ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The Great Leap Forward was Chairman Mao Zedong’s grand strategy to industrialize China and build an economy that would have surpassed the economies of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and even the United States (Chen 52; Dikötter 26-27). According to Dikötter (27), Mao Zedong saw an opportunity in the masses, and he was convinced that by substituting labor for capital, China would have transformed into an industrial economy within months. Accordingly, Mao with the help of his provincial heads started the Great Leap Forward in 1958 by encouraging the masses to participate in preparing the farms, setting up irrigation projects, and building water reservoirs (Dikötter 27). However, the ambitious economic modernization project that was the Great Leap Forward gave birth to the world’s worst or even the biggest humanitarian disasters ever witnessed. According to unofficial sources, an approximated 20-50 million people lost their lives due to famine and the other activities of the Great Leap Forward in the period between 1958 and 1961 (Chen 66-69). This has not been confirmed since the official documents are held as confidential, closed, or sensitive. However, with the opening of some government archives to the public, Frank Dikötter, a renowned author, claims to have had access to useful evidence from the archives. He claims that the “Great Leap Forward” was nothing, but a big strategic failure characterized by coercion, violence, and terror (Dikötter 30). The purpose of this essay is to evaluate Frank Dikötter’s claims and arguments regarding the Great Leap Forward and provide personal views on the same issue. Frank Dikötter’s Key Arguments From the onset, Dikötter believed that the humanitarian disaster that arose from the Great Leap Forward was a manmade mistake. First, the author argues that the famine that lasted for almost four years was a direct consequence of the decisions that trickled down from the Chinese government officials to the provincial heads and the people who were in direct control of the projects (Cheek 1565; Dikötter 35). Furthermore, Dikötter accuses the government and its officials of ignoring the plight of tens of millions of ordinary people who were starving to death. More specifically, the author points out that the government of Mao Zedong and his premier, Zhou Enlai, was responsible for the increased food procurement quotas, which
The epic of Gilgamesh , Homer’s Illiad , and Vergil’s Aeneid all reflect the traditional fundamental structures which make them appear quite similar. They are curved around the lives and times of the heroes and present their achievements, follies, strengths, and weaknesses that mark their destiny. In all these epics, there are elements of heroism, tragedy, the theme of suffering, and the device of troubled journeys which are presented as pre-conditions that the heroes must endure before their crowning moments. The story of Gilgamesh is anchored on his supernatural qualities. He is presented in the epic dimensions that showcase him as partly human and partly as a god. Gilgamesh is a man of immense physical powers and handsome facial attributes. Through these strengths, he manages to establish a kingdom and succeeds in vanquishing most of his earthly enemies with the support of the gods. But his fundamental weakness lies in his disposition towards oppression. He is shown as a brutal and loveless individual and one who is much given to an amorous streak (Mitchell 1). This weakness incurs the wrath of the humans who have to endure a lifetime of torment under Gilgamesh’s wrath. It is through this brutality that he manages to establish a kingdom that is most synonymous with his levels of earthly glory. The establishing of a kingdom, in these three epics, appears to be a permanent feature that the authors of these epics have used to create the warrior ethic. This is because Homer’s Iliad just like Virgil’s Aeneid is centered on the theme of enthroning. Achilles has to triumph against the Trojans for him to guarantee the safety and permanence of Greece (Leaf 1-6). Aeneid has to battle the storms on the high seas, get shipwrecked, travel great distances, and fight devastating wars for him to finally achieve the dream of establishing Rome. One other similarity in these epics is the role of women. They are represented as both makers and destroyers of civilization. The plight of Gilgamesh is captured in his weakness and lust for women. Many times prostitutes and young women are used to ensnaring him towards failure, (Leaf 480-482). But on the contrary Achilles’ wife and his goddess mother are brought out as the reservoirs of strength that he repeatedly falls onto in times of trouble. For instance, his mother manages to convince the gods to make some fresh amour for Achilles after he loses them in time of battle. These contradictions in the character of women are similar to the modern conception of feminine power which is variously brought out as both positive and negative. Another similarity that strengthens the warrior ethic is captured in the pursuit of a single goal or a rare find. This single pursuit most often seems to be elusive so that the process of search also becomes the making of the hero. In the Iliad, this one goal lies in the slaying of Hector who cuts the image of a lifelong tormentor of the Greeks. His survival means their doom, and therefore t
