Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Death of a Salesman Essay Example

Death of a Salesman Paper The quintessential American tragic hero1 or a passive victim of corrupted propagandist society2; this is just one example of the conflicting views surrounding Arthur Millers Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Consumed with a flawed vision of the American Dream, this character is certainly a contemporary figure and his life remains symbolic and relevant to this day with regards to the pitfalls of capitalist values, as it was fifty years ago. Indeed, Willy Loman is unique in the sense that it is difficult to categorise him as one particular character stereotype; it depends on the individuals point of view. Some critics argue that he is neither a tragic hero or victim, but rather a victimizer of himself and others3 and a coward4. Certainly, there are numerous interpretations that have been explored over the years and it is due to the wide scope for analysis Willy offers that Death of a Salesman remains a favourite to discuss amongst critics to the present day. The idea of Willy Loman as a tragic hero has been the subject of heated debate for decades. Some of the classic features of a tragic hero, as determined by Aristotle, can undoubtedly be applied to Willy Loman and therefore support the idea of a heroic character. We will write a custom essay sample on Death of a Salesman specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Death of a Salesman specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Death of a Salesman specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Firstly, a tragic hero  should have a magnitude or nobility5 about them. At first glance this would seemingly exclude Willy from the status, however according to Hardison, noble does not necessarily imply a high social status, but rather a larger than life6 quality. The fact that Willys visions are of such a great grandeur, especially where his sons are concerned, (You guys together could absolutely lick the civilised world. ) along with the constant gesticulations that accompany his exclamations, all support the idea that Willy Loman is indeed a larger than life character. Therefore, it is not possible to dismiss him as a tragic hero on this basis. A further accepted feature of the tragic hero is the possession of hubris and hamartia; a tragic flaw and the mistakes caused by it. Hubris traditionally means a form of arrogance or pride and this trait is certainly present in Willy: Call out the name Willy Loman and see what happens! This excessive pride means that Willy believes himself capable of accomplishing the American Dream to the point of delusion; he cannot accept failure and becomes unhealthily obsessed, leading to an inevitable downward spiral. Indeed, it is Willys pride that prevents him from taking on Charleys job offer: I got a job what the hell are you offering me a job for? I got a good job. Willys repetition indicates that he is trying to convince not only Charley, but himself of the idea. Deep down, he realises that he is in trouble, but his pride makes it impossible for him to accept any help. Unfortunately, it is probable that if Willy had agreed to Charleys offer, he would not have ended up committing suicide. In this way, Willy contributes to his own downfall, which conforms to Aristotles dictum that the tragic heros fate must be partly their own fault. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that a tragic heros actions should evoke catharsis in the audience at the end of the play. As Arthur Miller suggests, the tragic feeling is brought on by a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure on thing, his sense of personal dignity. 6 Certainly, Willys suicide can be seen as an act of extreme bravery and selflessness, if it is viewed in light of Willys hope to set up his family for life with the insurance money: I see it like a diamond, shining in the dark, hard and rough Willys comparison of his suicide to a diamond suggests that he believes it will produce something concrete for his family in the form of materialistic success, which the diamond is symbolic of. This self-sacrifice undoubtedly induces fear and pity amongst audiences and can be seen as a catharsis-evoking act due to this, thus supporting the notion of Willy as a tragic hero. Of course, there are many counterarguments to dispute the idea that Willy is a tragic hero. With respect to the classical tragedy form, the structure should end with an understanding and resolution on the tragic heros part. An example of this is Othellos realisation that he had been fooled into a jealous rage by Iago, leading to the murder of Desdemona,  when he speaks of himself as one that loved not wisely, but too well. He recognises his hamartia. Contrary to this, Willy dies just as disillusioned as ever, clutching on to his skewed values until the end: Can you imagine that magnificence with twenty-thousand dollars in his pocket? He never questions his blind vision of material success; indeed his hopes for Biff are all centred around the same dream that proved so empty for him. On top of this, the values he holds on to are shallow because hi struggle is for material gain and recognition; he does not strive for truth or honour for example. Although it could be said that Shakespeares Hamlet possesses similar faults at the beginning of the play, he manages to outgrow them. Willy on the other hand, never does. In this way, Willy Loman does not fit this particular aspect of a tragic hero. It could also be argued that Willy Loman is a victim of capitalist society; in particular the American Dream. One of the elements of Death of a Salesman that supports this notion is the setting itself. Miller describes the salesmans house as fragile surrounded by towering, angular shapes (symbols of capitalism), yet an air of the dream clings to the place. With the use of lighting, many directors allow the stage to gradually become more claustrophobic, until the house is so consumed with the apartment buildings it appears suffocating. Of course, this physical aspect of the play runs parallel to Willys decline; he becomes so consumed with his warped version of the American Dream to the point where it kills him. In this way, Miller immediately manages to link both the notion of imminent tragedy and the American Dream together. To put it into context, Miller was writing during a time of post-war economy, when American confidence, prosperity and security was high. The playwrights criticism of an obscure American Dream, that no longer encouraged people to be recognised for who they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position7 , was therefore quite a radical challenge to make at the time, as unlike nowadays, people did not constantly self-analyse on a national and individual level. The dream is the villain of the play. Willys desperate nocturnal attempt to grow vegetables in the garden further compounds to this idea, as it signifies not only his shame at not being able to provide for his family, but also symbolises the concept that pursuing the dream is a fruitless affair altogether. Consequently, if the American Dream is the villain, Willy Loman cannot be deemed a typical tragic hero because it is the society he lives in that predetermines his downfall from the very beginning. Some critics have even gone as far as saying that Death of a Salesman cannot be deemed a true tragedy because of this, but rather a social drama 8 according to Brenda Murphy. This is because it is questionable as to whether Willy Loman has any control over his destiny at all, as although he is in command of his body and actions, the American Dream has polluted his mind to such an extent that he can barely grasp reality. Indeed, his frequent hallucinations at inappropriate moments emphasise this: Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! Also, Miller often uses language through out the play to foreshadow Willys death: these arch supports are killing me , tired to death etc. It is almost as if Willy is predicting his own ends; he is precariously ready to drop or give up on life throughout many sections of the play. This self-pity is not an admirable quality and is therefore more befitting to a victim than a tragic hero. Interestingly, another interpretation of Willys character is that he is a tragic villain. This is because he selfishly disregards the dreams of his family in order to fulfil his own. Biff, for example, is not a businessman at heart and is content with the simple necessities of life (Why am I trying to become what I dont want to be? ). However, his father constantly makes him feel guilty about this and frequently refers to him as a lazy bum. Also, in declining Charleys job offer Willy Loman casts his familys needs aside because it does not live up to his ideal job. Although the term villain may be a bit harsh, it is certainly true that the shortcomings of his personality make Willy a harder character to sympathise with than Sophocless Oedipus for example. In this way he could be considered neither a hero nor a victim, because a tragic victim generally needs to arouse high compassion amongst audiences. To conclude, it seems as if the character of Willy Loman is most accurately described as an anti-hero. This is because, although he is the protagonist of the play, he lacks many of the traditional qualities of a true tragic hero; Miller has subverted this stereotype in creating Willy Loman. More importantly however, audiences would certainly not wish t to be like him in any way, although there are undoubtedly aspects of Willys personality that we can relate to. As Joyce Carol Oates suggests: For all his delusions and intellectual limitations Willy Loman is all of us. Or, rather, we are Willy Loman, particularly those of us who are writers, poets, dreamers; the yearning soul way out there in the blue. 1 Nevertheless, Willy does still possess some of the attributes of Aristotles typical tragic hero as previously mentioned, which means he cannot be considered a total victim either. The only certainty is that critics will continue to ponder over Willy Lomans character for years to come. Bibliography: 1. ) Oates, Joyce Carol. Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, Michigan Quarterly Review, Fall 1998. 2. ) Moss, Leonard. Arthur Miller, 1967. 3. ) Salitt, D. The Character of Willy Loman, 2000. 4. ) Swietek, F. Death of a Salesman: Tragedy? , 2003. 5. ) Carson, Neil. Arthur Miller, New York Grove Press,1982. 6. ) Miller, Arthur. Tragedy and the Common Man, 1949. 7. ) Adams, James Truslow. Epic of America, 1931. 8. ) Murphy, Brenda. The Tradition of Social Drama,1997. death of a salesman Essay Example death of a salesman Essay Seeking the American Dream of Success Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman could be described as a study in the American Dream ideology, a system that at times is indescribably brutal and at other times compassionates. Author Millers plays are usually associated with real life issues filled with failure and disappointment. The authors main character, Willy Loman, is a traveling salesman that spends his whole lifetime trying to find success based on looks and popularity. Willy Loman is a product of this ever-increasing society, obsessed with measuring success by popularity and material wealth and unfortunately emphasizing these principles upon his family. For Willy Loman, to be liked was the definitive criterion of life success. The American dream of wealth and luck became Willys dream, and it almost became reality. Willy realizes that in fact he has lived his life in vain, never achieving nor succeeding but remaining a shadow of his ambition. It is this sudden insight that urges him i nto a fantasy, afraid to face the future. It is only through Willys failure as a salesman that his innate desire for the outdoors is exposed. At the end of the play, Charley mentions, He was a happy man with a batch of cement so wonderful with his hands he had the wrong dreams, all wrong.. It has been often said that the play emphasize the path not taken may have been the right one, still Willy holds the inability to see who and what he is. Miller has created Willys wife Linda in such a way, that it is difficult to confirm whether she is a positive or destructive force upon him. It is hard to understand why she allows this deception to rise to the level that it does. The love Linda holds for Willy is relentless. She sees herself as his protector, allowing him to laps into his illusions where he feels contentment.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Services Marketing Case Study Essays

