Brave New World Essays (1462 words) - Brave New World,

Brave New World Book Report of 'Brave New World' By Michael Tillman Theme: The theme of Brave New World is freedom and how people want it. The people want poetry, danger, good and bad things. This novel shows that when you must give up religion, high art, true science, family, love and other foundations of modern life in place of a sort of unending happiness, it is not worth the sacrifice. These are all also distinguishing marks between humans and animals that were abolished here. In exchange, they received stability with no wars, social unrest, no poverty or disease or any other infirmities or discomforts. However, they only live with an artificial happiness, which they have been brainwashed to love since infancy. There is no marriage, no violence or no sadness which may result in an unstable society which would threaten the totalitarian government. But the majority of the people don't realize what they are missing as it's never been there. It's a society in which the human being only serves a sociological and scientifical purpose; the individual thought i s overruled by one big autocratic state. Huxley is also telling us to be careful with our science, or we may end up like the Utopians, mass producing identical citizens, then brainwashing them to think alike and to think exactly what the government mandates. Exposition: In the first scene we are introduced to the futuristic world of London and how the babies are conditioned and categorized from birth. Then we meet some of the main characters, Bernard and Lenina who are both Alpha Plus status. It is foreshadowed that the two are going to make a trip to a Savage Reservation in New Mexico for vacation. Complications: Before Bernard and Lenina leave for the savage camp Bernard is warned by the D.H.C. that if he misbehaves outside of working hours again he would be sent to exile in Iceland. Bernard quickly develops feelings for Lenina and wants to have her for himself but in their society everyone is everybody's and therefore love cannot exist. Once in the savage reservation Lenina is disgusted with how the people act and look. They meet Linda Savage and her son John. They discover that John is the son of the Director and convinces him and John's mother to return to the civilized world with them. John also falls in love with the beautiful Lenina but is ashamed to admit it. Once back in London, Bernard is faced with disgrace, for the director publicly accused him of unorthodox behavior, which is a great crime. Bernard introduces Linda and John as a counteract and the truth of the Director's baby is announced. The director immediately resigns and disappears, as this was very embarrassing. As a result , Bernard is saved from being exiled. John soon becomes an attraction, with which Bernard lures popular people to meet his discovery. The people come eagerly, although they didn't exactly come to meet Bernard, who they still consider a strange 'mistake'. Bernard's friend Helmholtz becomes a good friend with John and they share literature with each other. The ideas John had about civilization are shattered by the lack of culture and humanity, all of which Shakespeare had taught him the value. His love for Lenina mostly disappears when she rudely offers herself to him. He wanted her for himself, and he wanted to conquer her as a lover. He had gotten his ideas of love from reading 'Romeo and Juliet' and flees from her in terror when she throws herself onto him. Linda, John's mother, is a little too overwhelmed with what she has been missing and she overdoses on 'soma'. In the hospital John is enraged by the lack of humanity, for they show 'their children' the dead, to prepare them for their own death. John starts a mutiny among the workers about their weekly amount of soma, but the crowd cools down when becomes clear that they won't get any if they don't stop. He is arrested and led before the great Mustapha Mond where they argue over humanity and other issues. Tests are done on John and he is eventually set free. He leaves London, to pick up his old way of life again, outside in

pseudonym - definition and examples in English

pseudonym - definition and examples in English Definition A pseudonym  (also called a pen name) is a fictitious name assumed by an individual to conceal his or her identity. Adjective: pseudonymous. Writers who use pseudonyms do so for a variety of reasons. For instance, J.K. Rowling, renowned author of the Harry Potter novels, published her first crime novel (The Cuckoos Calling, 2013) under the  pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It has been wonderful to  publish without hype or  expectation, Rowling said when her identify was revealed. American author Joyce Carol Oates (who has also published novels under the pseudonyms Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly) notes that theres something wonderfully liberating, even childlike, about a pen-name: a fictitious name given to the instrument with which you write, and not attached to you (The Faith of a Writer, 2003). See Examples and Observations below. Also see: AllonymName That -nymNicknameProper Name EtymologyFrom the Greek, false name   Examples and Observations Imprisoned for political offenses under Louis XV, Francois Marie Arouet changed his name to Voltaire in order to make a fresh start as a writer. The Rev. C. L. Dodgson used the pseudonym Lewis Carroll because he thought it beneath the dignity of a clergyman and a mathematician to write a book like Alice in Wonderland. Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) and Lucile-Aurore Dupin (George Sand) used mens names because they felt women authors were discriminated against in the 19th century.(Fool-the-Squares. Time, December 15, 1967)Gender and PseudonymsPublishing under male and a-gendered  pseudonyms  was one way in which women writers made their work public, defied social convention, yet also became honorary men in their own day. The Brontà «Ã‚  sisters, George Eliot and even Louisa May Alcott published under pseudonyms. . . . [S]ubmitting work for publication under male or ambiguously gendered pseudonyms afforded  the anonymity necessary to have work judged by its literary merit, rather than on grounds of  gender  difference.(Lizbeth Goodman, with Kasia Boddy and Elaine Showalter, Prose Fiction, Form and Gender.  Literature and Gender, ed. by  Lizbeth Goodman. Routledge, 1996) Alan SmitheeAlan Smithee is probably the most famous pseudonym, invented by the Directors Guild for directors who are so unsatisfied with a studio or producers meddling with their film that they dont think it reflects their creative vision anymore. The first movie to use it was Death of a Gunfighter in 1969, and it has since been used dozens of times.(Gabriel Snyder, Whats in a Name? Slate, January 2, 2007)Pseudonyms of Stephen King and Ian RankinThe hyper-fecund Stephen King wrote as Richard Bachman . . . (until he killed Bachman off, citing cancer of the pseudo-nym as the cause of death). Ian Rankin found himself in a similar spot in the early 1990s, when he was bursting with ideas, but with a publisher wary of putting out more than one book a year. Along came Jack Harveynamed for Jack, Rankins first son, and Harvey, his wifes maiden name.(Jonathan Freedland, Whats in a Pseudonym? The Guardian, March 29, 2006)Pseudonyms and PersonaeA writer may sometimes assume a persona, not simpl y a different name, and publish a work under the guise of that persona. Washington Irving thus took on the character of a Dutch author named Diedrich Knickerbocker for his famous History of New York, while Jonathan Swift published Gullivers Travels as if he actually was Lemuel Gulliver, and described himself in the novels full title as first a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships. The original edition even had a portrait of the fictional author, aged 58.(Adrian Room, Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins. McFarland, 2010) bell hooks, Pseudonym of American Author Gloria Jean WatkinsOne of the many reasons I chose to write using the pseudonym bell hooks, a family name (mother to Sarah Oldham, great-grandmother to me), was to construct a writer-identity that would challenge and subdue all impulses leading me away from speech into silence. I was a young girl buying bubble gum at the corner store when I first really heard the full name bell hooks. I had just talked back to a grown person. Even now I can recall the surprised look, the mocking tones that informed me I must be kin to bell hooksa sharp-tongued woman, a woman who spoke her mind, a woman who was not afraid to talk back. I claimed this legacy of defiance, of will, of courage, affirming my link to female ancestors who were bold and daring in their speech. Unlike my bold and daring mother and grandmother, who were not supportive of talking back, even though they were assertive and powerful in their speech, bell hooks as I discovered, claimed, and i nvented her was my ally, my support.(bell hooks, Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black. South End Press, 1989) Pronunciation: SOOD-eh-nim

