roman myth :: essays research papers

* Stars *   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A long time ago in the deep dark forest of Astrum lived two brothers named Josephus and Tomas. These two brothers were always getting in trouble, trying to outdo each other. The two were always in competition against one another. When one jumped, the other had to jump twice as high.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day their competitiveness had gone too far. As usual they could be found in the field romping and playing. This day was like no other though. The two brothers were playing with rocks and were seeing who could throw theirs the furthest. Josephus went first and threw his rock high and far. It landed on the other side of the field. Next was Tomas. He got ready to throw the rock and launched it across the sky. It went further and further into the deep forest, when all of a sudden they heard the sound of glass breaking. The two ran through the forest to see where the glass shattered. When they saw what had broken they were extremely scared. The window to their house had a big hole from the rock. Afraid what there parents would say; they tried to think of ways to fix it. To their dismay they could not think of anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later that day when the boy’s parents saw what happened, they called them in to have a talk. The two parents were at wit’s end about what to do with the boys. They were always very mischievous which only led to more trouble. When the parents could not think of any solutions to their problem they decided to talk to someone else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The parents went to Zeus in search of help. When they described their conundrum to him he thought he should have a talk with the two. When he went down to their house the boys were intimidated when they saw him. He told them to sit down and after his command they sat right down. He talked to them telling them that if they don’t behave like proper boys soon, there would be big repercussions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The boys took heed to his warning and started to behave better. After awhile the parents were amazed at how well the boys were doing. Zeus checked up on the boys, and was also very pleased that the boys listened to his warning. Zeus was so happy that he sent the two boys gifts to show them he was proud.

Racism against the African-American Essay

African-Americans since the beginning of slavery have suffered extreme segregation in all sectors of life. This group of people formed the civil rights movement in order to fight for their rights. This paper looks at the significant events which have changed the course of the civil rights movement in the United States. This paper will include the past and contemporary experiences of societal discrimination for this population, theories of identity formation, issues, and challenges as well as potential problems that result from discrimination and oppression. Various systems which directly or indirectly maintain the marginal position of the African-American in the United States society will also be looked at. Marginalization of African-Americans in United States society in social circles will also be looked at. Introduction Approximately one fourth of African-Americans, fall below the poverty line and continue to survive in poverty in America today (Riphagen, n. d. ). It is claimed that more than 50% of all African-American children in the United States today are living in poor conditions (Riphagen, n. d. ). One big question that arises from simply looking at the level of poverty among African-American families is how this discouraging picture of poor living conditions of a single ethnic community is possible in an industrialized, wealthy, as well as superpower nation as the United States (Riphagen, n. d. ). In modern U. S. society, one of the chief challenges remains to be the disproportionate social status of cultural minorities as compared to the Caucasian inhabitants. Even though, the United States is a wealthy and a prosperous nation, it is the white population that reaps and benefits from unequal share of privileges (Marable, 2007). African-Americans, who make a sizeable percentage of the country’s populace and being the oldest minority community, form the major oppressed group. African-Americans, according to Bandele (2008), are yet to benefit from social, economic and political equality as compared to the Caucasian community within the country. Even though other minority communities, for example Latinos, are also subjected to racial discrimination, African-Americans tend to experience a more severe yoke in regards to absolute numbers as well as proportions of families suffering from discrimination in any given community (Childs, 1993). The extent of poor living conditions among African-Americans is very high, and poverty for a lot of African-Americans presently, as asserted by Childs (1993), is still a harsh reality. It would be right to state that the American Dream has avoided a very big percentage of the African-American community. Nevertheless, as Marable (1997) indicates, neoconservatives have taken other races, for example Latinos and Asian-Americans, as model minorities attaining values that make a distinction between them and the African-American underclass (Childs, 1993). As Caucasians become more and more contented with their ability to attain the American Dream and believe in its transmission to African-Americans, the latter become extremely doubtful whether the dream can actually be attained for them (Marable, 2007). This is, in the first place, a result of a disproportional starting point and in addition established American values that play a vital function in hardships African-Americans go through. The prevailing American values go on portraying and presume that in spite of someone’s ethnic background, economic status, and place