Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation

Introduction In architecture and decorative art, ornamentation is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Monumental sculpture and their equivalent in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornaments do not include human figures, and if present, they are small compared to the overall scale. The most common types of architectural ornaments even with the advancement of technology since civilization remain the imitative ornament, applied ornament, and the organic ornament.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The imitative ornament as the name suggest, is a decoration embedded on the structure imitating a form of definite meaning and with a symbolic significant. The applied ornament generally adds decorative beauty in the structure and forms bearing with them. The organic ornaments on the other ha nd are the inherent decorations of the art representing the piece of art in its organic form. Of these three major categories of architectural ornaments, the applied architectural ornament remains the most common and widely used form of architectural ornamentation. Different cultural societies have continued to use the applied ornament symbolically to express their cultures and poster their communities globally through their fine arts and decorations. Architectural ornament can be carved from stone, wood or precious metals, formed with plaster or clay, or painted or impressed onto a surface as applied ornament creating the impression of beauty as aforementioned. Wide varieties of decorative styles and motifs have developed for architecture and the applied arts including pottery, furniture, metal works. In textiles, wallpaper and other objects where the decoration maybe the main justification for its existence, the term pattern or design are more likely to be used. Textile, especiall y decoration and design, play an important role because different cultures and communities prefer specific fabric decoration and designs with specific colors and patterns. These specifications for communities over time have led to easy identification of these communities from the mode of their dressing particularly the traditional attire. For wallpapers, solemnly made for decoration, their designing determines their attractiveness to the target group and therefore expanded demand in the market. Textile and wallpaper decoration designs and patterns have changed with time since civilization as it has been with the architectural decorations due to the changes in technology. In a 1941 essay, the architectural historian, Sir John Summerson, called it â€Å"surface modulation†. This particularly meant that, the application of the common form of architectural ornamentation on the surfaces of structures led to the modulation or modification of the same surfaces creating attractivenes s.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Decoration and ornament has been evident in civilization since the beginning of recorded history, ranging from Ancient Egyptian architecture to the apparent lack of ornament of the 20th century modernist architecture. Style of ornamentation clearly comes out in studying the cultures of different communities that developed the decorations and ornaments from their preceding cultures or modified unique decoration forms from other cultures. Architectural decoration started in ancient Egypt, where civilization started. The first decorations on the walls of buildings with pure natural theme dominated with figures of animals and plants. Not all welcomed this advancement of decoration and ornamentation. Some critics of the then architectural technological advancement did not imagine that decoration was necessary. Adolf Loos wrote his famous essay, â€Å" ornament and crime† in 1908, dismissing embellished ornaments as merely unnecessary decoration. According to Adolf, there was nothing important in decorating buildings and to him; anyone doing decoration was a criminal and a degenerate in the society. Furthermore, Adolf compared decorating a building to a person doing tattoo in their faces, which was crime; at least to him. Decorating objects created by people were like tossing them from sides until they ruined and wracked. The ban proclaimed against this extremely harmonious formal language this intersection between high art and folklore, prevailed for almost a century. Only since the return of the millennium, ornament has reestablished itself as decorative and yet subversive and allusive elements, abstract, and floral patterns adorn and dominate works in the contemporary visual arts. Bespeak beauty and seduction and they also always refer to society and gender – the way reality is constructed. Culture is looked upon a s living ways of various groups of individuals, which may consist of aspects like interaction, social activity, spirituality, thought, Sciences, and arts (Smyth, 2001, p.56). These may be explained as follows: Interaction refers to human contact and social aspects, which include give-and-take, regarding conversations, protocol, negotiations, and socialization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These are useful aspects regarding living ways because individuals are usually dynamic and social in nature; therefore, they have to involve themselves in various interaction types with each other within their environments (Low, 2005, p.15). During these interactions of cultures, people copied decorative and ornamental forms which they modified coming up with better-decorated ornaments. Social activity is shared pursuits and experi ences in cultural communities, which are usually demonstrated, by various life-celebrating and festivity events. These social activities including the