization has to learn from its past actions, from its competitors, customers and the ever changing business environment both internal and external. This learning is important for them to adapt to the new changes and stay ahead of their competitors. Organizational learning or organizational learning refers to how collective learning is garnered in every company or institution. Various proces ses are concerned with it starting from reflection of the past actions to analyzing the future plans based on the knowledge gained from the previous decisions. For an organization to grow as a whole this knowledge should be passed on to the groups in general even though the idea or knowledge insight might have occurred to one single person (Argyris & Schon, 1978; Kezar, 2005). Business field is closely related to organizational learning as much of the research done in the area comes from analyzing various MNC's and their performances. Businesses keep evolving constantly paving way for continuous organizational learning both among the employees as well as the higher management. On the other hand, there are various other fields starting from government offices to educational

Digital economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Digital economy - Essay Example With the recent technological boom, electronic businesses and markets have no doubt, flourished. The example of digital entertainment like MP3’s, e-books, availability of various soft wares for download and videos for streaming are only some examples of the phenomenal growth of the digital market. When markets come into play, whether they are digital or physical, price automatically becomes a crucial feature. It is important for consumers because they expect to buy at the least price, it is important for producers because they expect to sell at the highest price while maximizing profits and it is very important for the market as a whole in order to keep resource allocation efficient. One area of interest which scholars have long debated over, in relation to the digital economy, has been with respect to prices. A large amount of literature has been written in evidence of showing the presence/absence of price dispersions in online pricing, the reasons why such a phenomenon occurs and how significant it is in relation to modern retail outlets; traditional, pure-Internet based and multi-channel retail outlets (land based retail presence as well as an internet presence of the retailer). At this point it is important to define the phenomenon of Price dispersion. Pan, Ratchford and Shankar (2004, p.443) define price dispersion as â€Å"the distribution of prices (such as range and standard deviation) of an item with the same measured characteristics across sellers of the item at a given point in time†. In simpler words, it may be defined as the difference of prices among sellers of the same items. This concept has major implications for the retailing outlets as it acts as a cue for assessing their own pricing strategies and is reflective of what strategies their competitors have adopted. Be it the traditional, pure Internet or multi-channel retailer, the degree of price variances among the

Market Orientation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Market Orientation - Essay Example Several fundamentals of modern business and marketing practices date back to the ancient Greeks, the Phoenicians, and the Venetian traders. The term "marketing concept" was presented first in the1700s by Adam Smith, the Father of Modern Economics. He said that the customer should be made the focus of a business. According to Kohli and Jaworski (1990), the marketing concept is a business philosophy, whereas the term market orientation refers to the actual implementation of the marketing concept. Market orientation involves the production of goods vigilantly researched and designed to appeal to customers. Product orientation, on the other hand refers to the culture where the product is designed and produced without any market research and thus it is unclear whether the product would appeal and satisfy the customer or not. Proponents of Market orientation believe that the customer is the king and so it is important to continually assess and satisfy the changing needs and wants of the customer (Slater and Narver 1994). What does he prefer What product size is most beneficial to him From where does he make his purchases Does he buy in bulk To answer these questions organizations need timely marketing information systems, market research, decision support systems and diffusion of such market intelligence at all levels in the organization (Kohli and Jaworski 1990) Based on extensive interviews with managers and execut... Market Orientation Matrix2 Market orientation is a concept with two major components: (1) customer-focus and (2) competitor-focus. This conceptualization leads to four distinct strategic types. In an ideal world, firms should seek to understand both customers and competitors but resource constraints may lead to trade offs. However, much before a business starts to gather competitive intelligence it must conduct a SWOT analysis for itself. It must know where exactly does it stand in the market. Customer Preoccupied: are firms that stress on gathering customer focused intelligence at the expense of competitor information. According to Von Hippel (1986) a customer oriented approach is important, but focusing on competitors is more important when markets are growing as they serve as 'reference points for later adopters'. Marketing Warriors are firms that focus their attention to who their competitors are, what they are doing, and what do they plan to do. Such firms try to identify their own strengths and weaknesses in order to stay ahead of competition. This may be suitable when demand is predictable and there are few powerful customers. Strategically Integrated: are those firms that assign equal importance to customer and competitor intelligence. According to Day & Wensley a focus largely on either customer or competitors can lead to 'a partial and biased picture of reality.' Therefore a balance between these two is the most appropriate option. Strategically inept: are firms that fail to adapt to the changing market environment and focus only on internal operations, technological advances etc. Since external analysis is an imperative part of strategic planning, failure to do so can be

Repressed Memories Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Repressed Memories - Research Paper Example For example, an undesirable thought may interfere with day-today work, causes anxiety, loss of sleep, or simply it is annoying. In the extreme cases, potential suppressors are the victims of physical, verbal, or sexual abuse, or have visions of a loved one dying, that may cause impairments in all aspects of the experiencer’s life. This motivated forgetting comes in two forms: unconscious, as in the controversial and contentious repressed memory literature, and conscious, as in the attempted suppression of undesirable thoughts (Bjork, Bjork, & Anderson, 1998). Controversy surrounding the concept of repression and the recovery of repressed memories has been brought to the forefront of recent literature. Jurors are being faced with the difficult task of evaluating testimony from alleged victims claiming to have recovered previously forgotten memories of childhood sexual abuse. The role of jury members is to determine the innocence or guilt of the accused - a task which is particularly difficult given that the events in question have typically taken place many years previously. Unfortunately, such cases are also characterized by a lack of evidence, aside from the testimonial accounts of the alleged victim and the accused. A recovered memory is one which is suppressed or forgotten for a period of time and then later recalled. In order to further our understanding of recovered memories, a review of why individuals forget is warranted. There are currently four prominent explanations behind why people might seem to forget and then later recall traumatic events: 1) ordinary forgetting, 2) false memories, 3) dissociation, and 4) repression. Loftus, Gary, and Feldman (1994) suggest that memory of traumatic events may be no different from memory of regular events. Therefore, one would expect the process of forgetting to be the same, resulting from normal processes such as interference and decay. As noted by Brewin and Andrews (1998),

Secon Hand Smoking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Secon Hand Smoking - Research Paper Example 1). Due to the dangers of being exposed to secondhand smoke, one agrues that secondhand smoke should be banned in all public places through ordinances and stricter governmental policies. Statistics Some of the most alarming information gathered on SHS, as revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO) are as follows: that (1) â€Å"SHS causes 600 000 premature deaths per year. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer† (WHO: Fact 3, n.d., p. 1); (2) â€Å"more than 94% of people are unprotected by smoke-free laws. However, in 2008 the number of people protected from second-hand smoke by such laws increased by 74% to 362 million from 208 million in 2007. Of the 100 most populous cities, 22 are smoke-free† (WHO: Fact 9, n.d., p. 1). These figures prove that government health agencies have acknowledged the detrimental effects to health of SHS and are designing and implement ing various monitoring measures to validate, confirm, and address the dilemma. The segment of the population who were identified to be most at risk are children who were noted to eventually develop different health dilemmas, ranging from pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, and even ear infections (CDC, 2012). For adults who were persistently exposed to SHS, studies have revealed preponderance to lung cancer and heart ailments (CDC, 2012). The study published by the CDC, entitled â€Å"Vital Signs: Nonsmokers' Exposure to Secondhand Smoke --- United States, 1999—2008† confirmed the followign statistics related to SHS, to wit: â€Å"An estimated 88 million nonsmokers in the United States were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2007–2008. Children are at particular risk for exposure to secondhand smoke: 53.6% of young children (aged 3–11 years) were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2007–2008. While only 5.4% of adult nonsmokers in the United States lived with s omeone who smoked inside their home, 18.2% of children (aged 3–11 years) lived with someone who smoked inside their home in 2007–2008† (CDC, 2010, p. 1). These varied statistical information affirm that SHS is clearly linked to illnesses, both for children and adults, alike. Likewise, since the figures and trends continue to alarm health authorities, there seems to be a crucial need to re-assess current health ordinances to at least minimize the risks of contracting the identified illnesses. Effects of SHS The effects of SHS on health of children and adults, alike, have been confirmed from various studies for being exposed in SHS (CDC, 2012). The most pronounced health dilemma of SHS is the increased risks to contract various forms of cancer, such as lung cancer, and â€Å"childhood leukemia and cancers of the larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), brain, bladder, rectum, stomach, and breast† (ACS: Why is SHS a problem, 2013, par. 3), making SHS a health co ncern of government health agencies. The exacerbating factor is that since children and adults who were exposed to SHS could not control the source of the problem, preventing and minimizing its debiliating impact proved to be extremely challenging. More pronounced focus and strategical efforts exerted by government health agencies to address SHS means more time, money and resources being expended

