Non traditional threat to US Essay

In my opinion the most pertinent Non-traditional threat to the US is the economy. It is the single most important, globalized, and un-accounted for problem in the US. The current problem is so bad that the US economy is days away from a (partial) default. This would be the first default since possibly the 1700’s at the founding of the nation. The problem with this is the US green back is the reserve currency of the world (all or most investments are made in US dollars). If the US defaults it will cause a ripple effect that will make the 2008 global financial crisis look small in comparison to the lobal catastrophe that will occur. The reason most investments are in US dollars is because dollars have historically been the most stable currency in the modern age. The US defaulting on its debts has both internal and external effects. The total of US government debt is over $ 16. 9 trillion. (US Debt Clock) Of that debt, $ 4. 8 trillion is owned by governmental agencies. This includes agencies such as the social security (holds over $2. 5 trillion dollars). Of the public debt, foreign investors own $5. 7 trillion. Keep in mind this is Just the actual government debt; effects of a default would be uch bigger. The US reached its debt ceiling in 2012. The US constitution – 14th Amendment, Section 4 – directly forbids the government from defaulting on its debt. Thus to cope with the debt ceiling being reached the government has been taking extraordinary measures in order to pay their debts (for instance suspending investments on individual pension funds). When these measures are exhausted, the government will not bring on a global economic collapse as they default on all their bonds. They will Just be forced to balance the economy – to match their spending with their collected revenue. This is a very different issue (still with its problems) to a full default. What is important is that a full default is likely to not happen. The brinksmanship between the rogue Republicans and the government would only threaten a ‘technical’ default on the shortest-dated US government bonds, because their shorter lives mean their maturity date is nearer than the rest of the government’s ‘safe’ assets. The problem here, as ever, is not whether the federal government is able to repay the principle from these bonds, but the short-term methods used to make these repayments. The US treasury would still be seen as a ‘safe investment’, albeit in more economically uncertain times, and thus bonds would probably rise in price – believe it or not, the US government 10-year bond decreased in price after news that the media reported a default was unlikely. Though we are quick to forget, there have been 17 government shutdowns between 1976-1996 and the debt ceiling is raised almost every year – a full default never happens. This brinksmanship is historically common, and it is the media and politicians that fuel the political fire by indicating that this is the year where it will default.

Industry Analysis of Hotel Industry, India

Business structure and processes INDUSTRY ANALYSIS FOR HOTEL INDUSTRY, INDIA Shruti Garg 2012H149223P Department of Management 16th November’ 2012 Submitted to Dr. Jyoti TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1. 1 Background of Hotel Industry 1. 2 Structure of Hotel Industry 1. 3 Mid Market Segment 1. 4 Budget Segment 1. 5 Heritage Hotels 1. 6 Others 2. 5 Major Players in Market 3. Profiles of some Major Players 3. 1. Indian Hotels Company 3. 2. ITC/Sheraton Group 3. 3 The Leela Group 3. 4 The EIH Ltd. (The Oberoi Group) 3. The Ashok Group 4. Porter’s Five Forces Model 4. 1 Introduction 4. 2 Bargaining power of Suppliers 4. 3 Bargaining power of Customers 4. 4 Threats of New Entrants 4. 5 Threats of Substitutes 4. 6 Competition Rivalry between Existing Players 5. SWOT Analysis 5. 1 Strengths 5. 2 Weaknesses 5. 3 Opportunities 5. 4 Threats 6. References 3 3 3 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 2|Page INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY The Hotel Industry comprises a major part of the Tourism industry. Historically viewed as an industry providing a luxury service valuable to the economy only as a foreign exchange earner, the industry today contributes directly to employment (directly employing around 0. 15 million people), and indirectly facilitates tourism and commerce. Prior to the 1980s, the Indian hotel industry was a slow-growing industry, consisting primarily of relatively static, single-hotel companies. However, the Asiad, held in New Delhi in 1982, and the subsequent partial liberalization of the Indian economy generated tourism interest in India, with significant benefits accruing to the hotel and tourism sector, in terms of improved demand patterns. Growth in demand for hotels was particularly high during the early 1990s following the initiatives taken to liberalize the Indian economy in FY1991, as per the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The euphoria of the early 1990s prompted major chains, new entrants and international chains to chalk out ambitious capacity additions, especially in the metropolitan cities. However, most of these efforts were directed towards the business travelers and foreign clientele. In recent years, the hotels sector has grown at a faster rate than GDP. As a result, the share of hotels & restaurants in GDP at current prices has increased from 1. 2per cent in FY2000 to 1. 5per cent in FY2005. In constant (1999-2000) prices, the GDP from hotels and restaurants has increased from Rs. 222. 65 billion in FY2000 to Rs. 335. 49 billion in FY2005. As a result, the share of hotels and restaurants in total GDP at constant prices has increased from 1. 4per cent in FY2000 to 1. 40per cent in FY2005. 5 STRUCTURE OF THE INDUSTRY Hotels are an important component of the tourism product. They contribute in the overall tourism experience through the standards of facilities and services offered by them. With the aim of providing contemporary standards of facilities and services available in the hotels, the Ministry of Tourism has formulated a voluntary scheme for classification of o perational hotels which will be applicable to the following categories: ? Star Category Hotels: – 5 Star Deluxe, 5 Star, 4 Star, 3 Star, 2 Star & 1 Star ? Heritage Category Hotels: – Heritage Grand, Heritage Classic & Heritage Basic Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 3|Page MID-MARKET SEGMENT This segment comprises 3 and 4 star hotels, which cater to the average foreign and domestic leisure travelers. This segment also caters to the middle level business travelers since it offers most of the essential services of the luxury hotels without the high cost since the tax component of this segment is lower compared with the premium segment. BUDGET SEGMENT These comprise 1 and 2 star hotels referred to as ‘Budget Hotels’. These categories do not offer as many facilities as the other segments but provide inexpensive accommodation tithe highly price-conscious segment of the domestic and foreign leisure travelers. Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 4|Page HERITAGE HOTELS In the past four decades, certain architecturally distinctive properties such as palaces and Forts, built prior to 1950, have been converted into hotels. The Ministry of Tourism has classified these hotels as heritage hotels. OTHERS At any point in time, applications for classification are usually pending with the Ministry of Tourism because of which such properties remain unclassified. The number of hotel rooms pending classification has declined from historical 15-20per cent to 5per cent of the total rooms available in the recent past. 5 major players in market ? The Indian Hotels Company ? ITC/ Sheraton Corporation ? The Leela Group ? The EIH Ltd (The Oberoi Group) ? India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) / the Ashok Group Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 5|Page PROFILES of some major players in the Hotel Industry THE INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY The Indian hotels company and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, recognized as Asia’s largest and finest hotel company. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jemsetji N Tata, the company opened its first property, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay in 1903. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, completed its centenary year in 2003. Taj Hotels and Resorts and Palaces comprises of 59 hotels at 40 locations across India with an additional 17 international hotels in the Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the middle east and Australia. The company has had a long standing commitment to the continuous development of the Indian tourism and hospitality industry. From the 1970s through 1990s, the Taj played an important role in launching several of India’s key tourist destinations. Working in tandem with the Indian government, the Taj developed resorts and retreats while the government developed roads and railways to India's hidden treasures. ITC/ SHERATON CORPORATION ITC – Welcome group Hotels, Palaces and Resorts, is today one of India's finest hotel chains, with its distinctive logo of hands folded in the traditional â€Å"Namaste† is widely recognized as the ultimate in Indian hospitality. Each of the chain's hotels pays architectural tribute to ancient dynasties, which ruled India from time to time. The design concept and themes of these dynasties play an important part in their respective style and decor. With more and more hotels being added at strategic destinations, the group has joined hands with the Sheraton Corporation to strengthen its international marketing base. A successful marketing franchise for almost 25 years now, there are currently 10 ITC – Welcome group Sheraton hotels, and more in the pipeline. THE LEELA GROUP Founded in 1957 by Capt. C. P. Krishnan Nair, the Rs. 4. 5 billion Leela Group is engaged in the business of ready-made garments and luxury hotels and resorts. The Leela Kempinski, Mumbai and The Leela, Goa are two of the best hotels in India, and have also won Considerable international acclaim. For this to have been achieved in 12 short years is Nothing short of Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 6|Page remarkable. Recently in 2001 Capt. Nair fulfilled his longstanding dream of constructing a palace hotel in the garden city of Bangalore. The Leela Palace Kempinski, Bangalore is built in art deco style recreating the grandeur of The Mysore Maharajas Palace. It is set amidst 8 acres of landscaped garden and waterfalls. It is a palace with the heart of a modern hotel. Its 254Kovalam is Kerala’s largest resort, built on a rock face cradled between two wide sweeping Beaches with stunning view of the famous Kovalam coastline. THE EIH LTD (THE OBEROI GROUP) Asian elegance is the key to running hotels, if you ask EIH (better known as The Oberoi Group). The company owns and operates about 20 luxury hotels, about 10 mid-range hotels, and two inland cruises; The Oberoi Group operates primarily in India, but also in Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Mauritius, and Saudi Arabia. Most of the company’s luxury properties bear the Oberoi banner. The company in 2004 joined forces with Hilton International to rebrand most of its mid-range hotels as Trident Hiltons (the former Oberoi Towers is now known as the Hilton Towers Mumbai). The Oberoi Group also operates luxury cruises of the Nile River and India’s Kerala region. INDIA TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (ITDC) / THE ASHOK GROUP India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was established in 1966 as an autonomous public sector corporation, entrusted with the task of helping develop tourism infrastructure and promoting India as a tourist destination. The ITDC Ashok Group of hotel chains manages some of the best five star and luxury tour hotels in the Indian hospitality industry. The hotels run by the ITDC Ashok Group of hotel chains may be divided into different categories; these are elite hotels, comfort hotels and classic hotels. The ITDC Ashok Group of hotel chains manages 33hotels in 26 different tourist destinations all over India. The management of Ashoka Group believes in offering the best in the hospitality industry and the staff at each of the hotels run by the group is especially trained to be courteous and efficient. The Ashok Group of hotel chains boasts of running some of the best hotels in the Indian hotel industry. The hotels that are a part of the elite and classic category of the ITDC Ashok Group are the Ashok Hotel in New Delhi, the Kovalam Ashok Beach Resortin Kovalam, Kerala, the Agra Ashok in Agra, Hotel Jaipur Ashok in New Delhi and the Qutab Hotel in New Delhi. Most of the hotels managed by the ITDC Ashok Group have had the privilege of playing host to several international and national dignitaries. Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 7|Page PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL INTRODUCTION Porter’s model is based on the insight that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats in the organization external environment. Especially, competitive strategy should base on and understanding of industry structures and the way they change. Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and every market. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The objective of corporate strategy should be to modify these competitive forces in a way that improves the position of the organization. Porter’s model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry. Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 8|Page 1. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS The term ‘suppliers' comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The high class hotels are operating by few hotel chains like-TAJ, EIH, ITC & THE LEELA PALACE so they have a control over the industry. There are no substitutes for spas and five star hotels. The hotels customers are fragmented, so they have to reduce their bargaining power to attract the customers. The Taj, ITC& Oberoi are having various rates and tariffs, because they are having their own brand image. The hotel chains are operating different services like Spas, Boatels, Resorts, City Centers, Heritage HOTELS, etc. 2. BARGAINING POWER OF CUSTOMERS Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. ? ? ? ? The hotel industry is one of the most invested in its fixed assets. So they are trying to recover their amount quickly. The suppliers are providing better information about them to attract the customers’. Here the buyers are highly informed. If the hotel price changes are moderate, the Customers have low margins and are pricesensitive. Some unseasoned timings the hotels are offering discounts and incentives toreduce the bargaining power of buyers. 3. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS The competition in an industry will be the higher; the easier it is for other companies to enter this industry. In such a situation, new entrants could change major determinants of the market environment (e. g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. There is always a latent pressure for reaction and adjustment for existing players in this industry. Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 9|Page †¢ †¢ ? ? ? The foreign hotel chains are tied up with Indian hotels to reduce the initial cost and using the latter’s brand name. Brand loyalty of customers like TAJ, ITC, and LEELA PALACE affects the new entrants. Access to raw materials and Distribution channels are controlled by Existing players like TAJ, ITC, and LEELA PALACE. The cost of land in India is high at 50% of total project cost as against 15% abroad. This acts as a major deterrent to the Indian hotel industry. In India the expenditure tax, luxury tax and sales tax inflate the hotel bill by over 30%. Effective tax in the South East Asian countries works out to only 4-5%. 4. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES A threat from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices of better performance parameters for the same purpose. They could potentially attract a significant proportion of market volume and hence reduce the potential sales volume for existing players. This category also relates to complementary products. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Brand loyalty of customers (TAJ, ITC, LEELA PALACE, etc,) is dominating the substitutes. The hotel relationship with customer and costs also the reasons to switching to substitutes. The price variation of same class hotel services from various brands is one of the reasons to choose a substitute. The present demand and supply of hotel rooms is one of the reasons to choose a substitute. More fixed cost and switching costs affects the business. 5. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY BETWEEN EXISTING PLAYERS This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players (companies) in an industry. High competitive pressure results in pressure on prices, margins, and hence, on profitability for every single company in the industry. †¢ †¢ The top competitors in hotel industry are having the same services like five star, spas, boatels and motels, heritage hotels and palaces. The healthy competition among the all players is helping to increase the industry growth. Intense in metro cities, slowly picking up in secondary cities. Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 10 | P a g e SWOT ANA LYSIS STRENGTHS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ A very wide variety of hotels is present in the country. There are international players in the market such as Taj and Oberoi Chains A manpower cost in the Indian hotel industry is one of the lowest in the world. India offers a readymade tourist destination with the resources Natural and cultural diversity Demand-supply gap Government support Increase in the market share WEAKNESSES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The cost of land in India is high at 50% of total project cost as against 15% abroad. The hotel industry in India is heavily staffed. High tax structure in the industry makes the industry worse off than its international. Only 97,000 hotel rooms are available in India today. Only limited value added services Poor support infrastructure Slow implementation Susceptible to political events. OPPORTUNITIES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Demand between the national and the inbound tourists can be easily managed due to difference in the period of holidays. In the long-term the hotel industry in India has latent potential for growth. Unique experience in heritage hotels. Rising income. Open sky benefits. THREATS †¢ †¢ †¢ Guest houses replace th e hotels. Political turbulence in the area reduces tourist traffic and thus the business of the hotels Changing trends in the west demand similar changes in India 2012H149223P 11 | P a g e Shruti Garg †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The economic conditions of a country have a direct impact on the earnings in hotel industry. Lack of training man power in the hotel industry. Fluctuations in international tourist arrivals. Increasing competition REFERENCES ? ? Ministry of tourism website: http://tourism. gov. in/TourismDivision/ Ministry of tourism – Hotel classification guidelines : http://www. hrawi. com/hotelrestaurant/Guidelines_for_classification_of_Hotels. pdf ? ? ? ? ? Hotel pictures: http://www. hotel-pictures. net/ Taj: http://www. tajhotels. com/ ITC Hotels: http://www. itchotels. in/ The Leela: http://www. theleela. com/ ITDC group: http://www. theashokgroup. com/ Shruti Garg 2012H149223P 12 | P a g e

