Wolffs Analysis of Chopins The Awakening - 647 Words

Wolff’s Analysis of Chopin’s The Awakening In her essay Un-Utterable Longing: The Discourse of Feminine Sexuality in Kate Chopins The Awakening, Cynthia Griffin Wolff creates what Ross Murfin describes as a critical whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. (376) By employing a variety of critical approaches (including feminist, gender, cultural, new historicism, psychoanalytic and deconstruction) Wolff offers the reader a more complete (albeit complex) explanation of Edna Pontelliers behavior and motivations than any single approach could provide. Wolff contends that locating the source of Ednas repression is the key to understanding Chopins story. Wolffs perspective is feminist in that she focuses primarily on the†¦show more content†¦Women who displayed sexual tendencies were characterized as emotionally unstable or immoral. In this Victorian context, sexuality distinguished not only gender, but also class and race. Frigid women were deemed normal and childbirth was the only sexual expression available to women. (Many contemporary women would argue that childbirth is possibly a consequence of female sexuality, but not an expression of it.) Because female sexuality was linked to procreation, motherhood was viewed as a divine state. Wolff elaborates further on this idea of sacred divinity by noting that in childbirth women were not only sacrificed to pain, they literally and figuratively sacrificed their own lives for their children. (Is not such pain and sacrifice reminiscent of Christs crucifixion?) In The Awakening the sensuous Madonna Madame Ratignolle embodies this ideal mother woman who is both physically brutali zed and emotionally mutilated by childbirth. (381) Influenced by Freuds method of psychoanalysis, Wolff surmises that whereas Men owned their libido; womans was owned by their prospective children. (383) By utilizing a gendered approach, Wolff is able to understand what happens when individuals such as Edna Pontellier do not fit into the roles that society has constructed for them. Male dominated nineteenth-century society viewed women who would not accept

Sociological Materialism Vs Economic Determinism - 1775 Words

(Word Count: 1,779) Perceptions and Reality: Historical Materialism Versus Economic Determinism While Marx’s economic determinism is definitely a component of his theory of historical materialism, the two are by no means interchangeable. Historical materialism does not place value upon the truth of the status of society; all weight is born on how the material base of society is perceived by its inhabitants and how those perceptions lead the people within society to act accordingly in their political and social relationships. Economic determinism, however, is the truth of the material base of society and a critical examination of how social and political perceptions are built through the economic relationships that people have with each other and institutions, and how these perceptions lead to the truth that humans are not actors with free will or an expansive amount of agency. Economic determinism is the facet of historical materialism that clearly displays how humans interact with the components of society in a way that, Marx believes, does not allow for anything more t han the illusion of free will. This paper will explore the depth of historical materialism, economic determinism place within it, and human agency as a fixed point within the two. I will argue, through analyzing selections from The Communist Manifesto, Outlines of the Critique of the Political Economy, and The German Ideology, that economic determinism is the base that historical materialism is built on, andShow MoreRelatedMarxist theory2065 Words   |  9 PagesMarx was good in dealing with difficult abstract concepts whereas, Engels had the ability to write for the mass audience. They develop this theory during the Europe’s most volatile period of social change. Their theory were been ignore by social, economic and political when at first it was been establish. However, when Marx pass away at 1883, this theory start to gain the popularity in the nineteenth century and there is still population who practicing until now. After Marx pass away, Engels continueRead MoreExisten tialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pages------------------------------------------------- Essentialism vs. Existentialism Essentialism: A belief that things have a set of characteristics that make them what they are, amp; that the task of science and philosophy is their discovery amp; expression; the doctrine that essence is prior to existence While, Existentialism:A philosophical theory or approach, that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free amp; responsibleRead MoreGoogle Organizational Culture9872 Words   |  40 Pagesinterpretation of culture draws attention to a broader â€Å"materialistic† view, which encompasses a theoretical commitment to the casual primacy of infrastructural variables in explaining sociocultural systems, a principle known as infrastructural determinism (Harris, 1968). According to this view, the infrastructure is seen as the base of 101 society and includes strategies by which people relate to the material conditions of human life. Consequently, any causes for similarities and differences in behaviorRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesorganization theory with several new thinkers and ideas. Pedagogically a well-structured book with many clear learning objectives, cases, examples and good summaries for every chapter. Professor Martin Lindell, Hanken Business School, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Finland This book makes it easier to understand the current stand of organization theory. I strongly recommend it to anyone seriously interested in the different intellectual traditions that contribute to our understanding

