Essay --

CHAPTER 1 PROJECT OVERVIEW 1.1 Background Duke, an acronym for The Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway, structures the key missing connection in the Kuala Lumpur Road Master Plan, joining Duta in the west to Ampang in the east, and to Karak in the north. Duke finishes the Intermediate Ring Roads (Int Rr) of Kuala Lumpur, spanning the North Klang Valley Expressway (Nkve), Sprint (at Penchala Link) and Ulu Kelang area of the Middle Ring Road Ii, permitting drivers to make a trip from finish to end in only 9 minutes. More than simply enhancing connectivity, Duke likewise scatters activity from the city towards different suburban ranges through various entrance and retreat focuses at major spiral convergences. With Duke, you have the capacity to go from one end of Kl to different parts in minutes, bypassing high movement territories, for example, Lebuhraya Mahameru, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang. No upsetting driving, no packed in slither and no unmoving motor blazing valuable petrol. 1.2 Parties involved The development, principles, administration and use of freeways in Malaysia are liable to Federal Roads Act (Private Management) 1984. In Malaysia, expressways are characterized as fast tracks with no less than four paths (two in every course) and might as well have full access control or fractional access control. Most freeways in Malaysia are regulated access roads. Konsortium Lebuhraya Utara-Timur (KL) Sdn Bhd, or KESTURI, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nuzen Corporation Sdn Bhd, which is a joint venture company between Wira Kristal Sdn Bhd and Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad. KESTURI was awarded the Concession Agreement to design, construct, finance, manage, operate and maintain the Exp... ...s. This is lead to cause the slowdown of traffic around the construction area. CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION As a conclusion, the environmental issue will inevitably arise in the construction of a project. The impact of construction on the environment can be addressed through the establishment of effective prevention and follow the environmental impact assessment. This is because in order to develop our country the development and construction is very necessary. The construction of DUKE highway ( Lebuhraya Duta Ulu Kelang) has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages from this highway construction are able to provide efficient and effective transportation and communication systems between highways in Klang area. For the disadvantage of this highway construction is environment pollution. However, various measures can be taken to reduce and prevent this problem.

Capabilities in the Workplace Bangles Pvt. Ltd.?

Abstract: A business is likely to flourish when it makes best use of its core competencies, organization capabilities, and increases its capacity. This paper describes a firm, Bangles Pvt. Ltd, which is headquartered in UK and is looking to expand into the Asian market via its online store. The paper discusses the core competencies the firm has along with its organizational capabilities which will help the firm in making this expansion successful. Introduction: Bangles Pvt. Ltd is an online business based in the United Kingdom and run through social media sites, the company’s own personal website, and through other buying/selling websites such as eBay and other portals. The business originated in 2006 after the owner finished her Arts degree from a local college and decided to use her expertise in her own small enterprise. Initially she took the responsibility of production herself and began to produce highly colourful, intricately designed, handmade bangles on order. However, as business began to boom she hired two other designers to help her with the production in 2007 and currently employs 10 people to produce bangles in the ranges of collections titled casual/everyday bangles, semi-formal bangles, bridal bangles, and exclusive designs. The company basically operates upon an order service in which customers either send their orders in the inbox on sites such as Facebook or fill out order forms on the company’s own personal website. The sites are full of colourful albums full of designs of various bangle creations which are updated regularly and articles targeted towards different target audiences regarding how to use the bangles and other fashion tips (Bangles Pvt Ltd, 2014). While the company instantly began to gain steady business and maintained a commendable reputation, the company is currently facing a number of issues as it plans to expand further into other markets and has also recently begun to supply bangles in Asia via the owner’s relatives and friends who live there. The Asian market shows high potential for the company as the use of bangles is highly widespread in many Asian countries and the designs of the bangles support Asian cultural traditions while adding a contemporary touch to what is traditionally worn by Asian women. However, this will add an additional burden upon the employees at Bangles who are already over-absorbed in producing bangles for current customers. The owner i s slightly worried that if the brand is not managed properly by the distributors she appoints (friends and relatives), which may cause a detrimental impact upon the company’s name and future prospects (Bangles Pvt. Ltd, 2014). Thus, it is essential for her to ensure that the operations and delivery processes in Asia are properly conducted and reliable. There is also danger that her products will end up in the retail market in Asia if no controls are implemented and may be sold to customers in bulk. The owner of Bangles also needs to ensure that her employees in Asia conform to company policy and are highly cooperative with her and her UK-based employees. She needs to maintain decorum with her employees and coordination with respect to meeting customer demand and responding to customer preferences. This paper will outline the company’s main core competencies, organizational capabilities, and capacity-building tools which can help Bangles solve its current expansion prob lems in the Asian market. The paper will then conclude by providing recommendations as to what the organization needs to further develop and commenting upon its managerial practices while summarizing the main points made in the paper. Core Competencies, Organizational Capabilities, and Capacity-Building: Core competencies are the unique qualities or strengths that a firm has which differentiate them from their competitors and are difficult to replicate. They are a source of competitive advantage for a firm and enable the firm to perform efficiently and effectively in a particular area relative to their competitors (Gupta, 2013). Bangles Pvt. Ltd has several core competencies which strengthen the firm and result in increased business. One of the core competencies of Bangles Pvt. Ltd is the diversified workforce, which consists of close friends and students of the owner who originate from different countries and are able to provide Bangles with unique and original ideas for bangle designs. Thus, the aesthetic appeal of Bangles’ products suits the modern tastes of consumers in the