Cyrus the Great: Leadership

Cyrus the Great: Leadership Introduction The word Cyrus is derived from Ancient Greek. This word comes from Old Persian originally from Kurosh meaning to bestow care or the Sun. In the Bible, he is known as simply Koresh. In the Quran, he is known as Zol-qarnain (Arabic: Ø °Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  ). Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Archaemenian dynasty and the Persian Empire. Cyrus military victories eventually put him in possession of the largest empire in the world at that time. Also we can say that he was an extraordinarily humane ruler for that time. Surely he has achieved his greatness not by words but by hard and difficult choices, actions, and sacrifices. His strategy towards the people of his empire was one of lenience and understanding, as reflected in his agreement of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple in 538 BC. Biography Cyrus the Great was born in about 590 BC, in the province of Persis (nowadays called Fars), in southwest of Iran. Cyrus was the grandson of Astyages, king of the Medes. Before Cyruss birth, Astyages had dreamed that his grandson would someday overthrow him. The king ordered that the boy infant be killed promptly after his birth. However, the official entrusted with the job of killing the infant had no heart for such a bloody deed, and instead handed him over to a shepherd and his wife with instructions that they put the child to death. But they, too, were unwilling to kill the boy, and instead reared him as their own. Ultimately, when the child grew up, he indeed caused the kings downfall. Cyrus conquered the Lydian Empire in Asia Minor, which was ruled by King Croesus, a wealthy man. By 546 BC Cyrus had conquered the Lydian Empire and Croesus became his prisoner. After several campaigns, Cyrus conquered eastern Iran and incorporated it into his empire. However Cyrus the Great overthrew three great empires, Babylonians, Medes, and Lydians and united most of the ancient Middle East into one state, extending from India to the Mediterranean Sea. Cyrus became the first Achaemenian Emperor of Persia, and had the title of King of Babylon-King of the Land. No one has accurate information from the personal beliefs of Cyrus the Great. But based on current evidence we can say that Religion of Cyrus the Great was Zoroastrian that is the dedication to ethical and moral excellence which is based on three simple fundamental principles: GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS and GOOD DEEDS Cyrus was eventually killed in a battle with the Massagetae tribes in Central Asia, east of the Caspian Sea in 530 BC. His body was buried at Pasargadae, the Old Persian capital. The Persian Empire thrived in peace and prosperity for two hundred years. Cyrus The Great position in the world leadership in his era I think that Cyrus the Great had an authentic leadership. He achieves highest position among all world leaders throughout the human history because of the following reasons: He had high moral and ethical values. He created Persian Empire based on moral principles. Expanded the Ethical Empire to include all men who wish to join it. Freedoms of religion, job, and place of residency; being advocate of freedom of choice 2500 years ago is highly venerable. He was tolerant of local religions and local customs. In the Bible (e.g., Ezra 1:1-4), Cyrus is famous for freeing the Jewish captives in Babylonia and allowing them to return to their homeland. His name occurs twenty two times in the Bible. Organization of a Constitution and Judicial system based on high ethical values. Created Gold and Silver coins for trading. Ordered all Governors to treat the people as their own children, and no one could be executed for a first time crime. Slavery was not allowed. The Old Persian culture did not accept the concept of slavery. He liked to consult with other leaders from different ethnic backgrounds. He had immense military ability and he was a great statesman. Cyrus the Great had a Major influence on the thinking of Aristotle and Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire form of government. He was moderate and respectful toward his defeated opponents, and if they were popular leaders among their people, he would let them continue with their positions. Traits of Cyrus the Great and establishment of his ethical Persian Empire some 2500 years ago and continued existence of Achaemenid rule for 200 years indicate a successful leadership based on moral principles. Cyrus the Great had a lot of respect for ethical values. Unquestionably, his moral values and leadership skills affected his highly successful and respected situation throughout his empire era and among all people under his government. To prove this fact, one can say about The First Declaration of Human Rights decree by Cyrus the Great inscribed on a clay cylinder in cuneiform discovered in 1879 by Hormoz Rasam in Babol and now in The British Museum. This is the text of the clay cylinder: . .When my soldiers in great numbers peacefully entered Babylon I did not allow anyone to terrorize the people I kept in