of residence, handwork is a major strategy that can enable a person to climb the social ladder and set up a better life (Riphagen, n. d. ). The strength of this assertion, however, has to be questioned as in numerous contexts appears to be used to lay the blame on African-Americans themselves for living in poverty, as it portrays a lack of motivation as well as being lazy (Hutchinson, 1997). Over the last few decades, African-Americans have gained considerable increasing opportunities in economic, political, as well as social circles (Bandele, 2008). From a circumstance in which absence of civil rights legislation resulted in extreme segregation of African-Americans from the dominant communities, presently the same civil rights apply to all people regardless of their ethnic background or gender (Riphagen, n. d. ). Though this may appear promising, it is not as positive and comprehensive as it might seem. The same civil rights, as Riphagen (n. d. ) argues, might be used and transcend races, though without stipulations, investments, in addition to inclusion to maintain this upward movement; it appears a rather impossible goal to attain. Nevertheless, even though numerous opportunities and inclusion portrays an optimistic move forwards, in regards to opportunities, it has fatefully had some negative effects too (Cohen, 2006). As an outcome of increasing visibility of on the global as well as national scene and have the wave of political turbulence that occurred in the 1960s, significant pessimistic attentions in addition to more negative perceptions of Americans of African origin have arisen (Marable, 2007). Whereas people became bitterer towards African-Americans, other people of color acquired the benefit of the doubt, as aggression to those communities was decreasing. Caucasian supremacy, though many deny of its existence in the 21st century, is one of the major factors that resulted in the oppression of the African-American community (Riphagen, n. d. ). A big percentage of Caucasian-Americans continue to directly or indirectly carry out various activities based on the doctrines of white supremacy. Studies, according to Riphagen (n. d. ), have revealed that the culture of African-American oppression have remained much the same over the years. Scholars claim that racism is still alive in the U. S. although its effects are less severe and portrayed in a more indirect manner as compared to the past (Cohen, 2006). When the issue of discrimination of African-Americans is looked at, one cannot help, but ask why African-Americans faced and continue facing marginalization in the social circle especially in the modern United States (Jackson, 2004). A continued marginalization of African Americans: Racism against the African American Slavery in the United States is one of the most significant events that clearly underlie a conceptual comprehension of racial discrimination (Childs, 1993). Slavery of Americans of African origin resulted in greater freedom for the unfortunate whites, even though it maintained a social framework that made sure that the latter remained poor. From time immemorial African-Americans have been used to offer undesirable services to benefit the whites (Riphagen, n. d. ). Slavery was part and parcel of the early American society to an extent that it was codified by the law. Hecht, Jackson and Ribeau (2003), assert that from the beginning of slavery to the present day, African-Americans have collectively been fighting for freedom. Racial difference is believed by many to have been a major cause of the American Civil War. Variation in ethnic backgrounds is also perceived to have been a major hindrance for reconciliation. However, the Civil War is claimed by many to be the demarcation point for beginning of African-American nationalism. Though it was the war that ended slavery, it was the biggest social tragedy that America has ever experienced. After the war, the lines of ethnic division became exceedingly apparent again (Riphagen, n. d. ). Civil rights movements, as indicated by Riphagen (n. d. ), aimed at reclaiming the social position of African-American community emerged in the 1960s. The civil rights movement however, did not make any remarkable contribution for redistribution of wealth along racial lines, or to encourage extensive ethnic restructuring addressing race and racial discrimination at the time. Even though legal equality was achieved, politicians argued that the endeavors of civil rights movements were immaterial (Bandele, 2008). They claimed that the most appropriate way to handle racism was integration. Many whites did not take into account the distinctive race consciousness of African-Americans. Wherever civil rights activists emerged, this resulted in great anxiety amongst whites. Integration is therefore believed to have directly and indirectly resulted in neglect as well as lack of dedication to the vitality of African-American population (Childs, 1993). Research, as asserted by Riphagen (n. d. ), reveals that the skepticism of Caucasian-Americans to the notion that racial discrimination is the factor that hinders upwards mobility of African-Americans. A majority of the whites are comfortable with the way African-Americans in society are treated. On the other hand, however, African-Americans are embittered by the way the society, and in particular the white population treats them (Hecht, Jackson and Ribeau, 2003). It is unfortunate that bias towards African-Americans is only rising along with a stagnating image of progress of African-Americans community in regards to education, housing and job availability. Studies reveal that most whites in America believe that African-Americans are lazy and violent (Jackson, 2004). Research has also revealed that a majority of white-Americans believe that African-Americans live in poverty as a result of their lifestyle (Riphagen, n. d. ). This unending stigmatization of a whole race, grounded on group