Digital Media - Critical Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Digital Media - Critical Perspectives - Essay Example Firstly, we will examine the various definitions of media convergence, and then proceed to assess the forms of convergence. Secondly, we will look at its impacts and then give a conclusion. It is pertinent, before we examine the various definitions that have been advanced in favor of the term media convergence, that we understand the term new media. New media refers to the modern technological advancements that have been realized in the technology and media world. It may refer to the processes, the applications, the methodologies, or the physical gadgets. Smartphones and iPads are therefore seen as gadgets that are representative of the new media notion while applications such as social media are also perceived as new media. What then is media convergence? The term media convergence is ambiguous. This is because it denotes a wide range of meanings and cannot be said to have a strict textbook meaning (Tim, 2010). As such, various authors and scholars have advanced several definitions of the concept. Media convergence, according to Richard Gershon, can be defined as the merging together of media which were previously autonomous or distinct to create a new media dispensation (Brown, 2005). It basically means bringing together various technological platforms into one media platform. These technological platforms include software applications such as animations, the internet, and new technologies such as the Smartphone technology. Media convergence in the new media environment can also be defined as the piecing together, or the interlinking, of computing and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). It is also defined as the synchronizing of media content that has existed since the internet came into existence, digitalization of information technology, and remodeling of old media into a format that is new (Tim, 2010). In the above definitions, convergence is understood as the bringing

Adolescence & the human individual Essay Example for Free

Adolescence the human individual Essay During childhood, children basically accept parental authority (Smentana, 1989) and an equilibrium is established in which parents largely determine and control relationships with their children within a context of acceptance and availability (Steinberg and Silverberg, 1986). However, in the state of approaching adolescence and especially during puberty, parent-child relationships are transformed in a number of ways (Collins, 1990). These changes entail increased assertiveness by both parents and children, decreased perceptions of acceptance, inhibited communication, increased incidence of conflictive exchanges, decreased expressions of physical affection and positive feelings among family members, and adjustments in the amount and kind of influence that children exert in family decision making. Difficulties with communication derive in part from sensitivities and embarrassment associated with pubertal changes and this, combined with the adolescents socio-cognitive development and querying of the inequalities in the parent child relationship, often result in tensions and heated exchange (Hill, 1988). Most families, while they sustain close bonds during childrens teenage years, experience such an escalation of conflict, particularly during the early stages of adolescence. Although much of the conflict has been described as mild bickering, disagreements and conflicts over everyday issues and emotional stress during early adolescence (Smetana, 1988), its effects can be debilitating. The role of parents is made more difficult by the legal and status ambiguity of the adolescent period. In todays society, adolescence is an indeterminate period of transition with no rite of passage to mark the distinction between childhood and adulthood. It has been suggested that this has detracted from the capacity of some young people to function as successful adults (Campbell and Moyers, 1988). There is a lack of clarity in the status and legal rights of adolescents which sends confusing messages to parents and teenagers in their relationships with each other. However, several writers have suggested that these apparent perturbations in relationships may serve the positive function of facilitating adolescents independence and diminishing dependence on parents. Via conflicts, family members allow themselves to express distinctive and separate views (Grotevant and Cooper, 1986). It is true that during adolescence, a boy or girl must break, or at least loosen, the ties that bind him or her to home and parents. However, one should not assume that the complete break with, or indifference towards parents or open conflicts with them are a sign of maturity. Quite the contrary is true. Release from home authority is necessary, but revolt is probably not, although a proportion of each adolescent generation leaves home completely as a result of familial conflicts (Henricson and Roker, 2000). For the majority of youth, while once dependent upon their parents, adolescents begin to substitute their friends as the centre of their lives. The centrality of friends and friendship in the life of adolescents has been frequently stressed. It has been claimed that friendships are the most prominent features of the social landscape during adolescence and acceptance by peers generally, and especially having one or more close friends, may be of crucial importance in a young persons life (Coleman and Hardy, 1990). Friendship among adolescents fulfils important tasks, such as providing much of the social context that allows proper performance of actions which will be accepted and rewarded by the peer group, strengthening the self and reaffirming its worth and value. Adolescents use the peer group to express their divided feelings and incoherent images in accordance with their emotional needs and to reinforce their behaviour as they conform to peer norms and behaviour styles (Tatar, 1995). Adolescents perceive popularity and attainment of social status among peers as beneficial and positive, reflecting their desirability as a friend. Adolescents also form larger, more loosely organised groups called crowds. Unlike the more intimate clique, membership into the crowd is based on reputation and stereotype. Whereas the clique serves as the main context for direct interaction, the crowd grants the adolescent an identity within the larger social structure. Adolescents are very aware of the differential social status conferred upon different groups, and this knowledge can affect self-evaluation: categorisation of the self as a member of an unpopular or lower status group can be detrimental to feelings of self-worth and self-esteem (Denholm, Horniblow, and Smalley, 1992). Susceptibility to peer pressure is reported to peak between the ages of twelve to sixteen years (Tarrant, North, Edridge, Kirk, Smith, and Turner, 2001). Peer conformity is a complex process that varies with the adolescents age and need for social approval and with the situation. Adolescents reported that they felt greatest pressure to conform to the most obvious aspects of peer culture, such as, dressing and grooming like everyone else and participating in social activities. Although peer pressure toward misconduct peaked in early adolescence, it was relatively low compared with other areas (Brown, Lohr, McClenahan, 1986). Due to their greater concern with what their peers think of them, early adolescents are more likely than younger or older individuals to give in to peer pressure. Although, when parents and peers disagree, even young adolescents will not consistently rebel against their families. Instead, parents and peers differ in their spheres of greatest influence. Parents have more impact on adolescents basic life values and educational plans, while peers are more influential in short-term, day-today matters, such as type of dress, taste in music, and choice of friends (Berk, 2000).