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGY - Essay Example In most cases many firms are moved from countries that are not industrialised to highly industrialised ones in terms of technology, infrastructural developments, jobs, wealth and more consumers. Jeremy Moon has a vision for his firm and that is the reason he thinks of expanding it to Chinese Market. Chinese market is well industrialised with a great deal of consumers, technologically developed and possesses a good market for his products. Industrialised countries experience rapid economic growth which opens an opportunity for one to expand their own business and increase productivity level. This is due to the presence of established markets that provide quality produce and competitive prices. International business strategy is efficiently and effectively matching the strengths of a competitor in relation to the challenges and opportunities found in a certain market environment that is dispersed across borders. International business strategy focuses on getting into foreign market through the use of structured meetings by the top management (Chhabra 1996). Selling in China is a priority in that there is a ready market. Chinese network of fashion distribution was evolving, extensive and willing to experiment with western goods. This was a major advantage to Jeremy Moon where China is an industrialized country with ready consumers, good transport and communication facilities and improved technology. Good transport and communication enhances one to travel easily to the market. Passing of information will also be enhanced by the good communication facilities available in China. The technological advancement will enhance production of quality products and services to the consumers. Good communication, advanced technology and transport facilities speed up growth of business enterprises globally (Gregory & Marilyn 2004). There is globalization of markets in China; as a result there are more

Race-Specific Schools in Ontario Essay Example for Free

Race-Specific Schools in Ontario Essay Throughout the years Ontario has become a very multicultural province, meaning all schools are multicultural. Recently the government of Ontario has thought about the idea of having schools that are race-specific. These schools would only be open for a specific race and base it on the abilities of that race. Could a school like this work in our multicultural society? There are many people today that would not agree with this decision for many reasons. Society believes that these schools will not prepare students for the real world; they are an old-fashion idea. The Canadian dream is to be multi-cultural but an inclusive place. This idea of race based schools is looked down upon in this society. People think that making schools for specific races will not prepare students when they enter the real world after finishing high school. Going to race-specific school students will only be taught about the culture, and history of their own country. Also, they will be taught about the history of their race in Canada, and what their people have done that has impacted our history. This is not right because they need to learn about what every race did that impacted our history. Since we are now living in a multicultural county. Zanana Akande, an Ontario Legislature speaks on black focussed schools and says The situation in which we live, work and raise our kids is not a segregated one, it is an integrated one. When these students finish high school they will be so use to dealing with people of their own kind, it will be difficult for them to interact with others. Therefore these schools will not prepare them for the future in for university/collage and in the workplace. In all these institutions people are of all races, and cultures, so they need to learn how to treat, and speak to these people. The idea of having race-specific schools is archaic. In a modern multi-cultural society this would be moving a step in the opposite direction. Ontario is trying to move up culturally, but this would just move the province back. In many institutions they have programs that speak against racism, and try to prove that everyone is equal, and is able bodied to intake the same amount of knowledge and information. Making these schools would bring back the racism into our country, and go against all these racism acts. This would bring us back into time, where racism was part of the norm. Students should be learning in an environment where they are surrounded by people of different race. Dalton Mcguinty speaks on black focused schools and says I think our shared responsibility is to look for ways to bring people together. (Toronto star). We should not be moving backwards, but rather move forward to a better system and society.

