Paper Islam

Paper Islam Paper Islam Caroline McDaniel World Civilization Ms. Reif March 1 2015 Women in Islam The dress code of women in Islam is a very important part of life. A hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest, which is particularly worn by some Muslim women beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family. Muslim women choose to wear the hijab or other coverings for a variety of reasons. Some women wear the hijab because they believe that God has instructed them to wear it as a means of fulfilling His commandment for modesty (arabsinamerica). Muhammad and the beginning of Islam changed the status of women by issuing new laws based on what was recorded in the Qur’an, which is the holy book for Muslims. The Qur’an gained many more rights for women. A women could refuse a marriage proposal, but cultural and social pressures often forced her to comply with her parents’ wishes. A women could own property, but the only property that she truly owned were the gifts she received from her husband at marriage and her dowry, which was her family money. (Esherick 33). Some quotes from the Qur’an are â€Å"Muhammad taught that women had rights similar to men, but that men were ultimately stronger and had more authority. Muhammad taught that men could admonish their wives, refuse to share a bed with them, and beat them lightly so as not to injure them.† (Qur’an 2:228). (Esherick 48) Muslim societies have required women to cover themselves more modestly than men, covering not only their heads but also most of their bodies and even their faces. Examples of clothing that Islamic women would wear are a burqa, a mask that covers a women’s face. Young girls are not required to cover themselves with a burka. They are required to wear it when they are in public or in a presence of men who are not family members. (Pendergast 77). A chador which is a full – covering shroud worn mostly by rural women. A caftan which is full- length, loose- fitting robe with long slee ves. An Abaya, an outer garment made of tightly fitting cotton gauze, usually back, that covers the entire body and head. It is worn over other clothing. The Jilbab that is a cloak or loose outer garment that covers everything but the eyes. (Esherick 60). Some exceptions to the clothing rules are that Arab women are allowed to wear form- fitting clothing when they are with only their husbands, in their homes, around certain immediate family members, with only believing women, women who follow the same rules, and caring infants or small children

The Family of Woody Guthrie A Long Way to Oklahoma

The Family of Woody Guthrie A Long Way to Oklahoma When it comes to biographies of famous people, there is hardly a single detail of a celebrity’s that goes unnoticed by the crowd, yet there is an obvious and nonetheless strange gap of knowledge concerning the rest of the family members or the celebrity’s closest relatives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is as if all famous people were manufactured right before they gained world recognition and had no relative attached. The same can be said about Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, known as Woody Guthrie, an American folk singer-songwriter. However, despite his family was not as famous as him, Charles and Nora Guthrie deserve just as much respect. One of the most fascinating things about Woody Guthrie’s family was that each of its members had a very unique personality and the features of character, which, quite honestly, would, probably, be completely incompatible in any other person. As the existing records say, Woody’s father, who was known among the neighbors and his fellow citizens as a politician, taught his son the charm and secrets of the Indian and Scottish music. Other sources, however, point at other influences that Charles Guthrie had on his son, some of them leaving much to be desired. For example, it is a notorious fact that Charles Guthrie was a racist and that his son supported his political viewpoint (Kinchen). However, there are other peculiar facts that even this sad bit of information out. For instance, the notorious fire, which gave Charles Guthrie severe burns, left a truly shocking impression on his son; as Woody Guthrie would say later on, this event would make him appreciate more not only the people whom he was close to, but also what these people shared with them. Thus, Woody’s fascination with music began owing not as much to his father’s stories, as t o the chain of events that led woody to appreciating these stories.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the obvious strong influence of Charles Guthrie, Woody’s mother, Nora also changed her son’s life considerably with her passion for art and the willingness to share this passion with him. Unfortunately, Woody found out very soon – in fact, too soon, for a young child, – that his mother was suffering from a terminal disease, known as Huntington’s syndrome. Allowing Woody to understand how fleeting the moments of sharing love with his parents are, the boy’s first acquaintance with the fact of inevitable death, which sooner or later attacks anyone, including his closest relatives, his relationship with his mother can also be considered as an important factor in defining Woody’s further life and the ideas that he would commu nicate through his songs. These relationships between Woody and his mother, however, turned even complicated as the boy realized that the disease, which his mother was suffering from, affected their relationships greatly, seeing how it changed his mother irreversibly. Though it was not proven completely, it was believed that the fire mentioned above was set by Woody’s mother during one of her fits (Reineke 7). The impressions that shaped Woody Guthrie’s vision and talent of a musician were not restricted to the influence of his parents, though. Apart from his loving, though definitely not quite happy, parents, Woody also built very close relationships with his uncle, which would later on be reprinted not only in his songs, but also the way in which the musician would write his songs. Jeff Guthrie not only taught young Woody how to play the guitar, but also supported him in his darkles days, helping him get over the tragic death of his parents and the fact that his fami ly was literally falling apart. As for Jeff being the influence for Woody as a future musician, it will be reasonable to admit that at this point, the future folk star needed not spiritual guidance in his search for the music that he wanted to play – it was pretty much clear by then that Woody was into folk – but learning how to play the instrument. This was when Jeff’s old guitar came in handy; thrown aside when Jeff no longer had time for getting in contact with his artistic side, it was finally put to practice. Guthrie started learning to play the instrument and started performing, slowly starting to understand that his hobby was more than a fad.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When watching Woody cross the threshold of his house, Jeff could hardly think of who his nephew was going to become pretty soon, as w ell as what part he would play in this transformation (Sanders). The parents of a musician who made folk and country music a complete craze in the USA, Charles and Nora Guthrie might not have been as well-known as their son, but they surely led very decent and nonetheless interesting lives. In addition, it is obvious that Woody’s siblings have also contributed to his vision and shaping of his personality, which would later on be reflected in his songs. Inspired by his outstanding, though inordinately modest, family, Woody had all rights to be proud of not only the long way that he went through, but also of the people who helped him to start his journey. Kinchen, David M. Book Review: â€Å"Woody Guthrie, American Radical† Explores Transformation of Legendary Oklahoma-Born Singer Famous for â€Å"This Land Is Your Land.† n. d. Web. Reineke, Hank. Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. 2012. Print. Sanders, Craig. Ten Facts: Woody Gu thrie’s Childhood. 9 Apr. 2009. Web.

Poetry Analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poetry Analyze - Essay Example The poem has a whole bunch of ideas concerning parenthood and the roles of both the parents in bringing up a home. It tells a story of a complete family comprising a father, a mother and children. The mother is a homemaker and takes care of her family by doing home chores such as cleaning the diapers and ensuring her children are safe. The dad on the other hand works to provide for the family, it be evidenced by the fact that it is in the evening that we are introduced to her husband who probably is from work. She tends to the needs of her husband as said in the second last stanza of the poem, â€Å"later that night when Thomas rolled over and lurched into her.† From the last two stanzas, the poem introduces the relationship of a couple in parenthood. These two people are in very different situations. One goes to work to provide for the family, the other takes care of the family by looking after the kids. In all these occurrences, we see the way roles are divided in the running of family affairs. The situation of the woman is that which makes her selflessly dedicate herself to her roles as a mother. Despite the fact that she needs time for herself, she has no freedom at all to be herself in the family; she puts her family first in line and only gets the pleasure of resting for an hour. The rest of the time, she is a mother and a wife. This shows her dedication to parenthood. From the last two stanzas, we see the way the woman is submissive to Thomas by taking care of his needs as a husband. Thomas does not notice how tired the wife has been from the day’s activities. She does not complain about it to her husband instead she does what she wants her to do. This portrays Thomas as a man who is not caring about his wife because we are shown from the last stanza that â€Å"Thomas rolled and lurched into into her, she would open her eyes and think of the place that was hers for an hour.† This means that as a wife she is withdrawn