The Snow Leopard :: essays research papers

LSD Induced, Yeti, Euphoric Sojourn Drugs can clear away the past, enhance the present; toward the inner garden, they can only point the way. Lacking the temper of ascetic discipline, the drug vision remains a sort of dream that cannot be brought over into daily life. Old mists may be banished, that is true, but the alien chemical agent forms another mist maintaining the separation of the 'I' from the true experience of the One.1 This passage comes from The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen. In this passage Matthiessen describes what he has learned from the experiences he had with hallucinogenic drugs, such as ayahuasca, LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. He is concerned mostly with the spiritual nature of such drugs, and reveals that while drugs are always harmful, they can provide a starting point for spiritual growth. Hallucinogens clear 'old mists';(47); they let you perceive yourself without any armour. They force you to stand naked and alone, without any defense to your own emotional states. You become very close to the oneness Matthiessen describes, 'Then I breathe, and the mountain breathes, setting the world in motion once again.';(198) Nevertheless this oneness is very hard to achieve in practice and harder still to maintain. Drugs always leave you short of the goal of oneness because the drugs themselves are an obstacle, a mist that will always stop you short of total oneness. Drugs will always hold you back because they are harmful, and while you are experiencing a drug trip you are doing nothing but experiencing a drug trip; the drugs can do nothing but induce that hallucinogenic state. Also you are unable to do anything other then experience that state. This is also a reason why drugs are able to 'point the way';(47) to spiritual unity, oneness. Drugs force you to live in the present, in the sense that you are totally consumed by the drug and are doing nothing except being high. This is another draw back of the drugged experience you cannot escape you must wait until the drug wears off before you can concentrate on anything else. You are one with the drug and its affects. If you are going to try and concern yourself with something other than the drug experience that you are involved in, you will become very nervous. An anxiety attack will start to creep over you, reminding you to concern yourself with only what is happening now.

Literary Response to Gulliver’s Travels :: essays papers

Literary Response to Gulliver’s Travels 1.) Interpret the ending of Book IV in Gulliver’s Travels. How are we to understand Gulliver’s very strange behavior? In Book IV, Lemuel Gulliver’s fourth and final journey places him in the land of the Houyhnhnm, a civilization of intellectual, sensible horses, and senseless, inferior, and indecent humans. As Swift does throughout the novel, he ties his satire closely with Gulliver’s perceptions of the different world around him in his last adventure; these chapters do not change the method of Swift’s satire. During Gulliver’s experience in the land of Houyhnhnm, he encounters the wise and friendly Houyhnhnms, or horses, which are superior to the Yahoos, or salve humans. Although Gulliver is referred to as a â€Å"Yahoo,† the Houyhnhnms treat him with more respect than their captives, due to his intelligent division from the Yahoos. In theses chapters Gulliver comes to realize how much he loathes the human race, after being in contact with the Yahoos. Gulliver finds himself in a society controlled by creatures usually at the dispatch of humans, and in a sort of oblivion of his own, between the humane horses and the untamed, unruly Yahoos. The humans and their inability to compare to the Houyhnhnms instantly disgust him. Gulliver then grows fond of the Houyhnhnms and beings to enjoy life conversing with them about the differences in their worlds. He no longer desires to return to humankind. Soon Gulliver is accepted as an intellectual among the Houyhnhnms. He begins to think of every human he has ever known as Yahoos, and no longer has any respect for them, he thinks of the Houyhnhnms as the most respected and well-mannered living things on the earth. Gulliver is given a room, and is treated as a member of the family. However due to his acquired fortune, the Yahoos begin to complain and Gulliver is forced to return to Europe. He does not want to return to Europe, but decides that he would rather live with the barbarians that he once lived with, than with the uncivilized Yahoos. When Gulliver does arrive in England, he is filled with disgust and disgrace for them. For a year he cannot stand to be with his family, but instead buys two horses and speaks with them.

Post-Modern Scene of Hong Kong Society from Food Literature

The characteristic of Hong Kong culture, the identity of Hong Kong citizen is always a hot topic. In the decade, post-modern has become a new verb to describe Hong Kong. So, this treatise is going to find out if Hong Kong is in post-modern period and emotions of authors and citizens, through the picture of Hong Kong society in food literatures. Methodology This treatise alms to find out the picture of Hong Kong post-modern society from Hong Kong Diet Literature. In this treatise, the definition of â€Å"diet literature† Is generalized to all texts using â€Å"Food† as the theme of literary writing.And the narrowed definition of â€Å"Hong Kong Diet Literature† is all texts using â€Å"Food† as the hem of literary writing, which written and published in HOOK by Hong Kong authors, writing Hong Kong places. By observation, Hong Kong diet literature is absented in the study of Hong Kong literature history. The phenomenon, â€Å"Food† is being popular as a theme in HOOK literature, Is worth to be concerned; it Is proved by using the record from the categories of food culture In the online bookstore, Hong Kong Cookbooks Ltd..As the study Is to find out the picture of Hong Kong post-modern society, post-modern theories by Jacques Deride and Jean-Franà §ois Leotard are used. In this treatise, first, would describe the characteristics of postmodern and a city in post-modern period. Second, shows the velveteen of Hong Kong literature and the relationship with the society. Then show the change of the writing methods and styles in Hong Kong food literatures, by the comparison of the most representative and popular authors in different decades. Thirdly, shows the analysis of post-modern phenomenon shown in literatures. At the end, a respond will be made in conclusion. . Theories of Post-modernism First of all, we should definite clearly about the term â€Å"Post-modern† and â€Å"Post- dermis†; † ‘Post-modern' Is a historic concept, slaying the post-industrial society or the era of Information In the postwar period of World War II. â€Å"; † ‘Post- modernism' is a cultural ideological trend of western society†¦ It is an offspring of morels anon Leganes Walt mayoralty Ana auto It † (Roding, 1 differences between Modernism and Post-modernism are, modernism advocates rationality, eccentricity of metaphysics, integrity; Post-modernism is the opposite of modernism.Theories of Post-modernism are based on two important philosophers: Jacques Deride (1930 – 2004–), â€Å"There is nothing outside of the text. (Deride, 1965), his idea means written text, also everything beside text owns and exhibit their meanings in context; also