Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Athletes Are Not Above the Law
Should any athlete be judged on what kind of person he or she is on or off the field, court, or swimming pool? The answer is yes, athletes should be punished for actions which occur in their own personal lives. In todayââ¬â¢s world, sport stars and other athletes are looked up to by all ages. Everyone loves them. They look great in the eyes of the everyday public. They appear on television; they perform like rock stars, and do this with the entire world watching. But do athletesââ¬â¢ responsibilities affect only his or her performance on the field of play or does it also extend to his personal life as well? There are many who claim that it is wrong for a sophisticated society to force a set of behavior expectations on people who just happen to do extremely well in sports. ââ¬Å"I am not a role modelâ⬠(Iââ¬â¢m Not a, par 1). That statement was said by former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Charles Barkeley. Some other players agree with him, in the fact, they do not and donââ¬â¢t expect to be considered role models (Iââ¬â¢m Not a, par. 1). But the truth is, whether they like it or not, they are role models to many young fans who watch their every move on and off the field, and models their lives after how their favorite player does. Athletes should be judged on their actions off the field. First, they are role models to millions of young fans. Secondly, athletes are not above the law and should not be treated that way. Finally, they are representatives of their team, school, sport, and countries. First of all, athletes should be judge for their actions off the playing field because they are the role models of millions of young fans. Great athletes are always in the eye of the public and media, and their actions are seen both on and off the field, sometimes even when they think nobody is watching such as Olympic Gold Medalist and swimming phenomenon, Michael Phelps. Phelps is looked at as a national hero for is world record breaking efforts in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and a role model to millions of young kids all over the world. Recently, he was caught in a photograph smoking marijuana. In our exclusive photo Michael Phelps, who won a record EIGHT gold medals for swimming at the Beijing games last summer, draws from a bongâ⬠(Dickenson). Even though, Phelps thought he was in a trusted environment, and the photographer showed a severe lack of class in taking the photograph, just for a little cash. Phelps was seen by millions of people and the young fans who adore him and should be punished for is illegal actions not only by the law but in his sport, as well, because of his responsibility as a role model in the eyes of his young fans. Because of his of his great accomplishment and the affect it brought upon his young fans to model their lives after Phelps, what will his fans say when they are offered to smoke marijuana? ââ¬Å"I saw Michael Phelps do it, so it cannot be that bad,â⬠and make a wrong decision because of the actions of their hero. Athletes should be accounted for their actions of the playing fields because the negative influence they could put in the hands of their young fans. Secondly, athletes are not above the law, and should be monitored on and off the field. There are no double standard rules for athletes when they are in trouble with the law. They are regular human beings, such as you and I, and we should all be treated equally in the court of law: They are not above the law, and it's at least satisfying to see them pay the consequences as well (some of the time) like the regular folk. But, even if they are drunk or sober, should we at least expect some decent conduct in their spare time. These guys are doing what some of us hope or used to hope, happen to us. That is to get the opportunity to make a great salary doing something we love for a portion of the year! Iââ¬â¢m Not a, par. 5) Athletes are not superior to the rest of us; they are just as prone to the consequences of the law as you or me. Athletes are not above the law, and should not be treated that way. They are just regular people like everyone else, they just have this lime light over their head twenty-four-seven. Finally, athletes represent their teams, schools, sports, and countries with every action they make on and off the field. When wearing the colors of their school or country while doing an unlawful act, it will give that rganization a bad reputation of leniency and not being a serious institution. ââ¬Å"Two 20-year-old Duke University lacrosse players were arrested early Tuesday on charges of raping and kidnapping a stripper hired to dance at an off-campus partyâ⬠(Duke Lacrosse Players, par. 1). Even though, the accusations were false and later dropped; the scandal forced the coach to resign, brought shame upon the university and the teamââ¬â¢s season to an early end. Therefore, athletes are ambassadors of their teams, schools, sports and countries and they represent them on and off the field. Athletes are role models to millions of young fans. Secondly, athletes are not above the law and should not be treated that way. Finally, they are representatives of their teams, schools, sports, and countries. For those reasons, athletes should be judged for their actions off the field. Great competitors are always in the eye of the media, and decisions could affect the lives of their fans, team members, coaches, and clubs. So they should strive to not be only outstanding athletes on the field, but outstanding citizens off the field. Work Cited http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5348321
Living Apart Together
1. Living Apart Together, also called L. A. T, is a unique phenomenon that through modern time has become more and more popular among couples. The purpose of L. A. T is that a couple, which either are married, engaged or boyfriend and girlfriend, who has an intimate relationship but the couple lives separately on separate addresses. LAT relationships is increasingly understood and also accepted in public. It is seen by most people, as good enough partnership and the couples still remain the same expectations about the commitment and loyalty as marriage or cohabitation.Text 2, ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Home Alone Togetherââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ written by Jill Brooke, focuses on pro and cons statements from both experts and from quite ordinary people. Jeannette Lofas, who is a clinical social worker and the founder of the Stepfamily Foundation, is pro living apart together. She thinks it could be a great solution to blended families because ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢blended families are so vulnerable to interneci ne resentments and power strugglesââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢. Some couples, especially young couples, which are in a L. A.T relationship is because of commitment problems. That is why Gail Sheehy, who is an author and writer of the book ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Sex and the seasoned Womanââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢, also agrees Another advocator (FIN SAMKÃâ D) of L. A. T relationships is Judye Hess who is a family therapist in Berkeley, California. According to Judye Hess are there to many couples that are trying way to hard to fit into a model of the perfect relationship, and that does not always work out and the solution of that problem could be a L. A. T relationship.In text 3, ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Just What Modern Romance Needs: ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Living Apart Togetherââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ written by Gary Picariello, Living Apart Together is explained as a new term for couples who just donââ¬â¢t want to commit. Gary Picariello is con Living Apart Together, because he donââ¬â¢t think that it is a good solution to a couple who are not good at compromising, negotiation and commitments, as he explains ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢having their own space to retreat to during the rough times in a relationship could mean that the individual will continue to be not so good at compromise, negotiation, and/or commitmentââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢.Gary Picariello actually can see a good point in living apart because then when the couple are together then they appreciate their togetherness even more when they do get together. 2. In the third text, ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Just What Modern Romance Needs: ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Living Apart Togetherââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢, Gary Picariello writes as if he is talking directly to the reader (GODT) as if he has to convince the reader. But when he writes in that style, the text, in this case, gets more ordinary and a conversation, he askes question to the reader ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢So whatââ¬â¢s the deal with ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Living Apart Together? ââ¬â¢ ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ and it make s Gary Picarielloââ¬â¢s writing style is very similar to if he should write an essay. 3. In text 1, ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢Couples that live apartâ⬠¦stay togetherââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ is written by Rosemary Bennett and presents some advantages by living apart. When a couple, one or both partners, have children from previous relationships, then it would be easier to preserve structure and routines if the partners live apart from each other.Some people, who have been through a divorce, find a new boyfriend or girlfriend, and if they have children from the previous relationship, they can be hesitating about the new boyfriend living with the children.A divorce can be rather though to children and when a new man or woman comes in their life they respond on different ways, they either likes them or they do not fancy them at all. If the children do not fancy them, a L. A. T relationship can be the best solution. But the consequence of not living together can be trust issues, when a couple is in a L. A. T relationship it is necessary that the same trust and commitment, as in a relationship where they live together, otherwise the relationship can not work out.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Candid Communication Essay
Due to the costly failed attempt to expand to the European market, and recognition of the major underlying cultural problems which resulted in the unsuccessful expansion, our team has been tasked with proposing plans for revitalizing your corporate culture. Key personnel, who could have provided advice to avert the flawed expansion strategy, did not voice their concerns or advice because such actions were not culturally encouraged. As an executive management team, you have recognized that this failure to uphold a corporate culture which values candid communication at all levels was the ultimate cause of this setback. This proposal is designed to uncover potential obstacles to creating a culture which foster candid communication, and present a plan of action to alter the corporate culture from the ground up. Question 1: The obstacles of fostering candid communication can be categorized into three areas: personal, physical and cultural. When discussing personal obstacles, the outer layers peel back to find both interpersonal and intrapersonal barriers that your organization will find in their journey to value candid communication. For example, interpersonal barriers occur between team members, such as differences in personality styles or behavioral preferences. Ignoring or not addressing these differences can lead to rivalry, competition and fear of speaking up due to retaliation or further dislike from other co-workers. Though individuals in your company may not like or be willing to work with one-another, the major obstacle is to first get them talking to address their differences. Furthermore, even if your employees hold similar behavioral or personality styles, another obstacle may be that their relationships might not be strong enough to support constructive criticism from others, indicating a lack of trust. The absence of trust is the first dysfunction of a team, according to Patrick Lencioni. ââ¬Å"Trust is the foundation of a teamâ⬠and the lack of trust is the teamââ¬â¢s inability ââ¬Å"to understand and open up to one anotherâ⬠(Lencioni, pg. 43-44). Strong, trusting relationships support providing feedback to other employees and supervisors without fear of future scrutiny. Lack of trust within a group also holds a strong influence on intrapersonal barriers to speak freely. Intrapersonal barriers are those that occur within the individual self or mind but are strongly influenced by their surroundings. For example, without the feeling of trust, employees may revert back to their safety zone by keeping quiet and holding back opinions in order to protective themselves (Lencioni, pg. 195). Likewise, other intrapersonal barriers can be as simple as the individualââ¬â¢s self-confidence level or working with individuals who prefer not to provide criticism for fear of rejection from the group. In addition, another obstacle is the absence of individualââ¬â¢s sense of belongingness to the company, one of Maslowââ¬â¢s steps in his Hierarchy of Needs. Belongingness comes from the company support of employees through personal development and job enrichment which play a critical role for employees to recognize that they and their opinions are valued enough to be shared. Secondly, physical barriers of separation, such as the physical distance between locations, geographic barriers like oceans or even walls between offices, can also hinder the ability to communicate openly to employees,. For example, as your company expands