The Fragility of Freedom Gadamerian :: Gadamer Freedom Essays

The Fragility of Freedom Gadamerian ABSTRACT: This paper examines the nature of freedom in Hang-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics. It focuses on the last section of Wahrheit und Methode advancing the hypothesis that Gadamer’s model of understanding is derived from his particular appropriation of the Platonic notion of the beautiful which poses a passive interpretative posture toward the object of understanding and deprives the activity of interpretation the essential creative quality of freedom. I argue that to the extent that the object of understanding presents itself as immediate revelation of truth, the interpreting subject is reduced to a mere acknowledger of truth as opposed to a creative producer. Opponents of teleological ontology and of philosophy of history have been attracted to hermeneutics as a more congenial perspective for the exploration of such issues as truth and right, knowledge and action, necessity and freedom. The appealing claim of hermeneutics is that universality need not be and should not be absolute as an ultimate end of a process of actualisation. In the view of hermeneutics, a determinate universal converts freedom to necessity however much consciousness may mediate activity. That is, even though activity engenders change, consciousness is more an expression of necessity in relation to the absolute than an expression of freedom. Indeed, in this view, teleological mediation between freedom and necessity is no reconciliation but rather a subsumption of freedom by necessity. To rehabilitate freedom, hermeneutics opts for a non-teleological history with an open, indeterminate future. The departure from teleology finds a new non-essentialist ground for truth a nd universality, namely, mutual understanding. In this paper, I examine Gadamer’s notion of mutual understanding, fusion of horizons, to assess the place reserved for freedom. I focus on Gadamer’s appropriation of the Platonic notion of the beautiful as the model of understanding and I argue that such a notion of understanding poses a passive interpretive posture toward the object of understanding, i.e. tradition or contemporary alien culture. In this model of understanding, I shall argue, the latter presents itself as immediate revelation of truth and thereby deprives interpretation of the productive quality which Gadamer would like to attribute it. I begin by providing some theoretical background to Gadamer’s notion of understanding noting its debt to Heidegger’s phenomenological ontology. I then proceed to examine Gadamer’s appeal to the Platonic dialectic of the beautiful as a model for understanding which highlights, to my mind and as I noted, the latent passivity of Gadamerian interpretati on.

The Problem And Proposed Solutions

The Digital Divide debate encompasses issues that are of social, economic and political import. Meaning to say, the issues regarding the digital divide, as a phenomenon and as a current concern that needs to be addressed, is not merely limited to the issue of the existing disparity in terms of access to technology which transverses different sectors of society. This paper attempts to explicate the digital divide, the debate and the foundational issues concerning the phenomenon/problem.In line with the main task of this paper is the identification of the two most important obstacles that need to be overcome and the two important things that the government needs to create in dealing with the digital divide. In meeting the demands of a global economy, technological advancements especially in the field of telecommunications and information technology are key factors in making possible various transactions faster, cheaper, more reliable and convenient. Needless to say, these technological advances are important tools if companies and other business ventures are to survive in the digital economy.These technological advancements however, are evolving far too fast which consequently generate pressing problems that ought to be considered. On a preliminary note, the aforementioned rapid technological evolution poses serious questions if our societal structures can rapidly adapt to these changes and more importantly, if we, ourselves can rapidly adapt and be able to integrate for ourselves these changes. A good example is the Internet and the online community and it is to this topic that we shall now turn.A fuller understanding of the digital divide phenomenon necessitates an understanding of its underpinnings. As Pippa Norris contends, â€Å"the digital divide is understood as a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing three distinct aspects† (Norris). These three distinct aspects according to Norris are the global divide, social divide and democratic divide, resp ectively. Norris elucidates further, â€Å"The global divide refers to divergence of Internet access between industrialized and developing societies.The social divide concerns the gap between the information rich and poor in each nation. And lastly, within the online community, the democratic divide signifies the difference between those who do, and do not, use the panoply of digital resources to engage, mobilize and participate in public life† (Norris). One may thus infer that these three aspects related to the issue of ‘access’ to the Internet involve not mere social, but also economic and political considerations.In an article entitled, What is the Digital Divide, Harouna Ba makes a similar point as Norris. Ba writes, â€Å"lack of access to networked technology will result in a substantial segment of society having neither the skills nor the means to participate in the progressively more knowledge-based U. S. economy† (Ba). As Ba contends, there is a f elt need to address the issue of access along with the social, economic and political considerations that it entails. At this point, the emphasis is on what Norris calls disadvantaged communities.As mentioned earlier, these communities lack not merely access but also and more importantly, the necessary skills and the means to participate in the digital world. Ba identifies a number of obstacles in dealing with the