ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The voodoo or vodou religion has been linked to evil, barbaric sacrifices, and dangerous worshipping. The history of such misconceptions and misperceptions began in the media, especially through Hollywood. The course materials studied in this class seek to demystify these misconceptions while building new knowledge and understanding of the vodou religion. As shown through Mama Lola, Haitian Voodoo, and Legacy of the Spirits, vodou is a religion that incorporates Catholicism with African traditional religion, contrary to media portrayals. Ordinary citizens have encountered vodou religion through the mass media, especially on movies. During colonization, slaves from West African countries Ghana and Benin moved to Haiti, where they continued to practice their religious activities, leading to the Haitian Vodou (Haitian Voodoo 2015). As slaveholders prohibited traditional African worship in fear of black magic, the misperception spread across Haiti and America that linked every African religion to witchcraft and Satanism. Punishment by death forced worshippers to hide while conducting spiritual activities, further progressing the fear and misconceptions (Kamerling-Brown 2016). The tales of colonizers reached Hollywood, leading to creation of films that depicted Vodou as black magic practices involving zombies, pin pricked dolls, and blood rituals. The ceremonies and rituals were changed into sacrifices of babies and humans instead of animals to propagate fear of vodou religious activities. Therefore, vodou became synonymous with evil, Satanism, human sacrifices, blood rituals, zombies, and black magic. Vodou religion is misperceived from the negative portrayals in the media. Mama Lola is an account of a middle class white woman’s encounter and experiences with the Haitian vodou. The author, Karen McCarthy Brown, details how Aloudres and her closest family members and friends worship nature spirits. In her introductory paragraph, Brown (2010) mentions feeling out of place as the vodou ceremony went on with clapping, singing, praying, and dancing. According to Brown (2010), slaves working in plantation in Haiti used vodou religion to reduce their pain, prevent disaster, recover from losses, and strengthen their survival instincts and survivors. Considering this significance of the vodou religion to slaves, colonizers and slave masters understood its unifying strength (Kamerling-Brown 2016). Therefore, they benefitted from destroying it and abolishing it to prevent revolt from the slaves. United States and Europe, being the slave owners, used the media and law to discredit, taint, and illegalize vodou. In the 18 th century, vodou worshippers were punished by death to deter ceremonies and congregations in the name of the religion (Kamerling-Brown 2016). Slave masters portrayed vodou negatively as
The primary problem at Acme is a lack of effective employee performance, which is caused by the failure of management and leadership to ensure an appropriate working environment. The employees who have complaints that are disregarded by the company are likely to be dissatisfied with their working conditions. It is confirmed by the increasing rate of turnover and problems while recruiting new personnel. Another key problem is that Acme lacks a workplace culture that values employees’ needs and tries to meet them to increase their job satisfaction which directly impacts employee performance. The negative effects of these problems lead to customer complaints about product quality, timeliness, and communication. In their turn, employees are unable to provide quality customer service since they lack resources, motivation, and guidance from management. The recruiting difficulties are another problem that is associated with weak training priorities and paying little attention to employees’ needs and complaints. Therefore, Acme should reconsider its organizational approach to the internal environment, without which the company is likely to encounter further complications with sales and quality. Speaking about what matters most, it should be emphasized that poor employee performance should be addressed to improve sales, customer satisfaction, and recruiting. There is a correlation between employee job satisfaction and their performance since satisfied people have a greater interest in completing their tasks with a higher quality (Priarso, Diatmono, and Mariam, 2019). Transformational leadership can be applied by the company to inspire employees, identify the company culture and values, as well as increase work motivation (Priarso, Diatmono, and Mariam, 2019). In this way, it would be possible to address the reasons for the mentioned problems and make Acme effective again. Reference List Priarso, M. T., Diatmono, P. and Mariam, S. (2019) ‘The effect of transformational leadership style, work motivation, and work environment on employee performance that in mediation by job satisfaction variables in Pt. Gynura Consulindo’, Business and Entrepreneurial Review , 18(2), 165-176.
