Popular Music Essay -- Entertainment

Introduction Popular music is popular afresh, and it’s everywhere. Whether it’s the idols, the stars, the competitors or the academy, the burst music industry has not ever flaunted itself to such a large extent. But how can we mark burst music? Where is its place? Many would contend that it pertains sorely littered over the levels of teenager’s bedrooms worldwide. Others would state it is most at home recorded on the bank balance of a foremost multinational organisation. An allotment of persons would assert that burst music has no home, and is just a fad commended by the culturally inept, those who are only adept of enjoying a pre-formatted, formulaic merchandise of the ‘culture industry’. Or is it infects a varied and creative occurrence, permitting a communally and culturally wealthy expression? Maybe burst music will not ever be ‘pigeon holed’ as such, but I wish to recognise the contentions surrounding popular music and work out its location ins ide popular culture and inside up to date society (Shanahan 2001). Discussion The subject of burst music appears to have been thinly affected on by numerous writers when conversing about popular culture, but no one have theorised on the theme as much as Theodora Adorn. Adorno’s set about, which is compelled very powerful by its Marxist leanings, is founded mostly on facts of 1930s Germany, and subsequently, the United States when The Frankfurt School re-located to New York in 1933. Adorno converses about popular music as a merchandise of ‘the culture industry’, a formulaic and obstinate master-plan to which all burst music adheres. He proposed that burst music† hears for the listener† and is â€Å" pre-digested â€Å" and he nearly collaborates with Marcuse’s idea of ‘The One-Dimensi... ...ustry. Journal of Cultural Economics 6 2, pp. 11–25. Bloom, Allan David, 2004. The Closing of the American Mind. , Simon and Shuster,, New York. Clyne, Manfred, 2006. Music, Mind, and Brain. , Plenum Press,, New York. Coase, Ronald, 2006. Payola in radio and television broadcasting. Journal of Law and Economics 22 2, pp. 269–328. Levy, David and Feigenbaum, Susan, 2006. Death, debt, and democracy. In: Buchanan, J.M. et al.. Deficit, Blackwell,, Oxford, pp. 236–262. Peterson, R.A. and Berger, D.G., 2004. Cycles, in symbol production: The case of popular music. American Sociological Review 40, pp. 158–173. Shanahan, J.L., 2001. The consumption of music: Integrating aesthetics and economics. Journal of Cultural Economics 2 2, pp. 13–26 Whitburn, Joel, 2003. Pop memories, 1890–1954, The History of American Popular Music. , Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls. Popular Music Essay -- Entertainment Introduction Popular music is popular afresh, and it’s everywhere. Whether it’s the idols, the stars, the competitors or the academy, the burst music industry has not ever flaunted itself to such a large extent. But how can we mark burst music? Where is its place? Many would contend that it pertains sorely littered over the levels of teenager’s bedrooms worldwide. Others would state it is most at home recorded on the bank balance of a foremost multinational organisation. An allotment of persons would assert that burst music has no home, and is just a fad commended by the culturally inept, those who are only adept of enjoying a pre-formatted, formulaic merchandise of the ‘culture industry’. Or is it infects a varied and creative occurrence, permitting a communally and culturally wealthy expression? Maybe burst music will not ever be ‘pigeon holed’ as such, but I wish to recognise the contentions surrounding popular music and work out its location ins ide popular culture and inside up to date society (Shanahan 2001). Discussion The subject of burst music appears to have been thinly affected on by numerous writers when conversing about popular culture, but no one have theorised on the theme as much as Theodora Adorn. Adorno’s set about, which is compelled very powerful by its Marxist leanings, is founded mostly on facts of 1930s Germany, and subsequently, the United States when The Frankfurt School re-located to New York in 1933. Adorno converses about popular music as a merchandise of ‘the culture industry’, a formulaic and obstinate master-plan to which all burst music adheres. He proposed that burst music† hears for the listener† and is â€Å" pre-digested â€Å" and he nearly collaborates with Marcuse’s idea of ‘The One-Dimensi... ...ustry. Journal of Cultural Economics 6 2, pp. 11–25. Bloom, Allan David, 2004. The Closing of the American Mind. , Simon and Shuster,, New York. Clyne, Manfred, 2006. Music, Mind, and Brain. , Plenum Press,, New York. Coase, Ronald, 2006. Payola in radio and television broadcasting. Journal of Law and Economics 22 2, pp. 269–328. Levy, David and Feigenbaum, Susan, 2006. Death, debt, and democracy. In: Buchanan, J.M. et al.. Deficit, Blackwell,, Oxford, pp. 236–262. Peterson, R.A. and Berger, D.G., 2004. Cycles, in symbol production: The case of popular music. American Sociological Review 40, pp. 158–173. Shanahan, J.L., 2001. The consumption of music: Integrating aesthetics and economics. Journal of Cultural Economics 2 2, pp. 13–26 Whitburn, Joel, 2003. Pop memories, 1890–1954, The History of American Popular Music. , Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls.

