Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Economic and Social Effects of Prohibition Essay example

Economic and Social Effects of Prohibition There are many ways in which prohibition of alcohol consumption in the United States of America, damaged the very economic and social aspects of American culture, that it was designed to heal. â€Å"Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve.† On 16th January 1920, one of the most common personal habits and customs of American society came to a halt. The eighteenth amendment was implemented, making all importing, exporting, transporting, selling and manufacturing of intoxicating liquors absolutely prohibited. This law was created in the hope of achieving the reduction of alcohol consumption, which in turn would reduce: crime, poverty,†¦show more content†¦As a result of this new law, a new social problem arose. â€Å"Seldom has law been more flagrantly violated. Not only did Americans continue to manufacture, barter, and possess alcohol; they drank more of it.† Americans who supported prohibition, argued that if drinking alcohol was illegal, the public would recognize and respect the law, and in turn, would give it up. During the start of prohibition, it appeared as though it was working. But, wh at was really going on, was that since the transportation and production was not allowed, bootleggers had to find ways to do it without being caught. The price of beer rose, because it had to be transported in large barrels, which was more difficult. As a result, people started drinking more potent hard liquor. It took less to get drunk, therefore it was easier to transport, thus, it was cheaper. Americans would drink this potent liquor and get drunk a lot faster, for less money. As a downfall, however, the liquor had no standards. The rate of alcohol related deaths due to poisoning drastically increased from 1,064 in 1920, to 4,154 in 1925. One of the biggest outcomes of prohibition was the development of organized crime. Because liquor was no longer legally available, the public turned to gangsters who took on the bootlegging industry and supplied them with liquor. Because the industry was so immensely profitable, more gangs participated. As a result of the money involved in the bootlegging industry, there was muchShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Effects Of Prohibition1048 Words   |  5 Pagesan institution that could also regulate morals. Though created with good intentions, Prohibition rather had an adverse effect and led to both economic and moral disaster. Due to governmental expansion and growth into spheres not intended in its original design, government harmed America socially and economically, and expanded the facets into which government could have power. Prohibition was enforced for economic reasons in 1917 by Woodrow Wilson as a method to save grain as America entered into WorldRead MoreThe Balloon Effect : A Metaphor That Compares Traditional Drug Prohibition1567 Words   |  7 Pages2 The balloon effect is a metaphor that compares traditional drug prohibition, interdiction, and eradication tactics as the equivalent of trying to squash a balloon without adequate force. Rather than succumb to the weight of the effort, the balloon will simply squash into other directions outside of the location where direct force is being applied. The fact that the drug market in the United States remains robust regardless of various domestic and international drug prohibition, interdiction, andRead MoreLegalization of Drugs Essay1305 Words   |  6 Pagesabout the economic viability of prohibiting certain kind of drugs considered illicit. Many social costs to society are attributable to illicit drugs, along with tobacco, alcohol, and guns. In fact, each of these vices is allegedly responsible for $200 billion annual expenditure in social costs of the USA (Donohue, 2010). Interestingly, all these commodities mentioned above have common characteristics: a sizeable proportion of cons umers responsibly use each of them hence virtually zero social externality;Read MoreAmeric The Rise Of Organized Crime873 Words   |  4 Pagesof organized crime today but where did they arise from? The rise and growth of organized crime in America can be attributed to government intervention in the social lives of the people, the Great Depression, and the jurisdictional limitations set on the authorities at local, state, and federal levels. Government intervention into the social aspects of citizen’s lives ultimately set the stage for organized crime. Mandating certain activities and products as illegal may stop supply, but does not affectRead MoreAn Example Of How Society Changed Change1198 Words   |  5 PagesBrianna Perrotta Crim 220-001 Instructor John Murphy Prompt: Discuss an example of how society was changed due to a change in law: Prohibition. The law is changing everyday for many reasons; these reasons may include Alcohol, Drugs, New ideas, Advancements, Government, Economics, Religion, Education, Family life, Recreation, and New technologies. Crime is the reason America has had to create rules to keep order to our society. These rules are followed my most citizens and those that chose toRead MoreIs the Prohibition of Drugs Useful or Not? Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pagesthe twentieth century, people in many countries become aware of drug prohibition. In fact, every country in the world has a form of drugs prohibition. However, national drug prohibition started in 1920s in the United States as a subgroup of national alcohol prohibition. In 1930 the congress of United States separated drugs from the alcohol prohibition law and created a new federal drug prohibition agency (Levine, 2002). Prohibition may be defined as the set of policies which ban all production, distributionRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana Speech Essay1350 Words   |  6 PagesProblem Outline: Weed Country Thesis: There is a significant amount of attention in today’s world on weather or not to legalize marijuana. The prohibition of marijuana is holding up the improvement of social and economic developments. Introduction I. [Attention-Getter] Would you want the government limiting how much coffee you can drink or how much cheesecake you’re allowed to eat? According to Dr. Paul Phinney, president-elect of the California medical association has found these types ofRead More Prohibiton Was a Failure Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pages Prohibition Was a Failure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alcohol is illegal! â€Å"The reign of tears is over. The slums will soon be a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and corncribs. Men will walk upright now; women will smile and children will laugh. Hell will be forever rent† (Thorton 9). The Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution went into effect on January 16, 1920, with three-fourths vote from congress (Boorstin 994). The National Prohibition of Alcohol was adopted toRead MoreCauses and Consequences of Alcohol Prohibition1399 Words   |  6 PagesProhibition and other substance bans have a long history in the United States dating back to the late 19th century. Cohen (2006) believed the root cause for drug-prohibition movement, including alcohol, derives from race. In the era of mass US immigration, Chinese, Mexicans, Black Africans, and European denominations, posed a democratic threat to White â€Å"native† Americans. White Racial fears amplified the moral problem of drug use to the Protestant Church by associating drugs with individual racialRead MoreThe Success of Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal718 Words   |  3 PagesDeal was characterized by liberal use of government resources to provide relief, recovery, and reform to a nation that had been reeling from the aftermath of the Great Depression. While the immediate success of Roosevelt’s New Deal in mitigating the effects of the Great Depression is debatable, it’s long lasting impact on American government is still felt today. One of the earliest major programs of the New Deal was the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act, which created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

A Guide to Case Analysis Core Concepts and Analytical...

A Guide to Case Analysis I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When; And How and Where and Who. Rudyard Kipling 2 STRATEGY: Core Concepts and Analytical Approaches I n most courses in strategic management, students use cases about actual companies to practice strategic analysis and to gain some experience in the tasks of crafting and implementing strategy. A case sets forth, in a factual manner, the events and organizational circumstances surrounding a particular managerial situation. It puts readers at the scene of the action and familiarizes them with all the relevant circumstances. A case on strategic management can concern a whole industry, a single organization, or some part†¦show more content†¦Usually, case discussions produce good arguments for more than one course of action. Differences of opinion nearly always exist. Thus, should a class discussion conclude without a strong, unambiguous consensus on what do to, don’t grumble too much when you are not told what the answer is or what the company actually did. Just remember that in the business world answers don’t come in conclusive black-and-white terms. There are n early always several feasible courses of action and approaches, each of which may work out satisfactorily. Moreover, in the business world, when one elects a particular course of action, there is no peeking at the back of a book to see if you have chosen the best thing to do and no one to turn to for a provably correct answer. The best test of whether management action is â€Å"right’ or â€Å"wrong† is results. If the results of an action turn out to be â€Å"good,† the decision to take it may be presumed â€Å"right.† If not, then the action chosen was â€Å"wrong† in the sense that it didn’t work out Hence, the important thing for you to understand about analyzing cases is that the managerial exercise of identifying, diagnosing, and recommending is aimed at building your skills of business judgment. Discovering what the company actually did is no more than frosting on the cake—the actions that company managers actually took may or may not beShow MoreRelatedSystems Intervention Strategy1659 Words   |  7 Pagesmeasured by return on investment and increased turnover taking into account increased costs of running an expanded business if this path is chosen. Required staffing levels can also be calculated and recruitment needs calculated. Design Following the analytical stages above, the fourth stage is to develop as wide a range of different options as possible. This may include looking at the practicalities of developing a restaurant, or developing the garden centre business The fifth stage is to model variousRead MoreCase Study : Spiral Model For Software Engineering Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesBusiness School case: Should you build strategy like you build software Compare the case with what is written in the book, How are they similar? how are they different? What is the advantage/disadvantage of each? In this assignment I will discuss the strategy approaches that was mentioned in both the case study and the information regarding the organizational strategies and approaches mentioned in the chapter 6. First I will talk about the strategies and approaches mentioned in the case study. The strategiesRead MoreLeadership Analysis : The Everest Simulation Essay1906 Words   |  8 Pagesalternative implementations of said theory in task-oriented teams in high-pressure situations. 2.2 Management Research Evidence Mitchell, et al (1970) provide a critical analysis of the contingency model, and suggests alternative ways in which to assess situational favourability. Mitchell, et al (1970) begin by reviewing the underlying concepts of the contingency model. They confirm the suggestion that effective leadership relies on the style and control that a leader exerts over a situation, as well confirmingRead MoreIssues in Global Business1296 Words   |  6 PagesModule Title Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts       Module Code 6IM 501      Module Level 6 Credit value 40      Total Number 400 of Learning Hours Key Words Implementation of Global strategy, strategy and the organisation, strategic development, globalisation, international business and the environment, internationalisation.      