Chanel Company - Chanel Bags Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chanel Company - Chanel Bags - Essay Example Therefore, the profit margin always increases with fall in the prices of these channel bags. Another crucial factor that affects the supply of these products is the income differences. In any case, there is an increase in the income levels of a population holding other factors constant, the sales for channel bags increase because the extra amount will be spent on purchasing them and an increase in profit margin is realized. Although when income spent decreases, the households will only concentrate on the most essential commodities lead to a fall in sales of channel bags, as it will be considered a luxurious need. The price at which other related goods are sold will affect demand in that if a bag like travelling bag with the same features is offered for a relatively low price compared to that of channel bags there will be a fall in demand for the channel bags, which results to low sales and profit. In case there is an increase in demand of the travelling, all customers will shift to c hannel bags hence rise in sales and profit margin. Advertisement also affects sales in such a way that whenever there is an effective awareness created on the channel bags there is a boost in sales and profits.The channel bags being in fashion is another factor that has boosted its sales. Many customers always prefer whatever product that is in fashion hence there is increased demand. The supply of channel bags can be affected by price changes. If an increase in the price of channel bags is factored in, the supply of this product will increase with an expectation of widenig the profit margin but if the prices fall the supply will be low. Low supply leads to a decrease in sales while an increase in supply leads to incresed sales. Lastly, change in technoloy employed matter a lot. Up to date technology makes production to be very effective and efficient hence increased supply that enjoys from economies of scale hence incresed profit margin. Demand curve The above graph shows that an increase in price of the bags leads to a fall in demand of the bags and decrease in price of the bags leads to an increase in demand of the bags. Other actors will lead to a shift of the curve. An increase in demand leads to a shift to the right while a decrease in demand leads to a shift to the left. Supply curve The above graph show how increase in the price of a commodity leads to an increase in the supply of the commodity. In case there is a fall in price of the bags, there will be a consequent fall in supply of the bag. . Other factors will lead to a shift of the curve. An increase in supply leads to a shift to the right while a decrease in supply leads to a shift to the left. b) Market structure The kind of market structure for channel bags is a perfect competition kind of market. This is simply because there are no barriers for new sellers into the market; there are many sellers and buyers. In this market, there are many other sellers. All these companies are allowed free entry into these markets where there are many buyers. c) The channel bags company should move from this kind of market structure because there is maximization of profits. The most ideal market structure is the monopoly kind of market where the firm can dictate its own profits and prices. The most

Bussiness communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bussiness communication - Essay Example Hence, skill of interpersonal communication plays an essential role not just in resolution of conflict but also in achieving overall success in life. Introduction Communication is a means of sharing your ideas, emotions, feelings, goals, thoughts etc., with other people around you. Healthy and open communication pattern are the foundations of healthy, strong and positive relationships (Krizan, Merrier, Logan, and Williams 2008, p.366). However, problems in communication lead to problems in relationship. Once the relationships are hampered, then it becomes difficult to achieve those goals for which the relationships were created in the first place. Achievement of goals depends on compatibility and bonding with other people involved in relationship. Sadly, due to incompatibility in goals, most of the relationships end up in conflicts. Conflict in relationship is the major reason for failure to achieve goals, both in personal and professional life (Krizan, Merrier, Logan, and Williams 2 008, p.378). Hence, to avoid conflicts, it is essential to have a skill of interpersonal communication (Krizan, Merrier, Logan, and Williams 2008, p.366). However, as human personality is a combination of different aspects like emotions, thoughts, behavior, attitude etc., it is not possible to handle the conflict situation only with single skill. Hence, interpersonal communication skill is the only skill that can help human beings to manage conflict effectively and positively, as interpersonal skill is a combination of different skills which teaches people how to make communication successful by catering to every aspect of human personality and behavior. Definition Interpersonal communication is defined as an effort by two or more people, to create and sustain shared meaning through the process of exchanging the messages with each other (West and Turner 2009, p.10). However, interpersonal communication is not as easy as it sounds. For successful interpersonal communication, one not only needs to be clear about his own goals of communication, but also needs to take care of not hurting other people involved in the communication. According to scholars, only those people who have the ability to carry out effective and appropriate communication with others, depending on the situation, are competent in the area of interpersonal communication (Wood 2010, p.32). People communicate and interact with others with a purpose and goal in their mind. When a particular interaction leads to achievement of the goal of that interaction, then the communication is considered effective (Wood 2010, p.32). If the goals of communication are not achieved, then the interpersonal communication is considered ineffective and incompetent. Very few people have the ability to achieve the goals of communication because interpersonal communication is a ‘skill’ and not a natural ability. It is a part of social skill as it enhances the productivity and meaning of professional and per sonal relationships in life. However, the good thing is that, it can be learned and practiced by everyone who desires positive communication in their lives. Importance of Interpersonal Interpersonal communication is a part of social skill. Hence, people in the field of medicine, psychology, counseling, religion, education, military, human resource, business management etc., are being trained in social skills through different training programs (Hargie, Saunders and Dickson 1994, p.ix). This is

