Sunday, March 22, 2020
Ultimate List of Literature Research Paper Topics
Tips on How to Write Literature Topics for Research Papers When reading a research paper, you will probably notice that compelling and interesting topics give you a reason to read more. Dull topics, on the other hand, do not evoke a positive reaction even if the information in the paper is exhaustive. Nonetheless, coming up with a great title requires in-depth research and time. Do You Need Ideas on How to Select the Best Literary Research Paper Title? As stated earlier, great literary topics for research paper are what make up a good essay. Some of the essential aspects that you can use to spice up your topics include vivid vocabularies, feelings, and emotions. Such facets are bound to make a lecturer get interested in knowing what your paper contains. You can use these features to create a hook that will make the reader want to know more about whatââ¬â¢s in your piece. Tips for Writing Captivating Literature Topics for Research Papers When writing a title in literature research, it is important to use a formula as your guide. Here are a few directive tips to use as a proven formula in developing your literature title. Foremost, ensure the topic describes all your heading and subheadings for the paper. For instance, the formula could be: A (technical) study of (title) among (example). Here is an example of how the formula can be used to create a captivating title: yoga makes students perform better: a study of meditation and flexibility among Finnish students. Another tip is to avoid redundant words and quotations. The topic should be clear even to students and lecturers who are not in your field. Use only simple words to come up with a good title. Make your topic short. Ideally, it should be between 5 and 16 words in length. A brief and precise title will not make the reader bored before reading the body of your work. Finally, if you are writing a literature title for a college research paper, or an academic paper/journal, specify that your heading is related to the standards and guidelines of that study. Here are a few literature sample titles you can use: The American Dream in Literature Faith and Literature The Famous Works of Ernest Hemingway The ââ¬Å"Stream of Consciousnessâ⬠Style of Literature Invented Languages in Literature The Role of Mythology as Literature Literary Modernism Why ââ¬Å"Harry Potterâ⬠Became so Popular? The Image of Death as a Character in Literature Literature for Kids What Gender in Literature Is Appropriate? Utopian and Dystopian Literature Victorian Literature The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Can Fanfiction Be Considered Independent Literature? Feminist Literature Good and Evil in Literature Cliches in Literature Byronic Characters in Literature Irony VS Sarcasm in literature Literature as an Instrument of Propaganda Madness in Literature Psychology and Literature Sex and Romance in Literature Fictional Tricksters in Literature Do You Want to Know How to Select the Best Literary Research Paper Topic? It is common to change your topic on several occasions when doing your research. Even though the title should be a guide for your literature writing, it can limit your thinking in the initial stages. As you progress with your research, you may realize that you need to narrow or expand your focus, which is normal. If you are not comfortable with changing the topic, consider including words that you find captivating. Always keep in mind the number of words or pages that should make up your paper- do not exceed the count by so many words. Following this rule will guide you on how much you need to alter the topic- if need be. Research and Expound More on Your Topic It is important to use keywords related to your research paper to remain within the content of the topic. Use the internet to find out which titles literature students have commonly used in their articles before. Find more information to help guide you find the best and interesting words to use for your topic. Fortunately, our company offers academic guidance to students who want to learn tricks that will help them get good grades. Our expert team is always ready to assist students in need to come up with great topics that match their research paper ideas. If you are experiencing numerous challenges in coming up with good English literature research paper topics, you can buy research papers on our site or get research paper writing helpà from us. Do not hesitate to contact us. Place your order now!
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Movie Yasmin Essay Essays
Movie Yasmin Essay Essays Movie Yasmin Essay Paper Movie Yasmin Essay Paper ââ¬ËYasmin is remarkable as a film for its cinematic economy: not a scene, shot or speech is wasted. ââ¬â¢ Explore some elements of the film in relation to this statement. The movie Yasmin, released in 2004 and written by the highly acclaimed writer of The Full Monty, Simon Beaufoy, is an impressive drama about what it means to be an Asian-looking Muslim in Britain of the 21st Century. The story is about the young and vivid Yasmin, a woman who tries to succeed, by the skin of her teeth,[1] in the two worlds she grew up in. On the one hand there is her life at home with her believing father and rebellious little brother, for whom she has to mark time as a dutiful Muslim wife until her arranged marriage can be terminated. [2] On the other hand there is her life outside this domesticity, where she is like a fugitive, maintaining a double life as she changes into Western clothes, wins employee of month award at work and goes to the pub with colleagues. [3] One of the main topics of the movie is the difficult tension between being a religious and respectful woman and integrating into the Western society. Another important theme in the movie is the impact that the terror attacks in September 2001 had on the British Asian community in Britain. Yasminââ¬â¢s story therefore deals with a wide range of themes such as discrimination, guilt, and the progress of searching for oneââ¬â¢s own identity. It is especially remarkable as a film for its cinematic economy (since) not a scene, shot or speech is wasted. There are no fill-ups in this movie, everything has a meaning. This essay will explore some carefully chosen scenes of the movie concerning its sometimes hidden or masked intention and meaning. It will therefore especially concentrate on the beginning scene, which is regarded as being the strongest part of the film[4]. A closer look at the opening of the film is worth it since every well composed novel or film is creating a