Black Men in Public Spaces Essay

When comparing my essay situation that I wrote about my dad’s run in with racism to Staples essay, one could say that they are both similar and different. In general, their situations were similar because both incidents involved some form of racism. Staples story and my dad’s story both took place in the 1980’s. However, I believe these types of racism are still very much alive. The difference between Staples situation and my dad’s was their responses and how they chose to handle their situations. My father’s story, I felt displayed courage on his part. He didn’t have to act a certain way, change himself, or adapt to his environment to fit in. He did what he needed to do and did not think twice about it. He walked into a diner full of people who stared at him as if he were from another planet. Yet he still went about his business and ordered his food while feeling the piercing stares burn through his flesh. Although he felt uncomfortable bein g the only Asian man in sight, he ignored the staring faces. The differences I found in their situations were that Staples coped with racism by, ‘smothering the rage’ he had to change who he was. This can be perceived in different ways. You can look at this and think that he was a coward who didn’t want to deal with what was in front of him, or you can look at this and think that he was a smart person who had courage to find his own ways to cope. We may not all agree that Staples way of dealing with things is the correct way however, it was the way he chose. He taught himself to take precaution by, allowing room between people in front of him and himself when walking, when he felt that people were uncomfortable, he would, ‘whistle melodies from Beethoven, Vivaldi, and other classical composers’. Instead of dealing with being misperceived as a killer, rapist, or murderer, he adjusted his daily way of life around others. I believe this type of racism towards young male men is common. I am a woman, and am afraid for my life about being raped, killed, or mugged. I grab on tight to the strap of my purse when I am in neighborhoods that are likely targets of purse snatchings. It is very common to hear about women who were raped by ‘young males, wearing jeans, with a sweater and their hands in their pocket’ this is a common description of almost 95% of all young males walking around late in the evening. I can relate to the women because I am a woman and I believe I would have also been afraid just like Staples ‘first victim’ was afraid. She’s a woman, she’s walking alone, walking in a dark alley and a male fitting the  description I stated above is behind her also walking alone. I’ve felt this type of anxiety when walking alone at night, or when I am running alone on a trail. It just isn’t safe being a woman walking alone in this society. If I heard a jogger running, or someone walking behind me whistling, I too w ould be afraid. I believe it was wise for Staples to come up with such a creative solution. He had to do what he felt he needed to in order to survive, in order to not get arrested, or be mistaken for someone he is not and until society changes their stereotype of young African American males, his tactics for coping is a great idea. He goes on to say how ‘black men trade stories like this all time’ because they are misperceived as a killer, rapist, or a mugger, they are automatically put in a position of being in danger. Staples did what he had to do to survive. It’s almost as if he has found a way to add a bit of humor to the situation. I’ve always believed in the saying, ‘You cannot change the things that are thrown your way, or others peoples actions, but what you can change is the way you react to them’. It is easy to say ‘why do I have to change? Why can’t society change, why can’t others change?’ Yes, this maybe the answer of all answers the answer that makes the most sense however, the reality is you can’t change anyone but you can change yourself and your reaction to things. I believe Staples coping strategies with being misperceived, were effective. Staples, and African American male talks of how he would walk the streets at night and would whistle classical music, to ease fears of the people around him who may think he’s a killer, or a mugger. He felt that he had to change his mannerisms and learn to adapt to being misperceived. It’s easy to say, why should Staples change? Why can’t society or everyone else change? Is it Staples responsibility as a young black man to alert the people around him that he is not a threat? Staples also says that ‘black men trade stories like this all the time’ which leads me to believe that society views the majority of African American males as dangerous. What I would do differently would be that I would probably stop going out so late at night. Staples never said in his story why he had to go out so late at night and why he went out alone most of the time. Maybe he worked late,  or had late classes? Whatever his situation, he was unable to avoid going out late at night. In my opinion I think I would tried to avoid the situation completely. I would not go out alone and if were forced too, I would bring a friend or family member with me. It’s hard to say whether I would handle things differently. I am a woman, I am not African American and I don’t feel I can ever relate to what Staples went through but since we cannot change the stereotypes of society, we must change ourselves as a person to not let these situations make us into a bitter person, and our reaction to situations like this.

