Comparison of the Theories of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on Religion

Abstract This paper examines the works of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on religion, looking at how both theorists essentially viewed religion as serving an integral role in human culture. In particular, this essay considers how both theorist consider religious believers to be mistaken in their ontological beliefs, and the rational causes for this. Introduction While both Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim are concerned with the study of human behaviour as it relates to culture, each does so from within distinct traditions. In terms of religion, Freud’s approach belongs to the psychological tradition, while Durkheim puts forward a sociological approach. In the Freudian view, human behaviour is largely driven by inborn and intangible â€Å"drives†, working in the unconscious. Such phenomena are not directly observable, that is, they are non-empirical; they must consequently be inferred, and as such are conjectural. Durkheim’s sociological method, on the other hand, utilises direct empirical observations of social phenomena (rites, rituals, customs, et cetera), looking to account for the impetus behind and purpose of group behaviour. Hence Freud is concerned with obscure, intangible internal phenomena, whereas Durkheim is concerned with overt and tangible external phenomena. Evidently, the theoretical positions in question to a degree divide between internal and external motivations. Different Routes to the Core of a Delusion Durkheim posits a direct connection between environmental variables, the way groups interact with such variables, and how this interaction is perceived by individual members of said group. There is a mode of cyclical reflexivity in this dynamic: this means people â€Å"living together in society generate rules which are felt by any individual member as acting on him from outside, as having a force which he feels as both uplifting and constraining† (Scharf 1970, 151). This force, Durkheim argues, is an externalisation of conventions peculiar to the group; that are perceived as exogenous but which are in fact endogenous. This tendency to externalise, Durkheim suggests, derives from the natural human desire to ascribe meaning to experience, to seek a pattern in the natural order. Thus, as Kunin states, religion likewise â€Å"is an externalisation of society and its order† and speaks to the â€Å"dialectic relationship between the individual and society† (2003, 82). Religion, then, provides for an externalised object onto which collective emotion can be projected; this is ultimately reflexive because the externalisation at root represents the people themselves. As a result, to honour religious custom is indirectly to honour the group. This is why for Durkheim religious experience serves to strengthen group cohesion and bonding. Freud’s understanding of religion is somewhat pejorative. Connolly observes that Freud noticed â€Å"the connection between abnormal psychological conditions and religion† (1991, 146): which observation he expanded upon in his study â€Å"Obsessive acts and Religious Practices† (1907). As the paper’s title suggests, Freud drew a connection between psychological abnormality and religious practice, noting a resemblance between â€Å"what are called obsessive acts in neurotics and those religious observances by means of which the faithful give expression to their piety† (17). In turn, Fre ud perceived religion, like neurosis, as symptomatic of deep-seated psychological issues. In the words of Gallucci, â€Å"Freud saw religion as a collective neurotic symptom, an obsessional neurosis† (2001, 76). This â€Å"neurosis†, according to psychoanalytic theory, comes about as a defence mechanism against feelings of helplessness which obtain in a dispassionate cosmos. Hence the need for a cosmic father figure, who, as a parent comforts the child, palliates the religious subject with conciliatory notions (about purpose, meaning, boundaries, rewards, and so on). This entire dynamic apparently stems from Oedipal anxieties, where â€Å"each person grows up with a sense of foreboding toward a father figure who is both feared and loved†; this, it follows, â€Å"becomes the basis for the cosmic father figure, who offers protection and salvation but in the meantime needs to be appeased by devotion and sacrifice† (Clarke 2002, 43). In Freud’s mind, r eligion therefore constitutes a surrogate parent. On the surface, Freud and Durkheim proffer two seemingly quite different explanations for religion. Importantly, while these theories are not overtly complementary, nor are they mutually exclusive. Indeed, significant parallels may be drawn between each approach. For example, both both theorists argued that religion is an important factor in community cohesion (Scharf 1970, 155); both agree that â€Å"religion is central to any cultural analysis† (Ginsburg and Pardes 2006, 220); and, thus, both hold that â€Å"that the cognitive roots of religious belief are to be found in social experience† (Spiro 1987, 202). These similarities are significant and, moreover, point to one common determinant: that the underlying basis of religious convictions are contrary to what believers suppose. For Durkheim, the real driving force behind religion is social cohesion; for Freud, the impetus is psychological assuagement. In either case, social unity and mental wellbeing obtain, only for slightly different conceptual reasons. From the above, one might argue that Freud and Durkheim share significant overarching perspectives on religion while holding markedly different structural viewpoints on how and why religion functions. Freud is concerned with psychological structures; Durkheim with sociological structures. Freud believes religion works to console believers from the ultimate anxiety of a meaningless cosmos. Durkheim believes religion provides for a canvas on which social phenomena can be externalised and then re-accommodated as an exogenous entity. Again, both modes of behaviour essentially work to the same purpose: instilling a sense of meaning in human life. At this stage, one might consider the ways in which Freudian theory could compensate for shortfalls in the work of Durkheim and vice versa. For instance, Durkheim offers little in the way of early psychological developmental insights, into the religious pr ocess; yet there is no reason that early anxiety (of an Oedipal nature) could not cohere with Durkheimian ideas. Indeed, such anxiety and the consequent potential for neurosis could suggest an even greater need for group cohesion: as a way of reifying the delusion through consensus, thus alleviating the anxiety. Again, this would chime with Durkheim’s understanding that religion is â€Å"a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things [. . .] which unite in one single moral community called a Church† (cited in Gain 2010, 39). By the same token, Freud’s limitations could perhaps be overcome with reference to some of Durkheim’s insights. Scharf notes a â€Å"weakness of Freudian theory† in that it â€Å"does little to explain [the] variety† in articulations of paternity and fraternity within religious discourse, advising that, here, â€Å"Durkheim’s structural approach has more value† (1970, 154). Accordingly we see that a synthesis of theoretical approaches may not only be possible but highly advantageous. Conclusion Freud and Durkheim take very different roads to arrive at more or less the same destination. For this reason, significant and consistent core elements may be identified between their works. These include the fundamental belief that religion serves an explicable, material, social purpose which is essentially external to theological concerns; that religious believers are at base mistaken in their beliefs (insomuch as these beliefs are connected to cosmic phenomena beyond the rationally explicable); that, it follows, religion is the irrational articulation of an ultimately rational cause (anxiety or clan behaviour); that religion can function as a surrogate or projection of humanity – reformed with divine auspices; and that, finally, religion is an integral element of human culture. What is fundamentally different in these two authors is their methodological priorities. Each man comes from a very distinct tradition. Put simply, Freud and Durkheim were engaged in different discipl ines; as a result, their pursuits were orientated differently The reason Freud and Durkheim’s works are compared at all is that the realms of the sociological and of the psychological possess mutual territory: the grounds of culture. Both theorists have their limitations. Durkheim can be accused of being over reductive and simplistic. Social structure may not be enough to account for every aspect of religion. Psychological, cognitive and other inborn factors may also have a large part to play. Freud, on the other hand, may place too much onus on the unconscious drives in dictating religious experience. After all, religion is so varied and complex, it might be argued, to defy any wholesale theory to explain it away. What, for example, do we make of religions in which there is no â€Å"father figure† proper; or religions which proclaim no deity at allClearly there are unanswered questions on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps a hybrid methodology that adopted a syncretic a pproach to the study of religion might help answer these questions. After all, it seems to be the case that both Freud and Durkheim arrived at crucial insights into the social and psychological determinants that drive religion. References Clarke, P. J. (2002) Explaining Philosophy and Ethics. Cheltenham: Nelson Thomas. Connolly, P. (1991) â€Å"Psychological Approaches†. In: Connolly, P. ed. Approaches to the Study of Religion. New York: Continuum, pp. 135-193. Durkheim, E. (1912). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. (J. Swain, Trans.) New York: The Free Press. Freud, S. (1907) â€Å"Obsessive Acts and Religious Practices†. In: J Strachey (ed. and trans.) Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth Press. Gain, M., 2010. On Durkheim’s Rules of Sociological Method (Routledge Revivals). New York: Routledge. Gallucci, G. M., 2001. Plato and Freud: Statesmen of the Soul. Philadelphia: Xlibris. Ginsburg, R. & Pardes, L., 2006. New Perspectives on Freud’s Moses and Monotheism. Tubingen: Niemeyer. Kunin, S. D., 2003. Religion: The Modern Theories. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Scharf, B. R., 1970. â€Å"Durkheimian and Freudian Theories of Religion: The Case of Judaism†, The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 21. 2 (June), pp. 151-163. Spiro, M. E., 1987. Culture and Human Nature. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

A Worn Path: Dementia Essay

Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. It affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. This disease usually affects the old generation. As the human body ages, some aspects of life may not be as easy as they were before. In this paper, I will talk about the causes, symptoms, medications, diagnosis, complications, and preventions of Dementia. The causes of Dementia can be heightened. Most types of dementia are nonreversible. Nonreversible means the changes in the brain that are causing the dementia cannot be stopped or turned back. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Lewy body disease is a leading cause of dementia in elderly adults. People with this condition have abnormal protein structures in certain areas of the brain. Dementia also can be due to many small strokes. This is called vascular dementia. Some other medical conditions that can lead to Dementia are Huntingson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Some causes of dementia may be stopped or reversed if they are found soon enough. Some more causes are brain injury, brain tumor, chronic alcohol abuse, changes in sodium and calcium levels. Dementia usually occurs in older age. It is rare in people under age 60. The risk for dementia increases as a person gets older. Dementia symptoms include difficulty with many areas of mental function. Some symptoms are language, memory, perception, emotional behavior or personality, and cognitive skills such as such as critical thinking, calculation, and judgment. Dementia usually first appears as forgetfulness. Mild cognitive impairment is the stage between normal forgetfulness due to aging and the development of dementia. People with MCI have mild problems with thinking and memory that do not interfere with everyday activities. They are often aware of the forgetfulness. Not everyone with MCI develops dementia. Some symptoms of MCI are: Difficulty performing more than one task at a time, difficulty solving problems or making decisions, forgetting recent events or conversations, taking longer to perform more difficult mental activities. The early symptoms of dementia can include: Difficulty performing tasks that take some thought, but that used to come easily, such as balancing a checkbook, playing games, and learning new information or routines. Getting lost on familiar routes can also be an early sign of Dementia. Language problems, such as trouble finding the name of familiar objects, losing interest in things you previously enjoyed, flat mood, misplacing items, and personality changes and loss of social skills, which can lead to inappropriate behaviors.

