Show an understanding Essay Example for Free

Show an understanding Essay I could almost imagine Ophelia as a lump of clay, but its not Shakespeare that models her, he gives us a simple character at the beginning symbolized by few words. She is then molded in our minds by the other characters. The same can be said about the way she is brought up, she has no apparent mother figure. Gertrude is the closest she gets, but is an incestuous women who may or may not have had knowledge of or taken some part in the regicide. Is she a good example of a mother? I think not! Yet she is brought up in part by Gertrude and also by a father who is no saint himself. In the Kenneth Brannah film interpretation he is seen during the scene with Reynaldo to be with prostitutes, while telling his companion to spy on his son whom he suspects of doing something similar. If her father were her role model I think it is not hard to see why Ophelia is not the complete women we would expect her to be. It was Sigmund Freud that said that we learn certain social, life and relationship skills from our parents especially the parent of apposing sex to the child therefore Ophelia will have become more like her father naturally. Although there is no evidence in the text to support this, it is what you would expect to happen in this relationship. In contrast to this Hamlet seems to be the only man in the play she can truly look up to or admire. He is charming and kind, writes her beautiful poetry makes her feel like a woman in many ways. So can we blame her for falling in love with him? As she knows no better, could we blame her for sleeping with Hamlet before marriage? The answer for both may be found in the text, the signals for both are clear in Act4 Scene5. She sings Quoth she, before u tumbled me, You promised me to wed. He answers- So I would I ha done, by yonder sun, ` And thou hadst not come to my bed. The words tumbled me means basically had sex with me, so we can clearly see that there relationship was sexual, if she is referring to their relationship. If she is speaking the truth but did she make love to him with no feeling just because she could, or, because she was in love with a chance to wed the man she wanted? I strongly believe the later to be true, I dont believe she would commit to having sex with Hamlet without love. Therefore I believe she asked for, or, was offered marriage. This is similar to what happens to Romeo and Juliet, but, unlike Juliet, Ophelia has sex on the belief she is to be married, whereas Juliet waits till she is married. Her innocence is shown in agreeing to this with out realizing first that Hamlet might just be after sex. Did they have sex before old Hamlets death or after? The answer to this question will greatly affect the above point. I think Hamlet told Ophelia he would wed her honestly but this was before his own father died changing him. (How much did the death of Old Hamlet affect Hamlets love for Ophelia? ) But from Ophelias point of view the man she loves goes mad and rejects her saying I never loved you her father dies and her brother is away in France. She has now no restraints, it almost as if her family and Hamlet were her anchor holding her to the ground, now that the rope as been cut she is drifting of up into a state madness until she reaches heaven. So therefore part of the madness is simple honesty mixed with the tragedies that have been placed before her. Her death is also interesting; Gertrude is the one who retells Ophelias story. To me, it seems her death was not suicide, but the act of a mad women not knowing what she was doing. Gertrudes description appears almost romantic and mysterious, hence inspiring Millais to paint her floating peacefully in the river. Gertrudes explanation of events is very much similar, a peaceful almost poetic end. She could be lying covering up the truth putting a gloss on it for Leartes to hear, I think it is the truth but it wasnt as simple and elegant as she makes it out to be. There on the pendant boughs her cronet weeds Clambring to hang, an envious silver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping Broke.. Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death. It was an accident her falling in, but she was mad, and too unaware of her situation to save her self. Shes not a madwomen who commits suicide but a women driven to madness ending in death. Her madness serves a purpose as well; we can use the different ways Shakespeare shows madness by comparing hers with Hamlets. When Hamlet is mad, or is faking madness, he is a comic character making sarcastic jokes using his intelligence and wit. Many critics have also defined hamlets behavior as melancholia. But Ophelia is truly mad singing and acting insanely. Shakespeare presents her in this way so that we can see the true Hamlet we can see he is sane and is playing everyone for a fool. Hamlets antic disposition affects Ophelia greatly, whether he does it to protect her, or because he is simply cruel he pushes Ophelia away. Hamlets plan is to act mad to hide his knowledge of the regicide, using it as a cover. In doing so, he is partly responsible for Ophelias madness, killing Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. If is behavior hadnt been seen as mad R and G would not have been called for, Polonius would not have been hiding where he was and he would not have treated Ophelia in the same cruel way. However more significantly people think less of him and use it against him. A good example of this is when Claudius sends him to England to be executed as a murderous madman. During his madness he has a very revealing scene (Act 3 Scene 2) with Ophelia where he brings out their secret relationship. He makes very rude jokes, which would only be funny and recognizable to an Elizabethan audience. Only on studying the text closer would a modern audience find the jokes humorous, and even then the most liberal society would still be shocked at what Shakespeare was suggesting. Imagine being in the Elizabethan period watching Hamlet and two of the lead characters flirting and using obscene jokes. They would find it initially funny in a vulgar sort of way. However their opinion of Ophelia, the daughter of a Lord, would be somewhat less than it should for apparently being able to understand such vulgarity. For them they would respond completely differently to a modern viewer, she would be instantly seen as a wanton whore as some critics such as Jeremy Collier suggests. But if we look at the scene does Ophelia understand Hamlet and play along or does she have her words twisted by a perverted young madman. Hamlet Lady, shall I lie in your lap? Ophelia No my lord. Hamlet I mean, my head upon your lap? Ophelia Ay my lord. Hamlet Did you think I meant count matters? Ophelia I think nothing my lord. Hamlet Thats a fair thought to lie between maids legs. Ophelia What is, my lord? Hamlet Nothing. Ophelia You are merry my lord. It is important to note that in the Elizabethan era the word nothing meant female genitalia, now is Hamlet meaning nothing simply as meaning nothing or is he referring to something much ruder. Does Ophelia understand him? Does she lead him on in this scene and flirt back? I would have to answer no to both questions. However in discussion with fellow students we have seen both sides. It is in some ways possible to see that they are openly flirting with each other, which would make you respond differently to Ophelia. I think what is most likely to be true is that she understands Hamlet, but she is too much of a lady to respond in the same way. What has become transparently clear from what has been written about Hamlet is that life in Elsinore castle is, to say the very least, strange or rotten. Ophelia has grown up with less than perfect role models and is in a very poor situation. The politics, which hold her in the castle, are intense. Enemies on all sides surround the country of Denmark. As a result both she and the rest of the residents are effectively, appear to be trapped or held within Elsinore. It comes across as being extremely claustrophobic; everyone knows each other private lives it appears. The only person that seems to get any space for himself is Hamlet. He has long soliloquies; these become more numerous as he fakes his madness. The point I am coming to is that Ophelia is set free when she dies, she escapes the repression and claustrophobia of Elsinore. Is Shakespeare making a comment about society? This is echoed in the history of Britain, at the end of Queen Elizabeths reign, she was set free and a new King came from the north to take the throne and set England on a whole new course. In conclusion Ophelia is a very simple character made complicated by others. She was an innocent young woman, to be eventually dragged up into women hood, to be used and eventually to death. This is a result of her environment-no mothers influence throughout, except for Gertrudes poor attempt, a father who is indifferent about his childrens welfare and a brother away. She falls in love with the crown prince of Denmark; he to loves her More than a hundred brothers. The madness within the castle reduces her to the same state and like Denmark itself dies. A case of innocence robbed? No a case of innocence mislead, but with out this innocence does she become a wanton whore? Im not sure what to think Im left wondering what Shakespeare intended. This Shakespeare play presents more questions than it answers and with out the answer I am still unsure on Ophelias intended character.