internationally, it will face the creation of virtual teams. Virtual teams are at a disadvantage to build trusting, strong relationships because they do not have the luxury of sitting across the table from one-another to work out disagreements. And, even if they wanted to, it would be extremely expensive for the company to fund trips back and forth across the pond. On the other hand, co-located employees may still feel that physical barriers impede their ability to share from blocked areas and closed doors providing visual cues to employees that they are either not needed or wanted. Last, as your company grows it will face both society and company built cultural barriers. Societal barriers, such as international relations and generational differences can influence the effectiveness of conducting business and building relationships in the future. For example, do the companies that we are working with international hold the same emphasis on candid dialog? Do cultural barriers or age differences enable employees to provide productive feedback or criticism without violating a social norm or without fear of creating adversarial relationships? Both examples of societal based barriers greatly influence the ability of people to feel they can share openly. Likewise, company built cultural barriers continue to obstruct straight talk if the culture does not reward such behavior and the population contains individuals who do not fit the cultural mold. For example, Nordstrom employees who are not fanatic about how amazing you Nordstromââ¬â¢s is will ââ¬Å"be ejected like a virusâ⬠(). Employees who do not see rewards for behaviors or do not agree with the cultural behaviors will not be comfortable to share candidly. Question 2: In order to combat these negative obstacles the company must first create and communicate a solid value structure, mission statement and form committees to help implement and generate ideas. The assurance that people feel valued needs to be the primary focus of the company citing the well known fact that employees are the number one customers. A credo similar to the one mentioned in Built to Last (p. 9) for Johnson & Johnson, listed open for all to see, must be presented to the employees specifically listing core values including but not limited to: welcome change, be honest/open, recognize success but not shun failure, treat everyone with respect and spend considerable amount of time nurturing culture. For maximum impact management needs to proactively practice (MBWA) by walking around displaying, encouraging and measuring the success of all these values. These values and structures need to be engrained early in the employees so that the culture will become second nature. The objective is for the employee to be culturally rooted early. This is why the processes of recruiting, hiring, socializing and training new employees is critical, similar to Nike within Built to Change ââ¬Å"the company fostered a ââ¬Å"just do itâ⬠identity that was reflected in its structure, the people it hiredâ⬠(p. 46). Once hired, the cultural foundation has been set and injection into the companyââ¬â¢s system will receive little resistance making it simple to promote candid communications. Disregarding early processes may allow people to slip into the company who donââ¬â¢t fit the cultural mold and/or they are not properly adjusted into the system. These outcasts have a possibility of being rejected from the system resulting in employee turnover or a multitude of other problems. Recruiters can ensure recruits fit into the open communication culture by various techniques of evaluation, starting at first contact, including socializing events and interview processes. Events that require potential employees to socialize with current employees at their peer level will help evaluate their compatibility within the system and the employees. Employees administering interviews are encouraged to ask more behavioral questions rather than job function related questions. This will also ensure that new candidates are on the right path to successful transplant into the company. Once hired, new employees are to be indoctrinated with the concept of free speech. In order to build relationships and foster vertical communication, all new employees regardless of position, are to attend a high level onboarding training that is done within one large room. Next they participate in a communication building scavenger hunt requiring them to find and speak to certain individuals within the organization. The new employees are then paired with existing employees in their own department for 3-6 months because it typically takes a while for employees to become situated and comfortable in their new environment. By training employees in this way you guarantee little deviation from expected culture and instill the free speech initiative, making it easier to have candid conversations. People tend to respond positively to change when they receive recognition from managers. Displaying exceptional behavior is often overlooked leading employees to believe that the attribute is not exceptional or essential to success. When establishing a system for rewarding positive behaviors, especially those that revolve around the core values and candid communication, the rewards need to be in high regard to the employee and not necessarily monetary, Microsoft shows this in Built to Change when it ââ¬Å"employees have challenging work and, of course, one of the most highly rewarding stock plans aroundâ⬠¦. hereby attracted some of the countryââ¬â¢s top software engineers and marketing geniusesâ⬠(p. 47). Equally important within the innovation process is having more time to develop new ideas shown in Built to Change 3Mââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"policies and practices that give employees time to experiment, and its reward system recognizes innovative workâ⬠(p. 39). The rewards and time provided for ideas generated will bring about open communication but would be ultimately ineffective in the event that there isnââ¬â¢t a way to evaluate these ideas and innovations. Therefore a committee consisting of white and blue collar workers should be assembled to evaluate and investigate ideas that are submitted for validity or cost effectiveness. To instill a culture that embraces and utilizes open communication candidly the company must have a way to promote and judge the performance of the changes. A committee will be formed in order to set goals, establish who will be in charge, schedule mingling events, enrich communications and ultimately ensure that this initiative isnââ¬â¢t forgotten. The mingling events would serve as a tool to not only build relationships between employees, breaking down communication barriers, but to strengthen and reinforce ties to the company. Some examples of the events would include speed mentoring, company picnics, benefit fairs, blood drives and fundraising events. Next the committee would be responsible for enriching communications throughout the company by fostering goodwill, laying out company-wide changes and compiling and maintaining the medium for communication disbursement. Mediums of communication can vary from newsletters, memos, banners or blogs. In Corporate Culture and Performance, Tandem Computers practices this by displaying achievements ââ¬Å"are regularly recognized on bulletin boards as Our Latest Greatestsâ⬠(p. 16). Communication transmitted must be professional to avoid wasting time across the organization. Some additional information, including information about the CEOââ¬â¢s family, may be added to show that she is human and the message is genuine. The committee would also explain new product information, organizational issues that might be confusing and benefit changes that might seem to only benefit the employer. By doing this managers can build rapport to increase employee understanding of the company, products, ethics, culture, and external environment, showing that the managers are not hiding information. This builds trust and fosters open communication. In order to facilitate information sharing, the company must utilize various ways of mentoring. Level mentoring should be skipped so that employees get an opportunity to meet with someone above the direct management. Reverse mentoring will be also instilled in the company as the younger person might have some fresh ideas and new tools. Sometimes, a new set of ideas might be the solution to a lingering issue in the company. Training sessions are organized by putting the management and employees on the same teams. Likewise, large group information sessions are implemented to talk about issues related to employees with management information similar to Merckââ¬â¢s communication meetings that are held three times a year. These meetings will have the full support of upper management and are used to open communication, improve the flow of information among all levels of management and to provide employees with information they need to do their jobs better. There could also be an improvement in information sharing by having no doors on offices or no physical barriers between management and lower level employees. Honda and Harley Davidson have an open door policy as described in Built to Change (p. 9). The company should clearly define fair policies and procedures. This will help the employees to know what is expected of them. If employees know what the company expects, it is easier for them to be accountable for their own behavior and contribute accordingly. Clear guidelines for professional conduct will be established by the company so that co-workers treat each other with respect regardless of their position in the company. Also, a process of performance review system will be implemented to ensure the employees are promoting the companyââ¬â¢s value structure. A 360 degree review process will be utilized by the company which will help to provide on-going feedbacks to all the employees. This will enable all the subordinates, peers and supervisors to have their input towards the company. This will also help to assess all employees on a continual basis on how they are performing to business needs as well as adapting to the values of the company. The results from these reviews can be used to make administrative decisions as well as to plan for training and development in the future. The company should also not sway from their core values no matter what, as described in Built to Change (p. 4) in the Southwest Airlines example. This will enable the employees to stay loyal and feel comfortable knowing that their jobs are stable. Finally, the company will provide proper benefits to the employees including fair pay based on individual performance, team performance and seniority so that the employees feel valued. A proper organic organization structure will be designed to empower people and allowing them to make their own decisions. This will make the employees accountable with their decisions. A flatter organization structure will be designed in order to enable employees to speak freely to higher levels of management for advice. This will also enhance the mentoring process and help to build effective relationships. After assessing the culture and gathering input, the company should identify the system, policies and procedures that must be either changed or implemented to support the new culture. The new infrastructure should address role expectations, accountability, rewards and selection systems. The company will also have defined job descriptions and encourage people to switch departments so that employees wonââ¬â¢t feel pigeon-holed. In other words, the company will also allow mobility within the organization in order to get the most out of their employees and employees will be more flexible. The employees should also understand other roles and jobs in the company to be able to relate to them and provide input for improvements. The company will focus more on team based design that will eventually help to elevate individual performance in the company. Individuals in the company will be cross trained or conditioned in order to improve the overall performance of the whole team. Although the word ââ¬Å"teamâ⬠is heavily used in the industry today, teams often play a major role in initiating organizational change. A cross functional team design will create mutual accountability for results and joint ownerships of work products. Above all, a properly designed organic organization structure will positively impact the ability to focus, directly affects the communication channels and empowers people by giving the employees a drive to make their own decisions. Question 3: While designing and implementing an effective, company-wide communication structure is vitally important, the activities performed by leaders at all levels are paramount to sustaining an effective communication culture. Managers are the face of your companyââ¬â¢s culture and their interactions with their direct reports will be the frontlines of the companyââ¬â¢s culture battles. Beginning with the hiring process, managers must be mindful that they are not only assessing the potential hireââ¬â¢s technical skills and abilities, but also their fit within the culture. They must abide by and practice recruiting and hiring techniques that will reasonably ensure that the company is hiring candidates that will express the desired behavior and align with the culture. These techniques could include maintaining relationships with contacts at local universities and recruiting firms. If these contacts are familiar with your company and culture they could aid in providing a stream of potential new hires and would be able to ââ¬Å"pre-screenâ⬠for cultural fit. Mangers should openly discuss the companyââ¬â¢s culture and ask explicit questions regarding how the potential hire feels he/she will fit within the culture. This will set cultural expectations of open and candid communication with all interviewees long before any are hired. Also, managers should use behavioral type interview questions to test