Modernization and Nationalism in South Korea free essay sample

Is it possible to preserve traditional Korean culture as South Korea continues to modernize and Westernize? In the 21st century, modernity is often equated with capitalism-industrialization, though the concept is more complex than that. The idea of modernity can be defined on sociological, political and cultural platforms. Modernity is a powerful notion, a departure from tradition; driven by political, social and economic developments. It is the acceptance that progress is inevitable. Because this departure from conventional, cultural practices is essential to the implementation of modernization, many societies have struggled with breaking from tradition in an effort to modernize, to varying degrees of success. The difficulties to preserve culture while modernizing has been particularly prevalent in eastern Asian cultures especially those that have been affected by the deeply conservative thinking of Confucianism after they adopted the concept from the post-feudal West. Emerging countries such as South Korea are especially burdened by trying to strike a happy balance between their traditional culture versus the prospects of modernization. We will write a custom essay sample on Modernization and Nationalism in South Korea or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Couple this with Confucianism plus the Korean peninsulas self-imposed policy of isolationism in previous centuries, which resulted in limited contact with foreign innovation and one would expect South Korea to struggle bitterly to modernize while maintaining its traditional customs. However, tools such as Korean Nationalism, the influence of Confucianism and the impact of the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula enable Korean society to better preserve and protect their culture while entering the modern world as a dynamic nation. South Korean culture can be tough for an outsider to grapple with. Though it has imported Chinese elements, it has also been shaped by the nation’s unique experiences with shamanism. If you just skim the surface, it is a very Westernized place. The youth has wholeheartedly embraced globalization. If you take away the signs in hangul script, parts of Seoul could be mistaken for New York, London, or Berlin. Though South Korea has adopted elements from other cultures, they are determined to preserve their own. Many of the unspoken rules that govern daily interactions have not been changed from centuries past, come from the Chinese ethical/philosophical system Confucianism, which Korea adopted when it was a member of the Sinosphere. Followers of Confucianism, are governed by a system of virtues. Filial piety (? ; xiao) is considered among the greatest of these virtues. It must be shown to the living as well as the dead, hence ancestor worship, which is called jesa ( ) in Korean. Ancestor worship contributed to the conservative thought of Confucianism. Cultures that engage in ancestor worship are going to be conservative. They will not find new things attractive because that will challenge the ancestors. In contrast, Westerners perceive change as natural. Without the weight of a continuous history and the conservation of Confucianism, Westerners seemed more likely to look ahead. Western view of the future expected tangible, long-term progress. Western history is more fluid. Unlike its neighbor China, Korea’s history is not a trap. It is not a set of rigid traditions that prevent the country from modernizing, but Koreans are intent on protecting and passing on their culture. Having a conservative ideology at the core of society such as Confucianism will ultimately help protect Korean culture. Korean ethnic nationalism ( ) a political ideology and a form of ethnic identity that is prevalent in modern Korea is another way Korean society is guaranteeing that Korean culture is preserved. It is based on the belief that Koreans share a unified bloodline as well as a distinct culture. It is centered around the idea of minjok ( ), which can be translated to â€Å"nation†. The majority of the Korean population continues to identify itself as â€Å"one people† (danil minjok; ) joined by a common bloodline, ethnicity, linguistics, a shared history,etc. An ethnically defined Korea continues to gives Koreans a stimulus to national pride, and feeds hopes for the reunification of the Korean peninsula. The movement places emphasis on traditional Korean customs. Advocates wants to ensure that the next generation continues to preserve plus pass on these conventions. Korean ethnic nationalism reached its peak during the biggest threat to Korean culture in the past century. Not modernization, but the Japanese occupation of the peninsula from 1910 to 1945. During the occupation, the Japanese enacted policies trying to stomp out Korean language and culture, replacing it with Japanese language and culture. This includes censoring newspapers, prohibitions on Korean language, distortion of Korean history, relocation of cultural artifacts to Japan, Japanese-centered education, altering public monuments and so on. In general, the awareness of Korean history among Koreans declined substantially during this period; the new generation grew up with little or no awareness of their own heritage. The Japanese altered Korean history to justify their occupation of the peninsula to the international community by painting the Koreans as backwards and in desperate need of modernization. This was possible in part because Korea had sealed itself off from outside contact for centuries. Resentment of the harsh treatment of Koreans eventually led to a revival of Korean nationalism, including in-depth research projects into the standardization of Hangul and Korean culture. Historically, the central objectives of Koreas nationalist movement were the advancement and protection of Koreas ancient culture and national identity from influence. The nationalist movement was very dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Koreas traditional culture. The impact of the Japanese occupation has resulted in the nationalist movement and its attitude towards Korean culture still being very prevalent in modern Korean society. When the Japanese occupation ended, Korean nationalism was still strong, even after the division of the peninsula. Taking the lead from the West, South Korea began the process of modernizing, adopting Western ideology along the way. The results have been astonishing: Korea has been able to modernize and enter the 21st with a booming, dynamic economy. The adoption of a democracy as well as the capitalist system in the late 50s did wonders for the economy which took major economic leaps in the 80s. South Korea used to have a smaller GDP than some of the poorest countries in Asia, mostly due to the Japanese occupation during World War II, but became one of the four â€Å"Asian Tigers† and boosts one of the most booming economies in the world (#13). The nation is occasionally inaccurately thought to be poor and technologically ‘backward’, which, understandably, annoys the locals no end. South Koreans ake great pains to refer to their country as â€Å"Korea,† with no geographic distinction. In their minds, using the term â€Å"South Korea† gives legitimacy to the totalitarian doppelganger across the border. Nowhere else in the world is there a homogeneous group of people so starkly divided by ideology. South Koreans strongly believe in democracy as well as freedom. They are not so weighed down by Conf ucian values borrowed from the Chinese that they can not adopt Western political systems while still respecting their own traditions and conventions. South Koreans talk about freedom, the notion of democracy and capitalism the way many Westerners do. Koreans are proud of their country, as indicated by the strong nationalism movement, though they still take great pains to maintain their culture while modernizing. The preservation of culture can be attributed to the Korean ethnic nationalism movement, Confucian values and the peninsulas history with Japan. The lives of Koreans continue to be swayed by traditions, beliefs and rituals that outsiders might find outdated or confusing. While the country establishes itself as an affluent democracy and boosts its engagement with the outside world, its traditional culture and national identity will be preserved and protected. Works Cited primary: Hessler, Peter. Oracle Bones. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. Print. This book documents Hessler’s first-hand account of East Asia, especially China. He serves as a journalist in Beijing and travels all over the subregion, trying to explain East Asia’s past and future. I cannot say enough good things about this book, however it is biased against Marxism and the CCP. Hessler says that â€Å"[Chinese intellectuals] adopted the worst of Western systems (such as Marxism). † Hessler refrains from giving his opinion about Mao and the communist regime however he his largely sympathetic towards the victims of the Cultural Revolution he interviews/researchers and some of his writing tends to paint Mao (and other communist leaders) in a negative light. He is in China during then-President Bush’s visit to China/South Korea and seems to imply that Bush does not understand Asia, especially China. Whether or not this is an accurate statement can be debated, but these are several however minor) examples of Hessler not being as objective as he could. Kim, Mun-ju. Saeroun Sahoe Rul Yonun Sangsangnyok. Soul-si: Sidae ui Ch? ang, 2006. Print. The title translates loosely to Opening A New Social Imagination†. As far as I know, there is no official English translation, so I had to translate sections. A Seattle Public Library employee had told me would be helpful when I checked out the book (I copied the characters into a word document using a Korean keyboard and then consulted dictionaries/a friend who is fluent). The book is written by a South Korean. In general, their stance is very radical and they are especially critical of the North Korean government, claiming they are â€Å"holding the nation back from creating a more progressive society. † Cummings, Bruce. Korean Society: Civil society, democracy and the state. 2006, Print. This book covers Korean society in relation to democracy, freedom, and other Western beliefs. As the title may indicate, this book is very against the North Korean regime (especially the communist system). It makes a quick jab at the North Korean government, claiming it is â€Å"backwards† and will collapse eventually . Chang, Jung, and Jon Halliday. Mao: The Unknown Story. New York: Knopf, 2005. Print. This biography was compiled after 10 years of research and the consultation of many archives world-wide. I read it to increase my knowledge of the East Asian political climate during the Korean War/Korea-Sino relations (the index for ‘Korea’ in the back of the book was very long so I figured it was worth a read). Not only did it provide little help for my paper, but it is so biased that it cannot be taken seriously. All history is biased, but some history is more biased than others. This book is a perfect example of the latter. The writing doesnt even try to be fair and frequently takes things out of context to paint Mao as some horrible, diabolical monster. One detail that sticks out is when one of the authors states that, because Mao failed to bow to a CCP superior, he is apparently â€Å"thuggish†. The prose is sloppy and comes off like the authors have some grade-school vendetta against Mao. The man wasnt a saint, but when writing a biography one needs to be objective. Dirlik, Arif. â€Å"Modernity as history: post-revolutionary China, globalization and the question of modernity† Social History. January 2002. This article is exactly what it says on the tin: China, globalization, modernity. The article seems to agree with the idea that ‘history traps countries and prevents them from modernizing’ , and he subtly advocates for Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Eckert, Carter. Koreas Transition to Modernity, A Will to Greatness: Historical Perspectives on Contemporary East Asia. This is a short essay in a compilation of essays on East Asia. It talks about both Koreas and their attempts at modernization, praising South Korea and lambasting North Korea for its failures. It paints the country as backwards and implies that modernization could solve all of North Korea’s problems. Gi-Wook Shin, Ethnic Nationalism in Korea: Genealogy, Politics, and Legacy. Stanford University Press, 2006. This book explores nationalism in Korea in the past and present. The author admits that the Japanese occupation is a touchy topic for them, but the Japanese are still portrayed ruthlessly in relation to the rise in the Korean nationalism. Macdonald, Donald Stone. The Koreans: Contemporary Politics and Society. 2nd ed. Boulder: Westview, 1990. Print. This book covers contemporary Korean politics while covering details of the past. It has many pictures and a great bibliography. The author paints the Japanese in a horrible light, calling them barbaric. The book also hardly criticizes the North Korean regime, implying that it is oppressing Korean culture. Rostow, Walter. Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. Cambridge University Press, 1960. Print. This book uses South Korea and its implementation of capitalism as one of its main points. At the title indicates, it is very biased against communism and criticizes North Korea, the Soviet Union, etc. Suh, Kuk-sung, Young-soo Kim, Il-sung Park, Jeong-soo Lee, and Se-jin Lee. The Identity of the Korean People: A History of Legitimacy on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul, Korea: Research Center for Peace and Unification, 1983. Print. This book deals with a myriad of subjects, summarizing what unites the Korean people. Because this book is written by so many people, I thought it would be difficult to find a bias, but the narrative is highly critical of the North Korean regime, claiming that â€Å"democracy and freedom† are integral parts of Korean history. There is a chapter of the legitimacy of South Korea, but not one about the North, ignoring the North’s sovereignty. Yi, Ki-baek. A New History of Korea. Cambridge, MA: Published for the Harvard-Yenching Institute by Harvard UP, 1984. Print. This book is a giant history of Korea. I only read the sections about the Japanese occupation, which, predictably, portrays the Japanese as horrible monsters and occasionally exaggerates the plight of the Koreans, calling any form of violence (even self-defense) by the Japanese â€Å"unnecessary†. The author essentially presents a Koreanized version of all history that occurred on the peninsula.

