Karnataka Philosophy Essay Example

Karnataka Philosophy Paper Much more this remark is applicable to Karnataka, from which the different currents of philosophy have flowed and flooded the rest of India and the whole world. The great Sri Sankar of monistic fame had his principal Math of Sringeri in Karnataka and began his life’s mission there. Sri Madhvacarya, the campion of Dualisn and Devotion, was entirely the product of this holy soil. Sri Basaveswar was another saint belonging to this eminent group. He is called â€Å"Bhakti-Bhandhari†- the treasure devotion – in Kannada. It was he who infused fresh life into veera-shaivism and made it a living faith. His inspiring personality attracted thousands of disciples who spread his new Gospel throughout the length and breadth of Karnataka. In their attempt to interpret the new message of their master to the masses, the eminent disciples of Basava, successfully utilized His Vachanas- a new form of literature in Kannada. These Vachanas are pithy (brief) sayings, brilliant in their directness and simplicity occasionally rising to the sublime grandeur even of the Upanisadic literature. They have brought light and hope to the Kannada masses and made their lives worth – living in all possible ways. Akka Mahadevi is one of the inspired disciples of Basava’s band. 2. BRIEF LIFE SKETCH OF AKKA MAHADEVI Akka Mahadevi was a prominent figure and Kannada poet of the Veerashaiva Bhakti movement of the 12th century Karnataka. Her Vachanas, a form of didactic poetry are considered her greatest contribution to Kannada Bhakti literature. In all she wrote about 430 Vachanas (another source says 350) which is relatively fewer than that compared to other saints of her time. We will write a custom essay sample on Karnataka Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Karnataka Philosophy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Karnataka Philosophy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The term Akka (elder Sister) which is an honorific (title) given to her by great Veerashaiva saints like Basavanna, Chenna Basavanna, Kinnari Bommayya, Siddharama, and Allamaprabhu. Akka Mahadevi was born in a town called ‘Udutadi’ in the centre of Karnataka in a Veera-saiva family. Her parents were the staunch followers of Trividhi philosophy of Guru, Linga and Jangama. She had an inborn devotion for God Siva. At age 10, she was initiated as a devotee of Shiva. She worshiped Shiva, whom she called Chenna Mallikarjuna, (Lord White as jasmine). Right from her childhood unlike other young girls she chose the Beautiful Lord, Pure white as the Jasmine, Chennamallikarjuna, as her playmate. Akka-Mahadevi was very beautiful. Her marvelous charm attracted the then ruling king- Kaushika who happened to be a Jain. Mahadevi agreed to marry Kaushika on three conditions. They are 1. She should be allowed according to her conveniences to practice the devotion of Lord Shiva, whom she calls Cenna Mallikarjuna. 2. She should be given freedom to listen and to meditate the life stories and teachings of ‘Siva Sharanas’ – saints of Lord shiva – and the practices of Saivism. . She should be allowed to practice the devotion of Trividhi philosophy –Guru, Linga, and Jangama. However, the male ego in Kaushika made him blind and he forced himself on her. Mahadevi outrightly renounced the marriage, with that she also renounced her parents, luxury, home and everything, considering them as impediments. She went bare to Kalyana where Allama was heading the Anubhavamantapa. Thus Mahadevi by renouncing the marriage with Kaushiaka emerged as the first protagonist of woman liberation. She discarded clothes and other worldly things as the last estiges of a sansarin and accepted the life of sanyasin. She left for Kalayana (a town in Bidar district of present Karnataka) which was known as God’s own city. Basaveshwara who is popularly known as Basavanna (elderly brother) has already launched a great social movement of casteless and classless society. Taking entry into his ‘Anubhavamantapa’ (the spiritual assembly) was not an easy task. Only those who are spiritually enlightened are allowed to come in, that too, after passing the kind of test held by the president of Anubhava Mantapa. Her renouncement of clothes and disregard for the body, or the acceptance of the life of nunnery was not an ordinary step in 12th century. Woman was not yet considered as equivalent to man. Her individual identity was under crisis. Even the great thinker and philosopher like Allamaprabhu questioned her unusual way of life. The picture of the discussion about this between Allama and Akka in the gate of Anubhava Mantapa? given by Chamarasa is not only an interesting literary piece but it is a candid and bold step in the history of whole womanhood. The discussion is as follows: Prabhu: Why have you come here in the prime of your youth? Our saints resent the sight of a young woman. If you can disclose the identity of your husband, you can join the fellowship of our saints, or else you can depart. A womans company is like poison. Tell us, who is your husband? Mahadevi: I was engrossed in penance for many years so that Siva might become my wedded lord! My own people wedded me to Siva by smearing my body with ashes and tying the marital bracelet to my wrist. All the world knows that the innumerable saints have been my parents. Therefore, O Prabhu, God is my lord; for me, there are no other husbands in this world. When Prabhu scolds her first for her nakedness Akka Mahadevi responds in this way: I have killed the cupid in myself and conquered this world. So I have no body. When I have no body, no sex where does exist the question of clothes? It is not the condition of the body that counts but, instead, a pure heart which wins the favor of God. I have covered my body with my hair so that the sight of my body may not be a cause of temptation for others. Prabhu questions whether Akka Mahadevi can be one with God when she still has human form and, worse, when it is a female body. She describes the superficiality of appearance, and of the leaders reluctance to accept her. Would the sandalwood cease its fragrance when its cut into pieces? Would a piece of gold, even when cut and heated, lose its luster? Would the sugar cane lose its sweetness when it is squeezed within a press and then heated? Prabhu pays her his ultimate compliment: Your body is female in appearance, but you mind is merged with God. In fact it was here onwards that she became Akka, an elderly sister. By her profound scholarship and burning fire of devotion she soon carved for herself an exalted position in the Anubhava Mantap, the unique Assembly of Saints there. Channa-Basava, the right hand man of Basava says, â€Å"Real greatness is only to be seen in Mahadeviakka, who has lost all sense of duality and has merged herself in the infinite. † 3. HER INTENSE LONG ING FOR THE LORD