Thursday, October 31, 2019
Discuss the differences between a leader and a manger essay
Discuss the differences between a leader and a manger - Essay Example â€Å"While a manager receives their authority based on their role, a leader's authority is innate in their approach†(Coach4Growth, 2010). Managers adopt approaches like autocratic, democratic etc in their management styles in order to manage their duties successfully. On the other hand, leaders bank on their personal qualities and charisma to attract the followers. For example, Mahatma Gandhi influenced the followers because of his personal qualities and charisma rather than giving any stubborn instructions. It is difficult for the managers to influence the subordinates as Mahatma Gandhi did. Managers always interact with the subordinates with the help of instructions. â€Å"The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust†(Leadership Vs. Management, 2000). The mission of leadership is all about making changes whereas the manager’s mission is all about bringing stability. The leaders will always look for long term goals whereas the managers are more fo cused on the short term goals (Leadership vs. Management, 2010). In other words, the leaders develop the ideas and strategies and the managers implement it. Managers do not want to think much about the long term aspects of a policy they are implementing. These policies are formulated by the leaders for achieving long term goals after careful evaluations. To conclude, both the management and leadership functions are extremely different.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Coyne and Messina Articles, Part 2 Statistical Assessment Term Paper
Coyne and Messina Articles, Part 2 Statistical Assessment - Term Paper Example This variable is not expressed with numbers that have a true zero. Instead, a Likert-type, five-point scale for measuring patient satisfaction is used (1 stands for very poor, 2, poor, 3 fair, 4, good and 5, very good). The data obtained is subsequently converted to a scale that ranges from 0 to 100. The 1-5scores are averaged, with 0 being equated to the low end (very poor) and 100, the high end (very good). The independent variables are inpatient admissions in nonteaching and teaching hospitals. The statistic chosen is multivariate. The statistical significance is set as r= -.28, p= .0.08, when discussing the relationship between patient satisfaction and patient admission in a combined sample. This intimates a direct correlation between patient satisfaction and lower volumes of inpatient admissions. When it comes to admission in teaching hospitals, patient satisfaction is stated as standing at 25.76, and the z-statistic is used. In the use of the z-statistic, z=-4.1, p This statistical significance also takes care of the degree of error. The degree of error may emanate from the fact that the 14 hospitals that had been designated as the research sample may have been hailing from distraught socioeconomic environments, and therefore, a good fraction of the patients might have been too grumpy to lighten up because of the physicians’ prowess, personal touch and dexterity. In this case, it is therefore safe to say with Messina, Scott, Ganey, Zipp and Mathis (2009) that there is a direct relationship between inpatient admissions and patient satisfaction in both teaching and nonteaching hospitals. Thus, because the statistical significance is very strong, the hypothesis of the study has been verified and found to be true. In statistical
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Business Negotiation: An International Perspective
Business Negotiation: An International Perspective Introduction International Business Negotiation is a process through which parties shift their initial contradictory positions to a point where agreement reaches. International Business Negotiation is fully a part of the managerial process and helps the business to implement their strategies and plans. International business negotiation involves all international business transaction and it also helps in developing agreements between two or more parties or groups in order to provide direction and set of laws for their future behaviour. Negotiation also helps in finding the solution for common problems. In negotiation, parties can quit the process at anytime and in negotiation both the parties modify their views and thoughts in order to come close to each other. Negotiation is also know integrative bargaining which is win-win negotiation where parties comes out with good outcomes and attracts more investors to invest and negotiation have different culture backgrounds because of many countries. The process of negotiation is always influenced by contextual factors and when negotiation is discussed, it is presented as culture issue. Pervez N. Ghauri and Jean Claude Usinier,1999 International Business Negotiation 2nd Edition, Elsevier Ltd Critical Evaluation: (ref: Russell . B . Sunshine (1990). Negotiation for International Development. Martines Nijhoff Publishers)                                                         CULTURE VALUES Basic Beliefs                                             Norms                                               Customs Impact of culture on Negotiation CULTURE VALUES Basic Beliefs                                   Norms                                            Customs                                                CLUTUREAL PERSPECTIVE Habits                                                 Assumption                              Selective Perception                                                  NEGOTIATING STYLE Decision-making                                                                                           Communicating Culture has the negative impact on the negotiation from both the sides i.e. sender of the negotiation message and receiver of the negotiation message. In business negotiation many people are from different cultural backgrounds, so sometimes they do not share their views, which affect the negotiation. So during the negotiation process there are many cultural misunderstandings, different results and also the lack of trust between the parties. Culture affects the negotiation because of the distance between the partners and also the difference in the economical and educational system. Culture helps in shaping the basic beliefs, norms and customs give rise to many economic and political barriers in the negotiation process. Negotiation is the outcome of many actions and these actions are affected by the culture because it creates problems in decision-making, in setting goals, and implementing of strategies at the time of negotiation producer. E.g. America and Japan contributes about 40% of Development Assistance Countries. But negotiation between America and Japan is not effective because of many cultural differences. Culture of America and Japan are totally different in principles, norms and negotiating behavior. So there culture has a deep collision on the negotiation process. CONCLUSION Negotiation takes place between two countries or two different cultures. So effective negotiation can be carried out by following ways. Should be responsive to own culture before making surveillance of cross-culture. Study and gather the information about the negotiating technique and cultural surroundings of the opposite partys. At the time of negotiation, both the parties should decide the subject and after deciding the subject parties should put their own cultures into practice and should wait for each others response. Both the parties should identify those responses which are similar in order to avoid conflicts. Should present the negotiation process in such a way which engages the cultural preferences of both the parties. Both the parties should check their cultural assumptions and should pay attention to each others objectives carefully. Parties should modify their negotiating behavior in order to avoid communication conflicts. Both the parties should show respect and courtesy for their own culture, so that the interaction will be carried out successfully. Parties should be more flexible in order to make their attitude respectful.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Virtual-Reality Helmet :: Technology Essays Research Papers
Virtual-Reality Helmet Battered and bloody, I sluggishly rose to my feet. At first, it took me awhile to realize where I was. The toilet bowl where my head had been dangling into just seconds earlier was smeared with blood from cuts on my face. My hair was dripping with toilet water. Downhearted, I calmly approached the mirror to see just how bad it was this time. With a sigh, I began cleaning myself. Perhaps I'm starting too far into my story; let me rewind. It was my senior year in New York, and I was preparing for college. There was a new computer, which had satellite connection capabilities to the internet that would be perfect. I had finally saved enough money to buy it; so on a Friday, I went to the mall. I wore a long coat hoping no one would recognize me. Creeping into the computer outlet, I told a clerk what I wanted. As I made my way out of the store, I was jumped. Looking up, I saw it was the popular, rich kids who were enraged by me owning something nice. They had no trace of kindness this time. They dragged me kicking and screaming into the secluded bathroom. Forcing my head into the toilet, they flushed and kicked me in the abdomen, until I passed out. After spending a great deal of time rinsing and cleansing the crud from my hair and the gunk from my face, I walked out of the bathroom. As I had figured, the mall was closed and the entrances locked. I walked around until I came to the computer store where all this had started. The doors had been suspiciously left open, so I went in. It wasn't like it had been before; there were what looked like futuristic helmets that filled most of the store. Curious, I treaded over towards one and touched it. Lights of all colors illuminated on the helmet and I froze. Seconds later, I bravely grasped the helmet and, with my eyes closed, slipped it on my head. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer where I had been. I was looking over glimmering white cliffs down at an ocean. There was a group of people around a fire, making smoke signals, who wore clothing from which I had only seen in history books and movies. Confused, I walked to them and asked, "Where am I? Virtual-Reality Helmet :: Technology Essays Research Papers Virtual-Reality Helmet Battered and bloody, I sluggishly rose to my feet. At first, it took me awhile to realize where I was. The toilet bowl where my head had been dangling into just seconds earlier was smeared with blood from cuts on my face. My hair was dripping with toilet water. Downhearted, I calmly approached the mirror to see just how bad it was this time. With a sigh, I began cleaning myself. Perhaps I'm starting too far into my story; let me rewind. It was my senior year in New York, and I was preparing for college. There was a new computer, which had satellite connection capabilities to the internet that would be perfect. I had finally saved enough money to buy it; so on a Friday, I went to the mall. I wore a long coat hoping no one would recognize me. Creeping into the computer outlet, I told a clerk what I wanted. As I made my way out of the store, I was jumped. Looking up, I saw it was the popular, rich kids who were enraged by me owning something nice. They had no trace of kindness this time. They dragged me kicking and screaming into the secluded bathroom. Forcing my head into the toilet, they flushed and kicked me in the abdomen, until I passed out. After spending a great deal of time rinsing and cleansing the crud from my hair and the gunk from my face, I walked out of the bathroom. As I had figured, the mall was closed and the entrances locked. I walked around until I came to the computer store where all this had started. The doors had been suspiciously left open, so I went in. It wasn't like it had been before; there were what looked like futuristic helmets that filled most of the store. Curious, I treaded over towards one and touched it. Lights of all colors illuminated on the helmet and I froze. Seconds later, I bravely grasped the helmet and, with my eyes closed, slipped it on my head. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer where I had been. I was looking over glimmering white cliffs down at an ocean. There was a group of people around a fire, making smoke signals, who wore clothing from which I had only seen in history books and movies. Confused, I walked to them and asked, "Where am I?
