Male Restroom Etiquette Essay Example

Male Restroom Etiquette Paper Graham Smith Professor Desormeaux English 101 August 4, 2009 Male Restroom Etiquette From the time a young boy can go the restroom on his own to the time he can be accountable for all of his own actions, he learns the unspoken rules of restroom etiquette. â€Å"Ever since man crawled out of the primordial ooze, he has built himself structures to contain the processes of bodily waste removal† (Wallach) For many men, the etiquette in restrooms is imbedded in their brains. There are many guidelines that are set to keep men comfortable during their joyous visit to relieve themselves. All of these guidelines are promoting men to become more proper. With these guidelines, taking a trip to the restroom has almost become an annoyance for males today. When a man first walks into the restroom, he is presented with a decision. He must choose which stall he is going to use to do his business. Obviously, if he is going to need to sit down on a toilet, he can just go and use a toilet. However, when he has to urinate, there is a list of options for him to choose from. If he is the first into the bathroom, he can choose whichever stall he pleases. We will write a custom essay sample on Male Restroom Etiquette specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Male Restroom Etiquette specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Male Restroom Etiquette specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer If there is already another man in the restroom, he must decide which stall to use. Choosing a stall can be a very complex decision for someone. There is nothing more uncomfortable than when â€Å"Two urinals [are] crammed in a two and a half foot space [with] no stall divider present† (Flannery). The number one rule for male restrooms is to never stand next to another man (Wicks). If there are no open urinals, he is to wait for one to open. As Rob Wicks comments on a situation, when â€Å"only one urinal is taken†¦[you choose the urinal furthest away] to minimize the chance of contact whatsoever with the person. In his example, there are five urinals and the far left one is being used. In this case, a man would use the far right urinal, keeping the most distance between him and the other person- three urinals. This keeps enough personal space between the two men so that neither of them can be too uncomfortable. When kids are growing up, we teach them to be friendly and open to people to a certain extent. Then why is it wrong for a grown man to stand next to a friend of his or in-between two men if there is no other option? If there are 4 urinals open and someone chooses the urinal next to him, it is seen as an invasion of privacy. It is said to be one of the worst situations in a public male restroom. However, this rule can be ignored if there are privacy dividers between the two neighboring urinals. A second rule or guideline that is set for male restrooms is the no conversation rule. Wicks again comments in a post about speaking in public restrooms, stating that, â€Å"Speech is your enemy. Never, ever, under any circumstance say a single word while within a bathroom. Not to a friend, not to a lover not to Jesus himself. Not only does this grate against all good things and the way of nature, it ruins the efficiency of the bathroom. When people speak, the tendency is for things to slow down. It’s easier for somebody to lose track of what they were doing when they try to multi-task. Because of this, the time spent in the restroom increases and causes less efficiency, especially during busy times like a sporting event at halftime. Men are more known for flatulating than women but it is seen as rude to d o it in public. In order to flatulate with respect, men are expected to go into a restroom or somewhere away from the public to do it. However, one of the unspoken rules of restrooms is to not make any noise while in the restroom (Wallach). With the opposing view points on making noise in a restroom, what is it doing to the alpha male? Is he supposed to become more proper and feminine by hiding their bodily functions or continue the â€Å"tradition† and do it in the restroom? Lastly, a rule often followed and for most men, a great thing is to make no eye contact at all costs (Wicks). This goes along with the personal space and privacy issue. When a man sees another man looking at him in a restroom, automatically, he thinks he is comparing sizes. This makes most men uncomfortable because it brings out an insecurity that a lot of people have bout themselves. Also, if someone else in the restroom catches a man staring at another man with his private area exposed a little bit, in he is seen to be gay. He might just be seen as a little weird; though in most cases, people would think otherwise. Even though going to the bathroom may seem like such a simple task, with the way society perceives actions, it too has become an annoyance to think about what to do. As Phil Rice stated in an interview online, â€Å"increased cultural diversity has necessitated the exposition of previously unwritten rules regarding the use of male restrooms. Although we try to make things easier as technology advances, it seems that some things will only continue to get harder and harder. Works Cited Flannery, Blake. Www. hubpages. com. Ed. Blake Flannery. 4 Aug. 2009 http://hubpages. com/hub/How-to-Behave-When-Using-a-Urinal-Man- Etiquette-in-the-Bathroom Rice, Phil. 2009. 30 July 2009 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Male_Restroom_Etiquette Wallach, Dan. Male Bathroom Rules. August 1, 2009 http://www. cs. rice. edu/~ssiyer/x/humour/funny00002. html Wicks, Rob. Male Restroom Etiquette. August 4, 2009 http://everything2. com/title/Male+restroom+etiquette

Ford Pinto & Social Capital essays

Ford Pinto & Social Capital essays The Ford Pinto fiasco in the 1970s led to an unprecedented court case in which the prosecution brought charges of reckless homicide against the Ford Motor Company, the first time a corporation had been charged with criminal conduct in the United States (Gioia, p. 115). Buckling under pressure from pending lawsuits, increasingly strident governmental regulations, and a persistent media, the Ford Motor Corporation finally recalled all Pintos sold between 1970 and 1976. What really inspired Ford to recall the explosive vehicles was, however, the clear fact that the negative attention they were receiving in the media impinged on their profit margins. Mismanagement of the Pinto problem led to a decline in Fords reputation and thus eroded their perceived social capital. What Lee Iacocca did not foresee when he refused to improve the design of the vehicle was the inherent value of social capital: the implied trust between consumers and corporations. Iacocca had assumed that price would be the sole motivator for purchasing the Pinto and that, in spite of the frequent explosions, consumers would pay the price. Placing a dollar-value on human life, estimated at around $200,000 at the time, Ford worked out a cost-benefit analysis that implied that cutting safety costs outweighed possible losses due to injury or death. The cost-benefit analysis conducted by Ford did not include the value of social capital. Defined by Fukuyama as trust and including virtues like truth telling, meeting obligations, and reciprocity, social capital was the missing link in the Ford Motor Companys infamous equation (p. 99). Had Iacocca measured the long-term benefits of engendering consumer trust through safe vehicles, Ford might have averted the negative economic repercussions of the Pinto recalls including the subsequent bad publicity. Underestimating the value of social capital undermined the companys integr...

