Monday, September 30, 2019

Power to Make a Difference

The Power to Make a Difference â€Å"We cannot empower another, because to presume to do so removes the element of choice† (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008, p. 471). Although nurses may not be able to empower patients, they can, through the process of empowerment, enable patients to speak up. Nurses can help patients develop an awareness of areas that need change and support the desire to take action. Approaching a patient as an equal partner allows for collaboration and aids in communication which is necessary to facilitate the empowerment process.Nurses should remember to avoid imposing personal values on their patients. Sometimes it is difficult for nurses to relinquish control and accept decisions patients make for themselves. Nurses can shift the power to the patient by focusing on the patient’s self-determined needs. â€Å"Improving a person’s ability to understand and manage his or her own health and disease, negotiate with different cadres of health professi onals, and navigate the complexities of health is crucial to achieving better health outcomes† (â€Å"Patient empowerment,† 2012, p. 50). There are institutional and professional constraints affecting nursing and patient empowerment. â€Å"Nurses need to recognize such barriers and appreciate that not everyone wants to take the risks and assume the responsibility that empowerment demands† (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008, p. 488). One barrier to fostering empowerment is a paternalistic attitude causing the patient, to solely, rely on the decisions that healthcare providers make for them. A nurse’s unwillingness to share decision-making power with the patient can hinder empowerment.Fear of being labeled by staff could also keep patients from asserting their power. Economic factors can have an effect on limitation of resources which can hinder empowerment. Transcultural and spiritual issues do play a role in empowerment. How one thinks and responds to a situatio n, is based on cultural beliefs and values. To be sensitive to transcultural issues, one must be self-aware. It is helpful for nurses to be knowledgeable about cultural differences and their importance in interactions with healthcare.A nurse should listen, be open-minded and nonjudgmental about patients’ values, beliefs, and religious practices in order to make appropriate care plans. When patients feel accepted, valued and respected, they are more willing to participate in their care and make decisions that are congruent with their values and beliefs. I work in a facility that has created councils that nurses can join. Through the Education, Practice and Operation councils, policies and guidelines of practice can be examined, discussed and changed as necessary. Education in cultural diversity has also been required to help nurses become aware of cultural differences.Administrative rounding and town hall meetings have helped employees with questions and concerns and have help ed them to feel as though they have a voice in the decision making process. Because change can be slow, nurses can sometimes feel frustrated, but having an avenue through which change can occur brings the sense of empowerment and, therefore, increases job satisfaction. References Burkhardt, M. A. , & Nathaniel, A. K. (2008). Ethics and Issues in Contemporary Nursing (3 ed. ). Clifton Park, NY: Thomas Delmar Learning. Patient empowerment– who empowers whom?. (2012, August 18). The Lancet, 380, 65

