Graduate Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Graduate Reflection Paper - Essay Example I was very aware of Gardners 7 Intelligences and I attempted to gear as many lessons as possible to different learning styles so that all students were able to grasp the course. This spoke to my ability to accommodate and adapt learning materials. One example, is when I gave an assignment in which I allowed students to express themselves in their own way. Many students said they enjoyed this assignment. I learned about myself as a facilitator. As an example, I found that adults ask many more questions than children. I also found that a facilitator must know the material very well because adults think on their feet. I feel that I have met. In the second criteria (1b), I found it interesting to understand the differences between formal and informal groups. At my job, Ive found informal groups to be those that come together for a brainstorming session or to answer a particular questions that the business must answer. Often, these meet around lunch and they tend to be groups that come together for a short time. They can also come together as social groups. Formal groups usually come together under the direction of the head of the company of a specific supervisors needs. The formal groups must organize larger issues and create change within the company. Groups have a variety of dynamics which may be difficult at times and a group can quickly become dysfunctional depending on the circumstances. As an example, when one person within the group becomes dominant in the group and they are not the leader, the group becomes dysfunctional because no one else has a chance to speak. To bring it back to function, the group leader must be able to maintain a balance between all people within the group. Each individual must be able to bring in their point of view during discussions so that they can feel heard. The many readings in this area helped me become a better facilitator. As an example, The Kolun (2001) article gave several

Critically explore the term postfeminism in relation to any aspect of Essay

Critically explore the term postfeminism in relation to any aspect of contemporary culture in a national context of your choice - Essay Example Others such as Lotz argue that post-feminism is a part of third wave feminism (2001). According to Lotz, post-feminism includes poststructuralism and women-of-colour feminism influenced by poststructuralist, postmodern and postcolonial ideologies. In another representation of post-feminism, Rachel Moseley, a media critic sees post-feminism as a â€Å"re-evaluation of the tension which was often thought to exist between feminism and femininity† (Richardson 2006, p. 163). By this, she implies that post-feminism puts feminity (such as glamour and sexual objectification of women) back into feminist politics that originally are against feminity. 6 Some critics such as Tania Modleski take an opposite stance and argue that post-feminism is in fact discarding the achievements of second wave feminists by â€Å"delivering us back to a prefeminist world† (Richardson 2006, p. 164). Thus, there are paradoxical and opposing representations of the term ‘post-feminism’ and this contradiction is also reflected in the characters played in contemporary media. 6 The first use of the term ‘post-feminism’ was in 1920s press when it stated that feminist activism was not needed any longer and that a post-feminist era had dawned (Lotz 2001). The term’s critical academic use was in the post-second-wave era when it was defined as an emerging ideology and culture which incorporated, depoliticized and revised a large number of fundamental issues put forth by second-wave feminism (Lotz 2001). Faludi later on used the term to state that women no longer cared about feminism (McRobbie 2004). 6 Authors have debated post-feminism in terms of gender politics in popular magazines such as Time and People. However, there is no shared understanding of this term and its theoretical explorations are very expansive and unclear. Earlier representations of women in media, such as Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show during the 1980s and 90s

Unilever Pakistan: Motivation From HRM

Unilever Pakistan: Motivation From HRM Introduction: There is no doubt that organizations in the modern world have placed great importance in the development of the human resource management. This is because organizations seek to select, hire, retain and staff the best talent to the workforce. Rewards strategies are one of the main functions of human resource management. Indeed, these functions are set to increase the motivation of their workforce and avoid any dissatisfaction that may occur to the employees. Different theories of motivation were thought of to explain and analyze the behavior of employees. In addition, many reward strategies were practiced in order to increase the motivation of employees and allure them. The main aim of this paper is the chance to explore how multinational organization of Unilever in Pakistan increases the motivation of their