Saturday, December 28, 2019
The Improvement Of Customer Satisfaction Of Auckland...
ASSESSMENT ONE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Auckland Transportation: ââ¬Å"To Improve customer satisfactionâ⬠. Members of group:-Savisha, Jai, Namrta, Supriya, Purvi, Avishek, Hedy Lecturer: Dr Julianne Wu Appendix Preface 3. Current Fares and Services Overviews 3. Aims/Objectives 3. Rational 3-4. Research Methods 4. Literature review 4-7. Limitations 7-8. Time Frame 8-9. References 9-10. Preface The Research report is based on ââ¬Å"the improvement of customer satisfaction of Auckland transportationâ⬠. Our key focus will be Analysing the Route time table, Availability and services onShow MoreRelatedChallenges Of The Aviation Industry Essay1790 Words à |à 8 Pages1. Auckland Airport has set up a 30-year plan which features the future changes that should be undertaken to embrace the new demands of the aviation industry. Considering mainly the new size of existing modern aircrafts and what might be done by the manufacturers to extend it more and more, the plan visions a growing number of passengersââ¬â¢ flow for the next years. For instance, Auckland Airport has worked with the city Council to develop a better way to transport passengers from the airport to theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Kebab Serai Essay10514 Words à |à 43 Pagesto New Zealand. Risking everything Raouf Co-founder of Kebab Serai took his family and secret recipes and moved to Auckland, New Zealand. Raouf s vision was to build a Kebab store that consistently served fresh, fast and tasty food, made from high quality ingredients. After a lot of hard work and many sleepless nights the dream became reality in 2002. The first store opened in Auckland in the heart of Birkenhead, North Shore City and the name Kebabs Serai was born. From then on the success ofRead MoreMarketing Plan For A Brand Extension That Is Weight Watchers For Men Essay3605 Words à |à 15 Pageshealthy dietary products for men by 2016 as it will reinforce customers belief that they are getting the best of products from the best of choice and it will also improve the companyââ¬â¢s image. Launch at least 10 new products into the market by the year 2016 and 2017 as we need to provide a wide variety in our products to maintain the notion that Weight Watchers offers you a freedom of choice. Increase the proportion of sales from repeat customers by 30% by 2017 as it will mean an increase in profits andRead MoreLeadership Analysis: Emirates Airlines4510 Words à |à 19 Pagesthem to follow (2005). The leaders should know how to recognize success and how to praise those who deserve praises. Several studies found positive linkage between leadership styles and job satisfaction, except for the initiating structure leadership style, which similarly shows negative effect on job satisfaction ( 2004.). Deserving employees can be effectively praised and recognised through awards and bonuses. Developing a program were a particular employee with good performance would be branded asRead MoreThe Level Of Service Standard ( Los ) Of An Airport2956 Words à |à 12 Pagesbeing the provider of infrastructure to a customer focused service provider to meet the expectations of current and future passengers (Castiglioni, 2013). As analysed, questionnaires and surveys are a useful and relatively easy tool that can be used to measure LOS standard of an airport. A questionnaire based on important LOS factors which is evaluated through the Analysis of Mean, provides guidance to the airport operator as to what areas need improvement. Similarly, measuring KPIs also providesRead MoreE Marketing Plan For Wellington Essay5983 Words à |à 24 Pages600 drivers. They employ a team of 70 staff. This digital marketing plan has been written in response to Wellington Combined Taxis focus on growing their market share and their interest to enter into new markets through the acquisition of new customers. All the findings within this 12 month digital marketing plan has considered the companyââ¬â¢s broader corporate, marketing aims and objectives. The report has identified a lack of digital orientation and activity with WCT online presence which couldRead MoreToyota New Zealand s Sustainability Marketing Report Essay3395 Words à |à 14 Pages(Palmerston North), New vehicles, Used vehicles (Thames Plant) and Customer services. Toyota Media Service and Toyota Motor Sales and Marketing Corporation (TMSM) are the main drivers of Toyotaââ¬â¢s digital media. The main applications of these drivers are to create product related content and ââ¬Å"TOYOTA Brandâ⬠related content in form of simulations and videos. Digital media can pose a danger in case of negative comments from customers on Toyotaââ¬â¢s sites or by Toyotaââ¬â¢s unmaintained ads. About Toyota ToyotaRead MoreThe Florist s Dilemm Adopt E Commerce Or Not?3861 Words à |à 16 Pagesadditional increase in productivity. Here we are going to talk about the SWOT Analysis. STRENGTH: â⬠¢ Existing Business having existing customers helped City Flowers to retain their hold in the market. â⬠¢ Located in the central business district resulted in ease of shopping to attract new customers on everyday basis. â⬠¢ City Flowers also provided good quality flowers to its customers in order to keep them satisfied and happy. WEAKNESS: â⬠¢ As we all know that flowers fall under perishable good category thus dueRead MoreVideo Notes29279 Words à |à 118 Pageslike food ingredients, banquet linens and tables, and computer services. The output of Starwoodââ¬â¢s meeting planning process is a successfully planned meeting, as evidenced by the scores and comments returned on the meeting planner surveys. Customer Relationship: Starwood attracts business travelers through numerous print advertisements in key outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Television advertising also is used. So, when business travelers become part of the decision-makingRead MoreTiger Beer Market Plan7717 Words à |à 31 Pagesbeer industry in Singapore is reaching maturity, beer companies have to find innovative means to remain competitive to have a profitable share of the market. Recently, there have been increasing trends of younger customers consuming alcoholic beverages. With improvements in economies, education and technology, younger consumers have acquired a stronger purchasing power and frequent purchasing patterns. Beer companies are aware of the recent change in trends and have turned their attention
Friday, December 20, 2019
Four Theoretical Approaches to Metaphysicsââ¬Dualism,...
