Analyzing Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Othello - Essay Example Lago was careful enough to burn the match on both ends. He had taken both Othello and Cassio into complete confidence. He knew Othello was aware of his real battle skills and earned Cassio’s sincerity by offering him handkerchief. Lago very carefully made Othello feel that Cassio had conducted adultery with Desdemona. In such circumstances, whatever Desdemona had to say in her defense would not matter. Lago’s strategy was too wisely constructed and carefully practiced for Othello to escape. Therefore, it is irrational to call Othello unjust in his display of haste and violence towards Desdemona. On the other hand, Othello also did not trust whatever Lago told him unless he had a solid proof for that. Othello had been very angry with Lago for having uttered humiliating and disdainful remarks about his wife when Lago accused Desdemona to have made love with Cassio. Othello’s rage can be estimated from the fact that he had warned Lago that he would kill him if he di d not provide Othello with a solid proof about Desdemona and Cassio’s relationship. When Lago remained successful in providing Othello with a solid proof of his assertion, Othello can not be blamed for not having suspected Lago instead of Cassio. Works cited: Shakespear, William. Othello, the moor of Venice: A tragedy. London: J. Tonson. 1743, Print.

Why did Slavery Come to be the Dominant Labor System in the Southern Essay

Why did Slavery Come to be the Dominant Labor System in the Southern Colonies - Essay Example The workforce in the agricultural sector in the southern colonies was mainly comprised of Europeans servants who worked on indenture basis. Although the Europeans still offered labor, African slaves were the better choice for planters because they were cheap to maintain and more productive. By mid 17th century there was a massive shift towards slave labor in the south since demand for food was rising with expanding markets. At this time Africans had started to be shipped and be sold as slaves to Americans. The climate and soil in the south were more favorable for agriculture than those of the north. This made the sound to be heavily dependent on labor for development of plantations. The south as stated above was an ideal region for agriculture all year round and crops like tobacco and rice thrived well. These crops are labor intensive and the lands were quite vast. Therefore, a huge potential of the southern lands remained untapped considering that there were many waterways where cro ps could be transported to overseas markets. As these farms grew labor shortages became intense and by the end of the 17th century more than 500 Africans had been bought as slaves to meet the demand (Schneider and Schneider 48). This trend was soon followed by withdrawal of indentured European servants since many had saved enough to buy their own land and start farming. America was quite big and unexploited by then and the Europeans found no reason not to venture into far away lands. The Bacon’s Rebellion also saw many planters release white servants as they proved to be a danger to political stability. In this regards an alternative had to be sought to counter the exodus of the white servants. By mid 18th century a total of 235,000 Africans were in America and 85% of them worked in the southern colonies of Virginia, Georgia, North and South Carolina (73). African slaves however came to be fully exploited after failed trials were made on Native Americans (Rodriguez 106). Many of them died from European diseases while many others ran away since they knew the land better than the Europeans. This left the planters no choice but to take in African slaves. This followed a massive expansion of plantations in Georgia and South Carolina which translated to increased production levels of rice and tobacco. These slaves did a great deal of work which the white servants had refused to do for example draining of swamps. West Africans came in handy especially in rice growing plantations since they were familiar with the kind of work required as their mother lands grew rice. Slaves worked for 15 hours on a daily basis especially during the harvest season (Norton and Sheriff 27). One overseer was required to supervise a minimum of 20 slaves doing back-breaking work and when a slave lazed around, the overseer was supposed to whip them. The fact that slaves were cheap to buy and maintain saw planters buy them in masses so as to plant and cultivate more. As earlier indica ted slaves used to work for many hours per day which translated to bumper harvests and therefore booming plantation business. Many plantation owners like the Byrd family from Virginia turned to be quite wealthy (58). Such families came together to form elite classes of planters in the southern states who ensured that slave trade remained because it was a lifeline to their wealth. Southern colonies had vast fertile lands for agriculture where Europeans worked as servants on indenture basis. The vastness and the need to grow crops on large scale raised the need to have more workers. Slave trade was on the rise by mid 17th century and it saw many planters buy African slaves to work in

The Role of Public Relations in a Modern Liberal Democracy Essay