employees and deal with any dissatisfaction through the use of reward systems as Unilever Pakistan facing HR problem of lack of proper reward system for the motivation of employee s and supervisors. Since the constraints of the situation are demanding that the research is conducted through the HR managers of Unilever Pakistan to be included in the research it has been decided that Maslow Hierarchy of Needs is the most appropriate vehicle for testing the impact of rewards. In Unilever Pakistan HR managers are responsible for assessing levels of motivation in the workforce and this will normally be a subjective assessment of levels by groups and not by individuals we feel that this reinforces the choice of Maslows theory for the purpose of the research. Background of Unilever Pakistan: Unilever Pakistan Limited is a multinational organization. Unilever PLC London is its parent group. Unilever is a European based company with command center in London, and their shares are quoted at the stock substitute of several European countries. They deal in all kinds of harvest from animal foodstuff to foods and detergents plus other personal and consumer products. The organizational structure of Unilever Pakistan consists that Unilever has its subsidiaries in over 80 countries of the world, to which it spreads its vast understanding and resources.Unilever has 500 working companies in 80 countries. It has 0.3 million employees and proceeds of sales in 23000 million pounds. Unilever has around 2000 employees in Pakistan. Interventions: The interventions relevant to the situation of reward system in Unilever are as follows: LINK BETWEEN MOTIVATION AND REWARD: To assess the link between motivation and reward of multinational organization of Unilever in Pakistan. The results indicate that there is an enormous link between motivation and reward. At Unilever Pakistan the best way to ensure continuous growth in peoples performance is to constituent a Reward system and the reward system must emphasis on positive reinforcement as it is the most successful mean to motivate preferred behavior. By positive reinforcement at Unilever Pakistan people put in more effort in work so that they may achieve a reward of their hard work and reward system ensure that their hard work doesnt go uncompensated. So it clearly indicates that at Unilever Pakistan there is an enormous link between motivation and reward. A well planned and efficient reward system when managed effectively would result into smooth organizations change process hence positive reinforcement of the desired behavior would enhance the performance which proves our research objective of extensiv e link between motivation and reward. Whenever the word Motivation is used, the first theory that hits the thought is the Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs. He investigated the human behaviors and pointed out five basic needs of human psychology and existence in a hierarchy. These basic needs (physiological, safety, social, self esteem and self actualization or self fulfillment) can be considered basic goals for any human. These basic needs or goals have been prioritized into ranking and elaborate the pattern in which humans go for these in their lives (Goble, 2004). Mans foremost struggle arises for its existence and as per Maslow, physiological (hunger, sleep, sex etc.) and safety or protection needs reflect the same efforts. As first need is satisfied the demand for the next one arises and gradually the aim is shifted through these needs one by one and finally reaches self actualization. Although, virtually all of these five needs exist in every one, but the realization of the need only comes when the human fulfils the general criteria to get qualified for that specific need. In-fact, the real variable that builds the ground for the qualification is the satisfaction of previous needs. According to the study, Job satisfaction of Employees Horticulture Case studies in Michigan, it has been proved that the supervisors and non supervisory employees differ regarding their satisfaction with job components. Supervisors see job security, attainment, interpersonal relations and supervision as the most satisfying factors at workplace. They perceive the job itself and the company as ambiguous factors while the compensation and working conditions as the hygiene factors. Supervisors are apt to be less displeased with their rewards (Sara , Barry Kathleen, 2004). One of the most rejoiced solution of this HR problem is that rewards by the employees at Unilever Pakistan can be awarding them with paid leave by their supervisors as the acknowledgement of their commendable performance. Along with that Supervisors must be rewarded with salary increment within the approved salary range of their positions. Organization at Unilever Pakistan must facilitate their supervisor to have an authority to reward their employees with annual merit increment due to their praiseworthy work which has brought about considerable benefit to the organization or department. Key words: Positive reinforcement, behavior, reward, motivation