Larkin and Abse write about the society Essay Example for Free

Larkin and Abse write about the society Essay Larkin often seems to criticise society. In the light of this statement, what connections have you found between the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about the society in which they live? In your response include at least two of Larkins poems. Larkin criticises society in many of his poems and also does it from a superior place in an attempt to distance him from the society which he criticises and this can be seen in Nothing To Be Said. On the other hand, Abse writes about society and community whilst he participates in it and is a part of it. Larkin tries to stunt and remove the parts of society he criticises whilst it is clear Abse attempts to preserve many of the positives in society, for example in The Story of Lazarus, a story that surrounds the optimistic tale of someone surviving something so horrific. Abse is also very proud of the society from which he grew for example he is proud of being Welsh. Larkin labels and stereotypes the working class with a superior view in Nothing To Be Said, for example in the first stanza he describes the working class as small-statured cross-faced tribes, giving the impression that he views the working class as poorly developed, and a sense of savagery and it is possible to assume that Larkin viewed them as not very intelligent also. In addition to this, the use of the word tribes is particularly powerful and evokes this idea of animals and removes their traits as a human being. Larkins use of slow dying also helps to emphasise his views that these people arent contributing to society, just slowly dying as they trudge on in their day to day lives, however it could also be Larkins view that for him these type of people arent going fast enough either. It may be true of Larkins opinion that the only thing he shares in common with these people is death and it is possible that Larkin resents this and doesnt believe he should share anything at all with them. Larkin uses enjambment in the first verse to emphasise the steady rhythm at which everybody cruises towards death. In comparison, Abse likes to preserve people in time and focuses on the positives in society. Not only does Abse focus on positives but he presents them in a more favourable way unlike Larkin, in addition to this Abse takes people from history and gives them life again in his poetry for example The Story of Lazarus. This poem aims to continue the legacy of Lazarus, a survivor of the holocaust, he showed us the number on his arm. Abses views on society here suggest that he is upset that people are becoming less interested in preserving the tale, soon they merely nodded. In comparison, Larkin doesnt want to preserve the tale of the people he mentions in Nothing To Be Said, its as though the repetition of Slow dying is emphasising that for Larkin, it wasnt slow enough. Abse also hints at the biblical tale of Lazarus, suggesting that this tale should be savoured and of its significance. On the other hand, in Nothing To Be Said, the title and final line diminishes any significance of the society and can be interpreted that there is nothing more to say on the subject. In the Whitsun Weddings, an observational poem, Larkin takes superior views upon the wedding party, as he does in Nothing To Be Said, and he makes bold and unkind judgments such as mothers loud and fat. Unlike Abse, Larkin distances himself from society, for example in Whitsun Weddings, I leant More promptly out next time he tries to be involved in society but never feels like he fits, and the train in the poem separates Larkin from community. In the Whitsun Weddings Larkin shows a slightly more sympathetic side as he discusses the train journey from Hull to London and how much it has changed and perhaps shows a sentimental side regarding how time has changed the things he knew. In addition to this, the train journey could be a metaphor for Larkins inability to adapt to ever changing society and the fast pace that it moves. To conclude, Abse celebrates people within society and relishes the opportunity to be a part of it, where as Larkin tries distinctly hard to distance him from the ever modernising world, in attempt to disguise his insecurities and promote his sense of superiority. This superiority removes any doubt in Larkins mind that he could be wrong and therefore missed out on so many things in life. Abse on the other hand is proud of the society from which he came, especially emphasises his Welsh nationality and in addition to this his Jewish faith. To conclude, Larkins poems reflect on all that is missing in society, while Abse is in the middle of it and making the most of everything positive society has to offer.

How hrm contributes to the achievement

How hrm contributes to the achievement 1. Investigate how HRM contributes to the achievement of organizational objectives? A. Running a business of any size is the most challenging aspect to identify the best strategy for the organization to achieve the desired objectives. We usually prefer objectives such as increase in sales make money, start up with offers. All these need clarity in organizations intensions. The success of organization depends on clarity of vision, measurable targets, specificity, achievable, and challenging, executable, growth oriented and consistency. Human Resource Management plays a major role in the organization to perform maximum capability in a highly fulfilling manner. Human Resource Management is the main approach for the organizations. The people working individually and collectively together contribute for the achievement of the objectives in the business. It is also termed as personnel management as the process is involved in managing people. Human Resource Management employees people, develop their resources, utilize, maintain, and compensate their services in relation to the organizational requirements. Organizational objectives are typical and require multiple years not less than 3-5 years to achieve the outcome based on annual operations that coincide similarly with a calendar year and organizations operating cycle. Operations objective run under business units, departments, functional areas, teams and individuals etc. Often a combination of financial and non–financial measures. When the objectives define goa ls and sub – goals, targets will be the larger objectives. Before an organization is setup it needs to examine all the aspects of business equation to reach organizational objectives. The link between organization system and structure is necessary to understand the impacts, effectiveness and efficiency. By setting al the objectives to all the levels of the organization it is possible to get maximum returns on resources and operations. The opportunities presented must be clear, measurable, specific and consistent. The features of Human Resource Management include: 1. Organizational management 2. Personal administration 3. Manpower management 4. Industrial management / Employee Relations. The positive view of the employees virtually contributes to the enterprise productively for the achievement of organizational goals. Human Resource Management is more innovative at work place than the traditional approach. Its unique to express the goals with specificity and provide the resources needed to accomplish the task. Activities take priority in setting the communication of objectives and targets wherein the guidelines and boundaries play a important role. The constraint of an organization requires tradeoffs and evaluation options to determine the capabilities to achieve the specified outcomes. Objectives of an organization depend on core competencies and competitive advantages, current and projected influence on the industry in different environments, Current and future constraints on resource and operations, possibilities, capabilities, probabilities, negativity in opportunities, opportunities that work, needs of an organization, financial position relationship with the cl ients. To develop an organization, the objectives are to be supported by clear understanding of capabilities of the organization, growth of the organization, focus on processes, people, infrastructure, change in environment, completion