Sociology and Pupils Essay - 1234 Words

Nazeefah Nazir Ali Outline some of the ways in which labelling process may lead to educational under-achievement for some people The explanations of differential educational achievement that have been examined so far suggest that pupils’ progress is influenced by factors over which they have little control. Yet the most obvious place to look for explanations is within the education system. Schools play an important role in determining the success of failure of an individual’s education. There are many factors which lead to the under achievement for some people, these fall under three main categories Genetic, External and Internal. The focus of my essay will be to outline factors leading to under achievement through internal factors.†¦show more content†¦They are interested in how people attach labels and the effects this has on those who are labelled. Becker (1971) based on interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers it was found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted the image of the ideal pupil. Pupils work conduct and appearances were key factors influencing teachers’ judgements, those from Middle Class backgrounds were closer to the ideal pupil than Working Class. In relation to this Keddies study reflected how Labelling can be applied not just to pupils but also to the knowledge they are taught. Classes are streamed by ability and Keddy found that although teachers believed they were teaching all pupils in the same way, the higher streams were given more abstract, theoretical and high status knowledge. The less able streams were given descriptive common sense knowledge which created differences in educational attainment. Labelling then leads on to Self fulfilling prophecies, it is a prediction that comes true simply by being labelled as much. Interactionists argue that labelling can affect pupils’ achievement by creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hargreaves used an example to illustrate the self-fulfilling prophecy. Firstly he speculated how the teacher labels a pupil and on the basis of this label they make predictions about them. The teacher then treats the pupil accordingly, acting as if the prediction is already true. The step is Stabilisation; the pupilShow MoreRelatedInvestigating What Macro-sociological Approaches and Micro-sociological Approaches Tells Us About Student Under-achievement in School850 Words   |  4 Pagesand Micro-sociological Approaches Tells Us About Student Under-achievement in School Macro-sociology approaches offer explanations for social phenomena in terms of the way in which social systems work as a whole. Micro-sociology gives explanations in terms of how people make things happen by interpreting their experience and acting on their interpretations. Macro-sociology divides into consensus and conflict approaches. The former view society as similar to the humanRead MoreEducation and Socialisation Essay1579 Words   |  7 Pagesrole in adult life. School provides the future workforce with the basic skills required to enable them to respond toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦constantly changing occupational requirements (Bilton, Bonnet, Jones, Stanworth, Sheard Webster, Introductory Sociology, 1987, Pg.308). Parsons believed that school is a meritocracy and, regardless of class, those with the ability to do well will flourish, entering the workforce at a more specialised level and those without that ability will do less Read MoreDescribe the Functionalist (Emile Durkheim), Conflict (Marxist) and Interactionist approach to the Socialization of Education.877 Words   |  4 Pagesperspective on education differs in three crucial ways from both the conflict and functionalism perspectives. - It adopts a micro sociological approach whereas Marxism and Functionalism adopt a macro sociological approach. That is, interactionist sociology of education is concerned above all else with classroom interactions between students and teachers; not with broader questions about the functions and (economic) class analysis of education. The focus then, is on what goes on in classrooms everyRead MoreTo What Extent Does Social Class Affect the Success and Experience of Young People in Education?1570 Words   |  7 Pagessocial class affects educational achievement, treatment by teachers and whether a young person is accepted into higher education. â€Å"34.6 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved five or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and mathematics GCSEs, compared to 62.0 per cent of all other pupils† (Attew, 2012). Pupils eligible for FSM are those whose families earn less than  £16,000 a year (Shepherd, J. Sedghi, A. and Evans, L. 2012). Thus working-class young peopleRead MoreThe Contribution of Functionalist Sociology to an Unders tanding of the Role of Education in Society1337 Words   |  6 PagesThe Contribution of Functionalist Sociology to an Understanding of the Role of Education in Society Works Cited Missing Schools serve a function in a complex industrial society that family and peer groups cannot ( Durkheim,1956) Education is important in society. The structure and processes of education systems are related to the general process of socialisation. All sociologists agree with this, but sociologists have many different views about how societies are structuredRead MoreAsses the Functionalist Role of Education in Society Essay1263 Words   |  6 Pagesor aspects of society work together. There are several perspectives on the sociology of education that are important. The perspective in which we are going to be looking at and testing is Functionalism. We will also be examining arguments and evidence against the functionalist perspective such as Marxism and the New Right perspective. The French sociologist Emile Durkheim (1903), the founder of functionalist sociology, identified two main functions of education; creating social solidarity andRead MoreThe Article, Written By Patron, G916 Words   |  4 Pagesmore children are being taught in mixed ability classrooms and how it impacts the brighter students and over all school performance. The article suggests that brighter pupils can be held back by their weaker classmates. The recently published research work by the Royal Economic Society showed that a large number of low achieving pupils in class had negative impact on the bright children’s performance. The data about mixed ability classroom was released by Ofsted, after question by conservative MP forRead MoreHuman Nature And Four Types Of Determinism1551 Words   |  7 Pagescalled, Nudge by Richard Thaier and Cass Sustein, where a group of men were shown multiple pictures of the same women with different sized pupils. The men were more sexually aroused by the women with dilated pupils more so than the woman with normal sized pupils. The response from the men showed that they had no control over how they reacted because the dilated pupils stimulated a biological part of the brain that is sensed when a woman is sexually aroused (Eaglemen). Evolutionary Determinism; Most likelyRead More Examine the reasons for changes in the educational attainment of males1017 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween the number of male teachers in a school and the performance of its pupils in Key stage 2 tests. However, B. G. Licht and C. S. Dweck found that boys are more often criticised by their teachers and therefore developed negative feelings towards schooling (Licht Dweck, 1989). This view is supported by research carried out by the Sackville GCSE Sociology Group. In 1995, a 10% representative sample of pupils at the school were asked about their perceptions of the differences in theRead MoreSchool Observation And Comparison With Japan777 Words   |  4 Pages Thus far, we mainly looked three aspects of IWB by literature review, school observation and comparison with Japan. In the literature review, I mentioned the difference of pupils’ increased motivation one with the â€Å"novelty value of ICT† and other with the comprehensibility. In the observation, an example of the efficient innovation of IWB in classroom, supporting system and teacher training were described. And in comparison part, the problem of a technical (but a fundamental) issue that leads the

What is Cancer - 1249 Words

The word Cancer means a group of diseases that are characterized by unrestrained cellular development. It It refers to cellular intrusion into neighboring tis-sues and may turn into metastasise if not treated at early stage. The most widely diagnosed malignancy in males is prostate cancer. Peripheral zone of the gland is the place where prostate cancers are generally found. It constitutes a dense arrangement of cancerous epithelial cells commonly in small form, penetrating glands with a symmetrical de-crease in stromal volume [2]. B. Lee et al. [3] used tissue bio-impedance to differentiate between the diseases because morphological differences between normal and malignant prostate tissue are present and sensitivity of electrical im-pedance spectra to cellular structure was known. Bio-impedance is one of the properties referred to a tissue’s re-sistance when electrical current flows in the tissue. It also means the ability of tissue to store electrical charges. Bio-impedance n ormally depends on spacing of cells, cellular density and size, and the components of the extracellular ma-trix (ECM). Differences between the malignant and benign tissue impedance of can be a distinguishing criteria for pathological procedures for cancer detection [1]. Actually, it was shown by Skourou et al. [4] that when there is tumor, the tissue impedance may be more sensible than conventional imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound imaging. Normal and neo-plasticShow MoreRelatedCancer : What Causes It?1077 Words   |  5 PagesCancer is a tragedy that has affected families around the world for thousands of years. This disease has been a mystery, until recent discoveries have begun to unravel its origins, treatments, and causes. Cancer is important to understand because it’s vast impact on the world today. There are ways to lower the chances of getting cancer as well as removing it. Anyone is capable of getting cancer but the three main facto rs that can cause it is genetic traits, life choices, and environmental surroundingsRead MoreWhat Are Cervical Cancer?2935 Words   |  12 Pages Abstract (TBD) Background: What is Cervical Cancer? This year alone approximately 12,360 documented new cases of cervical cancer in the United States and 4,020 deaths according to National Cancer Institute (â€Å"Cervical Cancer†, 2014). Cervical cancer is a slow growing cancer that grows in the tissues of the cervix (an organ that connects the uterus and vagina). The disease is predominantly caused by the human papillomavirus infection (HPV). According to the Center for Disease Control and PreventionRead MoreWhat Is Cervical Cancer?2614 Words   |  11 PagesBackground: What is Cervical Cancer? This year alone approximately 12,360 documented new cases of cervical cancer in the United States and 4,020 deaths according to National Cancer Institute (â€Å"Cervical Cancer†, 2014). 