view the needs of people and all its sanctuaries to promote their well-being I freed all the slaves I put an end to their misfortune and slavery (referred to 42,000 slaveries in the Babylon in that time). Characteristic of Cyrus The Great Intelligent Cyrus the great was intelligent because he utilized his opportunities in an exceptional way. His establishment of the biggest empire in the world is in fact an antiquity. Also, he innovated new strategies and new structures of ruling over his conquered lands. He used different strategies in different situations. Military ability and Statesman Cyrus had immense military abilities and he was very clever in commanding and conducting wars. But that was only one side facet of this great man. Great trait of Cyrus was the gentle character of his rule. He was very tolerant of local religions and local customs, and he was disinclined to the extreme brutality and cruelty, which characterized so many other conquerors. Tactic of war of Cyrus is demonstrated in his war with the Lydian king Croesus. Pacific He did not change the institution of the kingdoms he incorporated into the Persian Empire, and allowed all the people to live in peace and harmony. Cyrus is admired as a liberator rather than a conqueror, because he respected the customs and religions of each part of his vast empire. Innovation Cyrus established post system and post office for fast data transfer across the empire. Also, Cyrus had influence in the urban planning and buildings of that time including Persepolis. His great innovation was to divide the huge empire into more or less independent provinces called satrapies. Wisdom and Toleration Cyrus was welcomed into Babylon as a liberator by the population. It is important to note that his military were given strict orders not to plunder or in any way harm the citizens. It is a testament to his leadership that these orders were fully obeyed. It also shows the tight control he had over his army. After the victory of Babylon, the Babylonians were instructed to rebuild their temple, destroyed almost seven decades ago by Nebuchandrezzer II. Cyrus exhorted them to pray to their god and offer sacrifices. Religious freedom and justice became a hallmark of the Persian Empire. Modernity Terminology Its not exaggeration if we call some of his works was really compatible with the modernity terminology. To name a few is what he has done about the slavery. Other Keys of Success Consult with other leaders Although Cyrus the Great was a genius he would consult with other leaders from different ethnic background to come up with a better solution for their problems. Effective Organization Cyrus organized his empire in such a way to be to be divided into different provinces or Satrapies. He reduced the 3-month time it took to get messages by horse from Susa to Sardis to less than 2-weeks with the construction of the Royal Road. Cyrus sent imperial agents into each province to observe conditions and report back to him. Perhaps his greatest administrative innovation was the adoption of Aramaic as the official administrative language of the empire, given the diverse ethnic makeup of the provinces. The leadership qualities of Cyrus resulted in an empire that endured for centuries, even after many outside invasions. His methods were reportedly copied by future rulers that read the accounts of his kingship recorded by ancient historians. Leadership in the post-modern world can look to the life of Cyrus and apply many of his principles to 21st-Century problems. Level of Leadership Level 5 Leaders To know why he is an effective leader, it may suffice to mention that all his commanders obeyed him as they trusted him. Meanwhile, there are many historical facts that he influenced other great leaders in his era and even after his death these influences continued to exist and inspire great leaders of the world. He was an executive leader, as he used to be in the most front line of any battle, also he was involving in valuable Persian architecture and moreover he was writing all orders about the other religious treatments and last but not least he was totally involved in political structures of his Empire. Sources: Leadership Traits of Cyrus the Great (-08-28Aug 28, 2009);Michael Streich. http://near-eastern-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/leadership_traits_of_cyrus_the_great Cyrus the Great http://faculty.mdc.edu/jmcnair/Joe12pages/cyrus_the_great.htm From Wikipedia: Cyrus the Great http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great Biography of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian empire http://www.essortment.com/all/biographycyrus_rcof.htm. Cyrus The Great The Father Liberator (1999); Shapour Suren-Pahlav http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/hakhamaneshian/Cyrus-the-great/cyrus_the_great.htm Telecommuting: the advantages and disadvantages Telecommuting: the advantages and disadvantages Introduction Many authors have tried to define telecommuting in one clear definition. The definitions differ from telecommuting is working from home (Mokhtarian, 1991) to definitions including time, places and