Reflexivity in Ethnographic Research and Writing :: Ethnography Anthropology Essays

Reflexivity in Ethnographic Research and Writing The role of reflexivity in ethnographic research and writing has certain advantages and limits, as it gives the discipline of anthropology another form of interpreting ethnographies. Reflexivity, in terms of work of anthropology, is to insist that anthropologists systematically and rigorously reveal their methodology and themselves as the instrument of data generation. It is the self-consciousness or the work's ability to see itself as a work. There are various styles of reflexivity in ethnographic writing and Dorinne Kondo, Renato Rosaldo, and George Marcus are three anthropologists that influenced the role of reflexivity through their ethnographies. George Marcus describes reflexivity as the â€Å"self-critique, the personal quest, playing on the subjective, the experiential, and the idea of empathy† (Marcus 193). In Ethnography through thick and thin, Marcus writes that the emergence of the different styles of reflexivity in ethnographic writing has come to stand for the influence of postmodernism. In brief, according to the Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (1996), post-modernism is defined as an eclectic movement, originating in aesthetics- architecture and philosophy. Postmodernism espouses a systematic skepticism of grounded theoretical perspective. It concentrates on the tensions of difference and similarity erupting from the globalization processes: circulation via people, cross-cultural interaction, interaction of local and global knowledge. Postmodernism manifests historical perspective of modernism and modernity. Reflexivity emphasizes the point of theoretical and practical questioning, changing the ethnographers view of themselves and their work. There is an increased awareness of the collection of data and the limitation of methodological systems. This idea becomes inherent in the postmodernists study of the culture of the anthropologist/ethnographer. In much of his essay, Marcus shows that reflexivity is an immense area of comment and interest by questioning: Is reflexivity a license or a method? Furthermore, he writes that reflexivity opens up â€Å"the possibility for the so-called polyphonic text or the completely collaborative project, but more often than not, it merely reinforces the perspective and voice of the lone, introspective fieldworker without challenging the paradigm of ethnographic research at all (Marcus 193). Marcus categorizes reflexivity into three parts: feminist, sociological, and anthropological. Although all are important in understanding Marcus’ work, I will discuss the anthropological reflexivity. Marcus believes that the most interesting form of self-critical reflexivity in anthropology is one that â€Å"emphasizes the intertextual or diverse fields of representation that any contemporary project of ethnography enters and crosses in order to establish its own subject and to define its own voice† (Marcus 196).

Differences between the New England and Chesapeake Colonies Essay examp

The English Settlement in the New World was largely the result of the Age of Exploration. The English started emigrated to the New World around the early 1600s; they settles in regions including the New England and the Chesapeake region and by the 18th century these two regions had developed their own society. These two regions had developed different political, economic and social system in their regions. The political differences were due to who governs the colony. The economic differences were due to the motives of the settlement. The social differences were due to the people who settled there, while the New England emigrated as a family, the Chesapeake emigrated with mostly male. The political difference between the New England and Chesapeake region was that New England government associate more with religious matter than the Chesapeake government. The New England regions included the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth colony, the New Hampshire colony, Maine colony, Connecticut colony, and Rhode Island colony. Massachusetts colony for example was governed as a theocracy government. As the first governor of Massachusetts colony once stated in A Model of Christian Charity (Written on board the Arbella on the Atlantic Ocean, 1630),"we shall be as a city upon a hill" a holy commonwealth that could be served as an example community to the rest of the world. The Massachusetts Bay colony placed great importance on religious matters. Only the church member were allowed to vote or held office position. Those who held office position would enforce the law requiring attendance at services. Jamestown, Maryland and the Carolinas were some colonies in the Chesapeake r egions. The governments in these regions were less concerned about... ...ere more concerned about the commonwealth of the people due to their strong sense of community. Chesapeake government placed a harsh rule to ensure the survival of the settlers like the colony of Jamestown. New England had a diverse product due to poor soil and cold weather. They engaged in small scale agriculture, fishing, trading and shipbuilding. The Chesapeake regions had a warmer climate therefore it was more suitable to farm. The economic products that the Chesapeake region produced were tobacco and rice. The New England colonies were more of a community than the Chesapeake colonies. One of the reasons was that the settlers New England emigrated as a family and the Chesapeake emigrants were mostly males with the ambition to find gold and to own a large plantation; this resulted in mostly male population without female to enforce a sense of a real community.

