Managing Across Cultures - Assignment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2886 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? 1 Managing Across Cultures Culture is the attitude, belief and social behaviour of a particular people or society. A personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cultural behaviour is derived from their social environment, it is the law, morals, customs as well as other habits that a society operates within. Culture is learned, not inherited. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Managing Across Cultures Assignment" essay for you Create order Edgar Schein (2010) a well-known theorist on organisational culture defines culture as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"both the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“here and nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  dynamic phenomenon and coercive background structure that influences us in multiple ways. Culture is constantly re-enacted and created by our interactions with others and shaped by our own behaviour [1] Culture is learned on four levels, the first being Enculturation, whereby the culture that is currently established teaches an individual acceptable social norms and values of their current environment. The individual is taught their role in society, as well as what à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"is notà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ acceptable behaviour. The second level is Primary socialisation, this usually occurs during childhood. As a person grows they will adopt attitudes and values appropriate to the members of their particular culture. The third is Subculture, which develops when a culture differentiat es itself, be it through language, religion or ethnic reasoning from a larger culture to which they previously belonged. And the fourth is Secondary socialisation, which is the learning process that occurs after primary socialisation; it takes place outside of the home, and allows the individual to see what acceptable behaviour amongst its social group is and how to act accordingly to new rules. This phase usually happens during teenage years and early adulthood, for example a new profession or relocating to a different environment. In business we often find that we have a group of employees who have come from different social groups and that while this often enriches the workplace it can cause various complications, with these differing cultural backgrounds there is a possibility of conflict and that in itself can cause issues with productivity and perhaps affect the overall moral of employees. There are two theories which explore the levels of culture within an organisat ion, French and Bell.(1990) developed the iceberg theory. (see appendices fig 1) Iceberg theory CIPD explains that the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The formal side of the organisation is the tip of the iceberg, the visual aspects such as strategy, structure and the organisational processes are exposed and in theory are perhaps easier to change, but the informal side of the business is submerged, suggesting that management styles, company politics, beliefs, values and attitudes are perhaps not so easy to see, and as a result are harder to change. [2] Onion Theory Geert Hofstede (1997) developed the onion model theory (fig 2) in this model values form the core of organisational culture and are set at the deepest level (centre), values are the morals and ethical codes which determine what people think should be done. [3] Rituals (layered second) are practices which are deemed socially essential. Heroes (layered third) are individuals who are held in high regard and perform well with in the organisation, perhaps a motivator who rallies everyone when things need to be done. The final layer is symbols which are gestures, objects, words or acts that signify meaning to an individual or group. Through all the layers runs the business practice. Tesco are the largest private sector employer in the UK with nearly 500,000 staff. Their website shows their approach to human resources by listing their commitments to employees, which are as follows; To create inspiring work that makes our colleagues happy and proud of what they do To provide opportunities for our colleagues to be at their best To build relationships based on shared values To build an environment where all our colleagues contribute, make a difference and can be themselves (Tescoplc.com) [4] Tescoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s website also declares to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Offer a market leading package of pay and benefitsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ at the same time to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"reward committed staff with a share scheme and generous pensionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Tesco UK also have a very strong relationship with Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers), a partnership which is the biggest trade union agreement of any PLC, understanding the need for high standards of employment practice, suggesting that if the employee feels valued this will reflect in their work, and result in the overall achievement of Tesco strategic goals. (Tescoplc.com) [4] Mullins (2010) defines organisational culture as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs, and attitudes that constitute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organisation. [5] Human Resource Management has the task of recruitment and selection and as Tesco push their organisation i nto countries whose cultural backgrounds may differ greatly to those already established it is the task of HRM to apply the correct management practice. Certain theoretical tools can be applied to analyse how other countries behave in respect to their organisational culture, understanding the characteristics of a these differing cultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and adapting to them will provide a foundation to successfully establish the organisation in a foreign market. Geert Hofstede is a Dutch social psychologist who developed the cultural dimensions theory, the framework for cross-cultural communication. The dimensions which Hofstede uses to help distinguish national culture are; (See appendices) Hofstedeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 5 cultural dimensions 1. Power Distance (PD) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" measures the levels of inequality members of society are willing to accept in terms of the distribution of power, and that people understand their position within the system. Hofstede sugges ts that countries with a high PD would probably only send reports to top level management and have closed door meetings. 2. Individualism (IDV) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" refers to the bonds individuals have with others within their community. Hofstede suggests that a marketing campaign that empathises the benefits to the community would more likely be understood and better received. 