Socialization and Social Stratification Essay -- Sociology

Socialisation is a learning process where people learn and adapt to the appropriate and accepted values, attitudes and behaviours of their society. Nevertheless, separate groups exist within societies for reasons including ethnicity, class and culture and these can bring their own set of ‘norms’. Bond and Bond in Sociology and Social Care (2009 pg28) states â€Å"From the cradle to the grave we are being socialised†. Primary socialisation occurs from infancy to early adulthood. Secondary socialisation follows into the later stages of maturity. Anticipatory socialisation is where we learn to anticipate the actions and activities deemed appropriate by society. Resocialisation occurs when we learn new behaviours in response to new situations and in contrast to behaviours previously learnt and accepted. This can happen when someone receives a prison sentence. They must learn the rules deemed appropriate by those in authority and adapt to shared living and expectations of conduct with other inmates. Throughout the stages of life we learn new skills to deal with different situations. This socialisation process occurs as a result of involvement from agents; ‘situations and people involved in the process of imparting shared social ideas, values and skill’(pg30). Agents include family, peer groups, educational structures and the media. We learn through observation, knowledge and experience. Social Stratification is a hierarchically organised system that classifies people according to power, wealth and status. Sociological perspectives such as functionalism and conflict theory view this practice differently. Functionalism thrives on maintaining structures within society and the people that adhere to the rules of those structures. It views social... ...voice and contributes to the society in which they live. Works Cited Mac Farlane, D. A. (1994). Sociology and Social Care (2009 ed.). Galway: Health Promotion Research Centre, University College Galway, Ireland Kelleher, C., O’Donovan, O., Dineen, B., Becker, G., Gannon, N., O’Kelly, A., et al. (1994). Redefining Health and Wellbeing (2009 ed.). Galway: Centre for Health Promotion Studies, University College Galway, Ireland Partnership, G. C (2011). Galway City Partnerships Strategic Plan 2011 – 2013. Galway: Galway City Partnership. Social Justice – a Scotland where everyone matters; Indicators of Pregress 2003. (n.d). Scottish Government, devolved Government Scotland, devolution, Scottish executive, Scottish Office. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/20

Persuasive Opinion Writing Essay

Write a response for each of these activities. At the end of the lesson, click the link on the final screen to open the Student Answer Sheet. Use the sample answers to evaluate your own work. 1.Analyzing Editorials a.Select a newspaper from this list of prominent newspapers, and read a variety of recent editorials. Then read some editorials from one or two additional newspapers from different parts of the country. What do you notice about the editorial topics and opinions selected from different newspapers throughout the country? Type your response here: They all involve different ways of tone and language use in the newspapers. b.Analyze one of the editorials you read. Write a paragraph that answers these questions: †¢What was the subject of the editorial? †¢What was the author’s position on the topic? †¢How did the author support his or her opinion? (Give specific examples from the text, such as facts, quotes, and statistics.) Type your response here: c.Errors in logic, or fallacies, can make an argument appear weak and unconvincing. Read about good arguments versus fallacies, and complete the five exercises. Then write two syllogisms of your own that are based on fallacies, and explain their logical errors. You might choose from these fallacies: validity problem, post hoc, slippery slope, straw man, inconsistency, begging the question, false dilemma, non sequitur, and ad hominem. Type your response here: How did you do? Check a box below. 0 Nailed It!—I included all of the same ideas as the model response on the Student Answer Sheet. 0 Halfway There—I included most of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet. 0 Not Great—I did not include any of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet. Teacher-Graded Activities Write a response for each of the following activities. Check the Evaluation section at the end of this document to make sure you have met the expected criteria for the assignment. When you have finished, submit your work to your teacher. 