Legal Implicaiotn of human resource management Essay Example for Free

Legal Implicaiotn of human resource management Essay A union is an organization of workers, acting collectively, seeking to promote and protect its mutual interests through collective bargaining. However, before we can examine the activities surrounding the collective bargaining process, it is important to understand the laws that govern the labor-management process, what unions are and how employees unionize. Although the current percentage of the workforce that is unionized has declined steadily, there are still many employees who feel that the workforce is primed for a positive response by employees to a new effort in organizing. The main reasons for union organizing are: higher wages and benefits, greater job security, influence over work rules, compulsory membership and being upset with management. Among various reasons why employees join a union, we see one common factor: management, specially the first-line supervisor. If employees are upset with the way their supervisor handles problems, upset over how a coworker has been disciplines, and so on, they are likely to seek help from a union. In fact, it is reasonable to believe that when employees vote to unionize, it’s often a vote against their immediate supervisor rather than a vote in support of particular union. CASE: In the provided case, the employees are upset with company since employer rolled out its plan to organize employees into teams, change job titles, work assignments and the pay structure. Beside that employees were told â€Å"this is how it will be. † I am working as the top HR Manager and have to deal with this situation. First of all I would learn some basic legal implications of union organizing. The legal framework for labor-management relationships has played a crucial role in its development. There are two important laws that have shaped much of the labor relations process. Wagner Act: Also knows as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, this act gave employees that right to form and join unions and to engage in collective bargaining. The Wagner Act is cited a shifting the pendulum of power to favor unions for the first time in U. S labor history. This was achieved, in part, through the establishment of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The Wager Act provided the legal recognition of unions as legitimate interest groups in American society, but many employers opposed its purposes. Some employers, too, failed to live up to the requirements of its provisions. Thus, the belief that the balance of power had swung too far to labor’s side, and the public outcry stemming from post-World War II strikes, led to passage of the Taft-Hartley Act (Labor- Management Relations Act) in 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act: Amended the Wagner Act by addressing employers’ concerns in terms of specifying unfair union labor practices. Realizing that unions and employers might not reach agreement and that work stoppages might occur, Taft-Hartley also created the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) as an independent agency separate from the Department of Labor. FMCS is a government agency that assists Labor and management in settling disputes. The Wagner and Taft-Hartley Acts were the most important laws influencing labor-management relationships in the United States, but there are other laws that influence the labor organizing. Specifically, these are the Railway Labor Act; the Land rum Griffin Act; Executive Orders 10988 and 11491; the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970; and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (discussed in previous module) is as relevant to labor organizations as it is to management. Title VII of the act is focused on this subject. In the provided case, it seems like there is already union getting into shape. The labor laws do permit us as HR Manager to defend ourselves against the union campaign, but we must do it properly. I would follow the following guidelines of what to do and what not to do during the organizing drive. * If your employees ask for your opinion on unionization (as my supervisor is asking me this question), should respond in a natural manner. For example, â€Å"I really have no position on the issue. Do what you think is best. * You can prohibit union-organizing activates in your workplace during work hours only if they interfere with work operation. This may apply to the organization’s e-mail, too. * You can prohibit outside union organizers from distributing union information in the workplace. * Employees have the right to distribute union information to other employees during breaks and lunch periods. * Don’t question employees publicly or privately about union-organizing activities- for example, â€Å"Are you planning to go to that union rally this weekend? but if an employee freely tells you about the activities, you may listen. * Don’t spy on employees’ union activities, for example, by standing in the cafeteria to see who is distributing pro-union literature. * Don’t make any threats or promises related to the possibility of unionization. For example, â€Å"If this union effort succeeds, upper management is seriously thinking about closing down this plant, but if it’s defeated, they may push through an immediate wage increase. * Don’t discriminate against any employee who is involved in the unionization effort. Be on eh lookout for efforts by the union to coerce employees to join its ranks. This activity by unions is an