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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Plot

In this article, Goldstein attempts to describe the aspect of AIDS in Newfoundland. In order to sufficiently do so, she illustrates three main elements which relate to the expansion of the legend in the province; Cultural variability, localization and contemporary legend. The idea of doing this is to give the reader a general understanding of what stories were told In order to enhance the generation of these legends. Throughout the article, Goldstein provides examples of deferent versions of the AIDS legend. There are significant motifs used In these versions that distinguish he versions generated.There Is the coffin version In which the man usually lures the woman Into getting involved with him, and when she leaves to return home he hands her a box which has a coffin Inside with the message â€Å"welcome to the world of AIDS†. The lipstick version generally suggests the opposite; the woman lures the man Into getting Involved with her and In the morning the man will go to the bathroom with a message wrote on the mirror In lipstick â€Å"welcome to the world of AIDS†. The version chosen will reflect cultural assumptions and values, which Is what Is described as ultra variability.Goldstein provides facts that the coffin version is more prominent in Newfoundland than the lipstick version; 74% of random sample knew about the coffin legend versus the 26% that were aware of the lipstick legend. The original version may not have made sense to Nefariousness's, so it was altered to be understandable and meaningful. They often use mainlanders, which are the outsiders, as scapegoats. The Newfoundland version suggests an innocent, hardworking woman goes away on a trip, meets a man, falls in love and engages in sexual intercourse.If they engaged in sexual activity in Newfoundland and retrieved AIDS, the mainlanders would be blamed for the disperse because they are strangers. Newfoundland are good, mainlanders are bad. Newfoundland is safe, mainland is a threat . In part II of the article is where Cider's main points start. This is where he beings to outline his main points on murmuring. He begins with a definition on what murmuring is, in case the reader is unaware. If the reader is completely unaware of the aspect of murmuring, they would read Cider's first description and probably be totally confused. Loud banging at the Victims' kitchen door. † When seeing the word â€Å"victim† they may think there is some kind of illegal activity going to happen when they enter the house. â€Å"Loud banging† may constitute for an aggressive person or group. They both relate. In trying to avoid this conclusion, Sided quickly exemplifies the fact mummers are always lifelong neighbors and are never strangers even though they would appear to be. What happens when mummers enter the house? Sided continues to illustrate huge points that unfamiliar readers need to be aware of.Mummers do not enter households and â€Å"trash† the pla ce. They enter and dance around, have sociable drinks, eat food and Walt for the household to guess their Identity. There Is no Illegal occurrence that takes place during this activity and Slider makes this point very clear. The second point Sided makes Is the aspect of Scoffing. Upon reading this article, I was unfamiliar with what scoffing was. Sided makes a mall point regarding scoffing when he describes the term â€Å"scoff'. A scoff Is formerly known as a meal, usually one that consists of a large amount of food.Another efferent families, for which all the food is stolen or â€Å"bucked† which in Newfoundland means something a little different than stealing. Sided makes another huge point when he says that food is only taken from another family living in the same community and who is the same â€Å"social class† as the person taking the food. An individual who comes from a poor fisher family would not take from a wealthy family, and a wealthy individual would mos t certainly not take from a poor family. Sided also acknowledges the connection between murmuring and scoffing which is another age point made in this article.He notes that they lie at the intersection of different forms of alliances within and between families. These alliances can include sentiment and emotion, but also kinship or work and production. These activities basically hindered or helped social relations. In order to further illustrate the alliances, Sided goes in to talk about the organization of the village inshore fishery during the period when the family was the unit of work for the fishery, which is Part Ill of the article. In Part IV of the article, Sided describes the truck system and the tall al system.Due to reading the first article â€Å"In Between History and Tomorrow: Making and Breaking Everyday Life in Newfoundland. â€Å", I am very familiar with both of these systems, but he describes it because not all of the readers would have read that previous articl e. He thoroughly describes each system which is important so that the reader will know what these systems are and what they were used for. In Part V of the article, Sided illustrates the diminishing of the two customs (murmuring and scoffing).This is a major point because readers may understand why they haven't en familiar with either of them and it would be due to the fact that hardly anyone participates in them anymore. For example, I knew what murmuring was because it still occurs in my area but not very often. I was completely unaware of scoffing upon reading this article because it was not something that I was introduced to. It did not happen in my area and if it did, it would not go over well. These customs are diminishing and if we ask people in generations from now, they probably will not know what either one of these customs are.The last main point that Sided presents n this article is answering â€Å"Why do outpost Nefariousness's mum and scoff? † He answers by illu strating that customs do things. They are connected to people who participate in them. It becomes their social root for some people. The second answer that he illustrates is the connected between customs and culture. It is important for Sided to illustrate this because reader's may often times wonder while interpreting this article why people do the things that are being described.They may not realize it, but it is a true statement when people say it is part of you inheritance. Aside from the main points outlined in this article, which are relevant in understanding the article, I have generated a few questions based on a couple aspects that were discussed. 1. ) Why doesn't Sided talk more about the women during that era? He did mention in Part I that the mothers, wives, sisters and young children salted and dried the fish, preparing them for fall delivery to the merchant. He also mentioned them again during the explanation of kinship organization.The women were part of the shore cro wd, there were usually three or four needed, and they were not paid erectly (it depended on their father or brother's catch) Sided continues to describe how men interact during the off season, but what about the women? What do they do knows back then the women did all the cooking and cleaning). In my opinion, there is too much focus on the men, although it is proven they worked extremely hard and it is important to put emphasis on that, but it almost feels like women were minor in this article. 2. )Len the context of scoffing, how would people actually steal the goods?Sided gives a thorough description of scoffing, but fails to mention anything about owe the goods would be stolen, or bucked. Why didn't Sided expand on this context and provide an in-depth example? Would people wait until early hours in the morning? Would they do it in broad daylight? Would they go back numerous times in one scoff? Would they get someone else to do it for them Just in case they get caught? What do the y bring with them? Does anyone get really hurt or angry buy having their food stolen? Sided mentions that the individual(s) buck enough for it to hurt, but how hurt do they get?Do they seek revenge other than stealing back from them? A lot of answered questions came to me when reading about scoffing and it may be because I am so unfamiliar with the custom. I will definitely do more research into it because it seems very interesting. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this article. I can relate to the murmuring where I am from. Although it is not a common thing, my family still sometimes go downstairs, dress up and come up dancing like mummers would. I really appreciated the point in the article when Sided referenced the â€Å"abundant Sunday dinner†. The traditional Sunday dinner is still a huge thing in my family.My grandmother faithfully cooks every Sunday, either for a small or big crowd. Cider's descriptions are very thorough and interesting to read, which is why this arti cle appealed to me more than the others. He covers most aspects that are needed in order for the reader to understand the points he is attempting to make. This is extremely important when trying to keep the reader interested and informed, and Sided productively does that. As a new reader of Cider's work I am impressed with his systematic descriptions and approach in his work and I look forward to reading more of his writing!

Friday, August 30, 2019

Internship in Accounting Department Essay

INTRODUCTION The following report describes the activities carried out during a 6-week, Full-time internship at the American university of lebanon, Finance Department. The document contains information about the organization and the responsibilities performed throughout the period between: the 1st of July until 31st of July, 2014. The first part of the report offers an overview of the organization, and then describe the process which has been implemented by finance department according to the policy which has been approved by the higher management represented by the university president and the Vise president of finance and administration. Finally the report wraps up with a few closing remarks and conclusions from the experience. The American University of Lebanon is a non-profit institution for public benefit founded in 2007 to provide a student-centered American-style education that embodies the philosophy, standards, and teaching practices of the American higher education model. AUL admits all qualified students regardless of social, ethnic, or religious background. Students are admitted based on a record of past academic performance and potential for success, including capacity to engage in self-directed learning and demonstrated high levels of critical thinking. At AUL, young Lebnonis do more than co-exist – they learn lasting values of respect for the individual and a spirit of free inquiry, and they thrive in a culture of achievement and accountability. Today nearly 1,100 students from all parts of Lebnon study at AUL. The university currently offers six academic programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree, as well as a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) and continuing education classes from its Professional Development Institute. The MBA program allows students to customize their degree by offering three areas of specialization: Leadership, Project Management, and Finance. Undergraduate degree programs include Business Administration, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Information Technology, International Studies, and English-Journalism. The Professional Development Institute at AUL provides professionals, companies, and organizations with access to professional education programs, including English language studies and project management. Rounding out the university experience is a robust campus life, with several university sports teams and more than a dozen student-sponsored clubs and other activities. AUL offers competitive men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, ping pong, and soccer, and a dozen other student activities, including an internationally competitive debate society, drama, business, hiking, photography, running, and radio clubs. Students have also participated in conferences and competitions outside of Lebnon, including an international Model United Nations conference, Hult Global Case Challenge, and various Fulbright scholarships. Further, AUL is home to the nation’s first and only independent student newspaper, the AUL Voice, and houses student chapters of the U.S.-based Society of Professional Journalists and the Association for Computing Machinery. In the fall of 2011, AUL marked the beginning of its fourth academic year with a move to its new 169-hectare (418-acre) campus. The university grounds include an administrative building, gender-specific dormitories, and an academic building, which houses lecture halls and classrooms, conference rooms, and faculty offices. AUL also has a cafeteria, two outdoor basketball courts and an outdoor soccer field. State-of-the-art science labs will be completed next year. Working Plan The main project to be carried out during the internship understood the whole procedures and process that performed by finance department and working closely with the finance staff and understanding the all principles and rules. Finance department in AUL has organization chart contains: 1. Director of Finance (report to the Vise President of Finance & Administration) a. Financial Planning officer b. Accounting officer i. Account payable ii. Cashier (treasury) c. Bursar i. Account receivable Finance department in AUL is responsible of the following duties: 1. Preparing the financial statement 2. Preparing monthly accounting report 3. Preparing monthly payroll report 4. Preparing annual budget 5. Preparing departmental budget 6. Making inter-fund transfer 7. Making intar-fund transfer 8. Monthly payment 9. Managing bank account 10. Monthly adjustment Purchasing and Payment: Finance department making sure that no-financial transaction will be processed without proper authorization and it is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that commitments entered into are legal, reasonable and provide value of money. After understanding the all principles and rules, starting to work with each staff separately, I have the chance to work with the accounting officer who is responsible for account payable and the cashier. The accounting officer is making sure to have document every transaction and have original acceptable document according to the policy, also he is responsible to check all daily transaction and making the necessary entry and records. The accounting officer is responsible to preparer the balance sheet, approving the paycheck, fund transfer after getting the permission from finance director. The staff that is responsible for managing the account payable is responsible to check the paperwork which has been approved by the accounting officer then make the payment through Bank Transfer or Bank Check or Cash and getting the necessary invoice and signatures. Also the account payable staff is making sure to make the payment at due date without any delay in order to  have the services continues without any interruption or penalty calm. The Cashier is responsible for managing the cash (treasure) making payment and receiving the due installment (tuition) payment for the customers. The Bursar is responsible for managing the tuition due payment with accordance with register office, also he is responsible for managing the account receivable. The account receivable is responsible for issuing the due invoice for the customers and sends it to them by email , then making sure to chase these invoices till get paid by the customers Audit process: there are two audit offices are responsible to monitor the all financial process and transaction within the university a. Internal Audit office : is responsible to check all document and statement on daily basis b. External Audit office : an international audit company is responsible for auditing the all document and statement on annual basis Conclusion It was a good opportunity to put in practice and develop further accounting and organizational skills refresh some principles and concepts in finances required for the University of the Event. Last but not least, it was a great opportunity for developing personal networking activities and making contacts which may prove of value in the near future and work with fantastic team of very hard working.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Strama 1-4

