Popular, Fine, Folk: Making Do and Thinking Out of the Box Essay

Once upon a time, at the turn of the 20th century, Marcel Duchamp brought a urinal into the museum. As expected, it was banned from being shown in a major exhibition at that time. Today, the urinal is called a ‘found object,† a fine arts category that has become standard practice for contemporary artists, especially those who are working on media and techniques spawned by Duchamp’s rebellion: conceptual art, installations, and the readymade. One of the most famous latter day versions is that of Andy Warhol’s Campbell soup and Brillo boxes – those mass consumer items that found their way into the domain of the fine arts, and in their turn spawned another academic art historical category: Pop Art. Once upon a time, at the turn of the 19th century, the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, who has not sold a single painting during his lifetime (with the possible exception of one work bought by his brother Theo), died a pauper. In the 1980s, his Sunflower fetched millions of dollars at an auction. Today, he is not only a bestseller; he is also considered one of the best artists of all times. Once upon a time, Madonna was just any other upstart, who with her limited vocal range was singing seemingly superficial songs like â€Å"Like a Virgin† and â€Å"Material Girl. † Today, she and her ‘bad girl’ image, as well as her numerous personas, is the subject of numerous academic papers on popular culture. This and examples from Charlie Parker, as well – Shakespeare, the Shaker furniture, the quilt, Amazing Grace, photography – tell us not only that values change through time, some for the better, others for the worse, depending on one’s point of view. The more important point is that, while terms like popular, fine and folk arts are valuable as terms of convenience, they are unreliable – perhaps even superfluous or unnecessary – as terms of judgment or standards, as in say, low and high art, good and bad art, truthful and false art, among many other boundaries. On one hand, these boundaries are important because they guard against extreme relativism, an intellectual indolence that results in people thinking that anything can be art, and that art is anything and everything that you can get away with. On the other hand, boundaries prevent us from looking at art forms more productively, or think out of the box. As Parker’s essay suggests, it is more productive to suspend our received judgments or templates – if only for a while – and analyze each art form on their own terms: as part of certain domains (popular, fine, folk and their combinations) with their own specific dynamics, gatekeepers, institutions, forms and contexts of production, reception, creativity and artistry and their own specific systems of producing and making meanings. These elements – domain (popular, fine, folk), field (gatekeepers and institutions), artistry (form, content, context) – clash and intersect with each other in an uneven world, characterized by unequal power relations. In this context, extreme relativism – that anything and everything can be art – is problematic. While it is true that anything – say, the urinal – can be art, its transformation required a movement from one domain to another: from the everyday to the museum, where it was lit and put on a pedestal, was signed and given a title (The Fountain) and in the process, became a candidate for appreciation, contemplation, and later, legitimation by the gatekeepers – the people (art historians, critics) and institutions (media, museums, schools) who had the power to rethink its meaning, and bestow on the urinal the term â€Å"art,† under the rubric â€Å"found object,† â€Å"readymade,† â€Å"conceptual art. Such legitimation was later confirmed by artistic, critical and curatorial practice: today, the Fountain, which started out as a rebellion against art and its definitions, is now ironically an academic, art historical and critical orthodoxy. Boundaries between domains are therefore simultaneously porous and self-contained. Everyday objects enter the fine arts, and vice versa. What used to be â€Å"folk† and popular, as in Shakespeare and Bob Dylan are now classics. When the urinal became The Fountain, it ceased to become a mundane object and entered the domain of the museum and the academe, subject to their terms and conditions. When elements of popular culture – the Brillo box, Campbell soup – crossed the boundaries, it became an art-historical category: Pop Art. And when Madonna crossed over from the Billboard charts to academe, her feminist radical potential was recognized, but at the same time, again quite ironically, tamed because her pop rebellion is now academic. Parker mapped the domains according to class – fine arts is a product of the elite, folk, of common folk and popular, of the masses. In real life of course, soap operas (popular) are viewed by different classes and sub-classes; jazz and hip hop, which started out in the ghettos were co-opted by American Top 40s; the Mona Lisa, the epitome of the