Introduction Globalization is associated with the exchange of cultures and ideas from one community to the other. Different cultures have varying ways of preparing food. To this end, different communities are known for their unique type of foods. Globalization has enabled people to move from one part of the world to the other. The movement has facilitated the exchange of different cultures, including those related to food. However, in some areas, the cultures have not been implemented in the right way. To this end, some people are ignorant about the food associated with cultures that are different from theirs. 1 The current paper is written against this background of globalization, food, and culture. The essay is based on an interview conducted with Michelle Broom, a renowned figure in the field of international culture. The interview reveals that food and culture are interrelated as far as globalization is concerned. What this means is that culture affects the kind of food that people take. On its part, food is one aspect that defines the culture of a people. The interviewee gave the examples of France, America, and China in her description of how food can affect the culture of a place and vice versa. Globalization, Food, and Culture Michelle Broom: A Brief Biography Michelle Broom is a professor in the University of California, Riverside. She has worked in the department of Comparative and Foreign Languages for several years. The interviewee has occupied several positions in her career at the university. She held the position of the Director of Programs in Comparative Literature between 2004 and 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. She was also an Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature in 2003. Apart from the two posts, she has also worked as an Assistant Professor of French and Comparative Literature from 1997 to 2003 in the same university. In 1997, she worked in the University of Pittsburgh, Spring. She worked as an Assistant Professor in French. She has a Ph.D. and a Masters degree in Comparative Literature from Brown University. Her specialization is French from Brown University. She has a B.A in Literature from Harvard University. Michelle Brown has studied a number of films and written reviews about them. She has also written a number of books. Some of her publications include “A Cultural Obsession” and “Cultural Exchange in the Age of Globalization”. The latter is a book in progress. Michelle has also written various articles in a number of peer reviewed journals. Most of these articles are related to film and cinema. She has also attended several conferences. Similarly, most of these conferences are related to film and culture. All her activities show that she is concerned about culture and its expression in film. In the interview, she explains how some towns in China have changed their ways of lives to accommodate a mixture of cultures from different places around the world. Food and Globalization: The French and Chinese Culinary Revolution Globalization has affected many aspects of the modern society. Food i
Introduction Mandela has been recognized by the entire world as one of the most influential, effective, and democratic leaders, who have left after himself a great legacy. His individual actions and political ideology portrayed crucial leadership attributes that are now envisaged in various theories. As a result, this essay will focus on how transformation and servant leadership theories were reflected in his life as a leader. Mandela’s Transformational Leadership In essence, transformational leadership is grounded on four dimensionalities, including intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence (Morse and Buss, 2007). Intellectual stimulation is the capability of a leader to encourage their followers so that they be committed to a common objective and task. In this regard, Mandela was the source of confidence for the people of South Africa, especially during the great fight for freedom. For example, his resolve, courage, and tolerance were portrayed when he was jailed by the colonialist and it was a crucial source of encouragement for the South African people in regard to fighting for their national freedom. In regard to inspirational motivation, which is essentially related to the capability of a leader to articulate a vision, Mandela evidently defined the true vision for his nationals during the struggle for freedom. He articulated fluently the importance of regaining their independence and stopping oppression of innocent people in South Africa. He, therefore, played a pivotal role that portrayed his capability to provide inspirational motivation. It was also evident that Nelson Mandela had managed to create idealized influence among citizens, especially during his academic life and the period in which he was fighting for the country’s freedom. In this case, Mandela was a role model for all his fellow citizens, including the young and the old people. When he was schooling in Stellenbosh University, the vice chancellor of the university known as Russell Botman congratulated him on completing his master’s course successfully amidst many difficulties. In this regard, students can consider him as a role model based on the premises that went through and overcame all setbacks. He, thus, can be an example for all academicians who might be discouraged owing to challenges that they face in their academic lives. Mandela’s Servant Leadership Servant leadership is based on six aspects that include authenticity, building community, sharing and providing leadership, as well as valuing people (Trompenaars and Voerman, 2009). In this regard, Mandela played an important role in providing leadership to his people before and after independence. When the country was struggling for freedom, he became the main activist that was later jailed by the colonialists for 27 years. He then served as the president of South Africa for five years. These five years are considered a great page in the history of the country (Mandela and Wyk, 2009). He was a perfect portrayal of a leader who was prepared to share his leadership with others rather than deny them a chance to lead.
