ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Cai GuoQiang epitomises hybridisation of culture through art. His work of “borrowing your enemy’s arrows” captures his oriental origins and hence captivates Asian audiences; on the other hand, his overseas exposure has permeated his art and given it a global appeal. Through an analysis of this work, it will be argued that Cai has managed to negotiate artistic meaning owing to his dual influences; globalisation and cultural background. How Cai’s history influenced his work Cai left China for Japan in 1987 and then proceeded to the United States eight years later. This had a profound influence on Cai as an artist because he became an ambassador on behalf of his original culture (Minglu, 2009). But most importantly, Cai found a way of challenging the limits of Asian philosophy. He therefore curved an artistic pathway that superseded his own culture and added a global or even universal ideal to his work. Japan taught Cai how to relate the human being to nature. This explains why “borrowing your enemies’ arrows” has a certain natural appeal to it. On the other hand, Cai asserts that living in the United States taught him to be bold and political as described in an interview conducted by Kay Itoi (2009). He noticed that Americans were very straightforward in their work and this makes them quite arresting. Such an influence has also been captured in the work under analysis. Cai has been bold and political just like the Americans. It is very clear to see some of the traces of Chinese heritage in his work. His use of rice straws and arrows are illustrative of his origins. In fact, in response to his hometown Quanzhou, Cai asserted that he wanted to mine the small elements of his culture and then present them to the world so the world can understand China better. In an interview with Jing Daily, Cai asserted that he should not be regarded as a returning artist. To him China was always a part of him and he heavily depended on it to create most of his work. Nonetheless, because Cai has involved himself in many large scale works that are quite technologically advanced, he needed to do something that brought him closer to his origins and this was the reason why he chose to make ‘borrowing your enemies’ arrows. To this individual, progress is only possible when he gets personal and this occurs after he has gone back to his historic roots. In this regard, it can be stated that China is very central to the piece under analysis because i
Abstract With the recent shifts in the educational sphere, the marketisation of higher education receives growing recognition. Due to the fact that the higher education is not compulsory, applicants receive much freedom in their educational choices and according to the results of the latest studies, need to be treated as customers. The popularity of every university in Great Britain depends upon not only its educational models and historical reputation, but also marketing strategies and branding of the institution. Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London, Durham and London School of Economics as the recognized top universities in Great Britain must have implied the most effective marketing strategies for establishing their status and preserving it for such a long time. The universities of Great Britain are known all over the world and attract students from all the corners of the globe. The high quality of education and the potential employment after graduating from these institutions are the influential factors affecting the popularity of these universities. However, with the variety of newly arising educational institutions and the intense competition in the sector, even the most prestigious universities need to impose measures for preserving their status and attracting the potential applicants. This study will explore the students’ perception of the most popular universities in Great Britain and determine the major influential factors affecting the perceived market value of these institutions. Literature review Within the recent decades, the market architecture and the main driving forces of the UK higher education have undergone significant changes. The enhanced marketisation of the UK higher education was the direct consequence of the highly competitive environment, which predetermined the shift towards treating students as consumers and implementing the marketing strategies for drawing and sustaining the applicants’ attention. Taking into account the fact that universities belong to the sector of non-compulsory education, it can be stated that the decisions of potential applicants can be manipulated through the implementation of various marketing techniques. There is evidence that the students’ education choices are traditionally limited with the specific market arenas which can be predetermined geographically but more often are the consequence of the brand and the perceived market value of a particular institution. 1 It means that the rankings of a particular university and the overall picture of the most popular universities in the UK will to c
Marx’s thesis on the fetishism of commodities focuses on society’s tendency to place value on commodities based on contributed labor, which inevitably causes domination of the products over people. Furthermore, the fetishism affects the social interactions between the customer and producer: the valued objects are independently exchanged for the respective purposes. Such exchanges of objects occur independently of human needs or decisions (Ritzer, 2011). In this case, it is essential to note that the term fetishism does not suggest any sexual connotations; it only explains people’s inclination to devote themselves to the mentioned principles. In modern society, we have fetishized technological trends in the same way that Marx’s thesis suggests. For example, Apple products are known to be highly appreciated for their “high-quality” and “accessibility”. The labor that goes into creating the products, despite sometimes being considered unethical, benefits the brand’s overall image. Since hours and hundreds of workers are dedicated to producing the items, their values increase independently of their quality. The product’s value is then highly dependent on the importance placed by the general public and marketing strategies rather than its original worth. Moreover, the workers that are required for the brand’s success also become commodities, as mentioned in the Manifesto of the Communist Party (Marx & Engels, 1818-1883). In this way, although existing independently of one another, all major parts of the modern socio-economic system become disconnected from their actual worth. Marx’s thesis fails to explore how a commodity gains its value purely from the amount of labor included in the process. This could be outlined as a critical disadvantage to the thesis, as it ignores a central perspective that aid in changing the materialistic values of society. Another detail that was not mentioned in Marx’s work is related to the nature of commodities, why some are more valued than others. Still, the Manifesto of the Communist Party and Marx’s thesis provide a solid foundation for analyzing modern socio-economic relations.