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They also keep multiplyingRead MoreWhat Is Breast Cancer?937 Words   |  4 PagesBreast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. Up to 6% of breast cancers are advanced or metastatic at the time of diagnosis, requiring chemotherapy1, 2. Aberrant, accelerated growth is a hallmark of cancer3, including breast cancer. The rapid expansion of treatments targeted to aberrant cell growth – for example, cell cycle targeted chemotherapies for the treatment of met astatic breast cancer – allows for preciseRead MoreWhat Is Atherosclerosis And Cancer?732 Words   |  3 PagesThis paper indicates a mechanism to target disease sites in diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer, which are sources of TNFa. If a cell is engineered to seek TNFa sources like those in cancer and atherosclerosis, they could be utilized as a targeted therapy. In order to accomplish this a system of engineered proteins was utilized TNFa chimeric receptor (namedTNFR1chi), a previously engineered Ca2+-activated RhoA (named CaRQ), vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein G (VSVG), and thymidine kinaseRead MoreLung Cancer : What Causes It?1420 Words   |  6 PagesLung cancer is any type of cancer that begins in the lungs, although it is still considered lung cancer after it spreads to other parts of the body. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S. and worldwide. Forty percent of people will be diagnosed with lung cancer within their life span. Lung cancer, as with all cancers, is very complex, so the best way to comprehend it is to break it down into easily analyzed topics. The first topic that must be analyzed is cancer as a whole-whatRead MoreWhat Causes Lung Cancer?1587 Words   |  7 Pages12/08/2015 What Causes Lung Cancer besides Smoking Many of us believe that cigarettes are main causes of Lung cancer however lung cancer can be caused by exposure to asbestos, high levels of air pollution, high levels of arsenic in drinking water, Radiation therapy to the lungs, Radon gas (radioactive gas) or Family history of lung cancer. Lung cancers it can also affect non-smokers (Secondhand smoke) as result of breathing .Every year, more people die of lung cancer than any other types of cancer suchRead MoreOvarian Cancer What is Ovarian Cancer? Ovarian cancer is the abnormal growth of malignant cells900 Words   |  4 PagesOvarian Cancer What is Ovarian Cancer? Ovarian cancer is the abnormal growth of malignant cells in the ovaries, the egg (ovum) producing part of the female reproductive system. Often, Ovarian cancer goes undetected until it has metastasized (spread) to the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, this cancer is difficult to treat. Ovarian Cancer ranks as the 11th most common cancer among women, and it is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related death for women. What different types of ovarian cancersRead MoreWhat Makes You Have Cancer?1025 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"You have Cancer.† A single sentence that is among the most devastating words one could hear from a doctor today. They immediately cause one to go into shock then fear then shock, swinging back and forth like a pendulum in an old clock. Suddenly, time becomes the most valuable resource known to man and one will sacrifice everything else to get more. Cancer, has followed me through life almost like my own shadow, never truly touching me but gripping those I love. Who knew that three years ago sitting

Communication and popular culture Essay Example For Students

Communication and popular culture Essay The first is the use of the word understanding. One definition of understanding is the power of comprehending; esp the power to make experience intelligible by applying concepts and categories1. There are numerous theories and arguments surrounding popular culture, and as such it could be argued that we still do not truly understand it.  Secondly, comes the assumption that the reader agrees with the suggestion that Barthes writings on myth did in fact have an impact on the way we assess popular culture. There are several facts that can be used to highlight this point. For example, it could be argued that as Barthes did not have a following of thinkers who modelled their own theories after his, and that as such there is no recognised term as Barthesism, that Barthes work was not as important as and lacked the visibility of Karl Marx, and could therefore be considered unimportant in comparison. In light of this, this essay will instead look at the ways in which Barthes work has changed the ways in which we look at popular culture, and aims to answer the question, To what extent did Roland Barthes concept of myth influence the ways in which we examine popular culture?.  What is myth?  In addition to the usual meanings of folklore, legends and superstitions, myth has gained several other connotations in modern theory. In particular, Barthes states that myth is the result of ideology it is a socially and historically determined idea which has gained the status of accepted truth. Barthes most widely read book, Mythologies, is a collection of 54 feature articles written by Barthes between 1954-1956 for Les Lettres Nouvelles entitled Mythologies du Mois, with the addition of a closing essay called Le Mythe, Aujourdhui. In this conclusion, Barthes interprets myth as:  a system of communication, that it is a message which cannot possibly be an object, a concept, or an idea; it is made of signification, a form  The consequence of this, then, is that everything can be a myth.  Anything that has meaning has the potential of becoming mythical. This means that there is no need to separate between both linguistic and visual representations they are both signs of meaning and equally constitute a language-object. Barthes icons  Clearly, Barthes did not pull his theories out of nowhere his thoughts were influenced by great theorists that came before him. The two most significant to Barthes were Ferdinand Saussure and Claude Levi-Strauss.  Numerous structuralist scholars were influenced by Saussures work on structural linguistics, and Barthes was no exception indeed, he is the most popular scholar to expand on Saussures concepts to interpret cultural instances as codes. The foundation of Saussures theories was that meaning is made through difference -something only has a meaning when we can determine something it is not (for example, a dog is a furry, four-legged creature that is not a cat; a man is not a woman). Barthes took Saussures linguistic system of langue and parole and adopted it within the social dimension. Lvi-Strauss was an anthropologist who applied Saussures theories to his own area of study (such as kinship). He believed that Although they belong to another order of reality, kinship phenomena are of the same type as linguistic phenomena5. Lvi-Strauss believed that there would be one standardised system connecting all myths and societies, and Barthes adopted this approach.  Barthes and Lvi-Strauss came up with fairly similar ideas, and it seems accepted that Barthes would be attracted to his findings of similarities structural elements in the lives and tales of varied tribes. Lvi-Strauss wrote: With myth, everything becomes possible. But on the other hand, this apparent arbitrariness is belied by the astounding similarity between myths collected in widely different regions Barthes built upon the work of his icons he did not believe in adopting inferred ideologies, regardless of their source. With Saussure, Barthes introduced the idea of the motivated in as a concept in between the icon and the arbitrary. With Lvi-Strauss work, Barthes wanted to look at all past and future works through the language the authors used, arguing that authors could not help but be no more than expressions of the times and cultures they lived in. .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 , .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .postImageUrl , .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 , .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:hover , .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:visited , .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:active { border:0!important; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:active , .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910 .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u64e0c064567beb619e8d6b87a38d2910:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Music App. Notes EssayBarthes and the schools of thought  Barthes insightful criticism contributed greatly to the development of various theoretical schools in particular, Semiotics and Post-Structuralism.  Post-Structuralists rejected the idea of an underlying structure upon which meaning can sit, unchanged. Meaning is always in process. Within post-structuralism is the belief that the situation is more complex than Saussures theory of the signifier, signified and the sign suggests. In The death of the author, Barthes argues that a text is:  a multidimensional space in which a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash. The text is a tissue of quot ations drawn from the innumerable centres of culture  In other words, only a reader can bring a temporary unity to a text there are numerous readings to a text, dependent on the person reading it. Barthes also merged Marxist theories relating to commodity fetishism with Post-Structuralist ideas, bringing into world-view the relationship between consumerism and the realm of the sign. In addition, whilst Levi-Strauss worked in search of a universality or standardisation throughout all the many types of myths, Barthes focussed on the possibility of difference as a role of language. In this way, Barthes became a link between Structuralism and Post-Structuralism. In Elements of Semiology, Barthes introduced four classifications (terms borrowed from linguistics) of elements that make up the process of semiological analysis10. These applications of concepts of language/speech, signifier/signified, syntagm/system and denotation/connotation surely changed the ways in which Semiologists worked -he introduced a new process of analysis which is still used to this day.  Barthes influences in effect today  Whilst Barthes influence is mostly found within the aforementioned theoretical fields, it is also felt in any field relating to the representation of information computers, photography, film, television, music and literature. In media and communication studies, the main reason that Barthes work can be considered critical is that he related linguistic rules to cultural codes. Barthes biographer argues that in France, Mythologies did not simply influence scholars, journalists and critics, but novelists and filmmakers of the Neuvelle Vague.  Barthes influence is not just limited to the disciplines of media the concept of myth also crosses over to politics. The myth function allows interpretation to become fact; this transforms the cultural into the natural and can be argued to be a political practice. Building on Barthes, Weber talks about the theory of unconscious ideology- an ideology which has no formal name and as such is difficult to identify: it is the commonsense foundation of our world views which are beyond debate.  Although there is no one canon of thought within his theory, Barthes is arguably one of the most influential scholars in the area of mass communication and popular culture.

