Heart Of Darkness In Relation To Achebes Contributions - 825 Words

Heart Of Darkness In Relation To Chinua Achebe's Contributions (Movie Review Sample) Content: Name:Instructor:Course:Date:IntroductionArts and literal works entail representations and a reflection of society, its culture and a predetermined course of phenomena that the artists try to showcase to bring relevance in future. Artists employ various stylistic approaches intended to lure the audience into believing their piece of work and its integration to the expectations of, or the realities befalling their audience. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad showcases the unexpected or uncouth scenes of Marlows expeditions in Africa on a job-related tour that turned to be the worst nightmares of his life. Chinua Achebes An Image of Africa, in response to Conrads novella, showcases an authoritative and sources-backed criticism on racism exhibited in Conrads book. Cedric Watts A Bloody Racist, in response to Achebes view on Conrads book represent a comprehensive criticisms of Achebes observations with regard to the Heart of Darkness and in relation to Achebes works. A cou nter-argument essay comparing different sentiments from Achebe and Conrad works on racism, imperialism and misconceptions about Africa and Europe. Homogenized by the need to unwind the truth and defend their tenets, the critics emerge from different geographical and schools of thoughts and their divergence concentrates on the critical analysis of the Hearts of Darkness. Chinua Achebes criticisms and observation present a holistic scrutiny of Conrads view on Africa more so on civilization and the purported inferiority of Africans. Imperialism and its ideologies isolated Africa and its people and the tragic hostilities subjected to Africans do not level with the perceived darkness and the racial atrocities that befell black people considering the effects of colonization upon the colonized.Heart of Darkness as a literal piece fails to expose the evil motives behind imperialism but intertwines the whole story in an entertainment glamour filled with inferiority stunts upon Africans. For instance, Achebe observes Conrads equation of River Thames and River Congo as a thematic intelligence and refinement that is mocked by triumphant bestiality (Achebe 338), evident from Conrads observations of Marlows sailing expeditions. First, Conrad fails to appreciate that sailing difficulties were not only caused by the bad state of the river, but also by the inefficiencies of the steamboat. Yes, the narration carries a fiction tone, but exhibiting Africa and its people as the antithesis of Europe and civilization, unmasks Conrads racism and his primeval and ciphered objectives.In essence, Watts criticisms to favor Conrad fails to authenticate Marlows appreciation of liberalism with respect to the companys imperialist and dictatorial ideologies. At one point, Watt defends Conrad on the basis of cultural vigor stirred by Achebes lecture at the University of Massachusetts by arguing that he, Achebe, preaches racial intolerance by engaging Conrad on the side of enslavement rather th an viewing the European Mind as the source of deliverance (Watts 197). Secondly, and in conjunction with Watts criticisms, Conrad failed to substantiate the invasion of the western civilization and its impacts on the consciousness of the colonized. The book lacks literally merit based on the culture-based prejudices therein whereby, for instance, Achebe observes that Conrads language presentation failed to capture the permanence of literature as he had problems/issues with niggers and barbaric cannibals ( Achebe 346).Failure to acknowledge appropriate choice of words when narrating a story with a significant cultural-voltage, Conrad cemented the Darkness aspects of his views on Africans rudimentary living just above the animal-race full of primitive ideologies and ritualistic superstitions. Achebes observations on Conrads view of the existence of Africa were right considering the comprehension of the whole story more so the final scene which was a lie. For instance, the scene where Marlow visits Kurtzs intended one and lies to her about Kurtzs final words and Kurtz forsook her for a wild and gorgeous apparition of a woman perceived to be a savage and superb (Conrad 60), shows Conrads inconsistencies of delivering his message across a multi-racial audience.In fact, it reveals his bias towards African women by referring to them as wild, savages and apparition of a woman, intended to invoke racial unrest amo...

