The Dreaming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Dreaming - Essay Example It defines their values, beliefs and relationships. Knowledge of the Dreaming has promoted the development of the land. The aboriginals have many dreaming stories, which describe their own origins and how the landscape was formed. They also serve to teach children about various things, such as the world of nature and spirit, right and wrong behaviour, and social norms. As such, they are not merely stories, but expressions of their belief system that once also involved ritual and totemic associations (Tunbridge, 1988). In fact, they describe the history of the people, which was rich in culture and oral literature. Behavioural lessons include examples for demonstrating the importance of good manners, sharing, honesty, respect for elders, etc. The American ethnographer, Deborah Bird Rose, observed, â€Å"the inherent ethos of the Dreaming regarding human behaviour can be summarised as four basic laws †¦ [which] emphasise balance, response, symmetry and autonomy† (McBride, 20 00: 4). Balance is necessary for a system to be able to enhance the quality of life, and each part shares responsibility for sustaining itself and for balancing the others. Response emphasises the reciprocity of communication, and it reminds of the obligation to learn, understand, pay attention and respond. Symmetry ensures the parts in a balance are equivalent and that no one dominates another. Autonomy stresses, â€Å"authority and dependence are necessary within parts, but not between parts (Rose, 1993: 4-5 in McBride, 2000: 5), so no species, group or country should lead over another. A number of further important aspects of The Dreaming also deserve attention. One of these is that it assumes a considerable knowledge on the part of listeners. In particular, â€Å"there are allusions which can only be understood by those with comprehensive linguistic and cultural knowledge† (Tunbridge, 1988: xxx). Even an outsider who is culturally immersed would find some points difficul t to grasp, and some would only be able to be understood by the initiated. However, this shows the need to study a narrative within the context of its roots. Another aspect is change and ‘death’, which are dynamic qualities. For example, there are some accounts of the substitution of species, some site locations become lost due to changes in the social environment, and the accounts too sometimes change as they do in space. The latter demonstrates the need for adaptation due to both physical and social changes. As far as the characters in The Dreaming are concerned, the spirits (nguthuna) feature a lot besides people (yuras), animals, etc. They can assume a variety of forms including mammals and birds, but they have human powers and more besides. They also appear in various social relationships. Sometimes they appear as first stage initiates (vardnapas), sometimes with adult responsibilities, whereas sometimes they are punished for unacceptable behaviour. The Dreaming al so leaves behind certain ‘signs’ as evidence of the reality of events. These indicate the spiritual ancestors’ presence or passing. Sometimes a character could even leave multiple images behind during an event, which are different manifestations. These include marks such as in the form of rock carvings. All of these provide evidence that a Dreamtime Spirit has passed through the place and that the places â€Å"

Tthe advantages of not being global and having a local approach Essay

Tthe advantages of not being global and having a local approach - Essay Example This paper illustrates that in order to understand the potential disadvantages of global strategy, compared to local strategies, it would be necessary to refer to the characteristics of global strategy, as identified in the key strategic decisions of firms operating in the global market. It seems that global strategy is highly differentiated from local strategies, not only in regard to its role but also in regard to its requirements and effects. In accordance with Tallman the global strategy can be characterized as the strategy, which needs to be established in case that a firm is interested in operating in the global market. It is explained that such strategy helps the organization to align its operational rules and culture with those of the targeted market. Reference is made for example to the case of Haier, a major competitor in the Chinese manufacturing industry. The firm has tried to be established in the USA market using a low-price policy. However, it was soon revealed that th is policy, alone, would not help the organization to develop its presence in the particular market; instead, a brand should be used for attracting the interest of local consumers. In accordance with the above, an effective global strategy offers the basis for the successful development of a firm’s presence in the global market. Thus, a global strategy should be related to specific policies, which are likely to be different compared to those included in local strategies (Lasserre 2007). This fact is made clear if the strategies used by two different firms for entering the global market are reviewed: reference is made in particular to ‘Philips Group of Holland and Japan’s Panasonic’ (Segal-Horn and Faulkner 2010, p.133). Before 1980s, Philips Group tried to develop its presence in the global market by focusing on the needs and the trends of each country; however, up to then, global strategy was characterized by the production of similar products for all coun tries which were promoted in markets globally using similar marketing strategies (Segal-Horn and Faulkner 2010) and only minor changes were made for aligning these strategies with local trends. As a result, Philips Group had to face significant difficulties and delays when trying to expand its operations globally. Panasonic, which aligned its policies with the requirements of