Concept of Religious Fundamentalism and Violence

Concept of Religious Fundamentalism and Violence The intersection of religion and violence is a complex conversation which continues to progress (Gluck, 2010). This essay will critically assess whether religious fundamentalism and violence are always intertwined. To come to a decision, we must get a better understanding of the term fundamentalism and why a negative connotation of religion is attached to it. This involves discussing the roots and historical context in which the term was first presented and how it became applied to Islam. We will then consider whether Political objectives behind fundamentalists cause the violence rather than the fundamental ideologies itself or if it is a mixture of both. This will involve discussing the political goals behind the gunpower plot which invoked the marginalisation of Catholics. If religion was protected successfully over history would there be fundamentalist groups, particularly extremists. We will determine if religious fundamentalism has become shorthand to represent whats genuinely p olitics. Furthermore, well look at two extreme fundamentalists groups and how far they went to defend their beliefs and why violence is connected. This will be rivalled with the behaviour of more conservative fundamentalists who respond to the failure of the nation state in a less destructive way. Finally, we will conclude whether religious fundamentalism and violence are always intertwined and if that is the populist belief. Fundamentalism is as an explanatory term which is employed and exploited when used to describe a distinguishing religious movement in the 20th and 21st century and its affiliation with modern society. The term is used in relation to traditional faiths in a 20th century reality and to reaffirm the beliefs and ideologies in a situation which has been influenced by social and economic beliefs (Davie, 2013). Fundamentalism is the rational response of traditionally religious people to social, political and economic changes that downgrade and constrain the role of religion in the public world (Bruce 2008:120). This definition by Bruce, is akin to the ideas of Davie who maintains, that fundamentalism is an outcome of traditional values which were originally protected but have become disrupted and challenged from the outside. Davie goes on to distinguish the way which the threat occurs, from the outside in the form of modernity and from members who develop new ideals (Davie, 2013). We begin to unravel the term fundamentalism and associate its relationship with religion and in what manner it is presented. Fundamentalism originated from American Protestantism, there was great concern for believers who were replacing the biblical view for a more liberal understanding (Welnber Pedahzur, 2003). Religious Fundamentalism involves believers returning to the fixed laws whereby only one interpretation can be used amongst all to preserve religious laws over profane laws. We begin to see how religious fundamentalism has set precedence in the company of believers. Those in support of Christian fundamentalism were marginalised because of modernisation (Koopmans, 2015).ÂÂ   Fundamentalism is believed to be a reactive situation to modernization and secularisation, which will be explained via the loss of religious identify across Christianity, Islam and Jews. A Marxist view suggests that through the reaction of losing members to the materialistic world there has been a rise in fundamentalism whereby recessions and unemployment creates attitudes and a loss of identity amongst groups who edge tow ards fundamentalist groups to stabilize the marginalization of their religion (Almond, Appleby Sivan, 2003; Rarsch, 2015). Through discussing Modernization and the secular world we begin to see how specific Fundamentalist groups came about. Christian Fundamentalists became known following the urbanization of society, creating a decline in tradition and belief in sacred texts. The term fundamentalism in Christianity has become popular among Catholics and Protestants who believe the word of the bible comes directly from God and discard historical and modern interpretations of the word. Fundamentalism in Islam however is excessively used by the media and the state to refer to terrorists as Muslim, this view is not a true depiction of Fundamentalists in Islam. Those known as terrorists are on the extremist side whereas most Muslim Fundamentalists attend the mosque, encourage reading the Quran and follow teachings of Mohammed (Almond, Appleby and Sivan, 2003). This leads us to understand that although fundamentalism occurs in Islam and Christianity it is also a movement within Hinduism, Judaism and other religious communities (Pratt, 2010). Recognizing these fundamentalist groups, we initiate the discussion of fundamentalist groups who set off the violence, damage people and property and whose mentality involves an us versus them outlook (Davie 2013). There is an intolerable relationship when discussing fundamentalism and politics, theres an unwillingness to be accepting of the similarities and differences between groups (Mason, Feldman 2011). The leadership of the state and it actions towards society particularly changes in government or policy which shape the developments and roles of religious based movements. Moreover, fundamentalist extremists have turned to violence to progress their religious movement and reach political goals (Almond, Appleby and Sivan, 2003). When exploring the case of Guy Fawkes and the establishment of the Gun Powder Plot there are well built links with the religion and the state. The plot surfaced to assassinate James I and the ruling Protestant elite after there was an attack on Roman Catholics by introducing an anti-Catholic legislation, once again separating the church and state which left the Catholics feeling excluded which they reacted to by plotting to murder James I. This violent event occurre d because of the fundamentalist ideological route which in certain circumstances produce a terrorist however, not all fundamentalists result to violent behaviour. Although the Plot failed, it demonstrated how the state can use religion as a tool for control consequently leading to desperate measures involving violence. This had significant consequences for Catholics who had to deal with the new laws being passed which blocked their ability to vote in parliamentary elections and practice law (The Socialist Newspaper, 2005). This violent act of terrorism by the Fundamentalists is a historical moment which was not the last and not only within Christianity. Terrorism can be defined as an act intended to hurt more than one person and to instigate change, this term has no roots within fundamentalism which is having faith on the road to having a religious belief system. The term was originally used to describe political groups but has altered to a focus on religion, which no longer focuses solely on Christianity but includes other religions. Many Muslims are concerned with the violent link of terrorism and their religion, the focus should be on Islamic fundamentalism and politics rather than the religion itself. A link ought to be made between religious groups and violent incidents taking place as a reaction to lack of religious freedom whilst, being conscious that violence doesnt take place with all members of the fundamentalist movement (Rausch, 2015). Using France as an example, in 2005 Frances National Assembly declared the removal of signs or dress by which students ostensibly express a religious belonging, wearing a hijab was conside red a threatening act by Muslim fundamentalists (Alan, 2013). The disguised attack on Islam has created a social division in France and has led to various violent attacks taking place with the objective to have an ultimate battle with believers and non-believers by means of achieving their goals through violence (Burke, 2016). This discussion directs us to consider acts of violence by extreme fundamentalists as on going, their goals are long term and for God, terrorists do not expect to live long enough to see how the attacks play out (Rausch, 2015). If religious Fundamentalism and violence are intertwined it is because of western societys disapproval of the Islamic religion or because of fundamentalist groups viewing themselves as superior (Alan, 2013). If we look at the terrorist attacks of 9/11 although it may have been directed at the economic and political structures of the USA it effected the whole world, followed by attacks in Madrid 2004 and London 2005. The terrorist attacks have also wounded Muslims in Nigeria and Sudan suggesting the motivation for the attacks belong to globalisation whereby people are dependent on the market and tradition is overlooked. The association religion and violence have in the 21st century exposes the control of politics, and people deal with this by finding religious fundamentalism movements who use violence to help make sense of the secular world (Huber, 2011). Societies inevitably secularise as they modernize: it is contradictory to be modern and religious, this is the definition used when discussing secularisation theories (Woodhead, 2012:3). Religious fundamentalists are judged badly whereas secularists are deemed good and great when truthfully have played a part in the privatisation of religion (Alan, 2013). Due to secularisation, the education system has become more modernised and schools have limited religious freedom. The state encourages misleading behaviour via material which Is offensive and immoral for religious groups with no intent to protect the religion of others which isolates them and encourages them to challenge the situation (Almond, Appleby and Sivan, 2003) (Bruce, 2011). Therefore, although certain religious fundamentalist groups have resulted to violence to achieve their goals it is more intertwined with the state and how they impact the decisions made. Furthermore, there is an increasing appeal to claim that religion and politics is not an ideal combination and the reason for the war and violence is because of religion. Whenever fundamentalism and secularism is discussed, its within a violent connotation and asserts the behaviour of religious fundamentalists is revenge against the state for trying to separate religion from politics and an aim to bring religion back to public life which unfortunately involves violence (Armstrong, 2014). Secularisation can also be discussed using a legislation from France where they separated religion from the state through a policy La Laicite whereby the practice of religion is privatised and the state removes their involvement with religion (Trigg, 2007). Yet again we see the involvement of politics associating religious fundamentalism with violence instead of relating the detrimental effects legislations, isolation, disregard for moral values can have on others particularly the youth, diminishing the importance of religion (AbdulRahim, 2010). Most Muslims who feel like they are losing their religious identity are not prepared to practice their religion in a private space. Dress code and dietary values are embedded in their beliefs which makes it difficult to disconnect that from their practices. Isolation of many young Muslims in the western world because of economic and political marginalisation leads them to feeling distant and hostile towards the state which can lead to the construction of sub cultures which arrange events such as the July 2005 terror attacks (Gole, 2014). We cant solely link Islam to violence there are other groups who engage in illegal activity due to being subjected to social and economic marginalisation (Abbas, 2007). Discussing the political goals of Islamic fundamentalists who are terrorists we can see similarities between what steered them to violent acts when looking at Guy Fawkes 17th Century Terrorism. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic who wanted to rid England of its Protestant state by assassinating James I, who was failing the church. It can be argued he fought like a jihadist today who are described as a military movement as they fight for what they identify as right similar with Guy Fawkes. Fawkes believed the best way to spread the Catholic ideology was through terrorist force, he believed Catholicism was the dominant faith and was determined to promote their doctrines rather than the laws of the country. The goal was ultimately politically similar with Islam who resort to terrorist attacks to promote their political ideology through the state by means of the sharia law. Fawkes plot targeted members from another Christian Sect, this demonstrates fundamentalists who promote their violent behaviour through a religious ideology. It is a product of the individual movement in the case of Islam, not all who believe in the Salafi sect and their chosen behaviour are extremists who resort to violent behaviour (Mason Feldman, 2011). The tragic events of 9/11 and 7/7 have a left a hostile reaction from the world towards Muslims and Islam, the reactions of the government have been made public and influenced the minds of society (Abbas, 2007). The consequences for the attacks has left Muslims susceptible to racial and ethnic profiling in the criminal justice system and the aftermath is the government focusing on legislation rather than seeing the situation from the view of society similar to the events after the Gun Power Plot (Mason Feldman, 2011). Instead, the government allow the public to accept the belief that those responsible for the terrorist attacks are Muslims, history continues to repeat itself (Abbas, 2007). Deliberating religious fundamentalism and violence reminds us of the Golden rule rooted across religion, to treat your neighbour as you would want to be treated which ultimately shouldnt lead to violence. Yet, in most religion there has never been a hint of no violence across the board, in one way or another all religions have had to deal with the globalised world where violence is unavoidable. For Christians who rejected all forms of violence the moral compass was Jesus and his teachings of love particularly since his death on the cross was extremely violent which could have led to Christianitys turn away from violence (Huber, 2011). Notably for some fundamentalists the belief in the bible scriptures is a manual for how they should live their lives and they oppose those who dont adopt their ideals which can lead to a damaging relationship with fundamentalism, especially those unwilling to be accepting of similarities and differences (Mason Feldman, 2011). We need to continue discus sing how far fundamentalist groups will go to defend beliefs and values. Granting most fundamental religious beliefs have a trace of violent activities not all groups result to violent behaviour despite the politics and secularisation. Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their values involves having a strong moral compass and regularly attending religious meetings to discuss how to be a nonviolent active member of the church whilst living in a secular world which diminishes traditional values (Cornwall, Heaton Young 2001). This is similar with Jehovah Witnesses, a more conservative group who base their decisions on a matter of conscience and try to live a life with no immoral actions. They also condemn angry behaviour which leads to violent actions and try to live a life central to Gods teachings and protect society from a corrupt and sinful lifestyle without the use of violence (BBC 2009; Holden, 2005). Both conservative groups demonstrate nonviolent behaviour which leads us to consider that religious fundamentalis m and violence may not be intertwined. When discussing extremist fundamentalist groups, most assert their violent behaviour being taken from biblical ideologies, they believe that they are practicing the one true faith and this religious ideology is known as Christian Identity is a (Perlmutter, 2003; Sharpe 2000). The norms of the Christian Identity are influenced by the Ku Klux Klan who justify acts of violence against the government, Jews, homosexuals and non-whites who they believe are not human or a part of Gods creation. Ultimately believing that aggressive behaviour against marginalised groups is part of the plan to restore Gods supreme white race and establish protestant Christian values (Sharpe, 2000). Whilst this ideology was popular among members it was not accepted by ministers and other Christians who prohibited the connection with Protestant Christianity (Baker, 2009). This view was held in particular because of Klansmen who would perform cross burnings which they understood to be a symbol of respect for Jesu s which they felt was rooted in Christian tradition (Wade, 1998). This interpretation which has been taken from the bible has created a fight where they believe whites are the supreme race fighting for God and non-whites are fighting for Satan (Selepak Sutherland, 2012). The apocalyptic belief extremists hold which emphasises a violent war between good and bad is evidence of the religion being used to defend violent actions and recruit members to join extremist fundamentalist groups (Perlmutter, 2003). This is reinforced in Biblical literature filled with murder stories thereby legitimising violent behaviour and allowing young people to steer towards non-conventional fundamentalist groups with charismatic leaders when feeling distant (Sharpe, 2000). The faith fundamentalist groups have for their charismatic leaders and the justifications for the violent behaviour which they encourage has strengthened the number of members for both the Ku Klux Klan and ISIS whilst ignoring the traditional values from the founders of both Islam and Christianity whic h endorses peace and love for others (Fieudberg, 2014). This suggests that although religious fundamentalist groups will use violence to defend their beliefs they only use parts of their religious literature as a means of achieving this. This question has allowed us to discuss whether religious fundamentalism and violence are always intertwined. From defining religious fundamentalism and examining the term in a historical and political context to deliberating fundamentalist groups who have used acts of violence to make their voice heard. We also looked at the misconceptions of conservative fundamentalist groups who do not use violence as a means of displaying their anger even if the nation state is failing them. Weve discovered that acts of violence and terrorism does not only belong to religious fundamentalism and is the result of a fundamentalist ideological route, more so the behaviour rather than the religious traditions. This is the issue that faces us today. Whats more is Religious fundamentalism and the state are more intertwined and despite secularisation and the lack of support culturally and economically when violence occurs the media and the state create a story which links a religious group to violence. W hat needs to be publicised is when the nation state fails society by isolating the oppressed in many different conditions. We need to appreciate what broader purpose is being served by linking religious fundamentalism to violence. Violence occurs as a consequence of extreme political legislations and marginalisation of groups rather than as a result of religious beliefs.

