Discuss the roles of language and reason in history Essay

The study of history is one in which people or communities attempt to understand the nature of humans through the study of events in the past. When we look at historiography or the writings of history, we are looking at the study of historical events that have been seen as relevant and meaningful by historians. So when we study this area of knowledge, we need to think about what affects the way we interpret it, and therefore by association, how it is taught to us. There are various components to the learning and teaching of history and perhaps the two most prominent components are language and reason; two ways of knowing. Language is fundamentally a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols. This is in itself linked to reason, which is a rational motive for a belief or action. Indeed language is a powerful tool that can communicate beliefs and facts but also manipulate such facts. Language has an effect on our emotions, our perception and what we believe in and can lead to history being manipulated over generations. Therefore, it is justifiable to say that this affects our reasoning. Therefore, I will be looking at how these ways of knowing affect the way in which a complex topic is taught: the Second World War (WW2) and some of its events. I will be addressing knowledge issues, which are questions that relate to our understanding of the world and us, combined with our desire for knowledge. I will look at how the holocaust is possibly taught in a German school, as well as how the Kamikaze attacks are taught in a Japanese school. I will also look at the way these events have been taught to me, as someone who attends a British school. The knowledge issues that will form the basis of my essay are: how do languages affect our opinion of a historical event, what role does our reasoning have in understanding historical events and whether we can study history without reason and language. I will be arguing that language and reason do have definitive roles in history. If we are to look at how WW2 may be taught in Germany, we have to perhaps look at Germany’s stance on the event now. Indeed a survey in Sarah Ann Gordon’s Book Hitler, Germans and ‘The Jewish Question’, showed the sentiments of the German people in the years after WW21. This can be seen below:  Statement  Percentage of people who agree  Hitler was right in his treatment of the Jews.  0%  Hitler went too far in his treatment of the Jews, but something had to be done to keep them in bounds. The actions against the Jews were in no way justified.  77%  Indeed, judging by the above results, it is possible that the majority of Germans abhor the Holocaust. The way in which they do so however, is very much linked into their language. Germany would most likely not want a repeat of the events of WW2 and so the way in which it is taught is one in which the actions of the Nazi party is abhorred, perhaps even more so than in the schools of other countries. Indeed if you look at the response of German historians and their analysis of WW2, many have been damning of events such as the holocaust. This can be seen with Hans-Ulrich Wehler, who in a 2006 interview expressed his support for the imprisonment of the British historian, David Irving, for Holocaust denial2.

