Word Choice Cent, Scent or Sent

Word Choice Cent, Scent or Sent Word Choice: Cent, Scent or Sent? It can be tricky to know which word to use, especially when using homophones (words that sound the same as one another). Understandably, some people mix up the words cent, scent and sent. Today, we explain what each one means and when you should use them. Cent (A Penny) The word cent is pronounced with a soft c that sounds like an s. It comes from the Latin word centum, meaning one hundred. It first started being used as a noun for currency in 1786. Since then, it has always referred to a coin worth one hundredth of a dollar: I’m really struggling for money. I’m down to my last cent. Scent (A Smell) The c in this word is silent. It comes from the Latin sentire, meaning sense. It is a noun meaning odor and is almost always applied to pleasant smells, such as perfume or flowers: The roses had such a lovely scent that she fell in love at once. Scent can also be used as a verb, especially when referring to an animals sense of smell. For example: The shark scented the blood in the water. Sent (Dispatched) Sent is the past tense of the verb send, which means dispatch. This word comes from the Old English sendam, which means send forth, throw or impel: I sent my Great-Aunt a chocolate cake through the mail. Cent, Scent or Sent? Hopefully this has cleared up the meanings of these terms a bit! Remember: Cent is a term for currency (one hundredth of a dollar) Scent  is to do with smells and the sense of smell Sent is the past tense of send and means dispatched Happy writing!

The Definition of Popular Culture in Sociology

The Definition of Popular Culture in Sociology Popular culture is the accumulation of cultural products such as music, art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyberculture, television and radio that are consumed  by the majority of a societys population. Popular culture has  mass accessibility and appeal. The term popular culture was coined in the 19th century or earlier. Traditionally, it was associated with lower classes and poor education as opposed to the official culture of the upper class. The Rise of Popular Culture After the end of World War II, innovations in mass media led to significant cultural and social changes. Scholars trace the origins of the  rise of popular culture to the creation of the middle class generated by the Industrial Revolution. The meaning of popular culture then began to merge with that of mass culture, consumer culture, image culture,  media culture and culture for mass consumption. John Storey and Popular Culture There are two opposing sociological arguments in relation to popular culture. One argument is that popular culture is used by the elites (who tend to control the mass media and popular culture outlets) to control those below them because it dulls people’s minds, making them passive and easy to control. A second argument is just the opposite, that popular culture is a vehicle for rebellion against the culture of dominant groups. In his book, Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, John Storey offers six different definitions of popular culture. In one definition, Storey describes mass or popular culture as a hopelessly commercial culture [that is] mass-produced for mass consumption [by] a mass of non-discriminating consumers.†Ã‚  He further states that popular culture is â€Å"formulaic [and] manipulative,† not unlike how he views the process of advertising.  A product or brand has to be â€Å"sold† to an audience before it can be entrenched in mass or popular culture; by bombarding society with it, it then finds its place in popular culture. Britney Spears is a good example of this definition; her road to stardom and place in popular culture were based on marketing strategies to build look along with her fan base. As a result, she generated millions of fans, her songs were played frequently on numerous radio stations, and she went on to sell out concerts and garner the publics fascination with her meltdown. Like the creation of Britney Spears, pop culture almost always depends on mass production for mass consumption because we rely on mass media to get our information and shape our interests. Pop Culture vs. High Culture Pop culture is the culture of the people and it is accessible to the masses. High culture, on the other hand, isnt meant for mass consumption nor is it readily available to everyone. It belongs to the social elite. The fine arts, theater, opera, intellectual pursuits -   these are associated with the upper socioeconomic strata and require more a high brow approach, training or reflection to be appreciated. Elements from this realm rarely cross over into pop culture. As such, high culture is considered sophisticated while popular culture is often looked down upon as being superficial.

