Saturday, September 7, 2019

Elastic and Inelastic Demand Essay Example for Free

Elastic and Inelastic Demand Essay I would say that when I think of a company that has inelastic demand on their products it would have to be Apple. Apple charges above average prices for their phones, computers and music players all with the marketing strategy of superior quality. When a company achieves inelastic demand it is because of two possible reasons. They have either developed highly differentiated products or brands or they have achieved a monopoly on a market or product category. (Tedesco, 2011) If you look at Apple they have a combination of both. You wouldn’t necessarily label Apple as a monopoly but they do possess a large amount of influence on how other tech companies develop their products. This is shown in various lawsuits that have been brought by Apple against other tech companies for patent violations. Apple has however developed superior products in comparison to others. Apple has marketed their high-end electronic devices to the point that they can introduce similar devices every few months and make people think that they are improved enough over the older models to constitute a needed upgrade. The marketing is brilliant. If I was talking to the president of Apple about what their pricing strategies should be I would bring up the possibility of a downgraded model to reach the customer base who can’t afford $600 every few months for a new phone or tablet. Even though Apple has monopolized on the higher income customer base they have untapped potential in the lower to middle income customer base. Cell phones are deemed as a necessity by many and if the price is right most consumers will spend the money on a product that is considered superior to others in the marketplace. While researching different articles for this assignment I came across an article about the elastic demand of sports tickets, especially Super Bowl tickets. When I was trying to think of a company with elastic demand, the NFL never crossed my mind but the NFL is a profit generating entity. The article cited the difference in ticket prices in tier seating between the Super Bowl in New York City and the Super Bowl in New Orleans. The prime examples showed that club-level tickets at MetLife Stadium would cost $1400 more than the similar seats at the Super Bowl in New Orleans. The article attributed this to the marketability of the venue. The author stated that most sports teams price their ticket inventories in the inelastic portion of their demand function because,† teams charge too low a price to maximi ze ticket  revenues. Part of the strategy in doing this is to ensure maximum attendance so as to ensure greater revenue streaming from complementary purchases associated with sporting attendance†¦such as concessions, parking, and merchandise.† (Rishe, 2013) If I were to talk to the president of the NFL I would suggest putting a cap on Super Bowl tickets so that a more diverse group of fans could attend the Super Bowl. As of now the only fans that attend a Super Bowl are the fans with a large amount of expendable income. If tickets were more attainable by the â€Å"common† fan they would generate as much money but also accommodate a much wider consumer market. Bibliography Rishe, P. (2013, September 19). SuperBowl XLVIII Pricing: A Lesson In Demand Elasticity. Retrieved September 27, 2014, from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2013/09/19/super-bowl-xlviii-pricing-a-lesson-in-demand-elasticity/ Tedesco, T. (2011, May 20). View from Mount Olympus. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from piworld.com: http://www.piworld.com/blog/inelasticity-demand-your-printing-services-pricing-strategy-tj-tedesco Tucker, I. B. (2013). Survey of Economics (8th ed.). Mason, Ohio, United States of America.