Report of Michael Hill Jewellery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report of Michael Hill Jewellery - Case Study Example This leadership theory describes two extremes of leadership concern. Concern for production and concern for people, the leader who is concerned for production targets high results and productivity while the one concerned about people care little about productivity and is more concerned about being loved and approved by the people. This theory defines a few types of leaders; the country club leader has the highest concern for people. This type of leaders assumes that if an employee is happy, work will be well carried out. The relationship between the leader and the employee is casual just like that of friends. The impoverished leader is more concerned about productivity as well as the employees. This leader gives little motivation, therefore, leaving the employees confused about their job and find no joy in doing their set duties. The middle of the road leader balances between his concern for the people and productivity. He settles for less satisfying work and the end result is the mediocre performance. There is also the team leader who insists on high levels of production and employee performance. The leader sets goals and assists the employees in meeting these goals. Finally, the authoritarian leader who leads by controlling, overpowering and demanding; the leader is more concerned about productivity and employees are a tool for achieving this productivity. The objective of this model of leadership is to show that when employee and results concerns are high, productivity will increase accordingly. The leadership at MHJ should better understand this theory as it will greatly improve the productivity of the employees and in turn, lead to higher profits. The organization strives to provide the most fun and friendly environment for the employees. They emphasize that just like their collection, each employee is seen as unique with valuable insights and ideas.

Motivation As A Contributing Factor In Second Language Acquisition Essay

Motivation As A Contributing Factor In Second Language Acquisition - Essay Example However, the issue is that there is no singular, fundamental model of motivation as it pertains to second language acquisition (SLA) that can guide instructors of a secondary language or provide further guidance to students in this domain. Therefore, it is necessary to compile the findings of several notable researchers on the subject and determine if there is a best fit model to understanding the motivational variables that contribute to SLA and long-term success after the learning has completed. It is hypothesized that it is externally-driven motivations that contribute the most influence on whether or not an individual remains motivated in this particular task, rather than inherent or intrinsic motivators related to personality, culture, or needs. However, in order to justify this hypothesis, it is necessary to view a cross-section of research findings and expert analyses on the subject to gain perspective on what drives success in SLA as it pertains to motivational stimulus. This literature review provides research data on the educational environment, personality traits in the individual learner, social constructs, and personal attitude components related to cultural values and beliefs. 3. Definitions Before discussing motivational stimulus, it is necessary to define key terms and concepts on the subject: †¢ Motives – A specific need or desire that will prompts goal-directed behaviour† ... These operational definitions will guide the premise of the literature review on each subject pertaining to motivational constructs. 4. External motivators VanTassel-Baska, Feng, McFarlane & Heng (2008) offered results of a research study involving 100 teachers from Singapore and the United States to determine their level of instructional effectiveness as it relates to second language acquisition. The study measured variables on educator competency such as differentiation strategies, critical thinking and metacognition, a form of self-awareness and knowledge of one’s own cognitive processes. In relation to second language acquisition, it was determined that all three factors related to instructional effectiveness impacted motivation in SLA (VanTassel-Baska, et al.). Teacher competency was measured by the ability to create unique classroom curriculum and assist students in understanding their own legitimate limitations as well as talents related to the task. Why is this data im portant? The methodologies employed by teachers related to their creativity and support (humanistically) in helping students identify with their weaknesses and strengths directly impacted whether or not students in SLA were successful at completing the programme. Achievement levels increased based on the differentiation strategies employed, suggesting a positive correlation with the external environment as a predictor of higher motivation. Gardner (2006) supports this assessment, offering that it is the educational context that determines whether or not students are motivated to learn a second language. The educational context involves the system where the student registered, the classroom environment, quality of the programmes offered, classroom

