Cultural Preferences and End-of-Life Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Preferences and End-of-Life Care - Essay Example This paper studies Kagawa-Singer and Blackhall’s (2001) article and directs its attention to the Chinese-American ethnic group, outlining some of the critical issues that affect the medical process based on the patient, family and the physician while monitoring the cultural beliefs, practices and values of the patient so as to ensure maximum satisfaction at the end of life. The paper also looks into the various challenges faced by professionals in palliative care with respect to cultural beliefs and the implications of these challenges to the professionals. On January 12, 2001, a perspective editor interviewed a 38-year old Chinese woman, Ms Z, who took care of her ailing mother and father with help from her elder sister (Kagawa-Singer and Blackhall, 2001). In December 1994, her mother was diagnosed with stage IIIB adenocarcinoma of the lung and underwent chemotherapies. She received constant treatment but succumbed to her end of life in January, 1996. To add to the ill-fated departure of her mother, Ms Z’s dad was diagnosed with Parkinson during the early 90s, and died in 1997 after numerous medications had been administered (Kagawa-Singer and Blackhall, 2001). According to Ms Z, the topic of her mother’s condition was never raised by any family member. In addition, her father never discussed his condition even after they had full information from the doctor (Kagawa-Singer and Blackhall, 2001). From the interview, a number of issues were of notable concern in the Chinese culture and they are addressed below: a) Informed consent – across many cultures, people do not appreciate telling the truth about diagnosis of certain diseases such as cancer, although it is part of U.S. health care. According to Ms Z, her mother’s diagnosis was given in a statistical book for her to read, and they never discussed that topic again. This is

Using Global Variables Essay Example for Free

Using Global Variables Essay Global variables are variables that are visible to every module in the program and its scope is the entire program so that all of the modules within the program can access a global variable. They can be declared in modules by simply setting up an assignment box and adding in the variables to the modules. In Pseudocode, you will simply write out the particular variable you want to declare and its value. Many programmers go against the idea of using global variables in modules but there are a few good sides to using global variables. For one, the global variables are very easy to find within modules and can be accessed throughout all of them. Global variables also make it easier to update the objects code and on the APL*PLUS II/III systems, the correct signature in the first element can be installed once, and when the object is loaded into the workspace, instead of having to be done each time the FastFN is called. It is suggested that you try to avoid using global variables when unnecessary for several reasons. Non-locality, in other words, source code is easy to understand when the scope of its individual elements is limited. Global variables can be read or modified by any part of the program, which makes it difficult to remember or reason about every possible use. Global variables also give no access or control or constraint checking. Global variables can be set by any part of the program, and any rules regarding its use can be easily broken or forgotten by extension, the lack of access control greatly hinders achieving security in situations where you may wish to run untrusted code. Global variables also lead to concurrency issues. If global variables can be accessed by multiple threads of execution, synchronization is necessary. When dynamically linking modules with globals, the composed system might not be thread-safe even if two independent modules tested in dozens of different contexts were safe. They also create Namespace pollution because the global names are everywhere. Memory allocation issues are also big when it comes to using global variables. Some environments have memory allocation schemes that make allocation of globals tricky. References Gaddis, T. (2010). Global Variables and Global Constants. Starting out with programming logic design (pp. 104-105). Boston: Pearson Addison Wesley. Global Variables. (n.d.). Global Variables. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://www.chilton.com/~jimw/globals.html Global Variables Are Bad. (n.d.). Global Variables Are Bad. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?GlobalVariablesAreBad Pros and Cons of Using Global Variables. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Using Global Variables. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/en-US/53ae563a-bb7d-4526-b7c6-8e58c7bb62e6/pros-and-cons-of-using-global-variables?forum=csharpgeneral

