Research Paper Puerto Rico

Juan David Vivas Professor Holt ENC – 1102 Honors English Final Research Paper La ficcion y la realidad en Seva â€Å"Seva: History of the first U. S. invasion of the island of Puerto Rico that took place in May 1898,† is a story written by Dr. Luis Lopez Nieves that defies the boundaries of truth and fiction. This story was published on December 23, 1983 in the supplement of the newspaper â€Å"Red Clarity†. A story that was able to leave a legacy behind. This legacy created an atmosphere of questions and answers among the people in the island.The devastation that puertorricans felt over the words they were reading were caused by a simple proofreading error, arose much confusion where people were desperate for answers, and the perfection of how Seva was written made it impossible to be questioned. Before I continue on informing about this dreadful story, it is important that I state several historical facts in order to accept the authors full credentials and obt ain a better grasp of the story. Luis Lopez Nieves was born on January 17, 1950 in Washington, DC, from Puerto Rican parents.As early as seven years old he moved to the capital of Puerto Rico and at fifteen years of age began his studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. The most luxurious university to study at that time. During his second year he was in Greenwich Village, an artistic and bohemian neighborhood of New York (Ciudsv. com/Datos). At twenty years of age he returned to the University of Puerto Rico and in 1973 graduated with a degree in general studies with concentrations in Comparative Literature and Hispanic Studies.Then he moved to the University of New York at Stony Brook, where he began his Master's degree in Hispanic Studies with a grant from the Ford Foundation. In 1980 he received a doctorate in Philosophy specializing in Comparative Literature and sets a precedent by being the first student to deliver a novel as a doctoral thesis: The Prince Alexander excessive happiness. Lopez Nieves is the author of the novels The Silence of Galileo, published in June 2009 and The heart of Voltaire, published in December 2005 (Ciudsv. om/Datos). This writer is also known for his excellent work as a storyteller with his books of short stories entitled The real death of Juan Ponce de Leon, published in April 2000, Writing for Rafa, published in 1987 and Seva. The week this story was published, the people of Puerto Rico were shocked to learn that the first U. S. invasion of Puerto Rico did not occur July 25, 1898 by the town of Guanica but that it happened on May 5th on the coast of the village that no longer exists called Seva (Ciudsv. com/Datos).That day, the 2,000 troops of General Nelson Miles was ambushed by 721 patriotic â€Å"savaenos† that resisted the American attack on the island and finally defeated the troops of General Miles. Actually it was not a historic victory but a great literary epic written by Luis Lopez Nieves (Ciudsv. com/Libros). A clarification that seemed to be absent on the published story of Seva in the newspaper Clarity caused much controversy in Puerto Rico since people were misled to believe the events occurred were true. The reaction was strong but confused. A harrowing mixture of joy, anger and pain.Joy because finally the old hated myth was destroyed of the alleged docility of puertorricans, their supine alleged delivery to the conquerors. At last, after many years of historical ignorance, puertorricans began to learn a few episodes of their true and heroic epic. Anger because such a vile act as the slaughter of Seva, and the total eradication of the people by the invaders, with good reason (Ciudsv. com/Libros). Pain because the people more courageous than ever, heroic even Lares, lay murdered, buried and forgotten under the planes, buildings and nuclear missiles of the naval base at Roosevelt Roads.After the Seva news, reports were confirmed that in Naguabo, Ceiba, Guayanill a, Rio Piedras, San Sebastian and several committees were organized within hours. The first committee was intended to find Don Ignacio Martinez, the only survivor of the slaughter of Seva: â€Å"My life has changed forever because last January 17 after 14 months of searching disheartened, I finally found the child-without-ear-left: Don Ignacio Martinez. When the Slaughter of Seva was 9 years old (and not 7 as I had estimated) and now has 92, but looks much younger. (Seva, 45)   Another committee was organized to dig in the Roosevelt Roads naval base at any cost until they found the remains of Seva, â€Å"The People Martyr†. In addition to the committees, a prominent psychologist met with the governor of Puerto Rico, Carlos Romero Barcelo, and demanded an investigation to give the whereabouts of Dr. Victor Cabanas. The Governor, given the facts, he was obliged to study the events. This reaction from readers and patriots is admirable, but there was a problem: Seva is a story , the result of a deep dissatisfaction with Luis Lopez Nieves history of Puerto Rico (Ciudsv. om/Datos). The newspaper Clarity, stunned by the events caused by the story he was obliged to publish an apology: â€Å"The text Seva: History of the first U. S. invasion of the island of Puerto Rico took place in May 1898, published in the last edition of In Red, is a story. The same has caused shock and alarm in parts of the country because it suggests a major historical discovery. While some read the text as a story, it seems that most of our readers thought it was a sensational historical article, the product of a thorough investigation and risky.But this is a story and nothing else but a story that became the product of imagination and the combination of literary resources of its author, Luis Lopez Nieves. † The immense controversy that caused Seva took the complete simplicity of just â€Å"another† column in the newspaper to have immediate government intervention to find answers. It rose over the whole story that threatens to take folkloric proportions. In sectors of intellectual, artistic, and academic independence of the country there was another issue this week. At parties, businesses, libraries and homes continually arose gatherings and discussions on the Slaughter of Seva.Attitudes towards the story begin in the euphoria (â€Å"Seva is a rallying cry,† says Ferdinand Quintana, Guayanilla musician). Several crosses appeared in front of the Roosevelt Roads naval base with the inscription: â€Å"Seva Lives! â€Å"(Seviv. com/criticas). The â€Å"Capitolio News Agency† (The white house of Puerto Rico) assigned the reporter Jennifer Wolfe to travel immediately to Washington with the intention of interviewing Peggy Ann Miles, the granddaughter of General Nelson Miles that received Dr. Victor Cabins with â€Å"biscuits, tea and very polite words†, a person that does not exist (Ciudsv. om/Datos). The poet Jose Manuel Torres Sant iago confirmed that following the clarification of the magazine Clarity to the effect that Seva was a story, many in Guayanilla and San Sebastian protested and refused to believe it was said then that Seva Editorial reality and fiction. Many refused to believe that Seva was a story and chose to stay with the version of Luis Lopez Nieves. A prominent nationalist claims to know a veterinarian who, in turn, had an uncle who spoke of Seva. â€Å"Its Ceiba,† the vet told his uncle. â€Å"No,† he replied, â€Å"I do not speak of Ceiba but of Seva†.This nationalist seemed very concerned and said that Seva is a reality. He resists, moreover, to believe that Don Ignacio Martinez is a fictitious entity created by Luis Lopez Nieves (Seva, p. 58). Fortunately, in the same way that people were wrong or did not understand the satire of Lopez Nieves, there were people who understood. A famous guayanillense wrote the following note with the real meaning of the story: â€Å"Sev a is for me a reality of all Puerto Ricans, regardless of political positions, that could happen or has happened in our town that is still suffering the same symptoms of the past.But as long as men determined as Seva, Puerto Rico will have a firm hope, of all Puerto Ricans who believe in the values that the country means for everyone. Although they do not deserve to have benefits and come to mourn for what they have not earned or deserved. But we are all too ‘Ay Bendito’ that we forgive him. † (January 9, 1984, Jose Eugenio Rivera Castagnet) The elaborate and well detailed of the context in Seva presented the story so well that it was extremely difficult to determine fact from fiction.For the first time an author was able to take a story that was not true but because of historical events, it seemed as if it had happened exactly as stated (Seviv. com/critocas). This work is extraordinary. This paper published by Luis Lopez Nieves is a hit. It is an invitation to de lve into the history of Puerto Rico, for Seva is not far from the truth. Among the readers of Clarity are probably the most sophisticated, better informed and more critical of the island: professors and university students, boxes on the left, lawyers, labor leaders, and professionals (Ciudsv. om/Libros). The author wanted to share with the people the truth that good fiction reveals: the truth about puertorricans. That is, it looks like people get an immediate sense of patriotism to see how a town was erased from history. Puerto Rican’s know the abuses that the American people rushed against Puerto Rico, the problem is that they forget or are given a blind eye when they give their coupons, housing and entertainment, among other things. They think that to swim against the current is comprehensive and to swim along is demeaning and insulting for the soul and freedom.So they are undecided and have a lifestyle like if nothing is happening around them (Ciudsv. com/Datos). We find r eality hard to believe and accept. The fiction on the other hand can easily be taken as true. How else can one explain that a publicity stunt by the author of Seva: The True Story of the American invasion in 1898 has caused such a stir, mostly clarifications and explanations from the area called the country's intelligence? Works Cited Lopez Nieves, Luis. Seva: Historia de la primera invasion norteamericana de la isla de Puerto Rico ocurrida en mayo de 1898. ra ed. Bogota, Colombia: Editorial Norma 2006 â€Å"Puerto Rico: Cementerio de la acrobacia†, revista Borinquen Grafico â€Å"? Seva Vive? â€Å". Site Oficial De Seva Vive. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 June 2012. â€Å"Datos Personales Y BiogrA? ficos – Luis Lopez Nieves – Ciudad Seva. † Datos Personales Y BiogrA? ficos. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 June 2012. . Seva – Luis Lopez Nieves. † Seva. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 June 2012. ;http://ciudadseva. com/libros/seva. htm;.

How Does Walker’s Use of Imagery and Symbolism?