Art Exhibit on Brown vs. Board of Education :: Race Segregation

Generally speaking, I am not one to attend seminars, talks, or museums on my spare time, simply for the betterment of my knowledge, or myself but on Wednesday, April 21st I did just that. Initially I was not very enthusiastic about my assignment to attend an event or exhibit at the university concerning Brown vs. Board of Education, but eventually I sucked it up and decided to attend an art exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum called, â€Å"Social Studies: Eight Artists Address Brown vs. Board of Education. April 21st was a beautiful afternoon, and as I approached the art museum with one of my friends all I could think about were all the things I could be doing instead of going to a museum. Moments later, my mood did not improve as I observed 4 elderly looking people entering the museum about 20 yards in front of me, dressed in suits and formal looking dresses. â€Å"Great,† I thought to myself, as I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt, â€Å"not only am I about to go into a museum, but everyone there is going to think I am a total scrub too.† Upon entering the museum, I promptly asked the woman at the front desk where the exhibit was. She directed me to it and as my friend and I walked away, a large guard yelled at my friend that he couldn’t bring his backpack with him. The guard offered no alternative location for the bag, so my friend walked around aimlessly until the woman at the front desk allowed him to leave the bag under her desk. Now, the mood was set. The museum screamed dullness and tightness at me as I strolled through two large, metal double doors into the exhibit we were there to see. As I entered the room that contained our exhibit, I discovered that there was not one other soul at the entire exhibit. I didn’t expect to encounter many other individuals, but none? I was not prepared to be one of only two people at the entire exhibit, but I had to make do with what I got. My first impression as I walked in was not a good one.

Right to Housing Under the Constitution of Kenya

RIGHT TO HOUSING UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA The right to housing comprises an intricate part in the realization of one of the most basic needs of a human being, shelter. Everyone has the right to a decent standard of living as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that has attained the status of jus cogens due to its wide acceptance. Essential to the achievement of this standard is access to adequate housing. It has been said that housing fulfills physical needs by providing security and shelter from weather and climate.It fulfills psychological needs by providing a sense of personal space and privacy. It fulfills social needs by providing a gathering area and communal space for the human family, the basic unit of society. It also fulfills economic needs by functioning as a center for commercial production. Due to various factors including insufficient financial and natural resources, population growth, political upheavals, and rural- urban migration, a vast population of Kenyans especially those living in urban areas end up homeless or in informal settlements. Dr. P. L.O Lumumba in his speech during the World Habitat forum in 2004 described the lengths to which people unable to afford adequate housing go to provide shelter to themselves and their families. He said that some of them end up seeking refuge in, â€Å"slums areas, squatting in informal settlements, old buses, roadside embankments, cellars, staircases, rooftops, elevator enclosures, cages, cardboard boxes, plastic sheets, aluminum and tin shelter. † According to a UN Habitat study done in 2008, 60-80 percent of residents in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, live in informal settlements.In fact, the same study shows that while 60 percent of Nairobi’s populations live in informal settlements, their homes occupy only 5 percent of the total land area of the city and its environs. Although right to adequate shelter is a human right, this does not imply that the gov ernment is obliged to provide each of their citizens with land and an appropriate house to live in. This is dependent on the laws and policies of each individual country. In Kenya, the debate about the justifiability of housing and some other socio-economic rights seems to be over with the passing of the 2010 Constitution.This is because the constitution has provisions that seek to protect the provision of these rights to every citizen as will be discussed in the next part. 1. 