Games Master, like Edge, is a multi-format magazine Essay Example

Games Master, like Edge, is a multi-format magazine Paper Games Master, like Edge, is a multi-format magazine. Despite this similarity, the two magazines are significantly different in many terms of the language framework. The combination of a similarity and a variety of key differences makes the two magazines especially appropriate for comparison and analysis. The magazine appears to appeal to a younger generation of readers than Edge, which is particularly evident from the framework features of lexis and graphology contained within the text. Lexis The complexity of language found in Games Master is somewhat inferior to that in Edge. Propulsion and innovative are examples of lexis which are not comparable to the lexical elevation of Edge. There are also items which suggest Games Masters intended audience, like emotive language often used to modify verbs and nouns. Examples of this are dribs, drabs, zipping, whizzing, toxicity and thwack among many others. The words present a sense of comparative informality which would appeal to a younger audience, rather than older one. The amount of specialist lexis is relatively reasonable (see Pie Chart Analyses) but also lacks the elevation of that in Edge. Gameplay is the most complex of these words in Games Master which strongly suggests the magazines audience as the casual gamer. By this I mean a person who has no interest in the technical aspect of games reviewing and only the games more interesting aspects. Grammar The most noticeable difference between Games Master and Edge is the sentence length and structure. Games Master never uses any short sentences, but instead longer ones to suit the method of review. While Edge based its review on the history of the game and its main advantages and flaws, Games Master produces a more in-game and storytelling review. We will write a custom essay sample on Games Master, like Edge, is a multi-format magazine specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Games Master, like Edge, is a multi-format magazine specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Games Master, like Edge, is a multi-format magazine specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Because of this, the text flows avoiding constant interruption by the full stop. An example of the sentence length is in When Mario is wrongly convicted of vandalism on his arrival, hes forced to use Flood to clean up the mess as part of his community service: and so begins a long chase to find the real culprit in each of the games worlds. I initially believed Edge would contain the longest sentences due to its formal nature, but instead uses complex phonological and lexical techniques such as cohesion. Games Master is the opposite and contains long sentences with no hidden framework techniques and a less direct approach. Whereas Edge is direct in its points, Games Master uses metaphorical and imaginative terms to describe things. The following is two extracts from Edge and Games Master, reviewing the game in comparison to imitators, reinforcing this theory: (See overleaf for quote comparison). Games Master: Nintendo developers somehow manage to pour buckets of curdled shame on their competitors. Edge: Everyone was waiting for Nintendos guiding light, and it arrives, and its far above its imitators, but someway below its inspiration. Apart from biased implications, the differences are obvious. Games Masters metaphoric language suits its audience well by producing a more reader friendly image. The relative formality of Edge can also be seen in this example. Graphology The graphological features of Games Master are important in distinguishing its intended audience. The amount of images (information extracted from Pie Chart Analyses Section) is particularly useful. Their number causes them to dominate the page, patronising the text, but their placements are also important. Instead of the harmonic order found in Edge, Games Masters screenshots are littered about on tilted angles with a relative lack of structure. Of course, this makes the page more appealing, especially to the younger eye. Another important feature lacked by both Edge and FHM is the appearance of the games character, twice on the first two pages. The character, Mario, dominates the first page in the form of a blown up screenshot extract. This signifies the intended audience and lays the foundation of the reviews style (basic with a low specialised lexis count). However, the most important feature is the award that is given to the game, situated on the first page Gaming Masterpiece. In my opinion, this is an indicator of the magazines relatively informal format as it is an encouragement for the audience to read the review, and which particularly draws younger readers into it something which formal articles, broadsheet newspapers as an example, do not use. In reinforcement, this award system is also used by FHM who use Game of the Month. In relation to these two, Edge expectantly does not use such a system, and the games review score even takes a subsidiary role. In relation to this feature, the use of fact boxes suggests similar things. An example of this in Games Master can be found on the second page in the top right. The contents are not even particularly relevant and even quite abstract, but it is this kind of item which attracts a young audience. The review is completed with a review box situated at the bottom right of the final page. It is divided into the three key parts of games review, which is a feature confirming tabloid similarity in terms of subtitles. They are used for easy reference which suggests the audience of Games Master is of lower education than Edge, which strictly structures all of its points within the main review, and lacks a review box. The subtitle structure is also used in the main review, and gives very general ideas upon what the following section is about, exactly like a tabloid newspaper. Phonology Onomatopoeia is the key phonological feature of the Games Master review. This is directly linked to the lexical use of a magazine with a young audience. The following are examples of onomatopoeia in Games Master. Zipping, gloop, thwack, zip and swoosh. All of these words are informal and resultantly make phonology another feature which suggests the youth or education of the audience. The Games Master whole text also appears to portray a much more spoken tone than that of Edge which contributes to its high readability. An example of this is the instructive, but humorous sentence, Dont get Yoshi wet! Use his regurgitastic spit. But dont even think of chucking on a constable, like us. Helpfully, this sentence also contains further implications which would fall into sections of lexis and grammar, but have been mentioned here due to their relevance to the section of phonology. Firstly, the type and level of humour is that which would amuse readers of an early age (8 -14 years). The humour is based around one of the games characters spitting ability and the magazine focuses upon using this upon a policeman, which is something a young person might feel rebellious doing, thus producing an element of humour. Secondly, the non-dictionary lexical item of regurgitastic is used. The word itself shares the suffix of the adverb fantastic and thus exaggerates the dictionary word, regurgitate. The suffix tastic replaces the previous one of tate. The word now appears much more interesting and appealing to the younger audience. Thirdly, the use of the exclamation mark, ! , adds a degree of humorous instruction to the sentence and contributes to its spoken tone. A final point on this sentence is its ending, like us, which serves the purpose of encouraging the reader to do what has previously been said. Although they jokingly warn against it, the rebellious implications of the sentence will make the reader do it (spitting on the policeman) and the like us ending will simply cause the reader to want to follow the magazines example. Discourse The audience of Games Master is significantly confirmed by the magazines lexical use and phonological features. The tone is generally spoken in order to involve the audience more and particularly to appeal to their youth. Elements such as pronouns, exclamation marks and humour echo this theory. Games Masters purpose is to inform in a humorous way. However, it differs from Edge because it strongly bases its informing upon the games storyline rather than Edges tendency to cover how good the game is which is the point of a review.