Module Description There has been a fundamental shiftRead MoreCase Study 1- Apple Inc Essay examples1488 Words   |  6 PagesCase Case Study #1 Apple Inc. Dixie Corbin MGMT 670 Fall 2013 What does a competitive strength assessment reveal about Apples computer business as compared to the leaders in personal computer industry? Use the methodology in Table 4.2 to support your answer. Does it appear that the companys competitive positions in the media players and smartphones are stronger or weaker than its position in computers? Table 4.1 is in Chapter 4, page 65; Table 4.2 is the SWOT analysis, page 71. AppleRead MoreReview of Core Competence1852 Words   |  8 PagesThe review of â€Å"The Core Competence of the Corporation† Introduction When many corporations were struggling in unstable and unpredictable competitive environment in the 1990s, the proposition of the concept of core competence became the dominant framework in management theory (Liu, 2006). This essay will review the article entitled â€Å"the core competence of the corporation† by Prahalad and Hamel from three aspects. Initially the position of the article will be analyzed compared with the Porter’sRead MoreStrategic Management and Harvard Business Review2940 Words   |  12 Pages* To understand some definitions of â€Å"strategy† * To be aware of what the strategic management process involves * To understand the concept of Sustainable Competitive Advantage2. The Business Environment 1 * To understand why the business environment is important and how its fits into the strategic process * To understand how to carry out a PESTEL analysis * To understand the key driving factors in the global environment | | Reading | ES Chapters 1 and 2 | Week 2w/c | Lectures | 3.Read MoreKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk6406 Words   |  26 PagesEngineering Core Engineering Electives Management and Human Factors Automotive Engineering Seminar and Capstone Project TOTAL PROGRAM: Semester Credit 9 9 6 6 30 The M. Eng. Degree in Automotive Engineering requires a total of 30 credits—27 of which must be letter (A-E) graded. A minimum grade point average of 5.0/9.0 (â€Å"B† average) is required for graduation. Of the 30 credit hours, 24 must be 500 level or above. At most, 6 credit hours can be at the 400-level. SYSTEMS ENGINEERING CORE (9 credits) Read MoreAviation Centered Spatial Development And The Regional Development Of The Central Business District1940 Words   |  8 PagesLITERATURE REVIEW The literature in this field centers on on the different land-use theories that would be applicable to aviation - centered spatial development. The early theorictial concepts of airport development focused on the regional development of the Central Business District (CBDs) where airports were often located on the outlining areas of cities. Land-use around airports was not viewed as an integral component in the economic vitality of urban planning. Early land - use theories included:Read MoreCritical Thinking Academic Writing2742 Words   |  11 Pagesreading and writing as a student of Health Care. TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 Application of Critical Thinking Skills in reading and writing as a student of Health care 5 2.1 Interpretation 6 2.2 Analysis 6 2.3 Evaluation 7 2.4 Inference 8 2.5 Explanation 8 2.6 Self-Regulation 9 3.0 Conclusion 10 References 11 INTRODUCTION Thinking critically is thinking carefully with clarity, depth, precision, accuracy

Monday, December 9, 2019

Case Study for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Question: Critically evaluate the impact of decisions from any one of the UNFCCC Meetings. Discuss Conference of Parties on the energy policy of any oil producing country. Answer: Introduction United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)was set up in the year 1992 by all the countries to monitor the climate of the world. The International Treaty was signed by all the countries to fight the climatic change and promised the world to reduce global temperature. Impacts of increase in global average temperature were a challenge all over the world. In 1995, Kyoto Protocol was launched by countries to increase the response of global change. The primary focus was on the developed countries to reduce emission targets. In Kyoto protocol, there are 1962 parties and in Convention party strength is 196. Kyoto Protocol started in 2008 and was completed by 2012. Paris agreement was introduced on 12th December 2015. The primary objective of the accord is evolving latest steps to control the climatic change. The motto of Paris agreement is to accelerate the steps to reduce carbon emission. UNFC is aiming to keep the global temperature rise to two degrees (Adamo 2015). Evaluation and impact of decisions of UNFCCC Meeting United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2015 was held in Paris on 12th December 2015. Different types of issues were discussed at this meeting. Agenda of the meeting in short are sustainable development in 2030, adoption of Sendai Framework and adidas ababa action agenda. Change of climate is a severe threat to human societies, and it should not be neglected. All the countries should take steps to prevent degradation of the atmosphere and should also look for less emission of greenhouse gases. Human health is also taken into consideration and according to that less carbon should be emitted to the atmosphere. UNFCCC also had a detailed discussion on rights of human, health of people and problems faced by the disabled person (strm et al. 2013). Harmful Gases which are being released in the atmosphere are also affecting the temperature of the global environment. There is also an immediate need for provision for finance technology and capacity building of all the countries. Sustainable energy is highly needed in less developed countries like Africa and some parts of South America. Establishment of Ad hoc working group to enter into the workforce group is required. Ad hoc group should also report to Conference of parties to complete the first session of the agreement. This group should also prepare drafts for the Conference of Parties (COP). Parties were invited to take part in ratification and approval of Paris agreement. Technology should be upgraded and should meet the human demands. Importance is also given to financial resources which include appropriate result based payments, new policy implementations and pressure is kept on reducing emissions. Forest is needed to be conserved and should be properly looked after. Sustainable policies should be implied to prevent forest degradations. Programs should also be taken of non-carbon benefits in the atmosphere. The relevant decision was taken by COP to serve the Kyoto Protocol (Bhmelt 2013). Technology should be updated in supporting research and development. Assessment is also required before application of technology because feasibility is needed. The aim of capacity building in developing countries is to address the gap between current and emerging trends. Capacity building will also manage the oversee work. Capacity gaps needed to be found out and work accordingly. Tools and methods needed to promote capacity building. Identifying challenges and good practices are required slowly. Developing countries finding out building ownership and is managing space and time. Knowledge is needed to be updated and always at par (Boyd 2012). A term of capacity building is very high and includes a comprehensive review. Education training and public awareness are adequately required. There is a great need for global environment facility, and voluntary contribution is necessary to support global environment facility (Scott 2014). The primary focus of the meeting is to climatic change and it been termed as THE EMISSION ZERO GLOBAL. Climates have changed drastically over the last few decades, and one of the reason is carbon emission. Global warming has increased and every type of weather degradation being discussed here. In this meeting discussion of extreme weather events have been done which included environmental events like snowfall, hail in tropics, flood and many more. Heavy snow is hampering the normal flow of life of the human beings in the Antarctic regions. Cars and roads are being buried by snow. Temperature is increasing all over the world which leads to flood claiming thousands of lives. House of people are being flooded, and there is no food, and all is under water. Droughts are also an important part of climate change. Everywhere there is heat and no food. Smokers are also a part of emission of carbon in the atmosphere. Wildfire is also increasing day by day. Epidemics are also spreading which cl aims the life of human and animals hugely. Bacteria and parasites are also increasing because of climate change. Super storms are also claiming lives and all these things are being discussed only. Steps were not taken and time has come to take necessary steps (Camp 2014). Many of the developed countries are not following the rules and regulation and is not co-operating. So a binding treaty is required to be introduced. Detailed research has been done by the experts before the introduction of this agreement. Before coming to treaty Managing Director of Be Green Forestry Pong path, Kajornphuwapong said he want to put light on something special. Two decades were taken to develop miracle tree to protect climate change. The name given was miracle tree because it cannot be described. These trees were planted in the tropical climate and within two years it had a width of seventy-seven cms, fifteen metres high and weight of one pound. These trees draw nutrients, water and vitamins from the soil for their livings. After photosynthesis, these trees make the soil fertile for release of chemical substances. These trees prevent landslide and erosion of soil. Seeds of the tree are also well preserved in boxes for future use. Name of the tree was given to their last name as kajornphuwapong tree. These trees are made up of softwood, have straight cylindrical trunks and are self-pruning. As these trees are self-pruning, the lower branches help to grow a new tree and these help in forest development. These trees protect soil erosion through the evaporating water to ground. In these trees, water goes up during the day and comes down in the night. Along with all these the tree also absorbs a high amount of carbon. This tree also filled up the environment with a lot of oxygen than other trees. Depleted soils can also be converted into rich one within a short limit of time (Gaffney and Lahel 2013). In this project renewable energy is used, and this helps in opening of a new job. Renewable fossil fuel companies can benefit both the environment and the company. Managed forest is also require beside natural forest. Local people will also be benefitted by having a new job. Income will be increased and will reduce inequalities. Bioenergy can also be generated, and there will be a reduction of carbon. Plantation of the trees will also create a new economy of about 3.21 billion. Gradually it will be spread all over the world and scope of having renewable energy. These in short are outcomes of UNFCCC meeting in Paris 2015 (Lesniewska 2013). Energy policy of oil producing company Energy policy of Venezuela has been discussed by the author. In the western hemisphere, Venezuela has the largest reserve of oil and also the second leader in natural gas. Venezuela also has the non-conventional oil deposits. Non-conventional oil deposits consist of crude oil, tar sands and bitumen. Venezuela also holds the top most rank in hydroelectric power production and supply it to a majority of the world (Neeff 2013). Development Oil industry of Venezuela was nationalized in the year 1975. PdVSA is one of the largest employers in the country, and it contributes one third of the countrys GDP. The policy also changed with the introduction of a new system in 1990. Name of the new policy is Apertura Petrolera. This also helped Venezuela to open up links with different foreign countries and it companies like BP, Chevron and many others. In 2001, a new hydrocarbon law was amended which overpowered the law of 1943. The oil companies were nationalized in 2007 and were forced to sign an agreement. Companies failing to sign the agreement were immediately taken over by PdVSA. However as years are passing on PdVSA is wakened up, and many of the nations boost energy supply (Omgba 2014). Energy resource Oil: Venezuela is one of the countries which is rich in oil production. They have maintained this quality over the century producing more than one sixty million tons which contribute to about 4% of the world production. Venezuela holds the seventh position in oil production and also dominating in oil export. It is also leading to petroleum reserve with near about 300 billion barrels (Schneider and Lazarus 2015). Natural gas: Venezuela is the top rank holder in natural gas production and eighth largest in the world. The production amounts to about 5.5 trillion cubic meters. There is a problem in transport and distribution channel of natural gas in the country. This is creating a problem for the maximum use of the resources. However, the maximum percentage of domestic gas is being used by