Comparison of Strategic Planning and Strategic Management

Strategic planning refers to the process of analyzing a business environment in order to develop strategies that facilitate attainment of goals and objectives. It includes creation of an organization’s mission, vision, and goals and objectives. It also involves strengthening operations and setting priorities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison of Strategic Planning and Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, strategic management refers to the process through which an organization utilizes available resources in order to achieve goals and objectives. It includes specific strategies and activities that are used to attain goals. A critical aspect of strategic management is the determination of how an organization intends to achieve its goals. For example, developing clearly defined ways of achieving specific objectives is an aspect of strategic management. Both tools a re used together, and are important for the growth of an organization. Strategic planning and strategic management are similar in many ways. First, they aim to improve the future welfare of an organization. Strategic planning defines an organization’s goals and strategic management implements strategies in order to attain the goals. Second, they are managerial tools that are used to create successful organizations. Managers use them to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Third, they are used to increase organizational output and performance. One tool cannot attain its goals without the input of the other. Therefore, they play complementary roles that serve a common purpose. Fourth, they are used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an organization and thus help to position it in the market. For that reason, managers use both tools to strengthen the market presence of their organizations by creating sustainable competitive advantage. Successful companies use st rategic planning and strategic management to propel their organizations to success. It is important to understand how they are applied to fulfill different organizational needs. Differences between the two management tools originate from their roles, scope, and effectiveness. Strategic planning involves setting goals and objectives that an organization intends to achieve. In contrast, strategic management involves implementation of processes that help to attain goals and objectives. Strategic management has a wide scope. It incorporates both formulation and implementation of strategies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, it includes evaluation of strategies in order to determine whether they are effective or ineffective. On the contrary, the scope of strategic planning is narrow. It only involves formulation of strategies and development of goals and objectives. Th e effectiveness of the two management tools differs. Strategic planning is most successful when the stability of an organization’s internal and external environment is certain, and its future predictable. In contrast, strategic management is most successful when the future of an organization is unpredictable. It is effective in situations that require managers to respond to unpredictable future occurrences. In conclusion, strategic planning and strategic management are tools used by managers and leaders to attain organizational success. They are similar because they aim to improve performance and output, prepare organizations for the future, and discover their strengths and weaknesses for better market placement. They are different because their scope, effectiveness, and methods vary. Strategic planning involves setting goals and objectives, and is most successful when an organization’s stability is certain. In contrast, strategic management involves implementation and evaluation of processes that facilitate attainment organizational goals. It is most effective when the future of an organization is unpredictable. The two management tools are used together because they have a common goal even though they play different roles and apply different methods. This essay on Comparison of Strategic Planning and Strategic Management was written and submitted by user Colleen Wing to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Summary One Essays

Summary One Essays Summary One Essay Summary One Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Summary One The article â€Å"Elements of Strategic Planning and Management in Municipal Government: Status after Two Decades† explores the application of planning and management procedures in municipal governing entities that have populations of over 25,000. A survey was carried out to determine the relevance of strategic planning in municipalities. Strategic planning and management in municipal governments is crucial since it creates efficiency in these systems. Government policy requires municipal governments to employ the use of strategic planning and management approach to maximize efficiency. However, research shows that the application of strategic planning is not always easy to achieve. The article’s point of discovery begins from the determination of what strategic planning is its purpose in municipalities, and its use among other factors. Strategic planning is used to uphold a desirable balance between an organization and the environment within which it operates over a long period. Strategic planning works only when planned action is effectively linked to implementation. A survey given to municipal managers revealed that out of 512 managers only 44 percent employed strategic planning. However, the 44 percent reported that not all strategic plans were implemented. Strategic plan is effective when relevant stakeholders are involved with 60 percent of the local governments that responded affirming that citizens, politicians and other stakeholders were involved in strategic planning processes. Another important factor in strategic planning is the elements used on creating a strategic plan. The respondents of the survey indicated that the most frequently used elements of strategic planning were development of goals and objectives, vision for the future, which was followed by a review of organizational mission goals and finally developing action plans. Implementation of strategic planning requires applying strategic management practices that are divided into four levels. These levels tie into how planning allocates resources, how the municipalities manage their performance and the processes involved in measuring their performance. The results of the survey indicated that strategic planning had helped municipal governments to operate their cities more effectively therefore achieving beneficial result for the municipalities. Summary Two The article â€Å"Effects of Economic Development Strategies in Local Municipalities† by Robbie Waters through survey explore the effects of economic development planning in municipalities that employ them. It has been suggested that economic development planning can be the solution to all the problems facing a community. Literature in economics reveals that effective economic development planning is believed to reduce unemployment rates. In this regard, job creation for the community drives cities to practice economic development strategies and policies. To determine the effectiveness of economic development plans, the article compares the status of cities that employ economic polices to those that do not. This is done by comparing unemployment rates over a five-year period. A survey conducted by International City/Council Management in 1999 and 2004 on chief administration officer in US cities with over 10000 and counties with a population of over 50000 reveal that localities that have written down economic development plans, on an average achieve a reduction in employment rate by 0.76 percentage points. It was also determined that areas with written business strategies had experienced a higher level of unemployment than areas without this form of planning by a 1.16 percentage points. Depending on the model used, the statistical significance is dramatically changed affecting the unemployment rates in the cities. The main aim of economic development planning remains to be growing economically sustainable communities that will create employment opportunities. However, the results acquired from the survey suggest that economic development plans need to be revised to suit the needs of the community. Therefore, the results raise questions as to the relevance of economic development planning in local governments. The results achieved in the survey also suggest that local governments do not employ strategic applications in implementing their economic plans. The evidence also brings into question the commitment of municipal authorities in implementing their plans for the cities they run. In view of the questions raised, future research should aim disambiguating the results and include more parameters that will make to enrich the research and settle the questions that have arisen in research. Summary Three Competing and Cooperating across State Borders in Economic Development: A Call for ‘‘Coopertition’’ by Jon Lombard and John Morris discuss the importance of cooperation of local and state government in economic development. Successful economic development is expected to provide tangible benefits for members of the community within a state or locality. This is seen by the ability for these entities to attract business. Competition however has moved from regional competition to national and international proportions. The essay proposes that competition and cooperation are not opposing forces but rather necessary ingredients to economic success. Considering the relevance of the two, the term coopertition is formed to describe the dual nature of government incentives in aiding economic development. Competition in the past among states for economic developments has been seen to create winners and losers. However, governments have come to the realization that the competition is beneficial to all involved when resources are pulled. Therefore, economic development necessitates a competitive element. Coopertition is an essential part of economic development that seeks to make use of the advantages inherent by cooperating with other governments. It is important to note that coopertition results in the creation of a new economic unit that is not only bigger and better, but also offers its participants a resource base that is unmatched by smaller entities that are competing. The Federal system in America creates a distinction in the political realm with well-defined borders. The hierarchical political structures in the government create levels of competing entities within this structure. From the national level, we derive the states vertically. However, competition exists in the horizontal layer where we have the states competing for economic development. This is the stage at which coopertition for economic development is at its best. The use of cooperation in developing economies has served the well in the United States. Local governments work together in an aim to maximize on benefits imagined in economic development. To achieve the necessity of coopertition, states may make informal agreements or understandings or even interstate compacts. Interstate compacts, however, are not popular because of the formality that goes with creating such an arrangement. Therefore, this is not the right approach to coopertition. In conclusion, the nature of economic development provides rich ground for study. It is evident that the individual forces in competition do not have as many benefits as coopertition does. Individualism undermines economic development. In this sense, it is necessary to explore the benefits of coopertition in enhancing cross-border economic success.

Thesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thesis - Essay Example est footballers of all time is currently the president of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).1Further, football has become a big business game, and all of the English Premier League clubs are currently listed on the London Stock Exchange. By purchasing popular players from different parts of the world, especially Asia, and by holding their training camps in different parts of the world, i.e., effectively touring, clubs are using strategic marketing, thereby creating a significant source of income. This is due to the large population and the rapid development in economic terms of countries to which they are marketing (Ashton-Jones et al., 2008:a). For example, the first appearance of Chinese Lie Tie and Sun Jihai in the English Premier League was broadcast in more than 700 million Chinese homes (Desbordes, 2006, p. 7). On the other hand, leisure activities have been proven to be â€Å"a normal good;† i.e., the demand for leisure increases with increasing income. Research has also shown that the residents of the wealthiest countries spend more time engaging in leisure activities, such as football (Houston and Wilson, 2002).2 Contemporary indication shows that economic prosperity may lead to sporting success than the other way around. Recent evidence indicates that after 1996 since the Bosman ruling, the success in football is dominated by the England ´s richest four teams (i.e. Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea) called â€Å"the big four†. The dominance of these teams since 1996 has led to think that economic prosperity may lead to sporting success in football. Thus, whether economic prosperity leads to sporting success in the case of football or vice versa is unclear and needs to be proved empirically. This is needed to find out the contributing factors for the widening splits between richer and poorer football clubs. This can be considered as a type of inequality between haves and have-nots in football market. This inequality is now

Social Impact of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Impact of Technology - Essay Example and deforestation as a result of this insatiable need for paper (which resulted in environmental degradation) were sky high not to mention the untidiness associated with littered paper all over. With the age of computers however, people could now store a lot of information on tiny microchips that would have otherwise taken up truck-loads of papers in the ancient world. Computers have in this way single handedly saved our environments (Hintz & Hintz, 1983). World economies have also flourished because of these machines. Because of computers, there is now faster communication, better service delivery and exchange of currency through a plethora of network services and e-mails. Lucrative business engagements can now be initiated via Skype, for instance, or simply by sending mail at the click of a button. In addition, operational costs have been significantly reduced and businesses spend much less on communication unlike the old days when messengers had to be expensively hired and paid (Knowles, 1976). Education has been made much easier too. Almost all information and books are now found in the internet unlike in the past where learners had to contend with the mental drawbacks or visiting distant and paying for library fees and tuition to acquire basic information. One can now access almost all information from the comfort of their homes and send and receive feedback on various issues from other students without much hassle. Computers have in addition, improved the quality of education now offered in the modern school. Teachers are now free to focus on student development unlike in the past when one, for example, had to rush through a lecture in order to go and manually calculate scores for end-session evaluations and so on (Hintz & Hintz, 1983). Perhaps one of the grey areas concerning this fantastic innovation concerns its influence on relationships and morals where it can present both positive and wildly negative impacts. In as much as computers have allowed

Distinctions between male and female serial killers Assignment

Distinctions between male and female serial killers - Assignment Example To date, there is scanty data on the female serial killers and how the differ from male serial killers (Wolfgang, 2007). By definition, a serial killer is anyone who has killed at least three people over time in separate incidents and in a civilian context. This means, the killing done by terrorists or military personnel in their duty does not constitute serial killer but rather that health care worker or parent who kills their victims. At first, it is hard to draw a line between the male and female serial killer but a closer look shows some difference between these two groups. In contrast to female pattern serial killer, the profiles of the male who kill have been studied extensively. Some of the early researchers such as Guttmacher & Wolfgang (1960) concluded that most serial killers were typically black who mostly killed in response to some argument or physical confrontation. The most male serial killer has tended to kill outside their homes perhaps in a bar or the streets and used knives and guns to overcome their victims. The victim of the women, seem a little different. Unlike male serial killer, most of the women serial killer victims are family members, friends or acquaintances. Male serial killers have tended to inflict damages in addition to causing death to their victims and engage in some form of torture before they kill their victim. They have shown some tendency to use hands-on skills when killing their victims using blunt objects, knives, and hands as part of the processing of killing the victim and power domination as part of the motivation behind killing. This is very unlike female serial killers. The female serial killers never use force or power to overcome their victims. Mostly, the known female serial killers have been known to murder their victim using poisons such paralyze their victims (Keeney & Heide, 2004). Male serial killers have also been identified to use stalking behaviors whereby the trail their victims keenly observing

