When Your Kids Dont Love Your Favorite Childhood Stories

When Your Kids Dont Love Your Favorite Childhood Stories This is a guest post from Rebecca Einstein Schorr. Rebecca is a rabbi, essayist, special needs advocate, and life-wrangler. When she’s not channeling all of the energy into her duties as chief scullery maid, freelance writer, and editor of a professional newsletter, Rebecca can be found reading. Her husband continues to marvel how it is she finds time to read when it seems that there wasn’t time for her to do the laundry. (Sorry, honey.) Chat with her on Twitter @RebeccaSchorr. It was my dream trip. To visit Prince Edward Island, during the summer, and traipse through all of Anne Shirley’s girlhood haunts. Mentioning this to my husband as we planned our first married trip together, his reply could not have been more perfect: save that trip for when our future daughter (God-willing) is old enough to share the experience with you. It was, I now see, a risky dream on which to hang my straw hat. Had we only had sons, or been unable to have any children, the dream would have ended right there and then. But at the time it seemed to be a very Gilbert Blythe-like response. And just a few months into our marriage, these alternatives were not even part of our consciousness. Imagine, then, my delight when I gave birth to a daughter. Mere hours after entering the world, I cradled my dark-haired beauty in the crook of my arm and told her of all the wonderful things that awaited her including a far-off journey we would take together after she had (of course) fallen in love with the world of Anne of Green Gables. Lilly was slow to read. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it; it’s just that she wasn’t very good at it. We had followed the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics to a tee. We read to our children daily. With inflection. And asked them questions. Our home is filled with books and each child has his or her own personal library. They see my husband and me read for enjoyment. Not just books, but all sorts of periodicals. We are the model family when it comes to reading readiness. And yet all three of our kids have struggled with the printed word. Everything about Lilly as a little girl indicated that she would share my deep affection for these stories and the world L.M. Montgomery described. She loved tea parties and ruffled dresses and dreaming of fantastical places. But when the reading light bulb in her brain was finally switched to the on position, it wasn’t the beloved books of my youth she desired. Beverly Clearly? Nope. Laura Ingalls Wilder? No way. Neither The Little Princess nor The Secret Garden captured her heart. Not even Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden could hold her interest. Instead, she gravitates towards the Dork Diaries, The Land of Stories, and, her latest literary obsession, the Percy Jackson series. Dare I suggest a book, especially one with fond childhood memories, it is met with rolled eyes and a heavy sigh. I could write this off as Lilly’s attempt to separate herself from me. After all, she is nearly twelve and is deep in the throes of tweenhood. She vacillates between wanting me to be her BFF and responding to every interaction with such vitriol that I imagine part of my soul being crushed. So I get that my unsolicited recommendations may very well impede on her need to establish her own likes and dislikes. Or â€" and this is a harder, but much more important possibility â€" my own daughter just doesn’t love the books I love. And that needs to be OK. While I fantasized about sharing my love for particular books with her, the reality is that I have shared my love of reading with her. So we may or may not ever visit PEI together. But on August 18th, you’ll find me baking a blue cake in honor of Percy Jackson’s birthday. Because that’s her current literary dream. And literary dreams are something that we do have in common.

The Concept of the 360 Degree Performance Evaluation - 275 Words

The Concept of the 360 Degree Performance Evaluation (Essay Sample) Content: The Concept of the 360 Degree Performance EvaluationAuthorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s NameInstitutional AffiliationThe Concept of the 360 Degree Performance EvaluationThe 360-degree appraisal is the appraising of the performance of employees in an organization in which the managers, the co-workers as well as the subordinates all rate an employee anonymously. With the 360 degrees appraisal, the performance of the employee can be reviewed, and his or her work can be critiqued and discussed for a particular period, usually one year. The process of this evaluation is often different in that it receives feedback from the subordinates as well as from the co-workers, instead of receiving feedback from the direct supervisor. According to Blanchard Thacker (2013), the core objective of the process is to better comprehend the way the workers function as part of the general team, and to enhance the ways in which the members of the team work together.My thoughts on this type of evaluation are that the outcomes of the process are more reliable because the feedback is usually obtained from every area in which the employee interacts. When several departments and people offer the same response, it becomes too hard to ignore (Blanchard Thacker, 2013). More so, the evaluation requires anonymity on the sides of the evaluators. The anonymity encourages the evaluators to provide honest and reliable feedback without having the fears of unfavorable repercussions. As such, I suppose that the 360-degree evaluation of performance can effectively work in my current place of work. The...

