Discuss the relationship between literary and film versions of a particular ‘romance’ text Free Essays

When a reader reads a novel and then watches a movie based on the book, they take in two very different perspectives. The use of camera techniques within the movie creates the story from the director’s or script writers perspective, leaving the viewer only with one interpretation of the novel whereas when a reader reads the novel, he or she takes in a personal insight to the book and creates their own version to the narrative process. Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Bronte in the mid 19th century is a gothic novel which presents the love of Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff as a very innocent relationship whereby many people will see it as been a ‘teenage crush’. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss the relationship between literary and film versions of a particular ‘romance’ text or any similar topic only for you Order Now The novel is structured around two key points (purposes): the strong male ‘hero’, and the romance between the hero and heroine (Cranny-Francis). Wuthering Heights is in many ways a romance novel (even though many critics choose not to agree). The term ‘romance’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary the term is defined as: A prevailing sense of wonder or mystery surrounding the mutual attraction in a love affair. Cathy and Heathcliff’s romance for one another is outside social due to economic circumstances therefore they do not marry even though their love for one another remains strong until the end of the novel (Cranny-Francis). The many movie versions made of Wuthering Heights have gotten a grasp on the main shared themes in the story yet however the differences between the two mediums is vital to the narrative structure. Heathcliff’s character been vital to the storyline (as he is the novels key point of focus) is very important when making the movie versions of Wuthering Heights as he brings out the audiences response (Haire-Sargeant). Previously, film versions of Wuthering Heights have in fact attempted to explain the character of Heathcliff in a way the audience can connect with this character and achieve their expectations. Directors have been doing this change by altering parts of the story so that Heathcliff’s character is not as evil as Bronte’s character in the novel is; or by leading the audience or the reader as Bronte does to take in Heathcliff’s good and wicked personality within his perspective. When Bronte wrote the novel, of course it had to have been linguistic. Movies however, cannot give the viewer every last detail that is in the novel and therefore have to adapt the book into a screenplay in order all the audience can understand its concept. Therefore changes and problems are created. The question which arises from every book turned into a movie becomes ‘does the movie mirror or replicate the context of the novel’ which in so many words is not possible. To get every last detail of a four hundred page novel down in the short space of two/ or three hours will confuse the viewer as movies unlike novels do not ask for an audiences creativity to form the story it is already done and bought to life on screen. The question at hand therefore should be ‘how does the movie engage audiences/ viewers attention? Does it succeed in its own way? (Haire-Sargeant) This analysis of Wuthering Heights will be explored in William Wyler’s 1939 version and also in Peter Kosminsky’s 1992 version of the book. From the beginning of the novel Heathcliff is bought into the story as diclassi. He is bought home by Mr Earnshaw and is just explained to be ‘from the streets – a gipsy’. His background remains anonymous to the reader throughout the book as well as the movies (Cranny-Francis). In the novel, Nelly Dean tells Lockwood the narrative from her personal insight to the family having been with them for three generations. However, in Wylers movie the story is presented by first generation of Earnshaw and Linton. In the book, Bronte makes Heathcliff’s character appear to be tall, dark, passionate, violent and uncivilised. Yet however, in Wyler’s version of Wuthering Heights he has cast Lawrence Olivier to play the character of Heathcliff. He is characterised differently in this movie in comparison to the novel. Wyler and Olivier present Heathcliffs emotions and the cruelty he has had to bear from Hindley a great deal. This 1939 version of Wuthering Heights is what Haire-Sargeant describes as been ‘holographic’. The movies framing brings the movie together to form together a masterpiece work. Wyler controls a black and white of delicately shaded tonality; the powerfully expressed emotional and spiritual touch. The story through the use of extreme emphasis on visuals presents open space in comparison to the settings described by Bronte in the novel. (Haire-Sargeant p. p. 170-173). Wyler’s movie has bought forth to the audience attention the connection between Heathcliff and Cathy and the emptiness of the world for both of them when not together (Hair-Sargeant). Peter Kosminskys 1992 version titled Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights did not achieve the audience response that the 1939 one received merely due to the fact of poor casting. French actress Juliette Binoche played both the characters of first generation and second generation Catherine. The controversy surrounding this poor casting was simply the fact that Catherine in Bronte’s novel was from an English background. To cast a French to play the role of an English girl was part of the reason of why the movie did not seem to do well. Another interesting casting in this movie was the actor who took on the role of Heathcliff: Ralph Fiennes. Although he did not look in the part with his refined features, he quite differently