Art and psychoanalysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art and psychoanalysis - Essay Example Upon hearing about the bombing of Guernica, Picasso started sketching a mural. â€Å"He drew screaming women and children, perhaps inspired by his fear that harm might come to his own baby daughter. He seemed haunted by the many faces of anguish.†1 Although the woman holding a wounded child is in Guernica, she is also in many other works of Picasso. This woman is of different color and shape, but can be identified throughout Picasso’s other works. One source reports: Characters that typically appear in these paintings reappear in Picassos paintings as well. Theres usually quite clearly a suffering woman, someone whos screaming, a woman with a child whos been injured, or may even be dead.2 As suggested above, maybe Picasso was thinking of his daughter. However if this is true, why did Picasso distort the images? The distorted images seem to speak of an underlying emotion in his subconscious. It must be noted that Picasso had an art background. His father was a painter as well. Picasso could have drawn and painted in more realistic terms. One source reports, "Picasso was very properly trained in the grand tradition of painting, allegorical painting about universal themes: the horrors of war, the massacres of the innocents.†3 Picasso could have used photos from Guernica to make a more realistic picture. Instead â€Å"Picasso was able to take that traditional academic motif and actually rework it and make it relevant again to this particular time and this particular circumstance, I think is really one of his great achievements in this painting."4 Picasso did not make a realistic picture due to a deep unconscious need inside. Picasso had a subliminal problem that was deeply rooted in his psyche. It might be the death of his sister. Picasso’s mother might have shut down with grief after the death of her daughter. This could have made Picasso have deeply buried animosity toward his mother for the

Legislation on Stem Cell Research & Related Issues Essay

Legislation on Stem Cell Research & Related Issues - Essay Example The actual research on stem cells began after the 1950’s when a cure for leukemia and several immune-deficiency disorders were sought that were life-taking (UK Stem Cell Foundation 2011). Stem cell research produced a cure for leukemia through bone marrow transport from a sibling and within no time, people began to look forward at the same to develop a cure for several other disorders. People still consider stem cell research potentially providing a cure for several disorders including renal conditions (requiring renal transplantation, neuro-dengerative disorders, cardiac disorders, cancers, etc, wherein no cure for the same has been found till today using other forms of technology. In order to generate opportunities and cure for the disorder there needs to be greater funding from the Federal government in order to pioneer and support the development of such technology. In the past, stem cell research has also worked real-time cures for several disorders. For example, a person who had a gene resistant to the HIV virus, stem cell research helped the person to stop taking antiviral drugs. ... logy and that in sporadic cases, cures for several diseases have been obtained, there is no evidence to point out that stem cells can in fact proved a cure for diseases. These two points into consideration, the Bush Administration in 2001 decided to partially fund such research and slowly phase out the use of such technology. Stem cell research also involves harvesting body parts and for this reason the Congress sought a ban (Wertz, 2002). However, it should be noted that the Congress sought a ban only on that research that involved destruction of embryonic stem cells that had the potential to transform into living beings. Slowly with greater mileage and greater studies that proved that stem cells provided a cure for various disorders that were otherwise incurable, slowly stem cells research was sought as a necessity. In order to regulate the funding and projects under the stem cell banner, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was created in 2004; any organization that wanted sponsorship for stem cell research had to approach to the CIRM. With greater pressure on the Bush Administration on the policy of banning stem cell research, a partial reversal of the policy was taken by the Bush government. The Barack Obama Government which came to power in 2008 immediately signed an Executive Order that permitted stem cell on human embryos. A clarification was issued by the US Federal Government in 2011, which said that the funds could only be used for stem cell research and not on destruction of human embryos. Hence, research projects that wanted to use federal funds had to have a clear and constructive purpose for stem cell research and not mere destruction of human embryos that would otherwise be obtained from the leftover embryos from couples who undergo IVF

Business Ethics of India and China

Business Ethics of India and China Globalization has not only brought countries closer together, but it has also created a unified ethical perspective for countries doing business with one another. Management teams are finally realizing that there is a world of ethical challenges just waiting to be discovered through the increasing development of globalization. Ethics are a problem for every country individually; but just imagine the added challenges brought about by language and cultural differences on a global scale. In this paper I will discuss two articles which detail the ethical perspectives of India and China, how these articles contribute to the understanding of global ethics, and how the business ethics of India and China compare to those of the United States. Santa Clara University published an article by Stephen Rothlin entitled Business Ethics in the Chinese Context which discussed the progress in business ethics made by China in 2006 and 2007. In January of 2008 Rothlin, the general secretary of the Center for International Business Ethics in Beijing, China, updated the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership with the progress he had witnessed since his previous visit in 2006. Rothlin discussed six categories including consumer rights, anti-corruption activity, environmental sustainability, community contribution, and criteria for ethical companies. In each of these six categories, Rothlin discussed the improvements he had witnessed and his recommendations for the areas that he felt needed improvement (Business Ethics in the Chinese Context , 2008). Workers rights and labor standards have improved in China through the development of the Labor Contract Law. This law now protects Chinas long-term employees from being fired without specific cause. It requires that companies contribute to employee social security accounts and has enhanced employee safety by improving the regulation of working conditions. This new law also protects Chinas children with child-labor regulations. The largest challenge is in ensuring that China follows these new laws and regulations (Business Ethics in the Chinese Context , 2008). In 2007, China faced a major setback from a wave of product recalls. Rothlin spoke on how China should improve product safety, advertising, and the problems of ethics. Rothlin also discussed Chinas anti-corruption activities and how the firing of Mayor Chen Liangyu (which was part of the crackdown on corruption) sent a shockwave throughout China. Rothlin stated, We have to rely on the commitment of top officials to combat corruption, and they [the top officials] lose credibility by doing nothing. A major corruption problem in China is bribery through gift-giving. Rothlin believed that refusing a gift would be against the cultural norm in China, but that officials needed to focus on how a code of conduct could set specific limits to giving gifts (Business Ethics in the Chinese Context , 2008). Rothlin discussed environmental sustainability and how the 2008 Olympics being held in Beijing had enticed officials to clean up the public transportation system, conserve energy, and clean up the water and air pollution problems. The Chinese people were encouraged to help through a new tax system that was developed. As a result, social responsibility had become a growing interest, especially in the importance of education. The last point that Rothlin discussed was how his company would develop new ethics criteria that would be used to help identify the most ethical companies in China (Business Ethics in the Chinese Context , 2008). Rothlin developed the 18 Rules of International Business Ethics (Schulman, 2006). These rules are: Rule 1 If you strive to understand the values of different cultures, you will find common points. Rule 2 If you analyze the facts, you will realize that honesty and reliability benefit you. Rule 3 If you analyze case studies from different perspectives, you will discover the benefits of fair play. Rule 4 Respecting your colleagues is the smartest investment you can make. Rule 5 To increase productivity, provide safe and healthy working conditions. Rule 6 To inspire trust, make your performance transparent. Rule 7 Your loyal dissent can lead your institution in the right direction. Rule 8 Downsizing your labor force is only beneficial when you respect each stakeholder. Rule 9 To establish your brand name, act as a fair competitor. Rule 10 Reduce the gap between the rich and poor by developing a new social security system. Rule 11 If you act against discrimination, you will increase your productivity and profitability. Rule 12 If you protect intellectual property, all stakeholders will receive their due share. Rule 13 Ongoing changes in information technology require new forms of loyalty. Rule 14 Your public relations strategy will only secure your reputation if it witnesses your drive for quality and excellence. Rule 15 Your economic achievements will only stand on firm ground if you diminish corruption. Rule 16 Long-term success urgently calls you to constantly care for the environment. Rule 17 To become a refined player, sharpen your discernment and cultivate good manners. Rule 18 Care for your business by caring for society. The second article I reviewed was also found on the Santa Clara University website. It was written by Margaret Steen, a freelance author. Her article entitled Business Ethics in a Global World: Indias Changing Ethics reviews an address to the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics by Jagdish Sheth. Sheth, the executive director of the India, China, and America Institute and a professor of marketing at Emory University, discussed Business Ethics in a Global World (Steen, 2007). Sheth discussed ways in which Indian business practices are unique. He stated that he believed Indias unique business practices would encourage the ethical behavior of the popular western viewpoint. Some of Indias unique business practices include corporate social responsibility, favors, clanship, and friendship (Steen, 2007). Sheth believed that the collapse of communism was a major factor in the shift from 20th century business ethics to the current 21st century business model. He argued that some formerly communist countries have become well-run capitalist countries. Some other factors in shifting business ethics into the 21st century are that affluent nations are aging and the traditional industries do not generate as many jobs today as they did in the past. People in positions of power have discovered that economics play a vital role in the results of elections. The major factor that has helped shift business ethics into the 21st century though is the evolution of information technology, which has leveled the playing field for all economies (Steen, 2007). In the article, Sheth believed that both China and India are on the verge of becoming innovative economies and are not just alternative locations for our low-end jobs. He believed that when this happened, the shift would ultimately redefine business practices. Indias business practices are unique and may be compatible with western business practices one day, but India believes that favors, clanship, and friendship are important in business, while western business ethics believe this to be a conflict of interest. After reviewing these two articles, I can see that the business ethics of India and China are much different than those of the United States. China understands now that economics are a crucial part of elections, and Sheth explained that the reason George Bush Sr. lost his re-election bid was due to the faltering economy. Sheth also explained his belief that the 21st century will be considered the Asian century. Sheth believed that the Asian culture puts a premium on friendship, clanship, and favors but in American business ethics, this would be considered a huge conflict of interest (Steen, 2007). Sheth stated that western business has its own version Procurement departments in U.S. companies are more likely to buy from the companys customers (Steen, 2007). Sheth believed that nations are shifting their focus to stakeholders rather than focusing on shareholders. In the future, Sheth stated that ethics will be anchored to the idea of business as a profession, similar to the way the field of medicine is now. There will be global standards of governance, but their application will be adapted to local conditions (Steen, 2007). So when it comes to Globalization, India and China are expected to be the leaders in the 20th century. Some believe that the 19th century, or the American century has finally come to an end. Through globalization, China and India have discovered that the area of business ethics is an ever-changing environment and as a result, management teams within these countries have developed an ethical program that enables them to work together ethically. Even though there are barriers such as different languages, diverse cultures, and a growing number of people involved China and India have been able to overcome them in order to work together. In this paper I reviewed two articles from Santa Clara University that discussed the business ethics of India and China and how their business ethics compare to that of the United States of America.