used tools descriptions. This paper will demonstrate that telecommuting is a working arrangement that provides employees the opportunity to work from other places then the employers office for at least a part of their normal work schedule, using technology to interact with colleagues, supervisors and other professional contacts. Despite the still growing popularity of telecommuting, there are as many advantages as well disadvantages for both employee and employer. This paper discusses some of the major advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting for both the employer and the employee. As this paper point out, as a result of more control over work-schedule, the decreased traveling time and costs, and an changed working environment, telecommuting can contribute to an increased job satisfaction for the telecommuter. Disadvantages however include possible dangers as overworking and overeating, and the reduction of professional relationships with colleagues and supervisors. This reduction can lead to a decreasing change of promotion. For the employer, the increase of job satisfaction means in general a higher productivity, and a lower staff turnover. Telecommuting can also reduce the costs of hiring, leasing of buying real estate to provide offices and the possibility to hire professional labor worldwide. However, also employers have to take into account some major disadvantages. The reduced face-to-face interaction, necessary to value an employer and the possible unbalance in a team when only a few functions lend them for telecommuting. Despite the many advantages of telecommuting, its success is strongly dependent on the function, company regulations and management, and the telecommuter self if telecommuting will be a success. Advantages for the employee A first major advantage of telecommuting is the reduction of traveling time and costs as a result of the possibility to work from home or other central working spaces in the neighbourhood (Mokhtarian, 1991). Some companies establish teleworkcenters and remote offices as alternative locations for their telecommuting workers. However in most cases the home of the telecommuter will become the working-place (Mokhtarian, 1991) (Gajendran Harrison, 2007). The reduction of travelling time and costs as a result of work from home can contribute to an increased job satisfaction. Another advantage of telecommuting is the possibility to adjust working hours to personal needs. If for instance the telecommuter has a family at home and arrange to telecommute from home, the telecommuter has no travelling time, can work with the family in the neighbourhood, and due the face the work schedule is flexible, is possible to create more quality time with the family. Therefore, telecommuting can contribute to an improved family relationship. A major overall advantage of telecommuting is the increase in job satisfaction. Research has shown that the changes caused by telecommuting in the previous section, often result in a higher job satisfaction. This is a result of the fact the telecommuter has increased control over the location, timing and means of completing the work (Gajendran Harrison, 2007). To conclude the advantages as stated before; telecommuting seems to contribute to improvement of work and personal relationships by the utilizing the flexibility of the telecommuting concept. As a result of telecommuting the job satisfaction of the employee can be increased. Disadvantages for the employee The following paragraph will discuss the disadvantages for the employee. The first important disadvantages is the reduction of the availability of resources. Telecommuting reduces the access to resources found only at employers office. An example of a resource that not can be accessed from home are for instance accounting-records, that normally contains physical papers like invoices and work orders. Depending on the job one has, it can be important to access those archives to get collect information (Green, Là ³pez, Wysocki, Kepner, 2003). Reduction of availability of resources and date can impact the productivity due the fact essential data is not available. Matters that occur because of a lack of regulation can be pointed out as a second disadvantage. It can cause the potential danger to over-work, over-eat and under-exercise, the so called desk-potato  or  fridge  factor  syndrome (Fortier, 1999).. Those symptoms can occur because pause times are no longer pre-set and the temptation of eating is for some no longer in control. The risks of overworking and overeating cannot be underestimated and therefor have to take in account by telecommuter and as well by the employer. Another disadvantage of telecommuting, concerning professional relationships, is the lack of personal contact with colleagues and supervisors. Because telecommuting reduces the face-to-face communication, different theories make similar predictions about quality and frequency of interaction, implying mainly negative impacts on interpersonal relationships for telecommuters. In a regular office setting, it is possible to provide direct input in solving problems on every scale. It is