digital divide phenomenon/problem. But, as I reckon it, in relation to the issue of access, the two most important obstacles in dealing with the digital divide are the issues of the disadvantaged communities’ not having the skills that are necessary and their lack of the means that are necessary.These two are barriers to technological access. One may thus infer that the issue of access only becomes a legitimate issue because of these two obstacles. Again, it is not merely a matter of providing the communities with a greater access to computers and the Internet by lo wering the cost of the hardware and software that hardware and software companies manufacture and sell in the market nor is it merely a matter of increasing the ratio of computers to students in our schools and other institutions of learning.This will not solve the digital divide. The solution to the problem lies on our capability to the address the needs of the disadvantaged communities. There is a need for intervention, so to speak. The government has a significant role in addressing these needs. However, the government’s intervention will not suffice. There is a need for a multi-sectoral cooperation in addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities. A crucial question comes into the scenario. What needs to be done?As Ba sees it, what is needed is to develop community-based technology programs that will support the needs of disadvantaged communities. Ba writes, â€Å"Community technology access models are often grounded on community needs and encompass multiple goals to strengthen neighborhoods, educate youth, promote economic development, connect individuals to the social and economic life of the community, and increase participation in civil society† (Ba). It is of utmost importance that we first assess the needs of the community so that we may provide the appropriate solutions.Furthermore, it is important that technology programs be based on the needs of disadvantaged communities so that these communities themselves may have the opportunity to identify and thereby, integrate what the vital functions of technology are to them and the opportunities that it can provide for them. Such an integration entails that a disadvantaged community sees the relevance of technology in their lives. It may thus be inferred that for Ba, the digital divide may be addressed by people empowerment.Our concerted efforts must be directed to empowering the disadvantaged sectors of society. How can this be done? People empowerment is made possible through community education. As Ba contends, there is a lot of work to be done especially in â€Å"the areas of learning and teaching with and/or about advanced technologies in informal settings for under-served communities† (Ba). This is one of the main reason why government initiatives and interventions in the past only had a limited success in dealing with the digital divide phenomenon.There indeed are initiatives and interventions but they do not address the problem. They miss the point, so to speak. As Ba notes, state governments attempt to address the digital divide via two government agencies; the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Department of Education. The PUC by appealing to telecommunication companies and the likes for universal service and the Department of Education by making provisions for computers in school for those students that do not have access to a computer and the Internet at home.These attempts miss the point because they have been made on the unfounded assumpti on that the digital divide issue is merely an issue of ‘access’ and thus, can be solved by making computers and the Internet more accessible to individuals. But what can these initiatives and interventions accomplish if in the first place, the problem is that individuals from disadvantaged sectors of society lack the necessary skills and the means to be able to access and thereby, utilize technology? The plain truth of the matter is that technology evolves much faster than society can adapt to it.Furthermore, why limit the provisions with the students? Why not youth in general? Why exclude out-of-school youth? This merely shows that the limited success of state initiatives and interventions may be explained by the fact that their assumption is unfounded and that their digital divide programs are not grounded on community needs and thus, ineffective. The digital divide phenomenon/problem is not merely a problem of access. The preceding discussion makes it clear that it i s not a mere matter of identifying â€Å"the have from the have not†.Even this distinction is grounded on further distinctions in terms of the social, economic and the political. These further distinctions albeit different from each other, are very closely interrelated that they all affect changes in the others. Human society is complex. It is not simply a social system. It is also a political system and every political system is also an economic system. The human mind too is complex. There are countless possibilities in terms of scientific and technological advancements. Science and technology evolves too fast.In contrast to science and technology, our societal structures and institutions do not. They do not because there are many other significant things to consider. Perhaps, this is the predicament of our time. Works Cited Ba, Harouna. â€Å"What Is Digital Divide†. August 20 2007. . Norris, Pippa. Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Inter net Worldwide (Communication, Society and Politics). Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Jokes About Engineers and Engineering

