Analysis of a Dream of China by Ovidia Yu

Task 2: Written Assignment A Dream of China by Ovidia Yu A Dream of China is written by Ovidia Yu, a Singaporean writer during the 1980s. This story talks about a woman who grew up with many stories revolving around China. The stories were told by her father who was from a wealthy family. He and his brother joined the army to fight off the Japanese in Singapore and were disowned by their father for doing so. After the war ended, the narrator’s father decides to stay in China while the brother chose otherwise. For this choice, the father feels extremely guilty throughout the years.Being convinced that China was amazing, the narrator grabs the opportunity to visit China and finds out for herself many things that differ from her father’s stories. According to Oxford Dictionary (2010), criticism is defined as the analysis and judgement of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work. Literary criticism therefore, means judging of literary works for both the good and bad. According to a handout of Twentieth-Century Literary Theories, there are many different kinds of literary criticism which include Formalism, Reader-Response, Sociological, Historicism, Structuralism and Psychoanalytic.Several of the mentioned theories are applicable to this text by Ovidia Yu while the others are not very suitable. One of the literary theories that are applicable to A Dream of China would be Reader-Response Criticism. As the handout describes, reader-response criticism is a critical view that sees the reader’s interaction with the text as central to interpretation. This criticism involves the reader’s elucidation and opinion towards the text because as different readers read it, they will have expectations.From those expectations, there lies a perfect explanation in the back of the reader’s mind. The beauty of it is, nobody has the exact same opinion and that is where variety of interpretations could be established. Collaboratively, these r esponses could be put together to criticise a text completely from the inside out, covering all aspects of the text. My response towards this text will be regarding the theme of the text which is an unnecessary guilt of a father. The narrator’s father’s choice of staying in Singapore after the war is a rational one ecause he has already settled down unlike his brother who was still unmarried then. â€Å"He had a wife and my eldest sister, who was already born,† (p163) perfectly justifies that the father’s choice of staying was a rational one. I believe that any man caught in that situation would make the exact same choice he did as it was the best choice available. Besides that, after the Japanese left Singapore and China, staying in Singapore was a smarter choice as it was much smaller thus, suffered less damage compared to China which is many times bigger and of course, more severely damaged.Furthermore, Singapore remains the trading hub of overseas tra ders which gives the place that much more advantage in its nation’s recovery and growth compared to China. With such advantage in the nation and a weight of responsibility towards the family, I would not see how one father would choose otherwise. This is proven the right choice again by the narrator during her expedition to China when she finally meets her nobly described uncle who turns out to be a ‘drab old man’ (p173), ‘barely tolerated by people’ and ‘children throw names at him’ (p170).All in all, they contribute and directly support the theme ‘unnecessary guilt of a father’. Another suitable literary criticism theory would be historicism. Historicism focuses on a text in relation to the historical and cultural contexts of the period in which it was created and critically evaluated. In the case of this text, it is written in the 1980s. During this time, Singapore has already made great progress with their countryâ€℠¢s development and is far more organised and modernised compared to China then in which some parts still live in extremely poor conditions.The narrator’s father however, settled in Singapore around 1945 as that was the year the Japanese left Singapore. At that point of time, Singapore as mentioned above stands a greater chance of recovering their loss and move on with development of their tiny country whereas China is so vast and was undergoing post-war clashes politically at that time. In 1946, civil war in China erupted yet again. With such circumstances, it is of no doubt that the narrator’s father, who was married and had a family living in a peaceful developing country, chooses to stay.Going back to China at such times would only be asking for trouble. This is also one of the reasons why the father feels guilty. It would be because he let his own brother make the unwise choice without trying to make him stay as stated in (p170) ‘If my father had only given h im a word of warning he would now be in Singapore living in the lap of luxury†¦ ’ In the 80s when the narrator finally visits China, which was then undergoing another reform related to communism of Mao-Zedong, she met her noble uncle who turned out to be dull, arrogant, rude and living in poverty, hated by most of the villagers.Seeing such sight would make anyone compare with their own home, in this case, Singapore, which was far more modernised and civilised where husbands treat their wives as equal in status and power unlike in Sechuan where the narrator’s uncle still ‘swore continuously at his wife’ (p169). Even now, we can still see how staying in Singapore would be the best choice at that time. In this 21st century, Singapore has become one of the most modernised countries competing alongside Japan as well as America.While in mainland China, some parts are much modernised, but many other parts are still, till this day, without electricity and wat er what more to say, education. In conclusion, both theories of literary criticism has their unique own way of approach towards literary works. The choice of theories is still ultimately up to the readers to choose which is most suitable. Without literary criticism, literature would have lost their art form that has been appealing to linguists for centuries, similar to how art would lose its value if nobody cares to analyse and evaluate it. ReferencesOxford (2010) â€Å"criticism†. Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://oxforddictionaries. com/definition/criticism N. A (N. D) Twentieth-Century Literary Theories. Appendix C. Pg 1940-1961. Retrieved 21 March 2012 Gay, Kathlyn. (2008). 21st Century Books. Mao Zedong's China. ISBN 0-8225-7285-0. pg 7. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War Hutchings, Graham. (2001). Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change. Harvard University Press . ISBN 0-674-00658-5. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War March, G. Patrick. (1996). Eastern Destiny: Russia in Asia and the North Pacific. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-95566-4. pg 205. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War Fairbank, John King. (1994). China: A New History. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-11673-9. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War Zarrow, Peter Gue. (2005). China in War and Revolution, 1895–1949. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-36447-7. pg 338. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War

Intercultural communication and power distance Essay

Power is believed to be the capacity of individual to exercise control over other people and resources. Power is a tool that has both positive and negative outcomes depending on how it is applied (Visagie, 2006). The ability to exercise power derives from various sources ranging from economic, political and social dimensions. For instance in many nations varying economic status determine who gets what and when. A sociologist such as Karl Marx in his conflict perspective outlines how power relationships continue to heighten the wrangle between societal classes. There are various types of power ranging from political, cultural and economic. Sources of power Social factors such the norms, values and believes in a society determine control over resources.in most societies men are given priorities to women in matters pertaining leadership. The girl child for example has been undermined in most societies (Castells, 2007). Power is left in the hand of men with women even looking down at themselves. People continue to conform to these values even in the current period. Economics status also dictates power in many societies .according to the conflict approach power in any society is determined by social class. Every society is characterized by three classes of individuals; the rich, the middle class and the poor. The rich are the owners of capital while the middle- class and the poor own little or nothing. The owners of capital employ the poor in their firms for wages and salaries (Bachrach, & Baratz, 2002). The owners of capital fear that the poor might overthrow them from power to get back their resources.it is inherent that the capitalists will continues to exploit the poor. Karl Marx proposes a transition from capitalism to socialism and later Political factors also signify a power source. The leaders exercise control over the natives, a lot of resistance is expected from the leaders as they try to cover their status quo.Political power can be acquired in various ways for instance through coercion, voting among others. Politicians are well known to use their convincing strategies to obtain power and Culture is also a source of power in some societies. Various cultural practices symbolize a source of power. In some societies for instance the women are discriminated against men in leadership positions. Some societies have strong believes that leadership is only meant for men and that women should remain subordinate. In many societies being led by women is a taboo and any woman who stands to firm to seek power may end being excommunicated in the society. The concept of power distance Power distance refers to the way in which power is shared and the degree with which the less powerful admit that power is unevenly distributed. Whilst countries such as Australia are at low power distance, Asian countries such as Saudi Arabia are at the highest power distance. Individuals in high power distance are believed to assume that power and responsibility are life facts .this essay focuses at exploring how the high power distance in Saudi Arabia challenges conflicts between leaders and subordinates. In states having high power distance those who are not powerful take power relations that are more monocratic. The inferior appreciate the authority of others easily based on where they are situated in certain formal standards. Higher power distance countries believe that inequality is good, everyone has his or her own place, people should depend on their leader, and that the powerful should not hide their power and are entitled to many privileges. For instance, even if one was to want to be promoted in their current positions, it will be inappropriate to ask their employer for such promotion. If the employer wanted to give their employee a promotion, they would, and the employee has absolutely not affectionate to the issue. Power distance in Saudi Arabia Studies claim that Saudi Arabia experiences the highest power distance in the world. Various reasons explain this power distance, the main one being religion for instance if one is not a Muslim the law requires that he cannot be permitted to enter the country without an invitation or even leave without a permit. Visitors are expected to adhere to same laws as Saudis. The Islamic conviction widens this power difference and promotes that those in leadership position should remain. Moreover psychological and sociological reasons fuel the higher power distance. Social values and norms are passed from parent to children through the process of socialization. For instance Saudi Arabians advocate that obeying the mighty and supporting the leadership is of much importance (In Hopkins & In Ibrahim, 1997). This calls for following of orders without questioning where any disagreement with the leader’s decision is regarded as rebellion. The Saudis have been all through internalizing this power distance as their cultural practice. Following the high power distance in Saudi Arabia a lot of inequalities have continuously manifested with the most prominent being uneven distribution of wealth. Saudi Arabia also is highly ranked in terms of purchasing power differential. The gap between the purchasing power of the rich and the poor is quite wide (Al-Saud, 2003). This clearly shows that the income is unevenly spread within the society. The power distance also influences laws and regulations owing to the inadequate authority the regime has in Saudi Arabia (In Hopkins & In Ibrahim, 1997). The natives have a strong notion that mighty will dissociate themselves from the group but this is not challenged by the population. The power distance also affects contractual relationships. Reidenbach and Robins (1988) explores how variances on two of hofstede’s national culture dimensions, collectivism and power distance are articulated to the way firms make ethical decisions. Power Distance in other nations While all nations and values are cannot be compared, the range of disparities keep changing from culture to another. The reported low power distance in the United States of America is no surprise. The Americans emphasize on liberty and justice for all the people including both those in leadership and the American natives. This is also shown through the continued emphasis of equal rights in every aspect of the United States leadership and community. Within American organizations, organizational structure is developed for purpose of convenience, leaders are always reachable and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their practices. Managers and employees expect to be discussed in any process that entails critical decisions, and information is interchange within the different levels of leadership and authority. Alongside this, communication is formal, direct and touching all the national levels. Intercultural communication and power distance Although power distance may appear unimportant when moving to a new cultural environment, knowing how it impacts an individual could be of importance (theory of plane crashes).even though power distance may be regarded unnecessary in intercultural communication it is important knowing the best time and best method to converse with one another. The process of transition from one culture demand Saudi Arabia to establish an effective channel that will ensure the power distance is reduced as much as possible. The theory of the plane crash explains in detail why intercultural communication is of importance in dealing with power distance. Conclusion The study clearly demonstrates that different countries have varying degrees of power distance. While countries like U.S.A have the lowest power distance Saudi Arabia reported the highest power distance in the whole world. In summary the research explores the varying diversities of power distance in Saudi Arabia. References Al-Saud, F. S. (2003). Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: Power politics in transition 1968-1971. London [u.a.: Tauris. Bachrach, P., & Baratz, M. S. (2002). Two faces of power. American political science review, 56(04), 947-952.Castells, M. (2007). Communication, power and counter-power in the network society. International journal of communication, 1(1), 29.In Hopkins, N. S., & In Ibrahim, S. E. (1997). Arab society: Class, gender, power, and development. Pillai, R., Scandura, T. A., & Williams, E. A. (1999). Leadership and organizational justice: Similarities and differences across cultures. Journal of International Business Studies, 763-779. Ronen, S., & Shenkar, O. (1985). Clustering countries on attitudinal dimensions: A review and synthesis. Academy of management review, 435-454.Visagie, J. (2006). Power, meaning and culture: John Thompson’s depth hermeneutics and the ideological topography of modernity. South African journal of philosophy, 15(2), 73-83. Source document