3. Masculinity (MAS) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" refers to how society values traditional male and female roles. High masculinity scores are in countries where men are the main providers to their culture. Low MAS do not mean the reverse of this, instead the roles are blurred, and job roles are shared equally. Hofstede suggests that in a country such as Japan (with high level MAS) would probably respond better to a male team leader, whereas a nation such as Sweden would respond to an appointment based on skill level rather than gender. 4. Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" relates to the levels of an xiety society members feel when faced with unknown situations. High level UAI countries will attempt to avoid this whenever possible seeking a collective truth, whereas low level UAI enjoy such events and are encouraged to discover their own truths. 5. Long Term Orientation (LTO) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" refers to level of importance and nation applies to traditions and values. According to Hofstede the US and UK has a low LTO which suggest to expect anything in terms of creative expression, that these two nation perhaps donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t value tradition as much as others and as such are more willing to help implement new ideas. Asian countries on the other hand have high level LTO and would likely be less receptive to change. [6] Using this framework as a starting point would give an organisation a general sense of how to approach foreign cultures and evaluate how these different societies may react to the organisational behaviour of an expanding company, such as Tesco. Dif ferent HR tactics overseas During 2006 Tesco expanded to the US marketplace where they opened supermarkets under the name à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Fresh Easyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, with Tescoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s reputation for good employee relations the UFCW (Usdawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s US equivalent) had expected to have a similar arrangement to the agreement of benefits employees enjoyed back in the UK. Unfortunately this was not the case, and in 2008 the UFCW issued a report entitled; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Tell British investors, politicians, employees and shoppers why we think that the Tesco they know and admire as a business, with a great track record on community and employee relations, can be a very different organisation when it operates away from British shoresà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the report described that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Instead of engaging with community groups, Tesco refused to meet us, rather than offer partnership they instead greeted conflict. Instead of defending freedom of association, they would rather pursue a policy to keep out trade unionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  [7] It was later revealed that this was always a planned strategy by Tesco as the job advert for the role of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Employee Relations Executiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ required the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"maintaining of non-union activitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"avoidance of union activities amongst a list of job role responsibilities. Tesco responded by claiming the advertisement had been made in error. Mead and Andrews (2009) explain that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The organisational culture is strong when it is cohesive; group members share the same values, beliefs and attitudes; members can easily communicate between themselves; members depend on each other in meeting individual needs. The strength of a culture is shown superficially by uniformity, but more significantly by the tolerance that members show for each otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s experiences and ideas. Whe n the opposite conditions apply and relations between members are not cohesive, the organisational culture is weak. [8] In this instance Tescoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s move into the US market was met with opposition primarily due to a poor understanding of the wants and needs of the labour market. US employees had expected the same treatment in terms of union security as their UK counterparts and were surprised to find that Tesco managers had decided to treat overseas employees differently. With Tesco unwilling to extend its UK employee principles and organisational behaviour overseas, it left the expansion into a lucrative market hanging by a thread. A fact perhaps reinforced by the news (according to USAToday.com) that Fresh Easy will now pull out of the U.S Market in 2014. Alfonsus Trompenaars is a Dutch organisational theorist who alongside Charles Hampden-Turner (1997) developed the seven dimensions of culture. Although these are different they do seem similar in concept to Ho fstedeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dimensions. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner sampled over 30,000 employees in 50 countries worldwide. Based on this data, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner proposed a series of seven dimensions which, they argue, are the basis of cultural differences. [9] Universalism vs Particularism à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Cultures that are universalistic believe that standards, values and codes are more important than relations and needs, whereas a culture which is predominately particularistic think that human relationships are more important than values and codes, for them human needs come first. Individualism vs Collectivism à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" An Individualistic culture will put the community after an individual. People have autonomy; they can make decisions and will take care of their family on their own. Collectivism is the opposite of this and the needs of the group will always take precedent, the function and development of society takes precedent. Neutral vs Affec tive Relationships à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Affective cultures are more likely to express emotion and feeling. They feel no need to hide themselves within this culture. A Neutral culture believes that it is not correct to express or share emotion; they would likely see the behaviour of an affective culture as overly excitable or too emotional. Specific vs Diffuse Relationships à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" A culture that is specific will always analyse the finer details, before finally putting them together to form the global picture. People of a diffuse cultures on the other hand will analyse the issues as a whole believing that all issues are linked to one another. Achievement vs Ascription à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" People of achievement cultures respect their colleagues based on knowledge and achievement. Those of ascription culture instead respect job titles and superiors Time orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" looks at the comparison of sequential and synchronic cultures, where a sequence based c ulture might do things one at a time, a synchronic culture would prefer to do several things at once. Internal vs external control