Blade Runner Directors Cut essays

Blade Runner Director's Cut essays What theme or themes have you found in a feature film you have studied this year, which are relevant to a modern audience? The film, Blade Runner: Directors Cut, (BRDC) directed by Ridley Scott, explores a major theme that is relevant to us as a modern audience. The main theme is the questioning of humanity. This film forces the viewer to really wonder what humanity actually is, and how human we are. It forces us as the viewer to question our values, and to ponder over the difference between human and inferior beings. In, BRDC, the main theme is the question of what is humanity? One of the ways we wonder this, is through the replicants. Replicants are genetically engineered beings, or clones that are illegal on Earth. A number of rebel replicants have escaped from their off-world colony to Earth, where they wish to seek more life from their creator. They are only given a four-year life span. The film follows Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he is given the task of finding the replicants and retiring or killing them. This forces us as the viewer to question the humanity issues of this. We wonder if it is right to kill something that will only last four years. For example, the replicants appear to be human as is seen at the beginning, when the replicant Leon cares so much about his mother that he shoots another man for trying to talk about her. In fact, replicants do not have a mother but are implanted with the memory of one. The fact that the subject of his mother provoked such an emotional response from Leon, shows that he does possess human qualities, despite claims from the creator Tyrell that replicants can not experience human emotion. Leon shows in this scene that he does possess emotions, and while the viewer questions his humanity as he kills another man, they are also forced to question the humanity issues of killing them. They appear to be normal human beings, yet they m ...

Women In Islam Example

Women In Islam Example Women In Islam – Article Example Women in Islam – Article Summary In Islam, women are treated as equal to men. This is because they have equivalent importance as they carry out different acts of life. They form an integral part of the family basis and due to this, their significance is increased exponentially. They are a symbol of love, tenderness and unity within the family. Their role in marriage is also defined in accordance with the Islamic tenets and regulations as prescribed in the Holy Book Quran and the teachings of the Holy Prophet, Sunnah. When the talk goes out loud regarding the aspect of motherhood, it is an important part of any woman as she is completed when she becomes a mother. There are prescribed rights of divorced women which shall be given by the men who give them divorce. Also society has got a huge role to play under such circumstances. These include the quintessential pointers of inheritance, monogamy and so on. It is mandatory on every Muslim’s part and not just the male frater nity to educate them. The females therefore have a very significant role to play as they learn from worldly things as well as the Islamic teachings. Modesty is an important yardstick of understanding how the modern Islamic women should adhere to and what kinds of qualities they must adapt to. Being responsible on their part is not equal to superiority and this should be understood in the proper contexts. The oppressive practices meted on to the women must be taken care of by the society so that such activities do not come about at all.

Strategic Human Resource Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Human Resource Management - Case Study Example The major political concern that Excellence University is facing is the issue of clamping of the education visa by the involved agency. This has reduced the number of foreign students in the university. In terms of economic issues, the economic downturn has affected the enrolment rates and hence impacting on the remuneration packages for the university staff (Millmore, 2007). Among the social issues affecting the university is the lack of approval of some of the course in the university by the press. The operation of the university has also been affected by its failure to embrace technology in its various aspects leading to complaints from both the staff and the students. When it comes to legal matter the issue of UK Border Agency clamping the education visas of the students from foreign nations is also affecting the operation of the university. Despite the challenges being experienced, the university still has some strength in terms of the human resources. One of the strengths is the emphasis on quality and the open door policy that has allowed for and encouraged open communication. The weaknesses of the university in terms of human resources include poor management, poor secession plans, lack of customer support, low job satisfaction among the employees and out dated remuneration packages. The major opportunity that the business has is incorporating technology in its human resource operations to have the ability to react to some of the challenges that it is facing. Some of the major threats that it faces are the withdrawal of its licences, strives and stoppages due to the union issues, competition and withdrawal of foreign students. Some of the key influences that are impacting on the business now include poor management, outdated employee remuneration packages, failure to incorporate technology and competition. These four key factors