REWARDS STRATEGIES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION: To assess the extent to which organizations attempt to use their reward strategies to increase motivation of their supervisors at multinational organization of Unilever in Pakistan. Unilever Pakistan implementing performance management process must also not lose track of variables which are critical for its success and evaluate them at pre defines regular intervals. Feedbacks must be depicted in charts in timely manner; performers must be valued through some token of appreciation. Performers reviews must be use as an opportunity to reflect how winning can be possible in achieving goals and which practices must be adopted and these reviews must be as frequent as possible so that the learning is fortified. Always set many closely achievable milestones instead of quarterly achievable milestones and whenever those milestones are attained celebrate them. There must be some other source of feedback other than annual performance appraisals. Keep in mind while designing your organizations pr ogram to be as original and unique as possible and avoid the design to just comprise of forms. (Reference: Pinder. C.:(1984) Work and motivation; University of brutish Columbia;, Foresman and company. ) Three assumptions formulate Adams equity theory. First, beliefs that are developed by people hold that the fair they receive is equitable to the contributions they made for their work. Secondly, the theory suggests that employee compare their input and output with and the benefit they received with other employees input and output. Finally, if an inequality is existed then this will lead to the dissatisfaction of the employees (Pinder 1984). Therefore, this theory gives HR manager some guidelines in to design a reward system that can be perceived as equable by employees and avoid any dissatisfaction (Richard, 2008). Hertzberg provided five motivators in the workplace: recognition, achievement, advancement, responsibility and the work itself. He differentiated motivators and hygiene factors by suggesting that motivators aim achieving job satisfaction in the long run but hygiene factors are focused on short term satisfaction of the employees (GÃ ³mez Crowther, 2007). HR managers use different strategies to reward different class of employees depending upon their job nature, competencies, skills, knowledge, performance and their contribution in the productivity of the organization. In terms of best practice, different policies of HR are only suitable in different circumstances (thrope and Homan 2000). Following are some general practices in this regard: These rewards may be monetary as well as nonmonetary (Nelson, 2005). Longevity pay plans Pay for performance strategies Pay work skills and knowledge Team based pay packages to promote team efforts Individual pay plans Compensation plans for Executives Incentives Profit sharing in terms of merit based bonuses or by giving ownership share through stocks Offering perks and fringe benefits Providing healthy job environment, flexible working hours, interpersonal and recreational activities etc. Rewards are given to emphasize or reinforce the certain attributes like performance and loyalty etc. depending upon the strategic goals of the organizations. The nature of attributes and rewards varies from organization to organization. Key words: Motivation, reward, physiology RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES: REWARDING AND MOTIVATION: To make recommendations for possible changes to practice at multinational organization of Unilever in Pakistan. Certain sets of criteria are designed keeping in mind all the salient aspects which are needed to be catered in designing and evaluating programs. Specific: Ambiguity emerges when there are unclear instructions about the rewards and their required actions and this creates a negative sense for the organization in the heart and mind of the people. Keeping it simple, clear and specific helps remove ambiguity and hence strengthening the overall program. Meaningful: Rewarded achievements should carry a significant return over investment for both the performer and the organization. The rewards must be specified for an achievement which has any significant impact on organizational progress as well as performers personal or professional life. Achievable: If goals are unrealistically high to achieve then those propagates negative reinforcement within the employees so while setting the goal for any individual or group of employees it should be kept in mind that those goal must fall within the boundary of achievable. Reliable: The program designed must follow its rules and procedures accordingly. Any Exceptions must be dealt with certain pre-defined steps which are specified in the programs design. Timely: Time factor is very keen in positive reinforcement. The Reward system heavily relies on rewarding the performers at the right time for their hard work so that they can feel esteemed. Certain intervals must be specified onto which the performers would be rewarded. At Unilever Pakistan