Browse this collection of engineering jokes, engineering riddles, and other engineer humor. Definition of an Engineer What is the definition of an engineer? Answer: Someone who solves a problem you didnt know you had, in a way you dont understand. Scientist Versus Engineer A scientist can discover a new star, but he cannot make one. He would have to ask an engineer to do that.— Gordon L. Glegg, British Engineer, 1969. Engineers and Glasses The optimist sees the glass as half full. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The engineer sees the glass as twice as big as it needs to be. Engineers: Wife or Mistress? An architect, artist, and engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with their wives or mistresses. The architect said, I like spending time with my wife building a firm foundation of a marriage. The artist said, I enjoy the time I spend with my mistress because of all the passion and energy. The engineer said I enjoy both. If you have a wife and a mistress, both women think you are with the other so you can go to work get more done. Engineering Joke A girl asked her boyfriend, an engineer, Dont you want to see where I was operated upon for appendicitis?The engineer replied, Oh, I hate to see a hospital. It Takes One to Know One Engineer and Mathematician (males) were given the opportunity to compete for a very attractive woman. But there was one condition: You can only run half the remaining distance between you and the lady. Eng. sprinted forward while Math. didnt. Why arent you running? Asked members of the Committee. Because, by definition, I will never be allowed to reach my target. And you Eng. why are you running? Dont you know the same? Yes, said Eng. my learned friend is correct. But I will get close enough for all practical purposes. Engineer Priorities An engineering major sees classmate riding up on a new bike and asks when he got it. I was walking back from the computer lab when the most beautiful woman I had ever seen rode up on this bike, stopped, took all her clothes off and said to me Take what you want! Good choice, the friend replies. The clothes probably wouldnt have fit you. EE Humor I keep trying to find a phone number in Atlanta, but all the websites keep returning Not Found errors. (Explanation: The area code for Atlanta is 404 as in HTTP 404, the error code for File Not Found) Engineering Degree Joke A graduate with a Science degree asks, Why does it work? A graduate with an Engineering degree asks, How does it work? A graduate with an Accounting degree asks, How much will it cost? A graduate with a Liberal Arts degree asks, Would you like an apple pie with that? Mechanical Engineers, Civil Engineers and Chemical Engineers What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers? Mechanical Engineers build weapons; Civil Engineers build targets. Chemical Engineers are engineers that build targets that explode really well.

Poverty and Homeless People - 893 Words

Homeless â€Å"Home is where the heart is.† We have all heard this saying at least once in our lives but really, is that true? The short story â€Å"Homelessness† by Anna Quindlen discusses this question. For the author, her home is everything to her. It’s a place of certainty, stability, predictability, privacy for not only her but her family and that is all she could ask for. However while covering a story of homelessness, she meets a woman in a bus terminal and she soon gets a different outlook about what matters in a home. Ann was her name. She told Anna that She was wasting her time talking to her because she was just passing through. To prove that she was telling the truth Ann pulled out a manila envelope and brought her photographs.†¦show more content†¦As I went back for Christmas break I can remember the feeling I got when I walked into my room and even more when I lay on my bed. For once in my life I have known what is what was like to be out there on my own, in my own dorm room, doing my own things, in charge of my own life. As a child I never appreciated the value of having my own room to myself because I didn’t know what it was like to not have one. Everything was so simple back then; everything was pretty much handed to me. However as I progressed through this first year I realize that the real life is not like that at all. I need to be able to adapt to change; to be able to make my home wherever I am at. As Ann tells us at some point in life our homes stop being homes and like for me now it was just a place that I come back during breaks. Ann is in a more dramatic situation then mine but it still is the same. She had a home at one time but now she has learned to take her home with her and adapt to the change of everyday life. This story brings to mind a difficult problem. I believe it’s true when Anna tells us â€Å"we work around it, just as we walk around it when it is laying on the sidewalk or sitting in the bus terminal-the problem that is.† We all need to treat the people without homes the same way we treat each other. However the media and the world present a different perspective. They tell us that it’s ok to stereotype them.Show MoreRelatedHomelessness And Poverty : Homeless People1967 Words   |  8 Pagesgeneration, on the other hand, cannot say they have seen the development of homelessness. People who are thirty years old or younger have grown up believing that homelessness was always part of the landscape. The younger generation has come to believe that there have always been homeless people sitting on park benches. When an individual is asked what they see most in a large city like Chicago or New York, ‘homeless people’ is a common response. According to the United States Census Bureau, 320.8 millionRead MoreCauses And Effects Of Poverty And Homeless People1696 Words   |  7 PagesCarolina the problem that is needed to be addressed is pover ty and homeless people throughout the entire state. Some of the problems the are leading causes to poverty and homeless people is unemployment, which is leading to less to none employment opportunities Leading Causes of Poverty†, and income disparity which is leading to many families to not be able to pay bills, buy, or manage income. With the current issue of the causes and effects of poverty and Homelessness in North Carolina, I had to completeRead MoreEssay on Solving Homelessness1416 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual can become homeless, for the most part it is poverty. There are also different concentrations of homeless in different types of environments, such as urban or suburban areas. Last, there is the ever-growing homeless population, and how much money it costs us for others to live in poverty. A way we can help find the solution to this problem, is to know the facts about this lingering subject. People become homeless not because of lack of effort for success, but b ecause of poverty, drug addictionsRead MoreThe Perception of the Homeless1206 Words   |  5 PagesThere are over 3.5 million homeless people in the United States alone (National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness). Within this amount of people there are challenges beyond not having a home that the majority of citizens with a home do not face. These include: thinking about appearance, quality and source of food, living space, and source of money. Those mentioned are just a few things that non-homeless people may overlook when thinking about the challenges of homelessness. As a nationRead MoreNo Look As You Walk Your Routine Route1521 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Over half a million people are homeless. One quarter of homeless people are children.