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Checks and Balances on the Judiciary

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Question 3

As a direct result of how the system of “Checks and Balances” is set by the Constitution, do you think there is any specific branch of the national government that does not have enough power to properly protect the rights of citizens? For this question, choose one of the branches and explain why it is prevented specifically by the system of “Checks and Balances” from being able to properly protect citizen rights.

Checks and Balances on the Judiciary

Each part of government is responsible for supervising the other features and prohibiting any arm from being overly superior, thanks to the checks and balances system. In the United States, the Checks and Balances system is under the Separation of Powers. Checks and balances are often only used in democratic nations. In three-part governments, such as the one in the United States, where power is divided among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, they play an important function. Due to the checks and balances system, the judicial branch does not have enough power to adequately protect the citizens’ rights. This paper discusses the system of checks and balances. It also evaluates the judicial branch of government and how it is restricted in power by the checks and balances system hence not fully serving the citizens.

The System of Checks and Balances

The several measures referred to as checks and balances are used to minimize risks, deter improper behavior, or limit the likelihood of dominance accumulation. Checks and balances typically make sure that no one branch of government has total authority over choices, specify who is responsible for what tasks, and compel cooperation among the branches (Ginsburg & Huq, 2018). The term “checks and balances” in the American government describes the division of power within the government, which is made possible by creating three distinct branches: the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. Each has an exclusive set of powers, which allows them to balance their authority.

Polybius, a Greek politician, was the first to initiate the idea of checks and balances as a separation of powers regarding the old Roman government. As a historian, Polybius divided the old Roman Empire’s mixed Constitution into three primary categories; democracy which was the people, aristocracy, which was the Senate; and monarchy, which was represented by the consul (Ginsburg & Huq, 2018). He had a significant impact on later conceptions of the division of powers. Baron de Montesquieu, a French scholar who lived during the Enlightenment Age, wrote about the importance of the division of authority in his book entitled The Spirit of Laws.

The division of powers among the three departments of government established by the US Constitution accords the federal government checks and balances. The Constitution grants each branch unique powers to guarantee that no one arm of the government might amass an overwhelming amount of direct authority (Ginsburg & Huq, 2018). The U.S. government uses checks and balances in several ways. Firstly, the legislative branch of the government is responsible for passing regulations. However, the executive branch grants the President the power to block any legislation, enabling the President to control the legislative branch.

Furthermore, particular regulations may be declared illegal and rendered invalid by the judicial branch of the government, which evaluates the regulations created by the legislative branch. The legislative branch can also override the President’s power with a two-thirds “supermajority” vote in the two houses of Congress, despite the President’s complete authority (Potrafke, 2018). As a result, the President is prevented from abusing his position for self-gain. The judicial branch has the authority to declare executive directives, which state how particular regulations should be applied, unlawful.

The Judicial Branch of Government

The federal court system regularly engages with the executive and legislative branches despite working separately from them due to the fact that the Law guarantees it. Federal laws are approved by Congress and signed into effect by the President. The judicial branch resolves other lawsuits and decides if national laws are valid. However, to ensure that court orders are followed, judges depend on the executive branch of the government (Makogon et al., 2018). The courts decide what truly happens and what is necessary to do about it. They decide if an individual did something wrong and the severity of the penalty. They also provide a diplomatic means of resolving particular conflicts that parties are unable to resolve by themselves. Some issues or misdeeds are adjudicated in proceedings, while others are addressed in federal courts, depending on the issue or accusation.

The United States’ top Court is the Supreme Court. It was entrenched beneath Article III of the U.S. Constitution, allowing Congress to validate legislation and create a series of lower courts. Ninety-four district-level trial courts and thirteen appeals courts are found underneath the Supreme Court in the present-day national judiciary composition (Morone & Kersh, 2018). The appellate courts are another name for the courts of appeals. Twelve regional courts, each having an appeals court, constitute the ninety-four federal judicial districts. The extent to which the rule was suitably implemented in the trial court is something that the appellate Court must determine. Three judges are found in appeals courts, which do not operate with juries. A court of appeals assesses appeals from alternatives taken by National administrative authorities and petitions to district court discernments from courts within its jurisdiction (Makogon et al., 2018). The Court of Appeals for the National Court also has national competence to hear appeals on complex issues, such as intellectual property laws and those determined by the International Trade Court and the Federal Claims Court.

The ninety-four District courts find solutions to issues by assembling important records and using regulatory guidelines to regulate who is right. There is a district judge in trial courts who controls the hearing and a jury who provides the adjudication. These judges work with magistrate judges to put together cases for hearings. They could also carry out petty case trials. Each state, as well as the District of Columbia, has at minimum one trial judge. As a division of the district court, each district has a U.S. bankruptcy court (Morone & Kersh, 2018). U.S. district courts that hear national proceedings and bankruptcy claims are located in four American territories. These are the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Additionally, there are two distinctive trial courts. Most claims for civil penalties against the U.S. government are handled by the Federal Claims Court, whereas the International Trade Court focuses on disputes concerning international commercial and customs rules.

Cases involving individual, commercial, or farm bankruptcy are solely within federal courts’ purview. Thus, no bankruptcy case may be brought before a state court. People or corporations unable to compensate their lenders can either obtain a court-supervised liquidation of their property through the bankruptcy procedure, or they can restructure their finances and put together a strategy to repay their creditors (Makogon et al., 2018). Three-judge panels known as Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (BAPs) are qualified to adjudicate bankruptcy court judgments. The federal appeals courts must create these teams because they are a part of those courts. Several Article I, or legislative courts, which lack full judicial authority, were established by Congress. The ability to hear allegations at the heart of habeas corpus disputes and render a final adjudication on all federal and constitutional law matters is known as judicial power.

