Why Stravinskys Rite Of Spring Is Revolutionary

Why Stravinskys Rite Of Spring Is Revolutionary The Rite of Spring is famously and perhaps infamously regarded as one of the most major turning points in the history of Western music. Furthermore, the notoriously catastrophic reception at the premià ¨re of Stravinskys 1912 composition has now come to be appreciated as an historical phenomenon in its own right of unmatched and, in all likelihood, unmatchable proportions. The social climate capable of spawning outrage of such violent and uncouth physical embodiment as evidenced in the theatre in Paris that fateful day of 29 May, 1913, betrays at its core an undercurrent of volatility which reaches its talons well beyond the scope of aesthetic opinion and pleasurable diversion into something much more sinister. The Rite of Spring sparked a revolution which may be considered truly political in nature; a sociological confrontation which elicited spontaneous combustion in the music world and from which point, nothing would ever be the same. The following study will expound upon the nat ure of this revolution and collate a survey of possible reasons for its extraordinary and unprecedented sociological impact. The Rite of Spring was the third in a triptych of ballets by Igor Stravinsky for Sergei Diaghilevs itinerant company the Ballets Russes, an initiative which travelled the continent to perform and met with particular success in Paris as the result of the citys large Russian exile population and its rooting in Neonationalistic Russian themes. The Rites predecessors The Firebird (1910) and Petrouchka (1911) achieved near unanimous positivity and celebrated critical acclaim. The Rite was written over the course of several months in late 1912 but the rehearsal season was considerably extended due to its choreographic complexity, not to mention the comparable inexperience of the young dancer-choreographer, Nijinsky, for whom the piece was intended as a primary collaborator. Although having presented the composition in its pianistic form to a veritable plethora of notable artistic and musical minds in the leadup to its orchestrally staged debut, Stravinsky is nonetheless purported to have had no indication whatsoever, nor reason to remotely conceive that the presentation of The Rite might provoke the scandal and outcry that ensued. Modris Eksteins provides a particularly colourful and somewhat exhaustive account of the circumstances of its premiere. In terms of historical data, reports from the premiere are conflicting, confused and wildly varying. Witnesses tell of catcalls, hissing, and a battery of screams; of howling, whistling, spitting, slapping and punching. The police were called and at least forty of the offending protesters were forcibly evicted, this doing little to lull those remaining, who continued their commotion. By all accounts, the performance elicited no less than a seismic response which has retrospectively become a thing of legend. The socio-cultural context of Paris at the time is of much import in setting the scene for such an upstanding brouhaha. Programmes being rehearsed and billed contemporary to The Rites premiere included Ravels Daphnis et Chloe and Debussys Jeux. The ballet audience was largely contingent on the lavish snobbery of both high society and the intelligentsia, comprising predominantly wealthy patrons with a desire for elegance and enchantment, and altogether typical of the common lightweight perceptions of French taste. Although exotica themes were very much in Parisian vogue, the passions and political motivations of Russia could hardly but remain distant in every respect. Enormous media hype surrounded The Rites premiere and in an effort to garner an underlying core of support, Diaghilev ensured a generous distribution of free tickets to his loyal supporters. The particularities of the newly unveiled layout of the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre des Champs-Élysà ©es held that this ring-in cheersquad, albeit a guaranteed endorsement, was situated in an area of the auditorium central to the masses, essentially circled by the opposing faction. Such provocative positioning of the Russians in itself was perhaps enough to instigate a brawl in the first place. With such explosive jeering and cheering, it is of exceptional logistical importance that according to numerous accounts, Stravinskys music was completely drowned out by the audience reaction. With the 100-piece orchestra inaudible, dancers have been said to have relied exclusively on Nijinsky shouting counts from the prompt. Whether this pertained to the metric complexity of the composition or the pervading inability to hear it remains questionable but either way, it was certainly the case. The abstract and absurd quality of a company dancing their euphoric tribal sacrifice to a chorus of insults and abuse was perhaps a telling premonition of the Dada sentiment which succeeded the event several years later. The lights in the auditorium were fully turned on but the noise continued and I remember Mlle. Piltz (the chosen maiden) executing her strange dance of religious hysteria on a stage dimmed by the blazing light in the auditorium, seemingly to the accompaniment of the disjointed ravings of a mob of angry men and women. If in fact the orchestra was itself inaudible, it follows in point that the public outrage expressed so vehemently at The Rites premià ¨re was not a response to the pitches, rhythms, structures and instrumental colourings of Stravinskys music, however bold his innovations, but to something else entirely. The inward turned feet and graceless jumping and pumping gestures of the dancers were certainly denounced as bad taste and grotesque caricature, with witnesses suggesting such blasphemy to the elevated art of ballet was received as a direct insult to the integrity of the cultivated audience. But while representing somewhat of an innovation in dance style, the propulsion for such outrage seems more deeply rooted in the commentary of stylistic change on the nature and sociological function of the arts, and the implications of this change in structuring