Friday, September 6, 2019

A Very Indian Poem in English Essay Example for Free

A Very Indian Poem in English Essay Nissim Ezekiel is one of those Indian poets writing in English who creates an authentic flavor of India, by his use of Indian English Pidgin English on Bazar English, as it is often called. In this poem, the Indian flavor has been created by stressing the various mistakes which Indians commit in their use of English, by bringing in the hopes and aspirations of free India, and also the attitudes of her two hostile neighbors, China and Pakistan. Poetic Inspiration for the Poem: It all started as a comment by a friend who said that you write in English no doubt and you write English well but you dont seem to even know or realise that thousands of Indians speak what can only be called Indian English, So from that time in all his train journeys from Mithibai College back home, he started to take some interest in the way English was being spoken on the train. Every time he heard an obvious Indian English phrase like, Im not knowing only. he would take it down. When he had about a thousand of these, he thought of creating this present poem. The Indian Living Conditions: Ezekiel presents that the new generation is going after fashion and foreign things. He presents the typical Indian make up. The Indian living conditions are sought to be portrayed. The India of yester years is no longer to be seen here, as modernization and industrialization have speeded up the process of change. The regrettable thing in the modern world is the act of violence and anti – social tendencies proving to be a menace. Still the positive aspects like regeneration, remuneration and contraception could be thought of as a way out of the present muddle. One can certainly hope for the better and propagate the best that is thought as unique. Ancient Indian Wisdom: In the second stanza, the readers get a peep into things Indians as Gandhis heir, he would opt for peace and non violence. He is puzzled why others are not following Gandhis advice while in this estimate, the ancient Indian wisdom is correct, contrastively the modern generation takes it to whatever is western and fashionable like other Indians, he too has to improve his English language. The student interest and petty agitations make him feel sickening line Antonys appeal to the Roman mob, he will call upon the fellow citizens to think of the past masters. Thus in the third stanza, he pronounces, In order to get away from that which is disgusting, he wants to have a cup of wine which is very good for digestion. It can be taken as equivalent to the western wine if only a little salt is added to make it a lovely drink. The poet confesses that he is the total abstainer from drinks while it is taken by addicts to gunch themselves, he for his part would turn to simple drinks like lassi. Thus, the poet tries to receive the old Gandhian days. The World Situation Today: In the fourth stanza, the poet is able to think aloud and offer his comments on the world situation today. The present conditions all over the world speak of a bad trend that give an edge to the production of dangerous weapons and try to be superior to others. The countries of the world often tie with each other in keeping themselves ahead of others in this mad competitive world. This retrace often leads to conflicts resulting in loss of precious human lives. If only one considers the other as the brother; the trend could be changed. Unity in Diversity: India is a land where the principle of unity in Diversity is practiced. Here many communities live together even though there are some problems. This ideal situation in which one Co-exists with the other is described as Ram Rajya by the poet. He gives the hand of friendliness to the visitor and expects him to come again. The poet is optimistic when he says that he enjoys every moment of good company. So, he ends the poem by saying that he does not feel the necessity of celebrating ceremonies. Common Mistakes ‘highlighted’ in the Poem: Substrate influence on grammar is quite common. It is often frowned upon as wrong, but eventually becomes a regular part of the new language variant. The Patriot contains a number of Indian English examples: the reduplication of verbs in fighting fighting, the lack of indefinite and definite articles in threw stone at Indirabehn and all people of world, the use of one instead of the indefinite article a in one glass lassi, the excessive use of the definite article the in not that I am ever tasting the wine, the excessive use of the continuous tense (the -ing form) in I am standing for peace and non-violence, the omission of an obligatory object pronoun in modern generation is neglecting (instead of neglecting this) etc. Again, this is a satirical poem rather than a genuine example of Indian English, but the phenomena exemplified are genuine enough. Conclusion: Nissim Ezekiel occupies a unique position among Indo-Anglian poets of post-Independence era. Nissim opposed the idealism and romanticism of the earlier group of Indian writers in English, and tried to look at any typical Indian situation with an Indian attitude, with a novel and dynamic Indian insight. He cleverly manipulated Indian English to bring out the Indian worldview. Thus Ezekiel uses Indian English, or Babu Angrezi in his poetry to depict the characteristics of Indian attitude. He used irony as a weapon to depict the characteristic features of Indian attitude.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Effect Of UV Rays On Pool Chlorine Biology Essay