Introduction This community advocacy project is aimed at addressing obesity in children. The word “children” in the context of this project is referred to an aggregate from the community, age 5 and seventeen. The questions are listed below.  1. What are the causes of obesity in children?  2. Why is this health problem prevalent in children?  3. Are there policies addressing the problem? Definition of community and aggregate A community is a collection of men, women and children. The people interact objectively with their immediate environment (Bartholomew et al., 2011, p. 520). On the other hand, an aggregate is defined as a section of a community with a single or multiply similar attributes, derived from their environment or human-person characteristics. Differences between a community and aggregate Community and aggregates interrelate at the same level of consideration. In community health nursing, a community is a composition of aggregates. These aggregates can be individual people. Besides, aggregates are distinguished from community based on the level of risk of advocacy: either high or low risk. They can be individuals or subgroups forming aggregates. Action plan The action plan for this advocacy project is based on Christoffel’s conceptual framework for advocacy. The aggregates identified from the community are the children with obesity as a health problem. The three stages are information gathering’ strategy designation and action plan implementation stage. Information collection stage The information collection stage will involve data gathering about the obese children in the community. In this stage, the collection of data will remain within the boundaries of the questions that the advocacy project seeks to answer. Three data gathering dimensions will be considered they include patterns of periodicity of obesity in children and determination of the size of the obesity problem. In addition, this stage will put into consideration the intended success of this project concerning the aggregate. In addition, bottlenecks to the information gathering will be identified at this stage. A team of three project members will take up this process. The resources required are information collection notepads and fare for travelling to reach various locations of the aggregates. This stage is allocated a timeframe of one month. The second stage is a formulation of strategies required during advocacy. After gathering information, both learned and common people need to receive the information about obesity in the chosen aggregates. Another target group to receive the information includes lawmakers of the community. Besides, this stage acts as a stepping-stone to reaching and engaging coalitions for raising resources required
Animal Research and Experimentation in Psychology and Cases When It Can Be Justified Animal research is a debatable issue that needs careful consideration. On the one hand, researchers have managed to advance in understanding people’s behavior and cognition. On the other hand, new knowledge has its cost as animals are subjected to a variety of painful experiences. For instance, animals are often exposed to electric shock, they are starved, their brain is often damaged to understand the way brain functions. Clearly, numerous ethical issues are still persistent. Researchers stress that the moral status of animals is one of major concerns as it is impossible to obtain consent from these subjects (Norcross 648). I agree that suffering of animals is a very high price for development but I also deem that the price is justified. I tend to follow consequentialist ethics and if there is a chance that this or that research can bring people to solving a serious issue, animal research is justified. For instance, numerous experiments enabled people to discover various peculiarities of people’s behavior. Mental disabilities are also treated with the help of methods and medication developed on the basis of animal research. Lots of people (including children) have become able to have a normal (or a better) life. Hence, I believe animal research is justified. At the same time, I think it is crucial to develop various regulations to minimize suffering of animals as sometimes damage caused to animals cannot be carried out since experiments held have low scientific value. Researchers have to be responsible and remember that people hardly have the right to harm other creatures in the world as the universe is a stable system where all elements are equally important and valuable. Current United States Regulations on Animal Testing There are a number of regulations concerning the use of animals in research. The Animal Welfare Act was introduced in the 1970s and it has been amended numerous times since then (Cowan 4). The changes occur as the world is rapidly changing and new challenges arise. I believe existing regulations will never be enough as each experiment is very different from others and it is impossible to cover all issues within any number of acts. I believe it is also difficult to develop efficient legislation on the matter as people have different views on animal research and the line between ethical and unethical is blurred in this area. It is noteworthy that research conducted on certain animal