Question1: What is your evaluation of Michael Dell’s performance first as Dell’s CEO and more recently as its Chairman? How well has he performed the five tasks of crafting and executing strategy that were discussed in Chapter 2? Part 1: Same roles and responsibilities both as Dell’s CEO and its Chairman. * A young and learning manager. * A charismatic leader. * Motivated, loyal, and respectful followers. Part 2: * Vision: Directional, strategic vision * Objects: Crafting strategy: moves to achieve diversification, cross – business synergies 1+1=3 * Implementing strategy: * Evaluating strategy: Adapt to customer need changes, actively search for new opportunities, have corrective actions when not going well. Question 2: What are the elements of Dell’s strategy? Which one of five generic competitive strategies is Dell employing? How well do the different pieces of Dell’s strategy fit together? Is Dell’s strategy evolving? * The elements of Dell’s strategy: Cost- efficient build- to –order manufacturing( C-95) * Partnership with suppliers: partnering with reputable suppliers of PC >leadership in technology, performance, quality and cost. (C97) * Direct sales to customer (C-99) * Award winning customer service and technical support (C-101) * Customer- Driven R&D : focus on tracking and testing new developments >most useful and cost-efficient for customers (C-103) * Using standardized technology: using industrywide standards ( C-103) * Product-line expansion: data storage hardware, switches, handheld PCs, printers, printer cartridges. C103) From these elements, especially, â€Å"Direct sales to customer†, Dell is employing â€Å"Low-cost strategy†. Dell’s strategy is evolving. Question 3: Does Dell’s expansion into other IT products and services make good strategic sense? Why or Why not? Yes, it made good sense, because of the following reasons: Have opportunities to expand i nto industries whose technologies and products complement its present business (related diversification: from PC to data shortage, printers, etc) * Reduce costs by diversifying into closely related businesses * Have powerful brand name â€Å"Dell†: Customers would try other products * Good long-term profit opportunities ($800 billion market) => Industry attractiveness test * Low cost of entry to other related businesses => Cost of entry test * The company’s different businesses performed better together than as stand-alone enter prices (from 2% market share in 1995 to 30% market share in 2005, Pc attached with switch made easy sales) => Better-off test Question 4: What does a SWOT analysis reveal about the attractiveness of Dell Computer’s situation? From SWOT: * Dell hold very strong competitive position * â€Å"Direct business model† and â€Å"closed relationship with customers and suppliers† > Dell’s success * Company entered to the †Å" Fortune Global 500† >proved Dell’s efficiency and attractiveness * Dell Inc can profit from all different opportunities of expansion and growth to make it business more profitable.

Hamlet Critical Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hamlet Critical Perspectives - Essay Example This was almost a requirement, because England was under fire from many nations, including Rome and the Catholic church, due to Henry VIII (her father) breaking with the Vatican during his reign. Yet by the start of the seventeenth century, the queen was in her late sixties and to quote the French ambassador De Maisse â€Å"She kept the front of her dress open, and one could see the whole of her bosom†¦and†¦ Her bosom is somewhat wrinkled†. As such Doctor Lavery draws the comparison of her and the elderly Gertrude, with whom Hamlet cannot hide his disgust when she marries Claudius (Lavery). Another contemporary viewpoint that Lavery believes Shakespeare used as a main theme for the play was revenge, especially when it pertained to corruption in government. True Hamlet sought true blood revenge for his father the king was murdered by his own brother in order to seize the throne. But he also grappled with an even bigger problem in that the government should be toppled, with violence if necessary, if it is deemed to be unworkable. Perhaps the founding fathers of the United States learned well from Hamlet and used his ideas when they decided to secede from England well over a century later. Then again it has been said by others that the inspiration for Hamlet was a Latin work from the thirteenth century called Vita Amlethi, well before Elisabeth’s Tudor monarchy had been established. Hamlet uses many mythological references in the work, along with historical figures interspersed to mythological status. For instance, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (who was a central figure in many of Shakespeare’s works) was mentioned in three times in the play, mostly as part of Hamlet’s play within a play. Speaking of his uncle Claudius, Hamlet refers to him as a satyr, the drunken buffoon in Roman mythology from which we get the word satire. Of course figures from the Judaic Christian belief system is heavily referenced from the obvious refe rences to Cain and Abel (Claudius slew his brother), the beggar Lazarus, Saints Peter, Patrick and James, to Jesus Christ himself. Even the madness of Hercules from Greek mythology is borrowed from, to reference the entire theme of insanity in the play. In his work Teaching Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Douglas Grudzina argues that the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud and his protege Carl Jung looked heavily at the mythological aspects of Hamlet when Jung said â€Å"some myths are repeated throughout history in cultures and eras that could not possibly have had any contact with one another† as in the Greeks and Chinese having basically the same stories. Jung believed that this concept was especially true in relation to religious beliefs. Every culture basically believes in creation and some sort of life after death. Based upon Shakespeare’s own beliefs, that would therefore explain the ghostly appearance of Hamlet’s father, asking that his son avenge him ( Grudzina). The feminism of Hamlet, or lack of it, has been well documented, especially in the late twentieth century and one of the most famous of those was the tragic Ophelia, whose eventual madness was caused by her maltreatment from most if not all of the males she encountered. For a character so well written about by so many scholars, she appears

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Montessori pedagogy. Why has it become so popular in Norway when Essay

The Montessori pedagogy. Why has it become so popular in Norway when private schools are being established - Essay Example ities have had a strong influence on education policies concerning both the content of teaching and the management of schools (Darnell & Hoem, 1996; Lauglo, 1998). Operating parallel to this decentralized process, however, has been the states effort to exert more management and control over the schools in order to protect a democratic popular education. Such control is considered necessary for maintaining equality in education. In 1997, Norway developed a new national curriculum plan for primary and lower secondary schools. The 343-page plan (Laereplanen, 1997) is ideologically based on nationalism, is oriented both to children and to the community, and focuses on projecting methods and integrative strategies for teaching. The plan also stresses subject knowledge and explains, in detail, "what should be learned." Today, not only public schools but also private schools receive almost all of their funding from the state, and they must follow an overall state policy for education. The vast majority of students attend public schools. At the university and college level, only about 10 percent of students attend private institutions. At the upper secondary level, 4 percent are in private education. More than 98 percent of primary and lower secondary education students attend public state schools. Only a very few children are home schooled. For all intents and purposes, the state has a say in almost all school matters in Norway, and its reach is extending toward such alternative education methods as home schooling. As a result of the special geography and history of Norway, there is no historically rooted national upper class. While some children have learned from private tutors, or at Christian schools or other private schools, Norway does not have a strong tradition of private, upper-class schools. Some alternative schools at the primary and lower secondary levels were established by special interest groups for religious or other ideological

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Natural environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Natural environment - Assignment Example Another equally disastrous effect of man’s unlimited usage of energy will be exhaustion of earth’s natural resources. Each human activity today will have its repercussions tomorrow. The manner in which man’s life might change because of the change in the environment is complex and quite unpredictable. The rapidly changing climate will have an impact on a person’s life by endangering life itself through natural disasters. It is not only the poor countries that will suffer but rich countries will suffer as well evident from instances such as Katrina and Aila leading to a crash in the world’s economy and creating economic problem for each individual . Problems in crop production might lead to market politics and decrease in food security. Famines might also result from this. Bad air and water quality will affect a person’s health and reduce the quality of life. Man-wildlife conflict is bound to harm man’s life as well with rapid urbanization and an increase in stress factors on wildlife (Hunter, 2007, p316). Another major problem will be scarcity of water because of rapid decrease in potable water leading scientists to predict as 3rd World War over this precious resource. Exhaustion of natural resources would bring man’s life to a stand-still since man is over dependent on resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. Since man’s future depends on the present activities, mitigation efforts and plans need to be constructed to help restore the environmental quality and control anthropogenic activities thereby ensuring continuation of life on