How the System of Checks and Balances limits the Judiciary

The checks and balances system restricts the Judiciary’s authority in many ways. One manner is that, in addition to the judicial branch interpreting laws, the President appoints district court judges, justices of the Supreme Court, and judges of the Court of appeals (Tucker, 2018). The President must ensure that the candidates he provides to Senate for vetting are up to the task. There is a possibility that the selected candidates do not meet the position requirements since the President may not be well knowledgeable on judicial matters. The President mainly relies on advisors to develop a list of candidates the Senate will vet. Although the legislative branch’s Senate approves the President’s candidates for judicial positions, Congress can remove any of those judges (Tucker, 2018). The Judiciary has no say on who is to be part of it. Its leadership and work positions rely on the President, the Senate, and Congress.

A statute can then be invalidated, which is known as judicial review. However, the Supreme Court is monitored because the President and Senate choose and confirm the Court’s members accordingly. Additionally, Congress can convict the president and federal judges of high-level offenses and felonies such as treason or corruption. There is a possibility that the judges in the Judiciary may be forced to commit illegal activities, such as convicting an innocent person or freeing a guilty person to gain favors from members of the Senate or Congress (Tucker, 2018). This highly promotes illegal activities. There has also been a rise in the number of judges involved in corruption to keep their jobs. Since the Senate vets the candidates appointed by the President, the chosen candidates may try to buy the loyalty of the members of the Senate to increase the chances of them getting the job. A lot of corruption and nepotism are involved in the vetting, appointing, and firing judges at the Judiciary.

Conclusion

Based on research, the separation of powers through the system of checks and balances ensures that all three branches of government are doing their work as they should. However, the system may need improving since some loopholes have come up over time. The fact that the appointment of the judges in the Judiciary entirely depends on the other two branches of government has led to illegal activities. The Judiciary should have an independent body that deals with appointing, vetting, and firing the judges. The independent body should ensure that the appointed judges are up to the task. The independent body will also ensure that the appointed judges are chosen not based on their socioeconomic background, race, or nepotism but due on their skills, knowledge, and experience. By doing so, they will have reduced the chances of illegal activities within the government, and the government will be able to serve its people better.

References

Ginsburg, T., & Huq, A. Z. (2018). How to save a constitutional democracy. In How to Save a Constitutional Democracy. University of Chicago Press. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7208/9780226564418/htmlMakogon, B. V., Markhgeym, M. V., Novikova, A. E., Nikonova, L. I., & Stus, N. V. (2018). Constitutional Justice in Circumstances of Public Authority Limits. Journal of History Culture and Art Research, 7(2), 722-728. http://193.140.9.50/index.php/ilk/article/view/1602

Morone, J. A., & Kersh, R. (2018). By the people: Debating American government. Oxford University Press. https://www.pearlandisd.org/cms/lib/TX01918186/Centricity/Domain/1238/GOVT_2305_PHS1_HOEFLER_221FA.pdf

Potrafke, N. (2018). Government ideology and economic policy-making in the United States—a survey. Public Choice, 174(1), 145–207. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-017-0491-3Tucker, P. (2018). Unelected power. In Unelected Power. Princeton University Press. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.23943/9781400889518/html

SLIDE 1 INTRODUCTION.

SLIDE 2:

ALS was first described by Jean-Martin Charcot, A French professor and is known the father of French neurology and one of the world’s pioneers of neurology

Lou Gehrig was known as one of baseball’s greatest players.  He was known as the “iron horse” for playing 2130 consecutive games.  His streak was ended after he developed muscle weakness because of ALS.

The brain sends messages via the motor neurons to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The degeneration of the motor neurons from ALS leads eventually to their neurons death. After these neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control the muscle is lost. Voluntary muscle action is progressively affected, individuals in their later stages of the disease soon become totally paralyzed.

SLIDE 3:

ALS is estimated to kill two people per 100,000 population annually.

For every 100,000 people two people will be diagnosed each year with 5,600 new diagnosed yearly. 30,000 Americans are to be suspected to have the disease at any given time.

The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about two to five years from the time of diagnosis, this disease is variable and many people live with quality for five years and more.  More than half of all patients live more than three years after diagnosis.

There are people that have ALS that the disease stopped progressing and only a few number of people that the symptoms of reserved

SLIDE 4:

With 15 new cases of ALS diagnosed daily, the ALS CARE Database of 30,000 is made 60% up of men which 93% of all patients are Caucasian.

Most people who develop are in the 40-70 age range with the average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis, however people in their twenties and thirties also are diagnosed.

ALS is 20% more common in men than in women but with increasing age, ALS is more equal between men and women

SLIDE 5:

There is no one test or procedure to positively diagnosis ALS. Through clinical examination and series of diagnostic tests, this can rule out other diseases that mimic ALS

Electo diagnostics such as electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NVC) are currently being used to try and diagnosing ALS.

Blood and Urine tests such as checking high resolution serum protein electrophoresis, thyroid and parathyroid hormone levels and 24-hour urine collection for heavy metals

SLIDE 6:

Read off the slide at a interval. This slide does not require additional information, it is already to the point.

SLIDE 7:

The most common form of ALS in the United States is “sporadic” ALS. This category can affect anyone, anywhere.

“Familial” ALS (FALS) means the disease is inherited. Only about 5 to 10% of all ALS patients appear to have genetic or inherited form of ALS.

In these families, there is a 50% chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease.

SLIDE 8:

Prenatal genetic testing technology for FALS mutations exist when there is a known mutation within the family

The test is a blood sample taken and sent to a specialized lab, the test takes two to three months and 300-500 per and 4000 for a panel which is multiple tests at one time.

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QUESTIONS?