1 The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 When Kenya gained independence in 1963, every Kenyan was relieved to have finally been freed from the yoke of colonialism. The independent Kenya adopted a constitution that had majorly British influence but that seemed to suffice during those early ‘teething years’. But as years passed by, the biting reality that the country had been taken over by neo-colonialists hit home.The independence constitution was not sufficient to protect the general public from the vici ous acts and decisions of those in power. There was need for constitutional reform. Kenyans have long struggled for constitutional reform. They struggled because they suffered under an oppressive system of government. Their human rights were suppressed. The power of the state was concentrated in one person, the president. First regions and then local governments were stripped of all their powers. At the center, the president dominated all institutions of the state. Cronyism substituted for politics.Merit counted for little. The law was frequently abused by the government and the exercise of power was unpredictable and arbitrary. The judiciary had failed to protect the constitution and the rights of the people. The civil service and other executive organs lost independence. There was corruption, plundering both of the state and a captive private sector, on a massive scale. The new constitution therefore had to be a document that remedies the shortcomings of the independence constitut ion. The drafters of the new Constitution aimed to restore the confidence of the citizens with their government.One of the salient features of the 2010 constitution is the incorporation of a strong and comprehensive Bill of Rights. It contains a number of rights, which were missing from the independence constitution, including rights to official information, environment, economic and social rights, and rights of consumers, et cetera. The 2010 Constitution strengthens the achievement of the human rights by limiting the restrictions that may be placed on rights and by establishing a strong mechanism for the enforcement of rights. It also provides for an independent commission of human rights to protect and promote rights and freedoms.Of importance to this research are the Economic and Social rights. Article 43 provides for each person’s right to: a) The highest attainable standard of health b) Accessibility and adequate housing and to reasonable standards of sanitation. c) Free dom from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. d) Clean and safe water in adequate quantities. e) Social Security. f) Education. Amongst this list of rights is the right to housing. Forced evictions of persons living in unplanned settlements and slums are a common feature of urban development.People living in these informal settlements live at the margins of society. Land is generally an expensive investment in Kenya therefore only a few can afford it. Those who cannot afford it opt to rent apartments or houses or rooms from property owners but there are some who cannot still afford this kind of arrangements and so set up their housing structures on any free land that they come across, regardless of whether it is private land or public land set out for other purposes. This latter group of people is the ones who fall victim to forced evictions.Article 2(5) and (6) of the constitution general rules of international law and any treaty or convention ratified by Kenya f orm part of the laws of Kenya. Kenya ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) on 3/1/1976 and consequently became bound to respect, protect and enforce the rights therein, including the right to adequate housing and the related prohibition of forced evictions. It is with this backing of the law that victims of forced evictions that are not conducted in the manner stipulated in both domestic law and international law are able to defend their right to housing through the courts. ——————————————- [ 2 ]. Article 25(1) which states in part, â€Å"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [ 3 ]. Nicholas Okemwa, Forceful Evictions and the Right to Adequate Housing(2011)16 ; The Bench Bulletin 58 [ 4 ]. Dr. P. L. O Lumumba, Powers of Urban Authorities over Settlement Control: The Kenyan Case. He presented this paper during the world habitat forum organized by un-habitat held on the 13th –17th September 2004 at the Barcelona, Spain [ 5 ].Preliminary Results of the 2009, National Population and Housing Census. [ 6 ]. Draft Eviction an Resettlement Guidelines, 2010. [ 7 ]. Commentary on the Kenyan Constitution, (Consolidation of 15 articles in the East African Standard). [ 8 ]. Article 35 [ 9 ]. Article 42 [ 10 ]. Article 43 [ 11 ]. Article 46 [ 12 ]. Article 24 is the only article that provides for the specific procedure to be followed for a right contained in the Bill of Rights to be limited. This is unlike in the independence constitution where each right was immediately followed by a claw-back clause. [ 13 ]. Article 11

