Bauhaus School

Das Bauhaus Jeremy Hart German Civilization 2320 Professors Cook, Kopp, and Prager March 6, 2013 The Bauhaus, a revolutionary school of art and craft founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, stands today as an important influence on postmodern art and architecture. It is also the namesake of its own movement; which is characterized by severely economic and geometric designs and a functional view of materials. To truly understand the origins of the Bauhaus and the importance of its modern implications, we must first know about the influences that its founder relied on. The Vienna Secession was formed in Austria in 1897.The secessionist artists attempted to create their own style that had no clear relation to any historical eras. Paired with this avant-garde approach, they relied on more pure geometric designs to produce their art. The geometric approach to art proved to have lasting effects on Gropius and his contemporaries. The Werkbund was the German model of the Vienna Secession. Founded in 1907, the 12 artists and 12 industrialists who comprised it aimed to infuse industry with modern and functional designs. These designs would both foster efficiency and function and be free of traditional elements and ornamentation.A leading artist in the Werkbund named Peter Behrens was Gropius’ mentor and employer. Along with Belgian painter Henry van de Velde, the two men were Gropius’ main influences in forming the Bauhaus. In the Bauhaus manifesto he wrote in 1919, Gropius vows to return artists to the deep seat of creativity that rests in the handicrafts, and bring together an unbiased consortium of artists who would dictate architectural style to the modern world: â€Å"By the grace of Heaven and in rare moments of inspiration which transcend the will, art may unconsciously blossom from the labour of is hand, but a base in handicrafts is essential to every artist. It is there that the original source of creativity lies. Let us therefore create a new guild of craftsmen without the class-distinctions that raise an arrogant barrier between craftsmen and artists! Let us desire, conceive, and create the new building of the future together. It will combine architecture, sculpture, and painting in a single form, and will one day rise towards the heavens from the hands of a million workers as the crystalline symbol of a new and coming faith. In the latter half of this passage, Gropius is expressing a Utopian vision that encompasses the general public: â€Å"†¦building of the future together†¦from the hands of a million workers. † The new styles would not be just for artists, but their work would be accessible to everyone. The nature of the designs would be streamlined and simple to they could be mass-produced. The art would not only be of interest and use to a niche audience but to the majority, so they could appreciate its function and efficiency When the new conservative government of Weimar withdrew support for the Bauhaus in 1925, it found a new home in Dessau.Out of the new home in Dessau came the radical changes in style and material of everyday items, such as tea infusers, office chairs, and table lamps. Most importantly perhaps, the Bauhaus in Dessau was the home of the first workshop for architecture, the key Gropius outlined in his manifesto that would serve as the medium for infusing function and creativity into everyday applications. The new architecture would be the first tangible contributions to industry. Prior to this point, Germany had been in the midst of a severe economic crisis brought on by World War I.Now that there was money to be spent, new innovations in architecture began to become the standard in the modern industrial world. The first chance the new school had to prove itself, quite ironically, was by building itself. The school was to be constructed following mostly Gropius’ designs, now commonplace features of Bauhaus architecture: flat roofs, lack of ornamentation, an d strict geometric lines. The first true revolution in architecture for which the Bauhaus is credited came in the form of the workers’ housing areas.Architect and Gropius contemporary Ludwig Mies van der Rohe organized an exhibition for architects to design a modern solution for worker housing, with only one rule that each building have a flat roof. Unfortunately no groundbreaking design was hatched, but the designs helped change the culture of architecture forever. The Bauhaus was already establishing itself as a symbol of progressive art and architecture. Following the architectural and industrial boom in Germany, the Bauhaus relocated to America in 1933, fleeing Hitler and the Nazis.New director Laszlo Moholy-Nagy founded the New Bauhaus in Chicago. The spirit of innovation that marked the original Bauhaus was just as prevalent here as New Bauhaus students developed breakthroughs in photography, film, and the use of materials. In America, the Bauhaus style is still influen cing the gamut of industrial design, from towering skyscrapers that seem to be built entirely out of glass, to ‘wiggle chairs’ actually made completely of cardboard. Ultimately, postmodernists and modernists stand starkly opposed when it comes to the necessary attributes and function of designs and art.Postmodern culture was born out of a disregard for modernist minimalism, arguably a style perpetuated if not championed by Bauhaus theory. So one can say modernism is the de facto reason for postmodernism’s existence. The practitioners of postmodernism sought to revive theories from previous centuries that appealed to the human need for comfort for the body and beauty for the eye. The true similarity between the two movements was the importance of function. Both schools of thought believed art and architecture specifically should serve to promote the building’s function. The true difference lies in aesthetics.So in the same way we attribute postmodern styles to high art of years past, we can also attribute Bauhaus styles to the past. Gropius’ vision of a return to purer geometric forms, a proclivity for functional efficiency, and respect for materials exemplifies this. We see the strong disjunction between modern (Bauhaus) and postmodern style as the latter reacting to the former. Making this connection lets us argue that modernism and postmodernism are actually two aspects of the same movement, and thus shows us that the free-thinking, subjective aspects of postmodernism owe their creation to the logical, analytical aspects of its predecessor.Works Referenced Bauhaus Museum. www. bauhausmuseum. com/history/manifesto Bauhaus School. March 4, 2013. http://thebauhaus. org/thebauhaus/ Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond. March 4, 2013. www. chicagobauhausbeyond. org Exhibit Bauhaus. March 4, 2013. http://bengal. missouri. edu/~kuhlerd/art327/index. html Roger Cook. Class notes. http://germanciv. missouri. edu/2320/bauhaus/index. html

Dreams In Of Mice and Men Essay

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was written by John Steinbeck in 1937. He wrote many other books such as Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row and The Pearl. His most famous was the Grapes of Wrath. At the time Steinbeck wrote the novel, men were the main workers on farms and ranches but during the 1930’s machinery began to take over and by 1938 Combines harvested half of America’s grain. George and Lennie, the two main characters in the story, are examples of migrant workers who farmed 800 miles across the state planes. All ranch workers travelled around America looking for jobs. They worked in very poor conditions and were paid two to three dollars a day plus very basic food. Everyone had their own dream but many people came from other countries to live the â€Å"American Dream† all believing that through hard work they would have the opportunity to live a comfortable life. It is possible that Steinbeck wrote the novel based on his own experience as he used to work on a ranch. He knew what these workers had to go through and had the desire and belief to show other people what was actually happening at the time. It could be argued that Steinbeck focused on ranch life for a storyline as he lived near a ranch and he recognised the loneliness and pain of the workers and what they had to do to keep themselves occupied. Steinbeck uses an arrangement of techniques to form a feeling of reality for the reader by using similes e.g. † A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope†. This is a good example as it shows Steinbeck’s imagery that he uses to describe the scenery and surroundings. This particular simile is symbolic for the reality of life for animals and humans. The snake is on the look out for food whilst at the same time being wary of any potential attackers. George and Lennie’s life is a constant battle for survival, the same as the snake. Steinbeck structured the novel like a play so that the reader isn’t distracted by other things happening around in that particular scene. The story is spread over about three to four days during which George and Lennie travel to the new ranch until the ending in which George kills Lennie. This helps us to focus on the various aspects of the book where we are able to concentrate on one character at a time or an event at a time. Steinbeck can describe more thoroughly the event or character instead of telling a long story. This is a very effective method of writing and keeps the readers interest who is able to build a clear image of the character. At the start of chapter six Steinbeck’s description is almost poetic â€Å"The deep green pool of Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen†. This is an intense description of the setting that the characters are in and enables the reader to develop a clear image of the surroundings. It is an example of Steinbeck’s imagery. Steinbeck uses a lot of Colloquial language and dialogue as the ranchmen speak a lot during the story and it is often grammatically incorrect with slang or swearing. This adds vividness and colour to the description. There is a lot of characterisation through dialogue as each character speaks differently. Steinbeck also uses dialogue to inject humour e.g. â€Å"His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, he looked kindly at the two in the bunkhouse. It’s brighter’n a bitch outside†. Steinbeck also uses intense descriptions in the novel, for example â€Å"The Dream†, Lennie and George’s dream of a small farm, a little bit of land and independence, is the same for all the ranch workers. The â€Å"American Dream† can be seen to be interwoven and the hope of being free and being themselves. We should realise that Steinbeck is trying to illustrate a universal truth and that most people wish to have better lives which gives them freedom, rights and personal fulfillment. Similes and Metaphors are used very often and they are usually describing nature. The book is rich in unusual imagery as Steinbeck describes very thoroughly. As well as Similes and Metaphors, Onomatopoeia is used e.g. â€Å"The red light dimmed on the coals. Up the hill a coyote yammered, and a dog answered from the other side of the stream. The sycamore leaves whispered in a little night breeze†. The best example of a metaphor is â€Å"On the Sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as gray, sculptured stones†. Emphasising again animals constant waryness of all around it Animal imagery is used to describe Lennie e.g. â€Å"Lennie dabbled his paw in the water and wiggled his fingers†. This shows us Lennie’s build and the way his body moves as bears have paws and they move steadily with slow large movements. Lennie always talks about rabbits and this relates back to Lennie being described as an animal. Steinbeck uses sound well in his descriptions adding a further level of imagery for the reader. † Clang of horseshoes in yard, far off shouts of Lennie’s pursuers† help us to feel that we are witnessing events not just reading them. Light is also used effectively in descriptive passages and the light on the Gabilan Mountains is a recurrent image to give the idea of vastness and timelessness. Every ranch worker has his own dream but most are very similar as they want to have freedom and to be an individual. Lennie’s dream is to† Live off the fatta the lan an hav rabbits† These dreams are part of the â€Å"American Dream† and ranch workers think that that some day it might come true. The phrase â€Å"The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft aglay.† is from the poem by Robert Burns and this is the moral of the story. This is translated into modern English as â€Å"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry† meaning in George and Lennie’s case that no matter how hard they try to plan ahead and work for their dream something can always go wrong and in this case, it does. In the novel Steinbeck writes about many different issues that still exist today, one of which is racial prejudice. This is illustrated in Crooks as he is denied human companionship because of the colour of his skin and this is part of the larger theme of loneliness. Another issue is Ageism. This is illustrated by Candy who has outlived his usefulness. This is also a part of loneliness and is emphasised by his relationship with his dog and the way in which he is upset when it is shot. The final and main issue is loneliness. George and Lennie are able to get away from loneliness with their relationship but there are many people who cannot fend it off such as Crooks and Candy as they become cynical and bitter. It ends up killing Curley’s wife as she cannot stand being on her own any longer. Steinbeck uses imagery to illustrate many reasons such as realism to symbolise deeper meanings and to portray society. He portrays loneliness as a human condition that we either succumb to or fight. Steinbeck doesn’t state a way of fighting loneliness but just illustrates the problem as we begin to realise that we may never find a solution.

