HR Practices in Reliance Industries

HR Practices in Reliance Industries Reliance telecommunications LTD is an Indian telecommunication company founded by Anil Ambani in 2004.The headquarters of the company is in Navi Mumbai India. Reliance telecommunication is the 15th largest telecommunication provider in the world with 150 million subscribers and the second largest telecommunication provider in India. The company has segments like wireless and broadband in telecommunication industry. The company achieved a high growth in telecommunication industry from the beginning stage itself. Customer satisfaction and good company policies made them to competitive with other companies. Reliance communications follows good human resource policies and procedures even though it has some draw backs. Vision of the company- Providing information, communication, entertainment services and being the benchmark in customer experience, employee centricity and innovation is the main vision of the company. Mission of the company- meeting beyond customer needs and wants with a segmented approach, relentless offering of services and products that are value for cash and stimulate customers, offer a network experience that is best in the communication industry, make reliance in to an international brand which is a iconic brand  by others and lead industry in target to purchase and faithfulness. INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Human resource management refers to an assortment of policies used to systematize work in the employment relationship and centres on the management of work and the management of people who undertakes this work. Therefore HRM is concerned with recruitment, selection, learning and development, reward, communication, teamwork and routine management. While it is relatively easy to list activities that make up HRM, It is a subject that stimulates much debate and disagreement. The hr process is considered as important for the management of the consumer pleasure with human recourses. The clients find comfortable and will be satisfied when they understand the hr processes and how they are connected and the hr processes interact. Modern hr processes are measured and frequently analysed and identifies the irregularities in the activities and it brings the improvements for the benefits of the organisation. The success of Human Resources Management is in the connection of all HR processes as they provide the adequate supports to workers and the managers. So the main aim of Human Resource Management is to keep the human capital ready for action on the market and the rational grouping of HR Processes helps to interact and manage the individual processes. Every organisation has their own HR processes, but the main HR Processes are always same in all companies as it is the market HR Best Practices. Human Resource Management is considered as a comparatively new approach to Personnel Management. HRM emphasizes primarily on its strategic contributions and its closer alignment to business, HRM is a vital component of any organization, its involvement among other components of line management is notable (Paauwe. J, Jan 2009). Paauwe further suggests that HRM aims on its ultimate goals such as High job performance, low absence and high cost effectiveness through the efficient utilization of the man power of the company. Human resource is really the major component of any organization, the success or failure of an organization heavily relies on its Man power management. Maslows need Hierarchy theory is considered as guiding principle for HR Management across the globe. Maslow identified the very basics of human motivation factors. Following this principle it can be assumed that to motivate an employee HR manager should understand his level of expectations, potential of the employee, a nd should evaluate the performance before and after certain motivational measures implemented. KEY HUMAN RESOURCE ACTIVITIES OF RELIANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS Main HR process areas Manpower planning Recruitment and staffing Human resource development Compensation and benefits Leadership development MANPOWER PLANNING Human Resource Planning is the integral part of Human Resource Management Human Resource Planning estimates the optimal level of Man power requirement on the basis of quality and quantity. Thus HRP can be considered as the foundation of Human Resource management. Although HR planning is very important it cannot be executed faultlessly in all cases, as HR is dependent on various factors such as employment situation of the country, influence of technological advancement, changes in the organization structures, Demographic factors such as age, population, composition of workforce, lack of skill, multicultural workforce etc. Certain pressure groups will also affect the precision of the HRP. Understanding of competencies of the Human resource is vital in forming a successful HR frame work. Lengnic-Hall, 1988, Milliman et al., 1991, describes the terms Internal and External fit, Internal fit refers to the extent to which the manpower constituents are linked in a logical way and how effecti vely they support themselves, on the other hand external fit primarily focus on the strategy of the organization, external fit reveals to what extent human resources systems are integrated. Manpower Planning or Human Resource Planning includes putting exact number of people, exact kind of people at the exact place, exact time at a low cost. Personnel Planning hold an important place in the world of industrialization. Personnel Planning has to be a systematic approach and is managed in a set of model operations. The procedure is as follows: Assessing the present manpower in the company Forecasting the future needs budding employment programmes Organising training programmes BENEFITS OF MAN POWER PLANNING Manpower planning is very important part of human resource management. A few importance of man power planning are: Concentrated labour cost: with the help of manpower planning there is most favourable operation of labour force in the organisation workers are given those jobs to implement for which they are skilled (right person for the right job).it leads to overall progress of the man power in the organisation. Optimum utilisation of manpower: it helps to utilise the labour force in the company which helps in the growth of manpower in the organisation. Develops business plan- Man power planning is an important part of overall business planning. No business can survive without having the right type and number of people doing the right work at the right time. Helps in career succession planning-with the help of better manpower planning it helps to produce a good career succession of employees which provides much lead time for internal succession of workers through higher position through encouragement. Development of the organisation- The man power planning helps in the expansion of an organisation. Growth in overall business planning- Manpower planning is a main part of overall business planning. Efficient manpower planning will help to improve the business. RECRUITMENT AND STAFFING Recruitment and staffing is the process of selecting the right labours in to the organisation. The main aim of recruitment is to look for and be a magnet for persons with skilled to fill the vacancies. This process includes job analysis preparing personnel requirement sources of skilled employees. Job analysis Job analysis is a process of analysing the job in detail and providing the details of job needs to the