Services Marketing Case Study Essays Services Marketing Case Study Essay Services Marketing Case Study Essay These customers vary in terms of their requirements and expectations. It is important for the carriers to leverage the available data to get insights into the passenger behavior Getable operated in the low-fare category of the industry, but unlike other low-fare airlines, Getable wasnt a no-frills airline Offerings Getable experience Bring humanity back to Air travel and make the experience Of flying happier and easier for everyone Wider leather seats More legroom and storage space In-flight entertainment (24 channels) Dedicated service personnel Free co-branded amenities Touch screen check-in Pre-assigned seats It offered a unique flying experience due to its Humanity touch The airlines tapped in on caring for its customers in an industry that lacked compassion, a missing human touch. It offered to better the lives of its customers, creamers and the communities. This commitment to inspiring humanity was their differentiator. The airline also flew its planes from point to point. It did not use the hub system of other airlines. By using the point-to point system, Getable was very selective when picking the geographic markets where it wants to compete. VALUE CHAIN Inbound Logistics Internet presence and web-based ticketing Operations crew scheduling, no meals, automated baggage handling Outbound Airports chosen carefully, less congested Make. ND sales work from home call centers, attractive pricing Service customer-focus, CEO who interacts Service Value : Highly productive people, productive aircrafts, caring culture of he organization Hard standards: On time performance Customer support Complaint handling time Bill of Rights Time for boarding Soft Standards: Friendly personnel Cleanliness on-flight Getable understood its internal environment, the external environment, competition, as well as its own customers and potential customers. Nonins ured behavioral segmentation and competitive advantage to be ahead of its competitors. Service Marketing Triangle: External Marketing: Jet blues external marketing promises to the customer were low cost and high service quality. The service facilities like Spa, Live TV, Dunking Donuts Effie, Satellite radio were examples of the same. Internal Marketing: Jet Blues was able to enable its promise by inspiring its employee. Jet Blue had a humble CEO who cultivated the sense of team work in its employees. The CEO had the ability to connect with its people. The Jet Blue involved its employee in every aspect of the business. The Supervisors in Jet Blue attended the Jet Blue University to learn the company principles of team work. The inculcated the sense of We in the Jet Blue crew members. They increased the work force productivity through better training and smarter business processes. The internal marketing in Jet Blue helped the airlines to keep its employees motivated and they were actually seen defending the airlines during the time of the crisis. Interactive Marketing: Jet blues CEO used to frequently travel in the airlines and used to connect with the customers to take the feedback on the services provided and also requested them to provide suggestions on the improvement of the airline service as a whole. This was an example of CEO leading its employee by example. Jet blue won lot of awards, In 2007 Jet Blue was named as number three most admired airline by fortune and best in customer satisfaction by Market Matrix in 2006. They were also picked as best domestic airline by Coned NASA Travel and Travel + Leisure. They had a fleet of highly motivated employees as a result of which they enjoyed the second lowest rate of customer complaints among the 10 Largest U. S. Airlines. Service profit Chain Jet Blue internal marketing let to employee satisfaction, which led to customer satisfaction and increased revenue growth and profitability for Jet Blue. Jet Blue employees considered themselves as an integral member of the airlines. There were instances wherein the employees were responding to the customer on the complaints raised by them during the time of crisis, this is one classic example of high internal service quality in Jet Blue. The employees in Jet Blue were highly satisfied which led to employee retention and employee productivity; in addition to that this led to high external service value to the end customer. The customer were satisfied with their jet blue experience, in addition to that Jet Blue also had a loyal base of customer which came out in defense of the airline during the time of crisis. As a result of overall value chain Jet Blue experienced year on year revenue growth from 000 to 2004 and which led to profitability for the firm. Q. What challenges did David Melanin and his executive team face in managing the customer experience as the airline grew rapidly? How did they respond to those challenges? We have used the McKinney as Framework to analyze the steps taken by David Melanin after the first crisis of 2005. as Framework is used for auditing the current state of the organization and it can also be used to implement new strategy. S framework consist Of hard and soft Gs. All the as have to align for the strategy to work. If the as are aligned then the short- term strategy also works. Strategy: Jet Blue short-term strategy was to scale up to increase the revenue by market development. They planned to expand their services to medium and small sized cities. They believed that since the carriers in medium and short run cities are less they can charge a premium on the t ickets leading to better revenues. Structure In order to implement the strategy the firm also has to restructure its organization chart. There is no information present in the case on the change on restructuring of the organization. The people involved in the organization structure were CEO, David Melanin and Chief Operating Officer, Dave Barge. There are instances in the case were it is highlighted that CEO was involved in every aspect Of the business. We believe that they should have hired people from the local area upon expansion so that the load on the CEO and Chief Operating Officer should have been reduced and better handling of the on ground resources could have taken place by quick decision making. They should have restructured the organization. This was one S, which was not aligned with the company strategy. Systems: In order to implement the new strategy it is important for the organization to improve upon the systems and current processes. Jet Blue moved towards automation and smarter business processes; however Jet Blue did not pay any emphasis on customer support and capacity of the system. This led to increased chaos during the time of the crisis. Jet Blue should have load tested there system for the maximum calls and maximum bookings. The system went down when people tried to reschedule or cancel their flights during the time of the crisis. This was another place where Jet Blue strategy was not in line with the existing capacity of the system. Skills Jet Blue did improve the productivity of its workforce upon implementation of the new strategy. The employees were trained to be more productive to handle additional traffic. The Skills were aligned with the strategy. Style The management was actively involved with the customer and employee. The employees also responded positively to the management style. The Style was aligned with the strategy. Shared Value The shared value among the employees of the Jet Blue was to provide the end customer with Jet Blue experience. The Jet Blue experience was high service quality at low cost. The strategy was to expand but not at the expense of shared values. Jet Blue employees were living up to the promise of providing he same-shared values. Staff The staffs of Jet Blue were not increased on scaling up there was a gap between the resource and the demand of the employee. The prefect example of same was when the Jet Blue went through the crisis in 2007 the pilots and ground staffs were not enough to handle the situation on ground. The Style was not aligned with strategy of the company. The model clearly highlights the Gap in the Jet Blue new strategy were in by auditing using as framework we came to know that Staff, System and Structure were not in line with the Jet Blue strategy as a result Of which Jet Blue Was not able to provide prompt covers to people during the time of crisis and hence failed miserably. 3. What exactly went wrong?