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Midterm Exam Business Valuation and Stock Valuation Essay
It is generally more expensive to form a proprietorship than a corporation because, with a proprietorship, extensive legal documents are required. (b) Corporations face fewer regulations than sole proprietorships. (c) One disadvantage of operating a business as a sole proprietorship is that the firm is subject to double taxation, at both the firm level and the owner level. (d) One advantage of forming a corporation is that equity investors are usually exposed to less liability than in a regular partnership. If a regular partnership goes bankrupt, each partner is exposed to liabilities only up to the amount of his or her investment in the business. (2) (TCO G) A security analyst obtained the following information from Prestopino Products’ financial statements: Retained earnings at the end of 2009 were $700,000, but retained earnings at the end of 2010 had declined to $320,000. †¢ The company does not pay dividends. †¢ The company’s depreciation expense is its only non-cash expense; it has no amortization charges. †¢ The company has no non-cash revenues. The company’s net cash flow (NCF) for 2010 was $150,000. On the basis of this information, which of the following statements is CORRECT? (Points : 10) (a) Prestopino had negative net income in 2010. ( b ) Prestopino’s depreciation expense in 2010 was less than $150,000. (c) Prestopino had positive net income in 2010, but its income was less than its 2009 income. (d) Prestopino’s NCF in 2010 must be higher than its NCF in 2009. (e) Prestopino’s cash on the balance sheet at the end of 2010 must be lower than the cash it had on the balance sheet at the end of 2009. Which of the following is most likely to occur? (Points : 10) (a) The required rate of return for an average stock will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (b) The required rate of return will decline for stocks whose betas are less than 1. 0. (c) The required rate of return on the market, rM, will not change as a result of these changes. (d) The required rate of return for each individual stock in the market will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (e) The required rate of return on a riskless bond will decline.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
How I Utilised My Summer Vacations
Vacations are the best time to relax and enjoy and I eagerly wait for my summer vacations every year. Every year my school closes in the middle of the month of May and reopens by the end of June. Annual exams get over and the results are declared. This time I got promoted to class nine from class eight. After the hard labor for the examinations, I wanted some rest and also some refreshment. Hence I put aside my books for a few weeks. Next day morning I went out to play with my friends. It was a very hot and sunny day so we decided to play indoor games. In the evening I asked my father and mother to take me to any of the hill stations because I wanted to beat the heat. My father told me that we cannot go to a hill station because all the hotels and resorts are booked beforehand only. It was too hot, the sun was scorching and the wind was deliberating. Fortunately my uncle had invited my family to Haridwar where he had reached two weeks earlier. Me and my parents reached Haridwar. My uncle, my aunty and my cousins were all very excited to see all of us. They welcomed us with a warm heart. At Haridwar I went to the bank of River Ganga in the morning and it was very pleasant to see hundreds of men and women bathing in the stream of Ganga and then offering prayers in the different temples of its â€Å"Ghats†. I requested my uncle to take us to the hilly spots in the vicinity. He was kind enough to take all of us there. The hill sights of Laxmi jhoola, Swargashram and many other spots fascinated me. I saw a large number of trees bearing beautiful fruits and flowers. The peeping of Sun’s rays in the morning and evening was really very charming. The waterfall at some distances shone like flowing silver in the moonlight. The cool breeze was always felt. No heat or dust of the plain was felt here. I was very much pleased. We remained there for two whole weeks. From there my father and my uncle planned to go on a pilgrimage. We left for Mathura and Vrindavan. There we had darshan of Dwarkadhish, Rangji, Behariji, and of many other temples. We then went to Girirajji. We also went to Karoli and Mahaveerji, a place of Jain pilgrimage. The scenery and views of all these places was beautiful and breathtaking. Of all the vacations in my life, this was my best summer vacation ever, mainly because my cousins were also there. We had collected memories for a lifetime. I told my parents that we will plan similar holidays for every summer vacation, in the coming years. He firmly nodded to what I said. The vacation was over and I was back to school but my mind was still remembering the sweet memories of the summer vacation. I will await the next summer holidays and would love to go on this type of vacation again and again.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Ted Bundy essays
Ted Bundy essays At the age of twenty-two, Eleanor Louise Cowell gave birth to her son, Theodore Robert Cowell. Ted Bundy was born on November 24, 1946, and his childhood was anything but ordinary. From the day he was born, Bundy had to face criticism and lies from both society and his relatives. The criticism came because of the fact that Ted was an illegitimate child born into a Methodist family. Shortly after Teds birth, he and his mother moved into his grandparents house. While living there, Ted was told that his mother was actually his older sister and that his grandparents were really his birth parents. After four years of living with his grandparents, Teds mother decided to move to Tacoma, Washington. Unwilling to leave his grandfather, later to be the only man Ted ever looked up to, Ted was forced to go with his mother. After being in Washington for only a year, Teds mother married an army cook named Johnnie Culpepper Bundy, whose last name Ted would take on for the rest of his life. Bundys torment would continue throughout his school years as well. As a child, Ted was extremely shy and was often teased by other kids in junior high school. It is thought that because of the constant humiliation, Ted often lost his temper. According to True Crimes: Serial Killers, Teds temper became such a problem that teachers sent notes home warning that he needed to learn to control his temper, because at times it could explode with frightening ferocity (11). Fighting through this problem, Ted was still able to earn high grades, which he continued to receive throughout high school as well. After junior high, the teasing stopped and Ted was thought of as being well dressed and exceptionally well mannered. Despite this fact, Bundy never had a girlfriend in high school, because he was more interested in skiing and politics. Bundys life took another sharp turn after entering colle...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Health Care Setting Essay Example
Health Care Setting Essay Example Health Care Setting Essay Health Care Setting Essay Health Care Setting In hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings, health educators often work one-on-one with patients and their families. They teach patients about their diagnoses and about necessary treatments or procedures. They also teach the patient about lifestyle changes that are necessary to manage the disease or to assist with recovery. Health educators direct people to outside resources, such as support groups and home health agencies and create activities and incentives to encourage the use of services by high-risk patients. Health educators in health care facilities also help organize health screenings, such as blood pressure checks, and health classes on topics such as correctly installing a car seat. Health educators may also conduct staff training to interact better with patients. I prefer this setting because you need to possess certain skills, which I believe I have or can acquire. Constantly working with patients you need to be able to respectfully communicate with them and to be able to educate them in a manner of which they can understand. I would like to change people’s health so that they may live stronger, longer lives. By working in healthcare settings I can organize and implement programs that people can follow that are beneficial to their health. If a patient is having problem with understanding a procedure, I can explain it in a simpler manner to which they can understand. If they are struggling with a diagnosed chronic disease, I would like to be able to educate the patient on how they can reduce the their problem by having a better diet, planning what to eat in that diet, controlling stress levels, and so on. I have worked in a doctor’s office before and I see how the doctors treat patients. After the patient walks out of their appointment they seem to be confused and have so many questions. Its not that the doctors don’t want to educate the patients, they just simply don’t have the time. As a heath educator I want to be able to help those patients who have questions or concerns about what risks or preventions they may have if they continue their lifestyle. In order to land a job in a healthcare setting I feel I will need to make good relations with the people I work with. Whether it be in school or in an internship, these are the people who can help me. Internships will be very helpful especially if they are already in a hospital. Sometimes job postings can also be listed online or in local advertisements.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Baudrillards ideas on the film The Matrix Essay Example for Free
Baudrillard’s ideas on the film The Matrix Essay Lewis Carroll (50) , Alice in Wonderland (49) , The Matrix (6) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints It has long been a condition of western culture to act for the accumulation of material objects. This is in part due to the capitalist nature of the world within which we live. Marx identifies in ‘The Critique of Capitalism’ the emergence of two new classes of people, namely ‘capitalists’ and ‘labourers’. The term ‘capitalist’ describes any person who has personal ownership of capital, which ‘consists of raw materials, instruments of labour and means of subsistence’ (Marx). In contrast a ‘labourer’ has only the value of his labour (life activity), which he exchanges with the capitalist for a wage and as such ‘the worker sinks to the level of commodity’ (Marx). Because the labourer produces for the capitalist a commodity of greater value than that of his wages and in addition those wages are paid back to the capitalist in return for subsistence, therefore social control in exerted over the working class, whilst providing the capitalist with excess commodity. The labourer consentingly becomes a slave to the system on which he depends. In addition Marx states that as the relation between capitalist and labourer (manufacturer and consumer) develops, so competition between rival capitalists becomes apparent. In effect the capitalist is forced to capture more of the market by selling goods more cheaply by the consolidation and exploitation of labour power e. g. by machinery. Such a strategy ultimately limits the demand for labour and so new industries must be developed for exploitation. These new industries are necessary because capital exists only in relation to its ability to command labour and social control and as such ‘they reciprocally condition the existence of each other’ (Marx). These forced increases in demand and therefore production are evident in the contemporary world market. Important to the development of Capitalism is the use of money which abstracts labour and commodity values to a common unit for the purpose of trade. In effect the labourer discovers that ‘the product of his activity is not the object of his activity’ (Marx) thus a level of abstraction occurs, which was consistent with the modernist values of the time. Karl Marx and early capitalism were mainly concerned with production which remains important but it was Situationist, Guy Debord, who gave the first insights into late capitalism and the theories that best apply to today’s world economics and culture of commodities. Debord, in his book ‘The Society of the Spectacle’, bases his examination of commodities around consumption, media, information and technology. As such Debord suggests that ‘in societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation. ‘ By this he means to describe the world and its products as mere appearances, where the real meanings and values of commodities are translated into signs. Essentially ‘it is a world vision that has been objectified’ (Debord). Debord explains