à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" looks at the fact that some cultures believe they have an element of control over their environment, while others believe they are controlled by it. Americans for instance have an internal culture and that what happens to them is of their own doing, Asian on the other hand believe that it is the environment that forms their destiny. Trompenaars cultural dimensions theory can be useful in a number of ways, for instance a company may deduce how an organisation operates culturally itself, and perhaps may better understand how to implement an overseas expansion, or how to take into account the culture of another nation when trading. Marketing issues could also come into consideration, organisations could capitalise on specific elements of a nations culture in an effort to maximise its brand image. Perhaps a criticism of Trompenaar s and Hampden-Turners theory is that it is now nearly twenty years old, and does not account for the cultural drift that is apparent as time passes by. Tesco opened its first store in China over 10 years ago (2004), relatively late compared to the likes of Walmart who as a result of earlier expansion into the Asian market (1996) enjoyed the choice of store location and low cost land, yet though Tesco had entered the market late, managers felt that they had a secret weapon in its bid to lure Chinese consumers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Tesco Clubcardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. It was hoped that the card would give the store management and marketing staff invaluable information about the elusive Chinese shoppers. The card would reveal their tastes, preferences, shopping habit and much more; it would hold the key to understanding the most demanding consumers in the world. However, the value of the Clubcard or indeed any loyalty programme in the Asian market may have been gross ly overestimated. Warwick Business School Professor of Marketing and innovation Qing Wang of believed that the UK retailer should have looked into cultural differences before investing in the second biggest economy in the world. Wang explained à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The value of the Clubcard or indeed any loyalty programme in the Asian market may have been grossly overestimated,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  he explained; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Research my colleagues and I have carried out in an Asian market with similar demographics and purchasing power to that of Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s large cities reveal consumers to be ill-suited to the clubcard approach.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Wangà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s research team found that almost all consumers participated in at least one loyalty programme and that 63% of those had loyalty cards from four or more retailers. They believed larger choices gave them more power of control, more motivation to make decisions, more chances to have programmes whic h suited their needs and to have a more satisfying shopping experience. This means that any customer information held on one store card is at best incomplete, and at worst misleading, and not fit for the purpose Tesco intended. [10] Asian shoppers were found to have no strong preference for any store, regardless of a loyalty card scheme, instead they sought the best deal from various supermarkets. As a result (and alongside ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s failing in the US market) Tesco have now announced after 10 years trading in China is to fold its unprofitable operation. Lured by the prospect of a rapidly growing middle class in the worlds second-biggesteconomy, many foreign firms have waded into Chinasretailmarket only to find they lack local expertise, particularly in building supplier relationships. Conclusion Although the venture into the American market could have been extremely lucrative for Tesco it seems the organisation did not research the cultural dimensions of t his foreign market. Refusing to expand the wealth of benefits that UK employees enjoyed and credit them to US workers caused great friction between staff and the organisation, as Mead and Andrews (2009) suggest à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The organisational culture is strong when it is cohesiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ yet in the case of Fresh Easy there was no showing of unity and Tesco will now very likely move away from the US market, according to the Independent Newspaper the company are now  £1 billion pounds poorer than when they first entered this market as a direct result. As French and Bellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Iceberg suggests, the formal side of the organisation is clearer to see, but what Tesco did not take into account was the informal, submerged aspects of the business, most certainly Tesco misjudged the political aspect of the US based organisation and perhaps they also misunderstood its differing management style. On investigation it seems the cultural research was also not performed for the Chinese consumer demographic, in this case Tescoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s had tried to implement their own (Clubcard) culture rather than take into account the needs of an entirely different cultural market. Perhaps arrogance has cost Tesco in this instance, after all, their European based operation is one of the strongest organisations on the continent, and their business model does seem to go from strength to strength. Unfortunately due to a lack of research alongside any real attempt to integrate into Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s entirely different cultural system, Tesco have again seen their operation fail due to a poor understanding of another countries cultural practices. Bibliography [1] Edgar H. Schein, Organisational culture and Leadership (2010) Page 3 [Accessed on Dec 16] [2] CIPD Online https://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CAB172FE-E034-42FA-A749-48FAF7CB6925/0/1843980665sc.pdf (Page 65) (Accessed Dec 18 2014) [2] https://www.culture-at-work.com/ic eberg.html (Accessed Jan 9 2014) [3] International Journal of Business and Management 2008 Hofstedeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Onion Diagram page 139 (Accessed Jan 9 2014 [4] https://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=620 (Accessed Jan 3 2014) [5] Laurie J.Mullins -Management and Organisational Behaviour (Page 106) (Accessed Jan 3 2014) [6] https://geert-hofstede.com/ (Accessed Jan 3 2014) [7] https://www.ufcw.org/2012/12/05/ufcw-statement-on-tescos-fresh-easy/ (Accessed Jan 2 2014) [8] Richard Mead Tim Andrews, International Management 2009 (Page 90) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" (Accessed Jan 8 2014) [9] Richard Mead Tim Andrews, International Management 2009 (Page 90) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" (Accessed Jan 8 2014) [10] https://www.wbs.ac.uk/news/tesco-find-their-secret-weapon-fails-in-china/ Appendices Hofstedeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 5 cultural dimensions 1. Power Distance 2. Individualism 3. Masculinity 4. Uncertainty Avoidance 5. Long Term Orien taion (Fig 1) (Fig 2) .

