Hotel Rwanda Term Paper Essay Example for Free

Hotel Rwanda Term Paper Essay 1. If you were in the situation of Paul, how far would you go to protect your countrymen, when you know very well that this will cost you the life of your family? Will you abandon your family to save the lives of others? = If I will put myself in Pauls situation, I think, I would help and protect my countrymen as long as I can and as long as Im living. But first Im going to ensure my familys safety before I gamble my life. If I die for the sake of others, it will looked like I abandoned my family but truly its not, because in the situation, I think they will surely understand me why am I going to sacrifice myself just to protect and save others life who only depends on me. Its not that I prefer to die than to live with my family, but I also believe that life lived for others is worth living, like our God who gave His only Son for the sake of us all. God gave me life not just for my family but also for other people. Honestly, Not only your family makes your world but also the other people around you. And I cannot take to see those people struggling and dying then I just do nothing. Especially when I know that im the only one who can protect them. I know I cannot save everyone because im just only human but somehow, i know i did something I can. 2. In the ensuing violence, the international community and the government was forced to pull its foreign emissaries to safety. This included officials providing aid and relief such as the UN and the Red Cross. Do you think that the government and the international community’s decision to remove its employees from the scene of the fight were ethical, despite the fact that the natives rely on these organizations for aid and protection? Justify your answer using one ethical theory that we’ve discussed in class. = It is true that the goverment became selfish about their decision of forcing the foreign emissaries to leave and put themselves into safety even if they know that theres no other people who can help the natives except them. But we cant deny the fact that those foreign emissaries were not involved in the war and so, their race must be saved, thats why, what they have done was ethical. By the use of the theory called Egoism, which means things or actions can be moral or ethical if it will benefit ones interest and will care about your own value, it can be proven that it was ethical to saved only the whites because theres nothing wrong of saving your own race and disregard the others even though it would be so wrong in the other peoples eyes. To better understand this situation, try to put yourself in their place and surely you will only save yourself and your race. But we can still that it is an ethical egoistic act. 3. The struggle between the Hutus and the Tutsis of Rwanda was allegedly due to the interference of the Belgian and other Western colonizers, who have created this kind of â€Å"caste system† (Hutu and Tutsi) in the first place. Do you think that the colonizers were the party to blame in the violence that occurred? Why? = Yes! no one should be blame but them because if they didnt create that caste system, the Hutus and Tutsis would only be one r ace with no insecurities and no superior. And therefore, there would be no occurence of violence. Because of that caste system, the discrimination occured between the two race by their physical characteristics,The Tustsi became superior that made the Hutus started the slaughter in their country due to their rage or fury. And so, the Colonizers were the one to be blame. 4. The genocide in Rwanda is not a unique case. In fact, it is reminiscent of the Holocaust during the Nazi era and the religious struggle between Pakistan Muslims and Indian Hindus. How do you think will genocide be prevented in the future? = Genocide usually occur because of having insecurities between different race by physical, identity or position in the society and power. And no other resolution for this but to be satisfied in yourself. You must make a change within yourself. Let us avoid discrimination that will cost anger and revenge because this simple revenge will lead to a big trouble and war. We must also face the problem that we see without using violent ways and we will somehow work it out by proper conversation. Finding peace within yourself could also help us to prevent genocide, it will help you not to bad things especially to kill lives.If you know what peace is, you will surely want it and once you want it, you will make a way to have it. We must also respect each other, know every peoples worth so that , if you are one of the soldiers or the one who is involved, you would realize that life is so important. And of course, the goverment holds the big responsibility about this, so I think they must be friend with other nation, the world must come together. And the soldiers must know where are they for, because if they are for peace, then why is there war? they must also know their limitation.

