Booth Tarkington’s The Magnificent Ambersons is Worthy of University St

A university is a place where students are taught to build upon the basic academic skills acquired in their previous schooling, and to learn to create original ideas. This ability to create original ideas gives students the chance to rise above any preconceived notions of the masses, instead of conforming to them. For example, in the subject of literature, students can find individuality in being able to, critically, analyze a literary work in contrast to most people who can only retell it as a story. Through such critical analysis, students can discover many original ideas that may help bring literature to life. In his prize-winning novel, The Magnificent Ambersons, Booth Tarkington presents a masterpiece of literary work, full of features which can be used in a university setting to teach students literary criticism such as characterization, irony, and theme. First, the characterizations in The Magnificent Ambersons show Tarkington’s mastery in describing human characters. According to Robert DiYanni in Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, characterization is a â€Å"narrative description with explicit judgment†(55). For example, Tarkington’s story begins with Major Amberson. Major Amberson is the head of the family who has built a fortune around the time period of 1873 (3). The story of the Ambersons starts out based on this fortune that Major Amberson has made. Tarkington points out the fact that Major Amberson is the head of the family by naming him, Major. Where the term, major, holds a position of seniority and authority in the military, Major Amberson holds the same in his family. The use of this descriptive name allows the reader to make an explicit judgment on the status and the role of Maj... ...e union of Lucy and Georgie. In conclusion, Tarkington’s use of characterization, irony, and themes in The Magnificent Ambersons has brought this story to life. His techniques in making the characters come alive by using vivid characterization, his unexpected reversal of roles, and his universal themes have enlightened me in such a challenging manner that l am convinced they are worthy of serious study in a university setting. Works Cited DiYanni, Robert. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington. Dir. Alfonso Arau, Perf. Madeleine Stowe, Bruce Greenwood, Gretchen Mol and Jennifer Tilly. A&E Presentation, January 13, 2002. Class Film. NJIT. LIT 330-001. Fall Semester, 2002. Tarkington, Booth. The Magnificent Ambersons. New York: Richard Press, 1980.