the candidateââ¬â¢s attitudes, trust and ability to speak freely. Additionally, the interviews should be conducted by employees of varying levels of the company, both managers and non-mangers, with a single manager soliciting feedback from all other interviewers regarding their assessment of the recruit. Once potential employees are deemed to be a cultural fit and are hired it is important to continue the initiation process into the culture. Managers need to immediately begin teaching new employees about the open communication culture and submerging them in it. The Container Store, for example, submits all new hires to a weeklong orientation in which they are taught the inner workings and philosophy of the company (FoE, pg. 75). Socialization techniques can be utilized to build the relationships between the new and established employees, understanding that well socialized employees are more likely to share information freely. Managers can organize gatherings of new and current employees to introduce the new hires to their co-workers. Examples would be ice cream or pizza socials in which ice-breaker type games are used to introduce and socialize new hires to their peers. Mangers can also take new hires to lunch with a small group of their fellow employees in an effort to socialize the new employee in an environment outside the workplace. An emphasis should be made at these types of gatherings to learn about the employeeââ¬â¢s life outside of the work environment. Other practices like a mentoring or buddy system could also be utilized to engage the new employee in an open communication culture. The focus of these activities should be to build trust and a sense of value within the new hire. Employees that perceive themselves as being valued and have strong trust relationships with their direct reports and co-workers are more likely to give of themselves, that is, to invest their ââ¬Å"heads and heartsâ⬠with your company. While recruiting and initiating new hires into the culture is vital, most of a leaderââ¬â¢s time will be spent maintaining the open communication culture. These tasks can be broken down into activities that build relationships, empower employees and provide reviews and feedback. Mangers should spend a considerable amount of time getting to know and nurture relationships with their direct reports. Leaders should adopt a Management by Wondering Around system where managers spend time with employees getting to know what they are doing, how they are doing it, what kind of problems they are facing, and what help is required to solve the problems (Dynamic Business Strategy, info from Vick). This type of communication should be seen as an integral part of managing people, not as an additional burden to a managerââ¬â¢s already busy schedule. An open-door policy should be utilized so that managers are available to their employees as much as possible. Leaders should also maintain a database of employee birthdays and employment anniversaries and recognize these occasions with cards and/or gifts. Management could also hold monthly get-togethers to celebrate the birthdays, anniversaries and milestones that occurred that month. Managers should be encouraged to spend time with their direct reports outside the work environment. Informal gatherings like lunches and happy hours could be utilized to get to know direct reports on a more personal level. Managers should hold occasional casual days in which employees are allowed to wear themed casual attire like university t-shirts to kick off football season or Hawaiian shirts at the start of summer. Additionally, leaders could send out daily or weekly e-mails informing employees of what is going on around the company.
Life and Works of Gregory Crewdson Essay
Gregory Crewdson was born in Park Slope, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, he was a member of a punk rock group called ââ¬Å"The Speediesâ⬠that hit the New York scene and sold out shows all over town. Their hit song ââ¬Å"Let Me Take Your Fotoâ⬠is a signal of what Crewdsonââ¬â¢s true calling would be later in life. The same song was used by Hewlett Packard to advertise its digital cameras. In 1985, Crewdson studied photography at SUNY Purchase, New York. He proceeded to get his Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University and taught at Sarah Lawrence, Cooper Union, Vassar College and Yale University where he has been on the faculty since 1993. Crewdson is represented in New York at the Luhring Augustine Gallery and in London by the White Cube Gallery. His listings of selected exhibits of his works alone cover more than two pages. Crewdson also has three photography books entitled ââ¬Å"Hoverâ⬠published in 1995; ââ¬Å"Twilightâ⬠published in 2003; and ââ¬Å"Gregory Crewdsonâ⬠published in 2005. The last was a collection of his works from 1983 to 2005. Today, Gregory Crewdson continues to work on his craft and he continues to teach because ââ¬Å"teaching is ideal for an artist because he gets to learn what the next generation are doing, what theyââ¬â¢re reading, what theyââ¬â¢re listening to, and to talk about form and compositionâ⬠¦. We end up talking about everything else -galleries, the market. Everything but the art itself. â⬠There wasnââ¬â¢t a lot of material on Gregory Crewdsonââ¬â¢s transition from being a member of the band to being a serious and celebrated contemporary photographer. However, in an interview conducted by Ana Finel Honigman for Kultureflash, the photographer-artist revealed that his photographic themes and influences came from varied sources such as his fatherââ¬â¢s work as a psychoanalyst to his fascination with films especially those made by Alfred Hitchcock. He also stated that he is influenced by Orson Welles and Cronenberg. Furthermore, Crewdson revealed during the interview that he is fascinated by all films irregardless of genre, but that his fascination seems to be more with the lighting and ââ¬Å"ambienceâ⬠of the theatre as a controlled environment and outlet for the film as a work of art. Looking at his works of photography, Crewdson have the same ââ¬Å"cinematicâ⬠feel and a pervasive feeling of gloom or foreboding. Gregory Crewdson also mentioned that ââ¬Å"You can never get away from your self as an artist or as a person. Invariably themes and issues always resurface and make themselves evident in some form or anotherâ⬠. In stating this, Crewdson have confirmed some of his audiences and reviewersââ¬â¢ comments that his photography seems to reflect portions or aspects of his life ââ¬â which he actually denied in the interview despite the statement. He insists that he feels protective about his work while still in progress often showing it to only a handful of people but once an exhibit has been decided on this body of work, then he totally disengages or makes himself ââ¬Å"unattachedâ⬠from his photography. Looking at some of Gregory Crewdsonââ¬â¢s work, you can find series of photographs with the same theme or even title that has continuity and differences in light and perspective. Like his work entitled ââ¬Å"Brightviewâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Long Clumps of Beetlesâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Maple St. â⬠, ââ¬Å"Man in Woodsâ⬠and many others. His work ââ¬Å"Brightviewâ⬠has a woman whose back is turned to the audience but she seems to be holding a light towards the road. This is a two series photograph and has two light perspectives to it. The same goes for ââ¬Å"Long Clumps of Beetlesâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Maple St. . With ââ¬Å"Man in Woodsâ⬠, I saw four photographs of the same title but again, it has the same subject but photographed in different lighting staged for the effect and perspective or angle. Gregory Crewdson has retained the ââ¬Å"cinematicâ⬠feel of his photography from his first published work in 1995 through 2005. He makes use of elaborate and ââ¬Å"pre-fixedâ⬠sets that reminds his audience of Hollywood type productions ââ¬â only instead of film, the image and moment is captured in still photographs. In another interview with The Guardian, he said that all his photographs were shot during twilight; he revealed that ââ¬Å"My photographs are about the moment of transition between before and afterâ⬠¦ Twilight is evocative of that. Thereââ¬â¢s something magical about the condition. â⬠The effect of his twilight shots amidst the backdrop of a set that blends in the dark hues of the night with semblances of dark purple, and dark blue, the effect is almost eerie and oftentimes, surreal. The emotion is always embedded with tension and the message one gets from looking or trying to make sense of his photographed images is one of an unfinished moment. It is the same feeling you get when you are watching a cliffhanger movie and then suddenly the movie stops a few seconds before the resolution of the conflict or tension. Gregory Crewdsonââ¬â¢s photographed images also leaves a lot to the audienceââ¬â¢ own personal imagination and interpretation. He iterated that he purposely leaves his images ââ¬Å"unresolvedâ⬠because these are moments that he sees and remembered from days past. These are ââ¬Å"captured memoriesâ⬠that was kept hidden in his memories somewhere but that he could only remember flashes and specific instances ââ¬â but not the entire picture, hence, the ââ¬Å"unresolvedâ⬠feeling of these images. The artist-photographer wants to keep it that way. In his photograph series entitled ââ¬Å"Maple St. â⬠, there is a car in the photograph that always seems to be in the middle of the street with a door wide open and lights are emanating from both within the cab and floodlights from the electric posts. In ââ¬Å"Maple St. 1â⬠, the car seems to be semi-parked in the road curving to the right. There seems to be a figure in the car and one of the doors is wide open. The tires on the back seems to be flat, and as always, darkness is creeping in and the glow of the light coming from the electric posts gives a creepy, foreboding feeling. There is a house nearby but there is no road ahead ââ¬â the image looks likes a dead end street and huge trees dwarfs the car. It is actually remindful of scenes from serial killer movies when somebody is about to be killed ââ¬â the ââ¬Å"just beforeâ⬠moment. The tension is pervasive and the mood, ââ¬Å"hangingâ⬠. The same tension appears in the 2nd installment of the ââ¬Å"Maple St. seriesâ⬠of photographs. The angle and perspective is more from the right angle and the glow or flood of lights seems to be coming from above ââ¬â like in Steven Spielbergââ¬â¢s movie, ââ¬Å"The Close Encounter of the Third Kindâ⬠when the alien spacecraft was hovering about and lights flooded the side of the house. The same light effects were used and the feeling is surreal and anticipating of what is about to happen ââ¬â again, the ââ¬Å"just beforeâ⬠moment is captured in the image. Another photograph series that can be compared to the ââ¬Å"Maple St. â⬠series is that of ââ¬Å"Man in the Woodsâ⬠series. I saw series numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. The 1st photograph of the series comprise of what appears to be the middle of the forest with a round white light emanating from the upper half of the woods glowing like a bright moon and its bright rays covering the entire image through the tall tress and foliage. There is a structure on the right side of the picture that appears to be aluminum or piece of reflective metal and it reflects back light from it. A figure is perched on the third step of a ladder facing the square aluminum or piece of metal. The figure is situated at the right hand corner of the picture. There is also one tall fallen tree that cuts across the image. Meanwhile, the 2nd of the series shows a different angle of the figure ââ¬â still perched in the 3rd step of the ladder, but now the perspective is from the left side or middle left of the image, the square piece of aluminum or metal is still there. What is absent here is the moon like glow from the bright light in picture #1. The fallen tree is also present and the angle of the entire image is a bit further away from picture #1. There is a fog-like atmosphere in the entire image. The 3rd installment photograph has a perspective further away from the bright lights and the whole scene. Nowhere can you see the figure anymore or the square aluminum or the ladder. Not even the broken tree is present. It appears to be taken much further away from the 1st and 2nd images but it seems to be approaching these images. The 4th image consists of a car with its headlights on (bright) and the it illuminates what lies ahead of the car ââ¬â which are mostly abandoned boxes surrounding a dug portion of the earth in the middle of the woods. The wood clearing which was illuminated (somewhat) by the headlights appear to an area that has been dug ââ¬â it resembles a would be grave. The car is surrounded by tall tress and the thick foliage barely permits any other light to come through. The same creepy feeling is there and sense of foreboding that something is about to happen. All four installments of the series appear to be flashes of a movie scene. One take or scene after the other in the case of scene 1 to 3. But the fourth image seems to be a totally different scenario ââ¬â although still in the woods, and the same ââ¬Å"unfinishedâ⬠or unconcludedâ⬠feeling is left with the viewer. Gregory Crewdson, like the personalities that have influenced him ââ¬â Steven Spielberg and Cronenberg, Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone, David Lynch and his psychoanalyst-father, all have left their indelible mark in the world of art and their specific or chosen realm. Gregory Crewdson refuses to be categorized into any particular genre. Lastly, his influence can also be continuously reappear as seen in his former students who have now created their own brand of thematic photography. But his mark and specific signature of ââ¬Å"twilight themedâ⬠photographs have already made an indelible and distinct mark in the contemporary world of photography throughout the world.
