Art History Definition The French Academy

(noun) - The French Academy was founded in 1648 under King Louis XIV as the Acadà ©mie Royale de peinture et de sculpture. In 1661, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture operated under the thumb of Louis XIVs minister of finance Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), who personally selected Charles Le Brun (1619-1690) as the director of the academy. After the French Revolution, the Royal Academy became the Acadà ©mie de peinture et sculpture. In 1795 it merged with the Acadà ©mie de musique (founded in 1669) and the Acadà ©mie darchitecture (founded in 1671) to form the Acadà ©mie des Beaux-Arts (French Academy of Fine Arts). The French Academy (as it is known in art history circles) decided on the official art for France. It set the standards under the supervision of a select group of member artists, who were deemed worthy by their peers and the State. The Academy determined what was good art, bad art, and even dangerous art! The French Academy protected French culture from corruption by rejecting avant-garde tendencies among their students and those who submitted to the annual Salon. The French Academy was a national institution that oversaw the training of artists as well as the artistic standards for France. It controlled what French artists studied, what French art could look like and who could be entrusted with such a noble responsibility. The Academy determined who were the most talented young artists and rewarded their efforts with the coveted prize, Le Prix de Rome (a scholarship to study in Italy using the French Academy in Rome for studio space and a home base). The French Academy ran its own school, the École des Beaux-Arts (The School of Fine Arts). Art students also studied with individual artists who were members of the French Academy of Fine Arts. The French Academy sponsored one official exhibition each year to which artists would submit their art. It was called the Salon. (Today there are many Salons because of various factions in the world of French art.) To achieve any measure of success (both in terms of money and reputation), an artist had to exhibit his/her work in the annual Salon. If an artist was rejected by the jury of the Salon which determined who could exhibit in the annual Salon, he/she would have to wait for a whole year to try again for acceptance. To understand the power of the French Academy and its Salon, you might consider the film industrys Academy Awards as a similar situation - though not identical - in this respect. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science nominates only those films, actors, directors, and so forth who produced films within that year. If the film competes and loses, it cannot be nominated for a subsequent year. The Oscar winners in their respective categories stand to gain a great deal in the future--fame, fortune, and greater demand for their services. For artists of all nationalities, acceptance into the annual Salon might make or break a developing career. The French Academy established a hierarchy of subjects in terms of importance and value (remuneration).

Greenleaf And A Rose For Emily - 1191 Words

The short stories ‘Greenleaf’ by Flannery O’Connor and ‘A Rose for Emily’ by William Faulkner tell the the story of isolated individuals living in the historical south. In these stories, Faulkner and O’Connor tell of the unique breed of people that the South produces. The authors create seemingly unrelatable stories with outrageous extremes that are almost comical in their absurdity. These Authors also showcase the typical southern ideal of tradition as it manifests itself into the Southern person’s pride in their appearance, religious beliefs and kindness. In addition, O’Connor and Faulkner trifle with the concept of time. Faulkner s southern town in ‘A Rose for Emily’ seems to be stuck in a sort of limbo as does Ms. Emily, and in†¦show more content†¦Greenleaf’s spiritual rituals in the woods with newspaper clippings of the different sinful things humanity has done that particular morning. She takes this very seriously and one morning goes as far as to say â€Å"Oh Jesus, stab me in the heart.† This is a direct foreshadow of events to come later on in the story. Mrs. May looks down on Mrs. Greenleaf because she doesn’t keep up the southern appearance standard by keeping her house clean and washing her children’s clothes. Her shallow minded view of Mrs. Greenleaf demonstrates Mrs. May’s obsession with appearances and her lack of devotion to Christianity even when it stares her in the face every day through Mrs. Greenleaf. Though she has a choice between becoming a true christian and staying the way she is, she continues to be selfish and push the bull out her life. The Greenleafs think that the bull is a force that can not be controlled by Mrs. May but she does not buy it. That’s why in the end of the story, the bull stabs Mrs. May in the heart as a sign of grace and when it does, Mrs. May â€Å"had the look of a person whose sight has been su ddenly restored but who finds the light unbearable.† Showcasing the fact that Mrs. May was too involved in the world, which has a sinful nature, and sin, that when she was approaching death, the glory Hardee 3 and truth of God was too unbearable for her. The bull stabs Mrs. May in the heart because the heart represents the soul, the bull pierced her soul and sends her toShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesthe middle. In still other cases, the chronology of plot may shift backward and forward in time, as for example in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily, where the author deliberately sets aside the chronological ordering of events and their cause/effect relationship in order to establish an atmosphere of unreality, build suspense and mystery, and underscore Emily Grierson’s own attempt to deny the passage of time itself. Perhaps the most frequently and conventionally used device of interrupting

Learning to Read and Write Free Essays

Alana Roberts Essay I February 26th, 2013 â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† by Fredrick Douglas is a story about a slave breaking the bondage of ignorance by learning to read and write. During the course of 7 years Douglas discreetly teaches himself to read and write by means of stealing newspapers, trading food with poor white boys for knowledge and books, as well as copying his master’s handwriting. Douglas learning to read gave him extreme awareness of his condition as he says â€Å"†¦I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning to Read and Write or any similar topic only for you Order Now It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy† (Page 168-169). With his new consciousness he suffered with depression envying his fellow slaves for their â€Å"stupidity. † But, like a true underdog, Douglas perseveres and through hope he escapes to the freedom of the North. There’s a quote by Harriet Tubman â€Å"I freed a thousand slaves, and could have freed a thousand more if they had known they were slaves. † Throughout the essay Douglas evaluates his slave master’s ignorance, his fellow slaves ignorance, and most importantly his own. The definition of a slave is â€Å"a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property†. Another definition says slave means â€Å"a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence. † Douglas finds proof of the flawed ideology that is slavery through the book â€Å"The Colombian Orator. † The book validates Douglas’s belief of human rights and gave him ammo to use against slaveholders who thought otherwise. The dilemma in him learning this illuminating information is his inability to figure a way out of slavery. Douglas writes â€Å"It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me†¦I saw nothing without seeing it, I heard nothing without hearing it† (Page 169). White slave owners made it unlawful for slaves to read and write, this ignorance kept them in a state of limbo which stopped their evolution. Without the capacity to examine their situation, they did not change their situation and stayed in this wheel of oppression and exploitation. Ignorance also befalls on the oppressors. Douglas sheds light on how slave owners prayed to Christ, went to church every Sunday and yet mistreated people to the upmost degree and punished them for reading. Southerners often justified slavery by saying they were bringing Christianity to slaves. Christianity is a religion based on love and compassion for your fellow man. Since the Europeans did not believe the Africans were worthy to be in the same human category as them they dehumanized them relating them to animals. Although the bible says â€Å"we must never treat any part of God’s creation with contempt. When we do, we are indirectly treating our Creator with contempt. † If they did not believe slaves were worthy to be treated as God’s creation then why did they push their religion on them? The answer is to keep them controlled and confused. Europeans stripped Africans of their traditions starting with their name, this in some degree made Africans like blank canvases ready to be painted anew. Christianity gave slaves hope that one day their situation will change if they prayed hard enough and abide by Christ words. It also gave them a brand new vision of what God should look like. White is good, Black is bad. In the Christian bible they saw Jesus as a white man so in turn they could have related the goodness of Christ to the â€Å"goodness† of their masters. Some slaves even argued about whose master was more kind. I guess this is what Douglas was referring to when he called his fellow slaves â€Å"stupid†. I relate the South hypocritical belief system to that of the Catholic Church during Medieval Times. The church dominated everyone’s lives using fear as a means of getting whatever they wanted from its believers. From a very early age, the people were taught that the only way they could get to Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church approved them. Just like slaves of America many people could not read or write which kept the priests in power. Peasants worked for free on the church land to pay their tithe or to not have the burden of total damnation. The hypocrisy of Christians of the South exemplifies his mistress who he described before as â€Å"Having bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach† (Page 167). Under the influence of slavery the angelical woman he knew turned into that of a demon in her conquest to prove her superiority over him. With praying to white Jesus not working, Douglas expresses a vulnerable side when talking about contemplating suicide. â€Å"I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 169). To counter this feeling of hopelessness he birthed a new objective, find the meaning of the word abolition and how it related to himself. Douglas speaks on his ignorance as he writes â€Å" It was always used in such connections as to make it an interesting word to me†¦I found it was â€Å"the act of abolishing†; but then I did not know what was to be abolished. Here I was perplexed. † I find it humorously ironic that he is a prime example of what a abolitionist is and going to become but there was a point in time were he didn’t recognize what the word meant. Using context clues Douglas unmask the true meaning of abolition when reading an article on abolishment of slavery in the District of Columbia. In conclusion Fredrick Douglas’s â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† maturely examines the world in which he lived in. Though Douglas was a slave physically he was never a slave mentally. He analyzes and challenges the norm in his quest for freedom; and because of Douglas’s thirst for knowledge he escapes the bondage of ignorance. Douglas also points out that learning doesn’t make the man free but it is how you use this knowledge to obtain freedom. In our day and age we take for granted things like owning a book, going to school, even the simple principle of being who we want to be. Douglas is a hero to Black Americans as well as people who believe knowledge is power. Work Cited Learning to Read and Write by Fredrick Douglas The Brief McGraw-Hill Reader http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/narrative/themes. html Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/medieval_church. htm The Medieval Church http://www. goodreads. com/author/quotes/18943. Frederick_Douglass Fredrick Douglas Quotes http://www. billygraham. org/articlepage. asp? articleid=6217 Christian view on treatment of animals http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/literature/life-of-frederick-douglass/critical-essays/douglass-canonical-status-heroic-tale. html How to cite Learning to Read and Write, Essay examples