In â€Å"The Colour Purple,† Alice Walker uses symbolism, and imagery to affect the reader’s interpretation of the novel through very complex themes of religious influence, oppression and emotion developed from these literary devices. This has a profound influence on the reader’s interpretation of the novel as it suggests certain opinions and points of view to them as well as giving them deeper insight to the emotions of the protagonist In â€Å"The Colour Purple† a strong theme of religious influence and interpretation is developed through use of symbolism and imagery.The fact that the letters are initially addressed to God, an entity in whom the protagonist strongly believes, has a significant symbolic impact on the novel. When Celie’s mother asks where her child came from she says â€Å"Its God’s† when clearly, it is her father’s child. The elliptical choice of â€Å"God† as the father of the baby is symbolic, and show s that the power her Pa wields over her makes him a God-like figure to her. This is ironic the semantic field of the word â€Å"God† holds connotations of an all-powerful and infinitely benevolent entity.The irony of this is that whilst the true father of the baby, her â€Å"Pa†, holds a great deal of power over her, he is portrayed as anything but benevolent. If anything, he is more like Satan as he is seemingly the source of all the deplorable aspects of her life. This evokes a great deal of pathos from the reader and also antipathy towards her father. This clearly Illustrates for the reader who the protagonist and antagonists of the novel are Later in the novel, this symbolism is continued as the protagonist’s perception of God is explored through her dialogue with Shug Avery.Soon after discovering that her sister is still alive, she becomes frustrated and against the idea of praising God, exclaiming â€Å"What God do for me? † This is a typical reacti on of people who have suffered in life to the concept of God. This anger she feels towards God for letting her suffer so much is a manifestation of all the anger she feels towards all the people who have wronged her in life. This further manifests itself when she decides, â€Å"She don’t write God no more† as she blames him for giving her a hard life.She also decides that God is a man, something that is of extreme significance as Celie attributes all of her life’s troubles and problems to men, and their mistreatment of her. She confesses to Shug Avery that she sees God as â€Å"Big and old and tall and greybearded and white† This perception of God is a fairly common one, along with the â€Å"white robed† and â€Å"barefooted† idea. Then Shug outlines her perceptions of God, and church, ideas that are not so common. Her ideas are extremely interesting; she says she never found God in church, and any God she found she â€Å"brought in† with her.The effect this has on the reader forms very strong empathy with the protagonist, as the thoughts she is having are very relatable. It also makes the reader question their own perceptions of God, thus making this novel seem to be a very philosophical one. With Shug’s help, Celie comes to see that God isn’t a bearded white man, he is â€Å"Everything†, he is in nature, people, the sky and all that is good. This is most strongly illustrated in the final letter of the book which she addresses â€Å"Dear God. Dear stars, dear trees, dear sky, sear peoples.Dear everything. † The syntax of those sentences as a list illustrates further that she sees God in everything that is good and beautiful. This shows that she has come back to God and her perceptions have changed dramatically. This symbolises the end of a journey as Celie comes to accept God once more and it also symbolises that fact that she has moved on with her life and is finally happy. She†™s also This creates more empathy from the reader who feels joy for the protagonist as well as showing that she has overcome her hardships.Overall this idea of a journey creates a sense of this being a very biographical novel. The fact that it is in epistolary form makes the novel much more personal and relatable for the reader. When Celie leaves Mr. __ she finds her inner self and gains a lot more personality. At the beginning of the novel, she never mentions her emotions, just physical feelings. This is symbolic of the fact that in her oppression, she was just surviving rather than living. She was very much a shell, her body existed but her inner spirit was suppressed greatly.The first time emotions are brought in are when Celie discovers that her sister is still alive. Her break from oppression to become her own person is symbolised by the pants. The making of pants is theraputic for her, she claims she â€Å"aint been able to stop† after she started. This is the first t hing shes ever chosen to do herself so they are symbolic of her newfound independence. Also in that society, pants were considered to be a men’s item of clothing, so the wearing of pants by Celie and Shug is symbolic of their fight against sexism and the patriarchal society.The fact that she starts to make money from the pants furthers the idea of independence. The effect on the reader of this is it gives an idea of this being a very political novel and being about a struggle for freedom. The colour purple is a regal colour representative of affluence and the good things in life created by God for the people to enjoy. At the beginning of the beginning of the book, Celie has no sense of the colour purple, she has a terrible life in which she is just surviving rather than really living. The lack of emotion at the beginning clearly shows this.As a result, she doesn’t have the capacity to sense the colour purple, she cant appreciate the simple beauty of life and nature as her conditions are so oppressive that she cant see any good. Shug helps her to see the good in life when she shows Celie that God is in everything and telling her to â€Å"relax, go with everything that’s going and praise God by liking what you like. † This overall analysis of God and the form In which he exists prompts the reader to question their own view on God, especially the way in which society depicts him and his laws.

Rethinking Marxist Communication Theory in the Light of the Essay

Rethinking Marxist Communication Theory in the Light of the Information Society - Essay Example Rethinking Marxist Communication Theory in the Light of the Information Society Apparently, few individuals in Western societies currently recognize Marxist’s second set of ideas. Many believe that Capitalism is important and others do not need to see it ruined. Also, a significant number of Westerners do not like the idea of communism or revolution. The following discussions intend to reveal the worth of the first of these suggestions. One can recognize Marx’s ideas as being very important for the purpose of knowing our society without accepting his criticism about capitalism, his recognition for political action, and his political values. With regard to economic substructure, Marx contends that the economic setting, form of productive systems is the most relevant factor in determining all the societal aspects like social organizations, system of law, education and morality. These are elements which are found within the societal superstructure. He argued against Hegel’s philosophy in which ideas were considered to be relevant historical determinants. Also, Marx contends that most of the ideas are as a result of economic or material conditions and therefore strongly contradicted reformers who believed that transformation in ideas can transform the society. The main types of society that were distinguished by Marx was feudal, Primitive, and capitalist. In a capitalists setting, capitalists own and manage the productive wealth, workers posses only their labor and work on behalf of capitalists, who eventually own the product and trade it off with a profit.

The Credit Default Swap of Central East European Countries Essay - 4

The Credit Default Swap of Central East European Countries - Essay Example The risk in entailment of equity investment is high in Central European countries compared to Countries of Western Europe and this is mainly due to factors such as the weak rule of the governments, difficult and complicated financial accounts of organizations, currency risks, the transparent rule in government institutions etc. Economic performance of each country is unique and therefore equity risk premium is different for each country.The currency board is the controller of interest rates and provides financial stability to the country. The CDS premium is a powerful instrument in the credit derivatives market because it is a direct tool for measuring the credit default spreads. CDS spreads is in proportion to the pure valuation of defaulting risk of the primary body. Credit risk is tested by approximating the equity price and the volatility jumps in the financial market. CDS spread commonly referred is the premium payment for a CDS. Credit Default Swap spreads is a yardstick for pricing and hedging insecurities. â€Å"Risk premiums for Central Europe have increased substantially over the past two years and may well come down again when confidence returns to global financial markets. This may represent an excellent buying opportunity, as risk premiums tend to rise or even overshoot during turbulent financial markets.† (Nemethy 2009). The main objective of this dissertation is to examine the differences in the risk premium reflected in the CDS of CEE countries, especially Bulgaria. Bulgaria has a currency board restriction. Countries which have a currency board restrictions faceless degree of inflation and experience more GDP growth. The idea of this dissertation is to convince that risk premiums in CDS have an impact on the economy and has differences in the risk premium. Credit default swaps are an indicator of global financial crisis.

Business Process Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Process Management - Assignment Example rs is because it has worked in eliminating symptoms of business dysfunction such as slow service rate, poor data management and inefficiency in customer service. While this process is crucial for any organization, it is surrounded by a number of challenges and disadvantages that make it hard to implement. However, in the face of current business competition, it is crucial for every organization to focus on business process management to ensure that they remain competitive through efficiency in accomplishment of their goals and objectives. Business process management is a strategy that is concerned with streamlining business operations to ensure that they are optimally efficient. In other word, it is referred to as business process optimization through technological strategies. The BPM is based on the principle that if the organizational functions are accomplished with high efficiency, it is possible for an organization to achieve higher profits (Bhasin & Parrey, 2013). BPM ensures that there efficient information processing, project monitoring, risk measurement and service delivery within the organization. There is a great link between the line of business and the information technology in developing efficient business systems. With the current proliferation of technology, BPM has become an important aspect in deploying information technology in streamlining business operations. For instance, software applications are currently used to process large data to ensure that a company can use a wide range of data to make b usiness decisions. Software systems are used to monitor business operations to ensure that the projects remain within the schedule, which is critical in following the critical path. In large business organizations, technology is used to streamline communication within the organization among the employees. Efficiency in business operation is responsible for increase in the organizational profits. Business process management has both advantages and

The Chinese Revolution as inspired by Marxist Theory Essay

The Chinese Revolution as inspired by Marxist Theory - Essay Example After this breakdown, an all-out war between these two forces resumed. Ultimately, the People’s Liberation Army was victorious, and on October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China. The importance and significance of the Chinese Revolution is integral, and in order to come to a clearer and more knowledgeable understanding on this subject matter, certain political and economic issues must be addressed. As well, the historical factors and lessons learned from this occurrence must be included. The aim of this paper is to discuss all of this, along with other relevant and significant issues in regards to the Chinese Revolution. This is what will be dissertated in the following. The political and economic institutions of Revolutionary China (1949-1976) were very much inspired by Marxist theory on the transition from capitalism to socialism in several different ways. In China, Mao Zedong is remembered for many things. He is revered as the greatest of revolutionaries. However he has also been considered as among the worst politicians. â€Å"He knew well how to make a revolution, but once in power he could not put his love of revolution aside for the sake of governing.† (Compton’s Living Encyclopedia, 1995). Mao Zedong was born in Shaoshan, Hunan Province on December 26, 1893. During the Revolution of 1911-12 Mao served in the army for six months. Afterwards, he graduated from the First Provincial Normal School in Changsha in 1918. He was then sent to Peking University where he became embroiled in the Revolutionary May Fourth Movement. It was in 1921 when Mao helped found the Chinese Communist party, and it was only two years after this that he l eft work to become a full-time revolutionary. At the time of its founding in 1921, the Chinese Communist party was focused on organizing such things as

Writting- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writting- - Essay Example I was to sit and work from this part of the office. The organization where I started my internship deals in health care. They run about twelve health care homes where patients are admitted. Moreover, they also deal in providing medical equipment, like wheel chairs, and other medical supplies, including insulin and other medication to vendors, who, in turn, provide these to patients. My work involves conducting patient satisfaction surveys over the phone. I have to make calls to the patients and ask them various questions regarding their satisfaction; this includes asking them if the delivery of the medical equipment was timely and in working order. After each survey, I have to submit the findings to my supervisor who analyzes them and then puts the information into the database. I also have to arrange and organize the files of the patients who apply to the home health aid organization. This includes the files of the patients who get accepted to the homes as well as those whose applications are rejected by the organization. I have to arrange and sort through these files and ensure that the filing remains up to date. It is interesting work as not only do I work with filing, but I also interact with patients. This helps me to stay in touch with the people who are involved in the organization – I stay in contact with my colleagues as well as the patients who come to the organization. I feel more fulfilled at my work place because I believe that my job helps to improve the organization that has employed me; I am involved in gathering feedback from the patients with regard to the organization, and then handing it to my supervisor who makes sure that the information is noted down for any action that may be required. My internship, therefore, gives me a sense of accomplishment, and I am glad to be given this

Female Issues in Streetcar and Hedda Movie Review

Female Issues in Streetcar and Hedda - Movie Review Example She fabricated lies to make herself look good and hide her weakness. She presented herself as someone with breeding and educated background although in reality, she was an alcoholic and a former prostitute who had a penchant for seducing younger men. Her husband committed suicide when she insulted him after her discovery of his homosexuality. She seemed to believe her delusions to be the truth because the lies gave her the life she dreams of living. She was desperately looking for someone who would shower her with kindness and end her loneliness. Stella's husband, Stanley, though, despised Blanche's phony glamour and affectations and discovered her checkered past. He wanted to put her in her place and he confronted her with the truth when they were left alone. In the battle of wills and passionate rage, Stanley raped Blanche. This finally brought Blanche over the edge and deep into madness. Hedda Gabler Tesman (Hedda Gabler), daughter of an aristocratic general who belongs to the suburban, middle-class family at the turn of the century (1890's) was a strong-willed woman who would get what she wanted. She projected the image of a much-admired lady and was presumed to be an ideal housewife for the academician George Tesman. Although she secretly despised the passive George, she married him on the belief that he would be able to provide her with a comfortable and luxurious life based on his future expectations as a University Professor. George's coveted position though was threatened by the arrival of a colleague, Ejlert Lovborg, who was also romantically involved with Hedda in the past. Lovborg unleashed the inner passions of Hedda but she turned him away because he represented everything that was against her ideals of a husband. To add injury to the insult, Lovborg had a turnaround with the influence of Mrs. Thea Elvsted whom Hedda has hated since their school years. He dda held a deep-seated jealousy of Thea's comfortable and natural femininity. The much hyped about publication of Lovborg's latest work was presumed to give him the boost to overtake the promotion of George Tesman. Thea was helping Lovborg in the publication of his work. Lovborg, however, during one of his drinking sprees, lost the manuscript. Hedda deceptively got hold of them and burned them. Lovborg confessed to Hedda about the lost manuscript and Hedda, the manipulative lady, played on Lovborg's disturbed state of mind and gave him the pistol which he later used to kill himself. In Hedda's mind, Lovborg death would give her the freedom to enjoy the beautiful life she so desired. However, she was jolted back to reality when she was told by Judge Barack, a sinister man who had hidden desire for Hedda that Lovborg did not die of suicide and hinted that he knew where the pistol that Lovborg used came from. This was the final blow to Hedda's dreams and she committed suicide. The two films had depicted the struggles of the two women heroines to reconcile what they thought would become of their lives (their dreams) with what they had become