the phenomenon of the spectacle as resulting from the ever increasing production of capitalism. Because competition between capitalists inevitably leads to an excess of produce, so consumer demand must be increased. Such an increase is controllable by the spectacle as ‘the real consumer becomes a consumer of illusions,’ (Debord) so he can be manipulated to believe he must consume beyond the basic necessity for survival e. g. leisure products. Therefore ‘the spectacle’s form and content are identically the total justification of the existing system’s conditions and goals’ (Debord). The spectacle is mediated in society ‘as information or propaganda, as advertisement or direct entertainment consumption,’ (Debord). The effects of the mediated spectacle tend to lead the consumer to an experience of alienation as the consumers’ want for commodities is dictated to serve and maintain capitalism. In addition the spectacle constantly reinforces itself, for example the television, which is in itself a product of the spectacle that is then used by the capitalist to implement the advertisement of other spectacles. Essentially the ‘spectacle is the nightmare of imprisoned modern society’ (Debord) and explains the transition from the ‘degradation of being into having’ to ‘having into appearing’ (Debord). Jean Baudrillard took Marx’s ‘Critique of Capitalism’ and Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle’ to their conclusions with his own theory of simulation and simulacra. Similar to the idea of the spectacle, Baudrillard describes a world where the subject of everything has been replaced by a semiological value that has become more important than the original, ‘real’ meaning of the object. This object he calls a ‘simulacra’. In ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ Baudrillard adds extra complexity to these ideas by establishing a hierarchy of simulation, which he gives four orders. In the first order the object is a copy of an original and so can be linked to a basic reality, for example a photograph of an actual event. The second order of simulation misrepresents the original subject; in the example the photography has been digitally manipulated in Photoshop to present a non-occurrence. In the third order a reality is recreated from a simulation of an original reality, when in fact, through the process of simulacra, the original has been lost, e. g. a scene is recreated from the digitally manipulated photograph of the original event. Finally, the forth order of simulation is the combined process of the first, second and third order to such an extent that the object bears no relation to reality or the original, for example the photograph has become a virtual reality. In this instance the link between reality and the signifying systems is almost impossible to ascertain, thus creating a ‘hyper-reality’. It is the use of one simulacra as a basis for the formation of another simulacra that shows the first signs of relevance to post modernity. Consequently, in post modernism, everything is understood in relation to everything that has come before, which in design manifests itself in referencing. Post modernism is also concerned with the fact that there is no right or wrong and essentially that no real truth exists. It is of course possible for a sign to make a transition through all four of the orders of simulation, constantly abstracting meaning and widening the gap between simulation and reality. However due to the complexity of repeated abstraction and signification it becomes necessary for an amount of speculation and simplification to occur when examining transitional examples. If we take, for example, the now famous emblem of automotive company Rolls Royce, it becomes apparent the extent to which a symbolic object can be re-simulated, each time loosing a part of it’s original meaning. ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’, designed by sculptor Charles Sykes and mass produced in 1911, is a cast metal emblem representing the figurine of a girl with arms outstretched to hold the folds of her gown blowing in the breeze. To the present day this emblem has been displayed on the bonnets of Rolls Royce cars and is the first order of simulation in terms of it being a representation of a real person from which the sculpture has been modelled. The object also references the figure heads of classic sailing ships in an attempt to convey the automotive product as an elegant, quite and reliable vehicle, which were the mediated associations with the brand during the early development of the company. In this instance the object enters the third order of simulation as a real event (model posing for sculptor) is created from an existing symbolic object (sailing boat figure heads) in order to be recreated as a new symbolic object (Spirit of Ecstasy emblem). At this point it is important to note that this example as an investigation could examine many more stages of referencing prior to the sign’s use as figure heads, though this could prove too difficult and inaccurate, again reinforcing the existence of a hyper-reality. The tea pot, designed by Michael Graves in 1985 for Alessi, brings the symbol to its conclusion. The tea pot employs a plastic emblem of a bird that is attached to the spout of the kettle and creates a whistling noise when the water is boiled. This creates a pun between the whistling of a kettle and the singing of bird but more importantly, its similar visual appearance (i. e. the wings of the bird and the outstretched arms and gown of the girl) makes a reference of Rolls Royce cars. Because during the late 20th century the values associated with Rolls Royce have matured to convey the brand as one of top class and status, so it are these value that are associated with Grave’s tea pot, supposed to the original associations that Rolls Royce was referencing from classic sailing ships. Therefore the product has clearly entered the forth order of simulation is it holds no relation to the original meaning that the original object as sign attempted to represent. Also, by referencing past signs, it can be described as a post modern object. Like Debord, Baudrillard agreed that simulation was important to the survival of capitalism as it, through mediation, can control the level of consumption within society. Baudrillard used the term ‘valorisation’ to describe the process through which symbolic objects attain value. An excellent example of valorisation is Pokemon cards, which are essentially printed illustrations on card and so their use value is very low. However, via mediation, Pokemon cards have been given a simulated symbolic value that has made them desirable and powerful as a commodity. As well as design, Baudrillard’s theory of simulation and simulacra has also proved influential in film making, for example in ‘The Matrix’, directed by the Wachowski brothers. The Matrix is set in the future at a time when the real world has been reduced to a desert waste land by a war between humanity and machines; after the invention of artificial intelligence. Because the machines are dependant on solar power, the humans have caused the equivalent of a nuclear winter by blocking out sunlight. This has caused the machines to retaliate by imprisoning humans in gel filled pods so that energy can be extracted from them in the form of heat. In order to control the humans in this procedure a computer simulated world called the matrix exists, that all of the imprisoned humans are connected to, living their lives in what they believe is the late 20th century, oblivious to the fact that their real bodies are in stasis in the real world. The film therefore acts as a metaphor for contemporary western cultures. Firstly the matrix is an existence of the fourth order of simulation in that it is a system of mere signs that are completely detached from reality, i. e. hyper-reality. Just as in contemporary cultures, the people who live in the matrix are unaware that they are controlled by a system through simulation. â€Å"You are a slave, neo, like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch, a prison for your mind†¦ What is the matrix? Control. The matrix is a computer generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this†(he holds up a copper battery) (Morpheus talking to Neo, The Matrix). In addition the film suggests that the prisoners of the Matrix are also dependant upon it, to the extent that they will fight to protect it. Baudrillard’s idea of mediasation appears in the film when it is suggested that there was a machine â€Å"spawning a whole race of machines†(Morpheus talking to Neo, The Matrix), thus the social control of the machines (mediation of signs) increasingly exert themselves with every new generation. Interestingly The Matrix seems to offer a solution to simulation and social control by the system, which is one of enlightenment. Once Neo understands the systems and can see the signs (computer code) of the matrix for what they really are, then he can choose to follow a different set of rules thus gaining control of his environment. As well as a theological basis on Baudrillard, The Matrix tends to convey the story via symbolic references and thus is post modern by nature. For example the ‘follow the white rabbit scene’ employs a tattoo of a white rabbit, which is referenced from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in order to convey the uncertainty in discovering the truth of an alternate reality. In the same scene Neo also opens a copy Baudrillard’s ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ in effect reinforcing links to that element of the film. In conclusion, I have identified the main themes surrounding Baudrillard’s orders of simulacra and simulation, shown how they relate to modern and post modern design and have given contemporary examples of their use in product design and film making. I believe that such an understanding of simulation has served well to better understanding referencing in post modernity. Debord, G., (1977) The Society of the Spectacle, Black & Red Poster, M., (1998) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings, Polity Press Tucker, R. C., (1978) The Marx – Engels Reader Second Edition, Norton & Company Hebdige, D., (1994) Hiding in the Light, Routledge http://www.geneseo.edu/~bicket/panop/baudrillard.ht http://www.artisanitorium.thehydden.com/nonfiction/film/matrix.htm Baudrillard’s ideas on the film The Matrix. (2017, Aug 08). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Difficulties of Having a Foreign Professor Assignment
Difficulties of Having a Foreign Professor - Assignment Example When English is taught, it should be a must that the instructors are not comprised of individuals who are not from the English domains. What this would mean is the fact that non-native English speakers must not have the right to teach English because it is not their language and if they get within such domains, there would be immense grammatical errors and mistakes which will come to the fore (Wilson, 1971). What this implies is the rationale that the non-native English speakers will make mistakes which they would not even know about; hence it is understandable that they should be kept at a safe distance from the realms of teaching the English language. One is usually against the dictum of hiring non-native English speakers as the instructors who instill within the students the English language because they themselves are not at par with the understanding and comprehension levels, and hence it is a very common thing that could be taken for granted under such realms. The stance is aga inst hiring the non-native English speakers as the instructors teaching the English language because they will get it all wrong and therefore teach the students what they must not learn in the first place (Viete, 2011). There is a dire need to understand that the non-native English speakers are always looking at shortcuts for their own selves because they aim to learn English without much trouble and efforts within their fore. Now if they get their hands at learning the English language, rest assured there would be immense problems for the English learners because the former will not be able to gather within them the confidence to speak it in an out and out fashion. What remains to be seen is the fact that the non-native English speakers or the foreign professors are bringing a bad name to the English language, as has been witnessed through proper evidence and research. There have been a number of problems within the English curriculum, and this has been manifested with the passage of time in this day and age. The difficulties in having foreign professors are such that there is a lot at stake that needs to be corrected, and the students of the English language are usually on the receiving end whenever the talk goes out loud regarding the non-native English speakers and their pertinent trade (Brown, 2010). The non-native English speakers rely on the short term success pointers rather than emphasizing deep upon the very basics that remain within the aegis of the English language, and hence the problems seem to start out of nowhere. The non-native English speakers who are teaching the English language are doing a great injustice to this language and its followers. Now is the time to realize where the shortcomings are cropping up from, and how these could be resolved amicably to ask for a proper replenishment of the teachers who know how to teach the correct English dictum and thus allow the people to be one step ahead of where they are within this languageâ€℠¢s domains (Walker, 2010). Thus all-out efforts are required by the people within the helm of affairs to take the call and allow the people at large to experience English in its truest form and manner. In the end, it would be sound to state that the difficulties of having a foreign professor are significant to understand, analyze and properly decipher.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Research Proposal on Steve Jobs and the foundation of Apple Computers Paper