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example Programs related to reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy will be examined along with their effectiveness. Based on the analysis of all the data collected and programs to in place recommendations for needed programming will be discussed. Alternate options available to preganant teens will be discussed as well. A million teenÐ °ge women become pregnÐ °nt in the United StÐ °tes every yeÐ °r, the vÐ °st mÐ °jority unintentionÐ °lly. Ð lthough the rÐ °te of teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncy hÐ °s increÐ °sed drÐ °mÐ °ticÐ °lly Ð °mong Ð °ll teens since the eÐ °rly 1970s, Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive Ð °dolescents, pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °tes hÐ °ve Ð °ctuÐ °lly decreÐ °sed 19% over the lÐ °st two decÐ °des. This decline in pregnÐ °ncy Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive teens is due in lÐ °rge pÐ °rt to better use of contrÐ °ceptives. Recent estimÐ °tes show thÐ °t Ð °pproximÐ °tely 12% of Ð °ll teenÐ °ge girls (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt eÐ °ch yeÐ °r, whereÐ °s 21% of those who hÐ °ve hÐ °d sexuÐ °l intercourse (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt Ð °nnuÐ °lly (Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). RegÐ °rding births resulting from teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncies, the percentÐ °ge of teenÐ °ge women who gÐ °ve birth rose Ð °lmost 19% from 2000 to 2002 (the lÐ °st yeÐ °r for which stÐ °tistics Ð °re currently Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble; Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). The Ð °bortion rÐ °te Ð °mong teens hÐ °s remÐ °ined fÐ °irly stÐ °ble since the lÐ °te 1970s, with Ð °pproximÐ °tely 43 teens per 1,000 opting for Ð °bortion. However, over thÐ °t sÐ °me time period, Ð °bortion rÐ °tes hÐ °ve declined steÐ °dily Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly experienced Ð °dolescent women, both becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of teenÐ °gers becÐ °me pregnÐ °nt Ð °nd becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of pregnÐ °nt teenÐ °gers choose to hÐ °ve Ð °n Ð °bortion. RÐ °ciÐ °l differences exist in both the prevÐ °lence of Ð °dolescent pregnÐ °ncy Ð °nd Ð °dolescent childbeÐ °ring. For exÐ °mple, BlÐ °ck teenÐ °gers hÐ °ve historicÐ °lly hÐ °d Ð ° higher pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °te thÐ °n their HispÐ °nic Ð °nd White peers: 19% of Ð °ll BlÐ °ck

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Islamic exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Islamic exam - Essay Example His arguments were clear and simple, he stated that two major sources of sharia, the Quran and Sunnah did not demand or altogether reject the caliphate, secondly there was no ijma done by the scholars upon the necessity of keeping caliphate, thirdly, caliphate had only brought disasters in the Muslim world and there were no logical arguments to re-establish it. The book also criticized rulers who used the Islamic laws in order to form a political guideline and rules for the ruling authorities. Furthermore, the book stated that the role of Prophet Muhammad was solely as religious spiritual teacher and nothing near to as a political leader. These statements called on for huge debates and unrest between different groups of Islamic world. Al-Raziq has been declared as the father of secularism of the state and not only the society, in Islamic governance. Secularism separates a state from all religious linkages and allows people from different religions to be treated equally by law regardless of religion by the ruling authority or the majority of the country’s population. Al-Raziq never called keeping an Islamic government unlawful; he furthermore declared that Muslims altogether may agree to any form of government they want to keep as long it kept the common interest of the society they are ruling in their mind. This shows that altogether, al-Raziq had a very humanistic approach towards formation of government and supported democracy. Ruhollah Moosavi Khomeini was born in the early 1900’s and is famous for founding the first ever Islamic government called Islamic Republic or Iran. He was a politician and a revolutionary, the brains behind the Iranian Revolution that took place in 1979. After the Shah of Iran was overthrown, Khomeini became the sole ruler of the country and created a constitution solely on the bases of Islam and its

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Customer Insight for Competitive Advantage Essay

Customer Insight for Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Apple Inc. is a renowned multinational business corporation which deals with manufacturing, designing along with marketing broad assortment of products related to consumer electronics, personal computers and computer software among others. According to the present day context, the organisation is considerably regarded as one of the major global brands in terms of achieving higher customer value and brand loyalty through its offering of quality products (Apple Inc., 2011). In relation to identify the role of customer insight to an organisation, the paper intends to briefly discuss the major roles and significance of customer service within the organisation of Apple Inc. The paper will also highlight the major contribution of customer service that supports the organisation towards achieving competitive position. Moreover, the paper will further involve the impacts and consequences that could affect on organisational reputation of Apple while adopting poor customer service initiatives. Therefore, appropriate recommendations have also been discussed about how Apple might enhance its customer service for the motive of increasing its productivity as well as profitability, business reputation and most significantly sustainable competitive advantage. Main Findings Role of Customer Service Excellence Revealing insight about the consumers is incessantly becoming one of the major elements for the organisations in order to develop their different products as well as services that deliver superior value to the final customers and generate substantial profit. The idea of customer insight is typically viewed to be the collection as well as the interpretation of valuable information that ultimately facilitates a business to develop and most importantly to retain their valuable customers. It significantly involves certain major features such as gaining comprehensive knowledge about the customers’ requirements along with their behaviours that eventually raises the brand l oyalty and facilitates them to accomplish competitive advantage by a significant level (Michel, 2003). In relation to determine the role of customer service excellence, it has been apparently observed that the excellence related to customer service that adopted by Apple are significantly focused upon delivering superior value oriented services to each of its customer segment. In this regard, the organisation significantly considers the offering of superior quality products as customer service excellence initiatives towards its global standing. The organisation involves effective strategy of offering value-based service with its decent product lines through understanding customers’ requirements. The customer service excellence of the organisation is considered to be one of the prime aspects for the organisation to maintain its dominant position in the global technological business market (Arthur D. Little, 2011). With regard to the customer service excellence of Apple, it has been observed that the organisation took the initiative of AppleCare Service Excellence