The Importance of Harry Hoveden in Making History Essay example -- Mak

The Importance of Harry Hoveden in Making History In making history, Brian Friel uses Hugh O’Neill to define the characters in the play, and the way in which his actions affect them gives the audience some characteristics to decide on the personality of particular characters. Harry Hoveden is obviously an important character in the play because he plays a major part in the play, and appears in most of the major scenes. It is also clear that he is important to O’Neill because he is often the one person he turns to in times of crisis. Harry is presented as a very loyal and sober character by, he serves to balance out some of the other characters almost like a buffer. His calm nature in times of distress or excitement contrasts with the brash and aloof persona’s of other characters like O’Neill. As well as stabilizing the mood in the play as presented, if the play was reality, he would act as a soothing and calming presence to help particularly O’Neill. There is a direct link to his calmness and soothing nature in the comparison of him to dill. Every character i...

Sara Lee Essay -- essays research papers

Businessman Nathan Cummings bought the C.D. Kenny Co., a Baltimore coffee, tea, and sugar wholesaler, in 1939. Cummings soon purchased several grocery firms and later changed the company’s name to Consolidated Grocers—1945. The operation went public in 1946 and was renamed Consolidated Foods Corporation in 1954. Two years later CFC bought the Kitchens of Sara Lee, a Chicago bakery founded by Charles Lubin 1951. Introduced in 1949 and named after Lubin’s daughter, Sara Lee cheesecake had become his most popular product. Soon after, CFC began building its international markets with its first European acquisition in 1962. Subsequent to that purchase, it expanded its global presence with the purchases of Douwe Egberts (coffee, tea, and tobacco; the Netherlands; 1978), Nicholas Kiwi (shoe care and pharmaceuticals, Australia, 1984), and Dim (hosiery and underwear, France, 1989). Using one of its most respected brand names to enhance the public’s awareness of the company, CFC changed its name to Sara Lee in 1985.1 While cheesecake might have brought the company fame, it’s the underwear and hot dogs that bring in more than half of Sara Lee’s sales. The company operates five separate business units in the U.S. and abroad, these include: Sara Lee Foods--a major U.S. packaged-meat processor with brands such as Ball Park and Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee Bakery Group--the number two bakery company in the U.S. (behind Interstate Bakeries) and responsible for fresh bread as well as frozen cheesecakes, The Branded Apparel group—which tops in U.S. intimate apparel and hosiery (Hanes L’eggs, Playtex, and Wonderbra), its Coffee & Tea Worldwide group—that creates beverage sales worldwide, while the Household & Body Care group sells Endust furniture cleaner, Kiwi shoe polish, and body care products in non-U.S. markets. Chicago-based Sara Lee Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, brand-name products for consumers throughout the world. They have three lines of businesses: Food and Beverage, Branded Apparel, and Household Products. Sara Lee has operations in 58 countries, with products in nearly 200 nations and has 150,400 employees worldwide. Some may wonder how one company, with thousands of employees in numerous locations, makes sure everyone is basing his or her decisions on the corporation’s values. These are questions Sara Lee executives and em... ...Lee’s decentralized structure, for this problem. Although COO McMillan has worked to change this, by centralizing 10 separate meat companies into one, they still have remnants of these decentralized firms. This is why the corporation is currently depending on their newest addition to the firm, Brenda Barnes. Sara Lee is banking on Barnes to bring her operational and branding skills to her new position. Barnes’ resume is filled with successes at well-known consumer product companies, which include Pepsi-Cola North American division. Although Barnes will be starting from behind when she takes over Sara Lee’s day-to-day operations and segmentation strategy, the corporation remains optimistic in her attempt to get Sara Lee cooking.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sara Lee's mission is to feed, clothe and care for consumers and their families the world over. Keeping this in perspective is what Sara Lee will need to remain focused, and reclaim their throne as one of the most successful retailers in the industry. Though this accomplishment may not come easy, with hard work and strategic planning, Sara Lee has the ability to become number one in its class.

William Isaac Thomas

The Thomas Theorem William Isaac Thomas (13 August 1863 – 5 December 1947) was an American sociologist. I decided to write about the W. I Thomas after reading about the other theorist I decided that W. I Thomas theory was much more intriguing and very controversial. W. I Thomas is well known for his quote: â€Å"If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences. † In 1928, the sociologist W. I. Thomas formulated this statement which later became known as the Thomas Theorem. In other words, the interpretation of a situation causes the action. This interpretation is not objective. Actions are affected by subjective perceptions of situations. Whether there even is an objectively correct interpretation is not important for the purposes of helping guide individuals' behavior (http://en. wikipedia. org, 2011). The Thomas Theorem in my interpretation means that whatever you think or believe in it will become true. I agree with this theory to a certain extent that this only applies to some things in life and not all. For example if I think that I am going to be a millionaire it will not just come true I would have to do something in order to make my thoughts come true. How we view the world creates real and tangible outcomes in how we feel and what we do. W. I. Thomas (1863–1947) (1966) stated that whatever we believe to be real will become real in its consequences. So if we believe one religious or political group is right, we will act in a way that supports that view, and we may disagree with those who view things differently. We may try to convince them that our view is right (Vessling,2010). Although many people do not agree with the Thomas theory there are many who do. Law enforcement agencies use it to train officers in the handling of the mentally ill, and it’s been used effectively to explain everything from beauty contest outcomes to panic runs on bank deposits(soulshelter. com, Tim, 2008). The Secret, written by Ronda Byrne and As a Man Thinketh, written by James Allen are both self help books and based on this theory. Some say the formulation of the Thomas Theorem is ambiguous. It could mean, â€Å"The consequences of a situation follow from how it is perceived, not the way it really is,† or â€Å"The power to define a situation includes power over its consequences. † It also could simply mean, â€Å"Beliefs have consequences, regardless of whether they are true. † Whether Thomas was referring to self-fulfilling prophecies, or expressing skepticism about the existence of an objective world; depends on how the statement is interpreted (www. ehow. com, 2011). Frank Van Dun criticized the theorem, he goes on to say: â€Å"The consequences of a situation being believed to be true are the same as if it is actually true,† it is false, because one can't create or negate a reality by wishing for or denying it. If it means, â€Å"The consequences of a situation are real no matter how well it is defined,† it is trivial because that reduces to the aphorism, â€Å"Get real. † Besides the negative feedback from many, W I Thomas was also a pioneer of a psychological approach to social phenomena, and thus can be regarded, together with William Graham Sumner and Wilhelm Wundt, as a forerunner of cultural psychology. His The Polish Peasant was an important landmark in American sociological research. He used biographic data personal letters, autobiographies, diaries, and other personal documents developing the life-history method for which he became famous along with the ideas of George Herbert Mead, Thomas' concept of the â€Å"definition of the situation† later proved to be an important starting point for the revolution of symbolic interactionism against structural functionalism(http://www. ewworldencyclopedia. org, 2011) In conclusion I am a Christian so I believe in God, I also believe that if I ask God to do something that it will be done. The bible reads in Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (King James Bible). W. I Thomas theory maybe a little farfetched to some but this is truth to many. Based on my research I can relate more to the Thomas Theorem. References Alden, WH. 2007) William Isaac Thomas Retrieved from http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/W. _I. _Thomas Phillips, Colby. (2011). What is the Thomas Theorem of Sociology Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/info_10068714_thomas-theorem-sociology. html Tim (2010) Understanding the life Through the Thomas Theorem Retrieved fromhttp://www. soulshelter. com/fortune/understanding-the-world-through-the-thomas-theorem-2/ Vissing, Yvonne (2011) An Introduction to Sociology