Proposal on Steve Jobs and the foundation of Apple Computers - Research Paper Example These products would contribute to annually increasing revenue and profit margins, today making Apple, Inc. the world’s most successful technology company (Lashinksy). The organization’s tremendous success has brought Job’s leadership style to the forefront of consideration and analysis. Indeed, the subject is highly important as it relates to the very nature of business and leadership success. Job’s was recognized for a unique and demanding leadership approach. Many individuals even went as far as to claim Job’s was rude and arrogant. Undoubtedly it appears that Job’s was a perfectionist. The research functions to examine Steve Job’s personality in the context of his success as a the chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple, Inc. as well as his undeniable success as a leader. The underlining hypothesis is that through his persuasion, slight arrogance and perfectionism, Steve Jobs was able to create success for Apple, Inc. and attain his reputation of a strong leader. The research is significant both for advancing knowledge of successful leadership styles, as well as for further understanding the means an individual can mold and have a profound impact on a multinational organization. Ultimately, it is believed that this research will contribute to a furthered understanding of the very nature of success. ... is biography explores Job’s arrogance in terms of the ravage it wreaked on his personal life, but also how it was indicative of an approach to life that defined and shaped its own reality (Isaacson). Other researchers note that such arrogance may have contributed to Job’s ability to inspire others by getting them to view Apple as not just a company, but also a personal mission (Lundquist). Similarly, Jobs is considered a visionary. In an interview with Charlie Rose before returning to Apple, Jobs is said to have turned to the host and say that he knew how to save the organization, but they weren’t listening to him yet (Lasseter). In addition to being understood as a visionary, other researchers have focused on how Job’s leadership style as a perfectionist contributed to his specific organizational skills. One perspective examined Job’s nature as a taskmaster (Stengel). For instance, it’s noted that people who worked with Jobs said that he wou ld attempt to instruct his employees about every aspect of their job (Stengel). Other researchers have examined Job’s leadership approach against that of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. While Gates has been described as methodical and lawyer like, Job’s was recognized as â€Å"the quick, live-for-the-moment hare†(Wilson & Skovgard, p. 51). Even as Steve Jobs is recognized as a prominent motivator and visionary, other researchers have considered that Job’s arrogance and perfectionism also contributed to Apple’s success through his negotiation with outside vendors. For instance, during the late design period of the iPhone, Jobs was recognized for his clever and ruthless negotiations with telecommunications carriers ("The legacy of Steve Jobs," p. 3). Another research perspective considered Steve Job’s personality
History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 76
History - Essay Example of the European powers across the globe were no longer welcomed in the larger Americas; in effect, erecting a wall of protection around the unites states’ neighboring nations, thus, allowing them to develop in their own terms (Renehan, 2007). The show of solidarity expressed in the doctrine in an era of revolutions against European imperialism encouraged the United States to build up its military might in readiness to defend its interests as well as those of other smaller defenseless nations within the hemisphere. It is hard to deny that the foreign policy stance at the time formed the very origins of America’s â€Å"imperialistic, police† behavior, more particularly with regards to terrorism watch around the world; a policy inspired by the 9/11 never to change/be changed any time in the near future. While not referred to much often in the diplomatic transactions, the Monroe doctrine remains in force, but with a larger police role on the shoulders of the United States that goes beyond Southern
Thursday, October 17, 2019
The Loyalty Card as a Promotional Tool to Improve Customer Essay
The Loyalty Card as a Promotional Tool to Improve Customer Satisfaction - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that loyalty cards are the prominent loyalty cards used in maintaining customers to attain maximum profits. The aim is to provide customers with shopping loyalty cards that accumulate points on every shopping visit. Accumulation of the points aids the customer at a future date to redeem the points by purchasing products from the store without using liquid cash. Customers also get access to special discounts as long as they have the card.Consumers are spending less on non-essential items. The use of loyalty cards to secure and retain customers is a scheme used by many individuals to attain profits. The project aims to analyze and evaluate the impacts of the current financial crisis on consumer buying behavior. Tesco as a store gets a huge number of clients on a daily basis. It is important for them to seek interest on the impact of loyalty cards on customer satisfaction and retention. With the loyalty cards program, Tesco ensures that they purchase non-essential items with the use of the loyalty cards with the hopes of securing a sale in future. As the study outlines Tesco is a company with a large customer clientele hence retaining the customers remains a big challenge for them to achieve. The main objective of using loyalty cards is to offer a clear analysis by offering existing customers the cards. Every customer who purchases a certain amount of products is provided with a card that will be used to obtain points. The objective is to have all clients in the database enabled for use of the reward scheme. The research will ensure proper usage of resources to attain the maximum number of clients. As the research analysis continues collecting information on how clients view the study comes in as an important aspect. Tesco is an international chain of stores. The company sells products ideas to customers willing to experience first customer service.Â
Art and Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Art and Knowledge - Essay Example This positive tradition which follows the western philosophical thoughts loves to believe that art is largely emotive rather than informative. To illustrate, according to people like Ayer (1952, p.54), the sources of empirical knowledge should be synthetic propositions the truth value of which can be determined. In addition, logical relationships should be derived from analytic propositions which are open to manipulation (ibid). Does art provide knowledge? The historical discussion Admittedly, this traditional belief that art has nothing to do with epistemology arose from the fact that arts are mainly aimed at arousing emotion. In fact, people seek out arts mainly to get oneself lost into the imaginary world created by the arts. Thus, one can easily point out that arts are primarily meant to reach a natural high which is often the result of ones sensory responses. Thus, traditionally, arts and sensory experiences were interlinked and inseparable. Thus, Plato (1992, p. 113) argued tha t the sensory side of human experience is primary in the arts. According to Stolnitz (1992, p. 191), the argument is that senses are a hindrance to the achievement of the high state in which reality can be understood. In fact, the weights and chains of the prisoners incarcerated in Plato’s caves were really surrogates or proxies for the distractions that our senses imposed upon whatever our rational mind could possibly muster. Thus, one can see that the stimulation of senses, which takes place through arts, is rather misleading. As John (2001, p.330) reflects, instead of making one reach critical thinking and rationality, arts lead one away from truth which can only be derived through critical rationality. And as time passed, there arose two extremes in the cognitive triviality of arts (ibid). The opinion of Plato was contradicted by Aristotle (2008, p. 45) in Poetics through the argument that poetry is capable of conveying the knowledge of universals to people. Thus, there a rise two classes of thought; one that believes in the aesthetic value of art, and one that believes in the cognitive value of art. Admittedly, it is possible to develop a third class of thought; that is, aesthetic cognitivism. This class of thought claims that art can give knowledge, and also that this knowledge can enhance the aesthetic value of art. According to cognitivists, it is possible for art to impart knowledge. In order to substantiate their claim, cognitivists rely on philosophical knowledge as derived from various works of literature. The gist of their argument is that though moral philosophy manages to provide an outline of what is good; works of literature are useful and at times necessary to understand the application of the same in various situations. As McKeon (2001, p.241) comments, Aristotle comes up with three types of knowledge; theoretical, practical, and productive. The theoretical knowledge refers to the knowledge about things that are fundamental in nature ( ibid). An example of this knowledge is the products and processes of nature. Practical knowledge refers to the knowledge that teaches what to do to address certain contingencies. Thirdly, productive knowledge teaches one how to make new things. Admittedly, the question arises as to how art can introduce productive knowledge. Thus, one gains the insight that the meaning of the word ‘knowledge’ itself is likely to change according to the nature of the problem one pursues (ibid). Based on the traditional view of scientific knowledge, knowledge is supposed to come along with evidence regarding the truth. In other words, knowledge is the ability to provide warranted assertions. In other words, the term ‘
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management - Essay Example Austin Wood Products (AWP) is a successful company located at Austin Texas and specializes in manufacturing custom made wooden doors. Its current turnover is $ 25 million per annum. Maximum sales take place during February to November but the productivity is hampered by unregulated inventory system. Sadly, until the inventory is physically checked at the warehouse, production is not certain of its availability. In half the cases the material required is unavailable and has to be ordered. This effects both production and delivery. The company expects an increase in turnover by 20% in the coming year but with such erratic and uncontrolled inventory management, the production manager is apprehensive of meeting schedules and is worried about loosing customers. It is an established fact that the Just-in-Time (JIT) based System is the answer to manufacturing operations. JIT has lead to the development of what is known as Lean Manufacturing. It offers scope for reducing inventories and introducing ways and means to improve productivity by planning optimal use of resources. Today manufacturing faces new challenges and has been offered a variety of solutions to manage these. Most prominent among them are the Material Planning Method (MRP) and Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) adopted by many leading solution providers like SAP. But the Theory of Constraints (TOC) is the culmination of the above and a better answer to industry needs. MRP uses fixed lead times to calculate the Bill of Material, often resulting in surplus stock of raw materials. It does not take into consideration materials available in hand. In other words the Purchase Process is built around orders in hand. There is little or no Production Planning and Production just follows availability of raw materials to plan its own executions. The focus is on orders in hand and essentially MRP plays safe ensuring that raw material is always available to Production. But this is both wasteful and ties up huge
