International and Intercultural Communication Essay

International and Intercultural Communications have been of great interest to the Hofstede Centre for many years. In fact Geert Hofstede’s dimensions of culture have been the most widely disseminated of all theories. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions are, â€Å"1) Power Distance, 2) Individualism or Collectivism, 3) Masculinity-Femininity, 4) Uncertainty Avoidance, and 5) Short or Long Term Orientation.† (Donald Baack, 2012, Chapter 2.4). â€Å"Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He analyzed a large database of employee value scores collected within IBM between 1967 and 1973. The data covered more than 70 countries, from which Hofstede first used the 40 countries with the largest groups of respondents and afterwards extended the analysis to 50 countries and 3 regions.† (The Hofstede Center, n.d.). In the next few pages I will compare the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provide a scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives. In the dimension of Power-Distance Croatia scores high with a score of 73 which means the people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In this type of society people expect to be told what to do and this is accepted as the norm. (Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia also scored high in the dimension of Power-Distance with a score of 71. What this displays is two of the former eastern European countries, are very similar in their societal beliefs in hierarchal order and the populace was still routed in a culture where subordinates do as they are told by the boss and the boss is an aut ocrat in the bigger sense. In the second of the  five cultural dimensions Individualism or Collectivism, Croatia scored 33 which are considered a collectivistic society. â€Å"This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link); hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is the management of groups.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia, had a score of 27 is also considered a collectivistic society just like we saw in Croatia. Once again the two bordering countries are nearly identical in their collec tivist societies. Our third dimension of Masculinity-Femininity resulted in a score of 40. With this score they are considered a relatively feminine society. Feminine societies focus on the theory of work to live. In a feminine society it is also common for managers to seek consensus. Even with such a disparity in scores and Slovenia’s’ score of 19 on this dimension, they too are considered more of a feminine society. Like the culture of Croatia they work to live and the people value things like equality, solidarity and pleasure in their working lives. â€Å"Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favored. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). The fourth dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance resulted in a score of 80 signifying a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. As stated in the Hofstede report, â€Å"Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes o f belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia also scored quite high with an 88 signifying they too choose to avoid uncertainty and need rules regardless of the effectiveness of them. Our final dimension is the dimension of Short or Long Term Orientation. In the comparison statistics this is referred to as  pragmatism and indulgence. Croatia achieved scores of 58 and 33 respectively. These figures indicate that the Croatian society believe truth is dependent on situations, context of what is said and the time. â€Å"They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.† (The Hofstede Cen tre, n.d.). The 33 score received for indulgence is an indication of a restrained country. â€Å"Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to indulgent societies, restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia had scores of 49 in pragmatism and 48 in indulgence. These scores both result in no clear preference for one or the other. As I have demonstrated by comparing the results for these two countries, bordering countries can be quite similar in some aspects of International and Intercultural Communications but quite different in others. As an example if I opened a car repair business or franchise in these two countries and expected them to work together some of the things I could expect is, they both would struggle with working together since they both prefer autocratic leaders and operate under the concept of being told what to do. What this means to me is that regardless if I am physically there with them or providing communication from afar they will execute all actions to benefit the business in a positive manner. These societies rely on face and losing face through failure is not an option they accept easily. In contrast to this is they both enjoy the benefits of family time, strong ties to immediate and extended family (the organization), managers often seek consensus and conflict is resolved through compromise and negotiation. This later part about conflict resolution is because both societies are feministic in nature and as we all know, women are often times more level headed and less apt to fly off the hand le over little issues that can be resolved in an agreeable manner when thought out and discussed properly. This could be beneficial or difficult since us Americans believe in more time at work than time with family in today’s working environment. I believe this is an instance where I would need to adjust my work ethic in order to  gain more from these two countries in keeping with their societal beliefs and standards. From my perception of Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions is that two companies in these two countries of Croatia and Slovenia would work very well together and in fact complement one another nicely, leading to great success for the organization. What I have done in the past few pages is to demonstrate the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provided you with the scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives. I believe Hofstede’s five dimens ions were quite relevant when originally complied and are still quite relevant today. References Baack, D., Management Communication, 2012. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUBUS600.12.1 Mind Tools Ltd, 1996-2014. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm The Hofstede Centre, National Cultural Dimensions, n.d. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html The Hofstede Centre, National Cultural Dimensions, n.d. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/croatia.html

A Separate Peace: Coming of Age Story

Coming-Of-Age Story Gene Forrester is the protagonist of a coming of age story in many ways. First Genes shift from ignorance to knowledge is pretty apparent. An ignorant Gene is led to the tree where he jounces the the limb causing Finny to fall. The knowledge of his evil deed and the loss of innocence because of it really launches Gene from childhood to adulthood. Genes shift from innocence to experience can be expressed by the very same situation. Gene lost his innocence when he jounced the limb of the tree and injuring Finny because of it. He now has experience of doing sinful deeds.What drove Gene to jounce the limb was perhaps to bring Finny down to his own level and make the two equal. The very thought causes Gene to become a little less innocent and a little more devious. Part of coming-of-age is having the experience of the consequences of doing bad things. Gene also experiences a shift from a false view of his world to a correct view. In the beginning of the novel Gene view s his world as being confined to Devon and that the war was not going to approach him for a long time. He soon realizes that the war is coming for him whether he likes it or not.Coming-of-age also means accepting the things you cannot change and trying make a positive experience out of it. When Gene realizes that Finny made up his â€Å"theory† about the war because he was denied entry to all of the branches of the military, his view of the war changes. His view of the war changes also because he had found out that Leper was about to face a discharge and he abandoned his post because of it. He now views the war as a very real thing. Idealism and realism are two ideas that Gene faces through the course of the novel.In the first few chapters Gene is idealistic. He unrealistically pursues the idea that Finny resents him for his superior academic ability. We figure out though that it is Gene who resents Finny because of his athletic ability and charm. The idea of crippling Finny to bring him down to Gene’s level causes him to make Finny fall. He now faces the real effects of his actions and has to come to terms with them. He also realizes that Finny was to pure of heart to resent Gene and Gene envied this great quality. Recognizing the harshness of the realistic world is part of coming-of-age.

Assess the View That Cults and Sects Are Only Fringe Organisations That Are Inevitably Short Lived and of Little Influence in Contemporary Society Essay

It can be argued that cults and sects are only fringe organisations that are inevitably short lived and of little influence in contemporary society, however some may have views to contrast this idea. A sect is an organization, which usually breaks off from an established religion, which finds itself in disagreement with beliefs and values of wider society and refuses to tolerate the beliefs of others. Although the desire to be a member is voluntary, as oppose to being born into, like religion, sects are rejected by society and claim strong obligation and commitment by its members. A sect is an extremely narrow-minded organisation, which is often led by a charismatic leader. Whereas, in contrast, a cult does not progress from a mainstream religion and does not reject or challenge societal norms. However, as tolerant of other beliefs as they are, they still attract a great deal of negative press, for example brainwashing. Members in a cult are usually more like customers than followers. An example of a cult is Heavens gate, which is a destructive doomsday cult, centered in California. There is a mass of supporting evidence that cults and sects are short lived and insignificant to wider society. Nevertheless, it must be maintained that the matter is complex as there are many sects and cults, which identify themselves differently. There is evidence to support this view of a short-lived nature of sects. This is due to many reasons. World rejecting sects, due to their nature and succeeding societal rejection and stigma of bad press, must be able to compromise with society and becoming a denomination and therefore cease to be a sect, if this is not done then the sect will die out. There is also an argument that sects cannot have a great deal of affect upon society over a long term period as they cannot survive past the charismatic leader’s lifetime and therefore sustain themselves over more than one generation. The American theologian Niebuhr theorises that another reason for transience of sects is that they rarely live past the 1st generation because the 2nd generation usually lacks the belief of the 1st. In this way, their membership dwindles as the 2nd generation chooses to leave the sect and hold other views in wider society. However Wilson disagrees with Neibuhrs view and says that he overates his case and chooses to not pay attention to groups who did preserve a ‘ distinct sectarian stance’. Similarly, evidence proves to discredit the belief that a sect fails to live on past their leader’s death. For example, The Mormons have continued for many generations and also the Amish- however this could be attributed to the protective ‘isolation-like’ in which they live. There is also a possibility that the Moonies surviving is due to the leader preparing for his son to take over his position as the charismatic leader after his death, however this is yet to be seen. Cults have seen a large incline in their number recently and because they are more accepting of wider society and despite receiving bad press, offer a practical solution to peoples’ issues and wishes, seem less likely to die out due to refusal and disapproval. They are also financially rather stable, the Church of Scientology for example has an estimated income of over  £200m per year. This is down to the consumer attitude of cults. There is also a mass of evidence for their importance in society in a sense that audience cults have a mass market of ‘self help therapy’ there are many books available for example, tarot reading, crystals and reflexology regularly appear on the best seller list and often more room is devoted to these books rather than Christianity books themselves. The view that cults are fringe movements is less supported than that for sects. Sects very infrequently continue on as sects but cults such as scientology are not only prosperous but also have a huge celebrity following trend; admired by the public for example Tom Cruise. There is also evidence that sects and cults can be of great influence to society – though it is debatable as to whether or not that is possible today in a society as apparently secular as ours. Weber suggests in his Theodicy of Disprivilege that because they offer a solution to problems: justification and explanation for life and its problems, to marginalised groups such as dropouts or ethnic minorities, world rejecting sects that offer status appeal to people. An example of this is Liberation Theology which was for the poorer people which had great influence upon the priorities of the Catholic Church in Latin America (though it has become more conservative, it continues to represent human rights and democracy). Bruce argues that it is not a religion and is instead a shallow, meaningless thing. Due to the elements of choice it offers, the choice about which bits to believe and whether to take its readings into account, it does not require commitment. This he argues prevents it having religious status. Post Modernists see it as being spiritual shopping: it is part of a consumerist culture. Despite not necessarily being a religion, there is lots of evidence to show that it has influenced society as a whole and, some sociologists would claim, aided secularisation. There is also evidence to show that it is unlikely to be particularly short lived as it fits in so well with our Capitalist, consumerist society and our individualistic values and is so profitable. Therefore, though there is strong evidence to show that sects and cults are ‘fringe organisations’, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that neither are short lived in themselves either through the Sectarian cycle or demand and supply (though sects tend to become denominations) and also to suggest that the influence of sects and cults on society is greater than expected; though the influence of sects and cults is exemplified by older examples and so one cannot be sure as to how successful they will be in today’s society, except in regards to specific sects and cults. In conclusion, the view that cults, sects are fringe organisations that are inevitably short-lived and of little influence in modern-day society, is on the whole not wholly correct but has some strength in that the permanency of all is arguable as is their status as fringe organisations.