1.Write a Letter On the editorial page of most newspapers, you will also find letters that people have written to the editor in response to articles or opinion columns. Write a letter to the editor stating your position on the editorial you analyzed in activity 1b. Your opinion may agree or disagree with the editorial. If you agree with the author’s opinion, be prepared to add further support (such as research, examples, and analysis) to your statement. Write your letter in business letter format. Be sure to include a  clear description of the issue and compelling evidence to support your opinion. And, remember to use persuasive language. Type your response here: 2.Debate a Topic Work with a group to brainstorm a list of current debate topics. Decide which side of the issue you will research (pro or con), and have another student take the opposite stance. Agree on a time to hold a mock debate in which each of you will state your position on the topic and present your supporting research. Be sure to submit your position in written form, and cite any sources, electronic or print, that you have used. Include use of persuasive strategies, such as loaded words and repetition, while avoiding fallacy and illogical thinking in your argument. You may want to add visuals (photographs or data tables) to your presentation to make your argument even more convincing. At the conclusion of the debate, poll the audience to determine their opinions as to which side presented the more convincing argument. Type your response here: Evaluation Your teacher will use these rubrics to evaluate the completeness of your work as well as the clarity of thinking you exhibit. Activity 2: Write a Letter Criteria Distinguished (4 points)†¢The topic of the editorial and the author’s position are both clearly stated in the letter. †¢The student’s position on the topic is supported with three or more statements of fact or supporting data providing compelling evidence. †¢The assignment is written in the form of a letter with an appropriate greeting and closing and a developed body. †¢The tone and language of the letter are professional and persuasive. †¢The letter is free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Proficient (3 points)†¢The topic of the editorial and the author’s position are both stated in the letter. †¢The student’s position on the topic is supported with two or more statements of fact or supporting data providing evidence that is somewhat compelling. †¢The assignment is written in the form of a letter with an appropriate greeting and closing and a developed body. †¢The tone and language of the letter are mostly professional and persuasive. †¢The letter is mostly free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Developing (2 points)†¢The topic of the editorial and the author’s position are both understood, although perhaps not thoroughly stated. †¢The student’s position on the topic is supported with two or more statements of fact or supporting data. †¢The assignment is written in the form of a letter with a greeting, closing, and body. †¢The tone and language of the letter are somewhat professional and persuasive. †¢The letter contains some grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Beginning (1 point)†¢Either the topic of the editorial or the author’s position is not clear or evident. †¢The student’s position on the topic is minimally supported. †¢The assignment is written in the form of a letter, but either the greeting or the closing is missing. †¢The tone and language of the letter are more informal than professional and are not very persuasive. †¢The letter contains several noticeable errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Critical Analysis Critical Anthropomorphism

Critical Anthropomorphism This story illustrates beautifully the idea of â€Å"critical anthropomorphism† as one way to understand how other animals think, feel and operate in their own worlds – possibly with senses that most of us don’t even know we have. Using this approach, developed by biologist Gordon Burghardt, a scientist or layperson combines scientific knowledge, including behavior studies of the animal and its habit, with a perceptual shift. In a sense, he or she steps into the animal’s world, tries to sense it as it might sense the world, to walk in its shoes – or, as Burghardt put it, wear the snake’s skin. Burghardt, alumni Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has worked primarily on reptile†¦show more content†¦Burghardt and Rivas write: â€Å"Too often ethologists and herpetologists regard snakes and other reptiles as robot-like machines or as animals so alien from us that attempting to put ourselves into their world, even heuristically, is both useless and a scientifically dangerous conceit. On the contrary, approaching unresolved issues by considering the perceptual world and the perspective of the target animal may generate testable hypotheses that were previously unconsidered.† Burghardt and Rivas also point out that â€Å"female ethologists have correctly emphasized the value that taking a female perspective has added to our understanding of social behavior.