Explain what is meant by effective managerial Essay

Explain what is meant by effective managerial - Essay Example It is very important for people working in a particular organization to communicate with one another in order to remain informed and updated regarding current changes taking place within the organization. An individual cannot solve all the issues he/she faces on their own and requires help of others to solve these issues; and in order to attain help they need to communicate with others about their concerns (Alvare, 2005, p.129). This communication will provide help for an individual as others will try to solve the issue with him/her. 1.2. Managerial Communication Managerial communication is regarded to be an element which assists managers with communication with individuals working in the same hierarchical positions, with individuals who are at the top level of the hierarchy and with individuals who occupy the lower levels of the hierarchy. Managerial communication is important for managers as it assists them with performing their main role of getting things done by others. Manageria l communication is said to be effective in nature when a manager is able to successfully get things done by others. Effective communication takes place when the message sent by the manager is clearly understood by the receivers of the message (Clampitt, 2010, p.260). A manager identifies that communication has taken place in an effective manner when the desired result of the message has been achieved or the feedback provided by the receiver is similar to the feedback expected by the manager. 2. Body 2.1. Importance of Effective Managerial Communication Managerial communication that is effective in nature is significant in order to exchange opinions and ideas between different employees as well as between the manager and its subordinates. Managers need to promote discussions that are healthy in nature within the organization in order to obtain effective and efficient results. Effective managerial communication helps managers with obtaining ideas from subordinates, and then these idea s are implemented as solutions into issues experienced by the organization. Effective managerial communication is essential in order to attain aims and objectives of the organizations in an effective and efficient manner. With the use of effective managerial communication, managers can help their subordinates understand the tasks they need to perform and to inform subordinates about the organization’s expectations. Effective managerial communication leads to decrease in duplication of work. When managers of different departments communicate with each other, they tend to share information regarding projects they are working on and due to this one manager will remain informed what others are working on and will work on some other aspect or objective of the organization. Effective managerial communication helps managers with motivating employees in order to attain the objective of getting work done by them. Managers who are empathetic towards their employees ensure that they are well aware of the issues experienced by the employees and these grievances can only be known if managers participate in communication in an effective manner (Dasgupta, 2013, p.180). Once the managers are aware of employee grievances, they can help them solve these grievances in order to motivate them to work hard. Effective managerial communication even assists with solving disputes among employees and among those individuals who are at the top level of management and the employees who are at the lower level of the

Shia Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shia Islam - Essay Example At the same time, Islam asserts that while in the Gospels and in Torah there originally were correct messages, with time they were misinterpreted and wrongly edited by people. Thus, Koran corrects all those wrongs. Speaking about the other essential characteristics of Islam Sharia should be mentioned, which is the Arabic term for Islamic law interpreted by Islamic scholars, and it is also called the law of Allah. One of the main features of law in Islam is that there is no separation between religious and secular aspects of life. Indeed, Sharia regulates not only religious practices, but as well different aspects of life, like business, economics, general matters of political governance and international relations, social matters, and daily goings-on of people. Again, the Quran is the main source of law in Islam. The second such source is the sunnah, which is the compilation of words and deeds of Mohammed and the early community of Muslims. As the third source of law serves consensus of the Muslim community called Ijma, and the fourth source is the principle of reasoning by analogy, also termed Qiyas. Islamic laws that are explicitly formulated in the Quran are known as hudud laws. Among other things, they ban homicide, non-marital sex, consumption of alcohol, and engagement in gambling. The Quran also spells out laws of marriage, principles of inheritance and compensation for inflicted harm, and of course rules of immediate religious application like prayer, fasting, and charity. At the same time, it should be noted that the mentioned regulations often leave quite a lot of room for interpretation, so their practical realizations may differ. To help with practical utilization of postulates of Islamic law, Muslim scholars, also named the ulema, explicate systems of Muslim law that stem from these general rules, and to exemplify them often refer to the ways in which Mohammed and other religious authorities interpreted the principles of Islamic law. Taking into consideration the fact that today not all Muslims can read the original Arabic Quran, the need in such interpreters is increased (Schimmel 1992). On the basis of what we have discussed, we can see that Islamic law is absolute, because it covers almost every aspect of life of a Muslim, and requires a strict observance of its regulations and instructions. While what we have generally outlined is the common religious ground for all the Muslims, there are still different denominations within the Islamic religion. The largest Islamic denomination is the group professing what is known as the Sunni Islam. In fact, approximately 85% of all the Muslims in the world are of the Sunni denomination, and are called Sunnis. At the same time, a significant portion of followers of Islam, known as Shiites, belong to the denomination of Shia Islam. Actually, around 15% of the wolrds Muslims are of this denomination, and in some countries they constitute the Muslim majority, such as for instance in Iran with its 90% of Shia population and in Yemen, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Iraq, where Shiites form a less prominent majority (Esposito 1998, ch.5). Let us concentrate on the exploration of the differences between Shia and Sunni denominations, including the initial divide between them, with the aim to obtain a better understanding of the less numerous Shia group. In order to comprehend the roots