The Tragic Impermanence of Youth in Robert Frosts Nothing Gold Can Sta

The Tragic Impermanence of Youth in Robert Frost's Nothing Gold Can Stay In his poem "Nothing Gold can Stay", Robert Frost names youth and its attributes as invaluable. Using nature as an example, Frost relates the earliest green of a newborn plant to gold; its first leaves are equated with flowers. However, to hold something as fleeting as youth in the highest of esteems is to set one's self up for tragedy. The laws of the Universe cast the glories of youth into an unquestionable state of impermanence. It is an inescapable fact that all that is born, pure and clean, will be polluted with age and die. The aging process that Frost describes is meant to be taken literally as well as metaphorically. Literally, the plants that Frost describes are an example of this nonexclusive law of aging. This prooving through common natural phenomenom the tangible and scientific merit of the poem. There is also a spiritual understanding. Frost uses a religious allusion to further enforce the objective of the poem.Whether Frost's argument is proven in a religious or scient ific forum, it is nonetheless true. In directly citing these natural occurrences from inanimate, organic things such as plants, he also indirectly addresses the phenomena of aging in humans, in both physical and spiritual respects. Literally, this is a poem discribing the seasons. Frosts interpertation of the seasons is original in the fact that it is not only autumn that causes him grief, but summer. Spring is portrayed as painfully quick in its retirement; "Her early leaf's a flower,/ But only so an hour.". Most would associate summer as a season brimming with life, perhaps the realization of what was began in spring. As Frost preceives it however, from the moment spring... ...f impurity. In Christianity it is called sin. The fact that pollution of the soul is a concept in religion the world over is a testament to the Universal nature of Frosts argument. Frost's poem addresses the tragic transitory nature of living things; from the moment of conception, we are ever-striding towards death. Frost offers no remedy for the universal illness of aging; no solution to the fact that the glory of youth lasts only a moment. He merely commits to writing a deliberation of what he understands to be a reality, however tragic. The affliction of dissatisfaction that Frost suffers from cannot be treated in any tangible way. Frost's response is to refuse to silently buckle to the seemingly sadistic ways of the world. He attacks the culprit of aging the only way one can attack the enigmatic forces of the universe, by naming it as the tragedy that it is.