† (â€Å"10 Facts About Homelessness† par. 4). With the growing community of homeless people one-fourth of that is to be composed of homeless children. A person under the age of eighteen years old who have an abse nce of proper housing vital for a standard person and teens who were abandoned or thrown out are considered homeless children (â€Å"Homeless Facts† par. 13). The children who are considered homeless typically do notRead MoreThe Perception of the Homeless1092 Words   |  5 PagesThere are over 3.5 million homeless people in the United States alone (National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness). Within this amount of people there are challenges beyond not having a home that most citizens with a home do not face that include thinking about appearance, quality and source of food, living space, and source of money. These are just a few things that non-homeless may overlook when thinking about the challenges of homelessness. The way that we as a nation perceive othersRead MoreCauses of Homelessness Essay1298 Words   |  6 Pagesthat lead to poverty and homelessness. People often jump to conclusions and form stereotypes to look down upon those who are poor. Stereo types include poor people who are viewed as lazy, jobless, criminals, or un-educated. When I think of a homeless individual, I would agree with most of the stereotypes and find within the reading and researching that there is more to just the mental perceived thoughts. I think one big cause of being in poverty or being homeless is by the choices people make. ByRead MoreHomelessness And Poverty And Homelessness1699 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing ludicrous. But, for homeless people across America, these circumstances are an ordinary part of life. (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty 7) While a portion of today’s society turns a blind eye to the subject of the criminalization of homelessness, an even larger quantity of people are not aware of the situation that is happening in every major city of America. For those living an affluent lifestyle, it can be difficult to discuss the amount of poverty and homelessness that is constantlyRead MoreThe Need to Address Poverty in Canada990 Words   |  4 PagesPoverty is a serious issue in Canada needs to be addressed promptly. Poverty is not simply about the lack of money an individual has; it is much more than that. The World Bank Organization defines poverty by stating that, â€Å"Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time†. In Canada, 14.9 percentRead MoreHomeless People And The United States1648 Word s   |  7 Pagesany major U.S. city poses an all too familiar challenge: avoid the gaze of the scores of homeless people begging on the sidewalks. While you might spare some change to a particularly disheveled looking woman, or a couple trying to buy food for their dog, it is customary to keep your head down in fear of interacting with one of the violent, homeless drunks that litter city streets. Conflict between homeless people and the housed population is not a new phenomena in the United States. With one of the

Life According to Sartre - 1055 Words

â€Å"The Room† by Jean-Paul Sartre takes us on a journey through the conflict of man with the world. Eve makes the choice to sacrifice self identity to care for her mentally ill husband Pierre. In the beginning of the book â€Å"The Wall and Other Stories† Sartre invites us to interpret the text from an existentialist point of view. So we must understand Sartre philosophical meaning of life. â€Å"What is the meaning of life?† Jean-Paul Sartre defines life as first accepting our own faults and strengths, to then understand that the world exists regardless of our actions, and it is only when we actively participate and take responsibility for our place in the world do we honestly experience life. In Sartre’s autobiography The Words he explores the†¦show more content†¦For Sartre, the moment Eve decides she will â€Å"kill Pierre†, when his mind is lost to his dementia, is the most sane thing Eve does. She has been faced with a truth, Pierre is in-sane without any possibility for recovery, and she takes that moment and makes a choice to end his suffering and hers. She is not hiding from the choice and is taking responsibility for that action. Hence in-sanity is Pierre’s life and self-identity, but Eve has another identity to explore. Eve can’t merely state I am the wife of a mentally ill husband, but I am Eve now what am I g oing to do. What I am I to do with this external force and mend it with a choice of action? This is also why for Sartre close relationships are doomed to failure. In order for love, friendship to occur your desire to please the other will undoubtedly cause a friction with your inner self. At some point you must deny your desire for the other, or deny your humanity. Also the object in life, your choice, and the others choice must be mended harmoniously. Otherwise, and in most cases relationships are doomed to failure. â€Å"Hell is other people† (Sartre) She is unable to leave the dark apartment; her relation with parents, friends, and people is strained; she is no longer a part of the world.Show MoreRelatedJean-Paul Sartre’s Philosophy: Radical Freedom and Responsibility 1253 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"We