Chemical Waste Management

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Question 1

Oftentimes, top management in organizations face a dilemma in daily operations and management when it comes to profitability. An illustration of this is meeting the profit margins of the investors and on the other side meeting corporate social responsibility as required by other stakeholders such as the communities living around where the organization operates (Shanker, 2019). The top management may be having the option of dumping chemical waste such as chromium VI in water bodies to cut the expenses incurred if the right procedures are to be followed in order to dump such chemical waste properly. On the flip side of the coin, the surrounding community will have expectations that organizations are required to act ethically and manage their waste using the most appropriate means that will conserve the environment for the coming generations (Yoshinaga et al., 2018). I may not be convinced to let my firm to dump chemical waste such as chromium VI in water bodies. This is because the short-term gains by cutting operational costs for the organization will be outweighed by the long-term effects of dumping such chemical wastes in the water supply. In certain situations, the organization may lose its operating licence and be ordered to shut down.

Chromium discharged in bodies of water has the potential to contaminate water and soil. Since chromium is highly attached to soil and is often retained within the silt layer of the environment but not within the groundwater reservoir, water contamination is fairly limited to surface water and will not damage groundwater (Tumolo et al., 2020). When water is contaminated, it does not accumulate in fish, but it does collect on the gills, creating detrimental health impacts in aquatic species. Furthermore, chromium absorption usually leads to escalated rates of mortality in fish owing to chromium contamination. When other animals consume chromium-contaminated water, the health impacts can range from tumour formation, respiratory problems, infertility, reduced capacity for fighting diseases, and birth defects.

For humans, not only is chromium VI carcinogenic but also come with a range of other health associated problems such as ulcers, allergic reactions, liver damage, skin rush, kidney and liver damage, and may sometimes go to extreme extents such as death (Wojcik et al., 2020). Contamination of water by chromium VI not only cause health problems to human and animals but also may result to penalties and fines by the government for improper disposal. There also exist high chances for corporate image to be damaged as a result of increased consciousness among individuals. Increase use of social media may exacerbate the problems that come with damaged corporate image as this may increase the likelihood of public unrest from the communities living within the vicinity of the organization. All these effects combined will do more harm to the organization thereby rendering the short-term goals of cutting operational costs useless.

Question 2

Top management teams are more likely to engage in unethical behaviours in comparison to their individual members. In unpredictable circumstances, most people have questions concerning their own judgment (Hassan, 2019). These fears keep individuals from doing things that others might consider to be unethical. Individuals have increased likelihood to participate in their acts whenever they have other supporting colleagues who may legitimize or support their actions. Often at times, cohesion within the management teams encourage unethical behaviour because affirmation is more probable from fellow colleagues in the management team (Johnson et al., 2018). Due to the cohesiveness found within the members of a management team, they may be able to share blame with others whenever they are detected behaving unethically, further to receiving social support. The distribution of responsibility that comes with making decision as a group is perhaps the primary reason why people behave differently in groups.

It is worth noting that both factors, that is, social support and responsibility distribution, indicates that cohesiveness enhances the likelihood of unethical behaviour since coherence prevents questionable behaviour from being classified as unethical, either through the reduction of critical thinking or via the social support (Grzesiuk, 2016). Although belonging to a coherent team influences one’s view of an action’s ethicality and hence aids immoral behaviour, cohesion may influence one’s inclination to act even if one’s imminent action is perceived as unethical due to post hoc reasoning. Individuals should be able to rationalize their behaviour in order to act in a way that they believe is unethical. Individuals make such reasons largely to themselves, therefore belonging to a coherent team will indeed provide a stronger self-justification.  Another reason why people are more inclined to act unethically in groups in comparison to action on an individual basis is because their acts might be justified as serving the group’s interests. In conclusion, social support and responsibility dispersion enable unethical behaviour by creating a setting for doubtful activities to be classified as ethical, whereas rationalization encourages unethical behaviour even when it is classified as unethical.

Individuals in cohesive organizations understand that their fellow members are extremely dedicated and devoted to the group, and they anticipate elevated levels of reciprocity from them. This devotion may be founded on strong personal bonds among team members, although it may be especially strong in groups that are extremely dedicated to attain task-related objectives such as increasing organizations profitability (Lian et al., 2020). This may result in the perception that others members within the group may be more willing to take accountability for some of their acts, particularly if their acts are driven by a desire to help the entire group. Furthermore, individuals of coherent teams identify more with other individuals within the group and, as a result, have a larger perception that they can effectively comprehend the group’s intentions and aspirations (De Cremer & Vandekerckhove, 2017). This may indeed allow them to behave more boldly on behalf of the entire group, knowing that the other teammates will support them. It is also worth noting that views of other group members do not have to be true because they have implications for conduct regardless of their correctness. Nevertheless, a person’s ideas concerning others assuming accountability for an activity that positively serves the group could be valid, in the sense that team members may regard abandoning a team mate who has done an activity unethically to serve the group’s interest to be mistaken.

This group distribution of accountability for the repercussions of their choices and acts may limit critical thinking, which would be less likely to occur if an individual were to act on an individual basis and bear the repercussions of his or her decisions alone (Hosain, 2019). Diffusion of accountability reduces the urge to think critically in relation to a planned action, which increases the likelihood to act unethically. People are likely to use their critical thinking abilities to evaluate a form of action if everyone else share in the repercussions, both positive and negative, in comparison to when they bear the ramifications alone. People can participate in immoral behaviour without realizing it because of a lack of critical engagement.

Question 3

The outcomes of the two cases, Pacific Gas and Electric which resulted to a direct lawsuit of 333 million dollars and Rongping which amounted to 105,000 dollars in compensation for the communities who suffered the negative impacts of chromium disposed by the two firms. The outcomes of these two cases may have a positive impact on the ethical decisions of management teams in the future. Laws and ethics are virtually everywhere within the societies. They control the actions of people from day to day. The two, law and ethics, usually work together to ensure that individuals behave in a certain manner as well as coordinate the efforts of management teams aimed at protecting the welfare, health and safety of the general public (Zhang, He, & Sun, 2018). While laws encompass different forms of punishment for their violations, on the other hand, ethics do not. In essence, laws usually enforce the conduct that individuals ought to follow whilst ethics suggest what individuals ought to follow and assist them in exploring the options available in order to make the most appropriate decision.