and other economic factors. Human Resource Management techniques properly practices, can reach the goals and operating process in an organization. It plays a key role in risk reduction within organizations and comprises several processes which can be performed in an HRD when effectively integrated they provide significant economic benefit to the organization. Workforce planning, recruitment, induction, and orientation, skills management, training and development, personal administration, wages, time management, payroll, employee benefits, cost planning, performance appraisal, financial control, client management, should be performed well in advance so that the Human Resource Management contributes its performance towards the objectives for a successful organization. The Human Resource Management should function in every activity and should play a key role in deciding the organizational objectives to fulfill the basic needs ensuring they are on high performance. Dealing with performance issues, independent contractors, hiring employees, are also a part of the above. The activities also include approach to the employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. It should always ensure, aware of personnel policies which confirm current regulations in the form of HR manuals. Characteristics are observed in Human Resource Management while developing policies which relate to objectives, functions, physical factors and company matters. Policies should be easily defined, positive, clear and understandable. The different modules in Human Resource Management refer to the system and process at an intersection between Human Resource Management and information technology. The functions of HRM are generally administrative and common i n all organizations. Organizations having formalized selection, evaluation, and payroll process build the company. Efficient and effective management of human capital is a successful way to imperative and complex process. To reduce the manual workload of the administrative activities HRMS – Human Resource Management System is introduced. It enables higher administrative control in an organization. The some of the modules are linked below: 1. The payroll module automates the pay process by gathering all the employee data i.e. time, attendance, deductions, taxes, reports. 2. Work time gathers standardized time and work related efforts. This is the most advanced module flexibly provided in data collection methods, cost analysis and efficiency metrics. 3. Benefits and administration modules provides a system for organization to administer and track benefit programs like insurance, compensation, profit sharing and retirement. 4. Human Resource Management module covers many other HR aspects. It addresses Data, Selection, training and development, capabilities, compensation and other related activities. Human Resource Management function involves business based information system. The significant cost incurred in maintaining an organized recruitment effort, cross posting within and cross general competitive exposure developed in a dedicated module called – ATS, Applicant Tracking System. Many Organizations develop HRMIS Human Resource Management information system which support recruitment, section, training, job placement, performance appraisal, employee benefit analysis, health safety and security, leadership style, task structure all the factors should be favorable under extreme situations. The aim of Human Resource Management process are typically concerned in managing people which will assist in the achievement of organizational objectives within the strategy formation process. The senior management believes the policies which contribute to the organizational performances. In particular to the HR strategies the outcome of emergent plays a sensible role along with the perceptual understanding of organizational members. Organizational objectives and aims may be interrupted to gain a competitive advantage for an organization by which managerial actions can be combined to peruse important organizational aims. Human R resource Management started with an idea that specific organizational objectives demand appropriate HR strategy responses. Effective Human Resource Management is important for organizational performance and for the experience of employees by means of special line managers and the contribution of Human Resource Management to organization performance. Human Resource Management in large organizations grows larger and technology becomes more advanced in an enterprise. So, a sophisticated procedure has to be implemented. Human Resource Management is a process which provides the knowledge of the key HR levels which are important to key business success, compassions with better performance. Ways of using information to improve HR processes. Organizations are regarded as people management system. They range from hierarchies to complex networks depending on Human Resource Management to adopt strategies which effects both cost effectiveness and employee commitments. Networks and networking have a different number of distinct meanings in Human Resource Management. Organizational Human Resource Management doesnt necessarily have any physical or permanence presence. They can be firmed and reformed to meet the new projects from a HR perspective in a company. Organizational Human Resource Management flexibility includes regular employees in relatively low skill, routine work, low pay who can be trained and utilized their skills for the development. Human Resource Management contributes each of its objectives to every department in the organization for the success. 2. HR Planning and development methods: A. HR planning is about the pattern of planned activities and intends to enable the organization to achieve its goals. Its a vital function that looks at strategy and then deploys the necessary human capital in the organization. It falls into wider area of employee resourcing, planning for acquiring and allocating employees for the organization. Organizations to be more efficient, productive and profitable must promote their goals. It means that the organization must undergo change in the design of the work to be performed in the organization, selection, management and training of the employees to work. Human Resource strategy is the activity focused on the frame work for the change process which will be line of success. Human resource planning process is a stage that has to be established and implemented which is dynamic, iterative and serves to integrate all plans and the component of change process. HR Planning and tracking is constantly updated, analyzed and reports are prepared to support the process of selection, training, development and motivation. Human resource planning details about the strategy needs of the organization assessing the supply of the relevant employee to fulfill the staffing needs. The strategic objectives needs to be clearly distinguished followed and processed in realistic and congruent way in order to achieve targets. The strategic planning process should be in chain reaction from objectives, analysis, strategy formulation, implementation, control. For large corporations, strategy is related to the portfolio of business. Organizations are effected by labor demand; therefore formulating a strategy should be enhanced for the strengths and weakness of the workforce. Strategic plans can be implemented if the organization is staffed with number and a type of HRs to provide necessary skills, knowledge, abilities etc. Human resource planning is involved in implementation as the major risk will be on reallocating the employees. Successful planning in companies can make and implement better strategies. Human resource planning with many HR practices is done by central HR department, line managers who will do a large part of planning for their requirement towards the workforce. A central HR department is involved in the process in varying degree of different levels. The Human resource planning process is comprised of three broad keys: 1. Strength and weakness of current workforce in regard to number and skills of the employees. 