New Historic Criticism of Pudd’nhead Wilson

The striking lack of agreement about the merits of Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson, is undoubtedly related to the equally striking disagreements over the interpretations and analysis of the novel. In a crucial senses, related to all the thematic analysis presented so far, leave important aspects of the novel unaccounted for. As a result, those who are inclined to praise the novel dismiss certain parts as finally inconsequential evidence of Twain’s predictably careless technique. On the other hand those who have serious reservations about its merits stress its lack of coherence, lack of an action suitable to embody what appear to be the author’s chief concerns.Although the interpretations vary widely, ranging from the view that its theme is the conflict between reality and appearance to the assertion that it has no clear meaning, two interpretative emphases are most common. First, there are critics who stress upon racial themes, especially slavery and misceg enation or marriages between different races. And second those who argue for the centrality of the theme of environmental determinism and see slavery as simply a metaphor for Twain’s more general concern, with the influence of training of the individual. While both these approaches give valuable insight, both are unsatisfactory because they leave too many questions unanswered.It was once considered that the integrity of imagination was violated by interpretation, considerations of race, class and sex have not entered into the most formalist readings.In Pudd’nhead Wilson, Twain presents a critique of slavery and race relations in the American South. He highlights the arbitrariness of racial distinctions and classifications by showing how easily Roxana, a slave is able to switch her own son with the offspring of her master. The young usurper grows among the whites without suspicion, and Twain is able to demonstrate how artificial and constructed racial distinctions actua lly are.Race, Conflict and CultureThe recently increased interest in Mark Twain’s â€Å"Pudd’nhead Wilson† is a text that turns the misapprehension of gender and race in a mid-nineteenth century Southern town into a complicated spoof of the â€Å"fiction of law and customs† in the United States. Pudd’nhead Wilson depicting race and custom identity within legal and scientific discourses lends itself readily to the new kind of historic readings related to â€Å"Race, Conflict and Culture.†A white skinned man, robs and murders and he subsequently discovers, through the science of fingerprinting, that he is actually a descendent of African race and a slave. In his infancy, he was changed with his young master, Valet de Chamber or (Chambers), alias Tom Driscoll, seems almost to be tailor-made for the audience of 1990’s. This book is considered as an intriguing depiction of complexities and constructions of race in the late nineteenth centu ry United States.Recent attention to racial issues, and renewed interest of literary criticism in history, has helped define the precise nature of cultural tragedy which is presented in the novel. The traditional plot of European comedy in which confusion over identity disrupts a hierarchical order that is restored when true identity is revealed, does not seem to work in democratic America, especially not when the confusion involves race. As in Pudd’nhead Wilson, Roxy tries to justify her act of cradle exchange of her son for her master’s and reasons with herself, â€Å"white folks has done it.† But her efforts as a mother to have her son defy the fate allotted a slave in racist America, ends in futility.The new historical criticism of the text certifies the different ways of reading narrative incoherence and different ways in formulating relationship between culture and literature. Some critics argue that Twain was unaware of Pudd’nhead Wilson’s p enetrating indictment of race slavery and that the discontinuities of the text mark a retreat to the illusion when none has occurred. While Myra Jehlen (1990) sees more ambivalence than outright evasion and manifests a familiar dilemma in Twain as a stalemate, between racial criticism and implicit conservatism. David Wilson stands in for the author, who recognizes competing rights that render incompatible social order and social justice.Carolyn Porter (1990) sees similar ambivalence in Roxana’s powerfully subversive, and David Wilson’s repressive plots. She also argues that the novel does not resolve, but only plays out the tension between them. Some read a more deliberate authorial strategy into the text’s disjunctions. Through David Wilson as a businessman, Twain meditates on the speculative postwar economy as an outgrowth rather than rejection of the slave economy. If the new historicism performs a textual reading of culture, they have not ceased to read the literary text as a special entity. When the critics analyze a fictional character or episode, there is no way the analysis can be proven wrong and all take satisfaction in being right. But whether Pudd’nhead Wilson is an extension, a reflection or a critique of cultural dynamics remains a matter of debate.Main Characters in the novelRoxana or Roxy in Pudd’nhead Wilson is cited as an exceptional woman, â€Å"her gestures and movements distinguished by a noble and stately grace,† is the rarest of beings depicted in Twain’s work, though the white women characters in his work tend to be static and stereotypical.   