Global Awareness on AIDS Essay

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by HIV, a virus that can be passed from person to person through sexual fluids blood and breast milk. Worldwide the majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sex between men and women, and half of all adults living with HIV are women. Certain groups of people have been particularly affected and these include injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men. Slave trade has been an ongoing business interaction between multiple countries during the last century and has allowed the HIV virus to be spread internationally. Although HIV and AIDS are found in all parts of the world, some areas are more afflicted than others. The worst affected region is sub-Saharan Africa, where in a few countries more than one in five adults is infected with HIV. The epidemic is spreading most rapidly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the number of people living with HIV increased by 250 percent between 2001 and 2010. Many Western countries, such as the UK, have increasing rates of HIV transmission through heterosexual sex. In America, where more than a million people are living with HIV, heterosexual sex accounts for one third of new diagnoses. (Averting HIV and AIDS, 2011) Although it is known how to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, too few people have access to the necessary services. With access to prevention tools such as HIV education, condoms, clean needles, and programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission the epidemic is improving in some countries. (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2014) Political and cultural attitudes are significant regarding prevention: for example some authorities are opposed to condom promotion, while others refuse to support needle exchanges for injecting drug users. Many are reluctant to provide young people with adequate education about sex and sexual health. Another very serious issue is discrimination. People known to be living with HIV are often shunned or abused by community members, employers and even health workers. As well as causing much personal suffering, this sort of prejudice discourages people from seeking HIV testing, treatment and care, undermining efforts to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS. As recently as the 1970s, people were not aware of this deadly illness. Since then the global HIV/AIDS epidemic has become one of the greatest threats to human health and development. During this time research has been performed internationally regarding the science of HIV and AIDS, as  well as how to prevent and treat the disease. In 2011, an estimated16.8 billion dollars was spent on research, prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS in the United States alone, and 26 billion dollars internationally. (Sidibe, 2012) There is still no cure for HIV but HIV treatment has improved enormously since the mid-1990s. HIV-positive people who take a combination of antiretroviral drugs can expect to recover their health and live for many years without developing AIDS, as long as they keep taking the drugs every day. References: Averting HIV and AIDS. (2011, June). Retrieved from avert.org. Center of Disease Control and Prevention. (2014, January 7). Retrieved from www.cdc.gov. Sidibe, M. (2012). UNAIDS Executive Director. UNAIDS, 6-12.

Conventions, The Skull Beneath The Skin

P.D. James claims to have used â€Å"the well worn conventions of the mystery to subvert them, stretch them, use them to say something true about characters, about men and women and the society in which they live† in her book ‘The Skull Beneath the Skin'. She sought out to rewrite the ‘cosy' style and she achieved this by challenging the traditional conventions. The Skull Beneath the Skin’ is almost a hybrid text because it is Contemporary but also blends classic ‘cosy’ style conventions with hard-boiled characteristics. Firstly, the fact that James has made the detective female is a significant subversion, it conveys the changing times in which it was written, 1982. During this time, roles of women and their social roles and barriers were changing rapidly, and this is reflective in the novel. As well as challenging the role of women in society another obvious challenge to the genre of crime writing is the denouement is not performed at the end of the novel, as is usually the case for many traditional ‘cosy' novels, but is instead closer to the middle crisis and unravelling of the case. Cordelia does not perform the resolution herself and no other guests are present during its unfolding. Instead, Ambrose undertakes the denoument, much to the embarrassment and fallibility of Cordelia. Other slight subversions of the genre include the fact that Cordelia Gray has an uneasy past and she lacks the intellectual capacity of the traditional cosy detective and the isolated setting at Sir Ambrose Gorringe's Victorian castle is a convention of the cosy but the blending of the cosy with the gothic genre challenges the norm for crime writing. On the other hand occasionally a convention was seen to be adhered too which is often hard to avoid. In the Skull beneath the Skin Society is left unstable, as Ambrose was never put behind bars. The killings weren’t really justified by the characters, or justified in a way we could understand as normal people. This convention holds true to Contemporary Crime Fiction.

Fraud And Cyber Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fraud And Cyber Terrorism - Research Paper Example Fraud prevention includes acts such as scheming corporate fraud policies, introducing internal audit departments, implementing internal controls and whistle-blower systems. The strategic method of fraud is an efficient technique to detect and illustrate both known and unidentified frauds. When implemented proactively to identify unknown fraud, it depicts laser-like precision that allows for much more efficient investigation. (Sanjay Goel. 2010). Cyber terrorism threat Cyber terrorism is the act of illegally accessing computers and information chiefly via the internet to create physical harm or severe disturbance of infrastructure. Cyber terrorism could scholarly be defined as â€Å"The premeditated use of disruptive activities, or the threat thereof, against computers and/or networks, with the intention to cause harm or further social, ideological, religious, political or similar objectives or to intimidate any person in furtherance of such objectives.† Efforts of dealing with cyber terrorism Agencies that deal with fraud such as Interpol and the FBI are doing a great job in fighting against cyber terrorism. Interpol in its part is assisting all the member countries and training their personnel to equip themselves with the current trends and forms of fighting cyber terrorism. The Council of Europe Convention on Cyber Crime, which is the first international treaty for fighting against computer crime, is the product of a 4 years work by experts from the 45 member and non-member states that include Japan, USA and Canada. The treaty has already imposed after its endorsement by Lithuania on 21st of March 2004. (Achkoski, J., & Dojchinovski, M. 2011) How to try to avoid cyber terrorism With the ever changing trends in the cyber technology sector, there are no foolproof methods to protect a system. To say that you have a completely secure system, then it means that it can never be accessed by anyone. Even in most military set up, top secret information is kept on servers with no outside connection as a form of deterrence of cyber terrorism. Another common way that cyber terrorism can be avoided apart from such isolation is encryption. The wide spread use of encryption is repressed by most states ban on its exportation thus its intercontinental communication is left somewhat unsecured. (Kapodistria, H., & Christos D. 2011) Other internet users tend to encourage the use of firewalls to screen all communications to a system including e-mail messages, which may carry â€Å"logic bombs.† Firewall is a somewhat generic phrase for methods of filtering admittance to a network. Firewalls tend to define the services and access that is allowed to each user. Judicial repercussions on cyber threats   Since the Internet "is a cooperative venture not owned by a single entity or government, there are no centralized rules or laws governing its use?† The lack of geographical restrictions may give rise to a state of affairs where an act that may be deemed legal in one country turns out to be illegal in the other. (Jewkes, Y., & Yar, M. 2010). In general, most internet users tend to relate to the following "theories" under which a country may assert regulatory jurisdiction: (a) A country may assert jurisdiction based on "objective territoriality" when an illegal activity occurs within the country. (b) A country may assert jurisdiction based on the nationality of the wrong doer. (c) A country may assert jurisdiction based on the right to defend the nation's sovereignty when faced with terrorization acknowledged as serious in the international community. Conclusion The predicament of cyber terrorism and fraud is involves many

