Classical Sculpture of the Greeks: a Journal Review.

Article Review; â€Å"What is ‘Classical' Sculpture† by Walter R. Agard Jakob Mattern HUM 2220, prof. Warner Ph. D. Th, 6:00pm-8:45pm Word Count: 1102 The word ‘classic'; used to describe styles of music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and even manufactured consumer goods. If ever there was a period in art or manufacturing that stands out with even balance, subtle dignity, and general excellence, it will most likely be described as classical, which after all, is no easy feat, considering that anything to bear the â€Å"classical† name is decidedly, in some way or another, â€Å"The best of the best. According to Walter R. Agard however, the word has lost some of it's gusto. He states that it is so overused that it no longer describes whether or not something is in-fact excellent, but rather, if a piece fits into a time frame and location that suggests that it most likely is. Just as all cars produced between 1900 and 1972 in America are not necessarily classics, not every piece of art created in the broad history of Greeks should be considered a true classic.Rather, Agard places forth his guidelines and examples of what should classify ancient Greek art, sculpture in particular, as the best of it's time. The details of Agard's argument rest upon the structured guidelines he lays out in the beginning of his article; that to be classical, a Greek sculpture must have: The initial concept of a healthy human form. The synthesis of naturalism and clearly defined, relatively simple design. The amplification of essential planes.Refinement of detail. He also suggests that classical style sculpture took prominence between the years 500 BCE and 420 BCE, thus dismissing some of the earlier geometric style sculpture, as well as the later more expressionistic and complicated Hellenistic sculpture. He states that while some later sculptures may be more magnificent to behold, they are not embodying that which makes something a classic, and that t hey are not fulfilling the nature of the aterials or the monumental purpose of sculpture. Marble is not a soft substance, and thus, the shapes created out of it's dense composure must follow suit, according to Agard. While the presence of fine details are very necessary, he states that the overall action of the piece must be graceful, direct, noble, and strong; the sculpture must follow the ancient Greek adage, â€Å"Know thy self† to be a classic, it must appear just as powerful and eternal as the marble itself.This quality is found in the many sculptures that he analyzes in his article; the weight bearing Hermes, the tower-like Apollo, and the tensioned Heracles all display a living strength that compliment the nature of the marble. Agard also places a great deal of importance on the healthy human form, and the presence of subtle naturalism expressed through fine details. In every piece defined classic by Agard, we find a being that, while possessing a basic and strong geom etric base, is also defined by many smaller details that synthesize simple design with an idealistic human form.The curls in Hermes' beard and hair, the subtle veins and ligaments of the Charioteer's hands and feet, the calm and confident gaze of Apollo, and the bulging muscular details found on the statues of the bow wielding Heracles and the lightning lobbing Zeus all add a life-like element to the otherwise cold geometric shapes, and help to portray each character as a healthy and idealistic human being in both mind and body.For his closing statement, Agard mentions an encounter he once had with a tourist who was frustrated with how â€Å"sure of themselves† the classic Greek statues seem to be. He then refutes that they have the right to do so, simply because of the rich value and dignity confined in their strong and noble bodies, and that it was this spirit that make these statues honest and true classics of the ancient world. As a whole, I do agree with Agard in his vie wpoints and conclusions of what a true classic should consist of.Referring once more to automobiles, it is my view that for a car to be classic it must combine simple design with beautiful details while still fulfilling the function for which it was designed with full effect. With respect to Agard's definitions, the formula of classic sculpture should not be far from such ideals. I thought that Agard's affinity towards the nobility and strength of the designs was well founded, because although a statue is undoubtedly a work of art, it is also a permanent public speaker of a city's people.These strong and idealistic statues may very well have served as an ego-booster for the ancient Greeks; their solid forms and endless wisdom meant to personify the people dwelling in the polis itself. If anything however, it was this ego that catapulted these ancient people to such great heights in terms of sophistication and achievement, so while some later sculptures may have captured more emotion or better expressed the human condition, it was the dignified, strong, and direct sculptures from 500-420 BCE that best embodied the golden age of Greece.There were a few points with which I disagree however. The selection of the Statue of Hermes, firstly. Although it is a good combination of geometric driven balance and fine detail, I felt that over all it was simply not naturalistic enough to be considered a perfect synthesis of the human form and simple design. It is an impressive statue none-the-less, but it seemed a bit rudimentary compared with the other examples, a bit too two dimensional.Another idea with which I don't completely agree is the classification of two dimensional friezes with linear backdrops as the only true classical form of the frieze. Once again, It seemed to me that a frieze with a more shallow appearance did not coincide with some of the other mentioned sculptures bursting with depth and life. While the drapery of the frieze depicting Heracles and Athena was beyond impressive, the naturalism of the characters themselves did not seem to reach the same heights as some of the other pieces.In any matter however, I believe that Agard compiled an excellent definition of what a classic statue should be defined as, what it should personify, and what it's function should be, compared with the common ideal that nearly every statue from ancient Greece should be considered classical. His analysis of each sculpture was extremely thorough, and as a whole, his article gave some insight into what exactly these ancient artisans may have been thinking of when they shaped these masterpieces. Bibliography Agard, Walter R. â€Å"What Is â€Å"Classical† Sculpture? † The Classic Journal, Vol. 49, No. 8 (May, 1954): pp. 341-349. Print.

Social Networking And Its Effects On Young Generation Essay

Social Networking Sites is a web-based service, with a large online community. Websites like Face book, MySpace or Twitter provide social networking services like bring people together all over the world by allowing them to get to know each other. This interaction is likely to include families, friendship and romantic and group relation. With the help of networking, it can help people make friends and to search to find some personal relationship and families can stay in touch more easily. Nowadays, huge number of people connects to networking sites and it also increases the number of relationship. The websites combine many internet features into one: personal profile, blogs, places for photos and videos, the latest news about music groups, user groups, and more. People use social networking sites to developing business contacts and maintaining contact with them. Websites like LinkedIn can be convenient place for professionals to meet and talk about business. Developing business conta cts on the internet is most of the time easier and faster than offline. Aims The aim of the study is explain the Importance of participating in internet groups and interactive with others and one-on-one from the individual self concept and social relationship. This research also tell how the knowledge is to be explored and social action is to be taken which shall be carried out in the field so this research aims at understanding transformation reconstructing and striving for an understanding of the whole. So approach which suites my question is qualitative research and the primary aim of this investigation is to study the people interaction on internet as we all know the now days people have been curious about how the powerful new information and communication media known as internet interaction is going on in the society. Objectives Promote your business using social networking sites. Effects of social networking websites on the young generation. Safety sites of young generation. Advantages and Disadvantages of Social networking sites. Literature review Internet is first and foremost communication technology with the potential to  change people social interaction. Internet adoption in homes has grown rapidly since the early 1990’s. For Example by 2003 63% of American had used the internet. In 1990s, Information technology experts expected the internet to be consigned to the trash heap of history. Internet has become an essential part of our lives; many websites have facility ways for people to keep in touch in the form of social networking. Social networking sites are the way for interact with new people and to make connections as well as share photos, videos, and activities with each other (Red Sox Nation†, Northern California†).. In the past 5 years, such sites have rocketed and millions of people use networking sites. According to Amanda Lenhart and Mary Madden indicates that 55% of online teenagers have created a personal profile online, and 55% have used networking sites like MySpace and Face book. A social networking site includes both the exchange of information among individuals and group online. Expression also represents a view perspective, reflection, or quality of the individual or groups. Social networking is more focussed on individual relations and goals than is city and community involvement and networking with specific others whom one either knows initially or eventually comes to know. This interaction is likely to include families, friendship and romantic and group relationship. Video-sharing site is an also place where humans can make connection with one another. YouTube also allows a user to add another user as his or her friend. Expressions refer to the material that is created by individual or groups to reflect their views, interests or talents. Mainly internet based on social networking sites to build the personal and relationship and give the meaning to people’s lives. This sites help to people allow creating social relationship and it also used to fin d new friends in new locate. There are many ways the internet can be used for social relationship as follows are: – Online chatting Online dating Finding life partners Online friendship Many more Online chatting By using online chatting on internet many friends and relatives have come  closer and to know very well to each other. Calling is very expensive and people can’t afford to call. With the help of networking sites, people can connect to their relatives and get to talk each other very easily and they can see each other and chat through internet. Online dating Social networking websites are a great way of meeting people new people all over the world. Now days, people are meeting and dating on the internet. People can chat to somebody anytime, anyplace and anywhere. They are having huge relationship with others, so they will ask they will not go out with them because they are dating to someone. Finding Life partners Social sites focus on many different aspects of life, which makes it easier to find and make connections with other people who share common goals and interests, including love. By using traditional forms of marriage creation mainly of arranged marriages, internet has slowly being modified to the arrange marriage because it can serve the strength of tradition especially when modern condition of technologies seen to in decide tradition. Friendship Circle By using these sites instant messaging it allows cheap chatting between people and among group of friend or family. It also offers a good way of communicating with friends nearby or far away, without worrying about time or cost. This activity leads to vast expression of contact and interactivity many people enjoy ready for outcomes relationship. I just like keeping up to chat with somebody and it makes me feel very great to know somebody and to make new connection. So in this research the evidence strongly suggest that the internet has already been used to powerful enhance the social relationship. The importance is social and is creating both individual level and collective level social capital. Networking sites also used for developing business contacts and to make connections with them. Websites like LINKEDIN can be suitable place for professionals to meet and talk about business. Developing business on the internet is the most of the time easier and faster than offline. Social networking sites are also promoting a business to a wider audience and global marketing .Nowadays, the majority of business at least one kind of online presence. All the above reason   that the easy and rewarding interaction with other people, as well as the personal or professional gain that people obtain from joining social networking sites. These sites succeed at making everyone part of global society. In our research, social networking sites can effects on the young generations. As a result, social networking websites have extensive attraction for youngsters with the number of users growing daily. In 2007, Pew Internet and American life Project report that 55% of online teens have a personal profile (facebook, twitter, orkut) on this kind of website. Today, youngsters attract these site s just because of this websites combine many features into one like personal profile, blogs, videos and photos sharing, and many more. Along with these benefits come some risks. As conclude that there are number of cases for harassment or sexual advances. Most of these sites are open to all, especially MySpace or face book which means that teenagers could be exposed our personal information and our identity to someone. Cyber-bulling and harassment are more often commit by other youngsters and mostly tend to happen most to older girls and either gender who have a strong online presence. There so many several forms like posting threatening messages, publishing private messages, e-mails or text messages, posting embarrassment photos and many more. Another risk is identifying theft, which means somebody can enter your personal profile they can know about everything like, your name, birthdates and your location. So today, it’s very rare for harassment to all over the world but it can still be a cause of emotional distress for youngsters. As a result, most social networking sites have privacy controls in place, but youngsters hardly ever use them. If you can do active monitoring of profiles and behaviours catches some hackers, but no t all of them. Here some tips of safety sites for young generation as well as child also when they created our profile it make sure they understand not to post personal information like home address, birthdates, email address, mobile number etc because this information is private to them and not for sharing. And also explain that what gets put on the internet can live forever its means if you remove your picture later it may have been copied by someone else and misuse of your picture also. The main safety tips are that you should use for password for your profile and make sure their password cannot be easily guessed. Survey results show that percentage for adults with profile on social networking sites September   data. In this graph shows that adults in all age group favour for face book by a wide margin, with older adults preferring it slightly more. In 73% of all adults 18 and older have use face book as well as adults 30 and older has 75% and young adults 18-29 has 71% who use social networking sites have a face book account. In contrast, 48% of all adult social network users have a MySpace account. Young generation is much more using MySpace with 66% but only 36% of the 30 and older bracket. In other rates for professional networking sites LinkedIn are the reverse of MySpace. 14% of all adults 18 social networking sites users have LinkedIn account, which breaks down to 7% of adult 18-29 and 19% of adults 30 and older. In conclude that the highest percentage of internet users have use face book in social networking sites the second sites used is MySpace and other LinkedIn sites. Advantages of social networking sites The most common advantages of social networking sites, it is the good way for communicate with new people and to make connections as well as share photos, videos ,blogs, services and activities with each other. It’s also build the personal relationship and give the meaning to people’s lives. Social networking sites are also promoting a business to a wider audience and global marketing. By joining different communities, now people can easily know about the latest news related to that community. And the best parts of this that advice is free u don’t need to pay any euro. Experts and your friends always ready to give you advice and share information with you. Here some most common positive things that has to make social networking really popular among people and spread smiles. Disadvantages of social networking sites There are some major disadvantages of networking sites that Security is the topmost matter of social networking sites which we used more. There are some people who always search for fake identity, which means somebody can enter your personal profile they can know about everything like, your name, birth date, email address and your location. So today, it’s very rare for harassment to all over the world. It is always advisable to don’t provide your entire identity information online otherwise it makes our life spoil. Methods of Research: Philosophy of research There are many different types of research philosophies used by researchers like positivism, realism, interpretive, objectivism, subjectivism, pragmatism, functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist and radical structuralism. There are two types of realism direct and critical and the meaning of direct is â€Å"what you see is what you get†. Critical realism is the real world images of things and theory suggests data which specify technique at back observables. It means before data collection selection the selection of theory is must and then collection of data according to requirement (Saunders et al, 2007). Types of Research There are two main type of research approaches qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative research, by definition deals with quantity and relationships between attributes; it involves the collection and analysis of highly structured data in the positivist tradition (Bowling 1997) .This method of research is appropriate in situations in which there is pre-existing knowledge which will permit the use of standardized data collection methods like survey, questionnaires.(Bowling 1997). Qualitative is an empirical research in which data is in text form rather than in number form. Qualitative method as opposed to quantitative used to collect and analyze the information in as many shapes, mostly non numeric. Main focus of this technique is to explore as feasible in detail, idea is to attain deepness instead of breadth (Blaxter ET at, 2007). I will use qualitative method of research here. The strength of this approach is the capability to study people in the field. Qualitative research describes words rather than numbers, the equality of social phenomena through observation. I am using in depth interviews and questionnaire and discussion group at the same time for collecting my research data. . Methodology The methodology shall be illustrative qualitative using a case study methodology. This method offers an opportunity to study a particular subject and this can be used to express theories. Case study is a strategy for doing research method which involves an empirical investigation of a specific  occurrence within its real life context using multiple source of indication.