Interpretivists Approach to Suicide

Suicide is a phenomenon understudied in early 1960’s. One of the reasons was due to Durkheim’s ‘‘Le Suicide’’ (1897) had been widely ruled in sociology. Durkheim used a scientific approach to study the causalities of suicide. It was believed that there was little more to study on suicide. However, interpretivists such as Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study as not being reliable due to the fact he used quantitative data. Douglas believed that he failed to take into account society is constructed through people's interactions and all statistics are social construct.Interpretivists seek to find the reasons of suicide by find how society is socially constructed through the social interactions between people in society. Recently, there has been a new interpretive approach which has formed new explanation significantly diverse explanations to Durkheim's positivistic approach. Although interpretivists approaches have produced a more valid meani ng to suicide as some may say, it is still flawed. Douglas classification of suicide was trough social meaning through revenge,self-destruct,sympathetic,guilt etc.He believed that suicide was a way of responding by try to solve a problem. He looked at categorizing suicides according to their social meanings because the causes and responses to suicide vary from society to society. Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study of suicide rates based on it’s methodological grounds. He argued that suicide statistics hardly lacked any form of validity mainly because it could be misinterpreted by the coroner’s verdict.For example, Durkheim suggested that suicide rates were low in Catholic countries due to high social integration. Douglass criticised this he would say that as for Catholics suicide is a mortal sin families would put pressure on coroners to reach an alternative verdict and the suicide figures were low due to inaccuracies. Douglas sees suicide statistics as the res ult of negotiations between the different parties involved which can lead to distorted statistics.He thus says that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful in society because the statistics were based on coroner’s interpretations (therefore suicides are socially constructed) and so his study wasn’t reliable. He suggests it is more important to look at the meaning of suicide. He also suggested that we need to study them with qualitative methods and use case studies. However he denies that suicide could be explained by external factors. In this case, Douglas theory was considered invalid as he failed to show any kind of evidence to back his research.Atkinson (1978) believed that coroners had a common sense theory of suicide. They categorise suicide based on information from this theory; they consider four types of evidence relevant for reaching a verdict and if the evidence matches the incident then it is considered suicide. Their verdicts are based on sui cide notes, location and circumstances, life history and finally the mode of death. Atkinson also criticises Durkheim’s method of studying suicide, he identified that different cultures imply different interpretations for suicide.For example, he studied four English and Danish coroners and gave them the same case studies . He found that the Danish coroners are much more likely to come to a verdict on suicide based on probability of balance, whereas the English coroners looked for evidence to reach to a conclusion if a suicide was intent. Furthermore, Jean Baechler argued that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful because suicide can’t be explained wholly in terms of external factors. Not everyone whose business fails, or whose spouse dies, or who is a protestant in an urban area, kill themselves.Thus, to Baechler, suicide must always be at least partially explained through ‘personal factors’ that are particular to an individual and this is n’t possible with the use of official statistics – he thought that it would be more useful to study individual suicide cases and to categorise them – therefore suggesting that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t particularly useful in society because it was impossible to find the true meaning behind the suicides using only statistics.On the other hand, however, Steve Taylor criticises both Douglas and Baechler for failing to recognise the value of Durkheim’s work. He criticises Douglas for contradicting himself. At some points Douglas implies that suicide statistics can never be reliable since its always a matter of judgement whether a death is a suicide, but at other times he suggests that causes of suicide can be found; it’s difficult to see how this can be true if its impossible to be certain whether an act is a suicide.Commenting on Baechler, Taylor points out those individual cases often fit a number of categories, depending on the interpretation the researcher makes of the victim’s motives, and there is no reason to believe that these interpretations are any more reliable than suicide statistics. From this he suggested that suicides could be classified into four types such as thantation, submissive, sacrifice and appeal. Taylor approach is useful as it combined both qualitative and quantitative methods making his study both reliable and valid.However, Taylor has received a lot of criticism over the fact he used a lot of secondary data and is unaware of the inaccuracies it contained. It has also been shown that in reality you cannot simply classify suicide into four types. In conclusion, there are many criticisms against Durkheim’s study on suicide which suggest that it is not suitable to study the causalities of suicide and maybe the interpretivists. We should instead examine the interpretive theories of suicide.However, Hindess argues that such writers, whilst criticising the social constructi on of suicide statistics, simply ask us to believe that their interpretations of the â€Å"reality† of suicide are more valid than Durkheim's. He also states that interpretivists have no evidence to support their approach on suicide and simply want us to believe in their interpretations which are no more useful then Durkheim’s study on suicide. Nevertheless, Durkheim’s study was published in the 19th century so maybe it isn’t useful in modern industrial society as the results may not generalise to contemporary society.

