Slavery The African American Slavery - 2189 Words

Amira Farid December 2, 2014 APUSH - Steiker Period 6 Slavery 1775 - 1830 â€Å"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves, † said George Gordon Byron. Though slavery has never had a universal definition, one might describe it as the dependent labour by one person performed to another who is not of his or her family. It was thought to have come about after a dramatic labour shortage in particular areas or countries. In America, slavery has always been a highly debated topic throughout the years. Often, people associate slavery with words such as â€Å"brutal, cruel, inhumane, and horrible†. Slaves were forced to forget about freedom and about the liberties of life that Americans now take for granted. During the years 1775 to 1830, African American slavery saw simultaneously the freedom of many colored men and the enlargement of the institution of slavery. The free and enslaved African Americans had different methods in approaching the challenges in front of them. The demand for a lab or force in the production of cotton encouraged the expansion of slavery; however, due to increasing national identity, the republican value of equality and freedom denounced the systems of slavery, allowing for a more widespread bondage; the free slaves in the North focused on tangible reasons for freedom, while the enslaved African Americans in the South focused gaining freedom through practical means. The ending of theShow MoreRelatedThe Slavery Of African Americans942 Words   |  4 Pagespeople I met asked me that we Africans sold other Africans into slavery and why? I will tell them well I was not born when it happened, I only learn about slavery in school not even my parents told me so I cannot provide you with genuine reason behind slavery but I do understand this that it may have some economic benefits attached to it and that is a fact, the world back then was like survival of the fittest, slavery was rampant all over the world and not only black Africans were enslaved, ma ny ethnicitiesRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1208 Words   |  5 PagesBack when there was Slavery it was unfair to some people, at least to the African Americans. By unfair I mean the whites, like most of us would torture the Africans. Some of the things the owners did was made the slaves work in fields without pay and they had no control over their own self, their owner did. But, if they were not doing, that the owners would do something bad like whip them with a whip with metal on the end. Also, it even was effected in sports because back then it was just whitesRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1207 Words   |  5 Pagestime where slavery was legal in America was a dark time that all wish was expunged from the nation’s history. Ever since the end of WWII came around and Japanese and victims of the Holocaust started to receive reparations for the ordeals then endeavored. This launched a proposal that the descendants of the enslaved people in the United States would be given some type of compensation. The form of compensation varies from individual monetary payments to land-based payment. Although the American enslavementRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans975 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the early developments of America, multiple states instituted the practice of owning African-Americans and using them as slaves. Surprisingly, this form of slavery was not only present in the Southern states, but also in the Northern too. Plantation owners from all over found their use in owning slaves, and were even shown taking advantage of the practice. By having ownership of slaves, it often contributed in farming production on plantations and also became useful when it came to votingRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans2011 Words   |  9 Pagespeople to turn to another source which could supply them with slaves. In result, African American slaves were brought to the U.S to facilitate life and work together with the European workforce. These African Americans came from a multitude of places including Africa and the Caribbean. From this day forth the lives of all African Americans changed, having an everlasting effect on their lives. After this, African Americans were viewed as slaves and it was the norm back then, which was a harsh, cruelRead MoreSlavery And The African Americans1071 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscussing slavery with other individuals. Throughout the years I have been a victim of my own ignorance for believing that Slave ry undoubtedly ended in 1865. I can honestly admit that I was wrong. After having watched the documentary â€Å"Slavery by Another Name† I gained new insight into the history of slavery and the struggles that African Americans suffered during that time. I learned that slavery did not end after the 13th Amendment was passed. After the Amendment was passed African Americans were victimsRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1695 Words   |  7 Pagesthe enslavement of African Americans, to the mistreatment of Native Americans on the Trail of Tears, and the subtle and sometimes overt discrimination oppressing American women today, there has been a long and continuing history of discrimination and unfair action against our fellow citizens. It would be deceitful for us to think that our nation has lived up to the ideals of the words â€Å"all men are created equal† since the day the Constitution was written by the Founders. Slavery comes in many formsRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans2857 Words   |  12 Pages A black African-American that was one of the many few who was born free in Wilmington, North Carolina went by the name of David Walker. Walker’s father whom died before his birth was a slave but his mother was a free woman. In the state’s laws Walker inherited his mother’s liberated status although, being free did not keep him from witnessing slavery. Walker traveled throughout his time in his younger days in the South, noticing the injustices of the slave system that the whites had going on. EvenRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1844 Words   |  8 PagesMost African Americans were forcibly migrated from their countries to the United States to be used for the labor in fields and even do home chores for their owners. Many African American men, women and even children were either stolen from their families or sold by their own people to traders who would bring them back to the United States and sold them to white plantation owners. An African American who was bought by white owner was called a slave. The word slaves means â€Å"a person who is a legal propertyRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans860 Words   |  4 Pagesand the neighborhoods are infested with drugs and weaponry; then you’re at war. African people have been at war with society, and in spite of the fact that their weapons has slightly been adjusted over the years, it still remains the same endless war we’ve been facing since the settling of African people in the Americas. African people could never fully integrate with the shared heritage and experience within the African identity. Wars have been going on for times on end, from Emmitt Till to the Rosewood

