Anthony and Cleopatra Essay -- essays research papers fc

Shakespeare Uses As His Source For The Play Plutarch’s Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans. Plutarch, Along With Other Greek And Roman Authors, Saw An Opposition Between The Conquering West Standing For Moral And Political Virtue And The Conquered East Representing Luxury And Decadence. How Does Shakespeare’s Play Present These Positions? Throughout William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, there is the dichotomy of the hard-working political life of Rome and the luxury and pleasures of Egypt. The effect of the difference between the two places on the main characters, and on the plot, is a key theme throughout the play. It is common in Shakespeare’s plays for characters to talk about themselves in the third person, which gives them an elevated and important status. This is used to show the difference between the relaxed and indulgent Egypt, and the more formal ways of Rome. Octavius Caesar refers to himself in the third person often in the play, â€Å"It is not Caesar’s natural vice to hate our great competitor† This gives Octavius an air of importance, as he takes a tone of superiority over Antony because he is enjoying the luxuries of Cleopatra’s palace. Dance, music and song are commonly used in Shakespearean comedy, for example in plays like a Comedy of Errors or As You Like It. They often act as an uniting force, bringing together different groups or individuals. In Antony and Cleopatra,a tragedy, they are presented differently. They are used to indicate Egypt as a place of frivolity. Cleopatra remarks â€Å"give me some music, moody food of us that trade in love.† Music is never played in Rome, and there are certainly no comical characters (such as the eunuch Mardian) and little banter. The presence of music and dance, with an entertainer such as the Eunuch, shows Egypt to be a place of fun and frivolity in direct contrast to the serious political business of Rome. Shakespeare also displays the contrast between the two places by his use of jocularity, particularly puns and sexual innuendo. These are prevelant in the Egyptian scenes, particularly in the exchanges between Cleopatra and her courtiers. Charmian: â€Å"My arm is sore. Best play with Mardian. Cleopatra: As well a women with a Eunuch played as with a woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This short exchange presents Egypt as a place of sexual innuendo and entertainment. Such conversations never tak... ...eir attractions, but they also have a tragic consequences. At the end of the play as Antony and Cleopatra both commit suicide. While Cleopatra’s death is symbolically romantic, Antony cuts a pathetic figure in death. There is a great sense of waste at the end of the tragedy, as a great man has come to nothing because he abandoned his sense and reason for the luxuries of Egypt. Throughout Antony and Cleopatra there is a sharp contrast between the bawdy humour and entertainment of the east and the stern morality and politics of the West. This is best seen in Antony’s downfall; his death is caused by a romantic but illogical attempt at conquering Rome, and the battle of Actium shows the decadent Egypt destroyed and the sensible Rome victorious. In Rome Antony was at his best as a man a soldier and a statesmen, whereas as Antony says â€Å"in the East my pleasure lies†, as does his downfall. BIBLIOGRAPHY William Shakespeare, Antony & Cleopatra, Edited by Emrys Jones, New Penguin Shakespeare Edition York Notes Advanced, Antony And Cleopatra, Robin Sowerby Richard Gill, Mastering English Literature  Ã‚   Ruebel www.oeaw.ac.at/kvk/cte/  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

My Experience Essay

As I reflect upon my life I will describe facts and events believed to have contributed to the person I am today. I like how Merriam Webster’s online dictionary explains experience as something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through. I have encountered difficulties, circumstances, and triumphs that have helped me to grow as a person. I am pursuing a higher education as my future goal. In this paper, I will apply theories from Adult Development and Life Assessment in my explanation of challenges I have faced during childhood to adulthood. I was born in Chicago, one of six girls and the middle child of twelve. As early as I can remember we worked as a group. We played together and we worked in the garden that my parents made in our back yard. I hated the garden because every time I wanted to go play, I first had pick vegetables out of the garden. I didn’t understand at the time that my parents used the garden to help feed our large family. My dad always worked two jobs; his primary employment was with a company called Central Soya. When my father retired from there we moved to Alabama because the cost of living was cheaper. We didn’t have a lot of material things like clothes and shoes. My mother would buy tennis shoes from the grocery store and my brothers would be so embarrassed because their friends saw them trying on the shoes in the store. I can remember my dad making me a pair of pants for school; I thought they were the prettiest pair of pants I had ever seen. It was cheaper to make a pair of pants than to buy them. My parents cut corners any way they could. We may not have had material things but what we did have was love and lots of talent. Not real talent but talent that’s appreciated in a family. On