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Culture Day Topic Essay

History of Judo was created by Jigoro Kano. He was a highly educated man; he was considered the founder of the modern Japanese education system. He wanted to preserve and combine the ancient martial traditions of Japan. One of the most important innovations was the emphasis of â€Å"randori†, or non-cooperative free sparring practice. The majority was based on pre-arranged sequences of attack and defense known as â€Å"kata†. For several years Kodokan Judo reigned supreme. Kudo was challenged by a man named Mataemon Tanabae. Maeda Mitsuyo Maeda became one of the greatest fighters in the history of Judo. Maeda retired without ever losing a fight. The Gracies, Maeda settled in Brazil and created an academy of â€Å"Jiu Jitsu†. One of his students was Carlos Gracie. After studying for several years he opened his own academy. He and Maeda created the â€Å"Gracie Challenge†, all challengers were welcome to compete in the challenge. The Gracie fighters were victorious against all kinds of fighters from different backgrounds. Several members of the Gracie family began to go to the US in the late 1980’s. The Gracies and their particular brand of fighting has had a major impact on martial arts today. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was very similar in many ways with to Judo and other systems of Japanese Jiu Jitsu. Judo was originally designed as a powerful system of self-defense. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is divided into three categories: self-defense, free fighting competition, and sport grappling. The fighting strategy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to make a physically smaller or weaker person be able to defend from a larger or stronger attacker. When applying BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) techniques leverage is key. As leverage is the secret to the most use of force.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Band of Outsiders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Band of Outsiders - Essay Example The movie was one of the finest ever work by Jean-Luc Godard. It was a lyrical tragic comedy, perhaps was one of the Godard's most charming film. The screenplay was written by the director Jean-Luc Godard, and was based on the famous novel Fool’s Gold by Dolores Hitchens. The screenplay was the firm and strong base for the movie. The depth and contents of the movie supported the movie to became the Godard’s one of the best works. The scenes of the movie like the climax scene, a silence after the trio crowded in the cafe and many other scenes had made a significant and narrative effect on the viewers and the critics. These scenes created the essence of the brilliant direction and screenplay for turning the movie into an excellent work in all the fields like direction, screenplay, editing and others. The Band of Outsiders was known for its most superfluous work from the Jean-Luc, as compared to his other work like Breathless and others. From this movie, the Godard turned himself towards the low-scale movie which turned to be a fruitful step later in his film career. The direction made the haul for viewer to watch the long takes in the movie. The depth that had been created by the director in the movie was accordingly to synchronize the momentum of the movie. The long takes in the movie were outstanding creation work exactly from the director Jean-Luc Goddard. The dance scenes in Band of Outsiders were very much grand, although it was a playful and it came out of nowhere, it really did add a lot to the story. The strong point of the movie were the story, the scenes, the direction and these sorts of scenes. In the movie, the two men and the lady were dancing we heard the music cut off and a narrator come over. The narration produced a soothing effect on the viewer even at that time and also up to the present. The director Jean-Luc had tremendously worked out and described what each character was truly feeling as they looked like in the movie that they were having fun and dancing in a cafe. This small element made the viewers to think, what the characters were really thinking as they walked along and talked to each other for the rest of the film. In the movie, it was described simply that simple, but it added a lot of depths. The viewer would then add in the depth himself. This was some great stuff and was one of the many reasons, why Band of Outsiders was one of the excellent efforts from the direction point of view for putting the sensual effects in the movie. Band of Outsiders was the most poetic work from Godard's early films. This was due in large part to the voiceover narration, read by Godard himself, as the screenplay was written by the Godard himself. When the film's celebrated Madison scene, Godard cut out the music and relates the characters' thoughts, as the character Odile wondered if the men could see her breasts moving under the sweater. Arthur thought of Odile, dreaming of her

Best buy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Best buy - Essay Example By so doing, they will feel part of the organization. Consequently, they will contribute significantly towards the success of the organization (Powell 60). The major issue that was discussed during the trip to Memphis was the issue of embracing diversity within the Best Buy’s organization. The managers were shown the importance of having gender and racial diversity. They were also challenged to go and ensure that they implement this diversification in their departments. They were asked to go and encourage their employees to be confident of themselves. As a result, Best Buy went and increased the number of females in the management positions. Consequently, out of this move, the company has noted that the revenue from the female customers in about four years has risen by $4.4 billion (Powell 60). With a diverse workforce, the representation of the various genders and races makes it possible to have diverse qualities that are important to the Best Buy in one way or the other. Therefore, during the decision making process in the company, it is possible for the organization to have many brilliant contributions from the diverse workforce. These contributions constitute the bottom line in the organization (Powell