In the case of management teams and ethics, even though law and ethics are two different things and are not co-extensive, the negative outcomes from the two firms will compel individuals in management positions to act in a manner that does not jeopardize the health, safety and the welfare of the general public. Even if some may sometimes have the urge to act unethically to meet the interests of the organizations, or be willing to act unethically due to the cohesiveness within the management teams, lawsuits and other repercussions for unethical conduct such as shut down will compel these individuals to act in an ethical way (Fehr et al., 2019). It is true that ethical decision making arises from one’s moral sense or in some cases the desire to maintain a good personal and brand image, the consequences of law suit will surely force individuals and organizations to make ethical decisions just to ensure that they remain in business. Organizations will be more conscious of their actions in the future and hence top management will take whatever actions to ensure that they do not go against the law even if it means firing certain individuals.

References

De Cremer, D., & Vandekerckhove, W. (2017). Managing unethical behavior in

organizations: The need for a behavioral business ethics approach. Journal of Management & Organization, 23(3), 437-455. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2016.4Fehr, R., Welsh, D., Yam, K. C., Baer, M., Wei, W., & Vaulont, M. (2019). The role of moral

decoupling in the causes and consequences of unethical pro-organizational behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 153, 27-40.

Grzesiuk, K. (2016). Unethical Behaviour of Organisations from a Social Network

Perspective. A Literature Review. Annales. Etyka w życiu gospodarczym, 19(4), 23-37. http://dx.doi.org/10.18778/1899-2226.19.4.02Hassan, S. (2019). We need more research on unethical leadership behavior in public

organizations. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2019.1667666Hosain, M. S. (2019). Unethical pro-organisational behaviour: Concepts, motives and

unintended consequences. Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, 15(4), 133-137. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2319510X19883084Johnson, K. J., Martineau, J. T., Kouamé, S., Turgut, G., & Poisson-de-Haro, S. (2018). On

the unethical use of privileged information in strategic decision-making: The effects of peers’ ethicality, perceived cohesion, and team performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 152(4), 917-929.

Lian, H., Huai, M., Farh, J. L., Huang, J. C., Lee, C., & Chao, M. M. (2020). Leader

unethical pro-organizational behavior and employee unethical conduct: Social learning of moral disengagement as a behavioral principle. Journal of Management, 0149206320959699. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0149206320959699Shanker, A. K. (2019). Chromium: environmental pollution, health effects and mode of

action. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11575-1Tumolo, M., Ancona, V., De Paola, D., Losacco, D., Campanale, C., Massarelli, C., &

Uricchio, V. F. (2020). Chromium pollution in European water, sources, health risk, and remediation strategies: an overview. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(15), 5438. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph17155438Wójcik, G., Wieszczycka, K., Aksamitowski, P., & Zembrzuska, J. (2020). Elimination of

carcinogenic chromium (VI) by reduction at two-phase system. Separation and Purification Technology, 238, 116410.

Yoshinaga, M., Ninomiya, H., Al Hossain, M. A., Sudo, M., Akhand, A. A., Ahsan, N., … &

Kato, M. (2018). A comprehensive study including monitoring, assessment of health effects and development of a remediation method for chromium pollution. Chemosphere, 201, 667-675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.026Zhang, Y., He, B., & Sun, X. (2018). The contagion of unethical pro-organizational behavior:

From leaders to followers. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1102. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01102

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Question 1

Music is famous of its exclusive influence to the society. Various forms of music are helpful in identifying with different groups of people in the world. The world would be extremely boring without the sweetness of music. People connect with different forms of music that make their social life extremely bearable and enjoyable. However, music as a major element in the social world is bringing exclusive influence in the world where all people are wishing for a certain class of music. As a result, different forms of music are creating subcultures within themselves to let different people identify with their values as they remain in the umbrella of that music.

Hip-hop is a worldly celebrated form of music where different people attach themselves to the form of music on unique interests. Different people believe in the music for different reasons. Within itself, the form of music has created a subculture where people engage in the subculture by different ways. The subculture that has become exclusively sensitive within the hip-hop music is the gangsta rap subculture (Riley, 2005). This form of music has become mainly attractive to youths. The main influence of the music to youths is in the United States. This form of music is darling to many youthful souls. They believe it as the way to rock the heart to music. However, following the sensitivity that the youths are creating through the music, the world has also become sensitive of the influence of the music. Gangsta rap is proper definition of the elements that make the sub cultural theory. As the theory defines gangs as proper environment for crime, and violence, represents the issues that the youth experience under the influence of gangsta rap (Harkness, 2013).

The subculture has exposed youths to violent behaviors at tender age. Artists who believe in violent performances define the class of hip-hop music. Their presentations are made of violent incidences, which are affirmed by use of abusive words. Youths who have become friends to this world of music have become wooed to the ill elements that come with the music (Söderman, 2013).They have become the takers of the ill elements defined by the subculture.

This subculture of Hip-hop music represents rich artists who preach crime and violence through their music. The artists to this form of music are individuals with exclusive wealth that makes them highly attractive among youths. This results to existence of only a small group of youths who may fully identify with this kind of music. Some of the youths have been sidelined following their inability to match the expensive style of the artist of the music that they believe to be exclusively attractive to them. Some of the youths who may not afford the lifestyle of gangsta rappers, tend to practice the violent actions they learn from the musicians (Harkness, 2013). This further affirms the element of violence and crime as defined in the sub-cultural theory.

Gansta rap as a solid source of source of crime among youths has resulted to extensive abuse of drugs among youths. They want to practice every behavior they see and this has landed most of the youths to drugs. This behavior makes the youths extremely irresponsible in the society.

