Sociology Research Paper Essays (823 words) - Sociology, Conformity

Sociology Research Paper Sociology is the scientific study of human social activity. In the effort to study human social activity sociologists brake it down into objects of analysis. The three objects of analysis are population, social structure, and the individual. Each can be differentiated but each is also integrally related to the other two. As an object of analysis sociologists defines population as an aggregate of people in a geographical area that has size and longevity. The size has a lower limit of two and no upper maximum. Longevity varies and has a lower limit of zero with no known upper limit. Populations are by definition made up of individuals. The study of human population is termed demography. Demography studies the size and composition of a population, as well as migration and location of the population. Demographers track birth rates and death rates and monitor the population growth and try to explain them in terms of the social system's development. A good example is the Malthusian theory in which population increases geometrically and the resources increase arithmetically resulting in a lack of resources resulting in famine and war. Fortunately the theory is flawed in that it does not consider social factors such as artificial contraception and the burden of large families in a post industr ial society. The way a population interacts with the environment creates a social system. The social system draws on the population and affects the population. An example of this is in India where the ratio of men to women is 108 (108 males to every 100 female) while the sex ratio of most other nations is below 100. The cause for this disparity is that parents value sons more than daughters and sometimes abort a female fetus, or after birth give the daughter less care which can result in premature death. A social system is defined as two or more roles tied together by relationships of interdependence. A role is a patterned repetitive set of behaviors. An example of a role is an occupation. There are various categories of social systems like formal organizations that have goals in mind and attempt to achieve them (ex: nations) or like informal organizations that are less goal oriented as in a community or a family. Human communities provide social systems that serve the function of providing the daily requirements of life to a population. Social systems have four basic types of roles; production of goods and services, distribution of the goods and services, recruitment and training of new members, and control functions. Population affects the roles of the social system. An example of this would be if the birth rate increased then there would be a greater need to train these new people and the recruitment and training role would be affected. The training of an individual to become one of the group is termed socialization and is carried out by church, family, and school, among other sources. Individuals then are Homo Sapiens that vary in sex, age, and lifecycle. Humans have the ability to lay out avenues to achieve a goal and then through thought processes make a choice on which avenue to follow. Humans are differentiated from animals in that all animals can sign (reacting to something) but only humans can symbol (the ability to place meaning into something). To be human you must be able to symbol and to symbol you must have at least two people, which leads to a social system. The result is that in order to be human you must be in a social system. Helen Keller was an example of someone who was not a human until she was able to symbol. Social systems affect individuals by the process of socialization. Socialization instills the norms of the system into the individual. The norms are all the proscribed and prescribed forms of behavior in the social system. Norms vary in importance from the folkway of wearing a tie to a formal dinner party to the mores of adults not engaging in sexual acts with children. Socialization internalizes these norms in the individual shaping the resulting personality of the individual. Lack of exposure to a social system result in someone who is not human

Free Essays on Resolving Conflict In Work Teams

Resolving Conflict in Work Teams A major advantage a team has over an individual is its diversity of resources, knowledge, and ideas. However, diversity also produces conflict. As more and more organizations restructure to work teams the need for training in conflict resolution will continue to grow. Varney (1989) reports that conflict remained the number-one problem for most of the teams operating within a large energy company, even after repeated training sessions on how to resolve conflict and how to minimize the negative impact on team members. One reason for this may be that mangers and other leaders within organizations are not giving the issue of resolving conflict enough attention. Varney's research showed that although most managers are aware of disagreements and have received training in conflict resolution, they seldom assign a high priority to solving conflict problems. With this in mind, it is critical that team members possess skills to resolve conflict among them. Conflict arises from differences. When individuals come together in work teams their differences in terms of power, values and attitudes, and social factors all contribute to the creation of conflict. It is often difficult to expose the sources of conflict. Conflict can arise from numerous sources within a team setting and generally falls into three categories: communication factors, structural factors and personal factors (Varney, 1989). Barriers to communication are among the most important factors and can be a major source of misunderstanding. Communication barriers include poor listening skills; insufficient sharing of information; differences in interpretation and perception; and nonverbal cues being ignored or missed. Structural disagreements include the size of the organization, turnover rate, levels of participation, reward systems, and levels of interdependence among employees. Personal factors include things such as an individual's self-esteem, ... Free Essays on Resolving Conflict In Work Teams Free Essays on Resolving Conflict In Work Teams Resolving Conflict in Work Teams A major advantage a team has over an individual is its diversity of resources, knowledge, and ideas. However, diversity also produces conflict. As more and more organizations restructure to work teams the need for training in conflict resolution will continue to grow. Varney (1989) reports that conflict remained the number-one problem for most of the teams operating within a large energy company, even after repeated training sessions on how to resolve conflict and how to minimize the negative impact on team members. One reason for this may be that mangers and other leaders within organizations are not giving the issue of resolving conflict enough attention. Varney's research showed that although most managers are aware of disagreements and have received training in conflict resolution, they seldom assign a high priority to solving conflict problems. With this in mind, it is critical that team members possess skills to resolve conflict among them. Conflict arises from differences. When individuals come together in work teams their differences in terms of power, values and attitudes, and social factors all contribute to the creation of conflict. It is often difficult to expose the sources of conflict. Conflict can arise from numerous sources within a team setting and generally falls into three categories: communication factors, structural factors and personal factors (Varney, 1989). Barriers to communication are among the most important factors and can be a major source of misunderstanding. Communication barriers include poor listening skills; insufficient sharing of information; differences in interpretation and perception; and nonverbal cues being ignored or missed. Structural disagreements include the size of the organization, turnover rate, levels of participation, reward systems, and levels of interdependence among employees. Personal factors include things such as an individual's self-esteem, ...