How does Shakespeare present Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 1 Scene 7? Essay

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies and was first performed in 1611, however it was written in 1603. This was in the Elizabethan period, which despite the country being ruled by a woman; women had to be obedient towards their masters. Women of the time had to be the housewives who did the cooking and looked after the children, and the men were the breadwinners. From the aspect of theatre, all women roles were played by young boys, this proved difficult especially in Macbeth, where a woman is acting as though she is a man. This is both ironic and complex as she is subject to a hyper masculine world. Lady Macbeth is a very intricate character in that she has both masculine and feminine qualities that intertwine throughout the play. While being very authoritative when talking to Macbeth in the early scenes of the play, she is also quite easily distressed. This is apparent when she faints at the sight of the dead bodies of the guards and exclaims ‘help me hence, ho!’ Fainting in Shakespearean times was seen to be a very womanly attribute. Shakespeare has used Lady Macbeth to show what it is like for a woman as she was frustrated with the restrictions put upon her gender. She is somewhat unconventional in her mannerisms as she is portrayed as a very commanding character and is seen to not be very maternal. In fact she declares ‘come you spirits†¦unsex me here.’ This reiterates the unconventional side of her persona, giving us an insight into her thoughts and feelings at the time. We see Lady Macbeth first in Act 1 Scene 5 where, in the stage directions, she is described as; ‘alone, reading a letter.’ This immediately shows that she is well educated. In addition the letter she is reading is Macbeth’s letter, so Lady Macbeth’s first words in the play were Macbeth’s originally, this demonstrates male dominance from the beginning. The reading of the letter, in terms of the theatrical view is read as a soliloquy, moreover this letter is used as a dramatic device, it informs the audience of what has happened and gives background information, and also it brings the audience up to the present time in the play. The fact that the letter is read as a soliloquy has significance in that it reveals the loneliness of Lady Macbeth. We can sympathise with her because it is understandable to think that it would be tough to live in these times as a women, with great restriction and certain guidelines to follow. Witchcraft is also a major element in this play; this is because the play is set in the time of James I, who had a certain fascination with anything remotely witch-like. In fact James I wrote a book called Demonology which was solely based on witchcraft. Being a witch had terrible consequences; death by hanging of being burned at the stake, this cruel persecution amplified the superstition and misogyny of the time. Act one Scene five is littered with references to witchcraft and spirits. When talking about Macbeth’s new position in the society she uses the word ‘metaphysical’ which means super-natural much like a witch. Something which is super-natural is not natural and possesses witch like traits. Shakespeare also uses ‘the raven’ which symbolises disaster and death and is regarded as an evil omen. Later on in the scene it Shakespeare has made it seem like Lady Macbeth is talking to someone or something, this can be interpreted as Lady Macbeth talking to the spirits, while doing this she says ‘come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts.’ She is inviting the spirits to have fatal and murderous thoughts, so that her husband Macbeth can be king. This is a principle of witchcraft and all its myths that is considered to be the most recognised. Yet another convention of witchcraft is intelligence, and Lady Macbeth uses manipulation and deception to get her way with Macbeth. She refers to Macbeth as ‘living like a coward.’ This simile is both emotive and manipulative, in that it will provoke a sense of masculinity in Macbeth. This means that Lady Macbeth can get him to do anything for her, because Macbeth has a point to prove. Intelligence was seen as a masculine trait o any woman who was intelligent was deemed to be a witch. Lady Macbeth makes plans for treason by wanting to kill Duncan which is a very unconventional thought. Moreover how she controls Macbeth in the use of language ‘art thou afeard’ shows that Lady Macbeth is questioning Macbeth’s masculinity. Additionally she is extremely unmaternal and quite independent especially towards the end of the play. Lady Macbeth is an exceptionally complex character possessing both feminine and masculine traits, this is echoed by her willingness to be a devoted wife but also a controlling one too which is irregular for the time. She shows her devotedness when she is waiting for him to come home and give her the good news about his new position in the hierarchy she says ‘thou would have great glamis’ This shows that she would love him to be the thane of Cawdor. However she then goes on to say that he will need some help along the way, she wishes she was not a woman and instead in Macbeth’s position. From the beginning she explains how Macbeth would be ‘too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness,’ in this extended metaphor it illustrates Lady Macbeth’s thinking of Macbeth, she believes that he is too kind and that he is too womanly to undertake a role such as a king. Milk is representative of females as it refers to the breast milk that a mother would lovingly provide for her child. It implies that she needs to help him to succeed as he is too gentle, a very unconventional thought. This is very eccentric and to a certain extent not very maternal. This is the first major antithesis of the play as there is a major contradiction between what her first thoughts are and her final thoughts are. At first she is a loving wife with great envy for her husband and then later on this envy turns into jealousy and bitterness. The other chief paradox in the play is the theme of being maternal, Lady Macbeth expresses her feelings about the sweetness of babies, explaining that she knows ‘how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me’ This shows Lady Macbeth’s conventional side, showing that she can be loving and caring, it also tells the audience and readers that Lady Macbeth have some kind of a child and that she has lost that child because there is no mention of it thereafter this section. The contrast to the conventional side is that she would ‘dash the brains out’ of the baby. This is very shocking and unconventional language that stirs up mixed emotions inside the readers and listeners of the play. Shakespeare has complicated the role of Lady Macbeth by making her seem more masculine in both her language and her actions. Lady Macbeth rejects femininity yet again when saying ‘make thick my blood’. This shows her need for strength, it could also be interpreted as her saying that she wants menstruation to stop, as it is a reminder of being a female. Another metaphor for the menstruation is ‘that no compunctions visitings of nature’. This also shows that she is rejecting femininity and wanting menstruation to stop. Also the extended metaphor of milk is used again in this section when she begs ‘take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers.’ Alliteration is used to make the sentence flow, in addition ‘gall’ was thought to promote rage or malice, not a conventional desire from a woman, this adds to the complexity of the character. Moreover this segment relates back to the invocation of the spirits, Lady Macbeth gives the impression of talking to spirits or in this case the ministers, refusing traits of womanliness in favour of masculinity. Linking with the spirits, Lady Macbeth says she will ‘chastise with the valour of my tongue’. This is quite a complex phrase out of context, however it refers to Lady Macbeth stopping herself saying anything to Macbeth about the circumstance he is in. This adds to the dramatic effect of this piece because as the audience later finds out, she could not be controlled, this is dramatic irony. Using the word chastise indicates that she should be punished if she says anything out of turn. However it is with the valour or bravery, which is a masculine trait, and her tongue or speech, a feminine trait. Adding to Lady Macbeth’s unconventional nature, she is very controlling over Macbeth, something that in the time of the play was punishable. In the later stages of Act One Scene Five she is explaining that both her and Macbeth should look welcoming to Duncan when he arrives, however there is a certain essence of deception when she deviously proclaims to Macbeth that he should ‘look like the innocent flower, / but be the serpent under’t’ This reveals her devious nature and manipulation and cleverness of speech as this is a well coordinated metaphor. The serpent is regarded as a symbol of evil adding to the deviousness of the quotation. As Macbeth tries to speak about the situation he has been put in he utters ‘we will speak further-‘ Shakespeare has used the hyphen to suggest that Lady Macbeth has interrupted him, now controlling how long he has to talk. Lady Macbeth has the last word by saying ‘Leave all the rest o me’ which emphasi ses her controlling nature as she is in command of the occasion. Throughout the play Lady Macbeth is extremely clever with her tongue, in that she provokes Macbeth to feel uneasy and this spurs him on to become king later on. Her cleverness of speech in magnified in Act one Scene seven when she is trying to persuade Macbeth to take the opportune moment. Using clever language hinting at bad judgement and using the colours ‘green and pale’ when referring to the way he is approaching becoming the king, as she describes the crown as the ‘ornament of life’ another metaphor indicating that the throne is all there is to live for. Lady Macbeth also relates to a bible passage wherein she talks about the ‘cat i’ th’ adage’ This proverb is about a cat that does not want to get its feet wet when searching for a fish, this shows both her education and ingenuity when it comes to her manipulation of words. Lady Macbeth then ignores Macbeth’s attempt to calm her down with ‘prithee peace’ and carries on in the same manner she started. The alliteration was meant to calm Lady Macbeth however it did no such thing. Towards the latter phase of the scene she uses words such as ‘we, you, our’ and ‘I’ this gives the impression of togetherness of the couple as she is trying to avoid separation. Macbeth then uses a pun when saying to Lady Macbeth that she should ‘bring forth men children only, for thy undaunted mettle should compose/nothing but males’. The play on words is with the word mettle, it means both courage and strength as in armour, and this shows that he thinks she is a vey strong woman with a strong personality, which should not be played with. Lady Macbeth shows a certain amount of deterioration when it comes to controlling what Macbeth decides, she is reserved to her bed where she is constantly trying to wash the blood of her hands. However the blood is not physically there and she is just imagining it a problem that increases until she chooses to commit suicide, just as Macbeth reaches the height of his power. I believe Shakespeare shows this decline as an act of misogyny, because it shows that a woman cannot cope with the pressures of a man. The other women in the play such as Lady Macduff are more conventional, as she is the house wife, who looks after the children and cooks the meals, unlike Lady Macbeth as she is very independent and has no children. This paradox shows the key differences between them and highlights the effect on the husband in the situation. At the end Macduff wins the fight against a possessed Macbeth, possibly possessed by the death of Duncan which resulted in the suicide of his wife, a chronological downfall constructed by his wife. An audience of the modern day would respond to Lady Macbeth in a different way to a Shakespearean audience. This is due to women having a higher role in society, in that they are no longer looked down upon. Therefore a woman partaking in manly activities is not frowned upon, many women nowadays are choosing occupations instead of settling down with a family, and they are certainly allowed to have a say in any relationship they are in. Consequently an audience of today would see Lady Macbeth as a normal woman in that she is intelligent and independent in her own right, however they would be disapproving of her plotting murder against the monarchy but the reaction would not necessarily be so intense. Shakespeare has presented Lady Macbeth as a clever and controlling woman that is confused by the hyper masculine world she is subject to. However from the audience’s point of view it could be seen as misogynistic, as it is showing a woman to be like a man, it shows that it does not work, as Lady Macbeth eventually breaks down. Therefore it could reveal what Shakespeare thinks would happen if a female acted like a male. Throughout this tragedy Shakespeare builds up the character of Lady Macbeth from the first word she says to the last few words before her suicide. Shakespeare has created a domineering and intellectual character which is ready to face the prejudices of the Elizabethan era. To a tee she overcomes these chauvinisms and cleverly reverses the convention that a woman should do as a man says the basis for the entire play.