he advocates â€Å"There is nothing outside context†, means text would have different meaning interpreted by different contexts, and the context would interpreted by another context; which means there is no truth, or only one trea tise to explain a thing, nothing is immobile.It is a critique of modern rationalism empire. Jean-Franà §ois Leotard (1925 – 1998) â€Å"Under this modern society and culture-?post-industry and post-modern culture, the legitimacy of science are questioned in different ways. Meta-narration has lost its credibility, whether it is a unified approach adopted. ‘ (Williams, 1998) In the post- modern society, there are no â€Å"only truth† (meta-narrative), only mint-narratives, language games which have their own rules, vales; it is full of differences.Science, emphasizing evidence, rationality, and accuracy is not a meta-narrative anymore, it is only a small-narrative, as the others. Everything is uncertain, â€Å"Emotion is evidence or a description of incomplete-events in any kind of language games or 1998) also it is evidence to determine â€Å"the boundary between two language games. (Williams, 1998) II. Delimiting meta-narrative in Hong Kong On society aspect After 1 July 1997, meta-narrative â€Å"one country, two systems† has been intervened by China; lots of historical buildings had been broken down; also, financial tsunami, CARS led to great unemployment.In 1 July march in 2003, a large public had attended to the march, opposing the legislation of the Basic law Article 23; over million people were protesting for liberty and democracy. Protestors were come from different social communities, such as businessmen, retired people, young couples and democrats, with anger and anxiety. â€Å"Hong Kong people march†, 2003) Different communities–language games, march in 1 July continually each year; the false utopian meta-narrative and the disappearance of memorable buildings and places create a crake between modern society, which bring Hong Kong in to a post-modern period.On literature In ass's, ass's, there are binary oppositions in Hong Kong literature, they are: rightist/ leftist, elegance/earthliness, realism [moderni sm. (Lung,2008); The concept of the binary between elegance and earthliness of popular culture, high-end and low-end is stall De accuses In Hong Kong, alter literature(cueing ) Nine concept Is developed by a group of intellectual, who brought it to the organizational structure. Besides, traditional study of literature and the study of culture are opposed to each other. In this recent decade, literature becomes important in cultural studies under a multicultural society.The boundary between two studies has become vague; the argument between elegance and earthliness is doubted in cultural studies, while there are different groups of people in popular, the studies would be confined by the boundary. (Chemung & Chug, 2007) Ill. Picture of post-modern society from food literature Development of food literature The change of Hong Kong food literature is very significant, but did not be noted by cultural scholars. In the past, food literature is published in the form of recipes, which is in struction of cooking without author's feelings; the most famous and representative author is called Chain Mongo Yang (1910 – 1997).His prose published in a book â€Å"Bible of Eat†, first posted in newspaper column, got popular because of the principle and stories of food and cooking. (Chain, 2007) Authors' feelings and his/her point of views are reflected in nowadays food literature using colloquial language; ampere with literature written by Chain Mongo Yang, the tone of voice is more casual nowadays, and the main purpose is to express authors' feelings rather than instructing reader. â€Å"There is nothing outside of the text. † Each author is a small- narrative, part of Hong Kong; the study of their works can help to make a more holistic picture of Hong Kong culture.A. The past is always better Nostalgic â€Å"Nostalgic describes an emotional structure. In the formation of a larger cultural context, nostalgic has social and psychological stability and re-ne gotiation function on human cognition and position on the world. (Lie, 2004) â€Å"It's feeling more than ‘substantial old†. In Haying Au Youngest (Ar J) and Lung Aka Skunk's(Lung) writings, they recall the past by using a lot of food symbols, like stall, hot pot, herbal tea; to express their helpless feelings about the current social changes, and cherish the past as the past is always better. Then his eyes with a bit confused, winked his eyes, again, even shook his head unconsciously. Oh, no, this is not a (dish of) â€Å"salt and pepper fresh squid† I used to. Of course we cannot go back, especially when we are fortunately living in this era of horn-sighted speeding, among the personnel of social blundering. We proved impossible to preserve landmarks around the streets, only some vague shadows, distracting thoughts; it is only an echo of a particular verbose complaint which has just finished. † (Au Young, 2007) Ar J saw disappointment from his friend's ey es and actions, because the taste can no longer be reproduced.The evaluation of taste may be affected by personal feelings. Ar J and his friend got emotion in this rapid changeable era. â€Å"In the last day of the old Star Ferry Pier, I parked my car especially at the Central Star Ferry Car Park for the sake to take Star Ferry at the old Star Ferry Pier. It's still in Green Ana went colors, out I Tell strange suddenly, sort Ice-cream was gone, Toulouse ending of the ride was doomed†¦ Finally the new Star Ferry Pier was opened, more food stores opened than before, but they all can be bought in Central Airport Railway Station, soft ice-cream will not come back.I am not nostalgia whether the building of Star Ferry Pier is old or new, I would like to keep the way we were. † (Lung, 2005) The 48-years-old old Star Ferry Pier had been destructed by government under Hong Kong citizens' dissatisfaction and opposition, which increased public awareness of local culture conservatio n, also undermined public trust in government. Lung deliberately took a ride in the last operation day of the old Star Ferry Pier, the new ferry pier was built, but the absence of soft ice-cream, Lung was lost in the imagination of the old days.Emotion is the only evidence â€Å"Emotion is evidence or a description of incomplete-events in any kind of language games or girds. â€Å"(Williams, 1998) The destruction of old buildings, reconstructed by new commercial buildings shows the opposition between Ar J , his friend and the immemorial world; Lung and the government. Old building is a signifier which has an inter subjectivity function, representing the intercommunicate and sharing, and is the common knowledge and experience in a group of people with same cultural background can cognizance.Roland Berates reported â€Å"For many individuals who are there, so in itself contains 1999) However, those â€Å"stable† signifier are erased; Flattened and oversimplified signifier ar e only plays and unstable in this rapid consumerism era. Sense of loss, the emotions expressed is the only articulate evidence. B. Contradiction between language games Western and Local † I have not eaten traditional pancake (Boo-change) for a long time. Thought it had been lost, and no one will do; because today pizza is much popular†¦ Pancake' sounds old, outmoded, who will to eat? Also, nowhere sell. Fast-food chain restaurants launched nostalgic tea meals: fried sweet potato, red and white-steamed clay-pot cake, four stuffed treasures, and salt pancake†¦ Their salt pancake of course does not as delicious as childhood, perhaps its deliciousness is scored by memories†¦ Pan cake has a tenacious 2008) Under the influence of western fast-food culture, western fast-food becomes the main stream; the raise of sense of local identity, create a wave of nostalgia in Hong Kong food industry.Pack Way Lee used salt pancake-?