Controversial issues of traditional arts Essay Example for Free

Controversial issues of traditional arts Essay Ulek Mayang could be haunted. it is a Malay traditional dance from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia accompanied by a unique song called Ulek Mayang the lyrics were changed (no one knows the real lyrics) the song remains popular and there are several contemporary interpretations of the song the original dance is to honor the spirit of the sea. The modern dance has no elements of worship, its more to music and dance. After the arrival of Islam, such practice has been stopped and the Ulek Mayang dance is only preserved to be part of the Malay culture. Even now, Ulek Mayang is nicknamed the ‘Most Haunted Culture in Malaysia’.- However, some fishermen still practice this ritual. Agree: Some people claim that the song is haunted because it gives goosebumps and creepy feelings especially when it is performed at sunset by the beach People tend to avoid practising it nearby any beaches around the world, as according to the ancients’ beliefs; those 7 Sea-Princesses shall always guard the 7 Seas. Whoever that breaks certain rules, no matter where they are, will pay the price. There has been cases of tourists jumping into the sea for no reason after they performed Ulek Mayang along the north-eastern beaches of Peninsular Malaysia. Some cases happen on land too. Going missing and receiving visits were the greatest fear whenever one performs Ulek Mayang. Disagree: According to ustaz, Ulek Mayang is not a ghost or jin. Its a popular song in Terengganu and is a type of lagu rakyat. The Ulek Mayang song used nowadays has been shortened as Malays count the full song as worshipping spirits which is syirik in Islam. The Malaysian rock diva, Ella once sung the song in a rock version Poco poco dance choreographed with sequence of steps. it is a type of aerobic dance believed to originated in Indonesia more than 20 years ago Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Perak banned poco- poco because they believe it is derived from Christianity. Agree: The dance originated from Jamaica and is actually a cult dance There are many Christian rituals to it as the moves reflect the making of a cross and so is unacceptable in Islam Disagree: The Malaysian Muslims are confused. There is no any literature or practical evidence showing that poco-poco is derived from Christianity either in Indonesia, Philippine or Jamaica. Poco poco movements with cross design can not be a sufficient justification because movement of left and right sides is a natural human movement. Even when human stretch his hands, it can be considered illegal if the method resembles the cross. Mahsuris curse: Myth or Legend? Summary: One day while Mahsuri’s husband was away fighting a war, Mahsuri offered shelter to a wandering minstrel. For that, Mahsuri was accused of committing adultery by the village chieftain’s wife. The village chieftain who was still smarting over Mahsuri’s rejection of his earlier marriage proposal, ordered Mahsuri to be condemned to death. It was said that at her execution Mahsuri bled white blood signifying her innocence. At her last breath, Mahsuri was said to utter a curse on Langkawi for which the island will remain barren for seven generations. Agree: Many locals of Langkawi believe the legend to be true due to failed crops after Mahsuris death. According to recorded history, the Siamese invaded Langkawi not long after Mahsuri’s death and razed the island to the ground with a scorched earth policy. And coincidentally, Langkawi did not become a major tourist hotspot until the birth of Wan Aishah bt Wan Nawawi, the seventh generation descendant of Mahsuri. Disagree: Some people think Mahsuris story most likely is real and the killing of Mahsuri most likely took place, but the curse of Langkawi and her white blood must be a part of myth because there is no prove or evidence. in this modern and science world, people think its logically untrue for a normal human being to have white blood

Challenger Explosion :: essays research papers

On January 26, 1986, one of the greatest disasters of our time occurred. The shuttle, Challenger, blew up in front of a live audience. The space launch was being broadcasted across the United States live from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch was one of the most publicized launches due to the first civilian going into space and also that the launch had been delayed six times before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission detailed that the launch took place on January 28, 1986 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The skis about Kennedy Space Center were clear and the sun was out in the sky. However the day was very cold the temperature was only slightly above freezing. This launch was going to be the coldest that NASA had ever launched before. The time of lift off was 11:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, this was when the 25th shuttle mission lifted off and headed towards space.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The diverse seven-member crew of the Challenger made it very media friendly because a civilian was going into space. The crewmembers were Commander Francis Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. NASA wanted to try a new radical approach by trying to rekindle the excitement that once had surrounded the space program. NASA thought that if an everyday American citizen were involved, they could communicate the excitement of space travel to the American public. President Ronald Reagan made the choice that the first ordinary American to travel into space would be a teacher. NASA and President Reagan thought that one of America’s teachers would be the best candidate for the trip because teachers have the ability to communicate to people and get them interested and excited about almost anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shuttle would never make it into space as it exploded only seventy-three seconds after lift off killing all seven members of its crew. The explosion was blamed on the O-rings, a set of gaskets that sealed the joints between the rocket booster sections. They failed due to being exposed to cold weather. When the O-Rings failed the twin booster rockets separated and few off, the shuttle cabin separated and fell ten miles into the ocean. People who watch the videotape at around one second after ignition could see black smoke coming from the right Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The black smoke suggested that some type of grease that sealed the O-Rings was being burned.