Network Security and Vulnerability Threat Table

Network Security and Vulnerability Threat Table LAN Security Is the local area network that access control using the private VLANs and its a networking device within a small geographical area. They are not safe and secure compared to other networks because its easy to access the WLAN security compared to others its more of convenience over security thus it will help business and IT organizations to improve on their network by providing suitable choices for WLAN security for organizations to have a safe WLAN in their working place they must have procedures that outlines forms of double connections that are allowed in the work place for security purposes, also to consider security and its impacts to other networks for instance theWLAN ,to have client devices and APs,also to perform attack and vulnerability monitoring respectively to support this type of network and lastly to carry out a regular assessment about WLAN security in the organization. The wireless system helps devices to connect to the computer minus them being connected to the network,WLAN consists of client devices for examples the laptops and the access points(APs),the APs connect client devices with distributing system(DS) and DS its the only way by which client devices can pass information or communicate with LAN and other networks. Also we have wireless switches that help the WLAN is administrators to manage it. WLAN Architecture It has the following components including the client devices,APs and the wireless switches, this part tries to show the importance of having a standard mechanism of security   thus providing recommendations for implementing, evaluating and maintaining those configurations of the client devices. The architecture of an organization should be standard when it comes to the issues of security configurations because it provides a base for security thus reducing the vulnerabilities and consequences of attacks that might be successful, it will improve the consistency and predictability of security. The following makes up WLAN architecture: roaming, microcells, infrascture, and independent. Independent WLAN is the simplest one which consists a group of computers that are equipped with client adapter and access points are not necessary in this case. Infrastructure WLAN consists of wireless stations and access points combined with DS that help roaming and mediating wireless network traffic. Microcells and roaming; a microcell is an area coverage for an   AP,they help users to move between   access points without having to log in again and restarting the applications again, for roaming to work, access points must have a way of exchanging information as a user connect Threats of WLAN The following explains the security threats of WLAN that are likely to happen: eavesdropping, spoofing and denial of service A) Eavesdropping Involves attack against the confidentiality of data that is transmitted across the network, eavesdropping is a big threat because the attacker can intercept the transmission over air from a distance that is away from the organization B) Spoofing It is where the attacker could gain access to data and resources in the network by assuming the identity of a valid user this is because some networks do not authenticate the source address thus the attackers may spoof MAC addresses and hijack sessions. C) Denial of service This is where the intruder floods the network with either genuine or fake information affecting the availability of the network resources, WLAN are very vulnerable against denial service attacks due to the nature of the radio transmission. LAN Security Is a wireless networking device within a small locality that access control using the private VLANs. Identity management Is the system discipline whereby the right people access the right and valid information at the right moments and for good particular reasons. Physical security Its the protection of the hardware, software, networks, and data from actions that could cause loss or damage to an organization for instance theft. Personal security Availability Is the quality or state of information or data of being available and easily accessed. Privacy Is the state of a person to seclude himself or herself, or information about him or her, so its the procreation of information or confidentiality of data. Cyberattactks in tabular format Type of attack Effect Malware Its a computer code that a malicious function, used to destroy   or steal private data in a computer. Password attacks They attack on cracking a person or user is password so that the attacker may obtain access to a secured system. Denial of service Focuses on the interruption of a network service when an attacker sends volumes of traffic to the network that is targeted. The following will be employed to mitigate the above types of attacks on the computer: Threat intelligence reports, are documents that describe types of system and information that is on mission or the one being targeted and information important to the organization. We have security alerts that are notifications about the current vulnerabilities and some security concerns. Tool configuration is the recommendations for mechanisms that support the exchange, analyzing, and the use of threat information. Indicators can also be used, they suggest or tell that an attack is imminent or its underway for instance we have the IP. Plan of protections openStego-its a free steganography that has the following functions: Data hiding where it can hide data within a cover file watermarking files with an invisible signature. Quickstego -helps someone to hide text in pictures so that its only users of quickstego who can be able to retrieve and go through those messages. Oursecret -enables the user to hide text files for instance images and videos thus suitable for sending confidential information. Veracrypt -it adds enhanced security to the algorithms used for system and partions encryption making it immune to new developments in brite-force attacks. Axcrypt -it integrates seamlessly with windows to compress, encrypt, decrypt, store, send, and work with individual files. GPG-it enables to encrypt and sign data, communication, as well as access modules for all public directories. Cryptographic mechanisms to organization Cryptographic is writing is in secret code within the context of any application and these are the requirements for it; Authentication, privacy, intergrity, and non-repudiation They include:schannel CNG provider model,ECC cipher suites,AES cipher suites and the default cipher suite preference. so the basic mechanism is to covert data into   cipher text form and then again into the decipherable when it gets into the user. Encryption and decryption is the main mechanism which works and ensures free flow of data within the system. Benefits The use of using public keys enables individuals to convert data into the encrypted form. Used to hide crucial important and vital information. Helps in preventing leakage of vital data from a network Helps in the authentication of users over the transfer or flow of data in electronic way. Risks associated with these are that they make the problem of general key recovery difficult and expensive and too insecure and expensive for many applications and users as large. File encryption tools Veracrypt, axcyrpt, Bitlocker, GNU Privacy Guard and 7-zip File encryption method We have the following methods; exceptions, syntax, remarks and security Results of the encryption files They provide an overview and pointers to resources on EFS They also point to the implementation strategies and best practices Encryption technologies Shift/Caesar cipher-its a tool that uses the substitution of a letter by another one further in the alphabet. Polyalphabetic cipher-is a cipher that is based on substitution using the multiple substitution alphabets. Perfect cipher-these are ciphers that can never be broken even with after an unlimited time. Block ciphers-is an algorithm deterministic that operates on fixed-length groups of bits. Triple DES-is a symmetric-key block cipher that applies the DES algorithm three times to the data bits in the system. RSA-is a public-key in the cryptosystems and is used for the transmission of secure data. Advanced encryption standard-its a cipher based on the substitution-permutation network and works fast in both the hardware and software. Symmetric encryption-these are the algorithms that uses the same cryptographic keys for both encryption and decryption of the cipher text. Text block coding-are the family of error-correcting codes that do encode data in bits. Information hiding and steganography-is the process of concealing a file, video, image or file. Digital watermarking-is the practice of hiding digital information in a carrier signal in the system. Masks and filtering-masks show which of the part of the message is displayed. Description security architecture of the organization It has the following components including the client devices,APs and the wireless switches, this part tries to show the importance of having a standard mechanism of security   thus providing recommendations for implementing, evaluating and maintaining those configurations of the client devices. The architecture of an organization should be standard when it comes to the issues of security configurations because it provides a base for security thus reducing the vulnerabilities and consequences of attacks that might be successful, it will improve the consistency and predictability of security. The following makes up WLAN architecture: roaming, microcells, infrascture and independent. Independent WLAN is the simplest one which consists a group of computers that are equipped with client adapter and access points are not necessary in this case. Infrastructure WLAN consists of wireless stations and access points combined with DS that help roaming and mediating wireless network traffic. Microcells and roaming a   microcell is an area coverage for an   AP,they help users to move between   access points without having to log in again and restarting the applications again, for roaming to work, access points must have a way of exchanging information as a user connect. the cryptographic means of protecting the assets of the organization Cryptographic is writing is writing in secret code within the context of any application and these are the requirements for it; Authentication,privacy,intergrity and non-repudiation They include: schannel CNG provider model, ECC cipher suites, AES cipher suites and the default cipher suite preference. so the basic mechanism is to covert data into   cipher text form and then again into the decipherable when it gets into the user. Encryption and decryption is the main mechanism which works and ensures free flow of data within the system. Benefits The use of using public keys enables individuals to convert data into the encrypted form. Used to hide crucial. important and vital information. Helps in preventing leakage of vital data from a network Helps in the authentication of users over the transfer or flow of data in electronic way. the types of known attacks against those types of protections Password attacks-its a third party who tries to get access of information by cracking the password. Malware-codes with malicious intent to steal data or destruction of the computer system. DOS attacks-it majors on or targeting disruption of the network and can be prevented by keeping the system secure. Strong passwords are the only way against this attack. Malware should be avoided by doing away with links to unknown users. How to ward off the attacks Malware-avoid clicking and downloading attachments from unknown users. Phishing-through verification of any requests from organization via email over the business phone. Passwords attacks-use of strong passwords DOS attacks-the system of the organization to be kept secure with software updates. Encryption Technologies Data Hiding Technologies and Shift/Caesar cipher-its a tool that uses the substitution of a letter by another one further in the alphabet. Polyalphabetic cipher-is a cipher that is based on substitution using the multiple substitution alphabets. Perfect cipher-these are ciphers that can never be broken even with after an unlimited time. Block ciphers-is an algorithm deterministic that operates on fixed-length groups of bits. Triple DES-is a symmetric-key block cipher that applies the DES algorithm three times to the data bits in the system. RSA-is a public-key in the cryptosystems and is used for the transmission of secure data. Advanced encryption standard-its a cipher based on the substitution-permutation network and works fast in both the hardware and software. Symmetric encryption-these are the algorithms that uses the same cryptographic keys for both encryption and decryption of the cipher text. Text blocks coding-are the family of error-correcting codes that do encode data in bits. Information hiding and steganography-is the process of concealing a file, video, image, or file. Digital watermarking-is the practice of hiding digital information in a carrier signal in the system. Masks and filtering-masks show which of the part of the message is displayed. Network security vulnerability and threat table above Common Access Card Deployment Strategy How identity management can be part of security program and CAC deployment plan Identity management involves telling what the user can do to certain devices at a given time. Identity management can be part of the program because of its reasons well known for instance: increasing security, also production while decreasing the cost and effort. The program tools of identity management need to run as application towards a server because it defines the type of user and devices allowed to work on a certain network this for it to be part of the program, must depend on alerts, reports, policy definition and alarms Thus offering directory integration and connection of the wireless and non wireless users and meeting almost the operational and security requirements. Deployment plan of the common access control Can come for different reasons so as to deploy and enforce the authorization policy for instance: The organization -wide authorization policy   that is driven from compliance level of organizational requirement.also departmental authorization policy where they have some special data handling the requirements that would be passed to various department. Then the specific data management relating to compliance and targeting at the   protection of the right access of information. Email Security Strategy Types of public-private key pairing Public keys may be disseminated widely but private are only known to user owner. This makes two functions-the authentication when public key is used to verify or show a private user sent a message and encryption where the holder of the private key can decrypt the message. Authentication-is when the public key is used to verify that a holder of the paired private key sent the message. Non-repudiation-its an attribute of communication that seeks to prevent the occurrence of the untrue or false denial of involvement by either party because it provides the originator of data with credible evidence showing information was received as it was addressed. Hashing -its used to index and retrieve items in database because it is faster to find an item through the use of shorter hashed key thus hashing being the transformation of a string of characters into a shorter fixed length than the original size. This added security benefit will ensure integrity of messaging by: Speeding being high   this is when the number of entries is large because maximum number of entries can be predicted in advance so that the bucket array can be allocated once also one may reduce the average lookup cost by a careful choice of the hash function and even the internal data   of structures. Pretty Good Policy-its a program that is used to encrypt and decrypt email over the internet as well as to authenticate digital messages with signatures the stored files that are already encrypted. GNU privacy Guard-its an encryption software program since it uses the combination of conventional symmetric-key cryptography for speed. Public key infrastructure -its a cryptography key that enables the distribution and the identification of the public encryption keys thus enabling the devices to exchange data securely over various networks. Digital signature -its an electronic signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of the person sending the message. Mobile device encryption-they help mitigate security risks whereby data must be encrypted while it is in transit and when in storage. How to use smartcard readers tied to computer systems Smartcard are the credit-sized plastic cards that do contain the circuit card that are integrated they can be deployed together with readers to provide user authentication and the non-repudiation for wider range of security purposes. A single smart card can be issued to each network user so as to provide a single set of credentials for logging to remote networks. Complexibility of cost and technical of email encryption strategic to security benefits The following elements must be considered: The basics because encryption is a process that is based on the cipher that makes or ensures information is hidden.Aslo choosing what to encrypt because it will be part of the risk management and the planning process of data governance. The three states of data in order for data to be secure from data in motion to data at rest and last data in use. Recommendation Smart card can be deployed together with readers to provide user authentication and the non-repudiation for wider range of security purposes. A single smart card can be issued to each network user so as to provide a single set of credentials for logging to remote networks A deployment plan   its a step to step on what need to happen in the last stage in the email security strategy, for a deployment plan to be effective the following must be put into consideration: Layered application that deals with the design management dependencies  Ã‚   between components also the people who structure application layers should not be same again to structure the hardware infrastructure. Reference Atul.kahate, cryptography, and Network security Tata mc Graw.Hill Publishing Company Limited, 2003 E .kranakis primarily and cryptography, Wiley, 1986

