Saturday, November 16, 2019

How Hiphop Has Changed the Youth in Society Essay Example for Free

How Hiphop Has Changed the Youth in Society Essay Throughout the past 30 years, there has been much speculation about how negative hip-hop music truly is, and how it actually affects the youth. The hip-hop music of recent years has been the foundation of many controversial issues and has been illustrated negatively by the media countless times. Issues such as gun and knife crime which has escalated heavily within younger age groups in the last 15 years, especially in the USA and UK and also drug abuse, the use of marijuana being used openly within the younger generations. Hip-hop has been accused of influencing the youth to become more misogynistic towards women by constantly having explicit content, such as racist and sexist lyrics in their music. Hip-hip has always been stereotypically associated with violence and black crime. Due to this, older generations have always had an antagonistic outlook on the entire hip-hop genre of music. Although hip-hip music is considered negative in the eyes of many people, there is to consider various questions to have a better understanding and point of view on the controversial issue. Today we speak, dress and drive what the stars do. Where we shop and eat even the types of homes we buy is dictated by what we hear the celebrities are doing. That is a powerful influence over an individual adult but only imagine what type of influence this has over an impressionable pre-teen. Due to the fact that hip-hop/rap music appeals to the thirteen to eighteen year old audiences and the artists performing come from very similar backgrounds of the listeners, rap music is able to control the way that youth think. Teens and pre-teens are using their part-time job pay check to buy grills (a form of jewellery worn in the mouth) and other types of jewellery and even weapons such as knives and guns are seen as metaphorical fashion accessories for the youth, as these things are incorporated into the lyrics of hip-hop and rap music. What is hip-hop music? In order to understand the hip-hop phenomena one must first create a foundation of knowledge through learning its history. Hip-hop began from a mixture of spoken word poetry, jazz drumming, and jazz instrumentations. Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres of music out today and has been steadily growing in popularity since its rise in fame from the late 1970s. With the rise of MTV in the early 1980s, early hip-hop music was constantly being shown with TV shows such as ‘Yo! MTV raps’ and since then has been known to be one of music’s most successful art forms and has remained popular to this day. With over forty years of being around, hip-hop has grown and matured and most importantly expanded from its origin of the south Bronx in New York, to worldwide. The genre and sub culture originated in the early 1970s when a Jamaican immigrant by the name of Clive Campbell aka DJ Kool Herc, first hit the scene in the Bronx. Campbell started DJ-ing his own parties, playing soul, funk as well as RB records on his turntable set. Herc also brought his know how of the sound system and the popular dancehall/block party scene. Graffiti art had also begun to take shape in the subways of Philadelphia in the mid 1960s. A black teenager by the name of Cornbread began tagging the subways in hopes of attracting a girl he had found feelings for; from this form of youth expression came Graffiti. Fab 5 Freddy, one of the original DJs of Hip-hop, began an art from known as scratching and popularized DJing. Hip-hop consists of four elements, ‘B-boying’ or also known as break dancing. ‘Djing’, ‘Emceeing’, and street art or more commonly known as ‘graffiti’. Djing, also known as the first element of hip-hop began when disc jockeys created beats on two turntables. The way DJs created their beats was simple yet revolutionary in an essence. The DJs would first find a portion of a song that emphasized a percussive pattern, and then looped a portion of the song to form a rhythmic pattern. This procedure is now more commonly known as sampling. With the beat or instrumental now developed, the DJ decided the music needed some accompaniment to the music such as singing or poetry. This procedure is known as rapping or Emceeing. From hip-hop spawned the sub-genre ‘Rap’ in the early 1980s. More and more artists became interested in the new form of music out of New York. In 1981, Rap gained a lot of exposure through popular shows such as 20/20 and Saturday night live. The 1990s saw even more change in the hip-hop industry. Early in the decade, artists fought for permission to sell their albums since most authorities deemed them ‘obscene’ due to the explicit content within the music. A lot which expressed sexual references towards women and talked about the use of drugs. Hip-hop music also spoke strongly about politics and poverty, artists such as Tupac and Public Enemy spoke about such issues. In the 1990s the tension that had been gathering between the west coast ‘Gangsta’ and the East coast artists has exploded and resulted in the shooting deaths of Christopher Wallace and Tupac Shakur. In the present day Hip-Hop is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of capital and has a great influence on its fans. The roles that Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop artist play in America require responsibility, however, many of the performers and labels take none. By using television and other various sorts of visual media Hip-Hop portrays less than positive stereotypes and all but influences the youth to accept these stereotypes as normal behaviour. The detrimental effect that popular Hip-Hop has doesn’t stop at the visual level. Lyrical content in songs have been dumbed down and filled with violence, sex, and drugs. For example the song â€Å"Hate Being Sober† by Chief Keef condones the use of drugs at all times and gives the impression that it is ok and cool. â€Å"While many Hip-Hop songs contain messages about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, few provide an accurate portrayal of the negative consequences of substance abuse† Negative accusations and harsh criticism has always been an issue for the hip-hop genre of music. Some of these accusations include how hip-hop influences the youth to become more misogynistic towards women by constantly having explicit content, such as racist and sexist lyrics in their music. Because of this, Hip-hop music has been criticized greatly by the media accusing the music of affecting the youth that sexism and other such forms of oppression are acceptable to society. Although the media has a major impact on how Hip-hop is viewed by the masses, their is some people who view Hip-hop differently. Famous civil rights leader Al Sharpton was asked on what he believed on this particular issue and said, The hip-hop culture is just like electricity, it can be used negatively or positively. The same electric current that lights up your house can also electrocute you. It is the misuse of hip-hop culture to attack our women and promote violence. We must encourage the proper use of hip-hop culture. We are all influenced by the hip-hop generation. (Is hip-hop culture, 2000) On a survey done to twenty-five people in the 17- 60 yrs of age range, twenty people know someone that is exposed to the Hip-hop culture and twenty-one of them believed that Hip-hop isnt a negative art form. In Figures 1, 2, and 3 show the results from the survey done. On Figure 2, it shows that most of the people surveyed do believe that Hip-hop music has the most influence on the youth. Rap music generally depicts the lives and souls of many under privileged youths, citing depression and violence during upbringings. The youth of today’s society and in the past, take this music as a way of expression, a way of overruling everything they believe is corrupt and in their own way become corrupt themselves by not caring about the rules. Rap music can be transparently seen as a striking negative influence on today’s youth just by listening to certain songs which praise violence and the use of drugs. Take rapper Wiz Khalifa for instance. This artist is a prime example of being a huge negative influence to today’s society by the extensive amount of marijuana use, portrayed within his lyrics. The artist mentions marijuana in his songs and speaks about it in a positive way, speaking about the stimulating effects it has on him and almost making the drug sound ‘cool’ to the younger generation, making them think that smoking this drug is cool and acceptable as rapper Wiz Khalifa openly smokes it and mentions it. The number of drug references in rap music has raised six fold since the genre revolutionised pop music. Researchers who analysed the lyrics of hundreds of songs say rap has been transformed from one which warned against the dangers of drug abuse to one that routinely glorifies it. And because many of the references are coded, many parents are unaware what their children are listening to.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Middle Passage Essay -- Literary Analysis, Charles Johnson

