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Short Response Essays (Dancehall)


stimpsimp 6 / 37  
Dec 24, 2008   #1
Prompt:

Answer the question that corresponds to the school you selected above. Limit your answer to a half page or roughly 250 words.

College of Arts and Sciences: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?

My Response:

Dancehall is a popular type of Jamaican music which developed in the late 1970s, initially as a sparser and less political and religious variant of reggae. It caught my attention because of the great impact it has had on the Jamaican society.

The work of Vybz Kartel, a renowned Dancehall artiste, unsettles me because I believe that he plays a great role in increasing the crime rate in Jamaica. Every day, the majority of the Jamaican society consumes itself with his songs which speak of crime and violence. With lyrics such as "Blood affi run inna di streets (run), wen it start nuh bodda tell mi bout nuh peace", the violent nature of Vybz Kartel's songs are evident.

According to a group of Psychology professors, research on violent music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. Therefore, it can be seen that as Vybz Kartel continues to condition the minds of the public, through the use of his lyrics, to accept and partake in violence, they eventually begin to do so.

Though freedom of speech is encouraged we must still take into consideration the effect our words have on others as with enough repetition we can condition the minds of others to accept or believe a particular situation. It is for this reason that we must stop supporting Vybz Kartel as long as he continues to exalt violence.

I believe that if this situation is not rectified and is allowed to worsen, it will result in a continued increase in violence and an even more corrupt society. It is for this reason that I always discourage people from listening to his dancehall songs.
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Dec 26, 2008   #2
Dancehall, a popular music form in Jamaica, caught my attention because of the great impact it has had on the Jamaican society.

Day in and day out, Jamaican society consumes itself with the lyrics of the dance hall songs of artistes such as Movado, Busy Signal and Vybz Kartel (better known as "Addi di teacher" or the "Crime Minister").

It is for this reason that I strongly discourage people from listening to many dance hall songs and I will continue to do so until the situation improves.

Very interesting response! Now, this attitude goes against the argument that free expression must be protected... so maybe you should address this counter-argument in your essay. Also, maybe you should provide some research evidence to support your argument. Wikipedia is not a strong source to use... and in fact, maybe you can omit the reference to it. Good luck! Try to make it an even stronger argument.

:)
OP stimpsimp 6 / 37  
Dec 30, 2008   #3
Okay I did several drafts and this is what i've come up with. PLEASE PLEASE help me because I have to submit this real soon. Like tonight. Thank you very very much for your help Kevin. All help is accepted. Please leave any general comments you feel to leave. All is appreciated. TIPS TO MAKE IT STRONGER WOULD BE WONDERFUL. Kindly correct any errors you see and thanks in advance. *NB... The word is dancehall not dance hall. Its a type of Jamaican music.
OP stimpsimp 6 / 37  
Jan 1, 2009   #4
Could someone give this a quick read and tell me what they think. I really HAVE TO SEND THIS IN TODAY!
ashwin17 5 / 14  
Jan 1, 2009   #5
This sentence is actually a bit confusing, and it's also a run-off. It might sound better if you just say:
"Therefore, it can be seen that as Vybz Kartel's songs continue to condition the minds of the public to accept and partake in violence, they eventually begin to do so."

And this sentence doesnt make sense to me. You should split it into two. I also made a few edits to it too.
"Though freedom of speech is encouraged, we must still take into consideration the effect our words have on others. With enough repetition, we can condition the minds of others to accept or believe a particular ideal."

"I believe that if this situation is not rectified and is allowed to worsen, it will result in a continued increase in violence and corruption in the society."

Everything else sounds good. Great job! It actually seems like a difficult topic, but you wrote a great essay on it! Good Luck on getting accepted!
OP stimpsimp 6 / 37  
Jan 1, 2009   #6
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! FINALLY! Lol. After I adjust this line imma read it over and then submit it...

Therefore, it can be seen that as Vybz Kartel’s songs continue to condition the minds of the public to accept and partake in violence, they eventually begin to do so.

I am wondering if the "they eventually begin to do so" part is right because what i'm trying to say is that as long as he sings about violence, it will encourage them, well us, to accept and partake in violence and then we would eventually partake in it. If you get what I mean. If you can think of a way in which I can get this across better that would be wonderful.


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