The Role of Public Relations in a Modern Liberal Democracy - Essay Example Some experts contend that the extent to which media works as a public sphere, representing the civic populace, while remaining free and accessible to all, works as a chief indicator of democracy within a political order. This stems from an old tradition that positions media at a juncture between the governed and the governors. Thus, from this viewpoint democracy appears as a relative concept, where its nature is dependent on the movement of public information. This, in turn, helps to ascertain to what extent the citizens can take steps grounded in informed decisions to make the governors liable for their activities. From the perspective of the orthodox democracy theory, the public sphere is a realm between the two distinctly separate two areas, civil society and the state, which ensures protections for each individual within the society. According to the Liberal theory, the public sphere is equal to the political sphere, and the mass media’s public role is delineated in relati on to the state. The liberal theory theorizes on the virtues of civil society's ascendency over the state (Curran 1991). Along with this, it also views the market as the process optimally suited for addressing all information requirements of society. However, as market-led information to tend to move through privatization, conglomeration and deregulation, after a certain limit it fails to meet the requirements necessary for maintaining democratic ideals of freedom and equal accessibility (Garnham 1986). Major contentions to the liberal press theories have faced challenges from the other democratic theory pertaining to the Marxist viewpoint. From the position of an orthodox Marxist, within capitalist societies, the public sphere tends to disguise the ascendency of media that does not directly confront the liberal nature of the public sphere. Instead of breaking out of the dichotomy that exists between a liberal civil society and the state, Marxism rejected all reforms within the publ ic sphere and considered socialist transformation as the only solution. In this context, to overcome the weak points as seen within the orthodox liberal democracy theory and Marxist theory, Curran suggested amalgamation of the collectivist approach with a general market approach, for democratisation of public sphere by making it more representative and accessible. Analysing mass media as a part of the public sphere from a modern perspective has helped modern liberal democracy theory to transcend the traditional civil society-state polarisation that has dictated all media debate until recently (Dahlgren 1991). Orthodox democratic theory rejected the method in which differences were made between public and private domains, which currently is the chief factor in the definition of public sphere within the realms of liberal democracy theory. The mediation role of mass media and broadcasting currently encompasses almost all areas extending from the home to the workplace (Curran 1991).  

Any topic that includes microeconomics Term Paper

Any topic that includes microeconomics - Term Paper Example Tariffs have adverse effects on an economy. However, governments continue imposing them on investors who import commodities from foreign nations (Gregory 2000 p 16). This essay is a critique of the economic implications of tariffs. It highlights the major reasons why governments impose tariffs on imported goods, which include; protection of the emerging as well as aging and incompetent local firms from unhealthy foreign competition, to enhance sustainability of local companies through prevention of dumping effect from foreign companies which may offer their products locally at an extremely low price that leads to losses by domestic firms (Mansfield and Yohe 23). The essay also presents the negative views of tariffs in regard to promoting trade and economic growth, which have been supported by various organizations such as the WTO and Word Bank. The double impact of tariffs on the economy imposing the tariffs as well the economy on which the tariffs have been imposed is highlighted. The impact of tariffs on the prices of locally manufactured goods, changes in demand for the goods and employment in the economy imposing the tariffs has been illustrated using the United States as an example of an economy imposing tariffs on foreign products from china (Swire 2009), and the Republic of Korea which illustrates an economy that does not impose taxes on foreign products in the domestic market. The essay also indicates the invisibility of the negative impacts of tariffs on the economy compared to the projected advantages. It also indicates the areas that need further research regarding tariff imposition, whereby researchers can search for information from published sources. One of the major reasons why governments impose tariffs on imports is to enhance the development of the emerging domestic industries to attain a size that able to cope with foreign competition. In other words it is one of the

Conflict resolution Essay Example for Free

Conflict resolution Essay Portfolio is a collection of evidence, usually in written form that presents personal and professional development, by providing critical analysis of its contents (McMullen, et. al., 2003). A portfolio captures learning from experience, enables to measure learning, acts as a tool for reflective thinking, illustrates critical analytical skills and evidence of self-directed learning and provides a collection of detailed evidence of a persons competence (Gray, et. al., 2004). For Dewey, reflective thinking consisted of two parts: a state of doubt and a search to resolve that doubt. Thus, constructing a portfolio is an act of revealing ones beliefs. At the heart of portfolio development is purposeful choice making (Davis, et. al., 1997). This portfolio has been written as a part of the Post Graduate diploma in neonatal intensive Care nursing. The author will begin by providing an overview of reflection and mention the models used to guide this process. For the purpose of reflection the essay shall be written in the first person. I will reflect on one specific incident that I encountered in my experience as a neonatal nurse in one of the maternity hospitals which, I will analyse and discuss how it affected my practice. I will conclude by summarising my thoughts and reflections. For the purpose of data