Saturday, November 30, 2019

Response To Romeo And Juliet Franco free essay sample

Response To Romeo And Juliet ( Franco Zeffirelli Movie Version ) Essay, Research Paper Response Page to Romeo and Juliet ( Franco Zeffirelli Version ) The version of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, stays true to most of the original Shakespeare on which the movie is based. In some topographic points, though, the manager took certain autonomies in his divergence of the book from the original drama that I personally find excessively wild. Other things that I disagreed with in Zeffirelli s version were his costuming and music use. The first job I had with the work was his film editing of some of Romeo s most powerful lines in the drama in Act 1 scene I, when he is discoursing his problems with Benvolio. I think that at the terminal of this scene Romeo s contradictory footings paint a really good image of his character and what his mentality is at the beginning of the drama. We will write a custom essay sample on Response To Romeo And Juliet Franco or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The power that illuminates from such paradoxes as heavy elation, cold fire, still waking slumber, and my favourite which in itself may be a microcosm of the whole work deformed pandemonium of good looking signifiers. That last line seems to sum the full subject of Shakespeare s chef-doeuvre, and I found Zeffirelli s cut of those lines shocking. The following job I had with Zeffirelli s version of the drama was his inane costuming and usage of music. The costumes were bright and colourful, meaning a really happy topographic point. Verona is non a happy topographic point it was in complete confusion due to the discord of the two wealthiest households in Verona. The Prince was really unhappy with his metropolis, yet the costumes gave a really happy feeling. That was an bothersome anomalousness. The music he used was besides unneeded. I truly think that the music during much of the film merely reaffirmed tempers that the secret plan did a all right occupation of set uping itself. During the scene following the balcony scene where Romeo runs place was particularly annoying. In decision, I found Zeffirelli s version of Shakespeare s celebrated drama to be grating and overdone. If Zeffirelli had interpreted some scenes closer to the manner I did, and had let the drama speak for itself more I would hold been more impressed with the work.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Magical Realism - Definition and Examples

Magical Realism s Magical realism, or magic realism, is an approach to literature that weaves fantasy and myth into everyday life. What’s real? What’s imaginary? In the world of magical realism, the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the magical becomes commonplace. Also known as â€Å"marvelous realism,† or â€Å"fantastic realism,†Ã‚  magical realism is not a style or a genre so much as a way of questioning the nature of reality. In books, stories, poetry, plays, and film, factual narrative and far-flung fantasies combine to reveal insights about society and human nature. The term magic realism is also associated with realistic and figurative artworks  -   paintings, drawings, and sculpture  -   that suggest hidden meanings. Lifelike images, such as the Frida Kahlo portrait shown above, take on an air of mystery and enchantment. Strangeness Infused Into Stories There’s nothing new about infusing strangeness into stories about otherwise ordinary people. Scholars have identified elements of magical realism in Emily Brontà «s passionate, haunted Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) and Franz Kafka’s unfortunate Gregor, who turns into a giant insect (The Metamorphosis). However, the expression â€Å"magical realism† grew out of specific artistic and literary movements that emerged during the mid-20th century. Art From a Variety of Traditions In 1925, critic Franz Roh (1890-1965) coined the term Magischer Realismus (Magic Realism) to describe the work of German artists who depicted routine subjects with eerie detachment. By the 1940s and 1950s, critics and scholars were applying the label to art from a variety of traditions. The enormous floral paintings by Georgia OKeeffe (1887-1986), the psychological self-portraits of Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), and the brooding urban scenes by Edward Hopper (1882-1967) all fall within the realm of magic realism. A Separate Movement in Literature In literature, magical realism evolved as a separate movement, apart from the quietly mysterious magic realism of visual artists. Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980) introduced the concept of â€Å"lo real maravilloso (the marvelous real) when he published his 1949 essay â€Å"On the Marvelous Real in Spanish America.† Carpentier believed that Latin America, with its dramatic history and geography, took on an aura of the fantastic in the eyes of the world. In 1955, literary critic Angel Flores (1900-1992) adopted the term magical realism (as opposed to magic realism) to describe the writings of Latin American authors who transformed â€Å"the common and the every day into the awesome and the unreal.   Latin American Magic Realism According to Flores, magical realism began with a 1935 story by Argentine writer Jorge Luà ­s Borges (1899-1986). Other critics have credited different writers for launching the movement. However, Borges certainly helped lay the groundwork for Latin American magical realism, which was seen as unique and distinct from the work of European writers like Kafka. Other Hispanic authors from this tradition include Isabel Allende, Miguel ngel Asturias, Laura Esquivel, Elena Garro, Rà ³mulo Gallegos, Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez, and Juan Rulfo. Extraordinary Circumstances Were Expected Surrealism runs through the streets, Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez (1927-2014) said in an interview with The Atlantic. Garcà ­a Mrquez shunned the term â€Å"magical realism† because he believed that extraordinary circumstances were an expected part of South American life in his native Columbia. To sample his magical-but-real writing, begin with â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings and â€Å"The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World.† An International Trend Today, magical realism is viewed as an international trend, finding expression in many countries and cultures. Book reviewers, booksellers, literary agents, publicists, and authors themselves have embraced the label as a way to describe works that infuse realistic scenes with fantasy and legend. Elements of magical realism can be found in writings by Kate Atkinson, Italo Calvino, Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, Gà ¼nter Grass, Mark Helprin, Alice Hoffman, Abe Kobo, Haruki Murakami, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Derek Walcott, and countless other authors around the world. 6 Key Characteristics of Magical Realism It’s easy to confuse magical realism with similar forms of imaginative writing. However, fairy tales are not magical realism. Neither are horror stories, ghost stories, science fiction, dystopian fiction, paranormal fiction, absurdist literature, and sword and sorcery fantasy. To fall within the tradition of magical realism, the writing must have most, if not all, of these six characteristics: 1. Situations and Events That Defy Logic: In Laura Esquivel’s lighthearted novel Like Water for Chocolate, a woman forbidden to marry pours magic into food. In Beloved, American author Toni Morrison spins a darker tale: An escaped slave moves into a house haunted by the ghost of an infant who died long ago. These stories are very different, yet both are set in a world where truly anything can happen. 2. Myths and Legends: Much of the strangeness in magic realism derives from folklore, religious parables, allegories, and superstitions. An abiku  -   a West African spirit child  -   narrates The Famished Road by Ben Okri. Often, legends from divergent places and times are juxtaposed to create startling anachronisms and dense, complex stories. In A Man Was Going Down The Road, Georgian author Otar Chiladze merges an ancient Greek myth with the devastating events and tumultuous history of his Eurasian homeland near the Black Sea. 3. Historic Context and Societal Concerns: Real-world political events and social movements entwine with fantasy to explore issues such as racism, sexism, intolerance, and other human failings. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie is the saga of a man born at the moment of India’s independence. Rushdie’s character is telepathically linked with a thousand magical children born at the same hour and his life mirrors key events of his country. 4. Distorted Time and Sequence: In magical realism, characters may move backward, leap forward, or zigzag between the past and the future. Notice how Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez treats time in his 1967 novel, Cien Aà ±os de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude). Sudden shifts in narrative and the omnipresence of ghosts and premonitions leave the reader with the sense that events cycle through an endless loop. 5. Real-World Settings: Magic realism is not about space explorers or wizards; Star Wars and Harry Potter are not examples of the approach. Writing for The Telegraph, Salman Rushdie noted that â€Å"the magic in magic realism has deep roots in the real.† Despite the extraordinary events in their lives, the characters are ordinary people who live in recognizable places. 6. Matter-of-Fact Tone: The most characteristic feature of magical realism is the dispassionate narrative voice. Bizarre events are described in an offhand manner. Characters do not question the surreal situations they find themselves in. For example, in the short book Our Lives Became Unmanageable, a narrator plays down the drama of her husbands vanishing: â€Å"†¦the Gifford who stood before me, palms outstretched, was no more than a ripple in the atmosphere, a mirage in a gray suit and striped silk tie, and when I reached again, the suit evaporated, leaving only the purple sheen of his lungs and the pink, pulsing thing Id mistaken for a rose. It was, of course, only his heart.† Dont Put It in a Box Literature, like visual art, doesn’t always fit into a tidy box. When Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro published The Buried Giant, book reviewers scrambled to identify the genre. The story appears to be a fantasy because it unfolds in a world of dragons and ogres. However, the narration is dispassionate and the fairy tale elements are understated: â€Å"But such monsters were not cause for astonishment†¦there was so much else to worry about.† Is The Buried Giant pure fantasy, or has Ishiguro entered the realm of magical realism? Perhaps books like this belong in genres all their own. Sources Arana, Marie. Review: Kazuo Ishiguros The Buried Giant defies easy categorization. The Washington Post, February 24, 2015.   Craven, Jackie. Our Lives Became Unmanageable. The Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Prize, Paperback, Omnidawn, October 4, 2016. Fetters. Ashley. The Origins of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Magic Realism. The Atlantic, April 17, 2014. Flores, Angel. Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction. Hispania, Vol. 38, No. 2, American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, JSTOR, May 1955. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Buried Giant. Vintage International, Paperback, Reprint edition, Vintage, January 5, 2016. Leal, Luis. Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature. Lois Parkinson Zamora (Editor), Wendy B. Faris, Duke University Press, January 1995. McKinlay, Amanda Ellen. Block magic : categorization, creation, and influence of Francesca Lia Block’s Enchanted America. UBC Theses and Dissertations, The University of British Columbia, 2004. Morrison, Rusty. Paraspheres: Extending Beyond the Spheres of Literary and Genre Fiction: Fabulist and New Wave Fabulist Stories. Paperback, Omnidawn Publishing, June 1, 1967. Rà ­os, Alberto. Magical Realism: Definitions. Arizona State University, May 23, 2002, Tempe, AZ. Rushdie, Salman. Salman Rushdie on Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez: His world was mine. The Telegraph, April 25, 2014. Wechsler, Jeffrey. Magic Realism: Defining the Indefinite. Art Journal. Vol. 45, No. 4, The Visionary Impulse: An American Tendency, CAA, JSTOR, 1985.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Ashes Ashes We All Fall Down Essay

