To what extent is the global financial crisis related to greater Essay

To what extent is the global financial crisis related to greater volatility in the prices of oil and gas To what extent does it facilitate the contagion of price movements from one commodity to another - Essay Example This paper shall determine the extent to which the global financial crisis is related to greater volatility in the prices of oil and gas. It shall determine to what extent it facilitates the contagion of price movements from one commodity to another. Crude oil prices increased to as much as US$ 147 for each barrel in July of 2008 after a major commodity boom cycle caused by increased demands from developing states (UN Regional Commissions, 2009). However, by August of the same year, oil prices plunged due to the reduced demand from the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The threat of recession loomed with the financial crisis severely impacting on the worldwide economy (Institute of Development Studies, 2008). In order to end price falls, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced various cuts in their output. Oil prices have since reached more stable levels with prices in the mid US$40 per barrel range. Based on the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the demand for world oil fell by at least 0.2 % in 2008 and 0.4% in 2009 (UN Regional Commissions, 2009). The lower global demand was mostly caused by the lower consumption of oil and gas from developing states with initial 2008 estimates noting 2.9% decrease in oil and gas among OECD member states. The decreased demand is mostly attributed to declined demand among OECD members is primarily attributed to decreasing North America demands which declined to 2% in 2009 and 1.7% in Europe (UN Regional Commissions, 2009). Among the non-OECD countries, their demand for oil and gas increased by 1.4% in 2009 and 2.3% by 2010. Underpinning these figures was the rise of demand among developing states. However, even where such demands continued to rise, it was not insulated from the effects of the global economic crisis, especially as the economy grew at a much slower pace within the short-to-medium term (UN Regional Commissions,

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 7

Strategic management - Essay Example Strategic planning helps in formulating the business approach to a context. As shown in figures 1 and 2, it is seen that the strategy stems out of the context which influences the strategy and the actions that lead to a solution on the strategy and finally, provides the results which in turn leads to altering the context. The strategy should get altered based on the change in the context thus altered. Strategies are worked out using various tools. One of the oldest methods involved using the SWOT analysis for bringing out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the Threats perceived by the company and the business2. The strategy would primarily enhance and capitalise on the strengths of the company for tapping the opportunities and to counter the threats perceived while at the same time would offset the weaknesses perceived. This would help the company to realise its objectives of enhancing the profitability of the company. Porter’s Five Forces helped the strategists to model the environment and the business is positioned in it to understand the effect of the environment. This was perceived to have been made up of the five forces that Porter projected. He further qualifies some of the approaches to strategy as generic. There are three types of generic strategies that are used by companies, employing the common economic forces that are in play in the market. These are: Cost Leadership by providing the best cost for a product or a service, product differentiation and thereby commanding higher prices and finally, identifying its own niche products for a specific product-segment thereby monopolising the entire business for that product or at least dominating it. While these strategies help the company to move forward, without a basic strategy the company stutters. As can be seen from the figure 2, the markets are created by companies which fall under any one of the strategies depicted in it, either consciously or otherwise. The perfect competition would

Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity

Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity THE MUSEUM AND THE CITY: AN EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY IN WHICH IT STANDS INTRODUCTION As society enters a new century, many cultures have recond to an age of globalisation and, in turn, are embracing the idea of contemporary living. This results in the development of cutting-edge technology, new methods of communication, and the rapid growth of cities, causing indigenous culture of cities to increasingly blend. The desire to embrace this dynamic compels many architects to consider ways of creating architecture truly representative of a wide range of humanity. These new advances create city growth, impacting on urban form and the design process of the public institutions, including museums, which is what this dissertation will primarily explore. The result is to extend the range of materials, forms, cultural references and social thinking available to museum architecture. But does this create an uninspired sameness, where some identities are being ignored and/or distorted? Where the notion of cultures integrating really means the identity struggle between the dominants and the dominated? One could speculate that now, more rapidly than before, the architecture of the museum and the city simultaneously evolve to meet the cultural identity of the people. But are these buildings, in fact representative of the national identity of a city or the individuality of the architect? This dissertation investigates the architects role in designing museums, establishing to what extent the design reflects or stems from the cultural identity of the city. The relationship between the museum and the city in which to belongs is complex. In order to establish an understanding, the study consults a wide range of resources that address issues of cultural identity within a museums national and civic perspective. Additionally, the research made reference to economic and political issues regarding museums, the study of how globalisation is reflected within a cultural and affects architecture, and case studies to support the statement that architects may intend for their museum designs to be representations of a cultural identity within the city. There are now new ways of experiencing, interpreting and remembering. The contemporary architecture of museums are a strong medium of cultural memory, developing from the museums traditional forms as monuments symbolising the power of key individuals within a society, into an expressive entity that creates dialogue between its contents and urban context. The otherwise conventional manner of designing develops into a world of contradictions, assorted rhythms and new ideas of beauty in the design of museums. The physicality of the building represents that of theatrical effects, incorporating contemporary elements of architectural form as a method of entertainment, whilst engaging the interest of the citys individuals and of those from further afield. Millions are drawn to what is no longer a dying institution, but a visual destination for the public, in a form that encompasses the societys identity. One can assume this is influenced by the cultural pluralism within the buildings city c ontext, and considering the many identities as a plural identity. The diverse elements are woven into a sustainable, integrated spatial fabric that contributes to the life of the city. An approach which allows architectural freedom for a building type that has been described by some sources as overlooked by the public. Due to this studys word restriction, it is not possible to evaluate in detail more than four relevant case studies. This limitation resulted in the careful consideration of case studies varying in terms of locality and architect. Furthermore, due to time restrictions, it was not possible to carry out additional primary research which could have entailed supplementary site visits to the investigated case studies and additional data found in initial research methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The dissertations methodology consists of individually exploring and studying four case studies against the dissertations argument, in order to then properly conclude whether it can be proven to be accurate. These case studies pose as cultural barometers, where during investigation they help assess the extent in which they fulfill a citys cultural identity. The examination method entails drawing on a combination of primary research such as site visits to secondary research, drawing on existing written information from books, articles and online sources. The case studies follow a chronological order, beginning with Chapter One: Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim, a museum which initiated an influence on the case studies that have followed such as Chapter Two: Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum, Chapter 3: Herzog and de Meurons Tate Modern London and Chapter 4: Zaha Hadids Contemporary Arts Centre. To further develop whether an architects design of contemporary museums truly reflect the citys cultural identity, each case study is analysed in th light of the following issues: Globalisation outlines whether certain cultural identities are lost or just changing within the museums civic context, especially as cities more than nations contend to draw global attention through these culturally significant public buildings. The sub-chapter concerning National and Civic Identity explores how culture influences in terms of the architectural context of the museum in a national and civic perspective. This provides a framework for exploring how architects use ideas about culture and cultural contradictions to create the structures and spaces to engage a society. The issue will discover how the design of the museum is a task of seeking an image essentially of ourselves. Style and Identity of the Architect briefly examines how the architects own identity, who themselves are either travelers or immigrants, insiders/outsiders of the city in which they design for, influences the ultimate design of the citys museum along with their own architectural style. Economy and Poli tics is a sub-chapter concerning who pays, owns and benefits from the establishment of these institutions. How cities acquire signature museums in order to stimulate their economic and ultimately cultural development. The museum building boom has been accelerated by what has become known as The Bilbao Guggenheim Effect . The sub-chapter investigates how Frank Gehrys museum has influenced these case studies to replicate their own â€Å"Bilbao Guggenheim Effect† within their cities. By putting up a museum with architectural credentials, Gehry revitalised a civic and cultural image, demonstrating that a single building could energise and enhance an entire city and region. DISCUSSION THE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM: INVENTION AND REINVENTION Layer upon layer, past times preserve themselves in the city until life itself finally threatened with suffocation: then, in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum. [Lewis Mumford, The Culture of Cities] These words from Lewis Mumfords The Culture of Cities depicts how the museum was manifested as a commodification of a citys overpowering history (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 1). The design development of this building type has been changing since the museum was established in the 18th century, beginning as a space for private collections of wealthy individuals, only accessible by the middle and upper class (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Presently, the museum is a response to contemporary social change, a space that wishes to connect within its urban fabric surroundings and open to all. A museums design acknowledges the way in which it can order, store and display its belongings, the institutions relationship to a city and surrounding cultures lacks investigation, leaving questions about the museums role in an urban context (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Culture surpasses the ways in which something can be represented and housed, it can be seen as an expression of us. Today, culture is challenged i n a world struggling for established institutions such as schools, libraries etc., which often are said to lack in relation to the people (Zukin, 1995, p. 11). Museums are no longer seen as fixed frameworks, but a place for public interaction and exchange. One could consider that one of the buildings functions is to absorb the cultures within the city, and then reflect and shape this within an architectural form. The museum itself visually exemplifies its roles within a city, for instance unlocking urban memories, reconfiguring the past, aiding in touristic rediscovery and exploitation of a place to the whole urban environment, roles that challenge the museums attempt to reconnect culture and a citys built form (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). There is an ability to recon a city with the use of museums, from â€Å"systematically inserting them, to salvaging or reconstructing them† into the urban fabric (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Therefore the museums cultural significance surpasses that of any other building types. In The Museum Transformed, by Douglas Davis (1990, p.14) asserts that, â€Å"no building type can match the museum for symbolic or architectural importance† because it is so often redefined due to its stimulation from cultural development. The museum can be considered as an entity that defines, represents and creates cultural trends ahead of its own place in time. As quoted from MacLeod (2005, p.1), â€Å"As museums have come to be consciously recognized as drivers for social and economic regeneration, the architecture of the museum has developed from its traditional forms into often-spectacular one off statements and architectural visions.† Architects persuasively argue for a new type of ex perience, aiming to appeal to a general audience rather than the scholarly advisors soughing to replicate tradition (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 3). This is an aspiration expressed from an analysis of contemporary society and its future direction, that being cultural diversity, resulting in the commissioning of strongly conceptualised museums to devote to multiplicity. As Relph (1976, p. 33) claims, †¦for each setting and for each person there are a multiplicity of place identities reflecting different experiences and attitudes; these are molded out of the common elements of appearance†¦through the changing interactions of direct observation with preconceptions. In the past however, the significance of museums were solely to serve a refined function, transcending the thinking of the scholars and academics, along with manifesting the power of a city (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Relph (1976, p. 35) provides evidence to this claim in mentioning, Public places which achieve their publicity through high imageability are not necessary innocent- their distinctive appearance or form maybe capitalised upon or even created as a statement of grandeur and authority to be regarded in awe by common people. The museum was considered a monument, take examples such as The Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi in Florence, they are models of the grandeur museums encompassed (Merkel, 2002, p. 66), significant in urban context, deliberately chosen to emphasise a citys status, and drawing attention within a public space. Traditionally understood as temples of knowledge, the architecture itself could be said to represent the value of knowledge. This belief was prominent in the early period of museum founding where the scale of buildings also symbolised power, so much so that the museum evoked the metaphor of a cathedral. Historian Jayne Merkel (2002, p. 66) writes, Not surprisingly, palace architecture-grand, classical, urban, and horizontal-was a principal influence when the first museums were designed. But like most public buildings at the time, they were built in the classical style for other reasons as well, including classicisms associations with government, law (Roman basilicas), with the sacred (Greek temples and Italian Renaissance churches) and with the culture and art of the past. Today, the museum could be considered as a building type that satisfies a citys need for symbolic signification, and an indicator of metropolitan aspirations such as world-wide recognition. A desire to entertain and educate society, along with a â€Å"sensitivity that refuses to bore, alienate or pander to the public† (Zieger, 2005, p. 17). If this is the case, then the status of a great city can entail in encompassing several of these institutions, thus the spread of museums witnessed during the nineteenth and twentieth century indicating the start of city rivalry. At the start of the twenty-first century, the museum as architecture has been reinstated as an evocative entity, as opposed to decades devoted to neutral, voided spaces lacking symbolic significance and strict functionality termed as â€Å"white box† (Lampugnani Sachs, 1999, p. 15). Museums began to create dialogue with their content and urban context. They can be seen as similar in some ways to churches, to shopping centres and other places of gathering, but they have a function different from these examples, they contain things of enquiry. The museum has made a considerable contribution to a city, adding historic and cultural significance along with contributing to a citys metropolitan status, presumably due to the transformative possibilities of museums (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 9). The city and its museum are in conjunction to one another, one could believe the museum is a citys method of revealing cultural meaning through its architectural forms. This belief is an advanceme nt from the words of the theorist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, ridiculing museums as cemeteries, stating that they were â€Å"truly identical in their sinister juxtaposition of bodies that do not know each other,† along with a judgement that cultural institutions were dilapidating. (see Zieger, 2005, p. 7) A society today uses the museum to represent a new dynamic form of culture, reflected through an innovative physical form that is often considered a visual spectacle of the city, that one could believe draws visitors to it in theatre like fashion. Consequently it can be theorised that they are quickly becoming radical buildings constructed in a world driven by the need to address new concepts of diversity and equality (Zukin, 1995 p. 2). Rather than just â€Å"cultural cemeteries piling up gilt frame paintings† (Zeiger, 2005, p.11), they are spaces of social condensing- a space attempting to build a community rather than filling a city with volumes of emptiness. As Dan iel Libeskind was quoted in saying â€Å"†¦its not just some sort of container, some abstract piece if glass and concrete, it is part of a communicative system.† The design challenge in the multicultural growth of cities is to find an architectural expression that goes beyond the conventional, while something relevant to contemporary life. Contemporary museum design can be deemed as a physical entity of cultural trends developing within the city (Zukin, 1995 p. 2), either recognising which cultures are integrating or if the city epitomises a specific one. No matter what conclusions are drawn out from a citys cultural make-up museums are a place where people go to mix with others unlike themselves, by having a broad appeal they must aim to please a vast variety of people. Libeskind confirms this in his words, †¦(museum) architecture is what is common between people, and what a contribution it makes to the viability of a city, and to civic space. †¦we might as well make in inspiring environment, an environment that is more than just a shallow faà §ade of something inauthentic. (Cathcart, 2001) To avoid the idea of an undistinguished environment is by physically fitting in the cultural identity related to the city. The museum in a physical setting is a structural body of city understanding and city change. There can be no denying the importance of its architecture in the urban environment in terms of regeneration, tourism, symbolism and so on (Zukin, 1995, p.2). Society as a whole has been persuaded that museums are agents of social economic change. There has been an unprecedented period of radical reshaping, building, rebuilding in the design of these institutions that cannot be disassociated from the drive for cultural inclusiveness and diversity. A building with space that can be considered with endless possibilities for use when â€Å"escaping the straitjacket of conforming to a giving role and move into a sharing mode† (MacLeod, 2005, p.25). In other words, a diverse audience needs a diversity of spaces that reflect, provoke and thrill. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN LONDON CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM Frank Gehrys Guggenheim museum is acknowledged worldwide as a magnet for tourism, but can it be truly considered an expression of the Basque peoples cultural identity? Or is it just an architects expressionist gesture in an industrial city? The New York Times depicts The Bilbao Guggenheim as part of an ambitious plan to revise the city as an international centre of culture. The museum is not just a neutral container where art is stored and presented, but a place where the institution itself is in relation with the public. GLOBALISATION It could be said that globalisation creates struggle between the dominant and the dominated cultures within a society and the search for a reconstructed identity of a society. (AlSayyad, 2009, p. 22) Within the Spanish Basque region, it is evident that their identity has been burdened with tension in their attempt to stress their own regional identities and singularities from the rest of Spain (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). However one can argue that in this case globalisation has become a force in strengthening and proliferating a cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more universal commodity represented by the museum itself. But how do issues of globalisation affect the architecture itself, especially in terms of the Bilbao Guggenheim? The new advances of technology, communication and construction methods create interventions for local cultures and establish the identities of a place. Gehrys use of cutting-edge computer design technology enabled him to translate his forms into reality (Chulvi, 2007) (see 1.1). Architectural statements such as the Guggenheim Bilbao are often questioned at times in whether or not they have relation to the place and identity. There could be two sides to this argument, one side could be seeking to safeguard and extend already established indigenous architectural traditions, promoting historical continuity and the preservation of identity through traditional decorative forms. The other side which is in more relation to the Guggenheim Bilbao, considers globalisation as a force that seeks to encourage invention and distribution of new forms using new materials and technology in response to changing needs to have relation to the place and identity. Gehry has been quotes in saying, â€Å"Democracy is good for architecture. Pluralistic ideas are what we want presented in architecture, the lead to a visual chaos is part of our lives† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 58). There is an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and 2903687145_5cb25af9b6 inclusivity. NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY The Basque people have been able to preserve their distinct culture and language while flourishing in an environment of globalisation, post-modernity, and European integration (Castillo, 2008). Currently, integrating the two social collectives of nationalists and non-nationalists within the region is growing (Castillo, 2008). However how does a group of people who have never had a country to call their own continue to hold on to their own cultural identity? The Bilbao Guggenheim is a phenomenon of cultural development employing â€Å"the three successive phases posited by the theory of cultural epochs- a period of chaos, a period of adjustment, and a period of equilibrium in cultural change† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). All around the world culture operates as an engine for new regional and urban development, one could say that no strategic growth of a city would take place without the role of culture (Zukin, 1995, p.11). In the case of the Basque region, it was sufferin g deterioration caught up in a decline in inspiration along with cultural institutions progressively being abandoned. Simultaneously, the Guggenheim Foundation was in need of a new concept of the museum, capable to withstand the achievement of Guggenheim in New York, yet gaining its own recognition abroad. Co-operation between two considerably different cultures occurred in recovering the identity of a small society (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 77). As Frank Gehry himself explains , the museum embodies two different cultures, the Basque culture and American, which is considered as a melting pot used to extend its arms to everybody (Farnsworth, 1997). The Bilbao Guggenheim is proof of culture being a key strategy in not only providing a physical renewal but a new injection of self-esteem within a city and an entire region. (see 1.2) Culture in the case of the development of this building, can be seen as something essential to humankind and above all to a society in regaining values and providing a sense of identity. Rather than ignoring the cultural context of the city entirely, the fabric is restored, connecting any form of cultural isolation with the new building. The curving forms of the building glide over the River Nervion, a main bridged entry to the Spanish city, shattering strict perpendicularity and ridged geometry regularly associated with museum architecture, providing a new model of collective identification (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). The rejection of these norms is emphasised by the titanium cladding, making the building appear as a single entity that intertwines the city around it. Like the Basque region the building is a place of â€Å"contested borders† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). (see 1.3) Whether Gehrys building actually erases the citys cultural heritage is debatable. Bilbao is famous for its maritime history, after Barcelona, it has Spains largest port. The Bilbao Guggenheim pays tribute to its own surroundings as it edges onto the riverfront. Its exterior sculpted out of steel, which is traditionally the main industry of the city (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). The museums relationship with the city is conceived as the outcome of a perceived social need, as society changes and new social needs arise, new building forms will be produced in order to fulfill that need. The Bilbao Guggenhem facilitates a complete urban facelift, a driver for the citys urban regeneration, communicating not only its importance to the city as a powerful foci, but the citys mark in the cultural world. As a result, after Bilbao every city aspires to its own Guggenheim effect the â€Å"build it and they will come† (Barreneche, 2005, p.6) belief is what cities have taken on for their museums after untitled STYLE AND IDENTITY OF ARCHITECT Frank Gehry is widely recognised as a North American architect whose combination of steel, high-tech and flowing designs have broken the rigid hold of rectilinear design that has dominated most of Modern architecture (Zieger, 2005, p. 8). However the question remains: is it a good idea for the city to have an international museum built by a foreign architect? Gehry was quoted as spending a lot of time trying to understand the culture and trying to understand the Basque people. He explains, I related to them because I was raised in a Jewish upbringing in Toronto, Canada, so I was an outsider into the culture when I was a kid. And I understandI empathized with this outsider role, andbut I cant put my finger on a piece of the building and say this is Basque, but they seem to think I captured their spirit. I tried to use the materials of the region to build the building. The stone in Spanish. The steel structure is Spanish. All the work people were Basque. (Farnsworth, 1997) One can assume to Gehry a rich piece of architecture would combine elements in a way that preserve the coherence of their origins. At its best, the process of gathering cultural elements and marrying them to the sensitivities of a gifted architect can result in a powerful work of architecture such as the Bilbao Guggenheim. According to the Bilbao Revitalization Plan, the natural slope running down to the riverfront was to be transformed into a green valley, but Gehry did not want to lose the industrial feel of the existing waterfront. (see 1.4 1.5) People say that the design of the museums architecture was inspired during Gehry climb up the Mundana, one of the highest mountains in the outskirts of Bilbao. â€Å"Seen from the river, the building appears to take the shape of a boat paying homage to the port city that has given its home. The museums bright, shining panels resemble fish scales, reflecting the influence of natural forms and shapes.† (Chulvi, 2007) One could argue that the architects use of abstract, free-form components from local materials are reminiscent of Modernist Spanish sculptures, a cultural aspect valued by the Basque, or how the architects design of the enormous boat-shaped gallery is a dedication toward Bilbaos past as a centre of shipbuilding and trade (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). Many would argue that Gehrys design for the Bilbao Guggenheim truly reflects the identity of the Basque people even though the architect himself has no relation to region. However, there is a degree of sensitivity to the regions character that can be witnessed through the architecture. The city of Bilbao places an emphasis on the institution Gehry has designed, as having an important role in defining public culture. This has been achieved through the architects process of negotiating what architectural expressions could be accepted by the people. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Gehrys museum was hailed an as instant landmark, bringing a sense of relevance to architecture in the transformation of cities. (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) The Basque region was in need of local development due to its rustic city appearance and distinct regional identity compared to the rest of Spain. Primarily, the Basque region was in need of distancing itself from the negativity that it was associated with, such as being recognised as a terrorist region. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a stronghold for the separatist group ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), which seeks independence from Spain through often violent behavior (Farnsworth, 1997). For the Guggenheim Foundation this was an opportunity to fund a centerpiece of huge urban renewal for Bilbao. Previous museum concepts were of a private space for seekers of wisdom, philosophers and historians. Currently the museums directors are in favor of new futuristic architectural visions that were unimaginable years before, representing a museums city and forming the basis of urban regeneration such as Bilbao Guggenheim. The titanium shapes flourish through Bilbaos dark cornices and nearby smokestacks, as Andrew Friedman (see Zieger, 2005, p. 9) explains, †¦the nearby smokestacks and cranes; they seem†¦to be Gehrys whimsical idea of visually rendering the tumultuous and violent process by which a once-working industrial waterfront is brought to heel-an actual enactment of the grim process that the Guggenheim makes a point of capitalising on. The capitlisation Friedman mentions is the transformation of Bilbao from living city to an architectural destination. In other words the city acquires a signature building in order to stimulate a citys makeover (Zeiger, 2005, p.9). The design of the museum is recognised as a drive for social and economic regeneration, from traditional forms, to, in this case, a spectacular one off statement that challenges architectural preconceptions and creates a visual feast while maintaining the integrity of the site. Why have contemporary museums become a favorite tool of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes since the Bilbao Guggenheim? Referred to as the â€Å"miracle,† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim changed the face of the Bilbao city, and set up to give a new purpose to an abandoned industrial estate. â€Å"Since the Guggenheim was built, Bilbao has never been the same again the museum has helped create pedestrianised areas that run from the t own hall to the port on the shores of the river.† (Chulvi, 2007) The answer is that museums allow an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and inclusivity. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM The Jewish War Museums design is so powerful that it can be considered as an artifact in its own right. Even as it was unveiled in 1999 with nothing in it, the building was said to evoke a sense of loss and dislocation inflicted on Europes Jewish population the Holocaust in World War II (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). Through the buildings brief and urban site, Libeskinds Jewish Museum echoes the history of Berlin creating an emotional effect on the visitor. GLOBALISATION Cultural identity is something people have, and a form of traditional inheritance that is shared, something that needs to be protected and preserved. In contemporary society, globalisation has been portrayed sweeping through diverse cultures, and bringing a homogenized cultural experience (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 270). However, one can argue that globalisation, instead of destroying, has become a force in creating and developing cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more collective entity. In terms of how this relates to the Jewish Museum, the building is not just seen as a response to some traditions, it is also open to new ones, a link to the past and the future (see 2.1). The mission of the Jewish Museum, and for all new museums, is not just for the city themselves but for the wider public, in which it becomes a communal existence. Around the globe, in every corner, new museums have appeared, coming in every shape and size, appealing to various preferences (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). As Victoria Newhouse notes (see Barreneche, 2005, p.6), â€Å"One intriguing aspect of the current proliferation of museums is the ‘museumfication of seemingly every phenomenon†. The Jewish Museum is an example of this, and one could assume that through the guidance of globalisation, there are Jewish Museums in cities from New York to Sydney stemming from Libeskinds prominent Berlin museum. (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY Culture is cumulative and changing by additions of successive generations, reinterpreted from one individual or group to another. The designed environments of contemporary museums create a setting and representation of particular cultural identities. Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum in Berlin encompasses these attributes, it is a building that engrains Jewish history. The design is based on a process of connecting lines between the locations of historic events and the locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. This is evident from the buildings plan with the zigzag footprint, symbolically derived from a fragmented Star of David (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). (see 2.2) The architect has created metaphors for the absence of Jewish communities in Berlin where the lines slices the plan (Barreneche, 2005, p. 121). The concepts of absence, emptiness and the invisible express the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city. Libeskind proves there is a powerful faith in the ability of people to l earn Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity THE MUSEUM AND THE CITY: AN EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY IN WHICH IT STANDS INTRODUCTION As society enters a new century, many cultures have recond to an age of globalisation and, in turn, are embracing the idea of contemporary living. This results in the development of cutting-edge technology, new methods of communication, and the rapid growth of cities, causing indigenous culture of cities to increasingly blend. The desire to embrace this dynamic compels many architects to consider ways of creating architecture truly representative of a wide range of humanity. These new advances create city growth, impacting on urban form and the design process of the public institutions, including museums, which is what this dissertation will primarily explore. The result is to extend the range of materials, forms, cultural references and social thinking available to museum architecture. But does this create an uninspired sameness, where some identities are being ignored and/or distorted? Where the notion of cultures integrating really means the identity struggle between the dominants and the dominated? One could speculate that now, more rapidly than before, the architecture of the museum and the city simultaneously evolve to meet the cultural identity of the people. But are these buildings, in fact representative of the national identity of a city or the individuality of the architect? This dissertation investigates the architects role in designing museums, establishing to what extent the design reflects or stems from the cultural identity of the city. The relationship between the museum and the city in which to belongs is complex. In order to establish an understanding, the study consults a wide range of resources that address issues of cultural identity within a museums national and civic perspective. Additionally, the research made reference to economic and political issues regarding museums, the study of how globalisation is reflected within a cultural and affects architecture, and case studies to support the statement that architects may intend for their museum designs to be representations of a cultural identity within the city. There are now new ways of experiencing, interpreting and remembering. The contemporary architecture of museums are a strong medium of cultural memory, developing from the museums traditional forms as monuments symbolising the power of key individuals within a society, into an expressive entity that creates dialogue between its contents and urban context. The otherwise conventional manner of designing develops into a world of contradictions, assorted rhythms and new ideas of beauty in the design of museums. The physicality of the building represents that of theatrical effects, incorporating contemporary elements of architectural form as a method of entertainment, whilst engaging the interest of the citys individuals and of those from further afield. Millions are drawn to what is no longer a dying institution, but a visual destination for the public, in a form that encompasses the societys identity. One can assume this is influenced by the cultural pluralism within the buildings city c ontext, and considering the many identities as a plural identity. The diverse elements are woven into a sustainable, integrated spatial fabric that contributes to the life of the city. An approach which allows architectural freedom for a building type that has been described by some sources as overlooked by the public. Due to this studys word restriction, it is not possible to evaluate in detail more than four relevant case studies. This limitation resulted in the careful consideration of case studies varying in terms of locality and architect. Furthermore, due to time restrictions, it was not possible to carry out additional primary research which could have entailed supplementary site visits to the investigated case studies and additional data found in initial research methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The dissertations methodology consists of individually exploring and studying four case studies against the dissertations argument, in order to then properly conclude whether it can be proven to be accurate. These case studies pose as cultural barometers, where during investigation they help assess the extent in which they fulfill a citys cultural identity. The examination method entails drawing on a combination of primary research such as site visits to secondary research, drawing on existing written information from books, articles and online sources. The case studies follow a chronological order, beginning with Chapter One: Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim, a museum which initiated an influence on the case studies that have followed such as Chapter Two: Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum, Chapter 3: Herzog and de Meurons Tate Modern London and Chapter 4: Zaha Hadids Contemporary Arts Centre. To further develop whether an architects design of contemporary museums truly reflect the citys cultural identity, each case study is analysed in th light of the following issues: Globalisation outlines whether certain cultural identities are lost or just changing within the museums civic context, especially as cities more than nations contend to draw global attention through these culturally significant public buildings. The sub-chapter concerning National and Civic Identity explores how culture influences in terms of the architectural context of the museum in a national and civic perspective. This provides a framework for exploring how architects use ideas about culture and cultural contradictions to create the structures and spaces to engage a society. The issue will discover how the design of the museum is a task of seeking an image essentially of ourselves. Style and Identity of the Architect briefly examines how the architects own identity, who themselves are either travelers or immigrants, insiders/outsiders of the city in which they design for, influences the ultimate design of the citys museum along with their own architectural style. Economy and Poli tics is a sub-chapter concerning who pays, owns and benefits from the establishment of these institutions. How cities acquire signature museums in order to stimulate their economic and ultimately cultural development. The museum building boom has been accelerated by what has become known as The Bilbao Guggenheim Effect . The sub-chapter investigates how Frank Gehrys museum has influenced these case studies to replicate their own â€Å"Bilbao Guggenheim Effect† within their cities. By putting up a museum with architectural credentials, Gehry revitalised a civic and cultural image, demonstrating that a single building could energise and enhance an entire city and region. DISCUSSION THE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM: INVENTION AND REINVENTION Layer upon layer, past times preserve themselves in the city until life itself finally threatened with suffocation: then, in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum. [Lewis Mumford, The Culture of Cities] These words from Lewis Mumfords The Culture of Cities depicts how the museum was manifested as a commodification of a citys overpowering history (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 1). The design development of this building type has been changing since the museum was established in the 18th century, beginning as a space for private collections of wealthy individuals, only accessible by the middle and upper class (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Presently, the museum is a response to contemporary social change, a space that wishes to connect within its urban fabric surroundings and open to all. A museums design acknowledges the way in which it can order, store and display its belongings, the institutions relationship to a city and surrounding cultures lacks investigation, leaving questions about the museums role in an urban context (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Culture surpasses the ways in which something can be represented and housed, it can be seen as an expression of us. Today, culture is challenged i n a world struggling for established institutions such as schools, libraries etc., which often are said to lack in relation to the people (Zukin, 1995, p. 11). Museums are no longer seen as fixed frameworks, but a place for public interaction and exchange. One could consider that one of the buildings functions is to absorb the cultures within the city, and then reflect and shape this within an architectural form. The museum itself visually exemplifies its roles within a city, for instance unlocking urban memories, reconfiguring the past, aiding in touristic rediscovery and exploitation of a place to the whole urban environment, roles that challenge the museums attempt to reconnect culture and a citys built form (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). There is an ability to recon a city with the use of museums, from â€Å"systematically inserting them, to salvaging or reconstructing them† into the urban fabric (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Therefore the museums cultural significance surpasses that of any other building types. In The Museum Transformed, by Douglas Davis (1990, p.14) asserts that, â€Å"no building type can match the museum for symbolic or architectural importance† because it is so often redefined due to its stimulation from cultural development. The museum can be considered as an entity that defines, represents and creates cultural trends ahead of its own place in time. As quoted from MacLeod (2005, p.1), â€Å"As museums have come to be consciously recognized as drivers for social and economic regeneration, the architecture of the museum has developed from its traditional forms into often-spectacular one off statements and architectural visions.† Architects persuasively argue for a new type of ex perience, aiming to appeal to a general audience rather than the scholarly advisors soughing to replicate tradition (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 3). This is an aspiration expressed from an analysis of contemporary society and its future direction, that being cultural diversity, resulting in the commissioning of strongly conceptualised museums to devote to multiplicity. As Relph (1976, p. 33) claims, †¦for each setting and for each person there are a multiplicity of place identities reflecting different experiences and attitudes; these are molded out of the common elements of appearance†¦through the changing interactions of direct observation with preconceptions. In the past however, the significance of museums were solely to serve a refined function, transcending the thinking of the scholars and academics, along with manifesting the power of a city (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Relph (1976, p. 35) provides evidence to this claim in mentioning, Public places which achieve their publicity through high imageability are not necessary innocent- their distinctive appearance or form maybe capitalised upon or even created as a statement of grandeur and authority to be regarded in awe by common people. The museum was considered a monument, take examples such as The Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi in Florence, they are models of the grandeur museums encompassed (Merkel, 2002, p. 66), significant in urban context, deliberately chosen to emphasise a citys status, and drawing attention within a public space. Traditionally understood as temples of knowledge, the architecture itself could be said to represent the value of knowledge. This belief was prominent in the early period of museum founding where the scale of buildings also symbolised power, so much so that the museum evoked the metaphor of a cathedral. Historian Jayne Merkel (2002, p. 66) writes, Not surprisingly, palace architecture-grand, classical, urban, and horizontal-was a principal influence when the first museums were designed. But like most public buildings at the time, they were built in the classical style for other reasons as well, including classicisms associations with government, law (Roman basilicas), with the sacred (Greek temples and Italian Renaissance churches) and with the culture and art of the past. Today, the museum could be considered as a building type that satisfies a citys need for symbolic signification, and an indicator of metropolitan aspirations such as world-wide recognition. A desire to entertain and educate society, along with a â€Å"sensitivity that refuses to bore, alienate or pander to the public† (Zieger, 2005, p. 17). If this is the case, then the status of a great city can entail in encompassing several of these institutions, thus the spread of museums witnessed during the nineteenth and twentieth century indicating the start of city rivalry. At the start of the twenty-first century, the museum as architecture has been reinstated as an evocative entity, as opposed to decades devoted to neutral, voided spaces lacking symbolic significance and strict functionality termed as â€Å"white box† (Lampugnani Sachs, 1999, p. 15). Museums began to create dialogue with their content and urban context. They can be seen as similar in some ways to churches, to shopping centres and other places of gathering, but they have a function different from these examples, they contain things of enquiry. The museum has made a considerable contribution to a city, adding historic and cultural significance along with contributing to a citys metropolitan status, presumably due to the transformative possibilities of museums (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 9). The city and its museum are in conjunction to one another, one could believe the museum is a citys method of revealing cultural meaning through its architectural forms. This belief is an advanceme nt from the words of the theorist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, ridiculing museums as cemeteries, stating that they were â€Å"truly identical in their sinister juxtaposition of bodies that do not know each other,† along with a judgement that cultural institutions were dilapidating. (see Zieger, 2005, p. 7) A society today uses the museum to represent a new dynamic form of culture, reflected through an innovative physical form that is often considered a visual spectacle of the city, that one could believe draws visitors to it in theatre like fashion. Consequently it can be theorised that they are quickly becoming radical buildings constructed in a world driven by the need to address new concepts of diversity and equality (Zukin, 1995 p. 2). Rather than just â€Å"cultural cemeteries piling up gilt frame paintings† (Zeiger, 2005, p.11), they are spaces of social condensing- a space attempting to build a community rather than filling a city with volumes of emptiness. As Dan iel Libeskind was quoted in saying â€Å"†¦its not just some sort of container, some abstract piece if glass and concrete, it is part of a communicative system.† The design challenge in the multicultural growth of cities is to find an architectural expression that goes beyond the conventional, while something relevant to contemporary life. Contemporary museum design can be deemed as a physical entity of cultural trends developing within the city (Zukin, 1995 p. 2), either recognising which cultures are integrating or if the city epitomises a specific one. No matter what conclusions are drawn out from a citys cultural make-up museums are a place where people go to mix with others unlike themselves, by having a broad appeal they must aim to please a vast variety of people. Libeskind confirms this in his words, †¦(museum) architecture is what is common between people, and what a contribution it makes to the viability of a city, and to civic space. †¦we might as well make in inspiring environment, an environment that is more than just a shallow faà §ade of something inauthentic. (Cathcart, 2001) To avoid the idea of an undistinguished environment is by physically fitting in the cultural identity related to the city. The museum in a physical setting is a structural body of city understanding and city change. There can be no denying the importance of its architecture in the urban environment in terms of regeneration, tourism, symbolism and so on (Zukin, 1995, p.2). Society as a whole has been persuaded that museums are agents of social economic change. There has been an unprecedented period of radical reshaping, building, rebuilding in the design of these institutions that cannot be disassociated from the drive for cultural inclusiveness and diversity. A building with space that can be considered with endless possibilities for use when â€Å"escaping the straitjacket of conforming to a giving role and move into a sharing mode† (MacLeod, 2005, p.25). In other words, a diverse audience needs a diversity of spaces that reflect, provoke and thrill. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN LONDON CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM Frank Gehrys Guggenheim museum is acknowledged worldwide as a magnet for tourism, but can it be truly considered an expression of the Basque peoples cultural identity? Or is it just an architects expressionist gesture in an industrial city? The New York Times depicts The Bilbao Guggenheim as part of an ambitious plan to revise the city as an international centre of culture. The museum is not just a neutral container where art is stored and presented, but a place where the institution itself is in relation with the public. GLOBALISATION It could be said that globalisation creates struggle between the dominant and the dominated cultures within a society and the search for a reconstructed identity of a society. (AlSayyad, 2009, p. 22) Within the Spanish Basque region, it is evident that their identity has been burdened with tension in their attempt to stress their own regional identities and singularities from the rest of Spain (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). However one can argue that in this case globalisation has become a force in strengthening and proliferating a cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more universal commodity represented by the museum itself. But how do issues of globalisation affect the architecture itself, especially in terms of the Bilbao Guggenheim? The new advances of technology, communication and construction methods create interventions for local cultures and establish the identities of a place. Gehrys use of cutting-edge computer design technology enabled him to translate his forms into reality (Chulvi, 2007) (see 1.1). Architectural statements such as the Guggenheim Bilbao are often questioned at times in whether or not they have relation to the place and identity. There could be two sides to this argument, one side could be seeking to safeguard and extend already established indigenous architectural traditions, promoting historical continuity and the preservation of identity through traditional decorative forms. The other side which is in more relation to the Guggenheim Bilbao, considers globalisation as a force that seeks to encourage invention and distribution of new forms using new materials and technology in response to changing needs to have relation to the place and identity. Gehry has been quotes in saying, â€Å"Democracy is good for architecture. Pluralistic ideas are what we want presented in architecture, the lead to a visual chaos is part of our lives† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 58). There is an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and 2903687145_5cb25af9b6 inclusivity. NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY The Basque people have been able to preserve their distinct culture and language while flourishing in an environment of globalisation, post-modernity, and European integration (Castillo, 2008). Currently, integrating the two social collectives of nationalists and non-nationalists within the region is growing (Castillo, 2008). However how does a group of people who have never had a country to call their own continue to hold on to their own cultural identity? The Bilbao Guggenheim is a phenomenon of cultural development employing â€Å"the three successive phases posited by the theory of cultural epochs- a period of chaos, a period of adjustment, and a period of equilibrium in cultural change† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). All around the world culture operates as an engine for new regional and urban development, one could say that no strategic growth of a city would take place without the role of culture (Zukin, 1995, p.11). In the case of the Basque region, it was sufferin g deterioration caught up in a decline in inspiration along with cultural institutions progressively being abandoned. Simultaneously, the Guggenheim Foundation was in need of a new concept of the museum, capable to withstand the achievement of Guggenheim in New York, yet gaining its own recognition abroad. Co-operation between two considerably different cultures occurred in recovering the identity of a small society (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 77). As Frank Gehry himself explains , the museum embodies two different cultures, the Basque culture and American, which is considered as a melting pot used to extend its arms to everybody (Farnsworth, 1997). The Bilbao Guggenheim is proof of culture being a key strategy in not only providing a physical renewal but a new injection of self-esteem within a city and an entire region. (see 1.2) Culture in the case of the development of this building, can be seen as something essential to humankind and above all to a society in regaining values and providing a sense of identity. Rather than ignoring the cultural context of the city entirely, the fabric is restored, connecting any form of cultural isolation with the new building. The curving forms of the building glide over the River Nervion, a main bridged entry to the Spanish city, shattering strict perpendicularity and ridged geometry regularly associated with museum architecture, providing a new model of collective identification (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). The rejection of these norms is emphasised by the titanium cladding, making the building appear as a single entity that intertwines the city around it. Like the Basque region the building is a place of â€Å"contested borders† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). (see 1.3) Whether Gehrys building actually erases the citys cultural heritage is debatable. Bilbao is famous for its maritime history, after Barcelona, it has Spains largest port. The Bilbao Guggenheim pays tribute to its own surroundings as it edges onto the riverfront. Its exterior sculpted out of steel, which is traditionally the main industry of the city (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). The museums relationship with the city is conceived as the outcome of a perceived social need, as society changes and new social needs arise, new building forms will be produced in order to fulfill that need. The Bilbao Guggenhem facilitates a complete urban facelift, a driver for the citys urban regeneration, communicating not only its importance to the city as a powerful foci, but the citys mark in the cultural world. As a result, after Bilbao every city aspires to its own Guggenheim effect the â€Å"build it and they will come† (Barreneche, 2005, p.6) belief is what cities have taken on for their museums after untitled STYLE AND IDENTITY OF ARCHITECT Frank Gehry is widely recognised as a North American architect whose combination of steel, high-tech and flowing designs have broken the rigid hold of rectilinear design that has dominated most of Modern architecture (Zieger, 2005, p. 8). However the question remains: is it a good idea for the city to have an international museum built by a foreign architect? Gehry was quoted as spending a lot of time trying to understand the culture and trying to understand the Basque people. He explains, I related to them because I was raised in a Jewish upbringing in Toronto, Canada, so I was an outsider into the culture when I was a kid. And I understandI empathized with this outsider role, andbut I cant put my finger on a piece of the building and say this is Basque, but they seem to think I captured their spirit. I tried to use the materials of the region to build the building. The stone in Spanish. The steel structure is Spanish. All the work people were Basque. (Farnsworth, 1997) One can assume to Gehry a rich piece of architecture would combine elements in a way that preserve the coherence of their origins. At its best, the process of gathering cultural elements and marrying them to the sensitivities of a gifted architect can result in a powerful work of architecture such as the Bilbao Guggenheim. According to the Bilbao Revitalization Plan, the natural slope running down to the riverfront was to be transformed into a green valley, but Gehry did not want to lose the industrial feel of the existing waterfront. (see 1.4 1.5) People say that the design of the museums architecture was inspired during Gehry climb up the Mundana, one of the highest mountains in the outskirts of Bilbao. â€Å"Seen from the river, the building appears to take the shape of a boat paying homage to the port city that has given its home. The museums bright, shining panels resemble fish scales, reflecting the influence of natural forms and shapes.† (Chulvi, 2007) One could argue that the architects use of abstract, free-form components from local materials are reminiscent of Modernist Spanish sculptures, a cultural aspect valued by the Basque, or how the architects design of the enormous boat-shaped gallery is a dedication toward Bilbaos past as a centre of shipbuilding and trade (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). Many would argue that Gehrys design for the Bilbao Guggenheim truly reflects the identity of the Basque people even though the architect himself has no relation to region. However, there is a degree of sensitivity to the regions character that can be witnessed through the architecture. The city of Bilbao places an emphasis on the institution Gehry has designed, as having an important role in defining public culture. This has been achieved through the architects process of negotiating what architectural expressions could be accepted by the people. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Gehrys museum was hailed an as instant landmark, bringing a sense of relevance to architecture in the transformation of cities. (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) The Basque region was in need of local development due to its rustic city appearance and distinct regional identity compared to the rest of Spain. Primarily, the Basque region was in need of distancing itself from the negativity that it was associated with, such as being recognised as a terrorist region. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a stronghold for the separatist group ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), which seeks independence from Spain through often violent behavior (Farnsworth, 1997). For the Guggenheim Foundation this was an opportunity to fund a centerpiece of huge urban renewal for Bilbao. Previous museum concepts were of a private space for seekers of wisdom, philosophers and historians. Currently the museums directors are in favor of new futuristic architectural visions that were unimaginable years before, representing a museums city and forming the basis of urban regeneration such as Bilbao Guggenheim. The titanium shapes flourish through Bilbaos dark cornices and nearby smokestacks, as Andrew Friedman (see Zieger, 2005, p. 9) explains, †¦the nearby smokestacks and cranes; they seem†¦to be Gehrys whimsical idea of visually rendering the tumultuous and violent process by which a once-working industrial waterfront is brought to heel-an actual enactment of the grim process that the Guggenheim makes a point of capitalising on. The capitlisation Friedman mentions is the transformation of Bilbao from living city to an architectural destination. In other words the city acquires a signature building in order to stimulate a citys makeover (Zeiger, 2005, p.9). The design of the museum is recognised as a drive for social and economic regeneration, from traditional forms, to, in this case, a spectacular one off statement that challenges architectural preconceptions and creates a visual feast while maintaining the integrity of the site. Why have contemporary museums become a favorite tool of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes since the Bilbao Guggenheim? Referred to as the â€Å"miracle,† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim changed the face of the Bilbao city, and set up to give a new purpose to an abandoned industrial estate. â€Å"Since the Guggenheim was built, Bilbao has never been the same again the museum has helped create pedestrianised areas that run from the t own hall to the port on the shores of the river.† (Chulvi, 2007) The answer is that museums allow an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and inclusivity. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM The Jewish War Museums design is so powerful that it can be considered as an artifact in its own right. Even as it was unveiled in 1999 with nothing in it, the building was said to evoke a sense of loss and dislocation inflicted on Europes Jewish population the Holocaust in World War II (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). Through the buildings brief and urban site, Libeskinds Jewish Museum echoes the history of Berlin creating an emotional effect on the visitor. GLOBALISATION Cultural identity is something people have, and a form of traditional inheritance that is shared, something that needs to be protected and preserved. In contemporary society, globalisation has been portrayed sweeping through diverse cultures, and bringing a homogenized cultural experience (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 270). However, one can argue that globalisation, instead of destroying, has become a force in creating and developing cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more collective entity. In terms of how this relates to the Jewish Museum, the building is not just seen as a response to some traditions, it is also open to new ones, a link to the past and the future (see 2.1). The mission of the Jewish Museum, and for all new museums, is not just for the city themselves but for the wider public, in which it becomes a communal existence. Around the globe, in every corner, new museums have appeared, coming in every shape and size, appealing to various preferences (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). As Victoria Newhouse notes (see Barreneche, 2005, p.6), â€Å"One intriguing aspect of the current proliferation of museums is the ‘museumfication of seemingly every phenomenon†. The Jewish Museum is an example of this, and one could assume that through the guidance of globalisation, there are Jewish Museums in cities from New York to Sydney stemming from Libeskinds prominent Berlin museum. (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY Culture is cumulative and changing by additions of successive generations, reinterpreted from one individual or group to another. The designed environments of contemporary museums create a setting and representation of particular cultural identities. Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum in Berlin encompasses these attributes, it is a building that engrains Jewish history. The design is based on a process of connecting lines between the locations of historic events and the locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. This is evident from the buildings plan with the zigzag footprint, symbolically derived from a fragmented Star of David (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). (see 2.2) The architect has created metaphors for the absence of Jewish communities in Berlin where the lines slices the plan (Barreneche, 2005, p. 121). The concepts of absence, emptiness and the invisible express the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city. Libeskind proves there is a powerful faith in the ability of people to l earn

The Theme of Community in the Open Boat Essay -- American Literature S

Stephen Crane's Theme of Community Stephen Crane is well known in the literary world for his many underlying themes. In Stephan Crane's "The Open Boat," one of the many themes that can be seen is that of community. He brings to life the importance of the each individual's role in the group setting. Crane uses a dire situation in which men's lives are in the hands of each other to show that without group togetherness no one would make it. He shows the group being given false hopes from outside forces but, how in the end the group must band together for survival and not rely on anything but themselves. "The Open Boat" is one of Crane's best known works. Throughout the story, paralleling an actually event in his life Crane brings the reader inside the minds of his characters. By letting the reader see what each individual character is feeling, the sense of needing a community can be felt. Stephan Crane's life was not long, but with his time he accomplished much. Crane's use of the community theme can easily be linked to his own personal experiences. He was born in Newark New Jersey in 1871 as the 14th child of a Methodist minister. His father died while Crane was still a young child. He attended two years of college. After his short college career Crane lived in a medical boarding house in New York City. There he started his freelance writing. In 1893 he published his first book, Maggie: Girl of the Streets. Throughout these earlier years in his life he also wrote Red Badge of Courage and The Black Rider, along with many other works. In 1879 Crane attempted to do journalistic reporting on the insurrection of Cuba. On his voyage the ship the Commodore sunk, leaving him to float to safety in a lifeboat. It is from this experienc... ...4th, 2003] Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.nagasaki-gaigo.ac.jp/ishikawa/amlit/c/crane_s19re.htm Works Cited Source: ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, American Literature on the Web Stephen Crane (1871-1900), [cited April 24th, 2003] Available on the World Wide Web: http://www.nagasaki-gaigo.ac.jp/ishikawa/amlit/c/crane_s19re.htm Crane, Stephen "The Open Boat" in Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay 4th Ed. Robert Di Yanni (New York, New York, 1998) Stephan Crane's "The Open Boat", [cited April 24th, 2003] Available on the World Wide Web: http://sites.unc.edu/storyforms/openboat/community/index.html

Financial Ratio Essay

â€Å"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.† – Charles R. Swindoll Please use this template to produce the Bi-MTRs by filling the spaces provided. This should be submitted by the 28 th  of the relevant month, to your Placement Tutor’s e-mail address and to the Business School Employability Office (busemployability@gre.ac.uk). Please make sure you keep copies of your report, for submission at the end of your placement year. An email confirmation of receipt will be sent to you. If you have not received this confirmation within 5 working days of sending your report, please accept this as the BSEO did not receive your Bi-MTR. Date of MTR: 28 th of August 2013 Student ID: 000751077 Student Name: ADAMS OLALEKAN DOSUNMU Student Email: Da225@gre.ac.uk Work Telephone number: 07424525695 / 07850263416 Placement Tutor: DERYN GRAHAM Company Name: MARKS AND SPENCER Supervisor/Line Manager: JULIANA IRORO * Compulsory response Work Experience*: Set out your main duties undertaken during the month(s) and critically appraise your own performance in relation to those duties The first phase of my placement at Marks and Spencer, Edgeware Road. As a customer service assistant, which role is to ensure that diligent services are giving to customers at the right time in a well behave manner. I also have the responsibility of a section coordinator whose duties is to ensure that proper documentation of duty task and activities are achieved and recorded. Such roles includes: 1. Preparation of duty roster 2. Stock / inventory recording 3. Ensure proper team work among member of staffs and also team coordination 4. Act as a line manager in the absence of the manager. 5. Other functions Roles at work As a section coordinator assigned to the Hot food on the move /bakery section in the store, which duty is to make sure that desired target of sales, customer feedback and TSL audit preparation of my unit is to the store level of satisfaction. Roles within the unit Preparation of weekly duty roster for the staff working in the unit which explains the description of work, working hours, that is the start of shift to the end of the shift, and hour worked weekly. This is very important as staff will have knowledge of when and where are required to work. Due diligence A delegated paper work as a guideline to all members of staff as the service offered to customers on the tills, foods, coffees and other customer enquiry are of standard and also ensure that customer satisfaction are met. Making sure that all delegated tasks is in progression and also completed before staff finishes Bi-Monthly Training Report Template (Bi-MTR) Appendix 4: Bi-MTR â€Å"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.† –Charles R. Swindoll their shift, and in turn giving feedback to the line manager for proper check. Key Skills Development*: Outline the key skills that you have acquired as a  result of the work that you have done e.g. communication skills, working with others, IT skills, time management skills etc. I have possess unique skill of team spirit in relation to service excellence and also team coordination ,such skills includes 1. Interpersonal skill: My interpersonal skill has improved and this has helped me to gain more confidence and possess more unique skill on the job and relating to others both the staffs, suppliers, customers and the society at large. 2. Communication skill: Constantly improved in my communication skills, such as expressing my feelings, ideas, concept and exchange of information, as I learn to understand people’s accent concurrently by the day, both at work and out of work. Proper understanding of people’s culture, customs, norms and traditions. 3. Managerial skill: Techniques and business knowledge has also improved, having the opportunity to work with a reputable organisation with a versatile style of management, from value chain management to supply stream of income and supply chain management. 4. Time management skill: More timely conscious, time constraint and adherence to time management for every task to be completed at a particular point in time. What need to be done hourly, daily, weekly and monthly are been specify for the appointed time. 5. Information technology skill: InfoTech skill improved ability to use Microsoft Excel more efficiently and other applications such as SPSS. Critical Incidents: Outline any significant events, both positive and negative, that took place during the month(s) and had an impact on your work either directly or indirectly â€Å"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit  in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.† –Charles R. Swindoll If nothing to declare, please write â€Å"I have no critical incidences to declare† At the beginning of my placement with Marks and Spencer, I find it too much demanding, due to the work load and cultural differences, among colleagues such as styles, accents, customs and traditions. And also some of the staffs are difficult to manage and relate with, but with my interpersonal skills and style of on the job skill which has helped me to see things as it come, I never give fear a chance on me. So I learn all the system and style of work within a very short period of time and I applied what I have learnt as a business student to interprets and relate with the situation. In other to excel in my internship and becoming a successful manager. Employer Feedback: Give details of any formal or informal feedback on your performance received from the employer during the month(s) If no feedback given, please write â€Å"I have no feedback to give† I have no feedback to give Contact with Placement Tutor *: Please give details of your contact with your placement tutor in the past 2 months. This can either be via email, telephone or face to face. ADAMS OLALEKAN DOSUNMU 000751077 Da225@gre.ac.uk BSc BUSINESS STUDIES University of Greenwich Second Year. Tel: 07850263416 / 07424525695 Presently on a placement with Marks and Spencer, situated on Edgeware Road. Duty roles: customer service assistant in a role of a section coordinator. â€Å"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.† –Charles R. Swindoll Final Year Project (if applicable): Include any information you may have  gathered for final year project RENUMERATION: A major source of motivation. A case study of Marks and Spencer in remunerating its employees such as : Employees benefit and incentives Wages and salaries Bonuses and pension scheme. Other Information: Include any other information that you consider to be relevant to the traineeship e.g. .training courses attended, social activities, cultural differences for overseas placements Not Applicable Workshop / Training Days, Change of Address or Travelling Please include any days which you are scheduled to be away from your desk at the address provided on your contract. Not Applicable â€Å"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.† –Charles R. Swindoll If you would like to add any further information about your placement, please feel free to continue on a separate page (however make sure it has your name, student number, Placement Tutor and placement company included). If you are unable to e-mail your MTR, please send it to Business School Employability Office via email on busemployability@gre.ac.uk. If you cannot send it via email, please send using FAX +44 (0)20 8331 8120 or via post to the address below. For more information, contact: Business School Employability Office Queen Mary 245 * the University of Greenwich * Greenwich Campus * Park Row * SE10 9LS

