Home Remedy and Complementary Medications Assignment

Home Remedy and Complementary Medications - Assignment Example For the purpose of a pimple I had been using; dipping of cotton into fresh lemon juice and applying on the pimple before going to bed, putting an ice cube in a piece of cloth and holding it onto the affected area, applying of white toothpaste on the pimple before going to bed, rubbing of garlic clove several times a day, talking the steam of hot water on the entire face or usage of honey on to the affected area for half an hour. The objective of considering such folk remedies basically includes fewer side effects as compared to the prescribed doctor’s medication. Mostly all of us have endured folk remedies. For the purpose of a pimple I had been using; dipping of cotton into fresh lemon juice and applying on the pimple before going to bed, putting an ice cube in a piece of cloth and holding it onto the affected area, applying of white toothpaste on the pimple before going to bed, rubbing of garlic clove several times a day, talking the steam of hot water on the entire face or usage of honey on to the affected area for half an hour.

Strategy and Transformation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategy and Transformation - Case Study Example maintain that value advantage over a long period of time it ensures longer economic benefits.1 A strategy also gives an organization a structure for allocating resources, no company has unlimited resources, to utilize them properly there has to be a clear understanding of what is more important so that even the smallest of investment in the right thing results in a gain to the company. A strategy, if clearly understood at every level in an organization, helps the people of that company to stay focused on the goals and helps them in making better decisions for the company. Today companies built various strategies to help them grow and gain an edge over their competitors. Many companies today transform their organizations, through proper strategies, to obtain huge benefits from small changes and efforts.2 Joint Ventures and Foreign Direct investments are two types of strategies that are widely being used in the world today. These have proved very fruitful for certain organizations. Especially consumer good industry and technology industry has used it a lot. Joint Venture A joint venture means that two or more organizations form a contract or an agreement to dedicate their resources to work together for a common goal.3This generally happens when both the organizations think they can compliment each other and together produce greater results for a common goal. The corporations have seen many joint ventures. A big joint venture of today is Sony Ericsson. Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture formed between Sony, (a multinational conglomerate corporation) and Ericsson, (a provider of telecommunication and data communication) in October 2001 to work in the field of telecommunications.4 They joined hands to make mobile phones. Both were making mobile phones separately before... Conclusion Sony Ericsson and General Motors have chosen strategies very well to suit themselves. Both companies have established a good name for them self and earn profits accordingly. Sony Ericsson made a wise decision in 2001 to combine their strengths when Sony had a wafer thin share in the market of mobile phones and Ericsson was in trouble because its supplier had delayed indefinitely and it needed to do something about it. If this timely decision was not taken it may have forced both these companies to vanish from the mobile phone industry. Today this joint venture is a fierce competitor and is striving to be the best. It still is not definitely in the top three but if it stays positive it will definitely be able to be in the top 3. General Motors uses Foreign Direct Investments very wisely. It tries to get a subsidiary wholly or partially in areas where its customer base is wide and it has a good market. This way it stays close to its market and learns about its demographics very well and gets to know the requirements of the market. It also makes sure that it advertises and promotes its products in line with the culture of its market. This helps them do a better job at selling their products to the local people and earn a better margin of profits. It strategies are used properly profits can be maximized and companies can do better investments and decision making.

Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behavior Essay Organizational Behavior Instructor: Rachana Misraraj December 10, 2012 Organizational Behavior Analysis Organizational Behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. â€Å"Organizational behavior is a misnomer. It is not the study of how organizations behave, but rather the study of individual behavior in an organizational setting. This includes the study of how individuals behave alone, as well as how individuals behave in groups(Werthiem, 2004). † The purpose of organizational behavior is to gain a greater understanding of those factors that influence individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting so that individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. The field also includes the analysis of organizational factors that may have an influence upon individual and group behavior. Much of organizational behavior research is ultimately aimed at providing human resource management professionals with the information and tools they need to select, train, and retain employees in a fashion that yields maximum benefit for the individual employee as well as for the organization. The purpose of the paper below is to analyze the organizational behavior of my current or former employer (current: Street, Water, and Sewer Department for my town), by describing how each of the components listed below influences the behavior of the organization in a negative or positive manner, and they include, the Type of culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl? ); Modes of communication (Describe the dominant communication form used, e. g. written or verbal); Nature of authority (recognized social rank); Motivational techniques (Describe the motivational driving forces e. g. Intrinsic or extrinsic used to influence productivity and performance? ); Areas of EQ incorporated (Describe how the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence); and How are the components of a virtual organization embraced? (Explain how the organization embraces new paradigms such as teleworking and virtual offices? ). Grasping a complex and knowledgeable understanding on why, when, where and how, organizational behavior functions and operates, can provide great tools and skills to an individual or organization to better manage behavior and productivity within a company. I currently work for as a laborer for the Water/Sewer department for my county/town. As a member of the STREET department which is responsible for the maintenance and repair of City roads and right-of-ways; maintenance and repair of drainage located on City property; installation and maintenance of signs and roadway markings; and removal of snow and ice. The Employee’s operates, maintains and repairs various machinery, tools, and equipment. As for the water department, this position is responsible for maintenance and repair of Citys WATERLINE system. Installs any and all new additions to the existing distribution system as well as performs necessary maintenance and or repairs to any part of the water distribution system. Performs miscellaneous duties such as operating and repairing equipment, general clean up, concrete finishing, painting, etc. Uses various hand tools, power tools, heavy equipment and machinery. As a member of the WASTEWATER(Sewer)Department which is responsible for maintenance and repair of the Citys sewer line system. Employee performs necessary maintenance, repairs, and/or replacement of sewer system components. Employee uses various hand tools, power tools, heavy equipment, trucks, and machinery. Employee performs miscellaneous duties such as operating and repairing equipment, general clean up, concrete finishing, painting, etc. Good communications skills are required as this position frequently deals directly with the public. The primary hours of this position are Monday through Friday during the day; however, extended shifts and overtime on weekends, evenings, and holidays may be required. Therefore organizational behavior skills are a must. Type of culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl? ) Culture can be defined as the cultivated behavior that is socially transmitted. It involves the accumulation of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, experiences, religion, relations, concepts of the universe, values, meanings, roles, notions of time, relations, material possessions and objects acquired and a way of life of a group of people throughout the generations. When it comes to the type of culture on my job I would have to describe it as a pluralism type of culture. This refers to the type of culture whereby smaller groups of people within a large society tend to maintain their unique culture identities and their values, behaviors and identities are well accepted by the wider society or culture. The minor groups of people participate fully within the dominant society while still maintaining their cultural differences. It involves coexistent of different cultures in a location without the domineering of one particular culture. The human differences that exist are accepted by the majority and hence it eliminates discrimination in the form of racialism or sexism. It can also be refereed to as multiculturalism (Henry, 2011). † Within the three departments that I participate and work in, there are 5 different nationalities of workers who coincide within the organization, and they include African American, Mexican, Caucasian, Latino, and American Indian. Each and every one of these individuals, have their own way of living, eating, etc.. But when everyone clocks in in the morning, we are all one cohesive group, who knows that the main goal is to come to work, be safe, respect your fellow co-worker, get the job done in a professional manner, and most