A Brief History of Terrorism in The United States

A Brief History of Terrorism in The United States Since the time the 9/11 assaults on the World Trade Center in 2001 a few new words have been made by or acclimatized into ordinary tongue. Jihad, Bacillus anthracis, and Taliban are presently words which are a piece of each American's vernacular, in any case, no word has reappeared more regularly than the one which depicts the entirety of the occasions of that day; fear based oppression. While not another word, it was not one tossed around all that regularly before 9/11, and as no word could more readily depict the activities of that day, it was the most famous word picked by the media and the individuals for the demonstrations of savagery. The meaning of fear based oppression is certainly not an unmistakably depicted one be that as it may. The term fear based oppression originates from the French word terrorisme, which depends on the Latin action word terrere (to alarm). The primary utilization of the word dates to 1792, when the Jacobins came to control in France and started what w e consider the Reign of Terror and what the French call basically La Terreur.English: I took photograph at National Portrait Gallery...One of the main essayists to utilize psychological oppressor in English was Edmund Burke, a rival of the French Revolution, who in 1795 depicted the progressives with those hellfire dogs called fear mongers are let free on the individuals. From that point forward the term has been far summed up. Webster's Dictionary portrays fear based oppression as The unlawful use or compromised utilization of power or viciousness by an individual or a composed gathering against individuals or property with the expectation of threatening or pressuring social orders or governments, regularly for ideological or political reasons. Over the span of United States history a few demonstrations of psychological warfare have been utilized to cause political stands, to dispense dread into individuals, one even viewed as a domino in the chain prompting the revelation of freed om indicating that one individual's demonstration of...

The Night of the Scorpion Essay Example

The Night of the Scorpion Essay How does the author of this sonnet use language to make impressions and differences? How powerful do you think this has been in helping him to pass on a clear image of the occasion? Do you feel the distinctions in time and culture between the artist and yourself limit your valuation for the thoughts and sentiments it passes on? In this exposition, I will address how Nissim Ezekiel effectively utilizes language to make impressions and complexities. Likewise, I will give you how he adequately passed on the distinctive occasion of how his mom was stung by a scorpion. At last, I will examine how time and culture helped me to welcome the sonnet. The worker came like multitudes of flies.. The artists correlation of the laborers to bugs makes me glare. At first I felt rankled that the locals who hummed the Name of God a hundred times were dealt with so scornfully. After all they were just demonstrating worry for the person in question. Anyway upon closer assessment, I understand that they w ere to a greater degree an impediment to the recuperation of the writers mother. They made a boisterous upheaval with their candles and lights as they scanned futile for the scorpion. Simply envision many aggravating clicking tongues when all she truly required was some harmony and calm to recover.Furthermore, flies are related with death and rot. The impression the artist gives is that the individuals are irksome and irritating. By utilizing this illustration, successfully helped me see the occasion through his words. There is a strict undertone to the entire occasion. Normally when there is a mix of the Name of God and Mother, promptly there is a strict association with Mother Mary, a Roman Catholic blessed symbol. He is contrasting his Mother with somebody heavenly, somebody deserving of love. It is apparent that he cherishes his mom definitely. At the point when the Name of God is compared with the Evil One, at that point a fight among Good and Evil cann

A First Look at 2013 Admitted Freshmen Credentials - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

A First Look at 2013 Admitted Freshmen Credentials - UGA Undergraduate Admissions A First Look at 2013 Admitted Freshmen Credentials UGA once again attracted an exceptionally strong applicant pool this year. Competition for admission was stronger than ever. Our 21,000 applications were a significant increase over last year, but it was unfortunately not balanced with an equivalent increase in the number of possible spaces for enrolled freshmen, around 5,200. This goal still allowed us to offer admission to almost 11,000 students. For perspective, here are some basic statistics on those offered admission. Because simple averages and highest-lowest extreme for summarizing groups of students can be misleading, our professional associations and testing agencies recommend describing applicant, accepted and enrollment cohorts’ statistics using the “middle 50%.” Here is a first look at four basic factors showing who was ranked between the 25th and 75th percentile: • College Prep Grade Point Average: 3.77 4.05 (Please remember this is not the GPA students see on their high school transcript, but rather the GPA that UGA recalculates for everyone based on the core academic courses taken in high school and looking at the actual grades posted on the transcripts). • SAT Critical Reading + SAT Mathematics: 1200 1370 • SAT Writing: 590-690 • ACT Composite: 27 â€" 32 In addition, our average admitted student had taken 6 or more Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate courses. Around 1,500 also enrolled in dual enrollment courses. While we consider AP and IB courses as factors indicative of a student’s curriculum difficulty, we also look at the entire course selection in light of each student’s chances for academic challenges. To that end accepted UGA students have taken a wide range of Honors and Advanced courses, summer enrichment programs, and college dual enrollment. Statistics, of course, cannot describe other crucial non-quantifiable qualities. Most UGA accepted applicants have exceptional high school records and undoubted potential for continued success in college. That was also true for the vast majority of the students to whom we were not able to offer admission. Valuable leadership capabilities, strong writing, being an active member of their school and community and showing great growth from freshman to senior year were all evident, especially as our Admissions professional staff read and re-read well over 8,000 packed folders prior to our final decisions. Congratulations to everyone in the college graduation class of 2017! For those of you admitted and ready to commit to UGA, don’t forget to send your University of Georgia commitment deposit NO LATER than May 1. Best of wishes to all, and… Go Dawgs!