Licensing and Professional Organizations Research Paper

Licensing and Professional Organizations - Research Paper Example I decided to work in the Family Practice Clinic, as it will suit my passion of serving all from the young to the elderly who may have different difficulties due to their ages. Family nursing practitioner roles requires nurses to be registered nurses in order to serve as primary and as specialty health care providers. FNPs work with patients throughout their lives, conducting exams, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medication and therapy, conduct routine checkups, and assisting in minor surgical procedures. Working in family nursing organization requires one to dedicate his profession in serving the patients as their sole care provider while also running own private practices. Offering of these requires the nurses to be well structured, multifaceted, independent, and to have a patient facing mentality (Mason, Leavitt & Chaffee, 2013). In family nursing organization, advocacy is the cornerstone of the complete nursing procedures. Nurses usually advocate causes, patients, and the profession itself. The main advocacy in the organization, motivated by the moral and ethical principles will be seeking to influence different policies in the primary health care sector. The influence would be through arguing or pleading within the economic, political, and social systems in an effort to promote the nursing fraternity in offering family nursing services. The aim of the organization is to coordinate care on a large scale among families adhering to the organizational scope of delivering high quality care to the patients. In this case, communication will be the main governing tool. The organization aims at offering patient-centered care, in that the patients would be in active involvement with their care providers in making health decisions. The organization aims at being all round although the roles, medical treatments, medical duties, and pharmacological abilities in the nursing profession depend on state of licensure. The main roles of the nurses in the Family

Discuss ways in which Dickinson explores Essay Example for Free

Discuss ways in which Dickinson explores Essay The sense of the abstract covers a wide varity of ideas such as imagery and language. In ‘Going to Him! Happy letter’ Emily Dickinson explores these ideas of the abstract theme through her use of language. The sense of the abstract is explored through Dickinson’s method of thinking (unlike many of the people in the 1800’s) she was ahead of her time, writing about modern ideas in the 1800’s. Her poems never have a straight forward meaning, this is the abstract, concealing the meaning in her poems and thinking outside of the box. The abstract object in the poem also known as ‘494’ is the letter, which is referred to throughout the poem. Stanza one opens with ‘Going to Him! Happy letter! ’, immediately we see privacy in Dickinson’s poem, by using ‘Him’ we are left in the dark since we do not know who ‘Him’ is. This indicates that the poem is about a mysterious figure that she may or may not have feeling for. This creates obscurity around the abstract subject of the letter. The use of capitalizing ‘Him’ emphasizes the importance of this person, but still keeps the mystery alive, building up expectations. We know that the poem is about a letter; by including an exclamation mark after the word ‘letter! ’ makes it seem joyful, due to the context that it is in. However, the use of the exclamation marks also gives the feeling that the letter is being instructed to be happy; Emily Dickinson needs the letter to be cheerful when it is received in order for her true feeling to be realized. The exclamation marks can also be used in other contexts giving other feelings, such as, ‘Cautious! ’ by including this exclamation mark; the letter is made to seem vigilant. The imagery presented by the use of language adds to the sense of the abstract. In stanza one ‘Left the verb and the pronoun out’ shows how Emily Dickinson wants to say things to this mysterious person, but she is not giving away her true feelings and emotions or she is having trouble doing so. This relates to Emily Dickinson’s personal character, we know she was an extremely private woman who enjoyed her own company rather than others, which explains why she is having such difficulties showing her feelings. Throughout the poem there is repetition of the word, ‘Tell Him-‘followed by a dash, this indicates that Dickinson is building up expectations as well as anticipation. The word ‘Tell Him’ is also instructing the letter, assuring her message is received and understood. This links to the main idea in the poem, of being your own critic. Dickinson is constantly judging her own work, assuring that it can be the best it can be, so that when the letter is received, the message is given in the correct context. The use of dashes during the poem is indicating that Dickinson’s though process was changing a great pace, when reading the poem it seems as if the main idea drifts, which is the same as thoughts drifting in and out of our minds as we think. By using dashes when reading the poem the imagery is brought to life, because, the poem moves fast by changing topic, an example of the changing topic is, ‘But – if he ask where you are hid’. This also masks Dickinson’s true feelings towards this mysterious man, since we can never get her precise emotions. The sense of the abstract is enhanced by the personification of the letter, since the letter is the abstract idea. The poem is about Dickinson writing about the process of writing a letter, and by giving the letter feelings, brings to life the abstract idea. The letter is made to feel sleepy, a human sensation, shown by, ‘Any you – got sleepy’, which explains how as the letter progresses, it like a human becomes tired due to the amount of work it is having to do. The letter is again personified in stanza one, Dickinson expresses how she wishes the paper she is writing on had eyes, so that, it could see what she wants to say rather than she writes it, this is shown by the use of, ‘eyes in your pages’. The letter is personified throughout the poem adapting a personality; the amount of detail Dickinson includes in her letter brings to life the letter. This makes the poem seen as if there is a conversation between two separate people, (Emily Dickinson and the letter) Dickinson is asking whether her letter is good or not. The sense of the abstract is explored through what Emily Dickinson is trying to say. The letter is Dickinson’s feelings and thoughts. By writing a letter to a possible lover shows how difficult it can be to admit ones true mind-set and emotions. This is shows in stanza two when Dickinson explains that the letter was hard and different for her to write, ‘it wasn’t a Practiced Writer’. Since she does not write her emotions on paper, she believes that when the man reads her letter, her emotions will not be acknowledged in the way that she desires. The abstract theme is explored around the idea of the letter. This is through Dickinson’s method of attempting to write it in the correct context assuring it is received in the exact way she means it to be sent. The poem has modern day issues faced within it, such as, when writing an e-mail we hit the same problems, for example how will the recipient interpret the message? And will the message be taken in the wrong way? This is what the poems underlying meaning is about, sending a message (in this case a letter), and when writing it, thinking about how the message is received.