are left alone, without excuse. This is what I mean when I say that man is condemned to be free† (Sartre 32). Radical freedom and responsibility is the central notion of Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy. However, Sartre himself raises objections about his philosophy, but he overcomes these obvious objections. I n this paper I will argue that man creates their own essence through their choices and that our values and choices are important because they allow man to be free and create their own existenceRead More Sartres Philosophy Essay1011 Words   |  5 PagesSartres Philosophy Sartre believed that one day man happened, or occurred, and after this anomalous event man’s life took meaning. With this theory, Sartre articulated the premise that â€Å"existence precedes essence†. Through this assumption, Sartre evolves further ideas in which a human can gain a greater understanding of human nature and responsibility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his theory stating that â€Å"existence precedes essence†, Sartre takes the belief that life has a meaning that far transcendsRead MoreExistentialism : What Is It? Essay1704 Words   |  7 PagesLeDonne 23 December 2016 Period 6 Mr. Reidinger Existence: What Is It? One of the most persistent, haunting dilemmas is the uncertainty of the meaning of life. Although there is no single answer to this enigma, there are countless theories concerning it. For example, one philosophical approach is known as Existentialism. Jean Paul Sartre, a well-known existentialist, introduced his 3-word ideology, existence precedes essence in his lecture titled Existentialism is a Humanism which was presentedRead MoreFree Will and Choices1546 Words   |  7 Pagesconsequences of cause, visible or concealed, that are forced to act according to their proper nature.† (pg. 269) A reading â€Å"The Dilemma of Determinism† by William James’s, he explains that everything that happens in the future is already predicted by the way things are now. In contrast, indeterminism allows some of the loose plays that we make among us, play among parts of the universe, so that the future holds more than just one possibility. According to determinism, the only future that is possible is theRead MoreEssay on Sartre and the Meaning of Human Existence848 Words   |  4 PagesWhere the Meaning of Human Existence is Located According to Sartre The word philosophy comes from Greek and literally means love of wisdom. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines philosophy as a critical study of fundamental beliefs and the grounds for them. Both explanations of philosophy are correct and concrete. The meaning of human existence has no such concrete answer, but in this paper we will examine where Sartre believes it to be. Sartres existentialism is a philosophyRead MoreSartre s Views On The Moral Choices895 Words   |  4 PagesJean-Paul Sartre is a French philosopher who makes his claims based on a combination of two philosophical traditions – existentialism and phenomenology. Sartre himself is an atheistic existentialist. He summarizes his claims regarding existentialism with three words – anguish, abandonment, and despair (25). In this paper, I will talk about Sartre’s definition of existentialism, its relation to essence, Sartre’s views on the moral choices and how they relate to art. Sartre makes the claim that allRead MoreExistentialism And Human Emotions By Jean Paul Sartre1513 Words   |  7 PagesJean-Paul Sartre s novel Existentialism and Human Emotions discusses his philosophy that man is responsible for what he is and what he does; that man chooses his values and makes himself. At the beginning of the book, Sartre defends existentialism against several charges that had been laid against it. Throughout the book, Sartre refers to the basis of existentialism using the phrase ‘existence precedes essence . With this, phrase lies the basis for the argument that Existentialism is a HumanismRead MoreKierkegaard s Views On Faith912 Words   |  4 Pagesexcluded from it and its greatness. Sartre: How could one describe faith as a marvel? Kierkegaard: Faith is a passion, and passion unites every single one of us. Sartre: Faith is not a passion, it is not something to be striven for or to take pride in; it is something that is restrictive and confining to human life and progress. Kierkegaard: Faith is most certainly a passion; it is inherent and natural, and it has the potential to bring us salvation. Sartre: I agree that bad faith is somethingRead MoreSartres Existentialism1745 Words   |  7 Pagescode and way of life based off of this definition, so the philosophy that we adhere to is a guiding factor in the way in which we live. In his speech â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism, † Jean-Paul Sartre defends his philosophy, existentialism, against its critics by arguing that for human existence, precedes essence (20) because we have free will. Due to this, our essence is constructed through the actions we choose to take, so that one â€Å"is no more than the sum of his parts† (Sartre 37), making eachRead MoreJean Paul Sartre on the Anti Semite Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesJean Paul Sartre on the Anti Semite Describe the anti-semitic persons attitude toward reason. How does his attitude toward reason reflect or reveal his general attitude toward life, the human condition and even himself? How does his attitude toward reason compare to the attitude of the rational man? Sartre explains that an Anti-Semite is impenetrable, and it is actually something he strives to achieve. By gaining impenetrability, the Anti-Semite strengthens his beliefs because

Predominate Symbols and Their Meanings Free Essays