Comparing Theories Of Veblen And Bourdieu Sociology Essay

Comparing Theories Of Veblen And Bourdieu Sociology Essay In Turkey or in the world, we generally come across with the news about shopping line in front of the stores to buy the brand new model of a kind of good. Mostly, report people go to these lines and make interview with the persons waiting on line. For example, again in such a line for the opening day to be first to buy iPhone, a man was interviewed. He was in line to buy the new iPhone. He looked like he was in his 60s and had had a few facelifts. When he was asked, he said this was his second day of waiting in line: The day before he had waited 12 hours and finally got a phone for his daughter. He had returned and spent nine hours to get a phone for him. He said he had the 3G, and wanted to upgrade to a 4G. In society, one establishes a status, not only by what one does or says, but also by purchasing and being seen to possess certain types of car, house, or clothes, or by being seen to live in a certain neighborhood or suburb, shopping in certain stores, going to certain theaters, decorating ones apartment in a certain way, taking certain vacations etc.   All of these are social symbols to which society has attached certain connotations of a superior, different, or normal  status. Conspicuous consumption makes individuals desire to compete to buy the symbolic advantages. Thus, I want to compare Veblens conspicuous consumption concept with Bourdieus cultural capital, habitus and taste concepts. First, I will try to examine Veblens theory of leisure class. Then I will try to examine Bourdieus theory of capitals, taste and habitus. Finally, I compare both thinkers to understand the role of consumption in stratification in society. Veblens Theory of Leisure Class and Conspicuous Consumption: In The Theory of the Leisure Class  (1899), Thorsten Veblen thought up the phrase conspicuous consumption to designate the act of purchasing and using certain goods and services, not in order to survive, but rather to identify oneself to others as having superior wealth and social standing.   These possessions and services are extras that are to some extent wasteful as showed in the example above. They symbolize ones ability to waste whatever one wants. Veblen starts his examination by first demonstrating the pre-historical progression from savage to barbarian culture, and then claiming that the latter stages after barbarian culture to modern cultures characteristics were still seen in the modern capitalist society. Veblens Account of the Development of Society: Peaceable Æ’Â  Predatory Æ’Â  Quasi-Peaceable Industry Æ’Â  Modern Savages Æ’Â   BarbariansÆ’Â   Moderns Changes in society are generated by changes in the material facts of life. The change from peaceable society to predatory society requires enough accumulated stuff to be worth fighting for (tools, weapons, etc). Barbarian civilizations are different from the earlier stages of savage society. With their tendencies to martial and aggressiveness, it results in the appearance of a dominant leisure class. Thus, a new order occurs and that is made possible a new class which can produce beyond the minimum subsistence level. When this happens, a group of people redistribute the outcomes of other group of peoples productive labor in their own sake. Thus, this new class has the ownership of private property. According to Veblen, this creates envy that middle and lower classes desire to the same un-industrious lives. That allows the leisure class to form. Thus the accumulation of possessions is priority number one for the leisure class. The emergence of leisure class coincides with ownership. The motivation behind ownership is emulation. In The Theory of the Leisure Class, he wrote: The motive is emulation-the stimulus of an invidious comparison especially in any community in which class distinctions are quite vague, all canons and reputability and decency and all standards of consumption are traced back by insensible gradations to the usages and thoughts of the highest social and pecuniary class, the wealthy leisure class (p.81). In that sense, it can be claimed that men are led to accumulation of wealth because of pecuniary emulation. Veblen claims that the pecuniary struggle is the driving force behind the development of culture and society. The struggle for wealth (private property) is due to pecuniary emulation. It can be said that it is not a struggle for subsistence. If it were a struggle for subsistence, there would come a definite point after which the reason to gather goods would stop. But there is no such point. Veblen held that consumption is motivated by a desire for social standing as well as for the enjoyment of the goods and services per se: The proximate ground for expenditure in excess of what is required for physical comfort is a desire to live up to the conventional standard of decency (p.81) People compare consumption but not leisure, and that they refer upwards, choosing their work and spending activities in order to be more like a higher income group. He indicates that a major source of this conduct is due to the pressures of invidious comparison, a process of valuation of persons in respect of worth. Veblen defines as a comparison of persons with a view to rating and grading them in respect of relative worth or value (1899: 34). Under modern conditions consumption is a more visible form of display. Individuals should find the ways to show off their wealth in order for invidious comparisons. Veblen pointed out two main ways to do this, conspicuous leisure and conspicuous consumption. He argues that wasteful conspicuous leisure and consumption were most effective ways of displaying wealth. As a result, strategies of conspicuous leisure and conspicuous consumption affected the class structure, and soon penetrated among non-leisure classes, leading to lower class people t o engage in conspicuous leisure and consumption. The exigencies of the modern industrial system frequently place individuals and households in juxtaposition between whom there is little contact in any other sense than juxtaposition. Ones neighbors, mechanically speaking, often are socially not ones neighbors, or even acquaintances; and still their transient good opinion has a high degree of utility. The only practicable means of impressing ones pecuniary ability on these unsympathetic observers of ones everyday life is an unremitting demonstration of the ability to pay. (p.71) Conspicuous consumption emphasis pecuniary emulation even more so than leisure, because the working classes engage in wasteful expenditures in an attempt to appear wealthy, even when their employments are not of the leisurely point of view. Overgenerous dress, gluttonous banquets, grand mansions, and iPhones, etc are all examples of conspicuous consumption. Any item that is without a productive function, or that has a price well above what is indicated by its practical utility alone, constitutes a good that is valued predominantly for the social capital that it brings. Take foie gras as an example. Suppose a group of people likes the taste of beef more than the taste of foie gras. Of course, foie gras is much more expensive than beef. It is not that people eat foie gras despite the fact it provides less utility than beef; rather, foie gras provides more utility, because utility is not based on taste alone. So what is providing the utility? The money was spent by this class with little regard for utility. Veblens theory was that people want to buy things because they want to signal wealth, power and taste to others in other words, signals about social status. People would not want to buy something which gave signals of a lower social status; they always want to aim higher. The idea is that you consume like the upper classes in order to be the upper classes, consciously or not. It can be stretched to apply to almost any example of consumption. I agree with the idea that people buy things as a display to others. I think it is also true that people buy things to identify with a particular idea of class or culture. Another aspect of leisure class is that it loses its contact with labor and its characteristic becomes conspicuous exemption from all useful employment. Leisure connotes non-productive consumption of time. Having the information about the past, antiques, ancient languages and sciences to know, horses, dogs, home decoration, these are all indicative of the industry that you do not do a job. Conspicuous leisure has the greatest vogue as a mark of reputability. The consumption of the more desirable things becomes honorable. Luxuries and the comforts of life belong to leisure class. Industrious class should consume only what may be necessary to their subsistence. The consumption of luxuries is a consumption directed to the comfort of the consumer himself and is a mark of the master. Women should consume only for the benefit of their masters. Master man consumes of the best food, drink, weapons, narcotics, shelter, ornaments. This kind of consumption is an evidence of wealth and it becomes honorific. As wealth accumulates the leisure class develops further in function and structure and there arises a differentiation within the class. This differentiation is furthered by the inheritance of wealth and the consequent inheritance of gentility. Veblens explanation of emulation has the root of ownership; in other words once our immediate material needs are met, we buy items for their conspicuous nature, to emulate those in higher earning strata, status. Veblen conceives of status among humans as a stratification system. Ownership became associated to power and dominance, and originated a new sort of social division: that separating owners from non-owners. Veblen asserts Wealth is now itself intrinsically honorable and confers honor on its possessor (Veblen, 1899: 18). Thus the struggle for survival became a struggle for pecuniary respect. In other words, competition for the accumulation of goods envisaged gaining the esteem of the community and enhancing ones reputation. Veblen established an objective relationship between social structure and class lifestyles, cultural values and ultimately, consumption practices. The acquisition of social repute and honour depended upon primarily by the ability to waste economic resources that had been acquired without effort. Some eighty years later, Pierre Bourdieu ([1979] 1984) a French sociologist also examined the relationship between social structure and economic and cultural dimensions of social life. Bourdieu analyzed consumption practices and taste to show how social position and lifestyles are related. In this account, instead of a dominant class culture, one finds class cultures. P. Bourdieu: Habitus, Field, Capital and Taste: Max Weber (1978) discussed the term social class to grasp the idea that, in addition to the economic conditions discussed by Marx, hierarchical social structure are also established and reproduced through styles of life. In that sense, it can be said that societies separate into different groupings based not only on economic conditions, but also on non economic criteria such as morals, culture, and lifestyle, etc. In that sense, it was  ¬Ã‚ rst analyzed in Veblens (1899) theory about the leisure class and Simmels theory of trickle-down status imitation (Coleman, 1983). In Distinction (Bourdieu, 1984), Bourdieu describes how these various capitals operate in the social  ¬Ã‚ elds of consumption. In Distinction, (Bourdieu, 1984) consumption practices and taste engender and maintain social relationships of dominance and submission (Campbell, 2005). Bourdieus views on taste and preferences are more complex than those of Veblens (Guimaras et all, 2010: 8). Despite bearing some similarities with Veblen (1899), Bourdieu built a broader and more complex theory secured with three primary concepts: habitus, capital, and field. The concept that Bourdieu proposed in order to connect his depiction of systemic structuration and his accounts of individual action is habitus (King, 2000). Thus, the habitus may be defined as the mental or cognitive structures through which people deal with the social world; a system of dispositions. The dispositions, produced by the habitus, are passed on through the generations, inculcated from an early age and socially reinforced through education and culture. Habitus refers, in Bourdieus own words, an acquired system of generative schemes objectively adjusted to the particular conditions in which it is constituted. In other words, habitus is thinking and acting in an innate way; is not a set of rules one consciously learns. Therefore, Bourdieu claims that habitus helps to transmit distinct culture of a class and reproduce that culture. It constitutes a component of a field of objective relations, which is independent of the individuals consciousness and will. The objectivity of fields is provided by the distribution of different species of power, which Bourdieu characterizes as economic, cultural, and social capital. Each field corresponds a tacit struggle over these resources. Fields determine relational positions which impose present and future situations on their more or less powerful occupants. A given population may occupy positions in multiple fields. Multiple fields may impose more or less consolidated relations of domination and subordination. (The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology, 2006). It reflects divisions in the class structure, age groups, genders and social classes. A habitus is required a long term occupation of a position within the social world. People who occupy the same position within the social world tend to have similar habitus. Habitus is both produced by the social life and also produces it. It is a structured structure; it involves both the internalization of external structures, and also the externalization of things internal to individual. It is because regularities are inherent in an arbitrary condition; tend to appear as necessary and natural. Bourdieu (1984: 170) states: The habitus is both