deliberate relationship between the beginning and the rest of the movie. It will be examined in the following, that additionally in the case of Yasmin the directors develop a consistency, a pattern of the main themes of the film, in the beginning. Everything is already there in the very first three and a half minutes; things shown in the opening reappear later in the movie; conflicts the film deals with can already be assumed in moves, placements, and pictures. It will be proven that, if taken into account every detail, every shot of the scene, the viewer will already be able to see the whole film in miniature in the beginning. The essay will therefore also have a closer look on what is shown in the opening scene and will then search for coherences and connections throughout the rest of the movie. It will hereby not go through the scene chronologically but will pick up separate shots of it and put them together in categories; although it will start with the first shot to which the viewer is introduced in the movie. When Khalid, Yasmin? s father, lopes over a typical grey English street followed by Nazir, Yasmin? s brother, a few steps behind him, Nazir? s bearing strikes the viewer immediately: the way he creeps a few steps behind his father with the hands in his pockets expresses discouragement, maybe even irritation. He seems to be unhappy with the situation, possibly because it? s too early in the morning, since gentle beams of sunrise just touch the wall behind them; possibly because he dislikes the purpose of their walk. His father, however, hastens to raise this purpose: in his hurry he turns around to see where his son has got to. It becomes clear that it is the father who controls the situation- that he is the leader whom the son has to follow. So apart from the obvious, the authority person walking in front might tell the viewer something about the relation between father and son. One could even go further and suggest it might also tell something about their attitude towards life, about their religion, about the way the head of the family is treated in the Islam faith. The scene therefore implicates the parental respect of which is set value in this family. How important this topic is to Yasmin? s father Khalid becomes more and more clear during the course of the movie: he repeatedly calls for respect towards the parental authority over his children. When Yasmin is complaining about her husband and gives him humiliating names, Khalid reprehends her immediately and stresses his will with a slight slap. He even repudiates Yasmin when she dares to apply for a divorce against his will. So the viewer already gets in this very first scene, in the very first seconds, an initial impression of what domestic life in this family is about: about respect and family ties. The two move on and finally arrive at the mosque, which is gated by a metallic blind. After abandoning their shoes, Nazir and Khalid enter the interior of the mosque; and in doing so they pace over a formidable carpet in a remarkable red. It s admirable how strikingly this little scene influences the movie? s atmosphere: after the grey and dusty outside of the mosque with its bleak stone-walls and metallic blinds covering the entrance, the viewer now gets an impression of the inside; the colourful, bright, shining red carpet. The jump is a quiet astonishing little moment: the greyness outside opposes the bright shining colour of the huge carpet these seemingly little people are crossing (amplified by the way the scene is shot: with bird? eye view). Inside the mosque the viewer gets a sense of richness, a glimpse on the whole tradition, an idea about the Islam faith. The scene is not just remarkable because of its visual orchestration, but also in introducing the viewer to this huge and rich religion and the way it sees the world. Later in the beginning scene there is a shot that shows the grey and grim wall of a Yorkshire stone house in the front, again contrasted by the beautiful outlines of the colourful mosque in the background. The two absolutely different styles of architecture standing next to each other implicate a huge imagery: the mosque as a symbol for the tradition and a stonewall which symbolizes the here and now, indicates how the life of the Muslim people in Great Britain stands side by side with the traditional life of the British natives. This deliberate expression of a coexistence of the two traditions is an expression of crossing cultures at its best in this movie, and at this point of the movie it also stands for a successful integration of the Muslim tradition into the British society. This impression is furthermore stressed during the course of the beginning scene: the mosque is using modern techniques; it is using the loudspeaker, the microphone, so a lot of quite modern technology. Satellites are shown. Here the movie is not only supposing the ageing culture of Islam against the modern British culture of science and technology but goes further: it brings it together. There is an interchange going on here through what the viewer can hear (the singing of Nazir) and what he can see (the loudspeakers and satellites). By bringing these aspects together at the same time the fusion becomes immediately clear to the viewer. In another shot of the beginning scene the viewer observes the vivid life of the Muslim community that is taking place in the streets of the town. Even though one quickly might suggest that this shot might be just a fill-up it, in fact, goes further: the viewer here gets an impression of what the life in this Muslim community is like. The reason for that is that later in the film, after the 11th of September 2001, the same streets are depicted deserted, isolated, dead. Whereas the beginning scene expresses the successful integration of the Muslim tradition into the British society, the contrasting scene in the middle of the movie now stands for the failure of this coexistence, for the loss of community. The remarkable contrast of this two scenes is to illuminate Muslims increasing disenchantment with Western society[5] after the terror attacks. So it now comes clear that nothing in the movie is there without reason: showing a typical East-Asian community in a British town is not a fill-in but is a part of the whole effort of later showing a community being disrupted. Nothing in the movie is wasted. One of the most impressing returning scenes of the movie is Nazir singing in front of the microphone. Also this theme is introduced in the beginning scene: after watching the film the first time, the peaceful scene in the beginning immediately reminds