Identify Current Thinking On Leadership

Identify Current Thinking On Leadership In the last few decade it has been found the relation between the effective leadership style and culture is very critical. For example, the multinational organization like Daimler Chrysler, IBM forces their HR and other department to recognize the culture limitation of the organization and the leadership style. A number of researchers have done their work on understanding the impact of culture on the leadership practices and vice versa (ea.,Gessner, Arnold, Mobley, 1999; Hofstede,1991;house, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, Gupta, (2004) Leslie Van Velsor,1998). International literature has been reviewed and the generalization of leadership theories being assessed by Dorfmen(2004) and chemers( 1997), both of them found out some mixed result, yet some behavioral like supportive leadership and transnational leadership style result similar across the culture. While the cultural consequences has been observed with directive leadership. From the last fifty years the thinking patterns about the leadership, whether in a board room or in communities has been heavily influenced by mode of heroic leadership. Traditionally the idea about the leadership was considered up to skills, qualities and behavior of individual who forces and influences other to take action and achieve the given task or common goal by using their position and power. But later on as the more studied and research on the topic has been done it has been found that this way of thinking is a mere part of leadership theory and it fail to explain the leadership as a process build by relationship that are dynamic, fluid and non-directive in nature. Leadership understanding is a unique process that requires to think very differently about the changes had taken place and how we work others individual and groups. To understand the Current leadership style and thinking it is necessary to understand the history about it. How it is developed or evolved. Unless by understanding them it is difficult to comment on their evaluation. This paper provides a brief summary of the different style leadership and their relation with cultural implication. A Brief History about Leadership Great Man theories: These theories are based on belief that leaders have some exceptional born qualities in them. Here the term man is used intentionally as it has been observed the leaders of primitive time are male whether from military, politics or king etc. these lead the next school of trait theories. Trait theories: This theory argues that leaders have some common trait among them. It can be said according this theory all leaders are having some common ingredient. Though this theory also fail to explain how the leader e.g. Margaret Thatcher or Winston Churchill with these characteristics fail to perform as a leader. While some despite having those trait became a successful leader. Behavioral theories: These theories are developed to explain the failure of Trait theory, the initial work to develop these theories has been started in 1940 to till 1960. These theories are based on leadership behavior rather than their trait. What leaders do rather than what the quality they have? Different style and pattern of behavior of leaders are analyzed and observed. This is one of the most interested area for practiced managers. (Arnold, Mobley, 1999; Hofstede,1991) Situational Leadership theories: This theory argues that different situation demand different type leadership style. Sometime it requires being autocratic, some time democratic some time participative. It recognizes the demand of situation and a leadership style has to be changed according to situation. It also suggests a different type of leadership style is required within the same organization at different level. Contingency Theory: It can be said it is the advancement of the Situational Leadership theory. Its focus on identifying the situational variable which predict the best suitable style of leadership style for the given situation. Transactional Theory: This theory emphasis the relation between the leader and the follower. It focuses on the mutual benefit and common interest. According to this theory, the leader commits something in return to his/her follower for favoring or following him or her. It is more or less give and take style, hence known as transactional theory as name suggest no bonding after the deliverable. Transformational Theory: The motto here is to change role of leadership by transformation, by motivation, by education, by emotion etc. New leadership theory Relates to Charismatic, Visionary, Transformational. In the 1980s, the new definition of a leader has been given by using the above word. Learning organizations and distributed leadership: All of the theories discussed above take an individualistic perspective of a leader, in current practices a new school of thought is becoming more popular known as dispersed leadership. This approach tells us to distribute leadership spread it across the organization, societies, geography, and politics. This approach sees leadership as a process that is diffused through the cultures, organization, societies rather than laying a few handful of people designated as leader. The locus has been shifted from developing a leader to developing leaderful organization or societies. It is evident from the above theory that none of the theory explains leadership comprehensively. The Distributed leadership practice fight with the idea of difficult time demand a transformational and charismatic leader. To satisfy this need there are a number of themes that are important for systematic analysis of leadership are context, perceived leadership, behavioral requirements, development methods and capabilities.