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Typhoid fever in children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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E-views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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How Motivation Can Affect Employees' Commitment and Performance at Work - Essay Example How Motivation Can Affect Employees' Commitment and Performance at Work? Motivation is required in every stages of life, and in everywhere, be it school, office or home. Motivation influences people to perform and it also helps to perform better. Motivation has certain ways to inspire people, certain theories to encourage people to work, to perform. These theories are known as motivational theories. The management of an organisation applies these theories to ensure the completion of the tasks and the achievement of the determined goals. There are several different approaches to motivate people in a workplace. The theories provided by the famous psychologists Fredrick Herzberg, Abraham Maslow, and Clayton P. Alderfer, relate to the need of the human, which helps to create a better work environment, enhanced performances, and a better living. The theories are known as Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory, Motivation-Hygiene Theory of Herzberg, and Existence, Relatedness and Growth (ERG) Theory of Alderfer. There are others theories given by David McClellandâ₠¬â„¢s Need Theory, Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, McGregor’s X and Y Theory and Goal Setting theory of Edwin Locke. These theories are very much helpful to recognise the reasons that affect towards motivating people at the workplace to enhance the performances given by the employees and to increase the commitment towards work and the workplace. (Hoffmann, 2007). The major objective of this study is to highlight all these relevant theories related to motivation and workplace performance and their features. The paper would include the importance of these theories in an organisation and their analysis to enhance the commitment and the performance of every individual. The paper would also include a conclusion of the overall discussion. Findings The Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory In the year 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a theory of motivation for the human, named as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This was one of the earliest human motivation theories. This theory was developed based on the various psychological needs of a human being where the framework of the theory consisted of five sets of human needs. This framework was separated into two different groups, i.e. ‘basic needs’ and ‘higher-order needs’. The basic needs of a human being are shelter, food, water and safety. These are the needs which ensure the existence of a human being. And esteem, self actualisation, or self improvement and the social activities, comes under the higher order needs. The human motivation to satisfy the needs of the human basically is originated from the external or internal factors. The internal motivation of people is due to the factors which result in delight and a sense of achievement. The people who get motivated externally are influenced by the different external factors, which are controlled by others, such as, money. The framework of Maslow represents a pyramid structure and the framework consists of basic needs at its bottom and the higher needs are at the top of the structure (Yahaya, n.d.). Source: (Yahaya, n.d.). The basic needs are the psychological needs such as, food, water, sleep and shelter. These are the ne

