Steel Axes for Stone Age Australians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Steel Axes for Stone Age Australians - Essay Example The article indicates that initially the Yir Yoront group lacked knowledge concerning metals. Consequently, the group’s culture observed a technology characterized by customary Stone Age tools. The group primarily survived through hunting, fishing, gathering fruits and vegetables from the bush (Sharp 34). Furthermore, the group lacked cultivated plants and kept a dog as their only tamed animal. In contrast to other groups of the time, Yir Yoront developed stone axes that contributed substantially to their economy because it defined their cultural practices. However, toward the end of the 19th century, the metal tools and other European materials started penetrating the Yir Yoront land. Adoption of steel axes led to various changes to the group’s way of life. This included erosion of cultural practices. Although Yir yoronts attempted to resist the influence coming from Europeans, their effort was unproductive since European’s culture eventually spread within the g roup (Sharp 23). This article explains the dynamic nature of culture by highlighting the consequences of intercultural interactions. I support the author’s concepts that the introduction of steel axes among the Yir Yoronts led to the transformation of their social way of life. The Axe occupied a relevant position in the context of the Yir Yoront’s culture. Consequently, processes performed by the too had the potential of affecting the behavior of the group. Steel axes were more effective than stone axes. This meant that they offered an advanced approach of doing things. The modern development provided tactical approaches capable of making work easier. The traditional approaches could not match the developed technology. This forced the group to abandon its ineffective procedures. This indicates that a culture that presents appealing processes that lead to development can always affect the culture of another group. The Yir Yoront eventually had to borrow cultural concepts from the

Problem with zoo animal welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem with zoo animal welfare - Essay Example Isolating the two smaller male animals is not the solution for avoiding the others from getting the coughing and weight loss. The veterinarian enclosed the animals in the four-hectare forested area with the intentions of saving the other animals from getting the disease. At the time the two animals spent in the forested enclosure, the animals felt comfortable, out of fear and panic. This change of environment and comfort gain resulted to the increased weight and fast recovery for the animals. Consequently, the veterinarian had the misconceptions that she solved the problem and took the animals back to the display pen. Little did she know that the root cause of the coughing and weight loss was the environment by which the animals were exposed. Fear aggression refers to a famous and common class of animal feline aggression. A high percentage of llamas inherit the shy gene, which resulted to their aggression once they face frightening environments. For instance, poor socialization can result in a fear aggression where punishing the animals make the situation worse. Llamas might develop a fear of individuals, odors, certain noises, other animals, places, and end up reacting with aggression. There are several solutions for solving panic and fear in llamas. The veterinarian can check the reactive distance and the tolerance level of the llamas. For instance, the animals might be comfortable in any environment as long as the scary/frightening animal or people stay some six feet away while on the contrary reacts with panic and fear at five feet. ... Concern 2 Isolating the two smaller male animals is not the solution for avoiding the others from getting the coughing and weight loss (Tolin, 2012). The veterinarian enclosed the animals in the four-hectare forested area with the intentions of saving the other animals from getting the disease. At the time the two animals spent in the forested enclosure, the animals felt comfortable, out of fear and panic. This change of environment and comfort gain resulted to the increased weight and fast recovery for the animals (McEwan, 2006). Consequently, the veterinarian had the misconceptions that she solved the problem and took the animals back to the display pen. Little did she know that the root cause of the coughing and weight loss was the environment by which the animals were exposed. Now, what should the veterinarian do to solve the problem of panicky and fearful behavior? Fear aggression refers to a famous and common class of animal feline aggression. A high percentage of llamas inheri t the shy gene, which resulted to their aggression once they face frightening environments (Tolin, 2012). For instance, poor socialization can result to fear aggression where punishing the animals make the situation worse. Llamas might develop fear of individuals, odors, certain noises, other animals, places, and end up reacting with aggression. There are several solutions for solving panic and fear in llamas. The veterinarian can check the reactive distance and the tolerance level of the llamas. For instance, the animals might be comfortable in any environment as long as the scary/frightening animal or people stay some six feet away while on the contrary reacts with panic and fear at five feet (McEwan,