INTRO Examination into the true heart of experience and meaning, Charles Johnson’s Middle Passage looks at the structures of identity and the total transformation of the self. The novel talks about the hidden assumptions of human and literary identity and brings to view the real problems of these assumptions through different ideas of allusion and appropriation. As the novel tells Rutherford Calhoun’s transformation of un-awareness allows him to cross â€Å"the sea of suffering† (209) making him forget who he really is. The novel brings forth the roots of human â€Å"being† and the true complications and troubles of African American experiences. Stuck between posed questions of identity, the abstract body is able to provide important insight into the methods and meanings in Middle Passage. RUTHERFORD’S TRANSFORMATION Middle Passage’s protagonist , Rutherford Calhoun, shows that identity is a dangerous â€Å"middle† experience for the African American offspring that endured the middle passage. As a survivor of a unknown place and subject to total isolation of his own personal experiences we find Rutherford searching for meaning. The novel questions the structure of human and literary identity by testing the power of duel oppositions and abstraction to portray the meaning of experience: "Our faith in fiction comes from an ancient belief that language and literary art all speaking and showing-clarify our experience" (Being 3). By questioning the African-American experience, Johnson radicalizes faith and is able to show the complexities of experience and change. Johnson’s examination into identity, which we can see as both human and textual, depends mainly on the appropriation for its literal and pensive methods. This contradictory space of ... ...o becoming "like any other men," or if not like every other man they become more like Rutherford himself: â€Å"They were leagues from home - indeed, without a home - and in Ngonyama's eyes I saw a displacement, an emptiness like maybe all of his brethren as he once knew them were dead. To wit, I saw myself. A man remade by virtue of his contact with the crew. My reflection in his eyes, when I looked up, gave back my flat image as phantasmic, the flapping sails and sea behind me drained of their density like figures in a dream. Stupidly, I had seen their lives and culture as timeless product, as a finished thing, pure essence or Parmenidean meaning I envied and wanted to embrace, when the truth was that they were process and Heraclitean change, like any men, not fixed but evolving and as vulnerable to metamorphosis as the body of the boy we'd thrown overboard. (124)†

