Greektown Ethnography Free Essays

I took a trip to Greek town Casino in Detroit Michigan with my father, this trip was something of an unexpected trip but I figured it was a great place to observe the behaviors of many different cultures as Greek town casino is the home of a multicultural society. I wanted to observe the behaviors of those between African American’s and Caucasian persons. I wanted to see if one race over the other tended to gamble more or if one culture got more aggressive as the night went on. We will write a custom essay sample on Greektown Ethnography or any similar topic only for you Order Now While we know that casinos in Michigan restrict the age limit of gamblers did age affect those that gambled or was it just those of a certain race. The crowed is about sixty percent African American, Thirty Percent Caucasian and the other ten percent is in the category of what is called the â€Å"other’s† category. The age groups range from the young newbie’s that just turned twenty-one to late eighties. The bells and whistles are going off on nearby machines; the crowds grow increasingly big at different tables as the more a person wins. Yet those who come for just something to do keep sat at their machines playing their slots. Looking around the people didn’t seem any different the African American’s seemed to stay localized to the slots area whereas the Caucasian’s seemed to play at the tables more. I found a patron playing a penny slot named Gladys who gave me the rundown of the people and their actions. According to Gladys the Caucasian people tend to play on tables more and consume more alcoholic beverages as where the African Americans tend to gamble more at the slots and tend to smoke more than those of the Caucasian culture. I continued to observe the patrons to see if what Gladys was saying was true. Great majorities of the Caucasian’s were in fact at tables and about sixty percent of them had a drink at hand. While majority of the African American’s were at a slot machine or an electronic table with no human interaction. I wondered if there was something to the no human interaction did African American’s think it was bad luck. Did they think it would make them gamble more? The move I observed the cultures at the casino the quicker I noticed that African American’s gambled more on the slots then the Caucasian’s at the tables. As the day went on I continued to talk to the staff and patrons regarding he behavior of everyone around. A few waitresses claimed African American men; young or old were rude when it came to providing service. They were more touchy feely and made sexual comments, not to mention they left a lousy or no tip at all. Whereas Caucasian’s regardless of age, or gender provided better tips, manners and compliments said Allison the head supervisor of the wait staff. The pit managers claimed that Caucasian’s placed higher bets if there were a female table dealer where as African American’s placed higher bets if it was a male dealer. He went on to tell me that most Caucasian’s started their gambling in the casino with twenty-five dollars and that African American placed bets of one hundred dollars to start their gambling fiasco. While it seemed obvious that regardless of shape, size or color everyone at the casino claimed not to care whether the won or lost. But as long as they had fun that was all that mattered to them. In conclusion the African American’s tended to gamble more than Caucasian. But the Caucasian’s tended to get rougher as they drank and lost more.  It was right then and there that I realized that the casino wasn’t really about money but about freedom. People of all different cultures were coming to Greektown casino in the hopes that they would possibly win, someone would listen to their story, and most of all that they would have fun and escape their everyday life. Regardless if a person had a drink or cigarette in hand, they were there laughing and spending whatever money they came with. It didn’t matter who it was, African American, Caucasian or a member of the other category each and every one of them had a smile on their face and were laughing they were just there to have fun. How to cite Greektown Ethnography, Essay examples

Utilization of Corporate Communication in Addressing Ethical Issues

Question: Write research questions for "Utilisation of corporate communication in addressing ethical issues". Answer: Research questions facilitate the researcher to address the key issues of the research topic. Moreover, the research questions provide brief ideas about the research execution method. In this context, the researcher develops research questions on the topic of utilization of corporate communication in addressing ethical issues. Corporate communication is one of the major aspects of the business that facilitates organization to conduct the entire system in an effective manner. There are two forms of corporate communication including internal and external communication. Moreover, organizations follow three types of corporate communication including management communication, marketing communication, and organizational communication (Cornelissen 2014). The corporate communication not only facilitates organizations to identify ethical dilemmas but also contributes in several aspects of business including the global economy, environment, and rapid development of technology and enhanced comm unication trends (Pollach et al. 2012). In this context, the researcher develops the following questions for executing the research in a systematic manner. How does the corporate communication facilitate organization to identify ethical issues in business? How does organization execute internal and external corporate communication in the business to evaluate ethical issues? What are the key challenges for executing corporate communication in the business? What are the major impacts of corporate communication on the business process management? How does the higher level of corporate communication facilitate organizations to diminish ethical issues from the business? How does the corporate communication monitor the entire system for evaluating ethical dilemmas in the business? What are the recommendations for enhancing the corporate communication method in the business to identify ethical dilemmas in an effective manner? References: Cornelissen, J., 2014.Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice. Sage. Pollach, I., Johansen, T.S., Ellerup Nielsen, A. and Thomsen, C., 2012. The integration of CSR into corporate communication in large European companies.Journal of Communication Management,16(2), pp.204-216.