HR planning department they present details as job specification and job analysis. Job analysis is important in the whole organisation. And they will provide the details of manpower requirements. The main sources of recruitment are Reliance communications have two main sources of recruitment internal and external internal external sources of recruitment(figure.2) Internal sources of recruitment are. Promotion-This is a normal source of recruitment, which means providing higher position, salary and responsibilities to the employee. So the position of the job vacancy is filled by promoting the suitable employee within the organisation. Transfers-It means transferring one employee to the other organisation without change in salary and position, so the vacancy can be filled by transfer. Advertising internally-Here the job vacancy is advertised within the organisation so the existing employees in the organisation can apply for the post. So the recruitment is take place inside the organisation. External sources of recruitment are. Selective recruitment through job boards-This is a major source of recruitment .To ensure most appropriate qualified candidates are being applied for the major position. The agency considers the following details for every positions junior, intermediate, senior, Level of education degree, diploma etc. Using these details the company determines which job boards, communication channels, and advertisement strategies are suitable for attract the right skilled candidates to apply for the job positions. Management consultants-For the vacancies in the higher positions in the company, management consultants are used to find the qualified and skilled employees. They act as a recruiter on the behalf of the company. Advertisement for public-The Company advertises the vacancy in internet, newspapers, Television etc. And this will provide the details of the company, job and the qualification required for the position. NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF STAFFING Keep space with new development-New developments are happening every day. A business will have to keep phase with new changes. This will be possible only if competent persons are employed who can adjust as per the new situation. Manpower Development-man power planning will have to be done in advance. The future requirements of personnel will be estimated quite in advance. The new staff will be recruited, people will be prepared for talking up higher responsibility jobs, and all this will be possible with a well planned staffing function. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPEMENT This function helps the employees to develop their skills and knowledge for increasing their output. This process is not only done for the freshers but also to the existing employees in the firm to develop their skills and responsibilities. Human resource development helps to increase the total knowledge, abilities, skills, talents, and aptitudes of an organisations work force. Human resource development includes function such as training, career development. Training-Training is providing to improve the knowledge and skills of the employees there are mainly two types of training they are on the job training and off the job training. On the job training is a process of giving training in normal working situations using actual materials or documents, equipment, actual tools trainees will make use when completely moulded. Off the job training is usually provided away from the usual working environment, it may include more general skills and knowledge which is useful for the job. This type of training is given by the specialised trainers or from an outside company who outsource the trainers. METHODS OF TRAINING A.Programmed learning- It is a step by step process of self learning method,providing questions, facts, and problems to the learner then allowing the person to respond and providing feed back on the accuracy of the answer. B. Apprentiship training- It is a method of process that the employees will become efficient workers through grouping of classroom coaching and also through on job training. C. Audio visual based training- This method of training includes tools like power point presentation, online video conferencing, audiotapes and video tapes. D. Computer based trining- This training method is widely used to provide good training to employees, it is time consuming and easy way to provide training. It is cost effective while comparing to other training methods. E. Simulated training- In this method trainess will learn from the actual or simulated equipement they will use on the job, but actually trained off the job. F. Lectures- When their is a large number of trainees, this method is used it is the immideate way to give instruction of job related activities within a specified period of time. H. Internet and distance Training Internet training includes video conferencing and web based training, distance training means traditional training paper and pencil correspondence course. 1. Tele training where a trainer in a central location teaches groups of employees at remote locations via television hookups. 2. Videoconferencing allows people in one location to communicate live via a combination of audio and visual equipment with people in different locations-another city or country or with groups in several cities. 3. Training via the Internet the Internet based learning programs are very popular. Several companies simply let their employees to take online courses provided by online course providers while others use their intranets to facilitate computer-based training. CAREER DEVELOPEMENT Diagram demonstrating your personal development Career developement of employees is a crucial part of the organisation, It helps to identifies the overall acheivement of the employees .Career developement is becoming an essential part of HR departement due to todays everchanging organisaton enviornment and work place. Reliance communications helps the employees to attain a good carrer graph based on the company HR policies and procedures. First of all the company gather the strength and weakness of every individual, then they provide different opportunities to develop their carrer based on the strength and weakness. The basic formula for the career developement is self awareness every individual asses their own problems and issues and then the company will help to over come this issues .Now days people are changing their jobs to attain a good carrer success .Reliance communication identifies this problem and they had a good career sucession plan for every individual employee in the organisation. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Compensation and benefits is a basic motivational factor to the employees. Every employee will search for high paid jobs,benefits is also another important factor if the company provides good benifits the employees will get good attachment to the company. Benefits include bonus, medical insurance,retierment policies, life insurace, vacation etc.Reliance communicatons provide basic pay which is satisfiable for every employee to motivate the employees and to attract to qualified employees to the organisation. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPEMENT Leadership developement helps the organisation to achieve the goals, through the developement of good leadership in each employee reliance aims at the overall developement of the organisation as well as the growth in employees functioning.Every employee in the organisation is gaining a better leadership quality through the leadership developement function.Each emloyees in the company are closely monitored by the management and if they are weak in the work the company will encourage them.And the workers are councelled by the management to increase work efficiency.And their will be a structured plan to create a positive working enviornment.The main aim of leadership developement is to leading self,leading others and leading the organisation. MAJOR HR ISSUES FACED BY RELIANCE COMMUNICATION ISSUES IN RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS EMPLOYEE RETENTION POOR HR POLICIES CASH AND COMPENSATION ISSUES 1.CASH AND COMPENSATION ISSUES: Cash and compensation issues is a major problem faced by HR managers in reliance communications. There is more pressure on HR function to pay more incentives and basic pay for the employees.However reliance paying basic salary to each individual employees the company faces more pressure to meet the employee beniefits . 2.EMPLOYEE RETENTION ISSUES: Most of the companies face the same problem of employee lay-offs. So the organisation have to prevent the issue by retaining the employee by providing good working condition and benefits whichever the employees need. In reliance industries there are so many employees leave the company due to lack of co-ordination between workers. The organisation tries to check the issue but fails sometimes. 3. POOR HR POLICIES : The plocies and practices adopted by the HR managers regarding their networking sector is an important example. They brought some new plans in mobile networking sector like low call rate for mobile users, low internet browsing charge.etc., but the competitors like AIRTEL communications, BSNL network, VODAFONE facilitated some more exciting offers than the reliance. In that situation the Reliance communication hesitated to change their HR policies and techniques. From the graphical representation of reliances communications profit from 2007 to 2012, we can easily determine that the profit is coming down in last two years comparing to the past this is due to the poor HR issues as mentioned above.The company is earning a high growth in 2008 and 2009 which is around 55000 million and it is dramatically falling down in the upcoming years.That means the company is facing some major HR issues and also high competition from other companies, so the organisation must change their HR policies eventually. SUGGESTIONS TO OVERCOME THE HR ISSUES Nowdays telecommunication industry is facing high competition from other telecommunication companies, If the company has no good HR stratergies the company cannot exist in the high competative world.Reliance communication is facing some HR issues as mentioned above, to overcome this problems company must do some good HR restructuring process in the company .The first main issue is ; Cash and compensation issues- As it is a major problem the company must find a good solution to overcome this issue, the suggestion to solve this problem is to pay cash and compensation based on the experience of the employees.As mentioned above the company is paying a basic salary to each individual, first of all the company must change this basic payment method,and the compensation and benifits must be paid according to the experience and skills of each individual. So the company can reduce the cost of labour so the company can meet the compensation and benifits of each individual according to the profit earned by the company. Employee retention issues Retention of employees is another HR issue faced by the company, nowadays a lot of employees are leaving the company due to high pressure of work and lack of co-ordination between employees are the main employee retention issues faced by reliance communication, to reduce this problems reliance must provide good working enviornment to reduce the pressure of work, communication is another way to over come this problem good communication between the management and staff will make a good understanding between the employees and management, this will increase employees confidents and reduce the work pressure.A high rate of employees resigning their job and going to another companies who offer better working enviornment. Better co-ordination is the another way to improve employee retention,co-ordination will improve better relationship between employees and management.And this will result increase employees confidence and work efficiency. Poor HR policies- Due to high competition in communication industry lots of companies introducing new HR techniques to improve their company goodwill .Reliance communication is following the traditional HR policies and plans so the company is facing high market competition from other companies, to exists in the competative market company must improve their HR stratergies and policies.Nowadays companies are providing good offers to the employees so the company must realise the problems and try to overcome such issues.

Japanese Animation And Its Globalization

Japanese Animation And Its Globalization Japanese anime traces its roots to the early 1900s but not many of the early works have survived for varied reasons. One of the reasons that led to the loss of these works was the sale of reels to smaller cinemas once the clips had run. These were then disassembles and sold as single frames, but even with the loss of the early anime works, Japanese anime made major popularity growth in the 1970s when filmmakers in Japan experimented with animation techniques used in the western world (West (2008). The reason for this success was that in as much as the filmmakers explored the western techniques, they totally distanced themselves with the western roots and instead developed different genres among the mecha. With this, anime went main stream in Japan in the 80s and what followed was an explosion in production. Real Robot, Space Opera, Macross and Gundam were among some of 80s most successful anime. Today, as other sectors in the Japanese economy are struggling, revenue from anime related products has risen to over $100 billion, up from a tenth of this figure ten years ago (Brienza 2009). Anime is undoubtedly a savior to the Japanese culture. It is of a lot of interest to be able to understand how what was initially targeted at Japanese children has today become such a global sensation. This is what we seek to find out. Growth and Globalization of Japanese Animation Growth of anime a midst issues of language barrier and distinct world cultures is one thing that has never ceased to amaze anime lovers and critics alike. The world is today a global village and anime has been embraced in all the corners of the globe, with fans linking and discussing new and old productions in blogs and fan sites (Leonard, 2004). One of the things that fueled growth of anime to the corners of the world was fan distribution. Fan Distribution Anime was distributed among fans in the 70s through to the 90s via various non conventional methods. Fans made copies which were circulated to other fans and this created anime fan networks especially in America which imported and distributed videos to a large number of underground enthusiasts (Leonard, 2004).All this happened during the pre internet age and with the growth of fan networks, so did many players within those circles make fortunes. Knowledge and love for Japanese animation spread via these underground networks and in the process widespread commercial exploitation of anime was witnessed. Popularity of Anime in the American market It should be very well understood that the American cultural Imperialism