the generative principle of objectively classifiable judgments and the system of classification (principium divisionis) of these practices. It is in the relationship between the two capacities which define the habitus, the capacity to produce classifiable practices and works, and the capacity to differentiate and appreciate these practices and products (taste), that the represented social world, i.e. the space of life styles, is constituted. Habitus is the way society becomes deposited in persons in the form of lasting dispositions, or trained capacities and structured propensities to think, feel and act in determinant ways, which then guide them (Wacquant, 2005: 316, cited in Navarro 2006: 16). In this sense, life styles are defined as the products of habitus and, perceived in their mutual relations to the systems of the habitus, they become sign systems which are socially considered such as distinguished, vulgar and alike (Bourdieu, 1984: 172). Habitus is not a direct reflection of the conditions of existence of a class, but a sensibility acquired through a life-time and an upbringing in those conditions and the possibilities they include or exclude. Different from Veblen, Bourdieu claims that people acquired a culture of habitus based on both economic and cultural capital instead of Veblens concept of emulation. Thus, whether a person actually has money, skills, education or family, in practice turns out to be secondary to the habitus they have acquired, which may be at odds with the life-style and attitudes, the way of using the body, command of language, friends and contacts, preferences in art and aspirations, etc., which are normally associated with those conditions. Action, in Bourdieus perspective, is a product of class dispositions intersecting with the dynamics and structures of particular fields (Swartz, 1997: 141). To have economic capital is not enough as it does in Veblen, in Bourdieus theory, you should also have the cultural capital for it. Bourdieu attempted to explain the relationship between peoples practices and the context that is institutions, values and rules, in which these practices occur. This attempt led him to the idea of the field, which is a series of contexts which constitute an objective hierarchy and which produce and authorize certain discourses and activities (Webb, 2002: 21-22). Bourdieu classifies two aspects of a field: first of all that people in a specific field have its specific dispositions imposed upon them; and secondly fields can be characterized as area of struggle through which agents and institutions seek to preserve or overturn the existing distribution of capital (Wacquant, 2008: 268). Through capital Bourdieu understands both the material things and the symbolic and culturally significant attributes such as prestige, honour and status, in other words anything that is considered by an agent valuable enough to attempt to obtain it. Bourdieus field theory describes the field as a domain where specific activities are produced. This is to say that each field entails a specific game and specific interests, which are not reducible to the interests and to the game of other fields. Thus, to enter a field is to accept the rules of the game and to share the fields main goals. The notion of field is even more powerful when equated with capitals and habitus. In other words, the habitus is strongly related to ones position in the social structure. Across different studies, Pierre Bourdieu has synthesized Weberian, Marxist, Durkheimian to argue for a theory of social status, and that for which is competition for various types of capital within social  ¬Ã‚ elds. With Weber, Bourdieu based his theory on the idea that culture is a field like the economic world, in which some actors compete to get various types of resources or capital. While in the economic level actors fight over economic capital, in cultural level they contend to apt cultural capital goods and practices that are socially defined as distinctive and hence let individuals an impression of superiority. But Bourdieu points out that the cultural struggle for distinction is connected to the economic distribution of material goods, which it both legitimates and reproduces. An individuals material conditions of subsistence, determined by her economic capital, establish a habitus o r set of dispositions, which in turn produces cultural tastes. Gartman (2002) claims that the right tastes make possible the accumulation of cultural capital, which makes the individual look distinctive and hence justifies the economic capital that determined her cultural tastes to begin with. Consequently, culture is closely related with the economy that Bourdieu considers society as a social field that is the intersection of the economic and cultural fields. The positions in the social field are classes, each defined by its relative balance of economic and cultural capital and its overall volume of the two kinds of capital combined (Bourdieu, 1984: 169-75). Taste is a component of the habitus, thus, given the relationship between tastes and social structure. Bourdieu examines the taste and life-style in relation to social classes and class fractions and he analyses the economic and social determinants of tastes (1984: 101). In this sense, taste is a marker of social class or of class position, because tastes place individuals in relation to other tastes which express social divisions. Such divisions also express social distinction and reflect the struggle for social distinction. Moreover, Taste is an acquired disposition to differentiate and appreciate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to establish and mark differences by a process of distinctionBourdieu (1984: 466). Taste is therefore a way of ensuring social recognition and status. Different from emulation, taste is, nonetheless, also linked to necessity. The existence of an upper class culture and upper class taste does not supersede lower class values and tastes. Instead, he argued that while material need is dominant to the definition of higher-class taste, lower-class taste is born because of necessity. This is to say that lower class taste has restrictions caused by material deprivation. Such restrictions have limited access to cultural objects and practices that are highly valued and constitute the very realm of upper-class taste. As such, Bourdieu stresses that taste is the practical affirmation of difference; it is materialized class culture that unites all those who are the product of similar conditions. What is more, Bourdieu observed that the rich justified and naturalized their economic advantage over others not only by pointing to their bank accounts, but by being the arbiters of taste.   Bourdieu shows us that taste is not stable and peaceful, b ut a means of strategy and competition. Discuss: Comparing Veblen and Bourdieu: When we examine the concept of conspicuous consumption, Veblen stresses the function of it as the status symbols in order to show off ones social standing in the society. He focused on upper and unproductive classes which are not directly involved in economic production activities. Thus, Veblen talked about valued practices of upper classes and emulation by the other classes. To spend lots of money on wasteful products is the result of the conspicuous consumption as being a member of the leisure class. On the other hand, Bourdieu discussed about not only conspicuous consumption but also all kind of consumption. As it is discussed above, according to him, both economic and cultural capitals reinforce the class positions. In that sense, tastes and practices are determined by the position of somebody in social structure. Tastes are related to ones habitus which is related with ones social class. Another issue related to both thinkers is the trickle down and trickle up effect. Trickle down effect is, in its simplest way, emulation of upper class culture or taste by lower class. For example, many lower class people in Turkey have the brand new model of cellular phones although their monthly salary does not afford this kind of consumption. On the other hand, tickle up effect means that there can also be impression from bottom to up. For example, some women from upper class started to wear yemeni or Ã…Å ¸alvar which are signs of lower class culture. However, in Veblen theory, leisure classes use consumption in order to distinguish themselves from both lower classes and new money people. In that sense, they have accumulated culture which upper class people inherent it from the family that they belong to as a way of distinction like taste in Bourdieus theory. Bourdieu claims that lower classes also have taste. However, this taste is different from the upper classes since lower class taste is born out of necessity. Because of this necessity, lower class people, for Bourdieu, do not pay attention some cultural practices such as going to opera or museum, buying books, etc. Different from Veblen wasteful conspicuous consumption, for Bourdieu, lower class people avoid consuming because of necessity. Moreover, as it is in the example of Yemeni, upper classes can move down to popular taste. Another point should be mentioned. In Bourdieus theory, upper classes try to maintain their status as a distinction from the tastes of lower classes. Thus, they turn the popular taste. The artist agrees with the bourgeois in one respect: he prefers naivety to pretentiousness. The essentialist merit of the common people is that they have none of the pretensions to art (or power) which inspire the ambitions of the petit bourgeois. Their indifference tacitly acknowledges the monopoly. That is why, in the mythology of artists and intellectuals, whose outflanking and double-negating strategies sometimes lead them back to popular tastes and opinions, the people so often play a role not unlike that of the peasantry in the conservative ideologies of the declining aristocracy. (Bourdieu, 1984: 62) Thus, in Bourdieu theory, there is a struggle for good taste and bad taste which make people distinct from each other through cultural consumption. In Veblens theory, emulation is the possession of the certain goods but does not lead them to have the knowledge of the goods such as a work of art. On the other hand, upper classes have developed this kind of knowledge. In that point, for Bourdieu, key concept is cultural capital. The positions of individuals in the field are determined by the amount of and relative weight of the capital they posses. Bourdieu discusses 4 types of capitals. Economic capital: the economic resources possessed by an actor. Cultural capital: the various kinds of legitimate knowledge possessed by an actor. Social capital: the extend of the valued social relations possessed by an actor. Symbolic capital: the amount of honor and prestige possessed by an actor. According to Trigg (2001), cultural capital is the accumulated knowledge which is learned trough education and social upbringing. Through the practical applications and implications of taste, people classify objects and also classify themselves. In this frame, culture is a kind of economy, a marketplace that utilizes cultural rather than economic capital. This capital is usually peoples social class origin and educational experience. Thus, cultural capital is correlated to high-status class positions and makes them distinct from other classes. Thus, distinction is a broader notion than Veblens conspicuous consumption. Consequently, instead of a single dominant upper class lifestyle that lower classes try to emulate, in Bourdieu we find different class tastes and lifestyles. To sum up, according to Bourdieu, different consumption practices and the taste behind of them make distinction among classes and create hierarchical social relations. On the other hand, Veblen pointed on wealth and emulation of wealth as a source of distinction. Bourdieu did not concern on wealth as much as Veblen. He emphasized on cultural capital. Veblen used wealth as a source of social stratification with the display of wealth. In Bourdieu, however, the competition for status takes place within the fields. Conclusion: In this paper, my main aim is to compare and contrast the theory of Veblen and Bourdieu by examining of their main concepts such as conspicuous consumption, leisure class, emulation, habitus, field, cultural capital and taste. In that sense, first of all, I discussed Veblens theory which he concerns that consumption is a way of displaying wealth. He uses conspicuous consumption as a way of stratification. He describes emulation to examine the stratification among upper classes and lower classes. Secondly, I try to examine Bourdieus theory by focusing on the book of Distinction. Different from Veblen, he deals with all kinds of consumption and does not focus on wealth as much as Veblen does. He emphasizes the concept of taste in different classes. He uses cultural capital to distinct different classes. Finally, in the last part, I compare both thinkers. Briefly, I found the following ones: When we examine the concept of conspicuous consumption, Veblen stresses the function of it as the status symbols in order to show off ones social standing in the society. Bourdieu discussed about not only conspicuous consumption but also all kind of consumption. In Veblen, emulation moves down words. In Bourdieu, taste moves up and down words. Veblen discussed that accumulated culture is a way of social prestige which distinct upper classes from lower classes and new money. In his theory, he focused on individuals who caused the distinction by conspicuous consumption and social hierarchy. In Bourdieus theory, consumption and taste are involved which they help the reproduction of class structure. Bourdieu studied beyond the individual and pointed out that the habitus creates the class position with the help of accumulated knowledge, aka cultural capital. Taste is a marker of social class in Bourdieu and not just of wealth as Veblen thought. Veblens focused on the significance of economic capital. On the other hand, Bourdieu highlighted on the cultural capital.