Alexander Bain and the First Fax

Alexander Bain and the First Fax Faxing is by definition a method of encoding data, transmitting it over a ​telephone line or radio broadcast, and receiving a hard copy of the text, line drawings, or photographs at a remote location. The technology for fax machines was invented a long time. However, fax machines did not become popular with consumers until the 1980s. Alexander Bain The first fax machine was invented by Scottish mechanic and inventor Alexander Bain. In 1843, Alexander Bain received a British patent for â€Å"improvements in producing and regulating electric currents and improvements in timepieces and in electric printing and signal telegraphs†, in laymens terms a fax machine. Several years earlier, Samuel Morse had invented the first successful telegraph machine and the fax machine closely evolved from the technology of the telegraph. The earlier telegraph machine sent Morse code (dots and dashes) over telegraph wires that was decoded into a text message at a remote location. More About Alexander Bain Bain was a  Scottish  philosopher and  educationalist  in the  British school of empiricism  and a prominent and innovative figure in the fields of  psychology,  linguistics,  logic,  moral philosophy  and  education reform. He founded  Mind, the first ever journal of psychology and analytical philosophy, and was the leading figure in  establishing  and applying the  scientific method  to  psychology. Bain was the inaugural  Regius Chair  in Logic and  Professor of Logic  at the  University of Aberdeen, where he also held Professorships in  Moral Philosophy  and  English Literature  and was twice elected  Lord Rector. How Did Alexander Bains Machine Work? Alexander Bains fax machine transmitter scanned a flat metal surface using a stylus mounted on a pendulum. The stylus picked up images from the metal surface. An amateur clockmaker, Alexander Bain combined parts from clock mechanisms together with telegraph machines to invent his fax machine. Fax Machine History Many inventors after Alexander Bain, worked hard on inventing and improving fax machine type devices. Here is a brief timeline: In 1850, a London inventor named F. C. Blakewell received a patent what he called a copying telegraph.In 1860, a fax machine called the Pantelegraph sent the first fax between Paris and Lyon. The Pantelegraph was invented ​by Giovanni Caselli.In 1895, Ernest Hummel a watchmaker from St. Paul, Minnesota invented his competing device called the Telediagraph.In 1902, Dr. Arthur Korn invented an improved and practical fax, the photoelectric system.In 1914, Edouard Belin established the concept of the remote fax for photo and news reporting.In 1924, the telephotography machine (a type of fax machine) was used to send political convention photos long distance for newspaper publication. It was developed by the American Telephone Telegraph Company (ATT) worked to improve telephone fax technology.By 1926, RCA invented the Radiophoto that faxed by using radio broadcasting technology.In 1947, Alexander Muirhead invented a successful fax machine.On March 4, 1955, the first radio fax tran smission was sent across the continent.

The Effect of Tsunamis on Marine Life Research Paper

The Effect of Tsunamis on Marine Life - Research Paper Example The most common cause of tsunami is the undersea earthquake. Such earthquakes may be too small to trigger a tsunami, but they may help in landslides, which may trigger Tsunami. On 26th December, 2005, early morning, northwest of Sumatra saw a huge tsunami. The earthquake generated a tsunami that was among the deadliest disasters in modern history, killing well over 200,000 people. The most surprising fact about this disaster is that the tsunami was not generated in Pacific Ocean, but in Indian Ocean. The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue Island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonasia. The resulting tsunami devastated the shores of Indonasia, Srilanka, South India, Thailand and other countries with waves up to 30m . The following picture shows the blow of tsunami to one of the sandy beaches in Srilanka. Caption: A devastated Sandy beach in Sri Lanka after the Tsunami in 2006. The tsunami of 2005 was just one example of this devastating natu ral disaster. There have been a number of incidences of tsunami across the world, that have produced enormous destructions in the affected nations. (Bryant pp. 3-7; Commonwealth Veterinary Association p. 1) General Impact of Tsunami on Marinelife The coastal ecosystem gets damaged due to tsunami. The mangroves, estuarine, sea grasses, mudflats and coral reefs are usually among the most affected ones. Most of these physical structures are damaged by the huge force, which the waves produce as shown in the following picture. Caption: Damages to the Physical structures in coastal region by the Tsunami in Chennai Physical removal of flora and fauna and increased sediment load kill sediment sensitive corals and sea grasses by smothering. The extent of this damage considerably varies on the basis of local topography and hydrology of the surrounding environment. Some of the general impacts of tsunami can be as follows: Saltwater intrusion is a chemical change that occurs in the Pacific Ocea n, which is now also being happening in the Indian Ocean. All these occur due to heavy run off from the sewage, even the decomposition formed by the flora as well as the fauna of that place. These also include un-recovered bodies as well. Exotic species which are used for aquaculture escape badly. The structure of the ecosystem biologically gets disrupted. Since the structure of the ecosystem alters due to tsunami, the whole ecosystem gets affected Since coral reefs are considered as the natural defense of the ecosystem and it is generally seen that the ecosystems of these areas are largely intact even after the hit by tsunamis. For example, the Surin Island, chain off Thailand’s west coast, may have survived better than areas where the coast has been modified by urban development, aquaculture and to the new formed ecosystem during the tsunami of 2005. Mangroves are generally considered to be very significant natural barricade as well as a source of high quality profitable ti mber. Tsunamis produce significant adverse effects on mangroves. For example, in the Tsunami of 2005 that hit the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, etc., areas with highly dense mangroves areas suffered fewer human casualties and relatively less harm to physical properties compared to those areas that did not covered with mangroves. Tsunamis

Scar by Amy Tan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scar by Amy Tan - Essay Example The author emphasizes this when she states â€Å"In those days a ghost was anything we were forbidden to talk about† (Tan 291).This is clearly illustrated in the case of An-mei’s mother, who is disowned by her family for running off to be a concubine and refusing dowry from An-mei’s father. An-mei grows up hearing her grandmother constantly talking ill of her mother and she perceives her to be a â€Å"thoughtless woman who laughed and shook her head, who dipped her chopsticks many times to eat another piece of sweet fruit, happy to be free of Popo, her unhappy husband on the wall, and her two disobedient children (Tan 292 ).† Tan’s short narrative â€Å"Scar† builds on the themes of unconditional love and respect, by using symbolism and figurative language, among other literary elements. As a child, An-mei’s mother comes to visit and a commotion arises. A giant pot of boiling broth spills and burns the little girl’s chin and neck. The boiling soup is symbolic of the family’s raging anger towards An-mei’s mother for becoming a concubine and dishonoring them. The burn results in a physical scar, hence the title of the short story. However, the term scar is also symbolic since it signifies the emotional harm suffered by the little girl, as well as, the bad memories of her mother instilled in her by the grandmother. The prevalent theme in the short story is that of unconditional love. For instance, in the course of the story An-mei’s grandmother becomes seriously sick and her young girl’s mother comes back. In spite of everything that she had been told by her grandmother and the constant absence of her mother, she grows to love her. This is evident when she says â€Å"I came to love this mother as well, not because she came to m e and begged me to forgive her† (Tan 294). An-mei recognizes the fact that her mother is not to blame entirely for her absence. She also realizes that her mother never stopped loving her even after being expelled from the community. Tan illustrates this illustration when An-mei says when â€Å"Here is how I came to love my mother, how I saw her in my own true nature, what was beneath my skin, inside my bones† (Tan 294). The narrative also elaborates on the theme of respect. This is attributable to the fact that people should respect their elders regardless of the situations they are in. This is shown by An-mei‘s depiction of respect towards her mother when she sacrifices herself to Popo even after disownment. An-mei‘s mom also shows respect to Popo by looking after her even through the last living moments of her life. Respect was an issue that affected many people in China and despite the fact that An-mei did not really know her mother; she respected her and valued her actions towards her grandmother. The author’s narrative skills once more unfold yet another theme of traditions and identity. This is clearly depicted in honoring of Popo by following the ancient and acceptable way. This is done in an effort to save Popo from dying and An-mei's mother shows the respect of traditions and identity by making a sacrifice. Despite the fact that there is no good form of communication between Popo and An-mei's mother, she does not abandon her. In contrary, she cuts off part of her flesh in attempt to enrich Popo’s soup so as to heal her (Tan 295). This theme is further elaborated when An-mei realize the real meaning of the sacrifice that is conducted by the mother. In order to fully determine one's identity and heritage, one should symbolically peel off their