How to Prevent Crime free essay sample

Crime statistics compiled by the FBI in its yearly crime index show what many in the law enforcement field consider to be an encouraging trend. From 1990 to 1995, the crime rate declined steadily in every category: murders, rapes, assaults, robberies, burglaries, and thefts. Sociologists and criminologists debate the explanation for this downward turn in crime rates; improved economic conditions and tougher criminal justice measures are two of the theories offered. Other experts, however, dispute whether the decline is significant, pointing out that crime rates in many categories are still higher than in the mid- 1980s. These scholars also deny that the trend of decreasing crime rates will continue. James Alan Fox, dean of the College of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in Boston, is among those who believe that the recent drop in crime rates is merely the lull before an approaching crime storm. The reason for the current decrease in crime, he maintains, is the demographic dip in the number of teenage and young adult males (ages fourteen to twenty-five), the part of the population most likely to commit crimes. We will write a custom essay sample on How to Prevent Crime or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition, he points out that even as the overall rate has decreased, the crime rate among the present population of teenaged males has grown, and many of their crimes are more violent and vicious in nature than those committed by young males of preceding generations. As the numbers of teenaged males increase in the near future, he predicts, the crime rate will naturally return to previous levels and will possibly climb even higher. Expanding upon Fox’s argument, Princeton University professor John J. Di- Iulio Jr. rgues that it is more than simply the number of boys approaching their crime-prone teen years that portends an impending explosion in the crime rate. In his opinion, it is the moral poverty in which the next generation of adolescents is being raised that bodes ill for the nation’s crime rates. Moral poverty, according to DiIulio, is â€Å"the poverty of growing up surrounded by deviant, delinquent, and criminal adults in abusive, violence-ridden, fatherles s, Godless, and jobless settings. † According to DiIulio, research shows that a small proportion of juvenile criminals is responsible for nearly half of all offenses committed by all teenagers. What is well established yet little known, he asserts, is that each successive generation of this segment of young offenders is approximately three times more violent and dangerous than the previous one. In DiIulio’s view, this is because each generation grows up â€Å"in more extreme conditions of moral poverty than the one before it. † The criminal behavior of the current population of offenders brings about the social conditions to produce an even more deviant future breed of juvenile â€Å"superpredators,† he maintains. Today’s criminals are frightening, in DiIulio’s opinion, because they have never learned right from wrong, they have no concept of the relationship between present actions and future consequences, and they place no value on the lives of others. But tomorrow’s superpredators are destined to be worse, he contends, because they are being raised in the fatherless families and drug- and violence-ridden neighborhoods created by today’s criminals. And due to current population trends, he adds, there will be more of these juvenile criminals in the near future. Many criminologists, however, disagree with the predictions of Fox and Di- Iulio. Among them, Alfred Blumstein, a professor of urban systems at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, remains unconvinced that a juvenile crime wave is imminent. Blumstein contends that crime rates do not follow demographic trends in the numbers of teenage males as closely as proponents of the crime wave theory believe. He argues that violent crime has increased among the current population of teenagers (even though that population is relatively small) due to the influence of the drug trade and a lack of economic opportunity. As the economy improves and drug battles diminish, Blumstein maintains, fewer young people will become involved in crime. Counter to the beliefs of Fox and others, he predicts that crime rates will continue their downward slide. Others dispute DiIulio’s theory of a coming generation of superpredators. University of California, Berkeley professor Jerome H. Skolnick, for one, asserts that DiIulio’s theory of moral poverty â€Å"ignores such factors as racism, joblessness, inequality, and poverty. Although there undoubtedly will be more teenagers in the near future, he contends, whether they become incorrigibly violent depends on how society addresses these root causes of crime. Skolnick argues that poverty and unemployment within urban neighborhoods historically have been â€Å"a recipe for the emergence of youth cultures leading to rising crime rates. † He cites research by sociologists Kenneth Land, David Cantor, and Stephen Russell that shows a long-term correl ation between unemployment rates and property crime rates, particularly within inner cities. In Skolnick’s opinion, this research suggests that long-term economic deprivation is a