Othello is Solely Responsible for his Downfall in...

I believe Iago has nothing to do with Othellos downfall as Othello is an easily mislead man who is easily influenced. Not only did Iago not directly say Desdemona was having an affair, he neither didn’t give proof to confirm the rumours. By Othello believing the lies, it surfaces his inability to trust and have faith in his own wife. Othello is written by William Shakespeare and was set in Cyprus and Venice during the 16th century. It is about a well-respected military soldier who due to lies and deceits killed his wife for no reason and after turned the knife towards himself. The play illustrates how much one could be polluted in such little time; with the ‘facts’ based upon suspicions and assumptions from a source who was determined to†¦show more content†¦But we can’t make a final judgement as his true characteristics have not yet surfaced. We learn through Iago that Othello is a terrible man as he supposedly stole Brabantio’s innocent da ughter, Desdemona, and married her during the night; with the use of witchcraft and black magic to posses her into marrying him as Brabantio says; ‘O thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her!’ We learn Othello through Iago that he is an easy target to manipulate because he is so open: ‘And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose As asses are.’ Othello can be lead into anything just because he believes everybody is a good honest person. In some cases, like Iago’s, this is a bad thing as he can be fooled easily by false assumptions. He also says he is an open and a straightforward person. â€Å"The Moor is of free and open nature That thinks men honest that but seem to be so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is approachable and straight forward man who supposedly has favourites, unfair, and always and must have his own way. We soon find out that this is false by the way Othello presents himself in front of the duke. By Othello obtaining these characteristics, he can be easily fooled and persuaded, which Iago acts upon. We find out Othello is a soldier. Being a soldier, you will also acquire the nature such as always shouting, commanding and bad mannered. We find out that Othello is exactly theShow MoreRelatedOthello, By William Shakespeare893 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s ‘Othello’ is a play that ends tragically with death of the antagonist, Othello who commits suicide after smothering his wife to death. The other tragic death is Lago’s murder of Roderigo. Lago, who may be considered as the villain of the play, is in a way responsible for all the tragic deaths in the play. He is a schemer who is able to conceal his moves and is considered an honest per son by almost every character in the play until the end of the play when it is discovered that he isRead MoreHis Moorships Ancient: Iago as the Protagonist of Othello1658 Words   |  7 Pagesrevered for his characterization of flawed and psychologically unstable protagonists. Hamlet is a crazed, murdering prince, Lear is narcissistic, senile, and a verbally abusive father, and Macbeth is a murderous traitor to his king and country. These unfavorable and evil attributes serve Shakespeares main characters by presenting them as realistically written men, and there always seems a degree, however small, of sympathy associated with their respective downfalls and tragedies. Othello, however,Read Moreâ€Å"Aristotle’s Definition of the Tragic Hero and Irony in Tragedy† Oedipus Rex, Othello, and Death of a Salesman3217 Words   |  13 PagesAristotelian theory which leads us to his definition of the tragic hero. Aristotle’s conceptualization of tragedy and all that it encompasses is widely revered and accepted; setting the standard previously and contemporaneously. The interpretation of his definition of tragedy is ambiguous, but generally states that tragedy should evoke pity and fear within the viewer for the purpose of catharsis, or purgation of senses sequencing the climax of a tragedy. (Battin) This elicits his definition of the tragic hero

The Relationship Between Policy, Statutes, and Regulations in Environmental Law Free Essays

Environmental policy is the official stance or statement by a government or organization which provides a framework for its environmental objectives. (C2E2. org, 2011)The US Government Environmental policy is contained in the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship Between Policy, Statutes, and Regulations in Environmental Law or any similar topic only for you Order Now Congress declared under section 4331(a) of NEPA that it is â€Å"the continuing policy of the federal government†¦ to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and to fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans. (U. S. Congress, 1969) Environmental statutes are the written will or act of the legislature with regard to expressing the stated environmental policy. (Lectric Law Library, 2011) NEPA functions in this capacity by enabling the EPA to promulgate regulations in order to set