She is a passionate and an attractive woman and according to Fishkin (1995) is cunning, physically possessing, enterprising and genuinely interesting and engaging. She is conceived by Twain as something other than matronly old ladies or prepubescent schoolgirls. Roxy is also more complex of the stereotypes which were most commonly used by white au thors to portray women of her race and status.David Wilson, â€Å"Pudd’nhead Wilson,† is a character that gained its name from the book but many critics have ignore, denied, or belittled his significance to the story. The result is that Wilson role is considered that of a mere lever, or someone who moves the plot along but has no intrinsic importance. Though Wilson is referred to as an ass in the opening chapters, but like a donkey he has a number of admirable attributes. He is intelligent, courteous and diligent and it’s only Roxy who describes his as â€Å"de smartes’ man in dis town.† His hobbies though they seem odd to the average townsperson, demonstrate his sharp and meticulous mind.Thomas a Beckett Driscoll (Tom) is the name given by Percy Driscoll to his child and after Roxy switches the babies, the slave usurper is referred to as â€Å"Tom.† From the beginning, Tom turns out to be a bad boy and his bad behavior continues to grow wit h age and is described by Roxy as â€Å"fractious.† He is cruel towards Chambers and rude towards Roxy’s affection, viewing his mother as â€Å"merely a slave and chattel.† Valet de Chambers, (Roxy’s son) on the other hand is raised as a slave and grows up to be docile and meek but a strong fighter and a good swimmer. Tom not only forces Chambers to be his bodyguard but is also cruel and jealous of the slave’s natural physical abilities. But even upon discovering that he is the real Tom Driscoll and is rich and free, Chambers still   feels uncomfortable in the company of whites because of his slave upbringing.Slavery in the mid-nineteenth centuryAccording to Jehlen (1990), Mark Twain while associating the black race with the female sex, represents racism in the unconventionally loathsome form of slavery. Roxana’s status as a mulatta (feminine) is clearly crucial to Twain’s story. Roxana as a mulatta most certainly exposes the covert tradition of miscegenation, but her serial ordeal as a mulatta mother intent on saving her son exposes much more ( Porter, 1990). The ideologies of race and sex Mark Twain used in the novel Pudd’nhead Wilson were not controllable through literary form, because the writing posed problems that the history of racial and sexual thinking in America, impossible to resolve.Percy Driscoll on having some money stolen threatens to sell the guilty servant â€Å"down the river† which shows that life for the slaves on large cotton plantations was far harsher than for the Missouri slaves. To be sold â€Å"down the river† was equivalent to be condemned to hell, with old slaves being sold away to be replaced by the new slaves. Dawson’s Landing is a highly stratified hierarchical society and at the apex of this social order were the first descendants of Virginia, represented by Judge Driscoll down to the lowest rung of the social ladder-the slaves.And so powerful is this social hierarchy, that those on the bottom were forbidden from eating or sitting with citizens of higher status. This segregation was visible in the layout of the town structure where the snug houses for the white population were situated up front while the portion for the slaves was hidden in the backcountry. Through constructing this social framework, Twain delivers a stinging critique of slavery and in the South of America. Pudd’nhead Wilson is unique to its time in portraying the slave characters as dishonest, lazy and at times dangerous. But in Roxy’s views, slavery is a crime committed by the whites against her race.ConclusionCritics seem intent on challenging the new directions in literary analysis and laying down the terms of debate as to what standard   has the literary works been classified to up to this point and the terms by which we read literature and by analyzing the relationship of literature to the larger question by which we govern our lives. Today the problems of race and sex have become vastly complicated than when a literary work was thought to invent its own sufficient language.The task of the critics then was to show how all parts worked together to reveal coherence. But today, with no available assurance no one can be certain that in a particular work the history is internally coherent or that the issues it treats finally hang together. Though not simple, but the task of literary criticism is to analyze works, not to dismantle them. In the light of these questions, Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson contributes not only to Twain’s single work, but also adds to the growing number of works both participating in and questioning new directions in the study of literature.BIBLIOGRAPHYJehlen Myra. Spring, The Ties That Bind: Race and Sex in Pudd’nhead Wilson. American Literary History. Vol. 2, No.1. 1990. pp. 39-55.Fishkin, Shelley Fisher. Mark Twain and Women. The Cambridge Companion to Mark Twain. Cambridg e University Press: New York, NY. 1995.Jehlen, Myra. The Ties that Bind: Race and Sex in Pudd'nhead Wilson. Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson. Duke University Press: Durham, SC. 1990.Porter, Carolyn. Roxana's Plot. Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson. Duke University Press: Durham, SC. 1990.Wald, Priscilla. Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson: Race, Conflict and Culture. Studies in American Fiction, Journal Article. Vol. 23, 1995.Thomas, Brook. Tragedies of Race, Training, Birth and Communities of Competent Pudd’nheads. American Literary History, Vol. 1, No.4.   Winter, 1989. pp. 754-785.