the industry of petroleum. Renewable of the natural gas is playing an important part, and about thirty percentage of natural gas is again put back to the main reservoir. Plans are also taken by the different private producer to redevelop power plants (Parker et al. 2015). Tar sands and heavy oils: Near about 1200 billion barrels of tar sands being produced. Technology is playing an important part to provide it (Sprinks 2012). Coal: Coal, which is mainly produced in Venezuela, is bituminous coal. This coal is mainly being exported to Latin America and Europe. Production is mainly done by Carbouzilla, which is a former part of PdVSA and controlled by states of Venezuela. The primary production of coal is from Guasare Basin located in Colombian border. Production of coal is near about 9.5 million short tons. There has also been a plan to develop the coal industry by the railway line construction. These railway lines make a mode of communication between the coal mines and new ports (Reinecke et al. 2014). Electricity: The Main source of electricity is hydropower and accounts to near about 71%and production of 320TWh per annum has been noticed. Production of hydroelectricity is mainly done in Caroni River. Mainly production is done in four different dams in Venezuela. Guri dam generates near about ten thousand megawatts and third largest in the world. CVG Electrification is the largest state owned power companies and also a subsidiary of a mining company. The system of power transmission is mainly operated by EDELCA and CADAFE (Reza and Polytechnique 2015). Environmental issues The environment is also a part to look after. Emission of different types of waste product is harming the environment. Carbon is being emitted at a huge rate. Daily production of oil is creating a severe pollution in Caribbean coast. Different lakes and water bodies are also being affected. Steps are taken monitor it. New technologies are also being introduced to prevent degradation of the environment (Jamaledin and Azar 2014). Conclusion Different topics have been discussed in above writings. It has been found United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) looks after the climate of the world. They look after the carbon emission, global warming and also other issues. In this writing, meeting of UNFCCC which has been held in Paris 2015 climatic change has been the most important part. The environmental degradation which has been taking place all over the world is the main issue. The cause of different natural disasters is being talked upon. Human beings are trying to find out a way to fight this disaster. Mr. Pongpath Kajornphuwapong has invented a tree which he named after his name and said it will protect the world. In another, part energy policy of Venezuela is being discussed. The volume of production of natural resources, its development and how to prevent the atmosphere from degradation is clearly being considered. References Adamo, S.B. 2015, "About mitigation, adaptation and the UNFCCCs 21st Conference of the Parties",Revista Brasileira de Estudos de Populao,vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 609-618. strm, S., Tohka, A., Bak, J., Lindblad, M. Arnell, J. 2013, "Potential impact on air pollution from ambitious national CO2 emission abatement strategies in the Nordic countries environmental links between the UNFCCC and the UNECE CLRTAP",Energy Policy,vol. 53, pp. 114-124. Bhmelt, T. 2013;2012;, "A closer look at the information provision rationale: Civil society participation in states delegations at the UNFCCC",The Review of International Organizations,vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 55-80. Boyd, A. 2012, "Informing international UNFCCC technology mechanisms from the ground up: Using biogas technology in South Africa as a case study to evaluate the usefulness of potential elements of an international technology agreement in the UNFCCC negotiations process",Energy Policy,vol. 51, pp. 301-311. Camp, E.C. 2014, "Oil and gas law",Texas Tech Law Review,vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 827. Gaffney, J. Lahel, A. 2013, "Political Performance and Leadership Persona: The UK Labour Party Conference of 2012",Government and Opposition,vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 481. Lesniewska, F. 2013, "UNFCCC REDD+ COP Decisions: The Cumulative Effect on Forest Related Law Processes",International Community Law Review,vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 103-121. Neeff, T. 2013, "How many will attend Paris? UNFCCC COP participation patterns 1995-2015",Environmental Science and Policy,vol. 31, pp. 157. Omgba, L.D. 2014, "Institutional foundations of export diversification patterns in oil-producing countries",Journal of Comparative Economics,vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 1052-1064. Parker, C.F., Karlsson, C., Hjerpe, M., Tema Miljfrndring, Linkpings universitet, Institutionen fr tema, Centrum fr klimatpolitisk forskning Filosofiska fakulteten 2015, "Climate change leaders and followers: Leadership recognition and selection in the UNFCCC negotiations",International Relations,vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 434-454. Reinecke, S., Pistorius, T. Pregernig, M. 2014, "UNFCCC and the REDD+ Partnership from a networked governance perspective",Environmental Science Policy,vol. 35, pp. 30-39. Reza Mirnezami, S. Polytechnique Montreal, C.P. 6079, City-Center Branch, Montreal (QC) Canada H3C 3A7 2015, "Do Oil-Producing Countries Have Normal Oil Overconsumption? An Investigation of Economic Growth and Energy Subsidies",AIMS Energy,vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 267-283. S Jamaledin Mohseni Zonouzi, Mansourfar, G. Azar, F.B. 2014, "Benefits of international portfolio diversification: Implication of the Middle Eastern oil-producing countries",International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management,vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 457. Schneider, L., Kollmuss, A. Lazarus, M. 2015, "Addressing the risk of double counting emission reductions under the UNFCCC",Climatic Change,vol. 131, no. 4, pp. 473-486. Scott, S.V. 2014;2015;, "Does the UNFCCC Fulfil the Functions Required of a Framework Convention? Why Abandoning the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Might Constitute a Long Overdue Step Forward",Journal of Environmental Law,vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 69. Sprinks, J. 2012, "Burnham highlights extent of privatisation in primary care.(Labour Party's health spokesperson Andy Burnham)(Labour Party Conference News)",Nursing Standard,vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 11.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Thomas Jefferson Essays (887 words) - Thomas Jefferson,

Thomas Jefferson Not only was he one of our founding fathers, he was also the third president of the U.S. and the chairman of the Declaration of Independence committee. Thomas Jefferson was born at Shadwell in Albemarle County, Va. on the thirteenth of April in 1743. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a wealthy land owner, but not really high up. He married Jane Randolph Jefferson who was from one of the first families in Virginia. Thomas Jefferson had a house named Monticello, which was built on his father's land,in which he put a great deal of time. In 1772 he brought Martha Unyles Skelton, his wife, there. He had only two children who lived through infancy, but he had six altogether. When his wife died after ten years of marriage he went to Paris to get away from it all. Some say that in Paris he fell in love with another women and that's why he always supported the French, even through the bloody revolution. Jefferson was elected President in a very close match with Aaron Burr. When the votes were counted each had seventy-three votes so it had to be decided by the House of Representatives. Jefferson was obviously declared the winner. He was not a very outspoken man like his predecessors had been. In fact, he dressed rather casual, never wore a wig, and disliked public speaking which is probably why he didn't address congress in person. He loved Paris and all facets about it. He enjoyed fine cuisine and wine. Jefferson did not believe in slavery, but did not free his slaves as had Washington. In his inaugural address, he said they were "all Republicans, all Federalists in their devotion to the union," in an attempt to bury the differences between his opponents and him. Jefferson, in his inaugural address, promised: 1. "equal and exact justice to all men" of every shade of political and religious opinion; 2. friendship with all nations, but no alliances; 3. respect for the rights of all states while still presenting the"constitutional vigor" of the national government; 4. encouragement of agriculture and commerce; 2 5. freedom of speech, press, and elections 6. economy and honesty in the management of the country's finances. Jefferson was not a dumb man, he knew he had to have a bigger support base. In order to do this, he followed a moderate course of action to win some Federalists over to the Republicans side. He wanted to reduce the national debt by reducing the army and navy. He hand picked only the most brilliant people for his cabinet. His cabinet included: 1. Secretary of State: The architect of the constitution, James Madison and; 2. Secretary of the Treasury: A financier from Pennsylvania, Swiss-born Albert Gallatin. Gallatin, following Jefferson's ideas, came up with a budget that made about seventy percent go to paying off the debt which meant that defense money was cut in half. He also came up with a new five year naturalization act. The Alien and Sedition Acts and the excise tax, which had started the Whiskey Rebellion, were repealed. The Bank and tariff were allowed to continue, though. While Jefferson was in office he was hassled by the Barbary pirates like every other country. He decided to do something about it. The Barbary pirates were asking for more and more "presents," so Jefferson sent some warships to tell the pirates off. They got the message, but at a lower rate. The problem wasn't really solved until the French captured Algiers in 1830. Jefferson also saw the Mississippi was a very, very important river. He thought that he would have to deal with Spain, but Napoleon, from France, bought the Louisiana Territory for his own plans. When Jefferson heard about this, he sent Monroe and Livingston to just buy the area around the mouth of the Mississippi, but, when they got there, Napoleon's plans for invading Haiti were foiled so he was willing to sell 3 the WHOLE Louisiana area!! Monroe and Livingston snatched up the deal for $15 million before Napoleon could change his mind. They could only hope they were supported when they got back. Jefferson asked Congress to approve the money and showed the strength to go against everything he's preached and went for "broad" construction instead of his usual "strict" construction. Congress approved the money and, since they were already planning an expedition behind Spain's back, they sent an expedition to go exploring. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were chosen for this. They started out in 1804 with about

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Department store business in pakistan