Aline Deneuve

Case 1: Aline DeNeuve 1. What are the main issues in the case? The main issues in this case include staffs member’s attitudes problems and Aline’s misconception about relationship with her subordinates and colleagues. The staff members who were selected randomly have dissatisfactions and attitude problems with their jobs except only one person . They also do not want to attend the retreat. Heather is an administrative assistant and believes that her supervisor Jack did not give an opportunity to promote because she is a foreigner.As a result, she took off sick days many times and does not want to attend the retreat as well. She feels that she is being discriminated by her supervisor and said most staff members do not socialize each other. Jack is Heather’s supervisor and he also does not want to attend the retreat and have dissatisfaction about not promoting. He feels same as Heather; because he is black so could not promote. He also said some staffs have been ta king off office supplies at their home so company needs solution for this problem. In addition, he thinks the company needs better orientation and socialization program for new employees.June is manager of customer service and thinks the last retreat was just wasting time. She feels so stressed by her work. Before I explain about the staffs’ problems, I found that Aline also has some problems about her misconception. Even though, she has an experience about a training program on employee diversity with high degree of success in previous work place, her perceptions do not fit as a director of training and development. She disapproves of a friendly relationship with her subordinates and colleagues. She still does not realize that unfriendly relationship among the co-workers would affect their

The Marxist theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Marxist theory - Research Paper Example The Marxist theory According to Bechmann (143), the media institution must be considered to be a part of the economic system with close links to the political system. The consequence of this can be seen through the reduction of independent media sources, the concentration of the news on large markets, the avoidance of risks by media houses, and the reduction of investment in less profitable media tasks such as investigative reporting and documentary film making. There is also a neglect of the poorer sectors of the potential audience and the range of news media is often politically unbalanced. The Frankfurt School is a neo-Marxist thought which rebelled against modern society and media as creators and bearers of contemporary culture and ideology. Their criticism of mass communication media was that they hamper the road to a utopian society which is free from class and domination, and that media also stands in the way of change. Negt (61) states that by selectively presenting reality, including aspects o f culture, education, and entertainment (in which the bourgeois values enjoy priority) the media confirms and supports the dominant capitalist ideologies and thus maintains the status quo at the cost of the working class, which is represented by the masses. This school is therefore concerned about the ideological manipulation and exploitation of the mass media by capitalist considerations. The media dependency theory, which is also known as the media system dependency theory, has often been explored as an expansion of the gratification approach although here are some slight differences between the two theories, that is, media dependency looks to the viewers goal as the origin of the dependency while the gratification theory emphasizes on the needs of the audience. Both the dependency theory and the gratification theory are, however, in agreement that media use may lead to reliance and according to the media dependency theory, the more reliant a person is on the medium for having his or her requirements satisfied, the more significant the medium will be to that individual. According to Einwiller et al. (305), the individual’s reliance on a particular medium is influenced by the amount of media sources available to that individual because a person should become more reliant on a particular available media if his access to alternative media is inadequate. The more alternatives there are for a person, the less dependent will he be on only one specific medium. There are, in my opinion, more similarities than differences between the theories of Marxists and that of the media dependency concerning the media. Both are concerned about the effect of media on the society, especially more about the use of the elite within such a society of the media to further their own ends, namely, the maintenance of their status. Media is used to control the masses so that they do not rise in rebellion against the oppressive upper classes of their society. It is not used for the purpose of social progress, as is claimed by the heads of media corporations, but for the purpose of maintaining the status quo so that the lower classes can continue to render their services to the elite and in the process making the elite richer, while the working classes remain poor. By limiting the content and quality of the media that the masses can access, the elite are able to perpetuate and justify its reasons for dominating the society as well as why they oppress the working classes for their own benefit. A very good example is when one

How New Materials Lead to New Thinking-Emphasis on Le Corbusier and Essay

How New Materials Lead to New Thinking-Emphasis on Le Corbusier and the Villa Savoye - Essay Example They took up all shapes and forms, before this remarkable idea, buildings were known to be rectangular or evenly in shape. With this idea, buildings took up all shapes, human body shape, pyramid shape and other shapes that are unique and equally amazing. How the relationship between the structure of a building and its enclosure has changed There was the idea of encircling a striking building in a highly elevated hedged concrete wall. This idea was killing the whole purpose of putting up such a magnificent building. With the new idea, such buildings do not necessary need to be enclosed, they can be built in an open piece of land, and one can see such a building on his or her way. In buildings, there are some objects like the ladder that are considered to be indispensable and useful for apartments and story buildings, when one gets to the details of a building such items can add to the adornment of a building. A wooden ladder on a building is just a ladder and serves the functional pur pose, but placing a silver ladder on a building adds to its facet and style. As much as the ladder will be functional, it will be an ornament of beauty to the building. With the use of new materials in building, it is so clear that, buildings are changing. Retrievedfrom:http://www.architecturalreview.com/Pictures/web/b/g/p/Fallet_Sectionpd_380.jpg There is the idea of a curtain wall; this is where instead of putting up so many unnecessary walls glasses are used to separate buildings. These glasses are functional because they enable light to transfer consistently inside a room. When viewing such a building from a distance one cannot help but feel nostalgic, especially if the building has numerous floors. Such a building can be enclosed between plantations, and as one views it, it looks more like a depiction than real. Some buildings are built using precast concrete; this type of concrete is advanced because it does not require painting after the building work is complete. They are a beauty on their own and tend to look outstanding when used on large walls like a school wall. The idea of a rooftop was always perceived to be a protruding head of a building, but this has since changed. Most buildings do not have such roofs they have roofs that act as playing grounds for kids or open space for adults to sit and relax. The roofs of such houses can be built using concrete beams and columns instead of iron sheets and wood. Before these immaculate building ideas, buildings were built to be buildings, but with the evolving ideas, they have become a form of art because they take up any shape (Le, Corbusier, and Corbusier Le 2008). The idea of building car garages also changed, instead of putting up boring concrete buildings on the side of the house to act as a garage, tunnels or the basement can be used. This idea elucidates that, instead of going around the house in order for one to park his or her car, one can go straight ahead under the house and park the car. Such bu ildings can have an entry and an exit, instead of coming around after dropping someone to exit the building, the person driving the car can go straight ahead to the exit. This prevents back tracking and straining on the person driving. When it comes to adding features inside a