Heavy Mechanical Complex (Private) Limited Analysis

Heavy Mechanical Complex (Private) Limited Analysis Heavy Mechanical Complex (Private) Limited is a leading engineering goods manufacturing enterprise in Pakistan located at Taxila about 30 Kilometers north of capital Islamabad. It is a professionally managed progressive organization with over 160,000 sq. meters covered facilities and 1100 employees. HMC have a separate COLONY for their employee which is equipped with all the basic facilities. History   Heavy Mechanical Complex was founded in 1969 with the collaboration of CHINA and it was a huge project which was gifted to the people of Pakistan by the CHINA. It is playing a main role in the Development of the country. VALUE HMC have the resources to handle large projects with demanding delivery schedules. Being the largest and most extensive fabrication and machining facility equipped with state of the art technology HMC provide manufacturing services both on our own or customers design. HMC have gained rich experience in designing and manufacturing of large projects through collaboration with internationally reputed engineering organizations. All its processing facilities are in-house including Designing, Fabrication, Machining, Iron and Steel Castings, Forgings, Heat Treatment, Assembly, Sand Blasting, Painting and Galvanizing etc. HMC is ISO 9001 certified the manufacturing is backed by excellent quality control and testing facilities to meet the product and customer quality requirements. PRODUCTS HMC is offering a products having state of the art technology. Some of the projects offered are as follow: Cement Plants HMC offer its clients technology know-how, gained largely from collaboration with world-renowned manufacturers / designers of Portland Cement Plants from 600  to 4,000 TPD capacity and white cement plant up to 1,000 TPD capacities. Sugar Plants HMCs engineering team is capable to draw up the details for complete plant engineering from plant layout to equipment selection, equipment design, piping schedules, material balance, utility balance, heat balance, loading and strength calculations of supporting structure etc. and capable for designing and engineering of complete sugar plant ranging crushing capacity of cane from 500 TCD to 12,000 TCD and beet sugar plants up to 3000 TCD based on various processes. Chemical Petro-Chemical Plants HMC is manufacturing the following equipment for chemical petrochemical plants: Pressure vessels Heat exchangers Storage tanks (LPG, Crude oil, etc) of various types Drums Towers / strippers Columns etc Power Plants Thermal Power Plants In the energy sector HMC has supplied over 30,000 tons of fabricated equipment and parts to different power plants. Major strength is HMCs capabilities for manufacturing utility boilers pressure parts. For this purpose some of the major machines are: 3 roller bending machines for making drums Booster pipe bending machine for making super heater Reheated and economizer coils Specialized machine for machining and welding of headers and complete train of machines for manufacture of membrane walls in panel and bent form. Overhead Traveling Cranes Overhead traveling cranes being part of regular production programmer of HMC are designed and manufactured according to individual requirements of the client. Various types of cranes being manufactured are: Overhead traveling cranes (electrically operated) with hook, grab or magnet. Gantry and semi gantry cranes JIB cranes either pillar mounted or wall mounted type Under-slung cranes Mono-rail systems straight and curved track. Road Construction Machinery Road Rollers HMC manufactures 10-12 tons static road roller having trade mark registered name Shehzore for more than two half decades as per requirements of international road compaction standards. HMC has manufactured / supplied more than 1200 (one thousand two hundreds) units of static road rollers in the country. HMCs static road roller is tough, versatile, dependable, having low operational cost and high standard of performance. HMC have a strong back up of after sale service and supply of spare parts on regular basis. Railway Equipment Axles HMC is the only railway axle manufacturing concern in Pakistan and has so far supplied over 7500 different type of axles for bogies, wagons locomotives for Pakistan Railways. Screw Jacks Special purpose screw jack for lifting the railway locomotives are custom designed and manufactured as per requirement most of the Pak Railways requirement is catered for by HMC. WORK SHOPS Work Shops which are taking place in the Production process in HMC are as follow: Design Shop Design Shop is established in 1970. About 100 highly qualified and experienced design engineers are engaged in designing. Equipped with latest CAD tools (See Hardware Software). About 132 node local area network is installed in Design Department. Fabrication Shop All the fabrication processing needs are available in HMC which include; thermal and mechanical cutting, beveling, plate bending, hot and cold forming, SMAG,TIG,MIG,SAW Welding, stress relieving/heat treatment furnaces, abrasive blasting, painting and galvanizing. Machining Shop HMC has the ability to machine castings, forgings, fabricated parts, sub assemblies and complete assemblies in accordance with the design requirements. The facility consists of varieties of machine tools capable of performing various machining operations such as turning, planning, milling, boring, drilling, deep hole drilling, gear hobbing, threading, slotting, spiral bevel cutting etc. to the close tolerate specified in the design Steel Foundry Shop In HMC Steel foundry is equipped with 215 toms and 1x 3 tons electric arc furnace (EAF), 1.5 ton induction furnace, sand preparation system, mechanized molding system, molding machines, heat transfer and heating furnaces. Iron Foundry Shop In HMC Iron foundry Shop is equipped with three hot blast 5 ton cupolas and two main frequency induction furnaces of 1.5 ton and 0.75 ton respectively. Iron castings in various shapes and grades including S.G. Iron up to approximately 25 tons a piece and copper or Aluminum castings up to 2000 kg a piece can be produced as per customers requirements. Hydraulic Press Shop Hydraulic Press shop is equipped with a 3150 ton hydraulic forging press, 80 ton overhead forging crane, 10 ton forging manipulator, overhead traveling cranes having maximum lifting capacity of 50 ton. Die Forge Shop Die Forge shop specializes in production of automotive die forged components in weight up to 150 kg a piece and steel balls up to 100 mm diameter. Quality Control Shop Inspection and testing is carried out as per the procedures established for ISO 9001, QA System and ASME Code procedures. The inspection testing activities are well backed up with the following facilities: Non Destructive Examination Material Testing Lab Instrument Calibration Laboratory ORGANIZATION CHART MANAGING DIRECTOR Quality Assurance Sales Marketing Group Finance Accounts Department Product Design G.M Head Operation Project Management Division DGM SM-P G.M (SED-3) Foundry Forge Works DMD (SED-2) Purchase DGM Mechanical Works G.M Design Human Resource Department Production Planning Control Role of key Positions Organization Chart basically tells us about the different positions in the organization and shows that how they interact with each other for the proper working of the organization. Managing Director Managing Director is the CEO of the organization and he deals with all the matters in the organization. He is responsible to manage and control all the activities performed in his organization. Deputy Managing Director In the absence of Managing Director Deputy Managing Director Act as a CEO of the Organization and along with that it is the responsibility of the DMD to give suggestions to the Managing Director in different matters. General Manager General Manager is the third most important position in the Hierarchy of Heavy Mechanical Complex. In the absence of Managing director and Deputy Managing Director, General Manager is the sole Authority and he control all the activities performed in the organization. Other Top positions Along with the three main Top Positions in HMC, DGM Sales Marketing, DGM Purchase, DGM Finance, DGM Accounts also play there role in the decision making process. ORGANIZATION CULTURE Introduction to Culture Culture is a set of basic values, believes, perception and behaviors that people learn from there surroundings. Every Organization has its own culture and employees have to adopt them selves according to the culture of the organization. Organization Culture basically tells us that how employees interact with each other, behavior of employers with their sub ordinates and method of interaction of top management with the middle and low level management in the Hierarchy of the organization is also depend upon the culture of the organization. Organization Culture in Heavy Mechanical Complex In HMC organizational Culture is quit similar to the culture of any Government organization. Top Level management is not answerable to any one but the middle level management is answerable in front of the top management and similarly low level management is dependent on middle level and top level management. On the other hand there is also a Welfare Union which is defending the rights of the workers and there are proper elections held in the organization. Union are playing a Positive role in the working of the organization. Apart from Welfare Union there is also a regulatory authority in HMC which is responsible to handle a conflict between Employees and vice Versa. DEPARTMENTS There are Different Departments in HMC and each department has its own important in the proper working of the organization. Accounts Department All the Accounts of the HMC are maintained in the Accounts Department and DGMA ALAM KHAN is the head of that department. All the transactions, Annual Reports, Income Statement, and Profit Loss AC are maintained in the Accounts Department. Finance Department Finance Department is also a very important department in any organization and in HMC Finance Department is responsible for all the payments which are to be made to the external parties. Finance Department consist of thee sections namely: Bill Section Pay Roll Section Credit Control Section DGMF SALEEM IQBAL is the head of Finance department. Purchase Department Purchase Department is also a key Department in HMC. Its main role is to fulfill the requirement of the Raw Material. When ever there is a shortage of Raw Material in the Shops and material is not available in the Store then Purchase Department place an order to the External Parties in the form of TENDER. The party which provides best Raw Material and fulfills all the requirements is then given the Purchase Order. Copy of this Purchase order is then given to Finance Department and when the delivery is received then the payment is made to that party according to the specified Terms and Conditions as expressed in the Purchase Order. Sales Department The working of the sales Department is opposite to that of purchase department. When ever there is some order placed by some party to HMC, then the Engineers take a look at there capability that they can fulfill the required order in time or not. If they have the capability then Proposal is sent to the party and terms and conditions are decided. This Sale Order is then sent to the Finance Department and when the order is placed to the party the payment is received according to terms and conditions defined in Sales Order. PPC, Quality Assurance Department PPC (Production Planning Control) or Quality Assurance Department is also a very important department. The main Functions of this department is to check the Quality of purchase material and also the quality of the equipment or plant which is going to be selling to external party in accordance with the rules define under ISO9001. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT We say that there is a Finance dept, Purchase Dept, Sales Dept, A/C Dept etc. Can these Departments performs there functions at there own? Answer is BIG NO. There is some force which is controlling these departments and this force is Human Resource. With out Human Resource no Department can perform its Functions. Human Resource Departments role is to provide skilled and efficient human resource to perform functions in these departments. The main source to run any organization is the Human Resource and with Human Resource no organization can survive. HISTORY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT Human Resource Department is considered as a key Department in any Organization because all the departments have to keep interaction with this very department. But Unfortunately history of Human Resource Department is not very good in our country PAKISTAN, the scope of Human Resource Department is developing in different organizations but it will take at least one or two decades for the awareness of Importance of Human Resource Department. In HMC there was an ADMIN Department which was handling all the functions of the organization but now there is a Human Resource Department in HMC and all the affairs related to Recruitment and Selection is taken by Human Resource Department. Frankly Speaking we can say that they had change the name of there ADMIN Dept into Human Resource Department. Hierarchy of Human Resource Department in HMC Head Human Resource Department Admin Services Personal Litigation Welfare Estate Industrial Relation Industrial Relation Department As we have seen in the Hierarchy of Human Resource Department in HMC Industrial Relation is the Sub department of Human Resource. Industrial Relation Basically deals with the affairs of Labors and Workers. Recruitment, Training, Selection, Development, Job Rotation and all other functions of Human Resource related to Labor are deal in Industrial Relation Department. Industrial Relation follows the IRO 2002 (Industrial Relation Ordinance 2002) and affairs of workers are deal under Industrial and Commercial Employment Ordinance 1968. Personal Department Personal department is the second important department in HMC. Personal department deals with the affairs of Officers and Top Management. It is the responsibility of Personal Department to Prepare ACR of the employees at the end of year. In short all the Human Resource Activities related to Officers are deal under the UMBRELLA of Personal. Litigation and Welfare Department HMC basically follows the Factory Act 1934, and all the matters related to Law are deal under the Litigation. If some external party Sue the organization then it is the responsibility of Litigation section to solve the issue according to Law. All the welfare issues are also deal under this department. Transport, Education of Employees Children and Medical Facilities to Employees are Deal under Welfare Section. Estate Department HMC is having its Colony for its employees and there are more than 80% employees who are living in the Colony. Estate department duty is to deal with all the affairs related to Colony. Main duties of Estate Department are: Allotment of Quarters Maintenance Street Lights Security Supply of Electricity, Gas Water Apart from these duties it is also the duty of estate department to keep check and balance of Inventory and assets of the factory. Admin General Services Department All the Issues which are related to Administration of the HMC are deal under the Admin General Services Section. ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT Human Resource Department is playing a very important role in the organization. All the organization is linked directly or indirectly with the Human Resource Department. There are Five Different Sub Departments of Human Resource in HMC which shows us about the important of Human Resource Department. FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE Following are the main Functions of Human Resource Department in Heavy Mechanical Complex and now we will discuss these functions in detail. HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING Introduction Human Resource Planning is the first Function of Human Resource Department. Basically Human resource planning is a process of determining an organizations human resource needs. Whenever an organization is in the process of determining its human resource needs, it is engaged in a process we can call human resource planning. Human Resource Planning in HMC Every Organization has to fulfill its needs of Human Resource in order to perform its functions in a smooth way. HMC is also involved in the process of Human Resource Planning. When ever there is need arises of Human Resource in any workshop then the shop In-charge sends a memo to the Industrial Relation Department which deals with the affairs of workers. Industrial Relation first of all tries to search for some Hidden Employment so that they can rotate the Worker to the desired work shop. If there is no hidden employment then they send a memo to the Managing Director for the approval of the further process of Recruiting new employees. When the approval is received by the Managing Director then the further process of giving Ads in the news paper and job analysis starts. Similarly if there is a need to hire some Engineer or Manager the same procedure is followed but the process of managerial level post is entertained in the Personal Department. Suggestion about Human Resource Planning Suggestion for Human Resource Planning in Heavy Mechanical Complex is that process of human Resource planning should not be too long as it happens normally in Government Organizations that candidate has to wait for 6 to 8 months for the Interview call. Process should be short. HUMAN RESOURCE JOB ANALYSIS Introduction The procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it. Job Analysis is done with the current employees who are performing there duties and the main purpose of job analysis is to determine jobs duties, responsibilities and accountabilities. This process includes the identification of the task performed, Machines and Equipments used in operational activities etc. Use of Job Analysis Information Job Analysis information is used in: Job Description A list of a jobs duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities-one product of a job analysis. Job Description is basically a part of job analysis in which we describe the nature of job, working conditions, responsibilities duties etc. Job Specification A list of a jobs human requirements, that is, the requisite education, skills, personality, and so on-another product of a job analysis. In Job Specification we look for the human requirement for the specified job. We look for the Education, Knowledge, Qualification and skills required for the job. Apart from Job description and Job Specification Job Analysis information is also help full in determining: Recruitment and Selection Performance Appraisal Job Evaluation Training Job Analysis in Heavy Mechanical Complex In HMC First of all the Human Resource Managers describe the job description and job specification. The company asses the role of position and then determines whether this position is occupied only by a person who is experienced or person without experience can easily and immediately adjust himself in such a position and then company decides what type of qualification person holds who can handle with the problems arise with in that situation. In simple we can say that the company has some expectations regarding the position and company formulate their job description and job specification on the basis of their expectation that the person who shall occupy this position must possess such kind of skills experience and qualification. But these expectations are established after analyzing the posts. Suggestions regarding Job Analysis Company follows the old techniques related to job analysis process. Many problems arise due to the old techniques which are adopted by HMC. So we suggest that they should use new techniques regarding job description and job specification so that they can easily evaluate the current employees on there job. RECRUITMENT INTRODUCTION There is a need of skilled and qualified workers in any organization in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors. So, an effective recruitment process is necessary for every organization. Recruitment refers to the process of creating pool of applicants. Recruiting is the process of discovering potential candidates for actual or anticipated organized vacancies. Basically two types of recruitment process are followed by different organization; Internal Recruitment External Recruitment Internal Recruitment Recruitment that is done within the organization either in form of promotion, job rotation etc. Different Methods of internal recruitment are as follows: Referrals Notice boards College hirings (apprenticeship) Job fairs etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. External Recruitment External Recruitment refers to the recruitment of new employees from out Side the organization. Different methods of external recruitment are as follows: Newspaper Magazine Radio Internet Signboards Television etc à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Recruitment Process in Heavy Mechanical Complex Company has designed the Recruitment Policy as follows: Age of worker should be 18 or more years at the time of recruitment. He should have N.I.C. Physical health should be proper as regarded to the nature of work. Source of Recruitment in Heavy Mechanical Complex Main sources of recruitment in HMC are as: Walk in interviews Direct hiring Notice boards Newspapers Internet College hiring (Apprenticeship) Suggestions Many hires are based on favoritism in HMC. As HMC is government organization so political influence plays a keen role while hiring. We suggest that hirings are