Motivational theories refer to theories that discuss forces initiating and sustaining certain behaviors in individuals (Beck, 28). Motivational theories identify the reasons behind certain individuals exuding certain behaviors, while seeking to understand what motivates them to act in that manner. There are various motivational theories that are relevant to our generation. These theories explain why people take certain actions, whether good or bad. One of the theories applicable to the current generation is incentive theory of motivation. This theory is applicable, since the current generation appreciates recognition and reward for their efforts. According to this theory, individuals are motivated to do certain things, expecting to receive rewards (30). Therefore, most people in our generation go to work every day due to the fact that they will receive a pay at the end of the month. Thus, although an individual could feel bored and unwilling to go to work, they are motivated by the monetary reward they will receive at the end of the month (53). Additionally, by giving people some salary increase, a company can motivate them to work harder and become more productive. In a case where such rewards are removed, it is possible that none of the employees will go to work. Thus, the behavior of going to work is brought about by the incentive of monetary reward. When the incentive is removed, the behavior ceases to exist (45). Drive theory is the next theory that explains factors that stimulate certain actions in people. The desire by certain people to achieve certain goals, which they have set for their lives, promotes them to convey certain behaviors. For example, if a person feels obligate to own a car, he/she will work hard to achieve that desire. This means that an individual can work during weekends and holidays to attain that goal (Beck, 69). However, when such desires are met, that person can stop displaying the same behaviors. Considering that the current generation is in continuous pursuit of leisure and comfort, people will work towards attaining these by owning their cars, building their homes and running their businesses. The current generation has a great attachment to fun and excitement. Therefore, the Arousal theory of motivation is applicable to this generation. According to this theory, people are attracted to do certain things to increase or decrease their levels of stimulation (55). For example, the current generation likes stimulating themselves through taking alcohol. This is an action meant to make them feel excited and fight off boredom. On the other hand, when people are over stimulated, they look for ways to relax, such as watching some movies to calm their mind (58). Finally, the current generation has more personal needs than the previous generatio
Introduction Operation activities of a firm are mainly related to proper manufacturing, development, and distribution of a product or service. Operations management deals with all activities within an organization like purchase management, inventory control, and materials management. Riordan is a manufacturing company that mainly uses plastic as one of its important raw materials. The company produces all items of plastic for daily use as well as instruments needed in hospitals and has also expanded its business to electronic items like electric fans. The MRP for the manufacturing of the Riordan electric fans Raw materials required for the production of electric fans are motors, transformers, polishers, etc. They are brought together under one roof for the production of the finished unit. The plastic parts of the fans are being produced in Hangzhou, China. The plant in China has the technical know-how to manufacture electric fans. A proper material requirement plan (MRP) followed by the firm helps in timely delivery of fans. Riordan Fans have a huge demand in the market and in order to keep its increased demand, it should be committed to timely delivery of fans to its customers. After the raw materials are brought together under one roof, the components are properly assessed and combined together and then trimming is done to properly fix the components for the end product –fans. During the process, many raw materials get converted into scrap. This scrap becomes a loss for the company; so proper utilization of scrap should be made. The main problem that Riordan faces is that of unorganized orders which the company gets due to which sometimes the finished items remain in stock only and causes wear and tear. The MRP for manufacturing of electric fans is determined by the forecasted demand, supply and also availability of raw materials, tracking of inventory level and getting proper sales orders and also the distribution process through shipping in international markets. A new process design for the production of the Riordan electric fans At present, the plant in China projects its own future demand of fans single-handedly; so the plant takes orders from individual customers. It also procures raw materials within the Chinese markets which are at present inadequate for timely delivery of materials; so the firm can look out for other alternative suppliers of raw materials. The firm should also try to reduce the cost of raw materials procured within the country by giving bulk orders. The lead time in the process of production should be reduced to minimize delays in production. The bill of materials and the product specifications should be checked while adopting a new process design. The raw materials can be procured at a single shipping invoice. Some changes in the MRP can help in obtaining orders in a pattern. A supply chain for the electric fans Existence of supply chain within the country is an advantage for the production of Riordan Electric Fans. Low labor costs involved in transportation of raw materials are also an added advantage. While preparing the plan of supply materials, p