UK, India, Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Nigeria as the designers of Bangles originate from the countries mentioned. Another core competency of the firm is the owner’s personal involvement in the business and the fact that the owner provides customers with a personalized service and is highly interactive with the customers. Additionally, the owner also provides a customized service to customers who wish to get their own bangles designed at an affordable price. Also, the owner’s large social circle and connections with people in Asia who can help in expanding and managing the business is also a core competence as the owner will not have to associate with unknown parties in order to achieve expansion into Asia. The organizational capabilities of the firm are the manner in which people are managed in a firm in order to gain a competitive advantage (Grafton, Lillis, & Widener, 2010). The organizational capabilities of Bangles include the owner’s excellence in human resource management as she has been successful in motivating employees since the business’s inception. The owner’s charismatic leadership style and the informal organizational culture of th e firm help the employees remain comfortable and united with one another. The owner also attempts to organize the employees in the organization through the use of various communication tools including a personal group on WhatsApp, an intranet which enables the employees to interact with one another, and through the use of video conferencing when applicable (Bangles Pvt Ltd, 2014).The business’s strong internal associations and the fact that all of the designers in the firm are educated, trained, and experienced in the field of arts and crafts enables the firm to perform faster and more efficiently in order to quickly meet customer demand. The lack of misunderstandings between employees and the close connection between employees and the owner also serves as a source of competitive advantage and enables the work to be done quicker. The organization is currently working on capacity-building as it has previously increased its capacity by purchasing three small machines, which hel p cut the thread and sew on the beads for intricately and delicately designed bangles. Using these machines has sufficiently increased the capacity of the firm and Bangles has been able to complete more orders than it previously had. The company has recently tried division of labour and instead of asking one designer to complete a full pair of bangles, they have tried to break down the tasks and let one worker complete a portion of an order while the others complete other portions. This has shown commendable results recently as capacity has slightly increased. In order to solve the problems arising from an expansion into the Asian market, Bangles must use its core competencies, organizational capabilities, and capacity-building tools to its advantage. The owner can use the core competency of having a diversified workforce to be able to accurately meet the aesthetic demands of customers in Asian countries. Moreover, the owner needs to use her social connections in order to appoint a reliable manager in Asia who will help in the distribution of Bangles’ products and also manage the brand image of the firm. The owner can make use of the firm’s strong communication network to set up a system in which she communicates with customers in Asia herself or responds to their messages as soon as possible if there is a difference in timings in order to provide them with a personalized and customized service where applicable. Thus, to efficiently manage business in Asia, the owner must make use of her charismatic leadership style to constantly remain in touch with employees and the manger in Asia and ensure she is updated upon changing trends. The owner must also have a rigid plan towards crisis management in order to ensure that she is able to solve such problems without increasing hassle and confusion and risk in damaging the brand’s reputation. The owner can also extend the intranet to include employees in Asia and to ensure that she communicates wit h them personally in order to ensure that they are familiar with the organizational culture and are absorbed into the enthusiasm of being a part of the organization. These are the strategies that the firm can use by making use of its existing core competencies and capabilities. However, the firm may also need to enhance other departments in order to efficiently compete in the Asian market. Conclusion and Recommendations: It is evident that the firm has numerous core competencies and organizational capabilities which enable the firm to efficiently compete in the market and which can be used to its advantage in expanding into the Asian market. However, the firm may consider increasing its efficiency and capacity by hiring additional designers in Asia who can produce the bangles there and ship them to customers easily and without additional cost. Moreover, the firm may also hire additional staff in the UK to ensure that there is always someone available online to cater to customer queries and demands. In order to appropriately achieve this, Bangles may also consider giving its staff training in customer service and managing across cultures. Hence, the firm’s core competencies of a diversified workforce, strong social connections, and the owner’s personal involvement in the business serve to be highly beneficial while organizational capabilities of a strong communication network and informa l organizational culture are redeem high benefits. References Bangles Pvt. Ltd. (2014) Facebook Page [online] Accessed on: February 20, 2014 Available at: https://www.facebook.com/bangles Grafton, J., Lillis, A. M., & Widener, S. K. (2010). â€Å"The role of performance measurement and evaluation in building organizational capabilities and performance.† Accounting, Organizations and Society. Vol. 35(7) pp. 689-706. Gupta, R. K. (2013). â€Å"Core Competencies for Business Excellence.† Advances in Management. Vol. 6 (10). pp. 712-723

Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War

The Battle of Cerro Gordo was fought on April 18, 1847, during the Mexican-American War (1846 to 1848). Armies Commanders United States Major General Winfield Scott8,500 men Mexico General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna12,000 men Background Though Major General Zachary Taylor had won a string of victories at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterrey, President James K. Polk elected to shift the focus of American efforts in Mexico to Veracruz. Though this was largely due to Polks concerns about Taylors political ambitions, it was also supported by reports that an advance against Mexico City from the north would be impractical. As a result, a new force was organized under Major General Winfield Scott and directed to capture the key port city of Veracruz. Landing on March 9, 1847, Scotts army advanced on the city and captured it after a twenty-day siege. Establishing a major base at Veracruz, Scott began making preparations to advance inland before the yellow fever season arrived. From Veracruz, Scott had two options for pressing west towards the Mexican capital. The first, the National Highway, had been followed by Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s in 1519, while the latter ran to the south through Orizaba. As the National Highway was in better condition, Scott elected to follow that route through Jalapa, Perote, and Puebla. Lacking sufficient transportation, he decided to send his army forward by divisions with that of Brigadier General David Twiggs in the lead. As Scott began leaving the coast, Mexican forces were gathering under the leadership of General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. Though recently defeated by Taylor at Buena Vista, Santa Anna retained immense political clout and popular support. Marching east in early April, Santa Anna hoped to defeat Scott and use the victory to make himself dictator of Mexico. Santa Annas Plan Correctly anticipating Scotts line of advance, Santa Anna decided to make his stand at a pass near Cerro Gordo. Here the National Highway was dominated by hills and his right flank would be protected by the Rio del Plan. Standing around a thousand feet high, the hill of Cerro Gordo (also known as El Telegrafo) dominated the landscape and dropped to the river on the Mexican right. Approximately a mile in front of Cerro Gordo was a lower elevation which presented three steep cliffs to the east. A strong position in its own right, Santa Anna emplaced artillery atop the cliffs. To the north of Cerro Gordo was the lower hill of La Atalaya and beyond that, the terrain was laced with ravines and chaparral which Santa Anna believed was impassable. The Americans Arrive Having assembled around 12,000 men, some which were parolees from Veracruz, Santa Anna felt confident that he had created strong position on Cerro Gordo which would not be easily taken. Entering the village of Plan del Rio on April 11, Twiggs chased off a troop of Mexican lancers and soon learned that Santa Annas army was occupying the nearby hills. Halting, Twiggs awaited the arrival of Major General Robert Pattersons Volunteer Division which marched in the next day. Though Patterson held a higher rank, he was ill and allowed Twiggs to begin planning an attack on the heights. Intending to launch the assault on April 14, he ordered his engineers to scout the ground. Moving out on April 13, Lieutenants W.H.T. Brooks and P.G.T. Beauregard successfully used a small path to reach the summit of La Atalaya in the Mexican rear. Realizing that the path could allow the Americans to flank the Mexican position, Beauregard reported their findings to Twiggs. Despite this information, Twiggs decided to prepare a frontal attack against the three Mexican batteries on the cliffs using Brigadier General Gideon Pillows brigade. Concerned about the possible high casualties of such a move and the fact that the bulk of the army had not arrived, Beauregard expressed his opinions to Patterson. As a result of their conversation, Patterson removed himself from the sick list and assumed command on the night of April 13. Having done so, he ordered the next days assault postponed. On April 14, Scott arrived at Plan del Rio with additional troops and took charge of operations. A Stunning Victory Assessing the situation, Scott decided on sending the bulk of the army around the Mexican flank, while conducting a demonstration against the heights. As Beauregard had taken ill, additional scouting of the flanking route was conducted by Captain Robert E. Lee from Scotts staff. Confirming the feasibility of using the path, Lee scouted further and was nearly captured. Reporting his findings, Scott sent construction parties to widen the path which was dubbed the Trail. Ready to advance on April 17, he directed Twiggs division, consisting of brigades led by Colonels William Harney and Bennet Riley, to move over the trail and occupy La Atalaya. Upon reaching the hill, they were to bivouac and be ready to attack the next morning. To support the effort, Scott attached Brigadier General James Shields brigade to Twiggs command. Advancing onto La Atalaya, Twiggs men were attacked by Mexicans from Cerro Gordo. Counterattacking, part of Twiggs command advanced too far and came under heavy fire from the main Mexican lines before falling back. During the night, Scott issued orders that Twiggs should work west through heavy woods and cut the National Highway in the Mexican rear. This would be supported by an attack against the batteries by Pillow. Dragging a 24-pdr cannon to the top of the hill during the night, Harneys men renewed the battle on the morning of April 18 and assaulted the Mexican positions on Cerro Gordo. Carrying the enemy works, they forced the Mexicans to flee from the heights. To the east, Pillow began moving against the batteries. Though Beauregard had recommended a simple demonstration, Scott ordered Pillow to attack once he heard firing from Twiggs effort against Cerro Gordo. Protesting his mission, Pillow soon worsened the situation by arguing with Lieutenant Zealous Tower who had scouted the approach route. Insisting on a different path, Pillow exposed his command to artillery fire for much of the march to the attack point. With his troops taking a battering, he next began to berate his regimental commanders before leaving the field with a minor arm wound. Failure on many levels, the ineffectiveness of Pillows attack had little influence on the battle as Twiggs had succeeded in turning the Mexican position. Distracted by the battle for Cerro Gordo, Twiggs only sent Shields brigade to sever the National Highway to the west, while Rileys men moved around the west side of Cerro Gordo. Marching through thick woods and un-scouted ground, Shields men emerged from the trees around the time that Cerro Gordo was falling to Harney. Possessing only 300 volunteers, Shields was turned back by 2,000 Mexican cavalry and five guns. Despite this, the arrival of American troops in the Mexican rear sparked panic among Santa Annas men. An attack by Rileys brigade on Shields left reinforced this fear and led to a collapse of the Mexican position near the village of Cerro Gordo. Though forced back, Shields men held the road and complicated the Mexican retreat. Aftermath With his army in complete flight, Santa Anna escaped the battlefield on foot and headed for Orizaba. In the fighting at Cerro Gordo, Scotts army sustained 63 killed and 367 wounded, while the Mexicans lost 436 killed, 764 wounded, around 3,000 captured, and 40 guns. Stunned by the ease and completeness of the victory, Scott elected to parole the enemy prisoners as he lacked the resources to provide for them. While the army paused, Patterson was dispatched to pursue the Mexicans retreating towards Jalapa. Resuming the advance, Scotts campaign would culminate with the capture of Mexico City in September after further victories at Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec. Selected Sources PBS: Battle of Cerro GordoThe Aztec Club of 1847US Grant Memoirs: Battle of Cerro Gordo

A Theory Of Justice By Rawls - 1569 Words