Audit and Assurance

Questions: Your firm is the auditor of GreenBrown Ltd, a manufacturer. You have obtained a summary of the property, plant and equipment for the year ended 30 June 2015, which identifies cost and accumulated depreciation brought forward, additions and disposals in the year and depreciation charges. A review of the management letter from the previous years audit shows that there were some problems in relation to making a distinction between capital and revenue expenditure; some items were capitalised when they should have been expensed and other capital items were included in repairs and maintenance in the income statement. Another risk identified from prior years relates to depreciation calculations; there is a range of depreciation rates within categories and there has been concern that the rates applied to some assets have been too low. The depreciation policy disclosed in the financial report shows: buildings: 24% straight line plant and machinery: 510% straight line fixtures fittings and equipment: 520% straight line.Describe audit procedures to ensure: (a) the accuracy of the summary of property plant and equipment. (b) all items of a capital expenditure are included in additions for the year and that no revenue expenditure has been capitalized. (c) the depreciation rates are calculated appropriately. Answers: Audit procedures are effective to obtain the sufficient audit evidence through the observation, recalculation, analytical procedures etc or the combination of some of these. For the auditing of the different areas and processes of GreenBrown Ltd, the below audit procedures can be performed: (a) To ensure the accuracy of the summary of property, plant and equipment In order to ensure the accuracy of the summary of property, plant and equipment (PPE), firstly, the risk of material misstatement will be designed. The risk can be related to the undue pressure of showing higher earnings, inadequate accounting manual etc. After this, a test of control will be facilitated, which will enable to determine the effectiveness of controls on the recording and accounting of PPE. On the basis of this, the risk of material misstatement can also be revised, if the results of the test of control vary from the expectations (Gramling, et al, 2012). After the consideration of the risk of material misstatement and control test, a substantive procedure for PPE will be conducted. In order to perform the substantive procedure, the following steps will be taken: Gather the summary of the changes in PPE owned and analyse it by reconciling with the ledgers Ensure the addition in PPE during the year In order to ensure PPE accuracy in the firm, a physical inspection of the plant and equipment acquired during the year will be made (Johnstone, et al, 2015) The analysis of the repair and maintenance expense account to determine, whether all the expenses are written properly and if any capital item is written on the account then it should be recalculated to make its entry in balance sheet Also, investigate PPE that is not of use in the organisation in current that will enable to ensure that PPE summary includes those assets also Test the provision for the depreciation made by GreenBrown Ltd to ensure that accurate or depreciated value is shown in the summary of PPE (Vallabhaneni, 2015). Further, the potential impairments of PPE will also be identified, so that actual value and the related expenses can be identified. It will also enable to determine whether the impairments are shown correctly or not The retirement or disposal of PPE during the year will be investigated, which will ensure that the salvage value is recorded in the right account and total assets include only the PPE, which is existing in the business only The legal ownership of PPE will also be examined by getting the evidence from the ledgers and vouchers If the firm has lease agreements then further they will be analysed to determine the assets, which are leased to and from others in the firm (Gramling, et al, 2012) After analysing PPE accounts, depreciation, addition, separation, disposal, depreciation etc, an analytical procedure will be performed in which a comparison of summary of PPE will be conducted with the prior information, budgets etc to get an understating of the business and risk areas In this, the presentation of the financial statements and disclosure for PPE and related revenues and expenses will also be made to ensure the accuracy of summary of PPE The above auditing procedure will enable to identify the lacking in the areas and to improve them for eliminating the material misstatement. It will ensure the accuracy of the summary of properly, plant and equipment (Johnstone, et al, 2015). (b) To ensure all items of a capital expenditure are included in additions for the year and that no revenue expenditure