Inside The British Police A Force At Work Book Review Essay

Inside The British Police: A Force At Work book review This is a book full of moral outrage, indignant at the exposed police practices during Simon Holdaway’s covert participant observation. Most of the events are centred around the â€Å"Hilton† branch which is an area that cultivated social deprivation and formed the â€Å"ground on which many police officers spent their working lives† (Holdaway, 1983, P.1). At the time of writing his then doctoral thesis, Holdaway was serving as a sergeant in the London Metropolitan police, making this book a unique piece of literature, filling the gaps of knowledge previous studies couldn’t penetrate because of the researcher-researched dynamic. Holdaway was not just researching the police, he was researching the very people he worked with, and at the time, before the PACE act of 1984 which outlined various strict rules and codes of conduct for police that continue today. (Loftus, 2016) When Holdaway conducted his research there were no ethics committees or guidelines for covert ethnography and the guarded culture of police, combined with their mandate to use force and discretionary powers (at the lower ranks), meant it was important they were studied. Holdaway’s justification was a totalitarian one and In order to get real data that wasn’t staged, covert was the way forward. â€Å"When such an institution is over protective... it’s important they be studied† (Holdaway, 1983, P.1). It does appear throughout the book, that some colleagues may haveShow MoreRelatedThe Mystery Of Sherlock Holmes1367 Words   |  6 Pageswho is not a member of an official force but is employed by a private party or self-employed in his or her own practice. The most famous mystery fictional character Sherlock Holmes is a perfect example of what a private investigator is and should be. 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Those areas were not chosen randomly. They were highlighted from the fans themselves as factors that promote violence in football grounds. Contents 1. Introduction - 5 - 2. Theoretical considerations and literature review - 8 - 2.1 Violence in sports: Definitions and theoretical considerations - 8 - 2.2 Literature review. - 20 - 3. The survey. -Read MoreThe Criminal Practice Justice System in India7023 Words   |  29 PagesIndian Evidence Act. The debate issues in bombay high court - case laws Aim, objectives and outputs 1.AIM - Murder; sec 300 to sec 307 2.Objectives - Bail; sec 436 to sec 450 2.1. Bailable offence 2.2. Non-bailable offence Literature Review 3.1.Successes of Practice in Criminal Justice system. 3.2. The Failures of Practice in criminal Justice in India. 3.3 Malimath Committee recommendations 3.4 LAW, COURTS AND THE CONSTITUTION 3.5 SOURCES OF LAW . 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Black hat is used to discribe a hacker who break into a computer system or network with malicious intent . Unlike white hat , the black hat takes advantage

Essay on Is Censorship Unconstitutional - 919 Words

Censoring knowledge is unconstitutional. Censorship had been going on since the beginning of the written word. This means that is not hard to say that it has been used as a manipulation tactic since the first man, or woman, placed their coal to a piece of dried goat skin. So does this make it wrong? To understand censorship, you have to start at the beginning. Censorship, no matter the definition, is when people who have power, wish to limit the knowledge of what we are receiving, or what we are expressing. We have not always had the rights we have now. Benjamin Franklins brother and employer, was actually arrested and lost his printing license for expressing criticism in his newspaper about politics. Censorship was going†¦show more content†¦The important story of Isralians giving birth control to Ethiopians without their consent is a perfect example of this (â€Å"Top 25 censored stories from 2012-2013†). Now adays, the explosion of the Internet has made it much e asier for average people to post their opinions. Any person with access to the Internet and a type of computer can easily post what is on their mind. From tweeting about their breakfast to live blogging about their opinions on a national debate, every thing can be set free into the world. Which is why, in 2011, The Stop Online Privacy Act swooped in with the desire to call copy right in fragments to a halt, mainly backed by people in high stances in large corporations. SOPA’s made desire was to stop fan made art, stories, videos, songs, and parodies. SOPA gave the US Department of Justice the right to control US Internet providers, and force sites like Youtube to delete all material that contained copy right in fragments. This would basically wipe out the entire Internet, because copy righted material would be completely unavailable unless purchased. And in a country with 46.5 million people living in poverty, the chance to succeed slims drastically (â€Å"Poverty†). Many people actually apposed SOPA, and its companion PIPA. It was often claimed that the act was a violation to their free speech, and that many smaller companies would not be able to handle the backlash of it.Show MoreRelatedCensorship of Internet Pornography is Unconstitutional Essay2385 Words   |  10 Pagesshepherd, can create false images of women and a pseudo reality. It also introduces kids to sex at a much earlier age than ever before (Levy 55). President Clinton expresses, ...that our Constitution allows us to help parents by enforcing this act (censorship of the Internet) to prevent children from being exposed to objectionable material transmitted through computer networks (Bray C7). Many parents are in an uproar since discovering the dangers to children on the Internet. 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He held the office of stage censor in Britain in the early 1900s. One such play that was altered by Lord Chamberlain’s office was entitled Her Wedding Night. This play was licensed by Lord Chamberlin’s office but under the condition that certain changes be made. As strict as Chamberlin’s office was the censorship was not enoughRead MoreEssay about Internet Censorship Is a Form of Dictatorship605 Words   |  3 Pagesonce said, â€Å"The first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.† Internet censorship is the control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. In other words, one day you might not be able to Google everything you want to know as you can now. Although the Internet can be a dangerous without caution, countries need not to censor th e Internet for their own selfish reasons. Internet censorship is a form of a dictatorship, and they can cause riots as wellRead MoreEssay about Censorship in America1048 Words   |  5 Pages Censorship in America nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Since this country was founded, we have had a set of unalienable rights that our constitution guarantees us to as Americans. One of the most important rights that is mentioned in our constitution is the right to free speech. â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and toRead MoreReligious Speech And Symbolism Should Be Permissible On Public Property1236 Words   |  5 Pagesdisruption to the school s ability to fulfill its educational goals. Any attempt to restrict such speech is unconstitutional where there has been no finding and no showing that engaging [in the activity] would materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school.† (Restricting Religious Expression in Schools Is Unconstitutional.) If we take a moment and reminisce on the positives of involving praying in our schools, you will noticeRead More Freedom of Speech vs Censorship Essays1231 Words   |  5 Pagesbeginning with the First Amendment which is under constant assault by censorship. The Constitution of the United States says that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† Censorship as defined by Wikipedia is â€Å"the suppression of speech or deletion of