†Boo Change† which means â€Å"thin - support† as a signifier, to signify the tenacious vitality of local culture, which would not be buried so easy. The legislation of western culture has been doubted, the wave of nostalgic tea meal is a way to decentralized the eccentricity of western fast-food. Commerce and Culture In the era of globalization and the development of high-technique, the exchange of economy, culture has become easier and faster; boundaries between countries are Duller c, local culture Decodes ten capital In ten commercial game. Across the road in front of Lung Fun Restaurant, is King Way restaurant, introduced red bean paste moon cake, which is regarded as exceptional alternative moon cake. But in these last ten years, moon cake has dazzling means. Moon cake is getting more and more unlike moon cake. Crystal moon cake is glutting in the market, now chocolate is used as a moon cake, I very much doubt it is moon cake or cake (xi being). Cakes are supplied over 365 days; Moon cake, the real role in legend is, as a media to pass the message of uprising when full moon.

Internet abuse in the work place

Internet abuse in the work place Abstract Internet is a common and valuable resource for business organizations. This is a study of internet abuse in the work place. The paper reviews related literature on internet abuse.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Internet abuse in the work place specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The study uses questionnaires to investigate the prominent forms of internet abuse and determine if they are serious or minor internet abuse activities. The study relates the internet abuse behavior with regard to gender, education and status. The hypothesis of the study is that employees will engage in minor internet abuse irrespective of their gender, age, education and status. The findings reveal that employees engage in minor internet abuse activities. Gender, education and status reflect on the type of internet abuse employees engage in. Employees’ productivity and employer’s liability are affected. Employee s will avoid internet abuse that is directly incriminating. Internet abuse can be minimized by introduction of policies in the company. The policies will vary from organization to organization depending on the mission. Introduction Background Internet technology has been incorporated in many organizations across the globe. Internet has increased efficiency, enhanced communication and made a lot of information accessible. The traditional working behavior has been affected. Employees have found themselves with new opportunities and some have misused the privileges. Besides transforming the efficiency and productivity of work, negative results can be realized if employees engage in unacceptable internet activities. The term internet abuse has been used to refer to non- work internet activities in the workplace. According to Ozkalp (2010, p. 2) employees’ productivity as well as employers liability are affected by internet abuse. There is need to investigate the internet activiti es employees are engaged in. This will be an effective way of finding adequate policies to prevent the unacceptable behavior. This paper will analyze internet abuse in the work place. It will study internet abuse in relation to gender, education, age and status. Problem statement The aim of this study is to identify most prominent forms of internet abuse and determine if they are serious or minor internet abuse.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Purpose of the study The purpose of the study is to establish the extent of internet abuse during working hours. The study will investigate the relationship between internet abuse in the workplace and gender. Another reason is to investigate whether there is a relationship between the education level and internet abuse in the workplace. Hypothesis The hypothesis for this study is that employees will engage in minor i nternet abuse irrespective of their gender, age, education and status. Review of literature Organizations have adopted internet, which is an important resource. The availability of internet in the work place enables the employees to access a wide variety of libraries, participate in the social media as well as have access to pornographic sites. Access to internet minimizes the employer’s obligation and reduces productivity in the work place. In an attempt to minimize employer’s liability, employers have observed employees internet use. Employees at different levels of the organization and with diverse education background can be involved in internet abuse, as Lehr and Lichtenberg (2000, p. 335) point out. Defining internet abuse can be challenging. Every organization defines internet abuse according to acceptable behavior in the company. Definitions of internet abuse will vary. What is abuse in one company may not be in another company. The definition of internet abuse in an organization is in line with the mission of the organization. Internet has become part of the organizational communication. The use of internet has increased efficiency and led to increased revenues. Internet has reduced the number of employees to be employed, enabled employees to access information fast and to perform effectively within a limited time. Some researchers argue that internet is an important source of diversion for employees at work. It can lead to creativity, flexibility and facilitate a good learning environment. Some employees who use the internet for personal academic purposes may end up being resourceful to the organization. However, some employees have abused the privilege of internet in the workplace.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Internet abuse in the work place specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employees who abuse internet range from senior employees to junior employees. Most of the employees have a private office or are in a cubicle. Thomas (2012, p. 2) says that employees in a private office will be tempted to watch pornography than employees in an open workplace. In the working cubicles, employees will use the internet for personal social media, online banking, non- work emails and general browsing for news. A lot of time will be spent chatting with friends in Facebook or twitter. Others will use the internet for online shopping, to pay bills and make travel arrangements at the workplace. Others visit chat rooms, sports pages and game sites during office hours using the organizations internet. It is common for some employees to download movies, films and songs. Employees who utilize internet for personal benefits are less productive than employees who do not abuse internet at the workplace. Internet abuse has been associated with a hostile working environment, discrimination and sexual harassment. Bondigas (2012, p. 1) adds that employees may