Development, impacts, implications of a contemporary political movment Essay

Development, impacts, implications of a contemporary political movment for change (Environmentalism) - Essay Example The beginnings of an environmental crisis which looms large over the world can perhaps be traced to the Industrial Revolution in Europe which led to natural resources being used, often indiscriminately, for the purpose of scientific progress (Reynolds, A Brief History of Environmentalism, n.dd). At a parallel level, European colonies in Asia, Africa and Latin America were also subjected to much ecological damage for industrial growth. Though Henry David Thoreau pioneered environmentalist thinking in the USA, it was John Muir who laid the foundation of the Sierra Club in 1892 through which the government received ample financial aid for it to undertake wilderness conservation measures (Reynolds, n.d.). The emergence of environmental activists such as Wangari Mathai from Kenya shows that environmental concerns cannot be divorced from an engagement with the imbalances of power engendered by colonialism. In contemporary times ecocriticism has become an integral part of most academic disc iplines. It has been particularly influential in the field of postcolonial studies where scholars have found a close connection between the discursive and economic power wielded by the West and the environmental damage inflicted by Western nations upon the nations of the Third World. The first breakthrough in American environmentalism came with Rachel Carson’s work Silent Spring (1962) which spoke of the impact of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a commonly used pesticide on the environment. The work created immediate controversies and numerous American industrialists clamoured for its ban, accusing the author of baseless indictments. However, the work caused enough stir for President John F Kennedy to order a thorough investigation into its claims. The research revealed the hugely detrimental effect that DDT had not merely upon the physical environment but also on human health since it was commonly used as an agricultural pesticide. Following this the use of DDT was ba nned in the USA (Lear x-xi). This is an important episode in the history of environmentalism for it fortified American environmentalist movement besides proving the efficacy of protest movements led by seemingly politically disempowered individuals against multinational conglomerates. It is a sad fact that even today, several countries continue to use DDT and many such pesticides. These continue to affect the lives of millions of people and their health even today. The reasons for this can be traced to the lobbying power of the corporate firms that produce these pesticides and the lack of civic action on the part of the citizens of these nations. This can be remedied to an extent through the spread of awareness of environmental issues. In short, the issue of environmentalism needs to extend its reach to these nations in order for it to be an effective tool. In the 1970s began the era of international cooperation on the subject of ecological conservation, the manifestation of which w as the Earth Summits summoned by the United Nations. The first among these was held in Stockholm in 1972 and was titled â€Å"UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm† (â€Å"Earth Summit,† The United Nations Official Website n.p.). These forums of international debate and discussion have laid bare not merely the urgent need to incorporate the

Effects of Job Rotation Essay Example for Free

Effects of Job Rotation Essay Discuss the various issues of managerial behaviour and related matters raised by this case study Laurie J. Mullins argues that A fist step in the effective management of other people is confidence in your own ability, and awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses. Why is it then that managers find it difficult to admit their mistakes, to say sorry or to laugh at themselves? 1 In the building society case study, there are examples of bad managerial behaviour on the part of both Mary Rodgers, the branch manager and Jane Taylor, the senior branch assistant. Jane Taylor was clearly good at her job if, after four years, she was promoted to this new role, yet within a short period of time, she was having trouble with Tony Jackson. Looking back at what Mullins said, Miss Taylor doesnt appear to have confidence in her own ability or indeed awareness in her own strengths and weaknesses. According to Thompson ;amp; McHugh control is not an end in itself, but a means to transform the capacity to work established by the wage relation into profitable production, and Jane is unable to control her sub-ordinate what are the reasons for this? Part of the problem stems from the beginning of the case study and the relationship between Jane and her manager. Mary Rogers does not instil any confidence in Jane when she effectively dumps this new role. Up until now, Jane has been performing specific task functions and has no real knowledge of how to manage people as she has previously been performing the duties of a cashier and looking after mortgage advice accounts more task orientated skills rather than managerial ones. The refresher course she attends includes nothing on this either and Jane immediately falls into what McGregor calls the Theory X assumption of human nature. The central principle of Theory X is direction and control through a centralised system of organisation and exercise of authority2 and Jane automatically tries to coerce and direct Tony Jackson. The inability of Mary Rodgers to provide effective support and development for Jane shows a clear ineptitude on her part. She admits herself that the reason for Janes promotion is that I [Mary] need someone to take some of the weight off my shoulders and she seems to be reluctant to help intervene and solve

