ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The current world is characterized by postmodernism with a shift in self-conception and removal of national boundaries. In the postmodern industrial world, consumption has taken center-stage. Consumerism has taken over to define the daily life of individuals in respect to their consumption patterns among other aspects of life. It can be established that postmodernism has been critical in determining the concept of consumer culture. The post-modern world is characterized by increased consumption in which case shopping has become a prominent activity. Also, there has been a shift from the past in which various aspects have changed to adapt to the fast-changing world. The focus of this paper shall be on the principles of postmodernism and consumerism in the perspectives of various scholars. Apart from this analysis, this paper looks at what has changed, and the reasons for these changes. In addition, this paper shall explain the aspects that have not changed over time. Herbert Marcuse and Guy Debord wrote their seminal works, “One dimensional man” (1964) and “The Society of Spectacle” (1967), during a period of relative affluence in western capitalist societies. While their analyses arguably remain relevant and, perhaps, in some ways, even more so-today, western capitalist societies have experienced a steady decline in the standard of living from the 1970s onward under the socioeconomic and geopolitical policies of neoliberalism. While drawing upon Marcuse and Debord, on the one hand, and Bauman and Baudrillard or Zizek, on the other, this paper analyzes the impact of the changes on how people tend to conceive of themselves and their world. One dimensional man Herbert Marcuse in his “One Dimensional Man” asserted that advanced capitalism was suppressive and not free. He also noted that individuals in the modern society were complacent in spiritual and intellectual aspects. This is because the individuals are psychologically dependent on the consumer culture. He referred to this aspect as repressive desublimation. In his seminal work, Marcuse identifies various new forms of control. He asserts that the modern society is hyped with all the best things including “the concentration of individual enterprises in more effective, more productive corporations; the regulation of free comp
Summary Due to the increasing globalization of the economy, intermodal transportation has become one of the main infrastructural resources that a country or a region should possess in order to achieve sustainable growth. In many cases, it is necessary to rely on ships, rail, as well as trucks in order to ensure the effective movement of goods (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2002, p. 27). More importantly, one should ensure the “seamless connection” between different modes of transportation (McGrown, 2005, p. 2). There are many places that can be described as the hubs of international trade. For instance, it is possible to speak about the Port of Houston. It should be mentioned that the policy-makers intent to extend this port in order to make sure that that the goods are effectively handled. However, at the same time, the intensification of global trade has highlighted the necessity to improve the sustainability of intermodal transportation (Losa & Papagiannakis, 2014). In particular, the organizations that provide such services are required to minimize pollution that can undermine the quality of air and water. In this way, they can protect the health of people who can be living near ports. To a great extent, this issue has affected the Port of Houston, which is one of the largest ones in the United States. It is vital for the economic development of Texas. Problem One should mention that vessels and trucks can be viewed as a source of pollution. The problem became much acute because the movement of goods has intensified. The Port of Houston is placed through which more than “200 million tons of cargo” are moved annually. The cargo is carried by 200.000 barges and 8.000 vessels (Port of Houston Authority. 2012). Apart from that, one should speak about thousands of trucks that deliver goods. They are necessary for the seamless flow of goods through the port. The main problem is that vessels and trucks can be viewed as dangerous sources of pollution. They significantly undermine the quality of air in the area located near the Port of Houston. Therefore, many local residents do not welcome the extension of this port. One should keep in mind that the problem of sustainability existed in the past. Nevertheless, it became much more acute due to the globalization of the economy and a growing number of shipments. These are the elements of this problem that can have significant implications for the entire community. Significance The problem should be overlooked because it can affect thousands of people who may be living near the Port of Houston. These emissions can produce dangerous effects on the health of people. In particular, they can.lead to cancer and respiratory diseases (Mosqueda, 2013). This is one of the dangers that should be taken into consideration. As a result, many people object to the extension