Free Essays on Thucydes And Socrates

â€Å"Origins of political ideas† Thucydides and Socrates think differently about doing what is just. Thucydides believed that justice didn’t exist; to him injustice was necessary, where as Socrates believed in it and believed that one should â€Å"live a life that is just†. Justice deals with being fair; doing what is right and not wrong. According to Thucydides â€Å"justice depends on the equality of power to compel†¦ in fact the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept.† (Thucydides, pg.402), he believes that power decides how things should be, meaning that justice doesn’t form part of any decision making. Those who have power have control over those who have nothing and thus take advantage of them. The desire for having power is what keeps these people trapped in an unjust world. But only those who are â€Å"weak† can see the injustice because they are the ones who are leaving it. For example, in the discussion between the Melian and Athenians the Melians said: â€Å"And how could it be just as good for us to be the slaves as for you to be the masters? – Athenians: â€Å" You, by giving in, would save yourselves from disaster; we, by not destroying you, would be able to profit from you† (Thucydides, pg 402). The Melians can see the injustice going on; they know that there would be justice if they were both equal in status and not seen as the inferior. To the Athenians it would be a disadvantage to pursue a just life, because then they would not have power over others. If they believed in justice the â€Å"weak† would fight for their rights and that is not what they want. Socrates believed in a just world. He would rather die then to commit injustice. He believed in doing what the right thing to do was, in obeying what God had sent him to do, because only God had the power to do the greatest harm. As he said â€Å" I do not believe that the law of God perm... Free Essays on Thucydes And Socrates Free Essays on Thucydes And Socrates â€Å"Origins of political ideas† Thucydides and Socrates think differently about doing what is just. Thucydides believed that justice didn’t exist; to him injustice was necessary, where as Socrates believed in it and believed that one should â€Å"live a life that is just†. Justice deals with being fair; doing what is right and not wrong. According to Thucydides â€Å"justice depends on the equality of power to compel†¦ in fact the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept.† (Thucydides, pg.402), he believes that power decides how things should be, meaning that justice doesn’t form part of any decision making. Those who have power have control over those who have nothing and thus take advantage of them. The desire for having power is what keeps these people trapped in an unjust world. But only those who are â€Å"weak† can see the injustice because they are the ones who are leaving it. For example, in the discussion between the Melian and Athenians the Melians said: â€Å"And how could it be just as good for us to be the slaves as for you to be the masters? – Athenians: â€Å" You, by giving in, would save yourselves from disaster; we, by not destroying you, would be able to profit from you† (Thucydides, pg 402). The Melians can see the injustice going on; they know that there would be justice if they were both equal in status and not seen as the inferior. To the Athenians it would be a disadvantage to pursue a just life, because then they would not have power over others. If they believed in justice the â€Å"weak† would fight for their rights and that is not what they want. Socrates believed in a just world. He would rather die then to commit injustice. He believed in doing what the right thing to do was, in obeying what God had sent him to do, because only God had the power to do the greatest harm. As he said â€Å" I do not believe that the law of God perm...