celebrations and festivities provide an opportunity for different cultures to interact, exchange ideas, and learn from each other in terms of ornamentation and decoration among other things. Spirituality refers to belief systems, which help to build moral codes that are usually passed on through generations, which promotes human beings’ well-being. In addition, spirituality is usually highlighted through actions and languages. Thoughts are expressed ways through which people understand, interpret, and perceive the world around. Sciences and arts are looked upon as the most refined and advanced human expression forms (Smyth, 2001, p.48). Science and art promoted the expression of the skills that different cultures had in their possession and those learned from others during their regular interactions and festivities. Language re fers to the earliest human institution or expression medium which is usually sophisticated. These aspects indicate that culture is usually very important within society because it makes it possible for people to understand the various living ways, which exist among individuals. Cultural studies may be perceived as an area of great importance because of its ability to offer appropriate principles for understanding and explaining human behavior. It is usually among the unique elements regarding contemporary social thought and it is very essential in contemporary social science research and specifically for the study of anthropology in particular. Ornaments can be conceived in many ways; they appear in different places, colors, scales, and patterns depending on the culture from where the ornaments originate for cultures have distinct and unique colors and patterns symbolizing different themes. In most cases, these ornaments are worn on specific times for a meaning and by a particular c lass of people. Various are also the reasons to use ornaments, sometimes they are planned, sometimes they occur unintentionally – certainly, however, they are part of the local culture. Ornamentation on the other hand is usually looked upon as the process or act of embellishing, adorning, or decorating (Low, 2005). Especially where a combination of both color and pattern decoration are applied, the patterns on the form or structure or figure adds interest in form of beauty more so where the image intended is solely imagination.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These decorations and ornaments differ from culture to another and from one community to the other. This brings to our attention that cultural ornamentation is the aspect, which makes it possible for various cultural aspects to be embellished, adorned, or decorated. This implies that cultural ornamentation involves processes, which make it possible for cultural aspects to be attractive or appear as midpoints of interest (Winch, 1997). It therefore becomes apparent that, different cultures bear different decorative forms, which consequently express different cultural aspects. From the aspects brought to light above, it is apparent that space according to cultural ornamentation is usually perceived as the various cultural differences, which are experienced amid various cultures (Low, 2005). It is apparent that culture or living ways vary from place to place and these variations are the ones, which are typically perceived as cultural spaces. The variations in this case are experienced in interaction, social activity, spirituality, thought, Sciences and arts as well as language. These may be put to light as follows. For instance, interaction modes have been perceived as main cultural aspects because individuals have been found to be dynamic and social in nature and they end up involving themselves in various interaction types. These interactions among different people of different cultures involve also interaction and copying of cultures themselves between the people interacting. These interactions have been found to vary from area to another and therefore cultural spaces exist between various areas. Secondly, social activities also vary from place to another and therefore justify cultural space existence amid communities (Smyth, 2001). These social activities give a platform or a better forum for the different cultural societies gathering to express fully their arts. It is apparent that various societies have varying social activities and the felt differences in this case are cultural spaces. Living ways of various communities are highly influenced by factors like surrounding environment and interaction with other communities. Research has highlighted that, communities that highly interact with other communities end up incorporating their living ways and therefore the cultural spaces between them may end up being trimmed down. However, minimum interaction among cultures brings about limited learning regarding other individuals’ cultures and therefore they end up bringing about increased cultural spaces among them (Low, 2005). Increased cultural space makes it difficult for individuals to understand cultures exhibited by other individuals due to the limited interactions between them whereas reduced cultural space brings about situations whereby easier understanding regarding various cultures is experienced across cultures. This insight becomes clear in that the more the societies and cultures interact, the less the space between them reduce. The differences in sophistication of the arts from the two or more interacting societies show the space between the societies. The regularly the cultures interact; the great the understanding between the two cultures exist. This is usually very essential due to its ability to sustain successfully the respect from other cultures because of the understanding, which is experienced