Outline the Roman Empire’s attitude to Christianity Essay

Q: Outline the Roman Empire’s attitude to Christianity until the end of the first century. The Christian church from its outset has faced many challenges as a result of external influences; one of the most important of these influences was the persecution of the Christian people by the Roman Empire. From the year 64AD onwards the church was persecuted by the Roman authorities in an intermittent and sporadic manner, not on account of their beliefs, but was a result of chance and circumstance. Christianity was born out of Judaism and appeared as an entity after the death of Christ. Of course Jews of the time felt threatened by the emergence of Christianity as a faith, and so the earliest persecutions of Christians occurred at the hands of Jewish Sadducees, who branded Christians ‘blasphemous’. Indeed it is clear that the Jews played a part in persecution of Christians as late on as AD156 in the persecution of Polycarp. The persecution of Christians in the first century by Jews however were minimal in comparison to the much more widespread and systematic persecutions by the Roman authorities from the year AD64 onwards. Before this date Christians were accepted as a national sect of Judaism, and therefore they enjoyed the status of ‘religio licita’- a lawful or tolerated faith. The Roman Empire even protected many Christians against Jewish attack in the early years. This all changed however in the year 64AD, during the reign of the emperor Nero. See more: 5 paragraph essay format 64AD was by general concurrence of early Christians, the beginning of imperial repression of Christianity. This fact was supported by early Christian writers such as Tertullian, Eusebius and Sulpicus Severus. This date coincides with the fire of Rome, a devastating blaze which destroyed almost half of the city. The pagan writer Tacitus reports to us in 115 of the fact that Despite Nero’s efforts the accusation that the fire was ordered could not be quashed. The mounting suspicion had a disastrous effect on Nero’s popularity (which had been very high before then), so Nero set about searching for a scapegoat. Christians were perfect candidates for a number of reasons; they were a relatively new group that were small in number and there was already an air of suspicion surrounding allegations of anti social behaviour. However the actual circumstances may have been more complex than will never be understood by ourselves, as banks points out: ‘The reasons behind the persecution of Christians included religious, political and social factors which were so inter-related and inter-dependant that it would be historically misleading to separate them out as isolated issues.’ There are however some other opposing views on the exact circumstances of the fire of Rome. Critics such as Frend have argued that it is possible that Nero originally put blame on the Jewish community, who in turn blamed Christianity. Yet other critics have also suggested that the fire may well have been started by Christian extremists, anxious to fulfil apocalyptic prophecies. The first persecuted Christians were charged with arson and as Tacitus tells us, immense in number, this charge apparently changed to a charge of ‘hatred for the human race’. This in itself indicates the immense suspicion of the Roman population towards Christianity and the ability of Roman authorities to exploit this. Wand indicates to us the state of Roman perceptions of Christianity after Nero’s reign: ‘By the end of the reign of Nero the state had settled down to an attitude of suspicion towards the church.’ The persecutions themselves were reported to be gruesome and perverse in nature by Tacitus among others. They were deliberately devised to create amusement for the public as well as humiliate the incumbent. Accounts included victims being covered with the hides of dogs and beasts and set upon by dogs, being crucified and being used as streetlights to ‘illuminate the darkness’. Even Tacitus the most ardent of anti Christian writers, could not help but feel pity for them. There is much dispute over the impact that Nero’s persecution had on the Christian church. Some feel that it represents the beginning of Christianity’s status as an illegal religion, and that it set the precedent for a further 2 centuries of imperial persecution. What is certain is that the church lost many of its influential early leaders during Nero’s reign, including St Peter and St Paul as reported by Eusebius. Some commentators believe that without the writings of early evangelists, the Christian faith may have disappeared altogether. After Nero’s removal from office there was a period of considerable civil unrest within the Roman Empire, and therefore Christians were not seen as an important priority. It was not until the reign of Domitian that persecution of Christians began in earnest. This time though the persecutions were different in nature in that he did not search out the Christian community as a group but sought out individuals by stealth. Domitian is described by Bernard as: â€Å"A jealous man who went in fear of his life. He kept power (like Stalin in Russia) by a series of sudden blows against those who he felt were plotting against him.† There is evidence to suggest during the end of his reign Domitian began to fervently persecute the Christian community as a whole. Showing the mans deep paranoia and distorted frame of mind. The ancient writer Suetonius writes of the Gladiator Glabrio who was executed by Domitian on Christian charges, although the real reason was the Emperors apparent jealousy of his abilities, underlining the unstable nature of Domitian’s personality. It is widely regarded by many critics such as Banks that a possible source of conflict between Domitian and the Christian church was his enthusiasm for the imperial cult, and therefore he persecuted them because of their refusal to accord him divine honours. However it still remains in dispute whether Domitian persecuted Christians at all. The early church writer Dio Cassius, wrote from Bythinia, a strong Christian province and yet he never mentions any of Domitian’s victims as Christians. Furthermore, Pliny, a lawyer working in Rome at the time of Domitian’s reign tells Trajan many years later that he had never been involved in a Christian trial. This indicates at least that Domitian’s persecution was not exactly widespread or for reaching, if it existed at all. There is little doubt of the immense impact the early persecutions had on the growth of the Christian church. While some argue that it has helped the church in its growth, others claim that it has actually hindered the churches growth. Tertullian observes ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church’. I believe that because of the limited nature of early persecutions they did not seriously slow down the expansion of Christianity. What is certain though is that the persecutions at the hands of Nero and Domitian set a precedent for future Christian persecution.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 17