( Dorfmen, 2004;chemers, 1997) Context: A leadership cannot be discussed in isolation it has some external environment some extraneous and variable factor. By considering this factor, a leadership style has to be evolved or developed. For example, the requirement of a government office job is quite different from those required private sector jobs. Alternatively, the requirement for a job academician or researcher the qualities might be different which required for a sales job. Perceived Need: A lot of researches in 1960s suggest that the context lead to the need. However from the late 1940s there has been a technical and social aspect to analysis of organization hence it is not surprising to see that some researchers argument over the ideological aspect to the perceived need for leadership. For example Top management do not buy the idea that people follow them because they have authorityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they like to feel that they lead because they have the quality to lead (Miller and Form 1964) By putting aside the need of the top manager whether social or psychological and going by the perspective of stakeholders and other staff, the perceived leadership requirement for the situation depend upon the expectation of the individual and group involved as well as from the reality of situation too. It has been found the expectation of people and group themselves be a reflection of the existing belief, culture, and norms. For example leading a service centre is different from leading a audit team. The group members expectation from the leader is different in both the group due the culture, knowledge, belief and practice both the group follow. Hence affect the effective leadership style. Behavioral Requirements and competencies The leaders require having some behavioral requirement and competencies. Many models have been suggested to define these requirement and competencies. Though these three are common among them. Cognitive: Drawing the big picture and making direction to modify it. Making change happen: This quality talk about motivational skills and get the work done from the subordinate Inter-organizational: To work with the college and partner and create a healthy environment Current Thinking Transformational Leadership (TL) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) are the most popular views in the current moment. Though it cannot be suggested that they are right because they are popular rather they are right because indeed a lot of research and scholars work has been done on both the views and they explain the leadership up to a great extent in current scenario. (Miller and Forum 1964) Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership is more than transaction leadership. Anderson, TD(1992) talk transforming leadership is about vision, planning, communication and creative action which has a positive and motivating effect on the group and individual under a clear set of values and beliefs, to accomplish a desired measureable goals. This transforming moves similarly impact on the personal development and the productivity or corporation. It can be said the heart of transformational leadership is inspiring vision. The transformational leaders motivate people to achieve beyond expectation for the interest of group, corporation, and society on the verse of personal interest. TL makes a positive impact on morality, empowerment and motivation of an individual and group. (Routledge, 2006; Transformational Leadership; pg 34-38) The main characteristics of a TL is discussed by various leaders is highlighted below. Charismatic: Charismatic is a metaphor like a role model whom other follow and strive to emulate those characters who align the other people around a common goal and purpose. Inspirational: This word talks about the leadership quality, which provides the meaning and optimism about the common goal and its attainability. Intellectually Stimulating: This quality of the leader encourage the follower to develop a leader within them and verify the basic assumption involved in a project and consider the problem from a unique and new perspectives. Individually considerate: This quality of leader explain how leader work in a team, work with their follower , find out their need, figured out their self interest and develop their potential and how to enhance their expectations. A study conducted by Tom Peters found that TL leaders in the public sector where they took off their interest from the financial, management issue and government out target have had to go. On the other hand it can be said great characters are likely to have great weaknesses too, which lead to hamper their position, their colleagues, their followers and their organizations too. Although the above stanza portray the negative image of a transactional leader, but it cant be generalized because in the last decade it has been observed TL has moved beyond the Great Leader to distributed leadership and has been became a more balanced towards recognizing the importance of good management. Here the emphasis is given on the result, the process, the practices and a continuous learning environment for an individual and the for the group too. (John Storey Michael Fullan; Leading a cultural change) Emotional Intelligence (EI) Daniel Goleman has researched and written about the term a lot. According to him this term and its application to leadership behaviors to neuroscience in a manner that correlate human thinking and feeling and explain how our right brain concurs over the left. Hence to be a emotionally intelligent leader it is prerequisite to be self aware and self managed. The term given to this awareness is personal competences. Goleman found in his research that people with high EI score are more successful than the people who have lower EI. The Youngsters who were low on Emotional intelligence were prone to criminology. Hence Goleman has proved EI is a consideration of leadership. The social completeness the most critical for a leader comes from the development of the persona competences. These talk about social awareness and relationship management. A set of competencies lead to emotional intelligence. These skill set give the power the of understanding the persons ability, control and monitor his or her emotion efficient and effectively and to read the others and then manage and influence the other emotional state (Caurdon, 1999; Goleman, 1998). Goleman explain it within five dimensions. The following are the set behavioral attributes of the each area. Self- awareness the key stone of emotional intelligence, it is the ability of any individual to recognize the feeling of him or her and is to make an actual self- assessment and self-confidence. Self- Management is the art of controlling the disruptive emotions and to controls the impulses. Keep