unfair labor practice. If you see this occurring, report to your boss or to HR. Company might slow want to consider filing a complaint against the union with NLRB. Keeping all the above points checked, I will also keep in mind that union organizing drives may or may not be successful, but when they do achieve their goal to become the exclusive bargaining age, the next step is to negotiate the contract or demands. Now, I’ll get myself ready along with my first line supervisors, for the next expected step: collective bargaining. This typically refers to the negotiation, administration, and interpretation of a written agreement between two parties that covers a specific period of time. This agreement, or contract, lays out in specific terms the conditions of employment that is, what is expected of employees and any limits to management’s authority. Although collective bargaining is mostly used in public sectors, however it is also common in private sector. My employees are upset because of three months old change; based on my supervisor’s comments I assume that union has been certified; I might come up with a new set of interpretation of this change between my management and employees. I will make sure that my management and the union must negotiate in good faith over these issues. I would follow the following collective bargaining process outline in order to resolve these issues: Preparing to Negotiate: Once a union has been certified as the bargaining unit, both union and management begin the ongoing activity of preparing for negotiations. We can consider the preparation for negotiation as composed of three activities: fact gathering, goal setting, and strategy development. Information is acquired from both internal and external sources. With all the collection of this background information in hand, and tentative goals established both union and management must put together the most difficult part of the bargaining preparation activities, a strategy for negotiations. This includes assessing the other side’s power and specific tactics. Negotiating at the Bargaining Table: Negotiation customarily begins with the union delivering to management a list of â€Å"demands. † By presenting many demands, the union creates significant room for trading in later stages of the negotiation; it also disguises the union’s real position, leaving management to determine which demands are adamantly sought, which are moderately sought, and which the union is prepared to quickly abandon. Real negotiations typically go on behind closed doors, each party tries to assess the relative priorities of the other’s demands, and each begins to combine proposals into viable packages. Next comes the attempt to make management’s highest offer approximate the lowest demands that the union is willing to accept. Contract Administration: Once a contract is agreed upon and ratified, it must be administered. Contract administration involves four stages: (1) dissemination the agreements to all union members and mangers; (2) implementing the contract: (3) interpreting the contract and grievance resolution: and (4) monitoring activities during the contract period. Providing information to all concerned requires both parties to ensure that changes in contract language are spelled out. The stage of contract administration is ensuring that the agreement is implemented. All communicated changes now take effect, and both sides are expected to comply with the contract terms. The most important element of contract administration relates to spelling out a procedure for handling contractual disputes. These contracts have provisions for resolving specific, formally initiated grievances by employees concerning dissatisfaction with job-related issues. As an HR Manager for a company with 1500 employees, who are quite upset with our management and are unionizing, I have tried to come up with a plan to resolve this issue. First of all, I gathered the legal data in this respect, I proposed some guidelines to avoid unionizing and last, I have discussed the plan in detail to resolve the issue in provided case. I would like to comment that although historically, the relationship between labor and management was built on conflict and the nterests of labor and management were seen as basically at odds-each treating the other as the opposition. But times have somewhat changes. Management has become increasingly aware that successful efforts to increase productivity, improve quality, and lower costs require employee involvement and commitment. Similarly, some labor unions have recognized that they can help their members more by cooperating with management rather than fighting them which is quite positive for both management and employees.

Change Management: Ongc Ltd

Change Management: Ongc Ltd Change is a very necessary aspect of human life. One of the few things which have a real permanence in this world is change. Different types of changes occur, such as seasonal changes, changes in nature and behavior of human beings, changes in their biological and physical systems, organizational changes etc. Here, the main concern of the study is what organizational change is and how it should be managed? What are reasons or causes of change and what is the reaction towards it? The meaning of word change is, when there is an alteration in the system whether physical, biological or social. Hence organizational change refers to, the alteration of work environment or work conditions in the organization. It may include different components of the organization such as change in technology, organization structure and design, people working in the organization etc (Prasad L.M., 2007). What is Change Management? Change management is known as the process of developing a planned approach to adapt to the changes in the organization. It is the transition of an organization or individuals, teams or groups in an organization to reach from a current state to a future state for development and improved performance (Tromley C., Mainiero L.A., 2004). The main aim of this organizational process is to make the employees understand the importance of change according to the rapidly changing business environment and accept it with open minds. This will reduce the risk of failure