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Response - Essay Example Such changes may manifest in terms of sweating, inconsistent tonal variation, missed stanzas and inability to capture the attention of the audience. Recitation is very important both to the victim and the audience, and prompt actions ought to be put in place to ensure that the behavior is rekindled during study. Technology has changed the attitude and minds of many readers and poets. They all want to utilize technology in all circles. Other poems are records in the media too. They want to simplify their work. In addition, others are not motivated to recite the poems loudly. They want to utilize technology such as microphone and loudspeakers. Technology limits the poem recitation process. One feels that having a copy of a poem or notes in audio form is enough. However, recitation offers immense benefits. Understanding the benefits will act as a motivating tool to those whose recitation habit is dying away. Reciting the poem aloud creates good attention due to the clear volume, modulation of voice, intonation, and pacing. The habit is especially very beneficial to young children, since it builds up their memory from the very tender age. Consequently, there are immense advantages that accompanied reading poems loudly, hence should undergo the adoption process (Gates, pg.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 21

Case Study Example Taking more than two tasks makes one ineffective (Drucker 2). According to (Drucker 3), knowledge becomes useful after being translated into action. However, one has to write the course of action before taking the action. An action plan only states the intentions and not a commitment. This has to be revised often since every success or failure brings about new opportunities. In addition, there are other changes in the business setting which require revision of the plan. Action is also important, as it is the basis for one’s time management. One should make a decision, which is considered complete, if one has taken full responsibility of the decision. The name of the person executing it, the deadline, name of the individuals who will be affected by the action and the person who will be informed of the decision have to be clear, in order to ensure responsibility. Decisions are made in all levels of organisational management. Even in low levels, decisions are vital and should not be overlooked (Drucker 4). For one to be an effective leader, he should ensure that both their plans and their need for information are understood. Thus, they ought to share their plans and ask for the opinion of their co-workers. They should also let everybody get the information that they need to perform their duty (Drucker 5). Effective leaders centre on opportunities instead of issues. This is because problem-solving does not give a good outcome, whereas exploiting an opportunity yields better results. There are situations which a leader can take as opportunities. Some of these situations are unexpected failure or success; the difference between the reality and the potential in the market; transformation in an industry; market structure and innovation in a product, process, or service. Another vital element of focusing on opportunity is staffing. Effective executives place their best staff on opportunities instead of problems. One of the ways of doing this

Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Food - Research Paper Example This may be seen, for example, in the cultural prohibitions against eating pork in the Jewish and Muslim religions – this is an essential part of their cultural heritage, and it sets them apart and defines them as a part of their cultural group (James, 3). Food also forms memories, and these memories and associations form the basis for what is commonly termed as â€Å"comfort food.† Wansink et al., (740) state that comfort foods are foods which conjure a comfortable and pleasurable state in the person, and that childhood experienced and social-affective contexts influence these food preferences. The psychological pleasure that these foods bring is based upon the feelings of pleasure and love which are behind these foods. The researchers state that this psychological response explains why some people love liver and onions, while others find this aversive. Moreover, chocolate is often favored in part because of its association with gift-giving and rewards in childhood exp eriences. At the same time, certain foods may have negative connotations, and these negative connotations creates food aversions. Concurs Wood (36), food often has a certain nostalgic appeal that is based upon sentiment, and is often associated with home and contentment. Familiar foods evoke comfort and psychological benefits. Wood also found, interestingly enough, that when individuals are in the midst of great personal change, they choose familiar favorites less often (Wood, 36). Thus, as Wansink and Wood acknowledge, there is a very powerful memory component in the consumption of food. Whether one remembers mum serving Yorkshire Pudding every Sunday evening at dinner, or one remembers one’s father serving curried chicken, these will be the foods which will be psychologically comforting, because these are the foods which are steeped with memories of home, childhood and love. These will be the foods which will create the nostalgic craving, that, interestingly enough, accordi ng to Wood, are not as appealing when an individual is going through great personal change. While this paper will concentrate on three different regions of the world, and some of the trends or the staples of their diet, James (3) cautions against using stereotypes in ascertaining typical regional diets, given the diversity within cultures for what people prefer to eat. James states that people have an idea about typical diets, such as a typical Italian diet, or Greek diet, or Spanish diet, and this is what gives society at large a general idea of what to expect when visiting these countries. Furthermore, as each region of the world is influenced by the global nature of society, as well as immigrants into the country and the general fluidity of the populace with regards to travel, food, according to James, has more of a global character than a local one. She points out that olive oil has only become a staple in the Provencal region since the end of the 19th Century (James, 4). Theref ore, James argues that regional cooking is influenced by globalization, and, as such, is ever evolving. Since there is such diversity in each of the areas which are explored – for instance, even in the United States of America, there are distinctive regions that serve different kinds of foods (southern food is much different than New England food, which is different from West coast food, etc) –

Company law has failed to provide a solution to excess pay Essay

Company law has failed to provide a solution to excess pay - Essay Example It can be seen that the remuneration committee has a great role to play in as far as maintenance of the appropriate level of the directors’ remuneration is concerned. The directors’ remuneration is mainly comprised of the following: salary, bonus, stock options, restricted share plans, pension among other benefits. There is a close link between agency problems that shareholders have in managing the directors. Berle and Means in case of the The Modern Corporation and Private Property (1932) have identified some problems that are caused by separation of ownership as well as control in US companies around the 1930s. They realised that big companies had share ownership that is dispersed which entitled the board of directors to exert control over the company instead of the actual shareholders. If the directors run the company for their own benefit, this can cause significant problems since they may end up awarding themselves large pay packages as well as benefits. Thus, in order to resolve this crisis, the role of the remuneration committee has been put under spotlight by the Greenbury Report and The Code. The Greenbury Committee was established after widespread public concerns were raised over the excessive amount of money paid to directors of both quoted newly privatized companies. When this code was published in 1995, it specifically dealt with the question of directors’ pay and the bulk of its recommendations were made from the earlier Cadbury Report. The Greenbury Report has recommended that directors’ pay should be linked to the company’s performance. It also tries to address the problem of rewarding directors who have failed to run the company but at the end of the day get away with handsome benefits. The main aim of the remuneration committee is to prevent the directors from deciding their own levels of remuneration. The Greenbury Report has recommended that the

Marriage and Divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marriage and Divorce - Essay Example This discussion takes an in-depth look at marriage and divorce including a brief historical assessment, statistics and trends regarding both marriage and divorce and the many varied factors that contribute to divorce. It also includes the story of a couple that are now happily married after both experienced divorce and input from two experts in the field who give advice on how to avoid actions and feelings that contribute to an unhappy marriage. The sanctioned ceremonial joining together of a man and woman can be found throughout all societies of the world and predates the written language, the use of sophisticated tools and expressions of art. However, this practice has taken on many forms in the long history of mankind (â€Å"History of Marriage†, n.d.). Ancient peoples formed societies because they found safety in numbers, the ‘pack mentality.’ Pairing-off into man-woman couples provides many advantages that are common to early and modern day people as well which includes the proliferation of bloodlines, a structured system that enhances the chances for successful reproduction and allowing for an orderly procedure in which to pass along property and other assets to family members. Marriage, in both early history and today, is the product of love and affection and, to roughly the same degree, a need for economic and social stability. The custom of wearing a wedding ring dates back to the days of Ancient Rome. Its round form was and is still believed to symbolize an eternal and never-ending union of two souls (â€Å"History of Marriage†, n.d.). Around the time of the fall of the Roman Empire, the practice of polygamy was officially prohibited and laws were enacted banning adulterous relationships as well as all other types of relationships that were considered inconsistent with a permanent, monogamous covenant. These