Hedda Gabler Essay Research Paper In Henrik free essay sample

Hedda Gabler Essay, Research Paper In Henrik Ibsen? s 1890 drama, Hedda Gabler, we meet the beautiful, spoiled, self-involved Hedda. She is the blue girl of the ulterior General Gabler. The full drama takes topographic point in one room and revolves around the destructive behaviour of one adult female. Hedda marries, manipulates and masterminds a frivolous life that ends in her self-destruction. This self-destruction is a predictable stoping for such a cold, dispassionate beauty as Hedda. It is the bold act of a adult female who chooses decease, over complex life. As the drama ends, Hedda is caught in a web of devastation. She has burned Lovberg? s manuscript and jealously manipulated his self-destruction. She entirely is responsible for his inelegant decease and # 8220 ; the kid # 8221 ; . Hedda may hold even gotten away with her actions except for Judge Brack. It is his intuition and his cognition that Hedda is fearful of dirt, that force her into a corner, # 8220 ; Yes, the dirt? of which you are mortally afraid # 8221 ; ( Ibsen 70 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on Hedda Gabler Essay Research Paper In Henrik or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page # 8220 ; And what decisions will people pull from the fact that you did give it to him? # 8221 ; ( Ibsen 70 ) . Hedda sees her life going crippled by Brack? s control, # 8220 ; I am in your power none the less. Capable to your will and your demands. A slave, a slave so! # 8221 ; ( Ibsen 71 ) . She cries, # 8220 ; No, I can non digest the idea of that! Never! # 8221 ; ( Ibsen 71 ) . Judge Brack threatened Hedda because it gave him control over her. Brack had long been infatuated with her beauty and wanted Hedda as his kept woman. He was eager for the possibilities, this new relationship could make, but he did province he would non mistreat this privilege. Bei ng merely a small closer was good plenty for the justice. Because Hedda is a compulsive accountant, Brack? s proposal is terrorizing. Alternatively of taking this circumstance to add escapade to her supposed deadening life, she refuses to accept Brack? s offer. Hedda? s attitude moves the drama to its predicable stoping. Hedda has married a dull minded adult male who loves his work, â€Å"But I! How mortally bored I have been† ( Ibsen 43 ) . Hedda chose Tesman because she thought he would be able to supply her with more fiscal benefits. It was an appropriate action for a adult female of this clip period to pick a mate for â€Å"correctness and respectability† instead than love. In her ennui, she is angry she did non hold the bravery to love Elibert Loveberg and is covetous that Mrs. Elvsted plays such an of import function in Loveberg? s life. Now Hedda? s life will go around around an unwanted gestation and a blackmailing asshole. True to her nature, Hedda exterminates what she can non command. This clip it is herself! While Tesman and Mrs. Elvstad begin work on reconstructing Lovberg? s manuscript, Hedda goes to her sleeping room and â€Å"beautifully† shoots herself in the caput. Hedda Gabler? s self-destruction was a great act of cowardliness for many grounds. She ignored the value of life itself, the ability to alter and the bravery to accept the effect of her old actions. But most significantly, in her egoistic apathy, she boldly commits the slaying of her unborn kid. Unlike Lovberg, Hedda is unemotional and cold in stoping her life. She merely gives up because she sees no self-indulging ground to populate, # 8220 ; after this I will be quiet. # 8221 ; ( Ibsen 71 )

William Shakespeare Taming of the shrew Essay Example For Students

William Shakespeare Taming of the shrew Essay On Thursday 22nd May, I saw a performance of William Shakespeares Taming of the shrew. It was a matinee performance and took place in the Royal Shakespeare theatre, in Stratford upon Avon. The play is about a father (Baptista) with two daughters, Katherine and Bianca. Bianca is sweet and well behaved, and there are lots of men that want to marry her, but her father wont let her get married until he can find a husband for Katherine, who is loud, rude and bad tempered. A man called Petruchio is persuaded to marry Kate because of her money, and proceeds to try and tame her. Meanwhile a man who has fallen in love with Bianca. , Lucientio, disguises himself as her teacher so he can get to know her, and they also get married. The story ends happily when Kate, now sweet and obedient, lectures the women on the duty they have to their husbands, and kisses Petruchio. The play was staged on a Proscenium arch stage, with a screen at the back that had scenes like rain projected on it when needed. We will write a custom essay on William Shakespeare Taming of the shrew specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There were no curtains, and a small floor space between the stage and the stalls. The orchestra were raised to the level of the boxes, stage right that was different from other theatre I have experienced, but I liked it because it meant you werent distanced from the stage. There was a slope at the back of the stage, for a lot of the play, and also several doors, some raised higher than others. These were used throughout most of the play to give the impression of the outside street, or the inside of Baptistas house. There were also two rails that could be walked along, which were raised for most of the performance. For the start of the play the set remained like this for a while, with moving swirls as the backdrop. The big scene change was for Petruchios house, when one rail was lowered, the doors taken off and the backdrop was changed to a thunderstorm, which was effective for showing the conditions they had travelled in. The other scene changes were less dramatic, like the wedding scene, which just had the doors removed, and a scene where Bianca is out in the garden, which had the doors removed, a swing lowered centre stage and a summer backdrop. None of the set pieces were removed manually, instead being raised or lowered automatically which was great because it didnt distract from the play. Altogether the set was comparatively simple, but had all the changes they play needed.

phil 111 exam Essay Example

phil 111 exam Essay Example phil 111 exam Essay phil 111 exam Essay phil 111 exam BY JJ93allday John Gross PHIL 102 1. Utilitarianism is moral theory that tries to lay a set of rules that you should follow to achieve the most good or pleasure from any one act. Two popular proponents of this systems are philosophers by the name of Jeremy Bentham and James Mill. They both have different ideas for how one should go about the use of utilitarianism to achieve the greatest happiness. Benthams approach is often called quantitative utilitarianism in which Bentham came up with an idea called the felicific calculus which is a way one can measure the level of happiness that can come out of one ertain decision. For Bentham pleasure is countable and tangible, by this I mean that pleasure can be used as sort of a measuring system for what should be morally right or wrong. Now on the other hand James Mill takes a different view of utilitarianism in which he allows for so called greater pleasure. Meaning that even though the decision that the felicific calculus tells you to make may not be the most pleasurable because some decisions have the potential to grow overtime into a more rewarding pleasure. This is where Mills is commonly referred to as a qualitative utilitarianism ecause he differentiates between the qualities of the pleasures you can choose. This greater pleasure idea, though, also raises a few questions in such that is it really that the decision is a so called greater pleasure or is it that you choose such decision because of the opportunity to create more pleasure. It seems as though pleasure is still the end result when you make this decision it is Just that you have the opportunity to fail or be successful in this decisions which is not really consistent with the idea of pleasure but more so of opportunity. . The slave revolt in morality is the the lower class of society revolting against the pper class because they are oppressing their wills to be expressed. The leaders of this revolt are the people that were formerly a part of this upper class but tried to express their will which did not aline with the rest of the upper class or leaders of this upper class tha t failed at expressing their will upon the rest of the upper class forcing them to be cast down in to the so called slave class. These now former leaders are put in a position to express there will upon the slave class which is a much easier target for them. Now allowing them to manipulate the slave class into a evolt against the leaders and give the leader of the revolt his position back in the upper class and a leader. 3. Kant rejects consequences because to him consequences should not be taken into consideration in normativity. For Kant the only thing that should direct ones decisions and thus taking place of consequences are the moral obligations we have to act in accordance with the moral law, or our so called moral duty. We should not moral law then all good things will happen because moral law does now allow for contradictions. The moral law should constitute for moral significance because for Kant a rational and autonomous being with respect to the moral law will always act with dignity and good will. 4. Hypothetical imperatives are any situation that has a presupposed end that you want to achieve in a certain way, in other words in you want y then do x. Categorical imperatives on the other hand Just supposes you ought to do y only because that if your maxim can be willed as a universal law without contradictions then you should do it because then it can also be used as a universal law. Kants first categorical imperative is false promising. It says if i want something I should falsely romise to do something in order to gain that first something that I wanted. If we put this through the categorical imperative test it fails because of the fact that if we do make false promise in contradicts and devalues the meaning of a promise making a promise not possible making this categorical imperative false because it has a contradiction. Finally we ought agree to the validity of this test because if a categorical imperative is able to pass this test it has no contradictions it can be used as a universal and moral law. Essay Normativity is viewed differently among certain philosophers, for onsequentialists one must take actions that allow for the most level of good to come out of your decisions and for deontologists one must not impede any others autonomy but also act in accordance with moral law and duty. So for example if there is a murderer at your door trying to kill someone you are protecting inside these two side would have very different approaches. First the consequentialists would say that you must take into consideration that if you open the door for this murderer that if would allow him to kill the person you are protecting which would not be good or allow any pleasure for the protected. On the other hand though if you do not open the door the murderer does not get what he wants but their would be more of an overall good and pleasure because you saved the life of one person which has much moral value than allowing the murderer to kill the person. In conclusion the consequentialists would not open the door or either lie to the murderer and say that he is not sheltering anyone in his house to force the murderer to go away so you can achieve the most possible good which is allowing the person being protected to live. This situation for the view point of deontology would be handled very differently. For a deontologists autonomy and rationality control ones decisions so when confronted with a murderer at the door one would have a duty to respect the autonomy of the person on the other side of the door and open the door. Deontologists would not even think about not opening the door because for them the consequence does not matter. Although one would open the door with respect that the person on the other side is also acting out of respect to autonomy, rationality, and the moral law. So if the sheltering then they have not acted in accordance or respect of the persons utonomy because the murderer did not allow them to make the decision of death for themselves. Which brings me back to the person who opened the door now has a moral obligation to kill the murderer because he has in fact disobeyed all areas of morality. I think that both systems have flaws but if I was to pick one for myself to follow it would have to be deontology because I believe that not all situations can be handled with only the weighing of the outcomes. Some situations may only have equally negative outcomes but can be handled in such a way that allows each to himself to deal with that negativity. Some problems with consequentialism would in fact be how do you deal with equal outcomes. For example if I am in a subway and I see someone getting held hostage but the gun holder tells me that if I move towards him he will shot me I have a problem that can not be easily solved. If I stay and dont move then there is a possibly that he will kill the hostage but if I do move then he will kill me. The consequentialists sees only the death of one person or the other which is equally bad. This is Just a way in which consequentialism doesnt fully work. Although this example does not defeat this theory I think it definitely limits it.

