Global Warming as a Social Problem Essay Example

Global Warming as a Social Problem Paper While most commonly thought of social problems are based on discrimination and stereotypes, one specific social problem that does not fit into these standards s global warming. Global warming is an increase in earths average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate That may result from the greenhouse effect (Dictionary-corn). As a social problem, global warming is a fairly large and broad topic. The greenhouse effect is an environmental condition caused by excessive quantities of carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. These definitions are simply physical definitions. In terms of being a social problem, global warming and the greenhouse affect yields harmful effects on every community and society s a whole. This type of social problem does not choose its victim based on race, gender, sexual orientation, class, income, age, or any stereotypical category a person can be placed in. Not every person is equally affected by this, but everyone is susceptible to dealing with this problem. The greenhouse effect is a factor in causing global warming. Global warming is caused by many factors and different kinds of pollution. The main type of pollution that affects global warming is air pollution. Air pollution is simply defined as pollution of the atmosphere, which ties in with the greenhouse effect. Air pollution can also be defined as the addition of harmful chemicals to the atmosphere. The most serious air pollution results from the burning of fossil fuels, especially in internal-combustion engines (Dictionary. Com). Air pollution, along with any other type of pollution are mostly caused by humans actions. The way people live today, and how they use their resources in daily life results in everyday pollution. Pollution can be considered as an undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities (Dictionary. Com). People may not realize this, but their actions directly affect their surroundings. Completing daily tasks such as driving a car has detrimental effects on Earths atmosphere and pollution levels. Global warming causes physical harm to humans, animals, and plant life. A change in the Earths climate could be detrimental to the Earths life. The physical harm that is inflicted on all of living life due to global warming poses as a problem: a social problem. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming as a Social Problem specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming as a Social Problem specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming as a Social Problem specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Global warming does not choose its victim based on any type of criteria such as race, age, gender, sexual orientation, class, income, or any stereotypical category. Global warming poses as a social problem by affecting a significant number of people, and by threatening the stability of the communitys environment. Since pollution is one Of the main factors in causing global warming, it also comes with health effects. These effects range from being short-term to being long-term. Short-term effects can be as simple as headaches nausea, and allergic reactions such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia can also occur. An example in history of health effects from pollution can be found in the Smog Disaster in 1952 located in London. In this Smog Disaster a total of four thousand people passed in only a few days. The death of these civilians was due to the high concentrations of pollution (Paraphrased from Lb. Gob). Long-term health effects include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys (Lb. Gob). Research has shown that younger children and elderly people are more sensitive to pollution compared to the general public. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly (Lb. Gob). Young hillier and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution (Lb. Gob). With global warming not being in full affect, the extents of the effects are currently unknown. The effects of global warming are only just beginning with mild winters and extremely hot summers. The climate change can be subtle or dramatic depending on how quickly it occurs. The increase in temperature in the climate either way will be harmful. With temperature increases ice caps in the Artic and Antarctica are melting at increasing rates. The melting of ice caps can have many changes includes the destruction of the habitat in the Artic as well as rising sea levels. Global warming could push sea levels about 40 percent higher than current models predict (Encephalographic. Com). Models suggest that by 21 00 sea level[s] will be between four and thirty-five inches Geiger than it was in 1990 (Encephalographic. Com). Ocean front properties and beaches can be destroyed and submerged in water because of these rising sea levels. The higher the temperatures and climates increase, the faster the sea levels will rise. A comparison of this at a minor scale could be like a house built in a flood plain next to a river. The more it rains the Geiger the water will rise. If the water rises to high, it will flood the flood plain, and destroy the house. Coastal areas will be affected similarly. A person could think of the coastal areas as a flood plain for the oceans. Ice caps melt from the rising temperatures, as the water heats up (even just slightly), the water will begin to expand. As the water expands the sea level will rise. Solutions to global warming and its effects range vastly. There are several different types of solutions ranging from micro-level solutions to macro-level solutions. Solutions can range from fuel-efficient vehicles to more environmental laws. Solutions to global warming may not fully diminish the problem, it may only reduce it. Renewable resources could play a main role in the solutions to reducing global warming. A key point is that if we were to switch to renewable resources it would cost the government a lot of money, which could result in higher taxes or some other means of obtaining the necessary amount of money. A plus to using renewable resources is the fact that in the long run they would pay for themselves. Not only would it provide jobs for the people who would be forced to leave the nonrenewable resources, it would also be opening up opportunities for the unemployed. Along with making our environment a safer and more hazard free living zone, wed also be leading towards a better economy. Our current economy state is negatively thought of, and switching to nonrenewable resources could put our government in debt. After so many years renewable resources will not only repay its own debt, but it will also produce a profit. The term renewable resources are relating to a natural resource, such as solar energy, water, or wood, that is never used up or that can be replaced by new growth. Resources that are dependent on Rexroth can sometimes be depleted beyond the point of amenability, as when the deforestation of land leads to desertification or when a commercially valuable species is harvested to extinction. Pollution can also make a renewable resource such as water unusable in a particular location (Dictionary-corn). The future problems dealing with global warming will lead to such massive problems that a solution and change will be demanded. Global warming is a social problem because of the public outcry that is already occurring. The state of our current economy is negatively thought of. If we were to invest in new solutions for global warming it would be a great cost. If we were to pay or the projects to reduce global warming that we believe will have an effect may put our country in great debt. If the country were to switch to fuel- efficient and renewable resources in all institutes and factories it would be a great cost. A good way to evaluate the methods of our solutions to global warming would involve technology we already possess. Measuring CO levels in the atmosphere and the amounts of trash and liter in our surrounding environment in comparison to the current and predicted conditions would only be a start. Actually comparing climate conditions to the predicted conditions would be a good evaluation.