Contemp poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Contemp poetry - Essay Example For many contemporary poets, Wordsworth remains an inspiration as they continue to investigate their own feelings of loss and aging. However, they necessarily approach the subject from a more contemporary viewpoint that has only become more abstracted and disorganized with the increased speed of modern life. These ideas can be traced through the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, Frank O’Hara and Rae Armantrout. Elizabeth Bishop employs imagery of the modern world to highlight the loss of youth and loneliness that she finds in the contemporary madness of everyday life. For example, although â€Å"Filling Station† is a playful exchange exploring synonyms, she uses the everyday image of a backwater gas station to investigate ideas of deterioration, loss of beauty and the feeble attempts of someone to cling to the pure. Everything within the filling station is â€Å"oil-soaked, oil-permeated / to a disturbing, over-all / black translucency† (3-5) which is only interrupted by a small stack of colorful comic books that â€Å"lie / upon a big dim doily / draping a taboret† (23-25). The metaphysical question, â€Å"Why, oh why, the doily?† (30) emphasizes the sense of lost meaning that is embodied in the presence of something beautiful in this world of aged mechanics. While the sense of self is represented in the presence of the doily and the small plant near it, it is nearly entirely subsumed by the oil and grease that permeates everything in the shop, turning all into a postmodern concept of cyborg automaton. The loneliness of the self is complicated by feelings of guilt and shame only acquired through the passage of time and loss in Bishop’s â€Å"Five Flights Up.† While the guilt permeates the poem, the memory of its cause does not make an appearance, indicating the inescapable nature of it in the new world. Any joy in the bird’s or the dog’s greeting for the new day is

The Federal Reserve Controls the American Economy Term Paper

The Federal Reserve Controls the American Economy - Term Paper Example It is obvious that the economy is all about managing finances, and since the Federal Reserve has oversight authority over the country’s financial administration it controls the entire economy. As a central bank, the Federal Reserve sets the rates for other commercial banks thus influencing the interest rates. Similarly, the Federal Reserve determines the circulation of money thus influencing inflation and flow of money. Through these two dynamic roles of the Federal Reserve, it is evident that the US economy lies directly in the hands of the Federal Reserve. Several developments in the US economy, like the great depression, have seen the augmentation of the evolution and transformation of the roles of the Federal Reserve. The congress developed three crucial goals regarding monetary policy in the Federal Act namely; utmost employment, constant prices, and reasonable long-term interest rates. To be relevant to the growing economic realities the roles of Federal Reserve have gro wn to include other areas like performing the nation's monetary policy, managing and regulating banking entities, maintaining the steadiness of the financial arrangement and offering financial services to reservoir organizations, the U.S. government, and abroad executive institutions. The Beige Book is a manual usually published by the Federal Reserve that contains research on various aspects of the US economy. Structure of the Federal Reserve System and Its Core Functions The federal system structure constitutes of governors selected by the president, Federal Open Market Committee, twelve local Federal Reserve Banks situated in main cities all over the nation, plentiful surreptitiously owned U.S. affiliate banks and assorted advisory committees (Willis 48). The FOMC is the board in charge of establishing monetary policy, which comprises all seven affiliates of the Board of Governors along with the twelve local bank heads. Nonetheless, simply five bank presidents take part in an ele ction at whichever time. The Federal Reserve System intention is to serve the purposes of both the broad public as well as clandestine bankers. The outcome is a structure that is painstakingly unique with central banks. Federal Reserve is further remarkable in that Department of the Treasury, an entity out of the central bank, makes the currency used. The Federal Reserve is independent, and its decision needs not to be approved by the executive or government. Hence, it base its mandate on laws ratified under which it operates with autonomy under congress oversight. However, the executive select the leaders of the Federal Reserve while the congress does the confirmation. The government has some control over the Federal Reserve because it sets the remuneration of the highest leaders of the system. All profits derived by the Federal Reserve System go to the government. Federal Reserve System and the US Economy The Federal Reserve has oversight authority on the American economy, therefo re, exercising overall control on the country’s economy (Meltzer 32-35). The functions of the Federal Reserve regard overall economic management. The Fed controls inflation in a manner that keeps recession at bay. Other significant roles of the Fed in US economy include supervision of the country’s banking system to cushion customers, maintaining steadiness of monetary markets and confine probable crises, and functioning as a

Messaging to Prepare for future challenges Essay

Messaging to Prepare for future challenges - Essay Example †¢Comparison and contrast the ways that the leader used messaging (communication) to institute MyBlueprint and prepare HCL Technologies and Axon for the acquisition Although such an approach was deemed as somewhat radical, the fact of the matter is that it allowed for the end reviews, high end management, to gain a more informed and realistic model of action with regards to what changes and development was necessary in helping to firm to engage in a further level of profitability for each component part and individual sector. This was useful due to the fact that it allowed the middle management to derive and achieve a level of accountability and honesty with regards to the processes and goals that they were ultimately responsible for; rather than merely putting forward talking points that would likely deviate from the root goals and endeavors that the firm sought to effect. What was noticed was that although such a process was radical and engendered a degree of risk, it nonethel ess was highly useful in providing a degree of oversight that was instrumental in detailing and establishing a baseline of performance with regards to any and all upcoming changes that could seek to promote further responsibility and profitability within the firm. With regards to Axon and the strategy that was employed as a result of the merger, this too differentiated itself from the approach that so many firms mistakenly make with respect to the way in which such a business marriage takes place. As such, rather than seeking to bring Axon directly in line with the directives that HCL Technologies had previously been operating under, they CEO determined that the best way in which to maximize the potential that could exist between the two was to seek to leverage an understanding of the fact that Axon was acquired due to the fact that it had the potential to maximize the relationship that the two firms could sustain working in a symbiotic relationship. What is meant by this is that Ax on was not acquired so that the two could behave in an identical manner; rather, the CEO came to the understanding that the firms, although now part of a singular entity, must continue to exhibit the key strengths that they had prior to being organized under one banner. Moreover, the weaknesses that the two firms exhibited must be approached from the baseline of understanding that these should be worked to be minimized without reducing the effectiveness that had formerly been exhibited by either entity. In such a manner, a differentiated and unique plan of management and standardization, as well as oversight, was required to be initiated to ensure that the synergy could be maximized without diminishing the overall competence that they formerly brought to bear. †¢Analyze the effectiveness of the internal and external messaging (communication) With regards to the effectiveness of the internal and external messaging (communication) that was utilized as a function of making the afo rementioned goals a reality, the CEO opted first and foremost to review the process in its entirety among fellow stakeholders (upper and middle management) as a means of targeting any weaknesses within the model that had formerly

Paramedic assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Paramedic assessment - Essay Example This results to the sound made by the blood as it forces its way through the vessel (Campbell, 2005, pp. 595). Narrowing of the blood vessels resulting in bruits could be a manifestation of high cholesterol deposits in the vessels thus inhibiting the proper flow of blood. Bruit could equally result from a generalized narrowing of all arteries in the body or because of narrowing of a specific blood vessel. Thinning of individual vessel is prominent especially when it involves a major vessel (Hui, 2011, pp. 60). In the event of a bruit, there is a resultant inhibition of flow of blood to some of the vital organs of the body. Blockage of blood supply to organs like the brain, the kidneys, heart and the liver could result in a permanent damage to the system or even death (Aboyans & Lacroix 2008, pp. 1554). According to Evans et al. (2013, pp. 594), Paramedics have a crucial role to play in the event of a bruit, as the condition is very significant to the profession. Due to the potentiality of the conditions resulting to a bruit causing a sudden death, paramedics must be vigilant in providing interventions like delivery of oxygen to patients experiencing bruits with the aim of providing maximum supply of oxygen to tissues and organs. Bruit demonstrates the significance of collaboration with other health care providers in giving a timely transfer of the patients to specialized care centers providing treatment for a condition resulting to a bruit (Mohler, 2006, pp. 224). Evans, R. et al., 2013. Which extended paramedic skills are making an impact in emergency care and can be related to the UK paramedic system? A systematic review of the literature. Emergency medicine journal†¯: EMJ,