socio-economic factions. As expressed so concisely by Ekstein, Is there not sufficient evidence to suggest that the trouble was caused more by warring factions in the audience, by their expectations, their prejudices, their preconceptions about art, than by the work itself? The Nature of Revolution Thus it can be seen that Stravinskys Rite of Spring generated a series of revolutions at various levels. I have taken the term revolution to refer both to an upheaval of policy which breaks radically from the past, as well as to the cyclic implication of the word revolution, the continual and somewhat meditative return to a point, each time with new outlook. In musical terms, The Rite brought a repudiation of the post-Romantic and Impressionistic ideals which permeated the Parisian scene. The typical French soundworld cut clearly by Debussy, Saint-Saà «ns, Ravel, Massenet, Faurà ©; but notably never adopted nor remotely assimilated by Stravinsky, was in this case so thoroughly replaced by the primacy of clustered chordal rhythms, uncharacteristic harmonic motivation, and intervallic asymmetry in melodic structures that the French government was effectively overthrown. Despite much retrospective dispute to be discussed in due course, the programmatic genesis of The Rite was an imagined prehistoric ritual of a sacrificial virgin dancing herself to death to entice the gods of the seasons. It is implicit that although a fabricated mythology, the essence is of a tribal Russian character. Thus not only does the work posses a haunting, if not definitively terrifying spiritual presence of extraordinary power, but makes a simultaneous nationalistic statement in doing so which can simply not avoid political implication due to the aggression with which it is asserted. The combination of such pounding rhythmic impetus and the breadth of the chords with which this ruthless impetuosity so compulsively drummed sends out the message of its all-encompassing rule in an urgent, brutal S.O.S. The combination of relentless rhythm and hard-edged, dissonant chordal units has the tendency to give a sense of impulse associated with violence. Heavy and ultimately colourist ic percussion, brass and winds were featured, these being associated with outdoor, warring instrumental forces. However, as undoubtedly evidenced by ethnological studies, actions which may appear ferocious within a cultivated urban setting may hold completely different meaning within their own cultural context. That which we may observe as savage or defensive may in fact resonate with ecstasy and/or tribal belonging. A notable example of this is the distinct absence of clarity surrounding the nature of the virgins sacrifice; whether this pertains to a giving of her life or of her maidenhood. Either way, the surrender carries mixed emotions in its duality of horror with martyrdom, and equally for the Western listener, in its voyeuristic presentation. The mammoth scope and intensity of The Rite of Spring, dwarfing humanity and quashing everything in its path, is bigger than Paris, bigger than Christianity, bigger than social class structure, pearls and silks. The tribe is bigger than the individual. The Rite of Spring is bigger than artistic divertimento, The Rite of Spring is essentially bigger than the arts itself. Musical Modernism The Rite is widely considered to be the primary hallmark example of Modernism in music. It was praised and acclaimed primarily for its rhythmic innovation and asymmetry. The work is an informed but conscious reaction against the Germanic Romantic realism, French Impressionism and the generic urban industrialist mentalities which pervaded the compositional climate at the turn of the century. At the same time, through the recently discovered inclusion of abstracted folksong transcriptions, The Rite was a nod to Nationalistic tendencies, now on the rise with thanks to technological developments both in travel and the recording industry. This reactionary stance brought about by Modernism heralded the beginning of the current period of compositional production which encourages a multiplicity of styles for a multiplicity of audience tastes. Serialism and minimalism might coexist in the same cities; likewise Expressionism and Impressionism just across the border from each other. The major musical innovation of The Rite of Spring was a new and absolute denial of expectation in terms of meter and harmony. At the most basic level, Stravinsky instigated a complete regeneration of the conventions of functional pitch and rhythm in Western music. The works critical condemnation by Taruskin as anti-symphonic is certainly true in Schenkerian terms, in that pitch polarities in the scalic sense were radically abandoned: the leading note no longer led, the supertonic, subdominant and submediant no longer sought the triad. The same pertained to beat hierarchies within the bar and even the dominance of the downbeat. Established polarities and gravities which had evolved in due course over the history of Western music were at once relegated to something of the past. Instead, this music relaxed into a new and ultimately organic creation of expectation, allowing the music to breathe in every respect, through pause and rest, pace and weight, singing its strange new laments at whim of a deeper soul rather than stickytaped haphazardly onto someone elses framework. This is not to say that the concept of polarities became obsolete. To the contrary, organic weight and depth became the natural new order. Gravity and innate direction was now established through a more abstract tool of arched melodic contouring, essentially through patterning and figuration; if not in the primary melodic voice, then in the accompanying section. Whether or not the base of these arch structures held pitch significance to a tonicized, home or bassline pedal became irrelevant, as the weight of the fall was enough in itself to establish a root. In the works Introduction this is repeatedly evident: firstly in the clarinet section at Figure 1, bassoons after 3, flutes leading into Figure 7, etcetera. It is important to note that while harmonic motivations