Classic Masterpiece, found and continue to find its way into t-shirts and tabletops. Thus, instead of bemoaning that standards of excellence are being eroded, it may be more productive to chart these movements of objects and images, not only in terms of content, expression or truths that they contain, as question No. 3 leads us to suspect, but also in terms of how these truths are expressed (form), and the circumstances within which these truths are produced (context). Put another way, instead of persuading the â€Å"masses† that Hamlet is as entertaining as My Fair Lady, it would probably be better to find out why and how My Fair Lady ticks today and why and how Hamlet, which caught the imagination of royalties and subjects alike, clicked during the Elizabethan period and no longer does so today. I suspect this is not because standards of excellence have waned; it is just that each epoch, age, society and culture has its own way of defining, producing, valuing, consuming and receiving art. To be an intellectual therefore does not mean, being the kind of intellectual espoused by Arendt, one who imposes a top-down approach – imposing Hamlet on the masses, for instance. Instead, we need the kind of intellectual who will sit in front of the TV set, watch almost everything – from the seemingly most idiotic sitcoms to the most enlightening art film – and analyze and read the pictures, images and mediums, according to an oppositional and critical frame that works from and within, not from without and from the top. In other words, this is the kind of intellectual that challenges what is and sets out to suggest what is possible, not by imposing so-called alternatives (Hamlet instead of My Fair Lady), but by a process called bricolage – a process of thinking out of the box by making do with, pilfering, borrowing, and reconfiguring what is available, after a sensitive, critical and thorough analysis based on the parameters of form, content, context and domain, field and artist.

An Overview of the Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

In a case report presented by Uzun, Ar, Canan, Aktas, & Bas (2007), an 11-year-old boy was admitted to a hospital in Turkey due to complaints about â€Å"loss of vision, speech deficit, learning difficulty, poor balance, and ataxic gait†. Results of the physical examination showed that the boy manifested the following special features: facial dysmorphism, visual problems that included nystagmus or rapid, involuntary movement of the eyes from side to side, poor coordination, being overweight, an extra digit on the left foot, mild mental retardation, among other distinctive characteristics.What the authors (Uzun et al. , 2007) had presented was a usual case of a developmental disorder called Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS). The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), which is a news classification system that focuses on the components of health (Stewart & Rosenbaum, 2003). The ICF also emphasizes the re lationship between health condition and contextual factors, as illustrated in Figure 1 using the ICF model.This document aims to explain the Bardet-Biedl Syndrome in terms of the patients’ body structure & functions, activities, participation, and their limitations. General Description Bardet-Biedl syndrome is an autosomal recessive condition or an inheritable disease involving non-dominant chromosomes (Barnet, Reilly, Carr, Ojo, Beales, & Charman, 2002; Beales, 2005; Beales, Elcioglu, Woolf, Parker, & Flinter, 1999; Chan, Ho, But, & Tse, 1999; Hrynchak, 2000; Uzun et al. , 2007). It was first described by George Bardet and Alfred Biedl in 1920 (Chan et al. , 2000).This syndrome has a prevalence rate of 1/160,000. The cardinal features of BBS as seen in numerous case reports include retinal dystrophy, obesity, cognitive deficit, hypogonadism, polydactyly (Hrynchak, 2000), mental retardation, and renal dysfunction (Beales et al. , 1999; Chan et al. , 2000; Uzan et al, 2007). A rguments regarding the accuracy of the cardinal features emerged and consequently prompted Beales et al. (1999) to conduct a study that aimed to clarify and determine the major criteria for proper diagnosis of the syndrome. According to the results (Beals et al., 1999), individuals diagnosed with BBS must have the following cardinal features: (1) Visual disorders. The individual suffers from rod-cone dystrophy, also known as atypical retinitis pigmentosa, which is characterized by â€Å"night blindness†, loss of peripheral or tunnel vision, loss of central vision in childhood and adolescence, and â€Å"severe visual impairment by adulthood† (The Foundation Fighting Blindness [TFFB], 2000). (2) Limb defects. A widespread condition among individuals with BBS is postaxial polydactyly, or having extra accessory digits in the hands or feet (Beales et al., 1999). Some are born with only one extra finger or toe, but in other cases, the condition is â€Å"present in all four limbs† (Beales et al. , 1999). There were also cases that extra digits were only found in both hands or in both feet (Beales et al. , 1999). In the case study mentioned above, the 11-year-old boy had an extra digit on the left foot (Uzun et al. , 2007). (3) Height and weight. In the survey conducted by Beales et al. (1999) among children who developed BBS with an average age of 9 years old, the average height of males was 1.73 m, which was significantly lower than the average height of males in the general population which was 1. 