Racin way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Racin way - Essay Example 2. Is the deputy in compliance with the use-of-force policy? Defend your answer. The answer to whether the deputy is in overall compliance with the use of force policy is highly nuanced and cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Firstly, due to the aggravating circumstances and inappropriate actions that the deputy took as a means to exacerbate the situation, the use-of force policy is further complicated with the fact that no mention of when to use the taser was referenced (Johnson 2011). Rather, the deputy has clearly abrogated the rules by using a less-than lethal device for which he was not specifically trained. However, ignoring the other wrong doings, it would appear that imminent officer harm was something that the deputy was faced with. As such, discharging his side arm as a means of firing warning shots at the ground was justified. However, due to the extenuating circumstances and the clear ignorance or disregard the deputy showed for the other use-of force policies gre atly jeopardizes the sheriff department’s case in this matter. 3. Should the lieutenant end Ripley’s pursuit? Explain. ... Due to this fact alone, a clear felony has been committed. As such, according to the departmental policies that have been enumerated upon, the deputy and the lieutenant as well as the department are justified in seeking to pursue the criminal. 4. Should the deputy have fired warning shots under these circumstances? Why or why not? With regards to whether or not the deputy should have fired shots, the answer is a resounding yes. Due to the fact that the deputies life was in danger he was well within his rights to fire shots and alert the suspect that the actions that he/she were taking were putting him/her in danger of their life and in clear violation of the law. 5. Assume that the people who were in the parked vehicle lodge a complaint because of Ripley’s actions with the dog, the warning shot, and the Taser; what kinds of policies and procedures normally cover Ripley’s actions? Would your Internal Affairs Unit find that the deputy was at fault with any of them? Which of the deputy’s actions do you as sheriff feel should result in disciplinary action against Ripley? Why or why not? The unfortunate fact of the matter is that even if the suspect/suspects are proven guilty of seeking to evade arrest, charging the officer/attempted vehicular manslaughter, they would still be able to lodge a valid complaint to the Internal Affiars Unit and find the deputy at fault for not following a litany of procedures involving use of an unauthorized dog while on patrol, over-aggressive tactics, and the unauthorized use of a taser. In this manner, the use of the unauthorized police dog and the unauthorized and untrained use of a taser should be disciplined by the department as clear abrogation of the training procedure and rules of conduct that bind every officer

Fruitless Unions from 1875 - 1900 Essay Example for Free

Fruitless Unions from 1875 1900 Essay Late 19th century America was a time of both industrial prosperity and poverty among workers. It was run by grasping corporations and proprietors. Workers found themselves alone, amidst the rest of the nation, merely individuals under the control of the lavish Rockefellers and Carnegies. Entire families found themselves working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week in unsanitary conditions just to have enough money to pay for simple necessities like food and rent. The issue of lowering working hours, increasing wages, and humanizing working conditions quickly became indispensable. While organized labor groups such as the National Labor Union, The Knights of Labor, and the American Federation of Labor all strived to resolve these issues, victories were seldom. The crusade towards organized labor from 1875-1900 was unsuccessful in improving the position of workers vastly because of the initial failure of strikes, the grueling feelings of superiority of employers over employees and the lack of support from the government. Beginning in the 1860’s, labor unions began to sprout in hopes of making reforms by unifying workers to fight for higher wages, and 8 hour work day, and various other social benefits. The National Labor Union (1866) was the first assembly established to take part in this fight. Strikes would have to be effective in order to initiate any major changes but at a time like this, more harm was being done than good. In 1877, many workers participated in the first great American strike which resulted in mass violence and little reforms. Afterwards, an editorial in the New York Times stated that â€Å"the strike is apparently hopeless, and must be regarded as nothing more than a rash and spiteful demonstration of resentment by men too ignorant or too reckless to understand their own interests†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document B) This editorial, which clearly favored labor unions, was acknowledging that nothing would be achieved through fighting and violence. Their failures so early on should have given them the signal to cease and, but year after year, strikes were arising and little was being down in the workers favors. Their failures would surely set the stage for future unions to come. In 1892, workers at the Homestead Steel Plant near Pittsburgh walked out on strike and took the lives of at least two Pinkerton detectives and one civilian (Document G). The violent acts at Homestead not only failed to gain rights but since non-strikers were killed it led people to think of laborers in a negative light. With the conditions only worsening after each and every strike, it was clear that organized strikes were not the way to improve conditions for workers. The industrial era gave more power to employers than ever before. With the introduction of the Scientific Management method designed by Frederick Taylor, autonomy among workers was even less common. By means of Scientific Management, there was no longer a need for workers of one particular trade, now; workers would only know how to make one particular part of a whole. The fact that many employees had to band together to face one employer displayed a great deal of inferiority. In 1883, in a testimony before the Senate Committee on Labor and Capital, a machinist said that 100 men are able to do now what it took 300 or 400 men to do fifteen years ago in trying to explain his insignificance to the company he worked for (Document D). Thus, workers felt even more inferior because it took fewer workers to make products; fewer workers amounted to easier management by the employers. In addition to inferiority to the employers, workers would also put restrictions on themselves by giving in and signing things like the Western Union Telegraph Companys employee contract that forbid them from joining unions (Document E). These yellow-dog contracts simply dragged the workers further down into the ground. The ineffectiveness of unions was shown in that the unions that were formed werent strong enough to even overcome their own benefactors which in turn only put them at a lower level in the end. I. Another main contributor to the ineffectiveness of labor unions was the lack of support from the government. With the involvement of the federal government, labor unions could have been much more successful in churning out better conditions for workers.

Causes of the Civil War Essay Example for Free

Causes of the Civil War Essay ââ€"  North was opposed to slavery while the South was pro slavery ââ€"  The primary conflict of the civil war was whether the states had the right to decide what they wanted to do with slavery. (radical abolition vs pro slavery) ââ€"  One of the arising conflicts that led to the American Civil war was the growing abolition movement in the North ââ€"  which was an effort to end slavery in a nation that valued personal freedom and believed all men are created equal. ââ€"  Abolitionists: William Lloyd Garrison: The voice of Abolitionism. Originally a supporter of colonization, Garrison changed his position and became the leader of the emerging anti-slavery movement. His publication, THE LIBERATOR, reached thousands of individuals worldwide. His ceaseless, uncompromising position on the moral outrage that was slavery made him loved and hated by many Americans. Although The Liberator was Garrisons most prominent abolitionist activity, he had been involved in the fight to end slavery for years prior to its publication. In 1831, Garrison published the first edition of The Liberator. His words, I am in earnest — I will not equivocate I will not excuse. I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD, clarified the position of the NEW ABOLITIONISTS. Garrison was not interested in compromise. He founded the NEW ENGLAND ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY the following year. ââ€"  Frederick Douglass: Born a slave in Maryland escaped to MA in 1838, became an outspoken leader of antislavery sentiment. Douglass served as an adviser to President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and fought for the adoption of constitutional amendments that guaranteed voting rights and other civil liberties for blacks. He provided a powerful voice then that was championing human rights. He is still revered today for his contributions against racial injustice.He also helped people escape to the North from the underground Railroad. ââ€"  Pro Slavery: John C. Calhoun: He believed that slavery was a â€Å"good positive good.† Calhoun endorsed slavery as a good — a great good, based on his belief in the inequality inherent in the human race. Calhoun believed that people were motivated primarily by self-interest and that competition among them was a positive expression of human nature. The results of this competition were displayed for all to see in the social order: those with the greatest talent and ability rose to the top, and the rest fell into place beneath them.The concepts of liberty and equality, idealized during the Revolutionary period, were potentially destructive to this social order, Calhoun believed. With the stratification of society, those at the top were recognized as authority figures and respected for their proven wisdom and ability. If the revolutionary ideal of equality were taken too far, the authority of the elite would not be accepted. Without this authority, Calhoun argued, society would break down and the liberty of all men would be threatened. Political short terms : ââ€"  Dred Scott (1795-1858) was a slave who, in the 1840s, chose to sue his masters widow for his freedom. He argued that his master, John Emerson, escorted him onto free soil in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, and thus had legally—even if inadvertently— granted him freedom. In 1857, the case reached the United States Supreme Court. The Justices ruled against Scott. John Emersons widow had since remarried, and she returned Scott, his wife, and his daughters to their owners, the Blow family, in May 1857, just months after the ruling. Both Dred and Harriet Scott died shortly thereafter, never to witness the legacy of their fight.The Dred Scott case was a major event on the road to the Civil War. The Supreme Courts provocative opinion—which stated flatly that blacks had no rights which the white man was bound to respect and rejected the right of any territory to ban slavery within its own borders—inflamed public opinion in th e North, leading to a hardening of anti slavery attitudes and a surge in popularity for the new antislavery Republican Party. ââ€"  The south wanted less government control, and more state freedom, while the North welcomed the central power of a government. ââ€"  Because of the strong animosity toward abolitionists in the South and the thought that Abraham Lincoln embodied these abolitionist ideals, he was left off of the ballot in many Southern states, and the more radical of the states, including South Carolina, threatened to secede from the Union if Lincoln was elected president. Despite believing that the Republican Partys platforms were too moderate, abolitionist, for the large part, supported Lincoln. Lincoln lost the popular vote by nearly two million votes yet won the Electoral College by nearly sixty votes. Despite the fractured Democratic party, had they nominated only one president and still maintained all the votes the received between three candidates, they still would have lost the election regardless of also having more popular votes than Lincoln. The election itself is possibly the most significant election in American history due to the monumental issue of slavery and how divided the country was, so divided that when Lincoln was elected (it was only the second national presidential campaign ever run by the newly formed Republican Party), radically proslavery states of the South kept true to their threat and seceded from the United States. (he was a free soiler, he was willing to let slavery stay in the south as long as it did not spread.) ââ€"  The South viewed the election of Abraham Lincoln, as president, as a threat to slavery. After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, the South threatened to secede from the United States that questioned â€Å"State Rights.â₠¬  Economic short and long term causes: ââ€"  the vast majority of industrial manufacturing was taking place in the North. The South had almost 25% of the countrys free population, but only 10% of the countrys capital in 1860. The North had five times the number of factories as the South, and over ten times the number of factory workers. In addition, 90% of the nations skilled workers were in the North. ââ€"  The labor forces in the South and North were fundamentally different, as well. In the North, labor was expensive, and workers were mobile and active. The influx of immigrants from Europe and Asia provided competition in the labor market, however, keeping wages from growing very quickly. ââ€"  The Southern economy, however, was built on the labor of African American slaves, who were oppressed into providing cheap labor. Most Southern white families did not own slaves: only about 384,000 out of 1.6 million did. Of those who did own slaves, most (88%) owned fewer than 20 slaves, and were considered farmers rather than planters. Slaves were concentrated on the large plantations of about 10,000 big planters, on which 50-100 or more slaves worked. ââ€"  Since Eli Whitneys 1793 invention of the cotton gin, the cotton industry became a lucrative field for Southern planters and farmers. Utilizing slave labor, cotton planters and farmers could cut costs as they produced cotton for sale to other regions and for export to England. In exchange, Southern farmers and planters purchased manufactured goods from the North, food items from the West and imported luxuries like European designer clothes and furniture from England. The growth of the Southern cotton industry served as an engine of growth for the entire nations economy in the antebellum (pre-war) years. ââ€"  The other critical economic issue that divided the North from the South was that of tariffs. Tariffs were taxes placed on imported goods, the money from which would go to the government ââ€"  Southern Congressmen generally opposed it and Northern Congressmen generally supported it. Southerners generally favored low tariffs because this kept the cost of imported goods low, which was important in the Souths import-oriented economy. Southern planters and farmers were concerned that high tariffs might make their European trading partners, primarily the British, raise prices on manufactured goods imported by the South in order to maintain a profit on trade. ââ€"  North, however, high tariffs were viewed favorably because such tariffs would make imported goods more expensive. That way, goods produced in the North would seem relatively cheap, and Americans would want to buy American goods instead of European items. Since tariffs would protect domestic industry from foreign competition, business interests and others influenced politicians to support high tariffs.