Modern French History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern French History - Essay Example This political development, particularly the French Revolution, is related to the European authoritarianism in the sense that it influenced significantly the trajectory of this political thought. It was recognized as a new approach – a transformative social upheaval – crucial in influencing the development of future European regimes with its successes. The French Revolution has led to a strategic shift in the political landscape in Europe, particularly in the growth of authoritarian governments. The democratic ideology of the revolution were power is being given back to the people became popular. Even when the revolution and the ensuing governments turned antidemocratic, the French became enamored with the government and supported it with a strong sense of nationalism (Hampson and Crocker, 167). Under Napoleon Bonaparte, the empire became popular and France’s neighbors became wary not just about the French expansionist ambitions but also about the developments in the country. Interstate conflicts such as the Crimean War flared in Europe. In addition, however, there was a widespread fear that the revolution would be replicated in each of the European countries. As a result European governments started cooperating and enforcing policies such as White Terror aimed at preventing the spread of democratization and nationalism. Many of European governments became more authoritarian, rejecting demands for constitutions, electoral and social democracy and national self-determination (Hampson and Crocker, 167). With the French Revolution, the concept of a new type of revolution has been brought forward. Here, there was the ideology for struggle but without establishing democratic governments afterwards. The principle underpinning this development is how power vacuum is created during revolutions, and authoritarianism became critical in the maintenance of the balance of power. This can be demonstrated in the case of the Russian experience. Lenin and M arx heavily used the French revolution as a model for their vision for Russia. Lenin embraced the French conception of revolutionary democracy, which Marx’s theory of revolution has also recognized (Clarke and Foweraker, 770). Based on their doctrines, Bolshevism emerged. Its Jacobin type of revolution became successful in toppling the Russian monarchy and the state descended into extreme authoritarian regime under Joseph Stalin. The French Revolution is also linked to the revolutions in many states in Europe such as Germany, Poland, Italy and Austria in the year 1848. Also known as the Spring of Nations, it was considered a Europe-wide revolt, event extending as far as Latin America. While the upheaval was eventually crushed, it has brought about changes such as the limitation to Denmark previously absolute monarchy and how serfdom was abolished. The legacy of the French Revolution, with its democratic ideology and imperialist practice, rested on the manner and degree by whi ch countries in Europe reacted in their respective circumstances. An important dimension to the French Revolution is how preceding scholars and nationalists recognized the necessities of terror and the mix of violent and murderous personalities who led it. According to Shlamentokh, there emerged a benevolent attitude towards the participants to the revolution in contemporary Europe or immediately after uprising. For example, there was the manner by which the terrorist Collot