the viewer to the very last scene in the movie, when Khalid, the father is putting in a tape into the recorder as an ersatz for the son. This final scene has a huge impact on the viewer since one here really realizes that Nazir has gone off and will not come back. It is therefore a really tragic little moment: it is emotional even though there is no actor playing the emotion. What is on the first glance less striking but not less important is that the image of the son singing comes back three times during the course of the movie; in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. It runs through the film like a red thread: in the beginning it is, as said, introducing not only to the family? s religion but also to the family background itself. In the scene in the middle of the movie Nazir, before he starts, coughs as if he smoked too much. Since the viewer knows that he started ââ¬Å"indulg(ing) in petty drug dealing and consorting with local girls[6], it seems as if he became corrupted by what he is doing with his life. His coughing therefore is again not without meaning but stands for Nazir? s life becoming more difficult to handle. The returning scene is a marker in the film and each time it means something different: in the beginning it is quite straight forward, in the middle it appears as a comment for what happened to Nazir and his life, and in the end it is tragic since he is gone and will never come back. So as a major thread throughout the movie the scene with the singing Nazir displays the different states the movie and its protagonists are currently in. A similar red thread s the theme of dressing and clothes that recurs throughout the film and, again, the theme is already introduced in the opening. By watching Yasmin changing her clothes hidden by one of the typical grey stone-walls one gets an impression of this girl transforming herself into another person. Yasmin makes an enormous effort of putting herself into the trousers, since they are really too tight. She tries hard to fit herse lf in, she even has to jump up and down. The connection is easy to make: this movie is about someone who tries to fit in with two different worlds, tries to force herself in. So here the choice of incredibly tight trousers simply indicate what Yasmin really wants: she wants to make herself fit. If something returns deliberately, a number of times, during the film it becomes a symbolic act: when Yasmin for example dresses up to revolt against her father later in the movie, it symbolizes Yasmin? s wish to break out, to be able to be herself. In the end of the film she switches to traditional Muslim clothes, since she is at this point of the movie staying in the side of the traditional. Here the clothes express how a religious thought became fixed and hardened. Dressing here becomes a signifier for her state of mind. Since it returns later in the movie several times it always tells the viewer something when it comes to clothes. So by following how the dressing in this movie changes throughout the plot one gets a neat impression of how the state of Yasminââ¬â¢s mind changes with it. The clothes are never chosen without reason in Yasmin, there is an intention in every piece the actors wear. Even though it is just a little detail it strikes the viewer and is therefore very well-thought. So after Yasmin changed her clothes she turns over to her car and plays around with it: she locks and unlocks it with her remote control several times. This car is, as Yasmin later in the movie declares, not a ? t. p. car`, a ? typical paki-car`, but a sporty, feminine little cabriolet in an outstanding red. With this car, she wants to separate herself from those typical Pakistani people, and, even further, wants to declare her independence: ââ¬Å"it gives her a life away from her husband and her home[7]. By buying this car she is able to show herself and everybody else that she is different, what makes it an act of almost deliberate despair. But on the other hand, by playing around with the car, she expresses her excitement. She does it simply because she can. This gives the viewer a sense of how she is playing with things she owns, how she creates the parts of the world around her she can control in the way she likes it. The motif also returns later in the movie, after 9/11: Yasmin gets in the car and there is a news report on the radio about the terror-attacks. Yasmin? s reaction is as playfully as in the beginning of the movie: she just puts a CD in, and listens to the music. She does simply not want to think about, does not want to care. The viewer gets an impression of the ambiguity of Yasmin? life, of how difficult it must be to live in two different worlds, to create her life successfully around the different expectations the people she deals with have of her. The last shot of the opening scene in the movie depicts this challenge in a deliberate way: it shows the long, small, winding road Yasmin has to take day by day to drive to work and back. This road is the connection of the two worlds she liv es in; it is a connecting thread between not only two different locations but two different worlds. Yasmin is having this journey ââ¬â this transformation, this struggle ââ¬â every day. By driving over this street she is migrating from one world to another and she has to transform herself before she is accomplished with the migration, since she changes her identity day by day. Furthermore the road is connecting the two different worlds as well as dividing them. That becomes clear through the visual impact of this shot: the road is crossing the whole screen and Yasmin and her little car have to follow its way through the landscape; it deliberately makes the viewer ask: how long will it take her? And how long will she stand this? The struggle of ââ¬Å"balancing two separate worlds in quest to please (a) conservative family, without sacrificing the obvious advantages of the Western environment[8] is depicted as lovely and rich in detail in the movie Yasmin. It is the beautifully realised opening, entirely without dialogue for a good few minutes, (that) is the strongest part of the film[9] as it, as shown, already gives the whole of the movie, its main conflicts, themes and topics in miniature. Although this is a primarily visual scene, dialogue, if used in the movie, is very effectively- Not a scene, shot or speech is wasted. But the dialogue is used economically and not in the opening: it is a visual opening; in general, Yasmin is a visual movie. Every scene, every act, every piece of clothing has a meaning. As the director of the movie, Kenny Glenaan himself, says: obviously the beauty is what you can do within the frame and some people are amazing at doing that. [10] Bibliography Dilks, Richard, Yasmin, i n Close-Up Film, 2003, close-upfilm. com/reviews/y/yasmin. htm Docherty, Alan, Yasmin Kenny Glenaan, in Culture Wars, 2001, culturewars. org. uk/2004-02/yasmin. tm Glenaan, Kenny, in a BBC Interview, last updated in September 2004, bbc. co. uk/films/festivals/edinburgh/yasmin. shtml Jennigs, Tom, Tom Jenningsââ¬â¢ essay on cinema representations of European Asians Muslims, 2005, http://libcom. org/library/ae-fond-kiss-dir-ken-loach-yasmin-dir-kenny-glenaan-head-dir-fatih-akin-film-review The Hindu Magazine, Being Asian, Muslim and British, Online edition of Indias National Newspaper, 2003, hindu. com/mag/2004/11/14/stories/2004111400270200. htm [ 1 ]. Docherty, Alan, Yasmin Kenny Glenaan, in Culture Wars, 2011, culturewars. org. uk/2004-02/yasmin. htm [ 2 ]. Docherty, Alan, Yasmin Kenny Glenaan, in Culture Wars, 2011, culturewars. org. uk/2004-02/yasmin. htm [ 3 ]. Docherty, Alan, Yasmin Kenny Glenaan, in Culture Wars, 2011, culturewars. org. uk/2004-02/yasmin. htm [ 4 ]. Dilks, Richard, Yasmin, in Close-Up Film, 2003, close-upfilm. com/reviews/y/yasmin. htm [ 5 ]. Docherty, Alan, Yasmin Kenny Glenaan, in Culture Wars, 2011, culturewars. org. uk/2004-02/yasmin. tm [ 6 ]. Jennigs, Tom, Tom Jenningsââ¬â¢ essay on cinema representations of European Asians Muslims, 2005, http://libcom. org/library/ae-fond-kiss-dir-ken-loach-yasmin-dir-kenny-glenaan-head-dir-fatih-akin-film-review [ 7 ]. Dilks, Richard, Yasmin, in Close-Up Film, 2003, close-upfilm. com/reviews/y/yasmin. htm [ 8 ]. The Hindu Magazine, Being Asian, Muslim and British, Online edition of Indias National Newspaper, 2003, hindu. com/mag/2004/11/14/stories/2004 111400270200. htm [ 9 ]. Dilks, Richard, Yasmin, in Close-Up Film, 2003,
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Business Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Business Improvement - Essay Example But, the era of globalisation and liberalization has resulted in fierce competition amongst the multinational companies has come to the rescue of the consumer. Now, MNCs emphasis is less on profit margins and more on sustainable growth. This resulted in making the independent sustainability of individual businesses little difficult. The era of network competition (Dechow, 2003) resulted into MNCs looking for local support, while individual businesses found an opportunity to sustain their business venture by working as supply chains for Multi-national enterprises. With growing emphasis on innovative marketing techniques in the network economy, competing as stand-alone entities becomes much more difficult for individual businesses. Functioning as supply chains to one or more MNEs, helps in better profit margins and long term survival of an individual business. This has led to a situation where the competition is not amongst individual firms, but as supply chains to larger business enti ties (Hammer, 2001 qtd by Dechow). In the IT era supply chain has acquired newer dimensions. Outsourcing is the new buzzword in the industry. While the debate is still on about the benefits or losses of outsourcing, the industry seems to have taken it in a big way. More and more banks, IT companies, PSUs and a range of industrial units from places like UK, USA, Germany etc are flocking towards Asian region with their requirement for software development, IT enabled services and call centre workforce. The outsourcing firms do not have a formidable identity of their own, but they are very crucial for an organization like, HSBC, Microsoft, IBM, Standard Chartered etc. While the MNEs are able to save millions of dollars through this arrangement, the supply chain companies too are earning good revenues within their own areas of operations. Such an arrangement proves to be a sound business strategy for long term survival. Quoting Thomas Koulopoulos, Burnell (2007) says; "Companies whose instincts have gone stale are like p atients with local anesthesia let free to wander the world. They are rational, coherent and aware of their predicament, yet numb. They can no longer sense the world around them." In order to leverage the economies of scale and remain competitive, companies are relying on the increasing role of supply chains. Therefore, companies are now supposed to adapt their supply chains efficiently in order to remain agile and competitive (Tolone, 2000). This helps in building strong relationships with customers and suppliers. With the growing trend towards leaner and meaner organisations, companies are now more focused towards their core competencies, while preferring to outsource all other activities. Swaminathan (2003) underlines the need for strategic management of the supply chain partners with increasing role of core competencies, elimination of geographical boundaries with ICT revolution and volatile nature of economies. For creating strategic advantages in the competitive landscape coordinated supply chains have now become an integral part of the business strategy. Companies are now coming out with solutions for managing the supply chain, for example IBM provides SCM solutions for its partners so that they can gain a window into inventory. This allows promoting, cross-selling, up-selling, replenishing, and closing out, the inventories on short notices1. Such solutions also help in sharp forecasting,
Monday, February 3, 2020
Week1 Knowledge paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Week1 Knowledge paper - Essay Example In addition to the need for goods and services, there was a high demand for housing. This demand spawned the creation of the subdivision. With the proliferation of the automobile, better highways, and television people began to move west as they left the rust belt for the sun belt. While women had been instrumental in working in the wartime factories, after the war women left the factory jobs and became more domestic. This period transformed America into the single wage family headed by a male that became the middle class. The shift in demographics created even more desire and need for products in the marketplace. The economy was growing due to the increase in employment opportunities, more leisure time, and the advertisers ability to reach the public through the new medium of television. The information that I have about the economy during this era comes from older family members who have related their stories to me. In addition, I have picked up images and impressions from television and the Internet. I have always been interested in culture and like to watch some of the old post war movies or 1950s sitcoms. Though I know they are only stories, you can sometimes glean some facts from good fiction. The relationship between the US and the USSR had always been somewhat tense due to the claims of communist infiltration in the US that went back to the 1930s. However, the war against Germany had necessitated that they become allied in their goal of defeating Hitler. Russia endured a heavy burden and paid a great cost during the war. As such, Stalin felt that they were owed the spoils that go to the victor in war. The US, though cautious, was willing to accommodate the Soviets by giving them control of the countries on their western border that would serve as a buffer against Germany and would become their satellite states. After the defeat of Japan, Truman once again