Composition Of Consumer Co Operative Societies

Composition Of Consumer Co Operative Societies Consumers are unorganized and therefore exploited by traders in price, quality and weight. Consumer co-operatives protects the interests of consumers against artificial scarcity, over charging of prices, supply of sub standard goods and the unfair trade practices distorted by private traders. Definition: Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, defines consumer co-operative society as a society, the object of which is: The procurement, production or processing and the distribution of goods to or, the performance of other services for its members as also other consumers, The distribution among its members and customers, of the profit occurring from such procurement, production, processing and distribution are in proportion as prescribed by rules or bye-laws of the society. A consumer co-operative society is basically formed for the promotion of the interests of the consumers. Composition of consumer co-operative societies: National Co-operative Consumers Federation (1) State Co-operative Consumers Federation (28) Departmental Stores (Apna Bazaar) Wholesale / Central Stores (681) Primary Consumer Co-operative Stores (26469) University College Consumers Stores Consumers Stores of Industrial Workers Consumers Stores for Rural Population Objectives of consumer co-operatives: To educate the consumers to keep their needs within the income limit. Stabilization of market rates. To supply the goods and services regularly at reasonable costs. To protect the consumers from black marketing, increase in market rates, scarcity, cheating and adulteration. To supply proper unadulterated goods and to use proper measurement (weighing scales). To inculcate the habit of savings and economy among the consumers. To control the profit-making tendency Need and importance of consumer co-operatives: Supply of things and services as per needs- The consumer co-operative societies are formed to satisfy the needs goods and services as demanded by the consumers. There are directly contracts with producers and manufacturers of things and required goods are purchased directly from them, thereby the consumers can be supplied with the goods as demanded. Eradication of malpractices of traders- It is found that there are many malpractices in trading like black marketing, artificial scarcity, cheating in measurements, hoarding, etc. proper measurements are not used whereby the consumer becomes ultimate victim of all these malpractices by the traders. There is no place for all these things in co-operative consumer societies and so the consumers are attracted towards them. Necessity of time: India has adopted financial planning and there is importance for public distribution of essentialities of life. The consumer co-operative societies help the government in distributing these essentialities to rural and urban areas of our country. These societies have become very important day by day. Since these societies have been entrusted the job distribution, the consumers are saved from financial exploitation and hardship. Establishment of proper trading system: The consumer co-operative societies supply good quality of things at reasonable cost by using right measurement and pure things. Hence from the viewpoint of customers these societies are very important. Eradication of traders chain: There is long chain in between the producers and consumers. The things are sold at higher cost to consumers because the middlemen add their own profit and expenses. The consumer co-operative societies directly purchase the goods from the producers and chain of middleman can be avoided. Apna Bazaar Apna Bazaar is probably the oldest and largest consumer co-operative multi-state society with a customer base of over 12 lakhs. The Rs 140-crore retail chain, that, for over 55 years remained largely middle-class, Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa. It recorded a turnover of Rs 127 crore for the year 2003-04. Apna Bazar, the synonym for the basic needs, Brand name of Mumbai Kamgar Madhyavarti Grahak Sahakari Mandal Ltd Date of Incorporation 9th May 1948 Constitution Multi State Co-operative Society Sector Private Industry Retailing Registered Office 106-A, Govingi Keni Road, Naigaon, Dadar [East], Mumbai 400014 Role of Apna Bazaar: Apna bazaar plays a vital role by market intervention during the shortages of essential commodities. The distribution of these items is taken up by the Apna Bazaar at a loss to fulfill its social commitments. At times of need, Apna Bazaar has diverted its manpower and resources, even at the cost of its own commercial interest, for the public good. Objectives of Apna Bazaar: To undertake wholesale and retail distribution of consumer goods and essential commodities; and to establish department stores; To foster the growth products and new manufacturing units through market support and management advice To lower distribution costs and to introduce fair and better trading practices such as fixed prices etc; and Eradication of malpractices of traders black marketing, artificial scarcity, cheating in measurements, adulteration, etc. Necessity of time public distribution of essential commodities in rural and urban areas. Elimination of middlemen. Management and Organization: Apna Bazaar is headed by a management team comprising a chairman, vice chairman and Hon secretaries. The team largely provides direction to the organization and is not involved in the day-to-day affairs. The day-to-day affairs are managed by an executive team, which consists of a general manager, additional general manager and office bearers of the organization. Outlet Apna Bazaar has a customer base of over 12 lakhs. Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa.The break up of the stores is: Items Sold By Apna Bazaar Apna Bazaar has the following three main categories of items: Agro products Branded products Rural products Apna Bazaar sells an immense variety of items through its various departments/retail outlets. These are described below: Furniture: All type of wooden furniture, steel furniture library furniture, hospital furniture, revolving chairs, computer furniture, mattresses, pillows, sofa cushion. Household: Steel utensils, aluminum utensils, non stock, gas stoves, locks, mixer-grinder, juice-cum-mixer grinder, hot-cases, room heater, room convector, geysers, all type of fans, electrical goods, washing machine, air-conditioners, water cooler, voltage stabilizer, generator set, crockery, flasks, plastic items, electrical bulb/tubes and tube fittings, table lamp, emergency light, cell, torch, electric wire, desert cooler, exhaust fans. Footwear: Shoes, sandals, ladies purse, belt, umbrella, school, bag, suit cases, brief cases, file box, file bag, luggage bag. Textile: Woolen suiting, tericot suiting and shirting, blanket, blazer, bed-sheets, pillow cover, dress material, all types of sarees, markein cloth, long cloth, voil, mulmul khadi etc. Handloom: Towels, dusters, curtain cloth, bed-covers, carpets, quilt, durries, jute matting, blankets, pillow covers, door-mats, PVC flooring. Ready Made Garments: Pants, shirts, undergarments, socks, sweaters, leather jackets, ladies suits, petticoats, children garments, rain coats, over-coats, mosquito mat, curtain tapes, machine oil, raxine. Stationery: All types of duplicating, typing, photocopies paper, printing paper, all types of rules registers in different sizes peon books, dak pads, pens, pencils, pen stands, eraser, markers, sign pens, gum-bottles scales, colours, art material, sealing wax, white fluid, sutle, stencil and carbon paper, all type of computer stationery, butter paper, crepe paper, glaze paper, graph paper, file covers, log books, all type of printed forms (Govt. offices), PVC sheet for binding purposes, transparency sheets, ledgers, cash books calculators, computer floppy, fax roll, typewriting ribbon, ammonia paper rolls. Watches: Watches of reputed companies like Titan. Grocery Toiletries: Pulses, spices, atta, rice, oils, tea leaves, and various other edible items, insecticides, disinfectants, phenyle, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, tissue rolls and napkins etc. Medical Surgical Equipment: All types of medicines, medical surgical equipment etc. Members Benefits: Dividend on shares at 12% to individuals, society and government. Purchase rebate on share amount 10% each year. Attractive rate of interest up to 9% on fixed deposit by the members. Facilities Offered By Apna Bazaar to Consumers: Apna Bazaar provides the following facilities to consumers: Quality products at reasonable prices. Variety of items under one roof. 24 hours drugs outlets. Self-service counters Items of high quality tested by its quality- testing laboratory. Display boards and price lists at various counters to enable the customer to make his/her choice. Home delivery, but this facility is only available for purchase from branches. Discount sales periodically on various items Location: The location for the store is selected taking in consideration the residential population in the area, the standard of living of the people, the amount of business the other shops are doing and also future development that are likely to take place in that area in future. Area covered: Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa. However the density of Apna Bazaar is high in Naigoan and Chembur Space required: The minimum requirement of area for setting up Apna Bazaar is1000 sq.feet. The biggest store is at Vashi, which is spread across 27000 sq.feet. Target segments: The store was started keeping in mind the lower middle class section of the society. But gradually it has moved up the consumer ladder with the inclusion of the middle class as its target consumer. Now slowly it is drawing the upper class towards it. It now caters to almost all the segments of the society depending on the location. In order to attract the upper class to combat growing competition in the retail industry it is making changes in its product-mix. Change in product Mix: The above table indicates decline in the sales of Rice, Wheat, Pulses etc which shows the change in the food culture/consumption pattern of the consumer. It indicates that the consumers inclination towards ready-to-eat food is increasing. Taking this into consideration Apna Bazaar had made has made appropriate changes in its Product Mix. Slowly the Percentage of food grains, pulses has declined and that of FMCG products has increased. In a couple of years the percentage of poultry products in the product mix would increase whereas that of food grains pluses etc. would decline. This would further change the product -mix of Apna Bazaar. Store Layout: Layout of shop Apna Bazaar does not have any specific layout of shop. But in most of outlet the 1st division you would come out is Vegetable, Fruit, Medical product, food grains, and FMCG product. The only think that is kept under consideration that Heavy Product like 5kg. Sugar, 10kg. Wheat, 5 ltr. Oil is near cash counter for convenience of customer. In case of display they see to it that display at entrance is very colorful attractive. Hence they display cosmetics FMCG product. Besides product, which is new to the market, are also displayed to grab attention of consumer Product Display: The brands are displayed in a very attractive manner .The decision to place a Brand on a particular shall depends upon the Market share enjoyed by the company /Brand. Usually there are 5 Shelves. Out of which 2nd, 3rd 4th shelves are most important ones on which the brand with high market share or high brand equity are placed. These products are always in demand by the customers. Footfalls: In big stores, like the departmental store at Andheri, there are 2000 to 3000 footfalls in a day (on weekdays) on weekends there are around 3000 to 3500 footfalls. In small outlets there are around 100 footfalls on regular days .On weekends there are 200 to 250 footfalls. The footfalls are more especially on Sunday. The footfalls are more in evening between 6.30pm. 8.30pm .Whereas the footfalls are comparatively low during the afternoon slot of 1.30-3.30 pm. Keeping this in mind stores are closed down during this time. In this time the staff are rearrange the merchandise in the store. Sources of Income: Retailing is their core activity and a major part of their income come from the various retail outlets. They supply commodities like Dal, Pulses, Food grains, Cereals to Govt. Institutions, Hospitals for their Canteens. A 30 Days credit is given to them. They also earn income from the company racks that they display in their outlets. These racks contain the products of the particular company and the in turn pays Apna Bazaar for displaying these racks. E.g. Maggie, Colgate, Pepsodent, Vicks, Nescafe etc. They provide space to companies e.g. MEPL (Electronic goods) in order to display and sell their goods by charging rent for space provided. They have 37 Franchise outlets, which act as a source of income for Apna Bazaar as Apna Bazaar supplies 70% of goods. Provide place to banks for opening ATM center by charging rent since almost all the outlets are owned by Apna bazaar. MetLife India signed an agreement with Apna Bazaar Co-operative for selling life insurance policies. Based on the agreement, Apna Bazaar Co-operative shall become corporate agents for MetLife India and offer MetLife India products to its huge customer base. Henceforth Apna Bazaar will enable its customers to build financial freedom through MetLife India products based on need analysis. Apna Bazaar will receive a commission of 35% on Premium amount. Exports: Apna Bazaar is a 55 year old co-operative organization with US $ 37 million annual turnover through 07 departmental stores, 06 super markets 65 retail outlets. Apna bazaar used to export commodities like fish and grapes to Europe. In spite of good earnings on exports they have discontinued the exports from this year .Thus the reasons for the discontinuation were due to: The goods were seasonal in nature. In case of grapes the Jalgoan region in which grapes where cultivated was hit by drought, thereby by affecting the production of grapes. Besides the grapes were sprayed with certain chemicals which were banned in the European countries, thereby further affecting the exports. Besides exports is not Apna Bazaars core activity therefore the decision to discontinue exports was taken. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Goodwill- Apna Bazaar has built its image over the years as a value for money store, which supplies good quality goods at economical price. Number of Outlets- Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets spread all over Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region, Lanza (Bombay-Goa road), among other places in Maharashtra. All these areas are easily accessible as public transportation is available. Hence providing easy accessibility to the customers. Team work- Although there is no training imparted to the employees at the outlets, there is co-ordination and understanding between them due to which the work goes on smoothly creating a win-win situation for both, the management and the employees. Modernization- Apna Bazaar makes use of modern technology to maintain correct supplier bills and giving accurate bills to customers giving details of each purchase and most importantly showing him the savings he has made while purchasing from Apna Bazaar. They also possess total details of their sales and the percentage of sales in each category so they know where the sales are high and where they are lagging behind. Genuine Products- The products of Apna Bazaar are genuine as they purchase it directly from the companies. Lots of imitations of consumables such as honey, oil, etc. are available in many stores. People get cheated, as it is not easy to identify them. CRM- Apna Bazaar organizes a customer meet for their regular customers called MELAVDA at their anniversary to build stronger relations with their customers. On this day, the customers are offered purchase discounts which show that they have taken corrective steps towards customer satisfaction. Weaknesses Capital- Raising capital for expansion and improvement is also a constraint. Apna Bazaar is bounded by the laws of consumer co-operatives due to which they cannot raise funds from open market. There is also limit prescribed by the consumer co-operatives for number of shares issued by Apna Bazaar. This is a major drawback for Apna Bazaar. Ageing society- Apna Bazar started after World War 2 when there was need of essential commodities at lower prices. But, after liberalization many super markets and hypermarkets have opened up due to which there is explosion of choices. Moreover, people today have the money to go for convenience shopping, and hence, the purpose for opening the co-operative is defeated. Obstacles in recruitment: Apna Bazar does not have the budget to recruit skilled staff. The employees are not well educated and hence, they are not aware of the management practices. A qualified employee demands higher salary, which cannot be given by Apna Bazaar due to their constraints. Hence they cannot appoint a MBA a managerial job. No online retailing: Apna Bazar does not have information about its products online. They should have their own website as it is very important in todays world. They could even learn about customer grievances by the feedback. Price fluctuation: Price Fluctuation is a major threat to Apna Bazar. If the product is bought at a higher price is has to be sold at that price only so as not to incur losses. For example, the price of oil fluctuates a lot. So if the price for oil is Rs. 820 for a can when it is purchased, it will be sold at Rs 820 per can even if the price falls to Rs. 800 per can. In this case the oil available from other shops will be cheaper. Opportunities Brand building: Apna Bazaar can take efforts to build its brand image. For this purpose, a marketing firm can he hired. This will attract more and more people to its outlets. Also, they have upgraded their outlets. This can be the base for attracting more customers as they will soon have all air conditioned stores. Expansion: Apna Bazaar can expand its outlets to other states. At present, they have discovered interests from Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The initiation is on the anvil. Development in suburbs: People are now moving in the suburbs; infrastructure is developing due to which there is huge potential to attract more customers. Retailing boom: Retailing today is not only about selling at the shop, but also about surveying the market, offering choice and experience to consumers, competitive prices and retaining consumers as well. The establishment of supermarkets and convenience stores has been a great effort to communicate the advantages of organized retailing to customers. Threats: Malls- There are a large number of malls that offer discounts the discounts offered by them are as good as those offered by Apna Bazaar because the malls purchase in bulk and can hence afford to give heavy discounts to the customers. The customer has an explosion of choices and will prefer shopping at these big malls because of the ambience. They get the complete shopping experience at malls. Hence, malls are a major threat for Apna Bazaar. Competition from other stores in terms of- Customer Centric Approach: Most other stores take feedback from the customers in form of grievances, opinions and suggestions. They can find out customer needs and ways to satisfy them. Image: Image of a private retailer is more modern and advanced compared to that of Apna Bazaar. The display is also more attractive in other super markets and hypermarkets compared to Apna Bazaar. Future Plans: Apna Bazaar plans to open outlets in the new housing colonies coming up in the interior suburbs like Kandivli and Thane. Increasing the distribution reach is a strategy to counter competition the co-operative plans to increase its outlets from 80 at present to about 100 by next year. This would comprise department stores, super markets, franchisee outlets and medical stores, both in Maharashtra as well as rest of the country. Apart from that, it has money transfer facility under an arrangement with Western Union money transfer. On the tie-up with HPCL for having Apna Bazaar outlets at the petrol pumps, so far three HPCL pumps have Apna Bazaar outlets and the results are still being analyzed. Apna Bazaar Co-operative has embarked on a restructuring exercise and has appointed Darashaw and Company as strategic consultants. The restructuring involves exiting certain business while adding more services, to be provided under its umbrella. The restructuring plan involves exiting out of businesses like export of fish and grapes, milk processing, manufacturing bakery products like biscuits and also pickles papads and spices. Online booking for provisions through the Net and a centralized system to control inventory are also on the anvil. To begin with the co-operative plans to have a dedicated call center for customers to phone in their requirements, which would then be delivered from the nearest Apna Bazaar outlet. An online presence, on the lines of Sangam Direct-the online initiative of HLL-is under consideration. To ensure minimum inventory and maximum rotation, the co-operative is planning to centralize its supply chain management. It is talking to FMCG majors like Tata, Nestle, HLL and PG to ensure rotation without building up much inventory. While the super markets would be serviced directly by the companies, the requirements of franchisee outlets would be met by Apna Bazaar to ensure better co-ordination. Apna Bazaar operates the Akshay Labh Yojana scheme wherein the customers can deposit Rs. 10,000 at any point of time in the year and get items worth Rs. 100 per month free. They also have term deposit schemes. Apna Bazaar has also entered into an eCRM tie-up with Venture Infotek, the e-infrastructure solutions provider, whereby Venture Infotek provides the integrated end-to-end solutions, with the shared infrastructure and payment-as-you-use payment mechanism, without investment in infrastructure. The first thing on Apna Bazaars plans is to work on all 365 days like other big players. Upgrading the skills of their manpower and create vehicle parking facility are also in their agenda. They plan to have a tie-up with Citibank on co-branding. Regarding credit card, they are on the verge of signing a MoU with SBI. As visual merchandising, a new way for presenting the products will be introduced. The National Consumers Co-Operative Federation has approached Apna Bazaar and enquired about the possibility of running department stores under the brand name Apna Bazaar in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Apna Bazaar is planning to open another outlet in Goa as they have got a good response from the supermarket. Recommendations: Government interference has had a major effect on the democratic setup of Apna Bazaar. Therefore, lesser dependence on government should be opted for. Government should help stores like Apna Bazaar with credit at cheaper interest rates. Apna Bazaar should improve their capital assets by enrolling more members and also introduce more product varieties. In the coming years, the economy will be dominated by the retailing sector. Times are changing, organizations are changing. Changing according to times is inevitable. Apna Bazaar has to change its traditional viewpoints. It should adopt new techniques and accept change wholeheartedly. Bringing qualitative changes in their skill and especially mindset will help it to survive competition. Apna Bazaar can open one outlet offering all the products it sells in the 80 outlets so that people get all products offered by Apna Bazaar under one roof. Other activities: Healthy child competition for member children. Ayurvedic camp conducted by apna bazaar every year in November. Consumer bulletins are printed and distributed to consumers, which gives them information about various products stored by them.

