Ethnographic Essay free essay sample

The ethnography I chose to do my reaction paper was called ‘Anxious Pleasures: The Sexual Lives of an Amazonian People’ written by Thomas Gregor. This ethnography is about Thomas Gregor and his wife’s visit to the Mehinaku Village in 1967. Gregor was a graduate student of anthropology and decided to take a field trip there to further his studies and better understand the Amazonian people. I could only read a select few pages from this ethnography so it was a little tricky to put down my reaction of it in writing. Becoming aware of how other people around the world think about or view sexual activity was very interesting, although there were definitely a few things that surprised me about their culture and how they view sex. Thomas Gregor did not initially go there to study the sexuality of the Mehinaku but he thought in order to get the full understanding of their culture it was pretty vital to do. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnographic Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Mehinaku are very open about sex. They have little embarrassment of their sexual desire and even their children will recall the names of their parents’ many lovers. In my opinion I found that a little too much for a child to know, even though it is how they have been brought up their whole lives and that is the way their culture is. At same time I would like to try not to be so ethnocentric and judge them by how they do certain things, but some of the things they do are honestly quite shocking and makes it harder to understand. I found it interesting when I learned that a new father is put under certain restrictions for his son and if he eats forbidden foods or participates in sexual relations it will violate the prohibition and his child will become sick. They have the village shaman come in and help cure the child by sucking out the disease that has somehow made its way into the child all caused by the father’s carelessness. This was fascinating to me because we Americans would not think that eating a â€Å"forbidden food† or having sex would actually cause a child to fall ill, it just seems a little superstitious in my opinion. Another part of this book I came across that caught my attention was that the boys of the village who are around seven or eight  years old are taken from their mothers for â€Å"initiation† where they are told some pretty disturbing things. For example, the young boys are told that semen is the basis of life and growth and in order to develop into men they must consume semen by partaking in oral sex with the older boys. Basically the children do not want anything to do with that so they are then forced into oral intercourse with other younger boys, and after being forced to do this for so long they end up enjoying it and continue to do it with more and more boys so that they can rapidly grow into manly warriors. This is appalling to me because for one the children are still so young and it makes me think that as these children get older they would become very confused with their sexual orientation. Even though I still have a pretty ethnocentric view of all of this and think some of it is quite disturbing it still interests me and I still enjoy learning about different cultures and how much they vary all around the world. I am sure that if the Mehinaku were to come to America and see the way we do certain things here the y would be pretty shocked as well. As I continue to learn more about different cultures across the globe I hope to become much less ethnocentric and more understanding.

Free Essays on Byte Products

Byte Product, Inc Executive Summary Byte Products, Inc is a company that produces electronic components that are used in personal computers. They are the leaders in their industry with 32% of the market share. Over the past several years their total sales are approximately $265 million. Now many new firms are coming into the market foreign and domestic. More companies in the industry means more demand, competition, and productivity. Byte Products, Inc is pleased that the market is growing. Unfortunate, Byte Product, Inc only has three manufacturing facilities running 24 hours 7 days a week. Now since there is a huge demand for their product they can not keep up with three manufacturing facilities. If they can not keep up with their demand then their customers will go else where. The only way Byte can keep up with their demand is to move or build another manufacturing facility. The long term solution is to build a state of the art manufacturing facility in the southwest of the United States. State of the art building is a great idea, but it will take three years to build and by then the company is out of the race and gone. The short term solution is to move into an old manufacturing facility that use to produce electronic components. The factory has been closed for eight years and it is in a small town called Plainville. Analysis Ten of the board members thought moving into the manufacturing facility in Plainville was a good idea. One of the board members that hardly ever speaks out said no about this short term solution. There were other solutions before the idea of moving into the Plainville facility. For example, licensing Byte’s product and process technology to other manufacturers in the short run to meet immediate demand was possible. The licensing world be short term or just until the new plant is done. The problem to this solution was no... Free Essays on Byte Products Free Essays on Byte Products Byte Product, Inc Executive Summary Byte Products, Inc is a company that produces electronic components that are used in personal computers. They are the leaders in their industry with 32% of the market share. Over the past several years their total sales are approximately $265 million. Now many new firms are coming into the market foreign and domestic. More companies in the industry means more demand, competition, and productivity. Byte Products, Inc is pleased that the market is growing. Unfortunate, Byte Product, Inc only has three manufacturing facilities running 24 hours 7 days a week. Now since there is a huge demand for their product they can not keep up with three manufacturing facilities. If they can not keep up with their demand then their customers will go else where. The only way Byte can keep up with their demand is to move or build another manufacturing facility. The long term solution is to build a state of the art manufacturing facility in the southwest of the United States. State of the art building is a great idea, but it will take three years to build and by then the company is out of the race and gone. The short term solution is to move into an old manufacturing facility that use to produce electronic components. The factory has been closed for eight years and it is in a small town called Plainville. Analysis Ten of the board members thought moving into the manufacturing facility in Plainville was a good idea. One of the board members that hardly ever speaks out said no about this short term solution. There were other solutions before the idea of moving into the Plainville facility. For example, licensing Byte’s product and process technology to other manufacturers in the short run to meet immediate demand was possible. The licensing world be short term or just until the new plant is done. The problem to this solution was no...

Decision traps and biasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decision traps and biasis - Essay Example For example, if the probability of a person having AIDS is 0.0001, but a test shows that 100 people out of 10,000 have the disease, a person will tend to think that the population has a higher chance of having AIDS, rather than considering the an\mount of false positives. The gambler’s fallacy is when an individual erroneously believes that the occurrence of a certain event is based on the occurrence of a previous event; believing that since an event has occurred a lot of times, it will not occur again in the near future. Anchoring with insufficient adjustment occurs when an individual tries to make a decision by considering the first instance of the decision variable and adjusting upwards or downwards without considering whether the variable selected is sufficient for the decision. The other factor that affects individual when making a decision is overconfidence, an instance when an individual thinks that the probability of being right is very high, therefore, leading the individual to think that a negative outcome cannot be expected. This also leads to search for information that only confirms a decision, instead of looking for information that supports both the positive and negative sides of a decision. The search for only confirming information will lead an individual to make a decision without considering the negative implications. The last factor, hindsight bias, occurs when an individual considers events as more predictable than they really are, leading the individual to make wrong decisions. The biases listed above can be avoided by a simple sequence of events; finding the decision problem, gathering as much information on the problem as possible, and dividing the information into positive and negative effects. After this is done, a decision should be made based purely on the pros and cons identified, or the individual can consult other individuals to help in the decision-making process. The individual can also look at the