motivation to commit crime. Isolated by declining economic conditions and racial divisions, he contends, urban neighborhoods over the years have developed patterns of lawlessness and family instability. As further proof, Skolnick points out that the declining crime rates of the 1990s have been accompanied by declining unemployment rates. It is by no means certain, he concludes, that America is on the brink of a wave of juvenile crime and violence. Debates about future crime trends are inextricably interwoven with arguments about juvenile crime, since many believe that today’s juvenile delinquents are destined to become tomorrow’s adult felons. Crime: Current Controversies presents debates about crime rates, juvenile crime, and other topics in these chapters: What Causes Crime? Is Crime Increasing? Can Stronger Criminal Justice Measures Prevent Crime? How Can Juvenile Crime Be Prevented? The issues surrounding crime are controversial and, as the viewpoints that follow demonstrate, reasonable people can draw differing conclusions from the available evidence.

Contemporary Issues in Corporations

Contemporary Issues in Corporations Overview of contemporary issues Contemporary issues refer to the various issues that might be facing the organization in the present time. These issues may include International Conflict, Terrorism, Waste Management, Natural Resources Energy Conservation, mobile technology and communication, and many other current issues.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Contemporary Issues in Corporations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In hospitality and tourism, the major contemporary issues include emotional intelligence, Professional Development (including employee empowerment, personality and conflict), Globalization and Cultural Diversity, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, values and Ethics. This paper will focus on corporate social responsibility as the contemporary issues facing hospitality industry. Corporate Social Responsibility In the hospitality industry, the issue of corporate social responsibility has been debated in detail and it is not yet clear how the industry should be regulated using corporate social responsibility actions. Corporate social responsibility deals with corporate conduct in respect to the broader societal values. It questions the responsibilities of hospitality establishment to the entire society. Despite the lack of an accepted theory of corporate social responsibility, it is obvious that CSR draws on the fields of ethics and morals, which are basic to most cultures (Averch, 1990). Hospitality establishments do not operate in a vacuum but constantly interact with the society. This is because it is a part of society. It interacts at a primary level with groups such as employees, distributors, consumers, stockholders, banks, suppliers and competitors. At a secondary level, it interacts with such institutions as governments, local communities, media social pressure groups, business support groups and the public. With all these interactions, hospitality establish ments cannot afford to go on with their businesses without responding to issues affecting these groups. Thus, the reaction of hospitality establishments towards these groups is the source of corporate social responsibility (Demsetz, 1979).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some people argue that there is no such thing as corporate social responsibility. Others argue that CSR must and will eventually result in long run profits, while others feel that modern organizations must undertake social responsibility regardless of the profit. Whatever the argument, the question of accountability arises making CSR become a major contemporary issue in the hospitality establishments (De Wit, 2004). Corporate social responsibility involves decisions. The corporate world is decision oriented and corporations have an impact on society through these decisions. Therefore, CSR raises t he question of rightfulness of decisions and of which decisions are more right. Furthermore, social responsibility goes beyond short run profitability of hospitality establishment. Merely meeting minimum legal and market directives does not constitute social responsibility. CSR is very subjective in nature and is influenced by the economic and social system within which it operates. For example, benefits from social responsibility do not directly accrue to the firm making the expenditure on social responsibility. CSR is hence a system holding that the corporation should respond to the moral and ethical values of society within which it is licensed and which it serves. A given corporation will draw from and shape the values of the society from which it draws its existence. CSR tries to fuse social values with profit maximization goals (Horn, 2009). During this century, there has been great change in what the society expects of its institutions and in what hospitality establishment re gard as the proper roles in organization. This change has gradually developed into a new concept of corporate social responsibility.