Department store business in pakistan Free Online Research Papers Pakistan retail industry is a derivative of the growing economy, changing demographics and preferences of the Pakistani consumers. Retailing format like supermarkets, department stores, mega stores, shopping malls and retail chains had come up on the country with varying intensity during the 1980’s and 1990’s, have now started proliferating. Organized retail is booming and creating huge opportunity for enterprises. Ever increasing number of hypermarkets, departmental stores and shopping malls are inviting potential investor to invest in Pakistan. Data was collected from over a 100 people including college going crowd and young professionals as they would be more interested in trying out new Department Stores and were more cognizant. Analysis was carried out using statistical tools. Findings of this research could provide useful information to potential investors for investment in departmental stores of Pakistan. Keywords : Booming, Creating opportunities, Invitation to Potential Investor, Investment 1. INTRODUCTION Department stores are places where you can find everything you need. And by everything means clothes, shoes, perfumes, cosmetics. home appliances, electronics and even home furnishings. These goods are separated into divisions and departments supervised by managers and buyers. There are also departmental divisions of merchandising, advertising, service, accounting, and budgetary control. The rise of department stores has made shopping easier and more convenient for most people. Now we no longer have to travel far and wide because these places have materialized everywhere in various cities. And since there are abundant sources of these shops, searching for the perfect shopping center has been a tad tricky for the eager shoppers. Department stores are often classified according to the kinds of goods they carry and the prices they charge; typical categories include discount, general merchandise, fashion or high fashion, and specialty. Many offer additional services, including gift wrapping, alterations. 2. SHOPPING IN TWO WAYS Years ago, shopping was a task that can only be completed through personal visits to stores. There were only a limited number of stores to purchase the peoples wants and needs. Shoppers also used to pay for the merchandise through cash. But today, shopping has become a complex yet easy process for most people. Because of the rise in the number of department stores and the various ways to shop for the things you need, shopping has become a simpler task for everyone. Department store shopping can now be done through personal or online visit. Shopping personally for the items you need would require you to visit several shops. Many prefer this type of shopping because they can have a personal view of the items they need. Department store shopping can also be performed online. Those with hectic schedules can now conveniently shop for everything they need through the internet. And like personal shopping, you will be presented with different choices of the things you need. Regardless of the way people shop, they need to have access to the various department stores nearest to their areas. Take a peek at the smallest to largest department stores within vicinity is the basic desire of each customer. 3. DEPARTMENT STORE BUSINESS IN PAKISTAN In recent years, people get used to buy daily use items from department stores and this trend is increasing in Pakistan. Some of the Foreign Multinationals like Metro, Banner Store International (Pvt) Ltd,Makro etc. have invested in departmental store business by seeing this huge opportunity. Most of the stores are running in urban cities of Pakistan. The total urban population of Pakistan is 56 Million. By applying statistical tools on data acquired through questionnaire it is observed that each 4th person who belongs to urban cities like to get shopping from Department Store. Data of some big cities of Pakistan is given below with reference to number of customers and renowned Department Stores in each city. It is observed that huge percentage of customers visiting Department Stores belongs to Middle and Upper class, with an average income of Rs.35000. The lower class is not much interested to buy goods from Departmental stores, they are more eager to buy things from small general stores, because these general stores provide credit facility to them. As both shopkeeper and shopper belongs to same vicinity, so there is less element of uncertainty of payment involved in these kind of transactions. Departmental Store business is not successful in rural areas of Pakistan, because the culture of rural areas restrict Departmental Stores to operate their business in these areas. The major obstacle for Department Store in rural areas is that the most of the payments are made at the time of crops harvesting,.people are used of these kind of practices, so they are not in a position to accept a sudden change. There wasa continuous rising number of Department Stores since year 2000 as investigated in the present research. There was a linear relationship in number of Department Stores per year until 2004. However an exponential rise was observed after 2005. Major reason attributed to this rise was the awareness and convenience felt by the customers by making purchases from Department Stores. In the year 2000 the total numbers of renowned Departmental Stores in big cities of Pakistan were 25 and now their figure increased upto 108. This trend clearly shows that the future of Department Stores is bright in Pakistan. 4.DEPARTMENT STORE FACTORS Following factors should be considered before starting a departmental store: a) Is there a definite need for the store? b) Do you have expertise and experience in operating this type of business? c) Will you get enough customers to make it profitable? d) How will you finance the property and the inventory? e) Can you find a good location? f) Can you be competitive in price and still make a profit? 5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY I. RESEARCH DESIGN It is an overall framework that indicate what information is to be collected and from which source and by which procedure in research project. In this research, the first stage is exploratory, in which clarification of the specific problem is identified, in second stage we are interested in knowing the characteristics of certain group such as – age , sex , income , education , occupation for which descriptive study is necessary. This study involves the field survey conducted across different departmental stores in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The respondents were approached outside the billing counter of departmental stores after they had finished shopping, before leaving stores. It also focused on the decision about choice of stores for specific purchase incident, since each purchase occasion might actually be a different decision. The respondents were given the questionnaire to respond their views about particular departmental stores. In some of the cases respondent were subjected to personnel interview. Responses were sought regarding customer patronage behavior. In Pakistan, departmental stores are proliferated with number of brands and their offering and almost all the stores is used for stocking or displaying the merchandise. The departmental stores are larger mostly 2000-3000 sq. ft. But very few of them have more than 5000 sq. ft. and are being designed for better display and browsing by the shoppers. The format was distinguished based on the facility provided to the shopper to browse and choose by themselves. This study was conducted in old as well as new format of departmental stores. The store was chosen from different part of cities to enable a wider spread of sample. The general hypothesis about stores choice drivers were that for routine purchase such as grocery items and apparels choice driver should be include in stores services dimensions and attractiveness of the physically layout. It is important to validate this hypothesis. Since the indication is that departmental stores should be providing more evolved dimensions of services to attract shopper it remain to be proven that such dimension do actually improved departmental stores. Secondary Research:External secondary data has been generated to obtain volume of sales regarding Department Stores. Survey Research: (1)Data was collected from candidates using questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed in colleges and people on the street.(2)ï€  I distributed the questionnaires outside the Department Stores to gather data from people who hadcome to visit there.(3)ï€  I made an online questionnaire and circulated on the internet and gathered results from those II. SAMPLING DESIGN The aim was to collect 100 samples for the analysis. The samples should be such that they are consumers of Department Stores. I also tried to get an adequate ratio of men and women in the samples. The main demographics targeted were the younger age group as they are more aware of such Department Stores. Also I tried to focus more on the college going crowd and young professionals as they would be more interested in trying out new Department Stores and were more cognizant. Buyers who have been visiting Department Stores were better able to answer the questions regarding the influencing factors and the reasons for their consumption and purchase. The samples collected from internet have also been very valuable in the research. Measurement Instruments: The measurement instruments in the questionnaire was a 5 point lickert scale for values as strongly disagree = 1, disagree = 2, neutral = 3, agree =4, strongly agree =5 for shopping at Department Store. Apart from details regarding their choice of Department Stores, their frequency of visits and their spending patterns will also be mapped. The data was extracted and put in MS Excel. All the further analysis was then carried out by using Statpro. The measurement was designed to get a fair idea about the various attributes and conducted factorial analysis of the important attributes. III. FINDINGS OF DESIGN a) Reliability Test: Reliability test is to find out the reliability of the instrument. In this test the value of alpha is found to be 0.783 which is nearly equal to 0.8, and according to the thumb rule of alpha reliability is good. b) One Sample Test From the results of one sample test, we can say that: 1. Respondent are considering adequate sign board, quality of products, variety of products, plastic money service as important factor in deciding where to shop. 2. Parameters which less important for deciding where to shop are availability of open space, layout of the place, offer coupons and mobile charging zone. 3. Furniture and decor, colour and lighting, comfort and feel, adequate sign boards, courtesy and friendly atmosphere are moderately important. c) ANNOVA test From the results of ANOVA test, we can say that: 1. The F value of table is 2.18. Thus, we can accept the hypothesis that the factors quality of products, coupon and advertisement, variety of products, overall ambience affects the customer satisfaction. 2. Value of nearness to store is 3.586. Thus, we reject the hypothesis that nearness to store affect the customer approach to Department Store.. It was observed that customers are ready to travel even far from their residence for buying in departmental stores because of quality services and products. d) From the given data of Spendings and Visits of customers in a departmental store, a scatter plot has plotted, in order to analyze that whether a number of visits at departmental store have any impact on customer spendings. It was observed that as much time a customer visit Department Store, there are 85.4% chances that it will increase customer spendings. Customer spendings and Customer visits are positively correlated which is 0.854. It could be analyzed that if a customer make more visits at Department, there are 85.4% chances that the customer will make more purchases from Department Store. The broad conclusion about store choice among consumer indicates that image and perception have significant impact on final outcome. Perception about is driven substantially by tangible characteristics of departmental stores such as format of stores, size, distance from home, looks, as well as intangible factor like environment of stores. Given the limited information is available on shopping behavior of customer as even customer doesn’t know that what they like, so it was decided to design an exploratory study to identify major factor which affect behavior of customer and their satisfaction. e) From the result of time series plot , we can conclude that the major portion of spendings on department stores are made by people who belongs to the age group of 35 to 55. By offering attractive packages any Department Store can increase its share in both upper and lower age groups. 