Week 1 Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 1 Discussion - Assignment Example The study of organisational behaviour therefore becomes very important in this respect. Leaders and managers are expected to be in a position to understand and predict the behaviour of the employees in the organisation. This calls for wide knowledge in the relevant aspects relating to organisation behaviour. It is a matter of emotional intelligence, job design, organisational culture and such other aspects that make the bulk of organisational behaviour. These factors are very critical in the determination of the individual behaviour and character within the organisation. It creates the essence of having a proper organisation culture which normally does a lot in reshaping the behaviour of individuals within the organisation. Managers should be capable of instilling a sense of motivation and team spirit within the employees so that organisation objectives are better addressed. The scope of organisation behaviour transcends employee motivation, leadership, impact of personality traits on performance and other psychological factors that define human character. In any case, organisation behaviour deals with the impact of individuals, groups, and organisational structure on human character and behaviour within the organisation (Ivancevich, Kanopaske and Matteson). The ultimate concern is normally to utilize these aspects so as to create value for the organization considering that good organisational performance mostly relies on good behaviour from the

When completing a degree may take away from a family or a job Essay

When completing a degree may take away from a family or a job - Essay Example There are several interesting ethical observations that can be made, from the perspective of the writer they are providing a service for others who may have need of that service and since there is no law against that service being provided then they are not doing anything wrong legally. There is the pure ethical consideration in that by generating original work for someone else to use as it if it is their own they are in fact cheating the system, this is of course a legitimate argument. Another observation is the argument that the instructors and institution should by expecting original work be producing their own as well. Some people are being forced by new work requirements to gain a paper education to supplement what may be a lifetime of acquired knowledge. These people may in fact be working a large amount of hours and while they understand and know the â€Å"work† may not have the ability to put aside the time necessary to ensure that they gain the degree now being requir ed. Case in point, many police departments are requiring that all officers gain a minimum of an associate’s degree and sometimes an advanced degree as well to become police officers. This means that now the officers who may have been patrolling and serving the community for 10 years and more are now going to need to go back to school to gain that same piece of education. For them it is a matter of survival, they are being forced to work longer hours due to budget cuts and still must produce a degree in a set amount of time.

Market entry strategy of retailer in China - The case of Walmart Dissertation

Market entry strategy of retailer in China - The case of Walmart - Dissertation Example This area of research was of immense interest because global chain had achieved success and failures in different markets. To evaluate the entry mode choice Wal-Mart was selected for this study, being the largest global retailer. China was selected as the location because of the phenomenal economic growth in recent decades and the high consumer base, both of which have been attracting foreign retailers. Thus, three objectives were set at the beginning of the study. All the three objectives have been achieved based on a study with qualitative data and qualitative analysis. The study finds that both push and pull factors motivated Wal-Mart to entre China. Its home market was saturated and Wal-Mart was driven by the sheer size of China’s consumer base. Since the outcome of any foreign venture depends upon the initial entry mode, Wal-Mart’s entry mode has been evaluated. The study finds that during the time that Wal-Mart entered China it had no alternative but to enter into joint venture but it appears that Wal-Mart did not assess several factors before entering the market. For instance, it did not conduct a proper research on the partner characteristics and the expected synergies; it did not take into account the local business environment, the consumer characteristics and the government regulations. ... While the timing of the entry was perfect (weak retail sector and high potential in China), Wal-Mart tried to impose its home market strategies which did not work in the Chinese business environment. Wal-Mart attempted standardizing operations across countries but this is not feasible in a retail environment. The entry choice of Wal-Mart into China does not conform to the theories governing entry mode choice. This suggests that no single entry mode can be generalized to be the right entry mode. Literature on the subject amply suggests that different factors influence the entry mode choice. This study confirms that different factors have to be taken into account when evaluating the entry mode, without which the expected synergies may not be achieved. The outcome of this study is expected to benefit the retailers that plan expansion into emerging economies. Based on the limitations, the study recommends other areas of research on the subject. Contents Chapter I Introduction 1 1.1 Backg round – Globalization and Retail Sector 1 1.2 China’s Retail Sector 2 1.3 International Retailers’ Presence in China 3 1.4 Wal-Mart in China 4 1.5 International Market Entry Strategy 5 1.6 Rationale for Research 5 1.7 Research Aims and Objectives 7 1.8 Structure of the Study 8 Chapter II Literature Review 10 2.1 Chapter Overview 10 2.2 Motives for Internationalization 10 2.3 Policy Framework in China 12 2.4 Internationalization Theories 13 2.4.1 International Market Selection 13 2.4.2 Market Challenges faced by International Retailers 14 2.4.3 Foreign Market Entry Modes 16 2.4.4 Theories Governing Market Entry Mode Decision 19 2.4.5 The Uppsala Stage Theory of Internationalization 21

Planning an Advertising Campaign

Planning an Advertising Campaign Paragraph One: Introduction Definition of an advertising Campaign According to BusinessDictionary.com, (2017) an advertising campaign is a coordinated series of advertisements that are linked by the same theme or concept. It may focus on a specific brand or service, or be directed by a specific target audience. It can last anywhere from a few weeks to even years. Paragraph Two: Research findings Target Audience-According to nibusinessinfo.co.uk (n.d.) when planning an advertising campaign business will need to know when to advertise to their target audience which is likely to buy their products and services. Methods-According to managementstudyguide.com (2016) the methods used to plan an advertising campaign involves seven (7) steps: 1. Research 2. Know the target audience 3. Set a budget 4.Decidibg on the proper theme 5. Selecting the media 6. Scheduling the media 7. Executing the campaign. According to advertising.nsw.gov.au (n.d.) establishing the campaign objective is essential for a successful advertising campaign. Campaign objectives should be: 1. Specific 2. Measurable 3. Achievable 4. Realistic and 5. Timing. Khadir (2012) States adverting reach can be conveyed as percentage of the total number of household within the established area that has been visible to the advertising message. According multifocus.com (n.d.) there are pre and post campaign evaluation, they are mainly aimed at identifying strengths, recalls and points for improvements in the pre and post phase. Jagopal (2012) expressed advertising is impacting everyone from five month old babies to growing children and adults, instantaneously. In todays society the media is making products and services more popular in short amount of time. Discussion: Plan the advertising campaign for the Airport that you are advising. Managementstudyguide.com. (n.d) states that advertising campaigns are the sets of advertising messages which are alike in nature. The reason of an advertising campaign is to: Tell individuals about your product/service. Persuade people to buy the goods/service offered. Make your service or product accessible to the customers In advising Liverpool John Lennon Airport on how to plan a successful advertising campaign, there is a strategical format the advisor must follow. As an advisor, the first thing to consider is a market research. A market research is there to inform advisors and businesses about their target market, competitors, potential client, past clients etc. The next step is budget; you need to understand how much money it is going to cost and to be clear on how much is willing to spend (Bram, 2009). The next step is identifying the target customers that would be likely to buy the service or product that should launch. Another step is to find out which mediums would be best to advertise, whether newspaper, billboards, TV, magazines etc. As soon as the medium is selected then we can start designing and making the ad. The design must be creative and attractive, appealing to the audience. The next step is to place the ad, placing the ad happen Once you have a completed the ad, it is time to place i t with the ideal advertising medium. Last but not least, is to execute the campaign when the campaign finally launches the campaign must be evaluated to see what can be improved (Managementstudyguide.com, n.d.). Paragraph Four: Conclusion The process in planning the advertising campaign Advertising is regarded as the most important weapon in marketing. The advertising campaign process can be tedious, costly and time consuming depending on the method of advertisement that is used. However, the end result (buyer reception) is not always predictable or favorable. In planning the advertising campaign for Liverpool John Lennon Airport we had to consider the target audience in which the advertisement would be geared towards. In addition, a lot of research had to be done; we had to set a budget and decide on the advertising method that suits the budget. Next, we scheduled the media and execute the campaign. After the advertising campaign was completed, we did a post evaluation to identify any flaws, strength and also any future improvements in which we could implement. The campaign is deemed a success for the airport in assisting to accomplish their targeted goals. References Advertising.nsw.gov.au, (n.d.). Campaign objectives | Planning a campaign | NSW Strategic Communications. [online] Advertising.nsw.gov.au. Available at: http://www.advertising.nsw.gov.au/advertising/planning-campaign/campaign-objectives [Accessed 31 Dec. 2016]. BusinessDictionary.com. (2017). What is advertising campaign? definition and meaning. [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/advertising-campaign.html [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Jagopal, S. (2012). Impact of advertisement. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/sindhujagopal/impact-of-advertisement [Accessed 31 Dec. 2016]. Khadir, L. (2012). Reach, frequency impact. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/Laisekhadir/reach-frequency-impact [Accessed 31 Dec. 2016]. Managementstudyguide.com, (2016). Advertising Campaigns Meaning and its Process. [online] Managementstudyguide.com. Available at: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/advertising-campaigns.htm [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. Multifocus.com.br, (n.d.). Pre and Post Campaign Evaluation MultiFocus: a Market Intelligence company. [online] Multifocus.com.br. Available at: http://www.multifocus.com.br/en/prepost.php [Accessed 31 Dec. 2016]. nibusinessinfo.co.uk, (2016). Planning an advertising campaign | nibusinessinfo.co.uk. [online] nibusinessinfo.co.uk. Available at: advertising-campaign [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/planning-a Bram, T. (2009). The 8 Steps of an Advertising Campaign | SmallFuel Marketing. [online] Smallfuel.com. Available at: http://www.smallfuel.com/blog/entry/the-8-steps-of-an-advertising-campaign [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Managementstudyguide.com. (n.d). Advertising Campaigns Meaning and its Process. [online] Available at: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/advertising-campaigns.htm# [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Managementstudyguide.com. (n.d.). Steps in Advertising Process. [online] Available at: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/advertising-process.htm [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].