From Cain and Abel to Serial Killers Essay -- Exploratory Essays Resea

From Cain and Abel to Serial Killers      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Mark Allen Smith, Richard Chase, Ted Bundy-the list goes on and on. These five men alone have been responsible for at least ninety deaths, and many suspect that their victims may total twice that number. They are serial killers, the most feared and hated of criminals. What deep, hidden secret makes them lust for blood? What can possibly motivate a person to kill over and over again with no guilt, no remorse, no hint of human compassion? What makes a serial killer?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Serial killings are not a new phenomenon. In 1798, for example, Micajah and Wiley Harpe traveled the backwoods of Kentucky and Tennessee in a violent, year-long killing spree that left at least twenty-and possibly as many as thirty-eight-men, women, and children dead. Their crimes were especially chilling as they seemed particularly to enjoy grabbing small children by the ankles and smashing their heads against trees (Holmes and DeBurger 28). In modern society, however, serial killings have grown to near epidemic proportions. Ann Rule, a respected author and expert on serial murders, stated in a seminar on serial murder at the University of Louisville that between 3,500 and 5,000 people become victims of serial murder each year in the United States alone (qtd. in Holmes and DeBurger 21). Many others estimate that there are close to 350 serial killers currently at large in our society (Holmes and DeBurger 22).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fascination with murder and murderers is not new, but researchers in recent years have made great strides in determining the characteristics of criminals. Looking back, we can see how naà ¯ve early experts were in their evaluations; in 1911, for example, Italian crimin... ...words of Ted Bundy, one of the most ruthless serial killers of our time: "Most serial killers are people who kill for the pure pleasure of killing and cannot be rehabilitated. Some of the killers themselves would even say so" (qtd. in Holmes and Deburger 150). Works Cited Biondi, Ray, and Walt Hecox. The Dracula Killer. New York: Simon, 1992. Davis, Ron. The Milwaukee Murders. New York: St. Martin's, 1991. Holmes, Ronald M., and James DeBurger. Serial Murder. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1988. Lunde, Donald T. Murder and Madness. San Francisco: San Francisco Book, 1976. Markman, Ronald, and Dominick Bosco. Alone with the Devil. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Ressler, Robert K., Ann W. Burgess, and John E. Douglas. Sexual Homicide - Patterns and Motives. Lexington, MA: Heath, 1988. Taylor, Lawrence. Born to Crime. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1984.