Need for Keeping Records Essay

It is an obligation by law to keep and maintain records within the educational environment. The educational facility/environment are liable to maintain various records as ultimately it serves one purpose and that is to be answerable and reasonable to keeping accurate records whilst providing important evidence to support the on-going achievement of student education and the legislation codes of the education setting. Within a learning context there are many reasons why we keep records, however below I have given three examples particular records. Identifying needs * If a learner is to embark onto a Learning and Teaching in Schools Level 2 course he or she would have to first complete an initial assessment before they begin the course. The first initial step would consist of completing an enrolment form with all the required data such as next of kin, medical information and previous or current courses the learner has undertaken. A personal statement of â€Å"why you want to teach within a school† would also need to be submitted with the enrolment application form as this would then determine the tutor during the selection process to ensure the learner has the necessary skills, knowledge and experience. The information carried out would then enable the tutor to have a brief over view of the student’s ability and assess further more in an interview. During the process of the interview the tutor will assess and conduct a functional skills test in literacy and numeracy, these tests are compulsory as they give an indication to the tutor of the level of support you may need through the duration of the course and it also gives the student a ‘refresher’ of these skills as they may not have used functional skills in a long time, it is also a requirement to obtain a Level 1 before proceeding onto the course. The diagnostic test results are then fed back to the student on a one to one basis and should any support be required the identifying of the learners needs would then be met. Planning Learning * Once the learner has started the course and all his or her individual needs have been assessed the tutor can then create an Individual Learning Plan (IPL) for the student and himself as this would be an agreed strategy plan for the student to document what he or she learnt from the tutors session and what support the learner may need to get from their tutor about the lesson they have just undertaken, in order to achieve the set criteria, this then allows the tutor to be prepared and organised- in how the lessons are managed and to identify where the learners are academically and helps the tutors to prepare for who may need extra support. IPL’s are valuable records for students as well as tutors as this is a form of evidence of what is being achieved, strengths, weaknesses, tracking the fulfilment criteria of the course and setting individual targets. Assessing Learning * When a submission of work is made by a student, a tracking record is then kept, this allows the tutor to then be informed the submission of an assignment, for example the usage of the teaching/student portal Edmodo allows the tutor to update what assignment needs to be in and then the student will follow suit and upload their assignment and wait for a return. The tracking of submission records ensures that everyone hands in the required work on time, assessed and returned with feedback.

The Apple Logo

Logos: Apple A very common sight for many people: The Apple logo. In the diagram on the separate sheet, we see how they used Fibonacci to make an aesthetically pleasing picture. The logo looks nice because of its rounded, almost spherical shape. Some would argue that it is perfect whereas others find it boring. Over the years the colours have changed from the rainbow stripes of 1976 to the monochrome of 1998. It had changed to be monochrome to look more professional as opposed to childish.It also scaled up the size of the logo to make It look far more prominent and make anyone ith an apple product In public an advertisement. The first apple logo was of Isaac Newton under a tree made in 1976: it quickly died due to its complexity and overall ugliness. It was archaic and would not fit onto their products very easily without making it look stupid. The bite in the new logo was said by the designers to make it look less like a tomato.Their fans said the bite was a byte – a small ne rdy Joke which the developers and media found rather amusing and fitting for a technological company. When asked about the logo design, Jean-Louis Gass ©e, former apple executive, tated: â€Å"One of the deep mysteries to me is our logo, the symbol of lust and knowledge, bitten into, all crossed with the colors of the rainbow in the wrong order. You couldnt dream a more appropriate logo: lust, knowledge, hope and anarchy. This was an inspiring thing said, of course, by a passionate Frenchman. Rob Janoff, designer of the rainbow Apple logo, said there was no Importance of the colour scheme and that he Just wanted green to be at the top where the leaf Is, however, Steve Jobs said he wanted the rainbow colour scheme to ‘humanize' their ompany. I think the logo is good because of all the thought that went into making it. We do not know if the Fibonacci sequence was actually used when it was made but either way, it works to make icon look sleek.In our society, Apple products are seen as a symbol of wealth which, to me, seems rather Ironic to Gass ©e's statement of the bite. All In all, they certainly do take a bite out of your wallet. Source of historical information: http://www. edibleapple. com/2009/04/20/the-evolution-and-history-of-the-apple-logo/ The Apple Logo By Mackatosh caled up the size of the logo to make it look far more prominent and make anyone with an apple product in public an advertisement.