Cultural differences in leadership

Cultural differences in leadership To what extent is leadership culturally dependent? Take a look at the following statements collected from interviews with different managers from different countries: The American people value two types of leaders. They search for empowerment from leaders who establish self-sufficiency governance and assign authority to subordinates. They also give high opinion to the confident, forceful, risk-taking and bold leader as personified by John Wayne. The Dutch puts high importance on egalitarianism and are doubtful about the significance of leadership. Words like manager and leader are seen to be dishonoured. If a father is in employment as a manager, Dutch children will not acknowledge this to their friends. Arabs adore and give veneration their leaders as long as they are in authority! Iranians search for supremacy and strength in their leaders. Malaysians imagine their leaders to act in a manner that is meek, reserved, and distinguished. The French value two types of leaders e.g. Mitterand and De Gaulle. Mitterand is an example of a harmonious builder, association former and successful negotiator. De Gaulle seen as an example of a strong charismatic and enigmatic leader. Given the quick expanding of globalization of firms and improved interdependencies among countries, the need for greater understanding of cultural pressures on leadership and managerial practices has never been higher. In recent times, managers of global organisations face stern and hastily altering in international competition. The up-and-coming drift in the direction of an international economic society is apparent and this 21st century we find ourselves in may just become called the global world (McFarland, Senen, Childress, 1993). The huge significance depended on the interaction and communication in todays business world which is becoming known as a global village makes it mandatory for multinational firms and their leaders to dig deeper to acquire the knowledge of other global leaders and their culture to be able to better interact and conduct lucrative business with them without offending their way of life. As national economies, political systems, cultures, technologies, res ources and industries increasingly converge perhaps to meld, perhaps to take shape in new forms global management skills and abilities become more important to all organizations. These skills will be diverse. (Parker, B. (2005) p. 24). The globalization of firms shows quite a few leadership and organizational challenges which the success of organisational leadership happens to be majorly dependent on for the success of international operations. There are essential limitations in conveying theories from one culture to the next. What is successful in a particular culture may not necessarily be as victorious or openly accepted in another culture. According to Triandis (1993), leadership researchers would be able to modify theories by exploring cultural dissimilarities as constraints of those theories. According to Northouses (2004) general definition of leadership Leadership is a process whereby a person influences a group of people to achieve a common goal. Organizational leadership can be described as the ability of a person to inspire, persuade, encourage and allow others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members (GLOBE PROJECT, 1997. Pg.5). In addition, the GLOBE PROJECT research (1997) views culture as being operationally defined by the use of measures reflecting two kinds of cultural manifestations: (a) the commonality (agreement) among members of collectives with respect to the psychological attributes specified above; and (b) the commonality of observed and reported practices of entities such as families, schools, work organizations, economic and legal systems, and political institutions. With the ever growing trend of globalization in todays world which is categorized by the never-ending growth of global trade and to a greater extent international mergers acquisitions, the necessity of knowing and having a better grasp of the different qualities of various cultures become s mandatory for individuals working in these conditions. A lot of the impending disagreements, inconsistencies and disturbances in international joint ventures are mainly a result of the lack of taking into account the cross-cultural differences when establishing the venture (Lichtenberger, B. et al., 1993). Apart from companies that have the intention or plan or already have merged or acquired companies from other countries, this understanding is very vital for companies which are located in other counties with the intent of doing business with other companies from different countries. When it comes to the stage of outsourcing and transferring of production products or plants, issues arise on the matter of deciding which particular manager will be the most appropriate to put in the national or regional branches of the firm. The cultural background of the manager and that of the firm would also be considered. The kind of manager that will be able to go about the operations of the fi rm with little or no distractions from the culture of the firm and its employees and also how effective leadership for the firm can be guaranteed are all issues that would be taken into consideration when choosing a suitable manager. With the help of a feasible framework to assist in conducting and directing cross-cultural leadership research, it is easier understood. Some of these frameworks would be discussed below. One of the many research carried out on cross-cultural issues in leadership includes the Globe Project. The prime researcher of GLOBE (the Global Leadership and Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness Research Project) is Robert J. House, along with numerous co-prime researchers and an international coordinating group. He directs a group of over 190 researchers from all over the globe in the study of the different types of networks of leadership, organizational culture and societal culture. Other dimensional frameworks include those by Hofstedes (1980), Schwartz (1999), Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997), Hofstede (1980, 2001) and those which were originated during the GLOBE study (e.g. House et al., 1999House and Hanges, Ruiz-Quintanilla, 1997;). According to Bass , B. M. et al, one of the major characteristics of a charismatic leader is having an enormous influence on its followers (Bass, B. M. et al. (1990) p. 184). The supervision and management of a charismatic leader will direct its followers to performing better as it increases their motivation and zeal to become more productive which in turn increases the power and authority the leader has over them therefore, charismatic leadership is extremely vital in the organizational context as well (Hwang, A. et al. (2005) p. 963). Charismatic leaders are often seen as very energetic and self-motivated individuals who offer motivation and encouragement, are enthusiastic about what is necessary and competent (De Vries, M. K. (1996) p. 486). Therefore, following a charismatic leader is not just obeying orders to satisfy the superior, it is more a conviction about the performance and the beliefs of the leader (Ladkin, D. (2006) p. 173). This implies that the influence of a charismatic leader is hig hly accepted by his followers. They do not follow the leader because they have to but do so because they feel a sense of loyalty and attraction towards the leader. Charismatic leaders are viewed to require strong emotional and social skills because of the need of an intimate communication with the subordinates and offering the inspiration needed for them (Grove, K. S. (2005) p. 258). The United States and Japan have been chosen as comparison cultures due to their highly divergent relevance for a broader understanding of communication phenomena in cultures. According to Hofstede (2001, pg 9), the United States is a highly individualistic culture. However Japan is a collectivistic culture. Japanese management and leadership styles have received extensive attention in both the scholarly and popular management literature in the United States (Hofstede, 2001, pg 9). Ochi (1981) suggested Theory Z due to the organizational management principles in Japanese firms. He suggested that most Japanese firms operations could be implemented by some of the American firms. Therefore, Japan is seen to have a similar culture to that of the United States for scholars examining leadership within organisations. Leadership in the United States is identified by recognising leaders functions in organisations and grouping the various kinds of leadership found into different leadership styles. For example, Yukl (2002) defines leadership as leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how it can be done effectively, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish the shared goalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Leadership is treated as both a specialized role and a social influence process (Yukls 2002 pg. 5). Yukl (2002) also suggested that decision making is an important function for leaders. Therefore, the techniques which different leaders decide to engage in making decisions has been raised as a subject matter which has to be further investigated. A way of making efficient decisions by a leader is known as participatory leadership. Yukl (2002), also suggested that a lot of the functions of administrators and managers inc lude deciding executing decisions involving the different procedures needed to complete a particular task, choosing the right subordinates, finding solutions technical difficulties, deciding on which subordinate deserves a pay increase and so on. In addition, Indvik, 1986 proposed that supportive leadership has been proven to show that there is consistent strong positive connection between the subordinates satisfaction and the organisations commitment and also with fair to strong connections with the subordinates positions uncertainty and performance in the United States. The moderate masculinity and low power distance ratings for the United States culture are highly reflected in these findings. Directive leadership has also been a significant factor in most United States firms with some analysis made which showed strong positive associations determining the subordinates satisfaction and role ambiguity and moderate positive associations with the surbordinates performance (Podoff, Tudor, Schuler, 1983). Nevertheless, these findings are profoundly based on the characteristics of the firm and the individual. Kerr and Jermier (1978) argued that employees who are extremely skilled, knowledgeable and certified will need little or no directive leader role model to be able to carry out their responsibilities. As pointed out by Hofstede (1980) and Smith and Peterson (1988) the exceedingly high individualism trait found in the United States strongly relies on the participative management processes. Keys and Miller (1982) proposed that the reason for the effectiveness leadership style is due to the fact that their style of decision making has lead to inherent job contentment, dedication, allocation of decision making and increased levels of motivation. Ochi (1981) proposed that the Japanese culture is seen as a collectivistic culture. Therefore the practise in the Japanese organisations would be to put emphasis on collective responsibility and collective decision making. According to Hirokawa (1981), he used a communicative perspective to explain the Japanese firms style of participative leadership communication. Leaders in Japanese firms are meant to act as effective communicators in order for them to be fully understood and effective. Managers aid, persuade and assist the flow of information and knowledge between their members and this also leads to the effectiveness of the Japanese firms. Most leaders in Japanese organisations endeavour to sustain harmony within the firm and also adopt a bottom-up process of decision-making so that they are more accessible by their workers. The United States, as depicted by Hofstede (1980) is highly individualistic, medium on masculinity and low on power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Howell and Dorfman (1988) explained paternalism in the United States as medium while Confucianism in Japanese firms needs reverence and submission from subordinated to leaders who have in the past responded with highly paternalistic attitudes (Peter W. Dorfman et.al, 1997) The high achievement and high individualism motivations that characterizes United States employees are shown in rewards and retribution contingent on a persons performance (McClelland Boyatzis, 1982). Over and over again, affirmative effects for reliant reward behaviour in the United States has been proven by Podoff and his associates (1992). Showing concern for followers and getting engaged in their private lives is expected by managers in japanese firms therefore these organisation are exceedingly hierarchical and are firmly organized (Chen, 1995) Given the various leadership styles and differences and similarities between the United States and Japan, some recommendations on how to better achieve effective leadership between them from ( from the Japanese perspective) is discussed as follows. In affective cultures, such as the United States, leaders tend to exhibit their emotions. They reveal their thoughts verbally and non-verbally. Touching, gesturing and strong facial expressions are commonly used and their statements are made fluently and dramatically while in neutral cultures, such as Japan and China, leaders do not tend to show their emotions. They do not reveal what they are thing or feeling. Physical contact, gesturing or strong facial expressions are not used and their statements are mostly said in a monotonous voice. Some of the key factors that a Japanese Manager should keep in mind before venturing out to the U.s to lead a group of employees is that he should avoid a detached, ambiguous and cool demeanor as this will be perceived as a negative behavior. They should try and find out whose work and enthusiasm are being directed into which projects so that they are able to better appreciate the vigor and commitment the U.S employees have for these efforts towards their jobs. They should let people be emotional without personally becoming intimated by their behavior. These Japanese managers also have to work a bit on themselves as this is not just a one-way street. They should not put off stride when the employees create scenes and become hysterical; they should take some time out for sober reflection and not react on impulse. They should also keep in mind that the purpose of the business is typically focused on themselves as a person rather than the aim or purpose of the proposition that is being presented. In conclusion, as discussed above about the different leadership frameworks in which both countries fall into, it is quite clear that the differences out-weighs the similarities in their leadership styles. These differences need to be taken into consideration if an effective leadership is desired.