Principles for Financial Reporting

Question: Discuss about the Principles for Financial Reporting. Answer: Introduction: The financial position of any company is revealed through its statement of financial position also known as the balance sheet of a company. It clearly states the various assets that the company owns, the amount of liabilities it has to pay and the shareholders equity fund. The net result is that the assets are always equivalent to the liabilities of a company. The balance sheet discloses the various assets and liabilities by dividing the same into various groups or heads. This makes it easier for the reader to comprehend the financial position of a concern as on a particular date. It is very important to understand that the financial position is revealed not for a period of time but as on a particular date. Measurement of the various assets and liabilities shown in the balance sheet is done using three main measurement approaches namely the entry value, exit value or the value in use. These approaches are further divided into six bases of measurement. The entry value uses cost of acquisition method or the replaceable cost method. The exit value uses the net realisable value method (NRV) or the fair value method and the value in use approach uses the discounting of the future cash flows to present value i.e. the NPV method or the undiscounted recoverable amount (Crane, 2012). Depending upon the entities requirements the base of the measurement approaches are determined. The most common is the historical cost method used for valuing an asset and disclosing the same in the balance sheet. This is basically used for the valuation of fixed assets such as goodwill (intangible asset), plant and machinery (Tangible asset) and furniture and fixtures. From the asset side of the financial statement it is the cost incurred for the acquisition of the asset usually monetary in nature and the other direct expenses incurred in getting the asset to its workable condition. And for the liability the measurement is the cash acquired for incurring a liability. The said method is very much in use by the manufacturing concerns. This method determines the actual cash or cash equivalents outflow in case of an asset or the cash received in assumption of a liability. Further the sanctity of the actual cost can easily be verified. However the said method has its own weakness. This t ype of valuation is not suited for the valuation of current assets (Cooper, 2015). The entry value also uses the measurement basis the replacement cost. This is considered to be the most effective way in which the investment of the stakeholders of an enterprise can be measured. However the said method has lot of issues attached to it which makes it less popular amongst the entities. Most of the time the asset which is being valued using this method is difficult to find the replacement value if a similar or identical asset is not available. Thus the crux of valuation gets defeated (Intermediate Accounting, 2007). The next two bases of measurement i.e. the NRV method and the fair value method which is used in determining the value of the assets and liabilities using the exit value method is also not full proof in nature. The same also has its own strengths and weaknesses, thus depending upon the kind of asset and liability to be valued, the same is applied. These two are the most common methods used by most of the companies. The Net Realisable Value of an asset is basically the estimated price that will be fetched on selling a product in the ordinary course of business after deducting the sale proceeds with the cost of production and other selling and distribution expenses (Accounting Standards Board. 1999). This method ensures that revenue is recognized only when the process of conversion of an event to asset is assured and on the verge of completion. The strength of the NRV method is that it enables recoding of the assets and liabilities on actual basis instead of any valuation methods. The most important factor in this method is the time of occurrence. Valuation of inventories generally take place using the NRV method only (Bank, E. 2015). The fair value method is another exit value approach which uses the method of determining the exit price of an asset or a liability at a particular date from the viewpoint of the holder of the asset or the liability owner. This method though seems to be simple, is actually a complex one with regards to assets and liabilities whose fair value is not easy to determine. This valuation method is based on three main components, knowledgeable parties, willing to enter into a transaction and arms length transaction. Valuation of all assets and liabilities do not fulfil all these criterions. Thus making the method complex. The biggest strength that this method portrays is to the investors of an entity. They are able to measure the value of the firm basis the fair value that is prevalent at that particular point of time (Way, 2015). Lastly is the value in use approach which also uses two bases namely the discounting of the future cash flows to the present value, NPV method and the undiscounted recoverable amount. The NPV method is not very useful in valuing the liabilities of a firm. It is more useful in measuring the investments of a firm. A rupee earned tomorrow will e of lesser value than a rupee earned today. Following this concept the said method discounts the future cash flows from an investment in todays term so that the actual worth of the investment can be analyzed by the shareholders and the investors of the entity (Kinney Raiborn , 2012). The biggest strength of this method is that it enables one to understand whether the investments made by the company is worth or not. It takes into account the various risk factors associated with an investment. The biggest weakness that entails in this method is too much assumption. Further it fails to compare projects of varying size. Further it can be applied to very limited asset class of an entity (Zizlavsky, 2014). Our balance sheets have a class of assets and liabilities that are subject to periodic impairments such as discontinuing operations. The method of recovery of these assets are undiscounted as it is not recoverable in the ordinary course of business. This method is not suitable for the major portion of the financial statements. It has a very limited application(accountingtools.com. 2015). I have chosen GP Batteries International Limited, a company who is into the manufacturing and distribution of batteries and battery related products. It is listed in the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange. It is one of the primary suppliers of the main as well as rechargeable batteries across the globe to various manufacturers of equipments. The company also caters to the retail segment. The company has factories located in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The company finalized its annual report for the year ended 31st March 2016 on 27th of May 2016 (Gpbatteries.com, 2016). On analyzing the financial report of the group as a whole the companys non-current asset class are many. However I chose to discuss upon the Investment properties and the Property, Plant and Equipment. The study of the investment properties reveal that there has not been any disposal or fresh entry of any investments in the year vis a vis the last year wherein there was a significant amount of disposal of investment property. The company measures the same by using the fair value method. An independent appraiser is appointed by the company with commendable professional qualifications with adequate experience in the location in which the property is stated. The company uses this method as it enables them to determine the current value of the property based on the recent market value that the same would fetch if sold immediately. Thus it looks into the fact that how much would a similar property fetch in the same location. This method will enable to give a clearer view to the stakeholde rs of the company about the value of the investments made in property by the concern. But the biggest disadvantage that lies is finding a competent valuer in the location where the property is located. Further if there do not exist any similar property in the vicinity then valuation becomes cumbersome and is also not reliable (Isda.org. 2002). The next category in the non-current assets are the property , plant and equipment which are indispensable part for any concern. It is very difficult for any organization to work without the basic property and the equipments. The company is observed in using the value in use method for the measurement of the said category of the non-current asset. A review of some of the plant and equipment and the property is done with regards the recoverable amount and the impairment loss was recognized so as to ensure that the present carrying amount of the said assets become equivalent to the actual expected recoverable amount. Te company uses a discount rate of 10.4% for discounting the future cash flows expected from the use of the existing property, plant and equipment. The same is advantageous to the company as they come to know whether a particular asset needs replacement and helps to analyze the cost and benefit in depth. This makes the decision to replace or not easy. The only disadvantage that is felt in this kind of a valuation though realistic and most apt for the said class is the discount rate assumption. This is a complex task and a small mistake in determining the same may lead to misappropriation of the cost of property, plant and equipment. Similar to the non-current assets, for any company its current assets are also of utmost importance as it enables one to understand the amount that can be fetched from the sale of immediate asset. The two classes which I would be considering here are the bank balance, deposits and cash and the receivables and prepayments. The bank balance, deposits and cash comprises of two sections one is the bank and cash balance which is captured on actual basis without the application of any measurement base as the amount in hand is what should be written. The fixed deposits are however measured at fair values. These are very short term deposits which are easily convertible to cash as the maturity period is three or less than three months. Thus measuring the said asset class using the exit value method is the best as these are most liquid in nature. The second current asset class in discussion is the receivables and prepayments. These are also known as sundry debtors and the prepaid accounts. Every trade whether retail or wholesale is conducted on credit. It is no possible to conduct a business purely on cash basis. Thus trade receivables are receivables which do not carry any interest component until and unless the due date for payment has crossed. They are recognized in the financial statement basis the actual amount receivable until and unless the collection seems to be doubtful in nature. In such a scenario a provision is made and impairment is done. The provision for bad debts is basically the difference between the carrying amount and the actual expected realization amount. The company does not seem to make any allowance for bad debts for the year 2015-2016 as it considers all its debtors to be good and thus they are being recorded at the fair value (Gp-industries.com .2016). Thus it is well understood that the most prevalent method used by various companies are the fair value method. This enables to give a very true picture of the asset liability position of an organization. Howsoever the fact cannot be denied that each measurement approach has its own pros and cons due to which no company can use a single type of an approach. Depending upon the asset class the approach is applied. But it is to be ensured that the same should be applied on a consistent basis year on year so that comparability becomes easy. References: Accountingtools.com. (2015). Value-based Pricing. Retrieved from https://www.accountingtools.com/value-based-pricin Accounting Standards Board. (1999). Statement of Principles for Financial Reporting. Retrieved from https://www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Publications/ASB/Statement-Statement-of-Principles-for-Financial-Re.pdf Bank, E. (2015). The Net Realisable Value Method of Accounting. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/net-realizable-value-method-accounting-65552.html Cooper, S. (2015). Taking a measured approach . Retrieved from https://www.ifrs.org/Investor-resources/Investor-perspectives-2/Documents/Investor-Perspectives_Taking-a-measured-approach.pdf Crane, L.M. (2012). Measuring Financial Performance: A critical key to Managing Risk. Retrieved from https://msu.edu/user/steind/financial_measures.pdf Gp-industries.com, (2016). GP Industries Limited Annual Report 2015-2016. Retrieved from https://www.gp-industries.com/IR/data/_uploaded/file/Annual%20Report/2015-2016/GP_Ind_2015-2016_Annual_Report.pdf Gpbatteries.com, (2016). Corporate Information. Retrieved from https://uk.gpbatteries.com/uk_en/corporate-information Isda.org. (2002). Explanation and Benefits of Fair Value Accounting. Prepared by The Bond Market Association, International Swaps and Derivatives Association and Securities Industry Association. Retrieved from https://www.isda.org/speeches/pdf/FV101_2.pdf Intermediate Accounting, (2007). Recognition and Measurement Concepts. Retrieved from https://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072994029/student_view0/ebook/chapter1/chbody1/recognition_and_measurement_concepts.html Kinney, M.R., Raiborn , C.A. (2012). Cost Accounting- Foundations and Evolutions. South Western Cengage Learning : USA Way, J., (2015). Advantages and Disadvantages of Fair Value Accounting. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-fair-value-accounting-20577.html Zizlavsky, O., (2014), Net Present Value Approach : Method for Economic Assessment of Innovation Projects, Procedia- Social and Behavioural Sciences, 156, 506-512