Leadership Value

Leadership has been a common term and everyone has his or her own understanding of its meaning. Most of the time we understood leadership on one’s strong character combined with charisma. But this understanding is faulty as leadership is not a sole function of individual charisma or talent but a collective activity. Gilbert Fairnholm defines leadership as an interactive function of a leader and several followers jointly engaged† (p. 8) which means that there is a collective effort in terms of value and trust enough to prove each one’s confidence in participating in collective activity. Value on the other hand derived its roots from French and English word courage or valor. In business world, value means worth thus according to Kim S. Cameron, â€Å"value creation is the objective of every enterprise, every worker, and every leader and all employees are judged by their ability to create value† (p. 4). Leadership value therefore could mean a collected courageous undertakings being inspired by the leader’s own courage or the worth of having a leader in a collective effort. The leadership Principles Joseph A. Heim pointed out five principles of leadership that should be implemented in order to have a â€Å"successful management of people and technology† (p. 161). The first principle, the people understands the vision. Heim explained that when people understands the vision or the larger task of an enterprise, and are given the right information, the resources, and the responsibility, they will do the right thing (p. 161). The second principle is empowerment of individual. Heim noted that empowered people—and of course with a good leadership–empowered groups will have not only the ability but also the desire to participate in the decision process. Heim explained that the level of involvement will enable and encourage the individual to make decision rather than adopt a passive or reactive attitude, waiting to be told what to do. The third principle is a comprehensive and effective communications network. Heim emphasized that this network should distribute knowledge and information widely; embracing the openness and trust that allow the individual to feel empowered to affect the real problems. The fourth is integrated enterprise, it is the result of â€Å"democratization and dissemination of information through the network† (p. 161) in all directions irrespective of organizational position. The result of these first four principles, which is distributed decision-making, is the fifth principle. Heim pointed out that â€Å"information freely shared with empowered people who are motivated to make decisions will naturally distribute the decision making process through the entire organization. Leadership and Values According to Jeswal Salacuse, â€Å"Leadership express a complex and at the same time flexible concept† (p. 19). Salacuse noted that the English word â€Å"leader† is derived from the old English laedan which means to show the way, to be ahead of   moving a group of people willing toward and objective. It therefore implies the existence of followers. Like leadership, everyone may have already basic idea of what values are. Dran, Gila M. Von, and Jennifer Cargill point out that Values â€Å"are broad general beliefs about the way people should behave, or about some end state they should attain† (p. 121). They explained that people form their values in the same way in which they develop their personality, thus values are conclusive beliefs individual develop gradually about what is true or right or good about their world. They pointed out â€Å"values come from the early conditioning, experience, and significant events in one’s life† (p. 121) and are the criteria for selecting actions, goals, and methods. Leadership Traits Pieter John Diederik Drenth, Henk Thiery, and Charles Johanes Wolff, pointed out that leadership traits â€Å"is founded on the assumption that leaders poses certain personal qualities, such as courage, intelligence, strength of character, vision, or charisma, which followers do not possess† (p. 326) But this assumption waned because according to Drent, Thiery, and Wolff, â€Å"it has proved impossible to find a single set of characteristic that enables a clear and reliable distinction to be drawn between†¦ leaders and followers† (p. 326). But recent study admits that certain characteristics are only important in certain circumstances such as in athletic or sports. Drent, Thiery and Wolff pointed out the studies conducted in 1981 by Bass which concludes that â€Å"Leadership as such is not a property of an individual’s personality, but there are nonetheless certain fixed personal characteristic that seem to play part in the exercise of leadership† (p. 326). Leadership Skill Like leadership and values, skill is a familiar term. Skill is the ability to do something well. Robert Eugene Lefton and Victor Buzzota identified four basic leadership skills that a leader needs. First, The sizing-up skills or the ability to observe what do in work situations as objectively as you can; Second, Communication skills or the ability to find out what others think and for getting your own ideas across, Third, Motivational skills or the ability to create an environment in which people do what they are capable of because they have a compelling reason to do so, and fourth, Adaptive skills or the ability to relate to people as a unique individual. Advance leadership skills Advance leadership skills according to William Christ, are â€Å"blends of knowledge, skill, and attitude and require greater levels of behavioral flexibility and adaptability† (p. 29). Below are some of the advance leadership scales that Christ delineated. (1) Manage and resolve conflicts effectively, (2) Develop messages that influence attitudes, beliefs, and actions, (3) Ability to demonstrate credibility and ability to manage multiple communications effectively, (4) Creative management skills, and (5) interpersonal skills. Leadership Behavior Leadership behavior according Manuel London is the result of perceiving situations, relating situational perceptions to accumulated knowledge, and then using scripts to guide the production of situationally appropriate behavior.   Studies on leadership behavior shows that exemplary leaders always balanced high task orientation and high person orientation, according to Gary Monroe Crow, Joseph Mathews, and Lloyed Mc Cleary, task orientation focused such behaviors as planning, monitoring and coordinating, while person-orientation focused on such behavior as informing of decisions and praising their accomplishment (p. 11). Assessing Leadership and measuring its Effect Assessing leadership according to Daniel Goleman , Rechard Boyatzis, and Annie Mckee can be done through a series of interviews   and observations by a professional executive coach. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee point out that a â€Å"typical process include conversations about the leaders career and life history, discussion of current managerial and leadership challenges, and discussion of the organizational-level issues as well as including things such as climate, politics, and system† (p. 228). Novick, Morrow, and Mays discussed measuring leadership effect.   According to them, one question that a leader should ask is, ‘How am I doing as a leader?’   They suggested that by using psychological assessment instruments can help measure leadership effect or effectiveness.   This instrument that help assess one’s self and appreciate the contribution of others is available in many forms. Work Cited Cameron, Kim S. Competing Values Leadership: Creating Value in Organization. Christ, William. Leadership in Times of Change: A Handbook for Communication and Media Administrators (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998) Crow, Gary Monroe, et.al. Leadership: A Relevant and Realistic Role for Principals. (Eye on Education, Inc., 1996). Drenth, Pieter Johan Drederick, et.al., Organizational Psychology. (Psychology Press, 1998). Fairnholm, Gilbert W. Leadership and Culture of Trust. (Praeger/Greenwood, 1994). Heim, Joseph. Manufacturing Systems: Foundations of World Class Practice. (National Academies, 1992). Goleman Daniel, et.al. Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead. (Harvard Business School Press, 2004). Lefton, Robert Eugene and Buzzota, Victor. Leadership Through People Skills. (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004). London, Manuel. How People Evaluate Others in Organization. (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001). Novick, Lloyd, et.al. Public Health Administration: Principles for Population Based Management. (Jones and Bartlett, 2007) Salacuse, Jeswal W. Leading Leaders: How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich, and Powerful People. (AMARCOM Div. American Management Association, 2006).            

Barn Burning by William Faulkner

The narrative â€Å"Barn burning† seems to be an imperative one as it very evidently illustrates the typical fight between the â€Å"privileged† and the â€Å"deprived† categories plus reveals how an underprivileged man suffers when the law is rooted in taking the well-off man's side.A further important idea of the story is that it looks at a truth-seeking issue that at what stage should an individual make a preference between what his blood relation(s) and / or kin deems and his personal morals or at what occasion should a youngster depart his parents home and limitations and quit, to make his own decisions?I suppose the reason that this fiction is important is because Faulkner inscribes it in such a manner that it fetches the booklover in and makes him/her empathize with Sarty and his honorable dilemma. The hero in this story is a child named Sarty Snopes, kid of Abner Snopes who is an arsonist. He is an unfortunate, forlorn, and bemused little boy who is at th e kindness of his arrogant father Abner.He is demoralized, immature and has a well-built sense of correct and incorrect. Sarty swears in aid of his father’s defense, and albeit he finds the fairness satisfying, he is indicting his father of the felonies he committed; Ab is Snopes opponent as well. Snopes has endured a very itinerant existence with panic and disgrace because of his father’s crimes.This contradicts with his outlook of justice, correct and incorrect. Snopes eventually comes to the decision and alienated himself from the control of another man and capitulated to his own (Loges, 1998). In appreciating that Snopes becomes a rebel icon to the reader. References Loges, M. L. (1998), Faulkner's Barn Burning, Journal Title: The Explicator, Vol. 57 No. 1, pp. 44-45.

