Birth Of A Nation The Suppression Of A People Essays -

Birth of a Nation: The Suppression of a People Birth of a Nation: The Suppression of a People America is believed to be founded as the first state founded on the notion that democracy is for all people, however this is far from the truth. Not only did it take almost two hundred years till the American government grants full opportunities to African American, they even accepted the slavery of these peoples for almost half of that time. A republic government, such as the American government, is based on the idea that all people can have an equal represented fairly and have an equal vote. This is very hard to accomplish when groups of people living within that republic are discriminated against. If society is not willing to see another group as equal they will not treat their ideas as equals. The 1920's are a time of great prosperity in America. The Wall Street was hitting new highs and it seemed everyone was getting rich. Also the 20's brings to mind radical social change. The great experiment of probation was being tested, and flappers advocated woman's civil rights. Like other times in history when a nation goes through a period of great prosperity, or social changes there are conservative resistance groups. During the early twentieth century this group was known as the Ku Klux Klan or KKK. They originated after the Civil War to resist the new rights given to ex-slaves. They came back during the early part of the twentieth century to protest not only the new civil rights but also to voice their decent about the increasing immigrant problem. These new immigrants were coming from southeast Europe; they were often Jewish or Catholic. They also did not always fit right into American society. They often brought, and kept, their own traditions, languages, and most importantly loyalties. The Ku Klux Klan offered a place for the conservative minded to turn to, a reactionary organization for the day. The people whom applied for membership were not of high social status. Rather the Klan appealed to middle, and lower class Americans. In a 1926 article Hiram Evans, Imperial Wizard explains the purpose of the Ku Klux Klan. He first states for whom the Klan is organized. The only people entitled to membership, he states, are the "pioneers" that founded this country. It is his belief that it was the WASP that brought the world into its modern age, and now his people were being discriminated against. (Evans 318) Then Evans goes on to explain how his people are being oppressed. The last twenty years there was great social reform, during which schools started teaching some Darwinism, the new immigrants were infesting cities (Evans 318). Also "un-American" organizations are being formed to support these new liberal groups (Evans 318). "We must Americanize the Americans" an immigrant said, this is what Evens wanted to prevent (Evans 319). The Nordic Americans were being forced out of their jobs, not because they were not lazy, but because the new Americans worked for a lower wage. This, the Klan said, lead to the "pioneer" reluctance toward bringing more children into the world. This is, therefore, the first step in the reduction of the true American. Evans then goes on to explain why the Ku Klux Klan is appealing to the average American. He says that the people who are in control now are to liberal to run the government and have betrayed the American people (Evans 318). They think that intellectual leaders have the weakness of overanalyzing problems. They believe what their leaders lacked and they had been emotion. Emotion, to the Klan, was God inside them telling them what needs to be done (Evans 321). In the 1920's the Ku Klux Klan's membership soared to new highs. This is because of their emotional appeal to the average American. The country just fought a war where not all of its citizens were even pulling for the same side (Evans 319). Jobs were becoming scarcer, and civil rights, along with other liberal groups were gaining power. Many people saw this all as a threat gains their decade or so of prosperity. To lash out at their declining values they turned to the Klan. The Klan's membership jumped in the 1920's. New propaganda, such as the motion picture "Birth of a Nation" inspired people to join reactionary groups, and partake in the growing fundamentalism, which could be found it the church of the time. "The Birth of a Nation" is a monumental piece of American work. Throughout history books and papers have been written to sway public opinion, but