supervisors appraisal are top of the list when it comes to positively reinforce and motivate the employees. Supervisors at Unilever Pakistan must acknowledge employees contribution both verbally and in written either personally or with an electronic aid although the personal interaction is much more effective and employees feel valued and recognized for their effort and contribution. Another solution is that supervisors at Unilever Pakistan must be provided with opportunity to increase their professional expertise and skills by letting them participate in educational programs and workshops. It is very important for professional growth and development opportunities at Unilever Pakistan. As employees at Unilever Pakistan would develop new skills, organization can have additional benefit from it. (Reference: Bruce, Anne Pepitone, James S.(1998) Motivating employees., McGraw-Hill Professional,.) Bruce and Pepitone (1998) provide that motivation is the inner drive that compels a person to behave in a particular pattern. People have different needs which they require to satisfy through different means. People are motivated when their needs are satisfied. When people are in need they seek opportunities which can satisfy them. The urge to get satisfaction drives a person to achieve something. Therefore, the existence of needs motivates individuals to work hard to achieve goals and objectives. Various theories of motivation explain the influence of rewards on the behavior of individuals and teams (Armstrong 2002). Motivation determines the performance of activities within the organization. The behavior of individuals is shaped by the motivators since people seek factors which improve their work conditions. Satisfaction of one need leads to the demand for another need according to Abraham Maslow (McClelland, 1987). There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which motivate an i ndividual to behave in a particular manner. Intrinsic factors emanate from within the person and give a person the will to achieve more. Extrinsic factors originate from the environment in which a person lives (Goble, 2004). Bruce and Pepitone (1998) were of the opinion that there are two categories of motivational factors: Intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors refer to the inner feeling that a person has about the place of work. Extrinsic factors are the external factors which motivate an employee. Extrinsic factors include rewards, promotion, recognition and others. Employees work harder when their welfare is put into consideration by their managers. According to Bogardus (2009) employees are not only motivated by the wages they receive from the organizations but also motivated by many other factors within the environment of the organization. Therefore, in an organization the employees have different personalities, attitudes, responsibilities and views. Employees require different motivation strategies to ensure they improve their performance and work for a long duration of time (GÃ ³mez Crowther, 2007). Finally, reward systems are developed to cater the requirements of any organization in a specific manner because it is considered that they directly affect the efficiency of employees by motivating or de-motivating them (Sara, Barry Kathleen, 2004). Further to the discussion, the later part of the review will cover the various theories of motivation. Key words: Motivation, reward, performance Conclusion: I analyzed that to achieve Unilever Pakistan goals and to bring out the required results from the employees it is highly necessary that they are kept highly motivated and should be provided with such an environment in which their motivation is not only keep intact but also flourish. To attain this environment and to stimulate their motivation I figured out that positive reinforcement through rewards and performance appraisal system can prove very much beneficial. While above we discuss what kind of rewards could be employed and what criteria should performance appraisal system must abide to enhance motivational environment of the organization, here are list of few steps that a manager can take himself apart from all the organizational process and procedure to keep a clear check, balance and knowledge about the motivating factors of his employees. Dont just stick to theory. Implement it practically because just reading the articles or research wont help until it is put in practice. Analyze your own set of factors that keeps you motivated in the organizations. This would help you understand other employees factors as well. Identify the factors and then take input from the employees. It can also be done through a survey forms. Work with each employee to include their motivational factors into the reward system. Improve your interpersonal relationship with each employee and try to nurture the skill to delegate in every employee. Rewards must not be lingered for long. They must be awarded as soon as the desired behavior or the reward criteria is achieved by the employees. Late rewards have negative impact on motivation of the employees.