Midterm (R) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Midterm (R) - Essay Example The basic purpose of geographical value judgment is the implication of qualitative thinking to handle future geographical events. It is necessary for students to predict future events and have a clear view of what geographical events could occur in the future. Centripetal and centrifugal forces act in opposition to each other with centripetal force pulling creating a state of stability and centrifugal force destabilizing the state. The centripetal force binds the citizens together by creating this state of stability. The basic aim of nationalism is to promote and create cohesion in the state by creating allegiance and accepting the goals. Nationalism brings the people of a country and a nation together whereas getting true nation is rare in this world e.g. the national Canadian railway is a symbol of nationalism in the country. Also, we can say that institutions on small scale create a sense of unity in the nation by teachings of cohesion and commission. The promotion of social welfare and development of a nation’s culture is their responsibility. For a nation to be united, it should have one language. Different languages spoken by the people of one nation keep them from communicating with each other and create a sense of unrest in the community. This communication barrier may cause misunderstandings and raise conflicts which would lead to civil unrest and disruption of peace e.g. Quebec and Francophone are still fighting for their independence from Canada because of civil unrests due to different dialects and languages. Religion on the other hand is an important factor to create unity and allegiance in a nation. We can also say that different religions in a same country can lead to a state of competition and cause destabilization in the country. In the time of USSR, politicians worked in favor atheism to remove religion as a factor which might lead to disruption of peace and violence in the country

What are the core competencies of a programme manager Essay

What are the core competencies of a programme manager - Essay Example In order for organizations to succeed in their programs, they usually engage a program manager who takes charge of the administration of the particular program (APM 2008 p 26). This is a senior employee who is acts on behalf of the owners of the organization in coordinating the organization’s projects to ensure that they give the desired outcome. He/she is also in charge of ensuring that the projects are not exposed to risks or adverse external factors. The program manager has a responsibility of motivating the project managers and ensuring that they remain enthusiastic about their particular projects in order to ensure attainment of the desirable outcome in all. This helps in maintaining the overall productivity of the organization. The project managers usually analyze the needs of their individual projects and present them to the program manager who mobilizes the desired support from the organization. He has a responsibility of ensuring that the operating environment for each project is favorable for the success of the project (Lewis 2006 p 71). This essay is a critical evaluation of the core competencies of a program manager. These have been discussed in relation to their responsibilities within an organization. Leadership is the responsibility of building ideas and inspiring others as well as making them to believe that they can bring transformation for the better. It involves organizing the talents of every person to get out their best. In order for projects within a particular program to succeed, the leader needs to have a capability of putting efforts to get factual outcomes. He is also required to have the capability of setting objectives harmoniously in order to accomplish a mission and setting priorities right. Leadership involves motivating others to execute some duties and change their belief in certain issues as well as their way of acting. The program manager is

Six Sigma And Lean In Helthcare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Six Sigma And Lean In Helthcare - Research Paper Example Six Sigma and Lean Systems (SS/L) are extremely popular tools for the improving quality. Therefore, they provide the managers of Healthcare with the opportunity to improve the quality of healthcare on the basis of using sound methodologies and data. Cost increase control in the healthcare, improving the quality, and the provision of better Healthcare are some of the main benefits of this approach. However, these two quality improvement tools are not clear to many whether they are capable of improving the quality of healthcare. Thus, this research paper clearly illustrates how effective these tools can be and what can be corrected to improve further. This will go an extra mile in helping the health care sector, to render high quality services and achieve considerable accolades, as far as, Healthcare services are concerned. In the recent past, medical care has become exceedingly expensive to an extent that many are not in apposition to access healthcare particularly in the underdeveloped and some of the developing world. Considerable amount of cost increase can be attributed to the out dated technology, and an aging population, which is inevitable due to the advancement of technology and modern demographic developments, which are beyond control. On top of that, operational inefficiency also contributes to the Healthcare cost increase, and this has to do with the healthcare professionals. Inefficiency in this research study is of much essence as it can be measured and necessary changes implemented to improve on the quality. This will lead to affordable Healthcare services and of better quality to a considerable percentage of the entire global population. Some inefficiency encountered in the process of operation can be connected to the delivery of services in the medical sector. Other inefficiencies arise as a result of logistical, administrative and healthcare delivery system operations, of which both can be extremely beneficial to the systematic process of innovation. The paper seeks to evaluate the importance of the Six Sigma and Lean approaches in the healthcare sector. Looking critically at the industrial sector, in the past century, it deployed massive machinery and innovation approaches to increase their level of operational approaches and hence achieve high levels of efficiency in operation systems (Jones, Roos, & Womack, 1990). On evaluating the history of economy, the efficiencies in the industry, were obtained from the collective effect of a substantial number of incremental improvements (Rosenberg, 1982). Six Sigma and Lean Thinking are two processes of an innovative approach that have gained much popularity in the industrial sector (Robinson, 1990). They both availed a systematic approach that facilitated process geared towards increasing the magnitude of innovations. A ccording to Ohno (1988), Lean Thinking emerged in the automobile industry of Japan after the World War II, though it can be traced to the earlier days of the Ford Motor Company (Ford and Crowther, 1926). Six Sigma was originally brought to be by Motorola, and culminated to the synthesis of a