African American Culture Essay

Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans’ desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Br’er Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speaker’s tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980’s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or â€Å"Black Arts Movement. The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin’), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later becam e known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that â€Å"black is beautiful. † During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the â€Å"Negro National Anthem† by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidor’s Hallelujah! and operas such as George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and R;B developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of ‘rapping’ grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic] The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name â€Å"The Highwaymen†. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic] A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and cademic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African Americ an women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, â€Å"†¦ very woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head†¦ â€Å", has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as â€Å"crowns. † Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave one’s hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in God’s eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one’s master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: â€Å"The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africa†¦ onsequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction† Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to â€Å"jump the broom† as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative esponses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes creative use of inexpensive products procured through farming and subsistence hunting and fishing. Pig intestines are boiled and sometimes battered and fried to make chitterlings, also known as â€Å"chitlins. Ham hocks and neck bones provide seasoning to soups, beans and boiled greens (turnip greens, collard greens, and mustard greens). Other common foods, such as fried chicken and fish, macaroni and cheese, cornbread and hoppin’ john (black-eyed peas and rice) are prepared simply. When the African American population was considerably more rural than it generally is today, rabbit, possum, squirrel, and waterfowl were important additions to the diet. Many of these food traditions are especially predominant in many parts of the rural South. Traditionally prepared soul food is often high in fat, sodium and starch. Highly suited to the physically demanding lives of laborers, farmhands and rural lifestyles generally, it is now a contributing factor to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in a population that has become increasingly more urban and sedentary. As a result, more health-conscious African-Americans are using alternative methods of preparation, eschewing trans fats in favor of natural vegetable oils and substituting smoked turkey for fatback and other, cured pork products; limiting the amount of refined sugar in desserts; and emphasizing the consumption of more fruits and vegetables than animal protein. There is some resistance to such changes, however, as they involve deviating from long culinary tradition. Holidays and observances [pic] A woman wearing traditional West African clothing lighting the candles on a kinara for a Kwanzaa celebration. As with other American racial and ethnic groups, African Americans observe ethnic holidays alongside traditional American holidays. Holidays observed in African American culture are not only observed by African Americans. The birthday of noted American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr has been observed nationally since 1983. It is one of three federal holidays named for an individual. Black History Month is another example of another African American observance that has been adopted nationally. Black History Month is an attempt to focus attention on previously neglected aspects of the African American experience. It is observed during the month of February to coincide with the founding of the NAACP and the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a prominent African American abolitionist, and Abraham Lincoln, the United States president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Less widely observed outside of the African American community is Emancipation Day. The nature and timing of the celebration vary regionally. It is most widely observed as Juneteenth, in recognition of the official reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865 in Texas. Another holiday not widely observed outside of the African American community is the birthday of Malcolm X. The day is observed on May 19 in American cities with a significant African American population, including Washington, D. C.. One of the most noted African American holidays is Kwanzaa. Like Emancipation Day, it is not widely observed outside of the African American community, although it is growing in popularity within the community. African American scholar and activist â€Å"Maulana† Ron Karenga invented the festival of Kwanzaa in 1966, as an alternative to the increasing commercialization of Christmas. Derived from the harvest rituals of Africans, Kwanzaa is observed each year from December 26 through January 1. Participants in Kwanzaa celebrations affirm their African heritage and the importance of family and community by drinking from a unity cup; lighting red, black, and green candles; exchanging heritage symbols, such as African art; and recounting the lives of people who struggled for African and African American freedom. Names African American names are often drawn from the same language groups as other popular names found in the United States. The practice of adopting neo-African or Islamic names did not gain popularity until the late Civil Rights era. Efforts to recover African heritage inspired selection of names with deeper cultural significance. Prior to this, using African names was not practical for two reasons. First, many African Americans were several generations removed from the last ancestor to have an African name since slaves were often given European names. Second, a traditional American name helps an individual fit into American society. Another African American naming practice that predates the use of African names is the use of â€Å"made-up† names. In an attempt to create their own identity, growing numbers of African American parents, starting in the post-World War II era, began creating new names based on sounds they found pleasing such as Marquon, DaShawn, LaTasha, or Shandra. Family When slavery was practiced in the United States, it was common for families to be separated through sale. Even during slavery, however, African American families managed to maintain strong familial bonds. Free, African men and women, who managed to buy their own freedom by being hired out, who were emancipated, or who had escaped their masters, often worked long and hard to buy the members of their families who remained in bondage and send for them. Others, separated from blood kin, formed close bonds comprised of fictive kin; play relations, play aunts, cousins and the like. This practice, perhaps a holdover from African tradition, survived Emancipation, with non-blood family friends commonly accorded the status and titles of blood relations. This broader, more African concept of what constitutes family and community, and the deeply rooted respect for elders that is part of African traditional societies may be the genesis of the common use of the terms like â€Å"aunt†, â€Å"uncle†, â€Å"brother,† â€Å"sister†, â€Å"Mother† and â€Å"Mama† when addressing other African American people, some of whom may be complete strangers. Or, it could have arisen in the Christian church as a way of greeting fellow congregants and believers. Immediately after slavery, African American families struggled to reunite and rebuild what had been taken. As late as 1960, 78% of African American families were headed by married couples. This number steadily declined over the latter half of the 20th century. A number of factors, including attitudes towards education, gender roles, and poverty have created a situation where, for the first time since slavery, a majority of African American children live in a household with only one parent, typically the mother. These figures appear to indicate a weak African American nuclear family structure, especially within a large patriarchal society. This apparent weakness is balanced by mutual aid systems established by extended family members to provide emotional and economic support. Older family members pass on social and cultural traditions such as religion and manners to younger family members. In turn, the older family members are cared for by younger family members when they are unable to care for themselves. These relationships exist at all economic levels in the African American community, providing strength and support both to the African American family and the community. Politics and social issues Since the passing of the Voting Rights Act, African Americans are voting and being elected to public office in increasing numbers. As of January 2001 there were 9,101 African American elected officials in America. African Americans are overwhelmingly Democratic. Only 11% of African Americans voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 Presidential Election. Social issues such as racial profiling, the racial disparity in sentencing, higher rates of poverty, institutional racism, and lower access to health care are important to the African American community. While the divide on racial and fiscal issues has remained consistently wide for decades, seemingly indicating a wide social divide, African Americans tend to hold the same optimism and concern for America as Whites. In the case of many moral issues such as religion, and family values, African Americans tend to be more conservative than Whites. Another area where African Americans outstrip Whites in their conservatism is on the issue of homosexuality. Prominent leaders in the Black church have demonstrated against gay rights issues such as gay marriage. There are those within the community who take a more inclusive position most notably, the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and the Reverend Al Sharpton, who, when asked in 2003 whether he supported gay marriage, replied that he might as well have been asked if he supported black marriage or white marriage. Neighborhoods African American neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. The formation of African American neighborhoods is closely linked to the history of segregation in the United States, either through formal laws, or as a product of social norms. Despite this, African American neighborhoods have played an important role in the development of nearly all aspects of both African American culture and broader American culture. Due to segregated conditions and widespread poverty some African American neighborhoods in the United States have been called â€Å"ghettos. † The use of this term is controversial and, depending on the context, potentially offensive. Despite mainstream America’s use of the term â€Å"ghetto† to signify a poor urban area populated by ethnic minorities, those living in the area often used it to signify something positive. The African American ghettos did not always contain dilapidated houses and deteriorating projects, nor were all of its residents poverty-stricken. For many African Americans, the ghetto was â€Å"home† a place representing authentic blackness and a feeling, passion, or emotion derived from the rising above the struggle and suffering of being of African descent in America. Langston Hughes relays in the â€Å"Negro Ghetto† (1931) and â€Å"The Heart of Harlem† (1945): â€Å"The buildings in Harlem are brick and stone/And the streets are long and wide,/But Harlem’s much more than these alone,/Harlem is what’s inside. Playwright August Wilson used the term â€Å"ghetto† in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984) and Fences (1987), both of which draw upon the author’s experience growing up in the Hill district of Pittsburgh, an African American ghetto. Although African American neighborhoods may suffer from civic disinvestment, with lower q uality schools, less effective policing and fire protection. There are institutions such as churches and museums and political organizations that help to improve the physical and social capital of African American neighborhoods. In African American neighborhoods the churches may be important sources of social cohesion. For some African Americans the kind spirituality learned through these churches works as a protective factor against the corrosive forces of racism. Museums devoted to African American history are also found in many African American neighborhoods. Many African American neighborhoods are located in inner cities, These are the mostly residential neighborhoods located closest to the central business district. The built environment is often row houses or brownstones, mixed with older single family homes that may be converted to multi family homes. In some areas there are larger apartment buildings. Shotgun houses are an important part of the built environment of some southern African American neighborhoods. The houses consist of three to five rooms in a row with no hallways. This African American house design is found in both rural and urban southern areas, mainly in African-American communities and neighborhoods.

