African Slaves Essay

Rationale My project will be to examine the lives of Indian Indentured labourers between 1845 and 1917. The reason I am examining their lives is to prove that Indian Indentureship was just another form of slavery with a different name. The project will also assist me in learning about the Indian Indentureship period for my CSEC examination. Introduction Indentured labour was something like the last resort for planters after slavery. After the abolition of slavery the planters were left with a labour shortage. In their search for other sources of labour the planters tried Chinese, Madeirans, even free African slaves but each of these options all had their disadvantages. After a trial and error period with many different labourers, it was found that the Indians were the ideal labourers. The Indentureship period was supposed to be a fair, humane and just system unlike the African slave trade and slavery on the whole but this was not the case. In many aspects of the Indentureship period, it was almost identical to slavery. In the following paragraphs it will be shown from the evidence given, that Indians were treated almost as badly as African slaves, proving that the Indentureship period was simply another form of slavery. Indentureship and slavery are basically the same thing but the major thing that differentiated them was the fact t hat the Indian labourers were legally owned while the African slaves were forced to work for the planters. The Indians were cheated into signing contracts which they didn’t understand with false promises of a better life and good working conditions. The Indians were gullible and were easily tricked into signing the contracts  which ran from 3-5 years. The African slaves on the other were kidnapped in most cases and forced to work for the rest of their usually short lives. Their only chance of freedom would be allowed only if they purchased it, which was very unlikely. The journey for both the Africans and the Indians began with a long journey on a boat in deplorable living conditions. For the Indians the journey lasted from 93 to 113 days which was longer than the journey of the Africans which lasted from 6 to 10 weeks. Although both journeys were bad the Middle passage was a little worse than the journey the Indians endured. They were both kept in confined spaces which was unhealthy, especially if kept for long periods of time. Because of their confinement diseases were easily s pread and the mortality rate was very high. Life on the plantation was not much different because their living quarter were also confined.

“A Celebration of Grandfathers”

1. In â€Å"A Celebration of Grandfathers,† the author writes that respect for elders is â€Å"a cultural value to be passed on from generation to generation.† What does he say the elders could teach young people? Use evidence from the text to explain your answer.Anaya states that elders can teach young people to live â€Å"authentic lives.† By this he means lives that have meaning and purpose achieved through hard work, faith, and a sense of community. Anaya states, â€Å"They learned that to survive one had to share in the process of life,† and that means sharing in the good and the bad. Anaya compares the eyes of the older generation to windows that â€Å"peer into a distant past,† and have a knowledge and spirit that comes from an understanding of the earth with which younger generations have lost touch.2. Anaya recalls an incident where his grandfather tells him, â€Å"Know where you stand.† What did his grandfather mean literally? What did he mean figuratively?Anaya’s grandfather says this to Anaya when he comes home as a young boy having been badly bitten by ants while working out in the fields. Literally, Grandfather means â€Å"watch where you are going/standing,† or â€Å"pay better attention.† Figuratively, Grandfather means this in a more philosophical sense; he is telling young Anaya to learn to pay attention to the world around him so that he can avoid danger. Specifically, he means to pay attention to the Earth (nature) because, unless you show it respect, it can become unfriendly. Even nature’s tiny ants can become hostile and, when working as a community, can become threatening.3. The title of this memoir is â€Å"A Celebration of Grandfathers,† not â€Å"A Celebration of My Grandfather.† Why do you think Anaya made this distinction?In this memoir, Anaya is celebrating the â€Å"elders,† which include all older generations and all future generations that will one day be old. Anaya uses his own grandfather as an example. By relaying his personal experiences with his grandfather, Anaya shows examples of what the elders can pass on to younger generations. This piece is intended as a celebration of all older generations (grandfathers and grandmothers) and the cultural values they passed on.4. How does  Anaya's grandfather help him cope with the death of his young friend?When a young boy is dragged to his death by a horse, young Anaya is upset that death came to someone so young. To help him understand the process of death as a function of life, Anaya's grandfather explains death through images of nature and the changing of seasons. These are common and comforting images that a young Anaya can relate to. Grandfather explains death as a resting period before blooming again, a â€Å"small transformation in life† rather than a permanent unknown.5. The author states that â€Å"They [ancianos] learned that to survive one had to shar e in the process of life.† What does he mean by this? What is the â€Å"process of life†?Anaya means that the elders worked together as family, friends, and neighbors to support each other when times were bad and to share in the bounty when times were good. It was a life that was community-oriented. The process of life is the daily process of living and surviving. They shared good times and hard times. They helped each other through the â€Å"epidemics and personal tragedies† and they â€Å"shared what little they had when the hot winds burned the land and no rain came.† Rappers, if only they knew what they looked like†¦maybe they would stop.