rainy days mom and dad would have us put on a talent show. It was so much fun that we kept the tradition even until adulthood. On birthdays and holidays we would use our talents to entertain mom and dad. Birthdays were especially special because my dad would make me a birthday cake. He was a really good cook and everyone in the neighborhood wanted a piece of his cake. My sixteenth birthday marked a significant shift in my life. I became pregnant and it was one of the biggest mistakes that started a downward spiral in my life. I hung out with older girls that had children. They were into partying and so called having a good time. Our environment plays a huge role in how we develop, what pathways are open to us, and which are closed (Witt, G.A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). I feel like the environment that I chose to be in led to early exploration of drugs and alcohol. I could see myself going in the wrong direction with more terrible consequences if I didn’t make a change. I stopped hanging out and got my first job. It was on a military base in the mess hall. I met a soldier and we got married on our way to work one day when I was twenty one years old. We dated for four months then he went overseas for a year. We married a year later after he returned to the states. Being married was a challenge because he was abusive physically, verbally, and mentally. I had listened to his insults for so long that they became part of my own vocabulary. I began to think that maybe he was right, maybe if I could cook, clean, dress or talk better it would fix our problems. In our text Freud believed that the mind uses defense mechanism to protect itself from severe distress. In the beginning I rationalized everything he did, in rationalization: we look for an acceptable reason to justify our thinking or behavior (Witt & Mossler 2010). I got involved in church and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior. As a result I think a lot of the abusive behavior was able to continue because I simply forgave, thinking it was the Christian thing to do. According to Haan (1977), coping strategies involve choice and purposive behavior, are oriented toward reality, involve differentiated thinking that integrates conscious and preconscious aspects, and permit affective satisfaction in an open, ordered, and tempered way (Psychology and Aging 2000 ). It came to a point after seventeen years of abuse I couldn’t take it anymore. I had done all that I could physically to have a successful marriage but it wasn’t working out for me. I had to face the cruel reality that my marriage was over. Finally I filed for a divorce, which was one of the scariest things I have ever done in my life. Going through the divorce gave me a sense of freedom and strength that I had never experienced in my marriage. Getting a divorced was the best thing I could have done for myself. It started me on a journey to find out what I want out of life for myself. It marked a new beginning to a better, brighter future in my life. I was free to make my own decisions that impact my life. One of those decisions was returning to school for a degree. I really want to be an example to my daughter and her children that education is the key to success, and you are never too old to be successful in life. I must admit that I was very afraid of returning to school because I thought that I would not be successful. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to remember things or comprehend how to do the work. Some researchers contend that intellectual functioning is a process of irreversible decline. However, most scholars agree that intelligence either remains relatively stable through the adult years, with substantial intellectual changes occurring only very late in life, or that intelligence declines in some respects, remains stable in others, and may even increase in some functions, depending on a person’s educational level, life experiences, and overall health (Intelligence and Aging 2007). I am now encouraged to pursue my education. I’m not too old, I plan to finish my courses and earn my degree. My goal is to apply for higher positions that require a degree. There will be many opportunities open to me once I earn my degree in my field of study. In conclusion, I have shared different experiences that have influenced my personal life. I have used theories from this class to support my experiences and I have shared my future plans to achieve my academic goals. Every lesson I complete moves me one step closer to my goal. References Intelligence and Aging (2007) Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/wileyla/intelligence-and-aging Witt, G. A., Mossler, R.A., (2010). Adult Development Retrieved from http://content.ashford. edu /AUPYS202.10.1 Vief, G. L., Diehl, M., (2000) Cognitive complexity and cognitive-affective integration. Psychology and Aging. Vol.15 (3) US: American Psychological Association pp. 490 -504.doi:10.1037/0882-7974.15.3.490

At Mornington, A Poem by Gwen Harwood - 750 Words