Friday, November 15, 2019

Identity in Rural Communities: Sociological Concepts

Identity in Rural Communities: Sociological Concepts Introduction Rural communities have been a source of much interest for those engaged within the sociological and geographical realms of study for many years now. The industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries triggered the phenomenon of rural depopulation as millions throughout the Western nations, lured by the promise of a more prosperous existence in the urban core, abandoned their agrarian settlements. However, the late 20th century has witnessed a dramatic increase in the standard of living for the inhabitants of the developed world. Cataclysmic advancements in the spheres of transportation, infrastructure and technology have permitted the denizens of our cities with greater access to regions which were once isolated and peripheral. For the first time in over two centuries populations are now increasing throughout the urban hinterland and countryside. As a consequence, rural communities are now faced with a growing influx of ‘outsider’ or alien elements which may be per ceived to threaten their unique cultural and social traditions. Such elements range from governmental legislation (imposed from a regional, national or supranational level) to tourism and second home ownership. However, in an increasingly globalised and homoginised world, academics have developed great interest in the methodologies deployed by erstwhile isolated settlements as they strive to conserve their very identities and notions of ‘community’. Mewitt has argued that the ‘esoteric cultures’ of rural communities have been much undervalued. He states that, ‘a local population can possess a largely unique culture that remains distinctive in that its symbolic manifestations convey meanings that are commonly understood only among those people.’[1] Defining the Communal Boundary Muir eloquently highlights that, ‘every landscape is enmeshed in networks of boundaries. Some of these are living or current and others are relics of former patterns of overlordship and partition.’[2] He further adds that, ‘some boundaries are political in character’ whilst ‘others relate to ownership and tenancy.’[3] Indeed, the configuration of the present day counties of England dates from Medieval times when the Normans attempted to organise and rationalise the physical landscape. Muir explains that as the number of people residing in a specific locale increases, the greater the necessity precipitates to impose physical boundaries to ‘serve both instructive and symbolic roles.’[4] The remnants of Medieval ‘landscapes of power’ can still be observed in the guise of churches or castles positioned on elevated terrain. Indeed Muir emphasises that, ‘Medieval crosses were frequently associated with marking route way s and the places where roads entered ecclesiastical property.’[5] However, sociologists argue that the concept of ‘boundary’ often surpasses the purely mundane realm. Cohen insists that the boundary of a community is ‘more complex than its physical, legal or administrative basis’ and even ‘ethnic, racial, religious or linguistic differences.’[6] Indeed, he believes that communal, social and physical frontiers may ‘exist in the minds of their beholders’ and are often not objective entities.[7] Indeed, according to Cohen and other commentators the boundaries of a community may be defined in a variety of ways including local genealogy, traditions, idioms, land distribution, folk histories and idiosyncrasies. Defining the Rural Community Shuttles argues that whilst urban communities were traditionally defined on the basis of ‘race, ethnicity and socioeconomic differences,’ rural communities were typically ‘more homogenous.’[8] However, he notes that power was normally concentrated ‘in the hands of a small group of local elites.’[9] Shuttles’ comments are interesting when one considers what many regard as being symbolic of the typical or idyllic rural community. The English manor house and rustic thatched cottage conjure up images of a romantic and traditional arcadian scenario. Indeed, sociologists are now quick to highlight how the paintings of artists such as Constable, and the lucid literary descriptions of writers like Thomas Hardy, have done much to perpetuate the myth of idyllic rural communities within the collective mindset. These were communities where everyone seemingly had his or her ‘place’ within a clearly defined and functional social hierarchy. However, Seymour et al. state that ‘recent debates in rural studies have highlighted the need to reconsider power relations in the countryside by allowing other voices to be heard.’[10] They insist that previously marginalised groups, such as manual workers and housewives, play just as important a role in defining the local community as those in positions of economic and political power. They also note that traditional stereotypes of the rural community are changing both within and out with the locale. For example, farmers were typically viewed as ‘patriotic food producers and the guardians of the countryside.’[11] Since the 1980s the pollution issues concerning unsustainable farming practices and use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides have severely altered the once romantic myth of the farmer as custodian of the landscape and lynch pin of the rural community. Jones’ study of social attitudes in and around the town of Cwmrheidol in rural west Wales is most illuminating. In the late 1980s she began to interview a wide range of locals and incomers; participants included: ‘traditional women and feminists, Welsh speakers and English speakers, residents and summer visitors, New Age travellers, hill farmers and urban commuters.’[12] Indeed, Jones’ findings reveal a plurality of attitudes regarding what constitutes ‘community’ in the local area. Ieuan, a Welsh-speaking hill farmer, seemed to resent official bodies and felt that EU legislation was gradually eroding traditional farming practices and his way-of-life. He was also angry with the planting of Forestry Commission coniferous forests on the hillsides and the imposition of alien boundaries upon once communal pasturelands. Ieuan complained about the ‘thoughtlessness of tourists’ and was sceptical regarding plans to diversify the tourist in dustry.[13] His conservative attitude was shared by Alison and Phil, ‘incomers’ from England, who also opposed development of the area and believed that new housing projects could destroy the rustic character of the local milieu. Another ‘incomer’ named Ros also exhibited similar sentiments and did not want change, so much so that she stated how she would protest vehemently against the renovation of a nearby ‘ruin’. Indeed, one could say that Ieuan, Alison and Phil, and Ros viewed the traditional community as something which should be cherished and remain static throughout time. However, the ‘incomers’ did state that they felt very much like ‘outsiders’ despite having lived in the region for some time. As Ros stated, ’the old locals they’re a community on their own.’[14] The local vicar Patrick Thomas was more than aware of the existence of ‘communities within communities’ throughout this part of Wales. A principal boundary was of a linguistic nature and those who could not speak the Welsh language became effectively excluded from many social and communal activities. Many older inhabitants simply did not view ‘incomers’ as part of the community and seemed to view them as a threat. The vicar strove to promote individual responsibility and attempted to encourage community values regardless of whether an inhabitant was of an ‘insider’ or ‘outsider’ status. Indeed, Patrick Thomas clearly viewed the entire community as a cohesive whole whilst others chose to be more selective in their analysis, often on the grounds of language, ethnicity and place of origin, regarding who was a part of their local ‘community’. Mewett notes how the inhabitants of the Isle of Lewis choose to define the boundaries of the community. He emphasises the importance of nicknames throughout the island by ‘expressing to people the attachment of themselves and others to the local community’[15] and by effectively defining their very social identities. Cohen’s study of the Shetland Island community of Whalsay revealed the existence of a ‘public treasury of personal knowledge.’