protection I have used pseudonyms when referring to those involved in the incident Agent-Based Manufacturing and Control Systems: New Agile Manufacturing Solutions for Achieving Peak Performance Massimo Paolucci and Roberto Sacile ISBN: 1574443364 Curing the Patch Management Headache Felicia M. Nicastro ISBN: 0849328543 Cyber Crime Investigators Field Guide, Second Edition Bruce Middleton ISBN: 0849327687 Disassembly Modeling for Assembly, Maintenance, Reuse and Recycling A. J. D. Lambert and Surendra M. Gupta ISBN: 1574443348 The Ethical Hack: A Framework for Business Value Penetration Testing James S. Tiller ISBN: 084931609X Fundamentals of DSL Technology Philip Golden, Herve Dedieu, and Krista Jacobsen ISBN: 0849319137 The HIPAA Program Reference Handbook Ross Leo ISBN: 0849322111 Implementing the IT Balanced Scorecard: Aligning IT with Corporate Strategy Jessica Keyes ISBN: 0849326214 Information Security Fundamentals Thomas R. Peltier, Justin Peltier, and John A. Blackley ISBN: 0849319579 Information Security Management Handbook, Fifth Edition, Volume 2 Harold F. Tipton and Micki Krause ISBN: 0849332109 Introduction to Management of Reverse Logistics and Closed Loop Supply Chain Processes Donald F. Blumberg ISBN: 1574443607 Maximizing ROI on Software Development Vijay Sikka ISBN: 0849323126 Mobile Computing Handbook Imad Mahgoub and Mohammad Ilyas ISBN: 0849319714 MPLS for Metropolitan Area Networks Nam-Kee Tan ISBN: 084932212X Multimedia Security Handbook Borko Furht and Darko Kirovski ISBN: 0849327733 Network Design: Management and Technical Perspectives, Second Edition Teresa C. Piliouras ISBN: 0849316081 Network Security Technologies, Second Edition Kwok T. Fung ISBN: 0849330270 Outsourcing Software Development Offshore: Making It Work Tandy Gold ISBN: 0849319439 Quality Management Systems: A Handbook for Product Development Organizations Vivek Nanda ISBN: 1574443526 A Practical Guide to Security Assessments Sudhanshu Kairab ISBN: 0849317061 Agent-Based Manufacturing and Control Systems: New Agile Manufacturing Solutions for Achieving Peak Performance Massimo Paolucci and Roberto Sacile ISBN: 1574443364 Curing the Patch Management Headache Felicia M. Nicastro ISBN: 0849328543 Cyber Crime Investigators Field Guide, Second Edition Bruce Middleton ISBN: 0849327687 Disassembly Modeling for Assembly, Maintenance, Reuse and Recycling A. J. D. Lambert and Surendra M. Gupta ISBN: 1574443348 The Ethical Hack: A Framework for Business Value Penetration Testing James S. Tiller ISBN: 084931609X Fundamentals of DSL Technology Philip Golden, Herve Dedieu, and Krista Jacobsen ISBN: 0849319137 The HIPAA Program Reference Handbook Ross Leo ISBN: 0849322111 Implementing the IT Balanced Scorecard: Aligning IT with Corporate Strategy Jessica Keyes ISBN: 0849326214 Information Security Fundamentals Thomas R. Peltier, Justin Peltier, and John A. Blackley ISBN: 0849319579 Information Security Management Handbook, Fifth Edition, Volume 2 Harold F. Tipton and Micki Krause ISBN: 0849332109 Introduction to Management of Reverse Logistics and Closed Loop Supply Chain Processes Donald F. Blumberg ISBN: 1574443607 Maximizing ROI on Software Development Vijay Sikka ISBN: 0849323126 Mobile Computing Handbook Imad Mahgoub and Mohammad Ilyas ISBN: 0849319714 MPLS for Metropolitan Area Networks Nam-Kee Tan ISBN: 084932212X Multimedia Security Handbook Borko Furht and Darko Kirovski ISBN: 0849327733 Network Design: Management and Technical Perspectives, Second Edition Teresa C. Piliouras ISBN: 0849316081 Network Security Technologies, Second Edition Kwok T. Fung ISBN: 0849330270 Outsourcing Software Development Offshore: Making It Work Tandy Gold ISBN: 0849319439 Quality Management Systems: A Handbook for Product Development Organizations Vivek Nanda ISBN: 1574443526 A Practical Guide to Security Assessments Sudhanshu Kairab ISBN: 0849317061

Identity and Postmodernism | Essay

Identity and Postmodernism | Essay Critically assess the contention that identities are, plural, unstable, situationally enacted, and sites of contestation. The stability or otherwise of identity has become a major battleground for sociological theorists in recent times. The infamous ‘postmodern’ turn has rendered identity a deeply problematic phenomenon. In this paper I will investigate the claim that identities are unstable sites of contestation. I will do this by examining the dissolution of identity within postmodern theory before examining both the negative and more importantly, the positive consequences of this.[1] This will enable a deeper understanding of precisely what is meant by this fluid notion of identity, and where possible criticisms and inconsistencies can be located within this theory. The debate over the stability of identity is one that is inseparably linked to postmodernism. This diverse group of theories centre around, in Lyotard’s (1984:xxiv) famous phrase, ‘incredulity toward meta-narratives.’[2] Postmodernists maintain that the project of modernity has failed, and that no single source or body of knowledge can legitimise itself as a universal measure of value or identity. This obviously has some profound effects on the ways in which we would normally think about the world. Postmodernism no longer allows us to theorise society into homogenous identities which can then be totalised in a grand-theory or meta-narrative. This is also the case when it comes to the identification of the self. Rather than the self maintaining a stable core of identity, from a postmodern perspective identity is fluid and is dependant upon where the self is historically and culturally situated. As Luntley (1985:185) notes, this conception of the self threatens the very possibility of self-identity: The loss of self-identity is threatened because if we situated the self in real historical circumstances, we would situate it in things that are contingent