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Critical Analysis

Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest, is the narrative of a former psychiatric patient who looks back at the events leading up to his freedom, the novel shows the true rebellious nature of man against tyrannical rule, and man’s never ending yearning for freedom and inner peace. The narrator Chief Bromden goes through a long period of silence and oppression, until Randall McMurphy is committed to the ward, and brings about a change in attitudes from the oppressed patients. Bromden has been alone for a majority of his time in the ward, and does not see himself as a strong individual, although his large stature and overarching strength over all other patients. Chief Bromden does not wish to ever stand up for himself against Nurse†¦show more content†¦Freud also listed the following results from his studies, dreams can have multiple layers of meaning, nearly all dreams are wish-fulfilling, and all dreams have a unifying motive that accounts for all random i mages and events. Freud concluded that dreams are the way an individual s unconscious mind tries to express itself and that dreams â€Å"may only have a chance of reaching our consciousness if they are somewhat disguised†. Which explains the sometimes absurd and bizarre dreams that someone can get. Sigmund Freud uses the following analogy to explain his theory, â€Å"a political writer may criticize a ruler, but in doing so may endanger himself. The writer therefore has to fear the ruler’s censorship, and in doing so â€Å"moderates and distorts the expression of his opinion†. The writer serves to represent the unconscious mind, while the ruler is the conscious mind that stops an individual from doing certain things. Dreams and daydreams are practically synonymous, except dreams occur when an individual sleeps, and daydreams are when the person is awake, but both allow for the mind to wander, so the theory can apply to both, but Freud mainly focuses on the asp ects of dreams. Chief Bromden has a troubled time in the ward, especially opening up to other patients, he only does so to McMurphy. Early on in the novel he states It wasn t me that started acting deaf, it was people that first started acting like I was too dumb to hear or see or sayShow MoreRelatedOne Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Critical Analysis1211 Words   |  5 Pages Kenneth Elton â€Å"Ken† Kesey, the author of One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest, was an American novelist, essayist, and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950’s and the hippies of the 1960’s Kesey was born on September 17, 1935 in La Junta, Colorado; he grew up in Springfield, Oregon and graduated from University of Oregon in 1957. In 1950, he began writing One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest following the completion of a graduate fellowship in creativeRead MoreCritical Analysis Of One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest1542 Words   |  7 Pagesperspective of a stranger whom we’ve never met nor seen, but only heard of through the mouth of the enemy’s opinion, will inevitably align with the only version of the story we’ve heard. This sort of bias is found in Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with Nurse Ratched’s depiction through the narration b y Chief Bromden. The reliability of Bromden’s perspective is questionable, as it is his interpretation of the world, rather than what it actually is. Chief Bromden displays characteristicsRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest And 1984 Critical Analysis1216 Words   |  5 PagesThe two texts studied, 1984 and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, both teach the viewer essential lessons about the importance of freedom and the dangers of despotism. They do this by showing the viewer how awful life is in the absence of freedom, the constant abuse of power by authoritarian forces, and the elimination of love. The film 1984, directed by Michael Radford, is based on the highly acclaimed novel, 1984, written by George Orwell. The film follows the life of a man called Winston livingRead MoreKen Kesey s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1629 Words   |  7 PagesKesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a timeless classic. This novel has been subject to analysis through many different literary lenses: feminist, Marxist, and of course, psychoanalytic. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest provides a plethora of evidence when it co mes to using the psychoanalytic lens. The lens in question deals with the teaching of Sigmund Freud. When reading this novel, the audience sees quite clearly that the world of psychology plays an impactful role in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’sRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest: the Power of Laughter1592 Words   |  7 Pagesof himself. This happens when a greater authority has the power to deny a person of their laughter; which, inevitably, denies him of his freedom. Ken Kesey conveys the idea that laughter and freedom go hand in hand throughout his novel One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. Kesey portrays laughter as a parallel to freedom through various literary symbols and imagery in order to illustrate how the power of laughter can free a man who is under the control of an unjust authority. Through the characterizationRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Speech Act Theory Essay1281 Words   |  6 PagesKen Kesey forms the intricate relationships among the characters in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by the unique use of perspective and speech. Throughout the novel, Kesey depicts this connection between the public world and the seemingly closed off society inside the mental institution. This creates two separate spheres separated by a few walls and doors. Kesey goes on to form a unique perspective in the novel, told by a paranoid schizophrenic, with the narrator’s caricature-likeRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Research Paper1764 Words   |  8 PagesDrugs and Insanity Against Society The author of the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Ken Keasey, received his inspiration for the book while volunteering at a veterans hospital. This is where he was first introduced to LSD. The moment he tried it, he became addicted, and began experimenting on himself with the drugs, observing the effects. The novel deals with the tyrannical rule of head Nurse Ratched in a mental hospital somewhere in Oregon. She runs all business and daily life in the asylumRead MoreThe Characters of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in Film and Novel935 Words   |  4 PagesThe Characters of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in Film and Novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was a critically acclaimed novel written by Ken Kesey and later on a movie adaptation, directed by Milos Forman, which was similarly critically acclaimed earning itself an extremely high 96% on rotten tomatoes. However said appraisal of both works, does not excuse the gleaming errors and artistic licensing seen throughout the entirety of the film. Granted there were no major plot holes and alterationsRead MoreThe Sociology Of Health And Mental Illness3181 Words   |  13 Pagesmental illness. Word count: 3,132 John Goulder! 1 ï ¿ ¼Introduction: Mental Health as Disparate Social Object Antipsychiatry was as much a cultural phenomenon as an academic or institutional one. Whilst the work of Laing (1960) and Szasz (1960) can be rooted in the Fruedo-Marxist ‘methodological individualism’ of critical theory (Rogers Pilgrim, 2010: 14), or even a broader constructionist critique of medical truth, it just as easily lends itself to a more limited historicist Libertarian reading: mental

Learn About Greenland

Since the eighteenth century, Greenland has been a territory controlled by Denmark. In recent years, however, Greenland has regained a considerable level of autonomy from Denmark. Greenland as a Colony Greenland first became a colony of Denmark in 1775. In 1953, Greenland was established as a province of Denmark. In 1979, Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark. Six years later, Greenland left the European Economic Community (the forerunner of the European Union) in order to keep its fishing grounds from European rules. About 50,000 of Greenlands 57,000 residents are indigenous Inuit. Greenlands Independence From Denmark It wasnt until 2008 that Greenlands citizens voted in a non-binding referendum for increased independence from Denmark. In a vote of over 75% in favor, Greenlanders voted to reduce their involvement with Denmark. With the referendum, Greenland voted to take control of law enforcement, the justice system, coast guard, and to share more equality in oil revenue. The official language of Greenland also changed to Greenlandic (also known as Kalaallisut). This change to a more independent Greenland officially took place in June 2009, the 30th anniversary of Greenlands home rule in 1979. Greenland maintains some independent treaties and foreign relations. However, Denmark retains ultimate control of foreign affairs and defense of Greenland. Ultimately, while Greenland now maintains a great deal of autonomy, it is not yet a fully independent country. Here are the eight requirements for independent country status with regard to Greenland: Has space or territory which has internationally recognized boundaries: yes Has people who live there on an ongoing basis: yes Has economic activity and an organized economy. A country regulates foreign and domestic trade and issues money: mostly, although the currency is the Danish kroner and some trade agreements remain the purview of DenmarkHas the power of social engineering, such as education: yes Has a transportation system for moving goods and people: yes Has a government which provides public services and police power: yes, although defense remains Denmarks responsibilityHas sovereignty. No other state should have power over the countrys territory: no Has external recognition. A country has been voted into the club by other countries: no Greenland reserves the right to seek complete independence from Denmark but experts currently expect that such a move is in the distant future. Greenland will need to try on this new role of increased autonomy for a few years before moving to the next step on the road to independence from Denmark.