Ashs, Ashes, We All Fall Down Essay, Research Paper Bubonic Plague I buried with my ain custodies five of my kids in a individual grave. No bells. No cryings. This is the terminal of the universe. ( Deaux, 1969 ) These are the words of Italian writer Agniol di Tura, but they reflect the emotions of an full state in the 1300 s. It was at that clip that Europe was struck by the hardest blow that a pestilence would of all time swing. The Bubonic Plague hit Europe with a fierceness that could neer hold been predicted. Spread of the Plague Through Europe The spread of the Bubonic Plague in the 14th century happened rapidly as a consequence of hapless life conditions, trade paths and ignorance of the disease. The first reported instance of the pestilence was in 543 when it hit Constantinople. ( Hecker, 1992 ) This was a minor eruption and there were others similar to it, but since no one knew where it came from and so few were deceasing from it, no 1 took the clip to happen out. But so in 1334, an epidemic struck the northeasterly Chinese state of Hopei that people couldn t ignore. It killed up to 90 % of the population- around 5,000,000 people. ( Armstrong, 1981 ) This caught people s attending, but by so it was excessively tardily. Sadly, some of the events that aided the rapid spread of the Plague could hold been avoided. In 1347, in the southern Ukraine near the Black Sea, the native people began deceasing of a cryptic disease. They suffered from concerns, failing, and many staggered when they tried to walk. But most evidently, each carried a common hallmark of the plague- they all began to develop big puffinesss of the lymph nodes in the inguen and underhand countries. Fear and choler at the disease gave manner to accusal. The indigens of the country pointed the incrimination for their expletive at the Italian bargainers who traveled in and out of their ports. Convinced that they were the ground for their agony, the indigens attacked the ports. After a hebdomad of combat, the indigens found their soldiers deceasing of the disease. Hoping to infect the Italians, the indigens used slingshots that where usually reserved for big bowlders or dead animate beings to throw dead or deceasing organic structures of those infected with the pestilence over the barrier. They succeeded. When the bargainers fled to Sicily, they carried the pestilence with them. ( Strayer, 1972 ) The pestilence foremost arrived in Messina, Sicily in October 1347, but it would non halt at that place. Aware of the rate at which the pestilence would distribute, the Sicilian functionaries tried to incorporate the disease by coercing the 12 work forces on board who were left alive to remain on the ship. But black rats, which carried fleas that where contaminated with the pestilence, managed to acquire off the ship and come in the metropolis. Within eight months, the pestilence had spread throughout the island and the rats which carried the pestilence had boarded ships that were headed for mainland Italy and the remainder of Europe. ( Strayer, 1972 ) Despite the attempts of metropolis functionaries, the pestilence continued to distribute. They had ignored it excessively long, now it was out of their custodies. The pestilence spread through port metropoliss rapidly because it is transmitted by rat fleas. The fleas, which spread the pestilence, would catch the bacteriums from a rat who had already acquired the disease. The bacteriums would so wholly fills the tummy of the flea, doing it so the flea could no longer digest any blood. It would so be so hungry that it would sucks blood into its already full tummy, coercing it to regurgitate, therefore distributing the bacterium. ( Walker, 1992 ) A disease that is spread by rats would likely non present a large job to most topographic points in the 21st century, but in the fourteenth century there were many rats aboard most ships and few people took notice to them, as they were such a common fixture in the dirty life wonts. Because people were so accustomed to them, these gnawers carried the pestilence from port to port with no 1 recognizing that they were the confederate to the disease which was doing the decease of 1000000s. Myths As a consequence of the multitudes that were deceasing, people would readily accept any account of the cause of the pestilence as truth. A physician by the name of Galen had one of the most widely recognized theories. He said that the pestilence was spread by miasmas, or toxicant bluess coming from the swamps which corrupted the air. Peoples were urged to go forth low, boggy countries or at least remain inside their places, covering their Windowss. Because people believed that foul smelling air caused the pestilence, many walked around transporting corsages of flowers to their olfactory organs, believing that this would salvage them from decease. ( Strayer, 1972 ) Some thought that the pestilence could acquire into the organic structure through the pores in their tegument. As a consequence of this, many people refused to bath during the clip of the pestilence, as they felt that rinsing their organic structures would open the pores further, giving the pestilence even more chance to infect them. Though many people chose to accept these theories for their surface value and take the safeguards suggested, few found consolation in them as they watched those around them die. Some people felt that the pestilence had come as a signifier of penalty from God. A group of persons known as the flagellants insisted that it was the wickednesss of adult male that had compelled God to penalize them. Flagellants could be identified by the flagellum that they carried with them. This was a wooden stick with three or four leather pieces attached, each with an inch long spike of Fe at the terminal. The flagellants would run into in the centre of a town and impulse others to fall in them in their rites. Each member would deprive from the waist up and so would get down to flog himself with his flagellum. They did this as a signifier of repentance and believed that God would forgive them and maintain the pestilence from them every bit long as they showed their compunction. This ritual would happen at least one time a twenty-four hours for three yearss before the group would travel on to the following small town where they would being once more, hopefully increasing their Numberss ( Biel, 1989 ) . Some who were seeking for replies joined the flagellants, but they shortly found that they faced the same fate as the remainder. Symptoms The pestilence had many hallmark symptoms, but at first the victim could look to hold a figure of morbid. The first symptoms of the pestilence include concern, sickness, iciness, emesis, and hurting articulations. ( Strayer, 1972 ) These traits are besides common to other diseases, but in a pestilence septic metropolis, anyone who possessed these traits was considered doomed. However, shortly after undertaking the disease, the symptoms would go more obvious. Within a twenty-four hours or two, the puffinesss appeared. They were hard, painful, firing balls on the cervix, under the arm, and besides the interior thighs. Soon they turned black, disconnected unfastened, and began to seep cunt and blood. These puffinesss, called buboes, gave the disease its name and may hold grown to the size of an orange. ( Garrett, 1994 ) The puffinesss appeared because one time a individual became infected, the B, Yersina plague, made its manner into the lymph nodes. There, it would infect and destruct cells of the immune system, and in the procedure, it would besides trip a concatenation of chemical reactions in which the organic structure would try to throw out the encroachers through pustules and furuncles that emerge on the tegument. ( Garrett, 1994 ) Once the bobues appeared, the victim would get down to shed blood internally. Blood vass would interrupt, go forthing the blood underneath the tegument to run free. Once dried, the blood would turn black and leave black blotchs on the victim s tegument. Thus giving the disease it s most popular moniker, Black Death. In most terrible instances, decease would normally occur within two yearss after the bobues had appeared. This, frequently times, was non shortly plenty for the victim. Effectss The Bubonic Plague had a great consequence on households, the church, and besides the outlook of society during the in-between ages. The decease of an estimated 1/3 of the civilised universe in the mid-14th century ( Armstrong, 1981 ) was certain to alter every facet of life for the people populating at that clip. During the pestilence, there was a general diminution in morality, which finally led to the church losing most of it s authorization. In portion, people didn t listen to the church because they didn Ts privation to hear Torahs that they knew wouldn T be carried out. But the chief ground was that many lost religion after watching their friends and household dices such atrocious deceases. The lost religion of the people can be seen through their art. In many plants, alternatively of celestial existences naming the dead to heaven, decease was represented as an aged adult female in a black cloak and wild, snake-like hair.. and a scythe to roll up her victims. ( Strayer, 1983 ) The regulations of the church itself besides changed during the pestilence. Rome announced an exigency relaxation of canonical jurisprudence, allowing the deceasing to squeal aloud to God or to any individual who would listen, even a adult female. ( Deaux, 1969 ) This was announced because functionaries of the church were deceasing off at the same rate as the remainder of the community and people were deceasing without the Sacrament of Penance. In the clip of