Examining High Performance Team Building - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2661 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Level High school Did you like this example? Table of Contents Introduction Company Background- Selection Process- Trust- Constructive Conflicts- Compelling Purpose- Reward System- Conclusion- Recommendations- References- Introduction As Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith from Mckinsey Company cited in (Kinicki Fugate, 2011) suggests a team is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  However team building is a thing of the past, now the organisations believe in creating a High Performance Team, As (Wageman et.al 2008) describes it as a team who not only consistently meets but also exceeds the stakeholderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expectations, during this process the individuals enhance their own capabilities by continuously learning and personal development. With the rapidly changing business environment, the organization aims to build High Performance team which can easily adapt to the business changes, increasing competition and work pressure and help the organization to get a competitive advantage over others. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Examining High Performance Team Building" essay for you Create order Company Background- Jet Airways is Indiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Premium airline company, which operates on domestic and International sectors, comprising of 22 International sectors across 04 continents and 74 sectors across India. Jet Airways are known for its premium service and excellent customer care. Where every flight that takes off requires a good team work, whether with the crew involved or a different set of team comprising of captains, crew members, ground handling, etc., who needs to work as a team for a particular flight leg. During the Global financial crisis (GFC), where many flights being cancelled, and people were getting laid off, to preserve the passengerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expectations from the airline, the management came up with a team of crew members in each base called as a Task force, who could be depended upon if any shortage of crew, or who could be contacted to operate a flight at the last minute due to weather changes, or operating a charter flight, or inaugural of a new sec tor. An effective team can have a lasting impression on the passengers, with prompt service delivery. Creating a High Performance Team requires to fill few major criteria, a criteria which define the purpose of shaping a high performance team. The main criteria are: Selection of the team members Trust Constructive Conflict. Having a compelling purpose. Reward systems. Selection Process- Jet Airways being the premium airline for almost 2 decades in the Indian skies, has a tougher and lengthy selection process of its crew members. Where the selection process involves scrutinizing the best candidates to join the airline. Physically fit and appealing personality is not the only criteria, aspiring crew need to have a good reasoning and situational handling techniques. Candidates with prior flying experience is always been an advantage to be selected As (Wageman, Nunes, Burruss Hackman, 2008) suggests Selection depends upon Knowledge, experience, skills, representation of key perspectives and functional or operational expertise are vital. In Jet Airways Task force team- The higher management selection of a group of highly efficient crew members, depending upon their work dedication, situational handling technique, expertise in first aid and safety and also good negotiation skills as well as good soft skills. It was a team of a mix of personalities to handle and tack le most situations. The higher management of Jet Airways followed certain plan to create a High performance team such as Team charter plan for the Task force, which could operate who shares the information with each other and makes a decision making as a team work. Team Composition- Which describes different personalities, knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences of each crew member was taken into consideration. Team Adaptive capacity- A team which shows an adaptive capacity to adapt to the changes such as a last minute change of flight destinations and operate on a short crew. In Rowing Team- Selection of our rowing team had a similar situation, when our captain, first selected few team members depending upon his knowledge and previous bonding with certain members. Later deciding upon others skills and expertise. Strategies used in HPT- Selection process in Jet Airways initial recruitment have a psychometric test, followed by a yearly refresher exam in psychometric analyzing, leadership workshop and situational handling. It helps in reflecting oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s skills and personality types and discovering ones strengths and weakness. What Went Wrong? As (Warner, 1995, p.17) suggests that creating a one type of team canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be a solution to all the different situations. Different kinds of situations needs different approaches to tackle it. Selecting the best and experience crew members dint always work well, as most of the senior crew members have their own work style and prefers to work individually which believes it improves their self-esteem. After the selecting and recruiting the crew members, the crew was positioned to different bases, accordingly to flight requirement, resulting in improper distribution of crew members. Trust- In any teamwork or team building, Trust plays a key ingredient. As explained by (Kinicki Fugate, 2011. p 238) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Trust is a reciprocal faith that the intentions and behaviours of another person will consider the implications for you.