Tuesday, December 31, 2019

American Traditions The Reunion Essay - 1435 Words

Abstract This paper examines American traditions, how they are established and preserved. Specifically, I discuss traditional gatherings known as family, class, and school reunions and review ways in which they are augmented by social networks. I remind the reader of the role reunions play in the perpetuation of memories and transference of collective knowledge. It is believed that attendance at family reunions had dwindled in the 90’s but is experiencing resurgence (Baxter, 2005); this is due in part, I believe, to social network sites like Facebook and MySpace. People are reencountering their past and making connections, both old and new. Keywords: traditions, reunion, social networking American Traditions: The Reunion†¦show more content†¦That is in large part what reunions are for, the perpetuation of memories and knowledge. These events happen with certain regularity, some every year, others at longer intervals; a place where birthdays, anniversaries and engagements are celebrated, deaths and other losses mourned, and divorce stands somewhere in the middle. The family reunion has long been a multigenerational—and in my family—multiracial gathering, where time slows down and nothing is hurried. Conversations are not limited, bellies are filled, and fun is had by all! We gather together in one place to share our lives and our stories, we do activities that draw us closer together, and family bonds are strengthened, however; times have changed and it is unfortunate that some of our traditions have changed too. Just one generation back, my mother and many of the other women in my family joi ned the workforce and fumbled the family reunion ball; my generation did not pick it up. I am hopeful that will change. I believe that family reunions are integral to American culture and I would hate to lose that connection. I want my daughter and grandson to have the same opportunities that I had to find their own fold in the quilt of their lives. According to an article in a Kentucky newspaper, there is hope for that, â€Å"†¦the number of family reunions dwindled during the ‘90s, experts say, there is resurgence in their popularity, especially among baby boomers† (Baxter, 2005). It’s timeShow MoreRelatedThe Transatlantic Slave Trade And The United States1012 Words   |  5 PagesMy ancestors, along with many other African Americans living in society today are decedents of African slaves. I can remember as far back as age 5 listening to the elders in my family talk about slavery. The word slavery originated when millions of African men and women wer e forcible taken from their families and the familiar surroundings of their African villages. Brought here to an unfamiliar environment and forced to work on plantations in different parts of the United States, usually from sunRead MoreLunar New Year Is The Most Important Festival For The Chinese Community892 Words   |  4 Pagesannounced that the Lunar New Year would be made a public school day in June 2015 (Harris and Grynbaum). Within China, regional customs and traditions of celebrating New Year have influenced widely. It is pretty important for every family to clean their houses thoroughly, in order to sweep away any bad-fortune and welcome incoming good luck; the annual reunion dinner also is an occasion for Chinese families. Other major activities include giving money to kids in red packets and lighting firecrackersRead MoreHeritage Assessment1503 Words   |  7 PagesHISPANIC, ASIAN AND The Heritage Assessment of Hispanic, Asian and African American Families B.Cohran Grand Canyon University The Heritage Assessment of Hispanic, Asian and African American Families The Heritage Assessment Tool (HST) is used to â€Å"investigate a given patient’s or your own ethnic, cultural, and religious heritage†¦it can help determine how deeply a given person identifies with a particular tradition†. (prenhall.com). This assessment of 29 questions based on family, social,Read MoreMystic Chords Of Memory : The Transformation Of Tradition988 Words   |  4 Pagescauses of the war and the longstanding sectional acrimony between North and South in the public memory. As Michael Kammen suggested in his 1991 book Mystic Chords of Memory: The Transformation of Tradition in American Culture historical meaning is imbued with concern for the present. For many Americans, North and South in the late nineteenth-century, â€Å"present† concerns were economic progress and stability. Sectional discord and enmity stood in the way of rebuilding the nation, and prosperity requiredRead MoreThe Are You Born?760 Words   |  4 Pagesand how strong is y our ethnic identity? My ethnic affiliation is African American. My ethnic identiy is very strong ethnicity and we as African American stays together. We have many outings in which we stick together such as family reunion, parties, and always pray together. In family reunion, we does many dance routines such as Cha Cha Slide, D-low shuffle, Juke Slide, and eltrectic slide. In parties, we celebrate in tradition to our ethnicities is every 1st birthday, 16th Birthday, 18th BirthdayRead MoreNike Yum : A Personal Statement898 Words   |  4 Pagesget-togethers, I was delighted to learn how to make my favorite dessert. My Grandma told me stories of her making the yum yum for church potlucks and Sunday family suppers. I felt an enormous amount of pride in making this dessert because now I was in the tradition. My mom told me her memories as a kid when I asked her about the yum yum and it made her light up. She said, â€Å"I looked forward to every summer to go to my Granny Fulmer’s house. When I thought of Granny Fulmer, I thought of blueberry yum yum. SheRead Moreâ€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pagesof a man and a woman but Alice Walker one of the foremost authors during the twentieth century, adds depth to her black American women by focusing on the role that race and gender played in their development. Family reunions can be times of great anticipation, excitement and happiness but for Dee, a young, beautiful, African American and our leading character, it was a reunion with underlying, unspoken tensions. Dee was Dee but Dee had changed; a new husband, nice clothes, and a college degreeRead MoreWe Must Learn Their Family s History1539 Words   |  7 Pagess history at one point or another, so let me tell you about mine. My family does things and has traditions just as any other family in the world. My family has the typical holiday get-togethers and family reunions every four years where you see the weird aunts and uncles who know exactly who you are and you just stand there like, â€Å"oh gosh, do I know this one?† Along with the typical family traditions, we also have our own. On Christmas at my Aunt s house all of the adults will play bingo for prizesRead MoreJapanese Television Essay1530 Words   |  7 Pageseveryone likes to know the domestic news, laugh, eat, watch their heroes on TV, and be reassured that they are part of a Japanese nation that is familiar and superior to that which is foreign and outside. Thus, the screening of Dosokai or Reunion; would seem like a strange idea. Dosokai was a soap opera, which showed in fairly graphic detail the sordid details of the gay subculture of the nation, which would in theory, alienate many viewers not comfortable or familiar withRead MoreI Am Proud of My Filipino and Chamorro Culture Essay681 Words   |  3 PagesPlease mark the bubble which correctly describes your ethnicity. I scan the options which range from Caucasian to African American to Hispanic and as usual, I proceed to mark the bubble which says Pacific Islander. Whenever people first meet me I get the inevitable query, â€Å"Are you Mexican..Hawaiian..Korean..Chinese..Vietnamese..etc.?† Typically, they get half my ethnicity correct, but no one has ever guessed what the other half is. What many people do not know about me is that I am a full-blooded