Essay --

Daniel Gatewood 2/24/14 Research Paper Who ever said a poor kid could not get famous? Louis Armstrong proves this wrong. He was born into a poor family in a poverty striken area, his dad left the family after he was born, dropped out of school in fifth grade, shot a gun in the air, got arrested, was sent to a home for boys, and still married four times and still became the most popular jazz trumpet soloist ever. Louis was born on August 10, 1901 in a section of New Orleans called Storyville, to Mayann and Willie Armstrong. The area he was born in was so poor and dangerous; it was nicknamed â€Å"The Battlefield.†(Source 1) Louis’s dad was a factory worker and left the family after Louis was born. His mother then became a prostitute to support the family. Because of her unique occupation she was forced to leave her two children with their strict grandma, Josephine, who used to be a slave. Because Louis’s family was poor, he often sang on the street as a young child for nickels and dimes, but had to drop out of fifth grade to get jobs to support the family. While doing these things he often could hear music of popular bands coming out of bars and restaurants. He soon found that his favorite musician was Joe â€Å"King† Oliver, the lead in Kid Ory’s band. As a result of firing a gun into the air, at a New Year’s celebration in 1913, Louis was arrested. He was sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. There he was instructed on the tambourine, then the drums, next the alto horn, and finally the cornet. Louis played it so well, that the music professor made Louis the leader of the marching band. He played at picnics and parades in his home town of Storyville. Here at the home for boys, Louis first fell in love with mu... ... and twenty-five thousand people came to pay their last respects to this Jazz hero. On the whole, Louis Daniel Armstrong was undeniably magnificent. He went through much criticism but still kept doing what made him happy. He recorded for fifty years, performed an average of three hundred concerts a year, appeared in thirty films, and was the greatest trumpet soloist the world will ever know. He wrote two auto-biographies, ten magazine articles, hundreds of pages of memoirs, and thousands of letters without even going to high school. The effect of his life was even greater, for now his home in Queens, New York is now a national landmark. Many biographies have been written about him. Even many musicians have spoken their opinion on the effect of his life. However, Louis Armstrong would never have done any of this if he had not loved just making people happy.

Intercultural marriage Essay

Intercultural marriages increases the effort needed to be able to maintain a lasting relationship due to factors such as differences in traditions, norms and even language. This can be viewed on the basis of the elements affecting the success and failures of marriages. It is a known fact that committing to a relationship and marrying entails adjustments in every of the individual, physically, socially and emotionally. This is due to the reality that two people that have different personalities and outlooks are bound to make unified decisions. Comparatively, being born from different culture and traditions increases the effort that is needed to be exerted to be able to establish a stable relationship and attain a successful married life. The dedication that is required from the individuals is higher because of the accepted facts that there are added factors that are in need of consideration (Romano, 1997). Scenario of an Intercultural Marriage In the determination of the factors that can affect the process referred to as intercultural marriage, there are two contributing element that are considered. First consideration is the issues that are related to the differences in the traditions and norms of the two individual and second is the factors that lead to and affect marriage. In this view the first area that is needed to be studied are the factors that affect the relationship of two individuals. Primarily, the factors that can affect are the means of communicating. In viewing the onset of intercultural marriages, the couple can meet and communicate through chance whose probability is heightened mainly from intercultural phenomenon such as immigration and relocation that serves as the primary causes of interaction. This can be attributed to the development that is presently occurring in the society. The advancement of the communication technology is also another contributing factor (Bacas, 2003; Constable, 2003). The second important consideration in this type of marriage is the factors that can affect the relationship established between the two individuals of the same culture. The issues that can be considered that has the most influential effects on the union of two persons from different backgrounds are the norms, tradition and the language that is mainly used for communication. It is an accepted notion that people from different culture, may it be geographically-related such of different nation, related to religion and spiritual belief and ethnic backgrounds, has different visions in life (Romano, 1997). The outlook and points of view of every person work on the basis of their background. Thus, every aspect of one’s personality is deeply rooted on their origins which can affect the decisions that will be made in the bounds of the married life.