LAN-Based Voting System

3.0 Employee Registration System for Mustang Security Agency Inc. The proposed system was used to correct the deficiency that the manual filing process has. The system gives an accurate result. It also provides printable information of the employees and also on their previous assigned companies.3.1 System Overview The following were the different modules of the proposed system and its capabilities with regards to registration process.Registration Module This module allows the staff of the HR to register the new applied security guard.Client Module This module allows the HR to register the companies that asking for their service.Employee Track Record Module This module allows the HR to save the employment record of the security guards on their assigned companies.3.2 System Objectives The following were the different deliverables that the system had: Provided an accurate search result.The proposed system has a module that gave an exact result when it comes in searching employee informa tion.Printable Employee Information The employee registration system generates a printable employee information.Every employee has unique employee ID The system provided a unique employee ID for easily tracking of records.The System has image capturing The system had a image capturing features for easily identifying the employees.3.3 System Scope and Limitations The system was bounded with different deliverables that defined the scope and limitations of the system.The system included the following functions: Printable Employee InformationThe system can print the information and employment track records of theemployees..Image Capturing Features The system used an image capturing features to identify the employees easily.The system doesn’t cover the attendance monitoring and payroll of the employees it only serves as registration system to easily find files of the employees.3.4 Physical Environment Resources The following were the different physical resources to be used in the development of the proposed system.Hardware Specification The following were the different hardware used both in the development and implementation of the proposed system.Computer Server 1 GB memory Webcam Switch/Router UTP cablesSoftware Specification The system used several softwares both for the development and implementation of the system.Visual Basic 6.0 This software was used for the main design of the system interface.Microsoft Access This software was used for the database of the system.3.5 Architectural DesignThe researchers used different architectural designs in both developing and in implementing the proposed system. These designs helped the researchers in coming up with an accurate a reliable system. The Dataflow Diagram was used to identify the different flows of data in every process of the system in order to come up with an accurate result. This diagram was used to depict the main flow of the system which was used to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed system. En tity Relationship Diagram (ERD) was used to determine the relationship between entities and database attributes.This was used to  identify the data needed in the database and the different primary keys and foreign keys. The Data Dictionary was used to identify the different data structures needed in the database. These data allowed the researchers in properly normalizing the database and in designing the database accurately. System flowchart was used to determine the overview of the system’s flow, the different reports and different output displayed that verifies it with the data flow diagram.4.0 Design and ImplementationAfter the researchers gathered pertinent data and used several instruments, the development of the proposed system was done accurately and correct. The data flow diagram was used to guide the researchers in identifying the main flow of the data. The respondents were asked to accurately input data to the system particularly with. This was a common problem wi th manual entry of employee information. The system was developed using a carefully designed entity relationship diagram, it was considered as the back-bone of the system.The database structure followed as specified to guarantee the accuracy of data during entry. The researchers followed what was specified. During the completion of the system, it was tested to identify if the needs and set deliverables were met. The main problem that the researchers had encountered in the system was the integration of the webcam device.