Service Quality for Retail Banking in the UK Research Proposal

Service Quality for Retail Banking in the UK - Research Proposal Example In a series of papers presented by Parasuraman et al., they propose the model for measuring the quality of service rendered using the five factors or dimensions. These dimensions include tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and empathy. While tangibles is a measure of the facilities, assets, personnel and other materials in the bank that add to the service provided to the customer, the reliability is the ability to perform the way it was promised. Responsiveness is a measure of the willingness to help customers and provide them with prompt service. Assurance measures the competence, courtesy, credibility and security of the service provided, while the empathy is about the caring and individualised service that the bank provides to its customers. This would help the bank in realising whether its customers are satisfactory on all grounds and whether there are any gaps in the satisfaction level. The metrics would follow the same standard set by the previously referred autho rs. The Gap method of questionnaire will be adopted to measure the service quality of the bank. The objective of the project is to study the existing service levels in the bank and to quantify them by assigning appropriate metrics. This project will be carried out using the following methodology: 1. 1. A detailed literature review will be done initially to understand and assimilate the importance of using Servqual is a measure for measuring service quality. For this extensive reading will be done of papers and books on the subject. This information will be organised to identify the best metrics that could be employed to measure every one of the dimensions listed in the above list. In addition to this, the literature review will also help in identifying the various analysis methods that were employed by various people during their own research activities. The ideal one suited for banks will be identified and marked out for later usage. 2. The literary review will also provide information on the analysis or research done by others in the same area of work. The responses that they obtained and the conclusions that they drew will also be identified and listed. In order to identify these appropriate journals and books will be taken up and the articles, papers and texts will be noted down for reference. Ideas and concepts introduced by them will also be noted down to match with the technique adopted in this program. This will be finally verified while cross checking the results of the program and the reasons for deviation, if any, will also be identified. These justifications will also be listed in the results of the project. 3. In line with the analysis methodology chosen and the metrics identified, a questionnaire for the survey will be framed. This would provide qualitative as well as quantitative data for further analysis. The questionnaire will be framed in such a way that both the customers and the employees are

