Poisonwood Bible Family Conflicts free essay sample

She soon wants to be her own person, and not be controlled by her father. The major parent/child conflict arises when Nathan does not recognize his daughter’s needs and desires. This parent/child conflict between Leah and Nathan in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Poisonwood Bible contributes to the meaning of the story by pointing out that Nathan’s lack self awareness and devoid of guilt is the root of the conflict. There are many conflicts between Nathan and Leah as the story progresses, but the most predominate conflict deals with Leah’s desire for independence. The conflict emerges due to Nathans inability to understand Leah’s needs. His self absorption and lack of self awareness leaves him with the lack of being able to feel guilt. Leah practically worships her father in the opening chapters of the book, as shown in this quote when she is describing her father to the reader, â€Å"Not everyone can see it, but my father’s heart is as large as his hands. We will write a custom essay sample on Poisonwood Bible Family Conflicts or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And his wisdom is great. † (42). She supports him and is very fond of him. Of course not everything goes perfect for Leah and her father because all families have disputes, and after following her father for so long conflicts begin to form. As the story continues Leah gradually recognizes her father’s errors and she turns her back on him. She has always followed his rules and always believed that Nathans laws were the laws that she had to abide by. She soon discovers that she disagrees with some of his ideas, like in this quote about Nathans ideas concerning college, â€Å"My father says a girl who fails to marry is veering from God’s plan that’s what he’s got against college for Adah and me, beside the wasted expense—and I’m sure what he says is true. But without college how will I learn anything of any account to teach others? (150). This quote shows how Leah starts to doubt her fathers ways, she is not flat-out disobeying him but she does not believe that his ideas are true. Leah wants to be independent, but it’s hard for her to change because she has been dependent on her father her entire life. In this quote Leah shows the reader how much she has changed, â€Å"Al l my life I’ve tried to set my shoes squarely in his footprints believing if only I stayed close enough to him those same clean simple laws would rule my life as well Yet with each passing day I find myself farther away. (244) With each thing her father does including punishing her for her owl, and losing his temper frequently, she finds her self more independent because she has her own thoughts and beliefs that are different from her father. The reason why Nathan and Leah have this conflict is because of Nathan’s narrow-mindedness and lack of self awareness. The main purpose of The Poisonwood Bible is to show how different people deal with guilt. Nathan however has no guilt, and this is the source of many conflicts with Leah. Nathan has no self-awareness. When he does something he never thinks of his family, he only thinks of himself. This greatly affects his relationship with all his daughters. Leah tries so hard to be on her father’s good side, as shown in this quote where she tries to answer her father’s question about religion, but fails, â€Å"If only I could ever bring forth all that I knew quickly enough to suit father† (36). Nothing will ever please Nathan because he doesn’t really care about Leah; he only cares about spreading Christianity. This selfishness eventually leads to Leah disobeying her father like in this passage regarding the hunt Leah wanted to go on, â€Å"Leah slung her bow over her shoulder. â€Å"I’m going with the men and that’s final. † †¦Father went crazy. We’d always wondered what would happen is we flat-out disobeyed him†¦ He lit out after her with his wide leather belt already coming out of his pants as he stomped through the dirt. But by the time he got to the edge of the grass of the yard she was gone. † (340). This is the first time Leah actually disobeys Nathan. Leah wanted to be a part of the fight, and Nathan was holding her back. She wanted to become independent, but with Nathan controlling her she couldn’t. Nathan wouldn’t listen to her reasoning, instead he believed that he was right, and Leah was wrong. With this breakthrough Leah’s opinion of Nathan begins to change. She begins to see Nathan in a negative light, rather than her previous positive light. This quote is when Nathan is outraged at Tata Ndu’s election for Jesus Christ, â€Å"It was hard to believe I’d ever wanted to be near to him myself. If I had a prayer left in me, it was that this red-faced man shaking with rage would never lay a hand on me again. † (333). Because of Nathan’s anger, because of selfishness, and because of his lack of guilt, he was not aware of his daughters desire to be loved by him. Because of this Leah decided that her father was wrong, and that she wanted to be more independent. Barbara Kingsolver’s