Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Defining Organisational Behaviour - 2293 Words

â€Å"The study of the structure, functioning and performance of organisations, and the behaviour of groups and individuals within them† Derek Pugh’s (1971) This influential definition of organisational behaviour was by Derek Pugh in 1971. Human behaviour is the way people act and react to situations and circumstances, each individual is different, therefore it is essential for an organisation to study human behaviour in order to understand the workforce. By observing and understanding each individual the organisation would improve performance; organisational behaviour can be considered as the key area of management. Organisations study organisational behaviour within by; investigating individuals, social perception, attitudes and†¦show more content†¦ID which represents Identity is our basic instinct; we have no control over this. An example would be when we are determined to win in competitions etc. Our ego has a negative impact on our behaviour due to the need to win at all costs. When people have made up their mind on a plan of action they may become aggressive, may even foul other opponents or resort to forms of cheating just to ‘win’. The super ego however looks upon what is considered acceptable behaviour therefore a form of social conscience. This last component in personality is present to control inappropriate behaviour such as aggression etc. Without this study of organisational behaviour there would be no sense of order. Freud’s theory categorises aspects which determine the way people act at work. A Person’s conscious has an impact on the way they behave and the decisions they make the reason it is important for organisations to be aware of how an employee will react to changes and decisions which may impact on his/her job, ethics and beliefs. In understanding employees better, organisations need to thoroughly study personality in order to recruit and maintain employees effectively by understanding the way they think, feel and react to any given situation. Organisations when recruiting ask questions that provide a better insight into candidates’ personalities in order to select the best candidate for the vacant job, this is very important in the recruiting process because ifShow MoreRelatedWhat ´s Organizational Psychology? Essay666 Words   |  3 PagesOrganisational climate as a concept was first researched by Kurt Lewin within the Industrial and Organisational Psychology, where he argued that behaviour is a function of the person and the environment (Litwin Stringer, 1968). In the 1970s, the concept gained momentum being researched extensively focusing on organisational climate, job satisfaction and organisational structure (Guion, 1973; LaFollette Sims, 1975, Drexler, 1977). 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The reason which leads to this situation is related to the culture of the organisation. Organisational culture, a conceptual issue, which influence the success rate of project management during the life cycle of a project. This study finds out that organisational culture affect project managementRead MoreI / O Psychology And Human Resource1173 Words   |  5 Pagesto why I/O psychologists in addition to HR managers should be employed. Body Defining I/O psychology outside the context of a specific type of organization can easily leave us with a vague definition of the field. However Pearce, Bigley Branyiczki (1998) narrows its definition down to being a study of links between national and ethnic cultures, as well as individual preference and values of employees. Even when defining I/O psychology, the job of the I/O psychologist will vary in application as

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ideology of Sacrifice in the Poem and Songs of 20th Century

Question: Discuss about the Ideology of Sacrifice in the Poem and Songs of 20th Century. Answer: Introduction The chosen poem and song for this paper is Here dead we lie by A. E. Housman and the song is I Was Only Nineteen by Red Gum (1983).Alfred Edward Housman was the Englich classical poet and scholar. His poem has been one of the most influential poems of the world. This poem was to illustrate the terrible situation where the young children were sent to war to fight for their fatherland. The dominant ideology in the poem is sacrifice, where the life of young children is sacrificed by the older generation. The same ideology is found in the song I Was Only Nineteen, as the song highlights the sacrifice and hardship of the young soldiers in Vietnam War. Here dead we lie (Poem) This is a very famous poem on war and sacrifice written by Alfred Edward Housman. The poem says: Here dead we lie we because we did not choose To live and shame the land from which we sprung. Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose; But young men think it is, and we were young. This explains the pain and sacrifice that young children had to face in war. The two main wars that have marked the 20th century were the two World Wars. These world wars affected people in different ways and millions of people died, while fighting for their nation. The English poetry in the beginning of the 20th century was mainly related to war, patriotism and sacrifice (Robinson, 2013). The poem Here Dead We Lie of A.E. Housmanshows that a young dead man is talking about the honor of sacrifice and futility of the heroism. Young soldiers believe that it is better to sacrifice their lives to honor their country, but the second paragraph of poem raises a question that was that sacrifice really needed. The poem talks about the young men, who displayed heroism in the war and died fighting for their nation. The poem deals with the dreams of the young men. It