Conflicting Perspectives Ted Hughes Essay Example

Conflicting Perspectives Ted Hughes Essay Example Conflicting Perspectives Ted Hughes Essay Conflicting Perspectives Ted Hughes Essay Essay Topic: The Shawshank Redemption Textual form has the ability to differentiate whether or not a text accomplishes an idea the composer is attempting to create. The way in which a composer represents different perspectives throughout texts can have the power to influence and induce their audience to analyse and understand their purpose in a subjective way. Ted Hughe’s famous poems within his anthology ‘Birthday Letters’, Sylvia Plath’s moving poetry relating to Hugh’s, and the contradictory film by Stephen King, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ are three examples of texts that have conflicting textual form. Hughe’s articulate and diversely structured poetry regarding Plath and their association encourages the audience to understand the situations within their relationship from his perspective. Hughe’s poem, ‘Sam’ is his version of Plath’s ‘Whiteness I Remember’ reflecting on the memory of a horse riding incident. A variety of techniques are used throughout the poem creating conflicting textual form, including the use of rhetorical questions, ‘Did you have a helmet? How did you cling on? ’Immediately this personalizes the poem as if he is talking to Plath herself. The tone and emotive language during the poem also intensifies Hughe’s sentiment towards Sylvia. Imagery is used frequently throughout the text, and in conjunction with alliteration, ‘that horribly hard swift river’ reinforces the intensity of the situation and involves the audience by allowing them to visually imagine the scene, dramatising the situation from Hughe’s position. Controversially Plath’s poetry leads her audience to perceive the events and information through her assortment of techniques and conflicting emotions. A conflict to Hughe’s perspective represented in ‘Sam’ is Plath’s poem, ‘Whiteness I Remember’ conveying her account of the particular situation. Plath’s outlook is very emotional and uses techniques to assist her in portraying the event from her perspective. Metaphor is used in the expression ‘green grass steaming, houses a river of pale fronts’ to suggest a sense of risk or danger assisting Plath to effectively appeal to the emotions and grasps the audience’s attention to imagine the situation. Different forms of texts have the ability to manipulate audiences including the contradictory film, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. This film is based on a murder and uncertainty through misleading events which the composer has created to generate conflicting textual form. Through an array of techniques the film has the ability to have power over the audience’s judgement in a subjective approach. Film techniques contribute to the success the film has depicting conflictive perspectives. The transitional flashback of scenes at the beginning of the film demonstrate the two outlooks of the situation, one presenting the court who believes that Andy Dufresne is guilty of the crime, and the other screening Andy’s version of the situation where he stubbornly proclaims his innocence. Mis-en-scene used during the film conveys a series of conflicting themes, including freedom and imprisonment and respect and insolence. King has created the characters within the film to assist him produce the biased initiative within the text and conflict the audience’s beliefs. It is not until the end of the film when the key distorted techniques that King incorporates take place, concluding the film, plot and the expedition of the characters that have been shaped to his Kings controlling intentions he is able to create conflicting perspectives. In conclusion it is apparent that a composer’s textual form of any text, whether it may be a film, poem, novel or article is capable of manipulating their audience accordingly. In studying and analysing both Hughe’s and Plath’s poetry this is even more obvious as the two contradict each other. Although ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ doesn’t relate to the other selected texts directly, all three texts are comparable as they share conflicting perspectives. During the study of these texts the audience can conclude individual perceptions based on the depiction of events, characters and qualities and situations that have been conflicted by the composers, and individually determine the intensions behind the truths.