Corporate Restructuring Essay Example for Free

Corporate Restructuring Essay Purpose of Corporate restructuring : 1. To enhance the shareholder value 2. To utilize the assets properly 3. To get profitable investment opportunities 4. To diverse the business 5. To reduce cost of capital by designing innovative securities through corporate restructuring Types of Corporate restructuring : 1. Mergers or amalgamation The words mergers and amalgamation are always interchangeable but there is slight difference in mergers and amalgamation. Merger is fusion of two or more entities and it is a process in which the identity of one or more entities is lost (as is often seen when political parties merge). In the case of a merger, the assets and liabilities of a company get vested into the assets and liabilities of another company. The shareholders of the company being merged become shareholders of the larger company (as when two or more smaller banks merge with a larger bank). On the other hand, in the case of amalgamation, shareholders of both (or more) companies get new shares allotted that are of a new company altogether. 2. Acquisition or takeover : Acquistion may be defined as an act of acquiring effective control over assets or management of a company by another company without any combination of businesses or companies.In acquisition , two or more companies may remain independent, separate legal entity but there may be change in control of companies. Acquistion : When managements of acquiring and target companies mutually and willingly agree for the takeover it is called acquisition or friendly takeover Takeover : Takeover means acquisition . When the company takes the target company unwillingly or forcefully it is called takeover. The term takeover is understood to connote hostility. 3. Leveraged buyouts (LBO) : A leverage buyout (LBO) is an acquisition of a company in which the acquisition is substantially financed through debt. 4. Divestment : A divestment involves the sale of company’s assets or product lines or  divisions or brand to the outsiders.It is reverse of acquisition. There are 2 types of divestments : sell-off and spin-off Sell off : When a company sells a part of its business to a third party it is called sell –off Spin-offs : When a company creates a new company from the existing single entity it is called a spin-off. 5. Reverse merger / Reverse Takeover : The acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public. The transaction typically requires reorganization of capitalization of the acquiring company.

Education, Social Class and Self-Interest in Rebecca Rushs Novel Kelroy :: Rebecca Rush Kelroy Essays

Education, Social Class and Self-Interest in Rebecca Rush's Novel Kelroy Kelroy, by Rebecca Rush, was first published in 1812. Early American writers had a rough time writing "gothic" style writings because of the lack of history, which was not a problem faced by European writers. Kelroy is an extremely cynical view of American life and it was not well accepted by Americans, despite the fact that it is seen as "one of the best written [novels] in America before 1820"(231). Three themes from Kelroy, which demonstrate the focus of many early Americans, are Education, Social Class, and Self-Interest. Education was beginning to become extremely important in the early 1800's, especially for women. Reading habits of the characters was often emphasized in literary works of this time period because it was an important issue that was being faced. For example, in Kelroy, Mrs. Hammond "applied herself sedulously to the education of her daughters, and engaged a person to reside with them in quality of governess, who was, in her estimation, fully adequate to the task, since to a variety of accomplishments, she enjoyed an infinity of that species of self-important pride, which teaches its owner instinctively to shun the approaches of the vulgar. She also had masters from the city, to attend them at stated times: thus uniting in her plan, to real benefit, an air of lofty superiority"(4-5). However, Mrs. Hammond's motive behind educating her daughters was not necessarily for their benefit, but her own. The appearance of being able to afford educating her daughters, which would lead oth ers to believe that she was wealthy (and many did believe) was a key motivator for Mrs. Hammond. The ability to read was possessed by many women in the 1800's, but writing was not as common, which meant that Mrs. Hammond's daughters, as well as Mrs. Hammond, would have been considered better educated that most women because they could read and write. In contrast with the Hammond girls, we have Maria, from Royall Tyler's The Contrast, who reads the dreaded romantic novels, which is not considered to be a favored pastime. Speaking of Maria, Letitia says, "Why she read Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa Harlowe, Shenstone, and the Sentimental Journey, and between whiles, as I said, Billy's letters. But as her taste improved, her love declined"(1151).