Effect Of UV Rays On Pool Chlorine Biology Essay Pools have always been a source of leisure for Australians. They provide enjoyment and good times for many households generated in a family or local swimming pool. Despite this, pools have to be maintained by using chemicals or disinfectants, lest unwanted pathogens create health hazards. However, the over use of these chemicals can also result in health hazards such as; serious irritation and breathing problems. A balance or equilibrium, therefore, must be achieved to maintain suitable conditions. This is where chemistry comes into play. The main type of chemicals used in pools to prevent unwanted pathogens is pool chlorine. Sodium hypochlorite is a commonly used as pool chlorine. It was discovered by Louis Pasteur in the late 19th century that sodium hypochlorite had disinfectant properties. Sodium hypochlorite effectively kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. When pool chlorine is added to water, a reaction takes place where hypochlorus acid is formed. In the past, most consumer chlorine bleach was sold in a 5.25% solution. Today, some more concentrated solutions are being sold and touted as an improvement over the less concentrated bleaches. To check for the concentration of the pool chlorine, excess potassium iodide is to be added to it and then it is to be titrated with a solution of sodium thiosulfate. The concentration of the liquid chlorine is then to be calculated using stoichiometry. The net ionic equations of the chemical reactions are: Source: Chemistry In use Book 2 There are also many factors that affect the effectiveness of pool chlorine such as sun radiation. Ultra-violet (UV) light degrades hypochlorous acid to hydrochloric acid (HCl). Ultraviolet (UV) radiation not only destroys light sensitive chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), it also has the potential to significantly degrade the structural integrity of the storage tank or IBC containing the light sensitive material.   According to the NSW  Ministry of Health  (2010) roughly 1/3 of free chlorine exposed to UV lights in a outdoor swimming pool is destroyed every hour. UV light therefore lowers the concentration of the disinfection component of free chlorine. In this experiment, the concentration of sodium hypochlorite in pool chlorine, left under a UV lamps for different periods of times, was measured. Aim: To investigate the effects of Ultra Violet (UV) rays on sodium hypochlorite (a bleaching agent used commonly in pools). 2.0 Hypothesis: As pool chlorine is left for longer periods of time under UV rays, the concentration of the pool chlorine will decrease. This was hypothesised as the theory suggests that UV rays degrade the component in pool chlorine which allows it to disinfect bacteria. 3.0 Equipment/Material Material Diluted Sodium hypochlorite Sodium thiosulfate Potassium iodide Starch indicator Boiling water Equipment 2 x 100 mL Beaker 5 x 250 mL Beaker 15 x 100 mL Flask 2 x 1L Volumetric flask 1 x 500 mL Volumetric flask 1 x 100mL Measuring cylinder 2 x 20mL Measuring cylinder 3 x Funnel 5 x 20 mL Pipette 2 x 1mL Pipette 3 x Stirring rod Senior Balance Burette and stand UV Lamp Permanent marker Stopwatch 4.0 Safety To prevent any harm to the group during this experiment, safety precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the members. Refer to Appendix A for MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). Lots of glassware was used Refrain from holding too many pieces of glassware at once. Clean up glass immediately if any is broken. Handle boiling water with care Boiling water was used to create a solution of starch. Beaker tongs were used to carry the boiling water. Potassium iodide is irritating to eyes and skin Avoid contacting without gloves. Wash with water if contact occurs. Sodium thiosulfate is irritating to eyes and skin Avoid contacting without gloves. Wash with water if contact occurs. Starch gives skin discomfort Avoid contacting without gloves. 5.0 Procedure Refer to Appendix 1 for preparation of solutions Preparation of titration A burette and stand was filtered with the sodium thiosulfate solution. The burette was filled up with the sodium thiosulfate solution to around the 0mL mark. 100mL of diluted sodium hypochlorite was poured into 5 individual 250mL beakers. These beakers were labelled 0min, 15m, 30m, 1hr, 3hrs and 4hrs. All the beakers, except the 0min beaker, were placed under the UV lamp for the amounts of time labelled on them. At this point the stopwatch was started, once the samples had reach the specified time they were taken out. For each time sample, 20mL was measured with a pipette and placed into 3 100mL flasks. 10mL of potassium iodide solution and 2mL of starch indicator solution were prepared prior to every titration. Titration The mark of where the sodium thiosulfate solution in the burette was recorded before the titration occurred. 10mL of potassium iodide solution was added to each time sample of 20mL sodium hypochlorite solution in the 100mL flasks. The new solution was left until it has completed reacted (when the solution turns light yellow). The solution was then titrated until it turned a very pale yellow. 