Matt Moreau’s Dilemma Essay

Introduction Chuck Mackness, the president of Bantings department stores recently appointed Matt Moreau as head of customer services due to customer complaints at the other department stores. To help Matt in the staffing of his newly created department, Steven Judson, corporate personnel manager, refers Sally Armitage, an ideal candidate who holds many years of management experience at other department stores. After calling Tony Abbott, regional manager, who worked with Sally and gave her performance appraisal, Matt finds out that Sally recovered from cancer a few years ago and is unsure whether Sally would be capable for the high demanding position. This paper will analyze the ethical issues and alternatives for this case. Identify the Stakeholders Matt Moreau is the newly appointed manager to improve the quality of customer service. His task is difficult and demanding because the stores are managed through an operations department who reports to the president. This means Matt will have little authority to implement new programs unless he hires people with line management experience that have developed credibility with the operations department. Chuck Mackness is the president of Bantings and appointed Matt as head of customer service as a result of customers complaining at other department stores. He expects Matt to implement new programs for the staff and stores and wants to see results by Christmas. On his last field visit, he met Sally and she indicated that she would benefit from head office experience. Chuck mentions this to Steven Judson who passes onto Matt. Tony Abbot is the regional manager that encompasses Chute Hill store where Sally is working. Tony worked with Sally when she was the assistant manager at Eastland Mall store and together they turned the store around from being the worst performer. Afterwards, he gave a performance appraisal of Sally giving her much of the credit. Tony is affected by the decision because if Matt promotes Sally, he will have to work with a different manager at Chute Hill store. Sally Armitage is a highly competent manager at Bantings who started out as a clerk and worked her way into management. She always had good or excellent performance appraisals and has management experience at various department stores. Although she is in good health, her medical history shows that she had cancer a few years ago and she still goes every three months for regular checkups. Her current position at Chute Hill store is only 10 minutes away from her home whom she lives with her teenage daughter. Despite the high performance, her medical history will be factored into Matt’s decision. Other stakeholders include Sally’s teenage daughter and the other departments in Bantings. Sally is divorced and if she does get hired, she will have less time for her daughter because she would have to commute on the road longer. The other departments in Bantings will be affected because with Sally’s ambition and her creditability to the president, the customer service department will be able to implement organization-wide programs. Stakeholders’ Frame of Reference Matt is interested in adding Sally to his staff because of her experience and her relationship with Chuck but also understands the risk of hiring an employee with her medical history. The risk is if Sally’s health deteriorates halfway through, there won’t be someone else to fill her position. It is also important to consider the cost of training and how detrimental it would be to the department especially when it is a very demanding position. Chuck Mackness, the president of the company is indirectly involved. He mentions Sally to Steven because he must have noticed her ambition to climb the corporate ladder and that he may have seen some personal traits in her. That way, Matt would of consider Sally as an candidate and the possibility of hiring her may lead to Chuck working with Sally someday. Tony Abbott does not want Sally to leave her job because he understands the health issues after working with her at the Eastland Mall store. Although Tony gave her a performance appraisal, he understands the absences Sally took were serious. During the conversation with Matt, Tony believes Sally should not be hired because of her current state of health. He believes Sally is able to cope with her current position because she lives only 10 minutes away and that she has got a good staff when she’s not feeling 100 percent so she can coast a little bit. Sally is looking for a position in head office because she is ambitious. She does not consider the factors that would affect her if she does get hired. Her commute to work would increase to one hour each way unless she moves closer to downtown. The job would take a toll on her health and she would not have much time for her daughter with the late nights, meetings and traveling. Even if her illness comes back, she believes she can cope with the demanding job by working even harder to prove to herself that she can do anything. Sally’s daughter would not want her mother to be hired because that would lead to less time spent together and if they do move to downtown, Sally’s daughter would be one hour away from school or she would have to change schools. The other departments in Banting would not want any change in operations because they would have to learn new procedures and software. Ethical Issues Matt is obligated to make decisions in the interest of the company. If Sally is hired and her illness comes back, this decision would lose money for the company and Matt’s position to improve customer service would be hampered. Also the fact that Chuck wants to see results by Christmas would put even more pressure on the department if Sally becomes ill. Because Matt knows about her medical history, he should make the best decision in her interest. By hiring Sally to the demanding position could potentially endanger her health. If her illness comes back, it would be detrimental to her and Matt. It is also important to consider her daughter and the toll it would take on their family. Alternative #1 – Hire Sally The first alternative is to hire Sally. This option has the highest risk and highest reward. The risk is by promoting Sally, her health could deteriorate and she would not be able to perform at a high level. At that point the company would have invested into her training and would not be able to train another employee in the time. The company would be at a loss and the original objective of improving customer service would not be executed properly. The upside of this is that Sally is able to cope with the stress and excels at her position. Her proven management experience and her drive to perform at a high level would ensure the improvement of customer service. Alternative #2 – Hire somebody else The second alternative is to hire somebody else with a clean medical history. This is the safest alternative because the company would not risk the possibility of the employee not able to perform the job. This option would not lose the company money as the employee would not have any sudden medical problem. There would most likely be other employees who are interested in the head office environment and are as qualified as Sally. Alternative #3 – Rent an apartment suite in downtown for Sally The third alternative is to rent an apartment suite close to downtown so the burden of the long commute for Sally is gone. The company would incur additional expenses but as long as Sally’s benefit to the company is greater than the expense, the company would go with this decision. However the risk that the job is too stressful for Sally is still present. The late nights, meetings and tensions could prove too stressful for her. Choice of Alternative The second alternative is the best option for Matt. He is able to control the fact that whoever he hires will be not have any major health issues that would ensue later on. Although Sally is the ideal candidate for the position, there are other candidates with years of management experience and have developed credibility with the operations types. In the other two alternatives, where Sally does become ill due to the demanding job, she could file a lawsuit for employee negligence. This would not happen and this alternative is also in the best interest of Sally because her current position is optimal for her health and her family.

