Critical Analysis of Frustration Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of Frustration Essay The concept of this story is that war can never be justified through self-righteousness. That is, if a person is trying to start a war because he thinks himself to be better than his target, there is no just reason for him to do it. Most, if not all, wars are primarily begun by one man believing himself to be better than is target. This is proven through the history of Rome and other nations. But what makes war justified? Is there ever a reason to destroy another’s life? The answer is no. Starting a war can never be justified. This story proves that. In â€Å"Frustration† a man is trying to find proof that a justified war is indeed possible. His advanced technology allows him to run through computer simulations which, in theory, would find a series of events that would make this man’s war, right. The main issue that is brought up is that a computer, in itself, lacks self-righteousness, meaning that it places a much higher value on human lives than the average human does. But how does this make any difference? Humans naturally believe that they are in some way better than each other. If a man thinks that he is better than another man than what is to stop him from attempting to subdue and enslave the lesser man? It is this self-righteousness, unchanged by generations, that causes all wars. All through that ages humanity has stayed the same in their behaviors and characteristics. This story implies this even at the very beginning of it. â€Å"The whole meal has been prepared by computer. Untouched by human hands†. With these words we know that this story takes place in the future. Herman Gelb, the main protagonist in the story, is at a meeting ith the computer programmer Peter Jonsbeck. Immediately the conversation is turned upon the activities of old man Hargrove, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Herman is intrigued by the fact that Hargrove is intent on finding a war that is justifiable and efficient. At questioning this, Herman get the response from Peter, â€Å"He wants the world to be the way we are-noble, honest, decent, full of respect for human rights and so on†. Now we know that it is the self-righteousness of Hargrove that is leading him to perform these computer simulations. It shows that, in this author’s view, humanity is likely to stay unchanged in the future; ignorant from their distaste of the other man, self-righteousness driving them to believe that they are the best in the world. And so our characteristic of self-righteousness never changes. Our personal beliefs can never justify war. Self-righteousness makes us blind to the true needs of our fellow man, and in the end brings dissent among people, and war. Peter makes the quote, â€Å"And they’re keeping the pressure on us, too. They don’t think we’re perfect†, this shows that self-righteousness never travels one way, that is, one person may think he is superior to someone else but that someone else will not think that person superior to him. In the story the three men all believe that they need to conquer the world in order to make it like them. They use this to justify their reason for war. When Peter says, â€Å"Hargrove thinks it is possible to find some combination of starting conditions and courses of development that will result in clear victory for us and not too much damage to the world, and he labors in constant frustration. , we know that Hargrove is so consumed by his self-righteousness that he labors furiously in order to find some kind of equation that will make his war just. This relates to human nature in a way that is explicitly obvious. We do not want to be alone in the world and therefore try to make others to be like us. Sadly in this process we begin to believe that we are better than our fellow man. This is not so. â€Å"After all†, says Peter, â€Å"It may be that even the losing nations would benefit from being directed by us, with our stronger economy and stronger moral sense. These men in the story are blind. In believing that they have a stronger moral sense, they have proven their humanity. What kind of people, with a strong moral sense, would attempt to take over nations, in order for those nations to be like them. As a people we desire not to be alone but to be supported. However, through this desire, we get blinded from our true motives. Attempting to assimilate a people is not moral or just. It is simply, wrong. As a race we tend to put a much higher value on ourselves and our desires than the needs of our neighbours. Computers have no sense of self-righteousness, which is one of the key components of humanity’s character. Herman mentions to Peter that there would be casualties. In reply Peter says, â€Å"Yes, of course. But the computer will presumably compare the casualties and other damage-to the economy and ecology, for instance-to the benefits that would derive from our control of the world, and if it decides the benefits outweigh the casualties, then it will give the go-ahead for a ‘just war’†. The computers in the story could not find a good enough excuse for a â€Å"just war† because they had no sense of self-righteousness. They did not believe that they â€Å"needed to be in control of the world and subdue other nations. In response to an accusation from Gelb that Peter is in the computer programming business for the money, Peter defends himself saying, â€Å"There won’t be a war. There’s no realistic combination of events that would make the computer decide on war†. The computers put a much higher value on life than Hargrove and the others. Hargrove believed that the other nations needed to be controlled by them in order that they be â€Å"proper† nations. The computers could not justify war by the human’s need to be in control. Gelb is curious as to why there will not be a war so Peter tells him, â€Å"I don’t know any way of programming a computer to give what is most needed in any war, any persecution, any devilry, while ignoring any harm that may be done in the process. † Sadly this is true. Any war, in order to be begun, needs some sort of devilry in order for it to get a kickoff. Computers have no sense of devilry because they have no self-righteousness, and, therefore, they can find a reason to start a war for just reasons. Those reasons simply do not exist. Human nature never changes. Wars are wrought. Lives are lost. These wars can never be justified by man’s need to be superior to his neighbour. Ever since the dawn of mankind, wars have been fought because one man, or people, believed they were the superior. This characteristic had never changed through our history, and it never will. God gave us the command to love our neighbour as ourselves. However, as this story dictates, people often love themselves way more than their fellow man. Destruction and chaos have been driven by humanities self-righteousness. But as the story dictates, self-righteousness is never focused one way. People will not freely believe that someone else is better than them. We want others to be like us because we do not want to be alone in the world. Unfortunately through this process, we begin to believe that we are better than other people. This desire for attention leads to some of the world’s greatest tragedies and depressions. Computers lack what war needs in order to be begun. They lack any sense of devilry and self-righteousness. They place a higher value on life than the average man. Never will they justify war for the sole reason to assimilate another people or nation. No set of equations or circumstances can lead a computer to giving the â€Å"OK† for a just war. It just will not happen.