main theme shows how certain individuals deal with the burden of guilt and Nathan and Leah’s simple conflict contributes to this meaning. Each of the 5 Price women has a different way of coping with the guilt that Africa has provided for them. Nathan however has no guilt. He is a very stubborn egocentric man and thinks very little of the people in his life. Leah perhaps is the very opposite of her father. She wants to accept Africa, but standing in her fathers shadow is not helping her. When she realizes her desire to be moral her only choice is to leave her father and do what she believes is right. In this quote Leah is talking to Anatole during the Ant attack on their village, â€Å"I want to be righteous, Anatole. To know right from wrong, that’s all. I want to live the right way and be redeemed. † (309). Nathan’s lack of guilt is the cause of the conflict between him and his daughter Leah. Leah’s method of coping with guilt is to join in ad become a part of Africa. Nathan on the other hand wants to change Africa completely. Because of these two very different opinions Leah finds herself having to choose between good and evil, light and dark. Nathan’s lack of guilt contributes to the meaning by proving another side of dealing with guilt, and how not feeling this guilt can hurt the people around you. Barbara Kingsolver uses this conflict to tie into her theme. In doing so Kingsolver gives the reader a much deeper understanding of what Nathan and Leah are going through. Leah’s desire for independence was the conflict, the source of the conflict was Nathans lack of guilt, and this conflict contributes a deeper meaning to Kingsolver’s theme. Even though Leah admired her father more then all four of Nathans daughters, she ends up hating her father more that the other girls do.

History of vietnam war in style of Herodotus

History of vietnam war in style of Herodotus Free Online Research Papers An account of the American-Vietnamese War compiled through inquiry by Preston of Clarksville. Written so that these men may always find glory in the hearts of men. Americans say that they intervened because they wanted to prevent â€Å"human rights abuses†, but now, among most learned men, it is commonly agreed upon that they feared the â€Å"domino theory† of expanding communist empires. America feared Russia and its power and therefore tried to isolate any countries that might align themselves with, thus strengthening, Russia. After World War II, the Americans became more involved in international political affairs. Americans began to realize that they must strive against Russia to achieve a defense posture capable of withstanding hostile action from within or without from the Soviets. The original conflicts of the Vietnam War, however, date back to 1956 when, after WWII, France decided to reclaim its colony of Vietnam, or ‘Nam, as the Americans oftentimes called it. When Hirohito, the Emperor of Japan, invaded Vietnam, the American Government decided to give money to a small group of rebels called the Viet Minh. After Japan was defeated, the Viet Minh, lead by Ho Chi Minh, seized power in Vietnam. At about the same time, France returned to reclaim its colony. The Viet Minh allowed the French back into Vietnam only after they were assured that they would be granted freedom as a part of the French Union. The peace, however, was short lived. The French broke the treaty as they bombed the city of Haiphong and took the capital city of Hanoi. The deciding factor in the conflict was when the French were soundly beaten at Dien Bien Phu and obeyed their notorious chicken-hearted ideals and did as the American historian James Hinkle so eloquently put it, â€Å"They did what they do best; they quit.† The conflict was ultimately ended by the Geneva Accords which divided Vietnam into two sections: a north, ruled by the Viet Minh, and a non-communist south. According to American historians: â€Å"A year after the Geneva Accords, Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem commenced a ‘Denounce the Communists’ campaign in the south. Throughout the summer of 1955, communists and other oppositionists were jailed and executed. In addition to attacking the communists, Diem assaulted Buddhist sects and organized crime, which further alienated the largely Buddhist Vietnamese people and eroded his support.