Memorable ideas are evident in Harwood’s poetry. In her poem, â€Å"At Mornington†, she considers the philosophical idea that the passing of time leads to gaining of wisdom. Harwood shows that growth and development are a critical part of defining our individuality. She has effectively used poetic techniques such as construction; vivid imagery and the context of her own life to explore this idea and contributed to the textual integrity of the piece. External contextual readings and values of the poem have illuminated the significance of the piece in asserting the value of friendship and relationships, and presented various ideas such as the inevitability of death, the significance that past events and memories play in shaping present perception as well as the defining of individuality through growth and development. Together, this contributes to the memorability of the poem. At Mornington is variant in structure; it is linear, circular and episodic, containing recurring motifs. The lack of a rhyme scheme displays the ‘train-of-thought’ nature of the poem, presenting the poem as a reflective journey for the persona. Experiences with family and friends are tied with the poem, starting with a first witnessing of the sea and then introspectively reflecting on water, memory and death. The episodic recollection of the sea displays the personas reliance on memories to convey changes in perspective. Thoughts of mortality are developed during a meeting â€Å"among avenues of the dead† withShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Gwen Harwood s Poem, At Mornington979 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout Gwen Harwood’s Selected Poems, Harwood continually seeks to examine the many different faces of human nature, which have been heavily influenced by her experiences as a child, a woman and in the moments prior to her death. Her poems explore and reveal the power of reminiscence and memories, rebellion against authority, as well as the idea of mortality, which are illustrated by many of Harwood’s different personas. In some of Harwood’s poems, the persona demonstrates that memory canRead MoreGwen Harwood relationships throughout poems903 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Gwen Harwood’s poetry endures to engage readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation. Gwen Harwood’s seemingly ironic simultaneous examination of the personal and the universal is regarded as holding sufficient textual integrity that it has come to resonate with a broad audience and a number of critical perspectives. This is clearly evident within her poems ‘At Mornington’ and ‘A Valediction’, these specific texts have a main focus on motif that once innocence is lost it cannot beRead MoreTextural Integrity in Gwen Harwood1572 Words   |  7 PagesEXTENDED RESPONSE: Gwen Harwood â€Å"In your view, how has textural integrity been achieved in Harwood’s works. Support your view with detailed reference to at least two of the poems set for study, evaluating the structure and poetic techniques† Through the mastery of the unique structure, style, and coherent textural integrity of her work, Gwen Harwood is widely acknowledged as a ______ poet. Harwood engages the audience personally though the highly personal, yet detached tone and language, thusRead MoreGwen Harwood Essay1160 Words   |  5 PagesMODULE B: GWEN HARWOOD Opportunities for an individual to develop understanding of themselves stem from the experiences attained on their journey through life. The elements which contribute to life are explored throughout Gwen Harwood’s poems, At Mornington and Mother Who Gave Me Life, where the recollection of various events are presented as influences on the individual’s perception of the continuity of life. Both poems examine the connections between people and death in relation to personal connectionsRead MoreGwen Harwood - Power of Memory. Essay1110 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiences held in the subconscious illuminate an adult’s perception. Harwood uses tense shifts throughout her poetry to emphasise and indicate the interweaving and connection the past and the present hold. By allowing this examination of the childhood memories, Harwood identifies that their significance is that of an everlasting memory that will dominate over time’s continuity and the inevitability of deat h. Three poems written by Harwood that emphasise the idea of memory’s importance and its ability

The Effects Of Torture On The Society Of Modern Technology

When one thinks of torture, what is imagined? Perhaps they think of those wooden machines in the museums that they cannot even comprehend the use for, or the iron maiden, a cinematic favorite. Perhaps they don’t think of anything specific like that at all, for it isn’t a question often presented. Torture, regardless, is a gruesome term with gruesome connotations. In our progressive society of modern technology, it is thankfully an issue of the past. Or†¦ is it? It’s not, we know it isn’t. As a society of the unaffected, we simply don’t think about it. We are vaguely aware of the fact that torture once occurred in prevalence at some point in time and happens somewhere today. It did happen, and it still does. Torture is deliberate violence†¦show more content†¦12:31 where prisoners had been sawn between planks and buried to their necks, or that of II Maccabees 13:5 where Menelaus had been thrown into ashes to struggle and suffocate as he sank deeper in the soft ash; a public display (Mannix, 23). Judicial torture is a punishment regardless of what or why, as long as it classifies as torture. The words are occasionally interchangeable, as every case of lawful torture is a punishment but not every punishment is necessarily torture. Historically, judicial torture has been used for ages, albeit differing in how it is carried out today. Torture for the purpose of criminal