Concepts of Indigenous Australian Cultures

Concepts of Indigenous Australian Cultures ‘Indigenous Australian Cultures’ The Dreaming The English language has no exact word or phrase that depicts The Dreaming and each Indigenous Australian language groups has its own term to refer to this epoch. In Western Australia Ngarinyin people refer to it as Ungud, the Central Australian Aranda people as Aldjerinya, the Pitjantjara of north-west South Australia as Tjukurpa, while in the Broome region it is Bugari. While the English word suggests fantasies or vague recollections of the real world the Indigenous Australian translation see’s The Dreaming as inherent reality (Edwards, 1998). The Dreaming is how Aboriginal people explain how their world came to be. Clarke (2003, p.16) suggests culture and lifestyle in traditional Aboriginal culture are shaped by their values, beliefs and the relationship between Indigenous Australians and every feature of landscape and living creature. The spiritual beings that feature in The Dreaming accounts are the spiritual Ancestors of the present day Aboriginal community and continue to influence the beliefs and values of Aboriginal Australians (Clarke, 2003, p. 16). The Dreaming tells of the creation of land, trees, plants, rocks, waterholes, rivers, mountain, stars and animals and the journeys the Aboriginal Ancestors travelled. The spirits of these Ancestors whom often resembled people and or animals continue to inhabit these features of the world today. Both consequences and punishments are depicted in The Dreaming and form life lessons that are shared throughout generations. For example the Dhuwa shares The Dreaming of a hunter who abducts a young girl and traps her in a cave with him. While he sleeps she transforms into a butterfly and escapes. In his anger he transforms into a bat and is trapped in the prison he made forever (Abc.net.au, 2015) Kinship For Aboriginal Australian’s kinship is more than family genetics or blood ties. Kinship is a complex system based around social organisation, which outlines responsibilities within Nations, clans and family groups. (University of Sydney, 2005-15)Kinship and family are especially important to Indigenous Australians. As it guides responsibilities to their ‘kin’ and environment. Kinship is so dominant for the Wiradjuri people they speak of kin as their ‘whole world’ (MacDonald, 1998 p. 303). Kinship in the many Aboriginal Nations shares common components as well as differences. The all-embracing systems have been handed down through generations from Ancestors of The Dreaming and are based on reciprocal actions, such as giving of privileges in return for similar privileges. Rights and obligations are determined by an individual’s kin, and such influences include who you may marry, share food and resources with, who will look after an individual and who might educate them. Kinship systems consist of Moiety, Totems and skin names. Moiety is a form of social organisation meaning ‘two halves’. Each individual is assigned a moiety group from either the matrilineal (mother) or patrilineal (father)’s line. Moiety governs where partners are chosen from. For example a marriage partner must come from the opposite moiety. Each nation has their own names for each half of moiety. Arnhem Nation refer to it as Dhuwa and Yirrity while Wiradjuri as Dilbi and Kuputhin. Each individual belongs to a totem dependant on when they were conceived. Aboriginal totems can be animals or plants, they hold special meaning to a group of individuals (Bani, 2004). They are filled with the spirit of their ancestors. Individuals become the generational custodians of their particular sacred places, ceremonies and dreaming stories. A person has four totems that represent Nation, Clan, family and a personal totem that recognises their strengths and weaknesses, this tot em maybe given at birth or later in life (University of Sydney, 2005-15). Economic organisation Goodall (1996, p. 2) has suggested Indigenous Australians have been practicing sustainable land and economic management for thousands of years. Long before European settlement Aboriginal Australians â€Å"have used techniques to increase the numbers and growth of plants and animals†. Clearing trees and creating grasslands for grazing while maintaining patches of forest for shelter are examples of these techniques (Australian National University, 2011). While The Dreaming and kinship organisation describe Aboriginal men as hunters, and women gatherers, Women are more reliable food suppliers than men due their sources being more plentiful, whereas hunting cannot be guaranteed (Dingle, 1988 p. 13). Aboriginal people created trade routes across the country and exchanged food, shells and psycho-active drugs such as Pituri. Individuals would not travel the entire distance, they would meet at waterholes, where exchanges would be made and then return to their Nation. Resource management is critical to the sustainability of the Aboriginal culture. Seasonal calendars impact the strategies used to ensure effective methods were utilised, including hunting animals at the time of year they are at their fattest therefore providing maximum nourishment. Ensuring animals weren’t hunted during breeding season or carrying their young was another resource management strategy used. (Anon, 2015) References Abc.net.au, (2015) DustEchoes. (online) Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/dustechos/dustEchoesFlash.htm, (March 11, 2015) Anon, (2015). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://www.larrakia.csiro.au/pdf/MingayoorooSeasonsCalendar.pdf (Accessed 15 Mar, 2015). Australian National University. (2011). Bill Gammage discusses ‘The Biggest Estate on Earth’ http://www.anu.edu.au/vision/videos/5001/, (March 9, 2015). Bani, E. (2004). Torres News, the voice of the islands: What is a totem? In R. Davis (ED.), Woven histories, dancing lives: Torres Strait Islander identity, culture and history (pp.151). Acton A.C.T: AIATSIS. Clarke, P. (2003). Where the ancestors walked: Australia as an Aboriginal landscape. Sydney: Allen Urwin. Dingle, T. (1988). Aboriginal economy and society: Patterns of experience. Melbourne: McPhee Gribble and Penguin Books. Edwards, B. (1998). Living the dreaming. In C. Bourke, E. Bourke, B. Edwards (Eds.),  Aboriginal Australia: an introductory reader in Aboriginal studies (2nd ed.) (pp.77-99). St Lucia, QLD: University of Queensland Press. Goodall, H. (1996). Invasion to embassy. St Leonards: Allen Unwin MacDonald, G. (1998). Continuities of Wiradjuri tradition. In W.H. Edwards (ED.), Traditional Aboriginal society: An introductory reader in Aboriginal studies (2nd ed.) (pp. 297-312). South Melbourne: MacMillan. University of Sydney. (2002-15). The kinship module. http://sydney.edu.au/kinship-module/ (March 10, 2015). Cant remember if I used this one Aboriginal art and culture centre – Alice Springs http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/gallery_intro.html