Socioeconomic Status Free Essays

string(147) " job for equal work that the performance requires equal skill, effort and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions\." Research Paper Do to the circumstances of a person’s birth, their socioeconomic status of the family that they are born into can make them a victim of unfair treatment in life. Gender inequality is an innate characteristic of women. Women are the largest minority in America and they are of the female gender. We will write a custom essay sample on Socioeconomic Status or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gender is the meaning of being a male or female in a society. Gender role refers to the attitude and behavior that is used when referring to male or females. Female gender has always been considered inferior to men. The attitude has always been that males were superior to females in their abilities, because they have strength, they are smarter and they have the ability to provide a better life. It is the belief that women take care of the home and children and the men go to work and earn the money. According to Sigmund Freud, he summed up in his famous idea the â€Å"anatomy is destiny†, which stated that females felt short changed because they do not have a penis. He concluded, that woman need to fulfill this envy by giving birth to a child. (pg. 190) Perpetuating gender inequality through values refers to jobs are automatically assumed to be gender specific. Fireman and Policeman are men only. Engineers, architects, project managers, doctors, etc. , are thought of as male orientated. However, women do very well in these areas. The value placed that men can do a better job is also considered a social attitude. The ideologies that have been set by society, even though it has been shown that male and female have equal capacity for learning and doing math and science, males have advanced in the workforce. After WW11, women stayed home and raised families. Men went to work and provided for the family. That has changed and since 2004 women make up 60. 5% of the workforce. However, they do not make the same money as men. pg 191) Race is a group of people distinguished from other groups by their origin in a particular part of the world. People are identified by the color of their skin, and the inequalities people experience follow directly from that identification. From this identification we have a social situation called racism. Racism is the belief that racial groups are inherently inferior to others. This situation has become a common experience for some and it justifies discrimination and inequality. Lauter (pg. 23) The race, ethnicity and quality of life for many people is a serious situation that needs to be addressed by society. We as a civilized society need to address the problems that so many people face. One of the very serious problems is wage disparity across gender, race and ethnicity. A study examines intergroup inequality and considering various channels through which gender, growth, and development interact it upholds the salience not only of equality in opportunities but also equality in outcomes. The matter of gender, race and ethnicity should not be a factor when people are trained and educated to do a job. Rodgers Seguino) A comprehensive profile of the ‘working poor’ is presented using data from the 2003 Population Survey. The explanatory variables are the worker’s occupation and the firm’s characteristics. The cost constraints comprising, on the one hand, the worker’s family characteristics (notably family income), and, on the other, the costs to the worker of signals used by firms in making employment decisions. These include not only the cost of education but also what we call ‘discriminatory signals’, e. g. gender, race, ethnicity and citizenship status. Gleicher Stevans) The ideology that equal opportunity provides equal pay is false. There has been a glass ceiling for women, they do the same work as men but their pay and advancement is less. They experience discrimination with less training, promotions and hiring. (Lauter Lauter) (pg 192) Each society has ideologies that justify stratification. It is up to our society and educators to teach people that each gender is capable of doing the same jobs if they are physically and mentally able plus have that desire. Due to this attitude women have not been advanced in the work place. They have been kept from monetary advancement and promotion. When businessmen speak eloquently about the â€Å"social responsibilities of business in a free-enterprise system†, they believe that they are defending free enterprise when they declaim that business is not concerned â€Å"merely† with profit but also with promoting desirable â€Å"social† ends; that business has a â€Å"social conscience† and takes seriously its responsibilities for providing employment, eliminating discrimination, avoiding pollution and whatever else may be the catchwords of the contemporary crop of reformers. In fact they are preaching pure and unadulterated socialism concepts. Businessmen who talk this way are sometimes considered puppets of the intellectual forces that have been undermining the basis of a free society these past decades. (Friedman) The examination of the cultural and linguistic production of gender and of gender relations in society has had a serious impact on the study of labor history over the past twenty years. Work on the role of gender has linked culture and ideas to politics and policies and has shown how ideas about masculinity and femininity shaped notions of the wage, skills, and work, as well as labor and employer practices, union strategies, and labor struggles. The working class has not disappeared, but its contours and composition have changed dramatically. It is no longer overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexual; it is female, black, and brown: its members’ sexuality is not always already defined. It is by incorporating into our work the intersections of these differences that we can create more powerful analytical tools for understanding the past and perhaps also the present. (Frader) In 1963, President John F. Kennedy, signed â€Å"The Equal Pay Act†. This bill was aimed at abolishing the wage disparity based on gender. This law was written to stop sex discrimination, paying employees of the opposite sex more money for doing equally the same job for equal work that the performance requires equal skill, effort and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions. You read "Socioeconomic Status" in category "Papers" This bill was to give equal opportunity in the workplace. When signing this bill, John F. Kennedy said, â€Å"Adds to our laws another structure basic to democracy† and â€Å"affirms our determination that when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelope. â€Å" Through the years America displayed a terrible attitude towards people of all races, foreign cultures and nationalities. I have seen many actions in the work place that I can look back on and realize there was discrimination. I am happy to say that I have seen change. In my last three jobs, I witnessed the equal and civil treatment of my fellow employees. At the Unitarian church everyone was treated very fairly, not just the consideration of their race and gender, but also for their religious beliefs. The Unitarian Church has a very interesting concept. Most people that are Unitarians are not born to the religion, they are people that convert from other formal religions. Because of this situation, people need to express their beliefs and the Unitarian Church allows its members to share and experience each event. Every holiday was celebrated with pride and true enjoyment. They extended their programs to have social events detailing each ethnic and religious background. We celebrated Christmas, Hahnack and Kwanza. We were given information explaining each religion, how it originated, the beliefs and the ceremony. We also were given samples of the different foods served for these religious holidays. It gave us a feeling of unity and understanding which broaden our knowledge, social graces and respect for others. The most important part of this work environment was everyone was treated equally. The positions held, from office managers, secretaries, ministers, maintenance and grounds were held both by men and women. You were not judged based on gender or race, if you met the job qualifications you were interviewed and if you had the qualifications you were hired. I left the Unitarian Church with a heavy heart. I knew I would never meet such a wonderful, caring group of workers and volunteers in any future workplace. This was a unique experience which taught me more than my work requirements, it taught me about people. When I moved to Colorado, I worked for Level (3). This was a true corporate atmosphere, everything was done through emails and written communications. We were divided into teams with a team captain and every employee was treated with respect and graded on their true ability. Here too, people were hired on their qualifications. Gender and race were not part of the hiring program. There were male and female engineers, project managers, technical support and even cable layers. My position ended when the Dot. com crash caused a huge layoff. My last position was in a small office, my employer was very respectful of each of us and we were all treated with respect and gratitude. The atmosphere was very different in that when there are only a few people, you become more involved on a personal level. I found the small office to be an okay experience, however, I think I would enjoy the atmosphere where there are more employees. The smaller office does not offer the opportunity for advancement and each person has their job and you become stagnant. The job market has changed in many areas in the past 15 years. I see more women and more diversity in the ethnic background of the employees being hired. There will always be room for improvement and change. A major change has been that more women have college degrees and they have excelled in showing stamina and strength. The term â€Å"glass ceiling† refers to the imaginary career barrier that impede’s a women’s ability to rise to the top rank of her profession. Today there really isn’t a â€Å"glass ceiling† because women are well represented in all professions. They are doctors, lawyers, judges, TV anchor women, journalist and women appointed to political positions. It is evident that anyone can attain the position of their choosing. It takes education, perseverance and determination. I am sure that there is still a negative attitude by some towards women and different ethnic groups. I think it will take a long time to see a complete change, and probably there will never be a complete change. We have many people that are raised and indoctrinated, whether it is from their nationality, up- bringing or religious beliefs that women only belong in the home. Some parts of the world, like the middle east, there is a cultural and religious belief that dictates the life of women. These changes for these women might take a 100 years to change. Living here in the U. S we have a broader view of how everyone should be treated. Because some people will never change, as women we have to keep moving in the right direction, looking for the right opportunity and seize the moment. My own life is a testament to the belief that a women belongs in the home raising the children and keeping the house. After a marriage of 30 years and divorce, I found myself in a very difficult position. Financially I was not prepared to take care of myself and I was frightened beyond comprehension. I also had my mother living with me, she had Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). I realized that I had to take charge of my life and at 50, I made some serious decisions. Eventually I found a job with Level (3) and went back to school for my degree. With all my determination and perseverance I showed I was capable of taking responsibility and I was advanced within six months of hire. I believe there is opportunity and in today’s job world, women and people of different ethnic background can advance in life. How to cite Socioeconomic Status, Papers

