Personal values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal values - Essay Example This is of specific reference for me as I believe that the advantages of a diversified workforce can provide various benefits to an organization as a whole. This is due to the fact that each culture has its own positive input into the business mix, if managed correctly. This appears to be the case, as the performance appraisals reveal that a more nurturing and encouraging environment is evident from the analyses of these appraisals. The entire customer service ethos within Kudler is remarkable, as this is revealed in the mission statement of the company. Issues such as professional courtesy are of specific relevance, in terms of their customer care. In my appreciation of these factors, I am in total agreement of the customer service aspect as the correct treatment of the customer can, and normally does contribute to the business’ success and overall profit. Incorporated in the consumer care, Kudler continues to strive for additional choices of products for the customer, and although at times this may prove to be expensive in terms of the cost of holding the inventory, it will rather encourage the repeat customer as well as the addition of new customer seeking such a large variety in terms of their shopping requirements. The fact that the Kudler organization is a small business and is poised for growth, contributes to my personal value of growth. This represents an opportunity for growth and advancement within the business, as it expands and opens more stores across California and further when they decide to expand beyond the Californian borders. This in turn will offer the opportunity of progressing from a junor management role into a more senior management position as the company expands. This ties in with my personal value of personal growth, which can be applied as the organization grows into a larger and more expansive retail operation, as it grows towards the planned San Francisco store and expansion. Additionally

Life of Pi Essay Example for Free

Life of Pi Essay There is a time in each person’s life when they feel like the world is coming to an end and no one can help them overcome the problem that there in, but all of a sudden they get a feeling that everything is going to be all right, that somehow they’re going to be able to overcome the crises they’ve fallen into. That spark that lights up there world again, and gives them hope, is belief. Not everyone knows they have the ability to believe in what is unseen but when they fall into a situation where nothing can help them, their human instincts push them into believing that somewhere out there a greater force is going to rescue them. In the story â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel takes the readers on a journey to explore the mystery of belief. Pi shows the readers that not everything needs to be seen in order to believe in. Pi is a sixteen year-old boy who has seen nothing of the world, he had nothing more to his life but his family and friend. On that stormy night, cruising on a ship in the middle of the ocean, he lost everything, everything that meant something to him, his family, his friend, his protection, the feeling of safety and love, every single thing that could give him a hint of hope had just vanished in a matter of seconds. He was left with fierce beasts that could tear him to shreds simply. Even though he had no way of being sure that he would be saved, he still pushed himself to believing that somehow he will be able to overcome the crises he’d fallen in. He prayed to God even though he had no proof he was there but he believed. He believed because he had no other choice, he needed a miracle. Pi started using every breathing moment to ask for Gods help. THIS IS GODS HAT! I would pat my pants and say aloud, THIS IS GODS ATTIRE! I would point to Richard Parker and say aloud, THIS IS GODS CAT! I would point to the lifeboat and say aloud, THIS IS GODS ARK! I would spread my hands wide and say aloud, THESE ARE GODS WIDE ACRES! I would point at the sky and say aloud, THIS IS GODS EAR! And in this way I would remind myself of creation and of my place in it. (Martel, 263). Pi starts to lose faith but he refuses to give up easily, he pushes his self to unveil this black curtain that is keeping any type of light out and is determined to hold on to his belief so he starts yelling aloud that everything belongs to God so that he reminds himself that God created everything so he is there whether we see him or not. In Pi’s opinion believing in God is almost like a life opportunity that opens a peosons eyes to the world. He sometimes finds it difficult to have faith in god and feels like he can’t take anymore, but in the end he goes back to believing and loving his lord. Pi says: â€Å"I was giving up. I would have given up – if a voice hadn’t made itself heard in my heart. The voice said â€Å"I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen every day. I will put it all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die Amen†Ã¢â‚¬ (186). He refuses to give up, even though there is nothing factual which may give him any type of hope he still tries to hold on and have faith in god powers. Pi shows that believing in God has given him strength and hope to get through his situation. It has pushed him to believe that no matter what happens he will be alright because God is with him. So, even though God can’t be seen, he is still there and when stuck and in need of help he will be the one to rescue his people. Pi as a young boy doesn’t really know what to do in the situation he’s in; he’s scared but tries not to show it, he wants to remain strong. Pi trying to maintain an optimistic point of view continuously forced his belief to grow; taking his age into consideration we are able to see that he is pushing himself to be the man he has to be in order to get through this problem. He says, â€Å"Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind† (178) . Pi as a young man understands that belief and faith is the key to his survival, he determines that in order to survive through his wild and dangerous journey he must throw his fears aside and believe. Love is something very rare felt from with in. Not everyone experiences this amazing feeling which makes It very difficult to believe and understand. Pi shows us his strong belief in love through the following quote â€Å"I just want to love God† (87). Thinking deeply into this simple quote you can see that pi is expressing his true love for God. He shows that he is prepared to love with all of his heart even if he gets nothing in return. Also another quote that shows Pi’s love in is â€Å"He’s a shy man. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him†(101). This shows that Pi has learned to hide the things he truly loves in order to keep them safe, to keep them out of sight and unharmed. Considering he lost his family that would be the least he could do. So, it’s is proven that not everything needs to be seen in order for one to believe in. A quote from the book that supports is â€Å"We believe what we see†¦ what do you do when you’re in the dark?† So this shows that not everything needs to be seen in order for people to believe in.

The Lady or the Tiger Essay Example for Free

The Lady or the Tiger Essay Long ago, in the very olden time, there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caused people to suffer. One of the kings ideas was a public arena as an agent of poetic justice. Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance. When a person was accused of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena. All the people would gather in this building. During ceremony the king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accused person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side, exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he pleased. If the accused man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land. The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The case of the suspect was thus decided. But, if the accused opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chosen especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chosen to marry another woman in the future. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward. The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best-looking and bravest in the land. But he was a commoner, not part of an important family. One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man. The man was immediately put in prison. A day was set for his trial in the kings public arena. This, of course, was an especially important event. Never before had a common subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king. The king knew that the young man would be punished, even if he opened the right door. And the king would take pleasure in watching the series of events, which would judge whether or not the man had done wrong in loving the princess. The day of the trial arrived. From far and near the people gathered in the arena and outside its walls. The king and his advisers were in their places, opposite the two oors. All was ready. The sign was given. The door under the king opened and the lover of the princess entered the arena. Tall, beautiful and fair, his appearance was met with a sound of approval and tension. Half the people had not known so perfect a young man lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there! As the young man entered the public arena, he turned to bend to the king. But he did not at all think of the great ruler. The young mans eyes instead were fixed on the princess, who sat to the right of her father. From the day it was decided that the sentence of her lover should be decided in the arena, she had thought of nothing but this event. The princess had more power, influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a case. She had done what no other person had done. She had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew behind which door stood the tiger, and behind which waited the lady. Gold, and the power of a womans will, had brought the secret to the princess. She also knew who the lady was. The lady was one of the loveliest in the kingdom. Now and then the princess had seen her looking at and talking to the young man. The princess hated the woman behind that silent door. She hated her with all the intensity of the blood passed to her through long lines of cruel ancestors. Her lover turned to look at the princess. His eye met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the large ocean of tense faces around her. He saw that she knew behind which door waited the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it. The only hope for the young man was based on the success of the princess in discovering this mystery. When he looked at her, he saw that she had been successful, as he knew she would succeed. Then his quick and tense look asked the question: Which? It was as clear to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not time to be lost. The princess raised her hand, and made a short, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw it. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena. He turned, and with a firm and quick step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating. Every breath was held. Every eye was fixed upon that man. He went to the door on the right and opened it. Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady? The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of the human heart. Think of it not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself. But as if it depended upon that hot-blooded princess, her soul at a white heat under the fires of sadness and jealousy. She had lost him, but who should have him? How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild terror, and covered her face with her hands? She thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the sharp teeth of the tiger! But how much oftener had she seen him open the other door? How had she ground her teeth, and torn her hair, when she had seen his happy face as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in pain when she had seen him run to meet that woman, with her look of victory. When she had seen the two of them get married. And when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the happy shouts of the crowd, in which her one sad cry was lost! Would it not be better for him to die quickly, and go to wait for her in that blessed place of the future? And yet, that tiger, those cries, that blood! Her decision had been shown quickly. But it had been made after days and nights of thought. She had known she would be asked. And she had decided what she would answer. And she had moved her hand to the right. Long ago, in the very olden time, there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caused people to suffer. One of the kings ideas was a public arena as an agent of poetic justice. Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance. When a person was accused of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena. All the people would gather in this building. During ceremony the king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accused person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side, exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he pleased. If the accused man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land. The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The case of the suspect was thus decided. But, if the accused opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chosen especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chosen to marry another woman in the future. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward. The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best-looking and bravest in the land. But he was a commoner, not part of an important family. One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man. The man was immediately put in prison. A day was set for his trial in the kings public arena. This, of course, was an especially important event. Never before had a common subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king. The king knew that the young man would be punished, even if he opened the right door. And the king would take pleasure in watching the series of events, which would judge whether or not the man had done wrong in loving the princess. The day of the trial arrived. From far and near the people gathered in the arena and outside its walls. The king and his advisers were in their places, opposite the two doors. All was ready. The sign was given. The door under the king opened and the lover of the princess entered the arena. Tall, beautiful and fair, his appearance was met with a sound of approval and tension. Half the people had not known so perfect a young man lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there! As the young man entered the public arena, he turned to bend to the king. But he did not at all think of the great ruler. The young mans eyes instead were fixed on the princess, who sat to the right of her father. From the day it was decided that the sentence of her lover should be decided in the arena, she had thought of nothing but this event. The princess had more power, influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a case. She had done what no other person had done. She had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew behind which door stood the tiger, and behind which waited the lady. Gold, and the power of a womans will, had brought the secret to the princess. She also knew who the lady was. The lady was one of the loveliest in the kingdom. Now and then the princess had seen her looking at and talking to the young man. The princess hated the woman behind that silent door. She hated her with all the intensity of the blood passed to her through long lines of cruel ancestors. Her lover turned to look at the princess. His eye met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the large ocean of tense faces around her. He saw that she knew behind which door waited the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it. The only hope for the young man was based on the success of the princess in discovering this mystery. When he looked at her, he saw that she had been successful, as he knew she would succeed. Then his quick and tense look asked the question: Which? It was as clear to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not time to be lost. The princess raised her hand, and made a short, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw it. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena. He turned, and with a firm and quick step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating. Every breath was held. Every eye was fixed upon that man. He went to the door on the right and opened it. Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady? The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of the human heart. Think of it not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself. But as if it depended upon that hot-blooded princess, her soul at a white heat under the fires of sadness and jealousy. She had lost him, but who should have him? How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild terror, and covered her face with her hands? She thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the sharp teeth of the tiger! But how much oftener had she seen him open the other door? How had she ground her teeth, and torn her hair, when she had seen his happy face as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in pain when she had seen him run to meet that woman, with her look of victory. When she had seen the two of them get married. And when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the happy shouts of the crowd, in which her one sad cry was lost! Would it not be better for him to die quickly, and go to wait for her in that blessed place of the future? And yet, that tiger, those cries, that blood! Her decision had been shown quickly. But it had been made after days and nights of thought. She had known she would be asked. And she had decided what she would answer. And she had moved her hand to the right.