Saturn Titan Mission Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saturn Titan Mission Questions - Essay Example He was the one who discovered the rings around Saturn as well as Titan in 1655; the largest moon of Saturn. He also invented the pendulum clock. He died in 1695 on 8th July. Jean Dominique Cassini was born in 1625, on June 8th. He has numerous discoveries related to Saturn attached to his name. He discovered four of the Saturn’s moons, Iapetus in1671, Rhea in 1972, Tethys and Dione in 1684. He also discovered that the rings of Saturn have separation by a gap in two parts in 1675, it is in his honor named Cassini Division, and he presumed that the Saturn’s rings composition was of the small particles myriads, which was correct. The atmospheric entry probe which was part of Cassini–Huygens  mission carried to Titan; Saturn’s moon was called the Huygens probe. It separated itself from the spacecraft on 25th December 2004 (Scott Allen Striepe, pg12) and landed on Titan’s surface on 14th January 2005. The landing of this Huygens probe was designed for both water and land since it wasn’t concrete which kind of surface it might be; it turned out to be solid, icy. It sent several images that helped understanding of Titans atmosphere throughout its descent. The atmosphere of Titan is twice in its thickness compared to that of Earth, the surface pressure there is approximately 1.45 times that of the earth. This makes it hard for image capturing in visible spectrum of light by the astronomical instruments. Titan is second largest moon in Solar system with diameter of 5,150  km, with the only one having dense, surface pressure being 1.5 atm and cold atmosphere, primary composites being nitrogen and little methane. Being dense, its atmosphere usually has convective clouds that are bright white, making the surface observation difficult. It is also the only moon that has large liquid bodies, in form of lakes of methane. Composition: Saturn’s rings have sheet like distribution of the icy

The Persuasive Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

The Persuasive Research Paper - Essay Example It is for this reason that they are as prosperous today as they ever were. The opposite happens in countries like the Philippines. It is apparent that most Filipinos do not effectively recognize the full worth of their indigenous traditions, institutions and capabilities. They revere other countries but neglect their own. It is ironic how the Philippines is classified as a Third World nation noted for corruption, poor governance, poverty, and a low total industrial capacity considering it has nearly everything any nation needs for great development: a strategic location, abundant natural resources and a rich supply of human capital. The only thing separating it from becoming a world power is the shortfall of self-confidence in its people. Because nationalism triggers a country’s movement toward a more prosperous future, the Filipino people’s lack thereof continues to be the root of the slow development of the Philippines. The Filipinos are the product of their colonial history. Almost four hundred years of colonization significantly disturbed the people’s mental framework, giving birth to a deep-seated colonial mentality that hindered them from showing enough concern for the national interest, which consequently slowed down the country’s rate of development. In its place, it encouraged Filipinos to believe that other nations were better than them. This, in time, ingrained itself into what is now seemingly a natural trait. At the outset, the Philippines did not come together before the Spanish settlement. It was not even a country before the Spaniards arrived and colonized the islands. In fact, the Philippines was a mere archipelago of small autonomous divisions known as barangays. As said by Guarià ±a in his historical essay, it was the Spanish settlement that unified the Philippines into a country. At the same time however, it formed Filipino societies that took little pride in their own nation and instead only deified their colonizers. As a

Five Controversial Argumentative Views That Constitute a Proper Aim of Essay

Five Controversial Argumentative Views That Constitute a Proper Aim of Law - Essay Example Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.† Mills was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant and a very influential contributor to the ideas of his time in social theory, political theory, and political economy. His concept of liberty gave complete control and freedom to the individual and opposed unlimited state control. Mills’ theory excuses persons who are â€Å"incapable of self-government† from this principle, such as young children or those living in â€Å"backward states of society.† Mills also felt that despotism (tyranny) is an acceptable form of government for societies that are â€Å"backward,† as long as the absolute ruler has the best interests of the people at heart. However, the theory has complications as â€Å"harms† may include actions that are omitted as well as acts of commission. Failing to rescue a drowning child or failing to pay taxes, both are harmful omissions that may be regula ted by law. Mills did not think that offense constituted â€Å"harm†; however, an action could be curtailed if it violated the morals of a society. He also contended that free speech is a necessary condition for intellectual and social progress. He was famous for being one of the first supporters of rights for women. In his book â€Å"The Subjection of Women† he points out three major facets hindering women, society and gender construction, education, and marriage. His formation of the â€Å"greatest-happiness principle† is his most famous theory. It stipulated that a person must always act so as to produce the greatest happiness among feeling beings within reason. He also felt that intellectual and moral pleasures were more important than physical forms of pleasure. He believed in free markets and accepted intervention in the economy for tax on alcohol and supported legislation on animal welfare. John Austin was a noted British jurist and author of law and juri sprudence. He developed a theory called â€Å"legal positivism.† This basic theory of law states that there is no association between the validity of a law and ethics and morality. Therefore, by â€Å"legal positivism† the law is considered separate from moral and ethical values. It considers the law to be studied by lawmakers who are humans. It does not give any real basis for arguing against the validity of any law based on the content, no matter how horrible to the morality of any person. The argument is based solely on the nature of the law being a human institution. Gerald Dworkin is a professor of moral, political and legal philosophy. He is noted for his development and writings on â€Å"moral paternalism†, which refers to an attitude or policy based on the hierarchy of a families’ CEO or authority. His research includes ideas of the nature and justification of self-government or the right of self-government. His most recent book defends physician- assisted suicide. In it he argues that doctors who approve of stopping life support at the patient’s request, giving pain-relief medication that kills the patient, or who approves terminal sedation are inconsistent in condemning physician-assisted suicide. â€Å"Legal moralism† is a theory of jurisprudence which projects that laws may be used to prohibit or require a certain