Obamas election to be the first black president of the USA Essay

Obamas election to be the first black president of the USA - Essay Example There are many opinions some of which the paper takes up relating to essentially two of the political theories. There are many opinions about the methodology of study of political science. Now the question is which study will be best suited to test the empirical or theoretical validity to justify Obama’s selection as the president of U.S. In this respect what study can give us a perfect prediction of Obama’s success in the last general election in U.S.A? Although there is no proven mathematical formula of politics for his success. There is also a debate as to what are the predicted factors that led him to be the president. Political theorists differ about the political prediction in the U.S in recent times over the issue. The paper carefully analyzes the question - Is there any calculative mathematical formulae used for Obama’s success to the chair of the president? The method followed is this paper is that of secondary research encompassing a literature review of four works out of which the works of Ian Shapiro (2002), ‘Problems, Methods and Theories in the Study of Politics’ and that of Peter Guy (2005), ‘Institutional theory in political science’ are the main ones from where two theories have been adopted for the analysis in this paper. Shapiro describes the political scenario of America as a fractured discipline. This theory relates to problem driven and theory driven study of politics. The paper finally focuses on the importance of predictability of the factors leading to a political event adopting the case of Obama’s election. In respect of the research question we can discuss two studies, namely, 1) â€Å"Problems, Methods and Theories in the Study of Politics† by Shapiro (2002): The theory states that the science of American politics is basically a fractured discipline; and 2) â€Å"Institutional theory in political science† by Guy (2005): The theory of institutionalism may be divided into two categories

Data analyses & Findings Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Data analyses & Findings - Dissertation Example However, student response rate was poor even though they had been informed of the purpose of the research. Anonymity too was assured but due to reasons unknown to the researcher, the students were not too willing to participate in the study. The findings from the survey are presented separately and then the interview findings is discussed and compared along with relevant theories. Some of the important data from the survey has been presented in the form of bar charts for convenience of understanding. The interview finding is not presented separately as there was just one interview taken. 4.2 Student Survey Questionnaires Distributed: 250 Responses received: 23 Response Rate: 8% It must be noted that 8% is considered a poor response rate. 4.2.1 Marketing efforts of the College The first set of responses reveals the marketing efforts made by the college. Student demographics Out of the 23 responses received, the highest number of students is from Nigeria (17%) but countries such as Ind ia, China and Pakistan too have a strong presence (Chart I). Chart I Country of Origin Source of information Students have cited different sources of information but an equal weightage has been found for recommendation from ex-students, word-of-mouth from friends or relatives and many have even come to know of the college through overseas seminars conducted by the college (Chart II). A very small percentage of respondents have obtained information through the internet. Chart II Source of information Various reasons have been cited for selecting this particular college. Almost 37% of the respondents selected the college because of the affordable fees while other prominent reasons include recommendation from others, reputation and the courses on offer (Chart III). Some have decided to study at this college because there were representatives of the college in their own country (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka). In fact 91% of the respondents have found the fees affordable and the others t hat did not find it affordable, opted for the college because of support in visa process. The college does not offer scholarships and despite this, students have decided to study at this college. This only demonstrates that fees are affordable as has been admitted by 91% of the respondents. Chart III Factors influencing college selection College website Eighty three percent of the respondents accessed the college website to gather information although only 61% were satisfied with the available information (Chart IV). Many (22%) were not satisfied with the information and details on hostel accommodation, faculty, and overview of London and college life in general, were found to be lacking. However, some even found that course details and affiliations with universities helped them decide for this college. Chart IV Information through website 4.2.2 Student experience during and after the admission process Many students (39%) faced immigration and visa problems. People from countries su ch as India, Nigeria, Philippines, Pakistan and Mongolia faced problems. They all found the process very lengthy and involving too much of paper work. They found it ‘painfully complicated’ and ‘time-consuming’. Upon arrival also only 61% of the respondents admitted that their expectations were met. The others faced problems as they were not allotted accommodation

