Culture and Identity

BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 29 CHAPTER 2 Culture and Identity BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 30 ContentsKey issues The meaning and importance of culture Dominant culture Subculture Folk culture High culture Mass, popular or low culture The changing distinction between high culture and mass culture Global culture The concept of identity Different types of identity The socialization process Primary socialization Secondary socialization Socialization and the social construction of self and identity Theoretical approaches to the role of socialization in the formation of culture and identity Structural approaches Social action approaches A third way: structuration Social class and identity Social class Life chances Objective and subjective dimensions of class Social class cultures Is social class of declining importance in forming identities? The continuing importance of social class Gender and identity Sex and gender Gender a nd biology The signi? cance of gender as a source of identity Gender stereotypes and hegemonic gender identities in Britain The social construction of hegemonic gender identities through socialization Changing gender identities 31 31 31 32 32 32 33 35 36 Is there a crisis of masculinity? Is gender still an important source of identity? 4 74 38 41 43 44 44 46 46 47 47 50 50 51 51 52 53 59 60 61 61 62 63 63 65 70 Sexuality and identity Gender, sexuality and ‘normal’ sex Changing sexual identities Stigmatized or spoiled sexual identities Gay and lesbian identities A note of caution Ethnicity and identity What is meant by an ethnic identity? Diaspora and globalization Changing ethnic identities: new ethnicities and hybrid ethnic identities Ethnicity as resistance Ethnic identities in Britain Nationality and identity What is nationality? Nationality as a source of identity What is meant by a British identity? Globalization and declining national identities A British identity crisis?Disability and identity The social construction of disability Disability, socialization and stereotyping Disability as a ‘master identity’ Disability – a stigmatized or spoiled identity: an identity of exclusion Age and identity The social construction of age Age groups and identity Leisure, consumption and identity Postmodernism and identity The creation of identity in a media-saturated society How much free choice is there in choosing identities and lifestyle? Conclusion on leisure, consumption and identity Chapter summary Key terms Exam question 76 76 76 77 77 78 79 79 80 81 82 82 87 87 88 88 91 92 93 93 94 95 95 96 96 97 100 100 101 103 109 110 111 112 BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 31 CHAPTER 2 Culture and Identity K EY I SS U ES ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The meaning and importance of culture The concept of identity The socialization process Socialization and the social construction of self and identity Theoretical approac hes to the role of socialization in the formation of culture and identity Social class and identity Gender and identity Sexuality and identity Ethnicity and identity Nationality and identity Disability and identity Age and identity Leisure, consumption and identity The meaning and importance of culture The term ‘culture’ refers to the language, beliefs, values and norms, customs, dress, diet, roles, knowledge and skills, and all the other things that people learn that make up the ‘way of life’ of any society. Culture is passed on from one generation to the next through the process of socialization. Although there are many aspects of everyday life which are shared by most members of society, there are di? erent conceptions and de? nitions of culture within this general approach. These are discussed below.The dominant culture of a society refers to the main culture in a society, which is shared, or at least accepted without opposition, by the majority of peop le. Dominant culture The dominant culture of a society refers to the main culture in a society, which is shared, or at least accepted without opposition, by the majority of 31 BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 32 32 | Culture and Identity people. For example, it might be argued that the main features of British culture include it being white, patriarchal and unequal, with those who are white and male having things they regard as worthwhile rated as more important than those who are female or from a minority ethnic group.Similarly, those who are rich and powerful (who are mainly also white and male) are in a position to have their views of what is valuable and worthwhile in a culture regarded as more important, and given higher status, than those of others. Subculture When societies are very small, such as small villages in traditional societies, then all people may share a common culture or way of life. However, as societies become larger and more complica ted, a number of smaller groups may emerge within the larger society, with some di? erences in their beliefs and way of life. Each group having these di? erences is referred to as a subculture. Folk culture Folk culture is the culture created by local communities and is rooted in the experiences, customs and beliefs of the everyday life of ordinary people.It is ‘authentic’ rather than manufactured, as it is actively created by ordinary people themselves. Examples include traditional folk music, folk songs, storytelling and folk dances which are passed on from one generation to the next by socialization and often by direct experience. Folk culture is generally associated with pre-industrial or early industrial societies, though it still lingers on today among enthusiasts in the form of folk music and folk clubs, and the Morris dancing which features in many rural events. A subculture is a smaller culture held by a group of people within the main culture of a society, in some ways different from the main culture but with many aspects in common.Examples of subcultures include those of some young people, gypsies and travellers, gay people, different social classes and minority ethnic groups. Folk culture is the culture created by local communities and is rooted in the experiences, customs and beliefs of the everyday life of ordinary people. High culture High culture is generally seen as being superior to other forms of culture, and refers to aspects of culture that are seen as of lasting artistic or literary value, aimed at small, intellectual elites, predominantly upper-class and middleclass groups, interested in new ideas, critical discussion and analysis and who have what some might regard as ‘good taste’.High culture is seen as something set apart from everyday life, something special to be treated with respect and reverence, involving things of lasting value and part of a heritage which is worth preserving. High culture products are often found in special places, like art galleries, museums, concert