Acuscan Executive Summary 3 Essays

Acuscan Executive Summary 3 Essays Acuscan Executive Summary 3 Essay Acuscan Executive Summary 3 Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TO: Cliff O’Connor, CEO AcuScan, Inc. FROM: VP of Organizational Development SUBJECT: Observations and Recommendations for Optimization Project DATE: June 30, 2008 Purpose and Scope of Document The purpose of this document is to provide a basic overview of the current status surrounding the AcuScan Optimization Project. This document will provide a brief background and summary of the current situation, and then provide key points relating to the underlying issues. This document will then outline the options AcuScan has in order to address the project issues and recommend the most feasible course of action. Summary of the Situation The AcuScan Optimization Project, known as â€Å"Operation Optimize†, is experiencing both cost and resource restraints. The company must cut costs by 15% in almost all departments, while at the same time creating new expenses by trying to launch a new product. The company has not produced a new product in some time and it is believed that in order to increase sales, the current iScanner technology must be utilized and built upon to reach out to a new market. However, there is a conflict between the Director of Marketing and the Senior Engineer, in that they have a different understanding of what can be and should be accomplished with the limited resources available. The Director of Marketing, Pat Lambert, crafted a project development plan that was based on an overall optimistic view of the project. Pat had concluded that the current iScanner technology would transition easily into the retail market with minimal efforts in programming and engineering. As of yet, no competitor had used eye scanning technology in the retail industry and this was considered a great opportunity for AcuScan. In order to take advantage of this unique situation, it was proposed that AcuScan release a product by August in order to gain the market advantage. A budget of $575K was proposed in order to cover the costs of the product development. The project began to loose momentum when the Senior Engineer, Kelly Thomas, expressed concerns over some unrealistic expectations. Kelly claimed that several project requirements were overly optimistic and pushed back on the project proposal, claiming that such a product could not be delivered by the August deadline. Based on this reaction, Pat concluded that contractors needed to be hired in order to work around the staffing constraints in the engineering department, and increased the project budget request by about $250K. Emails between the Director of Marketing and the Senior Engineer indicate that important issues need to be addressed before problems between the departments escalate to a point that will make it difficult to reconcile differences and work together in order to ensure the success of the project. Key Points Relating to the Situation Sales and service revenues have led to budget constraints which add restrictions to project funding. Both departments are experiencing stress due to limited resources, pressure to cut costs, and expectations to deliver a new product before the end of the year. Each department head is operating independently and not working together to collaborate as a team. A lack of trust and respect has developed between the departments heads due to poor communicati on. Decisions are being made based mainly on rather than performing formal research and analysis Conclusions The success of â€Å"Operation Optimize† is critical to the future success of AcuScan by directly impacting an increase in sales revenue and broadening the company’s customer base and marketing versatility. AcuScan must take immediate action to address concerns of both departments, and guide the project back on track for a successful rollout. At the same time, the company must realize that it will not be able to produce a quality product within the time allotted on a small budget. Recommendations and Actions to be Taken Based on the conclusions AcuScan has two possible options. One option is to delay the release of the new product in order to compensate for the lack of man hours. The company can split up the project into a series of rollout phases, which will extend the project timelines, but reduce the workload pressure being placed on the current engineering staff. This would save the company money in the short term, but could potentially impact their competitive edge in the long term if the competition develops a similar product first. The other option is to act on Director of Marketing proposal to hire contractors in order to take on the increased workload. The company would have a dedicated resource for the project while at the same time allowing the engineering staff to continue to provide a high level of quality service to existing customers. The company would have to make a short term budget sacrifice, exacerbating the current budget crisis; however the new product would launch before the end of the year and give AcuScan the competitive edge it needs to increase sales over the long term. It is proposed that AcuScan align budgeting goals to accommodate the current project timelines and making a small sacrifice in costs to aid in the development by hiring outside contractors. In order to encourage collaboration between departments, the Director of Marketing must allow that the contractors are selected and managed by the Senior Engineer, who will be the most knowledgeable as to the minimal extra man power needed and the skill set required to accomplish the tasks. The Senior Engineer must allow that some new product functionality must b e developed and brainstorm with the Director of Marketing to design a simple but innovative new product. The Senior Engineer must also work with the Director of Marketing to bridge the gap of understanding between the two departments by taking time to educate one another at a high level as to the nature of their job and how they can best serve one another. These action items must be incorporated into the project timeline and each department head must provide a weekly status update as to the progress of the new deliverables in additional to the overall development of the new product.

Retention, human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retention, human resource management - Essay Example these localized incentives might work towards retaining the most efficient employees of the organization. The idea is not about spending more time on these incentives but lie son designing effective programs that are workable. According to the human resources’ vice president of Great American Insurance Group of Cincinnati, â€Å"We want that manager feedback, that peer-to-peer recognition. It becomes very personal† (Shepherd). Such programs also help the colleagues to be familiar with each other better. Apart form the decentralized programs and practices there are centralized programs, which applies to all the employees fitting a particular criterion. For instance, such incentives might be based upon the length of service period. Some employers however like to mix up both centralized and localized incentives for a better outcome. This again requires training of managers such that they might implement and design the incentive programs effectively. A survey reveals that a round 27 percent of the firms arrange such training programs for managers. An example is provided in case of Everett Clinic where the managers are happy with small but personal rewards, which might not be expensive but are effective. These are expressed in the form of gift cards, Caught in the Act cards, Pat on the Back cards for different levels of skills and competence. The upper level of hierarchy provides the support for such programs in both financial and no financial terms. According to the company, their employee satisfaction is around 80 percent. In fact budgetary constraint is not the only motivation behind such programs. Such retention practices encourage creativity for developing such programs some of which gain instant recognition. Employers even resort to the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to appreciate their efficient employees. This helps in gaining public appreciation for these employees. Thus the article mainly talks of tapping the employeesâ€℠¢

Bank regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bank regulation - Essay Example Additionally, there was a lack of appreciation of the magnitude and complexity of the workings relating to large financial institutions and trading banks with respect to those financial institutions that had more than one jurisdictions coupled with the difficult associated in dealing with the problem (Kawai 2013). There was also insufficient oversight of the derivative markets and a lack of clear visibility towards the magnitude of the linkages between the shadow and regulated banking sectors and the financial institutions. Banks are tasked with regulating money supply via the directive of the central bank. Some of the roles of banks include crating money, being the principle allocator of credit funds available to the public, they act as the managers of a country’s payment system and they are the depositories of the public in matters relating their financial savings (Connor 2005). The bank’s regulatory role is divided into three functions which include controlling the supply of money in the economy, meliorating matters regarding equity and efficiency of intermediation of finances and preventing systematic risk. The measures undertaken to regulate banks are because banks need to be streamlined in order to prevent them from using short term strategies to increase their returns and also to prevent firms from adopting bad behaviors that are against the moral code of conduct (Kolb 2011). The regulations also aid customers to develop a degree of confidence and comfort which can only be facilita ted by the institution of the regulatory measures. Three have been a wide variety of measures instituted globally in order to address regulatory reform to deal with the shortcomings highlighted by the effects of the global financial crisis. The main aim of the reform platform has been to find an optimum point where productive risks that are responsible for