Value of Hiring Old Employees

Question: Discuss about theValue of Hiring Old Employees. Answer: Introduction Human resources contribute to the day-to-day running of all sectors of organizations. It is, therefore, a task to the CEO of every organization to ensure that he employs people who are qualified through the Human Resource Manager. Numerous problems are arising currently in the human resource sector. This tasks the CEO of an organization with making decisions that may affect the functioning of the organization. Human resource plays a key in securing the future of every business. The success of every organization is ensured if there exists a good partnership between the management and the employees (Varma, 2013). In a situation where the organization creates an environment can thrive, the employees are likely to deliver quality services, and this ensures a sustainable organizational performance. Human resource has become an important sector as it determines the economy of a region. Studies have shown that CEOs hire or retain old employees in their organizations improve theirs companies bottom line. This brings a lot of controversies in modern organizations. Old employees are associated with low productivities as they are not active compared to young employees (Gooderham and Nordhaug, 2011). Old employees are slow in carrying out their activities and upgrading to upcoming technology in the fast changing world. For instance, the CEO of the World Bank is not aware if hiring old employees in the organization could be of any value. This report investigates the significance and contribution of old workers in an organization. Ann Jenkins in her report pointed out that CEOs across all industries which have embraced some employees aged 50+ years operate successful businesses. In her study, she focuses on the value of experience which is said to be improving as an employee grows old. Researchers in the AARP report say that experienced workers contributed a lot in improving Americas economy (Katou, 2008). The old workforce can influence and facilitate improved organization outcomes. Human resources in an organization are key, and the senior manager should be keen in ensuring that suitable and qualified personnel is the one that is absorbed by the organization for him to oversee smooth running and coordination of the firm's activities. This report uses data from Rhode Islands economy that covered the value of old employees in the regions economy. Hiring Old Employees Many organizations view old employees as a liability to them. The human resources have developed an attitude and mentality that hiring old employees could be brought about low productivity in their organizations as they are slow in their operations (Hallberg, 2011). However, the fact behind old employees is that they have turned out to be reliable and of help in organizations that have employed them. Old employees have a comparative advantage to an organization as they are well equipped with experience in the field were they are deployed (Ilmakunnas, 2011). This is because they have spent plenty of time carrying out activities in that field for a long time. The CEO of World Bank should consider hiring old employees to be part of the human resource of the organization as they have the required relevant knowledge that may propel the organization towards achieving its set objectives (Budhwar and Varma, 2010). Though old employees are said to be slow, this can be substituted with the fact that they perform their duties with a lot of accuracies hence covering for the time that could have been used in making changes in the case where mistakes occur. Through their experience, old employees can influence the young human resources within an organization positively thus leading to improved productivity of the organization. Research in Rhode was conducted with the view of reinforcing the value of hiring old employees as they turned out to be key assets in the human resource (Bratton and Gold, 2012). It showed that older worker played a major role in the organizations that they worked in and hence there was a need to consider them as part of the im portant workforce for an organization's success. To a CEO who is not aware if he should consider hiring old employees in the organization where he heads, this report is of great assistance as it outlines the fitness of the old employees and the part they play in an organization's success. Old employees also come in with an advantage of professionalism and strong work ethics within an organization (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). They are crucial as they know they value and knowledge they should bring into an organization. Old employees are also cost effective than the young employees who demand high payment and in return result into low productivity. Human Resource Theories and Models The Havard model: the Havard model concentrates on the soft aspect of the human resource management. It outlines that the employees should be committed to carrying out his duties. The model also needs employees to be cost effective and highly competent in their fields. Guest comparative model: this theory was formulated by Guest, (1997). He suggested that good human resources management practices will result in high personal and organizational performance. The concept outlines human resource management strategies such as innovation, differentiation, the high focus quality and lowering cost, involvement, commitment, security, performance appraisal and flexibility by training (Guest, 2011). Through observing this model, an organization's performance would turn out to be positive, innovative, lower the number of employees, reduce customer complaints and reduce conflicts within an organization. The matching model of Human Resource manager: this model was proposed by Forerum, (1984). He indicated that human resource systems and the organization's structure should be managed in a way that is in line with the organization's goals. The model requires human resource employed in an organization to toil with the view of achieving the set targets of the institution. Boxal and Purcell (2008) model: this model is based on another model formulated by Wright and Nishii in 2004. It studies the mediating procedure in human resource management performance through examining the human resource practices, the real practices, perceived practices and human resource reactions and how they perform. Agency theory: this theory puts across that the work of managers and CEOs of a firm is to take action on behalf of the business owners as their representatives. This theory requires managers to make decisions regarding the human resources that they recruit in the organization (Golding, 2010). However, the theory puts a line between the owners of the organization and the managers in a way that the managers have boundaries on the action they take in the firm. Human capital theory: this theory is concerned with the way people within an organization contribute their knowledge, skills, and potentials to facilitate organizational capability and the significance of that contribution (Pynes, 2008). It states that employees knowledge and skills will hike the organizational, economic value as comprising above the human resource will ensure efficiency and effectiveness in attaining the organizations objectives (Ployhart and Moliterno, 2011). The people- performance framework: this framework is built on the assumptions that describe unlocking the black box and the critical role of line managers that they use the human resource and the way they behave towards the workforce. The theory says thats managers reaction towards employees is vital and should ensure that the employees feel free and safe so that they perform their duties to the later. AMO framework: Bailey, Berg, Appelbaum and Kalleberg, 2000 proposed that organizational interests are served better by human resource management systems that address employees interests such as their skills requirements, quality of their job, and motivations. Recommendations After thorough research of the literature detailing the value of hiring old employees, it is evident that old employees are of great use to organizations. The following are the recommendations I would give to organizations; They should consider employing/ hiring old employees as part of their workforce as they have great experience in their fields of the specification. Organizations should bring in old employees so that they can motivate and influence young workers positively towards the organization's goals. Old employees are of great value to organizations according to the research conducted in Rhode, and therefore organization should consider hiring them as they ensure improved productivity. Conclusion There have been controversies that people should retire at the age of 50 years because their contribution to organizations is not significant. However, research has shown that old employees are much experienced and already know what is expected of them and the organization. It is therefore with an ease that an organization achieves its goals when it hires old employees as they carry out quality practices and influence the young workforce positively. References Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2012. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Budhwar, P. and Varma, A., 2010. Guest editors' introduction: Emerging patterns of HRM in the new Indian economic environment. Human Resource Management, 49(3), pp.345-351. Golding, N., 2010. Strategic human resource management. Beardwell, J. and Claydon. Gooderham, P. and Nordhaug, O., 2011. One European model of HRM? Cranet empirical contributions. Human Resource Management Review, 21(1), pp.27-36. Guest, D.E., 2011. Human resource management and performance: still searching for some answers. Human resource management journal, 21(1), pp.3-13. Hallberg, D., 2011. Economic fluctuations and retirement of older employees. Labour, 25(3), pp.287-307. Joos, J.G., 2008. Social media: New frontiers in hiring and recruiting. Employment relations today, 35(1), pp.51-59. Katou, A.A., 2008. Measuring the impact of HRM on organizational performance. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 1(2), pp.119-142. Ilmakunnas, P. and Ilmakunnas, S., 2011. Hiring older employees: Do incentives of early retirement channels matter?. Ployhart, R.E. and Moliterno, T.P., 2011. Emergence of the human capital resource: A multilevel model. Academy of Management Review, 36(1), pp.127-150. Pilbeam, S. and Corbridge, M., 2010. People resourcing and talent planning: HRM in practice. Prentice Hall. Pynes, J.E., 2008. Human resources management for public and nonprofit organizations: A strategic approach (Vol. 30). John Wiley Sons. Varma, A. and Budhwar, P.S., 2013. Managing human resources in Asia-Pacific (Vol. 20). Routledge.