Evidence about the asteroid theory

Evidence about the asteroid theory Introduction The purpose of the case study is to investigate Did a meteorite make the dinosaurs extinct.These theories are not exactly been justified. It is an unsolved mystery nobody knows the reason and what caused the dinosaurs to become extinct. A meteorite is a body of matter that reaches the earths surface because it has not been heated up by friction with the atmosphere. It is made up of iron, stone or a mixture of both. Most meteorites are made as two asteroids are collided with each other or fragments of asteroids and comets. Asteroids are medium sized rocks that orbit the sun; Asteroids can be smaller than one-mile to almost 600 miles. There are many asteroids in our solar system. The asteroid belt was created when the solar system was formed and the asteroid belt is made from a cloud of dust, ice and gas. The Earth orbits the sun. The earth meets objects in space like dust or bits of rock broken off from asteroids. By the end of the Cretaceous period 50% of all living things on Earth and in sea were wiped out. Dinosaurs had been living on the earth about 230 million years ago and they became extinct nearly 65millionyearsago.Theirextinction hasconfused scientistsforyears. It affected plant and animals on land and in wa ter. Somescientistsbelievethatdinosaursdiedinallatonce,inamass extinction. AlargeasteroidorcometcrashedintoEarthandchangedtheclimate. Anincreaseinvolcanicactivitycausedashand dust whichblockedthesun. Diseaseswipedoutentirepopulationsofdinosaurs. AsevereiceagecouldhavechangedtemperaturesandfrozenalotofEarthswater. The amount of earths oxygen could have dropped which caused suffocation to the dinosaurs. Mammals came that ate dinosaur eggs. An exploding start supernova could have killed the dinosaurs. Any of these theories could have been responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs; none of these theories have been proven. The theory which has the most evidence and has been approved by most of the geologists and scientist is the Asteroid theory. Scientific Theories There are two types of extinction theories: Gradual extinction and catastrophic extinction. Gradual extinction would have been like the changes in the earths climate. It could also have been because new animals achieved in the struggle and coped with all the difficulties example mammals, etc. Theory explained that mammals ate dinosaurs eggs. Catastrophic extinction would have caused the death of the dinosaurs suddenly, such as an asteroid hitting the earth, or the eruption of volcanoes causing sudden death. There were many theories to show how the dinosaurs were wiped out.   The theories are not been declared yet. The most accepted theory is the Asteroid Theory. The first people who found this theory were Luis and Walter Alvarez in 1980. This theory explains that an asteroid hit or collided with the Earth nearly 65 million years ago and this collision would have given off so much dust into the environment that the sun rays would not be able to enter or shine and plants and animals would die. The debris in the atmosphere would have obstructed the sun for a long time causing changes in temperature; the temperature would get cooler and caused severe interruption to photosynthesis. Dinosaurs could not adapt to the changes in climate the occurred from this huge collision and therefore they were not able to survive. Because plants energy comes from the sun, they would probably be affected first by the changes in climate. Even though having this much support to the evidence a few geologists did not believe in the Asteroid Theory and asked to show the crater where the meteorite must have fallen but the crater had buried in sediment.The elements were left behind in lots of amounts in the K-T layer where the collision happened. The impact would have also created forest fires and long term environmental changes. The speed of the asteroid would have been 100,000 kilometres per hour approximately. Another theory that shows how the dinosaurs were wiped off is volcanic theory. The consequences of volcanic activity could have caused so much ash and gasses added to the atmosphere which then blocked sunlight and creating difficult conditions for dinosaurs. The level of volcanic activity would also have given off greenhouse gasses which increased the Earths temperature. It has also been suggested that a disease killed off the dinosaurs. A very dangerous disease may have spread among all the dinosaurs causing them to become extinct. A disease might have wiped out all the dinosaurs if they had no cure, but the disease wouldnt kill off all the plants all around the earth. Another theory is that the dinosaurs died during an ice age. During this time periods, temperatures drop, cooler temperatures may have killed all the plants and dinosaurs. Scientists have not found any evidence of an ice age that could have happened during the life of the dinosaurs. A supernova explodes with plenty energy and can keep our sun burning for billions of years. A supernova is a star that gives off large volumes of energy. The