Cultural Literacy Example

Cultural Literacy Example Cultural Literacy – Coursework Example Cultural Literacy Key differences between American and Chinese culture originate in the differences in people’s lifestyles, socializing habits, and cuisines and eating habits etcetera. While Americans are more independently going, self-oriented, and have well-defined personal space, Chinese are more community-oriented with strong family ties and robust social network. If I were to do business in China, I would have to be more open and vivacious in greeting others. I would be expected to have a lot of friends and Chinese people are not difficult to make friends as they are quite friendly and easy going. Once upon a time, I was in a gathering. There were my American neighbors and a couple from the Middle East. Handshaking between men and women is a common practice in the US. People shake hands all the time, whether they are in office, park, or at home with friends. My American neighbor John, who also happens to be my close friend, was the host. While we were attending the guests , John offered the Middle Eastern couple some wine, but they respectfully refused. I could sense that John did not like that since he had spent a lot on wine. This was where I intruded and said with a wide grin on my face,†haha; America is a melting pot of cultures, beautifully blending yet retaining their originality; right John?† John got the point and joined in the conversation. What could otherwise have been jeopardized in a misunderstanding, sprang into a strong networking with good understanding of and respect for the cultural differences as a result of my intervention.

Compensation Plan Outline Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compensation Plan Outline - Assignment Example The following is an outline of Kellogg’s compensation plan. Kellogg is the world’s number one producer of cereal, snacks, and frozen food producer including, crackers, cookies, cereal bars, fruits, flavored snacks, toaster pastries, veggie foods, and frozen waffles. In order to motivate its employees, the company has come up with a compensation plan, which provides eligible workers with a competitive form of retirement benefits depending on the years of service and pay and improve the performance of the employees. Kellogg Company uses a variety of equity-based compensation plans to provide long-term compensation to employees (Zoltners, Sinha, & Lorimer, 2006). Currently, the company’s incentives comprise of only stock options and executive performance shares, stock grants, and restricted stock units. In addition, Kellogg Company compensates employees for tax equalization payments, travel and home leave allowances, adjustments for cost of living, moving and relocation allowances, utilities and housing allowances, and hardship pr emiums and foreign service allowances (Harding & Rovit, 2004). Kellogg Company agrees to give compensations and benefits, according to the terms and condition of the Company’s benefit and compensation rules and regulations. Employees warrant and represent that an employee has gone through the compensation plan and understood its application and meaning. For the purpose of the compensation plan, employees in Kellogg Company agree that.A worker shall receive compensation and benefits as according to the compensation plan. According to the compensation plan of Kellogg Company, employees should receive compensation pay, which is equal to two operational years of target bonus and base salary. Such compensation amount shall be paid to employees under equal install aments as from the departure date (Plunkett, Jack, & Plunkett, 2009). According to Kellogg Company, then the