based totally on merits to increase the standards of productivity. SELECTION Introduction Organizational performance always depends in part on subordinates having the right skills and attributes. So an effective selection process can enhance the working efficiency of any organization. HR selection is the process of choosing qualified Individuals who are available to fill positions in an Organization. Selection process in Heavy Mechanical Complex HMC has its own selection process. There is a selection committee who scrutinize the applications on the bases of their criteria. A criterion for education is as follows: Education Weitage (%) Metric 20 Intermediate 20 Graduation 50 Interview 10 There is also a provincial quota for every province. Province Quota (%) Punjab 50 Sindh(Urban) 7.6 Sindh(Rural) 11.4 NWFP 11.5 Baluchistan 6 Fata 4 Azad Kashmir 2 There is also 7.5 % quota for merit Testing techniques Different testing technique is used to evaluate the candidates abilities. Written test Interview Medical test Suggestions Regarding Selection Process The criteria for selection is effective but there is need to adopt new method for testing employees to meet internationals levels. We suggest that there should be a G-MAT test, online test for evaluating candidates skills and immediate feedback. ORIENTATION Introduction A procedure for providing new employees with basic background information about the firm. In orientation information about organization culture, information on employee benefits, health and safety measures, regulations, working hours, compensations, discipline, dressing, daily routine works and information about other important issues are provided. Main purpose of orientation is to provide the basic know how about the organization. Orientation in Heavy Mechanical Complex Unfortunately there is no proper method of orientation adopted by HMC they mixed up orientation and training process. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Training The process of teaching new employees the basic skills they need to perform their jobs. Training refers to the methods used to give new or present employee the skills they need to perform their job satisfactorially.Good training is vital. Why training is needed Training is needed when there is a problem, lack of efficiency or lack of activities. Development Any attempt to improve current or future management performance by imparting knowledge, changing attitudes, or increasing skills. Main difference b/w training and development by different authors are as: Training is for new employees and term development is used for existing employees The term training is used for labor force and the development refers for managerial employees. Training and Development Techniques in Heavy Mechanical Complex Different Training and development techniques are used by management in HMC. The criteria for training and development for labor force and management are different. On the Job training techniques is also used. Industrial relation Department Workers and labor training are deal by industrial relation department. Time period for labor force training vary from 4 to 6 weeks. They have there own training centers where training is provided to workers. Personnel department Managerial level training is deal by personnel department. Training for managerial levels varies from 6 month to 1 year time duration. Development Development of employees basically depends upon annual confidential report (ACR) which prepared at the end of each year. And promotions are based on there reports. Suggestions regarding Training and Development There are many deficiencies on different technique ground and employees dont take interest on training .proper check and balance is required to ensure that employee take interest in training. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Introduction Performance management system involves numerous activities, for more than simply reviewing what an employee has done. This system must fulfill several purposes. Moreover they are often constrained by difficulties in how they operate. The HR management has set clear-cut standards of performance for every job. The performance appraisal designed by the HR management involves getting information about how well each employee is performing his/her job in order to reward those who are effective, improve the performance of those who are ineffective, or provide a written justification for why the poor performer should be disciplined. The process employers use to make sure employees are working toward organizational goals. Performance Management Practices in Heavy Mechanical Complex Standards are there to evaluate the performance of employees these standard are set by the committee who is responsible for giving promotions and other incentives to there employees. Industrial relation department is responsible for evaluating the performance of labor force. Personnel department is responsible managerial performance. In HMC shop manager is responsible to point the efficient employees. Suggestions Regarding Performance Management As HMC is working under government. So there is a lot of nepotism and favoritism .as labor promotion is base don ACR submitted by the shop supervisor, so there is a lot of favoritism involved. We suggest that there should be proper check and balance by management. And deserving employees should get appraisal according to the regulations. COMENSATION AND BENEFITS Introduction Compensation means to give any financial support to employees in reward against there services. Indirect financial and non financial payments employees receive for continuing their employment with the company. Laws Different laws are followed by HMC for compensating there employees. Some of these are as under Workmen compensation act 1923 Payment of wages act 1936 Minimum wage ordinance 1961 Old age benefit act 1976 Need of Compensations and Benefits Compensation and benefits are given to employees to enhance there performance. Different types of incentives given to employees to improve their performance. Benefits are given to raise the performance of employees. Benefits given to employees in Heavy Mechanical Complex HMC is providing many benefits to there employees. List of benefits are as under Bonuses Housing facility Transportation Schooling Electricity, Gas and Water Hajj facility HEALTH AND SAFETY Health and Safety Practices in Heavy Mechanical Complex HMC is providing health and safety facilities to there employees. There is a hospital in HMC.HMC used to give proper health treatment to their employees and all the expenses on that medical aid are bear by HMC. Dispensary is available on plant where first aid is given in case of emergency. Laws regarding Health and Safety Different laws are following by HMC relating Health and Safety. Some of them are as follow: Industrial Relation Ordinance 2002 (IRO 2002) Factories Ordinance Act 1934 HMC is providing health and safety according to ISO 9001. CONCLUSION After all the Discussion, at the end we may conclude that HMC is an asset of Pakistan. It is a vast project of mechanical engineering and there is a need of proper attention by the Government beca

Marketing Plan for Internet Cafes In India Essay -- Business Managemen

Marketing Plan for Internet Cafes In India Executive Summary The goal of this marketing plan is to outline the strategies, tactics, and programs that will make the sales goals outlined in this Internet Cafe business plan a reality in the year 2003 in few states in India. This plan is for Indian Markets only. Internet Cafe, unlike a typical cafe, provides a unique forum for communication and entertainment through the medium of the Internet. Internet Cafe is the answer to an increasing demand. The public wants: (1) access to the methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the Internet, and (2) a place to socialize and share these experiences with friends and colleagues. Marketing will play a vital role in the success of Internet Cafe. Internet Cafe must build a brand around the services it offers by heavily promoting itself through local television, radio, and print advertising. Marketing efforts are just beginning by the time a potential customer enters Internet Cafe for the first time. A strong emphasis will be put on keeping customers and building brand loyalty through programs focused on staffing, experience, and customer satisfaction. Target markets include: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students from nearby housing centers. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business people from the downtown business centers and professional buildings. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seniors from nearby retirement facilities. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Family members – People who have relatives abroad. This group is very large in few states in India especially states like Kerala where minimum one member from each family living abroad. Situation Analysis Internet Cafe opened its doors for business a little over a year ago. Business is good, and customers have been impressed with our offerings, but we need to focus our efforts on implementing the strategies, programs, and tactics outlined in the original business plan. Differentiating ourselves from other more traditional cafes has given us the ability to effectively compete on the beverage and pastry side of the business with the already entrenched competition. Sales are brisk and in-line with projections. The Internet services side of the business is rapidly being accepted by the local community. Memberships are meeting the projections outlined in the business plan, and sales of Internet services are meeting the goals forecast. Students love to gather for late... ...ove the allocated 20%. We'll be able to hire the marketing manager earlier, and we'll be able to provide more equipment and possibly add an additional location. Revenues miss projections - We have to be prepared for this possibility. If we miss our projections, we simply have to re-double our marketing efforts. The danger in this scenario is that the first reaction to missed projections is to decrease spending, particularly marketing expenses. We can't do that! We have to get our message out to the target market, and we can't do that if we stop spending on marketing. Additional capital infusions may become necessary and that possibility is detailed in the business plan. Internet side of business plays a lesser role - Our customers might not be willing to pay for Internet access or Internet Cafe memberships as Internet access costs and hardware costs continue to fall. If this scenario materializes, we will need to move our focus to beverages and pastry items, perhaps even providing deli-style lunches. Internet services in the scenario would still play an important role in attracting customers; we'd just have to charge less and move our numbers around to accommodate this trend.