Health Care Cost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Care Cost - Essay Example Employers can offer discount medicine programs, which trim down prescription costs. They can also offer education with reference to the emergency room so that workers can have the knowledge of the existence of urgent-care institutions within pharmacies and stores, along with physician hotlines available 24/7 that they can utilize resourcefully than visiting the ER each time their families or them experience minor symptoms (Wyman, 2012). Employers can have a proper incentive design that directs workers to choices that have the lowest-cost first to reward excellent purchasing conduct that is vital to price containment. Employers can shop for insurance because they get the chance to shift carriers one third of the moment in time. Employers can offer to pay for workers’ wellness such as online healthiness risk evaluations and blood reports since they save on some cash and teach them on their healthiness, make them conscious of apprehensions and inspire them to live better lives. Employers can utilize brokers who are experts in healthcare and has the aptitude to look for methods to support the company and workers while offering pioneering initiatives and applications for newfangled technology (Wyman,

Poor staff recruitment at Qatar Airways Research Paper

Poor staff recruitment at Qatar Airways - Research Paper Example Qatar Airways is a major competitor in the global airline industry. The firm’s success in the global market has been highly related to the quality of its customer services. However, it seems that in the future the firm will have to face severe challenges as of its recruitment process. Up today, the firm’s recruitment process has been quite simple, incorporating two key phases: a recruitment event and an interview. The firm arranges recruitment events of 3 different types: for cabin crew positions, for flight deck crew positions and for other positions in general. The review of the firm’s recruitment process in regard to all the above positions leads to the following assumption: the recruitment process of the organization is quite simple, not securing the identification of appropriately skilled candidates. Indeed, as described in the firm’s website the recruitment process of the firm consists the following sub-processes: the candidate who is interested in a pplying for a particular position comes to one of the firm’s recruitment events; the candidate needs to be appropriately dressed and have a CV. In each recruitment event, candidates meet the firm’s HR managers and give their CVs. At the next level, successful candidates are asked to pass an interview. However, no reference is made to the firm’s criteria in regard to the success of candidates in the first phase of the recruitment process, i.e. the recruitment event; also, the criteria for passing the interview are not mentioned. It seems that in the particular organizations HR managers are highly based on their own perceptions for evaluating the appropriateness of candidates for a particular position. In this way, the firm’s recruitment process can be negatively criticized, as of its failure in promoting diversity, equality and fairness.

Our position in Education is Cut Away Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Our position in Education is Cut Away - Essay Example 2.5 trillion budget eliminating dozens of politically sensitive domestic programs, including funding for education, to help meet his goal of shaving the budget deficit in half by 2009 (Allen & Baker, 2005). â€Å"The budget calls for 48 education program cuts totaling $4.3 billion, including $2.2 billion for high school programs, mostly state grants for vocational education. The budget would cut $440 million in Safe and Drug-Free School grants, $500 million in education technology state grants and $225 million for the Even Start literacy program according to the documents† (Allen & Baker, 2005). House Budget Committee Democrats said their analysis shows that the deficit will hit $495 billion in 2004, and will never go below $300 billion in the 2004-2013 period, reaching a total over the decade of $3.7 trillion. Rising federal deficits have triggered the need for the elimination of some monies for education (Federal Deficit, 2003). Vice President Dick Cheney defended the cuts a s measured. "I think youll find, once people sit down and have a chance to look at the budget, that it is a fair, reasonable, responsible, serious piece of effort,† he told Fox News Sunday. â€Å"The Administrations claim that it will cut the deficit in half by 2009 lacks credibility,† said a report released last week by House Budget Committee Democrats. â€Å"When the omitted items are included, along with the impact of making Bushs first-term tax cuts permanent, the report estimated that the government would rack up $6.1 trillion in deficit spending over the next decade† (Allen & Baker, 2005). Therefore, these numerous cuts in education spending in such key areas as vocational education, after school programs, family literacy programs and college support are being made ostensibly to reduce the federal deficit but are, in reality, having little effect on the deficit and a huge detrimental effect on the country’s population. In presenting his fiscal 2006 budget request to Congress,

Exploring South Africa Culture Essay Example for Free

Exploring South Africa Culture Essay There are many countries that display various types and forms of communication, especially in some countries of Africa. One of the most toured and â€Å"rainbow† diverse country in Africa is apparently South Africa. Even though most of the country is predominantly black, it is also known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. In fact, there are many different ethnic groups that make up the countries’ population in urban areas. Also, it explain black people of South Africa colonialism and immigration have brought in white Europeans, Indians, Indo-Malays, Chinese and many more. The best the thing to do is describe some of South African culture, customs, manners, etiquette, values in order to understand the people better. You may be going to South Africa on business, for a visit or even hosting South African colleagues or clients in your own country. Remember, this is only a very basic prologue and is not meant to stereotype all South Africans you may meet! South Africa can be described as a social community that has a various types of communicational style, depending on the ethnic group or maybe the area At the same time they value human politeness over materialism. People living in the city live their life in the fast lane, which affects their outlook. People from the city Johannesburg can quite often be regarded as having materialistic values, and being more concerned in what you own rather than who you are in general. They prefer to see themselves as urbane and their country cousins as less sophisticated. However, in rural areas family ties, long-term friendships and social standing are all important to South Africans. The many rural black communities and villages are still rooted in the traditions of their heritage, whereas the increasingly urban black community combines their roots with the urban environment and international influences that surround them. In order to be accepted by the majority of South African culture, you must first understand their customs. South Africans are openly expressive when it comes to their customs. In fact, some of the countries customs are related to the United States in a way. For instance, the United States and South African share similar greetings, the English language and attires. When trying to get to know someone, South Africans, regardless of ethnicity, prefer meeting and greeting someone face to face instead of impersonal communication like email, letter, or telephone. Greetings are unhurried and can include time for social conversations and the exchanging of them too. â€Å"Currently, there are several greeting styles in South Africa, depending upon the ethnic heritage of the person you are visiting. When dealing with foreigners, most South Africans shake hands while maintaining eye contact and smiling† (Kwintessential 2004). Some women of South Africa don’t like to shake hands, usually they will merely nod their head, so it is best to wait for a woman to extend her hand first. Men can also kiss a woman they know well on the cheek in place of a handshake; something like France. Gender can also play a role in communication in some parts of South Africa. Traditionally, South African women have held second-class status to men. African social structures are centered on men, leaving women powerless (Martinez,1). Basically this called â€Å"Patriarchal†. This is mainly the belief of social communities throughout the entire racial and ethnic population of South Africa. Women roles is to cook and be the caregivers instead the household providers. Sometimes there are women in South Africa who have to follow their husband around or cannot go anywhere without them. Some continue to follow their traditional values; mostly are tribes and those living in villages. Sadly, Patriarchal societies remain prevalent today in South Africa. Another form of the South African culture would be celebrations. There’s one event that is celebrated in the South Africa called the â€Å"Rainbow† Cuisine (Hill, 1). The Rainbow Cuisine is meaningful and traditional to the country. It brings all ethnicity and culture together by using music, dance, cultural food and turning it into a big festival; something like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl put together but bigger. In general, South Africans give gifts for birthdays and Christmas like Americans. However, South Africans only celebrate two main birthdays 21 and 40 while Americans celebrate 16, 18, 21, and 50. â€Å"Most South African’s birthdays are often celebrated with a large party in which a lavish gift is given† (Kwintessential 2004). It is common for several friends to contribute to this gift to help defray the cost. If you are invited to a South Africans home, bring flowers, good quality chocolates, or a bottle of good South African wine to the hostess (Kwintessential 2004). Wrapping a gift nicely shows extra effort. Gifts are opened when received. Just like the United States when you are invited to a South Africans household. A person must always arrive on time if invited to dinner. It’s considered very rude to show up late or don’t even show up to an invited dinner. Contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she would like you to bring a dish. Every guest have to be in casual wear or at least look presentable for other guest who are also invited and for the host as well. There are some ways to be appreciative of your host’s invite and that’s to offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. Most South Africans feel well respected when someone show kindness towards them and their family, especially over their food. Gentlemen can also get away with wearing jeans or shorts at a dinner, but they have to be pressed and not wrinkly. So before arriving to the dinner it is always a good idea to check with the hosts in advance. In the urban areas of South Africa, the casual is dressier than in other parts of the country so a person shouldn’t wear jeans or shorts unless you have spoken to the hosts. Now, there is some comparison with South Africa and the United States on some issues. One would be is how South Africa and the United States are conducting business ties with each other. Apparently, South Africans want to maintain agreeable working protocol relationships, so they shun confrontations. It is said that being imperative can help to develop mutual trust before negotiating with someone in business. Another rule in company’s or business negotiating it to never interrupt a South African while they are speaking. Interrupting can cause a huge fail between the buyer and seller, more over it can mess up business. South Africans strive for consensus and win-win situations. South Africans do not like bargaining over price, they believe in final decision- making. â€Å"Decision-making may be concentrated at the top of the company and decisions are often made after consultation with subordinates, so the process can be slow and protracted† (U. S. Library of Congress). However, in South Africa women today still have yet to attain advanced professional positions. If you send a woman, she must expect to encounter some condescending behavior and to be tested in ways that a male colleague would not. Women might have equal rights as men, however they are still treated unequally in higher business positions that’s ran mostly by men, like in the United States. South Africa and the United States are practicing friendlier connections in many areas. â€Å"More than 500 United States companies have more than US$5 billion in direct investments in South Africa in the mid-1990s, and trade between the two countries is increasing steadily† (U. S. Library of Congress). Despite the alleged disagreements in government between the two countries, they both learned to communicate and cooperate with each other by coming to verbal agreements on how business should be ran. South Africa can be an overall great experience for any tourist. Their culture can be easily understood by any ethnicity around the world. Hopefully South Africans will continue to expand traditions, culture, values, customs, and etiquettes in their country, despite diversity. The â€Å"Rainbow† nation will continue to shine their colors and will always be equally match to other countries, even the United States.