However, the influence that the music has brought amongst the youths in terms of crime and violence can be changed if there were campaigners for a new name for the subculture. Although, the subculture is defined by existence of a wide influence and occupation by youths, it can still take a turn if youths remained relevant to the music. The upcoming gangsta rappers should be responsible of eliminating the ill name that has been created. They should unfold a future of a subculture that is attractive and assistive to the youths. They should give the contrary of the current findings of sub-cultural theories defined by different authors.

Question 2

Rapcore or punk is a major subculture of hip-hop music. It is culture define by existence of an extensively moral panic within itself. The moral panic that the subculture defines is use of erotic and abusive language. It is the way of the subculture to communicate in a given form of language. It defines abuse of language through use of extremely sensitive words. Language as a major element of defining a culture is extremely critical in this subculture as the success of the attributions of the group depends on abusive language.

The language that is used touches into various elements of the subculture theory. For example, it touches on class, where the music is mainly performed by flashy artists who represent rich musicians. This is an element that defines the subculture through the subculture theory as a practice for rich individuals. The language of the music is full of praises of the dollar, which is representation of wealth (Söderman, 2013).

The language extends its traits as a moral panic through the punk subculture showing existence of racism. A name like “Nigga”, which is common among such musicians have been useful in the definition of the black people. This is a sign of racism where the whites refer to the blacks by other names. Racism is a definition of subculture element and it is extensively abused through the punk subculture of music (Mccrary, 2003).

Youths, who are well represented in the subculture theory, are concrete definition of what entails the Punk Subculture. The music is usually performed by youths who use erotic language in expressing their songs. This is improper definition of a subculture attracting different people. The language that the artists use has become common among the youths and they feel comfortable to use the language at any point (O’meara, 2003).

Question 3

In a given industry, there may be different forms of subculture. This means there would be exclusive uniqueness in each of the subcultures. However, their differences may not be exclusively wide as some of the subcultures are likely to interact to develop a highly effective and unique sub cultural practice.

Post modernism may be defined as the cultural logic of late capitalism. There are various elements that may define postmodernism in the art industry. For example, the elements of pastiche and historicity are proper support for the above claim. Pastiche has been defined as the blank parody of postmodern literature. The term blank may be significant to define the reflexivity, and intertextuality of the postmodern period, not being connected to historical content in the current times. The style is a representation of the shift that has remained exclusive in defining change at the current times. There is no need for extensive reliance on past practices (Robertson, Ralston, & Crittenden, 2012).

Literature and society are resultants of the extensively dominated, as well as determined by capitalist ideology but as capitalism has changed so has the literal theory. This is main definition of the movement from modernisms to postmodernism.

Parody is an element that defines mocking. It is true that a trait in a given subculture may mock other traits within the same subculture to define a given social element. This dictates there must be one of the elements that will conform to the values of the other. As a result, one order of a subculture may disorder other elements of other subcultures. The mocking may develop other texts that may be extensive useful and influential for change in the society (Robertson, Ralston, & Crittenden, 2012).

On the other hand, meta-narratives such as functionalism and Marxism may be exclusive useful in the definition of postmodernism. They are exclusive elements of influence that may induce change in the society. They are elements that slowly extend modernity to the society. They are proper elements to dictate value in the current society. Proper arguments of the modern society mainly rely on such elements of meta-narratives such as functionalism and Marxism (Hossieni & Khalili, 2011).

Because of application of these theories, subculture reorders have been witnessed and are becoming exclusively vital in defining postmodernisms and the practices that are being witnessed in different fields of the modern society (Hossieni & Khalili, 2011). The music industry also faces exclusive influence to postmodernisms following the change that is being witnessed in the industry.

References

Harkness, G., 2013., Gangs and gangsta rap in Chicago: A microscenes perspective. Poetics, 41(2), 151-176.

Hossieni, A., & Khalili, S., 2011., Explanation of creativity in postmodern educational ideas. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 1307-1313.

Mccrary, J., 2003., Effects of Listeners’ and Performers’ Race on Music Preferences. Journal of Research in Music Education, 41(3), 200.

O’meara, C., 2003., The Raincoats: breaking down punk rock’s masculinities.Popular Music, 22(3), 299-313.

Riley, A., 2005., The Rebirth Of Tragedy Out Of The Spirit Of Hip Hop: A Cultural Sociology Of Gangsta Rap Music. Journal of Youth Studies, 8(3), 297-311.

Robertson, C., J., Ralston, D., A., & Crittenden, W., F., 2012., The relationship between cultural values and moral philosophy: a generational subculture theory approach. AMS Review, 2(2-4), 99-107.

Söderman, J., 2013., The formation of ‘Hip-Hop Academicus’ – how American scholars talk about the academisation of hip-hop. British Journal Of Music Education, 30(03), 369-381.

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Musical Journals

George Frideric Handel is the composer of the oratorio, Messiah that premiered in Dublin on April 13th of 1742. Trumpets are the main instruments used in the piece, with the addition of other instruments that characterize the orchestra such as violins, viola, bass, and cello have been used. The tonality of the piece ‘Hallelujah’ derived from the Messiah uses a D-major scale of the church scale, while the melody uses motifs which are repeated rhythms for the whole piece. The piece incorporates dynamics that are terraced developing loud and soft sounds. The piece as well has a strong sense of perfect cadence and as well uses the chordal patterns. The general texture of the piece is homophonic at the beginning, ending with a polyphonic texture.

J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 140 Wachet Auf, on the other hand, is a cantata that was written in 1731. The excerpt sleepers awake Nos. 1 chorale fantasia uses instruments such as horns, trumpets and violins and incorporates soprano, tenor, alto, and bass. The melody of the piece consists of sopranos having a slow-moving chorale melody, and the rhythm comprises insistent dotted rhythm in the orchestra. The harmony consists of an uplifting E-flat major key while the form of the piece is the 3-part bar form consisting of (A-A-B). The texture involves alteration between the instrument groups which consist of complex imitative polyphony in lower voices.