Macbeth Assessment Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Assessment Essay Macbeth written in 1606 has proven to be one of Shakespeares most successful and popular plays. It wasnt just the plays that were popular William Shakespeare born 1564 is the most famous play writer in the world. He was born in Stratford upon Avon. He wrote 34 plays, Macbeth being just one of them. There are many reasons why Macbeth has proven to be so popular. It is the third shortest play written by Shakespeare, it is fast moving including death, murder, deception, and betrayal. The play follows the story of a man who was desperate for power and turns to murder to get his own way. It has conserved its title as an exceptional play as it appeals to audiences both today and in Shakespeares time, by including factors that appeal to everyone. In Shakespeares time people would be intrigued by the supernatural, as they were xenophobic, they took a dislike towards the witches. They didnt understand them even today when we know a little more about the supernatural it is still a topic people would like to know more about. The play makes you want more. You want to find out if he was a good king or if he would really murder his best friend. It is an unpredictable play you dont know what is going to happen. Theatre going was very popular in the 1600s because not only was it for the rich the poor could enjoy the entertainment as well. Many people enjoyed the magic of the theatre, thats what made it such a success. The globe built in 1599 was one of the first theatres in London, it could seat over 3,000 people but sadly tragedy struck in 1613 when the great fire of London burnt down the theatre along with many other famous landmarks. It was a great loss in everyones eye, so a year later the globe was replaced. It cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,400 to rebuild. It didnt take long before the theatre had paid for its self as it was so popular. The poor people would sit in the pit they would only have to pay 1p but if it rained they would get wet, as there was no shelter. The rich people could sit around the sides where they would be able to see everything as the seats were tiered along the sides they were sheltered from the cold. They would have had to pay around 10p for their seat. As a variety of people attended the play would have to cater for a range of people. Not a play for the rich or poor. If the king didnt approve of they play he could stop the performances. Shakespeares plays were clever they contained blood guts and gore. The monarchy and the political situation at the time had much to do with why the play had proven to be so popular. King James the first was new to the throne, as Elizabeth had died. Elizabeth was a popular queen where as James the first had shown to be very disliked. They worried what king James would be like on the throne they were right to be worried King James was evil he burnt and tortured Catholics. The declining catholic population soon grew to hate him and in 1605 a plot was taken against him in hope he would die. Guy Folkes attempted to blow the house of parliament up in The gun powder plot fortunately for the king he was unsuccessful. He was later executed. A year later when Shakespeare was writing Macbeth he had to be very careful on what he included. If James the first did not like the play and took offence to it then he could have Shakespeare killed. Shakespeares presented the play in good light. He displayed Duncan the king as a good king whom people loved, James would have liked this as he thought it portrayed himself but really Shakespeare was showing James to be Macbeth. The play showed a warning if a man killed the king he would suffer a fate as bad. The main theme of the play shows a man who is led to despair by his controlling wife. He starts as a loyal soldier serving his king to the very best. Due to his service he was made Thane of Cowdor, but that was not enough for him and his power mad wife. They thought of an evil plot to kill the beloved Duncan. They arranged to kill him in his bed and make it look as if his own guards have killed him. They succeeded in their plot for greatness. Macbeth is crowned king. Duncans sons who would have been next to the thrown, but they fled as they thought they were suspects for the murder. Macbeth now had the taste for murder. He killed his best friend Banquo. Later he tried to kill Macduff a fellow soldier but was unsuccessful as Mac duff got away. Macbeth was mad by this and instead of trying to kill Macduff he killed his wife and children. How could a man be so cruel as he may have suffered the pain of a child being taken from his life. Macduff was on his way to England to fetch an army thousands big. Lady Macbeth went mad with guilt and killed herself. Once Macbeth heard news of the triumph against him he started to worry. He got ready for a fight he placed on his amour ready. When Macduff arrived they fought their way into Macbeths castle in Dunsinane. Macbeth fought till the very end until it became too much he suffered a soldiers death. The supernatural had a large role in the play Macbeth. Macbeth included the supernatural, as the audience then were scared and shocked by it. They were scared of witches as they thought of them as bad. So when the play Macbeth was written Shakespeare included witches in the very start. This would have shocked the audience making them interested in the play from the very start. They would want to know what happened to them. Audiences now would be curious to see the supernatural and how the witches act. The witches cropped up several times in the play to keep the audience watching. The witches open the play when shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in the rain? When the hurly burlys done, when the battles lost and won, that will be the set of the sun where the place upon the heath Macbeth is a very fast moving play, which included a lot of action. The play is short, it is so fast moving to keep the audiences attention. I think the action and length were quite important to an audience. If the play were long and lacked action the play would be unpopular and found boring. Plays had to appeal to everyone it would be important to keep them interested and as there would be peasants viewing they would have to cater for them. The plots would have to be quite straightforward so the peasants could understand. The main events in the play link with each other. The witches have an important role in the play on the heath in act 1 scene one and again in act 1 scene 3. They tell Macbeth and Banquo their future. The next important scene is Act 1 scene 5 when Duncan comes to stay with Macbeth to celebrate Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cowdor but sadly Duncan is brutally murdered in his own bed. Macbeth is forced to do the deed by his crazed wife. Then Macbeth is crowned king. The next important scene is when Macbeth gets Banquo killed and Banquos ghost comes to haunt him. Lady Macbeth tries to make excuses to cover his moments of madness. She tells the people not to leave, as this will offend him. Dray you keep seat. The fit is momentary upon a thought. He will again be well. If much you note him you shall offend him and extend his passion feeds and regard him not. The witches then appear again in act 4 scene 1. This time the witches didnt find Macbeth, Macbeth went to find the witches. He wanted to know more. So the witches tell Macbeth in words, which have a double meaning. This makes Macbeth thinks he is going to rule as king for a long time. Macbeth next tries to kill Macduff but is too late Macduff is already on his way to England to fetch an army to kill Macbeth. Then Malcolm can return as the rightful king. In rage Macbeth kills Macduffs wife and children. Meanwhile his own wife is going mad with guilt. She thinks she has a spot of Duncans blood on he hand, which she cant wash off. This time lady Macbeth has turned out to be the one with feelings instead of being callas. She had always called Macbeth a coward for showing signs of feeling Are you a man? he often tries to prove himself. What man dare, I dare Lady Macbeth becomes so deranged she kills herself. Then we meet the biggest scene, act 5 scene 3 at Dunsinane castle. Malcolms army fight there way into Macbeths castle to return the rightful king to the thrown. Many play writers would have included guts and gore to surprise the audience. If all plays were written about love and everything was perfect plays would become boring. Showing guts and gore with lots of action would keep the audiences interested. The technology back then wasnt that good not compared with today, but audiences back then would be impressed by Shakespeares use of trap doors and fake blood. The trap doors would be used for the witches and Banquos ghost to appear and disappear. This would reflect the power of the witches . They may have lowered Banquos ghost down on a rope to make it look as if it was floating. Many of these effects are still used today while doing performances of the play. The goriest bits in the play would be the murder scenes. Especially the scene with Duncan they would have used a lot of fake blood. Macbeths character changes quite significantly during the play he starts off as a loyal soldier dedicated to his king. He changes after his first meeting with the witches, once he knew his destiny he would do anything to get it as soon as he could. The witches told him he would be thane of Cowdor, and then he would be crowned king. His power mad wife often challenged his position. Why do you make such faces Macbeth showed feeling he didnt want to kill Duncan but callas Lady Macbeth drove him to it That I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue this shows the power she had over him. Macbeth is good not evil yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full othmilk of human kindness Where as Macbeth is a gentle person. Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits to make her evil enough to commit murder. Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to toe top full of direst cruelty make thick my blood. The planning of Duncans murder was quite disturbing Lady Macbeth proves her callas feelings. The death is like a challenge. Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire? She accuses him of breaking promises, that he isnt strong enough to accept the challenges wouldst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life, And youre a coward in thine own esteem Macbeth braves himself as a man and accepts the challenge I dare do all that may become a man, who dares do more is none Lady Macbeth shows some feeling like the feeling she may once have had for her child I have given suck and know how tender tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn to you have done to this Her feelings soon turn evil as she says to Macbeth she would rather kill her child than break her promise. There was also many reasons why Macbeth shouldnt kill Duncan Hes here in double trust first I am his kings man and his subject, strong both against the deed then, as his host. Who should against his murder shut the door, not bear the knife myselfthis Duncan been so clear in his great office Macbeth was related to king, he was Duncans host. Duncan was a good king if Macbeth went ahead with the murder he could loose everything. It was worse to kill a king than anyone else. It was a huge sin against god. God chose who was to be king. Lady Macbeth made most of the plans for the murder, she controlled Macbeth. She told him when and how to commit Duncans murder. Macbeth said the dagger showed the way to Duncans room. The night for Duncans death was perfect. Crows searched the courtyard a sign of death. An owl shrieked anther sign that evil was in the air. When Duncan had retired to his room and the guards had fell asleep Macbeth brutality stabbed Duncan in the chest with a dagger. Macbeth returned out of Duncans room with the evidence in his hand. He refused to re-enter the room so lady Macbeth took them back in the room and put the blood of Duncan on the guards face to make it look like they had killed Duncan. Macbeth didnt prove to be a very good or popular king. Many people didnt respect him. He lost many of his friends especially his supposed best friend Banquo whom he had killed as he suspected Macbeth had killed Duncan. Later at one of Macbeth banquets, he started to talk to a ghost that wasnt even there. Lady Macbeth tried to cover it up. The second meeting with the witches as deliberate they told Macbeth words with double meanings. They told Macbeth he would be king until the wood moved. Macbeth thought he was safe, as wood couldnt move. The witches tricked Macbeth so the audience would see the witches as evil. Macbeth wasnt much better himself the most loyal thing he did while wearing the crown was suffer a soldiers death. He died a lonely man his wife had gone crazy and killed herself she jumped of the castles balcony. The audience views Macbeth would change at different points in the play. They would see him as a loyal soldier but then he turned evil but he still had some feelings he didnt want to kill Duncan he was bullied by his wife. After the dirty deal was done he never returned from the evils scheming. In conclusion I think Macbeth is a very good play. It is a fast moving play. Which includes love, deception, and murder. Aspects that would appeal to all audiences. The audience would be relieved that justice was done. By including these features I feel that Macbeth has proved the test of time as one of the best plays of all time. Many theatres today still make reproductions of the play. I think Shakespeare truly has lived up to his title as a great play writer.

The Effects on Hungary as a New Member Nation in the European Union :: essays research papers fc

Overview/History of Hungary and the European Union   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nation of Hungary is a country that has come a long way in a short period of time. In the years since the fall of communism in 1989 in this country, Hungary has managed to establish an extremely prosperous economy and population. Because of this, Hungary has developed into one of Eastern Europe ¡Ã‚ ¯s most attractive business environments.  ¡Ã‚ °The level of political, structural and economic stability it has achieved demonstrates the success of its transition into a modern market economy.  ¡Ã‚ ± This stability has allowed for Hungary to become a member of numerous international organizations, such as the OECD, NATO, and most recently the European Union in May 2004. Hungary ¡Ã‚ ¯s membership in the EU, although short so far, has brought about many changes in the nation, both positive and negative. The nation has always served as a crossroads that connects Eastern Europe to Western Europe, and this coupled with EU membership will only allow Hungary ¡Ã ‚ ¯s economy to grow more. The Eastern European nation of Hungary has a population of a little more than 10.2 million people with about 2.5 million, or 25% of the country's population, living in and around the capital city of Budapest. Hungary ¡Ã‚ ¯s populace is made up of mostly Hungarians with ethnic minorities of Romanians, Germans, Serbs, and Slovaks. The nation is mostly Catholic with minority religions of Calvinism, Lutheran, and other religions. The life expectancy for the total population is 72.25 years and the literacy rate is very high, with 99.5% of the total population able to read and write, which demonstrates the exceptional educational system in this country. The nation has well-established transportation, communication, banking, insurance, accounting, and legal systems. All of this allows for a prosperous nation. For centuries Hungary had been part of the Holy Roman Empire under the rule of the Hapsburg monarchy. This was until the monarchy was overthrown during WWI and Hungary became a democratic republic; however political and social unrest continued for many years, with the government returning to a monarchy at the end of WWI. The nation also lost two-thirds of its territory as part of the unfair peace settlements following this war. This coupled with economic distress provided  ¡Ã‚ °incentive for resurgent Hungarian nationalism.  ¡Ã‚ ± After World War II, Hungary became a republic once again and held democratic elections after which a coalition government was formed. However, the Hungarian Communist Party, supported by the Soviet army, did not accept the results and overthrew the lawful government and assumed power.

