The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago | Formal Analysis

The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago | Formal Analysis The Dinner Party is a mixed media feminist piece crafted by Judy Chicago and over four-hundred women consisting of ceramic plates, embroidered and woven table runners, woven entry banners, and painted china. This piece sits on a floor made of porcelain tiles which contains the names of 919 women in history. The construction of this piece started in 1974 and took five years to finish. This gigantic piece is on display in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The structure of this masterpiece is a triangular table, forty-eight feet long on each side, that holds a total of thirty-nine place settings.[1] Each place setting represents a woman in history that has been widely recognized for her achievements. The three sides of the artwork signify women from different time periods. Looking at the piece from the picture below, the side to the right is wing one which covers women from Prehistory to Classical Rome. The back side is wing two which covers Christianity to the Reformation. Finally, the last side is the third wing which covers women from the American revolution until the Womens Revolution.[2] Each plate has a sculpted or painted vagina, done in period style. Underneath each plate is a table runner that is either woven, embroidered, or a mix of the two, some even have special additions to the runners which will be addressed in the following paragraphs. On wing one there is a place setting for the Primordial Goddess. The Primordial Goddess was believed to be the Goddess who created all of life. Her plate, like all the others is painted in the form of a vagina, this vagina in particular is suppose to represent the Goddess female genital organ as being the ground zero of all life on earth.[3] Her table runner, along with some others, stands out among the crowd. The runner, while being embroidered with her name like every place setting, also has unborn calfskin stitched on top of the table runner with little white shells placed around the calfskin. The calfskin also helps represent the Goddess being the beginning point of all life. Wing two holds the place setting for Saint Bridget, a woman born in 450 A.D. who built the first convent in her home country of Ireland after hearing St. Patrick speak. She continued to build convents all over the country and to this day Saint Bridget has many convents, buildings, and even a well named after her. Her plate is painted to represent a vagina, although the meaning behind the style and color is unclear. Saint Bridgets table runner has a wooden cross fixed to the top to symbolize her devotion to Christianity.[4] Caroline Herschels place setting can be found on wing three. Herschel was born in Hanover, Germany and is known for many things, all relating to the science of astronomy. Herschel moved to England to help her brother and became extremely interested in his study of astronomy. By the end of her life, Herschel had discovered eight new comets, 2,500 nebulae and clusters, and she had been appointed as her brothers assistant to King George III; this made her the first woman in history to be recognized for her work in science. Herschels plate seems to be painted in the traditional colors of the night sky, representing her work with the stars. It can be theorized that the eye in the center of her plate could represent Herschel looking out at the stars, but this theory cannot be proven.[5] Herschels table runner is beautifully embroidered with the sun in the middle surrounded by symbols of astronomy and bright yellow stars. There are eight comet-like figures towards the top of the runner whic h represents the eight comets that Herschel discovered during her lifetime. Lastly, her name is embroidered at the bottom with the C in Caroline formed into a telescope. The porcelain tiled floor contains the names of 919 important women in history whose names, unlike the thirty-nine women with place settings, went unmentioned throughout history despite their amazing achievements. The names include women such as Mary Shelley, the author who is most famously known for writing Frankenstein. Caroline Schlegel is another woman who is inscribed on the floor. She was deeply involved in the German Romantic Movement and is responsible for many letters and essays being translated in English.[6] Created during the feminist movement, Judy Chicagos The Dinner Party is a massive installation with an equally massive meaning. Women who accomplish a lot in their time often go unappreciated. Chicago did her best with the help she had to make sure that these women were no longer under appreciated. From the detailed genital plates to the equally detailed table runners, Chicago set out to make a statement and there is no argument that she hit the mark. Word Count: 800 Chicago, Judy. The Dinner Party. Mixed Media. Brooklyn: Through the Flower, 2017. From Through the Flower website. Photograph, http://judychicago.arted.psu.edu/archived/dpcp/e.php?e=1, (3/14/2017). Bibliography: Davies, Penelope J. E., Walter B. Denny, Frima Fox Hofrichter, Joseph Jacobs, Ann M. Roberts, and David L. Simon. Jansons History of Art: The Western Tradition. 8th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Learning Solutions, 2011. Place Settings. Brooklyn Museum: Place Settings. Accessed March 13, 2017. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/. Chicago, Judy, Frances Borzello, and Jane Gerhard. The Dinner Party Judy Chicago: Restoring Women to History. New York: Monacelli Press, 2014. Chicago, Judy. The Dinner Party. Mixed Media. Brooklyn: Through the Flower, 2017. From Through the Flower website. Photograph, http://judychicago.arted.psu.edu/archived/dpcp/e.php?e=1, (3/14/2017). [1] Penelope J. E. Davies et al., Jansons History of Art: The Western Tradition, 8th ed., vol. 2 (New York: Learning Solutions, 2011), 1069. [2] Place Settings, Brooklyn Museum: Place Settings, , accessed March 13, 2017, https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/, 1. [3] Judy Chicago, Frances Borzello, and Jane Gerhard, The Dinner Party Judy Chicago: Restoring Women to History (New York: Monacelli Press, 2014), 24. [4] Ibid., 86. [5] Chicago, The Dinner Party, 170. [6] Ibid., 181.