Agatha Christie Biography :: essays research papers

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christy (September 15, 1890 - January 12, 1976), was a British crime fiction writer. Christy published over eighty books and other works, mainly whodunits. While her work is not considered part of the literary canon, she is a major figure in detective fiction. In particular, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is noted for its use of narrative and its twist on the established genre. Most of her books and short stories have been filmed, some many times over (Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, 4.50 from Paddington). The BBC has made television versions of most of the Poirot and Marple stories. She also used the pen name Mary Westmacott for romantic novels. She was married to Sir Max Mallowan, a British archaeologist, which contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels were set in Torquay, Devon, where she was born. During World War I she worked as a pharmacist, a job that also influenced her work: many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison. In December 1926 she disappeared for eleven days and caused quite a storm in the press. Opinions are still divided as to whether this was a publicity stunt or an emotional breakdown. Famous characters include Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. Her stage play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest run ever in London, opening in London in November 1952 and still running after 50 years and more than 20,000 performances. Sir Richard Attenborough, who was in the original production, participated in an anniversary performance: "It lasted so long because it is a bloody good play. Agatha Christy is very, very clever indeed." Two of her novels were written at the height of her career, but held back until after her death: they were the last cases of Poirot and Miss Marple. Agatha Christie Biography :: essays research papers Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christy (September 15, 1890 - January 12, 1976), was a British crime fiction writer. Christy published over eighty books and other works, mainly whodunits. While her work is not considered part of the literary canon, she is a major figure in detective fiction. In particular, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is noted for its use of narrative and its twist on the established genre. Most of her books and short stories have been filmed, some many times over (Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, 4.50 from Paddington). The BBC has made television versions of most of the Poirot and Marple stories. She also used the pen name Mary Westmacott for romantic novels. She was married to Sir Max Mallowan, a British archaeologist, which contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels were set in Torquay, Devon, where she was born. During World War I she worked as a pharmacist, a job that also influenced her work: many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison. In December 1926 she disappeared for eleven days and caused quite a storm in the press. Opinions are still divided as to whether this was a publicity stunt or an emotional breakdown. Famous characters include Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. Her stage play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest run ever in London, opening in London in November 1952 and still running after 50 years and more than 20,000 performances. Sir Richard Attenborough, who was in the original production, participated in an anniversary performance: "It lasted so long because it is a bloody good play. Agatha Christy is very, very clever indeed." Two of her novels were written at the height of her career, but held back until after her death: they were the last cases of Poirot and Miss Marple.

Dingo Makes Us Human: Life and Land in an Australian Aboriginal Culture: A Book Review

â€Å"Dingo Makes Us Human: Life and Land in an Australian Aboriginal Culture† written by Deborah Rose Bird (1990) is considered to be the first in a probable series of three books regarding the Australian aboriginal people of Lingara and Yarralin. These places are both from the Victoria River valley in the Northern Territory of Australia. Bird lived for two years in these communities. Bird’s work is an original ethnography that indigenous people's experiences into conversations about disturbing issues of environmental care and social justice.The author’s involvement with the people's experiences and their action in the world brings her to this examination of a multi-centred poetics of land and life. The Research Bird undertook the research because she wanted to share her experiences and contemplations with the Australian aboriginal people of Lingara and Yarralin on – a two-year period, from 1980 to 1982. Theoretical/Practical Impetus to the Research Birdà ¢â‚¬â„¢s work is practically significant due to its social and environmental applications. Moreover, Bird has also discussed in detail the Dreamings.According to Penrith (1996), the Dreaming has diverse meanings for various Aboriginal people. She asserted that Dreamings is a multifaceted system of knowledge, practices and faith that originate from stories of creation, and that controls every physical and spiritual facet of Aboriginal life. Moreover, the Dreaming embarks the rules for social behaviour, the structures of