Compare and Contrast Pride and Prejudice - 1108 Words

Is it possible for a film to show an audience the internal tensions between two potential lovers? Or do the details of the script, sets, costumes and cinematography block the view? For example, look at Jane Austen s classic love story Pride and Prejudice as told in two very different films. While both versions correctly tell the tale of love winning out over one girl s selfish conceit and opinionated judgments, Simon Langton s AE miniseries holds true in every way to the depth of the story, while Joe Wright s 2005 feature film dances over only the popularly known highlights. The resulting views of the story and romantic tension are, of course, completely different! Rarely in Hollywood is the filmwright known to follow an author s†¦show more content†¦Wright does do some really artsy and amazing things with his cameras, but they don t seem to have too much to do with the story. He especially uses them to try to portray Darcy s emotions (because the actor certainly doesn t get the opportunity to), but at such odd moments and with such little clarity that you don t really notice it until your 3rd or 4th viewing! He has a gift for developing amazing scenery shots - really - but, other than having one or the other of the actors included in the shot, they basically never have anything to do with the story. When Simon Langton, however, uses a sweeping shot of countryside, village or house - which he does many times - it absolutely, always shows us something new of a character, and not always just the one in the picture! Langton adds and adds and adds to his characters and their relationships. Never once does Langton s audience lose track of w hat is building between any of his characters. So, both directors use their cameras successfully to create mood and interest of some sort or another. And, both directors do some interesting foreshadowing and story telling with their cameras. And both directors create beautiful pictures. But did both directors combine all of this interesting cinematography with their script, sets and costumes to honestly portray the tension between two potential lovers? Can it be done? Since both the feature film andShow MoreRelatedContrast and compare the two marriage proposals made to Elizabeth Bennet in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin: Mr Collins proposal to Elizabeth and Darcys proposal to Elizabeth4640 Words   |  19 PagesHannah Gethin Contrast and compare the two marriage proposals made to Elizabeth Bennet in the novel: Mr Collins proposal to Elizabeth and Darcy s proposal to Elizabeth Jane Austen lived in a mercenary world and this is reflected in her novel. In Pride and Prejudice no secret is made of the need to marry for money. Jane Austen reflects different types of marriage in her novel. There is mercenary marriage, brought about solely for economic reasons. Such would have been the marriage between MrRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1076 Words   |  5 PagesHanan 1 Sydney Hanan Dean, Period 4 AP Literature 13 Oct. 2014 Pride and Prejudice Foil Character Essay In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, several characters serve as foils to others. One such character is Mr. Wickham, who, by contrast, reveals Mr. Darcy’s true qualities and intentions to Elizabeth Bennet. Moreover, the distinct differences between Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet’s characters reveal much about early nineteenth century society as a whole. Each of these characters highlights importantRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1343 Words   |  6 PagesThe Themes of Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice In today’s time there are many novels in which their purpose is to provide an enjoyable feeling for the reader, filling them with pleasurable feelings and they do not possess a strong message or lesson. On the other hand, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice does not compare to novels such as The Notebook, or My Life with the Walter Boys because those two are feel-good books. Whereas Pride and Prejudice is undoubtedly an enjoyable story but Austen usesRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1116 Words   |  5 Pagesrepressed, and oppressed. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is about Elizabeth, a young middle-class woman who falls in love with Mr. Darcy, a rich, prideful man whom she has sworn to loath based on a misguided first impression. Furthermore, it’s about the unfairness of society and income. Based on the plot of the story and the definition of feminism, Pride and Prejudice has aspects of feminism but is not considered a feminist film. Most of the scenes in Pride and Prejudice are about men. But thereRead More Compare and contrast the variety of attitudes to marriage as expressed926 Words   |  4 PagesCompare and contrast the variety of attitudes to marriage as expressed by different characters in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous novels in the history of English Literature. Written in the year of 1813 by the very well known author, Jane Austen, whose novels all examine the nature of love. The general tone of the novel is light, but serious. Pride and Prejudice is a story that focuses on the life of marriage, it is full of love. Money and wealth is alsoRead MorePride And Prejudice Essay1715 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ addresses many themes and motifs, but one of the more prevalent is pride itself, which Austen expertly weaved throughout, showing the effects it has on both the perpetrator’s lives and the lives of those around them. This theme of pride relates to the time period the novel was written in, which was the Regency era, where the class system was deemed of significant importance and particular traits of the gentry were considered necessary, including an extent of pride. AustenRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1693 Words   |  7 Pagesof two comparative texts emphasises the understanding of social, historical and cultural contexts through the reflections of illicit and explicit similarities and differences in the values and attributes presented. Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice and Fay Weldon’s 1993 epis tolary text Letters to Alice, both challenge the worth of their time as contexts change, but values are upheld. Weldon’s reflection on Austen’s nineteenth century environment, conveys to responders how marriage, genderRead MorePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen1363 Words   |  6 Pagesgeneral consensus of the sentiment that a majority of the characters feel for Mr. Darcy throughout Pride and Prejudice. Cold, rude, arrogant, and snobbish are what many characters consider Darcy due to his actions towards society and, especially, Elizabeth, Jane, and Wickham throughout the story. At the commencement of the tale, Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth due to his premature prejudices against her looks and â€Å"inferior connections† (8). However, at the story’s conclusion, he transformsRead MoreComparing The Representation Of Women s The Yellow Wallpaper And Pride And Prejudice 1662 Words   |  7 PagesCompare the representation of women in Gilman†™s ‘The yellow wallpaper’ and Austen’s ‘pride and prejudice’. To what extent do you agree with the view that Gilman presents conventional patriarchal expectations of women, more critically than Austen. Both Austen and Gilman breakthrough the conformity of femininity at a time of rising feminism in a bid to encourage the female viewpoint which was put down or rather shunned to be less valuable by the society they lived in. Gilman however presents it inRead MoreEssay on Methods of Overcoming Prejudice in Society1115 Words   |  5 PagesPrejudice can be seen from an individual having biased opinions about a certain group, with very little knowledge. Prejudice can be defined in many ways, such as an attitude of how people think about others or people judging ignorantly. But to Gordon Allport, â€Å"Prejudice is a thinking ill of others without a sufficient warrant.. This is how prejudice is defined to an individual who is still witnessing this crisis. This person discovered that apart from the race, color, national origin or gender

Report about Communication Gaps in Nursing Career

Question: Describe about the Communication Gaps for Elderly Patients Having Hearing Impairment and Its Impact on Healthcare Nurses? Answer: Introduction In the business of health care, nurses play an important role to ease up the tasks of the doctor and to ensure the well being of the patients under their charge. Communication is the key to efficient and successful completion of any task and specifically it is crucial for addressing the health care needs of a patient. Forms of effective communications among the patients, health practitioners, doctors and nurses help to create a bridge and connective frame (Taylor, 2015) for the healthcare thus simplifying the important decisions made by the doctors including medical care and dosage. In some cases, when the communication gap grows more than the acceptable level, then it is likely that there would be problems pertaining to health care of the patients making the conditions poor and disordered. The communication problems may vary in different aspects of the health care issue such as communication gaps due to language disparity, talking problems of patients, inability to understand the do sage context and many more. One such major issue is the disparity level and the communication gap because of hearing impairments with growing age. (Kee, 2015). This solely depends upon the age of the people and problem of hearing. This is recognized as one of the major factor which creates a poor review of the nurses and makes them helpless in regard with the health care issues. Communication gaps The communication gaps between the nurses and the patients may arise because of the hearing impairments among elder people with this factor affecting about over half of the population above a certain age of 65 years. There are patients who do not understand the directions given by the nurses in one time and hence require repetition of these directions. Hearing impairments may occur due to age or another 20% can occur because of noise leading to loss of hearing power (Midha, 2015). Hearing impairments are rarely acceptable in this career as both the persons are not able to understand each others contexts, commands, requests or any other orders due to misunderstanding of the terms spoken (Stuart, 2014). Therefore, communication gaps can come up as a major issue in the lifetime career of any nurse working in any hospital. They may occur frequently because of variety of patients are of age above 65 years and are generally suffering from hearing impairment thereby causing trouble for the purpose of health care. The effect of communication gap on health care The communication gaps arising out of hearing impairments in elderly patients can create confusion in delivery of requirements and orders of medication. This may lead to an enhanced level of