pose a r isk to the organizations network. The safety of an organization may be compromised by downloading spyware or virus when downloading personal files. Downloading large files may cause other employees to slow down in their transactions. Furthermore, confidential and restricted data may end up being shared with the public. According to Griffiths (2010, p. 463), there are various types of crime that occur from internet abuse in the work place. The crimes range from sexual abuse, relationship abuse, online information abuse and criminal internet activities. The challenges can be overcome if research on internet abuse is given attention. Organizations block sites with pornography and hate content. Depending on the mission of the organizations, more sites can be blocked. The organization will block sites that are considered inappropriate. Internet reports are analyzed and actions are taken depending on the report. Some organizations restrict internet to organizations websites. Policies intr oduced will include the email policy and internet use policy. Mirchandani and Motwani (2003, p. 1) discuss four measures that have been used by companies to overcome internet abuse issue in the workplace. The measures include deterrence, prevention, detection and remedies.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Deterrence largely depends on the employee’s willingness to avoid internet abuse. Prevention includes passwords and locking computer rooms. Detection involves the use of internet reports, scanning for virus reports, system audits and identification of documents after a security breech. Remedies contain internal actions and legal actions. Internal actions will give a warning letter, reprimanding the employee or even terminating the employee’s contract. Legal actions will result in civil or criminal cases. An organization begins by introducing deterrence and moves on prevention, detection and remedies respectively, depending on the need to introduce internet control. According to Chen et al (2008, p. 87), personality factors contribute to employees internet usage. Employee’s self-esteem affects their internet behavior in the workplace. Other personality factors include control, gratification and containment. If an employee has been previously addicted to the inter net, they are likely to abuse internet privileges in the office. Employers should get acquainted with information on internet abuse in order to overcome internet abuse challenges. They can learn the employee’s personality and implement appropriate policies. Internet monitoring has challenges. Organizations use software which is constantly advancing. The employer obtains the advanced software from the vendors. The software or hardware for blocking specific sites may end up blocking unintended sites. What is more is that it can be challenging to block all intended sites. Moreover, the organization will constantly need the assistance of the vendor; since the information system department is not always perfect. Edward (1999, p. 290) mentions that monitoring the internet may not be welcome by the employees. Some may argue that it is unfair. Employee’s behavior can be extremely challenging to monitor. It is important that the internet reports be accurate. An employee can use another person’s computer when they step out without logging out. To avoid misidentification, employees must sign out when leaving their computers. Employees should evade sharing their password with other employees. This will prevent cases of other employees using the other person’s computer. Identification problems may arise from the monitoring software. Inaccurate set up may cause wrong internet reports. The organization should be able to contact the software vendor to rule out any technical problems. The internet report may be generated by faulty software; hence it is necessary to visit the computer history for more information. A credible employer will not accuse the employees before establishing the internet abuse and getting the support from the computer and internet history. The information system department is actively involved in the monitoring and implementation of internet abuse policies within the workplace. Galletta and Polak (2003, p. 47) argue that empl oyees behavior on the internet vary from organization to organization. The level of indulgence in internet abuse depends on a person’s exposure to internet use. In line with Ozkalp (2010, p. 3), employees abuse internet because they have access and an opportunity to do so. Employees get cheaper online services during working hours hence they choose the affordable time. In some cases, employees use internet when they cannot be caught since they are anonymous. Moreover, the internet is convenient and employees find it easy to purchase at the comfort of their office. Employers may use the office internet if they spend a longer time in the office. Methodology Using literature review, this paper will discuss internet abuse in the workplace. Related and significant information on the forms and impacts of internet abuse have been discussed. This research used the literature to develop a questionnaire and distributed the questionnaires to employees at random in two organizations. The questionnaire survey results will be used to test the proposed hypothesis. The first organization was the State University in the Faculty of Arts. The faculty is congested and has the largest admonition. The second organization was a private organization in tourism industry. 212 respondents from the two organizations gave a feedback. 90 people were from the private organization and 122 were from the Public University. The 122 respondent represented a 70 percent return rate. 90 respondents were women and 122 respondents were men. Respondents below 30 years were 60 percent while the rest were above 30 years. 55 percent of the respondents were graduates. The questionnaire addressed work and non- work emails, browsing for academic purpose, using internet for general work, visiting new websites, applying for new jobs, online games, online gambling, updating status on face book, chatting, online shopping, travel bookings, online banking, downloading music and downloading movies. One of t he limitations of this paper is that it will not focus on the extreme form of internet abuse, which has been referred to as internet abuse addiction. Moreover, it will limit the conclusion to the findings based on this study. Findings In this study, majority of employees engaged in search for academic research was highest. Results indicated that non- work emails, new website visits, use of internet for general purposes, online banking were highest. This indicates that majority of the respondents were engaged in minor internet abuse during working hours. Visiting social media sites was also high. Very few employees used internet to search for new jobs and in gambling. In the case of gender, the findings revealed that women were more involved in sending non work emails, online shopping, chatting and surfing for general sites than men. The results also showed that there was no significant difference in the case of age. Education level showed a significant difference in the use of inter net. Those with a postgraduate degree demonstrated an increased use of internet for academic purposes and non-work emails than undergraduates. Graduate respondents also used the internet for internet