Definition and Examples of Acrolects

Definition and Examples of Acrolects In sociolinguistics, acrolect is a creole variety that tends to command respect because its grammatical structures do not deviate significantly from those of the standard variety of the language. Adjective: acrolectal. Contrast with basilect, a language variety that is significantly different from the standard variety. The term mesolect refers to intermediate points in the post-creole continuum.The term acrolect was introduced in the 1960s by William A. Stewart and later popularized by linguist Derek Bickerton in Dynamics of a Creole System (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1975) Observations Acrolects . . . are better described as linguistic innovations characterized by the incorporation of linguistic features which have their origin in the contact situation itself. Unlike standard languages, acrolects usually have no overt set of linguistic norms and are pragmatically motivated (i.e. depend on the formality of the situation). In other words, the concept of the acrolect is both absolute (on the level of the speech community) and relative (on the level of the individual) . . ..(Ana Deumert, Language Standardization and Language Change: The Dynamics of Cape Dutch. John Benjamins, 2004) Varieties of British English Spoken in Singapore For [Derek] Bickerton, an acrolect refers to the variety of a creole that has no significant difference from Standard English, often spoken by the most educated speakers; the mesolect has unique grammatical features that distinguish it from Standard English; and the basilect, often spoken by the least educated people of the society, has very significant grammatical difference.In reference to Singapore, [Mary W.J.] Tay points out that the acrolect has no significant grammatical differences from Standard British English and typically differs in vocabulary only by extending the meaning of existing words, for example, using the word bungalow to refer to a two-storied building. The mesolect, on the other hand, has a number of unique grammatical features such as the dropping of some indefinite articles and the lack of plural marking on some count nouns. Also, there are several loan words from Chinese and Malay. The basilect has more significant differences such as copula deletion and do-de letion within direct questions. It is also characterized by the use of words that are typically considered slang or colloquialisms.(Sandra Lee McKay, Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford Univ. Pres, 2002) Varieties of American English Spoken in Hawaii Hawaiian Creole is now in a state of decreolization (with English structures slowly replacing the original creole structures). In other words, one may observe in Hawaii an example of what linguists call a post-creole continuum: SAE, which is taught in schools, is the acrolect, that is, the socially prestigious lect, or language variant, at the top of social hierarchy. At the bottom socially is the basilect- heavy pidgin or more accurately heavy creole, a lect least influenced by SAE, usually spoken by people of low economic and social status who had very little education and very little chance to learn the acrolect in school. Between the two there is a continuum of mesolects (in between variants) which range from being very close to the acrolect to those which are very close to the basilect. Many people in Hawaii control various parts of this continuum. For example, most educated, professional people born in Hawaii, able to speak SAE at work in the office, switch to Hawaiian Creole w hen relaxing at home with friends and neighbors. (Anatole Lyovin, An Introduction to the Languages of the World. Oxford Univ. Press, 1997)

How to Change The world

How to Change The world Free Online Research Papers According to some management guru’s change is a permanent feature in our lives or in the life span of organisations. Change is an inevitable phenomenon. There is no choice in having change. You may choose to have change in your personal life. You may be forced to change in your life patterns. Change may happen to you when you are unconscious. Changes take place in organisations; it may be as a result of premeditated and pre-planned actions. Change may come due to natural phenomenon, for example through a volcanic eruption. All what is acceptable is that change takes place always, either through conscious planning or through evolving conditions. Jackson and McKergaw (2002:3) say, â€Å"Change is happening all the time: our job is to identify and amplify useful change.† This quotation shows how permanent change is to us and the world we live; and how it is necessary to initiate change in the world. In this discussion the writer focuses on planned changes in our organisat ions or communities, changes that affect a large scale of people, change whose impact affects many people and last long, whose effect may take generations while still being felt. The change to be discussed is not due to scientific innovations or through natural experimentation but through social innovation. It is the change that affects our patterns of thinking and our ways of doing things. It is a change that affects the fabrics of our social existence. Some scholars have come to call it social entrepreneurships. By social it means it affects the way people live and the way people do things. According to Wikipedia.com says † a social entrepreneur is some one who recognises a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to make social change.† It seems as if this discussion is drifting in void. To end this void let us put practical examples of social problems which could be solved through social innovations. Examples of social problems are poor accommodation or non-availability of accommodation, existence of diseases in our community, HIV/AIDS pandemic, non-availability of water and other sanitation problems, shortage of food, poor communication system, illiteracy, lack of clothing, poor road systems, poor sporting and recreational facilities. Let us consider an example of a social innovation that could have been used to solve a social problem. The emergence of HIV/AIDS disease means a break down in family structures. In some cases both parents die, and a family is left being headed by the eldest child. The elde st child could be a fifteen year old school boy. How could such wide spread social problem be solved? The creation of a net work to assist child-headed family can be instituted. For example a trust fund could be introduced to assist such families with food, clothes and school fees. That is a social innovation. What is the aim of social entrepreneurship? The aim according to Wikipedia.com is to meet social and environmental goals. Whereas we have looked at an example of a social problem we can now, give an example of an environmental goal. An environmental goal could be to eradicate or reduce land pollution in a certain community. Let us take an example of a work community where plastics are an end product and below standard plastics are thrown away. What could be down as a solution? The solution could be recycling such a waste product. The local residents could be paid for collecting such waste paper, what could be termed waste paper vending. Such plastics could be sold to other industries that mostly use waste plastics. Another example of environmental management goal could be the planting trees in water ways. If water ways are left unattended gullies could develop and valuable soil washed away. These are examples of social goals and social entrepreneurship. Most of the work done by non- governmental organisations (NGOs) is viewed as social entrepreneurship. Probably it could be wise to look at an example of a renowned social entrepreneur. One of them is mother Theresa. She is renowned for championing the cause of children and humanity by her invention. She did all she could do to advance the interest of the poor. Organisations such as the international Red Cross are a product of social entrepreneurship. United Nations and its agencies is a by-product of social entrepreneurship. So far we have looked at examples of social problems and examples of innovative solutions, but we have to look at what is called social innovation. According to the Wikipedia.com, a social innovation refers to,† new strategies, concepts and organisations that meet the social needs of all kinds.† Again the Wikipedia .com sited the following as social problems: â€Å"working conditions, education, community development, health, micro-credit and distance learning.† In this particular instance and according to the Wikipedia.com, an example of a s ocial innovation is distance education. So, for example, the existence of AIU is as a result of social innovation. And all students like me are gaining from a social innovation. What could the world be without distance and currently on line education? Why was distance education and on line education introduced? It was out of a need to meet the education demands of the financially disadvantaged population of the world, probably what CK Prakalad would call â€Å"Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP).† Probably one more concept we need to dwell on is the one of capital venture. Social Venture capital, according to the Wikipedia.com, means, â€Å"capital investment that provides capital to businesses deemed socially and environmentally responsible.