Electronica Essay -- Music Musical History Essays

Electronica Electronica is a term coined to describe a relatively new genre of music. This type of music generally revolves around maniplating music in a digital and analog sense. Over time, as technology has improved, the growth of computers and other electronic musical instruments, such as synthesizers, and drum machines has greatly increased the capabilities of electronica. The very first instances of "electronica" were created by the ancient Greeks, who with their intrinsic ingenuity created machines for this very purpose. In the 2nd century, B.C., the Hydraulis was invented a Greek who was fascinated by pneumatics. He was an expert on the use of hydraulic systems for powering mechanical devices, and his most famous invention, the Hydraulis, used water to regulate the air pressure inside an organ. In this device , a set of pumps forced air into the organ, that was channeled to create sound. Later, mechanical instruments evolved, such as the Greek Aeolian harp, the hurdy-gurdy, and fully mechanical organs. Also by this time, Pythagoras, the famous Greek mathematician, also discovered numerical ratios which corresponded to intervals on the musical scale, or as we know them today, octaves. The modern age of electronica finally started, as great American inventors Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell invent new devices that could transmit and record sounds. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. To record, an indentation on a moving strip of paraffin coated paper tape was made by means of a diaphragm with an attached needle. This mechanism eventually lead to a continuously grooved, revolving metal cylinder wrapped in tin foil. Then, In 1880, Alexander Graham Bell devised and patented several means for tra... ... made them a target of more conservative groups who believe they have lost the original vision of techno. I cannot disagree more with these groups, since the music that they enjoy is in my opinion, some of the worst NOISE ever created in human history, along with teen angst Punk, and of course, American "Patriotic" Country. The basic premise of electronica was to add a danceable element to music. It has been wildly successful as can be observed by listening to almost any pop artist. In recent times, these kinds of "sugar" pop groups became so popular that eventually there is a negative reaction to all such dance music. But sooner or later a "fun" element will come back into vogue. Bibliography http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Meadow/8887/elect/ http://www.jam2dis.com/j2delectronicadef.htm http://gaga.essortment.com/historyofelect_rdmu.htm

Financial Management for Young Adults Essay

High credit card debt and student loan repayment have been seen to cause inconveniences to the young adults just because of lack of proper preparedness and awareness, when it comes to dealing with such matters of financial management. (Giuseppe, 2012) tells us that mental health professions perceive money to be corrupting people and that it is not right to have too much of it. With adequate management skills, this statement could be turned around such that the available money is used to help the young adults in managing their finances, however little or much and getting out of the hook of high credit debts and other similar situations. Kapoor, 2011) explains how appropriate knowledge, skills and decision making abilities are key essentials in managing finances. Starting from a tender age, matters of money management can be taught at school and the students will tend to learn more as they proceed to other higher grades. Influence from parents is also seen to be important as it can be a determinant factor in wooing the children to managing their finances correctly. Other innovative activities can also be used to make sure that these young adults know how to go about money issues. We see how awareness can help improve the situation of our young adults as it helps them to be well equipped in dealing with any of such debt issues. Other loan repayment organizations such as America’s Debt Help Organization have played an important role in helping young adults deal with debts and loan repayments. All that one needs to do is to register with such organizations and table your urgency to them. The better part is that, they are available online and anyone can connect to them from any part of the world. Understanding Financial Management  Financial management is the planning, organizing, directing and monitoring the manner in which you use your finances. The elements of financial capability and how it impacts on life successes especially on young adults are based on certain conditions as reported by Soyeon & Joyce (2011) (i) Financial socialization whereby parents are the determinant factor in helping their children to being financially capable adults. The young adults tend to listen to their parents more than even how they pay attention to their teachers at school. Every child believes that their parents are always right and they cannot instill in them something of no value but will strive to give them the best. Once they buy the idea, then they would start looking at financial management positively and this will continue to uplift their awareness regarding finances. (ii) Cumulative education which emphasizes on the ongoing learning education at school. This can impact financial management skills to the young adults who are still at school and enable them to know more about finances. This will also reduce the chances of incurring unnecessary credit card debt, but increase their knowledge in money savings. With this, they will be aware of the benefits of accessing basic necessities like rental housing, savings accounts