Dq-Sheila Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dq-Sheila - Essay Example Qualitative research is categorized as studies conducted in order gain an understanding of phenomenon based on their environment and their interaction with the environment. Another important feature of this research is that those conducting the study have to make their own effort to collect as well as analyze data. These studies are based on observations so the researcher has to himself visit the settings in order to observe constructs and their behaviors (Tracy, 2013). This form of research is conducted for inductive purposes. This means that this type of research helps in developing theories as well as hypothesis that is used in further researches. For example a study was conducted by Heslehurst et al. in which the researchers tried to understand the perception of healthcare practitioner’s regarding ways through which maternity services can be further developed (Heslehurst, 2011). For this study the researchers personally interviewed 30 participants and they identified that maternity services can further be developed in order to counter obesity among pregnant women by increasing communication between private and public healthcare organizations. There are major differences in the characteristics of both qualitative as well as quantitative researches. The quantitative ones are objective in nature and the qualitative ones are subjective and the quantities ones try to answer the question of how strong is the connection between environment and the phenomenon, while the qualitative ones only focus on why the phenomenon occurred and the definition of the phenomenon. The quantities ones focus on identifying whether the theory developed through qualitative research is true or false. The outcomes of the study in quantities are based on statistical tools, while in qualitative study the outcome is interpreted by the researcher. For example a quantitative study was conducted by Van den Broeck et al. in