To analyze the historical significance of a figure studied in this Term Paper

To analyze the historical significance of a figure studied in this course - Term Paper Example It is in this regard that Churchill is considered one of the most influential historical figures for courageous political and military leadership. This paper gives a critical analysis of Winston Churchill in line with the past history that influenced his courageous leadership, his influence during his leadership period and how his influence on political and military leadership has extended to the current era. How Previous History Influenced Churchill The leadership skills that Churchill demonstrated were motivated or influenced by his experiences within the military. Churchill attended and was part of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, which culminated the beginning of his career in the military. At the college and later in the military, Churchill’s leadership abilities and skills were obvious. In the year 1901, Churchill entered parliament. At this time he was only 26 years old and his courage and leadership qualities made him to gain significant admiration from members a nd colleagues within his party (Bell 1097). When the Second World War broke out, Churchill was appointed within the Royal Navy as the First Lord of Admiralty. However he resigned from this role after the Dardanelles expedition which was characterized by disastrous incidents. This however did not weaken his spirits. As a result, Churchill rejoined the military and later went back to a political career where he played senior governmental roles within missions in overseas nations. The 1939 breaking out of the war caused Churchill to be reappointed as the First Lord of Admiralty. The resignation of the British prime minster Chamberlain in 1940 was followed by the Churchill takeover as the new prime minister. This officially marked his important role in the political and military reigns within the UK and other parts of the world. His charisma and courage was demonstrated by the fact that he refused to give in to the Nazi Germany. This led to great inspiration to his country and the milit ary in addition to political leaders. Their focus was therefore to stage a retreat and win against the influence of the Germans. An air defense was therefore organized by Churchill which successfully marked the victory in the battle of Britain and Mussolini’s Italy. Italy in return gained the trust of Britain under the leadership of Churchill. It is therefore notable from the historical perspective that Churchill was both a charismatic and influential leader within the political and military reams of Britain and other parts of the world. The Influence of Churchill during his Time Even though Churchill lost his prime minster position in the year 1945, his passion for leadership in politics was not lost. This reveals that he was a determined individual who was focused at achieving his dreams. Because of this determination, Churchill was reelected in the year 1951 as the prime minister of Britain (Dumbrell 35). During his tenure as prime minster, Churchill was an exceptional mil itary or war time leader who served both political and military roles for his country. More importantly, Churchill was a successful literary scholar. This is disclosed by the fact that he started writing his campaign reports early when he was only 24 years old. From the campaign reports, Churchill came up with his first publication in the year 1900. The culmination of Churchill’s achievements and influence in leadership was achieved in 1953 when we was honored with a Nobel Prize for Literature in addition to an