†1 This caused growing support for a group of Viet Minh secret agents that had not returned north after the Geneva accords known as the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong were also known to the American troops as â€Å"Charlie, â€Å"Victor Charles† (from VC), the â€Å"nogs†, or noggies, â€Å"the slopes† and â€Å"The Cong† (from Viet Cong). For whatever their flaws, I must give them credit. The yanks (the American Soldiers) could come up with so many names that one must wonder what they spent all of their time doing while in the trenches other than making up names. The Viet Cong (called VC) were an irregular force of peasants, farmers, and the like who blended into the surroundings because they were in their native habitat. They were hard to single out unless they were actually engaged in warlike activity at the time. They were also a tough ruthless enemy who were not afraid to use any means at all, including their women and children, to further their aims. The Viet Cong had two types of warrior: regional fighters and local fighters. The regional fighters were full time workers, well-trained and well-equipped. The regional units of the Viet Cong more often than not operated as independent companies but often split up and dispersed into platoons, squads, and cells. The personnel of these units were often local to the area in which they served. The local Viet Cong were the archetypal â€Å"farmers by day, soldiers by night†, composed of those either too old or too young to fight in the regular Viet Cong units and dressed as local peasant farmers. Whilst their primary activities consisted of intelligence gathering, sniping, and emplacing booby traps, these troops were employed in the support of Viet Cong Regional and Main Force Units operated in their locality as porters, scouts and guides. Local force size was dependent on the size of the village and ranged fromsingle 3 man cells to a platoon of 3-4 squads and generally operated at the squad level of 12 men. Americans tell me that â€Å"On August 2, 1964, USS Maddox, an American destroyer, was attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin by three North Vietnamese submarines while conducting an intelligence mission. This attack led to US air strikes against North Vietnam. In retribution for the incident in the Gulf of Tonkin, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued orders for the systematic bombing of North Vietnam, targeting its air defenses, industrial sites, and transportation infrastructure. Beginning on March 2, 1965, and known as Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing campaign lasted over three years and dropped an average of 800 tons of bombs a day on the north. 3,500 Marines were deployed that same month, becoming the first ground forces committed to the conflict. By April 1965, Johnson had sent 60,000 American troops to Vietnam. The number escalated to 536,100 by the end of 1968. In the summer of 1965, under the command of General William Westmoreland, US forces executed their first major offensive operations against the Viet Cong and scored victories around Chu Lai (Operation Starlite) and in the Ia Drang Valley. The Ia Drang campaign was largely fought by the 1st Air Cavalry Division which pioneered the use of helicopters for high speed mobility on the battlefield. Learning from these defeats, the Viet Cong seldom again engaged American forces in conventional battles, preferring instead to resort to hit and run attacks and ambushes.† (Hickman p.2)2 Now it would be unfair to the Americans not to mention that, Russia supplied MIG-17, MIG-21 jet fighters; SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles); PT-76 Amphibious tanks, and T-54/T-55 medium tanks; Artillery Anti-Aircraft Artillery; and ammunition for all of the above. China supplied MIG-19 (J-6 versions); SKS rifles, AK-47 Assault rifles; mortars; 122mm rockets; and ammo for all of the above. Now when American troops had been fighting in Vietnam for about nine years, even though the Americans were winning by a casualty ratio of 2-1 the war became so unpopular that president Nixon was forced to withdraw the troops. Without the Americans to protect them the south Vietnamese stood no chance against the Viet Minh and were ultimately overpowered. Thus it was that the Viet Minh, through the aide of Russia gained control of Vietnam. 1 Hickman, Kennedy: The Vietnam War Origins. Answers.com http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/a/VietnamOrigins_2.htm 2 Hickman, Kennedy: Vietnam War: An Overview of the Conflict. Answers.com http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/tp/vietnam101.htm Research Papers on History of vietnam war in style of HerodotusAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Quebec and CanadaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

Case Study--Canyon Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

--Canyon - Case Study Example Though being highly staffed to serve its purpose, it was not well integrated with the other departments. This explains why, despite indicating the fastest growth, it accounted for the lowest contribution to profitability. All the three departments are interdependent as Michael Tompkins, assistant general manager at Lenox), said. Some recommendations in one department required an elevated level of service in another department. The spa clubs lacked a strong health and healing component and the synergy between the spa clubs was still a little tenuous. The Canyon Ranch would serve better in the place of a personalization strategy. The ranch should engage in real time personalization. It should customize every customer’s experience at the place. Having what the client need, when it is needed, would engage them in a personalized interaction in real time. Clients tend to tune out anything that is not relevant