I woke to the sound of Aubrey purring in my ear. Sensing my consciousness, she moved closer and licked the part of my cheek near my earlobe, her whiskers gently rubbing against my skin. It tickled. Squirming slightly, I opened my eyes. To my astonishment, light, color, and shapes came through to me – albeit in a blurred, distorted manner. â€Å"I can see,† I muttered to Aubrey, trying to sit up. Immediately, myriad aches and pains screamed all over my body, making the motion difficult. I lay stretched out on my couch, an old afghan tossed over me. â€Å"Of course you can see,† Jerome's cold voice informed me. Aubrey fled. â€Å"Though it'd serve you right if you couldn't. What were you thinking, looking at an angel in full form?† â€Å"I wasn't,† I told him, squinting at his dark-clad shape pacing in front of me. â€Å"Thinking, that was.† â€Å"Obviously.† â€Å"Lay off,† came Carter's laconic voice from somewhere behind me. Straightening up and peering around, I made out his fuzzy form leaning against a wall. Peter, Cody, and Hugh also stood nearby in the room. It was a regular, dysfunctional family reunion. I couldn't help but laugh. â€Å"And you were there, and you were there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cody sat down beside me, his features materializing into sharp focus as he leaned in to study my face closer. Gently, he ran a finger along one of my cheekbones, frowning. â€Å"What happened?† I sobered up. â€Å"Is it that bad?† â€Å"No,† he lied. â€Å"Hugh was worse.† The imp made a nondistinct noise across the room. â€Å"I already know what happened,† snapped Jerome. I didn't need to see the demon's face in detail to know he was glaring at me. â€Å"What I don't understand is why it happened. Did you actually try to come up with the most dangerous situation possible? ‘Hmm, let's see†¦ dark alley, no one around†¦ ‘ That sort of thing?† â€Å"No,† I shot back. â€Å"I wasn't thinking of that. I wasn't thinking of anything except getting home.† I related the evening's events to the best of my ability, beginning with the footsteps, ending with Carter. When I'd finished, Hugh sat down in an armchair across from me, pensive. â€Å"Pauses, huh?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"The way you tell what happened†¦ you got hit, pause, then another one, pause, then another one. Right?† â€Å"Yeah, so? I don't know. Isn't that how fights work? Punch, draw back, get ready for another? Besides, we're talking about breaks of, like, a second or so. Not real breathing time.† â€Å"There was nothing like that for me. I had slashing too. It was an onslaught. A stream of blows, continuously. It defied understanding or ability. Definitely supernatural.† â€Å"Well, so was this,† I countered. â€Å"Believe me, I couldn't fight against it. It wasn't some mortal mugging, if that's what you're suggesting.† Hugh simply shrugged. Silence fell, and I gave the imp a sidelong glance to the best of my limited vision's ability. â€Å"They're looking meaningfully at each other, aren't they?† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Carter and Jerome. I can feel it.† I turned to Carter, suddenly wondering if my trip last night had been for naught. â€Å"I don't suppose you salvaged the shopping bag I had on me?† Walking over to my kitchen counter, the angel produced a bag and tossed it to me. My depth perception still off, I missed, and the bag bounced off the couch onto the floor. The book slipped out. Jerome snatched it up in an instant and read the title. â€Å"Fuck me, Georgie. Is this why you were out skulking in dark corners? This is what you nearly got killed for? I told you to lay off the vampire hunter investigating – â€Å" â€Å"Oh come on,† cried Cody, jumping up in my defense. â€Å"None of us believe that anymore. We know there's an angel doing this – â€Å" â€Å"An angel?† I heard heavy amusement and even a scoff in the demon's words. â€Å"No mortal did that to me,† I agreed hotly. â€Å"Or to Hugh. Or to Lucinda. Or to Duane. It was a nephilim.† â€Å"A nephi -what?† asked Hugh, startled. â€Å"Isn't that a character on Sesame Street?† Peter spoke up for the first time. Jerome stared silently at me for a moment, then finally demanded, â€Å"Who told you about that?† Not waiting for an answer, he turned toward the angel. â€Å"You know you're not supposed to – â€Å" â€Å"It wasn't me,† retorted Carter mildly. â€Å"I'm guessing she figured it out on her own. You don't put enough faith in your own people.† â€Å"I did find out on my own, though I had help.† I briefly detailed my string of leads, how one had led to another, from Erik to the book at Krystal Starz. â€Å"Shit,† muttered Jerome, after listening to my spiel. â€Å"Fucking Nancy Drew.† â€Å"Okay,† said Peter, â€Å"compelling chase or no, you still haven't told us what a nephilopogus is.† † Nephilim,† I corrected. Hesitantly, I looked at Jerome. â€Å"Can I?† â€Å"You're asking me for permission? How quaint.† Taking that as acquiescence, I began uncertainly, † Nephilimare the offspring of angels and humans. Like in that passage in Genesis. Where the angels fell and took human wives? Nephilim are the result. They have certain abilities†¦ I don't know all of them†¦ strength and power†¦ like Greek heroes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Or like major nuisances,† added Jerome bitterly. â€Å"Don't forget that.† â€Å"How so?† Hugh asked. I continued when Jerome didn't. â€Å"Well†¦ what I read said they used to cause strife and slaughter among humans.† â€Å"Yeah, but this one's not going after humans,† pointed out Peter. Carter shrugged. â€Å"They're unpredictable. They don't play by anyone's rules, and honestly, we're not really sure what this one's intentions are. It's playing a game, that's for sure, what with its attacks on random immortals and that note it sent Georgina.† â€Å"Two notes,† I corrected. â€Å"I got another one just before Lucinda died, but I was with Seth all night and didn't read it until the next day.† Hugh and the vampires turned to stare at me. â€Å"You were with Seth all night?† asked Cody, astonished. â€Å"Which one's he again?† Hugh asked. â€Å"The writer,† provided Peter. The imp regarded me with new interest. â€Å"What'd you do ‘all night' then?† â€Å"Can we not discuss Georgina's love life right now, fascinating though it may be?† Jerome gave me a speculative look. â€Å"Unless, of course, this Seth person is someone of strong moral character and principle whose life energy you plan on stealing soon in support of the greater cause of evil and its goals.† â€Å"Right on the first, not on the rest.† â€Å"Damn it. I need a drink.† â€Å"Help yourself.† Jerome wandered over to my liquor cabinet and sifted through its contents. â€Å"So how can we spot this nephilim ?† asked Cody, getting us back on track. I glanced uncertainly at Carter and Jerome. I didn't know any of the technicalities. â€Å"You can't,† the angel announced cheerfully. â€Å"They can hide their signature too, then. Like higher immortals. â€Å" He nodded back at me. â€Å"Yes, they have the worst characteristics of both their parents. Ample power and pseudo-angelic abilities, mixed with rebelliousness, a love of the physical world, and poor impulse control.† â€Å"How much power?† I wanted to know. â€Å"They're half-human, right? So half the power?† â€Å"That's the clincher.† Jerome looked much more cheerful with a glass of gin in hand. â€Å"It varies wildly, just as each angel has a different level of power. One thing is clear: Nephilim inherit a lot more than half their parent's power, though they can never exceed it. It's still plenty – which is why I've been trying to knock sense into all of you to stay clear. A nephilim could easily blow one of you out of the water.† â€Å"But not one of you.† Peter spoke the words more as a statement than a question, despite the uncertain note lacing his voice. Neither angel nor demon responded, and another piece clicked into place for me. â€Å"That's why you guys are going around with your signatures masked. You're hiding from it too.† â€Å"We're merely taking appropriate precautions,† Jerome protested. â€Å"It ran from you,† I reminded Carter. â€Å"You must have been stronger than it.† â€Å"Probably,† he agreed. â€Å"I was more concerned with you, so I didn't get a good sense. An angel in full form will freak most beings out – it'll kill a mortal – so I could have been stronger than it or not. Hard to say.† I didn't like that answer, not at all. â€Å"What were you doing there anyway?† The angel's trademark sarcastic smile appeared. â€Å"What do you think? I was following you around.† I started. â€Å"What? Then I was right†¦ that day at Erik's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Afraid so.† â€Å"My God,† said Peter, amazed. â€Å"You really were on to something, Georgina. At least about him stalking you.† I felt semivindicated, even if Carter obviously didn't seem to be the culprit anymore. Hugh had been right in accusing me of bias. I had really wanted Carter to be the responsible party for all these attacks, as a sort of payback for all the times he'd mocked me. His timely intervention in the alley only muddled my opinion of him now. Carter explained, â€Å"After realizing that first note was probably from this nephilim, I thought it'd be prudent to pop in once in a while since our friend here seems to have an especial interest in you. My intention was to catch him or her off-guard, not to help you, though I'm happy to have been able to. Plus, that day at Erik's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked over at Jerome. The demon threw his arms in the air. â€Å"Sure? Why not? Tell them. Tell them everything. They already know too much.† â€Å"Erik?† I prompted. â€Å"This thing, this nephilim†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Carter paused thoughtfully. â€Å"This being knows a surprising amount about us and about the immortal community.† â€Å"Well†¦ it's like you said, right?† asked Peter. â€Å"This nephilim would find one of us and follow him or her around.† â€Å"No. I mean, yes, that's possible, but evidence indicates this one knows much more than simple surveillance might give it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"For Chrissake,† Jerome snapped, â€Å"if you're going to tell them, tell them. Stop speaking in riddles.† The demon turned to us. â€Å"He's saying this nephilim is working with a leak. Someone's feeding it information about the immortal community here.† Cody caught the insinuation just as I did. â€Å"You think Erik's doing it.† â€Å"He's the strongest suspect,† admitted Carter apologetically. â€Å"He's been here for decades, and he has the talent to sense immortals.† â€Å"And to think, he spoke so well of you,† I murmured, feeling aghast. â€Å"Well, you're wrong. It's not him. Not Erik.† â€Å"Don't get huffy about it now, Georgie. He's not our only lead, just the most likely.† â€Å"And I don't like it any more than you,† the angel added. â€Å"But we can't dismiss any possibilities. We need to neutralize this nephilim threat soon. It's out of hand; we'll get outside involvement before long, and that's always a pain.† â€Å"Then why aren't you letting us help you?† I cried. â€Å"Why all the secrecy?† â€Å"Are you deaf? It's for your own protection. This thing could blast you to Armageddon!† Jerome downed the rest of his gin in a flurry. I didn't buy it. There was more than just our safety at stake here. Jerome still hadn't come clean. â€Å"Yes, but – â€Å" â€Å"The committee meeting is over,† he interrupted me icily. â€Å"Would the rest of you excuse Georgina and me?† Oh shit. I looked desperately at my friends, hoping they might stay and defend me, but they all scurried out. Cowards, I thought. None of them would cross Jerome when he spoke like that. Okay, I wouldn't have either in their shoes. Carter, I noticed, did not leave. The directive apparently did not apply to him. â€Å"Georgie,† began Jerome carefully, once the others were gone, â€Å"you and I seem to be facing off more often than not lately. I don't like it.† â€Å"It's not exactly facing off,† I noted, squirming uneasily, recalling his display of power at the hospital and threat to â€Å"stash† me somewhere. â€Å"We're just having differences of opinion lately.† â€Å"Differences that can get you killed.† â€Å"Jerome, this can't possibly just be about – â€Å" â€Å"No more.† A wall of power slammed into me, throwing me back against the couch. It was like one of those carnival rides where people stand along the sides of a round room that spins faster and faster until inertia pins everyone's limbs to the walls. Moving became agony. Even breathing was a struggle. I felt like Atlas, bearing the brunt of the world's weight. Jerome's voice boomed inside my head, and some brave part of me cursed his parlor tricks, even as the rest of me recoiled. I need you to listen to me for once without constantly interrupting. You cannot keep poking around here. Doing so calls attention to yourself, and you already have a lot more of it on you from this nephilim than I would like. I neither need nor want a new succubus. I've grown accustomed to you, Georgina. I do not want to lose you. I am more lenient with you than I should be, however. You get away with things no other archdemon would allow. I haven't minded indulging you thus far, but things can change – especially if you continue to be insubordinate. I can have you transferred somewhere else, away from this cozy delusion of a human life you've established. Or I can call Lilithin and report your behavior to her directly. I'm sure she'd he happy to do a little retraining with you. My heart stopped at the mention of the Succubus Queen. I had met her only once, when I first joined the ranks. That encounter, rather like seeing Carter in all his angelic glory, was not an experience I wanted to repeat anytime soon. Do you understand? â€Å"Y-yes.† Are you sure? The pressure increased, and it was all I could do to manage a weak nod. The psychic cage abruptly dropped, and I slumped forward, taking in deep breaths. I could still feel where his power had touched me, rather like a tactile version of the afterimage one sees with a camera flash. â€Å"I'm glad you understand, and I'm sure you'll also understand if I don't entirely believe you. It's part of the nature of our side.† â€Å"Is this†¦ is this the part where you stash me somewhere?† He chuckled softly. Menacingly. â€Å"No. Not yet at least. Frankly, I think you just need a little supervision to stay out of trouble. I'm also not entirely convinced you and the nephilim merely have a passing relationship.† A retort was on my lips, but I bit it off, my skin still burning. â€Å"I'd have one of your friends do it, but I don't doubt you could wrap any of them around your smallest finger. No, you need babysitting by someone who won't bend, who won't fall for your tricks.† â€Å"Tricks? Who then?† For a minute, I half thought he referred to himself until I noticed Carter's smug smile. Oh man. â€Å"You can't be serious.† â€Å"It'll ensure you toe the line, Georgie. What's more, it will keep you alive.† â€Å"You're practically our best lead at the moment,† Carter explained. â€Å"This nephilim has some interest in you, even though that interest seems to have shifted a bit from note-passing to assault.† â€Å"Carter will be ready if it tries to finish what he interrupted. He can also shield your apartment from prying eyes.† â€Å"But it'll sense him when we go out – † I tried weakly. â€Å"No more than you can now,† Carter reminded me. â€Å"And I'll be invisible. A ghost at your side. An angel on your shoulder, if you will. You won't even know I'm around.† â€Å"Jerome, please, you can't do this – â€Å" â€Å"I can, and I will. Unless, like I said, you want me to have a chat with Lilith ?† Damn him. The threat of Lilith was stronger than any potential stashing, and he knew it. â€Å"Good. If there's no further discussion then, I'll take my leave and let you two get situated.† Jerome glanced between us, dark eyes resting on me a moment. â€Å"Oh, by the way. Do check yourself out in a mirror at some point.† I scowled, thinking of Cody's scrutiny of my injuries. â€Å"Thanks for reminding me.† â€Å"What I'm reminding you of is that you're a succubus. Those bruises are a manifestation of believing you're human. You are not. You have to feel them, but you don't have to wear them.† With that, the demon vanished in an eye blink, leaving a faint smell of brimstone in his wake that I suspected was pure showmanship. â€Å"So, do I get the couch?† Carter asked me cheerfully. â€Å"Go to hell.† I left the room to go check out my reflection. â€Å"Hardly a nice way to treat your new roommate.† â€Å"I didn't ask for your – â€Å" I stopped halfway down the hallway. I'd spent the last couple of weeks suspecting Carter of murder and other terrible things; I'd spent the last half-century hating him as a person. Yet he'd just saved my life, and I hadn't uttered one word of thanks. I turned toward him, dreading what I now had to say. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He wore a look similar to the one Jerome had had when I asked his permission earlier. â€Å"Really? For just now?† â€Å"For not thanking you earlier. For saving me out there. I mean, I'm not happy about you shacking up here, but I am grateful for what you did then. And I'm sorry, too, if I haven't exactly been†¦ nice to you.† The angel's expression was unreadable. â€Å"Glad to have helped.† Not knowing what else to say, I turned and kept walking. â€Å"What are you going to do now?† he asked. I paused again. â€Å"Look at the damage and then go to bed. I'm tired. And I hurt.† â€Å"Aw, no slumber party games or popcorn? No makeovers?† â€Å"Don't take this personally, but you could use a makeover. You look like a refugee. Why†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed and rephrased my words as I studied him. â€Å"When I saw you out there, on the street, you were†¦ you were so beautiful. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.† My voice came out as a whisper. Carter's face turned grave. â€Å"Jerome's the same way, you know. In his true form. Just as beautiful. Angels and demons come from the same stock. He chooses that John Cusack wannabe shape by choice.† â€Å"Why? Why does he do that? And why do you choose to look like a junkie or a bum?† The edges of the angel's lips turned slightly upward. â€Å"Why does a woman who claims she wants to avoid the attention of nice men choose a form that makes everyone around her do a double take and stare?† I swallowed again, lost in the far reaches of his eyes, but not in the same way I had been lost in Roman's or Seth's eyes. It was more like the angel could see all the way through me, through all of my facades, down to my soul or what remained of it. With great effort, I broke that scrutiny, turning back toward my bedroom. â€Å"No one is punished forever,† he told me gently. â€Å"Yeah? That's not what I hear. Good night.† I went into my bedroom, closing my door behind me. Just before it clicked, I heard Carter call, â€Å"So, who's making breakfast?†