Gastronomy and Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Gastronomy and Tourism - Essay Example Gastronomy tourism has become of interest to many people, who would do whatever it takes to travel to the specific areas of interest to sample food and understand their culture of those places, contributing to the development of those regions and contributing to making them gastronomy tourism destinations. Gastronomy Tourism Gastronomy tourism is travelling to foreign countries to sample food and drinks while understanding their culture. The International Culinary Tourism Association terms culinary tourism as â€Å"the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences†. Many people are spending a lot of money just to travel to sample food in different gastronomy destinations. This has been limiting to some people and businessmen have taken advantage of the market demand. They have gone ahead to establish local joints where people can take foreign food and drinks. This has increased gastronomy tourism as people do not have to travel to the regions they have always wished to travel to and sample their food and drinks (Kiveal and Crotts, 2013). However, this act of gastronomy has faced some criticisms from some food experts from the various regions. They point out that food made in another place other than the original place may not meet the preparation, taste and cooking requirements. Some food requires preparing in a certain specific way, which may not be available in the foreign countries where they are prepared. They also state that having food from a certain place or country prepared in a foreign land may not have developmental impact on the locals where that food or drink is from. Despite the criticism, there are restaurants and hotels that have specialized in preparing the various cuisines from different places in the world. There are some hotels that can prepare just about any cuisine. Some people have really appreciated this because it offers them a chance to enjoy foods and drinks from foreign lands without having to travel there. Ga stronomy Tourism Trends Gastronomy is becoming popular among people in different parts of the world. The trend has been on the increase in the last decade as people across the world get interest in the culture of certain jurisdictions and territories. According to the International culinary association, the number of people who are involved in culinary activities in the United States a lone was more than twenty million people in the last three years. The number is higher compared to the data three years back. Tourism across the world has been on the increase. According to the world tourism organization, the number of tourist arrivals in the world increased by four percent to approximately one billion tourists in 2012 alone. The revenues generated by tourists amounted to about one trillion dollars. Of that money, about thirty six percent was spent on food. The international culinary association found out that most tourist spend about a third of their expenditure on food. The increase in the number of tourists across the world has a high impact on gastronomy tourism. The more the number, the more food they will need in the foreign land. They have no option but to take the food available in the countries they have visited playing a role in gastronomy tourism. The number of tourists visiting different places in the world is expected to increase at an average of four to five percent per year as the World Tourist Association points out. As such, gastronomy

The Problems Surrounding Corporate Governance Are Rooted In the Essay

The Problems Surrounding Corporate Governance Are Rooted In the Peculiar Nature of Corporate Shareholding - Essay Example This essau declares that the recent economic crises and scandals have forced much expert attention on the system of corporate governance, its regulations, leading to the public disclosure of many of the financial figures associated with the processes. Here, attention has been specifically focussed on the shortcomings, related to the primacy of shareholder values that dominate the entire system. This paper makes a conclusion that the shareholders in most of the cases did not have a major role in creating the major financial crises of the 2000-2001 that had resulted in the economic breakdown of many of the large financial corporations. Despite some line of thinking that did not put the shareholders entirely above the line of guilt, it is more or less certain, that in majority of the cases the shareholders are mere bystanders, and do not have the power or the status to handle or interfere in the corporate governance, though it is certain that their investments are considered as playing a dominant role. Thus, it is evident that in this peculiar nature of the corporate shareholding system, where the shareholders have no rights on the nature of the investments made, yet their financial capital interests are given primary importance, do not have much of role in the problems faced in the line of the modern corporate governance. The problems within the corporate governance emerge mo re from the lack of effective regulatory and monitoring systems, that should focus more on the activities of the assets managers and investors, and the nature of the investments that are being made.

