Music Violence Essays - Rape, Misogyny, African-American Culture

Music Violence Throughout history the human populous has been attracted to music. Whether it be part of a ritual, an emotional release, religious reasons, or just for listening pleasure music has been at the center of our society. We have used music to express ourselves, tell stories, and let others into our thoughts. However, we often wonder whether what we are saying has an effect on the listening audience. Recently, in the 1990's references have often been made to link violent and deviant behavior to music and certain music genres. Some such genres include but are not limited to; heavy metal, rock, death metal, rap, gansta rap, industrial, hardcore, and alternative music. During the last decade we have seen music lyrics become more and more violent and sexually explicit. Experts argue that this can cause problems in children and adolescents. Studies show that the average teenager listens to approximately 40 hours of music in a given week. One is to assume that somewhere in the mix a child is going to hear something derogatory or objectionable, as it has become the norm in todays society. In most music today especially rap and heavy metal most of the lyrics contain references to violence, sex, and/or drugs. While many argue that this is dangerous for children to hear we know that a modern day teenager often faces violence, drugs, suicide, pregnancy, and other aspects of this music. While we find that lyrics may be dangerous to a child we must ask ourselves whether the child fully understands and comprehends what the artist is saying. Teenagers often do not understand what is being said, in fact in one study only 30 percent of those questioned knew the lyrics to their favorite songs and they all had varied comprehension as to what the message was. It could be argued that if the lyrics were not included in the artists booklet then the audience would never know what was being said. Some lyrics are indeed harsh such as this Nine Inch Nails lyric: "I am a big man yes I am; and I have a big gun; got me a big ole *censored* and I like to have fun; held against your forehead I'll make you suck; you know, just for the *censored* of it." Obviously we cannot interpret this as a positive meaning. A sampling of lyrics from Marilyn Manson include "Who says date rape isn't fun," "...the housewife I will beat..," and "I slit my teenage wrist," among others. Manson concerts are often grounds to bash religion and rip bibles while fan chant "we hate love, we love hate." Other songs that have overtones of violence include "slap-a-ho" by Dove Shack and another song sung by death metal band Cannibal Corpse in which they make reference to masturbating with a dead womans head. Avid music lovers attest that they words sung in these songs are just words and or no different that poetry printed in literature books. No studies to date have concluded that listening to a song that speaks of death will make a teenager want to go out and kill. Do these kinds of lyrics breed todays children to be killers and to be sexually promiscuous? Yes, and no, depending on who you speak to. Listening to music does not drive people to kill, and no proof of such has been offered. In fact, one teacher speaks of a student who wore a Metallica shirt everyday to school and wrote lyrics with foul language, but was often seen sitting in the front row at Sunday mass with his mother in a nice suit. The same people who go out to see Black Sabbath and Motley Crue are the same people who handle world finance and international affairs, it is just their choice in music. Studies that use music videos on the other hand show an increased tolerance in deviant behavior among both males and females. Music videos add reinforcement to what is being heard with the use of visuals. Now an extra sense is being used. Videos often exhibit sexual innuendo, acts of aggression, and gender stereotypes. Studies showed that men have a tolerable attitude as to what is violent and what is "too far" in sexual advances. Women have less of a tolerance. Studies have also found that heavy metal music and gansta rap influence mens attitudes towards women and that increased exposure to videos containing interpersonal violence against women tended to increase men's acceptance of rape myths such as "she was dressing like she wanted it" or