† In simple terms it means money and resources that are set aside to be used to solve social and environmental problems. The problem with many people is to think that it is only the duty of rich multi-national companies or billionaires to assist in this respect. No! It should be a challenge and a concern of every citizen and corporate organisation of the world. A lot of individuals could donate whatever they can to assist in the achievement of such noble goals. There are a lot of trust funds that are created, where individuals could contribute. We look forward to the future where every one must be socially responsible. If every citizen of the world could set aside US 1$dollar per month towards averting the impact of global warming, what could the impact be in a year’s time? The idea of social responsibility should permeate within the mind of every one and all of us whether we are the poor, the rich or the CEO of rich multinational companies. With that the world will be a better place, should I borrow Michael Jackson’s own words. Let’s look further at the impacts and aspects of social entrepreneurship in more detail than before, point by point. The visible impact of social change must transcend over large areas, being it geographic, ethnic or racial. In other words the impact must affect a large cross-section of the population. It must affect a reasonable segment of a targeted group. By the term targeted group, we refer to the people in the same or similar circumstances who need assistance in a certain way. An example could be people between the age of eighteen years and twenty-four who may need to attend undergraduate courses. Among this target group there are many people who need financial assistance to further their studies irrespective of their race, place of origin, place of residence, among other considerations. Unaffordability of education presents a big social problem. Global sponsorship may be an innovation that is large enough in scale to be a social innovation. Almost all reputable universit ies offer either grants or scholarship as a means of assisting the socially- disadvantaged group. For example AIU has assisted many such needy students over the years. In the same area there is the new innovation of The University of The People. The University of the People based in the United States is an innovation targeted at the said target group. It is the first tuition free university. It was founded under the guidance and assistance of GAID-an arm of the United Nations. The scope of this innovation is international. This fulfils what Briskin (2009) talked about when he/she described the effect that people need to be part of settings where kindness towards other needy people is cultivated; to give others consideration and helpful hand. The other aspect of social innovation is caring. A social problem is identified. A solution is sought because you care about those affected. Caring and concern are the key concern of social entrepreneurs- others choose to call them philanthropists. These are people who are there to assist others not because they need to gain anything out of it, but to assist others. The underlying motive of care and concern is towards other fellow human beings ‘problems and plights. This should never a concern of a few richest people. Many people must be involved. Heath (2004: 4) says, â€Å"Social reality is construed by many voices† again there is a need for social entrepreneurship in corporate organisations. This has called for the creation of the Welfare Departments, community development projects and safety, health and environmental management (SHE) departments. As responsible social and human resources practioners, in particular we must be highly motivated and responsible for the s ocial problems our workers face. As a human Resources Manager I must not assist the workers because it is my duty, but because they are fellow human beings who are vulnerable and who need help. At enterprise level the introduction of a revolving fund; catering for loans, sickness, among other social problems is a social innovation. At Chipinge Banana Company, located in Zimbabwe we introduced many welfare projects. These projects are co-funded by the company and the workers. The workers are the share holders in these projects. What it means is that the workers have a big say in running the projects and in the use of the funds. Therefore, the company becomes more responsive to the needs of the workers. This is currently a unique innovation in our province. And several companies have followed our example. Again the creation of the posts such as Community Liaison Officer, Safety, Health and Environmental Manager; and Safety, Health and Environmental Committees at the workplace is a soc ial response to social problems. As human resources professionals we must champion the causes of social entrepreneurship. Other senior personnel such as the General Managers, Directors, production Managers must get seriously involved at a corporate level. After discussing caring as a characteristic of social entrepreneurship, let’s shift our attention to shift in government patterns. There is need to shift government patterns. By this we mean the way things are being run. There is need to adopt newer systems of doing things. Bureaucracy is a disease that affects may institutions. There is need to decentralise decision making and operations if institutions have to respond urgently, effectively and efficiently to current challenges in the social field. The motto â€Å"That’s what we used to do† must be changed. The world is dynamic and that’s why the way we govern or do things must change. One way in which the world has evolved greatly in the twenty-first century pertains to democracy. In Change your Operational System(2010) the writer says about democracy,† Today’s leading management espouse the need to give employees more autonomy, more opportunities to fully engage in their work, and more cho ice about how they want to work in order to benefit both the employee and the employer.† The principles of democracy have encroached all spheres of our lives. The patriarchal period is over. The period of dictatorship in national governance is over. There is now participative management and governance. In the country there are now elections to choose the leaders we want. There are constitutional procedures for removing despots. A leader must be responsive to the needs of the people. Even in the family the time for the father to dictate every thing is over. The father has to consult. At work the manager has to consult, has to survey and respond accordingly. So to respond to the needs of those people involved we need to consult and involve them. With that, positive and meaningful change takes place. I am a typical fan of AIU’s policy and system of andragogy. The student is the master choice maker in what he/she wants to study. That has been a shift from the traditional an d that underlines a shift in government of education. So, in order to achieve social solutions there is need for flexibility in the way we run and do business, including the ways we respond to social problems. No wonder why the Writer of Change your Operating System says,† Democracy is what creates the optimal conditions for learning, motivation, self-direction and a sense of ownership.† The sense of ownership makes everyone involved in introducing a social change to give everything in terms of effort and dedication. About the power and effect of democracy the writer of Change your Operating system gives the case study of DaVita. The writer says,† DaVita’s management team understood the power of employee voice in creating lasting transformation and a sense of ownership.† It is not only the shift in governance that is vital, but a shift in behavioural patterns is also necessary in order to have meaningful social change. There is an old adage that says:† You can take a horse to the river but you can not force the horse to drink.† This saying emphasis the need for change in behaviour. It is the horse at the river which should drink the water. The horse must be willing. If it is not willing no drinking can take place. The effort is wasted. So the people involved must have an attitude that is suitable for change, certain willingness. The willingness to change must be based, as well, on motivation. As a leader motivate your subordinates to change. If you are the community leader is as persuasive as possible if you need to achieve a social innovation. You need not to think and behave in a straight line. You do not need to wear a straight jacket. Be ready to change as the weather changes. We have one social challenge the writer talked about at th e beginning of this discussion that is the HIV? AIDS pandemic. The answer to curb this problem is in behaviour change .If you used to have unprotected sex; you need to change to use protection such as condoms. The willingness to change and the actual behaviour change is a requisitive in social innovation. Let us look at a particular example. Let us say you are in the business of making charcoal from timber. Your current site means that the smoke goes to the nearest residential area. However it is expensive to relocate the factory. What should a social entrepreneur do? Is he worried about the cost or be worried about serving the affected people? Although it is expensive to relocate, the willingness to change is based on your perception of the problem at hand. A social responsive manager will change the location of the plant. He must not only make the plans to change, or calculate the cost, he must implement the change at all cost. A social entrepreneur must have the guts to change be haviours that he or she feels must be changed to meet the people’s needs. The willingness to change and the actual behaviour changing action is important. Gallan (2010:1) says,† Transformation can only occur through behavioural evolution.† The word evolution implies a slow pace at which changes is cemented until the solution becomes a norm. Once a solution has been implanted, soon it will become a norm and it becomes cost-effective. Gilboa (2010) says that once a changed phenomenon becomes a norm it lasts and it becomes much lower in cost. Making a social change is not a simple task. It takes time. It needs patience. Change must be made in manageable steps, not in large leaps at a time. For real change to evolve there must be a suitable time frame. Such a concept is also found elsewhere in nature. If you are a builder and you want to build a strong concrete, you do not applied excessive heat so that the concrete dries quickly. If there is, much heat the concrete cracks. Even in normal room temperature a good builder puts water on the concrete so that, the concrete dries slowly. The slower it takes the stronger the concrete becomes. That is what happens in introducing a social change. The social entrepreneur needs to take ample time to time out and implement the change. In due course the change becomes a norm. A social consultant or a social entrepreneur must possess certain fundamental attributes or dispositions. Such an attitude or disposition must not be purely a borne in thing. Some people are born social entrepreneurs but many others are taught and conditioned to be such. Educational programs such as those undertaken at AIU can assist people to be socially responsible, and responsive to the needs of other fellow human beings. It is a core duty of educators, activist, philosophers, psychologists and writers to disseminate the awareness and consciousness of the necessity to assist to others. Just like how an individual is taught the skills and resilience needed in writing or creative work, people can be trained and conditioned to be social entrepreneurs. One essential thing for a person to assist others to have proper vision. Answers.com defines vision as,† unusual competence in discernment or perception, intelligent foresight.