Even in her childhood, she used to worship Siva with great concentration. She took her early education under Shivagamacharya and started writing vachanas at the earliest age. Even at her early age of adolescences, Mahadevi’s devotion for Chenna Mallkarjuna was so deep and passionate that she did not play with the worldly toys like other children. On the other hand as she wrote in one of her Vachanas: â€Å"I wash away like the black soil in rain I slip and shifts like the sand, Anguished in dream I start awake, And burn like the fire in the forge, Comrades have I none in my woe O Cenna Mallikarjuna, do Thou grant me of Thy mercy A body that is not grappled by the groping hand, And the ecstasy that comes of union without uniting. † Akka’s whole life was a journey in search of her eternal lover, Cenna Mallikarjuna, whom she saw in her dream and followed in reality. During this course of divine frenzy the valleys and mountains were her friends, trees and animals were her companions, sun and the moon were the guiding spirits, whom she earnestly asked for the help in searching her beloved. Mahadevi, endowed with innate love and devotion for Lord Siva, had developed for the beginning a great aversion for worldly life. In one of her Vachanas she says, â€Å"O Lord! Without realizing Thee, I am dying in the meshes of my own self-willed desires, like a silk-worm perishing in the cocoon of silk spun out by it from its own body. Purge my mind, O God! of all evil desires and show me Thy Abode. † â€Å"This evil Samsara has been troubling me day and night. What shall I do my Lord? What shall I do to get rid of this constant harassment? I cannot bear this mental torment any longer. I throw myself entirely at Thy Mercy. Slay me or save me! Let Thy will be done. † Mahadevi had become thoroughly disgusted with the worldly life, and was constantly thinking of God and God alone. She asks, â€Å"Does a peacock ever play on the barren plain? and not on the mountains? Can a swan ever think of loving a dirty streamlet by abandoning a crystal lake? Will a cuckoo ever pour forth its flood of divine rapture anywhere except in a full-blossomed mango tree? Can a bee ever visit a flower without any fragrance? Can my mind be ever attracted by anything else but Thee, my Lord? † Mahadevi thus pines to have a glimpse at the lotus feet of the Lord. â€Å"Just as a caged parrot constantly remembers its brethren outside, so do I ever think of Thee. Call me ‘dear child’ and show me ‘Thy Beauty’†. I am pining for Thee, day and night, My Lord! The dart of Thy Love has been driven deep into my bosom and consequently I have forgotten hunger, thirst and sleep. † Maddened by such an intense Love for the Lord, she began to request everyone she met to show her the pathway to her Lord in this manner: â€Å"Bees, Cuckoos, Parrots, Moonligh t! I have one request for you. Have you seen my Lord? If so will you kindly show Him to me? † 4. HER CHALLENGE TO THE LORD: This extreme intensity of devotion had made her bold enough to throw such a challenge to the Lord: â€Å"Don’t harass me, my Lord, because I am helpless. But mind, I am not a woman to be easily terrified by any amount of pain Thou would inflict. I would live on dry leaves and sleep in the bed of arrows. Pure am I, my Lord! as I have consecrated my body and mind to Thee. † Moreover, she asks: â€Å"Will the sandal give up its fragrance even though it is cut to pieces and rubbed down? Will gold ever be darkened even when it is burnt in the fire? Will the sugarcane abandon its sweetness although it is cut to pieces, made to pass through the press and boiled in the fiery furnace? Don’t reveal my past sins to me my Lord. I will never desist from seeking Thy shelter even if Thou wouldest kill me. She says, â€Å"Thou mayest hear me or not my Lord! I cannot but sing Thy glory. Thou mayest love me or not, I cannot but worship Thee. Thou mayest grace me with Thy presence or not, I cannot but think of embracing Thee. Thou mayest look at me or not, I cannot help casting my loving glance at Thee and sing Thy praises in delight. I s hall worship Thee alone my Lord; and enjoy Divine delight by Thy worship. † 5. CONCEPT OF GOD ACCORDING TO AKKA MAHADEVI She calls her Lord as Chennamallikarjuna. In the book of Mahadevi’s path, as we turn the pages, we find that the image of Chennamallikarjuna changing. With time it merges into a higher and higher concept of the Divine. Only in her earlier years do we notice reference to Siva. Throughout He has remained her Antaryamin to whom she was wedded without a doubt. She says, â€Å"Like treasure hid in the ground, like flavour in the fruit, like gold in the rock and oil in the seed, the Absolute is hidden in the heart. † Further she says, â€Å"I am involved with the one who knows no death, nor decay nor form. He has no one place, nor any boundary, no modifications nor origins. He is Unrestricted to any clan, this casteless one is whom I love. For this reason I am for this man, this Chenna Mallikarjuna. She says, the approach to God must be through ardent love and devotion. She instinctively felt that man can never be fully and wholly fulfilled through self-discipline and knowledge, though self-discipline is arduous and knowledge superior. A more human approach to God lies through pure love and unselfish love which withdraws most of the obstacles that the ego interposes between the divine and the devotee. Akka was shining star in the Bhatki tradition. Her wedding to the Lord Shiva and her undivided heart of love and surrender to Him can be considered as the path of Bhakti Marga. She also considers that the path of action is very much necessary to have genuine devotion of the Lord. In this way she finds no conflict between these two paths rather it is the two sides of the same coin. Her vachans are the best expressed form of Janan Marga, where she tries to share her knowledge of the Lord. For Akka mahadevi to know the Lord and to worship him in mind and to share this knowledge with others in Vachans was a superior way of devotion. So Bhakti Jnana and Krma margas are not mutually exclusive for the Akka, but all three margas lead us to a true devotion to the Lord. 6. SPLENDID VISION OF THE LORD: Through His grace, she had soon the vision of the Lord. â€Å"I had a Vision† she breaks out in rapture, â€Å"I had a splendid vision of the Lord. He had shining golden hair, with a brilliant crown studded (filled) with jewels. A set of pearl-white teeth adorned his beautiful lips that were illumined the seven worlds. At this sight, the famine of my eyes has vanished altogether today. Now that I have seen my Lord Playing with His Primeval Shakti, by identifying Himself with her, I consider my life to have borne fruit. † This vision brought about drastic change in her entire outlook on life. The forest appeared to her to be full of Wish-trees; all the stones assumed to form touch-stones; every place was a place