The Poems of William Blake Essay -- William Blake English Romantic Poe

The Poems of William Blake What have you understood, from reading the poems of William Blake? William Blake, a late 18th century English Romantic poet uses traditional forms for his poetry in that he blends the ballad, the nursery rhyme and the hymn. The meaning he constructs from these forms however is far from traditional. His style was to express very complex ideas in very simple language and compressing a lot of deep meaning into often very short poems. Blake was a rebel and was over enjoyed when the French revolution liberated the repressed underclass. He wanted social equality but the industrial revolution just widened the gap between the rich and the poor. He often criticised the Establishment, especially the Church, for its hypocrisy and he was against things that prevented the human spirit from being free, therefore he disliked the rulings of kings and priests. All that surrounded him had an influence on his poetry. His poems are separated into innocence and experience, both opposites as Innocence has the sounds of laughter and joy the images of simplicity, children being protected, unthreatening animals like the birds and the lamb also beauty of nature, the roses and the non scary daylight, brightness and sunshine reflecting the creator's warm love. Next, experience which is something which you bring to yourself as time passes; here we hear sounds of crying, weeping, sighing and cursing. We see frightening animals like the tiger also the night which we associate with darkness, evil and sin. Blake compares innocence and experience by using; happiness and sadness, health and sickness, day and night, positive and negative emotions, beautiful nature and scary nature also the peaceful country a... ...in. I have learnt about the two opposite natures and the different states of being, it shows you how the times have changed and today's children have many more rights, but nature in all its excellence and beauty is still there and will never change. It portrays realism and the hardship that not only the children of that time had to face but all the poor, under privileged people. He captured his time using realism and the drudgery. He shows us unspoilt innocence and its saddening and moving how innocence can never last! Although Blake was not very well known throughout his life, he became a part of history creating some of the most passionate poetry of all time. He was an artist of great ability creating amazing pieces of work with profound simplicity encouraging and inspiring people around the world. Exercising the minds of many of us still to this day!

Admissions Essay: I Wish to Study Medicine :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay: I Wish to Study Medicine    I have not always wanted to be a physician like many people who apply to medical school; instead my decision to enter medicine has been the culmination of experience and self-discovery. When I was fifteen I was stricken with a cryptic illness. After several years of suffering and many doctors visits I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythramatosis. The Lupus diagnosis would changed my life in almost every aspect and was the beginning of the path that has led me towards medicine.    It was hard for me to deal with the diagnosis and even harder to learn my body's limitations. Every waking moment was a reminder that I was sick, and there was no comfort to be found in the medical world as there is still no cure for the disease. By this point in my life I had considered going into medicine. I had been a patient enough to know what it takes to be a good doctor. During the period before my diagnosis I had a few good doctors but I had also been faced with doctor's who didn't listen, who had no bedside manner, and who made incorrect assumptions. I knew that I would be better at these things for having suffered them. Unfortunately, at this point in my life I also knew that I was not healthy enough to be capable of withstanding the stressful years of medical school. I wanted to work near the human body, and my own personal research about lupus led me to seek out a degree in public health.    I've spent the past year going to school, working, and volunteering and I've learned through various ways that medicine is not only a path that I'm capable of, but one that I want more than anything in the world. As a full time student I have successfully taken many challenging courses. I have been working part time in a psychobiology lab learning how to perform research first hand. It was here that I discovered that although I love research, in many ways it is too disconnected from the people it is helping to be my ideal career. I spend a great deal of time in the clinics and the hospital at Boston University Medical Center and there I have observed the patient-doctor interaction and realized that I want to be involved with the people I'm helping.

Gilead’s strict laws Essay

In contrast, the presentation of Alison in The Miller’s Tale is of black humour, and an example of this is at the part near the end of the story where she humiliates Absolon, another interested suitor, in a very vulgar and insulting way. He tries to romantically pursue her but she is not very interested in him, and so when she is still with Nicholas in the house, she decides to stick her bottom out of the window for Absolon to kiss, instead of her face, which is what he had been expecting instead. Nicholas then decides to follow her example by sticking his own bottom out of the window, little knowing that an enraged Absolon had gone and come back with a scorching coulter, ready to burn Alison, but instead burns Nicholas. Despite her wild and unpleasant character, Alison is rather lucky to avoid and escape any punishment, and that it is all the men who are hankering after her, who instead become ill-fated in shameful and unfortunate events. However, with Alison and Abigail both being women, they are already in difficult positions in life, as they are both members of the slightly less important gender in their times, and each have their own individual obstacles to overcome. Abigail Williams uses her power in The Crucible to whip up hysteria in the town during the crazy period of the Salem witch trials. Her involvement starts after she has a short lived sexual affair with John Proctor whilst she is working as a house servant at his home. Whilst John is in it just to fulfil some of his needs that he is not receiving at that time from his sick wife Elizabeth, Abigail sees it a lot more than just a fling. After what we know about her troubled life and what she has been through, it’s no surprise really that Abigail feels lonely and would jump at any chance she could have of some passion, love and affection, something she probably hadn’t felt in a long time, if at all. When Elizabeth finds out about the affair, she throws Abigail out of the house, who then goes on to live with her uncle, Reverend Parris. Even after John has discontinued the lechery with her, Abigail still won’t stop trying to pursue him. She even goes so far as to manipulate Reverend Parris’s slave Tituba into using her black magic in the forest to cast a spell of death on to Elizabeth. This is rather shocking that someone could be so cruel enough to actually wish death upon someone else just to get something of theirs that they wanted and didn’t really deserve. Tituba is probably the only other person in the play with a lower status than Abigail, since she is in the unfortunate position of being a black female slave. After Reverend Parris witnesses them with many other girls in the forest seemingly practicing witchcraft, they are all sent to court to be trialled. Abigail does not stop there in her quest to eliminate Elizabeth, so she decides to use the trial as an opportunity to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft in order to get her hanged. This whole vendetta of Abigail’s against Elizabeth Proctor is all mainly based on jealousy, and she does not care who gets hurt in her goal to get at Elizabeth and win over John Proctor. Ironically enough, it is John himself who sacrifices himself at the end of the play for his pregnant wife, by confessing to witchcraft and being sentenced to death. Elizabeth Proctor herself is a rather decent and loving woman, who shows bravery, loyalty and strength. She does form a strong dislike for Abigail, which is understandable though since she had been her husband’s mistress whilst working as housekeeper at their home and Elizabeth also says to her husband â€Å"She [Abigail] wants me dead, John†. She seems to have much faith in her marriage, since she is willing to make it work between them by trying to forgive her husband for the affair. She even decides to protect his good reputation by not letting the court know about his adultery. She also tells John Proctor at the end of the play that she is partly to blame for his cheating, since she admits to being a cold wife (being not sexually responsive) who could have treated him a lot better. Elizabeth is another character who breaks a female stereotype, but in a very different way to Alison, as she is expected to always agree to sex but does not always. We can sympathise with Elizabeth because of the fact that she had been ill and was betrayed by her own husband, who had committed one of the worst moral crimes that a husband could do to his wife. She is evidently very hurt by it, and it would have taken a lot of strength for her to forgive him and move on. The positions of women in The Handmaid’s Tale are very different to that of where women rank in The Miller’s Tale and The Crucible. Whilst women may have fewer rights than men in the other two stories, it is really nothing in contrast to the way women are treated in The Handmaid’s Tale, where women really seem to have it the worst in the very chauvinistic and patriarchal society. The women of Gilead are divided into different groups and ranks. The legitimate groups of women include the Handmaids, the Wives (of commanders), the Aunts, who train and supervise the Handmaids, and the Marthas, unmarried infertile women who are solely involved with domestic work. And they are the lucky ones; the illegitimate women are mainly unwomen, such as those who are sterile, feminist or socially deviant. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is about a dystopian world where many women are taken captive as Handmaids, and they are used by the government of the Republic of Gilead, a fictional country within the borders of the United States of America, to help continue the human race. These Handmaids are the only women left who are fertile, and it is their duty to become pregnant by their assigned Commanders and have their babies, since the Commander’s wives cannot bear children themselves. In the society in this book, women are blamed for everything when it comes to conception and childbirth; it is always thought to be the woman’s fault, any fault of the man is never even considered. Offred is one of the Handmaids, and she is the main protagonist and narrator of this book, telling us her personal touching story of what she experiences in this controlling world. Offred, like all the others Handmaids, is being controlled by this strict totalitarian regime that is based on religion. Firstly, she is forcibly removed from her own family, her husband Luke and their young daughter. Earlier in the plot, the three of them had tried to escape across the border, but unfortunately they were all caught and separated from each other. Their daughter is taken away for adoption, whilst it is unknown what really happened to Luke. Offred is missing them tremendously and is frequently thinking about them and narrating these thoughts throughout the novel; she wonders where her daughter is now and what she looks like, and she wonders where Luke might be and whether he is even still alive or not. All this information she tells us about her family gives us an idea of her background, and we have very good reasons to sympathise with her. Compelled by the regime into training as a Handmaid, they do all they can to strip her of her identity. They remove her name and give her the new slave name of Offred, meaning ‘Of Fred’, as she is now belonging to and property of a Commander named Fred. Other Handmaids are also given new names in the same way, such as Ofglen and Ofwarren. Unlike like some of the other Handmaids, we are not directly told what Offred’s real name is, though it is implied at the end of Chapter One that her name is June, since all the names listed apart from that one are accounted for at some point in the novel. This treatment of the Handmaids makes it seem as if they are animals, or objects. In addition, all the Handmaids wear a uniform of red draping garments, symbolic of several relevant things such as menstruation, childbirth and sexual sin. The clothes are also designed to cover up the curves and shape of the womanly body, in order to preserve modesty, much in the same way as many Muslim women do today. We get a deeper insight into Offred’s dreary and shocking job when she bluntly describes the ceremony. The way she describes it is that the Commander is â€Å"fucking† her, and that no other word or phrase, such as making love, copulation or rape, fit the situation quite rightly. And the commander’s wife has to dutifully lie there with her and grip her hands, as if to pretend that it is she who is being â€Å"fucked†, and not Offred. This makes the situation all the more bizarre and uncomfortable for everyone involved. Out of all the female characters that we are focusing on, Offred is probably the most sympathetic. She arguably has the most difficult lifestyle to tolerate and suffer, but she mainly follows what is expected of her out of her society, and hardly does anything erroneous. The only few times she does deviate from Gilead’s strict laws is when she has an illicit affair with Nick, the Commander’s chauffer, which is set up by Serena Joy in order to increase Offred’s chances of conceiving a child, as Serena Joy herself believes that her husband could be infertile, even though this is against the law for anyone to think. Offred proves to be the only heroine out all our female characters, since Abigail and Alison are both villainous antagonists in their respective stories.

The Meaning of Family Photographs

The Meaning of Family Photographs By Charles Williams |[pic] | |Vanek family members dance. | The family is on vacation. A father takes out his point-and-shootcamera, poses his wife and kids and takes a quick snapshot. Eventually, the photograph is filed away in the family photo album. Ameaningless activity? Maybe not. Everyday, thousands of familyphotographs are taken with little regard for the meaning of therecorded image. Much attention has been paid to scholars' views ofdomestic life.However, relatively little attention has been paid tocultural productions, such as photo albums, that have been generatedby families themselves (Trend, 1992). By neglecting discussion onthis subject, scholars indicate that the home is not a place ofserious academic work (Trend, 1992). But researchers increasingly arestudying the meaning behind the photographs. April Saul won firstplace in the Feature Picture Story category at the 1992 Pictures ofthe Year competition for her portrayal of the American family. Shebelieved that family struggles were an important topic of journalism. I hope what it [winning] means is that the everyday struggles of anAmerican family are as valid in their own way as the struggles goingon in Azerbajian or Sarajevo — and that the private wars next doorcan be as compelling as the bloody, public ones thousands of milesaway. † Family photographs can be considered cultural artifacts becausethey document the events that shape families' lives. Thus, therecording of family history becomes an important endeavor. In manycases, photographs are the only biographical material people leavebehind after they die (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980).But, the impact offamily photo albums extends beyond merely recording history. Interpretation of family structures, relationships and self ispossible through viewing family photographs. The Meaning of family photographs Interpretation of meaning behind photographs assumes that they are ameans of communication (Entin, 19 79). Family photographs can tell astory. One photograph can be a mini-slice of an occurrence, but theaccumulation of pictures begins to reveal threads of consistent themesand patterns. For all practical purposes, they become an informalphoto essay.Much like family storytelling, photographs indicaterelationships within and among the family. Indeed, the family photoalbum is an easy way to initiate outsiders to family history (Boerdam,Martinius, 1980). Photographs provide an easy topic of conversationallowing potential family members, such as boyfriends or girlfriends,to be initiated into family structures and tradition. A key principleto consider when interpreting photographs is that they are produced bychoice. Choices about who, what, when and where to photograph can sayas much about the photographer as the subject.The camera does notsimply record an event but also records what the photographer choosesto see. Photographs are a statement about one's perception of theworld. They are a reflection and definition of self. If that personhas a happy family, then others may perceive him to be a good husbandor wife. Parents' innocent snapshots are important in constructingtheir sense of identity (Merz, 1988). Traditionally, photographs havebeen taken from a male perspective. The father is most often absentfrom family photographs because he is the one who usually commandsauthority, poses the family and takes the picture (Trend, 1992).The family photographer isn't the only one who has authority to shape thefamily image. Other people may edit the photos. Some photographs areselected for presentation in an album while others are rejected. Control of the editorial process can be as important as control overproduction of the photographs. Decisions regarding what to keep,throw away and display can provide valuable information about theperson assembling the album. History of Family Portraiture Portraits of family members originally were produced by earlypainters.Prior to the Tw entieth century, family portraits were astatement of power and profession. Paintings were expensive and timeconsuming to produce, thereby limiting subject matter to heads ofstate, military leaders, royalty or other members of the ruling class. When the daguerreotype was prominent (1840-1860), early inventors andphotographers were well respected and belonged to the social elite. When the process was cheaper, people began going to photographicstudios, usually during special occasions such as weddings where aserious, dignified atmosphere was observed.The well-respected natureof photography, elegant studio furnishings and the knowledge that apermanent image was being created, caused the atmosphere to be tenseand the portraits to appear rigid (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). Becausefilm speeds were relatively slow, long exposures were necessary whichrequired subjects to remain stationary for long periods of time. However, in the later half of the Nineteenth century, impressionistpainters such as Vincent Van Gogh changed the manner in which manypeople constructed family portraits.His paintings were of commonpeople in common situations causing a shift from formal to informalportraiture (Halle, 1991). Similar changes began to occur in thephotographic medium during the early Twentieth century. Streetphotographers began operating around family tourist attractions. Atthe time, few people owned a camera so it wasn't unusual to have thefamily's picture taken at the beach by such photographers. As aresult, the clothing and poses became more relaxed and informal andthe backgrounds became more significant. These types of photos wereforerunners to