and constantly changing. Therefore, the self would also be constantly changing. It would be in flux and would have no continuing identity. Once the very identity of the self comes under threat, then so does the possibility of any coherency in social theorising. A postmodern society is one in which the identities of the social actors are undergoing constant transformation. Identity then becomes open to contestation as there is no longer any ultimate referent (truth, science, God etc.) to provide universal legitimation. In Lyotard’s terms, the impossibility of a grand or meta-narrative leads to the social being constructed of small narratives, none of which are necessarily more valid than another. Any theory that aims at totalising society should only be seen as one constructed from a particular perspective (e.g. one that still remains in the logic of modernity), rather than a totalising theory as such. Whilst postmodernism can be viewed as liberating and opening up seemingly limitless opportunities for re-theorising society, it does at the same time impose new problems. Firstly, there seems to be an inconsistency in the postmodernist stance, as it could be argued that the theory of the dissolution of meta-narratives is a type of meta-narrative itself. This criticism can also be applied to the postmodernist take on identity, for in arguing that identity is ultimately unstable and fluid postmodernists inadvertently provide a certain rigid structure in which identity operates (i.e. that all identity must be unstable). So whilst postmodernism is liberating on the one hand, on the other it sets limits to the very possibility of any meaningful social theory or practice. This is exemplified in the disparity between postmodern theorists, some of which view postmodernism as opening up huge opportunities for getting rid of authoritarian grand theories, others view it as essentially debilitating as the only thing that can prevail in postmodern societies is a sense of meaningless flux. Within this disagreement the postmodern analysis of identity remains reasonable intact, both sides of the argument larg ely accept that identity is fluid and unstable. By analysing this disagreement we can therefore obtain a better understanding of the various aspects of fluid identity. Jean Baudrillard (1990:160-164) for example, argues that the dissolution of identity is a process that started in the nineteenth century and was exacerbated in the twentieth. In the postmodern era, historical processes have undermined the stability of identity, so that it becomes impossible to meaningfully theorise about social identity. Rigid identity and meaning are destroyed due to the rise of global capitalism and the demise of the referents from modernity (truth, purpose, meaning and so on). ‘Gone are the referentials of production, signification, affect, substance, history, and the whole equation of â€Å"real† contents’ (Baudrillard 1988:125). Identity now becomes a radically fluid and empty vessel, which becomes temporarily filled with content that has no foundation or ultimate meaning. Whilst for Baudrillard this cannot be thought of as a particularly positive or negative phenomenon, as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ no longer have any real mea ning in postmodernity, it does render theoretical and political action largely impotent.[3] This is why in postmodernism we are presented with numerous texts heralding the end of theory, history, meaning and so on.[4] The dissolution of identity means for many postmodernists that theory and meaningful political action are no longer possible: The end of history is, alas, also the end of the dustbins of history. There are no longer any dustbins even for disposing of old ideologies, old regimes, old values †¦ Conclusion: if there are no more dustbins of history, this is because History itself has become a dustbin. It has become its own dustbin. Just as the planet itself is becoming its own dustbin. (Baudrillard 1994b:26) The negative aspects of the lack of fixity and grounded meaning in identity are thus very evident. Laclau and Mouffe on the other hand, in Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, positively embrace the fluidity and instability of identity. Indeed, they argue that the impossibility of the closure of identity is what makes the social possible (1985:112). Society as such is therefore an impossible object for Laclau and Mouffe, as the field of identities is never fixed, but the continuing attempt to do this renders the possibility of the social. Society resists closure and remains eternally negotiable as the meanings produced to bind the social together are only temporarily fixed at nodal points by articulation (1985:11). Articulation is where social relations and identities are modified. Many differing types of articulations (political, cultural, scientific an so on) are capable of doing this, but the important thing for Laclau and Mouffe is that no one particular articulation totalises and re stricts the ability for other articulations to operate freely. Laclau and Mouffe (1985:13) argue that their concept of hegemony recognises the plurality of struggles and attempts to engage with it: The concept of ‘hegemony’ will emerge precisely in a context dominated by the experience of fragmentation and by the indeterminacy of the articulations between different struggles and subject positions. Hegemony for Laclau and Mouffe refers to the ‘battleground’ of identity. As the identity of the social is fluid and open to negotiation, different types of social articulations and struggles will attempt to hegemonise society to gain recognition. While this attempt at hegemony in itself is not a negative practice for Laclau and Mouffe, successfully achieved hegemony is. It is therefore imperative that a strong egalitarian and democratic framework is in operation for