76 m; the average height of females, on the other hand, measured 1. 62m—a number that was not significantly different from the average height of females in the general population that measured 1. 63 m (Beales et al. , 1999). When it comes to weight, Bardet-Biedl syndrome is widely linked to being obese or overweight (Beales et al. , 1999; Beales, 2005). Obesity was considered by a number of researchers as one of the accepted major criteria of B BS (Barnet et al., 2002; Hrynchak, 2005). Uzun et al. (2007) even addressed obesity in his case study as â€Å"one of the most common features of BBS†. (4) Education. Individuals with BBS exhibit learning difficulties (Beales et al. , 1999) which â€Å"can range from mild cognitive disability to mental retardation† (TFFB, 2000). However, Green et al. (as cited in Hrynchak, 2000) questioned this feature and found that â€Å"when appropriate verbal and performance IQ tests were given, only a minority of patients were found to have a cognitive deficit†.(5) Renal tract abnormalities. The kidney is one of the affected body organs when a person is developed to have BBS (Beales et al. , 1999, Chan et al. , 2000, Hrynchak, 2000). Most patients were found to have structural abnormalities (Beales et al. , 1999, Chan et al. , 2000). Kidney failure has been one of the leading causes of death among individuals with the syndrome (Chan et al. , 2000; Uzun et al. , 2007). The s ymptoms mentioned above are considered the major criteria; however, the descriptions of BBS are not limited to these items.Hypogonadism was considered by some researchers as one of the key features (Hrynchak, 2000); it is described as a structural deficiency characterized by Beales et al. (1999) as having small penises buried in adipose tissue. These concrete descriptions of the major criteria or symptoms for proper diagnosis of the Bardet-Biedl syndrome are one thing; behavioural patterns in patients with the syndrome are another. Beales et al. (1999) were able to include brief descriptions of BBS patients. These â€Å"difficult† behaviours include â€Å"emotional immaturity, frequent volatile outbursts, and poor reasoning† (Beales et al., 1999). They also claim boldly that â€Å"all BBS children preferred fix routines† (Beales et al. , 1999). Barnet et al. (2002) extensively studied the behaviour of individuals with BBS and found, apart from the aforementioned description by Beales et al. (1999), that children with BBS felt â€Å"withdrawn†, â€Å"anxious†, or even â€Å"depressed†. One of the main arguments of the article by Barnet et al. (2002) was the existence of a â€Å"behaviour phenotype† or a behaviour gene. One revelation that fuelled his speculations was the emergence of closely similar behaviour patterns of individuals born with BBS.That is simply one way to explain behaviour. On the other hand, we can find links between affect, behaviour, and cognition to explain why they act the way they do. Consider feelings of withdrawal, anxiety, and depression. These are all negative feelings indirectly pointed towards the self. A person with BBS would want to withdraw from the normal population because of possible shame or fear of encountering ridicule due to other people’s inconsiderate and usually unkind remarks. Anxiety might be felt due to a developed fear of being ridiculed.Depression, which is mo st probably the worst thing a child can feel, might have developed due to low self-esteem and self-worth. They would probably make comparisons between people like themselves who have impairments and people who are declared by society to be normal. One of the most notable behaviour patterns observed was traces of obsessive-compulsive behaviour; as with individuals who are diagnosed with autism, which is another developmental disorder linked to cognitive deficit, those with BBS are most comfortable with a â€Å"fixed routine† (Barnet, 2002).Activities & Limitations in Activities It is an observable fact that the features of Bardet-Biedl syndrome entail a lot of limitations in learning and applying knowledge. First, once the visual problems emerge, they interfere with visual learning, which is an important facet of education since most instructional media are visual. Hrynchak (2000), however, claimed â€Å"early identification of the visual disorder and appropriate educational intervention can be of great benefit in people with this condition†. In the study of Beales et al.