The Underground Dance Movement Essays - Street Dance, Hip Hop Dance

The Underground Dance Movement In almost every culture throughout history, there has been dance. Prayer dances, celebratory dances, social dances. In many cases, we can see the cultural progression through the progression of dance. In the United States alone, we've seen the transitions from the European-grown ballet to tap, then to modern dance. What is not so well catalogued, however, is the underground progressive dance movement. Starting in the late sixties, the so-called Underground or counter-culture has built its own species of dance. Our subject today is the three most dominant styles of this new wave, popping, or the Electric Boogie, hip hop/break dancing, also known as old school dance, and the trance/house or new school dance. The television show ?Soul Train? was really one of the keys to the spread of these radical new styles. It was especially instrumental in spreading the Electric Boogaloo, or Boogie. The Electric Boogie developed in the mid-sixties by a family of black men living in Fresno, California, through influences like James Brown and strangely enough, TV shows like ?Lost In Space.? It was a mutant child of sorts, of what is called ?The Robot' dance, Popping, and Miming. The Robot is a dance that our generation has grown up recognizing, the angled body parts, sliding feet, and rigid motions all creating the illusion of a human robot. Popping, however is an unfamiliar term to many of you. Popping can be described as energy passed through the body, popping and snapping elbows, wrists, necks, hips and just about all the body joints along the way. The final ingredient to the mix, however, to control and smooth out the stop-and-go of a popping robot, was the influence of mime. The miming is what gives the Electric Boogie its voice, by making it possible to tell stories and create illusions with the body. This new dance was the forerunner to break dancing, and indeed many of the so-called power moves in break dancing incorporate some . . . electrical features. Break dancing was also influenced by the great James Brown. The original model for breaking was called ?Good Foot? from Brown's record of the same name, and based on his unique dancing style. At that point, it was just foot work, rather than the full body moves we see today. Good Foot was the first freestyle dance that incorporated moves involving drops and spins. Breaking today consists of extended footwork, spinning/power moves, and strategically spaced freezes. There is controversy between b-boys and b-girls (the ?b? coming from the word break) over emphasis; some put emphasis on power moves and their combination and the others show their style and individuality by footwork and freeze. It is also called hip hop dancing because in the 1980's, when movies like BeatStreet and Breaking became popular and when the style was really developing, the preferred music used to dance was hip hop for its revolutionary experimentation with beat mixing. It is called break dancing or breaking beca use the dancers move to the breaking part of the beat. The traditional four-count measure was broken down into about four different coinciding rhythms, giving the dancers more options for improvisation. However, dancing to break-beats is not limited to break dancing, but is utilized throughout progressive dance. The Electric Boogie uses it, as does the most common style of dance, trance/house dance. House and Trance are two of the most popular genres of techno; these two are more closely related to each other than any of the other genres, jungle, speed garage, or hardcore, and the dancing styles are closely related as well. It has been noted by Ejoe Wilson, a reknowned house dancer, that while in hip hop, you control your body to the beat, in house dance, music controls your body. It is more free style than hip hop and its emphasis on footwork. House clubs are unique of clubs because of the ?vibe' that they carry. One of the most important aspects of house dancing is the style. Style is everything when it comes to house dancing, because there are no set moves to master, no steps to learn. It is club dancing, which is to say, anything that makes you feel good, that gets

Benedict Arnold essays

Benedict Arnold essays No other American is remembered quite the same as Benedict Arnold. He was a brave soldier, a patriot- and a traitor. Benedict was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. When he was 14 years old, Benedict ran away from home to fight in the French and Indian War, but he was brought back by his mother, who apparently was driven insane later in her life. If I had a son like Benedict, I might have gone insane too! After his mother insisted that he return home, he ran away for a second time. After he was finished playing boy hero for awhile, he learned the apothecary (pharmacy) trade and then in 1762, he opened a book and drug store in New Haven. Benedict was also involved with trade in the West Indies. By 1774, he was one of the wealthiest citizens in New Haven. It's a good thing that he had money, because he was one of those people who like to ride around in their Mercedes and wear expensive clothes, even if he couldn't afford them. Benedict then got hooked up with the sheriff's daughter Margaret Mansfield, and they hit it off. They decided to get married in 1774. But this marriage was short lived because the next year Margaret caught a disease and died. When the Revolutionary War began that year Arnold was already an experienced soldier. He had helped Ethan Allen capture Fort Ticonderoga. Then Benedict came up with a great idea to capture Quebec. This idea failed, but Benedict had already proven his bravery. He was then commissioned as a colonel in the patriot forces. He was one of General George Washington's most trusted officers. Benedict led his troops to the siege of Boston and Valcour Island and proved once again to be a bold and skilled officer. At the battle of Valcour Island he was wounded severely in his leg. His bravery won him the respect of many people. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Arnold felt that his services were...

