On the Backs of Blacks and Sorrowful Black Death Is Not a Hot Ticket :: Sorrowful Black Death Is Not a Hot Ticket Essays

On the Backs of Blacks and Sorrowful Black Death Is Not a Hot Ticket      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both Toni Morrison's "On the backs of blacks" and bell hooks' "Sorrowful Black Death Is Not a Hot Ticket" the authors attempt to analyze the role and treatment of blacks in motion pictures. Morrison's essay deals with what she calls "race talk", and defines as "the explicit insertion into everyday life of racial signs and symbols that have no meaning other than pressing African Americans to the lowest level racial hierarchy" (Morrison, 1993). Hooks' essay similarly analyses the issue of death for blacks in movies to which she concludes "that there can be no serious representation of death and dying when the characters are African-Americans." (hooks) In both these essays there are huge errors made in their thinking, and their analyzation.      Hooks, in her opening paragraphs attempts to compare the portrayal of black vs. white death in films. In her comparison she blows all future credibility with critical readers by using examples that obviously don't have any baring on the point she is trying to make. The example she gives for a white death is that of Tom Hank's character in Philadelphia, a homosexual lawyer with AIDS who had taken his firm to court because of their bad treatment towards him because of his disease. For this case she points out that "even before tickets are brought and seats are taken, everyone knows that tears are in order." (hooks) Hooks then goes on to explain that "There is no grief, no remembrance" for the deaths of blacks.   She uses the film The bodyguard for her example of black death, citing the scene where "the sister of Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) is accidentally assassinated by the killer she has hired" to kill her own sister (Hooks). These two examples have nothing in c ommon. The character in Philadelphia deserved sympathy when he died because he was treated unfairly for a condition he had no control of. The character in The Bodyguard neither deserved nor received recognition for one reason. It had nothing to do with her blackness, that was a non-issue, it was because she was a murderer who in an ironic twist was murdered by the assassin she had hired.

Review of BPR methodologies

This paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of using a methodology in the context of BPR. It also provides a critique of existing BPR methodologies which erved as a basis for the development of the CONDOR BPR methodology. The paper also presents the main points of the implementation of this methodology to three European construction companies. What can a methodology offer to the BPR field? According to Preece and Peppard (1996), a methodology is simply theory put into practice aiming at dealing with real world situations.According to Valiris and Glykas (1999) a BPR methodology should provide ‘ ‘a consistent set of techniques and guidelines which will enable the business process redesigner to reorganise business ctivities and processes in an organisation†. The use of a methodology is essential for a number of reasons. First, a methodology provides a means of codifying experience, knowledge and ideas, in a form that not only can be easily applied, but also ca n be evaluated and tested. Second, a methodology offers a certain level of organisation, and facilitates planning and monitoring.In BPR initiatives, a methodology enables the organisation, on the one hand, to have a clear picture of its current processes along with their associated problems and, on the other, to design the new state of these processes. In addition, by following a certain methodology, BPR re-engineers† have the opportunity to monitor and evaluate the progress of the re-engineering effort. Third, a methodology enables those who are involved or affected by the BPR to understand their tasks and clarify their roles.A BPR methodology which is clearly defined and explained to those who are leading the BPR work can facilitate the communication between them, and serve as a kind of ‘ ‘contract† in which all the parties understand their responsibilities and are, therefore, able to monitor the overall process re-engineering progress. Finally, adoption of a methodology allows a standard set of required skills to be identified and developed. Key skills required for BPR include process modelling, organisational development techniques, and skills to deal with resistance to change.There are, however, a number of problems related to the use of a methodology. One important reason which explains the reluctance of developing and using methodologies or models in the BPR context is that the widely accepted methodologies are based on how the business processes should change and how the organisation should adapt itself in this change, rather than on the evaluation of urrent practices and on the codification of successful practical experiences (Simsion, 1994).Moreover, the BPR literature search reveals that there are an increasing number of successful re-engineering implementations and case studies using BPR methodologies. Although each business situation has some unique characteristics, an appropriate methodology will need to allow tor assessme nt and re-use ot existing successful approaches and practical experiences. In addition, a methodology hides the danger of restraining creativity and innovation. The latter are crucial elements in he radical thinking during the re-engineering process.By encouraging those who are involved in the reengineering process to comply with the requirements of a given methodology, there is a potential risk of restricting the opportunity of optimising the results according to the level required by the methodology (Simsion,1994). Critique of existing BPR 239 240 In conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of a specific methodology or model in the re-engineering initiative. Each side demonstrates equally important arguments that affect the organisation.The lternative to using a methodology in an attempt to minimise the negative consequences is not anarchy but a contingency approach tailored to suit the objectives and needs of every organisation or business sector, building on basic principles of planning and monitoring as well as on previous successful working practices. Critique of existing BPR methodologies and models The are many BPR methodologies and models available, and most of them pursue a similar path and exhibit commonalities in key areas (Butler, 1994).Today, an increasing number of methodologies, models and tools taken from other disciplines re available in the market, claiming that they are suitable for BPR initiatives. Ruessmann et al. (1994) reported the results of their research, claiming that BPR methodologies are based on a synthesis of techniques drawn from other disciplines and methodologies such as soft systems, total quality management (TQM), benchmarking, and organisational development. According to a I-JK BPR methodology survey summary findings (Archer, 1996), the number of stages involved in BPR approaches varies greatly, despite the fact that they do present key similarities.