2. Get a clear strategic plan. 3. Alterations in the current staff if required. The Human resource planning process is of four steps: 1. Strategic plans and resultant design of the organization to be decided. 2. Organizations determination towards labor demand in short and long terms. 3. Effective and continuous filling and staffing needs. 4. Staffing plans implementation. The Objective of Human resource planning is employee needs at every level. The design of the company will determine the production orientation if necessary. Autonomous work teams require multi skilled staffing in hierarchical organizations. Human resource planning framework requires forecasting. Human resource planning includes forecasting labor demand arising from strategy objectives and its methods, organizational supply capabilities, accessing adequacy of current staff, strategy staffing goals and plans, affirmative action plan which requires designated employees to achieve employment equity, employment affirmative action measures in group teams. The so called man power planning is one of the most important step in Human resource planning. Forecasting and prospective studies are the recent trends in Human resource planning concerning employment and skills. A comprehensive economic planning process is to achieve a certain balance between the manpower needs. A forecast is a assessment made with certain degree of probability planning consists of desired future and the achievement of goals. Human resource planning is in right number people with right skills at right place at right time to implement organizational strategies in order to achieve organizational objectives. In corporate and business level strategies Human resource planning is a process of analyzing an organizations human resource and developing its plans, policies and system, setting human resource objectives and planning how to meet them is crucial for smooth functioning. HR should ensure the supply of demands to be classified and performed. HR process interfering with strategies planning and scanning process has to be implemented. HR should be examined, Huma n resource demands should be forecasted and the supply of HR from within the organization in the external labor market also needs to be concluded. Later forecast of demand and supply has to be compared in accordance to actions needed to deal with anticipated shortage of overages. All the above info needs to be stored in the strategic planning process. Basic Human resource planning model describes below: Organizational objectives HR Requirements HR Planning Feasibility analysis. HR objectives are linked to Organizational objectives and planning and designed to ensure consistency between organizations strategic planning process and Human resource planning process. Objective of strategic plans are feasible and require HR goals. Need to ensure that the Human resource planning process are coordinated and allowed to meet its HR requirements in the organization. The major demand to be determined is labor requirements which involves forecasting HR needs based on organizational objectives. It also involves consideration of alternative ways of organizing job designs. The other factors that has to be examined is determination of HR supply i.e. availability. It involves forecasting or predicting effect of various HR programs for employees flowing into the organization. It has to be determined how the existing programs are performed. It needs to know the capability of various programs and its combinations. The determination should also be capable of doing knowledge requ irement of the programs that fit together in external environment constraints labor unions, technology skills and internal environment constraints like skill shortages within the organization, financial resources, managerial attitudes, culture, and work environment. The difficulty in quantifying costs and benefits has to be checked while planning and has to be revised as per requirement. Oversimplification of planning process doesnt normally proceeds till first acceptable plan for the best HR goal. The benefits of planning has value and is usually less rational and may omit or lack knowledge required for forecasting incorrect assumptions about effectiveness of HR programs shouldnt engage in strategic planning. Though the present HR system has changed it should have the capability of change resistance. Human resource planning should be as a guide and co-ordinate all HR activities to work together and support overall strategy. Human resource planning should be representative to internal and external environment as mentioned in advance. The process of Human resource planning comprises of HR forecasting which is a process of projecting the organizations future, HR needs and how it meets in ordinance with organizations policies and environmental conditions which it operates. Without forecasting Human resource planning cannot access the difference between supply and demand. The internal supply may be in the form of staffing capabilities, productivity changes, promotions, demotions, transfer and turn over. External supply may be employees, requirements, mobility, entry level openings, recruitments, compensation. Human resource planning when planned, the following needs to be carefully planned: Organizational and unit strategy plans Size of the organization Staff and managerial support Organizational design Sophistication Time frame Objective Organization size ( Large organizations require more complex forecasting syatems and require skill staff) Complexity ( Diverse career path and skill requirements) Organizational objectives (greater the difference between current HR system and desired HR system) Plans and Strategies ( Complex plans the complex forecast system) Factors creating uncertainty Factors promoting stability Lack of expertise Inadequate HR data Available objective methods Regression analysis Programming Succession planning Human Resource Development is one of the main pillar considering both the scope and position of a company for its professionalism. The companies aspire to create development by training which meets economic requirements of the organization. It is necessary for an organization to develop every sector by means of considerable changes for the projects to end up with profits. Development of Human resources means opportunity never occurring before, at the same time new challenges. Human Resource Development is a framework which helps employees develop their organizational and personal skills, abilities. Human Resource Management includes opportunities in employee training, career development, planning, employee identification, and organizational development. The main focus is on superior workforce and individual employee to accomplish the task. Healthy organizations conduct trainings for better work environment by means of: 1. OJT – On Job Training, where a employee learns while doing job. It is also called as hands on training. Team lead is responsible for training the employee on knowledge and skills. OJT can be cost effective. The feedback during the training is immediate so that the employee may experience faster growth and carry on the task work. 2. Off the Job Training – The employee location will be outside the business are to learn skills and knowledge. It includes demonstrations, role plays, self study, external courses. The employee is temporarily sent for the training from routine work place. 3. In House Training – It depends on the quality and skills of an employee which improve performance and productivity that business requires. 4. Management Training – It includes workshop training, training on managing skills, guidance on communicating and motivating employees, interview and selecting, retention strategies, employment law issues, performance evaluation. 