Research Proposal for a Grant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Proposal for a Grant - Essay Example The FBI has completely transformed its operations to better detect, penetrate, and dismantle terrorist enterprisesoverhaul[ing] its counterterrorism operations, expand[ing] intelligence capabilities, moderniz[ing] business practices and technology, and improv[ing] coordination with its partners" ("Fact Sheet: Justice Department Counter-Terrorism Efforts Since 9/11," 2008). Currently, the war in Afghanistan against a combination of the Taliban, insurgent rebels, and tribal warlords has fueled a conflict that few could imagine. The treacherous mountainous terrain of Afghanistan makes fighting in that area even more difficult. Right now, "the Obama administration has grappled with whether to send as many as 80,000 additional U.S. troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan or use missile-carrying spy planes and covert military missions to focuson al-Qaida leadersin Pakistan...no decision on the future of the war strategy should be made [till after elections]" (Jakes, 2009, pghs. 10 & 11). In Afghanistan, there is most likely to be a runoff election in November due to the mishandling of the election. Incumbent Prime Minister Hamid Karzai's position is at stake, due to the fears that the war will move to the capital of Aghanistan, with the Taliban taking over. According to Seymour Hersh (2004), there was "a tiny C.I.A. ... troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan or use missile-carrying spy planes and covert military missions to focuson al-Qaida leadersin Pakistan...no decision on the future of the war strategy should be made [till after elections]" (Jakes, 2009, pghs. 10 & 11). In Afghanistan, there is most likely to be a runoff election in November due to the mishandling of the election. Incumbent Prime Minister Hamid Karzai's position is at stake, due to the fears that the war will move to the capital of Aghanistan, with the Taliban taking over. In fact, the U.S. offensive in Afghanistan According to Seymour Hersh (2004), there was "a tiny C.I.A. outpost in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, near the Afghanistan border, [where people] watched helplessly as Saudi-backed Islamic fundamentalists-the precursors of the Taliban-consolidated training bases and began to recruit supporters and run operations inside the frontier nations of the former Soviet Union" (pp. 79). Quite frankly, the U.S. still has reason to believe that terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, pose a threat to the United States from both Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the reason for having launched new offensives in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, President Obama must make the decision whether or not to send another 40,000 troops to Afghanistan. In order to make the world (and the U.S.) a safer place, it is commendable to the U.S. that it might send more troops. However, with a burgeoning national budget deficit of $1.4 trillion dollars, the United States is in a weak position to bargain, especially with its main creditor, China. This opens the U.S. up to even more vulnerability since the U.S. is currently borrowing 80% of the U.S. national GDP. In order to make security better in a

Liberal Stuides Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Liberal Stuides - Essay Example The travelers, from who all people a million years into the future descend, are made up of a captain, a Japanese woman with her daughter, an American widow, a young visually impaired girl and 6 Kanka-Bono lasses inhabitant of South America, every one of them with a strange or humorous back story. The book traces their expedition from Ecuador to an isolated island in the Galapagos, whereas the rest of civilization plunges into disaster. In Kurt Vonnegut’s Galapagos, the concept of natural selection reveals a world full of mystery and awe and we are able to examine this wonder, when we study the chance component in natural selection. According to the lessons learnt from Galapagos, the chance component in natural selection divides up distinctiveness with the secrecy constituent of God, and consequently is a probable substitute for that mystery. Nevertheless, the protagonists are not as active in participation in that strange â€Å"dimension of the universe† other than sufferers of the deterministic force which underlies the chance mechanism that is natural selection. When this malicious force is examined, a conclusion is arrived at, that it too bears a resemblance to the mechanistic viewpoint of the world put forward by evolutionary discipline. Vonnegut’s readers get to feel the power or fear in Darwin’s idea of natural selection that takes place in Galapagos. At the onset of Galapagos, Vonnegut depicts the â€Å"big rains† devastate humanity and the earth, even though later, via the material mechanisms of natural selection, the big brains later evolve into â€Å"smaller skulls† and accordingly the earth and humanity are able to be saved from devastation. There are those that put forth the argument that Mary acts out a crucial role in the latest creation, since her engineering in genetics produces a new family that is able to survive the

The Law and the Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Law and the Constitution - Essay Example V. Dicey who made a robust restatement of this very old doctrine at the end of twenty-century. According to A. V. Dicey the principle of supremacy and sovereignty is the basis of the British Constitution. Parliament itself is not capable to confine its own future proceedings, courts cannot inquire or decline to give effect to its ratifications, and all other law-making institutions in the United Kingdom are secondary to it.Supremacy of Parliament is so magnificent and supreme, that it cannot be restricted, either for reasons or persons, under any circumstances. (Jennings, 1959) In other words, Parliament's supremacy can be estimated from the fact that it can do each fascination that is not naturally unattainable. The initial portion of Dicey's Law of the Constitution was dedicated to defying the unorthodox impression that there might be supposed boundaries to sovereignty and supreme. Dicey highly declared that the Parliament had authority and power to make or unmake any law whatever. For historical authority, Dicey naturally sought recourse to the Act of Settlement and to the pervasive constitutional traditions that dangle about the great and glorious revolution of 1688. Sovereignty had to be free, and it was for this motive that Dicey appeared so sideways at the very suggestion of international law, or undeniably those legal orders that sought to somehow share authority and power. Supremacy of Parliament can be divided into three significant essentials: firstly Parliament can formulate or unmake any law; secondly Parliament cannot force its heirs and lastly Courts cannot inquire an act of Parliament. In the light of the European Communities Act 1972 Parliament can still only do this if the legislation is not an EU parameter or instruction and is only conjugal legislation. Parliament cannot for instance rescind an Act that a EU dictate had structured the administration to make as they did in the case of Commission of the EC v United Kingdom (1979). Further the reality that Parliament cannot bind its successors is considerable. This originally predestined that a current, say Conservative government could not execute legislation that would come into power when a Labour government came into power. Now this refers to the EU in that the British government cannot outdo any legislation that would in future conflict with any recommended legislation of European Union. M ost notably according to the doctrine of Supremacy of Parliament, the courts of United Kingdom are not capable to inquire an act of Parliament. It is the reason that any proceed of Parliament is the ultimate law of the land, obligatory all through the territory, and alterable only by another act of Parliament. Parliament is defined as a congregation poised of the Commons, the Lords chronological and devout, and the Crown. Only these three institutions acting collectively include the sovereign Parliament, and were able to make law supreme throughout the realm. The Crown, Lords, and Commons unprejudiced each other; their contending interests fashioned political strains within Parliament to efficiently contain its implementation of unbounded supremacy. The Crown in Parliament obsessed total and unrestricted legislative supremacy, having the right to make or

Compare and contrast some aspects of classification, using at least Essay

Compare and contrast some aspects of classification, using at least three examples of different approaches and their strengths and weaknesses - Essay Example Soumen et al (2009) agree that data quantity surrounding us is humongous and the amount of information bombarding us is increasing. Making sense of this increasing data volume requires data mining skills and techniques that have evolved with increase in computing power. An allied discipline is Competitive intelligence which is a discipline used for improving market standing, improving strategic thinking – seeing through morass of disinformation and market disruptions and interpreting events without getting emotionally swayed with â€Å"pregnant† data. It is about analyzing an opportunity or threat before it has materialized (Reviews 2007). Finding patterns in data is a common way of analysis. Scientists want to discover the pattern and use the patterns for developing theories that can be extended beyond the concerned data in allied fields. This helps the scientists predict what will happen in newer situations. Intelligence is thus about using the available information in an efficient manner based on picture which may or may not be perfectly clear and exploiting the gleaned intelligence for making strategic decisions. Data mining calls for electronic data storage and using of specified search for pattern identification. Global data doubles by in every 20 months, and increased availability of machines that can digest and process such data have increased opportunities for data mining. Intelligently analyzed data may our only redemption in making sense of the growing data volume. Bits and pieces of information lead to understanding of the big picture. Data mining is using the existing data to solve problems and discoverin g patterns in data. Consumer shopping data might help in eliciting likely reason for customer loyalty and churn. Also data analysis on same database may identify the reason why customer may be attracted to other product or service thus allowing development of special

Personal Definition and Understanding of Mythology and its Influences Essay Example for Free

Personal Definition and Understanding of Mythology and its Influences Essay Heaven, hell, angels, devils, gods, goddesses, monsters, and immortal heroes— as I was growing up as a child, these were the things which have been said to me about places, supreme beings, and creatures the existence of which I was not able to prove up to this moment. Over the years of growing up, I have come across lots of stories which both seemed believable but unverifiable to me. Thus, I can only conclude that these things, stories, and people are what are known today as myths. These things should be told to me to make me believe that supreme powers exist. Supreme powers, aside from the ultimate God whom my religion has taught me, govern and guide people to do good acts and avoid evil. Eventually, these things roused my curiosity. As I try to discover these unverifiable creatures, places, and supreme beings, I was able to understand myth and mythology. Mythology, in the literal sense, pertains to a collection of revered stories about a person, a group of persons, a culture, or humankind as a whole (Emery, 2008). Thus, through this definition, my own conception of myth and mythology matches as I see these stories as tales and epics that are made to provide people sacred role models to urge them to do such good acts based on the actions and experiences of these mythological beings. In this sense, mythological places and powers were told to influence the belief and ideology of individuals that humankind can be punished and rewarded according to their acts of either righteousness or evil. Also, mythological stories are also studied to somehow give a specific group of people an idea and grasp of their identity, the origin of their world, the rites and rituals in their culture, the basic point of view about life, and the concepts of death and after death (Kohler, 2008). When myths and mythologies are mentioned, the society that first enters my mind is that of the Greeks. Greek mythology has been the everlasting source of mythical gods and goddesses, epic wars of mortal and immortal heroes, stories of salvation, immortalization, condemnation to the underworld, and even the sacred stories of love and romance. These stories have been exposed to most of us in our primary and secondary educations, but these stories have existed and have remained immortal as its characters. These stories have existed since the immemorial history of the Greek race and society. I also find Greek mythology as one of the greatest mythologies that tells the story of humankind, as it reflects real-life acts, consequences, and tendencies. The aspect of gods talking and communicating to people may seem unrealistic, but if this aspect would be deeply examined, it could be inferred that Greek mythology gives people that idea in illusive form that communicating with God is never a hard or impossible task. Its characters also go through what usual people experience. As a result, even modern people can easily relate to and reflect on its stories. Personally, I believe that mythology, Greek mythology specifically, has had significant impacts in my beliefs and how I view life. I may be practicing one specific religion, but the stories I was able to learn in Greek mythology have affected me in such a way that I believed that all the good things people do in their lifetime have an equivalent reward (or penalty). The mythology’s concept of a grand place for people who have been fair and righteous in their lives have been guiding my beliefs all these years—that there might indeed be a special place for people who chose to do good and fair acts in their lives. These stories and tales from the mythologies of not just the Greeks but all the other ancient and even current societies may not all seem verifiable or credible for us contemporary individuals to believe. However, there appears neither harm nor threat in allowing these myths, mythological characters, and mythological epics to guide us in how we view life and what it offers us. As how I understand mythology, it is but a collection of lifetime stories that are bound to show people how to deal with life in the most positive way possible.