the pestilence, non merely was faith flips aside, but besides morality as a whole. Italian writer, Boccaccia, wrote about the mortality of the society in the fourteenth century. With so much affliction and wretchedness, all fear for the Torahs, both of God and of adult male, fell apart and dissolved, because the curates and executed of the Torahs were either dead of ailment like everyone else, or were left with so few functionaries that they were unable to make their responsibilities ; as a consequence, everyone was free to make whatever they pleased. ( Biel, 1989 ) Many people felt that decease was inevitable and hence decided to pass nevertheless many yearss they may hold left alive the manner that would most delight them. Many found comfort in traveling from tavern from tavern, imbibing and much as they wished and listening to and speaking merely about pleasant things. Others threw eternal parties in their places and welcomes all who would come. ( Armstrong, 1981 ) These parties were easy to happen because everyone behaved as if they were traveling to decease shortly, so they cared nil about themselves nor their properties. As a consequence, people lost all sense of duty as they felt that all of their properties and finally their lives, every bit good as the lives of those they cared about, would be taken off from them. Despair filled the people with the loss of so many that they loved and many of them went into a province of denial. Such was the hurt that an order was base on ballss that would non let public proclamations of decease because the sick could hear them, and the healthy took fear every bit good as the sick. ( Garret, 1994 ) In fact, in Florence, it was prohibited to even print the figure of the dead for fright that the life would lose hope. ( Biel, 1989 ) Even with these safeguards, the decease of 1000000s could non be hidden from those that survived it. The odor of the dead fill the air and there were few people who could non assist but give up. Most people failed to see value in anything but their life. Peoples were so positive that they would shortly be faced with decease, that ownerships ment nil to them. Many times, fright of the pestilence would be much greater than the desire for ownerships and the houses of the dead, or sometimes those who were merely really ill, would be burned to the land to forestall the spread of the disease. ( Garret, 1994 ) Boccaccia said that such was the figure of houses full of goods that had no proprietor, that it was astonishing. Then the inheritors to this wealth began to turn up. And person who had antecedently had nil all of a sudden found himself rich. ( Biel, 1989 ) Many houses were left vacant after the proprietors died because people thought that everything interior was contaminated with the pestilence. Peoples felt that their wellness was of much more importance than anything that person could posses. As a consequence of the great fright that people had of the pestilence, many households fell apart. Boccaccia talk about this in the debut to his book, The Decameron: The ordeal had so withered the Black Marias of work forces and adult females that brother abandoned brother, and the uncle abandoned his nephew and the sister her brother and many times, married womans abandoned their hubbies, and, what is even more unbelievable and barbarous, female parent and male parents abandoned their kids and would decline to see them. ( Biel, 1989 ) The state of affairss that Boccaccia radius of were non uncommon. Writer Francisco Patriarch said that may people died of hungriness, for when person took ailment to his bed, the other residents in panic told him: I m traveling for the physician ; and softly locked the door from the outside and didn T come back. ( Deaux, 1969 ) The precedences of everyone became rearranged as they all feared for their lives. Peoples cared nil of other people, they merely wanted to populate and they did what they had to make to maintain their lives. One Italian author said that things had reached such a point, that people cared no more for the decease of other people than they did for the decease of a caprine animal. ( Armstrong, 1981 ) Future With all the progresss that the universe has made in the past seven centuries, it is unthinkable that such a catastrophe could take topographic point once more. Rarely in the US do you happen a topographic point where rat and adult male live so harmoniously with one another. But other parts of the universe are non so fortunate. The most recent eruption of Bubonic Plague was in India and it didn t go on a few hundred old ages ago. It happened in 1994. The job with solved with a $ 30 million loan from the World Bank which they used to relocated 52 small towns which the authorities saw as job countries. Research workers think that the eruption was caused by an temblor that stirred up the B which can put hibernating in the dirt for two or three decennaries, but they say that the conditions of the small town favorite invasion. Relatively few people died in this recent outbreak thanks to what one small town leaders calls beautiful antibiotics. With five yearss of unwritten antibiotic therapy utilizing a inexpensive, readily available drug called Achromycin, bubonic pestilence is 100 % curable ( Garret, 1994 ) . Thankss to medical scientific discipline, the muss in India was cleared up with really few deceases and the universe can be grateful that they will neer hold to see life as 1000000s in the fourteenth century did. Mentions Armstrong, K ( 1981 ) . The coming of the pestilence to Italy. New York: Weber Printing Biel, T ( 1989 ) . The black decease. San Diego: Aglow Books. Deaux, G. ( 1969 ) . The black decease. New York: Weybright and Talley Ellis, E. A ; Esler, A. ( 1997 ) . World history. Upper Saddle River: Prentic-Hall, Inc. Garrett, L. ( 1994 ) . Anatomy of a pestilence. New York: Webb Publishing. Hecker, J. ( 1992 ) . Black decease depredations Europe. Babington: Bureau of Electronic Publishing, Inc. Strayer, J. ( 1972 ) . Dictionary of the in-between ages. New York: Charles Scribner and Sons Walker, J. ( 1992 ) . Famine, drouth, and pestilences. New York: Glaucestu Press.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Horror of a Dystopian Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Horror of a Dystopian Society - Essay Example The category of dystopian films is closely related to that of post-apocalyptic film and dystopian societies often arise in the awake of natural or manmade disasters that have led to the destruction of the societies that came before them. However, dystopian societies can also arise as a natural consequence of the direct historical extension of certain flaws in the current-day society with no intervening catastrophe. Recent films with dystopia inclinations include Gattaca (1997), 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Equilibrium (2002), Minority Report (2002), Banlieue 13(District 13, 2004), Casshern (2004), V for Vendetta (2005), and Children of Men (2006). These more recent dystopian movies have become particularly clear in the way their dystopian features are not predictions so much as satirical commentaries on the present world of consumer capitalism. This paper examines the genre of dystopia with a view to understanding its common traits, ideological valences and historical specificity. Although the term dystopia predated 1900, dystopia became recognized as a literature genre during the twentieth century and has not lost its hold on the society’s imagination, as evidenced by recent films such as The Island, V for Vendetta and Children of Men. Introduction A utopia is an imaginary society that dreams of a world in which the social, political and economic problems of the real present have been solved or at least in which effective mechanisms for the solutions to these problems are in place. A dystopia on the other hand, is an imagined world in which the dream has become a nightmare. It is also known as anti-utopias. Dystopias are often designed to critique the potential negative implications of certain forms of utopian thought. However, dystopia films have a strong satirical dimension that is designed to warn against the possible consequences of certain tendencies in the real world of the present (Thomas and Booker, 2009, pg. 65). After a flurry of utopian fictions at the end of the nineteenth century, dystopian fiction became particularly prominent in the twentieth century, when suspicions of utopian solutions to political and social problems became increasingly strong as those problems grew more and more complicated and as events such as the rise of fascism in Europe seemed to cast doubt on the whole Western enlightenment. While utopian societies are designed to enable the maximum fulfilment of individual human potential, dystopian societies impose oppressive conditions that interfere with that fulfilment. These oppressive conditions are usually extensions or exaggerations of conditions that already exist in the real world, allowing the dystopian film to critique real world situations by placing them within the DE familiarization context of an extreme fictional society. In a dystopian society, the citizenry are forced to think alike, either by the use of drugs, by force or even if necessary mind control. It is synonymous with oppression, corrup tion and limited human rights Dystopian fiction films tend to focus on certain key motifs and ideas that in one way or another involve an opposition between social control and individual desire. In the dystopian society or state, however, social control generally has the upper hand.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Impact of the Two World of Black America Essay