and other important needs in life. Starting to teach these young students as early as possible will help them grow with the information at heart and even influence how they will manage their finances later on in life and throughout their lives. Starting early also gives them ample time to grow and know more about finances as they develop from stage to stage. Soyeon & Joyce (2011) explains that if young adults are exposed to ongoing financial education, then they gain more financial knowledge and this is found to increase their financial responsibility and behavior when still young, thereby shaping them to be responsible adults later on in life. All these aim to raise self awareness and positive behaviors towards financial management for the young adults. Recent studies have proved that if key financial education concepts are introduced early in school, then that foundation continues to be built consistently (Mansfield & Pinto, 2008). Opportunities where young adults practice how to manage their money could also be done through innovative learning and this could serve as a platform to start financial management skills. With this, they would have learnt physically and be in a position to handle any concepts while still at school. Concepts like simulation would enable students interact with various financial products and services and this in turns sharpens their decision making skills due to effectiveness and improved retention. Parents also play an important role in mentoring these young adults and hence discussion topics on finance management should be encouraged at home, to enable them fully understand these concepts. Parents are more influential as a resent research from Arizona Pathways to Success for University Students found out. The nature of relationship between parents and children are becoming peer-like and that, the value of their relationship continues to grow as a result of this (Serido, 2012). Parents are active in supporting their children in other academic projects and learning in general. This attitude should be extended to help nature these children in matters of financial management such that even as they grow, they know that finances is part of them. Personal financial management is one area that needs planning especially for young adults who are still in school and even for those who have just completed schooling. If personal finances are well planned, it leads to accomplished goals such as settling school loan repayment. Distinguish between the short and long term personal financial goals and know which one to prioritize (Madura, 2010). School loan repayment plan could be categorized as long term as compared to setting an emergency fund. With an estimate of how much you expect to save, you will be getting clearer perception of your financial goals. (Madura, 2010), Financial goals should be realistic. Don’t deceive yourself or be over optimistic as this may lead to disappointment. Or rather, dream of what is within your reach as a young adult and work hard, in order to achieve it. You can even be involved in part time employment where you can get small savings and later plan with it. Determine the type of action you take in setting up your financial goals. Kapoor (2011) says students have many different financial goals, but none are more important than having a basic understanding of financial issues and peace of mind with regard to their decisions. The ultimate goal of Focus on Personal Finance is to get students to this point as a first step to achieving the many financial goals they have set for themselves. Once these goals are set, you will be able to manage yourself such that if you want to reduce credit card debt, you automatically reduce the use of credit and this, will help lessen the burden of unnecessary debts. Everything set within a time frame will also help one achieve his or her goals as planned. Working with time enables one to be on his or her toes and limits prolonged loan repayment, which could accrue more interest as compared to limited time frames. Causes of poor Financial Management Lack of proper financial skills and knowledge are the major causes of poor financial management among the young adults. (Torabi, 2010) guides the young professionals to take control of their money in order to learn how to live independently with more comfort. Schools do not teach young people about personal finance. Therefore, if respective organizations could come out and take this matter into their hands, then the young could have direction about personal finance. As regard to parents, they do not know how to enlighten their young adults about money and managing finances. This has been the major cause of financial management problem because these young adults do not get substantial training and skills concerning money issues. The other problem results from more complex financial marketplace, because most of the young adults do not know where to turn to when looking for savings providers and other financial products and services. As explained by Mansfield & Pinto (2008) that financial literacy of high school students is very low as neither parents nor teachers are showing them the way on how to manage their finances. This puts the young adults at a difficult point when need arises and they have to settle their debts by themselves. More so, when one is starting his or her own life, it turns out that they are not sure of what to do whenever they are faced with challenging budgets. Organizations which deal with issues of money management should work hard towards providing guidelines and enough resources on financial decisions, to help boost their knowledge on financial management. Various lessons can be used to help the young adults be able to utilize their finances in a more