of pilgrimage; the whole world became full of heavenly ambrosia and every pebble she came across was a heavenly jewel. She saw the mountain very much dear to the Lord-Channa Mallikarjuna and entered the forest of Kadali-plantain trees . † In this way she went on having one spiritual experience after another and ultimately realized her identity with the Absolute. She says â€Å"Can the ghee mixed in milk remain separate from it? Who can differentiate heat from the brilliance of Sun? O Lord of Infinite Glory! My scales fell off my eyes as I realized my identity with Thee! † Again she says, â€Å"Whom shall I worship when my body has become Thine? Whom shall I remember when my mind has merged in Thee? Losing myself entirely in Thee, I have completely forgotten Thee with Thee. † 7. LAST DAYS OF HER LIFE Tradition says she left the world in her twenties, entering mahasamadhi (final divine union) with a flash of light. Her travels come to an end when she finds the Kadali vana in the vicinity of the Shrishaila temple. In Kadali vana, Mahadevi matures in nirguna upasana, ready for the final offering. She recognizes the Absolute in all of his creation. The kalpavriksha is all trees. The Sanjeevani is all bushes. All places are teerthas. Ambrosia is contained in all waters. All animals is the covetable golden deer. Every pebble glows as the chintamani gem. Here she also recognizes the paradox of His being in her body, as her very breath becomes His Fragrance. His form becomes hers. Her life force is no different from His very own. No knowledge to acquire, as she now knows Him. Who is there to think, of whom, as individuality ceases to be? This young, defiant and vibrant saint Akka Mahadevi attains Aikyastthala, the highest of the six states of Veerashaivism in the vicinity of the temple to Chennamallikaarjuna and Bhramaraambika. 8. THE CONCEPT OF TRIVEDHI PHILOSOPHY According to the Trivedhi Philosophy, all holiness consisted in due regard for three vital things–Guru, linga and Jangam (the guide; the image; and the fellow religionist). Guru: (personal spiritual master), Guru is the personal spiritual guide who has the knowledge of the path and knows how to guide one on it. A guru is the first cover/guard of soul against the attractions of Maya. He is a concept of awareness. He initiates a novice in the worship of Ista Linga, because he is a model in Ista Linga worship and is Jivanmuktha. He performs three functions: He initiates a person into the faith, trains him and guides him to move towards Aikyasthala (merger with Shiva) A Guru was forbidden to eat flesh, to chew betel or to touch liquor: and he wore a Kempa kavi vastra Linga: (Siva) Linga plays a very key role in the union of Jiva with Siva. Shiva should be worshipped through Ista Linga, which is a symbol of Shiva. The communion between God and a devotee is through Ista Linga. Ista Linga is a small black ball made up of certain prescribed materials kept in a silver casket put around the neck with the help of a thread called shivadara (thread of Lord Shiva). Ista Linga is Shiva Himself. It is universal form of God in a miniature and is the greatest light of the inner most heart which is brought out and shaped into a form by the guru. It is the visible symbol of the invisible energy existing in all beings. The guru places the Ista Linga on ‘Thanu’ (body) ‘Prana’ (life) and ‘Bhava’ (feelings). The linga placed on the thanu is Ista Linga, the linga placed on Prana is Pranalinga, and the linga placed on the Bhava is called Bhavalinga. The practice of wearing Siva linga constantly on their bodies as a mark of devotion and surrender to Lord Siva. Jangama: (an enlightened spiritual guru) Jangama is the realized soul or the perfect one who has already been through the path and knows how to lead one there. A jangama is a liberated man and moves about from place to place to preach the Lingayat Philosophy. He is a moving spirit of the Lord and is personified in the services of the Lord. He leads a simple life, is a man of detachment and is without shelter of his own. He is inseparable from Linga. Guru, Linga and Jangama are treated on equal footing and are rendered with equal respect and reverence. One needs to surrender to them and seek their help in intensifying ones devotion to Siva to obtain his grace and achieve the final union. 9. AKKA THE SOURCE OF WOMEN EMANCIPATION She is a prominent figure in the field of female emancipation. Probably, she may be the first feminist in India as she has been in a constant battle against the established institutions and rituals prevalent in India, in the 12th century. During such time of strife and political uncertainty she launched a movement that made her an inspiration for woman empowerment and enlightenment. The time was marked as height of foolishness of varnashrama dharma which only supported the three upper castes of Hindu society in India and suppressed the shudras and women. It was in the 12the century such a feminist voice, heard from a country like India, where the patriarchal system is at its best. A time when females are forbidden at the school entrance, Akka Mahadevi could take part in many gatherings of learned men at the Anubhavamandapa in Kadal Sangama, to debate philosophy. Though she lived and died young the lines she uttered and the divine life she led keep her as an inseparable part of Indian history in general and the movement of woman’s emancipation in particular. She proves that woman is not the puppet in the hands of male dominant society. On the other hand she is as free as the objects of the world around. She was never contended with the restricted role of a girl at home. Limitations placed on women in the pursuit of education and spirituality was unacceptable for her. She proved herself that a woman has every right and has all the means to pursue a life of an ascetic. Her entire woman’s life with many traumatic experiences is a testimony to the Power of Indelible Courage and Faith. Her renouncement of clothes and disregard for the body, or the acceptance of the life of nunnery was not an ordinary step in 12th century. Woman was not yet considered as equivalent to man. Her individual identity was under crisis. Even the great thinker and philosopher like Allamaprabhu questioned her unusual way of life. Akka becomes a distinctive phenomenon in the human history not merely by her style of dressing or unusual way of arguing. Her distinct pathway through the world, which took her to the climax point of rationalism, establishes her as an ever-shining star of boldness. Her denial of the riches and comforts of the palace and the amputations of the domestic bonds reminds one of Buddha. Her ideal of social and gender equality, propagated in the 12th century had become the creed of higher education in and out of Karnataka. Along with Basaveshwara, she was also one of the socialist reformers who spoke out against the caste system. Among her 315 vachanas, considered as sacred scriptures by the Kannadigas, one proclaims this message: â€Å"Unrestricted to any clan, this caste less one is whom I love for this reason, I’m for this man. † Akka Mahadevi is even remembered and revered all over Karnataka as a seer-poet and a social reformer. You can see a number of educational and charitable institutions all through the State, named after Akka. Akka Seva Samajas, the charitable institutions in the State, pursue the same goal Akka Mhadevi has propagated – uplifting the status of the girl children. They work for the destitute girls and down trodden women in their three branches at Kumara Park, Rajaji Nagar, Rajarajeswary Nagar along with the first one established at Bangalore. The proceedings of the Samajas are inspired by the life and teachings of Akka Mahadevi who burned up as a flash of light in the caves of Sreeshailam. 