Rituals of the Umuofian Culture essays

Rituals of the Umuofian Culture essays In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, many cultural values are demonstrated through special ceremonies. The Ibo inhabitants of the land Umuofia perform ceremonies of many different sorts. Today, in modern America, we brush our teeth, take showers and go to school, but in this text, the Umuofian villagers break kola nuts, have bride-prices, and sacrifice living organisms. These rituals are not just done for any reason, but they have special importance towards each clan. We may think the rituals to be odd, but in a peculiar way, it relates to many customs we do today. He who brings kola nut brings life. But I think you ought to break it, replied Okoye, passing back the disc. No, its for you... (pg. 6) One must be wondering what a kola nut is and why it is so important. The breaking of the kola nut (somewhat like a coconut) shows status, respect and honor. As we have the custom of unscrewing the cork in a wine bottle, they break a kola nut. Normally, the oldest in the family would unscrew the cork, like how the eldest or higher status one in the feast would break the nut. He then broke the kola nut and threw one of the lobes on the ground for the ancestors. (pg. 165) The villagers of Umuofia always seem to sacrifice to their ancestors. Ancestors are well respected, but in some cases they go a little overboard with what they are willing to give up. Not so far away, lay the Evil Forest, which entrusted in it are all of the bodies of the ill-fated men and women who died from evil causes. Twins were also thrown into the Evil Forest because of the clans superstition. The story did not mention a particular reason, but one would think it to be another interesting custom they used. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man falls alone. (pg. 25) Unoka, Okonkwos father was also laid in the Evil Forest to rest because he had...

Chemical Composition of Petroleum

Chemical Composition of Petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and other chemicals. The composition varies widely depending on where and how the petroleum was formed. In fact, chemical analysis can be used to fingerprint the source of petroleum. However, raw petroleum or crude oil has characteristic properties and composition. Hydrocarbons in Crude Oil There are four main types of hydrocarbons found in crude oil. paraffins (15-60%)naphthenes (30-60%)aromatics (3-30%)asphaltics (remainder) The hydrocarbons primarily are alkanes, cycloalkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Elemental Composition of Petroleum Although there is considerable variation between the ratios of organic molecules, the elemental composition of petroleum is well-defined: Carbon - 83 to 87%Hydrogen - 10 to 14%Nitrogen - 0.1 to 2%Oxygen - 0.05 to 1.5%Sulfur - 0.05 to 6.0%Metals - 0.1% The most common metals are iron, nickel, copper, and vanadium. Petroleum Color and Viscosity The color and viscosity of petroleum vary markedly from one place to another. Most petroleum is dark brown or blackish in color, but it also occurs in green, red, or yellow.

Critically evaluate the strategic role of global information systems Essay - 1

Critically evaluate the strategic role of global information systems for organisations and discuss the management issues associa - Essay Example For firms, adoption of information systems requires investment resources such as time and personnel (King, 2009). Organizations in different industries always strive to be market leaders in their respective market segments. Where the business environment consists of inflation, recession and tough operating conditions, businesses opt for strategies aimed at gaining a competitive edge over their competitors (Drucker, &Maciariello, 2008).Among these strategies can be the one that enables adoption of an information system by a firm. The system enables the organization make optimum use of its data, cut down on costs and increases efficiency.Information systems store and analyze data faster and in a more secure manner unlike the outdated manual way of data handling. Hardcopy management of data and records is no longer in use. Today, most companies opt for sophisticated databases that store data in any format, be it text, image or video files, update the data as well analyze the data at the click of a mouse (Drucker, &Maciariello, 2008). Through faster analysis of data, quicker solutions to present and future problems are easily determined. Another role of information systems is that of assisting in the decision making process (King, 2009). Success for an enterprise depends upon the strategic plans a firm adopts. The management of a firm uses management information systems to come up with strategic plans for the continued success of the firm (King, 2009). Information systems also play a role in the development of business processes that aim at adding value to a firm’s operations. Continuous business process remodeling is necessary for enhancing the quality of a firm’s products as well as cost minimization. Global information systems are basically information systems designed for the global market. Global information systems are more developed to cater for specific world markets and attempt to deliver functionality to a firm within the context of the whol e world (Laudon, &Laudon, 2002). With global information systems, focus is on the global setting, in a wider scope largely translating to distributed systems. Software’s for these systems are developed with the concept of global (Laudon, &Laudon, 2002). Design for these systems concern process flow in the systems, architecture as mechanisms for supporting the functions of the system. Information systems are composed are composed of information technology, business applications, development processes of the systems, foundation concepts as well as management challenges (Taylor, 2004). Information technology comprises of hardware software, data, networks and other technologies. System development processes concerns how the systems are developed and implemented. Foundation concepts are about technical and business concepts concerning components and functioning of the system (Sarngadharan&Minimol, 2010). Managerial challenges on information systems on the other hand concern how th e management of functions of information system componentsachieve optimum performance. Management issues in planning for information systems In planning for a global information system, the management team carries out a comprehensive analysis of how the firm’s business operations are conducted. This analysis will determine whether or not adoption of an information system will be of benefit to the firm (Sarngadharan & Minimol, 2010). When a firm operates globally, the scenario in the different markets is almost similar