Disaster Management Planning For Earthquake

Disaster Management Planning For Earthquake The risk for disaster occurs when the social, physical, environmental and economic vulnerabilities are hit by hazards. The biggest volumes of disasters are mainly a result of events originating hydrometeorogically. Even in the face of gradual understanding of the significance of reduction of disasters and disaster response capabilities, disasters continue to be a global problem especially the one of disaster management techniques. It is now globally accepted that plans should be put in place to reduce the risk of a disaster. The plans should be conceptualised and brought into action in spheres such as policies, programmes for poverty reduction and should be assisted by international and regional cooperation. Poverty reduction, proper governing and sustainable development are mutually cooperative plans along with disaster management. Efforts have to be made at a rapid pace to put in place the required plans to counter any threats posed at the regional and international level by disast ers. Introduction The occurrence of such disasters has continued to increase in a rapid succession. More than three million lives were lost due to disasters in the last quarter of a century itself. This number does not stop as billions have been affected in some way or the other. The cost of rehabilitation from these disasters has run into thousands of billions alone. The increase in the population of the world only enhances the chance of disaster risk which could cause massive casualties and harm to the human life in large numbers. The six billion mark in world population was reached on the 16th of November in 1999. The annual growth rate was estimated at nearly 1.33 %( seventy eight million every year). There is a greater risk on account of the industrialization and vast urbanization since a lot of people are moving to urban areas which do not have sufficient health care and infrastructure in place. Energy is released after accumulation in the volcanic activity or geological faults which cause seismic waves to bring about movement of the crust which is known as an earthquake. Humans are able to only detect three thousand earthquakes from the total of five hundred thousand earthquakes that occur every year. 7 to 11 out of these 3000 earthquakes cause significant damage to property and human life though this figure has increased the past few years. The toll of death due to an earthquake can range from as less as five to higher than two hundred and forty thousand. One out of two cities in a developed country is susceptible to a natural hazard like earthquake. Seventeen of the twenty largest cities are situated in countries with low resources. Eighty percent of the population of the world will reside in developing countries by the year 2025 according to an estimate. The research on natural disasters is of a lot of significance in case of developing countries. What is a Disaster? Many definitions have been put forward regarding disaster. Samuel Henry Prince started the study related to disasters in 1971 in Canada during the worst disaster witnessed in Canada. The disaster in point is the ship explosion occurred in 1917 in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia. His research and social exploration of the implications of the disaster paved way for further theoretical and empirical research that lasted through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. This saw a change in the way disasters were perceived. The focus shifted from the primary physical agent to the description and definition of disasters related to the social impact caused by it. Various academic disciplines were dedicated to the study of nature and disasters during the 1960s and 1970s. The definition of a disaster can be classified between the national and international level. The working definition of a disaster is designed in way to suit the professional background of the place where it is defined and is closely associated to the studies, work and research that is carried out. The World Health Organization has defined disaster on the base of the resultant health implications post the disaster. They have made use of the terminology called as Health Action in Crises. The International Red Cross has taken into account the factors that cause interference in human life. IN simple words, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes only acquire the status of a disaster when they leave behind a negative and disruptive impact on the living force. Al-Madhari et al in 1997 studied if a universal definition for the term disaster is possible and came up with a definition that takes into account both the factors of economic and health implications. The definition was as follows- an event localized in time and space with one or more of the following consequences occur: 1) Ten or more fatalities, 2) Damage exceeds $1 million, 3) 50 or more people evacuated. This is the basic essence that is found in most definitions of disaster which may carry different views. All the definitions accept disaster as a situation that is beyond the cope of control of the local community which warrants the need of external help. The disasters maybe a result of naturally occurring phenomena like extreme changes in climate or weather, technological and man made threats. Psychological stages of disaster Heroic stage The heroic stage is shown by the community and the individuals within that direct the various levels of energy in the tasks of help, rescue, shelter, clean up and repair. This behaviour is carried out in the span of a few hours to even days if required. Honeymoon stage The optimism characterized by the people in the community is the showcase of this stage in spite of the losses that occur due to the disaster. There is a wide media attention and, flow of resources inwards, and reassurances by personal visits by high profile personalities that look towards the rehabilitation process of the community. They provide the hope and belief that life will return to normalcy and no traces of the disaster will be seen. These resources though tend to exhaust by the third week of the aftermath of the crisis, there is reduced media attention and the real problems in the rehabilitation program start to develop. The energy shown by the survivors in the community gradually starts to fade away and gives way to the next stage of disillusionment. Disillusionment The hard experiences, the lack of necessities and the work needed to be done to restore normalcy creeps up on the person which leads to disillusionment among the survivors. Survivors find that the various types of financial help being offered are in the form of loans instead of grant, home insurance was not the best available option and that politics played a bigger role in the decision making. Signs of disgruntlement is how by means of complaints related to abandonment, betrayal and injustice, incompetency and bureaucracy. Stress is a negative aspect that troubles the survivors which slowly disintegrates any hope that may be left. Recovery All the work for which the base has been setup starts to show results. The applications are passed, loans are approved, and reconstruction is started. The individuals start to work at their normal capacities. People start regaining the state of normalcy with a period of six months after the disaster. Some individuals might take up to thirty six months. There is an overall sense of appreciation to aspects like life, relationship and morale towards tackling problems all owed to the lessons learnt post the disaster. Stages of Disaster Response Preparation stage The main objective of this stage is to improve the healthcare system and the general system that can be improved to the extent that future disasters can be tackled with ease and efficiency. Quick Reponses Stage The main objective of this stage is to make sure that there is a prober health response in case of a disaster strike that may create some needs. Counselling is provided during this stage which is present in the current health system. There should be help sought from external sources to boost the resources that are available in case they are not sufficient to fulfil all the necessary needs. In many cases the local supplies may not be enough to meet the requirement of the community which is why the stock has to be filled with the help of some additional commodities obtained from other external sources. Recovery Stage This stage has to be worked upon continuously and lasts more than a month after the disaster takes place. This stage could go on for years depending on the resources that are available for rehabilitation and the impact and type of the disaster. The needs of the survivors are taken care of by the local providers in this stage. Federal funds may flow in case the disaster is declared as a Presidential Declared Disaster. The funding is given to those in need of individual help. Disaster Management Definition of disaster management A lot of definitions have been put forward by authors on the topic of disaster management. A lot of these definitions merely explain the meaning of the term rather than completely stating the terms of preparation for a disaster. Christopolis, Mitchell and Liljelund regarded efficient and effective abilities and result of disaster response as the main themes of preparation for a disaster (2001). Creating a local response system and providing early warnings is also a big part of preparation (Integrated Regional information Networks, 2005). The definitions by United Nations Development program, McEntire and Twigg have definitions similar in theme with their own take on the preparation for a disaster. The program by United Nations holds hazard easing as the central source for disaster preparation along with the inclusion of planning in the description (2004). Similarly, McEntire and Twigg also consider hazard easing as a crucial aspect in disaster preparation saying that it should be a p art of it (McEntire, 2003 and Twigg, 2002). McEntire talks about different factors relevant for disaster preparation as a local government function that includes vulnerability and hazard evaluation. The lesser highlighted aspects of disaster preparation are also very important. Izadkhak and Hosseni point out education to be the foremost media in the preparation of a community for disasters (2005). The emergency plans, storage of food, securing furniture to walls and creating inventories of storage commodities are a part of this level (Paton, Smith, Johnston, 2003 and Siembieda, 2001). Review of preparation literature The disaster preparedness aspect is basically dynamic in nature which keeps changing constantly. The researches find out new facts with the occurring of new disaster even with respect to the community. The disasters and crisis are consistent but the practises applied in its management still lack the capacity to provide necessary results. McEntire has worked towards some crucial points in disaster preparedness and emergency management in his study. McEntire, Fuller and Johnston and Weber (2002) published an article reviewing the emergency management and the methods related to it. The main concern in the 2002 research was vulnerability while McEntire also finished his research related to disaster preparedness. Dynes also provide his view on emergency planning. His views were based on research instead of military models. The problem solving methods of Dynes emphasizes cooperation and coordination as the key aspects. (1994). This concept has been used in developing many other models as opposed to the earlier practice of using military models and instead switching to a research based and discipline specific model. The best methods of disaster preparedness incline towards discipline specific objectives as in the case of emergency management. A valuable amount of work has been spent for the identification and evaluation of the concepts and principles that are used in disaster preparedness. Some contributions have been made to development of disaster preparedness with the aim of creating a theory based practise and practise based theory (Gillespie and Streeter, 1987). The contributions from most individuals are not aimed at the creation of a complete disaster preparedness technique but individual research has helped immensely in making contributions towards building a complete disaster preparedness plan. A case in point is the research by Kirschenbaum (2002) article based on disaster preparedness from the point of view of Israel. The inferences drawn from his study were found to be applicable in a general environment. Perry and Lindell (2003) based their study on disaster management on the principles of perspective and planning and were able to identify 10 guidelines that should be used in the process of planning. Lindell was more focused on the planning while Kirschenbaum gave more importance to localized applications and principles. Each on his own was able to contribute an important aspect that led to the creation of a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan although none of the studies focused on all the aspects on the whole. Components of disaster management Earthquake Risk The risk of earthquake is a seismic risk to the environment and its habitats. The earthquake risk is inversely proportional to the capacity of resisting it. Research based on social learning by May (1994) shows that the more knowledge that is available, the less is the worry and lesser in the rationale for prevention. Knowledge and the use of the knowledge in the best way are required to improve the safety measures today. There is a process known as Earthquake Risk Management that works towards the prevention of threat or danger from an earthquake, reducing risk or consequences of an earthquake. It also deals on topics like preparation for dealing with a disaster, responding to a threat due to natural disaster, capacity building and knowing the effects of the natural disasters. There are the basic points of evacuation, rescuing, relief, rehabilitate and reconstruct that are covered. The population in India was marked at over a billion in 2001 and is estimated to be doubled by the yea r 2050. This calculates to a population growth of 1.61% per annum. The risk of earthquake increases by leaps and bounds in such a scenario. The urban areas are been populated to the extent of being overcrowded and figure in the highest density in the world of 237 people per square kilometre. This only worsens the situation. People in thickly dense areas have no alternative but to live in conditions like low lying areas situated closely near the rivers. This makes it mandatory to keep a full time alert and be ready with a disaster preparedness plan. Gillespie and Banerjee (1993, pp.242) have proposed there is a 5 stage plan which spirals upward with more refined levels including avenues, assessment, knowledge, preparedness and practise. The central point in these levels is considered to be knowledge. As pointed by Srivastava et al (2007), the reduction in disaster risks can be brought about by the proper use of information. Disaster management planning for earthquake In the past few decades, a high level of importance has been attached to the effective and efficient management of information and its use as a key component of disaster management in the regions of Asia especially Pacific Asia. Disaster management information