Comparing UK and US Gang Culture

Comparing UK and US Gang Culture Popular perceptions of gang activity are often based on sensationalized images created in the media. They vary from dramatic reports of â€Å"gangland† shootings to images of young men terrorizing the local neighborhood. Indeed, there are elements of gang culture that are criminal and threatening for the local population; however, gang culture is so complex that a single definition has yet to be agreed upon by social scientists. The primary issue of controversy is whether criminality is a central and causal. Thrasher’s (1927) pioneering study was the first to look at group processes and psychology of gang life. Through his study of 1,313 Chicago gangs, he concluded gangs are part of the psychological and group process of teenagers in economically deprived communities. He believed gangs are: group(s) originally formed spontaneously, and then integrated through conflict†¦.characterized by the following types of behavior: meeting face to face, milling, movement through space as a unit, conflict, and planning. The result†¦.is the development of tradition, unreflective internal structure, esprit de corps, solidarity, morale, group awareness, and attachment to a local territory. (pg 46) By the ‘50s and ‘60s, the popular view changed – the perception of gangs became one of fear and threat.. Miller (1975) and Klein (1971) published papers defining gangs as innately criminal. Miller’s pessimistic perspective is apparent in his classification of gangs as: â€Å"a group of recurrently associating individuals with identifiable leadership and internal organization, identifying with or claiming control over territory in the community, and engaging either individually or collectively in violent or other forms of illegal behavior† (pg 9). Miller was echoed by Klein (1971), who defined gangs as: â€Å"any denotable group of youngsters who†¦..recognize themselves as a notable group†¦. (and) have been involved in a sufficient number of delinquent incidents to call forth a consistent negative response from†¦..residents and/or law enforcement agencies† (pg 13) This theme was taken up by law enforcement agencies, and the idea of the gang as a part of the moral order of the community was subsequently gone. The sociological definition of gang was replaced by terms mainly useful to law enforcement, which are still used to this day. Brantley and DiRosa of the FBI (1994) describe gangs as groups of â€Å"individuals†¦..who associate on a continual basis for the purpose of committing criminal acts†. But other researchers maintain the Thrasher group process hypothesis. Moore argues against Miller and Kleins definitions, as she believes they are circular: the definitions include the very behaviour i.e. crime that they are trying to understand. Thrasher and Moores definitions differ significantly from Klein and Millers. Moore (1998) believes criminality is not inherent to gangs and views them instead as â€Å"unsupervised peer groups†¦socialized by the streets rather than by conventional institutions.† The debate continues, and the lack of agreement regarding the defining features of gangs has made consistent findings and generalizations problematic. Criminal activity remains a pivotal issue in the debate; the criminality of gangs waxes and wanes, and to use criminality to distinguish a group from a gangs is a misleading and unhelpful process. The Phenomenon â€Å"Gang† in the UK and USA Discuss. Anywhere in the world were there are unsettled neighborhoods or a transient population, there are likely to be gangs of youths, coming together to seek the security, sense of belonging and structure they lack in their communities. Traditionally, UK interventions to curtail gang activity have been based largely on the US model, where gang conflict has a long and complex history. However research into why youths join gangs in the UK found important differences between British gangs and their US counterparts, which has lead to a change in the British governments approach. British gangs tend to be gentler than those in America, which are more likely to generate distinct identities, rigid structures and be involved in criminal acts (Klein, 1995). UK gangs lack the American-style initiation ceremonies and specific styles of clothing. In the USA large portions of the population exist on the edge of communities, creating breading grounds for criminal street gangs. In certain urban ghettos men rejoice when they reach 25 years of age because gangland fighting kills more young people than illness or accidents (Community Cares, 1994). Often these areas will be economically deprived. The longstanding social security system in the UK has prevented the same situation occurring. The USA takes a different approach and makes frequent cuts in its social program, investing instead in its penal system. In 2003 the British government proposed to revamp youth services, in an effort to reverse the 18% decrease in youth services since the 1980’s. The new legislation places a requirement upon all local authorities to meet certain standards by 2005, and expects them to critically assessment the youth service provision within their area. Councils were asked to make a promise to youths to provide not only the usual meeting places for personal and social development, (i.e. youth clubs and activities), but also programmes related to peer education and ways of ensuring their views are heard. The government pledged  £83m to the programme. However, the British government are also taking a stronger stance against â€Å"antisocial behavior†, which frequently involves gangs of adolescents. Although the new anti-social behavior legislation is not aimed specifically at gangs, its purpose is to reduce feelings of intimidation within communities, which is often concurrent with gang formation. Once an Anti-Social Behavior Order (ASBO) is issued, the accused must abide by the stipulations in the ASBO or potentially face criminal proceedings. The US was similarly preoccupied with anti-social behavior in the 1990’s, when task forces such as Operation Weed and Seed, and the Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services anti-gang drive, had at it’s core the desire curb or contain street gangs. New legislation was passed and many states enacted statutes to assist law enforcers. In both the US and UK, this was a response to a concerned electorate, made anxious by the tabloid media. There must be a move in the US towards interventions that do not criminalize young people. The question that should be asked is why are young people joining gangs. The answer is well researched; the need for structure, nurturing, a sense of belonging and perceived economic opportunity create breeding grounds for gangs. If goverments adopt adequate social security programs to meet these basic needs, gangs will not evolve – they ultimatly reflect the society that has shaped them. References Brantley, A. C., DiRosa, A. (1994) Gangs: A National Perspective. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. New York Klein, M. W. (1995) The American Street Gang. Oxford University Press. New York. Koutos, L., Brotherton, D., Barrios, L. (2003) Gangs and Society: Alternative Perspectives. Columbia University Press. Miller, W. (1975) Violence by Youth Gangs and Youth Groups as a Crime problem in Major American Cities. Washington Department of Justice. Washington. Moore, J. W. 1998. â€Å"Understanding Youth Street Gangs: Economic Restructuring and the Urban Underclass.† In M. W. Watts (Ed.), Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Youth and Violence (pp. 65-78), Stamford, CT: JAI. Thrasher, F. M. (1927) The Gang: A Study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago. Chicago III. University of Chicago Press. USA (1994) Community Cares (1994). Socialist review, 179. Retrieved February 10, 2006, from http://pubs.socialist reviewindex.org.uk/sr179/msmith.htm