to Olivier’s performance of Heathcliff in the 1939 version presented a quiet, smiling torturer at play. This is a major personality characteristic of Bronte’s Heathcliff in the novel. The cruel personality of Heathcliff in this movie version cannot be understood to be an act of anger or personality as the Heathcliff played by Olivier presents. Different to the 1939 Wuthering Heights and the book by Bronte, in this version it is not Heathcliff who holds the narrative process together but rather it is Catherine. The story in this version gave the character of Catherine more maturity and power as opposed to in the book where Bronte seemed to present an immature ‘school-girl’ type of girl in the first generation Cathy’s personality. Yet the most important factor to consider is the fact that Binoche took on the role of both mother and daughter each been delivered differently and fitting in together with the story. Unlike the book where Bronte focuses a great deal of volume one on the first generations childhood, the book just touches on it and skims past them really quickly leaving the audience to fill in the gaps. For example Nelly Dean’s character in this movie only has a small role and does not state exactly who she is to the audience whereas in the book more then half of it is her narrative of the events circulating between the Earnshaws, Lintons and Heathcliff. Another example is the character of Hindley who is important to the novel. He fades off the screen as well as his wife, Frances, before the viewers’ notice what happened to them. Kosminskys main interest in this movie was to show the viewer the great love story between Cathy and Heathcliff. Yet he gave the audience little time to grasp the storyline as he wanted us to focus primarily on the main ‘stars’ without drifting the audiences mind towards other matters. Unlike Wyler’s version however, like the book the 1992 version presented both the second generation as well as Lockwood. The end of the movie showed second generation Cathy and Hareton riding together a happy couple getting married soon. This romance developed gradually over a period of time in the novel whereas in the movie it is one of the final shots. This refers back to the point made earlier about Kosminsky’s skimming over the lives of the characters in the story not letting the audience take in what is happening. Hareton’s character in this movie version did not have an important role nor did he make much appearance whilst he was a central character in the novel. The key strength of the movie however, is the use of only key subject matters in relation to the story to make it fit perfectly into the duration time of two hours (Haire-Sargeant). The use of settings, tone and music all contribute to the construction of the film. When a reader reads the novel they create their own interpretation and felt emotions in regards to what is happening in the texts, but however with movies comes the fact that we are witnessing all one set perspective of the story. Music and scenery are a major aspect of witnessing something before us especially on screen. It reminds the viewer of how they see what is real and what is not real, therefore forming and revealing the storyline. The use of screenplay and Hollywood touches adds more drama to the actual story, making the love story appear to be more realistic for viewers and more ‘romantic’ in relation to the novel where it is interpreted according to the readers’ imagination. The book allows readers to go beyond the linguistic and explore deeply into the plot, whereas the movie is set images on screen and it is up to the viewers to accept or reject the shared ideas or themes introduced by the screen play writer and the actors acting out the novels characters. Wuthering Heights the novel is a well structured novel, which explores everyone and every event in sufficient detail for the reader to comprehend the story. It gives the reader the impression that they are part of the dramas of the characters lives and the reader has a connection with each storyline. The movie because it is so fast paced and shorter then the novel, the viewer can not make that special connection which keeps them enticed as they are not using their imagination but rather their sight sense. In conclusion, going back to the question bought up earlier in regards to whether the two movie versions made of Wuthering Heights have brought to life the novels’ key strengths, the novel and the movie both are unique and interesting in their own set ways. Whilst the novel has been interpreted to be a Gothic novel with a metaphorical aspect of romance in it by many critics over the past centuries, the movie versions of this is novel is far from been described and categorised as been Gothic. It is a highly dramatic piece of work with a totally different presentation of the characters which Bronte firstly introduced in her 1800s novel. The novels plot thickens mainly around Cathy and Heathcliff and for a director to put this into action a lot of things need to be toned down as of the fact the story was written two centuries ago and the audience who view it in today’s society will vary in ages therefore it needed to be played down so the viewer can take in more of the story and the characters and walk away with the basic concept of what the book is about. The use of sadism in Heathcliff’s character is played down on in the movie versions of the novel, and although both the Heathcliff’s played out by Fiennes and Olivier are differently presented they both sum up the main plot of the un-dying love between Catherine and Heathcliff that Bronte sought to present in her book but however, each director displays this theme accordingly to his own personal interpretations of the story. How to cite Discuss the relationship between literary and film versions of a particular ‘romance’ text, Papers