Oligopoly is the ideal market structure because it allows society to Essay

Oligopoly is the ideal market structure because it allows society to benefit from the efficiency gains of both competition and monopoly - Essay Example The range within which each oligopolist can independently influence prices is, however, narrower than where there is a pure monopoly, for he has to take into account not only the availability of substitutes (as does a pure monopolist as well), but also the likely actions of his principal competitors in his own market. In all circumstances price changes are likely to affect adversely the interests of certain participants in the market. Increases in price naturally are harmful to consumers, while decreases injure the interests of producers and of some traders. In monopoly and oligopoly situations the power of firms to influence prices, coupled with a high degree of dependence on these firms, tends to provoke allegations that all price changes are deliberately engineered to injure certain interests. Consumers, producers or rival traders may consider that they have been specially and deliberately injured by the actions of the monopolist or oligopolists, and may ascribe market changes to their intentional activities. Plausibility is lent to these views because in these situations the firms can undoubtedly influence the market; indeed, they cannot help doing so. It is therefore impossible conclusively or convincingly to refute allegations of profiteering, of destructive underselling to eliminate partic ular competitors, of deliberate depression of producer prices, or of wasteful inflation of costs. 1 An important and distinctive characteristic of oligopoly is the realization by each firm that its fortunes depend very closely upon the actions of the others in the same market. Their behaviour is necessarily influenced by the realization of mutual interdependence. Each firm appreciates that in initiating price changes it must expect the other firms to react to these changes, and that in assessing the net effects of a price change it must take account of the probable reaction of others. In deciding on price changes each firm considers not only the general market situation and its own financial and stock position, but also the probable conduct of its principal competitors. Firms recognizing their mutual interdependence may find it convenient and profitable to co-ordinate their policies and to act together, and co-operation is made easier because the numbers are comparatively small. An oligopolistic situation is frequently accompanied by market sharing arrangements between a number of producers or firms. This is particularly likely in the supply of standardized products or services, where these price-fixing agreements may be effective and stable even without formal market-sharing arrangements; banking and shipping provide familiar examples in the United States, in Britain and in Western Europe. Where the product is largely unstandardized, agreements are less often concluded, and, moreover, tend to be unstable; the motor industry seems to be a convenient example. Co-operation is, however, by no means the inevitable outcome of oligopoly. Individual firms may decide to try their strength and to enlarge their share in the market by active competition. Moreover, when new entry is

The Realities of leadership within a retail organisation Essay

The Realities of leadership within a retail organisation - Essay Example How can I give what I do not have, and how can I help others accept change if I am not ready to do the same? One day, our management decided to institute changes on working hours in the store as part of a new model store blueprint. The policy altered each worker’s start and finish times, and break times were shortened to half an hour. For those working more than eight hours, an hour’s break was allowed. We knew that most of the staff would react negatively to the proposal, and that resistance had been building up in many of them. I was given a tight deadline to implement the change in my store. The task was daunting, but I was confident because I had the tools needed to plan and execute the change, ready to confront and solve most of the problems that would arise. What were those tools, how did I use them, and why? Lou V. Gerstner, who as IBM CEO saved the company at a time of crisis, found that â€Å"changing the attitudes and behaviour of people is very hard to accomplish. You can’t simply give speeches, write a new credo†¦and declare that people have to change. What managers can do is create the conditions for transformation. You provide incentives. You have to trust. In the end, the workers themselves decide to change† (Gerstner, 2002). Knowing why people resist change is the first step to help them change. Reflecting on my experiences, I know three main reasons why people resist change: uncertainty makes them nervous and afraid, they do not see how change can be good for them, and coping with change is inconvenient because it requires effort. Equipped with this knowledge, I can help people change by making a plan to deal with each of these reasons. First, I eliminated uncertainty through communication, helping the workers build up their trust in management through me by discussing with the workers the reasons behind the policy decision, like better efficiency, increased sales, and more satisfied

Movie Critque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movie Critque - Essay Example Whereas it may seem evident that the theme of racism is ridiculed as being a false and entirely fabricated concept throughout the film, the means by which this is affected is nuanced and not directly straight forward. In this way, the filmmaker is able to create a film that on its surface is about racial prejudice in the deep South while all the time relating a story of personal struggle and sacrifice. For instance, the first of these concepts that the filmmaker greets the viewer with is the harsh realities of life that define the lives of the Tuohy’s as compared to that of Michael Oher and his family. This juxtaposition is useful due to the fact that it is able to bring the viewer face to face with the disconnect that seemingly exists between the two representations of culture that come together within this movie. The message that is therefore conveyed, although not readily apparent to the viewer, is that before chance happenstance brought these individuals together. This tan gential approach to the issue cultural interaction is one that is of course at least subliminally noticed; however, due to the manner in which the issue is broached, the viewer has little knowledge that they have been presented with such a nuanced topic whatsoever. Similarly, a second aspect and topic that is brought to the viewer’s attention is that of race that is covered within the movie is the pervasive fear among white society that since the family now has a black boy living in their house, he must necessarily be a rapist or some other form of criminal. However, rather than give way to such a rampant case of racial bias, the Tuohy family treats young Michael as their own son and do not go to the great lengths of â€Å"protecting† their daughter as the so called â€Å"friends† of the family suggest. Without exhibiting this behavior within the Tuohy family, the filmmaker is able to broach the topic by the conversations that Sandra Bullock’s character h as with her friends around the breakfast table. Finally, the movie approaches the topic of education and achievement as a function of how the Tuohy family work to engage Michael with all of the appropriate tutors and educational advantages that he never experienced before. In this way, the filmmaker is approaching the viewer from a strong position of environment with relation to the age-old argument between environment/culture. Whereas Michael had previously been labeled as learning disabled, he was able to achieve high marks and graduate with distinction due to the efforts that the Tuohy family invested in him. In so doing, the filmmaker is able to engage the audience with the understanding that although the cultural and racial divide that separated Michael from the Tuohy family early in the movie was vast, the correct application of key environmental roles was all that was needed to bridge this wide expanse. In this way, the filmmaker is able to bring unique and nuanced elements o f the ways in which peoples and cultures from different backgrounds