this site of social hegemony. The advent of democracy is therefore a pivotal moment in social history. Here Laclau and Mouffe (1985:186-187) concur with Claude Lefort’s analyses of the ‘democratic revolution’. Society prior to democracy was thought of as a unified body with power being embodied through that of a sovereign monarch, who was the representative of a god or gods. After the democratic revolution, power becomes an empty space without reference to a transcendental guarantor or a r epresentation of substantial social unity. A split occurs between the instances of power, knowledge, and the foundations of law which are no longer absolute. Without these foundations, no law can be fixed and everything is open to questioning. Society cannot be apprehended or controlled, the people become sovereign but their identity can never be totally given. But once we are in a democratic society, we are in danger of totalitarianism. This is because a purely social power can emerge after democracy has destroyed extra-social powers, which presents its power as total and extracts from itself alone the principles of law and knowledge. As there are no longer any foundations or a centre to political power, it becomes necessary to bind together political spaces through hegemonic articulations. But these articulations will always remain partial, as they have no ultimate foundation. Any attempt to deny the radically open nature of the social will lead to totalitarianism, be it a politic s of the ‘left’ according to which every antagonism can be eliminated and society rendered transparent, or a fascist authoritarian fixing of the social into a rigid hierarchical state system. The democratic logic of equivalence can therefore be hegemonised into totalitarianism. The radical openness of identity is therefore impinged with the danger of totalitarianism for Laclau and Mouffe.[5] To avoid this, the diverse and fluid nature of identity should be embraced within an egalitarian and democratic framework, so no particular articulation may hegemonise social identity. This is difficult however as the ultimate lack of closure for identity leads to a necessarily antagonistic network of social relations. Antagonism is caused when a discursive form of one type of identity interrupts another’s discursive frame (1985:154). The inability of a particular identity to successfully assimilate the articulations of another leads to an internal antagonism that becomes the catalyst for a further modification of itself. Hence there is no stable core to any particular identity, identity is always shifting and changing. But this is also how a democratic framework can be constructed. As all identity is open, then democratic and egalitarian ideals can permeate diff erent articulations to avoid totalitarianism: [I]t is only from the moment when the democratic discourse becomes available to articulate the different forms of resistance to subordination that the conditions will exist to make possible the struggle against different types of inequality. (1985:154-155) The openness of identity, once incorporated into a democratic framework, is therefore a positive and progressive phenomenon for Laclau and Mouffe. The impossibility of totalising society is embraced as an opportunity for new fields of thought to be created, free from the tyranny of authoritarianism. We can therefore see a great disparity between Baudrillard’s and Laclau and Mouffe’s notions of the openness of identity. Both perspectives fully accept the lack of stability in identity, yet for Baudrillard this leads to sociological and political impotence, whereas for Laclau and Mouffe this is seen as an opportunity for sociological and political creativity and action. For many theorists however, the apparent differences or similarities between various postmodern theories of unstable identity are merely superficial.[6] They claim that there are deeper problems and inconsistencies within this notion of identity itself. Zizek (2000:106-107), for example, claims that whilst Laclau and Mouffe are vehemently opposed to all forms of essentialism, and seek to affirm the radical contingency of the political and irreducibility of the social, they nonetheless have to rely on a formal existential a priori, such as ‘the logic of hegemony’. In other words, one of the main problems with this type of discourse is that in maintaining that identity and the social is radically open, it has to rely on a certain formal logic. Laclau and Mouffe have to rely on a ‘logic of hegemony’ as the natural state of identity formation and articulation, as they deny that the fluidity of identity is a historical phenomenon: Only in contemporary societies is there a generalisation of the hegemonic form of politics, but for this reason we can interrogate the past, and find there inchoate forms of the same processes that are fully visible; and, when they did not occur, understand why things were different. (Laclau 2000:200) This proposes that all social identity was always-already the result of hegemonic struggles, whilst it is only in our ‘postmodern’ world that we can recognise this. So while the maintaining of the openness of identity is a form of anti-essentialism, it is nonetheless only operable within a rigid essentialist framework. Zizek criticises this approach for its lack of historical analysis. For Zizek (2000:95) it is the process of contemporary global capitalism that has created the conditions for the demise of essentialist politics, and has led us to the ‘recognition’ of the irreducible plurality of identities.[7] Zizek argues that Laclau and other proponents of this postmodern notion of identity do not analyse the logic that makes this possible, and therefore do not engage with any theoretical confrontation with it. In fact Zizek (1993:216) and other notable theorists argue that postmodern theories of identity are merely a product of capitalism and late modernit y:[8] Far from containing any kind of subversive potentials, the dispersed, plural constructed subject hailed by postmodern theory simply describes the form of subjectivity that corresponds to late capitalism.’ Rather than postmodern identity being a liberating and revolutionary new way of rethinking the social, from this perspective it is merely a reaction of late modernity which fails to seriously engage with the major problematic of our time. It is in this sense that Hardt and Negri (2000:138) argue that ‘the postmodernist and postcolonialist strategies that appear to be liberatory would not challenge but in fact coincide with and even unwittingly reinforce the new strategies of rule.’ Postmodern notions of the fluidity of identity bring us to a political and theoretical impasse.[9] But it could be argued that this is only the case if we accept postmodernism itself as a type of totalising theory. The notion of the fluidity of identity is useful and does open up new avenues of theorising and politicising. But as Zizek and others argue, the social and historical processes that have lead up to this should play a greater role in understanding modern or postmodern identity. Some postmodernists such as Baudrillard accept these historical processes, but insist that they are irreversible under a banner of the end of history. Others such as Laclau and Mouffe insist on the positive aspects of the instability of identity, and indeed even insist that it is unavoidable. But what both these positions share is the unavoidability of groundless identity, and the ultimate impossibility of creating positive content for identity. Laclau and Mouffe may argue that positive identity is possible, within a democratic framework. But the problem of failure remains unavoidable; all identity is either a failed attempt at hegemonising the social, or if successful then it is necessarily totalitarian as it denies the radical openness of identity as such. Even in this positive use of fluid identity, negativity is still very much inscribed into its operation. The lack of fixity in identity does indeed seem to correlate with modern or postmodern subjectivity, as Zizek argues above, but claims that make this a universal and necessary phenomenon are fraught with difficulties. References Baudrillard, J. (1988) Selected Writings. Cambridge: Polity Press Baudrillard, J. (1994a) Simulacra and Simulation. Michigan: University of Michigan Press Baudrillard, J. (1994b) The Illusion of the End. Cambridge: Polity Press Bauman, Z. (1992) Intimations of Postmodernity. London: Routledge Brockelman, T. (2003) ‘The failure of the radical democratic imaginary’, Philosophy and  Social Criticism, vol 29 no2, pp 183-2 Butler, J., Laclau, E. and Zizek, S. (2000) Contingency, Hegemony, Universality.  Contemporary Dialogues on the Left. London: Verso Grillo, R.D. (1998) Pluralism and the Politics of Difference State, Culture, and Ethnicity in  Comparative Perspective. Oxford : Clarendon Press Fukuyama, F.(1992) The End of History and the Last Man. London: Hamish Hamilton Hardt, M. and Negri, A. (2000) Empire. London: Harvard University Press Laclau, E. and Mouffe, C. (1985) Hegemony and Socialist Strategy. Towards A Radical  Democratic Politics. London: Verso Lefort, C. (1988) Democracy and Political Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press Lyotard, J-F. (1984) The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. Manchester:  Manchester University Press Sim, S. (1986) ‘Lyotard and the Politics of Antifoundationalism’, Radical Philosophy,  Autumn no 44, pp 8-13 Zizek, S. (1993) Tarrying with the Negative. Kant, Hegel and the Critique of Ideology.  Durham: Duke University Press Zizek, S. (1999) The Zizek Reader. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Zizek, S. and Daly, G. (2004) Conversations with Zizek. Cambridge: Polity Press 1 Footnotes [1] As the negative aspects of postmodern identity are clearly evident (lack of meaning, stability and so on), I will therefore concentrate more on the positive aspects of fluid identity to gain greater insight. [2] See Hardt and Negri (2000:139-140): ‘It is difficult to generalize about the numerous discourses that go under the banner of postmodernism, but most of them draw at least indirectly on Jean-Francois Lyotard’s critique of modernist master narratives †¦ [P]ostmodernist theories are defined by many of their proponents as sharing one single common denominator, a generalized attack on the Enlightenment.’ [3] ‘The dialectical stage, the critical stage is empty. There is no more stage no more stage either of mental or political solidarity.’ (Baudrillard:1990:164) [4] See for example Fukuyama (1992) [5] Here we can see parallels with Lyotard’s antagonism toward meta-narratives. [6] Grillo (1998:219) interestingly claims that there is another problem with postmodern theory: ‘There is an ambiguity in postmodernist writing in the social sciences: are we dealing with an intellectual stance (on language and so forth) or type of culture and society whose features are captured by the phrase postmodern? Or both?’ In other words, postmodernists are generally confused in their theorising, as they cannot adequately account for the origins of the dissolution of identity and meaning. [7] Zizek is not alone in this view. See for example Brockelman (2003:191): ‘[A]t the core of all social systems producing identities is a certain structure, a structure that alone makes possible the formation of diacritical or articulated identities.’ [8] See also Hard and Negri (2000:137-143) [9] Stuart Sim (1986:11) for example reproaches postmodernism for its political ineptitude, arguing that antifoundationalist political approaches are ‘uncoordinated guerrilla campaigns conducted by alienated solipsists – and one wonders how successful that would be.’