can also be considered as an extraordinary poem for the punch it surrounds with itself. It includes compassion, patriotism and com memoration, yet the poem also develops the sense of sadness and a bitter truth is revealed (Reedy, 1968). The aesthetic features of the poem represent the aspects of the World War I. The aesthetic features of the poem construct the dominant ideology of sacrifice and honor the sacrifice of the young soldiers. There are two different aesthetic features are associated with the young men giving their life for their nation. The first is the sense of pride in the sacrifice that the young soldiers make, which displays the different and nave thoughts of the youth. However, second are the sacrifice and the dark suspicion between the courage and cowardice (Pearsall, 1967). An irony is displayed to the second verse of the poem. This is again an aesthetic feature that reinforces the main ideology of sacrifice. The life of the young soldiers is nothing for the senior officers and other people, while the young soldiers refuse to accept the life means nothing. The pain of sacrificing their lives can be easily made from this irony that they lose everything with their death, as these men have been cheated with their chance to live a happy and complete life. These points reinforce that sacrifice is one the dominant ideology of this poem that is reinforced again and again through aesthetic features of the poem. I Was Only Nineteen (Song) This song was written by Redgum in the year 1983 for the Australian Soldiers, who participated in Vietnam War. The song reflects the theme of war led sacrifice that families had to face. The message that the writer reinforced through song was that age of nineteen is the very young age and sacrificing life at this young age can be a huge impact of life of youth and their families (Siminski and Ville, 2012). Thus song written by Redgum is highly meaningful and emotive song. The song displays the hardship and experience of the Australian soldier, who is preparing for the war and fighting in the Vietnam War. Soldiers going for the war and the family members have arrived to see the passing out parade: " Mum and Dad and Danny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal It was a long march from cadets The lyrics also explain the aftermath of the war and explain the physical and psychological damage that the young soldiers had to face in the Vietnam War and even after coming back to Australia (Sim et al, 2003). " I was only nineteen" The above line is repeated in chorus to reinforce the message and theme of sacrifice. The aesthetic features of the song are the solemn and reflective tone, and also the repetition of the word display anaphora to intensify the emotions and to reinforce the message of pain and sacrifice (Siminski and Ville, 2012). The song also displays the haunting and difficult experiences by saying that And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep? This line expresses the pain and sacrifice of the soldiers that they had to deal during and after the war. The most difficult situations in the war is seeing the best mates dying, which the song reinforces the pain through its chorus. The dominant ideology of sacrifice is prominent in the song. The sacrifice of the young soldiers is not temporary, but they have the long term consequences of the sacrifice made in the wars. These evidences reinforce the dominant ideology o9f sacrifice. Conclusion Paper focuses on discussing the dominant ideology of sacrifice in the songs and poem of the 20th century. The poem included in the paper is Here dead we lie by Alfred Edward Housman and the song included in the paper is I was only nineteen written by Redgum (1983). Both the literary prices display the dominant theme of pain and sacrifice through their aesthetic features. The poem and song captures the feelings and emotions of the soldiers in a very simple and respectful manner. Bibliography Pearsall, R.B., 1967. The Vendible Values of Housman's Soldiery.Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, pp.85-90. Robinson, F.C., 2013. The Pleasures of Pass Poets.Sewanee Review,121(2), pp.254-261. Reedy, G., 1968. Housman's Use of Classical Convention.Victorian Poetry, pp.51-61. Siminski, P. and Ville, S., 2012. I Was Only Nineteen, 45 Years Ago: What Can we Learn from Australias Conscription Lotteries?*, 1.Economic Record,88(282), pp.351-371. Sim, M., Abramson, M., Forbes, A., Glass, D., Ikin, J., Itak, P., Kelsall, H., Leder, K., McKenzie, D. and McNeil, J., 2003. Australian Gulf War veterans health study 2003.Canberra: Detartment of Veterans' Affairs.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

U. S Postal Service

The United States Postal service is one of the most independent state corporations in the US and the only provider of postal services in the states. The organization is one of the few established institutions from the US constitution in 1775 by a decree of the 2nd continental congress (Ferrara, 1990, p. 11). Nonetheless, the state corporation has undergone structural and functional changes especially outlined by the Postal Reorganizational Act.