among various cultures or individuals with varying living ways. Spirituality varies from one culture to another; therefore, it may be used to express cultural space meaning. In spirituality, different people from different cultural backgrounds have different ways of carrying out their spiritual activities and the different forms of arts in their places of worship. Spirituality in this case is value systems, which are usually passed on through generations (Winch, 1997). These value systems highly determine aspects, which are considered bad or good. Individuals from varying cultures may end up perceivin g cultural spaces among them because they hold varying value systems. African art, for example constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize â€Å"traditional† African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African, such as the art of  African Americans. Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of the  visual culture  from the continent of Africa. The human figure has always been the primary subject matter for most African art, and this emphasis even influenced certain European traditions. Most Europeans admired the cultures portrayed by the beautiful pieces of arts of African human figures and opted to adopt them, because the theme portrayed by these figures shows a rich African culture. In most cases, these figures in their making signify a parti cular important cultural aspect for the community from which the piece of art comes from. The human figure may symbolize the living or the dead, may reference chiefs, dancers, or various trades such as drummers or hunters, or even may be an anthropomorphic representation of a god or have other votive function. Another common theme is the inter-morphosis of human and animal. African artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This is because many African artworks generalize stylistic norms. Ancient Egyptian art, also usually thought of as naturalistically depictive, makes use of highly abstracted and regimented visual canons, especially in painting, as well as the use of different colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of an individual being depicted. African artists tend to favor three-dimensional artworks over two-dimensional works. Even many African paintings or cloth works were meant to be experienced three-dimensionally. House paint ings are often seen as a continuous design wrapped around a house, forcing the viewer to walk around the work to experience it fully; while decorated cloths are worn as decorative or ceremonial garments, transforming the wearer into a living sculpture. Distinct from the static form of traditional Western sculpture African art displays animation, a readiness to move. An extension of the utilitarianism and three-dimensionality of traditional African art is the fact that much of it is crafted for use in performance contexts, rather than in static one. For example, masks and costumes very often are used in communal, ceremonial contexts, where they are â€Å"danced.† Most societies in Africa have names for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the sculpture, but also the meanings of the mask, the dance associated with it, and the spirits that reside within. In African thought, the three cannot be differentiated. Often a small part of an African design will look s imilar to a larger part, such as the diamonds at different scales in the Kasai pattern at right. Louis Senghor, Senegal’s first president, referred to this as â€Å"dynamic symmetry.† William Fagg, the British art historian, compared it to the logarithmic mapping of natural growth by biologist D’Arcy Thompson. More recently, it has been described in terms of  fractal  geometry. The origins of African art lie long before recorded history. African rock art in the  Sahara  in  Niger  preserves 6000-year-old carvings. The earliest known sculptures are from the  Nok culture  of  Nigeria, made around 500 BC. Along with sub-Saharan Africa, the cultural arts of the western tribes,  ancient Egyptian  paintings and artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes. In Is lamic art, unless space is infinite, whatever goes on in that space will have to end at some point. Many have commented on what is taken to be a horror vacuity in Islamic ornamentation. A dislike of the empty, and this accounts for the ways in which space is filled up so comprehensively in Islamic art. Yet space cannot be filled up entirely, for if it were, there would be no ornamentation. Geometric patterns are often said to be empty of content, and so to stimulate the mind to think of a deity existing without companions. However, it could also get the mind to think all sorts of thing. How geometric shapes are infinite? There is nothing infinite about a square or a triangle; on the contrary, such a specific shape is precisely finite, with recognizable and visible limits that define it. That is not to suggest that in Islamic art these forms of ornamentation are not used effectively to produce beautiful designs and consequently objects, but whether they are really supposed to produce particular ideas in us, their viewer, is questionable. There is no reason to think that we have to see geometrical design as having any religious meaning whatsoever. There is a saying in Arabic, ‘al-fann ihsas’ (‘art is feeling’). In addition, thought expresses cultural space because individuals from varying communities express varying views regarding various aspects (Winch, 1997). Thought refers to expressed ways through which people understand, interpret and perceive would which surrounds them. It is apparent that individuals within varying localities and cultures have varying understanding, interpretation, and perception regarding