Ethnic groups were portrayed in the media Essay Example for Free

Ethnic groups were portrayed in the media Essay During the course of looking at education, and ethnicity issues I became interested in how ethnic groups were portrayed in the media. Although I havent studied this before, I wanted to do something different, but still apply the fundamental theories which I have studied. I have noticed how there seems to be a trend with all areas involving ethnicity, and personally feel there is racism and under-representation of ethnic groups on television, and definitely inequalities in the press. The media has a huge effect on our perception of life and self-concepts, and reinforce stereotypical ideals, and it seems that ethnic minorities tend to be characterised as uneducated, illiterate and bad role-models. Therefore the aim of this research is to see how people feel about the way the media represents all ethnic groups, and whether they think they are stereotypical. My first concept is the cultural effects model which sees the media as a very powerful influence, but also sees it as very diverse, and one type of audiences response may vary to another. However, there is an anticipated response, known as the preferred reading. Those who lack experience in cultural diversity are more likely to accept what is shown and therefore make generalisations from what they see to what they think. Therefore we make generalisations or stereotypical views of different members of society. This is my second concept. A stereotype is a conventional image of a person or group. Stereotypes generally conform to a pattern of dress or behaviour. A BBC news article entitled How entertainment changed: the media and multicultural Britain addressing how the media has changed over time and gives statistics from a recent survey to the public, to their (ethnic minorities) opinions on how they are represented in the media, and also how the overall public view the medias representations. The results were promising inasmuch as the public suggested there was improvement. However, there is apparently, still a lingering feeling that Britain has a long way to go before its multiculturalism is represented properly and effectively in the media. This is relevant to the point of research since it discusses how society is responding to what the media is involving, and if it is improving or not. Since there is such a dynamic response, it suggests that stereotypes do exist, and that there has been negative representation of ethnic groups. It also gives evidence to suggest that this representation has caused a problem it has effected audience perception of sub-cultures in society. We come to expect certain behaviour or values without looking at the bigger picture, through which the media tends to overlook. The third concept is racism. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others is racism. The contextual research included in this is; Racism and the press by Van Dijk in 1991. Here he analyses the reporting of ethnic issues in 1985 1989, in which the press, (especially the tabloids) portrayed black people as a problem and a threat to mainstream society. The collected findings of both pieces of research generally give a depressing reading. Under-representation and stereotypical characterisation within entertainment genres and negative, problem-orientated portrayal within factuality and news forms, and a tendency to ignore structural inequalities are recurring research findings when looking into the media.

Personality Traits of a Successful Teacher

Personality Traits of a Successful Teacher When it comes to a career the skills and personality strengths required are surprisingly similar in many ways. However, each professional career has certain strengths they tend to look for. Communication and cooperation are two of the main traits required for all careers. When I found my Signature Themes I realized how they really relate to my future career, becoming an elementary teacher. When becoming a teacher there are certain personality strengths that are required and comes naturally to some people. Harmony, Consistency, Discipline, Communication and Positivity are my five signature themes. These are just a few strengths that teachers need. A few others are obviously the ability to teach, instruct, organize, make presentations and listen. These five signature themes contribute to my future goals by creating opportunities for me to move forward in life, with a lot of positive options and pathways. Positivity is a great quality for a teacher because teachers, especially elementary teachers, need to praise there students and encourage them to be the best they can be. A positive person always looks for the good in someone or a situation. In a lot of ways, Im the person who thinks of the glass being half full instead of half empty. This is an excellent trait for a teacher because students need a positive role model in their lives, and not all have the opportunity to h ave it at home. My family is very close and family oriented, they have all gone through some rough patches and have remained positive throughout everything. I think this plays a major role on me and how I conduct and live my life. My parents are very encouraging with everything and remain positive in almost every situation. I really dont think that being a positive person can have a negative effect on a anyone. Positivity is a good trait to have and it looked up upon, it is a rare trait to have and I know that my friends really appreciate that trait of mine. Positivity is the type of this that rubs off on people and most likely its there to stay. Harmony is a wonderful personality trait of a teacher! Teachers need to have the ability to see both sides of an argument, and be open to listening with an open heart to both parties. I feel that when you argue with someone you should try and keep it to the minimum, and steer them towards harmony and happiness. Teachers bring the good out in students fighting by making them talk about down-to-earth things, things which matter to everyone and they can come to a single agreement on! A teacher understands where a child comes from and theyre background. Maybe a child is brought up by arguing parents and confrontation and fighting is alright, well thats where I as a teacher would step in and come to an agreement and steer clear of debate. Again, my family influences me a lot and always encourages my sisters and I to work it out and to not argue. My mom is a horseback riding instructor and she also has many of these traits. She remains positive and never takes sides in an argument two of h er students may be having. When it comes to harmony hurting my ambitions in life, I dont see how that is possible in any situation. Harmony is a great trait to have, especially for a teacher. Not enough teachers have this trait and I think that those are the ones that everyone dislikes. Positivity and harmony go hand and hand in the teaching world. Communication was voted the number one required trait of a teacher. When you think of a teacher and classroom what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Bulletin boards, a colorful picture that draw your attention, and makes you want to read and find out more. Exactly, teacher and communication go hand and hand, they explain, describe, host, and likes to speak in front of groups of people. I am not afraid to express myself, or to let my opinion be heard. Teachers are known for bringing projects to life and to make them exciting and energetic. People respect teachers for being able to think on their toes and create things out of nowhere. I think this personality trait fits me perfectly; this is why I think I would make a great teacher in the future. In the past, I have had a very hard time with public speaking, I do not like to get in front of a large group of people and give a speech. But when it comes to kids and being very influential it doesnt bother me at all. As I getting older and more confident in my teaching ability I feel that standing up and talking all day and teaching kids valuable information will be very easy. Balance and consistency is important to any teacher. Teachers need to have the ability to not show favoritism, everyone is treated fairly in every situation. In a teachers eyes not one child is more important than any other. Rules apply to everyone equally, no matter what. In my everyday life balance and consistency is very important to me, things need to be consistent and orderly at all times. Consistency will help me with my future plans by being organized and having a known plan, keeping me on track to achieve my goals. Lastly, Discipline is a trait of teachers, and I dont mean spanking and punishing. Discipline simple means ordered and planned, or even predictable. Routines and structure are very important. Lists, short term and long term goals get you through your weeks. When children learn then need discipline, and need a structured environment where they can learn and focus. Teaching discipline to children at a young age drastically improves theyre studying and learning techniques for the rest of their lives. In my life, check lists, post-it notes and routines get me through my day. This helps me achieve deadlines and finish all of my homework on time. Children need discipline, when things are repetitive; you learn them quicker and in most cases, easier. Having discipline in your life in never a bad thing, it makes you have more respect for yourself and others around you. I know that when I achieve my goals and still have time left I feel great. Achieving goals is such a great feeling. These five personality traits are major qualities a teacher should have. All good teachers love children and have a need to improve their lives somehow. Harmony, Discipline, Consistency, Communication and positivity are just a few of my personality traits that go towards teaching and making the world a better place. In order for me to be successful in my future goals I have to be persistent and do my best in school, when it is time to do my internship in two years, and when it comes time for me to go out into the world and become an elementary school teacher and have a positive input on young childrens lives. References Do future teachers choose wisely: a study of pre-service teachers personality preference profiles | College Student Journal | Find Articles at BNET. (n.d.). Find Articles at BNET | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues Reference Articles on All Topics. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_3_39/ai_n15384396/ McKay, D. R. (n.d.). Teacher Preschool, Elementary and Secondary School Teachers Career Information. Career Planning Career Planning Guide. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/teacher.htm ReidÂÂ  , R. K. (n.d.). StrengthsQuest. Onondaga Community College Students students.sunyocc.edu. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://students.sunyocc.edu/support.aspx?menu=596id=15462 Skills in jobs. (n.d.). University of Kent the UKs European university . Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsinjobs.htm#TEACHERS

Experimentation in Music Essay -- Musicians Songs Art Essays

Experimentation in Music For thousands of years, music has been a part of people’s lives and has evolved through many different forms over time. Music is the art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre (American Heritage). One important component of analyzing music is whether it has musical value. In other words, music does not have to be organized sound or produced by instruments. This is what composers and artists of experimental music discover. Experimental music is an art form, makes use of instruments or other items that can produce sound, and can alter or expand the basic foundations of music and musicality. These are the key elements that define experimental music. The genre that is experimental music essentially consists of music and sound that is different than any conventional music written before it. Though nearly all new types of music begin with experimentation of some kind, experimental music has become a specific category of its own in music. In this type of music, sounds and music are redefined and organized in a new way. There is sometimes a visual aspect to experimental music as well. The audience and performance are vital parts of the musical experience to these composers. Methods of sound production, time, and notation are also important aspects of experimental music. These are some of the essential qualities of this type of music as many musical ideas and theories are changed and altered. Experimental music is an art form. Because music is an art form, it can be open to interpretation and creativity. Composers write the music that they want to write because of the way they perceive mus... ...and changes or alters the concepts and perceptions of music. This genre seeks to experiment with sounds in a completely different way than conventional music does. Everything from the audience to musical notation is reconsidered and presented in a new, original manner. It is an important part of the perception and development of music. As musical concepts and technology change, experimental music will continue to modify and broaden the definition of music. Works Cited â€Å"Music.† American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Fourth ed. 2000. Davies, John Booth. The Psychology of Music. Stanford , CA : Stanford University Press, 1978. Ewen, David. Composers of Tomorrow’s Music. Cornwall , NY : The Cornwall Press, Inc., 1971. Nyman, Michael. Experimental Music: Cage and beyond. Hampshire , Great Britain : BAS Printers Limited, 1974. Experimentation in Music Essay -- Musicians Songs Art Essays Experimentation in Music For thousands of years, music has been a part of people’s lives and has evolved through many different forms over time. Music is the art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre (American Heritage). One important component of analyzing music is whether it has musical value. In other words, music does not have to be organized sound or produced by instruments. This is what composers and artists of experimental music discover. Experimental music is an art form, makes use of instruments or other items that can produce sound, and can alter or expand the basic foundations of music and musicality. These are the key elements that define experimental music. The genre that is experimental music essentially consists of music and sound that is different than any conventional music written before it. Though nearly all new types of music begin with experimentation of some kind, experimental music has become a specific category of its own in music. In this type of music, sounds and music are redefined and organized in a new way. There is sometimes a visual aspect to experimental music as well. The audience and performance are vital parts of the musical experience to these composers. Methods of sound production, time, and notation are also important aspects of experimental music. These are some of the essential qualities of this type of music as many musical ideas and theories are changed and altered. Experimental music is an art form. Because music is an art form, it can be open to interpretation and creativity. Composers write the music that they want to write because of the way they perceive mus... ...and changes or alters the concepts and perceptions of music. This genre seeks to experiment with sounds in a completely different way than conventional music does. Everything from the audience to musical notation is reconsidered and presented in a new, original manner. It is an important part of the perception and development of music. As musical concepts and technology change, experimental music will continue to modify and broaden the definition of music. Works Cited â€Å"Music.† American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Fourth ed. 2000. Davies, John Booth. The Psychology of Music. Stanford , CA : Stanford University Press, 1978. Ewen, David. Composers of Tomorrow’s Music. Cornwall , NY : The Cornwall Press, Inc., 1971. Nyman, Michael. Experimental Music: Cage and beyond. Hampshire , Great Britain : BAS Printers Limited, 1974.

Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Essays Papers

Heart of Darkness I had read this story once before when I was a freshman at a branch campus of Penn State called Behrend. I read it for a literature class dealing with short stories and their analyzation. I didn’t really like the story back then, and it really hasn’t moved-up any spots on my list of favorites. Although I really didn’t care for the story, I did notice quite a bit of symbolism throughout the book. Conrad seemed to use black and white as his main source of color symbolism. Just as in the old westerns, white is good and black is bad. One instance in which you could see this is the many times that Conrad speaks of the white souls of the black people and the black souls of the white people that exploit them. The old ladies in the Belgian office sat there and knitted black wool, symbolizing the dark fate and tragedy that were to follow. You can find many, many other examples of the usage of black and white to symbolize feelings and emotions, as well as a few other colors. There are also some objects that Conrad uses to create a symbolism. Take, for example, the stick of wax that the manager breaks while he is talking about Kurtz. I don’t know, but if you ask me the manager wishes that the wax actually was Kurtz. I think that the oil painting that was done by Kurtz shows that he was completely aware of what was going on and what he was getting himself into. I also noticed that grass was mentioned a lot in the story. I remember from my class at Behrend that the professor mentioned that Conrad liked to include a lot of references to Biblical scripture in his works. I can’t remember what it was supposed to mean, but I think that the grass has something to do with the Bible. Well, even though this wasn’t the greatest book that I have ever read, there were a lot of interesting things that it gave me to think about. The question was posed in class on Tuesday...What kind of leader would you be if you could make all of the rules You know, the longer that I sit here and think about that question the more that I think I would be horrible. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Essays Papers Heart of Darkness I had read this story once before when I was a freshman at a branch campus of Penn State called Behrend. I read it for a literature class dealing with short stories and their analyzation. I didn’t really like the story back then, and it really hasn’t moved-up any spots on my list of favorites. Although I really didn’t care for the story, I did notice quite a bit of symbolism throughout the book. Conrad seemed to use black and white as his main source of color symbolism. Just as in the old westerns, white is good and black is bad. One instance in which you could see this is the many times that Conrad speaks of the white souls of the black people and the black souls of the white people that exploit them. The old ladies in the Belgian office sat there and knitted black wool, symbolizing the dark fate and tragedy that were to follow. You can find many, many other examples of the usage of black and white to symbolize feelings and emotions, as well as a few other colors. There are also some objects that Conrad uses to create a symbolism. Take, for example, the stick of wax that the manager breaks while he is talking about Kurtz. I don’t know, but if you ask me the manager wishes that the wax actually was Kurtz. I think that the oil painting that was done by Kurtz shows that he was completely aware of what was going on and what he was getting himself into. I also noticed that grass was mentioned a lot in the story. I remember from my class at Behrend that the professor mentioned that Conrad liked to include a lot of references to Biblical scripture in his works. I can’t remember what it was supposed to mean, but I think that the grass has something to do with the Bible. Well, even though this wasn’t the greatest book that I have ever read, there were a lot of interesting things that it gave me to think about. The question was posed in class on Tuesday...What kind of leader would you be if you could make all of the rules You know, the longer that I sit here and think about that question the more that I think I would be horrible.

Sudan: Social Inequality, the Fight for NaturalResources, Civil War Ess

Sudan: Social Inequality, the Fight for NaturalResources, Civil War Ethics of Development in a Global Environment: War& Peace Fighting between the Muslim government in Khartoumand Christian rebel forces located in southern Sudan has long been ignored.This struggle has caused nothing but devastation and depravation for in theregion. More than two millionpeople have died as a result of the conflict, including many innocent civilians. In addition, extremely valuableresources that would surely benefit the entire global economy, are beingneglected and the with the minimized benefits only helping a few . As is the case in most if not all civilwars power is what each side is struggling over. .The north and south werejoined for no good reason and their religious and cultural differences haveadded fuel to their dispute. Since the conflict began in 1983, the re-appearanceof war between Northern and Southern Sudan has generally been interpreted as atypical ethno-religious conflict deriving from differences between Muslims andChristians, or Arabs and Africans. While this categorization had served as anaccurate description of the earlier manifestation of this conflict in the 1950s,it is widely believed that the nature of the conflict has evolved. Though classifying this war as anethno-religious one still has some bearing on how the war is being conductedand perceived, the main reasons for fighting definitely transcend race andreligion to a certain extent. Conflicts are processes, not static events,and over the last three decades the developments in the Sudan have graduallyand consistently changed the nature of the conflict from being a classicethno-religious conflict. This warnow mainly focuses on the seizure of the area... ...ths of over two million. If the U.S. wants to get to the oil it is imperative theydeal with the humanitarian crisis and avoid the foreign policy mistakes theyhave made in the past. [1] SudanA Political And Military History:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/analysis/84927.stm [2] Ibid [3] Sudan A Political And Military History:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/analysis/84927.stm! [4] Why Doesnt The World Act?:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/analysis/84985.stm [5] Suliman, Mohamed. Civil War In Sudan: The Impact OfEcological Degradation. [6] Bussiness and Human Rights:http://www.business-humanrights.org/Sudan.htm [7] U.S. Warns Khartoum over attacks:http://news.bbc.co.uk./2/hi/africa/1859987.stm [8] U.S. Warns Khartoum over attacks:http://news.bbc.co.uk./2/hi/africa/1859987.stm [9]http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/jan-june99/sudan.html