maintain the standards of honesty and integrity, be comfortable with the novel approaches and ideas and take the responsibility of somebody else performance. Motivation is the ability of a leader to influence the other people to outperform or facilitate towards the common goal. It consists of achievement, commitment, initiative, and optimism. Empathy word describes how a leader involved in the feelings, perspectives, concern and needs of the other. How a leader understands the problem of follower and rectifies them. Social Skills are basic to emotional intelligence. They include the persona of a leader his ability to get the desirable response from the others by communicating or presenting his or her viewpoint in a manner that is to be accepted by individuals and societies, inspire the individual and groups, nurturing the relationship, and working towards the common goal by creating group synergy. Past decade we have seen many leaders having great EI got succeeded in their life. Though it has been a topic of debate among emotional and intelligence which quality is more important for a leader. It can be said these two qualities are not complementary for a leader rather than these are supplementary quality. These work together, because an emotional leader has to be intelligent too or an intelligent leader has to be emotionally intelligent too. Culture Culture can be defined as knowledge, belief, idea and behavior, shared attitude, values, goal, and practices, custom and ritual performed by any individual and group or societies. The meaning of culture has been changed with the passage of time and from context to context. In early eighteenth and nineteenth century in Europe culture is considered as the improvement in cultivation, in the same way it had various definition with time to time. These points can be said about the culture. (John Story and Michel Fullan) A phenomenon wave, which surround us Culture itself tells us how it is evolved and helps us to understand its creation, development, manipulation and management. A leadership cannot be defined in isolation without considering the cultural. To understand and an organization or society it is imperative to understand its culture. Culture is a combination of customs and rights. Good managers must know and understand the customs and rights. Each organization has their own set of belief and standard referred as culture. As an outsider approach to any organization he needs to understand the culture at first of the organization or society. It Consist of the language, customs, traditions, standards and values, published and publicly announced values, philosophy, rules in organization, group interaction, thinking pattern, paradigms and shared knowledge for socialization and symbols meanings. Leader must adopt and suit their style according to situation and culture in which they operate. For example what works in china may or may not be likely to work in Canada or France. One can be effective in Canada by humiliating the departmental store employee but thats not guarantee that it will be applicable to Japan and India. As different individual needs different treatment based upon their culture. If humiliated employee leave the organization hence it creates more difficulties for a leader as he need to hire another one train him hours and to tell him process and systems and it will take some time for the employee to get acquainted with the new organization. National Culture affects the leadership style due to that a leader cannot choose their style at their own wish. There are some societal constraints over that. For example in Korea a leader is expected to be caring about their follower while in the Arab a leader is who shows kindness and generosity without being asked is considered by other Arab as week. In Japan leaders are expected to be humble and participative in common forum. Consisting with the contingency approach, a leader need to adjust their working style according to the aspect the organization, industry and culture in which they operate. For example a manipulative or altercative style is compatible with high power distance, like Russia, Spain, Far East, Latin Countries and Spain. While a participative style is most likely to be associated with culture with low distance like Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Power distance ranking is a good indicator of employee willingness to accept of participative or autocratic leadership. (Globe Project) Conclusion No theory or model is able to explain and provide a satisfactory explanation of leadership. Indeed there is no common consensus on the meaning or definition of leadership among all theory and scholars in first place. Most of the theory is extension or improved version of the pervious theory or partial explanation of leadership within itself. Many theories are based on personal or even limited, biased research referring to particular philosophical or ideological points of view. As a researcher get the answer of the question as he or she asks. As per Yukis wide-ranging review of the leadership literature in 1989 most of the theories are conceptually weak and lack in strong empirical support. Numbers of empirical studies on leadership has been done but the result are most of the time are contradictory or inconclusive. A related shortcoming of the current leadership is the separation of tracks like cognitive, emotional, spirituality and behavioral aspects. None of the theories and model has been reviews except servant leadership theory address the spiritual element of peoples life. Some theory is superficial like research by the industrial society in 1996. Though its debatable whether leadership affects the culture or culture affect the leadership, as both are interrelated they cannot run in isolation of each other. A leader cannot be successful if he does not follow the culture norms. Or if the leader is so much powerful then he can spoil the culture and create a new society or culture. But history has proved even the government, king and leader who autocratic and tries to implement their ideas and thought without understanding the demand of society or culture fail to perform. Hence it is very imperative to be any leader to align their leadership style with the culture of particular society and what the time demand.

