Reading Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading Summary - Essay Example to identify changing customers’ requirements, identify adjacencies that may complement its existing products and in general, developed new products that anticipate customers’ needs. The networked solution generates pool of creative ideas that are tested for their relevance and undergo comprehensive R&D, marketing research, marketing and other functions before they are launched. It has given P&G significant competitive advantage in the market. ‘Tapping the World’s Innovation Hot Spots’ informs one about the different ways firms innovate in order to meet their strategic goals. The authors have broadly identified five major models of innovations that are used by firms: focused factory; brute force; Hollywood; large-scale ecosystem; and system integration. Focused factory model concentrates on few tasks or fields using talent pool to innovate. Brute force utilizes large number of ideas to develop highly useful and creative products. Firms forge alliances with universities and academia to tap new ideas. Hollywood model helps create special place like Silicon Valley where smart entrepreneurs gather and thrash out new ideas for innovation. Large-scale ecosystem is developed as response to emergencies or external environment like economic breakdown. Initiatives are often taken by national governments that give incentives to domestic agencies. System integration refers to services including R&D facilities and infrastructure that may be used by other firms to align their corporate strategies with models of innovation that best complement their competencies or requirements. The article is important as it expands on firm’s innovation

Social Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Policy - Essay Example The welfare state, however, is in a state of crisis, such that the very forces, which initiated its rise after World War II are touted to bring the same challenges it is facing today (Pierson, 1998). Among these are the neo-liberalist ideas of capitalism and globalisation. As Deacon (1997) argues, globalisation sets welfare states against each other through competition, in a manner that can undermine social solidarity. Hence, encouraging welfare states to be more adept to minimise risks and maximise returns of policies. The New Labour’s ‘Third Way’ modernization project, in turn can be considered as a response to the factors that threaten solidarity by constructing a new ‘social democracy,’ which according to Fitzpatrick (2002) is but a simplification of the old concept of social democracy. Thus, the introduction of a neo-liberal capitalism ideologies, as well as globalization, questions the commitment of social policies towards welfare and social justice, in the context of risk management. Two policy areas that illustrates such is with regard to community care, evidenced by the recently passed Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003; and child welfare in the context of the Mental Health Bill 2004. First, the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, has been described as more concerned with giving authorities more administrative and enforcement powers to punish offenders, without due reference to rehabilitating them, especially with regard to youth offenders (Liberty, 2003; National Children’s Bureau, 2003).