Monday, December 23, 2019

Never Let Me Go By Kazuo Ishiguro - 2932 Words

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let me Go, the proclaimed blasphemy of the process called cloning is not explained through scientific means, but is instead treated as an ordinary part of everyday life. Is this just a device used to convey a degree of empathy to Ishiguro’s text? Or has cloning become ‘humanised’ and is indistinguishable from what we would consider to be ordinary and mundane? There are firmly established archetypes in the Science Fiction genre of literature. The dystopian motif is a frequently used one, predictably creating a parallel world much like our own, except major scientific advancements threaten the human desire for individuality. Deconstructing this well-known archetype, Kazuo Ishiguro represents technology as an organic part of our everyday lives and redefines the relationship it has with individuality. Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go is a fictional story set in an alternate Britain sometime during the late 1990s. Very much a dystopian tale composed of tragic scenes, exploration of the meaning of ‘individuality’ and the nature of power and authority† come into play (Riemer). The plot structure of the story focuses on the tragic lives of three human clones – Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth – and in what manner they contend with what should be a horrific realisation, with the epiphany being that they were created with the single intention of donating their organs to members of the normal human population who are affected by terminal diseases such asShow MoreRelatedNever Let Me Go, By Kazuo Ishiguro1068 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen increasingly getting better at cloning and thus attempting more complicated cloning. In the 2005 novel, Never Let Me Go, human clones are created to be organ donors for humans that need an organ transplant in order to surv ive. Clones look like humans, have feelings like humans but are not necessarily looked at as â€Å"human beings† in the novel. Throughout the novel Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro’s expresses his belief that science has no limits and poses the questions ethically, where do humansRead MoreNever Let Me Go By Kazuo Ishiguro1512 Words   |  7 PagesBeginning to end, Kazuo Ishiguro’s speculative novel Never Let Me Go leaves readers wanting more—more closure, more answers, more facts. Throughout the entire novel, readers are left in the dark with few explicit details of the society or its origins. The shadowy, obscure Madame Marie-Claude is a paradigm for the motif of mystery and uncertainty throughout Never Let Me Go. Two to four times a year, preparations begin for Madame’s arrival at Hailsham without warning to the students. She visits, takesRead MoreNever Let Me Go, By Kazuo Ishiguro1714 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel â€Å"Never Let Me Go,† by Kazuo Ishiguro he addresses the issue about clones and how they grow up in an institution meant to get the students ready to conquer in a human environment. Ishiguro’s novel â€Å"Never Let Me Go† serves an approach to the â€Å"Cloning argument. In the novel a character named Kathy H was one of the primary ones who was cloned along with a few others. This helps us to answer the question of how clones should be treated in relation to human verses non-human concept, as Ishiguro attemptsRead MoreNever Let Me Go, By Kazuo Ishiguro Essay2335 Words   |  10 Pagesknowledge. In Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro, the institution of Hailsham helps shelter the clones, yet inhibits them. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Creature learns languages from his neighbors. The lack of an academic system causes a form of self-teaching. While self-learning is a form of self-realization as mentioned in Walter Kirn’s article â€Å"Lost In Meritocracy† Kirn learns from hi s experiences, Ellison from Invisible Man learns â€Å"street smarts† similar to the clones in Never Let Me Go in whichRead MoreNever Let Me Go By Kazuo Ishiguro1542 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelley, Ray Bradbury, Michael Crichton, and Kazuo Ishiguro, to name a few, have all written books displaying these dangers. While reading these books, the dangerous, immoral actions and abuse of power seem evident, yet locating them in society is not quite as simplistic. The authors attempt to grant their audience a better way of finding these warning signs, while also providing an entertaining story. In his novel Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro utilizes first-person narration, symbolism, andRead MoreNever Let Me Go By Kazuo Ishiguro Essay1928 Words   |  8 Pagesto have a great future, fall in love, get married, have a family, but most importantly have a wonderful life. What if your life had been planned out for you and the sole purpose of your existence was to donate your vital or gans? Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Never Let Me Go is a tragic love story between two human clones that fall in love before they know what love truly is. The clones are raised until adulthood in Hailsham, a boarding school for clones, to later become organ donors. They are trainedRead MoreNever Let Me Go By Kazuo Ishiguro2000 Words   |  8 PagesIn the novel Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro presents the story of Kathy H., and her friends Tommy and Ruth, who are growing up at Hailsham. Hailsham resembles an English contemporary boarding school, but one discovers that this school is specifically for clone children that have been created to donate their organs for the betterment of society. The author uses a descriptive narrative by Kathy to present the story of the short lives of clones, and the human lives they lead with all the difficultiesRead MoreNever Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro930 Words   |  4 Pages How do you classify rather someone is human or not? A tricky question has many different possible answers, but only a few that could be justified as being human. Kazuo Ishiguro has addressed this topic in his book Never Let Me Go. A reoccurring question throughout the novel is rather or not these clones are considered a human being or just another science project. Suspicious individuals of the surrounding communities in the novel, believed that the students were not human, because they couldRead MoreNever Let Me Go By Kazuo Ishiguro1386 Words   |  6 PagesAnother work that describes the life of minorities within society is Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Never Let Me Go. The main characters, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are students, but more importantly they are clones. They were produced for science and the harvesting of their organs, just as animals are harvested for their meat. The novel described them as being the same as the majority human population, with the only difference bei ng that they were created by science rather than physically born. These studentsRead More The novel Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro740 Words   |  3 PagesSeveral years ago a novel was written that threw the science fiction genre on its head because of the way that it tells the story and twists the ideas of typical book genres. The novel Never Let Me Go, a story by acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro is about a young lady and her friends, figuring out who they are from adolescence to adulthood. While at first this may seem a typical coming of age story, the novel starts to turn into a science fiction story and goes back again and forces readers to change

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Management Is an Integral Part of the Work of Everyone Free Essays