† In other words, human beings do not come through only one doorway; the same is true for every other creature. And that is a consequential truth not only for science, but for how all of us perceive the world, ourselves, and other animals. All of this makes me wonder how laypeople could apply it to their own lives. Most of us won’t be coming up with testable hypotheses or doing rigorous research. We would be, or are, more like the boy who became the grasshopper. Critical anthropomorphism suggests ways that adults (and children) could explore the bond they have, or could have, with other animals, domestic or wild. HarryShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Yann Martel s Life Of Pi1215 Words   |  5 Pagesexperience of extreme struggle and fight for survival in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Through a range of literary techniques, Martel presents a set of complex themes such as religion, faith and survival making his work worthy of study and deep analysis. However, the understanding and perception of these concepts varies for each reader, as every person’s beliefs and personal context strongly influence this interpretation. Martel digs into the intricacy of human nature, exploring the existentialRead MoreRabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, A Jewish Scholar, Astrologer And Physician Of The Twelfth Century1407 Words   |  6 Pagespublished the first of his major works, Commentary on the Mishnah. Published in Arabic in 1168, this was the first critical commentary ever written on the entire Mishnah, the extensive collection of oral Jewish teachings. Maimonides approached the teachings in such a way that con solidated the exhaustive discussion of the Mishnah with the conclusion to be found, using his in-depth analysis to explain ideas more effectively. Commentary on the Mishnah elucidated the clashing and contrasting discussionsRead MoreEssay Belonging Critical Analysis - August Rush1341 Words   |  6 Pagesinternal sense of connection and safety. 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Dana Gerhardt presents in her analysis that the theme of death is firmly imprinted into the text of Charlotte’s Web from the opening picture of the book where Fern’s father is marching with ax in hand to kill a newborn piglet, to the climactic death of Charlotte at the empty fairgroundsRead MoreDiscourse on Method Essay example3627 Words   |  15 Pagestheory, avant-garde art experiments, and electronic media (xi) for the invention of new methods of academic research and the production of new kinds of texts. Theory, Ulmer notes, is assimilated into the humanities in two principal ways - by critical interpretation and by artistic experiment (3). Heuretics, then, is to be contrasted with hermeneutics. The relevant question for heuretic reading is not the one guiding criticism (according to the theories of Freud, Marx, Wittgenstein, DerridaRead MoreMoby Dick : The Age Of Ecological Crisis3655 Words   |  15 PagesReading Moby-Dick in the Age of Ecological Crisis Within the relatively nascent tradition of ecological literary criticism, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick has only recently begun to receive critical attention for its environmental themes and content, whereas the environmental movement has long celebrated his contemporaries Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau for their innumerable contributions towards developing an American literary tradition of environmentally centered writings (Schulz 97)Read MoreHow to Define Psychology5680 Words   |  23 Pagesstructure and function of the sense organs, through the processing of sensory information, to the nature of subjective experience and the methods by which an accurate description of these experiences is obtained. An understanding of perception is critical for all areas within psychology. The modern study of perception is highly integrative, combining cognitive, behavioural, and developmental and neuroscientific approaches. There have been numerous studies into the nature- nurture debate regardingRead MoreThe Starbucks Brandscape and Consumers10413 Words   |  42 Pages(Thompson 1997). In this process, provisional understandings are formed, challenged, revised, and further developed through an iteradve movement between individual transcripts and the emerging understanding of the entire set of textual data. Our analysis induced two distinctive types of local coffee shop consumption. In presenting these findings, we first discuss the structural aspects of the Starbucks brandscape. Next, we explicate the defining experiences and underlying cultural meanings, ideals

Friederich Nietzsche and His Philosophies Essay - 1394 Words

Friederich Nietzsche and His Philosophies Friederich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in the Prussian province of Saxony. He was the offspring of a long line of clergymen including his father, who was the pastor of a Lutheran congregation. His childhood was consumed with the haunting death of his father and, soon after, brother. After enrolling in school, he suffered from intense, painful headaches and myopia which caused burning sensations and blurred vision. This may have been syphilis and it may have been contracted from his father who had shown similar symptoms. In 1858, he enrolled in the prestigious Pforte boarding school. His illness continued to plague him, resulting in several pilgrimages to the sanitarium yet, he was able†¦show more content†¦However, even Nietzsches critics admit that his words hold an undeniable truth, as hard as it is to accept. Perhaps this is why his work is timeless, and has survived 150 years in print. Christianity God is Dead! announced Zarathustra (better known as Zoroaster), in Neitzsches book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885). Unlike many philosophers, Nietzsche never tried to prove or disprove the existence of God, just that belief in God can create sickness; and to convince that highest achievements in human life depend on elimination of God. Whether God existed had no relevance in his goal. Proclamation of the death of God was a fundamental ingredient in the values Nietzsche advocated. Nothing has done more than Christianity to entrench the morality of mediocrity in human consciousness. Christian love extols qualities of weakness; it causes guilt. Charity is just teaching hatred and revenge directed toward nobility. Belief in God is a tool to bring submission to the individual of noble character. -- F. Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Nietzsche had an ideal world in mind, with an ideal government and an ideal God: the Overman or Superman. These Gods were a product of natural selection, or social Darwinism. He felt, very strongly, that any kind of moral limitations upon man would only stand in the way of The Overman. The Will To Power, his strongest teaching, meant that The Overman should and would doShow MoreRelatedEssay about Dostoevsky and Nietzsches Overman2123 Words   |  9 Pagesas someone who has his act together and gets things done. Of course, considering that this is a summary of one part of Nietzsches ideas, and that the encyclopedia reduces his entire philosophy to one short paragraph, this is not a poor definition. But it eliminates parts of Nietzsches concept of the overman, or superman, which are essential to an understanding of this idea.    Walter Kaufmann provides a detailed analysis of Nietzsches philosophy in his work Nietzsche: Philosopher, PsychologistRead MoreEssay Nietzsche as Free Spirit and New Philosopher1838 Words   |  8 PagesNietzsche as Free Spirit and New Philosopher      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the second chapter of Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche develops a fragmented portrait of a character type to which he refers as the free spirit. Throughout the rest of Beyond Good and Evil, he expands on this portrait and connects it with another type, the new philosopher, which he connects with the type of the free spirit in a specific (although complex) way. Nietzsche conceptualizes himself, as I will show, as both a free spiritRead More I Disagree with Nietzsche, We Should Embrace Life, Not Destroy It2366 Words   |  10 PagesI Disagree with Nietzsche, We Should Embrace Life, Not Destroy It Admittedly, the philosophy of the late nineteenth century German Friederich Nietzsche had a profound impact on my world view. I concur with his belief that humans should occupy themselves with living in the reality that is, and not to be preoccupied with fantastic illusions of working towards a great afterlife. Granted, I am still very young, but from what I can see, humans have no universal nature nor do any set of underlyingRead MoreCrimes and Misdemeanors Essay1795 Words   |  8 PagesCheryl Brown Professor Nassif Intro to Philosophy 17 Nov 2012 â€Å"Crimes and Misdemeanors† In the final scene when Louis Levy speaks of the capacity of love I feel he is saying that we as humans have this natural need for an emotional attachment in order to feel complete as a person. Everyone on this earth is looking for love and acceptance and this starts from birth. A baby requires love, attention, physical touch and maternal nurturing along with biological needs in order to survive. This isRead More Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement Essay3856 Words   |  16 Pageshanded down the decision on the Brown vs. Board of Education case, a nineteen year old truck driver recorded an Arthur Crudup blues track called â€Å"That’s All Right Mama† (Bertrand 46). Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips found the cut and played it on his radio show a few weeks later. He received calls all over from people, mostly white, who wanted to hear more. He quickly located the musician and brought him into the studio for an interview, audiences were shocked to learn that El vis was white (Bertrand

Grendal by John Gardner Essay - 848 Words

Grendal Throughout the novel Grendel by John Gardner, the main character Grendel is searching for answers about life, most importantly the meaning of life. He is confused with how he wants to view life and searches for some reason to why he exists. He turned too many for these answers; his mother, man, and the dragon, but no one could provide Grendel the answer he so desperately sought, all just pushed him to the idea of existentialism. Grendel’s first impression was to ask his mother about the meaning of life and what was his part in it. After Grendel’s first encounter with man, he immediately told his mother what had happened. â€Å"I tried to tell her all that happened, all that I had come to understand: the meaningless†¦show more content†¦Peace!† The Harper broke off, the people screamed. Drunken men rushed me with battle-axes. I sank to my knees, crying, â€Å"Friend! Friend!† They hacked at me, yipping like dogs. I held up the body for protection.