Political Culture of Russia Essay Example for Free

Political Culture of Russia Essay The nature of Russian political culture and by extension its politics has been shaped and molded over the previous centuries. While we can by no means attribute its entire political culture to a single event or time period, we also can’t point to a time period, say the Soviet time, and draw our perception of Russia’s political culture from that alone. That being said, the totalitarian nature of the Soviet State is by partial means attributable to Marxist-Leninist philosophies. The nature of Russian political culture was (and still is in many regards) authoritarian. Throughout Russia’s history there has been an authoritarian attitude in how the country should be ruled. The state was always there, the state was behind forced modernization policies from Peter the Great through Joseph Stalin, and today Vladimir Putin. Russia for the large part of its history been just as vast as it is today. The sheer size of it requires a centralized power to keep regional autonomy down. Every country that followed or still follows Marxist doctrine did (does) so with different flavors of Marxism, none of which are exactly and entirely what Karl envisioned. China and Russia were rivals in several policy areas throughout the 20th century. The same dichotomy can be seen between China and its smaller (communist) Southeastern Asian neighbors such as Cambodia and Vietnam. Communist countries were partially authoritarian because of Marxism. The nature of establishing and perpetuating a command economy demanded authoritarianism. While China has wiggled out of many of the responsibilities and pitfalls of running a command economy by establishing market-driven economic reform, it remains authoritarian. This illustrates that while the key components of Marxism are abandoned, the system and its actors continue to grasp to power as it seeks to adapt and integrate itself into the world system. This is counter to previous attempts to establish a parallel world system behind Soviet ideology. Bottom line: the only way a Communist system can take continued hold and root itself into the political system is through authoritarianism. Not to mention the guise under which many of the Soviet Republics were brought into the fold and behind the Iron Curtain. These weren’t spontaneous Communist Revolutions toppling several governments around the world; it was the Russian’s moving in after having kicked the Germans out and act ing marionette to their new puppets. If it were populist support that kept Communist governments in power around the world one would not see states efforts to cripple freedoms of the press, of assembly, and of religion. Current Communist governments fear a slippery slope, and perhaps rightfully so, where an inch of social freedom given would mimic Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms in the late 1980’s and lead to an eventual collapse. Russia’s Political culture is more authoritarian than a lot of countries around the world, but today it is a functioning quasi-democracy with authoritarian overtones. This goes to show that in the right circumstances, Russian’s can and will subject themselves to semi-authoritarian rule. Under other circumstances, such as the situation in the 1990’s that followed the collapse of the Soviet system, it’s a wonder that authoritarianism didn’t come back in force. Putin still governs with legitimacy at the front of his mind, and hasn’t suspended the constitution or ruled by decree. True democracy can and will eventually be realized, but realistically this is only possible through generational replacement and hard, slow change. The privatization process can be viewed with much rightful criticism, it didn’t take into account Russians lack of understanding of the West’s definition of ‘rational economic behavior’, nor did it find a happy middle ground between the two extremes of command economy and wild-west capitalism. What it did do was change the rules of the game being played. We can fault the broad shock therapy method for any number of shortcomings in the economic policy in the Russian arsenal, but it accomplished one incredibly more important goal. It changed the rules of the game. People who knew the rules (or knew which new rules were coming), mobsters, party officials, and Western interests, leapt upon the opportunity to make money hand over fist. This is still a vastly improved scenario as opposed to gradual economic reform, with the state greedily holding onto the â€Å"commanding heights† of the economy, and leaving the unprofitable sectors open for private investment and development. The large majority of the Russian people didn’t have a firm grasp on private property, or selling one of two cows to buy a bull, or how to ‘invest’ with these vouchers. The sharks ate them up in the incredibly free market. This is a point that was necessary for the facilitation o f real capitalism and eventually democracy in Russia. How does one instill in its population the concepts that go hand in hand with capitalism? My answer would be to force them to adapt to a changed environment. Gradual change would’ve perpetuated for a longer time the stagnation and poor cost-management of the Soviet period. An aggressive and immediate changing of the environment began the painful instilling of capitalist values into the populace and government. After the dust cleared and a new millennia unveiled, Vladimir Putin inherited a new Russia, with new problems, and an semi-regulated albeit capitalist system. I also reject the notion that a stake in a company translates to a certain level of commitment and productivity associated with it. I can think of just in my own history a number of bosses with a small level of commitment to the company, they weren’t there to operate or manage, they were there to own. That being said I’ve also experienced several hands-on owners, who corrected the techniques of severa l employees to their liking. My other inference comes from day-traders on the Stock Market. People with no vested interest in a company putting their money up because they think the stock will go up, not necessarily because they believe in the product. One doesn’t need a stake in a company to incentivize success within it, it sure helps, but it is not required and wouldn’t have made the Russian transition any less painful. The decades of propaganda had really affected some 10% of the population and they were the ones who fell off the cliff when the system changed. Russia in the 1990’s was bad, but it was nothing compared to the massive famines that led to the deaths of millions of Russians, or the Great Depression. Many Russian’s who bought into the Soviet ideology were left out in the cold, yet others found jobs, and others made easy money. 