A Clockwork Orange Essay: The Future Dystopia -- Clockwork Orange Essa

The Future Dystopia in A Clockwork Orange      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Clockwork Orange is an anti-utopian novel, describing an imminent future in a stately supervised country. The hero Alex revolts against the state using violence and is therefore locked up. Later he is turned into a harmless subject without free will, incapable of committing any crime.    Burgess paints a future outlook of a land that is still committed to democracy, yet has already adapted radical methods facing youth criminality. There are several indications leading to the supposition that the general form of the government is a socialist one, e.g. the teenage slang called Nadsat which handles chiefly Russian vocabulary, streets named after personalities like Yuri Gagarin and paintings of nude working men in the style of Russian socialist art. So the state is on the say to become totalitarian, after the example of many communist countries.    In addition Alex lives in a society which lacks individualism and opposition. Under the strict governmental rule ordinary citizens are deceived end benumbed by TV and drugs. Moreover books and newspapers are hardly read, theatres and cinemas rarely visited. Everything is done to prevent normal subjects from thinking.    The few people representing an opposition against the government are hooligans like Alex and political reactionaries like Mr. Alexander and his friends. Hooligans are relatively held under control by a strong police force, reactionaries don't have any support from the people. Indeed there is a regular opposition in the country, yet it seems to come into terms with the ruling party.    This leads us back to Burgess' opinion that we should not trust the state. The hero Alex is in fact ... ...tine Books, 1984, (1965), S. 171-177 Hahn, Ronald M. und Volker Jansen. Uhrwerk Orange, in: Hahn, Ronald M. und Volker Jansen. Kultfilme: Von "Metropolis" bis "Rocky Horror Picture Show". 4. Auflage. Mà ¼nchen: Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1990, (1985), S. 293-303 Kagan, Norrnan. A Clockwork Orange, in: Kagan, Norman. The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick. New Expanded Edition. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1989, ( 1972), S.167-187 Melchior, Claus. Zeittafel zu Leben und Werk von Anthony Burgess, in: Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. 1. Auflage. Stuttgart: Phillip Reclam jun., 1992, S. 247-249 Melchior ,Claus. Nachwort, in: Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. 1. Auflage. Stuttgart: Phillip Reclam jun., 1992, S. 251-260 Rabinovitz, Rubin: Ethical Values in Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, in: Studies in the Novel, 11 (1979) S. 43-50