Monday, July 29, 2019
International marketing Assignmnet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
International marketing Assignmnet - Assignment Example The paper aims at assessing the scope of international marketing in Indonesia in the context of growth and development of international departmental stores in the country. For conducting an overall assessment, macro environmental analysis has been taken in consideration. The company that has been selected for this analysis is Big W, which is Australian by origin and is planning for expansion in Indonesia. Before getting into in-depth analysis a brief background of the company and its product and services has been provided. In context to overseas expansion, the motive behind such decision has also been discussed in the paper. Following company profile, a brief introduction of Indonesia has been provided along with a detailed study of economic, political, legal and cultural atmosphere of the country. Along with the environmental assessment, advantage and disadvantages associated with the location has also been discussed in the paper so that the company can evaluate the situation in a comprehensive manner before committing any resources. The paper is therefore not limited to mere analysis of Indonesian business environment. Instead, conclusion and recommendations are also provided regarding the same. Big W is one of the well-known discount departmental store chains in Australia. The retail chain is a part of Woolworths Ltd and has more than 100 stores all over Australia. The company aims at selling best quality brands at lowest possible cost. The business of Woolworths ltd is highly diverse and it can be said that the company created the subsidiary variety store for complementing Woolworthsââ¬â¢ supermarkets. Big W employs approximately 17000 people all over Australia. The company is focused on delivering best quality at the best price, healthy and safe working environment for its employees and fair degree of return to its stakeholders. The store has a number of delivery systems that suit the consumer needs. Big W has recently diversified in the
Art Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Art Critique - Essay Example The tails wind around from the normal spot on the creatures and become plugs that are each inserted into an electrical outlet that sits in the center foreground. One creature sits facing away from the picture plane, revealing the depth of the TV and the source of the cords. The other creature sits facing it and its face, or TV screen, is visible. This reveals that the creature is reflecting an image that is a mirror reflection of the creatures from the perspective of the human viewing the painting. The image is clearly making a statement about the current state of existence among especially the younger generations. His approach is described as combining the ââ¬Å"age-old aesthetic of realism with the conceptual ideologies of pop art and the absurdities of surrealismâ⬠(Zucker, 2009). The blue-green color palette is deliberately representative of the color that the television screen paints the room when it is the only light source. There is even the discernable bright light immediately surrounding the TV set at the horizon line that glows with pale yellow. The creatures are the blue-gray that human skin becomes when seen in the light of the TV. This introduces the idea that the creatures are really people who have dedicated themselves so fully to the entertainment of the television that they have become symbiotically connected to it ââ¬â they cannot survive without it. But the message seems to go deeper in the scene found on the TV screen. ââ¬Å"Williamsââ¬â¢ biti ng wit and shady humor have become more honed and subtle in his recent body of workâ⬠(Mukul, 2009). In this scene, the artist is also sending the message that the television can only reflect the experience of real life. If the people arenââ¬â¢t doing anything, than thatââ¬â¢s all that the television can reflect. When I first looked at this image, I simply felt amused looking at these two things looking at each other. The longer I
Sunday, July 28, 2019
The Effects of Budget Shifts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
The Effects of Budget Shifts - Essay Example None of us at that point imagined the far reaching effects of that day. The concrete and twisted metal may be gone now from Ground Zero, but we are still left to clean up the remainder of the rubble that was left in its wake. We are faced with too few dollars and too much to do. 9/11 and its aftermath has forced us to shift from concentrating on routine law enforcement functions to that of developing and sustaining expensive anti-terrorism programs. The already strained California budget needs to address both funding for anti-terrorism and meeting the needs of its citizens. The question becomes how do we balance both and how has this shift impacted the people of California. At the onset of researching this topic it was necessary to understand the current climate of the California residents and how they view the impact the increased anti-terrorism initiatives have had on their lives. I have found numerous articles addressing the current budget crisis as it relates to anti-terrorism program expenditures. Following are several examples representing the climate since the initiatives have been launched. September 5, 2004 an article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. It stated that "officials have used federal anti-terrorism money to purchase equipment and cover police work not directly related to the war on terror. As a result, nearly half of California's security funding through the last fiscal year, about $128 million, went to areas outside the five counties with the state's top 10 terrorist targets. Almost $8 million flowed to counties with no targets whatsoever." (Newspapers: California, n.p.) The article went on to say that there were no policies in place to direct local agencies on how appropriated money should be spent. Even more frightening the articled continued "Although federal spending for homeland security is expected to climb over the next five years to $27 billion, emergency first responders could require as much as four times that amount, experts say. But Congress may not make that available if it determines that state and local officials have spent the fundin g on needs other than protecting against terrorism." (Newspapers: California, 2004, n.p.) With spiraling costs and a lack of direction by federal government on what they consider appropriate, expenditures could force California further into financial crisis. It appears that there is a severe lack of coordination in the dispensing of federal aid to states in support of anti-terrorism programs. It was reported in The Daily Californian October 6, 2004 that "The Department of Homeland Security has made more than $175 million in grants available to California in 2004. But some local emergency response officials said red tape attached to the department's grants has needlessly hindered their work." (Wohlsen, n.p.) To make matters worse the article said that often agencies must first pay for the anti-terrorism programs or equiptment out of their own budget and then wait for reimbursement from the federal government. This often creates additional problems as the amount of money needed often exceeds the funds that these agencies
Discuss 'residential satisfaction' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Discuss 'residential satisfaction' - Essay Example With this backdrop, people seek to stay in houses which give them complete residential satisfaction by way of good neighbourly relations, peaceful surroundings, serene environment, suitable facilities and good administration of residential complexes. Depending on individual tastes and preferences, aspirations and satisfaction levels change but most house owners or tenants prefer to seek better houses in order to get full residential satisfaction in all respects whenever their aspirations are not met with in their existing homes. As everyone commonly understands, satisfaction is a state of happiness derived through fulfilment of an objective. It can be more clearly described as a sort of contentment one gains by fulfilling a desire, need or hope. Residential satisfaction is therefore a certain state of happiness gained by a person in all respects in relation to his / her residence, own or rented. Going by common knowledge, people would generally tend to continue to reside in houses where full satisfaction is sustained in relation to their neighbours, environment, facilities available and maintenance of the premises. When one runs out of residential satisfaction with regard to any of these issues, he or she may opt to move out of it in search of better residential satisfaction. In such a case, either the house is sold off or vacated by the occupant. Golledge and Stimson (1996: 473) quite appropriately describe ââ¬Ëresidential satisfactionââ¬â¢ as the meeting point of the residential achievement with the residential aspiration. Aspirations are not similar and most of the times, they differ depending on the different tastes of people. This is especially so with regard to a dwelling unit. Because of the different perceptions of different people on how to achieve residential satisfaction, all house owners would not display the same level of satisfaction from a single residential environment (Galster, 1987: 93). One therefore has to understand
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Business Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Business Law - Research Paper Example Therefore, he is not supposed to use the firmââ¬â¢s name to assure his potential employees that it will protect them without any questions asked. It should be clear to the client that the firm is not in any way involved or taking part in his business. The main obligation of the firm is to represent him and provide him with legal advice whenever necessary but not get involved in his personal business (Pollock, 2009). Civil tort and clientââ¬â¢s dealings The client had gone against the law for using the firmââ¬â¢s name to do his business hence the firm is in order to file a lawsuit. The firm, therefore, shall receive compensation for damages or the court will decide on the remedies for damages (Glannon, 2010). Additionally, the firm has every right to terminate its legal responsibility with the client after the concern has been resolved. It was wrong for the client to start using the firmââ¬â¢s name without the consent of the firm, as the public may think that the firm will represent them without any questions asked as stated by the client. Moreover, this is a major misstatement. If anything occurred during this time between the client and his pyramid scheme and the employees proceed to demand an explanation from the firm, it would have taken the firm by surprise. This shows the seriousness of the matter hence the firm can terminate its dealings with the client and go ahead with a lawsuit. Senior Partnerââ¬â¢s Position The senior partner has the ability to, personally, file a lawsuit against the client without even involving the firm, as it was his public image and reputation that was compromised. Additionally, he charges for any type of endorsement of service or product because he has been involved in television previously... From this paper, it is clear that the client had gone against the law for using the firmââ¬â¢s name to do his business hence the firm is in order to file a lawsuit. The firm, therefore, shall receive compensation for damages or the court will decide on the remedies for damages (Glannon, 2010). Additionally, the firm has every right to terminate its legal responsibility with the client after the concern has been resolved. It was wrong for the client to start using the firmââ¬â¢s name without the consent of the firm, as the public may think that the firm will represent them without any questions asked as stated by the client. Moreover, this is a major misstatement. If anything occurred during this time between the client and his pyramid scheme and the employees proceed to demand an explanation from the firm, it would have taken the firm by surprise. In conclusion, other cases regarding tort include Donoghue v Stevenson (1932) where the claimant went to a shop and bought a drink o nly to find that the drink had a decomposing snail in it hence making him sick. He filed a lawsuit, and the court held the manufacturer accountable hence paying for damages. Similarly, in Harris v Evans (1998) where by the claimant in this particular case lost a lot of money due to the misinformation that he was provided with by the Health officers. In this case, the firm has the ability to use the client according to the facts presented. Similarly, the senior partner of the firm can also personally sue the client for tort.