in implementing the changes in the organization. Though this is practically not possible because every time when there is a change people always have resistance towards it. It is the human tendency that nobody wants to accept change which consequently makes it important to understand the reasons behind it and manage it by reducing resistance towards it. Change is often resisted by the employees because it disturbs their set routine s and set new avenues to learn which most of the employees do not want (McCrimonn M., 2008). Change may be planned or unplanned. If the change is sudden because of some external forces such as technological changes or change in the political or legal environment then the organization members has to adopt it forcefully but if the change is done by planning well in advance irrespective of the pressure of external or internal forces then it is called as planned change, which is important to improve the ability of employees to adapt changes in the environment as well as their behavior (Planned Change, 2009, knol.google.com) Change Management in Public Sector organizations The current business environment is changing at a very fast pace and all organizations whether private or public are experiencing the impacts of change. It is important for these organizations to understand the role of change management and how to practically implement it (How to Manage Change, 2009,). Public sector organizations are often perceived to be resistant towards change because of the reason to seek the ability to do things rather than doing those things in a different or changed manner. The changes in the socio-economic, political, legal and technological environment has a major impact on the public sector organizations as it the implementation of these changes is a time consuming process. These reform initiatives have made the development of new approaches in the public sector resulting in the introduction of Business Process Re-engineering, new business models, team building and leadership programmes, improved project management etc. This all involves changes in the mind set of the employees which implies the importance of change management in the public sector organizations (UNDP Capacity Development Resource, 2006). Apart from these changes in the external environment the changes in the public sector organizations is mainly due the pressure of the government and global trends. Though the forces or elements of change are almost same in the public and private sector organizations the implementation is far more difficult in public sector. This is due to the different orientation in the values and objectives of both the sectors. The effectiveness of change is dependent on the outcomes which are expected from the change programme (Osborne P.S., Brown K., 2005). 2.3 Importance of Change Management Change management plays an important role in the organization as bringing change means making alteration in the systematic and planned routine. The task of bringing about change in the organization is not that easy as it involves changing the mindset of individuals and their attitudes towards a particular objective. Changes can be brought about in the organization externally or internally. The process of bringing about change allows the organization to give a proactive or reactive or reactive response in a particular situation (Role of Change Management in an Organization, managementhub.com, 2009). The process of change involves the following steps: Identify the need or requirement of change in the organization Designing the specific requirements to fulfill the needs Making the employees understand that why change is required and what is its importance Making changes in the organizational processes to incorporate the changes By following these steps in an organization it can be ensured that the change management strategies will be effective in long run and help in improved organizational performance (Mateco, 2008) 2.4 About ONGC Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) was set up as a Commission on August 14, 1956. The company was given its corporate identity on June 23, 1993, which has now grown into a full-fledged horizontally integrated petroleum company. Today, ONGC is a flagship public sector enterprise and Indias highest profit making corporate, achieving the record of being the first Indian corporate to register a five digit profit figure of Rs. 10,529 Crore in the year 2002-03. ONGC has produced more than 600 million metric tonnes of crude oil and supplied more than 200 billion cubic metres of gas since its inception, thus fuelling the increasing energy requirements of the Indian economy. Today, ONGC is the most valuable company in India, contributing 77 percent of Indias crude oil production and 81 per cent of Indias natural gas production. To sustain this growth, ONGC has drawn up ambitious strategic objectives, which include doubling the oil and gas reserves. Having accreted six billion tonnes oil and oil equivalent reserves in its first 45 years of operation, ONGC now aims to double these reserves by 2020. The second strategic objective is to augment the global recovery factor from the existing 28 per cent to the global norm of 40 per cent in next 20 years. Out of the six billion tonnes of oil and gas reserve accretion, four billion tonnes is expected to come from Offshore and Deep Waters. To improve the recovery factor from the existing fields, ONGC is investing Rs. 2,000 crore in 15 re-development schemes. 2.5 Corporate Ranking Ranked 326th in Financial Times Global 500 List by market cap; first among Indian Corporates Ranked 133rd in Forbes 400 Top Global Corporates by market cap; first among Indian Corporates Ranked 1st in Economic Times 500 Corporate List by net profit and market cap Ranked 1st in Business Today 500 List by net profit Ranked 1st in Business Today-Stern Stewart Study of 500 Indian Corporates for highest-ever Market Value Added (MVA). ONGC is the only PSU which has both MVA and EVA positive. 