Oryx And Crake Essay Real One

Drawing parallels to modern society, Tattoo's three main concerns are the negative side of globalization, the loss of a middle class, the negative side of libations and excessive human exploitation for personal gain. Furthermore, the limited omniscient point of view and a metaphor helps to highlight the dark aspects of increasing globalization. In a globalizes world with endless flow Of information, people are exposed to excessive amounts Of negative data which makes everyone afraid. Atwood even gives the impression that she is not in favor of this trend: â€Å"too much hardware, too much software, too many performs† (34).This growing fear makes people realize the possibility of more threats. Therefore, groups of individuals, specially those inside the Compounds such as Organic, tend to isolate themselves within the safety and comfort of the Compound walls to avoid â€Å"too much envy, fanaticism and bad faith† (34) out in the Planeloads. Ultimately, the vast majority p rize their privacy more than ever since globalization not only benefits people by making it easier for them to connect together, but also leaves people more susceptible to bad influence from their surroundings.In this case, the limited omniscient point of view points out the limited social contact that the people of the Compounds have with the Planeloads. Although globalization might bring some groups closer, the profound effect actually divides society apart. Moreover, a metaphor is used to describe how the relationship between the Crackers and normal human beings relate to that of developed nations and developing nations. As the Crackers came into existence, humans are left behind as they lack the physical attributes and survivability in the midst of a pandemic apocalypse.In a similar way, less developed countries are cut off and are not receiving the plus side from the globalization of developed countries: eke the door of a great vault shutting' (50). Both literary devices stress the imminent occurrence of a more isolated world. Atwood examines the disappearance of the middle class by emphasizing the dichotomy of the upper and lower class through the usage of juxtaposition or contrast. The comparison is first made by describing the physical layout of the communities.Members of the elite live in heavily gated communities known as Compounds while the majority of the poor reside in the Planeloads or the cities in which public security is low. People of the Compounds are inconsiderably better off, possessing luxuries with the likes of ‘the house, the pool, the furniture† (33), as opposed to â€Å"the addicts, the muggers, the paupers, the crazies† (33) of the Planeloads roaming about the city wreaking havoc in the streets. Both classes have developed mistrust due to the seclusion and a lack of interaction: â€Å"Compound people didn't go to the cities unless they had to and then never alone† (33).From the noticeable segregation, a sens e of unity between the two is slowly slipping away with the possibility of causing disastrous consequences. Therefore, the elite have more power of taking advantage of the Planeloads for their own betterment. As one example of exploitation, corporations in the compound continuously create diseases targeted towards the Planeloads, thus making immense profit by forcing them to buy their medications, which often worsens their health.Without the middle class acting as a stabilizer, members of the upper class are more susceptible to immoral behavior towards the lower class, leading to extreme social imbalance. By using hyperbole and irony, Atwood argues that there will always be the exploitation of the poor and weak in society. Similar to Jimmies father, many medical workers Of the compound are always discovering new alternatives to gain profit from the poor: â€Å"The rewards in the case of success would be enormous† (65).Knowing that these people are desperate for sustenance and financial aid, they take advantage of their vulnerability and deceive them by using them as test subjects to test the deadly effects of their newly created diseases. These tests often have detrimental consequences to the test subjects, leading to physical impairment and sometimes death. The destitute individuals are compensated very little for their services and are mostly unaware of the deadly consequences that may arise.

Are Leaders Born Or Made How Do We Identify Leaders Do We Need Leaders Essay

Are Leaders Born Or Made How Do We Identify Leaders Do We Need Leaders In This Current Economic Climate - Essay Example This point has been explained in the present discourse by comparing two different organisations based on personal work experience. In the process, various aspects of leader and team behaviour, organisational systems, structure and management concepts have been used to explain leadership effectiveness and use of management concepts. This discourse presents an argument on leadership effectiveness in relation with leadership theories, management concepts and organisational culture. Leadership has been defined from different perspectives. Leadership at workplace has been the focus of many contemporary organisations. Contrary to the conventional management concepts and philosophy, the present-day organisations believe that leadership is essential for organisational sustenance. Daft defines leadership as the influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real change and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes (2007; p.4). In an organisational context, the essential eleme nts in leadership include the leader, influence, intention, personal responsibility and integrity, change, shared purpose, followers. These elements, although essential in any leadership concept, are specifically significant in an organisational context because this context brings together leaders by virtue of their position and people with a purpose. Such leadership is assigned leadership (Northouse, 2009). Another form of leadership is emergent leadership, which refers to leadership acquired by one’s actions, and ability to earn followers; this leadership is more commonly found in political groups, and lesser in organisational setups. Leadership has been defined in numerous ways by different people, and from different perspectives. One of the broad definitions proposed by Yuki is that leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accom plish shared objectives (, p.26). According to Bryman, â€Å"leadership is the creation of a vision about a desired future state which seeks to enmesh all members of an organisation in its net† (1986, p.6). Jackson and Parry (2007) highlight three aspects of leadership, which provide sufficient reasons to explore leadership. These aspects include the contemplative notion whether leaders were born or made; secondly, what are the characteristics of an effective leader; thirdly, what is the difference between leadership and management. These three aspects provide significant insight into the concept of leadership and management. Theoretical construct on the concept of leadership is vast and delves deep into aspects such as individuals’ personality, style, background etc (Contingency theories) along with situations (Situational leadership), culture, perceived values, vision (Visionary and transformational leadership) and even characteristics of followers. Various leadershi p characteristics have been proposed by many researchers, which gave rise to the trait theories of leadership. Some of the traits explained in these theories include intelligence, insight, responsibility, confidence, cognition, self-motivated, emotional intelligence etc (Northouse, 2007). Fiedler’s contingency theory of leadership emphasizes that leader’s effectiveness or the group’s performance is determined by leadership style and situational need. Leadership