Analysing The Effects Of Ddt Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysing The Effects Of Ddt Environmental Sciences Essay DDT is a white, solid, crystalline powder with no taste or odor. DDT (C14H9C15) is derived from reaction between chloral and chlorobenzene in presence of fumes of sulfuric acid. DDT is insoluble in water and it is soluble in organic solvents such as, fats and oils. DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is an organochlorine pesticide widely used to control mosquito and insects that carry diseases like malaria, typhus, and other harmful diseases and pest in agriculture (Martin, 2008; Raghavendra et al., 2010). DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972 because it was identified to cause damage in birds and other wildlife, but it is still used in some developing countries (Bhuiyan et al., 2008). It is still present in environment due to current use in other countries. DDT and its breakdown products (DDE and DDD) can easily break down by sunlight, but they are very hard to dissolve in soil. DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) and DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) are two major metabolites and breakdown products of DDT. DDD was also known as pesticide, but it was banned whereas DDE does not have any commercial use (Eskenazi et al., 2009). DDT was first synthesized in 1874 by Othmar Zeidler. In 1940, DDT was first used to treat Dutch elm disease. DDT was majorly used in World War II to protect troop and civilians from diseases. In 1939, Paul Mueller discovered DDT as insecticide and he won the Nobel Prize in 1948 for it. After this, people started using DDT as pesticide for their home, agriculture purpose and in gardens (Eskenazi et al., 2008). However, DDT started to cause diseases during this time and this increases public concern to Rachel Carsonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Silent Spring. Rachel Carsonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Silent Spring was published in 1962, which contains environmental impacts of DDT in the US (ATSDR, 2002; Eskenazi et al., 2008; Martin, 2008). DDT is strongly absorbed by soil and remains there for long period of time (Bhuiyan et al., 2008). They released from soil by various types of reactions such as, runoff, photolysis, aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation and volatilization (van den Berg, 2009). In surface water, DDT will bind to particles that are present in the water and sediments. DDT is taken up by small organisms and fish from the water and then bioaccumulate in organisms to higher trophic levels. DDT deposited into the adipose tissues and fats in organisms. DDT shows bioaccumulation and biomagnification as it has lypophilic property (Bhuiyan et al., 2008). In 1950s, first evidence of DDT toxicity in bald eagles, robins, osprey, pelicans, peregrine falcon, and fish-eating mammals was observed (Xiao et al., 2008; DDT: An Introduction, 1996; Martin, 2008). Objectives This paper has five objectives: (1) To discuss the sources and main causes of DDT; (2) To discuss its mechanism of action as insecticide or pesticide; (3) To discuss the health problems and toxicological effects associated with DDT; (4) To discuss the environmental impacts of DDT; (5) To discuss control measures and various methods of dealing with DDT sources and problems. DDT in the Environment DDT is not soluble in water but it can form strong bonding with soil particles. DDT is still present in environment in soils that were exposed to DDT during earlier time. DDT is a volatile so it can be transported and evaporated as a gas. DDT is not commonly found in groundwater because it is less soluble in water and it will more likely to bound with soil particles rather than water molecule (ATSDR, 2002; Walker, M., Powell, P., 2003; van den Berg, 2009). DDT can be present in air in the form of gas or it form small aggregation with dust particles. The chemical evaporate in warm temperature and it can travel long distance as a gas from the site of application. Such as, the study was conducted in Medford, Oregon where, it has climate cooler and soil is full of organic matters. It showed only 17 to 18% evaporation of DDT from the soil during five years of time period. The similar study was conducted at Arizona showed that DDT showed its presence in the air after six months of application. It showed up to 50% of DDT evaporated out from the soil within 5 month of period of time (van den Berg, 2009; Walker, M., Powell, P., 2003). In the form of vapor, DDT has 2 days of half-life time period (ATSDR, 2002). In tropical soil, DDT has half life within the range of 3 to 7 months while it is up to 15 years in temperate soil. DDT has half life time in human is of greater than 4 years (van den Berg, 2009). DDT and DDE are low soluble in water so they generally concentrated in the top region of soil. In soil, many bacteria degrade DDT and then they converted it into DDE, which is less toxic but more persistent in the environment (Walker, M., Powell, P., 2003). Mechanism of Action of DDT as Pesticide DDT generally affects nervous system of insects. It affects in neuron and opens sodium channels, which make them to cause fire rapidly. This condition leads to spasms and then death (van den Berg, 2009). Sources of DDT DDT is a synthetic organochlorine pesticide. Many pesticide companies have been involved with DDT production. By 1991, only Hindustan Insecticides, India; Enichem Synthesis, Italy; and P.T Montrose Pesticido Nusantara, Indonesia were listed as basic producers by UN Environment Program (UNEP). It was also produced in Mexico. There is no production record found for DDT worldwide (van den Berg, 2009; DDT Factsheet, 1998). DDT is entering into environment through various natural and anthropogenic sources. There are some anthropogenic sources that are caused by human. Many studies conducted on anthropogenic sources because they can be easily controlled and eliminated to reduce the DDT concentrations from the environment. There are many reasons behind the presence of DDT residue in environment, such as manufacturing and application of DDT to control tropical diseases like malaria, transport of DDT by air, DDT production continues by using other names like Dicofol, and dumping of waste where the DDT is totally absent. These are some sources of DDT which are anthropogenic (Dymkowska-Malesa, 2009). Natural Sources Run-off The major source of DDT entering in water bodies is agriculture run-off from fields that were earlier sprayed with DDT to control insects or pests from that area. Soils accumulate DDT from direct application of DDT in to that particular soil as pest control. Runoff from heavy rains can wash deposited DDT with soil particles and sediments directly into nearby water body, which allows DDT to enter the aquatic food chain. DDT is lypophilic compound so it can easily get deposited into body fat or adipose tissues of aquatic animals and then DDT shows bioaccumulation and further biomagnification (van den Berg, 2009). Anthropogenic Sources Many lakes and streams were directly sprayed by DDT using aerial spraying of crops. DDT cannot contaminate ground water as it strongly binds with soil particles. Industrial waste and effluent from pesticide industries may also contaminate aquatic environment by DDT. Leaking landfill sites, historical uses, long distance transportation through atmosphere as a gas and illegal use of old stock are examples of sources of DDT that contaminate aquatic environment as well as atmosphere by adding DDT (Dymkowska-Malesa, 2009). DDT can deposit in plant tissues as well as in the fatty tissues of animals, birds and fish. DDT can enter into the body by three common routes such as, inhalation, ingestion and dermal exposure. Most common route of exposure to DDT is ingestion of contaminated food. It can enter into the body by inhalation and by skin but it is rare (Dymkowska- Malesa et al., 2009; Schecter et al., 2010; Sereda et al., 2009). Health Problems and Toxicological Effects Associated with DDT Humans are exposed to DDT from contaminated foods, such as leafy and root vegetables, fish, poultry, fatty meat, etc. Some countries still use DDT as pesticide, so eating foods which are imported from other countries that allow the use of DDT exposed people to DDT. Drinking contaminated water or breathing contaminated air or soil particles near waste sites, industrial areas or landfills also increase the chances of getting exposed with DDT (ATSDR, 2002; Dymkowska-Malesa, 2009; Schecter et al., 2010; Sereda et al., 2009). DDT is an environmental health issue largely because of its lypophilic property which makes it enable to store in fatty tissues of organisms and another property is biomagnification (Tomza-Marciniak, A., Witczak, A., 2009). DDT, DDE and DDD can be measured in blood, tissue, fat, urine, breast milk (Turusov et al., 2002) and semen. These are some body fluids, that shows the presence of DDT