Introduction Work stress refers to the side effects or harmful experiences that an individual encounters when the occupational needs of the job cannot be met. The client does not have the abilities, resources or requirements of the work. This literature review illustrates the plight of the mindfulness-based stress reduction process as viewed by Industrial and Organization psychology. These problems can either be psychological, behavioral or physical. What are the methods used to do the study? What are the findings? What are the weaknesses and how can they be improved? The review further evaluates the understanding of the psychologists by asking these questions. What are the relations between these methodologies? In which way do they contradict? What are the weakness of the study and how can it be improved. Industrial and organizational psychology (I/O) plans organizations to increase productivity and improve living standards. I/O psychologists try to resolve problems at the workplace through scientific knowledge. Work needs to be satisfying and improve the quality of life. Stress Reduction and Attention Control According to I/O psychologist work is done to obtain productivity and to improve the quality of life of the clients (Astin, J. 1997). They believe that any dissatisfaction that occurs in the workplace is either a problem or stress. Individuals need to be monitored closely and the organizational structure understood well. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was started at the University of Massachusetts. It was concerned with mindfulness training on meditation and yoga. The program encourages the workers to avoid conceptualized destructive thoughts. This makes it superior to other meditations health benefits. Behavior can under certain circumstances undermine health either physically, emotionally or spiritually. Recruitment was used as a method where the IQ of the workers was tested. This however excluded those whose IQ was below 80 in the study. Samples used in the study always give wrong information. Workers were also given an opportunity to report their own views using questionnaires. This can always lead to unjust answers on focus and job satisfaction. MBSR encourages workers to maintain their work position despite the prevailing conditions is a threat. Some workplaces are pathetic and deprive the workers of their rights. The working conditions should be improved so as to provide a quality work atmosphere for the workers. Whereas other avenues would advocate for change in the workplace to reduce stress, MBSR encourages individuals to maintain their position of work irrespective of the conditions encountered. Use of cognitive therapy Workers can reduce anxiety by recognizing the causes of stress and anxiety. These effects are born in the mind of workers (Astin, J. 1997). The medical school used both learning and practice techniques. Individuals should
Introduction A conflict is a situation in which there exists a discord between two groups or parties. As a result, quite often prolonged fighting or struggle may be observed between or among the warring parties. Conflicts in the workplace are very common and inevitable. They may be a result of some personal issues of employees. Interpersonal conflicts could be caused by organizational factors. Interpersonal conflicts can be divided into two categories which are the intra-group conflicts that refer to conflicts between two groups in an organization, and the intergroup conflicts which refer to conflicts between individuals in an organization (Daniel &Robert, 1966). Most workplaces are usually quite stressful. Sometimes employees may be forced to work for long hours. Different workers may have different styles of doing things. Workers may have different personalities which may compel them to disagree with one another. Each workplace environment may be comprised of workers with different educational backgrounds, personal experience, and ethnicities. Some organizations do not have clear work guidelines and policies. If, for instance, a company does not have a clear organizational hierarchy, confusion may arise among employees on who to report to, thus, leading to conflicts between or among employees. A passive aggressive behavior may exist between different employees. This can lead to employees sabotaging office activities including projects. Some employees may appear to be supportive, agreeable, and diplomatic. Behind the scenes, the same workers could be dishonest (Chris, 1957). Hostile working environments can also be created as a result of conflicts. Problem Statement Sandra and Yvonne are the proprietors of Rodie’s Ladies Wear, an exclusive shop for ladies. They bought the business at a price of $20,000 a year ago and decided to retain two salesladies. One of the employees retained from the previous proprietor of Rodie’s Ladies Wear was a 62 year woman. As the business continued to grow, other young salesladies were employed. As the number of customers continued to rise, the management required an appointment of one young lady as the supervisor of the others. One of the ladies who happened to be the most active of all salesladies was appointed by the supervisor. The lady who was appointed as supervisor also happened to have joined the company much later than other colleagues. The 62 year old lady did not agree with the idea of having a younger lady as her supervisor. She argued that she was the one who had been very experienced and had worked for a long time for the company. As a result, she then began to take instructions reluctantly given by her supervisor. The situation continued u