Art and Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Art and Knowledge - Essay Example This positive tradition which follows the western philosophical thoughts loves to believe that art is largely emotive rather than informative. To illustrate, according to people like Ayer (1952, p.54), the sources of empirical knowledge should be synthetic propositions the truth value of which can be determined. In addition, logical relationships should be derived from analytic propositions which are open to manipulation (ibid). Does art provide knowledge? The historical discussion Admittedly, this traditional belief that art has nothing to do with epistemology arose from the fact that arts are mainly aimed at arousing emotion. In fact, people seek out arts mainly to get oneself lost into the imaginary world created by the arts. Thus, one can easily point out that arts are primarily meant to reach a natural high which is often the result of ones sensory responses. Thus, traditionally, arts and sensory experiences were interlinked and inseparable. Thus, Plato (1992, p. 113) argued tha t the sensory side of human experience is primary in the arts. According to Stolnitz (1992, p. 191), the argument is that senses are a hindrance to the achievement of the high state in which reality can be understood. In fact, the weights and chains of the prisoners incarcerated in Plato’s caves were really surrogates or proxies for the distractions that our senses imposed upon whatever our rational mind could possibly muster. Thus, one can see that the stimulation of senses, which takes place through arts, is rather misleading. As John (2001, p.330) reflects, instead of making one reach critical thinking and rationality, arts lead one away from truth which can only be derived through critical rationality. And as time passed, there arose two extremes in the cognitive triviality of arts (ibid). The opinion of Plato was contradicted by Aristotle (2008, p. 45) in Poetics through the argument that poetry is capable of conveying the knowledge of universals to people. Thus, there a rise two classes of thought; one that believes in the aesthetic value of art, and one that believes in the cognitive value of art. Admittedly, it is possible to develop a third class of thought; that is, aesthetic cognitivism. This class of thought claims that art can give knowledge, and also that this knowledge can enhance the aesthetic value of art. According to cognitivists, it is possible for art to impart knowledge. In order to substantiate their claim, cognitivists rely on philosophical knowledge as derived from various works of literature. The gist of their argument is that though moral philosophy manages to provide an outline of what is good; works of literature are useful and at times necessary to understand the application of the same in various situations. As McKeon (2001, p.241) comments, Aristotle comes up with three types of knowledge; theoretical, practical, and productive. The theoretical knowledge refers to the knowledge about things that are fundamental in nature ( ibid). An example of this knowledge is the products and processes of nature. Practical knowledge refers to the knowledge that teaches what to do to address certain contingencies. Thirdly, productive knowledge teaches one how to make new things. Admittedly, the question arises as to how art can introduce productive knowledge. Thus, one gains the insight that the meaning of the word ‘knowledge’ itself is likely to change according to the nature of the problem one pursues (ibid). Based on the traditional view of scientific knowledge, knowledge is supposed to come along with evidence regarding the truth. In other words, knowledge is the ability to provide warranted assertions. In other words, the term ‘
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Kates children Essay Example for Free
Kates children Essay It is a dark damp day; the rain is beating down on the corrugated iron of my four-roomed cottage on Condobolin Road. It is still early hours, however my husband William has already left to visit his parents Frederick and Mary on their property, as the wind and rain has brought down two of their great gum trees. My children are still sleeping soundly. I am not feeling well again today, I have not felt well since Maggies death, some two years ago. My head has not felt right; it tells me to do things that women shouldnt even think of. I am not a well human being; I do not feel anymore, this haunts me. I feel great remorse and pity for myself. I am however fit to right my story, my life. My name is Catherine Ada Foster, however I am better known as Kate Kelly, sister of the renowned Ned Kelly. I was born in Beveridge on the 12th of July 1863, as the seventh child born to my parents John Red Kelly and Ellen Quinn. Mary, the eldest is the sister I never knew, as she passed away at infancy. Second born was Anne then came Edward- everyone knowing him as Ned, then Margaret, James and Daniel. At the young age of just three years old in 1866, many events took place that changed my life; my little sister Grace came into the world around the same time we as a family moved to Avenel. That year my father John Kelly also passed away of dropsy, an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the body tissues, or cavities causing swelling or distension of the affected parts. This left my mother a widow and seven children fatherless, so we moved in with my aunt in Greta. After living there for twelve months, mother took up her own selection on the Eleven-Mile-Creek in the Glenrowan district, and there we moved into a newly erected two-roomed hut built by Ned. In Greta, I attended school and upon finishing I spent my time helping mother with the younger children, as she had remarried George King in 1874, and had two more children, Ellen and John- making a family of eleven, most of us being exceptional horsemen. It was just five years before in 1969 when Ned was first bought before the police court for two cases, at just fifteen years of age. He was charged with assault of a fowl and pig dealer named Ah Fook, and secondly aiding a bushranger, Harry Power, in some of his robberies. Luckily for Ned and Mother, he was found not guilty in both cases. However before the end of that year, Ned was convicted again for assault and indecent behaviour resulting in six months hard labor. Our family name was becoming well known around our area, as the police were giving us a bad name for petty things my older brother did. When Ned was released from prison, just three weeks later he received a beautiful brown mare off a friend he met during his labor times. However the police were on to him and arrested Ned as the horse was stolen, Ned had no idea of this, but this didnt seem to matter to the police as he received three years hard labor. I was about fifteen years of age when the suitor Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick became attracted to me. He did not have a good name for himself, already fathering two children to different mothers. He tried to pose as a friend of the family, however my brothers were not fools to be reckoned with, and they did not trust him. On the 15th of April 1878, Fitzpatrick rode up to our house and Dan went outside. He asked Dan to go to Greta with him, as he had a warrant for stealing Whittys horses. Dan refused and asked to see the warrant, and Fitzpatrick said he had none. My mother told Fitzpatrick he had no business on her premises so he pulled out his revolver and said he would blow her brains out if she interfered. Mother said that Ned was present and he would come out and ram the revolver down his throat. It was obvious that Fitzpatrick had been drinking. As he was sitting on the stool waiting for Dan to finish his meal, I in my course of duties passed by him and he tried to kiss me. All my brothers tried to stop him. Fitzpatrick was drunk, they were sober but his story was believed above ours. He stated that my mother had struck him with a fire shovel, Dan had beaten him and Ned had shot him in the wrist and wounded him. He also incriminated William Williamson and Maggies husband William Skillion who he insisted on being there when the incident took place. The outcome resulted in long harsh sentences for mother, and our neighbours Skillion and Williamson. Ned and Dan hadnt waited for their arrest and fled into the Wombat Ranges. 1 I was very angry that even the doctor who attended Fitzpatricks wounds, did not confirm that there was a bullet wound, and also that there was a strong smell of liquor on his breath.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Concepts of Belonging in Urban Development
Concepts of Belonging in Urban Development In this contemporary era where everything changes rapidly, people no longer relate themselves to just one discipline, but are cross-disciplinary. In the process of transition, the exchange of culture as well as information, the experience that one has and the knowledge that one gains is almost an instant experience. Often these instant experience and knowledge that one absorbs are incomplete due to the cutting short of information and over-emphasizing on the main point which subsequently result in a losing gap in between the original information to what we received. One might feel a sense of lost in time, history, memories and the lost in a sense of attachment, consistency, thus question our belonging; where is our home? How do we define belonging then? Can our belonging be fixed? In chapter 1 of the paper, I will discuss home as a metaphor of belonging; an anchor point. However, in this contemporary era, to name a place as the home that we belong can be superficial as the place that we belong are often not fixed. What give us the sense of belonging then? To discuss about belonging, unavoidably we associate it to a space. This Dissertation paper discusses two kinds of space the tangible space and the intangible space. Often, Space as an abstract notion seems boundless; we think of space as just air between one object and the other.[1] Space speaks more than just air molecules. Space with boundaries can be seen as a form or a thing. Space as an idea can be regarding individual perceptions which can be both conceptual and physical. These individual perceptions can be seen as the collective memory through ones experience. How do spaces give us a sense of belonging if our sense of space are often relate to the sense of place which are often unfixed. Despite of the uncertainty of our sense of place, what might give us a sense of continuity is probably the memory that were collected in the space which thus give us a sense of belonging. Memories exists in the past, present and future which thus creating a sense of continuity in a human existence timeline. Moving on from individual home to a nation, Chapter 2 addresses the lost of memory in city due to the urban development in Singapore. It will look into a brief history of Singapore Urban housing and city development, the significant of building as a time-marker that give us the sense of belonging and how the constant construction and destruction of building and places resulted in the lost of fixed identity. Is the lost of memory a lost of our belonging and identity or has it build a unique belonging and identity for Singaporean? As often been said, our belonging and identity are often been cultivate through arts and culture. In that sense, our local museum thus holds an important role in cultivating, preserving and passing on histories and cultural values to the masses. As much as we perceive the knowledge and history in the museum as a fact passing through from generation to generation, can the museum display and exhibition not be political constructed? Hence, even though Singapore government tried to preserve our â€Å"local identity†if we have ever or belonging through the form of arts and culture, the belonging that we perceive is still a constructed identity. Hence, a paradox and it seems like our identity is always in a confusion. Where do we belong? Chapter 1:- Belonging; Memory Belonging has been expounded as a possession, a member of a group such as a family, a school and a nation, ultimately belonging is about the relation of human being. Through the relation with peoples group, spaces and structure, human being thus creates their own identity. The sense of belonging and identity will also suggest a sense of security and stability. Hence, this sense of belonging becomes crucial in human life. Often, the sense of belonging has its relation associated with rooted-ness a sense of attachment towards a space; an attachment to our home. ‘For our house is our corner of the world. As has often been said, it is our first universe, a real cosmos in every sense of the world†¦[2] Author Gaston Bachelard explained in his book The Poetics of Space that the notion of home is a space where one is born and lives permanently. Home has often been idealized as an utopia space where there is a sense of continuity, security and perfection. Permanence is an important element in the idea of home as it suggests rooted-ness and a sense of immortality. In Space and Place the perspective of experience, Yi-Fu Tuan argued that home is the centre of the world; home is the focal point of a cosmic structure[3]. Both author explained home as the centre of ones world and it makes sense to say that our belonging is very much about our attachment to our roots; our home. The word centre will means origin which carries the meaning of beginning which is what Bachelard mentioned as the first universe; the centre of ones world. When and how do one has a sense of home then? Often the notion of home is blurred with the notion of house. ‘Here space is everything, for time ceases to quicken memory Memories are motionless, and the more securely they are fixed in space, the sounder they are.