3. Aims and objectives of the Study The aim of this study is to understand the concept of organizational change, forces of change in the organization and how manage that change and overcoming resistance of the employees in context to the ONGC Ltd. which is a PSU. Change management plays an important role in the Indian organizations because if there would be no change then the growth trajectory of any organization will become constant and progress of the employees would be restricted what they had learnt in the past. So, this study will help to understand the importance of change management in the public sector organizations and the effective approaches to manage those changes. 3.1 Aim To understand the change management approaches being implemented in ONGC and help in overcoming the resistance towrads change. Objectives The objectives of this study are: To understand the forces of change in public sector organizations. To analyze the various factors causing changes. To study the reasons of resistance towards change. To suggest measures for overcoming resistance towards change. To study the importance of change management To suggest prevalent approaches of change management 4. Review of Literature What Is Organizational Change Management? The concept of organizational change refers to the organization as a whole rather than making smaller changes such as adding a new employee, modifying a programme or a schedule. The examples of organizational change may include change in mission, restricting or reforming of operations or management, some major technological changes, changes in government rule and policies etc (McNamara C, 2005). According to Newstrom and Davis change in any part or function of the organization brings about a dynamic change in the whole organization. It tends to disturb the old equilibrium necessitating the setting up of a new one. The type of new equilibrium depends on the degree of change and its impact on the organization. It is a continuous process which requires subsequent changes in whole organization (Prasad L.M., 2007). The changes could be due to some external or internal factors because of the dynamic business environment. The forces of change are: Nature of the workforce Technology Economic and Social Environment Political and Legal environment Globalization Competition Successful change must be brought about by top management and to manage these activities a change agent plays an important role. A change agent could be a manager or a non manager and his responsibility is to translate the change into a plan and carry out the plan. If the change is carried out in a team or a group the resistance would be low and chances of acceptance would be high (Robbins S. P., Judge T., 2008). 4.2 Resistance to Change Whenever change is initiated, both the managers as well as employees react to it. Though human reaction to change depends on the outcome of change, but the attitude of people play an important role in determining it. There are possibilities of either accepting the change, being indifferent towards it or a strong resistance to change. People normally resist to change because they perceive that change as a threat or feel difficult to cope with it (Kotelnikov V., 2001). Sometimes resistance to change is good because if there would be no resistance and employees will accept the change then the changes of progress in an organization would reduce. At the initial phase of change, employees may react differently. Sometimes the resistance is instant and spontaneous. It easy for the management to deal with this type of resistance. Implicit or slow resistance is difficult to manage because it may have different after effects. The employees may leave the organization, become less committed towar ds the work, lack of motivation may occur which sometimes becomes difficult to recognize (Robbins S. P., Judge T., 2008). Overcoming the resistance to change can be brought about by seven ways in an organization Education and communication Participation Building support and commitment Negotiation Manipulation and cooptation Selecting people who accept change Coercion (12manage.com, six change approaches) Approaches to Change Management There are various approaches adopted by organizations to manage change. Some of them are: Lewins three step model In a model suggested by Lewin he has given three steps of change: unfreezing the status quo, movement to a desired end state and refreezing i.e., new change to make it permanent. Kotters eight step plan Based on Lewin three step model Kotter has suggested an eight step plan for implementing change. Action research It refers to a change process based on the systematic collection of data and then selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicates. Organization development It is a collection of planned change interventions build on humanistic democratic values, that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well being. The six interventions used in OD are: Sensitivity training Survey feedback Process consultation Team building Intergroup development Appreciative inquiry (Robbins S. P., Judge T., 2008). 5. Research Methodology Data collection methods Secondary Research Secondary research is the data collected from secondary sources like Online Web Portals, Magazines and published Journals, among many others. The review of literature is a comprehensive analysis of the research already collected on the concerned topics. While collecting the secondary data, we will ensure the following: Reliability Suitability Adequacy Primary Research Primary research is the collection of data that is not already available. The process is designed to serve a specific set of objectives useful for the study. The data is collected through various methods such as interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, online surveys, etc. For this study, we have chosen suitable methods of primary research to learn about the objectives of the study: Quantitative Research: It refers to the data that is numerical, and can be measured and expressed in terms of numbers. The most popular form of quantitative research is the questionnaire/survey method. The survey will be conducted with the employees working in ONGC Ltd. Research Design The study will be explorative as well as descriptive in nature. Sampling design Target population: The target population in this research refers to the employees working in ONGC. The respondents can be of any gender and any income level. Sampling unit The