Jazz Age A Clash Of Cultural Values History Essay

Jazz Age A Clash Of Cultural Values History Essay Cultural civil war (Digital History), Symbolizes the era of the 1920s. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald labeled this decade the Jazz Age. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, he criticized the exterior and possessive lives of Americans after the war. The traditional lifestyles were fading away while the luxurious, party lifestyle flourished. Throughout the 1920s Americans continually tested the universal image of desired behavior. The decade was shaped by wealth, parties, moonshine, and sexually expressive dancing. The changing lifestyles developed major cultural conflicts within America. Alcohol, music, immigration, racism, and flappers of the 1920s illustrate the changing lifestyles brought about by the jazz age. During the 1920s, alcohol was the greatest contributor to the lifestyle changes and cultural conflicts. These changes eventually became noticed by the governing power, and on January 16, 1920 the 18th Amendment came into effect. The 18th Amendment, known as prohibition, was the forbidding by law of manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol. Along with 18th Amendment, congress passed the Volstead Act to enforce the new prohibition on alcohol. The mob and gangsters took advantage of the opportunity and began smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and became quite profitable. Alcohol was smuggled in from Mexico and Canada, also being shipped from abroad to the U.S. from Europe and the Caribbean. Canada was exporting roughly a million gallons of alcohol to the United States a year. Bootleggers made their own drinks with wood, alcohol and medical supplies, sometimes causing blindness, paralysis, or death. In The Great Gatsby, and in the 1920s, bootlegging was sociably acceptable. In F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, Nick comments on Gatsbys house after his huge party, telling him that his house party glowed immensely like the worlds fair (Fitzgerald 86). All of Gatsbys guests knew he was involved with organized crime, but yet seemed to attend all of his parties without hesitation. Because of the Prohibition law, Gangsters developed secret drinking establishments, Speakeasies; which provided an entertaining atmosphere, jazz music, food, and alcohol. The illegal bars were called speakeasies because you had to speak the password to enter. With the flood of liquor expanding, the government created the Prohibition Bureau, which always fell short of men and money. The mob, due to the amount of money they were making, were able to expand their influence on bribe public officials; many judges, law makers, police, and Prohibition Bureau members were on various crime organizations payrolls. Alphonse Scarface Capone was one of the famous bribers of the Jazz Age. Capone essentially owne d Chicago, and in 1927 he made around $60 million by bootlegging. In the End, The idea behind Prohibition was to reduce crime and poverty, and generally improve the quality of life in America-by making it impossible for people to get their hands on alcohol. But this so called Nobel Experiment was a colossal failure (Speakeasies, Flappers Red Hot Jazz: Music of the Prohibition). Lasting roughly thirteen years, Prohibition ended with the ratification of the 21st Amendment, on December 5, 1933, legalizing alcohol. In addition to alcohol parents, teachers, and pastors blamed the lifestyle changes on the musical changes of the Jazz age. The Harlem Renaissance was a movement where black authors, musicians, and artists show cased the talent that African Americans had to offer, marked the beginning of the musical changes. It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who called the 1920s the Jazz Age, but it was the African Americans who gave the era its jazz. Jazz is a musical form, native to the United States, creatively mixing different forms of music, including African American blues and rag time, and European-based popular music. As slaves African Americans learned few European cultural traditions. Becoming popular in the late 1920s, jazz was very addictive to people because of its unusual beat and rhythm. In The Great Gatsby, when Nick, Daisy, and Tom are walking to their car, Daisy is drawn back inside by the music, tuning all other surrounding sounds out (Fitzgerald 115). Jazz was so distinct it didnt just sp read among the U.S., but around the world. Some of Jazzs most famous artists within the 1920s were Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. Jazz along with the beat and rhythm developed new dance styles, such as the Charleston, becoming so popular that it still symbols the Jazz Age. Along with Jazz, other musical forms and changes emerged, such as Blues, Hillbilly, and boogie woogie music. Of the 1920s, Bessie Smith was the best and most influential classic blues singer. Hillbilly music, also known as country music, was best represented by musician Jimmie Rodgers. Pianist Cow Cow Davenport developed the trademark tune cow cow blues, giving life to boogie woogie piano style. The Roaring twenties, known as the Jazz age because of Jazzs unusual beat and rhythm, became the most popular music of the era. The invention of the radio drew the nation together by bringing news, entertainment, and advertisements to more than 10 million households by 1929 (The Formation of Modern Ameri can Mass Culture). The newly invented radio contributed to the flourishing of jazz, and gained widespread appeal during the decade, even among the whites. Another Contributor to the lifestyle changes in the 1920s was immigration. 4,107,209 immigrants immigrated into the United States from 1921 to 1930. Immigrants brought along their lifestyles and culture; thus forming a culture clash. This is exampled in The Great Gatsby when those from the Midwest Nick Carraway were fair, honest, and straight forward, while those living in the East for sometime Tom and Daisy Buchanan were unfair, corrupt, and materialistic. Many immigrated to America hoping for the American Dream, social advancement, freedom, and endless opportunities. Main issue with immigration was the competition for jobs. In 1921 a quota system for immigrants was developed by congress. A quota system is an arrangement that limited the number of immigrants who could enter the U.S. from specific countries. In 1924 the National Origins Act, states that the number of immigrants of a given nationality each year could not exceed 2% of the number of people of that nationality living in the United States in 1890. By the middle of the 1920s one out of every four people was an immigrant. The Quota Law of 1924 and 1929 act limited the number of immigrants to 150,000 to be distributed among people of various nationalities in proportion to the umber of their compatriots already in the United States in 1920. Many Americans viewed these immigrants as a threat to American religious and social values, as well as economic opportunities. Due to the number of immigrants, racism peeked during the 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan, a hate group, reached nearly 4-5 million members in the 1920s, spreading throughout the U.S. The KKK aimed at killing non-whites and other religious groups, harassed and promoted hatred towards African Americans, but also aimed at the new America forming within the cities. They targeted Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. One center of Klan strength was Indiana, where leader David Stephenson was strict and controlled few politicians. In the darkness of night the KKK burned crosses, boycotted business owned by Jewish, Catholics, and Africans, terrorizing the citizens. The Klan wore masks to conceal their identities, waved flags and preached hate. Famous leaders of the Klan during this era include Grand Dragon and Imperial Wizard. Behind the hard, hateful exterior, were just Americans fearful of change. Flappers, directly illustrate the changing lifestyles and cultural battles within the Jazz Age. Many of the young unmarried women of the twenties rebelled against the conventional patterns of behavior and became known as flappers. Flappers often cut their hair short, wore it in a bob, and wore short straight dresses that would flap around when they would dance. Flappers flaunted their independence from parents by going away to college or moving to the city. They also abandoned social taboos that said women shouldnt drink, smoke or become sexually active. Daisy and Myrtle from The Great Gatsby embody the flapper image by drinking and their party lifestyles. Both of them also cheated on their husbands, having love for more than one man. Flappers were known to hang out in speakeasies and night clubs where they danced with bear arms and legs flying. Flappers flaunted their sexuality; this marked the 1920s individuality of the modern woman. The 1920s was a decade of deep cultural conflict (The 1920s An Overview). The cultural conflicts of the twenties were between a more metropolitan culture, and a more traditional culture. Americans were no longer interested in politics, but entertainment. Because the 1920s produced a breed of artists, musicians, and writers, who were among the most ingenious and clever in American history, the 1920s developed into one of the most crucial periods in the countries cultural history (The Formation of Modern American Mass Culture). Author F. Scott Fitzgerald called the 1920s the Jazz Age and the decade was truly was Jazzs golden age. The stock market crash of 1929 signaled the end of the party. The roaring 20s came to a close in economic chaos and the lighthearted atmosphere of the Prohibition era fizzled out with the end of the decade (Roaring Twenties). The changing lifestyles brought about by the 1920s Jazz Age was embodied by alcohol, music, immigration, racism, and flappers.