banking and online shopping than respondents with high school education and below. Undergraduates had a higher level of internet use for banking than high school graduates. The number of post graduate respondents using internet for travel booking was higher than the undergraduates, while the number of undergraduates using internet for booking was higher than those with high school education. Those with high school education visited adult sites more than the undergraduates while the undergraduates visited the adult sites more than the postgraduates. Those working in the private sector used non- work emails less often than the public University. Status was reflected with high use of internet for online banking, online shopping, non-work email and general internet browsing were common for the high ranking employees. Junior employees were higher in chatting activities than senior employees. Minor internet abuse activities such as non-work emails, online banking, on line shopping were higher than serious internet abuse like gambling and visiting adult sites in the workplace. The findings correspond with the literature review that the employees use the internet in the workplace. Employees are careful to use less implicating internet sites at work, hence they would engage in internet abuse that is less incriminating. Those who engage in the criminal activities using the internet at the workplace believe they cannot be identified by the senior management. The monitoring software would be most effective for identifying such employees. An organization can define the internet abuse in the organization and design policies that will adequately curb the issue. Summary It is evident that the use of internet is indispensable in global business. The internet has increasingly enhan ced communication and aided in creating efficiency. Employee’s productivity has been affected by internet abuse in the workplace. Proper methods of controlling internet abuse will reduce internet abuse and employer liability in the workplace (Gupta 2004, p. 11). The internet has been abused by employees in the workplace. Majority of the internet abuse activities are minor. They include checking non- work emails, online shopping, online banking, chatting and surfing for general purpose. Employees avoid serious internet abuse activities such as accessing adult content, gambling and downloading movies or songs. Implementing an internet policy in the organization is a task that involves the top most leaders, directors, manager together with supervisors. The leaders should demonstrate willingness to adopt the policy. The implementation process could involve an internet workshop. The internet workshop will provide information on internet abuse and encourage employees to share their experiences openly. Outlining the unacceptable sites and giving an explanation will make foster the mission of the organization. The organization should create awareness on the sites that are inappropriate. Moreover, an example of an internet report can be given. During the workshop, the employees can be shown an example of an internet report. Information on when the internet report is used should be availed. Employees will be aware of their expectation after the workshop. When purchasing software for blocking selected sites, the organization should carefully select a vendor who can offer after sale service. Research on the consequences of internet abuse is scarce. Limited empirical literature exists on internet abuse. In future, research on implications of internet abuse in the workplace on the employees should be undertaken. Reference List Bondigas, A. (2012). Internet Abuse in the workplace. Web. Chen, J. V., Chen, C. C., and Yang, H. H. (2008). An empirical evaluation of Key fa ctors contributing to internet abuse in the workplace. Industrial Management Data Systems, 108, 1, 87-106. Edward, N.W. (1999). The Productivity Paradox: Evidence from Indirect Indicators of Service Sector Productivity Growth. Canadian Journal of Economics, 32, 2, 289-308. Galletta, D. F and Polak, P. (2003). An empirical investigation of Antecedents of internet abuse  in the workplace. 47-51. Retrieved from https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/empirical-investigation-antecedents-internet-abuse-workplace/ Gupta, J. N. D. (2004). Improving workers’ productivity and reducing internet abuse. Web. Griffiths, M. (2010). Internet abuse and internet addiction in the workplace. Journal of  Workplace Learning, 22, 7, 463 – 472. Lehr, B and Lichtenberg, F. (2000). Information Technology and Its Impact on Productivity: Firm-level Evidence from Government and Private Data Sources 1977-1993. Canadian Journal of Economics, 32, 2, 335-362 Mirchandani , D and Motwani, J. (2003). Re ducing internet abuse in the workplace: SAM  Advanced Management Journal, 68. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-98831088/reducing-internet-abuse-in-the-workplace Ozkalp, E., Aydin, U and Tekeli, S. (2010). A modern Workplace Phenomenon: Cyber loafing,  Implications and its place in the Labour Relations. Web. Thomas, S. (2012). Internet Abuse in the workplace. Web.

Villa San Girolamo Essays

Villa San Girolamo Essays Villa San Girolamo Paper Villa San Girolamo Paper The Role of the Villa San Giordano Symbolism adds layers of meaning to novels. It can either have a significant, insignificant or negative Impact on the progression of the novel. In Michael Nonnatives The English Patient, the lives of four Individuals are scarred due to the destructiveness of the war. Four Individuals gather at one common area in Tuscany, Italy known as Villa San Giordano (hereafter cited as the Villa). Annotated represents the Villa in many ways. As a representation of a Sanctuary, the Villa protects the lives f the characters, act as a holy place and as a place of refuge. As well, the Villa represents a place where the theme of death and rebirth is present and helps them move past their war wounds. Lastly, the Villa provides a sense of belonging among the characters since they have all been affected by the war In a similar fashion. In the English Patient, Annotated uses the Villa to symbolize a healing aid to the following characters: Kip, Hanna, Aggravating and the English Patient (hereafter cited as Almasys) as it proves to be of greater use than Just a place of rest. The Villa is a representation off Sanctuary that portrays itself as a safe haven, a holy place and a place for refuge. Kip, Hanna, Alms and Aggravating meet in the Walla. Hanna and Almasys room In what used to be a small nunnery before being invaded by German soldiers. As Hanna and Almasys begin their lives together In the Villa, the war Maniacs 2 has yet to conclude. Although not being its primary function, the Villa is providing protection for Hanna and Almasys from the outside world of war and violence. Annotated provides the readers a sense of the conditions in which they were living, From outside, the place seemed devastated. An outdoor staircase disappeared In midair, Its rallying hanging off. [Hanna and Almasys] life was a foraging and tentative safety [Hanna and Almasys] were protected by the simple fact that the villa seemed a ruin. But [Hanna] felt safe here (Annotated,The English Patient, 14). Deeper into the novel the description continues: The Villa San Giordano Had the look of a besieged fortress, the limbs of most of the statues blown off during the first