Dementia Needs, Types and Treatments

Dementia Needs, Types and Treatments Specific needs of the older person INTRODUCTION MAIN BODY Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms such as loss of memory, language, motor skills, judgment and other intellectual functions caused by permanent damage or death of the brains nerve cells. (Alzheimer’s foundation of America, 2014) Most dementias are reversible. Reversible dementias are caused by nutritional deficiencies or infection or from a bleed on the brain or the side effect of a medication; the symptoms of these dementias can be stopped or reversed as long as the underlying causes can be treated. Dementia consists of 3 stages: Early stage (difficulty concentrating, poor orientation, decreased memory, withdrawal from friends and family, poor socializing skills and denial of their symptoms) This stage usually lasts up to two years. Mid stage (major memory loss, client needs help carrying out their activities of daily living (ADLS), they can lose control of their bowels or bladder, ability to speak declines, agitation occurs, compulsions or anxiety) This stage lasts up to two and a half years. Late stage (people in this stage lose the ability to communicate or speak, they need assistance with nearly all their ADLS, they often lose the ability to walk) This stage usually lasts up to two and a half years. There are many types of dementia but I have listed the four major ones below and have given the physiological and psychological changes that occur for the older person with these dementias. Type of Dementia Physiological Psychological Client’s needs Alzheimer’s Problems with speaking. Decreased judgement. Difficulty solving problems or puzzles. Disorientation in familiar surroundings. Depression. Psychosis. Agitation. Sleep disorder. Resistance to care. Memory loss. Assess and reverse agitation factors. Memory therapy. Language therapy. Vascular Difficulty finding the right words. Confusion and disorientation. Aggressiveness. Memory loss. Depression. Slowness of taught. Hallucinations. Memory therapy. Speech therapy. Lewy body Confusion followed by alertness. Tremors. Shuffling gait. Rigidity. Fainting-loss of consciousness. Hallucinations in touch and feelings. Visual hallucinations. Sleep disorder. Aggression. Depression. Speech therapy. Physical therapy which includes gait training. Front temporal Language comprehension declines. Tongue tie occurs. Ability to read or write is impaired. Lack of co-ordination. Shaking. Balance problems. Eye twitching. Muscle spasms and rigidity. Inability to relate to people. Personality changes. Speech therapy. As a carer it is very important to understand the Lewy body dementia disease and its symptoms so that the appropriate treatments can be implemented. The carer should also act as an advocate to ensure the client with dementia Due to word limitations I will only be discussing Lewy body dementia in detail below. LEWY BODY DEMENTIA In the early 1900s scientist FREIDERICK H. LEWY discovered that the brains activities was disrupted by deposits of abnormal protein while he was researching Parkinson’s disease. The Lewy body proteins were found in the brain stem where they kill off the neurotransmitter Dopamine causing symptoms similar to Parkinson’s symptoms. In Lewy body dementia other areas of the brain are affected by these proteins and that is what creates the difference between both Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. When the protein attacks the brain chemical acetylcholine it causes the client to suffer disruption in their thinking, behaviour and perception. Lewy body dementia can be its own disease or it could act in conjunction with brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This is why Lewy body disease can be miss diagnosed and the client ends up been told they have Parkinson’s disease instead. When diagnosing Lewy body dementia an experienced member of the multidisciplinary team should carry out a diagnostic evaluation of the client. This evaluation should include both physical and neurological examinations. The client should also be examined on their language skills, memory skills and their functioning skills. The client’s family should also be interviewed as they might have noticed changes in the client which would be helpful in their diagnosis. The client should also undergo a MRI or CT scan to determine what areas of the brain are affected. Blood tests may also help in the client’s clinical diagnosis. Lewy body dementia can only be conclusively diagnosed when the client has passed, through a post-mortem autopsy. Unfortunately there is no known cure for Lewy body dementia and treatment only relieves symptoms. People live up to seven years with the disease but some have lived up to twenty years with the disease. Medication is not always the best option for clients with Lewy body because what works with one client might not work for another client. It is also important to know that clients with Lewy body are extremely sensitive and may react negatively to medication. If using medication then there are different medications for the different symptoms. Cognitive symptoms Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, and Raza dyne) are used as they are drugs that increase the level of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a chemical which helps in memory and learning functions. These were developed to treat Alzheimer’s clients but it has been discovered they work better on Lewy body clients. Movement symptoms Levodopa is a drug which is also used on Parkinson’s clients. This medication is only used if the symptoms are severe. Visual hallucinations Antipsychotic medication (haloperidol) which are tranquillizers that block the dopamine receptors in the brain are used but only if the hallucinations are upsetting or disruptive as the side effects can be severe. Rem sleep behaviour disorder Melatonin or clonazepam medication can be used and have been proven to be very effective. â€Å"50% of clients with lewy body dementia who are treated with any antipsychotic medication may experience severe neuroleptic sensitivity, such as worsening cognition, heavy sedation, increased or possibly irreversible parkinsonism, or symptoms resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome which can be fatal.† (Lewy body dementia association, 2014) Non-medical treatments Speech therapy This may help the client with their voice volume. It is also helpful in clients who have swallowing difficulties and may improve their facial muscular strength. Physical therapy This includes strengthening, flexibility and cardiovascular exercises as well as gait training. Occupational therapy This may help the client in promoting his independence and maintain their skills. Individual and family therapy This can be useful in managing emotional and behavioural symptoms and help with any concerns the family might have for the future. Support groups These are helpful for the client and the carers as they can help in day to day frustrations and provide emotional support for all.