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Magwitch is simply portrayed as an evil man chasing a little boy while in the Lean version we get to learn a little more about Magwitch and can empathise with him more. The 1946 Lean version incorporates both characterisation and maintaining the audiences interest (done through dialogue rather than just one dramatic word). Therefore, I would argue it is more effective. The sound effects used in both films are dramatic and each has moments where the sounds used are more effective than the other film. For example, Leans film makes use of trees creaking, wind whistling, a short sharp scream and loud lonely bird calls. These sounds build up the effect of loneliness and solitude surrounding Pip. This is effective because it allows the audience to become emotionally attached to the character which makes it more dramatic when Pip meets Magwitch. On the other hand, the 1999 version of the film makes use of heavy breathing and very loud sudden bird calls. These sound effects are mote dramatic than the other films effects because the birds and heavy breathing are very loud and upfront rather than subtle. They really add to the scene and so I believe both the films have equally effective sound effects. A heavy use of symbolism is evident in both films. In the Lean version some symbolism used includes the book at the beginning. This represents that a story is about to be retold and the pages of the book turning suggest that the audience are being immersed into a story. The book may also be a subtle tribute to Dickens from Lean who acknowledges that the film is based on a novel. In fact, Lean tries to remain faithful to some of Dickens descriptions such as the horizontal lines in the sky. The shot of Magwitchs dirty skin is also an interesting use of symbolism. This is very effective because not only does it introduce us to Magwitchs circumstances but it also helps develop an alternate side to him. The dirt on his skin not only suggests that he is different underneath but also shows that he has been through a lot. The contrast in colouring between Magwitchs dark hand and Pips pale skin also reiterates how Magwitch is more evil and Pip is vulnerable. It is very effective because it has many purposes and is done very subtly. There is also symbolism in the later film and an interesting example is the birds flying in the sky. The quick transition from Pips face to the flying birds suggests to the audience that something terrible is happening. The timing of the cut suggests that the birds caws are covering what would be the boys screams. There is also the symbolism in that birds are free and can fly away from trouble while Pip is limited and can not get away so easily. I would argue that there is more important symbolism that has more purposes in the Lean version because there is a tribute to Dickens and it is used to develop the characters and plotline while the later film mainly uses symbolism for dramatic effect only. One way in which the earlier version is very good is in the use of the camera. One place where it is very effective is when there is a long shot panning behind a tree in a graveyard it is possibly a point of view shot. This not only sets the scene and establishes the background due to the long-shot but also creates the feeling that the audience are hiding and watching the boy. This makes them wonder what will happen to the boy as the audience will not know at this moment whether the character whose view we are taking has good or bad intentions. There is editing where there is flicking from one shot to another and this builds tension and creates confusion. This is used in the dialogue between Pip and Magwitch to show the urgency of the situation. Between this rapid editing the shots are mainly extreme close ups of Magwitchs face to create fear and close-ups of Pip so his emotions are very clear to the audience. The 1946 film has a lot of variations in shot however; the 1999 film mainly uses point of view and mid-shots which are interesting because they allow the audience to stay close to what is going on. Yet the variety in the Lean film keeps the audiences interest engaged. There would not have been a choice at the time the film was made but because the film is in black and white it is often very striking as the black white and grey seem minimalist but they still strongly contrast. Lean uses the black and white to create stark contrasts in the sky and background to emphasise the eeriness and loneliness of the setting. So although he can not make full use of the colour that the later film can Lean uses the contrasts in symbolism. Overall, I would say that although both films have very good openings the earlier one has more ways that make it a better introduction to the story as a whole. Generally I feel that the Lean film has shots that allow for more characterisation and development of plot while also making the vital dramatic impact that is imperative to retain the interest of an audience. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

The Pearl :: Pearl

The Pearl Microsoft Encarta defines superstition to be an irrational but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a particular action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck will result from performing it. Religion is defined as people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life. In the first chapter, we find out that Juana does not know whether to trust her original polytheistic religion, or the newly introduced monotheistic religion (most likely Catholicism). "Under her breath Juana repeated an ancient magic to guard against such evil, and on top of that she muttered a Hail Mary between her clenched teeth."(4) This could have different meanings about what is, and what is not superstition, depending on your point of view. One who believes the native religion would believe strongly that the "ancient magic" would help Coyotito. The Catholic idea of just one god is ludicrous and irrational, which means that from this point of view, Catholicism is a superstition. A Catholic will believe that saying Hail Mary will help Coyotito, but it is not a good thing to pray to the other gods. In the Catholic religion, God is always testing your faith. Believing in two religions means that your faith is weak, so God might punish Juana's family. If the person viewing this is an atheist they will believe that there is no god or gods and will consider it irrelevant. That means they think that both the methods of prayer are mere superstitions, and doing one or both will have no positive or negative effect. The last point of view is Juana's. Juana is pretty sure that there is a higher power, but is not sure to trust her history, or this newly proposed god. She doesn't know what to choose, so she decides not to make a choice, and pray for both gods. She wants Coyotito to have the highest chances of surviving, so she prays to all gods.