Colorism in the African American Society

Racism has been a very prominent issue most commonly between black and white people. Although it is the most acknowledged; it is not the only example of race discrimination. Race discrimination occurs among other ethnicities and backgrounds of people. Sometimes race discrimination can transpire because of people’s point of views on certain things, such as religion, color, age, or even gender. In the stories, â€Å"The Wife of His Youth† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† racism and some other forms of discrimination are present, but surprisingly it isn’t one race opposing another. It is black on black racism, or more specifically â€Å"colorism;† this is discrimination based on skin color (Nittle 1). â€Å"Wife of His Youth,† a short story by Charles Chesnutt addresses the tussles of race as a light skinned and dark African American subsequently to the American civil war, through the characters Mr. Ryder and Liza Jane. While equally black; the lighter skin (Mr. Ryder) had a social advantage during segregation eras. Kate Chopin’s story â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† has a comparable theme in despite of its setting; it took place previous to the civil war. It concerns Desiree and her husband Armand; who give birth to a darker skinned child. Their fear that society would discard them leads the story to a tragic ending. Although, Charles Chesnutt’s story was written after the civil war and Kate Chopin’s was written prior to the civil war, both stories show that discrimination still existed categorically within African American ethnic groups. A gross amount of Charles Chesnutt works exemplifies the hardships he endured in the south as a light African American more specifically â€Å"Wife of His Youth,† which is a short story that took place after the civil war. Chesnutt satirically reveals not only the difficulties faced by racially blended individuals but also their intense prejudices against more darkly shaded African Americans. Chesnutt himself was a product of mixed marriage as well: indeed he was identified as an African American however he often referred to himself as white American too (Rossetti 1). Mr. Ryder who was the main character in the short story, â€Å"The Wife of His Youth† by Charles Chesnutt, had a similar biography as Chesnutt. Mr. Ryder was well respected by his society called the Blue Veins. According to Fleischmann, â€Å"Their existence, as little society of colored persons [whose] purpose it was to establish and maintain correct social standard among a people whose social condition presented almost unlimited room for improvement† ( Chesnutt 463). This Blue Veins society was a society within the larger society. The larger society also known as the â€Å"white powered society† had no place for African Americans. There was no room for middle ground where African American and Caucasians could prosper. The Blue Veins society was created so that lighter skinned, colored people whose skin appeared so white that their veins showed like Mr. Ryder, could have significant membership in this white society. (Chesnutt 1)They did not want to be categorized with the darker African American groups. In the short story, â€Å"No one was eligible for membership who was not white enough to show Blue Veins† (Chesnutt 1). With this short story Chesnutt demonstrates that color matters within the race. The Blue Veins society does not emphasize culture of the race but how light their skin color appears. People like Liza Jane, the wife of Mr. Ryder would not be qualified for membership in his society because she was exceptionally black and her social rank in society was a former as a plantation worker. As the reader’s proceeds towards the end, some may detest Mr. Ryder true emotions. The reader may realize that although Mr. Ryder initially tried to abscond from his black ancestry through the Blue Veins society; he is conflicted with this guilt. Liza Jane suddenly shows up at Mr. Ryder’s house with determination to find her husband (originally named Same Taylor but now known as Mr. Ryder). Unaware that she is indeed talking to Mr. Ryder; she starts telling him her story, and how she has been scouring around town for her husband. Eventually, Mr. Ryder confesses that he is Liza Jane’s long lost husband however it was not until he gained recognition from the Blue Veins Society. In the short story it says: My friends, what would the man do? I will suppose that he was one who loved honor, and tried to deal justly with all men. I will even carry the case further, and suppose that perhaps he had set his heart upon another, whom he had hoped to call his own. What would he do, or rather what ought he to do, in such a crisis of a lifetime? â€Å"It seemed to me that he might hesitate, and I imagined that I was an old friend, a near friend, and that he had come to me for advice; and I argued the case with him. I tried to discuss it impartially. After we had looked upon the matter from every point of view, I said to him, in words that we all know: ‘This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Then, finally, I put the question to him, ‘Shall you acknowledge her? ‘(Chesnutt 796) The Blue Veins society is so fixated on looks that, Mr. Ryder is almost afraid to acknowledge his wife without the approval from their society. He knew that this society discriminated against darker complexion African Americans so he was unsure on whether or not they would admit Liza Jane. Charles Chesnutt demonstrates that racism within race exists and that color does m atters. However, the challenge is for the person to understand their racial history and to mature from these understandings. Another character that has been overpowered by his racial history is Armand Aubigny from the short story, â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† written by Kate Chopin. â€Å"Of all her works Kate Chopin is perhaps best known for ‘Desiree’s Baby. ’ It is the most Anthologized of all her short stories† (Cruz 430). Chopin tells the story about Desiree an adopted child whose parent’s heritage was unknown. When she became a woman, her beauty attracted the attention of Armand Aubigny, a neighboring plantation owner. These two characters later get married and bear a son. As time goes by the child starts to appear more black than white. When Desiree confronts situation about the child’s complexion; Armand holds her accountable because of her unknown parentage; not knowing that he too has some responsibility in the baby’s complexion. â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† takes place in the south prior to the Civil War. In fact, it is one of the few short stories written by Kate Chopin that is set before the Civil War (Kate Chopin â€Å"Desiree’s† Baby 1) Around this era, many mixed blood children like Armand and Desiree leaned towards their white heritage to avoid difficulties that the dark African American had to experience such as: lynching, beating, theft, sexual humiliation, slavery, etc. Armand Aubigny, one of the characters in this short story was forced by this era to suppress his past and keep his African American ancestry hidden. He knew being from a darker descent; it would bring complications and unfair treatment for him in the white society. Two ways he concealed his past and his ancestry was: after discovering that the baby’s darker complexion; he threw Desiree and the baby out of his home. In the short story Desiree says to him â€Å"Shall I go Armand? † and he replied back, â€Å"Yes go† (Chopin 3). He also confiscated all the things that reminded him of his African American ancestry, and burnt them; leaving no evidence of him ever being black. One of the items burnt was a letter from his mom to his father saying that, she â€Å"belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery† (Chopin 4). The reader is uncertain on whether Armand was successful with keeping his secret however such secrets are painful to hold. Oslyn Reso Foy states in one of her articles that â€Å"Armand moved out of the conventions that have governed his life and Chopin strips him of the veils that have hidden his real self† (223). Armand learns that it is important to embrace your own ethnicity instead of trying to affiliate with another. A different illustration of discrimination within the race in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† is the behavior towards of the baby’s complexion. In the beginning of the story, Madame Valmonde had arrived for a visit at Desiree’s Home. She was shaken by the baby and hesitated to believe that it was theirs. â€Å"This is not the baby! † Madame Valmonde exclaimed, in startled tone (Chopin 2). By the way she responded to the baby’s appearance validates her concern the outcome of the baby’s appearance. This leaves the audience with a matter of uncertainty on whether the baby would have gotten the same treatment; if it was a lighter complexion. Armand actions too changed when he realizes the baby is dark skin. In the article, â€Å"Semiotic Subversion in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ announces that â€Å"before he turned against his wife and baby, Armand was the proudest father†¦Marriage and later the birth of his son had softened Armand Aubigny imperious and exacting nature greatly† ( Peel 226). Armand wanted a son however he preferred a white skinned baby instead of a dark skinned baby. Not knowing Desiree’s unknown heritage backfired on him and left him with a son whose complexion was darker than both of theirs instead of lighter. In today society racism, segregation, discrimination, etc. is generally publically terminated and against the law; we see ample amount of mixed couples especially in the media, who seem to disregard race or even skin color. However this doesn’t mean that â€Å"colorism† is nonexistent. This type of prejudice happens but it is so taboo that it is kept hidden from the society. A lot African Americans have to take on the hardships of being segregated from within their own thnic group. Ever since days of slavery prior to the civil war, many people felt that light skin color is better and more favorable than darker skin color. Time after time white Americans’ view of authority and the violation of dark skin color have made the African American to dismiss and categorize one another. For example in the media now, we s ee less and less of the darker complexion actresses. In an article, called â€Å"What They Don’t Want You to Know,† it says â€Å"In Hollywood, Black male characters are played by black actors while black female characters are played by actresses that are more often than no mixed† (2). Although society has not made massive news headline on this specific topic, it does not mean it is not dually noticed as an issue. For instance in today’s society, you are not considered as beautiful if don’t have the same characteristics as the white people. The men in the short stories, â€Å"My Wife of His Youth† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† were attracted some of these females characters because they favored white women. As mention before, Armand and Mr. Ryder wanted to escape their African American ancestry and all the tribulations that came with it. In order to forget their past; they needed a woman that could give them a white skinned baby. Someone that can lower the chances of their child being dark skinned. In â€Å"Desiree’s Baby, Desiree had long silky brown hair that hung about her shoulders, her eyes were grey and her skin was whiter than her husband, Armand (Chopin 3). All these characteristics which Armand considered to be beauty resembled of a white woman. In the story â€Å"The Wife of His Youth,† before Liza Jane’s arrival, Mr. Ryder was ready to propose to Mrs. Dixon. In the story â€Å"Molly Dixon possessed many attractive qualities†¦. she was whiter than he† (Chesnutt 790). In retrospect, Charles Chesnutt and Kate Chopin works provide developing ideas of discrimination between races during and after the civil war. This theme is exemplified through their short stories particularly in â€Å"The Wife of His Youth and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby. † In conclusion whether or not you are of substantially a lighter skinned complexion or a darker skinned complexion, individuals in the African American community should not be treated differently by society due to this aspect.