Human resource management is an integral part of the work of everyone in a managerial post and therefore line managers are the key drivers of Human Resource Management practices and systems BMAM702: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Executive Summary HRM may have many good thing to offer and line manager and perform many of it’s duties. Some line manager thing they are doing lot of HR duties and they are don’t mind doing it. However, other agrees that they don’t have enough knowledge and experience to carry put some of the action. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Is an Integral Part of the Work of Everyone or any similar topic only for you Order Now Also they see these actions as waste of their time. Table of Content Introduction1 Who is line manager? 1 The role of line managers in implementing HR processes2 Relationship between HR and the line2 Devolving responsibility down the line2 Impact of line manager behaviour3 Managing line managers4 Recommendation:5 Conclusion5 Reference5 Introduction This report will look at the how HRM can be incorporated to HRM. The involvement of line manager in HRM has been noted in literature from early 80’s. this report will try to show the role of line manager in implementing the role of HR and possible obstacle they may face due to this. Who is line manager? Front Line manager usually promoted from normal employees. As a result, they are experienced and know the general employee well, while they may not have any formal management education. CIPD have given a typical role of a front line manager, which may include the followings: * Day-to-day people management * Managing operational costs * Providing technical expertise * Organisation of work allocation and rotas * Monitoring work processes * Checking quality * Dealing with customers/clients Measuring operational performance. Increasingly, line managers are taking new responsibilities such as undertake performance appraisals, handle disciplinary activity also provide coaching and guidance. Moreover, in many companies line manager carry out responsibility such as recruitment and selection along side with HR. To answer the question why line managers are important? Sisson (1994, pp. 7-8) have given four principles of HRM, which includes beliefs and assumptions, manageria l role, organisation design and personal policy. Sisson also defines the role of top-manager, where it was stated that top-managers should establish organisation’s mission and values, and shearing their future vision and success with other employee and provide transformational leadership. Where as when describing the role of middle manager Sisson states that they should be able to â€Å"inspire, encourage, enable and facilitate change by harnessing commitment and co-operation of (the organization’s) employees; they also see the development of employees as a primary role† (Sisson, 1994, p. 8). Hence, it can be said that Sisson trying to say every layers of management has important part to play in implementing the HRM approach in an organisation. The role of line managers in implementing HR processes Relationship between HR and the line Research has shown front line managers play more central role in implementing people management policies, because they have influence in employee’s attitude and behaviours. Which, in turn affects the performance of an organisation (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003). Although line manager have some input in this area but many HR directors have shown concern about the ffectiveness of line manager in implementing people management policies (Hutchinso, 2008). When a line manager was asked about their role â€Å"one manager interviewed remarked ‘you are the piggy in the middle’ – on the one hand expected to be the voice of management and yet on the other the champion of the team’s interests† (Hutchinso, 2008). Storey (1992) have made the role of line manager clear and cleared the idea that HRM is not another alternative title for Personal Management; rather it is very unique approach. Storey has identified 3 elements that connects HRM and line manager. The first element is to agree that HR of a company is the ones that â€Å"make the differences†. Connected to the first, the second element is as a result HR needs to be managed in a strategic way. Therefore, Storey states â€Å"people-management decisions ought not to be treated as incidental operational matters or be sidelined into the hands of personnel officers† (Storey, 1992: p. 26). Connecting first and second element, Storey stated his third element, which requires line managers to be aware of HR and Strategic direction of an organisation as stated by top-level managers. Thus, the management of people have to be done accordingly by the line managers. Devolving responsibility down the line In late 80’s and early 90’s the use of the term human resource management (HRM) gave rise to pool of literature to be written in order to establish the definition and differences of HRM compare to Personal Management (PM). Among many others Armstrong (1987) was saying â€Å"The game was changing and it was useful to have a new name and a new language to encapsulate what was taking place in the world of work. Even though, there were lot of disagreement about HRM and PM, however many have agreed that the new proposed HRM system increased the role of line manager. Hence, numerous articles and reports have been written on the involvement of Line manager in HRM. Currie and Procter (2001) presented in their report that, recently line manager is playing more central role to HRM because of the fact that some HR works is ‘devolved’ to the line man ager. The researches carried out by CIPD have shown that, there are positive feelings amongst the employee when the line manages plays significant role in implementing some of the HR policies themselves. As a result, employees have higher level of commitment and satisfaction in their job, which gives higher performance. Cunningham et. el (1999) have stated that devolution of responsibility between line manager and HR consultants, enables release of HR professional â€Å"from the burdensome toil of conducting routine techniques†. As a result they can focus more on strategic business decision (Whittaker, and Marchington, 2003). Impact of line manager behaviour Line managers have significant effects on employees. Their behaviour and practice will affect the level and focus of employee commitment. The goal of HRM is to achieve employees’ commitment to the organization, with the aim of making these employees â€Å"more satisfied, more productive and more adaptable† (Guest, 1987, p. 513). That is only possible with having a strong line manager who can recognise, and appreciate the work of employees. Research shown that generally line managers are relatively happy in completing some HR work, one of the managers said, â€Å"If there wasn’t any personnel [function] I’d need to do personnel work anyway, because it’s my job (Power Business, Utility Co. †. However, same time they agree that they are on their own inadequacies in HRM. Another manager have made remark such as: â€Å"Look at sickness absence, there are those line managers that will do that without being reminded, there are those that will do that because they care, and there are line managers that just will not do it unless they are actually pushed into doing it. I think the more HR that we push down to the line managers, the more uncontrolled it will become (Generation Business, Utility Co. )† (Renwick, 2003). Renwick (2003) have done extensive research on line manager involvement in HRM, and listed many positive and negative of HRM perctices withing line managers. Some of these are listed below (1) Positives: * The line are taking on responsibility and accountability in HR work. * Flexibility is forthcoming from the line to do HR work. * The line are keen to take part on doing HR work. * The line are managing large numbers of employees. * The line take a professional and serious attitude to doing HR work. * Line managers are relatively happy doing some HR work. The line are considerate of employee needs and wishes. * The line see HR as positive helpers in HR work. * The line see career bene? ts for them in doing HR work. (2) Negatives: * The line have many duties, and lack time to do HR work well. * The line do not see themselves as experts in HRM. * Doing HR work dilutes the line’s generalist managerial focus. * Signi? cant line inadequacies in handling HR work. * Tensions between line and HR over transfer and completion of HR duties. * The line need to re? ect and be critical of their performance in HR work. The line are reliant on HR to do HR work properly. * Differing line commitment and discipline levels to doing HRM. * The line have responsibility and accountability in HRM, but little authority. * Little appreciation of line ? exibility in doing HR tasks from ? rms. After the research Renwick summarised it with saying line managers â€Å"acknowledge that they shared the completion of HR work with HR. † However, although line are doing well in some HRM practices, but still they lucks the expertise, knowledge and experience to carry out full HRM duties. Moreover, many aspects of HRM line dislike doing. Redman’s (2001) finding shows that some line will complete employee performance appraisal over phone call. Managing line managers To get best performance from the line manager they have to be managed in right way. The relationship line manager enjoys with from their manager will reflect on how line manager conducts themselves with others. The graph below shows how senior management felt about HRM and effect it will have on value added activities. The trends shows that the move towards strategic HRM mean that an ef? cient and professional service will be delivered within agreed time-scales with an ensured consistency of approach, (Sisson, 1994). Fig 1. The road to achieving a value-added function (Sisson, 1994). The figure and the report have show that line managers are happen to carry out some of the duties, however, they do feel long and bureaucratic process of HRM is waste of their time. Recommendation: I feel line manager should perform some HRM actions. Such as , undertaking performance appraisal. This process will enable them to learn more about the employee, hence they will be able to relate to the employee and show consideration for them. Since, line manager is the first level of contact with employee they should take the responsibility to overlook the employee‘s training and couching. Moreover, line manager should be the role model and shows how to balance work-life. Conclusion Although HRM practices show benefit to an organisation, however there are still many areas need more clarity. Although line manager understand the importance of HR work but they still require training and understanding some of the practices of HRM. Line manager have the most influence, performance and commitment of employee greatly depends on how line manager conduct themselves with employees. Reference Armstrong, M. (1987. Human resource management: a case of the emperor’s new clothes?. Personnel Management, Vol. 19 No. 8, pp. 30-5. Cunningham, I. and Hyman, J. (1999), â€Å"Devolving HR responsibilities to the line – beginning of the end or a new beginning for personnel? †, Personnel Review, Vol. 8 No. 1-2, pp. 9-27. Currie, G. and Procter, S. (2001). Exploring the relationship between HR and middle managers. Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 53-69. Hutchinson, S. (2008). The role of front line managers in bringing policies to life. Bristol Business School. Hutchinson, S. and Purcell, J. (2003). Bringing Policies to Life: The vital role of front lin e managers. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Renwick, D, (2003) â€Å"Line manager involvement in HRM: an inside view†, Employee Relations, Vol. 25 Iss: 3, pp. 262 – 280 Richbell, S. 2001), â€Å"Trends and emerging values in human resource management: The UK scene†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 261-8. Sisson, K. (1994), â€Å"Personnel management: paradigms, practice and prospects†, in Sisson, K. (Ed. ), Personnel Management – A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice in Britain, 2nd ed. , Blackwell, Oxford. Storey, J. (1992), Development in the Management of Human Resources, Blackwell, Oxford. Whittaker, S. Marchington, M. (2003) â€Å"Devolving HR responsibility to the line: Threat, opportunity or partnership? â€Å", Employee Relations, Vol. 25 Iss: 3, pp. 245 – 261 How to cite Management Is an Integral Part of the Work of Everyone, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Cultural Aspect Of Global Business Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Cultural Aspect Of Global Business. Answer: Introduction This case study is delving with the issues relating to the cultural aspect of global business. Sustainable business practices take into consideration the issues relating to CSR, foreign investment, as well as the advantages of regional integration in respect of the countries within as well as organizations conducting business in that area. The organizations that are trying to start their operations in a foreign nation need to consider the cultural changeability of various areas of the world as well as developing a cultural understanding. Importance of cultural understanding regarding market entry and development When an organization is entering a new market, certain issues in regard to cultural differences might be encountered by the company. Cultural differences that need to be considered by the company entering the new market comprises of factors such as languages, religions, social standards as well as demographics. The significance of cultural understanding regarding the aspect of market entry and development are mentioned as under, The cultural aspect, which might be considered being national or organizational culture, will be providing the company a better understanding for conducting business. It should be noted here that the majority of the daily as well as regular business operations are considered being culturally driven. While entering a new market, an organization should not simply be relying upon its present process of conducting business. The reason for doing so is that the every country is having a set of varied variables that can be regarded as new for an offshore company such as rules and regulations, taxation, different currency, different periods of holiday and so on. The most significant consideration regarding this is the cultural difference (Crowney, 2016). Expansion of business into international territories can take place either via internal growth or mergers and acquisitions. There can occur the aspect of cultural mismatching when an organization will be making decisions in setting up base in a new country since it will be taking time for learning the cultural aspects as well as adopting the countrys traits. When organizations are trying to make an entry into a new market that is having varied cultural aspects, it is required for the organizations entering the new market to have an understanding as well as mapping of the cultural differences for bridging the gap amongst the business units that are performing in multiple cultural aspects. While entering the new market, the knowledge relating to organizational culture is considered essential in respect of managers and should be taken into consideration in the feedback process, intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards and so on. Organizations that are not having any complete understanding of the cultural aspect of the region that is being targeted for setting up base will often be devising strategies related to marketing that will not be attracting the customers interest and will be facing failure from the very beginning itself. For working effectively in Indonesia there is the need to try reaching an agreement. The country is having an agreement based discussion cultural aspect. One of the constitutional standards is associated with the aspect of making decisions depending upon consultation as well as consensus. This attitude is very much common regarding the business culture in Indonesia. Decisions are made depending upon discussions that are considered being long lasting as well as consultation amongst the business partners. A business solution that might be a considered being a contractual association or any business deal is required meeting the consent of everybody that is having an involvement, since the Indonesian cultural aspect is depending upon a collective principle in which every individual is required providing their consent for having a working solution (Kraidy, 2017). Analysis of the Indonesian culture by using the Hofstede Framework Through the use of the Hofstede Framework, the Indonesian culture needs to be analyzed that will take into consideration the dimensions of Power Distance Index, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance Index as well as Long-Term Orientation. Powder Distance Index This dimension is explaining the degree to which the less powerful organizational members as well as institutional members within a country are accepting the fact that there occurs unequal distribution of power. Indonesia will be having a high score regarding this dimension stating that the country is following certain traits such as having dependence on hierarchy, unequal rights amongst the power holders as well as non-power holders, directive leaders, and controls relating to the management. There occurs centralization of the power and managers are counting upon the team members obedience. Staffs are having the expectation of being told what needs to be done and when it should be done. There is the expectation of control and managers are given due respect regarding their position. There occurs indirect communication and negative feedback is not disclosed (Forsgren, 2014). High Power Distance is also stating that the co-workers in Indonesia will be having the expectation of having a clear direction from the manager or senior. Individualism The primary issue that this dimension will be addressing is considered being the level of interdependence that is maintained by the society within its members. In the Individualist societies, it is supposed that people should only be looking after themselves as well as their direct family. In Collectivist societies, individuals are belonging to the in groups that are taking care of them in return of loyalty (Moran, 2014). Indonesia is considered being a Collectivist society, explaining the fact that there is increased affinity for a strong social structure where individuals are having the expectation of conforming to societys ideals as well as the in-groups to which they are a part of. Masculinity A high score i.e. Masculine on this dimension will be indicating that the society gets driven by competition, achievement as well as success, where success gets defined by the one wins or outshines others in their respective field. This is a value system that begins in school and will be continuing all through the organizational phase. A low score i.e. Feminine on this dimension will be stating that the prevailing societal values are to care for others as well as quality of life. From a Feminine societys perspective, quality of life is considered being the sign of being successful and it is not commendable to stand out from the crowd. The primary concern in this respect is what crates motivation from individuals, whether it is the desire for being the best i.e. Masculine or to like what an individual does i.e. Feminine (Storey, 2016). Indonesia is considered having low Masculine regarding this dimension. Within the country, statuses as well as visible symbols relating to success are considered having significance but it is not material profit that will be bringing motivation every time. Most of the time it is the position that is being held by an individual that is considered having more significance to them due to an Indonesian notion known as gengsi that means outward appearances. It is considered being necessary that there is strong maintenance of gengsi so that a different outward appearance gets projected that is having the aim to impress as well as create the impression of status (Brouthers, 2013). Within the Feminine countries, the managers are striving for an agreement, individuals are valuing equality, solidarity as well as quality within their professional lives. There occurs resolving of conflicting situations through the aspect of compromising as well as negotiating. Incentives like free time as well as flexibility are supported. An efficient manager is considered being a supportive one, and there occurs the achievement of decision making via involvement. On the other hand, the lower Masculine countries are displaying the characteristics of Masculine societies but in a lesser quantity. Uncertainty Avoidance This dimension is associated with the manner in which a society is dealing with the fact that the future is always unknown and the degree to which the members of a cultural aspect will be feeling threatened by the circumstances that are considered being ambiguous or not known. Indonesia is having a low preference towards the avoidance of uncertainty, meaning that there is a strong preference within the country regarding the Javanese separation culture relating to the internal self from the external self. One more aspect of this dimension can be associated with Conflict resolution. Direct Communication can be considered as a conflict resolution method that is mostly considered as an intimidating circumstance and one that the Indonesian is not comfortable in (Ambos, 2014). A successful conflict resolution process is associated with the aspect of taking the more familiar path of using a third party mediator that is having numerous beneficial aspects. Long Term Orientation This dimension is describing the ways by which every society is required maintaining certain connections with its individual past while dealing with the challenging aspects associated with the present as well as future. Also, societies are prioritizing these two existential objectives in a different manner. In this regard, it can be stated that countries having a pragmatic cultural approach are encouraging prudence as well as efforts in modern education as a means for preparing for the future. Indonesia is considered having a pragmatic culture and individuals that are in societies having a pragmatic orientation, they are believing that the truth is depending strongly or circumstances, context as well as time (Reiche, 2016). They are showing the capability for the aspect of adapting the traditional aspects in an easy manner for changed circumstances, a strong inclination in respect of saving as well as investing and determination to achieve the outcomes. Impact of CSR issues on the international business activities of an organization In regard to the Corporate Social Responsibility, there are certain issues that are impacting the international business activities of an organization that take into consideration the economic responsibilities, legal responsibilities, ethical responsibilities as well as the philanthropic responsibilities. Economic Responsibilities In respect of the international business activities, it can be stated that the primary responsibility of an organization is associated with its economic responsibilities. This is stating that an organization is required having the primary concern of making profit when setting up business abroad. This is associated with the fact that without making adequate money, staffs will be losing their jobs and the organization will not be able to think about taking care of its social accountabilities in the foreign country. Therefore, prior to an organization having the thought of becoming a better corporate citizen, it primarily requires ensuring that it can become profitable in regard to its international business activities (Armstrong, 2015). Legal Responsibilities The legal responsibilities of an organization are the needs that are placed on it in accord with the law when setting up business in a foreign country. To ensure that the organization is having profitability, it is required ensuring that it will be obeying every law that is prevailing within the foreign country, which is having the most significant accountability, in accord to the corporate social responsibility theory. The legal responsibilities will be ranging from the securities regulations to the labour laws, environmental laws as well as criminal laws in relation to the international business activities (Ferraro, 2017). Ethical Responsibilities After meeting the primary requirements regarding economic as well as legal accountabilities in respect of an organization, there is the need for the organization to concern itself with the ethical responsibilities regarding the international business activities. The ethical responsibilities will be including the process of being environmentally friendly, making the payment of fair wages or refusing to do business with countries that are considered being oppressive (Pudelko, 2014). Philanthropic Responsibilities When an organization will be meeting each of its other responsibilities relating to the international business activities, it will also start to meet the philanthropic responsibilities. These responsibilities are considered moving beyond what is simply necessary or what the organization believes to be correct. They are having the involvement of making an endeavour of benefitting the society within the foreign country (Wild, 2014). Incorporation of risk into market entry strategies using an Adaptation Strategy When an organization will be entering a new market, it is required coping up with the cultural as well as demographic differences in the way it will be handling marketing. The adaptation strategy will be implying the process of changing the different aspects relating to products as well as services to a substantial extent for meeting the requirement of the customers in the global markets by considering their differences. Moreover, while the product adaptation strategy will get involved, there will occur the addressing of the differences relating to particular markets at the stage of product development, accommodating the differences regarding the wants of the customers as well as needs in an efficient way (Stahl, 2015). There are certain disadvantages associated with the adaptation strategy in respect of an organization that are mentioned as under, Increased levels of financial costs can be particularly mentioned as a major drawback relating to the adaptation strategy. Low implementation speed regarding adaptation strategy is considered being another drawback. Adaptation strategy in general, does the elimination of the scopes to benefit from the economies of scale. To learn the conditions regarding the local culture for the integration of this information relating to the components of marketing mix will be considered to be an expensive scheme (Cavusgil, 2014). Description regarding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) In 1967, there occurred the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines towards the promotion of political as well as economic association as well as regional constancy. The ASEAN Community comprises of the three pillars such as the Political-Security Community, Economic Community as well as Socio-Cultural Community. Benefits and drawbacks of regional integration Gains in Trade (Benefits) Trade gains are considered being one of the key advantages in respect of regional integration. This will assist in leading towards the monetary advantages in respect of countries that are having the involvement via more advantages in respect of the countries of origin as well as via cheaper products in respect of the importing nations (Deresky, 2017). Cultural Centralization (Drawbacks) Regional Integration is having a non-economic disadvantage stating that in particular, strong integration will be leading to the loss of distinctive minority cultural aspects within a region. Conclusion To conclude, it can be stated that a discussion has been made regarding the significance of cultural understanding in respect of market entry and development. Then, with the use of the Hofstede Framework, the Indonesian cultural aspect is being analyzed. The CSR issues have been described and explaining in what ways these issues will be impacting the global business activities regarding an organization. Also, a brief description has been provided regarding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as discussing the advantages as well as disadvantages relating to regional integration. References Ambos, B., Hkanson, L. (2014). The concept of distance in internationalmanagement research.Journal of International Management,20(1), 1-7. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2015).Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Brouthers, K. D. (2013). A retrospective on: Institutional, cultural and transaction cost influences on entry mode choice and performance.Journal of International Business Studies,44(1), 14-22. Cavusgil, S. T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J. R., Rammal, H. G., Rose, E. L. (2014).International business. Pearson Australia. Crowne, K. A., Engle, R. L. (2016). Antecedents of Cross-Cultural Adaptation Stress in Short-Term International Assignments.Organization Management Journal,13(1), 32-47. De Mooij, M. (2013).Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications. Deresky, H. (2017).International management: Managing across borders and cultures. Pearson Education India. Ferraro, G. P., Briody, E. K. (2017).The cultural dimension of global business. Taylor Francis. Forsgren, M., Johanson, J. (2014).Managing networks in international business. Routledge. Kraidy, M. (2017).Hybridity, or the cultural logic of globalization. Temple University Press. Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., Moran, S. V. (2014).Managing cultural differences. Routledge. Pudelko, M., Tenzer, H., Harzing, A. W. (2014). Cross-cultural management and language studies within international business research: past and present paradigms and suggestions for future research.Routledge companion to crosscultural management. London: Routledge. Reiche, B. S., Mendenhall, M. E., Stahl, G. K. (Eds.). (2016).Readings and cases in international human resource management. Taylor Francis. Stahl, G. K., Tung, R. L. (2015). Towards a more balanced treatment of culture in international business studies: The need for positive cross-cultural scholarship.Journal of International Business Studies,46(4), 391-414. Storey, D. J. (2016).Understanding the small business sector. Routledge. Wild, J. J., Wild, K. L., Han, J. C. (2014).International business. Pearson Education Limited.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Essay Example