Ibrahim4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Ibrahim4 - Essay Example There lacks a rule in Nebraska on the right of privacy. The Nebraska legislature has not stipulated a right of privacy by statute. The Nebraska court lacks the mandate in ruling over such a right unless the stateââ¬â¢s legislature confers such a right to the stateââ¬â¢s judicial legislature. Carsonââ¬â¢s first cause of action would clearly state a claim in most state jurisdictions (OpenJurist). The Nebraska jurisdiction, however, does not provide a right to privacy. Judging by the Nebraska law, the plaintiff case would still get over ruled. Due to the complexity of the case at hand pitting Carson and the National bank, the court finds it hard to provide a ruling but rather infer on past cases with similar complaints (OpenJurist). The court remains aware that there may be truth behind the plaintiffââ¬â¢s complaint in regard to his right to privacy. However, the court lacks the mandate to make a ruling since there is lack of legislation in regards to the right of privacy. It is likely that the National Bank will win the case due to a lack of legislation in Nebraska. The case gets left for legislative determination
Friday, July 26, 2019
Mood disorder part #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Mood disorder part #2 - Essay Example An abused child may alternate between periods of irritability and periods of worthlessness and helplessness. What is interesting is that during these phases emotional upheaval those who come in contact with her may be unaware of her dilemma and accuse her of unsociability, violence and as having total disrespect for members of her society. Fundamental signals of depression in children may be a sudden change in academic performance as well as an apparent change in personality. A specific illustration of such a change would be that an energetic and intelligent child may suddenly become lethargic and appear to be disinterested in school work and other activities that formerly brought pleasure. Such a child may in fact begin to disrespect teachers and other classmates but this child would never dare to disrespect the abuser. Foul language, inappropriate behavior such as promiscuity, fighting and stealing may be the order of the day for such a child. It is usually at this juncture that a teacher may become concerned and request the assistance of guidance officers and social workers. Not only are emotional and behavioral signs present in the depressed child but also a mounting number of physical complaints. The child may begin to complain of headaches and stomachaches. This child may even experience difficulty in sleeping patterns. Further, there may be an abrupt increase or a decrease in appetite. Eventually one major incident between an authority figure and the child may lead to the child having and voicing desires of committing suicide. This desire to commit suicide may be expressed quietly to a trusted authority figure or shouted loudly as a threat to another individual in authority. On the other extreme this child may also voice the desire to fatally harm another individual. Clearly, the depressed child would manifest differently to adults who may still have the ability to hide their true feelings at times. The child suffering from depression due
Aristotle's model of communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Aristotle's model of communication - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Aristotle introduced his communication model in 300BC. The model focusesà the issues of public speaking and advice speakers to create speech forà variousà listeners on a different occasion at different times. The orator plays a significant role in the public speaking, and he or she must organize the dialogue. The presenter should manipulate the audience and persuades them. Aristotle puts the narrator in the middle of the communication process. The communication message should have an effect on the audience; thus, it should affect the receiver. The presenter takes absolute charge in the communication; thus, the he or she should prepare points in a way that can persuade the listener. He or she should be aware of the targeted listeners before preparing the speech. For instance, the care provider should understand the needs of patients before making the dialogue. This is essential because it will enable him or her to meet the demandi ng needs of patients. Thus, the speech should address the setbacks of listeners and provide valuable solutions to the setbacks. The current communication theorists are built on Aristotleââ¬Ës model because this model is broadly accepted. Aristotleââ¬â¢s model plays significant roles in guiding many communication researchers. The recent developments in the communication field have led to increased interest in sharing the common characteristics. Thus, many communication theorists share some aspects from the model of Aristotle.... Therefore, many recent communication theorists rely on the model of Aristotle in explaining about their development of communication models. Communication barriers generate obstacles to valuable communication; thus contributing to misinterpretations that may lead to disagreements. Varied barriers to effectual communication exist in many organizations. First, noise is among the obstacles to effectual communication. It is not easy for one to pass the message to the audience in a noisy atmosphere. The message may appear meaningless, and the recipient or listener may understand it in a different way. Secondly, unorganized thought is influential to unsuccessful communication. Another obstacle is poor knowledge about the receiver and this may hinder effective communication. The information may be deemed unsuccessful in case the correspondent does not comprehend the recipient. This may lead to misinterpretations of information; thus results to poor conveyance of the message. Dissimilar cult ural levels may lead to obstacles for valuable communication. This is because diverse organizations have their own cultural ways of thinking or understanding. This may lead to unsuccessful communication in case the dispatcher does not comprehend them. Lastly, poor connection with the listener may hamper successful communication. A superior speaker should engage the listen in communication because avoiding the audience may lead to communication barriers. Communication styles in many organizations have dramatically changed because of poor organizational management and lack of effective communication skills. Bradshaw and Lowenstein (2011) argue that making effective communication in the
Human Rights Act in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Human Rights Act in UK - Essay Example This is because freedom of speech permits or facilitates an individual to have a complete and dynamic role in the aspects of politics and public life. Moreover, how a person views himself and others profoundly depends upon his attitude to free speech (Barendt, pp. 230-245, 2005). While on the other hand, the subject matter of privacy, it can come under communication that the concept, perception and notion of privacy over the period have witnessed a vital and intense change across the cultures. Privacy is a condition that an individual do not intend to share or disclose in public that comes under relation to his or her identity, autonomy, or dignity. In other words, privacy is a situation or circumstance where the person wants to be uninterrupted, unaccompanied or with no public attention and can have the freedom from interference of others. Moreover, privacy has a connection with the concept and idea of secrecy that can be noteworthy, momentous or worth mentioning events or occurrenc es in the life of an individual (Barendt, pp. 230-245, 2005). ... The ideas, way of thinking and philosophies of people are the key features that leads to what sort of life that an individual wants to have, which entirely depends upon his or her attitudes to view the factors of privacy and publicity. Moreover, the ways that a person wants to symbolize or represent him in front of public also leads to the personââ¬â¢s attitude to privacy and publicity (Mayes, pp. 2-9, 2002). The records of contemporary society disclose the verity that numerous people in order to survive and make their livelihood, they publicize themselves. These personalities include the famous celebrities, television stars, pop stars, sports personalities, and several others. However, with this publicity, the concern of invasion to private lives has been the most critically raised issue. The records make the information public that the decades of 1980 and 1190 has been two most critical years for the journalist, as they have come under severe criticism by the politicians for the invasion of private lives of the renowned people (Sanders, pp. 77-80, 2003). Nevertheless, the recurrently analyzed current trends of the twenty first century reveal the piece of information that private disclosure or exposure about the personal lives of few people that includes politicians or celebrities has progressively become the basis for public conversations or discussions. It has also come to an examination on recent times that the celebrities and the public figures have been increasingly making complaints regarding their private lives that have come under offensive attack by the media. Furthermore, it has also come under observation that apart from the public figures, the normal people who are not in the public watch have also made such
Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1
Business Plan - Assignment Example Issues raised by the survey The fact that the person who conducted the survey, Paul had previously worked as Director of HR for Utiliscan and later moved to Plasted as HR Director, is very revealing that there is an issue of lack of professional advancement in the company. Interpreting the issues that were raised by the survey, a close examination would reveal that they were in fact interrelated as employees perceive that the lack of performance reviews to be the root of other issues that include lack of opportunities to improve their skills and therefore, no opportunity to be promoted. Moreso, the employees also thought that since there is no performance review, it will not matter how they perform because they will be receiving the same pay regardless of how they do their job. This caused the employees to feel despondent because they see their jobs as career dead ends without any prospect of getting better nor advancing in the career ladder nor an increase their pay. Such that it wi ll not be surprising that employees will leave the company at the first sign of opportunity as attested by its former HR Director and the very person who conducted the survey. ... Second, there is also an opportunity cost associated to it and also when waiting for the new employee learn the job. And lastly and worst, the skill of the previous employee which has been acquired from the company is transferred to its competitors with minimal cost to the competitor such as the case of Paul, the former HR Director. If the current exodus of employees to competitors will not stop, Utiliscan will inevitably lose its valuable knowledge base to its competitors through its lost employees and that could mean losing the business in the long run. Solution The solution to the root of the problem is the implementation of performance management and making the job interesting so that employees will be more motivated to work. Performance management is the procedure or method used in evaluating the performance of a certain employee for a given period of what the employee has done or how productive he or she is. It is also the process of obtaining relevant information about an empl oyee and determining its worth to the organization by analyzing the given information. The analysis of an employeeââ¬â¢s performance involves its recent accomplishment in the organization, its deficiency, strengths and weakness to determine whether the employee is suited for promotion or needs to be retrained. It also serves as a feedback mechanism to immediately solicit information from the employees about their jobs so that management can quickly respond to them. Included in performance management is career-pathing where employees can see where their careers will be going if they are going to do well with respective jobs. Performance management can also address the issue that 87% of the employees think that there were no promotion opportunities. Performance appraisal, a