The Globalization of Capitalism

The Globalization of Capitalism Capitalism, as an economic system, first debuted in the 14th century and existed in three different historical epochs before it evolved into the global capitalism that it is today. Lets take a look at the process of globalizing the system, which changed it from a Keynesian, New Deal capitalism to the neoliberal and global model that exists today. Foundation The foundation of today’s global capitalism was laid, in the aftermath of World War II, at the Bretton Woods Conference, which took place at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in 1944. The conference was attended by delegates from all Allied nations, and its goal was to create a new internationally integrated system of trade and finance that would foster the rebuilding of nations devastated by the war. The delegates agreed to a new financial system of fixed exchange rates based on the value of the U.S. dollar. They created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,  now a part of the World Bank,  to manage the agreed upon policies of finance and trade management. A few years later, the General Agreement  on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was established in 1947, which was designed to foster â€Å"free trade† between member nations, premised on low to non-existent import and export tariffs. (These are complex institutions, and require further reading for deeper understanding. For the purposes of this discussion, it’s simply important to know that these institutions were created at this time because they go on to play very important and consequential roles during our current epoch of global capitalism.) The regulation of finance, corporations, and social welfare programs defined the third epoch, New Deal capitalism, during much of the 20th century. The state interventions in the economy of that time, including the institution of a minimum wage, the cap of a 40 hour work week, and support for labor unionization, also laid pieces of the foundation of global capitalism. When the recession of the 1970s hit, U.S. corporations found themselves struggling to maintain the key capitalist goals of ever-growing profit and wealth accumulation. Protections of workers rights limited the extent to which corporations could exploit their labor for profit, so economists, political leaders, and heads of corporations and financial institutions devised a solution to this crisis of capitalism: They would shake off the regulatory shackles of the nation-state and go global. Ronald Reagan and Deregulation Ronald Reagan’s presidency is well known as an era of deregulation. Much of the regulation created during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency, through legislation, administrative bodies, and social welfare, was torn down during Reagan’s reign. This process continued to unfold over the coming decades and is still unfolding today. The approach to economics popularized by Reagan, and his British contemporary, Margaret Thatcher,  is known as neoliberalism, so named because it is a new form of liberal economics, or in other words, a return to free-market ideology. Reagan oversaw cutting of social welfare programs, reductions to federal income tax and taxes on corporate earnings, and removal of regulations on production, trade, and finance. While this era of neoliberal economics brought the deregulation of national economics, it also facilitated the liberalization of trade between nations, or an increased emphasis on â€Å"free trade.† Conceived under Reagan’s presidency, a very significant neoliberal free trade agreement, NAFTA, was signed into law by former president Clinton in 1993. A key feature of NAFTA and other free trade agreements are Free Trade Zones and Export Processing Zones, which are crucial to how production was globalized during this era. These zones allow for U.S. corporations, like Nike and Apple, for example, to produce their goods overseas, without paying import or export tariffs on them as they move from site to site in the process of production, nor when they come back to the U.S. for distribution and sale to consumers. Importantly, these zones in poorer nations give corporations access to labor that is far cheaper than labor in the U.S. Consequently, most manufacturing jobs left the U.S. as these processes unfolded, and left many cities in a post-industrial crisis. Most notably, and sadly, we see the legacy of neoliberalism in the devastated city of Detroit, Michigan. World Trade Organization On the heels of NAFTA, the World Trade Organization (WTO) was launched in 1995 after many years of negotiation and effectively replaced the GATT. The WTO stewards and promotes neoliberal free trade policies among member nations, and serves as a body for resolving trade disputes between nations. Today, the WTO operates in close concert with the IMF and the World Bank, and together, they determine, govern, and implement global trade and development. Today, in our epoch of global capitalism, neoliberal trade policies and free trade agreements have brought those of us in consuming nations access to an incredible variety and quantity of affordable  goods, but, they have also produced unprecedented levels of wealth accumulation for corporations and those who run them; complex, globally dispersed, and largely unregulated systems of production; job insecurity for billions of people around the world who find themselves among the globalized â€Å"flexible† labor pool; crushing debt within developing nations due to neoliberal trade and development policies; and, a race to the bottom in wages around the world.