Monday, August 26, 2019

Should the UK join the Euro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Should the UK join the Euro - Essay Example This also eradicates the uncertainties relating to exchange rates and thus helping the banking sector to invest in other member nations. However, apart from the above discussed advantages of joining the Euro, there also lay certain drawbacks that cannot be denied. One of such drawbacks includes the prevalence of common interest rates in different countries, which greatly affect their respective economic and overall development procedure. It is worth mentioning that the European Central Bank (ECB) may discourage the UK to join the Euro, as it plays an imperative role in designing effective monetary as well as fiscal policies. Nonetheless, deficiency in obtaining support from the member nations also highly discouraged the UK in joining the Euro. Thus, taking into concern these drawbacks, it is to be affirmed that the UK would require thinking number of times before joining the Euro. Nevertheless, there lays the probability for the UK to reap several significant benefits in terms of developing its economy by joining the Euro based on the above stated advantages of the same. Thus, with this concern, it can be affirmed th at the UK would become more influential to compete with other powerful nations by joining the Euro. Euro, which is the official currency of the European Union, was introduced in the year 1999. However, there lay numerous discussions regarding the introduction of Euro as a common currency amid the countries of the European Union. Nevertheless, finally in the year 1995, there was a consensus and all the member countries of the European Union agreed to introduce a common currency and named it ‘Euro’. The nations of the European Union who are using this currency at present are the Netherlands, Cyprus, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Austria, Estonia and Spain. Notably, the countries of the United Kingdom (UK) such as England, Wales, Scotland and Northern

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Digital graphics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Digital graphics - Assignment Example Additionally, there have been developments in printers since they were first created, where they were very slow and basic printers. They used to be expensive at the time unlike now, where one can purchase them easily. The only problem is that such printers take a long time to print and therefore, shows how much printers have upgraded but expensive. To add to this there are new printers that have come up and made currently, as well as increases speed of printing as well as lowers costs (Niemeyer, 2008, 23-144). Development of mobile phones also has a big effect on the design and creation of images. Latest mobile phones’ models have cameras, which can be used to take photos and transfer them to a computer using either Bluetooth technology or a data cable. In addition, some mobile phones have such as latest smart phones have inbuilt softwares that can be used to edit images. E-book readers have also had a great impact on the design and creation of images. E-books are now designed in such a way that they are compatible with both the computers and

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Education System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Education System - Essay Example What measures are we willing to take in order to achieve it What system are we going to introduce to our education so that we could produce individuals fit for this society Are we willing to sacrifice and violate some values such as the values of privacy and freedom just to attain this so called "perfect society" And if we do, will it be worth it What would have become of us as human beings Education is one way to implement discipline or a desired behavior of any sort. After all, it is undeniable that a nation's education system greatly influences the kind of citizens it has. The people's discipline, values, and way of living are all affected by the kind of education they were able to attain, since we all know that, before being exposed to the real world where we have to work, we have to go through education. Unless we are home schooled and aside from outside influences, we learn everything else in school: manners, culture, academics. If the education system of a society can be altered and controlled by one person, there is a great chance that he will gain control over all of the society. In Paulo Freire's "banking theory of education" from his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, he argues that society uses education to avoid people from intervening in what they have created as the perfect society. They have come up with a system that does not allow students to think; rather they are only receptacles of teachings or deposits. He said that "the banking concept of education regards men as adaptable, manageable beings. The more students work at storing the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness which would result from their intervention in the world as transformers of that world". In this concept, students receive what the teachers give. They don't have a perception or an opinion of their own. They are only to record, memorize, and repeat without thinking. (Freire, Chapter 2). This way, it will be sure that no one stands up to change anything in the system. "The more completely they accept the passive role imposed on them, the more they tend simply to adapt to the world as it is and to the fragmented view of reality deposited in them". Thus his idea of the students being the "oppressed" and the education system being oppressive because the system has removed the students' ability to think creatively and at the same time, be contributors to the learning process so they don't only listen. Michael Foucault's concept of Panopticism, on the other hand, introduces a mechanism that involves instruments, techniques, and procedures to be able to suppress and control people's minds to make sure that discipline "reigns over society as a whole" (Foucault, Part 3: Discipline). Although this is a completely separate idea, the concept of gaining power and control is the same with Freire's "banking concept". In Foucault's book Discipline and Punish, Part Three, he compares panopticism with a plague affected town. The plague can be an illness, or a symbolic disorder of rebellions, crimes, and vagabondage. In order to contain this plague and avoid any "contagions", a system was built to supervise each and every citizen in all their movements. The town was closed and they were prohibited to leave town in pain of death. All events were under surveillance and everything was recorded. From this concept, Foucault discusses a style of architecture from Jeremy Bentham's idea wherein

Friday, August 23, 2019

Explain what Weber meant by the distinction between formal rationality Assignment

Explain what Weber meant by the distinction between formal rationality and substantive rationality - Assignment Example Similarly, the article examines the two theories of scientific management and human relations. Consequently, the paper looks into whether the two methods exhibit either formal or substantive rationality. Max Weber developed the concept of formal rationality at a time when capitalistic forms of organizations were steadily on the rise. Essentially, that would explain why various sociologists and scholars have on several occasions associated the concept of formal rationality to organizational entities. According to Max Weber, characters, and various entities often have objectives, which they work towards realizing (Secchi 2011, pg. 49). Formal rationality, therefore, implies that persons of interest employ a means-ends coherent calculation in ensuring that they accomplish their aims. Weber argues that formal rationality demands that the steps being taken by an individual to achieve his or her objectives should be based on ones experience and observations. Similarly, the individuals should make their decisions based on science and logic. Contrary to the inter-civilizational and the excelling charisma of the practical, theoretical, and substantive types of rationality, formal rationality relates to scopes of life and a configuration of supremacy that acquired distinct and defined confines only with industrialization. Most significantly, the economic, legal, and scientific ranges, and the inflexible form of the command (Kalberg 1980, pg. 1149). In like manner, it can be concluded that whereas practical rationality always point towards a diffuse affinity to evaluate and to decipher repetitive hitches by means-end rational patterns of action in orientation to realistic self- interests, formal rationality in the end legitimates a similar means-end rational calculation by reference to comprehensively applied rules, laws, or regulations. Just as in practical

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Recruitment and Selection Essay Example for Free