Operations Management as an integral component of a manufacturing Essay

Operations Management as an integral component of a manufacturing industry - Essay Example MRP ensures that there is just about enough materials available for production. If this planning is not efficiently done, there is the likelihood of either finding oneself in a situation where the materials for production is less than required leading to disruption in production or having too much of materials resulting in wasteful spending. MRP has evolved with the computer technology. Its full potential embracing all aspects is prevalent in data base software and there is tremendous scope for utilization of all the heads and sub-heads for the purpose of manufacture of unique and desirable product. It operates on the basis of a master schedule and develops the requirement for materials. The software is programmed to procure different materials for a product. MRP has to be tuned to production planning. Otherwise there will be mismatch in procurement. Normally, MRP through the use of computer is good for mass production where the volume of manufacture is high. Production planning is a part of the master schedule and sees through the MRP. It is an input to capacity plan. The MRP software is complex and so the user has to be provided training so that he is in a position to apply his knowledge in the use the software to the actual requirement of the organization. He must be capable of understanding the software to maximize its use so that the computer is not seen as something that only produces reports with information of non-relevance and disuse. Once the details in the customers' orders are fed into the integrated database, the system checks the schedule as against the current capacity. If the inputs of the materials requirement exceed current capacity, it provides the alternatives for increasing capacity or creating adjustments in the master schedule. The process of MRP must suit its environment to optimize production. In other words, business adapts MRP to suit the market. The computerized version of MRP is complex and is designed to cater to high volumes (Material Requirement Planning MRP). While on the subject, it is necessary to gauge the break-even point with MRP. There are several ways of analyzing the break-even point. Costs and sales forecast analysis is one of them (Decision Making). Total Quality Management (TQM) Total Quality Management is that aspect of management where there is awareness of maintaining quality at every level. According to the International Organization for Standardization, "TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered

The Chrysalids: Perception is Molded by Environment Essay -- John Wynd

From the point of conception, a child’s feelings and thoughts are incredibly malleable. However, the question remains whether the environment changes our perception. This essay will delve into how perceptions are impacted by a North American lifestyle, and a lifestyle within the fictional world of The Chrysalids. Although a person has the ability to forge his or her own destiny, the environment plays a large part in shaping our perceptions everyday. Many throughout the world consider North America to offer the greatest quality of life. A myriad of nationalities and cultures have joined together resulting in North America being what it is today. This cultural patchwork has resulted in children being raised differently and developing unique perceptions relative to other countries. Variables that work to alter the American perception include family, education, and opportunities. One of the greatest influences on a person lis their family. For the duration of a person’s childhood, the majority of time is spent with family members. A family sustains a child’s livelihood and they work to determine how a child will mature in the hope of sustaining a successful future. Over this period, family members’ opinions and views wear off on the individual, causing a change in perception. Therefore, while maturing as a youth, family members hold a significant influence on sculpting a person’s perception. Another way in which perceptions can be altered is through education. Education is a building block for all of society; it is the foundation that establishes social interaction and it often determines a person’s future success. During the course of schooling and post secondary education, a person is introduced to an array of diffe... ...ths is limited. The result is a community where conventional thinking is readily accepted and rarely challenged. When comparing the North American society with that of the Waknuk society to determine whether the environment shapes our perception, the answer becomes transparent. Our perception is forever changing due to the environment. In everyday life our family, our education, and our opportunities change our perception. We do not know what is right until we learn alternative sources and develop an opinion on life. Through growing up, our family, education and experiences work to persuade our opinions and alter our perception in everything we do. Our perception can be changed through life as we grow, learn new ideas and gain new experiences, but through the duration of our childhood, our perception is molded into an everlasting building block for our future.