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurship Essay

Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Thus, the entrepreneurial mindset add value in the business environment through turning problems into opportunities where the common mindset may not perceive any solution to such problems, considering that if the solutions to the problem were obvious, then, the problems would already have been resolved (Gerber, 2012:n.p.). The GET results indicate that an individual scoring highly in the need for achievement criteria as forward thinking, optimistic, self sufficient and results oriented. In this respect, this entrepreneurial mindset is essential to add value to the business environment, through establishing and sustaining a positive attitude regardless of the challenges that might be faced by the business (Whiteman, 2003:77). The concept of optimism means that the entrepreneur still keeps a positive attitude even when there are numerous negative voices that say it cannot be done. While a common mindset will yield to pessimism and give up on trying, the entrepreneurial mindset is unrelenting and keeps forging ahead with seeking solutions for the existing problems (Anders & Lois 2005:33). Therefore, as opposed to a business owner or a manager, creating a business for an entrepreneur is like writing a book, considering that for an entrepreneur, the business created is not merely a business, but something that has a meaning, and which drives the entrepreneur to continue pursuing the vision, even when it is apparent that there are high risks for the business failure (Gerber, 2012:n.p.). According to the Schumpeter’s innovation theory of entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur is that individual who perceives the opportunity to innovate, thus taking a different path from the normal path trodden by the society, in meeting the same societal need (McCraw, 2007:72). The entrepreneur will chart entirely new paths through which the problems within the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Comparative Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparative Financial Reporting - Essay Example Material misstatements are misstatements that can affect users' decisions on the financial statements of a company. The auditor may either issue an unmodified opinion (when the financial statements are not materially misstated or a modified opinion (when the financial statements are materially misstated). (McMeeking, 2006). This paper examines contemporary issues between International Financial Reporting IFRS and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GAAP. The IASB / FASB project on revising the conceptual Framework has removed ' substance over form'. (IASB / FASB May 2008, Exposure Draft, Conceptual framework for Financial Reporting ) . The explanation is: BC2.19. The Boards concluded that faithful representation means that financial reporting information represent the substance of an economic phenomenon rather than solely its legal form. To represent legal form that differs from the economic substance of the underlying economic phenomenon could not result in a faithful representation. Accordingly, the proposed framework does not identify substance over form as a component of faithful representation because to do so would be redundant. However, the fair value view assumes that market are relatively perfect and complete and that in such a setting financial reports should satisfy both the interest of passive investors and creditors by stating a current value derived from the current market prices. An alternative view to this doctrine assumes that markets are imperfect and incomplete and that in such a market settings, monitoring requirements of shareholders should be catered for. To conclude therefore, in the words of Whittington (2007), the practical supports of two views is unrealistic as in a realistic market setting; the search for a universal measurement method may be fruitless. According to Whittington (2007), a more appropriate approach to the measurement problem might be to define a clear measurement objective and to select the measurement that best meet the objective. 1. 2.0 Identify and comment on what you regard as the 4 most significant accounting policy differences between IFRS's and US GAAP ' (200 words) International Accounting Standards (IAS/IFRS) are a set of accounting standards promulgated by the International Accounting Standards committee (IASC) and intended to be used as a basis for cross-border capital raising and listing in global financial markets. (Asbaugh, 2001). The main goal of the International set of Accounting Standards is to standardise the financial and accounting method disclosures of firms in different nations. That is, if firms follow the same set of accounting standards, their external financial reports will provide more uniform disclosures and thus investors would make more use of the variables inherent in the financial statements. (Asbaugh, 2001). Also, firms and investors would benefit from financial statements prepared following an international set of accounting standards. (Asbaugh, 2001). In meeting with the above objectives, the European Union issued regulation 1606/2002 of July 19, 2002 requiring that all companies listed in the European Union and European listed companies in other countries to adopt international accounting standards in their Financial statements from 1st January 2005 onwards. The regulation also gave member states the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Southeast Asia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Southeast Asia - Research Paper Example According to Antonio Pigafetta, the opening of the sea route to South East Asia across to the pacific had a great impact in allowing the Spanish to rule over the South East Asians. According to this author religion played a major role in to create the close relationship between the Spanish and the Spaniards. This is because as the Spaniards traveled over to South East Asia their main objective was to convert people to Christianity besides trading. For this reason, most of the Chinese failed to convert because of their strong religious background based in Islam. However, their belief and trust in God created a close relationship between these two parties. This also ensured that the Chinese had no close relationship with their rulers especially the British and the Dutch. It is believed that the cruel nature of the Dutch and the British created a poor relationship between them and the Chinese. In addition to this, the Dutch and British were more civilized something that also created a b ig disparity amongst them and their slaves. According to Antonio who was an Italian Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Magellan instructed all Christians to engage in public conversions (Gullick 18). These conversions laid a basic foundation that was followed by a lot of Roman Catholics from Philippines spreading the gospel. It is believed that this association is what led to a close relationship between the Dutch and the Spaniards. On the other hand the Chinese were so involved in their traditions.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Earliest Microsoft operating systems to the present-day release of Essay