Black Masculinity Essay

What is an ethnic group? An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry . These ethnic groups are usually united by shared cultural values, common fields of communication, or religious practices. So perhaps the theory of Black masculinity can be considered an ethnic group. There is the obvious factors of being ‘Black’ and ‘male’ that connects these members in this group; they have skin color and gender in common. Perhaps this cultural group has come together to be more then just a group who have race and gender in common. It goes beyond that and Black masculinity has members who are not ‘Black’. Perhaps this questions if history, ancestry, and genealogy are factored in when becoming a members of a group. But will these members be truly accepted in the cult of Black masculinity. Within the dominant culture African American men have developed their own sense of identity. These men have integrated themselves into American society creating a culture of their own. They have established a language, a sense of dress, and behaviors. These protocols help this group of men emphasize their ethnicity and gender. Members of this group who follow these traits are considered to be part of the cult of Black masculinity. What is happening is that white men, because of the influence of pop culture, are permeating the boundaries of the Black masculine cult. This is an experience of somewhat reverse assimilation. At first it was the assimilation of the Black man into the white man’s world and now it is as if roles are reversed. How the white men see the Black masculinity portrayed through the media and want to be part of it. Anthropologist Fredrik Barth specifies three conditions under which ethnic groups develop and define themselves: (a) a dominant culture is present with the power to maintain conditions whereby other groups of people, (b) are stereotyped, and (c) are constrained to certain roles that function complementarily in the general culture. Barth argues that ethnic distinctions are born out of conflict . The above conditions are necessary for the maintenance of ethnic distinctions. So, the maintenance of ethnic diversity requires domination by one group of the rest. Using Barth’s definition of what an ethnic group is and which boundaries are defined by these rules this paper will prove how Black masculinity conforms to these guidelines establishing them as an ethnic group within the dominant culture. This paper will also explore the difference that is expressed by black males in American culture through the use of language, dress and behavior. The cult of Black masculinity will prove that ethnic groups can create something of their own while inventing a new culture in which they can partake in and be control of. Black Masculinity â€Å"A particular type of black masculinity–one defined mainly by an urban aesthetic, a nihilistic attitude, and an aggressive posturing–has made its way into the cultural mainstream in the last two decades. † There are many contributing factors but the image of Black masculinity has come about due to the popularization of hip-hop culture and the prominence of rap music and the â€Å"videomercials† that sell it. More specifically, it is the result of the popularity of the urban â€Å"gangsta† and his embodiment in the â€Å"gangsta† rap of artists such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupak Shakur. Black masculinity is the attempt for black males to incorporate what the dominant culture believes to be masculine. Most studies have, however regarded Black Masculinity as an alternative to social status, rather than as an extension of it. ‘Black Macho’ has been portrayed, therefore, as differing in kind rather than degree from the wider gendered power relations within Society at large†¦ It is however; only within the context of wider power relations — and as an extension of them –that Black masculinity can be fully understood†¦ Black masculinity is then perhaps best understood as an articulated response to structural inequality, enacting and subverting dominant definitions of power and control, rather then substituting for them. Rather than a hostile and withdrawn entity [black masculinity] can be seen as a base for interaction and negotiation with wider society . These men have taken an idea which already exists according to society and incorporated what they believe is their definition of masculinity. This expression of masculinity, according to Mercer and Julien: â€Å"subjectively incorporates attributes associated with dominant definitions of manhood – such as being tough, in control, independent – in order to recuperate some degree of power or active influence over objective conditions of powerlessness created by racism. † Black masculinity embraces the stereotypical role of what a Black man typically resembles. What the dominant culture portrays: the tough guy, more body then mind. This is received as negative because they are not achieving what the ideal is, what â€Å"Whiteness† is. So would this group of men be considered an ethnic group within the American society? According to Barth an ethnic group embodies the following: â€Å"Largely biologically self-perpetuating, shares fundamental cultural values, realized in overt unity in cultural forms, makes up a field of communication and interaction, has a membership which identifies itself, and is identified by others, as constituting a category distinguishable from other categories of the same order. † Those who choose to conform to these norms of this group will reject or discriminate against others and this leads to the inclusion of this specific group. Behavior How one behaves will determine what group they will fit into. These behaviors include how one dresses, acts and talks. Black masculinity has their own sense of dress, actions and even language. Depicted through the media the Black masculine male will dress â€Å"gangster†. There stereotyped baggie jeans and big t-shirts with the jewelry and baseball caps. This reinforces the hyper-sexualized stereotyped male in society. Recently, Richard G. Major’s concept of the â€Å"cool pose† has proved an insightful term for understanding the dynamics of black masculinity as it has developed in response to unequal conditions in the modern urban environment. In a series of closely related works (listed at the end of this essay), Majors argues that black males have accepted the traditional values of masculinity but are so restricted by social and political factors that many of them have been deeply frustrated by their inability to enact these traditional masculine roles. â€Å"In brief,† Majors explains, â€Å"cool pose originated as a coping mechanism for the ‘invisibility,’ frustration, discrimination, and educational and employment inequities faced by Black males. In response to these obstacles, many of these individuals have channeled their creative talents and energies into the construction of masculine symbols and into the use of conspicuous nonverbal behaviors (e. g. , demeanors, gestures, clothing, hairstyles, walks, stances and handshakes)† . Majors includes in his examples of the cool pose such diverse behaviors as the use of humor, feigned emotional detachment, and specific stylistic expressions like the black athlete’s inventive basketball dunking, football spiking, and end zone dancing, as well as black musical performers’ aggressive posing and graceful yet strenuous dancing styles. A prime ingredient of the cool pose as a compensatory form of masculinity is an exaggerated style of toughness: â€Å"Symbolic displays of toughness defend his identity and gain him respect; they can also promote camaraderie and solidarity among black males† . Unfortunately, as Majors is careful to point out, the ritualized hyper masculinity performed by many black men as a cool pose, particularly the preoccupation with enacting a tough persona is rife with the negative potential to promote dangerous lifestyles (e. g. , gang bangers, tough guys, drug dealers, street hustlers, and pimps) and to reinforce harmful stereotypes. These images illuminate the figure of the menacing Black male. He embodies images of the black heterosexual rapper, athlete, and movie star which challenge the racist depictions of black masculinity as incompetent, oversexed and uncivil, in the end a threat to middle class notions of womanhood, family and nation . Perhaps with these embodiments this is why Black masculinity is its own ethnic group. They were unable to assimilate into the dominant culture because they were seen as a hyper sexualized threat to white women. This left these men to create something of their own, through dress, language and action. This group uses language as another expression of social difference. African American Vernacular English is the language that is used to communicate, it is also known as Black English, Black Vernacular, or Black English Vernacular. Black English is also known as Ebonics, a combination of â€Å"ebony† and â€Å"phonics†, this language is spoken by many Blacks in the United States and around the world. Black masculinity has accepted Ebonics as their language because it is something that is unique to the African American culture. The problem with this form of communication is that it is not widely accepted within the dominant society. The children who are raised by men who are part of this cult of Black masculinity are told to speak differently because the form of communication that they have learned is not acceptable. This is a miscommunication and some parties tried to get Ebonics recognized as a language and to be taught in the school systems. This law was not passed but it was interpreted and they are now teaching the children how to translate African American Vernacular English into American Standard English. Jackson sees language as â€Å"badges and emblems of identity can be seen as a kind of message, the successful transmission, reception, and decoding of which necessary to the interaction is taking place. † This is why Black masculinity is as strong as it is because it embraces their own language and through this they are able to maintain relationships with others in this group of men. Such as the word â€Å"Nigga†, if this word were used by someone outside of this cultural group then they would be considered racist but through music and use within the group it is considered to be a term used to identify each other. It would be seen as odd if someone who did not embody Black masculinity started speaking in African American Vernacular English because they may not have the ancestry which allows them to embody Black Masculinity and their language. Boundaries To form a cultural boundary it is presumed that the borders would be between different homelands, ethnicities, religions or language groups. In the case of Black masculinity the majority are situated all over North America and the rest of the world. With such a diverse spread it would be hard to place physical borders on this group. â€Å"Ethnic groups are not merely or necessarily based on the occupation of exclusive territories; and the different ways in which they are maintained, not only by once-and-for-all recruitment but by continual expression and validation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In saying this, those who partake in the cult of Black masculinity erect borders through communication such as language and body language. Those who do not respond to these actions are not considered to be part Black male society. There is certain protocol which will be followed within the group and if this is not followed then there is the identification of an outsider who is trying to break through the borders. The problem with Black masculinity and the exclusivity of this culture is that it is widely available in pop culture. It would be easy for someone who is not part of this ethnic group to study the mass media and learn the traits which define Black masculinity. Black masculinity is based on ascription how people identify their culture and how they identify themselves within this culture. Their boundaries are socially constructed. Ethnic groups share common culture which includes shared religion, language, style of dress, housing, shared customs; attitudes, beliefs and most have the same perception of a common past. As discussed earlier this group embraces a shared common culture which separates them from the dominant culture. They have created themselves due to a particular historical circumstance and in this case it is colonization and the invasion of the White man. The identity of Black masculinity is reliant on how individuals embrace it, constrained by it; act on it and through this Black masculinity will have a separate identity as an ethnic group. To separate themselves they have must be able to distinguish them from the dominant culture by â€Å"creating appearance of cultural discontinuity†. Black masculinity has done this by assuming roles such as the gangster rapper, the black athlete or movie star. By creating these identities they are constructing a boundary between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them†. Overtime groups tend to become culturally more homogenous. This endangers the boundary and makes it harder to maintain but in order to preserve its distinct identity these boundaries need to be maintained by the group. Boundary maintenance serves to isolate the group from alternative value systems (according to which its members may find themselves ranked differently), preserves the group’s existing internal power structure, and provides a potential source of political power for the group through solidarity and numbers . Black masculinity is a strong force in the media and to follow what their cultural beliefs are would be easy. They have familiarized their culture with the dominant culture allowing anyone to be able to participate in their beliefs. This weakens their borders and makes it harder to maintain a stronghold at their borders. The only thing that would not be broken within Black masculinity is in the name. To be a true part of this ethnic group one would have to be a Black male. This is the only thing that will hold true to maintain the borders of Black masculinity. Biologically Self Perpetuating Black masculinity has become such a widely known phenomenon and even those who do not share the same ancestry seem to be able to embody traits of this group. Traditionally an ethnic group would share a common background and kin. Through the use of mass media the cult of the Black male has become highly sexualized and those who see this machismo want to be part of it. Ethnic groups are primarily endogamous and this new assimilation into their group will cause problems with this. This is a problem because it takes away from the power of what this group stands for and what they embody as the macho man. â€Å"In a social order where white beliefs form fundamental explanations of how individuals should enact their color-sex positions and associated role expectations, black males do not, regardless of their economic status or intellectual capabilities, have the cultural prerogative to take the initiative. † This quote redefines that there is a dominant culture and allowing assimilation this group is allowing the power to be taken away. As these men are portrayed as hyper sexualized in the media it introduces them to something that the dominant culture views as the ideal, this goes back to colonization and the want of what the White man has, the unattainable. â€Å"A major reason for the initial encounter was the mystique attached to the hitherto unavailable ‘the white goddess’ † . This â€Å"white goddess†, the unavailable, is the difference between the dominant culture and the Black Masculinity. Black men move between majority and minority cultures and must negotiate the racism and discrimination that accompany caste-like minority status. Frazier suggests that Black masculinity and male role identity must be viewed in these varying social and cultural contexts . Specifically, Black men are expected to conform to dominant gender role expectations (e. g. , to be successful, competitive, aggressive), as well as meeting culturally specific requirements (e. g. , cooperation, promotion of group, and survival of group) of the Black community. â€Å"certain patriarchal values such as physical strength, sexual prowess and being in control as a means of survival against the repressive and violent system of subordination to which they were subjected† . The dehumanizing aspect of this myth, a myth that Mercer claims many black men do not want demystified because it in some ways (e. g. , strength, sexual prowess) raises them above the status of white men, is that, while an emphasis on the body as brute force is a marker of the difference between male and female, it is also a key symbol in the division between nature and culture. Perhaps this is why Black masculinity came to be. It is argued that the members of the Black Power movement defined the politics of race within â€Å"metaphoric of phallic power,† which developed out of male activists’ desires to counter cultural articulations of black male inferiority , and that this is readily seen in the writings of influential figures such as Malcolm X, Huey Newton, Eldridge Clever, and Amiri Baraka. Wiegman further claims that the phallocentric perspective was also articulated through the macho, hyper masculine characters appearing in the blaxploitation films of the early 1970s. It is through Wiegman’s phallic theories about Black males that this ethnic group created the term and culture of Black masculinity. Conclusion Through Barth this paper has been able to discuss the boundaries which the ethnic group Black masculinity was able to control. They were able to create their own ethnic group in response to the dominant culture. They defined themselves through being Black males. They embodied what it meant to be. They did this by dress and action. This is recently obvious through the media and ‘gangta’ rap and perhaps with this embodiment they are able to prove that they are able to exist as a powerful force within the dominant culture. Black masculinity members are able to have their own sense of language whether it be verbal, Ebonics, of physical, â€Å"cool pose†. This is how they established members of the group and were able to communicate with each other by these means. They reinforced that the â€Å"cool pose† displays toughness and it gains him respect and from this it promotes solidarity within the group of Black males. The â€Å"cool pose† is not always a good thing. In the media the dominant society does not see the athlete but the gangster and the stereotype which is created by the dominant culture. They are seen as a threat and to keep them safe Black masculinity was created in an attempt to create values and rules of their own in order to obtain status in a dominant culture. To keep this group exclusive these Black men created a language of their own and through this they communicate and they are able to maintain a strong bond through these means of communication. Through the use of language they create borders. The borders which they created allow them to maintain who they are without being assimilated into the dominant culture. They have embraced and emphasized who they are and what they stand for. To protect this they erected borders such as similar dress/style, language, sense of history and shared customs. These aspects are unique to them but as popular culture embraced these aspects such as language and dress the borders began to break. One thing that the dominant culture could not break is their gender and race. They were African American men and no matter what the dominant culture did to try and assimilate them they had this to celebrate. This is important to maintain the strength of your borders. Black masculinity is a group of Black males who have been able to preserve that they are part of an ethnic group and they have history which needs to be respected. They are trying to sustain a culture that is slowly being integrated into the dominant culture. If this group follows what Barth has laid out in order to maintain boundaries then Black masculinity will be able to be whomever they want within the dominant culture. REFERENCES Alexander, C. The Art of Being Black. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. Barths, F. Ethnic Groups and Boundaries. Oslo: Universitesforlaget, 1969. Frazier, E. Franklin. The Negro Family in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939. Gray, H. â€Å"He Is a â€Å"Bad Mother*S%@! #†: Shaft and Contemporary Black Masculinity. American Quarterly. Vol. 50, No. 2, 1998. Gray, H. Cultural Politics. A Special Section:Black Masculinity and Visual Culture. Callaloo, Vol. 18, No. 2. (Spring, 1995). Jackson, J. Language Identity of The Colombian Vaupes Indians. In Baumand, R. ,Sherzer, J. , Exploration in the Ethnography of Speaking: Studies in the Socialand Cultural Foundations of Language. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Majors, R. , & Bilson, J. M. Cool Pose. New York: Lexington, 1989. Mercer, K. Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge, 1994. Mercer, K. & Julien, I. Race, Sexual Politics and Black Masculinity: A Dossier. London: Lawerence & Wishart, 1998. Smith, A. D. The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Blackwell, 1987. Staples, R. Black Masculinity: The Black Male’s Role in American Society. San Francisco: The Black Scholar Press, 1982. Wiegman, R. Feminism, ‘The Boyz’ and Other Matters Regarding the Male: Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema. London: Routledge,1993. Wilikinson, D. Y. Expectations and Salience in White Female – African Male Self-Other Role Definitions. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1977.