Gender Study on Working and Stay-at-home Mothers Research Paper

Gender Study on Working and Stay-at-home Mothers - Research Paper Example In addition, it portrays the effects of gender in the society. Further, it denotes the perception of children towards the differences existing between their parents. Working mothers This refers to mothers who associate themselves with various income generating activities. They have lesser dependence on either their spouses or their parents. They involve both the married working mothers and single working mothers. They dedicate much of their time to work living only few hours to be with their families. Some ambiguous questions emerge from some individuals as to why, when, and what their intention is behind them (mothers) working (Lippa 2005). One of the main reasons behind mothers working for pay is to be independent. Another reason may be their (working mothers’) desire to live a live where they have total control of their finances. In addition, the work of mothers does not end up at work. More than half of the total number of working moms are those with families. Therefore, it is their (moms) obligation to hurry from work to home to provide for their families. Further, they have some customary duties to perform at their homes. For instance, they must get home earlier before their husbands so that they make several preparations concerning their meals. They also have to know the progress of their children. On the side of single working mothers, they find themselves having a full responsibility at home. They must strive to make ends meet, as they also have to avail the commodities the children require. Some children demand their mothers to provide for their necessities, which may be costly. Therefore, there is a need for single mothers to work harder to earn enough for their expenditure. They should ensure there is a surplus in their accounts. This means that they should make better calculations concerning their income and total expenses. Further, they need to make several adjustments on the total expenses. Through this, they will be able to manage their family requirements, as they eliminate the tertiary demands. In addition, single-working mothers have an extra task of time management. They search for ways of creating more time to deal with personal issues. Bearing in mind that they are the families’ sole breadwinner, they ensure they work towards the success of their business operations. They also make a good choice when it comes to friendship. They choose friends who are hard working and those who motivate other people not to despair in their work. The success of single mothers is a great joy to their families. They also bring to light less efforts for handling a family. This is a great encouragement to the single mothers not at work. Thereafter, they have an appraising hand from the entire society. Stay-at-home mothers A Housewife is another name referring to a stay-at-home mother. Most of their work is within the homestead. They do not get any remuneration for the tasks they undertake. Their main work is to ensure that they raise their kids and control their families. Stay-at-home mothers perform many tasks each day. They act as their children’s instructors, first aiders, doctors, and nannies. Some mothers are also the chefs of their homes and their children’s playmate. Further, they have a total control on the finances they use everyday . If they would require any pay, they may earn more than those working outside the homestead may earn. This is in respect to the different tasks they perform. They decide to be housewives because of their husbands’ potential to provide for the families. Difference between working mothers and stay-at-home mothe

Listening Teaching Demos for Intermediate Level Essay

Listening Teaching Demos for Intermediate Level - Essay Example Likewise, the teaching presentation can be altered based on whether or not the speed at which the stakeholders are taking the information is slower or faster than may have been anticipated. Such an approach is especially salient when teaching in the elementary setting where the educator is oftentimes unaware of whether or not the students have been presented information before. (5 minutes) Introduction Teacher will introduce the lesson for the students by drawing cardinal points on the board to indicate the four directions, and then will proceed to a brief presentation regarding how these cardinal points have a long history, a brief discussion of the compass, and a segue to why Saudi Arabia, arguably the center of Arab culture, has been chosen for review. In this way, a brief history of the compass, an understanding of how cardinal points affect one’s life and allow individuals to relate to one another / identify with one another can be effected with the students. (20 minutes) Explaining & feedback The teacher will explain the lesson by writing on the board the directions such as north, south, east, and west, and will show the students a map of Saudi Arabia to recognize its boundary by (See the Appendix) referring to the four directions to find a city location. Afterwards, the teacher will point out if a city location is between two cardinal points using these terms: North South East West Northwest (NW) Southeast (SE) Southwest (SW) Northeast (NE) Then the teacher will ask the students randomly to answer a series of questions by using the Saudi Arabia map, such as: 1. What is to the north of Saudi Arabia? – Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan. 2.... Listening Teaching Demos for Intermediate Level From the information that is thus far been provided, it can be seen that delivering a discussion and class participation module with respect to cardinal points can have a primary, secondary, and tertiary impact upon a litany of different aspects of furthering the educational process. Firstly, it targets participation and encourages students to become actively engaged in the learning process through working in teams and seeking out solutions. Secondly, it utilizes only a handful of instructional materials as a way of making the point and providing the active forms of education that have been previously delineated. Thirdly, it organizes the classroom environment in a non-unidirectional way. What is meant by this is that the teacher is not responsible for providing the students with an endless stream of information and then expecting them to regurgitate this back to him / her. Rather, the active part of learning within this particular scenario is taken by the pupils themselves. Although it is understood by this particular educator that it is not his role to be responsible for teaching each of these different subject matters in their entirety, providing the linkage between them and allowing the students to explore and improve their education based upon these determinants has a marked level of educational benefit. However, as has been noted with regard to the lesson plan above, by allowing curiosity and excitement of the unknown to help promote these determinants, the students are in fact able to partially motivate themselves as a means of engaging with the subject matter at hand.

Collaboration Photography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Collaboration Photography - Assignment Example The scene is mechanical, and captivating at the same time, and through right angle shoots outs the object confronts the subject directly and the use of light and shadow brings more focus on the object. Though people consider black and white photography is often treated as the poor relation of color, it can make a photo look captivating. A distraction brought out by color in the photo is eliminated by the use of the black and white photography; a studio brings out the best of the colors. In fact, the black and white boils to major concepts: removal of distraction, contrast, pattern, texture and lighting. Color photography unlike the black and white one does not effectively provide patterns, in fact, slight ones go unnoticed. On the other hand, a black and white Photoshop provides more vivid capturing patterns, as the viewer’s attention is more focused on the shapes formed by the elements in the

Zoo Essay Example for Free

Zoo Essay Going to the zoo has always been a favorite American past time. Families would sometimes retreat to this place where animals from the wild are caged and enjoy how these animals interact with each other. While man has always been at the top of the pyramid, the wonder of seeing these animals live and relate with others in their species has time and again drawn old and young children alike. Among the animals closest to man are the gorillas, baboons and mandrills. In the same way that man forms his own community, these animals also form their own legions of society. Gorillas like humans have their own distinct identification. Whereas man is identified according to his fingerprints, gorillas on the other hand are identified through their noses in which each gorilla has its own unique nose pattern. Gorillas moves quadrupedally and uses a special kind of quadrupedal gait wherein it uses its knuckles, hence, the term â€Å"knuckle walking†. Gorillas can also climb trees or higher surfaces but they cannot move suspensory as in the case of monkeys. Looking at the group of gorillas closely, one cannot see that it is patriarchal and polygynous in the sense that a basic group is composed of one male, usually a mature-silver black male wherein he acts as the leader of the group and unlike other primates, gorillas are more reserved. When they are in the wild, female gorillas would normally leave their group upon reaching sexual maturity and would tend to join groups of gorillas with a fewer females. It is evident by watching these groups of gorillas that there is hierarchy among them although males place high in the hierarchy. Like humans, grooming among gorillas also has become an essential habit and this usually occurs between the male silver back and the adult females. However, despite having lived in the care of humans, gorillas seldom interact with them. In fact, in the twenty-minute observation of this species, only once did the gorillas notice their visitors. They seemed to be living in their own world and no care whatsoever with its human visitors. While gorillas are reserved, baboons on the other hand most frequently interact with people. As seen by their actions, baboons are intelligent and very crafty that when they are in the wild, they are often treated like pests because they steal agricultural crops. But like gorillas, baboons also move quadrupedally although when they run, they seem to be like that of a horse galloping. They are very lithe and when something gets its attention, baboons tends to become excited and would run abound in its cage. Adult baboons sit in small groups while they grooming each other and the young ones play around. And ironically, among all the primates, the baboons seemed to be the most conscious and conceited because they spend most of their time grooming themselves although this can be different when they are in the wild. This is probably a form of forging a bond among their group while keeping their bodies free and clean or external parasites that would cling to their furs. Unlike gorillas which have a definite male hierarchy, baboons on the other hand allow females to rise in rank as leaders in their groups. Young baboon males enter new groups by forming â€Å"friendships† among females by protecting and defending them. Even for a short period of time, it is evident that baboons can also be aggressive especially among males. On the other hand, the black and white colobus monkey seems to be a mutilated or mutant form of primates. Although its black and white fur is very beautiful, it does not have thumbs like the baboons and gorillas. The infant black and white colobus are nearly white all over that it barely resembles its parents. Its tale is very fluffy like that of a stuff toy and their stomach seemed to be bloated and large. The black and white colobus monkey is very lithe and agile. It rarely goes to the ground and uses the branches and bars as trampolines, jumping up and down and leap among bars. Like the gorillas, the black and white colobus monkey is dominated by a male and forms its own territory. Because the colobus monkey tends to stay up on branches and bars surrounding its cage, it rarely interacts with humans. This kind of primate moves quadrupedally and is a semibrachiators as well as an agile acrobatic leaper. In fact, it can move up from bar to bar or from one branch to another with a length of six meters. Interestingly though, the tail of the colobus monkey is being used to balance itself. It is also funny to take note of that colobus monkeys belch on each others faces. When they are out in the wild, the colobus monkey is normally headed by a male but the female is not totally dominated. For example, the female black and white colobus monkey in the zoo seemed to form a society or bond of their own, taking care of the offspring of one and seemed to pass it along to other female colobus monkeys that it is hard to keep track which is the mother of the infant colobus monkey. Indeed a visit to the zoo even for just twenty minutes will render a visitor various insights as to how these animals act and move. The facts learned from books and the Internet are not only substantiated but also corroborated and having kids around to watch these animals will definitely teach them how these animals live in their own communities.