Resource: Writing Wizard at the Center for Writing Excellence; Chapter Six of Philosophy: The Power of Ideas Four theoretical approaches to metaphysicsââ¬âDualism, Materialism, Idealism, and Alternative Views (i.e., double aspect theory)ââ¬âare competing for the right to claim that they are the correct metaphysical view. Select one of these theories and construct the strongest possible argument on its behalf in an essay of 700-1400 words. In your paper, acknowledge and describe the other positions, but present convincing evidence as to why your position is superior. Offer refutations of the other theories. Include at least one direct quotation from the text. There are four theoretical approaches to the metaphysics and theyâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦We perceive a rose to be beautiful, smell nice, and have red pedals. Those properties according to Hobbes are all based on perception and the rose does not actually have any of these traits. ââ¬Å"The things that really are in the world outside us are those motions by which these seemings are caused.â⬠(cite) Hobbes describes perception as motion from the outside effects the motion of the inside of a person. The motion on the outside affected the motion on the inside and leaves a lasting effect after the motion is complete or dispersed then the motion that remains behind on the inside is left as a memory. The motion that is still on the inside is a perception and in turn is the root cause for thinking, imagination, and memory. As humans we describe this reaction by assigning words to these perceptions and Hobbes labeled that as reasoning. The way that people reason is nothing sort of ââ¬Å"adding and subtracting of the consequences of general names.â⬠(cite) The easiest way that this can be explained would be to refer it to a computer. The hard drive is considered as the movement on the inside and the keyboard and mouse as the outside. The hard drive is made up of a disk and magnet and works by taking the disc and spinning is around at a rapid pace. Next the magnet is moved around to encode the data to the hard drive. This whole process is done through movement and if stationary there is nothing that can be done to retrieve or store information. First to store orShow MoreRelatedBranches of Philosophy8343 Words à |à 34 PagesBranches of philosophy The following branches are the main areas of study: â⬠¢ Metaphysics investigates the nature of being and the world. Traditional branches are cosmology and ontology. â⬠¢ Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, and whether knowledge is possible. Among its central concerns has been the challenge posed by skepticism and the relationships between truth, belief, and justification. â⬠¢ Ethics, or moral philosophy, is concerned with questions of how
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Accommodating Differences in the Classroom free essay sample
Accommodating Differences in the Classroom Kia Wilson Grand Canyon University A classroom is made up of different personalities, attributes, backgrounds, and abilities. Each student in the classroom brings something special within the classroom. No one student is alike. Within a classroom, setting a teacher must sometime accommodate their teaching style based upon the students in the classroom. A teacher is effectively teaching when they can accommodate to their students in the classroom. Through this essay, one will be able to see how to accommodate to students who are visual learners, students who have social or behavioral problems, and students with learning disabilities. A student can fall into three different learning styles. A student who is a visual learner likes to see how things are done. A student who is a visual learner has to have anything shown to them or look at pictures to see how a task is completed. This is the best way a student learns who is a visual learner. One cannot just tell them how to do something they must see it. Some special challenges an educator may have to overcome to accommodate this group would have to be that they must show visual learners how to do something. According to Charles Smith (2009) one must show visual learners exactly what you want them to do as well as not cutting corners when demonstrating the task. Some special learning opportunities for students who are visual learners could be the educator incorporating pictures or painting a mental image so the student can obtain a vivid picture in their mind. Elayne Masters (2008) believes that by making simple accommodations in lesson plans, teachers can create a setting that will provide visual learners with creative opportunities. An educator can accommodate visual learners in the classroom by supplementing some lessons with photos, videos, and movies. An educator who does this according to Elayne Masters gives visual learners an opportunity to bring the lesson to life instead of just seeing words on a page. Another tool an educator could use for visual learners could be graphic organizers. Graphic organizers can range anywhere from flowcharts to timelines. Graphic organizers allow students to see what they are learning. Another type of group an educator might have to accommodate is students who have social or behavioral problems. Some common characteristics of students with social or behavioral problems might include depending on gender how the deal with issues for example males tend to be aggressive or antisocial while females tend to go into depression or social withdrawal, students with low self-esteem tend to have the greatest social or behavioral problems, and a higher drop out rate. Others common characteristics of students with social or behavioral problems include poor social skills, and difficulty establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Some challenges an educator might have to overcome when dealing with students