Childrens Songs Popularity in 1918 :: Influenza Songs Essays

Children's Songs' Popularity in 1918 A brief review of the historical year of 1918 when people were informed to take precaution against influenza, while their children came up with a catchy tune for the "worst epidemic the United States has ever known"1 and comparing it with the influenza of today. PHILADELPHIA-- I had a little bird, Its name was Enza, I opened the window In 'flu' Enza. What is the truth behind the song mentioned above that children sing so often during those days? Ironic how the soldiers who came home from the war not only brought life, for they came back alive, but also brought what will soon become the death of so many. It all started in March of the year 1918 in which at Fort Riley located in the state of Kansas, an Army private reported symptoms such as headache, fever, as well as sore throat. It seemed like mild symptoms but by noon the count of soldiers who were ill of the same symptoms totaled up to one-hundred.2 Doctors everywhere were puzzled about what might be causing this illness. What soon came to be known as the Spanish influenza came also to be known as the "worst epidemic the United States has ever known." More soldiers from the war died from this influenza than from combat on the field. One of the earliest victims of the flu came from sailors who resided on the Receiving Ship at Commonwealth Pier in Boston (August 1918) in which the situation gave the flu the advantage of eventually spreading throughout the civilian population. But of course, people were first advised that there was nothing to worry about. According to "Dr. William Hassler, Chief of San Francisco's Board of Health had gone so far as to predict that the flu would not even reach the city."3 But within such urban, crowded cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, it was inevitable that this illness would turn into an epidemic. In Philadelphia of September 1918, new cases of influenza were recorded from the civilian population days after a parade. As a result, Philadelphia was forced to admit that the city has fallen under the Spanish influenza epidemic.4 The severity of this epidemic began to become apparent and so precautions were made--any public places in which crowds of people were able to accumulate were considered "off limits.