Challenges Facing Public Schools Essay

The fundamental purpose of education is to gain knowledge, inculcate the forms of proper conduct and acquire technical competency, (Oak, 2010). These skills and abilities are considered important in our world so as to have socio-economic growth and development individually and in the community. Goel (2007) observes that it is because education is so important that the US Department of Education aims to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Thus in countries such as the US, children who may not be able to afford the cost of schooling can access education in public educational institutions subsidized by the government. Though noble, the concept of public education unfortunately has a number of fundamental challenges that must be investigated for lasting solutions. These challenges are highlighted below, their problem statements and the arising hypotheses: Problem Statement 1 One of the greatest concerns in public schools is violence. Lede (2010) notes that violence in public schools is a growing concern of parents, teachers, school administrators, politicians and community leaders. Lede (2010) continues to observe that â€Å"many communities in the United States of America are faced with the dilemma of how to protect the integrity of the education by eliminating violent behavior among the school’s constituency and the environment where learning takes place. † What are the determinants of violence in public schools? What is the effect of parental involvement and violence in public schools? Is there any relationship between poor teacher training and violence in public schools? Hypothesis Economic and social issues are affiliated with violence in public schools. Parental socialization at the home front influences students’ propensity to violence in public schools. Teacher training does not impact on the existence of violence in public schools. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The statements and hypotheses in this research would assist the researcher in investigating the problem of violence in public schools and begin to explore solutions that address the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms of the problem Problem statement 2  Another one of the core challenges faced by public educational institutions is that of insufficient funds. By virtue of the fact that public schools depend on the government to meet their budgets, more often than not, the schools find themselves without enough money to carry out their activities. What is the effect of lack of sufficient funding on the quality education in public schools? What is the effect of programme prioritization on budget management in public schools? What are other sources of funding that can be explored to ensure constant funding of public schools programmes? Hypothesis Lack of sufficient funds compromises on the quality education offered in public schools. Budget rationalization can be successfully achieved through programme prioritisation of the programmes at public schools. Diversification of the sources of funding to meet budgetary needs at public schools has ensured sustainability of the schools’ programmes. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research A research on this issue would ensure that sustainable solutions to budgetary constraints are met that translate to operational efficiency (Maguad, 2007) and a high quality of education is constantly high in public schools. Problem statement 3 Public institutions of learning are faced by the problem of low or no parental involvement. Since many of the students in public schools come from middle and working classes in which both parents have to earn a living to sustain the families, it is rare that the parents find time to be actively involved in their children’s school life. What is the effect of parental involvement on student achievement in public schools? What is the correlation between parental aspirations and expectations for their children and student achievement in public schools? Do parents give away the right to educate their children when they place them in public schools? Hypothesis A student’s performance is influenced by his/her parents’ interest and participation in his school work. Parental aspiration and expectation for children determines the achievements of the children in school. Parents of children in public schools forfeit any right to determine what or how their children are educated. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The research would find out whether parents have an active role to play in their children’s well being for assured achievement in school. The issue of parental involvement could also form the basis of understanding other challenges facing public schools such as student violence (Alliance for the Separation of School & State, 2008). In conclusion, public educational institutions experience many challenges ranging from budgetary constraints, student violence and low parental involvement. Much research needs to be done to establish why these problems exist in the first place and lasting solutions for these institutions.

Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay

To the fascist artist, his or her own art is merely a vessel that encapsulates his or her own socially-motivated beliefs. The works of Yukio Mishima and Leni Riefenstahl, for instance, embody the essence of their individual nationalities at the height of their individual careers—nationalities that might transcend origin and geography, yet extol   culture, tradition, ritual and society.   Mishima and Riefenstahl exhibit incredible parallelism in their works. Mishima, in his short story Patriotism, describe the human form with such detail and meticulousness reminiscent of Riefenstahl’s style in her 1930’s films. Much like Riefenstahl’s The Last of the Nuba, the naked body is depicted as a means of fascist iconography—the body, perfect and pure in its own way, merges with a bigger community of bodies of like characteristics (Evans 31). Susan Sontag’s treatise on the works of Riefenstahl, Fascinating Fascism, breaks down the latter’s appreciation and fascination of the strong and beautiful Nuba figure as examples of Nazi ideology corresponding to the idea of aesthetics for fascists. Sontag writes, â€Å"Riefenstahl’s portrait of them evokes some of the larger themes of Nazi ideology: the contrast between the clean and the impure, the incorruptible and the defiled, the physical and the mental, the joyful and the critical (par. 27).