Gay Rights Essay Essay Example for Free

Gay Rights Essay Essay Aubri Lutz La/Lit Per. 4 Miss Gibbs 10/22/01 Should Homosexual Clubs Be Allowed On College Campus? Do you plan on attending college? College offers a plethora of opportunities to those who choose to attend. There is horseback riding club, chess club and even Pokemon club these days. However, if a person hopes to join a club based on his or her sexual preference, think again. They are not allowed on public school campuses. It is a good idea that homosexual clubs and organizations be censored. They are offensive and inappropriate. If people try to ban clubs in college based on homosexual preference, they will be closing out many other clubs to come. For example, according to the Bible study groups, The banning of homosexual clubs is a good idea, but not a logical one. It is a step backwards for our bible study clubs, it will only cause them to lash out and close down our groups, too (www.family.org). For every club out there based on sexual preference there are one hundred clubs that focus on bible study. Since bible study clubs are just as controversial as homosexual ones, they are worried that if the banning of those clubs happens, they will be next. To empower school officials to close down and ban clubs based on homosexual preference is a marvelous thought, but it empowers them to shut down appropriate clubs like the bible study groups. In addition, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered group, also the LGBT has said that, Any club/organization or school discrimination against homosexual clubs and organizations will lose funding, travel funds, meeting place and right to have a club on campus immediately (www.leaderu.com//marco). This is a comfort to the clubs of homosexuals because their rights on campuses are protected. Conversely, it is a discomfort to the clubs who do not support their ideas and ways of thinking because now they are forced to at least pretend to be supportive of those clubs. This is not sensitive to the idea that this may bring about even more tensions between organizations because of the forced pretend support. So, the organizations trying to rid college campuses of the clubs based on sexual preference need to stop and think about what other clubs they could be doing damage to first. Student-led pro homosexual groups, called gay alliances, are an on-growing  disturbance and are inappropriate to have in school. For example, gay extremists are pressuring the Trustees board to oppose other minority clubs since theirs are currently being targeted. They are threatening to, take matters into their own hands if no one steps into do anything about this. This is a dilemma because one clubs being targeted is no excuse for them to be able to discriminate against others. After all, they are upset at being discriminated against. By continuing to single out groups unlike them, they are only welcoming more upon themselves. In addition, students attending Iowa Colleges who are offended by homosexual clubs and their behaviors, have voiced their comments and been completely disregarded. One student went to the board of education and stated that, clubs that promote and praise homosexuality make me feel uncomfortable as a student in this college (www.leaderu.com/marco). His comment was totally disregarded and never brought up again. That is disturbing because the only voices being heard are those which belong to the gay groups and that is not fair. It is also a problem because students who are paying for school are not being listened to and need to be in a time of controversy like this one. People need to think long and hard about whether or not they want their college kids subjected to homosexual clubs and/or organizations. The Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered group is a rapidly growing group across the country. They are fighting for the rights of Lesbians Gays Bisexuals and Trangendered people. For example, the LGBT have voiced their opinions loud and clear, We are just like everyone else and deserve clubs to prove it. The struggle of the LGBT has moved to center stage since 1994, they are fighting for their individual rights on campus as well as in the classroom. Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered group have caused quite a stir on college campuses and that is affecting all other students learning. They need to quit. The affect it is having on bi-stander students is neither fair nor appropriate. Furthermore, We are no different than all the other student who wander this campus. Said by James Anderson, a student in Colorado. Another students first question was, Then why do you need your own club on campus? Its the LGBT population saying things like that that get other students confused. Students who do not attend homosexual clubs are forced to watch rallies in the union about things they dont  completely understand and that is not fair to them. People who choose to attend college do not need to be subjected to this whole ordeal, it should be fought somewhere besides school campuses. Clubs that applaud sexual preference and behavior are unnecessary on public school campuses. These sexual preference based organizations only cause strife and confusion for students. Since these clubs are only applicable to a small minority population of students, they are hard to support and condone; this causes tense situations.