Psycological View of the Movie Groundhog Day

The objective of this paper is to explain the psychological view of the movie, Groundhog Day. The main character of the film is Bill Murray and is directed by Harold Ramis and released in 1993. The movie takes place in the small town of Punxsatawney during the winter season. Although the movie has a very powerful message, I did not like it. Phil (Bill Murray), a weather man for an American TV station, is sent to Punxsatawney to cover a local Groundhog Day ceremony. The very skeptical weatherman regretfully accepts the assignment and travel to the town.Once he makes his report he proceeds to his hotel and goes to bed looking forward to returning home the next day. In an effort to leave the town and any memories relating to the town the weatherman is forced to stay another night due to a snowstorm. After awakening the next morning Phil realizes that it is still Groundhog Day, again and again. After living one day over and over again, Phil meets two drunken guys at a bar. These two guys enlighten Phil on the idea that living the same day over and over would give him a chance to do all the things he ever wanted to do without any consequences.After days of appalling behavior, Phil finally realizes that even those acts will not take away the terrible reality that he seems to never progress in life. He then tries to kill himself, which does not work either. A dramatic twist in the movie happens during a recurring report. The name of the groundhog (Phil), carved in wood, appeared directly about Phil’s, the weatherman, head. This scene seemed to be showing the fact that the weatherman is living a shadow of himself just as the groundhog. The shadow is a way for Phil to see himself a hopefully make a difference.These recurring events bring upon love for Phil and his anchor lady, Rita. He eventually tells her about the returning life events and they decide that she would spend the entire day with him to be an â€Å"objective witness†. They fall asleep in bed together; however, the next morning he awakens, it’s still Groundhog Day and Rita is not in bed with him. Beginning to accept the negativity of his life, Phil begins to turn his negative aspects into more positive ones. After accepting his imperfections, Phil was now able to use his imprisoned energy to find a new strength (care and compassion).He also learns that humans are privileged to be able to improve themselves. The valuable moral of this movie is the journey to awareness. Phil being aware of his imperfections allowed for him to change his behavior, thus move on into a new and more beautiful day. The chapter I think best fits this film is Chapter 10 – Personality. Personality is the complex characteristics that define a person. According to Sigmund Freud, each person has a certain amount of psychological energy that develops into three structures of personality (the id, the ego, and the superego).The id is unconscious and present at birth and come from two insti nctual drives: the life instinct and the death instinct. After discovering his recurring life events, Phil decides to live life to its fullest potential by doing whatever he wanted with the aspect of never having to face any consequences. A while after realizing that his bad actions were getting him no where he decides to try and end his life with numerous attempts including jumping off a tall building. These acts were driven by the pleasure principle which is the motive to obtain pleasure and avoid tension or discomfort.The ego is party conscious and regulates thoughts and behavior and is most in tune with the demands of the external world. Phil finds ways to satisfy whatever desires he wanted in life. For example, he did not want to be bothered by the insurance agent so he gave the guy and uncomfortable hug to run him away. Another example of Phil’s ego is how he used his knowledge of recurring events to make Rita fall for him. The superego is also partly conscious; however , it’s the internal, parental voice that helps one decipher right from wrong. Superego is more vastly known as your conscience.Phil’s superego kicks in when he realizes that being self centered was helping him to progress in life. Superego allowed Phil to judge his own behavior and live up to his morals. Although the film posed a very good lesson, I did not like it. If I would have watch the movie for pleasure rather than for a report I probably would have turn it off in the second scene because I saw no real importance of the recurring events. Having someone awake day after day to the same thing was king of mediocre to me. I would have much rather seen a movie that posed the exact same message, yet in a different approach. Psycological View of the Movie Groundhog Day The objective of this paper is to explain the psychological view of the movie, Groundhog Day. The main character of the film is Bill Murray and is directed by Harold Ramis and released in 1993. The movie takes place in the small town of Punxsatawney during the winter season. Although the movie has a very powerful message, I did not like it. Phil (Bill Murray), a weather man for an American TV station, is sent to Punxsatawney to cover a local Groundhog Day ceremony. The very skeptical weatherman regretfully accepts the assignment and travel to the town.Once he makes his report he proceeds to his hotel and goes to bed looking forward to returning home the next day. In an effort to leave the town and any memories relating to the town the weatherman is forced to stay another night due to a snowstorm. After awakening the next morning Phil realizes that it is still Groundhog Day, again and again. After living one day over and over again, Phil meets two drunken guys at a bar. These two guys enlighten Phil on the idea that living the same day over and over would give him a chance to do all the things he ever wanted to do without any consequences.After days of appalling behavior, Phil finally realizes that even those acts will not take away the terrible reality that he seems to never progress in life. He then tries to kill himself, which does not work either. A dramatic twist in the movie happens during a recurring report. The name of the groundhog (Phil), carved in wood, appeared directly about Phil’s, the weatherman, head. This scene seemed to be showing the fact that the weatherman is living a shadow of himself just as the groundhog. The shadow is a way for Phil to see himself a hopefully make a difference.These recurring events bring upon love for Phil and his anchor lady, Rita. He eventually tells her about the returning life events and they decide that she would spend the entire day with him to be an â€Å"objective witness†. They fall asleep in bed together; however, the next morning he awakens, it’s still Groundhog Day and Rita is not in bed with him. Beginning to accept the negativity of his life, Phil begins to turn his negative aspects into more positive ones. After accepting his imperfections, Phil was now able to use his imprisoned energy to find a new strength (care and compassion).He also learns that humans are privileged to be able to improve themselves. The valuable moral of this movie is the journey to awareness. Phil being aware of his imperfections allowed for him to change his behavior, thus move on into a new and more beautiful day. The chapter I think best fits this film is Chapter 10 – Personality. Personality is the complex characteristics that define a person. According to Sigmund Freud, each person has a certain amount of psychological energy that develops into three structures of personality (the id, the ego, and the superego).The id is unconscious and present at birth and come from two insti nctual drives: the life instinct and the death instinct. After discovering his recurring life events, Phil decides to live life to its fullest potential by doing whatever he wanted with the aspect of never having to face any consequences. A while after realizing that his bad actions were getting him no where he decides to try and end his life with numerous attempts including jumping off a tall building. These acts were driven by the pleasure principle which is the motive to obtain pleasure and avoid tension or discomfort.The ego is party conscious and regulates thoughts and behavior and is most in tune with the demands of the external world. Phil finds ways to satisfy whatever desires he wanted in life. For example, he did not want to be bothered by the insurance agent so he gave the guy and uncomfortable hug to run him away. Another example of Phil’s ego is how he used his knowledge of recurring events to make Rita fall for him. The superego is also partly conscious; however , it’s the internal, parental voice that helps one decipher right from wrong. Superego is more vastly known as your conscience.Phil’s superego kicks in when he realizes that being self centered was helping him to progress in life. Superego allowed Phil to judge his own behavior and live up to his morals. Although the film posed a very good lesson, I did not like it. If I would have watch the movie for pleasure rather than for a report I probably would have turn it off in the second scene because I saw no real importance of the recurring events. Having someone awake day after day to the same thing was king of mediocre to me. I would have much rather seen a movie that posed the exact same message, yet in a different approach.