Peter The Greats Westernization Of Russia Essay Example For Students

Peter The Greats Westernization Of Russia Essay Peter the Greats Westernization of RussiaPeterthe Greats Westernization of RussiaIn 1689, Tsar Peter I forced his way intopower in Russia. Better known as Peter the Great, he overthrew hishalf-sisters regime and took control of the state. At this time,Russia was dealing with rapid expansion, yet it was still a very backwardscountry compared to the rest of Europe. Russia was also dealing witheconomic woes. Peter loathed this backward condition and deviseda plan. Within ten years of gaining power, he began to travel throughwestern Europe in search of skilled workers. On his tour of westernEurope, Peter met kings, scientists, craft workers and ship builders. He even worked undercover in a Netherlands shipyard in hopes of learningbetter methods of crafting vessels. Eighteen months later Peter returnedto Russia and began to use this new wealth of knowledge to westernizehis nation. His idea of westernization was the modernization of Russia. He wanted to turn Russia to the west. Peter the Great adopted many of the ideasused by Ivan the Terrible in the fifteenth century. He ruled as atyrant and held himself above the law. Peter alarmed the nobilityand churchmen with his new objective. He snipped off the beards ofthe Boyars, land-owning men of influence and wealth, and ended their swayin government. Peter was determined to civilize nobility and evencomposed a book of manners. This book forbid such actions as spittingon floors and eating without utensils. He also promoted courtly discussionsbetween men and women. Eventually he ended up increasing their powerover the serfs, the countryside peasants. Next, Peter fortified Russiasarmy and navy to ensure a strong military, established a modern iron industryto promote production, and expanded and added additional roads and canalsfor the purpose of stimulating trade. Farming and manufacturing werealso encouraged by the tsar. Unfortunately for the serfs they werenot only burdened with the task of mandatory labor for t he state, but theywere left to deal with steep taxes as well. For them,a less than bountiful harvest often meant starvation. In the implementation of his new ideas,Tsar Peter had twelve hundred of the streltsy, the elite army corps whoopposed westernization, executed and hung in public. He lefttheir decomposing bodies on display in front of the Kremlin for monthsto dissuade challenges to his authority. He even tortured his ownson when he voiced opposition to Peters wave of change. These mercilessactions stunned everyone and proved his determination and power. Peter also appointed a personal agentto regulate the affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church. This ledto the church becoming a virtual extension of the state. In1709, Peter defeated Swedish forces at the battle of Poltava and gainedland on the Gulf of Finland. He then moved the capital of Russiato the newly constructed port city of St. Petersburg. It is herethat Peter flaunted his countrys rising wealth and created Peterhof, anelaborate palace emulating Louis XIVs Versailles. St. Petersburgwas built by serfs and ensured Russias access to the west. Peter the Great died in 1725. Onemajor thing he left out of his idea of westernization appears to be theexploration and colonization of far off lands. He was more focusedon strengthening Russia from within. While England, France, Spainand Portugal were heavily involved in exploration, Peter was working diligentlyto bring his nation to the same level as his western neighbors. Hecarried Russia a long way from Ivan the Terribles time of troubles. .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e , .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .postImageUrl , .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e , .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:hover , .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:visited , .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:active { border:0!important; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:active , .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1cbec1cd3223bf9feb4080cf8df9795e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Censorship Of The Net EssayHis country was now much more powerful in terms of its military, its economyand its status in Europe. Peter had paved the road to a more powerfulpositon in the world economy. The reign of Peter the Great was not oneof grand humanity but it led his country into the future. His hardwork and stringency created a nation of power and influence out of thebackwards and laggard realm that he had acquired. He was astern man, often overly barbaric, but he achieved many of his westernizationobjectives. Without his rule, Russia may not have become the powerfulnation that it needed to be in order to survive in theearly-modern era.