† This description is echoed in Mishima’s Patriotism, when the lead character Takeyama decides to commit seppuku—ritual suicide by disembowelment—as an act of redemption from the dishonor incurred when his comrades formed alliances with the mutineers.   Mishima’s imagery of Takeyama and his wife Reiko’s preparations for the ritual, as well as the metaphors he uses in describing the couple’s physical forms conveys a fascination for perfection and beauty a la Riefenstahl—remarkable symbols of fascist iconography, as Sontag would consider. In its own effect, Takeyama, Reiko and the Nuba become examples of the â€Å"master race†, where everyone is beautiful, strong, and does not age (Trimborn & McCown 256). Mishima and Riefenstahl’s works are also parallel in such that their depictions of death are detailed, beautiful and almost enthralling.     In Patriotism, death in is portrayed as a reward, a happy and celebrated ceremony that requires the utmost preparation. In the Nuba culture, death is a central event, along with fighting. In the Japanese culture, as evidenced by Mishima’s paramount detail in describing Takeyama’s death, death is a way for one to demonstrate his or her enduring loyalty and nationalism to the Imperial system. Death in both Mishima and Riefenstahl’s works surpass life’s merriest events—birth, marriage, love—at times besting even life itself. Mishima writes, â€Å"All around, vastly and untidily, stretched the country for which he grieved. He was to give his life for it. But would that great country, which he was prepared to remonstrate to the extent of destroying himself take the slightest heed of his death? He did not know; and not matter (par. 63).† Takeyama’s examination of self not only mirrors the authors suggestions of his own death wish, it also echoes the sentiments of those under the spell of a fascist ideology—their so-called patriotism—that converts their idea of nationhood as something not only territorial, but equally and incredibly spiritual. The young lieutenant and his bride chose their own death by seppuku, which may be seen as either an honorable and extremely devout approach, or as a self-destructive and deadly consequence of their fanaticism. Mishima unintentionally diverts the reader’s attention from this concept with his alluring illustrations of fascist ideals and concepts, again reminiscent of Riefenstahl’s imagery in her Nazi films. Sontag would consider it an absolute expression of fascist art, in the sense that it â€Å"glorifies surrender, exalts mindlessness, and glamorizes death (par. 36).† Above everything, Mishima verifies in his work and own life the burden that comes with the duty to abide by cultural tradition—duty can be all in one beautiful or ugly, life or death. Works Cited Evans, Mark. Movement Training for the Modern Actor. London, UK: Taylor and Francis,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008. Mishima, Yushio. â€Å"Patriotism.† Trans. Geoffrey W. Sargent. Mutantfrog Travelogue. 27   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 2009. Sontag, Susan. â€Å"Fascinating Fascism. â€Å" University of California Santa Barbara. 27 June 2009.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trimborn, Jurgen & McCown, Edna. Leni Riefenstahl: A Life. New York: MacMillan, 2007.

A Research on the Changes Brought by Title IX on Sports and Society

A Research on the Changes Brought by Title IX on Sports and Society A Nation Changer: How Title IX has changed sports and society Oftentimes when people think of what has changed this nation’s foundations, they think of the Civil Rights Movement and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Not many people think about a piece of legislation passed in 1972 that prohibits participation, denied benefits, and discrimination based on sex in any education program receiving federal financial aid. This keystone piece in our history is called Title IX and has been under the microscope of scrutiny for nearly four decades, and to be honest, it should not be such the controversial subject it is. [NT1] When people think of Title IX, they often associate it with collegiate athletics. People think that way because they are not aware that it includes academics, support services, clubs, and so on. As a society we have unfortunately become glued to ESPN that we forget there is more to life than who beat the New York Yankees or what NFL superstar got arrested. The Women’s Sports Foundation revealed in a question-answer article that despite the ongoing claims and litigation brought to court by individuals and parents, more people are becoming more accepting of this law, signifying a major shift in society’s views of women in sports (â€Å"Title IX†). We as a society should not need this law, although important, to ensure gender equity. Instead, we should view men and women as equals. Title IX has expanded beyond the athletic fields and courts, beyond what society thinks it only deals with, and is now a major issue in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Since its enactment, women have become empowered and passionate about changing the society’s view of their sex across the board. Take one look at the last presidential election. The United States of America almost had for the first time in history, a female vice president in Sarah Palin. Even more so, look at who is running the State of North Carolina: Beverly Perdue. I found out from the Women’s Sports Foundation website that in order to be compliant with Title IX, a school must pass two parts of a three-part analysis. The first part is to provide athletic participation slots significantly proportionate to total student enrollment. The second part is that federally-funded institutions must show ongoing commitment to athletic opportunity expansion of the underrepresented sex, and lastly, the third part of the compliance analysis is accommodating the underrepresented sex’s interests and abilities (â€Å"Title IX†). I myself have been involved in athletics as a student-equipment manager for about a decade