Insomnia Inspiring free essay sample

Will I miss them, the sleepless nights, whispering secrets to the darkness? Maybe, or maybe not, but I will remember them. I’ll remember the intricately woven silence as I traced the shadows on my walls. I will remember the warmth of my haven, and the lack of a symbolically driven force playing at my mind. I’ll remember the images dancing across my imagination in exquisite form, as an unending song repeated in my head. I’ll remember dreams and plans, exaggerated and bemused, filling paper and memories with asphyxiating phrases, as the shimmering of the fading day left me desolate. I’ll remember the cruelty of the night, stretching out to cover an eternity; the insomnia and the words, etching them deep inside my conscious mind. I’ll remember the pain of the passing days, the longing for a cure, and the majestic beauty that held my shattered spirit. We will write a custom essay sample on Insomnia Inspiring or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Will I miss those nights? Most likely. The hours of sacrifice and joy, matched by the rage and bewilderment driven solely by passion, lacking any sign of hope. The discoveries found on dead trees, breathing life into the ink flowing over them. The limitless walls of a shadowed room providing me with the only sense of home I have ever known. I might miss the comfort of the one piece of stability and familiarity, sparkling in my memory like the star-strewn sky. Holding tight to the medications and diagnoses, irrelevant and unused, describing an adventure words could never have justice for; the delicately sketched photographs and the dead and withered roses, reminders of a past once lost and nearly forgotten. Will I miss those nights? Yes, for they brought the transitions of my being, delving into emotions deep and impenetrable. The fear as I watched things fall apart, replicated in the terror of the spaces between the stars. The numbness I felt in protection of all I could save of my identity ever lost and regained. The anger and betrayal as life plummeted, and I was held hostage by unseen chains I didn’t have the strength to break. The anxiety that stole pieces of my sanity, leaving a veiled existence covering a broken and shivering body, the panic attacks that visited me in my sleep, not allowing a moments rest. I will miss those nights greatly; they shaped my future by piecing together my past. Those nights found what the daylight could never resurrect, a knowledge and truth once lost in obscurity, giving my soul more than hope could ever offer. In those nights, I found the beauty of the darkness, and the beauty of all in the world surrounding me. I found the glamor of life, death, and all other opposing forces. Those nights created me. They gave me a basis of survival for many long nights to come, with both the darkness and the light as my friend. Everything I’ve gained in life relates back to those hours of solitude, those hours of analyzing life and everything that had happened. The darkness gave me one of the most valuable gifts I have ever received: understanding. Understanding of the insanity of the world around me, understanding of events both fated and willed, and, most importantly, understanding of myself, and everything I am. Self-discovery had been the longest journey of my life, ending with the realization that every definite identity is merely another mask. My true identity lies in each experience I’ve survived, and my drained masks lie in the dead silence of those nights.