halls and theatres. Examples of high culture products include serious news programmes and documentaries, classical music like that of Mozart or High culture refers to cultural products seen to be of lasting artistic or literary value, which are particularly admired and approved of by elites and the upper middle class. An elite is a small group holding great power and privilege in society. BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 33Culture and Identity Morris dancing is an example of traditional folk culture | 33 Mass culture, sometimes called popular culture or low culture, refers to cultural products produced for sale to the mass of ordinary people. These involve massproduced, standardized, short-lived products of no lasting value, which are seen to demand little critical thought, analysis or discussion. Beethoven, the theatre, opera, jazz, foreign language or specialist ‘art’ ? lms , and what has become established literature, such as the work of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen or Shakespeare, and visual art like that of Monet, Gauguin, Picasso or Van Gogh. Mass, popular or low cultureMass culture, sometimes called popular culture or low culture, is generally contrasted with high culture. This refers to everyday culture – simple, BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 34 34 | Culture and Identity Video games are an example of popular culture undemanding, easy-to-understand entertainment, rather than something ‘set apart’ and ‘special’. Mass culture is seen by many as inferior to high culture. Such aspects of culture are a product of industrial societies. They are aimed at the mass of ordinary people, but lack roots in their daily experiences as in folk culture, and are manufactured by businesses for pro? t rather than created by the community itself re? ecting its own experiences of daily life.Popular culture involves mass-produced, standardized and short-lived products, sometimes of trivial content and seen by some as of no lasting ‘artistic’ value, largely concerned with making money for large corporations, especially the mass media. Popular culture might include mass circulation magazines, extensive coverage of celebrities, ‘red top’ tabloid newspapers like the Sun or the Mirror, television soaps and reality TV shows, dramas and thrillers, rock and pop music, video games, blockbuster feature ? lms for the mass market, and thrillers bought for reading on the beach. Such culture is largely seen as passive and unchallenging, often fairly mindless entertainment, aimed at the largest number of people possible.Some Marxists argue that mass culture maintains the ideological hegemony (or the dominance of a set of ideas) and the power of the dominant social class in society. This is because the consumers of mass culture are lulled into an uncritical, undemanding pass ivity, making them less likely to challenge the dominant ideas, groups and interests in society. BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 35 Culture and Identity | 35 The changing distinction between high culture and mass culture Some now argue that the distinction between high culture and mass culture is weakening. Postmodernist writers, in particular, argue that mass markets and consumption now make the distinction between high and popular culture meaningless.There has been a huge expansion of the creative and cultural industries, such as advertising, television, ? lm, music, and book and magazine publishing. This means there is now a huge range of media and cultural products available to all. Technology in industrial societies, such as mass communication technology like the internet, music downloads, cable, satellite and digital television, ? lm and radio, printing for both mass production and personal use in the home, the global reach of modern mass media tec hnology, the mass production of goods on a world scale and easier international transportation, make all forms of culture freely available to everyone.Such technology enables original music and art and other cultural products to be consumed by the mass of people in their own homes without visiting specialized institutions like theatres or art galleries. High culture is no longer simply the preserve of cultural elites. People now have a wider diversity of cultural choices and products available to them than ever before in history, and can ‘pick and mix’ from either popular or high culture. High culture art galleries, like Tate Modern in London, are now attracting very large numbers of visitors, from very diverse backgrounds. Live opera is now available to the masses, through popular ? gures like the OperaBabes, or concerts in the park.Strinati (1995) argues that elements of high culture have now become a part of popular culture, and elements of popular culture have been incorporated into high culture, and that there is therefore no longer any real distinction between high and popular culture, and it is ever more di? cult for any one set of ideas of what is worthwhile culture to dominate in society. For example, artist Andy Warhol painted thirty pictures of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in di? erent colours, arguing that ‘thirty was better than one’, turning high culture art into popular culture. Although Warhol’s work has been marketed to millions through postcards and posters, at the same time it is widely admired by the supporters of high culture.In 2007 there was some controversy in Britain when the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, generally seen as an institution of high culture, held ‘Kylie: The Exhibition’ – an exhibition of costumes, album covers, accessories, photos and videos from the career of the then 38-year-old pop singer Kylie Minogue. This drew widespread accusations from critics th at high culture was being ‘dumbed down’. High culture art forms are themselves increasingly being turned into products for sale in the mass market for consumption by the mass of BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 36 36 | Culture and Identity ordinary people, and there is no longer anything special about art, as it is incorporated into daily life. Technology now means mass audiences can see and study high culture products, such as paintings by artists like Van Gogh, on the internet or TV, and have their own framed print hanging on their sitting-room wall.The originals may still only be on show in art galleries and museums, but copies are available to everyone. High culture art like the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Sun? owers are now reproduced on everything from socks and t-shirts to chocolates and can lids, mugs, mouse mats, tablemats, jigsaws and posters. (Visit or for some bizarre images and uses of the Mona Lisa. ) Classical music is used as a marketing tune by advertisers, and literature is turned into TV series and major mass movies, such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Global