2mL of starch indicator solution was added to the titrating solution. This should make the solution a dark blue/black colour. Titration continued at a slower rate until the solution had turned clear. Record the finishing titre mark on the burette. These steps were repeated 3 times for each time sample (total of 18 titrations). Figure 1: Diagram of titration in progress. 6.0 Results Table 1: Table showing the amount of sodium thiosulfate solution added to sodium hypochlorite and potassium iodide solution at different times left under the UV ray. Refer to Appendix 2 for initial volume and final volume calculations and averages. Time (mins) Volume (mL) Average of 3 titrations 0 23.35 15 22.95 30 22.51 60 18.35 180 16.03 240 12.70 Table 2: Table showing the concentration of pool chlorine Refer to appendix 3 for converting of average volume of titration to concentration. Amount of time left under UV lamp (mins) Concentration of OCl (M) 0 0.03250 15 0.03198 30 0.03131 60 0.02558 180 0.02234 240 0.01770 Figure 1: Graph showing the concentrations of pool chlorine left under a UV lamp for different periods of time. 7.0 Discussion An experiment design was made to test and compare the effects of UV rays on pool environments, particularly on the impacts of chlorine concentration. In doing this, a total of 18 pool chlorine samples were put under a UV lamp for different periods of time. The concentrations of the chlorine when left untouched by UV rays were stable at around 0.03M. By exposing the pool chlorine samples to ultraviolet lights for given periods of time, the concentration of the chlorine decreased. The graph shows that as the sodium hypochlorite is more exposed to UV rays, the lower concentration of the pool chlorine was. A line of best fit was drawn to display the trend in the data. It showed that there is a linear relationship between the concentration and time left under a UV lamp. The data collected agrees with the theory that UV rays disrupt the structural integrity of the pool chlorine. The photodecomposition of chlorine is apparent as the initial levels of hypochlorite ion decreased by a signific ant amount when exposed to sunlight. The photochemical reaction that represents the situation of the experiment is: The main errors of the experiment were the inaccuracies of most aspects dealt with when implementing the experiment. One anomaly occurred when one sample of chlorine was left under the UV lamp for 60minutes. There is a major drop in concentration from 30min. This suggests that there was experimental error during the investigation. 8.0 Conclusion The results collected from this experiment suggest that the more pool chlorine is subject to UV lights, the lower the concentration of the chlorine will be. It has partially supported the hypothesis Bibliography Deb Smith, D. R. (2006). Chemistry in use Book 2. Sydney: Queensland Chemistry syllabus. Date retrieved: 05/09/12 Fletcher, D. J. (N/D). (The Sodium Hypochlorite Story). Retrieved September 5, 2012, from south shore gunite pools: http://www.southshoregunitepools.com/resources/htms/naocl.htm Gina A. Ishida, B. à ·. (N/D). IMPACT OF CHLORINE AND MONOCHLORAMINE ON ULTRAVIOLET. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC: N/A. Date retrieved: 05/09/12 N/A. (N/D, N/D N/D). Chlorination of pool water. Retrieved September 6, 2012, from pested: http://www.pested.msu.edu/resources/bulletins/pdf/2621/e2621chap7.pdf N/A. (1968). Stabiliser (Cyanurate) Use in Outdoor Swimming Pools. Retrieved September 5, 2012, from NSW Government Health: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/utilities/copyright.asp Appendices Appendix A Going to add MSDS later†¦ Appendix 1 Diluting sodium hypochlorite 100mL of sodium hypochlorite was measured and put into a 1000mL volumetric flask. The flask was filled with distilled water up to the 1L mark The flask was inverted several times Sodium thiosulfate solution 8.82g of sodium thiosulfate was placed into a 1L volumetric flash The flask was filled with distilled water up to the 1L mark The flask was inverted several times Potassium iodide solution 5g of potassium iodide was weighed and placed into a 250mL beaker Distilled water was poured until it reached 105g on the scale The solution was thoroughly mixed Starch solution 1g of starch indicator was weighed and placed into a 250mL beaker 100mL of water was boiled and placed into the 250mL beaker The solution was thoroughly mixed and was left to cool down All solutions were labelled with the name of the solution, the concentration, a group members name and the teachers name. Appendix 2 Initial volume and final volume of sodium thiosulfate left under a UV lamp at different periods of time. 0 min 23.35-0.04 15 min 45.63-23.29 30min 22.34-0.07 = 23.31mL =22.34mL =22.27mL 46.76-23.31 23.04-0.14 44.78-22.32 = 23.45mL =22.90mL =22.46mL 23.54-0.13 46.66-23.04 23.01-0.21 =23.29mL =23.62mL =22.80mL Avg = = = =23.35mL =22.95mL =22.51mL 60 min 41.22-23.01 3 hour 15.62-1.23 4hours 13.23-0.12 =18.21mL =14.39mL =13.11mL 18.62-0.33 30.59-15.62 26.35-13.23 =18.29mL =14.97mL =13.12mL 37.26-18.72 49.32-30.59 38.21-26.35 =18.54mL =18.73mL =11.86mL Avg = = =18.35mL =16.03mL =12.70mL