various aspects. Sciences and arts are looked upon as the most refined and advanced human expression forms. Human expressions differ from community to community, location to location, and among individual groups (Smyth, 2001). These variations are called cultural spaces among the various communities or groups. Human expression forms are usually influenced by various factors including environment and interactions with other individuals holding varying cultures. It is apparent that substantial interactions among individuals brings about trimmed down cultural spaces whereas minimum interactions yield increased cultural spaces. Language refers to the earliest human institution or expression medium which is usually sophisticated (Low, 2005). This expresses cultural space because various communities have various opinions regarding varying cultural aspects and they hold varying importance to them. The experienced variations are therefore expressed as cultural spaces among the various communities. Conclusion From the various aspects exposed above, it is apparent that space according to cultural ornamentation is the variations experienced regarding cultural aspects from one culture to another. The cultural ornamentation aspects, which determine cultural variations, include interaction, social activity, spirituali ty, thought, Sciences and arts as well as language. Various individual groups experience varying cultural aspects and therefore the variations demonstrate cultural variations. Cultural space may be either narrow or wide depending on experienced interactions among individuals. Extended interactions regarding individuals from various cultures have the capacity to trim down cultural space whereas minimum interactions yield wider economic spaces. This phenomenon happens for the obvious reasons that the more people stay together, the more they tend to understand each other; therefore, in the wake of different cultures associating, the cultural space melts down and vanishes without anyone noticing. Culture can define art by determining the type of art produced, by genre or the medium. In the light of this acknowledgement, it suffices to concur that different cultures will have different types of art, genre and medium and because culture defines all these elements, then it (culture) become s a determinant and a defining element of art. Art and culture are intertwined. References Blackmun, M. (2001) A history of Art in Africa, visiona et al. Prentice Hall, New York Low, S. (2005). Rethinking Urban Parks: Public Space and Cultural Diversity. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. Piotrovsky, M. J. Vrieze (1999) Art of Islam: Heavenly Art, Earthly Art, ed. London, Lund Humpries Smyth, G. (2001). Space and the Irish Cultural Imagination. New York: Palgrave. Winch, S. (1997). Mapping the Cultural Space of Journalism: How Journalists Distinguish News From Entertainment. Westport, CT: Praeger. This essay on Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation was written and submitted by user Rihanna Nelson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Where Can You Find a TKO Sample Essay?

Where Can You Find a TKO Sample Essay?A TKO sample essay is a sample essay that a student may need in order to help you understand their response to a topic that they have seen or read. This can be particularly helpful if you are trying to figure out how to do research for your own research papers.How can you use a TKO sample essay? Many students will need it for their essay projects at school or for your essay projects at your own school. In other words, if you want to know how to research for a topic that you will be writing about, there is good news.Your teacher will likely have one of these as a part of the coursework for your school. The information on the student's essays can be very useful in the area of research. Furthermore, if you want to research something for your own research paper, this is something that you can learn from when you study these sample essays.To know how to research for a TKO sample essay, you will first need to understand what a sample is. A sample is a type of written work. It is not intended to be used for a student to actually take and study. It is a document that shows you the type of thing that you should research before you begin.For example, if you are researching where many restaurants have their recipes, a TKO sample essay is a document that shows you the basics of what you should be looking for. There is research about restaurants, so you should expect to see it listed on a TKO sample essay. In addition, you will find research about restaurants and restaurant locations. This is something that is critical if you want to do your research right.TKO sample essays usually include articles and lists that show you what types of information that you should look for. For example, if you are researching how to do research for a science project at school, you should have information about the biology of a particular subject, such as physiology.You will also have information about where to find these documents. For example, if you wa nt to learn about the uses of pictures in science research, a TKO sample essay will show you that the best place to find them is in a book called Numerical Recipes by M. Smith. The book is published by Dover Publications, which is an institution known for publishing quality reference materials.You will also find information about what kind of organization the document is organized in. You will learn what year it was published, what editions it has, and the approximate page count. There are many reasons that this document can be very useful to you, and you will have many opportunities to use it in your own research projects.

