Formal and Informal Organisations Management

Introduction This essay is based on Formal and Informal organisations and the details and difference between the two. Recommendations and conclusions are also drawn based on the information presented. Formal and Informal Organisations The fundamental concepts of formal and informal organisations are regarded with the nature and processes in the workplace. A formal organization is the actual framework of the organization including its organizational chart and its chain of command which determines accountability.However, within the informal organization, otherwise known as the ‘grapevine’ in a business, is the familiar working relationships that are established in the business place and contributes significantly to work culture. (Reingold, 2007) The real purpose of an organizational chart is to effectively outline the structure of the formal organization. It shows who is accountable to whom, from the top management to middle management and front line employees. It also sho ws the horizontalrelationships of the different functional and operational divisions and department personnel.This chart consists of the functional framework and is important in the workplace to establish stability, clarity in work relationships and reporting standards between supervisors and subordinates. (Parker, 2002) Although top management in some businesses does not take into account, the actuality of informal organizations when trying to determine culture, it does have an essential influence on work dynamism. Workers interact with each other at different intervals and in different situations such as lunch, in the break room, and even after work.These encounters can greatly influence the level of the sense of belongingness each employee experiences or feels in the working environment. If it is that these encounters are generally negative, the quality of work ethics and morale will be very poor. (Reingold, 2007) Understanding the direct reporting relationships outlined in the o rganizational chart is often less important than knowing the ‘go-to people’ in the company. For ambitious employees, this may mean looking beyondimmediate coworkers and managers and finding helpful mentors and internal coaches that want to help them succeed.Information communication networks are also useful tools in learning how the company works just beyond what is conveyed from top management. It is important to note that when front line employees get prompted into management positions they often forget the significance in striking a balance between the formal structure and informal networks within the business. Disciplined structure and clear reporting relationships are important. However, management also has a lot to gain by remembering that informal networks are real and is of much use.Managers can maximize insight on how employees feel towards their jobs and how functional terms are operating through familiar conversations. While formal relationships are key to ac complishing organizational and departmental goals and objectives they are sometimes restrictive to open interactions. (Parker M. , 2003) An example of a formal organization would be the Jamaica National Building Society which has clear concise goals written and duly communicated. It is a registered financial institution that provides service to the public in a very organized and structured manner both in physical space and information management.An example of an informal organization would be a study group where interactions are familiar and there is no legal framework or organizational structure that governs the operations of the group. In businesses, employees are both part of the formal organization as well as the informal. A sales clerk in a marketing company is part of the formal structure of the business and is given a job description and specification but can also be part of an informal organization within the same business such as a partner group.Recommendation Individuals i n an organization normally work according to the structure prescribed by formality. However, at the same time, they develop other relationships in the organization, which may be deeply grounded on personal rather than work related principles. Both formal and informal organisations exist in all businesses and can impact their operations in negative and positive ways. My preference and recommendations with regards to choosing between the two would be the formal organization as it has many advantages.It constitutes the fundamental structure of the delegation of work and responsibilities. Without a structure it would be very difficult for employees to agree between themselves and their roles and functions and such problems multiply in large amounts with the increase in size of the organization. In addition to this, formal organisations generate clarity of what support and input each employee can expect form others and in turn what is expected of him/her by others. Extreme discipline is promoted in the business and so employees have respect for each other.In formal organisations it is easier to review and revise the organization with changing requirements. It provides a framework or structure for laying down pay scales and taking other decisions linked to organizational levels. It also helps in other human resources development activities such as recruitment, promotions, career planning and development and manpower planning. Conclusion Formal organisations are characterized by a chain of command and empowered individuals to enforce agreed upon rules. Rotary clubs and boy scouts are examples of formal organisations.They both have a charter stating their place and function in society. On the other hand, an informal organization is one where the participants have no empowered central leader who has the power to enforce rules on the group. References Parker, A. (2002). Myths about Informal Networks. Sloan Management Review , 345-350. Parker, M. (2003). The Psychologica l Foundations of Business Administration. The Early Siciology of Management and Organisations , 216-235. Reingold, J. (2007). Hidden Workplace. Comments on organisation , 706-811.

Breakfast Club Analysis

Ask anyone who was a teenager during the 80s who John Hughes is, they’ll start reciting every movie he has been involved in. He has dabbled in writing, directing and even producing. He will forever be remembered as an icon of the 80s. John Hughes was a writer for National Lampoon magazine in 1979. He was inspired by the success of â€Å"National Lampoon’s Animal House†, written by an associate of National Lampoon Magazine Harold Ramis, Mr. Hughes took a shot at screenwriting. National Lampoon’s Class Reunion, National Lampoon’s Vacation and Mr. Mom were his first screenwriting credits. These films allowed him to direct his first feature film, â€Å"Sixteen Candles†. His films such as â€Å"Weird Science†, †Pretty In Pink† and â€Å"Ferris Bueller’s Day Off† helped him become synonymous with â€Å"teen movies†. He focused on middle class life, which helped his films to be believable and interesting. He portrayed teens in a way that was relatable to his audience. According to Hollywood insiders, if a movie was to be made depicting teenagers and their emotions, John Hughes was the man to create it. Nowhere is this more evident than in â€Å"The Breakfast Club†. Hughes portrayed his characters in five types: the brain, the jock, the princess, the misfit and the criminal. Everyone who has seen this movie can see themselves in one of these characters. I fell somewhere between the jock and the brain. At the beginning of the movie, the characters had little interaction, unless it was hurling insults at each other. Cliques just don’t mix, and they felt like there wasn’t any common ground between them. Then Brian (themisfit), Andrew (the jock), Clare (the princess), Allison (the misfit) and John (the criminal) are forced to spend detention together on a Saturday Morning. That’s when things start to get interesting. During the course of the movie, the characters spend time talking and relating to one another. Each one feels different and alienated. In their own worlds, they have been neglected, abused, bullied, or even ignored by both their families and their other friends. Throughout the movie they realize that although they may seem completely different on the outside, on the inside they are all experiencing the same things. Although this movie is twenty plus years old, the themes of commonality is still true today. It speaks directly to young people. Kids/Students are still trying to find their way and fit in. The character’s of â€Å"The Breakfast Club† makes the audience think, learn, and grow. The film shows that people are wasting time hating someone they don’t know. It shows that if you take time to get to know someone, you may find they are more like you than you thought. You may find empathy for them, and you may find you can learn from them. You may even find that you like them. A reviewer at Reel. com called the movie â€Å"almost quaint in its depiction of disaffected high school students. That is true; parts of the movie is dated. If it was made today, Clare would have a baby. John would have done time for gang activity. Andrew, the jock would be on steroids. Brian and the kid who was beat up by Andrew would have formed the Trench Coat Mafia, and the flare gun in the locker would have been an assault rifle. Allison would not have even made it into the movie beca use she would have hung herself in her bedroom closet waiting to be discovered. Later â€Å"teen flicks† adjusted to the growing sophistication of teenage sensibility. This movie had a message of tolerance, acceptance, and understanding. The Breakfast Club continues to be a classic because the issues presented in the movie about social class and acceptance remains hot topics for high school students. Although the movie is funny, it handles teenage issues with a bit of maturity. The set the standard for other teenage movies. It has made such an impact that MTV honored it with a Silver Bucket of Excellence award. The cultural significance of the movie can also be seen in the recent JC Penny commercial.

Race, Place, and Obesity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Race, Place, and Obesity - Assignment Example obesity, that different racial/ethnic groups face. For a disease to be eliminated, we first need to know all the risk factors that cause its occurrence and the purpose behind this study is to investigate if community-level racial/ethnic composition is a risk factor for obesity. The results and conclusions of this study can steer future interventions in the right direction, which is to minimize these health disparities. 3- I found this literature review to be fulfilling its purpose, information about other researches conducted in the area of community-level obesity and individual-level obesity based on ethnicity/race were mentioned. The need for this study was also explained since no other research has covered the association between a communitys racial/ethnic composition, an individuals race/ethnicity and obesity. 4- This study is addressing two questions. One, whether a communitys racial/ethnic compositions association with obesity overrides characteristics of an individual? Two, if there is an association present between the two, does it differ on account of an individuals own race/ethnicity? 5- The research hypothesis being studied is the presence of a relationship between a communitys racial/ethnic composition and obesity. Since there are social norms dictating lifestyle in every ethnic group, one ethnic/racial group might be in favour of an increased body weight than the other, and whether a person of a different ethnicity living in that community would be susceptible to obesity or not. 6- If the research does result in highlighting that living in a certain racial/ethnic group puts an individual at risk for obesity regardless of his/her own characteristics, it might result in hysteria causing an exodus of people out of that community and social interventions warning against obesity at a community level, the latter being a more positive result. 7- The hypothesis is somewhat clear, that the

Dealing with Quick Wins Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dealing with Quick Wins - Research Paper Example This is exactly what happens in the case of Canadian Tire. Some decision makers within the organization are recommending "quick wins" presently when they are in the middle of implementing a long-term project, which is the redevelopment of a business intelligence (BI) infrastructure. The "quick wins" being referred to are short term projects recommended in response to assessed opportunities. These include the access to daily promotional data, forecasting and model simulation for incremental sales, pricing optimization reports and competitiveness analytics, among others (p.10). These projects were all IT-related and involve constant realignment and redirection of resources. It adversely impacts the long-term BI infrastructure project. In order to address the dilemma, I would like to establish some facts first. Foremost is the importance of the BI infrastructure project currently being undertaken. It is a much called for reform in order for Canadian Tire to be competitive. The long-term strategy will overhaul the way business is conducted in the organization. It is expected that organizational processes will be streamlined, business operations would be more cost effective, workforce will be more productive, decision making will be more informed and, hence, more effective and the organization would be in a better position to respond to risks and opportunities, among other benefits and advantages. On the other hand, the organization is also operating presently with the old model, as the transition being targeted by the reform is not yet completed. Canadian Tire has to respond to the movements of the market, the demands of the consumers, the impact of competition, the emergence of immediate risks and opportunities and a host of other short-term variables. That is why quick wins are imperative. It is clear that both of the points outlined

Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Poverty - Essay Example Many universities and other educational institutions have played an important role in poverty awareness. Through educational programs, they educate the students and the society of the causes of poverty and their effects. Many children around the world are living in extreme poverty with no food to eat. The question is who is to blame? The cause of poverty, in my mind is the gap between the poor and the rich. This gap exists between countries and between individuals. Looking at countries, the rich nations are not willing to help the poor ones out of poverty. They provide aid to them with strings attached. The conditions for aid have always made the countries to be poorer. Within individuals of a particular country, we also find that the gap between the rich and the poor is so wide. The rich in the society do not put up measures to assist those who are poor. They in fact amass more wealth through dubious means such as stealing from the national coffers or tax evasion. In order to end po verty around the world, the developed world should genuinely extend aid. The conditions put forward should encourage positive reforms in the society and not make these countries poorer. The rich countries must also help the poor and not exploit them. In so doing it will enable the society to progress as one and not on individual level. Universities have programs that help alleviate poverty. The universities also do offer scholarships to poor students to enable them access higher education. By getting this education the students are able to engage in gainful employment that raises their economic status. Through education, the students know whether the aid extended is exploitative or gainful. This enables them to stand up against any form of exploitation in the society. University students, when they get out of school should maintain the moral standards taught them by their parents and teachers when in leadership positions or employment. They should not engage in corruption because th ey know how this vice causes poverty in the society. They should also help others who need this education by sponsoring them. Education of a society results in the reduction of poverty. When I get into a leadership position, I will ensure that I put in place strategies that will ensure poverty alleviation in the society. First I know that corruption has been a major cause of poverty, I will ensure that that there is zero tolerance to corruption. There will be no tax evasion or looting of public property. Use the tax that is collected will also on projects that are likely to benefit the majority of taxpayers. With this in place, even the poor can have a share of the ‘national cake’ that can greatly assist them to come out of their poverty. The second measure is to encourage small-scale enterprises. This I can achieve by reducing the legal requirements for the starting of these businesses and providing grants for people who would want to start such businesses. Small scale businesses are a good way to fight poverty because the capital required to start such businesses is normally small and even the poor can afford it. One also needs to be equipped with just the basic entrepreneurial skills to manage such businesses. My leadership will invest in funding these small-scale enterprises to ensure that it assists the poor to come out of their poverty. Thirdly I will also invest in the education sector. Having been in school I am well aware of the role that education plays in

Catholic Charities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Catholic Charities - Essay Example St. Luke's Addiction Recovery Centre offers rehabilitation services for those with substance abuse. This location is well maintained to ensure that it is able to offer its services in an efficient manner and in a pleasing environment. This is a non-governmental organization, which is non-profit social service organization and is aimed at alleviating human suffering by offering the necessary assistance. It has continued services aimed a restoring dignity to the human race. This has been achieved by operating within the set goals and mission (Addiction Treatment Centers, 2008). The mission of Catholic Charities is to honor God by ensuing that they enhance the quality of life and dignity through offering the necessary support to individuals and families, fighting poverty, building communities and working towards a justice cause. The organization offers different types of services. ... sts immigrants; housing services for the homeless; and behavioral health care which includes counseling, prevention and basic treatment offered in sites like Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. In the organization, I was functioning as an intern in the outpatients department. In this section I offered individual therapy. I also facilitated peer led group services with other people in the organization. Internal structure of the organization The whole organization has about 23 staff working in different programs in the organization. All these people are of diverse origin comparable to that of South Florida. The staff is balanced in terms of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, and professional status. Of all the staff there are 20 females and 16 males which shows close gender equality in distribution. The staff has paid close attention to the ethnicity of the community and has included Cubans, African American people, Puerto Rican, Jamaicans, and there are also white American staff members in the organization. The organization is headed by the president who also acts as the chairperson of the board. Under the chairperson there is the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer delegates the duty to Chief Operating Officer who delegates to Financial Officer and Data Security Officer. In matters of operation efficiency, the organization is very efficient in it operation given the great division of labor and specialization in the organization. Every staff member is assigned to their duties, which they attend to efficiently. The initial treatment plan is usually completed within three days of admission. The treatment plans are revised with the counselor after every 30 days. It ensures that a month before discharge at least 72% complete treatment with no alcohol and

Personal journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Personal journal - Essay Example Actually, to come think of it, I don’t really know what drives people to meditate but I guess it must be life’s pressures and stress. But looking at some people I know who meditate, I am not sure if it works. The first meditation site I opened was about guided-meditation techniques. I decided to be guided to meditate using what author had recommended. There was some music that I was asked to download. Upon playing it, a nice woman’s voice came up. There was a sitar playing at the background, sounds of water flowing in the river. I must tell you that I a bit relaxed by the music. Then the woman began to guide me. She asked me to lie down on an easy chair and concentrate on my breath and this is where my problem began. No matter how hard I tried I could not concentrate on my breath, something or the other came to my mind. Contrary to what she was saying, there was no sensation in my legs. All I could think of was school assignments, a friend’s party coming u p or my pocket money. It actually stressed me more than destressing, guess meditation is not my cup of tea.

Management research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Management research - Essay Example This makes it possible to understand the various concepts discussed in the paper. It is possible to distinguish between the different concepts, making the paper easily understood. The topic too is appealing to me as party of the audience. It is easily to relate the topic to general issues affecting people, regardless of the organizations or social groupings, they are in. whether in a critical review exercise or general reading, a journal or any paper needs to have good structure, should captivate the reader through the topic selected for study and have a good flow of ideas. This journal article has all these characteristics, thus appealing to me. A number of elements make the project good. The language chosen for instance, easy to understand, with no grammar errors makes it interesting and good. The author makes use of deep research and clarity in explaining the ideas in the project. Although he does not economize on the use of words, he neither uses too many words in the explanations. This makes it an interesting project to read. Additionally, the depth of the research also makes the paper look good. Since the project focuses on a particular concept, the length is enough to cover the entire concepts in depth and to satisfaction. Max Sully, et al. "Contextual Performance And The Job Satisfaction-Dissatisfaction Distinction: Examining Artifacts And Utility."Human Performance  22.3 (2009): 246-272.  Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. There are a number of things I do not like about the project. The structure of the paper is one of these elements. The structure does not have any appealing power whatsoever to the reader. It looks clumsy and rather unplanned, just from the look of it. The lack of subtopics on the project, and their incorporation only in those areas they appear rather necessary makes it boring to the audience. Some of the concepts appear clumped together, despite being separated by

Aggregate upply Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aggregate upply - Essay Example The Aggregate supply is defined as the amount of goods and services rendered by the national economy during particular time period. According to Keynesian economic model, two different versions are related to it,The aggregate supply in the Keynesian cross diagram is represented by Z curve. If the desired total spending line 'bypasses the Z curve of aggregate supply' (Theory of Linear Economics), the intersection represents the level of production, spending and income.In some of the cases, the aggregate supply and aggregate demand curves are represented by Marshallian supply and demand curve. The curve of aggregate supply is shown increasing in upward direction, with slope parallel to the vertical axis. The upward slope of the aggregate supply is time bounded, and such behavior is prominent only for small time interval. The upward slope of the aggregate supply is because 'aggregate production and price level are directly proportional to each other' (Theory of Linear Economics). The di rect relationship between the aggregate production and price level is because of,According to the neo classical economic model, the production can be increased if the prices of certain commodities are increased for wooing the profit oriented organizations. The reason behind increasing the production, and then subsequently increasing the prices is due to the diminished returns, and therefore the rise in marginal cost is forecasted because one or more production related factors remain stable in short run, and is considered to be at highest extreme, this is termed as fixed capital equipment.Taking into consideration the relationship between the income and production, during certain interval the income is fixed, and therefore the rising profit exemplify the expansion of output. However in case of the previous economic models, the income was subjected to vary with the economic conditions, and both the income and economic conditions share direct relationship. This theory is used to expres s the vertical behavior of the aggregate supply curve in long duration. Another model suggests that the economic behavior is dependent upon many non- uniformed and non- related input parameters. Those input parameters include both the labor and fixed capital accessory. However both the parameters can be unemployed, which has subsequent impact on the profit ratio. The positive slope of the AS curve is well explained with the reasons that, some input parameters are fixed priced on short term basis, and the production experiences resistance as it surges. When the demand of the production unit is lowered, the industrial units avoids optimized usage of their capital equipment, therefore keeping the average price level controlled, the production can be increased in case on minimized returns. Therefore 'flat AS curve is obtained' (Alternative Economic models of Transition). However if the demand factor surges, the production units have other unemployed input parameters, therefore the increase in demand and production increases the prices. Therefore AS curve is vertical. The practice of aggregate supply is normally implemented by the government for increasing the efficiency of production and over all national output. The government mainly applies the aggregate supply principle with the reforms in conformity of supply side policies. The government practices aggregate supply in different public institution including research and development, education and training, social welfare reforms, reforms associated with working class, minimizing the authority of trade union. AGGREGATE DEMAND The net demand of goods and services during particular time interval is termed Aggregate Demand. The individual curves sum up to give aggregate demand. The aggregate demand curve is the

Gun control in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gun control in America - Essay Example The rate of homicide has been directly related to gun ownership according to research and case studies (Hepburn et al., 419). Over 60% of murders involve guns in the United States and are more common in urban areas (Hepburn et al., 419). Individually or as a part of juvenile-crime bill (ESPO), gun control laws have set a precedent for strict legislation against guns by the gun control advocates after each incident of public shooting. The 1999 Colorado school shooting resulted in strict gun control laws to be passed which were never considered likely to be passed before (Gimpel, 92). The laws mainly restricted gun availability to the children and put the responsibility of gun’s use in crime on the owner to curtail usage by minors. The stigma created by the gun control often results in counter arguments and conspiracy theories. The gun control critics rebut claims of the relationship between guns and homicide with the fact that there is lesser gun violence in England and Wales w here firearm availability is less as compared to the United States. The legislation to curb gun control is criticized as unconstitutional with the emphasis on controlling crime and not the guns (Bogart, 339). 1986 Gun Owners Protection Act was one of the successful movements to counter objectionable legislation against gun ownership (Tatalovich et al., 177). The for and against sides of gun control reflected in the government as well as the lawmakers, which makes it equally possible for both sides to get their way; the debate being carried on to lawmaking platforms. Furthermore, illegal arms markets and dealings have only endangered the point of view of the pro-gun activists. The illegal gun trade is generally to facilitate crime and stricter background checks and registration laws have been requested time and again to control such activity. As such, where firearm registration would be a reasonable way to go, absolute abandonment of guns as proposed by the gun control activists is v ehemently opposed by the pro-gun side. Destitute individuals being more likely to misuse guns have been pointed out in different researches; poverty and gun ownership is said to be a bad combination and a motivation for crime (Deborah et al., 92). Gun owners advocate that the law is for the law abiding; criminals will acquire guns illegally for illegal use and only the law abiding citizens would be affected by the gun control laws. A series of ad hominems being thrown on have made the issue delicate and often a point in election campaigns. Firearm storage being a major problem when guns are not properly locked away and are kept loaded cause unfortunate incidents. Unintentional firearm injuries and deaths caused by this have called for further gun control laws (Miller et al., 37). This on the other hand is seen by the gun owners as a need to create awareness about gun safety. Societies like National Rifle Association have long worked on this to promote guns, yet create awareness abou t the right usage and storage. NRA has been staunchly assisting gun owners and it holds annual gatherings to facilitate the gun rights and advocate the second amendment. According to another set of findings, only 25% of murders are committed using a gun (Street Crime in America, 1323). This means that the derivation of guns as a concept for crime and enforcing laws will have an effect on gun ownership, but not the crime which is the target