Write a 1,000+ word comparative analysis of two poems Essay

Write a 1,000+ word comparative analysis of two poems - Essay Example In her writings in the Love in Place, she elaborates on some â€Å"love in place† which moves nowhere and is static against time. This love is not changing at all. From this point, a theme is already brought. This theme of â€Å"love† is shared by both the poems. Closer examination of both poems reveals to the audience some kind of mood that is used in the poem. In Love in Place, Nikki Giovanni says that â€Å"I know I must have fallen in love ones because I quite biting my cuticles and my hair is gray†. Yet in the poem from Love Poem Medley, Ruddy Francisco suggests such kind of love which is far away and yet it would still be there. This is the point that the two poems draw some contrast. Both the poets have been able to deliver their themes on the same topic, and yet they use different tones. Nikki Giovanni is quite straight and to the point with how she presents the persona. She delivers the feelings of the persona right within the poem. According to the Rudy ’s Poem, he, distances himself from the love by repeatedly insisting that what he is talking about is nothing to do with love. â€Å"I am not a love poet†. This statement he repeatedly makes, which sinks into the mind of the audience and reveals some sarcastic view on the matter of love. From what Nikki suggests, in her reiteration that she has stopped biting her fingers, it would be inferred that the poet is trying to relay to the audience the progress she has made and changes that have occurred in life since when she was in love. Both the poets try to present greater appreciation of love. Nikki Giovanni appreciates love by keeping things the same way as they used to be. She portrays the person as having not changed in her appearance. The natural changes in her body have remained the same including her gray hair. The Francisco equally appreciates love by complementing the lady, who she wishes would have been her lady, but yet must understand that love is a painful affair