Studies have revealed extensive issues regarding sport’s law and other provisions. From sources, discussions, and other relevant materials, it emerged that sport’s law has varied implications globally. Concurrently, the law considers legal issues, which relate to various aspects of sports. It is necessary to govern sports to grant it some viability. This is also applicable in guarding the dignity of individuals who participate on both professional and amateur games (Anderson, 2010). Upon scrutiny and subsequent studies, it emerged that sports (of any kind), require regulatory provisions that would favor its occurrences and protect the welfares of participants. Additionally, the modern sports have condemned corruption, discrimination, doping, violence, and labor market violations. Sports law endeavor to create a legal implication with regard to the mentioned variables. Sports law hinders varied vices associated with sporting activities. The law ensures that sports community attains some justice regarding fair participation, compensation, and protection of the alleged integrity. Evidently, countries like Australia have established and ratified the aspects of sport’s law to govern their sporting industry. Concurrently, the jurisdictional legislators formulate such laws, which are consequently passed by parliaments as functional acts. Numerous eventualities exist within the field of sports. This is evident before, during, and after games. The mentioned fact has necessitated stringent legislations to govern the entire aspects of sports. Justification for the law to become more active in sports’ matters It is justifiable that sport’s law will become considerably active in sports in order to govern and regulate the crimes and injustices that occur in sports and other related activities. It became evident that numerous sports have adapted novel provisions of sport’s law to aid varied/related issues. It is crucial to observe numerous types of games and the varieties of laws that exist conventionally to regulate their aspects. Anderson (2010) indicates that sports should be free from taxations that might deter their respective preparation and consequential participation. This might hinder the aspects of sports as indicated earlier. From the lessons, consultations, and publications, it emerged that numerous sporting activities have shown interest in enacting and embracing the aspects of sport’s law. This follows its significance and justification within the concerned communities.
Introduction Humanity is today at a crossroads that will determine not only our fate but also the fate of all life on this planet. The root of this crisis is the materialistic, mechanical world-view of the so-called modern period of Western Culture, which more and more is being recognized as not only moribund and dysfunctional but as a threat to our very existence. The book by J. Campbell The Power of Myth p rovides food for thought about the role of mythology in history and its impact on society and literature. The book raises questions: Who is a hero?, and Why do we define him as such? What are victory and glory? Why do we value bravery and disregard dishonesty? Description of the book The book consists of six episodes devoted to different problems and philosophical questions. Joseph Campbell believes that everything begins with a story, so to explain the world around us we need mythology. Mythology can be seen as the history of our universe and unique vision of reality. Thus, the song of the universe is philosophy. The examples of mythological narrations show that here a combination of deviousness, as evidenced by his disguise as a beggar, the removal of the arms decorating the walls, as well as the sheer physical strength needed to use the bow effectively–all confirm beyond doubt Ulysses’ reputation as the epitome of the hero. Everyone is a hero in some sense. You should live thinking over stories and mythology because only these sources could help an individual to develop a more positive attitude towards reality and improve his/her moral value and principles. As we near the twenty-first century, the almost unbelievable disintegration of the natural world is finally penetrating through our attempts at denial, minimizing, and avoidance. Yet at the same time, science itself has now shown that this image of a dead nature is a false, or graven, image. Through the dynamic of science itself, a new world-view — a new picture of the nature of the universe — is emerging from the present cultural confusion and is showing the first signs of solid form. Myths and dreams come from the same place. Joseph Campbell sees everything in somewhat of a symbolic form to a greater picture. The symbols he connects bring a realization. Because of the potency of this new emerging cosmic vision, and the fact that science and technology provide perhaps the only basis of consensus all over the earth, this emerging vision must be considered in building the new myth for the twenty-first century. In this modern world-view, where the fate of nature is already determined, we are only spec
Introduction: Bringing Economy and Politics Together Politics and economics, the two pillars that the well-being of every country is based on, are closely interconnected with each other. Creating the paradigm of the two elements’ cooperation, one can draw a scheme of the macroeconomic development. Since the approach that Coase demonstrates incorporates the spheres of law and economics, trying to explore the nature of the problem, the ideas offered by the scientist are likely to have great effect on the existing state of the country, increasing the level of output and providing sufficient means to encourage the development of the country. However, such approach has faced considerable criticism, which means that the theory offered by the scientist is far from being impeccable. Stating that the coordination between the law and the economics of the country increases its economical efficiency, Coase insists that the legal laws are bound to prove working in the sphere of economics, moreover – that they will contribute to its development and