Discrimination and Young People Essay Example for Free

Discrimination and Young People Essay 1.1 Explain what is meant by * diversity * equality * inclusion Diversity means difference. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities and religious beliefs. Equality means treating everyone the same regardless of their individual differences. It is the discovery of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. Everyone has an equal right to be treated with dignity and respect. No one should be denied opportunities because of their race or ethnicity, their disability, their gender or sexual orientation, their age or religion. Inclusion means including people in a way that makes them feel appreciated and respected. Treating individuals fairly and respecting the differences between them makes it easier to include them. 1.2 Describe the potential effects of discrimination Discrimination is treating someone or a group of people in a different way to everyone else based on their individual differences. It involves the behavior towards a child or children such as excluding or restricting children from activities that other children are participating in. Discrimination happens when we fail to respect individuals and their choices. Discrimination affects everybody in different ways: Low self-esteem, depression, withdrawn behaviour, shyness, tearful, fearful etc. When someone is discriminated against, it can exclude them from friends, family, neighbours, and society in general. A child’s self-worth is reduced, as they feel isolated, and alone. Children’s Young People’s Workforce (2010 page 21) states that â€Å"When children experience prejudiced attitudes, there is a danger of damage to their self-esteem and self-confidence†. Discrimination can limit a child’s right to achieve their potential and objectives, their right to learn, their right to succeed. The most common forms of discrimination are racial remarks, being insulted and being the butt of hurtful jokes. Discrimination, racism and harassment may have significant mental and physical health consequences such as frustration, stress, anxiety and depression. Effects of discrimination physically and emotionally: Depression Anger Low self-esteem Isolation Loss of confidence Low self-worth Feeling stressed or unable to cope Fear of rejection The long-term effects could include: Loss of motivation Missed opportunities that may affect the childs experiences and development Limited access to services Mental illness caused by stress 1.3 Explain how inclusive practice promotes equality and supports diversity Inclusive practice is about the attitudes, approaches and approaches taken to ensure that people are not excluded or isolated. It means supporting diversity by accepting and welcoming children’s differences, and promoting equality by ensuring equal opportunities for all children. Child care workers show inclusive practice by working in ways that recognise, respect, value and make the most of all aspects of diversity. Children’s Young People’s Workforce (2010 page 25) states that another type of inclusive practice is to â€Å"offer children equality of opportunity to  participate, develop and learn. This does not mean treating them all the same; we have to acknowledge their diversity and treat children as individuals, with equal concern†. Having a sound awareness of and responding sensitively to an individual’s diverse needs supports them in developing a sense of belonging, well-being and confidence in their identity and capabilities and it helps them to achieve their potential to take their place in society. In addition, inclusive practice involves having an understanding of the impact that discrimination, inequality and social exclusion can have on an individual’s physical and mental health. Having such an understanding ensures appropriate, personalised care and support, thereby enabling an individual to develop self-respect and maintain a valued role in society. Children’s Young People’s Workforce (2010 page 20) states that â€Å"When children spend time in settings which promote diversity, equality of opportunity and inclusion, they are able to make progress in all areas of development†. Inclusive practice involves reflecting on and challenging one’s own prejudices, behaviours and work practices. It also involves challenging those of colleagues and other service providers with a view to changing ways of thinking and working and changing services to build on good practice and to better support diversity and promote equality. Bibliography Authors:Penny Tassoni, Kate Beith, Kath Bulman, Sue Griffin Year of publication:2010 Title:Children’s Young People’s Workforce – Early Learning Childcare Publisher:Heinemann

Television Violence and Children :: essays research papers media

Television Violence and Children The effects of television violence and children can vary according to the child. There are various effects, both physical and psychological, that can occur. First of all, the child, through his years of watching television, may develop the concept that violence is a way to solve problems. The watching of these television shows is where most of the children pick up this aggressive mindset they have. It is to be said that eighty percent of what you learn when you are a child, is from what you see. That in it can become very dangerous to the child in many ways. Secondly, the child may have a favorite character he or she looks up to, who may have a violent role in the cartoon. Seeing their favorite cartoon character kill another character may give an impression that it?s funny and is okay to so the same. The bright colors from cartoons simply catch the child?s eye. . The viewing of violence does not make the child violent, but it kind of tells them that it is acceptable for their favorite cartoon character to hurt others. There have been researches that have shown that the estimated child, once passed elementary, will have been introduced to eight thousand murders, and more than one hundred-thousand acts of some sort of violence on television. Those numbers show a dramatic change in the way television shows have increased their violence rate. With numbers like these, violence can be extremely harmful to a child. In recent studies it has been proven that once children are put in front of a television, their concentration cannot be broken or wrecked. Most children who watch these violent shows have been less patient, more aggressive, and more likely to have lower grades than the children who watch television shows like Mr. Rogers. The more the child watches these violent shows, the faster he or she will unnaturally speed up the impact of the