In Our Time Reader Response :: time

In Our Time Reader Response "In the early morning on the lake sitting in the stern of the boat with his father rowing, he felt quite sure that he would never die" (19). The first four readings of In Our Time seem to be primarily focused on the life/death relationship that life presents. After reading the first story, I have to be perfectly honest in saying that I do not believe that I understood all of the underlining themes, but did start to focus more intently when the story describes the women on the pier with the dead babies. Automatically, this imagery made me think of the response passage from this set of reading. Denying oneself that death exists and that it, ultimately, a part of everyone's life seemed to be a common philosophic element that both of the stories possessed. Just as Nick reassured himself that the inevitable would never to him, the women on the pier with their six-day-dead (!) babies that "wouldn't give them up". I think that the connection to Hemingway's life in these elements possibly show or admit the Lost Generation's tendency to deny to themselves that they were susceptible to harm and death. An example of this is the char acter in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road tended to lead a free and reckless lifestyle of drugs, partying, and freedom that seemed to have no limits or consequences. Another example of the life/death relationship that seems to be exemplified in the first four pieces of Hemingway's novel is the conflicts that arise during Indian Camp. Rather than Nick expressing the sole fact that he believes he is not going to die, I believe that, because of his father, he misunderstood the concept of dying. I believe that the passage that stated, "he felt quite sure that he would never die" was essentially a reaction to the pregnant woman's husband's suicide. Because that was the topic that arose during the story, I believe that Nick interpreted the situation that "death" was equal to "suicide" and, in believing that he would never commit suicide, ultimately believes that he will, thus, never die. I also believe that there is significance in the way in which Nick's father spoke to him while performing the C-section on the woman. He said something along the lines of "you can watch this or not" meaning that, even I Nick didn't watch his father perform the surgery, it was still taking place and, thus, just a part or fact of life.

Censorship Laws and Practices in China Essay -- Internet Cyberspace Ce

Censorship Laws and Practices in China Introduction China joined the global Internet age in 1994, and has been commercially available since 1995. Since then, Chinese Internet usage has seen explosive growth, doubling every six months, and the number of online users is only second to the US. The Internet age ushered in the information age with a new world of freedom and expression for the Chinese. However, soon after its inception, the Chinese government has reined in the free wheeling Internet users and has imposed new laws and restrictions to access and content on the Internet. It is interesting to note that some of the new Internet regulations contradict International Laws signed by the Chinese government. China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1998 that states that â€Å"Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print†¦or through any other media of his choice†. Overview of China’s Internet Censorship Practices Since the internet's inception in China, regulations have been in place in order to protect â€Å"state secrets†. The first such law was the â€Å"Safety and Protection Regulations for Computer Information Systems†1 put into place in 1994. This law opened the door for monitoring of Internet usage for criminal and other activities. In 1997, the â€Å"Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and Management Regulations† strengthened the monitoring by requiring all Internet Service Providers in China to turn over monthly Internet traffic data to government’s Public Security Bureau. The new millennium ushe... ...lobal: Censorship On The Rise- Freedom House Study Finds More Government Efforts To Curb The Net http://www.itaa.org/isec/pubs/e20007-5.pdf 6.Rights & Democracy- Review of China's Internet Regulations and Domestic Legislation http://www.ichrdd.ca/english/commdoc/publications/globalization/legislationInternetChinaEng.pdf 7.A Gift of Fire, A: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing, by Sara Baase 8.Internet Privacy http://www.e-businessethics.com/internet.htm 9.China's Cyberwall Nearly Concrete http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56195,00.html 10.Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism http://www.eff.org/Censorship/Terrorism_militias/antiterrorism_chill.html 11.Control of the Internet in China, by Keasha Martindill, November 2013 http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/chinadn/en/archives/Control%20of%20the%20Internet%20in%20China.doc