and it can only predict the chances of health effects in the person. When DDT enters into human body, it deposited into fatty tissues, adipose tissues (Ociepa-Zawal et al., 2010), and organs such as testes, thyroid, adrenal, etc. It shows deposition in liver and kidney like major organs, too (Sereda et al., 2009; van den Berg, 2009). There are two types of toxicological effects associated with DDT: (1) Acute toxicity: DDT is slightly toxic to mammals through oral route of absorption. LD50 values of DDT exposure through oral route are different in different animals such as, in rats it is range from 113 to 800 mg/kg; 400mg/kg in rabbit; 300 mg/kg in guinea pig; 500 to 750 mg/kg in dogs and more than 1,000 mg/kg in goats and sheep. When DDT enters through oral route, it increases absorption into the areas of high fats in gastrointestinal tract. DDT is generally not toxic via dermal route of exposure. Acute effects of DDT on human shows symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, increase liver enzyme activity, excitability, malaise, etc. and upon higher doses, it shows symptoms like tremors and convulsions (EXTOXNET PIP, 1996). (2) Chronic toxicity: DDT cause chronic effects on the major organ systems of the body. It affects nervous system, liver, kidney, and immune system. Immunological ef fects by DDT shows reduce antibody formation (EXTOXNET PIP, 1996; ATSDR, 1994; Eskenazi et al., 2009; Sonkong et al., 2008). DDT causes reproductive effects in laboratory animals. Oral dose of 7.5 mg/kg/day for 36 days in rats resulted in sterility. In rabbits during periods of gestation, doses of 1 mg/kg/day resulted in decreased fetal weights on 4-7 days and 10 mg/kg/day resulted in resorptions on 7-9 days. Dose of 1.67 mg/kg/day in mice resulted in decreases embryo implantation (ATSDR, 1994; Eskenazi et al., 2009). DDT is also known as endocrine disruptors. DDT is a synthetic organochlorine pesticide that when entered into the body either blocks or mimics hormone systems and disrupts the normal body functions. Many studies indicate that DDT has estrogenic effects in mice, in which DDT increased the weight of uterus in mice that is called as uterotropic effect and development of pseudo estrus in rats also caused by DDT. DDT causes permanent, male-to-female sex reversal upon a single exposure of eggs to  o,p ´-DDT in medaka fish. In rats, DDT can facilitate implantation, maintained pregnancy and it can exert an uterotropic effect, too (Turusov et al., 2002; Eskenazi et al., 2009). DDT and DDE can easily cross the placental barrier to transfer from mother to fetus; therefore it can cause harmful effects to fetus (Sapbamrer et al., 2008). DDT can causes teratogenic effects in fetus or it can cause premature birth in pregnant women. Maternal dose of 26 mg/kg/day in mice during the period of gestation to lactation resulted in impaired learning performance in maze tests (ATSDR, 1994; Eskenazi et al., 2009; Lea et al., 2008; Sapbamrer et al., 2008). Health effects of DDT also include pregnancy loss during first few months, leukemia, diabetes, loss of fertility, cancer like pancreatic, liver, breast (Cohn et al., 2007; Ociepa-Zawal et al., 2010), testicular (Cohn et al., 2010), and other cancers (Turusov et al., 2002; Eskenazi et al., 2009), and neurodevelopmental deficiencies (van den Berg, 2009; Beard, 2006; Cox et al., 2007). Many studies show mutagenic effects of DDT by using in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays which shows chromosomal aberrations. People who directly or indirectly exposed to DDT showed higher number of chromosomal damage in their DNA. This shows that DDT causes genotoxic effects in humans. It also shows organ toxicity in major organs of human body, such as liver, kidney, nervous system (ATSDR, 1994; Eskenazi et al., 2009; EXTOXNET PIP, 1996). The immune system has shown signs and symptoms of sensitivity to DDT. There is no known data on effects of DDT on function of immune system of humans. However, some animal studies have indicated that DDT effects immune cell ratio, development of immune response, cellular response and also antibody production (Eskenazi et al., 2009). Environmental Problems Associated with DDT DDT can also cause problems for wildlife, especially birds, fish, etc. DDT enters into the aquatic environment via natural and anthropogenic sources; it takes up by some small fish or other aquatic animals. DDT is lypophilic compound so it deposited in the fatty tissues of fish or other organisms. DDT may bioaccumulate significantly in fish and other aquatic species, and it also shows biomagnification. A rainbow trout shows 160 days of half-time for elimination of DDT. Bioaccumulation occurs with very little amount of DDT concentration in fish and other aquatic species. Predatory birds or large fish feeds on them and resulted in exposure to DDT (Xiao, 2008; Tomza-Marciniak, A., Witczak, A., 2009). Many studies showed that DDT and DDE can act as carcinogenic, neurotoxic, immunotoxic and reproductive effects on animals (Turusov et al., 2002). In birds, exposure to DDT mainly occurs through food chain and sometime the direct exposure to eggs or birds also observed. In 1950s, first evidence of DDT toxicity was observed in bald eagles, robins, osprey, pelicans, peregrine falcons and other fish eating mammals. In birds, DDT and DDE reduce Ca-dependent ATPase activity in the shell gland of birds resulting in shell thinning and increased egg damage during incubation period (Turusov et al., 2002). Control Measures It is easy to control anthropogenic sources of DDT than natural sources. DDT can be removed by many chemical and biological processes. Once it gets into the food chain, recovery becomes difficult as it shows bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Many organochlorine compounds or pesticides are degraded by microorganisms. Microbes possess enzyme system to degrade organochlorine pesticides, such as dehydrochlorination, isomerization, oxidation, etc. Microbial degradation of DDT is observed by two ways; aerobic and anaerobic degradation. Many studies reported that bacteria like Serratia marcescens, Alcaligenes eutrophus A5, Lactobacillus plantarum, Micrococcus varians, and Pseudomonas sp. can degrade DDT by the process of aerobic degradation. One study reported that Fungus named white rot fungi can do mineralization of DDT (Sonkong et al., 2008). Degradation and transformation of DDT using microorganisms will provide most proficient way to deal with the problem, which is bioremediation. Boussahel et al., 2009 studied adsorption and kinetic process to remove DDT from aqueous solutions using low-cost adsorbents. During the study they used batch adsorption technique to determine adsorption efficiency using two types of adsorbents, wood sawdust and cork wastes. The result of the study was compared with a commercial powdered activated carbon. Langmuir isotherm was used to calculate the adsorption capacity. The study showed that wood sawdust is the most effective type of adsorbent for the removal of DDT from aqueous solutions. It can be used in decontamination of water and also in treatments of waste water in agriculture purpose and industries. Conclusion DDT is a toxic compound that exhibits bioaccumulation and biomagnification through food chains. After World War II, DDT started causing problems in human health and in 1950s, DDT cause detrimental effect on birds. These are some events that showed the dangers of DDT for human as well as for environment. Many studies over the years have produced considerable amounts of evidence to prove the toxic effects of DDT. DDT was banned in U.S. very long ago but some other countries still using DDT as pesticide to prevent malaria. Methods and solutions were found, that replaces DDT to control malaria. Many chemical and remediation processes was found that totally remove DDT from solid and aqueous solutions but still have much room for improvement. Due to biomagnification, the effect of small amounts of DDT will be felt many years into future. It has been so long that U.S. banned on DDT but still the outbreak of birds problems and human health problems going on. Future Research Needs Several methods found for detection of DDT including enzyme immunoassay have been developed (Hirano et al., 2008). One of the major problems with DDT is biomagnification. There are so many methods like volatilization, bioremediations, and adsorptions procedures currently being studied (Sonkong et al., 2008; Boussahel et al., 2009). DDT in soils and sediments form strong bond so it is very hard to remove DDT from soil and it cannot degrade easily in soil. Methods found for the removal of DDT from aqueous solutions (Boussahel et al., 2009). Presence of DDT in organisms like birds, fish, etc is the area of concern in future that needs to be reduced. Much future research is needed to introduce new chemical compound that can deal with malaria like diseases and is comparatively less toxic to human and environment.