The Independent Record Labels of the 1950’s and 1960’s

The Independent Record Labels of the 1950’s and 1960’s History of Music Production Eric Eller Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, a wave of new musical movements by independent record labels and new artists emerged in the United States. This movement is captured in the stories of those label creators and owners, and in the turbulent journey through their successes and failures. The first emergence was fueled by multiple factors: competitive economic circumstances, up-and-coming local musical talent in conjunction with the independent labels and studio owners, and the commercially viable musical interest and curiosity of consumers in these local artists. An article poses another causative factor that makes sense: when rock and roll was a new genre, major labels such as Columbia, Capitol, and RCA were â€Å"reluctant to sign these acts; thus, sprung forth the independent label† (Jacobs). Grassroots production and engineering enthusiasts were given an in-road into the music industry and were able to gain their own clients in independent local artists. Independent label owners in connection with this local talent generate publicity and profit. One such example is found with the duo of Polish immigrant brothers named Leonard and Phil Chess, also known as the Blues Brothers. The Chess brothers bought sole ownership of Aristocrat Records in 1950, and change its name to Chess Records. Leonard specialized as the hands-on producer for the label, while Phil focused on finances and marketing. They found a signature sound in the electric guitar of Muddy Waters. Besides Muddy Watters, their rostser included Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Willie Nixon, Etta James, Little Walter, Billie Stewart, and Howlin’ Wolf. ’ Chapter Three of the History of Music Production Binder states: Chess Records flourished in those early days of both Rhythm and Blues and independent record companies†¦Chess, along with Atlantic, Aladdin, Specialty, Imperial, Modern and King were giving the public music that they couldn’t get from the larger, established, â€Å"major† record companies. (page 47) This quote explains that there was a multitude of independent record labels that emerged around this time. How did all of these homemade labels gain bearings? They were allowed financial success because there was actually a public commercial market to invest in their musical productions. In other words, there was a significant number of people were looking for a different sound and these labels could produce local talents that had the sound these consumers were looking and listening for. One of the independent labels mentioned in the quote above is Imperial Records. Founded in the late 40’s by Lew Chudd, its roster include Ricky Nelson and Fats Nelson. Chudd ended up purchasing Aladdin and Minit Records in 1960. In ’63, however, Domino and Nelson left for other labels and Chudd sold Imperial to Liberty Records. Liberty found success with the Imperial artists Irma Thomas, Johnny Rivers, Jacky DeShanon, and Cher. (‘Independent Record Labels’) During the time known as the ‘British Invasion’ which I go into depth about later in the paper, Liberty’s recordings were distributed by EMI in Britain. In turn, EMI licensed its artists The Hollies, Billy J. Thomas and The Sakotas, and others to be released on Imperial. By 1969, Imperial records had been phased out and all artists were absorbed by Liberty. Today EMI owns the Imperial Records Catalog. The Memphis Recording Service, which became Sun Studios, was owned by Sam Philips. Philips was a local blues and country disc jockey whose business had been mainly comprised of recording local blues and country musicians and some weddings. He started by recording artists who were signed under other independent labels, and eventually decided to start his own record label. He called it Sun Records. The facilities at Sun started humbly and could certainly be considered ‘independent. ’ It was a rectangular room with no acoustical treatment, and a control room with a used five channel presto mixer, a presto 6-N lathe and one loudspeaker. Philips would take a while to realize that a huge prospect was about to enter his life and studio. Elvis Presley, a young truck driver, had come in to record two songs at a cost of $8 as a birthday present for his mother. Philips was actually out of the office so his secretary Marion Keisker recorded Presley. Foreseeing talent, Keisker put aside a copy of the acetate master. Keisker continued to advocate to Philips the idea of investing in Presley’s commercially promising musical potential. Philips eventually agreed to give Presley a try and matched him up with local guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black. This group became quite successful, and together, under the direction of Philips, helped to influence and redefine the ‘rockabilly’ genre of music at the time. It shows Sun’s success that by ’61, Phillips was able to buy a Presto 900-P recorder. Elvis Presley’s presence at the label allowed Philips to once again upgrade his system, this time opting for a Tube 76-D broadcast console and two new Ampex 350 tape recorders. The growing sophistication of his studio rig is a testimony to the success that he accomplished with such sensations as Presley. He delayed one tape head slightly in relation to the other, which made the signature â€Å"Sun Sound. † While Philips did find success for a while with artist Elvis Presley; Elvis’ popularity outgrew the facilities and financial capabilities of Sun Records by 1956. Elvis also had a new manager who pushed him to sign to a major label (HMP, Chapter III, pg. 52). RCA approached Sam Philips about Presley’s contract, and since Philips knew that he wouldn’t be able to afford renewing contract with Elvis nice their current agreement had expired, Philips agreed to sell Elvis Presley’s contact for $35,000. Philips’ story is common in this time for smaller independent record labels: they find some success that eventually dissipates due to the influence of more established labels. Philips’ relationship with Elvis Presley exemplifies the opportunity that was mutually available to local grass-roots artist and label/studio owners at this time of budding musical movements such as soul, R&B, rock and roll, and jazz. Rudy Van Gelder is yet another independent producer/engineer that was able to successfully make his own record label from the ground up. Van Gelder started as an optometrist and radio broadcaster, and became a pioneer in jazz recordings. His early works were recorded in his parents’ living room in New Jersey. He was known for his â€Å"meticulous and experimental recording techniques. While his recording began in his private home, Van Gelder built his own studio. Over his fifty-plus year career, Van Gelder collaborated with such prominent Jazz labels as Verve, Impulse, Prestige, Venus, Blue Note, and more. As an optometrist who started recording and broadcasting from his house, his 10,000+ repertoire of recording is a testimony to his success as an independent producer/label. While these examples do show the possibility for financial success as an independent label owner in these times, there were definitely obstacles to their success. One major trend that happened to act as an obstacle in this new market for independent labels was the absorption of independent record companies by larger labels, that had even begun as independent record labels them selves. For example, Atlantic Records was an independent record label, yet it gained such a holding that it began to buy out smaller independent labels. Atlantic Records acquired Spark Record Company in 1955†¦ â€Å"Due to Tom Dowd’s technical prowess, (Atlantic Records) was one of the first independent labels to record in stereo† (HMP, Ch III). Atlantic was formed in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun, son of a Turkish ambassador, and Herb Abramson. It started out as a Rhythm and Blues and Jazz label. In the early 1950’s Jerry Wexler and Nesuhi Ertegun joined the team. Nesuhi started producing the jazz division in 1955 and signed the likes of Charles Mingus and John Coltrane (Jacobs, Pat). Atlantic went on to become a â€Å"powerhouse† in the 1960’s, signing such mainstream artists as Sonny and Cher. It was successful enough to also branch off into other sub-labels like Atco. From 1960-1968, Atlantic, spear-headed by Jerry Wexler, had a distribution deal with the Memphis record company that became Stax records (Jacobs). Stax Studios is another similar yet unique case in this time and movement. The independent studio Stax was formed by Jim Stewart, along with the investment of his sister Estelle Axton. It began in an old storehouse, but they later moved it to an old movie theatre, which they converted to a control room, studio space, and