Comparison of Quality Philosophies Research Paper

Comparison of Quality Philosophies - Research Paper Example While Deming has stressed on the importance of worker involvement and statistical quality control, Juran’s emphasis focuses more on quality planning, measurement and control. On the other hand, Crosby relies on zero tolerance to defects, cost of quality and organizational motivation to explain quality management (Koontz, 2006). In terms of overlapping arguments, all three experts emphasize the importance of defect prevention and mitigation over detection besides promoting quality as a strategic competitive tool for organizations. Each also explains the crucial role of management in total quality improvement. However, there are numerous differences in their approaches over aspects such as the definition of quality, quality measurement, standards, roles of management and determining potential targets for quality improvements. Despite their unique arguments, my research has led me to conclude that Deming’s philosophy offers the best overall approach to quality management i n comparison to other thinkers. The reasons for arriving at this conclusion are discussed below. Deming defines quality as a state with ‘zero defects’ whereby similar products or services have incomparable or minimal variations. Thus, quality according to Deming is a visionary pursuit towards a product with no deficiencies, which ultimately leads to total satisfaction for the customer. On the other hand, Juran and Crosby define quality as ‘fitness for use’ and ‘conformance to requirements’ (Buhler, 2007). While both definitions are customer-centric and view quality as a set of criteria defined by the customer’s expectations, there is no attention to the fact that the customer’s requirements may themselves contain potential deficiencies. In other words, Deming’s theory suggests that companies should evaluate the product for potential deficiencies and try to be innovative in identifying hidden vulnerabilities. By taking a com paratively restricted approach as suggested by Juran and Crosby, firms are in an inhibited position to service their customers (Migliore, 2009). Deming also deviates from the traditional approach by analyzing every aspect from the perspective of quality. He suggests that quality should be the benchmark, which firms should seek to optimize, which will ultimately lead to better productivity, competitive advantage and lower costs (Paulson, 2008). In contrast, Juran and Crosby focus on improving parameters such as productivity, innovation, cost reduction and defects as drivers for improving quality. Thus, quality serves as the ultimate objective in their case, which is estimated by the collective realization of these parameters (Hartman, 2005). While utilizing statistical techniques such as those suggested by Juran

Public Relation - BlueJet case study Term Paper

Public Relation - BlueJet case study - Term Paper Example Jet Blue Airways has had its share of difficulties in the public relations sector such as the stranding of two planes in the JFK airport in the snowstorm of February 14, 2007. Public relations are defined as the management and practice of passing on information between the management and public in an organization. In this report, I shall focus on how Jet Blue Airways is able to keep a growing number of local and domestic flyers. The growth of the company is documented in numerous sources, such as a growth that has recorded over 23 million passengers in the New York, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, Orlando, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and long beach, California cities in the August- July 2010 season. This report shall assess the methods, strategies and practices used by Jet Blue Airways with respect to improving public relations. Improving the public relations positively affects the running of the company such as in marketing, advertising and sales department of the company. The report shall also focus on the elements useful is improving the public relations of the company. The SWOT analysis of Jet Blue Airways consists of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the company faces in running its operations. The analysis should involve all the elements that involve the company’s operations. The SWOT analysis of a company is normally done to aid in marketing the services and products in an aim to attain sustenance and growth. When it comes to the public relations, there are minimal differences in the SWOT analysis as the concerns of the company are in regards to the loyal customers the airline has established (Broom, 2008). The following are the strengths of Jet Blue Airways in public relations, in accordance to the marketing strategy used by the company (Cutlip, Center, & Broom, 2005). These strengths involve the management, staff