sampling unit is ONGC Ltd. Sampling method For this research we use non-probability sampling. Zikmund (1997) stated that in non-probability sampling, the probability of any particular member of the population being chosen is unknown. The element in the population does not have any probability attached to their being chosen as sample subjects. Size of Sample Survey A sample size of 250 respondents will be considered for this study. Sampling plan: The data will be collected from employees working in the organization. Questionnaire Design: The questionnaire will consist of both open-ended and close-ended questions. The questions will be framed to enable respondents answer the questions like an essay. There is no limit on how much the interviewee wants to say on a particular topic. Data Analysis and Interpretation The data collected from primary research will be analysed and interpreted using Factor Analysis. It is suitable to the study over other tools, because: It provides both subjective as well as objective results, of which subjective can be converted into numbers/scores It can be used to identify and understand the hidden attributes or constructs which would otherwise (in case of direct analysis) have been unapparent It is inexpensive and easier to implement than other tools. 6. Significance of the study The findings of this study should be useful to the top management of ONGC Ltd. as they would be able to understand the causes and effects of change on the employees and the reasons of resistance towards it. It would be easy for them to understand the plight of employees while adapting the change in their system and is it really effective or not. The findings of this study should also provide an insight to the employees in finding out ways in coping with change and understanding its importance for their professional growth. Finally, the findings from this study might add some useful information to the research already being conducted in this area which needs to be highlighted so that the employees as well as the management will understand the better approaches to adopt changes and plausible solutions to this problem. 7. Limitations of the Study The study will be limited to the employees working in ONGC as the researcher is specially focusing on the implementation of change management in public sector organizations. The approaches would be limited to the reasons of changes and then its implementation particularly in ONGC. 8. Organization of the paper Explains the chapterisation plan of the actual thesis. It basically consists of five chapters: Introduction It includes the introduction to change, change management in public sector organizations and it importance. Review of Literature It includes the research on organizational change, forces of change, resistance to change and how to overcome resistance, change agents etc. Research Methodology It includes the research design, sample size, sources of data collection, questionnaire etc. Data Analysis It gives the results and interpretations of the data collected and analyzed from the respondents. Conclusion and Recommendations This chapter will give the conclusions and recommendations which will come from the respondents and strategies which could be employed by the organizations.

Customs of the Arunta Society Essay -- essays research papers

The Arunta are a group of Australian Aborigines who have many customs and reasons for why they do what they do. Their customs reflect their society because everything they do has a reason. Some customs may have come about because of the environment, the natural resources, or possibly just beliefs. There are several customs about family and kinship. An Arunta camp usually has one to two families. The Arunta live in such small groups so they do not have to worry about hunting a lot of food for big camps. If their camp were attacked, it would be a lot easier to look after a small amount of people and belongings. It may be more efficient to hunt in larger groups, because you have more of a chance to find animals, and if one person were to be attacked by some sort of animal or person, there ...

Harold and Maude and The Book On The Taboo About Knowing Who You Are Es

Comparing the Movie, Harold and Maude and The Book On The Taboo About Knowing Who You Are The character Maude, in the movie Harold and Maude, lives a life congruent with the ideas Alan Watts expresses in The Book On The Taboo About Knowing Who You Are. In his book, Watts explores the relationships between life, death, ego, and environment. Watts's purpose is not to lecture but rather to let the book serve as a "point of departure" (11) for its readers. Maude also serves as the "point of departure" for the character Harold. Under Maude's guidance, Harold transforms from a depressed teenager obsessed with death into a new, positive person. Maude, however, dies shortly thereafter because she cannot guide Harold for the rest of his life. Indeed she, like The Book, is merely "a temporary medicine...not a perpetual point of reference [for Harold]" (11). Both Maude and The Book are only starting places from which Harold and Watts's readers must learn to achieve peace and understanding within themselves. Watts first addresses the issue of religion. Although the goal of many religions is to lead followers to "enlightenment," Watts believes that "irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide, it is a positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world" (11). People become so obsessed with their religion and convinced that it is the only true religion that they become blind to new ideas and experiences. Instead of being incarcerating, religion should be enlightening. In the movie, Harold asks Maude if she prays to a god. Maude responds, "Pray? No. I communicate." Maude understands that it is restraining to blindly worship a god. By using the word "communicate," sh... ...ime in his life, Harold loves another person, Maude. When Harold tells Maude he loves her, however, she tells him, "Good. Now love some more." Now that Harold has found that capacity to love, he is able extend his love beyond only Maude. He has also learned about his senses: he "smells" snow, feels the contours of wood, hears music, and sees the beauty of