The Impact of the Two World of Black America - Essay Example The First World War did not reduce but, on the contrary, increased racial opposition between white and African-American citizens. Racial tensions were accompanied by serious economic and social controversies. At the beginning of the Second World War, military institutions and forces in America continued to reflect racial tendencies in society, refusing to willingly accept Black soldiers. Despite those controversies, WWII became the turning point in the development of new racial relations in America. Changes in military structures, the rise in racial awareness, and wartime intercultural education shaped the ground for restructuring the entire system of racial relations in contemporary American state. WWI and racism in America World War I was the time when the lives of African-Americans became virtually unbearable. That was also when racism and racial antagonism became serious barriers to effective military action in America. â€Å"World War I brought the American South to the brink o f momentous change, with the sense of energy and opportunity that accompanied mobilization on the home front† (Hudson 2009, p.3). ... Failure to engage Black citizens in military service distorted the picture of citizenship in America and reduced its chances to ensure loyal service (Lentz-Smith 2009). White supremacy before and during WWI were both tragic and inevitable. Blacks had little opportunity to change their situation to the better. It would be fair to say that WWI did not change the place and position of Blacks in America; moreover, it deepened the conflicts between Blacks and Whites, leading to the subsequent reaffirmation of white supremacy at all levels of the country’s social hierarchy. Davis (2008) tells the story of an African American soldier getting back home after the end of WWI. An exception rather than the rule, Blacks’ involvement in military actions was a continued source of controversy. More serious were the consequences of Blacks’ participation in the military: upon his return to Blakely, Georgia, the young soldier was met by a group of white men and forced to put off hi s uniform (Davis 2008). He was also threatened not to wear the uniform in public (Davis 2008). However, the young man ignored the threat and, for this reason, was lynched by a mob (Davis 2008). Lynching had to send an explicit message to all African American soldiers throughout the state: that they sacrificed their lives and health to protect the liberty of their people would not lead to racial equality (Sollors 1996). The lynched soldier became the hero of African American literature during the 1930s, but even the popularization of the soldier’s image could not change the situation. WWI further intensified the conflicts between African-Americans and the white majority. Lynching was just one example of open racial discrimination in America