Happy Worker Is A Productive Worker Management Essay

Happy Worker Is A Productive Worker Management Essay The axiom of a happy worker is a productive worker has been traditionally accepted by organizations for many years. The globalization trend, technology changes and development as well as the new business practices continuously influence the importance of motivation and job satisfaction in Malaysian organizations. Nowadays many companies are facing intensive challenge in improving employees job satisfaction and their organizational commitment to gain competitive advantage and at the same time retention of their key employees. Successful organizations realize that employee retention is important to sustain their leadership and growth in the market place. In any meeting and conferences, The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) usually reflects the most challenging issues that face the oil and gas industry. Shortage of labor skills was not even an issue to be discussed in the SPE meetings and conferences for couple of years back. However this issue has emerged in the oil and gas industry and retaining top performance employees is becoming a major concern for many oil and gas companies. Recently most of SPE conferences have in their agenda discussions on the shortage of labor skills which really reflect the magnitude and the size of this issue. Obviously, every manager tries to achieve their organization objectives. In this connection they must concentrate in many aspects to fulfill the organizations wish to keep well trained and effective workforce. Employees with higher job satisfaction are important since they believe that the organization would have tremendous future in the long run and the employer gives credit to the quality of their work, hence those employees are more committed to the organization, have higher retention rates, and tend to have higher productivity. In order to make the best use of people as a valuable resource of the organization, attention must be given to the relationship between staff and the nature and content of their jobs. The organization and the design of jobs can have a significant effect on staff where attention needs to be given to the quality of working life. Many managers in the oil and gas companies when asked what motivates their employees and how to retain them always answer with confidence money, money and money as the only retention factor. It is because of this limited view that many companies are having high turnover rates. Money is necessary but it is not sufficient to retain an employee. An oil company needs to do more than increasing salary, in addition it has more options that are non-monetary and are very effective in order to retain and motivate employees. Motivation is an inner driver that drive individuals to act or perform. Specific theories may propose varying set of factors influencing motivation (Harder, 2008). But many scholars agree that motivation is psychological process that causes the arousel, direction, intensity and persistence of behaviour (Locke and letham, 2004; Pinder, 1998). There are numerous motivation theories that have influenced the way organisations manage employees to achieve a motivated work force. These theories attempt to explain why people behave the way they do and advice on factors and strategies which when employed can get the best out of employees in terms of their commitment to work. Notwithstanding, because of the complex nature of the issues worth considering when motivating people, it is always not an easy task when it comes to organisations motivating workers for effective performance. Job satisfaction is important to an organizations success. Much research has been conducted into ways of improving job satisfaction of workers in various sectors of the Malaysian economy, including the academic sector (Wong Teoh, 2009; Noordin Jusoff, 2009), the hotel sector (Abd. Patah, Radzi, Abdullah, Adzmy, Adli Zain, Derani, 2009), the government sector (Yahaya, A., Yahaya, N., Arshad, Ismail, 2009), the non-profit sector (Ismail Zakaria, 2009), the naval sector (Mohd. Bokti Abu Talib, 2009), and the automobile manufacturing sector (Santhapparaj, Srinivasan, Koh, 2005). There has been relatively little research into the determinants of job satisfaction in the oil and gas in Malaysia. Therefore, this paper endeavours to address this literature gap. PROBLEM STATEMENT One of the leading challenges facing by Managers nowadays is execution of effective human capital strategies to augment firms performance. As a result of pressure to perform, the worth of satisfied employees becomes more indispensable. Job satisfaction describes that how much happy an individual is with his/her job. According to Locke (1976) job satisfaction is a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job and job experiences. The happier the individual, the higher is level of job satisfaction. It is assumed that positive attitude towards work and greater organizational commitment increases job satisfaction which in return enhances performance of the individual (Linz, 2002). However, the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction appears to be a very complex one. The fact that employees are satisfied does not necessarily mean that they will perform well and motivated. They may be satisfied because they may not have to work hard, conversely, employees who work hard may not be satisfied. They may be working hard in order to avoid some form of disciplinary action against them (Bhagat, 1982). From findings, the issue of job satisfaction amongst employees also has escalated into other human resource issues such as high turnover. In this era of war for talent, organization realized the high costs associated with turnover and the time spent in replacing the resigned staff. This problem is happening in almost every industry in Malaysia with turnover rate on the rise. Based on the data collected in Hewitts 2007 Total Compensation Management survey, the average employee turnover rate is 18% (Hewitt, 2008). Another report by Hewitt in The Edge Malaysia in 2009, retaining staff would increasingly prove challenging as the turnover rate in Malaysia increased to 10.1% in 2009 compared to 9.3% in 2008. As reported by Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) in their recent Salary Survey for Executives/Non Executives 2010: Average Monthly Turnover Rate (July 2009-June 2010) Non Executive Executive Oil Gas/Petroleum/Chemical Industry 1.56% 0.87% Overall 1.97% 1.35% Source : Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) The report showed that the turnover rate for non executives is much higher than executives and this is linked to low employee satisfaction. The employees desire to hop from one job to another seem to be the trend of today. In three recent surveys conducted in the United States, Canada and Malaysia, it was reported that more than half would abandon their employers if offered comparable jobs elsewhere (McShane, 2009). Despite monetary rewards, commitment amongst employees is still low. Therefore, the researcher is hoping that this study will be able to provide answers to the following statement: Does achievement increase employee satisfaction? Does advancement increase employee satisfaction? Does work itself increase employee satisfaction? Do recognition increase employee satisfaction? Do growth increase employee satisfaction? The manager needs to understand how best to make work more satisfying for employee and to overcome obstacles to effective performance. As mentioned earlier, because of a high competition, therefore every organization has to compete with other organization. In this connection in order to achieve competitive advantage the organization has to retain work for, organization expects that satisfying employees are more performing. Therefore, there is a need for the organization to satisfy their employees to achieve their objectives. For the employees point of view, job satisfaction leads to several benefits such as, reducing moral stress, create new thinking and innovation which lead them to high level, fresh mind, good relationship with co-workers, supervisor and employees etc. Competition as a result of globalisation, information technology and industrialisation has compelled managers all over the world to seek to motivate their employees in order to get the best out of them and to stay co mpetitive. This has led managers to employ all sorts of techniques to motivate and satisfy their employees. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The main objectives of the study is to examine the impact of motivational factors on employee job satisfaction. Therefore, the objectives of this research are as follows: To identify the employee perception in regards to achievement, advancement, work itself, recognition, growth and job satisfaction. To examine the relationship between achievement and employee job satisfaction. To examine the relationship between advancement and employee job satisfaction. To examine the relationship between work itself and employee job satisfaction. To examine the relationship between recognition and employee job satisfaction. To examine the relationship between growth and employee job satisfaction. To examine the impact of motivational factors on employee job satisfaction. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The researcher would like to investigate the impact of motivational factors on employee job satisfaction. Therefore, the research questions that will hold relevance to the study are: What is the employee perception with regards to achievement, advancement, work itself, recognition and growth? Is there a relationship between achievement and employee job satisfaction? Is there a relationship between advancement and employee job satisfaction? Is there a relationship between work itself and employee job satisfaction? Is there a relationship between recognition and employee job satisfaction? Is there a relationship between growth and employee job satisfaction? Do motivational factors have an impact on employee job satisfaction? RESEARCH FRAMEWORK The investigation of this study is to analyze the motivational factors that cause job satisfaction in the workplace of employees employed by oil and gas company headquarted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In essence, the research will focus on the factors that contribute to job satisfaction and high motivation amongst employees. The motivational factors that will be used in this research only focus on achievement, advancement, recognition, work itself and growth. Achievement Specific successes, such as the successful completion of a job, solutions to problems, vindication, and seeing the results of your work. Advancement Actual changes which enhance position or status at work. Recognition Any act of recognition, be it notice or praise. A distinction can be made between situations where concrete rewards are given along with acts of recognition and those in which they are not. Work itself The actual or nature of the job or phases of it. Growth Changes in job situation where the possibilities for professional growth increase. Besides new vistas opened up by promotion, they include increased opportunities in the existing situation for learning and practicing new skills. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The researcher hopes that this study will contribute to numerous benefits in terms of theoretical, management as well as academic perspectives. Theoretical perspective: The study would help to shed new light of the usefulness of the Herzberg Two-Factor Theory in explaining the importance of employee motivational factors on employee job satisfaction. Management perspective: The management can use the findings from this study to assist them to gain competitive advantage over their competitors in employee commitment from the same industry. This study is also aimed at helping employees to identify the motivational factors that will drive them towards being more committed and loyal to the organization. The employees will feel contented which is the factor that will make them stay longer in the organization. The longer employee stays with an organization, the more valuable they will be in terms of seniority, skill and knowledge. Academic perspective: This research will benefit other student to understand the impact of motivational factor on job satisfaction better and could be a reference or guideline for other researcher who is interested to study this three relationship dimension in other industry. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of this study only covers employees from oil and gas industry who are based at the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. For the purpose of this study, the motivational factors only include achievement, advancement, recognition, work itself and growth. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Sample select a sample population that may not reflect the overall population. Respondents too dependent on the self-reported responses. Time limited time to collect back the questionnaires as some of the respondents may be working outstation or on a short foreign assignment. These abovementioned factors may affect the accuracy of the data and steps have been undertaken to reduce this problem by assuring the respondents that this study is confidential. Employees can then be rest assured as to provide true and fair opinion as they need not furnish their names in the questionnaire.

Narrative Worth in A Rose for Emily Essay -- A Rose For Emily, William

In â€Å" A Rose for Emily†, William Faulkner tells the complex tale of a woman who is battered by time and unable to move through life after the loss of each significant male figure in her life. Unlike Disney Stories, there is no prince charming to rescue fallen princess, and her assumed misery becomes the subject of everyone in the town of Jefferson, Mississippi. As the townspeople gossip about her and develop various scenarios to account for her behaviors and the unknown details of her life, Emily Grierson serves as a scapegoat for the lower classes to validate their lives. In telling this story, Faulkner decides to take an unusual approach; he utilizes a narrator to convey the details of a first-person tale, by examining chronology, the role of the narrator and the interpretations of â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, it can be seen that this story is impossible to tell without a narrator. As Faulkner begins â€Å"A Rose for Emily† with death of Emily, he both immediately and intentionally obscures the chronology of the short story to create a level of distance between the reader and the story and to capture the reader’s attention. Typically, the reader builds a relationship with each character in the story because the reader goes on a journey with the character. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, Faulkner â€Å"weaves together the events of Emily’s life† is no particular order disrupting the journey for the reader (Burg, Boyle and Lang 378). Instead, Faulkner creates a mandatory alternate route for the reader. He â€Å"sends the reader on a dizzying voyage by referring to specific moments in time that have no central referent, and thus the weaves the past into the present, the present into the past. â€Å"Since the reader is denied this connection with the characters, the na... ... Works Cited 1. Burg, Jennifer, Anne Boyle and Sheau-Dong Lang. â€Å"Using Constraint Logic Programming to Analyze the Chronology in A Rose of Emily†. Computer and the humanities (2000): 377-392 2. Faulkner, William â€Å"A Rose for Emily†. Schilb, John and John Clifford â€Å"Making Literature Matters: An Anthropology for Readers and Writers†, Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 667-675 3. Perry, Manakhelm â€Å"Literary Dynamics: How the Order of a Text Creates Its Meanings [With an Analysis of Faulkner’s â€Å"A rose for Emily†] Poetics today (1979). 35-65+311-365 4. Skinner, John â€Å"A Rose for Emily: Against Interpretation. â€Å"Journal of Narrative Technique† (1985): 42-51 5. Sullivan, Ruth â€Å"The Narrator in A rose for Emily†. Journal of Narrative Technique (1971): 159-178 6. Watkins, Floyd C. â€Å"The Structure of A Rose for Emily†. Modern Language Notes (1954): 508-510

Ronald Dworkins Liberal Morality Essay -- essays research papers fc

Dworkin begins by roughly defining liberalism according to the New Deal: â€Å"It combined an emphasis on less inequality and greater economic stability with more abundant political and civil liberty for the groups campaigning for these goals.† Dworkin states that such a definition is inadequate and goes on to elaborate on liberalism in more depth. The liberal, in economic policies, demands that the inequalities of wealth be reduced through social programs such as â€Å"welfare and other redistribution financed by a progressive tax.† Liberals also take a Keynesian policy toward the governments stabilizing intervention in the economy, such as controlling inflation and unemployment. And liberals support freedom of speech, racial equality and are â€Å"suspicious of criminal law.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dworkin states that in a society, liberty and equality, the most important political ideals, often come into conflict with one another. â€Å"In these cases, good government consists in the best compromise between the competing ideals, but different politicians and citizens will make that compromise differently.† Liberals tend to favor equality more than liberty than conservatives do. But the former statement is a tricky one according to Dworkin because liberty, unlike equality, cannot be shown because we lack a concept of liberty that â€Å"is quantifiable in the way that a demonstration would require.† Because of this, it would be mistaken of us to state that conservatives favor liberty more t...

Use of Romanticism in Development of Characters in The Scarlet Letter E

Use of Romanticism in Development of Characters in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Hawthorne's revered novel The Scarlet Letter, the use of Romanticism plays an important role in the development of his characters. He effectively demonstrates individualism in Hester to further our understanding of the difficulties of living in the stern, joyless world of Puritan New England.   It is all gloom and doom.   If the sun ever shines, one could hardly notice.   The entire place seems to be shrouded in black.   The people of this society were stern, and repressed natural human impulses and emotions than any society before or since.   But for this reason specifically, emotions began bubbling and eventually boiled over, passions a novelist such as Hawthorne could seize at red heat and use for the basis of an effective novel. Hawthorne shows Hester's sheer determination to live in this society directly through her actions and relations to others, and indirectly through the presentation of herself and her child and through her internal emo tio nal struggle.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hester's adultery creates a feeling of dismay and hostility within the people of Boston.   They are not only shocked that she has done such a thing, but also because she won't reveal the name of the father of the child.   Although the usual penalty for adultery is death, the Puritan magistrates have decided to be merciful to her declaring that Hester's punishment will be to stand for several hours on the scaffold, in full view of everyone.   In this "powerful but painful story," (Chorley 184)   Hester realizes her sin, and acknowledges that she must pay the price for her crimes.   She might, Hawthorne tells us, have left the narrow-minded colony to start life all over... ...liffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Gerber, John C. "Form and Content in The Scarlet Letter." The Scarlet Letter: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds,and Sources Criticism. Eds. Sculley Bradley et al. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Ed. Brian Harding. Oxford: Oxford 1990. Loring, George B. "Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter" [1850]   The Scarlet Letter: Text,   Sources, Criticism. Kenneth S. Lynn. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1961. Matthiessen, F. O. "Allegory and Symbolism." Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter. Ed. John C. Gerber. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Waggoner, Hyatt Howe. "Three Orders: Natural, Moral, Symbolic." The Scarlet Letter: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds, and Sources Criticism. Eds. Sculley Bradley et al. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978. Use of Romanticism in Development of Characters in The Scarlet Letter E Use of Romanticism in Development of Characters in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Hawthorne's revered novel The Scarlet Letter, the use of Romanticism plays an important role in the development of his characters. He effectively demonstrates individualism in Hester to further our understanding of the difficulties of living in the stern, joyless world of Puritan New England.   It is all gloom and doom.   If the sun ever shines, one could hardly notice.   The entire place seems to be shrouded in black.   The people of this society were stern, and repressed natural human impulses and emotions than any society before or since.   But for this reason specifically, emotions began bubbling and eventually boiled over, passions a novelist such as Hawthorne could seize at red heat and use for the basis of an effective novel. Hawthorne shows Hester's sheer determination to live in this society directly through her actions and relations to others, and indirectly through the presentation of herself and her child and through her internal emo tio nal struggle.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hester's adultery creates a feeling of dismay and hostility within the people of Boston.   They are not only shocked that she has done such a thing, but also because she won't reveal the name of the father of the child.   Although the usual penalty for adultery is death, the Puritan magistrates have decided to be merciful to her declaring that Hester's punishment will be to stand for several hours on the scaffold, in full view of everyone.   In this "powerful but painful story," (Chorley 184)   Hester realizes her sin, and acknowledges that she must pay the price for her crimes.   She might, Hawthorne tells us, have left the narrow-minded colony to start life all over... ...liffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Gerber, John C. "Form and Content in The Scarlet Letter." The Scarlet Letter: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds,and Sources Criticism. Eds. Sculley Bradley et al. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Ed. Brian Harding. Oxford: Oxford 1990. Loring, George B. "Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter" [1850]   The Scarlet Letter: Text,   Sources, Criticism. Kenneth S. Lynn. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1961. Matthiessen, F. O. "Allegory and Symbolism." Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter. Ed. John C. Gerber. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Waggoner, Hyatt Howe. "Three Orders: Natural, Moral, Symbolic." The Scarlet Letter: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds, and Sources Criticism. Eds. Sculley Bradley et al. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978.