“A” for Alienation Essay

Alienation is a common theme in all writing; however, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, never has alienation been so vividly accounted. The Scarlet Letter is a story about Hester Prynne, a woman who commits adultery against her husband named Roger Chillingworth, with the local reverend named Arthur Dimmesdale; the result is a strange child named Pearl. The plot thickens as the mistress and the reverend strive to keep their sin a secret, and as Chillingworth appears back in town hiding his true identity; it climaxes on a scaffold where all secrets are revealed. Alienation is a heavy theme throughout the book, and it adds an incredible twist to see it’s affect on the characters. Alienation is portrayed through symbols, behavior, and drama with Hester, Pearl and Dimmesdale. Each character is associated with an important symbol that sets them apart from society. They also each deal with their alienation in different ways with different behaviors, and they are treated d ifferently by society causing drama. In the end, some can deal being outcasts from society, but some cannot. Hester, the main character of the book, is most evidently alienated from society for her sin. The most important symbol in the book, the embroidered â€Å"A† on her bosom, sewed on as punishment for adultery, is also a symbol for alienation. She is different from all of society because of that mark, and can never live a normal life because of it. â€Å"†¦Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart,† (38), said a townsperson at first sight of the scarlet letter. As seen in this quote, society will always look at the scarlet letter as a wall between themselves and Hester. Hester’s behavior shows how greatly she is affected by her alienation. â€Å"Lonely as was Hester’s situation and without a friend on earth who dared to she herself, she, however, incurred no risk of want,† (57); in this quote one sees how being alienated from society can cause a person to become an introvert and become a lifeless body as Hester had become. There is a lot of drama surrounding Hester; all of society looks at Hester in shame. This complete shun from society drives Hester to live in an isolated cottage away from people. â€Å"In this little, lonesome dwelling†¦Hester established herself with her infant child,† (57). This particular dramatic  event alienated Hester geographically as well as socially. Hester’s alienation also causes others to become alienated like her daughter and the one she has an affair with; however, Hester is most sharply alienated from all. Hester’s daughter, Pearl, is also alienated from society. Her alienation has different circumstances, however, because she was born an alien, she did nothing wrong. Since she is the product of sin, many consider her a â€Å"demon child† with supernatural powers. For this reason, she herself is a symbol of her alienation; â€Å"It [Pearl] was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!† (70). She is compared to Hester’s symbol of alienation, but she is a breathing, living form of the same symbol. She alienated herself and her mother from society. She is not your normal child, she acts very different; â€Å"She [Hester] could recognize her [Pearl] wild, desperate, defiant, mood, the flightiness of her temper, and even some of the very cloud-shapes of gloom and despondency that had brooded in her heart,† (63). In this description of Pearl’s behavior, we see a child that does not fit in your normal Puritan mold; she is a child filled of energy, character, and mischief. She finds a way to live a happy life regardless of being an outcast from society. Because of Pearl’s behavior and her mother’s sin, lots of drama occurs around the possession of the child; â€Å"Women it is thy bandage of shame! †¦It is because of the stain which that letter indicates, that we would transfer thy child to other hands,† (76). Here, Governor Bellingham is trying to take Pearl from her mother to give her a â€Å"normal† life in attempt to raise the child into your average, molded Puritan. Pearl is a free willed little girl who circumstantially is outcasted by society. Arthur Dimmesdale, the local reverend, is Pearls father; however, this is a secret kept from society and is revealed in the final scene. Dimmesdale’s secret guilt alienates him internally from everyone around him. His hidden sin is eating him alive while he continues to put a mask on and preach to society as if nothing is wrong. This hidden secret is symbolized in the book as an unknown marking on his chest over his heart. â€Å"With a convulsive motion he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed!†Ã‚  (172); here, Dimmesdale reveals the markings on his chest to all of society and reveals his secret. This marking, weather it be a scarlet letter or not, is what symbolizes his alienation. It is an internal alienation from the outside world, and is not known by society until this moment. His behavior prior to this event should signs of a deep illness, not curable by any medicine. â€Å"His nerve seemed absolutely destroyed. His moral force was abused into more than childish weakness,† (109). Dimmesdale is weak in spirit and in health due to his extreme guilt alienating him from society. His behavior reflects his health which is in jeopardy due to his secret. This extreme pressure causes dramatic events to occur before the final climax. â€Å"Walking in the shadow of a dream, as it were, and perhaps actually under the influence of a species of somnambulism,† (101). The author here describes Dimmesdale’s journey to the scaffold one night; this night he can take the guilt no longer. It describes him to be in another world controlled by his guilt. He is alienated from all when he is in this frame of mind, and this can be seen through dramatic events such as this. Dimmesdale’s secret sin has caused his character to change considerably while ali enating him for the rest of the town. The three â€Å"aliens† in this story have different types of alienation, and are under different circumstance too; nevertheless, the simple fact remains, they are alienated from their surroundings. Each character deals with their alienation a different way, and this is evident at the end of the story. Dimmesdale cannot take his inner guilt any longer and dies, Pearl fights through her problems to live a normal life, and Hester lives forever in her sin on her own. Through symbols, each character’s behavior, and the drama occurring in their lives, alienation can be depicted with each character; however, the outcome of their alienation is governed only by the inner qualities of the character that the author has created. This reoccurring theme in literature has never taken a similar twist of outcomes, and it has brought interest, excitement, and meaning to the story.