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Sigmund Freud Essay -- essays research papers

Sigmund Freud In the 1920s, the world was changing dramatically. Underground salons were built, new architecture was used and modern dance was introduced. If it were not for certain people, the world would not be the way it is today. In the twenties, new theories and ideas in science and psychology were being presented daily. Sigmund Freud changed the world of psychology by presenting new and controversial ideas on psychology and having his theories published. Freud broke cultural boundaries as he fought scientists opposed to his books and continued to study the human mind. Freud truly helped change the world in the 1920s and his influence remains today. Sigmund Freud was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1856. His father was a small time merchant. Sigmund’s family moved to Vienna when he was four. Freud was very ambitious and a good student. In 1873, Freud entered the medical school of the University of Vienna. Freud was mainly interested in science and hoped become a neuropsychological researcher. However, because of his financial situation, Freud was unable to pursue his desired career. Researchers in the twenties had to be wealthy because they were paid based on their findings. While in medical school, Freud developed a friendship with Josef Breuer, another physician and psychologist. One of Josef Breuer’s patients was Anna O. Anna O. was a young woman who had a serious case of hysteria. She had temporary paralysis and could not speak her native language, though sh...

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Ireland :: essays research papers

Why are the Irish so lucky? What is a leprechaun? Is there really gold at the end of a rainbow? And why does everyone drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day? These questions all have one thing in common, they are myths from the Emerald Isle we all call Ireland. In this paper I will try to explain these myths through Ireland's people, their Celtic tradition, and their religion. To understand the people of Ireland, you first need to understand where Ireland is and what it's like there. Ireland is an island, to the West of England. The climate in Ireland is rainy, year round. Ireland has a little bit of everything from the mountains and castles, to the coasts and pastures. People first came to Ireland about 10,000 years ago. Ireland was one of the last parts of Europe to become inhabited. The people who came to Ireland probably went across the land bridges that linked England to Scotland, and Scotland to Ireland. These first people lived mostly along the coasts of Ireland eating berries, small animals, and shell fish. Then about 6,000 years ago, these tribes of people started to become more advanced and civilized. They raised cattle and sheep and farmed the land for crops. They also moved further inland and had very extravagant burial grounds. Next around 2000 BC, the Bronze age came upon Ireland. The Irish people quickly became infamous for their weapons made of metal, especially their swords. This encouraged trade amongst other European countries, mainly England, Spain, and Portugal. By 500 BC the Celtic people had started to invade Ireland. The Celts as they were known were a very aggressive tribal group that originated as a Germanic tribe. They had defeated the Romans for a slight time period, but eventually they were run out of Europe. Their only safe haven was Ireland. For some reason, the Romans stopped their Empire at England. In Ireland, the Celtic people easily over threw the simple Irish tribes. This happened for two main reasons, 1) The Celts were much better fighters, and 2) There was about five times as many Celts as there were Irish tribes men. The Celts were not just great fighters though, Roman writers described them as being 'lively, imaginative people fond of fighting and hunting as well as poetry and storytelling. They had a complex tribal community made up of chieftains, warriors, poets, and Druids, (the priests of their mystical