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on U. S Postal Service specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unique to this institution is its independence from federal funding because since the early eighties, the US postal service has not received state funding. Nonetheless, this fact stands true with the exception of subsidies the state corporation receives with regard to disabled persons and voters residing overseas. Another notable exception is its recent borrowing of funds from the treasury to cover its financial deficits (Herr, 2010). A major cause of its financial troubles has been the constant decline of mail volumes over the past few years because of information technology advancements, prompting the corporation to cut back on a few functional areas to maintain sound financial health. The corporation currently employs approximately 596,000 workers in the US which makes it the second largest employers of civilians after Wal-Mart, although it operates one of the largest fleet of civilian vehicles in the world; considering it has over 218,000 vehicles (Herr, 2010, p. 2). The US postal service currently has a duty to deliver packages to all Americans regardless of their locality and at uniform price; although some of its greatest competitors are private delivery companies. Considering the outstanding success as one of the few state organizations that barely rely on state funding, this study seeks to explore different aspects to this occurrence. More comprehen sively, this study notes that Organizational design and effective control processes in the U.S. Postal  Service have made it an extremely efficient organization since it is the only  government organization that operates on its own revenue, without government  funds. Governance and Organization The Board of governors of the US mail service act as the sole body that regulates rates, policies and procedures of the state corporation because their role is almost comparable to that of a corporate Board of Directors board. Eleven members sit at the board but nine of them are appointed by the president and approved by the senate; after which the nine members appoint the Post master General who operates as the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and at the same time, acts as the tenth member of the board. When they are complete as ten members of the board, they appoint the eleventh member as the deputy post master general whose role is outlined by the position of the Chief op erating Officer (Herr, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most often than not, the US mail service is often assumed to be a fully owned government corporation but from the above description, the corporation is an independent entity, although established by the executive wing of government. Government influence can therefore be defined through the presidential appointees who control the day to day operations of the corporation. The relation with the government as a quasi governmental agency gives the corporation unique powers because in its operation, it enjoys sovereign immunity, eminent domain powers, the power to strike agreements with several other corporations (overseas) and of course, the privilege of delivering 1st class and 3rd class mails (Herr, 2010, p. 5). To attest to the independence of the corporation, the US Supreme Court through a ruling in 2004 termed the corporation as a separate entity, free from government ownership. This was in reference to a lawsuit to be governed by the Sherman Antitrust Act but which didn’t go through because of the Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court also ruled that the corporation is the only organization that has the statutory monopoly of accessing letter boxes under the First Amendment freedom of speech which makes it illegal for persons other than agents of the US mail service to deliver mails to letter boxes marked the â€Å"US Mail service†. With regard to its corporate clients, the US mail service has a unique advisory body called the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee which assists the corporation meet the needs of its corporate clients (Herr, 2010). The structures above have greatly ensured efficiency is upheld in the corporation. Monopoly and Overseas Operations A great factor that contributes to the success of the US mail service is the granting of monopoly f or all mail service by the US federal government. According to Government policy, it is illegal to establish a parallel mail service regardless of whether it is public or private; thereby enforcing the monopoly the US Mail service has in America. Moreover, the federal government has given the state corporation powers to determine whether another entity is going to compete with it or not; however, the US mail service has established an exception for other mail service companies to deliver mails which are extremely urgent. In spite of the fact that the core mandate for the US mail service is to provide mail service to all Americans at affordable rates, the dimensions to these provisions are greatly undefined because part of its scope entails many aspects to mail service delivery such as geographical scope, quality of service, frequency of delivery among other dimensions. Despite other mail service companies providing a universal mail service, the US mail service still stands out becau se it provides the same service at very affordable rates.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on U. S Postal Service specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Proponents of the US postal service monopoly identify that since there is a need to justify the affordable rates the corporation gives Americans, the guaranteed monopoly by the state is in place to ensure it sustains its universal operations. This system has been in place for more than ten decades now. This monopoly can be analyzed in two perspectives because it contains the Private express statutes and the Mail box Access rule which also greatly increases the corporation’s potential in providing affordable universal mail service. If for example the Private Express mail service provision were to be done away with and the Universal mail service maintained, then the US mail service would need federal funding to the tune of billions of dollars of tax payersâ €™ money. However, since the universal operating service is quickly changing due to