the casual present-day family photograph.By the 1920sand 1930s, photo albums included both formal studio portraiture andcarefree vacation shots (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). Advances intechnology increased the ability of the average person to produceinformal vacation pictures. George Eastman had introduced the firstKodak camera in 1885. â⠂¬Å"You press the button, we do the rest,† was thecompany's motto. Improvements continued, including introduction ofthe 35mm Leica in 1924 as well as technical advances such as smallercameras, faster films and flash. The scope of possible shootinglocations was increased with the invention of the flash.Indoorphotography, where much of personal life is conducted, fell within therealm of the amateur photographer. Technical capabilities beganproviding intimate access to the home. Changes in technologyparalleled changes in behavior. As more people owned cameras andbecame familiar with their workings, the photographic process becameless intimidating, and the proliferation of the equipment beganchanging the content of the photographs (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). In addition, people simply became accustomed to being photographed. This in turn produced more casual situations, hence more causalsubjects.In early photographs, the subjects were often posed, muchlike they had been for painte rs. The beach photographers offered amore relaxed style, but they too had the subjects stare straight intothe camera. A new kind of snapshot eventually would emerge that nowdominates photo albums. It shows a group of people engaged in someongoing activity, not necessarily looking at the camera. A downsidedoes exist to the proliferation of simple cameras. When they becameinexpensive and easy to use, they flourished in American society. However, trade-offs were inevitable.The lack of need for technicalexpertise was counterbalanced by a lack of creative control. Point-and-shoot cameras are equipped with fixed-focus lenses andpre-set apertures ensuring that medium range shots are the norm(Trend, 1992). Photography has become easier and thus more popular. Everyone has the potential to take good family photographs especiallysince the introduction of color-negative film which allows moreexposure latitude. The subsequent rise in the number of photos takenconfirms this fact. In the Netherlan ds in 1960, the number of colorphotographs taken was 600,000.In 1974, it was 103 million (Boerdam,Martinius, 1980). The easier-to-use cameras likely have acceleratedthe use of cameras by women to photograph their children. So eventhough the number of formal, solemn occasions is decreasing, thenumber of photographs is drastically increasing. Photographicrepresentation was possible as early as 1840. Yet society wasunprepared for such a revelation. An unplanned social processdeveloped that established which aspects of community life it wasappropriate to photograph (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). As a result,communities established norms that continue to have an effect onsubject matter.Relationships between family members and amongrelatives are less formal and less controlled by religious and otherinstitutions outside of the family than in previous generations. Theinfluence of the church has diminished in some communities; therefore,ceremonies such as baptisms are less essential sources of familyrecord keeping. (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). Although most occasionscan be photographed from a technical standpoint, social and ethicallimitations on subject matter remain. Arguments, fights, sickness,death and sex are rarely documented photographically. This hasn'talways been the case.Dead children were photographed during thenineteenth century, sometimes lying in a cradle and sometimes beingheld in their mother's arms. In Austria, so many people went to photostudios with dead children that a public health threat was declaredand the government prohibited the practice (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). Very few of these photographs exist today. It is likely that as theywere passed down in subsequent generations, and viewed as being inpoor taste and destroyed. Some researchers even believe that sexphotographs are becoming less taboo (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980).Inany case, family albums are rarely a true and accurate depiction ofthe family. Objectivity always remains questionable. The id ealized nuclear family – Say â€Å"cheese† â€Å"It's only smiles that count in photographs,† states Laurie Taylor inher humorous view of the family photo album. She wonders if the blankstares in a photograph are a testament to the blissful beginning of anaffair, or evidence of its traumatic final days? Photographs offamily members often are constructed with a skewed concept of reality. They usually depict an idealized nuclear family, meaning a husband,wife and children, enjoying pleasurable moments.In her book â€Å"FamilySnaps: The Meanings of Domestic Photography,† Patricia Holland says†The compulsive smiles in the snapshots of today insist on theexclusive claim of the family group to provide satisfying and enduringrelationships, just as the calm dignity of earlier pictures emphasizedthe formality of family ties. † The obsession with depicting thefamily as a united, happy entity is clear. In a study conducted byHalle, no head of the househo ld's divorced spouse appeared in any ofthe pictures, and very few photographs depicted people as unhappy orlonely. The message is loud and clear.Heterosexual marriage andchildren produce a fun and satisfying life. By far, most of thephotos showed the family at leisure, especially on overseas vacations. Formal pictures including those of people in business suits, militaryuniforms or wedding attire did exist, but only accounted for thirtypercent or less of the displayed photographs (Merz, 1988). Likewise,occasions in which a nuclear family would participate are depicted asfun. During the early 1960s, French sociologist Pierre Bourdieupublished a series of photographic essays that he titled Un art moyen.Bourdieu wondered why so many people wanted cameras and why thepractice of photography was so widespread. He believed it was morethan just a natural occurrence. Bourdieu concluded that similaritiesexist within family photographs. In a French market survey heconducted from 1962 to 1963, he concluded that more than two-thirds ofthe amateur photographers he interviewed take their photographs almostexclusively at predictable moments. They photographed particularlyat ceremonies, meetings and holidays (Boerdam, Martinius, 1980). Seldom are the photos a complete and accurate depiction of reality.Family image, not family history is depicted in the photographs thatare displayed. Major events that strongly influence peoples' livesare completely ignored. One of the most obvious situations that ismissing from the family album is work or anything to do with work(Merz, 1988). This is tragic because labor-related relationships andachievements form a substantial part of peoples' lives. Alsoconspicuously missing are photographs of dead children. Death andwork seem to be taboo subjects in most photo albums. Displaying photographs in the homeCelebration rituals such as weddings or Christenings are recorded;divorces and funerals are not (Merz, 1988). Even within theserituals, the emp hasis remains on the family. A study found thatalmost all the photographs displayed in households were of familymembers (Halle, 1991). Very few photos of friends, colleagues andstrangers were present. Friends were seen in wedding photos, but theevent depicts the joyous creation of a nuclear family. The number offamily photographs that are displayed in households is surprising. Inone study, almost all households were found to display photographs(Halle, 1991).As expected, the number of photos in a household wasgreater if the occupant had children or grandchildren. Although thiswasn't surprising, other factors such as gender were found to have aninfluence on decoration of the home. It was unusual that fewerphotographs were found in homes where the head of the household was amale who held an artistic job such as photographer, architect or filmmaker than for women in similar occupations. The discrepancy may haveresulted because women were more interested in the social aspects ofthe photo graph as opposed to the aesthetic aspects (Halle, 1991).Physical groupings also are important. Most family photographs aredisplayed in clusters. In one study, eighty-nine percent of familyphotographs were displayed in groups of four or more (Halle, 1991). Pictures are huddled together even if the people in them are not. People are very seldom presented alone. It is very rare to find aphoto of one person displayed by itself, especially when that personis an adult resident of the house. This occurred in less than onehalf of one percent of the households that were tested (Halle, 1991).Children are often depicted alone, but they are too young to beexpected to maintain meaningful relationships. Those that aremeaningful are subject to transition. Today's high divorce rate castsa shadow over the nuclear family. Thus, the method of displayingphotographs may signify the instability of modern-day relationships. Most pictures are likely to stand free on tables, dressers, mantles orother flat s urfaces as opposed to walls. Only about a third of familyphotographs hang on walls. Photos that are not hung on walls are moreeasily interchanged and regrouped. Social StructureFundamental changes to American society and the family structure maybe hampering the production of ancestral photography (Halle, 1991). The ties that once bound children to their parents are no longerpresent. Nursing homes, social security and pension plans haverelieved the youth from supporting their parents. Older people havebeen moving south to retirement communities, sometimes away from theirfamilies, so they can enjoy the warm weather. The manner in whichchildren