Mo-tzu’s Argument Against Music Essay

Mo-tzu (also called Mozi, Moz, or Micius in Latin) was a renowned philosopher in China back in about 390-470 B. C. during the time of the Hundred Schools Thought (Wikipedia, 2007). Having founded Mohism, he argued about the inadequacy of Confucianism and Daoism on the need for a mortal being to self-reflect and meditate upon oneself. He also insisted that, instead of rituals and singings, what human beings need are acts of authenticity that does not include the use of drums, zithers, and pipes. He, therefore, stressed out: â€Å"To have music is wrong† (Par. 1, Book VIII, Chapter XXXII). Main Body We all agreed that Mo-tzu presented a very well thought of argument against music. This can be seen when he stated, Although the body knows they are comfortable, the mouth knows they are gratifying, the eyes know they are delightful, and the ears know they are pleasing, yet they are found not to be in accordance with the deeds of the sage-kings of antiquity and not to contribute to the benefits of the people at present. (Par. 1, Book VIII, Chapter XXXII) In saying this, he implied that music did not have anything to do with the greatness and success of the sage-kings†¦ that it did not fulfill the basic needs, unlike the boats and the carts that were built from the same contribution of the ancient citizens. It slowed production by wasting labor on things that are of no use. He stated, The levy of heavy taxes on the people to construct the big bell, the sounding drum, the ch’in and the she, and the yY and the sheng, is not at all helpful in the endeavor to procure the benefits of the world and destroy its calamities. Therefore Mo-tzu said: To have music is wrong. (Par. 3, Book VIII, Chapter XXXII) Mo-tzu is absolutely correct. Yet in spite of this, if people accept that music is not useful in acquiring the needs of this world, such as food, clothing, and rest (Par. 3, Book VIII, Chapter XXXII), then they must also understand that, just like music, philosophy is just as useless in acquiring the needs of this world, such as food, clothing, and rest (Par. 3, Book VIII, Chapter XXXII). In fact, as compared to music, philosophy presents greater cause for men to think deeply, and run into sickness and chaos (with oneself or with the society) that, in turn, makes them more prone to hunger, to state of undress, and to unrest. What philosophy has failed to give men, music could give with just a stroke or a beat of the instruments. True, musical instruments cannot be directly eaten and cannot cloth the naked, yet the instruments were also considered treasures in the long ago, which means that the owners could sell it for a chance to buy food or clothing in exchange of the musical instruments. When it comes to giving rest, however, music has the capability to give rest to those who are bothered psychologically or biologically. Philosophy, on the other hand, cannot be exchanged for food, clothing, or rest, since it all runs in the mind of the wise men. Thinking about the statements of the wise will just make men hungrier, poorer with less clothing, and more troubled. I, therefore, stress out—to have philosophy is totally wrong! Conclusion Mo-tzu failed to acknowledge that music is an art that sprouts from the very being of the individual. It is like painting, sculpture, literature, or the use of colors. It is an expression of what human beings feel, think of, believe in, or acknowledge. It comes from the mind. With this, it is very obvious that to say that music is totally wrong would also mean that philosophy is totally wrong, since the latter is also an expression of what human beings feel, think of, believe in, or acknowledge. Music comes from the mind just as philosophy comes from the mind. The only difference is that philosophy centers on chosen beings—those who are more gifted and wise—than when compared to music, which is so ordinary and can be expressed by anyone who dreams of expressing himself. Yet they both come from the mind. Even if both have their own sides of gains, both are totally incapable of destroying calamities.