to them. By integrating the three departments, the services offered will be much easier to access which means that the general operations will improve. A strong customer base, in addition to a satisfactory service, is vital to ensuring a client’s second visit at the ranch. Another personalization strategy is to build long term relationships. This can be implemented by maintaining the records of every client and ensuring constant communication. This will make the client feel appreciated and actually warrant multiple visits. By the actual personalization of the systems, a client would not only know Canyon Ranch as a spa club, but as a wellness centre. Upgrading its website for the sake of those who search for the place online would ensure that a prospective client would have the complete idea of the ranch (Uehlein, p

Did the board act ethically Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Did the board act ethically - Research Paper Example Patients demand for services of the machines are more than the hospitals capacity. As a result, decision is to be made on the patients that are to be offered services from the facilities. Some hospitals have formed boards consisting of medical personnel and members of their communities to help in deciding on the people to be offered the limited services. Though the medical condition of the patients are taken into consideration, other factors such as personal and social characteristics such as age, job, number of dependants, status of the patient’s job among others are prioritized by the boards whose common aim is to maximize the utility of the limited machinery. The boards should have an ethical decision making process. This would begin by collecting necessary information about the problem followed by definition of the problem, selecting patients for care. All the relevant stakeholders in the case would then be considered before identification of available alternatives. The board would have then weighed the merits and disadvantages of each alternative before making a decision. A suitable ethical decision would however be based on consideration of ethical principles as discussed bellow (Potts and Mandleco, p. 40). One of the ethical principles that are applicable to the case is the principle of autonomy. Autonomy refers to a person’s authority over factors around him. The ethical principle induces the concept that every individual has the power to make decisions on matters affecting him or her (Brunner et al., p. 40). Another ethical principle that is applicable to the case, the doctrine of beneficence, is defined as a person’s responsibility to do good to other members of the society. It is base on actions of individual that are expected not to cause harm to others in the society. Professional fidelity is another principle that is directly applicable

Tate Modern Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tate Modern Case Study - Essay Example The initial plan for the Tate modern was abandoned for a design that was meant to be modern and have the ability to meet the needs of clients. Therefore, combined effort of design team and client was devised as appropriate approach to the building. Mace played a role of negotiating the project management, which was critical in providing buildability and detailed construction advice. Tate modern project incorporated three underground oil tank and live switch station among many others (Grubiak, 2008). The expansion of the Tate modern project was deemed important because previously the building used to be congested but with the new design, the building is spacious enough since it accommodates millions of people. The building creates a more welcoming environment with several facilities (Herzog and de Meuron, 2005). Some of the facilities found in the Tate modern include concourses, terraces and cafes as well as learning institutions among many others. The building is expected to allow de eper engagement among different people with different needs such as practice based learning, workshops, participation, private study, discussion and interpretation of art. Herzog and de Meuron (2005) argue that the Tate modern building plays a very important role in the economy since it hosts various business activities that generate a lot of income, which boost the economy of the city and the country. Besides, the revenue generated from tourists that visit the facility is a lot of money. Tate modern is therefore considered by very many people to be a typical example of both economic and social renewal in the world. According to Herzog and de Meuron (2005), turning the Bankside of a power station into a gallery of modern art was uncertain architecturally. The proposal to have Tate developed into its current state could not fit either traditionists or modernist thereby drawing reactions from both camps. The structure, which is the power station, was initially designed and built in a manner to keep people out but after giving it a modern architectural touch, Tate welcomes people, while retaining both its dignity and weight (Blyth and Worthington, 2010).