Healthy and Safety Review of Business

Healthy and Safety Review of Business WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY BOLT AND CATCH PTY LTD AUDIT AND REVIEW An in-depth review of work health and safety from within the Bolt And Catch Pty Ltd business. This report will additionally include a formal WHS audit and recommendations for improvements to various workplace health and safety aspects of the company. Reported conducted and written by Edin Jusupovic. Scope of Report Report Objectives The objectives will be listed below for this report. Identify Workplace Health and Safety legal requirements for Bolt and Catch. Identify all potential hazards in the B C risk register. Identify potential hazards, assess any associated risk and, in turn, develop appropriate controls for the identified risks additionally record any responsibilities and set key performance indicators in the form of completion dates for any actions that are to be taken. Develop a draft procedure for identifying hazards, hazard assessment procedures and controlling any associated risks. Provide recommendations for ensuring continual compliance with any relevant legislations for workplace health and safety. Conduct an audit of the workplace that will later be used to achieve the outlined report objectives. Parameters The parameters, otherwise known as limitations or scope of this report will be outlined below. Limited to the results obtained through the audit of the report. Parameters limited to the Bolt and Catch business only. Constraints Any applicable constraints to the report will be listed below. Any research must be using appropriate legislations that are applicable Australia wide or local (applicable to NSW) and as such, must not use other any other states workplace health and safety laws or legislations for the purpose of this report. COMPANY BACKGROUND Bolt and Catch is an ASIC registered proprietary limited company located in Australia, New South Wales. The company is a large manufacturer of gate bolts and hinges with a long reputable history of well over seventy years in the industry. The company provides a variety of manufacturing products tailored for both commercial and agricultural use. STAFF Bolt and Catch currently employs 120 people spanning a large variety of company areas. These staff departments include areas such as; Human Resources Marketing and Sales Engineering Trade and Production Personnel. AREA OF WORK Bolt and Catch has a primary area of work in manufacturing gate bolts and hinges. These manufactured goods are then deployed by other businesses for a variety of purposes such as commercial and agricultural use. The company engages in both manufacturing and marketing of the products, alongside sales; this is made possible through dedicated departments within the business. The BC risk register can be seen in Appendix A. This register was obtained through Safe Work Australia Code of practice for management of work health and safety risks, 2011 edition. The BC risk register has several functional components; Hazard Harm as a result of identified hazard Likelihood of hazard occurring Level of risk Effectiveness of current controls Further control requirements and suggestions Control implementation information The following may be used in the risk register as identifiers; Level of Risk Scoring CRITICAL A HIGH B MEDIUM C LOW D Likelihood Scoring HIGH A MEDIUM B INTERMEDIATE C LOW D The BC risk register is an important audit tool for reviewing the workplace health and safety at Bolt and Catch Pty Ltd. Purpose The purpose of this document is to create a procedural system for ensuring hazards are identified, assessed based on risk and are controlled to provide effective safety management in the Bolt and Catch workplace. Introduction Through New South Wales workplace health and safety legislation, we identify a PCBU, or otherwise known as a Person Conducting A Business or Undertaking with certain core safety responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety act of 2011. This legislation states that a PCBU must manage risks to health and safety as far as is reasonably practicable. A risk management system involves considering the careful identification of applicable hazards and providing assessment of these risks and hazards followed by the expulsion and removal of any risks in the first occurrence, or, if this is not possible reducing these risks as far as is reasonably practicable. The risk management system is highly recommended for the following reasons; It is an extremely feasible and easily applicable approach and system. Cost effective when compared to similar management systems. Provides a wide range of support for all associated parties including workers, contractors, visitors and any other people associated with Bolt and Catch. Allows Bolt and Catch Pty Ltd to provide the required level of duty of care to all staff, customers and contractors and, so that the company may meet all necessary legislations pertaining to health and safety. Workplace health and safety hazard identification, assessment and potential control is a continuous process that must be executed throughout various periods and situations, these can include; When new data is made available about a risk and/or if issues or concerns are raised about any existing risk. Continuous improvement by ensuring regular reviews at appropriate times in the workplace. The process should be undertaken if it has not been conducted before. The process should be conducted if a hazard has been identified. Undertaken as part of responding to an incident, regardless of whether an injury has or has not occurred. The process should be executed when any changes are introduced and/or any changes that may affect a hazard or cause a potential new