In Rawls’ book titled A Theory of Justice, Rawls aims to develop a theory of justice that brings new ideas and concepts to the traditional doctrines of philosophy. Rawls’ theory, justice as fairness, wishes to take the ideas of traditional social contract theories to a higher level of abstraction. His theory is thoroughly explained through a pre-societal position called the original position, the notion of the veil of ignorance, and the two principles of justice. Rawls starts out by describing the role of justice in a social cooperation and the basic structure of a society. Justice is said to be the first virtue of social institutions like the way truth is for a belief. Just as theories are rejected or revised if it’s not true, laws and institutions must be improved or abolished if it’s unjust regardless of how well arranged and efficient they may appear. Every individual is too important to be ignored with disrespect and all of us possess something that s ecures us from violation in justice that even the well being of society cannot influence it. Thus, justice cannot treat a small group of people unfairly for a greater good shared by a larger group. In a just society, political bargaining or social interests do not influence secured rights. The only time an injustice is accepted is when it’s used to prevent even greater injustice. Justice cannot be compromised. A society is created as a â€Å"cooperative venture of mutual advantage† and it is characterized by the identity andShow MoreRelatedRawls Theory Of Justice1598 Words   |  7 PagesFundamentally, Rawls aims to present a conception of justice that serves the social contract theory more generally and abstractly than such social contract theories provided by Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. In contrast to Locke, Rousseau, and Kant, Rawls’ conception of justice does not provide a specific layout for the intricacies and structure of each social institution. His abs tract concept of justness, however, provides the foundation from which a just institution must derive. Within Rawls’ theory of justiceRead MoreRawls Theory of Justice1853 Words   |  8 PagesThe conventional accounts of Justice normally begin by stating a fundamental rule of Aristotle – Justice is to treat equals equally and unequals unequally, and that unequal treatment should be in proportion to the inequality. In everyday life though, justice is seen as an attribute of law, while all laws are not necessarily just. Many great socio- political movements of the world have focused from time to time on unjust laws eg Apartheid laws in South Africa and Caste laws in India. ImpartialityRead MoreRawls Theory Of Justice1905 Words   |  8 Pages Rawls Theory of Justice Ming Chi Wang 36979110 University of British Columbia John Rawls in his work, â€Å"A Theory of Justice,† aims to make up a theory that will rivals intuitionalists and utilitarianism, which seeks truth in morality that cause results in maximizing utility for the maximum number of people. Rawls’ theory of justice is a distribution theory that maximizes primary goods for the worst outcome an individual could be in. By primary goods, Rawls informsRead MoreA Theory Of Justice By Rawls1317 Words   |  6 PagesIn his book ‘A Theory of Justice’, Rawls was dissatisfied with the traditional philosophical arguments about what makes a social institution just and about what justifies political or social actions and policies. The utilitarian argument holds that societies should pursue the greatest good for the greatest number. This argument has a number of problems, including, especially, that it seems to be consistent with the idea of the tyranny of majorities over minorities. The intuitionist argument holdsRead MoreA Theory Of Justice By John Rawls Essay909 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals behind a veil of ignorance would assent to the two primary principles of justice found in Rawls’ ‘A theory of justice’. I will also analyse the extract, in particular debating whether various propositions made by Rawls in this extract are true. Initially it is important to situate the extract of discussion. Section 3 of ‘A theory of justice’ is the opening of Rawls’ argument in ‘A theory of justice’, where he introduces his ‘original position’, stating how rational individuals in a hypotheticalRead MoreA Theory of Justice by John Rawls771 Words   |  3 PagesOriginal Position â€Æ' John Rawls discusses the original position in his book A Theory of Justice. â€Å"The Original Position and Justification† is a chapter where Rawls persuades his readers into taking the original position seriously. The original position is a position where people are equal and are rational in order to make principles that they live by fair. However, there is a problem with rational decisions being biased, where people will choose principles to benefit themselves. Therefore, the veilRead MoreJohn Rawls : A Theory Of Justice Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Rawls is a world renowned, American political philosopher of the twentieth century. His views on the state of nature, society, and politics were much more distinct from previous philosophers, and his more modern or progressive life experiences can contribute to the separation between him and others, such as Aristotle, Hobbes, or Rousseau. However, he does have certain ideas and point of views that correlate with the views of those that Immanuel Kant expresses, and more specifically Rawls wasRead MoreA Theory of Justice by John Rawls900 Words   |  4 Pagespassage of A Theory of Justice by John Rawls, he says that â€Å"No one knows his place in society, his class position or social status, nor does anyone know his fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence, strength, and the like. I shall even assume that the parties do not know their conceptions of the good or their special psychological propensities† (Cahn, 137 – 138). Throughout the entire passage moral theories, specifically about justice are discussed, Rawls explainsRead MoreA Theory of Justice by John Rawls526 Words   |  2 Pagescontext of international relations and economic development, the demands of global justice remain controversial in terms of the relationships between affluent societies and less well-off ones. Many questions have been raised in regard of what distributive justice en tails, what duty of assistance it requires, how much is owed, and to whom. In A Theory of Justice, John Rawls attempts to identify what principle of justice rational agents would choose if they were placed behind the â€Å"veil of ignorance†:Read MoreJohn Rawls : A Theory Of Justice Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pages1a. In John Rawls: A theory of justice, Rawls state that you must imagine yourself in an original position behind a veil of ignorance. I would say another word for the veil of ignorance can be the curtain of the unknown. I would say the curtain of the unknown because the veil of ignorance is just like a curtain that is put up and behind it no one knows who they are. No one knows their race, their wealth status, their intelligence, their assets, nationality, etc. You know nothing about yourself or

Beowulf - Profile of an Epic Hero Essay - 617 Words