[4] Home as an abstract notion can be boundless. In the quotes above, Bachelard explained that what is being housed in the space (home) is the memories that has been created in the space. Home is a space where we root ourselves at and the most important element that gives us that sense of rooted-ness or attachment to a home is memory. Memory would also mean knowledge, history and memories; memory is an attempt to remember, recall or to record events, objects or even emotion. It is through these collective memories of a space that give us that sense of attachment and a kind of certainty toward oneself. As such, I would draw a boundaries that home is an emotional-mental state of belonging. Memory exists in the past, present and future which create a sense of continuity or immortality. Memory thus gives us a sense of security and certainty. As what Yi-Fu Tuan had mentioned in his writing, the value of a place is the experience that one created in that space. It is through the intimate human relationship and the familiarity of a space that one created a sense of attachment towards a space. Belonging, like memories should be fixed so as to attain a sense of stability. Memory is an abstract notion that requires to be objectified in order to be seen or understand and house plays the role in objectifying these abstract memories, it is a place that helps giving the meaning and value to home. House on the other hand, is a shelter that one goes to when sick, where intimate activities happen; a place or location that helps us to relate our past history and event. House in this case is a physical state of belonging. In a lot of ways, objects can be seen as spaces with boundaries and is malleable.[5] Objects in a house are like footages that give a trace and history of the inhabitant that once presence. The following images are a series of photograph by Singapore photographer, Ho Hui May. This series of artwork entitled Domestic Dystopia, 2007 presents a purview interior of an abandon house. [6] Domestic Dystopia Ho Hui May Photography series, 2007 In this series of photograph, Ho presented abandon objects of the domestic space after the inhabitants had move on. Those abandon objects suggests the lifestyle or characteristic of the inhabitants, almost like a 3-dimentional narrative of the past. For example the forest wall paper at the bottom right side represents 2 layers of nature. One layer of the wall paper can be seen as a natural ongoing process of ageing and decaying due to elements such as sunlight, water, oxygen and other natural substances and is peeling, fading and tearing off from the wall. Another layer of the wall paper presents an image of the forest which can also be read as the owners desire to have a piece of nature while living in a city. Hence, objects such as the wall paper gives clues of the life of the inhabitants. Objects inhabit space, and when attention is directed to an object, it is also directed to the space it occupies.[7] The function of the house thus is also a place to keep and collect object. The se functions can be seen as the collection and re-collection of memories. Objects in our life thus give us a sense of home and belonging. However, objects are originally neutral and meaningless. It is through the experience and relation of objects and people in that space, we insert our emotion and meaning to it and hence creating sentimental values to the object. Therefore, the question now is to what extend are those objects valuable when the meaning of it are constructed? Our house is also an object that is physically constructed and can be politically constructed as well. In that sense, how can we have a true sense of home and belonging if the memory and experience that we perceive are constructed? In Hos series of photograph; objects in the image are discarded. House in this case is also an object that has been discarded. If the objects in life are significant in provoking or capturing memories, why do people still abandon objects? Choosing objects to be abandoned and objects to be brought along are essential in the cities. Chapter 2: Urban development: abandon and constructive memory The city is a place of large settlement; a community of houses and buildings. Walking from one end to the other end, we can easily recognize the features in the cities. There is a sense of familiarity in the city that we lived in. Familiarity is to recognize, to remember or to recall things. It is through that sense of familiarity; the personal memories and the cultural history that we collected in the city that gives us a sense of belonging. The city that we lived in and return to eventually thus is our hometown; the centre of our world. Our hometown is a place where we rooted ourselves in. Unlike home which is built upon the individual experiences and personal memories, the city herself has an image to portray, the city that we lived in is being shape politically and economically so as to achieve economic growth and progression especially that of urban cities. In this chapter, I will like to take Singapore urban development as a case study and local artists responses to the issue of urban development and housing to discuss about the lost of memories and thus the lost of a fixed belonging to the Singaporean. Tracing back from the early days of Singapore Independency till today, she had boosted rapidly into a developed country. In the early days, the fundamental objective of Singapore housing development is to provide a shelter for every citizen. With the problem of housing shortage in the beginning of Singapore Independency, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) was established to provide the citizen with adequate standard of living, the local architect also strike for freedom to promote culture to the mass through national building.[8] With the increase of standard of living and income of the citizen, they no longer just desire for basic amenities but desire for a higher standard of living which result in a constant construction and destruction of buildings in Singapore. Shifting and relocating thus become common. In a lot of ways, our sense of place or location gives us the sense of identity, belonging and pride to the city that we lived in. Building of different time thus stands an important role in marking history of a city; they are almost like artefacts that connect us to our past; a reminder of historical event that once took place, the political and personal experience that once present. Two of the remarkable buildings in Singapore is the City Hall and Old Supreme court. over the years, Singaporean had witnessed many political events such as the japanese surrender, the national day and many more and the building together with the old Supreme court is currently preserved as a Singapore heritage building. Though building is being preserved but the function is not there anymore. (explain)It becomes a trademark of history, an attraction for tourist but no longer function as how it should be. What is the point of preserving when the function is no longer there? Singapore is a country that has been lost and found, found and lost again. (Quoted from Ho Tzu yen film) Many of our local artists have responded to the rapid urban transition with their art. One of our local film/ documentaries maker Tan Pin Pin has responded these issues in her documentaries such as the Invisible City and Moving House. Moving house speaks about the lost of tradition in the midst of Singapore land development. The documentary focuses on the Chews family who went to pay a visit to their parent at their tomb. That visit to the tomb was the last as they would have to dig out the bodies as the government had decided to develop that piece of land. â€Å"We should have a permanent cemetery so that the tradition can continuedtradition had die off.†quoted from Mr Chew. As of a tradition, it is necessary for dead bodies to be buried underground as a respect for the death. Each year during special occasion such as the Qing Ming festival, the Chew family will visit their parents tomb, almost like a picnic as Mr Chew mentioned. The bones of their parent were then cremate. What is lost is not just the lost of tradition but also the joy of gathering that they used to have. Singapore land development can be endless. Reason being that more public housing is required to cover population needs. There is no limit to our desire for space. After development is re-development, moving is re-moving whether or not it is voluntary, is no longer important. Moving house had highlighted our endless desire for space and better standard of living and in the mean time, highlighting our yearns for the past to be continue, a contradicting feeling in the midst of progressing into a world class society. Hence, the transforming of cityscape had also result in a lost of history. It somehow prompts us the question that in order to progress, do we have to discard the past? Are we ready to do that? Is it necessary to abandon/ disregards our past to pursue a ‘better future? How much can we give up actually? Over the years, we slowly identify the issue of urban development through the local artwork. Many lost memories were represented again as a form of art. Not having a fixed memory and belonging had affected artist in many way. Many had approach it in a sentimental manner, sometime in quite a negative way. Many of them chose to have our local HDB flats or construction sites as their subject matter. Interesting, the following photographer that I am going to introduce does not took the usual gigantic boxes as his subject matter instead, ‘junk that he collected as his subject. Chua Chye Tecks wonderland, 2007 is a series of photograph of junk, unwanted, abandon objects that he collected, to date this series consists of 500 pieces of images. Through these images, there are two main opponents that we have to take notes on; the idea of collecting and the idea of abandon in relation to the city. The idea of collecting plays an important part in this work as a way of indicating our social stature, professional affiliation, value system and personal taste. Another thing to consider is the objects being abandon; the ownership of physical object that hints our loftiest longings and deepest anxieties. With each purchase, we throw something away; by existing, we throw; because we move on, we throw. Also to note is that Chua does not keep any of this object as well. With each that he had collect and photograph, he abandoned it as well. Lastly, we consider the methods of presenting it first, objects are placed individually on a clean turquoise background, almost like lifting the value of the junk, giving it a new life. Every object or set of objects, here was no less exquisitely cared for and to read the image as objects existing inside a camera frame almost as preserved memories. As much as we are reluctant to give up on what is valuable to us, we still ought to do so in order to progress†¦ is this voice of the citizen or the voice of government? Chuas work is interesting as it reflects on how much we had abandon in the process of urbanization and to collect it again is to recollect memory, thus memory being lost and found. As compared to Pin Pins film, it reflects how one has to give up in the the process of urbanization despite of ones resistant to change. In the process of change, one long for a sense of permanency, a fixed belonging. What image is