Marketing Plan for Dell Inc

1. Introduction Today computer industry has become one of the most attractive industries both in terms of growth and viability. It is also considered as one of those industries where it is so hard to survive for the companies in it. The prevalence of the likes of HP, Dell Inc. and IBM has resulted in the fierce competition in this industry. These abovementioned companies struggle to win more market share or to be the best player in the industry. These report analysis situation analysis, SWOT analysis of Dell Inc. long with the environmental factors which could be potential influence on its current and future business operations. . It also illustrates the company’s future objectives and also marketing strategies set to achieve those objectives and to ensure that the company is one of the industry leaders. 2. Background It was initially named as â€Å"PCs Limited†, and then converted into the Dell Company which was named after the Michael Dell, who founded the company in 1984, when he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin.That’s Michael Dell who came up first with the idea or belief that selling personal computer systems directly to customers enables them to better understand customers’ needs and helps them to offer the best solutions to meet those needs. It was in 1985 when M. Dell’s company first manufactured their initial computer which was sold for US $795. Dell’s â€Å"PCs Limited† company would assemble computer units based each individual’s needs, orders or selections. That would give customers pretty much affordable price and more convenience than having to assemble those components on their own.Despite the fact that it wasn’t the first company to apply this method, it was almost the first to accomplish it. Even in its first year of trading, the company managed to reach pretty much admirable sales, approximately amounted to $73 million. In 1988, the company was given the name of t he Dell, founder of the company. Following 2 years, they decided to phase out their direct selling method, and start using warehouse clubs or computer stores to sell their computers. Realizing that it didn’t bring any success, they got back to their more effective direct-to-consumer model.In 1996, the customers were offered another convenience, which is a website through which consumers could buy the company’s products virtually. In 2002, the company expanded through entering the other markets such as television, audio players and printers. Since 2003, the company has been operating under the name of Dell Inc. (Michael Dell, 2012) 3. Current situation and business performance Since its emergence in 1984, the company has not just struggled to survive in competitive computer market but also been able to dominate the market to some extent.Now it’s not just a company with $ 1000 capital as it used to be initially, but has turned into a huge multinational computer te chnology corporation which is currently producing top-quality lap-tops, netbooks, PCs, printers, scanners and other computer-related products. Dell Inc. has been growing remarkably in terms of both customerbase and acquisitions. Atpresent it employs approximately 105000 people around the world. The CAO of the company is Michael Dell, American businessman. Dell Company is famous mainly for its ability to apply direct-sales model and its â€Å"configure to order† approach.Specifically, it can configure individual PCs based on customer specifications or order. (Michael Dell, 2012) 4. Marketing Environmental Analysis of Dell Marketing environment refers to the outside factors that can be influence on the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful customer relationships with their target market. Those forces include competitors, demographics, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological and global ones. 4. 1Competitors Prevalence of tough competitors su ch as HP Company, IBM Corporation, and Apple Inc. have always struggled with Dell Inc. or capturing customers and securing more market share. (Michael Dell, 2012) Hewlett Packard Company leads in the industry based on its market share with 27. 3 %. The second place belongs to Dell Inc. with slightly lower percentage, 26. 3 %. The other competitors, IBM and Apple Inc. have 14. 9 % and 8. 5 % market shares respectively. (Lord, R. , 2005)They all offer massive capabilities and are financially fit. This can affect the Dell’s ability to operate its business successfully. 4. 2Demographics Dell Inc. ’s products are currently sold in every corner of the world. That is why; the company has diversity of customers.Its products are mainly tailored and offered to business professionals, doctors and others who might need multiple computers. The reason why the company put more emphasis on this segment is because 40% of its overall sales come from this segment. Dell Inc. ’s pro ducts have mostly been purchased by women for the last decade. This trend is soaring. Those women are mainly the owners of small businesses or work in management positions. 4. 3 Economic Economic factors are also considered as a crucial part of marketing environment that could influence on the level businesses or industry operates. Market and DemandSelling prices, economic situation, disposable household income, product advancements and availability of substitute products are considered as the determinants of demand. Statistics say that the demand for computer industry has been declining in the last 5 years by 3. 2% annually. (IBIS World 2010) However, this trend is estimated or predicted to shift into a positive side. According to the speculations, the global industry is forecasted to grow by 6. 2% annually at average. 4. 4 Political/ Legal Like any other industries, computer industry is also under the control of political and legal regulations.Those radio frequency emissions regul atory, the anti-trust regulatory, the import-export regulatory agencies are in charge of regulating each single activity in computer industry. 4. 5Sociocultural Societal trends are continuously shifting in this computer industry. Consumers have switched to laptops from desktop computers which were in high demand few years ago. Yet, the Emergence of I-pods and other computer type systems are going to bring about another societal trend in the industry. Another changing trend is that most businesses are shifting to green marketing which involves producing more environmentally conscious products.Computer industry has also not been exception to that change. To reinforce this statement, we can take Dell Inc. ’s recycle model. The company offers recycling old computers thereby contribute to environmental welfare. Another example would be HP’s new model of computers that would consume much lower energies than the rest of the typical computers. 4. 6Technological Admittedly, com puter industry experienced considerable developments. Constant innovations and changes on products are being made by the companies in the computer industry. It is unquestionably crucial for Dell Inc. o keep up with technological shifts so as to survive in the competitive industry. Wildly usage of e-commerce generating great loads of sales shows the importance of keeping track of technological innovations. 5. Target Audience In today’s world, businesses are facing numerous challenges because of the harsh competition caused by the development of globalization. Thus, it has become very tough task for companies to survive or to be the best player in their industries. At present businesses are required to be competent in all spheres of their operations.Targeting the right market segment has also become one of the key factors for any sort of business. Therefore most companies are putting a lot of stress on considering their target market. Dell Inc. is also one of those companies. I ts target market incorporates 4 segments. 1)Home and home offices 2)Small and medium businesses 3)Large businesses 4)Governmental and educational institutions, namely: †¢Home and home offices segment consists of individual customers who want to buy computers or other related peripherals for the use at home. These groups of customers are not price conscious.They mostly focus on the word of mouth when considering specific products. Approximately 10% of the Dell’s overall sales come from this segment. †¢Small and medium business Companies employing 1 to 3500 people are called medium or small businesses. Dell Inc. is not keen on serving these customer groups. Hence, only 10% of its overall sales are grossed from this segment. †¢Large businesses are companies employing more than 3500 people, are the main target customers Dell usually serves. Therefore, the company grabs almost 75% of its total sales from large businesses.Obviously, the company has already establishe d solid relationships with large companies. †¢Dell Inc. doesn’t put a lot of stress on serving governmental and educational institutions. Hence, only 5% of its overall sales come from this customer group. (Fawcett, S. B. , Paine-Andrews, A. , Francisco, V. , Richter, K. P. , Lewis, R. K. , Williams, E. L. , Harris, K. J. , Winter-Green, K. , in collaboration with Bradley, B. and Copple, J. (2001) 6. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the business 6. 