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Thomas Paine Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Thomas Paine Questions - Coursework Example Paine believed that his work was going to be remembered for a long time ââ¬â may be forever. He argued that though his work would not have obtained general favor from readers, after some time its objectives was going to be achieved as more people were going to like it - ââ¬Å"Time makes more converts than reasonâ⬠(Paine, 1776, p. 1). Therefore his belief was that in the long run, his document was going to gain some favor from the readers. Question Two In the views of Paine, society and government are two very different organizations. They are the very opposite of each other. Paine argued that society and government are not the same and even their origin is not the same. The origin of society comes out of our wants but that of the government is from our wickedness. While the society enhances peopleââ¬â¢s happiness my uniting their great moments, government bring gloominess unto our lives by restraining our vices. Furthermore society enhances intercourse while government brings about classifications. While a society is viewed as a blessing a government is said to be punisher. Paine described a government as a necessary evil when it is in its best state. To Paine, government is badge of lost innocence. Society and government are therefore very different from each other and cannot be compared. In the description of Paine, they seem to oppose each other. It is very interesting how Paine contrasted society and government. In his description he was indeed able to show that though the two are different from each other they cannot be separated from each other. He used such words as necessary evil in describing government showing that government was evil but all the same it cannot be done away with. Question Three Though Paine described government as an evil and a badge of lost innocence, he still argued strongly that it was necessary for the society. Paine saw a great need for regulations and government in general in the society. Government and regulation become necessary because a society grows to a point whereby its members lose commitment and attachment to each other. At first, regulations will be set up to be observed by all the members of the society whereby all the members will have some form of say in the formulation of such regulations. But as the society grows, the need to leave legislation to a legislative body will raise and thus a government would have to been formed. In the views of Paine, regulations and government are simply necessary for the sake of ensuring that there is order in the society. Paine argued that it is the failure of the members of the society to uphold moral virtues that give raise to regulations and government. Along this thinking, he described government as ââ¬Å"a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the worldâ⬠(Paine, 1776, p. 1). Therefore, in simple terms the need for regulations and government is for the purpose of keeping order in the society. Question Four Paine finds two ââ¬Å"tyranniesâ⬠in the English Constitution in the form of the Monarchy and Aristocracy. This is because it is a complete opposite of what he
Mark Pinsky religious comparing to the movie Finding Nemo Essay
Mark Pinsky religious comparing to the movie Finding Nemo - Essay Example n of the world of Walt Disney in order to assess the ways in which the philosophies have formed a value system and informed culture, through children, on how to values into human experience. However, in the postmodern world some of the concepts that originated the Disney belief system have been challenged as prejudices and stereotypes are being broken and a new system of acceptance through intellectual assessment of the gray areas has begun to emerge. Through an examination of the film Finding Nemo, the theories that Pinsky has presented can be assessed and understood, while addressed through the postmodern cultural constructs that are challenging the good and evil paradigm. The history of Walt Disney is constructed from myth, the propagation of which is intended to extend the brand in order to build the business end of his career. Despite the incredible talent with which Disney created his world, he also had the business sense to understand that through image, his world could become an empire. Therefore, it is the myth of the man that is as important as the fantasies of the stories. The myths even extend to a ââ¬Ëresurrectionââ¬â¢ myth as there is a belief that he has been cryogenically preserved for the day when he will be revived by future advances in science. An analytical take on the nature of religion can be seen through a dual purpose structure in which belief and power are achieved by spreading philosophy in order to perpetuate the status of a leader. Power has come from the economic success of the company, the branding successful to the point of the construction of a socially mythic set of icons that promote consumption. Belief, through the Disney experience can be appreciated through two different sets of concepts. The first can be observed in the belief that is seen through the eyes of small children as they watch the magic of Disney animation, their trust in the sweetness, villainies, and triumphs of the characters building a sympathetic resonance that
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Most Popular Alcohol Brands Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Most Popular Alcohol Brands - Assignment Example According to the research findings, priority 1 is ensuring that the consumers have full access to the information about the brands, both new and existing ones. Action Step: Hanging advertisement posters, displays and any other relevant information about the quality of the unpopular brands. Objective: To persuade as many customers as possible to taste and continue buying the unpopular alcohol brands. Priority 2: Ensuring full participation of staff and senior management in enhancing sales of the unpopular brand. Action step: Educating the entire staff about marketing and promotional activities. Objective: To create a competitive team that will promote high sales from inside the store to the alcohol market. Priority 3: Pricing, marketing strategies, and time of this operation. Action step: Ã Conduct market research about the prevailing alcohol prices and set a cheaper price for the product. Develop the marketing strategies and determining the period that the whole exercise will take.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
The Second Law of Thermodynamics - Term Paper Example For example, human beings undergo the continuous change of aging. This does not make them any better rather their energy, strength and productivity either remains constant or reduce as they age. This means that the arrow of time points to decreasing the order of a product and not increasing. This principle is very much applicable in the fashion design industry and as a fashion designer it is always important to have this in mind. This is a critical review of the second law of thermodynamics and how the arrow of time is applicable to the fashion and design industry. Literature from relevant articles and websites were used to come up with the paper and relevant information recorded. As scientist argues, time is the fourth dimension of the universe. A clock may seem to be the main symbol of time but when one clock stops working, time does not wait for it rather it continuous. Time cannot go backward and so when time passes, it never goes back and we have to move with it. Time is also kn own to have one direction and so it will never go back to where it came from. When we use the Newtonââ¬â¢s laws of motion, we can be able to calculate where something came from, however with time this is different. We are not able to calculate the exact position where the arrow of time came from. To understand the arrow of time, we have to look at the theory of entropy. Entropy in physics describes how things are arranged in an orderly manner. The theory of entropy is that if things are arranged in a certain order, then after some time it will become disarranged and disorganized (Kestin 119). Thus if you arrange your books neatly in an office, then you wonââ¬â¢t be surprised if the next time you walk in the papers will be a bit disorganized. If you find the papers more organized than you left them then you have to ask yourself a lot of question since it is impossible. This theory of entropy is very important to a fashion designer. The designer has to know that however perfect things might be, they will be disorganized in some way and that they will need to be organized again. The second law of thermodynamics does not focus much on time rather it focuses on the arrangement of particles of matter. The arrow of time assumes that the universe started off in very low entropy meaning that the entire universe was in an organized state. This can also be the same to the products that fashion designers create such as shirts. When we create a shirt today, then the value of the shirt tend to either remain constant over time or decrease in value over some period of time if not sold. This is only on unsold products. Now letââ¬â¢s take an example of a shirt that is sold out. With time, the shirt begins to lose its value and as it gets old, the owner will obviously need another shirt. This is with respect to the second law of thermodynamics and the arrow of time. As a fashion designer, how is this theory important? First of all, this theory is important to the indust ry because as goods lose their value, new ones are needed and so the industry moves on. However before we produce new goods, the industry has to be sure of the amount of time that it takes the goods to totally lose their value in the, market. This will prevent situations where several goods are produced when the previous ones have not yet lost their value. As a result, both goods will end up losing their value at the same time and hence produce loses to the industry. Perfect timing is the key to providing the best goods over time. To know the perfect time for production. We have to study the market and understand the way that goods lose their value. This will ensure that we know exactly when to come up with new products and hence reduce chances of huge
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Personal development plan Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Development plan - Personal Statement Example Having been into Loughborough expanded my interests and knowledge better. I came to realize that Business Management requires me to be well-rounded. Having numerical skills is an advantage, but there are other traits required of me such as a good market sense, excellent inter personal skills, people skills and management. Along the way, I felt the drive to improve in each area. Most of my subjects became the driving force for me to be always one step ahead of my curriculum. I also took pains in improving my communication skills and became involved in activities that helped me become a good speaker and enabled me to improve my public relations skills. My one year internship in PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hong Kong, gave me the opportunity to put my skills and knowledge into practice, as I became involved in customer management while I assisted in providing accounting and business advice to clients. Being in the workplace challenged me not to make mistakes. Accuracy is one of the goals I h ad to achieve, being in a situation that allowed me to influence the clientsââ¬â¢ business decisions. For one year, I was able to see Business Management on a personal note, seeing firsthand the challenges that businessmen face. Figures, when transformed into useful data, can make or break a business. From then, I had a much clearer vision of what I want to do after pursuing my bachelorââ¬â¢s degree in Business Management. I see myself employed in a Multi National company, rising from the ranks in the span of ten years, most probably specializing in Marketing and Financial Management. My short-term goal includes immediately getting into a post graduate degree in Business Management after my graduation. Pursuing higher studies will translate into obtaining better qualifications so I can land a good job in any of my dream companies. A Masters Degree will also enhance my skills, provide me more opportunities to hone academic skills and hopefully, apply them in a real business set ting. I plan to do this by getting an entry level job in the middle of pursuing my Masters Degree. I firmly believe that one can only fully understand the concepts learned in school by putting them into practical use. Having a real job will allow me to do this. To succeed in post graduate school will prove to be a challenging feat to me, but I see no reason why I would fail. Academically speaking, I have sufficient knowledge and experience for me to understand the ropes of this course. My quantitative skills and immense interest in Business will definitely get me across my goals. I also recognize my personal skills that would help me get through graduate school. I am a results oriented person who always has a set of goals, short term and long term, to accomplish. I set my own pace basing on the goals that I have set. I am motivated, self driven, who always strive for excellence in the things I do. I am highly inquisitive, always wanting to go deeper into my interests. Moreover, I co nsider myself to have above average leadership skills. I have the ability to encourage a group of people towards achieving goals. Further to this, I have special interest in the culture and the arts, which was brought forth by the fact that I have travelled in various countries and immersed into difference cultures. I can adapt well in any
How the Internet has Simplified the Business Transactions Article
How the Internet has Simplified the Business Transactions - Article Example E-commerce has evolved over the past several decades as discussed below in sequence; Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the changing of the business documents in a standard electronic format among business partners through the computer-to-computer. Both the end-user who engage in the demanding of the products and the factory worker who is tasked by supplying the product donââ¬â¢t have fear of the fundamental of technology that operates by capturing the requirement or the route that the signals transmitting demands follow via the Network Edge Soon after the buyer will be notified of the what is required has been recognized on the other end by the seller where he creates the product as demanded and delivery at the required destination and immediately payments are processed. Both the end user of the product and the maker of the product are concerned with demand and supply that is properly focused and the qualitative issues of customer satisfaction, responsiveness, and performance. E-Commerce services may be seen as it faces a list challenge since it is a paperless system, and paperwork documentation has been eliminated. Although creating and maintaining an e-commerce exchange is a complex task because traditional issues of pricing, quality, scheduling, liabilities, warranties, intellectual property, and risk management are all present, but are not visible to the user behind the HTML faà §ade of the Web site. Also, there are e-commerce- specific issues, which add complexity to the process of contract formation, which includes, Operationalââ¬âdefining the inner connections and functions of the exchange; Terms & Conditionsââ¬âdefining the relationship of the parties; a Transparencyââ¬âdefining the user experience.