has been capitalized In order to ensure that capital and revenue expenditures are properly written without having any issue, the analytical procedure will be used. In this, first, the repair and maintenance expenses account will be analyzed. In this, the items that are required to be capitalized will be identified and then the company policy in order to ensure consistency in the accounting of revenue and capital expenditure will be analyzed (Whittington, 2015). Along with this, the monthly amount in the account will also be analyzed that will be effective to identify the variations. This analysis will be month to month and between the corresponding months of two years. It will enable to identify any insignificant variance in the expenses recorded in the repair and maintenance account in the income statement and to ensure that no capital expenses are included in the repair and maintenance account in the income statement (King, 2011). The sampling procedure will also be effective to ensure that all items of the capital expenditure are included in additions for the year as through this, the auditor will collect some sample capital expenses and identify their entry to determine, whether it is right or not. On the basis of the results of these, the extent of risk in recording of the capital and revenue expenditures will be identified along with the consideration of organizational policies for recording such expenses (Gomez, 2012). Along with this, the disclosure of the revenue expenditure will also be verified by ensuring that revenue expenses related to the current year are in the income statement and related to future period are shown as assets in the balance sheet. It will also be ensured that revenue expenditures that incurred but not paid are shown as a liability in the balance sheet (Kan, 2013). This verification of disclosures will be effective to ensure that no revenue expenditures are capitalized. (c) To ensure that the depreciation rates are calculated appropriately Another risk in the auditing of GreenBrown Ltd is related to the depreciation calculation due to the use of lower rates for some of the assets. In order to ensure that the depreciation rates are calculated appropriately, the below auditing procedure will be used by the auditor: First of all, the approach of management to determine the estimate and transactions bearing on the estimates will be reviewed and on the basis of this, an individual estimate will be developed to compare the depreciation estimation by the management. The review of the depreciation policies will be conducted to determine whether the policies are effective to allocate the cost of PPE systematically over its life. In this, extra working shifts, accelerated production, obsolescence of machines due to technology advancement will also be considered (Whittington, 2015). A summary of the accumulated depreciation will be obtained for classifying the assets in different depreciation rate categories. It will be obtained through general ledger, beginning balances, depreciation provisions and ending balances. After this, the provision for depreciation will be tested by comparing the depreciation rates for different assets with the prior year rates to identify the variances. Along with this, depreciation provision calculation will be tested with some sample units to ensure that no excessive depreciation is determined by the fully depreciated assets (Gramling, et al, 2012). The accumulated depreciation account will also be analyzed to ensure that the depreciation is recorded accurately for the year. In this, it will also be ensured that the accumulated depreciation of retired assets has been deducted from the account (Bragg, 2012). The above audit procedure will be effective to determine the consistency in the calculation of depreciation on the assets and to ensure that depreciation rates used are calculated appropriately. The above audit procedure is quite effective to match the depreciation rates and the service life of the assets and to ensure that each asset is depreciated accurately. References Albrecht, W.S., Albrecht, C.O., Albrecht, C.C. and Zimbelman, M.F. (2011) Fraud Examination, 4th edn. USA: Cengage Learning. Bragg, S.M. (2012) Financial Analysis: A Controller's Guide, 2nd edn. USA: John Wiley Sons. Flood, J.M. (2016) Wiley Practitioner's Guide to GAAS 2016: Covering all SASs, SSAEs, SSARSs, PCAOB Auditing Standards, and Interpretations. USA: John Wiley Sons. Gomez, C. (2012) Auditing and Assurance: Theory and Practice. USA: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Gramling, A.A., Johnstone, K.M. and Rittenberg, L.E. (2012) Auditing. USA: Cengage Learning. Johnstone, K.M., Gramling, A. and Rittenberg, L.E. (2015) Auditing: A Risk Based-Approach to Conducting a Quality Audit (with ACL CD), 10th edn. USA: Cengage Learning.