10. AKKA MAHADEVI A MYSTIC SAINT Akka Madhavi is no doubt a great Bhakti saints of the 12th century, she experienced a call within, that no other pre-occupation distract her, in her path to the Lord Shiva. Unlike other girls, the very desire for a family and married life, and other worldly pleasure and comfort she considers these nothing compared to her devotion to the Lord Shiva. Her poems or Vachnas are the spontaneous overflow of her love for the Lord. Her cloths, beauty and ornaments were the love and devotion to the Lord. This intense devotion and renunciation of worldly affairs made her a great mystic of the time. She had an experience of the Lord in the heart, this basic experience led her to experience Lord in everything: in the beautiful nature, mountains valleys and everywhere. She finds her home in the nature and everything in it was her companion. In union with the nature and all the being she searched for the Lord and she experienced Him together with all beings. This shows that in totality she experienced and worshipped the Lord in the Universe. This is the another aspect of her mysticism. There is a massage for all, who search the Lord with the sincere heart that God can be experience in our simple and ordinary life situations and surroundings. There is no need of going to high mountains like Himalayas to search for the Lord; he is here within us and in the nature. Akka madhavi experienced this truth from her child hood itself, and she could experience more intensively and more clearly in her later stages of life. She expresses the unity between her and the Absolute in the following Vachana: I do not say it is the Linga. I do not say it oneness with the Linga. I do not say it is the Merging, I do not say it is the Parting I do not say it has Happened. I do not say it is to Be. I do not say it is I. I do not say it is You. The mysticism of the Akka is in par with the existing theological understanding of the experience of the Lord. There is no conflict with the tradition and philosophical thinking of the time. Man’s search for the Lord in the cosmos with the nature and created beings is very much acceptable to the mystics of all times. The out flow of the heart’s desire and her love she expresses in her poems and Vachana is a real treasure and guide to seek the Lord, for the many generation to come. Akka mahadevi is somewhat negative about the concept of body. The bodily beauty was a liability for her in her short life. She calls this body as the site of dirt, lust, greed and rage. This may be because of her experience with Kaushika and in Anubhava Mantapa. According to her the body and its temptations are the primary causes which come on the way in ones union with the Lord. In this way in her thought we can see the clear cut distinction between body as something bad which belongs to the world and soul in something sacred which helps one to live a holy life. 11. CONCLUSION Mystics have a double aspect in their life. They are often perceived as rebel in a cultural social ethos. They refuse to walk or to follow the manmade laws and tradition. They have a fine intellect and sharp perception of divine reality. They guide people in the new path towards the absolute. They are courageous, creative and enthusiastic in walking the new unknown path with full trust and confidence. This unusual way of life and their very courage novelty and creativity make them to be rejected in the society, but later they are hailed and accepted in the society. Akka Mahadevi was one among such saints who was intoxicated by Shiva Shakti. Because of her ascetic way of life she became true Shakti and all other powers of tradition and culture she rejected. This way led to her to the spiritual heights making her a mystic. Thus we can see that akka mahadevi had two aspects i. e. initial rejection as rebel and later acceptance as mystic saint. Nobody knows exactly for how many years Akka Mahadevi lived. According to one popular belief she lived only twenty-five years. Within this small span of life the achievement she did, the area she had covered from Udatadi to Srisail and the great spiritual personalities she met is something amazing. No other Indian social activist achieves the parallel position with Akka in this regard. It is sure that physically she lived a very short life but spiritually she did surpass the common level. The historians are of the opinion that Akka only in a true sense represents the whole vachana movement, which is in swing till the time present. The vachanas she wrote is a gem of divine thought. These few Vachanas of Mahadevi gives us the insights into the unique psychology of God –intoxication of this blessed saint. Even linguistically they achieve an everlasting place. Each phase of her life was a step towards the emancipation of not only of womanhood but also of the mankind. She was sure footed in her radical combat with the age-old norms of the society. She lived for the life enlightened and the life divine. Akka is a guiding spirit behind all the women activists, irrespective of the age and space. One should be thankful to the womankind, which has given â€Å"the Sappho of Greece, the Theresa of Christianity, the Lalleshwari of Kashmir, the Rubia of Arabia, the ‘Andal’ of Tamilnadu, the Meera of Rajasthan. † No doubt all they are incomparable individuals in their life and achievement. BIBLIOGRAPHY Deshpande, M. S. â€Å"Akka Mahadevi: St. Mira of Karnataka. † Pathway to God: A Journal of Spiritual Life 10, 1 (November 1975), 21-26. Hampana, Kamala. Akka Mahadevi. Bangalore: Sapna Book House, 2002. http://www. ambahouse. org/akkamahadevi. html http://www. ourkarnataka. com/religion/akka_mathapati. htm http://www. scrollindia. com/women-zone/akka-mahadevi-kannada-seer-poet. Patil, S. H. Community Dominance and Political Modernization. Delhi: A Mittal Publication, 2002 Shastry, G. V. Akka Mahadeviya Vachanagalu. Gadag: Paru Prakashan, 1999. Umadevi, S. Akka Mahadeviyavara Vachanagalu. Hubli: Lalit Prakashana, 200.