Languages of Love free essay sample

Languages of Love Love Is something that you give away and it comes right back to you. Good evening everyone! Old or young, rich or poor, we all have a God-given yearning to love and be loved. However, due to the fallen world we live In, a lot of people nowadays would have a hard time at expressing their love to others. As a result, poor relationships are developed. But thankfully, all Is not lost! Have you heard of the Five Languages of Love? They are the means through which we can express or receive love.A proper understanding of these will greatly enhance our relationships. Today, allow me to share the top three love languages In my life. These are Glut-Glenn, Words of affirmation and Quality time. The first love language I learned, Gift-giving, was Introduced by my parents while I was growing up. This, however, does not merely focus on the material value of the gift, but rather, on its sentimental value to the giver. We will write a custom essay sample on Languages of Love or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As much as I enjoy the tangible language of love, I also desire the intangible ones: Words of affirmation and Quality mime. Some people may say that actions speak louder than words. But I for one believe that words do matter too. That is the reason why Words of affirmation speaks to my heart as well. As I was brought up in a positive linguistic environment, its easy for me to speak kind and encouraging words to others. Lastly, my most cherished of all the love languages is Quality time. This involves giving each other an undivided attention while performing any activity, or by simply eying at each others side.What I love most about it is that, it provides a vessel for the memories of love in the years to come. To sum it up, understanding what kind of love language one speaks, is the key to developing meaningful relationships. Be it with your family, friends, or special someone. Take note that aside from these three, the other two are Acts of service and Physical touch. Now that I know what my primary love languages are, dont you think Its about time you discovered yours?

Arab Resentment for the US essays

Arab Resentment for the US essays On September 11, 2001, a horrific terrorist attack was waged against the United States. Thousands of working men and women were killed in the attacks, leaving the country grieving and angry. On that day, I asked myself, What could make those people hate America so much that they would do such a terrible thing? Since that day, finding the answer to that question has been a priority of mine. I have concluded that the varying interpretations of Islamic values, Americas indulgent culture, and United States foreign policy are all sources of resentment for America in the Middle East. During this time of terrorism, many Americans have been looking for a religious reasoning to account for the resentment for the United States among many Middle Eastern peoples. In contrast to the Middle East, American culture tends to be ostentatious and thrives on indulgence. It has been assumed that the people of the Middle East, being predominantly Muslim, fear the corruption of their culture by the omnipresent American culture. Many speculators have looked to the Koran for explanations. However, the Koran can be translated in many ways, making it difficult for non-Arabic speaking people to interpret its meaning. Despite this difficulty, in the recent months since the attacks, many Americans have been interpreting passages of the Koran to be promoting the killing of non-believers as well as violent actions against suppressors of Islam. In an article from the New York Times titled This Is a Religious War, the author interprets a passage of the Koran as saying: Believers! Wage war against such of the infidels as are your neighbors, and let them find you rigorous. The instruction to wage war in this passage might be interpreted figuratively by some, but considering the recent events, it seems as though the members of Al Qaeda took this instruction literally. On the other hand, the Koran is ren...