Innovation in Wine Packaging

Innovation in Wine Packaging Introduction With the different readings made, the researcher will intend to list or summarise a working bibliography. ‘The process of reviewing a literature involves making judgement about what to include and exclude from your literature review and then reading what other researchers have written about your subject and writing about it in a way that demonstrate you understanding. Writing the literature review for the dissertation will convey the researchers knowledge and ideas that have been established on the topic, and will be discussed. The literature review will be an essential tool, as this will indicate that the researcher has understandings of a field of study and their relevance for their inclusion. It connects the work to a greater field of knowledge and, in more immediate terms, it demonstrates the awareness bringing the work in a wider context. The researcher will also find an added benefit since some information about the subject will be found before starting the research work. This will bring the reader up to date with current literature on the topic, and framing the future research. The literature review will also influence the work as a foundation of research, identifying relevant and appropriate material. It should also inform and underpin the research, identifying the ‘gap that the researcher is attempting to address. The literature review will also help to position the work in the context of previous research and creating a ‘research space for this piece of work. (Hart:1998:14) The Theoretical Framework In competitive markets, companies must always seek to gain market share. The standardisation of brands and products often leads to higher productivity and lower production costs, and communication. With identical packages available on the shelves, the consumers can easily identify visual codes of brands, thus strengthening their identity and reputation worldwide.   Moreover, standardisation of lifestyles, driven by consumer mobility and the development of information technologies and communication, encourages the internationalisation and standardisation of products. Faced with globalisation and the saturation of some markets, the wineries are induced to expand internationally. However, managing brands internationally, and more specifically internationalisation of the packaging is far from being easy. Due to the saturated wine industry, it is more and more important to focus the wine industry on marketing strategy efforts toward the product and the consumer to maintain market share and sustain the wine customer attention. The Packaging This is a very important marketing promotion tool to attract customer, and is now regarded as an essential ‘P of the marketing mix. According to Hall and Mitchell (2007), the wine marketing mix decisions consist of the four Ps with an additional quartet of Packaging, People, Planning, and Positioning. Some studies have taken different approaches to the packaging as a marketing tool. Paine, Frank Albert has developed a definition of the packaging as: ‘The art, science and technology of preparing goods for market and sale'(1992:34) To add, further in his book, the author defines another kind of definition as: ‘Packaging is a means of ensuring safe delivery of a product to the ultimate user, in sound condition, at minimum overall cost'(1992:52) Packaging is well-known to be as a key element of the branding process as it communicates the brand equity of the company. According to Kotler (1999 : 28): ‘The package is the buyer first encounter with the product and is capable of turning the buyer on and off It can make the perceptions of qualities, reliabilities, and value in a product, as well as loyalty, confidence, and self-expression to the consumer (Aaker, 1996). We can make our conclusion about the packaging as a commercial activity. This is a crucial factor for companies in order to ensure the promotion of their product. The packaging will aim this communication of information. Through the brand, the packaging has become way of communicate messages to the consumers. ‘Packaging has actually gained in importance in the marketing mix as consumers closely scrutinize more products on the retail shelf before purchasing. (Brand Channel: 2009: August) ‘Packaging is taking on increasing significance and extending beyond the obvious necessity of providing for protection, transportation and storage. (Giles: 1994: 73) Trends And Future Of Wine Packaging It is interesting to note that the packaging of a product is the most ephemeral in the product life. Indeed, some companies must constantly adapt to trends and market developments. A company will prefer a change in the packaging rather than the product on its own, and this change will allow sales to grow in profitability. Therefore, we say that the packaging is a way to change media. Wineries are seeking to find a new way of attracting consumers, develop new relationships with the consumers and establish and sustain a strong brand equity that will stimulate the buying process. With the ‘general decline in consumption and a change in drinking habits; [†¦] from daily wine consumption towards more occasional drinking of higher-quality wine underpinned value growth (Datamonitor 2008:October:18), it is hardly surprising that the relationship between wine and packaging has attracted considerable attention in recent years. The packaging is particularly relevant in the decision-making process. In the field of the wine packaging, the shape of the packaging, the design, drawing and colour on the label is meant to attract the attention of the potential purchaser, differentiating the product from other competitors. It influences the majority of purchases made in large and medium-sized store, with consumers increasingly fickle and demanding. The International Journal of Wine Marketings article refers to the importance of the packaging in the wine industry suggesting that: ‘It reaches out beyond the point of purchase to make statements about its purchaser. (The International Journal of Wine Marketing: Thomas: 2000:12) Researchers Wine Intelligences latest quarterly Consumer Intelligence report confirms evidence that the wine is not important ‘choosing cues. The results of this survey indicates that proportions of consumers who consider the aspects of a wine as ‘top of mind cues when choosing which bottle of wine to buy would be the Grape variety (74%), Promotional offer (66%), Country of origin(63%), Glass colour (10%) and the bottle weight (7%). When consumers are willing to purchase wine, the decision making will involve asking themselves several questions including what type of wine it is, how much the wine is, and if the brand is known. These sources of information are important for consumers. The packaging is the media that the buyer will evaluate before purchasing the wine. Companies tend to simplify the decision making process, removing the grapes varieties and the vintage, and positioning the product within the reach of most mainstream consumer. Developing innovative wine packaging will be an investment making the brand distinctive, standing out on the shelves and simply trying to compete against existing products on the market. Therefore a focus of the packaging elements is the new strategy for these wineries, in terms of marketing efforts. The packaging is one of the tools in marketing for wineries to get the right picture about the business, and help the perception and positioning in the market place. A Bet On Innovation For Wine Industry The strategies of the company are not only to look to volume, but acting for the long term. Innovation has become essential for wineries wishing to take their brands to above preserve their margins and differentiate from competitors. A third of sales of consumer products are achieved with products that did not exist three years before. (J.J. Urvoy et S. Sanchez:2007: 135) The consumer demands are increasingly strong and we can notice the need for companies to generate new needs incentives to innovate through packaging. The wine packaging is facing a new trend of packaging, based on innovations becoming increasingly complex. Packaging innovation can drive wineries to access the premium product category. Packaging innovation can move your business from a commodity driven product into a premium product category. (JoAnn Hines: Australian institute of packaging) ‘Innovative packaginggas been a key feature of premium brands in the last decade (Datamonitor :2009) The convenient, practical, easy use and inexpensive packaging is obviously the most important factor with consumers when they purchase, however in the wine industry offer few possibilities. Therefore, even if innovation in packaging is one of the most important tasks in marketing, it is nevertheless one of the most difficult. Few innovations survive if they do meet a real consumer need. Thus, the packaging does have a role to play in innovation. A packaging, suitable for the use of the consumer and its expectations in term of packaging, will probably become the best retention tool.   