Organisational dialouge Essay

Question 2: A range of authors (e.g. Gerard and Ellinor 2001; Isaacs 1993, 1999; Schein 1993; Senge 1995) suggest that dialogue can positively transform organizational cultures. Do you agree with this assessment? Why? Why not? Engage with relevant academic literature in developing your argument. Student Name: Nguyen Vu Hoang Dung Student Number: 11477445 In organization people spend 80 percent of their time to communicate (The British Psychological Society 2012). Communication is a key tool to share information, foster different opinions and build alignment and trust. According to Gerard & Teurfs (1995), the process of dialogue is an invitation to create organization cultures through conversations. It acts as a learning environment that shifting individuals to â€Å"a deeper understanding of collaboration in groups, and a new way of sensing their connections to others throughout the organization† (Querubin 2011, p.19). It brings all the ideas together and suspends judgment so people will have a greater chance to understand each other (Brayman, Grey & Stearns 2010). This essay will analyze the role of dialogue in transforming organizational cultures positively and all the benefits it brings. However, it will also examine the challenges of implementing dialogue. Organizational culture includes shared values and beliefs that guide behaviors of all members and determine the way things should be done in the organization (Sergiovanni 1984). Company has its own culture usually indicates higher performance. The role of dialogue is not only to spread the common values and meanings that company wants its employees to follow but also allow everyone to express their own interest. According to Gerard and  Ellinor (2001), the main purpose of dialogue is to produce collective understanding. Firstly, they compared the differences between dialogue and discussion. In discussion, people tend to protect their own thoughts and do not truly concern about other’s opinions and needs. They play as a speaker’s role rather than as a listener. It might leave the remainder out of discussion with frustration, isolation and disrespect. Decisions could be made by the person who has the most power and influence in the group (Gerard and Ellinor 2001). Hence it weakens the aim of enhancing organizational cultures. In contrast, when employees participate in a dialogue, their role as a listener is more important than as a speaker. They desire to hear what others want to say. They try to fit all different perspectives into a common value. Therefore, if issues occur, they listen to deeply understand other’s thoughts and opinions (Gerard and Ellinor 2001). By doing that, employees are getting closer to each other and conflicts are minimized. They help their team or their department to build shared culture. Secondly, Gerard and Ellinor (2001) stated five skills of dialogue including suspension of judgment, listening, reflection, assumption identification and inquiry. They defined the meaning of suspension in dialogue is not to stop one’s judgment about a problem. Instead, they have to aware what their judgments are and â€Å"then holding them lightly so they can still hear what others are saying† (Gerard and Ellinor 2001, p. 7). After listening carefully to other’s ideas, they need to reflect their own assumptions. Therefore, to revising whether those assumptions are linked to the organization or not. If they cannot understand the differences, they must inquire for more information. Hence, this process of dialogue enables each employee to foster different views and converge them together to become one unique aim. Organizational culture is enhanced. In agreement with Gerard and Ellinor, Isaacs (1999) analyzed four principles of dialogue based on Bohm’s research in 1996. They are listening, respecting, suspending and voicing. Firstly, Isaacs had compared listening skill in dialogue to listening to music. He stated a single note of music could not deliver the meaning of the whole song. It is similar to one’s role in a conversation. A single idea is not sufficient to set purposes and  cultures for the whole organization. Hence, dialogue is an excellent practice to give people a chance to listen deeply and get into the nature of the conversation. Secondly, he defined respecting as getting to know more about one person and figure out what sources or circumstances has created their particular thinking. Based on this understanding, people in an organization will pay more respect to each other. The main goal of respecting in dialogue is not to seek decision but to tolerate difference, gap and conflict (Isaacs 1999). The third principle of dialogue, suspending, is determined similar to Gerard and Ellinor (2001). And the last principle Isaacs mentioned is voicing. He suggested people should listen internally so as to select what should say and what should not say in a circumstance. Sometimes keeping silence and listen can achieve the best result. Therefore, the purpose of voicing means people contribute their speech, not only for themselves, but to the whole idea. Overall, these principles are considered having positive effects on organizational learning. They emphasize group and organization achievements rather than an individual accomplishment. In Schein’s study (1993), he described dialogue as â€Å"talking around the campfire† (p. 391). He used â€Å"campfire† as a metaphor to explain how decision is made through dialogue. In the past, people sat around campfire during meeting and shared their own opinions. Arguments would never come up as people just simply expressed their thoughts without any discussion or debate. Through that, they were aware themselves which idea was acceptable and were unacceptable (Schein 1993). This process allowed enough time for each person to listen to a deeper layer of other’s opinions