Presentation on Civil War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Presentation on Civil War - Research Paper Example The southern states felt that it was not the right of the government to decide laws of individual states. This would ultimately lead to the southern states attempting to secede from the Union and become their own independent nation separate from the United States. Most people know about the Confederacy, the Union, the slavery, and the Emancipation Proclamation, however, there are many other interesting tales and bits of information that most everyone is unfamiliar with and only makes the study of history all the more intriguing. Question: Was the Civil War a war about slavery? Answer: The answer is no. Slavery was only one aspect of the civil war. Although the slavery issue was important to many northerners, however, the unions goal as a whole was to preserve that Union. If the United States could not remain united then we would never survive as a nation. Unfortunately, the southerners saw slaves as property, no more and no less. They could not understand how the federal government c ould interfere in their property issues; they did not interfere in the transaction of other tools and livestock (Kelly ). To them this was a war that had infringed upon their rights as individual states. ... That it would be better if the slaves were freed and then be relocated to South America and islands near Haiti. Lincoln’s representative even went so far as to put a plan into action and relocated a colony to one such island, however, the soil was spoiled, there was little in the way of shelter, and ultimately the idea was abandoned and forgotten in favor of Lincoln’s later Emancipation Proclamation (Gaffney). Question: What kind of weaponry and artillery was used during the American Civil War? Answer: The civil war weaponry included a number of canons and batteries, which are essentially armed wagons, some with as many as 6 barrels apiece, that can do an impressive amount of damage. There were a total of 46 different rifles and dozens of revolvers that were used throughout the war, from Remington’s to Colt’s. By and large, the Union had the advantage when it came to weaponry and artillery, however, the Confederacy had far greater numbers invested than the Union. Sometimes armaments and ammunition would run out. When this happened many soldiers would then resort to the use of sabers and swords (Smithsonian Institute). Story: Did you know that there were submarines in the Civil War? It is true. Many different types of underwater vessels were considered, they proved to be impractical or failed to function. However, both the Union and the Confederacy had successfully designed submarines. The Union decided that their version, called the â€Å"Intelligent Whale,† would not be used in battle; another they purchased from the French, the â€Å"Alligator,† also, never saw battle as it was lost at sea. The Confederate submarine called the â€Å"Hunley,† named for the man that designed it, was forty feet long, but less than four feet in

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Philosophy - Assignment Example This statement proves the logical induction from the general premise. Inductive reasoning is also known as hypothesis construction because any conclusions made are based on educated predictions. The problem here is that there is an inherent bias in the search for the conclusion that supports the initial hypothesis. Humans are innately inclined to act in such ways, which is commonly referred to as confirmation bias. An argument is valid if it is impossible for its premises to be true while its conclusion is false. In other words, the conclusion must be true if the premises, whatever they may be, are true. An argument can be valid even though the premises are false. This article uses the example of an argument that uses a signal word within the premise. Specifically the term â€Å"Tea Party† is leveraged in the following statement: â€Å".Sen. Scott Brown has thrown his tea party supporters â€Å"under the bus† with his recent critiques of some Republican budget cut proposals, a movement leader said Friday.† This article uses a conclusion signal word which is indicated in the following statement. â€Å"Even as the economy slowly adds jobs, many Americans will remain unemployed for years on end†. The signal word here is unemployment and can be substituted with the term

Weather Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Weather - Essay Example ere tornadoes, so as to give them a considerable amount of time to gather their family and important documents/collectables and seek shelter at a safe and secure place. Radars are mechanical devices which work by sending and receiving signals which are further used to analyze weather conditions. Coming to the technical side of the issue, radars work by sending out radio waves which then reflect off minor atmospheric particles such as raindrops, ice and dust amongst others. When the waves sent off to these particles come back or return to the mechanical device, the data is used to measure the strength and time period of these waves to determine whatever weather based characteristics they may portray, such as location based precipitation (Lubchenco & Hayes, 2012). Currently the National Weather Service is using a Doppler based radar. This radar is also capable of measuring the frequency of the waves, which can be decoded to information about the velocity and direction at which precipitation in the atmosphere is moving. Even though the Doppler Radar is a sophisticated device that is used by many weather forecasters all over the globe, the device is far from perfect. The major setback associated with the Doppler Radar is the fact that it doesn’t tell meteorologists anything about the shape of the particle from which the waves retract, which leaves them open to guesswork to determine whether such a particle was a rain drop or a piece of snowfall, therefore making them unable to make detailed analysis out of the information that comes out of it. Dual polarization enables forecasters to differentiate with a significant amount of confidence between the types of participation found in particles and the it’s amount, something which the Doppler Radar majorly lacked at. Dual polarization, in very simple words enables forecasters to comprehend weather the particle that a radio wave retracted back from to the Radar was a rain drop or a dust particle (Lubchenco & Hayes,

Søren Kierkegaard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SÃ ¸ren Kierkegaard - Essay Example He notably only traveled abroad five times, four times to Berlin and once to Sweden. Despite this fact, he still managed to take from his studies and many experiences to form a universal model for understanding the different stages and aspect of living. His many works garnered him acclaim among fellow scholars and mathematicians of his era, and like many of the greatest philosophers his works have been heralded as timeless. One of Kierkegaard's most notable works is his theory of the spheres of existence. For the philosopher, existence meant to become progressively more individualistic (Kierkegaard, 175). Keirkegaard believed this individualistic existence caused everyone to travel along a path toward self-realization and this process, he noted, had three stages. These stages being, Ethical, Religious and Aesthetic, as "All human beings are currently at one of this stages, depending on the extent to which they have achieved their life-project (Kierkegaard, 175)." By more individualistic, Kiekegaard means that through each stage individual gain a higher understanding of self than they had before and it is through the privileged perspective provided by the assessment of and graduation from the previous stage that allows the person to attain this new form of self. Kiekegaard goes on to further note that, "Each stage is a way of seeing life, a way of understanding the world. They are different ways of livi ng out one's existence, independent spheres of life, situations which embody a certain stability. Living fully in the aesthetic sphere will never lead to the ethical one, and the upholding of ethics will never open the door to religion." He closes by pointing out that no one stage can completely dominate and individual's life and if one were to allows this to happen they would stay stagnant and not progress through the stages. Aesthetics The first stage of Kierkegaard's progression of existential stages is aesthetics recognized as the 'immersion in sensuous experience; valorization of possibility over actuality; egotism; fragmentation of the subject of experience; nihilistic wielding of irony and skepticism; and flight from boredom (Stanford, p1)." This stage of existence is a very selfish one that involves excessive self-indulgence. Kierkegaard refers to temptation and the appreciation and distraction of beauty a lot in this section.Ethics Ethics in Kierkegard's work has more than one meaning, "It is used to denote both: (i) a limited existential sphere, or stage, which is superseded by the higher stage of the religious life; and (ii) an aspect of life which is retained even within the religious life (Stanford, p1)." This is basically the stage where one starts to asses their life and view themselves objectively. It is recognized as the stage of reasoning this stage is 'limited' in that it is the stage that comes before the religious stage, but it is retained within the religious stage in that the traits used in the ethical stage must also be used to make the valuable choices in the religious stage. Ultimately the final obligation to transition from Ethics into the religious stage is to completely relinquish one's reliance on reason for one's trust in faith. Religion The final stage of existence that Kierkegaard recognizes is the stage of Religion, and specifically Christianity. Kierkegaard

Defining and Assessing Modern CSR Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Defining and Assessing Modern CSR - Coursework Example Mike Duke, the company’s CEO, states that this demonstrates the new social and environmental facets Wal-Mart has added to its efforts. The company believes that accountability and transparency are part of the good and responsibility element of all companies across the world. Wal-Mart’s yearly report shows its constant and evolving work in social responsibility matters. Since 2011, the reports have been divided into three main reporting areas: social, environmental and goals. The 2011 report covers all aspects of CSR issues (Simpson & Taylor, 2013). It shows how its effective sustainability 360 framework has helped it become the retail leader in the industry. It also conveys the major progress made by the company and the reduction objectives of greenhouse gas emissions of its supply chain by, latest, 2015. The company’s financial contributions in kind, including investments in health, commitments to preventing hunger, education, funding for local farmers and facilitating access to healthier and cheaper food, are also part of the report. The company has faced numerous challenges over the years. It appears that legal and social obstacles have acted as vital reasons for the creation of its code of conduct and yearly reporting. This claim can be illustrated in two relevant situations: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes et al. and the media reports accusing the company of using child labor (Simpson & Taylor, 2013). Despite starting over a decade ago, this case is still being heard by the US Courts. It started as a national class action against the company. The plaintiffs alleged that female workers in Wal-Mart and its affiliate stores suffered discrimination based on their gender (Simpson & Taylor, 2013). They claimed that they were discriminated upon in terms of pay and promotion to senior management roles, hence violating for Civil

V&Cwk3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

V&Cwk3 - Essay Example ent who comes for career counseling or any other counseling is a way to cause harm to the client which is a violation of A.4 (a), which says that counselors are to do no harm to their clients. Section B explains information about confidentiality and the most important section to me is B.1 (a) which talks about respecting client rights, taking into consideration multicultural and diversity issues. This section brings to mind that it is important to understand how different cultures see confidentiality, privacy views toward disclosure, and more (NCDA, p. 10). Since we live in a global world, it is important to be well rounded as a counselor. Section C speaks to professional responsibility, Capuzzi and Stauffer state that this section says that "professionals must perform at the highest level of their ability" (p. 97). I agree with this statement and section C.2 (a) is most important in this section because it says that career professionals must only work within the "boundaries of their competence" (NCDA, p. 15). This means as an example, that a career professional does not engage in mental health counseling because it is not within the scope of practice. I believe this is important because professionals must understand they cannot be everything to every client. They are governed by their "education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional credentials and appropriate professional experience" (NCDA, p. 15). The standards that I chose to compare with the NCDA standards re the American Counseling Association (ACA) standards. The first difference between these two that I see are the way they are set up for reading. The ACA standards have thee columns and each section is separated by a blue box so the reader knows which section they are in. The NCDA guidelines are easier to read because they are spaced out a little more. Both guidelines speak to the counseling relationship and they both say that counselors should avoid harm to clients. The ACA

Report on Housing Prices Statistics in Oregon from a Sample of 108 Houses Essay Example for Free

