& Analysis - Literature review Example

LITERATURE AND ANALYSIS Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Literature and analysis Politics Rowe, D, Gilmour, C and Petzold, T 2010, Australian: Mediated representation of global politics, The international journal of the history of sports, Vol. 27, 9-10, 150-1533. Despite frequent efforts to keep politics at bay, Olympic Games have been suffused with politics. These politics take different domains, but the most prominent one is in the bidding and gaining of the right to host the event. The right to host the event is constituted in the events charter which basically details the Olympic ideals of a nation such as its technical and venue readiness. The rest of the world watches the Olympics over several media platforms including newspapers, televisions and the internet. The article gives a concise description of political unfolding that take place before the commencement of the event. The author provides an interesting illustration of this political news as reported in various newspapers across Australia. The newspaper articles specifically give news of the Olympic Torch which has profound significance to the event as well as political underpinnings. The main theme of the article is brought under the topic “Olympic Torch threats” which basically notes that the Olympics Torch attracts more than ordinary attention from the media due to many political issues revolving around it. Use of illustrations through the use of newspaper articles is a major strength of the article as it gives it credibility. However, theoretical backing of arguments is lacking in the article. By providing sufficient evidence about the politics behind the Olympics Torch, the article is sufficient material to be used by educators, learners and researchers in the field of politics. MacLeod, G and Jones, M 2011, Renewing urban politics, Urban studies journal, Vol. 48, No. 2443. Paul Peterson’s City Limits is one of the landmark publications in the study of urban politics. He noted that most of the American cities just like others in the world competed amongst each other so as to attract and retain hyper-mobile investments and wealth generating entrepreneurs which are the outstanding characteristics of survivors in the 21st century globalizing economy. The author describes urban politics in the modern world. It gives some of ontological considerations that have contributed to the revolutionalization of urban politics which include reshaping, of the socioeconomic landscapes and built environments. The article gives an account of basic characteristics of political issues in modern cities such as struggles over ecological reproduction and consumption and urban injustices. The author has managed to the issue of urban politics which is now a modern society buzzword. The article is easy to comprehend based on the fact that it began from the origin of urban politics and spilled over to the issues underlying modern world urban politics. The article ends by giving some insights into the most recent issues of urban politics that might serve as reference material for politicians and academicians interested in the field of urban politics. The title of the journal article “Renewing urban politics” is clearly justifiable as it has managed to draw the differences between the traditional urban politics to the modern urban politics. Nevertheless, I feel the language used is rather complicated and uses a lot of terminologies that would be difficult to understand by persons with less English efficiency. History Geyikdagi, V and Geyikdagi, M 2009, Liberalization in Turkey: Does history repeat itself? Middle eastern studies, Vol. 45, Issue 1, p. 71-86. Turley has experienced rapid growth in external debts and foreign trade in the past few decades. This has prompted commentators to compare this growing trend to the ancient Turkey; during the nineteenth century when the Ottoman Empire ruled. During this period, Turkey underwent serious crisis following rapid growth of external trade. The author begins by examining the Ottoman economy, what he refers to as the first globalization’ and proceeds to examine the new age economy of turkey, ‘second globalization’. In so doing, the author attempts to draw a comparison between the two phenomenons and specifically intends to determine how the processes brought about liberalization which is inherent in the process of globalization. The article takes note of the fact that the Ottoman regime was the most liberal in the world and it and greatly emphasized on imports and discouraged exports. Although there were notable incomes during the regime, the author notes that they were short-term and actually led the country into long-term de-industrialization. The second globalization on the other hand has been hailed for causing tremendous liberalization in the industrial sector more so in agriculture. By discussing the two issues separately, the author has ensured that the reader is kept on track and does not get mixed up in the midst. The English is simple and does not use complicated historical language as is common with most of the historical publications. Nevertheless, the article’s presentation in prose form does not attract the eyes and might easily discourage the reader. The author ought to have included subheading to separate major arguments. Berger, M 2006, Luxury hotels: Looking back through history. Hospitality design, Vol. 28, Issue 6. There has been an ongoing perception that luxury hotels emanated from the European world