Animal Farm Vs. The Godfather Essays - British Films, Cold War Films

Animal Farm Vs. The Godfather Animal Farm vs. The Godfather George Orwell and Mario Puzo wrote Animal Farm and The Godfather (from the book The Godfather), respectively, to express their disillusionment with society and human nature. Animal Farm, written in 1944, is a book that tells the animal fable of a farm in which the farm animals revolt against their human masters. It is an example of social criticism in literature in which Orwell satirized the events in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. He anthropomorphizes the animals, and eludes each one to a counter part in Russian history. The movie The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppula, also typifies this kind of literature. Besides the central theme of mob life, is another prevalent theme, that of a revolution gone bad. He shows us that, unfortunately, human nature causes us to be vengeful and, for some of us, overly ambitious. Both of these works are similar in that both describe how, even with the best of intentions, our ambitions get the best of us. Both of the authors also demo nstrate that violence and the Machiavellian attitude of the ends justifying the means are deplorable. George Orwell wrote Animal Farm, to discredit the Soviet system by showing its inhumanity and its back-sliding from ideals [he] valued (Gardner, 106) Orwell noted, there exists in England almost no literature of disillusionment with the Soviet Union. Instead, that country is viewed either with ignorant disapproval or with uncritical admiration. (Orwell, 10) The other animals take this utopian idea to heart, and one day actually do revolt and drive the humans out. Two pigs emerge as leaders: Napoleon and Snowball. They constantly argued, but one day, due to a difference over plans to build a windmill, Napoleon exiled Snowball. Almost immediately, Napoleon established a totalitarian government. Soon, the pigs began to get special favors, until finally, they were indistinguishable from humans to the other animals. Immediately the reader can begin to draw parallels between the books characters and the government in 1914-1944 Russia. For example, Old Major, who invented the idea of anima lism, is seen as representing Karl Marx, the creator of communism. Snowball represents Trotksy, a Russian leader after the revolution. He was driven out by Napoleon, who represents Stalin, the most powerful figure in the country. Napoleon then proceeded to remove the freedoms of the animals, and established a dictatorship, under the public veil of animalism. Pigs represent the ruling class because of their stereotype: dirty animals with insatiable appetites. Boxer, the overworked, incredibly strong, dumb horse represents the 2 of 4 common worker in Russia. The two surrounding farms represent two of the countries on the global stage with Russia at the time, Germany and England. Orwell begins his book by criticizing the capitalists and ruling elite, who are represented in Animal Farm by Mr. Jones, the farmer. He is shown as a negligent drunk, who constantly starved his animals. His character is already established as self-indulgent and uncaring. (King, 8) Orwell shows us how, if only animals became aware of their strength, we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat. (Gardner, 97) What was established in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution was not true communism (animalism), which Orwell approved of, where the people owned all the factories and land. Rather, state communism was established, where a central government owned them. Orwell thought that such a political system, state communism, was open to exploitation by its leaders. Napoleon, after gaining complete control, did anything he wished reserved the best for the pigs, and treated the other animals cruelly. The animals coul d not do anything, unless they again realized their strength in numbers against their own kind. Unfortunately, they were too stupid to realize this and accepted the status quo. It began when the milk and apples were appropriated to the pigs, and continued to when the pigs could drink and sleep on beds, until finally the pigs were the human masters to the rest of the animals. Orwell criticized Germany, representing it as Pinchfield Farm, which betrayed Animal Farm by paying for lumber with counterfeit money. In real life, this represents the Soviet-Germany

A Deeper Darkness - Edgar Allen Poe essays

A Deeper Darkness - Edgar Allen Poe essays Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be one of the most influential short story authors of mystery, suspense, and the supernatural. His usage of literary techniques compels his reader to finish his tales at one sitting. It is believed that Poes usage of first-person narrative in his short stories enhances an underlying emphasis on the mysteries of the self, of others, of nature, ad of the universe through the narrators observations. Much of Poes works were used to undercut the easy optimism and certainty characteristic popular to his time because of his usage of the darker aspect of life and living. His works carry within them multiple senses of depths. Not merely representing the physical, his tales also have metaphorical depths of mystery, of uncertainty, of the Unknown. In most of Poes writings his sense of style and influential views are present through the uniqueness of his works. Regarded as the architect of the modern horror tales, Poe was also the principle forerunner of the art for arts sake movement in nineteenth-century European literature (Poe Intro., 2749). He is also credited with parenting two other popular genres: science fiction and the detective story (Keller, 1898). He demonstrates a brilliant command of language and technique as well as an inspired and original imagination (Poe Intro., 2749). Throughout his writing career Poe included personal experiences in his writing from his war with alcoholism to the death of young wife. The traumas and bizarreness of his life also give his writings an extra flare of suspense and the element to spark emotion in the reader. However, such traumas as losing his family to tuberculosis seemed to enthrall him into the arms of death. Thus, when observing details in his poetry and stories, the essen ce of tuberculosis symptoms are revealed. His pessimist outlook of life lies within the symbols of darkness an...