Conceptual Framework Essay

The crossing of genders has been a hurdle that society has stumbled to accept since the beginning of time. Early hypotheses about the so-called cause of homosexuality originated from the psychodynamic perspective that men became gay because of a dysfunctional family system in which they were emotionally enmeshed with their mothers and had a distant relationship with their father. As a result, the thought of changing one’s sex immediately becomes a staple of criticism, despite the psychological effect it could have on the individual. Yet, Imani, a man who lives life as a woman, successfully copes with work, intimate relationships, family and peer relationships, and has developed a positive assessment of self. Imani is a resilient, creative, and resourceful individual, who has overcome societal myths that a transgender cannot function normally in society. Thus, this essay will attempt to outline Imani’s life journey and compare it to Hutchinson’s (2008) common risk and protective factors, while revealing how she copes with personal and professional relationships according to Werner and Smith (2001) ratings of the quality of adult adaptation and what she attributes her success. Six Criteria of Coping Understanding and coping with cultural differences becomes crucial when attempting to come out about gender or sexual identity. Social constructionist perspective suggests that â€Å"sexual orientation unfolds within a context of environmental or social influences† (Morrow & Messinger, 2006, pp. 61). Growing up poverty stricken, Imani learned to cope at an early age. The eldest of six, Imani grew up without a positive male role model and poor, while dealing with sexual desires for the same sex. â€Å"I use to pretend like I was attracted to girls because that was the normal thing, but since I was twelve, I had sexual desires for other boys† (Imani, personal communication, February 6 2009). Therefore, recognizing her gender identity at an early age, but able to cope with the stigmas of society involved Imani’s ability to reconcile competing demands from the dominant society. In addition, feelings for the opposite sex thwarted Imani from forming peer groups at an early stage in her life. â€Å"Many gay men do not accomplish normal development tasks of adolescence, such as forming a peer group†¦therefore, when experiencing some of the emotionality of teenagers as adults in their twenties or older, there is dissonance between chronological age and developmental tasks they may be struggling with† (Mallon, 2008, pp. 150). Normally, this would have had an unfavorable effect, but, it had a favorable effect on Imani’s life. For example, Imani is a leader in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. She mentors young individuals that are dealing with gender identity issues. Imani has also been in a long term intimate relationship for fifteen years; which induces her happiness. â€Å"When I was growing up, being gay was taboo, but, today you can speak out about who you are and feel comfortable, so I’m taking full advantage of every opportunity and helping others who may feel isolated as well† (Imani, personal communication, February 6, 2009). Even in analyzing her relationship with her siblings, Imani is respected and accepted wholeheartedly by her entire family. This could be attributed to two major reasons. Firstly, Imani was a defiant child, but, she also helped rear her brothers and sisters, which established a sense of respect from them early on. She also was defiant and never conformed to the norm when instructed to complete a task. For example, if her mother instructed her to go right, she would go left. Secondly, unlike people in a cohort group born in the eighties, which are more adept to come out sooner rather than later, Imani made her decision to transform at age thirty-eight. â€Å"Coming out is a critical issue in the process of identifying, some people do not go through this process early in life† (Kane-DeMaios & Bullough, 2006, pp. 10). For this reason, when Imani revealed her decision to become a woman, she perhaps displayed a defiant attitude, not to mention that her mother was supportive of her decision, likely instilled strength, support and understanding from her siblings as well. As a result, Imani shares a strong and supportive bond with her brother and sisters. Although Imani has been resilient in gaining acceptance from peers and family, her professional success is equally astonishing. Imani’s was employed with Phillip Morris, Inc, when she decided to transform. However, her employers were not accepting of her identity change, so, they increased her workload and refused to give her a stable schedule. To combat this deliberate injustice, she filed a grievance, several weeks later she was laid off. Werner and Smith (2001) noted that one of the main qualities of adult adaptation is work. â€Å"The individual is employed and†¦ satisfied with work† (pp. 36). â€Å"My former job was horrible at accepting me for who I was, so I decided to make a move and find employment elsewhere; where the people would make me feel comfortable and I would enjoy what I was doing. (Imani, personal communication, February 6, 2009). Imani is now gainfully employed as a supervisor with a prominent Medicaid service provider. Imani states, â€Å"There’s good energy at work. My colleagues respect me to the upmost and I enjoy helping clients. † Clearly, Imani’s ability to get past the ridicule of a former employee and successfully find employment without becoming discouraged about her gender identity is another emphasis of her resiliency. However, Imani contributes her success to having the courage to live as a transgender to education. Enrolling in VCU’s fine art program during the 70’s broadened my mindset about the world around me and myself, which has helped me become who I am today† (Imani, personal communication, February 6, 2009). Without question, academia can enhance an individual’s perception about the world around them, but, â€Å"the concept of accommodation is an important one in understanding the adaptation of transgender people† (American, 2009,  ¶ 3). Consequently, with Imani having the accommodation of a close knit, supportive family and long term partner has definitely added to her success. Therefore, it is should be pointed out that some risk and protective factors are inherent in the nature of resilient people. Risk and Protective Factors Werner and Smith (2001) noted that even in infancy there was something different about the high-risk children who never developed serious problems. They were active, affectionate, good-natured infants, alert and autonomous toddlers. One protective factor associated with Imani’s success was her development of advanced self help skills, which she acquired early in her life course. For instance, Imani learned early to cope with gender identity issues, despite being reared during a time when homosexuality and cross dressing were deemed taboo. In addition, coping with putting her childhood on hold while helping her mother take care of her siblings, Imani developed an identity of a leader. Evidently, this created strength of mind, which more than likely had an influence on the way Imani set out to accomplish goals or agendas. People who are heterosexual in orientation do not have to ponder on how to develop a heterosexual identity. In contrast, transgender people have as their task the â€Å"development of an identity that runs counter to the heterocentric culture in which they are socialized. † They must â€Å"come to terms with having a sexual orientation that is socially ridiculed, and they must formulate a sense of identity as a transgender person† (Morrow & Messinger 2006, pp. 85). Although Imani’s early development of advanced self-help skills has played a pivotal role in her success during her life course, she still faced the risk factor of growing up in poverty. Coincidentally, this did not have a negative effect on her schooling or personal accomplishments. Hutchison (2008) suggest, â€Å"†¦ poverty alone is much less of a risk than extended poverty. Imani’s life serves as a perfect example for this suggestion. For example, Imani did not continue the family trend of living in poverty. Determined to set the pace for the rest f her siblings, she rose above the line of poverty in her early twenties. She graduated from high school and successfully obtained a college degree. One could raise the question, if her role as the older sibling, which induced a sense of responsibility, while trying to understand her identity issues, kept her from being vulnerable to the risk of falling off track, because she was preoccupied with the task of taking care of her brother and sisters, rather than the poverty situation in front of her. Undoubtedly, it is apparent that Imani’s deprivations growing up did not lead to a trajectory of failure. Hutchison (2008) points out that positive impact of historical events can reverse disadvantages in a person’s life trajectories. Therefore, being torn between the role of patriarch and matriarch at an early age, clearly, had a positive effect on Imani’s life. Conclusively, Imani’s life has been filled with many extenuating effects of internal oppression at an early age, which she was able to overcome at a later stage in her life cycle. The major turning point in her life was enrolling in college; which has made her a resilient, creative, and resourceful individual who possess much strength. Yet, born during a time when social reform was at its peak, Imani serves as a perfect example of resiliency, success and normalcy.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 18