A Marxist Approach to Global Crime

A Marxist Approach to Global Crime Introduction Global crime is one of the most important problems facing the world and most governments have taken steps to deal with it. These form of crime results in enormous costs to the society and the economy. An understanding of the causes of global crime can be helpful in mitigating this detrimental practice.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Marxist Approach to Global Crime specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Criminologists have made use of many theories and approaches to explain crime and propose ways of reducing crime. One such approach, which can be used to provide a better understanding of global crime, is the Marxist approach. This approach emphasizes socio-political as well as economic factors in explaining crime. This paper will apply the Marxist view on crime to global crime and proceed to discuss what this reveals about power, deviance, and social control. Overview of Global Crime Global crimes occur acr oss multiple national borders and organized criminal groups are the main participants in this transnational crime. Crimes that fall under the global crime category include drug trafficking, people smuggling, arms dealing, prostitution rings, and money laundering to name but a few. Global crime is economically driven and most participants seek to make the greatest amount of profit from their criminal activities. Marxists Approach to Global Crime The Marxist approach is derived from the theories of Karl Marx who is best known for his critique of the capitalist system. Marx asserted that the social institutions such as law, politics, and education, in a capitalist society â€Å"legitimize existing class inequalities and maintain the superior position held by the upper classes† (Kendall 2012, p. 175). Capitalism produces haves and have-nots and encourages people to engage in crime and different forms of deviance. While crime was not a central feature of Marxs theory of society, m any academics and researchers have been able to use Marxist theories in the analyses of crime.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, Marx did investigate the issues of crime, which makes his approach applicable to issues of crime. The Marxist approach to global crime is based on conflict with class power being of core importance. The relationship between the classes is one of conflict since it is based on the political domination of the labour providing class by the capital owning class. Global crime is encouraged by the capitalistic system that promotes individual achievements at the expense of other members of the society. The capitalistic economic system fosters most of the global crimes by encouraging the exploitation of one group by another and promoting the self-interest of the individuals who engage in these forms of crime. This thought is corroborate d by McGuire and McQuarie (1994) who argue, The competitive nature of capitalist society promotes social conditions that generate individualism and self-interest (p. 261). For example, Corruption of public officials is a necessary component of many global crimes. The Marxist approach suggests that these public officials are corruptible due to the capitalistic mindset that puts individual prosperity ahead of the society good (Zastrow 2009). The Marxist approach focuses on crime as the product of law-enforcement policies (McGuire McQuarie 1994). Law-enforcement policies are responsible for labelling certain global activities as crimes. While society has grown to think of crime as a well-defined phenomenon and have a stereotyped view about who the criminals are, the fact is that criminal offences and crime is not well defined and criminals are diverse. In most cases, global crime seeks to provide people with desired goods and services that cannot be obtained through legal means. Such products include; drugs, fake visas, and weapons to name but a few. In some cases, the ruling class encourages global crime since it provides goods and services which ease the hardships and deflect the energies of the underclass (Spitzer 1975, p. 508). The Marxist approach further notes that there is selective enforcement of laws with regard to global crime.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Marxist Approach to Global Crime specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the law deals with people smuggling and drug smuggling by small criminal groups harshly, the same activity by powerful crime groups goes on unabated. International arms smuggling done by powerful actors is largely ignored by the police and the courts. The Marxist approach proposes that crime is inevitable since capitalism, which is based on exploitation, causes crime. The approach suggests that crime is the only way through which the poor working class can m ake a living and therefore ensure their survival. This assertion holds true for global crimes that are mostly motivated by economic considerations. People smuggling can trace its origin to the desperation of individuals in developing nations. From this desperation, they are forced to engage the services of people smugglers who take them to countries where they can have better economic prospects. Most participants of global crime come from poor backgrounds and they are incentivised to participate in these crimes in order to afford the luxuries that the capitalistic society promises. Implications of the Marxist Approach to: Power The Marxist approach argues that criminal law protects the interests of the rich and powerful often at the expense of the poor. Those with power are able to use their resources to avoid criminal prosecution and even having their activities labelled as crimes (McGuire McQuarie 1994). In addition to this, the ruling class is in a position to prevent the impl ementation of laws that threaten their self-interest. Kendall (2012) observes how the capitalistic state avoids introducing laws that regulate business activity or impose huge penalties on large corporations. Corporate crimes are the most serious anti-social acts and they affect millions of people worldwide.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, little attention is given to this predatory act and the government is more interested in curbing crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling; crimes which cost significantly less in terms of money and lives than corporate crime. The Marxist approach points out that the affluent and powerful are able to protect their own interests and shield them from prosecution even when they commit crimes. Jewkes (2004) observes that those in power manipulate the media agenda to harness support for policies that criminalize those with less power in society. The media is able to manipulate reporting to create an impression that the interests of the ruling class are the same as those of the whole nation and violating the ruling class interests poses a threat to the whole nations well being. With regard to global crime, the media mostly ignores crimes done by the rich and powerful with corporate wrongs seldom being reported. The media either ignores the crimes of the powerful or misreprese nts them and consequently, news reporting remains attached to state definitions of crime and criminal law (Jewkes 2004). On the other hand, crimes perpetrated by less powerful actors are given a lot of media attention. This reflects a pervasive bias in the labelling of criminals. The ruling class decides on which activities should be criminalized and the sanctions that to be imposed on the offenders. This criminalization is not uniform and it is done for the convenience of the ruling class. The selective criminalization is best elaborated by the 18th century trade between China and European states. The main product offered by the West to China was opium and when China banned the sale of opium in her territory, Britain retaliated by attacking China and forcing her to open up her ports for trade (Bickers 2011). The European ruling class was able to impose its will due to its economic and political might. Today, the international trade in opium is criminalized by all Western powers sin ce such trade is not in their best interest. The political and economical powers of the country set the agenda for public debate on crime and the implementation of criminal justice. These agendas shape public perceptions of crime and justice. Kendall (2012) suggests that the picture of crime painted by the ruling class is manipulated so that the crimes of the working class and unemployed are over-concentrated on. On the other hand, crimes of the well-educated upper and middle classes are all but ignored. Deviance The Marxist approach views deviance as a function of the capitalist economic system. Deviance according to the Marxist approach is created by social control agencies such as the police and the criminal justice system, which label people as outside the typical law-abiding community. Becker (1963) illustrates that specific behaviour is not in itself deviant or normal and it only becomes so when people start applying labels to it. The individuals who label behaviour as norma l or criminal are therefore responsible for creating the deviance class. Hester (1992) elaborates that the ruling class has economic dominion and from this base, the class erects the legal and political superstructure. Through these institutions, the ruling class imposes its values, ideas, and beliefs that comprise the social consciousness. Deviants are therefore created by the upper class since its economic and political power enables it to make its views heard and enforced. Attributing the label of deviant to an individual or a group makes them outsiders. This increases the level of crime since the label of criminal might last for a lifetime. Once a person is identified as a member of an international smuggling group, his/her chances of engaging in this activity are increased (Zastrow 2009). This phenomenon is explained by the labelling theory, which illustrates that the deviance label makes it likely that a person will join the deviant group or subculture that society assumes he belongs to and consequently engage in further deviant acts. Social Control The ruling class is able to promote a stable society by encouraging conformity and adherence to societal values (Merton 1938). The Marxist approach emphasizes that the alleged societal values are not a reflection of a shared value system but rather the imposition of the ruling class on the rest of the society. While laws purport to be a reflection of value consensus, they are in actual sense an expression of ruling-class ideology imposed on the working class. These laws primarily protect the interests of the ruling class therefore enabling it to keep its power and influence over the lower classes. The Marxist approach declares that criminal sanctions are put in place to protect the property owners and ensure that their ability to generate wealth in future is guaranteed. McGuire and McQuarie (1994) note that the law and the administration of justice views global crime as a serious offence since it threatens those that possess the property. International drug trafficking increases the levels of crime in the cities as drug addicts engage in robbery to finance their addiction or fail to engage in meaningful economic activity since due to the effects of the drugs. Smuggling of counterfeit goods across borders denies rich corporate of their market dominance and therefore decreases their profits. The media is the most potent tool used by the upper class and the socially privileged to exert social control. The media constructs global crime and violence in such a way that it encourages populations to accept increasingly repressive forms of social control all in the name of dealing with global crime (Jewkes 2004). While all classes of the society engage in crime, the types of crime differ and the media predisposes society to focus on the crimes of the lower classes since the higher classes are the ones who control the media apparatus. Conclusion This paper set out to apply the Marxist approach to global crime. It began by documenting that the Marxist approach blames economic factors and social structures for criminal activity. The paper has discussed systematic class bias in the criminal justice system and how power and inequality affect criminal labelling processes. This approach has explained the relationship between crime and the socioeconomic realities of individuals and given insights into labelling. By using the approach, it is clear that capitalism is the root of crime. As such, global crime can only be eradicated by replacing capitalism with an egalitarian society, which does not divide people into classes. Until this is done, the world will continue to be plagued by global crime and the harmful effects it causes in society. References Becker, H 1963, Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press, New York. Bickers, R 2011, ‘Chinas Age of Fragility’, History Today, vol. 61 no. 3, pp. 29-36. Hester, S 1992, A Sociology of Crime, Routledge , Sydney. Jewkes, Y 2004, Media and Crime, Sage, New Jersey. Kendall, D 2012, Sociology in Our Times, Cengage Learning, NY. McGuire, P McQuarie, D 1994, From the Left Bank to the Mainstream: Historical Debates and Contemporary Research in Marxist Sociology, Rowman Littlefield, London. Merton, RK 1938, ‘Social Structure and Anomie’, American Sociological Review, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 672-682. Spitzer, S 1975, ‘Towards a Marxian Theory of Deviance’, Social Problems, vol. 22 no. 5, pp. 495-512. Zastrow, C 2009, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering People, Cengage Learning, NY.