2001 USA Patriot Act is Unconstitutional and Ineffective Essays

I. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks US Congress passed legislation known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 commonly known as the USA Patriot Act. This paper will attempt to prove that not only is the USA Patriot Act unconstitutional but many of its provisions do nothing at all to protect Americans from the dangers of terrorism. While this act made legislative changes that increased surveillance and the investigative powers of law enforcement agencies to protect America from further terrorist acts, the passing of the USA Patriot Act has reduced the privacy rights of Americans and also does not provide for a system of checks and balances that safeguard civil liberties. Terrorism is a serious matter that should not be handled lightly, but the act has gone over the top in trying to stop terrorism. The USA Patriot Act, enacted for protecting America from further attacks, not only does little if anything to protect Americans, but rather undermines their civil rights. The Patriot Act targets not only terrorists, but also the American people which it intended to protect. This paper will primarily speak of the violations of the First and Fourth Amendments and the lack of checks and balances in relation to the USA Patriot Act. II. Background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the September 11th terrorist attacks, America was understandably frightened that this could happen again. Less than a week after the attacks the Bush administration introduced legislation that included items which had previously been voted down, sometimes repeatedly, by Congress. (Surveillance Under the USA Patriot Act) The Senate version of the Patriot Act, which closely resembled the legislation requested by Attorney General John Ashcroft, was sent straight to the floor with no discussion, debate, or hearings. Many Senators complained that they had little chance to read it much less analyze it before having to vote. In the House, hearings were held, and a carefully constructed compromise bill emerged from the Judiciary Committee. But then, with no debate or consultation with rank-and-file members, the House leadership threw out the compromise bill and replaced it with legislation that mirrored the Senate version. Neither discussion nor amendments were permitted, and once... ... feel rushed as they did with the signing of this Act. Congress should review some of the terminology in the Act such as the definition of ‘Domestic terrorism’ to ensure we are not inadvertently including innocent individuals under the name of national security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There should be a system of checks and balances where congress must review the methods the FBI, CIA and other law enforcement agencies are using in relation to wire taps, search warrants etc. Congress must ensure that the intelligence gathered is used in connection with terrorists and not just criminals in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  States and the private sector should get more involved in security at the airports, banking procedures and surveillance so that the federal government does not have complete control and overstep their boundaries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, the idea behind the 2001 USA Patriot Act was a solid one made in a time of extreme duress and fearfulness. Now that we have had time to readjust and really look at the consequences of this act, it is time to reevaluate and pass into law a modified version to keep in line with what our forefathers believed for our country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Music History Essay

Music, as they say, is a universal language. Unlike dialects, music can be understood by many sans, the lyrics spoken in a different country. The simple humming of a child, done in mostly minor chords, can make everyone feel a little emotional or sad. A happy song filled with trumpets, saxophones and lively guitar tabs can make people excited and get them all to dance. Music can unite people regardless of their age, gender and race, which is why it is considered a universal language. Through Those Years The history of music dates back before the 1800s, but that is only to put a legal timeline to the evolution of music. Since music is universal, it is then safe to say that it has started even in the beginning of the world. The first human beings, or the first animals, for that matter, depended on sounds that make up a structure filled with patterns that were easily remembered, which conveyed a meaning and made people do things like hunt for food, identify where the predator or the prey is, or go where they should go. Music was a sign and a symbol that represented something (Murray, 2004, p. 773). Technically, though, music before the 1800s existed already, in a more technical sense of the concept. Music was then not just a collection of different sounds. It became a study where people researched about it. During the 18th century, the book entitled History of Music was written and published by GB Martini. Its original title was Storia Della Musica. Other books followed after GB Martin’s, and among the many books that were published after the first one were De Cantu de Musica Sacra and Scriptores Ecclesiastici de Musica Sacra. The types of music being studied, during these times, were classified as sacred music (Murray, 2004, p. 773). During 1800-1950, the evolution of music can be seen and musical history was being more defined. It didn’t take too long when Johannes Wolf started to do more studies about music, specifically the type of sound that emerged during the Medieval and the Renaissance times. Musicologists depended much on the studies conducted by Johannes Wolf. Because of this, a branch of art called historical musicology was termed and developed. This branch of study became a significant part of the Baroque music. It also became an instrument to the development of music during the Medieval and the Renaissance era. In particular, the movement of original performance has a lot to do with the scholarship associated with the history of music. Musicology became a big part of the arts, and became more and more developed as time passed by. It soon