(1999), half of the patients received education in a â€Å"special school†; some even further pursued their education and earned university degrees. Visual problems also hamper the day-to-day activities of older patients. Hrynchak (2000) presented the case of a 20-year-old white man with the condition who worked as a janitor. He complained about â€Å"decreasing visual acuity†, specifically, â€Å"missing debris while sweeping†. â€Å"He also had reduced ability to see fine print, difficulty seeing the credits on television, mobility problems (especially judging depth), and difficulty adapting to changing illumination conditions† (Hrynchak, 2000).Hrynchak (2000) also mentioned that majority of individuals become â€Å"legally blind† before the age of 30. Obesity also entails a lot of health risks including heart disease (Beales et al. , 1999). Th is affects the amount of emotional and physical stress the individual is capable of doing. Ataxia, which is characterized by poor coordination, was also found in patients with BBS. This affects how people with BBS move properly. It is probable that obesity is prevalent in some cases because of ataxia, which hinders activities that need proper coordination such as sports and other physical exercises.There is also the matter of speech deficit. Beales et al. (1999) pointed out that there is a problem in language use and vocabulary is limited due to learning difficulties. Participation & Limitations in Participation The case presented by Hrynchak (2000) shows the ability of individuals with BBS to function effectively in society as a working individual. However, Beales et al. (1999) described that â€Å"adult patients are often disinhibited and appear to recognise social cues†. This means that they often find it difficult to relate and mingle with other people.Perhaps this is a c onsequence of feelings of depression and anxiety in childhood brought about by possible ridicule and rejection among peers. Fatherhood is a major societal role that the males will not get to play. Due to hypogonadism, males are infertile and are unable to procreate (Beales et al. , 1999). According to Hrynchak (2000), â€Å"there have been no reports of a man with Bardet-Biedl syndrome having fathered children. † Treatment & Outcome It is an unfortunate matter that this genetic disorder has no known holistic treatment according to The Foundation Fighting Blindness (2000).To perhaps decrease the complications of the condition, one must address each symptom separately. For visual problems, an eye specialist should be consulted to see how the vision could be improved or what adjustments should be made by the patient or by the people around him. Hrynchak (2000) suggested the use of â€Å"field expansion devices† or a guide dog. Poor vision might hamper an individualâ€℠¢s ability to learn, hence, the cognitive disabilities. Learning disabilities, on the other hand, can be overcome with early intervention and had not been a hindrance to those who completed university degress.For renal abnormalities or kidney problems, one can approach a nephrologist or â€Å"a physician that specializes in kidney diseases† (TFFB, 2000). Kidney diseases are usually not detected until the patient undergoes radiological testing or x-ray after being diagnosed with BBS (Hrynchak, 2000). Take note that the leading cause of death among BBS patients is renal or kidney failure. Reference Barnet, S. , Reilly, S. , Carr, L. , Ojo, I. , Beales, P. L. , & Charman, T. (2002). Behavioural phenotype of Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Journal of Medical Genetics 39, e76-e76. Beales P. L. (2005).Lifting the lid on Pandora’s box: The Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 15(3), 315-323. Beales, P. L. , Elcioglu, N. , Woolf, A. S. , Parker, D. , & Flin ter, F. A. (1999). New criteria for improved diagnosis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome: Results of a population survey. Journal of Medical Genetics, 36, 437-446. Chan, W. K. Y. , Ho, S. , But, B. , & Tse, W. W. Y. (2000). Renal disease in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Hong Kong Journal of Paediatrics 5, 34-39. Hrynchak, P. K. (2000). Bardeit-Biedl syndrome. Optometry and Vision Science, 77(5), 236-243. Stewart, D. , & Rosenbaum, P. (2003).The international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF): A global model to guide clinical thinking and practice in childhood disability. Keeping Current, 3(3), 1-8. The Foundation Fighting Blindness. (2000, February). Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://www. blindness. org/pdfs/resources/bardetbiedl. pdf Uzun, H. , Ar, K. , Canan, F. , Aktas, A. , & Bak, M. (2007). A case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology 7(1). Retrieved March 11, 2008, from, http://www. ispub. com/ostia/in dex. php? xmlFilePath=journals/ijpn/vol7n1/ biedl. xml