Monday, July 22, 2019
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Essay Example for Free
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Essay Life is compared to a rollercoaster. It has the moments of altitude, where we feel as invincible as could be, but there are also the moments of decline, where the tension and the absolute point of breakage are on the rise. The moment at the bottom of the pit, of feeling that there is no concrete escape or solution are the moments that create character, fortitude and overall, characteristics and strengths that were hidden deep behind our fears. The Roman poet Horace, described adversity as a constructor of character which left a positive and constructive aftermath, ââ¬Å"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant. â⬠When misfortune and desperation hit home, Horaceââ¬â¢s quote would be interpreted as a mock, even an insult, but after recovering and analyzing the situation countless times, Horaceââ¬â¢s quote is the absolute truth. Life has to go through the bottom of the pit in order to reach the ultimate height. Remember that. In the city of Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, lives a young man whose known hardships for as long as he could remember. Heââ¬â¢s had a humble upbringing, living in a home with no windows, no roof, no carpet or nice floor, his home had cement; he doesnââ¬â¢t have a living room or a nice dinner table. His father struggles with alcoholism and drug usage, his mother was unstable and came from a family lacking common sense and morality. He grew up seeing his father beat his mother, he heard his youngest sisters cry night after night, of hunger, sorrow, of disappointment. He went to school, hoping to become a man with an education and a bright future, different to all that he had known, but he lacked the support and motivation necessary to continue seeking that future. At age 13, not even halfway done with 7th grade, he dropped out of school. He began to work instead, determined to provide his siblings with what his parents failed to provide. A few months after he began working, rumors spread about him. Nasty and deteriorating. The stigma followed him everywhere. After a while they were confirmed. He smoked marihuana, drank alcohol, inhaled chemical substances, he was crumbling. Everyone believed he would become a product of his environment, of his misfortune. All hope was lost for him. And no one would lend him a hand. Did he in fact succumb to the tragedy his life was becoming? No. He fought with the strength of a lion. His courage was widely admired, for he did not give up to anything or anyone he had to face in his 13 years of existence. He sought help to escape alcohol and drug use. He set his priorities straight. He knew he didnââ¬â¢t want to end up as his father did, he knew he didnââ¬â¢t want to be as his mother was, he knew he and his brothers deserved better. He worked harder and longer than he had before; he worked a second job on the weekends. He embodied the role of a father, not any father, but the one he had always wanted to have. Everyone cheered him on; they applauded his actions and offered him their unconditional support. He was a hero. Everyone who knew him agreed that he was the most mature, generous, responsible and courteous young man they had ever met. The difficulties and moments of despair that he stumbled on down the road had only fortified the determination and values he was extremely proud of possessing and being recognized for. Adversity became his ally. It brought back his faith and magnified his courage. It unexpectedly and not according to what he had previously envisioned, prepared him, transformed him into the man he had always wanted to be. A man of character, values, a man that inflicted respect on others upon meeting him. He was who he wanted and needed to be. Whilst others would complain about their misfortunes and tragedies, this young man did not. He welcomed all that life had to offer him. Highs and lows. The prosperity and poverty. The reason he was able to overcome all that he did was because of the hardships in his life. The memories of his sad upbringing, the cries of his siblings, abandoning his education, working long days and hours to contribute to his tattered family were what he built fortitude from. He built his courageous character from all that was supposed to break him. The difficult circumstances he had to live through made him the man he today is. Heââ¬â¢d always thank the hardships. Strength is given to those that fight with all that they have and donââ¬â¢t have. At the end of the rainbow thereââ¬â¢s always a pot of gold. At the end of adversity and hardships is courage and admirable character. Do not give up.
The Truth Behind Hitlerââ¬â¢s ââ¬ÅMein Kampfââ¬Â Essay Example for Free
The Truth Behind Hitlerââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Mein Kampfâ⬠Essay Have you ever wonder what is the driving force behind the killing of million of Jews in the regime of Hitler? The idea or the concept behind it came from a deeper belief that was supported by the history. ââ¬Å"Mein Kampfâ⬠, which means ââ¬Å"My Struggleâ⬠, is an original work of Hitler where his autobiography and his ideologies about life specifically its relation to politics were discussed. This book is particularly about the childhood days of Hitler in Nazi, his future plans in Germany and the struggle for conquering the world in the sense that it would affect the political science and the different human cultures of the world. The existence of the dominating mind was based in the concept of Aryanism which is considered by Hitler as the supreme form of culture. He was stating that the master race of all human culture is a Germanic man who has the physical appearance of fair skin, blond hair and blue eyes. Through this idea, he divided human to types and he established orders which can be classified into a higher or lower form. It also sets boundary that made the Northern Europeans exclusive. This principle was based on the idea that the Aryans are the only ones who can lead the world. Their place was considered as living space and these will lead in accordance to Hitlerââ¬â¢s plan. Like the country Russia, Hitler planned that it would be the place for the source of food for the Northern Europeans. To support his principle, he cited that like the British Empire, who conquered the quarter of the world, he would plan and organize the domination for the supremacy among the others. These are some ideas which Hitler espoused in the book. Considering the concept of cultural organization, it sounds irrational for the thinking of other diplomats. It is the racism that it became very exclusive to their race. The subordinates were established because Hitler believed that it would be an advantage for the others to be subjugated because others will come in contact with the supreme ones and will be given or will be shared with what the Aryans have. Hitler also compared the other races like the Slavic and Jews people as the Untermenschen who are racially inferior. He assigned this idea to Jews because he believed that the Jews are related into conspiracy. Hitler uses a lot of descriptions to the cultural form of the Jews as the unscrupulous and the parasites and not only the Jews but also the Czechs, Russians and the Poles. This was supported by his idea that the Aryans are culturally superior. The culture of the Aryanism as part of the struggle for domination is believed to be the outcome of the high level of arts and sciences and technology of the German people. Hitler believed that the Jews are the ones who manipulated the press and control the world finances, utilizing culture to scatter chaos to other cultures and inventing a liberal form of government like the democratic form. The political battle between the Aryans and the Jews are continued in many years. Even in the military aspect of Germany, the Aryanism was applied. This was strengthened when Germany was defeated in the World War I by France that made France as Germanyââ¬â¢s major aim to be conquered. This Nazism became one of the foundations in arranging the ways on how the society should work as planned by Hitler. The invasion was then regarded as part of the schemes of Aryanism to established their race as the supreme ones. This would be their concrete example of being the highest form. The differences between the Aryanism, as related to Nazism as a form of government, and the Jews concept of what should be the human culture, were showed in their endless cultural battle to dominate the world. Like the concept of white supremacy, it can lead to a very threatening tone to other races. Today, the different principles about the way on how should the culture adapt to a new one could be a threat to the original culture. Hitlerââ¬â¢s idea and his plans about being the supreme is a big threat to the constructive forms of government. This can be based on the concept of ethnocentrism where that race considers their selves as the center and the most knowledgeable among others. To sum this up, ââ¬Å"Mein Kampfâ⬠gives the idea of being the supreme like in the form of dictatorship where only one could lead and should be followed. WORK CITED ââ¬Å"Mein Kampfâ⬠. July. 1925. http://www. historyplace. com/worldwar2/timeline/kampf2. htm
Imperialism and socialism in the context of Africa Essay Example for Free
Imperialism and socialism in the context of Africa Essay Cecil Rhodes Social Darwinism advocate states, ââ¬Å"I contend that we are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the betterâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ King Leopold of Belgium, To open to civilization the only part of the globe where it has yet to penetrate â⬠¦is, I dare to say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress. From the above assertions, it is prudent to note that, colonial powers thought Africa to be devoid of an organization in social, political and economic perspective and therefore they wanted to make Africa, England. In that thought of naivety of the Africans, there were societal structures and organizations which British did not care to observe. However, it was not going to be easy as where two or three cultures interact a clash is inevitable. Although Africa was not a plain or bear continent, Africans had their way of life, structure of government, religion, economic activities, education, systems of marriage and development plans for their societies, nevertheless the British brought their systems which conflicted with Africans established way of life, this was because the British, as many other European powers were economically depressed and Africa appeared to be the only way out. The British wanted to pass the three Cââ¬â¢s; Commerce, that is to make money through the acquisition of free labor form Africans, raw materials for their industries as industrial revolution back in Britain was rapidly taking place, a market for their surplus production; Christianity to save Africans.Explorers such as David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim faith had missionary zeal. The last C is for Civilization, they wanted to civilize Africans in terms of education, culture and many other aspects. Thu s, to a larger extent, the activities of British heartened conflicts. African traditional religion is rooted in the African culture, it was difficult for Christianity to penetrate through. Portuguese tried in the fifteen century and failed. For Christianity to take the course the Africans had to abandon their culture which was hard so to say. The Missionaries in the nineteenth century, however, came up with an elaborate plan for them to spread Christianity. They introduced through religion, education and health centers which contradicted informal learning and the institution of medicine men. Africans gradually began to embrace Whitemanââ¬â¢s way of life but not without several clashes. These battles are seen in various forms such as spiritual, doctrinal, cultural and practical. The African religion has been given several definitions by different scholars, for instance, Mbiti has elaborated aspects of African religion. In his book African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1991) African religion is very pragmatic and realistic (p2), he explains that it is applied in circumstances where the need arises. In addition, he states that religion is rooted in the local language, so to comprehend the religious life of an African society one has to understand the local dialect. He further affirms, ââ¬Å"To be an African in the traditional setup is to be truly religious.