Definition and History of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Definition and History of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the  linguistic theory that the semantic structure of a language shapes or limits the ways in which a speaker forms conceptions of the world. It came about in 1929. The theory is named after the American anthropological linguist Edward Sapir (1884–1939) and his student Benjamin Whorf (1897–1941). It is also known as the  theory of linguistic relativity, linguistic relativism, linguistic determinism, Whorfian hypothesis, and Whorfianism. History of the Theory The idea that a persons native language determines how he or she thinks was popular among behaviorists of the 1930s and on until cognitive psychology theories came about, beginning in the 1950s and increasing in influence in the 1960s. (Behaviorism taught that behavior is a result of external conditioning and doesnt take feelings, emotions, and thoughts into account as affecting behavior. Cognitive psychology studies mental processes such as creative thinking, problem-solving, and attention.) Author Lera Boroditsky gave some background on ideas about the connections between languages and thought: The question of whether languages shape the way we think goes back centuries; Charlemagne proclaimed that to have a second language is to have a second soul. But the idea went out of favor with scientists when  Noam Chomskys theories of language gained popularity in the 1960s and 70s. Dr. Chomsky proposed that there is a  universal grammar  for all human languages- essentially, that languages dont really differ from one another in significant ways....  (Lost in Translation. The Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2010) The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was taught in courses through the early 1970s and had become widely accepted as truth, but then it fell out of favor. By the 1990s, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was left for dead, author Steven Pinker wrote. The cognitive revolution in psychology, which made the study of pure thought possible, and a number of studies showing meager effects of language on concepts, appeared to kill the concept in the 1990s... But recently it has been resurrected, and neo-Whorfianism is now an active research topic in  psycholinguistics. (The Stuff of Thought. Viking, 2007) Neo-Whorfianism is essentially a weaker version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and says that language  influences  a speakers view of the world but does not inescapably determine it. The Theorys Flaws One big problem with the original Sapir-Whorf hypothesis stems from the idea that if a persons language has no word for a particular concept, then that person would not be able to understand that concept, which is untrue.  Language doesnt necessarily control humans ability to reason or have an emotional response to something or some idea. For example, take the German word  sturmfrei, which essentially is the feeling when you have the whole house to yourself because your parents or roommates are away. Just because English doesnt have a single word for the idea doesnt mean that Americans cant understand the concept. Theres also the chicken and egg problem with the theory. Languages, of course, are human creations, tools we invent and hone to suit our needs,  Boroditsky continued. Simply showing that speakers of different languages think differently doesnt tell us whether its language that shapes thought or the other way around.

CultureWorks ESL HRM Challenges

CultureWorks ESL HRM Challenges Abstract CultureWorks ESL School has existed since 1998 in Ontario, Canada. Unlike the conventional ESL schools, CultureWorks provides international students with a letter of conditional acceptance to the University of Western Ontario and other affiliated University colleges, which gives international students an opportunity to study in Canada.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on CultureWorks ESL: HRM Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The school as experienced a tremendous growth in the recent years because of an increase in the number of international students in Canada, especially in the Ontario region. The institution’s conditional offer gives international students an opportunity to study in a well-known university in Canada. A strong teacher team has helped CultureWorks to earn a favourable reputation throughout the world. As a result, CultureWorks expanded its business to Ottawa in collaboration w ith the Carleton University. However, many challenges have emerged during the expansion. For instance, there is a strained relationship between employees of CultureWorks and those of Carleton University. This research explores challenges that face CultureWorks because of a rapid expansion and collaboration strategy. In this regard, the research applies human resource management (HRM) principles to highlight challenges of sustaining the growth and proposes recommendations for effective management of partnership and strained employee relationships. Introduction Many organisations struggle to meet the dynamic needs of their customers as they react to changes in markets. Meeting customers’ needs and beating competitors require an appropriate use of internal and external relationships, which ensure that an organisation has the potential to sustain its objectives and emerging growth initiatives (Rastogi, 2000). The strategic need to collaborate with other institutions and people is now a crucial factor of success in a highly dynamic and competitive environment. Organisations should collaborate with others in order to capitalise on accessibility and resources they lack. Therefore, building a successful organisation in a competitive global economy requires firms to form strategic alliances for mutual benefits. In this regard, firms should create a partnering culture in order to facilitate collaboration with other partners.