Colonialism and Independence: Nigeria as a Case Study :: Research Papers

Colonialism and Independence: Nigeria as a Case Study During the colonial period in Nigeria (from about 1850 to 1960), the British, like any other colonial power, asserted their dominance through a variety of media. The colonial experience of Nigeria and Britain, and Nigeria's early post-colonial history can be described, roughly chronologically, in three phases or periods: the formation of a ‘captured' colony, the education and inculcation of ‘proper,' British ways (i.e., the ‘taming' of the colony), and the immediate aftermath of colonialism (i.e., the ‘independence' of the colony). This essay attempts to scrutinize these periods in the light of the theories of Karl Marx, Ernest Gellner, and Jack Snyder. My claim is that Nigeria's colonial relationship with Britain, in general, reflects Marx's theory of the dichotomy between the oppressor and the oppressed, Gellner's theory that domination and oppression is disseminated through educational means, and Snyder's theory on the risks and dangers that young, ‘immature' †¦ countries face when they gamble on democracy The formation of a ‘captured' colony How does one capture a colony? The simple answer is â€Å"Look at Nigeria.† The ‘capture' of Nigeria by the militaristic British was one of the early distinct indications of its colonialism; thus, it attracted mixed responses. As described by Elizabeth Isichei, an acclaimed Nigerian socio-political critic, many Nigerians were deemed ‘collaborators' for helping the British, the public was seen as defiant, but passive, and others were believed to have been ‘rebels' (Chapter 14). To adapt one of Isichei's claims, Nigeria's â€Å"confrontation with an alien culture, its conquest, and the experience of an alien rule, created †¦ [crises]† (180). There were many riots and conflicts between the Nigerians and the British, although most of the uprisings were eventually subdued by the military power of the British. Riots were common—from the culturally rooted Yoruba riots in the West and the religious skirmishes with the Muslims and Hausa in the North, to the confrontations with the naturally ‘rich,' yet stubborn Igbo and Delta states. Apart from encompassing all the major ethnic groupings and regions in Nigeria, amazingly these conflicts also covered the three most explicit British inculcations: cultural, religious, and economic.

Resource Leveling

Resource Leveling Resource leveling is the process that ensures resource demand does not exceed resource availability. The ideal scenario would be a build up of resource usage at the beginning of the project and a reduction at the end of the project. However, the approach to resource leveling will also depend on whether resources are dedicated to a particular project or shared across several projects and whether there is a need to keep all resources fully utilized. Introduction: Resource leveling is a technique in project management that overlooks resource allocation and resolves possible conflict arising from over allocation.When project managers undertake a project, they need to plan their resources accordingly. This will benefit the organization without having the face conflicts and not being able to deliver on time. Resource leveling is considered one of the key elements to resource management in the organization. An organization starts to face problems if resources are not alloc ated properly i. e. some resource may be over allocated whilst others will be under allocated. Both will bring about a financial risk to the organization. The Two Key Elements of Resource Leveling:As the main aim of resource leveling is to allocate resource efficiently, so that the project can be completed in the given time period. Hence, resource leveling can be broken down into two main areas; projects that can be completed by using up all resources which are available and projects that can be completed with limited resources. Projects which use limited resources can be extended for over a period of time until the resources required are available. If then again, the number of projects that an organization undertakes exceeds the resources available. Then it's wiser to postpone the project for a later date.Structure of Resource Leveling: Many organizations have a structured hierarchy of resource leveling. A work based structure is as follows. * Stage * Phase * Task/ Deliverable All of the above mentioned layers will determine the scope of the project and find ways to organize tasks across the team. This will make it easier for the project team to complete the tasks. In addition, depending on the three parameters above, the level of the resources required (seniority, experience, skills, etc. ) may be different. Therefore, the resource requirement for a project is always a variable which is corresponding to the above structure.Establishing Dependencies: The main reason for a project manager to establish dependencies is to ensure that tasks get executed properly. By identifying correct dependencies from that of incorrect dependencies allows the project to be completed within the set time-frame. Here are some of the constraints that a project manager will come across during the project execution cycle. The constrains a project manager will face can be categorized into three categories. * Mandatory: These constraints arise due to physical limitations such as experi ments. * Discretionary: These are constraints based on preferences or decisions taken by teams. External: Often based on needs or desires involving a third party. The Process of Assigning Resources: For resource leveling to take place, resources are delegated with tasks (deliverables) which needs execution. During the starting phase of a project, idealistically the roles are assigned to resources (human resources) at which point the resources are not identified. Later these roles are assigned to specific tasks which require specialization. Leveling of Resources Resource leveling helps an organization to make use of the available resources to the maximum. The idea behind resource leveling is to reduce wastage of resources i. . to stop over allocation of resources. Project manager will identify time that is unused by a resource and will take measures to prevent it or making an advantage out of it. By resource conflicts, there are numerous disadvantages suffered by the organization, su ch as: * Delay in certain tasks being completed * Difficulty in assigning a different resource * Unable to change task dependencies * To remove certain tasks * To add more tasks * Overall delays and budget overruns of projects Resource leveling Techniques: Critical path is a common type of technique used by project managers when it comes to resource leveling.The critical path represents for both the longest and shortest time duration path in the network diagram to complete the project. However apart from the widely used critical path concept, project manager's use fast tracking and crashing if things get out of hand. * Fast tracking: This performs critical path tasks. This buys time. The prominent feature of this technique is that although the work is completed for the moment, possibility of rework is higher. * Crashing: This refers to assigning resources in addition to existing resources to get work done faster.Associate with additional cost such as labor, equipment etc. Conclusion : Resource leveling is aimed at increasing efficiency when undertaking projects by utilizing the resources available at hand. Proper resource leveling will not result in heavy expenditure. The project manager needs to take into account several factors and identify critical to non critical dependencies to avoid any last minute delays of the project deliverables. Why is there a need for resource leveling? If resources are not leveled, resources are either over allocated or under allocated (or both).Overallocation means the scheduled work is not likely to occur (or the resource may be annoyed, overworked or burned out). Under allocation means suboptimal utilizing and billing of resource, lowering of profitability. Lastly, your schedule won’t be accurate, unless resources are correctly loaded. Over-allocation can occur as the result of various events: * Increased work on a task that causes the finish date to overlap with another already assigned task. * A forecasted finish that c auses a task to slip also delaying a successor dependency to start late. Full time assignments to tasks that start and end at the same time or overlap. In the perfect world of dedicated project resources, resolving these conflicts is more a decision of whether the project schedule has sufficient slack to accommodate leveling or whether the current schedule is not constrained by hard finish dates. In organizations that share resources across projects the contention for critical resources and trying to ensure that they are aligned with most important initiatives often leaves project plans with over-allocations that are not only impossible to meet but also impossible to deliver. Read also: Conveyor Belt Project