Fourteen Amendment

The fourteenth amendment provides a definition of a citizen of The United States. The fourteenth amendment was adopted on July 9, 1868 shortly after the Union victory in the American Civil War. It was adopted as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. It has many different clauses. The fourteenth amendment was adopted as one of the longest amendments to the Constitution with a total of five different parts. The Citizenship clause, Due Process Clause, and the Equal Protection Clause are some of the clauses. The Citizenship clause is the first section in the fourteenth amendment.The Due Process Clause prohibits state and local governments from depriving people of life, liberty, or property without certain steps being taken to ensure fairness. This clause has been used to make most of the Bill of Rights applicable to the states, as well as to recognize substantive and procedural rights. The Equal Protection Clause requires each state to provide equal protection under the law to all people within its jurisdiction. The fourteenth amendment states that all people born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.The fourteenth amendment provides that all state will provide equal protection to everyone within their jurisdiction. In addition, the fourteenth amendment gave people of different minorities a whole new sense of hope and inspired them in many different ways. Congress passed the fourteenth amendment not knowing how it would affect people of different minorities. In 1868, when the amendment was passed, people of different minorities were treated with disrespect and incivility from the white culture.The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was passed by both houses of congress. The stated purpose of the fourteenth amendment was to grant citizenship and to protect and define the civil rights of freed slaves. The Amendment was designed to prohib it state governments from curtailing the rights of former slaves after the Civil War; however it has been used to grant all of the personal liberties and rights conveyed in the Bill of Rights. Moreover, section one defines citizenship and protects a person civil and political rights from being denied by any state.Section one was formed in response to the â€Å"Black Code† that southern starts had passed in the beginning of the thirteenth amendment, which removed slavery from the United States. The Citizenship Clause can also be known as the Naturalization Clause. The Citizenship Clause refers the first sentence of section one in the fourteenth amendment. The clause showed how congress decided to reverse it so that African Americans could then vote, become citizens of the United States, and also enjoy any of the other privileges that citizens got.Although, the fourteenth amendment does not provide any procedures from removing someone privileges as being a citizen of The United States. The citizenship clause is what overruled the Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling stating that blacks could not be citizens. Loss of citizenship can happen when there is fraud in the naturalization process. Also, decades after the adoption of the fourteenth amendment, the Supreme Court got rid of laws saying that blacks could not be in juries. The Supreme Court found the laws to be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause.Its Equal Protection Clause requires each state to provide equal protection under the law to all people within its jurisdiction. The Due Process Clause prohibits state and local governments from depriving people of life, liberty, or property without certain steps being taken to ensure fairness. The Due Process Clause has been used to make most of the Bill of Rights applicable to the states. Furthermore, the first section of the amendment includes four main parts. First, anyone born in American is guaranteed full American citizenship.Second, no state can take aw ay any of its residents of the full privileges of American citizenship. Third, all citizens are guaranteed â€Å"due process of law,† which means that states cannot pass unfair laws. Fourth, all citizens are guaranteed equal protection of the laws, which means that states cannot discriminate against any citizens. The second section says, â€Å"Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of rep resentation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the umber of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. † The second section of the Fourteenth Amendment repealed the three-fifths clause (Article I, Section 2, Clause 3) of the original Constitution. This section also guaranteed that all male citizens over age 21, no matter their race, had a right to vote.In the third section of the Fourteenth Amendment made it impossible for the president to allow the former leaders of the Confederacy to regain power within the United States government after regaining full citizenship rights. The fourth section banned any form of payment to former slaveholders for the loss of their slaves. The fifth section states that congress will have the power to enforce all the provisions of the article.

Strategic planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic planning - Research Paper Example Why Do Strategic Planning? Failing to make plans means making plans for failure – as the old saying goes. Having a strategic plan means an improvement in performance in whichever undertaking a person involves himself or herself into; you cannot fail if you have a clearly defined roadmap to your desired destination. Another reason to make strategic plans is for the sake of avoiding short-term as well as inward thinking. It also enables a person, an organization or a company to be able to come up with solutions to various major issues at macro levels. Finally, having a strategic plan means the ability to have the ability to communicate to everyone concerned about an issue, the most important or vital elements or aspects about an issue. When planning strategically, there are questions a person needs to ask himself, or herself. Some of these questions include: Where is locus at this point in time? – assessment Which point do we desire to be? This is the future state or the state we will be at the end of it all How do we hope to close the gap between our present state and our end state? This is where the strategic plan comes into place How do we plan to monitor our progress? This involves the balanced scorecard While choosing or coming up with a strategic plan for the endeavors we engage in, it is prudent to keep in mind the fact that for a strategic plan to be considered good, it should†¦ Be able to address issues of critical performance Be able to create the right and desired balance in between the abilities of the organization, and the desires of the organization Be able to span a considerable period in time in order to close down the performance gap Be a visionary strategic plan. This means it should be able to convey an and state the way it is desired form the beginning Be flexible. This means that the strategic plan should accommodate and allow for change Guide the decision making in the operational, individual, and tactical lower levels of the organization or institution There are quite a number of strategic planning model. The model I choose for the purposes of this paper and assignment is the ABCDE strategic planning model. ABCDE is an acronym that stands for Assessment, baseline, Components, Down to specifics, Evaluate. Before getting started on the strategic planning tasks and activities, there are pre-requisites to the planning steps. These include: Find out if or whether the senior leadership is committed enough to go through with the strategic process. Find out who will be tasked to do what? Find out the activities and the responsibilities each group will be tasked to do Figure out which methods will be used to handle tasks Find out the best time to do tasks Features of the ABCDE Strategic Planning Model ASSESSMENT This involves engaging in a SWOT analysis to find out your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, as well as the threats to the task you would like to engage in. The SWOT analysis best handles assessm ent because of the ease in understanding associated with it. Additionally, SWOT can be applied at any level of the organization in charge of the strategic planning. When saying strengths, I mean the things that you, as an organization or as an individual can be able to perform well in; points of strength. On the other hand, weaknesses are the obstacles to the path that leads to the destination. These may be such things as bad leadership or lack of it at