punishment first emerged in the twelfth century in Northern Italy when prosecution done privately by popes and royalty on criminals became prevalent and under threat when their political authority became more centralized. During the remaining years of the Middle Ages, the process spread to much of Europe (Encyclopedia.com). In the late twelfth century, the inquisitional procedure was introduced to papal legislation with the purpose of controlling those who strayed from the church, and eventually, this eventually extended to secular (nonreligious) crime as well. Early medieval law had more severe criminal cases dealt with by ordeal, oath, or judicial combat. The idea of it was that God would intervene constantly in the lives of people, and would so also in court. Though it was it was impractical toShow MoreRelatedTechnology Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesIn todays world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation and the health of people that may save lives and some people focus on making new designs of packaging CDS. Technology is significant in everyones lifeRead MoreThe Theory Of Human Rights1582 Words   |  7 Pagesnatural rights of humankind, and thereby achieve continuous progress in human knowledge, technology, and society.† (Lesson I) This de scription of the change in thought is key to the development of human rights during the Enlightenment. However, the application of science based reasoning had both positive and negative consequences in this development. While there were positive changes such as the abolition of torture and slavery, reform of the penal code and an increasingly universalistic applicationRead MoreThe Probability Of Having Effective Cultural Interaction1039 Words   |  5 Pagesmore global with the help of technology, travel and education the success of these encounters will become all the more crucial. For example, America over the years has become identified as the Melting Pot because it is made up of so many people from so many different cultural backgrounds. So having effective and healthy intercultural communication with people in our country is so serious because having it or a lack there of affects so many bigger aspects of our society. It affects things like a nationRead MoreThe Positive Effec t of Capital Punishment in Modern America1642 Words   |  7 PagesRonnie Kuester Dr. Borgmeyer Eng. Comp. II 30 Sept. 2010 The Positive Effect of Capital Punishment in Modern America â€Å"I don’t think you should support the death penalty to seek revenge. I don’t think that’s right. I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other people’s lives† (Bush). Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics in the American society and is also one of the topics most people feel very emotional about. Everyone feels that their views areRead MoreDiscipline and Punish: a Critical Review. This Is a Summary of Michel Foucaults Seminal Work on the History of Criminal Punishment and Social Discipline as It Transformed from Punitive to Correctional Models During the2913 Words   |  12 Pages------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Overview The main ideas of  Discipline and Punish  can be grouped according to its four parts: torture, punishment, discipline and prison. [edit]Torture Foucault begins by contrasting two forms of penalty: the violent and chaotic public torture of  Robert-Franà §ois Damiens, who was convicted of attempted  regicide  in the mid-18th century, and the highly regimented daily schedule for inmates from an early 19th century prisonRead MoreLook, Up On The Screen!: The Popularity Of Superhero Films875 Words   |  4 PagesPopularity Of Superhero Films A common trend in modern day film is the recent popularity of movies based on comic-book superheroes. This trend has the potential to become very commonplace or eventually fizzle out in the near future. The superhero film genre has existed for over 20 years, but didn’t grow to epic proportions until the 2000 release â€Å"X-Men†. The popular characters of the Marvel magazine had been confined to comics or television because the effects required to bring them to a believable likenessRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Nineteen Eighty Four1879 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"1984† and Technological Surveillance Technology is one of the most essential and impactful parts of human life, it makes life much easier and faster. However, if technology is misused it could endanger human life. In the book â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four† by George Orwell, he describes a society under constant surveillance and control by their government. The government in â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four† uses technology as a tool of surveillance to control and maintain its power. ThereforeRead MoreThe Effects Of Totalitarian Government In George Orwells 19841928 Words   |  8 PagesImagine a world where no one could live without fear. Given the thought of this, one might presume that the society is dangerous and is repleted with criminal activity. However, the reality is that the government is mentally holding their citizens captive by imprisoning them into a world that dissuades one from acting on impulse. Everywhere where interactions occur between citizens lay technology that monitors everyone s actions whi ch prevent many from expressing themselves. Even one’s children areRead MoreA Brief Note