6) FINDINGS As a result of an exhaustive investigation of all the parameters and methodology adopted above, following findings were established: a) Customers have several reasons to choose any departmental store. But the primary reasons are ‘value for money’, ‘quality of product’, ‘variety of product’ and ‘service of the store’. More than 80% respondent indicated that these are the important reasons. Out of all respondents provided, 70% respondent responded that ‘ambience and layout’ was equally important as a buying behavior. This indicated that customer have one or mostly two good primary reason and other reason to visit departmental stores. b) Number of Department Stores had a steady rise from 2000 to 2005 in Pakistan. However the customers observed an exponential growth after 2005 because of the awareness and convenience of these Department Stores.. c) Speed of transactions and ease at Department Stores was a major parameter that motivated customers for visiting Department Stores to fulfill their needs. The responses were gathered through close ended questions. The respondents were probed for much reason the first reason being the top of the mind. The responses which were gathered through the questionnaire is used for further analysis. The study captured about different responses that could be classified into seven important categories. PRIMARY STORES CHOICE VARIABLES BY CATEGORY OF STORES Grocery and food items are choose by the customer strongly based on the more proximity and patronizations. The customer would like to reduce the time. However as indicated by the higher scores if customer have been buying for longer period off time , they do not mind buying from a store located at greater distance. The importance of relationship, comfort level with the departmental stores is stressed with regard to grocery and food items story. This seems to be some indication of an inherent loyalty to the stores in this category. So when experience of shopping is good there is a high chance of next visit. The customer is willing to trade-off the extra travel with the experience. However the proximity is the most important driver of loyalty to a grocery store. Ambiance is not important factor for customer in this category. In the case of consumer durable stores, consumers give more importance to merchandise, referral, and ambience. They prefer to visit those stores that depth and wide range of product. Customer in these stores looks for variety. Stores that offer good price and discount are also visited. The ambience reflected in terms of lighting, setting and comfort is also relevant in determining store choice. A good display of product, so that customer can look around and touch and feel the product becomes an important consideration in departmental stores. Leisure sections of departmental stores (books and music, accessories and lifestyle products) tend to attract customers on the basis of ambience of stores. The customer wants comfortable store as they tend to stay for longer on each visit. The lighting display and attractive decor of the store become an important factor. In case of apparels, customers value merchandise, ambience and brand. They want variety and would like to touch and feel the product. Range of merchandise, in terms of product and price, attract shopper to a store. They would like to satisfy themselves about making right choices by trying them out before finalizing their product. 7. CONCLUSION Customer satisfaction is the key to keep existing customer. Customer satisfaction must be matching or greater than the customer expectation. From the research study I have done, I concluded that the overall customer satisfaction regarding the departmental stores in Pakistan is reasonably good. If we define it in percentage term then it is approximately 61% in urban areas. Yet there are some aspects as noted in guideline section where the departmental stores in Pakistan need to focus more in order to increase market share: 1. The checkout counters are crowded, especially in peak hours and holidays. Customers have to spend 20 minutes to 45 minutes in queue. Departmental stores should take proper measures to increase number of checkout counters in case of such occasions. 2. Products kept in sections such as toys and children’s sections should not be kept at height. According to suggestions given few customers, specially children, find it difficult to get access to such products. 3. In case of trolleys used, there is not enough space to move around the departmental stores on holidays or in peak hours. This may cause hindrance in case of emergency or in case of families with small children. Departmental stores to take proper measure so as to allocate enough space for movement of trolley even during holidays or peak hours. 8. REFRENCES 1. Kothari C.R., (2004) â€Å"Research Methodology- Methods and techniques†, New Age international Publication. 2. Businesss Today (2010), â€Å"Retail revelation†. 22 July-6 August. 3. Jones T. O. And Sasser W. E. (1995), â€Å"Why satisfied Customer Defect†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 73, No. 6. pp 88-99. WEBSITES: 4. www.livemint.com 5. www.bimtech.ac.in/indiaretailreview 6. www.trueknowledge.com 7. www.businessdictionary.com Research Papers on Department store business in pakistanAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Spring and AutumnPETSTEL analysis of IndiaDefinition of Export QuotasThe Fifth HorsemanThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Make Case Study Writing Manageable

Make Case Study Writing Manageable Make Case Study Writing Manageable Case studies are one of the most difficult things to write. There are very specific formats to be followed. Sometimes they can be complicated for people that have never attempted this type of writing. Research needs to be documented so it can be confirmed by someone else at a later date (if necessary). All graphics need to be checked for potential typographical errors and consistency. Writing even a small case study can be challenging, and why so many new writers can benefit from the help of an academic writing service. Writing a case study has several steps. First, gather all relevant information, sift and organize it to make a convincing case. In a pre-digital era information could be spread out over a huge physical area with note cards, books, reports, and folders. One advantage of using laptops and desktops is that all that information can be scanned in and kept in a single thumb drive or in the cloud. Not only can you work on a case study wherever you wish, it keeps your workspace organized. The next step is to start organizing in a clear and coherent way. This can be facilitated by a renaming and sorting files, or dividing resources into a few physical piles. By classifying sources into different categories, a better narrative can be developed. Better yet, your directories and files can later be digitally shared with others, giving them easy access to the information. Once this has been done the writing itself can take place. Using an academic writing assistance service can be a huge help in this endeavour. A professional writing service can teach you how to create any necessary graphics, adding a little extra panache to the study and better organizing information that may have been merely input into a plain-looking table. They can also check for typographical and factual errors. This makes the effort much easier for any person in charge of a case study. All told, a academic writing assistance service can save a lot of stress and time, making it well worth the investment. For those looking to make an impression on readers, this service is well worth the investment. For those more concerned with the research, help with writing is a welcome relief. Contact Master’s Essay today to get started.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Children killers Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Children killers - Annotated Bibliography Example hs Prophet†, the author, Sina illustrates that Kony Joseph proclaimed himself as one of the spokespersons of God before ruling over the Ugandan people. After gaining the trust of the people, Kony Joseph then takes advantage of the children and orders them to become soldiers and participate in child-sex activities. The act makes the Uganda people to hate Kony since he misleads the young children into activity that they dislike. Twesigye, Emmanuel, the author of the book, â€Å"Religion, Politics, and Cults in East Africa: Gods Warriors and Marys Saints† argue that Kony Joseph was a spiritual leader before being brutal to his own people. The author identifies that at first all the Ugandan citizens promoted the works done by the Lord’s Resistance Army movement since it was fighting for the human rights. However, the movement later begun rejecting own people and participated in brutal family murders. In the book, â€Å"Unarmed and in Harms Way, My Obsession with Ending Violence† the author, Hoffman Ben mentions that Joseph is responsible for numerous deaths in the entire east African society. Hoffman later identifies in the book that Kony has contributed to numerous wars in diverse nations such as Southern Sudan, Central African Republic and Congo. For reasons of contributing to the wars, the international criminal court is charging Kony as a criminal. In the book, â€Å"Living with Bad Surroundings: War, History, and Everyday Moments in Northern Uganda†, the author, Finnstrom, identifies that most of the children in Uganda have turned into participating into criminal activity. Since the LRA has recruited almost all the young children into soldiers, the children are forced to participate into wars. Finnstrom identifies that the children that deny the offer of the job are killed or the ears, lips and the nose are cut off. The author of the book, â€Å"Social Torture: The Case of Northern Uganda, 1986-2006†, Dolan identifies that Kony was a raised up Christian by the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Perspectives on Changes in Adulthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Perspectives on Changes in Adulthood - Essay Example With this, I believe that in order for me to live a good life, I must refrain from abusing others or causing them unnecessary hurt. This means that I should be mindful of relationship with people such that I give utmost consideration to how they feel. When dealing with the people I care most about like my family, friends or colleagues and even strangers, I try to be firm but at the same time gentle and understanding. Exploring the other side of the coin, the same rule may also be interpreted as to do unto others what we want them to do unto us. Hence, since I desire respect and love from the people who matter to me, I should also be generous in giving the respect and love that I yearn from them. This principle of reciprocity also extends to finding ways and means to be of service to people. I try to share with others as much as I could. I impart to them my material blessings, quality time and God-given talents. I have been blessed with myriad gifts and abilities. As such, I should maximize these blessings my putting them into use that is mutually beneficial for my fellowmen and me. In this regard, it is not only I who becomes the better person but they as well. However, I am cautious of people who attempt to exploit the kindness and generosity I willingly offer. I also protect myself from being taken advantage of. With regard to my personal concerns, I reckon that to ensure success in life I should always give my best in everything I do. Thus, in all my undertakings, I exert my best effort. Although the outcome may not be as expected, what is essential is that I tried my best.Perception on Changes in Activities, Relationships, Health and Mental Outlook As I crossed over from early to full-bloom adulthood, my perception and action on various matters have substantially changed. During early stages of adulthood, I have this typical carefree attitude that one normally displays in youth. To widen my horizon, I savored attending social gatherings and parties where I met a lot of people and made new friends or contacts. When I was younger, I loved exploring new things, thus, I was open to trying activities or things that I have never encountered. When it comes to my relationship with others, I was more passionate, intense and irrational with no complete regard as to what effects such emotions or actions would have on me. Bordering on the immature side, the relationships I had built then tended to be unstable as I somehow had a narrow and selfish viewpoint. With regard to my health, this aspect was not really a primary concern then. Albeit I was fully aware of apparent health hazards relative to having vices or driving too fast or consuming too much junk and fatty foods, it never dawned on me that these might have adverse effects on me. I was not totally appreciative to the good health I enjoyed with the perception that such condition would last a lifetime. As a young adult, my mental outlook by and large lies alongside childishness or immaturity. With this, I was aggressive so I had the tendency to always act before actually thinking of the whole circumstance or the consequences of my actions. This attitude brought about a number of regrettable results.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Mandatory HIV Testing Essay Example for Free