Paths To Salvation In Bhagavad Gita Religion Essay

Paths To Salvation In Bhagavad Gita Religion Essay This essay is about the paths to salvation in Bhagavad-Gita. Others religion such as: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism have one path to salvation. This path to salvation means complete devotion to god. In the Bhagavad-Gita, there are three paths to salvation. They are Bhakti, Janna and Karma yoga, also kwon as the yoga of knowledge, the joga of devotation and the joya of action. Those paths have the same goal. This goal is to achieve salvation. The first path, Bhakti, also known as the Goya of devotion, means loves and blisss goal. The way to attain Morsha is through devotion for god. Keep me in your mind and devotion, sacrifice to me, bow to me, discipline your self toward, and you will reach me![ 1]. In the Vaishavana pantheon, this path has five forms: Santa, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalva and Madhura. The first of them is calm devotion for god. The other four involve emotional attachment with god. For example Sakhya is treating god as a friend. Dasya is serving god. Madhuara is treating god as husband. Vatsalya is treating god as a child. In Bhagavad-Gita, there are nine acts of devotion: Sravana, which is hearing of god, Kirtana which is praising god, Sharama, which is remembering god, Padasevana, which is service in general, Arcana, which is worshiping, Vandana which is bowing, Dasya, which is serving like a servant, Sakhaya which is befriending god and athanivedana, which is making total surrender. The salvation and moksha are achieved through complete devotion to krisha. The second path, Janna is also known as the yoga of knowledge. When ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the self, then, like the sun, knowledge illumines ultimate reality.[ 2]. This path allows people to discover the way of wisdom, to discover what truth is, what is eternal, and what is not eternal. Knowledge leads to the achievement salvation. With the knowledge, people find spiritual peace, which means salvation. With the knowledge, people can break the barrier of the ignorance that trapped the person. Knowledge is like the sunlight that illuminates the dark path. With the knowledge people can find the union with god. Sravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasana are the three means in Janna. The first one is learning from or listening to a teacher. The second one is to remember and reflect on the teaching, and the third one is to meditate on the truth spoken. These means in Janna lead to the discovery of truth. The third path, Karma is also known as the Yoga of action. Be intent on action, not on the fruits of actions, avoid attraction to the fruit and attachment to inaction[3]. This path teaches that the people should act in good faith, which should help other people without anything in return, to act without rancor, without malice, without hate, and to act selflessly. Doing these acts is the only way to find the truth of Brahman that leads to salvation. In conclusion, I would say that the three paths lead to salvation. Gita is considered the most important because require a total and unconditional surrender to god. This path is the devotion of Yoga. This essay is about the central elements of Vedic religion. During this time, there were written sacred scripture. Those scriptures talk about the religion practices that occurred in this time. Those scriptures are known as the four Vedas: Rig Veda, Althar Veda, Sama Veda, and Yagur Veda. Those texts contains hymns and chants that describe this particular moment .During this period, the priests who represent the highest and well educated class in the society were responsible for the rituals and read of the text. Performing rituals became an important part of their daily life. One common ritual was the sacrifice of animals. Also, chanting and prayer were common religious practices too. The rig Veda is considering the most important of the four Vedas. It Contains 1028 hymns, those are divided into eight or ten books. Those hymns contain some wonderful pieces of poetry and were used in rituals. The rituals were performed by the priests, who were responsible for everything. I would say that those rituals were for some noblemen and for the wealthy. In these rituals people prayed for rain, prayed for their family, for the long life and for their harvest. Jajna was an important method of sacrifice. This means building an altar. The performance was around the altar. Fire and offering were thrown into it. The offering included things like butters, milk, meat, cooked grain, intoxicating drink, and other items. The priests invoke gods to seek their blessing. These rites were performed during various interval of the year. Many purposes were associated with this sacrifice. For example they did it during sowing period, during harvest time, and for some social events. The sacrifice of horse was performed in this period only by the kings. This sacrifice was made in order to prove their influence and valor. In this period, there was no scientific explanation for natural phenomena such as rain, wind, and thunder. People feared them and thus worshipped them. This mean that people worshipped different forms of nature as god like earth, moon, sun, rain, sun and other natural phenomena. They believe that the priest posses supernatural power and could control adverse forces by magical means. In conclusion, I would say that during this period the power of the priest increased and animal sacrifice also increased in the name of the religion. Rituals and hymns became common practices of their daily life. The evolution of this religion gave raise to new beliefs and new gods. This essay assignment is about comparing and contrasting both Hinduism and Buddhism religion. Both the Hindus and Buddhist believe in reincarnation or what happens after the life, both follow the same path in order to achieved salvation. Another point they have in common is that both religions were originated in India. There are differences between both religions. For example, Hinduism believes in the caste system and it has three main gods. Buddhism does not believe in the caste system and does not believe in god. Another difference is that Buddhism spread into others countries and Hinduism stayed in India. One similarity is that both the Hindus and Buddhist religion believe in reincarnation that means freedom or release from the cycle of birth and death. Both believe that there are two places that you could go after the death, either you could go to heaven or you could go to hell. Another point that it has in common is that both Hinduism and Buddhism follow the same path to achieve salvation. A further dissimilarity is that both religions were originated in India. One difference is that Hinduism has many gods that govern different aspects of their life. For example, there are three main gods called Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva. Vishnu, who is the preserver, is represented by water. Brahma, who is the creator, is represented by earth, and Shiva, who is the destroyer, is represented by fire. Those gods were believed to control the forces of the nature. Sacred animals are used in Hinduism in order to invoke gods and seek their blessings. Buddhism is a religion that does not believe in god and follows the four noble truths, which are: suffering, origin of the suffering, selflessness and truth of the Path. The eight fold path describes the ways in which every person must live and also advocates the pursuit of many goals in ones life including wealth, prosperity, happiness and love. Another difference is that salvation in Hinduism is known as morksha. This mean release or freedom from the cycle of birth and death. In Buddhism, salvation is known as nirv ana. This means release from this world and the suffering of the human condition. Another difference is that Hinduism believed in the caste system, which means that the society is divided in four classes; those are Brahmins, which were the highest and well educated class represented by the priests. Kshatriyas , which were responsible for the society. Merriments, which were represented by the merchants and Sudras, which were represented by the lowest class and excluded from the religion. Buddhist religion does not believe in caste system. Another difference is that Buddhism spread into many other countries and Hinduism stayed in India. Hinduism is more understable and comprehendible than Hinduism. Buddhist accepted everybody openly and Hinduism accepted people who were born into the caste system. In conclusion, I would like to say that both religions have differences and similarities. The most common similarities is that both religions have the same goal. This goal is to achieve salvation after the death. Both religions prescribe different ways in order to achieved freedom. One religion believes in god and in the caste system, and the other one does not believe in god and does not believe in the caste system.