Formal Analitical Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Formal Analitical Report - Essay Example It will utilize sources from recognized journals and organisations in these two fields, in order to effectively analyze unbiased and recommend the best career choice among the two. Thus, this report will be limited to the secondary data and will utilize it only to assess the skills and training requirements as well as the job opportunities available but will not conduct a review of the salaries in these careers in arriving at the recommendations. Graphic Designer Introduction A graphic designer designs or creates graphics in order to meet the specific commercial or promotional needs of a client such as for packaging, displaying or for logos, and achieves this through different media for artistic and decorative effect (JGED, 2010). In simple terms, a graphic designer is responsible for the creation of design solutions that have a high visual impact and largely involves listening to clients and understanding their needs before arriving at a design decision. According to Resnick (2003), designs created by graphic designers can be shown or utilized in many products and activities that may include advertisements, communication or packaging of products and services. The designs are carried out according to a brief agreed upon with a client after the development of creative ideas and concepts to meet the client’s objectives which involves creative flair and up-to-date knowledge of what is relevant in the industry through a professional approach. Analysis of the Requirements It is important to note that a graphic designer’s job may involve the management or undertaking of a design brief in accordance to the time allocated. This involves having a meeting with clients and account managers to discuss the business aims of the task while at the same time having a proper interpretation of the requirements of a business and the concepts required to be attained. The graphic designer may also be involved in the use of innovation in redefining design briefs and pre senting finalized concepts to clients and account managers. Whether in employment or for free, the graphic designer must be proactive in the presentation of ideas and designs to the relevant persons including the clients (Armstrong, 2006). Armstrong reports that for one to be a successful graphic designer, he must possess technical and functional skills that are based on the needs of the employer or the client. The skills, knowledge and expertise required of the graphic designer include proper management of time and adjusting actions in relation to the actions of the client or the customer. The graphic designer should give full attention to the opinion of others as well as understanding them taking note to ask questions without interruption at the inappropriate moments. Job Opportunities There are numerous opportunities available to a person working as a graphic designer and these may include being a logo designer, flash designer, web designer, art director, and advertising amongst other opportunities. The logo designers basically work towards molding the image of a company through the use of color, graphics and type while the flash designer works online to create websites through the use of interactive flash animations to create applications for websites. On the other hand web