Managing performance through training and development Essay

Managing performance through training and development - Essay Example The lectures indicate that there are numerous applicants received by employers for a single vacancy and work experience programmes for students and recent graduates number about 10,000 positions. Other employers are also offering industrial placements for graduates. Employers also prefer graduates with previous work experiences. Based on the above considerations, it is therefore important for me to undertake measures in order to improve my employability. I have yet to gain entry into the student and graduate training programmes or into the industrial placements for graduates. I believe that by gaining some experience and training, I can make myself stand out among the numerous applicants and thereby gain desirable employment. I understand that as early as now, as a student, I can already establish a reputation and a portfolio or profile which can later enhance my future employability. I need to first establish what I would like to be known for as a student, how wide my networks be, w hat I would like to achieve, and who will speak well of me. As a student, these are aspects of my academic life which would be formulated whether or not I would consciously seek to characterize these aspects. In effect, these elements would be the foundation for my employability. 2. Theoretical basis of the module In evaluating the various theories of the module, I noted that how I would perform in enhancing my employability is based on what I would say or do or what I would present; it is also based on the thinking and judgment of the employers I would like to impress. The theoretical basis of this module is basically the underpinning knowledge and understanding which would help me gain success in further enhancing my employability (theory). I believe that the career theory would help me first establish my personal assessment of what I would like to be, as well as settle other issues like where, when, where, who, why, and how I would like my employment chances to turn out (career t heory). The career theory also acknowledges the fact that careers go through cycles from their start-up, to their growth, then their settlement, their diversification, and their reduction (organisational cycles). There is also a right fit needed for a career to work. In order to enhance my employability, I would have to find the right fit for my skills, knowledge, goals, and interests (career fit). In applying the theories involved in enhancing my employability, I would be able to also understand that the career I would choose would have to match my requirements or needs and that my capabilities would also have to match the requirements of organizations (work adjustment theory). The vocational theory would also provide support and basis in enhancing my employability. The vocational theory is used in classifying individuals and jobs into vocational personalities (self-concept). This theory also provides tools and techniques in order to assist individuals into their distinctive identi ties and vocational personalities (vocational theory). In order to improve my employability, I would need to develop a set of skills and an identity which recruiters can use in order to easily identify my career fit and how I would fit into their own company requirements. 3. Management simulations Management simulations include the application of teamwork. Most businesses have a wide range of functions including marketing, logistics, operations, human resources, and

Contemporary issues in managing human resources Essay - 1

Contemporary issues in managing human resources - Essay Example As averred by Ferris, et al. (1999), â€Å"driven by a number of significant internal and external environmental forces, HRM has progressed from a largely maintenance function, with little if any bottom line impact, to what many scholars and practitioners today regard as the source of sustained competitive advantage for organizations operating in a global economy† (p. 385). Further, contemporary HRM issues include the more qualified term using strategic HRM as establishing the link towards monitoring the quality of employee performance. Another pervading concern of global organizations is the option for downsizing, specifically when external environmental pressures and competitive factors impinge on the decision-making process, to ensure survival and continued production and operation. In this regard, the current research aims to proffer issues in contemporary HRM, particularly focusing on downsizing. The objective is planned to be attained by initially defining relevant terms , such as HRM, strategic HRM, and downsizing. A concluding portion would highlight the significant issues discussed as supported by various authoritative sources from academic journals on the subject of HRM. Definition of Terms An examination of various definitions of HRM by authors, academicians, and management practitioners, shows more common elements than disparate concepts. After synthesizing these elements, the following definition is arrived at: HRM is the art and science of acquiring, motivating, maintaining, and developing people in their jobs in light of their personal, professional and technical knowledge, skills, potentials, needs and values and in synchronization with the achievement of individual, organization and society’s goals. HRM deals only with people so that they can manage the other resources within their domain of responsibilities more effectively. On the other hand, strategic human resources management (SHRM) is defined by Boxall and Purcell (2003) as à ¢â‚¬Å"concerned with explaining how HRM influences organisational performance. They also point out that strategy is not the same as strategic plans. Strategic planning is the formal process that takes place, usually in larger organisations, defining how things will be done. However strategy exists in all organisations even though it may not be written down and articulated. It defines the organisation’s behaviour and how it tries to cope with its environment.† Authors Boxall and Purcell examined the interrelationships and extent by which organizational goals are achieved and influenced by HRM. They differentiated HRM from SHRM by indicating that â€Å"HRM was defined as including â€Å"anything and everything associated with management of employment relations in the firm† (Boxall & Purcell, 2000, p. 184). The theoretical basis for the inclusion of the word strategic to HRM was detailed using a review of various literatures from scholars on the subject. Boxall and Purcell finally averred at this definition of SHRM as â€Å"concerned with the strategic choices associated with the use of labour in firms and with explaining why some firms manage them more effectively than others† (2000, p. 185). According to Miller (2001), â€Å"HRM could not be conceptualized as a stand-alone corporate issue† (p. 348). The inclusion of strategy was regarded as a necessary addition to incorporate marketing efforts to gain competitive advantage with effective use of the