Predominate Symbols and Their Meanings Defined Symbolism â€Å"is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself, often of a more abstract nature. † (Wikipedia) Authors use symbolism to give their stories a deeper meaning. We will write a custom essay sample on Predominate Symbols and Their Meanings or any similar topic only for you Order Now Symbols make you look beyond the obvious and see the deeper meaning. † Symbols have emotional and intellectual power beyond their literal importance, and writers often use them to compact large ideas into simple words or phrases. (SPC Blackboard) Authors Shirley Jackson (The Lottery), Susan Glaspell (A Jury of Her Peers), and Katherine Ann Porte (The Jilting of Granny Weatherall) all effectively use symbolism is their stories to convey a deeper meaning, the symbolism in their stories help connect you on a different level. In Jackson’s The Lottery, there are many instances where symbolism is used to represent something else. The first symbol which is probably the most obvious is the title of the story. When you think of the word lottery you think of a prize of some sort, â€Å"In this story the lottery serves as an ironic symbol–something which begins in a harmless and sociable way but ends in tragedy. † (Enotes) Another symbolic reference in this story is the black box that is used to draw from. The box is dilapidated and in need of some major repair, yet it is still used year after year. ‘They base their attachment on nothing more than a story that claims that this black box was made from pieces of another, older black box. (SparkNotes) The black box symbolizes tradition; the people of the town are attached to the box just because it has been around so long they don’t know anything else. There is no reason the villagers should be so attached to the box, just as there is no reason they should continue to hold the Lottery but they do because of tradition. (SparkNotes) The third and most disturbing symbol from The Lottery is the actual stoning. â€Å"Ston ing is one of the oldest and most common forms of execution, but it is also one of the most symbolic. (Bright Hub Education) It is symbolic because in reference to the Bible stoning was the way to execute innocent people. It was also important the â€Å"winner† of the lottery be stoned so that there was not just one executioner. â€Å"This means that no single person has passed judgment or has to carry the guilt for taking a life alone†, the lottery was an institution of the society and not the individual. (Bright Hub Education) Jackson uses symbolism in this morbid story to reference the Bible and make you read between the lines, just like Glaspell does in A Jury of Her Peers. In A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell there is an abundance of symbolism. Basically every small detail in this story is symbolic of something else. The most significant symbols in this story are the bird and the birdcage. Mrs. Hale describes Minnie, before her marriage, as †real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery† (Learner) which can also describe a bird. The bird in its cage represents Minnie trapped in the relationship with John. She is also trapped because there is no lifeline or communication with the outside world, she is having the life drained from her. John figuratively strangles the life out of Minnie like he literally strangles the bird. When he kills the bird, he kills the last bit of Minnie’s spirit. Minnie â€Å"didn’t know what she was about† (Learner) anymore. Another symbolic reference is way Minnie killed her husband, Minnie strangled the life out of John like he strangled the life out of her bird. (Literature Essays) The setting in this story is also symbolic because like Minnie it was very isolated and â€Å"It had always been a lonesome-looking place. (Learner) Minnie reached a breaking point and took matters into her own hands. During this time period there was no divorce or separation, so the woman had either to suffer through it, die, or kill her husband. Her house is also very symbolic of her life, her kitchen was described as â€Å"being in disorder with unwashed pans under the sink, a dishtowel left on table, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, and other disarray. † (Learner) Just li ke her kitchen, Minnie’s life was in complete disarray because of the abuse she endured. Like Glaspell, Katherine Ann Porte author of The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, uses symbolism to relate everyday events and objects to traumatic life events. The title itself is symbolic; to â€Å"Weather† means that someone has gone through a lot and experienced a lot of hardships during their life. Granny had â€Å"weathered† a lot during her life but had forced herself to rise above these situations. Even though she is a weak and dying she wants everyone to think she is fine and doesn’t need anyone’s help. Some f the symbolism that takes place in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall has to do with Granny’s denial. Granny Weatherall is in denial about most of the aspects of her life. She refuses to admit that she is dying, refuses to let anyone think she had her heart broken by the man who left her at the altar. Before she dies she wants to make sure everyone knows she lived a good life and did everything anyone else would do, married a good man, had kids, and lived a good life, even though her heart still pangs because she was jilted. The color blue is also symbolic throughout the story. There are many references to the color throughout the story and as Granny comes closer to dying the color slowly starts to fade. â€Å"At last, blue becomes the color of the light in Granny’s own mind, the light she snuffs out herself. ‘She stretched herself with a deep breath and blew out the light. ’ (EBookBrowse) It comes to symbolize the final stage of Granny’s life, when she is easing into death. † (SparkNotes) These symbols tug at your emotions and make you feel the pain Granny Weatherall has endured throughout her life. By using symbolism, these authors add layers to their stories. These layers make the stories more effective on an emotional level. They force you to read between the lines and force you to see the hidden importance in even the smallest of details. Works Cited Bright Hub Education. n. d. 27 October 2012. . EBookBrowse. n. d. 29 October 2012. . Enotes. n. d. 28 October 2012. . Learner. n. d. 28 October 2012. . Literature Essays. n. d. 28 October 2012. . SparkNotes. n. d. 28 October 2012. . SparkNotes. n. d. 29 October 2012. . SPC Blackboard. n. d. 27 October 2012. . Wikipedia. n. d. 26 October 2012. . How to cite Predominate Symbols and Their Meanings, Papers