Essay about How To Take a Dental Impression - 508 Words

Many of us have been to a dentist at some point our lives. There are a number of procedures that can be completed during an appointment that are painless for a patient. One of the pain free procedures would have to be having a dental impression taken. This procedure doesn’t involve needles, or any of the other sharp objects that people seem to dislike. Getting a dental impression is a speedy procedure that only takes a couple of minutes. A dental impression is made using an elastic material called alginate. The impression is a negative of the mouth in which plaster or dental stone is placed, in order to make an accurate copy of the mouth. Impressions are taken for diagnostic reasons and used to construct various types of dental and†¦show more content†¦Next select a dental impression tray that will fit comfortably in the patients’ mouth. Then take four tablespoons of alginate and pour it into the bowl. The alginate must be packed into the measuring cup, because the powder is a light substance and needs to be packed in order to have enough to take a full impression. Next the alginate needs to be put into the mixing bowl with the water. Immediately after pouring stir the water and alginate to moisten all the powder so the mixture will not fly out when spinning. Firmly press the mixture against the sides of the bowl while the machine spins, until the mixture is of a smooth consistency. When the alginate is mixed together it is ready to be used. Finally press the mixture firmly in the dental impression tray, and place it in the patients’ mouth. Once in, press the tray up or down, (depending on whether it is the upper or lower teeth), starting with the back molar and working forward. Rolling the tray from the back to the front will prevent any of the mixture from going down the patients’ throat. While coming to the front teeth, be sure to lift the lip over the dental tray to ensure that the gum line is well defined. The alginate mixture will become firm fairly quickly, depending on how fast it was placed in the mouth after mixing. The substance will be ready to remove when it is hard to the touch. After the impression tray is removed from the mouth the painless procedure isShow MoreRelatedMy Career As A Dental Assistant Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pagesshort career as a registered dental assistant. Immediately after high school, I attended Concorde Career College with the goal of obtaining a dental assistant degree. Dental assistants help dental operators such as dentists and dental hygienists with providing more efficient dental treatment. We also prepare patients for treatments, sterilize instruments, handle instruments, operate dental equipment, process dental radiographs, and take dental impressions (â€Å"Dental Assistant†). After graduationRead MoreDental Tips For Dental Assistant1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthe camera. Could you imagine if people have lost there teeth, how are they going to look and how can they chew food? This was the reason I went to dental assisting school and become a registered dental assistant. After high school, I have attended Concorde Career College and received my dental assistant degree. Dental assistants assist the dental operators such as dentists or dental hygienists in providing more efficient dental treatment. We also preparing patients for treatment, sterilizingRead MoreTips For A Dental Assistant Essay1506 Words   |  7 Pages but could you imagine if people have lost there teeth, how are they going to look and how can they chew food? This was the reason I went to dental assistant school and become a register dental assistant. After high school, I have attended Concorde Career College and received my dental assistant degree. As one of dental assistant, we assist the dental operators such as dentists or dental hygienists in providing more efficient dental treatment. We preparing the patient for treatment, sterilizingRead MoreEssay