improvement. According to the author himself, “the initial delimitation of legal rights does have an effect on the efficiency with which the economic system operates.” (Coase 8). Once establishing the system of legal rights and legal laws in the sphere of economics, the state will obtain considerable profit, which makes Coase’s reasoning most convincing. “One arrangement of rights may bring about a greater value of production than any other” (8), Coase explains. The Interconnection: More Than Skin Deep Considering the economist’s theory, one can claim with certainty that such approach is rather unusual; however, in the light of the modern threatening economical situation, it is worth trying. Taking into account the existing criticism of the theory, the ideas of Coase are highly productive. “The traditional Coasian framework is summarized in the set of assumptions adopted by Hoffman and Spitzer in their behavioral evaluation of the theorem”, Lai (211) says. Building their new theories based on Coase’s idea of comprising the law and the economics, the economists consider Coase’s viewpoint the most plausible tendency for the future course of economics. Once Coase suggested his idea of transactional costs to the world of economics, the concern for the real costs demanded for the transformation of good
Technical Advances Growth of automation One of the radical changes that occurred in different areas of human activity is the growth of automation which influenced the employment and level of qualification and training. The growth of automation brought radical changes in such areas as transportation, manufacturing, entertainment, and distribution and sales. For instance, transportation depended mainly on maintenance of the transportation means and the ability of the crew to react adequately to certain problems; airplane safety benefited from the introduction of automated systems. At the same time, manufacturing became less difficult with the growth of automation though more sufficient training was required for people who worked with machines (Kossiakoff & Sweet, 2003, p. 8). The distribution and sales could be performed with the help of automated programs that we’re operating to ensure that a sufficient amount of products would be delivered to different sale points. As for entertainment, it also benefited the growth of automation because different manipulations were not required; besides, they reduced risk. Personal computer Personal computers were introduced as one of the radical technical advances that changed the operation of a great variety of fields. As such, entertainment, communications, manufacturing, and distribution and sales are the fields in which the changes occurred. For instance, in the field of entertainment, personal computers are used as means for viewing the shows and sharing impressions on those shows and other types of entertaining activities. Communication is performed easier with the help of a personal computer, especially after the introduction of another technical advance such as the internet. Moreover, a personal computer can be considered an advance that changed radically the concept of information and its evaluation. Manufacturing can also be performed more effectively concerning the planning and development stages of the manufacturing process because these stages can be fulfilled with the help of a personal computer and applications installed on it. Distribution and sales can be also considered the fields that benefit from the introduction of a personal computer. Competition of System Characteristics Cases Innovation and risk is the first case when system characteristics compete with one another. For instance, it is important to use an innovative approach but with regard to the possible risk in different stages of its operation. Testing and timing are another pair of characteristics that can be conflicting and even competing. As such, it is necessary to assess the timing of the project contrasted to the necessity of testing its effectiveness. Moreover, each stage of the project operation can be in conflict with the timing of the project because of the insufficient time given to complete the
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company takes the leading position in the world hotel industry, and it is the most successful competitor within the market. The progress of the company depends on following the definite strategy and principles developed to satisfy the needs of customers and to respond to the employees’ expectations. Thus, the accents are made on the orientation toward customers and their individual and specific needs, on providing the service of the highest quality, on the successful human resources management, and on the effective leadership. In their Application Summary of 1999, the company stated the basic principles according to which the development strategies are worked out. Thus, there are Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards which include the company’s credo, motto, three steps of service, and “Ritz-Carlton Basics” in which the standards of service are provided in detail ( Application Summary, 1999). The strict dependence on these standards makes the company be one of the most successful hotels in the world which characteristic feature is the excellent quality of service. According to the standards, the employees should create the positive atmosphere which is comfortable for guests and fulfill all the customers’ wishes ( Application Summary, 1999). Professionalism as the basic characteristic of the staff is reflected in the company’s motto which is “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen” ( Application Summary, 1999). The employees’ professionalism should be felt in each action that is why much attention is paid to the etiquette, staff’s responsibility, positive communication, and expressing respect and dignity. Moreover, it is accentuated in the case study on the company’s development that the company has the low employee turnover rate, and the good reputation depends on “a comprehensive employee screening process, significant employee orientation and ongoing training, and a high level of respect and trust in staff that leads to employee empowerment” ( The Ritz-Carlton mystique, 2008). It is important to note that the company’s annual turnover rate is lower than 20%, and these numbers can be discussed as minor for the hotel industry round the world (Sucher & McManus, 2005). Thus, the mentioned basics guarantee the company’s ongoing success within the market. The quality of service is based on the training programs provided for employees. Sucher and McManus state that the recruitment process in the company is the developed strategy during which HR managers examine the candidates’ abilities and provide the necessary training to perform the functions successfully (Sucher & McManus, 2005). The process of recruitment is known in the company as the Quality Selection Process. This process “includes a series of interviews that help to establish a behavioral profile” ( The Ritz-Carlton mystique, 2008). The process is importa
Many theologians tried to prove the existence of God and Anselm of Canterbury was one of them. His claims are based on the idea that human beings can know or understand the Supreme Being. Moreover, he does offer any evidence to support his proof. This is one of its major limitations. This paper is aimed at discussing Anselm’s arguments in more detail. In order to explain his opinion, Anself focused on logical proof of God’s existence. First of all, he argued that God is a supreme being that cannot be improved. Overall, in his opinion, God is superior to everything else. However, he does not support this claim, even though it is a starting point for his discussion. This philosopher believes that if a person understands that God exists, then it is possible that God exists in reality. Furthermore, he thinks that such notions as justice or goodness imply that there has to be a perfect being that represents greatness or justice. Anselm believes that something can be excellent or superior only if it exists in reality. Critics have raised objections to Anselm’s argument about God’s existence, and their doubts are well-founded. One of these scholars was Gaunilo of Marmoutiers. He claimed that it is possible for a person to conceive a perfect island in one’s mind. However, it does not mean such an island will necessarily exist. In this way, Gaunilo showed the limitations of this argument. In his turn, Anselm pointed out that Gaunilo spoke an island, which belonged to the class of material objects while God was all-embracing or universal. The island or any material object can be improved but the same is not true about God. The problem with this explanation is that Anselm already assumes that God has reached a state of perfection in the beginning of his ontological argument. So, his proof is based on the claim that Anselm did not prove at the very beginning. However, this theologian does not actually compel God
The short story “The orphan and the elk dog” tells about Long Arrow, who is a young boy. Due to his hearing disability, the tribe does not accept him. However, even after getting rid of his problem, Long Arrow wants to prove his worth to the tribe as a member of the community. This essay explores how the author of “The orphan and the elk dog” uses literary elements to create a parable. The author uses some figurative language to create a more lively and engaging picture. He writes that Long Arrow “was like a beaten, mangy dog” (Yolen, 2014, p. 221). Further, the author explains that it is “who hungrily roam outside a camp, circling it from afar, smelling the good meat boiling in the kettles but never coming close for fear of being kicked” (Yolen, 2014, p. 221). This simile helps to more accurately describe the character, giving the reader the opportunity to imagine his appearance. The main themes of the story are adulting, believing in oneself, and overcoming difficulties. At the end of the story, Long Arrow thanks his adoptive parents by saying, “I can never repay you for your kindness” (Yolen, 2014, p. 226). They were the first who believed in him and allowed him to go through the difficult path to overcome obstacles. The story speaks about the need to believe in oneself and personal strength for improvement. The story is told like a myth or parable and tells of overcoming difficulties. Thus, the tone that the author uses is serious, even edifying. He tries to illustrate Long Arrow’s story in such a way that the reader draws a moral from it. Thus, the tone of the story is not formal, as the author draws the reader into the world of the narrative. At the same time, it is extremely serious since the author does not use irony or humor. The author of “The orphan and the elk dog” uses a simile to engage the reader and describe characters and environments more accurately. The main themes of the story are adulting and overcoming difficulties with the help of self-belief. To create the parable, the author uses a serious tone so that the reader can draw morals from the story. Thus, the combination of literary elements helps to convey the general mood of the narrative and to achieve the goals of the author. Reference Yolen, J. (2014). Favorite Folktales from around the world . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.