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Partnership and alliances have a great potential in promoting growths of organisations. CultureWorks and Carleton University should rationalise and combine their facilities, operation, and functions in order to maximise efficiency and service delivery to students. Such affiliations have effects on cultures, norms, and practices of both institutions. The main aims of collaboration were to enco urage enrolment of many students, create synergies, provide a global reach for foreign students, develop a critical mass, facilitate and sustain growth strategies, add core competence of instructors, and finally leverage on external talents, expertise, and technology of other institutions. Challenges that CultureWorks and Carleton University experience during the integration of employees are numerous. One would expect such a deal to bring about a fast growth without strains. However, most of such initiatives fail to meet their objectives. We can attribute some cases of failures to market conditions and financial difficulties of organisations. Still, we can trace causes of failures to neglected human resource challenges in both organisations. Organisations can only realise such growths when information flow freely, but this can only occur when there is a trust among employees. However, this is not the case at CultureWorks and Carleton University. Both institutions have faced internal employees’ challenges because of various reasons. The strained relationship that exists between the two institutions can derail growth strategies of both. It can also have impacts on employee morale, retention, communication, job security, and promotion. However, these are challenges associated with sustaining growth in growing institutions. In this context, the role of the HRM is crucial for both organisations. HR Issues between CultureWorks and Carleton University A number of reasons exist to explain causes of failures in organisations during partnerships. However, the most important area in the process of collaboration is managing human resources in order to retain them and provide opportunities for effective collaboration for increased performance. Under such circumstances, CultureWorks will not meet its objectives in the collaboration programme. Affiliation and partnership strategies have become growth strategies for many organisations. However, most of them usually fai l in the integration process.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on CultureWorks ESL: HRM Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Findings have shown that some failures result from the inability of employees to embrace and adapt to the new environment or because many employees leave organisations during the process. Thus, managing employees’ issues can ensure that CultureWorks and Carleton University meet and sustain their growth strategies (Kleiman, 2000). Some of the problems from employees, which both organisations faced, were management challenges, loss of talents, differences in organisation cultures, and ineffective management of change and sustainability of change. All these challenges have direct impacts on strategic HRM. Cultural differences and organisational practices could be the most challenging aspects to both organisations. In most circumstances, the HR department has limited roles during the ne gotiation of partnership deals between organisations. This may explain why organisations do not consider their cultures, practices, and employees during negotiation processes. Affiliation has effects on both employees of CultureWorks and Carleton University, and measures to manage such effects could create a strong team, business model, and success for both institutions. The roles of HRM By identifying and developing appropriate response mechanisms, the HR manager can create long-term strategies for success of CultureWorks. On the contrary, failure to take any action can result in the failure of expansion strategies of CultureWorks. It is the role of the HR manager to put the right employees at the right positions. Therefore, effective selection and assessment of employees’ capabilities, especially in leadership positions can facilitate employees’ integration in both institutions. HRM must also account for employees’ integration processes for effective operation between the two institutions. HRM must encourage effective communication between the two organisations. Communication is the main factor to successful organisational during growths and formation of partnership. The purpose of internal communication is to let employees know of the ongoing organisational strategies and possible changes in the institution.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is a challenge to initiate cooperation among employees from different institutions. Therefore, constant communication is necessary in order to establish how employees think about the ongoing partnership with other institutions. This process should be the start of understanding differences in organisational culture between the two institutions. Communication is critical during this process. However, there might be problems with information to communicate due to confidentiality, the kind of information to communicate, especially in a case where trust does not exist among employees. The HRM department must develop a communication guideline for internal communication during the integration process. The blueprint should provide effective communication channels for employees from both institutions. CultureWorks and Carleton University have different cultures, which they have developed over the years. The issue of a sub-culture is a major problem to the HR department when organisations form a team. This is the most difficult area to comprehend because every institution aims at building and instilling unique culture among employees. Therefore, the HR must initiate effective cultural integration mechanisms in order to eliminate barriers within the two institutions. For instance, CultureWorks is a private institution that has limited information in the public domain. On the other hand, Carleton University is a public institution that offers ease of gaining access to important information for employees and visitors on its Web site or institution. Therefore, such differences between public and private institutions are potential sources of organisational conflicts. The HR manager must anticipate organisational culture challenges. Consequently, the department must develop effective strategies of overcoming differences in practices among employees of the two organisations. Employees must understand that organisational practices are dynamic because of changes and growth of the institution. Therefore, it is appropriate for the HR department to determine the level of integration between employees of the two institutions. This is possible by understanding employees’ behaviours and key factors, which influence their behaviours towards other employees. Managing and sustaining changes among employees during organisational growth are a part of the HR roles. In order to achieve optimum results from the partnership, changes in the organisational operation, structures, employees’ roles, compensation, and management of employees are necessary. Change in itself is a problem to the institution, as well as the employees. Effects of changes can cause confusion among employees. Therefore, a proactive HRM is necessary to avert possible negative