society, and the ceremonies carried out so as to preserve the life of the land (Morny, 1995). The Dreaming directed the manner people lived and how they must conduct themselves since those who defy the rules were penalized.According to Penrith (1996), the Dreaming is frequently utilized to portray the time when the earth, humans and animals were formed or created. In addition, the Dreaming is likewise employed by people to talk about their personal dreaming or their c ommunity's dreaming. Penrith (1996) claimed that during the Dreaming, ancestral spirits came to earth and formed the landforms, plants, and the animals. The stories portray how the ancestral spirits moved through the land forming mountains, lakes, and rivers.Nowadays, we are already aware regarding the places where the ancestral spirits have been and where they came to rest. I think that there are reasons of how people came to Australia and the connections between the groups all over Australia. Furthermore, there are also reasons concerning how people learnt languages and dance and how they came to know regarding fire. Essentially, as what we will learn from Bird’s work, the Dreaming originates from the land. This means that in Aboriginal society people did not own the land it was part of them and it was part of their duty to esteem and take care of mother earth.Upon reading Bird’s work, I can say that the Dreaming did not end with the arrival of Europeans but basicall y entered a new phase. I think that it is an influential living force that should be cared for and maintained. Approach in doing the research and presentation of the results of the study The book is not simply a typical anthropological reading for specialists. Bird wrote this account in an appealing and handy manner such that it can be read and enjoyed by scholars specializing or interested in other fields.Apart from her anthropological studies, the author imparts knowledge and experiences from ecology and religion and provides references to the concepts of Paul Ricoeur, Stanley Diamond, and Gregory Bateson. Nevertheless, this is not to say that anthropologists themselves will not discover much interesting material here as well. In her work, the anthropologists Bird mentions as important and powerful are Marcus, Fisher, and Geertz, Tedlock, Rabinow, Fabian, and Clifford. Mainly important in Bird’s work is the figure or role of the anthropologist as the narrator.In my opinion, Bird seems to be self-conscious regarding her role as spokesperson and interpreter for the people she has examined and with whom she has lived. I think that Bird’s general purpose that evades needless idealization or proselytizing is nevertheless to persuade the reader to contemplate on the tangled nature of ecological justice and social justices Bird depicts as reflected in the lives of these people. She believes readers can learn from this. Nevertheless, I can say that Bird is no starry-eyed romantic.Furthermore, she is not a follower of New Age philosophies, nor does she suppose that a structure of interrelationship necessarily instills peace, harmony and caring creatures. Personally, I can say that Bird does not waver to portray the personal abuse, beatings, malign sorcery and murder that happen. In fact, Bird even narrates her personal vulnerability in one such condition. Nevertheless, Bird does not pursue in detail how far European power could have worsened such behavi or. In her work, a quote from Stanner would appear to signify that Bird considers some conflict as an intrinsic part of the human situation in any quest for balance (p. 24). I also think that Bird hopes to encourage thought and reasonable discussion concerning what kind of system can best generate ecological justice. I believe that this is not merely an anthropological issue, but one of tremendous significance to all concerned life on this earth. All in all, I think that Bird’s book has a boldly direct and personal approach that is illuminating to general readers, while also of great value to knowledgeable and skilled anthropologists. Ethical Issues in the research â€Å"Dingo Makes us Human† is about concerns that are of pressing concern today.This includes kinship between humans and other living things, customary ecological knowledge, sacred geography, environmental history, and colonising history. According to Bird (1990), the question of how I, or we, or all of us in the world, rely on Victoria River Aborigines concerns. She said that from a professional viewpoint, it matters to her for the reason that what she learn is intensely reliant on who I am. In her work, she tackled the American facet of her identity. She emphasizes that it matters more significantly, though, since these people have a great many things of importance to articulate.Michaels (1986) claimed that eversince the year 1883 when Europeans first established the Victoria River district, a huge part of their historical conditions and environmental facts have been decided by others. Bird (1990) said in her book that their own construction of intersubjectivity, grounded in multi-centred systems, and their survival within a system of extreme domination have provided them unique understandings. Bird said that Yarralin people categorised or labeled her as an American mainly because of her accent and her personal declaration of her nationality.She added that it took some time for her to realise that this categorisation brought