The women used their voice as power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The women used their voice as power - Essay Example The paper pursues to comprehend the power of the female voice and sexuality as demonstrated by Miranda in â€Å"The Tempest† and Cunegonde in â€Å"Candide.† Miranda and Cunegonde have demonstrated that women should not remain quiet and submissive within the background. The two personalities mirror the mentalities of the men who court them, and to a level, create them. Miranda’s marriage to Ferdinand aids Prospero to regain his dukedom in The Tempest. Throughout both works, Cunegonde and Miranda come out as markedly florid and romanticized terms that imply the women are not what the protagonists identify them to be (Nelson 2). Voice is power filled with truth and love and can be regarded as an embodiment of the women’s strong spirit within the society. In the play, â€Å"The Tempest,† Miranda is the daughter of Prospero who falls in love with the Prince of Naples, Ferdinand. Miranda comes out as gentle and compassionate, but also passive and a heroi ne. Initially, Miranda displays meek and emotional nature; however, in the play final scene, Miranda she surprisingly comes out as forthright and powerful to the extent of complicating the reader’s constructions of her as naive. In The Tempest, a father isolates his daughter with the aim of protecting her from the terrible realities the world. Miranda enjoys all the privileges of her father’s reign over the island. ... Miranda’s relationship with a shipwrecked prince contributes to the reconciliation of the exiled Duke with the Milanese court. The romantic aspect of the play highlighted by the inclusion of most of the dialogue between Miranda and Ferdinand within the play-text, especially in Act 3. Miranda delivers a powerful speech to Ferdinand in Act III, Scene I in which she declares her undying love for him. Miranda uses this speech to propose marriage, but also practically insist on it. The demonstrates the power of her voice  in which Miranda appears to break out of her predictable self as she has established under the influence of her father’s magic. The first instance features in Act I, scene 2, in which Miranda appears to arrive to a point at which she can no longer contain what she thinks. This does not arise from the fact that her desires are getting better, but rather Miranda realizes the requisite of expressing her desires. As a result, the naive girl who could hardly h old still long enough to listen to her father’s a long story in Act I, Scene 2 is replaced by an assertive, more mature woman at this moment. In the powerful speech Miranda proclaims her sexual independence by employing a metaphor that implies both a pregnancy and an erection, which appears to transform her all at once from a girl into a woman. Miranda in â€Å"The Tempest† uses her voice to carry the plot forward, whereby she pledges to be with Ferdinand regardless of the cost to herself (Shakespeare, Jonathan, and Eric 7). The power of Miranda’s voice features in Act II, Scene I, in which Miranda makes a marriage proposal to Ferdinand can be regarded Miranda’s second surprising moment. Miranda’s proposal follows her resolve to remember her