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  When a person says à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Trust meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , we usually donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t, unless the personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s behaviour and actions are inclined towards gaining the trust. In Jet Airways Task Force Team- Having a trust factor towards the management for our job security during times of recession and layoffs was difficult. Where many employees are cynical about trusting the management about retaining all employees. To build the trust in the management, the management had open communication days, where we seniors could meet the higher management teams and express our and junior crewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feelings and fears and vulnerability to job security. Being vulnerable and having an effective communi cation helps in building trust. As (Stewart, 2001) suggests beyond competence, community and commitment, trust of the course mainly depends upon the communication. The management promised that no employees would be laid off, instead would encourage employees to take a leave without pay for a year, which most of the employees were satisfied with as they could have a chance to do higher studies or plan a maternal leave and still have their job secured. In Rowing Team- In our rowing team, few team members had a fear of water, and initially we all spilled our own vulnerability and fears of others. It takes courage to accept your flaws and fears in front of all, it helps to empathize towards others. Our comfort level and preferences were decided. As in the rowing team, some members preferred to handle the presentation part rather than rowing. We as a team trusted each other that they would support each other, whether co-ordinating the rowing technique or helping with the presentation. Motivation from different members of the team, allows to lift up the entire team spirit. Strategies used in HPT- Jet Airways always believes in creating the Joy of flying, whether for the passenger or its employees. As (Wageman, Nunes, Burruss Hackman, 2008) suggest that the senior leadership teams need to get all the support it requires, as these are teams that steer the organization towards a profitable. The main strategies Jet Airways uses to build a HPT among the crew members are: Being Empathetic Encouraging Open communication. Provide support Work towards employee satisfaction. Being truthful about situations. Constructive Conflicts- Conflicts can arise in any situations, whether ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s in a team, organisation, and family or among friends. As (Wall and Callister, 1995, p517) defines conflict as a process in which one person or party perceives its interests which being opposed or negatively affected by other party or person. Conflicts happen on regular intervals, but utilizing those conflicts constructively helps to create a bonding with the team members. Well-handled conflicts can be constructive towards the team building, if not it could be destructive. Constructive conflicts often lead to innovation of good ideas, brainstorming for a common solution. In Jet Airways Task force team- To change the conflicts into a constructive approach, trust in each other again plays an important role. Conflicts among the arrogant captains and crew members is common, when captains would want to speed up the flying time by minimising the block time for the flight, not realising the pressure and stress on the c rew to deliver a quality service in a shorter time frame, and upsetting the passengers eventually. However, the trust between the captains and the senior crew, allows to deliver a prompt service in the short span of time, the crew members trust that the captain would give them extra time if required and support them incase any issues arise with the passengers. In Rowing team- In the rowing team, we had our share of conflicts, when initially each we had conflicts towards the rowing coordination or selecting the movie for our presentation. However, later we started trusting each other decisions and working towards a common goal. We started using the Dialectic method to resolve the conflicts, where we would discuss the opposing viewpoints of all the members and then come to a common decision. The built trust in our team and the commitment towards our common goal, we turned the conflicts into a positive feedback system. Strategies used in HPT- Having an Openness to accept your own mistakes as well as active listening to another personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s point of view, It is very important to listen to other personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s opinions to come to a decision making and a come with a common interest to resolve the conflict. Compelling Purpose- To form a High Performance Team, the team must firstly find a compelling purpose to do so. According to (Wageman, Nunes, Burruss Hackman, 2008, p 59), The main compelling purpose to create a HPT are: Consequential, Challenging and Clear. It acts like a driving force to motivate the team to work together. In Jet Airways Task force team- During the Global financial crisis, where most of the airlines in India were going bankrupt, as the falling economy and the low passenger loads. Jet Airways had to attract the passenger by providing excellent service. Where the Task force crew were on assigned on prime flights to deliver excellent service and create a brand loyalty for the passengers. It was a consequential and challenging situation for the airline to sustain. It acted as a compelling purpose for all the staff. In Rowing team- Our compelling purpose of the rowing team, was to perform better in the rowing. Improve better than the previous week, and win the race. On the presenta tion side, we expected all the team members to be creative and do and try ideas that we never tried before. We were determined to perform better either on the rowing or during the presentation. Another compelling purpose of our team has been basically just to enjoy this unique experience of this paper and share our experiences with others. Strategies used in HPT- The strategy of the airline, to woo the passengers worked well. Going the extra mile to make a passenger feel at home and efficient service and passenger loyalty helped the airline to sail through the financial crisis. Reward System- Rewarding and recognition is really important to make team members feel appreciated and acknowledged. Rewarding helps the team members to feel motivated to work better, it also acts as a driving force for other members to work and act well in the team. Appreciation and acknowledgement also act as a reward for the individual. As (Brounstein, 2002) illustrates that a behaviour that is rewarded is repeated in positive reinforcement. When an individual in a team performs well, rewarding him/her creates a motivation for him as well for others to keep succeeding and doing the good job. A pat on his back or an acknowledge or a monetary reward makes the person to work harder to maintain the appreciation he gained. In Jet Airways Task force- Rewarding the best performer crew of each base has always been a practice in Jet Airways, Getting an appreciation letter from the Managers and if received on a regular basis, the top crew across the network, is invited for lunch along with the Chairm an and Higher management. Bringing a sense of pride and boost on self-esteem. In rowing team- In our rowing team, when an individual does something extra for the team such as arrange the T-shirts, organise the food or help each other for the presentation, gets accolades and appreciation from all the team members. Rewarding gestures like getting food or chocolates during the team meetings and bananas for the team after the rowing. Motivates the entire team spirit to