A Humorous Incident in My Life

When I was 7 years old my mother and I were grocery shopping when we passed a lady in one of the aisles and she began talking to my mother. They were so much engrossed with the talk to the extent that I did sleep off while standing, patiently waiting for the seemingly unending conversation.Suddenly I woke up in a nearby hospital surrounded by a doctor and other medical personnel. I asked everyone of my mom’s where about. Whispering softly – mother! Mother! Mother! No one cares to listen to me though I knew I was really conscious.I overheard the doctor phoning the attention of the nearest attendance van at a psychiatry centre. Effort to explain the myself was subsided by an intimidating team of medical practitioners. I kept mute for the whole of physical and consciousness examination taken by the leader of the team. The bruise on my head was diagnosed as a result of a fatal trauma to the skull following a ghastly collision with a racing vehicle. I could see the gorging b lood but I apparently felt little pain.Then I began to sense I was in a strange world.   A world with little pain, huge care around but the strangeness wickedly abducts my mother and her old friend who she was earlier conversing with. Meanwhile, the fear of the unknown enveloped my whole, thinking I may die the next few minutes if the bleeding continues.Suddenly I felt a jerky touch from behind. I woke into the noisy market down town. Oh! What a scary adventure in a broad day light. I could not imagine I slept on standing at road side waiting for the brief reunion of oldies. In addition, the gory dream almost made me believe I escaped the rapture. I could not really disclose to anyone what happened within the short while I waited.All this while, mother was pleasant during their conversation, but not real out going as she usually is. Then after the lady left, I ask my mother who the lady was to have taken then such a lengthened time of discussion. She told me she could not remember her name, but she remembers her from a Parent Teacher Association meeting at my elementary school.  At the meeting, several of the parents wanted to have fund raisers to help out with some of the expenses at my school which was beyond the calculation of tuition and miscellaneous fees. My mom remembers that this lady said she did not have time to do things like this.My mom said that she understands that all parents are busy – but if several parents work together a lot could be accomplished. During the school year the lady would never help with any project or fundraising activities and my mom said that she did not think that was very nice of her.Well, at check out we saw the lady again standing in line and I walked up to her and spilled my guts about what my mom had said. Needless to say there were several other people standing around when I told her my mom could not remember her name and how she was not a very nice lady. My mom wanted to disappear as people began to snicker which in turn made me spill my guts even more.It was really a wonderful but hilarious incident I bet I would never forget in my life. And I pray I live to keep sharing it with folks and friends.