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Paper Is Religion Man Made? When you think of religion what do you think of? Are you a religious person? Do you not care much for religion? Have you ever thought of religion as an idea that the elites make up to suppress the people with horrible lives from revolting and do their job? This is what William Blake, author of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† in the Songs of Innocence, thinks of religion. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. In the story, the chimney sweepers work tirelessly and they are extremely poor. They are the scum of society and are rejected by all kinds of people. The symbolic order gives them the idea that if they are obedient and do not speak out against what society has put them through, then they will go to heaven and have a much better life than the life they have now. In the story one of the chimney sweepers has a dream that an angel comes to him and tells him that if he is obedient then he will be in heaven and meet God. â€Å"And the angel told Tom, if hed be a good boy; Hed have God for his father, and never want joy† (Blake). The angel represents the Symbolic Order telling the children to stay obedient so that they can go to heaven. We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Society, especially the authority figures, tells the children these things so that they just do their jobs without any troubles. The fact that this is a dream implies that this isn’t real and that the elites in society just make up religion to quite the masses. The chimney sweepers use the ideas given to them by the Symbolic Order and use them to repress the fact that they have horrible lives. Instead of trying to get out of the situation they are in they just be obedient and do nothing more; this way they can meet God in heaven. â€Å"And so Tom awoke†¦Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm† (Blake). Even though Tom is just dreaming about going to heaven, he believes that he will if he is obedient. Instead of being miserable like normal, he is happy and warm because he has something to look forward to in the after-life. His ignorance towards the fact that it was just a dream gives him bliss even though his life is awful. The chimney sweepers have a fear of death because they are so willing to accept the idea of going to heaven after they die as long as they are obedient. They are afraid of dying considering the fact that they’re lives are terrible and they don’t want to die with such a bad life. If they have something to look forward to after they die, then they won’t be so afraid of dying; which is why religion helps them get over their fear of death. â€Å"So if all do their duty they need not fear harm† (Blake). As long as they do what they are told they will have no harm in the after-life. This is why Tom is depressed before the dream and after the dream Tom is happy and warm. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. The chimney sweepers’ lives are as bad as can be but society gives them empty promises so that they can stay quiet and do their work. These ideas that the Symbolic Order gives help the sweepers get over their fear of death by giving them hope. It also helps them repress how bad their lives are. It takes their mind off of the fact they can try to change their lives. Overall the author is trying to convey that religion is just an idea made up by the Symbolic Order to repress people and keep them in line. Works Cited Blake, William. The Chimney Sweeper.   Songs of Innocence. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. N. pag. Http://www. online-literature. com. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. http://www. online-literature. com/poe/628/.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Deep Economy by Bill McKibben