Recruitment and Selection Essay 1.0 Attracting and Recruiting Tesco The priority for Tesco is to recruit internally; potential applicants are scouted with their Talent Plan to fill a vacancy. Employees looking for a promotion are targeted first, if there are no compatible people in the Talent Plan or developing within the businesses internal management program then Tesco will advertise the vacancy internally on its staff website for two weeks. Benefits †¢An incentive for employees to work hard therefore rewards good employees. †¢Cost Effective due to not having to advertise externally in expensive mediums e. g. magazines, newspapers etc. †¢The business is already familiar with the skills and capability of the candidates. †¢Motivation can occur as it provides an increase in employee empowerment. †¢Shorter introduction period needed as the candidate is already familiar with the operations and activities of the business. (hrcap.com) Disadvantages †¢Limited applicants given that you are only able to choose from the pool within the business. †¢Lack of new ideas and perspectives introduced externally as people on the outside may have different experiences from business that they have work for in the past and innovative ideas. †¢May cause conflict between potential candidates and resentment from those not promoted or not given the opportunity. †¢As the employee(s) gets promoted this creates another vacancy. (tutor2u.net) McDonald’s Every restaurant franchise is responsible for filling hourly-paid positions this is empowered through McDonalds recruitment policy. The management recruitment department generally advertises the position in the restaurant for recruiting hourly paid employees. However, there are other method that they use such as job centers, careers fairs and other local facilities. Benefits †¢People on the outside can bring in new ideas and perfective that can aid innovation and improve productivity. †¢Larger pool of potential applicants from which to find the best candidate. †¢May reduce training expenses by as experienced candidates can be employed. †¢Diversifies the business, helps company’s aims of meeting their diversity requirements. †¢Does not create conflict between employees. (blurtit.com) Disadvantages †¢Longer process due the need to attract externally. †¢More costly from the requirement of interviewing and advertising. †¢Could cause morale problems as internal candidates are not given the opportunity for a promotion. †¢Requires longer orientation or introduction period. †¢Selection process may not be effective to reveal the best candidate. (Aswathappa, K. 2005) 2.0 HR Planning A systematic process for identifying the human resources required to meet organisational goals and developing strategies to meet those requirements. It defines the activities necessary to have the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time. (cs.ny.gov) Tesco Given that Tescos is putting emphasis on growth, the company needs to recruit regularly to keep up with the demands of the business and its operations for both food and non-food parts of the business. The process runs annually from end of February. Quarterly reviews in May, August and November are used to assess current staffing levels and whether recruitment is needed. McDonalds McDonalds labor turnover is usually high due to the most of them being in education (varies from differing franchises) hence HR planning is a monthly process that requires the assessment of staff that are leaving and therefore the need to evaluate whether recruiting new staff is needed. Advantages †¢The company anticipates future needs of the organisation and evaluates whether appropriate action is needed in effect preventing potential problems before they arise which ultimately increases the overall efficiency of the business good workforce planning is a source of competitive advantage. (ehow.com) †¢HR planning takes a proactive approach in ensuring that the corporate objective is met by aiding the businesss operations. Therefore it allows managers to prepare and plan for changes rather than reacting to changes as they come. Hence HR planning is a good strategic decision making tool. (tutor2u.net) †¢Businesses that are in market with high external changes e.g. Mobile Phone market technology. The business can better react work force implications such as employing someone that have a particular set of skills to match the competition. (datapole.hubpages.com) Potential issues †¢Implementing the decisions made from the HR plan may be difficult due to cost. Most of the decisions made from the HR planning have cost implications e.g. new training, extra recruitment, and redundancies. The cost need to be evaluated relative to the corporate objective and whether the decision aids in meeting the objective(s). (tutor2u.net) 3.0 Equality Act 2010 The Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. (homeoffice.gov.uk) The human resource department is responsible for implementing the act given that the act is aimed at recruitment and the selection process and the working environment. Tesco enforces this act in the recruitment process by not including questions about religion, sexual orientation and age on the application form. Tesco has implemented a diversity strategy, Tesco’s aim to employ people from disabled or disadvantaged groups. Tesco offers an interview guarantee to candidates from Remploy, Shaw Trust and Whizz-Kidz three organisations that work with disabled people. McDonalds believes success is due to the experiences and the quality of their employees. Their aim is to develop employees’ talents, whilst nurturing their differences. To ensure equality and diversity McDonalds implements policies and monitors and reviews them regularly to maintain their effectiveness. For an example in application form there are not questions regarding age, sex or race. Through Diversity Awareness Training, Managers Guide Training, the Employee Handbook, managers will make certain every employees are trained and made aware of their responsibilities under the equality and diversity policies. Moreover, employees have an option on joining internal programs and employee business networks that serve to provide a sense of community in a diverse work place such networks include: Hispanic Employee Network, McDonald’s African American Council, and McDonald’s Gay Lesbian Allies Network. Moreover, they provide information, education, and advice for both the employees and the company. Benefits †¢Creates a good image an ethical corporate image. †¢Attracts and retain talent from the widest range and best possible pool of potential candidates for the vacancy. Feeling included and appreciated increases loyalty and feeling of belonging therefore reducing absenteeism and labor turnover, ultimately saving on recruitment expenses. †¢Creates a more respectable and safer work environment and culture since it is illegal to bully or harass an employee based on sex, race, age, or disability. †¢Managing and adapting to the impact of globalisation and technological change. In effect improving knowledge of how to operate in different cultures which is extremely beneficial for businesses that operate overseas (e.g. Tesco) †¢Enables a work force to develop creativity and a variety of perspectives that can benefit problem solving due to having more solutions to choose from. Morale can increase as a result of a mixture of different age groups within the workforce. The mix of young and older people brings a broad range of knowledge, experience and social skills to the company. †¢A diverse workforce is more flexible, since it consists of a wide range of people from a different stage of the life cycle, all able to work together to deliver the best service in all circumstances which is especially important for a mass market firm such as Tesco and MacDonalds (oneworkplace.org) Disadvantages †¢Different cultures could provoke a conflict in views and opinions and negatively affect team work therefore decreasing productivity. †¢Diversity and equality policies help against preventing discrimination which can be very costly if convicted. †¢People may feel insecure or threatened to work with people of a different age, sex, or culture. An increase in training expenses could occur due costs associated with seminars, programs and lectures given to promote diversity in the corporation. These types of training are given to all levels of staff within the organization (Outtz, J.L, 2004) †¢The pressure of increasing work place diversity can bias the selection process. Hiring managers may believe that diversifying the work place to meet policies is more of a concerning matter as if they dont there is a stigma attached to it for being discriminatory and therefore putting their job at risk. Hence, increasing diversity requirements might make fail to notice more suita ble qualified applicants in favor of applicants who bring diversity (not necessarily talent) to the organization. †¢Making adjustments to accommodate diversity can be costly (e.g. installing lifts). Numerous diverse groups demands can become burdensome on employers therefore causing de-motivation. Employee requests and work constraints based on religion, national origin, gender and race can become overpowering if your workplace has so much diversity that it takes human resources staff member too much time and workload just to keep track of obliging to the needs of diverse groups in the workplace. (chron.com) (scribd.com) 4.0 Involvement of the human resource practitioner The HR practitioners play a proactive role, contributing to the formulation of corporate strategy, developing and integrating HR strategies and giving guidance on matters related to uphold legislations, policies and ethical principles. (Armstrong, M. 2010) Tescos human resource practitioner is responsible for workforce planning, the process of analysing an organisations likely future needs for people in terms of numbers, skills and locations. This planning process runs every year late February. There are quarterly reviews in May, August and November, in order for to Tesco to alter staffing levels and recruit where necessary. This permits Tesco sufficient time and flexibility to meet the businesses demands for staff and allows the company to meet its strategic objectives, such as maintain a good level of customer service or opening new stores. In terms of McDonalds each individual restaurant is responsible for filling hourly-paid positions. The HR manager is usually the general manager of the franchise. The HR manager sets policies for hiring and recruitment such as enforcing the equality act. Theyre responsible for creating job postings and advertisements when there are vacancies, they are also responsible for the contents within the application form so they must keep in mind the equality act so questions on age, race, disabilities etc. are not permitted within the application form. The manager typically decides the final candidate that is applicable for the job. 5.0 Section Methods Interview An interview is described as a conversation with a purpose†¦ most job interviews are structured with questions aim about the candidates experience, careers and qualifications (Armstrong, M. 2006 p441) This information is exchanged, with the intention of establishing the applicant’s suitability for a position. (businessdictionary.com) Strengths †¢Useful to determine if the applicant has good communication and social skills which may be required for to fill the vacancy. †¢Opportunity for candidates to ask questions – to solve any issues. †¢Enables the supervisor and current employees to evaluate if there is compatibility between the applicant and the team. †¢The candidate may reveal additional information useful for making a selection decision that he/she did not write on the application form. †¢The interviewer can explain the job in detail and assess the applicants job knowledge. †¢Opportunity to ask exploratory questions that investigates the candidates characteristics and competencies assess if they meet the job requirements. †¢Interviews to get an understanding of a candidates personality, which may be difficult to distinguish from a CV or application on paper. †¢Rich in qualitative data that is useful to analyse personality. (evalued.bcu.ac.uk) Weaknesses †¢Some applicants may feel nervous during interviews, leading them to forget key points about present them selves badly leading to a bad first impression. Therefore an interview may not be a fit for everyone only those that prefer interview hence biasing the process towards more confident people. This could undermine more qualified and experienced people as they are over shadowed by their first impression of being nervous and not confident, ultimately, this may cause the HR manager hiring the wrong person for the job. †¢Interviews rely on the interviewers own judgment and dont guarantee the best outcome as interviewer bias can distort the results. †¢Qualitative data is subjective and depends on the interpretation of the interviewer, deeming it unreliable. †¢Can lack validity due to it not being a true measure of how the candidate will perform in a work place. Moreover, it does not necessarily review competence in matching demands of the job, given that answering questions is not a valid measure of the persons ability to do the job. †¢They can be very time-consuming: setting up, interviewing, transcribing, analysing, feedback, reporting therefore, can be costly. (academic.udayton.edu) (siteresources.worldbank.org) Assessment Centers ‘A method for assessing aptitude and performance; applied to a group of participants by trained assessors using various aptitude diagnostic processes in order to obtain information about applicants abilities or development potential.’ (psychometric-success.com) Selection techniques may be combined and applied together at events referred to as assessment centers. Such events may last one to three days during which a group of applicants for a post will undertake a variety of techniques†¦ the general methods used would be group discussions, role plays and simulations, interviews and tests.† (Bratton J. and Gould J. 1999 p206) In assessment centers candidates take part in management related exercises (test). Common exercises include: Different types of Psychological tests. †¢Management games. †¢In-Basket exercises. Here, the candidate is asked to solve different management problems. †¢Group discussion (GD) about different management topics. †¢Oral presentations of management topics. †¢Good report writing, etc. (http://psychcentral.com) Advantages †¢Identify strengths and weakness of the candidate.(kevinmorrell.org.uk) †¢Multiple tests increase reliability and validity. They are deemed to be more accurate than a standard recruitment process as use a wider variety of selection methods to be used during the process. (kevinmorrell.org.uk) †¢Allow interviewers to differentiate between candidates that seem similar on paper. (Martin M. and Jackson T. 2000) †¢Gives the applicant a better insight of the skills and knowledge needed to fill the vacancy. (Martin M. and Jackson T. 2000) †¢Employers that use assessment centre build an employer brand of being professional and process that genuinely reflect the job. (getfeedback.net) †¢Enable assessors to observe and assess candidates’ behaviour in a number of different situations which provide a more comprehensive and rounded picture of the individuals concerned. (Martin M. and Jackson T. 2000) Disadvantages †¢Expensive; Barclays estimate their assessment centers cost around  £15,000 †¢Arguably the personal characteristics of a person cannot be assessed accurately within the 3 or so day they are running for. †¢Assessor bias can distort results as they may sub consciously prefer a certain characteristic. Work Sample Test Standardized measures of behavior whose primary objective is to assess the ability to do rather than the ability to know through miniature replicas of actual job requirements; also known as situational tests. (highered.mcgraw-hill.com) Advantages †¢The method provides a real life context therefore the method is high in ecological validity which makes the work sample a valid measure of the candidates competence in performing task required in the vacancy. (Van Kleef, J. et al 2007) †¢Provides the assessor a basis to test the applicant skills such as communication that are not clear on paper. (Van Kleef, J. et al 2007) †¢Due to their relationship to the job, these tests are typically viewed more favorable by examinees and candidates than aptitude or personality tests. (hr-guide.com) †¢Difficult for applicants to fake job proficiency which aids validity as the score on the test correlates to how well the applicant completes the task. (hr-guide.com) Disadvantages †¢Useful for jobs that take a short period of time. However it is a poor assessor of jobs that take a long period of time such as designing. (hr-guide.com) †¢Does not predict whether the applicant will have the motivation or personal attributes to carry out that task reliably on the job. (dpc.nsw.gov.au) †¢Denoting work behaviors into number is highly subjective, open to interpretation as well, therefore is open to assessor bias ultimately lowering validity. (dpc.nsw.gov.au)