Introduction Since its inception in 1969, Stew Leonard’s has positioned itself optimally in the United States’ grocery store industry by offering diverse food products. The firm has established four supermarkets, which are located in New York and Connecticut. The firm’s product portfolio is comprised of dairy products, meat, wine, and juice. In addition, the firm sells its products to over 300,000 customers every week. A workforce of over 2,000 employees necessitates the company’s operations. Stew Leonard’s has had exemplary performance over the past decades, as evidenced by its listing in the Guinness Book of World Records. This recognition was due to its sales per unit area in the category of all single food companies in the US. Despite its superior performance over the past four decades, Stew Leonard’s is experiencing pressure from the external market environment such as change in consumer behavior and intense competition. Thus, the firm’s top management team has an obligation to respond to the prevailing market trends. One of the most effective approaches that the firm should consider is new product development. This paper illustrates the critical aspects that Stew Leonard’s should consider in developing and introducing the new product. New product In line with its quest to offer diverse nutritional food products, it is essential for the firm to consider the introduction of a new snack product. The product should be produced from high-energy natural ingredients such as different whole grains, milk, and vegetables in order to meet the customers’ tastes and preferences. In order to improve the ability of the new product to provide customers with the needed energy within a short duration after consumption, it is imperative for the firm to ensure that the snack product is easily digestible and absorbed by the body. In a bid to improve the snack’s capacity to provide the needed energy, the firm should incorporate some of the ingredients used in the production of energy drinks such as ephedrine, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, taurine, carnitine, inositol, and creatin. These ingredients will meet the customers’ energy requirements and enhance their well-being. Feasibility and profitability By introducing this product, Stew Leonard’s will greatly improve its performance. The feasibility and profitability potential of the new product is fostered by a number of factors. Food consumption Food consumption habits in the US were affected by the 2008 economic recession. Some market segments such as the private labels were least affected by the recession. During the recession, private labels’ prices varied between 20% and 40% as opposed to the branded equivalent. However, the trend has been reversed by the improvemen
Maria Elena Lucas’ life is probably one of the hardest ones I have ever read. The hardness and outrageous strength of this woman simply fascinate. There is a great power held in one female who used to be a little girl suffering from the life circumstances that God put on her. Born in 1941 she was the first child of seventeen children living in an impoverished family in Texas. She had gone through many life difficulties that it could be probably impossibly hard to experience the same if we divide the same amount of injustice among several people. She used to be one of the best activists for migrant workers in the history of the United States. She wrote a moving autobiography “Forged under the Sun” that describe the courageous woman of indomitable spirit who proves to overcome any life obstacles and challenges. Mamphela Ramphele is worth utmost admiration. Her entire life was as difficult as Maria Elena Lucas’. She depicts her life story vividly in the book Across Boundaries: The Journey of a South African Woman Leader . Of course, there are those moments when you simply want to cry and feel like there is so much unfairness in this world that you start wondering how this planet still exists. The compelling pages of her love for Steve Biko and the described situation of the difficult pregnancy period just stun with the real images arousing in your head when reading. The author surprises with utmost honesty which adds special power to the book and to her biography itself. Ramphele: Excuse me, don’t mean to interrupt you, but I would be flattered to talk to you and get a better acquaintance if you don’t mind. It seems like we have so much in common that the conversation must be exciting. Lucas: This is much of enjoyment for me, besides, you have no idea how I longed for our meeting and talking to you in person. And yes, there is no doubt we have much in common. This life sometimes takes unexpected curves so that you can’t really adjust to its speed, you know. Ramphele: Oh well, tell me about it! Anyways, were you talking about the farm workers’ labor movement when gave a speech? Lucas: Yes, and what is your topic at this conference? I think all the aspects touched upon today at this conference are so important since they edge with South Africa. Ramphele: I was reporting about the IDT (Independence Development Trust) which I was invited to sit on the board in 1990 and was appointed its third chairperson at the end of 1994. This experience is truly precious. Lucas: Tell me more. How did IDT launch and everything? Ramphele: Well, I have to tell you that they took some funds from the National Party Government. Lucas: It seems like it contradicts the essence of the affair started. Don’t you think that money is somewhat ‘bloody’? One can hardly deny what took National Party to gather the funds throughout the years. Ramphele: Unfortunately, I can’t fully agree with you in this term. Of course, the money we are talking about is blood money; however, I can argue that there hardly exists clean money in South Africa or anywhere in