The two pieces are similar in that they were both sacred music of the baroque era. The texture of the two is as well similar in that it consists of a polyphonic texture, while similar instruments such as bass, trumpets and violins.

Works Cited

G. F. Handel’s Messiah. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/7YaGwI7GjlA?t=3J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 140 Wachet Auf. Retrived from: https://youtu.be/Lz0FmmNrTck?t=97

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Music lessons enhance IQ

The author of the article illustrates through performed experiments on certain individuals that taking music lessons does have a positive impact on IQ. The thing is that music lessons do involve many different approaches until one gets the desired results. A lot of attention has to be put in place when learning and mastering different musical tools and a tune, doing this improves on concentration and mental performance of the person involved.

The research variables applied in the experiments can be seen when looking at the two groups of individuals involved in the experiments. There is a group exposed to music lessons and another that is not. The group that has been exposed tended to develop a higher IQ as opposed to the ones who were not taking lessons.

The participants were selected after applying for the positions of receiving free art classes through an advertisement. They had to be age six as this was the perfect age to take music classes since older children will be hard to achieve certain perfection in music. The participants also had to have a keyboard with a full set of keys to practice on, so the ones who did not have it were not picked. The lessons were offered for a period of one year.

Out of all the participants picked, they were divided into four groups. Two groups took voice or standard keyboard classes, and another two groups took drama or no classes. This method made it easier to compare the results from the various groups. The results from the experiments were collected at an individual level from each group, and the data was compared to the results from an earlier test before the commencement of the programme.

In order to measure results the scientists used certain tests before the classes started: WISC-III, the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, and Behavioural Assessment System for Children (Schellenberg 512). Tests applied after the classes showed a detailed picture of childrens’ performance and skills development. Their behaviour was also considered through dedicated part of the testing and added to statistical analysis.

The author concludes that taking music lessons and extracurricular activities has a positive impact on individuals as these activities involve multiple experiences. They help to develop various parts of the human brain and hence boost the IQ level of individuals participating in such activities. Although IQ change was obvious, the behaviour of children involved into music classes didn’t change much.

The experiment did indicate that taking music lessons has a small increase in IQ (Schellenberg 513). Scientists state that IQ boost is connected to enjoyable studying perception which becomes more efficient when kids are gathered in small groups to take lessons. Music is related to development of abstract reasoning and the classes are perceived as enjoyable school lessons (Schellenberg 320).

The research does not indicate if such an increase is significant enough to suggest all children of age six to take up such classes. It is also not clear if such an increase is long lasting or diminishes when one stops taking such classes or stops participating in them.

Work cited

Schellenberg, E. G. “Research report: Music lessons enhance IQ.” Psychological Science 15.8. (2004): 511-513.

Schellenberg, E. G. Music and cognitive abilities. University of Toronto at Mississauga, Ontario, Canada 14.6. (2005): 317-320.

Musical Theatre Film: Character

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Introduction

The supporting cast, antagonists, and protagonists are significant to the drama. These characters are the theatrical elements that various audiences can attach to. When the actresses or actors are on stage, it is compulsory to be credible to the character they are picturing. The audiences can become less attracted to the film or play if the actors are unbelievable in Chicago film which is an American musical black comedy of 2002 involving crime, Renée Zellweger who plays as Roxie Hart is a significant character who is motivated to become a vaudevillian currently being a homemaker and is apprehended for murder.

Roxie is narcissistic. She has an excessive interest in herself. She is not concerned about the individuals who love her. Becoming recognized is the only single thing that is important to her, even if it means being a murderer in cold blood (Admin, 2022). Roxie is jailed after shooting her mistress’ male version, Fred Casely. She shoots Fred for realizing that he cannot make her famous as he had claimed before, and she claims Fred is a jerk. We are not sure that Roxie has a heart because she has an unquenchable drive for fame. She also has good wit to recognize how to manipulate individuals to reach the popularity she believes she deserves. Thus, Roxie is entirely absorbed in becoming a celebrity. She says that she is a star, the audiences love her, and she loves them. She adds that the audiences love her for loving them, and she loves them for showing love to her; hence, they love each other. In addition, Roxie explains that the love is because nobody had adequate love in their childhood.

Roxie is a liar. She has absolutely no remorse concerning cheating and lying on her way to becoming a celebrity. Roxie knows how to manipulate individuals best and is no dummy. She plays the particular classic dumb blonde and hides behind her decolorized locks. Roxie tells the press that she is a real dummy, although she is lying (Admin, 2022). She does this to appear innocent and dump where Billy makes arrangements. Also, Roxie has an eerie potential to lie to her husband, Amos, and the public. For instance, she is involved in faking being preggo. Roxie spins the entire story concerning the non-existent baby failing to tell Amos and claims to want it. Thus, she develops non-existent joy as her real crime motive.

Moreover, Roxie is opportunistic. When she gets in jail, she views it as an opportunity land. Roxie desires to earn notoriety (Admin, 2022). Also, having your name in various papers in Chicago is an indispensable social currency form. Thus, Roxie works the entire system and everyone around to get her desires. These include the likes of Velma, the rival performer, and Amos, her unsuspecting husband. In addition, Roxie is sensational. She effectively auctions each of her belongings to repay her legal fees. Also, the public loves Roxie; for example, the prison warden Mama Morton.

Conclusion

Roxie is an essential character and portrays several character traits, such as vain for having excessive self-interest. She is also a liar for cheating and lying to all without remorse. In addition, Roxie is opportunistic and sensational. Therefore, Roxie is focused on fame; she views herself as more prominent than the life she has in her head.