Symbolism In Heart Of Darkness Essay -- essays research papers

Submitting to Symbolism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every great author posses the ability to create a novel deeply woven in symbolism and subliminal messages. Underneath the literal journey encountered in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness lies a tale saturated with subtle, yet, significant imagery that brings forth the true meaning of the novella. Throughout Heart of Darkness Conrad uses a plethora of simple colors, objects, and places to convey multifaceted images and ideas. His fine execution of the tools of the English language allows him to quickly lure the reader aboard the Nellie and not release him until the horror is over. Although the interpretation of symbols in the Heart of Darkness is elaborate, due to their simplicity they are often overlooked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An overriding series of symbols in Heart of Darkness is the ongoing contrast of white and black, dark and light, and respectively holding representations of good and evil. Amongst most literature white/light relates to a civilized community and black/dark denotes savagery. However, Conrad often depicts many things usually associated with light to be dark in coincidence with the glittering light shed on dark images. Conrad illustrates the wrath of Europe, â€Å"And this also has been one of the darkest places of the earth.† (Conrad 18) Furthermore, Conrad's frequent symbolic combination of life and death is a parallel to light and dark, echoing the fact that the two must exist simultaneously - there cannot be without the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blatant, but often passed over is the symbolism of the number three in Heart of Darkness. First, notice that the book is divided into three chapters. From there Conrad only lets Marlow break from the story three times to let the unnamed narrator speak. As the journey through the Congo progresses it halts its journey at three stations-Outer, Central, and Inner. The triads do not end here, but persist through the characters in the novella. Though they play an integral role in Heart of Darkness only three women are mentioned principally-the intended, Marlow’s Aunt, and Kurtz’s mistress. Contrasting the women is the trio of Kurtz, Marlow, and the narrator. The triplet that binds the book is the various views of Africa from the adventure, economic, and religious standpoints.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The start of the book is ... ...oy him. Towards the close of Heart of Darkness he finds himself amidst a swarm of small flies. The diminishing size of the insects is a representation of the growth in Marlow’s character as his journey progresses. Symbolism as such is one of the great examples of Conrad’s intelligence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heart of Darkness overflows with symbolism and is by far one of the greatest novels of the twenty century. Conrad employs the literary tricks as he unwraps more than just the quest of a man and his trip through the Congo. Looking between the lines helps convey the true meaning in Heart of Darkness and enhance the reader’s enjoyment of the novel. Not to forget that Conrad closes the book with classic symbolism of Marlow in the lotus position closing his spiritual journey. â€Å"Marlow ceased, and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha. Nobody moved fro a time. ‘We have lost the first of the ebb,’ said the director suddenly. I raised my head. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under overcast sky-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.† (Conrad 125)

Organizational Commitment and Communication

The American Red Cross is an organization that helps prevent human suffering during events that leads the human society while in emergency crisis. The American Red Cross has the ability to mobilize the power of volunteers as well as the generosity of donors. The reader will be given a brief description on how different leadership styles affects the group communication within the American Red Cross. The reader will also be given an analysis of the different sources of power found in the organization and how will these affect the organization communication. It is imperative that the reader also understands how the American Red Cross identifies the motivational theories that will be most effective in different cultures. Finally, a description of the commitment of the workforce to the organization and their relationship to the organizations communication will be provided. Leadership Styles and Effects At the American Red Cross there are several leadership styles that are being used. â€Å"Leader's establish direction by developing a vision of the future; then they align people by communicating this vision and inspiring them to overcome hurdles† (Robbins & Judge, 2011. Some of the main leadership styles that affects the American Red Cross are the transactional, charismatic, and transformational. The transformational leadership