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Textual Analysis - Essay Example Morten did not listen and Inger dies. Johannes comes back to bring back Inger to life. Johannes explains that Inger can be brought back to life but this depends on faith and prayer to God. He says that this can only happen if the family has faith and if they ask God to bring back Inger to life. He is saddened by the fact that all of them have little faith and do not believe that this can be done. Out of all the people, it is Inger’s daughter alone that expresses her faith and she does this by taking Johannes hand and tells him to raise her mother from the dead (Wahl, 2012, p. 32). The young girl’s faith puts the adults at an awkward position because one would expect adults to know God better than a little girl and understand how faith works. From this, we expect that adults should be the ones to express faith even if it is a little faith. However, no one among them even bothers to do that. This represents the difference between adults and children. This scene shows that knowing has a different link with faith and that matters of the heart and mind may sometimes be different. From the adults’ point of view, knowing too much could affect one’s ability or trust in faith. On the other hand, from the child’s perspective, knowing a little information coupled with hope and trust can help one to believe or at least have trust in faith. The little girl only had hope and wish that her mother would come back to life and her little knowledge about God made her believe that He could bring her back through Jesus Christ. This made her have trust in Johannes prayer to God through Jesus Christ that Inger’s life be brought back (Milne, 1971, p. 156). The ordet is not a film with a long plot. However, it is a turbulent and intense poem that has several motifs, which are harmonized by the resurrection of Inger. The scene has many pauses in between the words spoken. In addition, the speakers in the scene who are mainly Morten, Johannes and the young girl speak in few words. The pauses in the dialogue are full of movement and reactions. The characters in the scene hear each other in a manner that they never do in normal films that are always marked by lots of conversations words and arguments. Here, one character talks followed by a pause then either he or she continues or another character picks up but the pauses are present. The pauses mark the movements that occur in the scene. This pauses help to create the mood in the scene, which is a somber mood marked by tone of optimism and pessimism. This mood can only be achieved when the scene is slow and is marked by little and slow movements that are well captured by Carl Dreyer, the director of film. In the scene, there is a distinctive resonance of the voices of the characters in the room helps to reinforce the impression of the physical presence of the voices (Schrader, n.d.). The characters that are in the scene are haunted by the fact that they do not acknowledge som ething that cannot necessarily be reduced to God. The importance of this fact is realized in the slowness of the movements of the characters and the slow movement of the camera as it captures the movement in the scene (Wakeman, 1988, p. 271). The scene where Johannes comes back to bring back Inger to

Does the Law Protect the Weak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Does the Law Protect the Weak - Essay Example The government passes laws that only support the big businesses whereas oppressing small startups. The government also holds people hostage just because of their color or status even without breaking the law of for minor offenses. We also have the American Gulag. The Gulag is believed to hold the highest number of hostages in the entire world. It comprises the natives and the non-natives mostly. Young black men are also said to be at a higher risk of being detained in here as compared to any other group. The gulag "depicts a life of torture, beating and suffering for the people inside this prison" (Dow, 2004). Some of them are not released when they finish their jail term. They are, therefore, forced to remain in prison. Others die or are hanged in there without the mention of it to either their country of origin or their folks. The law has not been able to stand and protect detainees in the gulag prison. It, therefore, means that justice is not exercised equally. The state government is also believed to offer the highest number of scholarships to foreigners eyeing to study in top universities. Since most of them come from a poor background, they are sponsored in every way by the State government. However, there has been some murder cases among these foreign groups. They are then probably dumped in a river or disappear mysteriously. Others are injected lethal drugs and succumb to immediate death. The same is also familiar to visitors. Justice is not done in most such cases. Even their home government or relatives are not informed. Even though the United States claims to be a land of the free, discrimination is still prevalent. It has also evolved over the years from direct discrimination to indirect discrimination. Some people are served faster than others because they "belong". Others believe that they are more superior or more intelligent to other races. They can even say it forthright to the other. The law should protect its citizens whether whites

Event Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Event Proposal - Essay Example ns inherent in the days of the yore, either because they do not get the time or chance to engage in historical research or studies or because they find the entire process to be boring and drab. However, if an era is presented to an audience in a movie format, accompanied by a commensurate opportunity for fun and pleasure, it could safely be assumed that a majority of the people will prefer to vouch for such an event. Herein, lays the conception of an event by the name 1920s NIGHT. The idea is to organize a 1920s movie night followed by any after show party. The movie to be presented will be The Gatsby that is not only typically representative of the 1920s society, but the themes inherent in it also have a contemporary appeal. A survey was conducted to gauge the people interest in such an event. Forty Five of the 60 participants voted in favour of such an event and the same number agreed to participate in both the sections that is the movie and the after movie party. Thirty three of t he participants agreed to participate in both the sections, besides, twenty eight participants agreed to pay for the movie and the party, 7 agreed to pay only for the movie and 28 agreed to pay only for the party. Also, surprisingly, 50 of the 60 participants agreed to dress up in consonance with the theme of the proposed event that is 1920s. To begin with, the location of the event has been selected while taking into consideration the convenience of the target audience (Watt 2003, p. 190). The primary objective is to enhance participation and to dilute the dropout rate (Watt 2003, p. 190). All the participants will be contacted in a personalized way and the marketing and communications activities will be designed while focusing on a pragmatic segmentation of the target audience (Varey 2002). The pricing of the event has also been so designed to offer the apt pre registration incentives, thereby encouraging the participants for both the movie and the after movie party. A continual

Case Study Analysis on Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant 2011 Disaster Essay

Case Study Analysis on Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant 2011 Disaster - Essay Example (Holt, Campbell and Nikitin, 2012, p. 2) A lot of lives were lost due to the earthquake and tsunami. Numerous people lost their families and friends. The condition was made worse by leakage of radioactive materials from Fukushima- Daiichi power plant. The Daiichi disaster is often considered as a natural disaster for it caused by two natural disasters with high magnitudes. While the other nuclear stations survived, the Daiichi power station succumbed to combined force of the earthquake and tsunami (Là ¼sted, 2011, p. 6- 11). Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is in charge of Fukushima- Daiichi power plant. This nuclear power station had six nuclear units in total. Another nuclear power station of Fukushima, Daini consist four nuclear units. The nuclear reactors situated in Daiichi were basically boiling water reactors (BWRs). The first five reactors bore General Electric Mark-I designs. Nuclear powers were generated for commercial operations. Uranium- 235 and plutonium- 239 are the nuclear fuels. These compositions are heavy isotopes and produced energy through fission of nuclei. Each such reaction results in generation of more fusion events, which in turn support a continuing nuclear chain reaction. Fusion products that are produced â€Å"s iodine- 129, iodine- 131, strontium- 90, and cesium- 137†. Whenever, shutting down is required, control rods are inserted. These rods function by absorbing the neutrons. During nuclear reactions, heat is produced by radioactive decay. Therefore, it is neces sary to keep on pumping water and circulate it so as to reduce the decay heat. Normally, the reactors take a few days time to cool down fully and reach the â€Å"cold shutdown† state (Holt, Campbell and Nikitin, 2012, p. 4). When the earthquake started on 11th, half of Daiichi nuclear reactors were automatically shut down and the other half were suspended from regular functions for routine inspections. However, all though the

The Overview of Programming Languages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Overview of Programming Languages - Essay Example The essay "The Overview of Programming Languages" presents a brief history of programming languages and the merits and demerits of communicating with the machine. The History of Programming languages can be dated back to 1954. Ever since the idea of computing through electronic devices evolved, for many a people, it was interesting to develop new ways of automating the devices using a new subject called Programming. And to do this it has to be language that bridges man and machine. This communicating language that bridges man and machine is called â€Å"Programming language†. Today there are more than 2500 languages. Generally, programming languages are tools used to construct formal descriptions of finite computations. Each computation consists of operations that transform a given initial state into some final state. A programming language provides essentially three components for describing such computations: data types, objects, and values with operations defined upon them; rules fixing the chronological relationships among specified operations; rules fixing the structure of a program. These components together constitute the level of abstraction on which we can formulate algorithms with the help of this programming language. A programming language's surface form, that is, how programs are represented to a reader, is its syntax. Programming languages vary widely in this surface form. Most programming languages are textual. They consist of sequences of "words" and "punctuation marks", much like written natural languages.