Clash of Classes and Cultures in Educating Rita Essay example -- Educa

Clash of Classes and Cultures in Educating Rita To What Extent Would You Agree That Educating Rita Depicts a Clash of Classes and Cultures? 'Educating Rita' is a play by Willy Russell, a dramatist recently turned novelist. 'Educating Rita' contains only two characters, a young woman called Rita and a middle-aged man called Frank, although this may sound boring these characters are so interesting that anymore characters would ruin the ambiance of the play. In the early part of the play Rita, a hairdresser from north-west England, has started an Open University course with Frank, a university lecturer in his early fifties, in order to change herself. Throughout the play Rita becomes more and more cultured giving up anything that gets in the way of her education or tries to stop her being the cultured individual she wants to be. Rita is a working class woman in her late twenties trying to find herself through a university education; Frank is a divorced university professor in his early fifties. Bored of teaching Frank drinks his life away and has taken on Rita as an Open University student to fund this habit. These two interesting characters from very different backgrounds are thrown together and the clashes of class and culture are depicted in a number of ways. Rita's language is very colloquial and this, at times, amuses Frank; for example, 'What in the name of God is being off one's cake.' Her language is both new and puzzling to Frank as he is used to hearing the generally proper English spoken by his university students. These phrases seem out of place when issued by Frank. 'One is obviously very off one's cake,' - 'you can't say that [Frank].' Frank's sesquipedalian language does not mix with Ri... ...etween two classes and cultures. In the earlier part of the play Rita feels surrounded by an alien environment, the university and its students, she is nervous and, as a result, comes across as very loquacious. She sees this in herself when she says, 'I talk too much' in act one scene one. However, towards the end of play her speeches are generally shorter. In this new environment Rita also feels isolated but gradually changes and feels as though she can interact with the 'real students'. When she finally does this in act two, scene two it may surprise the audience because in earlier scenes she describes them as 'real students' as though her life and their lives cannot mix. But, when she finally does speak to the student, the first line she tells us she said was, 'Excuse me but I couldn't help overhearin' the rubbish you were spoutin' about Lawrence.'

Political Socialization Essay

So what is Political Socialization? Our text book explains it as the way people acquire their political beliefs and values: often including their party identification, through relationships with their families, friends, and co-workers. To put it more simply, it’s our experiences with our parents, friends, school and society. It’s what we were taught in school about patriotism, and being civic minded. It’s also how our morality judges those experiences and is shaped by those experiences. Political Socialization is how we express ourselves in daily politic or if we express ourselves at all. It’s who and what we align ourselves with in order to feel we have a voice for our concerns in the larger public. The who, is usually a political party that we feel best represents our political believes and standpoints. There are several key elements in determining the level of political socialization which are important to outline. Political knowledge: just how much do you know about whom represents you and the current issues? People with high political socialization will generally know whom their representatives are in government and have at least a modest understanding of the major issues. They also know how to find out more about individual issues. How much do you discuss current issues with people: family members, friends, acquaintances? People with a high political socialization tend to discuss political issues that are important to them more than people with very little political socialization. Political Efficacy: what is your sense about your ability to impact government? Do you believe that if you get involved you can achieve your goal? Or do you believe that your voice will have no effect on current affairs. People with higher political socialization tend to feel that sense of efficacy. That if they get involved they can achieve their desired outcome. They don’t feel that they are just floating along with an inability to change their world. Political socialization tends to give people a tolerance for diversity. This means that people are not offended by opinions that don’t match their own. This reminded me of a conversation I had with a fellow student in my Geology lab last semester. We were ending a field trip and talking about various political topics (sitting in a pizza place in Berkeley of all places). My friend was telling me his opinion on a political subject, on which I did not agree. Instead of getting angry with him I simply said, ‘convince me’ and smiled. I wanted to see what the foundation of his argument was. I still wasn’t convinced. But, at least I understood better where he was coming from. This is an example of high political socialization leading to tolerance for diversity. Instead of being insecure about my own viewpoints, I was curious about his. This comes from a deeper understanding of what I believe. Political socialization brings a higher respect for other cultures and other systems. One may realize that other political systems while probably different are not inherently good or bad. You realize that the American political system is just one way of doing things. Each country has its own political identify which is the culmination of its’ history. People with higher political socialization tend to follow the action of the police and courts more. They tend to get less publicly enraged trusting that the justice system will work in the case of police misconduct or a court ruling that does not make sense. Last, people with higher political socialization tend to get involved in campaigns and elections believing and wanting to make a difference in their world. Who is the U. S. electorate? That’s us. It’s everyone in America. Whether you vote or not, whether you have the right to vote or not. You have the ability to speak and be heard by government. The voice of the electorate is what drives government. If we the citizens of the United States and of which ever state you live in say nothing to our elected officials, eventually they run out of things to do. Before we can know how to add or detract from the Madisonian Model, we must know what it is. The Madisonian Model is the model of government developed by James Madison which defines the balance of power in our government. Our government is divided into three main branches; the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. Each branch is independent of one another and can override each other by constitutional procedure. The idea was to create a system of government where no part of the government could become too powerful. Does political socialization add to the functioning of the Madisonsian Model? Generally yes. But when Madison framed this model he was worried about just how much of the electorate had little to no political socialization. Madison and the Federalists saw the common man as an uneducated hoard that act out of emotion rather than logic. The Federalists did not want direct Democracy. They did not want everyone regardless of education level (especially in politics) in a direct position to make policy. They, Madison and the Federalists, wanted Representative democracy so that someone who had a high degree of political socialization could come and speak for a larger group. So political socialization adds to the Madisonian Model; the higher your political socialization the more active you generally are in politics and the more you take advantage of our Republic to voice your opinion.

Prison Privitisation essays

Prison Privitisation essays Privatization in corrections is a trend that is assuming increasing significance. Pratt and Maahs, characterizing privatization in corrections as a growth industry go on to note: Rooted primarily in the political and economic context of the 1980s. The movement to privatize public services has received increasing support in response to taxpayer demands that government provide more services with fewer resources. Advocates of correctional privatization often argue from a public choice theoretical perspective... holding that private entities can provide correctional services at a lower cost than governmental agencies. At best, however, the empirical evidence for this claim- - the efficiency hypothesis- - remains inconclusive (1999, 358.) The practice of privatization has received its share of criticism, with concern being expressed over the possibility of prison conditions deteriorating as the result of an effort to save money on the part of government. Coercive confinement carries with it an obligation to meet the basic need of the prisoner, notes Logan in this regard. Thus, measures of health care, safety, sanitation, nutrition, and other aspects of basic living conditions are relevant. Furthermore, confinement must meet a constitutional standard of fairness and due process, so it is not just the effectiveness and efficiency, but also the procedural justice with which confinement is imposed that is important. This author goes on to characterize confinement as much more than just warehousing (Logan, 1992, 579.) The goal of confinement should be, instead, to promote the rehabilitation of prisoners and ensure that they are housed in decent and humane conditions. No one expects a prison to be a Holiday Inn, but all authorities agree that unless prisoners are assured a decent standard of living, as well as education and, job training, rehabilitation cannot take ...

Wendys Merger Essays

Arbys/Wendys Merger Essays Arbys/Wendys Merger Essay Arbys/Wendys Merger Essay Arby’s/Wendy’s Merger Triarc Companies Inc. is a holding company and, through one of the subsidiary Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. is the franchisor of the Arby’s ® restaurant system. Arby’s is the second largest restaurant franchising system in the sandwich segment of the quick service restaurant industry. As of June 29, 2008, there were a total of 3,719 Arby’s restaurants in the system, including 1,169 Company owned and 2,550 franchised locations (Triarc, 2008). When Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s died in 2002 the company was in a series of disappointing earnings and became overshadowed by competitors in the same industry. Wendy’s earnings report only reinforced the image of an underperforming brand. Results were hurt by higher breakfast costs, lower-than-expected sales and rising commodity costs. Wendy’s has been struggling for several years because the company failed to keep up with the trends in the industry, such as boosting growth by focusing on breakfast and value menus. This left the company vulnerable to either closing down or a hostile take over from other interested parties (Levisohn, Ben, 2008). Triarc Company saw this as an opportunity and after two years of campaigning by Nelson Peltz a deal was made. Triarc purchased Wendy’s in an all-stock deal worth $2. 3 billion. The news of the deal pushed Wendy’s shares up 4. 2% on April 24, the day the deal was announced, and they have climbed an additional 9% in the days since (Levisohn, Ben, 2008). This transaction brought together two leading quick service restaurant brands distinguished by traditions of quality food and service. The combined systems will have approximately 10,000 restaurant units and pro forma annual system sales of approximately $12. 5 billion, positioning as one of the nation’s third largest quick service restaurant company. Arby’s and Wendy’s will operate as autonomous brand business units headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dublin, Ohio, respectively, each dedicated to operational improvements (Wendy’s, 2008). References Levisohn, Ben, (2008), â€Å"Can the Arby’s merger save Wendy’s? † Business Week, Retrieved From the Internet on August 30, 2008, (http://articles. moneycentral. msn. com/Investing/Extra/CanArbysMergerSaveWendys. aspx) Triarc, (2008), â€Å"About Us†, Retrieved from the Internet on August 30, 2008, ( triarc. com/about. html) Wendy’s, (2008), â€Å"Corporate and Investor Website†, Retrieved from the Internet on August 30, 2008, ( wendys-invest. com/ne/wen042408. php)