was not a factor in pulling anime and other Japanese products to America and instead people voluntarily accepted anime for reasons that some experts say were because they provided an alternative to Hollywood (Davis, 2008). As technology improved, so did the fan networks make use of the available technologies to spread the anime message and more enthusiasts came on board. Language barrier was overcome when the fans added sub titles to the videos and as a matter of fact, fan subtitles is an exclusive feature of anime. The subtitles were facilitated at the end of the 80s in America following a wide availability of computers that were mainly Commodore Amiga and Macintosh brands (Auzenne, 1994). The availability of generator locking device, a hardware that enabled television sets to accept two simultaneous signals of video signal and computer output made it possible to have subtitles that were recorded on cassettes and distributed to the large network of fans. With sub titles, fans could not only appreciate the graphics but also understand the content of anime and how they depicted the various aspects of the Japanese culture. One of the most successful anime was Astra Boy, a production that realized huge commercial success and is still loved today. (Auzenne, 1994). When Walt Disney released Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki which did very well both in America and Japan at some point out selling Titanic in Japan, the film industry took notice and currently, American film companies making investments in this segment (Davis, 2008). They are mainly attracted to anime for their costs, producing anime is way cheaper than the block busters and they do make huge successes in theatres and DVD sales, coupled with the movie industry being very high risk and big budget productions failing miserably, anime has presented a wonderful opportunity to film makers in America to break even with their productions Anime has since evolved from an underground fortune maker in the 70s to a mainstream commercially viable industry. In America, anime has won the hearts of many and the winning of an Oscar by Miyazaki Hayaos anime, Spirited Away, in 2002 for best animated feature film was a clear show of just how much anime has been embraced in the American way of life (Davis, 2008). Today, America is animes biggest market with anime TV programs in the US jumping from13 at the start of the 90s to 37 in the first quarter of 2006 (Davis, 2008). In 2004, the revenues from character licensing, home videos and cinema screenings topped $2.94 billion which was much more than what the value of steel imported by US from Japan, additionally Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! made it to Americas top five prime time animated programs, anime is clearly Japans biggest export to the states today. Technology has since been a catalyst to the spread of anime as fans could with the internet, link and deliberate on topics and new releases (Auzenne, 1994). Subtitlers also known as fansubbers have also not been left behind, today, they can easily find each other online and work together to translate the latest anime. The translation process for Manga entails a fan scanning the pages and e mailing them to a translator who would then translate to a language of choice, usually English, a proofreader would then check the translation after which some other person known as the cleaner would replace the Japanese with English into the speech bubbles. The final product is then available for free down loads online. The internet has presently given room for publishing and distribution of anime at an unforeseen scale and is one of its biggest growth ingredients. Japanese anime has managed to stand up to American cartoon productions for reasons that it is much un-Disney and therefore offers an alternative to animation lovers in other parts of the world like Europe where several people are quite uncomfortable with American productions for their materialism and vulgarism which is likely to influence their rich cultural heritage that has been kept for many generations, a risk they cannot afford. Some critics argue that the world is moving towards homogeneity with the American culture being the world culture but the acceptance of anime and Manga in Europe for fear of being Americanized is a clear show that people around the world are yet to put their cultural heritage aside for the American way of life. Anime clearly differentiates gender with market niches properly divided for girls, boys, young men and women. Manga separates gender roles and this makes the dramatic anime story line in gender inclining tales when characters bridge the wide gap between the sexes. A typical example is the anime Ranma 1/2 based on a Manga by Rumiko Takahashi in which a boy who because of a previous dip in a Chinese magic pool turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. The extremes of the two genders are clearly depicted in this piece (Levi, McHarry Pagliassotti 2008). Americans have clearly gone beyond acceptance and taken the business opportunities presented by the popularity of manga and anime. Hollywood has not been left out of the boom and Walt Disney has today made enormous investments in the art, which apart from being popular, is also lucrative, coming at a time when most box office movies are not breaking even, anime is not just a rescue to the Japanese culture but a shot in the arm to Hollywood . Anime and manga in Europe and other parts of the world Other than America, Miyazakis Spirited Away also won a Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002. As at the start of 2006 there were 18 Japanese anime airing on a German TV channel. China is one place that Japanese anime is not expected to be very popular given the seriousness with which foreign content is restricted by the government. The debut of the animated feature film Gin-iro-no Kami no Agito at 1000 theatres in the spring of 2006 in China was a show of how just much Japanese anime has taken over the world. The reason for anime success outside Japan, Kubo Masakavu, the chief producer of Pokeman said, was the quality that is very different from western animation with the difference being its characters that he said capture the heart of viewers and brings out their emotions (West, M. I. 2008). The United Kingdom is one of the most consecutive countries. The British have for generations been skeptical about other cultures and today, they broadcast very distinct TV programs from their American brothers. A look at programming on Cebebees, a children channel of the BBC, depicts a culture that has kept its morals intact for generations. It is with these conservative ideologies that the acceptance of Manga and anime in the British culture has never ceased to amaze many critics. When anime by the name, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted in the UK, the audience felt that the word Ninja was an inappropriate connotation that was unfit for the animes young audience and the title was changed to Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles. (Laird Eastman, 2009). Several articles were written about anime in major newspapers especially in The Independent during the early 90s when Island World and the horror story Urotsukidoji were released with the later being poorly rated by its audience who claimed to have had nightmares. (Laird Eastman, 2009). Even with many articles in the UK papers, there was never an anti-anime wave in the country and there was a belief of anime explosion like in other European countries, something that never