Eugenics in America essays

Eugenics in America essays What do you think of when you hear the word eugenics? Well, one thing that should come to mind is Hitler and what he did with the Jews and other people he thought were noncompliant to what he had in mind was the perfect human race. Not only did Hitler do this, but the American people thought it was ok in the mid 19th century. Even in our time there are some things that people are doing that could be considered as eugenics, such as genetic testing. These things and others will be talked about in this paper, and they will attempt to be better explained. What a few people think about eugenics is not necessarily what everybody else thinks about it. The reason for saying this is because from the mid 20th century up to the present, geneticists have been doing genetic testing. One main question that will be addressed is how have we as Americans and other societies of the world tried to control the science of improving the human stock for social and political reasons since 1865. To a nswer this question I guess we will have to start at the beginning. Eugenics was probably really started when Alfred Binet came up with the intelligence test in France. The test was made up of a series of short tasks that were in some way related to everyday problems. The hardest task that was successfully completed was associated to a persons mental age. There were however some concerns that Binet had because of the test. Some of these concerns were: it distinguished between natural knowledge and instruction and he worried about self-fulfilling prophecies. He intended for the test to be used for good to identify children to help and improve rather than to label and limit students. There was someone that wanted to use this test to distinguish between people of good mental health and those that were morons (Goddard). The person that wanted to do this was H H Goddard. He brought Binets scale to America fro...

First-Person Pronouns in Academic Writing - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

First-Person Pronouns in Academic Writing First-Person Pronouns in Academic Writing During school, many of us were told to never use â€Å"I† in an essay. And so we went on to college, trying our best to write papers without using any first-person pronouns. But where does this rule come from? And is it really wrong to use â€Å"I† in an essay? Read on to find out! When Not to Use â€Å"I† in Academic Writing It is true that using too many first-person pronouns in a college paper will look bad. This is because it looks like you’re expressing an opinion rather than discussing facts. For instance: I think the Watergate scandal had a big effect on American politics. The â€Å"I think† here is unnecessary. Watergate was undeniably a major incident in American politics, so it is not simply an opinion. You could even cite sources where its impact is discussed. It may have involved at least one of these guys. Similarly, overuse of first-person pronouns can detract from the focus of your writing. Take the following example from a scientific paper: I observed the sample through a microscope, and I noticed an unusual microbe. Here, the focus is on the person conducting the study instead of the study itself. But scientific writing is supposed to be objective. It would therefore be better to say: The sample was observed through a microscope. This revealed an unusual microbe. By using the passive voice here, we make sure the focus is on the experiment, not the experimenter. In both of these cases, then, it would be better to avoid use of the first person. Using First-Person Pronouns Correctly However, there are cases when it is correct to use first-person pronouns in an essay. These include: To emphasize or clarify your own role in a study To position yourself in relation to other thinkers For example, we could write the following without using the first person: In studying queue formation in Starbucks, the issue of how social behavior is affected by caffeine withdrawal was explored. However, this gives us no indication of who is conducting the study and the use of passive voice leads to an awkward sentence. We might therefore want to use first-person pronouns to ensure clarity: In studying queue formation in Starbucks, we explored how social behavior is affected by caffeine withdrawal. Another alternative would be using â€Å"the researcher† or â€Å"the author† to refer to ourselves in the third person. But this can also be problematic. For instance: While Ving and Rhames (2001) argued that tea drinkers are more violent, the researchers have not found evidence to back up this claim. The identity of â€Å"the researchers† here could be ambiguous. Does it refer to Ving and Rhames? Another study by someone else? Or is it the authors of this paper? It would therefore be better to say: While Ving and Rhames (2001) argued that tea drinkers are more violent, we have not found evidence to back up this claim. With this simple change, we can immediately what this sentence is saying. In general, then: DO NOT use the first person if it makes your work sound overly subjective or draws focus from what you are meant to be discussing But DO use the first person if it helps to ensure clarity and concision in your writing

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Business strategy - Essay Example To begin with, it would be vital for the company to clearly define its mission statement before venturing into the emerging market. This can be achieved through use of strategic analysis, which allows the company to formulate necessary measures that would help it develop and maintain high performance in the market (Collis 1999). In this regard, it would be crucial if the company evaluated factors that would influence its operations in the emerging market. Such evaluations would involve PEST and SWOT analysis. These are crucial in that according to Green and Keegan 2012, in every market, there exists market forces, which dictate operations in the market. In regard to the company in the new market, both internal and external factors need to be assessed comprehensively. For example, it would be vital for the company to know if issues like management or working capital would act as barriers to emerging successful in the new market. Since clothing industry has many players in the market, it would be crucial if the company assessed external forces like environmental and other factors beyond the company’s control (Hill, & Jones 2010). Therefore, such evaluations enable the company to come up with measures to overcome them. SWOT Analysis It is apparent that venturing into a new market calls for strategic planning in order to develop and establish a strong, competitive advantage. However, one of the major factors that determine how to go about the business is the line of business a company is intending to deal with (Hill, & Jones 2010). In this regard, the business is able to analyse the market in relation to services or products intended to be offered in the market. It is, therefore, necessary to analyse factors that would determine the performance of the products offered. Among these factors are strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the business. Strengths The clothing industry can be argued to be a fascinating business only if business entities a nalyse the strength of their operations in the emerging market. Some of the factors to consider include the performance of other brands. For example, it would be vital to study how other brands perform in the market. In light with this, evaluation of the strength of other brands would involve assessing the quality, quantity, and customer service (Green & Keegan 2012). For example, this would involve assessing other men clothing brands. One of the strength of Versace is that venturing in Southern Sudan would give it an opening to develop a mutual relationship with customers by a way of offering best quality products (Todeva 2006). The products should also be adequate and steady in order to satisfy the demand of the market. For example, the company may decide to offer a variety of Versace designs, which would cater for needs of every age group in the market (Hill, & Jones 2010). This would be beneficial in such a way that unlike in other brands where they deal with a niche market, Ver sace will have the advantage of meeting the needs of all men in the market (Bohm 2009). Additionally, Versace may not require a large capital to establish a business in Southern Sudan. Therefore, it would be beneficial for Versace to establish a business in such a market since less capital would be needed. Weaknesses It is apparent that establishing a business in an emerging economy could be tricky in a way. This is arguably true because unlike in an already established economy where the company