systems have been setup by a number of countries according to their own calculations and needs. The applications include early warnings, reduction of disaster risks and emergency planning. The information plays an important part in disaster management and it should be used wisely. The needs of the information related to disaster management can be classified in two activity categories Pre disaster activities like research and analysis, prevention, risk assessment and preparedness. Post disaster activities like rehabilitation, response and reconstruction. The data related to disaster can also be classified into two categories- Pre disaster data consisting of the risks and the country Post disaster data showing the impact of the disaster and the resources available to counter the effects. National Disaster Management Information System The main aspects of a disaster management information system is a database containing the following- Mapping of hazard assessment Vulnerability Assessment Distribution by Demography Lifelines, Infrastructure and Critical Facilities Transportation Routes and Logistics Material and Human Response Resource Communication Facility The use of Disaster Management Information System is based on three aspects- Preparedness planning Response and mitigation Recovery Earthquake activities Preparation and Planning Identifying areas prone to earthquake Identifying problems Identifying and using Resources Control and command Advance Preparatory Action Post earthquake activities The relief activities needed to be performed by the government are- Maintaining uninterrupted communication Endorsing disaster preparedness and relief measures through media like newspaper and AIR. Evacuating and movement of commodities of essence such as petroleum should be facilitated in transport. Making sure that essential commodities are available at a reasonable rate. Providing adequate supply of drugs, vaccine and medicine. Restoration and preservation of physical communication links. Providing infrastructure such as latrines, shelter, electricity, road etc. On a temporary basis by making the necessary investment. Mobilising financial resources. In addition to these aspects, there are certain secondary functions that are needed by the relief efforts of the State such as Military aid should provide relief, restoration and rehabilitation services to the civil authority. Backup plans for cattle preservation, crops and health measures should be put in place. Technological and technical inputs for providing drinking water. Providing technical assistance for water management, water budgeting and several other uses. Coordinating activities of the voluntary and state agencies. Knowledge Management The knowledge related activities are dealt taken care of by the knowledge management procedure (Wiig, 1997: Civi, 2000). These activities include organizations and creation of knowledge along with share and use of the knowledge. Knowledge management can be more appropriately defined as the strategies and processes of identifying, capturing and leveraging knowledge. This definition was provided by the American Productivity and Quality Centre. Knowledge management is a field on the rise which has been able to collect considerable attention especially from the industrial community. A large number of industrial organizations have taken to knowledge management programs which serve as proof of its widespread use. These programs are helpful in making the industries more competent and improving their organizational performance. It is only a matter of time when all the companies will adopt such a program and the only factor to be accounted for is the way in which it has to be implemented to m ake optimum use of knowledge management and managing it properly at the same time. Implementation of Knowledge Management The Knowledge Management concept has caught a lot of attention due to its importance but there are only a few industries that have been able to make optimum use of the knowledge management techniques by managing the knowledge in their respective organizations. Stoney and Barnett (2000) suggest that a major number of Knowledge Management steps are bound to fail. This is due to the fact that the implementation of Knowledge Management is not an easy task that can be carried out by an organization. Technological infrastructure needs to be in place for the implementation of Knowledge Management along with change in the culture of the organization and managing knowledge of different types. Organizations that have made use of the Knowledge Management without making certain of the necessary resources at their disposal have mainly failed due to improper infrastructure and implementation. Implementation of the Knowledge Management is a tough task for any organization as pointed out by Drucker (1993) who is known as the father of modern management theory. He stressed on the fact the biggest challenge faced by an organization is the building of a systematic framework for the management of knowledge. Hence, it is imperative to build a perfect prototype or framework which helps the organizations before the implementation of Knowledge Management. Framework definition According o the Oxford English Dictionary, (2003), the framework is defined as a structure composing of parts that are framed together especially designed for enclosing or supporting anything like a skeleton or a frame. Popper (1994) has defined framework as a set of assumptions or fundamental principles of intellectual origin that form the basis for action. In accordance with these definitions, framework can be said to be a framework or a structure formed using a set of specific instructions or principles that is required to provide a base for carrying out necessary activities and actions. Knowledge Management Frameworks According to Rubenstein-Montano et al. (2001b), Knowledge Management frameworks are categorized as a mode of providing guidance in a specific discipline. This means that it shows the way towards the building of Knowledge Management in a specific discipline completely. Dale (1999) defines framework as a tool used for the development and laying out of plans, a guide that helps an organization to carry out a certain action that works best for their business needs at their own pace. The framework most importantly acts as a link between the practical and theoretical aspects of the Knowledge Management and eases its implementation during an emergency or disaster. Various Knowledge Management frameworks The frameworks that have been described in theory are made to focus on different parts of Knowledge management and achieving its various purposes. The most popularly known framework is the framework for knowledge creation created by Nonaka (1991, 1994) that explains the evolution and conversion seen between tacit knowledge (not easy to articulate) and explicit knowledge (can be easily put into words). This is not the perfect form of a framework since it is only concerned with the creation of knowledge which is nothing more than a part of the Knowledge Management. Another type of framework that is described in theory is the one that provides information on cyclic processes of the Knowledge Management. From the studies of Rubenstein-Montano et al. (2001a), it is evident that many of these frameworks only provide activities that stress on the knowledge cycle activities. They lay importance on phases of knowledge without providing supervision in the implementation of Knowledge Management. The examples of such frameworks are plenty including the framework by Bose and Sugumaran (2003) and many of the frameworks that were studied by Rubenstein-Montano et al. (2001a). A third type of framework is the one developed by researchers that is used to explain the performance of Knowledge Management in an organization. The framework provides reference to shoe the analysis, structure and evaluation of the Knowledge Management in various organizations belonging to different fields. They were developed by Apostolou and Mentzas (1998). Framework requirements The framework helps in understanding, improving awareness and gives the conceptual definition of the Knowledge management that informs the people about the processes involved in it. Al the components can be understood with the help of a framework and puts the Knowledge Management in perspective by providing the people with a clear and concise vision which helps in its implementation. Managers find framework as a beneficial and important tool since it helps to decide whether all the aspects related to the Knowledge management have been covered that may be easily overlooked without the framework. It also helps in enabling the implementation process and helps coordinate the efforts put in by the organization in a controlled and systematic way. System Approach Framework Holsapple and Joshi (2002) laid out a three layer framework which consists of three major building blocks known as knowledge resources, activities and influences. The resources pat highlighted the pool of the knowledge of the organization that can be classified into six main forms of resources namely participants knowledge, infrastructure, culture, knowledge artefact, strategy and purpose. The activities block represents the processes to be used by the organization for manipulating the knowledge resources. Holsapple and Joshi (2002) were able to identify 4 activities related to this aspect namely acquiring, selecting, internalizing and using the knowledge which means the generation and externalization of knowledge. The manners in which these activities are performed tend to be influence by a number of factors that can be seen in the next block called as knowledge influences. The implementation is greatly influenced by this block and is classified into three categories namely resource (human, financial, material and knowledge), managerial (coordination, leadership and measurement) and environmental (customers, competitors, suppliers, markets and other conditions). The three aspects when viewed collectively act as the main components in the operation of Knowledge Management. A framework was created with the idea of four stages namely review, concept, reflect and act by Wiig et al. (1997) in order to explain a number of Knowledge Management techniques and methods. Review is the first step and relates to evaluating and monitoring the performance of the organization to find out whether the desired results have been obtained. Conceptualize has two parts namely analysis of knowledge and inventory knowledge. The former is used to identify and assess the problems, weakness, strengths threats and opportunities related to knowledge. The latter is used to find out the state of knowledge in the organization by finding out the knowledge assets. TH reflect part is used for the following- Create teams for assessing. Find out the Knowledge management requirements. Collect knowledge by identifying. Design structure to knowledge in warehouse. Maintain technology. Test the technology again. Train the knowledge workers. Show the use of Knowledge management practises. Track the usage. Get the system to start. Measure the productivity and quality, measure Knowledge Management practices. Conduct assessment review of the processes. Hygoyo Protocol Framework of Hyogo The priorities, mission and vision of the National Framework were created in synchronisation with the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) 1005-2015 that was agreed upon by all the nations in January 2005 in the city of Kobe, Japan during the UN-World conference held for Disaster Reduction. The expected result of the HFA after ten years is significant reduction in the lives and economic, social and environmental assets of the countries and communities. The following objectives have been adopted by HFA to attain the desired results- Better integration of disaster risk considerations and accordingly makes development policies. Planning at all the levels with focus on disaster prevention, preparedness, reduction and vulnerability reduction. The strengthening and development of institutes, capacities and mechanisms at all the levels especially at the community level that can help in building resistance to hazards. Incorporation risk mitigation approaches in the implementation of recovery programs, response and emergency preparedness that is used in rehabilitation of the affected communities. Scope This particular framework relates to provision of guidelines and direction to the national, local and provincial institutions. Aspects such as capacity building and vulnerability reduction are the crucial factors that help the communities and institutions to counter disaster risks. The strategies, policy implementation are taken care by this phase and programs for the parts of disaster are provided for. There are certain challenges that are recognized in the five major areas as follows- Governance- legal, organizational and policy frameworks. Risk identification. Monitoring, assessment and early warnings. Knowledge education and management. Reduction of risk factors. Preparedness to improve response and recovery. The Yokohama strategy concludes in its review the discussions in the World Conference on Disaster Reduction and the desired result that was decided can be described into five priorities of action as follows- Make sure disaster risk is a local and national priority with a very strong institutional base for execution. Identify, monitor and assess the disaster risks and identify early warnings. Use innovation, knowledge to build a safety culture which is strong at all the levels. Reduce the risk factors Make the disaster preparedness strong for better response. Case study of earthquake in Pakistan with respect to Knowledge Management The earthquake in Kashmir in 2005 was a massive earthquake with its epicentre in Pakistan controlled Kashmir close to the city of Muzaffarabad that affected the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilbit Baltistan province of Pakistan. It took place at 8:52:37 PST on the 8th of October. It was similar in size to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 2001 earthquake in Gujarat with magnitude of 7.6. Tremors of this earthquake were felt in surrounding nations like western China and Tajikistan. Four people died in Afghanistan while close to fourteen hundred people died in India controlled Kashmir according to reports. The damage caused was blamed on poor construction and major up thrust. Infrastructure Network usage- the network usage was high throughout the phases of recovery. Data and voice communication was very good in Islamabad. The landline network was brought on track within a coupe of days in town hit by the earthquake and the cell network was extended post the earthquake. The areas that were hit the worst had no assistance and relief and were left with no communication. Some parts were wiped out entirely. The skills to manage the technology were available in Pakistan but the management was not properly planned. Network Availability- At first the network was very low during recovery and later was raised to a medium level. The inconsistency of connection was the main factor rather than low bandwidth. The connection would break consistently which proved to be disruptive. The limitations were known fully in the remote areas but the staff did not pay heed to the cell coverage problem. Cell phones are not adequate in such circumstances. Inter