also possible to directly receive feedback when a certain situations take place. Even the distractions by colleagues can be important moments to reinforce relationships. Face-to-face interactions with colleagues provide access to informal networks and create opportunities for job relevant interactions. Spatial distance from others at work likely translates into personal distance; for telecommuters this might mean becoming out of sight, out of mind. Face-to-face communication is considered the medium with th e highest social presence and very important in personal and professional relationships. (Gajendran Harrison, 2007). Personal face-to-face interaction is essential in job and professional relationship developments, reducing those moments can influence both developments negatively. Advantages for the employer The following paragraph will discuss the advantage for the employer. For the employer there are advantages concerning the changed the work environment. For example, if telecommuting days are flexible and if that result in a lower presence of employers evenly spread over the week, business require less office-space and less parking for employees. Instead of leasing new office space or expanding existing office buildings, it is vastly less expensive to provide telecommuters with their own communication tools to work from their own homes (Green, Là ³pez, Wysocki, Kepner, 2003) (HongGirl, Bongsik, Kunihiko, 2007). Some companies opt to create central working offices outside of the city instead of using expensive office space in the centre. The employer can hire less expensive office-space together with other telecommute supporting companies and with that reduce costs. With telecommuting work is no longer time or place bounded. This results in another major advantage of telecommuting that it can create the possibility to hire professional labor from over the whole world, including those with health problems and disabilities. (Green, Là ³pez, Wysocki, Kepner, 2003). Disadvantages for the employer The following paragraphs will discuss the disadvantages of telecommuting for the employer. The first major disadvantages for the employer can be the fact telecommuting creates a physical distance between the employee and their colleagues and supervisors. Normally in an office setting the supervisor is able to supervise the employees directly. A potential disadvantage of telecommuting is the impact on professional relationships due to reduced direct interaction and the possibility to interact face-to-face. According to Management today, (as cited in Green, Là ³pez, Wysicki Kepner, 2003. p 4 ) It is imperative to understand that telecommunication is an alternative option and not a substitute for person-to-person contact associated with traditional business settings. When it comes to understanding, research has suggested that 75 percent of communication is non-verbal (Management Today, 2000). As the source above stated, personal contact cannot be replaced by forms of indirect contact, because 75 percent of communication is non-verbal and it is therefore very important to see the other when communicate. Another disadvantages for employers and especially a challenge for managers is overcome the possible jealousy from co-workers who cannot telecommute due the function they have (Gajendran Harrison, 2007). Equally employees with different visible benefits can cause separation within a team, it is for the manager to deal with those differences and overcome problems cause by it. A unbalance in a team caused by telecommuting is a disadvantage that shows also the importance to consider the consequence in larger perspective. Conditions for telecommuting According to Green, Là ³pez, Wysocki, and Kepner (2003), not all jobs lend themselves to telecommuting. For instance, jobs that involve direct management, face-to-face contact with customers, frequent meetings, manufacturing and warehousing of goods, purchasing, and facility management are not suitable for telecommuting operations. Jobs that do lend themselves to telecommuting include for example systems and information managers, writers, computer programmers, auditing reports, data entry. The reason why those jobs lend themselves for telecommuting is that they are mainly done with a computer and involve normally no frequent interaction with intern or extern parties. According to the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation as cited in Green, Là ³pez, Wysocki, Kepner (2003) successful telecommuters are self-starters who can do a good job with minimal supervision. They know how to organize their work and time, and are able to work well with tele-managers. In addition, telecommuters have low socialization needs and good communication skills. Factors of decreased supervision, (informal) communication with colleagues and managers, lack of time structure guidelines has to be conquer to become a good telecommuter. For the employer there are also conditions for successful telecommuting. First it is important to develop effective telecommuting business policies which provide guidelines for telecommuting. Second, plan for technical equipment and