Introduction Background There is no doubt that the technological development has been occurring at an unprecedented scale over the past few years. The breakthrough that has been made so far is beyond fascinating; the discovery of new digital tools has allowed for the further evolution of a range of domains, including business, healthcare, education, and other areas. Over the past few years, it is the provision of applications serving as the boost for numerous services’ provision that has received a lot of attention from media in the designated domains. Although phone apps are traditionally viewed as the source for entertainment or learning rather basic information such as weather at best, applications seem to have evolved to the point where they can be applied to the educational environment. As the previous study of the subject matter has shown, the adoption of m-learning allows for addressing a range of issues that the traditional learning process implies (Alzaza & Yaakub, 2011); for instance, the learner is capable of accessing the required information and completing the tasks at any time (Várallyai et al., 2015). However, the approach under analysis also has its problems, the lack of the tutor’s guidance and leadership being the key one. In other words, when using m-tools as the key source of learning, students are deprived of an opportunity to be under the leadership of an expert educator, who will guide them through the complexities of the studying process. Problem Statement Despite the obvious advantages that the current m-technologies have and the unique qualities that they possess, they can be characterized by a single problem, i.e., the lack of the teacher’s guidance. While with e-learning, the presence of a tutor is nearly palpable, with m-tools, the learner is practically suggested to carry out self-directed learning. Similarly, M-learning does not invite numerous opportunities for students to work in a team so that they could develop the appropriate skills and be able to collaborate. Seeing how rarely important decisions are made individually in the business world and that cooperation is an essential element thereof, it can be assumed that the current m-tools block the learners’ way from developing the abilities above. Research Hypothesis Hypothesis A The current concept of m-tools as the household strategy for implementing the teaching and learning process is flawed to a significant extent due to the lack of guidance and support from the tutor that it provides to the target denizens of the population. Hypothesis B The contemporary use of m-tools suggests that learners should be concerned primarily with the completion of individu
Introduction For this paper, I interviewed a person who was born during the 1950s and lived in South Korea up to the end of the 1980s. That way, an overall period of 30 years will be covered in this essay. My interviewee was Mi-young Park, who came from South Korea but had North Korean roots. Her family migrated during the Korean War and settled down in the suburbs of Seoul. What Was Learned from the Interview Mi-young was growing up in a country devastated by the war. The economic, social, and political situations were highly unstable. Most of the Korean people lived in poverty, many families were displaced or became homeless due to the ruination. Seoul itself has suffered a lot of destruction. The consumer culture of post-war South Korea was driven mainly by the need to survive. To get food supplies, people would visit the local street market. Since the industrial structure of the country was destroyed, the national income of South Korea was based mainly on agriculture. Mi-young points out that no luxury or convenience goods were available to the South Korean citizens of that time. She says that no one had cars or TV sets, and to wash their clothes, people were to the local river. As pointed out by Chua (2002), durable goods such as cars, washing machines, fridges, air conditioners, and phones were extremely rare in South Korean society during this period. For instance, in 1970, the percentage of TV set ownership in the country was only 6.6; 5 % of Koreans had fridges, and 2% of households had phones (Chua, 2002). Another source of goods and supplies for the South Korean people were the missionaries and soldiers from the United States. Mi-young remembers that they were associated with the most adored treats, such as chewing gum and chocolate. Naturally, due to the devastated economy and the low coverage (not many households had a TV), the media were not as developed during the 1960s-70s. The most common way to advertise was through newspapers and billboards. In fact, the latter was especially popular. Mi-young could not remember any advertisements for food, drinks, or convenience goods, but she spoke about another kind of advertising that used to be rather popular in South Korea at the time – social advertising. One of the most significant social issues of postwar South Korea was overpopulation (Turnbull, 2012). The collectivist culture and the traditions of the country dictated that the families have many children. Moreover, having many children was viewed as the way towards an improvement of the economy as the children were seen as future workers who will improve the harvest (Turnbull, 2012). In reality, the food was scarce; more and more families were starving and sending their members to search the local hills for edible roots and herbs to help the household survive. Social advertising was used as a means to address this growing problem. First of all,