1 Strengths The Dell Inc. is one of the most popular and strongest companies in the world.Its strengths over the competitors enable the company to maintain successful business operations. Some of those strengths will be stated below: -Dell Inc. is the largest PC maker throughout the world, which is why it has strong brand equity. In turn, the strong brand equity would serve the company as a good assistance to attract and capture new customers more easily. (Michael Dell, 2012) -One of the greatest strengths of the c ompany is that it owns expertise on applying direct to consumer model which has unquestionably been the key for the company’s current sustainable position in the computer industry. (Wolf, T. , 1990).The company achieves cost reduction through not including middlemen or retailers during the process of getting the products to the customers. Through this approach, the company manages to better understand customer needs, wants and to deliver superior customer value. Moreover, it enables the company to win the trust and loyalty from customers and to maintain long-term relationships with them. Another strength of the Dell Inc. is that it achieves cost reduction through maintaining sound relationship with its suppliers. This lowered cost will make it easier for the company to capture more customers, thereby increase its market share. Fawcett, S. B. , Paine-Andrews, A. , Francisco, V. , Richter, K. P. , Lewis, R. K. , Williams, E. L. , Harris, K. J. , Winter-Green, K. , in collaborat ion with Bradley, B. and Copple, J. , 2001) -Another great thing about the Dell Inc. is that it offers free repair and technical support. -It uses Internet as it applies direct model which gives customers convenience in terms of lower cost and saved time. This certainly does entail customer’s add-value which is incredibly important in retaining customers. Finally, Dell Inc. has been able to establish sound relationships with large companies could be potential buyers of its products.Statistics say that its 75% sales are geared form the large business organizations. 6. 2 Weaknesses As an each business has certain weak point, so does Dell Inc. One of them would be its dependency on its suppliers. Dell Inc. usuallybuys the components from large suppliers which constitute very few numbers all over the world. That makes it just impossible for Dell Inc. to switch its suppliers. (Berkowitz, W. R. , 1999). -Another weakness of the company would be the fact that it doesn’t usual ly set links with retailers or middlemen as it mainly uses direct to consumer model. Another weak point of the Dell Inc. s that it doesn’t usually put enough stress on serving college students as only 5% of its sales are grossed from this segment. The company needs to establish better relationships with educational institutions son as to increase its market share. (Michael Dell, 2012) The other weak point of the Dell Inc. is that it doesn’t enable its customers to physically touch or see the product they want to purchase. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) Customers can not just go to the retail store and come back home with a lap-top in a single trip.They are going have to have to wait for some days before their computers are customized to their needs. (Berkowitz, W. R. ,1999). 6. 3 Opportunities Dell Inc. is becoming one of the dominant companies in the industry with higher level of opportunities than its competitors do . Diversification strategy initiated by Michael Dell, CAO of Dell Inc. , has improved the company’s opportunities to make a growth in sales, to capture much more customers than it used to. The strategy was applied by adding different sorts of computer-related products into its range. Those would be printers, scanners and other products.Furthermore, demand for PCs is continuously increasing. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) This means that the company has pretty good chance of succeeding in the industry. It’s worthwhile to mention that internet has been playing the most crucial role in the Dell Inc. ’s current achievements in its business performance. Internet is crucial as it’s become an interface between the company and customers. It enables customers to make orders to the company virtually without having to go to the retail stores, wasting their time, effort and money. (Berkowitz, W. R. , 1999). . 4 Thre ats Porter’s five forces model illustrates possible threats for Dell Inc. According to Michael Dell, it has been very tough task for the computer companies to stay in a strong position for long. The development of wireless networks, the influence of internet has changed the competitive landscape of the industry. He says: â€Å"one of the biggest threats is the changing computing model. These forces might be influence on the company’s ability to serve its customers and gear profits. They are the following forces: -Threat of new entrants -Threat of substitute products or services -Threat of competitive rivalry Threats of new entrants The fact that computer industry has been yielding admirable returns is the key reason why new firms are attracted to it. The entrants tend to share the profits in the industry. This means that they are real threats for the companies within the industry. (Lord, R. ,2005)However extensive capital outlay required for entering into the computer industry prevents possible new entrants from even considering this industry. That’s why Dell Inc. doesn’t have to worry about the threats of new entrants. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) †¢Threats of SubstitutionPrevalence of many substitute products can pose very big threat to any company. Dell Inc. has also to think about coping with substitute products’ possible effects on its business performance. Emergence of phones which can replace computers is currently one of the biggest threats for computer companies including Dell Inc. At present most people prefer to have IPhones or other sort of phones rather than carrying lap-tops. The fact that modernphones can perform virtually all computer functions makes customers want to have them even more. Specifically, at present most phones can be used for internet, e-mail, and social media.This is more likely to cause uncertainty in the future of the likes of Dell I nc. †¢Threats from Competitors Clearly competitors also pose big threats to the Dell Inc. HP, IBM Inc. are examples for those main competitors of the Dell Inc. They always fight to secure greater market share through cost reductions, economies of scale or strategic business partnership. This tough competition makes it even harder for the Dell Inc. to stay alive or to be the best player in the industry. (Lord, R. , 2005) The objectives: -To increase its market share by 25% within 1 year -To turn the company into the best player To increase the consumers’ awareness on the company’s brand (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). As any sort of company has specific objectives, Dell Inc. has also certain objectives set forth so as to maintain and build sustainable and viable business operations. One of the most primary objectives of the company is to achieve more market share in the following year. It is planning to attain 25% more market share than its current state. E ven though it is clear that the main objective of any company is to capture more market share, attaining this goal will come with challenges. (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994).The company has to offer much better quality products and services at relatively low cost than the competitors do. The company is also planning to be the best player in the computer industry. This objective is interrelated to the previous one. Specifically, gaining more market share than any other competitors enables the company to turn into the best player in the Industry. (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). Increasing the consumers’ brand awareness is unquestionably the most crucial objective that must be achieved by any company, because without gaining high levels of brand awareness, the company cannot generate enough sales. Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). In other words only higher level of brand awareness can entail greater market share which in turn can enable the company to be one of the leading players in the computer Industry. 7. Marketing strategy Any company regardless of its position in its industry should continually update its marketing strategies so as to maintain long-term successful business operations and to attain a competitive edge which is unquestionably crucial in today’s business world. Dell Inc. lso has to employ marketing strategies in order to enhance its competitiveness and maintain its long-term leadership in the computer industry. (IBIS World, 2010). Usually, marketing strategies are of assistance for companies which want to achieve their organizational goals such as reaching more market share and higher customers’ brand awareness. Dell Inc. ’s marketing strategy also helps it to achieve its objectives such as being the low cost leader of computer products and also differentiating its offerings. (Michael Dell, 2012) Dell Inc. employs different types of marketing strategies which will be mentioned further.Dell capita lizes on differentiation strategy. To be more specific, it differentiates its offerings to various market segments based on the needs and wants of those customer groups. For example, computers designed for large businesses may vary from those designed for home users or educational institutions. (Barry, B. W. , 1998) 8. Positioning strategy Dell Inc. has been able to position itself in the computer industry. Its position strategy is based on its competence to sell its products directly to customers rather than involving retailers or other intermediaries in this process.This position strategy can help the company to achieve the following things: -Building the most efficient bridge to the customers -Becoming low-cost leader -Develop build-to-order efficiencies Relationship management strategy Dell capitalizes on information technologies when utilizing its relationship marketing strategy. It uses both customer relationship management (CRM) and partner relationship management(PRM). These strategies help the company to better understand customer needs and wants and deliver offerings accordingly. It also helps the company to achieve cost reduction through maintaining good relationships with its suppliers.This in turn allows the Dell Inc. to capture more customers more easily. (Wolf, T. , 1990). 9. Conclusion To sum up, at present, the world is witnessing remarkable development and growth in the computer industry. Companies are doing their best to offer the best quality products at reasonably lower costs. This has made it very difficult task for them to stay alive in their harsh industry. They have to establish the right strategies to attain their goals, to capitalize on their opportunities and to cope with the threats. The report summarized the Dell Inc. ’s objectives and strategies which could help the company to attain its goals.