Self managed teams

A self-managed team is a group of employees that's responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producing a product or delivering a service. Self-managing work team effectiveness Is defined as both high performance and employee quality of work life Traditional organizational structures assign tasks to employees depending on their specialist skills or the functional department within which they work. To get work done, many companies organize employees into self-managing teams that are basically left to run themselves with some guidance from an external leader.At Digital, Ayr, management had to learn to step back and let the groups reach their own declslons and In so doing time taken to actually management the organization was Increased. Although a lot of consideration was given to the transltlon it contributed to the success of the approach. Self-managed teams have greater ownership of the tasks they perform and the end product or service they deliver. Self-managed teams ten d to be less costly and more productive than employees working within a traditional hierarchical structure because the team performs both technical and management tasks.Team members may also flll In for each other to cover holidays and absences. Decisions made by self-managed teams are more effective because they're made by the people who know most about the job. A sector in Trinidad and Tobago where self-managed teams can be seen quite often is in the Public Service. Employees in various departments' namely human resources and finance are generally self-managed teams. Employees generally plan and schedule the workflow and manage annual leave and absence, in addition to minor technical tasks.Management and technical responslbllltles are typically rotated among the eam members as career advancement In the clerical stream usually allows for this. Although these teams may be seen as a cohesive self-managed team where there is a sense of trust and respect between team members, in the pu blic service you find overly cohesive teams which leads to â€Å"groupthink†: You usually find team members most if the times conforming with team norms than raise issues that may upset other team members. This leads to reduced effort or stifled innovation.Teams may struggle to make the transition from supervisor-led management to self-management, either ue to lack of Interpersonal skills or poor Implementation of the self-managed team concept within the service. The concept of using groups of cross-functional employees in modern business in the form of a team has been around in the United States for quite some time now. Self-directed teams have been used in Great Britain and Sweden since the 1950's. What both regions have realised or learnt is that particular attention must be placed on development of the teams. Development Is an Important component of self-management.That Includes tralnlng In decision- aking, problem solving, communication and team-building. Team-building e fforts and programs, which take time, energy, and patience, are an essential component of a successful self-managed team. As it relates to how they manage and carry out their tasks self-managed teams are autonomous, although they still require guidance from leaders within the organizational hierarchy. The essential challenge for any team Is to balance empowerment with accountablllty. It must report to that hierarchy Important to note is that using a self-managed team is no solution, nor should it be mbraced as a belief.

35 year old male rugby player Essay

Rugby players need to be very well built. They need to be a mesomorph build ideally. They are in-between the mesomorph and endomorph on the scale, but should be a lot closer to the mesomorph than an endomorph. This means rugby players need to have broad shoulders, a muscular body, strong forearms and thighs. They could also have some fat. In some ways a lot of fat is good because it is harder to be tackled, but in another way it isn’t very good because it is harder to run, and you get out of breath easier. Rugby is a contact sport and relies on aggression in some ways. To tackle someone in rugby you can take them out by their legs, jump on them, tug their clothes, just about anyway to get the ball really. This would suggest if a player is an introvert they would not enjoy rugby, because they would prefer to keep to themselves and avoid contact. A rugby player also cannot be afraid of the ball, or afraid of being tackled. They need to be quite brave. Also you need tom be able to communicate with your team. It is a team sport and needs the whole team to work together n order to be successful. If you are the type of person who cannot do this, you like to work and play on your own you would not be well suited as a rugby player. Rugby players also can get very badly injured. Especially in scrums or when you are tackled. There is a lot of violence involved in rugby and injuries can be nasty. You need to be very careful and use some of the rules to help prevent injuries as I’ve explained below. Injuries do happen and you need to take that risk What they need to work on/improve Rugby players need to improve certain things to maintain a high level of performance. These things could be: This means that any fitness levels gained will be reversed when you stop. To stop this from happening, you need to train every 2-3 days to keep your fitness level where it is. 16 year old gymnast Section 1-their needs, Gymnasts need to be extremely flexible and supple. They need to be in between a mesomorph build, and an ectomorph build. They would probably need to be slightly more mesomorph than ectomorph. This means gymnasts need to have muscle, but not too much and need to have very little body fat. A lot of muscle would be good in some ways because gymnastics is very demanding, and needs a lot of physical ability, especially for types of gymnastics such as the bars, although, gymnasts need to be very light and a lot of muscle could weigh them down considerably. Gymnastics contain a large variety of different skills, so gymnasts need to be skilled in lots of different areas. Although a lot of gymnasts do concentrate on a specific area. Gymnastics is mainly a solo sport, and this sort of sport is ideal for people who are shy, introverted, or people who just like being on your own, and like doing things your way without having to rely on other members of a team to support you. You can also get quite badly injured in gymnastics, although probably not as bad as you could in other sports like rugby. You need to be very confident in your ability and very confident in your area before attempting the exercise. What they need to work on/improve Gymnasts need to improve certain things to maintain a high level of performance. These things could be: General fitness. Gymnasts need a very high level of general fitness as well as a very high level of specific fitness.

Lying Essay

Consider thinking about the controversial issue on lying. People usually don’t particularly care about the little white lies, but lying is never a good solution in any situation, because whether it’s a small lie or a big lie, there is always some form of consequence to each and every fib. There are a few certain articles such as, â€Å"A Philosopher on Lying,† by Immanuel Kant who also believe lying should not be tolerated in any way. Just like in the article I mentioned earlier, â€Å"A Philosopher on Lying,† a German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, explains his point of view on lying. Every lie is dangerous; the size of the lie doesn’t matter. As Kant states in the article, â€Å"Don’t tell someone a lie, because then you are not treating the person with respect, as an individual.† If everyone would just imagine the person who they’re lying to, using that same lie towards themselves, they wouldn’t feel very good. If someone believes that the right thing to do is lie, no matter the situation, then everyone else should get the right to lie too. One lie leads to another in most cases, which turns into a huge mess of lies, and that could end up hurting everyone in the end. If someone lies to protect a friend or a family member, is it really being used in the proper situation? Well, it’s only going to hurt the person more in the end, rather than telling the truth in the beginning. If they attempt to keep in a big secret, especially from a close one, it may tear their relationship apart just knowing how long they kept that information from them. It would be much easier and highly worth it to just get the secret over with in the beginning. Keeping in a huge secret from someone has many bad side effects; however, people need to keep in mind that if that person kept something from them, they wouldn’t be happy either. According to an interview, â€Å"Brad Blanton: Honestly, Tell the Truth,† Blanton states that â€Å"Delivering the truth is easier, takes less time, and is less stressful.† Telling the truth sounds easier than it actually is; because action speaks louder than words. That is the main reason majority of people choose to lie. Many people disagree that every single small lie is a bad thing, because they don’t want to cause any pain or harm to the person they are fibbing to. According to the article, â€Å"It’s the Truth: Americans Conflicted about Lying,† Randy Cohen says that, â€Å"Not only is lying justified, it is sometimes a moral duty.† This basically states that people are only trying to protect loved ones from any serious harm. Lying is an issue that people have dealt with for as long as any living person could remember. It creates problems, and that’s pretty much it. I have never seen a lie that led someone to success and have it all work out in the end. Lying isn’t the right way to go, because someone will always suffer from some kind of consequence, big or small. It is much easier to tell the truth and get it over with, rather than keeping it away as a secret and end up spilling the truth out later. Fibbing is dangerous and always messes with peoples head, ending up in a line of regrets. If someone’s like me, lies almost never work out like how they’ll plan it in the end. Always tell the truth, because it gives respect, receives respect, and it’s definitely worth it in the end.