Bach 2 Essay Research Paper Johann Sebastian free essay sample

Bach 2 Essay, Research Paper Johann Sebastian Bach A Great Contributor Of Music Throughout the history of music, many great composers, theoreticians, and musicians have left unerasable Markss and influences that people today look back on to look up to and draw a bead on to. No exclusion to this parlance is Johann Sebastian Bach, whose impact on music was unforgettable to state the least. Peoples today look back to his Hagiographas and works to both learn and admire. He genuinely can be considered a music history great. Bach, who came from a household of over 53 instrumentalists, was nil short of a virtuosic musician every bit good as a consummate composer. Born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685, he was the boy of a consummate fiddler, Johann Ambrosius Bach, who taught his boy the basic accomplishments for threading playing. Along with this threading playing, Bach began to play the organ which is the instrument he would later on be noted for in history. We will write a custom essay sample on Bach 2 Essay Research Paper Johann Sebastian or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His direction on the organ came from the participant at Eisenach # 8217 ; s most of import church. He instructed the immature male child instead strictly until his accomplishments surpassed anyone s outlooks for person of such a immature age. Bach suffered early injury when his parents died in 1695. He went to travel unrecorded with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who besides was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. He continued his younger brother # 8217 ; s instruction on that instrument, every bit good as presenting him to the cembalo. The strict preparation on these instruments combined with Bach s consummate accomplishment paid off for him at an early age. After several old ages of analyzing with his older brother, he received a scholarship to analyze in Luneberg, Germany, which is located on the northern tip of the state. As a consequence, he left his brother s tuition and went to travel and analyze at that place. The teenage old ages brought Bach to several parts of Germany where he chiefly worked as an organist in churches, since that was the accomplishment he had perfected the best from his immature preparation. However, a maestro of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian foremost found employment at the age of 18 as a fiddler in a tribunal orchestra in Weimar. Although he did non stay at that place awfully long, he was able to do good money playing for the male monarch. He shortly after accepted a place as a church organist in Arnstadt. It was here that Bach would shortly recognize his high criterions and respects that he had for music. In Arnstadt every bit good as in many other topographic points that Bach worked he was ill-famed for acquiring into battles over the quality of music that was being produced. A perfect illustration of this can be seen in Arnstadt. Previous histories of history claim that Bach was upset with the public presentation of the church choir for which he played for. He claimed that the voices could neer do the music surge to the sky as it should ( slackly translated ) . Here Bach realized the high degree of music and perfectionism that he wanted. In 1707, at the age of 22, Bach moved on from Arnstadt to another organist occupation, this clip at the St. Blasius Church in Muhlhausen. Once once more he did non stay at that place excessively long, merely a small over a twelvemonth, when he moved once more to Weimar where he accepted the place of caput concertmaster and organist in the Ducal Chapel. It was here that Bach settled himself and began to compose the first aggregation of his finest early plant which, included organ pieces and oratorios. By this clip Bach had been married for several old ages. He really became married to his cousin Maria Barbara. They, for the most portion, had a happy matrimony. He was happy. By this phase of his life he had composed for himself a fantastic repute of being a superb musical endowment. Along with that his proficiency on the organ was unequaled in Europe by this clip. In fact, he toured on a regular basis as a solo ace, and his turning command of compositional signifiers, like the fugue and the canon, were already pulling involvement from the musical constitution, which, in his twenty-four hours, was the Lutheran church. The church began to look at Bach s Hagiographas and saw the chance to perchance utilize his music in their multitudes. Thus was the slow birth of the German chorale, which Bach subsequently became renowned for. Bach s virtuosic calling did endure minor reverses along the manner. He on occasion would be passed over for merited places within the tribunal that he worked. However, in 1715 when he did non have a genuinely coveted place of Kapellmeister ( choral maestro ) of Weimer, he was insulted and left the metropolis. He accepted a place as a tribunal music director in Cothen, where he began to work on another portion of his musical genre, that of instrumental music. Up until this point, Bach was chiefly composing organ pieces and church oratorios. One of his most celebrated, Wachet auf ruft uns dice Stimme, became good known around the universe and is still looked upon as a authoritative today. H owever, when he arrived in Cothen he began to concentrate on all other instruments and used his endowments as a twine participant and cognition of air current brass instruments to get down composing instrumental pieces. It was during his stay here in Cothen that the orchestral chef-doeuvre known as the Brandenburg Concerto was born. Bach s term of office in Cothen lasted about seven old ages. In that clip his married woman Mara became sick and died. Although distraught, he shortly remarried to Anna Magdalena. It was during this clip that Bach had several kids, three in peculiar would turn to go gifted instrumentalists like their male parent. Wilhelm Friedmann, C.P.E. Bach, and J.C. Bach. They to became virtosos of the organ and subsequently the cembalo, much like their male parent was. After Bach left Cothen, he received a esteemed place as music manager at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany. Here Bach accepted his most demanding place of all. He had the duty of composing oratorios for the St. Thomas and St. Nicholas churches, contributing the choirs, supervising the musical activities of legion municipal churches, and learning Latin in the St. Thomas choir school. Although demanding, Bach persisted and succeeded in Leipzig and continued to compose music of assorted sorts with a degree of trade and emotio nal reconditeness that was his alone. Bach remained at his station in Leipzig until his decease in 1750. Although he was blinded by cataract jobs in the early 1740s, he still managed to compose consummate pieces up until yearss before his decease. His last musical composing that he crafted happened to be a choral preliminary, which was dedicated to his son-in jurisprudence. To this twenty-four hours more than 1,000 of Bach s accomplished composings survive. Some of his most celebrated plants include the Brandenburg Concerto, The Mass In B Minor, The Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord, his huge sum of toccatas, particularly his Toccata In F Major, his aggregation of fluctuations on organ preliminaries captured in the Well Tempered Clavier, his huge sum of fugues and chorales including his Fugue in G child, major every bit good as his enormous sum of chorales, and his Christmas and Easter cantatas, which was another split in his music genre. Quite honestly, the list goes on and on and on. Surely, Johann Sebastian Bach neer believed that his success would go so epic and monumental. However, we today perceive him to be one of the cardinal persons to determine the music we listen to. It is no secret that his Hagiographas, particularly chorale Hagiographas, are used to exemplify the rules of our functional system of harmoniousness. It is in this illustration entirely that it can be seen that Bach s plants have non merely survived to the point where they are still heard and listened to, but they besides still supply us with cognition and apprehension from which we can larn and detect music. It is for these grounds that the life of Johann Sebastian Bach was genuinely a great one and it is without any apprehensiveness that he can be considered a musical great.

Holden and Phoebe Essays

Holden and Phoebe Essays Holden and Phoebe Paper Holden and Phoebe Paper In a frenzy of sadness and frustration on the night that Allele died, Holder smashed all the windows in his garage with his bare fists. I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalysis and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I dont blame them. I really dont. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddamn windows with my first Just for the hell of it. My hand still hurts me once in a while, when it rains and all, and I cant make a real fist any more Although Holder is innocent, he is not naive. Society has affected him to the extent that he is aware of the cost of things, but wastes his money on taxis, as he wants to avoid the phones on buses. He refers to the value of his coat, his cases, his typewriter and even his pens, but he does not cherish his possessions as he gives his typewriter away and lends his coat to Seedeater. When his gloves were stolen, the only thing he cared about was that he became cold. When he was a child he lost his belongings so now as a teenager he fails to take his change and hates people ho spend time at posh restaurants and popular bars; yet there is a hypocritical side to him which makes him take taxis, go to bars, cinemas and theatres, and stay in hotels. Society has taken everything from Holder, both of his brothers presence and his parents Seedeater borrows all he owns, his clothes and even the girl he loves. His possessions are stolen at school. Because of all of this, he feels he must reject society. It is not surprising that he feels he must turn to children; after all, they are a symbol of innocence, and they have not rejected him. He says that he would like to e The Catcher in the Rye, who is a fictional character in a Burns poem, who stops children running off the edge off cliff whilst playing in rye fields. This analogy epitomizes the only future Holder can see for himself. Phoebe is the only person Holder trusts. Her sanity and naturalness restores confidence of society in Holder. Due to his love from Phoebe a complete breakdown by the pond, and from a pointless escape later. Holder hates hypocrites and phones, but meets few people who are honest, so he generalizes and says there are phones all around him, another thing that makes IM an outcast of society. Even his teachers are phones; Mr. Spencer acts in front of the headmaster, and the headmaster performs in front of the rich parents and Mr. Anatolian appears to have crooked morals. Holders parents are absent in his life, his dad is a lawyer who is very strict as seen in Daddy will kill you he also doesnt show affection towards Holder. Holders mother isnt very interested in neither his nor Phoebes lives as when she catches Phoebe smoking, as all she says is l dont like that, Phoebe. I dont like that at all. (159)