On Dental Website1005 Words   |  5 Pagestoday having a dental practice website is not enough. You must have a distinguished and prominent website for your practice. It is what your patients value and look for, especially people who are searching for a new dentist. Without a comprehensive website suitable for your patients and future patients it is easier for them to look for other options. Complete Dental Marketing has made dental websites throughout the United States since 1999 and has only gotten better! C.D.M dental website designRead MoreDental Assisting Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagesstudying at CFCC to get into the Dental Assisting program. Upon graduating, I would like to acquire a job at an orthodontists office. The employment for this occupation is actually expected to grow much faster than average; between 2008 and 2018, employment is expected to grow 36 percent. The job demand in the Cape Fear area seems to be fairly higher than other areas in North Carolina, and higher than some other states as well. The average starting salary for dental assistants in 2008 was aboutRead MoreCosmetic Dentistry Essay1482 Words   |  6 Pagesimproving a person’s teeth, smile, and mouth. General dentistry deals with what needs to be done whereas Cosmetic dentistry is what you desire to be done. Cosmetic dentistry takes a lot of extra time and special training on the materials used. So therefore only dentists who are truly passionate about improving the teeth and smile take the time and extra money to do it. Cosmetic dentistry can also be used to restore a cavity. This is because cavities are mostly fixed by digging out the debris and fillingRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Dental Anxiety1024 Words   |  5 PagesOutline - Phobia Definition - Dental phobia - Causes of phobia - Signs of phobia - Common fears - Diagnosis - Proper phobia approach - Management: A. Adult Management Strategies B. Pediatric anxiety management - Conclusion - References ïÆ'Ëœ Phobia Definition: - A phobia is an intense fear of something that has little or no actual danger. In general, most of the phobias develop in childhood but they can also develop in adulthood. ïÆ'Ëœ What is Dental Anxiety or Phobia? - Dental anxiety is very common andRead MoreCad / Cam ( Computer Aided Manufacturing )1747 Words   |  7 Pages There is no doubt in any dental professional s mind that most people would prefer to spend as little time in the dental chair as possible. Dental work is extremely important but restorative procedures are not exactly pleasant, and many people are fearful of what they entail. This is especially true when a patient is faced with a long, drawn out procedure which requires several visits. Treatment for receiving crowns, veneers, bridges, orthodontics, or removable prosthesis are typical examples ofRead MoreWhen Working In A Dental Laboratory There Are Many Safe1520 Words   |  7 Pages When working in a dental laboratory there are many safe operating procedures that should take place.Dental pumice is used as an abrasive for finished and polishing of dental appliances. Pumice contains crystalline silica , its very harmful substance when breathed and can cause severe breathing problems such as silicosis and a group of lung diseases. When working with pumice we must ensure to always wear gloves as it can be drying on the skin , always wear some type of face mask and this must beRead MoreEssay on How To Interview for a Position as a Dental Assistant992 Words   |  4 PagesYou have found a vacancy for a Dental Assistant and you know you are the perfect candidate, but how do you demonstrate this in an interview? A dental assistant is an important position in all practices. The ability to liaise with patients, prepare dental equipment and complete administration duties with ease are essential. Most dental practices will carry out initial interviews through third party agencies. Such agencies review curriculums for relevancy and push forward recommended candidates