The Broken Window Fallacy

The Broken Window Fallacy If you read the news, you may have noticed that journalists and politicians often like to point out that natural disasters, wars, and other destructive events can boost an economys production because they create demand for rebuilding work. Granted, this may be true in specific cases where resources (labor, capital, etc.) would otherwise have been unemployed, but does it really mean that disasters are economically beneficial? 19th-century political economist Frederic Bastiat offered an answer to such a question in his 1850 essay That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Unseen. (This was, of course, translated from the French Ce quon voit et ce quon ne voit pas.) Bastiats reasoning goes as follows: Â   Have you ever witnessed the anger of the good shopkeeper, James Goodfellow, when his careless son happened to break a pane of glass? If you have been present at such a scene, you will most assuredly bear witness to the fact that every one of the spectators, were there even thirty of them, by common consent apparently, offered the unfortunate owner this invariable consolation- It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. Everybody must live, and what would become of the glaziers if panes of glass were never broken?Now, this form of condolence contains an entire theory, which it will be well to show up in this simple case, seeing that it is precisely the same as that which, unhappily, regulates the greater part of our economical institutions.Suppose it cost six francs to repair the damage, and you say that the accident brings six francs to the glaziers trade- that it encourages that trade to the amount of six francs- I grant it; I have not a word to say against it; you reason justly. The glazier comes, performs his task, receives his six francs, rubs his hands, and, in his heart, blesses the careless child. All this is that which is seen.But if, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion, as is too often the case, that it is a good thing to break windows, that it causes money to circulate, and that the encouragement of industry in general will be the result of it, you will oblige me to call out, Stop there! Your theory is confined to that which is seen; it takes no account of that which is not seen.It is not seen that as our shopkeeper has spent six francs upon one thing, he cannot spend them upon another. It is not seen that if he had not had a window to replace, he would, perhaps, have replaced his old shoes, or added another book to his library. In short, he would have employed his six francs in some way, which this accident has prevented. In this parable, the thirty people telling the shopkeeper that the broken window is a good thing because it keeps the glazier employed are the equivalent of the journalists and politicians who say that natural disasters are actually an economic boon. Bastiats point, on the other hand, is that the economic activity generated for the glazier is only half of the picture, and its, therefore, a mistake to look at the benefit to the glazier in isolation. Instead, a proper analysis considers both the fact that the glaziers business is helped and the fact that the money used to pay the glazier is then not available for some other business activity, whether it be a purchase of a suit, some books, etc. Bastiats point, in a way, is about opportunity cost- unless resources are idle, they must be shifted away from one activity in order to be shifted toward another. One can even extend Bastiats logic to question how much of a net benefit the glazier receives in this scenario. If the glaziers time and energy are finite, then he is likely shifting his resources away from other jobs or pleasurable activities in order to repair the shopkeepers window. The glaziers net benefit is presumably still positive since he chose to fix the window rather than carry on with his other activities, but his well-being is not likely to increase by the full amount that he is paid by the shopkeeper. (Similarly, the suit maker and book sellers resources wont necessarily sit idle, but they will still suffer a loss.) It is quite possible, then, that the economic activity following from the broken window merely represents a somewhat artificial shift from one industry to another rather than an overall increase. Add into that calculation the fact that a perfectly good window got broken, and it becomes clear that its only under very specific circumstances that the broken window could be good for the economy as a whole. So why do people insist on trying to make such a seemingly misguided argument regarding destruction and production? One potential explanation is that they believe that there are resources that are idle in the economy- i.e. that the shopkeeper was hoarding cash under his mattress before the window was broken rather than buying the suit or the books or whatever. While it is true, under these circumstances, that breaking the window would increase production in the short-term, it is a mistake to assume without sufficient evidence that these conditions hold. Furthermore, it would always be still better to convince the shopkeeper to spend his money on something of value without resorting to destroying his property. Interestingly enough, the possibility that a broken window could increase short-run production highlights a secondary point that Bastiat was trying to make with his parable, namely that there is an important distinction between production and wealth. To illustrate this contrast, imagine the world where everything that people want to consume is already in abundant supply- new production would be zero, but its doubtful that anyone would be complaining. On the other hand, a society with no existing capital would likely be working feverishly to make stuff but wouldnt be very happy about it. (Perhaps Bastiat should have written another parable about a guy who says The bad news is that my house got destroyed. The good news is that I now have a job making houses.) In summary, even if breaking the window were to increase production in the short run, the act cannot maximize true economic well-being in the long run simply because it will always be better to not break the window and spend resources making valuable new stuff than it is to break the window and spend those same resources replacing something that already existed.

Peer Pressure on Teenagers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Peer Pressure on Teenagers - Essay Example Indeed, peer pressure is closely linked to human behavior that tries to rationalize the factors that have significant impact on the human psyche which promotes the process of rational or irrational thinking. The impact of peer pressure is critical to the overall development of an adolescent and the paper would be discussing its pros and con. Peer pressure can broadly be defined as the influence of friends, acquaintances, elders and other on the behavioral pattern of the people, especially adolescent children and teenagers. Peer pressure is a specific instance of social influence, which typically produces conformity to a particular way of acting or thinking (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1984). It tends to change the attitude, behavior and moral actions of the person as per the diktats of the peer group. Peer pressure is a common factor amongst the people in general and everyone, at some time or other is influenced to some extent by the people or group to which he or she may belong. Indeed, construction of social identities is often influenced by hordes of issues, which are defined by individual ideology, group representation, professional competencies, intercultural compulsions etc. They facilitate better understanding and access to networking with organizations and groups in order to avail the emerging opportunities for t heir vested interests and boosting of self esteem. Peer pressure in the recent times has catapulted into serious concern for the parents as it adversely impacts the personality traits and behavior of children. It often adversely influences the psyche of the adolescents when they fail to see the long term consequences of their actions and behavior. It may also become detrimental to the overall development of the children and make them irresponsible. Their foray into drug abuse, smoking, sex, violence etc. are few of the areas which are highly damaging and therefore, require careful guidance and intervention during growing up period of

Effectiveness of Appreciative Inquiry Research Proposal

Effectiveness of Appreciative Inquiry - Research Proposal Example Introduction The main objective of this research is to explore the best and unexplored potential in the people and the existing system of the local Qatari transportation company and its surroundings in order to solve the underlying problems and obstacles in strategic operational areas. The changing systems within and outside the local Qatari transportation company are required to be studied in order to explore the underlying deficiencies in the area of operation of the transportation company through the process of unconditional and positive inquiry. The three important research questions that would be considered in the appreciative inquiry of the local Qatari transportation company are given: RQ1: How can Appreciative Inquiry prove to be effective? RQ2: What did Appreciative Inquiry hope to achieve? RQ 3: According to different stakeholders, were the anticipated goals achieved? The addressing of such areas of deficiency would help to fix the underlying problems in an efficient way th at was never thought before. Theoretical framework Appreciative Inquiry is a method of conducting an inquiry through the framing of a questionnaire and asking such questions to the stakeholders of the organization in order to search for the underlying problems and difficulties in the areas of operation, finance, human resource and associated areas. The objective of appreciative inquiry is to identify the areas of deficiency of the organization through unconditional positive statements and then analyzing the collected information through inquiry in order to determine the organizational deficiencies that are required to be solved. Appreciative inquiry studies the changing internal and external conditions involving the people, process and the communities and also explores the best potential of the organizational components that have never been explored and could be used to solve the organizational deficiencies. The art and practice of asking positive questions in an appreciative inquir y which is the subject of the research question enable the organization to anticipate the areas of concern and increase the positive potential in order to cope up with the problems. The identification of the areas of organizational concern and the exploration of the best potential of the resources in the changing systems of the organization helps to increase the operational efficiency (Tiem and  Rosenzweig, 2006, p.88). For example, in the local Qatari transportation company appreciative inquiry hopes to achieve performance efficiency by using the unexplored potential of the people and the process as well the external supporting systems for the organization. The appreciative inquiry lays the foundation for fulfillment of the anticipated goals for the shareholders. Appreciative inquiry brings about sudden changes in the process for improving operational efficiency that were never envisaged before the inquiry. Proposed methods The proposed method of conducting the research includes collection of data with the help of a designed questionnaire. In the paper qualitative research methodology has been selected mainly because it is less time consuming and less costly. The data required for quantitative analysis may be flawed and this will not lead to flawless conclusion. The questionnaire would contain unconditional positively framed questions which focus on the research perspective of appreciative inquiry. The data would be collected through self administered questionnaires with 50