small record store. A young pianist, Booker T. Jones, lived nearby and began frequenting the studio. He hooked up with other local musicians Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, and Al Jackson. Together, this group became known as Booker T. and the M. G. ’s, and they made up the backbone of the new Stax sound (HMP Ch. III). Stax had developed a distinctive soulful sound and Booker T. and the M. G. ’s had amazing chemistry as a band. Due to these factors, Atlantic soon took notice and began sending their head engineer, Tom Dowd, along with their own artists, to record at Stax. In 1962, Johnny Jackson recorded a single at Stax. When the session failed miserably, they used the last thirty minutes f the session time to record Jackson’s driver, a young Otis Redding. The song that they recorded reached the charts in April of 1963, and Otis Redding came back to record an even bigger hit in September of that same year. The eruption of these popular hits by new, poignant artists acted as a positive feedback loop for Stax business. Having successfully marketed Booker T. and the M. G . ’s, the Mar-Keys, Carla Thomas and Otis Redding, Stax attracted the attention of even more talents, through Atlantic and also on their own, independently. These new acts included Sam and Dave and Wilson Picket, Willian Bell, Eddie Floyd and the producer/writer duo David Porter and Isaac Hayes. Stax Records was obviously thriving at this time. In 1965, Stewart hired Al Bell as national sales director for Stax. With the rate of change and competition in the music industry at this time, however, things couldn’t stay the same for long. And along with the opportunities for independent owners came the means and motivation for exploitation of the underdog by more powerful enterprises. In 1965, Jerry Wexler told Stewart that Atlantic might be sold, and in order to save Stax, they should finalize their distribution agreement through a written contract. Stewart failed to consult a lawyer or examine the fine print of the contract, and essentially signed away the ownership of all Stax masters. Here is an evident example of the cutthroat commercialism and competition that began to take over the music industry in this time of change and commercial viability. Atlantic had sneakily tricked Stax into signing away ownership. Producers and Business Owners in this changing, flourishing and cutthroat industry had to be on top of their game, or they could be exploited and manipulated. The same can be said for artists, who were often exploited, paid less than they deserved and far less in comparison with the cut that producers and label representatives were taking from the profit that they accrued from these artists. In addition to the hardship caused by careless contractual practices, Stax lost Otis Redding in a plane crash, his masters belonged to Atlantic. Instead of giving in to Atlantic, Stewart sold the label Stax to Gulf and Western which went on the release hits by Booker T. and the M. G. ’s and Isaac Hayes. Today Stax masters prior to 1968 are owned by Atlantic Records. Masters recorded after the split between Stax and Atlantic are now owned by Fantasy Records. Leiber and Stoller of Spark Record Company are a good example of how this new business model could work to the advantage of the underdog. Leiber and Stoller worked as independent producers for Atlantic, meaning they were able to make records for other labels also, although Atlantic still proved to be the most profitable for them. A significant amount of Atlantic Records’ pre-production from the late 1950’s took place in the Brill Building. The owners of this building rented out the spaces to music publishers, because there were little other options due to the increasing economic depression. As a result, this building was filled with 165 music related businesses by 1962. It should be noted here that detrimental economic circumstances inadvertently created a beneficial opportunity for independent music producers, label representatives, engineers, and artists. The Brill Building is, in fact, an example of vertical integration- quite literally. The lay-out of the establishment allowed for personnel to go to one floor, write a song or pitch it to an array of publishers, go to another floor and have it arranged and notated for a small fee, book an hour long session and hire local studio musicians on site. This unique and efficient set up gave artists and producer’s the ability to cut a demo, then show it to recording companies, publishers, and other artists in and around the building. In the late 1950’s, Atlantic attained success in the cross over record market, meaning Rhythm and Blues music performed by African Americans that appealed to the white music-buyer. Atlantic Records provided the white consumer with authentic R&B recording artists such as The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter, Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, the Coasters, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and more. It is one of the few labels to have notable success throughout this time period still operating today, and can be considered a success story for the independent record label model of the 1950’s and 1960’s. One temporary independent success that didn’t last nearly as long was Vee-Jay records, owned by a black female DJ named Vivian Carter and her husband, James Bracken. In 1953 the label opened in Gary, Indiana, and it soon became a powerhouse of major R+B. Before Motown, it was the biggest black-owned label of its time (Independent Record Labels). Its roster included John Lee Haooker, Little Richard, and the Four Seasons. They also released early Beatles material before they became massively popular in the United States. Once the British Invasion arrived, these Beatles recordings were bought out almost instantly. In early 1964, 2. 6 million Beatles singles were sold in a month. Eventually, however, this label met with financial difficulties, and in August of 1966 Vee-Jay records filed for bankruptcy (‘Independent Record Labels’). Another prime example of a successful independent record label is found in Motown Records. While Motown did eventually sign and produce some of the soul legends whose popularity still holds up today, the label’s creator, Berry Gordy, did not find success instantly; he came up against a lot of failure along the way as well. When Berry Gordy left the military in 1953 he launched a jazz record store called the 3-D Record Mart. It was financed by his family, who owned a number of businesses. By 1955 this record store had failed. He searched for success elsewhere, and eventually found it as a song-writer. His first success came with the tune â€Å"Reet Petite†, performed by Jackie Wilson. The song landed him 1,000 dollars. In addition, over the next two years, he wrote four more hits performed by Jackie Wilson. Encouraged by these successes, Gordy decided to pursue producing. He had an uncanny ability to sniff out talent, and this allowed him to find success as a producer. In 1959, He discovered The Miracles, which included Smokey Robinson, at a talent show, and pitched a business relationship to them which would benefit him in the future. He borrowed $800 from his family to start his own record company that he called ‘Tamla’. Marv Johnson’s â€Å"You Got What It Takes† was released through Tamla that same year, and was the first big break experienced by Berry Gordy. It was such a success, in fact, that it placed within the top ten. By the late 1950’s, Detroit was one of, if not the last city that did not have its own strong independent record company. This allowed for Gordy’s success because he was in the right place at the right time, and was able to provide a production outlet for the local talents of the area. The third Miracles recording was released in conjunction with another label that Berry Gordy had formed on the side, called Motown. In 1960, Gordy commandeered the contract of a young singer from Washington DC by the name of Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye did have one moderately successful release in the 60’s, but really hit it big later in the 1970’s. Through a Miracles connection, Steveland Morris auditioned for Motown and impressed Gordy. Gordy signed the youngster and renamed him â€Å"Little Stevie Wonder†. In 1963, Stevie Wonder’s hit â€Å"Fingertips Part II† made it to the number one spot on the pop charts. Berry Gordy did indeed have a knack for finding talent and selling records. In fact, â€Å"Gordy turned Motown into the most profitable black entertainment company in the country† (HMP, Ch. III p. 59). The History of Music class binder attributes this in part to Gordy’s frugal business practices: the in-house writers, artists, and producers that he hired were paid on salaries that were deducted from their royalties for songs. In addition, they were