Introduction American realism remains an elusive field, and Eric Sunquist asserts, “No genre is more difficult to define than realism, and this is particularly true of American realism.” But certainly, this should not discourage scholars from beginning the process. Rebecca Harding Davis was a strong-willed, highly intelligent young woman who emerged at the age of thirty-two as an excitingly new and innovative writer. She was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, a small community located twenty-five miles south of Pittsburgh. From the late 1860s, until her demise in 1910, Rebecca Harding Davis was one of the finest and well-known writers in America. She broke into the issue as a youthful woman in the 1860s with “Life in the Iron Mills,” which established her as one of the founders of American Realism. In this enlightening thesis of significant work, I seek to present a skillful investigation of Davis’s literary style and of the aesthetic, philosophical, and political assumptions that fashioned it. ‘ Life in the Iron Mills’ Historical, Philosophical and Cultural Forces The extraordinary intensity and uniqueness of vision in this short story, has earned it a position as one of the revolutionary documents in American Literature’s evolution from Romanticism to Realism. Two factors in Davis’s personal life eternally altered her vision of what the purpose and structure of literature should be. The first factor: being brought up in a rapidly emerging mill town, and the second, Davis’s experiencing at first hand the horrific realities of war. From these experiences, Davis produced her distinctive literature of the middle to late-nineteenth century. Davis’s letters to her family and friends remained an important avenue for political discussions throughout her life and sometimes even acting as an impetus for her articles and short stories. It was during their apprenticeship years that she gained first-hand knowledge of the national and local particulars of political life and consequentl
Executive Summary Best Buy is a leader in consumer electronics operating in the USA and Canada. Its innovative products are the best for the wide target audience. International expansion (and market entry to Italy) will help Best Buy to obtain a strong market position and sustain strong growth. To penetrate the European market research should be made. The research should be based on primary and secondary data analysis. The preliminary results show that Europe proposes great opportunities for the company and can be valued as a potential market for this type of product. The strategy includes the determination of the basic long-term goals concern the conceptualization of coherent and attainable strategic objectives. The marketing plan includes the main aspect of market penetration and market analysis. The research suggests that the real value of strategic planning may be more in the future orientation of the planning process itself than in any resulting written strategic plan. The research also includes an analysis of the financial data. Introduction The internationalization of companies is happening at an ever-growing pace. In the past 20 years, companies have distorted their direction from domestic to international; they have shifted from multi-domestic marketing to international marketing. The appearance of the international and international market has been enthused by the speedy enlargement and mixing of countries; the configuration of local trading blocs; the formation of market economies; and advances in manufacture and communications technologies. Today, international marketing is proving to be of ever-increasing importance to companies of all sizes, their customers, and national economies. Worldwide, most companies are now selling to, using materials or equipment from, or competing with products from other nations. Best Buy is a leading American specialty retailer of consumer electronics. For many companies, like Best Buy (Botan. 1992). European market provides additional profits and is all that enable some companies to make any profits at all (Fill, 1999). European consumers are not familiar with the Best Buy brand but they are familiar with main home electronics brands and products. National and regional economic health and growth have become increasingly dependent upon export sales as an engine of growth and as a source of the foreign exchange necessary for the import of goods and services. Italian market represents great opportunities for Best Buy to expand its international activities and enter the European market. Business Overview & Overall Marketing Plan Market Analysis The Mediterranean and southern European countries are vastly different from their northern counterparts. Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal have both a history and geography that set lifestyles apart from the rest of Europe. Demographic forecasts indicate that the retail needs of these countries are and will be quite different from those in the north. A fall in birth rates has led to a decline in population throughout Europe. Although the southern countries have experienced a declin