Epic Beowulf A hero, in the traditional sense of the word, is generally a protagonist in a story whose overwhelming power is the only which can defeat the evil of the day. In a classic example of this comes Beowulf, a novel adaptation of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem by Robert Nye. The main character and namesake of the story is Beowulf, an adventurous young hero. When he hears the tales of the monster Grendel that terrorizes the Danish kingdom, he immediately has the urge to lend his assistance to the situation, knowing that he is the only one who can defeat the evil. Not only is Beowulf a hero, he is an epic hero. An epic hero, by definition, is identified by the following characteristics: 1. A hero of noble birth, sometimes†¦show more content†¦Beowulfs comitatus is common in nearly all epic heroes and showcases his devotion and loyalty even more. Beowulf giving up the treasures bestowed upon him by Hrothgar shows both his devotion to his king and his generosity, both classically defining traits in an epic hero. However, Beowulf does not exhibit all of the qualities of the epic hero. Beowulfs tragic foil is not that of a disgraced king, but that of one of the kings servants. Unferth, a knight of King Hrothgar is swayed by evil power of Grendel and his mother. This evil inside, and possibly a bit of jealousy, caused Unferth to kill Aeschere, a thane to Hrothgar. This evil desire within Unferth ultimately brought about his end, being decapitated by Grendels Mother. Unferth being the flaw in the story differs than that of a traditional epic her story, and is one of the few points that does so. Beowulf overall was a highly skilled and highly intelligent warrior with little fear and an overpowering stench of goodness. Beowulfs ability to get himself out of situations by thinking positively and somehow inflicting fear on those around him gave him much admiration. Beowulf was I am sure an idol and role model to many, and a disappointment to none; as was this story inShow MoreRelatedEssay on Beowulf - Profile Of An Epic Hero586 Words   |  3 Pagesmemory, but are lost in time, and some write them down to be remembered forever as a part of history. Beowulf is one such story that has been mysteriously remembered for many centuries. I’ve very much enjoyed reading Beowulf. However, since this story has been around for so long many people have added, reduced, or omitted bits and pieces of the story. In other words, it has become an almost epic legend, never knowing if it was real or if it is rumor. And like any rumor being told to others, the storyRead MoreThe Epic Poem B eowulf 3048 Words   |  13 Pages Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be convincingly argued that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, which is veryRead MoreThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreThe Epic Poem Beowulf 3137 Words   |  13 Pages11 Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be?convincingly argued?that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, whichRead MoreEpic Heroes : The Ideal Hero873 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history, epic heroes have defined the ideal characteristics of a society. Beowulf and Aenus are perfect examples of the ideal hero created from the mind of a creator, for the purpose of defining a society. Most epic heroes share certain character traits such as bravery, courage, determination, hubris or intelligence. It has been noted that sometimes epic heroes appear to simply be lucky or helped along by the gods and rely le ss on their own abilities. However, there are some heroes whoRead MoreWilliam Chaucer s The Wife Of Bath1347 Words   |  6 Pagesaccustomed angelic Christian that has to repent and believe in God. British literature begins to introduce a new archetype for women that writers follow in stories by describing them with motherly characteristics and taboo ideas in texts, such as the epic poem, Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† in The Canterbury Tales, and the play named The Beggar’s Opera, which brings forth the idea of what is morally acceptable characteristics for women in literature

Popular Culture – 1900 -1970

Question: Evaluate the social, cultural and political context of an important and influential album release (or a collection of songs) in the period 1900 to 1970. Choose an artist from this period and examine their relationship to the cultural and social framework of their era with reference to an important or influential album (or collection of songs). Please note: the artist must be different to the one chosen for the short essay. Analyse and evaluate your chosen artist in relation to their associated genre, their lyrics, their musical creativity, their social and political context, their impact on music and popular culture and their relationship to the themes of this module (class, race, gender, world events, technology, religion, etc) as they are relevant. Answer: Introduction Popular music is an offshoot of mass music genre, a concoction of different musical genres having a mass appeal. For generation popular music, lyric and impressive songs served the purpose of voicing the mind and psyche of the tormented soul or caged spirit. It was in the 1990s when the tormented human soul suffered questions on mere existence, differences and role of God. Such turbulence gave birth to rebellious spirit and thus led to the emission of various artistic creations which addressed these social, cultural and existential issues in various forms and through development of different musical genres and sub-culture. Musical genres and subcultures in the 90s not only helped the rebellious mind and soul to raise voice against the existing system, but also gave the singers, the artists an identity of their own. It was John Lennon the founder member of the British band that was heavily popular in US, in the 1950s and 60s who not only sung in distress, but also questioned the socia l cultural issues in the society which not only creates differences among people but also leads to existential agony (Aquila, 2007). It was through the songs of Lennon the hollowness and devastation of war first reached the mass and questioned the reasons behind the war which leads to nothing else but death, destruction and endless suffering. The political and social messages became anti-war anthems and helped in ending war through aggressive campaigns. John Lennon his career as genre-defining artist from 1900 to 1970 It was during the war time when Lennon was born in Liverpool, soon estranged by parents was brought up by Aunt Mimi. John Winston Lennon born on 9th October 1940 was one of the most popular English singer and songwriter of the time. He is famed for finding one of the most commercially successful British band, the Beatles with Paul McCartney. His iconic solo songs Give peace a Chance and Working class Hero marked his inception as the rebellious singer, song writer artist of the time (Booth, 2006). His tool was music and with innovative lyrics he engaged the mind of the listeners. His songs were soon adopted as the anthems by the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War and carved out a niche of its own in the larger counter culture. Introduced by Aunt Mimi, at the age of 16years Lennon came under the influence of Elvis Presley and rock music permanently transformed his life. He formed the Skiffle group and played Spirited songs and it was during a performance at St.Peters Church that Lennon met McCartney and soon the band happened. Lennon was born with the gift of music, he showed his artistic talent at an early age. American rock and roll influenced