The Evolution of Public Relations Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Public Relations Essay Introduction In order for us to understand how public relations have evolved through history, we must first understand what public relations are. Public relations as defined by (Wilcox and Cameron 2004) that Professors Long and Hazelton believe it to be, â€Å" a communication function of management through which organizations adapt to alter, or to maintain their environment for the purpose of achieving organizational goals†(p.5). With that said we could now go back through history and discover how it has or has not changed through time. First, we will look at how effective public relations were almost from the beginning of time and how it was relayed to the masses. Second, we will discuss how public relations changed in the 17th to the 20th century and why it changed. Lastly, we will see how the past has defined what public relations is today and see how much it has evolved through time. Public Relation Beginnings As long as there has been humans on this earth communication was the key to organization how people lived their everyday lives. There has always been one or more persons leaders of these tribes or groups. Within this groups it would be decided where they would live, when it was time to farm the lands or hunt for food, settle disputes amongst themselves and how to protect themselves from outsiders. These decisions were in turn related to the masses. This practice can be loosely described as public relations in its raw stage a one-way communication form. People had no say in how daily life was lived because decisions were made to keep life for them as organized as possible. Public Relations in the 17th to early 20th Century As time passed, the population grew and people moved about more freely, people began to change, as did technology. By the 1700s printer presses were invented and information became more readily available to the public. Before than information was slow in coming and the public was ill informed. With the invention 0f, the printer press larger volumes of publications, books and newspapers were available. Traditionally, society elite had access to information on trade and politics, and used it amongst themselves to speak and make decisions for the masses. Public relations was still a one-way communication. Over time, the public was able to gain access to publications and now were able to form their own views and opinions. They became more vocal about government and politics because they were now better informed. This was what Paul Starr (2004) called a â€Å"public sphere†, a term used by Jà ¼rgen Habermas, there was communication and accessibility to information (p.24). The better-informed people became the more open they were with their views. Public relations change from a one-way communication to a two-way communication because people now realized the power they have in their voices. This changed the way in which public relations campaigns were run. Public Relation firms now had to please the masses whereas years before they made most of the decisions and were not concerned with their opinions. Public Relations Today Today, public relations is used in every conceivable form. We use it to sell products, make people aware of social issues, promote others, and raise money and to influence or help people decide on particular issues. With the invention of the World Wide Web, information is available to the public almost instantaneously. This has become a very powerful tool to public relations firms. Firms will use it to create or repair damage to a company or an individual’s image. Kathleen Neil (2001) says it best that public relations is to inform the people about what they have available for them, to establish and maintain a good relationship with the public (ix). Conclusion The foundation of public relations has not changed over time it still used to influence, maintain and organize the environment in which we live, but has evolved to include a broader range of topics. Public relation started out as a means to organize and maintain stability in a community, to informing the people about what is going on in the community and giving them a voice. The latter is the most significant change public relations made during its evolution. It went from a one-way communication to a two-way communication with the people in public relations valuing the opinions of the masses whereas in the past their opinions did not count. Alternatively, do the really value our opinions? Have we become too dependent on them or they too powerful that the can spin any type of web they choose? Is it all about dollars and cents? This led me to a quote by Scott M, Cutlip (1995) â€Å"Let Truth and Falsehood Grapple â€Å"(xii). References Cutlip, S. (1995). Public relations history: From the 17th to the 20th century. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Neal, K. (2001). A primer on non-profit PR: If charity begins at home Florida: Pineapple Press. Starr, P. (2004). The creation of the media: Political origins of modern communication. New York: Basic Books. Wilcox, D. Cameron, G. (8th ed.). (2006). Public relations: Strategies and tactics: Boston. Allyn and Bacon.

Styles of leadership and their effects on motivation

Styles of leadership and their effects on motivation Leadership style could influence the different level of motivation. However, throughout a lifetime, changing ambitions and leadership style influences a persons motivation. Leader does not always go first but a clearly definition would figure out of an idea of the one who will lead, ie. Who is the leader? It is very difficult to separate out theories and concepts of Leadership and Motivation. The leader has to know how to motivate people and must look for ways to do this so as to maintain their role as a good leader. There are many theories of motivation and the leader could choose their own style of leadership in order to give the best result. Motivation The term motivation theory is concerned with the operation that describes why and how human behavior is activated and directed. It is regarded as one of the most important areas of study in the field of organizational behavior. There are four writers who consider the functions performed by management, it enables us to define management and explore how thinking has changed through time. Frederick Taylor (1856 1917), he considered money to be the main motivator for workers therefore scientifically investigate how jobs are done through work study .By using piece rates to pay the workers and this kind of method was widely adopted as businesses saw the advantages of raising productivity levels and lower unit costs. The problems of using this scientific management are that it will have lack of skills required leading to loss of skills in the workforce and also power for the workers. As the duty is the same and the workers might start to found it is boring which will lead to a lower morale amongst the workforce. In addition, Taylor did not treat workers as people and he stated that money was highly important to them as many of them virtually lived on the breadline. Elton Mayo (1880 1949) believed that workers are not just concerned with money but could have been better motivated by their social needs whilst at work. He introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers taking more of interest in the workers, treating them as people who have worthwhile judgment and realizing that worker are enjoy interacting together. He set out an experiment to investigate how changing light and working conditions would affect productivity. At the end of the experiment, his results proved that greater communications and improved the relations could lead to an increased of productivity. It has also stated that social needs in the workplace must be recognized and the communication is vital and understanding of the informal needs of the workers. Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) was a psychologist and he is tribute to motivation and management thinking was through the Hierarchy of Needs He suggests that we all have different needs but some needs are fairly central to us. The top of hierarchy of needs is Self Actualization and this means that the ability is to fulfill ones potential. The second place would be Self esteem Self respect and the third place is social needs (belonging). The fourth one in the hierarchy is Safety and Security (secure job) and the last one is Physiological (food water, shelter, etc) Maslow believed that as you began to satisfy one set of needs you would start to have higher needs and satisfying that level of need became your motivator. All the needs are structured into a hierarchy and once a lower level of need has been fully met, a worker would be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy to be satisfied. A business should therefore offer different incentives to workers in order to help them fulfill each need in turn and progressing up the hierarchy. Managers should also recognize that workers are not all motivated in the same way and does not all move up the hierarchy at the same time. They may therefore have to offer a slightly different set of rewards from worker to worker. Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000) argued that there were certain factors that a business could introduce which would directly motivate employees to work harder (Motivators). However there were also factors that would de-motivate an employee if not present but would not in themselves actually motivate employees to work harder (Hygiene factors). Motivators factor includes sense of achievement, recognition, responsibility and intrinsic rewards. Besides, Hygiene factor includes the company policy, supervision and working conditions. Therefore, motivators are to do with the job and Hygiene factors surround the job. Herzberg has also come up with a policy called job enrichment which making the job better, allowing workers to use their skills and abilities and also to plan and make decisions over their work. Job enrichment also included bringing variety into jobs through job rotation and job enlargement. Those that are critical of Herzberg felt it was just a way of making people do more in the cooperation. Tesco was voted Employer of the Year because its solutions were seen to be more holistic. To assure that they have this and keep maintain it, Tesco have invested  £12m this year in all training schemes which are pure Herzberg motivators. For example: They have open more lines of communication between managers and staff and a scheme whereby directors and senior managers spend a week on the shop floor listening ideas and suggestions from customers and staff. When goals are eventually accomplished or milestones are reached, many people like to be able to get a reward or benefit. Some goals create by personal satisfaction upon completion naturally such as learning, growth, and self-esteem. Additional rewards such as salary increases, bonuses, and celebrations are also good reminders that individual are delighted of what they are doing. Rewards work so well as the motivating tools that worker will goes out their way to make sure they use it and develop these kinds of things that they are rewarded. The work atmosphere in general has a lot to do with employee motivation. Typically managers that treat employees in a friendly manner are adopting to get more of a positive comment. You want to work at a company with individuals that enjoy their work and like their surroundings. Employees will compare themselves to others to make sure they are being treated in a way that they perceive as fair. If an employee thinks that they are not being treated fairly, they will have a lack of motivation to work hard. Everyone likes to have a little independence and to be useful while they are working. Certain control is always needed, but flexibility is appreciated. Employees and coworkers are also happy when they feel like they are fit it in a group and are able to be themselves. This would goes back to the basis needs that human strive to fulfill. Leadership In order to be a leader, it is important to understand what motivates the employees around you. It is necessary to discover the fundamental needs that employees, coworkers, and bosses have. All people have a need for a basic income and necessities. Additionally, they need a deep social connection and friendships. People want to fit in somewhere and feel as if they belong. Another large category of human need is the need for growth and challenges. A worker would get attract to a job by high salary and may find their job dissatisfying if they are unable to have friendships and connect with other people at work. It is much easier to lead and motivate if you understand what peoples undeniable needs are. Autocratic leadership style is the one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. This motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. This leadership style has been greatly criticized during the past 30 years. Some studies stated that organizations with many autocratic leaders would have higher turnover and absenteeism than other organizations. Autocratic leaders always rely on the threats and punishment to influence employee, they do not trust employee and not allowing them to make their own decision. Yet, autocratic leadership is not all bad. Sometimes it is the most effective style to use when there is an effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions, only limited time in which to make a decision, and the area was poorly managed. The autocratic leadership style should not be used when employees expect to have their opinions heard and when there is low employee morale, high turnover and absenteeism and work stoppage. The democratic leadership style is to encourage employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that would influence their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. This style requires the manager to be a leader who has the final decision, but will gathers information from staff members before making the decision. Democratic leadership can always produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust that they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale. To be a democratic leader, it needs to have a develop plans to help employees evaluate their own performance, allow employees to establish goals and encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted. However, democratic style is not always suitable to all organization. In order to have the most effective is when used with highly skilled or experienced employees or when implementing operational changes or resolving individual or group problems. This leadership style could be used when the leader wants employees to share their decision-making and problem-solving duties. Also, the leader might wants to provide some opportunities for employees to develop a high sense of personal growth and job satisfaction which would increase their morale at work. Yet democratic leadership should not be used when there is not enough time to get everyones input and sometimes it is easier and cost-effective for the manager to make the final decision. The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the hands-off ¨ style. It is the one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the workers and they must make decisions, determine goals, and resolve problems on their own. This is an effective style to use when employees have self-esteem in their work and it leads to a successfully done on their own. Furthermore, this leadership style should not be used when the manager cannot provide constant feedback to let employees know how successful they have done and also should not be used when the manager does not understand his or her responsibilities and is hoping the employees can cover for him or her. Bureaucratic leadership is where the manager manages by the book ¨ everything must be done according to procedure or policy. If it isnt covered by the book, the manager refers to the next level above him or her. This manager is more of a police officer than an employees leader. He or she executes the rules. This style will only be the most effective when employees need to understand certain policy or procedures, and when they are working with dangerous or fragile equipment that requires a definite set of procedures in order to get it operate. However, it is possibly to have a negative effect when employees lose their interest in their jobs and employees do only what is expected of them and no more after they done the duty. Being a staff member for Tesco is not about just getting good wages but offering great opportunities to retain the employees motivate. Tesco give free shares to everyone whos worked with the company for one year and these Tesco shares are held in trust for five years, and after that you can take them. Development programs specifically designed to help employees to gain the experience and skills that they need to move on to the next Tesco challenge. It aims to develop a combination of leadership, and operating skills through the job experiences and a clear process that is designed to provide clear comments. Motivation and leadership Leadership and motivational qualities are excellent to have not only amid management in a business, but among employees as well. Many individuals tend to have a propensity to be leaders, while some learn successful leadership behaviors and go on to be effective leaders. Leading is the ability to influence others in a group. Being a good leader, it got to takes a good understanding of what motivates others. Leaders want to influence things to continue or create some changes. Either way it will takes a person with certain skills to do the work. In my opinion, it is extremely important for a leader to recognize and understand the motivational process.   This process is what inspires followers into desired actions.   Without motivation followers would presumably not act and they would have no reason to act.   Maslow in Kolb, Osland, Rubin Book (2001) discusses several common motivating factors.   Some people are motivated by achievement and some by a need for power.   If a follower is motivated by achievement needs such as the need for endorsement, then rewarding this follower with power might not be very effective.  Maslow in Ott (1996) discusses that mans requirements is to meet needs in a hierarchical order.   Physiological needs are first, then safety needs, followed by ego needs, growth needs and, finally by self actualization needs.   Therefore, individual motivation comes from a wide variety of factors.   If the leader does not recognize the motivational needs of followers, the leader may be ineffect ive.  Ã‚   An overly controlling style de-motivates and could results in poor delivery. Although intended to boost the performance level, but this style is perceived as lacking trust. Eventually individuals will lose their motivation to make decisions at one point, which leaders see as proof of poor performance and so the cycle is reinforced. Alternatively, leaders can treat individuals as good performers and use a more motivational style allowing greater deliberation. Praising outputs, asking opinions and giving interesting assignments, for example, in turn reinforce a motivational cycle. People are motivated when they feel they are at the centre of things rather than outside and so leaders are told to be participative, not directive. As a rule, experienced team members need less direction and in our energetic, networked organizations, and individuals must be self-manageable. The aim of this is to motivate people to become self-directing business participants. Conclusion Both leadership styles have their advantages and disadvantages for the organization as a whole. On one hand, democratic decisions may benefit the work morale of team members and have a positive effect on the climate within a hierarchical organization. On the other hand, democratic decisions may result in ignoring more efficient but less socially accepted options and have a negative influence on the team results. Sometimes autocratic decisions may undermine work morale. However, by making an unpopular decision, leaders might be able to reach team goals in the most efficient way which benefits both leaders themselves as well as their subordinates. In our experiment, we find that autocratic and democratic decisions appear to be equally profitable for both teams as a whole. Nevertheless, while leaders receive essentially the same payoff from autocratic and democratic decisions, ordinary players earn much more money from democratic style rather than from autocratic leadership decisions. Increasingly however, development programs and leadership training courses are putting motivation centre-stage. We are all motivated by the people surround us and motivation is increasingly important in these uncertain times to help people perform at their maximum level. Motivation theories, considered old hat by many leaders, have been around for more than 40 years. Recently these theories have slid off the leadership agenda through the belief that people should be totally self-motivating. Furthermore, the ability to increase peoples motivation is not always used in the right way. Leadership should not be based on lies, trickery, or manipulation. When leading other individuals it is important that they are all getting a benefit out of their own actions and it is very important to be honest and treating others well at all times.