Sunday, January 26, 2020
News From Nowhere Analysis of William Morris
News From Nowhere Analysis of William Morris Introduction In this essay I will analyse how William Morrisââ¬â¢s News from Nowhere and the nineteenth century ecological ideology will shape the vision of the world around humanity. How Morris wanted to design a world that was to him becoming gloomy and joyless, a world that is being separated by industrialist and capitalist systems who have turned everything of value into profit making, although he believes both industrialism and capitalism go hand in hand. My focus will be on how these ideologies are organised in utopian imaginative narration Utopia meaning an imaginary society, place or state considered to be perfect and ideal and could not exist anywhere. But on the other hand that leaves a question can it, society be improved? News from Nowhere exists with visions of the future and also seeks to defend and uphold the revolutionary function of such expectation and hope. It strikes out as a book that is a little different from today. William Morris was a man of many talents, an artist, poet, carpenter, manufacturer, activist, and a socialist during the late 19th century. Later in his life he became a graphic designer. He was born March of 1834 in Walthamstow, England into a wealthy family. He went to school at an early age, studied at Oxford and became interested in art and architecture. At a later part of his life he became interested in politics and textile designs Main body The book tells about beautiful scenery and good weather; â⬠¦air just sharp enough to be refreshingâ⬠¦ (News from Nowhere, chapter 1) is an indication of climate changes which for decades now have been a challenge facing the planet today. The problem that comes from climate change has caused many unfriendly problems that the world is facing that have resulting into different problems such as deaths, diseases, and dryness from deserts, water shortages, etc. It is up to the leaders of the world to make necessary changes so as to save the future of the planet. William Morris had an idea of a perfect world and hopeful of what the future might bring, and one of the impressive characters of the ideal world is the freedom of every man and woman to be in control of his/her own destiny. A world that is free from oppression and full of opportunities. Morris more than most people, had set up himself with a good start in life as far as career wise. By his adulthood he had already accomplished some tremendous success, created his firm, developed and exploited his talents to the full, basically he had made himself wealthy and this brought more success to his later careers as an independent actor on the political and social scene as he wished. After he left school he never exposed himself to where someone could be telling him what to do or taking orders from people except on certain occasions he had encounter with the law. He was not a selfish person, as he was a privileged man; he wanted the same for every person. A society without statue or privilege is what Morris wanted (Harvey and Press, 1996) Morris claims that the society is full of evil and that capitalism has destroyed what is left of the society but with communism it can be revived (Geoghegan, 2008) Morris saw in medieval craft labour an anticipation of what free labour in communism will be like. During the medieval periods craftspeople did not experience the type of degradation that labours have been subjected to under capitalism; that is between intellectual and manual and intellectual labour, between great art and manufacture, and also between pleasure and work. Morris believes that it is possible for man to rejoice in his work, and not only the labours that can make one rejoice, the products represent the height of human achievement to date. He rejected mass production, but rather encouraged those to develop their own manual skills such as were necessary to, and enjoyable in the domestic environment. In 1876 Morris wrote a letter to the Daily News protesting against Conservative governmentââ¬â¢s policy in the Balkans who offered the Turks military support the Russian expansionism in order to protect their interests in the Near East. Morrisââ¬â¢s letter gave voice to the feelings and reaction of the peopleââ¬â¢s demonstration against this move especially a significant section of British opinion, particularly the liberals who resented their government being in war against Turks killing and massacre of Bulgarians. Morrisââ¬â¢s letter within a couple of weeks had brought him popularity, after a short while he was elected Treasurer of the Eastern Question Association. This association was formed to campaign and protest against anticipation for war (Morris, 2004) Violence in the streets across the globe today are not new, they can be associated with Morrisââ¬â¢s thought about revolution. As we witness today that democracy is sweeping across some parts of the world like the Arab countries. Its citizens are now demonstrating for changes in their government and demanding accountability and transparency. An example is couple of years back; the changes of regimes among North African countries, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya are evident of changes that came about through revolution. In 1885 Morris wrote to Georgiana Burne-Jones that the early struggles of socialism are merely ââ¬Ëthe petty skirmish of outposts, the fight of a corporalââ¬â¢s guardââ¬â¢; he tells the James Frederick that now he has joined the socialists, he has become ââ¬Ëa soldier of the causeââ¬â¢. At the same time, he affirms the possibility that actual violence may be necessary for political change (Hanson, 2013, p.165) News from Nowhere makes us to understand that Morris motivated a happier society through