The interactions between structure and agency

The interactions between structure and agency How does the work of Giddens help us to understand the interactions between structure and agency? Anthony Giddens has become one of the first few British social theorists in recent times to have an international reputation for his influential work on social theory (Craib, 1992). According to Craib, the work of Giddens is very influential, not only because of its quantity but also for the range of different ideas it brings together (Craib, 1992). In this essay, I will discuss and critically analyse how the work of Giddens help us to understand the interactions between structure and agency. I will first outline and define what the terms structure and agency mean, according to both classical theorists and Anthony Giddens. Structure can be defined as pattern of social relationships and a system that identifies how these patterns operate in the society. In functionalism, Structure is a broad term defined by its function (Giddens, 1979). On the other hand, In Structuralism, structure is defined as more explanatory in nature due to the element of transformations. The difference between structure and function is similar to the one between code and message; both are dependants on each other (Giddens, 1979). Hence, both functionalism and structuralism share overall characteristics between each other. The difference between structure and system is that structures are patterns of social relationships whereas system refers to the actual functioning of such relationships (Giddens, 1979). According to Giddens, structure is when the rules and resources are organised as properties of social systems. Whereas systems are reproduced relations between actors organised as social practices. Structuralisms are the conditions governing the duality of both structure and system for the reproduction of social systems (Giddens, 1984). Giddens states that, structure means a structural property providing the binding of time and space in social systems. These properties are the rules and resources for the reproduction of social systems. Thus, structure means the study of the following, firstly the knowledge, how things are to be done by social actors. Secondly, social practices which are used to gain that knowledge. And lastly, capabilities of these practices for example what they can change (Giddens, 1979). In social sciences, structural analysis involves the study of Structutaion of social systems. Hence, rules and practices exist in conjunction with one another. In a nutshell, we can say that, Structures are rules and resources, which are organised as properties of social systems. Whereas systems are reproduced relationships between actors organised as social practices. Structutaion are the conditions deciding the continuity or transformation of structures and systems (Giddens, 1979). Both functionalism and structuralism are very similar despite their differences, they both express a naturalistic standpoint and hence they both prefer objectivism. Gidden argues that agents reproduce the conditions that make human social activities possible (Giddens, 1984). Duality of structure can be viewed in many ways, its a conformist way looking at structure, something which constrains action or even determines it. It is difficult to assume that structure and agency are the same thing, however they do have many similarities. According to Giddens, it is social practices which constitute us as actors (Gidden, 1984). Giddens argues that agency is the centre of sociological concern; however the crucial feature of action is that it is not determined. Giddens claims that action is a continuous flow, a process whereby it cant be broken down into reasons and motives. He argues that rather it is a process in which we monitor and rationalize our daily actions (Turker, 1998). According to Giddens, agency involves a notion of practical consciousness, such as all the things that we know as social actors, and hence must know to make social life happen. Giddens see the relationship between structure and agency as the duality of structure, whereby individuals reflexively produce and reproduce their social life (Turker, 1998). According to Giddens, agency is when an individual is able to observe his/her own experience and then be able to give reasons for their action. Agency should be identified with reasoning and knowledge (Turker, 1998). Giddens argues that we as actors know what we are doing, hence we are conscious of these things, we routinely rationalize what we do. Giddens argues that as individuals we can often give a rational account of what we are doing. Giddens states that a sense of routine is needed in order to have self security. For example, if your daily routine is broken you are more likely to feel insecure (Craib, 1992). Agency and Power, an agent (individual) is able to act or influence the outside world or resist from such intervention. In other words, to be an agent means to be able to use range of casual (daily life) powers such as influential powers that may already be used or deployed by others (Giddens, 1984). Whereas, action depends upon the capability of those individuals to make a difference to a pre-existing state