characteristics, highly discourages African-Americans from developing their talents and makes it very hard for them to succeed in the eyes of mainstream white-Americans. Bias, as Hecht, Jackson and Ribeau (2003) argues, also continues in situations whereby observations gathered from broadly concentrating on the African-American underclass who are not employed are taken as a representative of the broad sweep of African-American across American society. Nevertheless, inherent in focusing on the unemployed African-American underclass is possibly trying to avoid acknowledging unfair as well as racist practices and policies (Marable, 1997). The prison department in the United States, as illustrated by Free (2003), locks up more people as compared to other industrialized countries in the world. Another fact in regards to the U. S prisons is that the proportion of African-American in them is disproportionate as compared to other races. African-Americans make up the largest percentage of the prison population in the United States (Riphagen, n. d. ). This enormously grim image has been scrutinized by intellectuals to determine whether the criminal justice system is made up of a legitimized regulatory system over minority communities, or whether it is a fact that African –Americans commit more offenses (Free, 2003). All in all, there is a major difference in regards to the magnitude of the offenses committed by African-Americans and the extensive burden of the jail sentences by which they are penalized. Intellectuals perceive policies set in such a way as to put more African-Americans, particularly males, in jail as a clear scenario to regulate as well as restrict African-Americans communities in regards to activities and progress (Free, 2003). Selective rules, particularly targeted at offenses committed in grater ratio among African-Americans, have led to inconsiderate along with longer sentences for African-Americans. Free (2003) makes it clear that little, if any, strategies are put in place for treatment and prevention of crime making it quite clear that the exact agenda is to control the problem, instead of tackling the cause of the problem. The high rate of crime drives investors away from the African-American neighborhoods, in turn leading to adverse implications on the economic and social conditions of all African-Americans (Riphagen, n. d. ). Prisoners, majority of who are African-Americans males, in different states are banned from voting (Free, 2003). Research reveals that a very large percentage of African-American men are in prison as compared to those enrolled in formal education (Riphagen, n. d. ). Along with educational segregation, housing segregation is one of the most traumatizing systems in the United States today. African-Americans over the past fifty years have experienced the worst form of housing segregation as compared to other American communities. Housing segregation not only affects African-Americans of low socio-economic status, but also those of higher socio-economic strata (Marable, 2007). Housing segregation not only underpins unfairness, but also increases it. Various properties belonging to the African-Americans, due to the extremely segregated nature of separated locality, continues to suffer from devaluation in terms of its minimized desirability leading to a drop in value as compared to properties of equal nature found in predominantly white neighborhoods (Childs, 1993). This scenario makes white communities to move out of localities inhabited by majority African-Americans. Housing segregation is also displayed whereby estate agents only show African-Americans only a small proportion of existing housing, while steering white-Americans away from neighborhoods containing a large percentage of people of color (Free, 2003).

Hip Hop vs Punk - 1052 Words

The fashion aspect in Hip Hop and Punk is very distinctive. Throughout Hips Hop’s history, the fashion trends have evolved, but the concept of Hip Hop fashion has always remained conceptually unchanged. This has given birth to a few varieties among Hip Hop fashion according to their respective generations and choice of self-expression through the four pillars of Hip Hop which are Bboying (dance), MC/Rap (music), DJ (music) and Graffiti Art (visual art). The varieties of fashion within the Punk culture differ from Hip Hop in a different aspect. While Hip Hop’s fashion alternatives were born from historical factors within the cultural aspects, Punk’s sense of fashion stems from the different mentalities that exist within the Punk subculture.†¦show more content†¦Since the establishment of the Hip Hop Culture, many dance styles have emerged during and after Hip Hop’s development, some of these styles are popping, Krumping and house. The Punk scene ha ve also developed dances unique to their culture, most noticeable is the Pogo. The Pogo is a dance where the dancers jump up and down while remaining in the same location. There are occasions where the dancers might bump each other. This gave birth to another Punk dance called Moshing where the dancers deliberately bump against each other. The differences in dancing among Hip Hop and Punks are not limited by the styles and music, but the community’s lifestyle. Punk dancers, dance as a group while Bboys take turns dancing in a circle. Visual arts in Hip Hop and Punk take a very different path depending on the cultures’ goal. Graffiti Art is the usage of spray paint and pen markers to express individuality through Hip Hop’s philosophy of peace, love, unity and having fun by colors and abstract texts or drawings. Punk visual art however is focused towards album covers, posters and flyers designed to invoke empathy and sometimes contempt among readers and viewers by calling upon issues such as social injustice. Literature and poetry are qualities that both cultures possess but they differ in mediums. Hip Hop’s literature and poetry is effectively shown the ability of the MC’s (singers) to