War, Terrorism and Civil Liberties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

War, Terrorism and Civil Liberties - Essay Example However, the force the terrorism exerts is not equal to the force of a social defense. The question is that whether in the case of terrorism end justifies the deeds. Obviously the force terror groups exert to kill innocent people is not justifiable as it does not have a political objective. Even if they are of the response to certain social injustice, killing innocent people is an immoral act. What approach we take toward terrorists also depends on ethical concerns. According to the Kantian view, irrespective of the consequences certain acts are immoral always. If then, killing innocent people deliberately as the contemporary terror groups do, is obviously fatal. In this aspect the act becomes unethical and cruel from the view of both ethical principles. In addition, the subsequent issues associated with terrorism also create numerous ethical concerns. For instance, war against terror also kills thousands of people every year. Iraq and Afghan could be some examples. The writers view seems to be right; if we rely on Kantian view of approach toward terrorists, it will raise constraints to our effective ness. While considering the term animal equality, one should be aware of the pivotal role that all living organisms play for maintaining bio diversity on earth. The proponents of animal equality do not envisage providing equal treatment to all animals; instead, they remind us of the moral obligation to protect them from all external threats and harms. The manmade constraints such as pollution, poisoning, destruction of natural habitat cause obvious violation of animal rights. To illustrate, we are to develop a life centered attitude toward animal conservation. According to this view, all living beings are of equal importance. Although human beings possess intellectual and moral supremacy it does not mean that animals are less important than

Open and Closed Source Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Open and Closed Source Systems - Essay Example Under each category there are many items / applications, for example, the application software include: Mozilla Firefox – a web browser, OpenOffice – an office suit, Eclipse – an integrated development environment, 7-zip – a file archiver or compressor etc. The operating systems include: the Linux, Android – a mobile OS, FreeBSD etc. Closed source software also known as proprietary software is computer software which is only available without source code and licensed under limited legal right as per provided by the copyright owner. The buyer of the propriety software is permitted to use the software having restrictions on modifications, redistribution, update / upgrade or reverse engineering and it is typically owned by a single organization. In other words, the proprietary software is the property of the owner / developer / publisher that cannot be copied or modified, with an appropriate price and need to comply the license agreement (National Taiwan University, 1991). There are several examples of Operating Systems including Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Server 2000, and Microsoft XP

History of Measurment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Measurment - Essay Example The Egyptians were not able to monopolize the measuring system. The Babylonians also devised measures stemming from a cubit, though 6 mm longer than that of the Egyptians. This cubit was then divided into 30 kus, roughly equal to a digit. The earliest known decimal system is the Harappan system; from 2500 B.C. to 1700 B.C. Evidence suggests that they had two different series of weights. One system was based on a measurement of the Indus inch (1.32 modern inches). Since their system was based on base-10, ten Indus inches equaled 13.2 inches, the measure of a foot. The other scale was discovered in the form of a bronze rod with markings of 0.367 in. 100 units of that would be 36.7 inches, approximately the length of a stride. Measurements of the Harappan ruins show that they used these measurements extremely accurately. European systems of measurement were based on the Roman system. The Romans, in turn, borrowed their measurements from the Greeks, who had based it on the Babylonians and the Egyptians. Their base unit was the breadth of a finger. Unlike the other cultures, they only had three widely used units of measurement: the finger, the foot and the Greek cubit. The Greeks also standardized weight by stabilizing the size of containers to weigh goods and by creating a standard set of measures. The Romans changed the Greek system slightly, by creating the pace, equal to five feet. Thousand paces was a Roman mile, extraordinarily close to the modern British mile. It was in 1672, that Sir Isaac Newton actually made a vital discovery about the "Newton Rings" which actually used light to measure distances. Neither he nor the world at large understood the great implications of it, and today "interferometry" as it is called helps measure precise distances to within millionths of an inch or a millimeter. The French, on the other hand, used a bewildering array of measures. Standardization was a big problem since no one could come to an agreement. As late as 1788 Arthur Young wrote in "Travels during the years 1787, 1788, 1789" published in 1793, "In France the infinite perplexity of the measures exceeds all comprehension. They differ not only in every province, but also in every district and almost every town". The English though tried to standardize as early as in the 13th century, by England issuing a royal ordinance "Assize of Weights and Measures" to bring some unity. Wren had proposed a new system based on the yard defined as the length of a pendulum beating at the rate of one second in the Tower of London. Britain and Scotland uniting ensured a better prevalence for the system but it was hard when each province wanted its own system followed. In 1824, the English Parliament legalized the yard that was first proposed in 1760. In 1870 the French in Paris convened an International Conference with the aim of improving international scientific cooperation by having the metric system as the worldwide standard. This resulted in seventeen nations signing up and later a few more nations joining in and kind of standardized the metric system. US though were influenced by the colonists who brought with various measurements from their places of origin and for a long time it was an array of measurements. In 1821 John Quincy Adam for the first person to propose to the