now. I am also majoring in Sport Management with a concentration in Athletic Administration at Western Carolina University. I am familiar with how Title IX works in an athletic department as a result of my curricula. To put the analysis in laymen’s terms, I will use Western Carolina University as an example. There are a total of 287 athletes, 111 being female and 176 being male. That equates to 39 percent and 61 percent respectively. The student body enrollment is 9,429; 56 percent being female and 44 percent being male. Western would not comply with this prong (proportionality test) because the percentages are outside the three percent â€Å"give or take† range. The expansion of athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex prong is commonly referred to as a temporary compliance fix because a school can only use it for so long before they must switch to another prong. Western uses this prong as well as the third prong, the third by including athletic surveys in their admission application. When a student applies for admission, they must list sports they would be interested in playing. This satisfies the third prong of the compliancy test. For the longest time Title IX was only enforced in educational programs and those related. When lawmakers realized that athletic departments are also a part of the educational institution that is when the water really began to boil. One of the most significant examples in history of protesting athletic changes in favor of Title IX is the story of Chris Ernst and the Yale University’s women’s rowing team.[NT2] A member of the 1982 Olympic rowing team, Mary Mazzio produced in 1999, â€Å"A Hero for Daisy†. Figure 1 is a vivid shot of what the young girls did in the Yale AD’s office. According to Mazzio’s film and Ernst’s narrative, it was 1976 when the actual events took place, but the legend lives on: nineteen young women rowers wrote â€Å"Title IX† on their chests and backs and walked into the Yale athletic director’s office and stripped to their waists, revealing the phrase while Ernst read a statement. Before this protest, the women would have to come in after a grueling, sometimes cold, wet practice, and take cold showers. After the protest, the AD put showers in the women’s locker room and the entire story was all over the news†¦all across the country (â€Å"Hero†). [NT3] The main theme behind this film is the girls wanted to stop being treated as inferior to the men and have appropriate shower and locker room facilities. I saw scenes of the women having to get on the bus back to campus with frozen hair the showers were so inadequate. Several of the team members also became ill as a result of to not being abl e to take care of themselves properly. [NT4] Quite simply, the women were fed up with being treated as underdogs to the men and decided to stand up for what they believed was right. In my opinion, these women changed sports and without a doubt, society as well. The result of Chris Ernst’s actions undoubtedly made national news. Of all national broadcasting agencies to put this film on the airwaves was ESPN. The media is the largest form of intelligence transportation known to mankind. Both at Penn State University, Marie Hardin, an associate professor in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, and Erin Whiteside, a student pursuing a doctoral degree in the College of Communications, wrote an article in Newspaper Research Journal titled â€Å"Sports Reporters Divided Over Concerns about Title IX.† The article shows in a series of charts that although most sports journalists are acquainted with Title IX, their beliefs towards the law and homosexual athletes varies according to their own gender and amount of circulation (Hardin 1). Figure 2 gives clear gender-specific views of Title IX and sports: As you can tell from this chart, there is a higher percentage of men that think Title IX has hurt men’s sports than not. Women have a converse view, reporting that they think Title IX has not hurt men’s sports. Again with the second question, more men think that Title IX is just fine the way it is, and a large majority of the women interviewed still think it should be amended. It is a classic example of gender bias; People in this field tend to vote for their own gender no matter what is ethically right in the eyes of society. The media is just as bad, if not the worst, at being fair when it comes to publishing stories on women’s athletics. Hardin and Whiteside’s article states, â€Å"Studies have consistently found that women are positioned as less interesting and capable through both the quantity and quality of coverage. Furthermore, the lack of newspaper coverage devoted to girls’ and women’s sports does not reflect their participation rates, and editors have cited ‘lack of interest’ to justify these decisions† (Hardin 2). Unfortunately, people read more stories about the achievements of male athletes than female. Here’s a classic example: look at how many articles have been written about Shaun White, a professional snowboarder who has only recently made headlines with a spectacular performance at the Winter X Games, and Jamie Anderson, the female equivalent – with not quite the spectacular performance. I said Jamie Anderson and people probab ly had no idea who I was referring to because they did not see her name in quite as many articles explaining how great of a snowboarder she is. I would not say that it is an overall lack of interest in sports amongst females; I think one could unfortunately fault sports journalism for being bias. This biasness among sports journalism is an institutional norm; â€Å"Individuals who choose to resist those institutional norms by supporting women’s sports, for instance, can be ostracized† (Hardin 4). So if I choose to be a sports journalist and chose to go against the common grain of coverage and write about people like Jamie Anderson, I would be considered an outcast. An outcast for doing what I believe is the right thing to do, promoting the achievements of women in athletics. At least that is the mindset of sports journalism more often than not. Title IX is a law seeking to turn the tables of that popular notion. I know that one female in particular used Title IX in her favor and changed the way sports journalism views women. It was Chris Ernst, and when her complaint made the headlines, you can bet it impacted society. The general public might think, â€Å"Title IX sure does seem bias towards women.