Readings on the Power of the Nation-State Essay

World Society and the Nation-State by John W. Meyer, John Boli, George M. Thomas, and Francisco O. Ramirez * This essay begins by explaining that it is the world models of institutions and the purposes they serve—equality, socioeconomic progress, human development—are the foundations for the current nation-state order. These world models have become increasingly important in the post-war era as globalization has increased and intensified exponentially. * They then expand upon this point, explaining that traditionally, scholars believe that states are products of their own histories and internal forces. This essay asserts that this is inaccurate because in today’s era especially, there are many outside forces due to globalization that shape a nation state’s culture, institutions, and other features. * They argue that the main reasons for the emergence of world-society models have been out of wars, like World War II and the Cold War. These global conflicts may have pushed for the improvement of nationally organized progress and human development on the global scale. * Many scholars predict a failure of world-society, drawing upon evidence from the gross violations of world-cultural principles in Bosnia, the stagnant development in Africa, and the overall evasion of proper responsibility all over the globe. The Declining Authority of States by Susan Strange * Strange opens with the assertion that although they may not admit it, those in charge in capitalist nations are losing power and reputability. Politicians make empty promises and the people no longer believe them. It is exactly this type of discontent that brought down the Soviet Union and its satellite states. Political discontent by the public has risen globally and seems to be evident everywhere. * Strange also asserts that answers lie in the public opinion and everyday citizens of a country, not in the current political system. She says this because normal people use commonsense which seems to be more legitimate than the most common academic theories politicians base their notions upon. * Strange argues that after extensive study of the global political economy, she has come to the conclusion that we need to rethink some of the traditional concepts and assumptions that international relations are based upon. She presents four main assumptions that need to be revised: 1. The limits of politics as a  social activity. 2. The nature and sources of power within a society. 3. The necessity and contrasting invisibility of authority in a capitalist economy. 4. The anarchic nature of international society and rational conduct of states as the unitary actors in that society. * An interesting point Strange argues is that as governments try to gain more authority, they are squashing out ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples’ sovereignty. Some principle examples include the Basques of southwestern Europe, the Tibetans of China, the Scots of the United Kingdom, and the Aborigines of Australia.   Global Organized Crime by James H. Mittelman Mittelman explains that because of globalization, crime has completely evolved into a more complex and frightening concept. The new type of global crime involves crimes that didn’t even exist a few decades ago—computer crimes, money laundering, nuclear material theft, counterfeiting, stock market schemes, etc. Crime is also no longer localized, but taking place on a global scale. * Mittelman provides a chief example of this globalized crime using Chinese triads that have smuggled people illegally into the U.S. since the 1840’s. The corruption of the Chinese government and oppression of Chinese workers has caused this issue of illegal migration. * Mittelman also explains that global organized crime can be equated to transnational firms because they operate both above and below the state. Above the state, they operate using the manipulation of permeable borders and deregulation. Below the state, they operate by offering incentives to the marginalized populations who are struggling to cope with the effects of globalization. * He also describes the role of global crime in relation to the state. Traditionally, states are viewed as arbiters and mediators in interstate relations. However, this role is changing as crime has transcended borders and caused the cooperation of state governments to try and combat this trend. Mittelman also clarifies that although crime groups aren’t revolutionary or trying to take over the government, they are slowly changing the role of government and somewhat undermining its power.   Has Globalization Gone Too Far? By Dani Rodrik * Rodrik begins by asserting that globalization has dramatically increased the gap between the rich and the poor; the middle class is disappearing.  Because of this, tension between those in charge—the policymakers and market moguls—and those at the bottom—workers, environmentalists, etc.—has risen and become a major dividing factor. * This divide causes tension and a decrease in social stability. Rodrik highlights three main sources of tension. 1. Reduced barriers to trade and investment accentuate the imbalance between groups that can transcend international borders—capitalists, professionals, highly skilled workers—and those that can’t—unskilled workers. 2. Nations face major differences in terms of ideologies, politics, socioeconomics and this can cause conflicts within and between nations of opposing traditions. 3. Globalization has made it close to impossible for governing bodies to provide social insurance—a central function that has held societies together in the post-war period. * Rodrik then explains that in order to deal with these issues, policymakers must make difficult decisions in order to strike a balance between domestic cohesion and global interaction. Rodrik recognizes that this situation is usually viewed as a trade-off, however through maintaining a healthy balance between domestic needs and global progress, this can be achieved. Welfare Spending in an Era of Globalization: The North-South Divide by John Glenn * Glenn first recognizes that in less-industrialized states, welfare spending has decreased during the period of globalization due to the increased spending focused on structural development. On the other hand, highly industrialized nations have been the key agents in starting and maintaining globalization. * Glenn then examines two different hypotheses. The first states that nations are actively reconfiguring themselves in order to produce a business-nurturing environment. This competition state hypothesis claims that the globalization of the economy is putting the pressures on the states to make the business-conducive environment. The second hypothesis asserts that states make up for those who are most negatively affected by the economic progress and as a result of this, a decrease in social spending will not occur. * Glenn recognizes the overlap between these two hypotheses in that they both emphasize the importance of state investment in human capital in order to compete in the global economy of today. He also supports his findings with several tables  exhibiting different states’ growth of government expenditures, social spending trends, etc. in order for readers to visually see these trends that are occurring across the globe. World Culture and the Future of Schooling by David P. Baker and Gerald K. LeTendre * This article begins with the theory that education is, contrary to popular belief, a global undertaking. It defines the traditional, national vision of education as an institution for education and socialization of a country’s youth, preparing them to be successful adult citizens of their nation. The authors argue that this notion is inaccurate and is becoming more so every day. * The article asserts that global forces are shaping the evolution of schooling and education is growing more globally uniform due to the permeability of borders and educational values penetrating those borders and infiltrating educational systems within those borders. * The worldwide success of mass education is then examined. It is observed that all over the world, public schooling is educating the vast majority of youth and preparing them for a bright and educated future. In addition to this trend, traditional educational values have become widely accepted. These values can be education for the collective good, national government funding and interest in education, early education lasting through early adulthood as an effective tool in long-term impact, and statuses such as race, gender, religion and language should not deter an individual or group from accessing education.