culture Global culture refers to the way globalization has undermined national and local cultures, with cultural products and ways of life in di? erent countries of the world becoming more alike.The same cultural and consumer products are now sold across the world, inspired by media advertising and a shared mass culture spread through a media-generated culture industry, and they have become part of the ways of life of many di? erent societies. For example, television companies sell their programmes and programme formats like Big Brother and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? globally. Companies like McDonald’s, Coca Cola, Vodaphone, Starbucks, Nescafe, Sony and Nike are now symbols that are recognized across the world, along with the consumer lifestyles and culture associated with them. As Ritzer (2004) shows, using the exampl e of the American food industry, companies and brands now operate on a global scale.For example, McDonald’s is a worldwide business, with 26,500 restaurants in more than 119 countries (in 2007), Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken operate in 100 countries, and Subway in 72 countries, with Starbucks growing at a colossal speed. It is now possible to buy an identical food product practically anywhere in the world, promoting a global culture and also weakening local cultures, as local food outlets close in the face of competition and local diets change. Combined with global marketing of ? lms, music, computer games, food and clothes, football and other consumer products, these have made cultures across the world increasingly similar, with people watching the same TV programmes and ? lms, eating the same foods, wearing the same designer clothes and labels, and sharing many aspects of their lifestyles and identities.Global culture refers to the way cultures in different countries of the world have become more alike, sharing increasingly similar consumer products and ways of life. This has arisen as globalization has undermined national and local cultures. Globalization is the growing interdependence of societies across the world, with the spread of the same culture, consumer goods and economic interests across the globe. BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 37 The Mona Lisa †¦ Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, c. 1503–1507, oil on poplar, The Louvre, Paris †¦ now has a spliff to relax and a mobile to keep in touch Mona Stoner, c. 2006, posted on internet: Fine art is now available on cubes to play with Source: The Mona Lisa is transformed into a window blindIn what ways do these pictures illustrate the erosion of the distinction between high culture and popular culture? Try to think of other examples of this BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 26/3/08 10:47 Page 38 38 | Culture and Identity Activity 1 Refer to the pictures on this page, and explain in what ways they illustrate global culture. Try to think of other consumer products that are also global. 2 In what ways do you think consuming these products also involves lifestyle choices? For example, what’s the difference between having a coffee in Starbucks and in the local cafe (apart from the coffee itself)? Explain what lifestyle you think is identi? ed with your selected products. Identify and explain, with examples, three differences between high culture, mass culture and folk culture. 4 Identify and explain three reasons why the distinction between high culture and popular culture might be weakening. Globalization means that many of the same product brands are now found in many countries of the world. The concept of identity Identity is about how individuals or groups see and de? ne themselves, and how other individuals or groups see and de? ne them. Identity is formed through the socialization process and the in? uence of social institutions like the family, the education system and the mass media. The concept of identity is an important one, as it is only through establishing our own identities and earning about the identities of other individuals and groups that we come to know what makes us similar to some people and di? erent from others, and therefore form social connections with them. How you see yourself will in? uence the friends you have, who you will marry or live with, and the communities and groups to which you relate and belong. If people did not have an identity, they would lack the means of identifying with or relating to their peer group, to their neighbours, to the communities BROWNE CH 1–4 (M1203). qxp:John Q7 3/4/08 15:49 Page 39 Culture and Identity | 39 in which they lived or to the people they came across in their everyday lives. Identity therefore ‘? ts’ individuals into the society in which they live.The identity of individuals and groups involves both e lements of personal choice and the responses and attitudes of others. Individuals are not free to adopt any identity they like, and factors like their social class, their ethnic group and their sex are likely to in? uence how others see them. The identity that an individual wants to assert and which they may wish others to see them having may not be the one that others accept or recognize. An Asian woman, for example, may not wish to be identi? ed primarily as an Asian or a woman, but as a senior manager or entertainer. However, if others still ‘Look, don’t identify me by the size and shape of my body, my social class, y job, my gender, my ethnicity, my sexuality, my nationality, my age, my religion, my education, my friends, my lifestyle, how much money I earn, the clothes I wear, the books I read, where I go shopping, the way I decorate my house, the television programmes and movies I watch, my leisure and sports activities, the car I drive, the music I listen to, the drinks I like, the food I eat, the clubs I go to, where I go on holiday, the way I speak or my accent, the things I say, the things I do, or what I believe in. I’m just me. OK? ’ continue to see her primarily in terms of her ethnic and gender characteristics, she may ? nd it di? cult to assert her chosen identity. Similarly, the pensioner who sees him or herself as ‘young at heart’ may still be regarded as an old person by others.Individuals have multiple identities, asserting di? erent identities in di? erent circumstances. An individual may, for example, de? ne herself primarily as a Muslim in her family or community, as a manager at her work, as a lesbian in her sexual life, or as a designer-drug-user in her peer group. While the example of the Muslim, lesbian, drug-taking manager might seem a somewhat unlikely mix of identities, it does suggest that it is possible for people to assert di? erent identities or impressions of themselves in di? erent soci al situations. Identities may also change over time. For example, as people grow older they may begin to see themselves as di? erent from when they were younger,