Women in Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women in Politics - Essay Example The main reason behind the empowerment and awareness of women is the rate at which they are embracing education. Today women are holding senior government positions in many countries across the world especially in the developed world where gender issues are more flexible. Three out of the top ten most powerful women globally, according to the Forbes Magazine, are political leaders. The most powerful woman according to Forbes is the chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel. Leading the fifth biggest economy in the world, Merkel is the most powerful political figure in the European Union. This paper seeks to explain the participation of women in politics today, and the factors contributing to the situation. Hillary Clinton, the state secretary of the U.S, once said that true democracy could only be found if the world was willing to listen to the voice of women. This statement has been interpreted differently by different political analysts. While some have seen it as a wake-up call to the women to start taking part in a people’s democratic processes, others have interpreted it as a cry to the developing countries to encourage female participation in decision making (Zergaw, 2011). In the contemporary world, women are going to school and pursuing careers that were associated with men in the past. They are empowering themselves and establishing high ambitions. Educating the girl child has been the theme and goal of many campaigns especially in the developing nations. Such knowledge is intended to provide the girls and women with necessary professional and academic qualifications that can let them go into such fields as politics. Today, the there are eight female heads of state across the world. The most fascinating thing about the participation of women in politics is that most of the female heads of state are presidents in third world nations. The fact that such African countries as Malawi and Liberia have women presidents indicates how aggressive women have be come in seeking to manage their nations. Such women as Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who is the Liberian president, and Joyce Banda, the popular head of state of Malawi are evidences of the revolution in the world of governance and politics. Third world nations have always been associated with male chauvinism and gender discrimination (Karin, 1999). However, with the current legislative reforms, women are gaining some bargaining power in socio-political dealings. Some of the most significant legislative reforms that have highly empowered women include the prohibition of gender violence and justice in inheritance of property. Unlike in the past century, most states now advocate for equal consideration in the distribution of family wealth. This has made women gain a wealth of knowledge in relation to their rights, privileges and responsibilities. The high rate, at which women are getting involved in politics, can be attributed to the awareness that the girl child has equal rights to educatio n as the boy child. In the past two decades, women got enlightened and went for such courses as law and political science. Typically, most influential women politicians are those that have taken legal courses and professions (Zergaw, 2011). Janet Reno is one of the most prominent women in the history of the United States. Having studied law at the university, Reno became the first female attorney general in the United States in the year 1993. She held the position for the second longest period in the history of the United States. This was after having been in the position for eight years. Reno had an enormous influence on all legal reforms in the

Analysis of the Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe Essay

Analysis of the Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example The story is depicted in first person narration. The writer makes use of simple diction and weaves the web of words in a manner that keeps the readers enthralled and forces them to read till the end in order to determine the whole story in other words the story catches and holds of the readers’ interest. The plot of the story gradually develops. The story reaches at its climax when it is stated, ‘In niche, and finding an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet, horizontally.’ This climax is also the point where Montresor’s intentions and manner in which he will kill Fortunato is revealed to the readers. The author also makes use of irony and foreshadowing which is a technique that further heightens the anticipation of readers to know the upcoming action taking place in the story. As mentioned, ‘the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.’ This phrase foreshadows the approaching Montresor’s betrayal of Fortunato’s trust. Moreover it is ironic when Montresor says, ‘And I to your long life’ because even when he says so he was plotting Fortunato’s murder.... I continued, as was my wont to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile  now  was at the thought of his immolation’. Symbolism is another stylistic technique that is used by the author. The whole prose is a metaphorical representation of degeneration and desolation of man. The brutal treatment of Montresor is symbolic of the animalistic side of human beings and reiterates the fact that man has turned in to a monster disguised in the body of a human being. He is a self indulgent and selfish creature as his only priority in life is himself as it is also apparent from the beginning lines of the story where it is stated, ‘THE THOUSAND INJURIES of  Fortunato  I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This further illustrates the fact that Montresor keeps grudges in his heart and the intensity of his hatred knows no bounds of rationality and sensibility. Chai ns are also symbolic of the shackles of insincerity and selfishness that hold human beings in a death grip hence resulting in a lack of sense of responsibility and sensitivity to others. This degeneration is also demonstrated by the heap of bones that were their in the catacombs. As also stated in the text, ‘From the fourth side the bones had been thrown down, and lay promiscuously upon the earth, forming at one point a mound of some size. Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Moreover the clothing of Fortunato is also symbolic of his being a fool since he is attired as a clown or a costume of a fool as mentioned in the story, ‘ The man wore

Virtual academy in fuction of Long Life Learning Thesis

Virtual academy in fuction of Long Life Learning - Thesis Example The research holds the concept that the time constraints and place are eliminated in virtual academies. Stacy & Riley, in  "Teaching in Virtual Worlds: Opportunities and Challenges", suggested that virtual worlds play an effective role in learning process as learning environment is generalized rather than contextual. A research by Travis & Price, â€Å"Instructional culture and distance learning†, stated that the use of virtual technologies to deliver courses in education has challenged faculty to examine their culture of teaching and faculty must examine the impact of these technologies on different aspects of coaching. An article by Russel, â€Å"Is Virtual Schooling a Virtual Reality?† identified three categories of virtual schools i.e.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"independent, collaborative  and  broadcast†Ã‚  models. It was also discussed in the study that virtual schools aim at expansion of education facilities to those who cannot go to proper schools and help them to ed ucate themselves while being at home. There are some models too that are used in virtual academies in order to better educate the users.

European EN and International ISO standards Essay Example for Free

European EN and International ISO standards Essay The abbreviations â€Å"EN† refers to European Norm while â€Å"ISO† refer to International Standards Organization. Endoscopy literally means â€Å"looking inside† and it is usually refers to look inside the body usually in relation to medical reasons using an instrument called an endoscope. It is used to examine the interior parts of a hollow organ or cavity of the body, and they are inserted directly into the organ. The endoscopes, especially flexible endoscopes are usually complex but can be reused but require very unique conditions for reuse in respect to their decontamination. It is not only their outer surfaces that are exposed, but also their air channels, water channels and even their accessories that enable them to function in the right manner. Their exposure to body fluids and other contaminants means that their reuse has to be very carefully looked into so as to avoid spread of diseases. It is also important to realize that most endoscopes are heat labile and cannot be autoclaved meaning they change under different heat conditions. European (EN) and International (ISO) standards that would be applicable to an endoscope decontamination unit (EDU) in the UK As abstracted from EN ISO 15883, information from the manufacturers should be given prior to purchasing the endoscope. This implies that the manufacturer provides information such the best disinfectants to use with that particular endoscope and what is expected when cleaning, for example the bacteria expected to be found there and also if the disinfectant in question is compatible with the automatic reprocessor in which it is being used. (Gurusamy Manivannan, 2008) As per BS EN ISO 15883-1, a temperature recorder having no fewer than ten sensors should be used, and the specifications are well indicated in the ISO standard. This is because the endoscopes are heat labile, and temperature may affect the chemical compositions of the accessories or other chemicals involved. The manufacturer should also establish the worst conditions under of the devices configuration. Such conditions encompass temperature, detergent concentration and surrogate device configuration. This also includes water flow pressure for use during testing. This may also be categorized in a similar manner as biocompatibility testing where limits such as residual limits are stipulated as per ISO 10993. (Denise Sheard, 20120 The calibrations should be checked in accordance with ISO 10012-1 for uniformity purposes. These are usually dictated by manufacturers using a validated method of applying a sensible reference. Each instrument should also be labeled with a unique reference number. This is important when measuring passage of fluids or drugs so as to get accurate and true results. The standard prEN ISO 15883-1-2004 has a clause that indicates that the manufacture shall all addition information associated with the use and decontamination of the particular endoscope. Information such as maximum flow and pressure of fluids within each channel in the device and the maximum possible permissible restriction of flow within each channel is deemed important and must be provided. (James Walker, 2014) There is also a standard similar to both that the manufacturers may be requested to give information concerning the device at any stage, and act as consultants. This is stipulated in prEN ISO 15883-1-2004. This is important when complications arise that personnel involved were not expecting References Gurusamy Manivannan, Disinfection and decontamination: principles, applications and related issues. Boca Raton : CRC Press/Taylor Francis Group, 2008 Denise Sheard , A practical guide to decontamination in healthcare . Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, 2012. James Walker, Decontamination in hospitals and healthcare. Oxford: Woodhead Publishing, 2014 Source document