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Investigate their human resources, administration, finance and sales Essay Example for Free

Investigate their human resources, administration, finance and sales Essay Marks and Spencers have many different store departments but also have many different departments of their business, its functional areas. I am going to look at and investigate their human resources, administration, finance and sales and marketing departments to then see how each contributes to the running of Marks and Spencers. Human Resources: The human resources department aims to carry out 5 major things, these being: 1. Recruiting, keeping and dismissing employees. This is a major task for MS as they need the right type of employees for the business to operate its best, also the employees shall decide the businesses success present and future. Recruiting new employees could be hiring new people from outside the business or promoting workers already working in the business. Many businesses such as MS like recruiting from outside the business to bring new ideas and enthusiasm. MS would want to keep all their existing employees as they would risk losing experienced and trained staff, plus recruiting new workers and training them can prove to be expensive. Sometimes MS would have to dismiss or sack employees, this may be due if an employee cannot carry out their job efficiently or effectively. Also many employees are dismissed or made redundant, as their jobs no longer exist, say the fall in a particular product could lead to the dismissal of many staff. Read more:Â  Human Resource Management Essay 2. Monitoring and providing good working conditions. Working conditions includes; the cleanliness of a place, the provision of rest areas, hours of work and holidays. Working conditions have a great impact on how well a business operates and how well employees can carry out their work. They are normally a subject for negotiation between trade unions and human resources. MS have an area for staff to relax and spend their breaks in. The whole store would be regularly cleaned every day for both the workers and customers. 3. Training, developing and promoting employees. Human resources need their staff to be able to ensure that employees are able to do their jobs, they may give training at MS or through course at local colleges, planning jobs so that employees enjoy new experiences and develop new skills also promoting employees to more senior positions to give the business the skills and experience it needs. 4. Negotiating with trade unions. The human resources department of MS would have to discuss and agree pay and working conditions with trade unions or other representatives of the workforce. This process is called collective bargaining. 5. Health and safety is an important responsibility for human resources, as it requires MS to provide all employees with a secure risk free working environment. That is what the human resources function of MS had to ensure is carried out. Here are some typical job titles within an organisation such as MS. Job title Description Human resources director Deciding the overall staffing policies of Boots. Also he/she advise senior management. Setting the human resources budget. In charge of all human resource functions in Boots. Human resources manager He/she manages the human resources department and staff involved with industrial relations and trade union negotiations, also ensuring his/he staff is following the policies of Boots. Recruitment officer Responsible for the taking on of staff and section of staff, depending on their standard of work they offer to Boots and the customers of Boots. Training/staff development officer He/she are responsible for training and developing of their staff to bring or take them to a higher level. Personnel/staffing officer Keeping staff records, monitoring staff welfare. Health and safety officer He/she makes sure all aspects of health and safety are in order for staff matters. Also they monitor accident and prevention. Security officer General security, responsible for all security staff. Human resources administrative assistants Administrative work relating to the human resource function. Finance: Now I am going to look at the finance function of MS. The finance department of a business manages the money for the business. The department controls the financial transactions of a business and help managers to plan for the future. The various activities of the finance department are: 1. Recording all the financial matters of MS as they are constantly spending money or receiving it from sales. It is vital that they keep all records of all the activities in order to, calculate whether the business is being profitable, asses how much tax the business will have to pay and to help managers to make the right decisions. 2. All businesses have to prepare their accounts in order to summarise their financial affairs during a year, plcs are required to publish their results legally as they are a public company such as MS. They have to do the following; the balance sheet which states both what a businesses aims and its debts, profit and loss account- which records the profit or loss made during a lengthy period of time usually a year, the inland revenue have to confirm that MS has paid the correct amount of tax, suppliers are able to see whether business can pay its debts and finally shareholders can decide whether its worth investing in the business or not. 3. MS have to pay the wages of all their employees and it involves the finance department in a number of ways. The business has to deduct income tax and national insurance from each employees pay, it may be required to operate a pension scheme for its more elderly employees and to make sure the correct amount of wages or salaries has been given out to employees. 4. All businesses need some resources and capital to trade successfully. To purchase these resources businesses may need to raise large sums of money, known as capital, but not MS as they are already fully developed and expanding across the globe. But nevertheless a business has 2 main sources of capital; a loan raised by borrowing money from a bank or another business and retained profits, if MS has been very profitable they may be able to invest in the business and obtain resources they may need. Some typical job roles in the finance function in MS would include; Job Description Financial director Giving advice to senior managers on the overall financial policy of MS. Overseeing the budget of MS. In charge of all finance function in MS. Financial Manager Managing the finance function and staff. He/she also advises other members of staff with any financial queries. Chief Accountant He/She ensures that final preparation of accounts MS are in good and correct order. Management accountant He/She produces continuous financial information to MS. Credit Controller Advising on credit policies. Making sure money owing to MS kept in confidence. Credit control clerks Helps check accounts of new and existing customers accounts. He/She works below the Credit Controller but assist the credit controller. They also remind customers of overdue payments Chief Cashier He/She is responsible for the receipt, safe keeping accounting and banking all money received from boots. Payroll Administrator He/She is in control of ensuring that all of MS employees payroll and salary/wages section. Wages Clerks He/She helps and assists the payroll administrator, in the production of wages ands salary details. Administration: The administration department provides important support services to other departments in the business. Not all admin departments in all businesses are the same. In small businesses the admin department may take responsibility for human resources or finance, but in a large organisation such as MS it is usually most likely to be specialised. The admin department makes considerable use of computers and IT as it is required for a lot of their jobs. There are as always many activities for the administration department; they can be broken down into 5 groups: 1. Clerical services are the main role of every admin department. The department may provide clerical services to all other departments within the business. These maybe; word-processing, making telephone calls, booking accommodation for staff, sorting and delivering incoming mail and posting outgoing mail, organising meetings and keeping records of what takes place at these meetings, talking responsibly on behalf of the whole company and creating and keeping records of the company. 2. All businesses require regular cleaning MS is no exception as it is especially true as MS have cafes, which require thorough cleanliness. Admin also organises the maintenance of the building, they may decorate the inside and outside of the building if they wish. 3. Health and safety is a big issue with all businesses. It includes; providing safety clothing, warnings for workers, ensuring that there are no dangers around the workplace and providing regular medical checks for those working in risky environments. 4. Security is an increasingly important issue for all businesses, security duties would include; signing visitors in and out of premises, ensuring that unauthorised people are kept out by use of patrols or even guard dogs, protecting computer systems from hackers, patrolling to prevent shoplifting by employing guards in uniform. 5. Information technology is being more widely used by the minute, nearly all businesses use some form of IT nowadays. The admin department may use IT to; make spreadsheet for financial data, a database of customers and employees, payroll systems to calculate employees wages and salaries, e mail for communicating internal and external, web based systems, web sites for selling goods etc. Typical job roles of the administration function would be: Job Description Administration manager Managing the administration operations of MS. Administration assistant Assists with administrative tasks in particular areas. Secretary of Boots A senior executive responsible for all the legal affairs of MS. It manager Managing all IT requirements of MS, including equipment maintenance and advising on future needs. Office manager/senior administrator Responsible for ensuring the administrating operations in particular office or department. Chief security officer He/she is responsible for the security staff and advising on security requirements. Security Responsible for maintaining and monitoring security to the required standard. Reprographics supervisor (photo coping and printing) Ensuring all reprographics are done and to a high standard, as it reflects on Boots reputation from the quality of leaflets and formal letters etc. Pa / Secretarial staff These staff are mainly there to providing secretarial and administrative support to senior members of staff and Word processing operator/Data input clerk (worker) He/she type out letters and any other documents and also input data into a computer system. Maintenance of Staff He/she is responsible for routine maintenance work, which may include painting or decorating. Cleaning Staff Cleaning of general office areas, facilities and equipment Marketing and Sales: Marketing and sales involve businesses in many ways. Marketing is the process that helps all businesses to discover and meet the needs of customers. Doing market research, carrying it out in the local and wider community enables the business to discover: 1 Customer reactions to existing products 2 What new goods and services customers want 3 Whether or not new products will prove to be popular 4 The prices customers are prepared to pay for goods 5 How satisfied customers already are with the service Marks and Spencers therefore do the following; discover customer needs through market research, advise customers of products through promotion then achieve their sales. There are 2 types of research that can be carried out, Primary- gathering data for the 1st time by asking for views and opinions through questionnaires, interviews, surveys etc and Secondary research which is research that has already been done by someone else such as newspapers web site etc. The best-known marketing activity is promotion. 1 Advertising on TV, radio, internet, billboards, newspapers etc 2 Sales promotions, giving free samples like buy 1 get 1 free etc 3 Public relations, attempting to influence the publics opinions of the business and its products through sponsorship, trade fairs the press and media Businesses try to achieve their sales through a number of ways: 1 Selling products through shops 2 Personal selling such as when sales reps encourage customers to buy their products 3 Internet selling is an increasingly important sales method as it is spreading and growing bigger The typical job roles you can expect are: Typical job Title Job Role Marketing Director Responsible for over all marketing function and its aims and objectives. Sales Director He/She is responsible for the sales function. Sales Manager He/she is responsible for MS entire sales staff and achievement of sales targets usually within the UK. Export Manager This individual is responsible for agents and sales overseas. Advertising Manager In charge of advertising and publishing successful advertising campaigns. Sales Coordinator This person is responsible for giving urgent information required by sales staffs that are travelling. Sales Representatives MS sales staff who visit customers in UK and abroad. Market Researchers This team is relied upon to find out what customers want and whether or not there is a need for this new product. Order Clerks This staffs are responsible to accept and process sales orders. Telephone Sales staff Accept and process telephone orders.