effective manner, in order to evade the high degree of debts which at times are not easy to pay off. Solutions As a worrying trend, it is necessary to involve students at school into programs that can help them deal with financial obligations, so that the issue of coupling with high debts is minimized. Mansfield & Pinto (2008) explain credit card knowledge and how many students do not know the concept of their credit cards. Several precautions can be taken to enable these young adults manage their credit cards and avoid unnecessary debts. Keeping a credit card active will help you score numerous points. It is reported that, registering for mobile alerts helps one to monitor his or her credit card transactions and helps one to have the necessary information when need arises. (Madura, 2010). Dealing with debt is not so comfortable especially for the young adults. It would therefore be advisable to always use a debit card if one wants to avoid debts. This will enable one to get used to using a debit card which is the better option, in respect to handling their finances well without getting into unnecessary debts. It is advisable to be involved with debts only if you have clear means and plans of refunding it back without too much strain. Otherwise, it is a wise idea to operate without debts so as to limit the chances of overspending. Savings is another solution which the young adults can opt for, as Torabi (2010) encourages the young to be realistic and prepare for risks which occur from time to time. These savings are crucial in cases of emergencies, especially for young adults who want to start life and live independently. By this, they will have an easy time in managing their finances and taking control of the unexpected. Saving is also regarded as the first step into investments because it gives you the chance to keep some money aside to be used for emergencies, or for other better things other than the usual spending. One can either have the option of operating a savings account or money market account. These enables one to access money whenever he or she needs it and at the same time, earns interest. This is a cheaper option as there are usually no fees if you decide to keep a minimum balance which keeps it in operation. Partnering with certain banks is another solution to curb the rise of financial management illiteracy among the young adults. In here, collaboration of schools with credit unions and banks have seen the young take a positive stand at working out their financial obligations while managing such accounts (Giuseppe, 2012). They learn more from school financial education and become more conversant with financial products and services, as they would have known and learnt financial skills from a more practical point of view. Joining non school based learning also enables these young adults to have ample time for financial discussion, whose norm is taken away from the normal setup of a classroom. These groups have continued to enlighten the young adults and encourage them on matters of managing personal finances (Mansfield & Pinto, 2008). Financial to the youth has now been made possible and understandable, especially through tailored programs and other means of learning which can are easily accessed by students. Financial entertainment through online is the next criteria in dealing with financial management illiteracy. This has provided a chance for the young adults to participate in online training, mobile gaming and other interesting methods through the network. Young adults can also settle for loan repayment programs which will help in eliminating some or all of the student loans. This move could see young adults start their independence lives with less burden and debts. Unfortunately, many graduates are not aware of such schemes as explained by Giuseppe (2012) and this is the point where respective organizations should come in to help elevate the burden of school loan repayments and debts. These programs give additional funds to the young adults, which they can then use to resettle their school loans in good time. Young adults do not have to wait until they are through with school to start looking for employment. There are part time jobs that can help subsidize these loans to avoid having a huge junk when you are through with schooling. Several researchers have explained how there are a rise in students who work part time in order to meet their financial obligations, as compared to the previous years when almost every student was a full time based student. This explains why young adults must quickly develop financial decision making skills to manage other responsibilities that arise from today’s changing economic landscape, as we are told by Serido (2012). Working and studying at the same time may not be easy but what matters is the long term financial gains that result from it. This trend however, can help in clearing your school loan faster enough and get time to start your independent life once you are through with schooling. If everything works out as planned, within the stipulated time frame, then it is worth the effort of studying and working all at the same time. In such a scenario, we find out that time is well utilized and at the same time, one moves on quite quickly as compared to studying, then looking for employment later on. For those who want to start living independently, and are in dire need of various assets, could go for a compensation package at their workplace. It was realized that some companies cannot pay huge salaries but just offer low wages in exchange for your loan repayment (Torabi, 2010). In this way, you as an employee will benefit as your loan will eventually be paid while you get some salary as well. The employer also benefits as he or she spends less in