Discuss the Motivation for International Strategic Alliances

Discuss the Motivation for International Strategic Alliances Discuss the motivation for international strategic alliances ABSTRACT: To establish traditional international business in the market, businessmen do apply different strategies and one of the most common and emerging strategies that are being used now is the international strategic alliance. To study the ‘motivation of international strategic alliance, it has been made to systematically define the term ‘motive. This paper argues those studies of motivation of international strategic alliance, their advantages and disadvantages and how they are becoming beneficial in the global market place. This paper is an initial step to understand the definition of motivation in terms of the international strategic alliance by using the firms that have used this strategy. INTRODUCTION: An alliance can be defined as a business to business collaboration. In an alliance two or more companies agree to work together to achieve a common goal while not losing their individuality. Strategic alliance helps the both parties to gain the complementary strengths. Companies form alliances for joint marketing, joint sales or distribution, joint production, design collaboration, technology licensing and research and development. Strategic alliances have different forms, Contractual (non-equity- based) alliances (Alliances which are based on contracts and which do not involve the sharing of equity), Equity-based alliances (Strategic alliances which involves the use of equity), Cross-shareholding (Both partners invest in each other). ( Peng Mike W. Global Strategic Management, Second Edition, page 219) One form of Equity-based strategic alliances is the joint venture. The formation of the alliance is rich and fragmented. One of the main reasons behind the collaboration is to gain the competitive advantages. According to Williamson â€Å"Intermediate asset specificity and low uncertainty are conditions that may lead to a preference for hybrid forms of governance structure over both arms length transactions and internalization† (Williamson, 1991). Increasing the strategic alliances is one of the fastest trends in the business today and it is becoming an essential driver to grow for every industry. One of the main goals to form a relationship with other companies is strategic alliance where they combine the skills and expertise of the both companies and gain the cooperative venture. Then they enter the international market and share their costs. MOTIVATION for STRATEGIC ALLIANCES in the INTERNATIONAL MARKET PLACE The growing international marketing is becoming the norm in this time and these partnerships are leveraging the growth through alliances with international partners, where the both companies merge and gain the competitive advantage. They do it by licensing agreements, cross shareholder deals, cooperative arrangement and joint ventures. Rather than taking risks and wasting their time and investing a huge amount on of money for gaining this competitive advantage in business, they are entering the international markets by finding an appropriate alliance which is operating in the same market in another country. So they enter the market that they desire to enter and the main reason behind this is to share the knowledge, skills and expertise and also to gain the marketing advantage in the world. And its becoming another strategy to defeat the monopoly business in the global business within fraction of time, for example collaboration of Sony and Ericson. In the view of traditional industry, firms are independent and emphasize on maximizing their own performance. As competition in the market shrinks the profits of firms, they do not rival always against one another. For instance, in 1983 Toyota and GM establish a horizontal alliance on a limited basis to accomplish different targets of manufacturing small cars in the US. The intention of Toyota was to gain knowledge of running business in the American market. On the other hand, Gms objective was to learn manufacturing small cars profitably. Sometimes high entry barriers discourage individual companies. In that circumstance companies can build strategic alliances and networks to level this fence. Firms convert the relationship with suppliers to a mutual assistance and knowledge sharing, previously which was based on hard-bargaining. This liaison is known as upstream vertical alliance. In this case companies do not consider suppliers as threats. In the same way, now, downstream vertical alliances can bind the central firms, buyers and distributors together rather than treating them as possible threats. The market potential pushes the firms on alternative products to establish strategic alliance and networks to materialize the commercial prospective of new products. According to Resource-based consideration firms can get benefited from the alliance through value creation. â€Å"First, alliances may reduce costs, risks and uncertainties. Second, Alliances allow firms to tap complementary assets of partners. Third, alliances facilitate opportunities to learn from partners. Finally, â€Å"real option† an option is the right, but not obligation, to take some action in the future.† Real option gives the opportunity to the firms when they are not sure whether they will do acquisition or merge. The companies just need to pay a tiny portion of their assets (known as deposit). Through this temporary alliance they will judge its future profitability. If they are not satisfied, they can easily leave. There is no obligation to go on with this alliance or take further actions. Institutional based consideration includes two categories Formal Institutional based consideration and Informal Institutional based consideration. According to Peng â€Å"Strategic alliances and networks function within formal regulatory and legal frameworks.† In some countries, Governments impose restriction on Whole Owned Subsidiaries. In that circumstance international firms have only one option, which is, to make an alliance with a local firm in order to enter that market. Peng says â€Å"Informal institutions centre on collective norms supported by a normative and cognitive pillar.† When a firm decides to move on its own, it faces pressures and criticisms from peer, analysts, investors, and the media. In that situation firms make collaboration with other firms to enhance or protect its image in the market place. The firms do choose the target market they want to enter. After choosing the target market they come up with a strategic plan which will suit in the international market. They use all resources of both companies to exploit the existing resources and explore the new opportunities; the main concern for this exploitation is to increase the productivity and efficiency using the current employed capital and assets thought standards. When the both companies are big in size their integration level is also high which, vise versa, makes the higher level the degree of control. The difference between the integration and degree of control is making motivation for forming this strategic alliance. The ADVANTAGES of STRATEGIC ALLIANCE Many start-up companies do focus on emerging into the market and gaining a competitive advantage in the international market to beat the monopoly business around the world for the same products and nowadays it is becoming the most useful strategy to gain this competitive advantage. By which a firm can enter the target market faster and with less risk on the investment. Businesses use strategic alliances to: scope and speed the business process achieve advantages of scale in international market increase market penetration among other companies increase the competitiveness in domestic and global markets enhance product development by sharing the skills, knowledge, technology develop new business opportunities through new products and services and make it more competitive in the world market expand market development fast increase exports diversify create new businesses gain completive advantage in cost diversification into new