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Chinese Communist Party Essay Example for Free

The Chinese Communist Party Essay The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has remained in power for the past 60 years, suggesting its effectiveness in retaining its legitimacy to rule. However, new socio-economic conditions brought about by rapid modernization have caused a need to consider other criteria in obtaining a holistic view of CCP’s effectiveness. CCP’s effectiveness in governing China ultimately resides in whether it can continue to legitimize its rule and keep its people satisfied. In face of economic modernization , four sets of considerations has to be made when evaluating these aspects four sets of considerations has to be made when evaluating these aspects; we must examine Chinas economic growth, equality, which is a part of the CCP’s goal to build a harmonious society, China’s international status and the environment. For now, CCP seems to be largely effective in governing China. China’s high GDP growth has managed to keep satisfaction levels high, seen by the sharp decline in the number of uprisings in recent years. Major events like the 2008 Olympics have also caused the people to think of CCP as highly capable, sustaining its legitimacy. Despite this, the sustainability of CCP’s effectiveness in ruling China in the long term remains highly questionable since fundamental problems still exist in the four considerations, which can significantly sabotage CCP’s current efforts attaining its goals and maintaining its legitimacy. There is hence a need for CCP to address these currently neglected problems to sustain its effective rule. 1) ECONOMIC GROWTH T.S: CCP has been effective in governing China by leading China to attain high economic growth thus strengthening its eudemonic legitimacy. Elaboration: * China has managed to attain average growth of 9% over the past 15 years, pulling millions out of poverty. China’s fast recovery during the 2008 financial crisis also caused many Chinese to be confident in CCP’s capabilities. People are therefore happy with their improved lives and trust that CCP is the best way for China to maintain growth * In poll conducted after financial crisis, 72% opted to keep CCP in power as opposed to promoting democracy and they cited high economic growth as the reason. * CCP therefore effective in governing China in the aspect of economic growth Counter: Despite high eudemonic legitimacy, it is unsustainable since problems caused by economic growth still remain unsolved. Elaboration: * People are unhappy: Wide disparity has caused much dissatisfaction among those left behind by people economic modernization. Many minorities like Tibetans for example continue having separatist tendencies and bear grudges towards Han because of income gap. * Current leaders basing legitimacy on ideology of promoting Harmonious Society. Little progressed has been made in reducing income gap CCP not able to fulfill their promise weaken legitimacy and also not able to appease dissatisfaction. * Legitimacy too reliant on maintaining high growth unsustainable. * China’s economic growth too export driven but as its manufacturing advantage gets eroded by growing labour costs, there is growing need for its economic model to transit to one that is driven by domestic consumption. Domestic consumption now still remains very low which can threaten sustainability of China’s economic growth weakening legitimacy if problem Is not solved. Conclusion for economic consideration: While CCP is now effective in keeping its eudemonic legitimacy, persistent problems like the widening income gap has the potential to erode this current legitimacy and CCP must therefore be more effective in solving these problems and keep economic growth sustainable to ensure its effective rule in the long term.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Duchess of Malfi Essay examples -- Duchess of Malfi Webster Papers