Lesotho Case Essay Example for Free

Lesotho Case Essay Lesotho Case Study BY byrne280 The Market and the Mountain Kingdom: Change in Lesothos Textile Industry Apartheid and the resulting sanctions against South Africa are what ultimately created the textile industry in Lesotho. Aside from the workers that have historically worked across the border in South African mines, the arrival of the textile industry gave Lesotho its first real participation in the global economy. Otherwise the Lesotho economy consists mostly of subsistence farming. The textile industry gives Lesotho an opportunity to participate in trade with the rest of the world and ideally benefit rom globalization. Geographically, Lesotho is uniquely landlocked and in a complete enclave of the country of South Africa. It is the abundance of affordable labor that has attracted clothing manufacturing firms, mostly from Asia that then bring the finished products to the world markets, primarily the United States and Europe. Lesotho has been an appealing location for textile manufacturing in part because of world trade agreements such as the Multi-Fiber Arrangement (MFA), the Lom © Convention and the African Growth and Opportunity act (AGOA). All of these trade greements have expired or are set to expire in some capacity as of the writing of the subject case study, The Market and the Mountain Kingdom: Change in Lesothos Textile Industry written in November of 2006. I will be examining these trade agreements and other factors to determine the costs and benefits of each. Lesotho is at a crucial stage of economic development and the decisions that the government makes will affect the quality of life for the people of Lesotho for years to come. Through this examination of the past there are many lessons to be learned from these previous trade policies. In some ways, these policies benefit other countries more than Lesotho. Hopefully these lessons can be applied to a plan of action for the government of Lesotho. It is my recommendation that the government of Lesotho evaluate the causes and effects of these policies as well as the costs and benefits. Going forward Lesotho should do more to empower and educate its own people rather than rely on preferential trade policies. It is not my point that Lesotho should not take advantage of trade policies while they are in place but it has repeatedly set itself up for failure when trade policies expire. Analysis of Previous Policies Affecting the Lesotho Textile Industry The Lom © Convention: The Lom © Convention was the first experiment in development and co-operation between Europe and Africa after colonial rule. It was established in 1975 and during the 1980s greatly benefited Lesotho by providing a developmental spark to the textile industry. It also provided for a smoother separation from British colonization and was a good stepping stone for development. As result, Lesotho along with other former colonies benefited from preferential trade with Europe. However the agreement went through five major evisions as needs changed and finally expired completely in 2007. The Lom © convention can be credited for providing a short-cut to development for developing former colonies but the preferential treatment was not sustainable long term. It was changed to require that the raw materials originate from a former colony as well. Since Lesotho does not produce its own raw materials and imports most of raw materials from China rather than other former colonies, the policy was already outdated before it expired. This left a 17% tariff in place for Lesothos access to European markets. This virtually eliminated trade with Europe by 1998. The Multi- Fiber Arrangement (MFA) and, the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) The MFA was a multi-nation agreement that created quotas from individual countries on imports to the Unites States. The MFA was active from 1974 to 1994 and was then replaced when the World Trade Organization (WTO) implemented a similar policy called the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). The policy expired in 2005 and there are currently no country quotas on textiles. Much like the Lom © Convention, the ATC helped to start the Lesotho textile industry and carried it through 2005. The cost is that arguably quotas can hinder free trade in the world arket. It gives inefficient countries and unfair advantage over efficient countries. The aggregate world output of textiles is fundamentally lower with the quotas in place. The MFA and ATC provided a great way for Lesotho to participate in world trade but unless the policies are permanent, it is not a sustainable solution. Because quotas facilitate inefficient production of goods, they cannot be in place indefinitely. Eventually, truly fair trade must be allowed among all countries and Lesotho must be able to manufacture textiles as efficient as countries like China if it would like to have its textile industry survive.

The Club Culture Essay -- Hip Hop Dancing Cultural Essays

The Club Culture The club culture-hundreds of thousands of young people across the country, covered in sweat and rhythmically throbbing to a beat- has long been filled with stigmas and stereotypes; the idea that hip-hop music is only for people of African descent, or solely for the "impoverished youth" as Dale Kleinschmidt, an ex-DJ and amateur break dancer from Dallas, puts it, has been a common view associated with the hip-hop scene by the masses. Dale got interested in break dancing because, as he says, "he wanted to look cool." In the beginning, the idea of being able to break dance was funny to him- he had already been involved in the dance scene, but he had never been a b-boy, he just DJed. A lot of Dale's interest in the dance aspect of the clubs came from his DJing experiences. Dale really started dancing when he met up with a group of Hispanic kids- that he had known from the scene already- and discovered that they had formed a break dancing crew. They decided to take Dale "under their wings." The fact that the Hispanic kids were the ones dancing, and that they were so accepting of Dale- a middle-upper class white kid- says a lot about the falseness of the racial stereotypes involved in the scene. "& it's a very embracing culture," says Dale, "which a lot of people find surprising, but if you go out there no one's gonna give you crap for trying& " According to Dale, the only people that the club kids typically dislike are the ones that detach themselves from the scene. "& say you go to a club and just sit in the back corner, or you just try to hit on girls, that's fine, but the break dancers are probably just gonna look down on you& " The thought that a person should interact in any of what Dale calls "the fou... ...petitive nature of the scene-but the fact remains that the break dance circles seem to be filled with masculine face. Despite the stereotypes I have heard about the hip-hop culture, and the apparently male-dominated scene, after my interview with Dale I would have to dispel those accusations. Of course there will be "purists" as Dale said, and people who believe that they deserve more respect because they have been involved in the scene longer, but in the bigger view, the dance culture seems to be one of the most accepting scenes that exists. If you have a genuine interest in the culture, as in anything, there is no reason that you shouldn't attempt to take part in it. The scene from the beginning was a do-it-yourself scene, and in break dancing there are no rules. Get out there and do what you want- if you honestly respect the scene you should have no problems.