Sociological theories

Sociological theories Now a days social workers are expected to write their reports in a coherent way, justifying it using theory and research. Sociology offers some important social theories, which provide explanations and critiques of human behavior, social actions and interactions as well as the institutions and the structures of society. The fact that social work is concerned with social change and problem solving is precisely why sociology is important to social work. In this essay I have selected two sociological theories to examine and understand Ms. Bs situation. I will be applying these theories to my understanding of my position as a social worker. The essay will also consider how these theories or perspectives helped my thinking about Ms. Bs situation and how these theories or perspectives were unhelpful in my understanding of Ms. Bs situation. In this essay I will also considers what other theory might have been applied, and as an integral part of the essay, considering anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. Functionalism views society made up from numerous interconnected parts which together form a system. The basic part of this breakdown is the society, and its variety of parts can be understood in terms of their collective relationship. In the initial stages of this theory Functionalism drew comparisons between society and the human body. Mainly this comparison existed since they viewed the society operating in theory in a similar way of the human body. Therefore, for one to understand the function of an organ in the human atonomy, for example the heart, it is essential to understand its relationship with the other organs in the human body and especially, its contribution towards the maintaining of the organism. Thus, functionalism argues that, an analysis and examination of the functioning of society is therefore important as it illustrates its relationship with the other parts of society, and most importantly, its contribution to the maintenance of society. According to Emile Durkheim (1895), the founder of Functionalism, crime and deviance are normal and necessary. Given that they are found in all societies, functionalists argue that it is a form of social change, as through deviance the society would learn about the accepted behaviour. However, too much crime can bring on a state of anomie, which is a state of normlessness in society. This arises when cultural goals and structural means of achieving those goals is unbalanced. The anomie state would result in conflicting the agreement of the functioning of society. Durkheim described the state of anomie as a feeling of aimlessness or despairtraditional moral controls and standards are largely broken downthis leaves many individuals in society feeling lack of meaning in their daily lives.Giddens(2006, p 14) Durkheim (1895) suggested that the theory of Merton gives an idea of the individuals who have high expectations and are unable to fulfill them through structural means then strain occurs. Robert Mertons (1938) Strain theory modified the Durkheims   Anomie to refer to the strain put on individuals when accepted norms conflict with reality. While the symbolic interactionalist theory are more concerned with agencies of social control; how they label certain behavior as deviant and the effects of these labels. Interactionists dispute the functionalist assumption that there is an agreement throughout society as to what behavior is criminal or deviant. They aimed to find out why certain behavior was labeled as criminal or deviant in some contexts but not in others. Howard Becker was one of the initiators of the labelling theory, he stated that Social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infractions constitute deviance, and by applying these rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders. REF The labelling theory looks at how the social response to crime is made and how certain behaviour comes to be considered deviant or criminal. Labelling theory also suggests that the very imposition of social judgments on certain individuals, helps turn those individuals even more into paths of criminality that have been already identified. The labelling becomes a self-fulfillment prophecy as the stigma, or label, only pushes the offender further in the direction of criminality. In simple terms, give a dog a bad name he will become a bad dog,   Llewellyn et al (2001, p 90). The theoretical formulations of Colley (1992) and Mead (1934) have served as a source when trying to understand the self-fulfilling prophecy. They both argue that social interaction is the basis upon which an individual formulates his or her self-concept. Cooley and Mead models give examples of the individuals conception which arises through interaction with other members of the society that constitute his/her significant social circle. Specifically, the social looking glass theory posits that ones self-conception is determined by the way in which it is reflected or mirrored through the eyes of the other people involved, Allen (2001, p 58). As a SW, I believe it is my responsibility to try to really understand the SUs situation, from their perspective. Thinking about Ms. Bs situation, in terms of the two theories is very useful to me as a SW as sociological theories are helpful in providing insights into the perspectives of the SU. Therefore these two theories are helpful in helping to identify how Ms Bs situation may have come to being constructed and, so can be understood. For example, functionalism could help me understand Ms. Bs situation from the perspective of Ms. Bs culture, race, gender and mental health status: Ms. B could potentially, be multiply discriminated against along any of these. Analyzing and examining the SUs problems in a functionalist view can, therefore, give structure to my understanding of the problem as a social worker. Especially in terms of how SUs might be discriminated or oppressed against, Dominelli (2002). For instance, in Ms B. case, a functionalist analysis to her situation would consider the behavior of Ms B. as deviant, because it is preventing her from participating in society. She is seen as unable to fulfill her role as a mother and her social interactions are affected. Supposing that she has permit to work, it would be not possible for her to find or maintain a job due to her deviant behavior. Functionalists would consider this as a faulty socialization. Furthermore functionalism would view this situation as costing to society, as a result not contributing to the maintenance of the society functioning. This fault in socialization has to be fixed in order for Ms B. to fully participate in society and contribute in its maintenance; as a result the label put on her would be a form of social control. However as a consequence to the label, Ms B. would feel that her culture, race and gender are not taken into account and that she is being discriminated against, she may feel oppressed and at the same time socially stigmatized. The Robert Mertons (1938) Strain theory would be very helpful in better understanding Ms B. behavior. Durkheim (1895) suggested that the theory of Merton gives an idea of the individuals who have high expectations and are unable to fulfill them through structural means then strain occurs. Robert Mertons (1938) Strain theory modified the Durkheims Anomie to refer to the strain put on individuals when accepted norms conflict with reality.REF Linking this to the case of Ms B, her asspiration to enter paid employment