became a field of study. Consequently, journals, researches, articles and new analyses are being developed to branch them out altogether, in order to produce more studies to be published. Music was being more defined as years went by, and it was spreading like fire all over the world (Murray, 2004, p. 773). Ancient Music To understand the history of music and how it changes, it is then best to use a chronology to explain the turn of events. First there was ancient music. This type of music reflects all the types of music that developed in the different parts of the globe, like Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, Greece, China, India and Persia. In fact, music was already popular and rich in countries like Rome, Greece and Mesopotamia. Whatever was audible to the people were characterized through basic scales and tones, and then came music. Music spread throughout history through systems, either written or oral (West, 1994, p. 13). The definition of ancient music differs from time to time because of how much music is already revolving, and is continuously revolving. Today, if one defines ancient music, he can say that it is the modern sound that still resembles whatever is folk and traditional in that country. Today, there are modern sounds that Muslims, Egyptians, Jews, Asians, Persians, and Indians produce, but still has not left behind the oldest and most basic of original ancient music (West, 1994, p. 13). Persia, for example, flute, lute and guitars were already being played. Religious rituals were not complete in Persia without music. Music was significant in the lives of the Persians, especially in their spiritual life. It was in Mesopotamia where the first traces of writing were seen. It was the same time when researchers and historians traced instructions for music. The traces were fragmentary, but the authorities were sure that there was music during this time in this place. In fact, music was in made in thirds when it comes to harmony. The scales of the musical pieces produced were even diatonic (Leichtentritt, 2007, p. 14). Up to this day, though, how the researchers can interpret the symbols in the ancient Mesopotamia is not a hundred percent clear. There are still controversies that have yet to be discussed and settled. The interpretation of the symbols remains to be vague. But one thing is sure; all the notations made on the cuneiform tablets were clearly that of the tunings and strings of a musical instrument called a lyre. It was also during this time when harps were invented and became a big part of the history of music (Leichtentritt, 2007, p. 14). In India, ancient music was also active. Indians were always enthusiastic when it comes to the type of musical instrument they were playing. Musical instruments were all around India. This can be proven by how much instruments were amassed from the Indus valley civilization. Archaeological sites can prove all these. Indians had forms of music that includes Samaveda, Rigveda and Samagana. Their music was characterized from hymns, verses and melodies. It was in religious rituals where music was used the most. Indian music had basic ingredients to make a sound â€Å"Indian. † During the first part of a song, Shadja is always established. The grama, in this case, is being defined. Grama is the Indian term for the note of the scale. Indian music also lives by the two principles of consonance, which involves Avinashi and Avilopi. Avinashi is a fundamental note that should always be present in a musical piece, and with Avilopi it means that the note should never change, and that it should always stay there in that particular music piece, according to Leichtentritt (2007, p. 14). Greek’s music has evolved through time. The Greeks have original musical notation style. They developed their own, no matter how robust it is. While it is true that the best musicians in Greece did not necessarily use their musical notations produced originally, it cannot be denied that a lot of Romans and Greeks still use of that original musical notation. Greek music was not exactly monophonic, although this was almost established with their style of music (West, 1994, p. 13). There was always more than just a note to be sounded at a similar time. Double pipes and bag pipes were mostly used. These can be proven also by the ancient drawings seen on the vases and the walls of Greece. Even the oldest Greek books had authors who were able to describe what different musical techniques were being used during these times. Double flutes were also popular in Greece (West, 1994, p. 13). Middle Eastern After the Ancient music came the Middle Eastern music. Middle Eastern music was rich in that it was characterized by different styles from different regions. When one goes to the Middle East, there are different types of music that can be seen, like â€Å"zajal, Turkish folk music, Turkish classical music, sha’abi, Sufi music, rapbesk, rnbesk. Somali music, pizmonim, Persian folk, Nubian music, mawwal, Kurdish music, Egyptian Chaabi and el-Gil, Egyptian Classical music, Berber music, Arabic Andalusian, Arabesque music, Arabic rap, Arabic pop, Algerian rai and Arabic Classical Music (Stanley, 1997, p. 126). † The Islam community displays its great influence coming from the Middle East music. In fact, as the Islam used music in their rituals, Middle Eastern music spread even more quickly. The identity of Middle Eastern music is defined from the melody which is still present today in modern Middle Eastern pop and liturgical music (Stanley, 1997, p. 126). Classical Music Music evolves all around the world. In the West, music has gone a long way from the classical compositions of great masters like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carl Philipp Emanuel Back, and Franz Schubert to the catchy modern pop songs of today. It’s kind of hard to imagine how music has evolved from those grand compositions to the contemporary quirky beats we listen to today, but that just proves how quickly music transforms according to the needs of the people (Stanley, 1997, p. 154). The Classical period in the West dates from about 1750 to 1820. Classical music refers to various styles of music with roots in the secular and liturgical European musical traditions of the 9th century. This type of music is