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Contemporary Issues in Corporations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Increasingly, many hospitality establishments are adopting the view that besides the obligations they have on their business, they have a personal responsibility to the society. Hospitality industry personnel and their managers are increasingly being held accountable for the social effects of their actions. However, it is not clear where such social responsibility begins and where it ends (Drucker, 1990). In other words, corporate social responsibility may refer to the moral and ethical content of managerial and corporate decisions. That is to mean that the values used in business decision making are over and above the requirement of the law and market economy (Trevino, 2007). Closely related to social responsibility is the concept of social responsiveness, which simply means the ability of a corporation to relate its operations and policies to the social environment in ways that are mutually beneficial to the economy and the society. The difference between social responsibility and social responsiveness is that the latter implies actions and the ‘how’ of enterprise responses. Two areas of corporate accountability exist in the hospitality industry. Conventionally, it shows that management is professionally responsible to the board of directors while the directors run the corporation for the shareholders who are the providers of capital to their corporation. It is logical that the shareholders expect a fair financial return for their investment. However, through separation of ownership and control, shareholders do not run the company. Therefore, by implication, management has the responsibility to ensure that the shareholders receive an adequate retur n. Broadly and with a more modern view, hospitality establishments should be accountable to employees, customers, suppliers and the state. In short, corporations should respond to external forces that are of value to it. It is from these external forces that the corporation draws its existence. How then can it operate without them?Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More CSR involves decisions – the hospitality industry is decision-oriented and corporations have an impact on society through these decisions. Therefore, CSR needs to know how correct the decisions are and which of them are more applicable. Social responsibility goes beyond short run profitability, merely meeting minimum legal and market directives do not constitute social responsibility. CSR is very subjective in nature and is influenced by the economic and social system within which it operates (Stephen, 2007). Social responsibility does not directly accrue to the firm making the expenditure on social responsibility. CSR is hence a system holding that the corporation should respond to the moral and ethical values of society within which it is licensed and which it serves. A given corporation will draw from and shape the values of the society from which it draws its existence. CSR tries to fuse social values with profit maximization goals. Many organizations have thus been evalu ating the benefits and problems that are associated with corporate social responsibility. Some business organizations argue for but others are against them. Those supporting it say that since businesses create some problem, they should solve them as well as the fact that organizations owe society for supply of resources. Those arguing against it say that social responsibility gives corporations too much power and that it will decrease profits and end up contradicting the real reason for firms’ existence. The idea behind corporate social responsibility in hospitality industry has been articulated in several ways. In practice, the rationale of corporate social responsibility is about building sustainable businesses, which need healthy economies, markets and communities. The core drivers for corporate social responsibility include enlightened self-interest. This creates an ethical synergy and cohesion in sustainable global market economies. This driver enables the communities an d labor markets to function well together in the hospitality industries. Social investment, as corporate social responsibility driver, contributes to physical development of infrastructure in the hotel industry and promotes the use of social capital as an important tool of doing business. On the other hand, transparency and trust as corporate social driver affect the hospitality establishments in the view of how businesses perceive trust issues in public. There is increasing expectation that hospitality establishments will be more aggressive, accountable and better prepared to report publicly on their performance in terms of social and environmental issues. Other aspects of corporate responsibility is geared towards increasing public expectations of business, hospitality establishments are thus expected to achieve much more than just providing job opportunities that increase economic growth through taxes and employment (Arrow, 1951). There are different areas of social responsibilit y that hospitality establishments can exercise. This includes business giving donations, ecology and ensuring environmental quality such as noise control and aesthetic improvement. It should also ensure consumerism such as in the control of harmful products. Some provide community needs such as the improvement of health care and education. Government