frustration creeping up in the behavior of nurses who aim at providing crucial and important information to the patients regarding their medical dose, medicines, timings, or any kind of required tests. Since, nurses have to deal with the patients during the whole day, therefore, this tiring and frustrating job may lead to poor job satisfaction and reviews from the nurses (Meleis, 2011). The nurses undergo complete efforts in maintaining healthy relationships with all patients regardless of their background or caste. But, this kind of problem may arise in frustration caused to them regarding the dissemination of important and crucial information. Thus, there are some facilities in the hospitals for training given to the patients as well as their family members to ease up the job of nurses so that they may be able to understand correct information in the correct context. In this entire career, they may face frequent issues due to communication gap. Such strategies and use of slow speech combined with gestures may help in minimizing the impact of such differences over the health care and treatments and would be able to promote a high quality of life and a refined quality of medical care and treatment given to the patients. Utilization of gestures and some indicative signs can help the nurses to communicate with the patient and make them understand their context of the medical treatment given to them. Nurses can use this methodology to present their views and commands and pass on the necessary and crucial information to the patients regarding their medical treatment and medicines taken at the right time and in right quantity. If communication gaps creep up in between the patients and the nurses, then the use of other tactile and sense organs (Jeffreys, 2012) can be applied in the process of exchanging necessary information. They can teach the family members to speak slowly and with a slow pace of clear words in the whole sentence. Even the tone should be polite and pleasant to make the patients feel cared. Nurses must be given training in the initial time of their coaching to use gestures and signs to formulate a smooth communication required a bare minimum health care that should be given to the patien ts. Nurses should not lose patience in communicating the information to the patients and must not frustrate as this is the part of their job. Instead they must provide emotional and physical support to the patients giving them utmost of their services. Patients dignity must be respected by the nurses as they are service providers. In order to create a healthy and welcoming atmosphere for the patients to recover, it is essential to communicate with the help of gestures, signs, or drawings or by resorting to slow speech with clear words and warm tone (Baylor, 2011) to interpret the patients, to understand their problems, to have an insight into their condition and to further give suggestions and remarks about the medicines that should be given to the patients in right quantity and at right time. The hearing aids and kits must be checked at timely intervals for their proper functioning so that patients are able to hear clearly and understand clearly. It is the responsibility of family members or the nurses to check the availability of these aids. Visual and tactile sense (Shuler, 2013) should be used to overcome loss of hearing sense. In case of economic problems, the hospitals can direct some social services to cater to their needs. Conclusion Communication have drastic effects on each aspect and run of the life including health care and care provided by the nurses. Hindrance in communication and disorders in hearing impairment may affect the quality of medical treatment given. Assistance of nurses and providing of special training to the patients in form of innovative solutions to both the patients and their family members can make this communication channel simplified and would help the nurses to receive a positive feedback, be able to care for the persons more and provide quality services for medical care. Hence, there should be effective communication between the care takers (health practitioners, doctors and nurses) and the patients to make good health decisions, provide quality treatment and medical advice and realize some of the good health care outcomes. References 1. Taylor, C., Lillis, C., Lynn, P., LeMone, P., (2015). Fundamentals of Nursing (8th ed): The Art and Science of Person-Centered Nursing Care. 2. Kee, L, J., Hayes, E, R., McCuistion, L, E., (2015). Pharmacology (8th ed): A Patient-centered Nursing Process Approach3. Midha, P., Malik, S., (2015). Does Hearing Impairment Affect Quality of life of Elderly?: Indian Journal of Gerontology, 2015, Vol 29, No. 1, pp. 46-61. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from Academic Search Premier with Full Text database. 4. Stuart, G. W. (2014). Principles and practice of psychiatric nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.5. Meleis, A. I. (2011). Theoretical nursing: Development and progress. Lippincott Williams Wilkins.6. Jeffreys, M. R. (2012). Nursing student retention: Understanding the process and making a difference. Springer Publishing Company.7. Baylor, C., Burns, M., Eadie, T., Britton, D., Yorkston, K. (2011). A qualitative study of interference with communicative participation across communication disorders in adults. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(4), 269-287.8. Shuler, G. K., Mistler, L. A., Torrey, K., Depukat, R. (2013). Bridging communication gaps with the deaf. Nursing2014, 43(11), 24-30.