Looking At The Future Of Broadcasting

Looking At The Future Of Broadcasting Media and TV have changed a lot in those last 2O years but we may think that this change is going to be even faster and more important in the 2O next years. Of course the new media (internet) and the new technologies linked to the internet have completely changed peoples habits. We should not focus on emerging technologies but on emerging cultural practices. So in a first part, we are going to focus on the consumers behavior shift, and then, we are going to get a clear vision of how the future of broadcasting devices is developing according to current movements. Finally, in a third part we are going to expose the following issue: what will the relevant challenge of this multimedia environment transformation be? First, we want to focus on the consumers changing behavior concerning TV and so in this part, we are going to look at the consumers demands regarding TV and Medias. First of all, we can notice that today (and in the future also), consumers know exactly what they want and what they dont want. For example, they dont want so many TV commercials; they are getting fed up with these commercials. Indeed, nowadays people mainly watch TV during their spare time in order to relax and get entertainment. As a consequence, TV commercials are perceived as something boring and intrusive which deprives the viewer of his relaxing and entertaining time. To crown it all the commercials are becoming less efficient than before because people feel bored with them and prefer switching programs or moving to on-demand viewing because there, the commercials are not so numerous. Furthermore, consumers also want TV to become more and more convenient for them, they want and feel the need to have all the control on it and they dont have time to waste on it. We can speak here about time, place, control, money and attention shifting. Time shifting: people want television when it suits them. For instance, they want their programs to start at a convenient time for their schedules and not to adapt their schedules to the programs Place shifting: people want television the way they want it and where they want it. They want to be able to watch television everywhere and on whatever screen they want (TV, computer, smartphone, tabletà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Control shifting: people want to be able to share, talk back, influence. They want to share and express their opinion about what they have watched Money shifting: people want to make a good deal, to have a real value for their money. Attention shifting: people want real values for their attention. Finally, consumers or viewers also want to have more and more choices and opportunities but with less and less time. So, in the future, TV will have to adapt to these new demands in order to seduce consumers. So now, after having considered the shift in the consumers behaviors we can take a look at the technological changes that have occurred in the last decades, these changes are going to be more and more relevant over time. There is no doubt, for instance concerning the importance of internet in the modern shift followed by media and consumers around broadcasting practices. After only two short decades, internet seems to be the most relevant media for a large part of the world. Indeed actual surveys show that internet took a growing part in peoples life; in 2002 internet was considered only by 20% as the essential media in their life instead of 33% in 2007; at the same time Radio has dropped from 26% to 17%. The technological improvements which have accompanied the revolution are numerous but they seem to be characterized by the same objective: to be more efficient to deliverer wherever or whenever the consumers want the information. In order to do so marketers and industrials put a lot of efforts to ease daily life; are we witnessing a technological convergence? Today, you can find in the same apparel TV program broadcasting, radio channel, and internet access to social network or newspaper apps. Thus you can decide, and be the only one who chooses what, when or where youre gone be able to be expose. However, nowadays, people are more likely to move around and be more active; consequently they are not obviously able to hold with the initial scheduling; so in order to counteract this time-shifting problem a lot of technologies enable the viewers to shift the viewing time thanks to simple acts. For example with the emergence of Pay-TV channel, or integrated recorder material the viewers dont have any more time restraint. Maybe in a little time we can believe that we will be able to use both technologies conjointly with mobile devices. In order to conclude this report we can focus on several main points and issues. First, If we can say that, money seems to be the sinews of war; and this one between advertisers and content owners seem to be difficult. Indeed it started 60 years ago with the tremendous event of the birth of television. The advertisers quickly understood that it was a really efficient means to communicate with potential consumers. Nowadays they are still expecting good return on investment, so they expect their messages to reach the largest audience. But today the entry of the PayTV distribution is going to change things. Contents owners are going to be able to target the audience with accuracy that is to say to aim at providing the viewers with the programs they really want in exchange of their money. And its in this context that TV contents owners are going to be more and more powerful. In fact contents owners are going to be able to become greedy because a result of a survey conducted by Nielsen/AIG and according to Jason KIla shows that :Hulus[a payTV distribution] video adver tising service is roughly 2x as effective as traditional TV video advertising services. Our point of view since 2007 has been that if we become the most effective video advertising service, then we could earn higher advertising revenues. As a consequence, we can easily think that in the future, broadcasting is going to be run by economic interests. Moreover, one possible issue with pay TV or TV on demand would be that customers will be able to watch exactly what they want, and so, we may think that the majority of people may like to watch movies or series in order to have fun and relaxation. As a consequence we could notice an increase of the Dallasification phenomena on the TV market because people are usually more seduced by the American programs for entertainment. Moreover, at the same time, people would watch less cultural programs. This phenomenon could lead to the end of the public TV broadcasting service because people would neglect cultural programs in favor of entertainment programs. This, means, that PBS will no longer insure its educating duty and therefore its role would be questionable. So now, one question can be raised: how will PBS adapt itself to the future in order to stay visible and useful to the viewers? Does it also mean that we are drawn into a purely commercial and selfish society which is going to be in terested only in entertainment and the current affairs that happen within its community?