What is an Education :: Teching Learning Schooling Papers

What is an Education There appears to be some writing on the note ... What is an Education How was school today, what did you learn in school today, or what did you do in school today? Those seem to be questions every parent asks their child upon their return from a day at school. Most kids answer fine, ok, or nothing. Occasionally the child will be excited about something and actually tell their parent a story. Sometimes it will involve an incident at lunch where a friend threw their bologna sandwich across the table and it hit someone else. Then there are those days where the kid tells how in class they poured vinegar onto some kind of powder and it fizzed like a volcano would. Parents should take note of something like this. This could be a sign at a young age that a child has an interest in chemistry or possibly geology. This could be useful later on down the road when the child is trying to decide which classes to take in high school. With an early expressed interest in a subject area the child may perform better in that area and that would help m ake him/her desirable to colleges. That may all be part of a bigger problem though, getting to college. There is a lot of emphasis put on college. Students are taught that they will go no where without a college education. The focus in high school isnt completing high school, its getting ready for college. When my parents were growing up, one could make it in the world without a college education. Many were expected to head off to work once they received their high school diploma. Some went on to college to get a college degree. College degrees werent necessary, but they were highly looked upon. Nowadays a Bachelor of Arts degree or Bachelor of Science degree in some subject seems to be the requirement and it is the Masters degree that is highly looked upon. With more and more people returning to educational institutions to earn their Masters degree, many students are finding that graduate school is becoming necessary to be able to compete in the job market. The Masters degree is soon on its way to becoming the requirement and the PHD will soon be what is highly looked upon. Every one is so focused on getting a good education, but no one can agree what an education is.

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? For years, scientists have sought to find an explanation for the placebo effect. Although many hypotheses exist, there is no one reason defining why or how the placebos work. Some researchers argue that the phenomenon doesn't even occur; that the placebo effect is merely random error and that any improvement said to be caused by a placebo is simply a spontaneous recovery in the patient's condition (2)(3). Other scientists argue that Pavlovian conditioning supports an explanation for the effect: If patients have previously shown improvement from being in a medical setting or from taking medicine, they are conditioned to experience positive effects every time they are in the same situation (1). A second explanation for the placebo effect is that any drug (or placebo) given to a patient will reduce their stress levels. Because many illnesses begin under high-stress circumstances, or exhibit more extreme symptoms under stressful situations, many of the patient's symptoms are likely to im prove (2)(4). The first question that must be answered before delving into the hypotheses behind the placebo effect is whether or not the phenomenon even exists. Certain physicians and scientists claim that "positive effects" of a placebo are, in actuality, just the body's natural ways of healing itself and the immune system's defenses kicking in soon after the placebo is taken (2). Basically, these researchers argue that improvement in a patient's condition after being administered a placebo is merely a coincidence. Negative effects that are often blamed on placebos are viewed by these researches in the same way: nausea or headaches that are claimed to be a placebo's side effects may be spontaneously occurring symptoms (3). It has been established that colds, nausea, headaches and flus will indeed go away eventually, regardless of whether we take drugs or not. But how can studies that show that placebos have an effect on more serious and chronic illnesses, or potentially fatal conditions, such as hypertension, asthma, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia be explained? One theory comes from Pavlov's experiment on conditioned reflexes. In this experiment, Pavlov rang a bell before giving food to a dog. After a numerous trials, no food was given after the bell rang, but the dog still salivated and expected the food. This reflex was an involuntary bodily response to an outside stimulus. Similarly, many people have experienced relief after visiting a physician or taking a medication.