A Hive Full of Green Bees â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† I sit up, my heart pounding. When my eyes focus, I see my dad standing at my bedside with his hands above his head; he's wearing his number 5 McNabb jersey. â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!† he continues to scream, until I get out of bed, raise my hands, and say â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† We do the chant, spelling the letters with our arms and legs. â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† When we finish, instead of saying good morning or anything else, my father simply jogs out of my room. I look at the clock, and it reads 5:59 a.m. The game starts at one o'clock. I promised to join Jake's tailgate party by ten, which gives me two hours to lift and an hour to run – so I lift, and Tiffany is outside at 8:00 a.m. just like she said she would be. We do a short run – maybe only six or seven miles. After a shower, I put on my Baskett jersey and ask my mom for a ride to the PATCO station, but she says, â€Å"Your driver is waiting for you outside.† Mom kisses me on the cheek and hands me some money. â€Å"Have fun, and don't let your brother drink too much.† Outside, I see Dad in his sedan; the engine is running. I get into the car and say, â€Å"Dad, are you going to the game?† â€Å"I wish I could,† he says, and then we back out of the driveway. The truth is that my father is still serving a self-imposed ban and is therefore not allowed to attend Eagles games. In the early eighties, Dad got into a fight with a Dallas Cowboys fan who dared to sit in the 700 Level, which were the cheap seats at the Vet, where the die-hard Eagles fans sat. The story I heard from my since-deceased uncle was this: When the Cowboys scored a touchdown, this Dallas fan jumped up and began cheering real loudly, so people started throwing beers and hot dogs at him. The only problem was that my dad was sitting in the row in front of this Dallas fan, so the beer and mustard and food rained down on Dad too. Apparently, Dad lost it, attacked the Dallas fan, and beat him within an inch of his life. My father was actually arrested, convicted of aggravated assault, and incarcerated for three months. If my uncle hadn't made the mortgage payments, we would have lost the house. Dad did lose his season ticket and has not been to an Eagles game since. Jake says we could get Dad in, since no one actually checks IDs at the gate, but Dad won't go back, saying, â€Å"As long as they let the opposing fans in our house, I can't trust myself.† This is sort of funny, because twenty-five years after Dad beat the hell out of that Dallas fan, he is just a fat old man who is not likely to beat up another fat old man, let alone a rowdy Dallas fan with the guts to wear a Cowboys jersey to an Eagles game. Although my father did hit me pretty hard in the attic just a few weeks ago – so maybe he is wise to stay away from the games. We drive over the hospital-green Walt Whitman Bridge, and he talks about how this just might be an important day in Eagles history, especially since the Giants won both games last year. â€Å"Revenge!† he keeps yelling indiscriminately. He also tells me I have to cheer real loudly so Eli Manning – who I know (from reading the sports pages) is the Giants' QB – will not be able to talk or hear during the huddles. â€Å"Scream your goddamn lungs out, because you're the twelfth man!† Dad says. The way he talks at me – never really pausing long enough for me to say any-thing – makes him sound crazy, I know, even though most people think I am the crazy person in the family. When we are stopped, waiting in line to pay the bridge toll, Dad quits his Eagles rant long enough to say, â€Å"It's good that you are going to the games with Jake again. Your brother's missed you a lot. You do realize that, right? You need to make time for family no matter what happens in your life, because Jake and your mother need you.† This is a pretty ironic thing for him to say, especially since he has hardly said anything to me since I have been home and never really spends any time with me or my mother or Jake at all, but I am glad my father is finally talking to me. All the time I have ever spent with Jake or him has always revolved around sports – mostly Eagles – and I know this is all he can really afford emotionally, so I take it, and say, â€Å"I wish you were going to the game, Dad.† â€Å"Me too,† he says, and then hands the toll collector a five. After taking the first off-ramp, he deposits me about ten blocks away from the new stadium so he can turn around and avoid traffic. â€Å"You're on your own coming home,† he says as I get out. â€Å"I'm not driving back into this zoo.† I thank him for the ride, and just before I shut the door, he raises his hands in the car and yells â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† so I raise my hands and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhh!† A group of men drinking beers out of a nearby car trunk hear us, so they raise their hands and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† Men united by a team, we all do the Eagles chant together. My chest feels so warm, and I remember how much fun it is to be in South Philly on game day. As I walk toward the west Lincoln Financial Field parking lot – following the directions my brother gave me on the phone the night before – so many people are wearing Eagles jerseys. Everywhere green. People are grilling, drinking beer from plastic cups, throwing footballs, listening to the WIP 610 pregame show on AM radio, and as I walk past, they all high-five me, throw me footballs, and yell, â€Å"Go Birds!† just because I am wearing an Eagles jersey. I see young boys with their fathers. Old guys with their grown sons. Men yelling and singing and smiling as if they were boys again. And I realize I have missed this a lot. Even though I do not want to, I look for the Vet and only find a parking lot. There's a new Phillies ballpark too, called Citizens Bank Park. By the entrance ripples a huge banner of some new player named Ryan Howard. All of this seems to suggest that Jake and Dad weren't lying when they said the Vet was demolished. I try not to think about the dates they mentioned, and I focus on enjoying the game and spending time with my brother. I find the right parking lot and begin to look for the green tent with the black Eagles flag flying from the top. The parking lot is full – tents and grills and parties everywhere – but after ten minutes or so, I spot my brother. Jake's in his number 99 Jerome Brown memorial jersey. (Jerome Brown was the two-time Pro Bowler defensive tackle who was killed in a car crash back in 1992.) My brother is drinking beer from a green cup, standing next to our friend Scott, who is manning the grill. Jake looks happy, and for a second I simply enjoy watching him smile as he throws an arm around Scott, whom I haven't seen since the last time I was in South Philly. Jake's face is red, and he looks a little drunk already, but he has always been a happy drunk, so I do not worry. Like my father, nothing makes Jake happier than Eagles game day. When Jake sees me, he yells, â€Å"Hank Baskett's tailgating with us!† and then runs over to give me a high five and a chest bump. â€Å"What's up, dude?† Scott says to me as we too exchange high fives. The big smile on his face suggests that he is happy to see me. â€Å"Man, you really are huge. What have you been lifting – cars?† I smile proudly as he punches my arm, like guys do when they are buddies. â€Å"It's been years – I mean, um – how many months has it been?† He and my brother exchange a glance that I do not miss, but before I can say anything, Scott yells, â€Å"Hey, all you fat-asses in the tent! I wanna introduce you to my boy – Jake's brother, Pat.† The tent is the size of a small house. I walk through the slit on one side, and a huge flat-screen television is set up on milk crates stacked two by four. Five really fat guys are seated in folding chairs, watching the pregame show – all of them in Eagles jerseys. Scott rattles off the names. After he says mine, the men nod and wave and then go back to watching the pregame show. All of them have handheld personal organizers, and their eyes are rapidly moving back and forth between the small screens in their hands and the large screen at the far side of the tent. Almost all have earpieces in, which I guess are connected to cellular phones. As we exit the tent, Scott says, â€Å"Don't mind them. They're all trying to get last-minute info. They'll be a little more friendly after they've placed their bets.† â€Å"Who are they?† I ask. â€Å"Guys from my work. I'm a computer tech now for Digital Cross Health. We do websites for family doctors.† â€Å"How are they watching television out here in the parking lot?† I ask. My brother waves me around to the back of the tent, points to a small engine in a square of metal, and says, â€Å"Gas-powered generator.† He points to the top of the tent, where a small gray plate is perched, and says, â€Å"Satellite dish.† â€Å"What do they do with all this gear when they go into the game?† I ask. â€Å"Oh,† Scott says with a laugh. â€Å"They don't have tickets.† Jake pours a Yuengling Lager into a plastic cup and hands it to me, and I notice three coolers loaded with beer cans and bottles, probably four or five cases. I know the plastic cup is to keep away the police, who can arrest you for having an open beer can in your hand but not for holding a plastic cup. The bag of empties just outside the tent suggests that Jake and Scott are way ahead of me. As Scott finishes grilling breakfast – thick sausages and eggs scrambled in a pan he has placed over the gas flames – he does not ask me many questions about what I have been up to, which I appreciate. I'm sure my brother has already told Scott all about my time in the bad place and my separation from Nikki, but I still appreciate Scott's allowing me to reenter the world of Eagles football without an interrogation. Scott tells me about his life, and it turns out that while I was in the bad place, he married someone named Willow, and they actually now have three-year-old twins named Tami and Jeri-Lyn. Scott shows me the picture he keeps in his wallet, and the girls are dressed alike in little pink ballerina outfits – tutus, tights – their hands stretched up over silver tiaras, pointing toward heaven. â€Å"My tiny dancers. We live on the Pennsylvania side now. Havertown,† Scott says as he loads a half dozen sausages onto the top rack of the barbecue, where they will keep warm while the next batch cooks. I think about Emily and me floating over the waves only the day before, and again I promise myself I'll get busy making my own daughter just as soon as apart time is over. I try not to do the math in my head, but I can't help it. If he has twins who are three years old and he was married sometime after I last saw