happened, the British did accept anime and manga but on their own terms, choosing to edit what they see as inappropriate and embracing what suits their way of life. The same is not however the case in Spain, France, Sweden and Italy where anime has had an explosion with an active fan base who have web sites at all levelsb to keep the enthusiasts in touch with each other and new releases. The love for anime in China China has for the past 30 years been a market that the Japanese anime have quite some grip and currently, millions of anime and manga consumers live in China giving rise to a market of $14.6 billion a year (Brienza, 2009). Anime debuted China in 1979 with Astro Boy which is one of Japans most known anime characters, which was aired on China Central Television (CCTV) in black and white in 1980 after translation to Chinese. Astro boy was at that time used as an image to promote Casio calculator products which have since been very popular in China and so has Japanese anime with comic books being major components of stock at most magazine kiosks in Shanghai (Chen, 2006). The Chinese government has today banned Japanese anime like Death Note from TV broadcast but that action hasnt stopped the millions of fans who have sought the anime on pirated television shows and DVDs alongside fan sites. Young Chinese today, do not really care about the historical differences between the two nations in their consumption of cartoon products, which they do indiscriminately by going for what appeals to them (Brienza,2009) People tend to embrace exotic cultures when certain aspects of these cultures share into their local values. Japanese anime have themes of perseverance, friendship, striving towards certain goals and fighting a good fight which appeals to the global audience and this has made it very acceptable to many (Bouissou J. 2006). Anime however, got language gateways through English, Chinese and French via which the cartoon art extended globally. With the help of amateur subtitlers, in the 80s and 90s, the anime gospel was taken to English speaking nations and this breakthrough is one of the reasons the art is where it is presently. With chinas population at worlds highest today, manga and anime can only get bigger in this part of the world, presenting a wonderful opportunity to industry players to show their creative prowess by continually releasing to the market, productions that will live through generations. Techniques in Japanese anime Some of the techniques used in creating these globally acceptable productions include character design, coloring and eye size (Brienza, 2009). Characters are designed to human body proportions to separate them from western cartoons, this sometimes vary when if emphasis is needed on certain body parts. The eyes in anime are usually large to show distinct emotions. The technique is believed to have been first used by Osamu Tezuka who borrowed it from American cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Betty Boop. Coloring that is usually added to the cornea is intended to give depth to the eyes, it should however be noted that not all anime have large eyes and some works especially by Toshiro Kawamoto and Hayao Miyazaki have been known for proportional eyes with realistic colors which is very close to Japanese art. Music in Japanese anime Music in used in productions is very close to Japanese pop, as an industry, anime has developed its own genre known as anison. Anime today has its own songs and the release of an animation video is usually accompanied by a soundtrack album. Behind the United States is Japan in terms of the of the music market with most of the music consumed in Japan being Japanese. The music combines kanji (on sound) and the gaku (fun and comfort) to produce what the Japanese call ongaku, a genre of music which is well incorporated in anime (Brienza, 2009). Anime in South America Latin America has not been left out with manga and anime enthusiasts found in Venezuela, Chile, Mexico and throughout the entire region. Several websites have been set up in this part of the world to help connect fans and provide a platform for sharing and discussing anime related issues. Anime News Network (ANN) Latin America is one such site that has enabled fans to make contributions and share their anime experiences (Bouissou, 2006). The site has created chapters in most if not all of the South American countries to help fans connect and share issues at country level. The emergence of such sites have been a major tool in facilitating non English and French speaking nations appreciate anime. Fans get the Espanola and Portuguese translations very fast and can as well collaborate in sub titling which in most cases end up in enthusiasts setting businesses from the collaborations and making fortunes from these ventures. Anime News Network Latin America also runs a weekly podcast where hosts give opinions on the days news, review of some of the latest titles on offer; interview some major players in the anime and manga industry. Listeners can at the same time call in and make contributions to the topics being discussed as well as pose questions to guests. The site has a section where fans can find certain features of Japan including guided tour of interesting historic sites and for such, it has been a good way of fans connecting to the characters beyond the videos by understanding how they are regarded in the Japanese culture (Schodt 1996). Similar sites have been set up in South Africa, India, Australia and many other regions of the world to serve enthusiasts in the same way. It worth noting that Japanese anime is not only meant for entertainment but is also used in education sector especially in Japan and is working very well with kids who find it as a very friendly illustration tool. Conclusion Manga and anime have clearly gone global and is today appreciated by people of diverse cultural beliefs and walks of life. There is unanimity that people went for manga and the fan networks in the 70s flourished because of the content of anime which has since stayed the same. There is a general feeling that the whole world is converging at the American culture a view which we have seen as not true with many nations accepting manga just because it is an opposite alternative to American cartoons. The globalization of anime started at a time when sharing information was very difficult with tapes being delivered physically from one fan to the next, which is very different from today where fans can with internet, at the click of a button link to share ideas and even go further and cooperate on anime projects without any physical contacts. The genre of anime can today get access into more cultures with these technological advancements. There is however a general consensus on the strength and morality in the Japanese culture, which has appealed to many, who interact with anime and manga. Anime today, from the figures released by Japanese and American authorities is not only a major revenue earner to the worlds third largest economy but also a leading cultural ambassador, which has done quite a good job in letting the world know and appreciate the uniqueness of the Japanese way of life (Chen Teng 2006), Producers of anime should continue giving the world wonderful entertainment, something they have for close to 100 years done with great perfection and sense of responsibility. Having kept their content above the expected minimum for close to a century, todays anime enthusiasts have no doubt that more generations from all over the world will be entertained by anime.