The Rite Of Nokan Or The Encoffinment Religion Essay

The Rite Of Nokan Or The Encoffinment Religion Essay The rite of Nokan or the encoffinment where the corpse was placed in a casket during the funeral. Traditionally, the ceremony was to relieve the family of their grief by cleansing the dead of all his worldly suffering, while hoping they would have a better life in the afterlife. The specialist handled all the necessary requirements for ease of passage into the afterlife. In early times there were two main traditions practiced Shinto and Buddhist traditions. According to Shinto traditions, the dead as well as the family unit from which he/she came from were considered to be unclean and impure; therefore the corpse had to be washed for purification. Traditional Japanese believed that the dead persons soul remained impure for some period following death before purification through memorials done by the relatives of the dead; thereafter the soul was deindividuated into an ancestor god or goddess. Traditional Japanese opinion that dead people are impure is based on the Kojiki myth, where maggots came out of the rotting body of a god. Traditionally burial gowns were also considered garments for travelling that prepared the dead when travelling to the other world. The encoffinment rite was done by the family members as death was unclean. In modern times, in keeping with this rite, family members wipe the corpse clean with a cotton cloth dipped in alcohol with the assistance funeral specialists. Traditionally Japanese funerals were to serve as prayers for the deceased persons soul while also serving as the familys time for public mourning as it was meant to keep their loved one in their memories. Typically a Japanese funeral follows the sequence: when someone dies, they are placed to rest in their homes. The corpse was placed with the head pointing the North, copying the deathbed of Gautama, and the head of the bed is well decorated. Then the previously mentioned encoffinment process. The first night after ones death is called the Tsuya; and it is for close family and friends to remember their beloved. In the morning, a cleansing meal is served called Okiyome. The funeral is thereafter carried out where the Jukai rite also known as receipt of commandments gives the dead an opportunity to receive the Buddhist commandments, automatically making the dead a disciple of the Buddha, and the dead person is accepted into Buddha hood. After all this, the deceased embarks on the journey to the other world as the coffin is carried out of the house and burnt in a crematorium to ashes. Presently about 99% Japanese are cremated while only about 1% are interred. These changes in preference on the method of sending off the dead have been brought about by the Countrys main religion, changes in dwelling environments and changes in technologies. During the high-growth era of the 1970s, cremation became popular outside of metropolitan areas and crematoriums were built in several places as a matter of national requirement. VIEWS HELD BY JAPANESE ON CORPSES Generally the elderly Japanese do not perceive the body and soul as a duality, that is flesh and spirit. The corpse is considered a very important part and if funeral rites are not carried out, the deceaseds soul will not be mourned. It is very important that the corpse is attended to and the death is mourned by as many people as possible. Additionally the corpse must be well taken care of until all rites have been carried out. The body is not just considered a vehicle or an object or a shell for the soul but it is considered an entity with a will, hopes and rights therefore the family has a responsibility to care for them, respect them and accord them a befitting farewell.. CONTINUATION OF LIFE AND DEATH The Japanese considered death a passageway leading to the continuation of death and life. The Japanese held contradicting ideas concerning the dead. Even though they wish for and hope that the dead resurrect, they live in fear of the spirit and the possible return of the dead founded on the Shintoist principle of impurity, as explained earlier on in the funeral rites. They believe impurity is transmissible and transferrable and that, a house that experienced a death and even those involved in handling the corpse are also impure. Therefore Japanese funerals have a combination of rites to reaffirming death, protect the dead, and prevent bad luck and curses and prevent the dead from resurrecting. Some practices invoke the spirit of the dead from having a feeling of longing; which include Ichizen-meshi a single bowl of rice given to the dead and Matsugo-no-mizu which is water given to the dead at the time of death. There are other contrasting customs like the Sakasa-buton or upside-down futon, whereby the dead persons blanket is placed facing upside-down, and the Sakasa-byobu or upside-down folding of the dead ones screen, where a folding screen is placed upside-down on top of the head of the deceaseds bed, and Sakasa-mizu or upside-down water, where the water for cleaning the corpse is prepared by adding hot water into cold water rather than pouring cold water into hot water as normal. All this is done with the primary aim of separating the scary situation of death from peoples day to day lives and also to prevent pulling others in to death. Other customs were also used traditionally to make it impossible for the departed soul to remain in this life or to make an attempt to return to this life. They included making burial gowns without closed stitches or backstitches , and the practice of turning the coffin three times when taking it out of the house which was done in order to confuse the deceased preventing them from ever coming back home. Similarly the deceaseds bowl of rice is shattered, and the deceased exits the house through an exit that is not the front door. Throwing of salt is also another practice aimed to remove the uncleanness and impurity brought about by the death. Up to now, there is the Kichu custom a 49-day mourning and grieving period, during which the family does not attend any festivities. During this period, since the family was made unclean by the death it is shunned and avoided. There is also Mochu which is a one-year period. A time when the family mourns the death of their member and remembers the departed. Conclusion In conclusion we have discussed in this assignment how traditional Japanese viewed death their traditions and their myths concerning death and all the elaborate preparations they carried out when sending off their dead relatives. Why and how all the rites were practiced. How the deceaseds family had a responsibility to give the dead a befitting burial and respect them because it was assumed that the dead retained their individuality as they had it before their deaths. The idea and belief that death is a station led to a continuation and made it possible for communication between the old and the dead.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Pre 1914 Short Stories :: The Red Room H.G. Wells Gotchi Horror Essays

Pre 1914 Short Stories Short stories were very popular in those times because they were published in magazines for house wives to read because they had nothing else to do other then clean the house while their husbands were working. Also the husbands would read them when they got home. In ghost stories the typical setting is usually a dark place or somewhere in the middle of nowhere. ‘The Red Room’, by H.G Wells is a classic gothic horror story set in the nineteenth century. Wells conveys the experience of fear in ‘The Red Room’ in many ways. The narrator first starts off by making a bold statement in which he mentions that ‘it would take a very tangible ghost’ to scare him. Since he knows that ghosts are thought to be invisible, he mentions tangible instead. Notice he says tangible. It could mean that a ghost wouldn’t scare him, as ghosts (according to others) aren’t tangible. Furthermore he shows his fearlessness by describing the old people in a ghostly way and yet he himself is not showing any fear at this stage. Wells also uses clever manipulation, for he manipulates the reader into thinking that fear is not present at all, which is not the case, because that aspect of fear is around him with the old people. So by him showing such a contrast in the fearless character of the narrator, and the fearful environment or people, he makes the narrator stand out and be thought of as very gallant indeed. There is an unusual and sudden increase in the build-up of fear as the old lady mentions something about so much to be seen in the castle and sorrow for what has been seen by the naked eye. Maybe the old woman means sorrow for the young duke who had to die. She might have also meant that so many people have tried to come out of ‘the red room’ alive and abolish the myth of the room being haunted, but much sorrow is felt each time when they don’t make it out alive. A sense of suspicion is built-up by the old folks in the castle, for the boy suspects them of enhancing the ‘spiritual terrors’ of the house by using their repetitive insistence. The narrator’s character at the beginning is one of a more bold nature, for, he mentions that if he is to see a ghost then he will become wiser for he would know what lays behind the door. Here you can notice that the narrator takes a much more tranquil approach to the situation, when he mentions as

Monday, August 19, 2019

Harnessing Wind Energy :: physics power energy green environment clean

Living in Rural Alaska is very expensive because of it's isolated location. It would be even more expensive if energy, mail service, and other services were not subsidized by the state of Alaska. In the late seventies and early eighties, the state of Alaska looked for ways to cut the high cost of subsidizing diesel fuel for generating electrical power to rural Alaska. It was during this time that wind energy was taken into consideration as a source of electrical power. The earliest known uses of wind power date back to 3000 BC, when people used wind to sail ships. Approximately 4000 years later, windmills were used in Europe to grind tobacco, wheat, and other grains. Later, in the 1700's, windmills were then used to pump water. It was not until the 1900's that wind mills were used for generating electric power. In the United States, windmills were used prior to widespead electrical distribution. The generation of wind can be traced back to solar energy. It is ultimately a renewable and clean energy source. This is what makes it attractive to many as a source of energy for power plants. Wind is created as a result of pressure differences in the atmosphere which is caused by temperature differences of radiating solar energy. Other factors that contribute to the flow of air (wind) is the rotation of the earth, and it's terrain. We could expect more wind over bodies of water since water provides less resistance to wind than do objects on the surface of the earth. If wind is essentially free, why don't we see more windmills? The reason is that wind doesn't blow whenever we need power. Wind energy can only be stored in batteries and much of the energy from wind can not be harnessed into useful energy. The public also views wind generators as an eyesore on the landscape. Wind, initially is in the form of kinetic energy, thus it has the equation: 1/2mv^2, where m is the mass, and v is velocity of the air. Using the fact that the mass is equal to the volume times the density, we can rewrite the equation for kinetic energy as k.e. = 1/2Vpv^2, where V is the volume, and p is the density of air. Furthermore, the volume through a surface is equal to the area of the surface times the velocity of the air, times the time, thus the equation becomes k.e. = 1/2pv^3At, where A is the area of the surface and t is the time.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Crossover Fashion Essay -- essays research papers

Men’s Fashion for Women and Vice Versa Civilizations as ancient as Jericho and as widespread as the Roman Empire have used clothing and jewelry as a form of nonverbal communication to indicate specific occupation, rank, gender, class, wealth, and group affiliation. These same material goods are used today for similar modes of communication. While some modern societies like the Taliban in Afghanistan make such distinctions with utmost conformity (the Taliban of Afghanistan) others like America have proven to be more dynamic. This dynamic nature can be seen in the emergence of crossover fashion within the last 80 years which has correlated with the changing role and social status of women in society. The effect of the gradual increase of power for women during the Industrial Revolution could be seen in the increase of crossover fashion. As a result, crossover fashion is dominate and socially acceptable in today’s society. From the 1700’s through the Industrial Revolution, regulating fashion was deemed as a way of preserving social and gender distinctions that were firmly established in the predominantly patriarchal society. During the 1850’s, the Victorian Era, there were strict guidelines on how people could behave and dress, and behaviors that they had to conform to their everyday lives. The rules were so strict that there were codes for how certain inanimate objects should be displayed; for example, table covers had to be long enough to cover the table’s legs because soci...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Assignment IKEA Case Study Essay

IKEA is a Swedish-owned global business founded in 1943. The business generates annual revenues of 27 billion euros and employs 139,000 people in 298 stores and 26 countries. The values and design philosophy of the founder continue to underpin the brand. These values might be summed up as frugal, democratic, environmentally aware, and design oriented. IKEA has become synonymous with Swedish lifestyle. The stores are virtually identical across the globe and sell a range of globally sourced flat-packed furniture products as well as a range of related furnishings for the home—the stores offer customers a Swedish experience by incorporating restaurants and a variety of customer services intended to simplify the shopping process (e.g., childcare). What is interesting about IKEA is that customers have become a significant part of the value creating process—customers play a key role in terms of logistics and in production. By performing the assembly of the flat-packed furniture, customers complete the final stages in the production process. In terms of logistics, the customer â€Å"moves† goods from warehouse-style storage through the checkout, and then transports the goods home. The trade-off for the consumer is lower prices and immediate gratification—furniture is typically sold using just in time (JIT) inventory management, which means that once a customer has placed an order, the furniture then goes into production and is delivered to the customer’s home some 3–4 months later. IKEA’s senior management has in the past pursued an aggressive expansion policy, but management is currently changing direction, adopting a slower rate of expansion and investing in existing stores. The company plans to increase sales by 10% a year to 2020, thereby doubling annual sales revenues. Management is concerned about how expansion in the BRIC countries, particularly India and China, is pursued. There are fears about preserving the company’s culture in these huge markets (Milne, 2013). Sources: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/this-is-ikea/company-information/index.html Milne, R. (2013, September 1). Ikea signals slower expansion. Financial Times. What do you think? What would you do? What problems do you foresee and how will this impact IKEA’s Swedish concept? Please recommend a marketing solution that will help IKEA achieve growth in either India or China based on your understanding of the place P and how delivering the value is evolving. Please use the case study guidelines below to perform a brief analysis, identify the problem, suggest alternative solutions, and make recommendations for the implementation of the solution that you believe is the best fit. Case Study Guidelines 1. Analysis of the Current Situation—The proper context must be established for the case analysis. Please provide a SWOT analysis in a SWOT box. Research: Identify the key environmental factors such as industry trends, level of competitiveness, customer perceptions, legal considerations, and evolving technology at the outset of the analysis. Summarize the key aspects of the internal environment of the firm in terms of strengths and weaknesses and the external environment in terms of opportunities and threats to the firm in your SWOT box. 2. The Target Market—Identify your target market: Who is your target customer? In terms of demographics and lifestyle, what aspects of consumer behavior provide insights into this group of customers? 3. The Problem—Identification of key problem(s). It is easy to identify symptoms of problems while failing to identify the real problems. For example, declining sales may be identified as a problem, when the decline is only symptomatic of more complex problems that are harder to observe. Make a  clear distinction between what is identified as the problem and the symptoms of the problems. 4. Alternative Solutions—Identify and evaluate alternatives. Develop reasonable alternatives and evaluate them in terms of feasibility, projected costs advantages, disadvantages, and potential short-term and long-term consequences. 5. Recommended Course of Action—Select a course of action and provide the appropriate strategies and tactics to accomplish the chosen course. Justify your choice in terms of your analysis. As most practitioners know, charting a course of action can be a difficult job, but implementation is the true challenge. Produce a workable action plan that would have a reasonable probability of success in the implementation phase. Develop a minimum of five slides to present the findings of your analysis. Some additional research is expected. The IKEA website is highly informative. Use APA format and include an additional slide with your sources. Assume that your analysis will be presented to the IKEA senior management team and that your job depends on it!

Friday, August 16, 2019

Succubus Shadows Chapter 25

Not even when I felt his life energy come into me. I kept going. He pulled me into his condo, deftly kicking the door shut with his foot. His arms gripped me close, and we never broke the kiss as we stumbled through the living room and into his bedroom. We fell onto the bed, removing each other's clothing with practiced ease, almost like Mexico had just been the warm-up. My hands ran over the lean muscles of his chest, the scent of his skin drowning me. Letting down all restraint made me feel that much giddier – as did the sweet, glorious taste of his soul wrapping around me. Was it my imagination, or was it a little purer than it had been in Mexico? Had one decision to come back and face his fears cleaned that darkness even a little? I didn't know for sure, and even if it wasn't perfect, the energy still felt amazing. â€Å"Why?† he asked at last. His thoughts and feelings were coming through with the energy, and I'd wondered when he'd bring up the question warring with his desire. His hands continued touching me the whole time, one sliding up between my thighs. â€Å"Why now?† I arched my hips against his, crying out softly as his fingers slid into me. His mouth crushed mine, killing off my response for a moment. â€Å"Because I'm tired of fighting it. You're right. We're going to keep coming back to each other over and over†¦.† My eloquent speech was put on hold again when his mouth moved down to my breast, letting his tongue toy with my nipple. â€Å"You've said before you'll risk the shortening of your life†¦. I'll risk your mortality. I'll risk it all to be with you†¦to help you. If you still want it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes,† he breathed against my flesh. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I won't leave you alone through this,† I murmured. â€Å"And I don't want to be alone either†¦.† Those were my last coherent words. He gently rolled himself onto me and slid his hands up my arms so that they could hold my wrists against the bed. I spread my legs, welcoming his body as it pushed into mine. Just like the first time we'd had sex, there was one perfect moment – one moment of astonishing, total completion. Like we'd found something we'd lost and were afraid we'd lose it again if we moved. Then, the metaphysical sentiment was gone, replaced by the driving desire of our bodies. He thrust into me, gently at first, then steadily increased the strength. I stared at him wide-eyed, taking in every feature, refusing to miss one instant of this experience. And believe me, I was getting quite the experience. Aside from the ecstasy of our bodies moving together, I still had his energy and feelings coming in. Knowing what he was thinking as we made love added a whole new dimension to it all. Sometimes with men it would be coherent thoughts. With him, it was just pure emotion. Love and trust and longing†¦feelings so strong that he was willing to risk anything for them, anything to be with me. Even his life. My body burned against his, growing increasingly turned on by the rapture and love on his face juxtaposed with the fierceness of the way he held me and kept pushing into me. Everything grew more intense – both physically and spiritually – and my body finally reached its breaking point. I came with a loud cry and thrashed against him, wanting to free my arms and wrap them around him. He continued holding me until he came, which didn't take much longer. The full burst of his soul's energy flooded me with his orgasm, and I heard myself moaning again at the joy of it. He thrust in a few more times, the motions growing slower and longer as his body took its release. The grip on my wrists loosened, and he shifted over to his side, taking me with him. I pressed against his chest, feeling the racing of his heart and sweat on his skin. My own heart was pounding too as my body reveled in its own satiation. Every part of me still tingled, and though there was really no way to get closer, I tried anyway. I wanted as much skin to touch as possible. I wanted as much of him blending into me as possible. He brushed the hair from my face and rained kisses down upon my forehead. â€Å"So that's the full succubus effect, huh?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Worth it,† he murmured. Already, I could see the loss of energy taking its toll. â€Å"Whatever the cost, worth it.† I refused to allow myself to ponder that cost. Making love in the full throes of my succubus abilities might have added a powerful element, but it had undoubtedly taken years off his life. It wasn't for me to decide if it had been worth it, though. He'd made this choice. Said choice was exhausting him, and I knew he'd soon sleep for a very long time as his body and soul recovered their losses. I shifted so that we changed positions, bringing his head to lie against my breasts. â€Å"Rest,† I said, wrapping my arms around him. He tilted his head, looking up at me with warm, sleepy eyes. â€Å"Don't want to sleep yet†¦I want to stay with you. Will you be here in the morning this time?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, kissing the top of his head. â€Å"I promise. I won't leave you again.† A small smile played over his lips, and he allowed his lids to close. He snuggled against me, body relaxing. â€Å"The world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said softly, as sleep began taking him. â€Å"You are the world, Letha†¦.† I stiffened. â€Å"What did you say?† My voice was too loud, jarring enough to momentarily startle him out of the slumber his body now longed for. â€Å"Hmm? I said you were the world, Georgina.† He gave a small yawn. â€Å"That's not what you called me,† I said, trying to keep my voice calm. â€Å"What did I call you? Thetis?† Oh, if only. If only it had been his nickname for me. â€Å"You called me†¦Letha.† He fought to keep his eyes open and yawned again. â€Å"Why would I have said that?† â€Å"I†¦don't know. Where did you hear it?† Yes, indeed. Where would he have heard my name? Hardly anyone knew it. Greater immortals knew it, and that was pretty much it. The only lesser immortals who did were Niphon and Kristin, who'd had access to my records. I was pretty sure they'd never told my other immortal friends. I was confident they'd never told Seth. Seth's brow furrowed a little, then smoothed as he closed his eyes again. â€Å"Don't know. Greek myths, I guess. The River Lethe, where the dead go to wash away the memories from their souls†¦to forget the past. Isn't that right?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, scarcely breathing. Where did he pull that name from? â€Å"Letha, Lethe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could barely hear him now. â€Å"Almost the same.† â€Å"Almost,† I agreed. My voice was nearly as inaudible as his. My name. He shouldn't have known my name. A panic I couldn't explain began fluttering within me. Something about my mood must have still penetrated his haze because he stirred slightly, though his eyes remained closed. There was worry in his drowsy words. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Nothing. Get some rest.† Where had he heard my name? Minutes ago I'd been on fire. Now I felt cold. â€Å"You sure?† he murmured. â€Å"Everything's okay?† He exhaled deeply, and I felt him succumb to sleep with those last words. â€Å"Fine,† I said, staring off into the night. â€Å"Everything's fine.†