Marketing research proposal Mercedes-Benz( how can MB attract costumer

Marketing Mercedes-Benz( how can MB attract costumer from age 27-37 in USA) - Research Proposal Example Therefore, the main concern of the company is to attract potential automobile users in the USA from the age group 27-37 years and evaluate their expectation on cars in the near future. Moving to the higher car market segment and selling premium cars can result to be the best marketing strategies for the automobile companies. Though companies are trying to enter a new market by creating a niche for itself or diversifying their existing vehicle line, technologies and effective strategies in selling high end cars at higher price range requires efficient marketing approaches than those positioned as affordable vehicles. The marketing strategies applied for premium automobiles, needs to focus on the quality it is providing, luxury, its safety, premium maintenance service and extending these features to meet the preferences of the customers (Dvir and Strasser 831). The marketing and advertising strategies planned must not leave any ambiguity on the premium value of the car. To achieve that, firstly the vehicle and the brand must be of high-quality themselves. The propagation of the product features and attributes must be in such a way through the audio and visual medium that it will allow its buyers to gain a high sense of priority and exclusiveness as if they are special. The communications strategies must be implemented in a way that make their customer realize that they are investing on high worth, top-quality product. Promotions on premium magazines, television channels and shows attracting HNI audiences, radio ads should be the main target (Saridakis and Baltas 5-10). The vehicle brand should position itself as the car with style, comfort and luxury. Self-indulgence must be the key factor of the marketing strategy. The attributes of the car, from its premium quality seat material, color, texture, interior and exterior designing, the ambience, experience of

Annotated Bibliography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Annotated Bibliography - Assignment Example Reason for declining the version Ratterman’s account is due to the then period’s involvement of government officials into funding and strategically backing varied organized crimes. The focus of this source touches on crime, justice and its context of Kentucky’s history. This was during a time of heightened organized crime fueled by government of the day through corruption. It is a primary source outlining how the government despite through its respective authorities seemed to curb the period’s crime actually fueled. I am strongly convinced based on the content of this source it will be helpful in my paper. This is because I will use it to elaborate how the government played a significant role in enhancing crime and crime’s role towards development of Kentucky’s history led by a corrupt government. I do agree with this primary source due to its relevance information that is also evident in other similar sources more the image source, which depicts utter pretence and effort by securities in curbing organized crime. Linduff, Jim., Klein, Roy & Trapp, Larry. 2012. â€Å"When Vice Was King: A History Of Northern Kentucky Gambling 1920-1970.† Accessed 8Th April 2014. In this secondary source, authors trace the history of crime in the N. Kentucky with much emphasis on bootlegging operation. Hence, being relevance to the field of study that I have chosen whereby I believe the source will be helpful in backing varied historical arguments about justice and crime. This is because it will act as an historical source starting from 1920s up to 70s, whereby the latter encompasses the scope of the study’s focus. I do concur with the content outlined in this study, which ranges from prostitution, bootlegging operations to other vices that enhanced crime

How people fall into debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How people fall into debt - Essay Example In the contemporary age, the world has become dangerously materialistic. Success is associated with the achievement and possession of material. Possession of material incurs cost. The more the material, the more successful a person is considered, and the more money gets spent. More often than not, people tend to maintain a life standard that is much above what they can afford in their income. Even if a person does not value material, he is supposed to do that in order to comply with the norms, trends and traditions of the society. This change in attitude can be attributed to the fact that people tend to associate respect with materialism. A person possessing the latest model of technology of any sort is praised and appreciated. It is this praise that man longs for, thus ends up overspending. In addition to being materialistic, people in the present age have become increasingly impatient and intolerant. What matters the most is present. Past is gone, and future is unseen. People can not wait to become richer. Therefore, they purchase things or facilities without having resources to compensate for them. Many people acquire loans to construct homes. The most commonly employed financial institutions that serve the purpose are banks.

