Cultural Artifact Essay †Blue Jeans Essay

Blue jeans in the last thirty years have attained such world wide popularity that they have come to be considered an American icon. However jeans have not always been held in high stead, but rather have had a troubled history including its beginnings within the working class movement, being considered unsavory by religious leaders and also seen as a rebellious statement about ‘western decadence’. According to the University of Toronto, no other garment has served as an example of status ambivalence and ambiguity than blue jeans in the history of fashion. Throughout this essay I will discuss how jeans have become such a common treasured and even expensive item crossing over class, gender, age, regional, and national lines as reflected by the many changing political views and acceptance from various social classes over the past 50 years. History of Blue Jeans According to the University of Toronto, blue jeans were originally created for the California coal miners in the mid-nineteenth century by the Morris Levi Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant who relocated to New York in 1847. Mr Strauss’ fate and the history of clothing changed forever when in 1872 he received an offer from Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno Nevada. Mr. Davis, in order to improve the durability of the pants that he made for his clients, had been adding metal rivets to the highly stressed seams. The idea was successful and he wished to patent it, but due to financial constraints required a partner and hence Levi became the financial backer and partner. In 1873, the new partners received a patent for â€Å"an improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings†, and thus the history of blue jeans as we know them began. Blue jeans were originally called â€Å"waist overalls† by Levi Strauss and Co and in the 1920’s these were the most widely used worker’s pants in America. The name of these trousers changed to â€Å"jeans† in the 1960’s when Levi Strauss and Co. recognized that this was what the product was being called by the young, hip teenage boys. The history of â€Å"waist overalls† continues as the history of blue jeans. â€Å"Jeans† is now generally understood to refer to pants made out of a specific type of fabric called â€Å"denim† (Fashion Encyclopedia). Blue Jeans through the decades The popularity of blue jeans spread among working people, such as farmers and the ranchers of the American West. According to the Encyclopedia of Fashion, in the 1930’s jeans became so popular among cowboys that Wrangler formed just to make denim work clothing for those who rode the range. Jeans have tended to follow along in popularity with popular culture as evident with the popular Western films which found adventure and romance in the adventures of the cowboys who rode horses, shot bad guys, and wore blue jeans. Those who wished to imitate the casual, rugged look of the cowboys they saw in films began to wear jeans as casual wear (Fashion Encyclopedia). This effect is not hard to understand, as even today fashion trends are greatly influenced by what highly publicized celebrities choose to wear. During World War II blue jeans became part of the official uniform of the Navy and Coast Guard, and became even more popular when worn as off-duty leisure clothing by many other soldiers. In his book, â€Å"Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon†, James Sullivan states that the rise of the popularity of jeans after the WWII can greatly be attributed to the influence of the film and music industry, during the 1950s many young people began to wear jeans when they saw them on rebellious young American film stars such as Marlon Brando and James Dean. By 1950, Levi’s began selling nationally and other brands started emerging, such as Lee Coopers and each with its own particular fit (Sullivan 287). According to the University of Toronto, in the 1960’s and 1970’s jeans were embraced by the nonconformist hippie youth movement, and the history of blue jeans even gets linked to the downfall of communism. Behind the iron curtain, jeans became a symbol of â€Å"western decadence† and individuality and as such were highly sought. Jeans had become extremely popular, but were still mainly worn by working people or the young. In the 1980’s through to the 1990’s jeans were no longer seen as rebellious or a source of individuality, but they were transformed as the term ‘designer jeans’ was discovered. Many designers such as Jordache and Calvin Klein came on board to create expensive jeans and some jeans even reached haute couture status (Fashion Encyclopedia). In the new millennium denim is seen on designer catwalks and there are now hundreds of styles, types and labels available and of various price ranges. Changing Popularity According to Peter Beagle in his book â€Å"American Denim: A New Folk Art†, the popularity of jeans can be attributed to the fact that jeans can be seen to embrace the American democratic values of independence, freedom and equality. Some Americans even consider jeans to be the national uniform. Blue jeans have evolved from a garment associated exclusively with hard work to one associated with leisure. What began as work clothes has transformed into one of the â€Å"hottest† items available on the consumer market today. What was once apparel associated with low culture has undergone a reversal in status. Blue jeans were the first to accomplish a rather revolutionary cultural achievement bringing upper class status to a lower class garment. Conclusion At one point or another throughout history, blue jeans have been the uniform of many groups and are considered the one garment of clothing that has remained hip for over a century and has survived everything from World War II to the eighties. For half a century blue jeans have helped define every youth movement, and every effort of older generations to deny the passing of youth. Fifty years ago America invented the concept of teenager, and it is probably no coincidence that the enduring character of blue jeans, claiming independence and the right to self-expression, can be traced to the same time. Jeans were once seen as clothing for minority groups such as workers, hippies or rebellious youth, but are now embraced by the dominant American culture as a whole. Works Cited â€Å"Material Culture†. Utoronto. ca. University of Toronto Department of History, University of Toronto, n. d. Web â€Å"European Culture 19th Century – Blue Jeans†. Fashionencyclopedia. com. Fashion Encyclopedia, Advameg, June 2010. Web. â€Å"Modern World 1980 – 2003, Designer Jeans†. Fashionencyclopedia. com. Fashion Encyclopedia, Advameg, June 2010. Web. Sullivan, James. Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon. New York: Penguin, 2007. Print. George, Diana and Trimbur, John. Reading Culture: Contexts for critical reading and writing. New York: Longman, 2007. Print. Beagle, Peter. American Denim: A New Folk Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1975. Print.

Using web based research, find an environmental-based ethical dilemma Essay

Using web based research, find an environmental-based ethical dilemma from the past five years online - Essay Example At the Severn tidal estuary, sea water rises up the river during high tide. The proposed barrage would allow the high tide to flow in through the sluice gates of the barrage, when the tide is at its highest, gates would be closed, when the tide starts to fall the water would be released driving two hundred and fourteen 40 MW turbines. The project could generate as much as 17 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This project could generate up to 5% of the UK’s energy needs (Black & Veatch, 2007). A large part of the Severn estuary has been marked as a protected wetland. The estuary is the habitat of tens of thousands of birds and other aquatic wildlife. If the proposed barrage is built, 35,000 hectares of protected wetland would be inundated by water potentially endangering the wildlife that depends on it for survival (Turnpenny, 2001). Great numbers of migratory fish including critically threatened or declining species such as Atlantic salmon, sea trout, shads and eels also pass through the Severn estuary. Fish passing through the hydroelectric turbines are likely to suffer injury or death (Turnpenny, 2001). According to Kant’s categorical imperative, the ends do not justify the means, a person’s acts are morally correct if and only if it were correct for every other person to act in the same way, for the same reasons. Another aspect of the categorical imperative involves the treatment of human beings. Kantian morality is concerned mostly with the rights of humans, Kant considered non-human creatures to be mere ‘things’ which could be used and disposed of by humans at their will. Kant advocated kindness to animals, but only because he believed that those who are cruel to animals inevitably become cruel in their dealings with other humans as well (Gruen, 2010). According to Kant, humans are intrinsically valuable and they must not be used as a merely a means to an end but

Appendicitis A Medical Perspective Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Appendicitis A Medical Perspective - Case Study Example Despite the belief that appendicitis is a disease that contains minimal health risk, it may still require extensive knowledge for a better medical management of such condition. The definite source for appendicitis is never truly established. Appendix, as mentioned earlier, is an appendage of the colon with no specific function. Contrary to this point, some literature asserts that the appendix is a pouch-like portion that serves as an immune function in young adults--protecting the body against invading microorganisms (Balch 2006, 207). Such theory lends little credit as to why this area is commonly infected itself. With its hollow shape, many believe that in the process of waste disposal, fecal products may fill the space in the appendix and when trapped, disrupts its natural function (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). The disruption causes it to swell and be pus-filled as an effort to dispel the unwanted contents. On the other hand, the source of infection may come from foreign viral invasion in the alimentary canal (Lewis 2007). Viral infection stimulates the body’s defense, prompting antibodies in the scene in order to flush out viral microorganisms. This consequently results in inflammation, hence, appendicitis. Detection of appendicitis is not as easy as it sounds. Ample knowledge and experience by the medical staff are necessary for accurate clinical diagnosis. The classic physical diagnostic parameters to determine appendicitis are the following: â€Å"pain, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity ... (on) the appendix, and fever† (Hecht 2004, 30). However, such signs and symptoms are also common among other abdominal diseases. Hence, further diagnostic measures should be employed in accurately identifying appendicitis. An article clearly illustrated several methods of assessing the pain elicited with several movements.

Remote Sensing and Image Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Remote Sensing and Image Processing - Essay Example Moreover, these events also include images and pictures that are captured via satellites that are powered with remote sensing technology. The advantage of remote sensing is that it can detect objects in real time along with providing coverage of an expanded area within a short period of time. However, remote sensing can be divided in to two types i.e. active remote sensing and passive remote sensing. The active remote sensing provides opportunity to be utilized at any time throughout the day and regardless of any season. Moreover, active remote sensing also facilitates the inspection of wavelengths that are not effectively illustrated by the Sun. In addition, it also takes charge of the illumination on the targeted object. On the other hand, passive remote sensing requires the Sun, in order to brighten the objective or the target. Moreover, this type of remote sensing uses reflected waves to measure the distance. As (Smith 2010) states that remote sensing based on active methodology needs a significant amount of energy source for illuminating the target. The data for the process of task that was associated with the vegetation estimation exposure was gathered from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). In order to achieve a detection of vegetation, band rationing of the value of Infra-Red (700-1300nm) by Visible Light (400-700nm) is utilized. By using these values and methods, the albedo effects will be eliminated along with issues related to shadows that emerge from the images that are processed. Moreover, this method will also facilitate high quality visibility for vegetation in images. Moreover, a task that is related to classification of information classes, Churn Farm image is the best option. Likewise, data available in this image is gathered by an airplane in the year 1984 from the NERC ATM scanner. Likewise, the image includes four bands and sketches the sites that are associated wit h agricultural land use. Moreover, integer represents the cover type for specific land cover type, in this way; probable training sites can be marked for each type of land cover. Task 1 - Vegetation Index Methodology This task utilized a methodology including calculation of Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The NDVI will be used for the image of Lake Nakuru Thermatic Mapper (TM). Likewise, for data associated with TM, two bands are utilized i.e. band 3 and band 4. Band 3 calculates the red light and band four calculates the red infra light. Outside the scope of the town named as Nakuru, a small salt ware lake named as ‘lake Nakuru’ is located. Likewise, the lake is famed for the spectacle, as approximately one million flamingos comes to it for feeding themselves with green algae located in the warm water areas of the lake. Moreover, pelicans often come here to feed themselves with cormorants that are also available deep in t he lake (Smith 2010). Steps Implemented Steps are demonstrated in points below: Considering as a Raster Layer, open the image file named as nakuru.img. In the available options, select the option to view the image with channel 4 that will be associated with green gun and red gun. However, channel 2 will demonstrate blue gun. From the main menu options tab, select the option

Role and Functions of Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role and Functions of Law - Essay Example These interests could be domestic, societal, cultural, economic and political. However, if this pursuance of interests is not governed by agreed upon conventions, precedents, rules and regulations, the society will unexceptionally end up being subject to anarchy and disorder. Hence, it is the institution of law that ushers in decorum into the personal or collective pursuance of interests, thereby ushering in a sense of order that nourishes society and extends to it a chance to get organized and fair. Besides, for any society to work in an ordered manner, it is essential that its affiliates uphold the social norms in all the spheres of their life. Though most of the people living in a society are conversant with the social norms cherished by it, still there will always be a substantial proportion of people who will evince a predilection to negate social norms and understanding in the pursuance of personal satisfaction. So, law is one viable social instrument that could be relied upon to make people stick to relevant social norms (Tamanaha, 1999, p. 250). In that context law stands to be an upholder and protector of social norms and expectations. Codified law makes it amply clear to the people as to which acts pursued by them stand to be acceptable and which ones are illegal and reprehensible. It is also a known fact that disputes tend to be an integral aspect of social, cultural, political and economic interactions. Again it is the law that facilitates methodical procedures for the resolution of disputes. Law also brings in a sense of certainty and stability into any society’s social, cultural, economic and political life, thereby allowing for a scope for growth and development. However, it does not mean that law stands to be a static and vegetative institution. Law does allow for change and also assures that the requisite change is accomplished in an organized and stable manner. It is only law that assures just and fair societies which not only serve a p rivileged few, but rather look after the interests of the aggrieved, weaker and sidelined sections of the society. Law also helps the societies to arrive at and maintain a delicate balance between the powers of the state and the rights of the individuals and groups (Commerce Powers, 2012). Law also makes way for the establishment and execution of the requisite penalties in the instances of the breach of law. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that law is one salient and essential social pillar. In the free market economies, the rules and regulations sanctified by the business law do play an important part in ensuring the right business environment. Again, as already mentioned, in the sphere of business also, law helps in a pragmatic resolution of disputes between two or more business entities (Strier, 1994, p. 193). In business, it is again the law that sets the standards of acceptable behavior for the businesses and firms. It also needs to be mentioned that law protects the nation al and global business environment from being manipulated by a powerful few, by being a protector of ethics and morals (Commerce Powers, 2012). Personally speaking, my role as a professional field service technician is subject to many legal norms and regulations. While serving my customers, it is imperative for me to assure that the services rendered by me happen to be as per the standards, criteria, and safety features set by the related federal and state rules and regula

History of fox news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of fox news - Essay Example The Fox News Channel (FNC) is available to a little more than 85 million households in the United States, and even more internationally. The network is based in the U.S. and broadcasts primarily out of its studio in New York City. The Fox News Channel is currently the highest rated cable News Channel. Initially founded by the Australian-American mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1996, the FNC has grown to become the most influential cable news network today. Rupert Murdoch initially created the Fox News Network to represent the conservative point of view in America. At the time, in 1996, Murdoch felt that there was a great need for this niche to be filled in media, as at the time the majority of media was predominantly liberal. The network was designed with the intention of grabbing the attention of viewers. The visual presentation the network uses has been very influential in the presentation of news. Colorful and attention grabbing graphics were designed to constantly remain on the screen, as well as textboxes displaying one-liners summarizing the current topics. This was believed to incite the viewer's interests and increase their understanding of any message the network was attempting to relay. Another attention getter designed by the network is the Fox News Alert, it was designed to interrupt regular programming when breaking stories occurred. The news alerts were designed with swooshing graphics that would fill up the screen and a sharp chiming noise. (Fig1, Wikipedia) This is just an example of the aggressive tactics Murdoch used to launch the network. To rush the networks accessibility, Murdoch paid 11$ per subscribers to cable companies to increase the channels distribution. This was a revolutionary This conflict has led to much controversy surrounding the network. The Controversy In a survey done by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, in 2004, the article cited Fox News as the single news outlet that strikes most journalists as taking a particular ideological stance (2006). Corresponding with this, the Democratic National Committee identified Fox News as a rightwing outlet (York, 2006). On CNN's Larry King during a Jan 17, 2007 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, King spoke on his opinion of the Network, They're Republican a brand. They're an extension of the Republican Party with some exceptions, [like] Greta van Susteren. But I don't begrudge them that. [Fox CEO] Roger Ailes is an

The Negative Impact of Electronic Waste Disposal Methods in Africa Research Paper

The Negative Impact of Electronic Waste Disposal Methods in Africa - Research Paper Example In the countries within the continent of Africa, the total amount of electronic waste produced in 2014 was 1.9 Megatons. The only countries that have put in frameworks in terms of national policies and legislative pieces of guidelines are Nigeria and Cameroon. There are nations that are in the process of enacting fundamental legislative frameworks regarding the disposal of electronic waste materials such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana. According to Bwalya and Zulu (314), the country Kenya do not have a proper framework for handling electronic wastes. This is because Kenya continues to integrate information communication technology (ICT) in its economy. Among the highest generators of electronic waste materials in Africa are Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt with a total of 0.22, 0.35 and 0.37 Megatons respectively in absolute quantities. On the other hand, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Equatorial Guinea are the major electronic waste generators in relative quantities of 9.3 kg per inch, 10 .9 kg per inch and 10.8kg per inch respectively. The entire continent of Africa produces 1.7 kg per inch as an annual amount of electronic waste. This figure reflects only the amount of waste generated domestically and does not include the amount generated through imports of used electronic equipment (Baldà © 38).The challenge that affects the continent is major lack of comprehensive reforms by the governments concerning the electronic waste generation and management.