Matsushita Electronic Industrial Essay -- essays research papers

Matsushita Electronic Industrial Pham Thach Executive summary: Matsushita Electronic Industrial (MEI) is a very successful company in both Japan and the global in the 1970s and 1980s. MEI’s success in this period came from its diversification of productions, dominance domestic market, unique corporate culture, and divisional structure in both domestic and international market. However, in 1987, under new circumstances, such as the change Yen prices, and the pressure of integration of information technologies that need international transfers, sharing, and synergies, MEI’s faced declines in sales and profits because its structure was exposed some weakness. To overcome these problems, MEI should choose Worldwide Product Division Structure. Matsushita Electronic Industrial (MEI) was established in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita to produce a double-end socket in Japan. This company grew rapidly, in 1977 MEI was praised by Fortune as â€Å"the most dazzling corporate success in Japan†, and then ranked 20 on Fortune list of the world’s largest by 1985. In the 1980s, MEI became the world’s largest producer of customer electronics product, and the forth largest electrical and electronics firm in the world with the compounded annual sales growth and annual growth in net profits was 11.6 percent and 14.6 percent, correspondingly. The success of MEI in the 1970s and 1980s is contributed by its global strategy in which, its diversification of productions, dominance domestic market, unique corporate culture, and divisional structure in both domestic and international market. Contributing to MEI’s rapid growth and consistent profitability in the highly competitive world consumer electronics industry in the 1970s and 1980s was its diversification of productions. Originally, MEI only produced double-end sockets, then its list of products was unceasingly expanded. MEI introduced various of products to markets: battery-powered bicycle lamp and an electronic iron (1923), radio (1931), Domestic fans and light bulbs, small motors for domestic appliances, then appliances (1935), black and white TV sets (1952), transistor radios (1957), stereos, tape recorders, air conditioners (1958), driers, and disposal unit (1959), color TVs, dishwashers, electric oven (1960). In term of the numbers of its products, MEI outdistanced its competitors. MEI grew rapidly and gained consistent profitabil... ...mashita initiated Operation Location and Action 86 programs to shift more activities to its vast oversea operation, and shift its business emphasis. However, some subsidiary managers worried that this program could weaken their relationship with headquarters managers and reduce their access to central resources and expertise. Some managers were afraid that by deemphasizing traditional products, the company might lose its competitiveness in its existing market, and its capabilities in responding quickly and flexibly to market changes, change Matsushita’s culture and philosophy, undermined its source of strength. However, under new circumstance, the traditional structure were exposed these flaws mentioned above, and its impact was the decline of MEI sales and profits. To be a firm that was reasonably diversified and, accordingly, originally had domestic structures based on product divisions, MEI could apply Worldwide Product Division Structure. By that, MEI could easier to p ursue the consolidation of value creation activities at key locations necessary for realizing location and experience curve economies, and to transfer of core competencies within a division’s worldwide operation.

