American Verna Essays - Hindu Law, Caste, Social Status, Varna

American Verna Essays - Hindu Law, Caste, Social Status, Varna American Verna The American Verna Why is that humans were able to practically take over their environment and leave all other animal species far behind in the race of survival? Not many would argue that we were able to do so just because we can walk upright and we have unspecialized teeth. In fact, humans are capable of many things that separate us from the animals. Our far most important trait is the ability to analyze and comprehend complex subject matters. From that we can learn, understand and communicate with one another so we could accomplish things as a group, a group which one day became so complex that without structure and laws, chaos would preside. In our times, we see many distinct cultures where each has its own way of organizing and way of keeping its people in harmony. Although most of the world is leaning towards democracy, there are few nations who believe in the ancient ways. One of the most controversial civilizations studied is the Indian civilization, which developed and flourished as early as 70 00 B.C.E. The controversy rises from a harsh though well-thought classification of people due to their skin color and other physical characteristics. To democratic America this may sound a bit horrifying although some even argue that the United States maintains some sort of a caste system perhaps even as harsh as the one in India. This idea can surely be proven wrong through a close comparison of the Indian social structure and the American freedom. A false conclusion should not be made that there is no sort of a caste system in America, but one that is not as rigid nor providing social importance as the one in Ancient Indian culture. The way a culture develops and evolves plays a major role of how the system would stand. As explained later, there are few theories of how and why a caste system is created, but all studied caste systems have common foundations. One common issue is that there are physical differences between each caste whether they associate with the way a person can perform activities or not. However, a major difference is how the separate classes serve and correlate with one another. Manu, one of the earliest rulers of India, wrote a description of the Indian social structure. The Law of Manu consists of a brief explanation of what are the objectives and duties of each Indian class, also know as Varna. Even though the lower castes were involved in more physical obligations, it clearly shows that the upper classes were also involved in someway of serving the lower classes: Teaching, studying performing sacrificial rites, so too making others perform sacrificial rites, and giving away and receiving gifts- these he assigned to the [Brahmins]. Protection of the people, giving away of wealth, performance of sacrificial rites, study, and nonattachment to sensual pleasures- these are, in short, are the duties of the kshatriya. Tending to cattle, giving away of wealth, performance of sacrificial rites, study, trade and commerce, usury, and agriculture- these are the occupations of the Vaisya. The lord has prescribed only one occupation [karma] for a Sudra, namely, service without malice of even these other three classes. Within the Indian culture, there is a great level of interaction between the different classes, unlike in the early United States, where Americans imported an entire society and forced them to serve as their lower class. The slaves were treated with unbearable conditions, which made them develop hate and the need to revolt. The aftermath of the civil war included the abolishment of slavery though racism still plays a major role. Just the fact that there was a need for a revolution shows how negatively based the American system became. Lower classes wanted to climb the social ladder and are now able to do so. In Indian societies the movement up the hierarchy is not as simple as getting your education and working a good job. In fact, the concept of changing ones Varna during his lifetime was unheard of. In order to get bumped up the Indians had to follow the Dharma which is described as a law regulating human behavior and imposes different requirements on different individual depending on their

Culture and organization learning

Culture and organization learning The article Culture and organizational learning by Cook and Yanow explores the issue of organizational learning and the types of learning that they undergo as well as answers an intriguing question on if organizations learn.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Culture and organization learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The writer’s argument from the cultural viewpoint is that an important characteristic of human beings is their potential to act or capacity to operate in teams or groups. Groups of individuals, who share a common practice or experience, are considered to be of the same culture. A culture is constructed on the basis of inter subjective meanings where constituents get across in their joint practice through actions, language, and objects (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 368). The meaning-holding language, acts, and objects are cultural relics through which the combined knowledge possessed by an organizat ion is utilized, expressed, and transmitted. Organizations are persistently engaged in actions that uphold or transform their cultural identity. These activities create organizational learning since organizations, which are viewed as cultures, undergo learning via activities that involve cultural relics. Learning involves organizational attainment, preservation, or changing the capabilities of undertaking initiatives that should be fully understood (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 370). There are four key points raised in the article regarding organizational learning and culture. One of the points states that there is a possibility that an organization may have numerous cultures, none of which may be dominant or among its numerous cultures, there may be one dominant over the others. Another significant point is that cultural comprehension of organizational learning is an important way of creating appropriate channels of exploring new ideas. The third point states that in most cases, organizati ons acquire new members who provide a great learning opportunity for the organization.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the article, error detection and correction are important subjects in organizational learning because a company can learn by detecting its own faults so it is easy for it to seek fir appropriate remedies (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 378). In my opinion, there are a number of questions that the article raises. The issues are if organizations learn given the fact that they are made up of many people who have different goals and opinions, and if different cultures can promote organization learning as people come from different cultural backgrounds. Thus, if the organizational culture contradicts the values of its members cultures, it becomes difficult for them to adopt it. That is why the next questions are if the fear of change affects group learning since this process involves changes in the way people perceive each other and their surrounding, and if detecting errors and correcting them assist in organizational learning aimed at bringing innovations. Moreover, the knowledge gained is not only through learning some facts about the things that go wrong, but also considering the positive changes that are essential for organization growth. Organizational learning is important for managers when implementing organizational change because by adopting strategies that enhance acquisition of new knowledge, it would be easier to develop and adopt strategies that bring changes without much resistance from other members. In order to achieve a meaningful change, organization culture should be dynamic so as to accommodate other cultural inputs and promote cultures that assist the company in achieving its goals. Since an organization involves people and groups, it can learn if its members agree to work as a group and chart out a comm on course in developing and adopting change strategies (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 370-378).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Culture and organization learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference Cook, SDN Yanow, D 1993, Culture and organizational learning, Journal of Management Inquiry, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 373-390.

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 12

Art - Essay Example The Last Judgment is a painting on fresco done by Michelangelo between 1536 and 1541. The painting is at the wall behind the altar at the Vatican Sistine chapel. The fresco is considered to be a breath taking and among Michelangelo’s last art works. In this art piece, Michelangelo depicts the end of the world and the imminent judgment. In this work, all the subjects are stripped naked; symbolizing the stripping of all earthly ranks, and they all appear equal before Christ (Burke 93). The whole painting radiates around Christ and the saved people can be seen rejoicing in light while the damned are being siphoned into the dark underworld. The painting was commissioned by Pope Paul III, who had a lot of faith in Michelangelo’s artistic proficiency. As a religious piece, the work was criticized for its use of nudity, but the Pope did not see any mishap. The painting was also not entirely relying on the bible as it would have been expected; it drew a lot of inspiration from mythological creatures like Charon, seen pulling unsaved subjects and judge Minos as a judge in the underworld (Burke 94). The subject matter of the whole piece is The Last Judgment, and it is depicted as an event where all people will be equal. The only thing that makes the difference is their earthly character, which would condemn them to the heavenly kingdom or to the underworld suffering. This is seen as the damned are crying as they are ferried by Charon towards the underworld where judge Minos is judging them (Burke 95). The saved people are seen rejoicing and happy before the lighted ring with Christ their savior welcoming them. The art piece includes many saints who have in their hands the weapons of their martyrdom that contrasts the actual scene of torture. An example is Saint Bartholomew who was skinned alive. As a martyred said, Bartholomew is seen holding his skin in his left hand and a knife in his right hand. The skin is believed to be a portrait of the artist, which is

2000 word essay - subject PDAS301 - People, Organisations and

2000 word - subject PDAS301 - People, Organisations and Adminisration - Essay Example S. Pugh, as â€Å"the study of structure functioning and performance of organisations and of the behavior of groups and individuals working in them† (Murugan). These principles provide significant purpose to managers and members of such organizations as well as students of management, business and sociology courses. These principles are moreover, broadly categorised into the classical approach, the neo-classical approach, the modern approach and the post-modern approach. The distinctions among these different approaches lie on the primary focus with which they give importance to. In the classical approach, for example, what is given significant importance are the technical aspects of organizations like formal structures, management, and principles of organisation. Theorists belonging to this approach are Frederick Taylor, Henri Fayol, and Max Weber. The neo-classical approach, on the other hand, gives emphasis on the human aspects of organisations like motivations, behavior and conduct of people involved in the organization. Some of the theorists in this approach are Elton Mayo, Abraham Maslow, Mary Parker Follett and Douglas McGregor. The modern approach, on the other hand, combines the best of both classical and neo-classical approaches by giving emphasis both on the form and structures of organizations and the human factor. Researchers and writers who patterned their research along this model are Chester Barnard, Herbert Simon, and Amatai Etzoini . Finally, the post-modern approach, the least rigid and the most flexible, does not subscribe to any particular form or rule of organizations but stresses that organizations should adapt to internal and external factors surrounding them. Post-modernist theorists are Tom Greenfield, Tom Sergiovanni and Gareth Morgan, among others (Mullins 1999). This paper will examine four theorists representing each of the different organization and management approaches: Max Weber, of the classical approach, and

Regional Geography Essay Example for Free

Regional Geography Essay The reaction has been disjointed and slow, and results seen are even harder to find. Hillstrom and Hillstrom agree that â€Å" Pollution is a particularly insidious form of habitat degradation, fundamentally impacting fragile ecosystems in myriad ways, some of which are invisible to the naked eye† (17), mentioning specifically acid rain, and farm pesticide use as a couple of the not so quickly identifiable sources of habitat degradation. The authors of World Regional Geography point out that Environmental degradation in one place is often the result of demands for resources or goods in other places, and air and water pollution can flow across borders(18). The authors also note that Small farms are now being replaced by corporate farms and high tech operations such as shrimp farms, most of which, ironically cause environmental degradation and yet receive government assistance(19). Degradation also results when the vast expanses of concrete, in highly developed areas of urban sprawl, during heavy rains, sends tumultuous, unrestricted flow of groundwater to run amok. The water washes soil and impurities along with the run off, salts from road maintenance, as well as chemicals used by various processing plants. It is a vicious cycle, As economic prosperity expands, peoples consumption of goods and resources increases, and environmental degradation is usually the result, even when aware, to make the dollar, degradation processes are too often ignored as long as possible (20). Degradation can involve loss of plant life, and biodiversity, as well as pollution of soil and water sources. We need to become more active in defense of animal habitats, because realistically we too are animals, and the biodiversity that is important to wildlife, is equally important to humans. (17) Hillstrom Kevin, Hillstrom Laurie Collier. North America: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues. Edition: illustrated, Published by ABC-CLIO, 2003. P. 43. (18) Hapke Holly M, Goodwin Conrad Mac, Pulsipher Lydia Mihelic, Pulsipher Alex. World Regional Geography: Global Patterns, Local Lives. Edition: 3, illustrated, Published by Macmillan, 2005. p. 13. (19) Ibid. p. 169. (20). Ibid. P. 455. 7 Johnson and Klemens warn us that Sprawl is leading to the loss of rare and common species and possible species extinction. It is also leading directly to the loss of our natural environment, of ecosystem functioning(21). The ecosystem is a delicate balance, and we can not continue to disregard the warnings. If the ecosystem were to stop functioning the world could become a science fiction movie stage. Imagine a world without birds and bees, our major natural pollinators, and the resulting plant species extinctions that would follow. Plant extinctions would be soon followed by animal extinctions, right on down the food chain. This stark truth could very well come true in the not so distant future, if humans do not make changes to accommodate the animals we share the earth with. One of the biggest changes that could occur, that would help slow the detrimental progress of urban sprawl, would be to adopt more compact development planning. Instead of subdivisions spread across hundreds of acres, connected by a network of roads to the strip malls a few miles in one direction, and the factories a few miles in the opposite direction, plan more considerately, keep the sprawl to a minimum. Also when in the planning process, demand developers leave larger buffer zones, as well as intact habitat corridors to allow wildlife unrestricted movement between the islands of adequate habitat. Stricter oversight, and regulation of corporations discharging waste into the environment is a must, for wildlife and their habitat, and for humans as well. It is a shame that in this age of technology, the scientific community seems to have thought of everything geared towards production and convenience, and yet neglected to foresee the destruction of our environment that has resulted. Works Cited: Emel Jody, Wolch Jennifer. Animal Geographies: Place, Politics, and Identity in the Nature-culture Borderlands, Edition: illustrated, Published by Verso, 1998. Hapke Holly M, Goodwin Conrad Mac, Pulsipher Lydia Mihelic, Pulsipher Alex. World Regional Geography: Global Patterns, Local Lives. Edition: 3, illustrated, Published by Macmillan, 2005. Hillstrom Kevin, Hillstrom Laurie Collier. North America: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues. Edition: illustrated, Published by ABC-CLIO, 2003.

The Color Purple Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Results of Celie’s Physical and Mental Abuse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1982 Alice Walker titled her Pulitzer Prize Winning novel, The Color Purple, which is symbolically meant to reflect radiance and majesty (Columbia). It is a story, entirely conveyed through letters, of one young black girl’s struggle to escape the brutal and degrading treatment by men, which had become a constant part of her life. Instead of focusing on race throughout the novel Walker accords â€Å"greater importance to power, the power to be, to concretize one’s self, as to mold others† (Dieke 102). This completely unbalanced power ultimately leaves Celie feeling alone and controlled, which affects her relationships with men and influences her relationship with women, mainly Shug Avery. The horrifying effects of rape and what Celie thought was incest so greatly scarred her for the rest of her life that she lost the ability to love, became confused about her sexuality, and subconsciously denied her right to an identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For a considerable amount of time Celie blindly accepted the fact that she would be treated like a slave in her own home. As a result, Celie demonstrated intense fear and a complete lack of love toward her husband. Because Mr. _____ had originally wanted to marry Celie’s older sister Nettie he felt that in settling for Celie he had the right to treat her as his property. Celie was completely aware of these arrangements â€Å"Mr. _____ marry me to take care of his children. I marry him cause my daddy made me. I don’t love Mr. _____ and he don’t love me† (Walker 57). As opposed to most marriages being based on trust, love, and commitment, their bond was based on authority, obedience, and service. Mr. _____ immediately brings Shug Avery into his home when he heard that she was sick so that Celie could take care of her along with his children from a previous marriage. After a short period of time Celie learns about their past and about Mr. _____’s current feelings for Shug. Celie’s blatant disregard to Mr. _____ sleeping with Shug again displays complete apathy toward her husband. Mr. _____’s aggressively dominant role does not denote the conventional husband/wife relationship it seems to more closely represent a master/slave relationship. Mr. _____’s constant oppressive presence causes Celie to live in continuous fear. Celie explains that M... ...novel Celie’s traumatic experiences have had a great impact on the entirety of her life. Once married she constantly lived in fear being incapable of love and unable to control her misguided sexual emotions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Bradley, David. â€Å"Novelist Alice Walker: Telling the Black Woman’s Story.† New York Times Magazine 8 Jan. 1984: 24-37. Dieke, Ikenna. Critical Essays on Alice Walker. Westport:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greenwood Press,1999. Gates, Henry Louis Jr. and K.A. Appiah. Alice Walker   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critical Perspectives Past and Present. NewYork:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amistad Press Inc, 1993. http://www.Womenshistroy.about.com â€Å"Race and Domesticity in The Color Purple† African American   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Review 29 #1 Spring 1995:67-82. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Columbia University Press. Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Orlando: Harcourt Brace   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jovanovich Publishers 1982. Walsh, Margaret. â€Å"The Enchanted World of the Color Purple.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Southern Quarterly 25 (1987): 89-101.

North South Airlines Essay

BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY Northern Airlines merged with Southeast Airlines to create the fourth largest U.S. carrier in January 2008. The new North–South Airline inherited both an aging fleet of Boeing 727-300 aircraft and Stephen Ruth. Stephen was a tough former Secretary of the Navy who stepped in as new president and chairman of the board. Peg Jones on the other hand is the vice president for operations and maintenance. DEFINE THE PROBLEM Stephen’s objective is to gear the company’s financial performance towards stability and continuous growth. This made him concern that the aging fleet of Boeing 727-300 aircraft’s maintenance cost may impede realization of this goal. The significant difference in the reported B727-300 maintenance costs (from ATA Form 41s) both in the airframe and engine areas between Northern Airlines and Southeast Airlines made him to probe through Peg Jones’ assistance on determining the quantitative and graphical report of the following : Correlation of the average fleet age to direct airframe maintenance costs Linear relationship between the average fleet age and direct engine maintenance costs CASE FACTS AND INFORMATION (INCLUDING LIMITATIONS & CONSTRAINTS) In addition to the aging formulas below, Peg constructed the average age of Northern and Southeast B727-300 fleets by quarter since the introduction of that aircraft to service by each airline in late 1993 and early 1994 respectively. TOTAL FLEET HOURS = TOTAL DAYS IN SERVICE X AVERAGE DAILY UTILIZATION AVERAGE AGE OF EACH FLEET = TOTAL FLEET HOURS FLOWN # OF AIRCRAFT IN SERVICE AVERAGE DAILY UTILIZATION = TOTAL FLEET HOURS FLOWN TOTAL DAYS IN SERVICE In getting the average utilization, Peg used the actual fleet hours flown on September 30, 2007 from Northern and Southeast data, and dividing by the total days in service for all aircraft at that time. The average utilization for Southeast and Northern were 8.3 and 8.7 hours per day respectively. In addition, available cost data including the average fleet age were calculated for each yearly period ending at the end of first quarter. Business asset depreciation depends on the cost of asset and its useful life. What is distinct about aircraft depreciation is that each component of an airplane is depreciated at different rates and depreciation methods. The North-South Airline problem for this instance may also be resolved by using depreciation methods as follows: straight line with salvage value method = Asset Cost/ Useful Life The advantage of using the straight line method involves the ease of calculating the annual depreciation amount. The disadvantage of using the straight line method is that this method does not consider the rate the asset will actually depreciate in value. Declining balance method = Remaining Asset Value x Depreciation Rate The advantage of using this method is that it accelerates the depreciation recorded early in the asset’s life and thus reduces the taxable income and the taxes owed during the early years. The disadvantage is that the method can be applied only when there is a residual value of the asset. quantitative method/s employed and the solution to the problem Northern Airlines Data AIRFRAME ENGINE Southern Airlines Data AIRFRAME Southeast Airline—airframe maintenance cost: Cost = 4.60 + 0 (airframe age) = 4.60 Coefficient of determination = 0.39 Coefficient of correlation = 0.62 ENGINE Northern Airline—airframe maintenance cost: Cost _ 36.10 _ 0.0025 (airframe age) Coefficient of determination _ 0.7694 Coefficient of correlation _ 0.8771 Northern Airline—engine maintenance cost: Cost _ 20.57 _ 0.0026 (airframe age) Coefficient of determination _ 0.6124 Coefficient of correlation _ 0.7825 Southeast Airline—engine maintenance cost: Cost __0.671 _ 0.0041 (airframe age) Coefficient of determination _ 0.4599 Coefficient of correlation _ 0.6782 ethical considerations DEPRECIATION USED = SAFETY The units of production method involves determining the cost to depreciate and dividing that amount by the estimated production units the company expects to manufacture over the life of the asset. The advantages of using the units of production method include the ease of calculating the annual depreciation amount and that the depreciation is matched to the production quantity. The disadvantage of using the units of production method is that this method assumes the asset will depreciate evenly over its productive life. The graphs below portray both the actual data and the regression lines for airframe and engine maintenance costs for both airlines.Note that the two graphs have been drawn to the same scale to facilitate comparisons between the two airlines. Northern Airline: There seem to be modest correlations between maintenance costs and airframe age for Northern Airline. There is certainly reason to conclude, however, that airframe age is not the only important factor. Southeast Airline: The relationships between maintenance costs and airframe age for Southeast Airline are much less well defined. It is even more obvious that airframe age is not the only important factor—perhaps not even the most important factor. Overall conclusion Overall, it would seem that: 1. Northern Airline has the smallest variance in maintenance costs, indicating that the day-to-day management of maintenance is working pretty well. 2. Maintenance costs seem to be more a function of airline than of airframe age. 3. The airframe and engine maintenance costs for Southeast Airline are not only lower but more nearly similar than those for Northern Airline, but, from the graphs at least, appear to be rising more sharply with age. 4. From an overall perspective, it appears that Southeast Airline may perform more efficiently on sporadic or emergency repairs, and Northern Airline may place more emphasis on preventive maintenance. Ms. Young’s report should conclude that: 1. There is evidence to suggest that maintenance costs could be made to be a function of airframe age by implementing more effective management practices. 2. The difference between maintenance procedures of the two airlines should be investigated. 3. The data with which she is presently working do not provide conclusive results.