The Persian Achaemenid Dynasty

The Achaemenids were the ruling dynasty of Cyrus the Great and his family over the Persian empire, (550-330 BC). The first of the Persian Empire Achaemenids was Cyrus the Great (aka Cyrus II), who wrested control of the area from its Median ruler, Astyages. Its last ruler was Darius III, who lost the empire to Alexander the Great. By the time of Alexander, the Persian Empire had become the largest empire so far in history, stretching from the Indus River in the East to Libya and Egypt, from the Aral Sea to the northern coast of the Aegean Sea and the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. The Achaemenids Cyrus I (ruled at Anshan)Cambyses I, Cyrus son (ruled at Anshan) Achaemenid Empire Kings Cyrus II (the Great) [550-530 BC] (ruled from Pasargadae)Cambyses II [530-522 BC]Bardiya [522 BC] (possibly, a pretender)Darius I [522-486 BC] (ruled from Persepolis)Xerxes I (the Great) [486-465 BC]Artaxerxes I [465-424 BC]Xerxes II [424-423 BC]Darius II (Ochus) [423-404 BC]Artaxerxes II (Arsaces) [404-359 BC]Artaxerxes III (Ochus) [359-338 BC]Artaxerxes IV (Arses) [338-336 BC]Darius III [336-330 BC) The vast region conquered by Cyrus II and his descendants could not, obviously, be controlled from Cyrus administrative capital at Ecbatana or Darius center at Susa, and so each region had a regional governor/protector called a satrap (responsible to and representatives of the great king), rather than a sub-king, even if the satraps were often princes wielding kingly power. Cyrus and his son Cambyses started expanding the empire and the developing an effective administrative system, but Darius I the Great perfected it. Darius boasted of his accomplishments through multi-lingual inscriptions on a limestone cliffside at Mount Behistun, in western Iran. Architectural styles common throughout the Achaemenid empire included distinctive columned buildings called apadanas, extensive rock carvings and stone reliefs, climbing staircases and the earliest version of the Persian Garden, divided into four quadrants. Luxury items identified as Achaemenid in flavor were jewelry with polychrome inlay, animal-headed bracelets and carinated bowls of gold and silver. The Royal Road The Royal Road was a major intercontinental thoroughfare probably built by the Achaemenids to allow access to their conquered cities. The road ran from Susa to Sardis and thence to the Mediterranean coast at Ephesus. Intact sections of the road are cobble pavements atop a low embankment from 5-7 meters in width and, in places, faced with a curbing of dressed stone. Achaemenid Languages Because the Achaemenid empire was so extensive, many languages were required for the administration. Several inscriptions, such as the Behistun Inscription, were repeated in several languages. The image on this page is of a trilingual inscription on a pillar in Palace P of Pasargadae, to Cyrus II, probably added during the reign of Darius II. The primary languages used by the Achaemenids included Old Persian (what the rulers spoke), Elamite (that of the original peoples of central Iraq) and Akkadian (the ancient language of the Assyrians and Babylonians). Old Persian had its own script, developed by the Achaemenid rulers and based partly on cuneiform wedges, while Elamite and Akkadian were typically written in cuneiform. Egyptian inscriptions are also known to a lesser degree, and one translation of the Behistun inscription has been found in Aramaic. Updated by  N.S. Gill Sources Aminzadeh B, and Samani F. 2006. Identifying the boundaries of the historical site of Persepolis using remote sensing. Remote Sensing of Environment 102(1-2):52-62. Curtis JE, and Tallis N. 2005. Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia. University of California Press, Berkeley. Dutz WF and Matheson SA. 2001. Persepolis. Yassavoli Publications, Tehran. Encyclopedia Iranica Hanfmann GMA and Mierse WE. (eds) 1983. Sardis from Prehistoric to Roman Times: Results of the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis 1958-1975. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sumner, WM. 1986 Achaemenid Settlement in the Persepolis Plain. American Journal of Archaeology 90(1):3-31.

A Day That Marks The Progression Of Our Nations Military

Operation Enduring PMS January 24, 2013 is a day that marks the progression of our nation’s military to one of gender equality. Women are now allowed to compete for combat roles alongside men. In fact, two women have completed the Army Ranger course at Fort Benning. This is one of the hardest courses to complete in the Army. Wikipedia provides this description for the school, â€Å"ranger students conduct about 20 hours of training per day, while consuming two or fewer meals daily totaling about 2,200 calories, with an average of 3.5 hours of sleep a day. Students sleep more before a parachute jump for safety considerations. Ranger students typically wear and carry some 65–90 pounds of weapons, equipment, and training ammunition while†¦show more content†¦Their standards are high for one reason: combat readiness. These standards have been around for a long time and have made our military the strongest fighting force on the planet. Women have been in the military for a long time, but they have served in combat support roles. That is not to say that women have not ever been in combat. There are a lot of great stories of heroic women who have gone above the call of duty to keep this country safe. However, they have not had to do it on a regular basis. Being in a combat role is extremely hard on one’s body. Most men who do this job come away with injured backs, PTSD, worn out knees, and many other role specific injuries. These injuries accumulate over an extended amount of training and combat experience. Are women up to this arduous task? Women are not ready to join the ranks of men in the combat arms. Gender equality has no place on the battlefield. This is based on the following reasons: 1) Biologically, women are not equipped to handle the body stresses that are associated with combat roles. 2) The addition of women in combat roles will undoubtedly increase the number of sexual assaults, STDs, and pregnancies in the various military units. 3) History has shown that the military lowers its standards for women. In a combat role, women must be able to complete the standards that are set for men. The first reason that women