Portrait Of The Artist As Young Man Essays -

Portrait Of The Artist As Young Man Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man By: Valerie Gomez Stephen Dedalus, the main character in most of James Joyce's writings, is said to be a reflection of Joyce himself. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the reader follows Stephen as he develops from a young child into a young artist, overcoming many conflicts both internally and externally, and narrowly escaping a life long commitment to the clergy. Through Joyce's use of free indirect style, all of Stephen's speech, actions, and thoughts are filtered through the narrator of the story. However, since Joyce so strongly identifies with Stephen, his character's style and personality greatly influence the narrator. This use of free indirect style and stylistic contagion makes Joyce's use of descriptive language one of his most valuable tools in accurately depicting Stephen Dedalus's developing ideals of feminine beauty. As a very young child Stephen is taught to idealize the Virgin Mary for her purity and holiness. She is described to Stephen as "a tower of Ivory" and a "House of Gold" (p.35). Stephen takes this literally and becomes confused as to how these beautiful elements of ivory and gold could make up a human being. This confusion is important in that it shows Stephen's inability to grasp abstraction. He is a young child who does not yet understand how someone can say one thing and mean something else. This also explains his trouble in the future with solving the riddles and puzzles presented to him by his classmates at Clongowes. Stephen is very thoughtful and observant and looks for his own way to explain or rationalize the things that he does not understand. In this manner he can find those traits that he associates with the Blessed Mary in his protestant playmate Eileen. Her hands are "long and white and thin and cold and soft. That was ivory: a cold white thing. That was the meaning of Tower of Ivory" (p.36). "Her fair hair had streamed out behind her like gold in the sun" (p.43). To Stephen that is the meaning of House of Gold. He then attributes Eileen's ivory hands to the fact that she is a girl and generalized these traits to all females. This produces a major conflict for Stephen when his tutor, Dante, tells him not to play with Eileen because she is a Protestant and Protestants don't understand the Catholic faith and therefore will make a mockery of it. His ideas about women being unattainable are confirmed. The Virgin Mary is divine and therefore out of reach for mortals. Now Eileen, the human representation of the Blessed Mary, is out of reach as well because Stephen is not allowed to play with her. In chapter two an amazing transformation takes place in Stephen from a young innocent child who believes women are unattainable and who idealizes the Virgin Mary, into a young teen with awakening sexual desires. As Stephen matures into adolescence, he becomes increasingly aware of his sexuality, which at times is confusing to him. At the beginning of the second chapter in A Portrait, we find Stephen associating feminine beauty with the heroine Mercedes in Alexander Dumont Pere's The Count of Monte Cristo. "Outside Blackrock, on the road that led to the mountains, stood a small whitewashed house in the garden of which grew many rosebushes: and in this house, he told himself, another Mercedes lived....there appeared an image of himself, grown older and sadder, standing in a moonlit garden with Mercedes who had so many years before slighted his love..."(p. 62-3). These fantasies about Mercedes are the first real step for Stephen in challenging the church's view of women, but again he feels as though this image of women is out of his reach. She is a fictional character in a Romantic Adventure novel and he can only imagine himself with her. Although Mercedes may not be real, the feelings that Stephen has and the emotions she provokes in him are very real. "...As he brooded upon her image, a strange unrest crept into his blood." (p.64). "...but a premonition which led him on told him that this image would, without any overt act of his, encounter him... and in that moment of supreme tenderness he would be transfigured. He would fade into something impalpable under her eyes and then in a moment, he would be transfigured. Weakness and timidity and inexperience would fall from him that magic moment." (p.65). Stephen realizes that some transformation is going to take place,

Informational Interviews