The Nitty-Gritty About Reduplication

The Nitty-Gritty About Reduplication The Nitty-Gritty About Reduplication The Nitty-Gritty About Reduplication By Mark Nichol Reduplication, a type of vocabulary variation that allows writers and speakers of English to indulge in the rich potential for wordplay the language so often provides, refers to any of three types of repetitive extension of sounds. (Many other languages also feature reduplication, but this post focuses exclusively on the English tongue.) Rhyming Reduplication When we talk about doing the hokey-pokey, or refer to a razzle-dazzle spectacle or a namby-pamby attitude, we’re employing rhyming reduplication, which usually serves to emphasize with a playful near duplication of a meaningful word (fuzzy-wuzzy, itsy-bitsy), though sometimes both words have meaning and the rhyming is a fringe benefit that makes the term catchier (â€Å"chick flick†). Many reduplicatives are pairings of nonsense words (fuddy-duddy, hanky-panky), and their origin is obscure, but others with seemingly meaningless elements have at least a likely etymology: Hurly-burly may stem from the kinetic term hurl, and willy-nilly goes back several centuries to any one of several possible expressions such as â€Å"Will he, nill he† (â€Å"Whether he will or he won’t†). Exact Reduplication A similar type of construction stems from efforts by adults to help children learn by repetition hence baby talk like bye-bye and choo-choo. But some exact reduplication is used disparagingly in grown-up contexts: Two popular exact reduplicatives, blah-blah and â€Å"yada yada† (spelled and repeated variously and perhaps stemming from the earlier British English slang term yatter-yatter) mock dull or meaningless speech. Ablaut Reduplication A third form, named for the word for change of vowel sounds, is exemplified by the terms chitchat and dillydally, each of which has, unlike most rhyming reduplicatives, the substantial word in the second position rather than the first. Others, like crisscross and zigzag, more transparently demonstrate that most ablaut reduplications refer to action, especially reciprocated movements or behaviors. Note that in these examples, and in most other ablaut reduplicatives, the first vowel is always an i, produced by making a close, or high sound (meaning it is achieved by high placement of the tongue) and that the second vowel is always low. Other Reduplicative Forms New reduplicative vocabulary is slow to emerge. Exceptions include occasional slang terms (â€Å"boob tube,† hip-hop) or ad hoc coinages constructed like fancy-schmancy. (The latter type actually has a name: shm-reduplication.) Speaking of fancy-schmancy, there’s also a formal name (contrastive focus reduplication) for exact reduplication employed to clarify the relationship between a variation of an archetypal meaning and the archetypal usage itself, as in â€Å"When you say ‘Dude, that’s bad,’ do you mean good-bad, or bad-bad?† Uses of Reduplication Reduplicatives are handy little items for injecting a note of whimsy or a sharp edge into fiction or nonfiction alike. They can convey humorous or sarcastic understatement (â€Å"It’s just another case of high-finance hocus-pocus,† â€Å"The wish-washy White House flip-flops again†) or serve to mock or belittle a target (â€Å"The socialite’s hoity-toity hubris just as she tripped was literally pride coming before a fall,† â€Å"Her eency-weency voice showcased her itsy-bitsy talent†). They’re also useful, however, for positive or neutral language (â€Å"The pitter-patter of little feet on the hardwood floor presaged the appearance of my preschooler,† â€Å"My explosive sneeze caused the birds to erupt from the bushes and flee helter-skelter†). But don’t use a hodgepodge or a mishmash of reduplicatives pell-mell: Make sure you know their senses and connotations, and verify whether they’re open, hyphenated, or closed compounds. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastWhat's a Male Mistress?50 Musical Terms Used in Nonmusical Senses

Active Listening Reflection Essay Example

Active Listening Reflection Essay Example Active Listening Reflection Essay Active Listening Reflection Essay Active Listening Reflection The active listening study performed In class was, In my opinion, a fun and Information e exercise. The study was a memory retention test that allowed students to measure the amount of words out of the total 15 words that they could recall within one minute. The study was conducted multiple TTL mess with 3 columns with 5 words In each to attempt to memorize as many words while listening to music for one minute. Then while intriguing to listen to the same song played for that section of words, we attempted t o recall as many words as we could without the words projected for us to see. We conducted this exercise a Otto I of 6 times while listening to different music for each. In my experience found it was easier to recall words if I wrote them down in the 3 seep rated columns in the order as I recalled the 5 words to be. On average I was able to recall 9 out of 15 words. I found that in one of the exercises, I was able to correctly recall 14 out of 15 words. I believe I was a blew to recall more based on that I was able to relate the music with a past memory that was playing for the exercise. The music relation to a memory in my past abele me to retain more words without feeling as ids attracted by the music playing. In addition, having a feel good memory to relate the music while learning ca n help stimulate the brain and absorb more information. To support my ideas there is an article titled, The Mozart Effect How Music Makes You u Smarter, Ritter by Pat Woman, a college professor and author that wrote, Dry. George Logan, Bulgarian psychologist, developed a methodology for teaching foreign languages that used barb queue music with a beat pattern of about 60 beats per minute. Students learned In a fraction of the normal TTL me. In a single day, one half of the normal vocabulary and phrases for the term (up to 1000 words or phrases) were learned. In addition, an added benefit was that the students had an average of 92% retention of what they had learned!

Production Possibilities Example

Production Possibilities Example Production Possibilities – Coursework Example Production Possibility Frontier (PPF) attempt to describe the relationship between three important economic variables i.e. scar choice as well as opportunity faced by a nation. (Kaplan, 2002). While depicting how rationalization of scarce resources can be made while considering the opportunity cost, PPF can be either contracting or expanding therefore subsequently reflecting the economic growth taking place in such an economy. When PPF expands, it may be considered that due to better utilization of resources i.e. low opportunity cost, economy is growing.However, Production possibility frontier of a nation may contract or move inward under certain conditions. One of the primary factors due to which a nation’s PPF may shift inward is the depletion of the resources of that nation. Due to, wars, natural catastrophe such as Tsunami, Plagues, earthquakes etc., the resources of the nation deplete at the higher rate than the capital formation process in the economy. For example, wars may cause the depletion of labor force because majority of the employable population would be engaged into potentially non-productive activities which on one hand will not only reduce the labor required to exploit the resources but on the other hand would include majority of labor force into non-productive activities.Considering an example of a hypothetical economy which only produces one good or service, it may be important to note that when if the opportunity cost of producing such good or services increase, the PPF may shift inward too because it would be too expensive to produce such good or service. Under such conditions, the PPF of a nation may shift inward.Bibliography1. Kaplan, J. (2002). Scarcity, Choice and the Production Possibilities Frontier. Retrieved January 14, 2009, from University of Colorado: colorado.edu/Economics/courses/econ2020/section1/section1-main.html