1991 was a turbulent time in Russia, the collapse of the system left countless questions unanswered about what the Russian state and its business sector would look like after the dust settled. I see absolutel y no way, no system, no path that could’ve mediated such a drastic change with minimal economic displacement and suffering. We could’ve lessened the blow with a Russian version of the Marshall Plan, but frankly that was much too much to expect from America. We were in a position of triumph after decades of struggle, and the prospect of the massive new markets had American businesspeople salivating. The Marshall plan also wouldn’t have worked as well as it did in Western Europe because the political and economic culture of Russia was very different from Western Europe. Saturating a country with cash and loans to build (or rebuild in the case of Western Europe) modern infrastructure was out of the question. Half the reasoning behind the Marshall Plan in the first place was to cultivate capitalism, and combat the spread of communism. What is to be gained from a US policy of propping up our old foe? This is especially true when there was so much money to be made via exploitation. Russia in the 1990’s was exactly was America desired it to be, complacent. The Russian mob played a major role in blocking true market reforms; they reveled in the post-collapse chaos and orchestrated the major piece of the Russian economy that is sti ll today conducted underground, and more importantly, free of tax revenue. While this percentage has decreased considerably, it still accounts for nearly a double digit hole in economic exchanges. Along with the mob, the Communist Party knew what was going to happen and planned accordingly. They snapped up the profitable sectors of the economy for pennies on the dollar and became fabulously wealthy. Both groups served as major obstacles in the path of real reform, and real democracy for Russia. The fact is that the reforms proposed were free-market in principle and not free-market in practice. Favors, subsidies, inside information, and possessing capital (not to mention the knowledge of how to use it) made for a grossly tilted economic playing field in Russia. Just like water, the money flowed down the tilt and into the hands of elites and future oligarchs, leaving real policy and progress for later leaders and generations to wrestle with. To quote Winston Churchill, â€Å"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.† Western style democracy is by no means the pinnacle of human achievement, it is however a necessary condition to providing the basis for equality of opportunity, rule of law, and political representation. That is not to say that there is no value in the Russian path, or that it is inherently wrong. Order just isn’t as valuable (according to the West) when one holds the aforementioned societal values. Order works for Russia, much better than it ever could’ve worked in the â€Å"Go west, young man† America that encompassed so much of the formation of our identity. Order keeps the barbarians out, order keeps the serfs from rebelling, order centralizes power in an Empire. Russia, without the concept of order built in like ours of liberty, would’ve faltered and fell from the world stage many times, of this I have no doubt.. The two biggest examples of Order trumping Liberty (in Russia) I can imagine are the invasions of Napoleon and Hitler. In the former and the latter, slash and burn tactics were employed. Hell, Moscow was a husk in the dead of winter when Napoleon got there, and I have no doubt that similarly drastic measures would’ve been taken to preserve the Soviet state. People throughout the best land in Russia, burned their property, poisoned their livestock, poisoned their water, destroyed everything of use, and fled. The enormous sense of communal responsibility and togetherness that these behaviors exhibit illustrate that Order worked and may continue to work for Russians, in the same manner that Liberty worked for Americans. I could never imagine American’s destroying everything in the face of invasion and retreating. That’s sacrilegious in this country; luckily we didn’t have quite as aggressive neighbors as Russia had. The Russian political system must meet several criteria I believe before it is widely accepted as completely legitimate. First off, centrist parties crafted by United Russia have to dissipate. They’re there to fracture opposition support, and nullify the voices of the overriding political currents that sway governments to control of one party or another. Representative politics works best when it represents the electorate, if there are pressures to decrease opposition support via backhanded ways, then that is where one sees wide-spread dissent. United Russia may have the backing of a majority of the Russian citizenry, for now, but by treating the opposition as the problem rather than part of the solution, Putin and by extension United Russia is alienating many mainstream voters on the left and right. Their reaction is to then become more extreme and problemati c because they’re being talked down to. When legitimate political parties and beliefs aren’t represented, parties and organizations that hold them have nothing to lose by taking up much more extremist views. If they felt that United Russia would play ball, they wouldn’t be taking the positions that they have taken. They would come to the table with more of a pragmatist view and plan of compromise. The military’s role in the democratization of Russia needs to be minimal. I am of the belief that a Roman-style coup utilizing the military is a very real albeit remote possibility. Civilians need to be the head of their equivalent to the Department of Defense, and ending discrimination in the armed services is a must for minorities in Russia to truly feel that they have a say and a stake in the country as it moves forwards. Divided government demands compromise, and it is yet to be seen whether Russia is ready to grapple with and deal with people who don’t agree with you. As of this point, the answer has been to silence them, or to shuffle them into a centrist party like sheep, or to run up the tally of people who think like you. For Russia to move past the post-Soviet period it must start engaging opposition, utilize independent parties, and stop fighting the opposition. This is very possible, just not at a breakneck pace. Russia’s value of Liberty will inevitably keep the country moving towards a more representative and legitimate democracy, but its value of Order will make sure that it is a slow and deliberate process.