Internet Research Project Topics (in US business law) Essay

Internet Research Project Topics (in US business law) - Essay Example limitations on punitive damages has the potential to wreak economic havoc by driving corporation after corporation out of the marketplace and, in so doing, discouraging business investments. From the ethical perspective, the issue is important both as regards corporations and consumers. As far as corporations are concerned, liability laws are intended to regulate corporate behaviour and ensure responsibility for their products and towards their customers. The threat of punitive damages arguably contributes to greater ethical compliance where corporations are concerned. Where consumers are concerned, however, the ethics of the issue assumes a very different hue. This is because consumers are becoming increasingly litigation minded and, indeed, more and more are seeking to profit by suing corporations and from punitive damage awards. A cap or limitation on the amount of damages which can be rewarded will curtail this tendency and contribute to the re-affirmation of punitive damages as a regulatory mechanism designed to ensure corporate responsibility. Added to the aforementioned, the issue is of particular significance to me since my father and I have corporate business interests in the United States. Even while recognizing that it is not a credible source which can possibly be included in this study, I commenced the research by accessing the Wikipedia website. The reason for doing so is that the said website provides concise overviews of topics, giving readers a sense of both sides of an argument. Reading through Corporate Liability and Punitive Damages on Wikipedia provided me with a good introduction to the topic and helped me identify possible search terms (Wikipedia, 2008). Following Wikipedia, I logged onto Google and executed a search for â€Å"corporate liability punitive damages.† Close to a quarter of a million results were returned. One of these was an article linked to a website titled Palm Beach Bar (http://plambeachbar.org). An exploration