Female Bonding Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Female Bonding Practices - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that in the tradition of cinematography that often depict the stories of women, the messages that are conveyed to the audience are very formalized and conventionalized. There are several characteristics that can be derived from the analysis of these messages: â€Å"Code of beautiful behavior. Conformity. Containment. Conservatism. Confines.† However, female bonding practices are different since they break through these conventions and establish new type of relationship that do not fit within the framework of the messages outlined above. The three movies chosen for analysis demonstrate different disconnection from these conventions yet all of them have a different focus on what relationship between women are like outside of the social mindset and perspective on this issue, even though each of these stories has certain traditional plot and rhythm to them.This study highlights that  among the frameworks that female bonding in all the three films breaks is the one that reflects the world as a place â€Å"in which only moderate expectations are honored and only moderate feelings are tolerated.†Ã‚  With this, the leading female characters are able to introduce sensational notion in order to develop the plots of the stories.  It is of general knowledge that, throughout history, women had less possibilities of expressing themselves in public relationship.  This resulted in the necessity of put extra efforts in order to reach the same position of men.

Information Communication And Knowledge Of An Organization Information Technology Essay

Information Communication And Knowledge Of An Organization Information Technology Essay Coca-cola Company is the worlds largest beverage company which leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrate and syrups. It is distributed over 200 countries. It owns more than 400 brands in the world including the main brands like diet coke,fanta and sprite etc.coca-cola is the most popular and the largest selling soft drink in history as well as in the world. Today there are many competitive in the beverage field. Therefore each company should be more attractive than their competitive companies. Information,Communication and Knowledge help the company to achieve its strategic goal. Amoung them Information and Knowledge help in decision-making and taking effectively. According to the coca-cola system they consider as their customers,grocery stores,restaurants and mass merchandisers. So that it is very important to know the ideas of consumers and their complaints about the product. As a beverage company Coca-cola company needs to know what customers ideas about the taste of their products.For that it has to be collect data fro m the customers and process them into information. Even though information collected there is no use if they do not distribute for use in organizations activities. Communication is the processes which distribute information.It can be done in many ways. The roles of Information, Communication and Knowledge in Decision making. The role of Information Information is a powerful resource and a large expense for many organizations. Information management is the process of collecting information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences.This maintains the data of an organization. The information system of an organization is essential for the day-to-day activities in an organization. The activities of organizations are mainly coordinated by information and communication. Information is said to be processed data. Data can be defined as the complete range of raw facts and measurements For examples; letters,numbers,symbols,sounds and/or images relating to the events in the organization or its environment. Data is collected and then processed into information.Therefore information can be defined as processed organized or arranged data which is meaningful to the person.Data itself has no meaning so it is not useful in decision making.But informations are useful in decision making. Information is necessary to convert the resources of an organization such as-people,materials, machines and money for use in the organizations activities. Organization needs information for many purposes. They can be categorized as follows; Planning Recording Controlling Measuring Decision making Planning-In this step information help to get an idea about the available resources,present market and competitors of an organization. Recording-The information which use in recording helps to manage the business properly because using recording historical details can be found easily. Controlling-Once a plan is implemented; its actual performance must be controlled. Therefore information requires checking whether activities are proceeding as planned or whether there is unexpected deviation from plan. Measuring-In this step information can be used to measure performances of business.This can be analyzed by collecting information on costs,revenues,volume,time scales and profitability. Decision-making-Information is very much important to make decisions within an organization. Good information should have following qualities; It should relevance to a users needs. It should be accurate. The information should be readily available within the time period. It should inspire the users confidence. It should communicate to the user clearly It should have effective cost. The role of Communication When data is processed the information is communicated immediately to the person who wishes to use it but if it is kept for later use then it must be stored and retrieved when required.So communication is a essential component in organization because it shows how information is sent and received within organizations.The way of transferring information is depending on the structure of the business.Like entrepersonal,pyramid,matrix and independent. In simple terms communication can be identified as the process of transferring or exchanging of information,ideas,beliefs and opinions between two or more parties. Therefore communication process helps to coordinate tasks and activities of the organization. In other words communication helps to coordinate tasks and activities in an organization to achieve its objective or objectives.Therefore effective communication is an essential component of an organizational success whether it is at the interpersonal,inter-group, intra-group,organizational or external levels.The communication performs an important role in facilitating decision-making.It provides the information that individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data to identify and evaluate alternative choices, from sources to decision makers. The role of Knowledge Knowledge is full utilization of information and data.It is also related with persons skills and experience.Knowledge is the information within peoples minds and it is a subset of information which has been extracted,filtered or formatted in a very special way. Knowledge management describes the process of collecting,storing and using the knowledge held within an organization.The knowledge is based on the meaningfully organized accumulation of information through experience communication or inference. Knowledge is very important in gaining competitive advantage for a business therefore organizations need to manage it as both object and process. Knowledge is the power source of an organization because knowledge can increase productivity and effecientcy of an organization.The goal of knowledge management is to improve the organizations ability to fulfill its core process more efficiently because knowledge can result in better decisions. Therefore knowledge of an organization; Increase productivity Lower costs of doing business Higher quality products,decisions and recommendations Information AND KNOWLEDGE NEED INTERNALLY and externally to improve Decision making and taking. What is Decision-making? Decision-making