Ia Math

IA Task I Introduction and purpose of task: The purpose of this task is to investigate the positions of points in intersecting circles and to discover the various relationships between said circles. Circle C1 has center O and radius r. Circle C2 has center P and radius OP. Let A be one of the points of intersection of C1 and C2. Circle C3 has center A and radius r (therefore circles C1 and C3 are the same size). The point P’ (written P prime) is the intersection of C3 with OP. This is shown in the diagram below.Analytically find OP’ using r=1 and OP=2, OP=3, and OP=4: First, I created a line (see the dashed line in the above figure) between AP’ that creates the ? AOP’. Because P’ is on the circumference of circle C3 and A is the center of circle C3, that means that AP’ is equal to the radius of C3, which is 1. We also know that because line AO connects the circumference of C1 with the center of C1 (O) and the circumference of C3 with the cent er of C3 (A), the radii of these circles is the same, which means that they are equivalent circles.Therefore, in the ? AOP’, AO=AP. When a triangle has two equivalent sides, it is an isosceles triangle. By that logic, ? O=? P’. Now, I looked at the triangle that is already drawn in the above figure, ? AOP. We know that this triangle is also isosceles because OP=AP. By that logic, ? A=? O. Using the law of cosines c^2=a^2+b^2-2abcos(C), which works for any triangle, I assigned ? to ? O and determined that cos(? )=1/(2*OP). Then, using the law of sines (insert law of sines here), sin(? )/1=sin(180-2? )/OP’ OP’=sin(180-2? /sin(? ) OP’=sin(2? )/sin(? ) OP’=2cos(? ) But because cos(? )=1/2OP as earlier discovered; OP’=1/OP By using this equation, I derived the following answers analytically using r=1 and OP=2, OP=3, and OP=4. OP234 OP'0. 50. 330. 25 Behavior of intersecting circles and general statement describing interaction that occurs w hen value of OP is changed: As OP changes, the resulting OP’ value decreases exponentially. This shows that ______________ BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH Analytically find OP’ using OP=2 and r=2, r=3, and r-4:Behavior of intersecting circles and general statement describing interaction that occurs when value of OP is changed: Comments on consistency of general statement #1 vs. general statement #2: Use technology to investigate other values of r and OP. Find the general statement for OP’: Test the validity of the most recent general statement by using different values of OP and r: Discussion of scope and/or limitations of the most recent general statement: Explanation of how general statement was arrived at: Further comments: Further investigation into relationships of intersecting circles:

Resistance Efforts of the Biblystock Ghetto, Sobibor Concentration Essay

Resistance Efforts of the Biblystock Ghetto, Sobibor Concentration Camp uprising, and Partisian Groups - Essay Example Despite their defeat, the Jews chose to die while resisting the Nazis rather than die in concentration camps helpless. Many of the Jews were eventually brutally killed even though they tried to resist. Some committed suicide while others just waited for fate to take its course. (Arad 323). Most of the resisters were confined and later transported to concentration camps, and others were murdered on the spot. The efforts of the Jews living in Biblystock ghetto were not successful as expected by the Jews. Most of them were killed after their resistance failed to bore fruits. Sobibor concentration camp accommodated Jews deported from diverse locations like â€Å"France, Germany, Poland† and other areas (Arad 324). The Jews were transported by train to the camp, and later killed in gas chambers. More than two hundred thousand Jews were killed in Sobibor. The Jews decided to be rebellious and decided to form an organization that was to kill German soldiers. Their objective was to free themselves from the sufferings and brutal killings. Nonetheless, their mission was not successful the Jews were only able to kill eleven German soldiers and a few camp guards. Their initial objective was to kill the German soldiers, and walk out of the camp free (Arad 325). Nonetheless, the murder of the soldiers and camp guards were discovered and the camp was set on fire. The prisoners tried free themselves from the fire, but only a half of the total prisoners were able to escape from the camp. In the end only a few of the escapees endured the war, while the rest of the prisoners died in mine fields and others were recaptured and brutally killed by the Germans (Arad 326). Partisans groups started forming resistance organization after the German soldiers attacked them. The partisans’ resistance was considered one of the successful resistances against the Germans (Arad 327). At the initial stages, the group was poor in resources and without

The Evolution of Active Directory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Evolution of Active Directory - Essay Example This component was introduced in window 2000 operating system, which was an improvement of window NT 4.0. According to Alcott (2002), this component extended the directory services available on its predecessor, window NT 4.0. This component had a domain controller that could be used to control and manage personal domains. It also introduced networking components, which enabled management of several computers by a single administrator. It also could manage users and user groups that use a computer as well as the services that the computer is used to provide. Compared to its predecessor, this component was a great boost to information technology during the era when it was introduced. This component was introduced at a time we can call the ‘internet age’. This was the time when the internet had just been introduced and had become widely used in different organizations. With introduction of internet, there was a need for greater computer networking to enhance sharing of info rmation among several computers. Since this feature introduced networking components that enhanced sharing of information not only among computers within a domain but also among different computers in different domains within the server. Because of this property, this component could enhance information management in an organization and thus it enabled organizations to use internet effectively. Compared to the directory in the earlier versions of the windows, the active directory was easy to use and operate. One of the reasons for this was that most of its components were automated (Heywood & Ahmad 2001). This means that they could run automatically without requiring the commands of the user or administrator and thus they were very easy to use. Another reason according to Heywood & Ahmad (2001) is that the components, which were not automated, were self-explanatory and thus very easy to use even by a person with little Information Technology knowledge. Because of this property of ac tive directory, it was widely used by various organizations in managing its information and sharing of their information. However, according to Shapiro (2008), the active directory found in window server 2000 operating system could not authenticate validate users that have local accounts. This means that some of these users could access or use information not meant for them. These users could also share such information and therefore there was a lot of information insecurity. Moreover, this component did not have a command-line interface that would help in the management of the server, workstation, or network. This made it difficult for users and administrators to optimize the benefits that could be derived from proper management of the server and the workstation. Since most organizations had networks that were used to share large information, lack of this component really acted as a limiting factor to information sharing. According to Keplan & Dunn (2006), active directory is an in tegral part of window server that cannot be purchased and installed separately in windows. This means that a person cannot be able to use it without using window server 2000 operating system. This actually makes this component to be only accessible to only the individuals who were using window 2000 operating sy

