Trends and forecasts for a more positive future
Edited by Cindy Wagner
Values Shift for Urban Music?
The growing dominance of hip-hop and rap in contemporary music has drawn
criticism for its negative content, with common themes of violence, drug use, sexuality,
and degrading images of women. But the popularity of the 2003 anti-hate anthem "Where
Is the Love?" by the Black Eyed Peas may have been a turning point for hip-hop.
The Freedom Institute's 2004 Hip-Hop Forum focused on developing young
rap artists both as professionals and as cultural influences. The forum included sessions
on marketing as well as health awareness, voter education and mobilization, and building
positive character. And during the forum's performance competition, no vulgar language was
permitted in the raps.
"We are not just doing a summit or a session on hip-hop,"
according to Freedom Institute chairman and founder Reverend Wendell Anthony. "While
that is important, what's more important is to use this medium as an opportunity to inform
and educate young people on how to improve the quality of their lives."
Source: Freedom Institute for Economic, Social Justice, and
Political Empowerment. 19600 West McNichols Road, 2nd Floor, Detroit, Michigan 48219. Web
site www.freedominstitute-esp.org.
Visit the Black Eyed Peas online at www.blackeyedpeas.com.
Long-Term Benefits of Arguing
Mothers go "ballistic" over their daughters' blown curfews.
Teenaged girls pick fights when their moms don't "get" how they're maturing.
Mothers and daughters argue more than any other family pair, but that's not necessarily
bad, says psychologist Terri Apter of Cambridge University.
Arguing is communicating, says Apter. When mothers and daughters argue
over certain issues, they are exchanging information about what is important. Even in a
heated exchange, the "combatants" may be showing respect and recognition, and
the argument offers them the opportunity to correct each other's assumptions.
In a three-year study of mother-daughter pairs from a variety of ethnic
and social backgrounds, Apter found that those who described their relationships as
"close" quarreled regularly.
"Adolescence is considered to be a period of profound adjustments
in thinking, behavior, and identity," says Apter. "These changes often lead to
problems in family relationships. The research suggests that both mothers and daughters
can gain from the opportunity that arguing provides. For mothers particularly, recognizing
the positive purpose of the inevitable quarrels may ease the daily tensions."
Source: British Psychological Society, St. Andrews House, 48 Princess
Road East, Leicester LE1 7DR, United Kingdom. Web site www.bps.org.uk.
Recession's Futurist Lessons
Workers caught off guard by the recent recession seem to have learned a
lesson that futurists have long advocated: Be prepared for change. That "lesson"
came in first among responses to a new OfficeTeam survey, with 56% of workers polled
saying it was their most valuable lesson.
"Few people were untouched by the recession," notes Diane
Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam, a staffing-service firm for administrative
professionals. "While no one wants to repeat the difficulties of the downturn, there
are opportunities to learn from them and use this knowledge to prepare for the
future."
To help keep prepared for change, Domeyer recommends that workers:
- Think through the what ifs, such as, What if you get a new
boss tomorrow? What if you were offered a promotion? What if one of your co-workers
leaves?
- Be in the know not just about what is happening at your workplace
but also what is happening in your profession and industry. Cultivate new sources of
information about trends that are affecting your career.
- Get organized so that you can act quickly when something
unexpected happens, such as an emergency illness or accident. Make sure your active files
are current and accessible to those who would have to take over for you.
Being prepared for change can also increase your marketability.
"Managers want to hire and promote people who are flexible, versatile, and can adjust
to short learning curves," Domeyer notes.
Source: OfficeTeam, Robert Half International Inc., 2884 Sand
Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025. Web site www.officeteam.com.