Alternative energy or carbon sequestration

Since the beginning of civilization, man has always tried to resource his surrounding for his own benefits and needs. In the early times, man sufficed his need for energy by using wood in terms of fire for cooking and other purposes.As and when the technology started developing we started venturing into the field of advanced sciences for extracting maximum energy for population needs. Fossil fuels have been the greatest source of energy that has been exploited for a very long time. But in the time of growing population and global warming reaching new peaks every year, the time for alternative process of energy has come.One of the major challenges faced by today’s world is the sequential balancing between the impact on the climate and nature due to global warming and the immediate requirement of sufficing energy needs to vast and demanding population. To wriggle out of this situation, consideration has to be given on alternatives that can balance the equation and be beneficial for a longer term. Carbon sequestration is one of the latest technologies that have been put to use for the very same purpose. It is a process which would greatly reduce the carbon emission from high industrial belts and would to a great extent decelerate the process of global warming.The system or its principle works on two stages; first is capturing the carbon dioxide from the environment and then storing in soil or oceans. However this technology or this scientific innovation is pretty much new and the process of capturing carbon dioxide is on far later stages than the technological advancement on the process of storing it. The primary stage of capturing works on the simple principle of photosynthesis in plants. The carbon dioxide is taken by plants from the environment and it gives out oxygen back to the atmosphere.The carbon that is left within the plant is amalgamated into biomass and is very promptly released into the soil. It is estimated that there is a lot of carbon in the soil compared to the environment and due to which the concept of carbon sequestration seems validated when it transfuses carbon deep in the soil. The following will give evidence on the amount of carbon already existing in the soil, due to natural integration: ‘According to the FAO the carbon content of dry land soils is estimated to be 4 tons/hectare. Carbon content ranges between 7 tons and 24 tons in normal (non-depleted) soils, depending on the climate zone and vegetation’.(Courtesy: Eco preservation society, â€Å"Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Soils Could Solve Global Warming†. June 19, 2008. Retrieved on November 27, 2008 from http://ecopreservationsociety. wordpress. com/2008/06/19/carbon-sequestration-and-storage-in-soils-could-solve-global-warming/? referer=sphere_related_content/) The technology of capturing carbon works on similar principle of photosynthesis where the carbon dioxide is taken into capture by the utilization of the syn gas on reac tors and coal emitting industries. This reaction takes place before the carbon dioxide is mixed with the atmosphere.Capturing of the carbon can also be done in two stages and i. e. pre combustion capture and post combustion capture. The process of carbon capturing is still in its novice stages and has been categorized in forms of storage procedures. Carbon can be stored in oceans in a liquid storage procedure; it can be stored real deep in saline formations and already utilized gas fields. The advantage of storing it in exhausted gas fields is that carbon helps retrieve the little percentage of fossil fuels which was out of reach becomes and due to this sequestration process it very much possible.Also there is a procedure which is minimally used, in which it can just be stored in a solid form. However to survive in this planet with depleting natural energy resources, a cleaner form of energy is very much the immediate necessity. The crisis of fuel can be only understood from the fac t that one of the major reasons of the world today going to recession is because of high fuel prices. Not only we are losing from an energy perspective but this depletion is causing havoc in the financial markets alongside bringing down economies.The most surprising aspect of the world is that even when we had the biggest source of energy no proper advancement is done in the field of solar energy. The sun has the biggest potential to run the entire planet on the energy its providing yet only little development have been done in the field of solar energy. The sun’s energy can be basically converted into photovoltaic energy or can be put in terms of cells where the energy can be stored and then utilized. This technology makes the solar energy more producible in terms of a cleaner energy and gives an edge over all the sources of energy.To add to the advantage, solar tracking devices can be adjusted with the solar panels, so that maximum solar energy can be grasped in terms of in tensity and the solar panels can integrate themselves to a degree where the sun is at its highest. NASA uses this technology for hovering satellites around earth and if this energy is used in more periodic and systematic way, it can challenge any source of energy to its fullest. The following highlights the advantage of solar energy in terms of market and competitive edge over countries rich in oil:‘This would automatically boost the market for renewable energy. Even countries with conventional energy reserves would lose their current cost advantages’ (Courtesy: Hermann Scheer, and Andrew Ketley, â€Å"The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future†. Page 307. Retrieved on November 27, 2008. Published by Earthscan, 2004) The wind energy is also another source of clean energy. But this energy gets its limitations as it is suppose to have wind run at least 14 miles per hour for it to produce energy.Also unlike solar energy which can be used in cars, with the help of solar panels, it would become tedious for wind energy to be implemented. For this world to have an alternative it is better first to focus on an alternate form of energy especially in the lines of solar energy over carbon sequestration. The major reason behind it is carbon in the end has to be released in the atmosphere with the cutting of forests and tilling of agricultural land. Also when carbon storing is done in water it increases the chances of acidification of water by a huge margin, making the storage process more vulnerable.Also if carbon sequestration is done on a natural basis by the mean of planting more trees than it becomes a very slow process and the following can shed light on this issue: ‘Trees grow very slowly, although the potential to sequester carbon is very large, the actual carbon sequestration rate on an annual basis is very small especially for temperate climate found in climatic zones like Canada’. (Courtesy: Jagtar S. Bha tti, R Lal, M. J. Apps, M A Price, â€Å"Climate Change and Managed Ecosystems†. Page-99. Retrieved on November 27, 2008.Published by CRC Press, 2006) The fact that solar energy should be more emphasized than carbon sequestration is that both the technologies haven’t reached their required advancement, and the amount of time taken to reach the pinnacle of the technology would approximately take the same time, which makes an alternative form of energy a better and viable option for top recommendation than a technology that is only going to rotate carbon from the atmosphere into soil or ocean, which in the end might get recycled back in the atmosphere.Reference: 1) Eco preservation society, â€Å"Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Soils Could Solve Global Warming†. June 19, 2008. http://ecopreservationsociety. wordpress. com/2008/06/19/carbon-sequestration-and-storage-in-soils-could-solve-global-warming/? referer=sphere_related_content/ 2) Hermann Scheer, and And rew Ketley, â€Å"The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future†. Page 307. 2008.Published by Earthscan, 2004 3) Jagtar S. Bhatti, R Lal, M. J. Apps, M A Price, â€Å"Climate Change and Managed Ecosystems†. Page-99. Published by CRC Press, 2006 4) Jeffrey Gordon, â€Å"Solar Energy: The State of the Art†. International Solar Energy Society. Published by Earthscan, 2001 5) Thomas E Lovejoy, Lee Hannah, â€Å"Climate Change and Biodiversity†. Published by TERI Press 6) http://www. fossil. energy. gov/programs/sequestration/