Deep Economy by Bill McKibben Introduction Deep Economy offers an insightful platform to any reader as it prompts him to analyze his current living condition. The author, Bill McKibben captures the reader’s mind through his well thought out and articulated ideas that expose his prowess in the field of ecological economics. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deep Economy by Bill McKibben specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The book delivers a specific message to the reader and even critics have agreed that the book plays its role in communication. Bill challenges the reader to think of another life beyond ‘growth’ to achieve prosperity. He argues that this is possible if people concentrate more in their local production. He seems to have an answer to all the budding problems affecting the community with an aim of bringing changes in their daily lifestyle and economy. One of the strongest points brought out in his argument is his s tand on the community and individualism (McKibben 108). Many people have no idea what this means but a clear understanding of Deep Economy brings to light the issue of community that triggers our thinking. And how does it achieve this goal? First of all, we have shunned communism and turned to individualism. We have lost the idea of thinking as a community and turned to other westernized sources outside our own society to revive our economy. A wrong move I must say. Secondly, globalization seems to be conquering the entire world leading to the loss of all types of primeval community values. McKibben argues that we need to re-awaken the lost communities, a concept which though possible, has been met with a lot of criticism. Lastly, it is apparent that the community has adequate resources to sustain the economy but we, as individuals, tend to ignore them. The Importance of Community Based on the above three reasons that help us to understand our community, it is worth discussing its role. McKibben holds the community in high esteem as portrayed in chapter three and four of his book. These two chapters give a conclusive argument on why the community is vital for economic growth. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The community is inhabited by individuals who are hyper (McKibben 115). More emphasis should therefore be placed on the community rather than the sole individual. McKibben advocates for the embracing of community values to attain a more sustainable lifestyle. Does this make any sense? Well, society has currently become more individualized with everybody crying about their ‘rights.’ This has been attributed to globalization and change of culture that has led people to be selfish in their way of living. The new culture of ‘everyone for himself and God for us all’ has become entrenched in individuals, hence shunn ing the society and its needs. Many people would be lost in the idea of thinking that the community does not play any role in our daily lives hence shunning it. The economy depends on right relationships within the community. Successful people such as Schumacher or Michael Ruppert are evidence that success comes from within the community and that it is challenging for individuals to try making it on their own (Hoogstraten 45). Modernization is taking over communities leaving individuals to be more and more independent. What happens to family-community? Where does the church and state-community stand? What McKibben is trying to argue is that we seem not to care about the welfare of each other. In the Middle Ages for example, a family problem was solved by the community but today the situation has changed. We are turning to institutions such as the court to give us a solution. The idea of worshipping together as a community was lost long ago with the individuals deeply engaged in sh opping and their careers. McKibben offers a solution of revival but many critics argue that this is not possible. The most applicable solution offered by McKibben, and one that I wholly agree with is the idea of using the community to create our own local wealth (McKibben 120). The example he gives on how the community is capable of creating its own wealth is proof enough that the society has the required resources to improve the economy. Two examples from his book that clearly stand out are the idea of the bus transportation model that he observes in Brazil and the concept of owning a currency that can only be exchanged locally. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deep Economy by Bill McKibben specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These ideas are brilliant and applicable and one wonders why we have never thought of these before. It is true that people have forgotten to invest in their own communities and are fascinated by other successful business investments outside their territory. Criticism The idea of communism has not been received without criticism. The idea has been criticized on the notion that it will be difficult to revert to communism (Rheannon 23). This is because people have already adjusted to a new livelihood of individualism and independence. Most people will not be willing to let go of the idea of private ownership which will have to undergo a transformation to attain a sustainable balance with community ownership. Though this arguments make sense, it can however be argued that it is possible to utilize the resources in the community to regain the lost glory. This is possible through special initiatives such as volunteer and welfare groups (Korten 67). Conclusion The community has the potential. That said and done, it is for us as community members to turn that potential into reality. Deep Economy got us thinking about the ‘after growth’ to a better economic future. T he book is worth reading and recommending to everybody wishing to make a change in their lifestyle by involving the community. Hoogstraten, Hans-Dirk. Deep Economy: Caring for Ecology, Humanity and Religion. England: James Clarke Co., 2001. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Korten, David. Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth. California: Berrett-Koebler Publishers, 2010. Print. McKibben, Bill. Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. New York: Time Books, 2007. Print. Rheannon, Francesca. Book Review: Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. Sustainability Investment News. 7 May 2007. www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cg/2286.html. 3 August 2011. Print.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Negative Impact of Tourism Due to Increased Globalization Essay

The Negative Impact of Tourism Due to Increased Globalization - Essay Example It is essential and even necessary to communicate and reach out to the rest of the world as an isolated country can never flourish and keep pace with the rapidly moving world. Japan is an evident example of this case as it had kept itself apart from the rest of the world for many years, not even allowing trade and business with other nations. Japan's isolation policy was fully implemented by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Ievasu and Shogun from 1623 to 1641. For over a hundred years, it retained its secluded position, cut off from the rest of the world, but then, after the Tokugawa government fell, it realized the importance of interconnectivity and globalization (Richie and Reischauer 1994). Now Japan is the home of technology; it is a pioneer in various novelties, most of them related to the information technology and better ways of communication and connectivity. Through globalization the economies of all countries are being rapidly integrated. One method of achieving globaliza tion is through tourism. It especially helps in the cultural interaction of one nation to another as well as a source of revenue generation. Tourism is the commercial organization of traveling for recreation and the sum of relationships resulting from the interaction between the tourists, local government, business suppliers, host communities etc. Tourism plays a vital role in the strengthening of a country's economy as it generates an immense amount of revenue for the government of the county. Local businesses also thrive due to tourism and the tourism industry offers various jobs, which ultimately results in high rates of employment. These are a few positive aspects of tourism but where it is earning net national benefits, it is also responsible for its negative impact on the country's image and economy. Tourism is the world's number one export earner, but with its advantages come the negative aspects and disadvantages. Underdeveloped and developed countries want to promote touris m because it is a good industry for revenue generation, but more than often these are not as beneficial or promising as they sound. The major reason for this is the large transfer of money from the host country and the exclusion of local businesses and products. The tourism industry results in inbound country expenses, as the tourists that come to visit the local community or the host country bring foreign exchange revenues with them mostly in the form of liquid cash, taxes, expanses etc. from their home country. These inbound expenses are usually in the form of destination specific expenses as the tourist require lodging and food facilities on their vacation trips. The foreign revenue which is supposed to help the host country economically results in having unfavorable effects on the host community because of certain hidden costs. These hidden costs are more applicable in developing and underdeveloped countries as most of the foreign revenues which come in the host country through tourists leave through leakages. Even though the revenues are retained by destination specific expenses, estimates show that nearly 80% of them are leaked back to the home country of the tourists, the inbound country expenses are basically the destination specific expenses which the tourists spend on their vacation residence and culinary expenses along with the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Policy brief on Poverty and Development in Argentina Assignment

Policy brief on Poverty and Development in Argentina - Assignment Example This report declares that poor enrolment rate of the poor population in Argentina was further worsened by the recent economic recessions that occurred in the years 1995 and 1999. There are viable strategies that could be adopted by the Argentinean government to ensure that this problem is arrested once and for all. The government should ensure that there is extension of greater investments in educational facilities, for example, extending the â€Å"Plan Social Educativo† that is currently in place. In addition to that, the government should also grant cash grants to its poor populations to ensure that their children are kept in school especially at the secondary level as this will greatly offset some of the economic incentives arising from leaving school and also cope with the impacts associated with unemployment. This paper makes a conclusion that there is actually a lot that the government of Argentina could do to arrest poverty issues in the country. The establishment or the creation of a system that will entail cost recovery from public university students who at most times tend to come from poor families and the creation of a nationwide system comprising of scholarships for students coming from poor families will be a great step in poverty reduction. Indeed, hope is not lost for Argentina as a country and therefore the adoption of the above strategies will greatly make the country to become a great economic hub in the world.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Western Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Western Civilization - Essay Example These are examples of things that have been brought about the western civilization; they have improved efficiency in business operations like faster communication, management and general quality improvements (Wright W. 1913). However, other practices from western civilization have been discouraged in many societies, for instance, some kinds of fashion; music and entertainment have been described as insane, increasing immorality and eroding the conservative nature of most other world civilizations. Following worldwide concern over the influence of western civilization, the violations experienced from this civilization can be said to be changing forms in the wake of modern developments in technology (Wright W. 1913). For this reason, the internet invention has risen to become the chief influence of people’s behaviors and actions. Western civilizations Influence of human violence has been seen to be changing forms, this has been necessitated by new lifestyle patterns and technological advancements. Before, human violence based mostly on nations superiority, ground and military might, however, in modern times, the dimension has shifted to include economic patterns. In this case, the violence that was experienced earlier can be seen to have changed its form