Slumdog Millionaire A Short Summary Film Studies Essay

Slumdog Millionaire A Short Summary Film Studies Essay The character of an 18 year-old orphan named Jamal Malik from the Mumbais slums, who experienced the miserable days of his life. Whole nation discerning, he is just one question far from winning 20 million rupees on program, Indias Who likes to be a Millionaire? But when the brandish breaks for the night, policemen apprehend him on suspicion of betraying; how could a road child realize so much? Despairing to verify his innocence, Jamal notifies the scenes in the slum of his life where his brother and he grow up, of their excursions simultaneously on the street, of vicious runs into with localized gangs, and of Latika, the young girl he loved her and then he lost her. Each episode of his story reveals the input to the answer game shows questions. Eighteen year vintage Jamal Malik is having an astonishing responding mark on Who likes to be a Millionaire. He is just one right answer away from the large-scale pay. Is Jamal betraying? Is it solely luck that they have inquired him the questions to which he realizes the replies? Considering Jamals life expedition to this issue finally answers these inquiries. His life journey encompasses at an early age he became orphan; living with his brother, Salim, who was his protector, antagonist and guardian; and having an attachment since childhood with another orphaned progeny, a young female. His inspiration for being on the brandish furthermore may provide some answers to his success. Possibly it was all just intended to be. In Mumbai, Jamal Malik is tormented by the cops in consideration of cheating a game brandish. Jamal, who has no discovering and works in a call center assisting tea, is close to winning twenty million rupees in the display who likes to be a Millionaire? The policeman inspector exhibitions the videotape and after each investigation, Jamal notifies components of his childhood with his male sibling Salim, his trample for Latika and their assault to endure on the roads to support each correct answer, guided by his prevalent sense and past know-how, and verify his innocence. Mumbais policeman Sergeant Srinivas and his better interrogate and detain Jamal Malik. They suppose that he was betraying a popular Indian TV game display. They have clues that Jamal has had no prescribed learning and has been a job roinbber as a progeny, and are very resolute to inquiry him utilizing any method to get that how he can be able to enter in this game of money. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009) Production of film: The genesis of Slumdog Millionaire started at conduit 4 when the Head of movie and Drama, Tessa Ross, got a phone call from Film4s publication scout, Kate Sinclair, who clarified that shed read a verification of an exceptional article. Whereas yet to be released, when Sinclair chucked the article, Ross directly optioned the publication. Ross proposed that, while the publication was difficult to change into a play, she thought Beaufoy had the ability and know-how to do it. He knows how to explain the life of man from birth to his success. It was perhaps incoherent and few tales were nearly discreet little tales that had no quotation to the foremost individual characteristics at all. Its very distinct to starting with ones own concept and evolving it. Simon came up with the new name of Slumdog Millionaire. Its a comedy but its furthermore, at times, a horrifying drama. There are instants of large agony. Its a story and like all the best tales, it has instants of authentic darkness and repugnance. There is a large combine of things that really make you antic and make you bawl and make you gasp. When the script was in good enough form to take it to Danny, the groups number one alternate was Danny Boyle. In the world of video development, where tasks can labor to move ahead, certainly opposite re-writes, new writers, comprehensive comments and delays as other videos move into yield, Slumdog Millionaires development arc was rapid. Mechanically the places and bustle affiliated with every area the yield traveled to intend that Danny and his camera section, including the award winners controller of taking photos Anthony Dod Mantle, had to address some camera alternatives and firing methods. The crew was primarily conceiving to fire certain scenes utilizing highly complicated SI-2K digital cameras, but Boyle was obstinate that he did not yearn to take large and rather cumbersome 35mm cameras into the slums. The lesser, more flexible digital cameras enabled them to blaze rapidly with much less disturbance to the localized groups. Finding places and being allocated get access to be a logistical challenge for the place support and scouts from the groups Indian additions was vital. A localize d yield business India Take One expressed its knowledge to the yield, endowing the team to very quickly journal out how they would shift quickly from one location to the next. But distance is not habitually the large-scale topic in India. With millions of vehicles, rickshaws and taxis vying for the streets, traffic jams are part of everyday life as intense and dozing. General, in Mumbai, the maintain systems for filming were very much complicated than the yield had initially likely. Though disordered to an amount, Colson issue out that amenities were accessible across all facets of the production procedure. Mumbai is a world center for film making. The amenities are first class. There are truly incredible crews, studio space etc. Box office reception: Fox Searchlight issued 351 publishes of the movie over India for its full issue there on 23 January 2009. At the Indian carton bureau, in its first week, it makes business for about Rs. 23,545,665. Although not as much successful as foremost Bollywood matters in India throughout its first week, this was the biggest weekend whole for any Fox video. In its second week, the films whole increased to Rs. 30,470,752 at the Indian box agency. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009) Twosomes of analysts have proposed their attitudes about the films presentation at the Indian carton bureau. Komal Nahta, Trade analyst, stated that, There was an adversity with the title. It is not a well known phrase for majority Indians. In supplement, trade analyst Amod Mehr has claimed that with the exclusion of Anil Kapoor, the movie lacks recognizable stars and that the video. is not ideally matched for Indian sentiment. A videos proprietor commented that to find out slum juvenile men talking flawless English dont appear good but when speaks in Hindi language; the movie looks much realistic. The named Hindi type, did better at the box agency, and added exact replicates of that type were issued. Following the films achievement in the 81st Academy Awards, the movie is growing in India bigger by 470%. As of 15 March 2009, grossed of Rs. 158,613,802 of Slumdog Millionaire has at the Indian carton agency. Reviews: According to Times Entertainment One juvenile man, Jamal, has suspiciously or miraculously, extended the two worlds. An office boy, or chai wallah, from a Call center business, he has won a treasure on the Indian type of who likes to Be a Millionaire. The anchor is so skeptical of Jamals proficiency to answer the inquiries that he has try to punish the reality out of the lad. His interpretations, all anxiety to his miserable life as an orphan without home in the enterprise of his male sibling Salim, and not often sufficient, with the winsome, consistently abused Latika. The quest of Jamals finding his love Latika is similar to the idea of Indian movies from Raj-Kapoor movies. Factual to its sources, Slumdog, acclimatized from the innovative QA by Vikas Swarup, finishes with a purely delighted kiss and an all out promenade number, conceived by Bollywood deity A.R. Rahman. Despite of its components of cruelty, this is a floating tune to life, and a film to commemorate. (Singh, 2009) According to New York Times bathing comes regularly to Jamal, who profits from a dwelling as a chai-wallah assisting fragrant tea to call-center employees in Mumbai and who, after a sequence of alternating exhilarating and unnerving excursions, has set down in the moderately hot chair on the TV game brandish Who likes to Be a Millionaire. Yet while the item undoes with Jamal on the verge of catching the large-scale reward, here, narrative doesnt start and end. By all privileges the consistency of Jamals life should have been brutally changed by disaster by the time he makes apprehend for the TV prize. But because Slumdog Millionaire is self deliberately bordered as an up to designated day tales or because Mr. Boyle bends in the main heading of the sanguine, this verifies to be one of the most upbeat tales about living in torment imaginable. Salim, observer the murder of their mother by marauding fanatics equipped with anti-Muslim epithets and associations. In the end, what presents me reluctant hesitate about this bright, cheery, hard-to-resist video is that its enjoyment senses much like a filmmakers assessment than a dependable bawl from the heart about the human essence. (Dargis, 2008) People remarks about film: Every one-by-one has his own admiration and way of conceiving. Some adored it and some have critical comments. Some of them are granted: Without a doubt the best video I have ever glimpsed encompassing a pulsing, assuring soundtrack, appealing cinematography throughout, a captivating movie bragging gritty realism yet awe-inspiring romance. But as for being contradictory in the main heading of India, it teaches as far as the prostitution and the slums etc. is considered, it displays India as a vibrant, colorful, fast-moving, hope-filled location. Absolutely, not feeling good movie. Blaring, energetic, fast-moving and colorful, but how can so much brutality and unhappiness go away any individual feeling good? I regret going to glimpse a video which takes advantage of poor children. This Oscar being triumphant film Slumdog millionaire was very inspirational and uplifting movie with lots of wants in it. Regrettably, its not so looking at the pureness of the Oscar winning children genuine life. These children were the aim of the movie. They were the funnies and large actors with no popularities and with the smallest past know-how of portraying. (Dargis, 2008) (Time Out London, 2009) Impact made by movie: Most of the persons loved this video just because of the work of player and the way he get ease of his sad life but some persons criticize this video. Persons hold praising the films very sensible portrayal of slums life in India. But its not that thing. Slums life is a miserable. It takes self-assurance from you in the shape of the wealthy and the privileged. It robs your dignity, deadens your ambition, bounds your fantasy and psychologically cripples you when you step out-of-doors the solace zone of your own locality. Most people in the slums not ever complete a fairy-tale ending. Reviewer said that Sudips concept is indeed sensible. Although, I would furthermore like to note that not every individual answers the way how individuals should react. Individuals in the slums might be stolen off of self-assurance because they worry that their family constituent be enforced with hazard if they do something foolish. (WebbieStuff, 2009) Message got from movie: Despite of all the hype, Slumdog consigns a patronizing and ultimately sham affirmation on communal fairness. Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire, probably one of the most commemorated videos in latest times, notifies the rags-to-rajah article of a love-struck Indian juvenile man, with a small support from fate success over his wretched starting in Mumbai. Slumdog has enraged numerous Indians because it tarnishes their insight of their homeland as an expanding financial authority and a bonfire of democracy. Indias English newspapers, said mostly by its middle classes, have conveyed many bristling reconsiders of the film that articulate an acute sense of wounded nationwide dignity. Though comprehensible, the emotion is not justifiable. So at times pathetically artificial, many of the films heart trembling scenarios are motivated by a miserable, but well-documented truth. Corruption is certainly rampant amidst the policeman, and most will willingly use torment, so none is expected dim sufficient to aim an eloquent, English-talking man which is actually an expanding newspapers incident. Beggar-makers do round-up forsaken juvenile kids and mutilate them in alignment to make them more agreeable, while it is highly unlikely that any such progeny will ever possibility upon a $100 account, much less be adept of recognizing it by feel and scent alone. (Sengupta, 2009)

What are the strengths and failures of the Battle of Maldon and the ?related texts? as evidence for the structure of English Society :: essays research papers fc

What are the strengths and failures of the Battle of Maldon and the ‘related texts’ as evidence for the structure of English Society The Battle of Maldon is a medieval text depicting a battle between English warriors and Danish invaders. Earl Byrtnoth was commanding the warriors in the name of King Æthelred. The poem portrays the heroism of the bravest warriors and the sheer cowardice of those that fled. Controversy over the aim of the poem is apparent as Sragg says that the poets â€Å"style of writing is so hyperbolic that it robs what little of trustworthiness there is.† On the one hand there is little doubt that the battle happened and in this sense the poem is accurate, however very little archaeological evidence has been found around that historical sight to consolidate the poems content. Another problem may well lie in the later translations of the text especially before 1725 and the Cotton Library fire. When copyists began to copy the text they may well have lost some of the meaning of the poem by the way they understand it, they are likely to translate the text to fit contemporary understanding .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is possible to see that the church appears to play a major role in the society of the English in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Lines one hundred and one to one hundred and five display a deeply engrained belief in fate and God’s hand in it, â€Å"There against the fierce ones stood ready Byrtnoth with his men†¦ †¦Then the fight was nigh, glory in combat: the time had come when fated men must fall there.† It is possible to see that there was a deeply engrained belief, in the higher circles of society especially, that if you died on the battle field then God had fated you to do so. Also the use of glory indicates a connection with religion as glory and glorification are synonymous with Christ, God, and religion in general. This idea is backed up by lines one hundred and seventy three to one hundred and eighty whereby a fallen warrior believes that they will reach heaven in God’s peace. This idea would no doubt be reflected through society as lines two hundred and five to two hundred and eight suggest that society acknowledges the bravest, a lord would expect his warriors to avenge his death or lose his life in the process. The church also played a major role as a buttress to the King’s legitimacy and power.

A Passage to India and Orientalism Essay -- European Literature Edward

A Passage to India and Orientalism When in 1978 Edward W. Said published his book Orientalism, it presented a turning point in post-colonial criticism. He introduced the term Orientalism, and talked about 2 of its aspects: the way the West sees the Orient and the way the West controls the Orient. Said gave three definitions of Orientalism, and it is through these definitions that I will try to demonstrate how A Passage to India by E. M. Forster is an Orientalist text. First, Said defined Orientalism as an academic discipline, which flourished in 18th and 19th century. Anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient - and this applies whether the person is an anthropologist, sociologist, historian, or philologist - either in its specific or its general aspects, is an Orientalist, and what he or she does is Orientalism. (2) Second, in Said's own words "Orientalism is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between "the Orient" and (most of the time) "the Occident"" (2). And now we come to Said's third definition of Orientalism: Here I come to the third meaning of Orientalism, which is something more historically and materially defined than either of the other two. Taking the late eighteenth century as a very roughly defined starting point Orientalism can be discussed and analysed as the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient - dealing with it by making statements about it, authorising views of it, describing it, teaching it, settl... ...storehouses for grain. India is his country, and India shall one day be united as one nation and throw off the English yoke. (274) In Forster's A Passage to India we recognize certain elements that can be seen as Orientalist. According to Edward Said's definitions of Orientalism I tried to point out some of these Orientalist elements. However, there are many more examples in the novel which would also fit in the Orientalist frames set by Said. WORKS CITED Fasset, I. P. Rev. of A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster. Criterion October 9, 1924 Forster, Edward Morgan. A Passage to India. London: Penguin Books. 1979. Hartley, Leslie Poles. Rev of A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster. Spectator June 28, 1924. Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books Edition. 1979.