How Consumer Insight Are Shaping Companies in India Essay

Customer is King is an adage that most companies across the globe have embraced. The need to concentrate on customers and be responsive to their demands has long been acknowledged by organizations. However, with globalisation and technological revolution the dynamics of business, the meaning of customer and market knowledge have all undergone a transformation. Today, the customer is the controlling factor in business and to be market-driven, an organisation has to evolve a culture that constantly listens to the customer, analyses competition and has strategies that meet existing, anticipated and even unanticipated needs of the customer. Going one step further, organizations must focus on customer relationship management which has given way to customer knowledge management. Given the international environment and knowledge economy, market and customer intelligence serves as a core competency and a principal source of competitive advantage. Leading by listening Practically every success story in today’s corporate realm reflects how awareness of customer needs shapes competitive business strategy. Let’s look at some examples. Procter & Gamble When P&G, the largest consumer goods company in the world, chose to offer its products to the lower income customer in developing countries, it had research teams associating with the poorest of homes for weeks. This gave the company valuable insights, which aided the company in creating a range of products that suited the pockets of this segment, enabling it to gain substantial market share. Amazon.com Amazon.com, the first e-retailer of books in the world, attained competitive advantage by emerging as book lovers’ forum where they could also share knowledge. It maintains customer knowledge through services such as book reviews, access to order histories and product recommendations based on preceding orders. Consequently, Amazon has recorded more than 70% repeat orders from its customers. Mahindra & Mahindra Mahindra & Mahindra’s SUV, Scorpio, has experienced enormous success in domestic and international markets. The positioning of Scorpio as an economy SUV was centered on the findings of extensive market visits and exploration of customer needs. The customer needs and wants ascertained were transformed into product specifications for Scorpio. Customer groups were consulted at every stage of design and product development. Scorpio was designated as the â€Å"Car of the Year† by ‘BBC on Wheels’ shortly after its launch. Indian Railways The amazing transformation of Indian Railways from what was termed as a white elephant to a profit making entity in less than two years has caught the attention of Indian and foreign academic and corporate establishments. This turnaround was not owing to any high-end technology but to a modest information means — the passenger feedback form. Data attained from these forms was analysed to identify customer expectations from the Railways. This was supported by a study of the best railways worldwide, and benchmarking with other transportations such as roadways and airlines. The outcome was a complete renovation of trains, stations and railway services to render them passenger-friendly. Needless to say, customers welcomed this change. The above examples highlight that it is vital to listen to customers for a success marketer-customer relationship, where the customer is not just a beneficiary, but a partner. Effective listening, together with strategic initiatives, can bring about a happily-ever-after end to this association.