were annulled, homophonic motions continued to exist, primarily doing so in a polytonal setting: for example, intervallic relations at Figure 94 in The Mysterious Circles of the Young Girls, where the clarinets and later, first violin section, move languidly together at the 7th. As for rhythm, The Rite is perhaps most widely acclaimed for its eradication of meter as a polar tool and the subsequent introduction of the use of time signatures purely for organizational purposes. Its constantly shifting meters to the point of seasickness have retained their power of obscurity even to the present day. It has been mentioned that the undisputed reign of the downbeat had already been questioned. In Dance of the Adolescent Girls, the accentuation patterns in the string opening at Figure 13 are as good as anti-metric. Although the famous bassoon solo exists in somewhat of a dreamscape beyond the scope of meter, the weight of the downbows at the start of the second movement function effectively as a transition which is equally free of metric form. Melodic phrases are grouped into threes and fives, the bass at Figure 28, for example, delineating a broad 6/8+6/8 within a context where others are playing superficially in the notated meter of 2/4, but not within any kind of phrase arrangement sympathetic to the 3-bar base cushion. It follows that such freedom opens the floodgates for polymeters, and equally, polytonalities to coexist in true equality. A notational innovation particular to Stravinsky is the beaming of groups of notes such as quavers as they sound metrically, rather than the way they would ordinarily fit into a given duple or compound metric frame. This notational peculiarity makes the polymeters easy to identify from a visual standpoint. Structurally, much debate has ensued about the architecture of The Rite of Spring. The majority of critics of the period observed its construction as a series of independent dances in an almost Cubist-style pastiche. This reading supported the genesis of the work in the ballet tradition. The most vocal of these was Taruskin, who identified static blocks progressing, if at all, through repetition, alternation, and above all, sheer inertial accumulation Each chord or motif was so fixed that even transposition let alone transformation or transition were inconceivable. Such ideology has been recently challenged by the favoured notion of organic evolution at a more cellular level, essentially posing the possibility of through-composition. It seems natural and essentially implicit that the The Rite, by nature of its seasonal programmatic ties, should undergo a process of careful growth, cocooning and rebirth over of its visceral half hour in the ear. Revolutions of Appraisal The Rite of Spring also enjoyed what one might consider a series of revolutions of appraisal. Following the calamity of its original balletic premià ¨re, Stravinsky was quick to denounce the works tie to the stage so that it might exist independently in the concert hall in and of itself. It is no secret that he was disappointed in the product of Nijinsky and disenchanted with the production as a whole. Obviously there were also significant financial advantages to the works availability in concert version and this undoubtedly also played a role in its redefinition. Thus The Rites interdisciplinary conception was staunchly and quite strangely abandoned in favor of its musical construction insomuch as Stravinsky giving, over the course of his life, many dramatically differing accounts of factual events in an effort to disguise or distort the nature of its compositional origins. This somewhat mechanistic dissociation of the work towards an abstract, absolute and/or autonomous entity, wh ether or not it could possibly exist as such with its particular strength of character, was a telling precursor to Stravinskys Neoclassical mindset, a purging and reinvention of something heavy with baggage but which might then live on in its cleansed form. It is an inexplicable curiosity that in what van den Toorn describes as a complete reversal of the riot that had gone before, the 1914 premià ¨re performance of The Rite on the concert platform was an absolute unequivocal success; so much so that Stravinsky himself was hoisted to the shoulders of a few bystanders [and] led triumphantly from the hall of the Casino de Paris by an exuberant crowd of admirers. A further revolution in the works appreciation took place in the late 1960s based on the rediscovery of sketches, source materials and other evidence. Apparently this revisionist revival was equally enjoyed by the composer himself, who appeared equally interested to revisit the works origins in what was casually designated a r evisionist revival. As an aside, it is a curious multiplicity to note that the French version of the works title, Le Sacre du Printemps, identifies directly the character of the chosen maiden, Le sacre being the sacrificed one in question. In translation to The Rite, the work takes on a more holistic quality of process, ceremony and celebration. While originally conceived as a staged piece, the work is universally acknowledged for its complete bonding with dramatic vision, its honesty and rawness, unique in comparison with Stravinskys other work which is often heavy with satire and irony. In transferral to the concert platform, the intensity of the drama is so strong as to be able to hold its own even without an interdisciplinary accompaniment. The Rite is an existing and ultimately monumental fatalistic presence which, more surely than ever, needs no frame, no theatrical artifice. This is a work which seems perhaps more aptly suited to the genre of ceremonial theatre than to the stage or even the platf orm. Thus, the many revolutions, both instigated and undergone by Stravinskys Rite of Spring. The works historical evolution over the course of the 20th century as a pivotal compositional cornerstone has become modern-day folklore of its own, and of mammoth proportions; rousing freedom and preaching the Great Sacrifice for the sake of seasonal rebirth and newness of thought in a constantly revolving artistic climate.