Cloudstreet Essay

Cloudstreet: Religion and Spirituality | A Novel by Tim Winton| â€Å"From separate catastrophes, two rural families flee to the city and find themselves sharing a great, breathing, shuddering joint called Cloudstreet, where they begin their lives again from scratch. For twenty years they roister and rankle, laugh and curse until the roof over their heads becomes a home for their hearts.† (Winton, 1991) Tim Winton’s critically acclaimed novel, Cloudstreet is a masterful tale of love, meaning and heartbreaking tragedy that speaks strongly of a post war Australian society that was essentially rebuilding itself after years of political upheaval and financial struggle. Good Morning/Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman. I am a representative of the National English Curriculum board and today I am here to demonstrate to you how Cloudstreet is authentic and believable, and as Marieke Hardy suggests: â€Å"It is Australian. Reading it felt like coming home.† Throughout Cloudstreet, there are numerous concepts that portray the Australian cultural identity; and the theme of religion and spirituality is especially prominent and appealing. The concept of luck, Aboriginal spirituality, and the search for the meaning of life, are all Australian ideas that Winton expertly portrays. Spirituality can be defined as â€Å"a concern for that which is unseen or intangible; as opposed to physical or mundane.† (Greenberg, 2008) It encourages a sense of peace and purpose within an individual and promotes a feeling of belonging. Additionally, religion can be defined as â€Å"the belief in, and worship of a superhuman controlling power.† (Religion) Both concepts are widely integrated into the core of the novel and are depicted through the Australian notion of luck. Luck, which some would argue has long been etched into the Australian consciousness as a common working class superstition, is, whether th ey are conscious of it or not, a form of religion for both families. The Pickles family, most notably Sam, rely on the â€Å"shifty shadow of God† (p 12) to warn them about future events, while the Lamb’s simple game of â€Å"spinning the knife† (p 53) acts as their metaphorical life compass. â€Å"The Lucky Country† (Horne, 1964) is a phrase that originated from a book of the same name written in the 1960’s, and since then, has gained widespread popularity and thus, been attached to the Australian culture for a long time. Winton has  cleverly examined this historical background to incorporate an accurate facet of the Australian identity into the novel and its characters. Also related to the concept of luck, is the fact that after Fish drowns, Oriel, once a devoted and â€Å"god fearing† Christian, begins to question her faith and the reliability of believing in God. When Fish is resuscitated, but only â€Å"some of him comes back†, (p 32) both she and Lester are emotionally forced to abandon God and Christianity and instead, turn to luck, hard work and the idea that â€Å"life and death, was all there was,† (p 65) in order to endure their circumstances. This draws on the common â€Å"Aussie battler† tradition, of which a working class person overcame challenging situations through perseverance, faith and steadfast determination. In terms of the Australian cultural identity, Winton has again taken an important and recognized historical Australian idea and shaped it to evoke feelings of familiarity and intimacy between the readers and the characters of Cloudstreet. The frequent appearance of the â€Å"Blackfella† is yet another example of how the Australian cultural identity is portrayed through examination of Aboriginal Spirituality. However, in many scenes throughout the novel, the blackfella signifies both Christian and Aboriginal spirituality through allusion and comparison. For example, he is likened to Jesus by walking on water and again when he produces a never ending supply of wine and bread in Quick’s car. This comparison is particularly effective as it symbolises the â€Å"coming together† of Christianity and Aboriginality, which was a particularly delicate Australian issue during the time period of the novel, due to Aboriginal marginalisation and the rise of Christian ideals. Essentially, the Blackfella acts as a reminder of the original religion inherent to Australia and its development, during a time when social and political change was overtaking that of its native beliefs. The â€Å"Blackfella† also ac ts as the conscience of the characters when they have