Introduction This is an interesting book that typically takes an intriguing look at the iPod, an AppleCorp. product and the impact it has had on the way we listen to music. It contains hundreds of exciting facts about the iPod, some of which are hard to believe, yet true. The Cult of iPod is designed to resemble the various unique features of an iPod beginning from its cover to the inner pages. The main substance of the book is the effects of this gadget on us as individuals and on the society, employing a mix of humor, such as the pages relating the dangers of being a Microsoft worker and an iPod user (Kahney 13), to provocative texts such as those on iRAQ (Kahney 112), a reference to the Iraq war. Main body The book not only shows the extent to which iPod users, referred to as the iGeneration, like this product, it goes on to inform us how these people live for it as it affects every minute of their day. To achieve its objective, the book features dozens of real-life stories from iPod users all around the world, such as P. Diddy’s diamond-coated iPod (Kahney 48), a man who possesses 71 iPods (Kahney 76) or the use of posters resembling the iPod to object to the Iraq war. This book is not intended for tech-geeks and contains little discussion of the inner details of the engineering work done on this gizmo; rather, it focuses on the cultural and sociological influence of the iPod and should appeal to an audience as diverse as the users of the iPod itself. Person
Abstract The management of human resource in organizations is a significant influence to the performance that the organizations display. The paper focuses on Apple Computers, Inc. and assesses the human resource practices, the management styles, communication, ethical and social responsibility, and the approach to diversity and globalization. The results indicate that the organization has had significant success in the establishment of basic human resource principles, and the employees are happy at the organization. The management style in the organization has also contributed to the positive attitude and satisfaction of employees at the workplace. Company Research Paper: Apple Computer, Inc Introduction The management of human resource in organizations is crucial for the success of any business. In fact, successful organizations view their employees as the most valuable asset. In the current global economic outlook, organizations are using a number of strategies to ensure that they stay ahead in terms of competition. Information technology is one of these strategies. Its frequent use by almost all organizations on the global front has led to the development of the information age. Companies in the information technology industry have become some of the largest in the current age, with such companies running some of the largest global brands. Since the invention and use of the first computer, a multibillion-computer industry has been created. One of the largest computer companies in the industry is the Apple Computer, Inc. that has had significant success in the industry since it started. The company makes billions of dollars in profit and revenue each year. It has featured in the Fortune 500 list severally. The organizational structure and ideals that the company has established over the past century have placed it among the best technology firms in the world. This paper looks at a brief history of the organization, the human relations operations, its management styles, and communication conflict and credence. It also examines the application of ethical and social responsibility and the organization’s approach to diversity and globalization. Finally, the paper provides a conclusion on the discussed issues. Background Apple Computer, Inc. was first incorporated in 1997 to establish the current organization that is known world-over (Savage, 2013). The company made the first computer in 1976. However, this machine did not perform as well as the second one, which was launched in 1980. Steven Jobs and Steven Wozniak who were the co-founders of the business watched as the organization grew to a very viable one. It was primarily traded as a public company in 1980 when the initial public offer (IPO) took place (Savage, 2013). The company established itself after the IPO. Nevertheless, that decade was initially marked with competition from a number of companies producing cheap personal computers. The company also faced the failure of o
How we present ourselves in day-to-day interactions reflects the values and norms that we live our lives by. Behaviors such as how an individual spends their time, working or taking leisure, are of interest to researchers in communication studies. It is expected that this paper will reveal gender differences in the use of TV as a function of social norms rather than individual biological sex differences. Morely in Family Television (1986) contends that observed differences in the way television is used is not related to biological sex differences but to the social roles adopted in the home that determine the distribution of power. In this sense, when it is the men who predominantly work outside of the home, they will usually see the home as a place of leisure and so use the TV as a source of entertainment and relaxation. Whereas women, even those who work outside of the home, also see the home as a place of work and will use TV less than men and