Report on Housing Prices Statistics in Oregon from a Sample of 108 Houses Essay From the eleven variables identified, area of living space in the house (sq_ft), age of the house in years (age) and selling price of the house in thousand dollars (price) were identified to be in the ratio scale for the level of measurement while number of bedrooms (beds), number of bathrooms (baths) and number of spaces for cars in the garage (garage) were identified to be in the ordinal. Lastly, the variables architectural style (style), school district were the house is located (school), method of heating the house (heat), presence of fireplace (fire) and presence of basement (basement) were identified to be in the nominal scale. These levels of measurement were the basis on what type of tests were done for the different analyses (See Appendices for table 1). On all the tests and comparisons with p-values, a 95% level of confidence is used. Descriptive Statistics on the Variables With the results gathered, most of the houses use the gas forced air method of heating. Out of the 108 houses, 96. 3% use this method while only 3. 7 use the electric baseboard heating. Also, most houses are of ranch architecture. Of the 108 houses, 40. 7% are of this architectural style, 36. 1% are of the tri-level style while 23. 1% are of the two-story type. Moreover, 84. 3% of the houses have basements. Similarly, 88. 9 of them have fireplaces. Lastly, the largest part sampled houses are located in the Apple Valley School District. From the 108 houses, 60. 2 are located in this school district while the rest are in Eastville (See Appendices for tables 2, 3, 4, 5 6). For the ordinal variables, the median number of bedrooms in the house is four which means that fifty percent of the houses have less than four bedrooms while the rest have more than four bedrooms. Similarly, fifty percent of the houses have less than three bathrooms while the other fifty percent have more than three bathrooms. In the number of spaces for cars in the garage, fifty percent of the houses can accommodate no more than two cars while the other fifty percent can. From the sample, most of the houses have three bedrooms, three bathrooms and can accommodate two cars. Since these three variables are rank variables, the means for each cannot be computed (See Appendices for tables 8, 9, 10 11). For the ratio variables, it was found out that the mean selling price of the house in Oregon is 97. 99226 thousand dollars. With a relatively small standard error of 2. 543183, the statistic for the selling price is considered accurate. Fifty percent of the houses are priced below 92. 46950 thousand dollars while the other 50% have selling prices greater than 92. 46950 thousand dollars. Having a variance of 698. 520, the data from the sample are considered to be extremely dispersed. On the average, the selling price of a house in Oregon deviates by 26. 429529 thousand dollars from the mean selling price of the house generated from the sample. The mean area of living space in the house in square feet is 1745. 72. However, the standard error of the mean, which is 42. 836, is sufficiently large. The data values for this variable are the most dispersed among the three ratio variables having a variance of 198173. 39. Fifty percent of the samples houses have areas which are below 1758. 00 square feet while the other fifty have areas greater than 1758. 00 square feet. On the average, the area of living space in the house deviates by 445. 167 square feet from the mean. For the last ratio variable, the mean age of the house in years is 11. 23. Having a standard error of 0. 448 which is very small, this statistic is considered accurate. Fifty percent of the sampled houses are below 11 years of age while the rest are more than 11 years of age. The distribution of the variable is not that dispersed. With a variance of 21. 675, the age variable is the least dispersed among the three ratio variables. On the average, the ages of the houses deviates from the mean by 4. 656 years only (See Appendices for table 13). Summing up the descriptive measures obtained on the eleven variables, a typical home in Oregon has an area of 1745. 72 square feet, approximately 11 years of age, has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and can accommodate two car spaces in the garage. Furthermore, it is of ranch architecture and uses the gas forced air method of heating. It has a basement and a fireplace. It is located in the Apple Valley School District and its selling price is 97. 99226 thousand dollars. Correlation From the scatterplots, the selling price is identified to have a positive linear relationship with area of living and a negative, close to nonlinear relationship with age of the house (See Appendices for figures 12 13). Since the data do not follow the normal distribution Spearman’s rho was used to determine the correlation between the dependent variable, price, and the other ratio scale variables (See Appendices for table 24). With a correlation coefficient of 0. 828, there is a positive very strong linear relationship between the selling price and area of living space in the house. Moreover, even if there is a negative weak linear relationship between selling price and age of the house in years, both the correlations of selling price with area and age are significant with p-value equal to 0. 000 (See Appendices for tables 14 15). Also, though there is a negative weak linear relationship between the ratio variables age and area for the -0. 292 Pearson correlation coefficient, the 0. 000 p-value says that the correlation is significant. Pearson correlation was used for the two ratio variables because both are normally distributed (See Appendices for table 22). For the ordinal variables, all of them have a significant correlation with selling price with p-values 0. 007, 0. 000 and 0. 000 for number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms and number of car spaces in garage, respectively. The number of bedrooms in the house has a positive weak linear relationship with selling price having a correlation coefficient of 0. 259. Moreover, the number of bathrooms in the house has a positive strong linear relationship with selling price having a correlation coefficient of 0. 675. Also, the number of spaces for cars in the garage has a positive moderate linear relationship with selling price having a correlation coefficient of 0. 475 (See Appendices for table 16). Among the ordinal variables, the number of bedrooms and number of bathrooms, and the number of car spaces and number of bathrooms has a significant correlation, with p-values equal to 0. 000 and 0. 003 respectively, and has a positive weak linear relationship, with correlation coefficients of 0. 358 and 0. 283 respectively (See Appendices for table 23). Among the nominal variables, only the architectural style has a positive moderate association with selling price having an Eta coefficient of 0. 485 (See Appendices for table 18). The rest has either weak or very weak associations with selling price (See Appendices for tables 17, 19, 20 21). For the two categories of method of heating, it was found out that the use of gas forced air in the house, presence of basement and presence of fireplace increases the selling price of the house. The school district location also affects the selling price. Houses located in Apple Valley School District tend to have higher prices than that of Eastville School District. Moreover, there are no significant differences on the selling prices of houses with tri-level and two-story architectural style. However, houses that are of ranch architectural style tend to have higher selling prices than that of the tri-level and two-story architectural styles (See Appendices for tables 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41 43). Predictors of Selling Price Using the regression model, the selling price of a house, when all other factors are held constant, decreases by 16. 113. The interpretation for the intercept is significant since the confidence interval of the estimate includes zero. Holding other factors constant, the selling price is estimated to increase by 0. 042 thousand dollars for every square feet increase in the area of living space of the house. Also, there is an estimated increase of 3. 269 thousand dollars on the selling price for every unit increase in the number of bedrooms holding other factors constant. The selling price is estimated to increase by 13. 876 thousand dollars for every unit increase in the number of spaces for cars in the garage holding other factors constant. Similarly, an increase of 6. 953 and 4. 269 thousand dollars on selling price is estimated if there is a basement and a fireplace, respectively, in the house. The selling price is also estimated to increase by 4. 874 thousand dollars if the house is located in Apple Valley School District with other factors held constant. Furthermore, the selling price is estimated to increase by 11. 053 thousand dollars if the house is of ranch architectural style holding other factors constant. If the house is of a two-story type, there is an estimated increase of 1. 714 thousand dollars. If the architectural style is tri-level, then the value to be multiplied with the beta estimates for two-story and ranch will be equal to zero since the coded value for tri-level in the dummy variables is zero (See Appendices for table 44). With a Durbin-Watson statistic of 1. 746, then the residuals are independent. Having an adjusted R square of 0. 820, the variation in the selling price of the house can be explained by the eleven variables. A mean square error of 126. 070 implies that the sum of the squared deviations of the selling prices to the true value is relatively small. With a computed F statistic of 45. 169 and a corresponding p-value of 0. 000, then the regression adequately represent the data and can be useful for prediction (See Appendices for tables 45 46). To test, given the following data on a certain house: two-story house with 1600 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a one car garage, gas heat, a basement, no fireplace, is 9 years old, and is in the preferred school district, then the predicted selling price of the house is 60. 804 thousand dollars. Summary The larger the area sizes of the living space of the house, the more expensive the selling price. Also, more number of bedrooms and spaces for car in the garage would also increase the selling price. In terms of architectural style, the ranch type would increase the selling price of a house most than the other two styles. Finally, the house with a basement, a fireplace and which is located in the Apple Valley School District increases also the selling price.