the satisfactions of creative work. As he says in his preface to the nature of Gothic, ââ¬Å"the lesson which Ruskin here teaches us is that art is the expression of manââ¬â¢s pleasure in labourâ⬠(Morris, 2004) he went further to say changed conditions of labour would not only produce better art but happier individuals more capable of enjoying it. He was not opposed to machines as a matter of principle. A lot of people believe he opposes them. He supports labour saving devices where dullness was not concerned. He said that the use of machines will speed production thereby doing those hard labour and saving human extra time and strength. But he criticised the use of machine for increase of production so as to make profit for the capitalists. Morris became the treasurer of the largely working-class National League. He formed a good relation with working people who had been empowered by the 1832 Reform Bill; the middle classes who are the driving force behind the nationââ¬â¢s wealth and power. Because of its success the franchise was extended to wider sections of working class which attracted new voters. His aim was for workers to be in charge of their own lives. Workers should organise and have trade unions through which they will make their voice heard, issues like wages, temporary managers, number of hours, care and sick payment, the dismissed, and the unemployed and general working conditions. After the revolution of 1848, things changed for good as a result of extension of the suffrage of 1867, increasing prosperity and liberal reforms, the rise of the trade unions all contributed to the improvement of things. Morris believed in ââ¬Å"Socialism from the Root Upâ⬠(Morris, 2004) fundamental change brought about by sudden popular revolution. He worked hard and treated his work for league as a full time job. During Morrisââ¬â¢s time the league fought for free speech campaign so as to possess the right to protest and carry out public demonstrations. In this process he was arrested and fined on some occasions at the Trafalgar Square. Just as it is in the world today people are demonstrating against governments, companies, or institutions on policies that are against their democratic rights. Today in Ireland the people are demonstrating against the new water charge imposed by the government Change does not come by peaceful means, but through struggles. It was through this circumstance as the Socialist League drew nearer disintegration that prompted Morris to write News from Nowhere, a book that combines continuing trust in a Socialist future with a need to recharge the batteries of an imagination near exhaustion (Morris, 2004) Morris stressed not only the importance of political party but for the party to be a party of cadres, highly trained and qualified personnel of theoretical understanding, capable of assuming a leading role in any revolutionary activities towards the working class. He made it clear that the Socialist League should stand for revolutionary and scientific Socialism as against Hyndmanââ¬â¢s SDF (Social Democratic Federation) for the fact that he believes Hyndman and SDF method will only achieve what he Morris called ââ¬Ëmechanical revolutionââ¬â¢, which is not real revolution. On the contrary Morris demanded ââ¬Ëan educated movementââ¬â¢ (Researchgate.net) Morris believes that old order must not take charge put if they persist, then they must be removed by force, that is when necessary to use intelligent revolution which is for the good of the people. He wanted far above every other thing body of able high- minded working class, experienced, knowledgeable and skilled men who will teach and direct the general population during critical moments of any movement. He had a strong disapproval towards opportunism which will involve him in alliance with other parties at the long run will lead to electioneering and deprive the socialist movement some of its best leaders by sending them pretentious parliament, where they will become useless. Morris hammered on the importance of education especially in the party system so as to have a strong party which comprises education in economics, in organisation, and also administratively. He went further to say without an organised political party to provide a concrete and theoretical awareness and existence of socialism, any sudden revolt would bring it to scatter in various directions. On the issue of gender, Morris was aware of the apparent reaction of the solution regarding the woman question, just as he was conscious of the conservative and emotional implications of his desire to give new life to the handicraft. But he did not temper his belief that house work was the natural realm of the woman, they do it excellently well, and that a womanââ¬â¢s natural vocation was to provide help and comfort for her children and the head of the family. In the book there is an open rejection by Morris on movement of freedom with regards to central demand as the right to free the more intelligent part of their sex from the bearing of children. The domestic workers in the book are independent, athletic, active, and passionate, they are never worn down by their work, always good-natured and extremely beautiful. Perhaps is not surprising that Morris confessed that he had fallen in love with Ellen. Conclusion William Morrisââ¬â¢s News from Nowhere is an interesting book with a vision. Despite the fact it was written in 1890, its contains arguments and debate that will inspire every generations to come; of all sectors both students, workers, politicians to look beyond the immediate system and virtualise future. Bibliography Agathocleous, T. (20011) Urban realism and the cosmopolitan imagination in the nineteenth century: Visible city, Invisible city, Cambridge University Press Cairns, J, Sears, A. (2012) the democratic imagination: Envisioning popular power in the twenty- first century, University of Toronto Press Corporal, M., Leeuwen, E. J. V. (2010) the literary utopias of cultural communities, 1790 ââ¬â 1910 Rodopi Press Geoghegan, V. (2008) Utopianism and Marxism, Peter Lang Publishers Hanson, I. (2013) William Morris and the users of violence, 1856 ââ¬â 1890, Anthem Press Harvey, C., Press, J. (1996) Art, enterprise, and ethics: The life and works of William Morrisà Psychology Press Latham, D. (2007) writing on the image: Reading William Morris, University of Toronto Press Lvitas, R. (2010) the concept of Utopia, Peter Lang Publishers Morris, W. (2004) news from nowhere and the other writing, Penguin Publishing Peters, M. A., Freeman-Moir, D. J. (2006) Edutopias, Sense Publishers Plotz, J. (2008) portable property: Victorian culture on the move, Preston Publishers The ecological communitarianism of William Morris, /02c87, Researchgate.net