Nazi Preparation for War Essay

The Nazis came to power in 1933. They began introducing a set of ideas into German society. These ideas were based on the Nazi ideology, outlined by Hitler’s book â€Å"Mein Kampf†. This essay will examine how the Nazis’ attempted to ‘educate’ German society to integrate their ideological beliefs, and whether these were all designed as a preparation for war. There were a number of different aims for the youth in Nazi Germany and therefore their education needed to be suitable. Education methods created a loyal following for Hitler and the Nazis. The Nazis were aware that education to the German youth would create loyal Nazis by the time they reached adulthood. Their overall aim was to create a generation of racially pure Germans who were ready to do what Hitler asked of them and most importantly; serve their country. Therefore it was necessary to mould young boys into being prepared for war. Education is supposed to open closed minds to liberate the minds of the youth and of the ignorant. It aims make a person to be an independent thinker. However in Germany under the Nazis the purpose for education was to close the minds. Leading Nazis stated that â€Å"the whole purpose of education is to create Nazis†. Education played a very important part in Nazi Germany in creating a loyal population of youth. The Nazis were aware that education would create loyal youth by the time they were adults. The pupils were made to believe in Hitler, and the youth movement made sure that they would not even think of opposing him. Education meant indoctrination. Hitler used the schools to reinforce Nazi ideas. The school curriculum was changed, to serve the Nazi purpose. Physical education, Biology, German and History were given special emphasis. Science had a military slant to it and focussed on chemical warfare and explosives. Maths dealt with social issues and artillery calculations. History was changed in classes to uphold the glory of Germany, the Treaty of Versailles was described as the work of jealous nations, and hyperinflation in 1923 was said to be the work of Jewish saboteurs. Biology became a study of the different races. It aimed to ‘prove’ that the Nazi belief in Aryan racial superiority was correct. All teachers had to be accessed by local Nazi officials. Any teacher considered disloyal was sacked. Nazi curriculum classes were held during school holidays and most teachers attended. In 1933 the NSLB (National Socialist Teachers League) had 6,000 members, by 1937 it had 320,000 members. This meant that about 97% of all teachers had joined the NSLB. Teachers taught their pupils that Jews, and socialists were the cause of all Germany’s problems. This is evident in exam questions that showed the government’s anti-Semitic views, â€Å"A bomber aircraft on take-off carries 12 dozen bombs, each weighing 10 kilos. The aircraft takes off for Warsaw the international centre for Jewry. It bombs the town. On take-off with all bombs on board and a fuel tank containing 100 kilos of fuel, the aircraft weighed about 8 tons. When it returns from the crusade, there are still 230 kilos left. What is the weight of the aircraft when empty ? †. Girls were indoctrinated into following the 3Ks: Kinder (Children), Kiche (Kitchen) and Kirche (Church). Girls had to learn first aid and help on the land. But with the Nazis concerned about the falling birth rate and scared Germany would become a second class power, girls’ main aim was to reproduce. Hitler wanted a ‘master’ race, so he encouraged women to produce Aryan babies. Organisations that promoted family planning were banned and doctors who carried out abortions on Aryan women were given a two year jail sentence. There were many youth organisations for girls to join, all controlled by the Fuhrer. Girls could join in the ‘Jung Madel’ (young girls) between the age of ten and fourteen. The ‘Bund Deutscher Madel’ (the league of German maidens) for fourteen to eighteen year olds. And the ‘Glaube und Conceit’ (faith and beauty school) for eighteen to twenty-one year olds. The League of German Girls offered a chance for them to get out of the house and do sport, singing, hiking camping, etc. â€Å"In the League of German Girls could escape from the ties of domesticity and from the female role-model of child care and devotion to family† As with the girls, youth organisations were set up for boys. There was the ‘Pimpfen’ (little fellows) for six to ten year olds, ten to fourteen year olds had to pass an exam to join the ‘Deutches Jungvolk’ and ‘Hitlerjugend’ for fourteen to eighteen year olds. After this the young adults would join either the ‘Reich Labour service’ or the ‘Wehrmacht’. There was also a patrol service who would check that all the members of the Hitler Youth were looking smart and that they were carrying a clean handkerchief and comb. Young boys were taught to concentrated on boxing, shooting, marching, athletics and military exercises. Hitler had stated that he wanted boys who could suffer pain â€Å"a young German must be †¦ as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp’s steel†. Team games were also encouraged because it gave boys a sense of unity. Most boys were made to take proficiency tests, these tests involved marches. On average the boys had to march 15 miles a day. These journeys were aimed at teaching young boys the history of their ancestors. Both boys and girls would go to summer camp. Summer camps promoted unify and the idea of working in a team. It is obvious that education policies and the introduction of the Hitler Youth was aimed at preparing the youth of Germany for war. Hitler wanted a thousand year Reich, and wanted the German youth to understand the imperative of war. Baulder von Schirach was appointed Youth Leader of the German Reich in June 1933 and it was his objective to make the Hitler Youth the leading German youth organisation. When Schirach took over leadership in 1933 the Hitler Youth had 55,000 members. Various methods were used to persuade boys to join the Hitler Youth. Teachers influenced youngsters to join, it became difficult for those outside the Hitler Youth to get jobs and apprenticeships were granted to members. Although membership rose significantly, in March 1939 it became compulsory to join the Hitler Youth and it claimed 7. million members, â€Å"What quickly became the largest youth organisation in the world subscribed to the philosophy of youth leading youth†. The first purpose of the Hitler Youth was to prepare and train young boys to become soldiers of the third Reich, that the nazis would have full control off. Hitler had always held the same three main aims: to reverse the Treaty of Versailles, to unite all the German-speaking people and to grant the nation more ‘living space’ (lebensraum). Hitler knew he not achieve these aims alone, and therefore he needed a strong, dependable, loyal army. The young boys of Germany were going to be this army, and the young girls of Germany were going to give birth to his new soldiers. He took children early, and put a lot of effort into making the Hitler Youth an organisation with military instincts. To achieve the great army Hitler craved the nazis had to incorporate military training with psychological preparation. An important part of this aim was the Hitler Youth’s ‘military athletics’ (wehrsport). This included war activities, which taught the youth psychical strength and military tactics that soldiers would need in war. For example grenade throwing, needed on a battlefield, trench digging gave boys strength and endurance, map reading taught intelligence and teamwork. Also activities like wrestling matches between boys were arranged to prove how manly they were, â€Å"It was the National Socialist youth leaders method that everything took the form of competitions†. The Hitler Youth boys were taught to pick on the weaker members within each group. If a boy lost a wrestling match or failed in a task, they were picked on. Severe cross country hikes and marches left boys in hospital. This shows how far the Nazis would go in search of their beliefs; to create a perfect, Aryan army. Boys also had to learn Nazi dogma, (nazi beliefs) and once they passed the necessary tests they were given a special dagger marked â€Å"Blood and Honour† which was more propaganda for the boys to train hard. They all wanted to achieve this special dagger, it gave the boys an aim, and a feeling of achievement when they fulfilled their challenge. For those who failed, they suffered great humiliation. The second purpose of the Hitler Youth movement was to prepare young men psychologically for war, through a flooding of Nazi ideology. Training the boys, making them strong, and preparing their bodies for fighting, would not be sufficient enough, Hitler had to prepare the youth’s minds too. Forcing Nazi ideals on children mainly depended on teachers, and Hitler Youth Movement (HYM) group leaders delivering them. Hitler knew that if boys were going to die for him he would have to give them a reason to. This was also the case with girls, if they were going to give up their jobs, and lives, to give birth to large numbers of ‘pure’ German babies they had to have a reason to. He wanted to indoctrinate young people so that they accepted Nazi ideas, beliefs, and values to become ideal nazis; the building blocks for the people’s community. Hitler seized advantage of the young and innocent minds plaguing them with Nazi ideology. The HYM meetings were shaped to allow for this, they gave lectures and speeches on the superiority of the Aryan race and the evil of the communists and the Jewish. Like the HYM the school curriculum was designed to reinforce the Nazi values. The curriculum was ripped apart as subjects tried to prove that the nazis were superior. â€Å"Racial instruction† started at the age of 6. Nazi leaders had children under their full control at all times, as Hitler Youth membership became compulsory. Propaganda techniques including movies, radio, posters and magazines, aswell as the education system and Hitler Youth meetings all influenced the opinions of the youth. The third purpose of the Hitler Youth was teach boys to become future leaders of the Nazi society. Hitler wanted his Reich to prosper for a thousand years, and he wanted superiority over other nations. He wanted Germany to be a super-power. To do this he needed the best Generals, Officers, Senior Officers, etc. nd the Hitler movement was structured to accomplish his aim. Those boys who were considered physically fitter and stronger than the rest went to Adolf Hitler Schools. Here, they were taught to become the future leaders of Germany. The very best pupils went to Order Castles. Here pupils were trained to the limits of physical endurance. Students endured 6 years of tough training and those who graduated at 18 from Order Castles would be granted a high position in the army or the SS (Hitler’s personal army). The fourth purpose of the Hitler Youth movement was to ensure loyalty to the fuehrer himself. Hitler knew that he had ensure that children were not open to any ideas, and were just fed nazi propaganda. He needed them under his full control, and had many different ways of achieving this. Nazis censored cinema and radio in a bid to glorify Hitler. As children walked to school Hitler’s speech’s would be on the radio, when they went to films with their friends, commercials glorifying Hitler would appear. Young minds were banned from listening to American radio stations, for fear that non-nazi influences would pollute their minds and bring them the truth. They were made to believe that the Nazi way, was the only way. When trying to capture these young minds, hearts, and souls, the Nazis offered many incentives. The nazis gave a purpose to children and a sense of belonging and importance. The Nazis controlled young rebelliousness into aggressive military activities. They wanted to make sure that the youth’s had no reason to object, and rebel, and incentives such as uniforms, knives, drums, etc. kept them happy. Although sometimes severe, beatings and canings to rebels occurred. These were used as examples to stop others from attempting to rebel. This is evident when looking at the edelweiss pirates. They opposed the Nazis by beating up Hitler Youth members, and writing anti-nazi slogans on the walls. 283 gang members were arrested, resulting in 124 pirates being executed. â€Å"The Gestapo and Hitler Youth brought to bear an armoury of repressive measures that ranged from individual warnings, temporary detention†¦to criminal trial or death† . The fifth purpose of the Hitler Youth involved the fact that the Nazis wanted to Restructure German society, and the selection process. Hitler needed a strong, and pure government, one that would not fail as the Weimar republic did. He abandoned the democratic selection process, as he knew that this may result in being a risk to his Reich. To achieve his aims, the youth movement was presented models and ideals of what they should be like when they grew older. For example, propaganda posters showing ‘ideal families’ were used, girls were taught to wear simple clothes, tie their hair in a bun, and discouraged from work. Whereas boys were encouraged to be strong and militant. Those boys who achieved the ideal nazi characteristics, like strong physical ability were rewarded with a position high in the system. Girls that bared children were also rewarded on a special day that was Hitler’s Mothers birthday. Hitler also knew that for children to become good leaders, they had to take responsibility and urged them to inform teachers if they heard anyone denouncing Nazi beliefs, or not adhering to Nazi ideals, â€Å"Denunciations of parents by children was encouraged, not least by school teachers who set essays entitled- what does your family talk about at home? †. The Hitler youth patrols co-operated with the Gestapo and were trained in policing, traffic control, and fire fighting. This motive was effective, and helped Hitler create a whole new generation who helped in sustaining fear in the opposition by acting as informants, in Hitler’s totalitarian terror-state . It is evident that the Hitler Youth movement was carefully structured and shaped to allow for its many different aims. However it is obviously that the prospect of war was a key theme throughout all the possible purposes for the Hitler Youth, â€Å"the desired educational goal of the technically skilled yet soldierly warrior†. Young children had Nazi ideas influencing them at all times, not only whilst they were at school but also from films, music, media, friends, church and family. Even whilst they were at Nuremberg rallies, they would be shown extracts of last year’s rallies and how the older generation were enthusiastic supporters of the Nazi State. Hitler made a speech at the Nuremberg Rally, 14 September 1935, in which he stated the exact nature and purpose of the Hitler Youth. â€Å"What we look for from German youth is different from what people wanted in the past. In our eyes the German youth of the future must be slim, slender, and as swift as the greyhound†. They were indoctrinated with the idea that they had to sacrifice themselves for the good of the Fuhrer and Germany. This â€Å"Cradle to Grave† control, was enforced to create the Nazis of the future and indoctrinate them into thinking that they had to sacrifice themselves for the good of the nation. The positive reasons for joining the Hitler Youth were that there were children from all classes of families and there were no social or class distinctions. Also the appeal of the Hitler Youth was the novelty, the drill, the uniform, the camp life and the fact that school and parental control and home took a back seat compared to the community of young people. However shortly before Germany lost the war, Germany found themselves drastically running out of adult fighting men so youth members were forced onto the front. They were too young, had little training, no experience, and facing an allied army determined to win, it was evident the Hitler Youth was not as well-prepared for war as Hitler thought.