Vision and Mission statement of Mauritius commercial bank

Vision and Mission statement of Mauritius commercial bank Abstract This paper attempts to analyse the vision and mission statement of The Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) Ltd. A brief description of the organisation is given, followed by the vision and mission statements, where the statements are analysed thoroughly and critics have been made. Those critics have been identified while reading the Vision and Mission statements respectively, it can also be seen that we have applied the SMART criteria in order to analyse the vision statement and concerning the mission of the group we have analysed it through the various steps that the company is undertaking to achieve its goals and objectives. Keywords: Banking,Vision Statement, Mission statement, MCB Ltd, Introduction The Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) Ltd, one among the leading bank that exist in Mauritius and which was incorporated since 1838. At present, MCB ltd has its branches all around the island. The Bank came across serious financial difficulties on many occasions during its first hundred years of existence. In spite of various national and international financial crisis, cut throat competitions over the years from ten other commercial banks, two world wars, and natural calamities, The Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited succeeded in expanding its activities, trebled its capital and in 1920 in Curepipe opened its first Branch. Nowadays, the bank plays a vital role in the economy of the country by expanding its unflinching support to trade, agriculture, the textile industry, tourism and other sectors as well as individual customers, at its head office and also throughout its 42 branches and counters in Mauritius and in Rodrigues. The MCB ltd is said to be a bank with a heart, for this purpo se as every successful business has a vision and mission statement, so do the MCB Ltd. The Vision of MCB ltd is to be the obvious choice for financial services in the region and beyond. The vision statement triggers the desires to launch the MCB ltd as the touchstone position for the provision of financial services in the state and even further, in order to meet the increasing needs of its customers operating in the global economy. For this to be possible the general public must have full confidence on the bank, for example the recent case of MCB/NPF could have been fatal for MCB ltd but that was not the case as the bank managed to reduce and nearly eliminates all the risk associated with. The Mission statement is to pursue the voyage towards excellence. The mission statement gives evidences to the unrelenting loyalty to best practices in the provision of financial services throughout the group against the backdrop of creating shareholder value. The MCB has a tradition of being a leader of getting use to modifications and innovating to suit customer needs, therefore, its vision, mission and corporate values are aligned to maintain this position. They know that their future success will depend on their capacity to deliver a broad variety of services quicker, cheaper and in a more professional manner to their increasingly sophisticated and global customers. To achieve this, the bank is investing massively in technological and as well as human resources. Objective and Purpose of study To analyse and understand the meaning of vision and mission statements of a company. To analyse and understand the vision and mission statements of MCB and its implementation. To suggest improvements that can be brought to the vision and mission statements of MCB. Literature Review Each and every organisation has their own vision and mission statements which are set according to the companys actual performance and objectives that it want to achieve in the future. Vision: Defines the desired or intended future state of an organization or enterprise in terms of its fundamental objective and/or strategic direction. Vision is a long term view, sometimes describing how the organization would like the world in which it operates to be. For example a charity working with the poor might have a vision statement which read A world without poverty (Wikipedia, 2010). Mission: Defines the fundamental purpose of an organization or an enterprise, succinctly describing why it exists and what it does to achieve its Vision (Wikipedia, 2010). Organizations usually summarize goals and objectives into a mission statement and/or a vision statement. Others begin with a vision and mission and use them to plan for the goals and objectives. While the existence of a shared mission is very useful, many strategy specialists question the requirement for a written mission statement. However, there are a lot of models of strategic planning that begin with mission statements, so it is useful to examine them here (Wikipedia, 2010). Forest (2003) analyses the mission statements and defines them as enduring statements of purpose that distinguish one organization from other similar enterprises. It suggests that a well-crafted mission statement can provide advantages or benefits to a company. Also it states that the mission statements have to be longer than a phrase or sentence, but not a two-page document, and not overly specific with regard to values, percentages, numbers, goals, or strategies. Hence, it concludes that better mission statements will give rewarding payoffs, meaning enhanced personal and business performance Studying how to merge people and resources together in harmony to achieve a common goal remains one of the most difficult tasks facing management today. The importance of developing a corporate mission statement with a glowing vision to enhance and create organisational purpose is addressed and how different organisational cultures affect the employees vitality is examined. From the vision springs a parallel view of all the employees in the organisation towards the companys goal. Contribution from both the companys customers and employees ensures adoption of the purpose and keeps the purpose dynamic and fresh. This leads to innovation, co-operation, and success of the organization (Reyes and Kleiner, 1990). In addition, executives members should try to promote or motivate its employees in order to achieve its vision. As per Eigeles (2003) he has conducted an analysis thats represents the structure method helping organizational facilitators to work efficiently with their clients. Though it is not possible to motivate and encourage top executives team efficiently to willingly generate true vision and mission and implement these in the organization for achieved both improved performance and harmony. Tarnow (1990), introduces a method to enhance existing mission and vision statements. The set-up of the initial statement is changed to (1) suggest an action, (2) identify this action only vaguely, and (3) include a social categorization. He also, discusses some consequences of the Unifying Action Declarations, including examples from experiential group events and from a high tech consulting firm. The resulting Unifying Action Declarations agrees leaders to use group formation forces to help motivate task performance. Nowadays, all developing businesses experience difficulties during organizational transitions (Churchill and Lewis 1983). The evolution from a small entrepreneurial organization to a mature business organization is characterized by a large amount of important internal and external changes (Hambrick and Crozier 1985; Churchill and Lewis 1983). The small business frequently finds that success attracts the attention of others; new small start-ups and/or large competitors may enter the market (Porter 1980). Rises in growth may call for increase into overseas markets. Internal changes comprises of the introduction of professional management to handle the increasingly complex organization; the introduction of outside equity to finance growth (Welsh and White 1981); and the introduction of organizational systems and procedures. Internal changes such as rises in sales volume, in employees, and in organizational formality and complexity require small business operators to change their role within a changing organization (Hambrick and Crozier 1985). The quest of growth usually requires the owner/manager to learn new skills and change from a doer to a manager (Churchill and Lewis 1983). Small businesses often fail to grow because the manager fails to make this transition (Willard, Krueger, and Feeser 1992). Through the growth process, the small business manager becomes increasingly eradicated and distant from employees (Hambrick and Crozier 1985; Churchill and Lewis 1983), and discovers that his or her strong entrepreneurial vision is no longer shared by new staff, new professional managers, and new investors. One of the survival strategies is to introduce financial and strategic planning and control systems into the organization (Gable and Topol 1987; Bracket and Pearson 1985). Vital to these planning and strategic management systems in large organizations is the introduction of a mission statement. In their much orientated work, Pearce and David (1987) argue that the mission statements of higher performing large companies are more comprehensive than those of less successful firms. The idea behind this article is to explore whether high growth small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland are characterized by more comprehensive mission statements. However, there is a lack of new evidence for the acclaimed and assumed positive effects of mission statements. A few studies have provide limited empirical support to the idea that mission statements are valuable and contribute to higher profits (Rarick and Vitton 1995; Klemm, Sanderson, and Luffman 1991; Germain and Cooper 1990; Falsey 1989; Pearce and David 1987). These studies totally assume that mission statements are a determinant of success, before addressing the possibility that successful organizations are more likely to adopt formal systems and procedures that involve the writing of a formal mission statement. Another research base on SMEs is that of Analoui and karami (2002), who said that developing a mission statement has been considered a crucial factor in the formulation of business strategy in organisations. The mission statement encourages a sense of shared expectations in employees and, not surprisingly, it has recently been regarded as increasingly important in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the electronic industry. One major motive for this is the growing involvedness and energetic competitive environments in which these enterprises have operated and managed to find them. Mission statements have become a managing instrument most commonly used by chief executive officers (CEOs) over the last decade. One exercise that both academics and practitioners have judged strategically serious to the success of an enterprise is the development of a meaningful mission statement. This article discovers the awareness of CEOs of their mission statement in SMEs. The study, between investigating the existence and content of the mission statements and, as a result, it determines the relationships (if any) between a SMEs development of a meaningful mission statement and selected performance outcomes of the firm. Also, from Mullane (2002) perspective, managers are divided in their allegiance to the firms mission. Some mangers swear by their mission statement while others swear at theirs. Facts from two firms, with existing research indicate that this disagreement originates in the mangers view of mission statement. Mangers that see mission statement as tools that can influence the inner working of the organizations are likely to understand the missions usefulness. Mangers that put their mission statement on display and expect them to magically transform organizational behavior are likely to be frustrated and see them as an exercise in futility. It has been found that insight from two managers who take the first view provides specific steps mangers can utilize to harness the benefits of their mission statements. Wickham (1997), states that a sense of mission can be a powerful force in shaping and guiding an entrepreneurial venture. He has discussed how it focuses the entrepreneurs vision and gives it a real strategic direction. Clear as an official mission statement it can be used to bring together disparate stakeholder groups within the organization. Imagines that it also acts as an aide-mà ©moire for communicating what the scheme has to offer customers, suppliers, and potential employees. He also, states that a clear mission can also help in attracting investment. It catches the attention of possible investors and proposes professionalism in management approach. However, if it is to be successful, the mission must be right for the scheme developed with sympathy to the organization and be communicated effectively. Moreover, another search had been done on how corporations project their corporate philosophy through `Mission Statements. Despite linguistic and textual analysis of such statements drawn from a sizeable quantity, it allows us to typify the texts as constituting a non-routine, organizational genre, and one that has recently become of some significance. This discussion serves as a basis for a contextual and intertextual analysis of Mission Statements from two well-known US companies. By detailing the history, underlying principle and role of these Mission Statements that have been indicated of how the texts are rhetorically designed in order to ensure maximum employee `buy-in. In one case the Mission Statement appears as an authorized historical vision to be protected and nurtured; in the other case, the rewriting of the Mission Statement emerges as a collaborative response to crisis. Hence, they discuss on the implications of such findings for contemporary approaches to discourse and genre analysis within institutional linguistics (Rogers and Swales, 1995). At the same time, Bart (2001) stipulates that mission statements symbolize the cornerstone of most organizational strategies. While much research has been conducted on what the (human intellectual capital) HIC construct might contain, none has attempted to understand the link between mission statements and their impact on the HIC construct. The uncertain results reported in this study begin to fill the invalid one. They illustrate that, mission statements may certainly have a convincing place in the measurement and reporting of an organizations intellectual capital and they demonstrate the need for more research in this regard. Mission statements by themselves are of very little value. Some organisations have good mission statements, but their management teams frequently lack a sense of purpose. In some companies, management teams have a clearness of vision and interest that is remarkable, without having a mission statement. Mission statements are in themselves not important since they create a management team with a sense of mission which is crucial (Campbell, 1993). Company Profile The MCB was incorporated by the Royal Charter in 1838 and Lloyds Bank became the first shareholder of the group. The MCB was the first bank to install ATMs in Mauritius and was the first bank to issue credit cards and till now the MCB has been the most performing listed company with the highest market capitalization on the official list of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. The MCB has been engaged in promoting various key financial products and services including mobile banking, retail banking product, corporate banking, private banking, international