Toxic Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Toxic Culture - Essay Example izational Culture, I will agree with Guthries position basing on the fact that it’s the leaders responsibility to create and shape the organizations culture (Guthrie, 2014). A study by Lin and McDonough (2011) clearly identifies that leadership has a direct influence on organization culture. The study shows that leaders cannot directly influence an organizations productivity; however, they can directly influence the organizations culture, which has a direct influence on the organizations productivity. Although in the beginning the leader is solely responsible for creating an organization culture, the culture starts to evolve with time and partly influences the organizations leadership. However, a leader who clearly understand the basic ideas of leadership and strives to help the organization achieve its goals should never claim ignorance of what is happening under their nose. They should understand that they are in control; therefore, their task is to constantly monitor the change in their organizations culture. That is to say if ‘the organizations culture turns toxic’ they should be responsible for condoning it since that is their responsibility. Guthrie, D. (2014, January 16). Whos to Blame for Creating a Toxic Organizational Culture? Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougguthrie/2014/01/16/whos-to-blame-for-creating-a-toxic-organizational-culture/ Lin, H. E., & McDonough, E. F. (2011). Investigating the role of leadership and organizational culture in fostering innovation ambidexterity. Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions on, 58, (3): 497-509. Malby, B. (2007). How does leadership make difference to organizational culture and effectiveness? Retrieved from Nothern Leadership Academy:

International Trade & Institutions Business Report Essay

International Trade & Institutions Business Report - Essay Example hip brands namely Levi’s, Dockers, and Levis Strauss Signature suitable for a variety of consumers and have a strong global appeal (Just-Style, 2006). The corporation is organized into three geographic divisions – the Americas with San Francisco as the headquarters, Europe, Middle East and Africa (LSEMA), based in Brussels and the Asia Pacific Division (APD) based in Singapore. As of November 2005, the company sold through 55,000 retail locations across 100 countries. It has 107 own retail stores (those operated by self, independent franchisees and licensees) while in Europe and Asia it has 348 and 492 stores respectively (Just-Style). The company grew through acquisition and also licensed its name to be used on other products like shoes and socks. When the company ran into difficulties in early 1980s it entered into agreements with mass merchandisers to market its products (Mistler, 2001). By mid 1990s the company was back on track and started expanding in Eastern Euro pe and India as well. This report would look into the factors that led it to adopt a different approach in marketing its products in different regions and countries. Due to trade liberalization and enhanced communication, international trading has become a necessity in many sectors, one of them being the apparel sector. The internationalization process involves strategic and tactical decisions (GEB, 2006). The strategic decisions include foreign market selection, mode of entry decision, product portfolio strategies and market expansion strategies. The tactical decisions include the marketing mix strategy for individual country markets. Massive changes have come in after the apparel industry was freed from quota restrictions on 1st January 2005 after over forty years (Saheed, 2006). The enormous garment production capacity of many countries, so far locked due to quota has become available now. This has resulted in increased imports by US and Japan but lower imports in EU market due to decline in