A Sample of Factors to Define Modern United States Masculinity

A Sample of Factors to Define Modern United States Masculinity | Introduction During the twentieth century there have been several leading studies, findings and theories to attempt to rationalize and explain masculinity and gender roles in the United States. Some have been based on biblical reference, others on pure animal instinct and some based on modern research. In the following pages I will describe my own factors and qualities that define what it means to be man; that is to understand modern masculinity in the United States.I will highlight and further explore the common theme of hegemonic masculinity and how it threads into our modern culture. You will see a â€Å"frameless framework† evolve; one that is not visible directly, rather it becomes visible only through the absence of tangible visual clues. In addition, I will explore the intersectionality of several roles the Western culture uses to define ourselves as men. Along the way I have included historical references to show how this has changed.In the end you will have a better understanding about intended, conscious choices as well as those unintended, more subtle elements which define modern Western masculinity. Hegemonic Masculinity When pressure is applied and the outcome is not written, verbalized or otherwise directly expressed as hegemonic. This likewise can be applied to gender roles, and most specifically to masculine gender. The dominant discourse of masculinity characterized by physical and emotional toughness, risk taking, predatory heterosexuality, being a breadwinner, and so on.Elements of hegemonic masculinity are commonly set up in binary opposition to their alternatives, so that anything other than the hegemonic form is immediately non-masculine (Divisser, 597) There are numerous unrealistic expectations placed on modern men; often fraught with conflicting values and outcomes. Often men are defined as men by actions, visual clues and memberships to social (non-visual) cliques. Throughout recent history gender (masculine and feminine both) have evolved, as they should have, and n some ways modernized to fit with current cultural standards. Theorists have historicized gender and detached it as an analytical concept from patriarchy, emphasizing instead the performative and discursive features of regimes of gendered power. (Nye, 419) Several theories have been introduced to understand how conflicts incur stress or â€Å"strain†. One such theory is Gender Strain Theory which roughly states how genders differently experience various aspects of life, including their gender.In an important sense there is only one complete unblushing male in America: a young, married, white, urban, northern, heterosexual Protestant father of college education, fully employed, of good complexion, weight, and height, and a recent record in sports. Every American male tends to look out upon the world from this perspective, thus constituting one sense in which one can speak of a common value system in America. Any male who fails to qualify in any one of these ways is likely to view himself—during moments at least—as unworthy, incomplete, and inferior. Phillips, 407) Additionally, men and women experience war differently even with the same uniforms, leaders, directions and mission the outcomes and experiences for each gender are distinct. The men who made the transition from citizens to soldiers were obliged to leave behind a sense of manly competence as heads of household for a life in which they lived rough, submitted to discipline, and survived on their fighting skills and personal courage. (Nye, 417) One important note is the sense of pride that an act, such as fighting for one’s country can inflict on a man.As much as he might love and identify with his country, the citizen-soldier fought for and under the scrutiny of his comrades in arms, out of the need to defend his personal honor and that of the fatherland, or—which am ounts to the same thing—to avoid shame. (Nye, 421) Some actions, either socially, publically and in some cases privately, also perpetuate an unrealistic gender stereotype. As an example, vendors of all types market to gender-specific audiences; one of the most gendered is beer manufactures.They spend an incredible amount of effort (and money) researching gender, role and the perfect campaign to stimulate sales. Masculinity may be conceptualized as a problem because of links between hegemonic masculinity and excessive alcohol consumption, academics, health professionals, the media, and the general public should resist the urge to equate (young) masculinity with excessive alcohol consumption. (Devisser, 612) Within the humanities, human and social sciences, there is growing understanding of identity as a normative ideal that is assured through use of categories like sex, sexuality, gender, race, and ethnicity.These categories function to regulate and â€Å"develop† ident ity by including and excluding particular characteristics in relation to an assumed â€Å"normal. † (Phillips, 416) Hegemonic masculinity thus refers to the social ascendancy of a particular version of model of masculinity that operates on the terrain of common sense and conventional morality that defines â€Å"What it means to be a man,† thus securing the dominance of some men (and the subordination of women) within the sex/gender system. (Craig 190) At the most basic level, masculinity can be understood as the outward expressions of being biologically male.In this way, male (and female) behaviors are accounted for through a form of genetic and/or biological determinism. The Y Chromosome, testosterone and other hormonal influences, are seen as creating a drive toward particular behaviors in men – hunter(breadwinner), being territorial, sexual promiscuity – that are expressions of evolutionary mechanisms designed to ensure the survival of the species and the procreation of the strongest genetic pool. (Robertson, 27) The model of the male hegemonic sexuality tends to presume the idea of a male heterosexual identity. This, in turn, implies some sense of sameness, commonality, and continuity.If not actually present, the search is nevertheless at least on for an identity—a project of knowing how one is a man. (Hearn, Connell, Kimmel, 190) Another theory that has evolved is the Psychoanalytic Object Relations Theory of Masculine Identity. It helps explain that a boy’s innate and fixed maleness is inadvertently undermined by the mother’s innate and fixed femaleness that emanates from the mother in the early mother-infant relationship. This undermining occurs, according to Pollack (1995), through the mother’s unconscious and conscious dis-identifying behavior. He describes it as â€Å"more than just a subtle emotional shift. (Phillips, 409) In a related, yet quite different approach, the Self-In-Relation Theory of Men and Masculinity Development that encourages sons and fathers (or mothers and sons) so ultimately not stay connected. Although painful this necessary coming-of-age does help complete the parent role and begin the maturity of the son. According to the self-in-relation theory of masculine development, disconnection from relationship is reinforced by cultural forces. Gender role socialization and gender stereotypes, for example, pressure boys and mothers to disconnect in the name of â€Å"normal† development and achieving maleness. Phillips, 411) This pressure to define oneself as a man has been a historically difficult and painful experience. During the early portion of the industrial revolution men no longer worried only about controlling their own passions; now they were fretting that the new crowds surrounding them would put them in a straitjacket. And sadly, at least to many of them, escape was increasingly difficult. (Kimmel, 86) Therefore in many cases men had to f ind common ground among themselves. For the first time they could help identify themselves as individuals by first define themselves as a group.Gender socialization, in this theory, provides the interactional component between individual and society in gender role identity formation. (Phillips, 410) Race and Age Marginalization For some men identity definition comes about by marginalizing other minority groups. By minority I mean other races, ages, social classes, economic groups, religions, etc. By downplaying others’ images it makes the man feel stronger. By comparison a hegemonic masculinity is asserted by denigrating ‘others’ who are not present. Mullen, 152) Although seemingly subtle this assertion has put countless marginalized groups further under power and further separated from a dominant class. External appearance and physical functioning are considered reflections of the self and symbolize social status. Thus, people whose body does not comply with the ideal rank lower in the hierarchy. Specifically, whereas the young body is a central definer of the ideal person, the aged body symbolizes the unwanted and turns into a subject of collective stigma. (Mersel, 74) This case of ageism pushes a lifetime of experience and expertise aside for the sake of ego and self righteousness.Interestingly, the division between two ‘kinds’ of people is supported by opposing stereotypes. Whereas youngsters are perceived as productive, independent and dynamic, elders are regarded as non-productive, dependant and static. A similar reversal relation is found in gender traits as well. In contrast to the gendered young and middle-aged adults, older persons are conceived of as devoid of gender. (Mersel, 75) In addition to the general relationship between aging and gender, the specific intersection between aging and masculinity further deepens the interruption in the masculine key-plots.One major reason is older men’s transparency. As a result of the aging demography, older men are constructed as pre-death. (Mersel, 76) Power Over Women with Pornography Another factor to help define masculinity is the self-centered and sexual pleasure derived from pornography. Specifically from pornographic web sites since the selection is so wide for individual tastes, the availability is as ubiquitous as the Internet and privacy does not usually become an issue. No discussion of these Web sites can ignore the attempts to devalue women in text and images presented.The sites objectify women, relegate them to means for satisfying â€Å"normal† (pathological) desire, and present them as sources of financial reward. While these women are represented as interested in sex, no matter how interested or willing these women are, they remain things to be used and left for the next object-commodity. (Cook, 52) No matter the sexual preference the center of this situation is another power-over situation. Rarely has pornography been produ ced that does not provide a point of view for a dominant male.Even with B&D pornography with a female dominatrix the woman is simply performing the man’s duty with â€Å"male gaze† enabled. Sex is then no longer the source of a truth, as it was for the moderns with their strong belief in science. Instead human sexualities have become destabilized, de-centered and de-essentialized: the sexual life is no longer seen as harboring an essential unitary core locatable within a clear framework (such as the nuclear family), with an essential truth waiting to be discovered. (Hearn, Connell, Kimmel, 188)Job Identity For numerous reasons men typically use a job as a major contributing factor to their identities. It can fulfill a sense of pride, satisfaction and other purely tangible benefits which are hard to combine in other scenarios. Clearly success here can be defined as a raise, a promotion, recognition and other benefits of a defined â€Å"job well done†. When pe ople of either sex success or fail at a task they typically attribute their success or failure to some cause—their ability, effort, luck or the difficulty of the task.Which cause is attributed in a particular circumstance is a result of such factors a gender stereotypes and neurotic pressures. (Steinberg, 98) Historically airline companies portrayed the pilot as rugged, schooled in wartime flying, courageous, and loyal. Passengers were made to believe that, in the event of danger, they were in the safe hands of experienced and courageous flyers. Stories of pilot heroism and courage were repeated throughout company publicity materials. (Mills, 175) In addition, there have been notions of a hegemonic masculinity that have also been threatened by the rise of the global post-industrial economy.This has ushered in different patterns of employment, resulting in the decline of heavy industry and the increase in service-based employment leading to the progressive fragmentation of cla ss-based communities. (Mullen, 153) For the sake of pilots flying had become associated with two types of danger – combative warfare and aircraft pioneering – both of which were associated in the public mind with men. (Mills, 176) Rapid industrialization, technological transformation, capital concentration, urbanization, and immigration—all of these created a new sense of an oppressively crowded, depersonalized, and often emasculated life.Manhood had meant autonomy and self-control, but now fewer and fewer American men owned