Safety Measures In Pakistan Construction Industry Construction Essay

Safety Measures In Pakistan Construction Industry Construction Essay Safety in the construction industry has always been a major issue. Wherever reliable records are available, construction is found to be one of the most dangerous on safety and health criteria, particularly in developing countries. Though much improvement in construction safety has been achieved, the industry still continues to lag behind most other industries with regard to safety. Pakistan is a developing country and currently enjoys a relatively strong growth in construction work. Unfortunately, Pakistans construction industry suffers from poor safety and health conditions. The framework of the existing occupational and health conditions is fragmented and inadequately enforced, making construction sites more hazardous. It may even be argued that relevant regulations are outdated and irrelevant in day-to-day construction operations. Like many developing countries of the world, Pakistan at present does not have comprehensive occupational health and safety laws. The number of injuries and illnesses is probably very high in Pakistan because thousands of workers are routinely exposed to hazardous work in construction industry. However, there is no reliable data on occupational safety and health injuries and illnesses because a majority of accidents are not reported to the regulatory agencies. The regulatory agencies neither have an effective enforcement policy nor strict requirements for reporting injuries and illness at work places. Another reason of such indents is the careless behaviour of workers towards safety measures and rules. This study focus on national culture and safety climate in the construction industry in Pakistan. More specifically, it investigates the safety perceptions, attitudes, and behaviour of Pakistani construction workers and management safety practices. It will present the practical results of a number of questionnaire surveys administrate in Pakistan targeting construction workers, and managers with safety management responsibilities. Due to a relatively new awareness of construction safety in Pakistan, the construction industry lacks infrastructure for proper construction safety standards and plans. This study provide the way to improve management system to reduce injuries at construction site and some useful insights into the main players of the Pakistani construction industry for a greater understanding of: (1) risk perceptions, attitudes and safe/unsafe work behaviour of construction workers; (2) managers safety practices and their preferences; and (3) the extent to which workers attitudes and perceptions and their behaviour are associated with their national culture. This data not only adds to the understanding of the implications of Pakistani cultural values on the construction organization, but also provides new knowledge for construction managers who will be better able to understand the culture within which they operate and improve outcomes. The results of this research will be of use to a cross-sectional range of workers and managers Why are you interested in the project? Safety of a workforce employed in the construction industry has always been a matter of concern for employers and labour organizations in developing countries. Previous research has shown that improving the accuracy in the recording of incidents (or accidents) is one way in which the safety management system could be improved. Without a robust safety management system it is impossible to provide a safe working environment for employees. In order to improve health and safety systems, developing countries should look at systems in place in developed countries. In these countries the situation is quite the opposite, and therefore they can be used as a guide as to what can be achieved in the health and safety area of the construction industry in developing countries. Though a lot of preventive measures have been implemented and enforced to ensure the safety of labourers in the developing countries, there is still much more that needs to be done in this area to reduce the chances of any unfortunate situations arising. Astonishingly, in certain parts of developing countries like Pakistan, safety rules within construction companies usually do not exist; and if they do in a rough form. Most companies do not even follow rules considered basic in developed countries, for example appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and adequate signage. For this research, appropriate methods for data collection would surely be: questionnaire surveys and interviews. The questionnaire will have both qualitative and quantitative items for this research and it includes open-ended and close-ended questions. The open-ended questions will be providing with a view to obtain as much as information possible about site safety conditions and plans. This questionnaire also has several quantitative measures (Keys) built into it. These quantitative measures (Keys) will provide to facilitate the intention to translate the qualitative impressions gathered after each interview into some measurable rating scales. In addition, each management staff was asked for their personal and professional information background (i.e. age, job title, experience in construction and safety training received). Finally management was asked to provide personal suggestions for improvements to the safety systems at the site. And finally the data which will collect from the questionnaire surveys and interviews will analyse and the analytical analysis will undertake. For secondary data there has been increasing interest in trying to understand how management practices and organizational factors impact on workplace, workers and their safety. Some research papers have focused on workplace managers as role models for instilling safety awareness and supporting safe behaviour also I will use internet search for this research. The construction industry plays a vital role in the social and economic development of all countries. The importance and role of the construction industry in the economy of any country has been confirmed by several studies, including Coble and Haupt (1999). However, when compared with other (labour intensive) industries, the construction industry has historically experienced a disproportionately high rate of disabling injuries and fatalities for its size (Hinze, 1997). Kartam and Bouz (1998) identified the advancement in social sciences as having promoted a greater awareness of the purity of life and the unacceptability of premature death due to work-related accidents. Past researches has shown that the high number of construction site accidents is a universal problem of much concern. Though notable improvements in construction worker safety at sites have been achieved, the industry continues to lag behind most other industries with regard to safety (National Safety Council, 1999). According to Davies and Tomasin (1996), there are a number of reasons why accident records within the construction industry compare poorly with those of the manufacturing industry. In factories, there is normally a controlled working environment, with little change in the working procedures and equipment over long periods; additionally, the labour force usually remains fairly constant. Thus once identified, hazards can be remedied with relative ease, and the danger mitigated. However the case is quite different in the construction industry as the working environment is constantly changing. The construction industry is a mixture of different organisations, which directly and indirectly influence the construction process. These organisations include property developers, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, accountants, lawyers, civil engineering contractors, engineering contractors, management contractors, labourers, subcontractors and specialist trades. The same complexity can be found with construction workplaces. Within the workplace Construction processes involve hazardous activities, such as working at height, manual handling, exposure to hazardous materials, demolition, frame erection, lifting operations, scaffolding and ground works, bulk materials and heavy equipment handling, as well as the varying jobsite personnel and the regularly changing worksites. A further characteristic of the industry, that makes management of this sector more troublesome, is the unfavourably high supervisor-worker ratio. Supervisors who have more a personal and positive relations hip with workers have more favourable safety performance records (Hinze, 1997; Levitt Samelson, 1993). This relationship is harder to develop if the ratio is too high, which is generally the case within the construction industry (Smallwood, 2000). Rowlinson and Lingard (1996) have attributed the prototype nature of construction projects, the transient nature of work, low education levels of the workforce and high levels of subcontracting, as major contributing factors to poor safety records within the construction industry worldwide. There is a wide variation in economic structures, occupational structures, working conditions, work environment, and the health status of workers in different regions of the world, in different countries and in different sectors of the economy. Therefore the mechanisation of the construction industry is not uniform throughout the world. However, as stated earlier, the construction industry plays a vital role in boosting the economy of any country, especially a developing country. It provides the infrastructure required for other sectors of the economy to flourish. Many studies, such as Coble and Haupt (1999) have shown that construction industry reflects the level of economic development within the country. The construction sector everywhere faces problems and challenges. However, in developing countries, these difficulties and challenges are present alongside a general level of socio-economic stress and a lower productivity rate when compared to developed countries (Ofori, 2000). Ne vertheless it is generally believed that the industry is a good source of employment at various levels of skills, from a general labour to semi-skilled, skilled and specialist workforce. Other major areas that impacts on this sector are lack of research and development, lack of trade and safety training, client dissatisfaction, and the continuously increasing construction costs (all of which result in less profitability). A lot of analyst found that, in most developing countries, for example like India, there are: no training programs for staff and workers therefore, no orientation for new staff or workers is conducted, hazards are not pointed out and no safety meetings are held. Employees are expected to learn from their own mistakes and experience. It is widely accepted that unsafe behaviour is intrinsically linked to workplace accidents. A positive correlation exists between workers safe behaviour and the safety climate within construction site environments. Construction workers attitudes towards safety are influenced by their perceptions of risk, management, safety rules and procedures. A variety of studies, including Niskanen (1994), Glendon and Litherland (2001) and Mohamed (2002) have investigated the construction safety climate within developed countries. In the majority of these studies, researchers have either developed a new model or replicated an already tested model with a view to improving its adequacy. However, there is a lack of research in this area in the context of developing countries. Pakistan is a developing country that is currently enjoying relatively strong growth in construction activities. Unfortunately, the enforcement of safety regulations is not widespread within Pakistan. Some may even argue that the framework of existing occupational and health conditions of Pakistans construction industry is fragmented and inadequately enforced. Likewise in any industry, good health and safety conditions form good and safe business practice. Therefore, it is believed the integration of safety and health measures into a total management system, within the construction sector in Pakistan, could contribute significantly to the cost efficiency, quality assurance and environmental protection of the company and its employees. Cultural differences have a significant impact upon industrial safety culture and help in understanding the different approaches to accident prevention and safety management. Knowledge of cultural differences cannot be acquired without first understanding what culture is. Although culture is used widely to describe variations among people from different nations or of different ethnicities, there is no single, accepted definition. There is, however, a commonly-used set of characteristics that helps to identify culture: 1) culture includes systems of values 2) Culture is learned, not innate 3) culture distinguishes one group from another and 4) culture influences beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and behaviour in a somewhat uniform and predictable way (Bird, 2003). As safety climate is often portrayed as a temporal measure of culture (Cheyne et al., 1998) this last characteristic of culture is most important, as it relates the national culture to the safety climate. Safety climate also refers to the shared perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour of the worker, regarding safety in their workplace. Ngowi and Mothibi (1996), in a study of 30 construction sites in Botswana, found cultural differences were a major reason for viewing safety procedures differently. Site managers in that study stated that the safety gear provided to employees from impoverished backgrounds were often sold. The managers also referred to the cultural habits of drinking alcohol or taking herbal drugs. They identified a tendency for workers to travel to work in smart clothes and to leave the construction site to spend their money as soon as they received their wages. Experience with traditional construction techniques, such as the use of mud mixed by hand, proved to be obstacles in getting workers to appreciate the need to wear gloves when working with concrete. Further, some local cultures were considered more emotional or more dominant, thus causing certain difficulties with effective safety management. The literature review revealed a lack of research work undertaken on the influence (direct or indirect) of national culture on local safety conditions in the construction industry. This deficiency is a major contributor to the development of this current research rationale which focuses on workers and management characteristics, and how these characteristics in turn, can influence the safety climate of the workplace.