forth guidelines by which other agencies must comply in order to satisfy the intent of NEPA. Environmental regulations act as the forcing mechanism with which to gain compliance with the statute as set forth under the policy. Continuing to use NEPA as an example, the US Government environmental policy is contained in NEPA (the statute) which prescribes regulations that aim at protecting the environment. Most noteably, the EPA issued regulations regarding Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Environmental Assessments (AE) assess the possible environmental impacts of proposed government projects and there alternatives – and are required from all federal agencies. (US EPA, 2011) How to cite The Relationship Between Policy, Statutes, and Regulations in Environmental Law, Papers

The Brilliance in “Blue-Collar Brilliance” free essay sample

As a whole, society sometimes makes many preconceived notions about people, groups and their actions or life choices. These accusations are wrong. Author Mike Rose reiterates this point in his article â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance† saying, â€Å"If we think that whole categories of people-identified by class or occupation-are not that bright, then we reinforce social separations and cripple our ability to talk across cultural divides. †(Pg254), he’s essentially saying if we as a society think that making social divides is acceptable then we only separate the classes more. Mike Rose begins his article with two short stories to give a base to his argument that he will soon present. The first is about his mother Rosie who used cognitive problem solving and many other skills on the job as a waitress at a local diner. In the second, he tells us about his uncle Joe who moves up in the ranks of the General Motors Company from working the assembly line to being a supervisor. We will write a custom essay sample on The Brilliance in â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In both accounts Mike Rose tells about how; even though working in the blue-collar profession, his family members used their past experience and current problems to provide themselves with a â€Å"kind of rhetorical education†(Pg249). Rose then gets back on track with his thesis idea, and takes a stab at society. His following argument leaves us with many questions. Why do we create the social biases that we do? Many people state that â€Å"we don’t know a man until we’ve walked a mile in his shoes†, but do we practice what we preach? Mike Rose tries to answer this by saying, â€Å"Our Culture†¦separates the body from the mind, so that, for example, we assume that the use of a tool does not involve abstraction. †(Pg250). So is it because an occupation incorporates hard labor do we pass it off as being a lesser of mental challenge? Working in a blue-collar profession requires so much more mental concentration then anyone gives it credit for. Mike Rose gives many examples as to how this idea is true. We as society think that you go into work, punch a time card, do a simple; sometimes repetitive, task for hours, punch a time card out and carry on with a boring meek life. There is so much that lies at the core of hard labor that we overlook. Whether it is a monotonous action that is involved, many people find ways to make it easier, do it faster, or create a safer product. Mike tells us how his mother Rosie working in the diner, would make psychological distinctions between each of her customers to better improve the efficiency of her work, thus, sometimes resulting in a greater tip. Mike Rose gives us these stories’, which present us with questions that gives us our own argument, which he then tries to compete with his own argument. Rosie and Uncle Joe, are both somewhat an image of the true core of blue-collar work. Mike says it himself â€Å"To acknowledge a broader range of intellectual capacity is to take seriously the concept of cognitive variability, to appreciate in all the Rosies and Joes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Pg254) If it wasn’t for the true brilliance shown in the many blue-collar professions or the ideas from that of a blue-collar professional, would we be where we are today? Because much of society would agree, that today is a cleaner, safer, much more efficient world than that of even 20 years ago, largely due to the contributions and actions of the blue-collar workforce. Lastly, if we continue to â€Å"reinforce social separations†(Pg254), do our actions make us more mentally competent than the thought we have of blue-collar professionals’? Or are we simply doing as Mike Rose said we would, and â€Å"reinforcing social separations†? That is the true question here. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, Mike Rose. â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance† They say I say 2E (2012) 243-255 Print. â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance: Questions Assumptions about Intelligence, Work and Social Class† Reprinted from The American Scholar, Volume 78, No. 3, summer 2009. Copyright 2009 Mike Rose.