Pressure on Teens

Media’s Pressure on Teens Millions of boys and girls all over the U. S. get up every morning and step in front of their mirror to ask one question. The question crossing minds at that moment is â€Å"Does this look cool? † Oddly enough, to most teens in America, they are not meeting the standard set by their peers and the press. Teens base their styles, attitudes and ideas of what they see, hear and read which creates huge problems elsewhere. These problems can occur in the way teens treat others and the way they treat themselves. American teens and adults have yet to look past all the flashy clothing and make-up to understand what is actually being sold and how it can affect people in a terribly negative way. From my experience as a teen, I have seen my peers change to fit the latest fads and understand the weak points of teenagers. I have therefore concluded, the four strongest influences on teens from the media are the correlations from fashion and music to â€Å"self-identity†, showing teens how to think, talk, and feel, the selling of images not products, and body and physical issues. For most people, adolescence was a time of truth and realization or â€Å"finding yourself†. Well, it is good to know things have not changed, because young adults these days feel the same way. But for teens today, they only find out what and who the media wants them to be. The interests of teenagers are derived from music and television. If someone hears a band on the radio and people around them say the band is â€Å"sick† and â€Å" way cool† the person will believe it despite whether or not the music is trash. It all begins here. The links between music and finding your place at school or in a community are so incredibly strong teens base their outlook toward life and others on them. The connection between music and finding â€Å"who you are† is only the tip on the huge, esteem-eating, merciless iceberg of the media. Teens find ways to deal with life’s challenges by talking, thinking and feeling like the TV, music and modeling stars that they hear and see everyday. The shows and programs the majority of young adults watch are based on teenagers as well. Therefore, the viewers intentionally, or unintentionally, pick up habits their star has. For example, if a boy was suddenly introduced to the â€Å"wonderful and inspiring† music of the guitar thrashing band Metallica, he might begin to wear dark colors such as red and black that are often featured in the band’s music videos Most importantly, as it usually plays out, he would consider anyone who doesn’t listen to Metallica to be a brainless idiot with no taste in music. At this point in the youth’s life, prejudice and dislike of others based on style preferences rears its head and breaks loose from it confinements. Cliques are formed and members are selected and rejected. This leads to problems for those who are rejected and once again they feel they can never be as good as had been expected. Suppose someone was channel surfing and stumbled upon a car add. The model of car that is being sold is irrelevant, but what is going on around the car is what the company is trying to sell. The person who is watching believes the advertisement is for a product when in fact it is an image that is being sold. Confusing right? Explanations are close at hand. In the car add mentioned before (perhaps the car is a small Toyota Corolla) the colors are bright and vibrant; a young couple is sitting in the front seats of the car with their windows down, enjoying the fresh autumn air. Notice that when the voiceover is speaking of low APR financing until 2004, the young couple is smiling like there is no tomorrow. They glance each other lovingly as shadows whisk playfully over the windshield of the glittering car. This appeals to almost anyone, but for a girl who is looking for a cheap and comfortable car, this is the perfect sales pitch. Or perhaps the car is a Ford truck. Already the name sticks in the viewers mind but the video clips of buff men and rugged trips to the desert to rock climb convince them they need the truck. If the viewer can’t have the product, whether it be lip-gloss, a new car, a prom dress or even a new hairstyle, their self-esteem plummets. They begin to feel they are not capable of being so cool. One must keep in mind that the companies that are advertising are not selling a product, but an image that you will get when you go for this great, once-in-a-life-time offer. The last and most dangerous result of influence by the media is bulimia and anorexia nervosa. A simple stereotype must be cleared up before this essay goes any further. If a common businessman were asked about anorexia nervosa or bulimia, it is almost certain that he would say that it occurs only in women. What this common businessman doesn’t know, along with most of America’s public, is these diseases do occur in boys and men. When striving to meet that ideal weight to height ratio men will fast. They will continue to use that exercise plan they were been told was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger and eventually their body begins to feed of its own muscle because it has no nutrients. Once someone gets stuck in a routine of that sort they will have trouble quitting. For women, the cases are different but still maintain the idea of starving themselves to reach that slim and elegant look that so many stars and models seen in magazines have. For someone who has anorexia nervosa, every time they look in the mirror they see a huge and grotesque figure staring back. They are most certainly not over weight but their brain believes what it sees. Once again, people should be taught to look past all the fraud that is flashing in front of them and make good decisions based on reality. So next time an ad flashes onto the TV screen think of all the things really being sold and how to approach them correctly. To stand out in a crowd and be individual one must have a crowd and telling people they are idiots because they do not listen to Metallica is no way to attract a group. The diseases anorexia nervosa and bulimia are triggered by people wanting to be like those skinny, spindly women who strut around on cat walks showing off pieces of iridescent cloth draped about them. â€Å"Why? Why would someone want to be like that? one may ask, well, the truth is that these teenagers do not know who to follow or what to do. They see the media; they see companies telling them â€Å"This is hot! You need this to be cool! † and the viewers do not see what is happening to their own bodies, what is happening to others around them, what the consequences of their decision will be. If one fails to see behind the razzle and dazzle of the media they will be trapped in a cage of false faces and feelings; trapped in the mad â€Å"fun-house of fashion and fraud. †

Social Learning Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Learning Theory - Assignment Example This assignment discusses the Social Learning Theory developed by Berger, that primarily focuses upon that a child develops while observing the sequential patterns that go on around him/her. Thus, it is through modeling and repeating or doing things that are already done by others is an important way a child learns different behaviors and adopt certain attitudes. However, while observing and modeling, one feature that is in a continuous functioning state is the child’s own cognition. The cognition works in a way that if a child sees someone getting acknowledgement and rewards upon his behavior or deed, the child would him/herself like to receive the same kind of acknowledgement and appreciation from others. This desire leads the child to incorporate the same attitude in his daily practice so that he too can be socially recognized and accepted. Once the child gets success due to the modeled behavior, he learns to practice the same thing throughout his lifespan. The problem migh t occur when the child is not able to model the exact behavior to receive acknowledgement. In such a situation, he/she modifies the same behavior multiple times and in multiple ways as long as he might achieve success. In the same way, punishment and discouragement act as negative stimulators for the child not to adopt a certain behavior if someone else is punished on its basis. In conclusion, the researcher states that this further retains throughout the child’s lifetime shaping his personality in a particular direction.

My reflection about the racing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My reflection about the racing - Essay Example Unlike rallying where the drivers and their co-drivers are challenged to maintain a scheduled typical speed over a series of stages throughout a public road or forest, in a drag racing, one simply emerges the winner if they managed to cross the finishing line before the competitor. With a powerful V8 or a Dodge Viper, one can accelerate from a standing start to over 100MPH in merely a few seconds. Apparently, it is a sport for the strong hearted, and I sojourned on to participates in it during the Friday Fun Night organized by Crossroads Dragway. The Friday Fun Night, as well as the tour, were a memorable time. The instructors exemplified courteousness and professionalism, taking an inordinate amount of their time explaining to us what was required to make the occasion a success story. The guided tour was an eye-opener as we got the opportunity to learn and comprehend basic concepts in motorsports as well as the roles and importance of regulatory bodies such as NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). Participants hardly lost control and fatalities were circumvented, a fact that is ostensibly attributable to the standard training and guide we received from instructors prior to the event. Drag racing fans got the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed, serene environment full of fun. The Grassroots Motorsports staff was quite welcoming and handled guests with a lot of humility and hospitality. Basic facilities were easily accessible, and the joy of the fans was brilliantly perceptible on their faces. Before the race commenced, we were allowed to do a burnout which heated the driving tires and improved traction by laying down rubber where the track started. The races were automatically started using a system of Christmas tree which contains 6 lights for each lane; 1red, 1 blue, 1green, and 3 amber. They were all linked to light beams on the track. The lights allowed some competitors to proceed after pre-staging whereas those who were timed-out

Country with a Large Refugee - Afganistan Essay

Country with a Large Refugee - Afganistan - Essay Example Gibney (p.1). Moreover, political conflicts, destruction, and social unrest showered refugees nowhere but primarily in Pakistan and Iran. By doing this the Afghans not only brought mistrust on themselves but carried their war into other lands and created unrest there too. Since then, Pakistan, Iran nor Afghanistan has seen a silver lining in the cloud. This research will mainly focus on answering these five questions in detail, giving evidences and providing conclusions. As Afghanistan is limited by topographical and ethnic divisions, by the end of 19th century, the British and Russians acknowledged the importance of the weak country, acting as a buffer between them. This was the reason why the finalizing of its borders, in 1890’s raised the concerns of London and Moscow. So the Iron Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman Khan, had to seek help of British subsides. This pattern continued, with little variations, till 1978. Then America replaced Britain as leader of the West after W orld War II. The two giants of the age continued to interpolate Afghanistan, which was both profitable and at the same time, risky for it. None of them wanted a war in Central Asia, and so their agreements maintained Afghanistan’s territorial integrity. In order to do so, the Soviets and US paid for its internal security and economic development, as Afghanistan was unable to do so by itself. Hence, this scenario not only shows the disadvantage of Afghanistan acting as a buffer-state, but also the profit it was getting by doing so. Unfortunately, this scenario ended with the Marxist Coup of April 1978 as Afghanistan went from the buffer state to the Cold-War front line. Now only the Soviets had their interest left in the country, so it was only they who provided money and offered guarantees. The Soviets secretly encouraged and financed Afghan communists from before the formation of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) until the party unexpectedly came to power t hrough a military coup on 27 April 1978. USSR, without much evidence, fueled the fire by sending advisors for helping PDPA give control back to Nur Muhammad Taraki. When this help was resisted by the masses, Moscow retaliated by sending in military men who started commanding the Afghans forces unofficially. This is how it all started, what we know today as the Invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. Their era however ended in the poor country when the Mujahidin, who had fought the Soviet Union took control of Kabul on 28 April 1992. The fighting between the

Marine Ship Yard Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marine Ship Yard - Research Paper Example It has negative impacts on many shipbuilding companies and counties around the world due to the biggest overcapacity of shipyards such as the far greater supply of fleet that it requires by the market (Mickeviciene). In order to meet the market and business success Western Marine Shipyard must consider that different countries have many nationalities that help the company to bring new ideas and ways to enhance the continuous strive to business success. Employees should be empowered in order to seek new opportunities, innovate and build an efficient working environment that is professional and positive for all. Western Marine Shipyard team members undergo intensive training to have a quality service and produce highly products and, the company considers it is a career, a great opportunity to work among the best personnel, receive the support needed to the make good decisions and deliver the best outcomes. This will carry out into the different branches around the world. In terms its benefits and financial impact, the recommendation will hit hard the shipyards. The primary challenge is in the industry is intermediate financing and this challenge having direct impact on the industrys production cos t, quality and growth. On the positive note the government should support its shipbuilding industry. The western Marine shipyard will be continually challenged with inconsistencies/contradiction - deal with the changes because the management is the integrating force within the organization’s activities. Whenever two or more individual works together in order to achieve a common goal, they have to communicate or coordinate their activities or programs. The employees also should be organized and maximize their resources in such way as to optimize the outcomes. The company will face with the challenge to manage both stability and change within organizations in the future. This has been evident in the story of

Litertature, Fiction Analysis Paper of Frank O'Connor's Guest of the Essay - 1

Litertature, Fiction Analysis Paper of Frank O'Connor's Guest of the Nation - Essay Example nsibility in â€Å"Guests of the Nation†, it is Stanley Renner’s belief that the protagonist Bonaparte is driven by an external destiny to carryout his actions. In a sense, he is not responsible for these actions because inadvertently these actions are not his own. I argue in opposition to this idea; I feel Bonaparte as well as the others a fully responsible in their decision to execute the British soldiers. To credit their actions to the sociology of the time, or a divine hidden power, is to make the killers out to be victims. Though this a very insightful irony, it does an injustice and devalues the British soldiers as characters. Renner’s argument is not without its valid points. He argues that the characters are driven by fate, and that the entire story itself is a critique of the relation between man’s own free will and cosmic intervention. He best supports this point with his interpretation of the character Bonaparte. When he and the other Irish soldiers are given orders to execute the British captives, who have been treated more like friendly guest, Renner points out that Bonaparte becomes indecisive and doubtful. To argue that Bonaparte is a character that relies on destiny to dictates his actions, Renner states, he merely drifts along as if helpless to defy the fates, ‘hoping that something would happen,’ that the Englishmen would ‘run for it’ or that ‘Noble would take over the responsibility from me,’ but doing nothing himself (25). Renner’s main argument revolves around Bonaparte’s willingness to adhere to divine dictation. It is Renn er’s view that if Bonaparte allows the forces driving his circumstances to drive him as well, and he practices no free will, then he is not responsible for his actions. Renner believes the feeling of jadedness Bonaparte endures is the result of his happy-go-lucky take on life. This is most likely in reference to the moment in the story right after Bonaparte has finished the execution, while

The CEO's Private Investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The CEO's Private Investigation - Essay Example Cheryl was coming into the company from their rival Boeing and she had heard some rumors while at Boeing about their being some shady dealings while the previous CEO, Jim Rawlings had been in office.   Based on the rumors, Cheryl began to ask her assistant if she knew of anything that has transpired before she came on board.   The assistant was hesitant at first but finally, let Cheryl know that she had suspicions about a file that Mr. Rawlings did not let her file for him.   She was surprised because he had not done this before and trusted her with all of his files except for this one. Cheryl felt as if this was enough to go on and she wanted to find out if there truly was something shady going on within the company. She went to her rival for the job first and asked him some questions but he did not admit nor deny anything. He indicated that it would be a lot of trouble to find out and maybe she should let it go. Cheryl was not satisfied with this response and went to speak wi th the general counsel of the company. The general counsel basically told her that if she did pursue it and there was nothing to pursue she would look bad. He also said that if she did not pursue it and something was wrong she would look bad. The only way she would look good was if she pursued the issue and there was actually something to find. But the way that she even thought something was going on was based on rumors. The issue here is whether or not Cheryl Todd should pursue the rumor that something might have been shady within the company. On the one hand, she is going on a rumor and not fact. She herself is not privy to any information that would suggest something is or was going on while Jim Rawlings was the CEO. Hank Bodine, her rival for the position, indicated that if she pursued this, she would come across as someone that would be trying to sabotage the company from within. Although this is not Cheryl’s intentions, she would have a hard time proving that she was no t trying to jeopardize the company or Jim Rawlings’ name if she launched an investigation and nothing came of it.