Introduction to accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Introduction to accounting - Essay Example The workforce of the enterprise amounts to 150,000 employees. Sainsbury has 525 supermarkets, 303 convenience stores and one bank. Its market share of 16% is the largest in the industry. â€Å"The Sainsburys brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food† (Jsainsbury, 2010). This year the company celebrated its 140th birthday. The business priorities of the company are: a) Great food at fair price; b) Accelerating the growth of complimentary non-food ranges; c) Reaching more customers through additional channels; d) Growing supermarket space; e) Active property management (Jsainsbury, 2010). The common stocks of the company are traded in the London Stock Exchange. Information concerning the prices of the stock from April 7, 2010 to April 14, 2010 is illustrated in Appendix B. The company utilized the straight line method to depreciate its assets. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. The company’s Chairman is David Tyler.The chief executive officer (CEO) is Justin King, while the chief financial officer (CFO) is Darren Shapland. Mike Coope serves as the Trading Director. The company Chairman started his position on October 1, 2009 replacing Phillip Hampton. He has extensive experience working at the managerial executive level at Experian Group, Burberry plc, and Logica plc. He is currently 56 years of age. J Sainsbury generated total sales of 18,911 million pounds in fiscal year 2009. In comparison with 2008 the firm was able to increase its revenues by 6%. Despite the fact that the company achieved higher revenues its bottom line was not as good as in 2008. In 2009 Sainsbury’s obtained a net income of 289 million pounds. In 2008 its net income was 329 million pounds. About 68% of the decrease in net income was due to higher income taxes. The total assets of the enterprise in 2009 were 10,033 million pounds.

Choose a love song, and create a story based on the love song. it Essay

Choose a love song, and create a story based on the love song. it cannot be a love song which already had a love story behind it known by lots of people, Such as Titanic - Essay Example She did not know what to say, but knew she reciprocated his feelings exactly. Back home Mimi’s family chided her for visiting them. â€Å"They are broken refugees for God’s sake† her father shouted at the top his voice â€Å"Stay away from them or you will end up in lot of trouble†. She sat staring at the moon on her balcony when she heard the puppy’s soft bark. She saw Ryan on her own terrace garden. She rushed up delighted â€Å"How did you sneak in?† He kept going on and on, about his family, country and how fled here under dangerous circumstances. His once wealthy family was now completely broken and Ryan had quit studies to support them. Mimi was too flabbergasted to register anything into her mind. She was alone and she was with him. That was the only thing that mattered to her. Finally he gave her a new note. â€Å"I am working as an apprentice in the local hair salon. This is the first object I bought with my first salary. It is for you. You dropped your notebook into water in my house today†. Mimi hugged the note close to her heart and gave him a passionate kiss on his lips. â€Å"No please don’t go. I cannot bear to see you leave† Ryan pressed her hand sternly and rushed away from the house into the dark. It was just a start. Ryan had been her friend, philosopher and guide for the past five years. Mimi’s parents packed her to a famous boarding school the very next week. From there she moved to college and her own apartment. Ryan continued to meet her regularly in the same stealth mode. No matter how strict the rules were or wherever she was, he made it a point to meet her at least once in a fortnight. They talked about all things under sky, kissed, caressed and taunted each other. They had enough of each other. The thrill of being discovered and punished only added the spiciness of the affair. Things changed in five years time. Mimi grew up to be an elite lady with several admirers thronging for her hand in marriage. Ryan had managed

WilaSeldons Leadership at Tides Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

WilaSeldons Leadership at Tides Centre - Essay Example One of the critical aspects of organizational excellence involves effective leadership in an organization. This assumes critical significance considering the fact that leadership provides the long term vision to the organization and also helps formulate a roadmap to success (Yukl, 2007, p.445). In real life there is considerable number of examples of the manner in which effective leadership has been able to generate competitive edge. This includes the likes of individuals like Steve Jobs (founder of Apple), William and Sergy Page (Google), NR Narayana Murthy (Infosys) who have shown how an effective leadership can help bring about a growth momentum for any organization (Maak & Pless, 2006, p.5-8). The aspect of leadership has been a subject matter of great academic research in various areas. There have been many leadership theories including behavioral theories, contingency theories trait as well as power and influence theories that define and classify various kinds of leaders with t heir style of leadership in an organization (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009, p.348). The case analysis of Tides center reveals a democratic style of leadership of Wila Seldon at Tides center. A democratic leadership style involves a leader making decisions on the basis of consultations with other team members. These types of leaders seek inputs from various quarters of the organization before making a crucial decision. In other words a democratic leader takes into account the views and sentiments of the entire organization while undertaking a major decision in the organization. A democratic leader tries to ensure encourage the entire organization in the decision making process (Daft & Lane, 2007, p.44). The analysis of the leadership qualities of Wila Seldon reveals a significant correlation with the traits of the democratic leader mentioned above. In the case it was quite evident that in all her stints as a leader, where she always tried to involve the entire organization with regards to crucial decision making for the organization. The case study shows that while assuming charge at Tides center Wila Seldon instead of making decisions like an autocratic leader chose to take the employees views into account. The initiation of teams like M team, strategic management team also shows that the CEO tried to ensure that decision making and learning has a bottom up approach. This is quite contra from the perspective of an autocratic or a Laissez faire type of leaders who normally take up decisions without consulting others and do not take an active role in the decision making and leave it to the responsibility of others (Wood, 2011, p.255). Wila Seldon also displays democratic leadership straits even in cases like the introduction of the 360 degree appraisal system for measuring employee performance at the organization as well as to the decision of referring projects as customers. Unlike an autocratic leader who imposes his/her decisions on their subordinates, Wila Seldon acted as a true democratic leader when she even took views of the employees who were opposing the decision. The CEO did not act in a haste and imposed decisions but tried to indulge into a democratic decision making process. This has helped in employees getting greater responsibilities and also to the fact that employees started to think out of the box solutions. This type of leadership skill was extremely important for an organization like Tide that was in the midst of a severe crisis in business whose revamp required comprehensive and extra efforts apart from an inner drive to propel the organization towards growth. The democratic lead