Portrayal Of African Americans In Film

Portrayal Of African Americans In Film In the assignment, I investigated the portrayal of black female in Hollywood films. Which I started off by watching an old time romantic classic film Gone with the Wind, which at first I thought it was a non racial film as slaves were portrayed as normal employees, and were rewarded with presents like the masters pocket watch if theyve been appropriately loyal. Black women involvement in changing African American culture in all black setting was from their outsider experience in White family home. Black women saw white women elites, both actual and aspiring. Black women didnt only perform domestic duties; they also performed a close relationship with the children they nurtured. Moreover, black women noticed that the myth of the domestic worker was becoming an increasing racial ideology. Nancy White, a black inner-city-resident, explores the connection between experience and beliefs: Now, I understand all these things from living. But you cant lay up on these flowery beds of ease and think that you are running your life, too. Some women, white women, can run their husbands lives for a while, but most of them have to..see what he tells them there is to see. If he tells them that they aint seeing what they know they are seeing, then they have to just go like it wasnt there! (In Gwaltney 1980, 148). (Name the Book). This passage illustrates that being an outsider; black women will foster a new angle of vision on domination. It suggests that Black female worker could never be a White middle class women lying on a Flowery bed of ease. But her duties leading for caring her White women allowed her an insiders view of some of contradiction that is being played between White women thinking that they are running their lives and the patriarchal power and authority in their households. To an extent, I did some research on what stereotypical views American people had for African Americans; as a result I found that the slaves contained a little truth surrounded by a large lie for example the mummy at GWTW played by Hattie McDaniel, portrayed as an obese, coarse, maternal figure. The lie that is behind this according to Professor of African American and African studies Patricia Turner is that she claimed that one of the many brutal aspects of slavery was that slave owners sexually exploited their slaves especially light skinned ones which are the mainstream definition of female sexual attractiveness. Therefore mummy was then deliberately constructed to suggest ugliness. The white women felt threaten by this assumption; so therefore the attempt were to desexualise mammy and by extension, the white family could feel safe. The actor Hattie McDaniel who played the well known mummy portrayal has won herself an Oscar for the best supporting actress. The actor who she played Scarlett OHaras sassy but loyal servant in Gone with the Wind, was the first Black to win an Academy Award. Hattie McDaniel not only did she starred in Gone with the wind as a mummy but did lot more in her previous films for example The Story of Temple Drake (1933) and The Gold West (1932) as she played an unobtrusive, weak mummies. Furthermore she was criticized by Blacks by allowing herself portray as a mummy caricature. She responded that Why should I complain about making seven thousand dollars a week playing a maid? If I didnt, Id be making seven dollars a week actually being one. This statement tells us how black women were given choice whether to endure the stereotype ridicule from both her African American to receive an Oscar, people still argue until today whether she sold out or did she succeed in her life. However she stated in her appearance at the Oscar and quotes that I sincerely hope that I will be a credit to my race suggesting that she has come far in life as Black American to achieve such an award which then would have been impossible, she claims that anyone could succeed if they work hard for it. The Cosby shows is a comedy about a middle class black family. the main character Bill Cosbyis played by Cliff Huxtable. He is gynaecologist and obstetrician, and his wife Claire is a lawyer. The show has become popular over the years as they were the first black people to have a leading role on a TV show. However there are speculation whether the show is constructed or reflective in This is part of the white fantasy: blacks should stop complaining and work hard. Hence the reference to The Cosby Show, which I have only just remembered You now need to conclude this introduction. Is the Hattie McDaniel character a racist image? Yes because it conforms to the stereotype. No because the actor playing the part is doing well in white society and might be called a role model. Yes because the stereotype limits the ways in which she can be successful. You have to make the point that different readings are possible, hence The Cosby Show study. Methodology- In the 21st century the portrayal of black female in Hollywood still continues, therefore I want to find out how teenagers in todays society handle the stereotype that the media with holds and what affects has it caused in how black female view themselves. In my investigation I got a group of black teenagers to discuss the issue of the portrayal of black women in films. In addition, I have chosen four film trailers for the teenagers to watch; which where two modern and two classic films the reason I have chosen classic and modern is because I want to prove the point of how Hollywood still continues these portrayal of black women, whether its a black comedy or black drama it still de-humanizes black women and creates humour from this. The film trailers that I showed to the teenagers were the following: Norbit Precious Gone With the Wind Birth of the Nation The group discussions were vital as it provided me crucial information about the teenagers view point of the media portrayal. However its not only films that are constantly shown portraying black women negatively its also in the media; these stereotypes been presented in the music videos. As these black women are shown dancing all over these men while half naked, allowing champagne to be poured on to them, all for just money. However, to young teenagers it looks like these women are living the best life. Research suggests that when negative images are repeatedly exposed over a long period of time, we use these images and measure ourselves and others against them. Therefore, when young teenagers are being exposed to the media that portrayal people of colour are less likely to succeed, less beautiful and less worthwhile than white people, they tend to believe those ideas. In the group meeting I have asked the students an open question of what they have thought of the film trailers, and successfully I got a useful responds which I will utilise in my investigation. The following are the questions that I asked the students: From watching these trailers what were your thought? Which one in particular did you find disturbing to watch? Which one of these trailers did you find racist? Which film do you think portrays black female in a negative way What elements did they use to stereotype black women? As a young black female teenager how did these trailers make you feel? Did you think GWTW is a racist film? If yes why? Do you think this negative stereotype still carries into the 21st century? The film Gone with the Wind (1939) was one of the most controversial films that depicts of race relations. Through freed from the novels positives portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan, Gone with the Wind depiction of slavery still remains particularly naive. The writer of the film Birth of the Nation Thomas F. Dixon Jr has written a letter to praise Margaret Mitchell about how great Gone with the Wind was: the greatest story of the South ever put down on paper, you have given the world The Great American Novel. Margaret replied back with the great praise for Dixons extremist Klan-praising books and quotes In truth, the film Gone with the wind is Birth of Nation without the bed sheets and hoods of the Klan suggesting that the truth of Gone with the wind hides the important elements that happened to Blacks. The extremely dehumanizing, exploitative, and bloody reality of slavery, with its great violence against (including much rape of black women) enslaved African Americans, is missing from th e novel and the movie. In the film blacks appear mostly as slaves: loyal servants like Prissy . . . , or clownish servants. Whites are seen as worthy of the subservience, loyalty, and love of faithful servants. This is because the genre of the film is romantic Happiness and wholeness and one with antiseptic slavery without whips, chains, or rape is shown to create the mood. To an extent, the sense of the collective identity produced by laughing at others, those who are perceived as different and possibly a treat. For example when blacks appear alongside whites in comedies, racial issues become a main focus for the humour. Hattie McDaniel in her mummy role in Gone with the Wind, black women has been stereotyped since then. She had a very aggressive personality and was overly possessive even when she is preserving the female master. Her powerful aggressive is where the portrayal of African American tradition started off, as people often stereotype women as being overly aggressive and disrespectful. The mummy represented the black mother figures in white homes; the matriarch symbolized the mother figure in Black homes. Which therefore the representation that is been stereotyped is that the mummy symbolizes the good black mother, whereas the black matriarch symbolizes the bad black mothers. This has been introduced widely through a government reported titled The Negro Family: The Case for National Action, the black matriarchy thesis argued that African -American women who failed to fulfil their traditional Womanly duties at home contributed to social problems in Black civil society (Moynihan 1965). The mummy of the house is seen being strong and her dignity is largely intact but her grammar is chopped down into broken English with an extremely simplistic level. However they deliberately constructed this type of character to suggest that all black people are sexually unattractive. They portrayed them as being dark skinned, often pitch black which in the society they regarded black people being ugly. GWTW uses black over weight maid that looks old. The reason they used this is because that no reasonable white man would choose a fat, elderly black women instead of the idealized white women. The white family would feel safe, by de-eroticism of all black mummy by portraying them of lacking all sexual and sensual qualities. Historically, it is the African American women, has been the rock of the family, who is strong both in emotion and in honour, she has kept the family together through hardship and poverty, preserving in the most difficult of times. The African American women has protected and raised her family for generation in the worst of circumstance. Butterfly McQueen plays the character Prissy, the stupid, loud and annoying house girl. The character Prissy is a squeamish, a liar and becomes hysterical over the smallest things. As the Jim Crow minstrel entertainment era this portrayal was being used to entertain the white audience. The minstrel stereotyped black people of being a clown, something funny to watch so therefore watching this character makes the humour of the film to the white audience as it was successful in the early minstrel time, including it on a movie would be greater success on their believes. I watched this The film Precious stars by Gabourey Sidibe who plays an obese black girl Claireece Jones, known as Precious. The film is set in 1986 Harlem, Precious daydreams of having glamorous life, with a light skinned boyfriend and the paparazzi in love with her. In reality Precious experiences and suffers constant sexual abuse by her father, the father of daughter who suffers from Down s syndrome, and Precious is now carrying her second child by him. The film is also narrated by Gabourey Sidibe, she takes us through her day dreams and the things she hungers for. As in her day dreams she says she wants to be on a BET videos this shows videos that degrades women. The parent television council claimed that BET rap programming, which they believed contained gratuitously sexual, violent, and profane content, was targeting teenagers. Furthermore scholars within the African American community maintain that BET perpetuates and justifies racism by affecting the interpersonal beliefs others may generali ze about African American and also the young teenagers viewers through its negative image of African American. The image of the welfare mothers that is being portrayed in the film provides ideological justifications for intersecting oppressions of race, gender and class. African American can be racially stereotyped as being lazy by blaming black welfare mother for falling to pass on the work ethic. She is portrayed as being content to sit around and collect welfare mother the image of the welfare mother represents another failed mummy, one who is unwilling to become de mule uh de world which this links back to Precious of instead of her mother encourage to stay in school, she forces to go to the welfare. Welfare queen is a phrase that describes the economic dependency- the lack of a job and/ income (which equal degeneracy in the Calvinist United States); the presence of a child or children with no father and/or husband (moral deviance); and finally, a charge on the collective U.S. treasury- a human debit. The cumulative totality, circulation, and effect of these meanings in a time of scarce resources among the working class and the lower middle class are devastatingly intense. The welfare queen represents moral aberration and an economic drain, but the figures problematic status becomes all the more threatening once responsibility for the destruction of the American way of life is attributed to it. (Lubiano 1992, 337-38), (Patricia Hill Collins, Black feminist thought). Book The welfare queen held a portrayal of being selfish, money-oriented women, who are manless, working class people. The image of the welfare queen portrayal represents black welfare queen happy taking money from hard earned money of taxpaying Americans and remains married to the state. The welfare queen image signals efforts to use the situation of working class black women as a sign of the deterioration of the state. Reference the book Political scientist Martin Gilens did a study of the way in which poverty was being represented in USAs leading news magazines (Times, Newsweek and US News and World Report). Following key figures were produced by Gilens: Gilens found 182 stories concerning poverty in these magazines during the period under analysis. 635 people were pictured as Poor in these stories, in 214 pictures (photographs and drawings). Gilens interest was primarily in the representation of poverty in terms of race and ethnicity. He excluded 75 people in eight stories whose race could not be identified; 637 minus 75 left 560 people pictured. Gilens found that of those 560 people pictured in news stories as poor, 62 per cent were African- American. He claims that African American make up only 25% on government statistics of the US poor. Gilens suggests that A reader of these news magazines is likely to develop the impression that Americans poor are predominantly black. This distorted portrait of the America poor cannot help but reinforce negative stereotype of blacks as mired in poverty and contribute to the belief that poverty is primarily a Blacks problem (THE books name) the politician Gilens examines the survey that he took, and he found out that the media over exaggerate the percentage of African American being poor, he suggests that the negative stereotype leads to a situation which many white people do not support government welfare provision because they perceive poverty and/or unemployment as a black problem. The film precious has been shown primarily black people being Poor as to therefore suggesting that majority of the black people in America is poor. However, going back to the newspaper, the portrayal of black people could have been escalated by one media featuring more black people than usual, which then could have exaggerated the results. In addition, I watched Norbit. The film is about a young man named Norbit. Eddie Murphy co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the film. I found this film humorous to watch, of the repetitive hate humour that it represents. I found myself to be expected to laugh at the portrayals of verbal and physical abuse that it creates through the film. The film starts off with the character Norbit; he is skinny, insidiously shy, irreproachably geeky and a painfully awkward guy. His childhood was not very kind to him, as he was given away at birth to an orphanage home. He then meets Rasputia. She helps Norbit from the bullies which she manhandles two older teenagers. Rasputia (Eddy Murphy), introduces herself to Norbit at a playground. She is enormous for a 10 year old, and when she finds out that his single, she makes a decision right then and there that Norbit will be her new boyfriend whether he wants to or not. The film tells us that black skinned women are unattractive and lighter women are. This creates an enormous affect on teenagers who are watching this, as portrayal that it tells through the film is that light skinned are beautiful than darker skinned. Rasputia later becomes Norbits new wife. She is shown as a bigger, bossy, sassy, mean spirited, and unfaithful, holding Norbit emotionally captive. The film Norbit stereotypes black women into the following three categories. They are: Mummy Jezebel Sapphire Moreover, while I was researching I came across by statement which states that Aggressive, assertive women are penalized-they are abandoned by their men, end up impoverished, and are stigmatized as being unfeminine. Book Therefore suggesting that the stereotype has been used penalize black understands of black masculinity. The image of the matriarch also supports racial oppression. Much social science research implicitly uses gender relation in African American communities as one seeing measure of black cultural disadvantage. For example the Maynihan report (1965) contends the slavery destroyed black families by creating deviant because they challenge the patriarchal assumptions underpinning the traditional family idea. The image Rasputia portrays is unattractive and weight black women. She shows off her tiny bathing suit; when the attendant asks her if she is wearing bottoms because her belly obscures it. However, Rasputia beyond large breasts hitting the steering wheel, and claiming that Norbit adjusted the seats, as she slaps him across the face when he denies it. This shows that she is violently abusive and stupid as to think she is right when she is clearly not. Rasputia is loud, bossy, and dishonest, but these are seen as the sure fire in the society, this is identifiable traits of the modern of black women. Rasputias type is historically been portrayed of them driving all good men away, leaving only emasculated Norbits and feminized girlie men (like the exercise guru forced to sleep with her in order to get ahead), who are the inevitable byproducts of a matriarchal culture run amok. Jasmyne A. Cannick is a well known and respected public policy and communications professional with a successful track record in the areas of public policy, issue and campaign strategies. She has recently written a review of the film Norbit of its negative stereotype of obese black women (Why Norbit Sent Me Intro Orbit). She states that the trailer for Norbit encouraged a strange ambivalence of laughing at something that in reality shouldnt be funny, because the comedy relates to the social and historic tragedies about body image/obesity and skin colour preference, respectively Tim Cogshell, in a review of Norbit, comments about this: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there is a great deal of mockery of the obese in Norbit, but therein lies a bit of truth, too: We do mock the obese, dont we? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The lithe Kate (who seems to transform into a white girl post her childhood persona) juxtaposed with the big, fat, mean Rasputia may simply look like more of the same fat-bashing humour weve come to expect in movies such as this, and it is, but thats not all it is. There is a mirror in this movie, reflecting a lot of things, not the least of which is that we are a mean, fat country that ironically doesnt like mean fat people. Rasputia is shown on as a sexualized freak show; her short hair is did. Her flawless make-up does not mask a teethy, hideous smile. Her fingernails are manicured and claw-like. This Black womens sexuality lie at the heart of black womens oppression, historical jezebels and contemporary Hoochies represent a deviant black female sexuality. The image of jezebel originated under slavery when black women were portrayed as being, to use Jewelle Gomezs words, sexually aggressive we nurses (Clarke et al. 1983, 99). Jezebels function was to relegate all black women to the category of sexually aggressive women, thus providing a powerful rationale for the widespread sexual assaults by White men typically reported by Black slave women (Davies 1981; D. White 1985). Jezebel served yet another function. If black slave women could be portrayed as having excessive sexual appetites, then increased fertility should be the expected outcome. Rasputia is shown singing to the Pussy Cat Dolls Dont Cha, this creates the humour of the film. In the scene she is shown washing the car while PCD Dont Cha is being played. It also shows her in a low angle shot and slow motion while she washes the car. This overall suggests while its portraying black women extreme, Raspuita is shown, of her being proud of who she is, almost creating a positive view. However it also could be argued that excessive portrayal of the stereotypes might affect young teenagers on their behavior of what they see in films such as Norbit. These constructed stereotype images represents by Black Director, writer and Actor to entertain the audience of allowing the image to escalate into the black community. Moreover, I started to watch Birth of the nation is Directed by David Llewelyn Wark Griffith. The film was made in 1915 and caused extream controversy with individulas and orgaisation across the country. The film had expilicit rasism, as one scenes portrays black men as savages possessed by animalistic lust, sexually assaulting white women. in the film black roles were mainly white actors, as they painted their face with burnt cork. American films has popularized the stereotype that are held by the soicety. Griffith exploited as many of the stereotype in his film Birth of the Nation. For example, Mulattos were represented as being evil , while those who has full black in them have the choice to be either Good (i.e. faithful to whites or bad (i.e. interested in self-preservation and equality). The black actors that worked in the film were given roles for them to create humor and humanity in their characters. the historical and contemporary challenege of race relation, was the begining of cultural identity in American cinema.

Boris Yeltsin Essay -- Russia Russian Politicians Biography Biographie

Boris Yeltsin "We don't appreciate what we have until it's gone. Freedom is like that. It's like air. When you have it you don't notice." Boris Yeltsin Yeltsin, Boris Nikolayevich, president of Russia, elected shortly before the breakup of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991. Yeltsin, who was elected to a second term 1996, is a central figure in the transition away from communism in the former USSR and has dominated Russian politics in the last decade. Early Life In 1930, Ignaty Yeltsin, a well-off peasant of Butka village was declared "kulak". His mill and other valuables were seized by the state. Rumors have it that Ignaty either fled the village, or was sent to internal northern exile. 1931, Ignaty's grandson, Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, was born in Butka. Soon afterwards Boris's family moved to the city of Kazan, where his father, Nikola, worked at a construction site of a machine-building factory. On May 23, 1934, Nikola Yeltsin was convicted of anti-socialist agitation. He served three years in Stalin' infamous labor camps of GULAG. After his release, Nikolai Yeltsin remained unemployed for awhile, then worked in construction, and Boris's mother Klavdiya Vasilyevna Yeltsina was a seamstress. In his youth Boris blew off two fingers trying to disarm a hand grenade (he was most likely playing with it not disarming it). Boris graduated from Pushkin High School in Berezniki where his parents lived from the late 1930's to the early 1970's. After graduation, Boris went to Ural Polytechnic Institute in Sverdlovsk. While in college, Boris played pro volleyball for Sverdlovsk in the USSR first division. In 1955 he graduated with a major in construction. In 1955 he got his first job, he worked for Uraltiazhtrubstroy. Boris mastered twelve construction skills (stonemason, carpenter, etc.) and became foreman. In 1956 Boris married Naina Ioifovna Grina, a student he knew in college. They have two daughter, Yelena and Tatiana, Born in 1957 and 1959. Yeltsin's engineering career advanced rapidly, he held jobs as chief engineer. In 1961, Boris joined the Communist party, by 1963 he became chief of a housing construction integrated plant, where he had thousands of people under his com mand. Yeltsin the Communist Boris Yeltsin's career in the Communist party administrative part began in 1969, when he became Chief of t... ...th are the poverty and crime levels of Russia that have grown exponentially. Boris Yeltsin did as much as any individual to bring about the demise of the USSR. The jury is still out on his contribution to the establishment of a post-Soviet order in Russia. Much will depend on whether his economic policies bear fruit and whether the political institutions he has shaped acquire solidity and more effective checks and balances then they presently contain. Bibliography 1.Microsoft Encarta 1994, published by Microsoft Multimedia 1994 2.Websters concise encyclopedia, published by Softscore inc. 1996 3.Confesions on the Assigned topics, by Boris Yeltsin, originally published by Russian books inc. 1990, re-published by Barron's international 1993, translated by Thomas Jenkins 4.Notes of the President, by. Boris Yeltsin, published by Baron's international 1992 5.Boris Yeltsin, by Vladimir Solovyov & Yelena Klepikova, published by London books 1995 6.Boris Yeltsin, by David Sheldon, published by Arrow 1996 7. Time Magazine, on microfilm Los Angeles county public libraries 1991-1999 8. New York Times, on microfilm Los Angeles county public libraries 1991-1999

Perfectionism and Athlete Burnout in Elite Sports: The Mediating Role o

Over the past few decades, American society has become more and more obsessed on performance outcomes and winning; being declared the best has become most important (Crain, 2004). Winning is often viewed as an all or nothing virtue, whereby greatness is a descriptive term reserved only for those whose names appear at the top of the list (Hanchon, 2011). This evolving mindset communicates to our youth that despite his or her efforts, only the final results matter. For many individuals the ideas of achievement, excellence, and self-worth have become highly dependent upon the perceived outcomes of the competitions or events in which they engage (Hanchon, 2011). Outperforming one’s competitors serves as the defining characteristic of success or excellence, which in turn, appears to serve as a key determinant in the individual’s self-assessment of life satisfaction (Harackiewicz, Barron, & Elliot, 1998). Sport performance is mediated by positive and negative variables; the pressure to perform for a result leads to the negative variable of higher expectations on the athlete. Stress and the pressure to perform are both contributing factors to higher anxiety levels, overtraining, and burnout in athletes (Weinberg & Gould, 2007). In some cases, â€Å"higher expectations also appear to increase the amount of stress an athlete may experience, and higher levels of stress are generally related to higher levels of state anxiety and burnout† (Jones & Hanton, 1996; Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Burnout Fear of failures, frustration, high expectations, anxiety, and other pressures to perform are all stresses identified as being related to burnout (Dale & Weinberg, 1990). Burnout has been addressed in the Old Testament (Exodus 18:17-18), in which ... ...ation and affect on elite athlete burnout susceptibility. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 28, 32-48. Lonsdale, C., Hodge, K., Rose, E. (2009). Athlete burnout in elite sport: A self-determination perspective. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27, 785-795. Raedeke, T. D. (1997). Is athlete burnout more than stress? A commitment perspective. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 19, 396-417. Raedeke, T. D., & Smith, A. L. (2001). Development and preliminary validation of an athlete burnout measure. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 23, 281-306. Vallerand, R. J. (2008). On the psychology of passion: in search of what makes people’s lives most worth living. Canadian Psychology, 49, 1-13. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D, (2007). Foundation of sport and exercise psychology (4th ed.). Chapter21: Burnout and Overtraining (pp. 489-509). Champaign, IL: Human

“I’m a fool” by Sherwood Anderson Essay

Everyone has morals. The usual ones are: Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. The swipe in â€Å"I’m a fool† by Sherwood Anderson does not seem to possess these morals throughout the story, although he does seem to feel remorseful at the end of the story. He lies, cheats, and steals, though not in a way most consider normal. In â€Å"I’m a fool† the swipe lies. He lies about who he is, where he is from, and what he does. He tells Miss Elinor Woodbury, Mr. Wilbur Wessen, and Miss Lucy Wessen that he was â€Å"Walter Mathers for Marietta, Ohio,† and that his â€Å"father owned the horse About Ben Ahem,† and that his father â€Å"had let him out to this Bob French for racing purposes, because our family was proud and had never gone into racing that way, in our own way, I mean, and Miss Lucy Wessen’s eyes were shining.† He then went on to tell her about his â€Å"place† down in Marietta, and â€Å"about the big stables and the grand big house,† He had on the hill above the Ohio River. He justifies this by saying that he knew enough not to brag and to make it seem like they were pulling it out of him instead of him telling them. He cheats by using his lie that he is Walter Mathers, son of the owner of About Ben Ahem. He tells them that About Ben Ahem â€Å"would lose the first heat by pacing like a lame cow and then he would come back and skin ’em alive after that,† like he had seen it happen before. The swipe backs this up by having Mr. Wilbur Wessen place thirty dollars of his (the swipe’s) money on About Ben Ahem for the best odds that he could get after the first heat. The swipe is a thief because he stills another mans identity. â€Å"There ain’t any Walter Mathers, like I said to her and them, and there hasn’t ever been one, but if there was, I bet I’d go down to Marietta, Ohio, and shoot him tomorrow.† This constitutes a murderous attitude just to cover for himself. At the end of the story the swipe doesn’t tell Miss Lucy, Mr. Wilbur, or Miss Woodbury that he isn’t who he says he is, he doesn’t come clean with how he knew About Ben Ahem would win, or where he is from, even after Miss Lucy says that she would write to him because â€Å"She whispered and said it was like she and I could get out of the boat and walk on water.† So even though the  swipe is remorseful at the end of the story and says â€Å"I’ll quit working an be a bum and give him my job. I don’t care nothing for working, and earning money, and saving it for no such fool as myself,† he is still a liar, a cheat, and a thief.