Developing Personal Management Skills Assignment

Developing Personal Management Skills - Assignment Example Like any other business, organizations have little or no interest on good management and emphasize on exciting and glamorous work of leadership. Nevertheless, managers are subjects for good performance. Generally, managers should translate their leadership skills to high productivity and good governance. Whereas leaders bring forth vision, motivation and challenge, all these things are in vain if there is no effective implementation as a result of good management. Essentially, a good manager should be equipped with vast skills, ranging from planning, communication, and delegation to motivation. Since there are several management skills required for proper management, it is very tricky to build skills in areas you are not comfortable. Leaders have different management skills, and their applications vary (Mcgrath, 2009). However, for good results and long-term success, it is worth analyzing your personal managerial skills, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and capitalizing on your best management skills. As if this is not enough, pose a challenge to your to improve in your weakest points. This helps you to identify your strong and weak areas, take advantage of past and manage the latter (Hannaway & Gabriel , 2005). Communication is a very crucial tool in the management. In any organization, you have to communicate with your workmates, seniors, juniors and the stakeholders. This tool has given me confidence in place of work and build a lot of trusts. As long as I know what am talking about, worries have no place. It implies that as I communicate with staff, I should have substance so that they can listen to me. Likewise, as they pass information, they should have a clear conscience of what they want to pass across. Communication is a very critical skill for managers. For a number of years, employe es in one of the organizations, I once worked went for a strike because of reshuffling their supervisors. Essentially, there was a  need to make changes, but most of them were unwilling. When I joined as one of the managers, the tension was all over. I took some time to study the organizational structure and the entire set up, and I realized there was need indeed to reshuffle.  

Contemporary Issues in HR management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary Issues in HR management - Essay Example Contemporary Issues in HR management The most ostensible goal for all human resource managers is to record an improving productivity in the organisation. The performance of the organisation should be inclining against time. This concludes that managers should ensure all the employees are giving the best to the organisation. Managing and organising employees could be a hard task especially when the manager is dealing with large numbers. Apparently, productivity in most organisations is measured by the revenue that is collected via the businesses of the organisation. Therefore, managers have to ensure the revenue of the organisation is on an improving scale. However, there are several setbacks that make this a contemporary issue. First, some employees have low morale at the work place. Employees with low morale have a negative impact on the productivity of an organisation. Such employees have a tendency of not utilising their time in the organisation. These employees are a discouragement to other employees as they have ha phazard performance criteria. Since they do not give full dedication to their job, they end up giving dismal results. This affects the whole institution as the overall performance is brought down. Secondly, productivity is affected when the employees are not contented with the working shifts they are given. For instance, some employees have a tendency of refusing to work in some shifts. Though some employees are contented with working in certain shifts, they have a tendency of doing shoddy work.... The performance of the organisation should be inclining against time. This concludes that managers should ensure all the employees are giving the best to the organisation. Managing and organising employees could be a hard task especially when the manager is dealing with large numbers. Apparently, productivity in most organisations is measured by the revenue that is collected via the businesses of the organisation. Therefore, managers have to ensure the revenue of the organisation is on an improving scale (Kearns, 2006:13). However, there are several setbacks that make this a contemporary issue. First, some employees have low morale at the work place. Employees with low morale have a negative impact on the productivity of an organisation. Such employees have a tendency of not utilising their time in the organisation. These employees are a discouragement to other employees as they have haphazard performance criteria. Since they do not give full dedication to their job, they end up givi ng dismal results. This affects the whole institution as the overall performance is brought down. Secondly, productivity is affected when the employees are not contented with the working shifts they are given. For instance, some employees have a tendency of refusing to work in some shifts. Though some employees are contented with working in certain shifts, they have a tendency of doing shoddy work. This is a problem that has been affecting the human resource management as they have little to do on such situations. When employees are not contented with a certain shift in the organisation, they are likely to do a shoddy job. This will affect the productivity of the organisation to greater

Analyze Possible Problems Associated with Reintegration after Research Paper

Analyze Possible Problems Associated with Reintegration after Prisonization - Research Paper Example ii) Evaluation – A summary of the obstacles in the path of rehabilitation of the ex-prisoners, convicted of petty crimes like stealing, larceny, etc. iii) Recommendations - The various methods by which criminals can be corrected and their participation as a part of the society can be improved on. B. Grave Crimes: Incidences and corresponding punishments to graver crimes like murder or manslaughter is discussed. i) Biblical Explanation – Graver crimes like homicide is interpreted in the light of the views in the Bible. Murder entitles the death penalty but there is always the scope of pardon, evident from the biblical story of ‘Cain and Abel’. ii) Evaluation - An analysis of the actual factors that leads normal individuals to turn into hardened criminals and solutions to those problems. iii) Recommendations – Methods of correction for criminals convicted of grave crimes like, murder. III. Economic Perspective : The possible contribution of the rehabil itated convicts to the growth of economy and national income generation. Also, their economic contribution to community services and welfare activities is analyzed. IV. Conclusion : A summary of the process of rehabilitation of ex-convicts and reintegrating them into the society. V. References Abstract The study of the possible problems in the reintegration of the imprisoned into the civil society reveals the complexities that exist in this case. The embarrassment faced by an ex-convict to face society, in the aftermath of his sentence, is a very sensitive issue and hence, should be handled with the utmost kindness and caution. Generosity of heart, in this respect, may reap huge dividends and solve the problems that cannot be solved by a harsher treatment of criminals. If anything, injudicious punishments can actually cause more crimes than solve them as is evident from studying the upsurge of terrorism in various nations. A person who had committed a crime should not be treated as an outcast throughout his life and the society, as a whole, should strive to be less judgmental and hypocritical. Economically, the study shows the benefits in GDP creation that can be accrued if the these imprisonized population is converted into an active workforce, consistently contributing to National Income. This is a section of huge untapped labor power that can find employment in the informal sector and must be fully utilized for optimum growth of the economy. Prisons are considered to be the god-forsaken margins of a society, both from a rigid Christian point of view as well as a general one. To survive in these pockets of crime, malice and violence, an individual has to transform oneself completely, psychologically and physically. No matter how normal or innocent, a person is compelled to develop certain skills and attributes that are â€Å"considered highly dysfunctional in free society† (Marlow, 2008, p.42). Since these sites are infested with mutual mistrust, isol ation from the society at large, dependence on the institution and an ever-dangling danger of bloodshed, a person may feel limited, humiliated, and extremely deprived. This makes a dent on his persona indefinitely and poses as a problem in the path of reintegration into the society. Hence, proper and efficient programs must