Vehicle of Social Expression

Music is the most powerful vehicle of human expression. As the embodiment of love, disapproval, happiness, experience – life, music speaks to us, because it comes from us. Each people, in each paradine of the human experience instinctively and systematically change the music of the past to represent the realities of the present. In this century, black music, more specifically Soul music, has been that music that has brought to plain view that which evidences our humanity – hope, hurt, joy and passion – in such a way that the world has no other choice than to feel its power and marvel in its brilliance. When one discusses the relationship between Soul music and the civil rights movement, it becomes a dialouge very akin to that of the chicken and the egg. The period of â€Å"Classic Soul† is that period primarily, but not exclusively referenced as the 1950†³s, 60†³s and 70†³s (Stephenson 186). This is the time frame of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the impact of the massive changes going on, are reflected in the music and the culture. So one would be correct in both assuming that the Civil Rights Movement gave rise to Soul music, as much Soul music contributed to the success of the campaign for civil rights. Soul music during its heyday, did more than simply entertain. For a race of people it served as a source of motivation, strength and education, for a people immersed in turmoil and tragedy. The institution of segregation had effectively inhibited the general populace†s awareness of the great achievements and contributions made by African-americans throughout the history of the United States (Franklin 429). Inasmuch, Soul music sought to bring that undersight to light. Soul songs like Donny Hathaway†s â€Å"To Be Young, Gifted and Black,† was revolutionary, in that they sought to instill pride of one†s history, but at the same time motivate a new generation to reach new heights. As Hathaway says, â€Å"We must begin to tell our young, ‘Don†t you know that there is a whole world waiting for you? â€Å"†, he is calling for the teaching of black pride to the youth, which was a wide spread trend in black communities of the '60s and '70s (Hathaway). James Brown†s â€Å"Say It Loud, I†m Black and I†m Proud,† became an anthem for the movement (Brown). The song†s lyrics like, â€Å"†¦. Don†t quit moving, until we get what we deserve†¦ we†d rather die on our feet, than keep living on our knees,† were words of inspiration for those involved in the struggle for equality. â€Å"Whereas the predominant theme of rhythm and blues was love and other kind of human relationships, soul singers voiced concern about the social injustice, racial pride, black militancy, and forms of protest (Southern 517). Eileen Southern†s statement on Soul music greatly describes the type of works produced by Hathaway and Brown at the time, yet was definetly not exclusive to these two artists. The period wherein Soul intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement, produced music greatly influenced by the environment in which its creators lived. Donny Hathaway†s, â€Å"Ghetto,† and Marvin Gaye†s â€Å"Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler),† speak of the harshness of life in the Inner City (Hathaway/Gaye). Societal ills and political unrest were a major theme of Soul music, and Marvin Gaye†s work, almost more than any other artist, was demonstrative of this fact. Gaye†s album What†s Goin On, was his commentary on the social problems of the period, and through its success tremendously impacted the increasing social awareness. Despair within the black community was given voice in Gaye†s â€Å"Inner City Blues†. Inflation, taxes, unemployment and police brutality were numbered among the themes addressed in the song. The sense of hopelesness of the piece can best be conveyed in the line saying, â€Å"this life ain†t worth the living†¦. makes me wanna holler, throw up both my hands! â€Å"(Gaye). â€Å"Save the Children† goes on to ask: â€Å"Who is willing to try and save a world that is destined to die? â€Å", yet goes on to say â€Å"live life for the children†¦ let†s save the children (Gaye). So, even in the midst of great despair, Gaye, and other artist of his genre, did believe in the possibility of change. â€Å"Ball of Confusion,† debuting in 1970, gave the Temptation's take on the societal ills plaguing their times. It explored the white migration to the suburbs, urban riots, politicians, etc. , as it expressed the sense of turmoil experienced during that time which seemed to all come together in a â€Å"Ball of Confusion. † The lyrics state that â€Å"the only person talking about love my brother is the preacher†¦ the only person