lost their way or their family unit is threatened. This can ultimately be seen when he leads Quick back to Cloudstreet after he runs away to the country, knowing that Quick feels secretly lost without his family, and needs them to feel fully alive. He also persuades Sam not the sell the house and states that â€Å"you shouldn’t break a place. Places are strong and important,† (p 406) referring to not only the house and its tragic Aboriginal history, but also to the fragile  families who live inside it. In doing so, he ensures that the families stay whole and together, which is an important and dominating religious value for Aboriginality and Christianity, both during the time period of the novel and in our modern Australian society. Consequently, the â€Å"Blackfella’s† role in Cloudstreet is a significant contribution to the novel’s relevancy to the Australian cultural identity. The Australian cultural identity is also illustrated in Cloudstreet through the spiritual symbolism and personification of the river, and its connection to the character’s search for the meaning of life. This is particularly significant for Quick Lamb, who, is spiritually linked to the river in a number of ways. The river acts as a place of peace, purpose and belonging for Quick. Connecting with his mother when they go prawning, glowing after fishing in the country, and most importantly, falling in love with Rose Pickles, are the most significant spiritually defining events that Quick experiences while on the river. Through realising just how symbolically important the river is to him, Quick finally understands the true meaning of his life, and gains a feeling of belonging that allows him to finally shed his self-degrading title of â€Å"the lost lamb.† (p 310) Australia is a country that values the water. Geographically, we are surrounded by it, with most of our population residing close to the shores. As a result of this, the water is seen as a common gathering place, from which one cannot easily escape nor regard as irrelevant to the Australian way of life. Winton has taken this idea and incorporated it into Cloudstreet, to emphasise and promote a relevant part of Australian culture. Finally, the river’s spiritual and religious connection to Fish Lamb is perhaps the most important concept of the novel. After Fish drowns and has his soul ripped into two separate pieces (spiritual fish and physical fish), the river that he so desperately longs for, essentially becomes his gateway to the spiritual world; to the place where he belongs. It is not until the end of the novel when Fish is finally free to reunite with the water that he is truly whole again. â€Å"I burst into the moon, sun and stars of who I really am. Being Fish Lamb. Perfectly. Always. Everyplace. Me.†(p 424) For many, water in Australia is culturally considered to be the blood of the country; a place of c leansing and rejuvenation. Likewise, for Fish, the river embodies the epitome of the spirit of Australia in the form of life giving water. Although his life was initially taken by the water, it is eventually returned to him when his physical self re-joins his spiritual self. In conclusion, Winton flawlessly encapsulates the cultural identity and spirit of Australia in Cloudstreet through symbolic representations of luck, Aboriginal spirituality and the search for the meaning of life. The characters’ connection with religion and spirituality resonates strongly with the reader and successfully evokes feelings of belonging and familiarity that confirms Cloudstreet is indeed a classic Australian novel. Bibliography Associates, R. Q. (2008, September 16). Ideology in Cloudstreet . Retrieved 2013, from www.englishcurriculum.com.au Cloudstreet Notes. (n.d.). Retrieved 2013, from Sydney Home Tutoring: http://www.sydneyhometutoring.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Details-Cloudstreet-notes.pdf. Dot Point Notes Cloudstreet. (n.d.). Retrieved 2013, from Sydney Home Tutoring : http://www.sydneyhometutoring.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Dot-Point-Notes-Cloudstreet.pdf. Greenberg, N. (2008, October 8). Retrieved 2013, from Can Spirituality Be Defined: http://notes.utk.edu/bio/unistudy.nsf/935c0d855156f9e08525738a006f2417/bdc83cd10e58d14a852573b00072525d Horne, D. (1964). The Lucky Country. Penguin Books Australia. Religion. (n.d.). Retrieved 2013, from Google Definitions: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=religion+definition Winton, T. (1991). Cloudstreet. McPhee Gribble.