How is the 'success' or 'effectiveness' of social movements best Essay

How is the 'success' or 'effectiveness' of social movements best evaluated Discuss with reference to the Chartist and women's s - Essay Example People were organising for purpose, as they had over time to mixed results. While mass social movement as power in numbers seemed a logical vehicle for political and societal change, these changes as desired did not come easily or necessarily in the forms intended by their proponents. Social Movements Come to the UK From the days in the early nineteenth century, when a popular coalition brought down the monarch of Charles V in the later part of the century, the tendency toward mass movements had been growing as a popular uprising of sorts against government power versus the rights of people. Reverberations from France’s ‘revolutionary propensities’ (Tilly, 2005: 285) had naturally spread to Great Britain, where politicians for good reason began to fret that similar actions would be forthcoming and disruptive. As early as 1830 Tilly (2005) reports incidences including the Duke of Wellington and the London Police receiving offensive shouts from onlookers regarding a current institution of martial law. ‘Chastened by the experience’ , (Tilly, 2005:287) Parliament introduced motions to limit the practice—a move immediately countered by Wellington. ... 1-2) describes the movement as ‘a radical campaign for parliamentary reform of inequities remaining after the [passage of] the Reform Act of 1832. The term ‘radical’ may be used advisedly, depending upon which class and social status of the day was describing the movement. The middle and upper classes found the Six Step demands of William Lovell’s â€Å"People’s Charter† a frightening threat to their hold over society, with its ‘radical list of: votes for all men; equal electoral districts; abolition of the requirement that Members of Parliament be property owners; payment for M.P.s; annual general elections; and the secret ballot. (Everett 1987: par. 1-2). A precursor to the Chartist movement, the London Working Men’s Association and other movement organisations had promoted equality for the working classes. By the mid-1800s, their leaders had determined that democracy and its practices was the only practicable route to social equ ality and justice. What they did not know, or realise was that those forces presenting themselves as democratic would work against such equality in ways that would undermine any movement’s attempt to rectify ills. By 1839 the Chartists had collected one and a quarter million signatures in support of the Charter which, in that same year, was summarily rejected by a vote of 235 to 46 by the middle and upper class dominated House of Commons. Discouraged and angered at the slight, many of the movement’s leaders threatened to call for a general nationwide strike and were soon arrested. Incensed, their supporters marched on the prison where their compatriots were being held and soldiers fired on them, killing twenty-four and wounding forty. A second petition with three million

Financial Performance of The BEST Pty Ltd Research Paper

Financial Performance of The BEST Pty Ltd - Research Paper Example The culprit can be seen to be the ballooning of expenses. It should be noted that depreciation and amortization registers 165% growth while other selling and administration expense records higher growth of 178%. To make matters worse, finance costs more than tripled at 355% from 2003 to 2007. Turning to the balance sheet accounts of the business organization, it should be noted that the mounting finance costs can be traced to the ballooning of assets which is unmatched by the growth in equity. This indicates that the company's acquisition of asset is financed by the more costly liabilities. Logically, when Best resort to its creditors to finance the acquisition of its assets, it incurs the obligation to pay interest at specific intervals thus boosting its finance cost. The company's cash account grew weakly at 18% during the seven-year period. Table 2 highlights the financial ratios of Best from 2003 to 2007 utilizing the selected data provided. In terms of profitability, the year 2007 saw a decline both in return to assets and return to ordinary shareholders. It should be noted that this decline indicates the company's inability to create net income which adds to shareholder wealth and value to its assets. From the high return of shareholder's equity ratio of .25 in 2006, this slumped to .12 in 2007 meaning that for every dollar invested in the company's stocks, a shareholder gets 12 cents in 2007 compared to the 25 cents in 2006. Asset turnover also declined from 0.53 to 0.47 signaling lower asset utilization and possibly an inability to maximize the company's resources. Profit margin ratio is also in decline from .18 to 0.09. The decrease in profitability ratios from the good performance in 2006 can be an indication of company's difficulty of providing profits to its stakeholders. Consistent with the observation above, the company's debt to asset ratio has steadily increased from 2003 to 2007. In fact, during 207 debts finance 65% of the company's assets leaving only 35% to Best's stockholders. Logically, this will mean that the company is paying off higher interest expenses which is also reflected in its dwindling times interest earned ratio. Conclusion The trend analysis and financial ratio analysis brings out problems in profitability together with the company's riskier resource structure which leads to mounting financial costs. It is recommended that the company particular focus in improving in these aspects through more efficient resource management and managing costs effectively. However, since the analysis is only grounded in the selected financial data at hand, it should also be stressed that it does not show the complete picture. For one, the performance of Best should be benchmarked with its competitors in order to know where it stands. The slower performance in 2007 could also be brought be external factors which are beyond the business organization. Thus, understanding the trends in the business environment will also be important as well. In assessing and evaluating the performance of a company, quantitative and qualitative information should always be utilized hand in hand.