Chipotle Competitive Asstment Essay

As a pioneer in fast-casual Mexican food, Chipotle has played an important role in developing this category. Currently, Chipotle’s direct competitors include Taco Bell, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Moe’s Southwest Grill, so on. Their competition also includes a variety of locally owned and franchised restaurants. Many of Chipotle’s competitors have more financial resources, greater name recognition, or are better established in the markets in which their restaurants are located. However, Chipotle has their competitive strength due to their upscale menu selections and especially higher – quality ingredients. They use a variety of fresh ingredients, as well as their commitment to â€Å"Food with Integrity†. Chipotle can utilize their relationships with local farmers to create a stronger marketing message and differentiate themselves relative to competitors by focusing on their locally farmed, free range, antibiotic and hormone free meat. (Chen b? ng) From the table of Competitive Strength Assessments of 4 restaurants, it can be seen that Chipotle Mexican Grill still has net competitive strength over Moe’s Southwest Grill (0. 4) and Qdoba Mexican Grill (0. 2). Only Taco Bell has the same overall competitive strength rating as Chipotle. Therefore, of 3 competitors, Taco Bell seems to have the strongest set of resource strengths and competitive capabilities and is most likely to achieve the best financial performance. It is recognized as of the best Mexican fast food chains in the United States of America with a specialized quick service approach. It had a total of 1,201 company-owned and 4,029 franchised restaurant locations in the United States, plus another 3 company-owned and 237 franchised international locations in 2012. Besides that, the change in the management and organizational structure trickled prosperity in Taco bell’s overall set up. However, Taco Bell, their rival, was scored the lowest in food quality and atmosphere among limited-service Mexican eateries by Nation’s Restaurant News and consultant WD Partners in September 2011. Therefore, Chipotle have a good enough strategy and adequate resource strengths and competitive capabilities to compete effectively against Taco Bell if they try their best to upscale menu selections, service atmosphere and especially keep their commitment to â€Å"Food with Integrity†

The significance of the shifts in narrative perspective in Frankenstein Essays

The significance of the shifts in narrative perspective in Frankenstein Essays The significance of the shifts in narrative perspective in Frankenstein Paper The significance of the shifts in narrative perspective in Frankenstein Paper Mary Shelley uses many different narrators inside her story, including Walton, through letters, followed by Victor, and in Volume 2, the Monster themselves. It has various effects on the flow of the story, and its main effect is that it helps the reader to understand the characters in the novel much more easily and also provide the perspectives of various people, to get a feel of what society was at that time, and also to break certain stigmas that were present at that time. This can be seen in all three narrators in the book- Robert Walton, another fellow mad scientist, Victor, the protagonist and the Monster, the main antagonist. Firstly, the main use of Walton in the story helps us understand how a scientist during that time period perceives another scientist with the same intentions and sacrifices as himself. This is because in those ages, when we think of scientists, people often think that they are mad and abandon all of their families and their humane qualities in the quest for unlocking the ultimate secrets of nature- for Walton, the true magnetic North and for Victor, the ultimate goal of being able to play god. But however, this is not true. For example, when Victor arrives at Waltons ship, Walton kindly helps and tries to care for Victor until he has fully recuperated. He also writes in his letters about Victors conditions to Mrs. Saville and in his letters in the last chapter, said my chief attention was occupied by my unfortunate guest(Page 218) and also, he makes friendly ties with Victor, so that Victor can tell his unfortunate tale completely. Hence, by showing all of these humane qualities between the two, and also by showing how they become friends and care for each other, Shelley wants to break the social stigma of that time that scientists are all bad due to the horrendous acts they commit- for example, stealing bodies from the grave, to the point that they no longer have any human traits. Therefore, the use of Walton as a narrator helps us understand how scientists view each other at that time and also to show how the perception of the general public is flawed. Next, the writer uses the narrative perspective of Victor to make us understand how a mad scientist sees himself, and also to see how a mad scientist is not always mentally ill from the beginning, but rather has good intentions that go haywire. Furthermore, the usage of first-person perspective makes us able to understand Victors feelings in a better way rather than if a third person narrator was used. This is shown by Victors true intentions such as the main aim of building the monster- to relieve the grief felt from the departure of loved ones. However, it turns haywire, which is instantly realised when we encounter Victors dream of him kissing his beloved Elizabeth, then followed by the dying corpse of his own mother. That is when everything begins to go wrong. His feelings is also pronounced- for example, we can see what was going through Victors mind when the Monster tried to persuade him to create a female monster- He compassionated at his words but immediately felt disgusted when he saw the Monsters face. By showing all of these aspects of Victors initial good intentions, she aims, again to break the social stigma that mad scientists are all mad from birth and have no good will, by showing Victors innocent childhood and also how his monster was built on good intentions. Furthermore, we can also delve deeper into the mad scientists mind by the usage of the first person narrator, enabling us to see his feelings and thoughts at any moment, discovering the real feelings of Victor- trying to hide from the worry of failure and also its adverse effects, and also his initial desire to succeed at all costs- to prove his detractors wrong. Hence, as a result, we get a better understanding of what a mad scientist is like in those times and find that it was not as bad as people often imagined. Finally, the usage of the Monster as a narrator makes us understand what happens when a man tries to play god and imitate a human- what will the creation feel? The usage of the Monster as an abandoned creation by its creator despite its relative success also shows the perspective of young orphans, and reflects a common trend in the society at that time. This is shown in many ways- for example, when the Monster gathers firewood for the family but is hated by everyone instead, and also how he feels dejected at the very behaviour of the people. He also eventually escalates to the point of getting revenge once his appeal for a female monster is rejected. The overall effect of this is that we get a reflection on the society at that time being too orientated on looks, and also how the novel scrutinises it by Shelleys clever writing which makes us sympathise the ugly Monster, whereas we see every other person in the book looks at him in disgust. Also, we can better understand the feelings of a failure in the society such as orphans whom have no companion and anyone to look after them, and is continually looked down upon by the society. As a result, we can better understand the Monsters role and his significance in the society at that time by using him as the first narrator. In conclusion, Mary Shelley uses the three narrators in a Mise-en-Abyne fashion to slowly delve deeper into the story, and in the process, understand the three narrators, whom are characters in a first-hand manner. Shelley also uses these three characters which have unique roles as narrators to help her break certain social stigmas present at that time. But overall, the usage of various narrators in the book helps us understand the story better.

Continentality in South Texas essays

Continentality in South Texas essays Is it true that the further away from the ocean it is, the wider the temperature range? The theory of continentality is true. The further away from the Gulf of Mexico, the higher the temperature range will be. The theory of continentality is that the further away from a major ocean, the greater the temperature range is. For this project three major cities in South Texas were chosen; Galveston, Houston and San Antonio. I chose each of these cities, because I am planning to move to San Antonio or Houston after I graduate. The weather in that area of the country is very different than it is here and I thought it would interesting to find out just a little more about the climate in that area. Each are a further distance from the ocean, respectively. Galveston is a coastal city. Houston is approximately 30 miles from the ocean and San Antonio is about 200 miles from the ocean. I took a road trip there for spring break of this year and just by observation, noticed a steady difference as I got closer to Galveston. First, San Antonio was very hot and dry. It wasnt extreme weather when I was there, but a typical spring day. As I got closer to Houston, it became a little cooler and much more humid. Im not going into humidity at this time, however the closer I got to Houston, the more humid it was. When I arrived in Galveston, it was a lot cooler and even more humid than Houston. So I determined at that time that continentality, although I didnt know that is what it was called at the time, was the reason for the steady difference as I got closer to the ocean. My hypothesis was based solely on the week I spent in south Texas and then on the theory of continen ...