markets improve cash flow Ability to move quickly The motivation of forming the international strategy varies from one country to another country. The main focuses of the join venture of the companies are to represent the companies in the various countries. But as the days passed the definition has changed because of the activities which became more prevalent. Because the international market the alliance can impart to the company in a relative advantage in size or by the size which makes the process to go faster or in other words it provides compliments to the areas which they are lacking. The motive behind increasing the international strategic alliance is not only gaining profit. The other factor which motive them are the competition among the competitors the fast changing market place industry convergence For an example an alliance between Sony (which is Japanese company, it was an electronic consumer company) Ericson (a Swedish telecommunication company) both giant companies planned to get an advantage in production and development which will prove their marketing skills. So once the joint venture is done with a legal manner it is similar in nature to a partial acquisition in consideration for shares. Because this combination has created the transaction, combining the relative advantages of both parties and ties their future together. They stopped making their own phones. They started to share their expertise and they have a research development teams in United States, Sweden, China, Japan, India, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The both companies were profitable on the first year but they had to face huge loss because of lack of investment and strategic plan. Once they have injected the money into their joint venture and came up with new idea which was to launch the built-in-digit al camera and with high features they started to enter to the market back but it still were a huge loses for them. So having the same strategic plan this joint venture did not work. They were struggling for the first three years. But walkman phones made them successful and made the 4th position in the world again. So here it proves that the giant companies do merge to gain competitive advantage but it is not always threat to the other companies which are already leading. It totally depends on the strategy they follow and implement. The DISADVANTAGES of STRATEGIC ALLAINCE Alliances are risky in term of cost, the reason is not due to cash being involved with another company and its not being in the companys hands, but it is due to returns from which they will get. First of all the company is to go throw the join venture which involves the investment. When a proper set of contracts, various transfer prices and incentive schemes from the partners to the joint alliance resolve most conflicts, most of the joint venture manages to entirely avoid conflicts between its respective parties. Managing the managerial position of both companies and resolving the possible conflict from the both parties due to the location and other factors of international market, Financial blocking is one of the major disadvantages in the international strategic alliance. Because most of the companies do not want to disclose their financing operations. For example, an alliance with SonyEricsson in the area of cellular communications could reduce the likelihood of contracts with Nokia, thereby putting the company at risk that if Ericsson is weakened, so will be all the companies that depend upon it. Alliance between competitors can be risky. Firms can access to the information, technology, business strategy, and database of each other. Therefore they acquire the knowledge of another company. One firm can plan to excel other firm by achieving the knowledge and skills of other firms business tricks. And then it can drop the other firm and may use the strategy against this firm. Strategic partners are often led by the company which is stronger in the international market. But they should come up with something unique by merging the both companies rather than starting from a start-up. But this strategy dose actually work with the every company depending on the market and company, like SonyEricsson came up with mobile when they merge but it was a huge loss in the market . They started losing their shares rather then gaining it. And it affected the job market. So they later on came up with cyber shoot which was the turning point of their company and also the walking walkman, which was different product then they used to launch. Because their main focus was to make competitive cell phone. But by the cyber shoot they have entered the market and now they are one of the giant companies with 4th position rank in the world. Sharing profits is another disadvantage. The revenue is being divided and goes to different country which does not help the country to boom up. But it dose have a great impact on it The decision is to be made by the both parties so there are always barriers for future financing opportunities. The distraction is the main disadvantage. The top level management is to take decision on behave of the both countries so they are to keep all the time in mind thinking about their own country when ever they are making decision. The both parties do not think alike because of the distraction that they are around by the competitors. As two or more companies are joint in this alliance, the decision is to be taken jointly so there is always a headache from the other partner. Because of the way they want take the company may not agree. To keep this mutual decision, the companies are to go through all this unexpected disappointments. Conclusion: The strategic alliance is one of the most implemented strategies in the global competitive market. And it is one of the mostly common used strategies which have an effect in the market to boom up the economy of a country. It has created the bond between the geographical territories. Where they can share their competitive advantages and bring out new polices and products for the consumers and increase the job market in this world. The advantages for this alliance is more then the disadvantages. So people are coming up of new policies where they can hide the disadvantages compared to the advantage. According to Pekar and Margulis â€Å"The fundamental purpose of an alliance is to facilitate collaboration and varying degrees of integration between companies without necessitating a merger or an acquisition, though it can often lead to a merger or acquisition. Bibliography Hill, Charles (2005), â€Å"International Business Competing in the Global Marketplace† Peng Mike W. â€Å"Global Strategic Management†, Second Edition, (page 216-240) http://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jomstd/v33y1996i3p301-332.html http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/operating/leadership/strategicalliances.html http://www.corporate-partnering.com/info/strategic-alliances-advantages-and-disadvantages.htm http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=ArticlehdAction=lnkhtmlcontentId=1515040 www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business-general/Strategic-motives-for-international-alliance-formation-The-limits-of-employee-involvement-profit-sha.html http://www.lotsofessays.com/essay_search/Conclusion_Strategic.html http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B6VGK-4MBBYN6-1_user=10_rdoc=1_fmt=_orig=search_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1123950549_rerunOrigin=google_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=52af2b0a1c7e40ab036d752257b46fc1 http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/operating/leadership/strategicalliances.html illiamson, O.E. 1991. Strategizing, economizing, and economic organization. Strategic Management Journal, Winter Special Issue, 12: 75-94 Peng Mike WGlobal Strategic Management, Second Edition, page 213 Peng Mike W Global Strategic Management, Second Edition, page 227 Pekar Peter Jr. and. Margulis Marc S, Equity alliances take center stage: The emergence of a new corporate growth model, IVEY MANAGEMENT SERVICES †¢ May/June 2003