BMW Films case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BMW Films - Case Study Example Besides â€Å"the hire† series, various options that the company can take in order to consolidate its marketing strategy are paramount in order to maintain its market position, and increase its success and performance in the automobile industry (Jham 2). Concerning a approach that can help consolidate the market position that BMW has had in their marketing and general growth, there is a need for the company to make a careful consideration of their previous action. â€Å"The hire† series were an essential step that gave the company huge growth after their introduction in terms of average sales as shown. Information from customers’ feedback has openly shown that they loved the approach and were fascinated by the driver character in the BMW films. As the company executive officer, there seem to be another opportunity in re-inventing the series. In this approach, the company should try to increase the amount of time, since people have been eager to know what happened of the driver in the films (Moon 10). Here is the catch, the company should re-edit the strategy and include other characters that advance the promotional objectives of the company, the results would surely be tremendous. The first option explains that the company should milk all the films available completely before re-introducing a new strategy. This is also the same idea in the second option; however, the third one talks of something a different, a new version of the films. Rejecting the first two arises from the fact that they may not be any different from the current BMW films approach, for this reason, the company may not achieve much. The forth option recommends for doing nothing, but watch as the events unfold, this is not a safe idea because other companies are trying their best to increase their market share, BMW therefore has a mandate to change its approach too. The issues of whether the

Positive Action Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Positive Action - Case Study Example Because positive action is not geared towards eliminating competition, its initiatives usually end before the selection process is started. During short listing and selection of candidates, the person must show merit and capability to do the job. Positive action can also come in the form of training courses designed for specific groups to ensure they can compete with others on level ground. Yet another mode of action of positive action is through implementing changes to discriminatory practices and policies in light of findings. In the United Kingdom, positive action initiatives include "Tomorrow's planners'" initiative. Positive Action Training Highway, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Planning Inspectorates together have been working to oversee the success of the Tomorrow's planning initiative (Nancy, 1996). This particular initiative aims at increasing black, Asian and other minority group representation in planning over the coming decade. THE HUMAN RESOURCE FUNCTION IN RELATION WORKFORCE DIVERSITY Employee recruitment and selection is increasingly becoming important with more attention being paid to avoid the costs that are associated with poor selection. Several methods are applied in selecting an organization's human resource and generally include advertising, testing, screening, completing application form, interviews and through correspondences with prospective employees. It is the mandate of the human resource team to recruit and select a team that is effective in the organisation's running. The HR department must also come up with polices that will ensure that the process of employee recruitment and selection is carried out within the laws of the country, is above... This essay focuses mostly on the analysis of the positive action initiatives, that give potential employees from under-represented group’s legal backing for equal opportunity with other applicants. Positive action, however, does not involve treating some people more favourably than others, nor does it seek to eliminate positive competition. It also is not positive discrimination which actually is unlawful in the United Kingdom. The researcher analyzes the initiatives for positive action, that are generally designed to make employers be able to encourage minority groups to apply for promotions and jobs. This is because some members of society tend to feel that they do not â€Å"fit in† because of their backgrounds or lifestyles to some organisations. Some people, due to past experiences in other organisations have come to a conclusion that they are unwelcome to work in certain organisations. The researcher then concludes that it is the primary objective of positive actio n to dispel such untrue notions and show the potential employee how much change has occurred in the way organizations are managed. Positive action creates an emphasis that applications are in particular welcome from people that are considered to be from minority groups. Adopting a recruitment policy that is based on affirmative action while driven by good motives can pose a great challenge to the human resource function. The organization or its employees could quite easily face litigation on grounds of discrimination.

Organizational Philosophies and Technology Paper Essay

Organizational Philosophies and Technology Paper - Essay Example Technology can, very easily, support an ethical business culture. This requires the development of an organization culture of ethics first, before employing technology to maintain that culture despite situations that challenge the company’s values. Ethics is crucially important for the success (and failure) of companies. In particular, in the case of successful companies, ethics provides a framework for actions that are conducive to relationships with others, the environment, and the public. These actions bring about mutually beneficial results, which lay the foundation for positive public relations. In the case of failed companies, ethics provides a challenge to be overcome with immoral, and sometimes unlawful, acts. Ethics, taken in this way, is defined primarily by the moral, social, and organizational context of the company. Company culture must take into account this context. For instance, a cosmetics company that tests its products on live monkey and other animals may ha ve to deal with the ethical context with changing social attitudes toward testing on live animals. For instance, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) trade-group, consisting of 600 member companies, has controlled vast amounts of resources in order to sway public opinion its animal testing since the industry came under scrutiny in the 1980s (Farsetta, 2006). Companies utilize technology not only to gain favor with the public, but also to maintain and manage their ethical standards and guidelines internally amongst its employees. One way to control how employees interact with customers or vendors is to observe the employees’ emails and telephone correspondence. Some interpret this as a necessary method for avoiding unethical situations with relation to employee-customer relationships; others interpret this as a breach of employee privacy. Another method is filtering searchable websites at the company’s office. A more effective means of managing the e thical corporate culture of one’s organization is to have employees agree with the company to conduct themselves in an ethical manner, according to the company’s values and ethical standards. In return, the employers then give the employees enough privacy in order to do their work effectively. This alternative seems to spare companies the duty of spying on their employees to the extent that current technology allows. From this case, it seems technology has a wide range for ethical and unethical uses in the 21st century business environment. Methods like monitoring employees and filtering viewable websites, while seemingly superficial, contribute to a culture of productivity that excludes actions that detract from the company’s fundamental values. Additionally, it is important for senior levels of management to lead by example: setting these values and working them into the company culture from the top-down. Through these individuals, the company culture and gene ral tone are set for the remainder of the workforce to follow. Managers can either set this example using technology by communicating instantly with all of their employees or giving their employees technology-enhanced values training. Each of these methods ensures that not only will employees treat customers with respect and integrity,

Implementation of a competency framework workbased learning programme Dissertation

Implementation of a competency framework workbased learning programme on acute skills for ward nurses - Dissertation Example A learning programme for acute ward nurses responsible for caring of critically ill patients has been the central focus of nursing practice development. According to Coad et al, a work-based learning approach has been found to empower ward staff with the necessary skills of nursing and the authors studied the efficacy of a five-day competency based high dependency skills course in enhancing professionalism and quality of care in nursing. The aims of comprehensive critical care are developing leadership potential and enhancing networking opportunities for nurses within critical care and acute ward areas. Critical care is the most challenging aspect of nursing care and acute skills in nursing are enhanced not just by work-based learning programs but also from first hand nursing and emergency experiences. Titchen describes emergency care in which one professional learns from another as ‘critical companionship’ that serve as a framework for learning from practical healthcare experiences.

The Makings of a Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Makings of a Hero - Essay Example The Republic of the Philippines, an archipelagic nation located in Southeast Asia, classified among the third world countries, has made Overseas Contract Workers their most dynamic labor force, with more than 11 million workers abroad with remittances amounting to 64.7 billion pesos last year, it has played a major part in sustaining the economy of the country, making it the fourth (4th) largest recipient of foreign remittances behind India, China, and Mexico (source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OFW). But regardless of the economic help an Overseas Contract Worker can extend, the reality of being far away from home, living alone in a different land where traditions and culture vary from your own, letting others benefit from your talents and skills, serving and taking care for the needs of other's children while missing your own children's growing up years, is definitely, heartbreaking. But because of the will to provide a better quality of life, these OCW's carry on no matter the pain, with the hope that a better future is being stored for their loved ones with their hard work and perseverance. With all the struggles and sacrifices they are making, indeed, they are worthy to be the "Heroes of the Modern Day"- especially for countries where foreign notes have higher values than their own currencies, these Overseas Contract Workers, are really, doing a noble job. Anywhere in the world, a construction laborer can be found. Construction Workers, defined by Encarta as builders of large structures such as a house, road or bridge, can also be viewed as Heroes. These construction workers are usually people who were not able to acquire education, there were some who have entered school but more or less, not enough for a lighter, high-paying Mabini 3 job, thus construction become their only chance for toil. It is definitely not a career that one would choose if given the choice, but left without any option at all, they bear the work. Construction is definitely, not an easy employment. In fact it is one of the jobs considered to be most strenuous. It requires not just mental faculty with all those skills involved, not just stamina but superlative patience, but most of all, one has to have a strong and enduring physique to finish what has been started. With the construction workers around, people are assured that development will continue to flourish, roads will be constructed, buildings will keep on rising, bridges will be made to connect places and houses will be there for us to be our home- and all of these because there are people who are not afraid of taking all the risk in the workplace and are willing enough to

Choose one topic from list Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Choose one topic from list - Essay Example In particular, small businesses in the European Union are characterised with a headcount of only 10-49 employees. Their earnings or balance sheet ranges from â‚ ¬10 million to â‚ ¬49 million. (Europa 2003) On the other hand, in the United States (US), the standards for small businesses set by the Small Business Administration Size Standards Office are rendered more specific. In terms of employment size, small businesses in the mining and manufacturing industries employ less than 500 workers, while those in the wholesale trade industry hire not more than 100 employees. Small enterprises for most retail and services industries in the US post annual receipt of about $6 million. (Small Business Administration 2002) Given the above characteristics, it can be seen that similarities of small businesses generally lie in the small employment size and low volume of sales per year. Small businesses also have limited amount of assets. As such, their capitalisation requirements are not as great and demanding as the financing required by large businesses. Financing for all types of businesses come in several forms. However, sources of funding are classified as either debt or equity. Utilisation of these primary funding sources depends upon the amount of capital required, nature of proposed investment and other terms that materially impact the financial position of businesses. Companies often used debt and equity in combination that would result in the maximisation of the value of the businesses. In order to raise the immediate financing need, owners of small businesses may opt to borrow funds from various sources. The main sources for debt financing include banks and other financial institutions (Lister & Harnish 1995). To defray the day-to-day expenses of their business, small business owners may consider availing of demand loan or utilising lines of credit. Demand loans usually have floating interest rate and are repaid within the year