Reflection Of Communication Skills Relevant To Clinical Scenario

Reflection Of Communication Skills Relevant To Clinical Scenario In 2006, a patient named Robin became pregnant. In the 5th month of pregnancy, the patient began having trouble with diarrhoea and then developed a severe infection in her upper respiratory system. Robins obstetrician immediately hospitalized her and within 24 hours, Robin had a temperature of 105 degrees and was in preterm labour. Just before Christmas, Robin was diagnosed with Acute Viral Pneumonia. After getting permission from the doctor to go home for Christmas, Robin was back at the hospital 15 days later because she was in preterm labour yet again. It was then that Robin was introduced to a gastroenterologist who diagnosed her with Crohns Disease. Robin was immediately put on medications to try to save her and her unborn childs lives. On 3rd February, Robins contractions were five minutes apart but her due date was the 17th of March. Robin came to the hospital and within one hour, I performed an ultrasound only to let her know that her unborn baby boy was no longer alive. Afte r the funeral of her son, Robin was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in her inner thigh. Reflection: Interpersonal communication skills Listening is an active and basic process that involves not only taking the content of the person speaking by looking at their body language and listening to their words, but also being perceptive (Boyd, 2007, pp. 654-683). Good listening skills are shown by attending behaviour that is practiced by establishing eye contact, maintain a relaxed posture and sending appropriate messages to the patient through gestures (Timby, 2008, pp. 298-312). Attending behaviour works well in that it encourages the patient to verbalise their feelings and ideas freely (Hart, 2010, pp. 287-299). During listening, the nurse paraphrases the words of the patient in fewer words so as to make sure that the nurse understood what the patient wants. Paraphrasing is an important part of listening because it exposes and clarifies any mixed or double messages sent when the patient fails to make a direct statement (Huber, 2006, pp. 754-783). The third part of listening is clarifying. Clarifying goes beyond paraphras ing with an intention of bringing vague material into sharper focus (Kneedler Dodge, 1994, pp. 258-295). Perception checking is an effective part of ensuring accuracy of a communication because it is a method of giving and receiving feedback from the patient (White, 2004, pp. 634-683). When helping Robin, I can say that I had effective listening skills. I made a point of listening to what Robin told me and I made sure that when she was talking, I made her feel comfortable and showed that I was interested in what she was saying. Leading is a communication skill that encourages the patient to respond in an open communication so as to invite verbal expression (Chitty, 2005, pp. 512-554). The helper slightly anticipates what the patient is thinking and where those thoughts are headed. In anticipating these thoughts, the nurse leads the patient so as to stimulate the communication. Leading encourages the patient to retain primary responsibility for the direction of the communication and helps them to be active in the process (Ray Donohew, 1990, pp. 112-148). Leading also encourages the patient to explore and elaborate on their feelings. One of the tools used in leading is using open questions that can be answered by more than just a yes or a no (Giger Davidhizar, 2004, pp. 212-237). Choosing appropriate questions lead to clarification for the patient (Sully Dallas, 2005, pp. 37-82). Another tool used in leading is by being indirect when leading the patient. Indirect leading keeps the responsibility of keeping the communication going on the patient. Indirect leading allows the patient to control the direction of the communication and protect their ideas (Knapp Daly, 2002, 145-187). Direct leading on the other hand specifies a topic and the nurse uses suggestions to direct the patient. Direct leading is important in elaborating, clarifying and illustrating what the patient has been saying (Miller, 2008, pp. 284-325). In the case of a patient who has multiple problems or is vague, focussing is an important aspect that should be used in leading the communication (Marrelli Hilliard, 2004, pp. 213-263). Focussing is a way that emphasizes on a certain idea or feeling and helps the patient get in touch with their feelings (Williams Davis, 2005, pp. 27-39). I did not use leading skills when communicating with Robin and this is a skill I should in the future. I will enhance my abilities in leading skills by using open questions that will encourage the patients to share their ideas and feelings freely. Reflecting feelings, experience and content of the patient expresses that the nurse understands and wants to perceive the world as the patient does (Chase, 2004, pp. 278-317). Reflecting the patients feelings brings those feelings into clear awareness from the vague expressions that they were (Sheldon, 2009, pp 87-113). Helping the patients to own their feelings is done by identifying both the obvious and subtle feelings that are hidden behind words (Rosdahl Kowalski, 2007, pp. 1563-1612). In reflecting experience, the nurse broadly observes the patients verbalised feelings and their nonverbal feelings (French, 1983, pp. 116-145). Like paraphrasing, reflecting content involved repeating the essential ideas of the patient in fewer and fresher words (Hegner, Acello Caldwell, 2003, pp 744-763). When the patient is having difficulty in expressing an idea, reflecting content helps the nurse to clarify those ideas. During communication, reflecting helps the patient to recognise and expre ss their feelings effectively (Lipe Beasley, 2003, pp. 267-301). In communicating with Robin, I sounded monotonous and insincere when I began my reflection with saying, It seems you were very upset even after yelling for everyone to get out. In saying this I also said words that that Robin was unprepared for because they had too much depth of feeling. In future communication with patients, I should not read more interpretations into the statement than was intended, and I should use less monotonous words that sound sincere. Confronting the patients is intended to help them recognize what is going on or what the nurse infers is going on (Cherry Jacob, 2005, pp. 478-501). A patient may feel threatened and anxious at first when they are confronted. However, the patient is also grateful for the honesty albeit direct expression that shows that the nurse cares (Perry Potter, 2002, pp 1114-1163). Confronting the patient presents feedback that is difficult to hear, and as such, the nurse should poses good timing to ensure that the patient is ready for honest feedback (Fitzpatrick Wallace, 2005, pp. 341-367). Sometimes I find it hard to confront patients. In Robins case, I was finding it hard to understand and deal with her. I know that confronting the patient is one of the crucial skills that I must poses. I must recognize my feelings as the nurse and share those feelings with the patient. I must be able to involve myself in self-reflection as a form of confrontation. I believe that by practicing, training a nd observing others, I can develop my confronting skills. Using interpretation helps the patient to see their problems in new ways (Barnum Kerfoot, 1995, pp. 256-298). Unlike paraphrasing where the patients frame of reference is maintained, in interpreting, the nurse offers the patient a new frame of reference. The nurse adds his or her own meaning to the patients basic meaning (Ellis Hartley, 2004, pp. 114-146). When the nurse adds on to the basic message from the patient, and the patient understands the new idea, then communication is accelerated. Interpreting is useful in helping the patient get a broader perception their feelings (Ferrell Coyle, 2006, pp. 542-568). Interpretation is a communication skill that I used with Robin. While talking to Robin, she mentioned that she felt that the nurses around her were angels who lit her fire up in a time when she needed much encouragement. I told Robin that the way I saw it, she could join also become a nurse. Due to the Crohns disease, Robin could only live a stress-free life. However, afte r living the hospital, the first thing that Robin did was to go to Upper Valley Joint Vocational School where she applied for pre-requisite classes in the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) program. Robin graduated in November 2009 and has been working in the nursing profession since then. The most important thing that a nurse can do for the patient is sharing simple facts (Crisp Taylor, 2008, pp. 1112-1196). Informing is a communication skill that is integrated with giving advice (Maurer Smith, 2005, pp. 360-378). Under some circumstances, where advice giving does not foster dependency and is not arrogant, giving advice can be helpful to the patient. Communication through informing gives the patient a recommended course of action that the nurse has experience with. Through giving suggestions, the patient can decide the course of action that he or she will take (McConnell, 1993, pp. 96-118). Crisis situations where the patient has to adjust to a readjustment in life are an appropriate situation for giving the patient advice. In Robins case, after she had a stillbirth, I advised her to take her time with her son, Benjamin. I encouraged Robin to spend as much time as she wanted holding the five pound fifteen ounce baby boy. As much as Robin did not want to, I took pict ures of robin and Benjamin for the memory album. I knew that that was the best albeit hardest thing robin had ever done. Summarising skills involve paying attention to what, how, why, when and the effect of what the patient said (Antai-Otong, 2007, pp. 116-128). After communicating with a patient, the nurse should try to gather all the ideas and feeling expressed in one statement (Sines, Appleby Frost, 2005, pp. 273-312). Summarising is important in that it gives the patient awareness of progress in exploring ides and feelings, problem solving and learning (Clark, 2009, pp. 45-96). In summarising, the communication ends in a natural note that clears a way for new ideas and clarifies scattered ideas (Quinn, 1989, pp. 324-364). Patients also gain confidence in that the nurse was attentive to them throughout the conversation. The nurse can use summarising as a means to check the accuracy of the ideas and feelings that were communicated by the patient. When communicating with Robin, I did not use summarising skills. In future communications, I should use the ideas from the patients to make a summary of th e statements made. Instead of making the summary myself, I could ask the patient to summarize the themes, agreements and plans made during the communication. Enablers and impediments to interpersonal communication While communicating with Robin, the physical environment did not pose as an obstacle. However, my discomfort as a nurse was an obstacle when communicating with Robin. This discomfort originated from death and dying in general terms. I dealt with this discomfort by thinking that it was not my responsibility to communicate with Robin about hospice care and prognosis. My desire to maintain positive thoughts in Robin and her parents was also an obstacle. I would put off discussions about Robins possibility of a stillbirth until I felt that Robin and her parents could handle that conversation. In the future, I will initiate communication on prognosis and hospice care without thinking it is too much trouble. I will also control fear that emerges after telling the patient bad news. The patient can also be an obstacle to effective communication when he or she is unwilling to accept prognosis or hospice care (Mauk, 2009, pp. 374-412). This unwillingness that was evident in Robins case is ascr ibed to her non-acceptance of her sons death and her diagnosis with Crohns disease. In helping with Robins acceptance, I encouraged her by letting her know that I would be there to help her and listened to her. Because this worked well, I will continue being an encouraging factor for future patients. Cultural and social issues did not act as an obstacle while I was communicating with Robin. During Christmas, Robin when home to celebrate the holiday with her family, and when she was admitted back a few days later, I gave Robin a Christmas present that facilitated communication. Conclusion and recommendation Nurses play an important role in communicating with patients because they are always in close contact. A nurse-patient relationship is improved by communication and as such, having effective communication skills is an important factor and a priority for every nurse (Daniels, 2004, pp. 1312-1325). I must develop my skills further in leading, confronting and summarising by participating in training activities. By participating in learning activities, I can develop strategies and acquire new skills as well as effectively employ those skills. Another strategy I will use is practicing key skills with actors and simulated patients because I will be able to control the nature and complexity of the task. Lastly, I must use the communication skills acquired in practice.