Quantum Theory Research Paper

Quantum Theory Research Paper Quantum theory, the modern physical theory concerned with the emission and absorption of energy by matter and with the motion of material particles, is one of the most important theories devised in the 20th century. The theory is revolutionary as it replaces classical physics in the description of events at the microscopic level and now the theory provides the foundation for modern physics and chemistry. The person who formed the basis of the quantum theory was Max Planck. In the 19th century, scientists used laws of classical physics to explain the relationship between matter and energy. Toward the end of the 19th century, various experimental results were obtained that could not be explained by classical physics. One of the failures of classical physics was the inability to explain the observed frequency distribution of radiant energy emitted by a hot blackbody. Classical physics predicts that when a blackbody is heated, the frequencies of the light radiated will take on a continuous range of values from zero to infinity. However, from experimental observations, the frequency distribution reaches a maximum and then falls off to zero as the frequency increases. In 1900, Max Planck announced a theory to explain the observed frequency distribution of blackbody radiation. He suggested that a blackbody atom radiating light of frequency v is restricted to emitting an amount of energy giv en by hv (where h is the Planck’s constant). Planck called this definite amount of energy a quantum of energy. In classical physics, energy is a continuous variable. In quantum physics, energy is quantized, meaning that energy can take on only certain values. After Planck announced his theory, Albert Einstein applied the concept of energy quantization to the explanation of the experimental observations in the photoelectric effect. The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon when electrons are ejected from a substance exposed to electromagnetic radiation. According to classical physics, the average energy carried by an ejected electron should increase with the intensity of the incident radiation and not the frequency. However, from experimental observations, the energy of electrons ejected depends on the frequency of the incident radiation. Increasing the intensity of the incident radiation would only increase the amount and not the average energy of the electrons ejected. Also, for every substance irradiated, there is a threshold frequency below which no electrons are ejected irrespective of the light intensity. In 1905, Einstein explained the photoelectric effect by extending Planck’s concept of energy quantization to electromagnetic radiation. He proposed that besides having wavelike properties, electromagnetic radiation can be considered to consist of individual quanta, called photons, which interact with the electrons in the substance like discrete particles. For a given frequency v of the incident radiation, each photon carries a definite amount of energy given by hv, where h is the Planck’s constant. The threshold frequency is explained by the different nature of the materials. For each material there is a certain minimum energy, called the work function F, necessary to liberate an electron. Thus the threshold frequency, v0, corresponds to a minimum energy packet, hv0 (=F), required to liberate the electron. The next major contribution to the quantum theory was Niels Bohr’s model of the hydrogen atom. When hydrogen gas is heated, the hydrogen atoms emit electromagnetic radiation of only certain distinct frequencies. During 1885 to 1910, Rydberg and Balmer independently found an empirical formula, called the Rydberg equation, which correctly reproduces the observed hydrogen atom spectral frequencies. However, there was no explanation for this formula. Meanwhile, in 1911, Rutherford introduced his atomic model, a dense, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a revolving, negatively charged electron cloud. According to classical physics, Rutherford’s atom is unstable because the negative electrons are attracted by the positive nucleus. As a result, the electrons will spiral into the nucleus releasing huge amounts of energy and the electrons’ spectral frequencies will change continuously. In 1913, Bohr introduced his theory of the hydrogen atom by applying quantum theo ry to Rutherford’s electron cloud. In his theory, Bohr postulated that the electrons can only revolve about the nucleus in fixed orbits of different energy values, such that the angular momentum of the revolving electron are quantized. When an electron is in an allowed orbit, the atom does not radiate energy. Such an electron is said to be in the stationary state and it has a certain amount of energy. If the electron makes its transitions from one energy level to another, photons of energies corresponding to the difference between the initial and final energy levels are emitted or absorbed. This gives rise to the set of characteristic line spectra and the Rydberg equation can finally be explained. After Bohr announced his theory of the hydrogen atom, attempts were made to apply Bohr’s theory to atoms with more than one electron and to molecules. However, all