General Educational Development Questions Essay

1.Why are dogs mans best friends? Dogs are called mans best friend for many reasons. For hundreds of years, dogs have been friendly, loyal and protective of their human owners. For just as many years, dogs have accepted the love and affection of humans and have been greeting them with a wag of the tail all this time. A dog still wants to be your buddy and play with you even if you’re in a bad mood or haven’t spent much time with him recently. They don’t judge us for things like that, they just keep wagging.All a dog wants is to be loved and loved back. 2. Why are Hurricanes Dangerous? Hurricanes are considered to be very dangerous because they are deadly and are formed from strong tropical storms. When hurricanes happen, they result in heavy rains and strong winds that can sweep humans, buildings and livestock, cause inland flooding, marine hazards and even tornadoes. With that combination, they inflict widespread destruction and can result in a large loss of life. 3. Is addiction a disease.? â€Å"Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death [emphasis added].† 4.Why is getting my diploma important.?  A high school diploma is important to my future, because college admissions counselors and potential employers usually won’t consider you unless you have one. If I were to get a high school diploma and not need it, not much would have been lost. However, if I were to not get a high school diploma and then end up in a situation in which I needed it, I would be in a bad position. Even people who decide to open their own business might need business classes, meaning they would likely need to be accepted by a college or university, therefore having to present a high school diploma. It seems like many employers and facilities of higher education are willing to accept a GED in place of a high school diploma, but not all of them are. In addition, in order to pass my GED, I should have knowledge of things learned in high school. So it makes sense to stick it out and get the diploma. 5. Why you like or dislike Miami.? I like it because it’s nice and warm with beaches, and because it’s the â€Å"Spanish Hollywood† of the United States. I dislike it because of the streets that tend to get dirty, but overall they’re fine. 6. Reasons why Math is important. Math is hugely important. Pretty much everything you do involves math. All careers invlove some type of math and even if you don’t have a career you still use math everyday. Think about how many times a day you estimate something or figure out some type of math problem. You do use math whether you realize it or not. Some jobs like an artist might not catch people as a math job but you have to add up totals of money in order to sell your art, or even when etimating paint utencils and other stuff. 7. Why is your best friend so special.? My mother is my best friend, i’ve known her all my life. She’s the only person I know that will listen to me, not judge, offer honest and real advice without having other motives. She’s just like me but we’re different in so many ways. I feel so blessed to have a best friend who is actually family. We can share everything from clothes, to purses, to hair items and know we’ll get it back lol.! I feel so blessed to have someone so wonderful in my life. The special for me is that I always gonna have her and her pure love. 8. Why is Tanning in the sun Dangerous.? Some people think having a tan gives them a â€Å"healthy glow.† But a tan really shows that the skin is trying to protect itself from sun damage. Sun damage can lead to premature aging (wrinkles!), eye damage and skin cancer. Even â€Å"indoor tanning† is not without risk. Tanning beds and lamps can expose you to even more harmful ultraviolet light than the sun does. And tanning products such as â€Å"self-tanners,†sunless sprays and pills can expose you to additional risks, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Before you try to get a tan, you should learn how and why our skin tans. When a type of radiation is exposed to the skin, the skin responds by producing melanin. Melanin is a dark substance that helps prevent the body from taking in too many harmful sun rays that can damage skin. The sun produces two kinds of rays, UVA and UVB. UVB rays are around all year and UVA rays are mostly present only during the summer. UVA rays are regarded as â€Å"safer† and they cause the skin to age, while UVB rays cause the skin to burn. However, both of these types of rays are harmful and dangerous in large quantities. Overexposure to the sun can cause sunburn and even skin cancer.