Monday, November 11, 2019

Hobbes vs. Locke Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were known as Social Contract Theorists, and Natural Law Theorists. The two men both had very strong views on freedom and how a country should be governed. Thomas Hobbes had more of a Pessimistic view while John locke had more of an Optimistic view. Hobbes and Locke believed in a type of Social Contract between the Government and being governed. Hobbes believed in Absolute Monarchs and Locke believed in the will of people being governed. Hobbes opposed constitutionalism because of his pessimistic appraisal of human nature. They both had extremely different views on government, but the bases of their arguments were similar. They both used reason to justify their ideas, rather than divine right. Although both men acknowledged that there was a God, He played a very small role in their ideologies. I believe that both Hobbes and Locke are genuinely correct. Thomas Hobbes believed mankind good and evil depended on what the individual loved and hated. He believed that life in the state of nature is â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.† (119) Mankind was naturally equal in power of mind and body so no individual was capable of dominating another. In a strictly natural condition there was no justice or injustice because everyone had their right to seek and take whatever is good and dispose of whatever was bad for them. He was for absolute monarchy. Thomas Hobbes believed that â€Å"authoritarian governments were necessary to keep human beings’ worst impulses under control.†(119) He did not believe that a large group of men would agree with one and other and peacefully run a country. Hobbes opposed constitutionalism because of his pessimistic view of human nature. The passages in Hobbes writings show that he did not desire the possibility of anything like modern totalitarianism. For Hobbes, any division of power was an invitation to chaos. Locke believed all men should be free but should some freedom be sacrificed in return for security and protection from the government. He states that Man Kind should surrender â€Å"absolute liberty in exchange for the protection of life, liberty, and the right to own property.†(125) He also believed that mankind could form a social contract together that would bring a nation together. John Locke defended the establishment of constitutional government in England and influenced the framers of the American Constitution. He believed that most people had the sense to see that others had certain rights, such as the right to life, because they were human beings. Most people were disposed to respect these rights. John Locke, the principal theorist of modern liberalism, apparently assumed that government would generally be carried on by a hereditary aristocracy. A person was not obliged to obey unless he had voluntarily agreed to do so. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were both very intelligent Philosophers. Their beliefs in my opinion, are influential and reflect different aspects of our government today. In my opinion, it is hard to agree or disagree on some of their beliefs. Works Cited Hobbes, Thomas. â€Å"from Leviathan. â€Å" Reading The World: Ideas That Matter. 2nd Ed. Ed. Austin Michael. New York: Norton, 2010.119.Print. Hobbes, Thomas. â€Å"from Leviathan.† Reading the World: Ideas That Matter. 2nd Ed. Ed. Austin Michael. New York: Norton, 2010.125.Print.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