attempts to derive the spectra of such systems using extensions of Bohr’s theory failed. A key idea towards resolving these difficulties was advanced by Louis de Broglie in 1923. He proposed that just as light shows both wave and particle like behaviours, matter also has a â€Å"dual† nature. He assumed that any particle, for example, an electron, an atom, etc, has a wavelength l which is given by h/p , where h is the Planck’s constant and p is the particles’ momentum. De Broglie obtained this equation by reasoning in analogy with photons. Although photons don’t have mass, but they do have energy. As Einstein famously proved, mass and energy are related in the equation E = mc2 where E is the energy, m is the mass and c is the speed of light. At speed c, a photon has a nonzero mass m. So by combining the 2 formulae, E = mc2 and E = hv , de Broglie obtained the equation l = h/p . In 1927, his hypothesis was experimentally confirmed by Davisson and Germer, who observed diffraction effects when an electron beam was reflected from a crystal of nickel. Since then, similar diffraction effects have been observed with neutrons, protons, helium atoms, and hydrogen molecules, indicating that the de Broglie hypothesis applies to all material particles, not just electrons. After the 1920s, more and more observations were found to prove the validity of the quantum theory. Soon, the quantum theory led to the modern theory of the interaction between matter and radiation known as quantum mechanics, which generalized and replaced classical mechanics and Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. Since then, science never looked back, as the quest for the understanding of how everything works continued†¦

Ethics and Morality of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethics and Morality of Business - Essay Example Career development programmes are not just altruistic pursuits. These are followed keeping the future human resource requirements in mind. Similar is the case with ethics. Given a level playing field, most organizations do not shy away from ethical behaviour. With the explosion of information and the communication revolution, the media plays a crucial role in building and tarnishing reputations of businesses. Hence, every organization tries to enhance its reputation among all its stakeholders. Ethics is a novel outlook for businesses that have single mindedly pursued the bottom line so far. Hence, there exists a twilight zone where business and ethics meet. In the modern world, differences are blurring and concepts are getting re-defined constantly. Business can reap benefits without compromising on basic human values. There is no need to give up on competitiveness to be morally right. Hence, it is possible to conduct business ethically, which is essentially a win-win situation. Conc epts Rationalism dictates that everything should be useful and justifiable. Utilitarianism and utility analysis as used by business vary significantly. When a firm uses a utility, it weighs the positive and negative consequences of a certain action as it relates to itself; and a utilitarian analysis weighs these  'results of an action on everyone affected by it' (De George, 2010, pg 44). Morality is concerned with creating good consequences, not having good intentions. One should do whatever will bring the utmost benefit to all of humanity. Morality guides people’s actions in order to create a better world. Bentham (1748–1832) is rightly considered the father of modern utilitarianism. He explained utility as the balance of pleasure and pain that a human being experiences (as cited in Binmore, n.d.). â€Å"The principle of utility . . . is that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever according to the tendency which it appears to have to aug ment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question.† (Bentham Jeremy, B. E. 1748-1832). Bentham thought that entire morality could be derived from ‘enlightened self-interest’, and that a person who always acted for his own satisfaction in the long run, would always act rightly. However, there are critics of Bentham. ‘The good’ cannot be quantified or measured. Similarly, the notion or definition of ‘the good’ was extreme. At the same time, other considerations like human rights and justice, which are relevant, are ignored. John Stuart Mill said that happiness in not the same as pleasure. Man shared the lower quality ones with animals for e.g. food, water etc. The higher quality pleasures were unique to man and involved the higher faculties (Mill, 1863, Pg 11). He showed that utilitarianism was in sync with moral rules. Utilitarians ought not to calculate beforehand whether each action would maximize utility. Instead , following a general principle (under which a particular action falls) leads to happiness. Henry Sidgwick highlighted common sense morality, which is morality accepted by the majority without detailed thinking involved, in his book Method of Ethics (Crisp, 2000). He stated that not all principles of common sense morality are apparent. He was in favour of ethical hedonism according to which any action should produce the greatest amount of pleasure. He was of the opinion that no man should destroy his own happiness (Ibid).