The Greatest Happiness Principle

The Greatest Happiness Principle John Stuart Mill a born utilitarian, dedicated all his life explaining the teachings of his father, James Mill and Jeremy Bentham. He studied Greek, Arithmetic, Latin, Logic, Philosophy and Economic theory from a legal official to a writer and philosopher to a parliamentarian; he enjoyed a position of an original thinker. His major work includes, system of logic, Principles of political economy, Essays of liberty, and Consideration of representative government, utilitarism and an autobiography and 3 essays on religion. PHILOSOPHY He defended and found an ethics which would elaborate and define the utilitarian principle of Bentham that the object of morality is the promotion of the greatest happiness of the maximum number of members of society and that happiness is a balance between pleasure over pains. Unlike Bentham he does not believes in quantification of pleasures plus he adds that mental pleasures are superior then physical pleasures. He tries to formulate a bridge between individual psychological hedonism to universal psychological hedonism, by introducing the concept of sanctions. He says that sanctions come for with in and pleasure felt when the moral law is obeyed and pain felt when it is violated. Thus by virtue of these sanctions Mill bridges the psychological hedonism theory with the moral hedonistic theory that is everyone desires his own happiness with that every one ought to do so to act in public interest. TEACHINGS / EXPLANATIONS. Doctrine of utility / greatest happiness principle: Actions are right as they tend to promote happiness, and wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Quantification of pleasures is not important but quality does matter. Mental pleasure are superior to physical facilities. Pleasures of the higher faculties are preferable to lower faculties. Choosing a lower pleasure then the light mental pleasures involves lack of access, time or availability nevertheless it does not drop the worth of higher pleasures then the lower. Greatest happiness principle, ultimate end is to attend the greatest of pleasures and the least of pain, secured to all mankind and not to one alone. Main constituents of a satisfied life and tranquility and excitement. Each individuals happiness is equal to any other person self sacrifice are worthy of being good as they promote general happiness although they may deny individual happiness. Greatest happiness principle rule judges sanction the conduct but is not a motive for conduct. Feeling for humanity provides sanction for the principle of utility which is the internal sanction and a powerful and sound basis for utilitarian mortality. Summary: The Greatest Happiness Principle John Stuart Mill From Great Traditions in Ethics by Albert Denise Peterfreund LIFE IMMANUEL KANT, 17TH century philosopher lived singularly by a strict routine all his life remained in Kongsberg, East Prussia. The Kant family was religious and Kant was thus sent to prepare for the ministry. He developed interest in philosophy and natural sciences. He was appointed professor at the university in 1770. His writings General History and theory of the heavens critique of pure reason, critique of judgment, the fundamental principles of the metaphysics of moral and the critique of practical reason prove him to be a critical philosopher, who tried to explore scientific principles and their foundations. He also took interest in American and French revolutions. PHILOSOPHY Kant gives the principle of causality as one of the categories of understanding. A valid moral principle must be independent of the empirical data of morality if it is binding upon all man. Universal obligations and moral laws should have consistency, i-e: they should be able to apply on all individuals without discrimination. Categorical imperative is the only basis for determining duties. Reason prescribes duty and moral law holds whether or not mean actually follow it. TEACHINGS According to Kant, all good things should have a basic foundation of, good will to make them good. A good will should not be a means to achieve good but the sole motive behind every good. Reason does not destine happiness but only good will. Good will lead human action is morally worthy and duty guided by good will rather then inclination and self interest is morally correct. Difference between praise worthy behavior from moral actions or duty, is inclination derives a person for an actions targeting some self interest, while duty only targets good will. 1st ethical proposition: duty defines a moral act. 2nd proposition: duty is not result oriented. Definition of duty: Duty is done out of reverence from the law. Categorical imperative rational beings would always by guided by ethical principles. Categorical imperative: not destined to particulars consequence. Hypothetical imperative: destined to particular consequences. Categorical imperative: needs the principle of consistency, i.e. implied to everyone. Categorical Imperative: A two told test requiring. There should not be a contradiction of a moral action universally with logical reasoning and consistency for all, judges, the action right. Human beings should not be treated as mere means. Actions, not universalized without contradiction are inconsistent with the idea of humanity. Pure moral philosophy: reason cannot be corrupted with empirical consideration. Summary: Duty and reason By Immanuel Kant From Great Traditions in Ethics Albert Denise Peterfreund

“The Darkling Thrush” Essay -- Poetry Analysis

â€Å"The Darkling Thrush† is a sorrowful poem, which uses a variety of writing techniques to present forth the theme of never giving up hope, while still keeping with the bleak atmosphere of the poem. Poet and novelist Thomas Hardy wrote this poem on December 31, 1899, the last day of the 19th century. The speaker in the poem creates a gloomy and negative tone; yet, in the end it becomes slightly more upbeat, when the belief of hope is spread from the thrush. It is dusk and the speaker is alone outside, leaning against a wooden gate. He is an inward character, which is made evident by the dramatized conviction that â€Å"all mankind†¦had sought their household fires.† The land seemed lifeless with nothing growing and no animals near. Amidst the darkness, a frail thrush began to sing a joyful tune. The feeble bird’s ability to throw its soul to the world uplifted the speaker. It was as though the bird knew something hopeful of the future that the speaker did not. The Darkling Thrush has a variety of rhythm, meter and rhyming elements, which help contribute to the overall value of the poem. It is written in iambic tetrameter, with lines 1, 3, 5, and 7 having four stressed syllables, and lines 2, 4, 6, and 8 having only three stressed syllables. It has an ABABCDCD rhyme scheme, which in turn adds to the melancholy tone of the poem, and creates consistency in the poem’s sense of despair. The lines in this poem are roughly equal in length, and the pattern throughout remains coherently uniform. The poet creates structure in the poem by forming two sentences in each of the first two stanzas, and only one sentence in each of the last two stanzas. This formation combined with the strict use of declarative sentences, and an absence of transition w... ...crypt the cloudy canopy’ creates a strict, harsh sound, adding to the bitter despondency of the poem. The specific use of wording throughout this poem works to create the gloomy atmosphere present within the poem. Thomas Hardy presented a negative tone throughout the poem, while still keeping with the more uplifting theme of hope. With the thorough use of metaphors, similes, terminology, structure, and rhyme scheme, â€Å"The Darkling Thrush† works well to produce its desired intention. Although the theme of hope is clearly presented in the end of the poem, Hardy does not lose the sense of misery within the poem. He finds a way to display both hope and dejection in a cleverly interesting way. â€Å"The Darkling Thrush† is an interesting poem of a frail little bird that is great enough to change the thoughts of a man. Works Cited "The Darkling Thrush" by Thomas Hardy