based on the romanticized association between aristocratic palaces and luxury hotels. Surprisingly, luxury hotels were first seen the US following rapid growth of the nation’s capitalistic identity. Growing global markets and advanced networks of transport and communication were the conception grounds for the emergence of luxury hotels around the world. Design of the contemporary luxury hotels reflects those of the ancient ones. They were designed for the ultimate ease, comfort and convenience of guests. They incorporated monumental symbols aimed at reflecting a city’s prowess. Even so, the modern luxury hotels are pampered with powerful technological capabilities and communication devices. The author, however, maintains that even present day architects keep the legacy of ancient hotel designs while still keeping in pace with developing technologies. The article is quite precise and actually short. His points are few but quite convincing. Even so, the author has left out a lot of information that would have been useful to the reader by limiting his words. In this regard, the article is too shallow to be of significant use to researchers and scholars. Culture Munich, R 2011, Transplanting an organization: How does culture matter. Bulletin of the Menninger clinic, Vol. 75, No. 2. Cultural issues have been cited as major obstacles to the success of changes within organizations. The article supports this argument by making reference to the Menninger Clinic which made a geographical relocation and subsequent merger with other medical institutions. It is quite clear that, throughout these processes, the clinic has struggled to retain its core treatment, educational values, sense of autonomy and valued employees. The purpose of this article is to assess how the failures of the organizational merger in light of culture incompatibilities that were quite inherent. It attempts to demonstrate ways in which culture mattered in the process of merging. The author begins by showing the culture that existed within the original clinic before the merger and systematically shows how this culture was compromised through the preparatory process of the merger and the ultimate merger. The notable theme that is evident throughout the article is the importance of preparing for cultural change in the wake of relocation and mergers. The author concludes that management should have adequately planned and consulted with all employees concerning the expected changes. The report criticizes improper management practices that essentially lead to detrimental effects towards an organization. By using the case study of the Menninger Clinic, the author captures the attention of the reader and prompts him to read further. The article is quite simple to read and systematic. It can sufficiently serve as an indictment for managers who are ignorant of the role of culture during organizational change processes. Smith, D and Reed, K 2010, Appalachian women leaders: products of culture and life events. Journal of leadership and organizational studies, Vol. 17, Issue 87. All men have created equal, and they should have equal chances in life. Nevertheless, women have been undermined and regarded as weak relative to their male counterparts. Cultural factors and other factors have been associated with this unfortunate turn of events. The author of this article explicitly states that culture has affected the life experiences of women and thus the decisions they have to make regarding leadership behaviors. The role of women in society has been greatly repressed in a number of ways. For instance, Appalachian communities disregard education for women and limit them from assuming leadership roles. Women are encouraged to follow family traditions at the expense of their education. Gender bias is also a contributing factor whereby the society provides unequal opportunities for women especially with regard to employment. The author has used a methodological approach to support the theoretical literature provided at the beginning. This serves as a reinforcement or justification for his hypothesis and assumptions through evidence collected in the field study. The article is fascinating and keeps prompts one to finish reading the article. I am particularly impressed by his presentation of arguments which are well articulated and written in simple English. It is good material for researchers interested in the topic of women and culture since the author has highlighted some of the limitations and strengths of his study as well as recommendations. Photography analysis The photo is quite general and not predict the photographers intension. Even so, it s can be concluded that he focused on the gray building at the foreground which is most likely a hotel or restaurant due to the large writings on its front. The city is portrayed as rather conservative based on the nature of buildings dominating it. The roofing corresponds to that used in countries based in snow areas, especially in Greenland. The city seems to be lagging behind in terms of urban development an indication that the area is not investors’ and tourists’ favorite destinations and thus the local government does little to revamp it. History and culture of the people of the city is also clear from the photo. Hotels in other parts of the world would feature fleet of cars parked at the parking lot. Conversely, there is not even one car in the photo which shows that people are less interested in luxuries. Urban politics is apparent in this photo. More and more cities are setting