Hand hygiene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hand hygiene - Essay Example With this being a retrospective project, no questionnaires will be involved (no human involvement) but only collection/evaluation of pre and post data from the infection/risk and quality department within the sampled acute care center. Any or all actions that are meant to clean hands by any person may describe what hand hygiene refers to. It involves such practices as washing hands using water as well as soap or even the application of non-water antimicrobial rub on hands as are all meant to reduce if not eliminate all microorganisms on the hands (Corrigan, 2013; Medvick, 2008). ‘Hospital acquired infection’ (HAI) refers to the infection that a patient may be diagnosed with after admission of any form of medical attendance within the medical facilities and as such it implies that the infection was not present as the patient came into the facility for the health service(s) (Weinstock, 2007). It must therefore be acquired through health care delivery and hands hygiene has been pointed out as the greatest contributor to such outcomes (Cantrell, 2013). Health care facilities and providers have therefore a mandatory responsibility of ensuring that hand hygiene is promoted in order to curb the losses in lif e and costs associated with the resultant infections from poor hand hygiene within these medical facilities. This paper therefore focuses on the effects of poor hand hygiene by healthcare providers on HAI with special attention on compliance by health care providers and main factors that could explain the poor hygiene within health facilities amidst the extensive and serious campaigns on hand hygiene within these facilities (Cantrell, 2014). Although this topic has been addressed intensively over years, little studies have been directed towards implications of compliance of health care providers on observing hands hygiene. Many factors