A Comparison of Hemingway and Frederic in A Farewell to Arms Essay

Parallels Between Hemingway and Frederic in A Farewell to Arms      Ã‚  Ã‚   "All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales"(Bell, 17).   A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences.   The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived.   Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome.  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917.   During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday.   Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse.   Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein.   During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.   After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho.   In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels.   The effects of Hemingway's lifelo ng depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho.   What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Farewell to Arms is the stor... ...est Hemingway: The Writer in Context. Ed. James Nagel. Madison: U of Wisconsin, 1984. Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1987. Donaldson, Scott. "Frederic Henry's Escape and the Pose of Passivity." Hemingway: A Revaluation. Ed. Donald R. Noble. Troy: Whitson, 1983. Lewis, Wyndham. Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Jay Gellens. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1970. 56-64. Schneider, Daniel. "Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms: The Novel as Pure Poetry." Modern Fiction Studies, 14 (Autumn 1968): 283-96. Spanier, Sandra Whipple. "Hemingway's Unknown Soldier: Catherine Barkley, the Critics, and the Great War." New Essays on A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York: Cambridge U, 1990. Young, Philip. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Rinehart, 1952.   

The Union of American Federation of Labor

Early american workers dealt with many problems. These problems ranged from child labor to unemployment. The workers also tried to set up groups, called unions, that they could call their own. The owners of the companies they worked for could not give the workers what they deserved because of their unions. Many unions also helped shape our modern US history by helping the people come together as a whole. One such union was the American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L. ). The unions of the A. F. of L. laced great emphasis on written collective agreements, including the closed shop, in which only union members are permitted to work. The A. F. of L. unions also insisted that members pay relatively high dues, and many of them established insurance and strike benefits. They became known to be job consciousness rather than class consciousness. The start of the A. F. of L. started with the beliefs of one man. That man was Samuel Gompers. He believed in organizing skilled workers ofd the same craft, build unions of plumbers, or carpenters, or cigar makers. By establishing these unions, a labor movement started to unfold. He split the American unions from the class struggle, and made it a partner to the US and not an enemy as people thought unions were. Gompers made unions respectable to the people. Child Labor The A. F. of L. was a pioneer in restricting child labor. The A. F. of L. would have a law passed by the Congress but the Supreme court would say Congress over stepped its powers. Even though this slowed the progress of child labor laws, it did not stop Gompers from trying to start the laws. The A. F. of L. held a conference in 1922 in which any union who wished to see the abolition of child labor was invited. The council worked for the restriction of child labor by writing an amendment that did not get enough votes to pass. It was not until the 1930†³s that some forms of restriction come about. Unemployment The depression in the 1930†³s gave way to massive unemployment. In 1929, 3. 2% of the workers could not find work. In 1933, it rose to over 24. 9% of the workers not being able to find work. The A. F. of L. ecognized the problem of unemployment even before it became a problem in the 1930†³s. The A. F. of L. had a plan for meeting unemployment: (1) establishment of a national employment service by Congress; (2) census of unemployment to be included in the census to be taken in 1930; and (3) regularization of employment by management to provide stable work. The plan also represented the following program as a means for relieving unemployment: (1) shorter work hours to be introduced in industry, with the five days week and vacations with pay; (2) stabilization of employment. With the effort of the A. F. of L. , unemployment was greatly reduced, but not completely and jobs for workers became easier to attain and keep. Education The A. F. of L. has always supported the education of children and the free public school. They liked the idea of â€Å"enactments that will enforce the education of children. † They supported free textbooks to the school children and the establishment of part time classes for the education of minors who were employed. Federal aid to the A. F of L. eant four items: (1) able to pay the teachers; (2) aid to protect the health of the student; (3) scholarships to help those in need to further education; and (4) support in a school building program. Extra funds would be distributed based on need. In 1920, the Workers† Education Bureau was established with the help of the A. F. of L. The bureau was to promote and assist educational work done by the unions. The bureau became an important and very functional part of the A. F. of L. Merger of AFL and CIO The A. F. of L. and the C. I. O (another strong union) saw that unions would be better able to serve their members and the community if a labor unity was reached. Talks soon started with the help of President Roosevelt but were soon halted by both