The African American experience in colonial and antebellum North Term Paper

The African American experience in colonial and antebellum North America - Term Paper Example Food was scarce and even opted to eat corpses. Mostly, slaves came from Africa, the Caribbean and South America and by 1619; there were more than a million slaves in Virginia (Zinn 4). The whites and the Indians practiced their culture while the Africans were humiliated, and their culture was deemed to be inferior. Ironically, the African civilization was at par to that of Europe in terms of technology. Since slaves were treated harshly, they started rebellions that were crushed mercilessly. We are told that even some of the offenders were burnt alive and some hanged (Zinn 8). Later on, the black slaves and white servants started colluding to cause mayhem but those caught were equally punished. Racial discrimination is evident in this article because whites were considered superior to blacks hence given privileges like ownership of weapons and enough food. During this time, slaves also started demanding for their freedom (Zinn 12). The antebellum period was a time of slavery in North America whereby discriminatory laws were in place. Despite the existence of this laws, the African Americans were allowed to participate in societal duties. The black men were allowed to enlist themselves into the army that fought the 1812 American revolutionary war. In relation to these laws, Englishmen were not allowed to marry a Negro woman. However, if by chance an Englishman committed fornication with a Negro man or woman, he was fined (Bacon 42). On the other hand, non-Christians who were brought to the United States by land or sea and were not considered free (Bacon 42). IN this era, nobody was allowed to buy anything from a slave. Any woman who was a slave and conceived a child while serving her master was fined thousand pounds of tobacco. The child father was required to provide security to the church wardens of the parish where the child shall be taken care of and any complaints from the wardens reported to the

Stereo Electronic Effects in Fuel Dehydrating Icing Inhibitors Research Paper

Stereo Electronic Effects in Fuel Dehydrating Icing Inhibitors - Research Paper Example The solubility of water in most hydrocarbon jet fuels often decreases by roughly 2 ppm v/v per 1 °C. In this regard, the dissolved water components of the jet fuel may freeze to form tiny ice crystals and blocking fuel feeds, enhance corrosion as well as supporting microbial growth. A number of plane crash incidences attributed to fuel starvation due to icing have been recorded. For example, during extended high latitude flights, fuel temperatures often fall to extremely low levels thereby causing the water components of the jet fuel to freeze. In most cases, the ice crystals thus formed may not only clog jet fuel filters but can also lodge into the fuel with potential implications such as engine malfunction or flameout (Repetto et al., 2013, p.556). However, there are currently a number of possibilities of effective elimination of the potential hazards associated with jet fuel water contamination. According to Trohalaki and Pachter (2009, p.79), although the application of organic molecules as potential dehydrating agent remains underutilized due to their complex chemical refining requirements, a number of organic molecules with efficient dehydrating properties such as ortho esters, ketals, hemiketals, acetals, hemiacetals are increasingly being seen as potential candidates for the development of novel and effective fuel dehydrating Icing Inhibitors (FDII). This research proposal investigates the feasibility of using stereoelectronic effects of organic molecules such as ortho-esters in the management of both jet fuel water contamination as well as ice formation in jet engines during high altitude flights. Stereoelectronic effects play a critical role in the hydrolytic processes of the organic water scavenging molecules such as ortho esters (Chiang et al., 2003, p.58). According to many experts, orthoesters are organic molecules that contain a functional group consisting of three alkoxy groups attached to one of the carbon atoms. Orthoesters generally work as water scavengers by getting rapidly hydrolysed when in contact with the free water thereby acting as an ace inhibitor.  Ã‚  

Photography Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Photography - Coursework Example The image sensor featured in CMOS is smaller than the 22.3 mm Ãâ€" 11.49 mm area of the image in 35 mm full frame cameras (Guncheon 12), which results in a narrower view angle. The EOS 550D’s rear display is a 3-inch LCD widescreen and sports an aspect ratio display of 3:2. It has a standard definition 4:3 mode of aspect ratio that captures 640 Ãâ€" 480 pixel movies with fifty frames every second in PAL mode and 59.94 frames every second in NTSC mode (Guncheon 18). Moreover, shooting movies in VGA mode allows for an effective zoom of 7. With regards to exposure, the EOS 550D uses evaluating metering with more close to +/-5 values of exposure to choose from. This allows the camera to assess the position of the subject on the viewfinder and record the camera’s orientation, rear and front lighting conditions, and the general scene’s brightness. Based on this information, it will set the right exposure and adhere to the general 15-18% grey scale for white balance and metering (Guncheon 19). In general photography under natural light, this is the best setting because it is possible to tweak dark and light areas afterwards. The image output choices for this camera is RAW, JPEG, and RAW+JPEG and can capture thirty four fine/large JPEG or six RAW frames in a burst. The camera creates JPEG using 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion, which makes for better, and smoother color transition and 14-bit files to store RAW files (Guncheon 20). The camera also has various special features, including the inclusion of a stereo microphone jack and full HD movie recording (1080p) combined with exceptional still shooting. HDMI connection allows for HD playback of images and footage on HDTV, while one also has full control over shutter speeds and apertures (Guncheon 20). With regards to the camera lens being used, the Canon EF-S 18-55 mm IS, has an EF-S lens mount, and it is a mid to