The Images In The Novel Oliver Twist English Literature Essay

The Images In The Novel Oliver Twist English Literature Essay The aim of the following thesis is to present the image of a child in Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. On the strength of this novel, the author will attempt to discuss the importance of a childs psychological, physiological and emotional needs, and ways of their fulfilment in the process of a childs development. Children are innocent and defenceless human beings and to ensure their safe and proper growth, they need to be provided with an environment conducive to their healthy development. Adults often overlook the importance of their childs needs, they are simply unaware of their existence, and in consequence, children mature into troubled and unstable individuals. The lack of parental support, which often results in neglect, abuse and childs humiliation, may in fact seriously injure the childs psyche. Most Charles Dickens novels feature an image of a child Pip, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield; in his portrayals Dickens argues that children and adults perceive the world differently. In spite of their limited knowledge and experience children are acute and sensitive observers. In his novels, Dickens shows children, who struggle with the adversities of adult life, children who have no childhood and must survive against the hostile society of the Victorian England caught in the frenzy of the Industrial Revolution. The author relies often on his own experiences, his childhood was disturbed by the tragedies in his own family, which gives his novels a sense of authenticity. Charles Dickens was born on 7th February 1812 in Portsmouth in England as a son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. His fathers irresponsibility and lack of ambitions were the reasons why his family situation was often uncertain. He was always in debt and, as a consequence, in 1824, when Charles was only twelve years old, his father was imprisoned, together with his family. However, through his uncles instigation, young Charles found employment at a newly opened blacking factory and was spared from the prisons sentence. Michael Slater, Dickenss biographer, shows how this experience influenced small Dickens: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Dickens leaves no doubt as to the degree of the psychological and emotional earthquake suffered by his twelve-year-old self: It is wonderful to me how I could have been so easily cast away at such an ageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ No advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no consolation, no support, from any one [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] I might easily have been, for any care that was taken of me, a little robber or a little vagabond.  [1]   Dickens is an expert at childrens feelings and emotions, and through his works, he urges adults to be sensitive towards their fragile personalities. His novels, and his child characters, witness the abuse of children in the Victorian Period. His works were to give voice to children who desperately needed help and who rarely were able to communicate their needs and even more seldom obtained the help they needed. The first chapter of the following thesis is divided into four parts. In the first part, the author will describe the importance of childrens psychological needs necessary to their proper growth. The emphasis will be placed upon the needs fulfilment methods and the consequences of not fulfilling them: a lack of a childs psychic stability, problems in adolescence, etc. In the second part of Chapter One, the author will discuss violence against children in the Victorian Period and its consequences. On this occasion, the ideas of a Polish psychologist, Aleksandra Sobkowska will be presented in the context of the recent findings of New Psychology. Still in Chapter One, I will introduce Abraham Maslows psychological theory of the hierarchy of human needs. At the end of the same chapter, the author of the thesis will present the figure of Charles Dickens as a victim of the Victorian epochs Industrial Revolution, a victim of social injustice and economic deprivation, a victim of childhood i nterrupted. The Second Chapter will focus on the characterization of and the role of children in the Victorian society in the period of the Industrial Revolution. On that occasion, Oliver Twist, Dickenss portrayal of children in the historical and socio-economic context, will be discussed in detail and placed in the context of the Maslowian theory of the hierarchy of needs. In this chapter, the author will also ponder on Dickens involvement in the struggle against a childs exploitation; it is not clear whether in his books, the author aimed at evoking sympathy for the children and their plight, and thus he wrote mainly for the adult readership; or attempted to elucidate children on the causes of their unjust and despicable conditions. Chapter One Childrens needs and violence against children. The aim of the following chapter is to present the importance of needs in childrens psychological growth. In the course of Chapter One, the author of the thesis will refer to the foundations of Abraham Maslows theory of the hierarchy of needs. The author will also discuss different types of violence against children as the most detrimental element in a childs psychological development. Finally, Charles Dickens life will be placed in the context of the Victorian period. Childrens psychological needs Psychological needs of a human being are of great importance first and foremost for children, however, adults very often forget about it. Satisfying a childs material needs such as clothing, feeding, etc, they are convinced that they adequately fulfil their parental responsibility. In the light of modern psychology such an attitude is viewed critically. Though easily convinced that material goods are all they need, children become increasingly dissatisfied. Disturbing signals in our daily life children committing serious crimes, children becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, adolescents dropping out of school; are all but proof of the existence of an area in a childs psyche that remains overlooked and neglected. Children differ significantly from one another; therefore, each child has to be treated separately whether it is by its parents or educators. Adults usually realize far too late how important they are for their childrens development, generally when their children start misbehaving and cause problems.  [2]  In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to study the mechanism of the needs formation; then consciously new and positive needs a need to discover, to know, to feel good about oneself can be created. As far as the mechanism of creating new needs is concerned, they are formed first through satisfying the needs that already exist. It is very important to offer children the opportunity to develop new and valuable needs, and rewarding responses of the environment have a great influence on childrens psychic growth. One of the main needs that are worth mentioning here is the need of emotional contact between a mother and a child. At the beginning, this contact has a more physical character, but in time, the character of this contact changes. It has a more psychological sense and needs another form of fulfilment.  [3]  Parents are able to create proper conditions to form a childs personality; to achieve this aim, parents must continuously observe and recognize their childs needs and try to understand them. Many factors have an influence on a harmonious course of a childs development, including all psychophysical processes, and affect the childs future stance point of view, and the way she or he is perceived by the society.  [4]   Human needs are divided into: material, biological, organic and psychological ones. Generally, psychological needs are additionally divided into: A need of safety shaped in ontogenesis A cognitive need An activity need A need of independence and personal development An emotional and social interaction need A sense of belonging and acceptance need A possession need b. Violence against children as the negation of proper development A child who is harmed is the one who is suffering due to improper behaviour of other people, mainly parents and guardians, and who experiences injustice and a sense of powerlessness. This process, whether intentional or unintentional, and resulting from adults actions, may have a negative influence on a childs physical or psychological development.  [5]   Dickens stories abound in episodes involving both psychological and physical abuse among children. Children rob one another of dignity and belongings. They accumulate anger and frustration in themselves. They are weak and dominated by adults and find abusing their equals or weaker ones as the only possible way of venting their anger. Violence against children leads unavoidably to violence in children. This too is a result of a childhood interrupted, of a thwarted development. Violence against children is the most perverted form of violence; children are defenceless and innocent human beings at a formative stage, who are susceptible to a physical and to psychological injury. Though violence may reside in children themselves, for example, in unwanted, problematic, chronically ill or disabled children; in the majority of cases, children are victims of violence perpetrated by adults. Violence occurs in many different circumstances, and may have different forms, but generally three groups of reasons for its occurrence may be distinguished: violence in children directed against others (children as well as adults) is a result of the childrens frustration with their own health (disabled and chronically ill children), with their social and indirectly economic status (orphaned children, children of alcoholics, etc.) and, importantly, often is a consequence of war; violence in parents directed at children which often is a result of social pathologies dysfunctional families; violence being a result of a familys social isolation owed to their religion, ethnicity, social or economic status, etc. According to Aleksandra Sobkowska, a Polish psychologist, there is a conventional division of violence against children based on its type: physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Negligence of children is sometimes considered to be the mildest form of violence, however, it is most common, and it is extremely harmful and just like any other form of psychical abuse beatings, torture, etc. extends its effects into the sphere of a childs psyche. Therefore, the distinction between physical and psychological abuse, at least in terms of their lasting effects psychical and psychological scars overlap and blur. In Sobkowskas view, psychical abuse of children has cognitive, emotional and behavioural consequences a childs abuse syndrome may be manifested by: a lack of a sense of security a lack of a sense of belonging to the closest people a lack of or low self-esteem spiritual loneliness a feeling of being harmed a feeling and consciousness of guilt and shame difficulty in forming relationships. In Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, there are many examples of child abuse and violence ranging from the very basic lack of alimentation: Unfortunately for the experimental philosophy of the female to whose protecting care Oliver Twist was delivered over, a similar result usually attended the operation of her system; for at the very moment when a child had contrived to exist upon the smallest possible portion of the weakest possible food, it did perversely happen in eight and half cases out of ten, either that it sickened from want and cold, or fell into another world, and there gathered to the fathers which it had never known in this.  [6]   through terrible living conditions; An unfinished coffin on black tressels, which stood in the middle of the shop, looked so gloomy and death-like that a cold tremble came over him, every time his eyes wandered in the direction of the dismal object: from which he almost expected to see some frightful form slowly rear its head, to drive him mad with terror. The recess beneath the counter in which his flock mattress was thrust, looked like a grave.  [7]   resulting in a sense of fear and spiritual loneliness: He was alone in a strange place; and we all know how chilled and desolate the best of us will sometimes feel in such a situation. The boy had no friends to care for, or to care for him. The regret of no recent separation was fresh in his mind; the absence of no loved and well-remembered face sank heavily into his heart.  [8]   Psychological violence is a conscious destruction or significant limitation on a childs possibility of proper development. Ranging from insults, as can be seen in the following episode from Oliver Twist: Get downstairs, little bag o bones. With this the undertakers wife opened a side door, and pushed Oliver down a steep flight of stairs into a stone cell, damp and dark, forming the ante-room to the coal-cellar, and denominated the kitchen.  [9]   It is hard to draw any conclusive ideas as to what future awaited Oliver, and whether his childhood filled with pain brought to bear on his life as an adult. There is a note to the preface of Charles Dickens Oliver Twist which say: It tells the story of an unfortunate orphan boy from his early years in the harsh environment of the workhouse, to his struggle for survival in the dangerous world outside its gates.  [10]   A parallel between the story of Oliver Twist, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a boy who dares to ask for more  [11]  and the life of Charles Dickens is evident. As a young boy, Dickens was forced to work in one of Britains infamous sweatshops, or as they were often referred to, children factories. His fathers debts put the whole family in prison; only young Charles was spared his freedom, however, in exchange for hard labour in a blacking workshop. In a way similar to most children from poor neighbourhoods of London, Dickens suffered pains of poverty hunger and all things most children his age would take for granted. Hunger haunted little Charles, something that is echoed in the story of Oliver Twist, but what pained him more was his hopelessness against the odds set by the cruel society of the 19th century Britain. Britain was undergoing a period of transformation; the Industrial Revolution was at its peak; many people fled the impoverished countryside and settled in big cities. There, they we re exploited by the capitalist industrialists. Slavery was by then outlawed in Britains overseas colonies, importing cheap labour was out of the question, yet the growing economy needed hands, many hands, inexpensive hands. In such circumstances, children became a commodity cheap and easy to manage. Factories soon filled with little children whose parents, all the while working themselves to near death, still failed to make ends meet. This is an era of Britains great economic expansion; this is an era that witnessed the birth of communism. Britain was getting rich, or at least the rich were getting richer; for the rest the society was falling apart. Many children faced a very bleak future; orphaned (mostly through abandonment); deprived of any possibility for social advancement, just like Oliver Twist, veered onto the dangerous path of crime. Dickens resisted the temptations of becoming a criminal; perhaps, in that sense, he was lucky; his contacts with Londons underworld remained luckily within the confines of his fantasy. I might easily have been, for any care that was taken of me, a little robber or a little vagabond  [12]  Dickens, a literary giant of the Victorian England, was first and foremost, its victim. As a child, he suffered all the deprivations shared by most of his books characters Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, Pip and David Copperfield; whose lives stories became a great testimony of Britains shameful past a past tainted by abuse against the innocent and the weakest children. c. Maslows hierarchy of needs This part of the thesis is based on the psychological theory authored by Abraham Maslow. Among other things, he wrote about human nature being good or at least neutral. It cannot be assumed that a child is born with a bad nature.  [13]  Because of its pessimistic, negative and restricted conception of human nature, Maslow became very critical of psychology. Unlike other scientists, he conducted his tests on healthy people, people without, for example, brain injuries; and he reached a number of new and innovative conclusions concerning personality. He claimed that psychology is much more occupied with peoples weaknesses rather than strengths; that the main focus of psychological studies is sin, and virtue tends to be omitted.  [14]   Maslows hierarchy of needs is represented by the following diagram: Maslow recognises, and illustrates his notion by means of a pyramid, that human needs can be divided into five levels, four of which represent deficiency needs (referred to also as basic needs) and are associated with human physiology. Only when those needs are satisfied, a human develops a need of self-actualization (referred to also as growth needs). d. Society in the Victorian Age Dickens hero, Oliver Twist, lived in a difficult time characterised by changes and the resulting serious crisis in the politics, economy and religious life. Victorians expected progress, rapid changes that were to improve their daily lives; apart from the elite, life in the nineteenth century was very hard for most of simple citizens, especially for children. Many peasants, driven away from the countryside by the prospects of better lives in the cities, fell victim of industrial exploitation and the capitalist system of economy. Cities grew in population too rapidly, forcing many to live in squalid neighbourhoods filled with filth and crime. Urbanization meant more places of work, but the cost of living in big cities often exceeded an average familys means. Families were large or too large; people lived in overcrowded houses in hand-to-mouth conditions. Industrial production was carried on at great risks and causing suffering of men, women and children. Britains status as the worksho p of the world was achieved at a great human cost  [15]  . People including small children worked fifteen or sixteen hours a day in, most of the time, unbearable conditions. The majority of people the so-called working class, which ironically included the unemployed, lived in the scruffiest of households. The industrialists treated the less fortunate, especially children, simply, and only, like objects, manpower. Children were exploited more than adults, because they never dared to ask for more. What is more, parents willingly agreed to this exploitation, even of very small children (often younger than six years of age), because they, too, could earn a few pennies. This extra income for starving families was at times a matter of life and death. Children employed in industry, suffered and often fell ill, at times irreversibly. Their childhood was taken away from them, but what is more, the precarious working and employment conditions, often forced them into the streets where they begged or stole to survive. Most children were denied the stability of having a home, being abandoned by their parents. Sometimes they were subjected to violence or solitude, being under-nourished or even starving, covered with rags, sleeping in empty cellars. Deprived of love and support from adults, they were neglected and lonely among others. The working class children had no rights and their hardship earned them no respect. People in Victorian England believed they were doing what was best for their children. But they were gripped by an idea which was widespread at that time that children were empty vessels, containing nothing worthwhile until filled with what adults judged best.  [16]   Dickens in his novels depicted the Victorian societys major problems. The writer portrayed the society in all its variety, touching all their problems but the theme to which he always returned, was the family, childhood, injustice, inequality, crime, corruption, scandals, poverty, as well as the suffering of children. Whatever he wrote was written with passion, because he experienced seeing life, from the point of view of the poor people and abused children. In his time, few people understood children as well as Dickens did, and he was the first writer who described childrens thoughts and feelings capturing the way they spoke, behaved, and suffered. Chapter two Childrens needs and violence against children based on Dickens novel Oliver Twist. The aim of the following chapter is to present the connection between a childs needs and life in the Victorian Age on the basis of Dickens novel Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist is the first novel in which Dickens speaks out against social injustice and an inadequate economic system that condoned the plight of the poorest, yet the largest, segment of British society. His, is not a portrait of a happy and harmonious family, but a debt-ridden, broken family where children, unless employed in Britains worst workshops, are viewed as a burden. The author tries to show terrible conditions in workhouses where poor people were forced to live and work if they could not pay their debts. In his novel Oliver Twist, Dickens also draws a critical picture of charitable foundations and their involvement in childrens orphanages. Additionally, Dickens sheds light on Londons dangerous criminal underworld. The main character of the novel, Oliver, is a neglected, illegitimate child. He does not know his father and his mother died at his birth. He is brought up as an orphan in cruel conditions in an orphanage typical of the Victorian Age. This small and lonely child is drawn into the world of brutality and violence. The fact that he does not have parents increased his loneliness and difficulties in life because he is deprived of their support which is very important, especially at the beginning of everyones life. Having a normal life is important for a child, but for Oliver that proved an unattainable dream. Oliver spends the first nine years of his life in a badly run home for young orphans and later he is transferred to a workhouse for adults. There, not only does he lack means to secure himself a decent upbringing, but is constantly short of the essentials such as sufficient amount of food, a room to sleep or clean clothes. When he is nine, he is still a child and he does not understa nd the world around him, especially his own status. Once, he asks an adult what it means to be an orphan: Boy, said the gentleman in the high chair, listen to me. You know you are an orphan, I suppose? Whats that, sir? inquired poor Oliver. The boy is a fool I thought he was, said the gentleman in a white waistcoat.  [17]   Oliver is afraid of adults; he does not understand why strangers decide about his future and his life, and in their presence he often trembles and cries. One of the most important and memorable images in the novel is the moment when Oliver feels extreme hunger and asks for something more to eat: Please, sir. I want some more.  [18]  This famous scene is symbolic in that sense that it expresses Olivers revolt against his situation. He does not understand that such behaviour is unacceptable in the workhouse and he is beaten as a result and then put up for sale, like an object, not a human being. Oliver acts against the rules because the situation in the workhouse is abnormal; his basic needs are not satisfied. The living conditions in the workhouses of the 19th century Britain were very severe and often these harbingers of modern day sweatshops resembled more prisons than houses. The treatment of children was terribly bad, some of them even starved to death. The sufferings of children in the Victorian Age indicate that their basic needs were not satisfied. The fundamental, basic needs which are essential for our survival, such as proper nourishment, a place to sleep, warmth were not met then. According to Maslow, food occupies the lowest level of the pyramid in the hierarchy of needs, and belongs to the very primitive group of needs, which are essential for survival; refusing proper nourishment to hungry people, especially children is the negation of humanity. What is more, Oliver Twist is denied safety and stability; he is an unloved and lonely child thrown into unsympathetic adult world, where he lacks parental love, affection and protection. In Maslowian theory, Oliver is denied access to the second developmental level and his need to feel safe remains unfulfilled. At the beginning, Oliver is not aware of his situation; gradually, however, he comes to realize his standing: I am a very little boy, sir; and it is so- so à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ So what? inquired Mr Bumble in amazement. So lonely, sir! So very lonely! Cried the child [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦].  [19]   This small boy feels he should have some rights as a human being and he seeks love. It is only natural for a boy like Oliver to look for love and a sense of belonging, a feeling that gives people a sense of stability. Again, the fundamental need, the third level of the Maslowian pyramid representing the hierarchy of needs necessary for a childs proper physiological and psychological development remains unfulfilled. Although he leaves the workhouse, his circumstances never improve; he moves in with Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker. Subjected to moral and physical oppression, Oliver continues to feel lonely, cold and abandoned; in his new home he has no place to sleep: Then come with me, said Mrs Sowerberry, taking up a dim dirty lamp, and leading the way upstairs; your beds under the counter. You dont mind sleeping among the coffins, I suppose? But it doesnt much matter whether you do or dont, for you cant sleep anywhere else.  [20]   Another boy, named Noah Claypole, who too is a worker at Sowerberrys workshop, constantly abuses Oliver, but the main character endures his fate without a word of complaint. One day however, acting on an impulse, Oliver fights off Noahs attacks. He fights in defence of his mothers name but despite his innocence, Oliver is severely punished. This situation illustrates the Maslows notion of violence being a result of a thwarted development in an environment where a childs basic needs remain unfulfilled; violence and other forms of anti-social behaviour are a consequence. In other words, a child who is deprived of an opportunity to fulfil his needs uses aggression, turns to aggression; he/she does not act like a normal child. This moment in the novel marks another important transition; Oliver demands to be respected he reacts with violence against the insults used with regard to his mother an action that points to the fourth level of the Maslowian pyramid, the need of esteem. Oliver decides to escape because he refuses to endure his treatment. He chooses London hoping to change his life for better. In spite of being exhausted and hungry; he does not give up and is still full of hope and determined. He meets Dodger, who offers him a helping hand. Unaware, Oliver joins a gang of juvenile pick-pockets, run by a Jewish emigrant named Fagin. Dodger and other young boys, and now Oliver, roam the streets of London stealing, when they can, hanging out, laughing. Fagins gang creates an authentic society and provides these unwanted boys with security and a sense of belonging. Oliver has never known this kind of life; he is drawn to it to gain respect amongst peers, but also to feel accepted, relied on, and needed. At the beginning, Oliver does not realise that he has joined a criminal group. He does not understand the whole situation but tries to be a quick learner and to acquire new skills, i.e. pick pocketing. However, because he has little experience, or simply because he still is a naÃÆ' ¯ve little boy, he gets caught and arrested. Fortunately for Oliver, Mr. Brownlow, one of the gangs victims, recognizes the boys innocence, exonerates the boy during the investigation and takes him into his custody. Oliver leads now a better life, at last, but he is not sure if his benefactor will not one day send him back into the streets of London. He asks Mr. Brownlow: Oh, dont tell me you are going to send me away, sir, pray! [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Dont turn me out of doors to wander in the streets again. Let me stay here and be a servant. Dont send me back to the wretched place I came from. Have a mercy upon a poor boy, sir!  [21]   Mr. Brownlow, however, reassures the boy of his true devotion to his upbringing: My dear child, said the old gentleman, moved by the warmth of Olivers sudden appeal, you need not be afraid of my deserting you, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [22]   A few weeks later, however, Oliver is kidnapped by Nancy a prostitute who is incited by Fagin. What is more, he vanished precisely when Mr Brownlow entrusts him with money and sends him shopping. Oliver does not think about himself but is afraid that Mr. Bro

Emotional Branding :: essays research papers

This article explaining emotional branding was an interesting read. The beginning of the story really grabbed my attention. I have always found it a comfort to realize that even truly intelligent people cannot understand everything and do sometimes have to ask for explanations. Although we have all been told that there is no such thing as a stupid question, except a question that is not asked, it is difficult in the business world to ask for help or an explanation, without feeling inferior, or worrying if your business colleagues will think you are incompetent. The author actually wrote in this article that, â€Å"after years of helping companies build their brands, I’m still baffled by the reality that so many smart business people still don’t understand the power of a brand.† At first I was irritated with this statement and worried that the rest of the article would just be egotistical praise on the author and his vast knowledge. I was glad that he recovered and redeemed himself in the next sentence by stating that, â€Å"it was the first time [he] realized that the one thing that has the most dramatic impact on the success or failure of a modern-day business is also the least understood. I completely agree with the fact that a brand is not a part of a business; it is actually the business. If a company does something to ruin its brand in the eyes of consumers, it has damaged its business and may go bankrupt. It is very important that a company is consistent with its brand. If it is not consistent with its brand, then consumers may find it hard to view that company as trustworthy. This is a rather difficult task, because branding is not something that is typically taught in business school. Trying to find a successful brand is basically trial-and-error, because there is not a definite formula that businesses can use to develop a brand.