interested in learning is the teacher†(Temptations). These lines express a theme of love and education as the cure to society's problems. In a deeper sense, it says that people should focus on solutions, not the problems which create despair. In the spirit of this solution-based songwriting, a strong, no-holds-barred message to youth about the importance of getting an education was given voice in October of 1966. James Brown's â€Å"Don't Be a Drop Out† is a story of a drop out who compares himself to friends who continued their education. The song says, â€Å"they kept on pushing when the going got tough, and now they know that things don't seem so rough†(Brown). James Brown knew the importance of this first hand having no formal education. He implemented a program which encouraged kids to stay in school and gave scholarships for those that wanted to go to college. Brown also worked to improve the quality of education in urban areas. He later releases two anti-drug songs, â€Å"King Heroin† and â€Å"Public Enemy No. 1. † He had realized the devastation that drugs brought to the black community and the songs were used as the tool to educate blacks about their danger. James had become a role model for black youth not only through his music but through his commitment to the black community, thus serving as a shining example of the lessons of his music. Brown's message of change by improving currently existing systems was conservative in comparison to some more radical artists. These artists, like the Last Poets, belived that change would only come around through a revolution. The Last Poets who use a combination of spoken word and music in their song â€Å"Niggers Are Scared of Revolution† exemplify this. The song addresses apathy in the black community about black revolution and the lack of participation in the movement (Last Poets). Gil Scott Heron is an artist with a similar message. His work â€Å"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised† discuss the media's purposeful ommitasnce of pertinent black issues, and the manner in which change will occur. The song â€Å"Power to the People† by the Chi-Lites was originally the slogan for the Black Panther Party. â€Å"Young, Gifted and Black† by Nina Simone, â€Å"People Get Ready† by the Impressions and Edwin Starr's â€Å"War† are just a few of the many songs which drew the black community together to raise social consciousness. Black music, specifically Soul music, will never diasppear. Though the motivation for the music may change nominally, the spirit behind it will always stay the same. Passion, pain, despair, love and hope, will forever remain key elements of the human experience. This truth is the reason in which we have seen Soul music change to fit the times in which it exists. Some hip-hop artists such as De La Soul, Public Enemy and even Arrested Development carried a strong message of social change. Yet, their time too was limited as the black American climate slightly changed. Today artist such as the crowned king and queen of the newly dubbed category of â€Å"Neo-classic soul† bear the torch. D'Angelo and Erykah Badu talk about revolution and the state of the black community and relationships. Badu's â€Å"On and On† expresses her thoughts of how she feels that we are born into the middle of a world in constant struggle as she says, â€Å"†¦. my life keeps going like a rollling stone†¦.. I was born under water with three dollars and six dimes (a metaphor to 360 degrees in reference to her never-ending struggle)†(Baduizm). D'Angelo addresses the rampant use of marijuana in his â€Å"Brown Sugar† as he writes, â€Å"I want some more of your brown sugar†¦. your love makes me high right to the sky†¦. my eyes are blood burgundy. † His Devil's Pie addresses drugs and money (Belly Soundtrack). Both Badu and D'Angelo give their takes on bad relationships in â€Å"Tyrone† and â€Å"Shit, Damn, Mother Fucker,† respectively. Badu's â€Å"Other Side of the Game† even addresses the issue of being involved with a man who sells drugs. She writes, â€Å"Do I really want my baby†¦.. work ain't honest, but it pays the bills. The subject matter addressed by Badu and D'Angelo express many of the problems endured by today's generation, some of which may not have been experienced in the same manner of generations past. Music is an expression of life. Hence, it can only be a reflection of life's experiences. Soul music speaks directly to the human experience. It attacks the maladies of our existence. It empathizes with our pains, and rejoices in our happiness. Masterfully, has it changed so as that it remains sensitive to our needs today. Only the beat has changed. The Soul of soul, however, the message, will always remain.