The principal characters and their roles We follow after bubbles, blown in th'air. Pleasure of life, what is't? Only the good hours of an ague The Jacobean age was one of questioning and uncertainty about many issues, such as religion, politics and law. At the same time it was rediscovering the potency of Classical texts of Rome and Greece, and reinterpreting tragic form to suit its own ends. The Duchess of Malfi is a revenge tragedy, but Webster has used the form for much more than just its entertainment value; he has used it as a vehicle for the exploration of some themes relevant to the society of his time. Webster based his plot on a true story set in Italy, and kept the Italian setting because like Shakespeare and other playwrights of his day, he had to use politically-acceptable foreign settings in which to explore ideas such as those presented in The Duchess of Malfi, (which were really commentaries on the England of their own era), to do with inequality, injustice, and corruption, without causing outrage in response to his work. Antonio and The Duchess The fact that Antonio can never have an equal relationship with the Duchess has prompted some readers to feel that his importance as a character in the play is limited, while others suggest that his main role is as a mouthpiece for Webster's own judgements and opinions. To assess the importance of his role we need to consider it relation to the Duchess, and in the context of the play as a whole. Inequalities of power associated with gender and social status are highlighted in the relationship between The Duchess and Antonio, and the reactions of others towards their relationship. In Antonio's self-deprecating dying speech, Antonio: We follow afte... ... been pointed out that The Duchess of Malfi is a flawed play. For example Ferdinand reveals to Bosola a possible motive for wanting his sister to be murdered: Ferdinand: To have gain'd an infinite mass of treasure by her death. [Act 5, Scene ii] But this sounds unconvincing, as Malfi is little more than a poor fishing village. Moments such as these in the play have led it to be criticised for its plot, and it has other flaws. For example is it plausible that the Duchess could marry Antonio and have children in secret? Webster tends to neglect the importance of The Duchess' sons, and in Act 5 we see Delio apparently with a false heir. But in spite of these flaws The Duchess of Malfi has lasted and remained popular, not just for its potent entertainment value and Webster's masterful use of language, but also for the insights it gives us into Jacobean society.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Marketing and Upper Price Points

2. What are the benefits and risks associated with the acquisition of PLFD? Risks * Manchester only authorized to use Paul Logan name for three years (p. 1) * PLFD lines characterized by bold styles and fashionable colors, whereas MH favored conservative, functional designs (p. 3) * New products introduced by MH could not use the Paul Logan brand name (p. 3) * Heavy competition from cheaper imports (p. ) made it difficult to maintain mid- to upper price points * National Furniture Company (biggest PLFD competitor) stepping up advertising and initiating price reductions in response to MH/PLFD merger and aggressively pursuing a strategy to exploit the uncertainties associated with the pairing (p. 5) * PLFD core customers more fashion-conscious than MH core customers and considered themselves to be trend setters (p. 5) * A major furniture chain which carries PLFD products has expressed displeasure with the merger and is reevaluating their decision to carry PLFD products (p. ) * The deba te associated with the brand-name transition strategy and the huge implications associated with the ultimate decision (p. 6) * Promotional debate, which has huge distribution network implications (p. 7) * PLFD favored â€Å"push† programs in the form of volume rebates and purchase allowances * MH favored â€Å"pull† programs such as national advertising * Should co-op advertising strategy aim at the trade (push), the end consumer (pull), or some combination of both? Benefits: The merger dramatically expanded MH overnight and provided them with a strong brand and an instant market leader position in the household furniture segment (p. 1) * Over 150 SKUs of high quality furniture with a #1 or #2 position in the categories they competed in (p. 2) * PLFD is an instantly recognized and respected brand in furniture (p. 2) * The acquisition included PLFD sales, management, and design teams, 10 distribution centers, inventory for all 150 products, and the right to use the PL n ame for three years (p. ) * PLFD had a well established sales force (p. 2) * PLFD had strong ties to leading distribution channels (p. 2) * PLFD had a talented design team (p. 2) * The acquisition is very consistent with MH’s ultimate goal of providing a complete family of household furniture products in mid- to upper price points (p. 3) * Both MH and PLFD produced products in the mid, mid-upper, and upper price points (p. ) * Synergy potential between PLFD’s design skills with respect to colors, shapes, and textures coupled with Manchester’s engineering strength, manufacturing expertise, and ergonomic innovations could be a winning combination (p. 3) * Strong housing market (lots of new construction) and US economy in general in early 2005 * Furniture manufacturers relied on innovative and stylish product innovations to fuel growth once the housing boom of the 2000s cooled (p. ) * MH/PLFD partnership is a good combination of innovation and style * PLFD had stro ng relationships with buyers from major furniture chains, department stores, and wholesalers that sold to the smaller, independent furniture and specialty stores (p. 4) * 2003 Manchester survey showed that 30% of customers favored upscale department stores, 25% specialty shops, 20% large furniture chains, and 15% small, independent furniture stores (p. 5). * These preferences consistent with where PLFD products are currently sold (45% upscale furniture stores and chains, 30% specialty stores, and 25% department stores (p. 4)

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Evidence Based Nursing Essay