Mandatory HIV Testing Essay Imagine Las Vegas disappearing overnight and leaving nothing behind but empty stages and barren casinos, becoming nothing short of a ghost town. If all the people that have died from HIV/AIDS in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic were taken out of one geographical region, Las Vegas could easily be erased. The three most common ways to contract HIV are: unprotected sex with an infected partner, injecting drugs using an unsterilized needle that has been used by someone who is infected or during pregnancy, labor or delivery or breastfeeding where the mother transmitted the virus to her child. If an infected woman, not seeking treatment, becomes pregnant, the chance of her transmitting the infection to her child ranges from 15-45%. An infant, who has not even had the chance to speak, walk, or enjoy life, has such a high risk of contracting a deadly infection because the mother did not consult with her doctor and seek the appropriate treatment during her pregnancy. Did she not seek treatment because she did not know that she was infected, did she know but was too ashamed to relay the information, was she afraid she could not afford treatment? If routine HIV tests were conducted along with all the other blood tests throughout a pregnancy, infections would be indentified, treated with precaution and it would allow doctors to dramatically reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission. With effective interference, the chances would be reduced to below 5%. With this knowledge, HIV screening must be made mandatory for those seeking any form of prenatal care. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1,148,200 people (13 years and older) in the United States are living with HIV; 18% of those people are unaware they are infected. The infection rate has stabilized over the last few years to roughly 50,000 new infections each year—that means that someone in the US is infected with HIV every 9 minutes. HIV and AIDS are not the same. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This strand cannot stand as a virus alone and reproduce; it needs to infect the cells of a living organism. Normally, the immune system fights off unwanted viruses but this particular virus attacks the immune system directly, preventing it from destroying the unwanted virus and repairing damaged cells. AIDS is a condition that is caused by the irreparable immune system. When the immune system is damaged this badly, it is incapable of  fighting off any infection. If left untreated, it takes, on average, ten years for someone to develop AIDS from the date of infection. This average takes in to account a healthy diet and lifestyle—not someone who may be suffering from malnourishment or other unrelated illnesses. Women are more susceptible to being infected with HIV through heterosexual sex and infected needles than men. The number of HIV positive women in the US, of child-bearing years, is still growing at a rapid rate. They account for roughly 23-25% (11,000-12,500) of new infections each year. In a recent study conducted by the CDC, only one in five women between the ages of 18 and 64 report that they have been tested for HIV in the last twelve months. Among those women who are HIV positive, 31% of them were diagnosed in the later stages of HIV, resulting in an AIDS diagnosis within one year. Women who are HIV positive have the possibility of transmitting the virus to their child during labor or post labor, during breast feeding. There are approximately 2000 babies being born with HIV each year and more become infected as a result of breastfeeding. This is by far the smallest group of people infected per year, but this number could be reduced to almost zero, if proper interventions were mandatory. When women think or realize that they are pregnant, they seek out a gynecologist or other medical professional to aid them throughout their pregnancy. They are put through numerous blood tests to ensure they have the appropriate vitamin and glucose levels. They even undergo a STD test that tests for a variety of sexual transmitted diseases, excluding HIV. Some professionals offer the test and try to convince their patient that it is important, but some still refuse. Implementing mandatory HIV tests for pregnant women ensure that more people get tested, educate on the effects of HIV, are able to get treatment, and dramatically reduce the chance of their child contracting the virus. The test should be performed with the routine STD test at the beginning of the pregnancy and then once again before labor, because it can take up to six months for the virus to show up during a screening. The woman would know whether she has contracted HIV and have the ability to discuss the options with the doctor. Treatment should accompany the pregnancy, if needed, at no cost. The treatment for the baby after delivery would also incur no cost. A major, non-political, concern about  mandatory testing is the cost associated with treatment. It does not seem logical, but HIV treatments are extremely expensive. It costs thousands of dollars each year for medications and regular doctor’s visits. For people who have full coverage insurance, the cost for the medication is almost completely covered but they still have to pay the co-pays to visit the doctor. There are also federally funded programs to assist with HIV costs, and though they might regulate which medications patients can take, most doctors would prefer that a patient be taking some sort of medication rather than none at all. And finally, there are other programs such as Medicare and Medicaid that assist those who are HIV positive. Although some states will not grant acceptance in the Medicaid program unless the diagnosis is AIDS, many states will cover the costs with a positive HIV status. All of these options must be presented after the baby is born and doctors should work with their patients to find the best option. Another concern, brought up on the political floor, is that mandatory testing violates the Constitution. If a mother knows the status of her or her child, involuntarily, that violates her right of privacy and subjects her to discrimination; she could lose her job, insurance, face discrimination in society or physical abuse at home (McMillion). Making sure that no infant is involuntarily infected with HIV should be the first priority, of not only health care providers but by mothers themselves. The American Medical Association (AMA) was originally against mandatory testing because there was little a doctor could do to help treat the pregnant mother and unborn child. With new discovery of AZT, the treatment used to reduce the rate of transmission, the AMA has reversed their opinion (Schuyler). The mandatory testing will not allow women to forever remain ignorant about their status. It forces women to face the disease much earlier in their lives and presents them with a choice, a choice that replaces the one that was taken away—let the HIV take its course but help reduce her baby’s chance, seek treatment for her and the baby or do neither of them and take the risk of exposing her child.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Fate In Macbeth :: essays research papers

In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows how the witches’ prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s desire for power, and Macbeth’s yearning to be king, affect the fate of the play. In Act I, the witches’ chant show how Shakespeare gives the fate of Macbeth, “Thane of Glamis';, ';Thane of Cawdor';, “that shalt be King hereafter';.( Act 1 scene 3, lines 48-50) He has no other choice, but to believe them because there first two predictions were true. They call him the Thane of Glamis, which he is at the present time. Then they call him Thane of Cawdor, which he finds out shortly after that he is the new Thane of Cawdor. Lastly they call him King hereafter, which he realizes is his fate. Macbeth sees this fate in his eyes to be very unlikely and almost impossible because of the current circumstances. His reaction to the witches is “stands not within the prospect of belief';( Act 1 scene 3, line 74), which tells the reader that the witches’ prophecies are a far reach from reality. Macbeth begins to think if he ever had the chance to become king that it would be a great honor that he would accept, “If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me';.(Act 1 scene 3, line 143) The prophecy of Banquo’s son having power in the future effects the actions of Macbeth later in the play too. The thought that Banquo’s child might take over the thrown from Macbeth makes him feel the need to get rid of him. Fleance, Banquo’s son, gets scared as his father is being killed and flees, “Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!';.( Act3 scene 3, line 18) After his talk with the witches Macbeth starts to think about their predictions, and how he will have to kill the king. This frightens Macbeth to think about killing his great king, so he decides to let fate lead him into the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lady Macbeth actions play a huge role in the fate of play by pushing him into killing the king. The instant she reads the letter from her husband that explains the prophecies Lady Macbeth wants to make her husband kill the king, “to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great';(Act 1 scene 5, line 13). This shows the evil ways of Lady Macbeth and her selfishness. She does not care if her husband would be in danger when trying to kill Duncan, but what she would be able to do if she were queen.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Fatherhood Essay

Homer Simpson from The Simpsons, Peter Griffin from Family Guy, and Jerry from Wizards of Waverly Place, are just a few of the many youth television shows that present a dangerously distorted male figure. Or The Sweet Life of Zack and Cody, who run rampant throughout the hotel that they live in with their mother who was left to raise her children due to a dead beat father who left the family when the kids were young. Whether there is a Dad or there is not a Dad; they are presented as weak, childish, and brainless. These men are, at best, the whipping post for the strong-willed mothers who apparently have the real power and are the ones that essentially keep the home and the children from falling apart. It is clear that the role of Fatherhood has been distorted and watered down in the current century. Because of this, many modern day fathers fail to accomplish their duties towards their family, duties defined in Scripture, not because they do not want to but because they do not understand how crucial they are to their family, because society tells them that they are not really needed, and simply that they do not even know where to start. The task of being a father is of critical importance, and it has never been more so than in this day and age. A child’s relationship with Dad is a decisive factor in that young man or woman’s health, development and happiness. Stephen K. Baskerville, an American scholar of political science as well as a leading authority on divorce, child custody and the family court system, wrote, â€Å"A generation of fatherhood advocates has emerged who insist that fatherlessness is the most critical social issue of our time. In Fatherless America, David Blankenhorn calls the crisis of fatherless children â€Å"the most destructive trend of our generation† (1995, 1). Their case is powerful. Virtually every major social pathology issue has been linked to fatherless children: violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse, truancy, unwed pregnancy, suicide, and psychological disorders—all correlating more strongly with fatherlessness than with any other single factor, surpassing even race and poverty. The majority of prisoners, juvenile detention inmates, high school dropouts, pregnant teenagers, adolescent murderers, and rapists come from fatherless homes (Daniels 1998, passim). Children from affluent but broken families are much more likely to get into trouble than children from poor but intact ones, and white children from separated families are at higher risk than black children in intact families (McLanahan 1998, 88). The connection between single-parent households and crime is so strong that controlling for this factor erases the relationship between race and crime as well as between low income and crime (Kamarck and Galston 1990, 14)† (Baskerville, independent. org). These statistics bring forth something vastly different than what is seen in pop culture’s most-watched TV shows. Despite these staggering statistics, no attempt is being made to change this very prominent issue that American society faces every day. Instead of the government focusing on getting rid of poverty through public school systems, go to the true source of the issue which would involve eliminating one-parent families and teaching every young man the importance of fatherhood and should be preparing them to step up when that day comes. History also plays a key role in the downfall of Male leaders in the home. The Industrial Revolution came upon the world with great force. Women began entering the workforce and started becoming more and more independent. Feminists rose from this age and helped fuel the beginnings of what we see today: that being, more and more single family homes, often being run by the mother and not the father. Women think they can do it on their own but this is not always the case. There are some women out there who have been able to raise successful children but this is not the case for many other single family homes. The bible is very vocal when it comes to fatherhood. The concept of fatherhood begins with the one who created the universe. Derek Prince, an international Bible teacher, says that â€Å"The fact behind all other facts is that God created the universe as father. He left his imprint on every aspect of creation† (Prince, 57). God is indeed, the perfect father whom every earthly father should model themselves after and give their all to be the best father they can be. Proverbs 22:6-11 reads, â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it† (English Standard Version). The father is the initial instructor of his children and therefore sets the path for how they are going to live their lives. Ephesians 6:4 is a summary of instruction to parents, represented by the father, in a negative and positive way which states, â€Å"and now a word to you fathers, don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord† (English Standard Version). This is where the issue of discipline comes into play. The father should not discipline with the intention of frustrating their child or making their child feel less of themselves. Wanda L. Ball, an author, speaker, and teacher, writes, â€Å"A wise parent wants to make obedience desirable through love and gentleness. Christian discipline is needed to prevent children from growing up without reverence for God, respect for their parent’s authority, knowledge of Christian standards and self-control. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, ‘All scripture is given of God and is profitable for teaching, reproving, correcting and instruction in righteousness; that the man (or woman) of God may be completely equipped for all good works. ’ This is what the Bible says about being a father† (Ball-publications. com). With this being said, a solid framework for how a father should be is established. The tricky part is how to carry this all out. God is indeed the model father. As Josh McDowell writes in his book, The Father Connection, â€Å"He is a tender Father who invites us to address Him as ‘Abba’†¦He is a listening Father who bids us to approach him boldly as ‘our father in heaven’†¦ He is a loving Father who freely and forcefully demonstrated his Father-love at the baptism of his Son, Jesus with a voice like thunder that said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. ’ He is a giving Father who gives good gifts to his children. He is the Father of all, the very definition of father-hood, the fount of everything that is good, moral, and worthy of imitation† (McDowell, 18). If this is not how a father would want to be then something is very wrong. Every man should be humble enough to model themselves to be like their Heavenly father who gave them the opportunity to even be a father. God is a wondrous God who is more to us than just a Creator. What follows will lay out all that a father should be towards his son, his daughter, as well as his wife. These will all be discussed separately and then related back to each-other in the end. For his son, a father must create an early bond with him, must be able to discipline his son, and lastly, must be a consistent example for his son in every aspect of life. For his daughter, a father must recognize that he is the first man in her life, must constantly encourage her, must exercise leadership and display perseverance, and needs to be there for his daughter by comforting her, being compassionate, and by supporting her. Lastly for a father, is his relationship with his wife, who is the source of his father-hood. How a husband treats his wife is crucial in raising children. A husband must be able to take input from his wife and be able to make decisions from that input, must love and cherish his wife at all time, and must also be able to give praise to his wife. A father’s children watch him constantly and one of the main ways children learn from their father is by observing how he treats their mother. The modern day man fails to accomplish his duties towards his son: to teach and guide him towards manhood. Fatherhood is not something to fool around with and take lightly. A father has the responsibility of properly raising members of the future generations. The job of a father is not just doing well in business but rather raising their son. A father’s main goal in raising his son should be to train the young boy throughout his early life how to be a man and to teach him what it means to be a man. Fatherhood is complex and requires hard work and commitment, as well as love. To start, manhood needs to be defined. Rick Johnson, a best-selling Christian author and speaker focusing on parenting, marriage, fathering, personal growth, character development, and masculinity, says that â€Å"authentic manhood is living for a cause bigger than yourself† (Johnson, 18-19). This means that one should not simply live for themselves but live for the benefit of others. A man needs to be a servant to others which includes, first and foremost, his wife and children; to be the protector and leader. When it comes to the son, he needs to be able to look at his father in a similar way to the way he looks at superheroes like superman and spider-man. In other words, his father needs to be able to look at his father and say, â€Å"I want to be like my dad when I grow up. † For a father, this type of respect must be earned. Relationships are hard work and take effort and care. As it says in Proverbs, â€Å"train a child in the way he should go, and when he is older he will not turn from it† (English Standard Version, Proverbs 22:6). A father needs to focus on his character because that is the best way to gain a young boys respect. A father could be courageous, compassionate, loving, strong, understanding, and so on. A son will notice this and seek to emulate it. To start out, a father must begin to bond with his son in his sons early years. This is much harder to do now than it did in the past. Before the Industrial Revolution, the father and son were with each other almost every moment of every day. The father would work the land at home and would train his son at an early age to do the same. Fathers did not have to take time out of there day to have â€Å"bonding time† with their son. It just happened because that’s how the times were (Johnson). Unfortunately, after the Industrial revolution, the men started to work outside of the home for hours and hours on end and were not home nearly as much. In current culture it becomes more and more difficult for fathers to bond with their sons in the early stages of life. Cheryl Erwin, a licensed marriage and family therapist who provides parent coaching, parent education, and professional training to help you develop both wisdom and skill wrote, â€Å"A father’s role in the raising of his children has changed dramatically over the past century or two. In generations past, sons expected to follow in their fathers’ footsteps, apprenticing in their work and in their approach to life. During the nineteenth century, however, fathers began to go out to work, and the measure of a man’s success slowly changed. Rather than the closeness of his family and the strength of his family business, a man’s worth could be measured in his income, the value of his house, and the size of his car. Parenting became â€Å"women’s work†; fathers were just too busy earning a living. And generations of boys grew up hungering for closeness with a father they barely knew, someone who came home only to eat dinner, look over omework, hear about the day’s misbehavior, and watch a little television† (Erwin, life. familyeducation. com) Sons yearn for their fathers. In Proverbs it says, â€Å"The glory of sons is their fathers† (English Standard Version, Proverbs 17:6). Just as God’s people seek to worship him, a son seeks to worship his father. It’s clear that young boys seek to be like their father. They try to walk the same way, talk the same way, dress the same way. It is a part of our genetic makeup. Rick Johnson writes, â€Å"Our sons’ eyes are watching us constantly. They observe how we react to the many justices and injustices of the world† (Johnson, 20). They need to see a man’s ability to recover from mistakes and stay strong in tough times. A boy relies on his father to be there through all of what life brings forth. Next, a father needs to be able to discipline his son. Many men misunderstand the concept of discipline. They think that discipline should be used to instill fear in their children for what he might do to punish them for their wrongful actions. This however, is exactly the opposite of what disciplining is. Discipline is to be done in love and not anger. One does not discipline because he is angry that his child has overstepped his bounds. Instead, he should be committed to teaching the child what to do and what not to do; to know what is right and what is wrong. Dr. Lawrence Balter, a child psychologist and parenting expert wrote that â€Å"discipline is not just punishing, forcing compliance or stamping out bad behavior. Rather, discipline has to do with teaching proper deportment, caring about others, controlling oneself and putting someone else’ wishes before one’s own when the occasion calls for it. When disciplining, the focus needs to be on teaching and not on punishing. Over time, as a father bonds with his son and develops a deeper relationship with him, the son should not have to fear the wrath that is about to come but should instead fear disappointing him due to the deep respect the son has for the father. Lastly, possibly the most difficult of all, is the father being a constant example to his son. In order for the son to accept things that he is corrected about, he must see that the Father does those things that he is constantly instilling in his son. The most important of which is being respectful to everyone. In order for one’s son to respect him, they must see that the father respects everyone in all situations including his son. In order to get respect you must first give it . Respect is earned. In relation to having respect for others, the father must display self-respect. A boy must see confidence in his father. The father must know that no matter what people think of him his son will always think highly of him. This goes a long with the fact that boys yearn for their fathers love. Included in being an example is having respect for women. Chivalry, something that has been around for hundreds of years is becoming less and less implemented in young men by their fathers. One of the simplest ways a father can do this is by opening doors for women. This shows a young boy that we are willing servants of women in that we do the â€Å"dirty work. † A woman is delicate and should be treated as such. Chivalry is only the half of it. A father needs to be an example for his son by how he treats his wife. The bible calls men to be considerate of their wives and to treat them with respect. If a son sees his father disrespecting his wife he will more than likely treat women in a similar fashion and vice versa. In the end, the father plays the most crucial role in the development of a young man. It is easy for a man to become distracted with all of the things life throws at him and forget about how important he is to his son. A man needs to set his priorities straight from the moment he gets married and has children. In all things, God is first, family is second, and work is third. A man needs to, above all else, instill biblical principles in the family life. He needs to be the anchor of the family in Christ. He is the natural leader and needs to act as such. His job is to raise a son with the same values. Moving on to daughters, Meg Meeker, a Pediatrician, wrote, â€Å"Fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter’s life† (Meeker 1). Whether a father wants to believe it, he is the most important person in a young girl’s life, not the mother. The problem today is that fathers assume they do not have much of an influence on their daughters. A father automatically thinks that the mother has the bigger responsibility over the daughter because she can better relate to a girl’s problems. In media, it is very common for the father to cause their daughter to cry over an unimportant issue and then would send the mother after her to comfort her. Unfortunately, this is how it is in many homes. Fathers are becoming more and more distant from their daughters and are unaware of how detrimental this can be as they become more and more uninvolved in their daughter’s life. The modern day father fails to accomplish his duties towards his daughter and to realize how important he is to his daughter, not because he does not want to but because he does not know what to do or even where to start. A father needs to recognize that he is the first man in his daughter’s life, needs to be encouraging of his daughter, must display leadership and perseverance, and must be able to be compassionate and understanding towards his daughter’s emotions and problems.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Rock ‘N’ Hip, Hop ‘N’ Roll, and the Integration of Music