Can Religion Be Studied Academically Essay

The academic study of religion isn’t a means of just learning scriptures or passages from a sacred text like the Bible. It is a more complex process and can be considered multidisciplinary – it can include art, literature, linguistics, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology and much more. Religion can’t be studied without knowing what we are trying to study, and while some would argue it just doesn’t exist, the similarity among the diverse religious belief systems around the world are strong enough to justify a comprehensive field study encompassing the factors listed above, some of which fall into Livingstone’s ‘seven ways of studying religion’. However, to effectively study religion in an academic way, it is important to include critical analysis, which means it is important not to be biased towards your own beliefs. By doing this you can become more culturally aware of other faiths and beliefs, and thus obtain a greater understanding of religions. Literary criticism plays an important role in the academic study of religion. Religion in the theological way is all about the teachings of a particular sacred text. The Bible for Christianity, the Quran for Islam and Sutras for Buddhism, for example, all contain the teachings and laws of the respective religions, which is essentially how people can understand religion in the first place. Livingstone, in his theories on religion, says questions are the key to studying and understanding the meaning of sacred texts. Is it reliable; who was the author; when was it written and where; how has the work been received, interpreted and passed on? These are the questions that need to be answered before a true understanding of religion can be obtained, and who better to answer them than a literary critic, according to Livingstone. The relationship between religion and language also relates to this idea of literary criticism. Language in religion doesn’t often function like it does in everyday life – it is not found at the surface level of words or signs, according to Livingstone. Understanding language and how it is used in religion provides insight, but it also stretches to include the nature and function of language itself. Because of religion’s role in human cultures, it is impossible to comprehend the flow of history without some basic grounding in a variety of religious beliefs. Livingstone says it would appear obvious that the historical study of religion has to do with establishing what role religious experience and ideas play in the lives of individuals and communities. You only have to look at the Bible and see the Old Testament is dated in years ‘before Christ’. Livingstone gives an example of the Protestant Reformation. The causes of the Protestant Reformation have been a topic of contention among historians, and the debate illustrates both the importance of history in gaining a fuller understanding of that event in western history, and the difficulties in proposing a single casual explanation in history. But the notion of history and religion can be put a little more simply – religious traditions provide structure to the world and provides people with a sense of where they fit in, which in turn affects choices today, for example decisions about politics. The philosophical scrutiny of religion is one of the oldest and most instructive ways of examining religious experience and belief, according to Livingstone. In this century philosophy’s relation to religion is to analyse the uses of religious language and to test its logical status and meaning. It asks whether a religious expression is simply performing an action or evoking the emotions. Livingstone says philosophers believe much of the problems with religion stem from these confusing uses of language. Over the centuries and spanning different continents, the notion of philosophy has remained significant in several religious traditions, which emphasises the importance of it in an educational way – In India, philosophy has remained associated with historical developments in Hinduism and the same goes for Buddhism in Asia. The way in which religion interacts within a social dimension is also a significant element to studying religion. Sociologist, Max Weber, demonstrated that certain forms of social life and behaviour could deeply reflect the religious belief and practice of society. For example: Weber analysed how the new Protestant ethic, which came with the Reformation of the 16th century, proved to be decisive in shaping the spirit of modern capitalist society. All religions have a concept of what it means to be a member of a religious society, how it should function, how it should be organised, and how the society relates to the outside world. Therefore it is important to have an understanding of the sociology behind religion, especially in the instance that culture and religion become hard to distinguish between. It is understood that religions offer critiques of contemporary society based on concepts of an ideal society and must understand the connection between sacred and secular power and the political and religious institutions representing each. This is where a study of sociology and anthropology become important for religion. The relationship between religious and violent conflict is well known. It can be argued that religions are inclined to be absolutist, meaning they don’t allow for the validity of other religions. This discourages the discussions and negotiations and compromises needed to resolve differences of opinion peacefully, which can then have an effect on society itself. Without compromises, it can sometimes erupt into violence – so in terms of the importance of studying religion, it is ideal to know the interconnection between sociology and religion to understand why and how conflicts, for example, can sometimes occur. And then there’s the psychology behind the importance of studying religion. One of the early workers in this particular field was William James. He explored the psychological dimensions of phenomena as conversion, mysticism and saintliness. Livingstone says the connection between psychology and religion is perhaps the most closely associated with great figures in psychoanalysis. He also uses an example of Gordon Allport’s work, who studied the relationship between religion and prejudice. He says studies such as Allport’s show the value of psychological studies in revealing the potential effect of forms of religion on social relations and behaviours. Allport particularly discovered that there were different correlations between prejudice and types of being religious, what he referred to as extrinsic and intrinsic religions. This particular study into psychology and religion is significant because it can warn us against making too-simple correlation between prejudice and religion, according to Livingstone. In addition to Livingstone’s ideas behind studying religion, there are other factors that intertwine, like art, for example. No one can view art without noticing the influence of religion. Every religion provides ideas, tales, cultural symbols, and concepts vital to creating art. It can be argued that without the cultural resources available today that have been created by religions, some art would be impossible to create or even understand. It isn’t particularly essential for making art, but religion’s role culturally makes the connection stronger. In conclusion, it is difficult to seriously or substantively critique religion if it’s not understood. It is for this reason that an understanding language critique, sociology, history, psychology and philosophy, for example, is so important. Livingstone says the academic study of religion can help people to see religion as a whole. These scholarly views and disciplines can help people to see aspects of their own religions that they may be blind to, which in turn can help prosper more appreciation for various religious traditions.