Understanding Vietnamese Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Understanding Vietnamese Culture - Essay Example A number of Vietnamese in America come from the southern regions of Vietnam and talk the same dialect as the interpreters, difficulties can arise (Pham 2005, p.10). Different pronunciations can convey different nuances (Karnow 2000, p.20). Also, even though their words can be spelled similarly, their true meaning depends on the spoken accent. The family gets valued highly in the Vietnamese family, and it plays a central part in the culture. This family becomes extended consisting of married sons, daughters in law; young unmarried adult daughters, and the grandchildren (Shapiro 2002, p.13). The family structure is patriarchal. The eldest male is the family decision maker and spokesman. In the traditional families of Vietnamese, the husbands make crucial decisions on matters outside the home, while the wives take care of homes and have the responsibility of making decisions concerning healthcare (Pham 2005, p.10). The elders in the community become highly honored and respected (Karnow 2000, p.20). The kids are at all times required to obey them. Decisions regarding the community get made on the basis of common good, mostly under the direction of one of the elderly males(Pham 2005, p.10). Individualism becomes discouraged totally in the line of the family responsibilities that enhance interdependence, sense of belonging and support. The Vietnamese people have wide religious beliefs that play a significant part in their normal way of life. This also includes the decisions regarding end of life matters and health care. A number of Vietnamese people practice Buddhism (Karnow 2000, p.20). These religions posit that people should live a virtuous life by ignoring personal desire. Other beliefs include; animism, ancestor worship, the philosophical principles of Confucianism and also Taoism that symbolizes the importance of family life, harmony and social virtues (Karnow 2000, p.20). People of Southern Vietnam practice Christianity, mostly Catholicism.  

Paranormal activity 3 reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paranormal activity 3 reaction paper - Essay Example What exactly does the demon want with Katie, and why is his name Toby? According to Katie in Paranormal Activity 3, what does Toby want, and where does he live? A demon refers to an evil and supernatural being such as spirit or a ghost. On the other hand, a ghost is used in reference to the spirit of someone who has died which evidently manifests itself in form of a shadowy apparition or it may cause the movement of objects, cause sounds or elicit a frightening and eerie atmosphere in a place. The demon, Tobby wanted to have sexual relations with Katie so that she would produce a male child heir that he was promised. To this end, Tobby wanted Kristi to attend a binding ritual at Katie’s grandmother house. Tobby is not the real name of the demonic entitiy. Kristi is credited with coming up with the name Tobby for the demon but its real name was never revealed. Evidently, Tobby lived within the confines of a crawlspace located in Katies and Kristi’s room. The film was set up in the San Diego area due to the sufficient open space it has to accommodate the filming of movies under small or big budgets. Furthermore the set up offers a unique country feeling for the setting up of horror movies. Furthermore, the directors needed a set up which would conform to the 1988 atmosphere that would act as prequel to Paranormal activity 1 and 2. The people of San Diego are mostly are mostly conservative as reflected by their Republican ideals. An Ouija board is a board game that is normally used as a supernatural gateway to communicate with the ghosts or spirits of the dead. In using the Ouija board for communication with Tobby, Ali and her boyfriend learnt that humans were capable of making deals with demons. Evidently, the demons would give power and wealth and in return they wanted the soul of the first born son. Furthermore, the demon, in this case Tobby, would haunt the family until it gets what it was promised. Tobby wants the first born male

Iraq Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Iraq - Assignment Example However, the situation has changed for the better thus indicating that the international community is committed to helping nations protect themselves against external attacks. However, the PM did not state the exact time the offensive might be launched. He said the timing depends on â€Å"our own preparation† and â€Å"the situation on the ground†. With the help of US-led coalition air strikes, soldiers as well as allied Shia militiamen have the coordination needed to retake territory north of Baghdad. Analysis: Mr. Abadi’s actions indicate that he wants to run Iraq unemotionally and rationally as he managed hi engineering firm while in exile in the UK. He wants to be non-discriminative as his predecessor who only pushed for the sectarian interests of the Shia population and ignored Sunni population. He is committed to ending sectarianism and governing in the best interests of the entire Iraq. He is likely to win the battle because Islamic state no longer inspires the terror it once did. The close coordination between Iraqi security forces, civilian volunteer fighters, the US army and the Peshmerga is likely to make the operation a success. Mr. Abadi is certain that Iraq will be able to liberate Mosul without any problems or friction in that

Business plan proposed by Andrey, Tolebi, Hieu and Tair ATHT Pub Term Paper

Business plan proposed by Andrey, Tolebi, Hieu and Tair ATHT Pub - Term Paper Example It would be easier for customers who come to the pub to use the added facility within the pub. The potential customers will be loyal customers of the pub and other interested parties who would not be customers of the pub. There is a likelihood that this service will be paid for by the pub users. This is because of its location within a public place. The service will be new but will be set up in a well-known pub, and it will enjoy the benefits of a good name of the pub. Customers who come to the pub will get to know about it and are likely to make use of it. Customers would also feel free to use it because it is within a place that they understand and trust to provide quality products and services. The place would also be located near the university and most of its customers would be the university students. ATHT enterprise has determined that most university students and other people who visit the pub would require a public place. The best location would be just within the known pub. The whole set up would require about would require an amount of money close to $60,000. This would be the initial capital that would be used to set up the furniture within the pub area where events will be taking place. Ongoing financing that would be required would serve to add facilities in place. This would be from the savings made e from the sales of the Public house (Pratt 2011, 181). This is an idea that would be profitable within a short time because the use of the services it would provide and its location. ATHT enterprise limited proposes to set up this public house to provide the customers with new services. INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN WORK Executive summary In the modern time's customer, oriented services are required to benefit the customers in a satisfactory manner. Service providers need to research what the customers would want to satisfy their needs. Such research would ensure the provision of quality services that would be appreciated by their customers. This would achieve customer satisfaction that would contribute to the customers being loyal to the product.

Which are the significant changes we can observe archaeologically Essay

Which are the significant changes we can observe archaeologically between the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age and when would you place them in absolute chronological terms - Essay Example rich Schliemann excavated Mycenae, with Homer as his guide, uncovering traces of a powerful warrior society—with sites like Tiryns, Gla, and Orchomenos, surrounded by massive walls. Connecting these two civilizations was a series of tablets, written in so-called Linear B, which was translated by Michael Ventris in 1954. It is now clear that mainland Greeks occupied Cnossos, rebuilding it and residing there long enough to recreate the great palatial society. However, after the collapse of Minoa, Mycenaean power declined rapidly; a short time after 1,200 b.c., a series of events occurred which have been hotly contested in Ancient Greek archaeology. What caused the collapse of this great Bronze Age civilization? Some have suggested that it was a natural disaster, such as a volcanic eruption, or even a tidal wave. Others have suggested that invasions and military conquests brought an end to Mycenae. And yet another proposal is that internal revolts destroyed societies too fragile to resist. Answering this question of what happened to Mycenae is essential to answering the larger question of how we differentiate the Late Bronze Age from the Early Iron Age, or, what shall hereafter be called the â€Å"Dark Ages† of Ancient Greece. An examination of the passage of the Bronze Age will require a detailed examination of the vastly profound changes in Greek culture which occurred between 1,200 and 700 b.c. These changes concern a multitude of different aspects of such a culture, including political, religious, artistic, and philosophical changes brought on by the unknown disaster which occurred and launched Ancient Greece into dark times. It would also be instructive, in examining this transition, to look at the speed of recovery; that is, the time it took for Ancient Greece to return to a state of political and cultural stability. In doing so, we will draw a connection between the Early and later portions of the Iron Age: the birth of panhellenism. Nevertheless, it is the