Drug Testings Should be enforced in Schools

Drugs like marijuana have a major impact on our younger generation. Parents for Accountability (2003) states that, â€Å"most drug use begins in the pre-teen and teenage years, the year’s most crucial in the maturation process. † A student’s behavior, motivation, and accountability are all limited when using marijuana. Principal Warner (2013) said â€Å"he believes the mandatory drug testing rule gives students a strong reason to refuse drugs. † These drug testing will encourage students to think twice before saying â€Å"yes† to the drug.I believe that random drug testings should be enforced in schools. School drug testing should be enforced because of the behavioral problems that come along with drug abuse. Marijuana causes different side effects, but most commonly are; laziness, hunger, poor memory, poor coordination, loss of control, poor social behavior, and learning dysfunctions. All of these side effects affect a person’s behavior. â⠂¬Å"I'm 16 years old, and I've been smoking every day for about 3-4 months.I can say that I am considerably less social (although this may not be weed related, many factors come into play on this one) and slightly more paranoid† (Knight, 2009). Knight was set apart from her social life because of the marijuana she had been smoking, now she’ll never know of the people could have become close with. Behavior plays an important role in learning environment because a student cannot function properly under the influence; students that are under the influence have the tendency to act different among peers, and in or out of certain situations, it affects their way of thinking.Narconon Drug Prevention & Education (2013) states, students that smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate high school, due to the learning dysfunction they came across while smoking marijuana. Since the use of marijuana is proven to affect a student’s behavior, drug testings should be enforced in schools. Marijuana also affects a student’s motivation, which is another reason why drug testings should be enforced. â€Å"Smoking a lot of weed can really amplify your mood and emotions, including laziness† (Terence Tensen, 2011).Smoking marijuana causes students to become lazy; laziness affects a student in so many ways because it kills their drive to do anything. Students become less willing to do their homework, study, and participate in extra-curricular activities including; football, baseball, soccer, softball, basketball, dances, and any clubs available on their campus. Without participating in some type of extra-curriculum students have a harder time getting accepted into universities and even some community colleges.After being rejected numeral times people start to shut down, they tend to give up and things they once wanted at a certain time or place. When a student then has nothing else to aim for, because their motivation was lost, t hey turn to drugs. These drug testings are going to stop students from coming to school under the influence, which then is going to keep the student that are motivated to stay motivated and be the best that they can be, without the distractions of the ones who are not so motivated, and feel they have better things to do.A student’s accountability is affected when using drugs; this causes students to be less dependable. An undependable student is a student that is kind of pushed behind because they are untrustworthy. Nobody likes to be the person no one trusts, and drug use causes you to be that person. Drug Free America Foundation (2014) agrees that â€Å"Students who take leadership roles in the school community are role models and should be drug free. † These students that appear to be role models should live up to their appearances.Foundation of a drug free world (2013) states, â€Å"the drug, marijuana causes students to be less coordinated, shortens memory, lazin ess, unsociable, and has loss of control† everything people don’t see in a leader. You are supposed to be able to depend on a student leader, especially when that person is all you have to look up to. When you see that one person you admire, fall short, it literally breaks a person down, to prevent this from happening these drug tests are going to make sure the students don’t deal with the regret of disappointments. I believe that random drug testings should be enforced in schools.School districts should enforce random drugs to help students in the long run. We are losing students to drugs, and drugged students are leading others. If we enforce these random drug tests schools will have more control over their students. These tests are going to not only help the students but a school as a whole. More students will be in school, which makes the school money. Disciplinary actions won’t be as frequent, because student’s behavior will be more on point, a nd students will be getting the education they need to move on to higher their education once out of school, with less of a struggle.Peer pressured students, won’t feel the need to say â€Å"yes† because they’ll have a solid reason to say â€Å"no. † Drug testing offers no harm to the student, only gives them an opportunity to notice their wrong and get help. When someone recognizes a problem, they tend to acknowledge it more frequently. A mother posted on a blog that her 17 year old son had a problem, she stated â€Å"He tells us he is not addicted but acting the way he is only proves he is† Feelinghelpless, (2012). When a student becomes addicted to a drug they deny they have a problem.When drug testing will soon become frequently failed, a student will have no choice to admit to their wrongs and seek help. Another parent states â€Å"I may not be able to change his mind about drugs but I have the choice not to help him with those choices. I can 't do anything about all the drugs out there†¦ but I do have control over what happens in my home! † Strgazr (2012). It’s proven that a child is raised on the raising of his or hers household. When parents lay down the rules, children will listen; they need structure so they don’t tumble.We cannot blame schools alone for the drug testings because if every child was raised to obey by the rules, drug testings wouldn’t be so necessary. Discipline is â€Å"teaching a child to behave in an agreeable way, allowing a child the freedom to learn from his mistakes and experience the consequences of his decisions, effective discipline is helping, teaching, and learning† Valya, T. (2009). Discipline is exactly what these drug testings are, they teach, help, and enforce a rule that needs to be obeyed. I believe drug testings should be enforced in schools.

New challenges in taking GCSEs

New challenges in taking GCSEs UK educational system I’d like to share with you some latest news about UK educational system and specifically challenges in taking GCSEs UK examination system for secondary school undergoes serious changes. According to the recently adopted rules, children will have to spend three years, instead of two, to get ready for math and English - two main GCSE subjects. The main goal of these reforms is to make exams more complicated and thus more productive. They are mainly focused on branches of mathematics, such as algebra and geometry. According to these changes, school children are expected to make in-depth investigation of the subjects and learn the material more profoundly. Undoubtedly, the time spent for learning the subject will be increased as well. Teenagers are likely to have more math classes during the week alongside with the extended curriculum. The new GCSE project is to be launched in 2018. Despite such cushion of time, designers of the examination system recommend that schoolchildren get down to work as soon as possible, since the renovated program includes all the additional math exams. Teenagers are not the only ones, who will be crammed with the material. A heavy burden of mixed responsibilities will be laid on teachers’ shoulders. The range of their duties is going to be enriched with the following tasks: to keep up with the updates in fundamentals of the subjects, to monitor pupils’ progress, to work out new syllabus. In addition, the changes will concern not only the quality of the exams but also their quantity.   The number of subjects is reported to be reduced from 12 to 8. Therefore, academic progress of the schools will be ranked in eight key subjects. They are as follows: English and Baccalaureate subjects of English, mathematics, science, language and humanities subjects. The grade system is also said to be renewed. The well-known grade letters A, B, C, D, E are expected to be substituted with numbers. Thus, there are going to be two test papers at pupils’ disposal. The first one, in higher mathematics, is graded from 4 to 9, for the second, less complicated test one can get from 1 to 5 points. Experts assure that new GCSE project is worth all the efforts and time. It is expected that those pupils, who usually leg behind the rest of the class will have an opportunity to boost their success in studies, as they will have more time to get ready for GCSEs.