† In the end man was too afraid of Grendel to befriend him, so they tried killing him and would have succeeded if Grendel gave them the chance. So now Grendel, not getting any answers from his mother or man he is forced to go to the last source of help that can possible help him, the dragon. The Dragon wasn’t much help to Grendel either; he just pushed Grendel further to the idea of existentialism. He said that the stories the shaper told, who Grendel grew to like and believe, where pure illusion. The shaper only knew of the past and present, and the Dragon saw that nothing would come of it in the future. The only thing the Dragon did for Grendel was show him what he meant to men. The dragon tells Grendel that he stimulates the humans and inspires their poetry and art. He is telling Grendel that he is evil and they are â€Å"good†, but they are â€Å"good† because of you. Grendel’s evil motivates the fearful people to work, to strive, to think, and to overcome their problems. â€Å"You are mankind, or man’s condition: inseparable as the mountain climber to the mountain. If you withdraw, you’ll instantly be replaced.† The dragon is saying that even if Grendel decides to change his course in life and never killShow MoreRela tedBeowulf Analysis921 Words   |  4 Pagessimilar. How are this two different character so similar you may wonder. According to John Gardner’s novel called Grendel, which is a retelling of beowulf. Grendel was protected as the protagonist while a ever so beloved beowulf was surprisingly the antagonist. Gardner gives a little more history to grendels flat character, he also developed grendel and made into a character most readers would relate too. Gardner gave reasons as to why grendel attack the kingdom. And compared to this Grendel, beowulf

Two Found American Writers Free Essays

Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor were two deeply religious American writers of different backgrounds. They wrote with devotion to their Christian faith. These two Puritans showed dedication to their families and to their writing. We will write a custom essay sample on Two Found American Writers or any similar topic only for you Order Now An analysis of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor’s poetry revealed two noticeable differences: the audience and their views of death. Bradstreet and Taylor wrote with the same purpose. Both accepted God’s will even if it was not to their advantage. They praised God through sickness and in health. In â€Å"To My Dear Children† Bradstreet writes, â€Å"Not to set forth myself, but the glory of God† (235). She wants everyone to know that she is a good writer but that she writes to glorify God. In the same poem she writes how even through illness she, â€Å"communed with my heart and made my supplications to the most High who set me free from affliction† (235). She makes it clear that she did not blame God for her illness but continued to praise him through her affliction. Bradstreet was often sick through her lifetime and probably through child birth. In â€Å"To My Dear and Loving Husband† she praises the heavens for her husband, â€Å"The heavens reward thee manifold† (226). She was thankful for everything God had given to her, especially for the love of her husband. Unlike Bradstreet, Taylor did not suffer from illness, but a few of his children died at infancy. He praised God for taking his children from the suffering they were experiencing. In â€Å"Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children,† Taylor wrote â€Å"In Prayer to Christ perfumed it did ascend† (303). He was not angry that his children had died and accepted it as God’s will. He wrote as personal worship. These two writers wrote to preserve the teachings of God but their audiences were different. Bradstreet wrote to her family and children, reaching out to them through her writings. She wanted her children to learn from her mistakes and to be grateful to God just as she was. In â€Å"Contemplations† she write how thankful she is for God’s creations, â€Å"Admired, adored for ever, be that Majesty† (216). In â€Å"Before the Birth of One of Her Children† Bradstreet writes, â€Å"No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,† making it known to her children that they should be good to God and not worry about pleasing other people but themselves. Through her writing she writes to teach her children her own Christian faith and beliefs to guide them through their own personal developments. She empathizes the importance of understand the importance of doing God’s will. Edward’s writes to prepare himself for meditation. He writes for his own benefit and to better understand his purpose in life in the way it will please God. Taylor sees himself as an instrument of God. In â€Å"Upon a Wasp chilled with Cold† Taylor compares himself with a wasp saying, â€Å"Lord, clear my misted sight that I May hence view Thy Divinity† (305). In other words, Taylor asked that God clear his sight so that he can do God’s will. Taylor writes for his own benefit so that he can build a closer relationship with God. Bradstreet and Edward had different views when it came to the way they perceived death through their writings. When Bradstreet