Recommendations Report for the Monsanto Company Analysis of Social responsibility

Recommendations Report for the Monsanto Company Analysis of Social responsibility The increases of food production in a growing globalize demand with limitations of natural resources and global climate change has become a huge problem in every part of the world. Monsanto believes they have an answer to this problem: Grow more food with fewer seeds. This provides the necessary balance to double the worlds food production by 2050, which is what the United Nations predicts, will be necessary. This could be the solution to resolving the worlds food needs in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner. Biotechnology could be used to support an agricultural system based on the principles of ecology, stability, and sustainability. It appears to offer the necessary means to diminish the environmental pressure of industrial agriculture. Monsantos involvement in Keystone Alliance Project for sustainable agriculture is a step ahead to achieve long term, permanent improvement in sustainable agriculture production. Monsanto and other companies joined together to bring a solution for improving the ability to feed future generations. Despite Monsantos advances in biotechnology, corporate social programs and alliances the company has done little to change consumer opinions of the company and the acceptance of the GMOs. Examples of this are a marketing strategy that ties Roundup to Monsantos genetically engineered products. Monsantos opposition to seed saving by farmers, followed by a heavy enforcement of intellectual property rights and an opposition to the labeling regulations of genetically engineered crops. Monsanto thinks it will stigmatize the product and possibly raise more consumer concerns. Yet Monsantos objection to food labeling raises a conflict with the very notion that GMOs would eventually be more desirable than traditional crops. As a result, not only did Monsantos actions hold back its growth potential, they also hurt present day markets by eventually undermining public confidence. Monsanto has not demonstrated a willingness to listen to these concerns. From a sustainability perspective, its biotech based strategy does not address poverty and food access issues. It fails to differentiate between the developed and developing worlds. This calls into question the sincerity of its feed the world mission. Genetically engineered western commodity crops were Monsantos first products, which were completely inappropriate for developing countries. Introduction Today consumers are very aware with what companies are selling, promoting and marketing. Whats more, in todays information rich society most consumers are aware of how corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs can  impact the bottom line.   As a result of this social awareness and a down economy, companies are starting to prove the value of their products and services to consumers. One of the main reasons of CSR awareness was the  proliferation of social media tools that result in an increased consumer activism. Consumers are now rapidly sharing online to both praise and attack companies. As a result, firms started a new trend where they are looking to effectively communicate and rally stakeholders around their shared values. Monsanto, the world leader on sustainable agriculture has been working and implementing a development on corporate social responsibility. Implementing biotechnology to aid hunger and malnutrition world problems, as well as programs like Baechell-Borlaug International Program, the Keystone Alliance for sustainable agriculture, the Mississippi River Basin, and voluntarism on the communities where business operates.  [1]   But despite all of its technological advances, programs and implementations Monsanto is under the gun on a number of different issues. The public has not responded positively to Monsantos efforts; fail to provide reliable information and proof safety for consumer acceptance to support GM food. Many activists questioned the firms use of science saying it creates foods that threaten the health of both people and the planet, and the use of intellectual property laws to squeeze every last penny out of the worlds poor. Also Monsanto has not show willingness to listen to this environmental and health concerns. To gain publics trust Monsanto has to improve their business integrity, ethics, and be more transparent and truthful about the scientific information on the biotechnological products to give the consumer confidence of GM foods. Also the company needs to change position from being opposed to labeling foods that are GMOs. Strengths Overview Biotechnology Monsantos biotechnology appears to offer the necessary means to diminish the environmental pressure of industrial agriculture. The use of herbicides, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs can be significantly decreased, and the ability to grow crops in poor-quality soils and drought areas could prevent deforestation and the alteration of sensitive lands to agriculture. Monsantos biotechnological sustainability, offers a way to improve the ecological efficiency of agriculture by reducing inputs (herbicides, pesticides) and increasing resource efficiency.  [2]  Yet, the environment is but one consideration in the transition to sustainable agriculture. And although biotechnology may indeed prove to be a necessary tool for achieving agricultural sustainability, by no means is it sufficient. Robert Shapiros (Ex-Monsantos CEO) strategy was based on the belief that biotechnology and the life sciences were the solution to resolving the worlds food needs in an environmentally and soci ally sustainable manner.  [3]   Commitment to Sustainable Yield The increase of food production in a growing globalized demand with limitations of natural resources and global climate change is the companys commitment to sustainability. The companys three strategies to meet these challenges are: 1) By the year 2050 the need for more food production will have to double to meet the demands of a growing population. The Companys commitment is to produce more yields by helping farmers to double their crops by 2030.  [4]   2) Reduction of agricultural resource by one third per unit of output by 2030.The Companys seeds products are design to require less water, land and energy resources to conserve more resources by minimizing soil loss and greenhouse emissions. 3) Improve farmers lives and income growth through modern biotechnological agricultural technology. Beachell-Bourlaug International Scholars Program The objective of this program is to educate rice and wheat plant breeders who can serve as future agricultural leaders. The yields of wheat and rice have grown at a compound rate of about 0.8 percent over the past decade and the population has grown about 1.25 during the same period. Monsanto has come up with this program to overcome these challenges and to meet the growing demand of food. The Company pledged 10 million dollars to improve yields in these crops as part of the Companys commitment to sustainability agriculture. The program provides full support to students seeking a PhD in rice or wheat plant breeding. The program includes tuition, insurance, research fees and travel.  [5]   The Mississippi River Basin This initiative is focused on reducing nutrient and sediment movement into the United States largest river system, the Mississippi River. For this project, Monsanto is partnering with The Nature Conservancy, the Iowa Soybean Association, Delta Wildlife and National Audubon Society. The company has committed more than $ 5 million to this conservation project for the Mississippi River and agricultural landscapes, in which farmers can produce higher yield crops, fiber and fuel in ways that further preserve water quality as well as support diverse and abundant wildlife populations.  [6]   In the future, crop producers are expected to have additional on farm tools that can enhance their environmental stewardship efforts. And this project is one of many contributing to this end. Field to Market: The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture With experts saying that we have to double food production by 2050 to meet the needs of a population projected to grow to 9 billion, the world has two choices: we need to either make each acre of farmland twice as productive, or use twice as many acres. Option two inevitably requires deforestation which can lead to habitat loss and many other environmental problems. Monsanto got involved in Keystone Alliance Project for sustainable agriculture, a nonprofit organization along with 30 other organizations, including food companies and Environmental Non-government, Private and International Organizations committed to achieve long term, permanent improvement in sustainable agriculture production. Monsanto and these other companies joined together to bring a solution for improving the ability to feed future generations. This is to be done by increasing agricultural production while decreasing environmental impact.  [7]   Investing in Communities Monsanto established the Monsanto Fund in 1964 as the charitable division of the company. It states that our philanthropic goal has been to bridge the gap between peoples needs and their available resources. We want to help people realize their dreams, and hopefully inspire them to enroll others in their vision.  [8]   Monsantos commitment to give back to communities where business is operated has been done through the creation of the Monsanto Fund which has awarded $13.9 million in grants for nutrition, education, environmental and community programs. Monsanto has awarded United Way with $ 1.1 million. Monsanto has also Monsanto Fund Matching Gifts Program. This program gives permanent Monsanto employees and active members of the Monsanto Board of Directors an opportunity to join Monsanto Funds support of not-for-profit institutions.  [9]   Monsantos philanthropic activities are meant to not only improve its image, but also provide key relationships. It understands better than anyone that relationships, partnerships and network are the key for success of the company. Weaknesses Overview Consumer Acceptance Many factors point to believe that Monsantos head position in the biotechnological industry race is going to collapse along with the publics support for GMOs. Financially, Monsanto has depleted a considerable amount of resources during its acquisition phase and has accumulated significant debt. Its designation as a biotech firm and the increased dependency on Roundup is forcing the company to rapid sales growth of its biotech products, perhaps too rapid for the publics comfort. With the growing disapproval, started in part by the mad cow disease alert and the subsequent doubts of regulatory bodies, raised doubt about the possibility of continued consumer acceptance. Monsantos choice of electing to pursue biotech products first, has contributed little to consumer acceptance of the GMOs; there is no perceptible benefit for the consumer. Also its marketing strategy at best, are only tolerated by the farmers. In addition, the environmental and human health concerns seemed suitable, and M onsanto has not demonstrated a willingness to listen to these concerns. From a sustainability perspective, its biotech based strategy do not address poverty and food access issues and fails to differentiate between the developed and developing worlds, therefore calling into question the sincerity of its feed the world mission.  [10]  Genetically engineered western commodity crops were Monsantos first products, crops wholly inappropriate for developing countries. Food Labeling Monsanto fears that GMO labeling would stigmatize the product and possibly raise additional consumer concerns, consequently preventing or slowing acceptance of GMOs technologies. Yet Monsantos objection to labeling is in conflict with the very notion that GMOs would eventually be more desirable than traditional crops. Once GMOs products entered the market, farmers would attract additional value only if an infrastructure existed for segregating GMOs crops and preserving their identity throughout the supply chain. From a midterm perspective (3-5 years), it would have been advantageous for Monsanto to support labeling requirements and to facilitate creation of an identity preserving infrastructure. As a result, not only did Monsantos actions hold back its growth potential, they also injured present day markets by ultimately undermining public confidence.  [11]   One- Size-Fits-All Strategy Although Monsanto declared an intention to meet the worlds food and fiber needs, its initial GMOs technologies is directed to western markets and commodity crops. There are many inconsistencies with Monsantos planning as a one-size-fits-all strategy with respect to developed and the developing countries. For example rice, sweet potatoes, cassava, and yams were the principal crops of developing countries, not corn, cotton, and soybeans.  [12]  In addition, Monsantos patenting of life forms and intellectual property right protection policy is seen by some as indignation to the thousand year old cultural and seed saving traditions of many of the developing countries. Developing countries, a majority of whose populations participated in the agricultural sector, often at a minimal level, more and more are looking upon Monsanto and other multinational agricultural firms as profit motivated corporate entities whose products would displace the small holder farmer  [13]  . The rapid consolidation of the seed sector, the integration of the agricultural supply chain, and the patenting of genetic inventions by Monsanto reinforced the notion of corporate domination. Consequently, by failing to differentiate between the needs of the minimal level economies to those already mature. Monsanto is hurting its global sustainability campaign and is alienating many in the developing countries. In the end, Monsanto overpromised and under delivered on its global sustainability vision, a fact that is not going unnoticed by NGOs and consumers worldwide. Recommendations Consumer Strategy When people are not treated with fairness and honesty and respect for their right to make their own decisions, there is little risk communication can do to keep them (the public) from raising hell regardless of the extent of the hazard.  [14]   Talking to the public is not the problem; listening to the public is. Monsanto essentially views the opposition as arising from consumer ignorance and, consequently, the attempt to diminish it with a supposedly effective advertising campaign, is failing miserably. Monsanto is doing little to understand the concerns of consumers upset by GMOs concerns and skeptical of science-based declarations of safety. The company does not address cultural sensitivities toward food and farmland. In the end, Monsantos relentless persistence on scientific data and ignore public perceptions is provoking even further outrage. An approach that Monsanto should follow is a process called Six Sigma which begins with listening to public to determine the strongest quality issues on Monsantos products and how that can be changed to benefit the consumer and the company yielding more profit. Following this approach, everyone wins. Consumers will benefit from safe and better products while feeling that their needs are being taken seriously and their business is valued. Monsanto would be happy because their products will gain from new innovation and improved value. Also, the company will gain loyalty and credibility through this social responsibility. The object of this system is to gain a deep understanding of consumers, in order to give them what they want. All the advertising and marketing in the world wont make up for failures on these key strategic elements. This can also be applied on the human resources policies that must support this customer focus: if the company wants happy customers, first get a content staff. Transparency Replacing secrecy and protection of proprietary information, for transparency and stakeholder commitment will likely hold the keys to success in the future. Transparency basically means taking the firewall down and reveal everything about the products from research, biological and chemical technological process and tests so that consumers can be better informed and make decisions about the products they consume. It will also lead to integrity of the company. Basically sharing information openly will welcome ideas and innovations from every angle. By analytically measuring and reporting the sustainability, Monsanto will engage everyone from employees to consumers to critics in the process of building a truthfully sustainable company. But unfortunately Monsantos checkered history as a chemical manufacturer offers the public little assurance about the accuracy and validity of the company pronouncements. The company manufactured virtually all the PCBs in the United States until they were finally banned in 1976, and taxpayers are still shelling out to clean up PCB-riddled waste sites. Monsanto also manufactured Agent Orange, which is linked to cancer and reproductive problems in Vietnam War vets. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Monsanto is a potentially responsible party.  [15]   Better Strategies Model Monsanto needs to create a balance multi modal strategy to succeed in the development of sustainability. The four strategy process is: rational, symbolic, transactive, and generative. The symbolic mode involves managements creation of a convincing vision and clear corporate responsibilities mission. The rational mode relies heavily on strategic planning and reporting systems: For example corporate responsibilities and accountability based on performance. The transactive mode is based on interaction and learning; its center is communication across organizational boundaries. And the generative mode depends on organizational members is the entrepreneurial behavior. Sustainable development became a core aspect of Shapiros vision, and the strategy making process came to be dominated by the symbolic mode. Monsanto needs to build up and set up a balanced multimodal strategy-making process. The symbolic mode dominates all others. A better balance of strategic processes may help the company avoid the problems it has encountered in the past. Open connection between the rational mode and the symbolic vision of sustainability might have overcome some of Monsantos problems of inconsistency. Conclusions: Monsantos biotechnology may be the solution for the necessary means to diminish the environmental pressure of industrial agriculture. But even that biotechnology may indeed prove to be a necessary tool for achieving agricultural sustainability by no means is sufficient. Even Monsanto has taken the rights steps to be socially responsible. By increasing sustainability yield, developing ecological and educational programs, aid and tools for farmers and the participation in communities. Regardless of these efforts the company still has a lot to work on, like being more conscious about the consumers, transparency and business strategies.

Inequality of Wealth and Income Distribution in America Essay -- essay

Inequality of Wealth and Income Distribution in America Every American dreams of finding a job that pays well enough so that they may comfortably take care of their loved ones and themselves for years to come. Most Americans hope to find some way to make a living that they enjoy, something that they view as productive. Unfortunately, many do not have this luxury. In our society, a good portion of the population is forced to hold the base of our country in place while hardly being redeemed for their time and effort, and thus the problem of income inequality. Numbers of these people live from paycheck to paycheck, barely getting by, not because they manage their money poorly, but because the value of their time at work is negligible. Some may even sacrifice happiness at work to find a job that pays better simply because they cannot make ends meet at their current job. Some people sacrifice their sanity and eventually their life just to keep from going under financially. Segregation in income distribution is another cause of these proble ms, such as that with women or African-Americans who make less than other classes comparatively. In contrast, actors and actresses make millions in the entertainment industry, an industry that grosses hundreds of millions of dollars a year creating what adds up to be the same kind of entertainment most people could get out of watching their children play sports or sing in a choir. The question then is how to find the value of work and time in our society and what should determine income. Positive reasons for income inequality are hard to find. One reason is the incentives there are to achieving higher status of income. You are regarded as successful in the eyes