john Lennons imagine essays

john Lennons imagine essays John Lennons song Imagine is by all means a classic which will endure in the hearts of many, as long as it is still around. With that in mind, I believe that it should live on by being placed in the UTD time capsule. It has many aspects that make it the ideal song for such a project, from its musical quality, to its imperative message of peace. Lennons melodic style conveys a poignant innocence, which complements the theme of the song perfectly. The music stays simple and seems to grasp the lyrics without a seam. It is the type of song that will appeal to almost anyone who hears it because of its rythmic, almost hypnotic sound. I dont know what the music of the future will sound like, but I believe a song like this is one that can be enjoyed by all generations to come. It isnt the music of our generation today; not rock with heavy distortion, or rap with deafening bass, nor is it the synthesised RnB many of us choose to listen to. It is the type of song that touches a persons heart, the kind of music we listen to because we can feel it. This selection is a more instrumental rock that is set apart from all other genres, deserving of the reverance received in the decades past, and for those to come. This song is trully a tribute to great music, and has been likened to the twentieth centuries answer to Beethovens Moonlight Sonata and Bachs Fantasia. In that regard, this song is seen as one the greatest songs of our century, and isnt that the type of musical merit we should consider when selecting the one song to represent us in the capsule? The song itself is asking that we see the world consciously, and dont just coast by on what others have established as right. It wants you to invoke thought upon life as your own person to decide what it is you believe in. The idea of this song is one that coul...

Chose a subject of popular culture and analyze this subject using Essay

Chose a subject of popular culture and analyze this subject using course concepts - Essay Example ra of Swing music, and thus this paper helps to give an insight about the musical genius’ life and subsequent contributions towards culture and also how the socio-economic, political and historical factors played a role in making significant changes towards the same. Bessie Smith’s inherent passion for music was discovered fortunately at a very young age as she and her brother took to the streets of their local neighbourhoods in Chattanoonga, as they sang and danced in order to earn money for their meals. However, her brother soon left her to join a professional troupe and she was left behind due to being very young. Soon enough, her brother arranged for a meeting and interview for Bessie for the Stokes Troupe and she was hired as a dancer but not as a singer, thus her true potential had yet not been realised. In 1915, the singer left and became a part of the Theater Owners Bookers Association, an African American performance group and this became the milestone in her career. The group helped her to gain popularity all over and become a recognised singer. Following this, offers began coming in for Bessie to be part of musicals and one of her firsts, titled ‘How Come?’ made its way to Broadway as well. Here, Bessie co starred with Sidney Bechet. Looking at her success and getting motivated by the same, Smith moved on to working in theatre, mostly Black theatres as they accepted her better, and in 1923 she landed with her first recording contract. Soon enough, Bessie became one of the highest paid black women in her field however, the money did not make much difference to her life then and she realised she wanted to sing all her life. Smith’s voice, mellifluous and harmonious, was something she was able to practice and develop on her own. She did not receive any formal training from anywhere, and with the practice she had had since her early years, she dedicated and devoted more time to get even better than what she was and all that she had

Attend a Live Musical Event Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Attend a Live Musical Event - Research Paper Example Melody is a sequence of musical tones in a form that is familiar to the ear. Harmony refers to a collection of tones heard all together. Key in music is also called tonality of music. The volume of the note is known as the dynamics of the music. Timber is also known as tone color. Many dissimilar forms of sounds can be generated from the same instrument. Musical form is the group of all elements in a rational form, which involves the style of the music. The musical style selected in this topic is jazz music, which is a kind of popular music with some improvisation on melody and rhythm that originated in 1900s. â€Å"Adam Meckler is a professional trumpet player, composer and educator living in Saint Paul, MNâ€Å"(â€Å"Adammecklerbio† para.1). He plays frequently with his quintet, the Adam Meckler Quintet, and his big band, The Adam Meckler Orchestra. Adam has toured all over the world as a performer with bands. The Setting or Occasion The music is performed in one of the T win Cities where the original music is being played by modern jazz big bands, and features some of the most exciting young jazz musicians from the Twin Cities. There were so many fans assembled in the O’Gara’s Shamrock Room to come and enjoy the music of this interesting band. The city features local music events, concerts and music festivals in all the areas. The Concert Program Works on the program During the course of the concert, he played â€Å"Once upon a Sunrise,† â€Å"Skyline,† â€Å"Days of Wine and Roses,† â€Å"The World If I Could,† â€Å"The Tao of Heavy D,† â€Å"Song for BB,† â€Å"Sparkly Eyes,† and â€Å"Beautiful Beatrice.† All the performances were mind blowing. He played the â€Å"Song for BB† as a tribute to Bob Brooke Meyer who was a famous jazz musician, composer, arranger and educator and who unfortunately passed away in the previous year. Composition of Orchestra/Ensemble He has pe rformed with famous orchestras all over the world. In the concert held at St. Paul, his orchestra included an 18 piece big band consisting of maestros playing instruments such as trumpets by Zack Lozier, Tom Krochock, Sten Johnson, Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, and Cameron Kinghorn; saxophones by Jason Fabus, Nelson Devereaux, Ben Doherty, Tyler Anderson, and Angie Hirsch; drums by Pete Hennig; trombones by Keith Hilson, DJ Clovis, Mason Hemmer, Nathan Berry; bass played by Chris Bates; guitar by Evan Montgomery; and finally the keyboards by Steven Hobert. Variety of Musical Forms Composers The original compositions and arrangements of the music were done by Adam Meckler himself for some of the songs he played at the concert. Apart from this, he has also played the music composed by other musicians such as Eric Clapton (â€Å"The World If I Could†), Henry Mancini (â€Å"Days of Wine and Roses†), and Adam Meckler (â€Å"Song for BB†). The Musical Work The Musical Form Th ough the musical instrumentation is that of a traditional jazz big band, the music is influenced by modern pop, rock as well as gospel. The musical form ranges from traditional New Orleans tunes and Mardis Gras favorites to funk ‘n’ soul hits. Movements or Parts It was very interesting to see Adam Meckler and his â€Å"18 piece band† perform live on stage. They performed in great accordance with the electronic sounds of the musical instruments (â€Å"Adam Meckler Orchestra† para.1). Musical Theme and Motifs The theme of music performed by Adam Meckler is a mixture of pop and jazz style. Almost all the music is produced to make the audiences