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Qualitative Study Review: Triggers for Self Abuse

Qualitative Study Review: Triggers for Self Abuse Title: executive summaries of specified papers Triggers for self abuse; A qualitative study, Mary T Weber, Archives of psychiatric nursing, Volume 16, Issue 3, June 2002, Pages 118-124. This paper is essentially a qualitative study of a small cohort of 9 self abusing women. It was constructed using an analysis of a total of 42 semistructured interviews and attempting to draw out common themes. It has to be observed that this is a very specific cohort and probably cannot be extrapolated to reflect the trends in the general population, as this particular group were all in a locked psychiatric ward in the USA. The paper is essentially divided into three sections. The first is a resume of the background to academic studies of self injury, the second is a justification and explanation of the methodology used in the study and the third is an analysis of the data which ends with a discussion of the findings. An analytical overview would have to observe that the observational viewpoint in this paper is that of the social constructionist feminist. Although the paper sets out to be semi structured in its intervention, it appears clear that the interviewer is overtly active and sets out the parameters of the topics to be discussed and observes the fact that the â€Å"reality †¦.is jointly constructed.† (Parker and Lawton 2003) The author clearly has an agenda in this paper and, to some extent this is presented in the discussion section. She believes that women who self harm are often considered to be manipulative and do not evoke sympathy from healthcare professionals. The author puts the point that it is by the examination of the aspect of â€Å"hope† in their lives that these women can be optimally helped. This is clearly not a quantitative examination of the issues and might reasonably be considered more of an essay on the subject rather than an investigation into it. Although the outcomes presented are probably both laudable and admirable, the use of this paper as an evidence base for practice is effectively limited to consideration of this particular author’s opinion. (Henriksen et al 2003) We could contrast this paper with the excellent monograph on the subject by Isacsson G and Rich CL (2001), two professors who offer their opinions (backed up with appropriate references to academia) on the management of the self harming patient. In essence their overview sums up their views that: Patients who deliberately harm themselves should be assessed as comprehensively and thoroughly as possible, including the risk for suicide A multidisciplinary team approach to assessment and management is optimal A psychiatrist should be involved in the evaluation Management should be individualised on the basis of the assessment; mostly treatment for associated psychiatric disorders and assistance with precipitating circumstances Patients accepting offers for help should be followed up quickly. We would suggest that this latter paper provides a much better evidence base for practice in the nursing profession. Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for deliberate self harm {Review} Hawton k, Townsend E, Arensman E, Gunnell D, Hazell P, House A, van Heeringen KThe Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2005 Issue 4. This paper is effectively a meta analysis of 23 studies in the area of self harm. It takes a wide database of papers published prior to 1999 from as far back as 1966. This paper is completely at the other end of the spectrum to the first one considered. It is both valid and relevant to everyday clinical practice. The construction of the analysis is rigorous and methodical. It divides the various studies considered into 11 different subsets depending on the outcome variables declared. This reduces its ability to generalise, but equally increases its ability to be statistically valid. In terms of an evidence base. The first half of the paper is little more than an explanation of the search and inclusion strategy for the analysis The overriding finding of the paper is that there is still insufficient research on the subject of self harm to allow the healthcare professional to feel confident of a secure evidence base (Mohammed, D et al 2003) and it calls for more large and well constructed trials to be done in the area. It points to the fact that a great many of the trials published did not have a sufficiently large entry cohort to allow strong statistical analysis to be made. One of the benefits of a meta analysis is the fact that it can gain statistical validity from the assimilation of many smaller trials, but in this case, because the authors subdivided their considerations into 11 different subsets, this benefit is greatly reduced. (Grimes DA et al. 2002) As for conclusions, the authors make a very self effacing statement that even their meta analysis does not provide a sufficient evidence base for effective forms of treatment of deliberate self harm. The implication of this statement is that, if this analysis cannot add to the evidence base, then the smaller, less statistically significant trials that it considered cannot do so either. This view is echoed by another meta analysis paper (Healy D 2002) which we can present in support of this particular paper Cognitive-behavioural intervention in deliberate self-harm, Anthony Joseph Raj M, V Kumaraiah, Ajit V Bhide, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Volume 104, Issue 5, Page 340, November 2001. This paper is entirely different from the preceding two. It is a randomised controlled trial with a small entry cohort of 40 patients split into a treatment and a control group of 20 patients each. Clearly this is a very small sample and the site of the trial is in India so it may not have a great relevance to the UK culture. (Veitch RM 2002) The first part of the paper gives an excellent overview of the evolution of various treatment strategies together with an indication of their relative efficacy. A noticeable strength of this trial was its robust measurement strategy with ten different measurement scales being employed to minimise observer bias. (Cochran and Cox. 1957) A major shortcoming of this trial is that it attempted to contrast a number of different intervention strategies within the already small intervention cohort. The results therefore cannot really be seen as having any great generalisable significance. It may provide useful information, but as being suitable for inclusion in a firm evidence base, it could be considered sadly lacking. If we contrast this with the paper by Soomro, (Soomro GM 2004) which considers the efficacy of various aspects of cognitive behaviour therapy in the self harm group we can see that the latter’s entry cohort of nearly 500 has a much greater statistical significance and therefore a much greater relevance. Methodological issues in nursing research, Nurses attitudes towards clients who self-harm, McAllister A, Creedy D, Moyle W, Farrugia C, Journal of advanced nursing Volume 40, Issue 5, Page 578, December 2002. In many respects, this paper is a combination of many of the elements that we have discussed in the preceding three papers. It is designed to explore the attitude that receiving nurses have in the AE dept, when they deal with patients who have self harmed. Paper 1 (Weber M 2002) made the unsupported statement that nurses are less than empathetic when dealing with the self harm patient. This paper presents the evidence base behind this assumption. There is a section which reviews previous work in the area and comments on the rather counter intuitive fact that mental health professionals (who might be expected to me more empathetic and understanding) tend to be less tolerant and supportive as they typically see this type of patient as being primarily manipulative. (Anderson M 1997) The professed aim of this study was to allow the development of a suitable tool in the form of a questionnaire. It was structured with three distinct elements. Firstly was the literature review (which we have already alluded to). Secondly they canvassed the opinions of a group of 10 post graduate nurses to set the baseline of nursing attitudes. This was used as the basis for the third element which was the construction and evaluation of a questionnaire. This was drafted in the form of the ADSHQ questionnaire. We should note that only 35% of the questionnaires were returned which is a major source of bias, since one might assume that the few respondents were those that felt strongly enough to respond and therefore their views, by definition, may not be typical. A strong point in this survey’s favour was the fact that those who did respond had an average of 17 years of nursing experience. The results of the paper were rather disappointing with no significant correlation being found between attitudes and the many variables investigated. The only statistically significant finding was that staff in larger units tended to be less empathetic than those in smaller ones. It should be noted that a negative finding, although superficially disappointing, can be just as significant as a positive one as the implication here is that there was no discernible predictive factor in a nurses’ attitude towards self harming patients. This paper can be contrasted with findings in similar studies House A (et al. 2000) supports the findings of negative attitudes of staff but is more of a discussion document than a study of enquiry. Wilhelm K et al 2000) is primarily a paper which explores the efficacy of the interventions for self harming patients but makes considerable academic comment on the relevance of the nurses’ attitude to the efficacy of the treatment. We should also note that, like the original paper, it also originates from Australia. Mckinlay A (et al 2001) takes the issue and looks deeper into the reasoning and rationale behind the negative attitude and makes a number of positive suggestions relating to the mechanisms of corrective action to remedy the situation. References Anderson M 1997,  Nurses’ attitudes to suicidal behaviour,  Journal of advanced Nursing 25, 1283-1291 Cochran and Cox. 1957,  Experimental designs. New York: Wiley, 1957. Grimes DA, Schulz KF.2002,  Cohort studies: marching towards outcomes. Lancet 2002;359: 341-5 Healy D 2002,  SSRIs and deliberate self-harm,  The British Journal of Psychiatry (2002) 180: 547-548 Henriksen and Kaplan 2003 Hindsight bias, outcome knowledge and adaptive learning Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 46 50. House A, Owens D, Patchett L,  Deliberate Self harm,  Qual. Health care 2000. 8: 137-143 Isacsson G, Rich CL 2001,  Management of patients who deliberately harm themselves,  BMJ. 2001 January 27; 322(7280): 213–215. Mohammed, D Braunholtz, and T P Hofer 2003 The measurement of active errors: methodological issues Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 8 12. Mckinlay A Coulston M, Cowan S 2001,  Nurses behavioural intentions towards self-poisoning patients: a theory of reasoned action, comparison of attitudes and subjective norms as predictive variables,  Journal of Advanced Nursing Volume 34 Page 107 April 2001 Parker and Lawton 2003 Psychological contribution to the understanding of adverse events in health care Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 453 457. Soomro GM 2004,  Deliberate self harm (and attempted suicide): Manual assisted cognitive behavioural therapy,  Psychol Med 2004;33:969–976. Veitch RM 2002,  Cross-cultural perspectives in medical ethics,  Jones Bartlett 2002 ISBN: 0763713325 Wilhelm K, Schneiden V, Kotze B 2000,  Selecting your options: A pilot study of short interventions with patients who deliberately self harm, Australasian Psychiatry. Volume 8 Page 349 December 2000 ############################################################# 13.2.06 PDG Word count 1,989