relations such as the restriction on lobbying and internal relations, labor relations such as the expansion of employee rights, and promoting stockholder relations such as providing full financial disclosures are also necessary. Companies are often in a position to do most of these things but the challenge to most corporations is the absence of immediate benefit (Adams, 1965). Studies have also shown that there is a certain pattern of response to social demands. Hence, hospitality establishments can respond to social demands in three strategic approaches. The first one is adoptive strategy. This involves changing only when you are force d to do so by the society. This implies complying with the law. The law gives business a general guideline of what is expected by a society. Legal compliance is the minimum that is expected by a society. Organizations that use this strategy adopt or react to the environment only when there is strong outside pressure. For example, the producers of body perfumes have to be ozone friendly. The second one is proactive strategy. This involves an attempt at shaping the environment. The company using this strategy tries to manipulate the environment in ways that will be to their advantage. The steps they take may or may not be to the interest of the society in the end. For example, paying off politicians to avoid scrutiny is done to their own advantage. The last one is interactive strategy. When a company is able to anticipate environmental changes and blend its own goals with those of the society, then it is said to have taken an interactive strategy. This involves reducing the gap betwee n public expectations and business performance. This calls for knowhow and skills on how to manage the company’s social relations with external forces, which may affect the company. That is, the firm tries to interact with the surrounding social environment in ways that will be mutually beneficial (Buckley, 1976). Contribution of these trends towards Career growth and personal development Corporate social responsibility is by far the most influential recent trend that contributes towards the survival of most businesses in the corporate world. Learning and appreciating this issue has enabled me to realize the need for giving back to the society. This has strengthened my work-life relationship and has also helped me develop my career in the hospitality industry since it highlights on how to make better decisions and improve personal development. This has improved both my personal and professional development. This issue has enabled me appreciate the need to have professional co nduct and know how to deal with people in real life situation and as professionally as possible. In terms of personal development, corporate social responsibility has improved how I view the general roles expected of businesses and individual towards the community. The social responsibility principle is a modern concept that provides businesses and organizations with corporate priorities. They are of significant influence to the way the organizations operate and especially its survival in the near future. Customers are increasingly showing interest in doing business with those organizations that demonstrate responsibility and ethical practices. Those organizations that fail to achieve this suffer the consequences in many different ways. This may be through the loss of market share, which will reduce revenues and in the end, it may put organizations out of business. Therefore, social responsibility decisions are of utmost importance in the running of any organization. Corporate socia l responsibility is what separates the successful hospitality establishments from the losers in the modern corporate world. It also determines the decisions that a company makes in ethical matters that would determine the success or failure of the company. Conclusion The hospitality industry should work towards developing strategies and making radical rehabilitations on the image of the various establishments through adopting and being keen on the effects of the various contemporary issues faced. On one hand, corporate social responsibility may be a vital contemporary issue and so is the future of the hotel’s profits. Therefore, hotel establishments should be very cautious and on watch for potential contemporary issues. References Adams, J 1965, ‘Inequality in Social Exchange’, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 2, pp. 267. Arrow, KJ 1951, Social Choice and Individual Values, John Wiley, New York. Averch, H Johnson, LL 1990, ‘Behavior of the firm under regulatory constraint’, American Economic Review, Vol.52, pp. 1052. Buckley, PJ Casson M 1976, The Future of Multinational Enterprise, Macmillan, London. De Wit, B Meyer, R 2004, Strategy: process, content and context, Thomson, London. Demsetz, H 1979, ‘Ethics and Efficiency in Property Rights Systems’, Exploration of Austrian Themes, pp. 97. Drucker, PF 1990, ‘Ethics in Management’, The Practice of Management, pp.124-125. Horn, R 2009, The business skills handbook, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Stephen, G, Dirk, DS Daniel S 2007, Managing social and ethical issues in organizations, IAP, New York. Trevino, L Nelson KW 2007, Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right, Hoboken, NJ.