of affairs in the society. An agent doesnt exist anymore when he or she loses the capability to make a difference or in other words, when they lose power (Giddens, 1984). In terms of sociology, power can be defined as the will or capacity to achieve desired and intended outcomes. Giddens, agrees with Bachrach and Baratz when they classify two faces of power, which are, firstly the capability of individuals to influence decisions and secondly the mobilization of bias (Giddens, 1984). Giddens argues that the resources are the structured properties of social systems, taken and improved by knowledgeable agents or individuals in the society during their course of interaction. Giddens further goes on to state that, power is not just connected to the achievement of the individuals interests. Power itself is not a resource; resources are media through which power is exercised (Giddens, 1984). In social science, structure refers to the structuring properties allowing the binding of time-space in social systems (Giddens, 1984). It will not be right to call structures as rules and resources due to its different implications in philosophical literature. The difference between structure and rules is that rules are often connected with games but they are different in terms of social systems (Giddens, 1984). Rules are frequently treated in the singular; hence rules cannot be separated from resources. However, on the other hand structural properties represent domination and power (Giddens, 1984). The Structutaion theory states that rules and resources used in the production and reproduction of social action are at the same time the means of system reproduction. Therefore, we can say that a rule is more or less similarly to having a habit or routine (Giddens, 1984). Habit is a part of routine and have significant role in social life. Whereas, rules of social life are techniques or generalised procedures applied in reproduction of social practices (Giddens, 1984). Furthermore, formulated rules can be expressed such as bureaucratic rules, rules of games and so on. Knowledge of procedure of doing social activity is methodological (Giddens, 1984). As social actors, all human beings are highly knowledgeable in the production and reproduction of day to day activities. This knowledge is more practical rather than theoretical in nature. On the other hand, what does intentional mean? According to Giddens it is an act carried out by an individual when he knows there will be particular outcome or quality of that act (Giddens, 1984). Hence, this knowledge of specific outcome is known to the individual when he starts pursuing that particular act. According to Giddens, there is a difference between what is intended and what is done (Giddens, 1984). The consequences of what agents do, intentionally or unintentionally, are the events which could have not happened if the individuals had behaved differently (Giddens, 1984). The consequences play an important role in deciding what agent has done. Merton has claimed that the study of unintended consequences is very important in the sociological system. Every activity can have two functions, Non-Significant Consequences or either Significant Consequences (Giddens, 1984). Merton differentiates intentional activity from its unintended consequences. For example, if an individual is intending to turn the light switch on, he or she might face a consequence to trigger the alarm but not with an intention to call the police or to get caught by them and spend rest of his /her life in the jail. Here, the intentional activity was just to turn the light on; however, due to unintended consequences (alarm being triggered) the outcome was different (Giddens, 1984). On the other hand, both Freud and Gidden claim that there are mini agents within the human agent. Freud states that these mini agents within the human agents decide their actions. These mini agents have been classified as id, ego and super ego. However, Gidden doesnt agree with Freud when he says it is ego (mini agent) within the human agents that decides their actions (Mestrovic, 1998). Here id or unconscious behaviour means the desires that these agents create within the mind of an individual (human agent) that is beyond rational thinking and consciousness (Mestrovic, 1998). Freuds usage of unconsciousness was later replaced by Giddens terminology of unconscious motives. Freud referred things like sexual and violent urges to state of unconsciousness while Giddens simply defined unconsciousness as state of mind when human beings are not conscious of something or in other words they cannot express their feelings into words. This explanation was given by Giddens without using any analysis from any other social theorists (Mestrovic, 1998). Gidden has stated that there should a democratic relationship between a parent and a young child. For example, It is the right of the child, to be treated as equal to an adult. It needs to be justified when we say no you are too young to negotiate with children. However, it is difficult for an adult parent to make their child understand about sexual stereotypes without causing any emotional damage to the child (Mestrovic, 1998). The modernists believe culture should be blamed for this