3. Analyze ways in which performance of HR may be enhanced. A. Every organization has an operations function, the goal and purpose of most organizations includes production of its output. It has to produce resources, convert them into outputs and distribute in the market for the users. It comprises of all the activities required to create and deliver an organizations clients and customers. Operations are usually a major functional area where people are specifically designated of their responsibilities for managing all or part or all of the organizations management. It plays a crucial role in determining a well organization with satisfactory measures. In private sector companies the operation function is expressed in terms of profits, growth and competitiveness. Its also concerned with design management and improvement of the system that reaches the organizational goals. Finance and HR should be strong enough for a successful organization. Performance of HR is enhanced by many factors. Performance Appraisal: It is also called as employee appraisal in which the job performance of an employee is evaluated in terms of equity of work, quantity of work, cost effectiveness, time frame. It is a part of development of career. Performance appraisals are regular reviews done once in 6 months or twice a year or once a year depending on the organizations capability and policies. The aim of performance appraisal is to give feedback on the employee performance, identify employee training needs, organizational rewards, salary increase, promotions, discipline etc., provide opportunity on organizational development, communication between employees and administration, equal employment opportunity requirements. Performance appraisal is assessed on a numerical or scaling rating system, PMS – performance management system where the managers were asked to fill in the PMS form which shows the roles and responsibilities of an employee with that of its rating. The managers were also asked to score an individual against a number of objectives, roles and responsibilities performed during the given tenure. Employees receive self assessment forms from the managers, peers, subordinates which is know as 360 degree appraisals The methods that are used in Performance appraisal are: 1. Management by objectives: Performance appraisal in this method depends on objectives in which the management and employees agree and understand. 2. 360 degree appraisal: Performance appraisal depends on the feedback provided by superiors, managers and peers. 3. Behavioral observation scale: Performance appraisal depends on the behavior of an employee versus observation of the supervision and rating given. Judgment made by senior management and reports made by students are also valuable sources of information in many areas of learning and development. Peer judgment are especially useful in assessing personal – social development and self report methods. The appraisal system consists of: Student judgment and reports Peer recognition Self report techniques Attitudes measurement Interest inventories Personality measures Basing on Appraisal system job evaluation is done by three basic methods: 1. Ranking Method: This is the simplest method of job evaluation. Jobs are arranged from highest to lowest merit in the organization. The jobs are examined as a whole rather than basis of important factors in the job. Top level jobs have the highest value bottom level the lowest value. Ranking is done in each department and then organizational ranking is performed. As per ranking method the variation in the salaries of employees is seen depending on variation of the nature of the job performed by the employees. It is best practiced in small organizations and big organizations. It is highly objective in nature and is more scientific and fruitful way. Example: Array of Jobs according to the Ranking Method Rank Monthly salaries 1. Accountant Rs 3,000 2. Accounts clerk Rs 1,800 3. Purchase assistant Rs 1,700 4. Machine-operator Rs 1,400 5. Typist Rs 900 6. Office boy Rs 600 The variation in payment of salaries depends on the variation of the nature of the job performed by the employees. The ranking method is simple to understand and practice and it is best suited for a small organization. Its simplicity, however, works to its disadvantage in big organizations because rankings are difficult to develop in a large, complex organization. Moreover, this kind of ranking is highly subjective in nature and may offend many employees. Therefore, a more scientific and fruitful way of job evaluation is called for. 2. Job Classification method: A predetermination of job groups is established and jobs are assigned according to the classification. It may include office, clerical, managerial, personnel etc. The below is the description: Class I: Executives, Office managers, Deputy Office managers, Office, superintendent, department superiors etc. Class II: Skilled workers Class III: Semi skilled workers Class IV: sub semiskilled workers This method is less subjective and easy to practice. It takes into account all the factors of a job. The weaknesses of the job classification method are: Even when the requirements of different jobs differ, they may be combined into a single category, depending on the status a job carries. It is difficult to write all-inclusive descriptions of a grade. The method oversimplifies sharp differences between different jobs and different grades. When individual job descriptions and grade descriptions do not match well, the evaluators have the tendency to classify the job using their subjective judgments. 3. Factor comparison method: It is more systematic and scientific method and is consistent and appreciable. Under this method each job is ranked according to a series of factors which include mental effort, physical effort, skill needed. Supervisory responsibility, working conditions and other relevant factors. Below are the factors: Job representing wages, salary levels across the organization according to the department. Job evaluation factors are to be examined. Selected jobs should be ranked. Determination of wages. 4. Point Method: This method is currently used and expressed in terms of key factors in order of importance. Jobs with similar point totals are placed in similar pay grades. The factors are below: Identify the factors such as skill, effort, responsibility. Divide each major factor as sub factors. The merits and demerits are: Merits: Analytical and objective. Reliable and valid as each job is compared with all other jobs in terms of key factors. Money values are assigned in a fair way based on an agreed rank order fixed by the job evaluation committee. Flexible as there is no upper limitation on the rating of a factor. Demerits: Difficult to understand, explain and operate. Its use of the same criteria to assess all jobs is questionable as jobs differ across and within organizations. Time consuming and costly. Maximum number no points assigned to each job help in finding the relative worth of a job and therefore the total points are expressed which are converted into money value according to wage rates. The point method is widely used in evaluating jobs and it is superior. It looks into all key factors and sub factors of a job. It is systematic and reliable way. Job evaluation is an internal equity that assesses and rewards the goals of the organization. It is not based on the credentials or contributions made by the employee but systematic process is determined. Job evaluation involves: Job analysis – collecting and evaluating; Job documentation – Job content is recorded; Job rating – compares job and evaluation methodology; and Job hierarchy – Depends on the ranking list of employees in the organization for each position. Motivation and job satisfaction are two important factors that affect the work environment of an employee. Motivation is from or within the drive to excel. Job satisfaction is the pleasure desired, appreciated and valuable. The strategies of addressing underperformance are unlikely that management, in an organization states that these are no subsidiaries, plants, outlets underperformance. The underperformance and length of time that is used before is addressed to determine the share price and future plans. The range of options open are to be understood which involve exiting from market subsidiaries refraining options need to be considered and evaluated to avoid breakdown in communication. Employee satisfaction is important. It has to be considered so that the employee working for organization is satisfied with the options and opportunities given to them. It is a terminology used to describe whether the employees are happy and fulfilling their desires, needs at work. This is measured by surveys periodically in areas such as management and team work.