Relationship Between Man and Machine in Lewis Mumford’s Technics and Ci

Relationship Between Man and Machine in Lewis Mumford’s Technics and Civilization Lewis Mumford’s Technics and Civilization is both a chronicle and a critique of the development of technology alongside society. Mumford sees the development of modern technology as having occurred in three distinct phases—greatly oversimplifying, one could say that the phases represent the shift from â€Å"wood and water† to â€Å"coal and iron† and finally to â€Å"alloy and electricity†. The work is also intensely concerned with the relationship between war and technology. Though the book was written in 1934, its insights transcend the decades and are surprisingly applicable today. An issue concerning us right now, Mumford talks at length about the influences of war on technological advancement, in fact, "at every stage in its modern development it was war rather than industry and trade that showed in complete outline the main features that characterize the machine." [1] We may be inclined to say that warfare, rather than necessity, is the mother of invention. The large majority of new discoveries and inventions aren't discovered by quirky inventors in their basement labs. Instead, we have research and development teams working in large corporations with grants from the US Military. It is somewhat unsettling to think that many of our brightest minds are hired to further their fields under the watchful direction of our military. Of course, many inventions developed by the military make their way into civilian life arguably completely separated from its intended martial use. The most obvious example comes from ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency); the Internet. The Department of Defense was very interested in develop... ... backed up with specific examples, and we often found ourselves in awe of his ability to collect, analyze, and interpret so many obscure moments in history. It’s an excellent collection of insights into the intimate relationship between man and machine. Works Cited 1. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 89 2. Ruthfield, Scott, â€Å"The Internet’s History and Development: From Wartime Tool to the Fish-Cam,† http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds2-1/inet- history.html 3. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 216 4. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 218 5. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 232 6. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 151 7. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 176

The Philosophy of Cognitive Science Essay -- Neurology Psychology Pape

The Philosophy of Cognitive Science Psychophysical dualism — the distinction between mind and body — is the counterposition between essentially irreducible elements: the mind and body. Such a dualism implies the main ontological problem of the philosophy of cognitive science and philosophy of mind: the mind-body problem (MBP). The dualism and the referred-to problem has been insistently discussed in the philosophical tradition and several solutions have been proposed. Such solutions are properly philosophical or require a scientific approach. First, I will expound the philosophical solution to the MBP proposed by Descartes, to be followed by an exposition of Ryle's criticisms to the solution. Second, from Ryle's criticism, I will deduce a scientific solution to the MBP related to the neural framework model of mind in cognitive science by means of what I call 'the principle of the embodiment of the mind.' Finally, I shall point out the philosophical difficulties that are to be found in using such a princip le. If I've reason, then the philosophical problems must let dissolve themselves without any rest, differently from others... — Ludwig Wittgenstein But this very attraction should make us suspicious: in the history of philosophy, attempts at showing a problem to be "pseudo-problem" have often encountered the very same difficulties that have beset attempts to solve the problem. — Hilary Putnam I - INTRODUCTION The psychophysical dualism or mind-body distinction is the counterposition between two essentially irreducible elements: soul and body. Such dualism implies, as we will show, the more discussed issue of philosophy of cognitive science and philosophy of mind: the mind-body problem (MBP, henceforth) whose the en... ...r and Zopf, Pergamon, p. 255-78, 1962). Atlan, H. Entre le Cristal et la Fumà ©e. Essai sur l'organisation du vivant. Ed. du Seuil, Paris, France, 1979. Churchland, D. P. Theories of Brain Function. In : Neurophilosophy: Towards a Unified Science of Mind and Brain, MIT Press, 1986. Descartes, R. Les Meditations Metaphysiques. Ec. Tannery & Adam: Librairie Philosophique L. Vrin, vol. IX -1, 1982. Gardner, H. The Mind's New Science: A History of Cognitive Revolution. New York, Basic Books, 1987. Guà ©roult, M. Descartes Selon l' Ordre de Raisons. Ed. Aubier, vol 1, Paris, 1964. Gonzales, M. E. Q. Neural networks and Mental Representation: An essay on Harmony and Rationality. In: Trans/ Form/Aà §Ãƒ £o, Sà £o Paulo, v. 14, p.93-108, 1991. Nagel, E. The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation. Routhledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1961.