â⬠(p30) He states that the religion can be seen in five aspects of culture; beliefs, practices, ceremonies and festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals and religious officials and leaders. He defines African religion as: ââ¬Å"The product of the thinking and experiences of our forefathers and mothers that is men and women of their generations. They formed religious ideas, they observed religious ceremonies and rituals, they told proverbs and myths which safeguarded the life of individual and his community.(pp 13-14) Mbiti notes that African religion has no scriptures as compared to Christianity and other religions, it is written in peoples history, hearts and experiences of the people.(p14) Awolalu in his book Sin and its Removal in the African Traditional Religion defines African religion as ââ¬Å"â⬠¦largely written in the peoples myth and folktales, in their songs and dances, in their liturgies and shrines and in their proverbs and pithy sayings. It is a religion whose historical founder is neither known nor worshipped; it is a religion that has no zeal for the membership drive, yet it offers persistent fascination for Africans, young and old. The African traditional religion was not homogeneous as the communities had different ethnic background thus the religious practices such rituals varied one community to the other. It is worth noting that it was oral, not scripted or written and was passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth, as I earlier alluded in the definitions of religion. Within their organized societal structures, Africans believed in supernatural beings together with ancestral spirits. The ancestral spirits were believed to link the li ving societal members to the gods. Therefore, the African traditional religion was and still is interweaved to the African culture. From the above insights, one cannot talk about African religion without African values as they are intertwined and inseparable. African religion was embedded in moral values or codes or standards which were believed to originate from God through the ancestral spirits, these values when observed one would be rewarded with maybe good harvest from their cultivation of land or increased number of the flock of cattle. When these values have violated the culprits were reprimanded. The concept of values is a vital point as one talks of the African religion. For that reason, African religion is drawn from the African values and Culture. African Culture was the source of law through the moral codes and values passed from generation to generation. From the above description, we can see that law or rules of conduct were embedded in religion and that African religion was interweaved in the African culture. Local dialect was the medium through which African culture and religion were propagated. The African religion had some institutions as Mbiti points out in the aspects of African religion, who presided over religious functions, these institutions were believed to communicate directly to ancestral spirits (living dead) who in turn would communicate to the gods and grievances of the living societal members would be heard. In the Kenyan context, these institutions include Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers depending on the ethnic communities which they came from. These institutions apart from the veneration of the ancestors, they blessed warrior before going for war, advised the political leaders, offered sacrifice to god and conducted rituals for the culprits who violated moral values in the community. The gods had some specific names for instance, in Kenyan context, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Encore for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There were specific worship plac es which were regarded as holy, this places included shrines, mountaintops some special trees such as mugumo, hills, and some caves. The diversity of the names given to gods and places of worship, show the lack of uniformity in the African Religion. Consequently, Africans were of different ethnic background and had their own religion, gods, and religion as a community. The clashes can be seen in the five aspects as earlier alluded in Mbitiââ¬â¢s work that is beliefs, practices, ceremonies, festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals, religious officials and leaders. These aspects of African religion differ from those of Christianity. The Africans believed that their religion was sourced from god, who they believed long before their ancestorsââ¬â¢ existence. The British Missionaries conflict with Africans by telling them about the existence of a God who had a son and lived among them many years ago. The religion of British was written (Bible) thus one had to have the ability to read and write in order to understand it, whereas that of African was passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. There is an introduction of a new system of identifying the origin of religion which conflicts with the African system. Language is also conflicted as Africans could not comprehend English, hence missionaries such as Ludwig Krapf translated the Bible into the local dialect. The Africans revered in special caves, Mountaintops, hills, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and shrines. The British tell Africans that they should worship God places called Churches. This encounter shows that there is a bit of clashing as the African places were very clearly defined and preserved by the community members. The British also seized African land to construct churches or chapels, Africans, as a result, became very hostile as they had distinct worship places which occurred naturally. They believed that their land was in cultivation and a gift from their gods. The Africans practiced their religion by reverence to their ancestors, offering human and animal sacrifices and invoking the ancestral spirits, for instance, the Umira Kager clan believed in spirits in the S.M Otieno case. They offered sacrifices in order to get favors in terms of harvest. The African worship was communal that is, all community members used to convene to pray for rain and ask for the wellness of the community. The British religion had an aspect of confession of one`s sins before worship, repentance, and forgiveness of sin are granted. This aspect of forgiveness of sins lacks in the traditional African religion, one had to be punished for wrongdoing. British missionary religion brings out an aspect of offerings in terms of money and tithe which is ten percent of one`s total earnings. The British advocated for human rights and therefore disregarded and condemned human sacrifices. In African religion, worship was led by Diviners, Rainmakers, and Seers who were considered righteous. The work of religious leaders was taught through apprecentiship and was hereditary from specific clans in the community. There were certain clans from whom diviners would descend. They were highly respected in the community. The British Christian religious leaders attend school to be trained mainly in theology. They study formalities of worship and nature of God. Any member of Christian family can become a religious leader although there are some myths which say one has to be ââ¬Ëcalled by God. A Christian leader has to have the ability to read and write so as to pass the scriptures to his congregation. African traditional religion was diverse from one ethnic community to the other due to the linguistic differences, migration patterns and origin. Christianity is introduced as a homogeneous religion as the author of it is Jesus Christ, a common ancestry and reference point for all Christians. The diversity of worship is dismantled by the British introduction of this even religion. Africans were notoriously religious as it was found in each group. Africans who lived as per the traditional way of life were regarded as very religious.it is also worth acknowledging that Africans are at crossroads due to the fact that religion is embedded in the African culture and language. It is thus difficult for Africans to fully be committed to Christianity as being fully whole-hearted means they will have to abandon some of the partaking of African culture and indigenous dialect by embracing the Whitemanââ¬â¢s language and culture. This has already happened as some dedicated African Christians according to Quarcoopome (1987), refer to traditional religion as paganism, fetish, and animism. References. Awolalo, JO, Sin and Its Removal from the African Traditional Religion (1976) History and Government Form One to Four, KLB Fourth Edition. The People of Kenya Up to the 19th Century Kwasi W, Towards Decolonizing African Religion and Philosophy, African Studies (1998) Quarterly volume 1 Issue 4. Ojwangââ¬â¢ JB and Mugambi JNK (eds), The SM Otieno case, Death and Burial in Modern Kenya, (1989) Nairobi University press Mbiti, JS, African Religion and Philosophy, Oxford, England, (1999) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Mbiti, JS, Introduction to African Religion Oxford, England, (1991) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Uchenna O, African Crossroads: Conflict between African Traditional Religion and Christianity, (2008) The International Journal of Humanities vol 6 No. 2 Quarcoopome, TNO, West African traditional religion. Ibadan, Nigeria: (1987) African Universities Press. NAME: MUNYALO, DANIEL MUTHENGI REG.NO: G34/102614/2017 COURSE: GPR 100 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING CONVENER: DR. NKATHA KABIRA ââ¬Å"The encounter between the British and Africans was a case of two worlds colliding.â⬠Discussâ⬠¦
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)