†So the ability to focus on what best to do in the future is important. Focus on the problem, focus on how the problem could be solved, focus on the impact of the solution to the beneficiary; and act according to that focus. The vision can be expressed explicitly through a statement of the vision. Most companies and organisation write down their vision. Vision can also be shown through the organisation’s mission. We have an example of a social program that was put up to find solution to specified social problems. Empowerment prog.org says about their mission, â€Å"The mission of The Empowerment Program is to provide education, employment assistance, housing referrals and support services to women who are in disadvantaged positions due to poverty, incarceration, homelessness, HIV/AIDs infection or involvement in criminal justice system†. Here the vision of the linked organisation is clearly spelt. In this mission the scope of social problems that needs solution has been named as abject poverty, criminal justice system among others. So the social entrepreneur must have a vision and capacity to assist humanity through the provision of needed facilities or the improvement and maintenance of sustainable ecological system. A personal social background can make someone such an entrepreneur or an educational background and awareness is needed. A person can be conditioned to have a feeling of empathy towards others. This could be done through awareness campaigns or creative artistic work such as films, poetry or music. There are different ways in which awareness can be done. Awareness through education, through face to face discussions. Awareness through creative work. Gallan (2010) talked about the importance of education in order to assist in effecting change. There may be need for educational and training background for some to be an entrepreneur. A detailed course work, theoretical and practical assignment can assist. The AIU vision and tutorial programs have such an objective. The power of media and awareness prog rams are vital. Human rights activists and other non-governmental organisation have a role to spread such awareness. The writers have also a role to play in creating awareness. It is therefore a role that must be played by various parties to assist in development of social entrepreneurship. Managers can create awareness programs and assign certain personnel with the responsibility to conduct training sessions to conscientise the other workers on the aspect of social responsibilities. Involvement on a corporate level on social programmes and social activities will assist employees to be socially responsible citizens. Through that organisations can mentor people who will assist in changing the world for the better. The other characteristic of social entrepreneurs is a life commitment to initiate social solutions to mankind‘s social problems. If an individual has identified a social problem he wishes to solve he/she must be dedicated to deal with that problem not for a short space of time, but for a long period and ideally his entire life. An example could be the story and struggle of Martin Luther King who gave his entire life to make needed social and religious change over a long period of time. What he achieved has affected the lives of many people down to our times. Mother Theresa was a dedicated nun who worked tirelessly for her entire life to assist the poor. These people were sensitive to the people’s needs. Citing similar example of sincerity and consciousness for humanity, Rundle (2010) expressed himself as having been sensitive to what the community would enjoy. Another important attribute of a person who is truly devoted to assisting in changing the lives of people through identification of social problems and then come up with lasting solutions is willingness to self-correct. When you have started on a long journey sometimes you will have to discover ways of dealing with challenges that you come along on the way. You should not wait for other people to correct you all the times. You may have to discover short cuts or you may have to discover ways of conserving the resources that you have. The ideas are that you have to observe things that around you, and take advantage of them so that you will afford to reach your destination. You may need to discover the right pace to travel so that you do not easily get tired. The idea is that you do not need just to be told everything, but you need to discover on your own and make rightful decisions and changes so as to suit to the conditions around you. The scientists would use the terms observe and a dapt in order to survive. In this discussion we can call this self-correction.Encyclopedia.com defines self-correction as, â€Å"correcting oneself without external help.† So as you try to find a solution to a social problem, you come against some challenges, and most of these challenges require you to find solutions yourself. Why this is important is because on such issues you may not have many people who initially support you. If you rely mainly on outside help you may be discouraged by other people, who may be pessimistic or who may not see your vision at the start of your project. An example where self correction is vital is when we set out a revolving fund at Chipinge Banana Company. The revolving fund was used to start fundraising projects. When the idea was borne and put forward to other people many people were against the idea of employees having to contribute towards their own welfare. In this project every interested employee was supposed to pay $1 per, month. A revolving fund committee was put in place. Initially, about 10% of the employees were interested and subsequently got involved. About 98% of other senior management staff was against this idea. At first they said that it was not a working idea, and suspected that the person who had started the project had a hidden agenda either to defraud the people or to have a personal financial gain. And that is the idea that can be found if a person wanted to solve a critical social problem. When the problem took off the ground those who were initially against, when they saw that it seemed to have been succe ssful they became jealousy and tried to influence most employees against it. So where a new idea is implemented there is usually resistance. Instead of people assisting with ideas and resources they resist the purported change. That is the reason why a social entrepreneur must correct himself or herself; relying on outside help may lead to resistance and criticism that can ultimately lead to failure. Many people will only assist you or join you when they are convinced beyond doubt that the innovation is definitely helpful. In the example sighted above of the revolving fund, many of the people who initially resisted later supported the idea and rendered assistance. So self-reliance and self-correcting are vital attributes of the people who want to initiate and institute change. Another essential attribute of people who want to bring social innovation is that of wishing to share credit. To be able to succeed in introducing change one needs as much support from as many people as possible. The people who get involved need credit for their support. In order to succeed in introducing change you have to be self-less or selfish-less. You need to consult widely; you need encouragement and support. For you to be able to achieve this you really need to make people to feel that the project is theirs and that their involvement is vital. So the credit needs to be shared. The success needs to be shared as much as you share the problem. One of the principles of change management is to involve as many people as possible, as long as those people are willing and committed. To achieve this some people who create change make use of committees. In order to share the credit and involve as many people as possible, in the introduction of the revolving fund, a commit was selected. Hitchcok (2008) emphasized the need to create self-directed teams and to consult as much as possible in order to implement change that affect and benefit many people. The principles of using committees and people participation were taken seriously at Chipinge Banana Company when they introduced the revolving fund. These committees brought about a lot of involvement. No wonder why Degraff (2007) emphasised that there is always need to select diverse and insightful individuals to join the leadership teams as participants in the† think tank† process Most people who were represented in the committee became committed to the change. In the committee, a cross-section of the employees was involved; women of various ages and from various work departments, men were recruited from various backgrounds, age and professions as well as from various work units. This brought up a big sense of ownership and the credit was not brought to the person who brought the idea, but to all the peo ple who were involved including a lot of the workers who were willing to part with their money. The idea is that those who are involved in social changes must do it to help the communities where they stay, not to help themselves materially or otherwise .On this Heath (2004:4) says,† analysis of dialogue surrounding a crisis can be sharpened by giving attention to the narrative elements that emerge as various groups interpret the crisis† When a person wants to initiate and develop a solution to a social problem, that person must be able to borrow ideas from different fields and interact with people of various backgrounds, profession and trades. For example to implement successful social change you need to have a rich background on various fields. You may