The Rave Subculture Essays - Neurochemistry, Drug Culture

The Rave Subculture I walked into the dark room after paying the ten-dollar cover charge. The music was what I noticed first. It was very loud and made a ring linger in my ears. The music was house music, also known as techno or electronic music. The next thing I noticed was the people. The majority of them were young adults, anywhere from their late teens to early 20's. It wasn't the people I noticed so much, but how they were behaving. Most of them were dancing, but not just your typical dancing that you would see in most dance clubs. People were very close together and there was a lot of physical, euphoric interaction between them. They were dancing to the beat, almost together as one. Also moving the groove of the music were many lights of all different colors. Most people were dancing with glowsticks as well as other various kinds of lights. It was clear to me right away that the majority of the people inside the room were not sober but were under some kind of influence. I had walked into the world of the rave. It was a Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida. I was at a club in the Downtown area called 618. It opens at 10 p.m., a time when most other places are getting ready to close. The patrons there however, were just getting their night started. I walked around the club, observing as I walked. I saw people hugging a lot, giving each other massages or giving each other light shows. I asked a girl what the light show was for. Her name was Sara and she replied, ?The lights look really cool when you're rolling.? Rolling is term most ravers use when are on the popular club drug ecstasy. Sara was 19 and dressed like a lot of the ravers I saw there. Loose shirts and baggy pants. She had jewelry on that looked almost like children's jewelry. She said kids there who wore that kind of apparel were called ?candie ravers? or ?candie kids?. Ecstasy pills are made of a compound called methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. It's an old drug: Germany issued the patent for it in 1914 to the German company, E. Merck. It's chemists thought it could be a promising intermediary substance that might be used to help develop more advanced therapeutic drugs. It was not successful however and disappeared until 1953. That's when the U.S. Army funded an animal study of eight drugs, including MDMA. They were trying to find a lethal drug for use on soldiers during the cold war. They did not find it to be as toxic as they had hoped however and MDMA was forgotten once again. It wasn't until 1985 that it was outlawed and made a Class I substance, in the same category as heroin or LSD. By then, college-age people in Europe and India were taking the drug to enhance rave parties, where thousands of people danced to loud techno music. As years went by, MDMA got more and more popular, especially among users in their late teens and early 20's. The drug sells for $20 to $30 today in the United States. People who have taken the drug say the experience is a several-hour intense journey. All five senses are heightened. It's not uncommon for people to massage, touch and hug one another while ?rolling? to increase the pleasure. Some say it makes them happy and energetic. Others say MDMA releases their ?true selves?. I asked Sara how long she had been rolling and why she did it. ?I dropped my first pill around the middle of 1998. That first time was so awesome. It was like a whole new world that I'd never seen. Everything around you is just a hundred times better than when you are sober. The air you breathe feels good, just to breathe it. Your skin is really sensitive to touch. And it feels so good just to hug people because you just feel like you have to. It's like everyone here is a family and we are unified.? Then Sara reached over to me, grabbed me and gave me a very embracing hug. It caught me off guard and surprised me.

Identity Essay Sample - Get Started Today!

Identity Essay Sample - Get Started Today!The identity essay is one of the most vital papers, that one needs to write. This can be defined as a small project where you write an essay about yourself and how it reflects upon your class. This essay is not only used in college, but also in high school. It is because of this reason that it is very important that you have prepared an identity essay sample prior to submitting your project.Writing an identity essay sample will allow you to be familiar with the process. You will get a lot of tips on how to write the best essay possible. Therefore, you should not waste any time at all before writing your essay. It will help you get an idea how long it will take to prepare your essay.One of the reasons why identity essays are so popular is that they provide individuals with a sense of pride and accomplishment when they receive their grades. An identity essay makes it easy for people to demonstrate that they belong to a certain group. For exampl e, if your gender is feminine then you can write an essay that discusses how your interests align with that of the other students. In this way, you will not only prove that you belong to a certain gender but you will also show off how you are part of a group.In order to write an identity essay, you will need to be creative. If you want to become a better writer then you will need to use different writing strategies. This is one of the best ways that you can improve your writing skills. There are several techniques that you can use to come up with ideas and methods that will help you express yourself through your identity essay.Even though this can be difficult to write at first, it will get easier as you proceed through your essay. When writing this type of essay, you should try to follow the direction of the main thesis statement. By doing this, you will show the reader that you know what you are talking about when you talk about your project.However, you will not be able to give y ourself an individual identity essay. There are many factors that determine whether or not you will be considered an individual. It can be determined by a number of things, such as race, religion, and even gender. You will need to be sure that the identity essay sample that you choose is not only related to one of these factors.The identity essay sample that you choose should contain all of the information that you feel is relevant to your subject. Therefore, you should not be afraid to put down the facts that you know about your topic. You should also include a summary of what you want to discuss within the essay. If you do not like the summary, then you can always rewrite it for further consideration.By knowing what to include in your identity essay, you will be able to create an essay that is interesting and unique. It will be an excellent way to showcase how you truly are and how you fit into the other students in your class. Remember that by preparing an identity essay sample, you will be able to focus on what you want your essay to be about rather than trying to fit everything into one topic.

Social Exchange Theory Essays

Social Exchange Theory Essays Social Exchange Theory Paper Social Exchange Theory Paper Similarity is rewarding, according to Rubin (1973), because: agreement is likely to provide the opportunity for partners to engage in joint activity; we assume those with similar views to ourselves will like us, so like them in return; communication is easier if we agree on things that matter to us; if our partner agrees with us, this boosts our self esteem about our own oppinions; we are vain enough to believe that those who share our views are sensitive and praise-worthy. Similarity exists between these two theories in that they both discuss rewards and investment. They both state that relationships require significant investment on the part of both partners for it to work and thus both say that a relationship is likely to fail if one person feels as though they are giving more to the relationship than they are receiving out of it. Thibaut and Kelley, 1978, criticise both theories for failing to account for the complexity of relationships. They say that not all social interactions reflect a mutual desire for equity and fair exchange and that partners motives may clash. This can produce effects such as altruism, competition, capitulation and aggression. This is discussed in their Interdependence Theory, which considers the intersubjective harmony or conflict between two people in their values, motives and attitudes. The main difference between the two theories is that Social Exchange Theory is concerned with the exchange of rewards between the two partners and the perceived difference between what one partner gives to the other and vice versa. Social exchange theory explains what we believe about a relationship with another person as depending on out observation of the poise of, what we put into the relationship as to what we get out of it and the chance of finding something better elsewhere.  It is said that we develop a comparison level, against which we compare the give/take ratio. The level will vary between relationships, with some being more giving and others where we get more from the relationship. Thus, for example, interactions at home may be very different, both in balance and content. Traditionally, the male member of the partnership went out to work, and the female partner stayed at home, looked after the running of the house and the family. They both brought different things to the relationship, which were of equal importance, without one or the other; the relationship wouldnt have functioned as effectively.  A research example in relation to this theory was the study carried out by Rusbult (1983), he found that during the early honeymoon period of a romantic relationship, the balance of exchange was largely ignored. Only later were costs related to satisfaction with the relationship. I think it is too early to know if the ways in which I helped others tied in with Social exchange theory; it would probably have to be considered in a few weeks or months time. For example, the next time I ask my uncle for a favour, he may remember the time I helped him tidy the garage and feel more inclined to grant me the favour, than he would have otherwise. So, if this is the case, then the rewards of helping will have outweighed the costs. My helping tended to focus more on family members than to strangers or friends; however, I dont think this was a conscious decision as I would have just as easily helped anyone else who needed it. Although, when thinking about it in more detail, had I not helped them; I feel that perhaps they would have thought I was too lazy, or selfish to do so. So with them being family, I didnt want them to think of me in a negative way, so perhaps it could be said that there is an emotional obligation to help relatives more than others. Evolutionary theory views many social behaviours are echoes of actions that contributed to the survival of our prehistoric ancestors. (Burnstein and Brannigan, 2001)  Research has shown that people are much more likely to donate organs to family members than to strangers. There appears to be a stronger sense of social obligation to relatives than to others.  Nevertheless, psychologists who take an evolutionary approach to helping suggest that when, for example, one family member donates an organ to save the life of another, the donor is helping to certify the survival of the genes he or she shares with the recipient. There is considerable evidence that kin selection occurs among birds, squirrels and other animals. The more closely the animals are related, the more likely they are to risk their lives for one another.  Studies in a wide variety of cultures show the same patterns of helping among humans. (Buss, 1999) Identical twins have been found to be more willing to help one another than fraternal twins or siblings. (Segal, 1999)  The reciprocity norm is an economic model of behaviour which takes the view of do unto others as you would have them do to you. It links in with Gouldners theory of social exchange. Kunz, a psychologists experimented by sending Christmas cards to complete strangers in order to see how many of them would reply, even if they had no idea who the card was from. Kunz was trying to show that people will respond in kind, when the same behaviour is shown to them. A large majority of them replied, even though they had no idea who the card was from. Evolutionary theory could be said to tie in with the people I helped to some extent, as I tended to focus more on family members than anyone else. On the other hand though, because the ways in which I helped were more everyday situations than life changing ones, my reasons were for helping were not directly related to the ideas of evolutionary theory, it was more a case of, protecting your own. Personal and cultural factors affecting helping behaviour-  I found it easier to help at home, because I was around family- the people who I am closest to, with this being the case I wasnt worried about other people watching me or being too embarrassed in front of friends or other onlookers. My feelings could be said to tie in with the study of the murder case of Kitty Genovese which intrigued two psychologists, John Darley and Bibb Latane. They both suspected that situational variables, not personality traits of the people in that society, led to the lack of help intervention which Genovese received. Emerging from that research was the concept of the bystander effect, the idea that the presence of others inhibits helping behaviour of individuals. Piliavin and his colleagues (1981) hypothesized an arousal-cost-reward model. They argued that a decision on whether to help or not is based on the arousal of the potential helper and on a calculation of the costs and rewards (to self and to victim). If the rewards are perceived as being higher than the costs, a person is more likely to intervene. There is said to be an exchange benefit and this behaviour therefore is not entirely altruistic. I related this study to the example of me offering my seat the elderly women on the bus; there definitely was an exchange value. I felt good about myself, and gave a positive impression as to what type of person I am to onlookers and the woman was able to sit down comfortably. Also, had I not gave up my seat and had something bad happened, for example the woman falling over; I would have felt guilty for a long time after, so the rewards were definitely higher than the cost- which was me having to stand until I got off the bus. Cialdini, Kenrick and Baumann, had a theory of there being a negative state relief model in relation to helping behaviours. They suggested that when we experience a negative emotional state, we welcome something which would distract us from this and increase our feelings of well-being. This model is thought to function in non-emergencies, i.e situations like giving to charity. Observers help others in order to increase their own moods. However, I disagree with this theory. In relation to myself, I have found out that if I feel in a bad mood in the slightest then I dont feel like helping anyone, whoever they may be. Being compassionate to others, for the entire day was much more hard work than I had expected. When it came to the late evening, I was getting quite negative about the whole thing; I was in a slightly bad mood and didnt feel like speaking to anyone, let alone helping them and being compassionate. In relation to this, my behaviour could be said to be the polar opposite to that of the negative state relief model. My behaviour was different to normal as in certain cases I was making a conscious decision to try and help when in normal circumstances I may not have been so quick to offer assistance. Now having analysed the different types of helping behaviour and theories, I think in future I will be more conscious as to who I help and when I do so; as I will be thinking about others thoughts as to why they think I am helping; am I being egoistic or altruistic etc?

An analysis of the Culture of an organisation Essay

An analysis of the Culture of an organisation - Essay Example Organisations are increasingly focusing on developing the ‘right culture’, or ‘culture with quality’ or a ‘culture of customer service’ with a view to inculcate certain values and norms in their organisational settings. It is widely assumed that better, stronger and more importantly the right culture can largely influence the effectiveness and success factors of the organisation (Schein, 2004, p. 7). Southwest Airlines is an outstanding example for best cultural practices within the organization as its dedicated employees do more than delivering the friendly and high-quality customer services for which the company is widely known and this is the way its people and culture bring result. This paper presents a brief description about organisational culture and describes the theoretical framework in relation to Schein model of organisational culture based on the empirical evidences from the application of organisational culture in Southwest Airlines. This paper mainly focuses on the unique culture of Southwest Airlines to deliver highest quality customer service and its impact on organisational performance. Southwest Airlines, the Dallas-based airline carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary customer service delivered by more than 45,000 employees to more than 100 million customers every year (Investor relations, 2013). The company was founded by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King in 1971 as a low cost airline service in busy markets of less than 500 miles. In 1980, the company adopted its mission as â€Å"dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride and company spirit† (Smith, 2004, p. 27). Even after 32 years, Southwest Airlines perceives its people to be the highest valued assets and asks them to be highly dedicated to continually providing highest quality

Write a report to your Departmental Manager on the Implementation of Coursework

Write a report to your Departmental Manager on the Implementation of Effective Job Design within the Organisation - Coursework Example Inadequately designed jobs often bring about dullness and consequently increased turnover, demotivation, low levels of job contentment, diminished efficiency, and an escalation in organizational costs. Many of these undesirable concerns could be circumvented or reduced through effective job design or proper detection of major job constituents. Businessdictionary.com defines job design as â€Å"Work arrangement (or rearrangement) aimed at reducing or overcoming job dissatisfaction and employee alienation arising from repetitive and mechanistic tasks. Through job design, organizations try to raise productivity levels by offering non-monetary rewards such as greater satisfaction from a sense of personal achievement in meeting the increased challenge and responsibility of ones work. Job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation, and job simplification are the various techniques used in a job design exercise.† There are broadly two approaches to job design which is based on two different schools of thoughts. The first method involves fitting individuals to jobs. It is founded upon the hypothesis that people can be modified to any work condition. Thus employee attitudes towards the job are overlooked and jobs are aimed at producing maximum economic and technological productivity. This methodology uses the doctrines of scientific management and work simplification. In contrast, the second method involves fitting jobs to individuals. It is centered upon the theory that individuals are underutilized at the task and long for more challenges and accountability. Practices such as job rotation, job enlargement, etc. are used while designing jobs under the second alternative. The scientific management approach was devised by F.W. Taylor. The approach is based on the application of scientific principles to job design. Work, according to this approach should be scientifically analyzed and fragmented into predetermined tasks. Taylor supports job specialization