nature. Finally, Harold learns how to accept death. Instead of continually pretending to commit suicide to desensitize himself to death, Harold realizes that death is an inevitable part of the circle of life. At the end of the movie, Harold lives, while Maude dies, because he has not yet experienced life. Unlike Maude, Harold is just beginning to defy the taboos of society and find himself. Works Cited: Watts, A. W. (1966). The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. New York: Vintage Books Harold and Maude and The Book On The Taboo About Knowing Who You Are Es Comparing the Movie, Harold and Maude and The Book On The Taboo About Knowing Who You Are The character Maude, in the movie Harold and Maude, lives a life congruent with the ideas Alan Watts expresses in The Book On The Taboo About Knowing Who You Are. In his book, Watts explores the relationships between life, death, ego, and environment. Watts's purpose is not to lecture but rather to let the book serve as a "point of departure" (11) for its readers. Maude also serves as the "point of departure" for the character Harold. Under Maude's guidance, Harold transforms from a depressed teenager obsessed with death into a new, positive person. Maude, however, dies shortly thereafter because she cannot guide Harold for the rest of his life. Indeed she, like The Book, is merely "a temporary medicine...not a perpetual point of reference [for Harold]" (11). Both Maude and The Book are only starting places from which Harold and Watts's readers must learn to achieve peace and understanding within themselves. Watts first addresses the issue of religion. Although the goal of many religions is to lead followers to "enlightenment," Watts believes that "irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide, it is a positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world" (11). People become so obsessed with their religion and convinced that it is the only true religion that they become blind to new ideas and experiences. Instead of being incarcerating, religion should be enlightening. In the movie, Harold asks Maude if she prays to a god. Maude responds, "Pray? No. I communicate." Maude understands that it is restraining to blindly worship a god. By using the word "communicate," sh... ...ime in his life, Harold loves another person, Maude. When Harold tells Maude he loves her, however, she tells him, "Good. Now love some more." Now that Harold has found that capacity to love, he is able extend his love beyond only Maude. He has also learned about his senses: he "smells" snow, feels the contours of wood, hears music, and sees the beauty of nature. Finally, Harold learns how to accept death. Instead of continually pretending to commit suicide to desensitize himself to death, Harold realizes that death is an inevitable part of the circle of life. At the end of the movie, Harold lives, while Maude dies, because he has not yet experienced life. Unlike Maude, Harold is just beginning to defy the taboos of society and find himself. Works Cited: Watts, A. W. (1966). The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. New York: Vintage Books

Internal Migration in India and Citizenship implications

An essay on eye-scanning, Indian's floating population and inclusive governance. â€Å"That will give me an identity,† he said, gesturing at the computer station where he had Just completed his enrolment. â€Å"It will show that I am a human being, that I am alive, that I live on this planet. It will prove I am an Indian. † – Mohammed Jail, (New York Times 2011 Introduction The 2011 report of the MIAMI on internal migration and human development in India estimated the number of internal migrants to be around 400 million people, at that time roughly a third of the total population.The MIMI was launched by EUNICE and UNESCO to respond to the many problems existing around this population, also referred to as the ‘floating population'. These migrants, often never really settled, face great difficulties in accessing social security as this is often linked to residence. This is but one of the many ways in which these people are treated as ‘second-class citi zens', discrimination, a lack of political representation and low wage work being other examples. The aim of the MIMI to ensure: â€Å"†¦ Hat processes of urban development are socially equitable† 2 crystallized In the launching of an â€Å"informal outwork of 200 researchers, NAGS, policy makers. I-JNI agencies and key partners† focused on raising attention given to internal migrants in policy and practices (UNESCO, 2011). The Indian government project called ‘Dharma' might be an interesting development to these problems. It is a hugely scoped project aimed at providing all Indian residents with an identity by scanning their eyes and entrusting them with a number, enabling them to claim for example social benefits and a bank account .In this paper I seek to answer the question whether this project might actually benefit this floating population, and how this can be embedded In a broader discussion on citizenship and legibility. Indian's floating population' As the MIMI report stressed to be the basis for its creation, the internal migrant population of India has up till now received very little attention from either research or polices, partly because of the difficulties In gathering data. Most attention got diverted to international migrants, as their positive potential to contribute to development was well researched and backed by political and economic interest.First of all, speaking of the floating population does ignore the diverse backgrounds, practices and reasons to migrate of the people concerned. Goodling and West (2002) stress in their paper on the floating population in China that there is no set definition for this concept. It Is mostly used to denote the part of a population someplace else than where they are registered (Ibid. , 2002). Definitions and ambiguities put aside, this category does provide us with new and potentially better tailored ways of looking at urban development issues.A quick glance at Indian swapper a rticles concerning internal migrants helps gain some insight in the myriad of problems surrounding this issue. A 2012 article in the Times of India reports