On The United Nations General Assembly Issued The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights791 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals have to right to equal protection, liberty to travel, form a family, acquire property, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. Under this report, no individual will be subject to cruel, inhuman, or undignified treatment, punishment, or torture (Alexander, 2010) Although, rural individuals suffer from poorer health and nutrition, lower incomes, fewer employment opportunities, fewer transportation options, and less adequate housing due to the scarce resources in the region. Rural countiesRead MoreEssay Television and Its Impacts on Society 1171 Words   |  5 Pagesin watching television. Essentially, the argument is whether TV is a beneficial societal force or is it simply a convenient, yet detrimental, outlet for entertainment. One major proponent of the view that watching television is beneficial is technology writer Steven Johnson. In a 2005 New York Times Magazine article, he praises the progress the television industry has made in recent decades. His basic argument is that as opposed to programming roughly 20 years ago, one must now be an active

Analysis Of Frederick Douglass s The Great House Farm

Ashlyn Higgins Mr. Stadick American Literature - Green 26 September 2017 Within the Circle Early in his narrative, Frederick Douglass stresses his lack of understanding and his absence of a personal history due to being enslaved. He begins by telling stories of his main home during his time as a slave: the Great House Farm. He focuses on the songs the slaves use to sing about the Great House Farm. While singing these songs, Douglass states about being â€Å"within the circle† (26). Frederick Douglass highlights his lack of a personal history history by stating that he was, at that time, â€Å"within the circle† (26) and further explains the implications and consequences of being apart of the circle: his goal to recognize the tension in the†¦show more content†¦I was myself within the circle; so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear† (26). Douglass argues that only after moving away from a culture can one gain interpretation from it. There is tension here, between the literal meaning of the songs and the true meaning in which Douglas hopes to reeducate. Douglass corrects white reader’s misconceptions about the slave’s assumed happiness by illustrating the song’s true meaning through his personal experience â€Å"within the circle.† Douglass is astounded that northerners believed they were singing songs out of happiness; he says, â€Å"I have often been astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake† (26). Douglass explains that the songs create a common experience among all slaves. Therefore, those outside the circle are ignorant to believe that their songs are out of happiness or contempt. In actuality, â€Å"slaves sing most when they are the most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tearsâ⠂¬  (26). Douglass makes it clear that slaves are actually evident on a sub-conscious level of deep unhappiness. The singing is a coping mechanism, per say, to the aching hearts. The songs are not a pastimeShow MoreRelatedNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Writing in the favor of black people has always remained controversial from the very beginning. Critics regard such writing as â€Å"a highly conventionalized genre† indicating that â€Å"its status as literature was long disputed but the literary merits of its most famous example such as Frederick Douglass s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†¦are widely recognized today.† (Ryan:537) Despite of such severe resistance, writers like Douglass have penned down theirRead MoreFrederick Douglass, A Brave Man Who Escaped Slavery3423 Words   |  14 Pagestransfer the blacks. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (his given name), otherwise known as Frederick Douglass, was a brave man who escaped slavery, fought for what he believed in, and became the first African-American to hold a high U.S. government rank, and became the most famous and respected African American of the nineteenth century. This paper will analyze the history and life of Frederick Douglass according to the autobiography â€Å"The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave†Read MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass An American Slave4034 Words   |  17 PagesAuthor: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, By Frederick Douglass Date: July 31, 2015 Total Pages: 13 Dialectical Journal Quotes Chapter and Page # Analysis (Characters, Theme, Plot) â€Å"My mother was of a darker complexion than either my grandmother or grandfather. My father was a white man. He was admitted to be such by all I ever heard speak of my parentage.† Chapter 1 Page 2 Indirect Characterization: Speech This shows us that Frederick douglass was not a full african americanRead MoreBibliographic Essay on African American History6221 Words   |  25 PagesBedford Books of St. Martin s Press, 1995). Questions regarding the veracity of Equiano’s richly detailed book, which is not at variance with others on the subject, surfaced soon after it appeared in 1787. Vincent Carretta’s â€Å"Olaudah Equino or Gustavus Vassa? New Light on an Eighteenth-Century Question of Identity,† Slavery and Abolition 20 (December 1999): 96-103, delivers a succinct discussion of the matter. An overview of other narratives appears in Jerome S. Handler, â€Å"Survivors ofRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesand industrial depression from the late 1860s to the 1890s, as well as the social tensions and political rivalries that generated and were in turn fed by imperialist expansionism, one cannot begin to comprehend the causes and consequences of the Great War that began in 1914. That conflict determined the contours of the twentieth century in myriad ways. On the one hand, the war set in motion transformative processes that were clearly major departures from those that defined the nineteenth-century