The Ultimate Sin Exposed in Geothes Faust Essay -- Geothe Faust

Geothe's Faust is similar in many ways to both Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost. The obvious similarity is how each work relates to evil or Hell. Other similarities include how the villains of two of these epics are the most likable characters, and the use of classical and Christian mythology in each poem. Faust deals with evil when he makes a deal with Mephistopheles, or Satan. This deal is that Mephistopheles will give Faust whatever he wants in return for his (Faust's) soul. Inferno is a journey through Hell. Dante is being lead by his guide, Virgil, through the icy parts of Hell, to the center of the earth, while he climbs up Satan's legs into Heaven. Paradise Lost is about how Satan is newly cast out of Heaven and just getting used to his surroundings, which is a more traditional furnace-like Hell unlike the one in Inferno.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mephistopheles, who is supposedly Satan, in Faust, and the Satan portrayed in Paradise Lost are the most likable characters in these plays. Faust seems like more of a villain than Mephistopheles, which is very ironic. Satan is made out to be an evil, manipulating demon, but Mephistopheles is not really like that. He does manipulate Faust in some ways, like with the contract of Faust selling his soul, but Mephistopheles has little more power than a regular person. Also, in the beginning of the play, when he talks to The Lord, he doesn't act serious at all. He actually tells The Lord that he likes Sunday's because of the "peace and quiet". In Paradise Lost, Satan makes God look more evil than (Satan) himself. Satan implies that God is some kind of slave driver, and that it would be "better to reign in Hell then serve in Heaven". They are considered the more likable characters becau... ...your willingness to ask for forgiveness) and deeds you have done. He also uses symbolism through characters in the work to express the nature of man. He implies that man has the power to know the difference and choose between good and evil but because man is imperfect he is bound to makes mistakes. He implies that since the ultimate sin is placing yourself on a level equal to God, pious persons who judge other people, thinking that they are higher than them are placing themselves dangerously close to being equal with God in their assumption they have the power to judge people. This shows hypocrisy because these people believe that they are following God exactly but in effect they are taking it too far and committing one of the worst sins you can commit. Geothe seems to imply all of these things and more based on your personal interpretation of the work.   