From bell bottoms to Barbies, every generation has its own distinct trends. While various fads have cropped up in each era, music has always been a key element of culture. Starting in the 1950’s, music became integrated within the American culture as the favored form of expression. The popular types of music found on the Top 100 lists today however, have changed dramatically since then. What has promoted this obvious change in music choice? While rock ‘n’ roll still holds its own in the music billboards of 2010, the general public now prefers the mechanical sounds of hip hop and pop. So which trends in music and in thought made the rebellious rock ‘n’ roll such a craze in the 1950’s, but not now? Each era has had specific trends, schools of thought and attitudes that have veered them into a specific genre of music. Rockin’ Out Before 1950, the American culture held firm social expectations. Males were expected to enroll into the military or work, and women were expected to stay in the kitchen. America was pulling out of the depression, and wealth and prosperity was not considered a necessity. As the United States prevailed in World War II however, America started to change startlingly. While many people were focused on conforming with their neighbors, the social structure was revolutionized. Soldiers returned, many experiencing traumatic psychological and physical problems. Women who had integrated themselves into the work force now found themselves replaced by returning soldiers. Most importantly, families started experiencing a great deal of economic independence. This increasing affluence gave teenagers a chance to break away from their parents’ lifestyles. Teens started creating their own clothing trends, dance fads, and hairstyles (Cox). As these new fads and styles starting breaking away from social norms, rock ‘n’ roll became the sound of change. Conservative parents viewed rock ‘n’ roll, and the hip gyrations that came with it, as a gift from the devil. Despite their parents protestations however, teenagers idolized musicians like Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis. So what made rock ‘n’ roll the epitome of 1950 culture? Four recording companies-Decca, R. C. A. , Columbia and Capital-had a virtual monopoly over the popular music field in the early 1950’s. This control made rock ‘n’ roll wildly popular, simply because there was no competition (Lewis 47). As the 1950’s went on, their control weakened, yet rock ‘n’ roll still prevailed as the dominant music genre. A contributing factor to its increasing popularity was the lack of musicians being schooled in theory, technique and composition. Rock ‘n’ roll paved a golden road for a small, charismatic group of people. They provided music rapidly to the American public, without having to compose masterpieces rivaling the music of Bach, Liszt and Debussy. Rock ‘n’ roll also created an easy and fun way to express complex emotions through beating rhythms and twisting ostinato patterns. Simon Anderson explains, â€Å"The amplified bass seems to produce a kind of second-level rumble, a subsidiary moaning and groaning, an incantation of the adolescent subculture, where no one really knows or cares how they feel about life. † This â€Å"incantation of the adolescent subculture† spoke to the class, gender and racial conflicts tearing through America at the time. Rock ‘n’ roll introduced the American white culture to black music. Teenagers soon became addicted to the rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll, all of which was black-inspired. The crossing of racial culture helped the disintegration of the color line. Appreciation of black music helped increase recognition of blacks in popular culture (Bertrand). Though the rhythms and beat of rock ‘n’ roll spoke to the carefree teenager life, often the lyrics promoted conventional values and strength in relationships. 83. 4% of songs in 1955 were love ballads in the conversational mode (Carey 723). Most songs told of lovers, yearning for each other in some type of sense. This theme reflects the attitudes of teenagers in the 1950’s, as this was the first generation people were allowed to marry for love. Women had more freedom to travel into the workplace and finally be on equal grounds with their husbands. Husbands did not have to leave their wives for war. Children had more autonomy as parents no longer dictated who and when they were going to love. However, as this freedom was increasingly integrated into American culture over time, the amount of love related songs dramatically dropped. In 1966, only 69. 5% of produced songs were about love and courtship (Carey 723). Rock ‘n’ roll provided the perfect form of expression in the 1950’s. It combined lyrical ties to radical social changes and catchy rhythms unique to its generation. What’s Hip Now? The change tearing through America in the 1950’s persists to this day. 2010 has brought a busier, more materialistic, culture than ever before. The trends of women working outside of the home and increasing teenage autonomy persists. American teenagers are given more discretionary time than ever before in history. Reed Larson studied this continuing trend and explains, â€Å"If we look back over the past 200 years, the most striking historic change in young people’s use of time is that youths spend much less time on labor activities today than they did in America’s agrarian past† (160). Some teenagers use this newfound source of time dedicated to structured voluntary activities such as sports, theatre, work, etc. others dedicate escalating amounts of time to mind-numbing entertainment. And with hundreds of new forms of mass media, it is hard to not get caught up in the technology tornado sweeping through the nation. The endless barrage of t. v. , facebook, internet sites, music, iPhone’s and iPod’s, video and computer games can easily overwhelm the distracted teenager. Mass media however, is not promoting enlightening or uplifting ideas or values. Instead, popular music now screams lyrics advocating ridiculous displays of wealth, substance abuse and the need for physical love. Top rated songs like â€Å"Billionaire,† â€Å"Raise Your Glass,† and â€Å"Low† are all examples of this. Misogynistic rap lyrics have become a dominant feature in the work of several artists. Often in hip-hop and pop music, â€Å"women serve as mindless props or accessories to be doused with expensive champagne or to shake their half-naked bodies to repetitive beats and sexist lyrics† (Murry 6). In Eminem’s recent hit to â€Å"I Love the Way You Lie,† his last verse reads, â€Å"I'm tired of the games/ I just want her back/ I know I'm a liar/ If she ever tries to f***ing leave again/ I'mma tie her to the bed/ And set the house on fire. Songs like this expressing control over women physically, sexually and emotionally predominate popular culture. How did songs depicting such unrealistic and immoral ideals become the rage in American teenage culture? Perhaps it is hip-hop’s diligent presence in pop culture. For the last two decades, hip-hop has â€Å"prided itself on being misunderstood; it lacks sentimentality and is not easily thwarted by moralizing efforts† (Murray 8). And for the last two decades, American teenagers have prided themselves on being misunderstood, and have not been easily thwarted by moralizing efforts. A mass culture trend has changed communication from the sincerity of face to face conversation to the simplicity of texting and Facebook. This has lead to a decrease in sentimentality and an increase in misunderstandings between people. Moral beliefs practiced by preceding generations have also disappeared. Ethics such as chastity, honesty and virtue have become unfashionable and undesirable. The change in lyrics from conventional love ballads in the 1950’s to the focus on money and sexual prizes reflects the changes in behavior and schools of thought throughout the generations. Lyrical Art The lyrics found in any genre of music influences the emotions of the listener (Krumhans 45). Martina McBride’s pop hit â€Å"Concrete Angel† is a fantastic example of emotion correlating with song lyrics. The heart-wrenching song tells the story of an little girl who is killed because of physical abuse in her home. The chorus reads, â€Å"Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone/ In a world that she can’t rise above/ But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place/ Where she’s loved/ Concrete Angel. Though the melody, key, tension or dynamics help create an emotional state throughout this song, the lyrics were what made this song so emotionally powerful. â€Å"Concrete Angel† acquires its emotional meaning through the association of events that the general audience can relate too. Though the majority of the listeners will not have experienced physical abuse first hand, they can sympathize because they are aware o f the emotional, physical and mental damage violence incurs. Musicians know of the power lyrics hold. Lyrics can tell stories that make hearts melt, enlighten schools of thought never explored before, or create strong physical reactions. But lyrics that the majority of the public can relate to, sell better. This is the reason why the general themes songs have expressed have changed so dramatically over the last sixty years. The teenagers in 1950 were just starting to experience economic prosperity and free love. To listen to music completely revolving around money and sex would be crossing a line they hadn’t invented yet. And the youth in 2010 will not easily relate to ballads focused around falling in love with that one person because most are not looking for one person to love. Both the love-bound lyrics of the 1950’s and the materialistic lyrics of pop songs today accurately reflect the culture they predominate. Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Several other factors influence what makes cultural music popular. Lyrics must be in a proper combination of rhythm, harmony, key, dissonance, tension and dynamics for a song to reach it’s full potential. Even the untrained ear can distinguish feelings associated with the mode of the piece. Major, fast paced songs are associated with happy feelings while minor, slow, soft songs are correlated with sad feelings. Dissonant, unstable, tense songs often invoke feelings of fear. These feelings can all be present without powerful lyrics. Much of the world’s music is instrumental, and most of these create powerful emotion in the listener (Krumahns 48). So which musical factors specifically influenced popular music in the 1950’s and today? The drumming beats found in most rock ‘n’ roll pieces created a powerful sound teenagers revolved around. The harsh rhythms, instability of sound and rockin’ dance moves associated with rock ‘n’ roll all helped increase its popularity. Popular music today features fast paced songs with mechanical sounds in the background. Songs incorporate an inordinate amount of words per second, often leaving the listener wondering what they just heard. In the new hit single â€Å"Love Like Woe,† the listener hears, â€Å"Cause I got some intuition/ Or maybe I’m superstitious/ But I think you’re a pretty sweet pill that I’m swallowing down/ To counter this addiction/ You’ve got me on a mission/ Tell me darling, can I get a break somehow? Could I say no? ,† all in a mere ten seconds. The fast pace of songs are easily correlated with the fast pace of teenagers lives today. Teenagers are expected to excel in school, extracurriculars, athletics, music, and family life all at the same time. Pop music is branching away from traditional instruments to a more machine based background. The popular song â€Å"Like a g6† even goes as far as making the chorus voices sound computerized. Classical music appreciation has severely declined and sounds symbolizing a mechanical, over the top life, have taken control of the musical industry. The Ensemble Musical preference is very much behavioral. In the words of Simon V. Anderson, â€Å"If music educators did not believe that musical preference is socially conditioned. . . They would not work in the public classrooms at all, but rather, they would spend their time and energy in the science laboratories searching for the virus . . . that impairs musical judgment† (39). Popular music preference has much to do with the language, values and beliefs of the teenagers perspective of popular culture. Trendy music will be the music that teenagers can relate to and create for them the feelings they desire. Music choice however also reflects how the music makes one feel while listening to it. Popular songs in 1950 and 2010 reflect the culture they predominate through the general theme of lyrics and background noises. In each culture, music has been a favored form of expression and creates emotion based on what the culture wants. As even now, popular culture changes from liking bell bottoms to skinny jeans and back again, pop music changes with it to accurately reflect the culture it has been rooted upon.