but the reality is that these children freely select what they like according to their own preferences. Because the rational abilities of the children are not fully developed so they may react to culture in an emotional way. Hence, even critics have accepted Giddens viewpoint that sociology is the study of modern societies and also recognise his significant contribution in the field of social theory (Mestrovic, 1998). On the other hand, Wittgensteinian Philosophy has only emphasized on action theory (nature of reasons or intentions) rather than structural explanation. They havent taken into consideration several other elements such as social change, power relations or conflicts in the society (Giddens, 1979). Furthermore, Durkheim argues that society and individuals have different characteristics and every person is born into an already constituted society. However, he failed to support this external or objective nature of the society in his writings (Giddens, 1979). According to Giddens, risk and trust need to be analyzed together in late modernity. Giddens emphasis the fact that active trust is needed in todays society in order to form social solidarity and personal ties. For example, many people who are in relationships, spend much of their time away from each other living in different countries, hence active trust is needed for the relationship to continue. Trust has to be won and actively sustained for relationships to be successful. Giddens argues that in todays society we see that more women are now divorcing their marriage partners; this then leads them to leading the household by themselves, which then leads to poverty (Giddens, in Beck et al, 1994). Giddens argues that society is produced and also reproduced through human action; hence he rejects any view which states that society might have an existence over individuals (Craib, 1992). Duality of structure is linked to Structutaion, Gidden argues that society normally sees structure as a determining feature of social life, however this is not always the case (Craib, 1992). Gidden also takes the notion reflexivity very seriously, the way in which we represent our social world. In his work, Giddens talks about different types of knowledge, one of the knowledge Giddens mentions is the taken for granted knowledge, which plays an important part in Giddens theory. In other words, this relates to ontological security whereby an individual has a sense of the world and the people around him are more or less the same from day to day (Craib, 1992). Furthermore, Gidden states that reflexivity should not be understood only in terms of self consciousness, but also as the ongoing flow of social life (Giddens, 1984). According to Giddens actors are continuously monitoring their activities; they monitor aspects both physically and socially. Gidden also states that human action can only be defined in terms of intension (Giddens, 1984). Gidden argues that we are incorrect to assume that societies are somehow continuous with geographical borders; rather he believes that systems are more or less open and therefore cut across geographical boundaries (Craib, 1992). Gidden believes that faith is entirely based on trust and vice-versa. In fact, they are closely related to each other. However, he has been criticised by his fellow sociologist for putting too much emphasis on this. For example, human beings have to show faith in things such as religion, science, technology and even teachers notes (Mestrovic, 1998). If there was no faith in these social agents then this modern world would not be able to function properly. On the other hand, we also trust these politicians, scientists, teachers and various other social agents to build up the faith process (Mestrovic, 1998). Over one hundred articles have been published in scholarly journals on Anthony Giddens and his work and very few of them seriously challenged him. The most significant criticism of Giddens concept of structutaion ignores the idea of culture. In the modern society, culture plays a vital role so it needs to be studied in detail. Gidden sometime speaks like a typical Politian rather then being a social theorist. For instance, at one point he talks about a democratic system in the society. Whereas on the other hand, he justifies that sometimes individual interest are different from the common minority groups. During his work on Structuration theory, Giddens does not emphasis that much on the social environments influence on sociology. Gidden argues that social structures are both the condition and the outcome of peoples daily activities; hence one cannot exist without the other. Giddens theory is very similar to Bourdieu; like Bourdieu, Giddens states that social practices are hugely important to the ongoing reproduction of socities (Tucker, 1998). On the other hand, Nicos Mouzelis argues that Giddens in his book The Constitution of society didnt give enough emphasise to the constraining effects of social structure. (Bryant and Jary, 2001). Though, Giddens replied back to his critic by Mouzelis and stated that Mouzelis critic was not justified in terms of the content of what he wrote (Bryant and Jary, 2001). Furthermore, throughout his work Giddens makes a great deal of the notion