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Managing Conflict in a Female Dominated Workplace
Today more companies have opened its doors for women workers than in the past twenty years. More women are having full-time jobs and even holding positions of power and influence in the corporate world. This reality might not have totally eliminated the ââ¬Å"glass ceilingâ⬠concept, yet this suggests that the gender discrimination issue is slowly eliminated in the world of work. Women have significantly impacted the corporate world. However, some studies suggest that in women-dominated workplace new challenges can emerge. This is because women interact differently and expect different things from their co-workers than men. Risk of unresolved conflict is also high as women have different approach to dealing with conflict than men. Womenââ¬â¢s approach to conflict is usually dictated and influenced by their role in the society, womenââ¬â¢s tendency to be judgmental and subjective, and societyââ¬â¢s expectations. The groundbreaking book of Phyllis Chesler ââ¬Å"Womanââ¬â¢s Inhumanity to Womanâ⬠revealed that women have the tendency to deny that they are competitive, give more importance to relationship and belonging than succeeding, and expect nurture, support, and sympathy from other women. It further revealed womenââ¬â¢s subjective perception of criticism and their tendency to judge harshly other women. These behaviors of women are potential source of conflict and can make conflict resolution difficult. Tracy Douglass suggested ways to constructively deal with these behavior of women in the workplace to effectively deal with conflict among them. She said that the ability to recognize exclusionary behavior of women workers and evaluate criticism constructively, make a balance and objective response, making constructive statements that are focused on the problem and not on the person, communication skills, and personal awareness of oneââ¬â¢s own behavior are important to be able to effectively manage women workers and also conflict in the workplace. The article of Tracy Douglass presented only a grain of truth about working womenà and their behavior that can be a source of challenge and conflict in the workplace. The description sounded more of a social stereotyping than an objective analysis of the causes of conflict in a female dominated workplace and how to manage it. If the analysis presented is true then the percentage of women working will not increase. The ââ¬Å"ever-changing and expanding role of women in the management structure of the modern corporationsâ⬠(Rue & Byars, 2000, p. 13) proves that companies recognize that women can be effective as men. It proves that women have successfully shown that they are capable of objectively dealing with personal and work issues, as well as achieving competence in their work. Women may have inherent weaknesses but these can be eliminated or use constructively in the workplace given proper mentoring, training and other developmental programs. Nowadays an increasing number of people believe in equality of ability and opportunity of men and women, thus ââ¬Å"more companies use mentoring programs to ensure that women gain skills and visibility needed to move into managerial positionsâ⬠(Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2000, p. 342). The daycare center is not different from other working environment where training, mentoring and other developmental activities are applicable to enhance personal and professional skills of women employees. The daycare center director can turn the described handicap of women workers in dealing with conflict and co-women employees into a blessing because their nurturing, sympathetic and supportive behaviors are what children need from their care providers. It is said that ââ¬Å"hugs like water and food are vital to health and development of infants and childrenâ⬠(Cromie, 1998) and these too give children the sense of belongingness and safety.à The female staffs are generally capable of providing these to the children with warmth, sensitivity and affection so the children will have sound social development. Conflicts among women employees can be avoided if every challenge is taken as an opportunity to develop the employees and the team as a whole. References Cromie, W.J. (1998). Of hugs and hormones. Retrieved January 10, 2007 Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. & Wright, P.M. (2000). Human resourceà management: Gaining a competitive advantage (3rd ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Rue, L.W. & Byars, L.L. (2000). Management: Skills and application (9th ed.). U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. à à Ã
Friday, January 10, 2020
HRM in a Changing Environment: The Challenges Essay
Todayââ¬â¢s organizations are facing challenges upon following levels: i. Environmental Challenges ii. Organizational Challenges iii. Individual Challenges i. Environmental Challenges Environmental challenges refer to forces external to the firm that are largely beyond managementââ¬â¢s control but influence organizational performance. They include: rapid change, the internet revolution, workforce diversity, globalization, legislation, evolving work and family roles, and skill shortages and the rise of the service sector. Six important environmental challenges today are: a) Rapid change, b) Work force diversity, c) Globalization, d) Legislation, e) Technology f) Evolving work and family roles, g) Skill shortages and the rise of the service sector a) Rapid Change Many organizations face a volatile environment in which change is nearly constant. If they are to survive and prosper, they need to adapt to change quickly and effectively. Human resources are almost always at the heart of an effective response system. Here are a few examples of how HR policies can help or hinder a firm grappling with external change: b) Work Force Diversity. All these trends present both a significant challenge and a real opportunity for managers. Firms that formulate and implement HR strategies that capitalize on employee diversity are more likely to survive and prosper. c) Globalization. One of the most dramatic challenges facing as they enter the twenty-first century is how to compete against foreign firms, both domestically and abroad. Many companies are already being compelled to think globally, something that doesnââ¬â¢t come easily to firms long accustomed to doing business in a large and expanding domestic market with minimal foreign competition. Weak response to international competition may be resulting in upwards layoffs in every year. Human resources can play a critical role in a businessââ¬â¢s ability to compete head-to-head with foreign producers. The implications of a global economy on human resource management are many. Here are a few examples: Worldwide company culture Some firms try to develop a global company identity to smooth over cultural differences between domestic employees and those in international operations. Minimizing these differences increases cooperation and can have a strong impact on the bottom line. For instance, the head of human resources at the European division of Colgate Palmolive notes, ââ¬Å"We try to build a common corporate culture. We want them all to be Colgaters.