with social or behavioral problems could be identifying a student, who actually has behavioral or social problems, allowing students to feel like they have a sense of control, and recognizing when a student may be suicidal. Some special learning opportunities that can be offered to represent student with social or behavioral problems could be the teacher taking personal interest of the students into account (Clarke at al. , 1995) and also showing the students that as educators we truly do care about them (Diamond, 1991). An educator can accommodate students with social or behavioral problems by giving the student an example to follow of another person who once had social or behavioral problems who is now successful. This can help the student because it allows them to see an example of someone who has overcome the issue. Another way is by the educator showing an interest in the student and making them feel like they really care. The last groups of students we will look at are those with learning disabilities. Some of the common characteristics include difficulty sustaining attention in the face of distractions, poor reading skills, ineffective learning and memory strategies, difficulty with tasks involving abstract reasoning, poor sense of self and low motivation for academic tasks, poor motor skills, poor social skills (Chapman, 1988). Some of the challenges an educator may have to overcome to accommodate students with earning disabilities would be to help them master the skills needed, help them to become motivated, and some of the students may not be on the same reading level as others in the class. Some of the special learning opportunities that could be offered could include minimizing any possible distractions and teach study and learning skills to help the student succeed. Ways an educator can accommodate students with learning disabilities could include providing the students with study aids such as study guides, outlines, and graphics. By providing students with this information it allows them identify important concepts. Another way an educator can accommodate students with learning disorders is use multiple modalities to present information. Using multiple modalities allows the student to have different methods of learning the information such as saying the word aloud, writing the word, and saying the letters of a word aloud. Students are all different in some shape, form, or fashion. In order for educators to be effective in their teaching, they must be able to identify and learn to accommodate differences in groups.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Pressures and Affordances
Question: Consider how the pressures and affordances of modern life are reshaping our habits of mind. How are technology and the media changing how we think, process information, and respond to the world around us? Are our brains being rewired for the better, or are we losing key ways of thinking and being in the world? Answer: The essay is based on the consideration of how pressures as well as affordances of the present modern life are actually reshaping habits of mind of individuals. It provides information about the ways technology has been impacting upon our thought process and that the way we respond towards the global surroundings. The essay analyses several key facts to answer whether technology is meant to rewire us for betterment or that we are losing the essential thought process. Finally, the essay answers if technology advancing faster that what individuals can manage and what are the potential advantages can our brain adapt for us in the future. Irrespective of the fact that internet has made a big difference in the ways how we use our brains, it is certain that it has made a difference as to how we think regarding our brains. The rapid development of the huge information-processing system acts as a key stimulating factor for scientists for taking a fresh observation of the organization of brain. It has turned out that internet as well as human brain has lot of common attributes (Maratsos). These are both highly random networks with dense clustering of links amidst adjacent nodes as well as long-range short cuts for facilitating effective communication amidst distant nodes. The internet or technology has been a whole range of attributes which may change the brain by means of altering the learning speed. It is argued that all that information reaching to the brain from the internet is improper information. It has no depth and so results in qualitative loss. Hence, the only thing that can be said is that people are prone to mi suse internet. As per some, internet is an effective tool and that it needs to be used properly by human beings (McNae and Lefante). It may be seen that some emerging technologies may be used in combination, thereby reinforcing mutually as well as driving potentially greater impacts. For instance, combined future generation genomics along with advancement in nanotechnology imposes potentiality to introduce new sort of targeted cancer drugs. Another instance is that of symbiotic development existing amidst advances within energy storage as well as renewable sources of energy; the capability of storing electricity as developed by solar or wind enables integrating renewable into power grid. In the similar manner, the mobile Internet may never live up to the greater potential in the absence of significant advances within cloud computing towards enabling of applications involving tools to automate knowledge work upon mobile services (Norris Martin). Considering the disruptive capabilities of such technologies, it may be observed that each may drive profound shifts across several dimensions, such as lives of people, bus iness and also global economy. In fact, the future seems quite bright for innovators as well as entrepreneurs. The concepts of mobile internet, cloud technology, 