does not coincide with her immigration status. Therefore this disparity between desires and fulfillment will be felt in deviant motivation. Evenmore this could be the point where Mrs B feels the strain and as a result deviates from the societies norms. Due to the variety of problems that Ms B. is currently facing, Agnew (1992) in Levinson (2002) would give another functionalist view to better understand her reaction to the label. He argues how the strain theory can lead to other deviant adoptions. Agnew criticizes the earlier strain theory, he argued that strain theory should generalize the concept to include all negative relations with others, rather than just the negative relations that are the result of striving from uneatable, but culturally mandated goals. Levinson (2002, p 79). It is not so much the unique quality no any single event but the accumulation of several stressful events within a relatively short time span that is consequential) Agnew (1992,) as cited in Levinson (2002, p 62-63). Ms B. immigration status may feel very oppressing to her. By not taking the medication prescribed as well as reacting in a deviant way, is the only way in which Ms B. can show her anger, which is accumulated by many issues during a short time. Agnew placed great importance to the feeling of anger as he argued that anger is the key emotion because it increases the individuals level of felt injury, creates a desire for retaliation/revenge, energizes the individual for action, and lowers inhibitions, in part because individuals believe that others will feel their aggression is justified as cited in Levinson (2002, p 60). While functionalism helped me to reflect on the possible ways a person can be discriminated against; even more it placed a great emphasis on my understanding of the importance of being culturally competent, especially in the profession of social work. In the other hand the labelling theory not only lead me to a deeper understanding of Ms B situations but also, helped me to understand the potential start of Ms Bs deviance behavior. For instance, once the label of mental ill was given to Ms B, she may well have chosen to simply organize her life around that label and adopt the new identity that was endorsed on her. In this way the self fulfilling prophecy comes into play. The act of labelling Ms B as someone with scrixophenia would had an adverse effect on her future behaviour. Deviance can be defined as a failure to conform to culturally expected norms of behaviour, which reflect the dominant values and rules of groups or society in a given period, Llewellyn et al (2002, p 90). As the labelling theory argues that the person is categorized and classified as deviant ; the stereotyped person has their identity reinforced, which in turn promotes the deviant behaviour that it is intended to prevent, Llewellyn et al (2002, p 90). When reading and applying the functionalist theory, it is obvious that this theory assumes that the middle class values are accepted throughout society. Therefore whoever deviates from this values it is regarded as having a faulty socialization. Even more as we see on the Anomie theory and the adapted strain theory, one can understand that there is an assumption that everyone aspires the same level of success. The labelling theory has been very helpful in developing policies, such as diversion from the courts and the criminal justice systems. However the labelling theory has its own limitations, it can be argued that it is too deterministic as it assumes that the deviant will accept the label, some people fight against the label and prove it wrong. As well as it does not consider the process that lead to the deviant behavior. There are other sociological theories that could also have helped to explain other aspects of Ms. Bs life, such as her living in poverty, which can lead Ms. B to be discriminated against and oppressed by mainstream society. Marxism conflict theory and anti-racist theory/black perspectives, would have been helpful in achieving a bigger picture of Ms B situation. For example Marxist would argue that Ms B is being oppressed against due to her social class, poverty and her ethnicity. There are past and current studies to show that a high number of people from black ethnicities, are being diagnosed with schizophrenia, with some studies reporting between two to eight times higher rates of diagnosis, compared to the White population mind.org.uk (accessed 16/12/09). Even more the past detention of Ms B under the mental health act would coincide with the fact that people from black ethnicities are more likely to be held under the Mental Health Act, and to receive medication rather than be offered therapies such as psychotherapy mentalhealth.org.uk (accessed 16/12/09). Applying the black feminist theories could have explored more about Ms B current situation, Black feminist would argue that Ms B may be facing oppression from her partner as well as they would argue about the mental label being ascribed to her as a result of her gender but most importantly her ethnicity. Also it is important to note that only the difference between Black Caribbean women and White women can be considered as statistically significant mind.org.uk (accessed: 28/12/09) In summary, it is obvious that actively considering and using sociological theories can allow meaningful analyses of the SUs problems.   As a result the SW practice becomes applied more, and of more use to the SUs. Theories would provide informed solutions to SUs problems in a more anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory manner (Dominelli, 2002).   In conclusion one of the barriers to social work participation would be when service users are viewed in a stereotypical way, by the social worker. Every individual has a unique perspective of the world, and as such should be treated as an individual regardless of illness, colour or belief system. It is important that those in need of help and guidance be given access to it, and that the best possible outcome for the service user, is secured. This should be done with the help and support of all those involved, including health care professionals, social workers and the service users themselves, in order to enable individuals to become more independent and re-integrated back into society. References Jones, P., (2003). Introducing Social Theory. Polity, London. Gidens, A., (2006). Sociology , 5th Edition, Polity Levinson,   D.,   (2002). Encyclopedia of crime and punishment, Volume 1, SAGE Cunningham, J., Cunningham, S., (2008) Sociology and Social Work. Learning Matters. Dominelli, L. (2002). Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Palgrave MacMillan. Fernando, S. (2002). Mental Health Race and Culture. Palgrave. Rogers, A. and Pilgrim, D. (2003). Mental Health and Inequality. Palgrave. Macionis, J. J., Plummer, K., (2008). Sociology: A Global Introduction. Pearson. Haralambos, M., Holborn, M., (2008). Sociology: themes and perspectives. Collins. Llewellyn, A., Agu, L., Mercer, D., (2008). Sociology for Social Workers. Polity. Allen, L. R., (2001). The concept of self: a study of black identity and self-esteem.Wayne State University Press, http://www.mind.org.uk/help/people_groups_and_communities/statistics_3_race_culture_and_mental_health  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Accesed:28/12/09) http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/mental-health-a-z/black-minority-ethnic-communities/#Afro_Carib   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Accessed: 16/12/09)