is the most common style for The American Red Cross. â€Å"Transformational leaders inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests for the good of the organization and are capable of having a profoun d and extraordinary effect on their followers† (Robbins & Judge, 2011. ) Transformational leaders tend to have more passion in everything that they do. The first step as a leader is to have a mission and a vision. Transformational leaders motivate the performance of the followers as well as understanding their strengths and weaknesses so that the leader may align the followers with tasks that will boost their performance. It is important to be a role model to the followers as this action will inspire them and make them more interested while challenging them to take a greater ownership for their work. A charismatic leader will ensure to pay attention to every person making that person feel important. At this time they are scanning the individuals to pick up their moods and their concerns. At this time the charismatic leader will be able to improve their actions and words to suit the situation. Finally, the transactional leadership plays the role in The American Red Cross as the supervisor of the organization. Every organization has to have a chain of command as well as motivation through rewards and punishments. The transactional leader is the leader that holds the followers to rules, procedures, and standards. Sources of Power There are different types of power within The American Red Cross organization. Power is seen as the ability to implementing control over an individual or a group. While everyone has power, each individual possess and utilize power in a way that it will benefit their organization’s needs. Coercive power is the power that is able to punish those who do not follow orders as requested by the leader. On the other hand using coercive power may also be used to influence the decision of that is being made by taking something away as a punishment if he or she does not follow a request that has been made. The American Red Cross uses the coercive power to ensure that their followers follow their rules and guidelines that they have in place. Expert power is the power that shows the person’s knowledge or specialized skills. Individuals will gain more power by showing a greater knowledge of the task that will be performed. The expertise power is a power that should be taken care of to make sure that the leader maintains its credibility. Also it is important to avoid any threatening of the self-esteem of subordinates to ensure any dislikes from team members against the leader creating unhappy team members. Legitimate power is the power that the leader will have when the employees believe that any orders coming from the leader is because of the leader’s position within the organization and they should be followed as requested. This power is developed through time. Communication in Relation to Motivational Theory At the American Red Cross, there are two types of motivational theories which are applied to the organization. The motivational theories are the expectancy theory and the cognitive evaluation theory. The expectancy is the proposal to a person to behave in a certain way by persuading them to select a specific behavior over others to ensure the expected results. On the other hand cognitive evaluation theory is a theory that is designed to clarify the effects of consequences. These are ways that are used to persuade individuals through awards to control desirable behavior. Workforce Commitment The American Red Cross and commitment goes hand in hand. As commitment to the individuals that they help is one of the most powerful ways that they can use to motivate the volunteer helpers to accomplish their tasks and reach the designated goal. It is imperative to at least give a pat on the back to let the individuals know that they are doing a good job and motivating them to continue to work. Being positive and providing the employees or volunteers with positive feedback can help the organization go along ways? As the mission statement of the American Red Cross states, â€Å"The American Red Cross empowers ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts of service. † (American National Red Cross, 2013) The American Red Cross has been a successful organization that will use the power of volunteers to help those that are in need. The transactional, charismatic, and transformational leadership’s styles have an effect on the group communication of the American Red Cross. The leadership styles and the sources of power work hand in hand to ensure that the organization is meeting all of their goals as well as ensuring that the volunteers are on tasks and in a good working environment. The motivational theories are just a way to ensure that the volunteers and employees are committed to the workforce. The American Red Cross is a well-established organization and as long as they follow all of the above this organization will continue to be very successful in anything that they set their minds to do.