Psychoanalytic theory and the crisis of masculinity

Psychoanalytic theory and the crisis of masculinity The late 60s saw a rapidly materialising concern about the status of masculinity. Before the 60s it seemed that the idea of masculinity was safe males could be useful within modern capitalist societies, providing for their families and gaining a sense of satisfaction from their place in society. But society began to change, economically, socially and especially in relation to the position of women. The rise of feminism was changing womens attitudes about the way in which they were (and are) treated. In turn this was starting to affect how men viewed themselves. Carroll (2004) explains how in American society the breadwinner ideal was being eroded with support from professional groups including psychologists and cardiologists working all the hours and a constant striving for material wealth might not be good for you. How, asked men, do we define ourselves now? This essay will examine the crisis in masculinity from the point of view of psychoanalysis  ¿Ã‚ ½through the Oedipal compl ex and the cast0tl.QDCOmp,lex and then move onto evidence from social and cultural theories. To examine how masculinity might be in crisis, it is first necessary to examine how psychoanalytical theories posit that boys gain their masculine identity or in other words how they become men. Modern psychoanalytical theory, as did Freud himself, places a great emphasis on the early relationships of the young boy with his parents or caregivers. It is the vicissitudes of these relationships that will have important consequences for development. In Freudian terms, this early relationship is overshadowed by the Oedipal conflict. The mother shows a great interest in the child and the boy realises that his father represents his main rival to this relationship. The boy desires the mother, but the father stands in the way. Attempting to maintain these conflicting influences at some kind of equilibrium is the central drama of development from a psychoanalytical viewpoint. What, then, are the most important processes that occur in early life that influence the construction (or otherwise) of the male identity out of the Oedipal crisis? Greenson (1968) explains that psychoanalytic theory concentrates on the idea of disidentification, this is divided into two processes: firstly a boy must sever the emotional ties he has with the primary caregiver usually the mother and secondly he needs to identify with a male role-model usually the father. The identification with the father should allow the boy to have a way of communicating with the outside world, to tempt the boy away from psychological closeness with the mother and provide the support needed to avoid the boys return to a symbiotic relationship with his mother. The relationship with the mother, then, is seen by Klein (1975) as a delicate balancing act. It proVides a prototype for later relationships with women and so needs to be warm and lOVing, but it is difficult for a man to have relationships with women if he is too close to his mother. Horrocks (1994) argues that, in fact, the male child is surrounded by femininity throughout his early childhood, and it is important for him to break away and discover a world of men for here lie the roots of the male identity. The central paradox, though, is that the man wishes to escape this cocoon of womanhood but there is also the desire to become close to a woman. One danger in this dynamic is that the early influence of the mother is too great and not sufficiently counter-acted by the father this leads to an inability to separate himself from the mother (Horrocks, 1994). The role of the father in the masculine identity is seen as crucial by psychoanalysts. Horrocks (1994) sees the role of fathering as an introduction to manhood, the introduction to a role that has previously been shrouded in mystery. While there are some initiation rights and ceremonies in some cultures, overall, and especially in western societies, it is not particularly strong. There has actually been a disconnect between the son and his father, now the father heads out to work everyday and no longer has a chance to bond with his son. Horrocks (1994) sees one of the most important functions of the father as to show the young boy that it is possible to live with the mother, to have conflict, fear and guilt, but still to live together. It is through the father-son relationship that the boy can learn that it is possible to live a civilised existence without continual recourse to violence and satiation of primitive longings. The damaged modern male, the male in crisis, is seen by Horrocks (1994) as unfathered. Women are viewed as dangerous to have a relationship is to have a bat tle and the man must draw himself away from women from time to time to maintain his safety. By never really making a strong connection, the modern man in crisis feels damaged and abused and uses the methods of abuse and damage to relate to others because he knows no other way. This analysis of the Oedipal complex and its effects, as well as the possibility of transcendence, actually describes a rather prototypical interaction between the young boy and his caregiver. Blazina (2004) describes how some criticisms and refinements of this model have been made by subsequent theorists. Bergman (1995), for example, has argued that it is not necessarily with the mother the boy should be disidentifying. There are many situations where the father is actually the provider of the most emotional nurturance. In this case it is better to see the individuation as occurring with the primary caregiver rather than the mother. Blazina (2004) also maintains that there should not be such emphasis on the cutting off of the other identity. Where the other identity is feminine, there is now greater acceptability of feminine qualities in men so these can be integrated into male identity without compromising maleness. For the crisis in masculinity, Freuds conception of the castration complex is of great interest. Freud (1925) theorised that the castration complex had the follOWing stages. Firstly a boy guesses from the evidence of his own anatomy that everyone has a penis. Secondly he finds out that women do not have penises and assumes that they have been mutilated in some way. Thirdly when he begins to masturbate, he is told that he will be castrated. Fourthly, finding that the breast has already been removed, summarises that the penis will be next. Finally, the Oedipus complex is destroyed by this threat of castration. According to Horrocks (1994), Freud saw this sequence of events as concrete, whereas many psychoanalysts now see this in more allegorical terms, as mediated by culture and society. Through gender, both men as well as women are denied a whole world of being, the world of the other gender. After the process of partitioning men and women both feel a sense of loss at the things that they will not be able to experience. In men this castration complex expresses itself in a variety of different ways. Men have a desire for love, a fear of their own sexuality, and, in particular, a fear of their own anger. Horrocks (1994) describes how, as a psychotherapist, many men talk about their fear that their anger will be exposed to the world. To stop this, they have to bottle it up and repress the emotion. As a result, in heterosexual men, this is recognised by the women with whom they have relationships and they are rendered impotent and asexual. A man who acts in this way behaves passive aggressively ¿Ã‚ ½ he is motivated to manipulate those around him by his anger. This prohibits a direct connection with other people because his relationships are based on manipulation. The result of this is that feelings are kept inside and denied. A similar problem is seen, in Horrocks experience, in macho men. The castration of the macho man leaves him profoundly afraid of expressing his own feelings. This denies him the possibility of acting emotionally in any situation as this will simply reveal his weakness as he sees it. It is the emotional parts of himself that this man hates and wants to hide away the feminine parts of him are an embarrassment. By being cut-off from his own feelings, the psychologically castrated man experiences an emptiness within himself that he attempts to fill with methods that will never work. The emptiness inside is often experienced as a dead feeling, almost of death itself. It is precisely this almost death from which, Horrocks argues, many men in the crisis of masculinity are suffering. Without the connection with his own emotions, or those of anyone else, he is only half a man, not able to experience himself or others properly, safely cocooned within an empty world. Within Freuds writings, woman were theorised to suffer from envy of the male penis, but Freud did not acknowledge the possibility of men being envious of the female breast. The male-centred idea that penis envy is fundamental to psychoanalysis is attacked by the introduction of the idea of breast envy. Klein (1975), for example, has pointed out that both male and female children have very strong feelings towards the breast both are attracted to it and both want to destroy it. Instead of defining both sexes in terms of the penis one having and the other