how the floating population (in Locknut, India), mostly not accounted for in enumerations, appear to be the cause of major water shortages, as the water supply is based on the number of permanently settled. Other articles report discrimination migrants face. An article from 2008 (CNN- BIN)4 for instance shows how migrants become the subject of political discrimination and commotion in Iambi.Political leaders articulate and incite an anger against the migrants, aerating an ‘other' which is blamed to be an economic burden, obstructing the freedom of ‘normal' citizens and â€Å"milking Mamba's resources† (Ibid. 2008). Whereas some government policies seek to tackle the problems surrounding this population through settlement relocation and infrastructural improvements (Times of India 2013)5, initiatives such as the aforementioned MIMI pursue making them visible and included in society.As was shortly noted in the introduction, the MIMI recognizes a trend of expanded use of rights based approaches in Indian law and policy. This generally means a ore equal citizenship and ways of governing, as government institutions are built more around the focus of ensuring and fulfilling human rights of all. The Indian Supreme Court has been a fundamental actor in demanding this change in government approach, and has for instance ordered the government in 2001 to provide a daily warm meal to every Indian schoolchild as part of the right to food.But how to ensure and fulfill the rights of those who can't be seen? In the particular case of the MIMI it means: â€Å"focus development of policy frameworks and practical strategies awards ensuring that all migrants have access to services and entitlements as enshrined in policies and law; and that urban settlements become inclusive spaces as they expand in size an d diversity'. In practice it means slow and arduous changes and redefinitions of social and economic rights.As the migrants are politically underrepresented, lobbying on their behalf is done largely by bodies such as the IM†. One particular government project might provide the nation's poor, as well as the floating ones, a shortcut to claiming some of the rights hitherto denied to them. Scanning eyes and citizenship As of 2009 the Indian government has initiated a project aimed at identifying and registering all 1. 2 billion Indian residents and giving them an identification number: Dharma. It is done combined with a retina-scan to ensure the uniqueness of the identity.As Sabine Demented, working for one of the companies hired to carry out the identification, puts it: â€Å"It will enable people to open checking accounts, apply for loans, insurance, pensions, property deeds, etc. What's more, the government wants to make sure that welfare benefits go directly to the right per son† (Saffron Magazine, 010). The only demands made of people in order to register are a retina-scan and fingerprint, name, gender (even transgender is possible), address and date of birth. Million people as of March 20146.For one, it circumvents the widely used village- based identity system, making it hard or impossible for migrants to claim rights in a place where they are not registered. Some of the other assumed potentials, as framed in an article by the New York Times (2011)7, are ways in which citizenship will be less mediated through caste- , religious- or kin groups, but rather through an individual national identity. For the floating population, who often experience discrimination based on their respective group-identity, or exclusion because a lack thereof, this might prove to be a real structural change to their good.It is also argued that this form of e-governance bypasses corruption, which is often linked to the inability of the poor to assert their rights throug h official bodies. Interaction with the state is hence deadline from local gatekeepers, which is important as, according to the Dharma director Ram Seven Sahara: â€Å"One cannot improve human beings†¦ But nee can certainly improve systems†. This, of course, is questionable in its own right.Reanimating (2012) sees this kind of service-consumer relationship, as is excreted through such systems, as a hindrance to political citizenship and a representative democracy (p. 129). Accessibility might be improved, but the means to criticize remain weak. As the project is still being implemented it is not easy nor feasible to entirely predict its potentials or flaws. In theory, though, one could wonder to what extension this project really brings about a first-class citizenship for all. The simplicity of the Dharma identification number gives it great inclusive strength.Whereas before traditional group- or village based identification made it hard for internal migrants to claim ce rtain rights, as the negotiation is often done through the same channels, a more direct way of interacting with government services has been made possible. The simplicity also lays bare the eventual narrow implications to the poor. As Harvey stresses in ‘The Right to the City (2003): â€Å"The freedom to make and remake ourselves and our cities is, I want to argue, one of the most precious yet most neglected of our human rights† (p. 2).If citizenship means recognition by state and law and henceforth attaining the human rights bestowed upon citizens in a democracy, Dharma falls short in scope. It does not enable people to vote, nor does it empower them in gaining settlement rights. Furthermore, although it is not something to blame the project itself for, other structural as well as social and economic constraints keeping the floating population away from full citizenship still remain firmly rooted. Still too little attention is directed towards tackling real societal pr oblems, such as discriminatory practices and uncontrolled arbitration.To conclude, I do believe the first steps toward including this huge neglected part of the Indian population are being taken, and that in itself can be seen as a very good development indeed. Improving legibility, which this project in essence is to the government ( and which James Scott might condemn in other conditions), can in such abominable conditions of inequality truly contribute to strengthening the position of the weakest, albeit in really small steps.