Research, Evaluation & Policy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research, Evaluation & Policy Analysis - Essay Example Prior to Ryan's execution the states of New South Wales and Queensland had brought the practice to an end. Walton (2003) indicates that death penalty had been part of the Australian legal system since the settlement by British in the 19th century. Crimes which had the potential of carrying capital punishment included forgery, burglary, stealing of sheep, sexual assault, manslaughter and murder as well as robbery with violence. Other crimes included piracy, treason and arson of naval dockyards. The death sentences were conducted under Aboriginal customary law through sorcery or directly. The victims were denied mortuary rites. The initial executions were conducted when the authorities then in Australia did hanging of mutineers of the Batavia. 12 Since its abolishment, death penalty has been replaced by life imprisonment as the maximum applicable punishment. Is it sufficient for as punishment for such crimes Does it help combat the crimes that were punishable by dearth sentence 13. According to Law Reform Commission of Western Australia (2003), hangings were done at several places including the site of the committed offense. In 1888, the Imperial Convict Establishment at Fremantle used employed for all hangings in the state.

Analyzing an organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing an organization - Essay Example The general public expects exceptional services of care and attention from these institutions and it is important for the organization design to be flawless and dependable. There are internal and external factors involved in shaping and organizational size, strategy and effectiveness are very important. There are many internal and external factors on which the organizational design depends on. These various dimensions of the organizational design are presented with their influences. When it comes to the size of an organization, it is greatly affected by the life-cycle of an organization. Since hospitals have complicated procedures to be amalgamated with streamlined operations to ensure maximum success, there are formal structures with employees having definite organizations duties and responsibilities. In a health care system, the tasks are highly specialized with detailed rules and instructions to direct the easiest as well as the most complicated procedures. ... The most important aspect of a health care institution is to provide quality service to its customers which in this case are the patients. The services of a health care organization are highly specialized with almost zero margin of error. Therefore, efficiency and accuracy is the need of such an organization and defines the core belief of such an organization. Therefore, generally hospital and health care organizations have a tall structure with hierarchical relationships take put high responsibilities on the people of the organizational chain. It has been researched and proved that big organizations are mechanical in their operational conductivity and therefore try and achieve maximum efficiency. This works in perfect unison with the needs and requirements of a health care institution (Pfeffer, 1978). Organization life cycle is another important internal factor that dictates the size of an organization. Just like a human being, organizations also have different stages of their life and therefore have different needs. In terms of a hospital, as the hospital becomes bigger, it adds more functions and research departments in itself and therefore becomes bigger and bigger. They amalgamated processes and increase in size. The number of levels within an organization increase as the level of complexity increases of the service or the product that is being provided by the organization. Environment is another important factor dictating the organizational design. There are many external factors that influence a hospital’s development of strategy, its size and processes. The need of its biggest stakeholder, the customer, streamlines the basic work ethic of the organization. The organization strives to provide quality life saving service