Benefits And Benefits Of Unpaid Internship - 1375 Words

In today’s paper-chase society, graduates are continuously on the search for prestigious job which meet their expectations. Most major firms offer internship opportunities which give the student first-hand experience, providing a chance for them to immerse in the work, culture and the company business. Many people may argue that it is justifiable to have unpaid internship, because the opportunity to learn a specific skill inside a well-known company is priceless. However I beg to differ, the justification for unpaid internship is relatively weak, and no one should have to work for free especially in the case of profit-making companies. Undeniably, one should seize any internship opportunities as it can fill up a specific skill gap on one’s resume, and this can not be monetised. The candidate can have an insight look about the job scope, and gain real-world experience before they completing their academia. In addition, internship also can serve as a stepping stone for full time employment with major firms, mounting attention has been channeled towards the soft skills aspect of each candidate. According to a survey by Talent Q(2014), part of Hay Group, nine in ten employers believes that graduates with soft skills will become increasingly important as globalisation speeds up. Further than that the majority of employers surveyed by the Hay Group in 2014 believe that entry-level graduates aren’t prepared for the working world and 80% of them were struggling to find graduatesShow MoreRelatedEssay on Unpaid Internships: Pricy or Priceless?1618 Words   |  7 Pagestheir chances of getting their desired jobs. Internships provide valuable experience necessary for jobs and are an important part of the academic career. However, when it comes to internships, the issue of unpaid internships may be raised with opinions differing on the question of the benefits of such unpaid internships. Many people believe that since a salary does not cover the emerging costs, like living expenses and transportation, unpaid internships turn into a pricy experience that lay an evenRead MoreFederal And New York Minimum Wage Laws1586 Words   |  7 Pagesto rely heavily on unpaid internships. The judge had decided that Fox Searchlight should have paid two interns on the movie â€Å"Black Swan,† because they were essentially regular employees. The interns were made to do basic chores usually done by paid employees. The interns were made to take lunch orders, answer phones, track purchase orders, and take out the trash. The judge noted that these internships did not provide an educational val ue and that the studio received the benefits of the work (Greenhouse)Read MoreUnpaid Internships and the Law Essay1348 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Internships play an important role in the career development and recruitment process of young professionals and soon-to-be college graduates. Internships come in two forms: paid and unpaid. Paid internships are most commonly procured in the private sector or in organizations that have financial stability to pay students to gain experience and learn while they work. Unpaid internships are becoming increasingly common in the current workplace where some businesses are cutting costs andRead MoreInternships Do More Harm Than Good965 Words   |  4 PagesInternships do more harm than good What is an internship? An internship is a work-related learning experience for individuals who wish to develop hands on work experience in a certain occupational field. Most internships are temporary assignments that last approximately three months or up to a year. After reading the essayâ€Å" Take This Internship and Shove it â€Å" by Kamenetz Anya who graduated from Yale University, I agree with her that internships do more harm than good because of the opportunity costRead MorePersuasive Essay : Unpaid Internships1392 Words   |  6 PagesOne interesting and controversial topic nowadays is internships. Several people argue whether they are fair or not and there is a great deal of different arguments and points of view. Evidence indicates that internships have more flaws than virtues, and these flaws determine the arguments that demonstrate that they are not fair whatsoever. There is a significant problem: countless students cannot afford this job option, creating an unfair di sadvantage for those scholars with financial difficultiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Glatt V. Fox Searchlight Pictures Inc.1209 Words   |  5 Pages6. Clear Understanding of Non-Payment It is vital that, at the outset of the relationship, the intern and the organization both understand that the job is unpaid and that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship. Although stipends are not always provided to unpaid interns at for-profit enterprises, this type of payment can undermine the understanding of nonpayment. Moreover, if the intern is paid a stipend and he/she is likely to be treated as an employee. AccordinglyRead MoreUnpaid Internship, An Opportunity Or A Tragedy?894 Words   |  4 PagesNhu Truong Prof. Nader IS 301L, GWAR Portfolio Writing #2 November 6, 2014 Unpaid Internship, an Opportunity or a Tragedy? Since the great economic recession in 2008, the United State’s job market has become a fierce competition in which newly graduates have to contend not only with their peers but also the existing experienced workers. The changing economic condition makes â€Å"experience† the only valuable key to enter today’s workforce. As the college students’ desire to seek work experienceRead MoreTake This Internship and Shove It by Anya Kamenetz867 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Take This Internship and Shove It† by Anya Kamenetz is about the declining state of jobs for new college graduates or current college students. Anya Kamenetz is attempting to prove that internships, particularly unpaid internships, are part of the problem of new graduates finding employment in their field of study. Kamenetz is also trying to prove internships are harmful to the job market in general. Kamenetz describes internships as â€Å"fake jobs† and states internships cause low wages and declineRead MoreThe fashion industry is a utopia, of silk and suede and, shoes and belts. It is a place where900 Words   |  4 PagesStart with the whole cycle of spamming and searching again? No. An internship is a better option. But is an unpaid internship the right way to go about it? Thats the real question. An internship is an answer to all the dilemmas faced by young adults trying to choose the right path. It can put one at the top of the game. It allows young aspirants to get a flavor of their dream jobs. And not just that, its an idea that benefits the company and the intern mutually. But with a desperation to reachRead MoreBenefits Of Internships On The Middle Ages1457 Words   |  6 PagesJustin Wu Carol Nader IS301L 5/7/2015 Get What You Can Internships have been around for a very long time. Even in the medieval ages there have been signs of internships through the process of apprenticeship. During the Middle Ages humans did not suddenly become professional blacksmiths. Novices normally went through a process called apprenticeship. Apprentices would study under their teacher in order to familiarize themselves with the craft. Apprenticeships typically last three to six