An Occurrence

The short story takes place during the Civil War. Peyton Farquhar a civilian of the south Is caught vlolatlng with the bridge and Is sentenced to be hanged. Ambrose Bierce's short story became a suspenseful phenomenon. He maintain suspenses throughout the short story by enhancing the mind of Peyton into a deep fantasy. Bierce's use of flashbacks, setting, illusion, and symbolism to create suspense.In the second aragraph the story gives a flashback to outline Peyton's lifestyle and why he is getting hanged. The flashback shows how Peyton was a slave owner and was a supporter of the confederate army. When Peyton has a confrontation with a union spy posing as a confederate soldier it created suspense because Peyton didn't know what the reader knew. The flashback explains how Peyton got into this mess that were learned of earlier in the story. Symbolism throughout the story is used to show life and death. One example is the place Peyton is being hanged (the bridge).The bridge symbolizes the path one must take to cross over between life and death. On one side of the bridge represents Peyton's life and the other side of the bridge where the soldiers are represented as death and war. Since Peyton took it upon himself to take action in the war he choose to crossover to the said of war otherwise referred to as death where he will be hanged. The river under Peyton also symbolizes the passage between life and death. In other religions when someone dies, they cross over a river to get to the other side.An example would be the River Styx in Greek mythology. The River Styx is know as the border between life and death that sends soul's to the other side. Bierce creates one big Illusion to the reader as Peyton Is dying In a slow daydream. The readers perceptions of PeytonS thoughts and actions now becomes a blurred line between illusion and reality. Peyton is imagining his escape from death but the reader doesn't know it is only an illusion lasting about 3 seconds before he di ed. Like many say his life flashed before his eyes.His ability to escape gunfire underwater shows that he is dreaming because that would be nearly impossible for someone who Is half conscious to dodge. This sense of Imposslblllty creates suspense as the reader wonders If Peyton will successfully escape alive because It seems so unbelievable. Altogether these literary devices helped Bierce create a suspenseful short story. Without anyone of these devices he would not have been able to make the reader suspenseful and predict the predictable outcome of Peyton surviving.An Occurrence By denise_bgc hort story takes place during the Civil War. Peyton Farquhar a civilian of the south is caught violating with the bridge and is sentenced to be hanged. Ambrose Bierce's that sends soul's to the other side. Bierce creates one big illusion to the reader as Peyton is dying in a slow daydream. The readers perceptions of Peyton's thoughts would be nearly impossible for someone who is half conscious to dodge. This sense of impossibility creates suspense as the reader wonders if Peyton will successfully escape alive because it seems so unbelievable.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