Manila

Another thing that can be seen n the profile is that their number of SK and Kagawad is not that numerous. Half of the entire population of barangay is not registered voters, thus, unable them to fully benefit their right to choose leaders that would change the country. As our group interviewed and surveyed citizens there in the barangay, almost all of them agreed that the major problem of their community is the uncontrollable flood that theyVe been experience for so many years.Another problem that is relevant to their place is the gang wars and street fights that is happening during night-time hat can be dangerous to the innocent civilians of the place. II. Mandates, Function, Programs, Resources of Relevant Organizations The barangay knows exactly what problems does exist on their barangay. They provided some solutions to solve these problems, however, it is not enough to thoroughly solve them. One of their solution in case of the flooding of their place is to clean their canal regu larly with the help of MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) and DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways).Although these two government institutions Joined hands together to solve the problem of flooding, it is not enough to get rid of the problem. As other places surrounding the barangay raise their lands to avoid flood, the barangay becomes a catch basin of all flood that comes from these high-rise places. Gang wars and street fghts is inevitable to places that is full of out- of-school youth. Even if they are going to school, some of the students tend to Join to groups and gangs that would eventually lead to the destruction of their lives.These ghts are not resolved easily, and the members of each gang or group are composed of people who are below 18, thus, preventing these people to be imprisoned. However, by the Pangilinan law, these people involve in such cases are turned over to the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development). Street fghts cannot also be controlled fully because of the lack of tanods, so the barangay recruited more tanods to watch and roam around the vicinity when nighttime comes. I Policy Recommendations and Action Plan For the policies that we gave, the first policy was about waste management.We proposed that there should be weekly cleanups to help maintain the cleanliness of the canals and the barangay itself. Our next policy was about the gang war in the barangay, we proposed that a curfew must be implemented to keep all the residence safe especially in our chosen barangay since most residents there are from opposing fraternities. We also suggested that they should add more tanods to help protect the barangay. There should also be at least a medical doctor and/or nurse to stand by in the barangay Just in case of accidents.Waste management is a solution that is simple yet difficult to fulfill and to do regularly as people are lazy to do such things like this but when in comes to littering the place, it is eas y for them to do. Discipline is important so by implementing waste management, people will get to learn about the proper decorum of throwing garbage. The people of the barangay must learn how to segregate different wastes and knows where to put these wastes. By knowing these things, less garbage maybe expected, and flood will not be expected anymore.Weekly cleanups of canals and the barangay itself is a must in order to maintain cleanliness of the place. This may be beneficial for everyone as they will not be exposed anymore to such sickness like dengue, malaria, and others. It is a step towards a green and eco-friendly environment. Also by this cleanup, wastes will not be clogging the canals anymore so that flood will be flowing smoothly. Curfew is implemented in every barangay in the Philippines, but this regulation does not fully monitor the people on the street when nighttime comes.Some of the eople who are going outside is under the age limit of the curfew, thus, the youth is i nvolved. By implementing stricter curfew, people of this barangay will be expected to their respective houses before 10:00 pm. The age limit of the stricter curfew is applicable to all ages, exception to this is when there is an emergency situation. To further monitor that the curfew will be successful, the barangay must deploy several tanods in every corner of the streets of the barangay.In case of emergency, it is essential and a must to have medical doctor or nurse to e in the barangay hall or hiring a resident doctor so that whenever there will be an emergency that needs medical attention, the resident doctor or nurse will respond immediately without going far.