Anarchy :: essays research papers

Anarchism, more than anything else, is about the efforts of millions of revolutionaries changing the world in the last two centuries. Here we will discuss some of the high points of this movement, all of them of a profoundly anti-capitalist nature. Anarchism is about radically changing the world, not just making the present system less inhuman by encouraging the anarchistic tendencies within it to grow and develop. While no purely anarchist revolution has taken place yet, there have been numerous ones with a highly anarchist character and level of participation. And while these have all been destroyed, in each case it has been at the hands of outside force brought against them (backed either by Communists or Capitalists), not because of any internal problems in anarchism itself. These revolutions, despite their failure to survive in the face of overwhelming force, have been both an inspiration for anarchists and proof that anarchism is a viable social theory and can be practised on a large scale. What these revolutions share is the fact they are, to use Proudhon's term, a "revolution from below" -- they were examples of "collective activity, of popular spontaneity." It is only a transformation of society from the bottom up by the action of the oppressed themselves that can create a free society. As Proudhon asked, "[w]hat serious and lasting Revolution was not made from below, by the people?" For this reason an anarchist is a "revolutionary from below." Thus the social revolutions and mass movements we discuss in this section are examples of popular self-activity and self-liberation (as Proudhon put it in 1848, "the proletariat must emancipate itself"). [quoted by George Woodcock, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: A Biography, p. 143 and p. 125] All anarchists echo Proudhon's idea of revolutionary change from below, the creation of a new society by the actions of the oppressed themselves. Bakunin, for example, argued that anarchists are "foes . . . of all State organisations as such, and believe that the people can only be happy and free, when, organised from below by means of its own autonomous and completely free associations, without the supervision of any guardians, it will create its own life." [Marxism, Freedom and the State, p. 63] In section J.7 we discuss what anarchists think a social revolution is and what it involves. It is important to point out that these examples are of wide-scale social experiments and do not imply that we ignore the undercurrent of anarchist practice which exists in everyday life, even under capitalism.

Ophelias Flowers

ENG 4U January 14, 2012 Ophelia and her Flowers Flowers; there expected to be over 10 000 different species of this aesthetic plant, and each can have a different meaning. In the play Hamlet, Ophelia, a girl raised by obedience and manipulation, uses these flowers in a fit of madness and their archetypal meanings to express her thoughts, feelings, and hopes towards her once thought as lover, Hamlet. As the play goes on, you can see that more is revealed in her relationship with Hamlet, and that Ophelia isn’t as innocent and virtuous as she portrays. To begin, in a fit of madness Ophelia begins to give flowers with embedded meanings to recipients who seem most fitting. She states, There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, Remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. There's fennel for you, and columbines. There's rue for you, and here's some for me. We may call it herb of grace o' Sundays. O, you must wear your rue with a difference! There's a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they wither'd all when my father died. They say he made a good end. (Hamlet IV, v, 199-209) I believe that she gave the rosemary to Hamlet. Rosemary is associated with remembrance between two lovers, (Stabler, 2000) which was once the relationship she believed that they had. She may use this in hope that he has not forgotten about her. Whether or not Hamlet was deceiving her, he definitely once made Ophelia believe that he loved her, and he even states. â€Å"I did love you once. †(Hamlet III,i. 126) What made Hamlet lose his feelings for Ophelia? Of perhaps they were never there. Ophelia spends a life time of obeying her male-counterparts. They constantly manipulated her into doing or thinking things that were not of character. For example, she never once thought twice about spying on Hamlet for her father, or doing every single small task he asked her to do, or answering each personal question he asked. Who is to say that Hamlet was not manipulating her and taking advantage of her for her body? After going mad, Ophelia can confirm this accusation when she sings. By Gis and by Saint Charity, Alack, and fie for shame! Young men will do't if they come to't By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, ‘Before you tumbled me, You promis'd me to wed. ‘ He answers: ‘So would I ‘a' done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed. ‘ (Hamlet IV, v. 63-71) This song reveals a lot about Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship. Firstly, â€Å"Before you tumbled me,/ You promis'd me to wed† (Hamlet IV, v. 67-68) reveals that she asked that before he got her into bed, he would promise to marry her. This not only reveals that they have engaged in sexual relations, but it also means that he promised to marry her. He answered, however, â€Å"'So would I ‘a' done, by yonder sun,/ An thou hadst not come to my bed. ‘† (Hamlet IV, v. 70-71) This means that he would have married her, but only if she hadn’t slept with him. (Epstein, 2005) By manipulating Ophelia, Hamlet gets what he wants. Afterwards, Ophelia is left a broken woman with nowhere to go. Hamlet unfairly treats the mislead Ophelia after his promises of love by calling her a whore, when he says, â€Å"That’s a fair thought to lie between a maids’ legs† (Hamlet III, ii. 125) he also demands that she should â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery† (Hamlet. III, I, 131) which is referring her to a common day whorehouse. His mistreatment of Ophelia may have led to her suicide or her accidental death by drowning. It is almost ironic that Ophelia would have her life ended by water, for water is the source of life and sustenance. Unless Shakespeare was trying to represent that Ophelia was now purified by said water, and in death she could finally be happy. It would also be seen that Ophelia would give the violets to Hamlet as well. â€Å"I would give you some violets, but they wither'd all when my father/ died. They say he made a good end. † (Hamlet IV, v, 207-209) Violets represent faithfulness in relationships; (Stabler, 2000) it is likely that she is saying that when her father died, her faithfulness towards Hamlet was now non-existent. This kind of behaviour can be justified because Ophelia is put in a horrible situation. Her conflicting loyalties to her father, and her belief of love with the unapproved Hamlet tore her apart undoubtedly. Now, what kind of position could you put yourself in if your boyfriend killed your father? Respectively, Ophelia begins to sing of death because her world is shattered due to her loss, and her conflicting ideas would more than likely influence her losing her sanity. In conclusion, it can be seen that the archetypal meanings of Ophelia’s flowers can lead to the true meaning of hers and Hamlet’s relationship. Assuming that she wanted Hamlet to have the rosemary and violets, she presented the idea of remembrance of their love, but also the fact that she no longer wanted to be a part of it. This is a huge step for Ophelia because for once, she made her own decision and this would be the peak of her character development. Of course, this triumph over her personal issues is short lived, because soon after she commits suicide in a stream. This could symbolize her purification and release of any words of harm put against her. ? Works Cited Epstein, Alex. â€Å"By The Way, Ophelia Is Pregnant. † Craftyscreenwriting. com. Crafty Screenwriting, 2005. Web. 14 Jan. 2012. Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. New York: Washington Square, 2002. Print. Stabler, Sarah. â€Å"Hamlet; The Symbolism in Flowers. † Homewood City Schools Board of Education. HCSBE, 12 Dec. 2000. Web. 17 Jan. 2012.