theories of sociology - 1205 Words

Running Head: CLASSIC THEORIES OF SOCIOLOGY 1 CLASSIC THEORIES OF SOCIOLOGY Abstract The purpose of this essay is to discuss the three basic theories of sociology. The three basic theories of sociology are functional, conflict, and symbolic interactionism. These theories are studied on the micro or macro level. The micro level is the sum of interactions between people and groups. The micro level analysis is based on small groups and individuals versus the macro level which is viewed on a larger scale and looks at society as a whole. In the functional theory members of society share a common interest of values, beliefs, and behavioral expectations. In the conflict theory there is a constant struggle between resources and†¦show more content†¦One change or shift in society can either make optimal opportunities to the community or create the start of a downward spiral. I have found that all three theories are based on society and how an individual person or a group of people acts or behaves greatly affects each of these theories. It is amazing the amount of cha nges that a person can go through by having to deal with social changes. Lastly, in order to explain which theory best describes our social reality we need to define what social reality means. Social reality is basically created through social interactions, individual motives, and actions. It is a little difficult for me to choose one theory that relates to our social reality that we live in today. I feel that we could easily fall under each theory depending on the circumstances. The functionalist theory is made up of different parts that all work together like a puzzle to build stability or a strong foundation. This theory involves CLASSIC THEORIES OF SOCIOLOGY families and large communities that have a strong bond formed to support one another. We must support and invest in our schools and churches to make a difference in our community. If we lose our church due to lack of finances then our community could lose its faith. The conflict theory is generally when there is a struggle for resources. Let’s face it, today we as a society are struggling with obtaining resources needed as theShow MoreRelatedThe Sociological Theories Of Sociology1198 Words   |  5 Pages1. What is Sociology and who was the founder of Sociology? When and how did Sociology emerge as a field of study? Sociology is study of the human society by observing and doing experiment. Sociology is mainly study in two ways; basic/pure and applied. Auguste Comte was the founder of sociology. Sociology was emerged as a field of study during the 1920s and 1930s. It becomes field of study because people started to observe a lot of things on a society such as: inequality, discrimination, poornessRead MoreThe Social Theory Of Sociology1525 Words   |  7 Pagescomparison to others, sociology is continuing to develop and form to the beliefs and opinions of present and future generations. The definition of sociology is the methodical study of various societies. These societies are thus the sum of all individuals from small clusters to complex social organizations. Sociology studies societies with a scientific perspective, in order to achieve knowledge concerning human society and ways to attain progress within it. This means that sociology helps improve peoples’Read MoreThe Social Theory Of Sociology1476 Words   |  6 PagesSociology has been a recognized academic subject in British universities for over a hundred years. The subject maintains its specialist standard but components of it can be found in various degree courses including teaching, health profession, journalism and, social work. Its influence on such a broad range of disciplines and professions grants it a highly regarded status in the academic world. (Cunningham Cunningham: 2008). Sociology examines the social causes, explains outcomes, concentratesRead MoreThe Major Theories of Sociology Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesInteractionism In the field of sociology, sociologists use many different theories to base their ideas and observations on; however, the three major theories that are used are symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. It is these three theories that will be the focus of this paper. To begin with, we will start with symbolic interactionism. Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead developed symbolic interactionism. In order to understand what this theory is all about though,Read MoreThe Classical Social Theory Of Sociology2749 Words   |  11 Pages Theory Paper Vince Cataldi Classical Social Theory Mary Gallant May 4th, 2015 Abstract Sociology is a study that continues to grow with information everyday. What makes sociology so spectacular is they still base today’s studies off of theories that happened many years ago. Sociology would not be as powerful in today’s society without the basic knowledge it was built on from such people as Emile Durkheim himself. Among many other sociologists Emile Durkheim helped build a subject thatRead MoreTheories Of Sociology : Functionalism And Marxism Essay1894 Words   |  8 PagesThis essay will aim to outline and criticise two critical theories of sociology: Functionalism and Marxism; while exploring their approach towards education in society. As a result, reaching a conclusion that is able to suggest and explain which of these perspectives offers the most accurate analysis of this area. First emerging in the nineteenth-century Europe, the Functionalist approach is a variant of Structuralism and was heavily influenced by Emile Durkheim (Haralambos Holborn, 2008, pp.Read MoreLimitations of theories of sociology of deviance2475 Words   |  10 PagesTheories of Deviance are limited in their ability to explain deviant acts if one adopts the view that these theories are universal. There is no universal, right or wrong theory, rather each theory provides a different perspective which only fully makes sense when set within an appropriate societal context and values framework . The functionalist theories share a common structural explanation of causes of deviance . They assume that conformity in society is achieved through the existence of normsRead MoreConflict Theory : Conflict Criminology, And Sociology799 Words   |  4 PagesConflict Criminology and Sociology Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher and revolutionary socialist. His works, such as the Communist Manifesto, laid the foundation for what is known as conflict theory. According to this theory, it is viewed that criminal behavior is the result of interpersonal and human conflict (Siegel, 2015). In the book, Using Conflict Theory, the authors, Otomar Wehr (2002), describe conflict as â€Å"any behavior that helps the party to achieve its goal that is incompatibleRead MoreCompare and Contrast of 3 Sociology Theories1162 Words   |  5 PagesSociology is the study of society. Through the centuries, sociologists have tried to provide an explanation as to why and how humans interact with each other on a social basis. Sociologists have divided sociology into two levels, microsociology and macrosociology (Sociology). The level of microsociology studies is on a smaller perspective, as macrosociology is the study of society on a larger analysis. Today, sociology has three major t heories: symbolic interactionism, functionalism and conflictRead MoreFeminism and the Sociology Theories behind It1190 Words   |  5 PagesResearch Project Feminism is a sociological theory that analyzes the roles that women and men play in society. Feminism can be defined as the belief of unequal rights between men and women. Women are not always treated equally and this sparks many concerns in our society. There are 2 different theories that will be focused on in this paper, gender-inequality theory and gender oppression. The differences between these two still lead up to the way women are treated in a community or the way men