paid a flat-rate on a weekly basis, and were required to be on call. Employees were only allowed to view the accounting records twice annually, and the RIAA was never allowed to view them. For this reason, Motown may have received less awards than they would have, because the real rates of sale where not publicly disclosed. Yet despite all these circumstances, Motown maintained a family-oriented reputation and attracted producers, song-writers and artists from all over. There was an atmosphere of camaraderie and healthy competition in Gordy’s studio. Gordy had a good eye for talented producers and artists alike, quickly adopting Smokey Robinson to his team. Under Gordy’s label, Smokey Robinson was uniquely permitted to produce his own work and other artists like Mary Wells, The Temptations, and The Miracles. Motown accumulated a number of artists that put out continuous hit songs, including a run of five Supremes hits in a row: â€Å"Where Did Our Love Go,† â€Å"Baby Love,† â€Å"Come See About Me,† â€Å"Stop! In the Name of Love,† and â€Å"Back In My Arms Again. † The Robinson produced â€Å"My Guy† by Mary Wells in 1964, which also reached the #1 spot is a good example of the burgeoning mid 60’s Motown sound. This string of successes gave Motown the names â€Å"Hitsville, USA. The Motown Sound, The Sound of Young America† which was painted over the headquarters entrance. In 1966, Motown produced fourteen songs that ranked in the Top Ten. In 1967, thirteen songs reached that status. And in 1968, ten singles reached that status. As you can see, while they did continue to rank in the Top Ten, the degree of their success decreased every year. This is yet another testimony to the fact that the success of these indie labels was rarely long-lasting. Another example of an individual producer who found a pathway in to the music industry during the 1950’s and 1960’s is the eccentric engineer, Harvey Philip Spector. Hoping to break into the music business, Spector booked a session at a local independent recording business called Star Studios. He raised $40 for the session and the price of tape, aided by his mother and several friends to pay for this session and the tape to record onto. He produced and performed on all instruments for the single â€Å"Don’t Worry My Little Pet,† an original composition. Spector and his friends, who were investors in his venture, formed the musical group â€Å"The Teddy Bears. † They appeared on American Bandstand. They performed another of his original songs, â€Å"To Know Him Is To Love Him,† which sold more than a million copies in two months. Phil Spector and his band The Teddy Bears signed on with Imperial Records, but they encountered problems while there. This is because Spector was used to being his own boss and producer, and now he wasn’t allowed to record at Goldstar, use stacked harmonies, or control production. After unsuccessful releases with Imperial, Spector broke up the Teddy Bears and asked Lester Sill and Lee Hazelwood, two established producers/label owners, to show him the ropes of the business. Spector actually moved in with Sill and his family. Sill taught Spector how successful Rock and Roll Records were made (HMP, Ch. III). He was then given the task of recruiting new artists to the label, yet his choices didn’t prove to be beneficial investments. Spector became frustrated and asked Sill to disclose his contacts from Stax. Spector then moved to New York City and began working for Lieber and Stoller in 1960. There at Lieber and Stoller’s studio, Spector started out as a studio guitarist, then worked as a producer for Ray Peterson and Curtis Lee, two artists on the label. Both of these artists’ releases were received very well, yet Spector faced failure with the public reaction to the release of the original â€Å"Twist and Shout,† which was performed by Top Note. Berns was outraged with Spector’s approach to â€Å"Twist and Shout,† and took this tune, reproduced it, and found success with it. Spector took this incident to heart and decided to leave Atlantic and return to the West Coast. There on the West Coast, he then formed the Phelles Label in Hollywood with Lester Sill, his former boss. Spector developed a unique sound that he called â€Å"impressionistic sound productions. † To the rest of the world, it became known as the â€Å"Wall of Sound. † It was characterized by abundant use of reverberation and un-isolated instrument overdubbing. Spector hated the concept of isolation and focused on creating a sonic â€Å"wall† by fixating all of the instrumental pieces, objects and people in the room and also by recording solely in mono. He then fed those un-isolated microphone tracks into different echo and reverb chambers. He was so extreme and specific in his endeavors that he wouldn’t even allow any of the people in his recordings to leave the room to go to the bathroom, or to even move around at all, claiming that it disturbed his perfect wall of sound: the relationship between the sound waves with all the surfaces and angles in the recording space. Within three years, he had put out twenty hits in a row, including â€Å"Da Doo Ron Ron,† â€Å"The Best Part of Breaking Up,† and others. In 1964, however, Spector’s success was cut prematurely by the British Invasion. This British Invasion, or the ‘Second British Invasion’, as it could be ironically considered, was marked by the Beatles’ victorious entrance into New York in February of 1964. This event symbolized the success of the Beatles in the eyes of the American public and also paved the way for British musical talent in America. The relationship between American and British musicians and fans is quite interesting, because there are many parallels between the two. â€Å"Like their transatlantic counterparts in the 1950s, British youth heard their future in the frantic beats and suggestive lyrics of American rock and roll. † (‘British Invasion’). While the Beatles were trying to mimic the American pop style of the time, they inadvertently created their own style that reflected back to American audiences who became obsessed. With the advent of the Beatles’ more â€Å"sophisticated,† pop/rock sound, Phil Spector and other pop/rock producers faced a competition as the British wave swept over their consumer audience. Spector fought to prolong his success, but with his release of an Ike and Tina Turner record in 1966 that only reached number eighty-eight on the charts, he was humiliated and decided to retire from the industry, although he would make a minor comeback and a flop or two) in later decades. Spector is an example of an independent record label whose niche was filled up by another entity. In England during the 1950s and 1960s, EMI, Philips, and Decca towered over small independent record labels as a trio of major record companies. As a result, it was quite difficult for the independent labels to become esta blished. Still, many producers and musical artists set up their own independent labels. These producers included Joe Meek with his release of Triumph, Andrew Oldham (Immediate), and Larry Page with Page One. One independent label that was able to thrive in this atmosphere and continued to grow and develop clientele was Chrysalis Records, the joint project of Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. Rock stars that launched their own record labels during this time included The Beatles with Apple Records, Elton John with Rocket, and The Rolling Stones with Rolling Stones Records. Unfortunately, these ventures did not succeed commercially on their own, while some were absorbed by the major labels. Through the examples of Stax, Atlantic, Sun, Motown, Phil Spector, Vee Jay, and all the other players involved in this unique time in music history, we can see the complex combination of positive opportunities and negative repercussions of taking a chance with a label, with an artist, a producer, and/or a song. It is quite clear that all of these independent record label starters of the 1950’s and 1960’s faced a lot of competition and conflict in their attempt to make it, despite the unique opportunity for success that they were granted in the circumstances of the music industry, market, and economy of that time. It seems that it took a while for the more major labels to catch on to the commercial viability of rock and roll and other new types of music, and yet at the same time, independent record labels who already had a holding on this new market had found success. References Jacobs, Pat. â€Å"Independent Record Labels of the 50’s and 60’s†. Rewind the Fifties, 1997. < http://www. loti. com/sixties_music/sixties_indie_labels. htm>] Theakston, Scott. History of Music Production, Course Binder. Chapter III. 2010. Rogan, Johnny. â€Å"Introduction† in the Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music, Guinness Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-85112-579-4