Singapore trying to portray at the end of the day when its limited history are slowly faded away over the years? Whether or not Singapore has a rich history and culture are not important as compared to economic growth. This prompt the question of whether the progression and development into a better yet ever-changing rapid lifestyle changes our view of what is to be casted off and what is to be collected in the process? Has Singapore come to realize the lost of memory in the city To question about what has been lost, what do we discard in the process of progression, what we yearn and what we desire to retain goes down to the question of choice and it was clear that we had chosen for economic growth than having the history that give us a fixed belonging. These choices might not be make by the citizen but the government. The government has probably realise the crucial needs to cultivate our national identity; our belonging. As much as our short history had been constantly being buried underneath with the rapid urban development, Singapore in the mean time is trying to construct identity. As often been said, where we belong are often cultivate through the arts and culture that we belong to. Thus, one essential ways to input these lost of history or memory is through local art. What is the role of arts and culture in cultivating our national identity then? Chapter 3: The paradox What is singapore culture? Multi- culture. Mixture of east and west. Rojak. Anything and everything becomes our culture. The Renaissance city plan[9] is a proposal that the government come out every five year and the recent plan will be to go all out to developed the image of an global art city. With this proposal, lots of funding were put into art spaces, schools and institution such as LaSalle college of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts(NAFA), the Singapore Arts Museum(SAM), Asian Civilian Museum(ACM), the National history museum as well as the National art gallery that is opening this year. The aims of this proposal is nevertheless to be an global art city, however what is contradicting is that as much as Singapore aims to go global, it still want to retain the sense of local through event such as Singapore art show. So what is Singapore aiming at the end of the day? She wants an image of everything and anything. She is trying to give encouragement for art yet maintaining tight restrictions on arts and culture. Through inclusion of artwork in public spaces and the incorporation of tasteful design and landscaping in the neighbourhood, we can widen peoples exposure to and appreciation of arts and its relevance in everyday life. (esplanade for cultural activities, government funding for art institution BUT still maintaining tight restrictions on art and cultural work) (wanting to go global and in the mean time wanting to stay localwhat is local?) However, can we really perceive the memory that we collected in the museum as our belonging when the exhibition can be politically constructed or frame? In that sense, what we perceive as our belonging; our home is constructed. Hence, how the city is shaped somehow shape that we are as an individual being. Lynn C. Robertson, Space, objects, minds, and brains (New York, N.Y. : Psychology Press, 2004), 1. Gaston Bachelard, The poetics of space, trans. Maria Jolas (Boston, Mass. : Beacon Press, 1994), 4. Yi fu tuan 149 Ibid, 9. Robertson, 3. Domestic Dystopia provides an insight into six interiors of dilapidated houses in Singapore. Each photograph reveals the traces of footsteps and impressions left behind by previous occupants, encapsulating these moments in their personal histories in a snapshot of time. Most of these houses have been abandoned and are left in a state of disrepair. By becoming a translator, Ho takes on the task of translating the deep sense of loss and nostalgia she feels when she is inside these houses onto a series of photographs. Picture credit: Curating lab: 100 remix workshop organised by the National University of Singapore museum partnership with National Art Council of Singapore Robertson, From building dream- tan pin pin explain
Sunday, October 13, 2019
McDonaldization :: essays research papers
sociologist George Ritzer argues that the relationship between McDonald’s and our society runs even deeper. Beyond its commercial propaganda and symbolism, Ritzer says, McDonald’s is a potent manifestation of the rational processes that define modern society. Ritzer warns that the spread of such "rationalized systems" has had irrational consequences, not least of which is the "disenchantment of the world," a situation in which rationality takes over, leaving no room for the mysterious, unpredictable qualities that make us human. Ritzer’s scholarly work has been heavily influenced by German sociologist Max Weber, who feared that bureaucracy would spread until society became a seamless web of rationalized institutions from which there would be no escape. At the time when Weber wrote, in the early twentieth century, totalitarianism was the biggest threat to individual freedom. In the 1980s, Ritzer thought to apply Weber’s theories about rational systems to a very different threat: the proliferation of fast-food chains. When Ritzer began writing and talking about the dangers of "McDonaldization," he struck a nerve: some agreed with him, but many others rushed to defend the pop-culture institution. He went on to write a social critique on the subject, applying sociological theories to the culture in a way that lay readers would understand. The McDonaldization of Society (Pine Forge/Sage Publications) was successful enough that he wrote several follow-ups, including The McDonaldization Thesis and Enchanting a Disenchanted World (both Sage Publications). Ritzer’s most recent book is Explorations in the Sociology of Consumption: Fast Food, Credit Cards, and Casinos (Sage Ltd.). In addition to writing about sociology for a general audience, he teaches at the University of Maryland, where he is a distinguished professor with numerous academic awards and volumes to his credit. We met for this interview on a beautiful fall day at Ritzer’s home in Maryland. A breeze blew outside, picking up red and yellow leaves and twirling them across the grass while we sat inside discussing the disenchantment of the world. Jensen: What is "McDonaldization"? Ritzer: It’s the process by which the principles of the fast-food industry -- efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through technology -- are being applied to more and more sectors of society in more and more parts of the world. Predictability: An Egg McMuffin in New York will be the same as an Egg McMuffin in Chicago. Customers can expect no surprises, neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Workers, too, behave in predictable ways. Those who interact with customers have actual scripts to follow.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Lenzs Law And Faradays Law Of Induction :: essays research papers
Lenz's Law and Faraday's Law of Induction 1. With this definition of the flux being , we can now return to Faraday's investigations. He found that the magnitude of the emf produced depends on the rate at which the magnetic flux changes. Faraday found that if the flux through N loops of wire changes by an amount , during a time delta t, the average induced emf during this time is This fundamental result is known as Faraday's law of induction. The minus sign is placed there to remind us in which direction the induced emf acts. Experiment shows that an induced emf always gives rise to a current whose magnetic field opposes the original change in flux. This is known a Lenz's law. Let us apply it to the case of relative motion between a magnet and a coil. The changing flux induces an emf, which produces a current in the coil; and this induced current produces its own magnet field. If the distance between the coil and the magnet decreases; so the magnetic field, and therefore the flux, through the coil increases. The magnetic field of the magnet points upward. To oppose this upward increase, the field produced by the induced current must point downward. Thus Lenz's law tells us that the current must move by the use of the use of the right hand rule. If the flux decreases, so the induced current produces an upward magnetic field that is "trying" to maintain the status quo. Let us consider what would happen if Lenz's law were just the reverse. The induced current would produce a flux in the same direction as the original change; this greater change in flux would produce an even larger current, followed by a still larger change in flux, and so on. The current would continue to grow indefinitely, producing power (=) even after the original stimulus ended. This would violate the conservation of energy. Such "perpetual - motion" devices do not exist. It is important to note, which I believe was forgotten in the class lecture, is that Faraday's investigation, as summarized in Faraday's law, says that an emf is induced whenever there is a change in flux. Thus an emf can be induced in two ways: (1) by changing the magnetic field B; or (2) by changing the area A of the loop or its orientation theta with respect to the field. A motor turns and produces mechanical energy when a current is made to flow in it. You might expect that the armature would accelerate indefinitely as a result of applied torque. Lenzs Law And Faradays Law Of Induction :: essays research papers Lenz's Law and Faraday's Law of Induction 1. With this definition of the flux being , we can now return to Faraday's investigations. He found that the magnitude of the emf produced depends on the rate at which the magnetic flux changes. Faraday found that if the flux through N loops of wire changes by an amount , during a time delta t, the average induced emf during this time is This fundamental result is known as Faraday's law of induction. The minus sign is placed there to remind us in which direction the induced emf acts. Experiment shows that an induced emf always gives rise to a current whose magnetic field opposes the original change in flux. This is known a Lenz's law. Let us apply it to the case of relative motion between a magnet and a coil. The changing flux induces an emf, which produces a current in the coil; and this induced current produces its own magnet field. If the distance between the coil and the magnet decreases; so the magnetic field, and therefore the flux, through the coil increases. The magnetic field of the magnet points upward. To oppose this upward increase, the field produced by the induced current must point downward. Thus Lenz's law tells us that the current must move by the use of the use of the right hand rule. If the flux decreases, so the induced current produces an upward magnetic field that is "trying" to maintain the status quo. Let us consider what would happen if Lenz's law were just the reverse. The induced current would produce a flux in the same direction as the original change; this greater change in flux would produce an even larger current, followed by a still larger change in flux, and so on. The current would continue to grow indefinitely, producing power (=) even after the original stimulus ended. This would violate the conservation of energy. Such "perpetual - motion" devices do not exist. It is important to note, which I believe was forgotten in the class lecture, is that Faraday's investigation, as summarized in Faraday's law, says that an emf is induced whenever there is a change in flux. Thus an emf can be induced in two ways: (1) by changing the magnetic field B; or (2) by changing the area A of the loop or its orientation theta with respect to the field. A motor turns and produces mechanical energy when a current is made to flow in it. You might expect that the armature would accelerate indefinitely as a result of applied torque.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Anna Historic and Ravensong