LeadersManagers effective on organizations essays

LeadersManagers effective on organizations essays Leaders/Managers effective on organizations. I have so many ideas of what an effective leader should be that I often feel overwhelmed and cannot imagine how I will become the ideal leader that I want to be. There are many ingredients of effective leadership styles. I have read several books and articles on leadership and management. I have also participated in a few leadership training/education modules offered through my employers. There are many theories on what makes an effective leader. In my research I have discovered that there is many leadership styles and most are effective if used in the right situations. Information on the subject of leadership is plenty with some resources being quite in-depth, but most describe a specific type of leadership. I did find one book that was both easy to understand and made a lot of sense. In the book, Leadership and the One-Minute Manager, the theory and use of Situational Leadership is described. I think that this style of leadership is most effective. It describes that dif ferent forms of leadership are needed in different situations. The book defines leadership style as how you behave when you are trying to influence the performance of someone else (p. 46). Therefore, one of the most important ingredients of any leader would be flexibility. The second most important ingredient would be understanding when to use a specific leadership style. The four basic leadership styles described are directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. The directing leadership style would be needed for new hires, or less competent employees that show commitment and a desire to be productive. The employees at this development level would require very clear directions, and a lot of supervision. The atmosphere must be controlled and structured until these employees develop some competence. The coaching style would be useful for existing employees who have lost t...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Research Studies in Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Research Studies in Managment - Essay Example The effects of chronological age - defined in social terms in relation to an individual’s chosen or forced behaviour on the grounds of age – has been an issue of political, economic and social relevance since the implementation of the First Action Programme on Ageing, and culminates provisionally with the European Employment Directive. Legislation outlawing age discrimination in employment and vocational training has thus come into force by this year 2006. UK government policy aims to encourage older people to remain active within the workforce. This is in part recognition of the rise in longevity and the importance of living a healthy active contributory later life, but it is also to compensate for the potentially large take-up of pension benefits in the future. Saving throughout the life course and working later in life is also seen as a means of ensuring a satisfactory level of income in old age. Direct discrimination (less favourable treatment): Such type of discrimination is allowed at some places like, a Roman Catholic school may be able to restrict applications for a scripture teacher to baptized Catholics. Harassment (in accordance with national law/practice), victimisation, dismissal or adverse treatment as a reaction to complaints/legal proceedings, and instructions to discriminate. But if someone is bullied or victimised in the mistaken belief that he is a member of another religion, then he may also be protected under race discrimination laws. Outside the European Union, legislation against age discrimination is in place for example in the United States (Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967), Canada (legislation in the 1960s), New Zealand (1993 Human Rights Act includes age discrimination), Australia (introduced in 1991-96), and South Africa In this study, examples of age discriminatory practices in

Saturday, November 2, 2019

How important has Hollywood been in influencing Chinese filmmaking Dissertation

How important has Hollywood been in influencing Chinese filmmaking since the 1980s - Dissertation Example The filmmaking industry is alive and well. Based on international revenues from films, filmmaking is generally a highly profitable trade. In the current age of globalization, the impact of the filmmaking industry has also crossed borders, with Hollywood films influencing the international film industry and local filmmaking industries like China and India also impacting on the Hollywood filmmaking industry. As a result of the reciprocal interest which has emerged on filmmaking in different countries, specific influences have also emerged on how films are made in general. In the past 50 years, the Chinese film industry has had a significant influence on Hollywood filmmaking, in terms of plot lines as well as action sequences. In the past few decades however, the Hollywood film industry has taken a turn in influencing and impacting on the Chinese filmmaking industry. ... Hollywood influence/impact on Chinese film industry The significant technological progress which the western world has brought into the entertainment industry impacted significantly on China (Zhu, 2003). The widespread use of television sets in Chinese homes caused an even more significant demand for such technology (Zhu, 2003). Studios also saw the need to invest in television shows, including soap operas. The market for TV commercials also emerged with increasing co-production processes made with other investors. As the 1990s drew to a close, the Chinese film industry became more diversified. The fifth and sixth generation filmmakers were more engaged in financing productions which could be released in the global setting (Zhang, 1999). The government also continued to invest in main melody films. The Chinese filmmakers also found a market in lower budget films, mostly in comedies and romances. Television shows also saw a dramatic rise in TV series productions, diversifying the opti ons of filmmakers not just in major venture films (Zhang, 1999). More dramatic changes also emerged with the entry of China to the World Trade Organization. Its membership into the WTO and its more open market, China has sought to invite more viewers into the movie theatres with its feature Chinese films and Hollywood productions (Wheeler, 2012). About 70% of films shown in China are from Hollywood, making them a significant contributor to China’s cinematic industry. Hollywood impact on China has also been apparent in terms of the pressure it has imposed on the Chinese filmmakers, mostly in terms of developing blockbusters which can adequately compete with Hollywood films (Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, 2004). The film by