jealous a reciprocal envy provides balance that acknowledges the lacuna in mens lives as well. The breast does, after all provide, not only nourishment, but also love to the child, and so a womans breast is a symbol of these qualities. Horrocks (1994) argues that men have a strong desire to return to the breast, to return to the originator of life and at the same time men attack the breast and want to destroy it. Melanie Klein posited that the idea of womb envy was also an important component in the male psyche. Minsky (1995) describes how the Kleinian viewpoint sees the development of male power as being rooted in the fear of the womb. Like the young boys envy of his mothers breasts, he also becomes envious of her womb and the power it has to create new life. To make up for this envy, men are forced to concentrate their efforts on cultural and creative efforts and to suppress womens forays into the same field. Minsky (1995) explains that it is the phallus that then saves men and provides a distraction from the envy of the womb. Lacan has a different take on the Oedipus complex. He sees the father not as a real father but as a representation or a metaphor for culture (Lacan, 2004). It is through the young boys experience of cultural factors such as language that he is pulled away from the mother. The mother represents desire for Lacan and so culture, through the representation of the father, pulls the boy from what he desires. This cutting off is like a castration and the child then attempts to substitute this with a search for truth (Minsky, 1995). Many of these psychoanalytical ideas about the roots of a crisis in masculinity are analysed in social theories in terms of a conflict in gender roles. ONeil, Helms, Gable, David, Wrightsman (1986) have defined gender role conflict as where socialised gender roles have an adverse psychological effect which causes a restrictive effect on the self through barriers created around personal creativities and freedom. ONeil et al. (1986) identify four different types of role conflict. There is a restriction in the range of internal emotionality; similarly, there is a restriction in the types of emotional behaviour that are possible towards other men ¿Ã‚ ½ this results in an inability to communicate feelings. Personal achievement and constant comparison to what others have creates a constant sense of fear and worry. There is a conflict between the requirements of work and those of the family which results in stress and health problems, and a simple lack of time to relax. Evidence to support these ideas of role conflicts has come, for example, from Sharpe Heppner (1991) who found a connection between role conflict and problems with intimate relationships. Watts Borders (2005) point out, though, that many of these studies have not been carried out in younger, adolescent boys. In rectifying this hole in the research, Watts Borders (2005) investigated role conflict in adolescent boys. Their findings were in line with the theories put forward by ONeil et at. (1986). The boys in their study said they found there was a societal pressure to restrict their emotionality, both internally and between themselves and other boys. Further they theorised that many of the boys had only been exposed to a very limited range of emotions from male role models ¿Ã‚ ½ indeed many denied experiencing any emotions other than anger. Cultural theories, which intersect with Lacans ideas, are also important in how the crisis in masculinity has been studied. Whitehead (2002) considers arguments that have been played out in the public domain. Firstly he considers the publication of Stiffed: The Betrayal of Modern Man (Faludi, 2000). The thesis of this book is that it is now the male who finds himself objectified and the subject of much sexist consumer culture. In addition the mans secure attachments and relationships with the world of work are no longer as strong and exclusive as they once were. Men seem also, in Faludis view, to be failing to fight back against the new culture, failing to take on this creeping emasculation. Now that feminism has attacked the patriarchal systems of power and control, masculinity has been left undermined and unsure. The rise of feminism has surely encouraged many men to question how they view women ¿Ã‚ ½ and then apparently left them confused. Faludi (2000) places the blame for this crisis in masculinity at the door of culture and encourages them to work together to combat it. While the argument has some elements of truth, quite how men and women are supposed to step outside of culture is not clear. Without men and women, there is no culture people are intimately bound up with it and part of it. The second set of arguments centre around research carried out by Professor Richard Scase as part of the European Commissions Futures Programme (Scase, 1999). This research found that many women are choosing to live alone as their opportunities in the workplace increase and especially as the roles they can adopt widen. It is hypothesised that this is having a knock-on effect on men who find it difficult to cope with this new situation. Evidence for this is in the rising rates of suicide  ¿Ã‚ ½between 1991 and 1997 they have increased by 60%. Social research finds that men are choosing to remain living at home rather than move out on their own (Office of National Statistics, 2000). Whitehead (2002) sees this as evidence that men are failing to cope with the new challenges they are facing. Further cultural and social evidence that men are in crisis is prOVided by Beynon (2001). Relying heavily on role theory, Beynon (2001) points to the changes in work patterns particularly the fact that less than half the men over 55 are in work. There is also a sense in which these men are caught between attempting to maintain the old-style macho posturing and the new-man type behaviour requiring a man to be in touch with his feelings. Beynon (2001) claims that generally men are less likely to a breakdown, Be of divorces. S . a ~_ C 0 ogical or physical illness which faces them. In marital a::> es, the man is normally most responsible, with women starting 75% of ten men move out of the marital home after the breakdown of a e er, is probably more of an artefact of the legal system and simple ietment on men. Apart from anything else, men generally die younger and e e y to suffer from heart disease. e g facts and figures continue through both crime and education and other major areas of  ¿Ã‚ ½;e. _.en crimes are mostly committed by men, indeed it is men who are mostly the victims of e crime, and so it is violence that is seen as an important component of masculinity. itehead (2002) sees this violence discourse as having a powerful effect on peoples attitudes to men. Men are seen as being unable to cope with the demands of modern life, especially those men on the social and economic fringes, and so the resort to violence is only natural. Within education, in the schools, male performance is significantly lower then female. Despite much theoretical attentior as well as some evidence from research on role theories and other areas, there has been a far degree of criticism of the idea of a crisis in masculinity. Writers have asked whether the crisis of gender is anything new. Mangan (1997) (as cited in Whitehead, 2002) argues that masculinity, li e femininity is constantly in crisis, constantly changing and adapting to new circumstances. Indeed, some of the fundamental ideas from psychoanalysis support the idea that masculinity is always a matter of crisis men will always have to cope with breast envy, womb en and a castration complex. This question aside though, some commentators have asked if t ere is really anything to explain at all with the rise of feminism, men have suffered a loss of power relative to women and are trying to cope with that loss, some less successf J t an others. Whitehead (200l) suggests that the crisis in masculinity is, in reality, an iHuson co ned to academic journals and has no meaning for people in the real world. Heartfield (2002), in arguing against a crisis of masculinity, talks of the fetishising of sexual difference, an exaggera ion of the differences between men and women. Heartfield (2002) suggests that it is instead the working classes that are in crisis, not men in general. These ideas are far removed from those that come from psychoanalysis where many of the roots of future struggle are born in that difference. In conclusion, psychoanalytical ideas about the crisis in masculinity are grounded in the biological differences between the sexes and how these are dealt with psychologically. Other psychoanalysts and Lacanian ideas have taken these literal conflicts and, to some extent, moved them away from a focus on biological difference and introduced more cultural and social ideas. Social and cultural theories provide a wide variety of, and some reasons for, a possible crisis in masculinity. In particular, the use of role theory has provided an important analysis. Despite using the language of role conflict, the male preoccupations and problems described by role theory have many things in common with those arrived at by psychoanalytical means. Nevertheless, many authors have questioned whether this crisis in masculinity really exists and whether it is anything new