Hindustani classical music Essay Example for Free

Hindustani classical music Essay The tradition was born out of a cultural synthesis of several musical traditions: the Vedic chant tradition, dating back to more than three thousand years ago,the ancient Persian tradition of Musiqi-e assil, and various folk traditions prevalent in the region. It is traditional for performers who have reached a distinguished level of achievement to be awarded titles of respect; Hindus are usually referred to as pandit and Muslims as ustad. An aspect of Hindustani music going back to Sufi times is the tradition of religious neutrality: Muslim ustads may sing compositions in praise of Hindu deities, and vice versa. Around the 12th century, Hindustani classical music diverged from what eventually came to be identified as Carnatic classical music. The central notion in both these systems is that of a melodic mode or raga, sung to a rhythmic cycle or tala. The tradition dates back to the ancient Samaveda, (sÄ ma meaning ritual chant), which deals with the norms for chanting of srutis or hymns such as the Rig Veda. These principles were refined in the musical treatises Natya Shastra, by Bharata (2nd–3rd century CE), and Dattilam (probably 3rd–4th century CE). In medieval times, the melodic systems were fused with ideas from Persian music, particularly through the influence of Sufi composers like Amir Khusro, and later in the Moghul courts. Noted composers such as Tansen flourished, along with religious groups like the Vaishnavites. After the 16th century, the singing styles diversified into different gharanas patronized in different princely courts. Around 1900, Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande consolidated the musical structures of Hindustani classical music, called ragas, into a number of thaats. Indian classical music has seven basic notes with five interspersed half-notes, resulting in a 12-note scale. Unlike the 12-note scale in Western music, the base frequency of the scale is not fixed, and intertonal gaps (temperament) may also vary; however, with the gradual replacement of the sarangi by the harmonium, an equal tempered scale is increasingly used. The performance is set to a melodic pattern called a raga characterized in part by specific ascent (aroha) and descent (avaroha) sequences, which may not be identical. Other characteristics include king (vadi) and queen (samavadi) notes and characteristic phrases (pakad). In addition each raga has its natural register (ambit) and portamento (meend) rules. Performances are usually marked by considerable improvisation within these norms. History Music was first formalized in India in connection with preserving the sruti texts, primarily the four vedas, which are seen as apaurasheya (meaning not created by man). Not only was the text important, but also the manner in which they had been enunciated by the immortals. Prosody and chanting were thus of great importance, and were enshrined in the two vedangas (bodies of knowledge) called shiksha (pronunciation, chants) and chhandas (prosody); these remained a key part of the brahmanic educational system till modern times. The formal aspects of the chant are delineated in the Samaveda, with certain aspects, e.g. the relation of chanting to meditation, elaborated in the Chandogya Upanishad (ca. 8th century BC). Priests involved in these ritual chants were called samans and a number of ancient musical instruments such as the conch (shankh), lute (veena), flute (bansuri), trumpets and horns were associated with this and later practices of ritual singing. Sanskritic tradition The Samaveda outlined the ritual chants for singing the verses of the Rigveda, particularly for offerings of Soma. It proposed a tonal structure consisting of seven notes, which were named, in descending order, krusht, pratham, dwitiya, tritiya, chaturth, mandra and atiswÄ r. These refer to the notes of a flute, which was the only fixed-frequency instrument. This is why the second note is called pratham (meaning first, i.e., produced when only the first hole is closed). Music is dealt with extensively in the Valmiki Ramayana. Narada is an accomplished musician, as is Ravana; Saraswati with her veena is the goddess of music. Gandharvas are presented as spirits who are musical masters, and the gandharva style looks to music primarily for pleasure, accompanied by the soma rasa. In the Vishnudharmottara Purana, the Naga king Ashvatara asks to know the svaras from Saraswati. The most important text on music in the ancient canon is Bharatas Natya Shastra, composed around the 3rd century CE. The Natya Shastra deals with the different modes of music, dance, and drama, and also the emotional responses (rasa) they are expected to evoke. The scale is described in terms of 22 micro-tones, which can be combined in clusters of four, three, or two to form an octave. While the term raga is articulated in the Natya Shastra (where its meaning is more literal, meaning colour or mood), it finds a clearer expression in what is called jati in the Dattilam, a text composed shortly after or around the same time as Natya Shastra. The Dattilam is focused on gandharva music and discusses scales (swara), defining a tonal framework called grama in terms of 22 micro-tonal intervals (sruti[3]) comprising one octave. It also discusses various arrangements of the notes (murchhana), the permutations and combinations of note-sequences (tanas), and alankara or elaboration. Dattilam categorizes melodic structure into 18 groups called jati, which are the fundamental melodic structures similar to the r aga. The names of the jatis reflect regional origins, for example andhri and oudichya. Music also finds mention in a number of texts from the Gupta period; Kalidasa mentions several kinds of veena (Parivadini, Vipanchi), as well as percussion instruments (mridang), the flute (vamshi) and conch (shankha). Music also finds mention in Buddhist and Jain texts from the earliest periods of the Christian era. Naradas Sangita Makarandha treatise, from about 1100 CE, is the earliest text where rules similar to those of current Hindustani classical music can be found. Narada actually names and classifies the system in its earlier form before the Persian influences introduced changes in the system. Jayadevas Gita Govinda from the 12th century was perhaps the earliest musical composition sung in the classical tradition called Ashtapadi music. In the 13th century, Sharngadeva composed the Sangita Ratnakara, which has names such as the turushka todi (Turkish todi), revealing an influx of ideas from Islamic culture. This text is the last to be mentioned by both the Carnatic and the Hindustani traditions and is often thought to date the divergence between the two. Medieval period: Persian influence The advent of Islamic rule under the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire over northern India caused considerable cultural interchange. Increasingly, musicians received patronage in the courts of the new rulers, who in their turn, started taking increasing interest in local music forms. While the initial generations may have been rooted in cultural traditions outside India, they gradually adopted many aspects from their kingdoms which retained the traditional Hindu culture. This helped spur the fusion of Hindu and Muslim ideas to bring forth new forms of musical synthesis like qawwali and khyal. The most influential musician of the Delhi Sultanate period was Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), sometimes called the father of modern Hindustani classical music.[4] A composer in Persian, Turkish, Arabic, as well as Braj Bhasha, he is credited with systematizing many aspects of Hindustani music, and also introducing several ragas such as Yaman Kalyan, Zeelaf and Sarpada. He created the qawwali genre, which fuses Persian melody and beat on a dhrupad like structure. A number of instruments (such as the sitar and tabla) were also introduced in his time. Amir Khusrau is sometimes credited with the origins of the khyal form, but the record of his compositions do not appear to support this. The compositions by the court musician Sadarang in the court of Muhammad Shah bear a closer affinity to the modern khyal. They suggest that while khyal already existed in some form, Sadarang may have been the father of modern khyal. Much of the musical forms innovated by these pioneers merged with the Hindu tradition, composed in the popular language of the people (as opposed to Sanskrit) in the work of composers like Kabir or Nanak. This can be seen as part of a larger Bhakti tradition, (strongly related to the Vaishnavite movement) which remained influential across several centuries; notable figures include Jayadeva (11th century), Vidyapati (fl. 1375 CE), Chandidas ( 14th–15th century), and Meerabai (1555–1603 CE). As the Mughal Empire came into closer contact with Hindus, especially under Jalal ud-Din Akbar, music and dance also flourished. In particular, the musician Tansen introduced a number of innovations, including ragas and particular compositions. Legend has it that upon his rendition of a night-time raga in the morning, the entire city fell under a hush and clouds gathered in the sky, and that he could light fires by singing the raga Deepak, which is supposed to be composed of notes in high octaves. At the royal house of Gwalior, Raja Mansingh Tomar (1486–1516 CE) also participated in the shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom (Hindi) as the language for classical songs. He himself penned several volumes of compositions on religious and secular themes, and was also responsible for the major compilation, the Mankutuhal (Book of Curiosity), which outlined the major forms of music prevalent at the time. In particular, the musical form known as dhrupad saw considerable development in his court and remained a strong point of the Gwalior gharana for many centuries. After the dissolution of the Mughal empire, the patronage of music continued in smaller princely kingdoms like Lucknow, Patiala, and Banaras, giving rise to the diversity of styles that is today known as gharanas. Many musician families obtained large grants of land which made them self sufficient, at least for a few generations (e.g. the Sham Chaurasia gharana). Meanwhile the Bhakti and Sufi traditions continued to develop and interact with the different gharanas and groups. Modern era Until the late 19th century, Hindustani classical music was imparted on a one-on-one basis through the guru-shishya (mentor-protà ©gà ©) tradition. This system had many benefits, but also several drawbacks; in many cases, the shishya had to spend most of his time serving his guru with a hope that the guru might teach him a cheez (piece or nuance) or two. In addition, the system forced the music to be limited to a small subsection of the Indian community. To a large extent it was limited to the palaces and dance halls. It was shunned by the intellectuals, avoided by the educated middle class, and in general looked down upon as a frivolous practice.[5] Then a fortunate turn of events started the renaissance of Hindustani classical music. First, as the power of the maharajahs and nawabs declined in early 20th century, so did their patronage. With the expulsion of Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta after 1857, the Lucknavi musical tradition came to influence the music of renaissance in Bengal, giving rise to the tradition of Ragpradhan gan around the turn of the century. Also, at the turn of the century, two great stars emerged on the horizon: Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Independent of each other, they spread Hindustani classical music to the masses in general, and the Marathi middle class in particular. These two gentlemen brought classical music to the masses by organizing music conferences, starting schools, teaching music in class-rooms, and devising a standardized grading and testing system, and by standardizing the notation system.[6] Vishnu Digambar Paluskar emerged as a talented musician and organizer despite having been blinded at age 12. His books on music, as well as the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya music school that he opened in Lahore in 1901, helped foster a movement away from the closed gharana system. Paluskars contemporary (and occasional rival) Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande recognized the many rifts that had appeared in the structure of Indian classical music. He undertook extensive research visits to a large number of gharanas, Hindustani as well as Carnatic, collecting and comparing compositions. Between 1909 and 1932, he produced the monumental four-volume work Hindustani Sangeetha Padhathi,[7] which suggested a transcription for Indian music, and described the many tradi tions in this notation. Finally,mit consolidated the many musical forms of Hindustani classical music into a number of thaats (modes), subsequent to the Melakarta system that reorganized Carnatic tradition in the 17th century. The ragas as they exist today were consolidated in this landmark work, although there are some inconsistencies and ambiguities in Bhatkandes system. In modern times, the government-run All India Radio, Bangladesh Betar and Radio Pakistan helped to bring the artists to public attention, countering the loss of the patronage system. The first star was Gauhar Jan, whose career was born out of Fred Gaisbergs first recordings of Indian music in 1902. With the advance of films and other public media, musicians started to make their living through public performances. As India was exposed to Western music, some Western melodies started merging with classical forms, especially in popular music. A number of Gurukuls, such as that of Alauddin Khan at Maihar, flourished. In more modern times, corporate support has also been forthcoming, as at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. Meanwhile, Hindustani classical music has become popular across the world through the influence of artists such as Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Principles of Hindustani music The rhythmic organization is based on rhythmic patterns called tala. The melodic foundations are called ragas. One possible classification of ragas is into melodic modes or parent scales, known as thaats, under which most ragas can be classified based on the notes they use. Thaats may consist of up to seven scale degrees, or swara. Hindustani musicians name these pitches using a system called Sargam, the equivalent of the Western movable do solfege: Sa (Shadaj) = Do Re (Rishab) = Re Ga (Gandhar) = Mi Ma (Madhyam) = Fa Pa (Pancham) = So Dha (Dhaivat) = La Ni (Nishad) = Ti Sa (Shadaj) = Do Both systems repeat at the octave. The difference between sargam and solfege is that re, ga, ma, dha, and ni can refer to either Natural (shuddha) or altered Flat (komal) or Sharp (tivra) versions of their respective scale degrees. As with movable do solfege, the notes are heard relative to an arbitrary tonic that varies from performance to performance, rather than to fixed frequencies, as on a xylophone. The fine intonational differences between different instances of the same swara are called srutis. The three primary registers of Indian classical music are mandra (lower), madhya (middle) and taar (upper). Since the octave location is not fixed, it is also possible to use provenances in mid-register (such as mandra-madhya or madhya-taar) for certain ragas. A typical rendition of Hindustani raga involves two stages: Alap: a rhythmically free improvisation on the rules for the raga in order to give life to the raga and flesh out its characteristics. The alap is followed by a long slow-tempo improvisation in vocal music, or by the jod and jhala in instrumental music. Bandish or Gat: a fixed, melodic composition set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhavaj. There are different ways of systematizing the parts of a composition. For example: Sthaayi: The initial, rondo phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition. Antara: The first body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition. Sanchaari: The third body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition, seen more typically in dhrupad bandishes Aabhog: The fourth and concluding body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition, seen more typically in Dhrupad bandishes. There are three variations of bandish, regarding tempo: Vilambit bandish: A slow and steady melodic composition, usually in largo to adagio speeds. Madhyalaya bandish: A medium tempo melodic competition, usually set in andante to allegretto speeds. Drut bandish: A fast tempo melodic composition, usually set to allegretto speed or faster. Hindustani classical music is primarily vocal-centric, insofar as the musical forms were designed primarily for vocal performance, and many instruments were designed and evaluated as to how well they emulate the human voice. Types of compositions The major vocal forms or styles associated with Hindustani classical music are dhrupad, khyal, and tarana. Other forms include dhamar, trivat, chaiti, kajari, tappa, tap-khyal, ashtapadis, thumri, dadra, ghazal and bhajan; these are folk or semi-classical or light classical styles, as they often do not adhere to the rigorous rules of classical music. Dhrupad Main article: Dhrupad Dhrupad is an old style of singing, traditionally performed by male singers. It is performed with a tambura and a pakhawaj as instrumental accompaniments. The lyrics, some of which were written in Sanskrit centuries ago, are presently often sung in brajbhasha, a medieval form of North and East Indian languages that was spoken in Eastern India. The rudra veena, an ancient string instrument, is used in instrumental music in dhrupad. Dhrupad music is primarily devotional in theme and content. It contains recitals in praise of particular deities. Dhrupad compositions begin with a relatively long and acyclic alap, where the syllables of the following mantra is recited: Om Anant tam Taran Tarini Twam Hari Om Narayan, Anant Hari Om Narayan. The alap gradually unfolds into more rhythmic jod and jhala sections. These sections are followed by a rendition of bandish, with the pakhawaj as an accompaniment. The great Indian musician Tansen sang in the dhrupad style. A lighter form of dhrupad, called dhamar, is sung primarily during the festival of Holi. Dhrupad was the main form of northern Indian classical music until two centuries ago, when it gave way to the somewhat less austere khyal, a more free-form style of singing. Since losing its main patrons among the royalty in Indian princely states, dhrupad risked becoming extinct in the first half of the twentieth century. However, the efforts by a few proponents from the Dagar family have led to its revival and eventual popularization in India and in the West. Some of the best known vocalists who sing in the Dhrupad style are the members of the Dagar lineage, including the senior Dagar brothers, Nasir Moinuddin and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar; the junior Dagar brothers, Nasir Zahiruddin and Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar; and Wasifuddin, Fariduddin, and Sayeeduddin Dagar. Other leading exponents include the Gundecha Brothers, who have received training from some of the Dagars. Leading vocalists outside the Dagar lineage include the Mallik family of Darbhanga tradition of musicians; some of the leading exponents of this tradition were Ram Chatur Mallick, Siyaram Tiwari, and Vidur Mallick. A section of dhrupad singers of Delhi Gharana from Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s court migrated to Bettiah under the patronage of the Bettiah Raj, giving rise to the Bettiah Gharana.[8] Bishnupur Gharana, based in West Bengal, is a key school that has been propagating this style of singing since Mughal times. Khyal Main article: Khyal Khyal is a Hindustani form of vocal music, adopted from medieval Persian music and based on Dhrupad. Khyal, literally meaning thought or imagination in Hindustani, is unusual as it is based on improvising and expressing emotion. A Khyal is a two- to eight-line lyric set to a melody. The lyric is of an emotional account possibly from poetic observation.[clarification needed] Khyals are also popular for depicting the emotions between two lovers, situations of ethological significance in Hinduism and Islam, or other situations evoking intense feelings. Th importance of the Khyals content is for the singer to depict, through music in the set raga, the emotional significance of the Khyal. The singer improvises and finds inspiration within the raga to depict the Khyal. The origination of Khyal is controversial, although it is accepted that this style was based on Dhrupad and influenced by Persian music. Many argue that Amir Khusrau created the style in the late 16th century. This form was popularized by Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah, through his court musicians. Some well-known composers of this period were Sadarang, Adarang, and Manrang. [edit]Tarana Main article: Tarana Another vocal form, taranas are medium- to fast-paced songs that are used to convey a mood of elation and are usually performed towards the end of a concert. They consist of a few lines of poetry with soft syllables or bols set to a tune. The singer uses these few lines as a basis for fast improvisation. The tillana of Carnatic music is based on the tarana, although the former is primarily associated with dance. Tappa Main article: Tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music whose specialty is its rolling pace based on fast, subtle, knotty construction. It originated from the folk songs of the camel riders of Punjab and was developed as a form of classical music by Mian Ghulam Nabi Shori or Shori Mian, a court singer for Asaf-Ud-Dowlah, the Nawab of Awadh. Nidhubabur Tappa, or tappas sung by Nidhu Babu were very popular in 18th and 19th-century Bengal. Among the living performers of this style are Laxmanrao Pandit, Shamma Khurana, Manvalkar, Girija Devi, Ishwarchandra Karkare, and Jayant Khot. Thumri Main article: Thumri Thumri is a semi-classical vocal form said to have begun in Uttar Pradesh with the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, (r. 1847–1856). There are three types of thumri: poorab ang, Lucknavi and Punjabi thumri. The lyrics are typically in a proto-Hindi language called Brij Bhasha and are usually romantic. Some recent performers of this genre are Abdul Karim Khan, the brothers Barkat Ali Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar, Girija Devi, Beauty Sharma Barua, Nazakat-Salamat Ali Khan, Prabha Atre, Siddheshwari Devi, and Shobha Gurtu. Ghazal Main article: Ghazal Ghazal is an originally Persian form of poetry. In the Indian sub-continent, Ghazal became the most common form of poetry in the Urdu language and was popularized by classical poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Ghalib, Daagh, Zauq and Sauda amongst the North Indian literary elite. Vocal music set to this mode of poetry is popular with multiple variations across Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Turkey, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Ghazal exists in multiple variations, including semi-classical, folk and pop forms. Instrumental music The Royal Musicians of Hindustan circa 1910: Ali Khan, Inayat Khan, Musheraff Khan and Maheboob Khan Although Hindustani music clearly is focused on the vocal performance, instrumental forms have existed since ancient times. In fact, in recent decades, especially outside South Asia, instrumental Hindustani music is more popular than vocal music, partly due to a somewhat different style and faster tempo, and partly because of a language barrier for the lyrics in vocal music. A number of musical instruments are associated with Hindustani classical music. The veena, a string instrument, was traditionally regarded as the most important, but few play it today and it has largely been superseded by its cousins the sitar and the sarod, both of which owe their origin to Persian influences. Other plucked or struck string instruments include the surbahar, sursringar, santoor, and various versions of the slide guitar. Among bowed instruments, the sarangi, esraj and violin are popular. The bansuri, shehnai and harmonium are important wind instruments. In the percussion ensemble, the tabla and the pakhavaj are the most popular. Various other instruments have also been used in varying degrees.