Mildred D. Taylor Essay

The successful and renowned author Mildred D. Taylor was born in Mississippi, Jackson and has used her excellent writing style to create the thrilling and compelling novel â€Å"Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry† to put across her knowledge and experience of the complexities of the south when there was legalised segregation of Blacks and Whites. The interesting and diverse characters in this story were skilfully created by Taylor to put across the varied and often devastating injustices that regularly occurred in the south during The Great Depression of the 1930s. For the purposes of this essay I will be discussing the experiences and reactions of two very different characters, Uncle Hammer and Mr. Morrison. The reason for my choice is that I feel they are characters that in some way stand out when looking at their experiences and actions in regards to the question. They are two very diverse characters particularly physically Mr Morrison was a â€Å"human tree in height, the long trunk of his massive body, his skin the deepest of ebony† relating to where he came from which was two â€Å"strong like bulls† parents which suggested that he had a family heritage of stud farms. Uncles hammer â€Å"dark, red-brown skin, a square jawed face†. These two men are used in this novel to represent an understanding of the south through experience of violence. Uncle hammer fought in the civil war along with his brother who had died. Mr Morrison had regularly been confronted by violence through family and the loss of his job. They use this violence to battle racism that is put towards them and confront it when needed in their environment but in different ways and Uncle Hammer will do anything to stop racism as he does not like it for the fact his brother was killed by whites. When Mr Morrison is confronted there is no stopping this machine that was brought from knowledge of the creations in stud farms â€Å"They was both of them from breeded stock and they was strong like bulls† but he only acts in self-defence. In contrast uncle hammer is the owner of land whilst Mr Morrison is a poor sharecropper. They are two very diverse characters although they have similar qualities. Mr Morrison the poor sharecropper has only friends he can rely on because of his story in the railroad business. He shows how grateful he is and this lands him a job in the Logan family business. Uncle hammer gets land from the Logans because he can protect their business from going down the drain. Mr Morrison a calm man had a tragic event; he experienced the killing of his own father and mother during the civil war when they had come after them that are the white people. Mr Morrison had also another experience of segregation when he got fired from the railroad business for beating up the white people. He was fired got fired because he was black and therefore was not good enough while the whites had stayed on to their job. This showed an example of how the south was at this time. On the other hand, Uncle Hammer experienced the same occurrence as Mr Morrison but his family was his two brothers that sacrificed themselves to make life better for blacks. During the civil war Uncle Hammer and his two brothers fought for how they believed the world should be. Uncle Hammer came out with a broken leg â€Å"limping slightly on his left leg† His brothers failed to return and he has come back to avenge his brothers and also to get justice. In conclusion, to this compelling book Mildred D Taylor used these two characters due to the fact that they were the tellers of what the south was like during the period of legalised segregation. They used their understanding to explain the difficulties as well as what would happen to Blacks if they were to disobey Whites.

Building Working Relationships With Customers Essay

Effective communication strategies can help towards building strong working relationships with clients and customers and are very important for the progress of any company. It is essential to create a good impression and therefore it is important that the employee’s self presentation meets the expectations of the customer and leaves them with an overall positive opinion. Employee’s appearance is essential for creating a good first impression to the customer. It is important to look professional and to dress appropriately according to your working environment. While some companies require smart dress code at all times, for others wearing a suit may be seen as too dressy and would suggest that the employee is not familiar enough with the type of business. Ideally employees have to carefully consider the type of clients their company is aiming for and do their best to associate themselves with them, always aiming for a neat and tidy appearance. Major factor for one’s self presentation is their attitude towards clients. It is vital to show interest in meeting the customer’s needs and making them feel valued. A successful employee always shows engagement to a query and ideally aims to be more-productive, customer-focused and profit-gathering. Their manners should display positivity and helpful attitude at all times. It is important to be attentive and respond appropriately to customers’ needs and focus on delivering business results. Satisfied customers are likely to give good feedback about your work and are more likely to remain loyal, making future purchases repeatedly. They are considered a real asset to the organisation and ideally would still choose to use the same company over going for a competitor’s services. Moreover their positive feedback can attract new potential clients, contribute towards achievement of wider business goals for the company and make it more successful at the marketpla ce. In order to be able to deal more efficiently with their clients’ needs, companies have various protocols designed to improve their employees’ customer service and productivity. The protocols consist of a set of guidelines covering the correct conduct towards customers, setting out the main duties which customer-facing employees have to be able to carry out. Thus the company ensures that its employees are delivering a consistently high level of  service to the customers. Protocols usually cover key areas of customer service describing how to appropriately respond to customers and how to refer to a relevant individual. This may include telephone etiquette – aiming to answer a phone call within three rings and greeting the customer with an exact phrase before taking their details. Responding to e-mails on the same day using the correct wording and sending out letters along with a complimentary slips from the company. It can also cover logging details and processes on to a specific database, creating customer files and recording different actions and outcomes of employee’s daily duties – for example completing flow chart templates showing the progress of a certain task or a project. Protocols are important not only for improving the standards of general customer service and minimising the possibility of errors, but also to protect employees from occasions where unfair claims and disciplinary proceedings which may occur. In my job role as an administrator at a traineeship provider company, I rarely have to contact any external customers and my clients are assessors working at different departments of the same organisation. I am responsible for processing their new learners registrations and have to follow a certain guidelines on a daily basis to ensure my work is done correctly. When receiving a new request I register our new learners for the relevant qualification with the correct awarding body and enter their details on to an online registrations system. The next step is liaising with a colleague from finance department and issuing a purchase order number. I have to make a copy of the new registration details and keep in the learners file. According to my company’s protocol I have to complete all new registrations within two days from the original submission date and get back to the assessors by e-mail once I have dealt with their request. Although there is no formal etiquette I have to follow when responding to them, it is important that I stick to the protocol and ensure all data is correctly processed and saved. Appropriate communication between customers and employees is essential for any company’s progress. Showing respect in every interaction is vital and there is certainly no place for negative or rude attitude towards the client. Good telephone manner and polite face-to-face communication is equally important in both formal and informal situations. If any differences in views or ideas occur employees should first try to understand them from the client’s perspective  and then respond by emphasizing what they can do to help resolving the matter. Unfortunately, customers are more likely to s peak up and make a complaint about a bad customer experience, rather than giving feedback about a positive one. On occasions when someone has raised a complaint to me within my company I listen to the client without passing any judgements or rushing to give an advice and follow through with stating what I can do to help resolve the problem. It is important that the customers see a quick and appropriate response to their issue, know that that I am looking forward to helping them and that my organisation cares about providing them with a solution. In situations where I think I cannot resolve a client’s problem I seek advice and help from a manager or a more experienced employee. I focus on issues and not personalities when I address and pass on the complaint and express appreciation when others give me assistance. In situations when a client has complained about an error made by an employee from my company, the situation is usually dealt with by a department manager or coordinator, who ensures that the customer receives the necessary compensation and that the same mistake would not be mad e again in future. Customer satisfaction is essential for the survival of any business, therefore it is important that the client’s needs should be met and if possible – exceeded. To do that, companies look for employees who can identify what the client is looking for and provide with good service. This can prove to be a challenging task as customer needs are a dynamic feature, based on a wide range of changing factors and it can be difficult to know exactly what someone is looking for. Common basic expectations are helpful high quality products or services and competitive pricing. Employees should be prepared to go above and beyond to satisfy the customer expectations, as this will increase the sales and create additional business opportunities. It is important that needs should be met because then there is a better possibility that the client will choose to do business with the organisation. However, if their expectations of customer service are exceeded they are likely to become loyal customers and use other services in future. Thus the company will stand out, differentiate from the rest of its competitors and has better chances of expanding. Positive worki ng relations with any customer will bring more investments and will make the organisation more popular on the market. It will also allow the employees to get to know  their customers better, find the right matches for their needs and find new ways to deal effectively with any problems or complaints. Important aspect in building good working relationships is agreeing on certain quality standards and timescales for their requests. By doing so, both parties are agreeing on setting a specific target and the company can make sure it stays focused on the right needs of the customer and knows exactly what has to be done so that the clients are satisfied with the end result. It encourages new improvements and ensures consistency in service. Reviewing customer service provision is the process through which the company receives and evaluates feedback for their services to their clients. There are various ways to do this and most popular ones are informal feedback and completing surveys, comments book and questionnaires. My company often uses online evaluation sheets and has also dedicated a section from its official webpage for comments and suggestions. Customers can choose to remain anonymous when sharing their customer service experience. Although feedback information important, yet sometimes difficult to obtain, companies need to ensure their customers are not pressurised to participate in the evaluation if they are not interested to do so. Building good working relationships with clients helps towards the continuous improvement of companies services, brings more profits and attracts new potential customers.