Designing a system to support the collection of environmental data in Essay

Designing a system to support the collection of environmental data in the country of Wonderland (imaginary) - Essay Example 66). However, many countries do not have certified records that they can rely on; Wonderland is no exception. The country needs to establish a centralized system that can be used by all its divisions. Wonderland already has three departments that collect environmental data actively; the Ministry of Defense (MoD), Ministry of the Environment (MoE), and the Ministry of Land (MoL). These ministries collect similar data independently, and have their own systems of managing them. It would make more sense for the government to consolidate the data into one system so that it can be shared not only between them, but also with other departments; both public and private. The government of Wonderland has the option of upgrading one of the existing systems to accommodate new requirements, or developing a new system. To do this, the government could choose to use its resources to develop the system, outsource the developers, or go for an off-the shelf system. Whichever path the government chooses to follow, care must be taken to ensure that the resultant system meets all, or most, of the requirements laid down. The cheapest development method would involve the use of government resources to develop a new system from scratch. This would cut down the cost of production by eliminating expenses such as those that would be incurred in hiring development experts. It is, however, crucial to note that the government could still have to outsource some experts if it does not have experts who can handle all sections of the project. Outsourcing development firms to deliver the project is another option for Wonderland. While this could be more expensive than using local resources, it guarantees delivery of an efficient, quality system that meets most, if not all requirements. This is because software development firms have all the resources required to develop systems; human, technical, and material. Whereas this could be expensive, it stands the best chance to provide low

Roles in homeland security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Roles in homeland security - Essay Example Homeland Defense refers to the provision of security to the US domestic population, sovereignty, territory, and important infrastructure against threats and aggression that are external (Bullock, et al. 2013). The threat that America faces requires a bigger commitment with the individual citizens as they act as the eyes and ears of the US homeland security physical and organizational structures. The public are informed why and where given locations and actions are targets for terrorists, the things that are being done to make these targets safe and how they can be useful. The citizens are not supposed to fuel any fear to a nation that is already troubled. The major role that the individual citizens play is advancing social capital. This is through developing and maintaining social networks. These social networks are vital for providing help and information appropriate for traumatic stress management. Citizens can also volunteer to help emergency responders, community safety and disaster relief (Charvat, et al. 2012). Citizens are urged to become members of programs like Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) and Citizens Corps. They can also join local and state programs of the same nature. The state and local governments provides fast reactions and consequence minimization to attacks that happen despite all the great effort by the federal system to keep from happening. The local government prepares for the effect management role. They pay a big deal of concentration to prevention efforts. Even though they do t do much in this regard. Consequential management is a very crucial mission. First responders are prepared to deal with biological, chemical, or large explosive attacks (Abbott, et al 2010). These programs have not been always focused and efficient, they have become better as their level of funding is