of time and space. Criab argues that Giddens deals with time and space on two different levels and unless they are clearly distinguished, his work is difficult to understand and confusing (Craib, 1992). In social theory, action and structure are inter-dependent (or are linked to each other) Action or agency is a continuous flow of conduct (regular series of acts). To study the structure of the society is like studying the anatomy of the organisms, where you have to study a number of small functions (Giddens, 1979). Furthermore, Giddens mentions that an understanding of action and structure is needed regardless of what problem one is seeking to analyse (Bryant and Jary, 2001). On the whole, Giddens provides us with evidence through examples and theories to show and help us understand the interaction between structure and agency. ANTHONY GIDDENS-THE LAST MODERNIST, By S G Mestrovic, Routedge (1998) The role of desire in agency and structure Anthony Giddens, 1984, The Constitution of Society, Cambridge: Polity Press. Agency and Structure, Anthony Giddens (1979) Central Problems in Social Theory Risk, Trust, Reflexivity Giddens (In Beck et al, 1994) Reading 5 Craib , I (1992) Modern Social Theory Structutaion theory: There is such a thing as society, there is no such thing as society Reading 6 The contemporary Giddens and Social theory in a Globalizing age (Bryant and Jary, 2001) Reading 7 Structutaion theory Craib, I (1992) Anthony Giddens Anthony Giddens, and Modern Social theory/ Tucker, Kenneth, London, Sage (1998) Structuration theory:

Employment Problems in the US Essay -- Work Corporation Job Loss Unemp

Employment Problems In The U.S. Downsizing, restructuring, rightsizing, even a term as obscure as census readjustment has been used to describe the plague that has been affecting corporate America for years and has left many of its hardest working employees without work. In the year 2001 we had nearly 1.8 million jub cuts, that’s almost three times as much as the year 2000(Matthew Benz). In the 1990's, one million managers of American corporations with salaries over $40,000 also lost their jobs. In total, Fortune 500 companies have eliminated 4.4 million positions since 1979 including the 65,000 positions cut in February of 2002 (Ellen Florian). Although this downsizing of companies can have many reasons behind it and cannot be avoided at times, there are simple measures a company can take to make the process easier on the laid-off employees and those who survive with the company. There are many reasons why a company might need to downsize. In today's corporate America, it is a plain fact that far fewer employees are necessary to maintain a successful operation. Many times, it is the case where a technological advance or breakthrough makes it possible to replace a previously human job. It is also an all-too-common scenario that outside influences such as sudden shifts in the market or changed government policies force corporate executives to make coinciding decisions regarding their staff and these external changes. The fall in interest rates and energy prices have helped companies control spending in the economic recession, but controlling these costs has taken some of the focus away from there employees and satisfying there wants and needs (Economist Vol. 362). Yet another problem facing the employment of our citizens. Another one of the major problems in today's business world are the salaries being paid to the workers. Since employers are not paying their workers high wages, the workers have little to put back into the economy. Some cities have decided to make mandated pay raises for employees who have been with firms for so many years. It would also guarantee that employees make well above poverty levels to insure that more money is being put back into the economy (Eric Roston). This causes the system to plummet and forces companies to downsize to keep from going under. Wall Street firms cut positions in order to bring the Dow Jones Security ... ...ortunities for growth and skill development. After a restructure, there are many ways an employee can grow vertically and horizontally within their company. Since so many positions are eliminated in such a process, the remaining employees sometimes need to learn new skills and adapt to handling greater amounts of work than ever before. While this may be an inconvenience at first, these skills and abilities can assist these people in future job searches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The downsizing process is a fact of life. It affects all people from managers to laid off employees and their families as well as those who remain with the company. It is something that will continue to occur with no end in sight. As long as our world market continues to grow, so too will the concept of downsizing grow. This process can lead to psychological problems, and creates anxiety and frustration for those of both ends of it. This is a problem that most likely will not have an easy solution, or at least not any time soon. It is something that we all must deal with in one way or another, and as for the victims of downsizing, the only thing they can do is try to piece their lives back together and hope for the best.