Development of a Four Year Old Child Essay -- Papers Psychology Child

Development of a Four Year Old Child Works Cited Not Included Enthusiasm in children is like a ripple in the water ... it spreads. ~Anonymous~ The study of child development helps us understand the changes we see as children grow and develop. A child?s development is divided into five areas: physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and moral development (Mitchell and David 1992). Although each area will be discussed separately, it is important to remember that all these areas overlap. Together, they make up the whole person. Physical development is an increase in body size and shape. Motor development is included in physical development because it shows the development of the large and small muscles. Changes in the brain and nervous system will affect physical and motor development. Emotional development is how the child feels about himself/herself, other people, and the world that they live in. Emotional development also involves children?s learning to distinguish different feelings and express them in culturally acceptable ways (Henniger,...

The Fall of West Rome

The Roman Empire was attacked by the Goths and the Vandals during 190 AD which started the fall of Ancient Rome wherein different parts of the empire had civil wars that caused further deteriorating of Rome. Different tribes like Goths invaded the country since they want to move south to experienced better climate condition that is helpful to their farming. During this time Rome also has poor emperors that cannot handle the job properly. When Emperor Diocletian ruled Rome, he decided that the Empire should be divided into two so that it will be easier to rule, the Western and Eastern Empire was established in which it has its own leader.The problem that Diocletian faced was that more military barrier had to be created in which the Empire cannot support its cost. The taxes were increased which leads to inflation causing the rise of the prices of commodity which causes the leaders to become unfavorable to the people. The Role of Constantine in the Fall of Rome Constantine became Empero r from AD 307 to AD 337 and he tolerated religion in the Roman Empire although he was not a Christian himself, he gave rights to the Christians. He did not taken into consideration that the new monotheistic religion was at odds with the pagan cults of the emperors.He also moved the capital to a new city Constantinople since he believed that Rome as a city was to far from the fundamental areas from a government level, this move was a bad one since it left the western empire vulnerable. The western empire was attacked by the Ostrogoths thru the eastern empire and the western Empire was attacked by the Goths, Franks, Visigoths and Burgundians. The Germanic Barbarians The Germans were exposed to the Roman world by border trade and serving as support to the Roman legions of the empire. The admittance of the barbarians in the army gave way for the complete â€Å"germanization† of the Roman army.The internal crisis of the Roman Empire makes the things worst and the barbarians realiz ed it and defeated the Romans in the battle of Adrianople in 378 where the Roman Empire fell. The Franks, Angles, and Saxons which are all German tribes have established their agricultural life, the other tribes like the Goths, Vandals, and Lombards were nomadic but compared to the Romans they were less advanced. Romulus Augustulus was the last Roman emperor in the west and was replaced by the leader of Goths, Odoacer in AD 476 which was also the end of the Roman Empire.

Isolation of Microorganisms from Environmental Samples Essays

Isolation of Microorganisms from Environmental Samples Essays Isolation of Microorganisms from Environmental Samples Paper Isolation of Microorganisms from Environmental Samples Paper It is crucial in the field of microbiology to study the morphology, biological activity, and the behavior of microbes thus the isolation of such microbes from the environment is necessary because it allows scientists to study them in close proximity. Microbial life forms are found everywhere. They are major players in biochemical cycling of elements and primary producers in numerous environments. There are also some microbes living inside higher forms of organisms that aid in digestion and provide vitamins. Some scribes can also be antagonistic or harmful to humans, and when scientists isolate them, they can study and identify ways on how to counteract the microbes harmful effects. This exercise aims to isolate microorganisms from a variety of environmental samples and to enumerate the different microbial species observed. Methodology Rest Its and Discussion Bacteria, molds and yeast have different colony morphologies and characteristics that are specific to the genus and species of the organism. Bacterial colonies can be classified by color, form, elevation, margin, opacity ND size. Mold and yeast colonies can be classified and described by their color, texture, feature on the reverse side and more. Also, the source from which the bacteria samples were gathered should be taken into consideration. In the experiment, the microorganisms that were isolated were gathered and collected from the environment. As such, only h strength AN was prepared along with the SAD. It was observed on the AN plates that there were multiple bacterial colonies formed that did not differ so much in color or elevation. Most colonies were white or a color that is just as light, like yellow or salmon pink. The sizes of the isolated colonies are relatively small, most just less than 1 mm in diameter. The AN plate in which bacterial colonies were numerous was on the ones exposed in air that is outside the laboratory. The fewest were the ones that were swabbed on the skin. There were also colony growths on the AN plates that were not bacterial colonies. It was observed on the SAD plates that most of the molds and yeast that grew were cottony in appearance and had a wrinkled reverse side.