Earliest Microsoft operating systems to the present-day release of Windows Vista - Essay Example Rowland Hanson, marketing head of Microsoft suggested that Windows would be a very appealing name to the customer when compared to â€Å"Interface Manager†, which was supposed to be its name. Windows 1.0 was rather an operating environment than a complete operating system; it extended MS-DOS and shared the intrinsic problems and flaws of the latter. It included a simple word processor called Windows Write, an appointment calendar, a simple graphics painting program called Windows Paint, a computer terminal, a clock, a control panel, a notepad, a card filer, and a RAM driver. The MS-DOS Executive and a game called Reversi were also included in the first version. On the 9th of December 1987 the second version of Microsoft Windows 2.0 was released, and gained more popularity than the first version. â€Å"Windows 2.0 supported the Video Graphics Array (VGA) display System, which allowed you to use 16 colors at 640x480† (Shinder, 2003, p. 5). It achieved more popularity than the first version because of the new Microsoft graphical applications namely Word and Excel for Windows, and because of its inclusion as a run-time version. Windows 3.0 version which was released in the year1990 was quite successful because apart from improved capabilities to the native applications it also allowed the users to a more advanced multitask based on older MS-DOS software when compared to Windows/386 due to the introduction of virtual memory. The third version of Windows gave strong competition to the user interface of the Macintosh computer. This version of Windows was compatible with any Intel processor from 8086/8088 to 80286 and 80386 and could run in Standard, Real and 386 Enhanced modes, and was the first version to run Windows program in protected mode, even though 386 enhanced mode kernel was an improved version of the kernel protected mode in

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Activists Beyond Borders Essay Example for Free

Activists Beyond Borders Essay Contemporary approaches to international relations have been widely regarded as ineffective public policy initiatives based on ideological political agendas as opposed to practical and innovative social activism.   In their landmark book, Activists Beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics, Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink offer both an insightful theoretical background and a multi-disciplinary guide to achieving progressive activism that transcends the traditional methods (failures) of international governmental agencies and governments themselves. With this essay I will lay out the basis for the book with the hopes of highlighting its strengths as well as pointing out possible shortcomings in an attempt to demonstrate the always challenging effort to combine forces for a common social agenda. The major strength of the book is fortified by its willingness to critique the previous short-sided solutions put forth by international governmental institutions such as the World Health Organization and the International Monetary Fund. Their argument, based on the cultural shift of the 1960’s and accelerated through the technological innovations that facilitate both global and local communicative strategies and alliances, points toward transnational advocacy networks that ‘carry and re-frame ideas, insert them in policy debates, pressure for regime formation, and enforce existing norms and rules, at the same time that they try to influence particular domestic political issues’ (p. 199).   In this way, they are trying to both work around the existing discourse of international policy while at the same time trying to reform the discussion from within, albeit via non-governmental organizations. This idealism can also be the shortcoming of the book as well because it breaks apart the mythological unified dimension of international advocacy groups .   The nature of the transnational advocacy groups necessitates the fragmentation of a unified group that could possibly carry the necessary force to grab the headlines and attention of groups such as the WHO and IMF.   By leaving their argument based on a symbolic narrative of ‘transnational advocacy groups’ but leaving out possibly critiques against them, the authors unfortunately invite further critique, even from parties that ideally agree with them, like myself. One notable success story, a very tragic one at base, is the example of Cindy Sheehan and her epic battle to gain international support for trying to bring an end to the war in Iraq.   She has been fearless in her fight and in doing so has mobilized thousands of supporters throughout the international community as well as garnering a wealth of complementary media coverage that leverages her cause against an extremely vulnerable an emotionally taxing target.   Her extreme measures and lack of fear have on the one hand created a groundswell of public admiration and support, but at the same time she has run the risk of overexposure and the resulting media backlash by over saturating her symbolic politics. This is a fine line that Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink acknowledge in their research and it is part and parcel to the overall struggle that transnational advocacy groups face in their battle to garner the necessary support of intellectuals, parallel advocacy groups, sympathetic non-governmental agencies, and ultimately the financial and ideological backing of official governmental policy groups that hold the power to enact and enforce the changes that are being fought for.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