References

Admin. (2022). Watch Chicago (2002) Full Movie Online Free | Myflixz.com. Browse and Watch All Your Favorite Online Movies & Series for Free! https://myflixz.com/movie/tt0299658

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Characteristics phases of development of pre-historical humanity according to western civilizations by Joshua Cole and carol SymesPre-history refers to the period when human first appeared and invention of writing. This period has being characterized with limited sources of information as there were no formal ways through which information could have been stored except through the use of myths.

During the Paleolithic era, the main characteristics of this phase were the invention of fire by the Hominids who lived during this era. The human societies of this era were able to benefit from fire in a variety of ways including using it to harden tool tips, for hunting purposes, used the fire to made jewelry from metals, keeping themselves warm during cold nights and scaring away dangerous wild animals.

During this period, western civilizations were also characterized by cultures such as painting on wall caves and the burying of dead people in unique graves. During the burial ceremonies, the deceased were buried with objects that were meaningful to the life they lived including instruments such as horns, flowers and jewelry. At the end of Paleolithic era, the western civilization was characterized by finely crafted small tools that were developed by humans to aid in various activities such as fishing and hunting. Some of the finely crafted tools at this stage included fishhooks, wooden and bone sewing needles and arrow heads.

The Neolithic era began at around 11,000 B.C.E when there was rapid climate change and the human populations had become significantly huge. As the natural sources of food diminished, humans started looked for stable sources of food leading to the development of manageable food productions. Humans began domesticating animals and crops leading to a settled lifestyle as the need for hunting for food were eliminated. As people adopted a settled lifestyle, populations grew rapidly and specialization and division of labor became entrenched in societies. There was an emergence of status and rank in societies as a distinction developed between the rich and the poor.

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Characterization in Hamlet

Characterization in the play ‘Hamlet’ plays a crucial role in developing the story’s themes and plot. ‘Hamlet’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous literary works that has been studied throughout the world. It is a tragic play whose main characters are the first family of Denmark. It is a sad tale of how a son, Hamlet, seeks vengeance for his father’s death and how his quest leaves destruction in its wake. Hamlet who is the main character in the story is central to the development of the play’s themes and other characters.

The story is set in the city of Elsinore in Denmark around the middle ages (Knights 19). When the play begins, the King of Denmark who is Hamlet’s father has been recently murdered. Hamlet is grief-stricken at the death of his father. Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother. Upon the death of her husband, she marries Claudius who happens to be her late husband’s brother. Other characters in the play are Ophelia who is the daughter to Polonius. Polonius serves as a royal attendant to the King. Laertes is Ophelia’s brother and a son to Polonius who ends up taking his father’s place in the palace after the death of Polonius.

The Ghost of Hamlet’s father is another character in the story that is seen to inspire many of Hamlet’s actions. Other minor characters include Horatio with whom Hamlet attended school and Guildenstern and Rosencrantz who are friends of Hamlet as well. All the characters in the story play a critical role and help to deliver the plot and the themes of the play in a vivid manner. The reader can find the characters very relatable, and their actions are what one would expect from the situations in which they find themselves.

Hamlet is the main protagonist in the play. Throughout the play, his actions are focused on seeking revenge for his dead father. He believes that the new king, Claudius, was a part of the plot to kill his father. He even suspects that his mother Gertrude aided him in carrying out the deed. “O most pernicious woman/ O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!…/ One may smile, and smile and be a villain/ At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”

Hamlet can be described as being loyal to the memory of his late father. He tells Horatio that he will never see anyone like his father, ““I shall not look upon his like again”. He wants to find out exactly who killed him so that he might take revenge on them. He is also very impulsive, and this can be seen in Act III where he speaks to his mother about her relationship with her husband, King Claudius. He tells her that what he did by marrying Claudius is disrespectful of his dead father. Unknown to him, Polonius was hidden behind the tapestry to protect Queen Gertrude from her son’s strange actions. Hamlet thinks Claudius is behind the curtain and drives a knife through it, killing Polonius.

Hamlet is brutally honest. He tells his mother in no uncertain terms exactly how he feels about her marriage to his uncle. He says, “O most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!/ It is not, nor it cannot come to good/ But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” . Hamlet thinks that his mother and Claudius insulted the late King’s memory by getting married a short time after the King’s death. Their marriage can also be considered incestuous as Gertrude married the brother of her late husband Knights 35). He is also vengeful and will stop at nothing to find out who killed his father.

Hamlet is also very emotional and unstable. His father’s death caused him much grief, and this shows what a loving son he must have been (Jarosz 13). Hamlet is anxious to speak to the ghost of his father when Horatio tells him of how they saw the ghost. With all the problems that Hamlet faces after the death of his father and his mother’s remarriage, he considers suicide but fails to go through with it as he believes it a sin. His actions, however, become more unpredictable by the day and lead his mother to summon him in the third act to find out what the problem is. Hamlet can also be quite level-headed when he chooses to be. Instead of rushing to kill his uncle on the ghost’s word, he decides that he must first get more evidence of his foul actions. He does this by performing a play about the Murder of Gonzago to see Claudius’ reaction.

Gertrude is another major character in the play. She is the Queen of Denmark because when her husband died, she married his brother and remained Queen. Such an act can be considered a betrayal and an insult to the memory of her late husband. She did so very soon after the death that Hamlet feels that her grief was faked. She is also very inconsiderate of her son Hamlet. Gertrude did not give him enough time to grieve his dead father before she went ahead to marry his brother. She, however, does not understand how her actions affected Hamlet and led to his unstable state of mind. Gertrude is a woman who lacks virtue, her marriage to her late husband’s brother can be considered incestuous and Hamlet tells her as much, her weak morality is brought to light when Hamlet asks her not to sleep in Claudius’ bed, to which she replies, “What shall I do?” (Thompson & Neil).