INTRODUCTION Evidence Based Nursing or EBN is an approach to making quality decisions and providing nursing care based upon personal clinical expertise in combination with the most current,relevent research available. It is also known as evidence based practice. It is a thoughtful integration of the best available evidence coupled with the clinical expertise. TERMINOLOGIES Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guidelines:- Specific practice recommendations that are based on a methodologically rigorous review of the best evidence on a specific topic. Evidence Based Decision Making:- The integration of the best research evidence in making decisions about patient care, which should include the clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values. Evidence Based Practice (EBP):- A problem solving approach to practice that involves the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care. Evidence Summaries:- Synthesis of studies, systematic literature review.Generalizability:- The extent to which the findings from a study can be generalized or applied to the larger population. DEFINITION Evidence Based Practice [EBP] is a problem solving approach to the delivery of health care that integrates the best evidence from studies and patient care data with clinician expertise and patient preferences and values. [Fineout-Overhott, E-2010] â€Å"Evidence Based Nursing is the incorporation of the best research evidence along with patient preferences the clinical settings and circumstances and health care resources into decisions about patient care† [Ciliska & Donna, 2006] â€Å"Evidence Based Nursing Practice is the conscientious , explicit and judicious use of theory derived, research base information in making decisions about care delivery to individuals or groups of patients and in consideration of individual needs and preferences† [Ingersoll, 2000] AIMS OF EPB To do the right thing,at the right time, for the right person, ensure quality care for client. PURPOSE Evidence based practice is to provide the highest quality and most cost effective nursing care possible. To advance quality of care provided by nurses To resolve problems in clinical settings To increases satisfaction of patient To focus on nursing practice away from habits& tradition to evidence and research IMPORTANCE OF EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE It results in better patient outcomes. It contributes to the science of nursing. It keep practice current and relevant. It increases confidence in decision making. Policies and procedures are current and include the latest research, these supporting JCAHO readiness. Integration of EPB into nursing practice is essential for high quality patient care and achievement. COMPONENTS OF EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE Key elements of a best practice culture are evidence based practice mentors, partnerships between academic and clinical settings, EPB champions, clearly written research, time and resources and administration support. When delivered in a context of caring and in a supportive organizational culture, evidence based practice can help to achieve the higher quality of care and best patient outcomes. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE Primary sources of evidence:- These draw on original research findings. These sources include reports and articles about research. Secondary sources of evidences:- These draw on a range of source informing the topic of concern including. Systematic review Meta analysis Evidence based journals Clinical guidelines or protocols Cochrane collaboration Expertise opinion STEPS OF EBN Formulating a well built question Identifying articles and other evidence based resources Critical Appraisal Applying the evidence Re-evaluating the evidence Formulating the question:- A well built clinical question includes the following components The Patient’s disorder or disease Intervention or finding under review A Comparison intervention The Outcome [PICO] Applying PICO is a systematic way to identify important concepts in a case, and formulate a question for searching. Identifying Resources After successfully formulating the clinical question we need to find relevant evidence. There are generally three categories of resources. Background information Filtered resources Unfiltered resources Background information:- This category contains resources that provide background information about various disease conditions and clinical questions. Resources include upto date and other e-books such as diagnostic examination, current diagnosis, treatment. Filtered Resources:- In fitted resources, clinical experts and subject specialists pose a question and then synthesize evidence to state conclusions based on the available research. Unfiltered Resources:- It is up to you to access the resources quality, validity and applicability to your patient. Critical Appraisal:- When approaching a study, you want to know weather it was alone well, what the results were and weather it is relevant to your patients. After identifying an article you must appraise the information critically. Applying the evidence Once you have determined that the study and its results are valid, you used to decide if it is applied to your specific patient and situation. To reach your conclusion you may consult questions related to diagnosis, therapy, harm and prognosis. Apply the evidence in the clinical setting. Re-evaluating evidence:- Last step in evidence based practice. It is reevaluation. In tis process evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your decision in direct relation to your patient.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Leadership Trait Theory Essay Example

Leadership Trait Theory Essay Example Leadership Trait Theory Paper Leadership Trait Theory Paper Sir Francis Galton is credited with being one of the earliest leadership theorists, mentioning the trait approach to leadership for the first time in his book Hereditary Genius, published in 1869. Galton (1869) believed that leadership qualities were genetic characteristics of a family. â€Å"Qualities such as courage and wisdom were passed on- from family member to family member, from generation to generation† (R. House, M. Javidan, P. Hanges, and P. Dorfman, 2002). The trait theory of leadership makes the assumption that distinctive physical and psychological characteristics account for leadership effectiveness (McGraw, 2007). The most basic leadership traits are basic intelligence, clear and strong values and high level of personal energy (Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, James Noel, 2001). However, Edwin Gheselli defined the leadership traits as six traits which were most widely reported by others according to McGraw (2007), and the six traits are Need for achievement, Intelligence, Decisiveness, Self- confidence, initiative and supervisory ability (Edwin Gheselli). On the contrary, Zaccaro (2007) noted that trait theories still just focus on a small set of individual attributes such as the Big Five personality traits, to the neglect of cognitive abilities, motives, values, social skills, expertise, and problem-solving skills. Besides, he also noted that this trait theory aim to consider patterns or integrations of multiple attributes. Leadership Behavior Theory With the growing concentrate on the behaviorism in psychology during 1930s, more and more research occurred in leadership behavior (George Manning, 2007). â€Å"Behavior leadership theories assume that there are distinctive actions that effective leaders take† (Kent Curtis, 2007). There is an assessment named Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) which is known by others being developed by Ralph Stogdill and others at Ohio State University (William J, 2007). This questionnaire separated the leader’s behavior in to two dimensions which are Initiating structure and Showing Consideration. The former means the leader mostly will consider the relationship between themselves and their staff. The later means the leader would like to develop trust, respect, support, and friendship with subordinates. (George Manning, 2007) This paper will analyze the activities of Michael Dell by leadership trait theory because this theory is the basic theory of leadership even it is just focus on personality according to Zaccaro (2007). George Manning (2007) argued that there are 10 qualities that mark a leader and help influence the leadership process which are vision, ability, enthusiasm, stability, concern for others, self-confidence, persistence, vitality, charisma, and integrity. He explained that a good vision is the basic requirement for a leader due to that a good vision can enable the leader recognize what happened and what should do. First of all Michael Dell was born on February 25th, 1965 in Houston Texas. The way his story sounds reads like a business fairytale. He attended the University of Texas, he had nothing but an idea on his mind no way to fulfill it no money to fund it. He wanted to become a Doctor or to own his own little business his preference was an electronic store but like any other college student he had no money. One day he was sitting in his bedroom in his parent’s house, with an apple computer he got to thinking about the purchase of computers and that there was always a middleman and the extra cost of accessories. He started to take apart the Apple Computer to get acquainted to the heart of the computers. Then it dawned on him that he can sell computers directly to the customer without the unnecessary middleman so he can keep the production cost low. Accordingly, Dell sold PCs to customers directly and it also started to take phone orders. Michael Dell said his company was the first PC manufacturer who sold product to customers directly. Going direct has become the core competency of Dell Computer Corporation. Besides, Dell begun to change the way of store which is they created big-box computer stores. It means Dell will reduce lots of cost than other competitors. This simple ways will change Dell’s future. (Ram, 1997) Michael Dell had created a strategy which is the objective of Dell: to gain more profit. They needed to find a way to achieve this objective. He said when Dell move into the server field, â€Å"in the mid-1990s, our competitors’ services, while good product, were onerously and unjustifiably priced to subsidize other less profitable parts of their business. What emerged was an incredible opportunity to disable our competitor’s ability to gouge the market, while at the same time to grow our business in servers. This strategy was first evident when Dell took a look at all the PC retailers out there and decided to avoid them. My goal has always been to make sure that everyone at Dell feel they are a part of something great- perhaps something even greater than themselves. † Michael Dell is a CEO who knows how to delegate, and that means he relies on getting the best possible people in his organization. (Schlesinger, 2002) Michael Dell says: â€Å"I am often asked how we manage to maintain the attitude of a challenger, even as we continue to grow at record speeds. Culture is, by far, one of the most enigmatic facets of management that I have encountered. It is also one of the most important. Once a reporter asked me which of our competitors represented the biggest threat to Dell. I said the greatest threat to Dell wouldn’t come from a competitor. It would come from our people. † (Aldrich, 1990) To achieve a good business growth, Dell has been segmented in different parts. Michael Dell is quoted at 1000ventures. com as saying, â€Å"Pay attention to what your best people are achieving, and build an infrastructure that rewards mastery. The best way to keep the most talent people is to allow their jobs to change with them. † (Glancey, 1998) Dell’s innovation mostly relies on its partners. It helped Dell reduce cost and made him more nimbly. In terms of Dell’ own tech innovation, Michael Dell says the most important thing is to keep the research and development (RD) cost down. He also said â€Å"Unlike many of our competitors, we actually had an option: to buy components from the specialists, leveraging the investments they had already made and allowing us to focus on what we did best- designing and delivering solutions and systems directly to customers. † (Johannison, 2000) Dell grew rapidly due to its vision of the market. Michael Dell says: â€Å"Planning is one of those areas where experience counts as much as intellect. When you’re trying to grow a new business, it’s hard to anticipate the ups and downs of business cycles that you’ve actually never experienced before. † (Jones, 2003) â€Å"Dell has grown fast enough to make it clear that you cannot expect to do everything yourself. In the end, you have to delegate responsibility†, Michael Dell says: â€Å"For any company to succeed, it’s critical for top management to share power successfully. You have to be focused on achieving goals for the organization, not on accumulating power for yourself. † What he said is true that he had made Kevin Rollins to be CEO after his words. (Gibb, 1999) However, global finance crisis brought problems to Dell. When Dell CEO Michael S. Dell and President Kevin B. Rollins met privately in the fall of 2001, they felt confident that the company was recovering from the global crash in PC sales. Their own personal performances, however, was another matter. Internal interviews revealed that subordinates thought Dell was impersonal and emotionally detached, while Rollins was seen as autocratic and antagonistic. Few felt strong loyalty to the companys leaders. Worse, the discontent was spreading: A survey taken over the summer, following the companys first-ever mass layoffs, found that half of Dell Inc. s employees would leave if they got the chance. (Bloomberg Business week, 2003)