Necessity of Soft Skills for Professionals

Necessity of Soft Skills for Professionals Soft Skills are Smart Skills: Necessity of Soft Skills for LIS Professionals in this Twenty First Century Abstract Changing the users awareness and the technology developed in this Twenty First Century, Library Professionals required to introduce new services, based upon user interest. Managing and running this current century library, professionals have a highly specialized job. So LIS professionals should be required multi-talented and multi-fold personalities. To reach the success and adding new variety of services in their libraries, this paper will helps to LIS professionals through Soft Skills.Various skills need to become a good leader. In Library concept, if you become a good Librarian you should have Library Professional Skills, Managerials Skills and Soft Skills. This paper describes the necessity of soft skill for library professionals. And it listed out the list of soft skills which are essential to survive effectively. Through this paper, we recommend all the library professionals must acquire and execute soft skills in order to better the outcome of their Library. Keyword: Library Science, LIS Professionals, Soft Skills, Twenty First Century Libraries, Librarianship. â€Å"Professional skills may help to get your Job, But Soft skills can make you a good Librarian†. Introduction LIS professionals need continuous grooming by new skills. Then only they become obsolete in this fast changing environment. Soft skills, becoming important at the middle level of library management. Library professionals have to be effective in oral, written an e-communication with their patrons, colleagues and managers, This soft skills will make them more effective to promote their library product and services through marketing. And thus this will help them to show their value to the parent organization. They also need good interpersonal and networking skill to interact with users and effectively collaborate with their colleagues. There is also a growing realization that libraries and information service play important social and community function. Thus, social and community building skills are useful for information professionals- both for community of colleagues (Abdus Sattar Chaudhry Christopher S.G. Khoo). Definition Technical professionals in various disciplines such as information technology, engineering, architecture, and research and development are increasingly required to broaden their skill sets to master the so-called soft skills. Soft skills, as defined by Wikipedia, are the cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to varying degrees. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job. Set of Skills There are various types of skills that can be acquired. These skills are categorized under â€Å"Sets† based on their nature. There are five types of â€Å"Sets† of skills (Vidya V. Hanchinal. 2014) Hard Skills: certificates acquired through completing a formal education e.g.Certificates Technical Skills: abilities essential to perform a particular job e.g. employability skills Professional Skills: expertise in professional knowledge, e.g. teaching skills,corporate skills. Life Skills: enriching the innermost qualities like peace of mind, concentration,positive energy levels, etc. E.g. Yoga, Meditation, Mind Power. Soft Skills: a sociological term for a persons â€Å"EQ† (Emotional Intelligence Quotient) which refers to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, ability with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark each of us in varying degrees. Gupta Rajat(2012). To differentiate clearly between Hard skills, Soft skills and Life skills as; any type of job/work/profession/trade requires a set of tasks to be executed. These are hard skills or Core skills. So these skills are basics for success in professional life. Soft skills, prepare us to be acceptable by others, so that one can attain materialistic and psychometric success in his/her career. And Life skills, prepare us to attain psycho-somatic success (Inner Happiness) in life. Nishitesh and Reddi Bhaskara (2012). All these three skills finally elevate and refine our personality to greater heights, if one knows how to balance all these skills. The ever changing life style, hybrid cultures emerging management styles, technological revolutions essentially require refined sets of skills consisting of Hard Skills(Professional Skills), Soft Skills and Life Skills. Skills Required for the 21st Century Library Though various skills are required, but the skill needs depend on the role and context of the parent organization As all skills do not relate to everyone, a summarized set of skills under three broad categories of skills, i.e. generic, managerial and professional skills have been listed below. (Fisher 2004). S.P. Singh Pinki (2009) (Fouire 62-74) (Oldroyd 30:45-49:69:78:99; Sridhar 141-149); TFPL Skill Set) Generic skills Managerial skills Professional skills Communication skill Local and global thinking Information technology skills Flexibility Planning and organizational skills a. Hardware/ software and networking Skills Adaptability Financial management skills b. MS-Office suite Assertiveness a. Fundraising c. Power point etc. Self-confidence b. Skillful use of financial resources d. Library automation Creativity c. Accounting and auditing skills e. Database creation Innovation Managing change f. Internet Analytical skills Team building g. Intranet skill Problem solving Decision making h. Scanning techniques Decision making Leadership i. Networking skills Service attitude Negotiation skills * On-line search engines Customer relationship Consumer management skills * On-line databases search Improving one’s learning and experience a. User need analysis j. Desktop publishing Presentation skills b. Information seeking k. Content development Stress management c. Behavior analysis l. Digitization Time management Project management m. Web based services Interpersonal People management n. Virtual learning Group skills Stress management Information literacy Working with difficult people Time management Technical professional skills Resource management a. Information resource management b. E- serial management c. Metadata standards d. Standards e. System development Knowledge management5 Traditional skills Table No: 1 Required Skill for 21st Century Library Soft Skills Each one of us is endowed with two Kinds of Skills. Hard Skills and Soft Skills. Hard skills are human tangibles that often find a place in the individual.This soft skill are mostly of complementary nature representing human intangibles. Hard skills are nothing but academic skill that we have picked up in disciplines. Hard skills a can be obtained by reading books while soft skills cannot be acquired by merely reading books. Although it is difficult to give an exhaustive list of soft skills, let us look at the following list proposed by Goeran Nieragden under four heads: Interaction Self-Management Attitude Awareness Compensation strategies Conflict Handling Decision making Co-operation Learning willingness Diversity tolerance Self-assessment Etiquette Self-discipline Interlocutor orientation Self-marketing Teamwork willingness Stress resistance Communication Organization Delegating skills Problem solving Listening skills Systems thinking Presentation skills Troubleshooting List of Essential Soft Skills for Library Professionals Following are some of the significant soft skills that are required to become a successful library professional. Listening skills: The library professionals must have good listening skills a she/she has to interact with different types of users all the time. Communication skills: Command on language, especially English and also regional will improve the communication. A good communication skill also requires understanding people, self-confidence which enables to solve the problems with ease. Writing skills: The librarians are asked to help in writing research proposal/business proposal/project report, which requires good writing skills. Today there are many library professionals who are contributing to various publications, even in-house also or by sharing information and their experiences through library blogs and websites. Presentation skills: The presentation skills are required in report writing, library committee meetings and even in daily work which represents the overall library management. User service: To satisfy the information needs of the users is the utmost priority for any library. The library professionals provide various services such as CAS and SDI or other specialized services. Leadership skills Teamwork: Library management, especially in a bigger library set up is about team work/exercise. Hence, it is required to have leadership skills to manage and guide the team from time to time, as every subordinate is important for carrying out their work efficiently for smooth running of a library system. Teaching skills: Libraries spend huge amounts to procure resources, both print as well as electronic, therefore, it is essential to possess teaching skills, which helps to conduct the information literacy classes effectively. Conclusion Soft skills, becoming impartant of Library professionals in this 21st Century. A current century internet provides more exercise of this Softskills. The overlap in soft skill development and best practices across disciplines needs the Library Science course institutions have to think how to teach soft skills effectively. This paper presents and briefly mentioned variety of soft skills likely to be significant importance to LIS professionals. If we start to learn beginning from library science study itself, the huge difference will be there to execute their work environment. Of course, more and more innovative methods need to implement this soft skills to library studies. Through this paper, we request to add soft skill training to all library and information courses curriculams. References Abdus Sattar, Chaudhry., Christopher, S.G. Khoo.(2008). â€Å"Trend in LIS Education: Coverage of Soft skills in Curricula†. Journal of Librarianship and Information Studies, 66,1-13. Goeran Nieragden, (2000). ‘The Soft Skills of Business English’, The Weekly September 2000. http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/September2000/art282000.htm Accessed on (Dec- 2014). Gupta Rajat (2012). â€Å"Soft Skills: Tools for Success†, Yking Books, Jaipur, P.4 Nishitesh and Reddi Bhaskara (2012).†Soft Skills and Life Skills : The Dynamics of Success†, BSC Publishers and Distributors, Hyderabad, P.16 Vidya V. Hanchinal (2014).†Developing Leadership Qualities in Librarians through Soft Skills†, Episteme: an online interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary multi-cultural journal,6 (4). Sridhar (2000), â€Å"Skill Requirements of LIS Professionals in the New E-World†, Library Science with a Slant to Documentation and Information Studies, 36.(3) Pp.141-149. TFPL Skills Set: Knowledge and Information Management Skills toolkit. http://skillstoolkit.tfpl.com Access on (Dec- 2014). Fisher (2004). â€Å"Workforce Skills Development: The Professional Imperative for Information Services in the United Kingdom.† Australian Library and Information Association 2004 Biennial Conference. Sydney, 19 June 2004. S.P. Singh Pinki (2009). â€Å"New Skills for LIS professionals in Technology-Intensive Environment†. ICAL 2009 – CHANGE MANAGEMENT, Pp.331 -336

Led Zeppelins Houses of the Holy :: Led Zeppelin Rock N Roll Bands Essays

Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy Led Zeppelin is arguably one of the best rock n’ roll bands of all time. They were collectively some of the best musicians ever to play rock n’ roll music, and were also great lyricists. Robert Plant (the lead vocalist) was quoted as saying that for some of the songs that he wrote, he felt that someone pushed the pen for him. Whether some mysterious force was moving his hand or not, one things for sure, Led Zeppelin wrote some timeless masterpieces of music. They were formed from the ashes of British blues-rockers the Yardbirds. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelins official founder) started off as the bassist for the Yardbirds, but eventually moved on to play electric guitar for the band. In 1968 the Yardbirds broke up leaving Jimmy Page the rights to the band. Jimmy went out looking to start a new group and found charismatic vocalist Robert Plant, Roberts close friend and explosive drummer John Bonham, and already famous bass guitar player John Paul Jones. The group hit it off and did a few shows in England before renaming the band Led Zeppelin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Somewhat a mysterious band, Led Zeppelin rarely did interviews and did not talk much to the press. For these reasons much of the press did not like them. However, their fans loved them. Led Zeppelin established a strong fan base by means of intense touring from the start of the group’s formation. With this intense touring came a lot of temptation. Led Zeppelin indulged in heavy drug and alcohol abuse as well as a lot of sex with groupies, especially American groupies. Their regimen of intense partying would eventually cause the band problems and inevitably lead to the bands undoing with the death of drummer John Bonham. I feel that Led Zeppelin could have been much more. To many Led Zeppelin fans that might sound crazy, but I truly feel that they had much more to offer the world than they ever got to give. The reason I say this is because they really didn’t have a long career and within a 5 or 6 years of forming the band they started having misfortun e and tragedy such as the death of Robert Plants son, Roberts car accident (which interfered with his touring and ability to perform for a few years), John Bonham’s excessive alcohol use, and Jimmy Pages’ heroin addiction that obviously interfered with their touring and songwriting.