The One Thing Needful Essays

The One Thing Needful Essays The One Thing Needful Paper The One Thing Needful Paper Hard Times is a poignant novel, published in 1854, by Charles Dickens and set in the bleak and dreary workhouses of the Victorian era. Hard Times is in many ways an autobiographical novel. It is based on Dickens own experiences as part of a poor family whose father was in prison for debt. All of the family except for Charles were sent to a workhouse while he worked in a blacking factory in appalling conditions. Although his was a story of rags to riches following the publications of his bestselling novels, he continued to voice his concerns for social problems in Victorian British society. Hard Times is one of the several novels that explore the lives of the poor and working class, who, despite making up the majority of the population, had little or no say in improving their lives. As Britain wound through the Industrial Revolution, producing machinery that had no need for manual labour resulted in hundreds of thousands migrating to the cities in the hope of finding a job- a source of livelihood. These migrants usually ended up in the workhouses, again in manual labour and almost always living in abject poverty. Their children ended up going to school with an education described in detail in the first few chapters of Hard Times. In brief, the children were forced to learn facts by rote the only principle that the Utilitarian masters considered of value. It was their belief that for children who were destined to live lives of misery in poverty, the only thing useful for them would be to become efficient workers. As a result, the childrens education followed the same monotonous, formal and mechanical process like their work in the factories. In Hard Times, Dickens criticises the educational system fiercely, and illustrates his dislike through a wide range of linguistic and other devices. The first chapter named The One Thing Needful has little narrative content but it paints an intense dramatic picture of the harsh teaching system and the mechanical figure of the Speaker who is more of an object than a person. Hard Times is divided into three parts; the first part is named Sowing, the second Reaping and the third Garnering. This extended metaphor is used by Dickens to introduce the sowing of facts as seeds into the fertile innocent minds of the children even though the hard facts seem to yield nothing. However, the Speaker is forceful as he insists on, plant nothing else, and root out everything else, to mould the childrens minds. The image of rooting out illustrates a forceful and painful action in the readers mind. Despite the motif of nature and plants, Dickens paints an austere and insensitive atmosphere as the scene comes into view: a plain, bare, monotonous vault of a schoolroom. The visual imagery emphasizes Dickens belief that no creativity could flourish in a place so dreary. In this scene the Speaker is instructing the school teacher how to teach which adds to the irony and confusion. The description of the Speaker, whose character is summed up as, inflexible, dry and dictatorial, verges on the comical as Dickens uses repetition to emphasize the rigidity (squareness) of the Speaker and therefore the educational system. As the Speaker is depersonalized, the objects around him become animate including his tie, trained to take him by the throat with an unaccommodating grasp. From sowing to strangling, hard times are literally foreshadowed ahead through this unsuitable education. Moreover, Dickens uses exaggeration to the point of making his characters into caricatures. The emphasis was helped by the speakers square wall of a forehead, which had his eyebrows for its base, while his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves, overshadowed by the wall. The Speaker, to the reader looks more like a dull piece of architecture than a person. In fact, the way in which Dickens makes caricatures is an argument in itself against the facts of Utilitarianism.

My Lifes Experience and Identity vs. Elaine Risley Essay

My Lifes Experience and Identity vs. Elaine Risley - Essay Example My case is no different from the person that I am today has greatly been determined by the experiences and the socialization processes that I went through as a child. Evidently, the childhood stage determines how one interacts with others, and even shape the kind of personality that an individual acquires. As seen in the novel, Elaine joins high school and it is at this point that her personality completely shifts from an introvert to a social person and an extrovert (Atwood 22). This transition can be related to the fact that in her childhood she did not have the right people an opportunity to converse with and even interact with. This is similar to my situation. When I was a child, I could barely communicate with others because my parent always questioned my doings, and I was, therefore, afraid that everything I did was wrong. Upon joining high school, my confidence was restored, and I began talking to people often. An individual’s experiences have major effects on the identity of individuals. In the novel, Elaine is seen to lead a very happy life before moving to Toronto despite her having friends (Atwood 22). In the course of her childhood, Elaine goes through terrible experiences such as being put in a hole in the name of game playing (Atwood 120). It is in this hole that she went through terror, fright, sadness, and betrayal. Her friends take advantage of her naivety and innocence to take advantage of her; though Elaine believed that her friends wanted to include her in the game. It would take time for Elaine to be embraced in the group since her fellow finds like Cordelia think that she is not normal (Atwood 134). Elaine stands the bullying from her friends and does not tell her parents or even the teacher. Her self-esteem is then damaged, a fact that determines her identity and personality.

Economic Barriers and Healthcare Pursuits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Economic Barriers and Healthcare Pursuits - Essay Example Healthcare financing is undoubtedly an expensive undertaking (Rapp, et al. 2010). Pooling together adequate resources for to actualize the plan developed to combat implications of HAIs is a challenge. Health care is primarily provided for by the state or the government due to the externalities that characterize the healthcare market. The government undertakes massive projects for the benefit of individuals across all levels, healthcare included. This aspect may pressure the government to direct more funds into healthcare, a scenario that may or may not is realized. One of the critical efforts towards addressing HAIs problem and subsequent problems posed by medical errors is the adherence of both patients and caregivers to set healthcare procedures especially in relation to preventative measures that healthcare facilities are supposed to observe. Patient or caregiver ignorance and failure to adhere to the set measures or systems of combating HAIs and medical errors general poses significant stumbling blocks to the effect of the plan. Healthcare pursuits are sensitive to legal systems. A change in healthcare policy must receive adequate legal attention and support. This is in line with formulating and implementing necessary policies that aid the plan’s practice. Legal obstacles to the plan can be in terms of slow adoption of relevant legal policies to aid the process, or even having the plan legally challenged to rule out its implementation. The future is hard to predetermine following the uncertainties that characterize future times. Healthcare complications are also diverse and dynamic over time, meaning that medical interventions keep taking new directions as new complications emerge. The plan can be implemented today, but be rendered useless some into the future in the event that medical errors worse. This would need that every variable that the plan treated be accounted for all over again. To minimize such occurrences, intensive and extensive research has to be done to confirm long-term viability of the plan.  Ã‚  

Report in MLA Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report in MLA Style - Essay Example And the last element is resolution when the conflict is resolved in some way. The vivid example is given in the book â€Å"The Illustrated Mum† when the protagonist dares to speak to her mother about the problem. The genre of children’s literature is rather specific since it demands to be catching and at the same time easy to read and understand. Fist of all it must be about childhood or animals. The plot is to be simple and straightforward, the author expresses a child’s point of view, as a rule the stories tend to fantasy, repetitions, has a form of pastoral idyll, represents the world from the innocent viewpoint, is didactic, tries to balance the idyllic and the didactic. Genre - a type of literature in which all the members of one genre share common characteristics (Chapleau, p.24). Nancy Anderson, associate professor in the College of Education distinguishes seven genres of children’s literature: 1. Picture books, such as board, concept, pattern and wordless books (Chapleau, p.24). They are characterized by colorful pictures that are followed by small pieces of text. It makes the reading process for children interesting and fascinating. The example here is â€Å"The sleeping house†. 2.Traditional literature: myths, fables, ballads, folk music, legends, and tales. Traditional literature is characterized by the stable description of natural events and situations that are common in the whole world. Usually, such literature doesn’t have a definite author. The example here is "Hansel and Gretel" by Ian Wallace, "The Dragons Pearl" by Julie Lawson 2) There are several stages how to get a child interested in literacy: introduce a title and let children speculate what it is about; introduce some details of the plot, encourage the students to read a book in order to see whether their suggestions were right, organize the group discussion of the book in the

African American Culture Essay Example for Free

African American Culture Essay African American culture in the United States includes the various cultural traditions of African ethnic groups. It is both part of and distinct from American culture. The U. S. Census Bureau defines African Americans as people having origins in any of the Black race groups of Africa. [1] African American culture is indigenous to the descendants in the U. S. of survivors of the Middle Passage. It is rooted in Africa and is an amalgam of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Brer Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speakers tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or Black Arts Movement. The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later became known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that black is beautiful. During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Evry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the Negro National Anthem by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Evry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidors Hallelujah!, and operas such as George Gershwins Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and RB developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of rapping grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic]. The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name The Highwaymen. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic]. A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and academic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African American women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head , has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as crowns. Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave ones hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in Gods eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to ones master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africaconsequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions. Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to jump the broom as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative responses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes creative use of inexpensive products procured through farming and subsistence hunting and fishing.