Barriers to identifying and Treating Older Adults with Substance abuse Problems

Substance abuse among older adults is a serious social problem. Detection of this problem, according to specialists, is hampered by barriers . This is all the more serious considering the fact that substance abuse is a serious problem among older adults but is seldom addressed because of the barriers. The need to identify and break down the barriers is important because it is important to identify and cure substance abuse patients from older adult age group bracket.This is to consider the implications of such condition to older adults – impairment of senses and mental capabilities; the health danger of mixing alcohol and other substance with medication older adults take; the threat of malnutrition considering the inability of the body to take in food; and lastly, the consideration on overall physiological effects of substance to the aging body which deteriorates because of old age and the everyday wear and tear. This is an important consideration why it is important to identif y the barriers that hinder or hamper the identification and cure of older adults suffering from substance abuse.II. Discussion Many research endeavors and researchers have already ascertained the fact that substance abuse is a problem among older adults who are addicted to different substances like alcohol as well as prescription drugs and illegal drugs. Studies are already available regarding the number of older adults in the society who are suffering from this problem . The complex way of life and how way of life differs from one place to another depending on and based from customs, tradition, cultural characteristics, etc. , has strongly affected many important aspects of life.Many professionals believe that this consideration plays an important role in the condition of the society being unable to identify older adults with substance abuse because of perceived barriers. It is important to know what these barriers are, discuss and analyze them to be able to understand these barrie rs and if possible provide solutions so that these barriers are removed and the health of the people with substance abuse problems be allowed to improve through intervention. What exactly are these barriers that hinder the identification and treatment of older adults with substance abuse problems?A. Psychological barriers Psychological barriers are present in this condition. Older adults tend to have psychological issues leading to their cases of substance abuse, as well as psychological issues when it comes to coming out and seeking help for their problem. Often, they have preconceived notions about how the society will treat them if they openly discuss their problems with substance abuse especially considering the stigma that substance abuse and the society places on the individual. Because of that, they are not overly enthused in seeking help.â€Å"Compared to younger adults, older adults are less likely to seek out and use mental health or substance abuse services . † For example, they might have the tendency to feel that professionals may look at their case as hopeless and useless to cure since they are already old and have only few years to live that intervention would have little effect. Others think that admitting substance abuse at this stage is something that is shameful. There are many other preconceived notions that deter individuals to come forward.More importantly, it is hard for those suffering from substance abuse to admit that they are addicted and for them to accept cure. This is a significant barrier. This is deterrent enough for these people to hide in the shadows. When they do, professionals, who try to seek them out, finds it more and more difficult to do so. Because of this, psychological consideration becomes a significant barrier in identifying and treating older adults with substance abuse problems. This psychological and social condition results to two things which strongly affect the efforts to identify and treat older adults with substance abuse problems.First is the lack of cooperative instincts or tendencies on the part of the individual or his or her close family and friends because of the feared repercussions. Second is the absence of the voluntary action to come forward and instead undertake efforts to further shield this addiction from being detected by professionals. Analysts are already conscious of this problem and barrier and are already suggesting ways to counter this, like the identification of ideal and useful approaches to this. Barriers are identified and later on removed and resolved to help the older adults.â€Å"In addressing alcohol problems or prescription medication misuse in later life, the use of nonjudgmental, motivational approaches can be a key to successfully engaging these patients in-care . † B. Target population Another barrier is the focus on target population. Often, adults, especially older adults, are perceived as individuals who are already capable, in control and are not as prone to substance abuse compared to younger adults who are in the early or middle part of their career, or even underage individuals who are more vulnerable to the temptations of substance abuse.This creates a misguided focus. Professionals and the society often look at a particular demographic alone and often ignores the older adult group in this kind of problem. This focus on traditional target demographics limits. Even blinds, professionals from exploring older adult groups, and the medical community should reevaluate paradigms, break traditional notions and stereotypes and consider the fact that every age group that is capable of accessing and ingesting substance that could lead to abuse can be an ideal target for substance abuse patients.In many research studies as well as in popular culture and mass media, often, the individuals portrayed as suffering from substance abuse are young to middle age adults. Efforts to study and identify substance abuse are often fo cused on selected groups and often not including older adults. C. Screening and social indicators Social indicators also mislead professionals into believing older adults are sober and are not explored for cases of substance abuse. According to professionals, social indicators like substance abuse symptoms seen at work, in the neighborhood, on the road, etc are often not common with older adults.This means older adults aren't the target of complaints for poor performance at work because of substance use and abuse; families and friends seldom complain about older adults in the household suffering from substance abuse, etc. â€Å"Older adult drinkers tend to have fewer social indicators of abuse . † Of course, this is not to mention that there are fewer indicators among this group of people considering how they are grossly outnumbered by the youth and the young adult and how figures involving older adults are overlooked.Those from younger age groups are bigger and appear more s erious, more chronic and more important, which is an incorrect perspective. What also hinders professionals from identifying and treating older adults with substance abuse is the screening process. Professionals believe that the social condition often makes older adults as individuals who are not commonly screened for any physiological or psychological signs of addiction. â€Å"It is second barrier that elders are not routinely screened for alcohol abuse by medical and mental health providers .† There are many reasons as to why this is the case. For example, it is convenient to explore the possibility that screening is often focused on younger individuals who are more vulnerable to substance abuse than older adults, creating a practice wherein older adults are often not subjected to screening. III. Conclusion Substance abuse is a serious problem. This is a kind of problem that is not limited only to young individuals but to adults and the older adults as well, including the e lderly.Evidently, there remains many significant barriers that make it difficult for professionals to identify cases of substance abuse among older adults and enforce medical as well as psychological intervention on the matter. These barriers are not easily broken down. It needs to be identified first and it is often deeply entrenched and deeply buried in the socio cultural practice and way of life of the people. Such barrier becomes formidable and hinders the entry of substance abuse recovery and rehabilitation assistance from professionals.In the end, what is important is not the mere identification of the presence of a barrier or certain barriers. More importantly, it is important to know how these barriers can be broken so that older adults with substance abuse problems are identified and provided with medical attention, care and intervention they needed to get over this kind of mental and physical health problem. On a positive light, it is indeed good to know that somehow, prof essionals are showing new ways and methods to identify substance abuse among older adults , which is significant in fighting off the barriers and allowing identification and intervention to take place.To identify the barriers and more importantly to address them by acting upon it to remove such barriers, it is important that change takes place: change in the perspective and outlook of the medical professionals; change in the perspective and outlook of health care individuals and entities; and most importantly, change in perspective and outlook of the people and the society in general so that identification is easier and the intervention administered faster and more efficiently. References Doweiko, H. E. (2006). Concepts of chemical dependency.California: Cengage. Edelman, C. L. and Mandle, C. L. (2005). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span. Pennsylvania: Elsevier Health Sciences. Hales, R. E. and Yudofsky, S. C. (2004). Essentials of clinical psychiatry. Virginia: American Psyc hiatric Publication. Maddux, J. E. and Winstead, B. A. (2007). Psychopathology: Foundations for a Contemporary Understanding. New Jersey: CRC Press. Ries, R. K. , Miller, S. , Fiellin, D. A. and Saitz, R. (2009). Principles of Addiction Medicine. Pennsylvania: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Carnivalism And Its Effect On Literature Essays - Grotesque