then reflect on their own assumptions. Moreover, Schein introduced the check-in concept. At the beginning of the meeting, each person will respectively contribute his or her ideas, views and feelings to the group as a whole, and therefore, â€Å"has helped to create the group† (Schein 1993, p. 392). Lastly, Schein stressed the limitation of eye contact. This makes people feel ea sier to suspend disagreements and concentrate on listening. Senge (1995) determined dialogue as a facilitator for team learning. Based on his research, team is the key unit to build culture in an organization. By applying dialogue into team learning process, it develops shared vision and  brings result every member truly desires. It also creates teamwork and shares equal leadership to each member in the group. Through sharing a common pool of meaning, culture is positively transforming from individual to group values and beliefs. Although dialogue is proved to have a great effect on organizational culture, there are challenges in implementing it into organization learning system. The first challenge is due to hierarchy level in an organization (Raelin 2012). Dialogue requires equal say and sharing from each member of the organization. However, employees tend to afraid of expressing their true views in front of their managers. They leave decision making to people at higher position. In top-down companies, upper levels of management have full knowledge of desired targets, goals and norms. They have the right and ability to create and change organizational culture. They enforce rules and duties on their employee. They usually do not spend time to listen to individual’s opinion and feeling. Hence, it is very challenging to apply dialogue into this type of business. Furthermore, if the organization involves a cross-culture, that employee come from different culture backgrounds, there is a need for a more lengthy and complicated process of dialogue (Schein 1993). In this type of organization, people use different languages and operate from different mental models. Organization needs to design a dialogue that enables all these people to communicate effectively. Thornhill, Lewis & Saunders (2000) also emphasized there is may be a need to â€Å"re-designing of performance appraisal systems and reward systems† and â€Å"the re-definition of job roles to induce employees into accept the new behavior expected from them† (p. 27). Hence it is costly and time consuming. Finally, dialogue may not be suitable to apply to all organizations cultures in the world. For example, Western culture is different from Eastern culture. As dialogue encourage the limitation of eye contact (Schein 1993), people from the West will consider this as impolite or even disrespectful (Spindler 1990). In addition, in Western countries people prefer confrontation whereas Eastern people prefer to say what they feel most  appropriate in this circumstance or least hurtful to the others (Schein 1993). Therefore, dialogue must be selective so it is suitable for each particular organization. In conclusion, dialogue has played a key role in positively transforming organizational culture. It acts as a learning environment that shifts individual to group thinking. It leads each employee to recognize the essential of collaborating in a group. Querubin (2011) demonstrated that dialogue enables members to â€Å"become open to diversity and lose an â€Å"us vs. them† paradigm so prevalent in task-oriented cultures† (p. 19). Hence, group achievement is more important than individual accomplishment. Moreover, dialogue includes suspending of judgment, listening, respect, reflection, assumption and voicing. Through all these principles, dialogue creates collective understanding and leads all members of the organization to higher commitment. However, the implementation of dialogue still faces several challenges, including hierarchy levels, time consuming and different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, selective approach of dialogue must be considered to apply to specifi c organization. REFERENCES Bohm, D. 1996, On Dialogue. Ed. Lee Nichol, Routledge, London & New York. Brayman, J., Grey, M. & Stearns, M. 2010, Taking Flight to Literacy and Leadership, Rowman & Littlefield, viewed 16 December 2010, Ellinor, L. & Gerard, G. 2001, Dialogue at Work: Skills at Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Ellinor, L. & Gerard, G. 2001, Dialogue at Work: Skills at Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA, pp. 7. Gerard, G. & Teurfs, L. 1995, Dialogue and Organizational Transformation, 1st edn, Sterling & Stone, Inc., San Francisco. Isaacs, W. 1999, Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together: A Pioneering Approach to Communicating in Business and in Live, Currency, New York. Querubin, C. 2011, ‘The effect on the organization’, Dialogue: Creating Shared Meaning and Other Benefits for Business, pp. 19, Raelin, J. 2012, ‘Dialogue and deliberation as expressions of democratic leadership in participatory organizational change’, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 25. Schein , E. H. 1993, On dialogue, culture, and organizational learning . Organizational Dynamics, pp 391-392. Senge, P. M. 1995, The spirit of personal mastery, MN: Charthouse International Learning Corporation, Burnsville. Sergiovanni, T. 1984, ‘Leadership and excellence in schooling’, Educational Leadership Journal, vol. 4. Spindler, G. 1993, The American Cultural Dialogue and Its Transmission, Psychology Press, The British Psychological Society 2012, Dialogue: How to create change in organizations through conversation, viewed 14 May 2012, http://www.bps.org.uk/events/dialogue-how-create-change-organisations-through-conversation-1 Thornhill, A., Lewis, M. & Saunders, M. 2000, Managing Change: A Human Resource Strategy Approach, Prentice Hall, London.