† They would be right; Title IX is directed more toward providing athletic opportunities for women. Steven Rhoads brings up in his article â€Å"Sports, sex, and Title IX† that this law is supposedly anti-discriminatory, when in fact it is just the opposite. Title IX fails to mention is that in order for institutions to be compliant with the law, some programs dedicated to male involvement must be cut, namely non-revenue earning sports. Take for example wrestling. Each of the three weight classes has a certain number of participants in them; call it twenty for easy math. That brings the grand total to sixty wrestlers. Since wrestling in most schools is not considered a huge ticket sell, it is often dropped due to Title IX requirements. That means sixty young men cannot go after a passion because of a law that tries to get more females active in sports. Rhoads also points out that based on t he interest prong of the compliancy analysis, it is hard to determine what females are interested in. Moreover, he explains that the psychology behind females in sports is much different than males in sports. Males have natural tendency to expend their testosterone-born aggression and competitiveness through sport. Males also make more friendships through involvement in sports. Even a benchwarmer on a football team feels he is a part of the team merely by cheering and being there for his team. Females on the other hand, when they feel they will be cut or see potential for arguments, they quit the team (Rhoads). So going back to the interest prong, could one argue that we are wasting time trying to figure out athletic opportunities for women by doing surveys when they may quit a team at first sign of struggle? Have you ever wondered how the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) schools fare in regard to Title IX? These are schools where the outcomes of football and men’s basketball games make headlines more often than academic research. According to â€Å"Part†, â€Å"Charles Kennedy is a senior instructor of political science at Penn State – York. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer, director of Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Action Center, and assistant to West Virginia’s Secretary of State† (â€Å"Part†). Kennedy came up with a playoff system explained in his article â€Å"Part† to determine compliancy using other factors other than the commonly-used three prong test. His variables come from a 2004 Chronicle of Higher Education gender equity study: participation, scholarships, coaching salaries, and operating expenses. The participation test is quite simple; the number of female student-athletes should be proportionate to the percent age of women in the student body. The scholarship variable is governed by the Office of Civil Rights and mandates that â€Å"colleges must award the same proportions of aid to female athletes as there are women participating in varsity sports. The proportion is to be within one percentage point† (â€Å"Part† 52). Two variables not included in Title IX are coaching salaries and operating expenses. I do believe that coaching salaries should be proportionate and fair because it makes the women coaches just as equal as the men coaches. Although operating expenses are not covered under Title IX, they are of concern with the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act in that the EADA does mandate how much of an athletic budget must be reserved for women’s teams (â€Å"BCS† 53). In Kennedy’s analysis, the BCS Champion of Title IX was Ohio University, outlasting Stanford University 3-1 with individual statistics* of participation (-10.7: 0.0), scholarship (2.55:1. 96), coaching salaries (40.9:38.0) and lastly operating expenses (41.7:39.2). A cheist at the Naval Research Laboratory, Debra Rolison, has done Title IX protesting in the form of holding discussions nationwide in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – STEM – disciplines. [NT5] In an interview report by Toni Feder[NT6] , Rolison feels that these departments should have to maintain a balance of male and female doctorate positions. According to a report given by the Congressional Subcommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, if we want to have better educated graduating classes coming out of our universities and colleges, we need to open the door of recruiting and accepting women in the educational workplace more (Feder). [NT7] Julie Walters is an assistant professor of political science at Oakland University and Connie L. McNeely is a faculty member of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. Together they wrote an article addressing gender equity in the STEM fields as well. They shed light on how little Title IX has been discussed in the realm of academics, when in fact academics is probably the more important subject to be discussed than athletics. Women are less inclined to go into STEM fields because â€Å"while both males and females are equally committed to academic careers, women’s higher turnover has been highly correlated with dissatisfaction and lower levels of research support, fewer advancement opportunities, intellectual constraints, and heavier teaching and service workloads† (Walters 1). If that is not sexual discrimination in the workplace, please tell me what is. It is completely unfair to shove more work onto women as retribution for trying to advance in their career. Universities exalt the male by allowing them easier course loads and giving them advancement opportunities quicker than females. I am not a feminist by any means, but I do know where to draw an ethical line, and what some universities do is plainly unethical and purely discriminatory. The worst part of it is that â€Å"an institution may attempt to defend itself by claiming, for example, that all such work is â€Å"voluntary,† but a question arises in the definition of â€Å"voluntary† in practice and application† (Walters 9). Just when people think the institution is the terrible person, take a look at the federal government; â€Å"In 1996, Congress cut or eliminated funding for state Title IX coordinators, and in 2003, cut funding for the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 1965, which provided grants in aid in promoting gender equity in educational environments† (Walters 9). What that last quote is saying is Congress basically said that f unding Title IX is no longer important. Schools nationwide need those coordinators to make sure the school is in compliance, and all of a sudden Congress says, â€Å"Gender equity is no longer a big deal to us.