support for the telecommuting network, this is important because it all comes down to the technical equipment. After that is been done, select and properly train telecommuters and prepare managers for telecommuting supervision. This is important because it is not like regular supervising. A company has to accomplice several conditions before it can introduce telecommuting Analysis Analyzing these advantages and disadvantages, it can be stated that the possible benefits as result of introducing telecommuting is at least questionable. As the condition section pointed out, telecommuting is strongly dependent of the telecommuter, the company and the function. However, the telecommuter can be flexible with his or her work-schedule to meet personal needs, has needed less travelling time and costs, and can change the working environment which can result in a higher job satisfaction, the disadvantages can be underestimated. The telecommuter has to challenge difficulties that occurs by the lack of regulations, and the reduced face-to-face contact with colleagues and supervisors. Especially the reduction of face-to-face contact can lead to a smaller change of promotion. For the employer, the reduction of needed office and parking space, the possibility to hire professional labour around the world, and the possible increased productivity as result of the increased job satisfaction, are reasons to consider the support of telecommuting. It is on the other hand very important to take into account that the personal interaction with the employees is essential in a professional relationship. Reducing that interaction can lead to out of sight, out of mind and can cause a struggle in the relationship with the employee. Besides this it is recommend to overview the potential group of telecommuters, as stated before. When a potential group contains team members but not include the whole team, it is possible that teams will become unbalanced. It is therefore necessary to take the possible consequence of introducing telecommuting into account before it is implemented. Conclusion Companies consider supporting the concept of telecommuting have to take many challenges into account. Despite telecommuting can increase job satisfaction and productivity, the reduced personal face-to-face interaction and the possible consequence of that are significant disadvantages that overweight the advantages on general basis. The statement out of sight, out of mind support this. Changing ones workplace from a conventional office to a home or an alternate location is likely to alter the frequency, the quality, and, by definition, the modality of interaction one has with other organization members. Telecommuting therefore has the potential to degrade the quality of the manager-subordinate relationship (Cooper Kurland, 2002) (Gajendran Harrison, 2007). If providing a telecommuting structure is be considered, it is important to overthink the possible impact for telecommuters as well for non-telecommuters. If a company decides to support telecommuting, it is essential to set clear guidelines and limitations for telecommuters and for supervisors. To conclude, telecommuting cannot replace normal work arrangements, it can only be added to meet employees needs. Reference list Cooper, C., Kurland, N. (2002). Telecommuting, professional isolation, and employee development in public and private organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior 23, 511-532. DOI: 10.1002/job.145 Fortier, B. (1999) About telework, retrieved on March 27, 2011, from Innovisions Canada: http://www.ivc.ca/part2.html Gajendran, D., Harrison, R. (2007). The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown About Telecommuting: Meta-Analysis of Psycological Mediators and Individual Consequences. Journal of Applied Psychological, 92, 1524-1541. Green, K., Là ³pez, M., Wysocki, A., Kepner, K. (2003). Telecommuting as a true workplace alternative1. Gainesville, FL, United States: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University Florida. Retrieved from: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hr021 HongGirl, L., Bongsik, S., Kunihiko, H. (2007). Telework vs. central work: A comparative view of knowledge accessibility. Decision Support Systems, 687-700. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2006.11.007 Kossek, E., Lautsch, B., Eaton, S. (2006). Telecommuting, control and boundary management; correlates of policy use and practice, job control, and work-family effectiveness. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68, 347-367. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2005.07.00 Mokhtarian, P. (1991). Defining telecommuting. Davis, California, US: Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis. Retrieved from: http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/publications/1991/UCD-ITS-RR-91-04.pdf University Zuyd Academic Skills. Assessment form for written papers Date à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 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Greek Crisis