Entrepreneurship in Food and Beverage Industry

Question: Discuss about the Entrepreneurship in Food and Beverage Industry. Answer: Introduction Food and beverage industry is known as a complicated, worldwide collective of diverse businesses that supply most of the food consumed by the world population. The morn food and beverage industry includes agriculture, food dispensation, manufacturing (farm machinery, agricultural construction, seed and supplies), marketing, food service, wholesale and distribution, regulation, education, research and development, financial services and advertising. Agriculture is known as the method of producing food, feeding products and other required products by the cultivation of specific plants and the raising of domesticated animals (Chittithaworn et al., 2011). In the method of food processing, raw ingredients are transformed into food people. Several types of food production methods are one off production, batch production, and mass production and just in time production. From the time of World War II, agriculture in the United States of America and in the entire world, food system is charact erized by models that mostly focus on monetary profitability at the expense of social and environmental integrity. However, recently the conventional characteristics of food industry have changed a lot (Jolink Niesten, 2015). Companies are now focusing on human health and environment safety while manufacturing foods. A rapid change is experienced in this industry which is making it difficult for entrepreneurs to start a new venture. Challenges in Entrepreneurship in Food and Beverage Industry Establishing vision and business idea Establishing a business idea is the first challenge faced by the entrepreneurs in food and beverage industry when starting from scratch. In this industry it is quite a difficult task to find out proper business opportunity and creatively establishing an idea (Serafimova Angelkova, 2013). The first true task of an entrepreneur is to envisioning the idea. An entrepreneur must be able to see things that others cannot see. In food and beverage industry, consumer trends and demands are changing so fast that it quite challenging for the entrepreneurs to fix a particular vision for his organization. Business location Another major challenge faced by the entrepreneurs in food and beverage industry is related to the location of the business (Liang, 2014). Food and beverage companies entirely depend on the consumers living around. Therefore, it is important that they select a location where demand for food and beverage is high. Identifying such an area is a difficult task for the entrepreneurs. Qualified employees Most managers of an organization think that finding good employees is an easy task. Actually it is an easy task if labor supply is high and if other organizations in the same industry are not delivering satisfied wages and other benefits (Bridge O'Neill, 2012). However, in todays business context, most of the food and beverage companies are offering not only satisfying wages but also offering number of benefits such as incentives, bonuses payments, healthcare services and flexible working hours. Therefore, it is quite tough to attract experienced employees from other organizations. Loyal consumers This another critical challenge for the entrepreneurs while opening a new venture in food and beverage industry. In any business there are good consumers and bad consumers. Good consumers who will stay loyal with the organization and will forgive the company if any mistake is committed are hard to find in food and beverage industry. In this industry, consumers choose based on the taste of the foods, price and ambience (Schaper et al., 2014). They will never hesitate to change a restaurant if any other restaurant is offering the same food at a lower price. Extreme competition Competition in the food and beverage industry is the next challenge that entrepreneurs face while staring a new venture. Most individuals see competition as a plague; however, without competition there would be no innovation in any industry. In food and beverage industry competition is enormous (Karlan Valdivia, 2011). Famous food chains such as PizzaHut, Dominoz, Burger King and KFC are continuously introducing new products to allure consumers. In this scenario, it will be difficult for an entrepreneur to start a new venture and attract consumers. Industrial changes and trends Change in trends is a challenge than an entrepreneur must be prepared for when starting a new venture. Rapid changes in industrial trend and consumer trend have wiped out a lot of businesses (George Bock 2011). One such big example is Dot com trend; a number of industrial based organizations were wiped out by new web based dot com companies. In food and beverage industries, consumers trends change almost daily. Currently the consumers are shifting towards healthier foods. That is why; food and beverage companies are focusing on providing healthier foods. It is possible that in future this trend will change. When a trend changes, companies will higher revenue will be able to consume the shock (Khan et al., 2013). New ventures will not be able to restructure entire business to meet the new consumer and industrial trends. Entrepreneurship activities in Food and Beverage Industry In food and beverage industry, entrepreneurs are increasingly keen to change the way consumers eat. In the year of 2015, consumers have experienced the rise of Sourdough. More quirky cafes are popping up every day and the chances to rent a chef to cook are becoming common (Barringer, 2012). A number innovative stat ups are also seen in the food and beverage industry. By the end of 2014, food and beverage industry of UK was worth 103 billion. It developed new job opportunities and introduced several new products in the market. OLIO is another start up in food and beverage industry where the organization has launched a free smart phone app that allows people of London to get their hands on excess food items (Baregheh et al., 2012). Unlike other business apps, this app also helps the users to connect to local businesses. On the other