Marketing planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing planning - Essay Example In order to attain the above mentioned objectives, Tesco would have to implement certain significant tactics that include the broad conception of marketing mix which fundamentally comprises the 7 P’s, market segmentation, positioning as well as targeting tactics. Furthermore, Tesco should majorly focus upon the rise in its industrial network portfolio along with universal market expansion in future. In this context, Tesco can initiate the tactic of offering cheaper products for the customers along with possessing powerful brand image, especially to cope up with the fierce competition in the grocery business market in UK. These particular tactics would assist Tesco to accomplish its objectives by a significant level concerning with the fact that the reputation of the organisation is constantly growing. Apart from the above mentioned tactics, Tesco could follow certain other major plans that include the conception of new product innovation along with the idea of Total Quality Ma nagement (TQM) (Scribd Inc., 2012). Additionally, there lies certain other crucial dimensions of tactics through which Tesco could attain its expected business goals by a considerable level. The different dimensions include the consciousness of Tesco regarding the various law set of laws that applies in its particular business operating location along with complying with them in an effective manner and mitigating the issue of Credit Crunch that affected the performance of Tesco in terms of sales.. In this regard, it has been observed that the economy of UK has been experiencing a challenging situation that resulted towards the decline of the economy due to the emergence of significant issues related to Credit Crunch. Such an issue, in due course, affected the disposable earnings of the individuals in the country which indicated that the people or the customers largely focussed upon the idea of saving their valuable money rather than making expenditures for the consumption of products apart from their basic needs. Hence , the purchasing capacity of the customers was observed to slacken in that particular area. In order to mitigate the consequences led by weakening customer purchase, Tesco applied

Frankenstein or the modern prometheus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frankenstein or the modern prometheus - Essay Example The defiance that Frankenstein displays in the novel, of the natural laws and the divine modes of creation makes him a modern-day Prometheus. This paper shall also seek to show the importance of this analogy to the Romantics. Revolution against established authority was one of the major concerns of the Romantics, who sought to express this concern in their literary creations. Mary Shelley’s own concerns regarding male authority can also be seen in this analogy that is a conscious device within her work. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS Victor Frankenstein, a Modern Prometheus The character of Victor Frankenstein has intrigued critics since the time of the publication of the novel, Frankenstein. Derided by some as a blasphemous character who seeks to appropriate the functions of God and meets his just end by the end of the novel, Frankenstein has also been compared to the mythic character of Prometheus for the defiance that he exhibits by the very act of creation that h e commits. By doing so, he challenges the authority of the Christian god, very much like Prometheus, who questions the right of Zeus to withhold knowledge from mankind. Rebellious figures both, Frankenstein goes one step ahead and actually attempts to appropriate the functions and powers that are conventionally associated with God. Modeling a character on Prometheus is part of an ethos that supports revolution and liberty. This was the prevalent ethos amongst the writers who were a part of the Romantic movement in England during the nineteenth century. By explicitly stating the analogy between Frankenstein and Prometheus, Mary Shelley erases any doubt as to the nature of the character of Frankenstein. The use of the figure of Prometheus for revolutionary purposes can be seen in the work of another writer of this period, P.B. Shelley. Mary Shelley’s husband, in his poem Prometheus Unbound portrays his main character Prometheus as a long-suffering revolutionary who finally mana ges the overthrow of the tyrant Jupiter (Shelley, 2001). The influence of the VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS ideas of her husband can definitely be seen in the work of Mary Shelley. Frankenstein, even while he is performing his scientific