Acid Violence in Bangladesh Essay

Acid throwing on women and girls are on the rise in Bangladesh. Of all the gender-based violence directed at women, one of the most horrific is acid attacks. Acids are used to disfigure and sometimes kill women and girls. Reported reasons for the acid-throwing attacks include the refusal of an offer of marriage, dowry disputes, domestic fights, and disputes over property.. For the last few years, it has been on the rise in both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Cheap and easy availability of acids makes it the most effective weapon for man to use against girls’ or young women’s faces to prove that they have no right to deny a man’s proposal and is one of the extreme forms of repression and violation of women’s right. The consequence of acid attacks on survivors brings dramatic change in their lifestyle. Most of them have to give up their education or work. Social isolation, fear of further attacks, and insecurity damage their self-esteem and confidence. Illiteracy, poverty, threats to further retribution, and ignorance about legal support increase their miseries. Social awareness, economic and psychological support, rehabilitation, and strict enforcement of laws are key to combat acid violence in Bangladesh. Purpose: Our purpose here is to find out and show how many victims are there in Bangladesh. And show what are the reasons behind it, causes of Acid Throwing, and last but not the least the effects of acid throwing. Methodology: 1. Information Collection: We collected the information through internet basically. We also managed the information from some NGO’s like Asha, Mukti and Sheba. The daily newspaper was a great help. The Acid Survivor Foundation helped a lot. 2. Analysis Presentation: We have separated the analysis in some part. The parts are Causes of Acid Throwing, Effects of Acid Throwing, Prevention of Acid Throwing, Laws against Acid Throwing. Limitation: While preparing the report we have faced some problems like gathering Information, where to find it, how to present the reports, victims are not comfortable to talk about it and many other things, We tried to overcome this things and tried to make the report as best as possible.

Teamwork Is Essential For Business Success - 1591 Words

Introduction: Teams: â€Å"A group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of individual efforts (Loura ,lecture slides).The team has joint, specific ‘collective work-products’ such as experiments, reports, products, etc. An example can be your course work based on a team-based project† (David Knights, Hugh Willmott, 2007, p.120).The question arise is that is teams are important to the organisations; the answer is yes; because organisations are much more likely to perform well when their people work effectively as a team. This is because a good team creates unity-where the together effect of the team is greater than the sum of the individual efforts. In addition to that working together in a team can apply individual perspectives, experiences, and skills to solve complex problems and also creating new solutions and ideas that may be beyond the scope of any one individual. Teamwork is essential for business success: The adoption of teams has become essential to successful organizations of different kinds and sizes.Teams advantage associations by consolidating individuals who can accomplish objectives speedier and more viably through coordinated effort than can people working alone. In 1999, almost 50% of all U.S. associations utilized teams, and now days they are ordinary in businesses going from car assembling to human services and money related administrations. What works in teams is as a team employee can do different tasks veryShow MoreRelatedCreative Culture-Annotated Bibliography, Nursing Essay801 Words   |  4 Pagesskills and awareness areas that are essential to nursing. This creativity culture will enrich the nursing staff and encourage them to be more creative thinking thereby more adapt at problem solving skills, more innovative, encourage critical analysis, written and communication skills. 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