can be defined as a process which selecting the best course of action from among several courses of actions.This may be a solution for a particular problem or a making a choice to achieve a specified state of affairs.Within an organization decision is the point at which plans,policies and objectives are translated into concrete actions.Therefore the purpose of decision-making is to direct human behaviour towards a future goal.Decisions can be classified as structured and unstructured.The structured decisions are repetitive routine. They are programmed decisions. Unstructured decisions are non routine and if decision maker provides judgment it is called non-programmed decisions because it does not provide clear cut solution. Decision- making process Different people use different approaches in making decision.Diferent scholars have presented different series of steps of a decision-making process.Whatever stages are elaborated, the decision-making process should have four stages as; 1. Identification 2. Development 3. Selection 4. Implementation Identifying the problem and collecting Information are important in the identification stage, while developing and evaluating alternative solutions are discussed under the second stage, development.Selecting the best course of action amoung the alternative solutions under third stage and put decision into effect and provide report on the progress of solution in the final stage in decision-making.According to the decision-making process collecting information is very important. Decision-making comprises the whole process that involves decision makers upto the point at which the issue is decided.Decision-taking is the function or activity of the responsible authority as in the case of a manager deciding on a course of action. Recognize the need for a decision Define the problem Identification Collect data relevant to the problem Analyse the data and find the root cause of the problem Develop criteria for satisfactory solution Development Generate Alternatives Assess Alternative Selection Select an Alternative Get the authority and implement the chosen alternative Implementation Monitor the feedback Steps in the decision-making Importance of Decision-making Within an organization, different types of decision are taken at different levels.Generally the decisions which are taken by senior management will be affected the business as a whole, and decisions that affect only one aspect of the business will be taken by lower levels of management. David Jennings and Stuart Wattam stated decision-making as an activity that lies at the heart of management.This shows how important is decision-making to an organization. All the actions made by the organization are result of decisions made by the organization itself.Problems of an organization arises because of the limited resources. But to make the organization effective it has to use the available resources.Thus they need to improve their decision-making.On the other hand the competition faced by organizations is increasing day by day. The survival of an organization will totally depend on the quality of decisions they make every day.Organization is a sub system of a social system.Therefore organizations can not work independently because several other systems are interrelated to the organization. In the case of coca-cola company decisions which make at any managerial level is very important because it can be either increase or decease in the number of customers.The future of this type of companies totally depends on the their consumers.Therefore every decision has to be taken by thinking about the consumers. Strategies to improve Decision-making and taking by using Information and Knowledge internally and externally. Managers can improve decision-making by using information and knowledge internally and externally.Internal information is important for all management levels in their decision-making and taking in the organization.But this relate to activities or transactions performed within the organization, such as administrative tasks, the production of products and services or the sales of products. To improve internal information manager can; Establish a system for collecting data or measuring data such as measuring output,sales and cost Relying to some extent on the informal communication lines between employees. In an organization to improve the knowledge managers can improve the personal skills of the employees.They can organize seminars to improve the knowledge of the knowledge of employees. External information is the information that obtained from outside the business.It can be either official or unofficial sources.Normally these information concern about official areas (tax,regulations etc.), the economy,suppliers and customers.In an organization external information are very useful. It helps in effective decision-making because in decision-making it is very important to know customers ideas,complaints and choices.The information of official areas provide the current situation of the business world in political view.Therefore by collecting information and knowledge of the outsiders the organization can achieve their goal effectively and efficiently. STRATEGIES TO increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decision-making process. What is networking? Networking of a business is the process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship between personnel including customers, stakeholders and experts.The purpose of networking is to increase business revenue by development of relationships that generate information, referrals, advice, support, energy and much more.The best business networking give rise to exchange business information,idea resources and is the most important skill to establishing a mutually beneficial relationships. For effective and strong networking it requires people to; Effectively communicate Be prepared and willing to share information Listening to the others Have good contact with others Exhibit curiosity Asking questions to show that they are interested in the subject Identifying people in jobs that can talk to and make enquiries of Sources of personal networking Personal networking includes both formal and informal network members.Personal networks can guide the self determined person.This is very important in decision-making.Personal networking helps to improve the productivity.As well as personal networking it is very important to keep in touch with any group or key individuals who can affect the work or the objectives of the organization. Stakeholder networking help to; Stay in touch with developments in area of work Get information which will help in the work Influence individual decision-makers Stakeholders can be internal ( all levels of managers and co-workers) or external(regulators, environmental and legal entities).Therefore stakeholders are clients, project managers and teams, contractors and sub-contractors, distributors and suppliers and everyone else with a stake in an outcome stakeholder networking is a key to business success. According to the stakeholder contacts it can be dividing into two types; i) Primary stakeholders- They are directly linked to the organization such as shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers. ii) Secondary stakeholders-They are indirectly linked to the organization such as the media, regulators and competitors. Good relationships with stakeholders can increase the stability of an organization. For example if it has good relationship between suppliers and organization they show optimal responsiveness to company needs. This is not easy to do. It needs time for people to know one another, build trust and deal with organizational issues Strategies to increase personal networking 1).Forming business relationships Establishing good relationships with stakeholders help individuals to go through to find and develop lasting interpersonal relationships. The relationships with stakeholders can improve by Attending the meeting or events of other organizations Use e-mail and the internet to network with national or international organizations Attending political and community events where key organizations and decision-makers will be present Attending conferences, seminars and consultation meetings The relationships with customers are very useful in decision-making because managers have to increase customer satisfaction and minimize their problems. For that they have to build good and smarter relationships with customers to identify their preferences and to develop trust. In this case complaints, errors and proposals of customer are very important. So they must be recorded. There should be any medium available to contact the customers such as Internet, through a call center or personal contact. Therefore in an organization the decision which making by the ideas of customers are more powerful in achieving their goals. Not only the customers relationships supplier relationships also very important. 