Motivation and Unionization

Political philosophers, sociologists, economists and psychologists have been formulating theories to account for social organization. Man is a social being, one if his basic needs is to belong, and so it is but natural to him to organize institutions, organizations and groups. Motivation is a general term referring to the regulation of need-satisfying and goal-seeking behavior (Atkinson et al., 1993). Economists and political philosophers have studied social organization motivations basically to understand their role in commerce and industry, particularly labor organization. Unionization is act of forming labor unions, which are groups or organizations that are organized to represent the labor work force as a collective, whose objectives are to protect workers from unjust labor practices, to improve working conditions, and to look after the general welfare. Unionization is often viewed as negative from the perspective of management. Managing unions can only be done if there is through understanding of the motivations behind it. It is the objective of this paper to understand the concepts of motivation and unionization and to deduce an appropriate proposition to the management of labor unions. Understanding Unionization Industrialization fathered labor unions. Unions were to begin with organized to monitor pay levels and increase and working conditions and through it safety regulations were developed, and standardized, child labor was abolished, and work day and work week were shortened, and started non-wage benefits like pensions and health insurance (Feinman, 2006). Basically, unions gave workers bargaining power against unfair labor practices, safety measures in the lack of protective labor laws and allowed a venue to voice concerns of workers. Unions are not oppositions to management but a safeguard when workers become unheard, ignored or disregarded. The statement that â€Å"A company that deserves a union gets one† is not absolute but it is undeniable that it can greatly influence workers to organize unions. Unions may be organized even if there are optimum working conditions but the original motives for forming unions in the 19th century can be very become the motives for forming them today. It has to be recognized that unionization has significantly suffered a decline in the last 30 years (Clemens et al., 2003). Feinman (2006) reasons that the decline in unionization is the development of automation in factories, thus lessening those engaged in the industry, but there are still sectors that are in need of unions, particularly the service sector, to represent worker needs and concerns. Understanding Leadership and Motivation Leadership is a powerful motivator. Bad leadership can trigger unwanted responses in the workforce causing them to form defensive groups that may be having an attitude range of indifference to hostility. Confidence in management allows for open communication channels facilitating the discussion and resolution of concerns or disputes. Sound directives from management lead to responsiveness to company culture and inspire loyalty to the company. When workers feel secure, properly represented and involved in the company, the desire for collective action is not as significant (Dong-One and Voos, 1997). Sound leadership and motivation is able to guide the members of the organization towards the accomplishment of the major goal which is profits, efficiency and effectivity of the company. To achieve these, one has to be able to manage labor relations well. So, if workers turn to union organization as a means of communication and solving their concerns, considering the decline in unionization by workers, it may very well mean indeed that leadership and motivation strategies that are being implemented is not effective or enough to develop optimum labor relations. Deserving a Union What kind of companies has labor unions? Labor unions are present in all industries. The popular notion is that unionization is that it is only common blue collar workers but the reality is that even white collar workers need the protection against unfair labor practices, lack of labor legislation and oppressive conditions. The presence of unions does not increase labor liabilities, it only unifies the individual responsibility or management to workers. Surprisingly, there are even situations where the organization of a union should be encouraged by a company. Labor organizations have two faces according to Dong-One and Voos (1997) that â€Å"unions possess both a collective voice face and a monopoly face†. In the event that there are several groups in the workforce who have various concerns, it is to the benefit of management for workers to unionize into one group instead of the company having to deal with several groups instead (Flanagan, 1999). It can also make easier the assessment of workers’ dispositions and moods. In one way it can also contribute to labor stability, workers and management are bound by the collective bargaining agreements that are established thus providing specifics for operations, alleviation of concerns and improvement of the company as a whole. Conclusion The suggestion that if proper leadership and motivation techniques are employed and desirable policies devised, workers will not want to unionize is not absolutely conclusive. Workers may still not unionize even if their working conditions are less than desirable when there are legal impediments to do so or there is too much risk associated with the act of unionization. Conversely, workers of companies with good management may still opt to unionize in the vent that they desire an organized representation of themselves, unionize as a means if creating other institutions like cooperatives or lobby groups, or are required by the company or the state to unionize. The statement that â€Å"a company that deserves a union gets one† implies that the organization of labor unions a consequence is also misleading. It suggests that unionization is purely a deterrent to a company. Unionization can improve communication between workers and management, allow management greater access to workforce conditions, and promote the company as a preferred employer thus enhancing public image. There exists a duality in the existence of labor unions in their benefit and burden to an organization. It is important to understand that since individual motivations drive the organization of labor unions, there is no real straightforward judgment on its worth or price. Equally as influential in the organization of labor unions are macroeconomic factors that stem from national labor policies, service and product demands and national productivity. It is therefore the conclusion of this paper inefficient leadership and motivation is a significant factor in the formation of unions but it is not a conclusive reason for it is important to consider other contributing factors that can either encourage or inhibit unionization. Reference Atkinson, Rita L., Atkinson, Richard C., Smith, Edward E., Bem, Daryl J. (1993). Introduction to Psychology, 11th edition. Orlado, FA: Harcourt and Brace Publishers Bertola, Giuseppe (1999). Microeconomic Perspectives on Aggregate Labor Markets, in Handbook of Labor Economics vol.3B, Amsterdam: North-Holland, pp.2985-3028. Blau, F.D. and L.M. Kahn (1999). Institutions and Laws in the Labor Market, in Handbook of Labor Economics, Vol. 3C, Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1399-1461. Clemens, Jason, Karabegovià ¦, Amela and Veldhuis, Niels (2003). Unionization: The Facts Please. Dong-One,   Kim and Voos (1997). Unionization, Union Involvement and the Performance of Gain Sharing Programs. Feinman, Robert D. (2006). Does Unionization Matter?. Retrieved on August 18, 2006 from http://robertdfeinman.com/society/unionization.html. Flanagan, R.J. (1999), Macroeconomic Performance and Collective Bargaining: An International Perspective, Journal of Economic Literature 37, 1150-1175.      