Strategic Choise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Choise - Essay Example Porter's Generic Strategies model (Porter, 1985) illustrated that competitive scope is to be either, focused on the whole market, or a narrow segment of the available market. In addition, the model emphasised that only two effective marketing strategies existed: lowest product costs or high-perceived value by the customer (differentiation) (Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000). The model depicts three generic strategies: 1) cost leadership; 2) differentiation; and 3) focus on a target market. The least attractive strategy is one that takes the middle ground between two options. For example, British Airways (BA) uses a differentiation strategy (Johnson & Scholes, 1999). "The "BA Way" business strategy actively engages with employees, shareholders, customers and the community (Johnson & Scholes, 1999). During 2004-2005 BA experienced an increase of 3.3% in revenue. In contrast, Adria Airlines' Customer Relationship Management strategy focuses on quality and the personal touch, according to Porter 's model would be focusing on a target market (Adria Airways, 2004). In contrast to Porter's model Adria experienced an increase in production and administrative costs of 12% during 2003-2004 (Adria Airways, 2004). Both airlines are concerned with only a narrow segment of the airline market, yet neither benefited substantially from their strategic choice. Bowman's Strategy Clock model (Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000) is comparable to Porter's model in that he also categorised competitive strategy into cost leadership or degree of differentiation (Johnson & Scholes, 1999, Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000). However, Bowman's model extended Porter's by incorporating a "hybrid" strategy that represented an optimal balance between perceived customer value and price. This provides an organisation with three broad strategies that exist on a continuum: 1) low cost and low value as perceived by the customer (i.e., generic brands); 2) "good value" products that find balance between price and value; and 3) high cost and high perceived value items (i.e., luxury goods) (Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000). Bowman's model is much more reflective of the 21st century marketing environment, in that many organisations specialise in providing products and services that blend low cost and high differentiation (Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000). For example, British Airways could be co nsidered to be using the hybrid strategy of Bowman's, as its business strategy seeks to lower costs yet differentiate itself by way of increasing its engagement with stakeholders (British Airways, 2005). According to Porter's model, this would be a weak strategy as it combines two generic strategies (i.e., cost leadership and differentiation). Adria Airlines Customer Relationship Management strategy (Adria Airways, 2004), could be considered to be in Bowman's category of focused differentiation, due to its provision of seasonal charter services, and personal high quality services. So that the higher price of their product also has perceived added value for a select target market. This category reflects Porter's generic category of differentiated focus for a narrow competitive strat

Employee Training in Domtar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Employee Training in Domtar - Research Paper Example Their training would enhance them with skills in the way that they can make efficient strategic goals and how to implement the goals. The employees should be organized according to their levels or ranks in the company. The different groups should be trained differently (Bari, 2000). The learning objectives in Domtar Company would be to cut costs. The costs will be cut if the processes of the company are efficient. The other objective would be to maintain a positive customer relationship. The customers should be considered before the company makes any decision and their satisfaction should be the source of any decision made. The other objective of the training should be to make feasible decisions that will ensure the prosperity of the business.The organizational constraints that may be incurred in the learning process may include; finances. The learning process is an expensive process, hence the cost factor must be considered. The company may not be willing to invest a lot in employee training and that should be avoided. The other constraint may be the time constraint. In the course of the training, the operations of the company must also continue, that means that time available will be minimal. The learning should be organized in a way that the sessions will be accommodated in the normal working schedule of the company. The other constraint that may exist will be resistance from employees. The constraints can be addressed by the employees been told the importance of the training. The other way the constraints can be addressed would be by the company providing resources that are useful in the training.