Global Soy Commodity Chain Free Essays

Brazil is the second largest producer ot soy in the world Brazil’s soy production mirrors the US and ADM’s agribusiness production model. Genetically modified plants are used and pesticide protected. The soy industry has been profitable helping to strengthen Brazil’s economy. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Soy Commodity Chain or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, soy production in Brazil has been the source of contention from groups like Greenpeace due to the destruction of Amazon Rainforest lands to grow soy as a commodity crop. Numerous active protests by Greenpeace to draw attention to forestation losses have led to laws in Brazil directed at this problem. PPA†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs or Permanent Preserve areas have been instituted as Sustainability Law requirements for soy farms in Brazil. Europe was Brazil’s top soy buyer until protests and attention came to the fact that the Amazon was affected by this industry. Ships carrying soy to Europe from Brazil were blockaded by Greenpeace. The European market for Brazil’s soy also hinges on the use of Monsanto’s genetically modified product. European soy consumers have banded against these products outlining their case against genetically modified soy. Their purpose is to keep Brazil’s soy products GMO free. Increasingly, Brazilians do produce Monsanto GMO soy products and can sell this product easily to China. European response to this is to partner with farmers in Brazil, who do not produce GM products, much like fair trade organizations. Soy and Agribusiness have come under a great deal of criticism. Much of this is environmental, political, economic, and social. ADM’s founders formed the industry with seemingly good intentions. â€Å"Solving the world’s hunger† and â€Å"Supermarket to the World† are motto’s that demonstrate the intention of the corporation. They have enjoyed a great deal of success and profitability churning out products that do, in fact, feed the world. However utilizing genetically modified plants and pesticides reduce the gamble a farmer makes; degrading the environment and employing less people to care for plants. Due to agro-industrialization â€Å"soybean production is almost entirely mechanized†. People are not employed in the task of farming but rather the science of genetic modification in the US and Brazil. ADM manages almost every part of the soy commodity chain their corporation constitutes over 70% of US soybean production. They work with US soy farmers and are involved with Latin American soy production. They have more than two hundred sixty five processing plants for raw materials like soy. Soy is sold and shipped by ADM, but it is also processed into many component products. Novasoy, a trademarked product of ADM, is a non GM derivative. Clarisoy is a protein product also marketed to manufactures like General Mills etc†¦ In their cosmetic marketing of soy ADM describes: â€Å"Nature provides some of the world’s best personal care ingredients. ADM taps that potential, offering vegetable-based lipids, natural antioxidants and soy ingredients that can give your products enhanced erformance†. Scientific advancements with agricultural products like soy are American staples of industry. Genetic modification for better or worse was an early advance and became successful economically. Now the science for agricultural products is geared to sustainability issues. Industry support for education and scientific advancement led to the development of the soy crayon that is better for the environment. Soy is a more sustainable resource than petroleum. The same can be said of soy derived fuels. This lessens the use of petroleum. Ford has a history of interest in plant derived resources for industrial products in the forties Ford built what is sometimes reterred to as a â€Å"soy car†. Soy ?ber was part ot a polymer ne developed for the body of this vehicle. It was not popular at the time, due to taxpayer dollars being invested in this type of research, and WWII insured that his agricultural industrial plans were put aside, however the modern day company picked up on this cue and developed foam for car seats that are used in new models. They have also egun using soy in place of petroleum on tires and expect to have a more sustainable car tire. The social trend and movement in soy agriculture is opposition to genetic modification and agribusiness. ADM has responded with organic and non GM products, they are a business and their success is contingent upon consumer demand. For those who consume soy products packaging and advertising like that of Silk soymilk products announce that they are free of GMO. The market for this type of product is growing as the issue of agriculture and agricultural products becomes more prominent. The historical context of the development of the soy commodity chain is interesting because the plant is Chinese in its origin and had little place in the Western world until this century. Currently, it is almost entirely produced in the Americas and exported in large quantities to its place of origin. As a Northern American, I am familiar with agribusiness. I saw ADM’s â€Å"Supermarket to the World† commercials every Sunday in my childhood. I accepted that that this was a wholesome company, after researching this I understand the criticisms and consequences although I do elieve the founders of this system had good intentions. How to cite Global Soy Commodity Chain, Papers