[16] This social treasury included; ‘the public identities of Whalsay people: the characters attributed to them in public discourse and formulated on the basis of the stereotypical qualities of their kinsfolk or their township of origin; the anecdotal knowledge of incidents in which they were participants; supposed personal idiosyncrasies and so forth.’[17] Such a methodology of social definition is representative of a local folk history and assists in binding the local community together and affirming the notion of ‘being Whalsa’. Cohen concludes that public identities provide social boundaries for the community and serve as veritable ‘compass bearings’.[18] Cohen also highlights the linkage of a person to a place in Whalsay and the propensity of locals to depersonalise individual talents and skills. If someone exhibits an aptitude for woodwork they are said to have ‘Skaw-blood’ in them. The origin of this saying derives from the belief that many skilled carpenters once came from the town of Skaw in the north. This was due to the fact that drift wood commonly accumulated on the coast near this town and the local artisans had a ready supply of the raw material. To compliment one’s ability in such a way effectively grounds the individual within the historical, genealogical, physical and symbolic boundaries of the imagined island community. McFarlane’s study of four villages in Northern Ireland highlights how rural communities choose to define their communal identities and demarcate boundaries within a nation fraught with religious tension. In the predominantly Protestant village of Ballycuan the local history is recounted from a Protestant perspective. The July band marches also symbolised Protestant hegemony within the community and, as the local band master stated, ‘remind everyone that Ballycuan is a Protestant village.’[19] Conversely, in the village of Glenleven, Protestants seemed to ‘present histories which appear to be much less certain about Protestant strengths.’[20] This was due to their minority status in the town and the general consensus amongst all inhabitants that a good sense of community outweighed religious differences. This is an example of how rural inhabitants may choose to redefine the symbolic boundaries of their communities in order to accommodate a plurality of interests. Conclusion As Tuan emphasises, human territoriality and the creation of community is very different to that of the animals which is ‘unburdened by symbolic thought.’[21] There is often ‘an emotional bond between man and nature, man and place.’[22] Cohen’s and Mewett’s studies of rural island communities have highlighted this fact. Community boundaries may be imposed by a variety of individuals or groups in accordance with how they perceive, or wish to perceive, their local society. Such symbolic representations are often crafted on the basis of class, gender or ethnicity but, as Cohen has shown, they can also be very subjective. Cohen also notes that the coming of improved transport linkages to rural communities and the mass market will offer new challenges to how people in the countryside identify themselves collectively. He is however confident that they will continue to define the symbols and boundaries which establishes one as ‘an integral piece of the fabric which constitutes the community.’[23] Bibliography COHEN, A. P. Belonging: Identity and social Organisation in British rural Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1982 COHEN, A. P. Symbolising Boundaries: Identity and Diversity in British Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1986 COHEN, A. P. Whalsay: Symbol, Segment and Boundary In a Shetland Island Community, Manchester University Press, 1987 CRANG, M. Cultural Geography, Routledge, 1998 GIDDENS, A. Sociology, 5th Edition, Polity Press, 2006 LEWIS, G. J. Rural Communities, David and Charles, 1979 LOWERTHAL, D. BOWDEN, M. J. Geographies of the Mind: Essays in Historical Geosophy, Oxford, 1976 MILBOURNE, P. Revealing Rural Others: Representation, Power and Identity in the British Countryside, Pinter, 1997 MITCHELL, D. Cultural Geography: A Critical Introduction, Blackwell, 2000 MUIR, R. The New Reading the Landscape: Fieldwork in Landscape History, University of Exeter Press, 2000 PENNING-ROWSELLE, E. C. LOWENTHAL, D. Landscape Meanings and Values, Allen and Unwin, 1986 SALTER, C. L. The Cultural Landscape, Dixbury Press, 1971 1 Footnotes [1] Cohen, A. P. Belonging: Identity and Social Organisation in British Rural Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1982, pg. 222 [2] Muir, R. The New Reading the Landscape: Fieldwork in Landscape History, University of Exeter Press, 2000, pg. 68 [3] Muir, R. The New Reading the Landscape: Fieldwork in Landscape History, University of Exeter Press, 2000, pg. 68 [4] Muir, R. The New Reading the Landscape: Fieldwork in Landscape History, University of Exeter Press, 2000, pg. 69 [5] Muir, R. The New Reading the Landscape: Fieldwork in Landscape History, University of Exeter Press, 2000, pg. 82 [6] Cohen, A. P. Whalsay: Symbol, Segment and Boundary in a Shetland Island Community, Manchester University Press, 1987, pg. 14 [7] Cohen, A. P. Whalsay: Symbol, Segment and Boundary in a Shetland Island Community, Manchester University Press, 1987, pg. 14 [8] Shuttles, G. D. The Social Construction of Communities, University of Chicago Press, 1972, pg. 260 [9] Shuttles, G. D. The Social Construction of Communities, University of Chicago Press, 1972, pg. 260 [10] Milbourne, P. Revealing Rural Others: Representation, Power and Identity in the British Countryside, Pinter, 1997, pg. 57 [11] Milbourne, P. Revealing Rural Others: Representation, Power and Identity in the British Countryside, Pinter, 1997, pg. 58 [12] Milbourne, P. Revealing Rural Others: Representation, Power and Identity in the British Countryside, Pinter, 1997, pg. 135 [13] Milbourne, P. Revealing Rural Others: Representation, Power and Identity in the British Countryside, Pinter, 1997, pg. 137 [14] Milbourne, P. Revealing Rural Others: Representation, Power and Identity in the British Countryside, Pinter, 1997, pg.139 [15]Cohen, A. P. Belonging: Identity and Social Organisation in British Rural Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1982, pg. 243 [16]Cohen, A. P. Whalsay: Symbol, Segment and Boundary In a Shetland Island Community, Manchester University Press, 1987, pg. 61 [17]Cohen, A. P. Whalsay: Symbol, Segment and Boundary In a Shetland Island Community, Manchester University Press, 1987, pg. 61 [18]Cohen, A. P. Whalsay: Symbol, Segment and Boundary In a Shetland Island Community, Manchester University Press, 1987, pg. 61 [19] Cohen, A. P. Symbolising Boundaries: Identity and Diversity in British Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1986, pg. 94 [20] Cohen, A. P. Symbolising Boundaries: Identity and Diversity in British Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1986, pg. 94 [21] Lowerthal, D. Bowden, M. J. Geographies of the Mind: Essays in Historical Geosophy, Oxford, 1986, pg. 13 [22] Lowerthal, D. Bowden, M. J. Geographies of the Mind: Essays in Historical Geosophy, Oxford, 1986, pg. 13 [23] Cohen, A. P. Belonging: Identity and Social Organisation in British Rural Cultures, Manchester University Press, 1982, pg. 21

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Out of Kansas :: Personal Narrative Papers