Male vs Female Crime Rates Essay

Statistics indicate that men are more likely to commit crime than women. For example, in 2002 80% of known offenders (481,000+) were men. As there are a number of problems with the reliability and validity of statistics, an alternative to information are self-report studies. These are anonymous and some believe because they all but guarantee anonymity they encourage respondents to be more truthful than if they were involved in an interview. In the past, sociologists tended to pay attention to only males committing crimes and ignored gender differences. This began to change in the 1970’s when feminists such as Carol Smart looked into woman and crime and began to ask questions such as: †¢ Why do woman commit fewer crimes than men? †¢ Why are woman more likely to commit to social norms compared to men? †¢ Is there anything distinctive about a woman’s experience as an offenders and as victims of crime? †¢ Are woman treated differently than men in the justice system? There is now an agreement within sociology that when studying crime and deviance we must take into account gender. This means we must also ask questions about men. What is the relationship between crime and masculinity? Sex role theory: this theory argues that boys and girls are socialized differently, therefore resulting in boys becoming more delinquent. There are different versions of this theory. Edwin Sutherland (1949) stated that there are clear gender differences when it comes to socialization. Firstly, girls are more supervised and more strictly controlled. Secondly, boys are encouraged to take risks and to be tough and aggressive. Therefore, boys have more of an opportunity and an inclination to commit crime. Talcott Parsons (1995) believes that there are clear and obvious gender roles within the nuclear family. The father performs roles which show him to be more of the leader and provider, whilst the mother performs the expressive role of giving emotional support and socializing children. These roles are rooted from the birth of their children as mothers have to give birth and nurse children. Girls have a readily available female role model at home (their mother) whereas boys have less access to their male role model as traditionally the father was out at work for most of the time. Boys will be socialized largely by their mother and will tend to reject behavior that is seen as feminine as they compulsively pursue masculinity. Because of the emphasis on toughness and aggression this encourages anti-social behavior and delinquency. Albert Cohen (1955) believed that if boys don’t have that readily available role model, socialization can be a difficult process. Boys can experience anxiety about their identity as a young man and a solution for this is all male peer groups or street gangs. In these social contexts, aspects of masculinity can be expressed and rewarded. The idea of being tough and breaking rules can help to conform to the idea of masculinity. The feminist perspectives on who is involved in crime starts from the view that society is patriarchal and woman can only be understood under male dominance. Pat Carlen (1990) stated that a woman’s crimes can be known as ‘the crimes of the powerless’ as many woman who commit crimes are powerless in some way. For example, they live in poverty with little power to change the situation; as children they may have been badly treated and looked after, perhaps being abused by fathers. As adults they have often lived under the dominance of male partners who asserted control – perhaps in the form of violence. After interviews with 39 woman aged 15 to 46 convicted of various offences, Carlen drew on the control theory – saying that woman turn to crime when the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. It appeared that the interviewed women turned to crime as a rational choice. Low paid work and unemployment had not led to the standard of living they hoped for, and living an unhappy life as children and as adults was very unfulfilling. Unrewarded by family and the workplace and with little power to change the situation, crime was a rational alternative. However, critics of Carlen claim that her sample of woman was too small to make generalized statements. Her research also suggests that conformity to social norms tends to break down when the rewards for doing so are absent. Conformity and control: According to Frances Heidensohn the striking thing about woman’s behaviour is their conformity to social norms. Taking in mind the control theory, women have more to lose than men if they deviate from social norms. And looking from a feminist view, she argues that in a male-dominated society the control of woman by men discourages deviance from norms. In the home and family, women still have the primary responsibility for raising children and taking on the domestic work. Their commitment to this also means they are committing to the conformity of the traditional mother-housewife role and socializing their children in terms of society’s norms and values. Women have been socialized to conform. Girls are more strictly supervised and given less freedom, they are expected to perform household duties. These expectations and control have been carried on into adult life. As adults, women are not only controlled by their childhood socialization but also by their male partners. Woman who challenge these traditional roles are often brought into line by men’s financial and physical power. According to Heidensohn, wife battering is an assertion of patriarchal authority. Women’s socialization, domestic responsibilities plus the control imposed on them by men discourage the deviance from social norms. Their lives are centered on the home so they have less freedom to go out. As a result they have less inclination, less time and fewer opportunities to commit crime. Beyond the home a woman’s freedom to deviate from social norms is also limited in a number of ways; for example, some women do not want to go out after dark as they are in fear of getting attacked or raped by men. A young woman’s fear of being attacked by a stranger is five times greater than a young male’s. They are also less likely to deviate from norms of respectability for fear of being labeled promiscuous. In a working environment men are more likely than women to be in control, in positions such as supervisory or managerial roles, and surveys indicate that sexual harassment is common in the workplace and it is a further indication of male power and control which is often experienced as intimidating by women. Both inside and outside the home, there is pressure for woman to conform- and this is reinforced by male power. Crime and masculinities: Research into gender over the last 25 years has mainly been concerned with woman and crime as it was seen as a new topic after decades of research into men and crime. Feminists would focus on woman and men would enter the equation in terms of the control men had over woman. Researchers now recognize that there is another side to gender and crime and start to ask questions such as: Why are men more likely to commit crime than woman? And is there a relationship between male crime and masculinity? Gender identity is a vital part of the individual’s sense of self – it is something that people accomplish. People are continuously trying to express and present their masculinity or femininity. And in relation to crime, you can say men commit crime as a means of constructing this masculinity to express to others and themselves. There are a number of different masculinities which are shaped by social class, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation. Men’s position in society provides them with different access to power and resources which leads to different constructions and expressions of masculinity – and this leads to different types of crime. The most dominant form of masculinity is known as hegemonic masculinity. It’s the most ideal form, which is defined through work in paid labour, the subordination of women, heterosexism and the uncontrollable sexuality of men. Most men wish to accomplish this. The alternative is subordinated masculinities. They include masculinities which develop in some ethnic minority and lower class groups and homosexual masculinity. Young middle-class white males are usually able to demonstrate some of the characteristics of hegemonic masculinity through success at school or college. But this comes at a price – subordination to teachers. Some assert their masculinity outside of school through vandalism, petty theft and heavy drinking. White working- class males are less likely to be successful in education. They sometimes resist school and construct their masculinity around physical aggression, anti-social behaviour, delinquency and some cases violence towards gays and members of ethnic minority groups. Lower working class men from ethnic minority groups with little expectation of educational success or secure employment sometimes assert their masculinity in street gangs. With little chance of accomplishing hegemonic masculinity by legitimate means, they are more likely to turn to robbery and serious property crime. Even middle class males who have the resources to accomplish hegemonic masculinity use crime to express masculinity. James Messerschmidt argues that white collar and corporate crime are not simply a means for profiting the individual or the organization. There are also a means of accomplishing hegemonic masculinity as a successful breadwinner and as an aggressive risk-taking male Working class crime in the workplace can also be seen as a means of accomplishing masculinity. Workers sometimes resist the authority of management by theft and industrial sabotage. Messerschmidt uses the example of African-Americans to illustrate a subordinated masculinity. Lower class African-Americans males often lack the resources to accomplish hegemonic masculinity. The pimp and hustler are long-established roles in African-American subculture and are often seen as an alternative to subordinated masculinity. The pimp looks after a number of prostitutes and lives of their earnings. With their expensive car, diamond rings and power over women, Messerschmidt argues that the pimp demonstrates a highly visible alternative masculinity to himself and others.