The Colonization Of Stevens :: essays research papers

The Colonization of Stevens In the year 1954, two years prior to the setting of Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, the Suez canal was returned once again to the government of Egypt putting an abrupt end to the English imperialism and colonialism that had extended throughout centuries. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro serves as a conceit for the rejection of the British Empire by its colonized subjects. Much like the narrator of the novel, Stevens, personifies the dynasty of the British Empire, his realization of the extensive price his â€Å"dignity† has cost him symbolizes the colonial subjects’ realization that their freedom was bought at a price as well. By succumbing to his â€Å"dignity†, Stevens, the ‘great’ English butler also loses much of his self-rule, as did the colonies of the Empire. The subjects of these colonies were led to believe that their voices were heard and valued, as in a democracy, but once acquired the English Parliament paid little attention to the citizens other than as means to a profit. Just as the colonies realized the extent of their dependency on the British Empire, Stevens too realizes the impact of placing his whole existence into the misguided hands of Lord Darlington. Stevens finally admits the foolishness of his devotion to Darlington, a devotion that cost him much of his life. â€Å"Lord Darlington wasn’t a bad man. He wasn’t a bad man at all. And at least he had the priviledge of being able to say at the end of his life that he made his own mistakes. His lordship was a courageous man. He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at least. As for myself, I cannot even claim that. You see, I trusted. I trusted in his lordship’s wisdom. All those years I served him, I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can’t even say I made my own mistakes. Really- one has to ask oneself- what dignity is there in that?† (p. 201) Stevens believed in the end that he had made his life a waste by placing it in the hands of his social betters.

Double Vision in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Essay -- Great

The Great Gatsby:   Double Vision  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   F. Scott Fitzgerald once stated that the test of a first rate intelligence was the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. This intelligence he describes is characterized by the principle of â€Å"double vision.† An understanding of this is essential to the understanding of many of Fitzgerald’s novels. â€Å"Double vision† denotes two ways of seeing. It suggests the tension involved when Fitzgerald sets two things in opposition such that the reader can, on one hand, sensually experience the event about which Fitzgerald is writing, The foundation of double vision is polarity, the setting of extremes against one another, which is the result of dramatic tension. The success of the novel depended on Fitzgerald’s ability to transfer the vision he had himself to the reader. This idea dealt with the ability to believe in the possibilities of several opposite ideas at different levels of abstract...

Christmas Traditions Essay -- essays research papers

In every culture or tradition we have our different ways to celebrate Christmas. In Latin culture we have our unique way to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. We of course have religious ceremonies as well as our traditional food, like the famous ponche, posole, and tamales. But we also celebrate as whole family members house. We have music, we dance, and of course we stay up all night. The most important way to celebrate our posadas is to have baby Jesus the house. The posadas are one of the typical events during a Christmas celebration in Latin America. A posada consist of walking and looking for a place where Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph can spend the night and rest before continuing with their long journey to Bethlehem. Two persons usually represent Saint Joseph and Virgin Mary. In this event, all the people of the community come and participate in this mini-recreation. All the people sing, pray, and even cry when asking for a posada. They use candles and incense to accompany these two Saints. They usually walk all over the neighborhood to find a place. They go from house to house asking for permission to stay and spend the night to rest. Part of a posada is to have people denied the use of their house. So Mary and Joseph continue with their search, until they get to the house that lets them stay. This house is usually decorated with flowers, jade, statue of animals and lights. The people offer food for all the participants and music. Pià ± atas and contests are also part ...

Ethnic Drinking Subcultures Essay

Says : Cultures have been able to integrate drinking into a religious and symbolic context. Irish tend to have a serious drinking problem with drinking; Jews and Italians do not. There are two psychological explanations to be found for alcoholism-cultural and psychological. In a culture in which the demands for male supportiveness are high and there is low support for assertiveness in the male role, the author argues that drinking increases in men at least. The author also discuss the influence of drinking socialization on drinking patterns. Does : It provides the background knowledge required to understand the contents of the book. It introduces the proposition through specialized, concrete and qualitative premises. Chapter Three (Page 36-52) Says : Different cultures are evaluated on the he characteristics of power and support. The Irish and Italians are high on power and support, while the Swedes and Jews are low. Italians and Jews are high on support than are Irish and Swedes. On this basis, it can expected that the groups would rank themselves in terms of alcohol consumption in the following order : irish, Swedes, Italians, Jews. Thus, there is a striking difference in the drinking environment of each drinking group. Does : It provides reasons in support of the proposition. It provides concrete and qualitative examples. It also provides several descriptive examples and qualitative evidence. Chapter Six (Page 83-89) Says : The chapter examines whether the different ethnic groups may have different ‘addiction’ subcultures. The Irish may drink more because they have an ‘oral dependency’ subculture. While various groups do not differ enormously in their adolescent years in their levels of drug consumption, young people from the different groups seem to find their way into peer-group environments where the propensity to abuse alcohol and drugs is high. Does : It provides several specialized and concrete research findings. It introduces several implications of the proposition. Chapter Eight (Page 95-101) Says : There are different drinking subcultures among ethnic groups studied, which influence the drinking behavior and ones propensity to have drinking problems. These cultures are remarkably durable, persisting across generations. Does : It provides a conclusion for the book, and highlights the most important facts related to drinking and ethnicity.