The Gendered and Gendering Institutions

When describing something that influences your gender, most people would assume that your â€Å"sex† or our biological identification given to us at birth would be the most definite source; however there are multiple factors and processes that contribute to one’s gender identity. The multitudes of institutions that assist in the socialization of an individual vary from person to person, but are all beneficial in creating a sense of gender. According to Michael Messner, there are two types of institutions, the gendered and the gendering.The gendered institution is described by Messner as â€Å"an institution constructed by gender relations. As such, its structures and values (rules, formal organizations, sex composition, etc. ) reflect dominant conceptions of masculinity and femininity† (p. 133). The gendering institution can be described by Messner as an institution that constructs the current gender order and genders people’s bodies and minds, it creates the masculine and feminine identities.These institutions are both detrimental to the construction of gender and personal identity; for me the involvement in CYO sports at a young age and the household in which I grew up (all girls) allowed me the freedom to develop an identity of my own outside the traditional masculine/feminine identity. As an 10 year old girl joining an all girls basketball team for the very first time, my parents thought this would be a helpful and constructive pastime for me to be involved with as a distraction from their divorce.Already struggling with personal issues at home, this institution became a very prominent source of development. The rules and expectations of this particular institution were that if we could work as hard as the boys, we could eventually be as good as the boys. My team was strong and extremely competitive, and certain values were instilled in us by our coaches at a young age. Being resilient to injury, maintaining a competitive attitud e against teammates and opponents, and not displaying emotion were all values that I had picked up from being involved with a contact sport.The idea that an all girls sport is incorporated with femininity simply because the team is made up of girls just does not ring true. Instead, we were seen as more masculine simply because of values that we had picked up from being involved in the sports complexity. I began placing importance on things such as working out and practicing basketball instead of playing with dolls and playing dress up, going against the traditional role of a female adolescent. From third grade, to eighth grade, I continued as an active participant in the institution.Practice everyday after school for 5 days a week, with league games on the weekends; basketball slowly consumed my childhood. I believe that being involved in a contact sport as competitive and aggressive as basketball, I was gendered with a more masculine approach rather than a feminine one. Certain ten ants of the masculine gender are traditionally associated with sports; like being strong, being competitive, and displaying emotions of anger only, most of these which I picked up in my 5 years of participating in sports.While other girls my age were involved in activities like Girl Scouts, dance classes, and music lessons, I dedicated all my free time to my sport of choice. This was the most gendered institution I had participated in at such a young age and really shaped the differences between masculine girls and feminine girls. From here, I had a solid idea of which end of the spectrum I fell under and how although I may differ from the other girls, there was nothing wrong with me. I chose to work out while girls my age chose to shop at the malls, I wore a short, hassle free haircut, while others girls had hair down past their shoulders.Christmas meant new equipment and sports apparel instead of the traditionally asked gifts of dolls and makeup. I still to this day see a reflecti on of that in my daily practices of gender. Jeans and t-shirts take priority over dresses and heels, I spend maximum of 30 minutes to get ready for the day while my extremely feminine roommates take a minimum of 2 hours. I still find myself watching and participating in sports, although not as passionately as I once had, but it is always in the back of my mind.I believe that I relate easily to the male sex because I understand their topics of interests that a lot of other girls my age do not. While I do identify as a girl, my interests, style of dress, laid back attitude, and casual appearance seem to identify more with the masculine identity. Whether this is due to the institution of sports or biological genetics, is a completely different argument. While basketball had an extremely big influence on my gender identity, growing up in a house of predominantly women; myself, my mother, and my two sisters, had an extreme impact on me, and how I viewed femininity.My Mother, extremely pr oud of us all, held no reservations, no