him – but before his wife got pregnant – it must mean that I have not seen Scott for at least four years. Now maybe he knocked up his girlfriend and then married her, but of course, I can't ask that. Since his daughters are three, the math indicates he and I have not talked for at least three or four years. My last memory of Scott is at the Vet. I had sold my season ticket to Scott's brother Chris a season or two before, but Chris often went away on business conferences and allowed me to buy my seat back for the few home games played when he was out of town. I came up from Baltimore to see the Eagles play Dallas; I don't remember who won or what the score was. But I remember sitting in between Scott and Jake – up in the 700 Level – when Dallas scored a rushing touchdown. Some clown behind us stood up and began cheering as he unzipped his jacket, revealing a throwback Tony Dorsett jersey. Everyone in our section started booing and throwing food at this Dallas fan, who smiled and smiled. Jake was so drunk he could hardly stand, but he charged after this guy, climbing up over three rows of people. The sober Dallas fan shoved Jake away easily, but when Jake fell back into the arms of drunken Eagles fans, a cry went up, and the Tony Dorsett jersey was forcibly removed from the visiting fan's back and ripped into many pieces before security arrived and threw out a dozen people. Jake was not thrown out of the game. Scott and I were able to get Jake up and away from the mayhem, and when security arrived, we were in the men's room splashing water onto Jake's face, trying to sober him up. In my mind, this happened last year, maybe eleven months ago. But I know if I bring up this incident now as we are grilling in front of the Linc, I will be told that the memory occurred more than three or even four years ago, so I do not bring it up, even though I want to, because I know Jake's and Scott's responses will help me figure out what the rest of the world believes about time. And also, not knowing what the rest of the world believes happened between then and now is terrifying. It's better not to think too much about this. â€Å"Drink some beers,† Jake says to me. â€Å"Smile. It's game day!† So I start drinking, even though the little orange bottles that my pills come in have stickers forbidding me to drink alcohol. After the fat guys in the tent are fed, we eat off paper plates, and then Scott, Jake, and I begin throwing the football around. In the parking lot people are everywhere, not just tailgating, but roaming. Guys selling stolen or homemade T-shirts, moms parading around little girls in cheerleading outfits who will do a cheer if you donate a dollar to their local cheerleading booster club, crazy bums willing to tell you off-color jokes for free food and beer, strippers in short pants and satin jackets handing out free passes to the local gentlemen's clubs, packs of little kids in pads and helmets collecting money for their peewee football teams, college kids handing out free samples of new sodas or sports drinks or candy or junk food, and of course the seventy thousand other drunken Eagles fans just like us. Basically, it's a green football carnival. By the time we decide to have a catch, I've had two or three beers, and I'd be willing to bet Jake and Scott have each had at least ten, so our passes are not all that accurate. We hit parked cars, knock over a few tables of food, beam one or two guys in the back, but no one cares, because we are Eagles fans in Eagles jerseys who are ready and willing to cheer on the Birds. Every so often, other men will jump in front of one of us and intercept a pass or two, but they always give back the ball with a laugh and a smile. I like throwing the football with Jake and Scott because it makes me feel like a boy, and when I was a boy, I was the person Nikki fell in love with. But then something bad happens. Jake sees him first, points, and says, â€Å"Hey, look at the asshole.† I turn my head and see a big man in a Giants jersey, maybe forty yards away from our tent. He is wearing a red, white, and blue hard hat, and the worst part is that he has a little boy with him who is also wearing a Giants jersey. The guy walks over to a group of Eagles fans who give him a hard time at first but eventually hand him a beer. Suddenly my brother is walking toward this Giants fan, so Scott and I follow. My brother starts chanting as he walks, â€Å"Ass – hole! Ass – hole! Ass – hole!† With every syllable, he throws his index finger at the hard hat. Scott is doing the same thing, and before I know it, we are surrounded by twenty or so men in Eagles jerseys who are also chanting and pointing. I have to admit it feels sort of thrilling to be part of this mob – united in our hatred of the opposing team's fans. When we reach the Giants fan, his friends – all Eagles fans – laugh, and their faces seem to say, â€Å"We told you this would happen.† But instead of acting remorseful, the Giants fan puts his hands up in the air, as if he has just performed a magic trick or something; he smiles widely and nods his head like he is enjoying being called an asshole. He even puts his hand to his ear, as if to say, â€Å"I can't hear you.† The kid with him, who has the same pale skin coloring and flat nose – probably his son – looks terrified. The little guy's jersey hangs down to his knees, and as the â€Å"ass – hole† chant intensifies, the kid holds on to his father's leg and tries to hide behind the big man's thigh. My brother transitions the crowd into a â€Å"Giants suck† chant, and more Eagles fans come to join in. We now are at least fifty strong. And this is when the little kid breaks into tears, sobbing. When we Eagles fans see that the kid is really upset, the mob chuckles and respectfully disperses. Jake and Scott are laughing as we walk back to our tent, but I don't feel so great. I wish we did not make that little kid cry. I know the Giants fan was stupid to wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game, and it is really his own fault that his son was made to cry, but I also know that what we did was unkind, and this is the sort of behavior Nikki hates, what I am trying – I feel his hands explode through my back, and I stumble forward and almost fall down. When I turn around, I see the big Giants fan. He is no longer wearing his hard hat; his son is not with him. â€Å"You like making little kids cry?† he says to me. I'm too shocked to speak. There were at least fifty men chanting, but he has singled out me. Why? I wasn't even chanting. I wasn't even pointing. I want to tell him this, but my mouth won't work, so I just stand there shaking my head. â€Å"If you don't want a problem, don't wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game,† Scott says. â€Å"It's just bad parenting to bring your son down here dressed like that,† Jake adds. The mob quickly forms again. A circle of green uniforms surrounds us now, and I think this Giants fan must be crazy. One of his friends has come to talk him down. The friend's a small man with long hair and a mustache – and he's wearing an Eagles shirt. â€Å"Come on, Steve. Let's go. They didn't mean anything. It was just a joke.† â€Å"What the fuck is your problem?† Steve says, and then shoves me again, his hands exploding through my chest. At this point the Eagles fans begin chanting, â€Å"Ass – hole! Ass – hole! Ass – hole!† Steve is staring into my eyes, gritting his teeth so the tendons in his neck bulge like ropes. He also lifts weights. His arms look even bigger than mine, and he is taller than me by an inch or two. I look to Jake for help, and I can see that he looks a little worried himself. Jake steps in front of me, puts his hands up to suggest that he means no harm, but before he can say anything, the Giants fan grabs my brother's Jerome Brown memorial jersey and throws Jake to the ground. I see him hit the concrete – my brother's hands skidding along the blacktop – and then blood is dripping from his fingers and Jake's eyes look dazed and scared. My brother is hurt. My brother is hurt. MY BROTHER IS HURT. I explode. The bad feeling in my stomach rockets up through my chest and into my hands – and before I can stop myself, I'm moving forward like a Mack truck. I catch Steve's cheek with a left, and then my right connects with the south side of his chin, lifting him off the ground. I watch him float through the air as if he were allowing his body to fall backward into a pool. His back hits the concrete, his feet and hands twitch once, and then he's not moving, the crowd is silent, and I begin to feel so awful – so guilty. Someone yells, â€Å"Call an ambulance!† Another yells, â€Å"Tell 'em to bring a blue-and-red body bag!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whisper, because I find it hard to speak. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† And then I am running again. I weave through the crowds of people, across streets, around cars, and through horns blaring and cursing drivers screaming at me. I feel a bubbly feeling in my midsection, and then I am puking my guts out onto the sidewalk – eggs, sausage, beer – and so many people are yelling at me, calling me a drunk, saying that I'm an asshole; and then I'm running again as fast as I can, down the street away from the stadiums. When I feel as though I am going to throw up again, I stop and realize I'm alone – no more Eagles fans anywhere. A chain-link fence, beyond it a warehouse that looks abandoned. I vomit again. On the sidewalk, outside of the puddle I am making, pieces of broken glass glint and sparkle in the sun. I cry. I feel awful. I realize that I have once again failed to be kind; that I lost control in a big way; that I seriously injured another person, and therefore I'm never going to get Nikki back now. Apart time is going to last forever because my wife is a pacifist who would never want me to hit anyone under any circumstance, and both God and Jesus were obviously rooting for me to turn the other cheek, so I know I really shouldn't have hit that Giants fan, and now I'm crying again because I'm such a fucking waste – such a fucking non-person. I walk another half block, my chest heaving wildly, and then I stop. â€Å"Dear God,† I pray. â€Å"Please don't send me back to the bad place. Please!† I look up at the sky. I see a cloud passing just under the sun. The top is all electric white. I remind myself. Don't give up, I think. Not just yet. â€Å"Pat! Pat! Wait up!† I look back toward the stadiums, and my brother is running toward me. Over the next minute or so, Jake gets bigger and bigger, and then he is right in front of me, bent over, huffing and puffing. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I say. I'm so, so sorry.† â€Å"For what?† Jake laughs, pulls out his cell phone, dials a number, and holds the small phone up to his ear. â€Å"I found him,† Jake says into the phone. â€Å"Yeah, tell him.