Impact of Advertising on the Youth

Positive Effects Of Advertisement On Kids †¢Advertising makes the kids aware of the new products available in the market. It increases their knowledge about the latest innovations, in the field of technology as well as otherwise. †¢Convincing ads, which center around healthy food products, can help improve the diet of a child, if they are attractive enough. Negative Effects Of Advertisement On Kids †¢Advertisements encourage the children to persuade their parents to purchase the products shown in the commercials, whether useful or not.The little ones tend to get adamant, if they are not bought the product. †¢Children often tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed in commercials. They overlook the positive side and concentrate more on the negatives. †¢Many advertisements in the present times include dangerous stunts, which can be performed only by experts. Even though the commercials broadcast the statutory warnings with the ad, the kids often try to imitate the stunts at home, with fatal results. †¢The flashy advertisements broadcast in television generate impulse shopping in children. Children, after watching the glitter of commercials, often lose the ability to live a life without materialistic joy. †¢The kids usually get more attracted towards the costly branded products, such as jeans and accessories. They disregard the inexpensive, but useful, ones that are not shown in the commercials. †¢Advertisements have an indirect effect on the behavior of children. They might develop temper tantrums, when deprived of the latest toys and clothes that are shown in the commercials. †¢The personal preferences in clothing, toys, food and luxurious of children are altered by the advertisements, to a great extent. Junk foods, such as pizzas, burgers and soft drinks, are heavily promoted during children's TV viewing time. This develops a craving for fatty, sugary and fast foods in kids, thereby affecting their health adversely. Positive Effects of Advertisements on Kids 1) Advertising makes the kids aware of the new products available in the market. It increases their knowledge about the latest innovations, in the field of technology as well as otherwise. 2) Convincing ads, which center around healthy food products, can help improve the diet of a child, if they re attractive enough. Negative Effects Of Advertisement On Kids 1) Advertisements encourage the children to persuade their parents to purchase the products shown in the commercials, whether useful or not. The little ones tend to get adamant, if the product is not bought for them. 2) Children often tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed in commercials. They overlook the positive side and concentrate more on the negatives. 3) Many advertisements in the present times include dangerous stunts, which can be performed only by experts.Even though the commercials broadcast the statutory warnings with the ad, kids often try to imitate the stunts at home , with fatal results. 4) Flashy advertisements broadcast in television generate impulse shopping in children. 5) Children, after watching the glitter of commercials, often lose the ability to live a life without materialistic joy. 6) Kids usually get more attracted towards costly branded products, such as jeans and accessories. They disregard the inexpensive, but useful ones that are not shown in the commercials. ) Advertisements have an indirect effect on the behavior of children. They might develop temper tantrums, when deprived of the latest toys and clothes that are shown in commercials. 8) The personal preferences in clothing, toys, food and luxurious of children are altered by advertisements, to a great extent. 9) Junk foods, such as pizzas, burgers and soft drinks, are heavily promoted during children’s TV viewing time. This develops a craving for fatty, sugary and fast foods in kids, thereby affecting their health adversely.

Marketing Literature Review Essay

Marketing as a management Function3 †¢ Integration of marketing Function7 †¢ Changes in Business Environment10 †¢ Marketing Challenges15 †¢ Bibliography21 Marketing as a Management Function Marketing as a management function which in its simplest term refers to the basic functions of management namely planning, organizing, leading and controlling (POLC). These four functions are necessary for the achievement of organizational goals. It is important that these activities should operate in harmony with one another since they are interrelated. For instance, according to Cole (1996), a manager cannot just do planning and ignore the other aspects. Although these four functions do not tell the whole story about what constitutes management, they are a convenient way of describing most of the key aspects of the roles of management. Planning Plans and decisions are essential requirements to organizational tasks and management. Business success depends significantly upon the successful planning and decision making. Hence, planning is usually listed as the first function of management as we must have a plan before we can organize. Planning can be defined as the management function which involves setting the company’s goals and then determining the means to achieve these goals, in other words, deciding how best to achieve them. In simpler terms, it means deciding now, what to do in the future, given certain intended conditions. The word now indicates present circumstances and the current state of affairs pertaining to an organisation. So, it has been observed that environmental scanning, consisting of the SWOT analysis is therefore a pre-requisite for the planning process. It includes the internal and external environment of the organisation which allows the firm to take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the impact of threats. In addition, the company will have to consider the changes and developments in the macro marketing environment which is the PEST factor (Demographic, Natural, Political/legal, economic, socio-cultural, and technological). The second important element which is ‘what to do’ can also be referred to as ‘what to achieve’. These are expressed in terms of a statement of objectives, goals and targets. The third element, future, may be any time that succeed in the next second or a fraction of it. The future is basically characterised by uncertainty and uncertainty involves risk. Therefore, effective planning requires an effective and efficient process of coping with the uncertainty and the risk of the future to enable achievement of organisation’s objectives. Organizing In order to reach the objective outlined in the planning process, structuring the work of the organization is a vital concern. Organizing is the management function which focuses on arranging and allocating work, authority and resources among an organization’s members that blend together to develop one purpose, to accomplish the goals. These goals will be reached in accordance with the company’s values and procedures. This function involves the setting up of an organizational structure whereby work is allocated, lines of authority and responsibility defined and a system of rules and regulations which guide the conduct of employees laid down. Bateman, Snell (2007) pointed out that a manager must know their subordinates and what they are capable of in order to organize the most valuable resources a company has, its employees. This is achieved through management staffing the work division, setting up the training for the employees, acquiring resources, and organizing the work group into a productive team. This structure should constantly change to suit the organizational needs. Leading Leading inv olves influencing others to engage in the work behaviours necessary to reach organizational goals (Bartol 1997). The manager must communicate with his/her subordinates, explain his/her plans to them, and lead and motivate them to exert their maximum efforts to achieve the goals. Motivation is an internal process that energizes people to engage in certain types of behaviours. Frederick Winslow Taylor’s Scientific Management Movement, was one of the earliest attempts to understand and to deal with the problem of worker motivation. Some major contributors to motivation theories are Abraham Maslow for the Hierarchy of needs theory, Douglas Mc Gregor for Theory X and Theory Y, Frederick Herzberg for Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Leadership has been defined by Dobbins and Pettman (1997) as the ability to motivate people to work towards achieving common goals, to make ordinary people display extraordinary performance. There are different theories of leadership with various stages at its development: traditional theories, contemporary theories and future of leadership. The major contributors to leadership theories are Handy (1993), Kouzes and Pasner(1993), Cacioppe (1997), R. Likert(1961), Blake and Mouton (1964), Fiedler (1967), and Hersey-Blanchard (1968). Controlling Controlling is the management function aimed at regulating organizational activities so that actual performance will conform to expected organizational standards and goals (Bartol 1997). Therefore, the controlling function consists of three steps: i) Establishing a standard or target, ii) Measuring current performance and comparing it with the standard, and iii) Taking corrective actions if deviations are detected. Control is essential at every managerial level since each level has its own planning and responsibility regarding the respective set of activities. However, there is a misconception that control is from top management due to the fact that responsibility increases with the level of hierarchy. Integration of Marketing Function Integration is a marketing catchphrase of the moment. It has risen up because of social, market and technological developments have become more salient and significant than before. The harmonizing of integrated marketing must start with the planning process, by allowing adequate feedback and flexibility to achieve increased organizational fluidity. For the delivery of good customer satisfaction, there should be coordination at three levels. ? Co-ordination among various marketing activities. Nowadays companies need to use a wider range of communication tools and messages effectively by embracing Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). IMC requires â€Å"integration and co-ordination of an organization’s many communication channels, such as advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion and public relations and publicity, to deliver a clear, consistent and compelling message about the organization and its products† (Kotler, 2000).

