Folklore in two cultures (Cultural Anthropology) Essay

Folklore in two cultures (Cultural Anthropology) - Essay Example This paper will describe and evaluate examples of folklore in Irish culture and Bhutan culture, in order to determine the values they convey while at the same time being entertaining and instructive. Bhutan, in the mountains of the Himalayas and bordered by India and Tibet, is still very much an oral society (Penjore, 2005) today, and one that is absorbed in their traditions with most people wearing traditional clothes (Mystic Bliss). One of their most prevalent folktales is the story of a man called ‘Meme Haylay Haylay’ and his turquoise stone (Penjore, 2005, p.259). The story tells of an old and impoverished man who finds a turquoise stone while digging in his fields. On his way back home he meets a variety of men with whom he makes a number of different trades; he trades his turquoise for a horse, the horse for an ox, the ox for a sheep, the sheep for a goat, the goat for a rooster, and finally he trades the rooster for a song. Singing his song and continuing his jour ney home he feels he is the happiest and richest man in the world (Evans, 2010, p.12). As this story is relayed by different people the ending changes in a number of ways, dependent on how they prefer to interpret the tale (Penjore, 2005) in terms of whether they consider the old man as foolish or as the provider of the secret to happiness. In another version he trades the rooster for a flute; while playing the flute he slips in a wad of cow dung and forgets how to play it and thus ends up with nothing (Penjore, 2005). Whichever version is preferred however, they are used as a satirical account of sound or bad business decisions and the making of profit, and thus while being a form of entertainment in their humor to be enjoyed by all who are listening, they are more importantly a vehicle of instruction; if taken from the perspective that the old man made sound business decisions by appreciating the futility of finding happiness with material possessions and wealth, the ridicule pert ains to the other men who traded their happiness for material possessions. If on the other hand, it is told with the belief that the old man is foolish, then it is used as evidence for bad business practice and one not to be imitated (Penjore, 2005). Within the folklore of Irish culture there is much reference to little people, of which the leprechaun is probably the most famous. Leprechauns are described as small, clever and roguish men who lived in Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. The story tells of these little men about two feet tall with green or red coats and leather aprons, working as shoe makers, hammering away all day long. Leprechauns are said to be unfriendly and miserly and while working on making their shoes, store all their money in a pot which they hide at the end of a rainbow. If you catch one of these leprechauns he will lead you to the pot of gold but if you take your eyes of him, even for an instance, he will disappear with the pot of gold. Also, if you fi nd the end of a rainbow you will find a pot of gold. Such a folktale is obviously entertaining, especially for children, and has been passed down through generations, and like the Bhutan folktale, is concerned with wealth. This tale however, illustrates the futility of believing that money and richness come easily but instead, like the leprechaun, people must work hard and save

How do consumers engage with fashion, textiles or jewellery as a Essay

How do consumers engage with fashion, textiles or jewellery as a routine aspect of everyday life examine this question with ref - Essay Example Fashion is regarded as a driving force that shapes the way people live. That is it influences hairstyles, apparels, food, art, cars, cosmetics, toys, music, furniture, and other aspects of daily lives that people tend to take for granted. Fashion is also a principal component of the popular culture that keeps changing. For example, what might have been regarded fashionable in the 1800s when fashion first emerged may not be considered fashionable today. Today, apart from the basic functioning of cloth, it also serves as fashion items, which can signify how significant a person is and express an individual’s status, as well as what their personal image are like, according to O’Cass (2000, p.545). As a result, clothing can be used as a means of presenting an individual’s identity. Lerkpollakarn and Khemarangsan (2012, p.15) note that consumer behavior towards a fashion clothing affects all aspects of the fashion industry, production, design and merchandising and pro motion at all levels. This also applies to the retail market, according to Crane (2000, p.51). This paper will explore how consumers engage with fashion as a routine aspect of daily life. Clothing is regarded as one of the basic human needs that one cannot do without. Clothing helps keep the body warm, as well as covering the nakedness. This aspect signifies the importance of clothing in human life. However, in addition to the basic function, of clothing in human life, nowadays clothing also serves as a fashionable item, which people use to tell their significance to the society, express their status as an individual, as well as what their personal image are. Thus, people also use clothing as an expression of personal identity (Rocha and Hawkins 2005, p.382). Because of the importance of fashion in the live of consumers, a number of factors influence the buying behaviors of consumers. The factors include identity, physical, lifestyle and store environment. Lerkpollakarn and Khemaran gsan (2012, p.18) claim that identity factors strongly influences consumer behavior in the fashion clothing. This is because some people only choose products based on mood, reliance, personal style, brand image or celebrity influence. Packard and Raine (1979, p.16) reveal that fashion is based on mood and emotions as being conquering to others, aesthetically beautiful and emotional factors based on the feelings and the emotions of consumers. In this regard, research indicates that people tend to engage with fashion based on the emotional factors that make consumers buy clothes, in order for them to be able to look modern and attractive. Lerkpollakarn and Khemarangsan (2012, p.18) argue that more than often, people buy fashionable clothing not just because they need them but for pleasure. DeLace (2011, p.11) observed that the behavior of modern consumer is based on a search for pleasure with the consumption experience itself. As a result, consumers tend to look for new sensations, ne w stimuli. Skoggard (1998, p.56) shows that consumers tend to look for a chance to spend money for clothing when they feel good and satisfied with it. For example, fashion tends to force women to put on clothes that they do not necessarily need. For instance, during the winter season, one may wonder seeing a woman dressed in light clothes that reveal most body parts in the name of fashion, attraction and pleasure that comes with