globalization pressures, there is an increasing pressure to change existing policies regarding operations of the Universal mail service. Nonetheless, many economists and professionals are of the opinion that rigid policies and regulations on universal mail service need to be relaxed or the entire service privatized altogether. However, there are still rigid objections to the privatization of mail service in America because many are of the opinion that privatizing the mail service would lock out rural Americans or those from lower classes. Sorting and Delivery Process The sorting and delivery process of the US Mail service is highly automated to increase the efficiency of the organization’s operations. These activities happen at the Process and distribution centers where over 275 such centers have been established countrywide and mails are sorted from a locality of about 200 mile radius (He rr, 2010). At the processing and distribution centers, the mails are usually emptied into hampers through automated techniques then later, a sorting process is initiated to separate large mails from small mails. The initial process had a lot of inconsistencies because it was done manually by stamping postage stamps; thereby missing many inappropriately placed stamps, but now, the corporation uses the Advanced Facer canceller system which is much more efficient (Herr, 2010, p. 20). The mails are therefore categorized into three categories including mails which are fixed by a bar code, mails which have a typed address and mails that have handwritten addresses. The US Mail service now uses machines which have the Optical character technique which is able to read the mails regardless of whether the addresses have been typed or hand written; after which it then sorts the mails into their respective zip codes. Mails which have been written in a hand written format therefore go through the Optical character reader which sorts the mails according to the zip code; later it prints a barcode which goes through the remote bar coding system to be sorted out into respective locations. This system continues into a series of automated processes that pass through the remote encoding centers, and later, fluorescent bar codes and delivery barcodes are imprinted on the mail envelopes before transportation to final destinations.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From these processes, we can deduce the fact that the US postal service operations are highly automated to keep up with the demands of the current technological environment which emphasizes on efficiency. This has been one of the core reasons why the US postal service has been able to stay afloat in light of tremendous technological advancement. Keeping it Simple The US postal service has been able to maintain a fairly simple strategic forecast plan which greatly eases its operations into efficient structures of performance. This is in contrast to the opinions held by major organizations regarding multiple strategic objectives for success. Kent Smith, the General Manager (cited in Creelman, 2010) affirms that after factoring in the size of the corporation, putting up a few strategies was ideal for efficiency. He further affirms that â€Å"Simplicity has been vital as we have had to communicate performance to a large number of employees and millions of customers. This requires limit ing the number of top-level goals and metrics, which also provides clarity and focus† (Creelman, 2010, p. 3). As a result of the incorporation of simple strategies, the US mail service has been able to maintain a commendable scorecard regarding overnight delivery of mails. Its success has been compared to IBM Consulting services which was ranked on its 86% service delivery as compared to US mail’s 95% (under the same parameters). Benchmarking and Monitoring Performance The US Postal service has been able to categorize its performance into three portals which act as the criteria to awarding of performance points. Firstly, the organization awards itself points for meeting the organizational goals and secondly for transcending them. There is a third category through which no point allocation is made because it is a non-contributor category and people who fall in this category face disciplinary measures that are suited to their shortcomings. The point allocation is done out of a possible 100 points at three levels which encompass the national level, operational category and individual category (Creelman, 2010). According to the management, establishing such a control measure has been effective because everyday, new measures are proposed and this may cause confusion within the corporation. Smith further explains that: â€Å"To keep the scorecard simple and balanced, the general rule is that if something is added then something must be taken away†¦.this helps people focus on the real value of the measure compared to metrics we already have. This we find to be a much more useful discipline than just adding new measures on an ongoing basis as such complexity would lessen the effectiveness of the framework† (Creelman, 2010, p. 7). Nonetheless, the management confesses that weighting discipline and performance is not an easy task. Smith also explains that: â€Å"We have learnt that in the weighting, if a goal or metric falls below five per cent then people stop paying attention to it. So it’s a challenge to balance the metrics to a level that represents their contribution and ensures that they are seen as important† (Creelman, 2010, p. 7). Collectively, these measures have been able to assist the organization benchmark their performance and improve the overall profitability of the organization. Scorecard Devolution The US mail service has been able to achieve a balanced performance scorecard through its