Monday, September 2, 2019

Failure of the Schlieffen Plan Essay -- Papers

Failure of the Schlieffen Plan In just over a month of fighting, two deeply disturbing features of the war were evident even to the generals who had unleashed the first campaigns: a quick victory was impossible, and the human and material losses incurred as a result of the industrialization of war preparation were on a scale never before seen. The Schlieffen plan had at first seemed to go according to schedule. Although the Belgians had declared war rather than allow the Germans passage across their borders, their great fortresses had not proved a big obstacle. The right wing had swung along the Channel coast to enter France on August 27, and at one time were within forty miles of Paris. But the British had supplied an unexpectedly large expeditionary force, which helped strengthen the French center; the Russians penetrated into East Prussia and thus compelled the Germans to detach part of their forces from the western to the eastern front; and the poor leadership of Von Moltke had allowed his two armies on the Belgian front to lose contact. The French commander Joffre seized his opportunity to counterattack, and threw in his reserve against the dangerously extended German line to the east of Paris. In the first Battle of the Marne, the Germans were forced to retreat to the line of the river Aisne, where they were able to establish a strong defense line. By November, when the winter rains began and operations literally bogged down, the war of rapid movement originally planned by the generals had turned into a slogging match between entrenched armies, disposed in double lines of ditches behind barbed wire barriers along a front that ... ...ternate fire-bays and traverses. Duck-boards were also placed at the bottom of the trenches to protect soldiers from problems such as trench foot. Soldiers also made dugouts and funk holes in the side of the trenches to give them some protection from the weather and enemy fire. The front-line trenches were also protected by barbed-wire entanglements and machine-gun posts. Short trenches called saps were dug from the front-trench into No-Man's Land. The sap-head, usually about 30 yards forward of the front-line, were then used as listening posts. Behind the front-line trenches were support and reserve trenches. The three rows of trenches covered between 200 and 500 yards of ground. Communication trenches, were dug at an angle to the frontline trench and was used to transport men, equipment and food supplies.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Body Art and Ornamentation Essay