sides in 1939. Talks did not resume until 1942 where an agreement was negotiated. The agreement was signed by three members of both unions who were put in charge of the agreement. But the major leaders of both unions accused the other of raiding They said that talks could not go farther until they agreed that neither side would raid and the war was over. Year after year, very little progress was made, but enough to keep the talks going. Serious negotiations were not made until 1947. Closer cooperation between both groups slowly began with the help of local groups affiliated with the two unions. In 1954, both sides agreed to the no-raiding policy. The new A. F. L-C. I. O spent time examining their differences standing in the way of finalizing their unity. In 1955, all differences were sorted out and on February 9, the Merger Agreement was signed. On this day, the American Federation of Labor finished its seventy-five years of existence. The Union of American Federation of Labor Early american workers dealt with many problems. These problems ranged from child labor to unemployment. The workers also tried to set up groups, called unions, that they could call their own. The owners of the companies they worked for could not give the workers what they deserved because of their unions. Many unions also helped shape our modern US history by helping the people come together as a whole. One such union was the American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L. ). The unions of the A. F. of L. laced great emphasis on written collective agreements, including the closed shop, in which only union members are permitted to work. The A. F. of L. unions also insisted that members pay relatively high dues, and many of them established insurance and strike benefits. They became known to be job consciousness rather than class consciousness. The start of the A. F. of L. started with the beliefs of one man. That man was Samuel Gompers. He believed in organizing skilled workers ofd the same craft, build unions of plumbers, or carpenters, or cigar makers. By establishing these unions, a labor movement started to unfold. He split the American unions from the class struggle, and made it a partner to the US and not an enemy as people thought unions were. Gompers made unions respectable to the people. Child Labor The A. F. of L. was a pioneer in restricting child labor. The A. F. of L. would have a law passed by the Congress but the Supreme court would say Congress over stepped its powers. Even though this slowed the progress of child labor laws, it did not stop Gompers from trying to start the laws. The A. F. of L. held a conference in 1922 in which any union who wished to see the abolition of child labor was invited. The council worked for the restriction of child labor by writing an amendment that did not get enough votes to pass. It was not until the 1930†³s that some forms of restriction come about. Unemployment The depression in the 1930†³s gave way to massive unemployment. In 1929, 3. 2% of the workers could not find work. In 1933, it rose to over 24. 9% of the workers not being able to find work. The A. F. of L. ecognized the problem of unemployment even before it became a problem in the 1930†³s. The A. F. of L. had a plan for meeting unemployment: (1) establishment of a national employment service by Congress; (2) census of unemployment to be included in the census to be taken in 1930; and (3) regularization of employment by management to provide stable work. The plan also represented the following program as a means for relieving unemployment: (1) shorter work hours to be introduced in industry, with the five days week and vacations with pay; (2) stabilization of employment. With the effort of the A. F. of L. , unemployment was greatly reduced, but not completely and jobs for workers became easier to attain and keep. Education The A. F. of L. has always supported the education of children and the free public school. They liked the idea of â€Å"enactments that will enforce the education of children. † They supported free textbooks to the school children and the establishment of part time classes for the education of minors who were employed. Federal aid to the A. F of L. eant four items: (1) able to pay the teachers; (2) aid to protect the health of the student; (3) scholarships to help those in need to further education; and (4) support in a school building program. Extra funds would be distributed based on need. In 1920, the Workers† Education Bureau was established with the help of the A. F. of L. The bureau was to promote and assist educational work done by the unions. The bureau became an important and very functional part of the A. F. of L. Merger of AFL and CIO The A. F. of L. and the C. I. O (another strong union) saw that unions would be better able to serve their members and the community if a labor unity was reached. Talks soon started with the help of President Roosevelt but were soon halted by both sides in 1939. Talks did not resume until 1942 where an agreement was negotiated. The agreement was signed by three members of both unions who were put in charge of the agreement. But the major leaders of both unions accused the other of raiding They said that talks could not go farther until they agreed that neither side would raid and the war was over. Year after year, very little progress was made, but enough to keep the talks going. Serious negotiations were not made until 1947. Closer cooperation between both groups slowly began with the help of local groups affiliated with the two unions. In 1954, both sides agreed to the no-raiding policy. The new A. F. L-C. I. O spent time examining their differences standing in the way of finalizing their unity. In 1955, all differences were sorted out and on February 9, the Merger Agreement was signed. On this day, the American Federation of Labor finished its seventy-five years of existence.