3D printing or even genomics may provide key opportunities as well as tools for allowing organizations for competing upon meaningful scale as well as advancing into innovative markets quickly (Perbal). In a way it may be interpreted that technology has successfully surpassed human beings in a way that these technologies possess real potential for driving tangible enhancements within quality of lives, environment and health. For instance, advanced system of surgery as well as prosthetics can improve as well as extend several lives, whereas renewable energy sources For example, advanced robotic surgical systems and prosthetics could improve and extend many lives, while renewable energy sources could help clean up the environment and lessen the deleterious health effects of air pollution, a major and growing issue, particularly in developing economies. Many of these technologies could change how and what consumers buy, or alter overall consumption of certain resources such as energy and materials. Others could fundamentally change the nature of work for many employees around the world, both in manufacturing and knowledge work ('Together, We Are Advancing Technology'). Almost every technology on our list could change the game for businesses, creating entirely new products and services, as well as shifting pools of value between producers or from producers to consumers. Some, like automation of knowledge work and the mobile Internet, could also change how companies and other organizations structure themselves, bringing new meaning to the anytime/ anywhere work style. With automation of knowledge work tasks, organizations that can augment the powers of skilled workers stand to do well. Various theoretical structures are said to conceptualize learning within different means along with the important changes in context to the roles as assigned to the teacher as well as learner, the relevance characterized to the context, and that of description of the learning outcomes as well as processes. In the same way various differences exist in the assumptions of how technology is said to shape human action as well as cognition (Ullman). The psychology of traditional cognitive is said to restrict the vast study of human thoughts of mental processes occurring in individuals. The approach is suitably encapsulated by the perspective of information processing, whereby the mind is easily encapsulated as a device of information processing with symbol systems as well as mental structures which change as well as transform due to perception, interpretation and incorporation of new information. During the recent times another perspective of study has been developed and this had been gain ing increasing importance and named as situativity perspective. Here, the main emphasis is upon the interactive systems of activity where an individual is only a part (Wilson). As per a recent article, Nicholas Carr has emphasized about the technological rewiring or neural circuitry of constant internet users. He had reflected upon his personal experiences as well. An important effect of innovative technology that is intensified by the amalgamation of the internet as well as digital media is that about textual representation that is said to have lost its dominance. Likely, some complexity puts innovative cognitive demands upon individuals, needing easy switches amidst information segments as presented within varied modalities. Also, as per the Centre for Information Behavior and that Evaluation of Research team, innovative technology can improve the parallel processing skills of users (Wu and Schulz). On the other side, human minds may be habituated to easy and smooth processing of multimodal representation that can find it quite tough to re-accommodate towards the traditional full-text depending on the representation. Thus in away it may be confirmed that technology has been on the advancement faster than that may be efficiently managed by human beings. References Maratsos, Michael. 'Language And Thought: Are We Losing The Competition With The Obvious?'.PsycCRITIQUES49.1 (2004): n. pag. Web. McNae, Annie, and Julianne Lefante. 'Better, Safer Or Just Faster, FasterWhat Do You Know About Transfusion? What Are The Risks? Where Can You Get Information And Help?'.Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal11.4 (2008): 203. Web. Norris Martin, Kelly. 'Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans In The Age Of Connection; Reissued In 2014 As: Digital Cosmopolitans: Why We Think The Internet Connects Us, Why It Doesn't, And How To Rewire It'.Consumption Markets Culture18.4 (2014): 388-391. Web. Perbal, Bernard. 'Alternative Splicing Of CCN Mrnas . It Has Been Upon Us'.J. Cell Commun. Signal.3.2 (2009): 153-157. Web. 'Together, We Are Advancing Technology'.IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management61.2 (2014): 388-388. Web. Ullman, Harlan. 'Is The US Winning Or Losing The Global War On Terror And How Do We Know?'.Australian Journal of International Affairs60.1 (2006): 29-41. Web. Wilson, Timothy G. 'Advancement Of Technology And Its Impact On Urologists: Release Of The Da Vinci Xi, A New Surgical Robot'.European Urology66.5 (2014): 793-794. Web. Wu, P. H., and K. M. Schulz. 'Advancing Addiction Treatment: What Can We Learn From Animal Studies?'.ILAR Journal53.1 (2012): 4-13. Web.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
2nd Generation Reforms free essay sample