How compatible is someones personality in accordance to the organizational culture Essay

Upon commencing my research on this topic, I decided to place myself in the â€Å"shoes of a worker† and having had previous work experience myself, I have explored this question in depth, on both a personal and academic level. For instance, many a times I have stopped in the middle of work and asked myself, â€Å"Why do I continue to work for this organization?† When I try to promote my ideas, do my peers frequently react with indifference? It is matters such as the above that workers all over the world question about on a daily basis, or simply, one can question, how compatible is their personality in accordance to the organizational culture of the company for which they work in. New technology creates jobs, which do not require any sort of face-to-face communication. This has undeniable consequences for the relationships that form in corporations. The increased use of technology such as the Internet and Microsoft applications means that it is harder for employees to approach their manager’s and express a problem, since their nature of work is for the most part confined to their offices. In introducing the term â€Å"culture† which simply means: an â€Å"identification badge† that distinguishes between groups of individuals and provides guidelines concerning patterns of behavior and perception of the world around. The cultural match between an individual and an organization is determined by the degree to which the individual’s personal traits fit the organizational culture, or perhaps vice versa. Cooperation between the manager and his subordinate must exist, meaning that either one would willingly lower the priority of one’s own personal needs in order to get along with others. A lower cultural match may indicate that the individual is drained of important resources by having to continuously adjust to the workplace environment. A higher cultural match suggests the potential for a more satisfying interaction for both the individual and the organization. For some people, a personal/culture fit may exist only in the functional area in which they work. For example, an adventurous and non-conformist individual could match the less risk-averse, more creative subculture of the Design department of a clothing company, even though the overall company might be rigidly structured and have a low comfort level with certain ambiguity. It is generally assumed that a successful relationship between an individual and an organization (the manager) is based on a shared foundation of beliefs and behaviors. Similar beliefs and ways of working usually encourage communication and tend to support the working relationship, allowing synergies to emerge. In contrast, a high level of dissimilarity usually requires a high consumption of adaptive energy. While a large base of similarities may enable successful and harmonious interaction, dissimilarities are also valuable. As organizations become increasingly inundated with new techniques and training programs designed to diversify their employee base, frustrations among workers increase while compromising decreases. Groups in favor of diversity feel that they are right in their call for race, sex, disability and age discrimination to be resolved by a bold corrective initiative often referred to as affirmative action. They claim that it is wrong to discriminate in any form. Diversity is a highly intense topic that, while embraced philosophically, it is quickly challenged once institutionalized. Diversity is recognized as an inevitable strategy for meeting the ever-changing demographics in society. It is then studied, is most often adapted as the solution and often the conclusion to problems of inequality in the workplace. Most organizations conclude with a formalized diversity initiative which focus is on diversity training, diversification (integration through hiring), and annual maintenance programs. Each of these initiative components becomes a part of a continuum, which is replicated annually. While this is truly deserving of much praise and support, many corporate leaders are beginning to ask probing questions†¦ Is this it? What do we do now? Therefore diversity training is necessary to assist in developing acceptance rather than tolerance. A change in attitude is necessary, and attitudes are changed when people begin to understand the â€Å"different† members of society and respect is shown towards them. A reality is that forward thinking companies have begun to realize that it is not enough for their employees to appreciate differences, but rather that the appreciation might be turned into a company benefit. They are the source of attraction, of added value and information exchange that give substance and fuel to the relationship. Many corporations have recognized that diversity contributes to the bottom line by making it easier to retain employees showing future potential, lowering costs by developing skills internally, and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees. This is especially significant in a time when the global economy is doing so well, not to mention that demand for skilled labor is at record levels. The key factors in a company’s success in managing knowledge workers will depend upon the level of a partnership existing between workers and management. It’s about support and understanding not control (The more supportive a manager is towards his/her employees, the easier their process of personal development becomes). In adopting this style of management; employees may see their managers’ taking on a dominant leadership role rather than the traditional management notion of â€Å"the Boss†. Managers must choose objectives, let people loose, to be creative. On the other hand when they make mistakes, managers should also recognize and offer counseling advice when necessary. These managerial skills (with the increasing focus on people rather than technology) are necessary in maintaining an organizational culture where people can flourish and achieve’ not only the company’s aims and objectives but furthermore, their own. In theory, working with the available staff that you (as a manager) retain, and pooling their diverse talents and skills to complete a task or assignment may be possible, but in my opinion, firms will miss out on a great opportunity to obtain more, fundamental employees, with a greater variety of skills. For instance, the company may choose to utilize and work with their existing employees, but by recruiting younger, more well-educated staff, or by diversifying and hiring different people with various ethnic backgrounds or more women they may find themselves in a more suitable, advantageous and moreover profitable position, as each of these people will bring a vast array of skills, experience and talent to their jobs. The ability of an employee to make a difference in the workplace or simply to have an influence upon his/her work is the extent to which individuals are able to influence outcomes within the organization. A high ability to influence suggests that the organization is open to input from a wide range of members and is willing to consider and react to those suggestions. A low ability to influence indicates a culture where most individuals have little chance to impact the outcomes. Decisions are made by a small group of individuals at the top who are not open to input from more than a select group of employees. The assumption is that the person with the most skill, intelligence, charm will succeed where others will fail. So that where competition is a fundamental feature of social and economic life, what you will get is competitive people and a model of the person, which is framed in terms of individual differences. So, in order to cope with the various characteristics of employees and the intense competition, managers should pinpoint the ones who get involved in many activities, have the ability to quickly establish relationships with others and lead fast-paced lives, so they can be set as group leaders. This trend in world economies has come to be coined by the popular phrase of â€Å"globalisation.