Balanced Scorecard Essay Example for Free

Balanced Scorecard Essay The balance scorecard is used as a strategic planning and a management technique. It is widely used in many organizations, regardless of their scale, to align the organizations performance to its vision and objectives. The scorecard is also used as a tool which improves the communication and feedback process between the employees and management, and to monitor performance of the organizational objectives. There are four different perspectives of balance scorecard which are financial performance, customer knowledge, internal business processes, and learning and growth. Each perspective represents a different aspect of the business organization in order to operate at optimal capacity. Financial perspective is about how does the firm look to shareholders. This is concerned with the shareholders view of performance. Shareholders are concerned with many aspects of financial performance. Amongst the measures of success are market share, revenue growth, profit ratio, return on investment, economic value added, return on capital employed and profitability. Customer perspective is about how do customers see the firm. This perspective focuses on the analysis of different types of customers, their degree of satisfaction and the processes used to deliver products and services to customers. Particular areas of focus would include customer service, customer retention and customer satisfaction. Internal perspective is about how well it manages its operational processes. This seeks to identify how well the business is performing, whether the products and services offered meet customer expectations, and the critical processes for satisfying both customers and shareholders. Learning and growth perspective is about can the firm continue to improve and create value? This perspective also examines how an organisation learns and grows. This perspective is concerned with issues such as can we continue to improve and create value? In which areas must the organisation improve? How can the company continue to improve and create value in the future? What should it be doing to make this happen? The concerns of balanced scorecard are long term with short term concerns, financial with non-financial concerns, and internal with external concerns.