banking, internet banking service and providing American Express services. The MCB was the first Mauritian commercial bank to launch the revolving credit loans on the international market. The MCB group has even set up branches in Seychelles, Mozambique, Madagascar, and France amongst others. Present in eight other countries through its subsidiaries, associated company. The MCB group in Mauritius employs around 2,600 employees and over 18000 local and foreign investors. The MCB group observe the highest degree of standards concerning integrity and ethical conduct towards its dealings to its stakeholders. Furthermore, the MCB group has been diversifying in various sectors of the economy behind the philosophy of risk pooling and also providing the highest level of service quality to its customers. Likewise the MCB group is separated into two main parts, namely the bank itself and local and foreign subsidiaries. The MCB group has a very diligent and highly qualified and devoted board of directors who work toward the satisfaction of different stakeholders and maximising the overall profit of the group. The MCB group has a very high view on corporate governance practices and in regards to this the MCB group has been consequently been conferred the bank of the year and because of extensive corporate governance practices, the bank is able to fulfil effectively its vision. Analysis of the MCB Vision The vision of the MCB group is to be the obvious choice for financial services in the region and beyond, whilst its mission is pursing the voyage towards excellence. The MCB vision is obviously what the company wants to become which is the ideal aim of the group. The MCB has had a tradition of being a leader adapting to changes and innovating to satisfy customer needs, this is basically the corporate philosophy of MCB. The group has clearly set down this vision as they believe in the fact that the future success will depend on the ability a comprehensive range of services quicker, cheaper and in a more efficient manner so that there is an increase in local customers and foreign sophisticated customers. This vision of MCB is to build on the competitive axis for further product differentiation and regional diversification. The vision of the company is to offer a broader range of financial services, shifting from the traditional areas of banking through more complex services including asset financing, leasing, investment financing and brokerage services. That is the goal of the group is to serve as a single window to offer a full fledged set of financial services. The aim of the vision statement is to maximise customer satisfaction and increase customer loyalty. The other arm of this vision is to fully maximise the diversification strategy whereby it involves strengthening and deepening the presence of the group in international markets which offer substantial investment opportunities which basically help in promoting the image of the group in the international market. Basically the gist of the competitive strategy and the aim of this vision statement are to substantially increase the contribution of subsidiaries abroad to the overall profit of the group. Ultimately the group believes that more and more the philosophy behind the vision statement is behind achieved this will lead to a better competitive edge and a successful entrenchment of strategies being adopted which could lead to better customer satisfaction and an increase in service quality. The key of course lies in an appropriate balance between the strategies and the vision philosophy. MCB wants to be a benchmark in the provision of banking services as well as non banking services so that other financial services providers can refer to as MCB as being the Lion in the banking business in the local market as well as in the regional market. The MCB believes in provision of financial services which maximises customer satisfaction and bridging the gap between customer perception and customer expectation, that is ultimately bridging the service quality gap. The cutting force that drives MCB to achieve its vision philosophy is innovation. Innovation is one the values that the MCB adheres to in its strategies. MCB believes in innovation at all managerial levels which ultimately will help the group to achieve its objectives. A deduction can be made from the vision statement whereby there is a close link in regard to the corporate philosophy of the group which is to the leader of financial services locally and regionally. The vision statement of the MCB is all about the following: Partnerships Relationships Innovation Genuiness Attitude to risk Passionate banking. Partnerships whereby without the help of various investors the group will not be able to become a leader and relationships whereby the bank undertakes long run prospects for both partners. Innovation is all about the values of the group to be the leader and genuiness is to offer differentiated financial services. Likewise attitude is the willingness for the group to take risk so that to enjoy new ventures and passionate banking as the group believes in privileged banking relationships which will help to increase business and word of mouth publicity as well as service quality and customer satisfaction. The MCB believes in that it is the leadership job to set the vision, which is where the group wants to go. That is why the bank believes in enhancing human resources especially at the board level also so that the vision is clearly defined and met. The group believes in management skills to be able to clearly define the vision philosophy of the group Vision statement is usually rooted in values that are what drives the organisation to move ahead. The values that are rooted in the vision of the MCB are as follows: Integrity Customer care Team work Innovation Knowledge Excellence These six values are deeply rooted in the vision of the group. As the group wants to become the obvious choice for financial services in the region and beyond, these values would help the company to archive it. Are integrity, customer care, team work, innovation, knowledge and excellence found in the vision of the group? For the group to achieve its vision it is obvious that integrity should be within it and it is a fact for the MCB as for most people is a bank which is known to be of utmost integrity ranging from its staff to senior level management. Hence this value would definitely help the group to satisfy its corporate vision philosophy. Concerning customer care, the bank believes in the assurance of quick, dedicated and unrivalled services to its customers. The bank believes in its level of service quality and customer satisfaction. Hence the bank places a lot of emphasis on customer satisfaction. The bank believes in the approach of collective working and a shared vision together so that different synergies from people can combine together which will give a cutting edge to the group. Likewise, this is to help leveraging individual competencies and skills to various people within the group. Innovation had been an in-house tradition for the group at various managerial levels which all ultimately help to the product differentiation of financial products offered by the group. Knowledge philosophy of the group is all about the strong commitment to nurture the human capital through lifelong development and learning towards to achieve the vision of the group. Excellence is what the group believes to be very important in helping to become the leader in the provision of financial services and also, excellence in all about the mission of the group which is pursuing the voyage towards excellence. Criticisms of the vision statement The vision is the corporate aspiration of the group, which describes the long term ambitions and the ideal goal of the group. But, in the vision statement the values are being met but it should satisfy the SMART criteria, that is, Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic and time bound. Specific- the vision stalks about to be the obvious choice for financial services in the region and beyond. It is adequately the clear message as to what needs to be accomplished, but the word beyond is restricted. Does beyond means in the international market or in African region or others. Hence it should be clear. Measurable- The bank will have to develop and assess how the bank is becoming the obvious choice for financial services. Is there any comparative analysis which is done in comparison with other banks? Appropriate- The vision statement is somehow in accordance with mission as only through excellence the group will be able to be the choice for financial services. Realistic- the vision statement of MCB is very challenging and high challenging to provide a boost for management to satisfy the corporate philosophy of the vision. Time bound- in regards to the time frame, no indication has been provided in the vision statement about till when the bank wants to become the obvious choice for financial services. The vision of the group should be able to be quantified as in the case of the MCB group, will the bank quantify it through the market share or market capitalisation. The vision of the group to be able to be effective should be a shared vision, that is the vision should be common at various levels of the group and uniformity must apply so as to allow the group to meet its values and when values are met, ultimately this will help to satisfy the vision of the group as visions are deeply rooted in values. Mission statement analysis of the MCB Pursing the voyage towards excellence The mission statement of the group testifies the fact that there is a willingness to adopt best practices in the provision of financial services so that shareholder value increases as well as helping in satisfying the vision statement. The mission defines the fundamental purpose of the group. It is the philosophy of why the group exists and how it will conduct its affairs to achieve its vision. The mission statement plays an important role for the group as is the basis for motivating the use of resources within the group. It also develops a basis or a standard for allocating organisational resources and generally develops a shared organisational climate working towards the vision of the group. It also attracts employees who share common set of goals and values to work for the purpose of enhancement of the vision. The mission statement can be used as a strategic tool for enhancement of the business process. At the MCB group the mission is deeply rooted to the top executive to the middle management level. The mission of the group is to focus on best practices so that the vision is met. The MCB has been for several years the bank of the year and is one where best practices are highly implemented, that is why the bank is ranked first in corporate governance practices. These best practices help the group to achieve its vision a many people would opt for the MCB in their needs of financial products. Hence it can be seen that there is a link and there are interrelated components between the vision and mission statement of the group because the mission of the group, which is working towards excellence, will help to achieve the vision of the group. However the mission of the group should not be static, that is it should change when conditions in the groups environment change, in which case, the MCB should change its mission. Just focusing on excellence is not enough as there are various intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the group. Hence redefining the mission statement becomes a must as the group is growing at a rapid rate and various competitive factors are in the banking business with the entry of new service providers in the field of financial services and retail banking. The mission statement of the group should include more shared values as they are deeply rooted in the vision of the group. Internal and External analysis should be performed so that the mission is closely aligned to the vision of the group. Criticism of Mission Statement The mission of the MCB for the past few years has been mainly in the quality of its staff so that with a dedicated staff and well trained staff this will lead to customer satisfaction and increasing the level of service quality. This will help to create a better image of the group and helping towards its commitment toward excellence. The MCB believes in the quality of human resources, as it customers are satisfied with the staff and through a dedicated service this will help to make the bank the obvious choice for financial services and help meeting the vision statement. Likewise, MCB has been investing loads on best practices so that excellence is achieved and ultimately leading to the corporate philosophy satisfaction. Hence, with the adoption of international best practices, the bank has been gaining a positive image in the region and hence again the bank is working towards meeting of its vision. Furthermore, the bank invests massively in innovating products which all ultimately help in achieving the vision of the group and even through the partnerships of international partners like American Express amongst others is helping the group to build a more positive image in the regional market and the international market. Recommendation The Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) is a successful Financial services provider. It has been able to provide quality financial product and services to its customers and it is today the largest and oldest banking institution of Mauritius and has made a name in the region. But as it is said Nothing is permanent except change and thus for the MCB to continue to be the pioneer in the Financial Services sector of Mauritius, it needs to continue changing and innovate according to what the customer wants and demands. A Mission Statement is a declaration as to why an organization exists and defines the business the organization is currently in. Mission Statements concentrate on the present and are a reflection of an organizations core competencies. The mission statement of MCB is that it wants to move toward excellence. What was excellence years ago is definitely different from what is excellence in the financial sector today. Since the creation of MCB the economic environment around the world has changed. Moreover there have been changes in technologies that have radically changed the way financial products and services are being provided to customers. The working environment itself has changed and so has the behavior of employees and employers. At the same time new legislatives have been introduced in the financial sector and this has resulted in an alteration in the way financial institutions functions and recently due to the financial crisis around the world a lot of financial institutions hav e been encouraged to change the way they carry out their activities. During the last decades Mauritius itself and its society has evolved. Nowadays people view the financial sector differently to what they used to years ago. Consequently the MCB must consider all these changes and accommodate its mission around them so as the MCB can grow alongside with its economical, political, legal, cultural and social environment. A Vision Statement focuses on the future. It states what you want the organization to be. Vision Statements come from the heart as well as the head. A Vision Statement represents a realistic dream for an organization and forces it to take a stand for a preferred future. To be the best choice of everyone is the vision of the MCB. But there may be other things that that can become the aims of the MCB. It can be easily proved with the market share valu