History &The Philosophies of Enlightenment Essay Example for Free

History The Philosophies of Enlightenment Essay The Enlightenment, also named the Age of reason, was an era for the period of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The term â€Å"Enlightenment† also specifically talks about a rational movement. Moreover, this movement provided a basis for the American and French Revolutions. During this period, philosophers started to realize that by using reason they can find answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. Enlightenment philosophers believed that all human beings should have freedom of religion and speech. Furthermore, they wanted to have a government of their own and a right to vote. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were two very important philosophical thinkers of their time. John Locke was a prominent thinker from England, and Thomas Hobbes is perhaps the most complete materialist philosopher of the 17th century. John Locke believed that people are good, and they should have natural rights such as life, liberty, and property but Thomas Hobbs main focus was how human beings can live together in peace and evade the danger and fear of civil war. John Locke (1634-1704) was one of the most significant and powerful philosophers during the Enlightenment era. Both the French Enlightenment and Founding Fathers of the American Revolution drew on his thoughts. John Locke suggested that the human mind was a tabula rasa (blank slate). There were no innate ideas known from birth by all people and society forms people’s mind. Since all people share the same undeveloped usual features, people are all equal and they determine their liberty. Locke said all human beings are equal expect women and Negroes because they are closer to the state of nature therefore they are less civilized and this led to the American Revolution. Lockes most important work of political philosophy was the Two Treatises on Government. He argued that the power of the king is derived from the people, each person has a right to hold property, and if ruler takes this property from people without their own permission, people can depose and resist him. . Thomas Hobbes is another philosopher in 17th century who argued that people were naturally wicked and could not be trusted to govern. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was born in London. He finished his college education at Oxford University in England, where he studied classics. Hobbes was English philosopher, scientist, and historian, best known for his political  philosophy, especially as expressed in his masterpiece Leviathan. In his boos he described the â€Å"state of nature† where all persons were naturally equal. He said that people are frightened of violent death, and every single human on the planet has a right to protect him/herself in any way possible. He assumed that its in people’s best interest to avoid war. Moreover, he believed that life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Although John Locke and Thomas Hobbes do have some similarities, they have different opinions about most of their political arguments. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two of the great political theorists of their time. Both created great philosophical texts that help to describe their opinions about man’s state of nature in addition to the role of government in man’s life. Both of them believed in individualism. Two years after the end of the English Civil War, Thomas Hobbes published Leviathan. He believed people had a good personality, if they were left to their own plans, life would become â€Å"a solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.† He said if people give some of their freedom, they can have a harmless life. He believed people are always in competition with each other for the best food, shelter, money, and so on. Hobbes supposed the best way to protect citizens would be to have a sovereign that is threatening and supreme. . Lockes view of the state of nature says that humans have limits as to what people should or should not do. In contrast to Hobbes, Locke believed that humans are generally nice to one another, and we will not bother one another. Therefore, in Lockes state of nature, humans are peaceful. Locke believed that people had the basic principles needed for a civilized society, so they were allowed to have natural rights such as life, liberty, and property. Locke believed rather than each person being equally at risk of death, each person was equally free and sovereign. The Enlightenment was an era of free thinking and individualism. Different philosophers had enormous role in this era. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were philosophers from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Both philosophers had very strong views on freedom and how a country should be governed. Hobbes had more of a negative view on freedom while Lockes opinions are more positive. Work Cited FernaÃŒ ndez Armesto, Felipe. The Exchange Of Enlightenments: Eighteenth Century Thought. The World : A History. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. 738-65. Print. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on John Locke (1634–1704).† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 14 Mar. 2013 SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679).† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Role of Music in Politics