Hilton Case study Essay Example for Free

Hilton Case study Essay Problem: From the case, we know Hilton is currently using the marketing penetration by focusing on business travelers. And now the expensive loyalty-program features that are added by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. for attracting more business travelers is threatening Hilton by increasing Hilton’s cost or decreasing Hilton’s market shares. Solution: In my opinion, in response to the Starwood’s strategy, the solution for Hilton’s dilemma should be market development which is developing new market from current products or services. Hilton can avoid increasing its cost by showing customers Hilton has more and better benefits. There are several reasons for this solution. Firstly, HHonors Program has been a good service program for Hilton. On the other hand, Starwood’s Preferred Guest announcement was a strategy to their less effective frequent-guest program. As it shown on the case, â€Å"they changed it every few years†. Secondly, it is risky to compete with them by increasing the cost and adding the features Starwood added. It is because the lower cost-effectiveness will hurt the profit of the whole hotel industry eventually. Also, if Hilton can have the same or more amount of business with lower costs compared to other competitors, Hilton earns more profits. The last but not the least, it is important to market and consolidate the Hilton brand nowadays. We need to let customers know how superior Hilton is than other hotels to attract and retain consumers. Implementation: For implementation, Hilton needs to realize its flashpoints and put more marketing efforts on them. Firstly, HHW’s program has a unique practice called Double Dipping which means customers can earn mileage in partner airline and also earn HHonors points. This flashpoint can not only attract customers but also better relationship with corporate clients. Double Dipping melts the conflict of competing with the airline’s program. Hilton can talk to partner airlines by sharing members and create a complemented program with them. Then, Hilton can advertise this program to more airlines by calling them. So Hilton can attract more customers through airlines without increasing advisement costs. Also, Hilton can increase the number and range of partners such as car rental firms and Cookies firms. This action will help customers attain their rewards easily and eventually will help Hilton get more customers. Thirdly, Hilton can franchise to more small hotels with comparable with lower loyalty- program cost than its competitors in order to increase the market share of Midmarket without FB segment which other big competitors don’t have. After that, Hilton can send an email to their current customers in their computer system by presenting the appreciation for being Hilton customers and introducing Double Dipping and other partners for customers to attain rewards earlier. Also, tell them they can get desirable points by having someone experience Hilton. Guest managers who are responsible for making the best customers feel special and satisfy their needs as perfect as possible can call upper-rank customers by introducing themselves.