Out of Kansas I find it on the high bookshelf—Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. I’ve heard about it. It’s about the Holocaust. Mice play the Jews, and cats play the German Nazis. I understand it already. Cats are predators to mice. That’s easy enough. I start reading. The Polish people are pigs. Wait a minute, I don’t get it. Why are they pigs? I’m getting confused. I want to give up. Instead, I pick it up and start again. We begin as moody troubleshooters: we see a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit—we either chop off a corner or throw the thing away. What is a stereotype besides a way of grouping things in order to understand them in a complete and perfectly organized way? To say that something didn’t fit would be an admission that we are unsure of the world we are living in—a frightening thought. Further, we are often conditioned through art to recognize these stereotypes without thought and to react identically as a community—a means of creating and controlling an ideal society. Theater theorist and playwright Bertolt Brecht says of European theater, â€Å"It is well known that contact between audience and stage is normally made on the basis of empathy† (136). The goal is often to make audiences identify with the characters and the stories so that they will reach a natural state of controlled catharsis at the end. Many audiences have thus learned to expect and enjoy such a style. Audiences seek art that will pick them up and pull them along for the entire ride. Underground comic, illustrator, and magazine editor Art Spiegelman meets that desire in his novel-sized comic Maus. Spiegelman describes his work: â€Å"The goal was to get people moving forward, to get my eye and thought organized enough so that one could relatively, seamlessly, be able to become absorbed in the narrative† (Jun 10). A story that absorbs the audience into its own unslowing whirlwind sounds a lot like Brecht’s description of the cathartic theater of control. However, Spiegelman’s works haven’t always had the same goal. In his early career, the question that motivated his art was, â€Å"How many obstacles could you put in somebody’s path before the reader just caved in and couldn’t handle it anymore?† (Juno, 8). The goal was to stilt catharsis—to kill it in its tracks in order to provoke active thought. I read his 1972 comic strip à ¢â‚¬Å"Skinless Perkins.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Kimpton Hotels’

Kimpton Hotels'  EarthCare program brings the business's philosophy of environmental responsibility straight to its properties, starting with its pioneering Eco Floor at the  Hotel Triton  in San Francisco in 1994. Today EarthCare's efforts include: * Using environmentally friendly cleaning supplies in all rooms. * Printing corporate collateral on  recycled paper  using  soy-based ink. * Usring recycled paper for all printing property-wide. * Serving organic, shade grown, and/or fair trade complimentary beverages in the lobby. * Allowing guests the opt out of towel and linen service. Recycling of glass,  bottles, paper, and cardboard through back of house operations. * Auditing and retrofitting back of house lighting to ensure  energy efficient bulbs  are in place. * Using low flow systmes for faucets, toilets, and showers. * Encouraging guests to  recycle  with in-room  recycling bins. * Stocking the honor bar with organic snacks and drinks. * Encouraging gue sts to donate unused amenity bottles to local charities. * Other practices, such as  recycling  coat hangers, eliminating styrofoam cups, using paperless checkin/out, purchasing organic flowers, and more. Kimpton properties are found in: * Scottsdale, AZ * Vancourver, BC Whistler, BC * Los Angeles, CA * San Diego, CA * San Francisco, CA * San Jose, CA * Aspen, CO * Denver, CO * Chicago, IL * Boston, MA * Cambridge, MA * New York City, NY * Portland, OR * Dallas, TX * Salt Lake City, UT * Alexandria, VA * Arlington, VA * Seattle, WA * Washington, DC * 1. Kimpton HotelsPresented by:GROUP 4Andrew Taylor, KirillCherepkov, Emily York, Alaina Alms,and Susan GrahamApril 23, 2009 * 2. Case QuestionsWhat further steps should Kimpton take to institutionalize its environmental commitments? ~AndyHow would you measure the success of the EarthCare Program, and how should it be reported to stakeholders? KirillWhat progress has Kimpton made in the four phases of its EarthCare Program sinc the c ase? ~EmilyWhat is the progress for each of the four phases? ~AlainaWhat is your overall assessment of their progress since the case? ~Susan * 3. How Would You Measure The Success Of The Earthcare Program? KirillCherepkov * 4. SustainabilityEnvironmental mgmt. (measuring success)Environmental audits (reporting) * 5. Environmental Mgmt. in PracticeMeasuring SuccessTop mgmt. w/ a commitment to sustainabilityLong-standing commitment†¦Phase 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 †¦Line mgmt. nvolvementLocal programsEmployee suggestions * 6. Environmental Mgmt. in Practice (cont. )Measuring SuccessCode of environmental conductâ€Å"Our Philosophy† Our philosophy on environmental responsibility is about more than contributing financially; it;apos;s about embracing behavioral change. This kind of change begins at home, is expanded at work, and now extends to who we choose to do business with†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"EarthCare program †¦ was the right thing to do. † à ¢â‚¬â€œ Tom LaTour, Chairman and CEOCross-functional teamsJeff Slye, Business Evolution ConsultantEco-champions, co-leads, and program specialists * 7.Environmental AuditsReportingSustainability report:PepsiCo http://www. pepsico. com/Purpose/Sustainability/Sustainability-Report/Environmental-Sustainability. aspxCAT http://www. cat. com/cda/layout? m=199421;x=7Wal-Mart http://walmartstores. com/Sustainability/7951. aspxFordhttp://www. ford. com/micr osites/sustainability-report-2007-08/defaultCost savings:$250,000 per year in waste disposal†¦New business: â€Å"†¦$500,000 in meetings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  * 8. What Progress Has Kimpton Made In The Four Phases Of Its Earthcare Program Since The Case? Emily York * 9.Phase #1 Designed to make hotel staff comfortable with the concept of greener management. Energy Conservation: lighting retrofitted and audited to ensure energy efficient bulbs are in place Recycling: bottles, cans, paper, ; cardboardCleaning Chemicals: tub ; shower, gl ass, deodorizers, and disinfectantsPromotion Materials: recycled paper and soy-based inkComplimentary Coffee in Lobby: organically grownHonor Bar: includes organic snacks and beveragesTowel/Linen reuse: sheets and towels are replaced only at guest’s request * 10.Phase #2 Focuses on investments in water and energy conservation and organically-grown products. Water Conservation: implementation and auditing of low flow systems for faucets, toilets, and showers Energy Conservation: install motion sensors in rooms, florescent bulbs in corridors and back-of-houseOrganic Coffees ; Teas: served in rooms, meeting rooms, and lobby * 11. Phase #3 Extensive investment in in-room recycling of products and sale of organic/recycled products.In-room Designer Recycling Bins: guests are encouraged to participate in reducing our environmental impact Recycled Papers: for copying, notepads, toilet paper, and tissuesDonation Programs: instead of being thrown away, unused amenity bottles are donate d and used by local charities Recycling: of employee dry-cleaned uniform bags and hangers*Guest can now shop the Kimpton Style catalog for eco-friendlyproducts like organic bedding and recycled glassware. * 12. Phase #4 Investment in building materials, labor, and appliances that are more eco-friendly.Energy Star: appliances, computers, and electronicsPaints: low-VOC paintsHeat/Air Conditioning: energy efficient * 13. NEW Phase #5 * 14. â€Å"Helping the environment because it’s the right thing to do. † – April 13, 2009http://www. changemakers. net/node/21543 * 15. Discuss The Specifics Of The Progress For Each Of The Four Phases. Alaina Alms * 16. OverviewWhat has been implementedProducts and Practices for each of the phasesGoalsAccomplishmentsAwards * 17. What has been implementedEarthCare Products and PracticesAs part of Kimpton EarthCare, every hotel adopts tandard environmentally friendly products and practices with high-impact and benefit to our planet. * 18. Products and Practices (Phase 1)Cleaning Supplies: All rooms cleaned with environmentally friendly cleaning products. Honor bar with organic food and beverage options: Honor bars include organic snacks and beverages. Soy Inks: All corporate collateral is printed on recycled paper using soy based ink. Towel/Linen Reuse: Guests have the opportunity to do their part to reduce energy and detergents required for daily washings.Recycling: Back of house recycling programs addressing glass, bottles, paper, cardboard, etc. * 19. Products and Practices (Phase 2)Organic Beverages: All complimentary lobby coffee is organic, shade grown and/or fair trade. Energy Conservation: Back of house lighting retrofitted and audited to ensure energy efficient bulbs are in place. Water Conservation: Implementation and auditing of low flow systems for faucets, toilets, and showers. * 20. Products and Practices (Phase 3)Recycled Paper: Property wide printing on recycled paper.Best Practices: At any hotel you may find environmental activities such as recycling of coat hangers, elimination of Styrofoam cups, paperless check-ins/outs, organic flowers, and more†¦ In-room designer recycling bins: Guests are encouraged to participate in reducing our environmental impact. Donation programs: Instead of being thrown away, unused amenity bottles are donated and used by local charities. Shop the Kimpton Style catalog: for eco-friendly products like organic bedding and recycled glassware. * 21.GoalsReduce waste in landfills by 15%Reduce energy and water usage by 15%Increase employee retention and morale by 10% * 22. Accomplishments;gt; 962,000 lbs of cardboard recycled~ 50,000 gallons of cleaning chemicals replaced with non-toxic alternatives;gt; 253 trees saved from using recycled paperAccomplished in one year in California alone * 23. AwardsCorporate Citizen of the Year. California EPA Awards. Kimpton has been honored with the 2007 California EPA Green Lodging designation. California Gov ernor;apos;s Award. National GeoTourism Award. ttp://www. kimptonhotels. com/programs/earthcare. aspx Kimpton Hotels’ 7 Eco-friendly Best Practices Put Your Commitment in Writing Kimpton Hotels have one of those â€Å"elevator pitch† mission statements to describe their environmental stance. It states: â€Å"Support a sustainable world by using non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products and services at all Kimpton hotels. † It’s short, sweet, descriptive and can easily be said to someone in the few seconds it takes to travel between floors in an elevator. Give Your Eco Program a NameAnother way to add more credibility to you environmental efforts is to give your program a name. Kimpton calls their environmentally friendly green hotel practices, the â€Å"Earthcare† program. Like the mission statement, the name very succinctly states the corporate policy and carries with it the feeling that the company’s taking an organized, focused a pproach to preserving the environment and is already succeeding in its efforts. Provide Your Own Green Business Certification On its Earthcare page, Kimpton lists all of the things they do to be eco-friendly.These actions might not be enough to help them qualify for some green certifications, but anyone can see that they’re serious about their commitment to the environment. This strategy also makes it easier for the media to write about them. Today Show travel editor Peter Greenburg reproduced the Kimpton list of Earthcare Products and Practices verbatim when he mentioned Kimpton Hotels in his article on green lodging. Peter Greenburg’s Article: Eco-Friendly Travel: Hotels and the Green Bandwagon Put Your Results in Real Numbers That People Can UnderstandAdvertising copywriters are taught to write about benefits, not features. In this video on the Sundance Channel, not only can Mike Depatie, the CEO and President of Kimpton Hotels, outline the company’s philosop hy and detail all the changes the hotels have made, but he can also articulate the impact it’s having on the environment. Here are just a few of the benefits that are mentioned in the video: â€Å"Hotel Triton recycles 60% of waste. † â€Å"Their low flow toilets, shower heads and faucets save 15 – 30,000 gallons of water each year. â€Å"Their environmentally friendly cleaning products save 50,000 gallons of chemicals being dumped into the environment. † † Their recycling efforts and use of recycled paper products have saved over 253 trees and eliminated 18,000 pounds of waste. † Reward Your Customers for Their Conservation Efforts Kimpton Hotels offer discounts for guests arriving in a hybrid vehicle. The perks vary from saving 10% on the room rate at some properties, to saving as much as 50% off the overnight parking rate at others. Gather Multiple AwardsAs we stated in our article on obtaining a Green Business Certification for your small or medium-sized business, you should seek out â€Å"certification† from as many organizations as possible. Take one look at the Earthcare page, and you’ll see that Kimpton has done just that by gaining recognition, accreditation, and accolades from a variety of sources in government and in the lodging industry. Here’s a list of the various organizations that have recognized Kimpton Hotels for their eco-friendly hotel practices.Local and State Governments The city of Salt Lake City, Utah. San Francisco Green Business program State of California State of California EPA National Trade Associations Travel Industry and Association of America American Hotel & Lodging Association International Trade Associations Hotel Association of Canada State Trade Associations Massachusetts Lodging Association Media National Geographic Traveler Magazine USA Today Travel and Leisure Seattle Magazine MSNBC Sundance Channel, Ecobiz Keep It Fresh