Distinguishing the Arts and Crafts in Books

Distinguishing the Arts and Crafts in Books OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC This dissertation examines the craft of the book and its distinction between Art and Craft. Is it considered an art form†¦ a fine art if you will, or simply a traditional craft? The intended, original purpose of the book, was to be used as a means of recording information, but soon developed to become a piece of literature used for education or to contain novels of drama, fantasy, crime and other assorted genres, eventually developing further into aesthetically pleasing objects of art. In this digital era our daily lives have become disengaged from touch and so the craft of the book is taken for granted, with no thought taken into how books are made, whether it is by means of machine or by hand. REASONS FOR INVESTIGATION The tactile nature and this production method of books†¦ the traditional handmade method to be more precise is what drew me to this subject. I myself am an obsessive bookbinder, producing handcrafted books on a daily basis; there is a concrete sense of satisfaction felt in transforming sheets of paper or other media into a book. I am fascinated with this traditional craft and the aesthetic qualities the book possess, with the use of fine quality materials used and the traditional techniques and methods. However, more recently, there are now other uses for the traditionally bound book, one being the function as an artists medium, an art object known today as Artists Books. Having just recently discovered this art form, I feel more investigation is needed to distinguish what sets it apart from the traditionally crafted book. Is this genre of book art considered an art or craft? KEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES There will be a number of key aims and objectives to this exploration of the craft of the book. However the primary objective of this study will be to determine the art and craft aspects of this handmade production of books, determining their distinctions. William Morris, a well-known figure in the Arts Crafts movement, will be a vital key thinker in studying the traditional craft aspect of the book. Morris, going back to the traditional methods of the 15th century, produces books â€Å"†¦with the hope of producing some which would have a definite claim to beauty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [1] At the other end of the scale, Johanna Drucker, a scholarly writer in the book arts, will be a vital key thinker in exploring the art aspect of the book, more specifically the subject of Artists Books. Her book, The Century of Artists Books explores the Artists Book and its development in form and concept. She comments that Artists Books â€Å"†¦did not exist in their current form before the 20th century†.[2] That being the case, there is a possible transformation of the book from a traditional craft, to an expressive art form, which will be explored in the coming chapters, along with further exploration to discover the of moment of liberation for the book designer and the Artists Book. STRUCTURE The first chapter examines the historical significance of the book and its perceived appearance as a work of art. It will begin by reviewing the history of the book as a container of information, as a means of recording the past, touching on the various methods, techniques and technologies that were paramount in the craft of book production. Key thinkers involved will be Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin, in particular their highly credited book, The Coming of the Book. Along with other key thinkers in this field of study, they will assist in examining the development of the book and print culture, exploring the historical importance and emergence of the codex book that we are familiar with today. The first chapter will also consider the work of William Morris, a leader in the Arts Crafts Movement, and his interest in the craft of the book and the traditional methods of book production he used. Morriss greatest achievement, the influential Kelmscott Press, will set the scene to explore the growth of the private press of the twentieth century. Does the private press of today meet the standards of early traditional book production? Can the handmade qualities of the private press be compared to the machine made? As David Pye comments on his theories in workmanship, the effects of the finish and the aspects of the handmade, â€Å"Some materials promise far more than others but only the workman can bring out what they promise†.[3] The second chapter however, will be concerned with the book in relation to art, or to be more specific†¦ the Artists Book. Here the referencing of Johanna Drucker, a key thinker and scholarly writer on the subject, will be useful as it will introduce the early forms of the Artists Book, focusing more on the development of the book as an object of art. As well as a select few artists that were paramount in the development of the Artists Book, the work of William Blake, Ed Ruscha and Dieter Roth will be explored along with the relationship between text and image, artist and author. The third and final chapter offers a study of Fine Bindings being produced today, focusing on the work of Shepherds Bookbinders of London as great examples of contemporary bindings. The books in particular are a set of hand crafted, limited edition Ian Fleming novels†¦ the James Bond series to be more precise. They are of high quality craftsmanship, although with aesthetic qualities that would consider them to be works of art. Compared to their paperback counterparts, the study of these books will aid in understanding whether the handcrafted books of today are considered art or craft. The study will review numerous definitions of art and craft, which I shall discuss in the conclusion. Will a definitive distinction between art and craft be achieved? Will the craft of the book fit into either one of these categories, or even its own category yet to be named? The answers to these questions and more will be discovered in the coming chapters of this investigation. Sources [1] Ruari McLean, Modern Book Design: from William Morris to the present day, Faber Faber, London, 1958, p.11 [2] Johanna Drucker, The Century of Artists Books, Granary Books, New York, 2004, p.1 [3] David Pye, The Nature Art of Workmanship, University Press, Cambridge, 1968, p.2

Bruce Dawe - Americanized :: essays research papers

Bruce Dawe is strongly opposed to consumerism, as shown through his poem, Americanized. The poem is written in a predominantly bitter and ironic tone. The title itself is ironic. Bruce Dawe is Australian and has spelled the title using American spelling rather than Australian spelling, with the ‘s’ being replaced by a ‘z’. Stanza one is set in the morning at breakfast time. It involves the mother and her child. Instead of the usual loving mother, we see a cold mother and one that is doubtful of her lover for her own child. Dawe uses cold language such as ‘beneficence’, ‘beamed’ and ‘laminex’ as well has the pause after ‘she loves him’ to signify this. The pair are also conveyed to be separate from each other, symbolised by them being on opposite sides of the breakfast table. Stanza two shows us how the baby is well looked after, yet is lacking the affection that small children need. The child experiences a ‘vague passing spasm of loss.’ The mother blocks out her child’s cries. There is a lack of contact and warmth between the pair. Stanza three again shows doubtfulness about the mother’s love. We see how the mother locks her child in because she fears the modern world. She sees the world as dangers and especially fears men. Her fear of men is emphasized by the italics used. In the final line of the stanza, the mother puts her son on a plastic pot. This is somewhat symbolic of the consumeristic society i.e. manufactured and cheap. Stanza four is a metaphor. The mother trying to toilet train her son is a metaphor for people learning the rules of society and trying to conform to society’s ways. In this stanza, the mother is society and the child is someone trying to learn society’s values. It is against the child’s natural instinct, yet the mother still tries to force it. In stanza five, the mother leaves the house and leaves her son at home alone. The mother is said to be ‘off to nurse and invalid called the world.’ This is to do with the theory of consumption. The mother has gone out to consume materialistic items that will in turn keep the consumer-based economy ‘healthy.’ If she and the millions of other members of the consumer society fail to do this, the consumer economy will ‘sicken.’ Stanza six shows how toys and presents mark the child’s life rather than love and affection.