Answer 4 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer 4 questions - Assignment Example anies keeping records of supplies requisitions by employees needed for use in their jobs such as stationary, new toners for printers, and a coffee machine perhaps. There are a number of approaches in which marketing research can be classified. Among those classes there are three most significant approaches each of which differ from each other in terms of purpose, questions and exactitude of the proposition. 1. Exploratory Research: Exploratory research is usually conducted for a problem that is yet to be defined. This type of research provides an insight into the problem in general and helps determine effective research design and data collection method to identify the problem. for instance establishing the relationship between advertising and sales in the beer industry. 2. Descriptive Research: Descriptive research is conducted to acquire statistical data and characteristics of the subject of research in a descriptive form such as discovering the ways that people who live in apartments actually use vacuum cleaners, and identifying cleaning tasks for which they do not use a vacuum cleaner or Identifying target market demographics for a shopping center located in the borough of Queens. 3. Casual Research: Casual research explores the effect of one variable onto the other. For instance Testing the effect of the inside temperature of a clothing store on sales of coats. In this type of research both primary and secondary data is used. Primary data s collected to address a specific research objective. While Secondary data is already present but was not collected for solution of the problem at present such as estimating the 5-year sales potential for Cat-Scan machines in the borough of Queens. It may be of some help to the problem at hand but was not intended for it in the first place. â€Å"Comment on: A radio station broadcasts the following message during a syndicated rating service’s rating period: â€Å"Please fill out your diary† (which lists what media the

Shaping Marketing Decisions Based on Consumer Behavior Essay

Shaping Marketing Decisions Based on Consumer Behavior - Essay Example It is important to note that the buying process originates in the mind long before a customer has made a conscious effort to make a purchase, and such a decision shall be affected by personality and social-cultural factors (McKenna 2000). Consumer behavior thus is a study that attempt to assess why consumers buy where they buy, the influence that affects their purchase decision, how they view your products or services relative to those of your competitors, and most importantly, why they should stick to your products in the face of a market awash with similar products and services from your competition. It also involves an assessment of the attitudes that consumers have towards a service or a product and the role that they play in their households, as this shall affect their purchase decisions (Lele 1002). Consumer behavior is both a dynamic and complex process. It is also multidimensional and tends to greatly impact on all the marketing decisions of a firm. An evoked set is that subset of brands within a product category that is often considered by individuals when they wish to make a purchase (Campbell, 1969). Given that there is a large number of brands that are contained in each of the individual product categories, consumers thus resorts to the use of evoked sets with a view to making their purchase decisions easier. From a consumer's perspective, an evoked set could as well be regarded as an awareness set made up of particular brands within a product category that a given set of consumers are aware of (Narayana & Markin 1975). In other words, an evoked set could be viewed as those handful of choices that will often pass through our minds when we are just about to arrive at a buying decision. For instance, when someone is purchasing say, a personal computer, such brands as either Sony or Dell may come to mind. In this case, this is an evoked set. For a marketer, it is crucial that his/her products be aligned so as to constitute a valid evoked set in the minds of customers. This is all about creating a brand image of your products and services that appeal to the market. According to Lele (1992), only those brands that form an evoked set within the consumers' minds get to be purchased. Lele Further opines that if a brand or supplier is not part of an evoked set, then such a brand will either be rarely purchased by a consumer or be ignored altogether. A majority of consumers' evoked sets have at most five differing brands. Consequently, it often becomes quite tricky to have more that a similar number of firms having a widespread acceptance as being distinguished and exceptional. Owing to the multiplicity of opinions, it would not be easy to have to say, three firms or brands being a part of the perception of quite a sizable proportion of the consumer market. Due to this, most of the marketers for packaged goods often fight viciously to obtain a share of the consumers' mind, and hence their attention. When a firm fails to familiarize itself with a buyer groups' evolved set, then the achievement of its overall strategy through the use of differentiation is jeopardized (Lele 1992).  

ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LEADERSHIP ( case study) Research Paper

ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LEADERSHIP ( case study) - Research Paper Example It is possible that an ill-considered decision could damage the employees’ perception of Lucy and compromise her future effectiveness as a manager. Lucy Matthews is time-bound to render her decision, which must be a choice of one of the candidates, and which shall necessarily exclude the other two, with any attendant consequences. In formulating the problem thus, attention is called to two things: first, the obligations and demands of the position, and second, the capability of the candidates to meet them. These are the primary and mandatory considerations which the decision shall have to address; they are so important such that if none of the three have the necessary capability to meet the duties of the position, then another candidate must be sought aside from them. It is only when these conditions are equally met by at least two of the candidates that other, secondary, factors may be weighed into the decision. It is possible for such a problem as this to get cluttered in the mass of information that has been presented. The evaluation should thus be directed by the main problem articulated in the prior section. Firstly, the facts that shall be presented support an evaluation of the mandatory considerations earlier mentioned, that is, the duties of the job and the capabilities of the candidates. Only if at least two equally suitable candidates are found will other facts be considered. Concerning the position to which the promotion shall be made, there is no indication in the case study of its particulars, but there are hints that: it is a middle management job, inasmuch as the three candidates are now on supervisory levels, and aspire to be moving higher; it is a marketing job, most likely the management of the team leaders, but who must be highly attuned to the tastes and preference of consumers who create demand for their product; finally inasmuch as

Answer 4 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer 4 questions - Assignment Example anies keeping records of supplies requisitions by employees needed for use in their jobs such as stationary, new toners for printers, and a coffee machine perhaps. There are a number of approaches in which marketing research can be classified. Among those classes there are three most significant approaches each of which differ from each other in terms of purpose, questions and exactitude of the proposition. 1. Exploratory Research: Exploratory research is usually conducted for a problem that is yet to be defined. This type of research provides an insight into the problem in general and helps determine effective research design and data collection method to identify the problem. for instance establishing the relationship between advertising and sales in the beer industry. 2. Descriptive Research: Descriptive research is conducted to acquire statistical data and characteristics of the subject of research in a descriptive form such as discovering the ways that people who live in apartments actually use vacuum cleaners, and identifying cleaning tasks for which they do not use a vacuum cleaner or Identifying target market demographics for a shopping center located in the borough of Queens. 3. Casual Research: Casual research explores the effect of one variable onto the other. For instance Testing the effect of the inside temperature of a clothing store on sales of coats. In this type of research both primary and secondary data is used. Primary data s collected to address a specific research objective. While Secondary data is already present but was not collected for solution of the problem at present such as estimating the 5-year sales potential for Cat-Scan machines in the borough of Queens. It may be of some help to the problem at hand but was not intended for it in the first place. â€Å"Comment on: A radio station broadcasts the following message during a syndicated rating service’s rating period: â€Å"Please fill out your diary† (which lists what media the

ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LEADERSHIP ( case study) Research Paper

ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LEADERSHIP ( case study) - Research Paper Example It is possible that an ill-considered decision could damage the employees’ perception of Lucy and compromise her future effectiveness as a manager. Lucy Matthews is time-bound to render her decision, which must be a choice of one of the candidates, and which shall necessarily exclude the other two, with any attendant consequences. In formulating the problem thus, attention is called to two things: first, the obligations and demands of the position, and second, the capability of the candidates to meet them. These are the primary and mandatory considerations which the decision shall have to address; they are so important such that if none of the three have the necessary capability to meet the duties of the position, then another candidate must be sought aside from them. It is only when these conditions are equally met by at least two of the candidates that other, secondary, factors may be weighed into the decision. It is possible for such a problem as this to get cluttered in the mass of information that has been presented. The evaluation should thus be directed by the main problem articulated in the prior section. Firstly, the facts that shall be presented support an evaluation of the mandatory considerations earlier mentioned, that is, the duties of the job and the capabilities of the candidates. Only if at least two equally suitable candidates are found will other facts be considered. Concerning the position to which the promotion shall be made, there is no indication in the case study of its particulars, but there are hints that: it is a middle management job, inasmuch as the three candidates are now on supervisory levels, and aspire to be moving higher; it is a marketing job, most likely the management of the team leaders, but who must be highly attuned to the tastes and preference of consumers who create demand for their product; finally inasmuch as