Indian Automobile Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Indian Automobile Industry Analysis Essay Today the automobile sector in India contributes 5% to the nation’s GDP, making it a prominent player in the economy. It will contribute around 19% of the Tax collection for financial year 2009-10. Following have been the features of Auto industry in the past financial year. The following tables and charts consist of the performance of Auto industry in past few years. Industry Aggregate (Rs in million)| | AMJ 10 (E)| Net Sales| 363904. 38| Change (%)| 39%| EBITDA| 64665. 22| Change (%)| 94%| Depreciation| 7303. 60| Interest| 3348. 58| Other Income| 7118. 93| PBT| 61131. 97|. Tax| 16645. 21| Effective tax rate| 27%| Reported PAT| 44486. 77| Change % (Reported PAT)| 92%| Market Cap (Rs in bn)| 1647. 17| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research| Note: The aggregate consists of the following companies- Bajaj Auto, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, TVS Motors, Force Motors, Hero Honda, Escorts Ltd. , Eicher Motors, Maruti Udyog Limited, Punjab Tractors Limited, Mahindra Mahindra, and Hindustan motors Source: QPAC Indian Automobile industry Apr-Jun 2010 INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AND TRENDS Overview The auto industry in India is the ninth largest in the world. After Japan, South Korea and Thailand, in 2009, India emerged as the fourth largest exporter of automobiles. Several Indian automobile manufacturers have spread their operations globally. Indian auto industry, which is currently growing at the pace of around 18 % per annum, has become a hot destination for global auto players like Volvo, General Motors and Ford. The Indian automobile industry is going through a phase of rapid change and high growth. With new projects coming up on a regular basis, the industry is undergoing technological change. The major players are expanding their plants and focusing on mass customization, mass production. Yearly-Analysis Year on year as the Indian population grows the requirement for the transportation will also grow, so it is clear that the industry demand is directly proportional to the population. Presently in India there are 100 people per vehicle while the figure in china is 82. Indian automotive industry is strong and productive sector for the economy growth. It gives nearly 5% of the employment to the country’s population. Continue improving quality results in exports of automobile and ancillary industry is boosting out the demand in oversees business. The Indian auto-players are expanding their presence in oversees market. In the last 5 years the foreign investment in this sector nearly doubled. Production Trend: The Indian automotive industry face a tough time during FY08 and its production were almost stagnated. From the early FY09, the industry started showing marginal growth in terms of production and reached to 14. 04m units till FY10. Due to the huge insist in the domestic market company’s sale nearly 88% of their total production in the country and rest 12% vehicles they export. Domestic and Exports sales trend: In terms of domestic sales the industry is showing positive approach from the last 3-years. During FY10 the industry domestic sales reached to 12. 29m units. The Indian exports are increasing gradually form the past 5-years and reached to 1. 80m units in FY10. Earlier the industry depended on the foreign auto parts, but due to the increase of the global players in the country and establishing the plants ended painless move to the Indian auto-players. INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE (YEARLY) Indian Automobile Industry Performance (Apr-Mar)| | Production| Domestic Sales| Exports| | 2009| 2010| %| 2009| 2010| %| 2009| 2010| %| Passenger vehicles (PVs)|. Passenger Cars| 1516967| 1926484| 27| 1220475| 1526787| 25| 331535| 441710| 33| UVs| 219498| 272848| 24| 225621| 272733| 21| 3034| 2823| -7| MPVs| 102128| 151908| 49| 106607| 150256| 41| 1160| 1613| 39| Total PV| 1838593| 2351240| 28| 1552703| 1949776| 26| 335729| 446146| 33| Commercial vehicles (CVs)| MHCVs| | | | | | | Passenger Carriers| 40995| 46026| 12| 34892| 43081| 24| 7456| 6069| -19| Goods Carriers| 151288| 204145| 35| 148603| 201977| 36| 9363| 14354| 53| Total MHCVs| 192283| 250171| 30| 183495| 245058| 34| 16819| 20423| 21| LCVs| | | | | | |. Passenger Carriers| 28635| 34751| 21| 26952| 34421| 28| 5426| 2708| -50| Goods Carriers| 195952| 281686| 44| 173747| 251916| 45| 20380| 21876| 7| Total LCVs| 224587| 316437| 41| 200699| 286337| 43| 25806| 24584| -5| Total CVs| 416870| 566608| 36| 384194| 531395| 38| 42625| 45007| 6| 3-wheelers| Goods Carriers| 417434| 530203| 27| 268463| 349662| 30| 146914| 172505| 17| Total 3-Wheelers| 79586| 88890| 12| 81264| 90706| 12| 1152| 777| -33| Grand total| 497020| 619093| 25| 349727| 440368| 26| 148066| 173282| 17| 2-Wheelers|. Scooter| 1161276| 1494409| 29| 1148007| 1462507| 27| 25816| 30125| 17| Motorcycles| 6798118| 8444852| 24| 5831953| 7341139| 26| 971018| 1103104| 14| Mopeds| 436219| 571070| 31| 431214| 564584| 31| 7300| 6905| -5| Electric Two Wheel| 24179| 2558| -89| 26445| 3001| -89| 40| 50| -| Total 2-Wheelers| 8419792| 10512889| 25| 7437619| 9371231| 26| 1004174| 1140184| 14| Grand Total| 11172275| 14049830| 26| 9724243| 12292770| 26| 1530594| 1804619| 18| source: SIAM; Cygnus Research| Demand-supply mismatch: The new capacity addition till 2012, may anticipate a demand and supply mismatch in the short term. Demand is only expected to grow by 10-12% every year. In 2009-10 the domestic auto industry was utilizing 80-85% of its capacity, but this may drop to 65% by 2012. India may be in a similar position in 2012 as the global auto industry is in right now. The global capacity utilization in 2009-10 was around 65%, down from 80% in 2008-09. In the near future it is expected that the mismatch is going to see between Demand and Supply. Capacity addition: Accoding to Fitch Ratings, by 2012, the existing players in the market are expected to add 0. 9m units to the 2. 6m units’ capacity of the passenger vehicle segment and 0.6m units to the 0. 75m units’ capacity of the commercial vehicle segment. Meanwhile, global automakers who currently only assemble in India, are expected to set up production units, in order to be more competitive with local players. Quarterly-Analysis Production Trend During AMJ10, the segmental market size of 2-wheeler stood at 77%, followed by Passenger vehicles at 16% and then followed by 3-wheelers at 4%. In this quarter the total industry production increased by 33. 27 to 4. 09m units from 3. 06m units in the previous year same period. The commercial vehicle segment production has increased by 57. 11% to 0.16m units and recorded top among the segments. Sales and Exports Trend From the past two years the sale of the vehicles are increasing during this quarter due to the domestic demand made by the festive season and the exports are declining. In terms of sales commercial vehicles sales had increased by 55% during AMJ10 and stood in top against AMJ09. Passenger vehicle sales increased by 33% next to Commercial Vehicles and stood at 0. 55m units followed by 2 and 3-wheelers. The total Indian automobile exports during AMJ10 increased by 59. 30% to 0. 58m units against 0. 36m units. The 3-wheeler segment stood in top in- terms of exports by 150. 33% increase followed by C. V and P. V. SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY (QUARTERLY) Automobile Sales Performance in AMJ (in terms of Volume)| I PASSENGER VEHICLES| | AMJ09| AMJ10| % change| A. Passenger Cars| 324,985| 433,641| 33%| B. UVs| 60,969| 76,432| 25%| C. MPVs| 31,965| 44,493| 39%| TOTAL (A+B+C)| 417,919| 554,566| 33%| II. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (CVs)| MHCVs| | | | A. Passenger Carriers| 7,482| 11,574| 55%| B. Goods Carriers| 31,408| 59,642| 90%| TOTAL (A+B)| 38,890| 71,216| 83%| LCVs| | | | A. Passenger Carriers| 9,601| 11,566| 20%| B. Goods Carriers| 48,376| 67,095| 39%| TOTAL (A+B)| 57,977| 78,661| 36%|. TOTAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (CVs)| 96,867| 149,877| 55%| III. THREE WHEELERS| A. passenger carrier| 72,339| 84,298| 17%| B. goods carrier| 18,963| 20,855| 10%| TOTAL (A+B)| 91,302| 105,153| 15%| IV TWO WHEELERS| A. scooters| 317,400| 470,323| 48%| B. motor cycles| 1,689,716| 2,097,415| 24%| C. mopeds| 128,738| 157,588| 22%| TOTAL (A+B+C+D)| 2,135,854| 2,725,326| 28%| Total volume (units)| 2,741,942| 3,534,922| 29%| Source: SIAM; Cygnus Research| SEGMENTAL PERFORMANCE Two-wheelers Note: Demand is expected on the base of country population bases and the base year is taken as 2000 for projections. The Indian 2-wheeler industry has reported a 26% (Y-o-Y) growth in FY10 with sales at 9. 37m units as against 7. 43m units sold in FY09. On the exports front, the 2-wheeler industry with 1. 14m shipments in FY10 posted a growth of 14% (Y-o-Y). Hero Honda Motors Ltd. (HHML), the worlds largest two wheeler manufacturer continued to dominate the total 2-wheeler industry with a market share of 48. 10%. In the motorcycle segment, the domestic sales grew 26% (Y-o-Y) to 7. 34m units while the exports grew 14% (Y-o-Y) to 1. 10m shipments in FY10. Hero Honda dominated the motorcycle space with a market share of 44% followed by Bajaj Auto (21%) and TVS Motors (15%). Market Penetration The two-wheeler industry is growing at a good phase in the country and expected a presence of 92 per every 1000 people at the end of 2010. The segment expects huge demand in the next 5 years. The industry is expected to sell nearly 26. 56m units till 2015. The segment is expected to face a tough time in 2011, due to the heavy compilation by the low cast cars and the alternative electronic vehicles. From 2012 the segment is expected to grow at the CAGR of 19% till 2015. Segment Boosters. New launches, coupled with low base and festive (marriage) season, helped the 2- wheeler industry post an impressive volumes growth for the month of May 2010. While the low base helped Bajaj Auto Ltd. (BAL) posts a growth of 62% (Y-o-Y) in total sales over the same month of the last fiscal. Three Wheelers The 3-wheeler industry posted an impressive growth of 26% (Y-o-Y) to 0. 44m units in FY10 as against 0. 34m units sold in the last fiscal. On the exports front, the 3-wheeler industry reported 17% (Y-o-Y) growth with 0. 17m units shipments in FY10. The passenger carrier segment reported higher growth in the domestic market at 0. 34m units 30% (Y-o-Y), while the goods carrier segment posted a 12% (Y-o-Y) growth for FY10. On the exports front, the passenger carrier segment posted a 17% (Y-o-Y) growth with 0. 17m unit shipments, while the goods segment posted a 33% (Y-o-Y) decline with exports of 777 units in FY10. Market share and players performance: Piaggio Vehicles continued to dominate the 3-wheeler industry with a market share of 41% followed by Bajaj Auto (35%) and Mahindra Mahindra (11%). In this 3-wheeler segment 81% sub-segment is captured by Passenger carriers, which is primarily for the rural people moving long distances. The remaining 19% is covered by cargo or goods carriers; there are the versatile vehicles suitable for both intra and inter-city transport. Segment Boosters In suburban and rural areas 3-wheelers are primarily used as substitutes for buses. They thrive because of very poor public transport and on shorter trip distances. Some of the opportunities of this segment are; the inability of state government to provide the required number of buses, lack of political will to privatize public transport and free up fares. Increasing number of 3-wheelers on these routeswill bring download availability form 10-12% to 6-8%, people for 80% of the trips. PRINCIPLE APPLICATION OF 3-WHEELERS| Segments| Primary uses| Fuel used| Forecasted 3-yearsCAGR| In-city| Home-Office,Home-shopping,Schoolchildren, Home-Railways or Air port. | Petrol/LPG/CNG| 10%| Rural| Stage coach| Diesel| 11%| Cargo| Wholesaler to retailerRetailer to end user distribution| Diesel/CNG| -6%| Growth drivers and Indian in the world automobile industry (2010) Growth Drivers of Indian Auto Market| India in world production| ? Rising industrial and agricultural output? Rising per capita income? Favourable demographic distribution with rising working population and middle class? Urbanisation? Increasing disposable incomes in rural agri-sector? Availability of a variety of vehicle models meeting diverse needs and preferences? Greater affordability of vehicles? Easy finance schemes? Favourable government policies? Robust production| ? Well-developed, globally competitive auto ancillaryindustry? Established automobile testing and RD centers? Among one of the lowest cost producers of steel in the world? Worldssecondlargestmanufactureroftwo wheeler? Fifthlargestmanufacturerofcommercial vehicles? Largest manufacturers of tractors in the world? Fourth largest passenger car market in Asia? India is the second largest two-wheeler market in the world.? 11th largest passenger car market in the world? Expectedtobetheseventhlargestauto industry by 2016| Inter- firm Comparison: Two – Wheelers Operational Performance The sales figure of Hero Honda is estimated to increase by 33. 73% in revenue terms from Rs3824. 40m in AMJ09 to Rs51116. 77m in AMJ10. Hero Honda scooter segment, pleasure sales have been growing at an average of 16000 units per month, it also crossed its land mark of 4. 5m unit sales for FY10. Bajaj Auto is estimated to show a sharp increase in sales figure by 33% from Rs 233384. 70m in AMJ09 to Rs31230. 88m in AMJ10, this has been led by its two game changing brands, Pulsar and Discover, with clocked robust volumes. TVS Motors is estimated to show an increase of 34% in sales from Rs9886. 97m in AMJ09 to Rs13254. 32m in AMJ10. Its scooter and motorcycle segment sales grew by 24% and 15% respectively; exports were increased by 22% to 20067 units during May. The newly launched TVS Jive and the TVS Wego have supported better volume growth for the month of March. Two-Wheeler Rs (m)| | AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| Growth| Bajaj Auto| 23384. 70| 31230. 88| 33. 55| Hero Honda| 38224. 40| 51116. 77| 33. 73| TVS| 9886. 97| 13254. 32| 34. 06| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research| Financial Performance The overall sale of all the companies is expected to rise. In case of TVS Motors OPM will improve mainly due to reduction in other expenses and raw material cost. The operational performance of Hero Honda has also improved and is directly reflected in its OPM and NPM growth which has increased by 837bps and 486bps respectively. Bajaj Autos OPM and NPM have been increased by 94bps and 170 bps points respectively. Overall in terms Hero Honda stood in top position in terms of operational and financial performance. | Bajaj Auto| Hero Honda| TVS| | AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| AMJ 09 (A)| AMJ 10 (E)| Net sales| 23384. 70| 31230. 88| 38224. 40| 51116. 77| 9886. 97| 13254. 32| NPM (%)| 12. 55| 14. 25| 13. 08| 17. 95| 1. 84| 2. 85| OPM (%)| 18. 45| 19. 38| 17. 01| 25. 38| 6. 33| 6. 01| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research| Cost Structure Analysis Cost Structure (as % of Net sales) AMJ09 Vs AMJ10| Company| Hero Honda| Bajaj Auto| TVS Motors| Industry| Year| 09| 10| 09| 10| 09| 10| 09| 10| (Increase)/Decrease in Stock| 0. 33| -2. 33| 2. 04| 1. 34| 3. 15| 4. 49| -0. 74| 0. 68| Consumption of raw materials| 67. 42| 62. 86| 60. 60| 64. 04| 67. 61| 60. 50| 65. 91| 62. 41| Purchase in stock in trade| 0. 00| 0. 00| 3. 51| 3. 67| 1. 62| 1. 88| 4. 44| 5. 55| Staff cost| 3. 62| 2. 76| 4. 83| 2. 98| 5. 29| 4. 87| 5. 34| 3. 86| Other expenditure| 11. 62| 11. 32| 10. 57| 8. 59| 15. 99| 22. 26| 12. 33| 9. 73| Depreciation| 1. 19| 0. 86| 1. 41| 0. 12| 2. 57| 1. 89| 2. 63| 2. 01| Interest Financial Charges| -0. 14| -0. 10| 0. 26| 0. 00| 1. 73| 0. 91| 1. 25| 0. 92| Tax| 3. 99| 7. 69| 5. 22| 6. 11| 0. 19| 0. 76| 2. 62| 4. 57| Source: BSE India; Cygnus Research|. Raw material cost forms the major chunk of cost for two-wheeler companies followed by other expenditure, staff cost. In terms of raw material, staff cost and other expenses the performance of Bajaj is better compared to its peers. Overall, Bajaj auto is efficient from operational point of view. It has declined its overall cost structure by 159 bps to 86. 84% from 88. 44% as the percentage of sales during AMJ09. Porter Five Forces model Here is the analysis of Auto Industry with help of the porter’s five forced model. This is common for auto industry in India. Supply | Some amount of excess capacity.while India would be capable of producing 5. 4 m cars a year by 2014, domestic demand is likely to edge up to between 3. 5 and 4. 8 m units. | Demand | Largely cyclical in nature and dependent upon economic growth and per capita income. Seasonality is also a vital factor. | Barriers to entry | High capital costs, technology, distribution network, and availability of auto components. | Bargaining power of suppliers | Low, due to stiff competition. | Bargaining power of customers | Very high, due to availability of options. | Competition | High. Expected to increase even further. | Now if we make the five-force model for two wheelers:

Analysis On Strategies Used To Facilitate Workplace Learning Nursing Essay

Analysis On Strategies Used To Facilitate Workplace Learning Nursing Essay The aim of this assignment is to reflect on and analyse, strategies used to facilitate learning with a newly qualified member of staff in the authors working environment. The new member of staff will be referred to as the student during this assignment. This paper will show how one particular teaching session relates to theories of learning. Reflection has been defined by Taylor ( 2000 ) as : The throwing back of thoughts and memories, in cognitive acts such as thinking, contemplation, meditation and any other form of attentive consideration, in order to make sense of them, and so make contextually appropriate changes if required. However, the definitions from Boyd Fales (1983) and Dewey (1996), who considers that it is purposeful activity in thinking about an experience, through which learning takes place. Boyd and Fales focus more on self development. Here reflection does not only add to our knowledge but challenges the concepts and theories we hold. Furthermore as a result we dont see more, we see differently. The reflective process is at least to some degree conscious, but may not be verbalized. The author also, believes and agrees with John (2004), that reflection is often triggered by feelings and greatly influences decision making. This emphasises the importance of reflection in practice. The English National Board (ENB) and the Department of Health (DOH) 2001 defined a mentor as: denoting the role of the nurse, midwife or health visitor who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in practice setting would seem to be the most appropriate one to use. DOH (2001) identified that mentors need to possess a wide range of skills and to undergo a more dynamic Candidate Number 2350818 preparation in order to equip students for their working life in todays modernised, demanding National Health Services (NHS). Although this is the definition that exemplify the entirety of the mentoring role. The author feels this definition gives a somewhat rigid approach to being a mentor and find agreeable to the definition by Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) who states A mentor is someone who provides an enabling relationship that facilitates anothers personal growth towards competent practice and high standard making the learning experience an enjoyable and mentally fulfilling. This definition encompasses the emotional and personal part of the relationship, whether positive or negative, which the author feels is of the greatest possible degree of importance for a beneficial learning experience for both the learner and the mentor. In Intensive Care Unit (ICU), all new members of staff must have completed four weeks of supernumerary period to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to safely look after a critically ill patient. In planning to teach my student, The author need to accomplish three important aims as discussed by Wong et al, (1998); Conway and McMillan, (2000); cited in Jackson and Mannix (2001) p270, provide student with the opportunity to develop their clinical skills; Integrate theory and practice; and, assist their socialization into nursing. Prior to undertaking teaching of the student, the author ensured that the student had set realistic goals and clear learning objectives and also, encouraged to question things that were not clear or difficult to understand. After much consideration based on the students learning needs, it was reciprocally agreed that the skill of zeroing of CVP and Arterial line would be one of the essential skills taught in ICU. (Appendix II) The learner expressed the need to learn this particular skills, and Rogers (1996) views that learning is accomplished when a person feel a need, makes effort to meet that need, and feels satisfaction with the result of his effort. The student appeared keen to learn, and Hinchcliff (2001), views motivation as the major factor that encourages students to learn, and Oliver and Endersby (1994), see motivation as one of the most basic conditions for learning. Motivation is heavily influenced by need, and Gross (2005) believes Candidate Number 2350818 that how the motives underpinning behaviour are interpreted, depend upon the position of the work of a theorist or psychologist. Maslow (1970), while theorising human need, recognised that only when the needs lower down in the hierarchy are satisfied, the higher need will be met. The Intensive Care Unit is often very busy and stressful, and within the role of educator the author was very aware that the learner needed time away from the unit to wind down, as she could be very easily become over tired. On reflection, this connects with the evaluation process of Gibbs reflective cycle, in ascertaining what was good about the experience. The ICU has its own staff lounge away from the unit where tea and coffee is provided. Frequent breaks, comfortable chairs, a television, and availability of refreshments are what Rogers, cited in Downie (2003) views as necessary for providing human comfort and resulting in meeting physiological needs. Maslows theory made a significant contribution of humanist thinking and the self actualization. The learning outcomes developed from our discussion wer e for the student to; Increase knowledge of zeroing CVP/Arterial Lines; Prepare resources and equipment correctly with minimal prompting or assistance; carrying out the procedure using aseptic technique, efficiently and record the nursing procedure in the care plan or patient record. (Appendix III) In order to do this, the author needed to look at the nature of the learning process. It is therefore crucial when setting out to undertake a mentoring role that there is an understanding of the way the adults learn. Learning can be defined formally as the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skills Conner, (1997). Facilitation of learning is defined by the Royal College of Nursing, RCN as a well-planned learning opportunity with the provision to coach and support students RCN, (2002). This is supported by the Department of Health DOH, which adds that facilitation of learning allows students to develop opportunities to identify experiences that meet their learning needs DOH, (2001). Facilitation of adult learning is described by Banning (cited on Warren 2010) as the ideas and theories that are accredited to prior experiences which need to be complemented by interaction and adult-orientated strategies. A successful mentor is able to transform previous experiences via Candidate Number 2350818 experimental learning, enabling the student to make sense and learn from the experiences gained. However, facilitating student learning is not always easy in practice. Garrison et al (2004) remind us that while teaching the nursing leaders of the future, we do so in chaotic setting which is, in effect, an unhelpful learning environment. More recently, Swinny and Brady (cited on Warren 2010) found that, on a ward setting, mentors have difficulty finding time to teach because of the busy and demanding nature of clinical environment. An understanding of some theories is helpful to a mentor as it provides them with an opportunity to examine their own beliefs and assumptions about people, knowledge, motivation, environment, assessment and other factors necessary with learning Nicklin and Kenworthy, (2000). Learning help us move from novice to expert and allow us to gain new knowledge and ability. Benner, (1984). These theories provide framework for studying the processes associated with learning. Learning theories of behaviourism, cognitivism and humanism have attempted to provide explanation about learning that applies to people in general. In order to see the full potential in learning, knowledge of such theories are crucial to the success of the individual learner. Behaviourism argues that nearly all behaviour is learned. It is based on what is referred to as stimulus /response learning and originates with the Russian psychologist, Pavlovs work with the dogs whereby he linked one stimulus meat powder to a seco nd stimulus, the sound of a bell. This produced a salivation response and ultimately the dogs would salivate at the sound of the bell even in the absence of the meat powder. This experimentation produced Pavlovs theory of Classical Conditioning McKenna, (1995). The social learning theory developed by Albert Bandura could be useful within the affective areas of nursing in as much as the mentor behaves in ways he wants the learner to imitate, as a role modelling Knowles, (1990). He stressed the importance of modelling other behaviours, which is known as observational learning cited by Bahn, (2001). Because it encompasses attention, memory and motivation, social learning theory spans both cognitive and behavioural frameworks. Drawing upon humanistic psychology and behaviourism, Malcolm Knowles contributed to the art and science Candidate Number 2350818 of teaching adults, otherwise known as andragogy. This is in direct contrast to pedagogy which literally means a leader of children. Knowles bases his approach on his own observations on the differences between teaching adults and children. He argues that traditional education methods, with their emphasis on the teacher do not prepare the learner with the facility for lifelong learning. Knowles however does acknowledge that andragogy and pedagogy can work together, that could both be relevant for children and adult subject to circumstances and provided that the overall approach is andragogical. Pedagogical methods may be suitable is when new concept are being introduced to students Quinn, (2000). A day was planned in advance when the teaching would take place. The author had met on several occasions with the student therefore an introduction had been made. The author felt that effective communication is essential to facilitate learning, therefore adapted a friendly and approachable manner. (Appendix II) This view is supported by McKimm, J. (2007) who believes the learner is able to express their views and make errors when a sociable atmosphere is set and maintained. McKimm, J. (2007) also discusses the concept of teaching by humiliation and the author is very aware from past experience, of the negative effect of power relations, and so becoming more sensitive to the needs of the student. As a good example, the student had seen the procedure of zeroing the CVP line, carried out previously as a part of the daily routine with the mentor/author but had neither performed it nor understood the relevance of it. The author therefore decided that a written instruction for priming and zeroing of arterial/CVP line would be produced explaining why we zero the transducer and a detailed guide how to do the procedure. (Appendix III) While reflecting, this manifest aspect of learning period, and fits in with the evaluation phase of Gibbs reflective cycle (1988). Conversely, a negative experience was perceived during the evaluation phase of reflection when unfortunately the day set for the teaching session to take place was discontinued as the unit became very busy, involuntarily the author to asked for change of shift for a convenient day for the student. Subsequently the teaching session was Candidate Number 2350818 varied for the following day, which caused a huge amount of stress and anxiety as the student was psychologically prepared for the teaching to take place on that set day, not the next. The concept of stress and anxiety is a key psychological factor that influences teaching Quinn, (2000), and is a displeasing emotion occurring when threat or harm is anticipated, and results in generalised increased change of state. Individuals have a best level of change of state, under- change level of state results in a decreased level of learning performance and over-change of state an increased level of learning performance. Gross (2005) views that a complete absence of stress can be harmful, when humans are so relaxed they do not see a harmful situation developing, and a moderate amount of stress maintains alertness, providing energy requited to maintain interest and explore our environment. Therefore, stress is extremely detrimental when humans become stretched beyond their limit Gross, (2005). To complete the teaching session the student was given the opportunity to feed back and reflect on her learning experience. It seems that she felt the teaching session to be very helpful on her daily routine assessment and build her confidence. This has allowed the author to be productive in achieving personal goals set out in the learning contract (Appendix I ) and expects mentoring in the forthcoming. In conclusion, the author has gained an insight through reflection into the many different learning theories and strategies for learning that exist to aid in his forthcoming student. A surroundings that is beneficial, sociable and accommodating for learning. The improvement of knowledge and skills, sharing teaching and learning, and reflecting upon them both privately and with other mentors can embrace the personal and professional growth that one day all students will achieve. I I