Marketing scenario

Positioned as an premium offering focused to lowest overall cost to end users through superior overall performance. Leader in quality , performance and technological innovation Product lines Carton sealing and industrial tapes Specialized adhesives Other packaging products SKI tape – Manufactured using patented technology and a brand name for pressure sensitive carton sealing tapeEvery high tensile strength and sheer resistance Positioning High Price K Products Low Quality High Quality ‘pack Tensile New Product Low Price Problem Statement ; K tape competed against inferior economy grade products in carton sealing type ; ‘PACK offered 25-35% lesser price ; Revenue of K- $68. 6 million ‘PACK – $28. 5 million 2012 ; Tensile -a new competitor had $2. 7 million dollar sale with one sales representative Should SST stay with high quality product or enter the economy grade segment ?Option 1: Enter the economy grade segment under the same brand PROS Access to t he economy segment Defend market share against competition Diversification of product portfolio CONS Dilution of the brand image as a maker of technological superior product Conceptualization of its own product offering Accoutered product line Option 2: Enter the economy grade segment under different brand Implications for: Customer ; Ability to fulfill need of price sensitive customers ; Possibility of change in perception of being a quality leaderDistributor ; Possibility to offer a low end SST product ; Even wider product range; Limited sales force Sales Force ; Ability to offer more variety in terms of price levels ; More effort to explain product differences Brand ; No positive impact ; Negative impact on brand image Option 2: Stay with high-quality products ; Maintaining image of quality Leader ; Loss of Market share; Not targeting price sensitive consumers ; No need for adjustment in distribution policy.