Review of Home security Systems

Chapter 1IntroductionSecurity is one of the major issue in the present universe. Robbery, offense and larceny are the chief important causes that make security as an issue. Smart security system includes easiness of monitoring and observing the presence of the human utilizing different type of detectors like IR, PIR detector etc. Earlier security systems were personally monitored by security guards. Scope of this type of system was reduced due to unprofessional security guards. Therefore to get the better of this, many research workers have been done in the country of the place security to run into occupant’s convenience and safety. Conventional security systems were introduced which used cameras, burglar dismay. Main drawback of this system was the big power ingestion by cameras as they continuously enter the events traveling around it [ 1 ] . This system was costlier. To supply excess bed of security and to get the better of the disadvantage of conventional security system, machine-controlled security systems were introduced. Many researches have been done in the field of development and execution of automated security system. Automated security system uses different types of detector to observe the human presence and gesture. IR and PIR detectors are the most widely used detectors. Advantage of this system was low cost and easiness of observing the interloper presence. Home security system becomes as an of import thing, specially when we are populating in a topographic point where there is a possibility of high-crime rate. It is better to hold good security system alternatively of seting our lives into a hazard. Three chief constituents that are to be considered in put ining a place security system are detector, dismay and control unit. Sensor is the constituent that monitor the country continuously. Once it detects any motion, it will do the dismay to trip. Control unit helps the dismay to do sound so that if there is an invasion activity takes topographic point it could be identified. Home security system can be operated to run on electrical system or on batteries.Installing an battery operated place security system is easy but are less effectual compared to those system that run on electricity. Less functionality can be seen in battery operated system. There are many different types of dismay system. For smaller places self contained place security systems are easy to put in but for big houses or office infinite, place security system holding separate constituents leads to efficient security system compared to self contained place security system. 1.1 Problem Designation Main and of import consideration in the bing modern places is the security system. Earlier the place security systems were expensive and were really difficult to supervise. In order to get the better of the drawbacks of the earlier conventional security systems and to carry through the security concerns of the house proprietors, an efficient and cost effectual security systems were introduced. One of the chief job in the bing security system is the architecture and execution cost. Hence this undertaking aims at security system for places that introduces three different degrees of security and an notification signal via short directing message ( SMS ) will be achieved if any instance of security breach. 1.2Why do we Need Home Security System? Now-a-days with the emerging tendencies in the universe, condemnable activities like larceny, robbery has besides been increased. Homes without security systems will be the chief marks for the stealers. Homes equipped with the well developed security system will hold less opportunity of being robbed. Security system enables our place to be safe at any clip. As security system uses different constituents, these constituents will be monitored by the several security centre. Hence there will be decrease in the offense rates.Home security system is needed to forestall burglaries and place invasions. Installing a security system in places provides a piece of head that our household is under protection. Alarm systems will assist to hedge the place invasions. It is non possible to supervise the place continuously by manual hence this sytem will gives added protection when the place proprietors are off. security system will besides assist in protecting the place from fire. Early sensing of t he state of affairss by the monitoring station will assist in cut downing the harm to the home.Security is needed because of the undermentioned groundsTo protect the place and household from interlopers.To protect place from fires.To protect valuable things from being stolen.Provides medical aid if in instance of any exigency.Secured signifier of proctor can be achieved through radio signalling device.1.3 Types There are many different types of security system. Security systems are classified into two major classs viz. conventional and automated security system. Another categorization includes monitored and unmonitored security system. 1.3.1 Monitored security system: This is one of the most normally used security system. In this type of security system centre, place will be straight connected to security centre and this centre will supervise the position of the place continuously. Security centre will be active merely when any one of the constituents or supervising devices in the place are triggered. System includes dismay system that alerts call centre and near by constabulary station. In many of the systems, watchful causes the security centre to do an automatic phone call, text message, e-mail etc to the house proprietor or to the close by help-line centre for the immediate deliverance. BenefitsSystem includes 24/7 monitoring that ensures that the place is under changeless monitoring.Video surveillance system can besides be included to increase the security of the place.Video survelliance system is most effectual in monitoring and observing the interlopers, belongings tresspassers.As cameras are used in this type of system, it can besides be used as an grounds against an interloper.1.3.1.2 Types of monitoring Monitored place security system uses three different type of supervising methods they are ( a ) Monitoring utilizing land line: This is specially designed for families that have landline. Because of the ground that the security system control panel is connected to phone line, land line is used as monitoring device. ( B ) Internet/wireless monitoring: This system is used in places that don’t have landline. System makes usage of cyberspace or broadband connexion to direct watchful signal to security centre via short directing message or electronic mail. ( degree Celsius ) Two-way voice monitoring: This is one of the particular type of monitoring device that is used in supervising type of security system. One of the particular characteristic of this system is that it allows the individual inside the place to straight pass on with the individual in the security centre in instance of any exigency for immediate deliverance. 1.3.2 Unmonitored security system This is the another categorization of place security system which sets off a Siren inside and outside the place. Compared to monitored place security system, this system will be cheaper as it does non include more constituents for monitoring. Unmonitored security systems can besides utilize brassy visible radiations. If there is any invasion activity taking topographic point in the place, so automatically these brassy visible radiations will glow. Due to that high strength light breathing from the peculiar topographic point, the neighbors can come to cognize that there is any exigency. BenefitsNo monitoring fees.As loud Siren will be used this will deflect and scares the intruder/burglars.Cheaper as less monitoring constituents are used.DisadvantageIf the neighbor does non hear the Sirens so they can’t describe it to the close by constabulary station.1.4Overview of the proposed system Figure 1.4 Overview of the Proposed System Overview of the proposed smart security system for places is as shown in figure above. The undertaking is aimed at developing a smart security system for places. Undertaking has been planned to include three-tier security system. Three different degrees of security is used in this undertaking. Security system is designed and developed to supervise the place utilizing different type of detectors. Proposed system uses detectors like Finger-print detector, IR detector, PIR detector at different degrees and besides makes usage of Image treating tool in face acknowledgment procedure. At the first degree of security, finger-print detector is used for hallmark to let the individual into the place. When the person/intruder comes to the door, his/her finger print will be checked. If the finger print lucifers so the individual will be allowed to come in into the following degree of security procedure. At the 2nd degree of security, entry of the individual into the place will be detected utilizing IR detector. This detector will feel certain features of the milieus by either breathing or observing the infrared radiation that emits from the human organic structure. Hence the human presence will be detected at this phase. PIR detector is an gesture detection detector that detects the human gesture utilizing infrared radiation breathing from the human organic structure. As a individual passes in forepart of the detector, temperature at that point which is under detectors field of observation will alter. This alteration in temperature detects the human gesture. Finally at the 3rd degree, image of the individual will be captured. Here some images of the individuals belonging to the place will be pre-stored. Then the captured image is compared is compared with the pre-stored database, if the databases does non fit so an watchful signal will be generated. Alert signal includes doorbell and GSM engineering. If the image does non fit so at that clip doorbell will get down beeping and an short sending message will be sent to the authorised figure as an watchful signal utilizing GSM engineering. The full undertaking is designed and developed utilizing constituents like Finger-print detector, IR detector, PIR detector, accountant unit, consecutive port, webcam, doorbell, GSM etc. One of the characteristics of this designed place security system is that an Image processing tool is used in combination with the embedded system to plan three-level smart security system for places. Face acknowledgment is used as an 3rd degree of security. This method includes the face acknowledgment which is one of the important and of import process in face acknowledgment method. In this undertaking, cross correlativity attack is used. This is one of the basic statistical attack to image regristration. cross correlativity is one of the standard tool for measuring the similarity between two images. Main ground for choosing the cross correlativity attack in this undertaking is due to its advantages. First advantage is that attack is simple to calculate. Second is the calculation of cross correlativity can be achieved utilizing fourier methods. One more advantage is that cross correlativity method is independent of scaling and interlingual renditions in the strength. 1.5 Advantages The advantages of place security system are:Detects offenses, protects ownerships from larcenies.As the system includes three different degrees of security, there will be less opportunity of being theft as dismay sound will be generated that alerts the neighbors.There will be increase in the place resale value during sale in the market.