Tamil Cultural Identity Abroad Cultural Studies Essay

Tamil Cultural Identity Abroad Cultural Studies Essay Bharatantyam has been embedded in the Tamil culture since centuries, transmitted from generation to generation and evolving over time to uphold its sacredness and its representation of the states traditional identity. Today Bharatanaytam has spread worldwide, performed and practiced across countries and accepted by both traditional and modern masses. However it was only after its rebirth in 1930, when the Devadasi Act was passed, and due to E. Krishna Iyers reworking of the dances movement vocabulary into a socially accepted dance form (On, 2011), that Bharatanatyam gained its respectable social status and hence today plays a crucial role in portraying Indias cultural and traditional identity. This portrayal may be seen as what Bourdieu would call a habitus, which is created through a social, rather an individual process leading to patterns that are enduring and transferrable from one context to another (Powercube, 2012). More precisely, Bharatanatyam is a social measure used to main tain and promote a certain habitus, defining the cultures values which are transferred both through time and across the nations, whilst also acting as a guide for the Tamil generations today. This essay analyses, based substantially on Bourdieus habitus theory, to what extent Bharatanatyam shapes Tamil cultural identity, especially abroad. Art forms in general, especially when practiced over centuries, have proven to be central to any articulation of ethnic identity (Hyder, cited in David, 2009) and this is even more true when a population lives outside of its home nation. There were, and still are, a significant amount of Tamilians that immigrate from India and Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, especially during and after the British colonialism period. For many Tamilians in London, especially the older generation, Bharatanatyam is the element that contains within it all of their cultural and religious identity: it represents an idealism that they must try to incorporate and preserve. Bharatnayam acts as what Foster would consider an ideal body, something that the material body looks up to and tries to achieve. This ideal cultural representation in Bharatanaym has been transmitted over the years to future generations and to this day young Tamilians explain how Bharatanatyam is part of [their] culture and prevents the culture and religion [from] being forgotten, especially in the West (David, 2009). Two students, Maya and Mahumita, reinforce this statement by confirming that studying Bharatanatyam is their way of learning about their cultural heritage whilst living abroad. For example, most of Bharatanatyams bodily movements and facial expressions bear a prominent representation: that of Tamil womanhood. This can be seen in small gestures such as the applying of the kumkum on the forehead (in representation of the third eye), the plaiting of the hair or the folding of the sari, all symbolizing a feminized social body (David, 2009), describing how a woman should appear and behave in this cultural context. Another more specific example would be that of the heroine character, known as the nayika, and how she uses stylized gestures to prepare herself to meet the hero, the nayaka. Through these gestures the dance transmits an idea of femininity and grace which acts as an ideal for all Tamil women to t ry live up to and admire. This also links to Bourdieus concept of doxa, which is formed through a combination of unspoken norms and beliefs that are taken-for-granted assumptions or common sense behind the distinctions we make (Powercube, 2012), which in this case is the portrayal of how women are expected to behave. These characteristics that Tamil women need to behold are part of an unstated conduct that is reinforced through the dances movements and storytelling, constantly reminding the Tamil population, and women in particular, what their role is society is. As author Ann R. David explains, for the Tamil middle class, Bharatanatyam promises respectability and a traditional femininity and is, therefore, a prized carrier of tradition (David, 2009). As a result, purity of Tamil tradition, their rituals and religion, their language and their social behaviour, such as the importance of womens chastity in the Tamil civilization, is upheld substantially through Bharatanatyam it is co nsidered an influential tool used to craft social status and conduct, uniting Tamil cultural identity across the world. However, first-generation Tamil immigrants, and especially Tamil Hindu groups, are concerned that the external pressures of the West may overwhelm the younger generations and cause them to lose sight of their national identity as Tamilians. In order to preserve this sense of cultural identity, several schools have been built abroad to encourage and indulge the youth in their Tamil culture, ensuring that their roots are not forgotten. These classes would, according to Ann R. David, allow the transmission of traditional culture and assist immigrants in maintaining Tamil identity in local diasporic settings where the acquisition of Tamil social, cultural, and religious values does not necessarily take place (David, 2009). Most Sri Lankan Tamil temples and Tamil weekend classes in London are led by Tamil conservationists who try stay true to their cultural identity by discouraging their dance pupils to attend international performances to keep them from any outside influences. In additi on, most of the syllabus is written and taught in Tamil, despite the fact that the second generations are likely to have grown up with English as their first language given their educational and social context. This obsession to ensure that Bharatanatyam is practised and incorporated in the lives of immigrated Tamilians means that, as a result, the dance now bears more rituals and ceremonies attached to it today than it had during the period of its revival (David, 2009). For example, the offering of flowers on stage, known as pushpanjali, and the dedication of bells on the stage are common rituals now that were not required previously in Bharatanatyam. As part of their cultural essentialism none of the teachers in the London Tamil temples have introduced any creative or slightly unconventional material to their students, ensuring that the history of the dance is untouched in order to transfer a pure concept of their Tamil cultural identity. This may be considered as what Bourdieu re fers to as misrecognition, similar to Marxs concept of false consciousness, which is the conscious manipulation of a certain group or individual. In this case, the conservationists use Bharatanatyam to encourage certain social pressures that have been accepted without questioning such as, as previously discussed, the role of obedient women in the Tamil society. But is this pressure of preserving Tamil traditions through Bharatanatyam having the contrary effect and pushing away the younger generations from exploring their cultural identity? Some may argue yes, as certain teachers and practitioners, mostly in other countries in Europe and in North America, support Tamil nationalism through change and development. Aided and supported by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), Tamil Sri Lankan nationalism in particular is encouraged to evolve through more creative Bharatanatyam choreographies. For example, a Bharatanatyam piece was choreographed narrating the story of a military woman who sacrifices her male relatives to be a part of the Sri Lankan war. These types of narrations are unconventional compared to any of the traditional Bharatanatyam stories which usually involve Gods and their relationship with mankind. Another example would be the Akademi centre today whose goal is to enlarge received aesthetic definitions of the traditional and classical through strategic acts of cultural translation and situate Indian dance on the multicultural map of Great Britain (Meduri, 2004). Therefore, this modernising of Bharatanatyam and the usage of its representative symbolic movements to express contemporary concerns is going against the work of the preservationists. This contemporary development of Bharatanayam can be seen as creating a new, more current and perhaps global cultural identity. This sense of global identity seems to be growing, even in Britain, especially amongst the second generation as they have no strong, direct ties to their homeland. They hence tend to see themselves more as British, British Asian or British Hindu citizens who are made up of both cultures, yet belong strongly to neither of them. These young Tamilians are part of a global youth culture (Saldanha, cited in David, 2009) which means that they hold a global identity, unlike their elder relatives who struggle to maintain their traditional cultural identity whilst living in a different country amidst a completely different set of values. In the late 20th century all Indian dance forms were put under the label of South Asian dance, despite the fact that South Asia evidently consists of many more countries than just India, hence not only creating a rather vague category for these Indian dances but also merging internationalism within nationalism. The specific classical dance Bharatantyam being thrown amidst numerous other Indian dances and renamed as a part of a South Asian dance was a huge turning point as it enlarged the Indian label and made visible the diverse dance, performance, and theatre practices of the Indian/Asian diaspora (Meduri, 2004). But some Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers, such as Mira Kaushik, encouraged this relocation of Bharatanatyam dance within the broader category of South Asian dance. Kaushik claimed that although Indian dance might look Indian, it is South Asian dance in the United Kingdom because it is performed not just by immigrant dancers from India but by hundreds of South Asian dancers belonging to the different nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and Africa (Meduri, 2004). One may argue that Kaushik challenges the idea that Bharatanatyam is specially reserved for Tamilians as their source of cultural identity; she brings a whole new concept to Bharatanatyam by suggesting that it can appeal, be understood and perfo rmed by many other nationalities. This reform therefore alters and reshapes the key tool Bharatanatyam that traditionally promotes the estalished Tamil habitus. By reintegrating Bharatanaytam with a more futuristic and contemporary aspect, it challenges the cultures original habitus and its centuries of unquestioned customs. Therefore Bharatnatyam may actually be seen as a source of creativity and as a catalyst for a new global identity, rather than a source of tradition and preservation of a purely Tamil identity. Bharatnayam has been adopted and reworked since the very beginning of the 1900s by the West, especially in the United States to begin with. For example, in 1906 Ruth St. Denis, the co-founder of the dance company Denishawn, was hugely inspired by South Asian dance and she immersed herself in Indian writings and culture. She used these resources to later on choreograph dance pieces, such as Incense, The Legend of the Peacock, Radha and further on group productions such as The Flute of Krishna in the 1920s. Another distinct dance pioneer, La Meri, even created a rendition of Swan Lake through Bharatanatyam vocabulary. Especially since the 1930s Bharatnayam has opened up as men now feel comfortable to interpret womanly roles, whilst also many dancers from outside of the Tamil nationality have beg an practicing Bharatanatyam, even to a professional level. But does this globalisation of Bharatanatyam necessarily affect the preservation and the influence it has on the Tamil population and their cultural identity? Rather on the contrary, although Bharatantyam has been increasingly globalised since the early 1900s, the dance in itself to this day remains associated with tradition and symbolism. Both in local Indian communities and abroad, Bharatanatyam is an art that globally and continually promotes the habitus of the Tamil community and its values: whether a non-Tamilian dances it, whether a contemporary story is being told, whether a man dances a womans character the movement vocabulary and the concepts behind the dance remains the same for example, even the interpretation of Swan Lake by Le Meri through Bharatanaym essentially needs to use the dances symbolized codes to tell the story. Bharatanatyam is based intricately on traditional meanings, and therefore whatever context it may be placed in, it will stay true to its Tamil origin . Especially in countries such as Britain and Indonesia where the Tamil population is significant, Bharatanatyam remains a key pathway to not only identify themselves with their distant Tamil customs and embody their cultures habitus, but to spread it worldwide. Word count: 2,005