the mind of the British singers and soon developed the creative impulses to performing music (Cohen, 2004). Critical evaluation of Lennons song in relation to societal and cultural changes in the period Soon after Lennon penned and recorded Give Peace a Chance it was instantly picked up as an anti-war anthem and was sung by millions of demonstrators against the Vietnam War in Washington, on 15th November, the second Vietnam Moratorium Day. Born during the war period, time and again Lennon voiced against social in-just and engaged requested peace from through his strong song lyric. His songs protested against the death of James Hanratty hanged unreasonably. Lennon picked a variety of grim social issues and protested through songs in a creative way. Therefore Lennon used music as a way of expressing a systematic hostility against a dominant culture and social issues, or war time England (Heel, 2008). Studies on culture and popular culture highlights the facts that Culture is a distinctive shared symbolic system and a unique of maintaining and modifying the existing system. Popular culture however is a mass culture that is completely different from the existing culture of the older people. The popular culture is the culture of the younger generation and is generally expressed and emphasized through fashion, art, lyrics, popular music, vocabulary etc. Lennon has been known and appreciated by others for his wit and creative word power. Thus it is the external forces of the society that constantly influences the culture and modifies the behaviour of the younger generation. With his path breaking style, rebellious lyric, capturing music Lennon successfully created a sensation among the music lovers around the world. Most of his songs were about suffering under an existing system (Lennon, 2002). His messages though highlighted the war story, pathos and emptiness, and were adopted as an ti-war anthem; his messages were not limited to England. He picked up themes which needed attention. It was a chosen way of educating the society about how innocent lives suffer, for example the campaign against the Hanratty death gained attention. His musical craftsmanship was one of its kinds. The lyrics first baffle the mind and then engage him to think about the wordplay. Discrimination, war and death were predominant themes. His songs are steeped in pathos, which sings the predominant tone of suffering and discrimination, a victim of unknown reasons however leading a life of pain and distress (Davies, 2007). The duo, Lennon and McCartney earned recognition and countless awards. They are known as the most influential as well as successful duos of the 20th century. The album sales records 14million in US dollars. Double Fantasy is the best selling album. The album won the Grammy Award in 1981 and in 1982 John Lennon won BRIT Award for extraordinary contribution in music (Lennon and Davies, 2009). Interaction between popular music and important cultural and/or social developments in the period The 1900 have been identified to have played a predominant role in the development of the society and culture in the civilised countries. The twentieth century was in many respect revolutionary. The changes affected both the civilised countries as well as the developing countries. It was during this time that the society slowly witnessed the commercialisation of various elements. Influential movements also emerged during this phase, the hippie movement to protest against the war in Vietnam that initiated in 1960s. Countless young men refused to join army, it was unlike the World War II and mercenaries were limited. Younger generation identified icons like Lennon and sung his songs as anti-war anthem. People wanted to live in peace and love and thus raised voice singing the peace songs (Lennon and Wenner, 2004). Hippies also evolved as the part of the particular generation and rebelled against the existing system. They raised voice against th exiting traditional system. Music evolved as the voice of younger generation and rebelled against the existing norms of the society. Popular culture soon evolved in this period and concentrated on different groups. It was came to known as pop revolution. Pop culture gained its pace in the sixties and countess young singers joined the group (Lennon et al. 2000). Music became a way of expressing an individuals mind and psyche. Protest song writers evolved around the world. In United States, protest song writers, such as Bob Dylan, Pete Seger soon became house hold names of the song listeners around the world. it was during this period that the key aim of entertainment became wring message oriented lyric and songs with message oriented lyrics became important than the tune. The primary aim of Beatles song was to entertain listeners through enlightening messages and informing the public about political and social issues. Beatles is undoubtedly the most important band of the era. Music historians such as Schinder and Schwartz mentioned about the influence of Beatles on popular music and said, revolutionised the sound, style, and attitude of popular music and opened rock and roll's doors to a tidal wave of British rock acts" (McClary, 1991). Even today people recognises his talent and idealises Lennon as the man of courage, who had the courage to raise voice against US President, Nixon. He even risked his career to fight for wrong attitude and it is for these reasons Lennon the man is still respected around the world. Other music researchers, Urish and Bielen, mentioned that the self portraits in the songs and ways in which he spoke about human conditions deserve special recognition (Monitor.upeace.org, 2015). Lennon, as an important artist from the period and review on his contribution The Songs of John Lennon or Lennonianism speaks a lot. When it came to use of word or writing, Lennon had a gift. His wordplay craftsmanship could be understood by exploring through his twenty-five greatest songs of all time. According to writer John Stevens, Lennons intuitive talent could be appreciated through the basic elements of his song melody, harmony and lyric. Lennon's love of wordplay and nonsense with a twist found a wider audience as he became singing and writing songs. McCartney said that the other Beatles idolised John: "He was like our own little Elvis ... We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader; he was the quickest wit and the smartest (Stokes, 1980)." Through an in-depth analysis, it was identified by the music researcher that Lennons music was politically and socially inclined in the 1960s. In spite of remaining steeped with rebellious messages Lennons songs are ageless and are relevant even today. According to John Lennon music was not only a tool for self expression but is to be used to influence social and political changes. The musician and social activists has spoken about empowerment of human rights as well as protested against war and hatred. Music is a unique medium that connects the written word with vehement social issues, it helps in conveying a message of hope to the audience. Music and song are a form of freedom for expression, it was therefore believed by the Beatles that it was their duty to entertain the audience and hence incorporated unique personas to entertain