Suicide of Vietnam Veterans Essay Example For Students

Suicide of Vietnam Veterans Essay The deaths that were experienced in Vietnam due to Agent Orange and other jungle diseases have become well known by the general public. However, it is suicide that has resulted in the deaths of over 150,000 Vietnam soldiers during and after the war. An enormous amount of suicides resulted from what most people call â€Å"protecting our country†. The Vietnam War brought more than fifty-eight thousand deaths and is to some one of the darkest battles in United States history. If not killed during the war, many believe any Vietnam veteran would return home great and proud. But this is not the case. Many Vietnam veterans have committed suicide before, during, and after the war. Not only have these men and woman risked their lives for our country, but now, return different people and can not comprehend whether or not to continue their lives. Many people believe we win wars, when in actuality, no one does, especially those who serve in the armed forces (Suicide Wall, 11-10-2000). Made up of equal parts N-Butyl Ester 2,4,-D and N-Butyl Ester 2,4,5,-T, Agent Orange made many Vietnam soldiers go insane (Vietnam Veterans, 11-10-2000). This atrocious chemical lead and still today leads to death, deformation, and diabetes. Dr. Joel E. Michalek, who deals with statistics for the air force, was the first to notice a link between Agent Orange and diabetes. But the federal government was not willing . ..to spend millions of dollars on such studies. Dr. Michael Gough, a retired biologist was quoted as saying the conclusion Ive come to is that there is no evidence whatsoever to support any connection between low-level dioxin exposure and any human disease. Some say they will not do research because it is another thing . ..that will be linked to the health complaints of Vietnam veterans (Kolata, A16). There is hope still. In 1996, Clinton ordered disability benefits for Vietnam veterans suffering from prostate cancer and nerve disease associated with Agent Orange. Eventually, the government will fund more and more diseases for those who served in the war and were exposed to the substances. No one really knows for sure what it does, but many diseases have been associated with the deadly defoliant, Agent Orange (Purdum, A17). There have been so many suicides committed by Vietnam veterans; it is now on the most efficient tool of the twenty-first century. Sites have popped up all over the Internet dealing with the men and women who served in the Vietnam War. One site, apparently just on this subject, tells of different information on those committing suicide the most, Vietnam Vets. The site, Suicide Wall, .. .is an attempt to determine how many Vietnam veterans have actually taken their own lives (Suicide Wall, 11-10-2000). An on going study on why and how these suicides take place is continuing everyday. A big controversy is actually how many people did take their lives due to the war. The United States have their statistics, but Australia went in-depth to see an actual amount. The U.S. claims about 58,000 suicides have taken place due to the war. This count is about 20% of all deaths in the Vietnam War, which would be placed in the category of suicide. But Australia believes through the same and other statistics that about 150,000 people committed suicide. That would bring the United States percentage to approximately 50% of a suicide rate. No one could actually ever know how many died due to post-dramatic stress and different defoliants from the Vietnam War, but an ongoing struggle to understand what went wrong is continuing in the years to come. Many veterans served in Vietnam between 1969 and 1973. Between these years, three main chemicals were used as defoliants while the war was taking place. Being exposed to these chemicals provides a higher rate for any Vietnam veteran to commit suicide. .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 , .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .postImageUrl , .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 , .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:hover , .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:visited , .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:active { border:0!important; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:active , .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17 .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub0f8f859180dfa410e6cc358d75fef17:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Odd Man Out Essay The mortality rate in Vietnam Veterans was 17% higher than for Vietnam-era veterans during the first five years following discharge (Kelley, 1997). Michael Dean served in .