There is no culture in which people do not, or did not paint, pierce, tattoo, reshape, or simply adorn their bodies (Schildkrout, 2001). Throughout history, body art and ornamentation has become a worldwide phenomenon and has played a key role in our lives, yet there is a social stigma which we cannot seem to rid ourselves of. It is most commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted which can be attributed to the fact that the symbolism and significance of the body art and/or ornamentation doesn’t always translate the same among the cultures. Although Western culture views body art and ornamentation as being associated with mischief and rebellion, Japanese and African cultures use it as a way of expressing spirituality as well as cultural expression. The existence of body art and ornamentation can be traced all the way back thirty thousand years or more back to when cavemen drew pictures on the cave walls. According to Kuhn & Stiner (n.d.), the alteration and enhancement of oneâ⠂¬â„¢s body originated from the Kapthurin formation in Kenya. Anthropologists even believe that body art and ornamentation was present during the Middle Pleistocene in both Eurasia and Africa. Expression and art are two factors that play a fundamental part in African culture. According to Clarke (2006), many African societies symbolically view body art and ornamentation as a special role in guiding one’s destiny and success, mediating between world of the living as well as the spiritual world, expressing community ideals, defining power and leadership, protecting and healing, and celebrating or commemorating the cycles of life, human and agricultural. African culture uses a variety of ways to display their body art and ornamentation depending on which society they live in. These ways include: incorporating shells, teeth, or claws into their clothing or jewelry, wearing colored body paint, exaggerating human features (i.e. elongation of the neck), gauging piercings in the ears and/or lip, scarification, and tattooing. Looking from another culture’s perspective, the various forms of African body art and ornamentation are seen as being weird, out of the ordinary, and we don’t understand the importance they hold within these African cultures. On the other hand, there are other cultures such as the Japanese, who instead of outwardly portraying their body art and ornamentation will instead conceal it so it won’t be visible at all. The first signs of body art and ornamentation which appear in the Japanese culture were first noted as originating all the way back to AD 297 (Rapp, 2010). Back then, tattoos would signify which occupational group certain men belonged to and men, both young and old, would get tattoos all over their bodies including their faces. Men would even go as far as getting full body tattoos which could be found on laborers, firemen, and gangsters (Hopkins-Tanne, 2000). The Chinese considered all Japanese tattoos an act of barbarism and was perceived as being extremely negative. The body art and ornamentation that exists and has existed within the Japanese culture spreads beyond just tattooing and there are a few other methods that they used. First, many married Japanese women or courtesan in the 10th through 19th centuries would apply a paste to their teeth which would blacken them (Schildkrout, 2001). This was considered as being beautiful as well as sexually appealing to where as we would vi ew that as abnormal and ugly. Secondly, they would bind the women’s feet in order to make them smaller and the process was extremely excruciating, but again, it was considered as being beautiful. The pain that was felt and the blood that was shed served as an offering to the gods, ancestors, and spirits (2001). On the other end of the spectrum, culture within the United States has a split view regarding body art and ornamentation. In the United States, forms of body art and ornamentation can include: tattoos, piercings, branding, corseting, scarification, gauging the earlobe, make-up, plastic surgery, and dental implants (Schwarz, 2006). We live in a society where we idolize and preach the importance of physical attractiveness. In doing so, there is the separation of individuals into five different groups that exist within the social structure. The five groups include: the conformist group, the innovators, ritualists, retreatists, and the rebellion group (Rapp, 2010). The conformist group consists of individuals who understand and accept the emphasis on the beauty of the body in its natural state and the only type of body art or ornamentation that’s used is superficial . On the other hand, the individuals who are classified as innovators accept the whole concept of the beauty of the natural body, but go to the extremes to achieve this. The individuals who refuse to conform to what society has deemed as beautiful yet maintains a natural body and stays within certain bounds regarding body art and ornamentation. Retreatists include individuals who don’t abide by the guidelines of proper hygiene as well as body art and ornamentation and won’t acknowledge the beauty of the natural body. Lastly, there are individuals who are set out to change the social structure and bring about a new phase of body art and ornamentation and they make up the rebellion group (2010). Nowadays, in American culture we see body art and ornamentation, such as tattoos and piercings, as being acceptable as well as fashionable. It’s not uncommon to see people have a variety of body art, ornamentation, and body modification performed. The majority of people go and get tattoos when they experience a pivotal point in their lives as well as trying to create a sense of identity for themselves. Everyone tries to be original in their own way, but the end result is the creation and growth of conformity. By this, I mean that everyone is going out and getting tattoos, piercings, or plastic surgery and they’re trying to be â€Å"original†, but when all is said and done, they begin to blend in with one another. No matter what people say or do, a stigma has remained attached to all the various kinds of body art and ornamentation. According to Schwarz (2006), tattoos continue to not be entirely accepted and are a barrier to the economic success which is central to the â€Å"American dream†. For example, most employers have rules for their employees stating that they cannot have any visible tattoos and/or piercings that are visible to the public. This could be partly because there are individuals that could be offended and businesses could suffer from a loss of customers and sales. In the American culture, tattoos are not acceptable in a number of situations esp ecially when it has to do with the general public (2006). The highest percentage of the American culture that has body art and ornamentation can be found in the younger generations. Many teens go through a period in their lives where they feel the need to rebel against the social norm especially to spite their parents. Their choices of body art and ornamentation are indicative of their attitudes and values (Crapo, 2013). Attitudes are statements of one’s preferences while values are what we consider good or bad (2013). This plays into why certain individuals look down upon body art and ornamentation and end up enforcing the negative stigma. In conclusion, the implementation of body art and ornamentation is a designated way of indicating the various cultural differences that exist within cultures worldwide. The main reason there has been the rise in the popularity of body art and ornamentation is a result of cultural commercialism. Despite how hard we try to eliminate the soci al stigma of body art and ornamentation, it will never completely be gone. Unfortunately, we can’t have everyone’s personal opinion be the same as one another, but there is one thing that we can do. We can make the effort to educate the various cultures on one another so that we are able to comprehend the vocabulary that is used, the meaning of symbols, myths and legends, and social values. People in different cultures continue focusing on the negative aspects of body art and ornamentation, but if we were able to understand one another, the idea of peace on earth isn’t that far out of reach. References Clarke, C. (2006). The art of africa: A response for educators. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from Ebscohost database Crapo, R.H. (2013). Cultural anthropology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education Hopkins-Tanne, J. (2000). Body art: Marks of identity. British Medical Journal. doi: 320(7226):64 Kappeler, P., Stahl, J., & Wohlrab, S. (2006). Modifying the body: Motivations for getting tattooed and pierced. Science Direct: Body Image 4, 87-95. Retrieved from http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W12/W12%20Modifying_the_Body.pdf Kuhn, S.L. & Stiner, M.C. (n.d.) Body ornamentation as information technology: Towards an understanding of the significance of early beads. Retrieved from http://courses.washington.edu.archyaec/archy401/readings/kuhn-beads.pdf