of your peers, and if you financial security is achieved, your life can be a lot less stressful. It is the pursuit of these incentives, this kind of greed, which keeps the economy running strongly. People work hard if they will be rewarded for it, so they pursue a higher education to get better jobs, to create a business, and we all benefit from that. An article, The Truth About Income Inequality by John H. Hinderaker and Scott W. Johnson, which is based completely on statistics from the government, proves that income has not fallen for Americans. In fact, the distribution of income is no worse than it has ever been, and certainly better than when the count... ... If everyone in this nation were aware of the influence that income inequality has on the people’s lives, many would be surprised and outraged. While the incentive’s and rewards of higher income are what fuels the economy, and what raises our standard of living, reaching that level of income has been difficult in the past and seems to be getting worse. Income inequality has been on the rise since the 1960’s, according to the graph of the Gini index, a statistical index of (in)equality. Those incentives of higher income are becoming scarce and costly, and many people think it isn’t worth the work to reach it. The larger the gap between the social classes, the more prominent social classification becomes, and the more we, as citizens and human beings, should be prepared to make a stand for the basic right of standard of living that was initiated by our independence. Works Cited The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Fall 2014) http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/ John H. Hinderaker and Scott W. Johnson, â€Å"The Truth About Income Inequality† http://www.americanexperiment.org/publications/reports/the-truth-about-income-inequality

Civic Education :: Graduate Law Admissions Essays

Civic Education Gordon Gee in The Grace Adams Tanner Lecture in Human Values on April 28, 1999 mandates that the modern university "must provide the moral, intellectual, social cultural, and emotional framework into which [students] can properly place the pieces of the puzzle of life. We [the university] must help our students accommodate not only their hopes and aspirations, but also the inevitable fears, disillusionment, the desperate moral dilemmas, the guilt, the anger, and the questions of conscience which are part of every life. We must help them channel the power of the individual into strengthening the community." Gee speaks about an obligation of the university to prepare her students for life as members of a greater community. He places inherent value on the strength of community and assigns, as do the two authors quoted, a "moral responsibility" on contemporary universities to enable each student to contribute to this strength. Like Gee, William James talks about the "action of innumerable imitative individuals upon each other." Both Gee and James believe that education is not an individual search for self or righteousness or belonging. This process is not one about receiving wealth or fame. It is a process about learning to give. It is a process about acquiring the knowledge necessary to strengthen the community in the ways you feel are right. My own experience at Brown is one that has led me to internalize many of these same values. When I first arrived at Brown, I asked myself where I would fit here; what was it that I was supposed to do? I took advantage of Brown's liberal curriculum and sought the perfect concentration for me. When I settled on Political Science, I asked myself what I wanted to DO with that degree. Over the course of my Junior year, the answer simply emerged. I became interested in education and finally found the perfect field for my interest: Civic Education. I plan to write my honors thesis next year with professors Tomasi and Kaestle on civic education. The question I ask myself now, is not what can I do with Civic Education, but rather, how can I use my academic work to enhance the educational experience for all American children. In contemporary debates over civic education theory, the question is often posed: how can an Aristotelian, republican notion of cultivating citizens fit into a modern liberal democracy?

Exploration Of Social Issues In Once Upon A Time :: essays research papers fc

Once Upon a Social Issue Fairy tales have always been told to us as children; whether to comfort or entertain us, they always seem to be a part of most everyone’s childhood. When Nadine Gordimer was asked to write a children’s story, she replied with a short story titled â€Å"Once Upon A Time†. Although the title is characteristic of a fairy tale, she leads the tale to an ending that is anything other than â€Å"†¦happily ever after.† Gordimer distorts the fairy tale by dealing with certain issues rather than giving the reader the usual fairy tale characteristics. Three of the more significant issues Gordimer likes to deal with in her story are racial discrimination and prejudice, society’s insecurities, and the persuasive way fairy tales have with children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gordimer’s â€Å"Once Upon A Time† has the feeling of insecurity right away. In the first part of her story, Gordimer reminds us of our own insecurities. She brings up a familiar situation in which one is awakened by a bump in the night and cannot go back to sleep because of fear or their own insecurities. Gordimer writes, â€Å"I have no burglar bars, no gun under the pillow, but I have the same fears as people who do take these precautions...† So, to better convey this issue of society’s insecurities, she tells herself a bedtime story. In the story, there is a family who is living â€Å"†¦happily ever after†, yet is seems it is all that they can do to keep it that way. Rather than putting their insecurities aside and getting on with their lives, they feel that they must put their trust in security devices to protect their selves. For a short while, the family has a sense of security by posting a plaque stating â€Å"†™YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED† over the silhouette of a prospective intruder. After a short time the family’s psychological need for more security calls for a number of new security devices in order to sustain the top level of security. It is in the family’s pursuit of this â€Å"security† that they virtually imprison themselves. After the installation of burglar bars, Gordimer describes the view â€Å"from every window and door in the house where they were living happily ever after they now saw the trees and sky through bars.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the less obvious issues lining â€Å"Once Upon A Time† is racial discrimination. Gordimer first suggestion that this suburb may be slightly racist is by stating that the plaque on their gate warning possible intruders didn’t designate black or white, therefore protesting too much the owner of the home not to be a racist.