less often for leisure purposes. Charlotte Brunson attests that males use TV as a “mode of power.” Women, in contrast, appear to see the television as a more social activity, often paying it less attention as compared to males and accepting that some conversation will occur during shows. Women also tend to use TV as a topic of conversation more often than men (Morely, 1986). Morely also noted that mothers tended to watch less TV and were less engaged with it when other family members were in the home; mothers seemed to enact a high monitoring role. Alternatively, fathers had a habit of shutting out the rest of the family as they were more often giving their full attention to the TV (particularly news shows). It is also pointed out by Morley that there is a continuing pattern of responsibilities in the home being expected of women constraining their ability to watch TV in the way which men do. In the family home, it seems that dads overly get to choose what programs will be watched, by whom, and when. Morley’s research indicates that men tend to plan their television watching ahead of time, unlike most women. Hence, the male use of the TV remote control is often used as a satirical example of how they like to wield power over viewing choices. Men also seem to prefer “factual” TV shows, current affairs, news, documentaries, while women tend to prefer “fiction” based shows. It has also been suggested that men are socialized to be instrumental in conversations, whereas women are socialized to focus on relationships. However, Chandler (2005) discounts that TV use supports these gender behavior tendencies. Men do not tend to have an instrumental TV viewing style; however, women did tend to have a relationship-orientated approach to TV in that they used it as a medium for the expression of what they perceive to be important. Disturbingly, a wealth of literature exists that concludes excessive TV use influences gender role stereotypes. During the 70s in North America, a news anchor was asked to have shoulder-length hair, another to uses tinted contact lenses. More frequently, female anchorwomen have been told they are too old, unattractive, or in-deferential to maintain employment (William, 1983). Ac
Abstract In the world of work, happiness can be associated with numerous factors. Although it is not a self-centered pursuit, happiness is linked with positive outcomes such as pro-social behaviors, productivity, and collaboration at work. Positive psychology explores the notion behind good feelings as they are related to health benefits, longevity, wellbeing, and quality of life. Negative emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, or worries are linked to frustrations, nervousness, low moods, and unproductivity. Thus, it is clear that attitudes and people’s choices have tremendous impacts on happiness. The main concern, in that case, is how to cultivate and maintain wellbeing and a state of positivity in work environments. Leaders in organizational settings need to recognize the influence of positive psychology when approaching engagement and performance. Some ideas need to be put into practice to promote positivity, and they include engagement, performance original thinking, and conflict resolution skills. In this paper, the impact of positivity in workplaces is addressed. Introduction Many studies document the value of positive effects in that good mood, sentiments, and emotions carry multiple interrelated benefits. The core advantage of these feelings is the ability to alter individuals’ mindsets. According to Fredrickson and Losada (2005), experiments show that when a positive effect is induced, it widens the scope of attention and behavioral repertoires. Moreover, good moods alter the body system by affecting speed recovery from the cardiovascular impact of negative affect. The positivity ratio entails the role of positive feelings and how they flourish mental health. In psychology, flourishing is a central goal, to go beyond normal happiness and do good. Given the amount of information available concerning positivity in life and work, undeniably, there are relatable benefits or privileges of good feelings (Fredrickson & Losada, 2005). The purpose of the paper is to argue that positivity can make a difference at work and in life. A Dissonant Leader To understand the influence of positivity at work and primarily in leadership, it is paramount to consider how a dissonant leader is ineffective and why. A dissonant person is less concerned about others, and in the workplace settings, such a leader pays little attention to employees while majorly focusing on goal attainment. The style is less focused on people’s emotions, avoids democratic leading to keep things moving forward while avoiding stalemates. Ideally, it is common for people in the workplace to encounter ambiguities, volatility, complexities, and uncertainties. The natural response to this is to attempt to bring structure, order, and comfort to prevailing situations. Such is true particularly in leadership roles when followers count on leaders. Exploring personal challenges in today’s dynamic business setting helps build the capacity to read and react to discomfort or complications. The situation could be eased when people involved in supervision, managing or directing act out of emotions and compassion to others. The positive feeling induced when someone shows co