HR Planning and Recruitment Labour Market-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Identify and Discuss HR Planning and recruitment in a particular sector of the labour market. Answer: Introduction There has been unprecedented increase in the various job vacancies all around the world, which has showed the need for planning of the workforce across all the industries. The workforce planning can be defined as the process of analysis of the future needs of the organization as far as its employee skills, locations and numbers are considered (De Bruecker et al., 2015). This also makes the organizations realize how they can fulfill the unmet needs through the process of recruitment and selection. It is also important to determine the likely demand of additional staffs in the various departments of the organization. The thesis statement for this paper is to determine the planning and recruiting of the workforce for retail industry in Australia. The selected company for this paper is Coles Supermarket and it belongs to the retail industry. The aims of the report are understanding the various factors of planning as well as recruiting of workforce. It strives to explore the different workforce planning challenges for retail sector. The different recruitment strategies along with the challenges would be analyzed in detail. Recruiting trends in retail industry of Australia The retail sector has undergone several changes in the recent years and stiff competition has led to the formulation of effective human resource practices. There has been a sharp increase in the big data as well as omni-channel employment channels (De Bruecker et al., 2015). The online retailers of Australia are starting to open brick and mortar stores and this has also affected their recruitment patters. The omni channel employment seeks to recruit people for both their online activities as well as for the different physical stores. This kind of employment service aims to put the manpower in all channels such as mobile applications, online sales, physical stores and others. Another significant demand in the retail sector is the job roles concerning big data. The strategic planners analyze the various facts and figures so that they can purchase at the right point of time and clear their stocks effectively (De Bruecker et al., 2015). There has been 5 % increase in the job advertisemen t in SEEK for the retail sector and it is also observed that the candidate availability is fairly stable in this sector (Seek.com.au, 2017). There has also been an increase in the planning job roles in the retails sectors, as the job role involves the incumbent to liaison between finance and purchasing functions. There has been an increase in the job demands for retail assistants and this can be attributed to the store expansion in different locations. HR strategies of retail sector The retail organizations have realized the fact that the level of their success is dependent on the HR strategies of the organization. The retail sector focuses a lot on the brand building and sales of the company. The sector is particular about the various types of recruitment sources that they utilize for sourcing manpower (Rathi Lee, 2015). There are various sources from which the organization can procure talented employees for their organization. There are direct applicants, advertisements, referrals, internal recruitment, public/private employment agencies, campus recruitments and others (Sauter, 2014). The HR department of the retail sector also aims to develop a work-unit activity analysis so that they can better design the different job vacancies. It is also important to understand the different functional and divisional structure that would be used in the organization (Rathi Lee, 2015). The job analysis helps the HR managers to do proper HR planning and also do proper work redesign. This would also help the managers to plan different learning and development initiatives for the employees. The career planning and the job evaluation are some of the important objectives of the job analysis. The HR managers are using various information in the job analysis information such as job specification, job description, human capital, skill, knowledge, ability and others (Rathi Lee, 2015). The modern-day HR department is also considerate about the different legal, safety and ethical duties of HR. The legal environment in Australia concerns with the constitution, state, arbitration system and the different wage systems (Rathi Lee, 2015). The HR should formulate strategies according to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), which is the attempt of the government which makes sure that all the individuals get equal access to the employment (Cao,2014). The