Adapting The New Way Of Consuming: In order to be differentiated, wines seek to appeal and attract consumers. The key success to this packaging design revolution is to meet the consumers needs looking for trend. This is the case of the Maleta winery who decided to centre their marketing efforts on their packaging design. The winery has developed unique type of packaging for each wine, which aims to spoke directly to the target consumer according to a price range. ‘After auditing their winery, existing brand, competitors, and global beverage packaging design trends we decided on a strategy that would brand the wine, not the winery. (Jump Branding Design Inc:work:packaging:maletawinery) This is very important in the wine industry, as consumers identify the wine brands personality and create association with the wine quality. The popular and premium wine company Almadens brand manager said: ‘The brand personality of Almaden is at once fresh, contemporary, innovative and experienced [] We wanted our packaging to reflect these brand characteristics, while conveying Constellation Wines universal appeal as an everyday entertaining wine. (Business Wire:2003: May) Almaden Vineyards Innovates With New Bottle Packaging; Contemporary Look Maintains Brands Tradition Of Quality. Dealing with products that answer more and more to the consumers demand, the marketers are seeking sensory experiences. The act of buying now claims emotional, and beyond basic qualities of the product, the sight or grip of its packaging may influence the purchase decision. The packaging strategy will be to solicit the consumers five senses to awaken their interest and ensure their loyalty. The packaging actually will then stimulate more touch: Paper grain, gummed, plastic. Winemakers are now targeting to the new generation of consumer. Wine brings a new trend on socialisation. Young people are used to product innovation, it is the best target for the packaging innovation as they start to consider wine, yet the packaging was never fully orientated towards youth until recently. The new packaging is adding value to the wine, becoming a part of entertaining experience, bringing some new concepts to the everyday life. Many new offers start to appear, appealing new young consumer. ‘Wine is gaining greater acceptance across more segments of the drinking population, particularly amongst younger generation consumers just beginning to formulate their alcoholic drinks preferences. (Datamonitor 2008:October:19), Some examples can illustrate the wine industry needs to meet the consumers through innovative wine packaging. The market is then driven by the growing consumers demand for innovation. Now sober and minimalist packaging can be simple with a strong visual quality that invites the consumer to try. The shape, type, and drawing of the packaging attract the potential consumers attention, who will be distinguishing a specific wine bottle from competitors. In the other hand, consumer are expecting from the packaging a communication about: ‘The relevant and appropriate information about the quality of the wine, in some way replacing the salespersons action (International Journal Of Wine Marketing, 2005,Vol 18, 33-44) A survey made in 2008 reveals that for example in the UK, 39% of consumers feel that the design in packaging had a significant level of influence over their choice of purchases.(Datamonitor:2009: 12) Customers rely heavily on the design and labelling information such as region of origin, grape variety, and awards received. At the most general level, wine label designs tend to be described as either â€Å"traditional† or â€Å"modern/contemporary† (International Journal of Wine Business Research: 2007: vol 19: 170). For that reason, Wine producers and designers wineries innovate in term of packaging, in the view of satisfying the consumers wants and desires. The practical is one of the prime factors of choice in some markets as such, the household products.   The developments of ‘nomadism caused an increase in meals outside the home, standing and watching television. The breakdown of food and the search for gain time encourage consumers to buy packaging adapted to these new consumption habits. In a general overview, the time spent in food cooking is evaluating towards fresh produce and packaged ready to eat. The consumption pattern was individualised and therefore increase the snacking habits. All these changes have led to a proliferation of ready to eat, individual and transportable. The new lifestyles have involved a real change in the design of products. Therefore this has an impact on the image of packaging in general, since it multiplies the number of packages and thus increases the volume of waste. Some new wine packaging is more convenience in term of space. These new type of packaging can be more convenient to transport and non breakable. In that case the portability developed a new market of single serve package products, targeting a new ‘modern and fashion and socialization appeal that consumer are keen on. This new ‘single serve approach takes the wine consumption in a new way of dining or serving, keeping the wine industry with the luxury experience as looking for being chic, appropriate, convenient, accessible. (International Journal of Wine Marketing, 2005, Vol 18, 33-44). These innovations in smaller packaging ‘single-serve wine sizes permit to associate the wine consumption with new occasions. ‘The package on store shelf and in the consumers kitchen is a form of advertising which is attracting increasing design attention. (Giles: 1994:138) Many products are not hesitant about the misuse of codes reserved normally to other universes of products. Forms and graphics are involved in this transgression. This innovation is playing on the originality and fun to entertain, to differentiate and maintain market share. To illustrate this shift codes, winemakers like the Gallo Family Vineyards hasnt hesitate to bet on the uniqueness, that consumer is looking for. This is the case of their handbag style wine box for their White Grenache variety, the most famous rose wine in UK.   This bag in box has been designed in order to target a female audience. The packaging is the opportunity to develop one or more dimensions of the mark, being creative and offbeat. This type of packaging also now displays an originality and creativity overflowing marking the minds and pushed the traditional codes of bottling. Clever, transgression draws the eye and curiosity of the consumer. The aim of this new concept of packaging is to look outside the marketplace with new ideas that company could use for its own packaging. The uncommon packaging can also be a tool to provide added value to its packaging and affect the practicality of the product. The brand has to find his style and surprise the consumer, by promoting emotion without harming the product, so that it remains registered in his mind, the top of mind. The Eco-Friendly Wine Packaging Under the pressure of the increasingly environmentally conscious consumer, packaging must now be designed in logic of eco-environmental, performance, seducing consumers and reducing waste. We can also notice a new advertising argument, as being the wellness, pleasure, and authenticity with tradition. The media conveys massively the idea of a food and environmental crisis, which creates worries for the consumers. In supermarkets, we can see new innovative packaging. For example, the plastic cork or the screw caps. A new application is used for the wine packaging. Nowadays, the aim of the packaging isnt only to protect and sell. A new dimension of eco-packaging is rising. ‘Eco-packaging must do all that but also have minimal eco-impact, well be targeted, be a team player, plan for en of life, and plan for the next life. Jedlicka (2009: 8) Sustainable packaging is a strategic marketing move and Market forces are shaping the way of consuming. Products use to be made, consumed and then thrown away. Nowadays, products and their packages are remade for another kind of use, through a linear consumption, in a frame of new awareness of the purpose of what and how we chose to consumer. Not only the innovation of packaging will illustrate the product, but they it will also be communicate and talk about the packaging reduction efforts. ‘Now, along with information practices, not only can he consumer make an educated decision about the food they eat, but about the impact of that choice Jedlicka (2009:24). At first, we will define the term sustainability. Several definition and ideas have been used, however this is not a fully definition. The most adequate definition of sustainability is the definition bythe World Commission on Environment and Development. The commission suggests that sustainability should be defined as: ‘Forms of progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. (Brundtland Commission). For example the cork has been replaced by the screw and synthetic corks, and the bottle is slowly being replaced by new type of containers by winemakers. For instance, wineries created innovative packages for the introduction of the PET bottles, the bag-in-boxes varieties, the different versions of the TetraPaks, aluminium containers and even stand-up pouches. Those innovations on packaging are revolutionising the market of the wine industry. With a new vision as recyclable, unbreakable, lighter and visually attractive, the wine industry associate new bottles, with new packaging materials, new aspects, and new labels in order to attract new type of customer and even to target new type of niche markets. The wine industry found new eco-friendly environmental packaging option. Marketers offer to winemakers a new fresher brand with new positioning, using new packaging as a solution for a repositioning of their range of wine. An example is the new packaging from Astrapak; their benefits would be the convenient way of use and transporting, it is lightweight and sustainable. The demographics changes and consumption habits lead to use more packaging. Once products are consumed, they become waste. Faced with this increase of packaging waste, environmental issue are rise. Consumers are now concerned with the management of waste, including those due to packaging. Companies and marketers are aware of the challenges proposed by eco-design to the public. According Bethiness Laurence, director of trends and innovations of brands, it is also becoming ‘the new must-have packaging. (La revue des marques, 2008, 61, 48) A report also statute that the respondents has to give alternatives to glass bottles ‘37% indicates that they would be prepared to consider them. Plastic PET bottles and bag-in-box packaging had most consumer support. While the overwhelming majority, 63%, think all wine, however humble, should be packaged in glass bottles, when they were shown other forms of packaging, five out of six were neutral towards or indicated they were likely to buy at least one type of alternative packaging. (The Wine And Spirit Trade Association:2007) Therefore, companies are getting increasingly involved in the packaging industry, promoting not only the consumer economy, but also the biodegradation and recycling of materials. Eco-design is defined as ‘the improvement the ecological quality of a product according to Ademe (Bethiness, La revue des marques, 2008, 61, 49). This improvement