† This for workers has a sense meaning of a worker that is an indeterminate, self-propelled character of world affairs. Nowadays, workplaces, in the era of high-value production in the age of services, require workers very different from those of just two decades ago- where a hierarchy structure was in place. This occurs when there is a distinct level of authority ranging from managing director, directors, managers and so on, with the managing director with the most authority over the rest of the company. The new structure in organization requires that the knowledge, information, and responsibility formerly handed down to managers is now (in theory at least) pushed down to the front-line workers. This, however, requires workers now who can learn and adapt quickly, think for themselves, take responsibility, make decisions, and communicate what they need to leaders who train, supply, and inspire them. The goal of social work is to strengthen people’s ability to cope with the task and problems they face in life and to promote improvements in the environment to more adequately meet human needs. The theory of social constructionism emphasizes that â€Å"our generation of knowledge and ideas of reality is sparked by social processes more than individual processes† (Gergen, 1994). According to constructionism, â€Å"knowledge is not something people possess somewhere in their heads, but rather, something people do together† (Gergen, 1985). Therefore, it is considered and viewed to be a collective procedure. For example, the idea that women â€Å"naturally† like to do housework is a social constructionist concept because this idea appears â€Å"natural† because of its historical repetition, rather than it being â€Å"true† in any essential sense. With regards to individualism as opposed to collectivism, one can state that the extent to which the members of the organization are encouraged or given incentives to focus primarily on personal gain (individualism) versus considering first the interests of the group as a whole (collectivism). Individualism includes a person’s values and standards being authentic, beliefs rooted in one’s spirit, embraced and put into practice as expressions of the self. According to Widdicombe, â€Å"The notion of positioning how it constructs persons has its roots in Althusser [whose] central thesis was that ideology ‘interpellates’ or ‘hails’ individuals into particular positions so that they come to have the kinds of identity which are necessary for social practices. As a result, â€Å"people are subjected and trained to recognize themselves in particular ways, and they are thereby produced as particular kinds of being predisposed to certain kinds of activity which fit with the demands of society,† which results in the â€Å"illusion that we have freely chosen our way of life†. One factor that corporations must take into consideration before recruiting an employee is the matter of â€Å"personality testing†. This method has become a routine part of corporate life. Soon it may be as universal as the employment interview or the team-building exercise. Every day, thousands of employees are asked to complete questionnaires about their likes and dislikes or probable reactions to different scenarios. Such as if you found yourself at a party, would you be more likely to linger at the edge of the room and avoid eye contact or to plunge into the crowd and mingle, making friends everywhere? Responses to questions like this may be used to answer other questions like â€Å"have you got what it takes to handle the pressure and be a trusted team-player?† Even though there are supposed to be no right answers, it’s often the case that these tests can be completed to produce a result that suggest you’re a charismatic, natural leader and all-round great person. Few people stop to question the outcome of these tests. After all, they seem to agree with thoughts we already have about ourselves. Personality tests are often believed to be scientific confirmation that you are indeed who you think you are. All though psychological analysis is very time-consuming and requires the personal involvement of experienced, highly qualified (and prohibitively expensive) professionals. There are no psychological tests that are cheap, quick and accurate all at the same time. However, anyone who is curious about their own personality has dozens of tests to choose from, all of which claim to answer some aspect of the question â€Å"who am I?† or â€Å"how will I behave and interact with other personalities†. These questions are more than essential to the employee’s self-image, role and function in the organisation as they help provide insight on matters that matter most to employees and in doing so may help them work more efficiently (if an employee is satisfied from their work and surroundings, they will strive more for excellence and approval within their jobs). Unfortunately, the outcome behind these measures of personality and aptitude tests is rather uncertain. Their theoretical foundations are rooted more in philosophy than fact and their accuracy suffers as a result. Nonetheless, this has not dissuaded thousands of people taking their results seriously. In conclusion, one’s success in the organization often goes beyond â€Å"doing a good job.† Frequently satisfaction with work comes from not only performing well, but also being comfortable with corporate values. It is essential, therefore, to examine the match between personal characteristics and organization culture. If the employee has to work utilizing his/ her ability for example (working with what you have) it does not mean that the employee cannot be better in his/her position and be productive with their current skills. Actually, my opinion is that employees need the assistance of the manager to become more relevant in the work place, in terms of achieving goals. One thing a manager could do is positively encourage the employees for the job that have accomplished, or try to explain the right way in which can they do so-providing support-if they fail. From one perspective, it is true to work with what you have, but on the other hand, this could occur at the beginning when you are a new worker, with advanced skills, starting fresh. We all us have an individual personality, but our personalities have stemmed from different environments such as: friends, parents, neighbors, etc. In my situation, when I go to work I am trying to use different personality which is not my real personality. for example, when I worked in class restaurant every time I have to smile and speak formally. It happens on numerous occasions, that when I went for work my mood was bad and also sometimes I was sad due to things I had said with my parents or from my girlfriend. This is my real personality, but when I have to go to the restaurant to work I have to change my personality and try to become exactly the opposite. This helps me in being real in the environment that matters the most to me and professional in my area of work.