Obsession in Enduring Love Essay -- English Literature

Explore the ways in which McEwan presents obsession in Enduring Love The theme of obsession is found in many different forms in Enduring Love. McEwan uses language and the presentation of the characters to explore the many different types of obsession. The most obvious obsession in the novel is Jed’s obsession with Joe. As a reader, we find this perhaps the most disturbing because of the intensity with which it is presented. At the opening of the novel, immediately after the accident, Joe walks down the hill to inspect Logan’s body and is closely followed by Jed. McEwan uses language to great effect to convey Jed’s obsession with religion and Jed’s dialogue to show his eagerness to pray. ‘I mean you don’t have to believe in anything at all, just let yourself do it and I promise you, I promise.’ The use of repetition and the word ‘promise’ shows Jed pleading with Joe and expresses his sincere beliefs. There is also a strangeness as Joe decides to tell Parry the harsh truth of his religion ‘There’s no one up there’ ‘Parry’s head was cocked, and the most joyous of smiles was spreading across his face.’ This is a significant moment in the novel as we discover later on that this was the point when Jed’s obsession began and the moment on which the rest of the story is based. McEwan uses religious imagery to convey the embarrassment felt by Joe and passion of Jed’s beliefs. ‘†¦, as I saw it, to deliver me from the radiating power of Jed Parry’s love and pity.’ The use of the verb ‘deliver’ has religious overtones and suggests deliverance in the same Christian sense of Jesus ‘delivered’ mankind. McEwan also uses the phrase ‘radiating power’. This is particularly effective use of imagery as it conveys the idea o... ...as it highlights Joe’s mathematical side. ‘Two bands were entwined in a double helix’†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.to suggest the twenty amino acids on to which the three letter codons were mapped’ McEwan uses the brooch as an object to draw out Joe’s analytical characteristics through the word ‘double helix’ and displays his knowledge of science. The theme of obsession is vital to the novel as a whole and permeates every aspect of the narrative. The obsession is used to invoke a response from the reader, particularly in the case of Jed and Joe as we feel repulsed and disturbed by Jed’s language and feelings. We are also as readers, directly affected by Joe’s love of science. It is evident throughout the novel since often Joe tries to rationalise his problems by making links to science. Finally, it is Jed’s passion for religion that he justifies his obsession and Joe who fuels it. Obsession in Enduring Love Essay -- English Literature Explore the ways in which McEwan presents obsession in Enduring Love The theme of obsession is found in many different forms in Enduring Love. McEwan uses language and the presentation of the characters to explore the many different types of obsession. The most obvious obsession in the novel is Jed’s obsession with Joe. As a reader, we find this perhaps the most disturbing because of the intensity with which it is presented. At the opening of the novel, immediately after the accident, Joe walks down the hill to inspect Logan’s body and is closely followed by Jed. McEwan uses language to great effect to convey Jed’s obsession with religion and Jed’s dialogue to show his eagerness to pray. ‘I mean you don’t have to believe in anything at all, just let yourself do it and I promise you, I promise.’ The use of repetition and the word ‘promise’ shows Jed pleading with Joe and expresses his sincere beliefs. There is also a strangeness as Joe decides to tell Parry the harsh truth of his religion ‘There’s no one up there’ ‘Parry’s head was cocked, and the most joyous of smiles was spreading across his face.’ This is a significant moment in the novel as we discover later on that this was the point when Jed’s obsession began and the moment on which the rest of the story is based. McEwan uses religious imagery to convey the embarrassment felt by Joe and passion of Jed’s beliefs. ‘†¦, as I saw it, to deliver me from the radiating power of Jed Parry’s love and pity.’ The use of the verb ‘deliver’ has religious overtones and suggests deliverance in the same Christian sense of Jesus ‘delivered’ mankind. McEwan also uses the phrase ‘radiating power’. This is particularly effective use of imagery as it conveys the idea o... ...as it highlights Joe’s mathematical side. ‘Two bands were entwined in a double helix’†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.to suggest the twenty amino acids on to which the three letter codons were mapped’ McEwan uses the brooch as an object to draw out Joe’s analytical characteristics through the word ‘double helix’ and displays his knowledge of science. The theme of obsession is vital to the novel as a whole and permeates every aspect of the narrative. The obsession is used to invoke a response from the reader, particularly in the case of Jed and Joe as we feel repulsed and disturbed by Jed’s language and feelings. We are also as readers, directly affected by Joe’s love of science. It is evident throughout the novel since often Joe tries to rationalise his problems by making links to science. Finally, it is Jed’s passion for religion that he justifies his obsession and Joe who fuels it.