and enlighten the audience with influencing messages (Venezia, 1997). Lennon was key to stoking popular opinion against the war in Vietnam Lennon is oft en identified by his fans as the personality behind stopping the war in Vietnam through activism. World renowned musician and peace activist used his music and strong lyrics to fight unjust politics, raise voice against the death and destruction of the Vietnam War and express his sheer love for human race. According to music historians, John Lennons songs were not simply about entertainment and popular music, instead his songs walked the streets with peace protestors and voiced anti-war movements. The songs became voice of freedom and actively mentioned about oppression and ill-treatment (Booth, 2006). It was his music which soon helped identifying songs as a medium of communication in culture as well as historical period. Critics identified Lennons music as a form of paramount expression, the sound of protest, rebellion and even revolution. Lennon himself mentioned reality leaves a lot to the imagination, it is this eloquence which signifies his ways of adapting creative tool, the iconic music to raise voice against the existing system, politics and promote liberal leftist culture and ideologies. Cultural theorists often debated stating that Lennons music was a truly appreciated art form which could be understand by the elite. It is a derivative of elitist theories and Louis Althussers issues of power that ensures music to be available for a distinctive class. However, Lennon argued against these notion and invited every individual to enjoy music and art forms (Cohen, 2004). They went ahead and even, he along with his wife Yoko Ono posed nude for a CD cover to promote the natural as well as peaceful way of life and love. According to Lennon, people could be changed but by only changing the system. As far as the political awakening is concerned, many of Lennons songs became anthems and inspired young mind. Other researchers mentioned that Culture is music hence Lennon is a prominent part of the popular music and political culture. Others have mentioned that interpretation of work of art is the right way to identify whether the art has become a part of the popular culture or not. Lennons song lyrics were thoroughly read and understood by masses, those who are into active politics interpreted and adapted the lyrics. While most adapted his lyrics, some rejected his free thoughts and even protested his opinion like Beatles will be more famous the Jesus Christ. Others however celebrated his peace campaign through the Bed-In-Peace campaign for promoting world peace. Soon another song followed Give Peace a chance, this song was used in anti-war movements (Davies, 2007). It was even used during the Gulf War protest in 1991. Later he came with another song War is Over: If you want it followed by Imagine the lyrics of Imagine encourages the listener to envision a peaceful future in America by en ding the Vietnam War. The song Happy Christmas sing of hope and encourages hoping for a peaceful future without any fear and by ending the War. Researching on one of the finest singer, songwriter of the early 20th Century, John Lennon was mainly remembered as well as honoured for his introduction of the peaceful ways of endorsing passion for political activism. According to the thinkers, Guilbault and Cohen of political and lyrical activism Lennon introduced to a from of art, a music form which was closely related to the cultural identity, for example, in his song Revolution originally explored the inherent ideas of the changing world through evolution, speaks of solution about ways of incorporating changes in the society. Finally points out that changes could happen only by changing the institutions as well as constitutions. Music historians also pointed out that this song Revolution inspired a whole generation to raise voice against injustice and fight for impartiality (Monitor.upeace.org, 2015). Even today the song is used as the anthem of Nikes Revolution campaign. After using the song in commercial purpose and developin g a culture of engaging people into sports activities instead of encouraging war and futility, Dwite McDonald studied that in an age of popular or mass industry, culture is created in the similar fashion. It also goes through a process of manufacturing, for example, Nike is about consumerism, thus though the anthem engages the mind into a distinct activity and encourages the younger generation to indulge into productive activity, according to thinker McDonald, the true meaning of Lennons song is lost after using in Nikes revolution campaign. Others identified it as becoming assimilated with the modern mainstream or mass culture. While Nike campaigned against child labour, freedom, injustice its selection of Lennons song led to criticism from contradictory approach. Just as the trend begun, Lennons songs soon adopted in the popular culture (The art music of John Lennon, 1991). Thomas Frank also mentioned how or in what ways culture and capitalist ideology mixed in the 21st century. Lennons songs were picked and used in different aspects. For decades it was appreciated as mass anthems and remained a key player of popular culture. The songs of this legendary artist therefore shaped the politics of the 1960s, his melodies were sung through decades as anthem of protest. Governments appreciated the lyrics and people adopted the theme to embrace better living conditions in future (Cohen, 2004). His messages are still alive. As the years passed, Lennons popularity grew to new heights via popular culture. Whether he is remember through positive activism or selfish consumerism, Lennon left behind an impressive legacy and a collection of songs that will continue to Shine On (Venezia, 1997). Research on the singer song writer of the age, John Lennon, the political activist informs that it was the socio-message oriented lyrics and songs of Lennon which helped Pop Culture to be identified as a social force and not a kid thing. Lennon lived his life through the eyes of the public and changed thoughts of the society as a powerful performing artist. On one hand his songs became anti-war anthem, on the contrary his songs The Ballad of John and Yoko attracted severe criticism. His song Imagine became an international peace anthem and the record sale helped Lennon evolve as one of the finest solo artist of all time. According to Rolling Stone magazine, his creation was known as an enduring hymn of solace and promise (Aquila, 2007). Time and again Lennons song were listened for melody and harped for conveying the strong message in a lyrical form. Ballad style was his favourite. Strings of guitar were perfectly used to vibrate the inner chords of youth and trigger them to think about the social and political issues around the world. The messages were strong, yet conveyed in a subtle manner and hence they are relevant even today. The songs not only became anthem for anti-war campaign during the Vietnam War but also generated a revolutionary spirit among the youth. The Revolution metaphorically adapted as a symbol for change, a power driven strategy, perfected by Nike Revolution campaign to highlight ways in which an active life could be led in a peaceful