importantly be in the best interest of the tax payers and the town in general, while at the same time excepting who each individual is a person, where they come from, and their cultural differences. This influences the company in a positive manner because, it incorporates good behavior on the job, respect for the job, positive progress for the people participating at the job, and goal completion. Modes of communication (Describe the dominant communication form used, e. g. written or verbal) â€Å"Communication consists of transmitting, receiving, and processing information. In organizations, communications flow between individuals, between levels in the organizational hierarchy, between departments, and between the company and outside publics. Effective communication has often been linked to interpersonal and company success (Baak, 2012). † Communication is of high importance on any job, especially the one that I work for, due to the risks that are associated with the work and projects that we take on. Even though we may use written communication from time to time, describing what our daily goals and tasks are, verbal communication is the dominant mode of communication throughout the organization. Whether it be verbal or non verbal, both revolve around the importance of everyone, working in sync with one another and most importantly working safely around your fellow co-worker. One example is, when we are replacing larger water lines (12 inches in diameter) within a trench, which may be at a depth of 2ft to 14ft. Therefore, when a worker is in the trench digging around and locating the pipe, there must to be a competent person at the top of the trench looking for cracks or imperfections in the walls, where a potential cave in could happen, injuring or killing the person in the hole. So, verbal communication is regularly used when there is no machinery running, and you have to alarm the workers of a dangerous situation. And non-verbal communication is used, when a gas powered saw is in operation to cut a pipe, in which, the worker cannot hear you verbally, thus non verbal actions and communication are used to alarm the worker of potential danger and they are pulled out of the trench before anything catastrophic occurs. On that note, this influences the company on a postive level, because, both verbal and non-verbal communication is the dominant and vital mode of communication, that provides protection for a safe work environment. Nature of authority (recognized social rank) The nature of authority is also very important on my job because, each individual respects the fact that one should not go over the next persons head of authority, or having curiosity about a co-workers way of life without discussing it with them first. Because, there are individuals on the job who have been there 20 years, 10 years, 5 years, etc, therefore when you join a team or a group of people, you become part of that organizations social system, and you must adjust and relate to that world of work. â€Å"The variables in an organizational system operate in a working balance called social equilibrium. Individuals make a psychological contract that defines their personal relationship with the system. â€Å"When they contribute to the organizations success, we call their behavior functional. The broad environment that people live in is their social culture, and a major change in it can lead to cultural shock. People need to accept and appreciate the value that cultural differences can contribute to the success of an organization (www. angel fire. com). † â€Å"Other important cultural factors include the work ethic and corporate attitudes toward social responsibility. Role is the pattern of action expected of a person in activities involving others. Related ideas are role perceptions mentors, role conflict, and role ambiguity. Status is the social rank of a person in a group, and it leads to status systems and possibly status anxiety. Organizational cultures reflect the assumptions and values that guide a firm. They are intangible but powerful influences on employee behavior. Participants learn about their organizations culture through the process of socialization and influence it through individualization (www. angel fire. com). On that note, the nature of authority can be both positive and negative, because, from a negative standpoint it can be used for growth in power in domination. But from a positive standpoint, it can be sued for uplifting other coworkers, by improvising their skills, capabilities and more importantly, their motivational drive on the job. Motivational techniques (Describe the motivational driving forces e. g. Intrinsic or ex trinsic used to influence productivity and performance? ) Due to the constant and unpredictable adjustments that my organization goes through, behavior can change in a instant, with each and every individual on the job. Therefore, motivational techniques are a concurrent thing, on a day to day basis. â€Å"There is no doubt that motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the actions required to achieve a goal, without relying on external rewards or pressures (Amin, 2011). † In my organization the motivational driving force is intrinsic, because pride is everything to a man more than anything, therefore everyone on the job feels a sense of obligation to achieve the goals presented to them to their best ability. Productivity and performance stays at an all time high and positive level, thus, whatever daily goal is presented to us, is handled with confidence and integrity. Our motivation consist of reminding ourselves that what we do, is what we enjoy to do, what we do is appreciated by the tax payers family and most importantly we enjoy knowing that our skills and capabilities are worth the time and effort that we put forth to learn