perform better. It helps in creating a bonding and build a rapport with each other. Recognizing the individual achievements, increases the teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s value and passion. A trophy given to all the members of the team at the end of the race, and having a celebration for the entire team and families helps to create a positive feeling. Strategies used in HPT- Jet Airways have always rewarded the crew and other staff on fair and deserving grounds. Crew who has gone the extra mile consistently in providing pre mium service to the passenger. Rewarding the extra efforts made by the crew has always been acknowledged by the management. Increasing the crewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s morale and self-esteem. Conclusion- As the business environment is changing rapidly across the globe, no longer can teams handle bigger challenges, therefore more companies are developing a high performance team. Trust plays an important role in deciding the team makeover, where the vulnerability of switching the jobs or uncertainty of being laid off always playing in the mind of the employees. A high performance team is developed by right selection, coaching and directing them to perform in the expected way. To create a HPT we must find the main expectations from the team, what and how the duties would be performed, as well build up trust and vulnerability towards other members. A High performance team doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to be the best of the employee, but a mix of employees, but having a right attitude towards the common goal. Recommendations- As forming a HPT is necessary for most of the companies at present. The management has to choose the right balance between the people and the skills they possess. Having a blend of positive attitudes and desired behaviour. However the management of Jet Airways must also Keep an eye for any Derailers in the team, any team members being pessimistic about the ideas and suggestions. Firstly must be consulted and briefed about the behaviour. If it persists, he should be removed from the team. Distribution of experienced crew members across the different bases. Having a balance of experienced and the new crew. Feedback and suggestions should not only be from the top to bottom of office hierarchy, but also the from bottom to top management. Periodic meeting with the higher management, strengths the trust and confidence in the senior management. A regular team building exercise or games should be planned, which would help to create a HPT, and bonding among the members. Breaking from the monotonous work schedule and being more creative by engaging the team with outings and trips as a reward system. References- Brounstein, M. (2002). Managing teams for dummies. New York: Wiley Pub. Keen, T. (2003). Creating effective successful teams. West Lafayette, Ind.: Ichor Business Books. Kinicki, A., Fugate, M. (2011). Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills Best Practices (5th Ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Stewart, T.A (2001). Trust me on this. In The future of leadership, Ed. Bennis, Spreitzer Cummings. Pp.66-77. San Francisco Wageman, R., Nunes, D., Burruss, J., Hackman, R. (2008). Senior leadership teams. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press. Wall, J. A., Callister, R. R. (1995). Conflict and Its Management. Journal of Management, 21 (3), 515à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"558. doi:10.1177/014920639502100306 Internet References Isixsigma.com (2014). High-performance Teams: Understanding Team Cohesiveness. Retrieved 16 November 2014, from https://www.isixsigma.com/implementation/teams/high-performance-teams-understanding-team-cohesiveness/ Warner, M. J. (1995). Why t eams fail, how teams succeed. Executive Excellence, 12 (6), 17. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/204629410?accountid=8440

Lévi-Straus Essay Example For Free At Magic Help - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3567 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Anthropology Essay Type Essay any type Did you like this example? Question: What was the reaction of British anthropologists to Là ©vi-Strausss work? Claude Là ©vi-Strauss (1908) was and is the pope of structuralism, to quote Marcel Hà ©naff. (1998:2) As my account of his contribution to the shaping of this ‘method or ‘tool as he himself insisted on calling it (Kuper 1996:175, Hà ©naff 1998:6) later in this essay illustrates, that is something that can hardly be disputed. It is not so self-evident, however, what the overall importance of his work for social anthropology was, and how well-received his ideas were at the time of their emergence. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Là ©vi-Straus Essay Example For Free At Magic Help" essay for you Create order In this essay, I will focus on the latter question in the context of Britain, in particular with reference to Edmund Leach (1910-1989). To come to an answer to this question, I will first briefly describe the British anthropological landscape before the introduction of Là ©vi-Strausss concept of structuralism. Then I will give an outline of Là ©vi-Strausss ideas and his applications thereof, and assess of every aspect of Là ©vi-Strausss work to what extent it was valued, adopted and applied by British anthropologists such as Leach. It is hereby necessary that I pay attention to the positive reactions as well as the substantial criticism Là ©vi-Strauss received from British anthropologists. Finally, by summarizing previously made points, I will hopefully be able to assess whether the reaction of Leach and others to Là ©vi-Strausss structuralism and the ideas it brought forward was predominantly positive or negative and what the overall impact of Là ©vi-Strauss on Leachs an thropology was. Needless to say, Là ©vi-Strauss was not the first French theorist whose ideas would have noticeable influence in British anthropology. In the first half of the 20th century, after the ‘fall of Frazers evolutionism that aimed to compare the details of human culture on a worldwide scale, Durkheims sociological theories were a major inspiration for one of the central figures in British social anthropology: Radcliffe-Brown. (Leach 1970:7) His focus was on coherence within groups in (primitive) societies; put very simply, the dominant view was that all institutions and ‘aspects of cosmology such as religion served primarily to maintain the group structure, by functioning as tools for the recreation of appropriate sentiments and the enforcement of norms. (Kuper 1996:160) Radcliffe-Browns anthropology was clearly naturalist, in the sense that Radcliffe-Brown and his followers tended to assume that the associations and oppositions which people seized upon were somehow presented to them by their environment. (Ibid:170) Another important aspect of British anthropology, introduced by