Four Women in American Music History

American music history has grown an incredible amount in the last hundred years. Prior to that time, there were very few styles of music that originated in America. However, with the advent of jazz and related styles, American music culture was born. Blues is one of the early styles of music that is truly American, and there are many American artists who sang or performed in that style. In fact, blues is still popular today, although it has changed over time. Blues is an important and long-term American musical style, which has had many effects on musical culture from the early 1900s through today.Bessie Smith was an early blues singer. She was popular in the 1920s and 30s, and was known as much for her hard-drinking, rough life as much as her music. She sang about what she knew. Bessie was an African American woman who indulged in sex and alcohol, and had a strong temper. She never gave up without a fight, either in her music or her life. Getting into a fight with Bessie wasnâ€℠¢t something a person wanted to do, either, because she was over six feet tall and weighed about two hundred pounds. Bessie had a history of getting into fist fights with people, male or female.She also took off after her ex-husband with a gun when she found him cheating on her, after beating up his lover. However, Bessie herself was known for sleeping with a number of both men and women (Whitney). Musically, Bessie was not really trained. She could not read music, and relied on other musicians to write her songs down for her. She did write her own lyrics, though. She was a formidable presence on stage, able to sing loudly and strongly because of her size, and her tendency to sing in the range that was easiest for her.In writing her music, Bessie tended to modify existing melodies, and sometimes create new ones, so that they lay well in her â€Å"good† range (Whitney). Here is an example of Bessie’s lyrics, which show her feelings about life plainly: â€Å"I ain't no high yella, I'm a deep killer brown. /I ain't gonna marry, ain't gonna settle down. /I'm gonna drink good moonshine and rub these browns down. /See that long lonesome road, Lawd you know it's gonna end,/and I'm a good woman and I can get plenty men† (Whitney). Bessie was also known as something of a racist.While her fans were both black and white, she was rude to both whites and lighter-skinned blacks. Even at the height of her career, when she had enough money to live as she chose (even as a white person might, in the early 30s), she chose to stay on the streets and to live the life that was familiar to her. Her lyrics here show her thinking on this matter: â€Å"Mister rich man, rich man, open up your heart and mind,/Mister rich man, rich man, open up your heart and mind;/Give the poor man a chance, help stop these hard, hard times./While you're livin' in your mansion you don't know what hard times means, /While you're livin' in your mansion you don't know what hard times m eans; /Poor working man's wife is starving your wife is livin' like a queen† (Whitney). Ethel Waters is a blues singer who began performing later in Bessie’s career. While Bessie was primarily performing and well known during the 1920s, Ethel became better known in the 1930s (her career did officially begin in 1921, though). Ethel was specifically a different kind of blues singer than Bessie, and in fact was different from her in many ways.Ethel is also of African American decent, but she grew up in the North and was heavily influenced by white performers. When she began performing professionally, Ethel joined a group of blacks who called themselves â€Å"Cakewalk singers,† which was distinctly different from the more traditional blues singers, like Bessie (PBS). Ethel’s acceptance of whites can be traced to what was a very rough beginning for her. She was born when her mother was only 12. Her mother had been raped by a white man, John Waters. Ethel, then, is half-white, and carries her father’s surname.She was raised by her maternal grandmother in poverty, and began singing at age 5. Her beginnings are much more similar to Bessie’s, but what she did with herself later differs widely (Myers). Ethel worked with a number of famous jazz performers, including Duke Ellington. In addition to her singing career, Ethel was also an actress, an area of her life that eventually came to the forefront. Her singing style was not nearly as strong as Bessie’s, but she performed very theatrically and managed to capture the audience’s interest in all of her music.This came in handy, as she continued performing through the 1960s and 70s, working at that time with Billy Graham (PBS). Ultimately, Bessie’s influence on Ethel was very indirect. Both were jazz singers in a time when African Americans were first on the rise in popularity on the stage. Bessie’s grit may have given Ethel opportunities she might not hav e otherwise had. In many other ways, though, the two were very different; attitude, style, and more. Dinah Washington is another important singer in this chain of history.Her birth name was Ruth Jones, and she was born in 1924. She is significantly younger than both Ethel and Bessie, whose careers were near their peaks when she was born. Music was in Dinah’s family from the beginning. Her mother was a church pianist, and taught her to play at a young age. She was accompanying and touring by the time she was 16, and had already won prizes. However, although her initial roots were in the church, Dinah longed to work in secular music, namely jazz (Dahl).At age 19, Dinah got her big break, singing with Lionel Hampton’s Big Band, then one of the most popular music styles. By 1945, she was recording her own solo work for the Apollo label and Mercury records, and by 1948, she was on her way to major stardom. 