A New Earth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A New Earth - Essay Example It is true that one never realizes the importance of a person in his/her life unless that person is detached from him/her. Just like I realized the importance of my best friend in my life when he passed away in an air crash. I had never come across such a situation before. My entire existence clung like a thread on his presence in my life and I was nothing without him. His departure from this world brought me so close to reality, it taught me the biggest lesson of my life. The way others react to such a situation is both helpful and displeasing for you. Helpful in a way, that you can vent out your feelings. You can shout, cry and yell out at them. And displeasing in the sense that everyone directs his/her sympathies towards you. It makes you a victim of self pity and denial. It hurts your ego and your conscience. The worst part of it is that you cannot share the feeling of agony and excruciating pain with anyone else. My best friend’s death left an irreparable scar on my soul. It made me feel isolated and helpless. I thought I was the only one to be a victim of this folly while everyone else lived their lives normally. I thought some calamity had struck me and it is unnatural. However after reading A New Earth, I realized that this was not anything unnatural and a lot of people in this world have been through the pain of losing their loved ones. This book gave me a part of the peace that I was long looking for. In chapters two, three and four, Tolle talks about human ego. It explains how this sense of â€Å"us† against â€Å"them† leads to lethal rivalries. He talks about how others make us a victim of inferiority complexes. This was so true in my case. Whenever I’d see a pair of best friends together in my school, I’d plunge down into an inferiority complex. Why is my best friend separated from me? I thought. I asked myself some unanswerable questions and went down the memory lane of all the good times I had spent with my bes t friend. The laughter, the smiles and those moments of rejoice had all become memories. It was just so hard to believe in that. This book gave me a chance to understand that the accident that occurred, occurred by the will of God and hence I shouldn’t be the one blaming myself or feeling inferior. I felt that the grief had settled within and there was no way I could be happy or jolly again. I could never be the same hyper and fun-filled person again. There are different ways in which others react to accidents or losses of this magnitude. Either they become introverts and start suppressing their feelings or they find other ways of venting out their frustrations. Some become angry, some bitter. Some try to become self-destructive in trying to cope up with the pain better, while others become jealous of people around them. It’s the feeling of loss and deprivation that inflicts more pain on you. The most appropriate lines that I found in the reading are: â€Å"Apart from the obvious ones such as anger, hatred and so on, there are other more subtle forms of negativity such as impatience, irritation, being fed up and nervousness† (Tolle 148) If you just feel that your loved one is just around you, he can feel you, he is watching you, guiding you in every step of your life. The thought that my best friend is close to me even after his departure has made me feel better and has given me strength. So it’s a trick to not think about the loss deeply when you are in such situations.