its ‘founding father, Malinowski, was the fact that it was thoroughly empiricist. The belief reigned that theories had to be distilled from empirical facts obtained through fieldwork. (Ibid:170) Malinowski and those in his tradition can be classified as functionalists, for the purpose of their research was to show how a community functioned as a social system, and how its individual members lived their lives. (Leach 1970:7) Là ©vi-Strauss was not the first anthropologist to be concerned with structure either. In fact, the Oxford school in the 1940s, led by Radcliffe-Brown, were already looking into the explicit code of social behaviour. However, they did not pay much attention to ‘psychological problems, that is to say, processes of thought, which was a result of their sociological orientation characterized by neglect of the tradition of Tylor and the culture concept. (Kuper 1996:159-160) It is worth noting that Là ©vi-Strauss entered anthropology from philosophy, for this explains the choice of many of his focal points. (Hà ©naff 1998:2) Là ©vi-Strauss, too, was inspired by Durkheim particularly by his later work on a model of society built up of segments integrated by force of mechanical or organic solidarity as well as by Mausss work on exchange, yet he came to different conclusions than Radcliffe-Brown and other British anthropologists, as we will see. (Kuper 1996:160,162) Other sources of inspiration for Là ©vi-Strauss were American cultural anthropologists from the tradition of Boas, as well as trends in psycho-analysis (notably Freud), mathematics and communication. (Leach 1967:XVI) But the most determinative influence on his work came from Roman Jakobson and his De Saussure-inspired linguistic theory, based on the distinction between ‘parole (code, utterances) and ‘langue (message, gr ammar). (Kuper 1996:160, Leach 1970:45-46) In the following section of my essay I will give an outline of the conclusions Là ©vi-Strauss came to through his research inspired by the abovementioned. I will first explain the goal of his work and his definitions of and views on certain concepts, and then discuss how he applied his method of structuralist analysis to the major themes in his work (in chronological order): kinship, primary classification, and myth. At the same time, I will shed light on the reactions of British anthropologists to these ideas, with specific reference to Leach. The interest of British social anthropologists in structuralism arose in the 1950s and 1960. British imperialism was falling into decay, and partly because of these circumstances British anthropology became more open to new, foreign ideas. (Kuper 1996:161) The goal of Là ©vi-Strausss anthropology was a fundamentally different one from that of functionalists. His ultimate concern was to und erstand social relations by uncovering the social structure and, in that way, to establish facts which are true about ‘the human mind. To achieve this, he reasoned, one should use models. (Hà ©naff 1998:14, Leach 1970:7) â€Å"In anthropology as in linguistics [†¦], it is not comparison that supports generalization, but the other way around. If, as we believe to be the case, the unconscious activity of the mind consists in imposing forms upon content, and if these forms are fundamentally the same for all minds ancient and modern, primitive and civilized [†¦] it is necessary and sufficient to grasp the unconscious structure underlying each institution and each custom, in order to obtain a principle of interpretation valid for other institutions and other customs, provided of course that the analysis is carried far enough.† (Là ©vi-Strauss 1963:21) In order to understand his work, it is important to determine what Là ©vi-Strauss understood when using the term ‘social structure. He went further than Radcliffe-Brown, who defined social structure as the set of social relations organized in a system, by arguing that a structure was in fact a model of which social relations are just the â€Å"raw materials† and that therefore â€Å"social structure can, by no means, be reduced to the ensemble of the social relations to be described in a given society†. (Hà ©naff 1998:13-14) According to Là ©vi-Strauss, a structure was conceivable only where there was a sufficient degree of internal motivation (as opposed to arbitrariness). Therefore, certain objects only were receptive to the structural approach; their nature had to be closed and finite, and their function had to be to differentiate and order positions and statuses and to link groups through individuals. Là ©vi-Strauss focused primarily on primitive soci eties, for their forms of organization were stable and tending toward stability, and their activities limited and integrated. (Ibid:8-9) This groundwork of structuralism became a source of inspiration and guidance for various social anthropologists in Britain, such as Douglas, Needham, and most notably Leach, who Kuper described as â€Å"the most enthusiastic and original of the British social anthropologists who experimented with structuralism† and who was responsible for extending its range of applications. (Kuper 1996:173) Là ©vi-Strauss revived their interest in the study of systems of thought and encouraged them to apply linguistic methods onto their anthropological research, as I will illustrate when discussing individual themes in Là ©vi-Strausss work. Leach and other British structuralists adopted his notion of an ‘underlying grammar, that was based upon a series of binary oppositions which were related to form a system. (Ibid:172) Moreover, Leach always praised Là ©vi-Strauss for causing innovation in anthropology, in the sense that the latter was responsible for applying an original method to categories of orthodox ethnography and directing anthropologists attention towards problems that earlier British anthropologists scarcely considered. (Leach 1967:XVI-XVII) However, this is not to say that Leach was a ‘slavish imitator of Là ©vi-Strauss. (Leach 1967:XV) In fact, he challenged or in some cases even set aside some of the very foundations of Là ©vi-Strausss approach. (Hà ©naff 1998:70) First of all, the goal of Leachs research was different from Là ©vi-Strausss. Leach did not aim to identify psychological universals, but rather to elucidate particular social systems. (Kuper 1996:167) This different viewpoint on the purpose of structuralist analysis was caused by Leachs non-belief in the universality of the mind; he saw it as Là ©vi-Strausss own ‘invention, meant to create a philosophical extension of ethn ological results. (Hà ©naff 1998:113) Besides, Leach considered the linguistic model Là ©vi-Strauss employed too simplistic for the purpose of reaching into ‘the human mind. (Leach 1970:112) Rather than displaying the structure of the human mind, Là ©vi-Strauss had â€Å"ended up by telling us something about the structure of aesthetic perception.