Career Change

According to Moody and None (2005), career Is a Job that has been chosen to be accomplished during one's working life. Career Is the progress and actions of the person's occupations or sequence of Jobs held by someone throughout a lifetime which Is until that person end up the careers. Most of the situations, people do not lust referring to one position only but often looking for another Jobs which composed of the jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period of time.There is an increasing trend to employees changing jobs more frequently, while employees in some cultures and economies stay with one job during their career. For example, an individual's career could involve being an engineer, though the individual could work for several different firms and in several different areas of engineering over a lifetime. Consequently, this continuous process that involves the progression of an individual through many stages of life and every stage has its own issues, terms and tasks are called as career development (Decision Werner and Harris, 2008).This Is a major aspect of human development where it is the process how the Individual form their work Identity. The career development extents for inure Lifetime when It begins with a person's earliest awareness of the ways In which people make a living and continues as they explores the new professions. It may or probably will include changing the careers and jobs when people ultimately decides what career to pursue, prepares for it, applies for and gets a job and advances in it.Based on DRP. Donald Super which is one of the pioneers in the field of career development, argued that people pass through five career stages during their life span. Fundamentally, these sequential generalizations often provide a useful mainframe to understand the career transitions that people will face in adulthood. Once people mastered of certain tasks for each stage, that will allow them to function successfully for every s tages and make them to prepare well and move on to the next task.Each stage Is loosely affiliated with a chronological period and is characterized by work attitudes, types of relationships, behaviors, and the aspects of work that are valued. Stage 1 Is the growth process which the early years from 4 to 13 years old. This stage is a time when the individual first becomes aware of the future. People ill try to find ways to develop their competencies and increase control over their life. Meanwhile, for the exploration process at stage 2 that is from the early teens to mid- twenties, people begin to form, specify and implement an occupational choice.People will try to play deferent roles in various occupational options and will be explored though school, leisure, part-time work and volunteering. Before people firmly finding a more stable and appropriate fit for their jobs, â€Å"trial Jobs† may be tested by them. The third stage is the establishment process in between the mid- tw enties through mid-forties. In this stage, people typically select a suitable field in their professions area and efforts are made to secure a long-term place In the chosen career.Young adulthood tends to be a time for stabilizing, consolidating, building momentum and moving up. Obtaining certifications, credentials, and advanced degrees may be the norm (Worded). At the fourth stage which is the maintenance constancy which means holding on (stagnating or palliating), or keeping up (updating or enriching), continuity, stress, safety and stability tend to be the standard (Worded). Lastly, the final phase of career development is the disengagement recess which around mid-flies. It is typically marked by ready to retire, maintains the respects but still productive.This stage should be more appropriately named reinvestment as they are completely redesigning the notion of retirement preferring to work in some form while pursuing new or renewed outside interests. In later adulthood, people in this stage may be a need to assist or mentor younger members of society or try to seek self-employment to fulfill their free time. However, based on all of the stages been discussed earlier, people in the mid-forties to mid-flies are at different stage in their career and life than people that is at age 25 or 45.A career change after age 40 can be a tricky situation. In this stage, people will decide whether to continue along the same track because it is comfortable familiar and secure or change into the other career since there is an opportunity to pursue new personal or professional goals. This stage is called as middle career years or mid-career change. According to MUM textbook, mid-career means re-appraise early career and early adulthood, reaffirm or modify goals, make choices appropriate to middle adult years ND remain productive.Mid-career is a time in which one is more likely to consider leaving a current Job in order to take work in an organization that might indicate promise of greater career fulfillment or address a need for increased salary or benefits, intrinsic and extrinsic (Worded). After 40, many people begin to look at life differently which they often begin to feel that life really is too short to be stuck in a dead-end or unsatisfying Job.In this middle age situation, it is a time in which adults take on new responsibilities at the workplace and therefore, people of this age often eel a need to reappraise previous life structures with an eye to making revisions ‘while there is still time' (Yuck, 1997). Sometimes people feel risk adverse with various career options which may lead to frustration or even depression. It may also be boring, dull, and unsatisfying. People at this stage already have their own skills and the abilities in contributing a fairly good idea.There will be variety of reasons why people try to change their career. The four reasons why people change their career are due to the career plateau, obsolescence, career change and feeling undervalued. I. Career plateau By definition, a career plateau is a point in the career of an employee where the possibility of vertical promotion within the official hierarchy becomes very low or absent altogether (Worded). People will often reach career plateaus when they continue to work for the same organization for a long time and those who belong to the core of an organization.The feeling of boredom, frustration, tension, loss of On the other hand, career plateau also occurs when there is no further development of one's skills and abilities. One's personal development and growth are stagnating or people stop learning or even unable to upgrade the skills. A lack of technical skill or career skill may lead to an individual's lack of promotional opportunity or the desire to move into a higher-level position. Either for professional or personal reasons, many people experience the situation at one point during their career of becoming ‘stuck' with little o r no movement up the career ladder.It possibly occurs due to lack of opportunities within the organization when there is limited or no upward movement within the organization. It means that, there have fewer positions than aspirants at each higher level of the organizational ladder in the pyramidal structure f organizations. Sometimes, some people has the ability to perform effectively in a higher-level position, but a lack of Job openings may prevent their promotion. This is called as structural plateau. Frustration will arise when there is a lack of promotional aspects and lead them to look for other opportunities elsewhere. T. Obsolescence Obsolescence refers to a state of being no longer useful or limited in use, old- fashioned or that which can be easily dispensed with or discarded. Just like obsolete tools and equipment, employees also get obsolete (Goriest Kinsman, 2012). It means hat, people who are employed in organizations is lack up-to-date of necessary knowledge, skills, techniques, technologies and lack of new work processes to maintain effective performance in their current or future work role.The reason that causes of obsolescence are due to individual himself, his ability and ability to learn on the basis of continuous education and some reasons are due to the companies, which in their lack of ability to develop and implement a plan of action to reduce obsolescence phenomenon, and lack of facilitating the educational activities rather than Just approve them. It can be like a continuum if the people feel that they lack of awareness of change, complacency, lack of confidence, and resistance to change.Further, it could be affecting them at the affective level when it comes to behavior patterns. These could be in terms of an individual feeling lack of competence in self, lack of career progression opportunities or limited opportunities and the lack of initiative to update oneself (Chuan, 2009). When this habit eventually grows into an obsession, pe ople will feel no desire to work hard, improve or go out of their way to be felt at work. But sometimes, there are other reasons why people feel obsolete and it comes from the organization itself.It makes people have no interest to do their Job since there is a mismatch between the person and the Job, lack of autonomy or non- involvement in decision-making. Besides, the impediments from the boss as he is non-supportive, and the organizational policies and practices like ineffective performance appraisal system which lack of reward or recognition and inappropriate promotion policy. Iii. Career change In midlife career, there are some reasons to consider people leaving the current Job ND looking for a new opportunity.Some of them are really need to settle their lifestyle, career stability and professional challenges with minimum risks. Even there will be possible for them to have all of these needs, they have to try to relocate in order to gain promote, income and challenge. Normally employees change career due to personal dissatisfaction, or environmental factors such as Job loss, threat of in reward system or increased Job demands (MUM textbook). People will feel dissatisfaction when they feel the workplace culture becomes corrupted and begins to impact your performance and ability to advance.Besides, they feel that the Job are too stressful while the stress can become too much to handle. Some other reasons are due to financial stability, meaningfulness of Job, change in lifestyle and so on. ‘v. Feeling undervalued People working in a Job that fails to play to their strengths, in an environment where they are underused will have no gift to productivity rates. There is nothing more demoralizing in the workplace than feeling undervalued by the bosses. This misalignment in distributive Justice is a major contributor to Job dissatisfaction.When they feel undervalued and unappreciated at the workplace, regardless of what repression or industry that they are w orking in, they will begin to lack energy and commitment in their role. They also may leave to go to another Job where they feel that their work and input is more valued. Poor personnel management practices also be another cause such as people feel that they are Just cogs in a machine, are seen as children, feel ignored, or are not recognized, management needs to take the time to look at the system that is in place (Worded).What people need is the workplace culture has to change and managers will have to redirect their attention to fostering a team spirit. On the other hand, people will clearly not feel valued if their working area is in disrepair and the computers are unreliable and outdated. The best way to find out what may potentially cause employees to feel undervalued is to request feedback from the team members. Lastly, other signs that employees may suffer from feelings of being undervalued are inexpressive or abusive managers or, and a low quality in work environment or equ ipment (Worded).Below are the steps that need to be considered on mid-career change by Thee Debacle: Step 1 Analyze your current situation-specifically any changing desires, unanticipated vents, aging, expectations of others, burnout, and anything else that is affecting your current career. It is time for people make an analysis when they realize that they are no longer applicable to the organization. For example, people are no longer interested to that Job are, want to do something completely different, boredom, have high expectation and want