hazard. The scope of this can include any changes in the workplace, equipment, procedures, general environment or practices. The procedure outlined below is designed to be an easily applied guide to assist in ensuring the safety for workers, contractors, visitors and any applicable associated parties with Bolts and Catch Pty Ltd. The policy will assist both workers and management, through careful consulting, to comply with workplace health and safety legislation. Recording and bookkeeping of any risk management activities, such as risk assessments and consultation processes will be required. This process will assist in; Discovering any potential new hazards in the workplace. Monitoring, auditing and reviewing the effectiveness of any applied control measures. Setting and determining control measures in order to expel or minimize the magnitude of any risks in the workplace. Conducting assessments to assess the risks that may potentially result from hazards. Definitions This section will provide clarification for any definitions in the policy. PCBU: A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) is a legal term under WHS laws for individuals, businesses or organizations that are conducting business. A person who performs work for a PCBU is considered a worker. Risk: A situation involving exposure to danger. Risk control: Risk control is the method by which firms evaluate potential losses and take action to reduce or eliminate such threats. Risk assessment: a systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking. Hazard: A danger or risk. Hazard identification: Hazard identification is a process used to identify possible situations where people may be exposed to injury, illness or disease, the type of injury or illness that may result from these and the way in which work is organized and managed. WHS: Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or workplace health and safety (WHS), is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work. Monitor and review: Monitoring and reviewing is a planned part of the risk management process and involves regular checking or surveillance. The results should be recorded and reported externally and internally, as appropriate. The results should also be an input to the review and continuous improvement of the firms risk management framework. ACCOUNTABILITY Ensuring the efficient and effective management of risk requires continual commitment to the process and system from all managers and officers, including any input and involvement of workers or applicable staff. The responsibility of workplace health and safety additionally extends to all management and supervisory staff the scope of their role in WHS is to ensure that this policy, in its entirety, is completely implemented in their areas of potential control and, to consult where possible with workers, contractors and any other applicable staff as part of undertaking the hazard identification, risk assessment and control process outlined in this policy. A key accountability area in any WHS policy are officers; whom have a direct responsibility of safeguarding and ensuring that their area or areas of control are completely compliant with all relevant legislative requirements. Risk Assessment Procedure The bibliography section of this report will provide any references to links, images or resources that have been utilized in production of this WHS report. This page has been left blank Appendix A Location: Date: Hazard What is the harm that the hazard could cause? What is the likelihood that the harm would occur? What is the level of risk? How effective are the current controls? What further controls are required? How will the controls be implemented? Action by Due Date When Completed Some staff in the press room are failing to wear protective equipment. Personal Injury. B B Current controls are intermediate however, not enforced. Further safety training required. Supervision. 05/01/2017 10/01/2017 No protective equipment around the three new Chinese press machines. Limb loss. Personal Injury. A A Current controls are poor as the machines lack protection. Implement and add safety equipment to machines. 05/01/2017 08/01/2017 Noise pollution in progress room, staff shouting to communicate. Prolonged exposure can lead to hearing loss. Inability to communicate. C C Current controls are very poorly effective. Supervision to minimize risk. Find new communication methods Implement safety equipment for ears. 05/01/2017 10/01/2017 New Chinese presses do not have adequate safety features no head guarding around stamp press. Machine may malfunction, cause serious safety issue. C A Current controls are extremely poor and nonexistent. Purchase and implement new safety features for the stamp presses. 05/01/2017 07/01/2017 Imported Chinese presses do not have English instructions and have text translated by an employee. Misuse of machine as a result of poor instructions. B B Current controls are intermediately effective. Obtain certified translated instructions by a translator. Ensure staff review new instructions. 05/01/2017 08/01/2017 Sign placement is incorrect start, jog and stop buttons placed out of sight and directly above operators head, outside line of sight. Inability to shut machine off in event of emergency. Inability to reach controls correctly. Operator(s) hurt or injured. A B Current controls in their current state are poor. Placement of signs will need to be moved and adjusted to ensure it is within compliance. Ensure signs can be viewed. 05/01/2017 10/01/2017 Fork lift drivers in carpark. High risk for people who frequent hotel area may result in accidents. B C The current controls in place are not existent and poor. Implement signage. Train and development for forklift drivers. 05/01/2017 09/01/2017