Canadian International School and Asia Essay Example for Free

Canadian International School and Asia Essay There are certain things in life that are taken for granted. Some people would feel contented with what they have, while others would have a bigger yearning to become someone. Sometimes, what we yearn for in life becomes the very core of our existence, making us hardworking and persevering. My high school was spent in Asia, where I was exposed to numerous realities. I graduated from the Canadian International School and Asia, and I must say that I was provided with the necessary knowledge in order to become prepared for the real world. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to study at the NAME OF UNIVERSITY. The short time I spent there was enough for me to become equipped with the necessary knowledge that would allow me to follow my dreams. However, I believe that I would be able to spread my wings further if I studied at the NAME OF UNIVERSITY in Vancouver, Canada. For this, I am showing my interest in taking up NAME OF DEGREE from your university. Studying at the NAME OF UNVIERSITY would not come as a challenge, for I have been previously exposed to the Canadian way of teaching. In this regard, I would not have much difficulty adjusting to the culture, and instead become more proficient in class. I would become more comfortable with my environment, at the same time be able to express myself further in the best possible way that I can. As mentioned earlier, it is my belief that your university would become one of my keystones in achieving my goals in life. Although some would opt to think that the success of an individual is not based on the school, I beg to disagree. Some of the important factors to be learned in life are based on the foundation that institutions have inculcated in their students. Since I have been a product of a Canadian institution in high school, I wish to strengthen my knowledge and beliefs further with your help. Life is always about taking risks – these are the choices that we make in order to fulfill our dreams.

The different transitions children and young people Essay Example for Free

The different transitions children and young people Essay Starting a new school When a child or young person moves school they may start to feel sad/upset and lost that they are leaving all their friends behind and may not see them everyday anymore. Moving school could make the child or young person feel nervous because they will have to make new friends and this could make the child feel anxious because they don’t know what will happen. When children have been to a small nursery for all of their life and they know all the staff and children they will be used to that setting it can be a very daunting thing starting ‘big school’ so they have taster sessions and meet their new teachers before they start in order to get them ready for school. New siblings When a Child or young person parents have a new baby it could leave the older child feeling like they are not the baby of the family anymore. They may feel jealous or even upset because he/she may not be getting as much attention as before; this could make the child start to attention seek they may start acting up or even throw more tantrums to get the attention they want. Puberty This could make the child or young person feel confused because they can’t control what is happening to them; the changes the young person will be going through may make them feel insecure about their body and can result in a loss of confidence. They will be struggling with their identity throughout puberty which can cause them to be stressed because they won’t know what they like and dislike. Puberty This could make the child or young person feel confused because they can’t control what is happening to them; the changes the young person will be going through may make them feel insecure about their body and can result in a loss of confidence. They will be struggling with their identity throughout puberty which can cause them to be stressed because they won’t know what they like and dislike. Puberty This could make the child or young person feel confused because they can’t control what is happening to them; the changes the young person will be going through may make them feel insecure about their body and can result in  a loss of confidence. They will be struggling with their identity throughout puberty which can cause them to be stressed because they won’t know what they like and dislike.