combine words together to form rhymes while Punks have generated aShow MoreRelatedThe Origin of Hiphop and How Music Has Changed2592 Words   |  11 PagesHip-hop is one of the most popular genres of music in the world today. However, the hip-hop of today’s world is very different from the hip-hop that started it all. Hip-hop has simply evolved to a different type of music than the hip-hop that started it all. Hip-hop started in Brooklyn in 1973 at a block party with DJ Kool Herc, known as the father of hip-hop, mixing the beats. However, hip-hop has changed. There are the advances in technology to help make different sounds for songs. ThereRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Jackson s The Rock Band Nirvana s Sophomore Album1680 Words   |  7 Pagessongwriter Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl. Their sound was a subgenre of alternative rock known as grunge, a combination of punk rock and heavy metal characterized by heavy feedback and nihilistic lyrics. Their first album, Bleach, was released under independent label Sub-pop and found moderate success in the underground punk scene, but it was not until they were bought out by major label DCG Records that Nirvana was able to reach commercial success. This was significantRead MoreEssay on Modern Street Art vs. Graffiti933 Words   |  4 Pagesaudience other forms of art had. Their pieces on the subway cars, the ones that had captured the city’s attention, had been destroyed. According to Margo Thompson, â€Å"Another reason these artists are often overlooked s graffiti’s strong association with hip-hop culture, which ties it to the mass market, not high art.†(American Graffiti, pg.7) However, the entire background for the graffiti of the time may have been lost if it had not been for Martin Wong. Wong had been working at Pearl Paint and had befriendedRead More Political Advocacy in Anarchist Punk Music Essay3584 Words   |  15 PagesPolitical Advocacy in Anarchist Punk Music Anarchist political advocacy has been a driving force in punk music since its emergence in the 1970s. Although the basic philosophy has remained unchanged, punks have significantly altered the ways they espouse their beliefs, over time becoming more militant and directly confrontational with those that hold power. This paper attempts use quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine how significantly anarcho-punk political advocacy has changedRead MoreEssay on Media Propaganda and Stereotypes1645 Words   |  7 Pagesused by the media to distinguish between the good side, the U.S. - with the governments only goal being protecting the future of its nation, while the evil side, Iraq, is a threat to the U.S existence. In order to maintain this image of good guys vs. bad guys, the media used selective reporting and censorship to present only disturbing footage of Muslim suicide bombers, violent murders committed by the Taliban and Iraqs leader Saddam Hussein. Whereas bombings and killings by the United StatesRead MoreEffects of Rap Music on Crime14002 Words   |  57 Pagessales figures are obvious testimonies to its popularity and commercial success. This was made particularly evident in October 2003 when, according to the recording industry bible Billboard magazine, all top 10 acts in the United States were rap or hip-hop artists;1 and again in 2006, when the Academy award for Best Song went to It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp, a rap song by the group Hustle Flow. Such developments may also signal rap’s increasing social acceptance and cultural legitimization (BaumannRead MoreRock ‘N Roll And Its Impact On Society. Music Is Ever Changing.1855 Words   |  8 PagesThe 1950’s. As this new form of music started moving into mainstream media in the 1950’s, Elvis Presley entered the scene. Before Elvis, young women weren’t often caught listening to rock and roll, but once they heard his voice and saw his shaking hips , he was all they listened to. Because of Elvis, the rock and roll industry boomed (Wallace, 2012). He paved the way for other artist to experiment and create completely different sounds and styles. The 1960’s. When bands like The Beatles, The RollingRead MoreMUSI 1002 Notes2546 Words   |  11 PagesPseudo-individualization The type of variation between standardized products Surface changes (rhythm), not basic structure (chord progressions, verse, chorus) If pop music is standardized, why doesn’t everything sound the same? High vs Low culture Serious vs. Popular music Differences: Degree of standardization Level of complexity Market context Adorno: Could take a chorus out and still makes sense. Serious, needs to listen to entirety to understand song. Real difference is market contextRead MoreA Comparative Study of the Influence of the Pinoy Rap Battle â€Å"Fliptop† and Balagtasan to High School Students6886 Words   |  28 Pagesputs two people in a match to have them insult each other with the cleverest punch lines and sharpest rhymes. Hip hop in the Philippines takes on many faces: from the plush and exclusive clubs in Makati to the slums of Tondo, and everywhere in between. A crowd dotted with Pinoys rocking gear ranging from grills to backpacks, FlipTop represents a space for the raw and grime of Philippine hip hop. There is no material gain at stake here. The winners take with them the pride in their skill. There are noRead MoreAnalysis of the Music Industry30024 Words   |  121 PagesLottery funding across the arts.) However, popular music did have a historic period (1960s to 1970s) when it involved its elf with politics through the `protest movement. The protesting took in styles such as folk music (e.g. Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger), punk rock and reggae, although many artists with a `political reputation deny being politically inspired. In the mid-1990s, some rock stars lent their support to New Labour, in its quest to end the long reign of Conservatism. Most famously, in 1997