Informational Interviews Informational Interviews Informational Interviews By Mark Nichol So, you think you want to work for a certain company or in a particular profession in a specific position or department. How do you know for sure? How do you find out? Conducting informational interviews is a good place to start. What’s an informational interview? It’s a meeting with someone in a position, department, company, or profession that intrigues you. You’re not certain whether you are suited for or interested in that career, so you ask someone who knows what working in such an environment involves. (Equally important is what an informational interview is not: It is not a stratagem for finagling an opportunity to ask for a job under the guise of merely obtaining information.) How do you go about setting up an informational interview? Brainstorm, and check with friends and family, to find someone who works in a position or a company in the profession you’re interested in learning more about. Ask for an introduction, or contact the person directly. If you can’t identify a friend of a friend to interview, search online for contact information for a likely candidate and make a cold call (or, better yet, send a cold email, and then follow up with a call if you haven’t heard back from the person within a few days). To get the interview, write or say something like this: â€Å"I’m exploring new career opportunities, and I’m intrigued by your job description/your company/your profession. Before I seek employment as a (blank), I’d like to make sure that it’s the right fit for me, and I’d appreciate the opportunity to ask you a few questions about your work. â€Å"Could we meet for coffee, or at your office, for thirty minutes? This is not a stealth effort to ask for a job. It’s premature for me to seek employment in (job area) until I’m certain I have the aptitude and skills, and I am not deceitful. I’m genuinely interested in benefiting from your knowledge and insights.† If the recipient declines (which is unlikely most people are willing to share their professional know-how with a newcomer), thank them for their consideration and reply with a request for the name of someone else in the same company or profession who might be amenable to an interview. Here are questions to ask (but find out what you can through your own research first): 1. How do you spend your workday, and what are the weekly, monthly, and yearly cycles, if any, of your workload? 2. What is the balance of routine and novelty in your job? Does your work largely follow a set pattern, and does that appeal to you, or is it mostly unpredictable, and do you like that? 3. What type of skills and knowledge did you bring to your job, and what have you acquired? What skills or knowledge do you apply most often? 4. (Briefly outline your educational/work history.) How would one start out in this profession, and what other coursework or job experience would you recommend or would you consider indispensable? 5. Are there any other qualifications, such as union or association membership, tests or examinations, or certification or licensing? 6. What are the advancement opportunities, and are there any external requirements for advancement, like certification or advanced degrees? 7. What are the challenges and rewards in your position? 8. How would you describe the workplace culture? 9. What do you wish you had known about this profession when you were exploring it like I am now? 10. Is there anything else I should have asked you? 11. Do you mind if I follow up with other questions or requests for clarification? 12. Who else in this company, or in the profession, do you know who might be able to help me explore further? The most important thing to say, of course, is â€Å"Thank you I appreciate that you took the time and effort to help me in my research† and to do so again in writing (in a mailed note or postcard, not an email message). If you promptly set up an interview with one of the people your interviewee recommended, you can share that news, too a tangible sign of your initiative and persistence. Be sure to follow up, as well, if you decide not to pursue work in the person’s profession or to send your contact information when you do get a job in it (an achievement you managed in part, you’ll certainly emphasize, because of the information and advice the person gave you). The most important thing to do is to honor your pledge not to exploit the person’s offer to meet with you as a pretense for hinting about employment. However, if you are professional and polite, and show a genuine interest in the person’s responses (and don’t just recite your questions the interview should be more of a conversation), the person may ask you to email a copy of your resume â€Å"in case anything comes up.† If not, you’ll use the response to item number 12 to keep the chain unbroken and continue your investigation. So, where’s the writing tip? Please forgive the deviation from the format, but this career-research technique is so useful, and so many people are (surprisingly) unfamiliar with it, that I had to write a post about it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Punctuate References to Dates and TimesList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Barrack Obama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Barrack Obama - Essay Example The paper will provide a brief history on the life of Barack Obama and how he rose to the position he is today. In addition, the paper will illustrate the different ways in which Barack Obama made a positive impact on the American community and beyond. Barack Obama was born on the 4th of August 1961 to two parents who came from extremely different backgrounds (â€Å"Barack Obama. 