Methamphetamine as a Sleepless Dream or Addictive Nightmare Essay

Methamphetamine as a Sleepless Dream or Addictive Nightmare Methamphetamine has reclaimed a place in the lexicon of "party" drugs. Hailed by nocturnal adventurers, condemned by raver idealists, is speed a sleepless dream or an addictive nightmare? Here at the end of the millennium, the pace of modern life seems fleeting -- a whirl of minutes, hours and days. In dealing with the changes, humans have equipped themselves with the tools to move faster, more efficiently. At the same time a dependence for the marketing, high-speed transportation and pharmacology of this modern age has evolved. In a race to outdo ourselves, we have moved dangerously toward the fine line between extinction and evolution. Therefore, the human capacity to handle the velocity becomes a fragile balance. Our generation (see Gen X, 20-somethings) could be considered the sleepless generation. An age of society's children weaned on the ideals of high-speed communication and accelerated culture has prided itself in mastering many of the facets of human existence -- doing more, sleeping less. The machines of this age have in a way enabled us to create a 24-hour lifestyle. We have pushed the limits of the modern world further -- ATMs, high-speed modems, smart bombs and bullet trains. However, the limitations of human existence, like sleep, may still provide the stumbling block for infinite realization. That is, without chemical aid. In many ways, capitalism fuels the idea. Our society is based upon the mass consumption of these substances. Cultural ideals, while seemingly benevolent as "Have a Coke and a smile" have sold the link to chemical substances like caffeine and nicotine to "the good life." Today, stimulants are the bedrock for consumer culture. For our generation, this appeal was heightened by raising the stakes in the '80s on what it meant to have fun. Late night clubs, high speed music and 24-hour lifestyles brought the specter of drugs to the fold as a necessity for being able to attain more. Leaps away from the psychedelics of the '60s, in the '80s these stimulant drugs became tools -- utilitarian devices to gain wealth, intelligence and prestige. Sleep became a barrier for success. Dreams were the frivolous luxuries of childhood. Raves, founded equally in the post-conservative underground late-'80s and the chaotic early-'90s, are pa... ..., however, by methamphetamine's nature -- as a refined, concentrated addictive substance -- it only perpetuates the cycle for needing more. There is very little factual information about amphetamines and their dangers available to the lay person. Research on the subject, aside from medical journals, is virtually nill. There is however a great deal of dangerous propaganda -- hear-say, lies, rumors. Misinformation sometimes is more dangerous than no information and real answers are only found through communication. Many other drugs have been part of the rave community over the years -- nitrous oxide, Special K (ketamine) and especially ecstasy (MDMA) but none have exhibited the burn-out or addiction rate associated with methamphetamine. While meth (or any drug) is an inert substance that we cannot attribute blame to, by its nature it has raised the question "Are we really built for speed?" It seems that the human body, while naturally resilient to much self-inflicted abuse, may not be a reliable container for the soul at high speeds. Methamphetamine may have the ability to chemically fuel the ride, physically it may just prove the limitations for human society.

Crown Awards, Inc. V. Discount Trophy & Co., Inc.