Merchant Of Venice Essays (1257 words) - Film, Literature

Merchant Of Venice "How little is the cost I have bestowed in purchasing the semblance of my soul,"(3.5.19-20) is where the heart of this play is in my eyes. Portia doing what she can for her one true love, Bassanio. Money is of no importance to her especially when it comes to the happiness or unhappiness of Bassanio. There are many places in the Merchant of Venice that show Portia and Bassanio's indifference, and what seems to be apathy toward wealth. Many are hidden and many are as clear as day to the reader. I found that reading into The Merchant of Venice was a fun and interesting experience. The way Shakespeare wrote his plays makes people really think about what they are reading; it reminded me of a maze. Portia, an unspoiled Princess to riches, a Princess that doesn't need to think or worry about money. It is something she has an unimaginable amount of, yet it doesn't change who she is or what her values are. Her father seemed to instill in her that money isn't everything to everybody; how you care about people and values are what matter the most in life. When we first see Bassanio, he is telling Antonio of a secret trip he plans to take to win the heart of Portia; yet he has no means to get there due to his extravagant living which has left him in debt to others. At first money seems to be of some importance to Bassanio, but towards the middle of the play his thoughts seem to change. Although Portia's father does not have a so-called character in The Merchant of Venice; his presence is definitely felt through Portia's character, as well as the scrolls on the caskets. In doing this, Portia's father in a way still had a hand helping to choose the right husband for his daughter. When each of the princes come to woo Portia and go into the casket room, they look for what would be the most creative answer in picking out the casket. The gold casket scroll reads "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." (2.7.4-5). When the reader first sees this, he thinks the gold casket would make the most sense. Portia's father would have put her picture in there, because it is gold and full of riches as is Portia. Reading into this the reader might think that Portia's father would not put her picture in this one, because love is richer than gold. The prince that would pick this one is not interested in love only Portia's wealth. The second casket made of silver states "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." (2.7.7) I have yet to think why any Prince with half a brain would pick this casket over gold or lead. To pick this, deep inside, they did not want to marry Portia. Apparently, the gold wasn't intriguing enough for them yet the lead was too poor. The lead casket would be the most appealing to the Prince who really wants to win Portia's heart and not her riches. This scroll reads "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." (2.7.9) When Bassanio and Portia discuss his choices she asks him to think about his choices carefully because it will determine their future forever. Bassanio although deeply in debt to moneylenders, can see past the gold and silver of the first two caskets, and hazards his chance with the lead casket. The scroll inside this casket proves this point;" You that chose not by the view, Chance as fair, and choose as true: Since this fortune falls to you, Be content, and seek no new. If you be well pleas'd with this, And hold your fortune for your bliss, Turn you where your lady is, and claim her with a loving kiss."(3.2.130-138) From the beginning of the play, Portia seems for those times more or less of a free spirit. She has been in Belmont all of her life and knows little about Venice and its residents lifestyles. Portia's father seemed to have instilled values and love in Portia from a very young age. She was taught to love and to be kind and that money could not buy love and happiness. Earlier in the play Bassanio borrows 3,000 ducats from Shylock on Antonio's word that it will be paid back in full. Shylock is a stereotypical Jew who is a moneylender that insists on charging interest on monies loaned out. He needed

Lady Macbeth is The Embodiment of Evil

Lady Macbeth is The Embodiment of Evil Free Online Research Papers We are studying Shakespeare’s famous play about the tragic down fall of a great hero. Macbeth. Macbeth was written during the Renaissance Period 1606-1611. I think it was written to show people that even the greatest hero can become very weak and break down. You could also say it was written to show James I of England and VI of Scotland hatred and determination to drive out the species known as witches as witchcraft is the main theme of Macbeth. We could see Lady Macbeth as the embodiment of evil as she tricks, manipulates and deceives people and kills the people she’s close to, to get her husband a higher state. Lady Macbeth struggles when Macbeth is away fighting to stay a stereotypical Jacobean woman but to also gain power over the country. Her darker side starts to show when she tell Macbeth to kill several people as they stand in his way of getting his ambition of king, we know when her dark side comes out when she starts calling the spirits of the under world â€Å"Make thick my blood†, â€Å"And take my milk for gall† in this she is telling them to make her blood thick so she will be able to commit a murder. On the other hand Lady Macbeth paid for what she did in the end by going mad and finally dying. Macbeth was written during the Renaissance Period. At this time in history it was Jacobean times, these were when men were usually away fighting, men were the only ones that were educated women weren’t seen as anything else but people who had babies and stayed at home. At this time men were seen as superior to women, women were seen as submissive, and inferior regardless to their class or wealth. However at this time James I of England and VI of Scotland was king, and he led a personal crusade against the practice of witchcraft. When he became king, Scotland lagged behind England in the culling of witches, during his reign over 8,000 witches were killed in Scotland. People believed greatly in the Bible and in it, it said that women should look after the children, care for their husbands, cook and clean the house but if they didn’t do all of these tasks they were seen as incapable of being a wife, they were basically seen as no good. This means that they didn’t be long in the Garden of Eden as Adam (Macbeth) was tempted into sin by Eve (Lady Macbeth) and with this God said that men should rule over women. This is linked with the themes with Macbeth as Lady Macbeth tempts him into evil. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship is seen as a normal Jacobean relationship but in reality Lady Macbeth is the one who orders her husband around. They act like a normal stereotypical Jacobean couple, when they have guests they make sure the castle is tidy to try and hide their real home life. Lady Macbeth stays at home while Macbeth is away fighting. The themes of love and marriage is shown when Macbeth first returns home from fighting, Lady Macbeth gives him a kiss but as soon as the subject of the witches prophecies comes up their relationship turns sour and Lady Macbeth takes over the role of wearing the ‘trousers’. When they are talking about the witches Lady Macbeth’s mind quickly turns to killing king Duncan, and the themes ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ slowly deteriorates. It becomes an obsession with Lady Macbeth to kill king Duncan and to add another title to her name, she vows to â€Å"murder Duncan while he is staying wit h them†, here she is urging Macbeth to follow his ambition of becoming king sooner rather than later. Us the audience can plainly see L Macbeth is superior to her husband. When writes to his wife telling her about what has happened and he tells her about the three witches’ prophecies her reaction is to help him achieve his ambition by murdering the one person who stood in his way†¦ King Duncan. To ensure the prophecies come true she contacts the spirits of the underworld â€Å"Come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here† by this she wants to become a man, she wants to have everything that makes her a woman taken away so she can act, and think like a man, and be strong like a man so she won’t feel guilty about killing someone. Lady Macbeth’s language throughout the play is very harsh she uses negative language â€Å"The raven himself is a hoarse† this is a negative symbol of death, she uses this when she is calling the spirits of the underworld. Lady Macbeth’s choice of soliloquies while she is speaking to the spirits of the underworld are very dramatic, we start to see her evil side comi ng through â€Å"Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers† her evil side is definitely showing and we can see her trying to help her husband by having all her female organs â€Å"breasts† taken away and become a man. Following this Lady Macbeth cruelly insults her husband by calling him a coward, Lady Macbeth does this by using Rhetorical Questions, she does this by calling him weak trying to undermine his reasons for backing out of the murder of the king. The questions she fires at him are â€Å" was the hope drunk when you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?† by firing these at him she isn’t giving him time to answer and saying he isn’t up to being a man, and that he gave her false hopes by not keeping his word. While firing these at her aim is to make him feel guilty and to make him angry so he’ll want to prove himself to her, make him prove he’s strong, valiant and go and kill him like he was going to in the first place. The effect it has on Macbeth is that he feels he has to prove himself to his wife so he kills Duncan to prove he is still a strong, valiant fighter. At the beginning Macbeth holds the balance of their relationship as Lady Macbeth is a nor mal Jacobean wife but as soon as she reads about the witches prophecies the tables turn and all the power of the relationship falls onto her. We know this as she increasingly pressures her husband to do what she tells him†¦ to murder king Duncan and achieve a sense of power. Lady Macbeth achieves this goal by manipulating him to get him angry and make him want to commit a murder to prove he is a man and show his wife he can take the strain of being a king, and maybe doing it out of love to make her love him by doing what she says. In the play Lady Macbeth choice of language is very violent as she starts to compare different situations from his to hers, â€Å"Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out† Lady Macbeth starts to compare that if she promised Macbeth that she would kill a child then she would see it through, she makes him feel guilty that he is breaking his promise to her. At this point in the play I think her motives were to make h im angry so that he would prove her wrong and kill Duncan and take his title. I think her motives were fuelled by genuine desire to help her husband as she ahs nothing to gain or loose from him killing him. On the other hand she may be demonstrating her love for him as she know how much he wants to be king so she helps him achieve this. However it may be the start of her evil side starting to come through by telling her husband to murder to get what he wants, manipulating deceiving him to do as he’s told. The themes fate and freewill are very important as in those days people believed that your fate was mapped out for you even before you were born. The theme free will applies to the play as it means you aren’t forced into anything, you do it off your own ‘back’ this is linked with the play as Macbeth was manipulated into killing Duncan by his wife and you choose your own destiny. While tackling Macbeth’s reasons about not killing Duncan she makes a reference to a baby, by saying â€Å"Have plucked my nipple its from boneless gums and dashed its brains out† the reference she makes is a negative one, as us the audience do not no whether she is telling the truth or deliberately saying it to make Macbeth feel guilty. It is kept vague, as she doesn’t want to show her husband she is weak and give him all the power again. Her speech is shown with dedication to her husband as she is describing to her she loves him that much she would never give him false hopes or false promises. Her speech to persuade him to kill Duncan is that of a desperate woman to try to help her husband, she uses her own ‘history’ to make him think about what his will say. Her speech starts off positively by her describing her â€Å"babe† as a normal baby who was beautiful, but her language turns nasty she uses violent language like â€Å"dashed its brai ns out† which means she would kill her own baby for her husband. This means that she is an