Andy and Larry Wachowskis Film, The Matrix :: essays papers

Andy and Larry Wachowski's Film, The Matrix Have you ever had a dream that you thought was so real? Well, what if you never woke up? How would you determine the difference between the real world and the dream world (Matrix,1999)? Some people in this world live their lives knowing that something is wrong. They can feel it in everything they do. They can feel it when they stare out a window or go to work or even when they pay their taxes (Matrix,1999). This feeling which these individuals are experiencing comes from the matrix. What is the matrix? The matrix is an artificial world, which has been pulled over to blind us from the truth, that we are slaves (Matrix,1999). We are trapped in a prison for our minds (Matrix,1999). We will never really get to feel, touch, or see anything for ourselves, except objects created through the matrix. Early in the 21st century, humans joined in celebration in the creation of artificial intelligence (Matrix,1999). Throughout our lives we have depended on machinery to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony (Matrix,1999). The human body gives off as much bioelectricity as a 120 volt battery or as much as 25000 b.t.u.’s of body heat (Matrix,1999). Artificial intelligence depends on solar energy in order to survive, so our human race decided to scorch the earth, therefore blocking the sun’s rays (Matrix,1999). This attempt failed and we were taken over by robots. The matrix was soon after created by artificial intelligence as a computer-generated world made for us to live out our lives while it uses the natural energy given off from our bodies for its survival in the real world (Matrix,1999). Humans are grown in fields like crops, some never even able to be inserted into the matrix. Babies are randomly picked out by the working robotic hands to fill the spots of the dead. Right now, our real bodies are being stored in capsule-like bubbles where we are plugged into the matrix. These plugs are connected throughout our entire spine and other various parts of the body. The main connection is in the back of our necks, leading to the brain, where the matrix controls our minds by ensuring all five senses. When the matrix was first created, a man was given the power to change anything he wanted in it (Matrix,1999).

Metaphysics Essay

Plato vs. Freud on Metaphysics Plato and Freud have made great strides in their respective fields of study. Both men have made a lasting impact on the way we now as humans view the world that we live in. Plato and Freud have similarities in views that they share but they also have some differences metaphysically. Plato believes that what is ultimately real are ideas, he believes that images are imperfect representations of the perfect concepts. While Freud believes what is physically real is by the evolution of man. Freud ultimately puts his faith in what he can see and analyze in front of him instead of what he cannot. Freud developed a â€Å"talking cure† which he would let the hysterical patient talk freely about the earliest occurrences which would then entirely eliminate the patient’s symptoms.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦developed the idea that many neuroses (phobias, hysterical paralysis and pains, some forms of paranoia, and so forth) had their origins in deeply traumatic experiences, which had occurred in the patient’s past but which were now forgotten–hidden from consciousness. The treatment was to enable the patient to recall the experience to consciousness, to confront it in a deep way both intellectually and emotionally, and in thus discharging it, to remove the underlying psychological causes of the neurotic symptoms.† Plato answers the question of metaphysics by saying of ideas and ideal forms and Freud answers the metaphysical question through his belief in human nature. For Plato what is ultimately real are ideas and Ideal forms. Plato believes that the object was constantly changing so the ideal form is what was ultimately real. Everything in existence has a form of perfection for itself. All things in the physical world work in their existence to approach their perfection. An object, living or dead, always works in some way or another to meet its nature. For example, if you have a brand new table in your house the brand new table itself is not perfect. It is not perfect because the table itself is in a constant state of change. There is however a perfect ideal form of the table that does not change. â€Å"It is most of all from Plato that we get the theory of Forms, according to which the world we know through the senses is only an imitation of the pure, eternal, and unchanging world of the Forms.† While on the other hand Freud believes ultimately what is real is physical matter the whole universe is in evolution, which means he believes in no God or Gods. He concludes that all religious beliefs are illusions that have little proof. Freud also believed that the evolution that man had endured from the beginning to where he stood presently is what is ultimately real. â€Å"The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, whose practice began in 1885, believed that each person’s subconscious mind was fraught with desires stemming from earlier phases of evolution. These desires, suppressed by modern society, accounted for much of neurotic behavior. Likewise, an individual’s personality was at least partially determined by heredity.† Freud believes that evolution plays a very pressing role in the lives of humans and that is what is real in the world. Further, what is ultimately real about humans is that man is the highest and most complex of all living creatures whose personali ty is composed of three interacting parts—the Id, the Ego and the Super-ego. The Id (or it) part of the psyche is the primitive instinctive component of personality. It consists of all of the inherited biological components of personality including the sex life. The Id is impulsive and unconscious and responds immediately to the instincts of human beings. The personality of a newborn child is all id and later it starts to develop ego and superego. The ego develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. It is the decision-making component of personality. The ego only satisfies the id on the realistic terms sometimes compromises to avoid negative consequences of society. The superego incorporates the values and morals of society, which are learned from one’s parents and others. It develops around the age of 3 – 5 during the phallic stage of psychosexual development. Through all of these different stages in personally there are some check and balance stages that go along with stages. For example if the id wants something that is wrong and the ego lets the person have such thing, guilt can come into play. â€Å"The superego consists of two systems: The conscience and the ideal self. The conscience can punish the ego through causing feelings of guilt. For example, if the ego gives in to id demands, the superego may make the person feel bad though guilt.† Freud and Plato have made great strides in influencing the world after their work in their respective fields was completed. Freud has influenced many great psychologists after him and Plato has done the same in his respective field of philosophy. Freud influenced the minds such as: Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, Karen Horney, Alfred Alder, Erik Erikson, and Carl Jung. Freud’s influences in his field were great toward the constant search for a deeper analysis of how the mind works. â€Å"His work supported the belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes and he also offered evidence that cultural differences have an impact on psychology and behavior. His work and writings contributed to our understanding of personality, clinical psychology, human development and abnormal psychology.