Crown Awards, Inc. v. Discount Trophy & Co. , Inc. U. S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit 2009 U. S. App. Lexis 8540 (2009) Material Facts of the Case: Crown Awards is a retailer of awards and trophies sold through mail order catalogs and via the Internet. Crown designed and sold a diamond-shaped spinning trophy for which it owned two copyright registrations. Discount Trophy is one of Crown’s competitors, and it sold a trophy that was substantially similar to Crown’s Spin Trophy.Crown requested that Discount discontinue the sale of the alleged copy, and when Discount refused, Crown filed suit in the Southern District of New York. Legal and Ethical Issues of the Case: In order to prevail on a claim of copyright infringement, a plaintiff must demonstrate both ownership of a valid copyright and infringement. â€Å"To establish infringement, the copyright owner must demonstrate that (1) the defendant has actually copied the plaintiff's work;  and  (2) the copying is il legal because a substantial similarity exists between the defendant's work and the protectable elements of plaintiff's. Actual copying may be proved directly or indirectly. Indirect evidence of copying  includes proof that the defendants had access to the copyrighted work and similarities that are probative of copying between the works. † Because direct proof of access is often  impossible to adduce, the law permits a plaintiff to carry his burden on this point through evidence that â€Å"an alleged infringer had a ‘reasonable possibility'† of access to the original work.Notably, â€Å"a court may infer that the alleged infringer had a reasonable possibility of access if the author sent the copyrighted work to a third party intermediary who has a  close relationship  with the infringer. † Access through third parties connected to both a plaintiff and a defendant may be sufficient to prove a defendant's access to a plaintiff's work. If a plaintiff ca nnot demonstrate a reasonable possibility of access, its infringement claim will fail absent proof of a â€Å"striking† similarity between the original and infringing works. We have held that where the works in question are ‘so strikingly similar as to preclude the possibility of independent creation, copying may be proved without a showing of access. ‘†Ã‚  In some cases, the similarities between the plaintiff's and defendant's work are so extensive and striking as, without more, both to justify an inference of copying and to prove improper appropriation.If a plaintiff demonstrates actual copying through proof of a reasonable possibility of access and similarities probative of copying, however, it can prevail on its infringement claim by demonstrating that defendant's work is â€Å"substantially similar to that which is original in the plaintiff's expression. † With â€Å"inexact copies,† this assessment proceeds by a comparison of the â€Å"t otal concept and feel of the contested works† as â€Å"instructed by common sense. The court must â€Å"analyze the two works closely to figure out in what respects, if any, they are similar, and then determine whether these similarities are due to protected aesthetic expressions original to the allegedly infringed work, or whether the similarity is to something in the original that is free for the taking. † Rules and Rationale Utilized by the Court to Resolve the Dispute: The district court found that Crown owned a valid copyright in its diamond-shaped spinning trophy and that Discount had access to Crown's design through its receipt of Crown's 2006 catalog and its monitoring of Crown's products.The district court found, however, that Crown had failed to demonstrate that Xiamen Xihua Arts and Craft, the manufacturer of the allegedly infringing trophy, also had access to Crown's design because there was no record evidence (1) that Discount asked Xiamen to manufacture a trophy that looked like Crown's copyrighted trophy, or (2) that Xiamen ever received a Crown catalog.While acknowledging that Crown's design could be viewed on the Internet after January of 2006, the district court noted that â€Å"there is no evidence in the record about the Internet habits† of Xiamen's principal. The district court nevertheless inferred access on the part of Xiamen from the â€Å"striking† similarity between the diamond-shaped spinning trophies sold by Crown and Discount. The court further found that the two products were â€Å"substantially† similar and shared the same â€Å"total concept and feel.    The court further found that â€Å"the timing of the order from Discount is . . . suggestive of copying,† insofar as â€Å"the first Discount trophies were ordered from Lin in the mid-summer of 2006, which is perfect timing if you worked forward from the publication of the Crown catalogs in 2006 and assumed that Xiamen got to work on fabricating a knockoff shortly thereafter. The district court concluded: â€Å"I find independent creation to be not only unlikely but absolutely impossible to believe. † Accordingly, it ruled in favor of Crown on its claim of infringement.Court’s Conclusion: The judgments of the district court were affirmed in favor of the plaintiff. Defendant Discount appeals from the judgments of the district court, entered after a two-day bench trial, awarding plaintiff Crown $22,845. 18 in damages and $165,528. 01 in attorney’s fees and costs for Discount’s infringement of Crown’s copyrights in the design of the Spin Trophy. Ethical Impact Analysis: The decision in the court’s ruling emphasizes that copyright infringement is not only illegal, but considered unethical in our society.Copyrights exist for a reason, and particularly against with a registered copyright, deliberate copying of a product for the purpose of making a profit is something that sho uld definitely be challenged and awarded to the copyright owner. The theft of intellectual property, as illustrated in this case, is sometimes difficult to prove, but it seemed clear in this situation that Discount blatantly copied Crown’s spinning trophy. I’m glad to have seen that Crown was awarded not only in damages, but also for their legal fees.

Vocabulary Test 2 Is Live!