Jet Blue Case Study Essay Example for Free

Jet Blue Case Study Essay This essay will examine in detail the human resource strategies, policies, and practices that were developed by Ann Rhoades who was the Executive Vice President of People at JetBlue Airways. Ms. Rhoades was very innovative with the development of the new HR policies, which up to that time had never been implemented by any other startup airline organization. Along with the strategies, policies, and practices, there were ï ¬ ve core values that were also established. These values provided an overarching vision for JetBlue Airways in order to direct all organization activities whether internal or external. The five core values were safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion, which from JetBlue Airway’s management viewpoint was that if employees were happy then that would lead to greater successful recruitment and greater employee retention rates, which would potentially reduce or eliminate the likelihood of a union organization attempting to unionize the company. Three National Equal Employment Opportunity Laws JetBlue Airways hiring practices were compliant with the equal employment opportunity laws, which included the following: †¢ Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VII , which prohibits employment discrimination based on race , color , religion , sex , or national origin †¢ Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VI, which prohibits against exclusion from participation in, denial of benefits of, and discrimination under federally assisted programs on ground of race, color or national origin. †¢ Equal Pay Act of 1963, which protects men and women who perform to a large extent equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination. (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2009) The hiring practices that were established by Ms. Rhoades were based upon five values, which were safety, fun, caring, integrity, and passion. These values were the cornerstone of JetBlue Airways hiring philosophy. With that being said, JetBlue Airway’s new employment model from the time the organization was formed was to focus on selecting particular employees that would best fit into the company’s core values as opposed to focusing on the employee’s skills and experience. This innovative approach could create a work environment that would promote a higher level of satisfaction amongst the employee’s and staff, but would also create a working environment that would be more uniform, which would mean that all employees would have similar work characteristics and behaviors. However, this process of hiring requires a greater subjectivity. By Jetblue Airways own admission, they used â€Å"a targeted selection process to identify employees who were most likely to ï ¬ t.† In addition, JetBlue provided customized employment packages intended to â€Å"ensure overall equity in treatment† (The case study of JetBlue Airways Starting from Scratch, 2001). For example, when JetBlue Airways offered an employment package for ï ¬â€šight attendants, there was a preference toward college students. This preference in hiring college students was apparent because JetBlue Airways offered more in the way of ï ¬ nancial compensation and lower indirect beneï ¬ ts. In addition, JetBlue Airways also offered a variety of unique and innovative pay and compensation packages for their pilots, ramp workers, and ticket agents, which were tailored around the employee’s needs rather than the needs of the organization. JetBlue Airways Internal Recruitment Method The main focus of an internal recruitment process within an organization is to fill vacant positions that become open over time and or to promote an employee in lieu of seeking a candidate outside of the organization, which saves the organization from paying the training costs associated with the training of new employees. However, JetBlue Airways internal recruitment method was to recruit known veterans of the industry from competing airlines. For example, David Neelman CEO of JetBlue Airlines originally worked for Southwest Airlines as their executive vice president, so Mr. Neelman developed working relationships with many within Southwest Airlines and subsequently recruited those same people to JetBlue Airways as his management team such as Ann Rhoades. JetBlue Airways External Recruitment Method External recruitment by an organization can be through a variety of mediums such as advertisements, recruitment agencies, and personal recommendations. The advantage of external recruitment for an organization is that it can create a larger pool of applicants from which the organization can choose the best candidate from. JetBlue Airways followed the traditional route of advertising in a newspaper. The advertisement for reservation agents was placed in a Salt Lake City newspaper, which resulted in a waiting list of twenty five hundred applicants. The outcome of JetBlue Airways recruitment process both internal and external was very successful, which was attributed to Ann Rhoades experience in human resources. Furthermore, the strategies used by JetBlue to attract employees created a very robust and experienced management team and as aforementioned a waiting list of twenty five hundred applicants. Personnel Selection Many organizations utilize a standard interview selection process which consists of a pre-established interview questions in order to measure the applicant’s skills and qualifications. However, JetBlue Airways conducted an interview process for their mechanics and pilots that was very unique. The process of interviewing the pilots was based upon JetBlue Airways five values that were translated into specific undesirable and desirable behavioral situations. Interview questions were then posed in respect to the pilot’s past behavior and how that particular behavior correlated into his or her decision making process, which was very unique considering a pilot must make snap decisions every day within a very chaotic environment. Furthermore, multiple interviewers were used in the interview process; the reasoning for the multiple interviewers was that if a pilot were to be selected for hire then all interviewers must reach a consensus rather than an average. The interview process for the mechanics was very similar to that of the pilots, but slightly different in that the mechanics were interviewed with one of the five JetBlue Airway values as the focal point of the interview. The one value was integrity, which a logical approach considering the safety of passengers and the mechanical reliability of an airplane is dependent the mechanic to do what is ethical. Performance Appraisal System The concept of performance appraisals have been around for over sixty years and it is a method by which a supervisor evaluates the job performance of a subordinate in a formal structured environment. This review takes the form of a periodic interview either semi annual or annual basis in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed. Weaknesses and strengths in performance are identified and the supervisor outlines opportunities for the subordinate to improve in those identified areas. The three factors that influence a performance appraisal system include the following: †¢ The appraisal should be based on standard †¢ Employee should have input into development of the standard †¢ Appraiser should be someone who has observed employee’s work 360-Degree Feedback Evaluation 360 degree feedback is an employee development feedback mechanism that is derived from employees within the company. This includes managers, coworkers, and ancillary staff, which is considered to be internal within the organization. In contrast, external feedback is derived from the customers and suppliers. It also known as multi-rater feedback system because it is concluded from several groups within and outside the company. The main reason for using the 360 degree feedback is to ascertain how you are thought of. In addition, to make the results more objective rather than subject; there is a neutral party that is involved. Lastly, 360 degree feedback provides the best insight into employee performance than any other appraisal method. The three advantages of using the 360 degree feedback include the following: 1. As the procedure of carry out the 360-degree appraisal need to have a lot of people to do the evaluation for the staff, it may include the staff in the company, from the top (manager) to the bottom (colleagues), even some external sources such as the customers. If it is conducted well, this can give the employee a more comprehensive and accurate view for the evaluation and also it is good for the staff’s self-development. It is more comprehensive than other appraisal methods since they may only need the manager to do the evaluation. 2. It increases the credibility of the appraisal result. Since the 360-degree appraisal methods need a lot of people to finish it, as mentioned before it may include of the manager also other staff, it can reduce the unfair of the result. It is because it contain everyone’s point of view, not only the manager or any single staff, then they cannot give some comments that show the evaluated employee is very good or not, then help the staff easily get to promote to higher position or make the staff lose the job. It can show that this appraisal can help to increase the credibility of the appraisal result. 3. The feedback from the peers can help to enhance the staff’s self-development. Not every appraisal methods will also include the feedback from the peers, that may only judge by the manager, so it is not easily show the real performance of the staff since the manager may not observe the performance of the staff in every single minutes and they may only have a blurred impression of the staff. (â€Å"Team P The advantages and disadvantages of 360-degree appraisal in the hospitality industry†, 2007) JetBlue Airways utilized the 360-degree appraisal as a means to measure the needed training and development of its employees. In addition, 360-degree appraisal was also utilized as means of ensuring that employees were adhering to JetBlue Airways values. The dimensions that were rated in the appraisal process reflected the five values. Factors Determining Employee Compensation Employee compensation must be fair and equitable to the employee and must be tied directly to the employee job evaluation, but there are two important factors that can skew the rating, which in turn will reduce the compensation for the employee. The two factors are job subjectivity and rapidity with wich the job fundamentally changes, which can create an innaccurate and unreliable evaluation. The following are four factors that are essential in determining financial compensation for an employee: †¢ Skill/Know How †¢ Effort †¢ Responsibility †¢ Working Conditions Discretionary Employee Benefits Many organizations offer discretionary benefits to their employees. However, there are the smaller organizations that are unable to offer discretionary benefits because of the inability to afford them, so in lieu of benefits they offer a higher starting salary or may provide compensation in other ways such as more days off per year or bonuses. Furthermore, discretionary benefits are reduced for part time employees. The three most common discretionary benefits that an organization offers to their employees are health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan. JetBlue Airways offered medical benefits, personal time off rather than the traditional holiday and 401 K, which was the retirement plan. These benefits were provided to their full and part time employees. Conclusion In Summary, JetBlue Airways is an organization that prides itself on taking care of their customers, but they also go to great lengths to ensure that their employees are also taken care of by offering them the highest pay in the industry and other tailored benefits, which translates into a happy employee. Would you like to work for JetBlue Airways? References: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html Gittel, J. H., O’Reilly, C (2001). JetBlue Airways Starting from Scratch. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. Pp. 1-14 (78-91). http://project.shtm.polyu.edu.hk/wiki/index.php/Team_P_-_The_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_360-degree_appraisal_in_the_hospitality_industry