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Marketing - Essay Example Some customers are price sensitive whereby, an increase in price may cause the customers to buy from competitors. On the contrary product/service involves taking into consideration the needs and wants of a customer. Finally, promotion entails creating awareness about the product or service being offered by the company. This may involve taking into consideration the methods that the company will use to promote their product as well as determining the methods used by their competitors (Hoffmann, 2008). Therefore, this study aims to provide an insight of how the company achieves advantage of delivering value to the consumers and to what extent. 1. â€Å"A company achieves advantage by delivering superior value to its consumers in the marketplace†. To what extent do you agree with this statement and why? A company achieves advantage by delivering superior value to its consumers through utilization of value chain approach/model as proposed by Porters. Different companies tend to ha ve numerous activities that are being involved in the conversion of raw materials to finished goods so as to deliver superior value to their customers. Those activities may be broadly classified into two categories namely; primary activities and secondary activities /support activities within the value chain model. Primary activities comprises of five major activities/ operations namely; inbound logistics, outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales, and services. On the contrary, support activities include; procurement, human resource management, technological development and infrastructure (Saha, 2011). The value chain creation model may be presented in the diagram below. Primary Activities The value Chain Support/secondary activities Source: The five primary activities involve all operations that are aimed at delivering superior value to the customers. Under this section there are activities such as; inbound logistics. Those are operation that is attributed to handling of goods and services within the company. Additionally, inbound logistics involves activities such as material inputs and acquisition, warehousing activities as well as inventory control. Material input and acquisition are those operations that are carried out to ensure that there is proper flow of all the necessary materials and equipments that might be required in order to come up with a finished product that can deliver superior value to the customers. Material input and acquisition further involves determining the most appropriate vendors to supply the company with the necessary raw material in a cost efficient manner. Therefore, procurement managers, operation managers and finance managers should carry out a prior assessment of the most appropriate vendor who can supply raw materials at a minimal cost. This may help to minimize the cost of material acquisition while at the same time ensures that materials obtain deliver superior value to the customers and further enables the comp any to make profits. Both procurement manager and finance manager should collaborate to ensure that materials available in the warehouse are in proper condition. Moreover, they should carry out inventory valuation to determine when to order new material (re-order point) and when to dispose the available stock. This may help to ensure there is efficiency in the flow of raw materials and finished goods within and outside the company

Foreign Investment in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foreign Investment in Japan - Essay Example This dissimilarity in business culture is a vital key to increasing the stakeholders’ worth and for recovery of investments (Finance and Investment).  This dissimilarity in business culture is a vital key to increasing the stakeholders’ worth and for recovery of investments (Finance and Investment).  Cultural Influence One of the most overbearing impressions that Japanese business owners have is that selling out means that they have failed their employees. Their concern for the welfare of their employees after the acquisition has been made is important and they feel that local companies understand this much more than foreigners do. This issue is not limited to foreign buyers; even Japanese equity funds face great difficulties in acquiring Japanese companies. It takes a lot of hard work to convince potential targets to sell because of their concern for their employees. (ACCI Journal).  This is the basic reason for the low numbers of transactions when compared to th e USA and Europe. This raises the question with most foreign investors as to whether Japanese companies are for sale? Japanese companies can be acquired, but this has usually been an uphill task because of cultural barriers. Now the feeling is that Japan needs foreign investment for sustenance (ACCI Journal).  

African American Studies-Introduction to the Art of Africa Essay - 1

African American Studies-Introduction to the Art of Africa - Essay Example The different forms signified different statuses of women in the society as well as their creative aspects. Young women who were being initiated into womanhood wore the masks in the initiation ceremonies (Foster 1). They showed that the young girls had courage and determination to take up female responsibilities in the society. After initiation, each girl would be given a unique mask made from the trunk of a cotton tree. The maker of the mask would only proceed to make the, mask for a girl after hearing screams from the girl undergoing the initiation process. There were specific requirements that the initiates had to fulfill while wearing the mask. They were not supposed to reveal any of their body parts. Failure to adhere would attract possession by the evil spirits. The cover clothing was supposed to be black in color. It is clear that the Sowei masks served the purposes of beautification and conduction of rituals. They were reserved for Sande and Bundu societies. They helped distinguish the Mende women from other tribes in the