The Worst Storm in Canadian History

Ice storms, also referred to as glaze storms, cause considerable damage every year to trees in urban and natural areas. They vary considerably in their severity and frequency. Ice storms are result of the ice formation process, which is influenced by general weather patterns. Ice accumulates when super cooled rain freezes on contact with surfaces, such as tree branches, that are at or below the freezing point (0'C). This generally occurs when a winter warm front passes through an area after the ground-level temperature reaches or falls below freezing. Rain falls through layers of cooler air without freezing, becoming super cooled. Periodically, other climatic events, including stationary, occluded, and cold fronts, also result in ice storms. The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the1998 ice storm. This paper features three main section: An introduction, the main body (damage to woodland), and finally, a conclusion. In the main body of this paper, the effect of fire and pest/disease is discussed in detail. In the conclusion, comparison is made between fire and pests/disease versus ice storm. By the end of this paper, one should gain a better understanding of the severity of the 1998 ice storm as well as other damaging agents that affect the woodland in eastern North America Ice storms are often winter's worst hazard. More slippery than snow, freezing rain or glaze is tough and tenacious, clinging to every object it touches. A little can be dangerous, a lot can be catastrophic. Ice storm in Northeastern America has been common but the 1998 ice storm was exceptional. Ice storms are a major hazard in all parts of Canada except the North, but are especially common from Ontario to Newfoundland. The severity of ice storms depends largely on the accumulation of ice, the duration of the event, and the location and extent of the area affected. Based on these criteria, Ice Storm'98 was the worst ever to hit Canada in recent memory. From January 5-10, 1998 the total water equivalent of precipitation, comprising mostly freezing rain and ice pellets and a bit of snow, exceeded 85 mm in Ottawa, 73 mm in Kingston, 108 in Cornwall and 100 mm in Montreal (Environmental Canada, Jan 12/1998). Previous major ice storms in the region, notably December 1986 in Ottawa and February 1961 in Montreal, deposited between 30 and 40 mm of ice – about half the thickness from the 1998 storm event! (Environmental Canada, Jan 12/1998). The extent of the area affected by the ice was enormous. Freezing precipitation is often described as â€Å"a line of† or â€Å"spotty occurrences of†. At the peak of the storm, the area of freezing precipitation extended from Muskoka and Kitchener in Ontario through eastern Ontario, western Quebec and the Eastern Townships to the Fundy coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. What made the ice storm so unusual, though, was that it went on for so long. On average, Ottawa and Montreal receive freezing precipitation on 12 to 17 days a year. Each episode generally lasts for only a few hours at a time, for an annual average total between 45 to 65 hours. During Ice Storm'98, it did not rain continuously, however, the number of hours of freezing rain and drizzle was in excess of 80 – again nearly double the normal annual total. One of the most appealing features of Eastern Ontario is the extensive forest cover. This is made up of woodlands of varying structure. These woodlands, as well as natural fencerows, windbreaks, and plantations of pine and poplar, dominate the landscape. Icing impacts may best be understood by treating spatially larger scales, starting with individual trees, proceeding to stands, and finally to forest landscapes. Ice damage to trees can range from mere breakage of a few twigs, to bending stems to the ground, to moderate crown loss, to outright breakage of the trunk. In the 1998 Northeastern ice storm, icing lasted long enough that many trees which were bent over had their crowns glued to the snow surface by the ice in many instances for as long as 3 weeks. Some of those trees actually erect posture after release from the snow, while many others remain bent over after 2 years. The severity of damage is generally believed to be closely related to the severity of winds following the heaviest ice accumulations. Damage varies across a range of severity and subtlety: minor branch breakage; major branch loss; bending over of crowns; root damages; breakage of trunks and in some hardwoods, trunks can be split. Depending on the stand composition, the amount of ice accumulation, and the stand history, damage to stands can range from light and patchy to the total breakage of all mature stems. Complete flattening of stands occurred locally in the Northeaster 1998 storm. In response to more moderate damage, effects on stands could include: shifts in over story composition in favor of the most resistant trees; loss of stand growth until leaf area is restored; and loss of value of the growth due to staining or damage to stem form. The term landscape refers to a ‘group† or a ‘family† of trees. I use the term vaguely because the size and composition of landscapes differ from region to region. The degree of damage is typically highly skewed by area. For example, in the January 1998 Northeaster storm, 1,800,000 ha of damage in Quebec was assessed by the Ministry of Natural Resource: very severe 4.2%, severe 32.0%, moderate 29.9%, and slight/trace 33.9% (The Science of the Total Environment, Volume: 262, Issue: 3, November 15, 2000, pp. 231-242 ). The effects on entire forest landscapes are highly patchy and variable. They also depend significantly on how landowners respond to the damage. Disturbance caused by diseases, by themselves or in conjunction with disturbance by insects, abiotic factors such as drought, fire and wind, and, increasingly, human activities, has played a critical role in the dynamics of many forest ecosystems in North America. In the predominantly coniferous forests in western North America there are considerable areas undisturbed directly by human activities. In these areas, diseases kill trees or predispose them to other agents of disturbance, resulting in gradual change in stand composition and structure. In areas disturbed by forest management practices of harvesting or exclusion of fire, increased disease incidence and severity has increased the damage caused by disease, and consequently, the rate of change. In the absence of introduced diseases in the predominantly deciduous forests of the Appalachian region of eastern North America, forests are relatively healthy. Here, forests are disturbed significantly by disease only after they are disturbed or stressed by other agents, predominantly defoliating insects and drought. In the eastern montane coniferous forest, chronic wind damage is a major predisposing factor to disease. Past harvesting practices, introduced diseases and insects, and fire exclusion have in some instances resulted in large areas of similar species and relatively similar ages that exacerbate the magnitude and severity of disturbance by disease. Fire is predominantly a natural phenomenon that burns the forest vegetation, polluting the ozone and wiping out the biodiversity. One major distinction between ice storm and forest fire is the way disaster are caused. The majority of forest fire could arguably be a result of human action and ice storm as an ‘act of god,† an act that is out of human control. Foresters usually distinguish three types of forest fires: ground fires, which burn the humus layer of the forest floor but do not burn appreciably above the surface; surface fires, which burn forest undergrowth and surface litter; and crown fires, which advance through the tops of trees or shrubs. It is not uncommon for two or three types of fires to occur simultaneously. Forest management has been able to reduce the occurrence of this event but many forest fires are out of arm†s length. Humans cause the majority of forest fires. Campers that do not put out their bond fire or campers littering lit cigarette bud are responsible for such an action. Natural occurrence such as lightning could spark a forest fire but the probability is small compared to human action. The convention way of putting out or reducing the spread of forest fire has been airliners. These airliners are filled with gallons and galloons of water. With limited capacity, these airliners fly above the flame and deposit galloons of water. For the purpose of this paper, deforestation simply means the lost of trees where the lost of trees exceeds the level of sustainable development. One of the major effects of forest fire is the burning of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. This eventually creates a greenhouse affect and global warming. The effect damages our ecosystem as well as reduces one of Canada†s precious natural resource. Many projects, both from government funding and corporate sponsors, have done a good job increasing the awareness and risk related to deforestation. Pests directly affect the quantity and quality of forest nursery seedlings and can indirectly cause losses by disrupting reforestation plans or reducing survival of out planted stock. The movement of infested stock can disseminate pests to new areas. Since control of nursery pests may be based on pesticide usage, pest outbreaks may lead to environmental contamination. Woodland damage caused by livestock is a well-documented, yet persistent, forest health problem. Soil compaction, root disturbance and trunk/root collar damage caused by livestock reduce the vigor of trees. This paves the way for armillaria root rot, borers and other opportunistic organisms. Livestock also destroy the forest under story (reproduction), which hastens soil erosion and limits the future productivity of the site. The resulting forest decline reduces the quality, value and longevity of current and future trees on the site. Eliminating livestock from woodlands is the first step toward a healthier, more productive forest. As mentioned earlier in this paper, ice storm is a natural phenomenon caused by nature whereas forest fire are a result of human actions and preventable. One of the major differences between fire and ice storm is the rate of damage. Forest fire has a direct impact on the woodlands by changing the diversity of the landscape. Forest fire wipes out an entire landscape of trees causing a release of carbon dioxide. This ‘in lieu† effect results in global warming as well as greenhouse effect. The release of carbon dioxide has a long-term effect to our ecosystem. Carbon dioxide is trapped in our ozone layer making airways less preamble. This trapping effect eventually radiates heat causing global warming. The long-term effect is hazardous and changes our biodiversity. Ice storm has very little affect to our ozone layer. Damage to woodlands as a result of ice storm is concentrated within that area. Ice storm does not spread like fire does so areas that have been hit by an ice storm affect woodlands Pests and disease slowly eroded the quantity as well as quality of woodland. Infected woodland slows the development of growth by eroding the soil limiting the production of trees. Pest control and good forest management could improve the quality and well as productivity in these areas. Pests and diseases cause a slow change in biodiversity. As the woodland become infested, animals feeding from leafs and branch find it less desirable, eventually leaving the area in search of more suitable woodland. Similarly, forest fire, pests and disease spread but at a much slower rate. These agents infect the trees, eventually penetrating the roots and moving on to the next host. As mentioned previous, ice storm does not spread, rather the effect stays within the area. To conclude, fire and pests/disease are similar in the way these agents spread and infect their host. The preceding sentence can be best thought of as a virus infected it†s host as an analogy. Fire spreads at a much faster rate than pests/disease and the impact are instant. Both of these agents have long-term effect, which does not work in our favor. Ice storm affects the area it hits and will not spread. Furthermore, ice storms are predictable whereas fire is not since the cause of fire is human mistake and is hard to predict. Ice storms are not preventable but human actions can be prevented. The potential of damage from fire is far more severe than that of ice storm. We must increase the awareness to ensure that our woodland remains healthy and protect our ecosystem.