Accounting for the success of 'Pinot Grigio', 'Prosecco' and 'Brunello Essay

Accounting for the success of 'Pinot Grigio', 'Prosecco' and 'Brunello di Montalcino' - Essay Example Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, and Brunello di Montalcino are Italian wines that are enjoying the success of their sales across the globe (Robinson 2006). This paper will account for the success of these wines, and how they sustain growth in the region they originate and outside world. Wine lovers always consider the vintage and type of wine they need to purchase. These are some of the reasons that some of the new wine does not get the success they so wilfully wish for, when it comes down to sales. The exportation of wine may be a number one revenue earner for some of the European countries. In France, for example, the number of cases of wine exported to countries like the USA and Russia in a year may amount to a high number of its revenue. This is why the importation of USA wine back in the day saw the destruction of property and the burning of shops. This was to ensure that the only sold wine in the area came from France. Pinot Grigio is a grape that is accredited with the success of the white wine. It is readily available in Italian restaurants, and is often considered light and easy. Young wine enthusiasts find it easier to connect with the white wine as it is the go-to wine for everyone who fancies a drink with their meals. In the USA, Pinot Grigio is considered to be the second best wine. It only plays second fiddle to Chardonnay, and is the most imported wine in the region. It is considered a symbol of the evolution or the beginning of the United States as a wine drinking capital (Maroni 2012). The sale of the wine has increased over the years as people are now changing from the occasional one-drink for special occasions, to the everyday dinner drink. It is this change that attributes the success of the wine commercially. An increase in consumer base, for any product, means that there must be an increase in sales. Manufacturers, therefore, have to be up to the task of trying to

American Politics and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Politics and Society - Essay Example There have been frequent replacements of justices who have kept the Supreme Court attuned to the side of majority opinion. This fact finds support both theoretically, empirically and practically. Chief justice Rodger Taney and John Marshall have been replaced in mysterious circumstances. These replacement mechanisms have not been proven to be effective since the American citizens have occasionally raised eyebrows to the decisions made by the Court. There has been a definite number of years that a chief justice should remain in power. Between 1972 and 2004, a new justice could be appointed after a period of 4 years (Olshansky, 2010, p 90). In the recent past, justices have been appointed even after a tenure of 2 years. This has destabilized the Supreme Court as gaps have been left. Public trust has been lost and the minority does not see any need to seek a relief of the court. The attitudes and moods of many Supreme Court justices have been seen to shift regularly and significantly ov er time. Literature on public opinion on judicial decision making has suggested that judicial attitudes and changes in moods do reflect external social forces. However, attitudinal changes may be common among the justices as it is contrary thought. In the United States, the Courts mandate and the power to strike down the set laws and regulations expounds why this institution has received much criticism as an anti-democratic Court. An American scholar, Alexander Bickel from Yale, once supported this hypothesis and said that the Supreme Court was a deviant institution in the democracy of America (Rossum, 2001, p 56). It is an enemy of democracy as it exercises control against the prevailing majority which is contrary to the basics of democracy. At the beginning of the Republic, the Supreme Court was weaker than the president and the Congress. It observed a lot of care to win the faith of the public by passing only two federal laws between 1803 and 1857. The words of Justice Sandra Day Connor, that the judicial independence was under threat of influence by the powerful, have come to pass. Those who framed the U.S constitution expressed their reservations that the Supreme Court will one day be a threat to democracy (Yalof & Dautrich, 2013, 89). This is because it was seen as an institution that lacked money and soldiers to enforce its decrees. They also refuted the idea that the Court was inherently anti-democratic. If the Court would strike down the state and federal laws, it will be promoting democracy rather than thwarting it. The Court has been on the opposite side of the perceived will of those who framed the U.S constitution. In summary, the U.S citizens have accepted a large duty of the judicial branch in its undemocratic nature. The inherent mistrust of concentrated, seemingly unlimited authority, has given many American citizens a pause. A constitutional amendment, despite its complex nature of changing it, is welcome to reform the Supreme Court. Any inst itution, which is an enemy of democracy, is also an enemy of the people. It is very dangerous for people to trust an institution which will eventually turn them down. The status quo of the U.S Supreme Court cannot propel the democracy of Americans to any notch higher. A judicial system should be nonpartisan and should consider the effect of