† (Ibid:113) Through ‘verbal juggling, as Leach called it, Là ©vi-Strauss tried to convince his readers of this theory that was generalized and paradoxical, for what is universally true must be natural while Là ©vi-Strauss held the humanity of man to be non-natural by definition (as I will explain in the section on primary classification). (Ibid:82,112) Leach, for one, never came to understand Là ©vi-Strausss notion of the mind fully. (Hà ©naff 1998:262) But perhaps the most important point of criticism from Leach and other structuralists and critics of Là ©vi-Strauss was that the initial model revolving ar ound ‘universally true, basic meaningful principles which Là ©vi-Strauss relied on was in fact a product of the observers own prejudiced presuppositions and rarely corresponded closely to an ethnographic reality. (Leach 1970:19,110) This point is related to the different stances on empiricism that Là ©vi-Strauss and most contemporaneous Anglo-American anthropologists held. Là ©vi-Strauss did value and indeed conduct observation, but as he believed in an underlying social structure and universality of the human mind, he saw ethnographic facts as displays of a theoretical model at work; mere examples of what is possible. (Ibid:42) As Hà ©naff put it: â€Å"In fact, he asked anthropology to proceed just like any science of observation: to be very empirical and meticulous regarding data gathering and very conceptual regarding the theorization of the set of such data.† (Hà ©naff 1998:15) Not surprisingly, this position caused significant resistance among Briti sh social anthropologists, even those who viewed structuralism positively. According to Leach, among others, it led to Là ©vi-Strauss treating his topics too theoretically and systematically and ignoring time, space, emotion and taboo throughout his research. (Leach 1970:87,60) In other words, he criticised Là ©vi-Strausss reductionism. Là ©vi-Strauss generally provided too little ethnographical evidence, and if he did, he seemed to select this ethnographical evidence to fit his theories. (Ibid:87,90,98,117) A consequence of this is that the contrary is difficult to demonstrate, and therefore Là ©vi-Strausss theories can not be critically tested. (Ibid:50,117) Kinship was the first object that Là ©vi-Strauss regarded receptive to the structural approach, and this is the field where the influence of Mauss was most perceptible. Là ©vi-Strauss came to the conclusion that reciprocity was the key for understanding kinship. He went as far as to say that marriage was the pri mary exchange system and that the system of exchanges of women formed the basis for the organization of all societies with any ideology of unilineal descent. (Ibid:104) A central position in his theory about kinship was occupied by the incest taboo, which provided certain prohibitions and in ‘simple kinship systems also a positive marriage rule as to who one can/cannot/should marry. In the case of the latter he drew an additional distinction between generalized and restricted exchange, and created a third ‘bastard form: delayed reciprocity, which is basically a generalized exchange system where the next rather than the same generation returns a woman. Là ©vi-Strauss identified the problem that generalized exchange was speculative and led to differences between groups in terms of their ‘richness in wives despite its egalitarian and integrative nature, an idea that Leach agreed with. (Kuper 1996:162-164) While studying kinship, Là ©vi-Strauss assumed that bot h the marriage rules and the actual marriage choices were more or less independent refractions of the single underlying, unconscious grammar of reciprocity and opposition. Therefore, he believed that the way to discover this grammar was either through an analysis of the peoples model, or of the statistical distribution of marriage choices, with a preference for the first method because of the influence political, economic and demographic factors have in practice. Là ©vi-Strauss was convinced that analysis of simple kinship systems could also illuminate complex kinship systems, for his research had shown that even in the absence of explicit rules a pattern of choices could be discovered. (Kuper 1996:164-165) Leach and his students adopted Là ©vi-Strausss view of society as a system of communication in which women were the ‘message. He made Là ©vi-Strausss analysis more specific by defining the units that exchanged women: local groups of adult males recruited by descent . (Kuper 1996:166-167) Leach did however reveal ambiguities in Là ©vi-Strausss ideas about kinship: Là ©vi-Strausss confusion of ‘marriage and ‘exogamy, the unclear meaning of ‘elementary structures and the mistaken presumption that unilineal descent systems were universal. (Leach 1970:102-105) Most importantly, Leach argued against Là ©vi-Strauss by pointing out that forms of exchange were adapted to political and economic circumstances. (Kuper 1996:167) In the 1960s, after having published several books on kinship systems, Là ©vi-Strauss himself too noticed that kinship was too embedded in social action to provide a sure guide to mental processes, which is why he shifted his scope to ‘purer expressions of social thought that did not deal with objects: primary classification and myth. (Ibid:169) In his works La Pensà ©e Sauvage and Le Totà ©misme aujourdhui, among others, Là ©vi-Strauss studied the way in which the social and natural environment was ordered by verbal categories. The human mind, he argued, imposed patterns on its world by classifying objects using terms that were arbitrary, yet the relationships between these terms had a more universal character. In this way, our process of thought created a set of binary oppositions that formed a system that could be applied to other kinds of relationships, for example between social groups. (Ibid:169-170) The most important oppositions in the structural conceptual system, and therefore in Là ©vi-Strausss work, were Culture/Nature and closely related Humanity/Animality. (Ibid:172, Leach 1970:36) Totemism, the application of transformations of the animal level categories to the social classification of human beings, is a method for members of a society to distinguish their fellow humans according to their mutual social status. (Leach 1970:39-40) Là ©vi-Strauss saw distinguishing between ‘two poles as necessary in the analysis of primitive thought and manifes tations thereof, such as myth, language, colours, and foodstuffs and their modes of preparation: â€Å"Where Barthes opposes system and syntagm, the corresponding contrasts in Là ©vi-Strauss are metaphor and metonym or sometimes paradigmatic series and syntagmatic chain [†¦]. Although the jargon is exasperating the principles are simple. As Jakobson put it, metaphor (system, paradigm) relies on the recognition of similarity, and metonymy (syntagm) on the recognition of contiguity.† (Ibid:48) The final conclusion Là ©vi-Strauss came to on the topic of the human mind, was that its ‘algebra could be represented as a rectangular matrix that could be read horizontally and vertically, and that this principle was universal.