The French government Before 1879 Essay Example for Free

The French government Before 1879 Essay The French government had many problems financially and politically before 1789 that built up over a number of years and a number of monarchs. The problems stemmed from a growing disorder in the finances, aristocratic privileges, new revolutionary philosophies, power struggles, and a weak monarch. Due to lengthy and very costly wars, Louis XIV and Louis XV played a big hand in bankrupting France. The French had suffered big defeats and therefore had lost men and supplies. They also failed to gain any territory. France suffered defeat in the Seven Years War against Britain, had its army crushed by the Prussians and was unsuccessfully involved in the American War in an attempt to seek revenge on Britain. It was not only these extravagant costs of very unsuccessful wars, but Frances whole financial system was extremely inefficient. At the forefront of the system were ministers. During the American War, Jacques Necker was made Director-General of Finance because of his ability to obtain loans for use in paying for the war. Necker did this successfully, but he lied about Frances financial surplus and had everyone believing that France could spend money when, in reality, it was in huge debt, and therefore he allowed Ministers of War to spend non-existent money. Due to this, debts just continued to mount unknowingly to the rest of France, and around fifty percent of income was needed to pay for interests on loans and money spent. Necker was dismissed in 1781 and the politics and efficiency of the French financial system was unstable for years after that, with ministers resigning or being released, and the parlements even being exiled from Paris and government paralysed which led to the reformation of the Estates General that produced the cahiers list of complaints towards the king. The French Government desperately needed to introduce tax reform into its system. The clergy were exempt from all taxes; the nobles paid little tax and all the taxes were placed on the bourgeoisie and peasantry. But only taxing the Third Estate was very inefficient and could not contribute enough to the French Governments budgets. If this were to continue the deficit would only increase, but the Government had three main problems preventing  the introduction of tax reform. Firstly the tax collection system was poorly run and inefficient as the government allowed private companies to collect taxes, and so not all the money was collected or not all of it reached the treasury. Perhaps if the First and Second Estate were taxed, the problem of inefficient tax collection would not have mattered as much. But another problem was that the nobles were determined not to give up their tax privileges. This caused a great problem for the king, who because he was weak, allowed the nobles to influence him in dismissing any ministers, such as Brienne, that were pushing for tax reform. It was not just a case of further increasing the taxes placed on the Third Estate either to help decrease the deficit, as the bourgeoisie and peasants were also disgruntled due to the large amount of taxes that they already had to pay. The peasants increasingly found it almost impossible to pay these taxes, leaving the majority of France in dismay. The French government also faced many political problems, not just within the financial system as relates to the ministers and rising deficit, but the politics of the whole country was being challenged. All sections of French society, particularly the Third Estate, were becoming increasingly unhappy. But in the time leading up to 1789, they discovered that they could actually make a difference and challenge government, as revolutionary mentality began to set in and the Ancien Regime was cracking at its foundations. This happened for a number of reasons. In the late 1780s there was a growth in trade and industry within town life. This new growth led to problems within the Ancien Regime. Business expanded and so prices gradually rose. This did not help the aristocracy whose incomes were fixed, but it was the bourgeoisie who largely profited from this growth and they became wealthier and more powerful. This also made the bourgeoisie view the current tax system more unfavourably as it meant using their money and profit to pay tax that they could be using to expand business. This also backs up that revolutions take place at times when the economy is getting better. There was not just growth in business within the bourgeoisie, but also growth  in ideology. This was sparked by The Enlightenment that was taking place in France as a result of revolutionary thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot, who heavily advertised liberality and attacked the government and Church. One thing that they were encouraging was free trade that would have appealed greatly to the bourgeoisie businessmen. As a result of The Enlightenment, the Third Estate were now willing to speak up about their criticism of divine right, the class system, privileges, and the lack of liberal rights, and there were more and more pamphlets being published. But perhaps the biggest political problem in France was its king. In a country where the monarch had absolute power, it needed to be a strong person, but Louis XVI was not a strong person. He was not able to prevent The Enlightenment or the Estates General. He had his people against him, making strong demands that would entirely turn around French politics. After highlighting the financial and political problems facing the French government before 1789, we can see that the problems began with the cost of wars over a number of years, made worse by the misleadings of Jacques Necker, and the inefficient tax system. These long-term financial problems led to the political problems, which also disallowed any tax reform. The bourgeoisie and the peasantry, with the aid of The Enlightenment, criticised the tax system and became less and less able and willing to pay taxes. The nobles did not pay all taxes and so the bourgeoisie resented the privileges of the nobles, but the main link between both financial and political problems is the king. He played part in the mounting deficit, ran an unstable government, and he did not want to annoy the nobility and therefore tax reform could never take place. All these factors combined helped to break down the Ancien Regime and push revolution.

Monologue and Attitude Revealed through Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ Essay Example for Free

Monologue and Attitude Revealed through Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ Essay The 16th century poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a monologue of a Duke showing an audience the painting of his late wife. Browning, in this poem, as in many of his poems, uses monologue to reflect on the concepts and notions of his time.   This particular monologue reflects on the perception of women in the 16th century, and in particular, aristocratic women. In this particular monologue, like many of Browning’s monologues, we get not only a feeling for the Duke’s character, but also a feeling about the expectations of a particular class and a particular gender—basically, a women must be obedient to her husband, and any independence is frowned upon. Browning typically used monologue in many of his poems to use this affect—basically, he creates a character to reflect on his own feelings of society, but by using the character, he is able to somewhat mask, or hide behind, that character’s observations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this monologue, we see the Duke as a particularly jealous man. His suspicion would be easily aroused every time his wife thanked someone, especially if it was another man, for a small favor done to her. The Duke thinks that his â€Å"gift of a nine-hundred-years-old-name (line 33)† was the most valuable gift his wife received from her and thus, she should have not just given away her smile and blush for anyone but him. He saw this attitude as a kind of stooping down on her part and in turn, an insult on him and his position in society.   Ã‚  The monologue thus reveals a lot about the main character that is speaking, and in this poem, it is the Duke: The style and structure of this poem play a significant role in the effect of the poem.   As is typical of Brownings poems, My Last Duchess is written as a dramatic monologue: one speaker relates the entire poem as if to another person present with him.   This format suits this poem particularly well because the speaker, taken to be the Duke of Ferrara, comes across as being very controlling, especially in conversation (My Last Duchess Analysis). When he got tired of these exchanges of smiles between his wife and other people, he â€Å"gave commands;/ Then all smiles stopped together (Browning, lines 45-46).† This ambiguous statement gives the reader a clue as to how the Duchess became an ex-wife. It is not specific, however, so that one can only guess as to what happened—maybe he had her killed or sent her away where she died. From these absurd, oftentimes ridiculous, and obviously arrogant words, the reader can conclude that the Duke was a controlling husband. Lines 50 onwards tell the reader that the Duke is looking for a new wife and the person whom he is showing the painting to, is the assistant or messenger of a Count whose daughter the Duke is eyeing as a prospective wife. The talk he would have later with the Count would be about the arrangement of his next marriage (My Last Duchess Discussion).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Duke represents the traditional male and his attitude towards his late wife mirrors the attitude and expectations of a patriarchal and Victorian society towards women in his monologue. The society of that time expected women to simply obey. She should only reserve her charms for her husband. She must not even try to be beautiful in her own painting. The mere act of being happy, pleasant to anyone regardless of rank and stature in life, and to love the simple pleasures in life as watching the sunset or riding a mule in the case of the Duchess, were all considered acts of unfaithfulness. In short, it was a sin to be naturally beautiful and to have a happy disposition. Men liked to control their wives. Being the only one who could open the curtain to reveal the painting of his beautiful and smiling late wife is symbolic of how this man would do anything to control his wife. If he couldn’t stop his wife from smiling at anyone when she was still alive, at least when she was dead and only lived through her painting the Duke could finally decide as to whom to share his wife’s smiles and charms. Through the painting done by a master, she has also became the expensive commodity that she should have been while living, but a role of which she never assumed because she stooped to being accessible to anyone, much to the disappointment of her husband, the Duke. Noble women should assume the position that their rank in society expected them to and this meant they should be unreachable in the eyes of commoners. They should not be easily pleased with trifle matters like favors from servants. Finally, the talk of arranging his new marriage with the father of his future bride suggests how women were not allowed to express an opinion even to the important topic of whom to spend the rest of their life with. Women were commodities traded upon by men and they have price tags called dowries. By showing the Count’s emissary the painting of his former wife and telling him why he didn’t like her conduct sends the message as to how he expects his next wife to behave. Otherwise, she might become another Last Duchess, another hidden painting in the house. Therefore, this monologue, like many of Browning’s monologues, reflects on his interpretations of his society.   However, by using a character’s reflections on a particular thought, Browning can somewhat mask his inner feelings and thoughts.   The aspects of his reflections come across clearly, and in this monologue, Browning is obviously taking a deeper look at the treatment of women. Work Cited Browning, Robert. My Last Duchess.   2009 April 21. 2011 May 4. http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~jdavis6/poem.html. My Last Duchess Analysis.   2007 January 7. 2011 May 4. http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~joliver/mylastduchess1.htm My Last Duchess Discussion.   2008 May 14.   2011 May 4. http://www.englishforums.com/English/LastDutchessDepthAnalysis