foreign policy essays

foreign policy essays Australia was a good friend to the Indonesian independence movement in the years after World War 2, but Australia stood silently by as Dutch New Guinea was given to Indonesia. Again, Australia stood on the sidelines when Indonesian soldiers killed Australian journalists in Balibo, invaded East Timor and annexed the territory in 1975. [Review, November, 1995] Australias indecisiveness in matters of foreign policy has significantly affected the make up of the regions political structures. Bipartisan political inactivity in Australia, prevalent during the quiet time 1955-1965 compounded earlier decisions of foreign policy made in the highly active post WW2 period. Throughout and after the Second World War, Australia was an avid supporter of the Indonesian separatist or independence movement seeking self-determination from the colonial Dutch government. Indonesia had been in a state of hostility and fear for decades. The few enraged independence rebels, regular feeble attempts at revolution were put down harshly and without question by the Dutch Colonial Forces. Australias political arrogance in providing illicit support for the rebels, yet having a head in the sand attitude to subsequent results of their actions contributed immensely to the Indonesia problems of today. ...

The Rape of Lucrece Themes

The Rape of Lucrece Themes Shakespeares greatest poem is  The Rape of Lucrece. Explore some of the key themes in this classic text. The Plague It has been suggested that this poem reflects fears about the plague, which was rampant in Shakespeare’s England. The dangers of inviting a stranger into your home could result in your body being ravaged by disease, as Lucrece is ravaged. She kills herself to save her family from shame, but if the rape signifies the plague might she kill herself to prevent the disease from spreading? The play was written at a time when the theaters would have been closed to prevent the spreading of the plague and may, therefore, have informed Shakespeare’s writing. The story would have been familiar to Elizabethans and various versions of it were already available. Love and Sexuality The Rape of Lucrece serves as an antidote to Venus and Adonis in that it provides a moral contrast to how it deals with the idea of love and sexuality. Tarquin is unable to subdue his desires despite misgivings and he suffers for this, as does the undeserving Lucrece and her family. It is a cautionary tale of what can happen if you let your desires run free. Tarquin, Lines 267-271 Why hunt I then for colour or excuses?All orators are dumb when beauty pleadethPoor wretches have remorse in poor abuses;Love thrives not in the heart that shadows dreadeth;Affection is my captain, and he leadeth This play is a contrast to the romantic comedy of As You Like It, for example, where the pursuit of love and affection is treated in a light, though hard-won, way. This poem highlights the dangers of self-satisfaction and pursuing the wrong person. The pastoral is replaced by the military and instead of a game; the pursuit of a woman is seen as the spoils of war but in the end, it is seen for what it is which is a kind of a war crime. The poem comes under the genre known as the complaint, a type of poem which was popular in the late middle ages and Renaissance. This style was particularly popular at the time when this poem was written. A complaint is usually in the form of a monologue in which the narrator laments and bewails their fate or the sad state of the world. The Rape of Lucrece fits the complaints’ highly elaborate style, which uses digressions and long speeches. Themes of Rape Violation often takes Biblical images in The Rape of Lucrece. Tarquin takes on the role of Satan in the garden of Eden, violating an innocent and incorruptible Eve. Collatine takes on the role of Adam, who lures Satan in with his boastful discourse about his wife and her beauty. When he takes the apple from the tree, the Snake enters Lucrece’s bedchamber and violates her. Lines 85-87 This earthly saint adored by this devilLittle suspecteth the false worshipper,For unstained thoughts do seldom dream on evil. Collatine is responsible for inciting Tarquin’s desires and redirecting his rage from the enemy in the field to his own wife. Tarquin becomes jealous of Collatine and instead of vanquishing an army, his desires are redirected towards Lucrece as his prize. Lucrece is described as if she is a work of art; Lines 27-28 Honour and beauty in the owner’s armsAre weakly fortressed from a world of harms. Tarquin’s rape of her is described as if she is a fortress under attack. He conquers her physical attributes. Through her suicide, Lucrece’s body becomes a political symbol. As feminism later coined, the personal is political and the King and his family are finally overthrown to make way for the Republic to be formed. Lines 1849-1855 When they had sworn to this advised doomThey did conclude to bear dead Lucrece thenceTo show her bleeding body thorough Rome,And to publish Tarquin’s foul offence;Which being done with speedy diligence,The Romans plausibly did give consentTo Tarquin’s everlasting banishment. Source Shakespeare, William. The Rape of Lucrece. Paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, March 11, 2018.