The Book Thief By Marcus Zusak Essay - 1138 Words

In the novel The Book Thief written by Marcus Zusak, Max found himself in a situation where the propaganda that Hitler has set affected his life in many ways. With the help of Liesel’s words and reading and the care that the Hubermanns gave, Max grew stronger and he had the courage to stand up and protect himself from the force that Hitler had set against the him and the Jews. By having the his power of will, Max was fighting Hitler in his own circumstances even if it s just in his imagination. â€Å"When a Jew shows up at your place of residence in the early hours of the morning, in the very birthplace of Nazismn, you’re likely to experience extreme levels of Discomfort, Anxiety, Disbelief and Paranoia.†, The propaganda of Hitler was the most important aspect in the The Book Thief because it often set the mood that I was feeling and that feeling was sick and cringing while reading the Novel. Before the war, The Nazi’s passed laws to effectively get rid of the Jews Human Rights and basically stripping and restricting them from being â€Å"human†. Max, The â€Å"Jewish Fist Fighter†, was a victim of the Propaganda and his presence served and reminded me the vast superiority that the German’s had against the Jews during the Holocaust.This made me think so negatively on the Propaganda that was set against the Jews and completely disagreeing with the way Hitler was seeing things because of the fact that for Max to be, â€Å"lucky†, lucky meant that his home was the Hubermann’s freezing basementShow MoreRelatedThe Book Thief by Marcus Zusak Essay1251 Words   |  6 PagesThe Book Thief’s main character is Liesel Meminger throughout the book she develops more and more by opening up and doing new things. At first she was very shy and would not do hardly anything for example, â€Å"It took nearly fifteen minutes to coax her from the car. It was the tall man who did it. Quietly.†(28) That is when she first got out of the car â€Å"There was the gate next, which she clung to.†(28) This shows all the more how shy she was at the beginning of the book when she first arrived on HimmelRead MoreThe Book Thief By Charles Dickens1064 Words   |  5 Pagesarray of emotions and feelings. Another man that ponders about humanity is Marcus Zusak. In his book, The Book Thief, the narrator wonders â€Å"how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and b rilliant†. Death, the narrator, has been through the ups and down of humanity and is perplexed how the same thing could be good and bad, pretty and ugly. Many of the characters in this book further express the notion that we can be both. Some that come to mind are LieselRead MoreThe Book Thief Summer Book Report1080 Words   |  5 Pages9 20 March 2015 The Book Thief Summer Book Report 3. What are the best parts of this book? Why? What are the worst parts of this book? Why? Give details with page numbers from the book to explain. I think the best parts of the book are where you see Liesel grow and understand the difficult times that she lives in with her limited knowledge of life. Something I really enjoyed this book was the characterization and background of the characters. One of the best parts of the book is when we see the firstRead MoreDuality Exists in Many Literature Books967 Words   |  4 PagesSteinbeck, and The Book Thief written by Marcus Zusak, many characters follow this theory that as human beings, there are two sides that exist in a person. Many people would like to contradict this theory however, saying that people are good natured and only possess one side. Realistically though, this is false. In the world of literature, many texts depict duality among people and support Robert Stevenson’s statement that duality exists in everyone. In many different kinds of books, duality plays anRead MoreBook Report On The Book Thief 2538 Words   |  11 PagesGENERAL 1. Title – The Book Thief 2. Author – Marcus Zusak 3. Date of Original Publication – 2005 4. Novel Type – Historical Fiction STRUCTURE 1. Point of View – Death; Third person omniscient and when speaking about his life-first person. 2. Relationship to meaning: Death being a narrator shows everyone perspective on thing other then it being to say Liesel where she would only show what she feels and sees. Death shows what’s going on in the war and how many people are dying and the outside worldRead MoreTeaching History in Schools Depends on the Source1073 Words   |  4 PagesMany movies, television shows and books have implemented a history element within their story, giving students an understanding of history through an implicit window of learning. Take for example some of the most popular books and television shows. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak is a prime example of the popular fiction that has used historical events of the past to revolve the story around, making it now both a book (2005) and a film adaption (2013). This book is set in Communist Germany during