manner (Cohen, 2004). An Active life may no longer have struggle in war fight for futility and hollowness, to bring death and destruction; instead the youth energy may be channelized to sports activities, thus the Revolution campaign initiated. Conclusion In may be therefore inferred after studying about the popular music genre of 1900s, that John Lennon was a legendary singer who penned some of the finest revolutionary songs in a distinctive manner. His songs were message oriented and in a subtle way raised issues that affected the society. Through his songs he informed listeners about Give Peace a Chance by ending war and destruction and thus his songs became anti war anthems. The socio political messages were conveyed through impressive lyrics and thus engaged young mind. As a popular performing artist he introduced a stage entertainment persona which was unknown before his time, he introduced this entertainment techniques to help connecting with audience and entertain them the way they wanted. Such unique ways of singing not only helped in gaining popularity, but evolve as a mass hero a legendary singer of all time, who continuously spoke about peace, anti-war and harmony. References Aquila, R. (2007). Why we cried: John Lennon and American culture. Popular Music and Society, 10(1), pp.33-42. Booth, P. (2006). Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane, John by Cynthia Lennon and John Lennon: The New York Years by Bob Gruen. J American Culture, 29(4), pp.499-501. Cohen, S. (2004). Ethnography and popular music studies. Popular Music, 12(02), p.123. Davies, H. (2007). The Beatles. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton. Heel, R. (2008). The Beatles and Their Influence on Culture. [online] https://is.muni.cz. Available at: https://is.muni.cz/th/108918/ff_b/The_Beatles_and_Their_Influence_on_Culture.pdf [Accessed 30 May 2015]. Lennon, J. (2002). The Penguin John Lennon. 5th ed. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin. Lennon, J. and Davies, H. (2009). The John Lennon letters. Lennon, J. and Wenner, J. (2004). Lennon remembers. 3rd ed. San Francisco, Calif.: Straight Arrow Books. Lennon, J., Herzogenrath, W. and Hansen, D. (1995). John Lennon. Stuttgart: Cantz. Lennon, J., Ono, Y., Sheff, D. and Golson, G. (2000). The Playboy interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: Playboy Press. McClary, S. (1991). Studying Popular Music. Popular Music, 10(02), p.237. Monitor.upeace.org, (2015). Peace and Conflict Monitor, John Lennon's Political Lyrics in Popular Culture: From Resistance and Activism To Incorporation and Commodification. [online] Available at: https://www.monitor.upeace.org/innerpg.cfm?id_article=658 [Accessed 30 May 2015]. Stokes, G. (1980). The Beatles. New York: Times Books. The art music of John Lennon. (1991). Choice Reviews Online, 29(04), pp.29-2025-29-2025. The words and music of John Lennon. (2008). Choice Reviews Online, 45(05), pp.45-2527-45-2527. Venezia, M. (1997). The Beatles. New York: Children's Press.

Women, Aging and Health Care an Example by

Women, Aging and Health Care Current trends show that women now have a higher life expectancy compared to the past (Journal of Women and Aging, 2009). At the same time, they have a longer lifespan than men (Vamos s access to adequate health care. This point can be illustrated by looking at aging women and their experience with heart disease. Need essay sample on "Women, Aging and Health Care" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Ischemic heart disease (IHD) belongs to the top 5 leading causes of morbidity and mortality for older women. Recent trends show that IHD remains a health problem for women 75 years old and above but that it is now becoming common in women beginning at age 55 (Gender and Health Collaborative Curriculum, 2008). Although IHD is also prevalent in men, more women die from this disease compared to men or when they survive, women usually stay longer in the hospital and suffer greater disability (Davidson, Daly, Hancock, Moser, Chang & Cockburn, 2003). People Frequently Tell EssayLab support: I'm not in the mood to write my essay. Because I want to spend time with my boyfriend Professional advise: There Is Nothing Impossible For Essaylab Paper Writer Essay Paper Writing Service Custom Writing Top Essay Writing Essay Company Poverty is the main factor affecting health. In developed countries, older women tend to be poorer than their male counterparts and reflect womens economic status within the course of their lifespan (WHO, 2000). Insufficient income contributes to heart disease in terms of a greater probability of being uninsured/ underinsured and affects access to health services. Compounded with gender perceptions that their symptoms are not important or serious enough to warrant medical attention, they are more likely to defer diagnosis or engage in self-medication (Scott, 2005 and Richards, Reid s food choices and predisposes them to greater psychological stress (Warren-Findlow, 2006). As a modifiable disease, literacy contributes to how women understand the causes and development of ischemic heart disease. It also leads to the understanding of the rationale behind instituting lifestyle changes - involving exercise, diet, substance use and stress, for disease management or prevention. Literacy level is also a major determinant for early diagnosis and treatment compliance behaviors. However, data reveals that womens literacy rates are significantly lower than men (WHO, 2000). Concerning the quality of health care, the belief that women and men are affected by disease in a similar manner and so should be diagnosed and treated in a similar manner is due to womens underrepresentation in clinical trials (Franklin, 2002). This is proven to be untrue in terms of IHD as recent studies now show that it affects women differently from men. When subjected to the same diagnostic procedures, women are more likely to be underdiagnosed than men (Hellwig, 2007). Nursing interventions are also shown to be lacking in their responsiveness to the specific needs of older women (Davidson, Daly, Hancock, Moser, Chang & Cockburn, 2003). The understanding of disease as it occurs in men or conversely, the lack of focus on womens health has led to underdiagnosis, undertreatment and poorer outcomes. This gender bias reflects the general bias that society accords to women. Along with other factors such as poverty and lower level of literacy throughout most of womens lives, this impacts negatively on the health of women suffering from heart disease. List of References Davidson, P.M., Daly, J., Hancock, K., Moser, D., Chang, E. and Cockburn, J. (2003). Perceptions and Experiences of Heart Disease: A Literature Review and Identification of a Research Agenda in Older Women. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 2(4), pp. 255-64. Franklin, S.S. (2002). Definition and Epidemiology of Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease in Women: The Size of the Problem. Journal of Hypertension 20(Supplement 2). Gender and Health Collaborative Curriculum (29 July 2008). Gender and Cardiovascular Disease: Morbidity Rates in Canada. Hellwig, J. (2007). Diagnosing Heart Disease: Women May Need Different Tests. Nursing for Womens Health 11(3), pp.237-242.