Native American Poverty Essay

W. E. B Du Bois once stated â€Å"to be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships† (qtd. in Rodgers 1). The Native American culture is often overlooked by many people in the United States today. What many people do not realize is that about twenty-five percent of Native Americans are living in poverty (Rodgers 1). A majority of the poverty among Native Americans is due to the United States breaking treaties that promised funds for their tribes. When non-Native Americans first began migrating to North America, the Indians were slowly having their land stripped away from them, and being pushed to live on small, poorly kept reservations. As well as taking their land, non-Native Americans fought wars with the Indians, wiping out large numbers of their population (Jenkins A9). Living in poverty has caused many early mortalities, alcoholism and crime. Today the few Native American tribes that are still in existence have had enough. They are ready to take control and make their comeback, in hopes of preserving their culture and livelihoods (Gorospe 95). Several tribes have begun opening and operating their own casino resorts, some have failed, but several have been successful (Nykiel 51). President Obama has also been making promises of funds to the Native American tribes, hopefully these promises will be kept, and improve the Native Americans way of life (Nasaw 1). Native Americans are beginning to find the determination needed to make a comeback. Much of this determination in from anger, so much has been taken from them that their angry emotions towards the non-Native Americans is quite understandable. Land has been taken from the Native Americans, they have been forced to relocate several times. While relocating their economic resources are taken from them and they are not given any chance to provide for themselves. The reservations in which the Native Americans are forced to relocate to are hardly livable. Un-fair wars have been forced upon them and no respect has been shown to Native Americans (Jenkins A9). One main reason for poverty among Native Americans is the United States Government being unable to provide the billions of dollars that have been promised to Native American tribes. A leader from the Sioux tribe states that â€Å"they were riding to overcome the poverty, alcoholism and despair that had engulfed their people for more than a century, and said real healing would not be possible until the U. S. Government lived up to its treaty obligations† (Walsh 8). Native American reservations are small and isolated. The living conditions are poor due to the lack of money, so as a result this can cause many health problems for Native Americans. There are poor roads and no sidewalks, which makes it difficult to travel in and out of the reservation, so this would be a main reason for their isolation. No forms of public transportation are provided for the reservations since there is no money. There is no money for the Native Americans because the United States Government has not provided the funding that they have promised (Gorospe 96). Basically it is a domino effect that is not benefiting the Native American population in anyway. Before the Europeans migrated to America, Native Americans did not face many diseases. Post-arrival of the Europeans, diseases such as smallpox, influenza, measles, typhus, malaria, leprosy, and several others began to effect the Native American population (Grandbois 1002). Presently these diseases and many other disabilities can be one of the many reasons why Native Americans are in poverty. It is inconvenient for Native Americans to seek help when it comes to being ill, so a majority of the time they rely on natural cures or do not seek help at all. In many Native American cultures they live with their extended families who will provide the disabled member of the family with whatever tasks they are unable to complete, so many do not view themselves as disabled(Gorospe 96). As well as any other person, disabilities severely affect a Native Americans life. Having a disability or disease causes a person to be unable to work, so as a result this would cause a person to have less income and live in even more poverty than a fully able Native American. In an emergency situation it can be very difficult to seek help due to lack of transportation and isolation of the reservations, this can make it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach the reservations. In 1976 the Indian Health Care Improvement Act was passed. The act stated that Native Americans would receive the same forms of health care that all other Americans were receiving. In 1992 it was time for Congress to reauthorize the act, but they never did. Since this act has not been reauthorized many Native Americans health systems are out of date and in serious need of improvement. Once this act is reauthorized it will improve disease screening on reservations, provide funding to modernize Native American health facilities, and will