Admission to the Masters of Accounting Program

1. The Masters of Accounting program requires teamwork and leadership skills. Please give examples from your past that illustrate your abilities in both these areas and show how you’ve applied them.I have faced a number of knotty situations in life. On one occasion, I was working with the ADA or the American Diabetes Association. We worked as two groups and our principal task was to count and reconcile the checks, cash and credit card donations, which used to arrive in large quantities. One day an older man joined our team. Then our troubles started. Till that time we had worked without any mutual misgivings or bickering. With the advent of this person, our time schedules and procedures went haywire.I studied the situation and realized that all this was due to his reluctance to follow the established procedure. Every one, in both the groups, was compelled to go home late, due to this person’s obduracy. All felt that he should be suitably reprimanded, but no one was will ing to undertake this unpleasant task. The question that was foremost on every one’s mind was ‘who would bell the cat?’ I jumped into the fray and gently but firmly convinced him that what he was doing was unacceptable. He was happy with this way of communication, because I had talked to him in private, so that his pride was not hurt. This had the desired effect and we were able to complete the work in time.In addition, I was also the secretary of the African Cultural Society. I was instrumental in planning and implementing the IREP Africa program at the College of William & Mary. This task entailed coordination between and interaction with a number of fellow students, faculty and departments. I emerged much stronger as a coordinator, facilitator and administrator after this novel experience. The professed objective of this program was to unite African student organizations in Virginia and to improve their relations with each other.   I actively participated in several campaigns to raise funds for the underprivileged in Africa and one of them was in respect of poverty stricken women of Uganda.A successful and efficient accountant is one who is reliable, thorough, ingenious, a seeker of solutions, well organized and performance oriented. Of these the most important is trustworthiness, because accountants, in addition to their usual work, have to offer reliable advice regarding the conduct of business in the present day economic and legal context. Moreover, if accounting standards are not adhered to, then the company stands the risk of having to close down. The Sarbanes Oxley Act was enacted in the year 2002, in order to deal with such eventualities.Another important trait of an accountant is attention to detail. I possess this in ample measure. This fact was disclosed in my tenure as the treasurer of the African Cultural Society, between the years 2006 to 2007; and as the Vice President of the Syndicate. In these tasks, I maintained authen tic and comprehensive financial records. I reviewed the internal financial controls and ensured that the organization’s moneys were safe. This club has a number of advantages and I took up aggressive marketing to ensure that its membership increased.The lack of ethical and moral accounting practices in business organizations results in financial frauds. This was clearly established in the following cases.In the year 2001, Enron announced a net loss of $ 618 million for its third quarter and that it would reduce the shareholders’ equity by $ 1.2 billion. The SEC immediately stepped in and demanded financial information from Enron. The Enron team of Auditor’s lead by their leader Anderson systematically destroyed a large number of financial documents. Subsequently, the Enron officials and its auditors were charged and convicted of fraud.This company had engaged in malpractices relating to financial accounting, with the result that the company became bankrupt. To c onceal its malafide practices, this company indulged in complicated accounting practices. This illustrates the fact that accounting has to be ethical, transparent and morally upright. The consequence of the Enron case was that the law relating to accountancy was made more stringent. However, more than even legislation; personal attitude, morality and ethical behavior should have greater influence.WorldCom was another company, which also attempted to camouflage its fraudulent activities by resorting to fudging of figures and falsification of financial reports. The procedure adopted by its accountants was less sophisticated than that of the Enron team; nevertheless, it committed a much greater fraud than Enron. However, these cases were not isolated incidents and proved to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Several more such fraudulent corporations were investigated by the Federal and state regulators. The principal among these are Adelphia, HealthSouth and Tyco, to name a few.I have a flair for leadership and I often volunteer to lead in various academic projects. Recently, I took over the reins of project, involving the formulation of a business plan to be presented to the board of directors. This project emerged as a huge success, despite the difficulties encountered, due to having to lead a team of peers. The team comprised of persons with different temperaments and it required a lot of innovativeness and ingenuity to extract the best from them.I have tremendous patience, as can be attested to by the students of the second grade, whom I teach as a volunteer teacher in the Waller Mill Elementary school, in Williamsburg. The foregoing incidents from my life reveal that I possess a high level of integrity, reliability, planning and implementing capacity, motivational skills, inspiration, ability to work in a team and patience.2.   What are you hoping to achieve during your studies in the MAcc Program?I will complete my Bachelor’s degree in accounting by the month of May, 2008. Subsequently, I intend to pursue the Masters of Accounting Program at the College of William and Mary's School of Business. This course is truly outstanding and the faculty is the third best in the nation. Classes are typically small and informal. The emphasis is on acquiring expertise. The faculty is easily accessible, if one wants to clarify doubts. In conjunction with my considerable management and leadership skills, this knowledge in accountancy will render me highly suitable for obtaining the Certified Public Accountant license. My principal objective is to become a CPA.