days of shelling. There seemed little demarcation between house and landscape, between damaged building and the burned and the shelled remnants of the earth In spite of the burned earth, In pity of the lack of water. Someday there would be a bower of limes, rooms of green light. (Annotated 43) With Nonnatives descriptions, the environment in which they are living appears harsh, unstable and uninhabitable. This provides protection as it would be unworthy for invasion. This allows Hanna to fully concentrate on Alms healing of the burns on his body rather than protecting themselves from war enemies. This also helps KIP to focus on disarming the bombs around the Villa. Secondly, ten Via Is valley as a only place Decease It NAS a strong resume the garden of Eden. In the biblical garden, Adam and Eve were given Maniacs 3 lance to much more than they needed. They had plentiful food and all the necessities for survival. In the villa, the inhabitants Had enough vegetation planted in the bombed out orchard above the house for them to survive Some beans, some meats (Annotated 7). Hanna spends most of her day in the garden gathering anything she c an from the plants and tries to maintain whatever life the plants have. When the Germans retreated, the Villa was used as a war hospital treating patients of their injuries and later became vacant. The Villa has plenty of first aid material making it easy for Hanna to tend to Alms injuries. Throughout the course of the novel, the characters in the Villa are not faced with destruction despite the many hidden, UN- detonated bombs. This can be Gods watchful eye over the recovering characters. With the given necessities, the characters in Villa have all the essentials needed to aid in their healing. Lastly, the Villa is also seen as a place of refuge where the characters are safe and in a place of shelter from danger. The obvious danger in the novel is the passing war but a second danger in this novel is the former life of these characters. Hanna is desperately trying to remove the memory of the loss of her husband and unborn hill. Kip is trying to remove himself from his Indian heritage and become Westernizes. Aggravating is trying to remove the memory of captivity by the Germans as he was attempting to steal information. As well, Alms is trying to carry on his life with severe burns to his body. None of these fragile characters is whole in either body or soul; each is a casualty of this desperate age (Williams, Canadian Literature. N. Page), Williams describes how the lives of these characters are at a breaking point. The fragility of these characters explains why they need a new beginning; a way to start anew. The Maniacs 4 sat life of these characters has been devastating an d very tragic making them difficult to heal. They come together at the Villa, depicted as a vacation place from their past lives. The Villa helps begin a new chapter in their lives. As a safe haven, the Villa provides protection and shelter from the passing war. As a representation of the garden of Eden, the Villa is viewed as a holy place. Lastly as a place of refuge, the characters are able to come together and help rid themselves of terrible memories. The Villa, presents these three qualities of a sanctuary that allows the characters to progressively heal over the course of the novel. The theme of death and rebirth is apparent in The English Patient. Rebirth is a term commonly used to describe a new beginning and is present in various ways in the novel. The characters in the novel experience a death and rebirth scenario that forces them to take on a new life. Prior to his accident, Alms was a highly trained general in the army. As he is in flight with an old war plane, the plane is leaking oil and later ignites. The flames engulf Alms and he Jumpers out of the plane to try and save himself: [Alms] dug down towards the tarpaulin, and Madams old plane gradually emerged The plane came out of the sand He looks down and sees oil pouring onto Nils Knees en plots up an a ten 011 sees all over ten seat .. I nerve was a spark from a short, and the twigs at her knee catches fire Pivots upside down breaking free of glass, wind flinging his body back And he is in air, bright not knowing why he is bright until he realizes hes on fire. (Annotated 174-175) Maniacs 5 Although not physically experiencing death, this crash and burn is a figurative death of an old life, the life off soldier of war. Having sever burns, he is saved by a tribe named the Bedouin and is taken under the care of Hanna who believes he is too fragile to move. Instead of leaving the Villa with the army, she decides not to move Alms, She would remain with the one burned man the call The English patient, who, it is now clear to her, should never be moved because of the fragility of his limbs (Annotated 51). Alms begins his new life in the Villa under Hennas care. Alms plane crash figuratively signifies his death and his rebirth brings him to the Villa. With the injuries sustained, he is no longer able to fight in the war. The rest allows his body to heal from his severe physical injuries. Learning of her fathers passing from the war, Hanna experiences pain not many an relate to, The way Hanna broke in Santa Chair Hospital when an official walked down the space between a hundred beds and gave her a letter that told her of the death of her father (Annotated 41). When the opportunity arises to care for this fragile patient, she Jumps at the chance. She views Alms as a way to fill a void in her life by personally assigning the role to herself. With the role off full time nurse, she recognizes that she must to do everything in her power to care for the dying patient. She has nursed him for months and she knows the body well (Annotated 1). At this point, Hanna experiences a death and rebirth. Hennas father passes away and she is given no choice but to abort her baby. As she takes on the role of being the nurse of Alms, this is the start of her new life that begins at the Villa. Helping Alms with his Maniacs 6 injuries allows her to forget the loss of her father and child by taking her mind off of them, allowing her to heal mentally. Aggravating, a friend of Hennas father, is on a mission to steal some information from the German army that later captures him. Before escaping, they sever his thumbs as a way of punishment. After being in the hospital in bandages for four months, he goes in search of Hanna when he learns from the doctors that she is living in the Villa. Hanna is delighted to see Aggravating once again but fears there will not be enough food available for the three of them: We need some chickens. [Hanna] is looking at Aggravating, knowing his skills from the past, not quite saying it. l lost my nerve, [Aggravating] says. Ill come with you, then, Hanna offers. Well do it together. You can teach me how to steal, show me what to do. You dont understand. I lost my nerve. l was caught. They nearly chopped off my bucking hands. (Annotated 33-34) Without the use of his thumbs, Aggravating believes he is useless and inadequate. Tater Telling Hanna, en access to remain In ten Via. In tens case, ten Tie AT a war soldier dies after the severing of his thumbs, since he would be of no use to the army. The life without the use of his th umbs begins at the Villa. Beginning his new life here helps him forget his injury and progressively heal mentally by not feeling useless anymore. Finally, Kip, a British sapper who does not fear death at all, makes his way to Maniacs 7 the Villa. A sapper is a name given to those skilled in diffusing bombs. One night, during a party in Alms room, there is an explosion outside. Kip does not think much of it until he examines the damage. He finds his friend Hardy, another sapper dead, He had found the location of the death and what was left there and they had buried his second in-command, Hardy (Annotated. 