Vocabulary Test 2 Is Live! Vocabulary Test 2 Is Live! Vocabulary Test 2 Is Live! By Daniel Scocco It was about time to release another one of our tests, right? We are going back to the vocabulary test, with 20 new words. If you have been reading the blog for a while, you shouldnt have a problem scoring a 100%! We covered all the words in the past, inside the Word of the Day column. Here is a teaser: 1. Befuddle means: to harass to threaten to confuse to insult Click here to go to the Vocabulary Test 2 page. Ah, and dont forget to let us know your score with a comment below. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Comma Before ButParticular vs. Specific

Art of Asia essays

Art of Asia essays Asia has many types of art because of the extent of the continent. Different cultures live within the continent. Even though there are many different cultures and countries, the art of Asia still has alot of similarities regarding what they believe on, and the ancient ways of doing things. Asia has countries like China, India, Japan, Indonesia, and many tohers. This similarities i was talking about are mainly in religios views. All cultures in Asia seem to be very fond of Budha, a god like person that lived thousands of years ago. They may also paint some other things, like ways of life, and their own mythology wich is not at all like the greeks. In Southern Asia, temples were painted. The temple of Nepal is one of those temples. there are also a lot of paintings of Stupa's or temples of workship. On the temple's walls, there are also paintings of budha's life. The Siamese Budha is also a sculpture made in the fourthenth or fiftheenth century. Southarn Asia has many interesting styles of painting, none equal to any toher found in other parts of Asia maybe with the exepetion of Budha/ There are certainly thousands of pieces of painting found is southern Asia, but they are all unique because of their creators. In China the chinese liked to make sculptures out of bronze. this certainly required a lot of skill because in those times people or artists did not have the tools we now have today. Tigers were really special in the Chinese culture since it is a symbol of protection. Sculptures in China were one of the main works. Wall paintings and little objects in tombs were also found, but these seemed to be special since almost none were found on the surface, or anywhere in the open. Tombs seem to be very important chinese customs too, because they are full of paintings regarding a persons life, or simply Budha watching, or other symbols important to the Chinese. The Art of Japan is very similar to w ...

PROJECT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

PROJECT - Research Paper Example The job rotation can also decrease the problem of overtime exploitation. Name Professor Subject Date Introduction Resource management differs from one field to another field. For many people having a general background in environmental sciences, interest in the issues pertaining to resource management remains within the environmental issues (Howitt, 107).Human resource management remains caught somewhere in the twilight between a science, an applied area of management practice, an ideological or consulting statement about how firms should manage their employees, and a heterogeneous amalgamation of administrative tools (Kaufmann, 321). Within the same context, it has been suggested that the most appropriate focus for human resource management should be the governance of employment relationship (Storey 81).One of the biggest problems for the Wal-Mart is to control the problem of managing its human resources. Recently, overtime exploitation has been reported on the various workplaces of Wal-Mart. being one of the largest and biggest company of the world, Wal-Mart has employed a considerable number of employees across the globe. It employs several hundred thousands of employees in numerous capacities. The major reason for such a level of employees is to fulfil the expanding needs of the company. It originated in the United States and opened its outlets in Asia and other far regions of the world. However, with the passage of time, overtime exploitation has become a common practice in various operational facilities of the company as the store managers in collusion with the payroll staff members have forced the workers to give unofficial overtime. They have used different tactics and methods for forcing the workers for this activity. The official working hours remain 40 hours per week. Every employee is required to work eight hours per day and five days a week. However, the store managers and the payroll staff members have created a situation in which the workers are forced to give additional but illegal overtime. In the following parts of this paper, the issue has been highlighted. Its various techniques and methods used by the store managers and payroll officers have been provided. It is followed by the causes of the problems. In which greed of store managers and the insufficient impartial supervision and inspection of stores have been mentioned. It is followed by the data collection method. After that, some solutions have been discussed such as ethical training and development sessions and job rotation have been suggested before the conclusion part. Problems in Managing Resources Wal-Mart has been a centre for many human resource management issues including gender based discrimination, overtime problems and so on. Although Wal-Mart has put in place a very stringent human resource management policy concerning overtime; it only allows a 40 hour work week and nothing more than that (The Good and Bad of Wal-Mart Culture). However, some instances highlight that the store managers using their authority exploit the workers to work overtime. As overtime was officially disallowed, the store managers often forced workers to clock out after their shift time was over and then they continue working. In other instances, the store managers asked the workers to begin working as soon as they reach to the stores and most probably before they could clock in. Moreover, the door lock tactic was used for the

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example This is manifested due to lack of funds and management will to implement these strategies (Sippola & Smale, 2007). The first process in designing a global cross-cultural policy for Lenovo Company is to learn the different laws, cultures, and policies of different local environments (Magala, 2005). Although the increasing diversity among employees makes it difficult, it is essential to learn them to ensure the creation of a design that caters to all cultures (Mor Barak, 2005). Secondly, it would be excellent to include employees in the creation of this policy to ensure there is no resistance (Summers, 2006). Finally, the management should consider taking advantage of the diverse cultures to enhance overall performance (Law, 2007). In designing a cross-cultural policy using the above facts, the management will be able to design a policy that accommodates the increasing diversity of employees (Fontaine, 2007). In order for Lenovo to attract employees from other cultures, they should consider performing corporate social responsibility in other societies apart from the Chinese society (Bhattacharya, Sen & Korschun, 2008). Secondly, they should campaign for quality improvement in their products in both the society and the company (Morgan, Pritchard, Pride & Morgan, 2011). In this case, the international human resources department should formulate measures that enhance all these strategies among the employees.