Sense of Identity

Developing a sense of self entity is an essential part of every individual becoming a mature person. Each person's self-conception is a unique combination of much identification, identifications as broad as woman or man, Catholic or Muslim, or as narrow as being a member of one particular family. Although self-identity may seem to coincide with a particular human being, identities are actually much wider than that.They are also collective — identities extend to countries and ethnic communities, so that people feel injured when other persons sharing their identity are injured or killed. Sometimes people are even willing to sacrifice their individual lives to preserve their identity groups. The Australians Aboriginal sense of personal identity is derived from only one context, the idea of place. Negara, sense of place, is a word of great importance that contains both physical and metaphysical connotations.Unraveling these apparent contradictions reveals a distance dimension of t he Aboriginal world view and sense of identity. The entire earthly environment is ngurraI, or â€Å"country†, â€Å"camp†, or â€Å"place†, as made by the Ancestor Spirits. The colonization' of Australia by Europeans has caused a lot of problem for the local Aborigines. It drastically reduced their population, damaged ancient family ties, and removed thousands of Aboriginal people from the land they had lived on for centuries.In many cases, the loss of land can mean more than just physical displacement. Because land is so much connected to history and spirituality, the loss of it can lead to a loss of identity. The issue of Aboriginal identity only became an issue after white settlement. However, that is not to say that there was no cultural identity pre-colonization, but more that colonization was the cause of Aboriginal identity to be threatened. There are several ways in which the colonists imposed themselves on Aboriginal society.Firstly, when they arrived t hey needed land to settle on and this of course meant they would take land away from local Aborigines. This action displaced thousands of people from their homeland and severed their spiritual connection to the land. From this point on, the idea of Aboriginal identity was simultaneously created and put at risk. Without land and place to connect people to their heritage, Australian Aborigines were forced to search for other symbols of Aboriginality to provide them with a sense of identity. t is hard to calculate how many aboriginals children â€Å"†¦have been forcibly separated from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia† (Australian Human Rights Commission, 1997) but that it could sit at between one in three and one in ten in the period from 1910 until 1970. Numerous stories outlined in the report that the environments these children were forced into after being taken from their parents were far from acceptable.On e example is the story of Jennifer who was taken from her parents and taken to Cootamundra Home where â€Å"Some of the staff was cruel to the girls. Punishment was caning or belting and being locked in the box-room or the old morgue† (BTH, 1997). This story is not in isolation, there are others. In Paul’s case no one in his foster family ever acknowledged or discussed his heritage and he was left to feel different based the observation that his skin looked different; he was 18 before someone mentioned that he was of Aboriginal descent.The importance of identity for many aboriginal people seems to be recognized on a broader scale than in recent years. The negative media images which drew a direct line between Indigenous people and violence and alcohol have been replaced with more realistic images, depicting vibrant and diverse people and cultures. As well, the importance of ‘place’ would appear to be slowly acknowledged as critical to Indigenous peopleâ₠¬â„¢s sense of identity. Place is used here to describe a belonging to and knowledge of country and kinship to its people.This was denied to many Indigenous people due to the assimilation policies introduced in the 1940’s. Indigenous people lost contact with their families, with their land, with their very essence. Children were taken from their families to be institutionalized or fostered with Anglo Australians. Aboriginal people were forced from their country and moved onto reserves. Anglo Australians made all decisions for Indigenous people, (including who was or was not aboriginal! ) Sense of Identity Developing a sense of self entity is an essential part of every individual becoming a mature person. Each person's self-conception is a unique combination of much identification, identifications as broad as woman or man, Catholic or Muslim, or as narrow as being a member of one particular family. Although self-identity may seem to coincide with a particular human being, identities are actually much wider than that.They are also collective — identities extend to countries and ethnic communities, so that people feel injured when other persons sharing their identity are injured or killed. Sometimes people are even willing to sacrifice their individual lives to preserve their identity groups. The Australians Aboriginal sense of personal identity is derived from only one context, the idea of place. Negara, sense of place, is a word of great importance that contains both physical and metaphysical connotations.Unraveling these apparent contradictions reveals a distance dimension of t he Aboriginal world view and sense of identity. The entire earthly environment is ngurraI, or â€Å"country†, â€Å"camp†, or â€Å"place†, as made by the Ancestor Spirits. The colonization' of Australia by Europeans has caused a lot of problem for the local Aborigines. It drastically reduced their population, damaged ancient family ties, and removed thousands of Aboriginal people from the land they had lived on for centuries.In many cases, the loss of land can mean more than just physical displacement. Because land is so much connected to history and spirituality, the loss of it can lead to a loss of identity. The issue of Aboriginal identity only became an issue after white settlement. However, that is not to say that there was no cultural identity pre-colonization, but more that colonization was the cause of Aboriginal identity to be threatened. There are several ways in which the colonists imposed themselves on Aboriginal society.Firstly, when they arrived t hey needed land to settle on and this of course meant they would take land away from local Aborigines. This action displaced thousands of people from their homeland and severed their spiritual connection to the land. From this point on, the idea of Aboriginal identity was simultaneously created and put at risk. Without land and place to connect people to their heritage, Australian Aborigines were forced to search for other symbols of Aboriginality to provide them with a sense of identity. t is hard to calculate how many aboriginals children â€Å"†¦have been forcibly separated from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia† (Australian Human Rights Commission, 1997) but that it could sit at between one in three and one in ten in the period from 1910 until 1970. Numerous stories outlined in the report that the environments these children were forced into after being taken from their parents were far from acceptable.On e example is the story of Jennifer who was taken from her parents and taken to Cootamundra Home where â€Å"Some of the staff was cruel to the girls. Punishment was caning or belting and being locked in the box-room or the old morgue† (BTH, 1997). This story is not in isolation, there are others. In Paul’s case no one in his foster family ever acknowledged or discussed his heritage and he was left to feel different based the observation that his skin looked different; he was 18 before someone mentioned that he was of Aboriginal descent.The importance of identity for many aboriginal people seems to be recognized on a broader scale than in recent years. The negative media images which drew a direct line between Indigenous people and violence and alcohol have been replaced with more realistic images, depicting vibrant and diverse people and cultures. As well, the importance of ‘place’ would appear to be slowly acknowledged as critical to Indigenous peopleâ₠¬â„¢s sense of identity. Place is used here to describe a belonging to and knowledge of country and kinship to its people.This was denied to many Indigenous people due to the assimilation policies introduced in the 1940’s. Indigenous people lost contact with their families, with their land, with their very essence. Children were taken from their families to be institutionalized or fostered with Anglo Australians. Aboriginal people were forced from their country and moved onto reserves. Anglo Australians made all decisions for Indigenous people, (including who was or was not aboriginal! )