† You can bet that Congressional ruling impacted society and quite a few athletic departments. In a report by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, statistics are showing that females are making significant strides in the academic field. According to the report, â€Å"In the last 10 years, the number of girls taking the AP Calculus AB exam has increased nearly 60% and the number of girls taking the AP Physics B exam more than doubled during the same period†¦ And, in 2007, half of the 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search were girls† (â€Å"Science†). Even with a major law in place, women still see the cold shoulder; â€Å"unsupportive classroom environments, a limited peer group and outdated pedagogy; and women scientists and engineers earn less and advance slower than men in both academia and the private sector† (â€Å"Science†). In my opinion, we should accept women and girls not for just beauty, but for the amount of intelligence and other talent they have. In our dismal economy, we cannot afford to be discrimina tory against women, or toward any sexual orientation for that matter. We need the most qualified individuals in the positions, and if the most qualified are women, so be it. Continuing on with the STEM fields, the United States National Aeronautic and Space Administration – NASA – has their own policies on Title IX. NASA grants federal money to universities and other educational institutions for research and development. Since this aid is federal, it makes the entire organization subject to compliance checks. The â€Å"prong† analysis I mentioned earlier does not apply here as much as it does in athletics, but one could argue that the money should be allocated evenly amongst the affected programs. I found out that NASA does conduct random but forewarned interviews and tests among schools that received grants. In comparison to the NCAA punishment policies, NASA is fairly lenient, only bringing down hefty sanctions when the school fails to voluntarily comply[NT8] (NASA).[NT9] In conclusion, I hope that this explanation has left you, the reader, with a better understanding of how Title IX has impacted sports and society. I can only imagine what society was like before Title IX, and I am thankful that we have it today and for the future. Many generations to come will benefit not just in athletics, but in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Without a doubt, the people with passion for reforming society, namely Chris Ernst and people like Debra Rolison, are making the world a more balanced society.

The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits Essay

The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits - Essay Example Corporate social responsibility, a term used to describe a the way in which a corporation operates in regard to the community and environment in which it resides and the ethical and moral standards in which it conducts business; is quickly becoming an increasingly important issue as consumers are holding corporations progressively more accountable for their methods of business practices and operations. With today's current global economy, corporations can no longer operate on the level of autonomy that was once common. This is evidenced in the increasing decentralization of the traditional corporate hierarchy that is becoming more common in corporations across the nation. Costlo has been a leader in the empowerment of its' employees. The team environment has attributed to company's' many success including the current high level of employee efficiency and morale. Regardless of these positive aspects of Costlos' corporate environment, the net losses posted for the last two quarters denotes a need for fiscal policy and business model change while attempting to maintain its' current level of stakeholder confidence. As the fifth largest retailer in Over the years, the topic of corporate social responsibility has been gaining ground both in popularity and importance. The traditional Friedman or shareholder view of a corporations' only role in social responsibility is to "use its resources to engage in activities designed to increase its' profits" (Friedman 1970) in itself may be narrow though it is nonetheless true. While earning and increasing profits will always be the basis of success for any business Friedman's belief that ""business" as a whole cannot be said to have responsibility" (Friedman 1970) is becoming increasingly outdated. More importantly, the public perception of corporations is becoming ever more important. Cutting costs by decreasing employee benefits and enacting salary freezes may temporarily increase the company's net profits, it would do irreparable damage to employee morale as well as public perception of the company, possibly alienating our current consumer base. In the long term, this will negatively a ffect profits considerably. Costlo's achievement of becoming the fifth largest retailer in the United States was done so with virtually no marketing. Highlighting the corporations' continued dedication to its' employees and to the communities in which its' stores operate through advertising, is an ideal way to promote a positive public perception. This will serve as a way to build brand name recognition as well as lure back former customers that may have strayed to competitors. Given the current decline in profits, the initial start-up costs for this marketing strategy may further drive profits down in the short-term. These objections by investors, while justified, are short sighted and it should be noted that not looking toward the long-term as a measure of success as well, is just as short sighted. The fact that corporations can be profitable while maintaining Corporate Social Responsibility 3 corporate social responsibi