Discourse Analysis Features of Context

Name: Duong Hong Anh Group: 06. 1. E1 Date: 01/02/2010 —————————————————————————————————— Discourse Analysis Assignment 1 Text: [pic] [pic] Features of context 1. Addressor: a BBC journalist 2. Addressee: the US readers 3. Audience: online readers 4. Topic: US to resume shortly Haiti medical evacuation flights 5. Setting: place: in a column of online BBC newspaper; time: February 2nd, 2010 6. Channel: writing 7. Code: Standard American English 8. Message-form: journal article . Event: BBC news 10. Key: informative, updated 11. Purpose: to inform about actions of the USA government to help Haiti and some other related issues. ———————– US to resume shortly Haiti medical evacuation flights The Unit ed States will resume within hours emergency evacuation flights for critically injured Haitian quake victims, the White House has said. The airlifts stopped last Wednesday because of what Washington described as â€Å"logistical issues†. Doctors warned scores of people would die if the flights did not resume soon. Meanwhile, some of the Haitian children identified as orphans by a group of Americans who were taking them abroad may have parents, it has emerged. Haiti imposed new controls on the movement of children following the 12 January earthquake that killed up to 200,000 people. Officials fear that orphans are now particularly vulnerable to being abducted and sold for adoption. Also on Sunday, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) began a large-scale aid distribution at 16 sites across Haiti's capital, aiming to feed two million people. Only women will be allowed to collect the 25kg (55lb) rice ration, enough to feed a family for two weeks. ‘On track' White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement on Sunday evening: â€Å"Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners, we determined that we can resume these critical flights. † â€Å"The flights are on track to resume in the next 12 hours. Patients are being identified for transfer, doctors are making sure that it is safe for them to fly, and we are preparing specific in-flight paediatric care aboard the aircraft where needed. Mr Vietor said the US government had worked with international partners, NGO's and US states to increase capacity to treat the Haitian patients. Hundreds of patients with spinal injuries, burns and other wounds have been flown on US military planes to America since the quake. Most of them have been treated in Florida. But the US halted the so-called mercy flights o n Wednesday. A White House spokesman told the BBC the move was due to â€Å"logistical issues†, not over medical costs as had been reported earlier. Last week, Florida Governor Charlie Crist warned President Barack Obama's administration that the state's â€Å"healthcare system is quickly reaching saturation, especially in the area of high-level trauma care†. Mr Crist also asked the federal government to activate the National Disaster Medical System, which usually pays for victims' care in domestic disasters. ‘Hungry and dehydrated' On Sunday, SOS Children's Villages international charity said at least one of the 33 Haitian youngsters whom the Americans had tried to take out of Haiti, a little girl, insisted her parents were alive. Charity spokesman George Willeit told journalists the girl said she had believed she was being taken to a boarding school or summer camp. Mr Willeit also said many of the children had been found to be in poor health, hungry and dehydrated. One of the smallest – just two or three months old – was so dehydrated she had to be taken to hospital, he added. Haitian authorities said none of the children had documentation or proof they were actually parentless. ‘Mistake' The 10 Americans, who are now in police custody in Port-au-Prince, said they were taking them to an orphanage in neighbouring Dominican Republic. The five men and five women, from Idaho-based charity New Life Children's Refuge, were stopped while travelling on a bus with the children on the border with neighbouring Dominican Republic. They said the youngsters had all lost their parents in the quake. Laura Silsby, the group's leader, said the arrests were the result of a mistake. â€Å"Our understanding was that we were told by a number of people, including Dominican authorities, that we would be able to bring the children across,† she said. The mistake we made is that we didn't understand there was additional paperwork required. † But the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, in Port-au-Prince, says the regulations are very clear – each case of child adoption must be approved by the government. Even before the earthquake, he adds, child-smuggling was a massive problem in Haiti, with thousands of children disappearing each year. (Source: http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/8490469. stm, retrieved on Feb 2nd 2010)

Discuss the letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discuss the letter - Essay Example However reading the opening part of the letter, the author seems to be rational in his ideas as he quotes concrete evidence of whatever that he perceives. The author has based his understanding of the situation upon hardcore facts and not mere assumptions. In this case it can be said that the argument presented by the author is rationally strong as it provides the readers with a reason to believe. However as we move to the next passage of the letter, it can be observed that though the author has build up his argument in a rational manner once again, but this argument contradicts the preceding one. In this case, though, the readers have strong evidence and reasons to believe in what is being communicated, but the contradiction in the overlapping passages may go on to bewilder the readers and lead to a state of irresolution (Sellnow 185). The penultimate passage is followed by a conclusive one. Ironically, the conclusive part of the letter leaves the readers with a question, unanswered. In this paragraph, the author has used his rhetorical power to get his message across to the audience. The author incorporates a personalized tone to the message and indicates the inception of personal influence in the conclusion that the author has drawn himself, inspired by his personal experiences and perceptions to various stimuli in the world. The final lines of the letter are analyzed to be rhetoric because the author does not provide solid evidence or basis to the reader to believe in what is being said. The reader is left with the freedom to either believe in what is being said or simply leave it. This is the specified characteristic of rhetorical arguments; they leave the reader in an indecisive state and let them make their own opinions. However there is a strong likelihood of readers agreeing to what is being communicated and base their opinions as per those of the author, but this depends upon

The concept of death and the afterlife in Ancient Greece Research Paper

The concept of death and the afterlife in Ancient Greece - Research Paper Example No one really knows for sure with a high degree of certainty about what happens when a person dies. However, due to the sensitivity of the issue, it has been left to people of great knowledge and high mystical prowesses to decipher the issues relating to death and the afterlife. Since religion and spirituality varies, there are variations of cultural trends and activities that go on to define the views on the afterlife. The Ancient Greek Civilization is one of the earliest that evolved in the world over 4,000 years ago. It rivaled the Ancient Egyptian Civilization. The Ancient Greeks had a different set of views about spirituality and mysticism. This paper examines the Greek concept of the death and the afterlife. It would examine the very elements and the essence of their views on death and what happens to the soul as it progresses to the next world and the afterlife. The Concept of Death & The Afterlife This section of the paper would focus on general ideas and concepts relating to death and the afterlife. It would form the fundamental framework within which the rest of the paper would be examined in relation to Greek concepts of death and the after-life. Masumian states provides a very strong depiction of death in his description of a situation. â€Å"A man is dying and as he reaches the point of greatest physical distress, he hears himself pronounced dead by his doctor. He begins to hear an uncomfortable noise, a loud ringing or buzzing, and at the same time feels himself moving very rapidly through a long tunnel. After this, he suddenly finds himself outside his own physical body but still in the immediate environment and he sees his own body from a distance, as though he is a spectator. He watches the resuscitation attempt from this unusual vantage point and is in a state of emotional upheaval†1 This point of view about death seem to be the central and fundamental idea of what most people fee and think in the case of death. Most cultures and most m ovies seem to show a situation where a person goes out of his physical body during death. The soul stands aside and watches as other people continue to try to make a dead person come back to life. This is a depiction of most cultural views of how the soul leaves the body. This forms the basis of the duality that surrounds death and the afterlife. This kind of duality has its roots in the history of societies around the world, including the Greek culture and the Greek society. Many religious movements continue to connect their teachings and ideas to the idea that the soul leaves the body and moves elsewhere in a â€Å"world of souls†. Different concepts and ideas are developed in line with the transmigration of the soul and the treatment of the mortal remains of a dead person. This forms the basis of social interactions and discussions of death and its related matters. The fundamental concept is that life is physical, but when people die, life does not end there2. This is beca use most cultures believe that the soul in a body is the breath of God that is put into the body of a person, hence, the soul proceeds back to where it came from3. In some movements, it is believed that the soul goes into another world or the netherworld as some cultures state it. In other cultures, there are discussions about the soul having to be reborn in a human form that is somewhat similar to the form that the dead individual in question hand4. Muslims and

Managing the Environment (MEWK3 DQ1) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing the Environment (MEWK3 DQ1) - Essay Example In other words, the bank had successfully created a holistic marketing strategy and was able to follow through. As it is building "the world's local bank" brand, the bank is very vulnerable to making that brand work. Hence, it must focus on acquiring local knowledge in each area it operates in, and put that local knowledge to customizing the bank's marketing activities to the locality's preferences and characteristics. Another vulnerability is that competitor banks might leverage on their being 'local' in designing marketing activities and compete head on with the bank's "the world's local bank" strategy. This will surely questions the integrity of such campaign - say, hw can HSBC be that area's local bank wherein the competitor bank is truly local in every sense Going forward and aligned with the company's "the world's local bank" image, a more decentralized structure with regard its marketing department should be adopted. This way the branch is given the authority to design and implement its marketing plans.

Urban Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Urban Health - Essay Example The number of cases also exceeds to countries like Eritrea and Gambia (Abernethy 2013, n.p.).According to these mentioned statistics, tuberculosis is an urban health issue which has to be prevented. To elaborate on the effect of TB and why it has grown into an urban health issue, this study text will highlight the emerging TB issue in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. The discussion will argue on the perspective that immigrant populations contribute to its increase, as is observed in the New Ham region of the London Borough. Tuberculosis in Newham is at an alarmingly high rate (Howes 2013, p.136). The following study text will critically examine the prevalence of tuberculosis within Newham in comparison to other boroughs within the UK. The paper will discuss the situation of the area of New Ham, East London and see that are the causes of increasing number of tuberculosis cases. In its conclusion, the study will also provide some potential recommendations to deal with the issue which will help in the fight against tuberculosis in the said region. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014, n.p.),Tuberculosis is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. As is popularly known, it affects mostly the lungs and other organs such as the lymphatic system, the circulatory system and to an extent the central nervous system (NHS 2014, n.p.). The lymph nodes surrounding the lungs and heart become enlarged, as is the case with all other lymph nodes in an effort to curb the spread of the disease to the entire body (On Health 2014, n.p.). Upon realizing this threat, the body’s immune system reacts by forming scar fibrosis or tissue around the bacteria. If by any chance the bacteria bypass the fibrosis, the disease is reactivated and the pneumonia re-emerges. What follows is damage to bones, kidneys, and the meninges lining the brain and spinal cord. There are two categories of TB. Latent tuberculosis means that