Verizon Wireless Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Verizon Wireless Marketing - Case Study Example Verizon Business provides communications and information technology (IT) services to global business and government clients. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., Verizon Wireless has the largest number of retail customers in the industry and is the most profitable wireless company in the U.S. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). (Verizon Wireless, 2008) Since wireless is the way of the future, the wireless divisions of these companies is the most hotly contested, and the focus of this "Battle of the Brands." It is important to note that despite Verizon Wireless bearing solely Verizon's name, it is not owned by just them, it is a 55%-45% joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone Group (NYSE: VOD). It is also important to note that AT&T Mobility is the service formerly known as Cingular, which was acquired by AT&T in 2006 when it bought BellSouth for $86B. Verizon Wireless lives up to its tagline as "America's Most Reliable Wireless Network". By doing so, it is the only major wireless company that offers a test-drive pledge that pays calls if a customer isn't satisfied and switches to another carrier. This marketing strategy is believed to have been backed upon by a broad marketing research. Verizon Wireless have focused on strengthening its customer loyalty, making it their edge from their competitors. It is believed to have the highest customer loyalty in the industry based on lowest-in-industry churn. -- footnote Compared to AT&T which is their serious challenger in wireless network, Verizon Wireless' products are almost the same with its competitor. Thus, the need to identify an area where they can perform better. Based on marketing research conducted, in order to increase customers of an industry, you need to increase a customer's trust in your products. Launching the Verizon Wireless Test Driver's Manual is a very strategic tactic that has been very effective for the company. It definitely achieved their objective to increase their trial rate. When a product if of high quality performance, a very vital percent, if not 100%, will lead to purchase rate and will then lead to re-purchase rate of customers until customer loyalty is established. By reading the mind of their consumers, Verizon Wireless knew exactly that their products are of high quality standards, leaving a little, if not zero, room for shifting to competition. None of this will be achieved if no marketing research has been intr icately done to its market. Competitive intelligence plays a vital role in analyzing competition of AT&T and Verizon Wireless. To analyze each of the company's stregths and weaknesses is important in order to come up with strategies to counter each other's marketing points. In detail, the present market of AT&T is composed of 71 million users againt 65 million users of Verizon Wireless. Looking first at Verizon Wireless, its strategy is simple. It focuses on the strength of its network as its main selling point. From the company's "Can you hear me now" ads, to the current "It's the network" ads, the point the company conveys is that if you have Verizon, you are covered by the biggest and most reliable network. AT&T's most memorable recent ads may be Martin Scorsese "We won't interrupt your phone calls, please don't interrupt our movies" ads that play at the cinema, but the company also runs television ads that focus on "more bars in more

The Need for Bachelor Prepared Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Need for Bachelor Prepared Nurses - Essay Example Evidently, there are a number of benefits of preparing nurses in this way and therefore society definitely has a need for bachelor prepared nurses. The first important argument for having bachelor prepared nurses is that they may be more capable in dealing with certain patients. This means that people in hospital are less likely to die from preventable causes in the hands of bachelor prepared nurses. Aiken, Clarke, Cheung, Sloane & Silber (2003) found that, in a study of hospitals in Philadeliphia, nurses with a bachelor degree had 5% less patient deaths and failure to rescue incidents than non-bachelor prepared equivalents. This was found even after adjusting for the different illnesses that the nurses were dealing with. Sasichay-Akkadechanunt, Scalzi, & Jawad (2003) found in their large study of nurses in Thailand that in-hospital deaths were reduced when patients were treated by bachelor prepared nurses. Bachelor prepared nurses may also be more qualified in basic scientific knowl edge that can be useful in their career. Thornton (1997) found that nurses who had biological and psychological knowledge from their bachelor degree were more capable and more understanding (as evaluated by co-workers, patients and the nurses themselves). These nurses were also more qualified in dealing with a wide-range of situations. This may be because nurses who had only received minimal training and had more vocational-style education may have had their experience in one or two hospital areas, and therefore were not familiar with a number of the cases in areas where they did not have training. Bachelor preparation covers a lot of ground. Manias & Bullock (2002) found that bachelor prepared nurses also had a superior knowledge of pharmacology, which is inevitably helpful when dealing with patients who need medication. Another benefit