need to understand accounting principles because you shall deal with finances, you need knowledge of economics because you may need investment to fund the projects, you may need to have knowledge of legal issues, and you need principles borrowed from sociology and psychology to deal with people. You must be a mult-disciplinarian. Robinson (2008) explained that learning should transcend across various disciplines for it to be most beneficial. Not that you have to study all these subjects at University but you need to consult. I attended a certain seminar that was based on environmental management one year. I was a teacher and a participant in the seminar. The first p rinciples that people were taught there was the principle of de-roling. By De-roling it means people need to stop considering the positions in the companies or institutes where they come from. Some people were teachers, others were students, others were managers, and others were simple people from the community. People, who were there had to ignore their roles. So in other words there were no longer managers, teachers, students or community members. All those who were there were the same. That was important and that is still important. If there is no de-rolling students would not participate actively they would leave everything to be done and said by influential people such as managers. Failure to de-roll would mean very little involvement. This all calls for a mult-disciplinary approach to solving social problems. I saw people involved in social issues such as HIV/AIDS. This needs people who have an open view and who apply knowledge and skills gained from various areas. At a corpor ate level when you want to introduce social changes you need to stop thinking that you are a manager and that your decision – as a manager- are better than the decision of a general hand worker. Where committees work it has been seen that brilliant ideas may not come from CEOs, or Managers, but some times from general workers. In the revolving fund committee that has been discussed earlier on a number of brilliant ideas came from the general workers. Those ideas were implemented and the results were excellent. This however does not suggest that good ideas come from uneducated, simple people only. The point is that in brainstorming and surfing ideas we have to open and not accept ideas on the consideration of a person’s qualifications or position in the society. The other essential aspect of introducing successful social change is to involve those whom are affected by the change or the program. What we are talking about here is empowerment of those who are affected by the proposed changes. Give the people involved the power to make their own decisions and to get actively involved. According to Joe.org, â€Å"empowerment is a social a multi-dimensional process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power in people for use in their own lives, communities and in their society.† So people must make decisions their own decisions where the proposed changes affect them. This brings on to them a sense of ownership. Even in the event of things not working according to the plan, these people will not shift the blame on the person proposing the change. The difficulties faced will be solved as a group again. This will also foster a spirit of resilience. A sense of ownership is a very powerful motivating factor to people. No one wants to see what she/he has worked for to fail. As many people are involved in a project there is going to be a lot of brainstorming and innovation when a problem presents itself before them. No projects or changes are without challenges. However the power of togetherness will make it easy to overcome difficulties. In the case of the earlier quoted revolving fund, at one time there was problem when we ran out of funds, but because we engaged many people from the onset, those who were involved worked hard so that we had increased membership and subsequently improved inflow of income. In this discussion there has been the example of the revolving fund. This example is suitable as it meets the criteria of a social change. Firstly the vision for the introduction of the fund was to assist all employees of Chipinge Banana Company who at one time have problems that the company could not provide assistance towards. This involves assisting parents with fees for their children, assistance towards bereavement, assistance towards any social problems the committee feels it warrants assistance .The focus of the fund is that, the fund shall run as long as the company exists and will assist workers for generations. It is a change that affects many people. This innovation has already been applied in companies that are around the place. Despite the fact that the fund was introduced about a year ago it is being a case study for many companies and even communities around. The other essential thing is that there has been a fundamental paradigm shift. It was unheard of in our country that workers would champion their own welfare through a common fund. The fund can also be used to sponsor training workshops especially in issues of HIV/AIDs and safety issues at the work place. So it is a typical example to use in this discussion to exemplify the practicality of what is discussed here as it relates to the planning and implementation of social change. Although this is a small scale social change it is a sample for other major social changes. As for the Human Resources Manager in the said company and for the other managers and personnel it has been an n essential hands-on example of how to institute change. For the proposer of this innovation there has been a conscious way to follow the learned parameters and theories of managing change. The knowledge and skills acquired will be essential for future consulting in change management. In the video watched there has been a case study of empowerment of the participants involved in the introduction and evolvement of the proposed changes. In this case the empowered people were the children that were the beneficiary of the child line service in India. That practical case brought a significant impetus on the idea of managing a social change. If in this project the affected children were greatly involved, what about circumstances in which we introduce changes that affect the adults or the educated population. It clearly demonstrates the importance and practicality of involving the affected people, no matter who they are, what their status is, where their live and what their backgrounds might be. This involvement is important in work place settings as well. The management team must involve the grassroots workers to be involved; their views on matters that affect them must be taken into consideration, and be greatly applied. It is great learning to us Human Resources perso nnel to involve the workers in issues that affect them. This has a big impact not only in motivating the workers but in creating a loyal, reliable, responsible and stable work force. At Chipinge Banana Company, a very stable company in terms of employee relations, the workers are highly involved. In most issues that affect them there is the use of committees. There are committees in sports teams, health and safety, HIV/AIDS awareness programmes, during end of year parties, among many other such instances. And the great results are that you create a stable work force. Again in the same company there is the open door policy on dealing with employee problems. The managers, the supervisors and forepersons are taught to deal with employee problems at any time and at any place. Employees must not wait to come to the offices assistance. The Human Resources Manager moves from place to place during the work days to hear the workers’ grievances and problems. I know the system is unique but it has also a unique way of making the workers happy and the work force stable. Social innovations by their nature must not be very expensive. These must be cost effective. The reason is that there might be very few people who are willing to put in their monies there, just for the sake of assisting others. The issue here is to have small investments that sustain some social projects, rather than waiting for a time when there is a large sum of money. However with this small investment there must be great courage to ensure that the projects or changes succeed. It is the power of vision, courage and resilience that must be at work most in order to achieve and sustain a social innovation. Penton.com (2010:1) emphasised that the key to change is the nature of the innovation, its scope and applicability rather than the amount of funds required to invest in it. In its explanation it says,† innovation of your products, processes and services will be key to delivering results.† In the example of The Revolving fund, under discussion, the amount of initial capi tal injection was very small. For the first three months there was a cash inflow of US $80 per month only; however that amount kick started a project that is now after about a year has a capital of about $8000.00 and which has assisted more than 500 people in all. So it is the vision and courage that is of great essence to achieve great social innovations. The video demonstrated the importance to impart and use soft skills. Soft skills are qualitative aspects that are essential for the success of projects. These are qualities that are not measurable but are essential .These are opposed to aspects of projects that are quantifiable. Money used to effect change can be quantifiable, the number of people involved in the projects is quantifiable, some resources such as motor vehicles involved can be quantifiable, but there are certain traits and characteristics that are essential for success of the innovations that are not numerable. In the video presentation, listening skill has been identified as a soft skill that is essential for social innovation to succeed. People involved in the projects must listen carefully to different points of view that come from the people involved. From listening then the people involved deduce the implication then later apply what is implied. Other soft skills which we can talk about include the communication s kills, interpersonal relations, mutual trust among others. Heath (2004:4) says, â€Å"Communication is a corporate strategy for dealing with a major business interruption.