Economic Reforms in India since 1991 India was a latecomer to economic reforms, embarking on the process in earnest only in 1991, in the wake of an exceptionally severe balance of payments crisis. The need for a policy shift had become evident much earlier, as many countries in East Asia achieved high growth and poverty reduction through policies which emphasized greater export orientation and encouragement of the private sector.India took some steps in this direction in the 1980s, but it was not until 1991 that the government signaled a systemic shift to a more open economy with greater reliance upon market forces, a larger role for the private sector including foreign investment, and a restructuring of the role of government. In 1980s growth was unsustainable, fuelled by a buildup of external debt which culminated in the crisis of 1991.In sharp contrast, growth in the 1990s was accompanied by remarkable external stability despite the East Asian crisis. We will write a custom essay sample on 2nd Generation Reforms or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Poverty also declined significantly in the post-reform period, and at a faster rate than in the 1980s according to some studies. In the following paper, five major areas are covered by the reform program: fiscal deficit reduction, industrial and trade policy, agricultural policy, infrastructure development and social sector development.Savings, Investment and Fiscal Discipline Fiscal profligacy was seen to have caused the balance of payments crisis in 1991 and a reduction in the fiscal deficit was therefore an urgent priority at the start of the reforms. The combined fiscal deficit of the central and state governments was successfully reduced from 9. 4 percent of GDP in 1990-91 to 7 percent in both 1991-92 and 1992-93 and the balance of payments crisis was over by 1993.The fiscal failures of both the central and the state governments have squeezed the capacity of both the center and the states to undertake essential public investment. High levels of government borrowing have also crowded out private investment. Unless this problem is addressed, the potential benefits from reforms in other areas will be eroded and it may be difficult even to maintain the average growth rate of 6 percent experienced in the first ten years after the reforms, let alone accelerate to 8 percent. Reforms in Industrial and Trade Policy Reforms in industrial and trade policy were a central focus of much of Indiaââ¬â¢s reform effort in the early stages. Industrial policy prior to the reforms was characterized by multiple controls over private investment which limited the areas in which private investors were allowed to operate, and often also determined the scale of operations, the location of new investment, and even the technology to be used.The industrial structure that evolved under this regime was highly inefficient and needed to be supported by a highly protective trade policy, often providing tailor-made protection to each sector of industry. The costs imposed by these policies had been extensively studied (for example, Bhagwati and Desai, 1965; Bhagwati and Srinivasan, 1971; Ahluwalia, 1985) and by 1991 a broad consensus had emerged on the need for greater liberalization and openness. A great deal has been achieved at the end of ten years of gradualist reforms.Industr ial Policy Industrial policy has seen the greatest change, with most central government industrial controls being dismantled. The list of industries reserved solely for the public sector which used to cover 18 industries has been drastically reduced to three: defense aircrafts and warships, atomic energy generation, and railway transport. Industrial licensing by the central government has been almost abolished except for a few hazardous and environmentally sensitive industries.The requirement that investments by large industrial houses needed a separate clearance under the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act to discourage the concentration of economic power was abolished and the act itself is to be replaced by a new competition law which will attempt to regulate anticompetitive behavior in other ways. Industrial liberalization by the central government needs to be accompanied by supporting action by state governments.Private investors require many permissions from state governments to start operations, like connections to electricity and water supply and environmental clearances. They must also interact with the state bureaucracy in the course of day-to-day operations because of laws governing pollution, sanitation, workersââ¬â¢ welfare and safety, and such. A recently completed joint study by the World Bank and the Confederation of Indian Industry (Stern, 2001) found that the investment climate varies widely across states and these ifferences are reflected in a disproportional share of investment, especially foreign investment, being concentrated in what are seen as the more investor-friendly states (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) to the disadvantage of other states (like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal). Investors perceived a 30 percent cost advantage in some states over others, on account of the availability of infrastructure and the quality of governance. These differences across states have led to an increase in the variation in state growth rates, with some of the less favored states actually decelerating compared to the 1980s (Ahluwalia, 2002). Because liberalization has created a more competitive environment, the pay off from pursuing good policies has increased, thereby increasing the importance of state level action. Infrastructure deficiencies will take time and resources to remove but deficiencies in governance could be handled more quickly with sufficient political will. Trade PolicyTrade policy reform has also made progress, though the pace has been slower than in industrial liberalization. Before the reforms, trade policy was characterized by high tariffs and pervasive import restrictions. Imports of manufactured consumer goods were completely banned. For capital goods, raw materials and intermediates, certain lists of goods were freely importable, but for most items where domestic substitutes were being produced, imports w ere only possible with import