2).Networking direct or using media as an intermediate Based on the relationship of trust someone can be use as a referral in the process of networking. It is the most fundamental act in networking. Professional networking groups are the best referrals. They meet at regular times at a specific place and take decisions. 3). Formal and informal networking 4).Networking through trustworthy relationships and confidentiality Every individuals in an organization link together through trust and relationships. Therefore networking through trust and confidentiality is very important. Development of a communication process to improve the decision-making and organizational knowledge Process of communication Communication can be thought of as a process or a flow. Noise/barriers Receiver Decoding Channel Encoding Source Message Message Message Message Feedback Communication flows from one person or group to another and then, via feedback to the original person a group making a closed loop or cycle. Elements of the communication process are; i. Communication source/sender- The person who has message to communicate. ii. Message- The message can be identified as what is communicated. It is the subject matter of the communication. iii. Encoding-Encoding is converting a communication message to a symbiotic form. iv. Channel-The channel can be defined as the medium through which a communication message travels. Examples; Telephone, Letters, Radio etc. v. Decoding-Decoding is translation of the symbols in message into form that can be understood by the receiver. vi. Receiver- The receiver is the object to whom the message is directed by the communication source/sender. vii. Feedback-Feedback is the check on how successfully the communication source/sender has been transferring his/her message as originally intended. It is necessary to ensure that the receiver has received the message and understood it in the same sense as communication source/sender wants. viii. Noise/Barriers-Noise is external distances in the communication process.It is very important to note about noise. The result of this noise is that the message received is not the message transmitted by the communication source/sender. The types of communication processes are; Meetings and conferences Workshop and training events Internet and e-mail Written Telephone Video conference Communication process of coca-cola company They use ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to communicate both internally and externally.ICT has enabled 24 hours- 7 days global communication. This includes communication with; Employees-They use Facsimile (Fax) as the tool to contact the employees because most employees have fax machines I their office. Management-The pagers and Fax-machines help them to contact. Customer-Coca-cola company use only e-mail to communicate customers. They could send different product or new sales etc. Distributors of Coca-cola- They use video conference for the communication The existing processes of communication in Coca-Cola Company are: Internet and E-mail Video conferencing Facsimile(fax) Internal ICT communication in Coca-Cola Company E-mail-This is very fast way to send information and it save lot of time both sender and receiver. The staff of the Coca-Cola Company has their own program which is installed in their computers to tell them once they have received e-mail. Using email message can be sent to multiple recipients easily and can be forwarded on to others. Fax- This allows people to have copies of document they may require and sent the message. Enables messages to reach remote locations quickly but complex images in he faxes are not clear. Pagers-This allows people to received information whenever they are and whenever they need but long messages cannot be sent through this. Mainly executives use pagers in business. Video conferencing-This cannot use by all companies. Through this people from different countries allow to talk one another and listen to what is being said. This type of communication is very effective in the communication because it allows transmitting pictures as well as voices. External ICT communication in Coca-Cola Company Fax use to contact the external suppliers and suppliers are the only people who do fax them externally. This type of communication process saves money and the time. Improvement to ensure greater integration of communication They can use conversation also as a tool.This is unstructed and a discuss a wide range of topics. In decision making meeting are very effective communication tool. Coca-cola Company is world wide company .here only top level managers and directors can meet and take decisions. This allows expressing multiple opinions and they can be discussed and resolved wide range of issues. This type of communication tools can be used in long term decision-making and taking but for instant decision making they can use telephone. This is good way of communication that does not required a written record and conference alls allow multiple participants. Workshops and training events can be used to improve employee Knowledge. Through that they can improve organizational knowledge. Those types of methods can be used country vice. Personal-Interpersonal skills should be improved.Interpersonal skills involve inspiring,motivating,leading and controlling people to achieve objective/objectives. Interpersonal skills can be defined as skills use in interactions and relationships between two or more people. Good interpersonal skills can assist in Motivation,Communication,Team working and Team building and customer care. The role of Knowledge MANAGEMENT (KM) plays in managing organization strategically As indicated in the role of knowledge , Knowledge Management describes the process of collecting,storing and using the knowledge held within an organization.It is basically focus on organizational objectives such as performance,competitive advantage and continues improvement of the organization through the improvement and sharing of organizational knowledge management throughout the organization.Therefore knowledge management is not a technology pr computer thing and it depends on the human skills. Knowledge management use to identify,create,represent and distribute insights and experiences in an organization. These are help in managing organization strategically.

Genres Of Literature

Genres of literature are important to learn about. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. There are several genres of literature that fall under the nonfiction category. Nonfiction sits in direct opposition to fiction. Examples from both the fiction and nonfiction genres of literature are explained in detail below. This detailed genres of literature list is a great resource to share with any scholars. Types of Nonfiction: Narrative Nonfiction is information based on fact that is presented in a format whichtells a story. Essays are a short literary composition that reflects the author’s outlook or point. A short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. A Biography is a written account of another person’s life. An Autobiography gives the history of a person’s life, written or told by that person. Often written in Narrativ e form of their person’s life. Speech is the faculty or power of speaking; oral communication; ability to express one’s thoughts and emotions by speech, sounds, and gesture.Generally delivered in the form of an address or discourse. Finally there is the general genre of Nonfiction. This is Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject. This genre of literature offers opinions or conjectures on facts and reality. This includes biographies, history, essays, speech, and narrative nonfiction. Nonfiction opposes fiction and is distinguished from those fiction genres of literature like poetry and drama which is the next section we will discuss.