Foreshadowing in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men Essay

The word foreshadow is a literary term used to describe how the author discreetly gives clues to the reader of the events later to occur. The touching realistic fiction novelette Of Mice and Men is written by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie, two men who have become close friends over time, travel together to a ranch to pursue their dream as a team. George is considered to be Lennie’s caretaker, for Lennie is mentally challenged. Throughout the novelette Of Mice and Men, foreshadowing takes a considerable role in the most important chapters of George and Lennie’s journey together. The events that develop foreshadow other events that will echo the primary event in a distinctive way. John Steinbeck uses foreshadowing and other literary elements as the structure of his many literary works of art. The three events that foreshadow the future are George telling Lennie to return to the river if trouble occurs, Candy having to kill his dog, and a heron killing a snake. In the beginning, when George and Lennie are at the river, George tells Lennie to return to that exact location to silently hide in the brush and wait for him if he gets in any trouble. Lennie has done bad things in the past, and George wants to make sure that Lennie has somewhere to go that’s out of harm’s way. â€Å" ‘Lennie – if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush’ † (15). In the past, Lennie has gotten into trouble while working on a ranch, and both George and Lennie didn’t have anywhere to go. George knows that Lennie is bound to have history repeat itself, and make the same mistakes, so he tells Lennie to remember where the river is located. George’s action foreshadows that later on, Lennie will have to return to the river. George makes sure that he can get Lennie away from any danger that can harm him, but would also know where heà ¢â‚¬â„¢d be. As the story progresses, Candy tells George that he should have shot his dog himself instead of a stranger, because he knew the dog the best and his moment of lacking authority allowed him to regret his decision. Candy has had his dog since it was just a puppy, so he has a strong connection with his dog. Carlson thinks the dog is smelly, ancient, and becoming more and more useless everyday, so he convinces Candy to allow him to shoot his dog. â€Å" ‘I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t have ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog’ † (61). When Candy confides in George, he admits that he is in the wrong when he decides to allow a complete stranger kill his dog instead of doing it himself. Candy, wanting to have shot his dog himself, foreshadows how George will feel about how Lennie will be disciplined. Although Candy didn’t have the strength to kill his own dog, George realizes that he’s strong enough to discipline Lennie i n a fair and painless way. Lastly, when Lennie is hiding in the brush at the river, a water snake is killed by a motionless heron off in the distance. The water snake was gliding on the river and is unaware of the heron that was standing still awaiting its arrival. â€Å" A water snake glided smoothly up the pool . . . and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak glanced down and plucked it out by the head . . .† (99). The snake was gracefully moving across the water, and swims to its death, negligent of its future. When Lennie is killed, he is looking at the scenery of the mountains and at the river imaging his and George’s dream, completely unaware of George, standing behind him with a gun. In the end, both Lennie and the snake met their fate of death. Overall, Steinbeck’s usage of foreshadow is applied to show how life’s events are clues to the future. George wants to protect Lennie, but he also wants to make sure that Lennie has a safe place to run to. Candy fails to accomplish a difficult task and helps George to identify if he’ll have the strength to do what is right or not. Death meets Lennie and the snake face to face unexpectedly. In life, has the reader ever looked at a painting and thought, â€Å"What did every brush stroke accomplish?† The creator of a work of art wants the viewer to see their artwork as a whole, but to view the specifics that created the image as desired. Each brush stroke accomplishes forcing mankind to experience various emotions, memories, inspirations, and an understanding of the meaning the piece was supposed to contain. A single brushstroke can foretell what the future may hold, although it’s not always distinct.