† Plato as well left a lasting impression on philosophers after him. He gave great insight to know the world around him works and functions. Plato’s ideas were used to jus tify some religions and certain academic subjects. Plato gave a lot to the teachers and scholars after him. â€Å"In his lifetime he was the most celebrated teacher of his day. After his death his ideas were taken up by countless other thinkers. Philo of Alexandria used Plato’s ideas to give a philosophical framework to Judaism. Early Christian writers eagerly embraced Plato’s thought as the best available instrument for explaining and defending the teachings of the Bible and church tradition. Of the Christian Platonists, St. Augustine of Hippo was the best known and most influential. Plato’s influence spread into Islam as well, through the writings of the philosophers Avicenna and Averroes.† Freud and Plato are not just polar opposites they have things in common as well. They both thought that trouble in the human soul/mind arises when the three parts don’t work in harmony with each other. Plato thought that the key to such harmonious relationship was to yield control to the rational soul; after all, he was the founder of the rationalist program in philosophy. Freud, on the other hand, concentrated on dealing with the id by means of psychoanalytical techniques. The difference of these men is clearly seen but they also have ideas that intertwine them. Plato thought the human soul, which we now call the mind, was made up of three parts: appetitive, rational, and the spiritual soul. Freud in turn in his career built a system around Plato’s comparable ideas. The system was: id similar to the appetitive soul, ego similar to the rational soul, and superego similar to the spiritual soul. Both men have given the world a foundation to build upon and expand their theories. References Brickhouse, Thomas, and Nicolas D. Smith. â€Å"Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.† Plato []. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. Thornton, Stephen P. â€Å"Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.† Freud, Sigmund []. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. KR, Holmes. â€Å"Result Filters.† National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. Lorenz, Hendrik. â€Å"Ancient Theories of Soul.† Stanford University. Stanford University, 23 Oct. 2003. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

PriceLine Essay

The number of Internet users has multiplied manifolds in the past few years that have influenced business strategies across the globe. The travel industry too has undergone significant changes with companies utilizing online platform to reach out to millions of customers at a given point of time. E-commerce has emerged as the new marketplace where travel package sellers provide prompt service to customers looking for holiday packages, flight ticket bookings, hotel reservations and sight seeing trips. The online travel industry has equipped the customers with access to vast information related to travel plans, cost of tickets, options and alternatives available to minimize costs and make more effective travel plans. This proves not only convenient to the customers allowing them to make better decisions but also saves a lot of time in commuting to the local travel agent or making reservations on phone. The flexibility offered by this mode of transaction has induced most people to venture online to book flights and make travel plans. The industry has witnessed widespread growth due to increasing consumer demand for online services. Many firms have entered the industry owing to the low cost of setting up virtual operations and increased market accessibility. PriceLine. com was one of the pioneers in this field owing to its unique business model â€Å"Name Your Own Price† that set the cash registers ringing for the company. Eventually many companies followed to adopt the demand collection business model to achieve increased sales and growth. Company overview Priceline. com was founded in the year 1997 and is an online travel service provider with its headquarters in Connecticut, United States. Priceline. om currently provides online travel services to over 60 countries in Europe, America, Asia, Middle East and Africa. It operates under the banners booking. com – an online hotel reservation service serving European markets, priceline. com – an online travel booking service operating in United States, and agoda. com – an online hotel reservation service in Asia. Additionally the company operates other travel websites that include travelweb. com, lowestfare. com, rentalcars. com and breezenet. com. The company also provides personal finance services that offer home mortgages, refinancing and home equity loans. Priceline. com offers its customers various alternatives to plan their vacations in a cost effective manner. The various services provided by the company allow the customers to save on their airline tickets, hotel reservation charges, renting cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to discounted prices and cost effective travel packages the company provides its customers with Name Your Own Price service that enables the customers to bid for tickets and reservations, car rentals and cruises at their own specified price that is accepted or refused by the company based on booking availability. The company generates revenue on the margin between the customer paid price and the price paid by the company to the airlines, car rental agencies or hotels for bookings. Priceline. com soon expanded to other areas of servicing including car rentals, hotel reservations, car sales, vacations packages, and cruises. The sales of the company increased from only US$ 35 million in 1998 to US$ 480 million in 1999. In the year 2007 the company reported a gross sale of US$ 4. 8 billion that was almost 45. 5 percent increase over the previous year sales (Priceline. om). Priceline – The Business Model Advancing technology and rapidly changing business application scenario has made a deep impact on the way organizations are adopting innovative ways to reach the customers and increase profit margins. E-commerce is the latest business strategy that has provided greater competitive edge to industries across the globe. The online travel business is one of the most rewarding aspects of rising e-commerce applications. Consumers now do not need to visit the ticketing or booking office to make their travel plans. All they need to do is log on to the Internet and access websites that offer online flight ticket bookings, hotel reservations, car rentals and host of other travel related services such as arranging local sightseeing trips and avail special tour packages. Priceline. com is one of the pioneers in providing its customers with cost effective travel services introducing a novel approach to online travel sales. The business model â€Å"Name Your Own Price† became a huge hit with the customers and Priceline made headlines in the forthcoming years. Priceline. om was the brainchild of Jay Walker, an entrepreneur, who developed a new business model where the customers could bid their price for a specific product. The seller would then decide if he is ready to sell at that price or not. This model enabled the sellers to offload their old and excess stock at a discounted price. In 1996 this model was applied by Jay Walker to an airline industry where unsold extra seats were sold off to customers at a discounted price. This formed the origin of an Internet-based software â€Å"name your own price† ticketing service for airlines. Customers placed bid on tickets for specific destinations of their choice. Priceline would match the available airlines bookings for the specified destinations and decide on accepting price bids placed by customers. The company discarded requests for unreasonably low prices quoted by customers. Moreover, the customers had the limitation of choosing airlines, exact time of travel and if needed, take a