chance of a supernova to occur is nearly one in a million. The increased amount of radiation from a supernova could have affected the Earths ozone layer. Effects on Marine Life The amount of oxygen in the seas would have decreased. Many sea creatures would have died because of the collapse of the food chain. There could have been an increase of acid rain. The Asteroid effected species both on sea and land. Deflecting a meteorite To collision can only be avoided if we move the meteorite away or if the meteorite can split into small pieces so that they can burn up in the atmosphere by friction. The often move around very fast which makes it difficult to deflect it. If the meteorite is broken you would expect to get many small rocks intead of a large meteorite, but some of the small rocks may brun up in the atmosphere which is better than having a larger meteorite hitting the earth and causing problems A graph to explain the extinction, climate and the amount of iridium The climate is normal at the start of the Cretaceous period but during the end it eventually decreases and shows the evidence that climate change might have also caused the extinction. Cooler temperatures may have caused problems like the sunlight would not be able to shine. The dust from the asteroid would have blocked the sun. The mass extinction shows the decline of the dinosaurs almost towards the end of the Cretaceous period and by the beginning of the tertiary period all of the dinosaurs had vanished. The KT boundary sediments has high amount of element iridium shown, which is common in extraterrestrial material. Extraterrestrial material is a type of material or object that has fallen out of the Earth or its atmosphere and falls onto the planet. The page will explain the evidence about the two most proved theory. Evidence about the asteroid theory The evidence to explain the asteroid theory is that a crater was then found at around 1990, 150 miles in diameter named the Chicxulub crater which is located on the Yucatan peninsula. The crater was about 120 mile wide or across and 1 mile deep. Seismic monitoring equipment which is designed to hunt for oil discovered the huge crater. The iridium layer is what lead the Alvarez team to blame an asteroid collision for the extinction asteroids and other extraterrestrial bodies are enriched with high amounts of   iridium than the Earths crust The asteroid theory has gained more evidence than any other of the theories Evidence against Asteroid theory The Asteroid theory has proved more evidence than any other theory; there is still a problem with the theory. Paleontologists have to find dinosaurs fossils related to the time period of the impact and some evidence explains that dinosaurs might have already been extinct before this impact. Actually dinosaurs had been declining slowly before the asteroid hit the earth. There have been a lot of mass extinctions in the past history and many large asteroid collisions. Even though there have been many of these collisions they havent caused mass extinctions all around the world. The asteroid theory is still the most powerful theory to provide reasons for the extinction of the dinosaurs. Some scientist believe this impact did not cause the extinction of all the dinosaurs and other creatures, there could have been two or more collisions. Evidence to volcanic activity The dinosaurs could have died because of a volcano. A research explains that a volcano erupted in India. The researcher said: Now we find that another catastrophe, which is Deccan Volcanism, which has not had much attention paid to it, may be the real culprit. Volcanic eruptions on Indias Deccan plateau between 63 and 67 million years ago spewed huge amounts of sulfur dioxide into the air for around 10,000 years

self awareness in primates: Fact or Fiction Essay -- essays research p

Abstract The author focuses on determining whether primates are capable of self-awareness. An article is reviewed and evaluated encompassing different points of view and theories. Learned recognition and self-awareness is compared and discussed. Self-awareness in Primates: Fact or Fiction Learning is "a change in behavior due to experience" (Chance, 2003, p. 36). Learning allows an organism to modify its behavior to suit a particular situation. It is a mechanism by which one copes with the ever-changing environment. Anything an organism does that can be measured is behavior (Chance, 2003). Organisms change their behavior to fit environmental changes; this is a learning process, it provides a means to modify our physical environment for example, changing climate by controlling it, or cooking and chemically changing food. These acts are not due to heredity, they are a result of learning (Chance, 2003). It has been proven that chimpanzees and humans share 99.4 % of their DNA, making their genetic makeup very similar. Chimpanzees have large brains which are thought to be paired with higher intelligence since it has been proven that smaller brain sizes demonstrate lower intelligence (Schmid, 2003). Gordon Gallup (1979) sought to discover the answer to a question that Darwin would respond negatively to; do animals have a sense of self awareness? Darwin would say that we are fundamentally different from other animals. One assumption was that man was unique from other animals because of the use of tools. However, as noted by Gallup (1979) Jane Goodall discovered that chimpanzees used twigs as tools for reaching food that they could otherwise get to. Chance (2003) states "reinforcement is the procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that increases or maintain the strength of that behavior" (p.141). The chimpanzees had the novel thought of using a twig to reach ants that were inside a tree trunk. They strengthened or increased their behavior of using a twig to acquire food because this brought about positive consequences, i.e. food. As noted by Chance (2003) Thorndike compared operant learning to natural selection. Those behaviors that are useful survive, those t hat are not, die out. It has been proven that chimpanzees can grasp the basic idea of language. According to Rumbaugh (1995), recent studies show that apes... ...lphins may seek selves in mirror images. (indications of self-awareness in dolphins) (Brief article). Science News, 159(18). Retrieved July 27, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Gallup, G.G. (1979, July-August). Self-awareness in primates. American Scientist, 67(5), 417-421. Retrieved July 26, 2004, from XanEdu database. Miensinompe, S. V. (1997). Animal's self awareness. Retrieved August 5, 2004, from http://www.strato.net/~crvny/sa03002.html Miller, N. (1998, February). The reflective self: A sociological perspective. Roeper Review, 20(3). Retrieved July 28, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Pennisi, E. (1999, June). Primate abilities: are our primate cousins 'conscious'? Science, 284(5423), 2070-2073. Retrieved July 28, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Rymbaugh, D. (1995, September). Primate language and cognition: Common ground. Social Research, 63(3). Retrieved July 25, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Schmid, R. E. (2003, May). Researchers: Chimps closer to humans. AP Online. Retrieved July 28, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Wynne, C. (1999, November). Do animals think? Psychology Today. Retrieved July 26, 2004, from HighBeam Research database

A Comparison Between The Works Of Amedeo Modigliani And Jacques Villon :: essays research papers

Italian-born Cubist painter, Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) and the French, Jacques Villon (1875-1963), both painted vibrant and expressive portraits during the early twentieth-century. In this case, the chosen portraits are Modigliani's "Portrait of Mrs. Hastings", 1915 and Villon's "Mme. Fulgence", 1936. Both of these compositions are portraits. Nothing is of more importance than the sitter herself. The female sitter in Modigliani's piece, sits in an almost dizzying pose with a twist in her elongated neck (a Modigliani trademark), a stylized and mask-like head and a columnar neck. All of which give the sitter a blank and ashen expression. She looks at the viewer, head-on with a most piercing air in her eyes. In Villon's case, his female sitter has been created solely with the use of layered colours and a very random synthetist outline technique (a similar technique the post-impressionist painter Gaugin used). Modigliani outlines his figure moreso in black than Villon. Mme. Fulgence's age is understood by the strong dynamic colour quality that has been used to break her face apart. In a way, these colourful divisions act as wrinkles. For instance, the chunk of layered pink on her lip creates a scowl and the heavily applied white on her nose helps it to seem upright; a 'snobbish' upturn. Colours such as the orange, have been used to highlight her left cheek and only visible ear. With these effects, the viewer sees Mme. Fulgence as a very proper and'posh' (if you will) woman. Bitterness is only a common linkage with the other attributes. Modigliani's Hastings on the other hand seems to be an intense woman of a compassionate nature. Both of these pieces have relied heavily on the expressive and wild use of colour to create emotional expressions and unerring form. Both of these portraits are created using oil paints--Modigliani's on cardboard and Villon's on canvas. The most important element that draws their work away from the mainstream is their heavy application of paint. Although they both apply their colour liberally, Modigliani's strokes are thick, jagged, and for the most part random. His brushstrokes are also particularly long, whereas Villon's are short and brief. Modigliani uses monochromatic hues of red to create the prominent colour of the piece and like Villon, he has used a very vague background to express the importance of his sitter. Colour is of equal importance in both pieces as it draws the viewer in and allows the viewer's eyes to be brought around the piece. Modigliani has split his background from top to bottom, using red and strokes of burnt sienna at first, then an auburn and deeper red for the bottom.

African Psychology :: essays research papers

Black Consciousness has been defined as an attitude of the mind and a way of life. Therefore, the purpose of teaching Black Consciousness was to conquer feelings of black inferiority and replace it with a new solid social identity which encouraged black pride and independence from white oppression. Africans should reject the myths from which Apartheid was conceived, where blacks were depicted as inferior, savage, simple and having a primitive culture which needed to be modernized. Rather blacks should believe in their true identity of being survivors with the utmost human dignity. Black people needed to become aware of their collective power both economically and politically. People of African descent must create their own value system, where they were self-defined not defined by white superiors. Therefore Black Consciousness’ main belief was, that racial domination had become internalized, thus causing low self-esteem, which in turn allowed room for political disunity and encouraged a dependence on white leadership. The philosophy of Black Consciousness was to break this set of attitudes and form a new belief in black self-reliance and dignity. It was only when this was achieved could black the man truly be liberated both physically and mentally. The Black Consciousness philosophy was an agenda for ideological realignment and political revitalization, which could rebuild and recondition the mind of the oppressed. This ideology brought a new sophistication and insight into the analysis of African psychology. An important psychological shift advocated by the Black Conscious Movement was the redefinition of blackness. No longer would Africans accept the negative label of ‘non-white’, they refused to be regarded as non-persons but demanded to be called positively as black. This definition of ‘black’ was not race or class exclusive rather it sought to incorporate all people who were discriminated against and denied access to white privileges under the oppressive apartheid regime. The definition of blackness is actually somewhat complex, the path to understanding it leads to certain directions. First off, that being black was a mental attitude, not just a matter of skin pigmentation. Secondly, by merely acknowledging that one is black already sets oneself along the road of emancipation. Another strong belief of the African Psychologists, of the was his rejection of Euro-American methods of measuring the intelligence and behavior of Black People. Psychologists believe that blacks needed to be self-reliant. They needed to do things for themselves, by themselves, instead of relying on the Euro-American or Western psychologists as the standards or absolutes. African Psychology :: essays research papers Black Consciousness has been defined as an attitude of the mind and a way of life. Therefore, the purpose of teaching Black Consciousness was to conquer feelings of black inferiority and replace it with a new solid social identity which encouraged black pride and independence from white oppression. Africans should reject the myths from which Apartheid was conceived, where blacks were depicted as inferior, savage, simple and having a primitive culture which needed to be modernized. Rather blacks should believe in their true identity of being survivors with the utmost human dignity. Black people needed to become aware of their collective power both economically and politically. People of African descent must create their own value system, where they were self-defined not defined by white superiors. Therefore Black Consciousness’ main belief was, that racial domination had become internalized, thus causing low self-esteem, which in turn allowed room for political disunity and encouraged a dependence on white leadership. The philosophy of Black Consciousness was to break this set of attitudes and form a new belief in black self-reliance and dignity. It was only when this was achieved could black the man truly be liberated both physically and mentally. The Black Consciousness philosophy was an agenda for ideological realignment and political revitalization, which could rebuild and recondition the mind of the oppressed. This ideology brought a new sophistication and insight into the analysis of African psychology. An important psychological shift advocated by the Black Conscious Movement was the redefinition of blackness. No longer would Africans accept the negative label of ‘non-white’, they refused to be regarded as non-persons but demanded to be called positively as black. This definition of ‘black’ was not race or class exclusive rather it sought to incorporate all people who were discriminated against and denied access to white privileges under the oppressive apartheid regime. The definition of blackness is actually somewhat complex, the path to understanding it leads to certain directions. First off, that being black was a mental attitude, not just a matter of skin pigmentation. Secondly, by merely acknowledging that one is black already sets oneself along the road of emancipation. Another strong belief of the African Psychologists, of the was his rejection of Euro-American methods of measuring the intelligence and behavior of Black People. Psychologists believe that blacks needed to be self-reliant. They needed to do things for themselves, by themselves, instead of relying on the Euro-American or Western psychologists as the standards or absolutes.