The Greek crisis: opportunity for Greek to rebirth The dubious distinction of history’s first recorded sovereign default belongs to Greece—the same nation at the forefront of the world’s second major financial crisis in five years. The crisis raised a question: Whether the crisis is a tragedy or opportunity for Greek? I believe even Greek have taken measures to reform, this crisis would continue until Greek government come up with solutions which are not created by other countries and international institutions to protect their benefits. Trouble in Public Finance Greece faced deep economic problems.Most notorious was public-sector deficit. (See Exhibit 1) The debt-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s ability to pay off the entire debt with one year’s income, regardless of the nation’s wealth or total debt outstanding. Exhibit 4 shows the possibility that Greeck default is increasing. Two most outsized component of government expenditure were emp loyee compensation and pensions. Greek government has taken austerity measures to reduce the deficit and meet the request of the international institutions who provide financial aid to Greece. The weaknesses of the economic modelThe global economic crisis of 2008 has found the Greek economy with several fundamental weaknesses: †¢ Reliance on ‘easy money’ (such as from the stock market or property), as well as on over-inflated private consumption, which has in turn relied on loans in recent years. †¢ The disproportionately central role of construction as the ‘driving force of the economy’ dating back to the 1960s. †¢ Particularly high public debt, which remains undiminished despite the widespread privatisations of the last 20 years. †¢ Over-reliance on sectors directly affected by the international crisis, such as tourism and shipping. Excessive dependence on oil consumption, an energy-wasting, pollution-generating energy model and the pr ospect of high-cost ‘emissions rights’ from 2012 onwards. †¢ Abandonment of mountainous and disadvantaged regions, which represent two thirds of the country, and overcrowding and overuse in the remaining third. †¢ An absence of genuine protection of natural resources in sectors such as water, forest land, fisheries resources and the countryside and biodiversity. proposals to exit the crisis A fundamental priority is TO SIMULTANEOUSLY INVEST IN THE EXIT FROM ALL THREE ASPECTS OF THE CRISIS: the economic, the social and the environmental.We focus on three basic priorities in parallel with the efforts for fiscal viability and the fight against corruption and tax evasion: †¢ Sustainable revitalisation of the countryside, with emphasis in the production of biological agricultural goods, and resurgence of the local and regional level economy, including the abandoned mountainous and disadvantaged areas. †¢ Promotion and upgrade of collective goods and servi ces as compensation for the loss of purchasing power of people, in order for quality of life to become again a right for everyone as a kind of ‘parallel social wage’. Urgent turn in the energy sector to eliminate the dependence on oil and lignite, promotion of solutions alternative to car use, but also investments in energy saving and in renewable energy sources, drawn so that they offer additional incomes for the maximum possible number of households. Specific policies having these priorities need to be developed and applied in order to create funds and engage creative social forces: †¢ A just tax reform that will use the taxes as tools for encouragement or not of activities depending on their repercussions on the environment and the society. Measures for transparency and fight against corruption and tax evasion should aim at the re-establishment of a sense of social justice. †¢ Reduction of military spending and negotiations withTurkey for even larger mutual reductions. Given the Turkish candidacy for integration into the EU, it is logical to ssume that the EU should become more involved in the efforts to resolve Greek-Turkish differences. †¢ The promotion of a social and solidarity economy is of central importance to us. The reconnection with the tradition of the ‘ecology of the poor’ becomes again particularly relevant. Exhibit 1

Joyce Carol Oates Essay

‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ’ is a short story written by renowned author Joyce Carol Oates. The story was originally published in 1966 in Epoch magazine and selected for The Best American Short Stories in 1967 and later won the The O. Henry Award in 1968. The short story’s prominence prompted the creation of a movie adaptation in 1986 entitled Smooth Talk which became the center of several feminist debates. The defining short fiction was inspired by the Pied Piper of Tucson, a teenage killer from Arizona, whom the author read about in Life magazine back in the 60s. Using details from the real life version of Arnold Friend – the story’s main embodiment of seduction and evil – Oates crafted a realistic allegory that is â€Å"Hawthorian, romantic, shading into parable† (Oates & Showalter, 6) that depicts innocence and the consequence of its loss. Like the moniker for the real life serial killer and the actual children’s parable, ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ’ features a tale that is part twisted Little Red Riding Hood and part The Pied Piper of Hamelin adapted to the post 1950s innocence coupled with the rude awakening of America. At the center of the modern parable is the typical all American girl of the post 50s generation – 15 year old Connie – who is portrayed caught up between the declining innocent sensibilities of the 50s and the rude awakening of the 60s [an emerging culture embodied by rock and roll, random violence, crime and war]. Connie is said to be the embodiment of the new morality emerging in America (Oates & Showalter, 7) and Connie represents this transitional period by being depicted as having two sides to her personality: one that is worn â€Å"one way when she was at home and another way when she was away from home† (Oates, 509). Quoting Douglas Griffin â€Å"Connie is clearly a girl of two minds. The first is the standard life of a bored teen in what appears to be the traditional post 1950’s home; the second is as a teenager on the cusp of attachment to music, cars and sex† (1). Despite the fact that Connie is a teenager awakening in the worldly 1960s, her portrayal still had hints of the innocence typical of someone who grew up through most of the 50s. This is probably why Connie was chosen as the perfect representation of the trappings of choice created by the period marked with boredom: she is the tragic victim of the choice to lose one’s own innocence. Despite her depiction as being more akin to the modern teenagers of her time, Connie’s inherent innocence is still [though barely] palpable within the context of the story. To determine the state of innocence still present in the protagonist Connie, the best probable approach would be to liken her to the prominent figure that mirrors her in a parable often told children: Little Red Riding Hood. First it must be noted that the tale of Little Red Riding Hood as told by Charles Perrault is a cautionary moral tale that warns innocent children of the consequences of listening to the words of a stranger. The parable goes as far as to warn women and children of the wolf in sheep’s clothing; that not all wolves are outwardly threatening and that those most dangerous are often the tame, obliging and gentle (Perrualt). In Perrault’s version of the children’s fable, it was little red riding hood’s own trusting words when she first encountered the wolf that gave the wolf the opening he needed to scheme and eventually eat the unsuspecting child. Like little red riding hood, Connie also failed to realize the presence of the wolf in the woods she was in. She saw him, noticed him [Arnold Friend], but she â€Å"slit her eyes at him and turned away† (Oates, 510) and paid no heed to his declaration â€Å"Gonna get you, baby† (Oates, 510). Little red riding hood mistook the wolf’s intentions for friendliness while Connie mistook Arnold Friend’s look for plain simple admiration. In this particular situation, it could be said that Connie fell victim to the same innocent misgivings of a child like little red riding hood did. This similar pattern is repeated once again near the end of both tales. In the children’s parable, Little Red Riding Hood once again represented innocence in the form of childish curiosity, asking a series of innocent questions that eventually build up to the grim, climactic ending. Here, in her innocence, little red riding hood failed to recognize the wolf disguised as her grandmother, blindly believing the wolf’s answers without taking notice of the signs already in front of her. In a similar vein, Connie also fell victim to the disguised Arnold Friend in the same way. In this particular part of the story, Arnold Friend blatantly presents himself as a friend, talking in a sing-song manner. However, despite being able to â€Å"recognize[d] most things about him, the tight jeans [†¦] the greasy leather boots and the tight shirt, [†¦] that slippery friendly smile of his, that sleepy dreamy smile that all the boys used to get across ideas they didn’t want to put into words [†¦] the singsong way he talked, [†¦] the way he tapped one fist against the other in homage to the perpetual music behind him [†¦] all these things did not come together† (Oates, 513). until much later. Again, like little red riding hood, the wolf was already in front of Connie and she did not immediately notice the threat he posed. Aside from these mirroring qualities between the parable and Oates’ story, Connie also had independent characteristics and behavioural hints that reflect her inherent innocence. This presumed innocence somewhat has a childish quality to it, possibly making it another mirroring quality between Connie and the child in little red riding hood. For example, at the beginning of the text Connie was described as having a quick nervous giggling habit of glancing at mirrors (Oats, 509) – a trait that can be said Connie might share with a newborn or toddler who has just recently discovered his/her reflection. Her walk, described as childlike and bobbing, could be seen as another hint. In public her laugh becomes high pitched and nervous as if she were shy and