salary payments. This idea works best when brought up during salary negotiations so that, the employer is well informed and knows that you will be committed at the work place for as long as there is an exchange for your student loan payment. Conclusion As reported by Soyeon & Joyce (2011) that today’s youth financial security rests on one’s own shoulder. This implies that it is personal responsibility for the young adults to make sure that their financial practices bring forth better results for tomorrow. This process is gradual and the earlier one starts to organize him or herself, the better. Awareness has been a hidden tool for most of the young adults but with more light on the table, these people are being enlightened on ways to manage their finances and know how to handle tough cases like debts. Parents are not to be left out in the entire process of preparing their children to be good managers of personal finance. Information is the key and the more these young adults keep on searching for information about money matters, the more they learn how to deal with personal finance management and how to avoid unnecessary debts and the like. It is our obligation as policy makers, teachers, parents and the rest to know the value of financial management and how it influences our daily life. A recent study by CFPB office of financial education policy, April 2013, encourages states to consider adding to the list, experiential learning to help equip our young ones with proper management skills, so as to enable them be better managers of their own personal finances. Understanding financial options should be another priority in trying to evade high paying loans. Less expensive loans could give these young adults an easy time in paying back, as compared to private or alternative student loans. A longer duration of payment could also enable these young adults to offset their debts as they will be able to budget with the little they have, instead of paying huge chunks of cash and being left with nothing to support themselves. Literacy to students alone may not bring the kind of impact that is needed. Having to extend financial literacy education to the students’ parents could help the society reach higher grounds, in matters concerning loan schemes and repayment. Campuses may not want to consider financial management education sessions for both incoming students and their parents during orientation. Resources which are available online could serve as a great tool in helping the parents understand and learn what they need to know about financial management and its impact on their children. Both online and class-room based learning have enabled the young from far and near, to learn more about finances and even choose their convenient time. This impact has been felt and even the degree of awareness has started to rise, as many young ones now have a hint on how to manage their finances.

In Tennessee Williams A Portrait In Laughter And...

In Tennessee Williams: A Portrait in Laughter and Lamentation, Harry Rasky uses extensive interviews with Williams to explore the playwright’s intent. Through these interviews, Rasky presents a glimpse of the playwright’s life-world and the driving force behind his creations. Rasky reports Williams as saying I have always been more interested in creating a character that contains something crippled. I think nearly all of us have some kind of defect, anyway, and I suppose I have found it easier to identify with the characters who verge on hysteria, who were frightened of life, who were desperate to reach out to another person (134). This statement supports the idea that Williams incorporates something crippled into all†¦show more content†¦She sends her to business school and invites a gentleman caller to dinner. She is both unable to cope with the contemporary world’s mechanization represented by the speed test in typing and unable to make new acquaintan ces or friends due to her immense inhibition with people. Her life is humdrum and uneventful, yet it is full of dreams and inundated with memories. Whenever the outside world threatens Laura, she seeks solace and retreats to her glass animal world and old phonograph records. Amanda, her mother hints at the alternative of matrimony for fiasco in business careers and Laura utters a startled, doubtful laugh. She reaches quickly for a piece of glass. (Williams SCENE 2. STAGE DIRECCIONS). The glass menagerie becomes her tactile consolation. The little glass ornaments represent Laura’s self and characterize her fragility and delicate beauty. In particular, the glass unicorn greatly symbolizes her. As the unicorn is different from all the other glass horses, it adds a unique quality and virtual freakishness to her very characteristics (Kapcsos). Laura’s physical handicap differentiates her from others. She is just as easily broken as the glass unicorn is as unique. She instan tly regresses, just as it appears that Laura finally overcomes her shyness and hypersensitivity with Jim, the gentleman caller. Jim accidentally bumps into the unicorn, as it falls and breaks. The unicorn no longer retainsShow MoreRelated Escape Mechanisms in The Glass Menagerie Essay1333 Words   |  6 PagesEscape Mechanisms in The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee Williams’ play, The Glass Menagerie, all four members of the Wingfield family have chosen to hide from reality. Amanda tries to relive her past through Laura, and denies anything she does not want to accept. Laura is terrified of the real world, and choses to hide behind her limp, her glass menagerie and the victrola. Tom hides from his reality by going to the movies, writing poetry, and getting drunk. Mr Wingfield hides from his

Analysis Of Tencent A Chinese Investment Company...