an extremely exact moral valence and that in marking this characteristic of her identity they were making several determinations regarding the kind of person they expected or hoped her to be. Bird said that the confirmation was there long before she became completely aware of it. In the book, Bird said that during the first week or so of her two year residence at Yarralin one of the old men asked her to write to the President of America and tell him to send him some forty-four gallon drums of mange soap for his dogs.When Bird said that she didn't know the President, the man told her to write to her father. Then when she said that she didn't know what mange soap was, the man said to her that even if she was unaware, other Americans would know how to heal or treat dog mange. Significance of the study to the community In writing the book, Bird surveyed the system in the communities and she emphasized the focal nature of relationships – cultural, spiritual, physical, and genealogical– that pervade every aspect of aboriginal life.These intricate patterns indicate an interconnecting worldview in which time combines and the ideal is balance instead of truth or goodness. In her work, the organizing matrix upholding the concepts of knowledge, identity, and practice which are vital to this system is that of country. The standard that informs the proper relationship to country is that of â€Å"care. † â€Å"To take care of country is to be responsible for that country. And country has an obligation in return- to nourish and sustain its people† (p. 109). In her book, it was Dreaming beings who initiated these concepts that are essential to supporting the balance of life.In my opinion, when she talked about Dreaming, Bird is predominantly grateful to the work of Stanner, quoting with approval his terms of reference: â€Å"a kind of logos or principle of order† (p. 44); â€Å"a poetic key to rea lity† (p. 44); and â€Å"every when† (p. 205). These are predominantly all-inclusive terms, talking about the original beings, their excellent acts, and the period of their existence. However, this time is coterminous with the present, and access offers a synchronous corroboration of that which must endure. Aboriginal culture is nevertheless not confined to rigid replicas of an aboriginal blueprint.The aboriginal world is not static but dynamic. There are various types of adaptations that take place. One of the most interesting discussions in this regard concerns the inroads of Christianity and the fate of the High God hypothesis, here place in the context of Otherness (pp. 229-232). Stories regarding Dreamings derive from Victoria River peoples' experience of being invaded, conquered, and massively controlled. It is important to remember that until the 1967 referendum which allowed Aboriginal people unrestrictedly to become citizens in their own country, people on catt le stations were classed as inmates of institutions.The institutions were the stations, and within that circumscribed world European managers and owners enforced a reign of terror through the massive and brutal excercise of power (Berndt & Berndt, 1987). It is also important to remember that millions of dollars have been ‘made' over the years from these peoples' land and labour, and through an indifference to government regulations and a manipulation of government subsidies which is best labelled criminal (Stevens, 1974).According to Bird (1984), all over the Victoria River district Aboriginal people identify the source of the injustices under which they have lived, and continue to live, in the personage of Captain Cook, and more generally with English people. Yarralin people also tell stories that place the kinds of power they are seeking to understand right in Australia. Some stories indicate in passing that the Unions were here before Captain Cook ever came, and that Europe an settlers followed the wrong book or law. The stories of Ned Kelly's travels in the Victoria River district tell of an indigenous European passion for justice (Bird, 1988).The power to dominate includes, and may be dependent upon, the power to construct living subjects as objects. It is a distancing that takes a dual form; people come from the outside in order to kill and steal, and they deny that this is what they are doing. And while the killing and stealing have been moderated (not eradicated) over the past two centuries, denial persists in a particularly pungent form: the successors to the invaders can and do refuse to listen. They turn stories back on the speakers, not by denying them for that would at least be a form of engagement, but more simply and with greater devastation, by not listening.The most important of the reflexive relationships essential for life is that between people and country (Morny, 1995). The Yarralin people inherit cognatic (non-gender-specific) rights to country both by birth and by marriage. Because a person’s Dream countries come separately from both father and mother, there are thus two lines of descent that establish identity: patrilineal (kuning) and matrilineal (ngurlu). Kuning also designates Dreaming beings associated with one’s father’s country, while ngurlu indicates one or several plant species or animals.Marriage can also confer other rights. All these relationships are played out by means of an intricate system of social categories, most specifically those of subsections (pp. 75-79) and generation moieties (pp. 