Community Service as a Graduation Requirement Essay Example for Free

Community Service as a Graduation Requirement Essay A wise person once said, â€Å"If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. † This particular quote has helped me realize that not enough teenagers are helping their community become a more desirable place to live. Implementing community service into the senior project outline as a requirement would ultimately benefit the students and the community. Not only will the students become more aware of the activities that occur in their community, but they will also have a greater sense of self. Each student has his own reason for volunteering. Many volunteer for the joy of helping others, and some volunteer to seek career opportunities. Simply volunteering at a place that is related to the career one is interested in will help him determine whether that career is suited for him. Bill Jensen, Superintendent of Curriculum for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, agrees with community service being connected to career choices and provides examples. â€Å"We’ve seen students that have gone in to help at the hospital and all of a sudden see that the job is something they are really passionate about. Then we see some students that volunteer at the animal shelter and they find that they would never be able to euthanize an animal, so they have to consider finding a different career† (Jensen). Selecting a career is challenging enough, let alone discovering that the career one chose was not the best and having to choose another. Volunteering provides teens with opportunities outside of finding a career that gives them the necessary skills to help them survive the real world. Students will gain knowledge from volunteering that will lead to increasing their communication and interpersonal skills (Keeler). It can also help with the confidence of stretching ones wings at work, because he or she has already been taught the necessary skills for that job. (____). Community service would be in the best interest for the students that are seniors in high school, so that they have time to commit to a career before going to college and spending time and money on classes that are not necessary. Meeting new people while participating in community service can help students build a network of individuals who could be valuable resources when deciding a future career. The greater number of people one comes in contact with will increase the possibilities of making a productive contact. In order to meet new people, one must step out of his comfort zone. â€Å"Anytime you step out of your comfort zone, you are going to grow as an individual,† says Mark Newell, Principal of Columbus East High School (Newell). While some people are naturally outgoing, others have a hard time meeting new people. Meeting with people on a regular basis that posses the same interests can help with developing social skills(_____). Finding the confidence within oneself to reach out to different groups will allow a better understanding of the numerous cultures that are present in the community. The diversity in American communities impacts Americans’ perception of the world. Americans can observe the countless actions of people from different cultures that differentiate them from the American culture. Since each and every person is unique, Americans are taught at a young age not to judge others. Not one person is the same, whether it is the customs between cultures, or just simply looks and personalities. Each culture has a different way of communicating, and community service can help a person develop the skills to be able to communicate with someone outside of his culture. Finding ways to interpret language into a relatively easy way of understanding is difficult, but it also challenges critical thinking and problem solving skills. People often tend to only think deeply about the issues that involve them, are important to them, or that they are interested in. This is why Americans have such a difficult time learning about other ethnic backgrounds. If the culture and traditions are far different from their own, they will refuse to accept any others because Americans were raised to believe certain things and choose not to adopt anything new. In some studies, it has been shown that there are multiple academic and personal development benefits in socializing with other races (Chang). Volunteering is a great way to interact with people from other cultures. By volunteering, individuals learn to appreciate other cultures’ initiative and hard work that they put into helping the community as well as teaching the volunteer more about the world, and the people that surround him each and every day. Less fortunate people in various places attempt to reach out for help all the time. The minute people take time out of their busy schedules to assist an individual will be the moment in which they open their eyes to the world outside of their own. To help the less fortunate is to demonstrate a concern for the welfare without judging them or blaming them for their circumstances. Compassion does not blame a victim, but seeks to offer assistance no matter what the situation (____). Many people lack the resources that some others have, and possessing necessary items and being successful in life cannot be controlled. The desire to obtain the necessary items is not always present, but who is to say that they are not trying? The failures in succeeding lead to negative attitudes towards continuing to give effort. Some people object to offering help because they believe it may cause dependency, or they believe that leaving them alone will teach them some personal responsibility. What is not understood is the difference between offering assistance, and creating a co-dependent relationship (___). Instead of pushing someone everyday to change their life around, one can give something small and still make a big difference. Community service gives support and relieves the negative energy directed to the less fortunate from society, while attempting to develop better habits for a better life. The process of transforming an unknown human being into a person with importance is time consuming. â€Å"The time it takes to help someone else in a small way is not wasted when it improves someone else’s well-being† (Brannagan). Once the volunteer feels as though he has improved the life of another person and there is evidence to show that the other person is no longer living in disadvantaged conditions, then the frequency of giving and the amount given from the volunteer is increased. To witness the improvement is a priceless matter and should give the volunteer the feeling of unconditional giving. Making a difference in someone’s life gives personal satisfaction and helps teens develop a better appreciation for the little things in life (Keeler). Community service is the voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area. It should never be mistaken with a paid job or a guaranteed career. Volunteers can help communities save money by allowing them to spend the money on local improvements rather than using the funds to hire help. Studies show that communities with high rates of participation apply for and receive more funding than those with less participation. In addition, participating communities achieve greater citizen satisfaction with their community (Reid). There are a variety of opportunities given for students to volunteer. Examples of volunteer work include babysitting, house chores for the elderly, tutoring, mentoring, park clean-ups, coaching a little league sports team, or collecting cans for food banks to help feed the hungry, all of which are just a few compared to the millions not listed. The choice of service to which the volunteer devotes his time depends upon his personal interests or experiences. If someone has an interest in dancing, he or she might teach young girls ballet twice a week. If someone grew up in an abusive home, then he or she might volunteer his time towards helping others that have been abused seek help. The only ones among you who will be truly happy will be those who have sought and found how to serve† (Heim). The strength of the community becomes persistent when there are many volunteers to contribute to the everyday duties that need to be fulfilled. Requiring community service of students, either as a course or graduation requirement, will continue their engagement with community service organizations beyond their mandatory completion. It is very common for students to become emotionally connected to the communities that they serve while performing required service and for the students to want to maintain their connection with those communities (Khanna). The connection between the student and the community reveals how much the student truly cares about giving. Community service will show him the functions of the world and the people around him on a daily basis. Once he is involved, he will soon realize that there is more work to be done than there are people willing to voluntarily help out. The volunteers that have assisted many people have most likely experienced good karma. What goes around comes around, and one act of kindness can expose this proverb. This saying connects to the saying that I originally was inspired by that told of how lighting a lamp for someone can help with finding one’s own way. Making community service as a graduation requirement shows students how it benefits them as well as the community in many different ways.