(Q5.'Traditional' methods of project procurement have no further use Essay

(Q5.'Traditional' methods of project procurement have no further use within modern construction procurement'; is this so Discuss) - Essay Example Traditional methods of procurement have been the source of an enormous debate in regard to their current suitability especially in this modern era. Are they of any use or not? The paper will examine whether the statement that they have no use for the current construction procurement is right. It has been stated by Adenuga (2013) that the traditional technique of project procurement involves a group of specialized consultants entering into a contractual arrangement with the contractor and the client. The group of specialized consultants may constitute quantity surveyors, engineers, and other professionals. Their role is to oversee the contractor, who works on the real construction, and deliver a suitable design. Normally, the specialized consultants ply their trade in different corporations. However, they come together and offer their expertise to the client for a certain amount of money. The agreed amount is made possible by the bills of quantities. The contractor gets the work after going through a competitive bidding process. In addition, the contractor and the design can be conducted at the same time up to a certain point. However, the cost know-how is not estimated accurately. Under this method, there are cost reimbursement, lump sum, and measurement contracts. The t otal cost of the contract can be assessed as per the definite materials, labor, and plant cost; it can be done before the beginning of the construction through an agreement; or after the construction is complete respectively (Davis, et al., 2008). Do the traditional methods of project procurement have no use in the current procurement method? To determine if this is so, the pros and cons of the traditional forms of project procurement are examined. Under the pros, the client regulates the specialized group of consultants working on the design. Many clients may have familiarity with the methods. The

Leadership - Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership - Communication - Essay Example Yet the most effective managers, those whose executive action is likely to have the highest level of value within an organization, have the qualities of leadership in addition to management skill. Strategic decision-making depends upon those who have both of these skill sets. An executive who understands the mechanical nuances of his/her organization and is able to manipulate processes to achieve desired outcomes is an effective manager. Add to that the ability to articulate a vision and to influence others to work toward it and you have an effective manager with leadership qualities. This manager, trained to exercise independent, critical judgment, is well equipped for strategic decision-making (Hellwich, 2004). The characteristics of leadership that foster strategic decision-making are often tied to the personal characteristics or qualities of the executive. Leadership is more ability than a skill, although there has been significant debate about whether leadership characteristics can be learned. The dimensions of a leader fall into the categories of charisma, vision, interpersonal skill, and ethical responsibility, to name but a few. These qualities, when possessed by an organization's executives, are strongly linked to strategic decision-making. Without them, an executive is merely a high level manager or administrator without the ability to impact the strategic direction of the organization. Leadership is somew

Understanding My Social Location and Experiences Essay -- Personal Exp

The intersection of dominant ideologies of race, class, and gender are important in shaping my social location and experiences. By exercising my sociological imagination (Mills, 1959), I will argue how my social location as an Asian American woman with a working class background has worked separately and together to influence how I behave, how others treat and view me, and how I understand the world. The sociological imagination has allowed me to understand my own â€Å"biography†, or life experiences by understanding the â€Å"history†, or larger social structures in which I grew up in (Mills, 1959). First, I will describe my family’s demographic characteristics in relation to California and the United States to put my analysis into context. I will then talk about how my perceptions of life opportunities have been shaped by the Asian-American model minority myth. Then, I will argue how my working class location has impacted my interactions in institutional settings and my middle/upper class peers. Third, I will discuss how gender inequalities in the workplace and the ideological intersection of my race and gender as an Asian-American woman have shaped my experiences with men. I will use Takaki’s (1999) concepts of model minority myth and American identity, Race; The Power of an Illusion (2003), Espiritu’s (2001) ideological racism, People Like Us: Social Class in America (1999) and Langston’s (2001) definition of class to support my argument. Before I analyze how my social location has influenced my experiences, I need to talk about my family’s demographic characteristics in comparison to our community and the larger U.S. society: In my hometown, Asians make up the third largest racial group (23%). Whites make up 51.3% and H... ...ding white, male superiority. Back in high school, I dated a non-Asian male from my class who often talked about how Asian women are â€Å"hot and sexy† yet â€Å"more faithful to men and less aggressive than White women.† At the time, I thought this was a compliment and I often tried to conform to this stereotype in order to satisfy my partner. Images of Asian-American women as both innocent and dangerous have legitimized any racist and sexist policies directed at Asians and women. Works Cited People Like Us: Social Class in America http://www.pbs.org/program/people-like-us/ Race; The Power of an Illusion (2003) http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm Takaki, R. (1999). The myth of the â€Å"model minority.† In D. M. Newman (Ed.), Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life: Readings (pp. 255-259). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge