Social Change Within Society and Culture free essay sample

Culture Culture refers to the knowledge, ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that give each society its coherence and its distinctive way of life. Culture is demonstrated by the beliefs, customs, values, laws, arts, technology and artefacts people generate and use as the interpret meaning from their world and solves present and future problems. Environment Every society is located in a particular physical setting. The attitudes and values people have in regard to their environment greatly affect interactions between the person, society, culture and environment. Environments present societies with opportunities and restraints. Time Every person, society and environment is located in time and is changing through time. Our perceptions of time as past, present and future are also important for social enquiry and action. These perceptions draw on past events that influence our present. They need not determine our future. We can perceive a range of possible future that can assist our decision-making. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Change Within Society and Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Power involves a capacity to influence others to follow a course of action or point of view they would not otherwise follow. Authority Authority implies a legitimate use of influence/persuasion. Someone in authority has accepted rights to make decisions regardless of those affected by the decisions opinion. Gender refers to the socially constructed differences between men and women. Its refers to the value society places on those physical and biological differences. It may mean that a society accepts males as tough and boisterous, while females are accepted as sensitive and shy. These beliefs only have meaning because a society gives them one, not because they are based on fact. Technology Technology means the tools that make tasks easier, enhancing the natural ability of persons to perform those tasks. Technology is not accessed equally across the world and countries and companies with higher access to higher levels of technology are able to produce more products quickly and distribute them more efficiently. Core Concepts Empowerment used to describe groups within a society gaining access to power structures and being able to assert some control over their destiny. Globalisation describes the emergence of a global culture brought about by a variety of social and cultural developments such as, the existence of world information systems, the emergence of a global pattern of consumption and consumerism. It involves the consciousness of the world as a single place. Heritage refers to the collective past of a country. It may be physical heritage (materials or remains) or cultural heritage (songs, stories or music). It also plays a role in maintaining continuity. Industrialisation refers to the transition in methods of production that has been responsible for increasing wealth, creating capacity of modern societies compared to traditional systems. I may refer to manufacturing, agriculture and administration. Modernisation the adoption of new technology education and ways of thinking. A process of social change from the adoption of characteristics of a advanced society through societies that are less advanced. Westernisation A method and values of western industrial capitalism are the basis of changes occurring. A country adopts the values common in major western countries, USA, UK, Australia. These values include democracy, capitalism, and the adoption of free market economic industrialisation. Research Methodologies Social and Cultural Research the way we go about finding out things we dont know in the area of society and culture. It normally involves selecting a specific topic, deciding on the most appropriate methodologies, collecting data interpreting your results and presenting your findings. Quantitative research involves methodologies such as surveys, which enable you to collect data that can be turned into graphs, tables and diagrams. An advantage of measurable research is that it makes it easy to compare with other research. Qualitative research Qualitative research relies upon open ended questionnaires that are unstructured. Interviews and participant observation. The data you collect is normally personal opinions and require interpretation. Methodologies Adv Disadv Survey Uses observation or a questionnaire. It is a process of conducting a study from a representative sample of specific populating. Must be comprised of closed questions, multiple choice and rating scale. Closed questions Open questions †¢ Easier to interpret †¢ Minimal cost †¢ Many responses †¢ anonymity †¢ Cant elaborate †¢ little flexibility †¢ May misinterpret †¢ survey not returned by certain time. Case Study Case Study involves the collection of data related to an individual or small group through observation, interviews or evidence. Fairly detailed accurate info †¢ can get very involved †¢ research may be bias †¢ limited by the resources available to researcher Participant Observation Researcher is immersed in the action being observed but their role as researcher is not obvious. Researchers must be aware of ethical implications. †¢ requires researcher to reflect †¢ indepth, detailed à ¢â‚¬ ¢ participant may be self conscious †¢ difficult for researcher to get involved †¢ alter behaviour Content Analysis The study and interpretation of written and visual material. †¢ useful for range of cultural data †¢ very current info †¢ material shows bias very time consuming Focus Group A small group who (indepth) discuss a topic. Researcher records information. It is similar to interview but with up to eight people. †¢ Provides good qualitative information. †¢ Dynamic responses †¢ Lots of ideas †¢ difficult to select right participants †¢ difficult for group to trust each other Action Research Informal, qualitative, requires all participants to be collaborative researchers. People who recognise a problem in a workplace situation and devise a solution. †¢ Very accurate †¢ many ideas, updated †¢ researcher very involved †¢ Time consuming †¢ Confusing difficult to obtain conclusions. Personal Reflection Requires the researcher to reflect upon and evaluate their own experiences, memories, values and opinions in relation to specific issue or topic. †¢ Reflecting on own experiences †¢ Evaluating personal matters †¢ may cause friction with difficult issues †¢ personal bias Questionnaire Collecting data from a large and diverse sample of people. It is impersonal and contains clear questions worded simply to avoid confusion. Should be brief, logical sequence of questions †¢ minimal cost †¢ wide responses quickly †¢ anonymous †¢ Failure to receive responses little flexibility †¢ Misinterpret question Interview Interview may be structured, semi structured or unstructured indepth or conversational. This is a one on one situation that is time consuming. Structured very specific Unstructured broad, general Semi-structured open and closed †¢ quick and easy †¢ detailed and indepth †¢ can change questions to suit situation †¢ fl exible, quick †¢ time consuming †¢ not indepth †¢ difficult to analyse †¢ may be confusing †¢ difficult to analyse Observation Involves watching and recording behaviour within a clearly defined area. The researcher may be passive observer and outside the actions being observed and recorded. †¢ identity of person is known †¢ researchers reflect on situation †¢ participants alter behaviour †¢ self conscious Ethnographic Study Systematic collection of data derived from direct observation of everyday life of a particular society, group or subculture. This requires researchers immersion in the culture under study and is interactive process. The researcher is interested in understanding the customs and beliefs or this social group in the way of engaging in everyday life. †¢ indepth detailed †¢ researcher becomes very involved very time consuming †¢ researcher may be bias or make incorrect judgement. Statistical Analysis Examining data to interpret meaning, make generalisations and extrapolate trends. Often data come in graphical form and analysed by statistical procedures †¢ Up to date relevant information †¢ easy to graph and present †¢ info can date quickly †¢ inaccuracies when transferring info Macro and micro worlds Micro world, peers, family and school. It refers to personal experience and the ideas, insight, reflections, knowledge on life experiences of the individual which can be used to generate an understanding of the wider world. Macro world, laws, workplace, government. It refers to Public Knowledge involving history of systematic research that can be used to clarify, unify and order. Groups formed so society can function, control and organise Informal short experiences not governed by rigid rules Formal expected conduct and formalised relations Decision making formal groups have predetermined procedures. Minority groups cultural practices and appearance unlike the dominate groups making them susceptible to unequal treatment. Institution part of the structure of society, organised e. g. hurch, government, law Organisation structure within society which is set in place for e. g. business, clubs, political parties. Power and Authority POWER Institutional position power is part of a role that others see as legitimate e. g. president or judges. Property owning ones property denying access to property e. g. landlords or factory owners. Force physically removing, threatening to inflict damage e. g. physi cal harm or public humiliation. Personal qualities charm and charisma e. g. singers, religious leaders Legitimate power recognising and applying power e. g. government officials Empowerment to give power to other e. g. principles give children power to run assemblies. AUTHORITY Traditional based on birthrights unwritten rules e. g. royal family the son becomes king. Legal or rational Power legitimate by ruled defined by leader e. g. prime minister, mayor Charismatic Power legitimated by remarkable qualities attributed to specific leader e. g. Jesus, Hitler, Martin Luther King Decision making Decision making making up your mind, deciding about something, making choices, resolving issues. Simple decision one that is easy Complex decision important, made in a group There are different types of decisions. †¢ Decisions made for you, by someone else e. g. by force or persuasion. †¢ Automatic Decisions, dont think about it, its instinctive. †¢ Quick Decision, made without alot of though, impulsively. †¢ Thoughtful Decision, perhaps made after discussing it with a friend or parent. †¢ Group Decision, reached only after much though and decision involving other people. We live ion a democratic society, we participate in decision making which affects us and our families e. g. casting votes at elections when we are 18, joining groups and committees. There are decisions that are out of our control as adults. Decisions are affected by, influence, power and authority, compromise, conflict, consultation and imposition, winners and loser, available resources and vested interests. All families have needs and wants, requiring many different decisions to be made. Most decisions within family unit are made by adults. Yet this is changing. decision making is an ongoing process, we make decisions all the time, as individuals and in groups. A simple way to decide is to write down the advantages and disadvantages. The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change Identifying the nature of social and cultural continuity and change CONTINUITY Continuity persistence of cultural elements in a society. new ideas are developed and grafted onto old ideas. Continuation of social groups, forms of interaction, customs, beliefs e. g. Alphabet, process or paper making. Conformity is the strongest where some of these conditions are evident in a society. †¢ Vested interest †¢ Change resisted by fear †¢ Loss of power or wealth †¢ Rigid caste systems †¢ Strongly help beliefs, do nit share others values Psychological barriers, resistance due to tradition Ethnocentrism; passing judgement on attitudes and lifestyles in other societies. We tend to believe our own society is superiors because of long term direct experience. This assists group loyalty however it can lead to barriers in accepting features of other societies. This relates to conformity and continuity rather than change . Suspicion, prejudice and stereotyping are all parts of Ethnocentrism. Cultural relativity; helps stop ethnocentrism, cultural relativity requires an act, that should be regarded positively and forfills needs of a society. Elements of society are continuous †¢ Hereditary value (language spoken) †¢ Standardized behavior (driving on the right side of the road) Theory of cultural lag Developed by William Ogburn, the theory argues attitudinal aspects of culture, lag behind when change first occurs in the material aspect of culture e. g. computers. Continuity and socialisation Continuity is part of the socialisation process. Socialisation transmits culture from generations, it is an informal process of learning values, norms, and skills observed and participation e. g. rules set by law ad religious beliefs. CHANGE Change constant element in life, significant alteration in patterns of culture and social structure that are reflected in social behavior. Change is a constant element in social life. All societies experience social change, a significant alternation in the patterns of culture an social structures that are reflected in social behavior. Some societies, like small tribes change slowly due to isolation, while other like the United States change rapidly. Social Change refers to; †¢ Identity of change, what changes †¢ Level of change, level in an individual, group or society †¢ Rate of change, sudden or gradual Direction of change, will it improve or get worse †¢ Magnitude of change, comprehensive, revolutionary In order to appreciate the degree and nature of change we must have a level of stability or baseline against which to measure, Change is not uniform. Not all cultural and social elements change at the same rate. Factors that influences change include; †¢ E nvironmental conditions †¢ Isolation †¢ Available resources †¢ Population †¢ Political organisations †¢ Cultural factors †¢ Leaders and entrepreneurs Innovation Innovation, change occurred when people think of new ways of doing things. Technological innovation are, cars which changed the structure of cities, mobile phones which increased communication, internet world wide communication, planes. Cultural innovations are new beliefs and values systems, religions. Social Innovations are bureaucratic organisation which enable people to cope with the demands of present day society. CHANGE CAN SPREAD Diffusion Diffusion is the movement of ideas form one society to another examples of this are; †¢ Domestication of animals †¢ Invention of machines, industrial revolution †¢ Invention of siliconchip. Closeness to centres of invention is important because new ideas is adversely proportional to distance, the more isolated the slower the development. Media and transportation reduced isolation and help speed up innovations, culture value shows this. Diffusion can be planned e. g. economic aid to third world countries. Acculturation Acculturation is the adoption of new ideas, values by one culture to another because of prolonged interaction. Acculturation is rapid, through direct contact, migration, military and missionaries. Examples are worker in India taken to Fiji, missionaries living in Indigenous areas. Acculturation is a two way process; 1) Transculturation Two cultures take ideas from one another, one is dominant. 1) Involuntary acculturation One culture has political control and forces the other society to accept its ideas. Collective Behavior Collective Behavior is unpredictable behavior of groups when working outside societies recognized institutions. Types of collective behavior include; †¢ Panics †¢ Conventional crowds e. g. marches, rallies †¢ Acting crowds e. g. mobs, riots †¢ Rumors; untrue reports spread via collective behavior †¢ Fad, short lives †¢ Fashion Public opinion; ideas and attitudes shared by member of the public. Institutional Behavior is predictable patterns, regulated by traditional norms. The nature of continuity Continuity of the persistence of social and cultural elements with a society e. g. social group of family and peers. Continuities with Australia include; †¢ Anzac Day, Australia day †¢ Melbourne Cup †¢ Vegemite †¢ Schoolies week †¢ Year 12 formal Some societies with strongly help traditional beliefs, continuities are dominant, conformity is encourages. Few elements are added e. g traditional societies based on strong religious beliefs. Continuities persist because; †¢ We need to preserve our language, laws, morals, ethics, behavior so that our traditions last into the future. This is done through the socialisation process, we pass social continues onto generations. In the micro world this happens through family, in the macro world it is through media, government, law, education and religion. †¢ Continuities (traditions) provide security for a society to help maintain links to the pasty so there is a sense of continuity for the future. †¢ Continuity brings stability to society, t prevents chaos followed from massive change. The nature of change Change is the alteration of how things are done, the alteration in pattern of culture, social structure and social behavior over time. No society can successfully prevent change, some societies are more resistant however. The rates, nature and direction of change different from one society e. g. Australian compared to traditional pygmy society of Africa. Change occurs when people think of new ways of doing something e. g. innovations. Innovations spread by diffusion and acculturation. Change forces societies to consider traditions they wish to keep or discard. Change in societies is inevitable; †¢ can be constructive (new medicine) †¢ can be destructive (pollution) †¢ may be sudden (war or death) †¢ evolve gradually (animal extinction) We need to prepare for change. It is constant element of social life. Some changes are planned, others unplanned. They can be of a short duration (fads and fashion) or long duration (invention of cars). Some changes are readily accepted (improved health care) while other are controversial (feminist movement). Modernisation The process of change in society in terms of development to a more modern society is said to be called Modernisation. It is a process of social change resulting from diffusion and adoption of characteristics of more modern societies by societies said to be less advanced. This process involves greater social mobility, more effective government control, acceptance of innovations and changing social values. †¢ Process of Modernisation refers to economic, social and cultural changes that occur when pre industrial societies (traditional) make transition to a more advanced industrial society. †¢ major thrusts of Modernisation is industrialization. †¢ there is no end to the Modernisation process. the more modern a society Australia the more it undergoes this process. Who benefits from Modernisation †¢ many of the younger groups are willing to embrace change †¢ the educated understand and rationalize change †¢ The wealthy can afford change Who do not benefit from Modernisation †¢ The elder, unskilled, conservative christians †¢ The poor or uneducated. †¢ They see modernization a destroying traditional values. Examining the impact of continuity and change upon the lives of people in the micro and macro worlds MACROWORLD The macroworld continuities are refered to as traditions e. g. Australians love going to the beach is recognized across generations. Macroworld change operates on different levels Changes in government may cause changes in society e. g. liberal government replaced by labour (whitlam) lead to reform in fault divorce. Technological Change in the macroworld e. g. vinyl records to compact disc. Communication changes e. g. snail mail to email Organisations changed around the world, replaced with globalisation. Political power now belongs to multinational companies. Environment Continuity or change will impact the macroworld e. g. increase in global awareness, problem with depleting resources/species and atmosphere problems. Development of international domestic laws combat these changes. Microworld e. g. joining organisations such as greenpeace. Population change Macroworld size; international organisations set up to combat large populations in developing countries e. g. AID including food. Microworld size; 40 hour famine charity, donations Macroworld distribution; laws have been set up to provide infrastructure for migrants to move countries. Microworld distribution; bring different foods, languages Macroworld composition; aging population, an increase in retirement homes Microworld composition; work longer, no pension Political organisations Macroworld; type of government running the country, influences school syllabus Microworld; voting, compulsory English Leaders and change Macroworld; Howard e. g. policy on terrorism increases security. Microworld; postponement of overseas travel. Innovations Macroworld; invention e. g. internet creates global village. Laws regulate abuse of technology Microworld; easy communication access to information Acculturation/Diffusion migrants Macroworld; regulation and laws increase immigrants. Media plays role in diffusing/acculturating society Microworld; different food/religions, more culture in schools. Collective Behavior- fashion fads Macroworld; straight hair, hipster jeans Microworld; buying a muster hair straighter. Distinguishing between personal experience and public knowledge MICROWORLD Microworld; family, peers, school, sport teams, community life The world we know through personal experience. Experiences help us grow and develop as human beings. It helps us engage in personal reflection Personal experience; ideas, insight, reflection or an individual used to generate understanding of the wider world. MACROWORLD Macroworld; media, law, government, libraries, research Public knowledge collection of knowledge assembled through research from a range of personal experience knowledge is found in books, lectures, documents. Public Knowledge; socially constructed knowledge involving a history of research. It is achieved through institutions, government, religion and mass media. Role of power and authority in social and cultural continuity and change GOVERNMENT Change; government members initiate and debate new laws. Governments can change themselves after elections. Continuity; Governments maintain political stability by protecting laws that are already in place. The also maintain traditional political parties. . g. Labour, liberal and heritage and traditions e. g. anthem, Australian flag. LEADERS (politicians, religious, business) Change; can be by force e. g. Hitler, by vote e. g. John Howard, through inspiration e. g. Nelson Mandella Continuity; used their power to influence others, maintain traditions and encouraging people to believe what they them selves believe. RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS Change; some churches/religion have adjusted to contemporary society and accepted gay community, women priests, play modern music. Continuity; most churches maintain continuities through their ceremonies and beliefs. Churches are conservative, perpetuate morals, values and customs of their doctrine. EDUCATIONAL ORGANISATIONS Change; school deals with change by introducing new curriculum, latest technology and new legal rules e. g. anti-bullying. Continuity; formal assembly, uniform, orientation day, awards presented. THE FAMILY Change; in size, status, structure and roles to suit modern society. More mothers in the workforce has caused change in families. Continuity; celebrations, religious customs, relationships, the concept of family and what it means has remained constant. Theories of social change and evaluating their role in explaining continuities and changes in society. Theory is a statement that organizes a set of concepts in a meaningful way by explaining the relationship among them. A full grasp of social change needs more than an understanding of some specific factors that can provoke change. We need a broader theory that explains how, why and what direction social change in general takes place. A successful theory of social change must do more than describe events it must explain how and why change takes the form that it does. SOCIO EVOLUTIONARY THEORY Theorist Herbert Spencer and Charles Darwin The main idea of this theory is that this theory implies that all societies gradually change from traditional and simple to more complex following only one path. Modern socio theorists believe that development and change could occur in a multilinear way i. e. following several different paths, not just one. They did not believe that industrial societies were necessarily superior to rural based or traditional societies and did not view all changes as progress. Strengths; It says that societies can develop in many different ways not just one path. It believes that not all change is progress. Weaknesses; Only looks at slow change, evolution and doesnt explain quick change e. g. war, natural disaster. FUNCTIONALIST THEORY Theorist Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons This theory emphasises social order and the importance of maintaining structures and processes within society to maintain a state of equilibrium or balance. This theory says that if change occurs, its temporarily alters the balance in society, brings about adjustment or change to bring about a new equilibrium and balance once again in society. Believes social change occurs when internal or external forces upset societys balance e. unemployment, women returning to the workforce, war) All parts of society have a function, and change is a result of these functions being disturbed. In simple societies there are fewer institutions to perform functions (family, education economic production of food). In more complex societies more institutions perform functions e. g. schools provide education not family. Strengths; sh ows how society deals with change and adjusts to it Weaknesses; More about institutional order. Concentrates on destructive change. Doesnt deal well with technology, or economic change. CONFLICT THEORY Theorist Karl Marx Views conflict and change as inevitable in society and ongoing. Change is the result of inequalities in society e. g. class differences, religious differences, differences in wealth and ethnic differences. Conflict occurs between groups with power, who wish to maintain their value and prestige and those who have no power but wish to challenge the existing power structures. Strengths; Alot of change does occur through recognizes that side of society. Explains human nature, not everyone always agrees and everyone wants more power. Weaknesses; Not all change requires conflict in society. Provides little indication of future directions of change. Explore continuity and change †¢ Is all change necessarily progress? Change; an alteration in the way things are done in society Progress; improvements for the better, getting something better Therefore do all changes always lead to improvements in peoples lives in the micro and macro world. NO a culture may feel that in changing they are abandoned their traditional way of life, which may be very important to them due to e. g. religion and unplanned change e. g. war is negative, natural disasters. Also change may be forces upon a society or culture e. . The Jews under Hitler. YES change can be progress as no society would be willing to change a good life for a poorer one. Australia change to incorporate women and indigenous issues into mainstream political life. †¢ Which groups benefit from change? Which do not? Groups; people who gather together because they have something in common Benefits; gaining something good or positive. Therefore who gains something positive from change and who doesnt within the micro and macro world. THE WEALTHY benefit for change as if changes are technologically based, the wealthy can affords it and young people. Most other groups do too. MINORITY GROUPS do not benefit because they are isolated groups in society, they may not change at the same rate as society as a whole. Lower class members are unfamiliar with technology due to poverty and lack of education and fall behind in society. †¢ Are westernisation, modernisation and industrialisation inevitable? Westernisation; the process of countries adopting the practices and values of western countries, especially USA eg. fast food, music, TV. Modernisation; the process of countries moving from traditional societies (focused on ontinuities) to modern societies which accept change. Industrialisation; the process of moving from a society based on agriculture to a society based on industry as the main means of production. Are these 3 processes going to happen to all countries of the world at some stage YES, the world reflects a move towards these three processes in the system or organisation called globalisation. The influence and demands of t he World Bank to follow a western style economy to gain access to loan funds. Technology is becoming so much more prolific and affordable that everyone is exposed economic base of many countries. NO, Some countries are economically and culturally strong enough to maintain their independence from globalisation. Cuba is still an independent country despite its proximity to the US. Social and Cultural Continuity and Change in a Selected Country Apply the fundamental course concepts to that country PERSONS Individualism is not encouraged in traditional Japanese society. Persons are expected to blend in and work for the good of the group, but attitudes are changing. Until the end of second world war the interests of individuals were suppressed under a patriarchal system. he state was compared as one large family. Harmony amongst people is the basis of Japanese society. Japanese are extremely sensitive to any conflict and avoidance can be observed. Traditional Japan; authority and power was held by shoguns and were recognized as individuals. this was based on a caste system. Relationships between people was dictated by the caste system. Women non existent, position determined by th eir family. Polite and plain language. Contemporary Japan; Abolishment of caste system, rise of middle class has show growth in sense of individualism in males and females. Adolescents are expressing themselves openly, choice of career path, expectations of quality of life. relationships still reflect superior inferior status. Evidence language and bowing. Improvement in womens position, can vote, access to work. Through westernisation 2 language forms are slowing becoming one. SOCIETY Originally a feudal society with strict cast system with emperor as ruler. Warlords and Samurai kept peace in early Japan under control of shogun (military leader) Today society is governed by democratically elected monarchy. Family and peer groups are important groups in society. Traditional society Family; extended family unit, ie. Mainly subsistence farming. Ie responsible for welfare, health and education of members. Arranged marriages. Husband head of the house. Division of labour based on gender. Government; Feudal society structure around clans. Emperor nominated ruler supported by shoguns and samurais. Meiji Restoration saw movement towards democratic society. Education; reserved mainly for daimyos and nobles. peasants were educated to read, write and maths. This led to literate society. Contemporary society Family; Mainly nuclear families, some extended still exist in city due to high living costs. growth in single parents. Marriage mainly own choice/love. Gender roles in family re similar. Government; Bicameral system, emperor symbolic head of state. Constitutional democracy. responsibilities for welfare of citizens organized by government institutions e. g. social security, education, health Education; Still highly literate society, still values, key to socio economic mobility and has resulted in a highly competitive system of cram schools. Equal access, and education still instills cultural values. CULTURE The importance of Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism to traditional society. The importance of ceremonies like the tea ceremony. Traditional Culture; Importance of Buddhism and Shintoism to ritual; and beliefs. Confucianism reinforced the caste system, values, distribution of power and authority. Art and artifacts forces mainly on nature. Contemporary Japan; Role of religious beliefs slowly declining. Adopting of western ideas and values. Change in social habits and prefer western life e. g. Macdonald over sushi, baseball over sumo wrestling. Emergence of subculture group e. g. skinheads, rockers. Persistence of geisha both traditional and ones for tourists. ENVIRONMENT Originally closed to western world, western contact in 1850s. today a mixture of traditional Japanese environment overlaid with a westernized environment. physically environment is crowded islands and mountainous. Traditional Environment; Predominately feudal, agricultural society. Closed society, superiority, limited opportunity to exchange ideas, values and technology, pre Commodore Perry. Control over the adoption of anything foreign. Opportunity to adopt Confucian values from China thus reinforcing caste system. Contemporary Japan; Democratically elected, open society whereby western ideas, technology and culture are readily adopted through diffusion and acculturation. World leader in technology, highly industrial, major export, major importer of food and raw materials. TIME Over time Japan has experience both continuity and change. modernisation began with Western contact after WW2. every aspect of society and culture has changed over time in Japan some important traditions have remained. A historical look at Japan will allow us to view its continuities and changes and the interrelationship between time, person, society and culture. Examine the nature of traditional society and culture in that country The emperor in Japan held superior status and was fundamental to Japanese nationalism. Most of the population were farmers or craftsmen, the position of nobility being filled by influential; families. Japan was controlled by daimyos or warlords. The warrior class or samurais increased in importance as it was military strength which ensured dominance. Japan was governed by shoguns until 1868 when the old emperor Meiji was restored to power this is known as the Meiji restoration period. Under shoguns the samurais continued to gain power and were the only class permitted to carry a sword. membership to class continued to be determined by birth and ones class in turn determined ones occupation, choice of marriage partner. Outside class system were those who performed unclean task, classless, non human. Th capital of Edo was moved to Tokyo and it was mandatory for families to register with local Buddhist temples. While Shinto was traditional religion is Japan both Confucianism and Buddhism was introduced by china. The family, the traditional family unit or ie was fundamental to Japanese society. They had to honor their ancestors and maintain continuity of the family unit. Loyalty and filial duty were expected of all members who were subordinate to the head. these were Confucian principles. If there was no son to inherit the role of head then a son in law might take on the role, when there were no children adoption was an appropriate solution. In 1947 constitution which spelt the demise of the ie, choices of spouse, inheritance, property rights were changes to reflect equality of gender and rights of the individual. Within the home, religious rites were performed at the Buddhist alter in the home. Power and authority, the control of power is a feature of the history of every nation. In Japan there was a dramatic move from the centralized limited access to power structure of its feudal period to the more open and democratic practices of today. From the time of the Fujiwara period power in Japan had been in the hands of the shoguns. These were families of noble birth and exerted great influence and control over the political and military power of Japan. Towards the middle of the 19th century, the power of the shoguns began to weaken. A coup was staged by a fraction of samurai who claim to be replacing the emperor in his rightful position of power seized the control of government from the shogun and installed a new leadership. New leaders of the Meiji restoration decided to actively seek innovation and western ideas into all aspects of Japanese society. The changes that followed were reestablishing the old imperial style government. Centralizing power, downgrading the old institutions, rationalizing the bureaucracy and improving the nations military power and abolishing the feudal system of privileges. Industrialization and westernisation, establishing a constitutional democracy with a national parliament. All of this took place in thirty years During the Meiji restoration businesses had to reply on the government for the capital funds which they needed to get established. A partnership was formed which gave both business and government stability. The families which responded most quickly to the Meiji period needs accumulated immense economic control and huge industrial organisations. These financial cliques were extremely powerful. After WW2, the Zaibatsu were broken up. The American occupation of Japan after WW2 brought with its other substantial changes. A new constitution was formed, women were given the vote, education system revised, land reform program was put in place and labour unions developed. Japan had a highly valued sense of national identity and cultural heritage. these have withstood the incursion of foreigners and the rapid modernisation process which accompanied the American occupation. Japans subsequent success industrially and economically reflect her ability to sift imported values and achievement and glean only those which will prove worthwhile. There was a transformation of Japan from feudal, with rigid caste system to democratic parliament with no class system and an industrialized economy begun with the Meiji restoration and was completed with the American occupation. Evaluate the nature of power and authority in that country FAMILY AUTHORITY Traditional Family; grandfather, eldest son and father Modern Family; parents (nuclear family), in extended families it still the parents CLASS POWER Traditional society; emperor, warrior class, shogun Modern society; Based on socio economic status, democracy everyone can vote. EDUCATION AUTHORITY Traditional; best schools for wealthy, education important, limited access for women Modern; Compulsory education, women now educated, wealthy power cram schools GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY Traditional; power in hands of shoguns, nobles warriors, emperor, isolation policy Modern; Democracy, emperor still symbolic MILITARY AUTHORITY POWER Traditional; shoguns had own army, samurais power through force Modern; after WW2 US in power, use of police instead of military, Government has power over military MEDIA POWER Modern societies; TV, radio, increased access to westernisation, increased power of women, strong influence on adolescents. Apply one theory of social change appropriate to the selected country By applying the functionalist theory to social change within Japan we can see how it has occurred due to a disruption in the balance. This lead to adjustments in other parts of the system and a new equilibrium level is reached, while balance is restored. During the Tokogawa period equilibrium was maintained however change occurred through the arrival of the USA and Commodore Perry in the 1800s. This ended Japans isolation with the introduction of trade. Next the Meiji restoration period brought about adjustments such as; changed laws, generalized government under emperor, increased power of merchant class and dismantling of caste system. New balance was obtained during the 1930s and this remained till after WW2. Yet change reoccurred when Japan lost WW2 and the US initiates restructuring of all institutions. These changes were evidence through the introduction of women voting, new constitutions, education no longer based on class, shift in government causing democratic elections and production changes from agriculture to industrial production. his restored a new equilibrium up till 1980s. Change has occurred again with globalization and increased influence of western ideas and values. yet a new equilibrium was reached in 1990s. the effects of these changes are still present with the influence of female workers, decreased role for the elderly, government providing care for the elderly, increase in individualism and decrease in identi ty, changing role of the families and increased media influence. Limitations of this has been the focus on changes to institution and it doesnt take globalisation into account. The functionalist theory doesnt take globalisation into account as globalisation of a country would never allow Japan to achieve a true equilibrium. Family life and population changes Continuity is the persistence of social and cultural elements within a society. Change is an alteration is how things are done. It is the alteration in patterns of culture, social structure and social behavior over tie. In Japan, there have been many continuities and changes to family life but mostly changes due to the population. Changes to the Japanese family have occurred due to such influences as acculturation and westernisation. here have been an increase in both nuclear and single parent families, with more women entreating the workforce, leading to greater sense of empowerment. 80% of families now live in the city as opposed to rural areas and as such due to lack of space, many families are split up. More elderly are now in retirement homes, rather than being cared for at home. The function of fa mily as an institution of education and health care is now moreso in the hands of the government. There have also been many continuities in family life in japan. For example, here are still strong gender based division of labour, with the father as the breadwinner and the mother in charge of the house hold. In rural areas of Japan, the extended family is still very important with the elderly passing traditions to younger generations and the parents caring for the elderly at home. As the population is constantly changing, there are many more changes than continuities. The population in japan is ageing, meaning that there is a decrease in both birth and death rates. Due to the increase in nuclear families, such questions arise as who will take care of the elderly? A social adjustment has been necessary with the state beginning to take responsibility for elderly care, rather than the family. The main continuity in population change is that japan has remained monoculture. Imigration is discouraged due to lack of space and the Japanese wish to maintain their distinct culture and way of life. In conclusion there have been many continuities and changes in population and family life. The extended family has tried to maintain traditions in the family due to modernisation, westernisation , industrialisation and acculturation, change is inevitable. A countrys population is not static, so it is to be expected that there are many more changes, rather than continuities. Develop hypotheses for thinking about the future of Japan Feasibility study Process of defining exactly what a project is and what strategic issues need to be considered to assess its potential for success- is it probable. Scenario writing Attempt to account the good and bad possibilities based on what we know. Science fiction writing is a form of scenario writing, the writer uses their understanding of continuity and change to analyze possible futures Analyzing trends and forecasting. Involves reviewing the directions/changes being taken within society and trying to predict outcomes. Events from the past and present are projected forward based on the idea that the frequency and course of change will continue into the future. JAPANS AGING POPULATION What we know already: Traditions are not passed on, Japans population is aging, as less people are having children due to lack of space and high living costs. The death rate is also decreasing, there are more elderly living longer. Land is very expensive breakdown of traditional extended family. Problems associated with this situation: As less children are being born, there are less people to grow up to look after the increased number of elderly. As less elderly live with the extended family due to lack of space, the state needs to put more money into elderly care. the separation of children and grandparents means that fewer traditions are being passed between generations. Gap in socialization process for kids who dont live in extended families. Greater tax burden for younger generation. Possible future scenarios: The population will continue to age, with less children being born. As more families move to city areas there will be a trend towards more nuclear families. A group of young people with no understanding of the past. Couples reduce the number of children. More care facilities needed, more jobs, more cots. Forecasting changes to the society and culture: The government will encourage superannuation, so people will be able to fund their own retirement. They may still need to spend more money on elderly care for those without superannuation. Such solutions as placing preschools and retirement homes together will maintain traditions, as children will be in contact with the elderly. Shorter working hours/public holidays for family time. Encourage migration of young people. INCREASED GLOBAL CULTURAL INTEGRATION What we know already: Japan is being affected by globalisation. This impacts Japans society and culture as they are part of the global community. Westernisation, industrialisation and modernisation are also occurring, Americanization part of global tourism network, open communication and trade. Problems associated with this situation: Japans traditions may become less important. Changes in Japans economy due to changes in the worlds economy. This may attribute to the high living costs. Loss of cultural identity. Infiltration of American culture. Possible scenarios for the future: Japan may suffer future economic downfall. the country will continue to become westernized. traditions and links to the past will continue to weaken. Forecasting changes to the society and culture: Government initiatives to encourage maintenance of traditions. American/Western lifestyles become increasing common. May vary depending on generation. the elderly wish to become more traditional the young want to be more westernized. Greater access for young people to western mass media if they wish.

Media in the Ivory Coast

Media in the Ivory Coast Free Online Research Papers Part 1: Country Background The Rà ©publique de Cà ´te dIvoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, is a country in West Africa bordering Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The location now known as the Ivory Coast was made a protectorate of France during the era of imperialism by a treaty in the 1840’s, and became a French colony in 1893. The country gained its independence in 1960, at which point it was led by Fà ©lix Houphouà «t-Boigny until 1993. During these years, the country was closely tied with its’ West African neighbors economically and politically, but also maintained trade with the Western world, furthering the nations economic development. However, since the end of Houphouà «t-Boigny’s rule the countries stability has been in serious decline, brought on by a number of coups vying for power. Following the takeover by two militia groups in 1999 and 2001 that served to replace the preexisting political powers, the country has been subject to a civil war since 2002. Today, the government is identified as a republic with strong executive power embodied by the president, President Gbagbo. The nation’s current state of unrest has greatly hampered its economic development and social and political stability, and the violent state of the country poses a serious threat for those wishing to do business with the Ivory Coast. Part 2: Country Profile Population: According to UN census data in 2005, Cà ´te dIvoire has a population of 17.1 million individuals. According to data in 2003, 43.6% of the population is female. The largest city in the country is Abidjan, which is the center for most of the countries economic activity and host to over twenty percent of the nation’s total population. However, the capital city is Yamoussoukro, which has less than 300,000 inhabitants. Language: French is the official language of the Ivory Coast, although there are additionally over ten native languages spoken. Each native language represents the first language of less than fifteen percent of the population, expressing a wide range in culture. However, most individuals in the country speak more than one language. Religion: 63% of the country subscribes to a variety of localized African religions. Islam is the most widespread singular religion, hosting 25% of the population. Approximately 12% of the population reports being Christian. Economic Industries: The economy of the Ivory Coast functions primarily on agricultural exports, representing nearly a third of the gross domestic product. The primary exports of the nation are cocoa beans, coffee, cotton, palm oil, and bananas. The economy is currently severely threatened by the violent state of the nation, which discourages foreign traders thereby limiting exportation. An additional 20% of the GDP is comprised by industrial services, including food and beverage manufacturing, wood products, oil refining, automotive assembly, and textile production. The labor force accounts for the remainder of the economy, with over 60% of the population providing physical labor to support the large agricultural industries. Income: The gross national income was estimated at only $840 U.S.D. per capita according to World Bank data in 2006. Additionally, a significant portion of the population, approximately 37%, is below the poverty line, and 13% of the population suffers from unemployment. The GNP of the country was approximately $15.3 billion in 2005, just below Cameroon, Iraq, and Latvia, placing it in the top third of the world’s countries. Life Expectancy: Men have a life expectancy of only 45 years, with women expected to live only marginally longer, with an average life expectancy of 47 years. This suggests a lack of medical resources and social services. Literacy: The literacy rate is just over fifty percent, indicating a lack of educational opportunities. Part 3: Media Investigation Publications: The Ivory Coast has nine primary daily publications. Of the nine, one is state-owned, one is owned by the ruling party, one is run by the opposition, and the other six are privately funded. It is important to note that Notre Voie, the paper that is funded by the ruling party, has the largest daily circulation. Television: Television service is provided by Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirenne, or RTI, which is state-run. There are no private TV stations, although rebel groups have gained the ability use state-owned TV facilities in certain areas for their own broadcasts. Radio: Radio is the Ivory Coast’s most popular medium for media. There are a total of only seven radio stations that are broadcasted throughout the majority of the country. While the majority of stations are state-owned and run by RTI, there are also non-commercial radio stations that are run more locally by church groups as well as by UN peacekeepers. News Agency: The Agence Ivoirenne de Presse, which is the equivalent of the United States’ Associate Press and is required to regulate the legitimacy of the news being produced, is state-owned, suggesting possible censorship and government biases. Internet/ Telephones: Two Internet service providers: Africaonline and Aviso, with only 1.5% of the population estimated to be Internet users as of 2005. Only 328,000 main line telephones in 2003, although at the time there were over one million cellular phone users. Today there are over four million cell phone users. Part 4: Media Analysis The Ivory Coast was ranked 98th on the most recent list put out by the international World Press Index. This free press index ranking is up 41 places from the previous year. This rise in ranking was particularly shocking to me, especially considering many of the testimonies of journalists I encountered during my investigation. For example, the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders recently described the Ivory Coast as â€Å"one of Africa’s most dangerous countries for both local and foreign media,† which is largely based on the threat of violent actions from both rebel and state-run military forces. This testimony is evidenced by occurrences such as that in 2004, at which point the government used media under its’ control, specifically the RTI, to enable them in their struggle against rebel forces. The close ties between media and the government is further solidified by the fact that in 2006, members of the Young Patriots militia, who are loyal to Pre sident Gbagbo, invaded RTI headquarters in order to gain more control over the output of information in the media. Although these events occurred several years ago, as recently as 2007 the local UN peacekeepers expressed reports of a â€Å"growing number of inflammatory articles in the press,† providing propaganda for the groups in power. The UN peacekeepers also reported an increasing number of violent attacks on publications. This information does not seem to validate any indications of positive steps towards the production of unbiased media. Based on my investigation of the nation known as the Ivory Coast, it is clear that there is a close link between government forces and the media. Not only are the radio, television, and newspapers state-run, but even peacekeepers have had to take a claim in the media in order to gain any semblance of an effective voice within the community. In 2005, the peacekeepers were able to launch their own radio station in Abidjan, although it did not have broad enough range to reach the entire nation. Even church groups have had to succumb to the media game being played by the government, opting to fund their own radio stations in order to provide some sense of hope for citizens in opposition of the forces in charge. In dissecting the media in Cà ´te dIvoire, I tried to keep an open-mind before passing judgment on the state of affairs. I was initially impressed by the website of the Ivory Coast’s largest circulating newspaper, Notre Voie. The website provided a variety of local articles in English, which I hoped would prove to present an unbiased form of media. However, once I discovered that Notre Voie was state-owned, I began to recognize a pattern in the nature of articles presented; none of the articles provided any opposition to President Gbagbo, nor did they even address the current state of disarray caused by the ongoing civil war. In fact, the themes of the news stories were very localized, and tried to put a positive slant on what was occurring throughout the country. Overall, I think the shape of the media in the Ivory Coast is a product of a variety of influences. The ongoing state of political unrest as caused political parties to enlist propaganda as a strategy for increasing support. This sort of output from the media has served to further the division between groups, causing it to be deemed â€Å"hate media,† and has recently been present in a large number of African nations such as Rwanda who have struggled with similar issues with infrastructure. It seems to me that these unsteady political circumstances translate to corruption within the media, with no authorities working to ensure an unbiased presentation of the news because state-run media sources receive pressure from parties in power to present a specific point of view. Additionally, I believe that the widespread poverty throughout the country further inhibits the local freedom of press. My findings of limited internet access and low literacy rates suggest a lack of social mobility that may correlate with people’s inability to demand truth from local media forces. It is clear that the powers in charge have not accepted the responsibility to place value on a high standard of media, and therefore it is the role of the citizens to pursue such freedoms. Because local citizens have not been able to express these wishes, perhaps it is at this point that Western influences must intervene. Although Western influence has been hampered in the Ivory Coast by civil war, our global awareness of the situation in the country provides grounds for intervention. Research Papers on Media in the Ivory CoastAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBringing Democracy to AfricaDefinition of Export QuotasBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

Communication and Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Communication and Language - Essay Example He will now look at and reach rather than grasp an object as an adult presents it. He has also become more willing to perform familiar actions on an object without mouthing it but using his hands to hold and manipulate objects for longer. He has also shown greater attention to where objects move to or from during the activity. This has been particularly noticeable during our greeting sessions. At the beginning of September he needed adult coactive support to tap a drum to say ‘hello’, as he has become more familiar with activity where he begun to use both hands to tap a drum with adult verbal encouragement. Now he will reach instruments spontaneously to say ‘hello’ as adult moves around the circle asking ‘who want to say hello first’. He is also able to indicate if he wants to continue the tapping action or he finished saying ‘hello’ by clapping his hands to indicate more or pushing the drum away. He finds it amusing if an adult cop ies his simple drumming actions, responds with a smile, and listens to it. Interacting Pupil's progress Charlie has been working towards developing his interaction and playing skills with adult and peers. Charlie has made steady progress with developing his communication, social, and interactive skills with class staff and peers as the year has progressed. He has shown an increasing interest in trying to influence the adult actions during self-occupation time to get what he wants or during group session as mentioned above and one-to-one sessions such as interactive games focusing on communication, taking turns, interacting and responding to adult partner. For example, simple hand clapping games that requires him to form quick thinking, cooperation, and reaction to a game like clapping one's own hands, clapping both hands of a partner, and clapping one hand of a partner, generally across such as the right hand of each player at an appropriate junction.   During self-occupation time , he will move in the direction of the plasma screen and make brief eye contact with an adult to let them know what he wants. If the adult ignores his communication, he will walk around the plasma screen, look behind the speakers, turn on a socket plague and manipulate a key to open the box with laptop attached to the screen. During leisure time, when approached by an adult and asked, â€Å"what you want Charlie?† he will hold his hand and guide him in the direction of the plasma screen or balcony / class door to watch his friends playing or to go for a walk. He is now learning to transfer these learnt skills to class activities. Last year, Charlie preferred contact with adults to that with peers, but this year he has been starting to pay more attention to his class friends if he is engaged in a simple game with them or when they are exploring interesting things. For example, he will pay attention to an interesting object controlled by another pupil, and will come to him or h er, reach for the item and explore it for brief moment before giving it back to his peer. This term, Charlie has developed a friendship with two girls in class Huma and Aiashah. He responded with interest to social overtures from them and used some actions to prolong interaction with them. For example, he will sneeze on purpose to make Aaishah laugh or will allow her to hold his hand and move them in the rhythm of ‘

Benefits of exercise on heart disease---(Physical Fitness and Essay

Benefits of exercise on heart disease---(Physical Fitness and Nutrition) - Essay Example a revolution in the treatment and care of people suffering from diseases of the heart such as Arrhythmia, Congenital Heart defects, High Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, Heart Failure or Peripheral Heart disease. Advanced technology used in diagnosis, surgery and treatment have made it possible to repair or fix these heart related defects. The intake of drugs, alcohol or tobacco contributes to high risk factors that eventually lead to heart problems. In lieu of this, physical fitness is a major contributing factor to a healthy heart. Exercise not only helps to relieve stress but it also helps to keep the body healthy and free from disease. How well your heart can compensate is determined by the level of overall fitness of your body, no matter which heart disease one has. In relation to this, exercises such as aerobics has a greater impact on a person with heart disease, as it results in physiological adaptations that allow submaximal workloads to be carried out even more efficiently, for it puts less strain on the cardiovascular system. Therefore regular participation of aerobic exercise guarantees a decrease in blood pressure and plays a protective role in the development of hypertension and CHD. Training studies that were conducted revealed that heart rate and blood pressure levels had significantly decreased in individuals with psychological stress and who had undergone aerobic exercises. The study included testing participants in both AT (aerobic training) and NT (no training). While the participants of the AT group were guided into doing regular aerobic exercises, the NT group of participants were instructed to r efrain from participating in any regular or new exercise. The NT group was also asked to maintain their regular daily activities and to record any prolonged physical activity that they performed during the day. Aerobic fitness was conducted and assessed via a graded exercise test on a motor-driven treadmill which needed the participants to

Philadelphia family Essay Example for Free

Philadelphia family Essay Born in 1856 into a wealthy Philadelphia family, Taylor disappointed his parents by working in a metal products factory, first as a machinist and next as a foreman. Shocked at the factorys inefficiency, and the practice of its skilled workers of purposely working slowly. As an engineer he was more interested in the practical outcome and not the psychology Taylor proposed solutions that he believed would solve both problems. By studying the time it took each worker to complete a step, and by rearranging equipment, Taylor believed he could discover what an average worker could produce in optimum conditions. The promise of higher wages, he figured, would create added incentive for workers to exceed this average level. Taylors time-and-motion studies offered a path away from the industrial wars of a century ago. Now what was needed was a way to apportion the wealth created by manufacturing enterprises. Taylors answer sidestepped the class struggle and interest group politics. He believed his principles would create a partnership between manager and worker, based on an understanding of how jobs should be done and how workers are motivated. These workers are motivated by money. He believed a fairs day work deserved a fair day bonus. He thought keeping his workforce happy would keep them producing at a high quality. He died in 1915, whilst on a speaking tour in the mid west he contracted influenza, he was admitted to hospital and celebrated his 59th birthday there and died the next day. Taylors second and third theory is used in the McDonalds. The McDonalds ethos is that the food preparation must be done to specific instructions. For instance the fries must be cooked for a 3 minutes at a temperature of 175o, then the buzzer tells the employee to take them out and salt them. Throughout all McDonalds are a series of dedicated, purpose-built machine for producing milkshakes, toasting buns and squirting chocolate sauce and much else. After 150 years this is the most active period working in industry, F W Taylor would feel very much at home ordering a Big Mac. The biggest person that Taylors theorys influenced was Henry Ford. Henry Ford was the first person to try mass production and it was a massive success. Taylors practices were first used in 1911 in the factory; by 1913 Ford had introduced a conveyor belt system and had achieved the ultimate Taylorite idea. This method was also used in Nazi death camps. They did not plan whom they would kill until the day they did it. Both Mussolini and Stalin both used his techniques during their communist uprisings. Taylor also wrote many books of these the most famous is The Principles of Scientific Management he wrote this in 1911. He split the book into two chapters the first the fundamentals of scientific management and the second The principles of scientific management. In the first chapter he stated that the principal object of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee. In the second chapter he stated that people should be told what to do and how they do it. They should be motivated by a money incentive. Before Taylor, skilled workers chose their own methods of work, but after Taylor workers were far more likely to have limited, repetitive tasks and were forced to work at a pace set by their manager. To maximise efforts of workers Taylor introduced an incentive system known as a differential piece-rate. This offered a meagre payment per unit produced. 2p per unit for the first 500 per day 5p per unit all those above 500 per day The threshold was set a t a level which those producing barely 500 received barely a living wage. To make 700 was a great incentive, as you would earn double what you would at the 500 mark. But the workers in many places resented this theory that the theory was abandoned soon after introduction. Problems with Taylors methods With Taylors notion of a quickest and best way for all workers does not take into account individual differences. There is no guarantee that the best way will suit everyone. Also some people naturally will be able to work faster than others creating a disadvantage for those he is not so fast. Taylor also viewed people as machines, with financial needs, than as humans in a social setting. People felt pressured and did not like being treated this way. He also overlooked the fact that some people work for other reasons than money. In a financial survey in 1982, a large sample of British people were asked whether they would carry on working if they financially did no need to. Nearly 70% of men and 655 of women said they would. Taylors Core values The rule of reason, improved quality, lower costs, higher wages, higher output, labour management, co-operation, experimentation, clear tasks and goals, feedback, training, stress reduction and the careful selection and development of people. He was the first to present a systemic study of interaction an d job requirements, tools, methods and human skills, to fit people into jobs both psychologically and physically, and to let data and facts do the talking rather than prejudice, opinions or egomania.

Rebutting Arguments to Legalize Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide Essay

Rebutting Arguments to Legalize Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide      Ã‚   This essay focuses on several of the most common arguments in favor of the legalization of euthanasia or assisted suicide - and rebuts them. The language is simple, or, as they say, in layman's terms so as to be easily understandable. The sources are from professional journals, internet websites, and news outlets.    The first common argument favoring euthanasia or assisted suicide is this: "Since euthanasia and assisted suicide take place anyway, isn't it better to legalize them so they'll be practiced under careful guidelines and so that doctors will have to report these activities?" That sounds good but it doesn't work. Physicians who do not follow the "guidelines" will not report and, even when a physician does report information, there is no way to know if it is accurate or complete. For example, the Oregon law requires the Oregon Health Division (OHD) to collect information and publish an annual statistical report about assisted suicide deaths.(Oregon) However, the law contains no penalties for health care providers who fail to report information to the OHD. Moreover, the OHD has no regulatory authority or resources to ensure submission of information to its office.(Prager) Thus, all information contained in the OHD's official reports is that which has been provided by the physicians who pr escribed the lethal drugs and only that which the physicians choose to provide.    The OHD even admitted that reporting physicians may have fabricated their versions of the circumstances surrounding the prescriptions written for patients. "For that matter, the entire account could have been a cock-and-bull story. We assume, however, that physicians wer... ...19, conducted by Hebert Research, October 31, 1991, and within one week following the November 5, 1991 vote. Five days before the vote only 9.7 percent of those opposing the measure cited religious reasons for their opposition. Following the measure's defeat, individuals who had previously indicated support for Initiative 119 were again surveyed. Of these previous supporters, 15 percent subsequently opposed the initiative. Religious reasons accounted for only 6.1 percent of this eventual opposition.    Transcript from audio tape of "On Target," WVON Radio (Chicago). Debate between Rita Marker and T. Patrick Hill, September 26, 1993.    Van der Wal,G. P. J. van der Maas, J. M. Bosma, et al., "Evaluation of the notification procedure for physician-assisted deaths in the Netherlands," 335 New England Journal of Medicine (November 28, 1996), p. 1706.

Great by Choice Essay

Many times entrepreneurs ask themselves, â€Å"Why my competitors are able to succeed and go through catastrophe after catastrophe yet my business is crashing? What makes that person better than me? Am I, not the chosen one? † Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen answer these common questions and many more in their educating novel entitled, Great by Choice. One of the main characteristic of a great leader is being prepared for every trail and tribulation that may come while running a business. It is a true fact that every business go through some type of chaos whether it’s enormous or petite; therefore, business owners must be ready to handle chaos in order to maintain the business. It is a common saying that states, â€Å"It is easy to start a relationship, yet, it is hard to maintain it. † Although this statement relate to relationships, it also relates to owning a business. â€Å"It is easy to start a business, yet it is difficult to maintain a business. † Jim Collins identifies three core behaviors in his novel that enabled companies to become truly great over an extended period of time which will be discussed later in the paper. At the beginning of the novel, Collins asked his self, â€Å"Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty and chaos and others do not? † After interviewing successful business owners and studying ancient history of successful leaders, Collins was able to answer that question and his answer was,† It’s not that they thrive on chaos, but they can thrive in chaos and uncertainty. † He created this illustration through a true story about two leaders name Amundsen and Scott: In October 1911, exactly 100 years ago, these two teams of explorers left the coast of Antarctica to try to be the first people in history to reach the South Pole. The Norwegian team, [led by] Amundsen, got to the South Pole first. [British naval officer Robert Falcon] Scott and the British team reached the pole second, 34 days later. Amundsen and his team made it back to their base at Polheim on the exact date that Amundsen had put in his planning journals when he was making his plans in Norway. Meanwhile, Scott and every member of his team died on the way back, about 10 or 11 miles from a supply depot. (Collins and Hansen, 2011) A great philosopher once stated, â€Å"In order to understand your future, you must first understand your past. History repeats itself. The tools that successful leaders used during ancient periods are the same tools that current leaders may retain. Therefore, it is vital for business owners to study and educate themselves on effective leaders in the past, so they may duplicate some of their leadership styles and be successful in the future. Amundsen and Scott story is the evidence of Collins answer at the beginning of the novel, Collins states: â€Å"It turns out that the way that Amundsen led his team maps very directly to the way our leaders led their companies. This is especially true in how he was different in his behaviors from the way Scott led his team, which is more like our comparison leaders. It was an almost perfect metaphoric mapping. † Hansen further emphasized, â€Å"When we looked at Amundsen, the fascinating part is that he had, literally, a 15-mile march target. He was going to go 15 miles every day toward the South Pole†¦ .He built a system around that. On the good days, he held back; he didn’t go the distance he could have gone. He just stopped in the early afternoon and rested. On the very difficult days, he made maybe five, six, seven miles, but nevertheless, he traveled on those days where Scott and the other team would sit in their tents. Both of them had a very interesting approach. Underlying that is what can only be described as fanatic discipline. Amundsen was extraordinary in his discipline, preparing his whole life for this particular moment. † After reviewing these two leaders style of leadership, in result, they basically â€Å"reap what they sowed†. Amundsen created a plan that not only met his goal but helped him survive while meeting his goal. Whereas Scott only did enough to get by and at the end he and his team died. Companies that have phenomenal leaders, usually plan carefully, every â€Å"I† is dotted and every â€Å"t† is crossed, therefore, they can take any hit and still be successful. Scott could not do that because he rush on the planning stage of his journey and ironically he rushed his time on earth. On the other hand Amundsen demonstrated the â€Å"three distinctive behaviors† that Collins and Scott discussed in their novel: productive paranoia, empirical creativity and fanatic discipline. Like Amundsen, Bill Gate is a good example of productive paranoia. Bill Gates sat down and thought of all the things that could possibly go wrong with his company and then he prepared for those obstacles ahead of time. Gates allowed his fear to drive him to productivity. Many leaders get comfortable in their success and fail to realize that thousands of businesses are created every day, therefore, leaders should always be informed about the companies that surrounding them because if they become too comfortable then other developing companies can take their clients or buy out their business. Running a business is like a running competition. Some runners know that they are good at running and they feel like no one else could catch up or out run them. Yet they lose because they get so comfortable at the speed that they were running and their competitors eventually catch up. Winning does not matter if you are good at the beginning yet lose at the end. A leader does not only succeed through fear but they also create a plan that is unique and creative to survive through the impossible. A successful leader is a risk taker and a risk taker display empirical creativity. During Amundsen planning he stated, â€Å"I am not going to bet our expedition and bet our life on an unproven technology, so I’m not going with motor sledges. I am going with skis and dogs and sleds because we know they work. † Technology is very popular and the average person would have chosen the motor sledges because many people believe that technology is reliable and convenient. Yet, Amundsen did not want to go the easy route out he wanted to stick with the fundamentals of traveling on snow and his plan worked. Why? Because he thought outside the box and he took a risk. In addition Amundsen, put his base on Bay of Whales, which was known as a dangerous area. However, Amundsen decided not to listen to everybody and do his own research on Bay of Whales. In result, Bay of Whales was not as dangerous as others believed, therefore he choose that area to house his self and his team. Good leaders believe none of what they hear and half of what they see. After fear comes creativity and after creativity comes consists. Every great leader own the character trait of fanatic discipline which is the essential consists of action. Hansen better explained fanatic discipline, he states, Number one, you set a progress standard for yourself. Secondly, you have a lower boundary, what you must hit, and an absolute commitment to hitting it in bad times and good times. Then there is an upper boundary, and you have the discipline to hold back and not just maximize growth because you can, because that is going to expose you to possible storms coming your way down the road. Then the fourth characteristic is that you must hit it. It’s not about good intentions: They don’t really count here. It is about hitting it. † Hansen calls this theory the principles of a 20-mile march. In the novel, Hansen and Collins used John Brown, who was the CEO of Stryker as a good example. When Brown became the CEO of Stryker he set a goal for the company net income to grow 20% every year. As the market fluctuated, Brown still focused on his target goal and him and the company managed to survive through the industry downturn. When you look at Bill Gates, Amundsen and John Brown, you are looking at the epitome of dynamic  leaders. All three leaders were visionaries and they all worked hard towards a goal regardless of their surroundings. They were discipline. Jim Collins once stated, â€Å"A culture of discipline is not a principle of business, it is a principle of greatness. † While other companies were crashing, they were progressing and sticking to their plan of action. The purpose of the novel â€Å"Great by Choice† is to educate leaders on how to set a strong solid foundation that can survive during the storms. Every human being in this world is given choices, however it is up to an individual to choose to be great or choose to be a failure. At the end of the day, a person will always be remembered by the choices that they make in life, therefore my choice is to be great!