1959 was her biggest year, when she sang â€Å"What a Dif’re nce a Day Makes† (Dahl). In her personal life, Dinah was similar to Bessie. She had many husbands, and she drank a lot. In fact, alcohol and drugs eventually killed her at the end of 1963 (Dahl). In addition, she also loved the finer things, including fur, clothes, and cars.Her personality was known as â€Å"feisty,† and she could be snapping one minute and generous the next (Cohodas). At first glance, Christina Aguilera doesn’t look much like the other stars. For one, she isn’t black. For another, she was born after all of the other singers had died. However, it is her roots and influences that she is similar to them. Like Dinah, she is biracial, with a mom who is Irish and a father who is Ecuadorian. Her father was in the military, which meant that Christina traveled a lot as a child (Biggest Stars).Also like the other singers, Christina was interested in singing and performing from the time she was a young girl. Her family was also musical, with her mot her performing on violin and piano professionally. Christina had a brief, two-year stint on The Mickey Mouse Club when she was a child, working with other singers who later became famous, like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake (Biggest Stars). Christina’s initial music was definitely pop, with her first number one single titled â€Å"Genie in a Bottle. † The single topped both the U. S. and UK charts in 1999.For awhile longer, Christina continued in the pop genre, recording for the movie Mulan, and singing a new version of â€Å"Lady Marmalade† with several other female pop stars (Biggest Stars). Christina’s work eventually began to seem less significant to her, and she decided to record her 2002 album â€Å"Stripped. † The album was the first that really showed her background and influences. Her comments about this album: â€Å"Coming off of the height of being a part of such a big pop-craze phenomenon, that imagery of that cookie-cutter sweet heart, without it being me, I just had to take it all down and get it away from me.And that is why I actually named the album Stripped, because it is about being emotionally stripped down and pretty bare to open my soul and heart. † This album used many different influences, including soul, R&B, rock, hip-hop and Latin (Biggest Stars). Aguilera’s influences were similar to the earlier stars mentioned. She looked to soul and R&B, both of which are styles typically recorded by African Americans. The blues aspect of R&B, in particular, is interesting to note. Aguilera was following in the footsteps of the other female jazz singers with this style.Also, similar to Dinah Washington, Aguilera sang pop (Dinah did pop in addition to her jazz roots). In general, all four of these women have things in common, and things that are different. Each grew up under similar circumstances, often with mostly maternal influences. Most had some kind of musical background at home. Most grew u p poor, and all had an early talent for music and singing. Most also had a taste for sex, drugs, and some rougher things in life, and had a hard time at one point or another. However, each was unique.Bessie was certainly the biggest and most blunt of the group, while Christina stood of the opposite end as the â€Å"sweetheart† of pop for awhile. Christina was also different in that she was not of African American decent in any way, although Ethel was also half-white. Some of the singers, namely Dinah, had their start in gospel music, while others went straight for jazz or pop. Overall, it is interesting how strikingly similar the artists are, even though there are also very big differences in their lives and styles.Their stories and backgrounds are surprisingly similar in some respects, but very different in others. These four women are just some of the amazing performers from the rich tapestry that is American music history. Sources Burns, Ken. â€Å"Ethel Waters. † J azz. Accessed on December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. pbs. org/jazz/biography/artist_id_waters_ethel. htm. â€Å"Christina Aguilera Biography. † Biggest Stars. Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. biggeststars. com/c/christina-aguilera-biography. html. Cohodas, Nadine (2004).Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington. Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. dinahthequeen. com/. Dahl, Bill. â€Å"Dinah Washington. † Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. vervemusicgroup. com/dinahwashington. Myers, Aaron. â€Å"Ethel Waters. † Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. wntb. com/blackachievers/ethlwaters/. Whitney, Ross (1995). â€Å"Reflections Of 1920's And 30's Street Life In The Music Of Bessie Smith. † Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://bluesnet. hub. org/readings/bessie. html.