79-89). Bird does not view her exploration as providing a solution to the definitional debate surrounding term kinship (p. 117)); her aim is instead to describe the purpose and meaning of families against the backdrop of the country as the â€Å"nexus of individuals, social groups, Dreamings, nourishings, relationships, birth and death† (p. 119).In turn, country, posited as a self- enclosed system, provides a model of singular instances that are part of an interlocking process where each part is simultaneously unique and yet necessarily interconnected (p. 223). Dualism as a modality of imposing hierarchical order is thus eliminated; each part can be appreciated as both similar and different. This lack of preferential distinction is best illustrated by the relationships between men and women, which Bird depicts in various contexts. It is characterized in the rituals, laws, and Dreamings as one of â€Å"symmetrical complementarity† (p. 21).Like the sun and rain, both men and women are vital for life. At times one will supplant the other, but the destruction of one results in the destruction of the other and, by implication, of the cosmos. Summary All in all, it is the enormous perspective that I believe represents the major interest of Bird’s study. It provides the basis of an ecological system or web of relationships that, if maintained, reinforce s a state of self-sustaining, self-corrective balance. There is no omnipotent or centralized force in control. There are instead, many centers, none of which dominates.Bird does not explicitly state her preference for this worldview, but both in her allusions to monism and monocentrism as a less than flattering Western proclivity (p. 219) and in her use of an aboriginal’s assessment that â€Å"Europeans have constructed relationships such that different types of beings, and different categories of people, live under different laws, and the laws are altered to suit the winners† (p. 221), her implications are clear. Her invocation in the final chapter, titled â€Å"This Earth,† suggests that â€Å"it is a matter of life† and leaves no doubt about where her symphaties lie.Lastly, who is Dingo referred to in the title? Dingo is the wild dog of Australia. His primordial battle was with the moon. He lost, forfeited eternal life, and was condemned to a life that must inevitably end. We are in Dingo’s image, full of erratic desires. Yet the moon who dies but revives with each passing month is caught in a sterile pattern. Therefore, to be alive as Dingo, even if the lifespan is limited, gives access to that dynamic force which makes life worth living in all its complexity of disruptive and generative energies

Amnesty Essay

Ever since we started campaigning in 1961, we’ve worked around the globe to stop the abuse of human rights. Amnesty International – Goals and strategy AI aims to maintain every human’s basic rights as established under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. In accordance with this belief, Amnesty works to: †¢Free all Prisoners of Conscience (a â€Å"POC† is a person imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their beliefs, which differs somewhat from the typical use of the term political prisoner). †¢Ensure fair and prompt trials. †¢Abolish all forms of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, including the use of the death penalty. End state-sanctioned terrorism, killings, and disappearances. Amnesty International works to combat individual offences (e. g. one man imprisoned for distributing banned literature in Saudi Arabia) as well as more general policies (e. g. the recently overturned policy of executing juvenile offenders in certain U. S. states). Amnesty works primarily on the local level but its forty-year history of action and its Nobel Peace Prize give it international recognition. Most AI members utilize letter-writing to get their message across. When the central Amnesty International organization finds and validates to its satisfaction instances of human rights abuse, they notify each of more than 7,000 local groups as well as over one million independent members, including 300,000 in the United States alone. Groups and members then respond by writing letters of protest and concern to a government official closely involved in the case, generally without mentioning Amnesty directly. Amnesty International follows a neutrality policy called the â€Å"country rule† stating that members should not be active in issues in their own nation, which also protects them from potential mistreatment by their own government. This principle is also applied to researchers and campaigners working for the International Secretariat to prevent domestic political loyalties influencing coverage. Recently, Amnesty has expanded the scope of its work to include economic, social and cultural rights, saying that these concerns had arisen out of its traditional work on political and civil rights. Its 2004 annual report said that â€Å"it is difficult to achieve sustainable progress towards implementation of any one human right in isolation. †¦ AI will strive to †¦ assert a holistic view of rights protection. It will be particularly important to do so in relation to extreme poverty, and the human rights issues underlying poverty. â€Å"[2] As an example it asserts that â€Å"The right to effective political participation depends on a free media, but also on an educated and literate population. â€Å"[3]