Medicine Sketch Essay

‘That service is the noblest which is rendered for its own sake’. — Mahatma Gandhi. Human’s existence on the earth is always full of great pleasures and sorrows, strengths and weaknesses and health and illnesses, like the day and the night these happenings are inherent in everyone’s life cycle. It is silver lining that there are noble people who work all their lives to mitigate the sufferings of the others. Among them, the profession of medicine is perhaps most respected for their service to society. My desire to become a doctor dates back to when I was in Preparatory School. Although as a young child, I did not quite understand what doctors essentially do. My desire heightened by the numerous amounts of sick people I came across. As I grew up, I steadily understood what it entailed being a doctor and that strengthened my desire even more. When I was nine years old, my grandfather suffered from Lung cancer. This resulted in my mother making endless t rips to the hospital to visit him. Occasionally, she would take me along, and the condition my grandfather was in, mortified me. He always seemed to be in too much pain and as I was young and eager to learn more, I asked a lot of questions as to uncover why my grandfather was undergoing so much pain. My mother always tried to encourage me, by telling me that the doctors will make sure that my grandfather pulls through his sickness. This gave me some sense of hope and made me believe that doctors always saved life. That is when my dream of becoming a doctor started as I was pestering my mother with many questions concerning being a doctor. I want to become a doctor to be able to help people who are less fortunate in society. This reason is inspired by the plight of people who live in Jamaica and are not able to afford the funds to seek quality medical care. In addition, Jamaica is usually susceptible to diseases. Those affected most are small children, and my love and compassion for them makes me want to become a doctor so that I might be able to help them. Many children in Jamaica need to undergo surgery but because their parents lack funds to support them, they spend the rest of their life suffering in pain. I believe in being courteous to fellow human beings, and since God wants us to love and care for one another, I want to become a doctor so that I can make people with such illness smile their brightest and warmest smile again. Upon completing 60hrs of community service at the Black River Hospital and 118.5 hrs at Thames Medical Center, the sight of the patients suffering has strengthened my hearts yearning to do my part in society to help individuals in great anguish. I would like to dedicate my life to the service of helping the sick and suffering, by becoming a doctor I would fulfill this unfathomable desire. I would like to help relieve the sufferings and pain of mankind not only as a healer, but also as a friend, supporting them in their toughest moments, and as a mentor, guiding them to live healthy lifestyles. Becoming a doctor would help me to strive to make the life of others better and healthier. Doctors are meant to be selfless, in a position to serve people without being greedy for money as it is a form of giving back to society.

My Childhood Days Essay

It was a green world where I was born. I was born and raised in a small town which could almost know as countryside. Now, the small town has already collapsed and turned into a developing-city. It is so sad that I can only recall my childhood days in my mind instead of visiting the small town. It was a small town with warm-hearted villagers. We were all friends and always share our foods and games. Mak Kwan had the most famous cooking while En. Chong could fly the kite highest. Hmm†¦ I could still smell the curry in the air! My brother and I, we used to rush to Mak Kwan’s home and asked for curry when we smell it. Mak Kwan never decline and always offers us a big bowl of curry to share with our family. The satisfaction is so hard to describe. In my childhood days, I loved to fish in the rivers. Especially hand-fishing! I never like to fish with the rods because it is too messy. Although I like to fish, I am not good at it. So, it was always a big surprise for me when I succeeded to catch a fish. It made me smile all the day because I was over the moon! I usually went fishing with my brother. Not like me, he was good at hand-fishing. He could always catch a basket-full of fish. But, we only chose a fish to bring home and let the others go. Brother said that this was to make sure that there are always fishes in the rivers. One day, I watched â€Å"Recess† and I was so impressed by the tree-house. I asked for permission to build a tree-house, and my father promised to make me one! God is so good to me! My dad said that it was his dream when he was small too, so, he tried to make his and my dream came true. Then, we started to proceed. First, we selected a tree which was suitable to build a tree-house. After that, we drew a simple blue-print of the tree-house. We chopped down some trees and cut them into boards (it was not encouraged to cut down trees at that time, but no one stopped us because everyone was excited to see the tree-house). After three months, it was done! Not as luxurious as the one in â€Å"Recess†, but it was pretty good. At that time, I thought that I would become a good architect because I could design and build. Now, I learned that I was naive and stupid. In my childhood days, it was not only my playground, but also my safe haven when I was scolded by my parents. It use d to be my home to home. In the small town I lived, there was a small jungle. My brother and I enjoyed jungle trekking and explored some new things in the jungle. We had an album named ‘Jungle Diary’. We wrote down all the interesting incident during the exploration. We also collected the unique leaves, sticked it in the album and did some notes. We also liked to observe the animals’ lifestyle. We had an old digital camera, we shot the photos of the birds and wrote down the characteristics. It was fun. One time, we followed a deer along and accidentally went in too far into the jungle. We got lost! It was a terrible incident, I absolutely don’t want to recall it. In my childhood days, all the children in the village loved to fly kites. As I said before, En. Chong could fly the kites highest. So, he taught us how to fly the kites high in the sky. It was all about control. If the string is too tight, It breaks, but if it is too loose, it can’t go high. Just like our life. In a windy season, we organized a small kite-flying competition. Although it was small, everyone took it seriously. Because the design and beauty of the kites would be judged, we had to do it on our own. No shop would sell the kites at that time to prevent us from cheating. Of course, En. Chong was the busiest person because everyone asked for his help to make sure the kites could fly. En. Chong is a selfless person, he never declined to teach. He said that he was happy that many people tried to learn the way of making a good kite. It was not easy as what we thought, I failed three times before I got it. It was a big day, the competition. I didn’t win the first p lace, but it was a very memorable incident. I am not going to forget it. There were else more funny and wonderful memories in my childhood days. Unfortunately, kid nowadays can’t experience these funny things anymore. In the city now, people don’t even bother to know their neighbour’s name. The river is polluted, the tree with tree-house is gone, no more jungle for us to explore, and how often can we see the kites in the sky? They said it is the inevitable price for the modernization and industrialization. Yes, thanks to the development, and the pollution. I am glad that I was born in the 90s. Shame for the 00s, all they have is the internet. In the time comes, we will learn that how much hurts we had brought to our Mother Earth.