Curriculum redo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Curriculum redo - Essay Example The reason being, unlike older times, today’s industrialized world is heavily based on sectors of industries run by qualified individuals. This means that, only a person with sufficient acumen of business can run successful merchandise and only a qualified doctor can provide medical care to the sick. The reliance of this industrial matrix on the notion of transmission of specific quanta of knowledge from one generation of employees to the next ensures a continued, long-term importance of the profession of teaching. Like any other discipline, the discipline of pedagogy is full of theories and principles that provide groundwork for the educators, researchers and the teachers to develop effective classroom environment and lesson plans (Wiles, 2010). This does not only help the teachers in imparting knowledge to the learners in the most conducive environment but also help the learners to accumulate this knowledge and reflect upon it, thereby broadening their intellectual horizons (Weimer, 2002). One of the theories that arose in the past decade in this regard was the Curriculum Theory, which brings together the elements of theory and practice on one avenue. ... This paper examines the efficiency of two such ideologies in an instructional setting. It then merges these two ideologies in forming a personal philosophy of curriculum, which then forms the guiding principle for the personal teaching practice (Wiles, 2008). It is important here to establish few observations about the instructional setting in which the ideology implementation will take place. The setting here is a high school for at-risk teenagers at an adult county jail where the curriculum will be taught to English Language Learners. The setting is different from most high schools because of its students. The learners are mostly from the minority groups with poor financial background, susceptible to drugs, street crime who little no exposure to a proper school system before. To begin with, let us look at the Social Reconstructive curriculum ideology in detail and examine its appropriateness to the instructional setting. The social reconstructive ideology holds that the purpose of education is to reform the values of the society (Weimer, 2008). This ideology perceives curriculum as a tool of social reconstruction. This is important because this explains why this ideology is significant to the development of curriculum for ELL learners in adult county jail. The learners in this setting are not only materially disadvantaged but have also been victims of aggression, violence, and abuse. As psychology dictates, such adverse living conditions and unhealthy lifestyle not only affects the physiological health but also disrupts the psyche and the personality of the subjects making them more pessimistic and violent. Thus, the protocol of Social Reconstructive ideology influences this very aspect of their lives and plays a

Business Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law and Ethics - Essay Example The next question will be what should be the ideal state with respect to working condition, and quality assurance. The next question involves what is the minimally accepted state with respect to working condition and quality assurance. The Next question I will ask is what steps and procedures should we put in place to ensure that we significantly improve our present situation to the minimally accepted state. The last question is what procedures we should use to raise from the minimally accepted state to the ideal state. I will use utilitarian theory of business ethics. I prefer utilitarian theory because it lays high emphasis on ethical decisions that advance the most value to all the stakeholders while at the same time limiting amount of damages to the minimal number of participants as possible. Because I want well for the majority, my ethical decision should cause less harm to the stakeholders of Delectables Corp. while at the same time increasing value for everyone. The decision o f whether to blow the whistle or not is one of the most challenging because it involves a lot of thinking. I will first thinking about the impact of blowing the whistle on the future performance of the company. ... The stakeholders’ model recognizes the role and contribution of different individuals towards success of the organization especially the customers, employees, suppliers, government, and creditors. It is undoubtedly that a wide range of risks is associated with blowing the whistle. The first risk associated with whistle blowing is loss of employment (Trimborn). I will not only put my job at risk but also of other employees. This claim can be justified by the fact that boycott of company products- peanut butter in the market will force the company to reduce its production, which in turn translates to job cuts to allow the company from insolvency owing to large salary and wages payout. The next major risk associated with whistle blowing is dissolution of the company. A company can lose its competitive edge owing to unethical and illegal practices, which can consequently lead to closing down of the company. Whistle blowing also put the company at the risk of losing its revenue. Th is can happen when the company is charged hefty fines for illegal practices or when the company loses its market share owing to unethical practices in manufacturing of peanut butter. Customers tend to shy away from companies that do not observe stipulated ethical and legal standard by industry the regulators, bylaws, or laws. Whistle blowing is not only risk as it also comes with a wide range of benefits. The first benefit of whistle blowing is the fact that it brings sanity in the operations of Delectables Corp. by ending wrongdoings such selling of peanut butter with questionable quality. Whistle blowing also protects the interest of key stakeholders especially customers especially if consumption of the service or product can lead to bodily harm or chronic