to get new opportunities, financial freedom, obsolete in skills and techniques, undervalued and so on.Step 2 Assess interests, values and skills. Explore your passion, hobbies and any other interests that can be developed into potential career opportunities. If people really want to change their career, then they have to target a career that is aligned with interested in Malaysian history but they want to be a banker. Look deeply for points of relevance between the two. Take this example which Malaysia is a pioneer of Islamic banking, which is growing as a sector in Britain. A conventional British bank may be interested in their understanding of Malaysian heritage if it is looking to launch Shari-compliant financial products (Worded).Step 3 Identify the three most important priorities for changing your career. Obtain information about career opportunities and determine what kind of new career to start. The three most important priorities are maybe about the satisfaction or interested Job that people wanted to do, financial freedom which they try to find higher payment from the other organization and also the skills and abilities that is similar. For example, a manufacturer will always be a manufacturer, and he or she can manufacture almost anything, give or take a few differences in the nature of the production (Worded).Step 4 Develop a Re-career roadman to ensure a successful transition. Write down career Laos, gather i nformation about prospective careers and make necessary decisions to pursue opportunities that may arise. For example, write out on a piece of paper into two columns which are â€Å"what I like† and â€Å"what I hate† about the present situation. Do this exercise for all of the Jobs, internships, research assistantships, and volunteer and leadership experiences throughout the career to compare them to the current job (Liana G. Levine, 2011).Step 5 Establish an action plan that is built upon realistic expectations and which draws upon available resources. For example, by identifying what people loved and loathed bout each experience, they can map out exactly what it is they want to change, why now is the time they want to make the change, and where they want to go. Since they are the decision-maker, they have an incredible amount of power to make the decision. (Liana G. Levine, 2011). Step 6 Identify and overcome resources barriers. Do not be scared of doing something t otally different.Just because they worked in the private sector for 30 years, for example, does not mean people cannot shift to the public sector. They can teach old dog new tricks. Do not be boxed in by where they think the boundaries are. He age is not a boundary but a benefit as they have the experience and maturity you need to make and cope with major changes in your life (Worded). Step 7 Turn to personal contacts into career stakeholders. Before people make a change, they need to find out what the career and Job really involve.For example, many careers, ranging from interior design to financial planning, may involve selling services in addition to performing them. Or may be enticed by the high average salary of their dream Job, only to find that it is a field where a few people make a lot and most people make very little. To get the real story, elk to people who work in the field they are targeting. Mid-life can find them though in the field (Margaret Steen). Step 8 Experiment, learn, take risks and network to create new career structures.Try to make a contingency plan no matter how much time and thought people put into developing a detailed plan, they must also plan for when their plan does not come to fruition. For example, according to Liana G. Levine, 2011, â€Å"say you want to transition out of academia and into industry. You do extensive research to identify 10-15 companies where you would like to work, you transform your C.V. into an industry- roundly resume, you network, you apply for Jobs, you do informational interviews, and still you are not able to land a Job in the timeshare you outlined in your original plan. Step 9 Learn how to deal with doubt and uncertainty as the new career unfolds. Continue from the example above base on Liana G. Levine, 2011, muff must be flexible, and you must build that flexibility as well as contingencies into your strategy. So if you do not get a particular Job for which you aim, you can expand your search parame ters, and determine what else interests you, or research what additional skills and expertise is needed to get back on track. † Step 10 Implement actionable strategies to achieve new career goals.Make sure mid-life have to develop a plan that includes timeliness and deadlines, major goals and daily goals, and steps to take to achieve each milestone. For example, if your overall goal is to stay in academia but move to Japan and do your research there, then daily goals may include networking and contacting potential collaborators, exploring what are the right institutions and labs for your investigations, and researching the culture, language and funding opportunities available in the country (Worded). Step 1 1 Invest in re-training programs that will build on your existing expertise and knowledge.For example, people have to attend the workshop in order to upgrade their skills, techniques and also their experiences in order to get high Job expectations. Step 12 Look at the mid-c areer transition realistically to manage emotions such as fear, anxiety, or a sense of loss. For example, acknowledge the inner fear instead of ignoring it. Try to be confident in developing the new career since people in the mid- life already have their own capabilities of experiences, knowledge, skills and techniques. They no need to feel guilty once they shift their Job.PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS AS A RESULT OF MID-CAREER CHANGE once people have confirmed changing their career, they may wonder about the effects a career change may have. It is true that, a career change represents a potential opportunity to pursue an interest you may have held for many years. However, the process of changing careers also involves potential consequences either in the psychological and also social effects that have to be considered. The effects are obstacle to self- management, additional education and training, income and Job status uniqueness, improved sense of well-being and retirement fund s. . Obstacle to Self-Management Midlife career change is defined as a change â€Å"when age is a factor. † Increasing in age inappropriateness in terms of age discrimination will occur since the career was change at age forties. Age discrimination is when a person is treated less favorably than another person in a similar situation, because of their age (Worded). For example, it could be ‘direct age discrimination' if an older applicant is not considered for a Job because it is assumed that they are not as up to date with technology as a younger person (obsolescence).It is also age discrimination when there is a rule or policy that is the same for everyone but has an unfair effect on people of a particular age. This is called ‘indirect discrimination'. It also will effect to the behavior of the mid-career shifter such as the behavior and also self-image. Sometimes, the employers Just pay a little attention to the mid-career worker. It. Additional Education and Tr aining Sometimes, as mid-career changers find that they need additional education or training to qualify for their new vocations even though they have a lot of experience about the previous Job before.As they becoming older, sometimes they are always lack of new changes like technologies, techniques and skills. For example, a lecturer may involve enrolling in a formal degree program to earn an associates, bachelors or master's degree, or even a doctorate or professional degree in order to meet the qualifications to teach. Meanwhile other mid-career changers involve vocational training, either within a vocational school program or as an apprentice, intern or trainee due to improve their skills and knowledge.Thus, due to these changes, the mid-career changers must finance all or part of their own training and education. Ii. Income and Job Status Consequences As mention at the second effect, professionals who pursue career changes at mid- career may suffer financial consequences that a ffect them and their families alike. Career changers who enroll in college or vocational school full time often suffer a dramatic decrease in income while they are enrolled in classes and until they find employment in their new careers.Career changers also frequently find themselves starting over in entry-level positions in their new vocations or professions. In addition, some career changes involve accepting dramatic salary cuts. For example, a career changes from a diploma lecturer to become a degree lecturer. Lb. Improved Sense of Well-Being Not all of the effects of switching careers are detrimental. In fact, many career changers enjoy an enhanced sense of well-being. Decreased stress on the Job is another beneficial effect many career changers enjoy.Others enjoy a boost in income or improved relationships with their spouses or partners and their families. Career changes also frequently involve using skills that the career changer had used in pursuing a hobby, and in such cases, the new profession can prove to be especially enjoyable. V. Retirement Funds Changing Jobs or careers may also mean dealing with retirement funds invested in the employer-based retirement plan. The options vary depending on the circumstances of the individual career changer.Some career changers roll over their funds into a retirement plan funded by their new employers or to an individual retirement account. Other career changers opt to cash out their employer-based retirement plans. Career is the progress and actions of the person's occupations or sequence of Jobs held by someone throughout a lifetime which is until that person end up the careers. Most of the situations, people do not Just referring to one position only but often looking for another Jobs which composed of the Jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period of time.This is a major aspect of human development where it is the process how the individual form their work identity. The career development extents for entire lifetime when it begins with a person's earliest awareness of the ways in which people make a living and continues as they explores the new professions. It may or probably will include changing the careers and Jobs hen people ultimately decides what career to pursue, prepares for it, applies for and gets a Job and advances in it.There are 5 stages in the career development which starts on growth process which the early years from 4 to 13 years old, the exploration process at stage 2 that is from the early teens to mid-twenties, the third stage which establishment process in between the mid-twenties through mid-forties, fourth stage which is the maintenance process is usually happens in the mid-forties to mid-flies and the final phase of career development is the disengagement process which around mid-flies. The issue here is about the fourth stage which is the situation for mid-career changers which begin from the age of 40.A lot of reasons have been discussed ab out the factors that influencing mid-career changers. Four reasons why people change their career are due to the career plateau, obsolescence, career change and feeling undervalued. Also, there are twelve steps need to be considered when making mid-career changers and has been discussed at the above explanations. Lastly, five psychological and social effects as result of mid- career changes been issued which are obstacles to self-management, additional education and training, income and Job status consequences, improved sense of well-being and retirement funds.In a conclusion, effective decision-making is necessary to the employer's peaceful mind before making mid-life career changes. Try to think which the best Job that will satisfy ourselves is, and what kind of Job that we like the most. Try to be considering what is good and what is bad if we change our career. At least we will never regret once we retire later. REFERENCES 1 . MUM textbook, Career Planning And Development 2. Wil liam J. Retells, (2008): Working Longer, New Strategies for Managing, Training, ND Retaining Older Employees.