wrote about death it was about separation and it caused her a great deal of sorrow. Through her writing she tries to prepare her family for death. In â€Å"Contemplation† she writes about time being the enemy on earth and that, â€Å"Here’s neither honor, wealth, nor safety; Only above is found all with security† (222). In â€Å"Before the Birth of One of Her Children† she writes that death is part of life, â€Å"irrevocable† (225). Further she tells her unborn children to remember her and to protect her other children from a stepmother if she is to die. In â€Å"To My Dear Children† Bradstreet writes, â€Å"if I perish, I perish: but I know all the Powers of Hell shall never prevail against it† (238). Bradstreet prepares herself for death, she is not afraid, but wants to prepare her children for when the time comes. Taylor’s purpose is to build a closer bond with God. He wants to reach out to God and create a unity worthy of him. He doesn’t write to ask that his family follow his footsteps, but he writes to God directly. In â€Å"The Soul’s Groan to Christ for Succor† written by Taylor is a good example of him writing to God to forgive his soul because he has been inclined to sin. He writes to God to let him know that the dog or sin is causing him to, â€Å"from Thy Pasture stray† (299). He wants God to help him keep the sin away so that he can find Grace, preparing for the afterlife. In â€Å"upon Wedlock, and Death of Children† when Taylor loses one of his children he says, â€Å"At that unlooked for, dolesome, darksome hour. In Prayer to Christ. † Taylor knows that during a time of mourning most people would be angry, but he is not and instead he prays. Taylor takes the negativity of death and use is it to reach peace within him by praying to Christ. He saw death as a necessity to the order of life. Bradstreet and Taylor both show love for their spouses and families. They were truly devoted Puritans who through their writing expressed differently their righteousness and sovereignty of God. Although, both choose different audiences and had different views of death they had a common purpose to accept God’s will through any difficulties in their lives and praise God always through sickness and in health. How to cite Two Found American Writers, Papers

Kansas City Jazz free essay sample

A single definition cannot be found. Many people try to define jazz music only to regress to trying to define what it does. Even this approach Is difficult. People are only able to find things to agree on, such as agreeing that Jazz is music. Jazz has been so many things throughout it long and illustrious history that Its even hard to point out its origins, which stem from many places, many styles of music, and many people. However, there Is an ongoing debate as to Its precise origins. It is known to have evolved out of New Orleans in the 20th century and from here spread to the North and Midwest. Based in blues and ragtime, jazz have geographical hot spots throughout the country; New Orleans, Chicago, New York. And Kansas City. Each hot spot has Its own history contacting significant events and people that helped shape the musical style of that culture center. Kansas City is no exception. There are innumerable persons that helped make Kansas City jazz what it has become.Jazz emerged In a time that one might think that something new, such as the Jazz movement, would not succeed. Jazz began to gain notoriety in the midst of The Great Depression. Kansas Citys ability to sustain throughout such a horrible time can only be accredited to one thing; the administration of Thomas J. Penetrates, The Boss of Kansas City from 1911 until his arrest for tax evasion In 1938. His methods, however. Where not one of the most reputable morals. Penetrates openly tolerated a wide- open town in Kansas City in exchange for political and financial benefits.Pentagrams tolerance of such laws as prohibition were so extreme that from the year 1920 to 1 933, there was not a single felony conviction for violation of that law. This is seen as more unusual when one realizes that there were over 300 bars in the city that employed live musical entertainment (Pearson, Political 181). Penetrates and his followers were not avid supporters of black music, In fact, he scarcely listened to music at all. Throughout his life he made it a rule to be in bed no later than nine oclock, an hour at which musical happenings in the nightclubs of Kansas City were barely getting started (Russell 6). He did however ally himself with figures of organized crime that controlled the nightlife of Kansas City and, by proxy, allowed the jazzmen and blueness of Kansas City to be able to find employment in the hundreds of clubs and bars that Kansas City was known for having (Pearson, Political 182). For the most part gangs and mobsters and musicians minded their own business and had a silent respect for each other. The gangsters did however tend to look out for the musicians, or dancers, or prostitutes well being. Kansas City was a cen ter of commerce that brought in many starry-eyed American men to the heavenly place. When a cattleman sold his beef, he did so at the Kansas City fattening pens and slaughterhouses