World War 2 History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World War 2 History - Essay Example The biggest obscurity that remains is who should bear the culpability of the Holocaust. Millions of questions fizz out of the World War II brutality, but unfortunately, neither satisfactory answer has ever been reached nor is there any in the near future. The answers to evolving questions still remain oblivious with many wondering about the motives and the driving force behind the Holocaust. However, through their stories, Christopher Browning, Sledge Barrow, and Gerald Linderman try to explore some of the drivers of such brutalities witnessed with â€Å"ordinary men† of Reserve Police Battalion 101 during World War II. Browning attempts to shed light on the outrageous behavior of â€Å"ordinary men† of Reserve Police Battalion 101 in the period of German invasion of Poland. On the other hand, Sledge explores the physical and psychological tortures that the United States marine went through in their bid to survive during offensive action in Peleliu and Okinawa, which wa s also reflected by Linderman. All these men crafted literature on the experiences of ordinary men during the war, which compelled them to execute horrific and baffling actions. The main role of Reserve Police Battalion 101 in Poland was to clear ghetto and to extradite the Jews to rear regions by train. According to Browning, most of the members of this group were neither Nazis nor trained for war (3–4). Interestingly, the men turned out to be one of the most efficient executioners of innocent civilians. Jozefow, Poland, marks the group’s initial murder stage, which became a future plan for successive murder operations. The Battalion commander, Major Wilhelm Trap, came up with a solution for those who could not accomplish the task of killing their victims by relieving them of their duty. However, only a few members bought his idea of the reprieve offer. It beats logic and exposes extreme meanness when ordinary men were matched one-on-one with their victims, which pres ented the murders as more individual. The men felt resentment and depression from the killing when they later retreated into their camps (Barrow 69). The commanders of the men resorted to making alcohol accessible, perhaps, to frozen the feelings and experience and also to help the men to cope. Browning further argues that some of the members of Reserve Police Battalion 101 requested to quit when the executions began, while others seemed to enjoy their role (70). The idea of taking lives is quite a traumatizing experience. Apparently, those who were leaving were so withdrawn to pull the trigger with their weapons, and more so, on a face-to-face execution basis of their victims. As the battalions participated in numerous operations to capture and exterminate the Jews, they became more oriented to killing and would even derive pleasure from killing their victims (Browning 127). In spite of the reluctance to shoot their Jew victims, it did not make any better their callous capture and delivery of the Jew captives to their murder sites. Browning argues that "Spared direct participation in the killing, the men...seemed scarcely to have been disturbed" (Browning 90). Quite a large number of the battalions took part in organized murders in their attempt to â€Å"cleanse† Poland. The successive executions were based on the plan developed in Jozefow, when the very first executions were made efficiently and effectively by the ordinary men. In the later killings, the Jews were led to the forest, ordered to lie down and then gunned on their necks. Because of their involvement in countless shootings of the Jews, the men became so murder-oriented that they even became efficient in dispelling the killings from

The NHS Improvement Plan 2004 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The NHS Improvement Plan 2004 - Essay Example imaging tests who do not have an appointment within 20 weeks will be offered the choice of having their scan at another provider within a maximum of 20 weeks. This brings new challenges to the NHS, for it covers all diagnostic imaging tests apart from CT and MRI, and other clinical specialities like echocardiography, ultrasound scanning performed in urology/urodynamics and GI physiology, and vascular scanning performed in vascular technology departments. This obviously brings the independent providers into the scene. It is true that whenever choice is introduced, local services tend to improve. Firstly, the threat of competition leads local services to improve their standards. Second, choice leads to the creation of new provision which benefits local people. This will certainly ring true for the imaging services as well. People are to have control over issues like when and where to get a screening done and thereby ensure the quality and convenience that they want. But the local independent sector providers are more or less new to the market. As such, strong management and co-ordination of services by clinicians, radiographers and managers is imperative for ensuring the safety of the patients. Moreover, there are various concerns about the quality of service provided by the independent sector. In June 2004, Alliance Medical Ltd. won a contract to supply the NHS with 130000 MRI Scans per annum for five years. The contract was widely criticised by healthcare unions, including the Society of Radiographers (SoR) which said that the government should have consulted radiographers and those who knew the service best. Patients given MRI scans by Alliance Medical Ltd... The researcher of this essay aims to critically evaluate the statement "By 2008, the Independent Sector will provide up to 15% of procedures on behalf of the NHS" and indicate what effect this will have on NHS Services provided by Imaging Departments of the United Kingdom. The researcher states that NHS Improvement Plan, 2004, predicts a promising healthcare scenario with the policy makers making it clear that the independent sector will play a key role in delivering NHS care, providing upto 15 percent of procedures on behalf of NHS in order to support capacity and choice. This will certainly provide better opportunities for patients as they will have an increased number of choices. The researcher mentiones that there are various concerns about the quality of service provided by the independent sector today. Thus, an increase in the number of choices will have major implications for imaging services as this has reduced waiting times to a great extent. It is describes that this will c ertainly ring true for the imaging services as well. But problems continue to surface, as the services are not integrated into NHS Departments of Radiology to an extent, which the situation demands. In conclusion, the researcher sums up that an ideal approach, in this case, would be enabling flexibility of staffing, and making the best use of teleradiology with images acquired being transmitted to an available radiologist and at the same time maintaining skills and quality assurance of machines and staff.