Lizanne de Beer, 2014120162 Essays (445 words) - Womens Rights

Lizanne de Beer, 2014120162 ENGL 3728: SEMINAR - INTERRACIAL ADOPTION Mrs Hanta Henning 14 August 2017 Opinion piece: Does feminism have a place in the world? All types of feminism are concerned with improving the lives of women. All feminists are also committed to analysing women's present position in the world and trying to understand its causes in order to improve it. W ithin this common understanding of the importance of feminist knowledge, there is much room for considerable (and constant) disagreement. Such disagreement is not only about the means through which the position of women is improved, but also about what such improvement would be. In the sixties, feminists began to question various images, representations, ideas and presumptions traditional theories have developed about women and the feminine. To begin with, feminists directed their attention to patriarchal discourses, those which were either openly hostile or aggressive about women, or those which had nothing at all to say about women. Femin ists seemed majorly preoccupied with the inclusion of women in those spheres from which they have been excluded - they were trying to create representations which would enable women to be regarded as men's equals. Issues of direct relevance to women's lives - the family, sexuality, the private' and domestic sphere - were to be included, in some instances for the very first time, as a relevant and worthy object of intellectual and political concern. While problematic and in the long run impossible, the aspiration towards equality between men and women was and is nevertheless politically and historically necessary. Without such attempts, women cannot que stion the inevitability of women's second-class status as citizens, subjects and sexual beings. The aim of feminism and equality serves as a political, and perhaps as an experiential, prerequisite to the more far-reaching struggles directed towards female autonomy - that is, to women's right to political, social, economic and intellectual self-determination. This seems probably the most striking shift in feminist politics since its revival in the 60s. As women are constantly trying to strengthen their identity, their roles become increasingly more flexible. Instead of defining them as narrow, traditional ways, women begin to interpret more broadly roles, bonds with o thers, and expectations. Because of feminists, women no longer feel obligated, as did our ancestors, to undertake certain responsibilities such as marriage or child-bearing. Our freedom rests in our ability to choose the values we designate as the most sacred. Women must honour the values of their new convictions about gender by preventing former restrictive values from reappearing and exercising influence in their lives - and therefore, feminism will always have a place in this world.

Voltaires Candide essays

Voltaires Candide essays The beginning of the 17th century marked many changes for Europe. These changes were both physical and philosophical in nature. Common citizens were tired of being abused, mistreated and most of all labeled as peasants and commoners by the aristocracy. They were fed up with the hypocrisy of the church and the abuse of power by its leaders in the name of God. One man stood tall above the rest. Francois Marie Arouet was born November 21, 1694 to a middle class family in Paris. At that time, Louis the XIV was king of France and the overwhelming majority lived in harsh conditions. The aristocracy of France ruled with an iron fist and poverty was widespread throughout the land. Francois attended the College Louis le Grand, where he got his Jesuit education. His deep-rooted satirical views were prevalent even as a child. After college, Francois worked as a secretary for the French Ambassador to Holland, but left that position to pursue his writing career. Francois writings soon became famous in France. His quick tongue and fast pen soon got him into trouble with the French government and he got exiled to Sully. Using his fame, Voltaire quickly got those in power to allow him back into France. Shortly after he returned he was blamed for a piece of writing that opposed the government, which sent him to prison. While in prison, Francois assumed the pen name Voltaire and wrote his first play, Oedipe. Shortly after is release, the 24-year-old Voltaires Oedipe was produced in Paris and became an instant success. After being exiled to England, Voltaire became familiar with the English language and in 1979, published Candide. Candide was by far his most famous work. In it he satirizes and criticizes Leibnizian optimism, aristocratic snobbery, the Protestant and Catholic Church and human nature. Leibniz, a German philosopher and mathematician of Voltaire's time, developed the idea that the wor...

Organizational Rationalization Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Rationalization - Case Study Example It is evident that many organizations use rationalization procedure to cut down their expenses. When a company, industry, or a system rationalizes, it becomes more efficient, usually by getting rid of excess staff members and types of equipment, which are not essential. This essay analyses the advantages and disadvantages, which Junction Hotel will experience from rationalizing its operations. Main features of a rational organization From a rational organization perspective, organizations are specially designed to obtain a certain goal (Scott p. 29). Some of the expressions used in this rational perspective are words such as efficiency, information, implementation, design, and optimization. Other â€Å"rational† rhetoric includes authority, rules, constraints, jurisdiction, performance, coordination, programs, and directives. The two main features of a rational organization are formalization and goal specificity (Morgan p. 13). Goal specifics- Organizational goals are tentativ ely described as an achievement of desired objectives. However, rational perspective hypotheses that goals guide decision making on how to design the organizational structure. The junction hotel should be goal specific in order to enable the management to come up with a more official organizational chart. Formalization- Formalization degree is the extent that responsibilities depend on specific individual attributes of the person occupying the responsibilities. Formalization tries to regulate and standardize behaviour. Formalization is also an effort to make the relationship structure more explicit and visible (Scott p. 31). Based on the Junction hotel perception, organizational structure should be a tool that can be amended to improve the hotel’s performance. According to Scott, a formalization is an option to the information structure (p. 33). It can separate people’s feelings between employees in work activities. Most early theorists stressed rational perspective an d described organizations as purposeful and deliberate. These rational theories were: Taylor and Scientific Management Taylor and his colleagues emphasized that it was easy to evaluate individual workers’ tasks scientifically in aid of discovering the procedures, which junction hotel should use to maximize the organization’s output under minimum resources and energies. Although Taylor concentrated on people, changes in personal level highly resulted in alterations at the structural level (Scott p. 34). This is highly evident in, Junction hotel, which has much personnel hence some of them do not know their exact responsibilities. This theory has changed management roles since the roles of both workers and managers were under scientific investigation. Taylor’s point of view was an amalgam of social Darwinism, protestant, and a primary view of individual actions founded on economic incentives (Scott p. 35). The junction hotel should apply such theory in order to co me up with significant management of roles for both workers and managers in the hotel. By doing this, the workers will be able to complete their responsibilities at the right time hence attracting more employees. Administrative Theory (Fall) Administrative theory stressed management roles and tried to generate wide management principle that would act as rationalization guidelines of organizational activities (Scott p. 36). Whilst scientific management rationalized from â€Å"bottom up†, administrative theory focused on productivity advancements from â€Å"top down†.