Free YGB Essay - Formalistic Approach to Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown:   The Formalistic Approach In reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown, I found many of the formalistic approach concepts in this short story. The concepts in this short story were simple to see and to understand. There was much discussion about the symbolism, allegory, and allusion, along with the ambiguity, and form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The formalistic approach to reading is one of the most common approaches to reading literature. The formalistic approach has three main points to it: symbolism, allegory, and allusion. However these are not the only criteria that belong to the formalistic approach. Ambiguity, form, and organic form are also a part of it. Symbolism can refer to an image. "When an image takes on meaning beyond its objective self, it moves into the realm of symbolism (86)". Allegory is "a one to one equivalence between the surface meaning and a higher meaning(101)". An example of this is a man named Christian that is christian. Allusion is a reference to something else, maybe another piece of literature or another movie. Allusion can lead to the reader's knowledge of the rest of the story. Ambiguity is the use of a particular word, but yet the word itself has many different meanings. Form is the way the reader identifies a story whether it is a story or a poe m. The organic form has two parts: the local texture and logical structure. The local texture is the specific metaphors while the logical structure is the basic idea or argument of the story. In Young Goodman Brown, symbolism is displayed in many areas. The first obvious one is the use of the word faith. Young Goodman Brown has a wife named Faith and in the later part of the story he actually loses his faith. The pink ribbon can also be used as a symbol. This is also a demonstration of ambiguity. Red often refers to sex while white refers to purity. However since pink is a mixture between red and white this leads us to think that there can be suspicion in this story. Other symbols from this book are the names of the people. In our class discussion we talked about the Puritans and the way they named their children. They name their children after things that are very important to them such as faith, purity, and chasity. Throughout this book there are many names used such as Faith and Goodman Brown.

A child centred society Essay

Present British society is certainly more child centred than it ever was. Some may argue Britain is a totally child centred society focusing on the needs and protection of children. However this hasn’t always been the case, back to as recent as just before the 20th century children were regarded as ‘little adults’ who could be hanged or punished for crimes, work and behave just the same as adults. However there was a major change in attitudes starting with the 1870 education act giving children from the ages 5-13 an opportunity for education. As the ‘little adults’ were now attending school rather than being an economic asset to the family-by going out to work- they became a financial responsibility, more of an investment for the parents, a view reinforced by recent statistics showing an average child costs i 155. 60 a week in the UK. Other social policies devised by the government include the factory acts such as the factory and workshop act of 1901 raising minimum working age to 12 and then consequently up to 16. the 1889 prevention of cruelty to children act was another policy, all these with the combination of recent laws restricting the use of drugs, alcohol, smoking and sex to for under 16s and 18s have sent out the message that children were not the same as adults, needed to be treated differently and above all needed protection. These, along with welfare provisions such as social services, child benefits and higher standard of living and medical knowledge ensure better attachment to the children have led to a massive change of attitude where the difference between children and adults is concerned, and ensure children stay healthy and safe being protected. However some may argue that Britain is far from being the rosy happy child centred society it may be portrayed as, Neil Postmans view is that if Britain was indeed a completely child centered society there would be no threat to children whatsoever. This is no the case with 17,727 cases of sexual crimes against children being reported in 2010/11 within England and whales. Along with 1 in 9 young adults reporting experiences of physical violence committed by adults in there childhood means although the majority of children are protected its not all. Neil Postman also argues childhood is disappearing due to the increasing integration of children and adults life accessed via the media, exposing children to adult issues and behaviour through tv programmes such as soaps are bringing the lives of children and adults closer. This is also reflected in the increasing similarity of dress ode between young children and their adult counterparts. To conclude I would say Britain is, at the moment mainly a child centered society, we do not have an economy dependant by 20% on children unlike India so it is definitely better than most. However it cannot be said that Britain is totally a child centered society although it has improved greatly not all children do experience the protection they needed and do come across violence and abuse in their childhood.