licenses. The criteria for issue of licenses were nontransparent, delays were endemic and corruption unavoidable.The economic reforms sought to phase out import licensing and also to reduce import duties. Import licensing was abolished relatively early for capital goods and intermediates which became freely importable in 1993, simultaneously with the switch to a flexible exchange rate regime. Import licensing had been traditionally defended on the grounds that it was necessary to manage the balance of payments, but the shift to a flexible exchange rate enabled the government to argue that any balance of payments impact would be effectively dealt with through exchange rate flexibility.Removing quantitative restrictions on imports of capital goods and intermediates was relatively easy, because the number of domestic producers was small and Indian industry welcomed the move as making it more competitive. It was much more difficult in the case of final consumer goods because the number of domesti c producers affected was very large (partly because much of the consumer goods industry had been reserved for small scale production).Quantitative restrictions on imports of manufactured consumer goods and agricultural products were finally removed on April 1, 2001, almost exactly ten years after the reforms began, and that in part because of a ruling by a World Trade Organization dispute panel on a complaint brought by the United States. Progress in reducing tariff protection, the second element in the trade strategy, has been even slower and not always steady. As shown in Table 3, the weighted average import duty rate declined from the very high level of 72. percent in 1991-92 to 24. 6 percent in 1996-97. However, the average tariff rate then increased by more than 10 percentage points in the next four years. In February 2002, the government signaled a return to reducing tariff protection. The peak duty rate was reduced to 30 percent, a number of duty rates at the higher end of the existing structure were lowered, while many low end duties were raised to 5 percent. The net result is that the weighted average duty rate is 29 percent in 2002-03.Although Indiaââ¬â¢s tariff levels are significantly lower than in 1991, they remain among the highest in the developing world because most other developing countries have also reduced tariffs in this period. The weighted average import duty in China and southeast Asia is currently about half the Indian level. The government has announced that average tariffs will be reduced to around 15 percent by 2004, but even if this is implemented, tariffs in India will be much higher than in China which has committed to reduce weighted average duties to about 9 percent by 2005 as a condition for admission to the World Trade Organization.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Things Fall Apart Symbolism
Things Fall Apart Symbolism The novel ââ¬Å"Things Fall Apartâ⬠takes a central role on the changing system of contemporary literature in Africa. The author refutes a widespread stereotype claiming that before colonization, Africa did not have a culture. It represents political and social background in a detailed realistic method. The foundations of African oral tradition which include proverbs, tales and symbols are frequently used in this novel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Symbolism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More ââ¬Å"Things Fall Apartâ⬠is an exhilarating novel that uses vast literature styles such as symbolism to illustrate the principles of African cultural erosion as a result of embracing the western culture. By use of symbols, the author illustrates how the African culture was shattered by European style of life when Christianity was embraced in the African society. In this book, numerous symbols are used as discussed below. Yams This is a crop that is commonly grown by men. Growing of this crop requires intensive labor, and the work ethics of a man can be measured by the portion of field and harvest obtained. In the African set up, the sole objective of growing yams is to acquire wealth and feed the family. They symbolize a manââ¬â¢s ability to provide. In this novel, a man who was in possession of bulk yams was portrayed as not a failure like Unoka-he had a large barn full of yams (Chinua, 1958, p. 4). Nwakibie refuses to give the young men yams citing that they would dump them on earth rather than taking care of them as a man would do for his family to flourish. Yams are very precious and would only be owned by hardworking individuals. The central positioning of the yam highlights the defining traits of the tribe. The symbolic meaning is illustrated by its use as a source of satisfaction. Owing to the intensive efforts needed in cultivating it, bulk harvest represents yea rly achievement gained from the nature. A yamââ¬â¢s image is brought out as an essential necessity of the culture. Folktales According to Okonkwo, most of the folktales in the novel featuring small animals symbolize womenââ¬â¢s behavior, for example the Ekweflââ¬â¢s tale that talks about the birds and the tortoise who were invited for a feast in the sky. This blocked out the tortoise since he had no wings to fly and the birds were aware of his ungratefulness and cunning behavior, thus could not help him out. The tortoise was starving and had to sweet talk the birds in order to nurture his hunger. In their journey, the tortoise claims of a custom that demands them to take new names though the idea was to acquire the most respectable position. Since the women were all inferior, they gave in and the cunning tortoise ended up feasting on the best food leaving leftovers for the birds. The tales depicts indecisive character of women and also provides useful morals in the society. Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fire Okonkwo is compared to fire by other characters and the narrator; he is branded ââ¬Å"Roaming Flame in the townâ⬠(Chinua, 1958, p. 122). According to him, fire is a symbol of strength. While seated in his hut after a quarrel with his son Nwoye, Okonkwo stared on a log fire and felt a strong feeling to rise up, take up a machete and clear the Christians who Nwoye was associating with. Whenever Okonkwo would gaze at fire, a wild feeling of strength would fill his body. Mother of the spirits Mother of the spirits can be viewed as personification by the clan of Umofia and the mother of Egwugwu. At this juncture, the style of life of Umuofia is deeply disregarded and the damage committed is irreparable. The mother of spirits mourns her sonââ¬â¢s death loudly after the unmasking night. A comparison between the clan and Mo ther of spirits is drawn, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦it seemed as if the very soul of the clan wept for the great evil that was coming its own deathâ⬠(Chinua, 1958, p. 145). Its imperative that the Mother of spirits does not revenge her sonââ¬â¢s death but rather mourns and weeps. People of Umuofia would not revenge for crimes committed against them. Okonkwo He symbolizes masculinity; a character deeply opposed to the Christian belief of love. The spirit of African people is represented collectively by his personality. Just like the Igbos, he is a strong person who is very independent. Weinstock and Ramadan (1978) pointed out the following in regard to Okonkwo: Okonkwo is consistently associated with masculinity, and he virtually always mistrusts, opposes and attacks anything feminine or linked with femininity. Christianity embodies and stresses the qualities Okonkwo considers to be womanish- love affection, and mercy; and he characteristically valuates the missionaries as a lot of effem inate men clucking like old hens (p.128). Okonkwo fights courageously against ideologies opposing what he valued. The death of African culture is symbolized by Okonkwoââ¬â¢s death. Achebe decided to illustrate the hands of Africansââ¬â¢ giving in to Christianity to take charge by the act of Okonkwo committing suicide rather than being killed and subsequently wiping out the culture of Africa. It is a conspiracy to have written a whole book about negativity of colonization that the last statement in the book could belong to the Britain District commissioner. He makes a remark on the suicide act by saying it was possible to dedicate Okonkwo a paragraph in his book. This slightly contradicted the theme meant by Achebe since portraying Africans as primitive differed from what Achebe wanted to demonstrate. By using the symbol of Okonkwoââ¬â¢s death through suicide, Achebe points out that Africans should also be blamed for letting in foreign ideologies to develop in their land.Adv ertising We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Symbolism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nwoyeââ¬â¢s personality Nwoyeââ¬â¢s personality was a symbol of Christianity. His father always fought against feminine behavior. His conversion to Christianity was to strengthen the symbol created by Achebe. Okonkwoââ¬â¢s joy and pride was his family while Nwoyeââ¬â¢s conversion to Christianity was the last pain he would endure. Owing to his sonââ¬â¢s rejection of his lifestyle, the only option left was to cease living. Nweoyeââ¬â¢s adoption22 of a new name His decision to take up a new name, Isaac, with the importance it carried confirms his loyalty to Christianity religion. Though the exact name that he picks imply significance beyond the immediate sense of personal salvation, it brings out memories of the Biblical story of Abraham where an animal was substituted for his son, Isaac. Adoption of this name by Nwoyeââ¬â¢s portrays the complete meaning of his conversion which was the key sign of liberation from limitation of the family creation. Weather Weather takes up a crucial role in the lives of Nigerians especially the Igbos. Availability of rain or its unavailability illustrates that the tribe was dependent on weather for survival. Weather limits the extent to which their crops grow and the flow of the rivers which in turn influence their water and food supply. On sunny days, the sun is utilized by the crops and in warming up things. Nevertheless, excess rain or sun is likely to cause damage (Rand, 1966). Locust invasion Invasion by locusts symbolizes grand invasion with devastating destruction. Two important events are considered to establish the locust link. In the text ââ¬Å"â⬠¦At first, a fairly small swarm cameâ⬠¦ implying that â⬠¦they were the harbingers sent to survey the landâ⬠¦ (Chinua, 1958, p. 43). He pointed out the first arrival of whites and othe rs on the way. This link of events was done deliberately. The cognition gulf is linked up by the myth of locust through establishment of the unknown and known. People were not aware of locusts though it was the myth behind them and the danger of economic failure. The author illustrates the locusts that invaded the village using allegorical phrases which foreshadowed the coming of white men in African land. Their intentions were to exploit all the resources of Igbo tribe. Owing to the fact that Igbo consumed locust, it shows that they are not offensive. In the same way, individuals who were simulated to Christianity overlooked negative impacts; the white peopleââ¬â¢s culture would impact to their culture. The language used by Achebe in describing the locust invasion depicts their symbolic reputation. Use of repetitive style draws emphasis on the pervasive presence of locusts and a hint in the manner in which the white settlers would occupy Igboââ¬â¢s land by surprise. It is not ed that the locusts were too heavy, and that is why they broke the branches of a tree. This was a symbol of how the traditions and culture of the Igboââ¬â¢s would fracture on attack by colonialism as well as white settlement (Oyekan, 1993).Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Okonkwo death The death of Okonkwo is a heroic death that is analogous to a warrior who is attached to his people. This symbolizes catastrophic demise that great people face. This is because committing suicide is regarded as abomination contrary to the earth and thus should not be buried by clansmen. But in the right of African style, Okonokwoââ¬â¢s death could not be considered as a heroic death; rather, it can only be seen as a shameful death. The irritating final words Obierika casted to the District Commissioner hold indisputable ambiguity within Igbo point of view, in memory of heroism and shameful act of killing himself (Okonkwo). From the novel, he was portrayed as the greatest man in Umuofia and was forced to commit suicide and buried in a disrespectful manner (David, 1998). Conclusion Things Fall Apart is a thrilling novel that uses symbolic literature style to demonstrate the credo of Africa cultural erosion through embracing of the western culture. Most of the Africans were not ready to give in to the white manââ¬â¢s way of life, and as such, Okonkwo would rather cease living than adopt the white manââ¬â¢s way of life. Colonization plays a bigger role in the society, and the culture takes up a central role. Symbolic events and characters are used to help the reader have a deeper understanding of the society. References Chinua, A. (1958). Things Fall Apart. New York: Heinemann Education Books. David, K. (1998). The African Novel and the Modernist Tradition. New York: Peter Lanng publishers. Oyekan, O. (1993). A History of Twentieth-century African Literatures. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska. Rand, B. (1966). Contributions in afro- American studies. Greenwood: Greenwood press. Weinstock, D., Ramadan, C. (1978). Critical Perspectives on Chinua Achebe. Washington D.C: Three Continents Press.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Why does religious extremism produce terror Essay
Why does religious extremism produce terror - Essay Example This is the reason why terrorism is abhorred across the board and the reasons seem to be aplenty. When terrorism is fueled by religious extremism, there is evidence available to justify why this form of fundamentalism should be kept at a distance, otherwise terrorism can be ignited with absolute wrath and destruction towards the sanity of this earth. The thing that essentially comes out too religious about religious extremism is the fanaticism which is found in almost all major religions and monotheistic faiths. If this element is removed from these religions and beliefs, there is a definite sign of optimism which can be obtained undoubtedly. Terror has no place within any religion of the world and this has been proven through evidence of study, research and practice. This paper discusses how terrorism is producing some of the biggest horrors in the world of today and how religious extremism is playing its negative role all along. An effort has been made to understand the issues plag uing the various religions and how the monotheistic faiths are combating this menace within their boundaries. Even though this seems like a difficult process, this paper has incorporated the ideologies in a manner which is in line with the discussion at hand. Moving on with what has been presented earlier, it would be fair to state that religious extremism is a dangerous precedent for the coming generations, more so because all of these have started in the present times and not more than 20 years ago. It seems to be in an upward trend ââ¬â a fact which is all the more distressing to note. Terrorism has come about because people have stopped believing in a global good, yet not all people are responsible for the same undertaking. There are individuals who are still doing efforts to make sure this world remains a better place than it is at the present. Then again, there are some people who would like to think the very opposite of what has been documented. These individuals believe in fighting for the sake of religion, no matter who gets killed or what form of destruction happens. This is ironic of any society in the world and for this reason, it is rightly adjudged as the worst form of religious extremism. Just because some segment of the society does not quite believe in a philosophy which is making the rounds, stands no chance to bring about the act of religious intolerance which essentially leads to killings, mass slaughtering of human beings and destruction for public property. There needs to be a reason behind this madness and the same should be understood by one and all because it is the need of the time. Perhaps this is the discussion which is cropping up amongst youngsters, adults and elders whenever they meet at a place and talk about the growing insurgency that the common man has in this day and age. There must be an end to religious extremism and one should believe attaching the ââ¬Ëreligionââ¬â¢ premise is more than half of the problem itsel f. Even when religion is not the buzzword here, the element of spirituality is spoken about which is somewhat convincing enough for extremists to get up and take the arms in their own hands. This is unfortunate yet quite true because it brings with it a sense of fear for the people, who are busy within their own lives and who have got nothing to do with a subject or matter they know little about. With the advent of time, the terror groups have been formed which is a stark revelation for present times. This is because these terror bodies have largely addressed the need for getting their point across to the people in a forceful way and they believe that this is the only rightful stance which they can take at a particular time. Unfortunate
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