Significance of the Earth and Sky in the Film Yellow Earth :: Movie Film Essays

Significance of the Earth and Sky in the Film Yellow Earth Yellow Earth is a foreign film that takes place in China. Although the film was made in the 80’s there is a timeless feeling to the movie, as if the events could be happening at any time. The movie follows a soldier, referred to as Brother Gu as he travels China’s poorer regions recording folk songs. During his travels he stays with a family. While witnessing the poverty of their daily lives, Gu begins to speak about the benefits of the army he is with, the Communists, for the commoners. In the movie we see two arranged marriages contrasted against the Communist city where a woman could marry who she wished or join the army. In the end we are lead to believe Cuiquao, the daughter of the family Gu stayed with, has died trying to reach the Communist army who she believes will save her from the marriage she was forced into. We also see Cuiquao’s younger brother Hanhan running to Gu when he returns. Hanhan was in a prayer meeting where all the villagers where praying for water. When we see him running to Gu we get the impression that Gu, or rather the Communists, will save the villagers. These two events affirm that this is a political film trying to portray the Communist party as the savior of the people of China. There is a particularly poignant shot where the Father, Gu, Cuiquao, and Hanhan are eating outside after Gu has helped the Father plowing. During this shot we see the four characters sitting on the ground eating. We then see the Father stand and talk about life and the harvest. While he is talking we see mostly sky in the background, but the sky is all white giving a very closed in impression. The father then sits back down and we then see an aerial shot with them eating and the majority of the frame is taken up by earth. The earth in this frame looks like a mountain or cliff so that it appears that the earth has been cut open and we are seeing a slice of the inside of it. We then see two more frames of the family and Gu eating.

Could Cold War Have Been Avoided?

Could Cold War have been avoided? No, I strongly believe that the Cold War could not have been avoided because Russia and America were natural enemies of the Soviet Union. The United States and Russia were just too different countries with two completely different leaders who never managed to see eye to eye which may have been the biggest reason the war was unavoidable. The other reason was that they had different ideologies and system of government. Also molotov plans n marshal planb. Truman and Stalin were two different leaders with two different ambitions and wants for their countries and time as leaders. The other reason for the Cold War being such a dispute was because of Truman's ignorance and greed. He more often than not went back on what he said and made exceptionally high demands. The United States and the Soviet Union represent two opposing systems of government. In the United States, the government is elected by free elections. The people can form political parties to voice their political opinions. They also possess the right of assembly, of speech and of the press. In the Soviet Union, the government is formed by the Communist Party. The people do not have the right to form their own political parties. They do not enjoy the right of assembly, of speech and of the press. Since these two systems of government are diametrically opposed to one another, there can be little compromise between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the end, the Cold War buckles down to three main three reason. Truman and Stalin had different thoughts and ambitions, they had different ideologies and system of government, and . The war could have been avoided is if Truman and Stalin had not gotten into so many arguments. The nuclear resources of the United States and the Soviet Union are larger, better equipped, and deadlier than at any other time in history. This incisive book contends that the superpowers, while exhibiting enormous ingenuity in the area of arms development, have shown only a minimal interest toward the containment of arms. This is a carefully documented evaluation of how both superpowers, and of their failure to contain the nuclear arms race despite their involvement in the process for over a quarter of a century. Only the superpowers can reduce the proliferation of nuclear arms and in the process lessen likelihood of nuclear war through accident, fault or crisis escalation.