to having bachelor prepared nurses is that they can often have a better patient manner and be qualified in a number of different areas, not just be cause of their increased scientific knowledge. White, Coyne & Patel (2001) asked members of the Oncology Nursing Society to specify whether they thought that bachelor prepared nurses were adequate for end-of-life care. Not only did the nurses in the society feel that they had gained enough from their degree that they could apply in this situation, but the general feeling was that patients responded better to these nurses because bachelor preparation includes modules about talking to patients and communication. Patients often prefer and feel safer with nurses with a good bedside manner, and so this is a huge advantage to have in a nurse. There are suggestions that nurses do not need to study in formal education because their career is so practical and essay writing and research are not often used in the profession (Gurney, Mueller & Price, 1997). Although this claim may have some truth to it, in that it recognizes the nature of the profession, there are suggestions that these researc h skills can actually be useful to a nurse. Carroll et al (1997) found that nurses did use research techniques and many used them to find out more about conditions as well as take part in scholarly nursing research. If nurses were only prepared on a vocational basis, they may not have the research skills that a bachelor’

Information Technology 1-4D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Technology 1-4D - Essay Example This paper will serve to address four separate questions in regards to technology and modern society, with a careful look into how the use of technology is reflected in our day to day lives. Keywords: technology, day to day lives, Web 2.0, Mark Kennedy, data mining, data collection, decision making process, change, change management, organizational skills, management Information Systems D1-4 1. Mark Kennedy said, â€Å"All of the biggest technological inventions created by man – the airplane, the automobile, the computer – say a little about his intelligence, but speak volumes about his laziness.† What do you think of this quote? Do you agree? Why? Mark Kennedy stated that â€Å"all of the biggest technological inventions created by man – the airplane, the automobile, the computer – say a little about his intelligence, but speak volumes about his laziness† and I could not agree more. While the technologies themselves have been innovative and work to show the different ways that humans are able to take a look at what is available and adapt it to a different use, it is only the generations who are already aware of the original way of doing things that are benefiting from the technology itself. The generations that grow up with the technology already set firmly in place are made lazy and, to a degree, stupid by that same technology (Shaw, 2010). Society has become more and more dependent on technology, to a degree that many members often lack the willingness to think before acting, and as a result of current technologies have become impatient in regards to how quickly information is available (Patil, 2013). While technologies offer many different benefits, and technology is the mother of invention, the current technologies have far more drawbacks than they do rewards. Patil, P. (2013). Technological advancements and its impact on humanity. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/346486/Technological_Advancements_and_Its_Imp act_on_Humanity Shaw, S. (2010, September 16). dependence comes with technology. Retrieved from http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/2010/09/16/dependence-comes-with-technology/ 2. Textbooks define Web 2.0 as â€Å"the 2nd generation of the Web, which focuses on online collaboration, users as both creators and modifiers of content, dynamic and customized information feeds, and many other engaging web-based services.† How can these Web 2.0 tools help businesses to gain a competitive advantage? There are a large variety of different products and services associated with Web 2.0 that assist businesses in gaining a competitive advantage. If these technologies, including but not limited to, blogs, wikis, podcasts, mashups, social networks, and RSS filters, are properly deployed, they may allow companies to increase their productivity and competitive advantage in a cost effective manner (Andriole, 2010). IBM performed a study in 2005 which looked into how much Web 2.0 could truly affect co mpetitive advantage, and it showed that a sustainable competitive advantage resulted from continual innovation, increased productivity and transformation and employee learning as a result of the positive application of Web 2.0 tools (Graham & Jones, 2011). Andriole, S. J. (2010). Business Impact of Web 2.0 Technologies. Communications Of The ACM, 53(12), 67-79. doi:10.1145/1859204.1859225 Graham, M. & Jones, N. (2011). IMPROVING BUSINESS PERFORMANCE WITH WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES. Journal Of Business Excellence, 2(1), 12-17. 3. As we live our everyday lives, data is collected from us, sometimes without our consent and often without our knowledge. A personal profile could be compiled from disparate sources. What’s your opinion about the secondary use of personal data for data profiling? It is my opinion that while there are other, secondary uses of personal data for data profiling that may be beneficial, such as the use of data by local and national governments to increase transpar ency in the governmental process and democratize the exchange of