The Contemporary Challenges Of The Muslim Ummah Religion Essay

The Contemporary Challenges Of The Muslim Ummah Religion Essay Before scrutinizing those challenges, let us have a quick look to the definition of challenges and ummah, the key words throughout this study. Challenge is a simple everyday word. If one browses through several dictionaries he will find out that the definition given by those dictionaries is more or less the same, which is a demanding or stimulating situation  [1]  . Specifically, it refers to (the situation of being faced with) something needing great mental and physical effort in order to be done successfully and which therefore tests a persons ability.  [2]   No doubt that our ummah faces many challenges, both internal and external. While external challenges come from our surrounding most of them created by the West to control and destroy us, internal challenges are challenges that occurred within us, which sometimes difficult for us to identify (and admit) and much more dangerous compared to external challenges, if we fail to manage and overcome them. This study will focus first in discussing the internal challenges and will touch about the external challenges later. Internal Challenges Disunited Ummah: The No. 1 within Enemy The first and foremost internal challenge that Muslims need to overcome urgently is their disunited ummah. As we know, the mission of the prophet Muhammad was to bring peace and unity to the feuding tribes of the pre-Islamic days. However, after the prophet passed away, the Arabs returned to their feuding wars. Blindly tribal loyalties returned. Disputes over which tribe had the right to succeed the leadership of the Muslims ummah after the death of the prophet eventually led to the most serious and dangerous schism among Muslims. Certainly, the quarrel between Muslim sects and nations are obviously contrary to the teachings of Islam. Let us admit that Islam and the Muslim world today are divided and disarray. They are unable to cope with the changes that are happening in this world and are reversing further and further backwards. Therefore, we should resolve our own quarrels to present a united ummah. Most importantly, we should never be our own enemy. Disappointingly, personal quarrels and ambitions for power seem allowed in Muslim world, which eventually disrupt government administration, leaving it incapable of addressing the needs of the people  [5]  . As a result, Muslim nations remain largely underdeveloped, poor, unskilled, uneducated and incapable of contributing positively towards the well being of the Muslims, their faiths and nations. Though many of us are blessed with rich resources, we are unable to put such resources to the optimal use, to serve and defend Islam and Muslims against those who loudly confess their hatred against us and bravely proclaim their intention to frustrate us. The bad situation becomes worse when the best, skilful and knowledgeable people of us emigrate and contribute to the wealth and prosperity of other nations, to the some extent, to the nations which are hostile to us. This frustrated situation happened because we are unable to offer these talented people with facilities, plus the conditions of our nations are unsuitable for the application of the considerable attributes that they possess, simply because we are too busy with our petty quarrels  [6]  . Thus, we need the right people to rule the nations, and to get this, the one and only situation is to revert to the teaching of Islam, the really true teachings, not the teachings which are interpreted to justify the bad things we are doing as good. If we are not sure what is really meant by the true teachings, we need to ask only few questions. Does Islam advocate wars and violence amongst Muslims? Does Islam advocate oppression of the people by the government, or destabilize the government by the irresponsible acts of the people? Can we really say that it is our religious duty to be poor, without knowledge and skills, incapable of defending ourselves against our enemies? We clearly know the answers to all these questions, and yet, we do not care to follow the Islamic answers to these questions. Instead, we quibble about small issues, fight over minor differences. We divide Muslims and cause them to fight because differences created in our practices in Islam. Fundamentalists: The True Muslims or Extremists? Another internal challenge faces by Muslim in this contemporary world is fundamentalist Muslims. Realizing or not, fundamentalism is one of the most abused word. Most of the time, it is associated with extremism. Yet, if the teachings of Islam are revised, it would be obvious that the past best Muslims were fundamentalists. On the contrary, nowadays, the people who are usually described as fundamentalists are far away from following of the Islamic teachings. Most of them have seemingly reverted to the pre-Islamic jahilliyyah ways of extreme loyalty to their groups, to fanaticism or taasub  [7]  . The answer lies in correcting or abandoning the incorrect interpretations of Islam by some of the so called ulama. These interpreters, no matter how learned they may be in teachings of the religion, or how large may be their followers, or how established their teachings, are not prophets. Prophets can not be wrong, but these interpreters of Islam can be. If Islam appears rigid and doctrinaire, it is because the learned interpreters make it so. They tended to be harsh and intolerant when interpreting during the golden day of the Muslim empires. And so, long after the Muslims have lost their predominant era, and the world has changed, the Muslim were exhorted to adhere to interpretation which are no longer adequate or relevant. What Muslims must do is to go back to the teaching of Holy Quran and genuine Hadiths, study and interpret them in the context of the present day. It is Allahs will that the world has changed. It is not for man to reverse what has been willed by Him. Islam is not only meant for seventh century Arabs. The faithful must look for guidance from the teachings of Quran and Hadiths in the present context. If we Muslims understand this, then there will be fewer misunderstandings among us, and the world will be a better place if all misunderstandings are removed. External Challenges Globalization: The Modern Form of Colonization Globalization as defined by the West is the generalized expansion of international economic activity which includes increased international trade, growth of international investment (foreign investment) and international migration, and increased creation of technology among countries. Globalization is the increasing world-wide integration of markets for goods, services, labor, and capital.  [8]  Some Muslim scholars are exalted and believed that globalization will benefit and give positive impacts on Muslims, while others (including this study) take a more skeptical and critical view of this process. Realizing or not, globalization in its current manifestation is benefiting the West as their idea of a borderless would simply means the unbridled flow of capital across borders. The huge amount of wealth some of us have accumulated through the extraction of our national resources has not been invested in our own countries. We have instead taking advantage of the free flow of capital to invest in the developed countries. Effectively we have enriched them  [9]  . Unfortunately, they have used our money that we have invested, to invest back in our countries, destabilize and impoverish us by pulling out their investment suddenly. Then, they take advantage of our poverty to gain control over us. Much of our money is hold hostage abroad and is actually used against us. In fact, we are not even able to use our natural resources to enrich ourselves. We find ourselves quite helpless and unable to adjust and take advantage of these new ideas and concepts. Our own resources are the cause of our present impoverishment and weakness. But, we do not really care because we always believe that they can provide us with powerful means to assert our influence in the whole world, to strengthen and protect us from oppression. All we need is simple, the will to regulate the supply. Yet, we cannot even do this  [10]  . Nowadays, colonial control of land by military strength or physical colonialism can no longer be accepted by society worldwide, even no longer necessary. Control to currency trading that globalization has introduced holds similar effects. This form of colonialism could be achieved without sacrificing the life of soldiers. When a country becomes poor, it will be politically unstable and a power struggle will ensue. As a result, there will be successive change in leadership until a candidate who is willing to submit to the world power is found. In other words, before getting to that moment, colonization has occurred. Still, there are some of us who do not believe that what is happening now can throw us back to the early days of colonialism  [11]  . When we agreed to globalization, we thought that we would be able to share the wealth and technology of the rich countries. But, the rich countries are actually thinking about how globalization would enable them to exploit the untapped resources of the poor countries by using their huge capital and sophisticated technology. Even though exploiting the poor to enrich themselves causes more poverty and misery, so long as it is done in the name of globalization, it is still considered as fair and proper. The attack on the currencies of South East Asian countries in 1997 is the good example on how they exploit globalization  [12]  . Islam stresses a balance between materialism and spiritualism, between life in this world and hereafter. The loss of the spiritual values in the West has resulted in unbridled materialism. Money is considered as the most important thing in life. As a result, money is literally worshipped as an end in itself, not as a mean to an end. Nothing must get in the way in the acquisition of more money. And in the process of doing so, economic has to be devastated, people killed, children starved. All these are perfectly all rights as long as the objective is to make more money  [13]  . Therefore, all Muslims should work together to defend the sovereignty of our nations. What we are doing is actually defending our own independence. No less than that. Do remember, those who created the economic, political and social problems that we are facing now are just like the colonists who once colonized us. Do not ever think that their behaviors have changed. As the Malay proverb says, Tigers will always have their stripes. Globalization a world without border is a terminology introduced by the West, not by us, by Muslims. Surely, the West did not come out with this new thought to lose out. It is invented for their own interest. Let us not accept it without scrutiny, without suspicion. Let us not accept all this simply because we want them to regard us as sophisticated. Let us not be proud of being praised by them when we show how up-to-date our thinking is  [14]  . Globalization might bring many benefits to us, but this new thinking will destroy us more. The attack of our currencies is part of globalization and we only end up losing. Information Technology Another Cold War Nowadays, it is obvious that information, rather the mastery over it, will determine the course of future struggles between nations. Recent breakthroughs in the field of communication and computer technologies have made it the most valuable currency of the age. If natural resources were what represented wealth and power in the past, information now claims an equal place, and is poised to become, in the near future, the most basic source of strength  [15]  . Muslim countries have struggled so hard to catch up with advanced nations. This new technology may affect this struggle in two opposite ways. Firstly, it is possible that it may take the battle still harder. The technology might make the gap between Muslims and industrial world more difficult to bridge, increase the westernization of our culture, and further tighten the grip of those already in control of the world. However, if we take it positively, the same technology may provide wider opportunities to Muslims nations to free themselves from cultural and economic influence of the West, loosen their control over the means of knowledge, and reduce its influence over oppressed nations. Of course, these opportunities will come for us only if we know how to exploit this technology to gain our objectives. It would need vision, strategy, cooperation and solidarity. That is the only way the challenges of the next century can be met. A quick survey at the state of information in Muslim countries will show how difficult it is to speak of a joint Islamic information in the absence of strong cooperation among them. The lack of comprehensive researches and field studies reflect the true state of information in Muslim societies. Therefore, any evaluation of the state of information in the Muslim world would be no more than a general opinion based purely on personal experience and observation. To cure a disease, of course we need to be clear about what really cause it. Generally speaking, information in Muslim countries continue to suffer because of several reasons continuous dependency on foreign media, low level of cooperation and exchanges of information among Muslim nations, centralization and state control of information, and emphasize more on technical and material aspects while manpower development gets low priority. It would be unrealistic, and almost impossible to believe that individual Muslim country would be able to confront these challenges separately  [16]  . Cooperation must always be the principle guidance. Instead of complaining about foreign cultural and media invasion of our societies, we must take the initiative to stop the invasion. Appeal to Islamic government to cooperate with the private sector for the establishment of joint information, advertising projects, and supporting and encouraging information industries can be one of the valuable suggestion. To ensure the successful implementation of such projects, there must be unified policies and plans to facilitate and attract investments plus a joint Islamic fund to provide loans to finance these projects. Moreover, the infrastructure of Muslim countries should be linked together, commercial information and advertising representation unified, communication mechanism consolidated and an Islamic information bloc set up. All these promises brought about by the information revolution should make us view them with optimism and make the right investment in a way that would ensure the advancement of our societies and enable us to face the challenges facing us. They should also inspire us to plan carefully and lay down a solid ground for a coordinated effort that would free us from Western information domination. The cure lies in our ills and we know the cure. What is needed is a joint initiative to start the treatment. Conclusion Perhaps, it is too much to expect that our Muslim ummah would awake and fight all the challenges discussed above. But, still, we need to fight because it is a duty towards our religion. If we learn from the Islamic Civilization of the past, it will tell us that how a great faithful ummah can lead to greatness and establishment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest ever, civilization on earth. What has been done once by Muslims can be done again, and perhaps the second one will be everlasting. It is for us, Muslims, to decide. God willing, we will awake and we will decide, we will fight, and insha Allah, we will win.