characterized by romantic melodies using instruments like violins and flutes (Stanley, 1997, p. 154). One striking characteristic of classical music is its elegance. This elegance is achieved by the composers’ close attention to balance and proportion. For this reason, classical music never becomes obsolete. Up to now, many people around the world, whether they live in the West or not, still listen to classical music. Some people study their structures and attempt to recreate classical music using modern instruments. Others simply enjoy their relaxing melodies, which may aid them to concentrate on their tasks or even sleep better. There is even a concept called â€Å"Mozart effect†, as explained by Stanley (1997), which says that children who are exposed to the classical music of the great genius that is Mozart are able to concentrate more on their tasks, thus resulting in better performance in school. This is just one example of the newly discovered benefits of music that are surprising ordinary people and experts around the world (Stanley, 1997, p. 8). Western Music through the Years As the power of the West became stronger and reached farther into different corners of the globe, music itself has gained the imprints of Western culture. More and more people heard and recognized the merits of Western music. Countries that were once colonies of Western countries are especially influenced by Western music because the language barrier is weaker. Today, the dominant music is the world comes from the West. Classical, blues, jazz, rock, hip-hop, ballads, R n B – all of these have roots in the West. The amazing thing is that since music is universal, people of different races and cultures around the world can appreciate these Western genres of music. Western music may influence local music, but the traditional character of music never goes away. For instance, in Japan today, pop music has obvious Western overtones, but most pop hits are all sung in Japanese. J-pop, as Japanese pop is locally called, is influenced by Western music in a lot of ways, but its characteristics are still a lot different from Western pop music. The Music of the ‘40s and ‘50s The invention and mass production of radios during the 1940s and 1950s facilitated an amazing development in musical styles. In many ways, World War II has also changed the face of music dramatically as people expressed their disappointments and rebelliousness against the war through music (Melton and Weinstein, 2001, p. 17). Rock and roll has its roots in the 1940s, along with other musical genres such as country, jazz, swing, folk, and boogie woogie. In the United States, different musical styles were expressed by different races. Blacks had difficulty hitting the mainstream until the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, sang rock and R n B. Elvis was able to show the whites the excellent beats of rock music, which made its crossover into mainstream a lot easier. Elvis eventually became one of the biggest icons of rock and roll in the United States and around the world (Melton and Weinstein, 2001, p. 17). The Music of the ‘60s and ‘70s Music received huge social influences again during the 1960s and the 1970s because of the Vietnam war, the Cold War, and the spread of the Civil Rights movement. During this period, music clearly became a platform for various causes, including feminism, race empowerment, sexual freedom, and other liberal ideas (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). There are many musical icons that gained fame during this tumultuous period in musical history. Musicians like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan pioneered new techniques in lyrical composition. These new techniques inspired more artists such as Cat Stevens, Carole king, Elton John, and James Taylor to create their own groundbreaking chart-topping hits. The ‘60s were filled with R n B hits that were a combination of secular and gospel music. Different kinds of soul music emerged in this time, including Philly soul, Memphis soul and Motown. Popular artists such as Marvin Gaye and James Brown also found fame and fortune in the 1960s (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). Of course, music in the 1960s and 1970s cannot be discussed without mentioning the band that is probably one of the biggest influences of contemporary music: The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr drew huge crowds to their concerts and sold millions through their hits. The band not only became huge in England, but also in the United States and in other countries as far as the Philippines (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 74). One of the amazing things about The Beatles is their ability to change the musical landscape. While their early hits had rhythms and melodies that have the basics of rock and roll, their later albums explored new horizons. Their album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was ranked by Rolling Stones magazine as the greatest album of all time. This recognition is due to the immense influence of this album on the musical styles of later genres of music (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 74). Music of the ‘80s and the ‘90s Western music continued to gain wide acceptance around the world during the 1980s. New Wave, hip-hop, punk rock, and heavy metal increased their markets and new musical stars were born. New Wave experimented with electronic sound and catchy, playful beats which people danced to. The various styles of rock music provided the youth the avenue to express their adventurousness and rebelliousness against the fast-paced modern world. During the 1990s, grunge musicians led by the band Nirvana took center stage in the music world. Their honest and rough lyrics reflecting the confusion and apathy of the youth, and their loud, distorted riffs gained millions of fans in the United States. Meanwhile, hip-hop also gained wider popularity as hip-hop stars such as Dr. Dre and Puff Daddy broke into the music scene with fresh raps and rhythms (Chambers, 2002, p. 166). The 1990s were also notable for the huge popularity of boy bands, which are boy groups that sang ballads with catchy beats and lyrics. Some of these boy bands included Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Westlife, and A1. Boy bands became hugely popular because of their romantic songs which people can sing and dance to. Another group that is worth noting is the Spice Girls who originated from the United Kingdom. This group symbolized the power of women through their songs and videos. Interestingly, the Spice Girls were a hit for both males and females. After the Spice Girls, many other girl bands soon formed, but none of them reached their extraordinary level of popularity (Chambers, 2002, p. 166). The State of Music Today Today, contemporary music is still strongly influenced by the West. Pop, rock, hip-hop, R n B, and other genres have Western musicians leading the pack. Local music in different countries, though, are also gaining wider acceptance by fusing with the dominant music of the West or borrowing some of its elements. Music today is also crisper and clearer; thanks to the high level of technology that humans have achieved through science. Albums are released in CDs or DVDs, and they can also be downloaded on the Internet. Storage of music became a lot simpler, too. Before, you need bulky gramophone records to store music. Now, all you need is a tiny universal serial bus (USB) storage device to archive all the music you want. MP3 players have also made listening to music easier since these devices can be worn or slip inside a pocket. People can now go anywhere listening to their favorite songs. The West has no monopoly over music, though. All around the world, many people are rediscovering the beauty of their own local melodies, and they are breathing new life into them again in the form of world music. This musical style makes use of indigenous instruments and they usually are not accompanies by lyrics. Less popular genres like this are usually produced by independent producers, thus the term â€Å"indie. † Indie though, has its own market and continues to grow in popularity as people try to taste new musical types (Chambers, 2002, p. 166). The Human Experience of Music People change as music transforms as we’ve seen in our discussion of the long continuing history of music. Music is an expression of the culture that gives birth to it, and it constantly bends as various influences impinge upon it. It is an art form that never stays the same, but evolves through time. Music though doesn’t transform on its own. Historical events shape music as they shape the lives of people. The art form becomes a reflection of the hopes, dreams, and grievances of the people that create and listen to it. We can see this clearly in the rebellious attitude of the music from the ‘40s and ‘50s because of World War II, and the free spirit of the music from the ‘60s and ‘70s as it protested against the Vietnam War and the Cold War (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). In many ways, musicians deliberately voice out their protests through the songs that they sing. For example, John Lennon’s â€Å"Imagine† is a clear reaction to the dangers of the Cold War and other social inequalities at that time (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). However, music doesn’t always send clear messages all the time. In fact, most of the time, composers unconsciously express their sentiments and the sentiments of their generation through the beat of their songs, or through their melodies. Perhaps the greatest thing about music is its universality. Since everyone can appreciate good music, the art form traverses national and ethnic boundaries, bridging people together no matter where they come from. Good music will always be good music regardless of a person’s educational or cultural background. Of course, a person may need to expose himself repeatedly to a new genre to appreciate its beauty. But it’s not difficult to do that if the genre is indeed good. The universality of music is now more apparent than ever before because of the Internet. Musical influences are easier to share ever since artists living in opposite sides of the globe can listen to each other’s work. It’s not only artists though who benefit from the cyberspace, but also the listeners. Downloadable MP3 songs are all over the Internet, some of them free, others for sale for a small price. With a click of a mouse, a person online can listen to Middle Eastern music, classical music, rock and roll, hip-hop, world music, or whatever genre he wants. Music is bringing people closer and closer to each other. Time and space are quickly becoming negligible factors as people find satisfaction and comfort in just enjoying different musical styles. Old styles themselves are disappearing as traditional barriers are broken and various genres fuse together to create new ones. The result is that people are able to understand each other better through listening to different kinds of music. People are becoming more tolerant of each other’s differences as they see that they’re all just human beings enjoying music The future is bright for musicians and listeners around the world as technology allows music to cross more borders. Soon, everyone will be able to appreciate a variety of musical genres regardless of their original countries or ethnic backgrounds. As people listen to their CDs, MP3s and musical devices, they will realize that their hopes and dreams are one. They will realize that while music came from different corners of the world, it speaks of the universal desire of human beings for unity and peace. Bibliography Chambers, Stuart. (2002) Yes: An Endless Dream of ’70s, ’80s and ’90s Rock Music : an Unauthorized Interpretative History in Three Phases. General Store Publishing House. Frith, Simon, Will Straw and John Street. (2001) The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock. Cambridge University Press. Leichtentritt, Hugo. (2007) Music, History and Ideas. Read Books Publications. Melton, William and Randy Weinstein. (2001). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing the Harmonica. Alpha Books. Murray, Christopher John. (2004) Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850. Taylor & Francis Publishing, Inc. Stanley, John. (1997) Classical Music: An Introduction to Classical Music Through the Great Composers & Their Masterworks. Penguin Group USA. West, Martin Litchfield. (1994) Ancient Greek Music. Oxford University Press.

Map of Natural Radioactivity

Many people do not realize that radioactivity occurs naturally on Earth. In fact, it is actually quite common and can be found virtually all around us in the rocks, soil and air. Natural radioactivity maps may look quite similar to normal geologic maps. Different types of rocks have specific levels of uranium and radon, so scientists often have a good idea of the levels based on geologic maps  alone.   In general, a higher altitude means a higher level of natural radiation from cosmic rays. Cosmic radiation occurs from the suns solar flares, as well as subatomic particles from outer space. These particles react with elements in the Earths atmosphere as they come into contact with it. When you fly in an airplane, you actually experience significantly higher levels of cosmic radiation than from being on the ground.   People experience different levels of natural radioactivity based on their geographic locale. The geography and topography of the United States is very diverse, and as you may expect, levels of natural radioactivity differ from region to region. While this terrestrial radiation should not concern you too much, it is good to be aware of its concentration in your area.   The featured map was derived from radioactivity measurements using sensitive instruments. The following explanatory text from the US Geological Survey  highlights a few of the areas on this map that show especially high or low levels of uranium concentration. Radioactive Areas of Note Great Salt Lake: Water absorbs gamma rays so it shows as no data area on the map.Nebraska Sand Hills: Wind has separated the lighter quartz from the clay and heavier minerals that usually contain uranium.The Black Hills: A core of granites and metamorphic rocks high in radioactivity is surrounded by less radioactive sedimentary rocks and gives a distinctive pattern.Pleistocene glacial deposits: The area has low surface radioactivity, but uranium occurs just below the surface. Thus it has a high radon potential.Deposits of glacial Lake Agassiz: Clay and silt from a prehistoric glacial lake have higher radioactivity than glacial drift surrounding it.Ohio Shale: Uranium-bearing black shale with a narrow outcrop zone was scooped up and spread over a large area in west-central Ohio by glaciers.Reading Prong: Uranium-rich metamorphic rocks and numerous fault zones produce high radon in indoor air and in ground water.Appalachian Mountains: Granites contain elevated uranium, particularly in fault zones. Black shales and soils above limestone also contain moderate to high levels of uranium.Chattanooga and New Albany Shales: Uranium-bearing black shales in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana have a distinctive outcrop pattern clearly defined by radioactivity.Outer Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: This area of unconsolidated sands, silts, and clays has one of the lowest radon potentials in the United States.Phosphatic rocks, Florida: These rocks are high in phosphate and associated uranium.Inner Gulf Coastal Plain: This area of the Inner Coastal Plain has sands containing glauconite, a mineral high in uranium.Rocky Mountains: Granites and metamorphic rocks in these ranges contain more uranium than sedimentary rocks to the east, resulting in high radon in indoor air and in ground water.Basin and Range: Granitic and volcanic rocks in the ranges, alternating with basins filled with alluvium shed from the ranges, give this area a generally high radioactivity.Sierra Nevada: Granites c ontaining high uranium, particularly in east-central California, show as red areas.Northwest Pacific Coastal Mountains and Columbia Plateau: This area of volcanic basalts is low in uranium. Edited by Brooks Mitchell