Queen Gertrude can be said to be gullible and guileless. She bows down to her husband’s every whim and is blind to his faults. She fails to comprehend the reason as to why Hamlet has been acting so strange lately. She acts shocked and surprised when Hamlet lets her know how he feels about her marriage and her grief that is quite shallow. She presents herself as a helpless victim in the whole scenario. This is hardly the case as she married Claudius soon after her husband’s death with no regard for Hamlet’s feelings or the opinions of other people. She is also selfish as her marriage was likely because she wanted to maintain the status quo of being Queen of England.

King Claudius is the main antagonist of the story. He became King by poisoning his late brother and then becoming King in his place. He also marries his dead brother’s wife, Queen Gertrude. The marriage can be seen as an incestuous act. Claudius appears to be repentant of his crimes as he confesses his sins to God in his chapel. The confession shows how remorseful he is for killing his brother. The King can also be said to be a capable leader. When the play begins, he manages to diplomatically avert a military crisis when Denmark is threatened by Norway. He is calm and gentle with Hamlet whom he urges to stop being so sad all the time.

As is his wife Gertrude, King Claudius is inconsiderate of Hamlet. He marries the Prince’s mother without giving him to grieve for his dying father. Claudius is also manipulative and scheming. He manipulates his wife into believing that he is innocent of any crimes. He manages to convince Laertes to become his ally after the death of Polonius. When he takes over as King, he tries to unite all his people who are grieving for their king. “The whole kingdom/to be contracted in one brow of woe” (Shakespeare 31). He is a heavy drinker, and in the end, he succumbs to poisoned wine which is ironical. The public persona of Claudius is entirely different from who he is in private. The ghost describes him as being incestuous for marrying his wife. His greed and lust for power are what led him to kill his brother in the first place.

Other minor characters in the story are Polonius, Ophelia, and Laertes. Polonius was a faithful attendant to the court. He is the one who asks Gertrude to speak to Hamlet to find the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior. This is not out of genuine for concern for Hamlet, but it was a way of spying for the king hence Polonius is a pretender. His son Laertes is a man of weak character as he goes from being King Claudius’ enemy to being his friend. Ophelia is a gullible woman who bows down to the instructions of her father Polonius when he sends her to speak to Hamlet with the hope of finding the cause of his behavior.

The characters in the play are well explained, and Hamlet especially brings vivid images to the reader. His desire to avenge his father and his anger towards his mother overwhelm him and lead to the death of all the characters discussed. Characterization in the play helps the reader to identify the lot and theme of the story without much struggle.

Works Cited

Jarosz, Maria. Bargains with fate: Psychological crises and conflicts in Shakespeare and his plays. Routledge, 2017.

Knights, Lionel Charles. An Approach to” Hamlet.”. Stanford University Press, 1961.

Muir, Kenneth. The sources of Shakespeare’s plays. Routledge, 2014.

Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark, 2018.

Thompson, Ann, and Neil Taylor, eds. Hamlet: A Critical Reader. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.

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Music has been for a long time been associated with politics, with a large number of musicians being involved in politics through their indirect influence as well as their ability to command a large population. Due to their influence, some of the musicians have been labeled as rebels to the government with some of the accusations leading to the assassination. Politicians, however, have misused the musicians and manipulated them to their gain.

‘Who shot the Sheriff’ is a Netflix documentary that narrates the circumstance that led to the attempted assassination of the Jamaican reggae icon, Bob Marley. Bob Marley was a famous reggae musician commanding a large crowd in Jamaica. Bob was a Rastafarian and rose to fame during the times that Jamaica was in chaos with people getting into war due to politics. Due to this Bob formed an underground movement named the roots and reggae movement and through this movement, he advocated for unity among the people through his music. Marley gained international recognition, and this sent tension to the politicians back at home as they saw a revolution and considered Bob Marley a threat. Two days before Marley could perform to a concert organized by the then prime minister of Jamaica Michael Manly, Bob together with his family and manager were shot by unknown people. According to the documentary, it is inferred that the attempted suicide was a plot to warn Bob to restrain himself from engaging in politics, and the CIA is thought to have had an upper hand of the attack.

The filmmaker intends to investigate who shot Bob Marley and therefore the film is an investigative documentary. The documentary opens with flickering images of black and white. Gunshots and people armed with guns are seen in the film, and this implies that Jamaica was in war at the time of the shooting. The documentary uses natural lighting, but the contrast is not very clear, and the reason is that the documentary uses past images recorded at a time when the technology was not advanced. Since the images and most of the videos were recorded past the year 1976, the visual quality is not that pleasing, and therefore the visual quality cannot be termed to be very good. However, the audio is very clear, and one can hear the wording without any strains. The coordination of the audio and visual elements is excellent, and this makes the overall quality of the documentary to be of high quality. Since the whole documentary is investigative, various interviews are done with different personalities providing their perspective on what transposed at the time of the shooting. Interviews are a source of valid data, and therefore it is a production of facts from the first-hand source, and this increases the credibility of the author. Through the interviews, that include from Bob Marley himself, we are able to obtain firsthand information and therefore sum up that the overall quality of the documentary is highly rated.

The mood created in the documentary is that of fear as people are seen shooting at one another and this creates a feeling of anxiety. The black and white images are a reminder of the past and therefore carries the mind of the viewer sometimes back. The responses of the Bob Marley during the interviews depicts him as being brave as he seems not to fear anything and this triggers a response of bravery from the audience. Despite the introduction of the documentary being hot with gunshots, Bob is seen with only a guitar in a concert preaching for peace, and this triggers responses of unity and togetherness to the people. Since Bob was a reggae artist, the Rastafarian colors are vividly depicted even through his dressing as well as the long hair that is a culture of the Rastafarians eliciting a response of being true to own religion which again calls for peace and unity. The documentary is thrilling and at the same time educative and therefore serves more than just being an investigative documentary.

Reference

Netflix. “Who Shot the Sheriff”. Retrieved from: https://www.netflix.com/ke/title/80191047