The End of an Era for The Encyclopaedia Britannica

The End of an Era for The Encyclopaedia Britannica The End of an Era for â€Å"The Encyclopaedia Britannica† The End of an Era for â€Å"The Encyclopaedia Britannica† By Mark Nichol The Encyclopaedia Britannica, for two and a half centuries considered in the public eye the reigning resource for scholarly research, recently announced that it was ceasing publication in print and would henceforth be available only in electronic form. As usual, the doddering dinosaur is behind the curve. The company had had the chance to go high-tech in 1985 with a Microsoft partnership; somewhat understandably, it declined to partner with the then fledgling software company which released its Encarta, its own, successful, encyclopedia on CD-ROM in 1993. The Encyclopedia Britannica company did launch a CD-ROM in 1989, four years before Encarta came along, but it did so under the name of Compton’s, another encyclopedia brand it owned, so as not to tarnish the venerable Britannica brand. That product, which received positive reviews, was nevertheless not the first computer-based encyclopedia; Grolier’s had come out with a DOS version in 1985. Britannica’s print encyclopedia continued to dominate the market even after Grolier’s innovation, of course, because the proportion of prospective encyclopedia customers who desired a high-tech version was very small. However, six years after Britannica’s revenues peaked in 1990, it declared bankruptcy (though it was bought by a Swiss businessman and survives but barely to this day). People, it seems, were just not buying print encyclopedias like they used to. And why bother? The Encyclopaedia Britannica, though a formidable feat of scholarship, had long been overhyped. It was certainly always impressive looking and still is: The final print edition, published in 2010 and still for sale (â€Å"while supplies last!†), consists of forty-four million words packed into thirty-two volumes. It has, however, long been mostly a prestige product, meant to be admired by visitors to one’s home who marvel at the sophistication of parents who would spend four figures to be sure that their children have nothing but the best trove of knowledge at their fingertips. (The 2010 edition retails for about $1,400.) But those fingertips, it seems, rarely touched the meticulously prepared, exhaustively researched encyclopedia; one survey determined that few customers consulted it more than once a year. For many, it was just another feature of home decor, another mark of status. Britannica Online and the DVD version are presumably more well thumbed, and several years ago, Britannica announced plans to develop a content model more along the lines of Wikipedia, in which the public would be able to submit new content to Britannica or revise existing content, although it would be clearly distinguished from content produced by Britannica’s staff and scholarly contributors. (A cursory examination of Britannica’s website shows no reference to such content, however.) What does the epochal end of Britannica’s presence in print mean for writers, editors, and editorial researchers and fact-checkers? You tell me when was the last time you cracked the spine of The Encyclopaedia Britannica? For many years, we have been able to go straight to the (online) source for a great deal of information, checking information against government, business, and organizational websites. And when we want objective information, we consult news sites, and online compendia like Wikipedia. And though I note in this post that Wikipedia is regrettably inferior to The Encyclopaedia Britannica in writing quality, is was found in a study to be essentially just as accurate – that is, highly, but not flawlessly, accurate. Print publications just can’t compete with online sources for immediacy. If you want to know the state of knowledge or attitudes about a particular phenomenon in 1912, certainly, you can hunt for the eleventh edition of The Encyclopaedia Britannica and enlighten yourself. But new editions necessarily take years to produce, whereas websites can be updated on demand. History books, in whatever perhaps unbooklike form they may take in the future, will note this period as a significant turning point in information production, processing, and retrieval. In the meantime, we’re living in the transition; I still read many books, but I read not just research online extensively, too. (And I rarely touch a print magazine or newspaper.) We must be nimble and accept the future with good grace. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?50 Latin Phrases You Should Know5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