requires action on several approaches: * The choice of materials when designing or improving packaging; * The type of energy required during the production phase, the distribution, transportation and management of end of life (recycling, re-use, composting); * The communication made about packaging itself, which does not happen often because companies are afraid of lose their credibility by highlighting their good will. Besides the commitment of industry, consumers must also be involved. Therefore, it would be beneficial for companies to communicate their actions and their results. ‘In food packaging, there is an unbalance between nutritional speech, too dominant, and the ecological speech, too discreet. (L. Wallentin,   La revue des marques, 2008, 61, .38) The consumer would be led to understand that packaging should not be regarded as a simple waste but as a real material to recycle. Consumer becoming more difficult, eating motif becoming knowledgeable in terms of their packaging choices and seem to be pushed towards alternative packaging. Creative solutions must be devised to provide pedagogically on packages to induce body movements such as the intelligent sorting. With this new type of packaging, companies have the benefit of new communication opportunities. ‘These innovations are helping us attract a new demographic and get people interested in wine with something other than the traditional presentation (Jean Charles Boisset :Beverage World: 2008: 56) ‘The innovative greener packaging is central to the positioning of new wines targeting a new type of drinker. The pack enhances both visibility and the financials. (Nigel Fordham: The new marketing packaging: Wildduck : 2008) The aluminium bottle is an innovation from wineries which produces the bottle using technology with pilfer-proof cap on the bottle to keep the quality of the wine without altering the taste or standard of the wine. The differentiation with the colour of the aluminium packaging makes the wine stand out on the shelf, increasing brand recognition among consumers, and in the same time, the safety and freshness. These criteria of selection are important to the consumers who see this type of wine ideal for outdoor use and to keep it longer by reducing oxidation from light penetration. With this type packaging, companies hope to attract a broad range of consumers due to his function, and also the visual appealing to the consumer. ‘Mommensin Beaujolais in an aluminium bottle.   This packaging is continually recyclable, screw cap, to make it re-sealable. The example of the Boisset Family estate is another illustration of breaking the rules in the wine industry. This burgundy estate is known for its vision of sustainability developing alternative packaging, generating a new mode of consumption. The use of PET bottles have 50 % lower carbon footprint than traditional glass wine bottles. It can be recycled continuously. For some cases, the innovation in packaging were entirely a new concept, giving a new life to the existing brand ‘ All of these innovations have helped us to transcend our traditional thinking of wine how to market wine, how to talk about wine and have really helped us to bring another dimension as far as how we look at wine itself and how we convey how to drink wine at the consumer level (Jean-Charles Boisset:Beverage Industry: 2008 :99:12) Both brands are examples of how establishing a point of difference with consumers through unique, stylish packaging can lead to success. One of the most seen new packaging on shelves of supermarket is the Tetra Prism. For example Boisset Family Estates, a family-owned producer and importer of fine wines based in Burgundy, France have launched ‘French Rabbit, a wine packed in octagonal. The owner of the winery says that new containers ‘are state-of-the-art packaging that will revolutionize the wine industry. The company also reinforces their communication about this innovative product with their message as ‘for every 4 French Rabbit wines sold, one tree is planted. French rabbit was the first premium wine in a tetrapak lunched in 2005. This new version of the Tetrapak is based on cartons, composed with 70% paper, which make this product more recyclable than glass, considering the significant decrease on weight. Another factor earth-friendly is the reducing of carbon from the transportation. ‘100% recyclable, Tetra-Prism containers reduce packaging by 90% in comparison to typical glass wine bottles. (French Rabbit wines: About the rabbit: Tetra Prism) This Chardonnay from the South of France is made in a Burgundian style; this Chardonnay is described as flavours of citrus and stone fruits, and presents a slogan ‘Savour the wine. Save the planet. (www.frenchrabbit.com) The use of paper cartons is not only the new type of innovation in term of packaging. Another container is coming on the market, the can, which gain more and more attraction. This use of packaging is not new in the market, however, new research have been made for wine, preserving qualities and freshness. This is the case of Barokes Australian Premium Wine, an Australian-based vineyard, which introduced in the market a process known as ‘Vinsafe. This innovation guarantees the longevity of the wine in the can. (www.wineinacan.com) The American Neibaum-Coppola Winery is using the same concept with Sophia Minis, which brings to the wine more sophisticated style. This Sofia Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine Minis is targeting for example the new young consumer, trendy and looking for fashion. (www.franciscoppolawinery.com) The bag in box (BIB). Even if this type of packaging is seen as cheap wine, and do not contain premium brands, the consumer can still get quality wine. ‘The quality of bag in box wine has improved tremendously in recent years. But the perception of the consumer is very different said professional wine taster Susan Hulme, from the Association of Wine Educators. (Reuters: 2007) The example is Blackstone Black Box Merlot which quickly moved from the low category of wine to the premium box revolution. The benefit of this packaging is the freshness that can stay up to 3 weeks after opening. Wine in flexible pouches is known to have 80% less of a carbon emission than wine bottles. The Company of Versus wine is pushing its product to the European. The consumer can see benefit though these pouches as the convenience of transport and storage. The wine is said to remain fresh up to 1 month. Nowadays the marketers in the wine industry are pushing further the new way of packaging strategies both cheaper and greener. The aim of the companies creating this type of packaging in to reduce, recycle and renew. Some research have been made on the field of packaging, including wine packaging, creating use packaging always more efficient. The scientific and technological advances in the field of wine packaging pursue objectives: the satisfaction with the taste and quality of product, convenience, health, and safety, increasing sophistication and intelligent packaging cue. However the only gap that we can find in literature between this mainstream success for these new packaging is perception from the consumers. We found some lack of information on the wine buyer‘s perception on the value of sustainable packaging. The Research Process The Questionnaire Design The purpose of this study is to elicit the methodology adopted achieved using an exploratory study on consumers perception of sustainable wine packaging. The primary purpose of the researcher is to use exploratory research to provide insights and understanding into the study in a preliminary way. As the observation and the limited number of respondents will influence the direction of the study, this research will not attend to provide a precise answer but estimate one. Therefore the research will find a greater interest in using this type of research and does not have specific assumptions concerning the survey problem. A questionnaire had to be completed by wine consumers, wine makers, wine shop owners, and retailers of France, Italy and England. The research was designed to present the relevant dimensions that consumers take into account with regards to wine packaging, what they perceive and describe comparing different type of wine packaging. The type of survey method chosen has been structured questions, where the researcher will have to explore the participants response to the topic. The study has targeted consumers between 20 and 60 years old from European countries. The questionnaire method chosen as its application, coding, analyzing and interpretation of the data are rather simple. Respondents have been limited to choose from a set of alternatives, the results are reliable. However following the attitude measuring questions, respondents could give unconscious answers. (Malhotra 2004) In order to allow respondents to easily express their perceptions, therefore avoiding suggested answers a repertory grid (RGT) approach was followed. The RGT technique of interview is used to illustrate peoples description. The RGT allows respondents to freely express their opinions and the researcher to avoid bias. In fact, the researcher will simply submit the possible choice that could help the respondent to express themselves in depth. Finally an RGT technique is relevant according to their approach in consumer behaviour studies as it elicits the different perceptions by the respondent who is asked to identify one of the alternative wine packaging. In order to complete this survey, the questionnaire was composed of four main groups of questions. First of all the researcher categorized the questions on the consumers knowledge of wine packaging, their attitudes and behaviour toward this type of drink, whether they bought wine or not, and the perceived influences they could expect of their buying behaviour from their relatives, followed by other questions such as their shopping behaviour and frequency of purchase. The questionnaire contained questions on age, gender, education, and being a wine consumer. There were also questions about the importance of the environment. To test their knowledge of sustainable wine packaging, the respondents have been asked to tell if they knew what s