outcomes. Cultureworks should understand effects of changes among its employees. The organisation can avoid some challenges through effective communication in the organisation. For instance, CultureWorks should a rrange changes in the leadership structures, roles, and transfer of employees to Carleton University. It is also important to recognise central elements that drive change within the institution. The HR manager must encourage participatory approach in which senior executives and line managers take active roles in change processes. Employees from both organisations can development resentments if their managers come from different institutions. This situation may lead to resistance among employees of the two institutions. Employees’ commitments and behaviours to facilitate collaboration between the two institutions depend on effects of change on their roles. This raises the issue of consultation with the affected employees. Employees can only commit to change processes if they will not interfere with their terms of services. Any change that alters work schedules, locations, reporting lines, organisational cultures, and management styles may not be favourable for many employees. Issues have also emerged based on decision-making processes with regard to management of employees’ talents. However, the role of HRM remains critical to successful growth of CultureWorks. In this context, we can focus on two roles in order to understand how HRM can facilitate growth of the institution. First, the HRM must understand the ongoing changes and model the organisation through these change processes. This implies that as CultureWorks experiences changes based on its growth strategies, various HRM problems shall emerge, and there is a need to control them for effective transition during this period. HMR must ensure that the institution assigns the right employees to the right departments. The HR manager must ensure that collaboration does not result in loss of employees. Therefore, effective retention and employee development systems can avoid such impacts. Second, HRM functions should also focus on using its employees to create competitive advantage. According to t he resource based view, organisations can attain competitive advantages if their employees meet certain requirements. In this regard, CultureWorks must use its rare skills and knowledge in employees to create competitive advantage and growth. Such skills and knowledge are difficult for competitors to imitate. Therefore, the organisation can sustain its growth strategies by using its human resources. In this regard, the role of HRM involves planning human resources from attraction, recruitment, retention, and deployment to various departments or locations (Noe et al., 2012). However, we have to note that the institution cannot achieve and sustain growth and competitive advantage from the HRM roles alone. Such achievements and sustainability depend on the way employees commit and implement strategies. Therefore, the team must have management abilities to implement HRM initiatives in ways, which make them inimitable and specific to CultureWorks. Still, CultureWorks strategies for maint aining its growth strategy must focus on developing employees and adopting favourable HR practices during the transition (Wan, 2007). This shall ensure that the institution avoids employee challenges from collaboration with other institutions. Conclusion CultureWorks has experienced a rapid growth in the past few years due to the increasing number of foreign students, who seek the best letters of acceptance in Canada for higher education. Consequently, the institution has collaborated with Carleton University as a strategy for growth. However, there are strained employee relationships and other challenges, which result from change processes. Growth has strained CultureWorks resources, and it has to collaborate with external partners. However, the HR department failed to prepare employees adequately for the ongoing expansion and changes. This created pressure on employees as they reacted to such changes. Outcomes were strained relationships, communication challenges, and issues of in tegrating organisational cultures and practices. Therefore, managing such a rapid growth requires management of change too. HRM policies and practices must also account for such changes, growth strategies, and collaboration with other institutions, especially with regard to employees’ relationships. This can avoid possible losses of employees and resistance to change efforts. Moreover, CultureWorks can sustain its growth strategies through HRM processes and practices, which favour collaboration with other external institutions. Recommendations CultureWorks should consider the following suggestions in order to facilitate growth and improve employee relationships. At the same time, they will ensure that CultureWorks sustain its growth strategies and retain its employees. CultureWorks must develop clear business strategies for collaboration with other institutions. The process must involve inputs from the HR department. Both organisations must communicate collaboration strategi es to their employees. HRM must conduct a thorough study of organisational cultures of both organisations and identify cultures that can work for both Management of diversity in both employees and institutions are crucial for success HRM must identify employees competence and assign new responsibilities based on the ongoing transformation in the institution CultureWorks must create a strong communication culture in order to eliminate cases of job insecurity and fear among its employees. At the same time, the institution should develop a communication channel for its employees and employees from the other institution. Change management is necessary during growth and collaboration with other institutions The institution must engage senior executives in formulating growth strategies and implementation processes HRM must keep employees morale high and implement different methods of employee motivation, especially those affected by collaboration initiatives References Kleiman, L. (2000) . Human Resource Management: A Managerial Tool for Competitive Advantage. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing. Noe, R., Wright, P., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., and Eligh, L. (2012). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage, CDN Edition. Toronto: McGraw- Hill Ryerson Ltd. Rastogi, P. (2000). Sustaining Enterprise Competitiveness: Is human capital the answer? Human Systems Management, 19(3), 193-203. Wan, H. (2007). Human Capital Development Policies: enhancing employees satisfaction. Journal of European Industrail Training, 31(4), 297-322.