unsuitable mother, as any normal woman wouldn’t think about killing her baby, as a woman’s main function in life is to produce heirs to carry on the family name. Lady Macbeth goes against this by saying she would kill the baby she longed for, for her husband if he told her to. The morning after they committed the deed, Duncan has been discovered by Lennox, when Macbeth is told of this he acts shocked whereas Lady Macbeth faints; I think the audience will see this as a way of taking all the attention off who killed Duncan and to make people think she is truly shocked and distraught by his murder. I think this as she describes Duncan as â€Å"sleeping Duncan reminded her of her father† maybe she’s acting for the other people to show she isn’t strong and is weak in her body and mind to show she is a conventional woman and can be ‘broken’. I think that in some ways you can say that Lady Macbeth is a conventional woman as she is putting everything on the line for her husband’s happiness she urges for him to go for what he wants and not to hold back. I think she loves him so much that she will help him get his goal of being king in whatever way she can. Lady Macbeth is a very persuasive woman when she hears about the witches’ predictions she wants to help her beloved husband to get a higher state sooner rather than later on in his life. On the other hand she defiantly can be seen as the embodiment of evil as she manipulates Macbeth into killing the king but when he tells her the witches predicted Banquo’s sons would become king there after she tell him to kill his best friend to stop that for ever happening. Macbeth is then paid a visit by Banquo’s ghost while hosting a banquet, which makes Macbeth get scared that his secret will be found out. Lady Macbeth is the strong person in their relatio nship but nearer the end she starts to hallucinating spots of Duncan’s blood on her hands, which could also fall on her side of being a conventional woman that can’t always be strong. I think she did it out of love for her husband and that she got what she deserved in the end. 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The Life and Accomplishments of Marcus Aurelius

The Life and Accomplishments of Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius (r. A.D. 161-180) was a Stoic philosopher and one of the five good Roman emperors (r. A.D. 161-180). He was born on April 26, A.D. 121, according to DIR Marcus Aurelius, or perhaps April 6 or 21. He died on March 17, 180. His Stoic philosophical writings are known as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, which were written in Greek. He was succeeded by his son the infamous Roman emperor Commodus. It was during the reign of Marcus Aurelius that the Marcomannic War broke out at the northern frontier of the empire. It was also the time of the important physician Galen who wrote about a particularly virulent pandemic that was given Marcus Aurelius family name. Quick Facts Name at birth: Marcus Annius VerusName as emperor: Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus AugustusDates: April 26, 121 - March 17, 180Parents: Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla;Adoptive father: (Emperor) Antoninus PiusWife: Faustina, daughter of Hadrian; 13 children, including Commodus Family History and Background Marcus Aurelius, originally Marcus Annius Verus, was the son of the Spanish Annius Verus, who had received patrician rank from Emperor Vespasian, and Domitia Calvilla or Lucilla. Marcus father died when he was three months old, at which time his grandfather adopted him. Later, Titus Antoninus Pius adopted Marcus Aurelius at the age of 17 or 18 as part of an agreement he had made with Emperor Hadrian promoting Antoninus Pius to the status of heir. Career The Augustan History says that it was when Marcus was adopted as heir that he was first called Aurelius instead of Annius. Antoninus Pius made Marcus consul and caesar in A.D. 139. In 145, Aurelius married his sister by adoption, Faustina, daughter of Pius. After they had a daughter, he was granted tribunician power and imperium outside Rome. When Antoninus Pius died in 161, the Senate awarded the imperial power to Marcus Aurelius; however, Marcus Aurelius gave joint power to his brother (by adoption) and called him Lucius Aurelius Verus Commodus. The two co-ruling brothers are referred to as Antonines as in the Antonine plague of 165–180. Marcus Aurelius ruled from A.D. 161-180. Imperial Hotspots SyriaArmenia (Marcus Aurelius took the name Armeniacus)Parthia (took the name Parthicus)Chatti (took the name Germanicus by 172 since the name appears in inscriptions then [Cassius Dio])BritonsMarcomanni (when Aurelius defeated them and freed the Pannonian provinces, he and his son Commodus celebrated a triumph) Plague As Marcus Aurelius was preparing for the Marcommanic War (along the Danube, between Germanic tribes and Rome), a plague broke out killing thousands. The Antonini (Marcus Aurelius and his co-emperor/brother-by adoption) helped with burials expenses. Marcus Aurelius also aided the Romans in time of famine and so is thought of as a particularly benevolent rule. Death Marcus Aurelius died in March 180. Before his funeral, he had been declared a god. When his wife, Faustina, had died in 176, Marcus Aurelius asked the Senate to deify her and built her a temple. The gossipy Augustan History says that Faustina had not been a chaste wife and that it was considered a stain on Marcus Aurelius reputation that he promoted her lovers. Marcus Aurelius ashes were put in Hadrians mausoleum. Marcus Aurelius was succeeded by his biological heir, in contradistinction to the previous four good emperors. Marcus Aurelius son was Commodus. The Column of Marcus Aurelius The Column of Marcus Aurelius had a spiral staircase leading to a top from which one could view the Antonine funerary monuments in the Campus Martius. Marcus Aurelius German and Sarmatian campaigns were shown in relief sculptures spiraling up the 100-Roman-foot column. 'The Meditations' Between 170 and 180, Marcus Aurelians wrote 12 books of generally pithy observations from what is considered a Stoic perspective while emperor, in Greek. These are known as his Meditations. Source â€Å"Marcus Aurelius Antoninus - 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica - Bible Encyclopedia.†Ã‚  StudyLight.org, www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/bri/m/marcus-aurelius-antoninus.html.