hierarchical managerial structure from the top management to supervisory levels. Key in this strategy has been to customize the process so that the needs of the typical consumer are reflected on the scorecard. For instance, from top managerial level expectations of â€Å"high standard service delivery†, the organization is able to apply the same standards for its overnight and daytime parcels respectively. More weight would therefore fall at the functional level because departmental and operational leve ls would be at the forefront in ensuring logistical strategies are operational, especially to weak areas of service delivery. The company’s management explains that â€Å"The scorecard is narrowly defined for a supervisor, and more expansive as it is applied up the organization through postmaster, district level manager, area manager or vice-president level† (Creelman, 2010, p. 8). Conclusion For more than two decades now, the US postal service has been able to finance its operations without the financial assistance of the federal government. This study identifies that the corporation has been able to achieve this high level of success because of its efficiency and control mechanisms that have ensured the operations of the corporation are up to speed with today’s dynamic business environment. Complimentarily, the corporation has been boosted by existing laws that ensure it receives minimal if any competition at all because of the policies that uphold monopoly. A t the same time, the company’s efforts to automate its operations have greatly improved its efficiency. Its benchmarking and monitoring efforts have also ensured the corporation is in a highly performing condition. These among other complimentary strategies affirm that organizational design and effective control processes in the U.S. Postal  Service have made it an extremely efficient organization to support its independence from federal funding. References Creelman, J. (2010). The United States Postal Service. Web. Ferrara, P. (1990). Free The Mail: Ending The Postal Monopoly. New York: Cato Institute. Herr, P. (2010). U. S. Postal Service: Strategies and Options to Facilitate Progress Toward Financial Viability. New York: DIANE Publishing. This research paper on U. S Postal Service was written and submitted by user Boomer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Harriet Tubman essays

Harriet Tubman essays Harriet Tubman was a brave woman, she managed to take eleven slaves to Canada, with no one noticing anything. She also did something that was surprising, she took the gun that she had with her to make a slave stay or to die, "We got to go free or die." She didn't allowed a slave to go back while they were traveling because someone might figured that he/she were returning from the running slaves and might have to answer questions. She traveled to differents places to stay like Thomas Garret's house in Wilmington, Delaware. She wanted to get to Canada to have a chance to feel what it would be like to be free. She painted pictures of what she thought Canada would be like, that shows she wanted to be free. In the couples of houses she stopped to get food and to get warm, I believe the persons that owned the houses agreed that they should be free, but they were too afraid to make a move. At the start of the story they were searching for Moses who they thought it was a man, which it was no t it was Harriet Tubman, who wanted to run off slaves. The slaves at the story were patience. Harriet had promised them food, and shelter, when they got to the first stop in the farmhouse the man said they were a lot of slaves and that it was not safe, because the farmhouse had been searched a week ago before they arrived there, so they didn't had what she had promised them. The slaves didn't screamed at her or complained. When they arrived to Canada I think that even though they went through difficulties they got what they always dreamed, FREEDOM which means the condition of being free of restraints. They had to pay a valuable price in able to get freedom which is their lives. They could been killed if they gave up and people would find out, they worked hard to make their dream come true. Harriet is a woman who fought for her rights, and won. Mark Twain thought that being a pilot was cool, because they got paid a good sal ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Discourse in Othello Essay Example

Discourse in Othello Essay Example Discourse in Othello Paper Discourse in Othello Paper Essay Topic: Leviathan The Breadwinner Language Is, arguably, the primary defining feature that separates humanity from the rest of the animal kingdom. It has allowed the classification of our known universe. And the subsequent formation of an abstract body of collective intelligence. Language also has the power to persuade and seduce, which has resulted in a dynamic understanding of our feeling and emotions. Due to the fundamental function of language to Interpret and understand the complexities of our own social system, it follows that ways of speaking about specific ideas and beliefs are instrumental in the formation and manipulation of ideologies in such a system. In the context of Othello, Moor of Venice, discourse around gender works to both reinforce and challenge the dominant assumptions of patriarchal society through the normalization and empowerment of primary female characters. The Elizabethan era marked an interesting period in the history of gender dynamics. Although the role of women In society was still very limited, the highly Intelligent Queen Elizabeth Inspired a spike In womens education. Gender expectations were precise: men were the breadwinners and women raised the children and maintained the household. However, the era did witness the emergence of female artists; for example, female writers were often contracted to transcribe religious works, and a painter by the name of Leviathan Terrible was even contracted by Henry VIII, Mary and Elizabeth. The intellectually liberal Renaissance movement gained momentum during this time, and as the empires female figurehead became ever more revered, the affluent members of society hired private tutors to provide education for their wives and daughters as It was still unacceptable for women to attend school or university. Women rarely had the money to fund their own education, with the exception of lethal heiresses and the monarchy, as they were unable to enter respected professions or inherit land titles. Due to an overarching belief that women were the weaker sex, It was considered Important for them to by looked after by a man; which resulted in marriage being the unquestioned goal of all girls. Despite many depictions of abusive marriages at the time, it was expected that while the man was the head of the relationship, his role was to care for the woman. Should she need chastising, he was never to be cruel or harm her; and abuse resulted In prosecution. Its important to understand these social conditions when analyzing the position of women in Othello, as the dynamics of gender inequality are a direct result of the context in which they exist. As a result of misogynistic discourse In the play, the female characters are marginals; portrayed as uncontrollable, deceiving, dishonest, and unfaithful. The censorship of female action by men who own them is made clear by the questioning of female virtue and honesty; fathers, from hence trust not your daughters mulled By what you see them act. Othello claims that the curse of marriage Is that [men] an call these delicate creatures [theirs], and not their appetites! This language clearly positions women as innately promiscuous objects to be owned, in this case by I OFF were comparable too dogs in regards to their lack of control, however the pairing with delicate implies some form of desirability. Such language constructs women as pretty, fickle beings, which continues to reinforce their inferior position as slaves to their mans impulses. Emilie initially supports this assumption by enabling Lagos fantasies by stealing Adhesions handkerchief, claiming that that My wayward Cubans hat h a hundred times wooed me to steal it ND I nothing, but to please his fantasy. The roots of such assumptions find themselves firmly planted in The Bible, where the beautiful Eve was not only created at the whim of Adam, but her inability to resist temptation was to blame for his subsequent suffering. These misogynistic themes are echoed in Adhesions self-proclaimed divided duty to noble father and noble Moor, as well in the suggestion that Othello fall from grace is all because of Adhesions suggested inability to resist Cassias seduction. Gags intentioned accusation of her as the cunning where of Venice unjustly vilifies her, and ultimately results Othello deciding that she must die, else shell betray more men. This is supported by Dampen Callaghan writing in Women and Gender in Renaissance Tragedy that makes the point that misogynistic discourse leads, directly or indirectly, to the death of the female. The kind of language she is referring to is no more evident that in the momen ts preceding Adhesions death, when Othello refers to her as perjured woman, strumpet, where, false, a liar, and foul. The play questions the sexual morality of women right from the beginning, and the plot is centric to the assumption that one can easily be framed to make women false; which is reinforced by by Lagos accusation that women are players in your housewifely, and housewives in your beds, meaning that they are more dedicated to sexual pursuit than to the duties of the marital house. These beliefs, although shocking to modern audiences, were accepted without question at the time of production because Elizabethan ideology was saturated with patriarchal and misogynistic assumptions. It seems illogical that the women in Othello, who express themselves as virtuous, independent, and articulate despite their normalization, would put up with such extreme treatment without some sort of objection. Shakespearian works are renowned for the avocation of movements that were controversial at the time; and although Othello provides copious examples of womens submission to the dominance of patriarchal views, the female characters do express their desire for gender equality. In such times, the tone of their dialogue changes from submissive to empowered, which Just shows how remarkable the power of language is in repeating ideas and beliefs. For example, Desman demands to accompany Othello to the battleground of Cypress, claiming that its her rite of love, not duty, as a wife to accompany her husband to war. Her decisive language represents the independent personalities of the female minority at the time that objected to blatant objectification and suppression by the patriarchy. At one of the most shocking moments of the play, when Othello strikes his wife, she does not revert to self-blame as in the majority of the play, and instead defends her virtue by decisively stating, I eve not deserved this. However it is Emilie who serves as the best example of a when complaining to Ago that Othello has borrowed Desman, saying that A beggar in his drink could not have laid such terms upon his called and condemning the cogging, cozening slave who she blames for having devised this slander. This example of strong, empowered language is the first indication that she doesnt conform to the subservient woman expectation, and she continues to defend Adhesions virtue to her dying breaths; saying that she was chaste. Towards the inclusion of the play, she goes farther than any other character to subvert the dominant misogynistic discourse, and advocates for the consideration of gender equality. L do think it is their husbands faults if wives do fall she says, Let husbands know their wives have sense like them. This is the only time in the play where female characters dominate the stage for a significant about of time, free to speak without the constraints of patriarchal expectation. They challenge the cultural stereotype of women as graceful and devoid of the typically masculine traits; saying, why we have galls; and though we have some grace, yet we have some revenge. Although being vulnerable to violent temptations may not necessarily be desirable, to strip a gender of an entire human experience is degrading, and would have seriously contributed to the distorted power distribution that resulted in the unequal treatment of women in Elizabethan society. The discourse around gender in Othello, Moor of Venice works to both marginals and empower the primary female characters; which in turn presents conflicting presentations of Elizabethan society in terms of patriarchal dominance. For the majority of the play, the women of the text are excluded from the use powerful discourse, and hence are constructed as mindless conformations to the archetype of the victimizes Elizabethan woman. They are treated like objects to be owned by the dominant male characters, and are vilified as a result of unfounded, misogynistic slander. Additionally, the apparently unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of female sexuality is seen to undermine male authority, eliciting further discrimination. Although attempts are made by women to assert their rights as equals through the adoption of a more powerful discourse, it is either ignored, or only done in an exclusively female environment; which does nothing to challenge either their normalization or the assumptions of patriarchal dominance. As a modern audience, we can appreciate this injustice; however such a suggestion was ground breaking in Shakespearean time. As such, it is evident that the treatment of gender bias in Othello establishes the play as typical the Elizabethan era, but also revolutionary in its suggestion that society should function in any other way.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Miracles of the Quran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Miracles of the Quran - Essay Example It was revealed piecemeal to him in twenty three years, starting from when he was forty, till he died at the age of sixty three. The book was not compiled during his lifetime, with many Muslims memorizing it by heart; some years afterwards, a lot of these memorizers, or Hafiz, were killed in battle, therefore, the Muslim Caliph Usman decided to get it compiled. The compilation of Quran in its present form was, hence, done under the Caliphate of Usman. The Muslims believe that the Quran is the direct word of God. They believe that the angel Gabriel, or Jibra’eel, came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed the word of God to him, which the latter disseminated amongst his followers. Muslims further believe that the word of God, the Quran, is revealed to be a source of guidance and direction for all humanity. The fact that they consider it the last revelation of God to mankind further stipulates that Muslims consider this to be the last guidance sent to man from God. This entails t hat they spend their lives trying to live according to the edicts of the Quran, and trying to bring their lives as close to the commands of the Quran as possible. The Muslims consider this to be a book from God for a multiple of reasons. One reason, as is put forward in the Quran itself, is that such a book, with its poetic and miraculous nature could never be produced by man. In the second Chapter, or Surah, of the Quran (the Cow, or Al-Baqarah), it is said â€Å"And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true† (verse 23). Furthermore, the Muslims believe that there have been miraculous claims in the Quran that are further testament to it being the word of God. These include various predictions or prophecies in the Quran that were later fulfilled. One such prophecy relates to the body of the Pharaoh (the Phara oh said to have oppressed the Jews); when relating the story of his death, God thus speaks to the Pharaoh in the Quran â€Å"This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!† (10: 92). The mummified body of a Pharaoh in an Egyptian Museum in Cairo is said to have been that of the same Pharaoh, thus the Quran’s prophecy regarding his body being preserved has proven to have come true. Further, a few years after the Byzantines had been defeated by the Persians completely, a revelation of the Quran said â€Å"The Roman Empire has been defeated – In a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs will soon be victorious – within a few years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (60: 2-4). This seemed impossible as the Byzantines had incurred heavy losses and the Empire seemed to be at the brink of total annihilation, however, a few years after this revelation, t he Persians were, indeed, defeated by the Byzantines. Moreover, in Chapter 48 of the Quran, a prophesy is given regarding the taking of Mecca: â€Å"†¦ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (27). Some time afterwards, Mecca was indeed conquered by Muhammad and his followers, and they did enter the Sacred Mosque, or Kaaba, in the same condition described herein. Also, there have been some statements in the Quran that have been recently proven to be scientifically accurate. For example, when a verse of the Quran says â€Å"By the Firmament which returns (in its round)† (86: 11) and â€Å"