The Role of Music in Politics If theres any hope for America, it lies in a revolution. And if theres any hope for a revolution, it lies in Elvis Presley to become Che Guevara. These words by Phil Ochs, an American protest singer, reflect the power of the political use of music (Street, 2003). Since music is a strong way of expressing inner thoughts and feelings, it reveals the political views and stands of people; thus serving as a political tool. Music has the power to get massive crowds pumped up, which is why it is used to bring support to various causes. In war times, governments used music as propaganda to boost nationalism and promote fighting. In addition, music is used in elections numerous times. From a different standpoint, many musicians benefited from music as their resistance. Rock and roll was the voice of anti war protests in 60s, folk music stood for civil rights (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, 2012). These examples also proves us that music is closely related with issues going on at a certai n time; just as soul music, which focused on lives of Afro Americans in 30s. All of the things mentioned above show us music and politics are inseparable. Music is just not about entertainment, its the reflection and expression of people; therefore music serves humans as their truth bearer, so the political use of music should be done strongly and continuously. If we look at the role of music in politics, well see that it is used to aid two causes (generally); either serving or rebelling against dominant institutions in society (Williams, 2009). Due to musics irresistibility and ability to change peoples ideas, it has an integral part in public; therefore music is used by various political sides to promote their beliefs. National anthems are highly respected by their citizens and boost nationalism, for instance. Governments also benefited from other songs, especially in war times. American government frequently has songs to raise support for troops in war, as in God Bless America, which was used in WW2 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, 2012). Also during WW2, Soviet government funded bands and other forms of entertainment to maintain military morale, and infamous Nazis specified the use of songs in their Nazi Youth trainings, as John Street stated (Street, 2003). Music was also used against governments, as in anti war protests. Redgum, a n Australian rock group, recorded a song called I Was Only 19 to show what young Australian soldiers been through in Vietnam. Song had exploded in Australia and became the voice of people against war. Through 60s, hippie music was considered as a threat to government because of its peaceful attitude. All these situations are great examples of how music is used successfully to promote a belief, a stand; therefore I think its safe to say that music plays a big role in determining politics. Music is a great way to create a bond between people and make them act as one. It is also the unofficial voice of resistance. An intriguing case study is provided by Peter Wicke, who argues that rock musicians in East Germany were the catalysts for collapse of the East German regime. He states that governments repression of rock turned it into a resistance, which was more or less impossible to control (Street, 2003). A local example from Turkey, a protest rock group named Grup Yorum had released countless recordings which created conflictions with government, and often resulted in group members ending up in jail. All of these happened because of the groups political stand, but these events made them the #1 protest group in Turkey. In addition, Woodstock music festival was the biggest event of its time, showing youths resistance to government, while uniting the general young population. Bennett stated that Woodstock 69 is remembered as much for its bringing together of counter cultur al generation, as for the music performed. The festival was a milestone for the political use of music and it opened the way for events (Williams, 2009). Woodstock 69 festival spread to the world the concepts like free love, civil rights and anti war stance. Just like this, summer of 1967 was called Summer of Love, due to the events going on in that summer, as freedom or anti war thoughts, similar to Woodstock. Music was one of the main parts of these events, it helped to re shape the community, united youth and resisted to the existing reactionary thoughts. Music created a better way of living for us, starting from these events. For many times, music was used to inform the society about various issues. Soul music in 1930s demonstrated the hardships of anguished Afro Americans. Folk singer Woodie Guthrie wrote many songs about the lives of black people, especially in rural areas, where black people were used as slaves. An example for this, is the song I Aint Going to Be Treated Like This Way. His outspoken lyrics caused him to be labeled un American, but his work informed the US society and influenced many artists to follow his way (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, 2012). There are also much more peaceful attempts, just as the USA for Africa. Many famous artists including Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen etc. founded this group and recorded We Are The World. It made the community aware and raised millions of dollars to stop the growing famine in Africa. Some artists wrote a song called Sun City, criticizing the Apartheid in South Africa. Bob Geldof can be considered as the father of charity concerts, su ch as Live Aid, which was also started for the poor living standards in Africa. These concerts raised hundreds of millions and created conscious in society, while giving immeasurable pleasure to its audience. Grossberg stated that so many attempts are being made to articulate rock with politics, although these attempts mainly have little or no impact on society (Shuker, 1994). Some might say that music is irrelevant with politics and the political stance of a musician does not need to be shared by its listeners. This is partly true, considering the apolitical youth in 2000s and so. But they are forgetting something. People identify themselves with music. They want to connect with the artist, and if the artist is not on the same page with its audience in politics, the songs wont be listened. Dixie Chicks, which is a then famous country music group, created a confliction, regarding to Iraqi War and US President Bush. Lead singer Natalie Maines said that she was ashamed of her president, because of Bushs war policy (Dixie chicks: Shut up and sing! [DVD], 2006). The words were incendiary and the US society jumped on this. They were criticized in every possible way and eventually, they lost t heir popularity. This wouldnt have happened if the listeners were not considering the groups political stance. Another example for this is the music following 9/11. John Parales said that People wanted to hear something to comfort them. They wanted to hear something that captured the anger people felt. (McMasters, 2003). Any song irrelevant with the political stand of the US society, which was supporting war then, would not be listened. Also, rock music in 1960s integrated the black and white youths. Since they were all listening to the same songs, they supported the same political views. This was not viewed as a good thing by the government and the parents at that time. Still, it opened a way for future, and its a wonderful example of the political relevancy of music. Music is closely connected with politics. In conclusion, political use of music is being done by the governments, protest groups, literally every single group in every society. Music is a reflection of people, and the political issues at a certain time, as seen in the examples that were mentioned. Music brings support to various causes. Plus, it connects people and opens a way for a better future, also raising money and consciousness in societies. It is being said that music is irrelevant with politics, but people define themselves with music and search for same political views in artists, as written here in examples. All these points emphasize that music is an effective political tool, and the political use of music should be done strongly and continuously.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Censorship in America Essay -- Ethics, Piracy