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Critical Review of Native Son essays

A Critical Review of Native Son essays 1. Born on September 4th, 1908, Richard Wright was born in Roxie, Mississippi (outside of Natchez) on a plantation where his illiterate father was a sharecropper. Wright was raised by his relatives at by the age of 17, he was ready to get out into the world. He headed into Memphis, Tennessee (his relatives lived right outside the city) where he worked odd jobs and educated himself. He read array of novels as he grew up and his education helped him realize the unjust ways of segregation. In 1927, Wright moved to Chicago after the peak of the Harlem Renaissance (a pivotal time for African Americans to express themselves through music, writings, and art). In Chicago, he worked as a postal worker, but was laid off with the depression. Wright then joined the Federal Writers Project, a state sponsored guild for authors, in which Wright composed his first novel, Uncle Toms Children. During this time, Wright joined the Communist party, which was often carried out into his writings. By 1939, Wright had moved to New York City and kept ties with the party for only a few more years. He married in 1941, and had left the communist party by 1944. During World War II, Wright lectured around New York. With the end of the War, Wright moved to France in 1947 where he continued to write his novels, which often contained themes of racism, poverty, and political matters. His books were often partly based on his life and what he had observed in his lifetime. Wright was the first African American author to be featured in the Book of the Month Club for his novel Native Son. In 1995, all of Wrights books were reissued in 1995 in their original context after being censored by publishers for the explicit nature of his novels (which contained themes of sexual, Communist, and racial content). However, Wright was unable to see the reissued books, for Wright was laid to rest in 1960. 2. Written in 1940, Native Son was composed as...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Juveniles And Death Penalty Essays - Penology, Juvenile Court