Imagination; a Humans Special Sence Essays

Imagination; a Humans Special Sence Essays Imagination; a Humans Special Sence Essay Imagination; a Humans Special Sence Essay Essay Topic: Invisible Man Daimaly Gines 10/25/12 FD #3 Expos, Section Imagination: A Human’s Special Sense Human beings have the ability to create their own individual worlds through imagination. However, the imagination is limited because of the constant use of technology and the reliance on vision. The technological culture has separated humans from the actual world and their senses; much like vision has done. In the essay â€Å"The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses†, Juhani Pallasmaa focuses on the exploration of the senses and how they interact with one another. We also see his discussion on how vision can affect the human experience. The more visually capable we are, the more we begin to lose our sense of imagination. Similarly in the essay â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? †, Nicolas Carr argues that the more we rely on technology and the Internet, the more it will affect humans in today’s world, as well as our ability to read and comprehend. Living in a society that relies mostly on technology, individuals fail to create a balance between the Internet and their actual senses. The more we depend on technology, the less room there is for the mind to imagine. Our brains have reached a point where we fall into a daydream with anything that does not catch our attention. Furthermore, in â€Å"The Mind’s Eye†, Oliver Sacks explores some of the most fundamental facets of human experience: how we see in three dimensions, how we represent the world internally when our eyes are closed, and how remarkable, and unpredictable our brains find new ways of creating new worlds through imagination. The obscuring of vision leads to imagination but once we begin to imagine, we gain the ability to preserve and envision the world around us in a new way, and thus we use the senses to help us imagine more deeply. The experience of living affects imagination because vision and technology does not allow us to stay focused because we have become used to the commodity of technology and vision. Carr states, â€Å"now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages† (67). In other words, Carr is explaining how the constant use of technology is depriving him from actually sitting down, reading a book and focusing on the text. The Internet is reprogramming us to imagine more often and not pay attention to what one is actually doing in the real world. The reading and analysis has now become a struggle for individuals whose life is surrounded by technology. Similarly, Sacks describes the idea that when we are on the level of imagination, one can no longer interpret â€Å"what is visual, what is auditory, what is image, what is language, what is intellectual, what is emotional- they are all fused together and imbued with our own individual perspectives and values† (317). Imagination makes us realize our own individual worlds. Once we have imagination, what we see, hear, feel and touch is brought together into our own view. When we imagine, we begin to lose the ability to see what is going on in society. This occurs because vision and technology are being concealed. For example, when we begin to daydream, someone may try and get our attention to bring them back to reality, but it may take longer for us to realize that someone wanted to get our attention. This happens because we get caught up into our own imagination and forget what is going on in the outside world. Similarly, Pallasmaa states that, â€Å"deep shadows and darkness are essential, because they dim the sharpness of vision, make depth and distance ambiguous, and invite unconscious peripheral vision and tactile fantasy† (286). Pallasmaa is explaining that darkness is essential for one to be able to imagine. It obscures vision into darkness. The darkness makes the world around us â€Å"ambiguous† and allows imagination to take effect. Carr’s idea of our minds drifting away from what we are actually doing is similar to what Pallasmaa is saying because the darkness is a distraction in which leads to imagination. The high use of technology leaves no room for imagination because we cannot think on our own. One’s imagination is enlightened when fenced by darkness because individuals have room to imagine and listen to their surroundings. We see that our imagination comes into play when our vision is obscured. Without the sense of vision, our other senses quickly assume richness and power. This occurs to blind people such as Hull, who at the age of forty-eight became completely blind. Sacks states that Hull â€Å"speaks of how the sound of the ain, never before accorded much attention, can now delineate a whole landscape for him†¦it throws a coloured blanket over previously invisible things† (304). In other words, we see that Sacks is showing us how strong Hull’s imagination was after becoming blind. Just because Hull became blind, it did not mean that Hull’s life was over. On the other hand, it was a new beginning for Hull. He was able to make use of his other se nses and see how important they are. With Hull’s imagination also came a sense of intimacy with his surroundings. He felt as though with his strong visual imagery, he had a strong sense of closeness, which evolves from imagining. The term ‘delineate’ has a significant meaning in Sack’s text because imagination is what led Hull to be able to portray the images precisely in his mind. Similarly, Pallasmaa states, â€Å"anyone who has half-woken up to the sound of a train or an ambulance in a nocturnal city, and though his/her sleep experienced the space of the city with its countless inhabitants scattered within its structures, knows the power of sound over the imagination† (289). Our sense of imagination quickly takes over and we begin to think and imagine what is happening around us. Pallasmaa is conveying to us that the imagination can also begin with the sense of sound. The term ‘delineate’ is also presented in Pallasmaa’s text because sound and imagination led us to wake up and hear the train or imagine the train rushing by on the train tracks. The imagination is just as strong as any of the other senses. One’s vision has to be obscured in order to be able to imagine. Imagination can lead to a whole new sense, a new world and even a new way we experience our lives today. Today’s technological culture has the ability to paralyze our imagination because we spend a lot of time using the Internet. In order for one to be able to imagine vision and technology should be hidden. If we surround ourselves with technology and the Internet, then we will have no room for imagination. The Net absorbs content from our everyday lives and makes them into ads that individuals will quickly become attracted to when using the Internet. The Internet today wants to â€Å"scatter our attention and diffuse our concentration† (Carr 71). In other words, what Carr is arguing is that the purpose of technology and the Internet is to make us unfocused on what is going on around us. When one is constantly distracted by technology, there is no room for the mind to imagine. Our concentration often begins to drift because of the high use of technology. This is what leads our minds to begin to slumber into a daydream. The absence of imagination leads to a lack of closeness. Our senses become alienated from us because of the use of technology. The senses are alienated and so is our imagination because we are constantly on the Internet searching the web, looking for a distraction. Pallasmaa’s ideas agree with Carr’s when Carr states that, â€Å"the imagination and daydreaming are stimulated by dim light and shadows† (286). Pallasmaa’s focus is on the idea of imagination and daydreaming being inspired by vision and shadows. When in darkness our senses are able to unite themselves more because there is no vision. When sitting in front of a computer screen, one is only focused on the Internet and not making use of the other senses. Similarly with darkness, when in a dark room, our senses are able to be used more and so is our imagination. For example, when sitting in a dark room where vision is obscured, the other senses come into play. Our attention, concentration and imagination are linked with the senses. Our imagination is sparked when our mind is not completely focused. If one relies on technology alone, then how is the mind able to imagine and daydream, if all technology does is fill our minds with ideas that do not allow individuals to imagine on our own. Humans place so much emphasis on technology and vision that they do not notice that their senses are becoming detached. The use of technology and vision changed our experience of being because there is no room for imagination to occur. The sense of imagination is essential in today’s society because we are able to ‘see’ deeper into the world and create new ideas and visuals that only the human mind can create. This is why the blind people that Sack’s mentions in his text have much stronger senses and imagination because they are able to ‘see’ even though they are not sighted. The imagination will soon be considered another of our senses. The sense of imagination has created a whole new world for humans to explore and comprehend. If we ignore our imagination and just stick to technology because it is right at our fingertips, then we will not have the chance to enjoy our sixth sense of imagination. Imagination allows us to form, picture the future in our mind, and to perceive the beauty of natures creativity. It has allowed mankind to create and progress, over the ages. We should never forget about our imagination because even technology was created with imagination. Technology may have been created with imagination but now that we have the Internet and technology, we do not want to imagine for ourselves. How will society continue to progress if we do not imagine what we would like the world to be in twenty years. Without imagination humans would not be where they are today. Everything that makes us humans more efficient in today’s technological culture was imagined centuries ago. At the end of a long day, the majority of us sits down and just daydream about their day or what life will be like in about twenty years. Everyone has the ability to imagine in today’s society, it’s just the matter of finding ones inner thought and not being caught up with the constant use of vision and technology.