Wildes Fairy Tales as the Ones That Teach Moral Lessons

4 tips for talking work-life balance with your boss

4 tips for talking work-life balance with your boss From time to time, almost every working adult will struggle with work-life balance. But what does work-life balance even mean? Simply put, work-life balance is how your obligations at work and home are prioritized. It boils down to how many hours a week you spend focusing on your career  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ completing projects, turning in assignments, responding to emails – versus the time in a week you spend engaging in activities in your personal life, like spending time with friends and family, running personal errands, exercising, or even just relaxing.Americans work a lot. In fact, a 2015 Gallup poll found that Americans who are employed full-time work 47 hours a week on average, or the equivalent of nearly six days a week. And, nearly four in 10 workers reported logging more than 50 hours a week working.With this amount of time being devoted to our professional lives, when the scales tip in work-life balance, it’s usually towards more work and less play. That can be fine for short periods but long term it can be problematic.When the delicate balance between your career and personal life are out of whack – and stay out of whack – it can leave you feeling off-kilter, frustrated, and resentful. But, since a demanding work life often stems from a demanding boss, it can be difficult to know how to broach the topic.We’ve compiled 4 tips for having a productive conversation with your boss or manager about work-life balance. Read on to learn how to find the balance you seek.Do some soul searchingBefore you discuss the issue with your manager, do your best to get to the root of the problem. Is your personal life suffering because of unrealistic expectations from your superiors at work, or is it possible that these expectations are self-imposed and that you are â€Å"overworking† your job?How do you judge? One way to gauge whether the problem lies with you or whether it lies with your boss is to work a normal 40-hour week and see w hat happens. Skip staying late for one week. Forbid yourself from logging work time over the weekends and then just wait.If your boss doesn’t notice that you haven’t worked longer hours or completed extra work, the demand might be self-inflicted. If your boss does notice and mentions it, make a note. This will become important in later discussions.Identify the problemIf you’ve determined that the pressure you feel at work is, in fact, coming from your manager, next you must identify the exact problem.Ask yourself: Is your work-life imbalance stemming from an unreasonable workload that is impossible to complete within the confines of a 40-hour work week? If so, you aren’t alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-third of employed people in the U.S. spend some part of their weekends doing work.For others, the problem of balancing life and career lies in a rigid schedule that doesn’t offer the flexibility to duck out of work for, say, a n annual doctor’s appointment or important errand. Both scenarios can be frustrating and confining.Identify the source of the problem before you meet with your boss. This will allow you to come to the meeting armed with suggestions on how to handle the situation at hand.Arrange a meeting and come prepared with ideasOnce you have identified the problem, ask for a meeting and come equipped with solutions. This will look different for everyone but here are some possibilities:Suggest ways to delegate tasks to spread the workload more evenly across your team to lighten your workload.Request flexible hours that work better with your schedule. For example, if you are a parent and want more time with your children, you might suggest a schedule that allows you to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of the normal 9-to-5.Suggest an amended schedule. Instead of working five days a week, ask to work four 10-hour shifts. This will enable you to have three days off each week instead of the t ypical two-day weekend.Request a longer lunch break. This will allow you to run errands or attend appointments without taking time off work.Suggest one work-from-home day each week. Cutting your commute out of your day even one day a week can free up additional hours.While not ideal, asking for unpaid time off can be a solution in a pinch.Know when to move onA severe work-life balance can wreak havoc on your well-being. If you’ve exhausted all these possibilities and still can’t make headway in achieving a reasonable work-life balance, it may be time to move on. This means you’ll have to dust off your job application skills, and get ready to build a resume and cover letter for each new opportunity you discover. Put aside some time each week to begin looking for a new job. Finding this time will likely be tough, given that your work-life balance is already out of whack, but it’s critical that you find it. You’ll never move on to a better work-life b alance situation if you don’t.The best way to ensure a rational work-life balance next time around? Ask about it during the interview process, or do some research on the company you land an interview with to see what its employees (or past employees) have to say about work-life balance.