American Culture and Politics Free Essays

This research looks at American Culture and Politics since there is so much in American history and culture. The proposal paper contains some of the findings about the American politics and culture. This paper can help scholars who want to have a wide knowledge about American politics and culture and how they influence each other. We will write a custom essay sample on American Culture and Politics or any similar topic only for you Order Now The primary research sources that will be used include: Questionnaire and Interview. Secondary sources include: published textbooks, and published statistics. INTRODUCTION To begin with, American conservatives claim that the Left, from its parapets of power in Hollywood, the universities, the national media, the federal courts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, has waged, for decades, a â€Å"culture war† upon the American people — a war that the people have been losing. The conservatives’ complaint is commonly put this way: the Left has set out to â€Å"politicize† American culture, to force it to conform to a new orthodoxy of political correctness in everything from homosexual marriage to pronoun usage (Kesler, 1998). The conservatives’ point is that culture should be above, or at least separated from, the political order; that civil society — the realm of art, religion, family, and private property — should be protected, for the sake of liberty as well as culture, against political encroachments. Instead of politics trying tyrannically or arbitrarily to create culture, politics should devote itself to conserving culture (Combs, 1991). According to Goodnow politics had to do with the policies or expressions of the state will (Parashar, 1997). Thus in the conservative view, politics should grow out of culture and serve culture, not the other way around. Scholars and activist on the left should take warning: What once political movements have become translated into personal quests for fulfillment (Cloud, 1998). But at this point one sees that there are actually two conservative views of culture. They differ on the question of what it means to â€Å"conserve† culture: Does it mean to keep government’s hands off it, to be neutral towards culture and allow it to develop however artists and citizens choose? Or does it mean a hands-on approach, an active promotion of â€Å"traditional American values† against their would-be subverters in and out of government? Hands-off is the preference both of libertarians, who tend to take a democratic and laissez faire attitude towards culture, and of those neo-conservatives who defend high culture against the public’s attempts to influence it (Josephson, 2007). The hands-on approach is preferred by the so-called Religious Right, by most who refer to themselves as â€Å"cultural conservatives† or traditionalists, and by many neo-conservatives who are repelled by the prospect of American society’s utter de-moralization. Even conservatives who are prepared to use government to shore up American culture, however, typically reject the notion that they are â€Å"politicizing† the culture (Whitfield, 1996). They argue that they are only using politics to get beyond politics — that is, to overcome the culture’s artificial or forced politicization. White Southerners, used to a friendly custodial environment, were confronting a more diverse and secular American culture (Marsden, 2006). Seizing upon this contradiction or ambiguity, the Left today charges that conservatives are prepared, when they are prepared, to take a laissez faire attitude towards culture only because theirs — the white male bourgeois culture — is the dominant one. When its hegemony is challenged, liberal critics note, as it is being challenged currently, then conservatives cease to be defenders of a hands-off cultural policy and quickly become advocates of cultural protectionism (Wald, Calhoun-brown, 2006). Yet in challenging the supposed hegemony of patriarchal or conservative culture, most liberal intellectuals do not imagine themselves to be calling for the hegemony of their own culture. Today’s liberals stand for â€Å"multiculturalism,† for the replacement of ruling-class culture by the multiplicity of cultures belonging to oppressed, or formerly oppressed, classes and groups. In the past, white males had used their culture to justify and reinforce their rule over the rest of society; it was white males who â€Å"politicized† culture, according to the multiculturalists (Sturm, 2002). Now, the rest of society — indeed, the world — can bring previously excluded