Piracy has become a major issue in the United States. For every motion picture that has been featured in theaters also has been pirated onto the Internet the next day, and for every new musical album that is released, yet there is a free torrent file of the album within the same hour. Even though these online pirates steal music and movies from other companies and make a drastic profit, yet these â€Å"rogue† websites receive 53 billions visits a year from across the globe according to Creative America. The persistence of the thieves that break copyright laws of the productions has lead the entertainment business to place a definitive complaint to the U.S. government of the constant notion of piracy. While the notion of piracy was not left unseen, yet the government plans to establish laws that will cripple the exploitation of information throughout every Internet service provider in the country. The movement of this bill is the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act, o r better known as PIPA/SOPA. Some citizens also know this act as the movement of Censorship in America. One of the main supporters of the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act is the entertainment business such as movie and music companies. The motion picture industries believe that the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act should be supported. Motion picture industries such as Disney, Viacom, Time Warner and other leaders in the industry believe the government will be causing an expedient amount of money flow within the country. U.S. Congress will also be saving jobs in the United States by enforcing this bill throughout the movie industry. About 60% of U.S. exports come from the entertainment industry, and usually generates about 33% of U.S. GDP... ...l-become-law/>. Content Theft: The Big Picture. Www.vimeo.com. Creative America, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. Estes, Adam C. "The Web Collectively Protests Congress's Censorship Law - Technology." The Atlantic Wire. 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. . "Internet Censorship: Anti-Piracy Group Blackmails ISPs to Censor The Pirate Bay." Web log post. Censorship in America. Ed. Sean. 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. Mastnek, Mike. "Entertainment Industry Still Can't Get Grassroots Support For SOPA/PIPA, Resorts To Trying To Buy Support | Techdirt." Techdirt. 8 Dec. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Sexual Harassment and Diversity in the Workplace :: Workplace Diversity

Introduction Workforce diversity is a new term in business and industry. It is a term that is still uncommon in various areas of the world. Diversity can be considered by taking two different perspectives. Firstly, there are those fundamental individual attributes that make everyone on the earth unique for example disability, personality among others. Secondly, there are those differences that exist based on group membership for example race, ethnicity, and cultural differences among others (Barak, 131). Diversity is being an associate of either an indiscernible or discernible groups that are believed to be mainstream in the society (Barak, 131). Pluralism, on the other hand, is the distribution of supremacy among the many groups of the society (Carroll and Buchholtz, 8). In other words, pluralism means decentralization and diversification of authority from a group of few individuals from the top to the majority at the bottom of the societal hierarchy. Workplace diversity brings about a variety of ethical issues in the places of work. For example, sexual harassment due to sexual orientation, racism and ethnicity, gender issues among others. Sexual harassment is characterized by annoying sexual advances and innuendos meant for others; who think that such actions violate their right or interfere with their work. People take part in sexual harassment because of their sexual desires, or when, they want some sexual favors; prompted by the prevailing situation. For example, employees may be harassed sexually, by their managers, so that they get promotion. Sexual harassment is one of the ethical issues that face managers and employees alike. If it is perceived in an organization, it can strain the relationship between the organization and the society (Carroll and Buchholtz, 4). My personal view Regarding sexual harassment, I personally think that people need to have a more mature way of dealing with issues of sexuality. We need to go about them more carefully and privately. Sexual advances can be made provided the two individuals consent on the same. These advances should not be pegged on certain expectations on favoritism in workplace but can be for the continuity of the genealogy or for the purposes of procreation. Various cultural practices have seen various forms of sexual relationships that exist within the society. As a Christian, I think is wrong and unfair to engage in irresponsible sexual behaviors like sexual harassment. We should bear in mind that it is against Christian teaching and against the ten commandments of God.