Dispute Resolution Processes Essay -- Legal Process

Introduction This paper will examine when it is appropriate to attempt alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes for disputes and conversely when it is fitting for matters to be decided in a courtroom with black-robed judges and well dressed lawyers. Complementing the correct ‘intervention [courtroom, facilitative ADR or another form of ADR] at the right time, price and place with the right disputants’ is not necessarily an easy task (Wade 2010, p. 13) and the line separating alternative dispute resolution processes and judicial intervention can be blurred especially as judicial officers conduct, refer or mandate parties to participate in ADR (Sourdin, 2009, p. 190). Proof that fine panelled courtrooms may not be the answer to dispute settlement is the move towards the ‘mandatory’ use of alternative methods prior to hearings (Ardagh and Cumes, 2007, p. 206). Do most people with problems want pain relief quickly and inexpensively? Yes most people in pain want relief quickly and inexpensively but they often want other things too. They want to be heard, they want to heal the hurt and they want a ‘satisfactory [and]†¦ enduring’ outcome (Moore, 2004, p. 2). They also want to change from having ‘a destructive interaction to a constructive one’ (Ardagh, 1999, as cited by Spencer and Hardy, 2009, p. 165). There are differing views about the suitability of facilitative ADR approaches for various types of conflict. Some believe that this type of ADR is more appropriate for addressing ‘interest disputes than rights disputes’ (Boulle & Nesic, 2001 as cited by Van Gramberg, 2006, p. 121). Van Gramberg states that ‘personal grievances’ may be adequately resolved by facilitative processes but where a law or legal right has been b... ...negotiation or mediation; this case needs a judge: When is litigation the right solution? Mediation Quarterly, Vol. 18, Iss. 3, pp. 259-280. Retrieved 12 December 2010 http://works.bepress.com/john_wade/8/ Wade, J. (2009). Negotiating with Difficult People. Professor John Wade, Faculty of Law, Bond University, August. Retrieved 12 December 2010 from http://epublications.bond.edu.au/drcn/35/ Wade, J. (2010). Matching disputes and responses: How to diagnose causes of conflict, and to respond with appropriate interventions and/or referrals. Law papers. Paper 319. Retrieved 12 December 2010 from http://epublications.bond.edu.au/law_pubs/319 Wilkins, F. (2002, January 18). Disputed territory – mediation and other ADR processes. Lawyers Weekly, pp. 14, 15. Zehr, H. (1985). Retributive justice, restorative justice, (15 pages). US Office of Criminal Justice.

Essay --

Architecture without Architects Throughout time, the Roma settlements were perceived as 'the unknown' that might put at risk 'the known'. Therefore they are shoved to the edges of cities, as well as of society we live in. They become the slums we want to get rid of, by reshaping them according to our own expression of living. The examples of designs for Roma settlements were carried out using our techniques and regulations, without recognizing an imminent need for 'different'. The 'different' within a formal Modernist architecture was challenged through the means of various movements that were searching for alternative architectural practices. A relevant example is of the artist-architect Constant Nieuwenhuys, that took an interest in the organization of a Gypsy camp - that later became his first models in a series of maquettes of an utopian city prototype called 'New Babylon' - one shared residence, with moveable elements that allow for an-ever changing layout to respond to the inhabitants' needs; a symbol of temporality and an architecture that would instigate a transformation of daily reality. In this way, the Gypsy camps and the nomadism itself encouraged to explore new extents of architectural practice. Another example is of the architect Georges Candilis who designed a Gypsy settlement at the periphery of the French town of Avignon: "It was a very hard problem. The notion of ownership is entirely different in these people. The houses are inhabited in turn by different families. My design comprised four rings of 20 apartments each, a school and a social/cultural center. In the end, after 20 years without maintenance, these buildings fell to ruins and were torn down." His last statement appeared to reveal the temporality of mo... ...ovide a more pleasing atmosphere for the whole community. The installation at the Venice Biennale, and its later award of the Golden Lion, unveils that the architecture community is ready to contemplate the experience of Torre David, as an opportunity to learn and apply the acquired knowledge into daily practice and understanding. Coming back to the topic of Roma, we are facing the paradox - to focus not on how to reshape Roma habitation according to our way of living, but rather how to learn from them and even apply some of their practices to our formal living. What did seem repulsive or disturbing might turn into positive practical lessons of temporality and change, flexible habitation, recycling and community life. 1 Rory Stott, www.archdaily.com, 07.02.2013 2 Installation by Urban Think Tank, Justin McGuirk and Iwan Baan, Venice Biennale of Architecture 2011/2012

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and Satanic-Promethean Ideals Essay

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Satanic-Promethean Ideals      Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a novel in conscious dialogue with canonical classics and contemporary works. It contains references to Coleridge, Wordsworth, and P. B. Shelley, but also to Cervantes and Milton. It is the latter's Paradise Lost which informs the themes and structure of the novel more than any other source. Like many of her contemporaries, Mary Shelley draws parallels between Milton's Satan and the Titan Prometheus of Greek myth. However, the two are not simply equated (as in Byron's poem, "Prometheus"), but appear in various facets through both Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Furthermore, God, Zeus, and Adam are also evoked through these characters. Though its treatment of these mythical figures identifies it with Romantic Satanism,1[1] Frankenstein reaches a moral conclusion at odds with the ideals of Shelley's contemporaries, and far closer to those of Milton.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel's alternative title is "The Modern Prometheus." It can be asked who in the story is supposed to be Promethean. Since this title is the alternative to "Frankenstein," it seems obvious that the doctor is meant, although it will be shown later that the monster also bears significant similarities to the Titan.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Greek myth, Prometheus (whose name means "forethought"), against the will of Zeus, stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. With fire came the beginning of a crafts and civilisation itself. In this respect, Victor Frankenstein's quest for knowledge is Promethean, as is his belief that his researches will benefit humanity.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other consequence of the theft of fire is that it in... ... knowledge, causing their fall from a happy innocent existence. 4[4]   It must be made clear that this is a Christian myth. In Judaism, Satan is as much a servant of God as any other angel, it being his peculiar role to test humans and record their failures. Without understanding this, the story of Job loses its meaning-God sends Satan to test Job. The Jewish Satan has no relation to the serpent of the Eden story. The equivocation is Christian. Christianity's devil and its stark good vs. evil cosmic war derive from Zoroastrianism, not Judaism, just as its doctrine of the immortal soul derives from Platonism. There is no good vs. evil in Judaism, there is just God, and immortality is the privilege of God and the angels, not humans. 5[5] This phrase is borrowed from Friedrich Nietzsche, vide Genealogy of Morals, Beyond Good and Evil, and The Antichrist.

Japanese Kimono

The  kimono  is a traditional form of clothing worn by Japanese women and men. There are many different forms of Japanese kimono. The word kimono literally as known as â€Å"clothing†, and up until the mid 19th century it was the form of dress worn by everyone in Japan. Between 30 and 100 days after a child is born, the parents, siblings, and grandparents visit a shrine together to report the child’s birth. The baby is dressed in a white under-kimono. On top of that kimono, the baby wears a brightly coloured yuzen-dyed kimono if it is a girl, and a black kimono decorated with the family crest if it is a boy.Another key event in a kid’s life is the SHICHI-GO-SAN(seven-five-three) Festival, which takes place in November. On this day, they are dressed in kimonos and parents will take their 5 years old boys and 7 or 3 years old girls to the local shrine to thanks the gods for keeping their children healthy and making them grow. Japanese women wear different kind of Kimono throughout the different stages in their life. When a young Japanese woman reach 20 years old, she is recognised as an adult.Many parents buy the  Furisode  for their daughters to celebrate this vital point in a young woman's life. Furisode is a formal kimono for single women, it is brightly colored and made of very fine quality silk. In the very modest Japanese society wearing a Furisode is a very obvious statement that the single woman is available for marriage. The major points of the furisode is the long sleeves and it will go right to the ground. When a Japanese woman marries, many parents buy their daughters another kimono call the houmongi.The houmongi takes over the role the  furisode  played in the life when she was single. The houmongi is the married woman's formal kimono. It will be wear when attending  friend’s Japanese weddings  or  tea ceremonies while Tomesode is normally wear to a  Japanese wedding ceremony  of a close relative. Jap anese will wear different colour of Kimonos that suit to the four seasons of the year. Pale colours such as light green are appropriate for spring, while cool colours such as lavender or dark blue are good for summer.Today, the yukata is a casual light cotton  kimono  widely worn as a casual wear in Bon-Odori and summer festivals and attending for public occassions. The yukata is worn with a wider belt, which can be simply wrapped around the waist and tucked in at the end. For a more formal appearance, the yukata is worn with an  obi  belt, along with a matching  geta  (wooden sandals) and purse to complete the attire. The colour of autumn is imitate the hues of the turning leaves while winter is the season for strong colours like black and red.Although kimonos are no longer everyday wear in Japan, people stil like to wear them at various times throughout the year. And when they do, they use the fabrics, colors, and a designs of their kimonos to express their love of the 4 seasons. The name yukata comes from the word ‘yu’ (bath) and ‘katabira’ (under clothing). In the Heian era (794-1185), court nobles wore linen ‘yukata’ which were draped loosely after taking a bath. The yukata was later also worn by Japanese warriors and by the Edo era (1600-1868), it was widely worn by the public when public bath became a popular recreation in Japan.Furisode are mainly worn for major social functions such aswedding ceremonies  or tea ceremonies until they get married. A Furisode normally costs around A$15,000 for the whole outfit which depends on the quality of the materials, design and workmanship. The second Monday in January  is a  public holiday  called ‘Adult Day' and many young women attend a ceremony wearing their Furisode kimono. The Mofuku is only worn to the funeral of a close relative. This kimono is all black. ‘Hadajuban’ is the first undergarment worn in the  kimono  attire. It is so named as it is worn next to the skin.Note 1: As the  kimono  is cut in a straight pattern / shape, padding is often needed around the waist and/or bust. A padding similar to the one shown in the picture can be worn to fill / level off body curves. Please note that padding is worn underneath the ‘hadajuban’. Note 2: Over the ‘hadajuban’, a second undergarment called the ‘nagajuban’ is worn to add collar definition to the kimono. Please note that the ‘nagajuban’ is not worn with a casual kimono such as theyukata. In my past experience, I thought Kimono will only be worn during â€Å"Bon-Odori†, m

Robot: Human Anatomy and Bionic Humans

Robot Is having a bionic man all that great? No it is not. In the article â€Å"He, Robot the High-tech Future of the Human Body,† By Alexandra Sifferlin, she states that it is an improvement. In reality it is not the greatest thing in the world. They say bionic humans and bionic internal body parts could replace failing one. What if they malfunction or just stop working? What if the surgery does not go through and the patient dies? They are taking extremely big risks with the bionic human.Also what if the robots replace the working society? Does that mean we lose our jobs? Bionic limbs do help us and can be good for those who lost their limbs; but could we really trust an artificial replacement organ. â€Å"Kidney failure, for example, could be a nonissue if researchers†¦create a working artificial replacement organ,† (Sifferlin). Also what if these new bionic robots take over or work force? According to this article they are full functioning and can do the same a s a human can do.They can see, walk, pump blood, move and use all limbs. They are trying to make more advanced ones. â€Å"We are approaching a point where technology can fully replace a functionality of the human body,† (Sifferlin). Another problem with the bionic human is cost. They spent $1 million on â€Å"Rex† in the UK. How much are we willing to spend on Bionic body parts and Bionic humans? The last thing we need to take into consideration is could the bionic human and body parts cause issues with peoples religious views.