HR person should also be able to address the cultural differences by adhering to different suitable strategies. HR planning challenges for retail sector The HR planning challenges is concerned with the short supply of future ready manpower who would be delivering high performance in the organization. The companies can recruit manpower with the help of various strategies but they find it hard to retain the employees (Connolly Jr, Connolly Feinstein, 2017). The increased liberalization has given the employees sufficient options to switch over to their favorite jobs over short period of time, thereby increasing the attrition rate of the firm. The declining labor supply has also forced the HR managers to plan for their manpower requirements in advance. The following are the main challenges of HR in retail industry of Australia- Poaching threat- The employee poaching is considered to be very high in Australian retail industry (Angrave et al., 2016). The competitors are able to attract the manpower by offering them more compensation and benefits. This often leads troubles to the HR as they are in constant fear of attrition of their talented manpower. High attrition- The retail industry has high attrition rate and the HR managers try it hard to make the employees stick to the organization (McGraw, 2014). The HR department has a hard time in planning about the different ways that can be used for retaining the employees (Cao,2014). Working culture issues- The retail industry demands that the employees work for long hours, which may cause boredom in the employees, which is ultimately a major demotivating factor (Pandey, Singh Pathak, 2016). The long working hours and less compensation as expected may cause severe lack of motivation among the employees, which reduces the overall employee productivity (Cao,2014) Recruitment Strategies for retail sector The recruitment sector in the retail industry is full of fluctuations as there is a high degree of staff turnover rates. This enables the managers to create a strong organizational culture in which the employees are highly motivated (Pandey, Singh Pathak, 2016). This enables that the application process is simple and the recruiter should decide whether they would require employees for the holidays. The sector relies on internal labor markets for satisfying their manpower needs (Schramm-Klein, Morschett Swoboda, 2015). They believe in the fact that the local talent would be able to cater to their job positions in a better manner. The HR professionals find that the retail duty hours are long and hence the workers often feel frustrated. This makes the employers conduct frequent motivation sessions which would engage the employees in constant learning and development activities (Price, Bailey Pyman, 2014). The recruiting manager in the Australian firms makes sure that the candidates a re well aware of the different aspects of the job role. The selection process takes into account the different qualifications, skills and knowledge of the employees along with the cultural fit (Pandey, Singh Pathak, 2016). The employees are being tested whether they would fit into the companys unique organizational culture. Recruitment challenges for retail sector The retail sector employment faces number of challenges in their day to day functioning, which are discussed as below- Lack of qualified manpower - The retail industry is one of the vastest manpower recruiting industry which needs large candidate pools (Moore, McDonald Bartlett, 2017). But there are rare combination of skills, knowledge and expertise of candidates to work in this industry. Highly decentralized- The HR matters of Coles Supermarket and other retail organizations are often handled by person who have less experience in niche area of recruitment (Pandey, Singh Pathak, 2016). They may have overall long years of experience in the HR domain but they may not enough recruitment experience. Lack of formal specialized education- There are a lack of formal specialized courses for retail candidates and the employees mostly depend on the on the job training programs (Weller, 2017). This also makes it recruitment process less fruitful. There is more dependency of the candidates on the in-house training, which delays the time the employees become actually productive. Increased competition- There is an increasing competition in the market which has led to severe talent shortages in the market (Sardana, Zhu Veen, 2016). The retail company like Coles Supermarket, find it hard to retain their best talent. They are in constant fear that their employees may be taken over by their close rivals (Pandey, Singh Pathak, 2016). Conclusion The human resource is important for overall growth of the organization in the retail business sector. The organized retailers have understood the importance of implementing suitable HR practices policy and recruitment initiatives. The HR planning should take into account all necessary HR parameters such as recruitment, selection, training and development, performance appraisal and overall organizational culture of the organization. There are several problems that are faced by the HR professionals working in the retail sector. These are lack of qualified manpower, high decentralization, lack of specialized education and increased competition. The HR planners face the issue of poaching issues, high attrition rate and issues with the working culture. 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