Moby Dick, Sophies World, East of Eden - 2310 Words

In today’s society, the issues of fate and free will are hotly debated, drawing in heated discussions of religion, chance, and the extent of free will. While some believe we have a significant amount of control over our lives exercised through free will in our choices, others believe an entirely different power is at hand in controlling our lives. These issues often find themselves associated in literature, with examples such as John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World. Among these books, there are different interpretations on the role of fate and free will in human life. In particular, these three different works of literature express varying shows of balance between fate and free†¦show more content†¦This good vs. evil concept could especially be seen in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Caleb Trask, the protagonist, struggles throughout the book while in a fight where he tries to suppress and overcome his inner demons. Caleb, son of Adam and Cathy, had lived his life in the shadow of his brother Aron, who was obviously in better light with his father. While Aron symbolically was the embodiment of all that was good, Caleb was the opposite, having had embodied evil, like his mother. However, Caleb demonstrates the usage of free will in the struggle of overcoming evil. This is clearly shown during the confrontation of him and his mother, and his realization that Cathy is a prostitute. When Caleb meets with Cathy, Cathy tries to convince Caleb that in addition to her being evil herself, he also has the same evil within himself, and that he is more like her than he knows. However, he realizes otherwise, that he has choice in whether or not he would be evil. At the end of their conversation, Caleb reminisces on what Lee said, saying that, â€Å"I was afraid I had you in me†¦ [But] I’m my own. I don’t have to be you†. At this part of th e story, Caleb demonstrates understanding of one of the major themes of the story, simply known as Timshel. Caleb realizes that it is his choice, his own free will to overcome evil. He establishes that while there is evil in all of us, we are all capable of overcoming that evil, and choosing whatever path we wish to walk, all by using free will.