State of women's equality in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

State of women's equality in Canada - Essay Example Do factors like ethnicity and economic status determine the establishment of equality of women in Canada along with policymaking? Women’s interests were a part of policy making since the seventies. In the 80s the issue of representation of women in state legislations came into play. A comparison can be made in terms of the policy process between Canada’s Royal Commission and Commission for Gender Equality between Men and Women of Switzerland. In fact in case of women of Sweden and Canada, commitment to equality encompasses gender bias to some extent. In fact the effectiveness of government policies also depends upon how far women are able to organize and discipline themselves to face the resistance of men towards policies which endanger their conventional role of dominance. In Sweden women defended their position as â€Å"insiders† within political parties in order to have equal position with men in both private and public fields. In Canada however, the campaign of women’s equality moved slowly beyond communities of women who had hardly any effect on the men’s dominant position in political groups. In order to defend their status as outsiders they used the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1960. They presented their interests at the hearings of the Commission (Briskin& Eliasson, 1999, p.120). However the recommendations of the commission regarding women’s position were limited. The commissioner pressed the government for raising the funding for women’s groups and thus they rather established the outsider’s role of women legally than challenging the system of representation. Also the hearings and procedures favoured the elite groups of women from conservative households rather than the poor and working class or immigrant and ethically inferior women. Most of the representations came from the well known established groups (Briskin& Eliasson, 1999, p. 126). Canadian government introduced the Equal Op portunity Act as a tool against sexual discrimination. The act encouraged formation of unions by women activists. This emphasised an innovative structure of leadership and emphasis is led on accountability, participation (not representation) and bringing in more democracy in decision making amongst women (Briskin & Eliasson, 1999, pp.128-129). The book The Jade Peony discusses distinct women characters who reflect strength and determination in the form of decision making. Poh-Poh, the grandma, symbolizes respect and order. She teaches everyone in the family with the help of superstitions and encourages the younger generation to speak Chinese instead of following the Canadian culture. She is superstitious and always talks of superstitions and ghosts to teach the family members. The story represents immigration and the low economic status of the immigrants whose jobs were unstable. Women had no power within family and in decision-making roles as per the Western values but Grandma is m ore inclined towards Chinese customs according to which women played dominating roles in the family. Grandma’s adherence to superstitions is another escape from the poor conditions of livelihood. Her hands symbolize knowledge, creativity skills that are earned in the difficult way. Chinese people were brought in to do the hard manual jobs like railway building and then passed the law to freeze immigration from China. The old

P.management long Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

P.management long - Essay Example There will also be a discussion on some of the key challenges and difficulties that companies may face while using management control systems as packages. What are Management Control Systems? As Lawson states, â€Å"management control systems are methods of collecting information that are used to guide and direct the behavior of staff members and management in order to achieve a company's goals† (1). Management control system is basically a mechanism companies use to collect information required to manage and control the activities regarding accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Management control systems include a set of guidelines and techniques for companies that can be used to operate business processes and activities effectively and efficiently. Both managers and employees make use of those directions or methods to bring improvement in their individual and departmental performances, as well as to achieve organizational goals. In today’s world of co mpetition, companies need to adapt quickly to the use of technology in order to come in line for competition with other companies. In this regard, it is the need of today for the companies to adopt the use of management control systems to benefit from ongoing changes instead of leaving behind in the race of competition. Employees and managers need to use their knowledge regarding change to react positively to the changes in the internal and external business environment to improve organizational level of productivity and profitability. They need to link strategic planning and organizational processes by using the operational guidelines of management control systems. The focus of management control systems is not just on a single form of control, such as, performance measures, rather it covers multiple control systems that work together to achieve organizational goals. Therefore, management control systems can be used to direct all administrative matters, as well as to manage the iss ues of employees. Management Control Systems as Packages As Sandelin states, â€Å"the functionality of a control package depends on internal consistency, specifically on the reciprocal linkages of design and use between a primary mode of control and other control elements† (324). In today’s world, the needs of every company regarding internal controls and functionality of different departments are different from every other company. This shows that proper functionality of a management control package is highly dependent on a company’s internal level of operational consistency, as well as on links between different internal controls and systems. The need to use management control systems as packages can be understood by the fact that using such systems in isolation can lead to various administrative issues and organizational problems because all organizational systems and processes are interrelated. Therefore, it is the need of companies to use management contro l systems as packages not only to make an efficient use of organizational systems but also to ensure consistency of processes. According to Sandelin, the variety and operational efficiency of a control package is totally dependent on the way employees and managers of a company takes care of its functional requirements and demands (324). This statement shows that use of control package is