German Immigrants and America essays

German Immigrants and America essays The 19th century was a time of rapid growth and change in America. It was a century of Westward expansion, and the building up of new cities like Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee. It was a time where people from far off places packed up their belongings and sought out new opportunities as they immigrated to the United States. Immigrants brought with them their cultural backgrounds, traditions, and traits to their newly adopted land. The Irish, Italian, German, Polish, British, and Jewish were just a few of the different cultures that dominated the United States in the 19th century. The largest group of immigrants that came to the United States in all but three of the years between 1854 and 1894 were the Germans. By the end of the 1800s over five million Germans arrived and during the 1900s another two million came. The German immigrants came from a wide geographic area and for several different reasons (19th Century, 1998, para. 1). German immigration into the United States was a big movement during the 18th and 19th centuries and the Germans left their native land for several reasons. Upon their arrival into the United State they faced difficult challenges and had obstacles to overcome. Once the Germans arrived in the United States they moved westward, toward the Mississippi River. Many of them settled in several large midwestern cities, including Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis, and Chicago. There they established ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods-called kleindeutschlands, or Little Germanys-that continued to grow with the arrival of new immig rants (Marger, 2003). By the late nineteenth century, Germans were the second largest ethnic group in the society, exceeded only by the British (Marger, 2003). Immigration to the United States was happening from several European countries during the nineteenth century. These immigrants came to United States for several reasons. The largest number of German imm...

The Caribbean History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Caribbean History - Essay Example Dominique, and Cuba, and finally, about the achievements of the Haitian Revolution and its impact on the Caribbean. THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND TRIANGULAR TRADE The 16th century saw the beginning of the slave trade in the Caribbean islands. The European importers had started demanding high quantities of sugar, a product of sugarcane which grew easily in the Caribbean’s temperate climate. As a result, the demand for sugar increased which directly increased the demand for labour. The Arawaks, the original slaves employed by the Europeans had started vanishing and so then-friar Bartoleme de las Casas of Hispaniola suggested to enslave the Africans. The slave raiding parties, who were generally endorsed by the local government, performed the task of enslaving the Africans and bringing them to the island. The slave traders then use to auction the slaves in the market and the whites bought them. The whites insisted that the slaves should cut off all ties with their homeland and the ir families, and also preferred keeping slaves of the same culture apart. The slaves were not given any personal or civil rights; in fact their owner could order them any task that they wanted from them. In the Western hemisphere, the demand for labor gave emergence to a commercial network which was named the Triangular trade. It was so called because it followed a triangular route: firstly, the European merchants would set sail to Africa with bartering goods, arms and liquor and traded for slaves with the African slave traders; slaves were then shipped to the Caribbean islands and; in the final step, the plantation owners purchased slaves from the merchants in exchange of tobacco, sugar and rum which the merchants took to Europe from the Caribbean islands, thus completing the triangle (Figueredo and Argote-Freyre 60-63). THE MIDDLE PASSAGE The middle passage was the second step of the Triangular trade in which slaves were transported from West Africa to island colonies in the Atlan tic. This journey which generally took four to six weeks was the most dangerous and hazardous voyage for the slaves. They were packed into ships in two ways, either a tight pack or a loose pack. The slaves were first laid on shelves, chained to each other with no space in between them. They were supposed to eat, sleep, urinate, defecate, and even give birth in the same allocated place. The conditions were so pathetic that they refused to eat. Most of the slaves revolted; indeed, the lacks of awareness of where they were being taken made many of them commit suicide. However, the ships’ crews practiced various cruelty measures to keep the slaves alive, for instance, they forcefully opened the mouth of the slaves with tools to feed them (Equiano n.p). The slaves were treated very harshly along the whole passage and most of them died because of poor treatment and malnutrition. Records reveal that on an average 9% of the slave died in the middle passage and those who survived were properly fed on the last days, were ‘oiled’ and paraded through the streets to the slave markets. There, they were auctioned off and traded for liquor, gums and other goods (Figueredo and Argote-Freyre 64). LIFE ON THE PLANTATIONS The work on the plantations was very intense and exhausting with the working hours extending up to 18 hours and even up to 24 hrs during the peak

PROJECT PLAN FOR ORGANISATION OF MUSIC FESTIVAL Essay

PROJECT PLAN FOR ORGANISATION OF MUSIC FESTIVAL - Essay Example By undertaking such a report, I would earn income and gain more experience in my field, while my client would be able to get professional guidance on how to carry out the music festival project. At the same time, other stakeholders would benefit by getting a good grasp of the role they need to play to make the project a success. This would subsequently guide them in the future and avoid the hurdles of developing a new project plan each time a new project idea is conceived and due for implementation. The purpose of this paper has several parts. The goal is to develop the objectives, scope, and work breakdown structure for the project; develop the logic of the project to the lowest level possible and illustrate this in diagrammatic form; detail the team structure and responsibilities that are deemed appropriate for the project, including how the client structures their team to interact with the project team, and define the types of contracts that would be implemented for the various sub-contractors involved in the project. The objective of this project is to develop a project plan for the organization for a one day music festival to be held in Greenwich Park. ... Estimation of the work to be performed Scheduling of work packages Manage resource availability Create the budget Integrate the schedule and the budget Identify key performance indicators Identify critical success factors Scope For the scope of this project, it is being undertaken for a target audience of 5,000 people. In addition to this, the plan is being developed for the musical festival to take place one month from today. Work Breakdown Structure of the Project The work structure is divided up into five different groups, each of the groups being composed of two team members that are responsible for the actions described herein. The six teams in the work breakdown structure are hall, musicians, finance, logistics, and safety and security. One of the five teams is hall. Underneath hall falls renting the hall and coordinating the hall arrangement and decoration. This is a very important step as the initial appearance of the location when project attendees first walk in the door will have a lot to do with the success of the project and whether or not a favorable first impression is created. First impressions last a long time. The second team is musicians. The work to be performed by this group includes contacting and contracting with musicians and promoting the festival. They are also responsible for contracting for ticket sales, and printing and distribution of tickets for sale. The third team is finance. This team is responsible for drafting a budget for the festival and performing a cost benefit analysis of the festival. They are also responsible for arranging and conducting a meeting of the budget and organizing committee, and budget study and approval. The fourth team is logistics. This team is responsible for