Safaricom financial situation

Safaricom is a company that deals with telecommunication services, voice messaging and fixed broad band. The company output can be classified as voice, data and value added services. Voice services include Premium Rate Services also known as third party content service, provide recorded information or live conversation for callers. Safaricom Pre Pay services allow subscribers to pay in advance and freely choose a tariff that suits them. Data services include airtime recharging and sambaza. Sambaza, launched in March, has enabled subscribers to share their airtime with their friends and family for free. Okoa jahazi and bonga loyalty scheme has enabled subscribers to enjoy advance airtime and to be awarded for their airtime usage . Mpesa service has allowed customers to easily send money through the mobile phones, a very sophisticated technology, and a first in Kenya. Submarine fiber optic, SEACOM, provides high capacity band width for high internet connectivity. To achieve all these, the company has implemented a number of inputs. It has leased services of several companies as Cellulant, Bernsoft, interactive, Adtel , Mobile Zone and Wasp ,to provide Premium Rate Services to ensure effective live communication between its subscribes and outside world . Ongea 24/7 has enabled efficiency in prepaid airtimes. It has also assisted in dealing in virtual electronic airtime. Safaricom Broadband Modem (Huawei E220) and Safaricom Broadband Router (Huawei E960) has enabled access up to 7. 2Mbps downlink speeds as compared to 236 kbps from other technologies (Michael Joseph, 2009). The company has developed several technological solutions to deal efficiently and effectively with existing problems. The company has launch the fastest internet connection through the 3G technology known as Safaricom live(Michael Joseph,2009). The company also provides a wide range of services including broadband wireless data (Up to 7. 2 of 2Mbps downlink Speeds), video calls and telephony. It is also signing a deal with a European firm to launch fourth generation technology which will see increase in the speed of internet connection from the current 7. 2 of 2Mbps . Safaricom has also launched new products and services in the market that the normal ‘Mwananchi’ can afford e. g. bamba 20, bemba bamba and super ongea tariff which is as low as 80 cents. In September, 2001 it launched ATM top up for its pre-paid subscribers to enable top up at teller machine. It has also created technological problem solving techniques. In the magazine by MaryAnn and Chris (2009) the company has created the widest network coverage in Kenya to ensure that subscribers receive clear signal when communicating (p. 35). Business Messaging Solutions has enabled quick and affordable communication to a large audience. According to Less (2009) Safaricom has a turnover of 70. 5 billion revenues from 61. 4billion the previous year, a 14. 8 % increase, with a market capitalization of 148 billion (p. 18). Safaricom controls the stock market with a listing of 40 billion shares, the highest in Africa. It has an operating profit of16. 2 billion with a profit before tax of 15. 3 billion (Less,2009). Cash of 30. 1 billion from operations remained strong enabling the company to expand its network coverage and ensure that it had a strong network to handle its increasing subscribers. The shareholders fund increased by 19. 9% to 51. billion (Michael Joseph, 2009). The graph shows how the numbers of subscribers have significantly increased as at Nov 2009. Though Safaricom runs the telecommunication industry, it has been faced with stiff competition from other companies as Zain, Orange, Econet wireless, Access Kenya and Wananchi on line. Safaricom has continued market leadership with a control of 79. 1% of the ma rket i. e. 13. 6 million subscribers thus it can be said to be a market price setter. Reduction in GDP growth, increase in margin, Global financial crisis and high oil prices is significantly affecting the company efficient performance. Less (2009) however shows that there has been an upward movement in revenues by 83% to 12. 9% of total revenue despite of these economic back drops (p. 19). The launch of Jibambie promotion, Jambo Contact Centre and 3G and Wimax data services are some of the events the company marks as having contributed to its success. According to Chris (2009) the launch of M Pesa has been a run way success story, with a current 6. 2 million subscribers and shs 17. 1billion transfer from one person to another as at March 2009 (p. 11).