connecting flight. This business model was not readily accepted by major airlines since they had plans of launching their own website services. Walker had entered into agreement with only two partners – TWA and America West. Priceline. com was launched in April 1998. Initially the company faced losses and but in August 1998 the company signed agreement with one of the major airlines – Delta, and this turned the fortunes of the company. Other airlines followed suit and the company’s business model gained rapid acceptance among the consumers. There are three steps to PriceLine sales strategy online using the â€Å"Name Your Own Price† model. The website collects consumer demand for a specific product or service at a desired price level. The company then communicates this demand to the available sellers’ database and decides on a specific dealer who is willing to sell at that particular consumer-mentioned price. Once the seller agrees to sell at that price, the company communicates this offer to the consumer who finalizes the sales process. In case the consumer does not respond to the offer within a specified time period the offer is declared null and void. Company Growth Strategy The company’s management has ambitious growth plans for the future and is focused on growing and expanding to new emerging markets in Asia and other corners of the globe. The company is experiencing extraordinary growth rate and this is evident in its positioning in the Top 50 hot growth company list on the Business Week magazine. Jeffrey H. Boyd, president and Chief Executive Officer of Priceline claims â€Å"Internationally, we believe that our wide geographic reach, new market initiatives and extensive inventory are providing sustained impetus for growth. We believe that in the United States, our value positioning and brand promotion through offline and online channels is driving above-category growth rates in an uncertain economic environment. † The â€Å"Name Your Own Price† business model launched by PriceLine became the stepping stone to success. The company adopted this model effectively in the travel bookings industry and then re-applied this theory to other segment of customer service that included financial mortgages and car sales. PriceLine has evolved as a reputable brand in the past few years in the area of online travel bookings. The company utilized this brand name to promote franchisees across various geographic regions. The market expansion strategy through appointing licensed operators to offer similar kinds of services to customers using their business model was very effective. Richard S. Braddock, the CEO and chairman of PriceLine had stated â€Å"We believe that priceline. com has the two most important ingredients in place to make our travel growth strategy a success. One is our industry leading travel brand and the other is our customer franchise, which provides a steady average stream of 4 million visitors who come to priceline. com each month looking to make travel purchases. † Prompt query processing and customer service is another area of marketing and sales strategy that is emphasized by the company management. The effectiveness of travel booking companies is measured by their capacity to provide host of cost effective travel packages and prompt customer servicing. Ron Rose, the Chief Information Officer at PriceLine observes in priceline. om â€Å"Our goal is to lead the industry as a world class customer-centric company, with an infrastructure that delivers the best, personalized customer service experience is absolutely fundamental to our company’s long term success on the Internet. † PriceLine started its initial operations with airlines ticket booking services and the wide popularity and acceptance that their business model experienced during the first few years prompted them to move to new areas of operations related to travel market. The online booking of airlines services was extended to hotel reservations, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises. The number of sellers associating with PriceLine. com also increased owing to their rapid market expansion and growth strategy. Major airlines, hotels, car renting agencies and cruise companies entered into agreement with PriceLine to meet the growing consumer demands. PriceLine has adopted aggressive outdoor advertising and online advertising campaigns to generate interest among potential consumers on a global scale. It has set up physical locations at strategic market locations to increase accessibility and provide a more effective customer service. This step was taken to attract customers who are not Internet savvy and prefer to transact offline. Technology The launch of the Internet applications and e-commerce in the 1990s made a deep impact on the business world. E-commerce business models revolutionized the way businesses are conducted today leading to increased opportunities that challenged traditional business outfits to accept new challenges. Low cost operations business models made an entry equipped with technology that had extensive global reach and the potential to generate higher profits. The appropriate use of this technology in the online travel sales business provided Priceline with an edge over its competitors. It became a leading service provider in the industry owing to the ways it enabled its customers to save on their airline tickets, hotel reservations, rental car bookings, vacation packages and cruises. The company applied an advanced search technology, TripFilter that allowed the travelers to narrow their searches and create their own travel packages that were most cost effective using the lowest price booking services offer. Application of e-commerce technologies and applications have made significant impact on the sales of the company. The company website has been ranked as one of the most available e-commerce site in the past four years according to Keynote systems (www. keynotesystems. com). Technology has been a great enabler of changes in modes of business practice and models adopted by the entrepreneurs to maximize gains. The company realizes that it needs to maintain a strong database and advanced technology features in terms of data storage capacity to accommodate its growing customer base online. The management implemented a system that took care of its growing backend processing needs without compromising on the speed of customer request processing. PriceLine utilized the technology platform to provide a base for new means of marketing, revenue earning model, and communicating with existing and potential clients. The online market penetration strategy adopted by PriceLine offered huge economic benefits in terms of extensive market penetration, easy access to consumers and wide scale accessibility of products and services. Market Expansion Strategies The globalization of the market owing to the extensive reach of the Internet, information, and product details accessible to consumers across physical borders translates to increased sales and revenue figures for the sellers online. They can now reach any corner of the globe to display and sell their products ensuring wider scale of operations and greater market share. This owes to the millions of people globally who now have access to the Internet and with telecommunication service providers facilitating the broadband services; the quality of access has improved considerably. The online travel market demand is increasing in emerging Asian economies and most reputed travel brands are establishing their presence in these countries to tap the enormous market potential. The United States market has the maximum number of users online to meet their travel demands. Online ticket bookings and travel related purchases are one of the primary contributors to e-commerce revenue. The markets of United States and Europe are more matured compared to the emerging Asian markets that hold a lot of promise for the industry in the future years.