Savanna Biome Climate, Locations, and Wildlife

Biomes are defined by their unique vegetation and animal life. The savanna biome, which is a type of grassland biome, consists of areas of open grassland with very few trees. There are two kinds of savannas: tropical and semi-tropical savannas. Key Takeaways: Savanna Biome Animals including elephants, giraffes, lions and cheetahs make their homes in the savanna. Due to its open environment, camouflage and mimicry are essential for animal survival in the savanna.Savannas have extreme wet seasons and dry seasons. The seasons are ones of extremes. Savannas can receive over four feet of rain during the wet season, and as little as a few inches during the dry.Due to this lack of precipitation, it is very difficult for large plants like trees to grow in savannas.While savannas are located on six of the seven continents, the largest are found in equatorial Africa. Climate The savanna climate varies according to the season. In the dry season, temperatures can be extremely hot or cool. In the wet season, temperatures are usually warm. Savannas are typically dry, receiving less than 30 inches of rain on average per year. Tropical savannas receive as much as 50 inches of rain during the wet season, but as little as four inches during the dry season. The dry climate combined with the extreme heat of the dry season makes savannas perfect areas for grass and brush fires. Location Grasslands are located on every continent except Antarctica. The largest savannas are located in Africa near the equator. One of the most famous African savannas is Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which is known for its large wildebeest and zebra populations. The park is also home to lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, and gazelles. Other locations of savannas include: Africa:Â  Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and NamibiaAustraliaCentral America:Â  Belize and HondurasSouth America: Venezuela and ColumbiaSouthern Asia Vegetation The savanna biome is often described as an area of grassland with dispersed trees or clusters of trees. The lack of water makes the savanna a difficult place for tall plants such as trees to grow. Grasses and trees that grow in the savanna have adapted to life with little water and hot temperatures. Grasses, for example, grow quickly in the wet season when water is abundant and turn brown in the dry season to conserve water. Some trees store water in their roots and only produce leaves during the wet season. Due to frequent fires, grasses are short and close to the ground and some plants are fire resistant. Examples of vegetation in the savanna include wild grasses, shrubs, baobab trees, and acacia trees. Wildlife The savanna is home to many large land mammals, including elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinoceroses, buffalo, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Other animals include baboons, crocodiles, antelopes, meerkats, ants, termites, kangaroos, ostriches, and snakes. Many of the savanna biome animals are grazing herbivores that migrate through the region. They rely on their herd numbers and speed for survival, as the vast open areas provide little means of escape from quick predators. If the prey is too slow, it becomes dinner. If the predator is not fast enough, it goes hungry. Camouflage and mimicry are also very important to animals of the savanna. Predators often need to blend in with their environment in order to sneak up on unsuspecting prey. The puff adder, for example, is a snake with sandy coloring that allows it to blend in with dry grasses and shrubs. Prey also use the same camouflage technique as a defense mechanism to conceal themselves from animals higher up on the food chain. Fires Due to the number and types of vegetation in savannas, fires can occur at different times of the year in both the dry and wet seasons. During the wet season, lightning strikes often cause natural fires in savannas. In the dry season, dry grasses can be fuel for the fires. With the advent of human settlements in some savanna areas, controlled burns may be used for land clearing and cultivation.