also help the Native American population better understand ways to prevent illness and disease (Rodgers 4). Tom Rodgers states that If providing better health care to Native Americans during a time of Wall Street bailouts seems too costly, we should recognize that we currently spend thirty percent more per capita on health care in American prisons than on Native Americans, whose ancestors aided the Pilgrims, fed the soldiers freezing in Valley Forge, helped Lewis and Clark explore our nation, and proudly hoisted the flag on Iwo Jima (Rodgers 4). It is ridiculous that the Native Americans, who have helped many people, are put behind prisoners that have done wrong. Health care is one thing that should be offered to all no matter what their ethnicity is. Many Native Americans are unaware of opportunities that are available due to the isolation that they face on reservations. In 1992 only seventy-eight percent of Native Americans received a high school diploma. This makes Native Americans the least likely of all minority groups, besides Hispanics, to obtain a high school degree. One main reason for Native Americans being unable to obtain a high school diploma is having to leave school to get a job. If a member of their family faces an illness or disability that causes them to be unable to work, the younger members of the family are going to need to help provide for the family. In many cases there is not a disability or illness, Native Americans have very poor wages and are unable to survive on only two incomes. Only eleven percent of Native Americans continues on to college after high school and receives a degree. Being a minority student automatically gives Native Americans a disadvantage. Parents of minority youth tend to have lower levels of education, and this is directly linked to what kind of performance their child will have in school (Donelan 4). In 1995 Native Americans had an overwhelming rate of unemployment at thirty-two percent. Since Native Americans are likely to obtain lower levels of education this puts them at greater risk for unemployment (Marshall 3). In today’s society many occupations require some type of formal education. For many Native Americans the only option they have is to have a job rather than a career. Being isolated on a reservation causes. Native Americans to be unable to access many of the well-paying jobs that are offered to the non-Native American population. In 1995 an average annual income for a Native American household was ten-thousand dollars (Marshall 6). Many Native American households include extended families, so this would be the income to support a very large household. A few Native American tribes have begun opening casinos in hopes to become successful and keep their heritage alive. Foxwoods is the first Native American casino to be opened, it is also the most successful casino resort. Mohegan Sun, another casino resort, follows close behind Foxwoods in their success. Foxwoods casino was created to help save the Mashantucket Pequot Nation from having their reservation taken from them and turned into a state park. In 1992 Foxwoods Resort Casino opened creating nearly thirteen thousand jobs for members on the Mashantucket Pequot Nation and members of surrounding towns. Not only are the casinos benefiting the tribes, they are also benefiting the communities they reside in. Foxwoods has an annual revenue of over one billion dollars. The casino is also home to a Native American Museum that has become a leading cultural attraction in Connecticut. There are several other Native American owned and run casino resorts throughout the United States that have been successful such as: Mohegan Sun, Turning Stone in New York, Barona in California, Sac and Fox in Iowa, Silver Star in Mississippi, this is just to name a few. Casinos have helped pull many Native American tribes out of poverty and preserve their heritage through the decor of their casinos. There have been a few casinos that have failed due to poor locations, unrealistic expectations, unfulfilled promises, high debt to income ration, and poor management through the tribe’s members and the management companies hired to help. Now that many of these tribes are out of poverty they are using their income to create more opportunities for young tribal members. Many of their funds are being dedicated to education for all Native Americans, including college. Several scholarships have been created to ensure further education for those who seek it. Gaming has also created more opportunity to preserve their tribe’s history and culture (Nykiel 51-56) Even though Native Americans and non-Native Americans are on the same continent there are significant cultural differences that can create a barrier between the two different cultures. Non-Native Americans need to have a very strong drive to help Native Americans since there are so many barriers. The Native Americans being isolated on the reservations keeps the two different cultures apart. The fact that transportation from the reservation