Everyday Use

A Contrast between Dee and Maggie’s View Concerning Their Heritage In my writing essay I shall analyze the way in which heritage can be conceived in Alice Walker’s novel Everyday Use, trying to point out the author’s main ideas concerning the theme of the story. I would also try to describe the two daughter’s points of view, Dee and Maggie’s, about their ancestral heritage. The contrast between these two daughters is more than obvious not only in their appearance but also in their behavior when it comes to quilts from their grandmother. Everyday Use is a story narrated by a rural black woman, who is the mother of the two girls Maggie and Dee Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, is a simple woman but who, in spite of all difficulties that she passed through, she tried to give her daughters if possible, a good education and of course the most important thing, to make them aware of what heritage is indeed, the fact that traditional culture and heritage is not represented only by the possession of old objects, but also by one’s behavior and customs. She outlines in the story that she is not a very educated woman, but this does not mean that the lack of education is also reflected in her capacity to understand, to love and to respect her ancestors. Since the beginning of the story, the narrator makes obvious the contrast between Maggie and her elder sister Dee. Dee is a very ambitious girl, with a well-defined character, the one who had always been successful and ambitious. Maggie thinks â€Å"her sister has held life, always in the palm of one hand, that â€Å"no† is a word the world never learned to say to her. (Walker 2469). Dee denies her real heritage by changing her given name, after her aunt Dee, to the superficially more impressive one Wangero Leewanik Kemanjo, arguing to her mother that â€Å"Dee is dead and I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me† ( Walker 2472), what she does in fact is to reject her family identity. She inspires in her mother â€Å"a sort of aw e and fear more suitable to the advent of a goddess than the love one might expect a mother to feel for a returning daughter† (Farell, â€Å"Flight†). On the other hand, Maggie is the type of simple girl, like her mother, with little education. She is not ambitious like her sister Dee, living somehow in her mother’s shadow. But this might be also because Maggie hadn’t her sister luck and she burned severely in the house fire when she was a child, becoming now a shy and fearful person. These features are more visible in her attitude while waiting for her sister to come home. Mama is projecting her own anger and frustration onto her younger daughter when she speculates that Maggie will be cowed by Dee’s arrival. Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe† ( Walker 2469). As Marianne Hirsch says in one of her critical essays: â€Å"the mother sees in Maggie’s angerless, fear an image of her own passive acceptance of Dee’s aggression, her ow n suppressed anger† Moreover, we can see through the lines of this story that, at the beginning, Dee was the daughter that mother preferred most because of her authority and because she wanted to succeed in life by following her instincts. But when she saw her totally changed, not only physically but also in her mentality, mother realized that Maggie was the one that understood the meaning of â€Å"heritage† and tried to give her justice. It is relevant â€Å"Mama’s awakening to one’s daughter’s superficiality and to the other’s deep-seated understanding of heritage† ( Tuten, â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use† ). However, Dee seems to despise her sister, her mother and the church that helped to educate her. Intentionally or not, she is selfish and she treats her sister with indifference. While Dee escaped from the poor life she was supposed to live, Maggie, next to her mother, represents the multitude of black women who must suffer. Scarred, graceless, not bright and uneducated, â€Å"Maggie is a living reproach to a survivor like her sister† (Cowart, â€Å"Heritage†) . The contradictions about heritage and culture between Maggie and Dee become more extensive when the quilts take part from the story. After dinner, Dee discovers some old quilts which belonged to her grandmother. She is very excited that found them, thinking that these quilts represent the testament of her ancestors. Without taking into account Maggie’s opinion, she asks her mother if she can have those quilts, arguing that she is the only one who can appreciate and have the right to keep them. At first, mother hesitates to give her an answer and offers her other quilts but Dee gets upset and then mother explains to her that the quilts were from Maggie as a wedding gift. Maggie’s tolerance in the story contrasts with Dee’s boldness. When Dee insists that her sister would ruin grandma’s quilts by using them everyday, and that hanging the quilts would be the only way to preserve them, Maggie â€Å" like somebody used to never wining anything, or having anything reserved for her† says â€Å" She can have them, Mama. I can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts† (Walker, 2474). Mrs. Johnson then realizes what makes Maggie different form her sister. She sees her scarred hands hidden in her skirt and says: â€Å"When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I’m in the church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout† (Walker, 2475). This powerful feelings determines Mama to do something she had never done before: â€Å"she snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap† ( Walker, 2475). Mama’s behavior here is almost like Dee’s because she rebuffs her wishes for the first time and give justice to the most patient Maggie. The fact that she takes the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie, â€Å"she confirms her younger daughter’s self-worth: metaphorically, she gives Maggie her voice† ( Tuten, â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use† ). In conclusion, I can say that Everyday Use is a story about understanding heritage. This concept is very well exposed by the two characters Alice Walker created, Dee and Maggie. These two daughters have a completely different view in what concerns the heritage from their ancestors; in this case their origins and their inheritance, the quilts from Grandma Dee. Maggie is the one who understands that heritage is about respecting family’s traditions and customs while Dee destroys the traditional image kept by Mrs. Johnson and her sister. She denies her true origins by changing the given name into more fashionable one, Wangero Leewanik Kemanjo. One should appreciate his legacy because it represents indeed what we are. We can not hide our roots and even if we want, this would not be possible because it always remains present in our souls and our minds, we like it or not. WORKES CITED PRIMARY SOURCE: Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973. SECONDARY SOURCE: Cowart, David . †Heritage and deracination in Walker's â€Å"Everyday Use. † Studies in Short Fiction. FindArticles. com. Farrell Susan. â€Å"Fight vs. Flight: a re-evaluation of Dee in Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use†- Critical Essay†. Studies in Short Fiction. FindArticles. com. Hirsch, Marianne. â€Å"Clytemnestra’s Children: Writing the Mother’s Anger. † Alice Walker: Modern Critical Views. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1989. Tuten, Nancy. â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use. † The Explicator 51. 2,1993 Everyday Use Everyday Use Symbolism The Quilts These quilts represent Mama's family and her heritage, they were made by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. Symbolically, each piece of material was made from scraps of clothing that once belonged to someone in their family, including pieces of their great-grandfather's Civil War uniform. . To Maggie, they represent her family; she still remembers with love her grandmother who made one of them and she says it is okay if Dee takes them because she does not need the quilts to remember Grandma Dee. To Dee, however, the quilts have no emotional value.She regards them as a type of folk art that will look impressive hanging upon her walls. (Dee embraces her African heritage while rejecting her personal family history. ) Mama gives those quilts to Maggie because she knows Maggie, unlike Dee, will honor the culture and heritage by using it, or continuing it the way it was originally intended. ‘Maggie can's appreciate these quilts! she said. ‘She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use. ‘ The Butter Churn and the Dasher The author also uses the butter churn and the dasher as a symbol to show mama’s understands of heritage.When Mama takes the dasher handle in her hands, she is symbolically touching the hands of all those who used it before her. Her appreciation for the dasher and the quits is based on the love fort the people who made use of them. Dee wants to use the churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table and do something creative with the dasher. Mama views and honors her heritage as practical by appreciating what she acquired from previous generations and putting the passed down items into everyday use. Dee views and honors her heritage as superficial by appreciating the passed down items for their materialistic and artistic value Everyday Use A Contrast between Dee and Maggie’s View Concerning Their Heritage In my writing essay I shall analyze the way in which heritage can be conceived in Alice Walker’s novel Everyday Use, trying to point out the author’s main ideas concerning the theme of the story. I would also try to describe the two daughter’s points of view, Dee and Maggie’s, about their ancestral heritage. The contrast between these two daughters is more than obvious not only in their appearance but also in their behavior when it comes to quilts from their grandmother. Everyday Use is a story narrated by a rural black woman, who is the mother of the two girls Maggie and Dee Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, is a simple woman but who, in spite of all difficulties that she passed through, she tried to give her daughters if possible, a good education and of course the most important thing, to make them aware of what heritage is indeed, the fact that traditional culture and heritage is not represented only by the possession of old objects, but also by one’s behavior and customs. She outlines in the story that she is not a very educated woman, but this does not mean that the lack of education is also reflected in her capacity to understand, to love and to respect her ancestors. Since the beginning of the story, the narrator makes obvious the contrast between Maggie and her elder sister Dee. Dee is a very ambitious girl, with a well-defined character, the one who had always been successful and ambitious. Maggie thinks â€Å"her sister has held life, always in the palm of one hand, that â€Å"no† is a word the world never learned to say to her. (Walker 2469). Dee denies her real heritage by changing her given name, after her aunt Dee, to the superficially more impressive one Wangero Leewanik Kemanjo, arguing to her mother that â€Å"Dee is dead and I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me† ( Walker 2472), what she does in fact is to reject her family identity. She inspires in her mother â€Å"a sort of aw e and fear more suitable to the advent of a goddess than the love one might expect a mother to feel for a returning daughter† (Farell, â€Å"Flight†). On the other hand, Maggie is the type of simple girl, like her mother, with little education. She is not ambitious like her sister Dee, living somehow in her mother’s shadow. But this might be also because Maggie hadn’t her sister luck and she burned severely in the house fire when she was a child, becoming now a shy and fearful person. These features are more visible in her attitude while waiting for her sister to come home. Mama is projecting her own anger and frustration onto her younger daughter when she speculates that Maggie will be cowed by Dee’s arrival. Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe† ( Walker 2469). As Marianne Hirsch says in one of her critical essays: â€Å"the mother sees in Maggie’s angerless, fear an image of her own passive acceptance of Dee’s aggression, her ow n suppressed anger† Moreover, we can see through the lines of this story that, at the beginning, Dee was the daughter that mother preferred most because of her authority and because she wanted to succeed in life by following her instincts. But when she saw her totally changed, not only physically but also in her mentality, mother realized that Maggie was the one that understood the meaning of â€Å"heritage† and tried to give her justice. It is relevant â€Å"Mama’s awakening to one’s daughter’s superficiality and to the other’s deep-seated understanding of heritage† ( Tuten, â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use† ). However, Dee seems to despise her sister, her mother and the church that helped to educate her. Intentionally or not, she is selfish and she treats her sister with indifference. While Dee escaped from the poor life she was supposed to live, Maggie, next to her mother, represents the multitude of black women who must suffer. Scarred, graceless, not bright and uneducated, â€Å"Maggie is a living reproach to a survivor like her sister† (Cowart, â€Å"Heritage†) . The contradictions about heritage and culture between Maggie and Dee become more extensive when the quilts take part from the story. After dinner, Dee discovers some old quilts which belonged to her grandmother. She is very excited that found them, thinking that these quilts represent the testament of her ancestors. Without taking into account Maggie’s opinion, she asks her mother if she can have those quilts, arguing that she is the only one who can appreciate and have the right to keep them. At first, mother hesitates to give her an answer and offers her other quilts but Dee gets upset and then mother explains to her that the quilts were from Maggie as a wedding gift. Maggie’s tolerance in the story contrasts with Dee’s boldness. When Dee insists that her sister would ruin grandma’s quilts by using them everyday, and that hanging the quilts would be the only way to preserve them, Maggie â€Å" like somebody used to never wining anything, or having anything reserved for her† says â€Å" She can have them, Mama. I can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts† (Walker, 2474). Mrs. Johnson then realizes what makes Maggie different form her sister. She sees her scarred hands hidden in her skirt and says: â€Å"When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I’m in the church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout† (Walker, 2475). This powerful feelings determines Mama to do something she had never done before: â€Å"she snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap† ( Walker, 2475). Mama’s behavior here is almost like Dee’s because she rebuffs her wishes for the first time and give justice to the most patient Maggie. The fact that she takes the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie, â€Å"she confirms her younger daughter’s self-worth: metaphorically, she gives Maggie her voice† ( Tuten, â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use† ). In conclusion, I can say that Everyday Use is a story about understanding heritage. This concept is very well exposed by the two characters Alice Walker created, Dee and Maggie. These two daughters have a completely different view in what concerns the heritage from their ancestors; in this case their origins and their inheritance, the quilts from Grandma Dee. Maggie is the one who understands that heritage is about respecting family’s traditions and customs while Dee destroys the traditional image kept by Mrs. Johnson and her sister. She denies her true origins by changing the given name into more fashionable one, Wangero Leewanik Kemanjo. One should appreciate his legacy because it represents indeed what we are. We can not hide our roots and even if we want, this would not be possible because it always remains present in our souls and our minds, we like it or not. WORKES CITED PRIMARY SOURCE: Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973. SECONDARY SOURCE: Cowart, David . †Heritage and deracination in Walker's â€Å"Everyday Use. † Studies in Short Fiction. FindArticles. com. Farrell Susan. â€Å"Fight vs. Flight: a re-evaluation of Dee in Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use†- Critical Essay†. Studies in Short Fiction. FindArticles. com. Hirsch, Marianne. â€Å"Clytemnestra’s Children: Writing the Mother’s Anger. † Alice Walker: Modern Critical Views. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1989. Tuten, Nancy. â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use. † The Explicator 51. 2,1993 Everyday Use A Contrast between Dee and Maggie’s View Concerning Their Heritage In my writing essay I shall analyze the way in which heritage can be conceived in Alice Walker’s novel Everyday Use, trying to point out the author’s main ideas concerning the theme of the story. I would also try to describe the two daughter’s points of view, Dee and Maggie’s, about their ancestral heritage. The contrast between these two daughters is more than obvious not only in their appearance but also in their behavior when it comes to quilts from their grandmother. Everyday Use is a story narrated by a rural black woman, who is the mother of the two girls Maggie and Dee Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, is a simple woman but who, in spite of all difficulties that she passed through, she tried to give her daughters if possible, a good education and of course the most important thing, to make them aware of what heritage is indeed, the fact that traditional culture and heritage is not represented only by the possession of old objects, but also by one’s behavior and customs. She outlines in the story that she is not a very educated woman, but this does not mean that the lack of education is also reflected in her capacity to understand, to love and to respect her ancestors. Since the beginning of the story, the narrator makes obvious the contrast between Maggie and her elder sister Dee. Dee is a very ambitious girl, with a well-defined character, the one who had always been successful and ambitious. Maggie thinks â€Å"her sister has held life, always in the palm of one hand, that â€Å"no† is a word the world never learned to say to her. (Walker 2469). Dee denies her real heritage by changing her given name, after her aunt Dee, to the superficially more impressive one Wangero Leewanik Kemanjo, arguing to her mother that â€Å"Dee is dead and I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me† ( Walker 2472), what she does in fact is to reject her family identity. She inspires in her mother â€Å"a sort of aw e and fear more suitable to the advent of a goddess than the love one might expect a mother to feel for a returning daughter† (Farell, â€Å"Flight†). On the other hand, Maggie is the type of simple girl, like her mother, with little education. She is not ambitious like her sister Dee, living somehow in her mother’s shadow. But this might be also because Maggie hadn’t her sister luck and she burned severely in the house fire when she was a child, becoming now a shy and fearful person. These features are more visible in her attitude while waiting for her sister to come home. Mama is projecting her own anger and frustration onto her younger daughter when she speculates that Maggie will be cowed by Dee’s arrival. Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe† ( Walker 2469). As Marianne Hirsch says in one of her critical essays: â€Å"the mother sees in Maggie’s angerless, fear an image of her own passive acceptance of Dee’s aggression, her ow n suppressed anger† Moreover, we can see through the lines of this story that, at the beginning, Dee was the daughter that mother preferred most because of her authority and because she wanted to succeed in life by following her instincts. But when she saw her totally changed, not only physically but also in her mentality, mother realized that Maggie was the one that understood the meaning of â€Å"heritage† and tried to give her justice. It is relevant â€Å"Mama’s awakening to one’s daughter’s superficiality and to the other’s deep-seated understanding of heritage† ( Tuten, â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use† ). However, Dee seems to despise her sister, her mother and the church that helped to educate her. Intentionally or not, she is selfish and she treats her sister with indifference. While Dee escaped from the poor life she was supposed to live, Maggie, next to her mother, represents the multitude of black women who must suffer. Scarred, graceless, not bright and uneducated, â€Å"Maggie is a living reproach to a survivor like her sister† (Cowart, â€Å"Heritage†) . The contradictions about heritage and culture between Maggie and Dee become more extensive when the quilts take part from the story. After dinner, Dee discovers some old quilts which belonged to her grandmother. She is very excited that found them, thinking that these quilts represent the testament of her ancestors. Without taking into account Maggie’s opinion, she asks her mother if she can have those quilts, arguing that she is the only one who can appreciate and have the right to keep them. At first, mother hesitates to give her an answer and offers her other quilts but Dee gets upset and then mother explains to her that the quilts were from Maggie as a wedding gift. Maggie’s tolerance in the story contrasts with Dee’s boldness. When Dee insists that her sister would ruin grandma’s quilts by using them everyday, and that hanging the quilts would be the only way to preserve them, Maggie â€Å" like somebody used to never wining anything, or having anything reserved for her† says â€Å" She can have them, Mama. I can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts† (Walker, 2474). Mrs. Johnson then realizes what makes Maggie different form her sister. She sees her scarred hands hidden in her skirt and says: â€Å"When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I’m in the church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout† (Walker, 2475). This powerful feelings determines Mama to do something she had never done before: â€Å"she snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap† ( Walker, 2475). Mama’s behavior here is almost like Dee’s because she rebuffs her wishes for the first time and give justice to the most patient Maggie. The fact that she takes the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie, â€Å"she confirms her younger daughter’s self-worth: metaphorically, she gives Maggie her voice† ( Tuten, â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use† ). In conclusion, I can say that Everyday Use is a story about understanding heritage. This concept is very well exposed by the two characters Alice Walker created, Dee and Maggie. These two daughters have a completely different view in what concerns the heritage from their ancestors; in this case their origins and their inheritance, the quilts from Grandma Dee. Maggie is the one who understands that heritage is about respecting family’s traditions and customs while Dee destroys the traditional image kept by Mrs. Johnson and her sister. She denies her true origins by changing the given name into more fashionable one, Wangero Leewanik Kemanjo. One should appreciate his legacy because it represents indeed what we are. We can not hide our roots and even if we want, this would not be possible because it always remains present in our souls and our minds, we like it or not. WORKES CITED PRIMARY SOURCE: Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973. SECONDARY SOURCE: Cowart, David . †Heritage and deracination in Walker's â€Å"Everyday Use. † Studies in Short Fiction. FindArticles. com. Farrell Susan. â€Å"Fight vs. Flight: a re-evaluation of Dee in Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use†- Critical Essay†. Studies in Short Fiction. FindArticles. com. Hirsch, Marianne. â€Å"Clytemnestra’s Children: Writing the Mother’s Anger. † Alice Walker: Modern Critical Views. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1989. Tuten, Nancy. â€Å"Alice Walker’s Everyday Use. † The Explicator 51. 2,1993