The eNotes Blog Shakespeare Its in theDNA

Shakespeare Its in theDNA Are you old enough to remember when floppy disks were  actually  floppy? Or maybe when disks were 3 wide? (Yes, kids, thats what that little icon to save your work to your hard drives and flash drives represents, a hard little disk that held approximately two Word files or a half a dozen pictures (but not at the same time). Maybe you think data storage has reached its pinnacle. It is rather startling to realize you carry more technology in your pocket on your smart phone than was available for the moon landing (but with considerably less LOL cats).   But when you understand that there is now over one trillion gigabytes of information in the world, not even the iPhone 204 can keep up with that pace. (Heres what 10 trillion gigabytes looks like in numbers: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. ten plus twenty one  zeroes). Every method of storage we have thus far employed has had long-term storage problems. CDs and DVDs scratch and wear out, as do magnetic tapes. But what about DNA, natures storage system? DNA is compact and durable. We can extract DNA information from bones that are millions of years old. It sounds like science fiction, but its actually science-in-action. Nick Goldman heads up a research team at  European Bioinformatics Institute in the U.K. Goldman and his fellow scientists are studying  DNA data storage and Goldman has written a paper on the process which appeared  Ã‚  in the journal  Nature  last week. In an interview with Ira Flatow on NPRs Science Friday, Goldman explains that DNA utilizes a storage system much like computers use ones and zeroes so [w]e wrote a computer program that embodied a code that would convert the zeros and ones from a hard disk drive into the letters that we use to represent DNA, and then we our collaborators in California    were able to actually synthesize physical DNA. Once the scientists realized this was possible, they decided what they would first try to encode and store: [W]e chose a photograph of our own institute because were sort of self-publicists at heart, I guess, and an excerpt from Martin Luther Kings speech I Have a Dream, all of Shakespeares sonnets and a PDF that contained in fact the paper, the scientific paper by Watson and Crick that first described the structure of DNA itself. All of this information, Golman says, is saved   on the equivalent of a speck of dust. How large of an area would contain all 10 trillion gigabytes of the worlds information? It would fit in the back of a station wagon.

Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services Essay - 1

Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services - Essay Example It should be noted that the impact of diversity on human capital management and development is multi-dimensional, i.e. it has different forms and characteristics, being aligned with the environment and the culture of each organization. The above trend is verified in the literature published in the particular field. In accordance with Stalcup (2008) the promotion of diversity across an organization could be secured through a series of different plans; the introduction of succession policies that ensure diversity at all (or certain) levels of the organizational hierarchy would be a potential plan of such kind (Stalcup 2008, p.14). In other words, diversity could affect the human capital management of an organization by setting the criteria on which the succession policies of the specific organization will be based. At a next level, diversity sets the term under which the hiring process of an organization will be developed; this fact is highlighted in the study of Sistare et al. (2008, p.16) where emphasis is given on the importance of diversity for the specific part of an organization’s human capital management, i.e. the hiring process. Moreover, it is explained that diversity, as a criterion used for hiring staff, does not threaten the integration of the organization. ... organization’s retention and HR development policies (for instance, the training programs provided to employees of a particular organizational development); the rewarding policies of an organization should also take into consideration the needs for increased diversity in the workplace (Mathis et al. 2008, p.48) Apart from the issues discussed above, another fact should be made clear: diversity could also affect the organizational development in general, i.e. not just the human capital management processes. This issue is explained in the study of Vallabhaneni (2008); in the above study, reference is made to the need for restructuring of the organizational environment in order to promote diversity across a particular organization; in other words, organizations that strongly support diversity have often to update/ restructure their environment in order ‘to respond to the needs of diverse groups of employees’ (Vallabhaneni 2008, p.238). In this way, diversity is get i nvolved in an organization’s development, setting the rules for distributing tasks and organizing activities across the particular organization. The direct involvement of diversity in organizational development is made clear through the following fact: diversity in the workplace has been among the key trends of the human capital management of the 21st century (Lewis et al. 2006, p.20); HR managers who are most capable of responding to the needs of diversity in the workplace are most likely to succeed in organizations of various industrial sectors (Lewis et al. 2006, p.20). In this way, diversity becomes one of the criteria for evaluation of the capability of HR managers to face the challenges of modern market; it is expected that their decisions will be also aligned with the need for increased

As a leader in the 21st Century, I want to know what technology Research Paper

As a leader in the 21st Century, I want to know what technology decisions to make - Research Paper Example Because of the massive reach of social media, firms regard it as an effective tool for driving relevant messages. From an internal communications point of view, social media allows employees to efficiently manage the exchanging of both professional and personal messages. Through social media, corporate culture has been further enhanced. From an external communications perspective, social media is used by firms to directly interact with their target customers in a less costly manner through the personalization of advertising messages. Therefore, in comparison to traditional forms of media, such as television and radio, marketing professionals prefer social media due to its wide audience reach and flexible nature. In this paper, we examine the relevance of leadership techniques in driving the effectiveness of social media, both internally and externally. As such, the discussion is divided into three parts: (1) look closely into social media as a business tool; (2) delve into the forms of leadership techniques, and (3) analyze the connection between proper leadership techniques and results-driven utilization of social media. In the end, this paper aims to justify its thesis that the effective use of social media in business depends on the leadership styles of leaders in a company. Research: Social Media and its Emerging Relevance in Business Overview of Social Media Social Media is defined by Wright State University (n.d.) as â€Å"an interactive, specifically online, community that builds and enhances relationships between individuals and groups based on interest, occupation, and demographic measures while delivering viable information to such individuals and groups.† Human communication, in this sense, is made more efficient through social media. The increasing use of social media by businesses has been underscored in numerous studies. D’Angelo (2010), in his academic paper entitled â€Å"Social Media Community Management: Implications for Busines s Communication Curriculum,† highlighted that 91% of the top 500 companies the U.S. used at least one social media tool in 2009, an uplift from 77% in 2008. There was also an increase in social media use by small businesses from 12% to 24% between December 2008 and December 2009 (D’Angelo, 2010). Moreover, Harvard Business Review Analytic Services (n.d.), in its newly released survey with top U.S. corporations, claimed that more than three-quarters (79%) of the 2,100 organizations surveyed said that they are currently using social media channels (58%) to launch social media initiatives (21%). As Stelzner (2009) discovered in another study, business owners are more likely to use social media marketing (90%) than employees working for a business (81%). In terms of their actual use of social media, sole proprietors and owners of businesses of 2 to 100 employees mentioned that they have been doing social media marketing for years while 72% of marketers have either just star ted or have been using social media for only a few months (Stelzner, 2009). These data indicate that the rise in the use of social me