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Philosophy of Education Essay example -- Philosophy of Teaching Statem

Philosophy As Abigail Adams once said, â€Å"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attained to with diligence.† Just as students learn with ardor and diligence, teaching is also a profession learned with ardor and diligence to achieve excellence as a teacher in today’s classroom. As I have grown up in a family thriving with teachers, I have seen both lessons taught and lessons learned. Children can offer a unique reward; to see a child learn is an accomplishing and satisfying feeling. To teach is to be an intellectualist, dramatist, psychologist, and many other titles. Only teaching offers this wide range of possibilities—and what exciting possibilities these are! Teaching styles differ among educators, and it should be the goal of aspiring teachers to analyze themselves to become the best teachers as possible. Imagine a patchwork quilt full of variation in size, color, texture, and detail in every different piece. This picture is what surfaces in my mind when I think of the nature of students in today’s world. If the quilt represents a classroom, each piece represents a student with different inter-weavings, but similar ties among themselves. My job, as teacher, is to recognize each piece just as unique and contributing as the one beside it. We must remember that each child is shaped differently, both internally and externally, and affected by circumstances that not all may experience. Their nature should be inquisitive and attentive; however, these qualities are not always the case in students today. It is the teacher’s duty to mold his or her students to be better and reach higher in school. It is the teacher’s duty to understand that each child has a different nature and... ...s public education system requires leaders to take children into the new millennium. This new time period will hold many challenges for our children, and the instruction they will require must be from charismatic and caring teachers. Each philosophy molds the way that teachers feel about teaching and teachers, in turn, must mold their students carefully to face many different challenges. Although I believe in the basic attitude of an essentialist, I also believe that teachers must inspire and arouse curiosity in their students. As Anatole France best describes it, â€Å"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.† I hope to be that type of teacher who awakens my students to new ideas and remains in their minds as a great inspirer for not only school, but for life as well.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Unilever & Procter and Gamble

Unilever [pic] The company was formed by a merger of Dutch Margarine Union and British soap-makers Lever Brothers in 1929. Unilever was one of the world’s first genuine multinationals with operating companies in more than 40 countries. The company produces and distributes a vast number of well known brands in the areas of nutrition, hygiene and personal care that are used by consumers all over the world. The history of Unilever dates back to 1885, William Lever established a soap manufacturing company in the UK with his brothers and named the company Lever Brothers in 1885.William Hesketh Lever was born at Bolton; Lancashire in 1852 was the son of grocer. Together with James Lever, William Lever opened soap factory at Warrington, England, in 1885. Their products, Sunlight, the world’s first packaged soap, were very successful. The soup they made in ready moulded tablet. Previously laundry soap was marketed in bars and grocers cut off pieces and sold them by weight. Unti l 1919 Lever was wholly own a controlled by the founder. By 1919, as a result of ingle minded expansionist, commercial policies, his firm accounted for 60 percent of soap production in Britain.Two butter makers, Jurgen and Van den Berghs formed Margarine Union in 1927. The Dutch Margarine Union merged with Lever Brothers of United Kingdom in 1929 to form Unilever. During the 1930s, the structure and management do Unilever has been describe as a professional largely non-family managed hierarchy. Unilever has been present in the North Africa and Middle East region since 1933. For tax, purpose, two separate entities were established, one in London and another in Rotterdam. Historically, Unilever has grown to be a very multilocal company. However, while the company used to work with regional supply chains on regional brands.Unilever started to globalize their brands in the early and mid 1990s. Mergers & Acquisitions and Divestments of Unilever ? With effect from 1 January 2008, Unilever entered into an expanded international partnership with PepsiCo for the marketing and distribution of ready-to-drink tea products under the Lipton brand. ? 2nd April 2008, acquisition of Inmarko, the leading Russian ice cream company. ? 4 December 2008, a 50:50 joint venture between two Singapore-based companies, Wilmar International Limited and Olam International Limited for sale of our edible oil business. 24 February 2009, Unilever agreed to acquire the iconic Romanian ice cream brand Napoca, as part of our expansion into the country’s ice cream market. ? 4 April 2009, acquisition of the global TIGI professional hair product business and its Advanced Education Academies. ? 3 July 2009, acquisition of the sauces business of Baltimor Holding ZAO, the leading ketchup business in Russia. ? 18 January 2010, Unilever signed a definitive agreement to sell their Shedd’s Country Crock-branded chilled side-dish business in the US to Hormel Foods Corporation. 19 August 2010,à ‚  Unilever signed an asset purchase agreement with Norwegian dairy group TINE, to acquire the activities of Diplom-Is ice cream operations in Denmark. ? 24 September 2010, Unilever announced an agreement to sell Unilever’s consumer tomato products business in Brazil to foods company Cargill for approximately â‚ ¬260 million. ? 28 September 2010, Unilever and EVGA announced that they would acquire EVGA’s ice cream brands and distribution network, enriching their ice cream portfolio in Greece. 6 December 2010, Unilever completed the acquisition of the Sara Lee Personal Care and European Laundry business for â‚ ¬1. 2 billion. ? 10/05/2011, Unilever acquired the Alberto Culver Company. Proctor & Gamble [pic] Since 1837, P&G has built a rich heritage of touching consumers’ lives with brands that make life a little better every day. In 1887, P&G institutes a pioneering profit-sharing program that gives employees an ownership stake in the Company. This significa nt innovation helps employees connect their vital roles with the Company’s success.In 1924, P&G becomes the first company to conduct deliberate, data-based market research with consumers. This forward-thinking approach enables them to improve consumer understanding, anticipate consumer needs and respond with products that improve their everyday life. In 1941, P&G becomes one of the first companies to formally respond to consumer correspondence by establishing the Consumer Relations department. The addition of toll-free phone numbers in 1973 and e-mail in the 1980s further enhance consumers’ ability to contact and keep the consumer at the heart of all they do.In 1955, Crest is co-developed with Indiana University. This collaboration delivers a product that is a breakthrough in the use of fluoride to protect against tooth decay, the second-most prevalent disease at the time. In 2002, P&G develops Naturella feminine pads specifically to meet the needs of low-income women in Latin America. Based on deep consumer understanding, Naturella responds to consumers’ desire for freshness with chamomile, a unique ingredient never before used in feminine care products. In 2005, High Frequency Stores common in developing markets emerge as their largest customer channel.Consisting of nearly 20 million stores across the world, HFS represents a particular opportunity in fast-growing, low-income markets. Through HFS, we connect to consumers with affordable products and packaging specially designed for their needs. Mergers & Acquisitions and Divestments of P&G ? Procter & Gamble (P&G) agreed to sell â€Å"iconic snack brand† Pringles to Diamond Foods in a deal worth $2. 3bn (? 1. 4bn). Pringles, the world's largest potato crisp brand, will triple Diamond's existing snack business. ? Divested its Western European tissue/towel business to SCA, a global consumer goods and paper company.The deal involves the sale of manufacturing assets, P&G's Tempo brand in Europe and Hong Kong, and the licensing of Charmin & Bounty trademarks in Europe. ? Divested its slow-growing Folgers coffee business as a sacrifice to its long-term growth goals. ? In 2005, P acquired the largest acquisition in its history by purchasing Gillete brand for $57 billion. This deal not only included Gillete razors but also Duracell batteries and Braun and Oral-B brand dental products. This deal gave P even more control over  shelf-space in retailers all over the world. Current Global PositionLet us see where the two companies stand in the World’s Most Admired Companies from the data collected by Fortune: | | | | | | | | | Strategic Problems today & Recommendations