(Ibid:52) Là ©vi-Strausss works on primary classification belonged to his most Durkheimian, and they therefore became the ‘entry for many British social anthropologists to structuralism. (Kuper 1996:169) As I have made clear earlier, B ritish structuralists were extremely critical of Là ©vi-Strausss use of mathematical models. Despite the fact that he did not take all of Là ©vi-Strauss applications of structuralist analysis in the field of primary classification seriously (as was the case with Là ©vi-Strausss study on food preparation), Leach applied his less reductionist version of structuralist analysis in ‘new fields, for example on animals. Leach, as well as Douglas, had a particular interest in anomaly, and the taboos originating from it. Douglas was more critical than Leach on this point: she rejected Là ©vi-Strausss system of categories of thought for it failed to take into account the emotive force of symbolic action, and she also suggested the addition of a third term to binary oppositions. (Ibid:173) More or less simultaneously with studying primary classification, Là ©vi-Strauss started looking into myth. According to Là ©vi-Strauss, the aim of myths was to provide logical models ca pable of resolving some of the contradictions and problems people faced in their lives. (Ibid:172) Many of the myths he analysed had by that time already become divorced from their religious context, but in Là ©vi-Strausss eyes this did not make them any less valid for they still possessed their essential structural characteristics. (Leach 1970:56) Put very simply, Là ©vi-Strauss believed that the real message of myth was contained in a system of relationships (often binary oppositions) with which the myth concerned itself. (Kuper 1996:172) To identify these relationships, the myth should be broken up into incidents. (Leach 1970:62) Là ©vi-Strauss already referred to the importance of taking all versions of one myth into account in order to compare them. He saw the mythology of a given society as a whole as a ‘system, and each individual story as a syntagm of that system. (Ibid:67-69) Leach developed this latter notion further. According to him, the existence of multi ple myths was a matter of ‘redundancy in communication and an intrinsic and necessary feature of mythic tradition, for it ensured that the message, determining the myths social and political value by being a system of concepts and categories in terms of which a claim for power or status may be made, got through. The combination of several versions of one myth formed a structured system of categories organised in local relations of identification, opposition and mediation, which blurred the otherwise stark paradoxes and mysteries that arose. Therefore myth had a cognitive function. Only structuralist analysis could reveal abovementioned system, Leach argued, and thus discover the real message of a myth. (Hugh-Jones and Laidlaw 2000:14-15) While clearly using his method, Leach criticized Là ©vi-Strausss own research on myth for using sources that ‘normal people could not consult, and for considering predominantly myths about animals endowed with human attributes, th ereby supporting Là ©vi-Strausss from Rousseau derived thesis that the Humanity/Animality (or Culture/Nature) opposition was a primary concern in human thought. (Ibid:15, Leach 1967:IX) Finally, Leach disagreed with Là ©vi-Strausss belief that structuralist analysis could not be applied to the traditions of the world traditions as it was ‘sacred history rather than myth. Leach proved his point by conducting structuralist analysis on the Bible. (Hugh-Jones and Laidlaw 2000:16) Now I have described both the praise and criticism of Leach and some of his fellow British anthropologists that Là ©vi-Strausss structuralist analysis and his applications thereof received, the moment has come to return to the central question of this essay: what was the reaction of British anthropologists, specifically Leach, to Là ©vi-Strausss work? As I have shown, Là ©vi-Strausss structuralism was a departure from the functionalism and empiricism that reigned British anthropology in th e middle of the 20th century. The reductionism and the supposed universality of the human mind that Là ©vi-Strauss advocated were generally rejected, and his cavalier use of ethnographic evidence was disapproved of. Leach definitely was a fierce critic of the errors in Là ©vi-Strausss analysis, but at the same time he considered the ‘study of fallacies rewarding, and the complexity of Là ©vi-Strausss work revealing. (Leach 1970:111,118) Moreover, he and most other British ‘reviewers of Là ©vi-Strausss work could not deny that Là ©vi-Strauss had made significant theoretical observations and was responsible for creating a ‘new anthropology. Leach, like Douglas and Needham, drew a great deal of inspiration from Là ©vi-Strauss structuralism as abovementioned examples from the fields of myth, primary classification and to a lesser extent kinship have demonstrated. By taking both positive and negative aspects of Là ©vi-Strausss method into account, Leach dev eloped a less generalized, more empirical form of structuralist analysis, with a more realistic goal in mind, which he used come to improved conclusions on topics Là ©vi-Strauss had already looked into as well as to study other phenomena. â€Å"He has provided us with a new set of hypotheses about familiar materials. We can look again at what we thought was understood and begin to gain entirely new insights. It is not a question of Là ©vi-Strauss being right or Là ©vi-Strauss being wrong; it is more like literary or dramatic criticism. Faced with the challenge of a new point of view one is suddenly able to see the familiar in quite a different way and to understand something which was previously invisible.† (Leach 1967:XVIII) Bibliography Hà ©naff, M. 1998. â€Å"Introduction: Là ©vi-Strauss and Structuralism†, â€Å"Structures of Kinship†, â€Å"Unconscious Categories and the Universality of the Mind† and â€Å"Notes†. In Claude Là ©vi-Strauss and the Making of Structural Anthropology, 1-21. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Hugh-Jones, S. and Laidlaw, J. 2000. â€Å"On Scholastic Nonsense: Myth and History†. In The essential Edmund Leach, Volume II: Culture and Human Nature (ed.) S. Hugh-Jones and J. Laidlaw, 13-18. New Haven/London: Yale University Press. Kuper, A. 1996. â€Å"Là ©vi-Strauss and British neo-structuralism†. In Anthropology and Anthropologists: The modern British school, 3rd edition, 159-175. London: Routledge. Leach, E. 1967. â€Å"Introduction†. In The Structural Study of Myth and Totemism (ed.) E. Leach, VII-XIX. London: Routledge. Leach, E. 1970. Là ©vi-Strauss. London: Fontana/Collins. Là ©vi-Strauss, C. 1963. â₠¬Å"Introduction: History and Anthropology†. In Structural Anthropology, 1-30. New York: Basic Books.