Change mangement in Qantas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Change mangement in Qantas - Essay Example This section will illustrate the specific principles through the application of the KT approach of project management. This approach will split the project into three basic areas, in which communication occurs over all levels as shown below; The KT process will help Qantas in the analysis of implementation of goals via a systematic process of decision-making. It will apply in this case because it aids in achievement of improved satisfaction of customers, increasing sales, and the elimination of problems in sales (Biech, 2010: p44). The first step is analysis, where they will come up with rough goals to improve business like marketing of new products to clients. The management team will collect information from market data, databases, competitors, and customer surveys and sort through it to collect information accurately since this data forms assumptions on which all KT steps in the future will be undertaken. The second step is the strategy where Qantas, using all relevant data will h ave its management craft cost effective plans that accomplish the goals. They will take into consideration all barriers that may hinder the objectives, scope and types of products and services offered, new business sources, how to attain competitive advantage, as well as goal timeframes (Biech, 2010: p45). Following the strategy creation, a project design will be created and presented to the owner. In the third step, Qantas will consider the designs presented by the managers, as well as have the managers pitch strategies in the strategy session. Qantas, using the management team, will select the best strategy and come up with a master plan. This will include the project’s purpose, its schedule, project stages, and resources that are needed to meet the objectives (Biech, 2010: p45). Following this, the next phase is the implementation of the master plan through assigning various tasks and training the management in the fulfillment of roles. The KT process is emphatic on hands- off approach, which requires little interference where managers and employees only get required skills needed to complete objectives in the plan. Qantas should also ensure that the employees are constantly informed on the progress of the plan, only becoming active in the plan implementation when deadlines are not met. The final step is review, where Qantas while using the KT process need to review whether the plan is working after it is implemented since the plans are not necessarily considerate of all relevant variables in meeting the goals of the business (Biech, 2010: p47). As the project concludes, they should update the master plan to improve on the results. Should the project fail because of inaccurate research, the plan should be scrapped altogether and more time focused on the KT process’ analysis step. It is also opined that that Qantas used the popular Kotter’s 8 steps model as it is displayed in figure 2: Figure 2 steps to successful change The first step th ey would take would be creating a sense of urgency since everyone at Qantas will have to be behind the change and believe in it. They should identify potential threats with concurrent scenarios of possibilities in the future (Cameron & Green, 2012:

Impressive and Attractive Portfolio Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Impressive and Attractive Portfolio - Article Example An impressive portfolio along with a good resume can increase the prospect of an applicant or job seeker to conquer heights of professional achievement. As far as the insurance field is concerned, one can rise to eminence if only one has good communication skills and if one is able to maintain effective business correspondence with the clients and the employer through effective e-mails, various types of letters, memos and press releases. By arresting the attention of the company/client through a systematically prepared portfolio, the applicant gets a chance to prove that he/she is the perfect fit for the job. As the past work one has done is considered as the best indicator of future performance, a hiring manager really cares about what the applicant can do for them in the future. In an interview, the examples of one’s work turn the interview into an opportunity to show where one excels and it provides a concrete opportunity for the employer to look for what he really expects from the applicant. A portfolio which is systematically prepared could just give one the edge, and one may get the first offer. To prepare an excellent portfolio, one must concentrate on the following points. It must include a copy of the applicant’s master resume to show the level of one’s skills, base and breadth of one's experiences in the field. Moreover, it must be pointed out that the applicant possesses lots of untapped potentials which distinguish him from the rest of the people being interviewed. The next point that must be considered is whether the applicant is capable of setting real examples or representative samples of his/her past works, which clearly show one’s level of skill and quality. For instance, a person who has previously worked in an insurance company or a bank can include samples of memos, e-mails, reply letters, request letters, negative message letters, sales letters and press releases in his/ her portfolio.