Factors Influencing Career Transition in Middle Adulthood

Factors Influencing Career Transition in Middle Adulthood Introduction The article aims to deliver a theoretical model highlighting the factors influencing career transition (CT) of the middle adulthood population on an individual level and challenges faced by them. The factors include personality, job satisfaction, motivation and lifelong employability mindset. This essay will discuss the theoretical perspectives that are crucial to the study and highlights how factors in theoretical model affect and conflict one another. Strengths and weaknesses will be identified followed by assessing the reliability sources cited. Lastly, assumptions will be highlighted with recommendations for future research. Theoretical Perspectives The model was constructed based on the individual level of analysis thus all factors are internal. â€Å"Networking† was highlighted as key factor in successful CT. However, it was not included and according to (Leskinen.R,2009), networking played a pivotal role in successful CT. I would suggest networking to be included linking to motivation. Applying (TPB), intentions capture motivational factors and indicate how hard people are willing to perform the behaviour (Ajzen,1991).Thus, a person knowing the benefits of networking will motivate him to engage in it. However, the author’s exclusion of networking can be explained by the information processing model, selective processing when one intentionally focuses on factors that are most relevant to the situation. Excluding networking may be optimal to the author because to be consistent with the individual level of analysis. The factors in the model are linked because they are interdependent. Motivation triggers one to search for job which requires skills and the job allows the individual to build new networks (DeFillippiArthur,1996). Contrastingly, personality and lifelong employability contradicts therefore it explains why lifelong employability is not directly linked to personality. An individual with low adaptability may not have lifelong employability mindset due to low openness to changes (Fugate Kinicki,2008). Finally,all factors contribute to successful CT thus the arrows are pointing towards it. Quality of Supporting Data CT consists of voluntary or involuntary, inter or intra-organisational (NadyaA.Fouad; J.Bynner,2008;Ashforth,2001,p.7) however, the interviewees only went through inter-organisation involuntary CT. The sample of similar demographics leads to a biased sample because job dissatisfaction differs among gender and educational level (Gesthuizen,2008). Also, semi-structured questions may limit the range of information shared in the open-ended portions. One recommendation would be to use mixed approach for an accurate result (K.Niglas,2004). Portions of this article contradict one another for example, it was mentioned that the focus was to study challenges faced by mature workers who inherited lifelong employability mindset however, lifelong employability is just one of the factors and not the focus. The factors includes resilience and planning is true and evident from Morrissey (1992) as he identified one behavior that contributes to resilience of CT is preparation. Individuals should have career strategic plans so they know what to do if they are laid off. The author’s use of Subjective and Objective approach as indicators of successful CT is accurate. However, adopting merely Objective approach and its claimed successfulness seem doubtful. The individual perception is most crucial thus subjective approach is more important (Endler Magnusson,1976). The reason is objective characteristics may differ depending on the individual’s perception. (EndlerMagnusson,1976). Key assumptions This research generalises the characteristics of mid-life population based on the small sample thus not accurate. The information gathered is assumed to be true however they were verbal therefore may be exaggerated. For example, Lim’s account of his difficulties faced in his workplace may be biased due to his displeasure with his boss. Therefore statements have to be verified before taking them into account for the model. Trends in other countries such as job change and motivational mechanism are assumed to be similar to Singapore. However, trends in America may differ from Singapore due to the difference in culture. In the Chinese culture, individuals attribute to CT externally while in America, it is internally (Chudzikowski,2009). Motivational mechanisms also differ in culture (Harvey et al,2000;PemginiBagozzi,2001;Schwartz,1990;1994a Hofstede,1984) as motivation drive personal goals in Individualistic cultures however, countries with high collectivism is motivated in groups. Mid-lifers are assumed to face difficulties and lack training opportunities. This is not true because it is found that there are many cases of successful CT among mid-lifers and they are extremely resilient and versatile (RosenPaul,1999). According to a study by MOM in 1999, it says that companies would benefit more from sending older workers for training as they can integrate what they have learnt in their work better. Implications and Conclusion The existing model is supported by numerous evidences as found in this critique. However, there are limitations to the above findings and they will be discussed below. Firstly, the mixed approach would face a possibility of conflicting results due to technical and theoretical content (Niglas.K,2004). If the mixed approach is chosen, the reason and benefits it gives to the research has to be stated. (Miller,2003:450). Also, the ability of the researcher is crucial due to the difficulty of the method. Secondly, the research is limited to the individual factors thus not fulfilling a holistic perspective of CT. I would suggest the model to include group and organisational level of analysis such as social support including family or organisational culture as these factors may add pressure to the individual (Schlossberg,1984). Thirdly, with many uncovered areas of CT, future research may investigate intra-organisational and voluntary CT with a larger sample of 40. An in-depth investigation on how different gender and educational level contributes to CT can be also done. Fourthly, although it is found that subjective approach is more optimal, there are limitations. Since the model attempts to provide a holistic perspective, it should not restrict its approach to either approach because the relationship between Objective and Subjective is important (Ashforth, 2001;Hall,2002;Hall 23 Chandler,2005). Lastly, CT has an increasing emphasis in other countries with similar studies such as (Kim,2004) done recently in Korea. Despite that, their accuracy is limited due to the different cultural context. This study will open up a new research field in Singapore and provide a new theoretical perspective benefitting HR officers planning to lay-off employees. Career counselling can use this to know more of the broader changes that take place in society (Herr,2001). Finally, students in this field now have new data that can deepen their understanding of successful CT.

Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih Essay -- Season of Mig

Written by Tayeb Salih, the novel ‘Season of Migration to the North’ as described by The Observer â€Å"is an Arabian Nights in reverse, enclosing a pithy moral about international misconceptions and delusions.† The novel is set both in England and the Sudan, showing the stark social differences within these two locations. In this essay, I will evaluate the reasons supporting and opposing Mahjoub’s statement as defined in ‘Season of Migration to the North’. In the first line of the novel (and once more later in the book: "dear sirs" page 62), the narrator introduces the reader to a male-dominated world by suggesting his audience is masculine; "It was, gentlemen, after a long absence—seven years, to be exact, during which time I was studying in Europe—that I returned to my people.† Despite the subtlety of the word â€Å"gentlemen†, this, I believe is purposefully done, to immediately show the reader the extent to which village life is dominated entirely by the male. Its subtlety reflects the idea that male dominance has become just a normal part of life, to the point where it can almost be looked over. The death of Mustafa Sa’eed meant that his widow was placed in the care of the narrator, â€Å"You’re the bride’s guardian.† This suggests that even as a widow, a woman was not free to do as she pleased, with regards to who she was to wed. The fact that a widow was being dictated to, showed that the village society was more patriarchal than that of the society that existe...

Global Warming Essays -- greenhouse gases climate change

Global Warming The greenhouse effect occurs when gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and CFCs trap heat in the atmosphere by acting as a pane of glass in a car. The glass lets the sun light in to make heat but when the heat tries to get out the gases absorb the heat. Holding this heat in causes heat waves, droughts and climate changes which could alter our way of living. The main gases that cause the greenhouse effect are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane, which comes mainly from animal manure. Other gases like nitrogen oxide and man made gases called chlorofluorocarbons get caught in the atmosphere as well. The decay of animals and respiration are two main but natural sources of carbon dioxide. There are many steps we can take to slow down the emissions of greenhouse gases. There are already so many gasses in the atmosphere, and we may not be able to correct the damage done, but we can’t prevent further damage. Over the last 100 years the global temperatures have been increasing slowly but steadily. Since 1980 the temperature has risen 0.2 degrees C (0.4 degrees F) each decade. Scientists predict that if we continue putting the same amount of gas into the atmosphere by the year 2030 the temperature will be rising as much as 0.5 degrees C (0.9 degrees F) or more per decade. Over all the global temperature could rise anywhere from 5 to 9 degrees over the next fifty years. If the temperatures do rise as predicted several things co...