Daniel Clowes Ghost World: Argumentative Comparison Essay -- Ghost Wo

Pictured on the back cover of the comic book "Ghost World," by Daniel Clowes, are the two main characters of the book in full color. This strikingly significant image, surely shrugged off by most Clowes' readers, represents worlds of diversity within the frames of the book. Sporting pink spandex pants underneath her goldfinch yellow skirt and a blue t-shirt to match perfectly, Enid seems to live her life outside the bubble. She's a very dynamic girl, especially interested in her surroundings and people around her. On the other hand, Becky is dressed like a "typical" girl, with a long black skirt and a white blouse, thus representing her conforming presence in the world. Becky is much more passive than Enid, going with the flow of things just living life. The contrasting personalities of Enid and Becky come ironically, being best friends. However, it brings out their defining qualities in the comic book while quietly calling attention to the values of life, what is real an d what is not. The title page on the second page of the book can be analyzed to show how Enid lives a different life than those on the "inside." The illustration is colored in a light hue of blue, somewhat casting a bleak and lifeless feeling. The picture shows Enid walking down the street with her hands in her pockets, back turned. Nighttime falls as the luminous moon watches down on Ghost World at dusk, casting Enid's shadow down on the sidewalk behind her. To her right is a house with window and the phrase Ghost World scrawled on the side of building. Everything in the scene is shaded and colored in a robin's egg b... ...ple, or the adorable old man who bought the pathetic flowers from the grocery store to take home to his wife. Becky doesn't notice these minute details that Enid does, nor does she care very much. In any case, they are in different worlds. Whose world is real? There's no answer to that. If it's real to them, then that's what it will be. The characters are diverse in the comic book, and it helps for the reader to not only understand the plot and distinguish between the two characters, but to show that people are naturally different, immature or mature, conforming or nonconforming. Diversity makes the world what it is, and that's as real is it can get. Work Cited Clowes, Daniel. "Ghost World" Fantagraphics (April 1, 2001)

Comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hesiods Theogony, and Ovids Metamorp

Comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hesiod's Theogony, and Ovid's Metamorphoses   Ã‚   There are many parallels between the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hesiod's Theogony, and Ovid's Metamorphoses. The first similarity is immediately apparent: structure. We can view the structure of the Gilgamesh story as three concentric circles: a story within a story within a story. In the outer circle, a narrator prepares the audience for the primary narrative, contained within the second circle: the tale of Gilgamesh's adventures. Within this second circle a third narrative, the flood story, is told to Gilgamesh by Utanapishtim. Ovid's Metamorphoses is told in a similar way: Ovid starts out by telling of his intention and invoking the gods' help to tell the story. He then tells many tales as the primary narrative, and within the primary narrative exists other narratives, such as "Venus tells Adonis the story of Atalanta" in Book 10. Even Hesiod's Theogony is similar to some extent. He has a bit of a prologue in which he explains how the Muses have inspired him to write of the creat ion, and then he enters the primary creation narrative. This method of storytelling does a variety of things. First, it prepares the reader to accept the story. In Gilgamesh, the narrator tells us that Gilgamesh has set down his adventures in his own hand. This leads the reader to accept the story as an authoritative one, especially considering it has come from a mortal, like us, who is part god. Because Gilgamesh is part god, we realize that if he can accept his lot in life, his mortality, then we mere mortals should be able to do the same. In Theogony, Hesiod prepares his audience to accept the story by telling (ad nauseum) that the Muses have worked through him to create... ...M.E.L. Early Mesopotamia and Iran. McGraw-Hill: New York, 1965. Ovid. Metamorphoses. Trans. Rolfe Humphries. Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 1983. Rosenberg, Donna. "Gilgamesh." World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. 3rd ed. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group, 1999. 26-57. Swisher, Clarice. The Ancient Near East. Lucent Books: San Diego, 1995. Works Consulted The "Epic of Gilgamesh": An Outline. Online. 15 Feb. 2000. http://www.hist.unt.edu/ane-09.htm Sumerian Mythology FAQ. Online. 15 Feb. 2000. http://webster.unh.edu/%7Ecbsiren/sumer-faq.html Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. Harris, Stephen L. â€Å"Gilgamesh.† The Humanist Tradition in World Literature. Ed. Stephen Harris. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., 1970.

African American Culture Essay

African American culture in the United States includes the various cultural traditions of African ethnic groups. It is both part of and distinct from American culture. The U. S. Census Bureau defines African Americans as â€Å"people having origins in any of the Black race groups of Africa. â€Å"[1] African American culture is indigenous to the descendants in the U. S. of survivors of the Middle Passage. It is rooted in Africa and is an amalgam of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans’ desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Br’er Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speaker’s tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980’s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or â€Å"Black Arts Movement. † The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin’), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later became known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that â€Å"black is beautiful. † During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the â€Å"Negro National Anthem† by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidor’s Hallelujah!, and operas such as George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and R&B developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of ‘rapping’ grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic] The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name â€Å"The Highwaymen†. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic]. A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and academic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African American women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, â€Å"†¦every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head†¦ â€Å", has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as â€Å"crowns. † Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave one’s hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in God’s eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one’s master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: â€Å"The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africa†¦ consequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction† Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions. Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to â€Å"jump the broom† as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative responses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes cre.