113). At this point, Kip comes to the realization of how dangerous his Job really is. This realization brings forward a new side of Kip, from being fearless of death to being fearful. This realization heals him mentally by making him see the danger in his Job placement which helps inhibit IM from taking risks. The characters in the novel all experience diverse deaths and rebirth as they congregate at the Villa to help represent the healing that occurs at the Villa. Furthermore, the Villa itself experiences a death and rebirth scenario. Ata point in time during the war, the Villa was the home of German soldiers. As the Germans were forced to retreat, the Villa became a war hospital and later became vacant. After the destruction of the war subsides, nature fills this area with new life. The characters presently living in the Villa are forced to learn how to live again after the extraction of the war. In Learn Gileitiss paper she writes the inhabitants of the villa are all displaced because they are exiles who have found new identities in a place other than their homeland (Glittle Identity Crisis in Michael Nonnatives The English Patient. N. Page). In other words, the characters in the Villa begin a new life and find new identities for themselves allowing them to live a new life. A town that is scarred by war debris is now a new home. Its a formation off new community. With the four characters involved, they too must learn how to adapt to the changes to their odd. The Maniacs 8 Villa, therefore, proves to be the starting point of new life by allowing the theme of death and rebirth to appear in The English Patient and for the characters to heal individually. Whether it is physical or mental damage, the characters are living through some kind of pain. The fact that the characters are living together under one roof provides a sense of belonging amongst them as a community. With the traumatic injuries they experience, an individual may feel despair, but they are able to feel a part of a group. They each find their new life despite the wounds they carry. All four characters are able to relate to one another since they have all suffered from the war: For the four inhabitants of the Villa San Giordano the only way out of their own suffering is through each other (Historian In Near Ruins n. Page). Isolated from the war ravished world, the characters in the Villa can connect and support each other to be able to live their transforming lives. The Villa allows the inhabitants to recognize that they are not alone in their suffering and many others share their wounds. It is through these wounds that new friendships and relationships are created, The residents of en Via as Allspice Monolinguals Tar away Trot tenet melanoma nave unreal physical and psychological wounds They try to heal themselves through their friendship while their old identities have dissolved (Guillotine n. Page). Hanna loves Alms and Alms grows fond of Kip and Aggravating since all three played a part in the war. Also, a sexual partnership between Hanna and Kip is formed. These relationships creates a more comfortable setting in the Villa aiding in recovery time for the characters. Maniacs 9 Annotated is able to portray the Villa as a community of diverse individuals that encourages their sense of nationality. After the news of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Kip realizes who he truly is, an Indian. Kip, who does not believe in Western aggression, discovers that it is still present through the bombings, Never trust the Europeans, [Kips brother] said When you start bombing the brown races of the world, youre an Englishman They would never have dropped such a bomb on a white nation A new war. The death of a civilization (Annotated 284-286). Kips brother is very anti-European, he is a man who always stuck to his roots, unlike Kip. This shows that no matter how hard you try to remove yourself from your roots, they will always be apparent. Furthermore, Annotated reveals Alms identity as Hungarian spy and desert explorer who helps the Germans navigate through the deserts. By trying to not remember who he is, his identity was not known until the latter stages of the novel. The last person I expected to find here in the shelled nunnery was [Alms] (Annotated 252) said by Aggravating. Annotated also uses the villa to reveal more information about the characters living in it. Hanna is constantly trying to erase the memory of war and hide from her adulthood. To erase the memory of the war, Hanna lives in the Villa and takes Alms under her care, viewing him as a defenseless child. She re-lives her childhood by p laying hopscotch on her free time in the dark hall: She drops the chalk into the pocket of her dress. She stands and pulls up the looseness of her skirt and ties it around her waist. She pulls from another pocket a piece of metal and flings it out in front of her so it falls Just beyond the farthest square. (Annotated 15) Maniacs 10 Hanna is constantly re-living her childhood by doing activities typically done by children because of the shell shock she experienced during the war. Lastly, Aggravating is trying to forget the memories of the torture he endures as a captive. The community-like atmosphere around the Villa provides a sense of belonging amongst them. Along with this, the Villa allows the characters to become more comfortable with their fellow Villa- mates. It also provides a representation of a house of nations. The Villa is able to connect four individuals that share a common thread by their involvement in the war. These characters come together despite having different nationalities but the Villa is able to prove that no matter the race or nationality, people get along, as a family unit. The villa is a place, once again, A symbol of their friendship as they seem to disregard their national and racial origins Here nations, races anything artificial that divides human beings is meaningless (Guillotine n. Page). An example is the celebration of Hennas 21st birthday In Alms room. Nonnatives Is addle to relate ten lives AT Tour snatchers tongue a small Villa that aided in their healing process. Victoria Acidosis explains in her critical summary that, In the Villa San Giordano in Italy, four shattered survivors cope with the physica l and emotional suffering the war has brought about. They come from different parts of Europe UT they share similar kinds of pain (Acidosis The English Patient n. Page). The Villa proves to be a major symbol in The English Patient. The story line of the novel is set in the Villa. In many ways, Annotated is able to use the Villa as a way of healing the injured. The Villa is able to heal the characters as a representation of a sanctuary by providing all the necessary items such as first aid materials as well as protecting them from any danger. The Villa Maniacs 11 also allows the theme of death and rebirth to occur by being the starting point of heir new life.