Carnivalism And Its Effect On Literature Essays - Grotesque Carnivalism And Its Effect On Literature Carnivalization is the term used by Mikhail Bakhtin to describe the shaping effect on literary genres. The idea of carnivalism is the discourse of structuralism. Carnivalism is the opposite of everything deemed normal. Bahktin describes it as: ...the true feast of time, the feasts of becoming, change and renewal. (45) Carnival originated from the Feasts of the Church. The feasts were a serious, formal occasion in which strict patterns were closely followed. Emphasis was placed on social standing. It was considered a consecration of inequality (45). However, during Carnival, everyone was considered equal. The festivities of Carnival were very popular, everything was turned upside down (the smart become stupid, rich become poor, etc.; fantasy and reality become one). The jolly relativity of all things is proclaimed. (45) Carnivalism is evident throughout literature, but it is very noticeable during the Renaissance. The Socratic dialogue is an example of the earliest carnivalised literary forms. Two of the most familiar forms of carnivalism are Alisoun; the Wife of Bath from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and Falstaff, from Shakespeare's Henry IV. Alisoun, asserts her own overbearing assessment of the roles of women in society and relationships. The Wife has often been written off as a shrew-like bombast simply sprouting her dissatisfaction. She is the opposite of what women were expected to be in her time. She seems to take pride in being so contradictory to societal ideals. Falstaff, like the Wife; enjoys being the center of attention and shocking people with his outlandish proclamations. He is a con man, coward, and thief. Although people would never admit it, they secretly enjoy hearing the lewd stories told by the Wife and Falstaff. The Wife and Falstaff could be described as grotesque realism. Grotesque realism has no lower level. It is the dark side of society. The term perfectly describes both characters. They represent the subconscious of people- the things and ideas that people are afraid to say or do. Falstaff and the Wife both use apologia to justify their actions. The Wife has her own unique interpretation of the Bible. She asks where in the Bible is virginity commanded. She also questions the traditional moral values of medieval British culture in asking, ... to what end were reproductive organs made, why are people made so perfectly? Falstaff justifies his actions by saying banish plump Jack, banish all the world. In essence, everyone is just like him; the only difference is that he doesn't hide it. Bakhtin's emphasis on carnival goes against the idea that literature must be unified. He suggests that major literary works may be multi-leveled and resistant to unification. (41) In his essay, Discourse of the Novel, he states when someone else's ideological discourse is internally persuasive for us and acknowledged by us, entirely different possibilities open up.(43) This is the case with the Wife and Falstaff. They represent the idea that life does not have to be so rigid, it is o.k. to bend the rules a bit. The Wife of Bath and Falstaff are examples of carnivalism, grotesque realism, and authoritative discourse. The characters appear to be larger than life when they are actually only one side of the coin of society. Heads shows society as it is expected to be, tails shows life as it really is. Bibliography Rivkin, Julie and Michael Ryan, eds. Literary Theory: An Anthology. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Inc, 1998. Thomas, Michael et al. The Complete Anthology of Literary Theories. London: W.W. Norton and Company, 1979. The Effect of Carnivalism on Literature and Society By Monquita Ransom Literary Theory May 5, 2000 Dr. Lavazzi

Philosophies of the Mind Essay Example

Philosophies of the Mind Essay Example Philosophies of the Mind Essay Philosophies of the Mind Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Philosophies of the Mind Analogy of the Cave Q1 Explain what the analogy of the cave means. Plato describes the Analogy of the Cave in his book, The Republic. The author illustrates the Analogy of the Cave’s concept through a conversation between Socrates and Glaucon. In Book VII of this publication, Plato describes how people live confined in a dark cave with chains around them. He describes the life of a prisoner in an attempt to explain his theory. In his book he writes, â€Å"Behold! Human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open toward the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks so that they cannot move† (Kessler 373). Moreover, the prisoners only have the ability to see what is in front of them due to their chained necks. Additionally, the conditions in the cave worsen due to the large fire at the rear of the cave. Plato also talks about a path bordering the fire and the prisoners. With nothing else to do, the prisoners observe the shadows of the people passing on the path cast in front of them. Furthermore, echoes from the passers-by fill the cave. In this analogy, Plato compares illusions to shadows. According to the author, the shadows and echoes are all that is familiar to the prisoners since they have never left the cave. The prisoners even compete in identifying the objects casting various shadows on the wall of the cave. Consequently, they perceive these illusions as the reality. Through their conversation, the two describe the possible outcomes of their release. In the analogy, the prisoners would not recognize the same objects that cast a shadow in the cave’s wall. Socrates asserts, â€Å"And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, – will he not be perplexed?† (Kessler 374). Additionally, he perceives that the released prisoner will believe the shadows and echoes as real as opposed to the physical objects causing these illusions. This is evident when he says, â€Å"will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him?â €  (Kessler 374). Moreover, he states how the fire light that was familiar to the prisoner while in prison would stress his eyes when he physically looks at it. He also describes how the light from the sun would make him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the analogy indicates that the prisoner would assimilate reality, as opposed to illusions in a slow pace and after some time abandon all illusions. Moreover, he states that the prisoner will no longer have problems in viewing the sun light or the fire upon getting used to the outside world. Socrates states, â€Å"He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and stars and the spangled heaven, and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day?† (Kessler 374). He goes ahead to describe how he would appreciate his newfound reality and even pity those still imprisoned in the dark cave. The prisoner would regret the period he dwelt in the world of illusions. He would not comprehend how he felt comfortable in his previous state of mind. This is according to the analogy of the cave where Socrates affirms, â€Å"And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow- prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them?† (Kessler 375). In this publication, Plato creates a picture of the possible events upon return of the free prisoner to the dark cave. He would no longer be able to identify the people an objects casting shadows on the cave’s wall. Furthermore, this ancient philosopher illustrates how hard it would be for the returned prisoner to participate in the cave dwellers’ competition of identifying shadows and echoes. In addition, the rest of the prisoners would view him as disadvantaged. Furthermore, they would view him as partially disabled. Upon seeing the state of the different prisoner, they would increase their hate for the outer world. This is evident where the author writes, â€Å"Men would say that up he went and down he came without his eyes, and that it is better not even to think of ascending; and if anyone tried to loose another and lead him to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death† (Kessler, 375). The author of this book uses a prisoner to describe the famous analogy of the cave. This analogy argues that both realities and illusions are in one’s mind. Depending on the surrounding environment, one can decide to take certain illusions as the reality and stick to it. In order to shift from these illusions, the victim must go through an acclimatizing period.The author uses symbolism to explain the analogy of the cave. He uses objects that everyone can relate to in an attempt to analyze this theory. For example, he relates cave to the concept of vision and fire light to the sunlight. Moreover, he uses the upward journey to intellectual levels. This is clear in the portion where he indicates, â€Å"This entire allegory, I said, you may now append, dear Glaucon, to the previous argument; the prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellect ual world† (Kessler, 376). The Analogy of the Cave entails reality and illusions. Plato uses the story of the prisoner to contrast the two worlds. Moreover, he tries to convey his belief in the power of illusions. This renowned philosopher believes that the world of reality is created from illusions and forms. Additionally, Plato uses prisoners to illustrate the ignorance of individuals living in the world of illusion and their comfort in this situation. According to the author, the world of reality is relative to an individual. Moreover, the strong believer of the world of forms relates the reality and illusion worlds to the five senses in a person. This is according to his argument in the book, â€Å"Anyone who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind’s eye† (Kessler 376). According to his theory, the real world is a rational form of the illusion version of an object. As such, the world of forms is crucial in creating the real world. It is through these illusions that make objects appear real. Moreover, the world of forms improves one’s intelligent through the five common senses. Additionally, this philosopher identifies one’s soul and mind as the forces behind the real world. The analogy states, â€Å"Whereas our argument shows that the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being† (Kessler 377). Q2 Why do you agree or disagree with the analogy of the cave? The Analogy of the Cave is one that achieves its objective of explaining the occurrence in our environment. It describes these occurrences in details in an attempt to eliminate people’s confusion on nature. The analogy makes it clear that our thoughts relates to one’s soul and mind. Moreover, the improvement of our intelligent levels relates to the mind and soul and can determine our personality. The author of this philosophic book states, â€Å"And whereas the other so-called virtues of the soul seems to be akin to bodily qualities, for even when they are not originally innate they can be implanted by habit and exercise, the virtue of wisdom more than anything else contains a divine element which always remains, and by this conversion is rendered useful and profitable† (Kessler 377). The Analogy of the Cave is, therefore, one that creates a sense on the human nature. It helps understand the different perspectives and views of people. In conclusion, the Analogy of the Cave is relevant in the explanation of human thinking. Rene’s First Principle Q1 Explain how Rene arrives at his 1st Principle The First Principle by Rene, according to Meditation I and II of Descartes, seeks to protect the fields of science and religion from irrational critics. This principle supports the non-questionability of theories in the two fields. According to Rene, one can only consider something as true or false upon gathering sufficient evidence to support the claims. This principle works against premature judgments on various ideas. Moreover, Rene campaigns for detailed analysis of ideas and concepts before making conclusions from them. Rene came up with this principle upon his dissatisfaction with the western philosophy that tried to connect science and religion. In his publication, â€Å"the western philosophy did not produce anything that was not in dispute and consequently doubtful† (Kessler 6). Being a staunch catholic as well as a scientist, the philosopher believed that the two fields were independent of each other. Moreover, he believed that the concepts in these fields needed sufficient proof in order to be termed as true or false. As such, this principle prevents review of these concepts based on one’s thoughts and opinions. His issue with science-based arguments was due to their concentration on the past’s ideologies while leaving no room for recent observations. Upon identifying the gaps in the existing philosophy, Rene decided to create a principle against this philosophy in order to eliminate prejudgments in these fields. He used his own self as a study tool to create a principle that controls criticisms on science and religion. In his book, â€Å"I eventually reached the decision to study my own self, and choose the right path† (Kessler 7). This detailed study gave rise to the famous ‘first principle’. Q2. After reaching the 1st Principle, Rene then asks what the â€Å"I† is. Rene goes through several possibilities, and concludes that he is a thinking thing. Explain how Rene arrives at this conclusion from the 1st Principle Rene used himself as a study tool to formulate his first principle. According to him, human beings use their minds to argue certain concepts and theories. He illustrates thinking capability as the main difference between human beings and other creatures. According to Rene’s principle, a human being’s mind is immortal as opposed to the body. He is of the idea that the mind control human beings. This explains his belief that the soul of a human being continues to exist even after one’s death. This belief in this concept relates to his strong catholic faith. The catholic denomination believes that the soul is the core of a human being. As a result, his religious history influenced the formulation of his first principle. In his principle, â€Å"our souls can exist without our bodies† (Kessler 10). This evidence satisfies the affirmation of Rene in his publication, â€Å"I think, therefore I am† (Kessler 12). Q3 Do you agree that humans are essentially minds or souls? According to Rene’s first principle, humans are mainly made of minds and souls. This principle describes the human body as physical. Because of this state, the body is mortal, and upon one’s death, it completes its functionalism. On the other hand, the soul and mind of an individual are intertwined and the force behind the functionalism of an individual. Moreover, the soul is non-physical and immortal. This makes it continue functioning even after the death of an individual. Rene argues that comprehension of events in one’s environment is the responsibility of the mind and not the body. By the use of the candle wax melting process as an example, Rene cancels out the idea that the five senses are responsible for articulation of events in the surrounding. He argues that these sensory organs are just vessels that direct information from the mind to the body. Q4 Rene asks: â€Å"Then what was there in the wax that I comprehended so distinctly?† Explain how Rene answers this questionIn the experiment of the wax, Rene analyses the concept behind his identification of the physical state of the wax. He says, â€Å"Then what was there in the wax that I comprehended distinctly† (Kessler 13). After his analysis, he concludes that the appearance and characteristics of the wax in its different forms appear due to the action of the mind as opposed to that of the five senses. Rene states, â€Å"What the wax is only with my mind† (Kessler 13). According to Rene’s answer, the mind is responsible for identification of physical objects. To give an explanation to his answer on the wax experiment, Rene divides human beings into the mind and body. Moreover, he explains his theory that minds are more powerful than the bodies due to their non-physical state. According to his line of thought, the mind can influence the body’ s actions although the vice versa is not true. However, this thought has drawn substantial argument from his critics due to his conclusion that the control of the body by the mind takes place in the pineal gland of the brain. This conclusion contradicts his thought that physical objects do not influence non-physical ones. Q5. Explain why you agree or disagree with Rene’s view of the mind and the body and his view of religion and science I agree with Rene’s theory that due to the evidence he uses to support his claims. The mind is a powerful and independent part of humans that control their actions. It aids in differentiating real objects from their shadows. As such, one is able to differentiate the real world from that of illusions with the help of our minds. This is evident from Rene’s first principle. Moreover, his principle aids in eliminating irrational criticism on the fields of religion and science. This is important as some aspects in these broad areas need no baseless criticism. Aspects such as God’s existence depend on one’s faith and relate to the mind. Moreover, his principle on science issues is valuable. People should not base certain concepts related to science on personal opinions due to their complex nature. This principle makes Rene’s thought relevant in the worlds of science and religion. Work Cited Kessler, Gary E. Voices of Wisdom: A Multicultural Philosophy Reader. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth, 1992. Print.