SEDS-Saving Space Exploration Essay -- Space Exploration Essays

SEDS-Saving Space Exploration Space exploration was once a fascinating part of human culture. Back in the 60’s, when getting to the moon was a top priority, and exploring the features of other planets interested people, the space program had the momentum to pull off bigger and better things. To explore stars not even in our galaxy and even possibly pull off the feat of discovering extraterrestrial life was something people only dreamed about. Once being only in the imagination, space travel is a reality. Nowadays, many people have lost interest in the space program. With people’s interests in space exploration dwindling, as well as internal problems with the NASA program, funding has been cut short, and continued development in space exploration has been stunted. SEDS, which stands for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, is one of the programs that is trying to bring the space program back to the prestige it held in the 60’s and is also attempting to regenerate public interest in space exploration. SEDS was founded in 1980 at MIT and Princeton and consists of an international group of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from different educational backgrounds who are to promote the development and exploration of space as a whole (www.SEDS.org). One of the unique aspects about the organization is its dedication to being a youth-oriented organization. On the organization’s main website, the SEDS mission statement says SEDS supports a network of students across many of the nation’s top colleges. The mission statement also says the organization encourages young people who are interested in space to become a member of their organization. The SEDS mission statement also states by becomin... ...hives. The three chapters of SEDS that were analyzed all have their own qualities, and in one way or another contribute with the goal SEDS has set for the organization. All three chapters have flaws, but looking at whether the chapters did what they were supposed to do the chapters, for the most part, accomplished their goal. Information was provided from credible sources, as the information helps people become informed of space exploration. The goal of getting people physically involved with projects of space exploration is not completely fulfilled because of the lack of depth the descriptions of the projects have, and the lack of information of how to get involved in those projects. However, the overall goal of saving space exploration can be accomplished if SEDS uses their chapters wisely and continues to expand their organization across colleges nation-wide.