Pinecone Fish Facts and Information

Pinecone Fish Facts and Information The pinecone fish (Monocentris japonica) is also known as the  pineapple fish, knightfish, soldierfish, Japanese pineapple fish, and dick bride-groom fish. Its distinctive markings leave no doubt as to how it got the name pinecone or pineapple fish: it looks a bit like both and is easy to spot. Pinecone fish are classed in the Class Actinopterygii.  This class is known as ray-finned fishes because their fins are supported by sturdy spines.   Characteristics Pinecone fish grow to a maximum size of about 7 inches but are usually 4 to 5 inches in length. The pinecone fish is bright yellow in color with distinctive, black-outlined scales. They also have a black lower jaw and a small tail. Curiously, they have a light-producing organ on each side of their head. These are known as photophores, and they produce a symbiotic bacteria that makes the light visible.The light is produced by luminescent bacteria, and its function is not known. Some say that it may be used to improve vision, find prey, or communicate with other fish. Classification This is how the pinecone fish is scientifically classified: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ActinopterygiiOrder: Beryciformes  Family: Monocentridae  Genus: Monocentris  Species: japonica Habitat and Distribution The pinecone fish are found in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean, including in the Red Sea, around South Africa and Mauritius, Indonesia, Southern Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. They prefer areas with coral reefs, caves, and rocks. They are commonly found in waters between 65 to 656 feet (20 to 200 meters) deep. They may be found swimming together in schools. Fun Facts Here are a few more fun facts about the pinecone fish: It is popular in tropical aquariums because of its unique appearance. Despite that popularity, the pinecone fish is known to be hard to keep.They eat live brine shrimp and are more active at night. During the day, they tend to hide more.There are four species of pinecone fish:  Monocentris japonica, Monocentris meozelanicus, Monocentris reedi,  and  Cleidopus gloriamaris.  They are all members of the Family  Monocentridae.They are usually a yellow or orange color with scales outlined in black.  Ã‚  The fish are considered on the more expensive side, making them less common in home aquariums. Sources Bray,  D. J.2011,  Japanese Pineapplefish,  , in Fishes of Australia. Accessed January 31, 2015.Monocentris japonicaMasuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino, 1984. The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, Japan. 437 p., via FishBase. Accessed January 31, 2015.  Mehen, B. Weird Fish of the Week: Pinecone Fish. Practical Fishkeeping. Accessed January 31, 2015.

Heuristics and Bias (DB) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heuristics and Bias (DB) - Essay Example Similarly, the succeeding activities demonstrated the same kind of analysis required to come yup with the most rational-correct-response to the exercise. In the string exercise (Activity #2), this depth of understanding of how reasoning works is once again shown. Looking at the way the Xs and Os were arranged, it became evident that Option 1 makes more sense because it provides an equal chance for the Xs and Os to assume an arrangement adopted by the initial arrangement of Xs and Os. The randomness of order of the two letters in the second option may seem to indicate a more random and more probable ordering of the Xs and Os. However, this randomness has no order nor logic; if, looking at the two sets of strings by themselves, the first option has more order and logic rather than the second set of letter string. Again, like the first activity in the set of exercises, the second activity challenges the individual to think within the given information of the problem. In this particular exercise, individuals are to think within this set of information. While in some way it constrains the individual to think within the given information, this is only logical and reasonable since the answer to these exercises lies within the information provided.

In defense of El Salvador Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In defense of El Salvador - Essay Example However, rather than understand the situation in El Salvador in the same way that it is represented to the individual via the news media, it is instead important to realize that the situation that exists within the country is quite different from the horrific and grizzly reports that are so often the topic of cautionary tales on late night news shows. Further, even though it is true that nations such as Afghanistan may have a lower â€Å"murder rate†, the security of a traveler in such places can be reduced to a question of how foreigners are viewed and treated.   Accordingly, the level of interaction that violence has with the average tourist or foreigner within El Salvador is extraordinarily small; due in part to the fact that almost all of the violence is predicated upon gang related activity and the quest to control narcotic distribution networks.   This is invariably something that the simple tourist has little knowledge of or interest in; thereby partially shielding them from the eventuality of being caught upon the internecine struggle that has recently defined this otherwise pristine nation within Central America (Olate 384). Firstly, although it is true that El Salvador has a very high murder rate and this causes the would-be tourist or business visitor to be concerned, the reality of the fact is that the violence towards foreigners is relatively on par with any other Central American or Caribbean nation.   Although this does not mean that the stakeholder in society should simply be unconcerned about the rate of violence.

SMART Goals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SMART Goals - Assignment Example I will attend seminars on time management by participating in the organization’s seminar talks that will help me be more time cautious and better at management, reading books and listening to tapes based on the same matter, reviewing the organization trends on the same, and making plans with the departmental head responsible for the issue starting Monday week 2 Attributes needed to achieve the goal; timeline of when you plan on doing what; explain how, when, and where you are going to meet or talk with your expert; and identify specific resources you plan on using to help you achieve your goals. My evaluation of the â€Å"Successful Goal Setting† source is that it seeks to help nurses have better time management skills as well as help nurses be good at setting goals and attaining the goals set based on the SMART analysis. I plan to attend workforce training planning programs offered by the departmental leads on increasing workforce efficiency with the help of productivity coaches and other peer-reviewed articles in the department and my manager, and visiting laid out procedures described to improve workout put starting Wednesday week 2. Attributes needed to achieve the goal; timeline of when you plan on doing what; explain how, when, and where you are going to meet or talk with your expert; and identify specific resources you plan on using to help you achieve your goals. My evaluation of the â€Å"Taking leadership Serious† source is that it seeks to ensure that the nurse is better placed to become a manager and a successful goal setter with regard to the skills achieved from successful goal setting source. McBride, Angela Barron. (March, 2011). Taking Leadership Seriously. American Journal of Nursing, 111(3), pp.11. Web. Retrieved from: http://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/Fulltext/2011/03000/Taking_Leadership_Seriously.2.aspx Davis, Anne J. (January, 1963). The Skills of COMMUNICATION. American Journal of Nursing, 63(1). Web. Retrieved from:

Technology in Education in NYC Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology in Education in NYC - Assignment Example This study highlights that  the NYC local government should enhance the use of effective techniques such as the Learning Analytics to assess the progress of education. The learning analytics policy approaches facilitates measurement of various elements that affect education. Learning Analytics facilitates the collection of useful information about the students, parents, and the community that can be used to regulate the use of technology in schools.   In essence, the use of Learning Analytics facilitates impromptu research on learning institutions to evaluate the functionality of technology in the education field. In this regard, all the stakeholders in the education sectors should be involved in the research in order to decide the most effective means of solving the challenges facing use of technology in education.From this paper it is clear that the approach used to address the issue of hacking and damaging of education devices presently in the NYC presently is ineffective. Eve n though hacking is monitored via online platforms, the infrastructure is not convenient for complex soft-wares such as the eSpark. In addition, the mechanisms used to monitor the usage of learning devices are defective. For instance, parents are not involved fully in the monitoring devices monitoring process. Therefore, the NYC education sector should consider adopting the changes discussed above to improve the security of education documents and longevity of learning devices.   Ã‚  

How the content of this web page relates to the materials presented in Assignment

How the content of this web page relates to the materials presented in Chapters 11, 12 and 13 - Assignment Example Wal-Mart’s service delivery and commitment to satisfying their customers is expressed on this web page by saying that their energy, passion and respect for individuals are some of their core values in service delivery. This web page also shows Wal-Mart’s commitment to the community sense of belonging whereby they have sites that show their commitment to protecting the environment, helping others especially the less fortunate, community investment and supporting people. This web page basically advertises careers for people looking for employment, also how Walmart as a whole has different sections all under one roof. This is covered under job enrichment. This explains how variety, identity and significance contribute to motivating a worker through the job itself. This self-motivation is evidently brought out on Walmart’s web page when they say that their entrepreneurial spirits drive them to grow and innovate daily. This is covered under recruitment strategy and policy. This involves recruiting skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled employees. Walmart’s page shows this recruitment policy by advertising jobs online and the jobs are offered in different locations for different people and it can be easily accessed online. This is covered under a collective bargaining power of unions. Since Walmart has different employees from different places all over the country, they always try to give them a collective voice to help them air their views and complaints to the management, and this is clearly seen under Walmart’s core values which include treating employees equally and respecting them too. This is well covered under open communication. Walmart web page offers an open kind of communication in that job application can be done through online and when they also say that they walk the talk to mean that whatever they say they act on it or put it into action. This can be discussed