Factors That Influence Consumer Behaviour Patterns

Factors That Influence Consumer Behaviour Patterns Introduction Consumer behaviour is a complicated and diverse area of study. Since marketing is based on identifying, anticipating and providing customer needs it is important to understand them. There are two predominant types of buying: consumer buying, which consists of buying products for personal use, and organisational buying, which involves buying for organisational purposes. For marketers to satisfy consumer needs more fully than competitors it is important to recognise the elements that influence buying. This report will identify the main factors influencing consumer behaviour patterns, particularly when purchasing fashion items. It will examine how buyer characteristics influence buyer behaviour and also how retailers react to such characteristics. In particular this report will look at the cultural factors, demographic factors and psychological factors that influence consumer buying. Contents 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 Methodology 2 3.0 Cultural Factors 3 3.1 Reference groups 4 3.2 Sub-culture 5 3.3 Social class 6 4.0 Demographical Factors 7 4.1 The Life Cycle Stage 8 5.0 Psychological Factors 9 5.1 Lifestyle Variables 10 5.2 Perception and Motivation 11 5.3 Personality 12 6.0 Market Segmentation, Target Marketing and Product Positioning 13 7.0 Conclusion 14 8.0 Appendix 1 15, 16 8.1 Appendix 2 17 8.2 Appendix 3 18 9.0 References 19 10.0 Bibliography 20 2.0 Methodology All research undertaken for this was is secondary. It was conducted between the dates of Monday 16th February 2004 and Thursday 11th March 2004. The main research databases used were: Mintel Emerald The main books used were: Lancaster, G, Massingham, L, and Ashford, R (2002). Essentials of Marketing: Understanding the Behaviour of Customers. 4th edition. McGraw-Hill Education. Chisnall, P (1975). Marketing: A Behavioural Analysis. 1st edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company (UK) Limited. Williams, K (1981). Behavioural Aspects of Marketing. 1st edition. Butterworth Heinemann. The Internet and databases used were accessed privately and also from the University of East London library, Docklands campus. Books were borrowed from this library as well. 3.0 Cultural Factors Culture affects consumer behaviour in a variety of ways. It relates to customs and beliefs that are learned from the society in which an individual grows up. Culture is a huge area of study that often has unclear boundaries and fluctuates in degree of influencing consumers. Aspects of our socio-culture, such as sub-culture, social class and reference groups play different roles in influencing consumers. A common pattern of behaviour can be observed within groups. Cultural change occurs at a very slow pace and can be seen to marketers as threats or opportunities. Cultural elements that influence consumer behaviour can also be said to be environmental influences. 3.1 Reference groups A reference group is one that the individual tends to use as the anchor point for evaluating his/her own beliefs and attitudes, (American Marketing Association, 2004) There are many different types of reference groups, which may have a direct or an indirect influence on attitudes, behaviour and self-image. Primary reference groups are those that an individual has continuous contact with, they may consist of family, friends, colleagues etc, and they hold the strongest influence over the individual. In secondary reference groups the individual has less contact, such as an activities club, but still feels pressure to conform. Aspirational groups have the least contact with the individual, but the individual still strives to become similar. Celebrity endorsements could be said to be aspirational groups. Regardless as to whether an individual is, or seeks to become a member of a particular group, the group can still influence the individuals values, attitudes and behavioural patterns. The influence a reference group holds on an individual can be seen as positive, negative or both. A good example of primary reference groups is the street gangs in Manchester. Moran (2004) writes of the gangs of youths in which members must dress according to the code of their gang. The gangs can be identified through wearing hooded tops, bandanas, balaclavas and gold chains. However, the Manchester Magistrates Court has banned four members of a gang from wearing hooded tops, bandanas and balaclavas in an attempt to make them look less threatening and dilute the gang dress codes. Members and individuals who are influenced by the gangs are in an attempt to conform, more likely purchase items of clothing such as hooded tops and bandanas. Figure 1 demonstrates the appearance of a typical gang member. Sub-culture A sub-culture could be defined as a group of individuals whose beliefs, values and behaviour differ from that of the predominant culture. There are many different sub cultures that are often referred to as segments. Some examples of subcultures include: nationality groups, religious groups, geographic groups and age groups. Sub-culture plays an important part to marketers because of their influence on brands and types of product and services demanded by their members. Chisnall (1975) p.98. Mintel (2003) reports of an emerging fashionable youth sub-culture, in which extreme sports is the focal point. This culture is rebelling away from long working hours and heavy television watching lifestyle. In this alternative culture the interest and participation of extreme sports has merged with music and clothing. A strong emphasis of this culture can be seen through clothing and footwear in particular. Baggy clothing is a dominant dress code. (See figure 2) Mintel estimates that consumers spent  £4.5 billion on extreme sports goods in 2003, an increase of 29% on 1998. (See appendix 1, figure 3) Mintel also reports that levels of disposable incomes have influenced the rise in extreme sports. Between 1998 and 2003 disposable incomes have increased by 21%. (See appendix 1, figure 4) korn 3.3 Social Class Within every society there exists a class structure. This refers to individuals who share certain similar characteristics, such as occupation, socialisation, education and income. The rigidity of the class structure varies greatly in different societies. England could be said to have an open society, within which it is easy to move from one class to another. However, less developed countries such as Cambodia, where there is very little chance of social mobility, could be said to be a closed society. Since members from the same social class have alike characteristics they will also exhibit a similar pattern of behaviour. Social class plays a very big role in consumer behaviour. It can influence where an individual shops, such as market stalls, shopping malls or online, when and how often an individual shops, such as every day, weekly or monthly and what an individual shops for. The National Readership Survey has determined a popular and effective classification of social groups. (See appendix 2, figure 5). Williams, T (2002) examines consumer behaviour in relation to social class. In a study involving 612 respondents it was found that income doesnt have a direct relationship with class because there are huge overlaps between incomes of different classes. For example a doctor earning  £30,000 a year would be middle class while a brick layer earning  £50,000 a year would remain working class. However it was found that income does influence consumer behaviour within the context of social class. It was also found that education has a large bearing on consumer information processing and decision-making. More educated consumers; such as university graduates tend to be knowledgeable of market forces and opportunities than the school leaver. They read more, read different magazines, spend less time watching television, rely less on well know brands and put more time and effort into purchasing decisions. Varying levels of knowledge and comprehension lead to different behavioural patterns in decision making processes. 4.0 Demographical Factors Demographic elements, such as: age, sex, income, education and occupation are all individual factors that can significantly affect consumer behaviour. These elements influence the type of product an individual may want, where the individual may shop and also the purchase evaluation process. Demographic variables are some of the major factors targeted in market segmentation. As an individuals stage of life progresses, so the will needs and wants of a product. To help marketers make a clearer distinction between demographic groups for market segmentation classification bases have been developed. A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods (ACORN) is a popular geo-demographic technique used as a segmentation base. ACORN maps geographically the concentrations of a particular type of individual and can be useful for helping marketers decide upon store locations and targeting direct mailing. The American Marketing Association (2004) looks at of the spending habits amongst teenagers. From surveys carried out in America its said that increasing amounts of teenagers are trying to look more trendy and fashionable. As a result they are becoming more responsive to marketing and spending more money than ever on clothing. American youths aged 12 19 spent $175 billion in 2003 on clothes, which is an increase of $20 from 2000. Marketers have become aware of how impressionable teenagers are. They have reacted by segmenting the youth and marketing directly to them. Shops such as Urban Outfitters target the youth market by watching their choices carefully to set the trends. 4.1 The Life Cycle Stage An individual goes through various stages throughout their life. Each stage of life will affect what the consumer needs and wants, the purchase evaluation process and volumes of expenditure. Consumer behaviour of a single individual will vary greatly for that of an individual who is married with children. For a marketer to successfully target a market it is important to identify the main stages in an individuals life. Lansing, J and Morgan, J (1955) have devised a popular and successful break down of the life cycle of families. Each stage influences consumer behaviour in a different way. The stages are as follows: Bachelor stage; young single people. Newly married couples; young, no children. The full nest 1; young married couple with dependent children. The full nest 2; older married couples with dependent children. The empty nest; older married couples with no children living with them. The solitary survivor; older single people. Mintel (2001) reports that the greatest time of expenditure for a women in the AB social grade is during the bachelor stage. During this period 56% of women spent more than  £500 on clothes in a year. However, during the newly married couples, full nest 1 and full nest 2 periods the percentage of women that spends  £500 a year on clothes decreases to 35%. This percentage increases at the empty nest stage to 46%. (See appendix 3, figure 6) 5.0 Psychological Factors Psychological factors are related to perceptions, motivations, attitudes and personality of a consumer. These are all individual elements that can affect consumer behaviour. Although demographical research and the life cycle stage help to classify and quantify consumers it is necessary to have a broader view, which will help to explain how life patterns influence purchasing decisions. Psychographics are usually based on demographic information as well as ratings of consumers activities, interests and opinions. Williams, K (1981) pg.91 5.1 Lifestyle Variables Lifestyles and patterns have strong influences on consumer behaviour. Figure 7 illustrates the main factors that form a lifestyle. 5.2 Perception and Motivation Perception relates to an individuals interpretation of a product and company. An individual will subconsciously select and organise information presented by a company. As well as direct experience of sensory data, perception is also influenced by learning, attitudes and past experiences. It is important for a marketer to convey good brand awareness. Maslow recognises that people have varying needs and if the need is intense then they are motivated to purchase the goods that will satisfy it. To illustrated this a hierarchy of needs has been created. Lancaster, G, Massingham, L, and Ashford, R (2002) pg. 80. Goldsmiths, R (2002) examines the personal characteristics of frequent buyers. From a survey involving 533 consumers a link was found between that of frequent clothing buyers and similar psychological and motivational traits. The survey concluded that frequent clothing buyers were more likely to buy fashion items and were more susceptible to marketing efforts. Personality The subject of personality is a very complicated area. There are many variables that must be taken into account when trying to obtain a comprehensive view of a personality. This makes it difficult for marketers to understand the link personality has with consumer behaviour. Williams, K (1981) pg.133. 6.0 Market Segmentation, Target Marketing and Product Positioning. For a marketer to satisfy customer needs efficiently and lucratively, understanding consumer behaviour is essential. Research into consumer behaviour has allowed the marketer to create target groups of people with common interests, values, beliefs and patterns of behaviour. Once a market segment has been identified, marketers can research the target market more thoroughly and the marketing mix, product, price, promotion and place can be adjusted to ensure the product position is correct. Batista (2004) reports of the clothing manufacturer Benetton who plans to weave radio frequency ID chips into its garments to track its clothes worldwide. Having the ability to track a customer would give the company extremely detailed information on customer buying habits. Benetton would then have a much better understanding of their target market, and be able to manipulate elements of the marketing mix, such as price, product, place and promotion for effectively. The clothing manufacturer Prada already embeds RFID chips into its clothes. 7.0 Conclusion To conclude it is evident that consumer behaviour, in relation to buyer fashion items, is influenced by a huge array of factors. To grasp a more complete and accurate understanding consumer behaviour needs to be examined more thoroughly. This report has identified the basic factors that influence consumer, including: culture, socio-culture, demographical, and psychological variables. Designers and retailers react to such behavioural characteristics by trying to break down and identify what causes them. It is important to investigate whether consumers can be grouped by similar patterns of behaviour. Once a market has been segmented through geographic, demographic, psychological, psychographic and socio-cultural variables the retailer can focus a particular product to a particular type of person. The marketing mix is used to manipulate the product, place, price and promotion. Examples of retailers aiming at different segments of the market include Gucci and TopShop. While Gucci captures a more wealthy, professional and elite market, TopShop aims at a much larger and more varied market.