Slavery in latin america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery in latin america - Essay Example Despite everything, this paper seeks to identify the context in which this book was produced and determine its implication on the study of Africans in Latin America. The journey for Africans, who were captured and enslaved in America, involved eleven million Africans, but only four hundred and fifty thousand of them, went to America; actually, the other millions went to Caribbean and Latin America1. In this case, the book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates explores changes in events during the history of slavery in the West and its implication to culture. Moreover, analysis of this book gives substantial insights on the newly created and vibrant culture by Africans and understanding of influences caused by Africans, Portuguese and Spanish cultures. Context in Which the Book Was Produced The book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates was produced in year 2011 to mark a celebration and the will of numerous Haitians and Dominicans to assert the ir African ancestry. Moreover, the book was produced during a period attributed to denial of African heritage by numerous Dominicans. In fact, the author of this book established an organization in Dominican Republic, which was referred to as Kong Brotherhood. Furthermore, the book was produced due to the assertion of African heritage in Haiti, which was denied by many Haitians. ... Moreover, it is written in a context that relates to events in the modern world, which are compared to the past to foster understanding of the influence caused by slavery. Furthermore, this book depicts facts related to race and African ancestries focusing on acknowledgement or denial of their past and the way these African ancestries interrelate with other cultures in a multicultural world of Latin America. The history of Africans in Latin America is unveiled by the author in this book, whereby ideas gathered from slaves’ experiences are extended to the present; in fact, this involves an illustration of the history of Africans in six Latin American countries, which include Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Moreover, these experiences entail art, music, dance, politics and religion, though it also focuses on presenting the anti-black racisms, which was aimed at expunging African culture2. Brazil has the world’s largest slave economy; thus, th is book sought to explore ideas that facilitate understanding of the way a country such as Brazil attained this status by enslaving Africans. Furthermore, there is a correlation identified between slavery and other aspects of life such as culture, religion, music and politics in a country such as Cuba. In fact, the book points out that this correlation is attributed to the amount of labour supply offered by the slave imported to Cuba with aims of generating significant profits during the nineteenth century in the sugar industry. Nevertheless, there are other ideas in this book, which are based on the context of communist revolution that occurred in 1959. In fact, that was a period when racisms instilled fear among numerous

Global companies operating in Qatar Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global companies operating in Qatar - Coursework Example Hence, multinational firms are eager to operate in the market. But due to political uncertainties, they fear for losses (Desai, 2009) and have adopted business strategies such as purchasing of licenses or franchising. Hence, the global firm’s leases out their trading licenses at the company inception. However, during that period, they monitor the business situation and understand the market more as they prepare for a takeover. Qatar comprises of many culture that majorly originate from the Middle East. Hence, the global firms that wish to operate in the market are more suitable to apply the franchising way rather than the trade licenses. The essential component of any business is to influence customers. Hence, by use of franchising, they use the local persons who understand the environment better (Schwab & Martin, 2011). Hence, they can implement strategies that influence persons making the business to grow faster. The global firms like MacDonald’s are majorly operating in food staffs. Hence, they need to study the locals’ culture first and see where to improve. Thus, the firms do itself in Dubai due to franchising since this has been the only way to enter the market and