To Be a Californian

Every day, thousands of people migrate to different sectors of the globe, to capitalize opportunity or pursue better lifestyles for themselves. California is one such state, which prides itself in being able to accommodate diverse populations and cultures. Like many stipulated theories. Immigrants chose the land to Inhabit based on the desire to acquire better living standards for themselves. Immigrants that arrive in California for instance seek the warm natural scenery provided by the state, the freedom to live whichever way they deem fit, the available bob resources, and the willingness to dream and achieve one's dreams.Those who aspire to be Californian are told that there are deferent methods to do this. The promises linked with being Californian leaves them with the desire to migrate and gain the new life promised to them. On closer examination, it becomes apparent that the concept of being Californian is linked to Individuals that have the freedom to live their lives as they p lease, work hard to achieve their dreams, and be tolerant of diversity. Nevertheless, any concept that goes against this remiss may lead to failure of not becoming a â€Å"real† Californian.To support this discussion, an examination of Denies Sponsor's â€Å"A new Perspective on the Dream,† Quays â€Å"Interviews† together with support from the survey result on Californian identity, will show that individuals' that desire to live a free life, are tolerant of diversity, and aspire to achieve their dreams qualify to be â€Å"real† Californians. Excerpts from Sponsor's article gives the illumination that a â€Å"real† Californian is a person that lives freely and enjoys every aspect of life. Spooned (2008, p. 2) gives an illustration of how people migrated from Iowa so that they could get away from the Judgment surrounding the community. In the post war era, California presented an area where one could run away from sexism, racism, and self-freedom. T he essence that surrounds freedom is the desire to escape imprisonment or slavery offered within the society. It is also the desire to give an individual's TO BE A CALIFORNIAN 3 family new opportunity to experience realities that one may have missed. Therefore, they choose to migrate to California since they experience a lack of advancement or retardation in their current environment.As I conduct some interviews with some of the individuals in the region, one respondent retorted that he migrated to be free from poverty. This is a similar story to the one given by Spooned, which talks about a young girl who experiences a sense of freedom through her uncle's migratory nature. It is evident through this story that freedom is acquired through progression areas may ring restriction into how much an individual can progress, California offers a place to gain new insight into freedom and its splendor.Spooned continues and says that when many people hear of the wonderful life in California, they cannot help, but find ways to get there (spooned 2008). This is a clear indication of the sense of peace and freedom experienced within the state. An essential component of being a â€Å"real† Californian is taking risks as a way of achieving one's dreams or combating one's problems. Many people are deprived of the splendid essentials that life has to offer, and so grow up hoping to create better lives than they had.This is evident in an interview of Cruz Reynolds as presented by Quay Cruz grew up in an age where many Mexicans experience segregation, but through his efforts, he was able to acquire equality for his school members of Mexican descent. Cruz, like many immigrants, had a desire to live better lives than their parents or make better lives for future generations. Sometimes, however, this implies sacrificing one's time to struggle for the things that are essential or meaningful in their lives.

Political Theories of sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Theories of sexuality - Essay Example al roles, In particular, women should manifest themselves primarily as wives, mothers and householders, while men are considered to be responsible for the financial well-being of the family. These social norms are so common that any violation of these representations threatens men and women condemnation from society but also isolation from it. Appeal to a variety of philosophical and scientific research sheds light on this issue and one can understand why the modern American society suffers from this problem. The fact that its origins have deep roots. They are so widely grown in the human world that even modern American culture in spite of the achievements in the field of science and technological progress continues to demonstrate a strict policy of gender roles. In particular, one of the reasons can be seen in the influence of the Christian heritage in the culture of the Western world. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche pointed to the fact that the Christian culture and morality based on it and presented in the Western world have a deep contempt for the individual human freedom in the choice of gender roles and ways to implement one’s sexuality. The merit of Nietzsche is that he tried to make a person able to influence the formation of public morality that takes into account the fact that the man is not a machine but a living creature having his/her needs and preferences, including sexual. Even the great psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud also draws attention to the negative impact of social norms of Western culture on the individual persons life. He points to the fact that Western culture is permeated with the desire to put a person in a very rigid framework, including in relation to his/her status of gender and sexuality. With regard to the widespread stereotype that femininity is primarily connected with weakness, passivity, etc., one can refer to the c onclusions of Simone de Beauvoir. As a result of thorough research Beauvoir came to the idea that such an

CLIMATE CHANGE Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CLIMATE CHANGE Exercise - Essay Example Australia is trying to minimize the carbon emissions so that it can control the climate changes. The reduction target laid down by Australia is quite possible to achieve in ten years given the budget allocated to the new plans. The basic plan of cutting down the carbon emissions arose when Australia witnessed many droughts and spontaneous weather changes. The decision of cutting down the carbon emissions is quite right but according to some experts the cut in emissions is quite less in comparison to the alarming rates laid down by different environmental agencies. In my view the decision taken by Australia is quite right even though it is not cutting the emissions by a great percentage because if this decision is not taken then the rate of emission would only increase rather than decrease. The approach that Australia has adopted is a realistic one as cutting down the emission by 15% is possible. They have proposed new legislative measures which would hold the industries accountable f or the carbon emissions and have even levied taxes on the sources which are emitting such gases (Australian Government Department of Climate Change 2008;CSIRO 2010; BBC News 2008). Australia has realized the grave danger that the carbon emissions put the state into and have taken a stand on it. By taking an action on reducing these emissions they have urged other developed and undeveloped countries to do the same and make the earth a better to live. If other states do not follow the same schemes put forward by Australia then these spontaneous climate changes would go on with great disasters (BBC News 2008; McCaffrey 2006). Climate change all over the world is alarming not only to the developed countries but also to the undeveloped countries. Bangladesh is one of the examples of undeveloped countries which has realized the potential of emissions and has taken a stand on it. They have proposed

Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunity - Essay Example Moreover, the discussion of this report would also reflect on identifying the amount of workers who meet obstacles in relation to developing their career that have been labelled ‘glass ceiling’ and ‘glass cliff’ within the United Kingdom (UK) business organisations. In order to provide relevant examples relating to the present demographic trends, the report would also render instances of real cases of the UK companies regarding their practice of managing diversity and equal opportunity within the organisation. Part 1: Ways in Which Current Demographic Trends Influence to Increase Workforce Diversity The incessant growth and development of demographic trends has been identified to enforce numerous challenges for the global organisations to manage diversity along with promoting equal opportunities. According to the concept of demographic trends, the notion has been identified to increase since the period of 1950s within the UK population. In this regard, the m ajor ways in relation to the current global demographic trends which augment workforce diversity can be characterised into different categories (Department for Business Innovation and Skills, 2013). A few of the major ways of demographic trends have been briefly highlighted in the following discussion. Internationalisation The rising pace of internationalisation has been viewed as one of the major factors, which influences the development of the current demographic trends within the UK. In relation to the present globalisation driven era, the rising internationalisation trends rapidly influence the organisations to focus on managing diversity and rendering equal opportunity to the workforce. The incessant development of the global business organisations has resulted in... The incessant growth and development of demographic trends has been identified to enforce numerous challenges for the global organisations to manage diversity along with promoting equal opportunities. According to the concept of demographic trends, the notion has been identified to increase since the period of 1950s within the UK population. In this regard, the major ways in relation to the current global demographic trends which augment workforce diversity can be characterised into different categories. A few of the major ways of demographic trends have been briefly highlighted in the following discussion. The rising pace of internationalisation has been viewed as one of the major factors, which influences the development of the current demographic trends within the UK. In relation to the present globalisation driven era, the rising internationalisation trends rapidly influence the organisations to focus on managing diversity and rendering equal opportunity to the workforce. The inc essant development of the global business organisations has resulted in compelling these corporations to extend business locations across the geographical boundaries (CIPD, 2013). Therefore, the organisations are not fully aware of the potential advantages and at times overlook the required competencies and knowledge to successfully obtain the foreign opportunities. In this regard, the diverse culture, language and racial differences often discourage the UK companies from accomplishing their overseas opportunities.