Is it Ethical for Regional Airline to Pay First Year Essay

As compared to other airline workers, pilots are the most costly with labor being the largest cost for all airline companies. In fact, contract negotiations between pilot unions and the airline management are usually bitter. Recently, contract negotiations between the world’s largest airlines, UAL Corp’s, and its pilots resulted in the increase of costs throughout the airline or aviation industry. These contract negotiations between UAL Corp’s and its pilots led to the several negotiations between major airlines and various labor groups. In the previous years, first year pilots were paid less than $ 20,000 while major airline captains earned well over $100,000. While a pilot usually begin at a major carrier with at least eight years of preceding experience, they are paid depending on the years at the airline company and the aircraft flown. A typical month for a pilot includes only fifteen days of work and eighty flight hours a month. On the other hand, these pilots often spend the other eighty hours on duty at airports. However, the pilots are usually paid for the eighty flight hours and not the hours spent on duty at airports. Notably, pilots are considered as one of the well paid workers and their salaries are usually based on the measure of productivity and responsibility (Hirschfeld, 2001). Airline captains are often paid depending on the aircraft’s size, number of passengers, cargo tonnage and distance moved. Its however important to note that pilots not only have incredible amount of responsibility but they also have incredible training requirements. Even with the responsibilities and requirements that come with this profession, there is a need for setting limits that explain what constitutes a pilot’s reasonable and fair pay. Throughout the years, pilots’ salary increments have usually been ridiculously wide with most of their labor groups demanding a salary increment of thirty percent every four years. Additionally, there is always a huge annual salary difference between pilots at the bottom of the ladder and senior pilots for majors. Pilot’s Requirements: As I mentioned in the previous page, this profession requires not only an incredible amount of responsibility but also training requirements. As a profession with these requirements, there are other important personal requirements established by the government. Most importantly, to clearly examine whether it’s ethical for regional airline to pay first year pilots $20,000. 00, it’s necessary to look at these requirements. The requirements include: Age Limits: The minimum and maximum age requirements set by the government varies for various airline pilots. While private pilots and commercial pilots should have a minimum age of seventeen and eighteen years respectively, applicants for air transport pilot certificate should have a minimum age of twenty-three years. On the other hand, the common retirement age on listed airlines is sixty years of age. Physical Health Requirements: As compared to other professions, pilots are required to meet strict physical health conditions. These pilots are usually given medical certificates which are classified into different categories depending on the respective country. However, each of these categories not only has specific physical health requirements but their certificates are valid for different time periods. In the United States and Canada, trainees for an airline position should take a physician from FAA and Transport Canada respectively (â€Å"Looking for a Career†, 2009). Furthermore, pilots are required to meet special physical demands and strict health standards by regulatory agencies. These demands basically concern body parts like lungs and heart as well as eyesight and physical dexterity. Airline pilots who may be dependent on drugs including prescription may be disqualified from flying. Education: This is one of the most critical requirements for airline pilot professionals and has in the recent part become increasingly intricate and mechanical. With the changing technology, there is a continuous demand for pilots to meet a higher standard. In fact, for airline pilots, learning is continuous because of the development of new aircraft designs, systems and procedures. As a result of the evolving aviation technology, pilots are not only required to master new systems but they are also required to regularly pass ground school courses and simulated flight checks. Additionally, these pilots are also required to have a thorough understanding of navigation, mathematics, meteorology and aeronautics. This thorough understanding is necessitated by the technicality and complexity of the aircraft’s navigation and communication systems. A pilot begins to acquire these skills at the secondary level of education with the main weight being on basic sciences such as math and physics. In addition to this advanced math, aeronautical engineering and sciences are necessary courses for pilots’ preparation at the tertiary level of education. These pilots should also have a good attitude and judgment because of the responsibility of taking care of many lives and the monetary value of the aircraft. Licensing Requirements: This is the final and critical requirement for both pilots and professionals in the airline industry. In preparation to become an airline pilot, it’s important to note that there are four levels of certificates of pilots. These pilots’ certificates are student, private, commercial and air/airline transport pilot certificates. However, pilot certificate holders may also have various types of certification or ratings with the exception for pilots with student pilot certificates. These ratings include land, helicopter, sea, instrument, single-engine and multi-engine flying certification. Prior to flying a large aircraft needing two-pilot crew, a pilot is required to have a type of rating. Ethics and Pilots Salaries: Having looked at the airline pilot requirements in the previous section of this paper, I will now examine whether it’s ethical for regional airline to pay first year pilots $20,000. As I mentioned earlier the requirements of the airline industry basically helps us to understand the foundation of this profession. This foundation is what determines the answer to the question we are examining. By and large, airline pilots go through a lot of preparations and trainings before qualifying to work in this profession. Their responsibility and productivity is significant in determining the salaries of these professionals. In order to find a better answer to the question we are examining, we need to understand the field of ethics. Ethics or the field of moral philosophy basically involves defending, planning and recommending right or wrong behavior concepts. The field of ethics is divided into three general subject areas namely normative ethics, metaethics and applied ethics by today’s philosophers. While metaethics investigates the origin of ethical principles, normative ethics involves a more practical task which finds out the moral standards that control right or wrong behavior. On the other hand, applied ethics studies specific controversial issues (Feiser, 2009). Applied ethics usually attempts to resolve these controversial issues by using the concepts of both metaethics and normative ethics. Therefore, controversial issues usually depend on general normative principles, metaethics and discussion of applied ethics. Whether or not it is okay for regional airlines to pay first time pilots $20,000 is a question that falls under applied ethics. This issue has generated debate with supporters of the amount arguing that these pilots should be paid so because of the responsibility they carry on their shoulders. However, opponents argue that pilots are grossly overpaid and greedy. However, considering the huge salary difference between first year pilots and major captains, this figure raises a lot of questions. Even after probably accumulating in excess of $80,000 in student loans, those who believe that regional airlines should pay first year pilots $20,000 cite the following reasons for their support: Inexperience: Inexperience of the first year pilots may be considered as the one of ethical reasons why the regional airlines pay their first year pilots $20,000. For one to be promoted to a captain and earn ore money, their experience in the airline industry is quite critical. In fact, for most of these first year pilots, flying half way through the country, sleeping in airport trailers and lounges as well as sleeping in plane floors has become a normal routine as regional airline seeks to employ experienced pilots. Consequently, these pilots are usually paid $20,000 because of their inexperience. Tough Conditions: As I had earlier discussed, there are strict educational requirement for a person to become a professional in the airline industry. In addition to these strict academic requirements, airline pilots are also required to have a vast amount of experience in order to become professionals in the airline industry. In fact, in early 2000s, regional airlines insisted on candidates with a minimum of 1,500 of total flight hours prior to an interview. This demand was rewarded with a high pay when one was hire as a pilot. However the current $20,000 pay is as a result of the lowering of this demand to a total of 500 flight hours before an interview. It may therefore be ethical for regional airlines to pay this amount. Additionally, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many airline companies especially regional airliners have gone through tough economic times. These harsh economic times have not only been due to the recent recession but also because of the fact that many companies are reducing costs of their businesses. Reasons why it’s unethical: After considering reasons why it may be ethical for regional airlines to pay first year pilots $20,000, I strongly believe that it’s unethical for the airline to pay this amount given the fact that these pilots have already accrued in excess of $80,000 in student loans. This is because of the following reasons: Day to Day Challenges: This is one of the reasons why it’s unethical for regional airline to pay first time pilots $20,000 especially after they have accrued in excess of $80,000 in student loans. This reason is in opposition to the ethical theory of consequentialism which considers an action to be morally right if its results are more favorable than unfavorable. This ethical theory usually demands the tallying of both good and bad results of an action. This amount of money is less as compared to the fact that these pilots have to pay the loans which may demand up to $1,000. The unethical prove of this amount of pay is the fact that more than half of the pilots of regional airline commute to work and hold down second jobs in order to make ends meet (McGreal, 2010). I believe that it is totally unethical because these pilots have to regularly pay their loans while struggling to cope with the demands of life. Usually student loan payments exceed $1,000 a month and it may be a tall order for these first year pilots to manage the demands of life as well as pay the student debts (Bailey, 2010). Regional airline should consider paying the first year pilots more than $20,000 in order for them to manage paying their student debts and cope with life. With this amount of pay, the ethical theory of consequentialism is not put into consideration since these pilots begin their jobs deeply in debt. In addition to these huge debts, most of these pilots are often forced to fly half way around the country prior to commencement of work. Seniority and Selfish Ambitions: As compared to major airline captains who earn between $150,000 and $215,000 annually, regional airline pilots are paid much less. However, regional airline senior pilots earn much more than their first year counterparts. The seniority ladder is quite evident here but the salary difference is huge. While I agree that first time pilots in regional carriers cannot be paid the same amount with their senior counterparts, there is a need of setting a fair and reasonable pay for these pilots. In addition to this, these senior pilots make it unethical for regional airlines to pay first year pilots $20,000 because of their continual demand of pay increase through pilots’ unions. These increment demands are usually driven by selfish ambitions of these senior pilots. These senior pilots demand premium pay through the powerful pilots’ unions (Smith, n. d. ). The selfish driven payment increment demands falls under the ethical principle of psychological egoism. This ethical principle of psychological egoism basically concerns the intrinsic selfishness of humans. This ethical principle also upholds that self-oriented interests eventually motivate all human actions. Over and over again, airline companies are usually forced to budge into these payment demands. As a result, first year pilots who usually begin their careers in the toughest conditions are not paid enough to reside in major cities where there employers are. Due to their less pay and the huge student debts that they have to pay, first year pilots of regional airlines end up relatively poor. It’s not ethical for senior captains to continue earning close to $250,000 annually while their other counterparts who have student debts in excess of $80,000 earn $20,000. Responsibility and Demands: By and large this is one of the major reasons why it’s unethical for regional airlines to pay first year pilots this amount considering the responsibility that pilots carry on their shoulders. These pilots not only carry the responsibility of the passengers as well as loads of mail and freight but they also carry the responsibility of controlling the multi-million dollar aircrafts. The responsibility of these pilots has also been increased with the recent technological advances in the aviation industry. These technological changes have not only improved the speed, safety and design of the aircraft but they have also changed the demands on the pilot. These increased demands on the pilot are also necessitated by the strict academic requirements and complexity of air-traffic system. Consequently, these demands have made the piloting job to be very challenging and fatiguing. I believe that it’s unethical for regional airline to pay their first year pilots $20,000 considering these responsibilities and the nature of the piloting job. Regardless of the airline company they work for, first year pilots and professionals in this industry are not overpaid (â€Å"Ten Most Overpaid Jobs†, 2003). For first year pilots, this amount from regional airlines is not their full market value. Conclusion: Having looked at both sides of the debate on whether it’s ethical for regional airline to pay their first year pilots $20,000 even after accruing over $80,000 n student loans, I strongly believe that is totally unethical for them to be paid such an amount. The academic qualifications, responsibilities and demands of these pilots are not different from their senior counter parts. Furthermore, these pilots have huge student loans that they should pay on a monthly basis. With all these facts in consideration, the amount raises serious ethical questions than it answers. References: Hirschfeld, S. (2001, March 1). Pilots Pay Smeared In U. S Air Woes Outcry. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://www. airliners. net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read. main/403979/ â€Å"Looking for a Career† (2009, April). Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA). Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://www. learningforlife. org/exploring/aviation/alpa. pdf Feiser, J. (2009, May 10). Ethics. Retrieved from University of Tennessee at Martin website: http://www. iep. utm. edu/ethics/ Bailey, J. (2010). Pilot’s Dream Run into Reality. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/04/10/business/worldbusiness/10iht-pilots. 4. 11877334. html? pagewanted=1&_r=1 McGreal, C. (2010, January 11). A Pilot’s Life: Exhausting Hours for Meagre Wages. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2010/jan/11/pilot-exhausting-hours-wages â€Å"Ten Most Overpaid Jobs† (2003, November 15). PPRuNE: Professional Pilots Rumour Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://www. pprune. org/rumours-news/108925-ten-most-overpaid-jobs-us-no-9-pilots-2. html Smith, P. (n. d. ). Overpaid Pilots? Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://toolkit. bootsnall. com/transportation-travel-guide/air-travel-guide/ask-the-pilot-collection/general-maintenance/overpaid-pilots. html