uncertain. During their nights out at the drive-in restaurant she and her friend would often sit â€Å"at the counter and crossed their legs at the ankles† in [feigned] modesty. Even the way she dreams her ‘trashy’ dreams has a puritanical sense to it, peppered with an ideal that is in no way carnal or corrupt: Connie sat with her eyes closed in the sun, dreaming and dazed with the warmth about her as if this were a kind of love, the caresses of love, and her mind slipped over onto thoughts of the boy she had been with the night before and how nice he had been, how sweet it always was [†¦] gentle, the way it was in movies and promised in songs (Oates, 510). These descriptions of Connie paint her to still have child-like qualities. She has an ideal she believes in, she has an honest sense about herself and her world, and she possesses the same uncertainties a child would have if cast into a strange world. Perhaps, in Connie’s case this is especially true since she is growing up in a new culture that is not like that of the previous decade. However, being an adolescent exposed to the emerging new morals of the time, Connie is often faced with instances that will challenge her moral choices. She is cast as part of a generation that has become bored, a generation that is slowly turning towards anything that would distract them – even for the briefest moments. And in the years the story was based upon, the teenagers of the time has turned to rock and roll, drugs and sex as means of diversion (Moser). Connie in the text is no different. Her fantasy world â€Å"is the world of James Dean, Natalie Wood and Rebel Without a Cause† (Oates & Showalter, 7). She lives in a time where pre-marital sex is romanticized, drugs is an option and teen rebellion is hyped. Her exposure to this environment was not solely coincidental but also consensual. It was always her choice to â€Å"enter[ing] a sacred building that loomed up out of the night to give them what haven and blessing they yearned for† (Oates, 510). It was always her decision to go out with boys named Eddie or some other and have their faces fall back and â€Å"dissolve[d] into a single face that was not even a face but an idea, a feeling, mixed up with the urgent insistent pounding of the [†¦] night† (Oates, 510). It was her own behaviour and choices that led her to the same woods the wolf Arnold Friend stalked. ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ’ has always been argued as an allegory of good versus evil, of innocence and corruption (Oats & Showalter, 9). Certainly the character of Arnold Friend is the depiction of evil and of corruption and Connie saw this but turned a blind eye. Friend’s seduction and coercion of Connie near the end of the story is a representation of how one’s choices might consequently invite the devil to drive up right into one’s very own driveway. It was Connie’s choices that spoke to Arnold, the same way little red riding hood told the wolf, and led [both] the evil right onto her very own doorsteps. Ultimately, â€Å"Connie’s journey down the path of worldliness eventually leads her to a place that she clearly did not intend† (Griffin, 1) and this has left her â€Å"hollow with what had been fear but what was now just an emptiness† as she â€Å"watched herself push the door slowly open [†¦] moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited† (Oates, 520). Connie, like little red riding hood, was consumed by the wolf. Works Cited Griffin, Douglas. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates – An Examination of the Trappings of Choice. † Www. Bookstove. com. Stanza Ltd. 6 May 2009 < http://www. bookstove. com/Drama/Where-Are-You-Going-Where-Have-You-Been-by-Joyce-Carol-Oates. 36420> Moser, Don. â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson. † Casebook. Oates, Joyce Carol; Laurie Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell (editors). â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing 6th Ed. Cengage Learning, 2006. Oates, Joyce Carol and Elaine Showalter. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? 2nd Ed. Rutgers University Press, 1994. Perrault, Charles. â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood. † Casebook.

Conflict Between Conflict And Conflict - 1330 Words

For this paper, I chose conflict because it is present in nearly every aspect of life, it is unavoidable, and knowing how to handle it is a valuable tool which I would like to investigate. Webster defines conflict as â€Å"A mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands†, but the reality is there is no clear definition of how conflict starts, no two conflicts are the same, and they all start for different reasons over different issues. There are four types of conflict: †¢ Content Conflict – Disagreement caused by differing interpretations of the meaning of a concept or an idea. †¢ Values Conflict – Disagreements over management practices which may be value based regarding how employees should be handled and treated. †¢ Negotiation of Selves Conflict – Conflicts over how one see themselves versus how they are seen by others. 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