they own ships, controlled their own labor, owned their own farms. More and more men were economically dependent, subject to the regime of the time clock. (Kimmel, 82) In addition the public had started to be trained to see heterosexual imagery in corporate materials was subtle and indirect – with references to the individual male employee or passengers and â€Å"his wife†. Mills, 179) American men started to feel themselves be leaguered and besieged, working harder and harder for fewer and fewer personal and social rewards. Women have not only entered the workplace but demand entry into men’s social clubs. (Kimmel, 299) In the end some men chose their careers easily and some chose them with qualms about the manliness or the morality of their choice, but the time came when each of them â€Å"first made trial of his talents† in a profession. Many years of hard work and even more of grand dreams had been spent in preparation for this moment.Young men often felt as if an audience of friends and family watched their first efforts at success. (Rotundo, 174) Relationships with Other Men One of the most visible factors which help define masculinity is male/male friendships. Generally men’s friendships are marked by shared activities. Their talk usually centers around work, sports and sharing expertise. Men also trade complaints and concerns about women, along with talk of exploits, but most o f the time their interactions are emotionally contained and controlled. Craig, 95) Peer friendship groups may be beneficial to men in terms of mental well-being, masculine identity is often (re) affirmed in such groups through misogyny, homophobia and violence that reinforces hegemonic ideals and can result in the marginalization/subordination of others. (Robertson, 110) One could consider groups of men to be â€Å"gangs† in a purely denotation sense, due to the habits and bonds formed between members. But in addition there are actions (passages, if you will) which may include drinking alcohol in gang life.Alcohol acts as a social lubricant to maintain the solidarity of the gang and also to affirm masculinity and male togetherness. It is a significant part of a number of gang rituals: initiation, funerals and fighting between members. (Mullen, 152) The central theme of masculine leisure activity in a beer commercial, then, is challenge, risk, and mastery—mastery over n ature, over technology, over others in good-natured â€Å"combat†, and over oneself. To that end beer functions in leisure activities as it does in work: as a reward for challenges successfully overcome; it also serves another function, never explicitly alluded to in commercials.In several ways drinking, in itself, is a test of mastery. (Craig, 82) To further perpetuate these values in advertising, nature is closely associated with both masculinity and beer, as beer is presented as equivalent to nature. Often, beer is shown to be a product that is nature and pure, implying that its consumption is not harmful, and perhaps even healthy. (Craig, 83) What conclusions could someone draw from this? What lens might these ads be using to sell their products? Yet again, we see masculinity, gender identity and other values (by their filtered definition) sold along with the product.Sexual Identity When sociologists, historians, feminists, and anthropologists began to study human sexuali ty they soon realized that it was often profoundly unlike that found in other animals. Of course there is a biological substratum that connects us all to animal life, but what is distinctive about human sexuality is that it is both (a) symbolic and meaningful and (b) linked to power. (Hearn, Connell, Kimmel, 187) Despite feminist progress the majority of modern men are still focused solely on the hunt.Today American men are still doing only a fraction more of the work in the home than they were thirty years ago. (Walker, 198) Several of the major factors in sexual identity are phallus-driven (for the sake of this discussion I’ll use â€Å"penis† to mean physical and â€Å"phallus† to mean symbolic). The problem is that the phallus-self immediately refers to the penis-self and the fundamental question of Western heterosexual masculinity (â€Å"am I man enough? †) refers directly to the possession of a â€Å"man enough† penis. The problem is twofold. It reflects a failure to imagine women’s pleasures in other than penile (phallic) terms. It also makes the penis the sole bearer of the possibility for women’s pleasure. (Cook, 58) Heterosexual adolescents may experience coming to terms with their questions about conventional gender ideologies and that the struggles may be keen and unseen by others. It also opens the possibility that the salience of these questions and the ability to resolve them may occur at different times in the development for girls and for boys. Striepe and Tolman, 529) Heterosexual masculine identity is an ongoing production of self that is underpinned by an unfulfillable desire to produce a centre and to generate a self that represses the initial primary identification with the mother. In short, heterosexual masculine identity can be understood to be performed against anxiety. This anxiety is a function of the (failed) repression of femininity that is central to the production of male identity. (Cook, 48) Two principal sources may be asserted of the (phallic) anxiety that is fundamental to Western heterosexual masculinity.One is the basic psychological process of separating from the mother, which is an essential feature of Freudian psychoanalytic theory, and particularly object relations theory. The second is the anxiety caused to men by the presence of the female, both as the unknowable female body and as the feminine within the male body itself. This anxiety has been intensified by feminism. (Cook, 50) To this end there have been expected â€Å"scripts† written for both male and female roles in society. These are expected, subtly, to be played out. Deviation from these scripts can prove damaging to one’s image.An example script for girls is to please their boyfriends but not to show any signs of their own sexual desire; the punishment for straying from the script is earning a negative reputation, that is, being branded a slut. (Striepe and Tolman, 524) Like wise an example script for boys is that they should always try to have sex, fueled by the anticipation of an uncontrollable surge of testosterone, and that becoming a man means having sex with girls. (Striepe and Tolman, 524) In both cases these scripts are written with a complete male perspective with the female role witnessed with the male gaze.Marriage and Masculinity Throughout history men and women in love felt driven toward a complete and shared understanding, they set an extremely high value on candor. Candor was something that connected two people who inhabited separate sphere. It moved lovers past the stereotypes of the opposite sex and confronted them with the real people obscured by the larger images. (Rotundo, 111) Again historically by marrying, a woman lost her name, her home and in most cases, the control of her property. She surrendered her social identity and put in its place a new one; essentially, that of her husband.Much of who she was became submerged in who her husband was. (Rotundo, 134) Today men and women can chose to embrace or repel this philosophy. Modern relationships should be built on flexibility and mutual respect; not solely on cultural expectations. It’s often said that both men and women â€Å"let themselves go† after marriage. This context-specific quote can mean letting their standards down—meaning losing quality metrics, or letting their bodies go—meaning not taking care of themselves physically, mentally or spiritually.This settling down may be marked by a change in the nature of one’s embodiment. The normal everyday body may increasingly be perceived as a functional, indeterminate shape body rather than as a physical, defined shape body. (Watson, 90) Raising Children and Family Life For many men becoming a father is one of the most rewarding and most challenging parts of a man’s life. The role of father begins not at birth, but rather long before that during the relationship-buil ding phase of the family.A father’s treatment of the opposite sex, his ability to control his own emotions, and his approach to work all play a formative role in shaping his sons’ and daughters’ approach to romantic relationships and marriage, interpersonal relationships, and school and work (Rosenberg, 23) When a boy has a loving relationship with a masculine, competent and nurturing father he develops the masculine characteristics of his father and insofar as the father is representative of his culture the boy develops the behavior and attitudes appropriate for a male. (Steinberg, 75)Some recall seeing very little of their own father because of work shift patterns or longer working days. A reaction to this is to want to spend more time with their children. Evenings and weekends become time for their relationship with the children. (Watson, 91) Fathers need to take an active role in nurturing their children. Many fathers mistakenly see this as mother’s w ork. It is a valuable way men teach their children that they are loved and respected, and it helps ensure that children, especially boys, do not feel the necessity to act out to get their father’s attention.Helping a toddler brush her teeth, reading a son a nightly story (even a father with limited reading) ability can still enjoy books with his child—together, they can look at the pictures and make up a story), and bottle-feeding a hungry infant all help foster a healthy, strong tie between father and child. (Rosenberg, 40) A child’s first few years are crucial. The grandfather must tell the grandson what the child said while still a fetus in his mother’s womb. Then, he must gradually help him build a connection with his father, who will help him with the hard challenges up ahead. Walker, 81) Fathers should acknowledge their mistakes to their children. When appropriate, they should be willing to seek forgiveness from their children. A father who loses hi s temper while disciplining a child should apologize to the child. Many men view apologizing to their child as a sign of weakness that will cause the child to lose respect for the father. The opposite is true. Apologizing shows a man is capable of acknowledging and facing up to a mistake, fixing the mistake to the extent possible, and committing to moving forward—hardly a sign of weakness, much more so a sign of strength (Rosenberg, 23)Boys need structure, they need supervision, and they need to be civilized. When raised in a laissez-faire environment that is devoid of leadership, they often begin to challenge social conventions and common sense. Many often crash and burn during the adolescent years. (Dobson, 230) Children who are deprived of masculine paternal presence are more likely to become defensive and rigidly adhere to cultural role standard or to avoid the behavior expected of their gender. (Steinberg, 73) Your attitude as a parent will shape the future behavior of y our boy.If he sees you acting like a spoiled kid, yelling at the umpire or referee, taunting other players, and throwing tantrums when things go wrong, your son will behave just as badly. (Dobson, 149) When a child grows into an adolescent, he or she must be initiated into adulthood. A person who doesn’t get initiated will remain an adolescent for the rest of their life, and this is a frightening, dangerous and unnatural situation. (Walker, 84) Boys watch their dads intently, noting every minor detail of behavior and values. It is probably true in your home too. Your sons will imitate much of what you do.If you blow up regularly and insult your wife, your boys will treat their mother and other females disrespectfully. (Dobson, 69) Conclusion Based on the various factors I’ve mentioned throughout this writing you may have found both familiar and new factors which have helped shape modern US masculinity. Hopefully you have a better understanding of some of the historical context as well as some context behind masculine gender theories. Throughout this writings I’ve subtly left out portions of text which provide absolute definition and allowed a frameless framework to emerge.This allows me to portray definition without specific parameters. In addition to this you have read about some of the various intersectionalities of man: race, age, power struggle, job, relationships, marriage, and children. Clearly this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, yet it does include many highlights from my own life. Even with that knowledge in hand it was necessary to continuously mention hegemonic masculinity since it gets so little attention in modern media (sort of ironic, right? ).The other key element I felt compelled to include was marginalization of several classes (other races, aged individuals and especially women). I wanted to bring special attention to the meaning and practice of hegemony and marginalization purely for awareness. Both impact all of us either through personal experience, through family, work or education. With this knowledge I hope others will make educated choices on your future interactions with all people.