Art or Propaganda? Essay

1. Introduction. W.E.B. Dubois and Alain Locke were important contributors to the epoch called â€Å"Harlem Renaissance†. With their writings atrists wanted to do something against racism, they wanted to show that the African – Americans don’t have to feel inferior. Writing in the April, 1915, issue of Crisis, DuBois said: â€Å"In art and literature we should try to loose the tremendous emotional wealth of the Negro and the dramatic strength of his problems through writing †¦ and other forms of art. We should resurrect forgotten ancient Negro art and history, and we should set the black man before the world as both a creative artist and a strong subject for artistic treatment.† DuBois stated what were to be recurrent themes of the decade of the twenties: the Negro as a producer and a subject of art, and the Negro’s artistic output as indices of his contribution to American life. (Linnemann R.J. p 79) In essense, both Locke and DuBois agreed about what constituted good art. It was the function of art on which they did not agree. DuBois doubted if one could really have a disembodied art or beauty; but Locke was not seeking for the Negro writer a disembodied beauty. (Linnemann, R.J. p 92) DuBois strongly disagreed with Locke’s view that â€Å"Beauty rather than Propaganda should be the object of Negro literature and art. †¦If Mr. Locke’s thesis is insisted upon too much is going to turn the Negro Renaissance into decadence.† (Marable, M.. p 130) First I will give some basical facts about the Harlem Renaissance. In the main part I will show the opinions of A. Locke, who preferred arts, and W.E.B. DuBois, who was for propaganda. In point three I will write about DuBois’s life. After that I will show what he wanted in general. The last part of point three I will show why he was for propaganda. Therefore I analysed several of his works, especially his paper â€Å"Criteria of Negro art†. In point four I will introduce Alain Locke with a short biography and then I will show what he wanted for the African – Americans. The second part of point four will show why he preferred art. My focus will be on his anthology â€Å"The New Negro† and his article â€Å"Art or Propaganda?†. Basically there were thoughts which DuBois and Locke shared. One example is the idea of education which will play a role in point five. In point six I will give a short summary. 2. The Harlem Renaissance In the early 1900s, particularly in the 1920s, African-American literature, art, music, dance, and social commentary began to flourish in Harlem, a section of New York City. This African-American cultural movement became known as â€Å"The New Negro Movement† and later as the Harlem Renaissance. More than a literary movement, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African-Americans and redefined African-American expression. African-Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage. (Johnson, W.) One of the factors contributing to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance was the great migration of African-Americans to northern cities (such as New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.) between 1919 and 1926. In his influential book The New Negro (1925), Locke described the northward migration of blacks as â€Å"something like a spiritual emancipation.† Black urban migration, combined with trends in American society as a whole toward experimentation during the 1920s, and the rise of radical black intellectuals — including Locke, Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), and W. E. B. DuBois, editor of The Crisis magazine – all contributed to the particular styles and unprecedented success of black artists during the Harlem Renaissance period. (http://encarta.msn.com) More than a literary movement and more than a social revolt against racism, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African-Americans and  redefined African-American expression. African-Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage and to become â€Å"The New Negro,† a term coined in 1925 by sociologist and critic Alain LeRoy Locke. 3. About W.E.B. DuBois – what did he want? Pioneer in the struggle for Afro-American liberation and for African liberation, prolific black scholar, W.E.B. DuBois (1868 – 1963) was one of the giants of the twentieth century. (Foner, flap text) DuBois’ mature vision was a reconcilation of the â€Å"sense of double consciousness† – the â€Å"two warring ideals† of being both black and American. He came to accept struggle and conflict as essential elements of life, but he continued to believe in the inevitable progress of the human race – that out of individual struggles against a divided self and political struggles of the oppressors, a broader and fuller human life would emerge that would benefit all of mankind (Kerry W.). Dr. Dubois was awarded the first Spingarn Medal in 1920. This was awarded â€Å"to that Negro who achieved the highest in any human endeavor.† He was an activist for global affairs, editor of the NAACP Crisis publication, and set up the meeting for the first Pan-African Congress. He was an individual of principle and conviction. The seeds he planted still nourish us today. (http://www.websn.com/Pride/Pride/w.htm) To reach racial equality he founded the Niagara Movement – a group of African-American leaders committed to an active struggle for racial equality. The Niagara Movement was founded in 1905, by a group of African-Americans, led by W. E. B. Du Bois, John Hope, and William Monroe Trotter, who called for full civil liberties, an end to racial discrimination, and recognition of human brotherhood. (http://en.wikipedia.org) W.E.B. DuBois saw that racism and prejudices are a problem. Therefore he wrote: â€Å"Once upon a time in my younger years and in the dawn of this century  I wrote: ‘The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.’ It was a pert and singing phrase which I then liked and which since I have often rehearsed to my soul and asked:–how far is this prophecy or speculation? Today in the last years of the century’s first quarter, let us examine the matter again, especially in the memory of that great event of these great years, the World War. Fruit of the bitter rivalries of economic imperialism, the roots of the catastrophe were in Africa, deeply entwined at bottom with the problems of the color line. And of the legacy left, the problems the world inherits hold the same fatal seed; world dissension and catastrophe still lurk in the unsolved problems of race relations. What then is the world view that the consideration of this question offers?.(DuBois, W.E.B. â€Å"The Negro Mind Reaches Out†) DuBois wanted to encourage African – American people. In his essay â€Å"On Being Ashamed Of Oneself† from 1933 he described the feeling of inferiority. At the same time he encouraged the people to feel confident â€Å"†¦we must oppose all segregation and all racial patriotism; we must salute the American flag and sing ‘Our country’ Tis of Thee’ with devotion and fervor, and we must fight for our rights with long and carefully planned campaigns; uniting for this purpose with all sympathetic people, colored and white. †¦ But there are certain practical difficulties connected with this program which are becoming more and more clear today. First of all comes the fact that we are still ashamed of ourselves and are thus stopped from valid objection when white folks are ashamed to call us human.† (Weinberg, M. p 12) DuBois wanted to fight against the problems which African – Americans have. Their bad situation was explained in his paper â€Å"The Study Of The Negro Problems†: â€Å"†¦let us inquire somewhat more carefully under the form under which the Negro problems present themselves today after 275 years of evolution. Their existence is plainly manifested by the fact that a definitely segregated mass of eight millions of Americans do not wholly share the national life of the people, are not an integral part of the social body. The points at which they fail to be incorporated into this group life constitute the particular  Negro problems, which can be divided into two distinct and correlated parts, depending on two facts: First – Negroes do not share the full national life because as a mass they have not reached a sufficiently high grade of culture. Secondly – They do not share the full national life because there has always existed in America a conviction – varying in intensity, but always widespread – that people of Negro blood should not be admitted into the group life of the nation no matter what their condition might be. Considering the problems arising from the backward development of Negroes, we may say that the mass of this race does not reach the social standards of the nation with respect to a) Economic condition, b) Mental training, c) Social efficiency. † (Foner, p 108) Du Bois was a pioneer advocate of the black beauty concept and of black power although he refrained from attaching a color tag. In his â€Å"Immediate Program of the American Negro† (April, 1915) he asserted: â€Å"The Negro must have power; the power of men, the right to do, to know, to feel and express that knowledge, action and spiritual gift. He must not simply be free from the political tyranny of white folk, he must have the right to vote and rule over the citizens, white and black, to the extent of his proven foresight and ability.† (Moon, H.L.) One way of looking at it is that the Harlem Renaissance attacked the superstructure of White supremacy while legal and political activists in the 1930s and 1940s began to attack the daily practice of racism through the courts and demonstrations. For example, the Harlem Renaissance is generally credited with heightening awareness of the cultural contributions that African and African American peoples have made to American culture, specifically in music, dance, poetry, and speech, as well as in agriculture, medicine, and inventions. Here the idea was that (1) racism in America would be undermined not only through protest against racist practices, but also by changing the prevailing images and associations that European Americans, especially educated European Americans, had about Black people. And then (2)  by disseminating positive images of African Americans as contributors to American Culture, many of these Harlem Renaissance intellectuals hoped to raise the self-esteem of Black people themselves. A people with a higher self-esteem would be more resistant to segregation and discrimination, and more willing to challenge the system than those who were demoralized. (Powell, R.) 3.1. How did he want to reach his aims? After scholar Alain Locke compiled the New Negro – heralding a younger generation of black voices and establishing Harlem as a cultural center – Du Bois vented his ire about the state of the arts in Harlem. At the NAACP’s annual convention in June 1926, Du Bois delivered a lecture entitled â€Å"Criteria of Negro Art† in which he insisted that all relevant art should be propaganda. The lecture was later published in a special Crisis series, â€Å"The Negro in Art.† (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/) In his paper â€Å"Criteria of Negro art† W.E.B. DuBois wrote: â€Å"Thus all art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art I have for writing has been folk to love and enjoy. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda. But I do care when propaganda is confined to one side while the other is stripped and silent.† (Weinberg, M. p 258) DuBois didn’t totally reject art but in his opinion art is supposed to have a message. He points out that there is no need to feel inferior and because of that Black people should fight for their rights. â€Å"Colored people have said: ‘This work must be inferior because it comes from colored people.’ White people have said: ‘It is inferior because it is done by colored people.’ But today there is coming to both the realization that the work of the black man is not always inferior.’ † ( W.E.B. DuBois â€Å"Criteria of Negro art† in: Weinbeg, M. p 255) I already mentioned that Harlem Renaissance intellectuals wanted to raise people’s self – esteem. In his paper â€Å"Criteria of Negro Art† DuBois also emphasizes that the art coming from African – Americans is good. â€Å"And then you know what will be said? It is already being said. Just as soon as true art emerges; just as soon as the black artist appears, someone touches the race on the shoulder and says, 2he did that because he was an American, not because he was a Negro; he was born here; he was trained here; he is not a Negro – what is a Negro anyhow? He is just human; it is the kind of thing you ought to expect. I do not doubt that the ultimate art coming from black folk is going to be just as beautiful, and beautiful largely in the same ways, as the art that comes from white folk, or yellow, or red; but the point today is that until the art of black folk compels recognition, they will not be rated as human. And when through art they compel recognition, then let the world discover if it will, that their atr is as new as it is old and as old as new.† (Weinberg, M. p 260) Du Bois’ extreme attitude regarding the relationship between art and politics was not entirely shared by Alain Locke, but adequately expressed the prevailing mood among the intelligentsia in Harlem in the early and middle part of the twenties. Post-war American might still be determined to deny the Negro social, political and economic equality, but art was another matter. It was the chink in the racist’s armour. (Williams, A. p 5) DuBois believed that art could bridge cultural gaps between black and white Americans if black artists were given the opportunity to explore their talents, because, he reasoned, art can inculcate a sense of cultural heritage and identity to an oppressed group. For DuBois, African culture and African American heritage were rich enough to help blacks in the United States regain their political and cultural consciousness. DuBois started a forum of discussion in the Crisis magazine, entitled, â€Å"How Should the Negro Be Portrayed?† in which he asked artists to write in and discuss what kinds of images of Black people ought to be disseminated by artists in America. While there was a wide divergence on how much control should be imposed on what images artists should create, most believed that out of the greater access to the publishing and art world would come an abandonment of the racist imagery that predominated in popular American culture and justified, by dehumanizing Black people, the racist social and political practices that also abounded in America in the 1920s and 1930s. Du Bois even coined the phrase, â€Å"all art is propaganda† to reflect his view that the purpose of an art movement among African Americans was to combat the negative propaganda against the Negro coming from racist America with a positive propaganda for the Negro. (Powell, R.) 4. About Alain Locke. For Alain Locke, propaganda was the slanted rhetoric that cautioned the Negro writers of the Harlem Renaissance to avoid. Being a Negro, he knew the harmful effects the contented slave stereotype of a Thomas Nelson Page, the buffoonery of an early Roark Bradford, and the savage beast in the works of Thomas Dixon had on his race. He new that the works of these authors, aside from presenting such insulting and distorted images, neither had verisimilitude nor were they great literature. (Linnemann, R.J. p 91) African American philosopher – educator Alain LeRoy Locke (1886 – 1954) played an influential role in identifying, nurturing, and publishing the works of young black artists during the New Negro Movement. His philosophy served as a strong motivating force in keeping the energy and passion of the Movement at the forefront. He spent his life seeking to understand the nature of cultural conflicts and suggesting measures that must be taken to reduce conflict and allow harmony to prevail. A fundamental question that lingered in his mind was: How can a multiethnic society, such as that in the United States organize itself so that its diverse groups can live together without intense violent conflicts? (Washington, J. p vii) He served for many years as a chairman of the philosophy department at Howard University, but his main contribution to American culture lies in his efforts to make the public aware of the Negro’s aesthetic achievements – from the art and artefacts of Africa to the poetry and novels of the American writer. (The Negro Almanac, p 990) Alain Locke played an influential role in identifying, nurturing, and publishing the works of young black artists during the New Negro Movement. His philosophy served as a strong motivating force in keeping the energy and passion of the Movement at the forefront. Ernest Mason explains that: â€Å"†¦much of the creative work of the period was guided by the ideal of the New Negro which signified a range of ethical ideals that often emphasized and intensified a higher sense of group and social cohesiveness. †¦The writers†¦literally expected liberation†¦from their work and were perhaps the first group of Afro-American writers to believe that art could radically transform the artist and attitudes of other human beings.