The company I’d like to choose is Tencent in China. Tencent is a Chinese investment company established by Huateng Ma and Zhidong Zhang in 1998. Tencent has many services include social network, web portals, e-commerce and multiplayer online games. Tencent’s revenue was 2 billions more than Facebook in 2013. In 2014, it became the fifth biggest company in the contemporary world after Google, Amazon, Alibaba and eBay. Nowadays, it is one of the biggest companies who provide Internet service and it also has the most Internet service users in China. The position of Tencent to competing on analytics is to use analytics to ensure the leader position above Chinese Internet companies. Also, it actually has the ability to compete with other companies on analytics. As one of biggest company in the world, Tencent has the great ability to get the data through their social media platforms. Business has different degrees including reporting and analytics. By the data they got, Tencent not only can get what is happening with their customers, but also can predict what will happen in the future. As the book says, good analytical capabilities require good information management capabilities to integrate, extract, transform, and access business transaction data. Actually, Tencent also has good information management to complete the whole process of getting the important and accurate data what they want. By analytics, we mean the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis,Show MoreRelatedEquity Valuation Analysis Report - Ten cent Holdings Limited8305 Words   |  34 PagesValuation Analysis Report ACCT6111E Business Valuation Analysis Instructor: Professor Albert Tsang Team members Name Student ID Winnie Yam 1155025593 Sherry Zhang 1155023131 Fiona Tong 1093644801 Tommy Wu 1155021510 Robert Pun 1155026071 21 November 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Executive summary [3] 2.0 Industry overview [4] 3.0 Company overview [6] 4.0 Financial statement analysis [12] 5.0 Profitability analysis [23]

An Definition Of Public Relations - 1322 Words

Introduction Public relations today is a complex profession practiced by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Some public relations professionals are employed by a single organization. Others work for public relations firms that have many organizations as clients. Public relations people work for businesses, government agencies, professional and trade associations, nonprofit charities, schools and universities, hospitals, hotels, and many more types of industries. Unlike the practice of other professional fields, such as law and medicine, there are no regulations, but there is great responsibility Defining Public Relations For many decades both PR academics and practitioners have struggled to construct a single definition of what public relations actually are. In 1976, Rex Harlow made a bold attempt to summarize just what public relations are. Harlow started by identifying and analyzing as many definitions of public relations as he could. He ended up examining 472 definitions that had been put forth by other academics, practitioners and scholars since the early days of the twentieth century and interviewing nearly 100 current professionals. Out of that impressive research Harlow combined their common elements to produce the first global definition of public relations, quoted below: â€Å"Public Relations is the distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and co-operation between anShow MoreRelatedThe Definition Of Public Relations Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesDeconstructing the PRINZ definition of Public Relations Public Relations in New Zealand is widely useful, practised and builds up an organisation’s relationships with its publics. PR in short, is essentially about communication and relationship building. PRINZ [Public Relations Institute of New Zealand] (2009) defines PR as â€Å"The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.† This essay will deconstruct and criticallyRead MoreEssay on Defining Public Relations983 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract The field of Public Relations is comprised of so many different functions, as well as conformable and applicable to a vast array of organizational settings and publics. Public Relations professionals cannot possibly commit to being proficient in all areas of required intellectual capacity, and so specialize according to their intrinsic skills. In the following essay, I will attempt to define Public Relations based on my own interpretation of the assigned reading, as well as other outsideRead MoreThe Public Relations Institute Of New Zealand Essay1435 Words   |  6 PagesPRINZ - the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand - defines Public Relations (PR) as â€Å"The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its target audiences.† In this essay I will critically assess PRINZ’s definition of PR through deconstructing the definitions into sections in relation to relevant PR theory such as the excellence theory, relationship management and the systems theory. The major part of the PRINZ quote thatRead MorePublic Relations Institute Of New Zealand Essay1495 Words   |  6 PagesThe Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRiNZ) describes Public Relations as this: â€Å"PR should be defined as deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding and excellent communication between an organisation and its publics.