Business marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business marketing - Case Study Example Quality is AAA Office World’s surest way of establishing a good market standing (Kourdi, 2003). The fact that the company’s strategy involves both regional and local suppliers shows that it has vast presence. It is prudent that AAA prioritizes new-product development. Continuous product development helps diversify the company’s offerings. However, product development requires many resources and can easily overshadow promotion of existing products. Product promotion should also be allocated more resources because it will not only help inform many customers of the company’s products but also instigate hype for its new products. Hype would be assured for AAA because its existing and new products deliver on the things that consumers are promised. Promotion will make customers to look out, always, for AAA’s next product (Ireland et. al., 2012). Stasia Acosta should consider taking up Business Center’s offer. One of the reasons that underpin the feasibility of this move is the fact that AAA has excess capacity and could handle Business Center’s orders and still have enough to supply its other stationers and suppliers. Such a production capacity would have the advantage of expanding AAA’s distribution network because it would capitalize on both Business Centers many vast presence and that other supplies. It is fortunate that Business Center is seeking the line of file folders that brings Stasia 20 percent gross margin only. The performance of this line of file folders needs a move that will help raise its gross margin to be at par with those of other lines of file folders. Doing away with this line of file folders is the other option that Stasia can consider to deal with its minimal performance but this option would be tantamount to the â€Å"commodity end of the business† that Ramon works so hard to avoid (AAA Office World

Mercantilism Essay -- essays research papers

The year 1607 brought England into the "New World" with its first permanent settlement at Jamestown, and the following years would bring more American colonies to the British Empire. When sending people into the new land, the English planned to use a mercantilist policy and fully use the colonies for their resources. The colonist's creation of the proverb "Mother countries exist for the benefit of their colonies" is sufficient because England's original intentions of mercantilism soon disappeared after their entrance into this new world. The reason for the decline in their motives can be traced to many occurrences, most notably benign neglect of the colonies and internal English conflicts. In many cases, the mother country was doing more for the colonies than the colonies were for their homeland. Besides offering them protection and giving them more rights than the Englishmen, England also guaranteed the colonists a market to sell products. The English had one of the best naval forces in the world and as a result of being under British control; the colonies also had the privilege of having an excellent navy. The same policy went for ground troops, the colonists were given protection from the French and Indians without having to train a large army. British redcoats were trained in England and sent to protect colonists in America. As stated by Dean Tucker in â€Å"Dean Tucker Advises a Divorce†, colonial protection put severe burden on the English treasury. 300,000 to 400,000 pounds a year were spent on protecting colonies. Adam Smith also touches this subject in â€Å"Adam Smith Criticizes Empire†. Smith argues that as a result of sending British troops to America during wars, England lost a large quantity of money. This shows that in many cases the English were in fact working for the colonies, although the principal of mercantilism shows the opposite. Unlike those that actually lived in England and h ad to pay large sums of money to support the army, the colonists received protection for free. Although the Navigation Acts posed on the colonists hurt some, for many it would mean financial stability. Farmers in South Carolina and Virginia had the privilege of heavy tobacco growth. At the same time, middle colonies had fertile soil making it a good land for grain. Others such as Massachuset... ... benefit their motherland, and in Spain’s case that was definitely true. France had similar intentions, but to a lighter degree. France greatly used their colonies for raw materials such as fur. These fur hats’ extreme popularity in France resulted in large profits for the country. Mercantilism played a large role in colonial settlements, and its affects are still seen today. Many protective tariffs are placed to offer workers protection. Although strict policies are no longer enforced, cases of mercantilism are still apparent. Although both sides gained as well as lost in the relationship, the colonists benefited the most. Not only did they receive free protection, but also they had more rights than Englishmen and had a guaranteed market to sell products. So, it is possible for the colonists to reverse the maxim. By doing so, it’s just as true as the original statement. Mercantilism declined, but only in America. Other nations continued using the policy and in many cases it can still be seen today. Mercantilism played a large role in shaping America, and even though its ideals were not completely successful, America would not be the same without it.