Value of Pop Culture Essay Example for Free

Value of Pop Culture Essay Jim and Pam got married, Ke$ha brushes her teeth with whiskey, and Lady Gaga ponders if we are actually born predisposed to be weird. No matter where you look, we are surrounded by pop culture. Popular culture is a sub-culture that is often mocked and scrutinized as not being meaningful or significant, pop culture is seen as what is considered â€Å"cool† at the moment in time, and carries no long-term effects on society or culture as a whole. Emile Durkheim once said â€Å"For Sociology really to be a science of things, the generality of phenomena must be taken as the criterion of their normality. In the same book, He argues for the functions of crime in society, I believe that these functions are the same functions that popular culture has in society. In brief, these functions are to produce social norms, establish social boundaries, create rituals that generate social solidarity, generate innovation, and pave the way for social change. It is important to identify what â€Å"pop culture† is identified as, seeing as how it can be used in several different ways. When I refer to pop culture, I mean so in the commercial culture sense. Commercial culture produces a product in order to generate a profit. Allow us first to examine the way popular culture produces social norms. In the book The Dominant Ideology Thesis, the authors argue that mass media is the key by which ideas of the dominant class is spread to the rest of society. I believe this view is crucial to understanding how popular culture produces social norms. For example, let’s use what we wear as a way to show how social norms are produce. The fashion industry tells us what to wear in magazines and advertisements, these norms are reinforced over and over again by television, actors, film, musicians, and celebrities who embrace the fashion trends. Stores begin to only sell a certain type of clothing, and it becomes increasingly more difficult to not conform to the fashion norm. Popular culture is not limited only to the fashion world in terms of the norms it produces, it is impossible to go through a checkout at the store and not be bombarded by magazines that share what type of sexual practices are not acceptable, what type of music is on the rise, and even what type of foods we should eat. Even children are being conditioned to behave a certain way thanks to programming such as Sesame Street and Barney. In addition to producing social norms, popular culture also helps us establish social boundaries. The music we listen to, along with the clothes we wear and the television we watch not only helps to shape our identities but also helps us find those people more like ourselves. It is because of the rise in popular culture that we are able to embrace certain musical tastes and reject others, allowing us to find others who share the same likes and dislikes as ourselves. People who listen to Metallica probably don’t have much in common with those people who listen to Miley Cyrus. Pop culture offers us a unique system to identify those who are like us, this is seen more obviously in the pornography business. The internet has normalized amateur pornography to the point where there is an unjustifiable amount of naked people on the internet, most of whom clearly (and I mean clearly! ) do so for non-profit. Perhaps the easiest aspect of popular culture to observe is the rituals that it creates. Teenagers are brought together through dance clubs, college students come together to view television events, comic book fans wait in line hours to see a new movie. All these rituals produce feelings of belonging, bonding with members of society over a common interest. The super bowl for example is a multibillion dollar affair because of the fact that millions of people from all demographics will sit down and watch the game for three hours. Going to a concert gives you a since of social solidarity, singing along to a song in unison with fifteen-thousand other people creates close social bonds†¦ even if you hardly know anyone else at the concert. They share a sense of meaning in their identity; this shared meaning is the basis of group solidarity. According to Durkheim, it is solidarity that is the basic building block of social cohesion. Popular Culture has also helped to generate innovations that have no only progressed itself, but all of culture. Obviously the most important area that popular culture has helped progress is clearly the internet. The World Wide Web has progressed and is driven by what could be considered the largest are of pop culture, pornography. I suspect that pornography hasn’t exactly helped the advancement of civilization, but it has helped the advancement of technology greatly. The development of broadband internet, streaming videos online, high definition quality pictures, all came to be as a result of the pornography business. Of course innovation isn’t held strictly by the adult entertainment business; another huge industry spurred by pop culture is the music industry, specifically the way we listen and buy music. Before 1999, and the invention of Napster, the internet was not a medium that many in the music industry embraced†¦ and it wasn’t until Napster exploited the lack of regulation over the internet that big music corporations saw the advantages of using the internet as a means to spread their product to a whole new audience. Before, the customer had to venture to a record store and sort through hundreds of albums in order to find a new type of music or band to listen too, now it can be accomplished with a quick Google search. The film industry has also been touched by the advancement that pop culture has allowed. With companies such as Netflix set up to combine movies with the internet, and the invention of the DVD, thousands of films are at our disposal and all with crystal clear clarity. Arguably the most important function that popular culture serves in our society is that it paves the road to social change, numerous times it is actually the driving force behind social change. This can be seen all the way back to 1906 when Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle helped lead to a revolution of the food industry in America. We can see this clearly most recently with the sudden involvement of celebrities who got involved in the 2008 presidential election, primarily in Barack Obama’s campaign. Robert DeNiro, Oprah Winfrey, Usher, Chris Rock, Scarlett Johansson, Ron Howard, Magic Johnson, and John Mayer are just a few of the actors/athletes/comedians/musicians that are linked with Obama. It is no surprise that Obama won the 2008 presidential election in a landslide. Companies have long known the effect that celebrities have on America and have used them to push products. We are seeing this again with the involvement of such celebrities as Lady Gaga in the Gay Rights movement. Rap music is a great example of a group inside of pop culture which constantly challenges the social norms and the power structure of the white majority. It is clear that popular culture serves many functions in society, many of which are shared by crime. These functions include producing social norms, establishing social boundaries, creating rituals that generate social solidarity, generating innovation, and paving the way for social change. We cannot simply push pop culture off to the side as low-brow culture and has no significance.