† Jake hands me the phone. I put it up to my ear. â€Å"Is this Rocky Balboa?† I recognize the voice as Scott's. â€Å"Listen, the asshole you knocked out – well, he woke up and is super pissed. Better not come back to the tent.† â€Å"Is he okay?† I ask. â€Å"You should be more worried about yourself.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"We played dumb when the cops showed up, and no one was able to identify you or your brother – but ever since five-o left, the big guy's been searching the parking lot, looking for you. Whatever you do, don't come back here, because this Giants fan's hellbent on revenge.† I hand the phone back to Jake, feeling somewhat relieved to know I did not seriously hurt Steve, but also feeling numb – because I lost control again. Plus, I'm a little afraid of the Giants fan. â€Å"So, are we going home now?† I ask Jake when he finishes talking to Scott. â€Å"Home? Are you kiddin' me?† he says, and we start walking back toward the Linc. When I don't say anything for a long time, my brother asks if I'm okay. I'm not okay, but I don't say so. â€Å"Listen, that asshole attacked you and threw me to the ground. You only defended your family,† Jake says. â€Å"You should be proud. You were the hero.† Even though I was defending my brother, even though I did not seriously hurt the Giants fan, I don't feel proud at all. I feel guilty. I should be locked up again in the bad place. I feel as though Dr. Timbers was right about me – that I don't belong in the real world, because I am uncontrollable and dangerous. But of course I do not say this to Jake, mostly because he has never been locked up and doesn't understand what it feels like to lose control, and he only wants to watch the football game now, and none of this means anything to him, because he has never been married and he has never lost someone like Nikki and he is not trying to improve his life at all, because he doesn't ever feel the war that goes on in my chest every single fucking day – the chemical explosions that light up my skull like the Fourth of July and the awful needs and impulses and †¦ Outside the Linc, masses form thick lines, and with hundreds of other fans, we wait to be frisked. I don't remember being frisked at the Vet. I wonder when it became necessary to frisk people at NFL games, but I do not ask Jake, because he is now singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† with hundreds of other drunken Eagles fans. After we are frisked, we climb the steps and have our tickets scanned, and then we are inside of Lincoln Financial Field. People everywhere – it's like a hive full of green bees, and the buzz is deafening. We often have to turn sideways just to squeeze between people as we walk the concourse to get to our section. I follow Jake, worrying about getting separated, because I would be lost for sure. We hit the men's room, and Jake gets everyone inside to sing the Eagles fight song again. The lines for the urinals are long, and I am amazed that no one pees in the sinks, because at the Vet – at least up in the 700 Level – all sinks were used as extra urinals. When we finally get to our seats, we are in the end zone, only twenty or so rows up from the field. â€Å"How did you get such good tickets?† I ask Jake. â€Å"I know a guy,† he replies, and smiles proudly. Scott is already seated, and he congratulates me on my fight, saying, â€Å"You knocked that fucking Giants fan out cold!† which makes me feel awful again. Jake and Scott high-five just about everyone in the section, and as the other fans call Scott and my brother by name, it becomes obvious that they are quite popular here. When the beer man comes around, Scott buys us a round, and I am amazed to find a cup holder in the seat in front of me. You would never see such a luxury item at the Vet. Just before the Eagles' players are announced, clips from the Rocky movies are shown on the huge screens at each end of the field – Rocky running by the old Navy Yard, Rocky punching sides of beef in the meat locker, Rocky running up the steps of the art museum – and Jake and Scott keep saying, â€Å"That's you. That's you,† until I worry that someone will hear them, understand that I just fought the Giants fan in the parking lot, and tell the police to take me back to the bad place. When the Eagles' starting lineup is announced, fireworks explode and cheerleaders kick and everyone is standing and Jake keeps on pounding my back with his hand and strangers are high-fiving me, and suddenly I stop thinking about my fight in the parking lot. I begin to think about my dad watching the game in our family room – my mother serving him buffalo wings and pizza and beers, hoping the Eagles win just so her husband will be in a good mood for a week. I again wonder if my dad will start talking to me at night if the Eagles pull out a victory today, and suddenly it's kickoff and I am cheering as if my life depends on the outcome of the game. The Giants score first, but the Eagles answer with a touchdown of their own, after which the whole stadium sings the fight song – punctuated by the Eagles chant – with deafening pride. Late in the first quarter, Hank Baskett gets his first catch of his NFL career – a twenty-five-yarder. Everyone in our section high-fives me and pats me on the back because I am wearing my official Hank Baskett jersey, and I smile at my brother because he gave me such a great present. The game is all Eagles after that, and at the start of the fourth quarter the Eagles are up 24 – 7. Jake and Scott are so happy, and I am beginning to imagine the conversation I am going to have with my father when I get home – how proud he will be of my yelling whenever Eli Manning was trying to call a play. But then the Giants score seventeen unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia fans are shocked. In overtime, Plaxico Burress goes up and over Sheldon Brown in the end zone, and the Giants leave Philadelphia with a win. It is awful to watch. Outside of the Linc, Scott says, â€Å"Better not come back to the tent. That asshole will be there waiting, for sure.† So we say goodbye to Scott and follow the masses to the subway entrance. Jake has tokens. We go through the turnstiles, descend underground, and push our way onto an already packed subway car. People yell, â€Å"No room!† but Jake mashes his body in between the other bodies and then pulls me in too. My brother's chest is against my back; strangers are smashed against my arms. The doors finally close, and my nose is almost touching the glass window. The smell of beer resurfacing through everyone's sweat glands is pungent. I don't like being this close to so many strangers, but I don't say anything, and soon we are at City Hall. After we exit the train, we spin another turnstile, climb up into center city, and begin walking down Market Street, past the old department stores and the new hotels and The Gallery. â€Å"You wanna see my apartment?† Jake asks when we get to the Eighth and Market PATCO stop, which is where I can hop a train over the Ben Franklin Bridge to Collingswood. I do want to see Jake's apartment, but I am tired and anxious to get home so I can do a little lifting before bed. I ask if I might see it some other time. â€Å"Sure,† he says. â€Å"It's good to have you back, brother. You were a true Eagles fan today.† I nod. â€Å"Tell Dad the Birds will bounce back next week against San Fran.† I nod again. My brother surprises me by giving me a two-armed hug and saying, â€Å"I love you, bro. Thanks for getting my back in the parking lot.† I tell him that I love him too, and then he is walking down Market Street singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† at the top of his lungs. I descend underground, insert the five my mother gave me into the change machine, buy a ticket, stick it into the turnstile, descend more stairs, hit the waiting platform, and begin to think about that little kid in the Giants jersey. How hard did he cry when he realized his father had been knocked out? Did the kid even get to see the game? A few other men in Eagles jerseys are sitting on the chrome benches. Each nods sympathetically at me when they see my Hank Baskett jersey. One man at the far end of the platform yells, â€Å"Goddamn fucking Birds!† and then kicks a metal trash can. Another man standing next to me shakes his head and whispers, â€Å"Goddamn fucking Birds.† When the train comes, I choose to stand just inside the doors, and as the train slides across the dusk sky, over the Delaware River, across the Ben Franklin Bridge, I look at the city skyline, and – again – I start to think about that kid crying. I feel so awful when I think about that little kid. I get off the train at Collingswood, walk across the open-air platform and down the steps, stick my card into the turnstile machine, and then jog home. My mother is sitting in the family room, sipping tea. â€Å"How's Dad?† I ask. She shakes her head and points at the TV. The screen is cracked so that it looks like a spiderweb. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Your father smashed the screen with the reading lamp.† â€Å"Because the Eagles lost?† â€Å"No, actually. He did it when the Giants tied the game at the end of the fourth quarter. Your father had to watch the Eagles blow the game on the bedroom television,† Mom says. â€Å"How's your brother?† â€Å"Fine,† I say. â€Å"Where's Dad?† â€Å"In his office.† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"I'm sorry your team lost,† Mom says, just to be nice, I know. â€Å"It's okay,† I answer, and then go down into the basement, where I lift weights for hours and try to forget about that little Giants fan crying, but I still can't get the kid out of my mind. For whatever reason I fall asleep on the rug that covers part of the basement floor. In my dreams the fight happens again and again, only instead of the Giants fan bringing a kid to the game, the Giants fan brings Nikki, and she too is wearing a Giants jersey. Every time I knock the big guy out, Nikki pushes through the crowd, cradles Steve's head in her hands, kisses his forehead, and then looks up at me. Just before I run away, she says, â€Å"You're an animal, Pat. And I will never love you again.† I cry through my dreams and try not to hit the Giants fan every time the memory flashes through my mind, but I can't control my dream self any more than I could control my awake self after seeing the blood on Jake's hands. I wake up to the sound of the basement door being closed, and I see the light streaming in through the small windows over the washer and dryer. I walk up the steps, and I cannot believe the sports pages are there. I am very upset about the dream I had, but I realize it was only a dream, and despite everything that has happened, my father is still leaving me the sports pages after one of the worst Eagles losses in history. So I take a deep breath. I allow myself to feel hopeful again and start my exercise routine.