cultures to bear in order to delegitimize the old â€Å"racist, sexist, homophobic† order and ordain a new, more inclusive one (Roper, 2002). From the standpoint of traditionalist conservatism, every society or people are defined by its culture, and therefore every culture is more or less an exclusive one (Neve, 1992). In John O’Sullivan’s words, â€Å"A multicultural society is a contradiction in terms and cannot survive indefinitely. It either becomes monocultural or runs into trouble. â€Å"1 At this juncture, we urgently need some clarity on the meaning of â€Å"culture. † Becoming American was initially a political and constitutional choice, but finally it necessitated a series of profound transformations in business, speech, dress, religion, literature, education, heroes, holidays, civic ceremonies — in character (Bergmann Seminar on Feminism and Culture in Latin America, 1990). The public schools movement was one of the most important, as well as one of the most obvious, of these subsequent efforts to conform the American people to their new republican institutions. It is an old political observation, echoed in Montesquieu and countless other writers, that in the beginning men make the institutions, and after that the institutions make the men. The American founders had this maxim very much in mind as they built the institutions that would guide the nation’s destiny, and today it is worth pondering anew. Perhaps it is time to build some new institutions, if we are to have a real chance to rehabilitate American culture. During a relatively brief period of time the first food industry has helped to transform not only the American diet, but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture (Schlosser, 2001) as a kind of growth: a culture is a living social organism that has particular ethnic â€Å"roots† and develops from those roots, often flowering into unique, that is, characteristic achievements of high art. To understand a culture means therefore to appreciate it in its particularity, to see it as a unique historical growth — not as a mere exemplum of a common and unchanging human nature, much less as an imperfect embodiment of the best political or social order. Reason has little to do with culture in this sense, therefore, because the modern concept of culture emphasizes the ethnic, the particular, the authentic at the expense of the universal; whereas reason strives, even in practical affairs, to see particulars in the light of universals. An authentic culture is natural in the sense of being an uncoerced growth, not in the sense of containing universal principles that can be grasped and perhaps manipulated by reason (Tomsich, 1971). Accordingly, an authentic culture cannot be designed or planned because it cannot be thought through; it is always in the process of slow change or adaptation. Ever since Edmund Burke, whose defense of the British Constitution became the model for the Right’s thinking on the cultural roots of politics in general, conservatives have argued that culture is neither a goal that politicians can seek to achieve nor a product that they can make — let alone export. SUMMARY Oddly enough, the multiculturalists agree with the traditionalists on the primacy of culture over politics, and to some extent even on the definition of culture. What the multiculturalists insist on, however, is that culture does not have to be exclusive, or more precisely, that Americans can participate in many cultures without succumbing to any one of them and without ceasing to be American. But this is to pile absurdity upon absurdity. References Bergmann, E. L. Seminar on Feminism and Culture in Latin America. (1990). Women, culture, and politics in Latin America. California: University of California Press. Cloud, D. L. (1998). Control and consolation in American culture and politics: rhetoric of therapy. New Delhi: SAGE. Combs, J. E. (1991). Polpop 2: politics and popular culture in America today?. New York: Popular Press. Eric Schlosser. (2001). Fast food nation: the dark side of the all-American meal, Volume 1000. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Josephson, M. (2007). The President Makers – the Culture of Politics and Leadership in an Age of Enlightenment 1896-1919. New York: READ BOOKS. Kesler, C. R. (1998, May 15). 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American space, Jewish time: essays in modern culture and politics. New York: M. E. Sharpe. Wald, K. d. Calhoun-brown, A. (2006). Religion and politics in the United States. Oxford: Rowman Littlefield. How to cite American Culture and Politics, Papers