Employment Relations Essay

In the last 20 years, there has been a shift in the importance of Unions in New Zealand. The introduction of the 1991 Employment Contracts Act and the following Employment Relations Act 2000 allowed employees and employers the freedom to negotiate in a Good Faith Bargaining environment without the involvement of the Government. And therefore the unions and collective agreements were no longer mandatory to guarantee good work conditions. This year, a big example of Employment Relations involving Union and employers disagreements is the AFFCO plants lockout. Since February 2012, 1250 union members have been involved in 6 AFFCO plants lockouts due to disputes between New Zealand Meat Workers Union (NZMWU) and AFFCO. The disagreement finally ended in late May with an arrangement between the parties. This case study will use the Employment Relations theories to explain the relevance of the dispute between a fast growing company and the union trying to protect its member’s rights in the current employment environment. Earlier this year the media spotlight turned to the dispute between AFFCO, a meat processing organisation and the New Zealand Meat Workers Union. It brought up a radical side of unionism that does not reflect the majority of Union activities in New Zealand. Who are the parties involved? And what is the conflict that caused grief to employees and employers really about? On one side of this dispute is AFFCO, a meat processing organization owned by the Talley’s family since 2001. In 1936 a Yugoslav immigrant, Ivan Talijancich, opened a fish shop in Motueka and bought a boat to supply it. His sons, Peter and Michael, took over the business when he died in 1964. Since then the business has grown and the family is now worth $300 million and Talley’s Group owns: eight meat plants in New Zealand (AFFCO), four fish processing plants, vegetable farms, 53% majority of milk processor Open Country, Ice-cream factory in Motueka and the Rutherford Hotel in Nelson1. On the other side of the dispute is the New Zealand Meat Workers Union. The NZMWU was created in 1971 in an attempt to form a National Union to support meat workers and related trades. In the 1990s, however, another union was formed in the North Island, the Meat and Related Trades Workers Union of Aotearoa (MUA), allowing workers the freedom to choose between the two different unions. In 2005 a decision was made to disband all the members from MUA to NZMWU forming one single union to represent meat workers over the entire country. Since then sacrifices were made by its members through strikes and negotiations to achieve the good working conditions of today2. In February this year the meat processor AFFCO locked out more than 760 unionised employees in 5 of its North Island plants over a contract dispute3. Some unionised workers were kept in some strategic operational areas while the more radical union members were locked out. The union claimed that the lockout was illegal and it was an attempt by AFFCO to break the collectivism and reduce workers memberships, they accused the Talley’s family of being anti-unionism. In March AFFCO announced that all the union members that were still engaged at work would get paid holidays over Easter as long as they did not participate on strikes planned by the union. The lockout continued over the Easter Holidays. After the holidays all the unionised workers that were still allowed in the plants, including workers from the other unaffected AFFCO plants went on a 5 day strike. In May 2012 the Employment Court put the dispute under investigation in an attempt to end the 3 month lockout. The dispute finally ended late May when AFFCO and the New Zealand Meat Workers Union implemented a new collective agreement. Overall, the dispute over a new collective agreement lasted for 12 weeks with both parties unwilling to give up their power of negotiation. AFFCO had offered a pay rise of 4. 3 per cent over the following two years, but the union also wanted to protect its members from AFFCO’s efforts to implement new technology and flexibility in staffing levels. What later came to light, the New Zealand Meat Workers Union took AFFCO to the Employment Court over â€Å"illegal† random drug testing. According to AFFCO the drug testing was a way to protect its employee’s safety while working in â€Å"sensitive areas† of the meat processing plant. They showed the media photos of drug paraphernalia found on site. The AFFCO lockout is not the only case of a breakdown of management of Employment Relations to be highlighted by the media this year. Another example is the Port of Auckland versus the Maritime Union that led to its members striking and causing shipment delays over the whole country. Both of these cases show two different sides to the Conflict Theory Frame of Reference as described by Rasmussen, 20094. Each party has an opinion about how they work. In the case of AFFCO the Unitarism model is followed, and, in the other second case, the New Zealand Meat Workers Union follows the Radical model of the Conflict theory. The Unitarism model adopts the idea of all members of an organisation working towards its goals; therefore the conflict with the union upset the path of development. The workers are viewed as resources to the process and the management as the authority. AFFCO is a big privately owned company that is driven by competitiveness to achieve success. Being slowed down by negotiations over collective agreements with the union and being stopped to develop new technologies and systems to improve production and lower costs, AFFCO believed that the NZMWU were trouble makers expressing employee’s greed. This ideology was relevant to small, family owned companies in New Zealand where team work and loyalty to the group were for a long time valued above individual achievement (Rasmussen, 2009, p. 9). However today, as Alan Fox suggested, a number of factors had conspired to make the unitary view inappropriate for analysing the realities of employment relations policy and practice (Fox, 1973, p. 192)5. These factors included urbanisation, the increasing size and complexity of work organisations, the weakening of traditional attitudes towards authority, the growing power of unions, and a greater personal assertiveness and striving for individual achievement and success (Rasmussen, 2009, p. 29). Therefore, for a period of time between the 1960s to the 1980s the pluralist and radical models found more favour. The recent attitude of the New Zealand Meat Workers Union however, is described by Rasmussen 2009 as a radical model. This ideology assumes that there is no balance of power between employees and employers. It focuses on the social and class structures and on the attitudes and behaviours of the parties involved. The conflict between AFFCO and the New Zealand Meat Workers Union is a great example of this frame of reference. Even when AFFCO agreed with a pay increase of 4. 3 per cent over 2 years, the NZMWU did not settle, they wanted more for their members under the assumption that the negotiating power was still in the meat processor’s hands. Both of these reactions seem somehow to be â€Å"prehistoric†. Since the 1990s a lot of the relationship between unions, employees and employers has changed. First, with the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act 1991 making unionism voluntary and giving employees the options of personal grievance procedures. And then, with the following Employment Relations Act in 2000 that kept many key points from the previous act and added the promotion of collective bargaining and unionism (Rasmussen 2009 p. 102-103). With the introduction of the Employment Relations Act 2000, the legislative employment relations framework appears to be less controversial and surrounded by something of a consensus (Rasmussen 2009 p. 123). The main issue during collective bargaining in the last 20 years has been the communication between the parties involved, as reported by Leeanne Templer, 20116. Therefore, the ERA also creates the environment for Good Faith Bargaining. The Good Faith Bargaining reinforces employment relationships based on trust and good faith. Now, by law, an understanding between employers and employees (with or without their unions) must be clear, respectful and with open exchange of information. As described by Rasmussen, 2009, Good faith collective bargaining requires at least the following things: * That the parties have to agree on a bargaining process; * That the parties must meet each other; That they have to consider and respond to bargaining proposals; * That they must recognise and respect the bargaining authority of the other side and avoid undermining this authority; * That the parties will provide the necessary information to substantiate claims; * That they must take into account relevant good faith codes, the proportion of employees who are union members, and the circumstances of employer and union. As can be seen from the media coverage of the bargaining conflict between AFFCO and the New Zealand Meat Workers Union, it appears that a few of the GFB points were ignored. For example, the introduction of the random drug testing was not communicated appropriately between the parties involved and the agreement on a bargaining process was then rejected. While the act introduces the Good Faith Bargaining, it also allows lawful strikes and lockouts. In this particular case, the legality of the AFFCO lockout is debatable. The Union argued that AFFCO’s owners, the Talley’s family, are using this action to undermine collective bargaining and to retaliate against the court actions bought by the NZMWU. The New Zealand Meat Workers Union also felt that Talley’s wished to force its employees to relinquish their union memberships. The Employment Relations Act defines that strikes and lockouts are lawful if: * Thy are in support of a collective agreement; and * The employees concerned are not bound by a current collective agreement; and * The parties involved have already negotiated for at least 40 days; and * In the case of the essential services listed in the act, the notice requirement has been met. Overall, the recent Employment Relations Act has achieved a safe guideline for employments issues negotiations between employees and employers. Conclusion (not quite finished yet) The Employment Relations in New Zealand is supported by legislative set of rules that can be used to resolve disputes between workers and their employers. These disputes can be in individual or collective actions as demonstrated by AFFCO and New Zealand Meat Workers Union’s 3 month conflicts. The long lasting dispute occurred because either AFFCO or NZMWU were willing to compromise its negotiation power. Each one had their own frame of reference theories. AFFCO was defending its own rights as an organisation to have its goals followed by its employees. And NZMWU was purely defending their members against AFFCO’s process developments that would lead to staffing flexibility. Changes in the Employment Acts allowed the grievances of employees and employers to be negotiated between the involved parties without the government’s input. It also created a Good Faith Bargaining environment which reinforces employment relationships based on trust and good faith.