and achieve the skills and tools to complete present and future organizational objectives. Areas of EQ incorporated (Describe how the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence) Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic. And it consists of four branches that include perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions (Cherr y, 2012). † Based on the high demands of my job, my co-workers and myself included, may at times have high emotions about whether something on the job is not going right, and show some form of frustration without even knowing it sometimes. Therefore my our organization constantly issues EQ (emotional intelligence ), reminder courses, that helps the crews keep a stable mind set when working in dangerous areas, and if something goes wrong, we use the EQ tools to control and manage our emotions for the sake/safety of our well being the others that are around. EQ classes have been very positive for the organization over the past 5 years, and every since the integration there have been no altercations, accidents, or incidents on the job at all. A 100% success rate. How are the components of a virtual organization embraced? (Explain how the organization embraces new paradigms such as teleworking and virtual offices? ) â€Å"Traditional brick and mortar businesses may become a thing of the past. Today’s modern workplace has embraced the virtual environment. The ultimate goal of the virtual organization is to provide innovative, high-quality products or services instantaneously in response to customer demands (Hamilton, 2012). On that note, my organization has embraced the components of a virtual organization on a very positive and useful level. For example, in the Water/sewer department, we are responsible for the distribution of bills/and cut-off notices for the water use throughout the city. For decades, this task was done by hand; by hand I mean driving to each and every house in the city, knocking on the door, and handing the customer their water/sewer bill for that month. Ever since the company embraced the compo nents of a virtual organization, these tasks are now obsolete. Now we contact the customers, through email, text messaging, and voicemails. When the customer has a question about their bill, they are able to contact the office and have a videoconference with the workers in the water/sewer department, to discuss whatever problem they are having with their water/sewer bill, or their water/sewer in general. My organization has also embrace the concept of a virtual organization in the street department. When there is a down power line, streetlight, street sign, blocked up drain pipes, etc. my organization has integrated a beacon system that alerts us when any of these incidents have occurred and in what area. All we have to do is acknowledge the beacon alert, log on to our computers, locate the problem, and proceed to fix the issue at hand. Integrating the components of a virtual organization has been immensely helpful and positive to our over all daily tasks and duties. In conclusion, Organizational Behavior is the study and application of knowledg e about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. The purpose of organizational behavior is to gain a greater understanding of those factors that influence individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting so that individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. Culture can be defined as the cultivated behavior that is socially transmitted. It involves the accumulation of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, experiences, religion, relations, concepts of the universe, values, meanings, roles, notions of time, relations, material possessions and objects acquired and a way of life of a group of people throughout the generations. When it comes to the type of culture on my job I would have to describe it as a pluralism type of culture. Communication consists of transmitting, receiving, and processing information. In organizations, communications flow between individuals, between levels in the organizational hierarchy, between departments, and between the company and outside publics. Effective communication has often been linked to interpersonal and company success. The nature of authority is also very important on my job because, each individual respects the fact hat one should not go over the next persons head of authority, or having curiosity about a co-workers way of life without discussing it with them first. Due to the constant and unpredictable adjustments that my organization goes through, behavior can change in a instant, with each and every individual on the job. Therefore, motivational techniques are a concurrent thing, on a day to day basis. Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perce ive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic. And it consists of four branches that include perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions. Traditional brick and mortar businesses may become a thing of the past. Today’s modern workplace has embraced the virtual environment. The ultimate goal of the virtual organization is to provide innovative, high-quality products or services instantaneously in response to customer demands. All in all the purpose of the paper above, was to analyze the organizational behavior of my current or former employer (current: Street, Water, and Sewer Department for my town), by describing how each of the components listed below influences the behavior of the organization in a negative or positive manner, and they include, the Type of culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl? ); Modes of communication (Describe the dominant communication form used, e. g. written or verbal); Nature of authority (recognized social rank); Motivational techniques (Describe the motivational driving forces e. . Intrinsic or extrinsic used to influence productivity and performance? ); Areas of EQ incorporated (Describe how the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence); and How are the components of a virtual organization embraced? (Explain how the organization embraces new paradigms such as teleworking and virtual offices? ). Grasping a complex and knowledgeable understanding on why, when, where and how, organizational behavior functions and operates, can provide great tools and skills to an individual or organization to better manage behavior and productivity within a company. References Amin,. (July 21, 2011). Motivate your team intrinsically or extrinsically? Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://blog. 7geese. com/2011/07/21/intrinsic-vs-extrinsic-motivation/ Baack, D. (2012). Organizational behavior. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Cherry, K. (2012). What Is Emotional Intelligence? Definitions, History, and Measures of Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell. htm Hamilton, D. Dr. (April 23, 2012). Today’s Organizations Embracing Virtual Business. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://drdianehamilton. wordpress. com/2012/04/23/todays-organizations-embracing-virtual-business/ Henry,. (April 4, 2004). Culture Definitions and Types. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://language. ezinemark. com/culture-definitions-and-types-17b25a011fd. html Wertheim, E. G. (February 22, 2004). Historical Background of Organizational Behavior. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://ehcweb. ehc. edu/faculty/ljcumbo/downfiles/historyofOB. pdf http://www. angelfire. com/blues/cannonsessays/org_behavior/ORGANIZATIONAL_BEHAV

A Study On Elizabethan Love Sonnets

A Study On Elizabethan Love Sonnets Our anthology of Renaissance poetry focuses on the Elizabethan period and in particular the sonnet as a genre. Furthermore, we have focused on the theme of love as a dominant trend through the sonnets of this time as it will provide a familiar yet central introduction to the Renaissance period for first year college students. Under the parameters of the theme of the love sonnet we have chosen to concentrate on love as a tool for courtship, the poets attempt to immortalise his beloved through verse, love conquering depression and the link between love, sex and sexuality which is obvious in the Renaissance period. Using sonnets from Shakespeare, Sidney, Donne and Spenser, we aim to provide a clear rationale as to why the love sonnet really was representative of the Elizabethan era and of the English Literary Renaissance on a broader scale. Along with the advancement of Renaissance Italian poetry came the introduction of the love sonnet, a genre which developed through the English Literary Renaissance from Sidneys time and reached its peak with Shakespeare. â€Å"There are periods in the history of any literature when what poets need most is a formal convention which will enable them to study the demands of the medium quite objectively, with a craftsmans eye, and prevent them from merely splashing about in a language that has not been tempered to meet the precise curve of the meaning. The sonnet form met this need for English poets in the sixteenth century†. (Daiches, 1960, 150) Although the English Literary Renaissance developed further after the Elizabethan period, we feel that the sonnet is representative of Renaissance. The sonnet as a genre represents the development in the cultural in Elizabethan time spanning from ranging from Sidney to Shakespeare. Sir Philip Sidney first introduces the sonnet to Elizabethan England, demonstrating a strict adherence to the Petrarchan sonnet, both in form and content. This can be seen in the use of unrequited love in Sidneys collection of sonnets Astrophil and Stella continuing to the later stages of the Elizabethan era with Shakespeare and his interpretation of the sonnet, the Shakespearean sonnet. The difference mainly revolves around the poets ideas of love and how it should be defined. In Shakespeares Sonnet 130, the poet represents the shift from traditional views of the definition of idyllic love, where beauty is defined by a womans perfect outward beauty. â€Å"My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips red; If snow be white, why her breasts are dun† which is in direct conflict with the unrequited love or chivalri c love presented in the earlier Sidney sonnets. In this way it can be argued that Shakespeare represents the development of the sonnet over the span of the Elizabethan period and as such gives a great introductory insight into how love was treated in the Renaissance as a whole. Similarly, although Spensers Sonnet 54 does not flatter the object of his affection in the usual Renaissance manner, it is clear his love is for the woman is strong. A typical use of Elizabethan love sonnets is as a courting mechanism for the poet; a tool for which he can woo his beloved. While Sonnet 54 is unflattering on a surface level, Spenser connects with the object of his affection on a deeper level, a method which may have made a stronger impression on her. Another aspect of Elizabethan love sonnets is the poets attempt to immortalise his beloveds beauty and the love he had for the subject through verse. Edmund Spensers Sonnet 75 and Sonnet 79 are perfect examples of this. Sonnet 75 has a reflective, pensive tone as while it celebrates the beauty of his lover, it laments the transience of the human condition, something which is characteristic of Renaissance poetry. Similarly, Sonnet 79 is a celebration of the poets beloved, but unlike Sonnet 75, Spenser wants to immortalise her inner beauty. We felt that this was important as it is not representative of Elizabethan poetry, yet shows that the poets have the capacity to delve deeper than the celebration of physical beauty. Often we are presented with an image of the Elizabethan poet in a transitory state of depression which he knows will dissipate in time because his wife ultimately makes him the happiest in this world. Sonnet 34 by Spenser likens the poet to a ship lost at sea during a storm at the worst of times. â€Å"The Amoretti describes the growth of the poets love, moving from lust, the desire for possession of the beloved, to charity, the experience of the Not-self. The character of the lady in the sequence is static because her virtue is perfect from the beginning.† (Benson, 1972, 185) Shakespeares Sonnet 14 â€Å"In a period where gender identity is so crucial, where being a man (or woman) has such profound meanings, and where these roles were heavily discussed, it seems improbable that there was not a sense of sexual consciousness.† (Hattaway, 2000, 685) This improbability is confirmed by the love sonnets of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare sonnets can be split up into three different sections. Sonnets 1 126 are thought to have been addressed to a young male, whom in Shakespeares eyes has outstanding physical and intellectual attributes. Although requited love was a theme of Elizabethan love poetry, many poems have been dedicated to unrequited love. Sonnet 30 from Spensers Amoretti describes the struggle of a poet who courts a woman who is not in love with him. Using the familiar metaphor of fire and ice and how they are incompatible, he describes his heated fire-like affection and longing for the woman but cannot understand her cold, detached and ice-like distance from him. Spensers incredulousness at the way in which his courtship did not melt her cold heart is significant as it gives a modern audience an insight into Elizabethan love as a whole; women had more influence over who could court them than is perceived in modern culture. â€Å"Obviously enough, if we read the lady of the Amoretti as a type of Beatrice, all of the sonnets which emphasize her apparent cruelty are in fact fitting expressions of the appro-priate and necessary reaction of perfection to imperfection.† (Benson, 1972, 186) In this same w ay, Sidneys Sonnet 31 from Astrophil and Stella portrays exasperation with its subject for her lack of romantic interest. Had Stella paid attention to Astrophil by reading his sonnets dedicated to her, she would have realised the depth of his love for her and in due course returned it. Furthermore, this poem gives us a wonderful example of chivalric love and courtship that is typical of the Elizabethan age. â€Å"Physical union alone did not lead to this new form just as lust did not lead to virtuous love. Only from the latter-a love which was constant and true came the union of souls towards which the love of rational creatures was supposed to strive.† (Cirillo, 1969, 84) Bibliography Cirillo, A. C., The Fair Hermaphrodite: Love-Union in the Poetry of Donne and Spenser, 1969

Philosophy of Time and Media with Jacques Derrida and Richard Rorty :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Philosophy of Time and Media with Jacques Derrida and Richard Rorty ABSTRACT: This paper is divided into four sections. The first provides a survey of some significant developments which today determine philosophical dealings with the subject of 'time.' In the second part it is shown how the question of time and the question of media are linked with one another in the views of two contemporary philosophers: Jacques Derrida and Richard Rorty. In section three, the temporal implications of cultural practices which are developing in the new medium of the Internet are analyzed, and finally, related to my main theses. In his book The Transparent Society Gianni Vattimo, the Italian media philosopher, advocates the "hypothesis" that "the intensification of communicative phenomena and the increasingly prominent circulation of information, with news flashed around the world (or McLuhan's 'global village') as it happens, are not merely aspects of modernization amongst others, but in some way the centre and the very sense of this process" (Vattimo, 1992, 14f). Vattimo's hypothesis is shared by Jacques Derrida, the founder of postmodern deconstructionism. In the essay The Other Heading - Reflections on Today's Europe Derrida formulated his basic media-philosophical diagnosis with a view to Europe as follows: "European cultural identity cannot (...) renounce (...) the great avenues or thoroughfares of translation and communication, and thus, of mediatization. But, on the other hand, it cannot and must not accept the capital of a centralizing authority (...). For by constituting places of an easy concensus , places of a demagogical and 'salable' consensus, through mobile, omnipresent, and extremely rapid media networks, by thus immediately crossing every border, such normalization would establish a cultural capacity at any place and at all times. It would establish a hegemonic center, the power center or power station [la centrale], the media center or central switchboard [le central] of the new imperium: remote control as one says in English for the TV, a ubiquitous tele-command, quasi-immediate and absolute" (Derrida, 1992, 39f). What's expressed in this diagnosis is the inner ambivalence with regard to the basic structures of our understanding of the world and ourselves which is emerging in the wake of the comprehensive mediatization of human experience of time. On the one hand lies an indispensable chance in this for the constitution of "European cultural identity"; on the other hand it harbours the danger of "a hegemonic center's" establishing itself, one which might soar to beco me the media centre of a new imperium.

Memory and the Quest for Family History in One Hundred Years of Solitud

Memory and the Quest for Family History in One Hundred Years of Solitude and Song of Solomon Pierre Nora proposes that "the quest for memory is the search for one's history" (289). In their attempt to reconstruct the communal histories of their people, Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez rely heavily on the use of memory as a means to rewrite the history of those oppressed because of race, class and/or gender in a world where historiography has been dominated by the white man. Memory is closely related to the reclamation of identity and history -- both personal and collective. Both memory and history dominate Cien Aà ±os de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) from the very beginning, where the character Aureliano Buendà ­a is introduced through his own recollections: "Muchos aà ±os despuà ©s, frente al pelotà ³n de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendà ­a habà ­a de recordar aquella tarde remota en que su padre lo llevà ³ a conocer el hielo" (9) / "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendà ­a was to remember that dis tant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice" (9). Like Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez, Toni Morrison claims memory -- as well as imagination -- as an essential part of the narrative act: "The act of imagination is bound up with memory. You know, they straightened out the Mississippi River in places, to make room for houses and livable acreage. Occasionally the river floods these places. 'Floods' is the word they use, but in fact it is not flooding; it is remembering. Remembering where it used to be. All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was. Writers are like that: Remembering where we were, what valley we ran through, what the banks were like, the light... ...tive Literature Courses." Approaches to Teaching Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. Marà ­a Elena de Valdà ©s and Mario J. Valdà ©s. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1990. 21-32. Parkinson Zamora, Lois. "The Usable Past: The Idea of History in Modern U.S. and Latin American Fiction." Do the Americas Have a Common Literature? Ed. Gustavo Pà ©rez Firmat. Durham: Duke UP, 1990. 7-41. Pierce, Robert N. "Fact or Fiction?: The Developmental Journalism of Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez." Journal of Popular Culture 22.1 (1988): 63-71. Ricci Della Grisa, Graciela N. Realismo Mà ¡gico y Conciencia Mà ­tica en Amà ©rica Latina. Buenos Aires: Fernando Garcà ­a Cambeiro, 1985. Strouse, Jean. "Toni Morrison's Black Magic." Newsweek (30 March 1981): 52-57. Watkins, Mel. "Interview with Toni Morrison." New York Times Book Review (11 September 1977): 50.

Building Brand Community Essay

1.HOG has been phenomenally successful at attracting members and chapters. From nothing in 1983 it has grown to half a million members in 1,160 chapters. This is the core of Harley-Davidson’s market and it is easily reachable through Hog Tales magazine. This is particularly important for Harley given that its customers are so varied making it hard to reach them through traditional marketing methods. HOG overcomes the wide differences in its membership by focusing on their common passion, motorcycle riding. While members get to meet fellow enthusiasts, Harley gets to keep their attention on Harley. As it cannot compete with Japanese imports on price, and perhaps quality, Harley has to focus on its brand. HOG builds brand community and dispels the old image of Harley owners as Hell’s Angels gangs. In fact, Harley has been so successful in building its brand that BusinessWeek ranks it as the 44th most valuable in the world. Retaining Harley owners is clearly lucrative; Harley estimates that active HOG members spend an extra $850 a year with the company. This translated into over $140 million, money that can easily be spent elsewhere by less loyal customers. 2.Given that HOG serves to retain and reach customers by building a brand community, the Posse Rides serve to create a brand within the brand. Lisa Laundry describes Harley as â€Å"a mystique, a lifestyle as opposed to a brand.†Ã‚  This kind of awe is mixed with a cultist sense of community, a dollop of patriotism and Americana, and commitment to riding to create your average Harley rally pilgrim. The Posse Rides focus on the latter part of that physiological make-up, on the hard-core riders. It allows these people to differentiate themselves from the larger group of Harley owners. The first Posse Ride was a big success, giving participants bragging rights that they promptly exercised on return to their HOG chapters. This word of mouth raised expectations for the sequel which, like many sequels, it failed to live up to. Participants expected their T-shirts stop after stop, and they expected to mingle with management to share their views. The results of the pre and post-ride surveys (see Exhibit 1) show high satisfaction with their bikes and the ride itself, but much lower satisfaction with HOG and Harley as a company, particularly afterwards. This is dangerous as it undermines brands loyalty. Barbara Hammet is right when she says â€Å"Harley certainly has enough money that if they have to eat a shirt or two, it shouldn’t matter.† Given the importance of T-shirts as souvenirs, or markers, to participants there is no excuse for not having enough on hand. If management had been paying attention on the 1st Posse they should know this. One has to ask why the mangers ride together at all? They can meet at the office, or have their own intra-office Posse. They should be seen to be part of the larger group. 400 people over ten days is not many people to ‘meet and greet’ for say, four managers. Mike Keefe defends management by saying â€Å"What they don’t see is the research that occurs unobtrusively†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The end of his sentence is unimportant because if they do not see it, or more importantly feel it, it is worthless. The old axiom, ‘If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right’, applies here. Harley should spend more time and resources doing so. 3.That the Posse Rides are worth doing should not be doubted. They are part of the brand image; a two-mile long rolling billboard for Harley. Seeing old and young, male and female Posse Riders traveling together projects an open, inclusive image for Harley. The Posses are advertising for Harley and its dealers and Harley should exploit this more. It should encourage, even subsidize, dealers to build on the Posse Rides in ways such as the dealer in  Duluth did on the 1st Posse. Coordination with local TV and radio should be used to raise awareness and crowds. The dealer network should also be used by the Posse Rides to solve logistical problems such as the T-shirts fiasco. Given that Posse Rides have different routes, most dealers will be able to participate over time. 4. While the visual promotional effect of the Posse Rides should be exploited as much as possible, commercializing them should be avoided. Participants are Harley’s best customers and it should take the opportunity to reward them, not exploit them. These people are not stupid and will soon notice if Harley tries to squeeze out every last cent from them. The indirect benefits, such as building brand awareness and loyalty, are much more important than short-term sales. If participants want to shop at every dealer, great, but their direct costs should be kept as low as possible. Given their wide differences in income, raising prices will simply drive off working class participants that blow their annual wad on one rally. This would change the nature of the Posse from an open, inclusive group to a rich, closed one. Over time, as Posse Rides become a feature of Harley’s brand, it would depreciate the brand. Posse Rides will also have to maintain their exclusivity if they are to be continually successful. If everyone can get a Posse T-shirt because of merchandizing they will not be worth having to real Posse Riders. Keeping the number of participants small also adds to the feeling of exclusivity, as does not running the Posse Rides more than biannually. This should also help to maintain a feeling of spontaneity that is missing from regularly scheduled, annual events. Exhibit 1 1.I will definitely sign up for another long distance HOG rally 2. If I were to replace my motorcycle I would buy another Harley 3. I would recommend this ride to a friend 4. I feel a sense of kinship with other Harley owners 5. I have made lifelong friends because of my Harley 6. My Harley says a lot about the kind of person I am 7. I really understand what Harley is all about 8. No one but Harley-Davidson could put on an event like this 9. Harley-Davidson really understands what riding a bike is all about 10. I am satisfied with HOG 11. Harley-Davidson really cares about me as a customer 12. Harley really understands my needs 13. My Harley is an integral part of my daily life