How does the author create suspense in chapter two of the novel, in which Carl Heine’s body is discovered Free Essays

In this essay I am going to explain how the author, David Guterson creates suspense in chapter two. The author helps create suspense by using the typical technical structure of story writing and emphasises their use. David Guterson throughout the whole of the book uses a lot of descriptive imagery, especially in this chapter, which makes a significant additive in the story line. We will write a custom essay sample on How does the author create suspense in chapter two of the novel, in which Carl Heine’s body is discovered? or any similar topic only for you Order Now The main protagonists in this chapter are Art Moran, the town’s sheriff and Abel Martinson a young officer. The beginning of chapter two starts without informing the reader about the death of Carl Heine, so the reader doesn’t know Carl is dead, this is not revealed until the end of the chapter. The setting and pace of this chapter I think are the two most important elements that help create the suspense. This is because they create the atmosphere. The setting of most of chapter two is set on Carl Heine’s deserted boat, deserted as in the middle of the harbour and lonely in the thick fog, ‘A fog as palpable as cotton’ Is the description used by the author to describe the weather. The suspense is built up thicker and leaves the reader wondering why the boat is alone and not moving. Just before Carl Heine’s body is recovered the weather starts to change slightly and the fog starts to become clearer, which is a hidden meaning that the truth is becoming clearer, they are getting closer to the truth. On the boat Abel and Art find a lot of unforeseen objects that makes them wonder what is going on and again with the reader. ‘Silent fish’ Is the word to describe the salmon that has been found and has obviously been there for a while. The word silent is the keyword as it represents the atmosphere and possibly Carls death. Then the coffee cup tipped on its side, which shows struggle. The most mysterious item found was the battery dead that I think is symbolic of Carl Heine being dead. The pace of this chapter starts off very, very slow which reflects Carl Heine’s death. David uses a lot of history when describing the different characters, not to mention the specific details he goes in to describe them. ‘The sheriff was a lean figure, unimposing, who habitually chewed a stick of juicy fruit gum’ Is just one example of the description used. Also the author uses very long sentences, which again slows down the pace of the chapter, this changes towards the end of the chapter. The pace increases in speed, which also increases the intensity and the fact that something is going to happen. This is similar to a movie when they use music to create the atmosphere, start it off slow and then increase the speed to let the audience know something is going to happen but music cant be used in a book so they use the sentences and words to create their atmosphere. When the author increases the pace he uses words like ‘Thrust’ This is onomatopoeia, which David adds to create sound to the chapter. The pace slows down once Carl Heine’s body is discovered which lets the reader come to reality that the body or what Abel and Art were looking for has finally been found. This creativity also comes into use with the language. The language often stays the same throughout the chapter, but in this sense it helps the reader create a vivid image or picture of the person in your head. The language is also very repetitive which builds up the atmosphere in a sense of panic. The author then leaves Carls face as the last thing the two see and the fact that they don’t want to see it and they will have to eventually, is this sense of realisation. Not just for Abel and Art but for the reader, as it is such an intimate chapter. So therefore as seen the author very cleverly creates suspense by using and changing the language, pace, setting and using the characters wisely which makes this chapter more effective as it leaves the reader asking questions like, Why is the boat there? where’s Carl Heine? And most importantly what’s going to happen next? All these answered are eventually found out in the end of chapter two. How to cite How does the author create suspense in chapter two of the novel, in which Carl Heine’s body is discovered?, Papers

Peter Skrzynecki free essay sample

Several aspects of belonging can be explored through any of Peter Skrzynecki’s poems in the Immigrant Chronicle. Peter Skrzynecki explores belonging and its effect on him and his family. Belonging is a feeling that every human has a need to feel. When a person feels like they don’t belong they lose the feeling of security, they lack self esteem and an individual’s physical and physiological wellbeing can also be affected. In the poem â€Å"St Patrick’s College† shows the feeling of being unable to belong in such a day to day setting and the feeling of making his mother proud of him despite how embarrassed he felt not being of the same class with the students wearing the uniform that impressed her so much. In similarity the words expressed in the poem â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† again highlight the enormous feeling of isolation captured within the perimeters of his father’s world as he chose to exist in his own little cocoon bordered by memories of his homeland in Warsaw Poland. And my third and final poem is â€Å"10 Mary Street† which emphasizes the hardship many immigrants face on a cultural level. My chosen related texts to the poems mentioned above are â€Å"Camp Rock† a movie directed by Matthew Diamond and the childhood story of â€Å"the ugly duckling†. In the movie Camp Rock it explores a young girls desire to fit in to a school of musicians and the lengths she goes to in order to belong and be accepted amongst her peers. Just like Peter Skrzynecki need to also belong this movie is relative in the personal, cultural, historical and definitely the social contexts of belonging somewhere in life. As we all know, the moral of the story