lying between the older and poorer sections of the city and the Missouri River. In the same sense, raisers of hogs and sheep, growers of wheat and barley, and many other items made their way to the liquor, dancing, exciting women, and dice rolling, all accompanied by the sauce of lively music was irresistible to many men (Russell 4). Since Jazz emerged during the Roaring Twenties and it was not out of the ordinary for it to be associated with gangsters and their kind. There was no Depression for he gangsters, says pianist Sammy Price, who was there during the heart of the era. Due to the wide-open town the gangsters did well and therefore, because of their lavish lifestyles and the lurid nightlife that they indulged in, the Jazz bands of the day didnt lack for employment. This influence spread as far as Texas Negro dance bands (Stearns 187). There were a few influential people in Kansas C ity that stood out above the rest of the countless musicians to have graced the stage with their gifts. One such person was Bennie Moment.There was no Jazz in Kansas City at the end of World War I and his was the time that Moment started his first trio Called the BD trio named after its principle members; Bennie Moment, Bailey Hancock, and Duke Langford. After abandoning the trio Moment had the idea that, instead of staking his career in ragtime piano, which he played fairly well, he wanted to try to project ragtime style by means of other instruments. Moment became the leader of a band named The Blue Devils who, in 1921, opened at the Panama Club, in the Afro-American district of Kansas City, one of the first cabarets in the area (Russell 88-89).They began as a six ice playing adapted versions of piano ragtime (Russell 15). In September 1923, The Blue Devils, along with blues singers Dad Brown and Mary H. Bradford became one of the first local bands to record an album. However, the bands true influence did not come about until after Moment died and the band was taken over by the piano player, William Basis (Astronauts 195). William Count Basis, born in Red Bank, New Jersey, literally learned the piano at the feet of Fats Waller, was stranded in Kansas City in the late twenties, where in 1928 he joined Walter Pages Blue Devils, later led by Bennie Moment, in Oklahoma.Aside from his considerable keyboard skill Basis was blessed with good organizational instincts, an even temper, and an uncanny rhythmic sense. After Motets death in 1935, Basis and a group of several members of The Blue Devils began to play together and formed the best renown and longest lasting big band to emerge from Kansas City. Instead of continuing with Motets big band and the flabbiness that Basis thought was inescapable with a band of that size he focused on having tighter group by having fewer performers and having them all be stars (Pearson, Going 135-136).After hearing Basi ss nine-piece Reno Club band on the radio, record producer John Hammond was drawn to Kansas City and engineered the enlargement of Basiss band to full big-band scale and booked them on tour leading to New York (Pearson, 135). One cannot list influential Jazzmen of Kansas City and go without saying the name Charlie Parker. Parker did not have a background in Jazz to shape him and had not improvisational ability that seemed rootless and partly unexplainable (Astronauts 268). Parker is also remembered as possibly the most tragic figure to come out of the Kansas City Jazz scene.After only picking up the saxophone at age 11 and finishing school at age 15, Parker tried to Jam his way into the Jazz world by gigging the city all around and playing with anyone and everyone that would let him (Charlie Parker). He could play something and make is sound Just pretty. He knew what to do; he would pick the right notes. But when he first started playing, nobody wanted to hear him. They did not understand what he was doing. (Pearson, Going 205) Having not had great luck with this approach, Parker found solace in heroin that omen less upstanding individuals taught him how to use (Astronauts 269).Charlie Parker was pawning off his instrument nearly every day to get enough money to pay for his heroin addiction. John Timing would have to get the money, get his horn back, and put him to work the next night with the promise that he would not pawn it the next day (Pearson, Going 208). Charlie Parker was the saddest character to come out of the early Jazz scene. Though the Jazz scene greatly declined rapidly in the late sass, the nightclubs that used to overflow with the Jazzmen of the age continued to be active through the sass.Though there are multiple factors that can be pointed out as the death of the jazz age in Kansas City (I. E. Early closing hours of 1 a. M. In the forties), racial conflict stands out above the rest, due to the fact that the black downtown was the center of the Jazz scene. Kansas City would not have been the same if it had not been for it being the commercial center it was for buying, selling, and trading of cattle, wheat, barley, and other items from the plains that brought the cattlemen and farmers to the nightlife of the city. In the same way, if it had not been for people such as Bennie