is very difficult to obtain causes Native Americans to be unwilling to make the effort to leave the reservations. Native Americans have very different beliefs when it comes to treating health problems. They also handle a person that commits a felony very differently than how non-Native Americans do. These differences can make it difficult for non-Native Americans to help the Native Americans, more training is required to be able to understand how the Native Americans react to some situations. Native Americans would rather have relationships with individuals than a group or organization, so one on one interaction is very important. Rather than Native Americans working with several different individuals it is beneficial to work with just one and form a relationship. Language differences also causes problems when seeking help from non-Native Americans. Some Native Americans speak English as their second language and feel comfortable speaking in their native language. There are many differences that non-Native Americans need to take into account before they can try and help Native Americans, sometimes a person is un-willing to take the extra effort to gain the knowledge needed to help the Native Americans (Gorospe 96). John F. Kennedy once stated â€Å"for a subject worked and reworked so often in novels, motion pictures, and television, American Indians remain probably the least understood and most misunderstood Americans of all†(Donelan 3). Although this is true, it also takes effort from non-Native Americans to try and communicate with the Native American culture. It cannot be assumed that if help is needed it will always be sought. Native Americans have had their economic resources taken from them by the non-Native American cultures, they have been driven off their land, and have been given no respect. Some Native Americans may be intimidated or un-trusting since the United States Government has broken so many treaties with them. The United States Government needs to make the effort to help the struggling Native American culture pull themselves out of poverty. President Obama has vowed to end the neglect of the past two hundred years that the Native Americans have endured. The Native Americans have given Obama the name â€Å"One who helps people throughout the land†. Obama has signed a memorandum that is stating that the government is to converse with the existing Native American tribes to try and assist them. President Obama has appointed an Indian from the Cherokee Nation to become an adviser on Indian issues, he has also appointed a member on the Rosebud Sioux tribe to be the head of Indian Health Services. Hopefully some progress will be made to help the existing Native American tribes become more prosperous in today’s society (Nasaw 1). Alcoholism has become a major problem in the Native American culture. Many people, not just Native Americans, view alcohol as an escape from their problems. The fact that a majority of Native Americans are in poverty and have very few opportunities offered to them has a lot to do with the problem of alcoholism on many reservations. To solve the problem of alcoholism, Native Americans believe in a sweat lodge ceremony rather than alcoholics anonyms meetings. A sweat lodge ceremony is used to obtain spiritual purification through prayer, many members of the tribe participate to try and purify the person (Donelan 2). Life on Native American reservations can be very violent. According to statistics from 1992 to 1996, one hundred and fifty Native Americans were murdered per year (Donelan 1). Native Americans have a large amount of anger towards the people that have caused them to be in poverty that they are releasing their anger and causing harm to their own people. Poverty among Native American’s is one of the most overlooked forms of poverty. Native Americans were the very last to be granted the right to vote, it is time for something to be done to change the way the Native Americans have been treated. Many people were unaware that November was Native American Indian Heritage Month and the day after Thanksgiving is Native American Heritage day (Rodgers 2). I am sure that nobody celebrated or gave thanks for the many sacrifices the Native Americans have made for the United States. Any problems Native Americans face can somehow be related to the fact that the United States Government was unable to follow through with their treaty to pull them out of poverty. It is a disgrace that the first human to walk on the continent of North America are known as the most neglected minority group in the country (Gorospe 95). [pic] Works Cited Donelan, Brenda. â€Å"The Unique Circumstances of Native American Juveniles Under Federal Supervision. † Federal Probation 63. 2 (1999): 68. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. . Gorospe, Martha G. â€Å"Overcoming Obstacles and Improving Outcomes. † Bilingual Review 24 (1999): 95. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. . 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