New Product Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

New Product Development - Essay Example This has been done with a real life case study in a country as diverse as India, which is on the platform of achieving full fledged development. In India, with the booming rate of the rupee, as well as widespread exposure owing to the information technology and BPO boom, there has been a concerted effort on behalf of producers and manufacturers from various quarters to create new products targeted at the segment that now has more and more disposable income at its disposal. In this regard, I would like to point out that there is a lot that I have learnt from this seminar and the lectures contained in it. This knowledge has helped me greatly while doing this paper. One of the chief things that I have learnt revolves around the conception of competitive advantage in context of the new principles of demand and supply. This has helped me develop a broader perspective. Accordingly, I have been able to apply the principle of a variety of factors of production to a variety of fields. In doing so, I have been able to zero in on an apt field from which I have chosen a case study for this paper. Further, throughout this seminar, we were taught by way of experience and research which greatly helped me in the construction of concept cards and helped me demonstrate some amount of creativity. In this regard, the seminar has been a great help in helping me determine how a market is influenced by various kinds of products and how a new line can affect a brand's standing in the process. This seminar has also greatly enhanced my understanding of the process of the new product development and the various nuances that are attached with the same. Through the course of this seminar and this paper, I was given ample opportunities to implement everything that had been taught during the classroom sessions and lectures. This helped me identify the gaps and how the same may be bridged in real life situations. In doing so, I have realised how important research is in every field of study. This will be reflected in the description of the case study I have used in this paper. Apart from the points that I have made above, I would like to mention that this seminar has helped me come to terms with my ambitions as a business students. I have been able to do so by understanding and studying my strengths and weaknesses and applying the same to my preparation work for and actual completion of this paper. The teachings of this seminar will remain with me in everything that I undertake and every venture where I am a participant. Personally, this seminar has helped me understand my actual standing as far the achievement of my goals are concerned, and this in turn has given me the scope to take on any new venture with greater confidence. I would also attribute the same to the level of knowledge I have achieved and hope that the same is reflected in this paper. Introduction The world of commerce in this era is one where there is an amalgamation of a global market place as well as the theories of competitive advantage with the strong backing of innovation. Any marketer or producer in this modern market place needs to adhere to these practices and theories in order to gain any measure of success, whether small or big. Before delving any deeper into the paper, let us fist consider the elements of the modern world

Personal Philosophy of Student sucess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Philosophy of Student sucess - Essay Example order to ensure that I earn more than a sheet of paper with a degree printed on it upon college graduation, I have set up some important guidelines so that my education, career, and life are set on the right track and a solid foundation. If a student sets off to college expecting professors to set his or her life’s course − whether we are talking values, career direction, or other goals − that student is playing a game of Russian roulette. Fortunately, I have been counseled at an early age to be accountable for my actions, and this is consistent with scholarly guidance being offered to college students today, which emphasizes that accepting personal responsibility for one’s actions is critical to achieving college success, (Downing 1). From this core value stem the ability to self-motivate, master self-management of one’s time and obligations, and establish interdependence – where one learns to give and receive essential information from others. Also, the power of choice to make wise decisions must be utilized (Downing 3), as one must use his or her cognitive skills to collect, organize, rehearse, and then evaluate information (Downing 16) before acting out. One barometer that I personally employ to gauge my personal choices is the Bible, which teaches me to â€Å"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil,† (The NIV Study Bible, Prov. 3.5-7). I can always fall back on wise teachings such as this in order to stay grounded on a moral track and rely on the timeless discernment that has shaped this nation for centuries − and the world for millennia. When striving to set more specific and short-term goals, I find it beneficial to focus on positive ways to adapt well to academic demands and campus life. Impeccable attendance in class is always a top priority of mine − there is a direct