Keeping perspective in todays business world - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1586 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Keeping into perspective todays business world, the cut-throat competition that companies face, and the fact that, today, companies operate in a globalized environment, all contribute to the ever increasing importance of information, which is arguably the most important resource an organisation has. Whether it be giving an organisation strategic edge, by bringing in new technology, or trying to maximise shareholder value by trying to optimise the companies Supply chain, the flow of information around the processes and systems in place matter most. It is this dynamic and unforgiving business environment that forces organisations to continuously adapt and change themselves, in order to stay ahead of their competitors or at least match them in order to stay in contention. Hence, they continuously need to innovate and come up with new and improved products and services to retain their market share if not better. Companies are heavily investing in research and devel opment activities, whether it be a pharmaceutical company or a telecom, every organisation wants to capture and absorb the spirit of innovation into their culture. The fact that organisations are keen to inherit the spirit of innovation into their culture is also indicated by the fact that companies are desperately trying to bring in an air of Intrapreneurship into their culture. Huge Multi-nationals such as Procter and Gamble and 3M, have made it compulsory upon their employees to dedicate 20 percent and 15 percent of their daily office hours to Innovate and be an intrapreneur, respectively. The salient characteristics of todays business world are such that they require companies to have shorter cycle time, development and launch of new technologies, new media and a rapid increase in scientific discoveries. This requires efficient flow of information and feeds onto the spirit of innovation. For an organisation to bear an innovative culture, the employees need to be motivat ed in a manner that they embrace change and creativity. Amabile describes six main areas that can help bolster intrinsic motivation, which can lead to an innovative work environment. The first area is to match people to jobs where the work is optimally challenging enough, such that the work doesnt seem boring and neither too overwhelming or difficult2. Managers need to obtain potent information from an individual to be able to match them with the optimally challenging job. The second area is freedom2. Employees should be autonomous enough to have a sense of ownership of the work they do. The third area is time, which is an important resource, and in certain circumstance can spark creativity in employees, but according to Amabile, time pressure usually kills innovation and creativity, and can thus be counter-productive2. A major reason for this could be the lack of proper communication, as time pressure might cause disruptions in the flow of information amongst employees. The four th area is team work2. The concept of cross-functional teams has often been credited as to have sparked innovations and new ideas, and this is because individuals of varied ideas, perspectives combine and interact, and thus exchange of critical and unique information takes place, which fuels or triggers formulation of new and innovative ideas. The fifth key area is encouragement2. Innovation has to be in bred at the very top level of an organisation. Supervisors and bosses need to encourage their subordinates, share critical information with them regarding their performance and the expectations attached to them. A lot of researchers and theorists believe, an organisations response to failure, i.e. how they tackle failure is key to promoting innovation. The sixth area is Organisational Support. Intrinsic motivation amongst employees increases when they are aware that those around them are excited by the work they do, and this can only be possible in an organisation that promotes info rmation sharing and collaboration amongst employees3. Thinking processes and collective knowledge are also vital, in addition to motivation, just like creative and innovative individuals, innovative organisations must also be able to break barriers amongst disciplines and combine knowledge in new ways. Mauzy and Harriman believe that the key is to encourage risk taking and improve the flow of information through the organisation. A major misunderstanding arises with managers trying to equate creative ability with rank or position. According to Mauzy and Harriman, what this approach does is reduce the creative abilities of a Thirty thousand workforce to the top 100 executives, a shrinkage from 300 to 14. In March 2006, a research was conducted by IBM Consulting Services, in which 750 of the worlds top CEOs were interviewed. The study indicated that the CEOs were looking beyond growth through new products and services and were primarily focussed on bringing innovation into their business model and operations as the basic mechanisms to drive change. The research clearly indicated that, the paradigm had shifted greatly with most CEOs focussing on how to innovate their business model rather than product innovation only. The logical reason behind this is simple, product and service innovation will only benefit you in the short run, as it can be copied, the business model is the real differentiator. Almost 76% of the CEOs interviewed in the study attributed Customer collaboration and business partners as the top sources of new ideas, as opposed to the commonly perceived Internal RD which was ranked eighth. And this is quite surprising as the top two sources of innovation are people outside the organisation. If one talks about a product, starting off with the idea of the product, it becomes evident how important a role information has played all along until the product dies off and is discarded or replaced with a new or better product, which is more meanin gful and useful. Companies invest in research, where valuable information is gathered and investigated and organisations make sure that the idea should be materialized and offers a good opportunity. Various marketing functions play an important role in this process, from business research to trying to identify the right target market for the product or service and position it accordingly. Come up with the right price and market the product accordingly. All of these processes require a lot of information, market data, surveys, and even advice or suggestions from 3rd party consultancies, etc. The information flow need not be limited to the marketing and RD department, but it is inter-departmental or cross-functional. Product innovation will also need to involve people from the finance department, who will try to come up with a quantitative analysis explaining how profitable the new investment may be. And then every aspect needs to be kept into consideration, and the results that are e xpected out of the new project need to be checked, if they align with the companies overall business strategy, and this requires ample information flow. The importance of Information can be realised from the fact that RD departments tend to use special information tools that may help them in bringing the product to the market faster. Most technologically driven products such as Electronic gadgets, cellphones, etc, require investing heavily in RD, as their product life cycles are relatively shorter, and they need to keep coming out with new and advanced phones, in order to stay competitive, even ahead of the competition. There are a few theoretical and conceptual frameworks designed around innovation. One of the more commonly referred to innovation models is the Chain-linked model of Innovation. Kline and Rosenberg, chain-linked model of innovation, divides the process of Innovation into 5 distinct phases. During the first phase, a need in a potential market is identified. The identification of market needs itself is a result of ones perception about the society and the market, and hence a smart innovator will always cross-reference his thoughts and perceptions with others, and this will involve an information exchange between two or more individuals. The second stage marks the invention and the analytical design of the new process or product7. This stage requires insight and ample amount of knowledge on how to invent and design the product. Incase its a product, blue prints are made. This often involves technical and business experts who share their perceptions and about the innovation in process. Hence this stage is also marked by sharing of information, whether it be in the form of knowledge, or an expert opinion, etc. The third stage is marked by development of a detailed design and testing the new product7. Testing, obviously would involve feedback, which is an information loop, and helps in finding drawbacks, if any, in the product design, or concept, product features etc. The fourth stage involves the product going into full scale production, after the design has been finalised. The production, may not be as information intensive a stage as the others, but information on when to produce and in what quantities to produce are vital pieces of the puzzle, and contribute heavily in the success of a new product or service. In the fifth and final stage, the innovation is introduced to the market, and marketing and distribution efforts are then put in. This requires coordination amongst companys supply chain, and this requires both analysis of information available to predict where to distribute the product, what distribution channels to use, what quantities to ship, what lead times to keep or maintain, what inventories to maintain, etc. Every single stage of innovation is almost single-handedly dependent on availability of information. With the dynamic external environmental surrounding businesses information regardin g the markets, the competitors, the suppliers, the products, etc has become a priceless resource to companies, and this trend has gradually become more and more strong. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Keeping perspective in todays business world" essay for you Create order