The Pupil free essay sample

In the passage from â€Å"the Pupil† by Henry James, the author depicts the 3 characters and their relationships toward each other in varying lights. Pemberton, Morgan Moreen and Mrs. Moreen are introduced here through dialogue and interaction with each other and the author uses a variation of tone and a unique point of view to show Pemberton’s uncertainties and also to show the characteristics of the relationships. The author starts off the passage describing Pemberton as a â€Å"poor young man†. Pemberton is a tutor who graduated from Oxford University. He is depicted as a financially concerned person who cares about how much he is getting paid for this tutoring of Morgan Moreen. But he is also modest, timid, and according to the passage nervous â€Å"among the dangers of an untried experiment†. Also the author depicts Pemberton as impatient by saying, â€Å"it is true Pemberton wouldn’t have enjoyed his being stupid†. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pupil or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But from the very start, Pemberton begins to analyze his pupil and tries to understand him and what ne needs to teach him. Right away Pemberton seems to connect to Morgan and Morgan to Pemberton and this is evident especially when Mrs. Morgan gets up to leave and Pemberton takes the job without a definite salary. Morgan Moreen is â€Å"the Pupil† the story is written about. He is an eleven year old boy from a amiable American family, who is sent to Pemberton for tutoring. The author uses Pemberton’s observations to describe the little boy as weak, big eared and mouthed, sickly, and as having an intelligent appeal. Morgan is also depicted as a child who does not appreciate his mother or respect her, but she also thinks very low of her son. When the two adults talk about him, she mentions his weakness concerning a heart disease. We can infer from the passage that, Morgan did not have a proper education as seen by his casual response to his mother and that something may be wrong with his family situation/ home life. Mrs. Moreen is the mother of Morgan Moreen who hired Pemberton to tutor her son. When Pemberton meets her, he is almost intimidated by her and nervous to discuss the pay. It seems as though in the beginning she is trying to hide something or be elusive and she is not being frank to Pemberton about his wages. She promises Pemberton that his wages will be â€Å"quite regular†, but he wonders to himself her idea of a normal wage because everyone has different views on what that means. In conclusion, Henry James uses a variety of techniques including tone and point of view to depict the relationships between Pemberton, Mrs. Moreen and Morgan Moreen.