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Irrational Nature of Love

â€Å"Love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit,this quote from the Merchant of Venice describes the four lovers' dilemmas in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Nevertheless, in A Midsummer Night's Dream this statement not only applies to the true love between original couples Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, but also the æ  »alse love between Titania and Bottom and Lysander and Helena. As the story progresses in the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, it becomes increasingly obvious that not only is love irrational, it is a catalyst for disorder, and in the end, love may turn out to be only a fanciful illusion.There is a fine line between love and mania. Though many of the characters' actions indicate that they lean toward mania, the play ultimately ends with a happy ending for the characters, as well as a presumably happy marriage. Nevertheless, if what those characters felt was love, then love is an unhealthy obsession. Helena's obsession with Demetrius might be the most obvious example. In Act II scene i lines 203-10 Helena reveals her feelings towards Demetrius with this soliloquy: I am your spaniel; and DemetriusThe more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love, — And yet a place of high respect with me, — Than to be used as you use your dog?(2.1.203-10)Rather than a confession of love, this speech seems more like the pleading from a frequent victim of domestic abuse who is begging her partner to come back to her. Demoting oneself to a dog, welcoming abuse and neglect and enjoying every moment of this treatment is definitely not what is considered to be the norm, even when it's love.After Helena's madness there is Titania, the Fairy Queen, who falls in love with a commoner named Nick Bottom who has the head of an ass. Forgetting her social status, reput ation and pride, Titania becomes completely smitten with Bottom and orders her servants to attend on him. However Bottom, though he does enjoy the various benefits that comes with being the lover of the Fairy Queen, never has any choice in the matter.After Titania first met Bottom she says: ?ut of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no. 3. 1. 152-53) In most cases, when attempting to win the affections of another person, one would usually refrain from abusing one's position of power and force the other person into staying with them for presumably the rest of their lives. However, Titania is so in love with Bottom that she cannot be concerned with sentiments of common sense and her partner's wellbeing, which inadvertently makes her love irrational.Finally there is Demetrius whose obsession with Hermia caused him to abandon his current relationship, which caused his former lover, Helena, to become an emotional wreck, and subsequently sour the rel ationship between Hermia and Lysander. One can notice from the examples from above that of all the crazy self-destructive and/or selfish acts committed in the name of love, non of them have started with the purpose of making either recipient or benefactor of that act happy.Instead it was only done for love and that alone is its purpose and cause. As love is the motivation behind most, if not all, of the characters' actions it is more than likely that love is the direct or indirect cause of all of the chaos and bedlam in the play. First there is Demetrius who broke off a presumably happy and stable relationship with Helena to pursue Hermia, as proven by the quote spoken by Helena: or ere Demetrius look'd upon Hermia's eyne, he hail'd down oaths that he was only mine1. 1.242-43)Not only did Demetrius ruin his own relationship with Helena, he also used his connection with Egeus, Hermia's father, to separate Lysander and Hermia, putting their love in danger of falling apart as well. In an attempt to preserve their love, Lysander and Hermia decide to elope and escape ?he peril of the Athenian law4. 1. 153) Before leaving, they reveal their plans to the lonely and unloved Helena, who desperately craves Demetrius' love and approval and betrays her friends' trust and tells Demetrius of the lovers flight.In order to be with or to pursue their beloveds all four lovers left behind the order of Athens and escaped into the magical forest. After falling prey to Puck's antics the lover's relationships with each other are tore apart. Though it was ?rue lovethat had caused the lover's to go against order it was also the only thing that is keeping the lovers' from descending into chaos and disorder themselves. However, when that ?rue loveis replaced with the ?alse loveproduced by magical flower, whatever fragile bond that is holding the lovers together falls apart immediately.Ironically it is love that has ruined the four lovers' relationships with each other. Though there is a happy ending for the four lovers' in A Midsummer Night's Dream, there is a possibility that the love between the lovers is not real and their marriages would end horribly. Though Demetrius did have a past fling with Helena, what caused him to desire Helena's hand in marriage near the end of the play may not necessarily be the rekindling of that old flame, but rather the effect of the magical flower.It is also important to remember that a few scenes ago Helena had also rejected Demetrius proclamations of love despite of what she said at the beginning of the play. This further proves that Helena's love for Demetrius is merely obsession. Helena pursues Demetrius due to her memories of their past relationship, however as those memories age, Helena subconsciously begins to distort them. In order to justify her relentless and most likely futile attempts to win Demetrius' love, Helena's memories take on a more rose-coloured hue.It is very likely that Demetrius' biggest selling point was t hat he was ?ard to get However, when Demetrius begins to reciprocate he lost his only asset, and Helena is both shocked and repulsed. Managing to convince herself that it was all a joke played to mock her, Helena is able to continue her elaborate fantasy. But, when it turns out that Demetrius was actually in love with Helena and wishes to marry her, Helena, due her previous actions, is forced to accept his proposal, lest she desires to appear fickle and shallow.Lysander and Hermia would be considered to be the most traditional pair of lovers in the entire play. However, that all changed when Lysander betrays Hermia and falls in love with Helena. Forgetting his vows and the reason he even came into the forest in the first place, Lysander, along with Demetrius, becomes blind with passion and lust towards Helena and aggression towards each other. Finally there is Titania and Bottom whose love is only possible with the power of the magical flower, as shown by Titania's line: ?ow came th ese things to pass? O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now! (4. 1.78-79)Without the aid of the fairies it would've been very likely that the four lover's would stay in the forest lost and loveless forever. With every example of love in the play being a form of ?alse love A Midsummer Night's Dream could not be considered as a romantic-comedy but rather social commentary on the irrational and self-destructive nature of love. With their inane deeds done in the name of love the four lovers doomed themselves to an unhappy marriage. Much like Theseus and Hippolyta union for the peace and prosperity of their respective nations, the lovers' marriage ends up being done out necessity rather than love.

Letters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Letters - Essay Example It is my firm belief that we can attain client satisfaction, highest possible BER and successful completion of the project only by employing integrated design. Your collaboration along with the design team will ensure all engineering requirements are fulfilled under the current governing legislation and regulations. The attachments along this letter enlist my recent appointments in the energy management sector. The widely held building projects employed my expertises to achieve energy focused objectives. On the other hand some of them required building energy rating services. Regrettably my interaction with the architect is sometimes limited, major reason is, my involvement in current projects with diverse nature and scale. Second component of the attachment is a citation of previous projects where scope, value and risk were considerably greater. A number of prominent architectural firms were involved in these projects and hence it demanded continuous collaboration with all key stakeholders. One such relevant example is of ‘Energy Retrofit Scheme’ which is one among numerous grant support schemes by the state energy authority which aims to assist organizations in reducing energy requirement and carbon emission. It is observed that through improved and upgraded systems the energy requirements can reduce to 80% of pre-approved energy. A number of qualifying criteria must be satisfied, which include a fundamental requirement that the minimum capital expenditure is 40000 euro for energy upgrade works. I was approached by the national body for agricultural and food industry, namely xxx, back in June 2010. The body employs its 100 office facilities across the country to carry out its operations. The results of the initial consultation made us realize that in order to acquire support grant we have to formulate an energy