behind the meaning of the Ugly Duckling is that individuality is what we think is important but the pressure to be like everyone else is socially acceptable. The ugly duckling does not see herself as not belonging and the story is a great example of what it really means to belong. Peter Skrzynecki has shaped the poem St Patricks College into a personal and social context of belonging. In the poem you see Skrzynecki does the same routine every school day for eight years but each day on his way home he’s uncertain of his surroundings. An example of this in the poem is when Skrzynecki reveals â€Å"Like a foreign tourist, Uncertain of my destination Every time I got off† The simile expresses that his reflection on the way he felt that he was being treated as if he was a foreign tourist, due to his background not being Australian. The use of the simile helps the reader understand more on how Peter Skrzynecki felt at the time using descriptive language. The use of the word â€Å"every time† emphasises that he felt that way constantly. Skrzynecki symbolises the time he spent at the college using the technique of repetition on the three words â€Å"For eight years† This attracts attention to the length of time he spent at school and creates a feeling that he had been waiting so long for the eight years to be over so he could leave. In the first stanza Skrzynecki writes â€Å"Impressed by the uniforms Of her employers sons , Mother enrolled me at St Pat’s With never a thought To fees and Expenses – wanting only â€Å"What was best†. This quote describes that his mother wants him to attain the same status as her employers sons and has placed her belief system on her understanding that she is providing him with a better future then what she had by him attending the college. The poem reflects an extremely negative view of Skrzynecki’s time at the college seen in the second stanza when Skrzynecki is sitting under the principal’s window sticking pine needles into the school’s motto of his uniform. This shows the lack of respect that he has for the school which then follows up the thought that Skrzynecki is disrespecting the college because he doesn’t belong there, he feels that he isn’t accepted within the school community and this is his way of releasing his hurt and anger. In the last stanza Skrzynecki describes his last day at St Patricks College with the quote â€Å" That the darkness around me Wasn’t â€Å"for the best† Before I let my light shine† Concludes his journey as he detaches himself from the dark years at school and how he is now been set free to finally let his light shine. Throughout the duration of his eight years at St Patricks College his actions are indicative of his personal feeling of not belonging. This is also seen in Skrzynecki’s poem â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki†. This is shown in the fifth stanza when the department clerk asks â€Å"Did your father ever attempt to learn English? This quote uses the technique of direct speech breaks down and asks the question of how someone can integrate into Australia and not know or learn the nationwide language. The poem also involves a historical context which is viewed through the concept of his desire to not socialise and integrate within the Australian community. This is shown in the third stanza when Skrzynecki writes â€Å" Talking, they reminisced About farms where paddocks flowered With corn and wheat. † The techniques used in this quote are imagery and descriptive language. With the use of imagery the reader depicts a visual image which creates a deeper understanding of the times Feliks is reminiscing and reflecting with his Polish friends. The Descriptive language used creates the descriptive understanding of what went on during pre – war Europe and the memories saturate the minds of Feliks and his friends. This technique explores the concept of belonging as we read Feliks exclude himself from the Australian culture which creates a cultural concept of not being accepted. 0 Mary Street is a cultural and social context shaped within belonging. As long hours and long days subside to daily rituals as quoted in the poem â€Å"For nineteen years We departed Each morning † Of the keeping the memories of Poland alive within the walls of the family home only highlight the isolation for Peter Skrzynecki as his feeling of not belonging to his Australian roots run deeper that the vegetable roots so lovingly watered each day in the backyard. Personification, similes and metaphors have been used in the poem to create the meaning of how the Skrzynecki’s put themselves in the category of â€Å"outsiders† choosing not to adapt to their new life and trying to establish their old life in their new surroundings. My first related text camp rock shows the significance of the â€Å"belonging† connection between Skrzynecki and â€Å"camp rock† is easily attributed to the belief system of what the word actually means to each person. Mitchie wants to be a musician but believes she will not be accepted based on her perception of what she thinks will make her feel accepted by the group so she presents with a false exterior in the hope of finally â€Å"belonging†. For my second related text Ugly Ducking reveals that born being different and basically labelled â€Å"ugly† is certainly a stereotype no one ever wants to feel. The meaning behind this story is relative in our desire to be accepted and the hurdles we may endure along the way. If you look into the mirror you see a reflection you are supported to accept no matter what you see. What happens inside our head is based on our inner strength and this story reflects and confirms that even the animal kingdom face rejection and the need to be needed. In conclusion the poems can be collectively summarised via personal, cultural, historical and social context so for example if you are the â€Å"ugly duckling â€Å"or â€Å"Feliks† living on â€Å"10 Mary Street† attending â€Å"St Patricks College† hopeful to graduate to the prestigious â€Å"Camp Rock† the message to hold onto is just be yourself no matter what uniform you wear, whatever country you are in, there is somewhere we all belong.