† In this case Heath emphasizes the importance of communication in business and social spheres. The change agent must also have core value that globally acceptable. Such values as integrity, creativity, multi-skilling, problem solving, inquiry, flexibility accountability and transparency among others. He/she must be able to use the principles of good governance. The innovators and consultants must have such basic skills in order to be able to implement the proposed changes. Another essential aspect is of ethical considerations. If you want to implement social changes you must have a high sense of ethics. You have to know what is just to the people and the community. Know what is good to all and what is acceptable. It is not considering the legal and economical aspects only that are important. Have a wider understanding of the community around where you are making the change and what is moral and acceptable to that area. This again calls for an interdisciplinary approach to introducing social innovations. Ethics are associated with certain disciplines which a social entrepreneur must be acquainted with, such as public relations, religious orientation or understanding social science principles. If you introduce something that is not morally acceptable in that area you wont succeed. If you introduce something that is a taboo in that area then you can not succeed. This calls for a lot of research before you come up with your innovations. The idea of consult ing and empowering the people affected come handy in this regard as well. So on the other hand the social consultant must develop a lot of research skills and knowledge and use that before introducing any changes or programs in a certain area. The other essential aspect is the willingness to work quietly. This means that although you work very hard, the intention is not to show people that you can come up with something spectacular. You work hard to achieve the mission you set out to achieve. It is not you who go about advertising how hardworking you are, but the community will observe that for itself and come in and join to assist you. There is need for humility in order to achieve the mission. Then there is the idea of social blue print. That is need and ability to come up with innovative solutions to social problems that haunt the community. For the problems bedevilling the people a home grown solution should be devised fast enough to avert any catastrophe. This, however, also calls to adopt new ways and to adapt to other conditions for survival. Adaptation is another way that is used to solve social problems, especially problems that arise from perceptions. For example there is a perceived problem in Africa, the problem of homosexuals. To many people this is a problem that is causing sleepless nights to religious leaders, politicians, HIV/AIDS activists and human rights activists. But what is the solution the community is searching for? Will the community able to eradicate homosexuality? What real harm can homosexuality cause? It is a problem-yes. But it is a perceptional problem, and the only sure, cheap and easy solution is there- the community has to adapt to this new phenomenon, since it can not cause any catastrophe to the human race. Adaptation is a solution, and an added way to overcome this is through awareness programs so that the community come to accept the new phenomenon. The ideas discussed in the video on how to change the world are very essential and practical. These aspects have a global focus and can be applied anywhere where change or innovation has to be made. The fact that in this discussion the writer based in Africa finds the suggestion applicable shows the universality of what was discussed in the video. The example of India shows that the ideas can not only apply in America, but also in Asia. When the writer followed the discussion on how to change the world he was able to give practical example from Africa to exemplified how useful the suggestions are and how applicable the recommendations are. The example from Brazil also shows the practicality of the ideas. The example of the revolving fund brings Europe into the picture. The idea of the revolving fund that is now being used across Africa has its beginning in Canada, which is a European Country. The implementation of the revolving fund was done after studying the Canadian example. So fo llowing the discussion on how to change the world, the description equally fits the change that started in Canada; the issue of the revolving fund. It is therefore important to note that the innovation, implementation and evaluation measures applicable in the first word countries can be done in developing countries. With this in mind it is easy to conclude that if we apply the concepts and philosophies explained and expanded in the video How to Change the World, surely the world can be changed, and together we can change it for the betterment of mankind. BIBLIOGRAPHY McAdam, R and Moffett, S(2010)University Of Ulster Innovation. Shirley Ann Hazzlet: Belfast Rundle,C.R(2010)Communication problem Solver: Simple Tools and Techniques For Business Managers. AMACOM books: New York Robbin,S(2008)Spirituality, Ethics and Care.Kingsley:london Heath, R.C(2004)Responding to Crisis.A Rhetorical Approach to Crisis Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwa Jackson, P.Z(2001) The Simple Way to positive change.Nicholas Brealey Publishing:London. Hitchcok, D.E and Willard, M.L (2008) step by step Planning: How to Create and implement Sustainability Plans in Any Business Organ.Va Earthscan Ltd:London. Maser, C(2009).Earth in Our Care: Ecology, Economy and Sustainability. Rutgers University Press:New Brunswik. Lenner, P (2009) Environmental, Law, and Non profits: How NGOs Shape our Laws, Health and Communities. Pace Environmental review 26 No 1. Wint 2009 MAGAZINES Brunchhorst, D.J: landscapes Shaped by People and the Place institutions Require A new Conservation Agenda. BioScience 60 No 8 (2010) Nigg, J.N et all. Measured Gene-By-Environment Interaction In Relation to Attention- Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology 49 No(Sept 2010 Raudsepp,H et all. Untangling The environmentalists paradox: Why is Human Well-being Increasing as Ecosystem Services Degrade. BioScience 60 No 8 Sep 2010. Singer,J and Helfrich C. Supporting RD support Groups. Research Technology Management51 No1 Jan/Feb (2008) Allen, S.M .Missed Connections. Social Forces 79 No 4 (2001) Karen,H(2008)Care Sociacultural Practice , Aesthetic Experience in the Art Clasroom: Visual Arts Research 34 No 1 Atkins, M. Five Key Concepts For Suitanaible Innovation. Industry Week 259 No.7. J1 2010. Mansdorf, Z. Sustainability-EHS Challenge . EHS Today 3 No1 Jan 2010. Penton Media Inc. Cleveland. WEB PAGES Nature versus Nurture www.wikipedia.com Research Papers on How to Change The worldEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThree Concepts of PsychodynamicGenetic EngineeringCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement

Why it is so difficult to evaluate the influence of women on Viking Essay

Why it is so difficult to evaluate the influence of women on Viking society - Essay Example The saga writers of the 13th century belonged to an oral tradition, which embraced written culture like the Holy Bible. It is characteristic of Scandinavian or Norse societies, that they had never had any hierarchical form of governing. But Viking societies now had a king, who served as a ruler, and men were the dominant group in the society and the family. All these social aspects were then highlighted in epics and romance. As a result, saga writing became a political act in gender relations under this situation. The ideological view of the binary opposition formed a kind of "stereoscopic" view on women as depicted in the sagas, paying special attention to gender roles and the contexts of these performances. First, when one looks at women's representation in one of the oldest forms of Icelandic literature, the 'Gylfaginning' saga, most of the gods are represented as warriors, and are thus heroic images. This depicts the social role of males as being the 'external' heroes and proves their dominance both in the society and in their own family. Goddesses such as Frigg and Freyji usually represented marriage, motherhood, fertility, love, household management and domestic art2. Frigg and Freyji are the highest goddesses from the sir and Vanir races. In addition to their divine images, they are always seen as role models for the moral code for Viking women. Oral literature or written sagas were the major entertainment for Vikings, so the sagas worked as 'social education', developing the stereotype and the binary ideology in the Viking society. With this change and suppression of the past, there still were "strong women" in oral sagas in the Viking age. But nevertheless women we re constrained from playing the role of remembering and preserving the connection with the past, and evoking it in a way that minimizes its potential disruption of, or threat to, the present symbolic order3. Additionally, because of changes in political, social and religious culture, Viking women have lost their power in the public sphere. That's why women in sagas have always been the subordinate group under the authority of the male in the family. As in the Laxdoela Saga, the father was the one who decided about Gudrd's first marriage to Thorvald, a man she did not love4. This fact shows that women were under male's authority and seldom appeared in public. They were powerful in their limited private surrounding, taking care of their household and family, but still faced the binary opposition that influenced their society and the role and power of Viking women. Ultimately, it has blurred or flattened the influence of female Vikings on Viking society. To understand the social and historical function of sagas in Old Norse society, it is necessary to see, how women were represented in early legislation, together with their life's depictions in archaeological documents. In the medieval Scandinavian culture and from my study of the sagas, Viking women were always signified and related to the household and to nurturing their family and children. We can see this from one of the oldest sagas in Northman Literature, the Saga