Juveniles And Death Penalty Essays - Penology, Juvenile Court Juveniles And Death Penalty One of the most controversial issues in the rights of juveniles today is addressed in the question, Should the death penalty be applied to juveniles? For nearly a century the juvenile courts have existed to shield the majority of juvenile offenders from the full weight of criminal law and to protect their entitled special rights and immunities. In the case of kent vs. United states in 1996, Justice Fortas stated some of these special rights which include; Protection from publicity, confinement only to twenty-one years of age, no confinement with adults, and protection against the consequences of adult conviction such as the loss of civil rights, the use of adjudication against him in subsequent proceedings and disqualification of public employment (Kent vs. US 1966:1055). These special rights and immunities exist so that the justice courts can provide measures of guidance and rehabilitation for the child along with protection for society. However, there are some youths who are extrem ely dangerous and do not respond to attempts to reform themselves. The question is, should established mechanisms for transferring or waiving juvenile court jurisdiction in these exceptional cases take away these special rights and subject the youth to the full range of penalties for criminal behavior including, in some jurisdictions, execution (Thomson vs. State, 1986:784) ? Should These juveniles who perform the same malicious acts as some adult capital offenders be subject to the harshness of the criminal courts and the finality of the death penalty ? This paper will discuss a history of capital punishment for juveniles in the United States, methods of transferring juvenile cases to criminal courts, and also my position on the subject and justice of justice of juveniles and the death penalty. The constitutionality of the juvenile death penalty reached a settlement in 1988 in the case of Thompson v. Oklahoma when four Supreme Court Justices reached the conclusion that: persons under sixteen years of age cannot be sentenced to death (Thompson v. Oklahoma, 1988). Justice Stevens, Brennan, Marshall, and Blackmun considered these important issues as they were deliberating on the case: (1) Does a national consensus forbidding executions of juveniles exist?; (2) the extent to which the laws of other Western European nations prohibit or permit the execution of juveniles, and the opinions of respected professional organizations; (3) the degree to which the juveniles should be held responsible for their actions; (4) Whether the execution of juveniles contributed to the retributive or deterrent goals of punishment; and (5) Whether the small number of juveniles executed represents the waton and freakish application of the death penalty as condemned by Justice Stewart in Furman V. Geo rgia (Furman v. Georgia, 1972: 2763, Thompson v. Oklahoma, 1988: 487 U.S. 815). Following the decision, thirty eight states and the federal government created statutes authorizing the death penalty for certain forms of murder and other capital offenses ( Streib 1 of 2). Thompson v. Oklahoma held that no state within the minimum age line within its death penalty can go below the age of sixteen. Presently, fifteen states have chosen the min age of eighteen, four states have chosen the minimum age of seventeen (including Georgia), And twenty states have chosen the minimum age of sixteen (Streib 1 of 2). Before 1988, there was an uncertainty as to how the government should handle the juveniles and their capital crimes. There was one consensus among Justices and that was that the constitution and the Eighth Amendment did not outlaw juveniles receiving the death penalty. In furman v. Georgia (1972: 2823) justice powell wrote: ... The unswerving position that the court has taken in opinions spanning the last hundred years. On Virtually every occasion that any opinion has touched on the question . . . it has been asserted affirmatively, or tacitly assumed, that the Constitution does not prohibit the penalty. The Constitution, which has its roots in English Common Law, is not in violation in the case of juvenile death penalties. Before the minimum age of 16 statutes, English Common law from the 16th Century had a direct influence on the Constitution. This common law carried over to American statutes and established the presumption that no one under the age of seven had

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Entrepreneurial Management and Leadership - Individual Reflection Assignment

Entrepreneurial Management and Leadership - Individual Reflection - Assignment Example A corporate organization can only succeed in maximizing productivity with the essence of good efficiency in all its factors of production. However, among all the factors, entrepreneurship acts as the underlying driving force, that helps a corporation to operate competently, through proper amalgamation of all other resources in business. Thus, within a corporate setting, the need for entrepreneurship is indispensable. Good quality of entrepreneurial activities is crucial for success of any corporate organization. So, it is highly rational to foreground the various opportunities via which an organization can enhance its entrepreneurial skills. Senior managers or entrepreneurs are present in every organization. Nonetheless, enhancing entrepreneurial skills involves ways through which new ideas as well as promoters in business can emerge, along with the essence of effective entrepreneurial management. These opportunities or ways are: When a corporate organization enhances its entrepreneurial opportunities, then it also faces several challenges in business. These challenges might hinder proper promotional growth of an organization. These challenges are: Lack of proper financial reserves in an organization often forces entrepreneurs to be risk averse in business. The officials in such situations face circumstances, where they can promote new ideas, but due to lack of proper fund, they fear undertaking risky initiatives in business (Brown 166). Strict government regulations and policies in a particular industry often force corporate firms to be less productive at their work. Under such situations, the government authorities impose heavy restrictions on companies, thereby reducing their market power in the industry. Challenges are bound to arise when an organization tries to enhance its managerial and leadership attributes. However, there are effective ways through which

Friday, November 1, 2019

Tokyo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tokyo - Essay Example It described the future of Tokyo by predicting that Tokyo will make further strides as a big city with a population of over 12 million, a lively city characterized by mutual contacts and support for transcending generations, a comfortable city with a combination of abundant greenery and charming waterfront, and a city which will maintain a balance between residence and work place while functioning both as a domestic and international information junction and as a major base for the international economy. This is the very image of Tokyo as an attractive international city-that is, a world city-which will lead the world both in name and reality (TMG, 1987, p. 50). When examining the nature of urban policy and planning, it is impossible to ignore the context of global economic change. Many of these policies are formulated as a response to global economic pressures. The priority of urban policy in many cities is to attract inward investment and increase economic competitiveness in relation to other world cities, or similar cities in their region (Short and Kim, 214-235)-although the manner in which this is pursued can vary according to local circumstances (Hall and Hubbard, 85-99). Often these entrepreneurial approaches are adopted to stimulate revitalization after the loss of earlier economic vitality. Thus, as a hypothesis, it is reasonable to ask whether such an entrepreneurial policy emphasis has developed in Tokyo in the context of the Japanese economic crisis. Although Tokyo is nearly always bracketed with London and New York as the top three world cities, there is considerable debate over the degree of similarity between them. One criticism of the global city debate is its Anglo-American ethnocentrism and its tendency to "exaggerate... Although Tokyo is widely regarded as one of the top three ‘world cities’, the argument is supported that it retained many national characteristics, partly based on its location in a ‘developmental state’. As national fortunes have changed, so has Tokyo’s relationship with its global environment. Twenty years ago Japan was experiencing economic boom and this was reflected in dramatic development projects in Tokyo. The concept of ‘world city’ was used at this time to legitimize such development. The 1990s were viewed in Japan as ‘the lost decade’ with great uncertainty over policy direction as the boom collapsed and urban policy in Tokyo entered a phase of inertia. It is argued that the city is now entering a third phase in which a new competitive attitude is emerging regarding the role of Tokyo and this is leading to changes in strategic urban policy. However, this new approach is still embedded in old structures and conceptio ns and hence there are tensions in developing future policy. Attitudes to the role of Tokyo have been changing in national government. After a period in which the concept of world city was unfashionable, the national administration of Hashimoto announced the Japanese version of the Big Bang policy in 2003. This proposed that Tokyo should be revived as one of the world’s economic centers and be made into a free, fair and global financial market. This was the context for the election for Governor of Tokyo in 1999, which was won by Ishihara. His election manifesto was based on the idea that national recovery should start in Tokyo. He presented himself as a strong political leader who could stop the decline of both Tokyo and Japan. His dynamic approach, in which he proposed to revitalize Tokyo again as Japan’s leading city and an important world player, contrasted with the sluggish approach under Hiroshima.