expectations of gender, and was open to anything we wanted to try as children to establish an identity for ourselves; a true gift in which not everyone is exempt to. Growing up in a household that was flexible and fluid about personal identity and gender, I found this to be an extremely influential gendering institution. The expectations of the household were pretty fair and straightforward, the chores must be completed by Sunday nights, didn’t matter who did them as long as they got done.Curfews never changed, if you were coming home it had to be by midnight and if you were staying at a friend’s, call to say goodnight. These simple yet constructive guidelines allowed a certain flexibility to make my own decisions yet always take responsibility for them, the freedom to deviate away from the rules was there but somehow I never wanted to. Living in a home of all girls, there was always a certain aspect of masculinity missing from t he house; who will kill bugs, who will mow the lawn, change the light bulbs, unclog the toilets, fix the broken things?These small but important tasks I began to take on for myself. Slowly but surely taking on the role of â€Å"the man of the house†. Despite the sense of togetherness in our home, I always felt like the odd man out, displaying predominantly masculine emotions towards personal issues while my mother and sisters had no problem letting their tears and emotions spill. To this day I do not feel fully comfortable with â€Å"opening up† or crying in general, I would rather let them sit in the pit of my stomach and shake it off and this is considered a trait of a male.The lack of rules and rituals regarding feminine gender allowed me to fluctuate between the two until I found one I was comfortable with, a happy medium. Through my involvement in multiple structures and institutions, I believe that my gender came from a process of social agency, which is the abil ity of individuals to act independently and make their own free choices. Active participation in a gendered institution like Catholic Youth Organization Basketball, provided me with structure to be strong and confident even as a young girl.Although it went against social norms of femininity, I knew from a very young age that I was not the typical girl. Sitting on the opposite end of the spectrum, was the gendering institution of my family life. I was taught to be a polite and kind member of society, with no labels or expectations of gender attached to it. My mother always told me that as long as I was kind and civil to people, it should not matter how I dress or whom I choose to love. From all this, as a 21 year old openly gay woman in an institution as big as a California University, I found that while the endered and the gendering institutions are incredibly important in developing an identity for ourselves, I believe that even without strict and precise constraints of gender, one may develop and begin to flourish on their own. References Lorber, Judith. 2009. â€Å"The Social Construction of Gender. † Pp. 112-118 in Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology by Estelle Disch. Boston. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Messner, Michael. 2009. â€Å"Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities. † Pp. 119-135 in Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology by Estelle Disch. Boston. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

A Case of Conflict During Communication - 1831 Words

Introduction Conflict is very common when we communicate with others in our daily life. No matter in family or work, there is always interpersonal conflict when we building relationships with other. Therefore, it is important to learn how to manage conflicts. In this report, I would like to study about my experience, which is a conflict happened between me and staffs in Thailand, by applying concepts and knowledge I learnt. This kind of interpersonal conflict between customers and workers is common nowadays. Case Description Lily Chan is a receptionist of Star hotel which is a â€Å"5 star† hotel in Thailand. Yesterday, she received a call from an angry guest, Candy, who discovered that the TV in his room was not working and the bathroom had not been cleaned. â€Å"I am the customer in room 2803.I am calling to complain the television in my room is out of order and the room is not cleaned yet. I am totally disappointed about this. Please come and figure out these things now.† Candy said. However, Lily didn’t reply. She silenced because she don’t know how to respond. She is a trainee and she was lacked experience to handle complaints. The sudden hung off make Candy much angrier. After the call, Lily asked the floor captain of 28/F and the room attendant, Ben and Mary, to go to room 2803. When Ben and Mary arrived, they saw Candy was wearing a long face. â€Å"I am horrified when I moved in. It is hard to believe that I paid an expensive price for an untidied room. 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