Flannery O’Connor and Working-Class Literature :: Biography Biographies Essays

Flannery O’Connor and Working-Class Literature Although Flannery O’Connor could not herself technically be called a member of the working class, the majority of her characters exist as â€Å"good country people† or those who have been displaced from the city to the farm. Whatever the situation of the characters, rural, working-class life is nearly always the focus in her work. Just a few of the critical elements of the working-class genre that O’Connor offers in her pieces include: a show of the many differences between classes, chiefly the ideas that working-class people are happier in their station in life and also experience less loneliness than those of the upper classes, and a heavy focus on the authentic dialogue of the southern working classes. She employs these elements expertly in her work. O’Connor’s texts often address the differences between the working classes and the â€Å"owning† classes. In their article, "Toward a Theory of Working-Class Literature," Renny Christopher and Carolyn Whitson comment that â€Å"working-class culture does not celebrate individuality. It instead recognizes the interdependence of units of people: family, community, friends, unions† (76). O’Connor confirms the benefits of community that the working class offers by showing upper-class loneliness. In â€Å"Good Country People,† the farm owner’s well-educated daughter is very depressed and lonely but chooses to be so. When her mother and she walk the fields together, the daughter’s â€Å"remarks were usually so ugly and her face so glum.† She rigidly interacted with her mother, not showing any signs of family, community or solidarity with her at all. She informs her mother, â€Å"if you want me, here I am – LIKE I AM† (274). There is no willingness to commune. Loneliness is also shown among many other middle-class characters in O’Connor’s work – the farm owner in â€Å"The Displaced Person,† the teacher Rayber in â€Å"The Barber,† and Mrs. Turpin in â€Å"Revelation† are some additional examples. Christopher and Whitson claim that â€Å"working-class culture has its own exceptional people who do not choose to leave their culture.† O’Connor’s pieces support this idea. Often she paints the middle-class characters in her pieces as ridiculous or unhappy where the working-class is seemingly well-adjusted and satisfied with their place in life. Old Dudley, in the story â€Å"The Geranium,† finds himself living in â€Å"better† conditions in New York City, having left the poor country life as a boarder and fix-it man in Georgia.

Henry David Thoreau †“Why I Went to the Woods” Essay

This excerpt is from his famous essay, â€Å"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience†. First, some background; in 1842, his brother John died of lockjaw. Three years later, Henry decided to write a book commemorating a canoe trip he had taken with John in 1839. Seeking a quiet place to write, he followed a friend’s suggestion and built a small cabin on the north shore of Walden Pond on a piece of land owned by his friend and mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson. He started work on his cabin in March of 1845. On the 4th of July, he moved in. Thus began one of the great and lasting experiments in life and thought of the whole of human experience. â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.† Thoreau otherwise filled his time by working in his garden, talking with visitors, reading, and writing in his diary. B ut most of all, he walked and thought, and it’s difficult to tell now which was the more important activity. It seems that, in his two years living in his little cabin in the woods he brought himself to a state of conscious living, where thought and action were harmoniously combined. This story is about his rejection of the world’s definition of ‘success’ and so he demanded a life of personal freedom. He went to the woods, built a humble cabin on the edge of Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts†¦and learned about nature and life. He rejected the Establishment and all its trappings. He saw such possessions as fancy clothes and elaborate furniture as so much extra baggage. He demanded a fresh, uncluttered existence with time for self-exploration. He would, he told the world, â€Å"breathe after his own fashion.† All aspects of life for Thoreau focused on simplicity. When Thoreau’s two years at Walden had ended, he left with no regrets: â€Å"I left the woods for as good a reason as why I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives t o live, and could not spare any more time for that one . . . â€Å" His experiment had been a success. Thoreau had learned many lessons, had taken time to examine his inner self and his world, and proved he could live under the simplest conditions and still be fulfilled: â€Å"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that as one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.† To him, most men live lives of â€Å"quiet desperation,† and have needed to simplify, to cast off material  encumbrances and achieve true freedom. The stages of spiritual evolution that a man passes through all prepare him for the more difficult inner development; and every man, he believed, possesses an inner spiritual instinct which, if nurtured and cared for, will divulge his divine nature.