Free Essays on Inner Strength

According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word strength means the power of exerting muscular force. For myself, strength is overcoming obstacles when others told you it couldn’t be done. Strength is to wake up every morning and think, not what could I have done if I gotten a better life, but what can I do with the life I have received. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the U.S., said: â€Å" We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.† Every one dreams, but it takes strength to make those dreams come true. Often, a lot of people do not try in fear of failure. The person with strength doesn’t worry about failue; it doesn’t exist, because if you truly try it is not failure. Anyone can be strong, it can be the retarded person at school or the gold medallist at running. Strength doesn’t have a description when it comes to a person. Anyone can posse the quality, it just takes will power to want to achieve a victory in life. First, strength is being able to overcome obstacles. For example, there was this girl who had a learning disability. Her mom watched her play basketball everyday. She ran circles around the other kids and managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads into the net. The boys always tried to stop her, but no one could. Sometimes she would play all night, until dark dribbling, over and over again. One day her mom asked her why do you practice so much? She turned her head and said,† I want to go to college. My dad was not able to go. The only way I’ll get to go is if I get a scholarship. I like basketball, so I decided if I were good enough, I would get a full scholarship. If I am going to play college basketball, I want to be the best. My dad told me if the dream was big enough, the facts don’t matter.† Through, high school she led her team every week into victory. Nevertheless, one day her mom saw her sitting in the grass crying. â€Å"What is wrong?† her mom asked. Sh... Free Essays on Inner Strength Free Essays on Inner Strength According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word strength means the power of exerting muscular force. For myself, strength is overcoming obstacles when others told you it couldn’t be done. Strength is to wake up every morning and think, not what could I have done if I gotten a better life, but what can I do with the life I have received. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the U.S., said: â€Å" We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.† Every one dreams, but it takes strength to make those dreams come true. Often, a lot of people do not try in fear of failure. The person with strength doesn’t worry about failue; it doesn’t exist, because if you truly try it is not failure. Anyone can be strong, it can be the retarded person at school or the gold medallist at running. Strength doesn’t have a description when it comes to a person. Anyone can posse the quality, it just takes will power to want to achieve a victory in life. First, strength is being able to overcome obstacles. For example, there was this girl who had a learning disability. Her mom watched her play basketball everyday. She ran circles around the other kids and managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads into the net. The boys always tried to stop her, but no one could. Sometimes she would play all night, until dark dribbling, over and over again. One day her mom asked her why do you practice so much? She turned her head and said,† I want to go to college. My dad was not able to go. The only way I’ll get to go is if I get a scholarship. I like basketball, so I decided if I were good enough, I would get a full scholarship. If I am going to play college basketball, I want to be the best. My dad told me if the dream was big enough, the facts don’t matter.† Through, high school she led her team every week into victory. Nevertheless, one day her mom saw her sitting in the grass crying. â€Å"What is wrong?† her mom asked. Sh...

The Benefits of Recycling Plastics

The Benefits of Recycling Plastics One good reason to recycle plastic is that there is just so much of it. Plastics are used to manufacture an incredible number of products we use every day, such as beverage and food containers, trash bags and grocery bags, cups and utensils, childrens toys and diapers, and bottles for everything from mouthwash and shampoo to glass cleaner and dishwashing liquid. And thats not even counting all the plastic that goes into furniture, appliances, computers,  and automobiles. The Need Is Growing As the use of plastics has increased over the years, they have become a larger part of our nations municipal solid waste (MSW)- growing from less than 1 percent in 1960 to more than 13 percent in 2013, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency. As an example of how and why plastic waste is increasing, the International Bottled Water Association reports that the  U.S.  consumed 9.67 billion gallons of bottled water in 2012, compared to 9.1 billion gallons the year before. The United States is the worlds leading consumer of bottled water. A good first step in reducing waste is switching to a reusable water bottle. Natural Resources and Energy Conservation Recycling plastics reduces the amount of energy and resources (such as water, petroleum, natural gas, and coal) needed to create plastic. According to a 2009 study by researchers Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley  from the Pacific Institute of California, a pint-sized bottle of water requires about 2,000 times as much energy to produce as the same amount of tap water. Recycling Plastics Saves Landfill Space Recycling plastic products also keeps them out of landfills and allows the plastics to be reused in manufacturing new products. Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. And lets face it, a lot of plastic ends up directly in the environment, breaking down into tiny pieces, polluting our soil and water, and contributing to the oceans Great Garbage Patches. Its Relatively Easy Recycling plastics has never been easier. Today, 80 percent of Americans have easy access to a plastics recycling program, whether they participate in a municipal curbside program or live near a drop-off site. A universal numbering system for plastic types makes it even easier. According to the American Plastics Council, more than 1,800 U.S. businesses handle or reclaim postconsumer plastics. In addition, many grocery stores now serve as recycling collection sites for plastic bags and plastic wrap. Room for Improvement Overall, the level of plastics recycling is still relatively low. In 2012, only 6.7 percent of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream were recycled, according to the EPA. Alternatives to Plastic While recycling is important, one of the best ways to reduce the amount of plastic in our nations MSW is to find alternatives. For example, reusable grocery bags have seen a growth in popularity in recent years, and they are a great way to limit the amount of plastic that needs to be generated in the first place.

Reflection for a year living on the brink Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflection for a year living on the brink - Essay Example He is convinced that the current regime has failed to address escalating tax rates, the failure of the current Obama regime to revive the economy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The article is interesting because it addresses the ailing economic situation in United States and the world at large. The author investigates the possible causes of the economic stability such as entrusting financial duties to central banks and previous systems that capitalized on labor protection at the expense of job creation. Though the failing economic failure can be solved through a change in regime, countries should address the economic anxiety with practical financial policies. A financial system that empowers all taxpayers is one of the potential ways of improving the current economic situation. An able leader combined practical financial or economic policies can revive the economy of United States and the foreign systems that depend on it. However, the crises should not be addressed in general but the measures should be customized for each economy. Henninger reveals that Chancellor Gerhard Schroder reformed German labor market successfully in

Rosa Parks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rosa Parks - Research Paper Example She was against of racial segregation. She became an icon of Civil Rights Movement in the world scenario. She worked with the NAACP on many projects or cases. These cases include murder, rape, flogging etc. but did not get so much publicity on their work. In 1979, the NAACP awarded her by its highest honor which was Spingarn Medal. Apart from that she received so many awards such as in 1980 she received Martin Luther King Jr. Award and in 1995 Academy of Achievements Golden Plate Award. Mrs. Parks spent her last few days in Detroit and died in 2005 at the age of 92. She is the one of those women whose courage has changed so many lives in the country (Parks and Haskins 28). This research study is based on an analysis that is to be conducted on the life history of Rosa Parks. The aim of a research study sets the mission that is to be achieved by the researcher through the study. The research aim should always be precise as it forms the basis on which the entire research study would be conducted. The major problem of the research that needs to be addressed by the study is to analyze the major factors that make Rosa Parks â€Å"The Mother of Modern – Day Civil Rights Movement†. The research aim of the study would be to address this research problem statement. Hence the research aim can be formulated such as – a research study that analyzes the entire life of Rosa Parks and to identify certain factors that in her that is incomparable and serves as a lesson to be learned by others. The research aim lays the foundation on basis of the objectives of the research can be formulated. The major research objectives of the study is- The research questions forms the framework that needs to be followed by the researcher so that the analysis performed through the research study can derive appropriate results for the formulated questions. This study would be revolving around the life of Rosa