Monday, November 4, 2019

Innovation in Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Innovation in Organization - Essay Example Moreover, several studies have also highlighted that innovative organizations perform better than the organizations which are non-innovative. However, innovation cannot be an external phenomenon; rather it is purely internal. For a company to get success depending on innovation, it is not sufficient to bring new ideas or products that change the entire market landscape, but the organization must have the ability to absorb the innovation (Agarwal, Erramilli and Dev, 2003; Betz, 2003). The ability of an organization to absorb innovation is critical towards the success of a company. According to Van de Ven, Polley and Venkataraman (1999) â€Å"organizational creation are fundamental to the process of innovation†. The extent to which an organization innovates is the pre-state for the efficient utilization of the new technologies and resources. The introduction of new technology often tenders complex challenges and opportunities for the organizations that in turn lead to changes in the management practices and the emergence of new organizational forms. As a result of that technological and organizational innovation are often stated as intertwined. Schumpeter (1950) also emphasized that innovation in the form of a new product or new process often brings organizational changes and can even be the cause of creative destruction for organizations (Lam, 2004). This study examines the extent of innovation in a chosen organization. In this context, the study will put emphasis on the particular innovation aimed by the organization to deliver to its users, the other possible solutions were considered, the main obstacles and resistance that were met in developing the innovation, networks that were used by actors within and outside the organisation in order to generate, support, and implement the innovation, the procedures that were in place in the organisation to facilitate the selection and development of innovations and the reasons for the success or failure of the in novation. Brief Synopsis of the Company The company chosen for this project is a corporate gift design and manufacturing company. The company currently caters to the domain of innovation of process optimization. Understanding the situation of the market, the company decided to bring some kind of innovation in their system as they consider innovation as one of the major business drivers and is a source of competitive advantage for the firms. Evaluation of product innovation and process innovation, the company identified that the first task is to bring process innovation and simultaneously focus on innovative and creative services. In the recent past, the company has identified certain loopholes in their system of operation and considers those loopholes to be the reason for their low market share. The company also identified that there are several steps involved in closing a call and that is affecting the company in the form of increased lead time and declining market share. The subse quent steps will identify the different factors of the company that are mentioned above.  

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Information Management and a Business Environment Research Paper

Information Management and a Business Environment - Research Paper Example Ciena Corporation was founded in 1992, listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (symbol CIEN) in 1997, and included in the S&P 500 market index in 2001. The company is headquartered in Linthicum, State of Maryland, USA, with offices located all over the US and Canada as well as Europe and Asia, totalling approximately 1500 employees. Ciena’s founding mission was to design, manufacture and sell optical transport and switching equipment. The company pioneered DWDM technology and became a world leader in the space. Following four acquisitions since 2003 and several key technology partnerships, Ciena deliberately augmented its portfolio to address the network applications with the most business value to its customers. My role as Human Resources Generalist for EMEA incorporates recruitment for the region as well as providing a fully supportive Human Resource/personnel function. There is a great need for effective Information Management within a business environment. The prime focus of the fieldwork was, therefore, the Travel Agent outlet, using a methodology designed to learn through interviews with counter staff what role the use of view data links to Tour Operators played in the servicing of customers (Feeny D. F., and Brownlee C. G. (2001). Subsequent interviews took place with management representatives of leading Tour Operators to elicit the role they saw for systems links to travel agents, and how it related to their overall strategy for competing in the industry. HR representatives interviewed were presented with a standard customer set and asked to explain how they would respond to each customer type.