Analytical Essay of The Castle

The film, ‘The Castle’, directed by Rob Sitch, is an Australian satirical movie about the triumphs of an ordinary working class family. It is a comedy, and foregrounds the importance of family and loyalty, which are considered important in today’s Australian society. Although the audience is positioned to feel sympathy for the Kerrigan family because of their unfortunate situation, their story is told in such a comical manner that the audience can’t help but find it funny. The story is told through the perspective of Darryl Kerrigan’s son, Dale, but so much emphasis is put on Darryl that it is clear that he is the star of the story. The film uses techniques like camera shots, language and the use of narration to develop conflict between a decent, old fashioned suburban family, the Kerrigans and seemingly evil corporation called Airlink. Feature films like ‘The Castle’ are cultural products because they use attitudes, values and stereotypes about what it means to be Australian. In this film, an Australian family living in their beloved home, situated at the end of an airport runway, are faced with a touch challenge as the faceless company Airlink threaten to take away their house, and the houses of their neighbours. Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton), the head of the house, is outraged, and hires a pathetic lawyer, Dennis Denuto, to help defend his and his friends’ homes. After a feeble attempt in court to convince the judge that the taking of their houses was, â€Å"against the constitution†, that it was the â€Å"vibe of the thing† their case was turned down, and all hope seemed lost. This caused great sadness within the Kerrigan home, and Darryl had fallen silent. After the Kerrigan family had completely given up, they got a knock at the door from Lawrence Hammill, QC who had met Darryl at the court house and felt empathy for his case. He told Darryl he would defend his case, free of charge, and they set their sights on High Court. This film was set in Melbourne, near the Melbourne Airport. The fact that the Kerrigan household is located so close to the airport positions the audience to think that the house is cheap and invaluable, which is emphasized when the audience is shown the huge power lines situated almost in the Kerrigans’ backyard, as well as the â€Å"dodgy† extensions on the house Darryl has done himself. This being said, Darryl loves his house, and couldn’t bring himself to leave it. ‘The Castle’ puts heavy emphasis on gender construction. The male roles in the movie are stereotypical. Darryl Kerrigan is a family man, which is shown when the audience sees the extensions on the house, and also when he stands up for himself and his family’s rights in court. Darryl is typically always thinking about projects he can begin, which is very stereotypical in today’s Australian society. Dale Kerrigan likes to go fishing with his Dad, which is considered a stereotypical male activity. The males in the film generally do the work and protect for the women of the family. The females are positioned to look as if they need to be taken care of. This film is full of stereotypes. Some of these are challenged, so as to avoid ‘The Castle’ becoming another clichà ©. One stereotype that is challenged is that of a wife; that she should stay at home, while her husband works. This is challenged by Tracey Kerrigan. She has her TAFE certificate of hairdressing, and works as a full time hairdresser. Although this stereotype is challenged by Tracey, it is perpetuated by Sal Kerrigan. She is the stereotypical housewife, and stays at home doing housework, cooking, and craftwork. Another stereotype perpetuated is the typical Lebanese man, represented by Farouk, the Kerrigans’ neighbour. His stereotype consists of talk about bombs and cash being carried at all times. This is perpetuated when Darryl and Farouk are talking about the aeroplanes flying overhead and lowering the value of their houses, and Farouk says, ‘Plane fly overhead, drop value. I dont care. In Beirut, plane fly over, drop bomb. I like these planes’ and also when he mentions, ‘You have friend, I have friend. My friend go to your house, put bomb under your car and blow you to sky!’ Darryl Kerrigan is seen as a stereotype from when he first appears on screen in a midshot, with a hose in his hand, wearing a flannelette shirt and jeans, and looking up at the powerlines situated behind his house. Throughout the movie he is shown as a strong and silent type, as is the stereotypical Australian man. The whole Kerrigan family, for the most part, perpetuate the stereotype of the typical Australian Family. This is shown in their closeness, their loyalty, and their willingness to help each other. Many people and issues are silenced and foregrounded in this film. Airlink and its opinions are silenced, so as to position the audience to view the company as faceless and evil. All the audience sees of Airlink are a few lawyers intent on taking the Kerrigans’ home away from them. In contrast, the Kerrigans opinions are heavily foregrounded. The audience sees all their emotions and arguments as they fight for their precious house, which encourages the viewers to feel empathy. Wayne Kerrigan’s opinions are also silenced. All the audience sees of him which may influence their empathy is the medium long shot of him lying in bed looking up at the photo of his family stuck to the wall. Class and power is shown in different ways throughout the film. Airlink’s power is shown through professional lawyers, in contrast to Dennis Denuto and his incompetence. This contrast is shown when one of Airlink’s lawyers walks into Dennis’ office, while Dennis is struggling with a broken copying machine, swearing, on his knees. Darryl Kerrigan’s power (within his family) is demonstrated in the way that Dale Kerrigan admires him, and focuses his story so much on Darryl instead of telling the story more from his perspective. Darryl is, as Dale says, â€Å"the backbone of the family† and this is shown as Darryl compliments his wife on her cooking each night, and encourages his family to do their best. Different class power discourses are shown throughout the film. The Kerrigans’ class discourse is shown in many ways. Speech is a main part of the discourse. While in High Court, Darryl’s outburst of â€Å"suffer in your jocks!† shows that he doesn’t know how to act in court, as higher class and more educated people would. Again this is shown when he is in court being represented by Dennis Denuto, and yells in excitement when he thinks he’s won the case. Even in the way he speaks, his thick Australian accent, and the way he uses colloquial terms shows the audience his class. Lawrence Hammill’s class is almost immediately known, though it isn’t directly shown when he is first shown in the movie. The audience realizes that he is of higher class than Darryl, because of his language, and by the fact that he doesn’t use colloquial terms. Throughout the film, different camera angles and shots are used to position the audience in different ways. For example, when shown Darryl’s Pool Room, close up shots of items on the walls and in cabinets (Tracy’s TAFE certificate, pictures and trophies) make it obvious to the audience what possessions Darryl treasures most. When Darryl, Dennis and Lawrence are standing in front of the High Court, before they go inside, the camera is angled upwards, in a medium close up, from the ground. This positions the audience to believe the three look ready, powerful and prepared. Another shot that positions the audience is the long shot of Darryl is admiring the power lines behind his house. This makes the power lines look bigger, greater, and more significant. The ideologies foregrounded in this film are those of the underdogs. If the directors were to show the ideologies and opinions of Airlink the audience may not have felt such empathy for the Kerrigans and their neighbours. The Kerrigan’s values are dominant in this film. They value family, loyalty, and justice. This is made clear by the way that the whole family sits down together to eat dinner each night, which is becoming more uncommon in today’s society. It is also made clear by how much time they spend together, talking, telling stories, and going on family holidays. Loyalty is shown by the way that Darryl unites with his neighbours, and cares about how they feel. An example of this is when Darryl tells them they need to get money together to pay to go to court, and how he offers to pay for Jack, because he is old and cannot afford it. Overall, this is a funny classic for all the family to enjoy. The use of foregrounding and silencing of opinions and ideologies positions the audience to feel strong empathy for the Kerrigan family, and encourages them to be on side with the family. The movie is a triumph of human spirit.

The Crisis Of Fordism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Crisis Of Fordism - Essay Example The above mentioned process results to a phenomenon of mass worker, controlled in bureaucratic trade unions, which negotiate common wages that increase in relation to the production levels. The common consumption patterns indicate the homogenization of the working class and this leads to a market with homogeneous commodities and a match between demand and supply (Lipietz, 1984, p. 20). Notably, the balance between the supply and demand is achieved through the Keynesian macroeconomic policies, while the balance between wages and profits is obtained through collective bargaining power. The challenges of Fordism are economic, technical and social. To begin with, the technical challenges are characterized by the exhaustion of the increasing productivity by gaining economies of scale, intensifying labor and de-skilling of the workers. Secondly, the economic limits are characterized by declining rate of profits, which is as a result of falling productivity growth or limited market for the homogeneous consumer goods while the income rises. Finally, the social limits are characterized by the rapid growing pressure on managerial prerogative, profitability and on the public financed enhanced by the rising demands of the mass workers (Lipietz, 1984, p.30). From the year 1940 to around 1965, most of the industrialized countries took the advantage of the continuous growth and rapidly increasing rates of wages and profits in a parallel mode.... However, unlike in the earlier economic recessions, the above mentioned Fordist strategy did not help. Rather, the industrialized countries encountered a period of currency instability, continuous inflation and rapid growing rate of unemployment. Notably, the failure in the economic policy in the industrialized nations was caused by the globalization of production. For instance, the European, Japanese and American countries had been for a period of over thirty years expanding in order to gain economies of scale on a global level. In absence of any control by national governments, the international trading system practiced by the multinationals was coordinated by the global financial markets. As a result of the decline of the fixed exchange rates, the global competition among various currencies determined the internal economic principles of the international industrialized nations. For instance, reflation in one country was controlled by balance of payment crises, which in turn forced a rapid return to the deflationary policies (Frieden, 2007, p.120). After the governments of the industrialized nations lost control over their economies, the complete circle of increasing consumption and production was discontinued. Rather, the workers in the industrialized nations began to incur cuts in social benefits, mass rate of unemployment and stagnant money wages. As a result of the recurrence of the social difficulties of the past, new ways had to be implemented in order to solve the deepening crisis of Fordism. The Fordist crisis was an over accumulation crisis caused by the rapid spread of the various Fordist productions methods to the Japan and Western Europe, leading to a decline of profit rate and saturation of the global markets in the