experiments, is aware of the blasphemous nature of it. When he says, A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. (Shelley, 2003, p. 36), he proves that he knows his aspirations: become capable of something that only God was capable of. In an act that would provide mankind with the secret of life and death, Frankenstein is similar to Prometheus who aimed to do something very similar through his theft of fire that enabled man to raise himself above the savage state in which he had existed till then. For their crimes, both the characters are separated from their fellow-beings and are tortured by a providential authority, which seems to be a punishment for transgression. Prometheus undergoes separation from his beloved in a manner that is similar to that of Frankenstein’s misery at the death of the members of his family. A thirst for knowledge and the urge to discover what is new characterizes both Frankenstein and Prometheus. Frankenstein is engaged in the constant pursuit of new experiences and it is only when his torture at the hands of his creature begins that he retracts VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS from his policy of acquiring new knowledge. Similarly, Prometheus’s attempts to steal fire are born out of a thirst for knowledge. Apart from this thirst for knowle

Indonesian Music and Korean Music Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Indonesian Music and Korean Music - Case Study Example It is said to have originated in 16th century before the arrival or introduction of Islam in Indonesia, because of this, it is slightly modified, had change in new ways and absorbed new contexts (Harnish and Rasmsmusen). According to Harnish and Rasmussen, it is a large ensemble consisting of predominantly tuned, percussion instruments such as metallophones, hanging gongs and kettle gongs. It consists of two basic categories, pencon which are knobbed gong instruments and wilahan or slabbed key instruments (Spiller 60). It is composed of several gongs with different pitches based on the differences in thickness of surfaces, sizes, shapes and weights. It can be arranged vertically or suspended horizontally and struck with a use of a mallet. Slab key instruments compose of ten to fifteen rectangular metal bars arranged from left to right, from smallest to largest. The timbre of the metal bars depends on the softness or hardness of mallet use when playing the instrument. Gamelan Sekaten is a gamelan piece. It has a cyclical pattern and can be played repeatedly many times (Spiller 69-71). It is associated with the Muslim festival Garebeg Maulud, birth of the prophet Mohammed during Muslim holy week. No drastic changes have been done in gamelan sekaten because of its historical values. Javanese treats the instrument not as an ordinary instrument but a symbol associated with history, royal legitimacy and link to the past. No new pieces have been composed and the instruments have not been tuned ever since to preserve its originality, prevent distracting its venerability and diminishing symbolic potency (Spiller 70-72). Due to its status symbol and importance in history that can be traced many centuries ago, gamelan sekaten has. Banquet music is played to entertain. Korean banquet music is divided into three categories, the aak or Chinese ritual music, tangak, Koreanized Chinese ritual music and the hyangak or the Korean ritual music. According to Broughton et al. (p. 1 61) aak was the first to be introduced to Korea by Chinese in 1116 and has been modified and changed through the years. Contemporary aak originated from the reconstruction in 1430 with the use of written melodies dated back to twelfth century. Only two melodies have survived though the years and played only in Sacrifice to Confucius using Chinese originated ritual instruments. May states that (p.32) Tangak means music from the T’ang dynasty China, ak means Korean term for music. Tangak has only two orchestral pieces and hyangak pieces are originally created on fifteenth century to suit Korean royal ancestors. To this day hyangak pieces still exist that is still closely related to fifteenth century notations. Its purpose was to entertain the royal ruling class in informal form and subdivided into two, the chong-ak and sog-ak. Chong-ak is for the royal ruling class while sog-ak is for ordinary people. Court music includes ritual, banquet and military music. It consists of voice , musical and instrumental components. It usually starts in a slow pace and progresses into a cheerful dance pace until the end. Court music should be approved and accepted by the ruling class. In addition, the circumstance of its performance should also then be approved