relate to their parents has changed over the past fiftyyears, and the changing relationships may be reflected though thedisplay of photographs.Between 42 and 62 percent of households in onestudy displayed pictures of at least one parent. (Halle, 1991). Thenumbers quickly decreased as further generations were explored. Aboutten percent of househo lds displayed a picture of at least onegrandparent, and about three percent displayed a picture of greatgrandparents. Of course, it is possible that the families may haveowned pictures but simply did not display them. Social class appearsto be a factor in the display of photographs. Differences wereobserved between albums produced by middle-class families and familiesof lower income or working classes.People with middle-classlifestyles had higher proportions of photographs of mutual friends andfriends of their children than working-class families (Gardner, 1991). Presumably due to increased social ties associated with more socialprominence. Working-class family albums included more pictures of thehusband's friends than the wife's. Segregated friendship patterns arecommonly found among working-class couples where the male is in chargeof the household (Gardner, 1991). Working-class families' albums wereless kin oriented, but they see each other more often causinginteraction to become more routine.As an event becomes common, it isless likely to be photographed. In addition to social classdifferences, cultural differences may be a factor in the display ofphotographs. Only one in 105 households that were included in asample displayed a school photograph of a child together withclassmates (Halle, 1991). The home was occupied by a Japanese couple. Japanese society tends to be more collective than American society. Role Behavior An examination of photo albums was made to determine if differencesoccurred in the portrayal of people as they assumed the role ofparents (Titus, 1976).Repetitive patterns in the parenting role canbe observed through photographs including feeding, holding the childand interactions with relatives. Albums were examined to determine ifthe photographs of parents after they had their first child weredifferent than those after they had subsequent children. It wasassumed that parents would become accustomed to many of the rolechanges, and the subsequ ent photographs would reflect these changes. Photographs of mothers caring for their first child were far moreprevalent than with subsequent children (Titus, 1976).The same wastrue of fathers. The number of solo portraits also decreased afterthe first child although this may not constitute a difference inaffection toward the first born, but simply an accustomization to newroles (Titus, 1976). Both the parents and the newborn child mustlearn new behavior. Parents may not have to re-learn their behaviorwith subsequent children. Even though one spouse may be more inclinedto take photographs, both spouses were significantly represented inparenting photographs (Titus, 1976).However, most photographs werepredominately of pleasant tasks such as holding and feeding. While itmay have been necessary to hold children in order to present them tothe camera, this wouldn't have been the case when feeding. Picturesof parents feeding children were far more likely to occur with thefirst child. Very f ew photos of unpleasant tasks such as diaperingand bathing were included in the albums. Therapeutic uses of family photographs Photographs can prove to be an invaluable source of information whenresolving personal problems.Photographs are not subject to memoryrecollection, and a person's portrayal of events can be quitedifferent from what appears in the photographs (Kaslow, 1979). Theinformation is intimate because family photographs are collected fromthe inside compared with journalistic institutions, which usuallyoperate as outsiders (Titus, 1976). Photo albums and home moviesprovide the richest sources of memories about the family (Entin,1979). They offer an intimate look at personal relationships. Psychologists recently have begun using this display of intimacy tohelp resolve family conflicts.Photographs have the power to conjureup memories, sometimes painful, of bygone years. However, the reasonthat many people take photographs is to preserve happy memories. Whena relationship sours, the photographs that intentionally focus onhappy moments merely exacerbate the situation. It becomes painful toview all the â€Å"good times† without reference to the bad. Familyphotographs now are being used as a means of therapy to discuss thesechanges in lifestyles. The technique, often referred to asphototherapy, is effective because people from all socioeconomicgroups possess photos that can be discussed.A review of familyphotographs can often prompt people to talk about family stories,goals, events and history. Not only does phototherapy help peopledeal with issues of the past, but it also helps renew relationships inthe present (Entin, 1979). The mere presentation of photographs canreveal much about the organization, chaos or fragmentation of aperson's life. If people's photo albums are disorganized andpartially complete, so too may be the case with their lives. Bygathering significant photos, patients often realize that pieces oftheir scrapbook are missing, pro mpting long overdue visits home.Sometherapists are using family photo reconnaissance as a means of dealingwith sexual problems (Kaslow, 1979). Desires toward spouses can beinhibited if deaths of parents, children or loved ones are not fullymourned. Kaslow has found that couples with sexual problems oftenhave a resurgence in desire after reviewing their wedding album. Problems such as female frigidity are sometimes traced back to earlyphotographs of women patients. Many times they appear â€Å"sparklingclean, perfectly groomed and standing prim and proper† (Kaslow, 1979).The way people feel about their bodies can be witnessed inphotographs. Baggy clothes could indicate a puritanical attitude orshame of the body leading to frigidity, impotence or infrequent sexualdesire (Kaslow, 1979). Body positioning such as slumping may indicatedepression just as an upright position could indicate confidence. Thesize and prominence of family members' portraits can indicateattitudes, such as favoritism, toward those portrayed (Entin, 1979). Presentation in inappropriate locations such as the bedroom may evencause sexual inhibition.The storytelling nature of albums allowpsychologists to study patterns of photography to determine if changesin attitudes may be occurring. If a second child is photographedsignificantly more than the firstborn, psychologists may question thefamilies' expectations concerning sex or attractiveness of the firstborn and whether problems such as illegitimacy, handicap ordisfigurement may play a role (Entin, 1979). In her book â€Å"WaucomaTwilight: Generations of the Farm,† Dona Schwartz describes the mannerin which her photographs provided a context during her interviews.The photographs showed details of everyday life and the context inwhich events occurred in the community. The insight gained throughher own fieldwork and subjects' responses to pictures was morevaluable than the actual content of the photographs (Schwartz, 1992). She compa red her interview process with Christopher Musello'sdescription of â€Å"family viewing contexts. † Musello believes familydiscussion of photographs establishes a â€Å"verbal context delineatingwhat should be attended to and what significances are located in theimage,† (Musello, 1980).Conclusions By viewing family photographs, much can be discovered about familystructures, relationships, and the self. Family photographs primarilyserve to remind people of good times with loved ones. This isapparent as the image of the nuclear family is constantly repeated inthe photo albums of most families. Much research remains to be done inthe study of family photographs. Even though American society isobsessed with presenting the image of a happy nuclear family, moreresearch should be conducted on the portrayal of alternativelifestyles.Gay and lesbian couples, alternative families and singleparents need to have their family photographs analyzed to determine ifdiffering lifestyles s ignificantly affect photo content. Also, photocontent produced during transitions in relationships such as divorces,separations and sibling rivalries needs to be studied. Additionally,content analysis of both American and foreign albums needs to beconducted to determine the degree to which cultural differences affectcontent. And finally, additional studies on the factors that affectediting decisions need to be conducted.The literature review producedmuch information on the benefits of photographic analysis topsychologists. However, there was little information on the manner inwhich other professionals, such as journalists, could use theinterpretive meaning of photographs. Historical documents, such asfamily photographs, can provide essential background information aswell as indicate important people and relationships within a story. Through my research component, I intend to discover the manner inwhich journalists use historical documents to provide story context. Because online new spapers ave the capability to provide greatercontext due to the potential inclusion of sound and video, I also planto investigate the way emerging technologies might affect presentationof contextual information. [pic] References Boerdam, Jaap and Warna Oosterbaan Martinius. 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Schwartz, Dona. (1992). â€Å"Waucoma Twilight: Generations of the Farm,† Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. Taylor, Laurie. (August, 1993). â€Å"Camera Obscura,† New Statesman & Society, v6:p. 21. Titus, Sandra L. (August, 1976). â€Å"Family Photographs and Transition to Parenthood,† Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38: 525-530. Trend, David. (Feb, 1992). â€Å"Look who's talking: Narratives of Family Representations,† Afterimage, v19, n7, p. 8.