hand, another trend can be seen in food and beverage entrepreneurship which is to provide health food and drinks items. These new business are using innovative concepts, fresh and healthy ingredients, fun branding and convincing messaging such as guilt-free snacking and low calorie indulgence along with ethical conscience. Until now, not much of healthy food and drink businesses has achieved success (Koellinger Roy, 2012) However, now the trend is different. Companies such as Innocent Drinks, Ellas Kitchen and Vita CoCo are gaining tremendous success. That is why, if an entrepreneur wants to open a new business in food and beverage industry, it I the best time to do that. Factors that influence of the probability of new venture success Start up venture always depends on various critical factors, which are influential for the accomplishment of success. In this context, the smooth availability of these factors are highly encouraging for creating new fast food ventures. These factors are described below: Infra-structural facilities: The external environment is highly imperative for the success of any fast food business venture. In this context, the infrastructural facilities play a significant role in encouraging the entrepreneurs for starting new fast food ventures (Hatten, 2015). The smooth operation of infrastructural facilities enables the entrepreneurs to avail communication facilities, transport, water connection, electricity, raw material, latest technology as well as industrial site. These particular elements are considered as the pillar of the fast food business operation. Therefore, the enhanced availability of these crucial fast food business elements would naturally encourage the entrepreneurs to start up new venture. In addition to that, the fast food business operation is also needed various licenses, which cannot be achieved in less developed infrastructural facilities. Economic climate: The level of entrepreneurial opportunity is considered as the major influencer for starting up new venture. Therefore, suitable economic climate is one of the most important factors for starting up a specific new venture. A suitable economic climate includes consumer demand, finance availability, economic condition as well as competitions. In addition to that, the competition is also crucial factor, as greater competition would naturally discourage any entrepreneur to start up new fast food business venture (Onetti et al., 2012). The greater numbers of fast food business venture is also immensely depended on the availability of finance. Therefore, sluggish economy would drive back the fast food business start ups, as the banking system would not be able to support a start up fast food business. Training and Guidance facilities: The facilities of training and guidance are also quite essential for starting up new fast food business ventures. Excellent training and guidance facilities are quite capable to offer enhanced access to entrepreneurial training programs as well as greater availability of consultancy facilities (McKenzie Woodruff, 2013). Without the availability of training programs and guiding facilities the entrepreneurs face critical dilemma at the time of starting production. In addition to that, without the proper guidance systems the new fast food business organizations experience critical dilemmas to manage the regulatory policies at various stages of fast food business operation. As the market factors are significantly dynamic, the new fast food business organizations are highly depended on training and guidance facilities. State Regulation: The opportunity for successful fast food business operation highly depends on the state regulations. These state regulations can therefore significantly encourage the entrepreneurs to start up new fast food business (Koellinger Roy, 2012). The success of starting up process in new business is greatly depended on the level of bureaucratic cooperation, governmental economic restrictions, foreign exchange availability as well as import and export policies. Majority of the governments in the world is focused on rapid economic development, therefore offers a favorable business environment for the entrepreneurs. These favorable business environments help the organization to attain cooperation from the bureaucratic departments. At the same time, the economic restrictions are also elevated from the new start up of fast food business. Hence, it can be easily understood that the state regulations has the capability to encourage greater numbers of fast food business start up ventures. Conclusion There is multitude of challenges are present in the market for the entrepreneurs in the context of starting up new business ventures. Despite of these challenges, the entrepreneurs has the most favorable opportunity to start up new business in the food and beverage industry. The growing popularity of the health food has created a greater opportunity for the entrepreneurs. Moreover, the less cost of production would be also vital factor making this line of business immensely profitable. The discussion has also helped to identify the major factors that would be crucial for starting up new fast food business ventures. In this context, it is suffice to say, that this market trend can change with the change of consumer perception. This possibility poses a greater threat for the new business than developed business. Therefore, the entrepreneurs also need to consider this particular threat before starting the business of healthy food. References Baregheh, A., Rowley, J., Sambrook, S., Davies, D. (2012). Innovation in food sector SMEs.Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development,19(2), 300-321. Barringer, B. (2012).Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures, (2012). Bridge, S., O'Neill, K. (2012).Understanding enterprise: entrepreneurship and small business. Palgrave Macmillan. Chittithaworn, C., Islam, M. A., Keawchana, T., Yusuf, D. H. M. (2011). Factors affecting business success of small medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand.Asian Social Science,7(5), 180. George, G., Bock, A. J. (2011). 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