up outstanding building in the race to the competitive edge. The building has a strong cultural and religious affiliation based on the outer design. The Hindu religion is particularly eminent as the structure resembles a temple. It shows that its people pride in religion and culture and cannot be compromised at any cost. Trees and vegetation is a strong indicator of the government’s commitment to keep the city elegant for purposes of tourism attraction. Berger (2006) take note that modern hotels and restaurants are making their designs and features elaborate and democratic for all types of audience. In that respect, it is presumable that although the hotel in the picture depicts the culture and religion of Hindu people, the interior must reflect a divergence of cultures and religion so as to accommodate all manner of clientele. The photo shows the increasing role of urban politics in modern cities. This series of buildings is high tech and certainly costly to establish. With increasing globalization and technological advancement, city governments across the globe are digging deeper into their treasury boxes to make their cities more attractive and modernized for the sake of tourism and investors. Restructuring cities to portray environmental concern is another factor underlying urban politics. The green vegetation in the photo justifies this argument. The design of the buildings is westernized, yet the photo seems to have been taken in an Asian country most probably China. One thing is apparent in that case; second globalization analyzed by Geyikdagi and Geyikdagi (2009) in the case of Turkey. The world is now regarded as a global market whereby countries can freely share ideas and innovations. Women empowerment and liberalization is also a prominent theme in this photo. The Chinese traditional culture has a long standing history in deriving women of their right to association. As the Asian world is gradually becoming westernized, Chinese women are attaining more freedom to association. The photo was taken in the night to bring out the elegance of its features. Probably, the hotel is ancient and does not have eye capturing features that would appear attractive if taken during daytime. Additionally, the hotel demonstrates the evolution of hotels. According to Berger (2006), ancient hotels and restaurants were designed in a manner that reflected the culture of the people. The roofing model is common among the Asian countries. Building the hotel next to the sea is also a strategic mechanism of meeting the increasing needs of clientele who are generally adventure oriented tourists. The photo depicts a culture of drinking in the country where it was taken. By displaying various wines, it is quite evident that wine and other alcoholic drinks are allowed by law. Additionally, display of the wine in the open is a marketing strategy being utilized by many restaurants across the globe. According to Moulton and Lapsley (2001) wine drinkers are reducing day by day requiring sellers to increase their persuasion strategies. Another apparent theme in the photo is the liberalization of women. The lady standing next to the display is clear evidence that women are increasingly embracing the culture of drinking, and they are proud about it. Besides that, it shows financial freedom of women as they can afford to visit exquisite hotels and restaurants similar to their male counterparts. They have defied traditions that have continually oppressed them and have embraced new experiences and events that will influence their roles in society especially with regard to leadership (Smith and Reed 2010). The small compartment in the room showcases various items that are of great value to the people of the specific country. The camel is a significant animal among Indians as its milk is believed to have therapeutic value. The other items in the table also show the Indians commitment to their religion. MacLeod and Jones (2011) maintain that incorporating a cultural touch in the refurbishing of a city’s physical and socioeconomic environments is an added advantage towards a competitive edge. A jewelry shop at the background of the photo is another indication of the present day view about women. Unlike the Appalachian women discussed in Smith and Reed (2009) article, women in India are prominent in all areas of the economy. Indian women have had equal status with men since the ancient days. Additionally, women according to the Hindu religion are expected to dress in a manner that pleases their husbands. As such, Indian women pamper themselves with expensive jewelries, in addition to costly garments. References Berger, M 2006, Luxury hotels: Looking back through history. Hospitality design, Vol. 28, Issue 6. Geyikdagi, V and Geyikdagi, M 2009, Liberalization in Turkey: Does history repeat itself? Middle eastern studies, Vol. 45, Issue 1, p. 71-86. MacLeod, G and Jones, M 2011, Renewing urban politics, Urban studies journal, Vol. 48, No. 2443. Moulton, K. and Lapsley, J., 2001, Successful Wine Marketing, Gaithersburg: Aspen Publishers, Inc. Munich, R 2011, Transplanting an organization: How does culture matter. Bulletin of the Menninger clinic, Vol. 75, No. 2. Rowe, D, Gilmour, C and Petzold, T 2010, Australian: Mediated representation of global politics, The international journal of the history of sports, Vol. 27, 9-10, 150-1533. Smith, D and Reed, K 2010, Appalachian women leaders: products of culture and life events. Journal of leadership and organizational studies, Vol. 17, Issue 87. . Read More