Mother Teresa Essay -- Essays Papers

Mother Teresa There are many people in this world that we consider great humanitarians. Mother Teresa was a unique individual that stood out of the crowd because of her involvement in helping the sick, poor and dying. She spent everyday of her adulthood caring for people that were in need by setting up the Missionary of Charity along with many homes for the people she cared for. Mother Teresa won many awards throughout her lifetime for her dedication to care for people in need. It is no wonder that Mother Teresa won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and is considered a saint. Anges Goxha Bojaxhiu was brought into this world on August 26, 1910 but considers her real birth date August 27, 1910, the day of her baptism. Anges was born into a Roman Catholic family although many Albanians at the time were Muslims. Even though her father died when she was nine, her mother made sure her children were well educated. "They prayed every evening, went to church everyday, prayed the rosary every day in May and assisted the service for the Holy Virgin."1 She really enjoyed going to church because she loved to read, pray and sing. Agnes made a very difficult decision at the age of eighteen that changed her life. She decided to join the Sisters of Loretto, which was a community of Irish nuns with a mission in the Archdices of Calcutta. In 1928 Mother Teresa went to India and began to teach at a convent school in Calcutta. She taught there for many years and even served as the principal. At last, in 1937 Anges Goxha Bojahiu took her final vows to become a nun and chose the name Mother Teresa after Saint Therese of Lisieux. In 1946, while on a train ride to be treated for tuberculosis, she received a "call from God to serve him among the po... ...4 Micheal Collopy, Works of Love are Works of Peace (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996), 72. 5 Micheal Collopy, Works of Love are Works of Peace (San Francisco: Ingatius Press, 1998), 43. 6 Matt Kantz, "Sainthood process to proceed Mother Teresa," National Catholic Reporter, 12 March 1999 Bibliography - Collopy, Micheal. Works of Love are Works of Peace San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996. - Mukherjee, Bharati. "The Saint: Mother Teresa." Time (1999): 88 - Kantz, Matt. "Sainthood Process to Proceed Mother Teresa." National Catholic Reporter (1999) - Gijzeghem, Lea Van. "Mother Teresa: Her Life" 22 March 1997. www.tisv.be/mt/life.htm> - Gjoni, Landi. "Mother Teresa 1910-1997: Life of an Angel" 1997. www.drini.com/motherteresa/her_life>