Benefits of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits of Globalization - Essay Example If an organization has already planned how will they cope up with globalization then they can easily extract the benefits. In the same way organizations that do not plan from before are unable to take benefits from globalization. Organizations tend to get more active and competitive in result of globalization due to the fact that newer and better firms enter the market. At this situation an organization cannot relax with the idea of brand loyalty, as people tend to change brands. Qualities with price have become the major factor for buying decisions. In the next five years the international market will become more competitive, prices will go down and quality of products will increase this can be said seeing the present trend of the market. These changes will affect international marketing. Promoting a product would be more through the technical aspects of the product. Marketers would have to find newer and more innovative ideas to attract the customers. Any organization that is givin g a better quality in a matched price would be successful. The on-going process of globalization leads to the emergence of a 'global order' engendering new and pressing moral and ethical issues. In the hands of the powerful, notably global business, globalization has the reality to embed the full range of injustices and inequities that the global economy can deliver. For example those of you familiar with the debate about supply of cheap medicines to Africa have experienced this first hand. In some parts of the world, globalization has destroyed the fish resources of the Pacific by using bigger foreign fishing vessels. It also has the capacity to destroy the tropical forests in PNG and Indonesia because China and Europe want plywood. In both cases, communities are destroyed and livelihoods of future generations are removed. There are different ethical and social issues that an organization can face while doing business internationally. The first and major issue to any organization that is operating a business in the international market is to adopt the social and cultural norms of a country. Other issues include polluting the environment of the country, using ingredients in the product that the people of the country prohibit to use. Another problem can be the different style of the same product that is being used in the country. For example in United States hot dogs are made from ham but in Pakistan hot dogs are being made using meat. To handle these situations an organization needs to plan its actions before hand. This is the only option that's most suitable to for any organization. A study of the ethical issues before launching the product should be carried out and planning on how to solve these issues should be done as well. Ans. 3 As the marketing director the first thing that I will do is to check the demand of my product in the region and the countries that will host the product. The next step would be of studying the different cultures and norms that prevail in those countries or region. The third step would be a study about related products in the region or the countries and how they are handled. How successful they are and what type of marketing

Paper on groups in your high school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Paper on groups in your high school - Essay Example These relationships refer to the processes that are learned in school. They â€Å"refer to the social and psychological underpinnings of the system, how people come together in schools and divide and subdivide into groups† (Crosno 38). On one side you could see cliques that are relatively more popular than others. They compose of both guys and girls where the closest girls usually sit next to each other and chatter or next to the guy most likely have a relationship with. Then there are groups that associate with each other mostly because of their common interests like those who like a particular brand or music or those who belong to the same club. There are also groups that are somewhat in the middle. They are not exactly the most popular but they are familiar faces and most of them have an interesting story about them that you know. They are approachable compared to others and they tend to put balance on the cafeteria and the entire school just because they are more tolerant of the different people. They would rather remain neutral instead of favouring an opinion over