Analysis Of Beloved By Toni Morrison - 2078 Words

An Analysis of Beloved as a Portrayal of American History Toni Morrison’s 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved is clearly a work of well deserved literary acclaim. It has been hailed as one of the most revolutionary, poetic, and poignant pieces of modern American literature. The work is characterized by it’s portrayal of the â€Å"Slave Narrative† and follows the strife of former slave and mother: Sethe as she is tormented by the memories of her past, the haunting of her home, and the appearance of this enigmatic woman who is dubbed Beloved. The work as a piece of literature is truly genius but, is it a good representation of Post-Civil War America from the perspective of a former slave? Before that question can be answered the work†¦show more content†¦Sethe takes all of her children and flees to a shed where she attempts to murder them all, rather than letting them return to a life of slavery. She is only able to kill her daughter by slitting her throat with a saw blade and when her daughter was buried her tombstone says the word â€Å"Beloved† which unveils the fact that Beloved is Sethe’s daughter reborn. This causes Paul D to leave Sethe’s home as he can stomach being there any longer. He travels to around during his time away from her home. This is a painful time for him as he loves Sethe and wanted to start a family with her, but he can’t after learning what she has done. Sethe whole heartedly believes that Beloved is her dead daughter and she attempts to spoil Beloved due to her own internalized guilt. Beloved grows bigger and bigger as Sethe follows her every demand while she herself begins to whither away. This parasitic relationship continues on for some time as Denver tries to get help for her mother. She goes into town, where all have shunned her mother due to her committing infanticide yet, Denver convinces the townswomen to aid in their plight. The women all come to Denver’s h ome and bring Sethe and Beloved outside. While there Sethe sees the man who her daughter has been working for and attempts to attack him as she flashback to when she was almost taken back to the plantation. Beloved who is naked and pregnant on the porch disappears after the women finish their exorcism. The novel endsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1434 Words   |  6 PagesI. SUBJECT Beloved by Toni Morrison opens in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1873 set in the Reconstruction era of American history. Sethe eighteen years ago escaped slavery with her children to live with her mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, in a house on 124 Bluestone Road often referred to simply as 124. The novel unfolds on two different time periods, that of Sethe’s time at Sweet Home plantation as a slave and that of the present. Her qualities of motherhood have overtaken Sethe’s life and have driven away herRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved Essay2424 Words   |  10 Pages In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison spins an intricate web between names and numbers for the reader to unravel. The deep connection that lies between names and numbers is a direct correspondence to the identity and worth of black people during slavery. Beloved begins with the identity of the house which is characterized by a number. The house is given a temperament as if it is a living, breathing entity and yet it still referred to as a number. The significance of this is symbolic to the plightRead MoreAnalysis Of Beloved By Toni Morrison1415 Words   |  6 Pagesthink Morrison chose this way of telling Sethes story to show how it did not only affect her, but others who also lived through the atrocities of slavery and properly portray their physiological effects. This way of storytelling suggests that Morrisons view of the human mind is how self centered the mind is and the vastly different perspectives each hold. A more human way of telling a story in flashbacks rather than linear progression with scattered memories throughout the book. 2. Toni MorrisonRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Beloved `` By Toni Morrison2353 Words   |  10 PagesAs a contemporary novel, Beloved also resembles the work of historical fiction. Morrison s work accentuates popular black culture, as well as art, music and literature. In addition, Morrison is known for the juxtaposition of her novels and combination of bliss and agony as well as amusement and tears. These combinations can be compared with those of the blues and jazz music. In addition to this sense of culture that Morrison adds to her works, the legacy of black female writers play a key role inRead MoreAnalysis Of Morrison s Beloved, By Toni Morrison Essay941 Words   |  4 PagesMorrison and Twain each present freed slave mothers as self-sacrificing. Each woman s traumatic experiences as slaves create a deep fear of her children s enslavement. In Morrison s Beloved, Sethe is so distressed by her past; she murders her child to save her from slavery. Morrison uses Sethe s drastic sacrif ice to comment on slavery s psychological effects. Meanwhile, Twain s Pudd n Head Wilson portrays Roxy as a sacrificial mother to create sympathy for black people. From a culturalRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1458 Words   |  6 Pagesinequality between races, classes, and genders. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved is a story that truly shows how oppressive slavery was during the setting of the book. Similarly to the inequality faced during the time of slavery, while Morrison was writing the her novel the issue of women’s equality was present, and being fought for. Morrison, through Beloved, is able to show the world her views on inequality, and how it is still present in life today. Morrison is African American, she was born into a familyRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1615 Words   |  7 PagesIn her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison utilizes a circular narrative to emphasize the similarities, or lack thereof, between her characters. In Philip Page’s article, â€Å"Circularity in Toni Morrison’s Beloved,† he writes, â€Å"The plot is developed through repetition and variation of one or more core-images in overlapping waves... And it is developed through... the spiraling reiteration of larger, mythical acts such as birth, death, rebirth, quest-journeys, and the formation and disintegration of families†Read MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1200 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on (Sirius Black) †. Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved dedicates her novel to the 60 million and more exposed to the darkness within the people set out to hurt them. The novel depicts how cruelty leads ex-slaves to make irrational decisions and shape the people they are at the end . The cruelty inflicted on one including but not limited to slavery causes a chain reaction of hatred, pain and suffering and theRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved943 Words   |  4 Pages It is within human nature to fear that which we do not understand. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, this idea is explored through the lens of racial discrimination. In this passage, Morrison uses animal imagery as a means to criticize the whites’ dehumanization and subsequent fear of the blacks. With a focus on this inherent, primal fear, this section stresses the novel’s theme of the â€Å"Other† and reinforces the existence of racial prejudice. While this piece of the narrative emphasizes that this â€Å"othering†Read MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved1547 Words   |  7 PagesToni Morrison’s Beloved extends beyond a description of individuals held captive by their past through the exploration of human responses to slavery. The manipulation of language and its controlled absence reinforces the mental enslavement that persists after individuals are freed from physical bondage. It is when language is amplified into song that an individual or community may free themselves from the constraints of mental enslavement, therefore enabling their ability to claim ownership of themselves