Ana Historic is a poetic novel about a woman named Annie who discovers Mrs. Richards, a woman of no history, in Vancouver’s civic archives. Annie becomes obsessed with the possibilities of Mrs. Richards’ life. The novel is written by Daphne Marlatt, a Canadian poet. Ravensong is a fictional novel about a seventeen year-old native girl who tries to bridge the gap between the traditional ways of her Native village and white society’s invasive new values. Ravensong is written by Lee Maracle, a First Nations writer and poet. Both of these novels have brought forth important issues pertaining to Women’s and Gender Studies such as colonialism, sexuality, fear of violence, and lesbianism. This paper will focus on the topic of sexuality and colonialism. These two novels have further educated me on many things. For example, after reading Ana Historic, I discovered that there are various narrative forms and styles other than traditional European models. Daphne Marlatt uses writing styles such as ecriture feminine; in which feminist writers â€Å"try to use their own bodies as a source for writing†(Sand 10) and gynesis, which is an â€Å"aesthetic strategy which puts gender, sexuality and maternity into public discourse†(Sand 10). I also learned how femininity is constructed in a white middle class environment through what is considered appropriate conduct for a woman (Sand 10). After reading Ravensong, I discovered that in traditional aboriginal culture, men never entered the house of single women without a man being present (Maracle 103). This novel has also taught me about the important role of Raven, the trickster who is used to dissolve the boundaries between Native and white culture (Sand 20). The novels are very different in terms of narrative styles, point-of-views, time periods, and how lesbianism and the role of nature play out in the story. Daphne Marlatt uses a postmodern narrative style, while Lee Maracle uses a combination of aboriginal and European narrative approaches. Ravensong is written from the point-of-view of a young native woman, whereas Ana Historic is written from the outlook of a white, middle-class woman. Lesbianism plays out differently in each novel. In Ana Hisotric, Annie slowly comes to terms with her sexuality and eventually realizes that she is a lesbian. In Ravensong, Stacey’s friends Rena and German Judy are a lesbian couple. The role of nature in Ravensong is indivisible from human life and landscape (Sand 20), where as in Ana Historic it is a place of comfort and cause of fear (Sand 20). Ravensong takes place in the 1950s and Ana Historic takes place mostly in the 1950s and 1870s (Mrs. Richards). Colonialism and sexuality are topics which are closely correlated. They are both about dominance, regulation, discourse and race. Sexuality is defined as the historical organization and regulation of desire and sexual practices into social identities that are constructed as if they emerge from nature (Sand 18). Daphne Marlatt and Lee Maracle deal with this subject in very different ways. In Ravensong, sexuality is associated with shame and suicide. In Ana historic, sexuality is associated with mothering and lesbianism. Colonialism is the extension of a nation’s sovereignty over territory beyond its borders by the establishment of either settle colonies or creating administrative dependencies in which native or indigenous populations are directly ruled (Patel 8). Ravensong is written from the perspective of colonized people whereas Ana Historic is written from the standpoint of the colonizers. In the novel Ana Historic, Ina’s mothering impacts Annie’s perception of sexuality. Ina taught her daughters sexuality was something to be afraid of â€Å"you taught us your fear, you taught us what you knew about a world where even uncles were not to be trusted. you grew more afraid as our sexuality came budding to the fore†¦ †(Marlatt 34). Annie tries to write herself out of the patriarchal limitations of heterosexuality that have bounded her mother Ina to a life of domesticity. She does this by freeing herself from her role as supportive house wife and re-writing her relationship with Ina (Sand 10). Annie realizes that feminine behaviour is not actually something natural and inevitable but it is rather an unnatural social construction. Annie writes â€Å"†¦ you taught me the uneasy hole in myself and how to cover it up – cover girl, the great cover-story women inherit in fashion and makeup. You taught me how i was supposed to look, the feminine act†(Marlatt 61). Annie also recognizes â€Å"the inheritance of mothers†(Maralatt 60) that passes on sexual repression from generation to generation. For instance, Ina says to Annie, â€Å"what do you know about repression? you were hardly a virgin when you married, were you? I didn’t know the first thing about sex – your grandmother simply refused to discuss it, though i begged her†(Marlatt 60). Marlatt avoids heteronormativity which is a belief and a set of cultural/institutional practices that enforce heterosexuality as dominant, essential and natural (Sand 18), by creating a sexualized lesbian relationship between Annie and her friend Zoe. While creating a life for Mrs. Richards, Annie begins to realize that she is attracted to Zoe and she writes her into the story by creating a character named Birdie Stewart. Annie writes about the sexual desire she feels for Zoe in her imagined life of Mrs. Richards, â€Å"you turn intrigued, and your body turning in its long skirt, is caught in the act, you have caught yourself turning in Birdie’s eyes†(Marlatt 109). Annie’s inherent fear of sexuality surfaces in her imagined life for Mrs. Richard. Birdie recognizes Mrs. Richards fear of her own sexual identity, she says, â€Å"but you’re afraid my dear, afraid of your own twat†(Marlatt 135). She addresses her fear of lesbian sexuality when she says â€Å"You fear what you want. ’†¦ ‘am I right, my love? †(Marlatt 139). Mrs. Richards is suddenly rushed with desire, she admits the truth of it and feels it written across her face (Marlatt 139). Annie finally gives in to her sexual desire for Zoe and the novel ends with a climatic sexual poem. Annie’s lesbian sexuality surfaces as a result of the decolonization process Marlatt inscribes for Annie and Mrs. Richards (Sand 10). In her novel Narrative Deconstructions of Gender, Caroline Rosenthal defines sexual decolonization as a debate on whether â€Å"women are colonized by compulsory heterosexuality in ways only decolonizing strategies and the practice of critical consciousness can undo†(106). Marlatt deviates from the sexual oppression of middle-class white women by revisioning a lesbian life for Mrs. Richards. The problem of the intersection of women and the oppression of the indigenous briefly surfaces in Ana Historic. While Mrs. Richards is walking through the woods she comes across two Siwash men who are simply passing by. Where they drunk?†¦ Perhaps they were furious and meant to do her harm†(Marlatt 41). The assumptions that Mrs. Richards makes about these men are related to negative stereotypes such as the â€Å"drunken squaw†that colonizers created to justify taking over Native land (Anderson 229). In the beginning of the novel Ravensong, Stacey learns that one of her white classmates, Polly, committed suicide. Polly has killed herself in response to the shame she felt about being publicly identified as having been sexually active with another boy in Stacey’s class. Stacey becomes very angry with the reactions of some of her classmates to Polly’s â€Å"lack of chastity†(Maracle 28). â€Å"She couldn’t believe how small and mean they all were. So what if Polly had a little fun last night? Big deal! †(Maracle 28) Stacey does not understand the social disapproval of Polly because in her culture sexuality is seen with humour and is openly joked about. For example, Ella the village elder asks Stacey â€Å"What you going to save me for, have another baby? †The women respond with laughter saying â€Å"Sure, why not Ella. You probably still like trying. They were on a roll, ribbing Ella about her zeal for men†(Maracle 50). Raven pushes Stacey to come to grips with the loss of her classmate by guiding her to explore Polly’s culture and history. â€Å"Wander around Polly’s insides, feel your way through decades, generations of lostness†(Marlatt 39). In doing so Stacey discovers that white culture views sexuality very differently than her own culture. She realizes that Polly had a violent home life and that white town had no support for Polly’s mother. â€Å"In the end what struck her about Judy’s narrative was the lack of support in the white community for Polly’s mom. Where was the family in all this? †(Marlatt 81) Stacey is surprised by this because in her culture sexuality is natural, a part of everyday life. â€Å"People love, laugh and have babies†(Marlattt 71). In her thesis Rebelling against discourses of denial and destruction, Rachel Deutsch writes that â€Å"in European ideology, sexuality and sexual acts, especially involving women, were seen as deviant†(30). This ideology starts to influence Stacey to reject some aspects of her own culture such as the anger and disgust she feels towards her mother for wanting to remain sexual after the death of her husband. In Kim Anderson’s article, The construction of a Negative Identity, she states that colonizers created a negative sexual identity for Native women in order to justify â€Å"taking over Indian land†(229). The â€Å"dirty squaw†image made it easier to â€Å"cover up the reality of Native women who were merely struggling with the increasingly inhuman conditions on reserve†(Anderson 231). This negative sexual identity presents itself in the novel when Stacey talks about the racism she experiences at school. â€Å"A few of them hurled insults and racial epithets at her, whispered ‘cleutch’ as she passed them†¦ (Maracle 69). A cleutch refers to a Native female’s private parts. Colonialism first presents itself at the very beginning of the novel when Celia sees a tall ship approaching the village filled with men. In this moment, Celia feels the impending doom of colonialism on her people and culture. â€Å"Fear, cold and thin, wove itself into Celia’s self†(Maracle 10). Another instance of colonialism experienced by the village lies in the general indifference of white town towards the flu epidemic that takes many Native lives. Colonialism also surfaces in the relationship between Stacey and Steve, a white boy from her class. Colonialism led to the eradication and destruction of aboriginal cultures which assist in the explanation on why the doctors of white town were unwilling to treat the villagers. Stacey believes it is because their lives are deemed less valuable. â€Å"Under the shabby arguments about hospitals being full and doctors already overworked lay an unspoken assumption: white folks are more deserving†¦ †(Maracle 69). Stacey sees Steve and other white people as controlling oppressors. She resists white power (colonization) many times throughout the book. Stacey resists her teachers’ authority and she also resists Steve’s desire for her. â€Å"The slave had just given an order to the master, which made him an ex-master. Neither man knew what it was to be an ex-master, so both were confused and hurt†(Maracle 75). Her growing frustration for white town’s lack of compassion towards suffering villagers is obvious in her attitude towards Steve. Stacey can no longer stand the racism and she tells Steve exactly how she feels. She tells him that he will never know what her and her people have gone through and asks him â€Å"How did it feel to watch us die, Steve? †(Maracle 186). Steve leaves in shame and Stacey realizes that he was not for her. Ana Historic and Ravensong have taught me several things that I was unaware of before reading them. I have learned that there exists many different writing styles and narrative approaches such as ecriture feminine and gynesis used by Daphne Marlatt and the conventions of Native orature (Sand 20) used by Lee Maracle. I’ve learned how femininity is constructed in Ana Historic and about the important role that Raven plays in Ravensong. Marlatt and Maracle deal with colonialism and sexuality throughout the novel in a way which allows the reader to self-reflect on their own positions and understandings of these topics. Non-Native readers are removed from their usual hegemonic position by Stacey’s objectification of white town in Ravensong (Sand 20). Marlatt’s experimentation with language challenges the reader to both examine and interpret the world in a different way. What impacted me the most about Ana Historic is Daphne Marlatt’s theory and practice of fictionalysis which is a combination of fiction and analysis used as a means to explore self-identity. Marlatt starts with facts from her own life and from history and uses her imagination to create an intersecting territory where â€Å"fact and fiction co-exist†(Sand 10). I enjoyed how she used this style in Annie’s reconstruction of traditional history through the life she makes up for Mrs. Richards. The role that Raven plays in the novel is what impacted me most about Ravensong. Raven acknowledges the gulf between white town and the village and knows that it needs to be bridged in order to prevent further catastrophe. Raven brings the plague of the flu epidemic in attempt to expose white town to the diversity of the world and to teach them to work together. The inability of white town to grasp the lesson leads to the destruction of the indigenous community. Both novels bring important issues and concerns to women and gender studies and I really appreciate the different perspective that each novel has given me. Ana Historic and Ravensong have contributed important lessons, concepts and theories to this course.
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