† (Dictionary of Literary Biography p 313) As a pioneer collector, Locke was one of the first Americans to write about the significance of African art, demonstrating its importance far beyond an influence on the cubists and other members of the European artistic avant-garde. He wanted all African Americans, in particular contemporary African American artists, to seek inspiration and take pride in their rich artistic heritage. To this end he lectured, organized numerous exhibitions, and wrote the introductions for several landmark catalogs of African art. (http://www.africawithin.com) In his anthology â€Å"The New Negro† (written in 1925) Alain Locke wanted to show that Afro – Americans are able to produce art and literature as well as white people. He discussed the value of black art in terms of its contribution to community. In his defining essay of 1925, â€Å"Enter the New Negro,† for instance, Locke urges young artists to embrace the fullness of their  heritage, old customs married to new possibilities. Once again, Locke emphasizes the purpose for artists in doing so: the responsibility of these artists to be leaders for their people. In Locke’s words: â€Å"With his renewed self-respect and self-dependence, the life of the Negro community is bound to enter a new dynamic phase, the buoyancy from within compensating for whatever pressure there may be of conditions without. The migrant masses, shifting from countryside to city, hurdle several generations of experience at a leap, but more important, the same thing happens spiritually in the life-attitudes and self-expression of the Young Negro, in his poetry, his art, his education and his new outlook, . . . From this comes the promise and warrant of a new leadership.†(Locke, A.: Enter The New Negro† in: Bracey, J. p 222) The â€Å"New Negro† emerged from within the black community, in contrast to the white stereotyped literary image of the comic and pathetic plantation black. Alain Locke is acknowledged as the leading black philosopher who asked blacks to recognize their African heritage as â€Å"New Negroes†. 4.1. A. Locke -how did he want to reach his aims? Writing in 1928, Alain Locke, the influential philosopher of the Harlem Renaissance, observed that the fundamental question for any anti-racist social agenda was â€Å"Art or Propaganda. Which?† (Locke, A.) Artists and writers of the movement regarded the Harlem Renaissance not simply as a spontaneous flourishing of African-American creativity but as a critical historical moment to be seized in order to alter the course of American racism. Its social mission, as Locke and many others saw it, was to overturn the prevailing perception of Blacks as inferior to whites. Its effects would be two-fold: fostering pride amongst the Black population and addressing whites from a position of strength. Yet if the anti-racist social agenda of the Harlem Renaissance were to succeed in changing people’s minds about race, Locke believed, it could not proceed rhetorically. Art could offer a new social vision; propaganda would only exacerbate the polarization of Black and white positions. (Thompson, A.) His strategy was to create a new and an own esthetic in order to strenghten the standing and the self-confidence of African-Americans. (http://userpage.fu berlin.de) For A. Locke art ist he best means to prove that Black culture and art is as good as the culture and the art of white people. â€Å"†¦ Art in the best sense is rooted in self – expression and whether naive or sophisticated is self – contained. In our spiritual growth genius and talent must more and more choose the role of group expression, or even at times the role of free individualistic expression – in a word must choose art and put aside propaganda.† (Locke, A. â€Å"Art or Propaganda?† p 312) The problem with propaganda, he argued, is that it cannot reframe the terms of the debate. To try to discredit racism is already to accord racist arguments a presumptive legitimacy. â€Å"†¦ My chief objection to propaganda, apart from its besetting sin of monotony and disproportion, is that it perpetuates the position of group inferiority even in crying out against it. For it speaks under the shadow of a dominant majority whom it harangues, cajoles, threatens, or supplicates. It is too extroverted for balance or poise or inner dignity and self-respect. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Locke, A. Ibid. p 312. ) Propaganda, in Locke’s view, is inevitably either defensive or strident, if not both. By contrast, art â€Å"is rooted in self-expression and whether naive or sophisticated is self-contained.† (Locke,A. Ibid. p 312) Creating its own terms for understanding and appreciation, art allows us to sidestep the received, conventional terms of meaning, and to take up possibilities presented to us within the â€Å"self-contained† realm of the individual work. While art could not â€Å"completely accomplish† the transformation needed to realign Black and white relations in American society, Locke believed that it could â€Å"lead the way.† (Locke, Ibid. p 312) For the most part, therefore, the art and literature of the Harlem Renaissance were expressive rather than creative, creative rather than argumentative. And it was specifically because they avoided propaganda, avoided engaging racist ideology directly, that Locke believed that art and literature could teach the truth about blackness in the white world. For Locke, the educational value of the movement consisted above all in its capacity to represent blackness without reference to the terms set by a racist society. Disregarding conventional perceptions and assumptions, art could offer an objective look at black experience, physiognomy, and heritage. (Thompson, A. p 18) Key to Locke’s notion of art as education is its avoidance of argumentation. For him, the problem posed by propaganda is not that it serves a particular agenda – obviously, he meant for art to serve a distinct social, political, and intellectual agenda. The problem with propaganda, as he saw it, is that it is reactive, and thus reliant upon the very assumptions it is intended to displace. Unlike the more familiar opposition between propaganda and common sense or between propaganda and open inquiry, Locke’s art/propaganda dichotomy suggests that the most important obstacle to social understanding may be a form of literal-mindedness: accepting our starting points as a given and seeking change through incremental adjustments. In effect, then, Locke rejects the kind of approach to promoting interracial understanding taken by liberal education. In the traditional liberal arts model, the path to a freer understanding is through careful analysis, reasoned argumentation, and dialogue. But from Locke’s perspective, that approach reintroduces at every turn the very assumptions that preclude a transformed understanding. Particularly in the case of Black/white relations, what is called for is a reorientation in our thinking rather than the correction of each and every error in existing understandings. As a pragmatist, Locke saw change not in terms of incremental improvement but in terms of shifts: adopting new positions and entering into new relations. Whereas propaganda, in Locke’s formulation, refers to an emendatory or editing impulse, art refers to the development of new perspectives. The importance of art lies in its refusal to read social convention literally.  As a metaphor for anti-racist education, it means, in part, problematizing the supposedly neutral standards that privilege whiteness, and, in part, reconceiving both whiteness and Blackness. In invoking art as the opposite of propaganda, though, Locke grants too much to art. By holding on to Enlightenment assumptions about truth, Locke proposes a misleading role for art as somehow apolitical in contrast to propaganda as inherently ideological. The romantic strain in Locke’s conception of art is revealed in his belief that â€Å"the art of the people,† specifically peoples of African ancestry, is â€Å"†¦a tap root of vigorous, flourishing living.† (Locke, A. â€Å"Art or Propaganda† p 313) Such art, he believed, is the source of a beauty that reveals truth, for unlike academic art, it has not been subjected to â€Å"generations of the inbreeding of style and idiom,† (Locke, A. â€Å"The Legacy of the Ancestral Arts,† p 258) nor lost the capacity to see objectively. â€Å"The Negro physiognomy must be freshly and objectively conceived on its own patterns if it is ever to be seriously and importantly interpreted. Art must discover and reveal the beauty which prejudice and caricature have overlaid. And all vital art discovers beauty and opens our eyes to that which previously we could not see. â€Å"(Locke,A. Ibd. p 264) Art, Locke believed, offered a way to break with old stereotypes and invent new forms, while remaining true to â€Å"some sort of characteristic idiom,† (Locke,A. Ibd. p 267) is a distinctive heritage and expressive style. Pragmatist that he was, he saw art as a way to come to experience both with a fresh eye and with the funded experience of a rich ancestral legacy. (Thompson, A. in: â€Å"Anti-Racist Pedagogy: Art or Propaganda?†) 5. What is it that DuBois and Locke have in common? A. Locke and W.E.B. DuBois had different opinions about the question whether art or propaganda is the right way to integrate the African – Americans into the American society. I have written about W.E.B. DuBois ,who is for propaganda, and about A. Locke, who is for art, so far. What we should keep in mind is: basically they wanted the same. The thing they have in common is  that they generally had the same ideas: they wanted to do domething for the African – Amerians, they wanted a â€Å"racial uplift†. (http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~wilker/harlem/Bildungselite.htm) One example is the idea of education and the idea of a Black elite, which they both shared. It is obvious that DuBois and Locke felt that the Black elite (or Talented Tenth) were to articulate the Black ideals for which the masses were to strive. A task that required members of the Talented Tenth to be well educated. For DuBois, no less than Locke, insisted that an education that allowed Blacks to achieve cultural freedom and autonomy would be an education that exposed the selected Black youth to the higher cultural values – the arts, music, drama, poetry, and history, aimed at the development of labouring skills. Alain Locke, no less than W.E.B DuBois, focused on Blacks cultural contributions to America. Hence, the importance of educating the Black elite, who would serve as Socratic midwives in such creative efforts. (Washington, p 22 ff.) Significant social transformations occurred, according to Locke, through the effort of what he called the black elite – the talented, well educated, cultured class of Blacks that distinguished itself from the Black masses through the former’s contributions to the development of art and culture. The black elite took initiative in the realm of human affairs. It was concerned with helping to shape, among other things, public policy. Booker T. Washington, Alain Locke, W.E.B. DuBois, Mary Bethune, Zora Hurston, Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, Countee Cullen, Ida B. Wells, Langston Huges, Marian Anderson, James Weldon Johnson – these were among the Black elite during Locke’s time. It was their artistic and political activities to the civil rights movements of the 1960s that advanced the social – political status of Black Americans, and induced the country to make a more serious commitment to the principle of equality. Indeed, members of the Black elite inspired Africans on the continent of Africa in the 1950s and early 1960s as they sought to rid themselves of European colonial rule. In a word, the American Black elite, especially through the effort of W.E.B. DuBoi’s Pan –  African movement, was instrumental in helping to dissolve the closed societies on the continent of Africa, societies nurtured and sustained by colonialism. (Washington, p 34) In his speech, â€Å"The Training of Negroes for Social Power,† Dr. DuBois set forth clearly and fully his views at the time of the type of education he felt was essential for his people. â€Å"†¦The Negro problem, it has often been said, is largely a problem of ignorance – not simply of illiteracy, but a deeper ignorance of the world and its ways, of the thought and experience of men; an ignorance of self and the possibilities of human souls. This can be gotten rid of only by training; and primarily such training must take the form of that sort of social leadership which we call education. †¦ The very first step towards settlement of the Negro problem is the spread of intelligence.† (Foner, p 132 ff) 6.Summary W.E.B. DuBois emphasized that art must have a function. It is not the beauty which is important. In his magazine â€Å"The Crisis† he wrote: â€Å"We want Negro writers to produce beautiful things but we stress the things rather than the beauty. It is Life and Truth that are important and Beauty comes to make their importance visible and tolerable.† Locke suggested that fellow artists of the Harlem Renaissance always strive for art and avoid propaganda. Unfortunately, however, he felt that there have been very few â€Å"purely artistic publications†, as most of their expressions were included in the â€Å"avowed organs of social movements and organized social programs.† He felt that there must be discussion of social problems, but propaganda is too one-sided to serve that function, and there must be some means of bringing all views to the table. However, he never claimed that art can serve this function, and merely hypothesized such a forum of ideas. (Cabrera, J.) DuBois doubted if one could really have a disembodied art or beauty ; but Locke was not seeking for the Negro writer a disembodied beauty. He expected â€Å"tangible† results from the Negro knowing himself through his folk cultural experiences, particulary given the Negro’s special circumstances as an American citizen within the wider American cultural tradition. (Linnemann, R.J. p 92) I think it is important to mention that W.E.B. DuBois was for propaganda but he didn’t totally reject art as long as art has a message. DuBois had a strong sense of race pride and saw great value in drawing upon the racial heritage. He was an early advocate of the use of black folk music for classical American music tradition. Though he felt that art and propaganda could not be separated, he took the middle – class position that characterization of black life should project a proper image of the Negro. (Linnemann, R.J. p 78) The question â€Å"Who was right?† is difficult to answer. A. Locke saw the beauty of art but in my opinion every kind of art has a message and is therefore more or less propaganda. One cannot separate the terms. Artist are just able to influence the kind of propaganda when they create provocative works but it is not possible to produce art just for arts sake. Sources: Bracey, John H. ed.: African American Mosaic, Volume Two – From 1865 To The Present. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004. Locke, Alain: â€Å"Art or Propaganda?† in Voices from the Harlem Renaissance, ed. Nathan Irvin Huggins. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. DuBois, W.E.B.: â€Å"The Negro Mind Reaches Out (excerpts)† The New Negro, An Interpretation. New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1925, p. 385. Foner, Philip Sheldon : W.E.B. Du Bois speaks – speeches and addresses 1890-1919. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1970. Linnemann, Russell J., ed. Alain Locke: Reflections on a modern Renaissance man. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982. Locke,A. â€Å"The Legacy of the Ancestral Arts,† in The New Negro: An Interpretation, ed. Alain Locke New York: Arno Press and the New York Times, 1968 (1925). Marable, Manning: W.E.B.DuBois, Black Radical Democrat. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1986. Ploski, Harry A. ed. The Negro Almanac : a reference work on the Afro-American. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. Washington, Johnny: Alain Locke and philosophy : a quest for cultural pluralism. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986. Weinberg, Meyer ed.: W.E.B. DuBois: A Reader. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. Electronic Sources Cabrera, Jennifer. Art or Propaganda? 10 December 1999.< http://www.en. utexas. edu/ classes/bremen/e314l/student_pages/student.sites/jennifer/final/home.html> Moon, Henry Lee: History of the Crisis. November 1970. The Crisis Magazine Online 10.03.05 Powell, Richard: , 08.03.05 Thompson, Audrey: For: Anti racist education (p 1 – 38) 25.02.2005. University of Utah. < http://bama.ua.edu/~cdi/thompson.pdf, S.18 > Thompson, Audrey : Anti-Racist Pedagogy : Art or Propaganda? 27.02.2005. University of Utah William H. Johnson Feb.16, 2000 25.02.05.