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro

The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro Alice Munro (b. 1931) is a Canadian writer who focuses almost exclusively on short stories. She has received numerous literary awards, including the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 2009 Man Booker Prize. Munros stories, nearly all of which are set in small-town Canada, feature everyday people navigating ordinary life. But the stories themselves are anything but ordinary. Munros precise, unflinching observations unmask her characters in a way that is simultaneously uncomfortable and reassuring- uncomfortable because Munros x-ray vision feels as if it could easily unmask the reader as well as the characters, but reassuring because Munro’s writing passes so little judgment. It is hard to come away from these stories of ordinary lives without feeling as if youve learned something about your own. The Bear Came Over the Mountain  was originally published in the December 27, 1999, edition of The New Yorker. The magazine has made the complete story available for free online.  In 2006, the story was adapted into a film titled, directed by Sarah Polley.   Plot Grant and Fiona have been married for forty-five years. When Fiona shows signs of deteriorating memory, they realize  she needs to live in a nursing home. During her first 30 days there- during which Grant is not permitted to visit- Fiona seems to forget her marriage to Grant and develops a strong attachment to a resident named Aubrey. Aubrey is only in residence temporarily, while his wife takes a much-needed holiday. When the wife returns and Aubrey leaves the nursing home, Fiona is devastated. The nurses tell Grant that she will probably forget Aubrey soon, but she continues to grieve and waste away. Grant tracks down Aubreys wife, Marian, and tries to convince her to move Aubrey permanently to the facility. She cannot afford to do so without selling her house, which she initially refuses to do. By the end of the story, presumably through a romantic connection, he makes with Marian, Grant is able to bring Aubrey back to Fiona. But by this point, Fiona seems not to remember Aubrey but rather to have renewed affection for Grant. What Bear? What Mountain? You are probably familiar with some version of the folk/childrens song The Bear Came Over the Mountain.  There are variations of the specific lyrics, but the gist of the song is always the same: the bear goes over the mountain, and what he sees when he gets there is the other side of the mountain. So what does this have to do with Munros story? One thing to consider is the irony created by using a light-hearted childrens song as the title for a story about aging. Its a nonsense song, innocent and amusing. Its funny because, of course, the bear saw the other side of the mountain. What else would he see? The jokes on the bear, not on the singer of the song. The bears the one who did all that work, perhaps hoping for a more exciting and less predictable reward than the one he inevitably got. But when you juxtapose this childhood song with a story about aging, the inevitability seems less humorous and more oppressive. There is nothing to be seen except on the other side of the mountain. Its all downhill from here, not so much in the sense of being easy as in the sense of deterioration, and theres nothing innocent or amusing about it. In this reading, it doesnt really matter who the bear is. Sooner or later, the bear is all of us. But perhaps youre the kind of reader who needs the bear to represent a specific character in the story. If so, I think the best case can be made for Grant. It is clear that Grant has been repeatedly unfaithful to Fiona throughout their marriage, though he has never considered leaving her. Ironically, his effort to save her by bringing Aubrey back and putting an end to her grieving is accomplished through yet another infidelity, this time with Marian. In this sense, the other side of the mountain looks a lot like the first side. Came  or Went  Over the Mountain? When the story opens, Fiona and Grant are young university students who have agreed to get married, but the decision almost seems to be on a whim. He thought maybe she was joking when she proposed to him,  Munro writes. And indeed, Fionas proposal does sound only half-serious. Shouting over the waves at the beach, she asks Grant, Do you think it would be fun if we got married? A new section begins with the fourth paragraph, and the wind-blown, wave-crashing, youthful exuberance of the opening section has been replaced by a calmer sense of ordinary concerns (Fiona is trying to wipe away a smudge on the kitchen floor). Its clear that some time has passed between the first and second sections, but the first time I read this story and learned that Fiona was already seventy years old, I still felt a jolt of surprise.  It seemed that her youth- and their entire marriage- had been dispensed with too unceremoniously. Then I assumed that the sections would alternate. Wed read about the carefree younger lives, then the older lives, then back again, and it would all be sweet and balanced and wonderful. Except that isnt what happens. What happens is that the rest of the story focuses on the nursing home, with occasional flashbacks to Grants infidelities or to Fionas earliest signs of memory loss. The bulk of the story, then, takes place on the figurative other side of the mountain. And this is the critical difference between came  and went  in the title of the song. Though I believe went  is a more common version of the song, Munro chose came.  Went  implies that the bear is going away from us, which leaves us, as readers, safe on the side of youth. But came  is the opposite. Came  suggests that were already on the other side; in fact, Munro has made sure of it. All that we can see- all that Munro will allow us to see- is the other side of the mountain.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

A History of Synthetic Grass

A History of Synthetic Grass AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf or synthetic grass. James Faria and Robert Wright of Monsanto Industries co-invented Astroturf. A patent for astroturf was filed for on December 25, 1965, and issued by the USPTO on July 25, 1967. The Evolution of Astroturf During the 50s and 60s, the Ford Foundation was studying ways to improve the physical fitness of young people. At the same time, the Chemstrand Company, a subsidiary of Monsanto Industries, were developing new synthetic fibers for use as tough carpeting. Chemstrand was encouraged to try to make the perfect urban sports surface for schools by the Ford Foundation. From 1962 to 1966, Chemstrand worked on creating new sports surfaces. The surfaces were tested for foot traction and cushioning, weather drainage, flammability and wear resistance. Chemgrass In 1964, the Creative Products Group installed a synthetic turf called Chemgrass at the Moses Brown School in Providence Rhode Island. This was the first large-scale installation of synthetic turf. In 1965, Judge Roy Hofheinz built the AstroDome in Houston, Texas. Hofheinz consulted with Monsanto about replacing the natural grass with a new synthetic playing surface. The First Astroturf In 1966, the Houston Astros baseball season begins on a Chemgrass surface now renamed Astroturf at the AstroDome. Supposedly it was renamed AstroTurf by one John A. Wortmann. The same year, the Houston Oilers AFL football season began on more than 125,000 square feet of removable Astroturf at the AstroDome. The next year, Indiana State University Stadium, in Terre Haute, Indiana became the first outdoor stadium installed with Astroturf. Astroturf Patented In 1967, Astroturf was patented (U.S. patent #3332828 see photos right). The patent for a monofilament ribbon file product was issued to inventors Wright and Faria, of Monsanto Industries. In 1986, Astroturf Industries, Inc. was formed and sold in 1994 to Southwest Recreational Industries. Former Astroturf Competitors All are no longer available. The name astroturf is a registered trademark, however, it is sometimes used incorrectly as a generic description for all artificial turf. Below are the names of a few astroturf competitors, all are no longer in business. Tartan Turf, PolyTurf, SuperTurf, WycoTurf, DurraTurf, Gras, Lectron, PoliGras, All-Pro, Cam Turf, Instant Turf, Stadia Tur, Omniturf, Toray, Unitika, Kureha, KonyGreen, Grass Sport, ClubTurf, Desso, MasterTurf, DLW

Monday, November 4, 2019

Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, death to life Essay

Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, death to life - Essay Example There are some people who live in eternal darkness and die in it. And there are some more privileged ones (by nature, or by some unknown destiny) who live in spaces and times brightly lit with noble emotions and lovely acts. But the greatest of all are those who overcome the darkness in their lives through self-realization and the will to act accordingly, because only they are capable of choosing their destiny. This is why this essay envisages to illustrate and prove that every human being, however immersed in darkness he/she is, has the potential to traverse the difficult path from darkness to light. Mathew has been my school mate and friend for two years but then suddenly he stopped coming to the school. When I tried to contact him, I felt he did not like that. I felt being looked upon by him as a nuisance whenever I went to meet him in his village town. Gradually, I gave up and went my way. He never returned to the school and then I heard that he was spending his nights away in ga mbling casinos in the nearby town with his step father, who had picked up a passion for this game and turned lucky. I also heard news that they were winning big money in the game. It was after three years that I saw him again. He had put on some weight. This time he was happy to see me and we spent an evening reminiscing our school days. I reminded him what a good athlete he was but he shrugged and said he did not regret leaving the studies and the school. It was visible that he had earned a lot of money. He was wearing a very expensive suit and fitting accessories including a Rolex watch and a Mont Blanc pen. But I pressed him to tell me whether he was continuing with his other two passions, painting and mountaineering. He told me he was not getting enough time for that. He told me also that every year he was earning more than the double of the previous year's income. On further talks, he revealed that his father had left his mother who disapproved of their gambling and that his gi rlfriend also left him as well. I asked him why he was chasing money as if there is nothing else in the world. He said, you people think that money is evil. But in this world, money can buy you anything. At that moment, I had to tell him that he was living in a world of illusion but he said it was my illusion (Plato, 1987, p.177). Though we had a nice evening that day, I felt he was moving towards the darker areas of human existence. And I could realize that he was already looking down on me as an unlucky guy who had yet to struggle his way up the ladder through the boring text books, projects and so on. Four years after that meeting, once again destiny brought us face to face with each other. I chanced upon him on a commuter train where I found him sitting engrossed in a book. I felt curious. After we exchanged greetings he suddenly became silent. Then he asked me, â€Å"Do you remember telling me that I was living in a world of illusion?† I nodded. He suddenly held my hands and said, â€Å"I have woke up from that world of illusion.† And he told me his story from where we left it four years back. On an evening that he realized his new girl friend was cheating on him in the game, he aimlessly strolled down the street. The girl had been collaborating with another man to help him win the game as she had developed an intimate relationship with that man without the knowledge of my friend. He was slightly depressed. The ugly face of truth that he had no real friends at all, was annoying him a little. Of late, he was loosing money in the game and those whom he thought as close to him were showing him a cold face. â€Å"How blind I have been to trust them,†

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Truth - Essay Example One might wonder what the truth was for Alexander the great when he set out to conquer the world For Socrates when he allowed himself to be taken For Galileo when he faced persecution at the hands of the Church For the Allied Forces during World War 2 For the Nazis at Nuremberg and for the terrorists who flew their planes into the twin towers If there existed no variation in the meaning and perception of truth, the world today would have been a different place-maybe for the better. The idea of truth therefore remains a moot point, for socialists and monarchs for lord and serf and for warrior and philosopher. The pragmatic would dismiss any poetic values attached to or stemming from the idea of truth; they would kill in an instant the spirit of freedom that truth may reverberate and would push away hope with the mere utterance of their dismal but intelligent sounding ideas. Alas, the supercilious don't pause to read the emotions attached to what may be described as truth or the struggle for it. Such a definition of truth seems to have been advanced by Michel Foucault in his essay2, where he most aptly describes a recipe that may be used to concoct truth; a connection is exposed here between truth and power deeming truth to be an earthly entity with nothing more than a dramatized and accepted creation.