Types of Lies People Tell

TYPES OF LIES PEOPLE TELL Lies are part of human life. Nobody can deny that he or she has never lied before. Everybody lies. People start lying at around age 4 to 5 when they gain an awareness the power of language. Sometimes they can get away with lying, sometimes they can not. But everone knows that lying is a bad habit. Yet many people have no clue how big of a problem it is. Sadly, lying can become a destructive habit whatever your purpose is. According to the purpose to tell lies, they can be divided into three types; beneficial lies, spiteful lies , neutral lies.The first type of lies I find it good are beneficial lies. These lies usually mean to help and they are harmless that are meant to be tactful or polite. People prefer to tell it to protect the other people or not to make them unhappy. They help avoid hurt and sadness. For example, a father lie to the children that their beloved mother is living happily in heaven. People may think that this is a cheating, but they ought to praise these people who tell beneficial lies instead of criticizing them. The second type of lies are spiteful lies.These lies always mean to gain benefit and hurt people. People tell spiteful lies to protect themselves, look good,, gain financially or socially and avoid punishment. For example, as we usually see in supermarkets sellers lie to their customers to talk them into buying the fake foods. Their aims are only their personal gains, they do not care the other people. The third type of lies are neutral lies. These lies are just meant nothing and are much simpler. People tell these lies to not to Show their private things.For example, you asked a person about her private life or private things, she may avoid answering the truth by telling a lie. One hand, she does not want to share it with you, on the other hand she feels that she has to answer it, so she tells lie. Have you ever told any one of these lies? You may be able to lie for a while, but in the end it will come bac k to haunt you. It’s important to know that there is freedom in living and telling the truth. It may be difficult at first, but as we know, â€Å"The truth shall set you free. †

Stress1 essays

Stress1 essays I have chosen the topic of stress and coping for my psychology reflection paper. This course provided in-depth information on stress, coping with stress, and the favorable or unfavorable aspects that stress has on our psychological makeup. It also clearly defines the psychological factors that create social dysfunctions, the methods of psychological research, and treatment theories that assist us with stress-related coping. I discovered that psychophysiological disorders are in fact physical disorders, in which our emotions are believed to play a central role. The stress factors that people routinely face lead to disorders on both a mental and physical basis. A common misconception, shared by me prior to completing this course, was that people who suffer from psychophysiological disorders are not really sick. I now realize that psychological disturbances such as stress can easily impact on the human anatomy in the same manner as any disease. A good example would be a peptic ulcer that has been caused by stress. This ulcer is indistinguishable from an ulcer that may have been caused by an overuse of medication. This course effectively discussed the effects that stress has on our health, productivity, budget, and lives. I learned that a degree of stress is necessary; even desirable. It excites or challenges us to achieve better results. Experiencing events such as the birth of a child, completion of a major project at work, or moving to a new city, can generate as much stress as any tragedy or disaster. But without it, life would be dull. Through this course I have found that stress reducers help individuals regain a sense of control and equilibrium. Some stress reducing strategies may relieve the immediate stress symptoms but others may require developing new behavior patterns to cope with the stresses of life. Some of these strategies include: 1. Relaxing - Close your eyes and brea...

A Countrys Shape Can Impact Its Fortunes and Destiny

A Country's Shape Can Impact Its Fortunes and Destiny A countrys boundaries, as well as the shape of the land it encompasses, can present problems or help to unify the nation. The morphology of most countries can be divided into five main categories: compact, fragmented, elongated, perforated, and protruded. Read on to learn how the configurations of nation-states have impacted their destinies. Compact A compact state with a circular shape is the easiest to manage.  Belgium  is an example because of the cultural division between Flanders and Wallonia. Belgiums population is divided into two distinct groups: The Flemings, the larger of the two, live in the northern region- called Flanders- and speak Flemish, a language closely related to Dutch. The second group lives in Wallonia, a region in the south, and consists of the Walloons who speak French.   The government long ago divided the country into these two regions, giving each control over its cultural, linguistic, and educational matters.  Despite this division, Belgiums compact form has helped to keep the country together despite numerous European wars and attacks by neighboring countries. Fragmented Nations such as Indonesia, which is composed of more than 13,000 islands, are known as fragmented or archipelagic states because they are composed of archipelagos. Governing such a country is difficult. Denmark  and  the Philippines  are also archipelagic countries separated by water. As you might expect, the Philippines has been attacked, invaded, and occupied numerous times over the centuries due to its fragmented shape, starting in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan  claimed the islands for Spain.   Elongated An elongated or attenuated nation such as  Chile  makes for difficult governance of peripheral areas in the north and south, which are from the central capital of Santiago. Vietnam is also an elongated state, which has battled numerous attempts by other countries to divide it, such as the 20-year  Vietnam War, where first French and then U.S. forces tried unsuccessfully to keep the southern part of the nation separated from the north. Perforated South Africa  is a classic example of a perforated state, which surrounds  Lesotho. The surrounded nation of Lesotho can only be reached by going through South Africa. If the two nations are hostile, access to the surrounded nation can be difficult. Italy is also a perforated state. Vatican City  and  San Marino- both independent countries- are surrounded by Italy. Protruded A protruded, or panhandle country such as  Myanmar (Burma)  or Thailand has an extended arm of territory. Like an elongated state, the panhandle complicates management of the country. Myanmar has existed in one form or other for thousands of years, for example, but the countrys shape has made it an easy target for many other nations and people, dating to the  Nanzhao kingdom in the mid-800s  to the Khmer  and  Mongol  empires. Though its not a nation, you can get an idea of how hard it would be to defend a protruded country if you picture the state of Oklahoma, which has a prominent panhandle.

Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Example

Assess the challenge of Post Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Essay Topic: All Quiet On the Western Front The rise of Post-development theory in the late 1980s through to the 1990s advocated by scholars across the globe (Sachs, Escobar, Esteva, Shiva and Illich to name but a few) brought to the fore more radical interpretations and critiques of mainstream development paradigms. The post-development theorists set about a brutal yet arguably necessary attack upon current development practices and theories claiming to uncover some of the hidden truths behind the Western development project, as Esteva states The time has come to unveil the secret of development and see it in all its conceptual starkness (1992:7). Post-development embarked on a complete rejection of current development practice naming it a failure in every sense. However, others were sceptical, many believing that such a position was unnecessary and indeed unhelpful in terms of suggesting development alternatives, as Nederveen-Pieterse writes Post-development is caught in a rhetorical gridlock. Using discourse analysis as an ideological platform invites political impasse and quietism. In the end post-development offers no politics besides the self-organising capacity of the poor, which actually lets the development responsibility of the states and international institutions off the hook (2000: 187). Under such stark criticism the question often posed is what real challenge does post-development theory have to offer to the wider debate and reality of the development situation, if all it appears to be is semantic hot air? This paper will discuss in detail this very point, arguing that despite its at times, extreme radical view points, post-development has much to offer in terms of challenging our neoclassical interpretations and understanding of mainstream development theory. An initial overview will be given of the progression of development over the last four decades, highlighting the rise of post-development theory in the 1980s through to the 1990s. Following this, an in-depth assessment of the challenges posed to mainstream development by post-development will be given stressing the complexities associated with such challenges. Case studies and critique will be apparent throughout. Post-development theory grew out of a huge sense of dissatisfaction and disillusion with the way mainstream development theory was both constructed and operated. Such mainstream development has been seen as intrinsically linked to Neoliberal policies of economic reform and a dominant western understanding of how countries should progress and grow along the same teleological path as Western societies, the end goal of which being modernization and industrialisation. Mainstream development appeared to be constructed of a single, monolithic and imperialist vision of progress and planning as Escobar notes the idea that poor countries could move more or less smoothly along the path of progress through planning has always been held as an indubitable truth (1992:64). Post-development thinkers date the beginning of mainstream development to 1949 when President Truman made his famous speech, during which as Esteva believes, two billion people became burdened with the label underdeveloped (1992:7). Since that date development theory and practice has moved hap-hazardly through the decades along various initiatives and practices led by Western International Financial Institutions, development professionals and agencies. Development aims and goals were headed up by a number of schools of thought including the structuralists and dependency theorists of the 1960s, the modernisation and basic needs approaches of the 70s, through to the Neoliberal structural adjustment programmes of the 1980s (the so-called lost decade of development). The 1990s and into the 21st century, against the backdrop of the growing Globalisation phenomena, have heralded what is being called a more alternative and participatory approach to development theory and practice, based on a more human development and rights based approach. Scholars such as Robert Chambers have brought to the fore the importance of participatory methods to the development field, advocating methods such as PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) which places a greater emphasis on the role of local people in defining and solving their development problems, a realisation that villagers have a greater capacity to map, model, observe, quantify, estimate, compare, rank, score and diagram than outsiders have generally supposed them capable of (1994:1255). Despite these efforts to give development a human face many argue that such forms of so-called alternative development remain undistinguishable from the mainstream and have arguably merged, The problem is that there is no clear line of demarcation between mainstream and alternative alternatives are co-opted and yesterdays alternatives are todays institutions (Nederveen Pieterse. 1998:349). As development has crawled through the 1990s and into 2000 the gusto and courage of the post-development thinkers has merely been fuelled. Not happy with mainstream development or the alternatives it offers, post-development poses the ultimate challenge, to find not an alternative development rather an alternative too development. With its provocative statements and voice of certitude post-development challenges every development workers mind. The following discussion will draw out some of the key challenges posed by post-development including case studies and examples of development failure. Critique of these challenges will be given throughout. The collapse of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit held in September 2003 in Cancun marked a significant moment in time and provided a stark reminder that mainstream development is not working. At the summit unfair trade rules were met with resistance from more than 71 developing nations who refused to accept the forced agenda set by the rich nations. The result : the collapse of the talks. The failure of the rich nations to accept and negotiate resistance and the subsequent abandonment of the summit, marks what so commonly occurs within such agreements, that of Our way, or the highway! . The very same global advocates of human and economic development as a good for all showed themselves to be the very same hypocritical powers keeping developing nations trapped in crippling poverty through unfair and exploitative global trade regulations, For the developing countries, membership has not brought protection from abuses by the powerful economies, mush less serve as a mechanism of development (Bello. 2003:2). The Cancun Development Round marks a prime example of the ever apparent reality which post-development thinkers so explicitly oppose the hegemonic global dominance of the Worlds super-powers dictating progress and development based only on their terms. It is this profits before people (Kernaghan. 2001:64) attitude based on Neoliberal economics and neoclassical development theory, to which post-development is so strongly against. Mainstream economic development policies touted the world over based on economic reform, lowering of tariffs and trade liberalization in the Southern nations has been heavily criticised for its failure. Such failure has been marked by growing resistance across developing nations who are increasingly dissatisfied with World Bank and IMF Neoliberal prescriptions, and who are calling for a different development. A recent example of this cited in The Guardian, in which Lula Da Silva the elected Brazilian President states that 76% of Brazilians had voted against the current free market economic policy and in favour of a new model of development (The Guardian. 2002:14). The above example of the Cancun talks marks an entry point into a discussion of the challenges posed by post-development. Nederveen-Pieterse describes post-development as a Radical reaction to the dilemmas of development (2000:175), however whether it really is a radical standpoint is debatable, rather is it a more realistic and common-sense view from which to approach the fai de of development of the last 40 years, as the title quote from Esteva remarks In Mexico, you must be either numb or very rich if you fail to notice that development stinks (1987:1351). Post-development critiques the core basics of mainstream development theory taking overt positions on the problematisation of poverty, the portrayal of development as weste rnisation and critique of modernism and science (Nederveen- Pieterse. 2000:175). Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault on power, truth and knowledge many of the post-development thinkers challenge the imperialist, western and dominant form which, they argue, development has taken, believing that the development project was merely a form of neo-colonialism used to maintain the rich nations dominance and the poorer nations subordination, Systematic, empirical investigation of historical, geographical, and demographic conditions engendered the modern human sciences. Their aim for Foucault, was not human emancipation, but the making of docile yet productive bodies (Dreyfus Rabinow. 1983) (In Peet Hartwick. 1999:130). One of the most significant challenges posed by post-development is towards the use of modernism and technology as a development good for all. The neoclassical understanding of development draws on the lure of modern society to encourage the systematic modernisation of developing nations along western developmental paths in which industrialization, technological advance and utmost modernity can be fully embraced. For post-development thinkers, such as Illich, modernization means mass commodification and the rise of global products, a type of modernization which is suited more to the market needs of rich nations. In advocating the rise to modernity, Illich believes that a state of mind is engendered within developing nations, a state of mind which convinces them they are underdeveloped, Underdevelopment is the result of rising levels of aspiration achieved through the intensive marketing of patent products (1997:97). Thus for Illich poverty becomes planned, a scam to force developing nations into an unfair globalized economy producing foreign products for the global market and to, as Illich provocatively puts it surrender social consciousness to pre-packaged solutions (1997:97). And what of the impact the presence of such foreign firms and products have on developing nations? The impacts according to post-development, are only too apparent from the high levels of industrial pollution and environmental degradation to the use of sweatshop labour in the manufacture of global goods. A recent example in the UK press highlights the adversity of these impacts only too well as the largest Coca Cola plant in India is accused of putting thousands of farmers out or work by draining the water that feeds their wells and poisoning the land with waste sludge that the company claims is fertiliser (The Guardian. 2003). The plant employing only 141 people has been condemned by the charity ActionAid as an example of the worst kind of inward investment by multinational companies in developing countries (The Guardian. 003). In the face of such modern catastrophe and technological disaster, such as that of the big D Development Dam projects of the last two decades (including the Indian Sardar Sarovar Project in which over 200,000 people have been displaced, 56% of whom are tribal people (Kurian. 2000:843)), the post-development thinkers call on tradition, self-sufficiency and locally based forms of appropriate technology to resist, challenge and provide alternatives to the domina nt ideologies of modernism touted by global technocrats. The well documented work of Norberg-Hodge writing on Ladakh in the trans-Himalayan region of Kashmir, highlights the importance post-development theory places on traditional ways of life as a means to provide alternatives to development and challenge modernity. Writing on Ladakh, Norberg-Hodge notes how life has changed since external development forces have become increasingly significant in Ladakhi life, When I first lived among Ladakhis in the early 1970s, they enjoyed Peace of mind. The pace of their lives was relaxed and easy. An important element in this stress-free lifestyle was the fact that they had control over their own lives. Over the last thirty years however I have watched as external forces have descended on the Ladakhis like an avalanche, causing massive and rapid disruption (2001:112). She writes of the self-sufficient life which was led before development intervention, and as Rahnema and Bawtree She feels that western society has much to learn from the traditional lifestyle of the Himalayan people of Ladakh (1997:22). However, this challenge to modernism and technology and its call to more traditional ways of life does not go un-criticised. The post-development school is indeed heavily criticised for its over-romanticisation of the past, which some argue serves to artefact people and cultures, as Corbridge writes Post-development romanticises the soil cultures of the social majorities and provides poor empirical documentation of its claims (1999:145). Post-development theory also falls weak in its challenge to modernism and technology in its failure to recognise the liberating effects they may have, for example the use of cyber-technology by the Mexican Zapatistas in gaining international support and recognition, or the Kyapos use of video cameras and planes to defend their culture and ancestral lands in the Brazillian rainforests (an example cited in Escobar, 1995, implying the somewhat contradictory nature of the scholars arguments). One of the key criticisms of the post-development challenge to modernism and technology is that many believe they do not suggest adequate alternatives and merely rely on a glorification of the local, as Nederveen-Pieterse comments on the work of Norberg-Hodge, What is the point of declaring development a hoax (Norberg-Hodge. 1995) without proposing alternatives (2000:188). A further significant challenge presented by post-development is that towards the all encompassing concepts of global good, an example of which is sustainability. Since the early introduction of the concept in the Brundtland Report and its increasing prominence through international summits such as the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, Sustainability and sustainable development have become key buzz words within the development field heralded as a more integrated development goal in terms of achieving long term social, economic and environmental goals for present and future generations. However, as with many initiatives it appears that as increasing numbers of development agencies and organisations jump on the sustainability band wagon, it is proving to be another development good based merely on rhetoric. Indeed misuse of the concept has resulted in it becoming seen as another hegemonic Western discourse. An example of this can be seen in the number of inappropriate environmental projects which have sprung up in developing nations as a result of western use of sustainable development as a powerful interventionist tool. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) in association with the World Bank has been guilty of this, using un-realistic Eco-development projects in India to conserve the environment and create National Parks for Tourist purposes. The projects, carried out with little consultation from local people have resulted in the displacement of indigenous peoples from forest lands. The projects are imposed on the local communities by foreign environmentalists whose initiatives go against the basic livelihoods of those who depend on the forest resources for survival. The use of grand theory and concepts such as sustainable development again become what the post-developmentalists are so against, the imposition of development from centralised, distant bureaucracy which make decisions for communities they have never consulted (Source:2). Esteva writes on sustainability, .. in its mainstream interpretation, sustainable development has been explicitly conceived as a strategy for sustaining development, not for supporting the flourishing and enduring of an infinitely diverse natural and social life (1992:16). As the above example of sustainability highlights, post-development thinkers challenge the use of grand meta-narratives which are so commonly used within mainstream development paradigm. One of the main critiques of post-development is that it offers no alternative, it merely rejects current practice. Schurrman (2000) comments on the loss of central paradigms in development and poses the questions as to whether post-modernism, post-development and globalisation are capable of offering new and exciting paradigms? What Schurrman fears is that perhaps they are not, and as old paradigms are lost, new ones remain absent (Schurrman. 2000) The post-developmentalists would challenge this significantly, as Escobar points out By now it should be clear that there are no grand alternatives that can be applied to all places or all situations (1995:222), reiterated by Foucault who believed that all global theories such as modernization theory, Marxist mode of production theory, or world systems theory, to be reductionist, universalistic, coercive and even totalitarian (Peet Hardwick. 999: 132). These concepts and theories constructed within a western world view are strongly rejected as they challenge the scale at which mainstream development theory and practice operates, calling for more localized, grassroots-specific, bottom-up approaches. The ultimate challenge posed by the post-developmentalists to mainstream development is that of its failure, as Sachs famously puts it, The idea of development stands like a ruin on the intellectual landscape. Delusion and disappointment, failures and crimes have been the steady companions of development and they tell a common story: it did not work (1992:1). From the widening of inequality to the increased spread of HIV/Aids post-development theorists condemn mainstream development to failure. Examples such as the work of Ferguson (1994) on development failure in Lesotho based on rural development called The Thaba-Theska Project funded by the World Bank and Canadian International Development Agency in 1974, or even recent pieces in the Press such as an interview with Michael Buerk in the January edition of the Radio Times, in which he comments on his visits to Ethiopia in 1984 compared to a recent visit in 2004 in which he states The fact is that there are twice as many people hungry in Ethiopia today as there were in 1984 (Michael Buerk. 004:153), all point to failure. Despite the stark truth of development failure in some cases, others argue that such a negative standpoint and utter rejection of development does not ring true across the whole of the developing world, where examples of success and progress have been made. Corbridge offers the following critique, Post-development gives no hint of the extraordinary accomplishments that have defined the age of development, or of the historically unprecedented increases in life expectancies for men and women that have been achieved since 1950 (In India, life expectancies at birth increased for men from 46-60 years between 1965 and 1990, and for women from 44 to 58 years (Corbridge. 1999:145). Criticised for their generalisation of development, overtly pessimistic view points, romanticisation, unproblematised view of social movements and a complete rejection of development, post-developmentalists have themselves not preceded unchallenged. Indeed their tendency to deconstruct rather than reconstruct and the absence of alternatives does make many wary of the fruitfulness of such a standpoint (see Nederveen-Pieterse 2000). However, the beauty of post-development lies not in its answers but in its lack of answers. Post-developmentalists challenge the global super powers and International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and IMF; they challenge civil society to resist, in similar ways to those of the Mayan indigenous population who through the rise of the Zapatistas have appealed for an end to 500 years of oppression and 40 years of development (Esteva. 994:302) and who call for greater recognition of indigenous rights; they call on NGOs, development Agencies, charities and development practitioners to rethink the way they operate, to question and to challenge the work they are doing; they challenge not only Western scholars but also those of the Third World, in particular on what Peet and Hardwick call Intellectual Dependency Theory (1999:137) a challenge to Third World scholars to move away from the dominant ideologies of Western discourse towards more critical and creative thinking on th e issues facing developing countries; they also pose challenges to themselves, to their body of knowledge which indeed does not provide answers. However, ultimately post-development challenges us, both our mind set, ways of thinking and assumptions. To conclude it must be stated that despite its obvious drawbacks, post-development successfully provides a series of provocative challenges to mainstream development paradigms, indeed Corbridge sums up the power of post-development and the opportunity it provides for future change, Post-development keeps the raw nerve of outrage alive post-development thinkers force us to confront our own prejudices about the agendas of development and the shocking failure of some aspects of the development project. They also provide a human touch that is too often missing in development studies (1999:143).