A Detailed Lesson Plan in Mathematics V by: Quinee Mae B. Tumaliuan

A tiny LESSON PLAN IN MATHEMATICS V I. Objectives A. Visualize, identify and describe 3-4 sided polygonal shapeal shapes B. Draw 3-4 sided polygons C. discern different geometric figures D. Observe solitaire and discip zephyr in doing assigned industrial plant E. Work cooperatively and collaboratively in wholly activities II. Subject Matter Topic Visualizing 3-4-Sided Polygons bring up BEC-PELC III. 1 Materials manila paper, cartolina, marker, cut-outs of polygons Strategy interactional T for each oneing Strategy Values Patience, Cooperation and hold in III. ProcedureTeachers bodily functionPupils Activity A. Preparation swell morn class Good morning maam B. Review (Socialized Recitation) pick up the pursual geometric figures 1. point? 2. line segment ? ? 3. ray 4. analogue lines 5. run into lines 6. perpendicular lines 7. right on angle 8. knifelike angle 9. shadowy angle 10. polygon C. Presentation What is the figure below? A figure of a man What incident geometri cpolygons figure is used to represent the luggage compartment parts? What polygons can you seerhombus, rectangle, in this fit? os trapezoideum, trilateral arallelogram, squargon The class provide be divided into 4 groups each group will be granted envelopes containing polygons and activity card. They will follow the instruction manual that were written in the activity cards. Activity card B. Separate the 3-sided polygons from that of the 4-sided polygons. C. Number the polygons each as 1, 2, 3, etc. D. Measure the space of the sides of the numbered polygons. E. Record the data F. Tell something virtually the polygons based from the data. G. Discuss you observations among the group. D. Discussion What do we echo 3-sided olygons? triangles What are the kinds ofequilateral, isosceles, polygons fit in to sides? and scalene Who can begin and describe each triangle? What are the kinds of anglesobtuse, right and gibe to angles? keen triangle What do we call 4-sided polygons ? quadrilaterals What are the differentrectangle, square, kinds of quadrilaterals? rhombus, correspond of latitudeogram and trapezoid Who can draw and describe(pupils answer) each type of quadrilateral? E. initiation Three-sided polygons are called triangles Kinds of triangle according to sides 1.Equilateral triangle- three sides are equal or harmonious 2. Isosceles triangle-two sides are congruent 3. Scalene-no two sides are congruent Kinds of triangle according to angles 1. Obtuse triangle-one angle is obtuse 2. Right triangle-one angle is right 3. groovy triangle-three sides are all acute many-sided polygons are called quadrilaterals 1. Rectangle- has two pits of equal opposition sides and it has intravenous feeding right angles 2. lame- all sides are equal and it has four right angles 3. Rhombus- has four equal sides 4. Parallelogram- has both pairs of opposite sides parallel . trapezoid bone- it has one pair of opposite sides parallel IV. Application frame each tria ngle and write if it is equilateral, isosceles or scalene. 1. 2. 2cm4cm 3cm3cm 6cm 3cm 3. 10cm 4. 4cm 4cm 6cm 8cm 2cm Name each triangle and write if it is acute, right or obtuse. 4550 5. 6. 45 40 7. 22 8. 30 28 50 cxxx 100 Encircle the correct come upon to identify each quadrilateral 1. Trapezoid Rectangle 2. Square Trapezoid 3. Rectangle Parallelogram 4. Rhombus Square 5. Parallelogrsam Trapezoid V. Evaluation Match mainstay A with column B tug AColumn B 2.It has four equal sidesa. trapezoid 3. Three sides are congruentb. parallelogram 4. A 3-sided polygon with twoc. equilateral triangle 5. sides equal 6. A 4-sided polygon with oned. isosceles triangle pair of parallel sides 7. A 4-sided polygon with twoe. rectangle pairs of parallel sidesf. square VI. Assignment Draw the following polygons and assign a corresponding cadence for each sides or angles. 1. equilateral triangle 2. square 3. trapezoid 4. rectangle 5. rhombus 6. scalene triangle 7. right triangle 8. parallelogram 9. acute triangle 10. isosceles triangle