â€Å" In order to wholly understand the reasoning of this elaborate definition it is best refined into three sections. This essay hereby endeavours to critically examine the PRiNZ definition of Public Relations against various modelsRead MorePublic Relations, Advertisement, And Marketing1014 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween public relations, advertisement, and marketing. They are very different and each has distinct characteristics that define their roles in the workforce. When public relations, marketing, and advertisement are used together they can be used to form a very successful plan if used to their full advantages. Worldwide, people aren’t sure what public relations role is in the workplace. Public relations is a planned communication that builds relationships between organizations (What is Public Relations)Read MoreEthics Of The International Federation Of Accountants1614 Words   |  7 Pagesbroad concept that everybody is somewhat familiar with but that still lacks some precise definition. Nonetheless public interest can generally be described as involving matters that are likely to affect a great number of people and that in turn people might want to know about. A more precise definition can actually be found in the statement of the International Federation of Accountants (2012: 2) who specify publics as â€Å"the widest possible scope of societyâ€Å" which include „individuals and groups sharingRead MoreRole Of A Business Relations ( Pr )1216 Words   |  5 PagesResearch paper : Public Relations The role of BA in Public Relations (PR) is to build, promote and preserve the good image of companies or institutions to internal stakeholders and external. For this, it sets the strategy and executes communication projects, transmitting the values, objectives and actions of the organization. His work turns to the external public (customers, suppliers and government officials) and for the internal (employees). Create programs of integration with the community andRead MorePublic Relations Institute Of New Zealand Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will deconstruct and critically assess the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand’s (PRINZ) definition of public relations. PRINZ defines public relations as: â€Å"The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its target audiences† To deconstruct the definition of public relations this essay must define and explain the key concepts, referring to theory and scholarly material. This essay will refer to the excellenceRead MoreThe Key Concepts Of Public Relations Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pagesabout Public Relations because the practice is constantly changing and adapting to the new ways of the world. PRINZ (Public Relations Institute of New Zealand) defines Public Relations as: â€Å"The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its target audiences†. Through out this essay I will be deconstructing and critically assessing this definition through clearly defining and explaining the key concepts of public relations, andRead MoreEssay on Public Relations1312 Words   |  6 PagesPublic sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. - Abraham Lincoln - Fundamentally, public relation is relations with publics. (Public Relations Writing, 2000, p.10) The publics can be any group of people that shares a common interest. Through communication in different ways organizations want to establish, develop and maintain a positive relationship with different groups. This is just a basic definition of public relation but in

Planning Dissertation Research in Business

Question: Describe about the Planning Dissertation Research in Business. Answer: Introduction It has been found that the attendance of black women is higher than the black men in schools. In every aspects of higher education, the black women are seen taking a lead over them. According to a recent study, they are the two thirds of the bachelors degree holders among all students. Through the research, the reason behind it will be brought to focus. Topic analysis According to Harper (2012), the Department of Education in Australia has conducted a research recently on 30 most renowned universities. The study has found a significant amount of gender gap. However, the number is smaller than the overall gender present across the nation. According to the study, in 23 institutions black women have enrolled more than the black men have. In 1940, 2% of black women were able to finish their higher education degrees, which was double the number of black men. The scenario has not much changed in 2015. However, some issues should be addressed. As discussed by Morris (2012), researchers have shown that the black women are more serious about their occupation. They are seemed to be joining other professional fields such as management, engineering, law and medicine because they have fewer opportunities in the blue-collar jobs. Black women do not get adequate wages there. He added that in such a situation, they are bound to achieve higher degrees for a better job. However, the black boys have no such problems because they get proper wages both in white-collar and in blue-collar jobs. Again, they have the physical ability to perform the labor-oriented tasks in mining and other heavy industries. Therefore, higher educational degrees matter less to them. Hunter Yap M (2014) opined that many educationists have also found the higher incidence of school disciplinary and behavioral problems among the black men. These are the non-cognitive factors or the socio-cultural aspects, which frame a students behavior. The academic mindset, perseverance for learning, and academic performance all are dependent on the social skills of a student. According to Shen (2013), it has been seen that the black boys lag behind when it comes to cooperation, responsibility, empathy, and assertion. Black women are more adoptable to the situations than the black boys are. Therefore, it is important to empower those boys for an improved academic behavior. Problem statement The focus is now to answer the queries of some of the problems. The dissertation paper will be based on solving the problems related to the topic. These are as follows: How can the black men be motivated to attend schools? What are the academic behavioral problems found in black men that need to be solved? How can the academic behavioral problems in black men be solved? How can the teachers and the parents contribute in solving the prevalent problems? Conclusion The prevalent gender gap is not only a problem found in Australian educational sector. In many areas of United Stated of America, where gender diversity is a serious issue, one can find the gender gap. Black women achieve higher degrees and get better jobs than the black men get. This situation must be overcome for a stable situation within the society. This dissertation will find out the solutions. Reference Harper, S. R. (2012). Black male student success in higher education: A report from the National Black Male College Achievement Study. Hunter, B., Yap, M. (2014). Income, work and education: insights for closing the gap in urban Australia. Morris, E. W. (2012).Learning the hard way: Masculinity, place, and the gender gap in education. Rutgers University Press. Shen, H. (2013). Mind the gender gap.Nature,495(7439), 22-24.