Respiration and Photosynthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Respiration and Photosynthesis - Essay Example These processes however differ in their reactants, products, stages, requirements, organisms and organelles in which they occur (Photosynthesis vs. Respiration 2012). Respiration is the set of chemical reactions in the cell cytoplasm and mitochondria that break-down sugars (glucose) in the presence of oxygen into energy in form of adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) and carbon IV oxide (Respiration 2014). This series of aerobic reactions are summarised in the chemical equation below; - a) Glycolysis; - This is the break-down of glucose, a six carbon compound to pyruvate, a three carbon compound in the cytoplasm, a process that yields two ATP molecules (Photosynthesis vs. Respiration 2012). A glucose (C6) molecule is energized by the addition of a high-energy phosphate from ATP, forming glucose-6-phosphate which is re-arranged split into two Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate (C3); each Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate contributes 2 electrons to NAD+, an electron carrier as two (2) low energy Adenosine di phosphate (ADP) molecules are elevated to Adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) by addition of inorganic phosphate leaving pyruvate (University of Chicago at Illinois 2009). b) Krebs cycle; - Pyruvate from glycolysis is converted into Acetyl-coA which is shuttled into the Krebs cycle in the mitochondria. Acetyl-coA through interconversion of 4C compounds gives off two (2) Adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) molecules, eight NADH and two FADH2 (University of Chicago at Illinois 2009). c) Electron transport chain; - The ten molecules of NADH and FADH2 from the Krebs cycle are broken down in the mitochondrial matrix to form Adenosine tri phosphate (ATP); a process powered by an H+ proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane and the matrix (Photosynthesis vs. Respiration 2012). The enzyme ATP Synthase powers the formation of ATP by reducing the proton gradient through electron transport. The

Critical Analysis of the Use of Fate Imagery in The Tale of Kieu Essay

Critical Analysis of the Use of Fate Imagery in The Tale of Kieu - Essay Example In most cases, abstract imagery bears imposed characteristic. Fate imagery is one of the abstract imageries that have been traditionally used in literature all over the world from the very beginning of human civilization. In Nguyen Du’s â€Å"The Tale of Kieu† fate imagery plays a very crucial role in the development of the theme of the poem. I say this because in â€Å"the Tale of Kieu† fate has been portrayed as a villain that inflicts pains, sufferings and miseries upon the protagonist, Kieu. Indeed it is fate that takes a test of Kieu’s virtues and psychological strength. To a great extent, fate appears as a scapegoat which, in a number of ways, serves as the replacement of the oppressive patriarchy. Very often Kieu tends to blame her fate for the pains and sufferings in her life. In a male dominated society she is conventionally accustomed to accept the male hegemony as it is. Though her sufferings are mainly induced by her male counterparts, she fail s to acknowledge them as the root cause of her sufferings. She accuses fate of causing sufferings to women, while ignoring the inferior position women subjugated by men: â€Å"Since ages out of mind, / harsh fate has cursed all women, sparing none. / As I see her lie there, it hurts to think / what will become of me in later days.† (Line 106-110) Kieu believes that women are cursed by fate for ages. She is fully aware of the legacy of the social injustice that women have had to face. She knows that she is also destined to face the same fate: â€Å"As I see her lie there, it hurts to think / what will become of me in later days† (Line 109110). Indeed Kieu’s view of â€Å"cursed womanhood† is the reflection of what Confucian patriarchy teaches them to think of themselves. In Confucian women are viewed as some existence that is both physically and mentally fragile and frail. They are beautiful but weak. Therefore they should be under tutelage of their male g uardians such father, brother or husband. They should go against the decision of their male guardians. A girl needs the guardianship more than a boy does, because she is fated to be such. For Kieu, fate is somewhat that equals to God to a great extent. In some cases fate seems to be God’s decision. She believes that either fate or God is responsible for cursed womanhood. When Dam Tien’s lover mourns at her deathbed saying, â€Å"Harsh is the fate that has kept us apart! / Since in this life we are not meant to meet, / let me pledge you my troth for our next life† (Line 74-76), he essentially refers to heavenly decision. Indeed fate’s association with God’s decision is evident in the following lines in which she directly accuses God of being cruel: â€Å"How sorrowful is women's lot! -she cried / We all partake of woe, our common fate. / Creator, why are you so mean and cruel / blighting green days and fading rose-fresh cheeks?† (Line 82-5) I n these lines, â€Å"Creator† or God is directly held responsible for â€Å"women’s sorrowful lot†. Kieu considers God’s decision as women’s â€Å"common fate†. She believes that god is responsible for â€Å"fading rose-fresh cheeks†. Indeed the frequent of fate imagery in â€Å"the Tale of Kieu†, contributes a lot to the portrayal of the faith of Confucian society