Islamic Leadership

Leadership An Islamic Perspective In the introductory chapter the book establishes what you should know by the time you finish the book. These points include: understand the nature and process of leadership from an Islamic perspective, describe the characteristics of effective leaders in general, and of Islamic leaders in particular, analyze your styles as a leader and follower, learn how you can mobilize, organize, and develop your followers Islamically, learn how you, as a leader, can build commitment by acting as a coach mentor, learn how to delegate effectively, and finally understand the steps that will enable you to become a more effective leader. The book defines leadership as the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. Within an organization a good leader is needed but so is good management. There are different positions of power when in an organization. The first one is legitimate power, which refers directly to someone’s position in an organization. Reward power is the second type of power, this power refers to having the authority to hand out promotions or pay raises. The third type of power is called coercive power, which uses force to get employees to work. The final type of power is information power, this type of power deals with having and giving information to others so that they can do their work. According to the text there are certain characteristics of an effective leader. The book ranks them from 1 to 8. These characteristics include: honesty, competent, forward-looking, inspiring, intelligent, fair minded, straightforward, and imaginative. These characteristics were determined by a study done by two leadership researchers named Kouzes and Posner. They surveyed 2,615 of the most successful leaders in the United States in order to figure out and rank the characteristics. The book also discusses how leaders must mobilize, developed, and organize their followers. The reason mobilization needs to be done is due to the fact that leaders cannot and should not be expected to accomplish everything on their own. The people are the target of the message and are also the ones that will be spreading the word. Mobilizing followers includes being able to reach out to everybody. The message of Islam is one that is not elitist so in essence the ides that only a few people are capable of energizing a group is not correct. It also states that the reticent person may become the best person. This statement basically means not the prejudge people and to always give them a chance because they just may prove what you believe wrong. The third statement about mobilizing says to accept the verbal commitment of others to Islam at face value. This means to always accept a pledge someone makes. Another point the book makes is to welcome even sinners and try it improve them. In order to develop followers a leader must be able to adjust their leadership style due to the fact that the followers have different types of styles. There are four different types of leadership styles that a leader can turn to. These leadership styles include: directive, coaching, supportive, and delegating. The style the leader should pick depends on the maturity of the people being led. With immature members the leader may want to use a directive style. This is because it involves clear and explicit guidelines. A coaching style may then be implemented as the members begin to learn their task. This style is characterized by two-way communication and an increased amount of supportive behavior. Once the members have gained more self-confidence in doing their tasks the leader may use a supportive style. This style consists of shared decision-making and two-way communication. Finally, in a situation where the members are mature and self-confident the leader should use a delegating style. In this style the leader allows the members to decide how, when, and where to carry out their tasks. The next and final step is to organize your followers. When trying to do this, leaders should use six steps. These steps include: 1. Clearly articulate the vision and mission of your organization, 2. Develop a statement of your organization’s philosophy regarding volunteer services, 3. Develop volunteer positions, 4. Do not go overboard by creating a multitude of tasks, 5. Reward both process and outcome, and 6. Develop a nurturing Islamic organizational climate. The book also discusses how leaders should be able to delegate tasks. When a leader is reluctant to delegate there are usually two reasons for it. The first reason depends on the organization’s culture. The second reason has to do with the leader’s personality, usually dealing with a Type A personality. There are delegation guidelines that are outlined in the book. these guidelines include: selecting the delegate with the appropriate skill level, expertise and background, select a delegate with whom you have a reciprocal trusting relationship, delegate both the pleasant and the unpleasant, the easy and the challenging, delegate ahead, delegate in chunks, delegate precisely, delegate don’t abdicate, and finally give credit. According to the text, there is one golden rule when it comes it delegation, which is â€Å"the more power you give way the more power you have. †

Identity in contemporary society Essay

How does class influence identity in contemporary society?The class structure involves some degree of shaping our identities. Income and paid work are important sources of individual and collective identity. Social class is a means of classifying the economic and social divisions of a society, which involve some degree of inequality. For example classifying some people as poor, working class or middle class. We may adopt or contest these representations. People define their economic position through ideas about the incomes and opportunities of others, therefore identities are influenced by income, whether we imagine peoples incomes to be in the middle or if we see it as between the rich and poor. There are two main traditions within the concept of social class and its effect on identity. These traditions are in the works of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Max Weber (1864-1920). While they differ in the understanding of class and society, they share views on classes structured out of economic relationships. The Marxist theory of class shows that the class a person belongs to is a fundamental part of their identity. For Marx, society generated two main classes, a capital-owning class and a property less class. They called these the ruling class and the working class or the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Class is rooted in the economic organization of production i.e. those groups who own factories, farms, coal mines or raw materials. These groups look after their own interests, live in similar surroundings and send their children to similar schools. Marx believed that class consciousness is particularly important to our understanding of identity. This is an awareness of a shared class interest and the existence of classes with opposing interests. Class consciousness would emerge through solidarity and collective action. For Marx, the key factor is private ownership of economic resources. Max Webers theory saw class as important when forming an identity. Weber saw class as a group of individuals who have certain interests in common; this  is known as market position, for example having similar opportunities for earning income through work or trade. Weber recognised that status is also important within social groups. Status is the different amounts of prestige, honour or social standing that is attached to different social groups. So where we live, manner of speech, our schooling and leisure habits decide our social class. This would suggest maybe status could have as much influence on identity as class. Webers theories would suggest that although, like Marx, agreed that different classes exist, Status was the key factor in deciding our identities and which group we belong to. Class is becoming more diverse with wider reference points within the structures. Some sociologists have gone as far as to say class is dead; (Pakulski and Waters, 1996), although a survey in 1996 showed that two thirds of those interviewed felt that there is one law for the rich and one for the poor (Adonis and Pollard, 1998, p.11)Sociologists and political scientists have argued that there has been a shift from collective to individual identities and also a shift from occupation to consumption patterns. It was argued that well paid working class were adopting middle class values, therefore eroding class identity. A study at Vauxhalls Luton car plant (Goldthorpe et al., 1969), on car workers attitudes and class identity showed signs of a fragmenting working-class identity and a new one developing. This would suggest that work based identities are becoming less important. The change in employment structures as well as job stability has maybe caused this shift. Peter Saunders put forward that consumption and lifestyle are now more important in shaping identities than occupation-based class. He argued that there was a growing division between those who could satisfy their consumption needs, through housing, cars and private health care and those who relied on public transport and state provided housing and health care. Saunders was criticized for being unable to prove that consumption influences peoples identities. To conclude, social class can provide us with a sense of belonging and how we can relate to the world around us. Who we are and what we do and have, change over time and economic structures such as inequality have an effect on our ideas of who we are and can be. However, although societies exist and function within class structures it does not mean that all members of that society identify with a class. It seems as class is becoming more diverse, it is becoming less important within identity as individuality becomes more valued and encouraged. REFERENCE Adonis, A. and Pollard, S. (1998) A Class Act, Harmondsworth, Penguin. Goldthorpe, J., Lockwood, D., Bechhoffer, F. and Platt, J. (1969) The Affluent Worker: Industrial Attitudes and Behaviour, Cambridge, Cambridge University PressPakulski, J. and Waters, M. (1996) The Death of Class, London, Sage.

Nonce Words Definition and Examples