The Festival of Ramadan Essay Example

The Festival of Ramadan Essay a) Describe what happens at the fast of Ramadan For Muslims, Ramadan is a very special time of the year. Not only is it special, the ninth month is also drastically different to any other part of the Muslim calendar. The most obvious aspect of Ramadan, when viewed from outside, is the fasting undertaken by most Muslims. They are required to refrain from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and smoking from just before dawn to after sunset every day. However, not all Muslims will abstain from eating and drinking during the daylight hours throughout the month of Ramadan, those who are young, (often below the age of 15,) old, ill or travelling are exempt. Extreme examples of fasting, rarely seen in non-Muslim countries even forbid the swallowing of saliva or phlegm. In strict Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, it is not uncommon to see Muslims carrying buckets with them in which to spit, preventing them from having to swallow their saliva, which would, in their eyes, invalidate their fast. We will write a custom essay sample on The Festival of Ramadan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Festival of Ramadan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Festival of Ramadan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Muslims will often eat one meal before dawn, suhoor. This is often eaten very early, and some Muslims return to bed afterwards. The fast is ended with a small meal called iftar, which is taken as soon as possible after the sun has set. Iftar often comprises of dates and a glass of water, following the example of Muhammad (pbuh). However, physical restraint is far from the only aspect of Ramadan. It also involves many spiritual restraints; Muslims must strive to avoid cheating and lying, whilst also making extra efforts to be charitable and to appreciate what they have. Despite these restrictions Ramadan is not only a time of restraint, as fasting, self-control and moderation alone cannot make someone a good person or a good Muslim. Extra actions must also be undertaken. These can involve good deeds or charitable work, whether this be directly or through fundraising. During Ramadan, Muslims may attend extra prayers, (Tarawih), each night at the Mosque. Every evening, one-thirtieth of the Quran is recited, so that, come the conclusion of the month, the whole Quran has been read. Muslims will strive to read the whole Quran at least once throughout Ramadan. Laylat-ul-Qadr, or the night of power, is when Muhammad first received the Quran. It usually occurs within the last ten days of Ramadan, and Muslims may celebrate it by spending the entire night in the Mosque, often reading the whole of the Quran. Throughout Ramadan, Muslims will often greet others with, Ramadan Kareem or Ramadan Mubarak, which means a happy, successful and blessed month. In Muslim countries, Ramadan can change public life dramatically. Life during daylight hours will generally slow down, with many people resting and concentrating on the fast during the day and working during the evening. The end of Ramadan is marked by the feast, Id-ul-Fitr. This day commonly revolves around family. Zakat is often given on this day, and Muslims may also give extra alms to help those who are worse off, enjoy a better Id. On the morning of Id-ul-Fitr Muslims may attend special Id prayers at the Mosque. The day and evening are spent socialising, feasting and giving presents. As Id-ul-Fitr is such a special day of the Muslim calendar, new clothes are often bought for the occasion. At Id, many Muslims will give money known as Zakat-ul-Fitr. This is not compulsory, as Zakat is, but many people feel more obliged to give after experiencing the hunger of those in need throughout the month of Ramadan. The amount given will often represent the cost of a meal for each member of the donors family. b) Explain the importance of Ramadan to Muslims and ways in which it may affect their lives Ramadan is hugely important in the lives of Muslims. It is the fourth pillar of Islam and is compulsory for all Muslims who are able to complete it. The fact that it is a pillar of Islam also makes following it an act of Ibidah It is also important as Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad by God in 570 CE. This makes it a very holy month as the Quran and its revelation to the prophet are the basis of the Islamic faith. Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, stated that The best thing for a Muslim is to continue his or her life as normal. This is the real test. This implies that a Muslim should strive to allow fasting to have as little an effect on their life as possible. However, there are some inevitable effects from fasting. It will have both positive and negative effects. Firstly it will help them learn self-discipline, which is a hugely important characteristic for a Muslim to have. Self-discipline helps Muslims abide by Allahs will, as many aspects of their lives depend on it, such as keeping prayer times and not giving in to temptations which surround us. This is especially important for Muslims in non-Islamic countries, who often also have to resist peer pressure as well as the temptation itself. Ramadan also helps Muslims have a greater appreciation of Allahs gifts to them and they will be better able to understand the plight of those less fortunate than themselves, who do not fast out of choice, but out of necessity. One of Ramadans other main benefits is that it strengthens the Ummah through unity, those in more economically developed countries can have more empathy for those in less economically developed countries; being able to identify with their difficulty concentrating on being a good Muslim, obeying Allah and focusing on Allah during prayers whilst also being consumed by hunger. Ramadan also helps Muslims purify their minds and bodies, which are a gift from Allah and therefore need to be treated with the utmost respect. However, it will have negative effects, one of these a problems undertaking physical activities. This can affect both a Muslims career and their leisure time, especially in non-Muslim countries. Manual workers will have less energy, and will find their workload more difficult. They may also suffer from dehydration, headaches, weakness and nausea. However, it is not only manual workers who will suffer these conditions. To a lesser extent, Muslims in other careers will also suffer, especially in a hot environment or climate. The importance of Ramadan goes further than this however, it was commanded by Allah and is one of the compulsory five pillars of Islam. Many Muslims may argue that as it is a struggle which enables them to become a better person, this means Ramadan is often seen as a Jihad. Ramadan may only last a month, but its impact should continue throughout the year. It is an annual lesson in becoming a better person and a better Muslim. If its effect does not last into Shawwal then it has been unsuccessful. This is another reason why Ramadan is so important for Muslims; it has such a huge impact on their whole lives, during the month and beyond it. c) For Muslims, fasting has both advantages and disadvantages, How far do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer, and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer. I agree with this statement as Ramadan has advantages such as teaching self-discipline, but also has obvious disadvantages such as illness caused by dehydration or hunger. However, some Muslims may disagree, saying that fasting only advantages. They would argue that illness is not a disadvantage, just a trial that must be overcome in order to become a better person. It is not a problem with Ramadan, but an essential part of it, without which Ramadan would be pointless. Some people may say that there are only disadvantages of Ramadan, especially in non-Muslim countries where public life continues as normal. Muslims in careers requiring concentration, quick thinking or strength and stamina may be hindered by dehydration or hunger. Medical careers for example may have life-endangering consequences from bad decisions. Some may argue then that fasting is the wrong thing to do as it is selfish, failing to take into account the welfare of those under a Muslims care who may be put in danger by a famished carer. Some other may agree with this statement, saying that although fasting may teach a Muslim a degree of self-control, do we really need to deny ourselves things in order to become a better person? Surely we are defined as a person by what we do, not by what we do not; the only way to become a better person, both in the eyes of people and of God is to help those in need, not put ourselves in their position. Others may also agree that Ramadan does not have any advantages as it does not put a Muslim into the position of a person living in poverty, as they are not suffering from long term effects of malnutrition and most are guaranteed iftar and a large meal once the sun has set, something alien to those in extreme poverty. To conclude, I feel that most Muslims would disagree with this statement, as they feel that any act of Ibidah can have only advantages. However, many people may also disagree, saying that there are advantages as it develops a persons character, but it also has physical disadvantages.