â⬠Global alliancesâ⬠Some firms actively engage in international alliances with foreign firms or acquire companies overseas to take advantage of global markets. Making such alliances work requires a highly trained and devoted staff. For instance, Phillips (a Netherlands lighting and electronics firm) became the largest lighting manufacturer in the world by establishing a joint venture with AT&T and making several key acquisitions. These illustrations show how firms can use HR strategies to gain a worldwide competitive advantage. d) Legislation Much of the growth in the HR function over the past three decades may be attributed to its crucial role in keeping the company out of trouble with the law. Most firms are deeply concerned with potential liability resulting from personnel decisions that may violate laws enacted by the state legislatures, and/or local governments. These laws are constantly interpreted in thousands of cases brought before government agencies, federal courts, state courts, and t Supreme Court. How successfully a firm manages its human resources depends to a large extent on its ability to deal effectively with government regulations. Operating within the legal framework requires keeping track of the external legal environment and developing internal systems (for example, supervisory training and grievance procedures) to ensure compliance and minimize complaints. Many firms are now developing formal policies on sexual harassment and establishing internal administrative channels to deal with alleged incidents before employees feel the need to file a lawsuit. Legislation often has a differential impact on public- and private sector organizations. (Public sector is another term for governmental agencies; private sector refers to all other types of organizations.) Some legislation applies only to public-sector organizations. For instance, affirmative action requirements are typically limited to public organizations and to organizations that do contract work for them. However, much legislation applies to both public- and private sector organizations. In fact, itââ¬â¢s difficult to think of any HR practices that are not influenced by government regulations. e) Technology The world has never before seen such rapid technological changes as are presently occurring in the computer and telecommunications industries. One estimate is that technological change is occurring so rapidly that individuals may have to change their entire skills three or four times in their career. The advances being made, affect every area of a business including human resource management. f) Evolving Work and Family Roles The proportion of dual-career families, in which both wife and husband (or both members of a couple) work, is increasing every year. Unfortunately, women face the double burden of working at home and on the job, devoting 42 hours per week on average to the office and an additional 30 hours at home to children. This compares to 43 hours spent working in the office and only 12 hours at home for men. More and more companies are introducing ââ¬Å"family-friendlyâ⬠programs that give them a competitive advantage in the labor market. These programs are HR tactics that companies use to hire and retain the best-qualified employees, male or female, and they are very likely to payoff. For instance, among the well known organizations / firms, half of all recruits are women, but only 5% of partners are women. Major talent is being wasted as many women drop out after lengthy training because they have decided that the demanding 10- to 12-year partner track requires a total sacrifice of family life. These firms have started to change their policies and are already seeing gains as a result. Different companies have recently begun offering child-care and eldercare referral services as well to facilitate women workers as well as are introducing alternative scheduling to allow employees some flexibility in their work hours. g) Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector. Expansion of service-sector employment is linked to a number of factors, including changes in consumer tastes and preferences, legal and regulatory changes, advances in science and technology that have eliminated many manufacturing jobs, and changes in the way businesses are organized and managed. Service, technical, and managerial positions that require college degrees will make up half of all manufacturing and service jobs by 2000. Unfortunately, most available workers will be too unskilled to fill those jobs. Even now, many companies complain that the supply of skilled labor is dwindling and that they must provide their employees with basic training to make up for the shortcomings of the public education system. To rectify these shortcomings, companies currently spend large amount year on a wide variety of training programs. HRM in changing environment With the evolution of the study of HRM, it is no more mere an academic discipline rather an important factor of organizational success in the practical field. Today HRM needs to sense, respond and deal with all the issues of the organization at different levels and prove its worth. HRM has to deal with all the challenges that organization faces and these are at the following levels: â⬠¢ Environmental Challenges (Seven) 1. Rapid Change 2. Work Force Diversity 3. Globalization 4. Legislation 5. Technology 6. Evolving Work and Family Roles 7. Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector â⬠¢ Organizational Challenges (Four) 1. Controlling Costs 2. Improving Quality 3. Creating Distinctive Capabilities 4. Restructuring â⬠¢ Individual Challenges 1. Productivity 2. Empowerment 3. Brain Drain 4. Ethics and Social Responsibility 5. Job Insecurity 6. Matching People and Organizations Research
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