44th President of the United States†, n.d). His father, Barack Obama Sr. was from Kenya and studying at the University of Hawaii on a scholarship. Ann Dunham, his mother, was from a small town in Kansas and the two of them were married in 1959, two years before Barack Obama Jr. was born in Honolulu (â€Å"Barack Obama. 44th President of the United States†, n.d). Barack did not grow up with his father as he left in order to complete an economics degree at Harvard University and then returned to his native country, Kenya, to work as an economist for the government. Obama moved to Indonesia with his mother after she married an oil executive and he studied for 4 years in Jakarta before returning to high school in Hawaii (â€Å"Barack Obama. 44th President of the United States†, n.d). Obama was raised by his grandparents and often recalls the problems he faced in coming to terms with his biracial heritage. Many analysts state this might have been an advantage for Obama in his later political years as his roots where both in the white and black cultures. Obama later moved to Los Angeles and attended Occidental College before moving to New York to Columbia University for a Bachelor of Arts degree (â€Å"Barack Obama. 44th President of the United States†, n.d). The positive impact Obama had on the community began from his early years after graduation. Obama frequently states that even after graduation he was possessed with the will to implement change from grassroots level. After graduation, Obama was briefly employed as a

Motivation and psychological contact on Media Company in China Essay

Motivation and psychological contact on Media Company in China - Essay Example Extrinsic motivation is external and involves employee’s rewards such as money and grades. Psychological contract refers to the existing mutual beliefs, perceptions and informal obligations between the employee and an employer. It is different from the formal written employment contract which generally identifies mutual duties and responsibilities. This paper seeks an understanding on the motivation and psychological contract among employees in China Digital Media Corporation. China is in the process of transforming its broadcasting policy that includes; conversion of television services from analogue to digital broadcasting system nationwide, improvement of the broadcasting policy and administration, reorganizing different companies which belong to the state into corporations which are market driven, and allowing foreign investors to participate in some specific areas in the media industry. Considering the above changes, China Digital Media Corporation main focus is to capita lize on the opportunities resulting from the expansion of broadcasting media and cable TV industry in china. To successfully attain this, the media company will need to motivate its employees and have an appropriate psychological contract in place. The workforce plays a key role in the achievement of established goals of the company. According to Costigan, et. al. (1998), motivation is a cognitive decision making process which initiates, energizes, directs and maintains a behaviour which is goal oriented. Motivational process begins with physiological or psychological need through which behaviour or drive aimed at a goal is activated. Managers, expect increased qualitative productivity from their employees. Employee’s behaviour is greatly influenced by their working environment. Individuals are motivated to work by different motivational factors. These include monetary factors such as; salaries and wages, bonus and incentives. There are also other non-monetary factors which i nclude; an employee status or job title, appreciation and recognition, delegation of authority, proper working conditions, job security, workers participation, cordial relations, good superiors, provision of training, proper job placements and promotions, good performance feedback, provision of welfare facilities and flexibility in the working hours. Motivation is of great importance to an organization in that; it increases efficiency, reduces absenteeism and employee turnover, improves the corporate image, improves employee’s morale, reduces accidents and facilitates initiative and innovation. China Digital Media Corporation will have to consolidate different motivational theories and models that influence employee’s motivation. Employees have varied needs depending on their demographics, circumstances, aspirations, affairs and personalities. Hygiene factors are important in that they eliminate job dissatisfaction. Employees in the media company expect to work in an e nvironment that is conducive, pleasant, respectful, productive, and promotes teamwork. For the media company to boost employee’s motivation, there has to be motivators such as interesting work, recognition, sense of achievement and advancements. In addition, employees should be treated fairly and be rewarded accordingly for their efforts. Perception of inequity among employees in the company results in poor inputs, and even others leaving the organization. Supervisors should also be keen to provide performance feedb