Behind A Convicts Eyes, Behind Prison Walls in a Modern American Prison essays

Behind A Convict's Eyes, Behind Prison Walls in a Modern American Prison essays 1950's films about babes behind bars' aside, even Hollywood has had difficulty fully romanticizing the experience of prison. Even Hollywood shows a prison that eviscerates the human soul in a horrific fashion, as seen in films such as "Hurricane" and "Animal Factory." The protagonists of both films are changed forever because of their prison experiences. They are, and this is perhaps the Hollywood' element of their story, changed for the better. But the changes come more along the lines of a what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' line of narrative argument, rather than because prison fulfills an essentially rehabilitative function. It would be nice if prisons could rehabilitate as well as destroy. But the nature of the system seems to do more to keep individuals whom are harmful to society, away from the rest of so-called law abiding society, rather than to really change the ineffective life patterns and emotional coping mechanisms that exist within the structural life patterns of criminals. Behind A Convict's Eyes does little to alter this sense of prison as a holding cell' of the human soul, a site of stasis rather than of shifting consciousness for most. Perhaps this is because the central protagonist will never leave the prison whose existence he discusses. But it may also be because of the nature of the incarceration system as a Behind A Convict's Eyes as a real-life depiction of life in modern American prison lacks even the Hollywood touches of a protagonist denied justice, or the solidarity that ostensibly exists behind bars. There is a prison culture,' the book makes clear. Just as a criminal culture encouraged individuals to participate in criminal activity while they were living on the outside,' similarly there is also a culture of the criminally incarcerated that exists on the inside of prison walls. But the sadness and the hopelessness o...

Labour Economics

Labour Economics Labour EconomicsThe current problems between Qantas and the ACTU over employment of casual labour highlight substantial changes in the composition of the Australian workforce over the past few decades and some of the resistance to it. Gone is the traditional ' cradle to grave' career. These changes have come about for a number of reasons. New technology, micro and macro economic reforms, eg. tariff reform, industrial relations reforms, standards and quality controls have all brought about significant change. Other factors influencing this process, has been the adoption of management strategies that emphasise flexibility, requiring more use of part time and casual labour.'Full time work is defined as employment that requires workers to work 35 hours or more per week. Part time workers are those that are employed less than 35 hours.' (Healey, 1999, p.6) Casual are those that are not entitled to either annual or sick leave entitlements which permanent employees enjoy, thanks to the effo rts of organised labour in the form of trade unions.The Labour Supply curveUse of more efficient mechanisation and technology has reduced the number of workers in traditional 'blue collar' areas such as low and semi skilled workers in manufacturing, and mining industries, leading to a reduction of 70,000 workers between 1988-1998. It is not only 'blue collar' workers who are affected by technology and automation. During this time, technology has led to the reduction in the finance sector of 16,200 jobs. The increasing unemployment, has led to a greater demand for fewer jobs, therefore less job security and in some cases replacement of full time with part time work. 'These shifts in employment opportunities resulted in an increase in service industry jobs to nearly 72 percent in 1997 of all employment. Hospitality and retail both have large numbers of casual and part time staff, hospitality...

The Financier Alwaleed bin Talal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Financier Alwaleed bin Talal - Assignment Example l who is currently fifty years old has being able to amass a lot of wealth since the year 1979 after finishing his university education and the latest Forbes ranking placed him as the 26th richest man in the world with a net worth reported to be approximately US $20 billion. Al Waleed Talal’s main investment vehicle is his Kingdom Holding Company where he owns 96% of the total shareholding. Khan (2005) further wrote that despite being a member of the Saudi’s royal family, Al Waleed Talal early childhood was not that rosy since a single mother raised him and this could be perhaps among the driving forces that have propelled him to be a successful man. According to Khan (2005), among the personal initiatives of Al Waleed Talal that have shaped him to become the most prominent Arab businessperson and investor is the military training that he received upon finishing high school that can be assumed made him a strict business man who is fully active on all of his business ventures. According to Khan (2005), the military training hardened him as a person and hence the reason why despite being a member of the Saudi royal family, he is the only member who has been able to amass a lot of wealth on his own, and even become the most influential Arab in the world. According to Khan (2005), in the business world Al Waleed Talal personal character is seen as an aggressive investor eager to tap on potential opportunities that may appear non-lucrative at the time, such as buying Citigroup’s shares while the company was in crisis. Al Waleed Talal is a philanthropic businessperson and through his foundation, he has made numerous donations mostly in a bid to further Islamic education in the world. Al Waleed Talal’s successful career has also being shaped up by his professional initiatives that have given him the skills required to run a successful business and even become a successful businessperson. To begin with, Khan (2005) stated that Al Waleed Talal has a Bachelor of

Horror dark fiction essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Horror dark fiction - Essay Example But Stephen King as well as Lovecraft use many times the dangerous character that cannot be described it’s something that even author cannot tell, but this fact frighten a reader even stronger. All people have fear of something unknown and strange and this fear can be considered to be the main acting part of such type of fiction. Fear of something unknown is stronger than of people or animals. Desperate position with unknown creatures or things can produce more effect on the reader than the equal situation with people or animals. But some authors are used to use people like a characters and in the work of Lovecraft â€Å"The Colour out of space† we can see something indescribable. Some creature or even substance that came from the space. One cannot identify for what reason it came and what it will do, but the effect on the people was terrible, as well as on the land. â€Å"  It must, I thought as I viewed it, be the outcome of a fire; but why had nothing new ever grown over these five acres of grey desolation that sprawled open to the sky like a great spot eaten by acid in the woods and fields† (Lovecraft). People became mad of something that was like an as teroid and animals began to do some strange things. â€Å"It was a little before this that the horses had stampeded. Something had aroused them in the night, and their neighing and kicking in their stalls had been terrible. There seemed virtually nothing to do to calm them, and when Nahum opened the stable door they all bolted out like frightened woodland deer. (Lovecraft)† There was one description of something that landed and it was some object that was constantly warm and has the colour that one cannot describe. Some people called it â€Å"Color of the space† (Lovecraft) â€Å"They had uncovered what seemed to be the side of a large coloured globule embedded in the substance. The colour, which resembled some of the bands in the meteors strange spectrum, was almost impossible to describe; and it

English 1B Short Story Comparison essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English 1B Short Story Comparison - Essay Example This paper compares and contrasts these two stories in terms of themes, point of view, and style. As stated by Tim O’Brien the story The Things they Carried portrays peace or reconciliation and not warfare or conflict yet for the combatants they have to engage in warfare before attaining peace. The setting for the story is mostly in Vietnam, and those chapters that occur in other parts of the world are thoughts about the war and the extent of its impact on the individuals that the combatants mature into. Being engaged in war for too long made the soldiers unable to cope with their ‘normal’ surroundings (O’Brien 23): They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment. The second important theme is guilt. There is an enormous level of guilt taking place in the story. For instance, both Cross and Bowker think that they should be held responsible for the death of Kiowa. Even O’Brien senses too much guilt for taking the life of an unreal person. The third central theme is truth. O’Brien emphasized that truth is revealed in numerous different ways in the story. Although not every part of the stories is real, the emotions and sentiments within them are. The last major theme is seclusion. The soldiers were secluded from the outside world, for that was there way to survive. They regarded everybody as strangers and not only the people of Vietnam but those at home too. Even at home they regarded themselves secluded, for the people around them were unable to understand or grasp the ordeals they had to endure in order to survive. One of the most obvious

Critical Debate On Nuclear Family Sociology Essay

Critical Debate On Nuclear Family Sociology Essay There is a great deal of work within many disciplines, such as history, psychology and anthropology, on family studies, available to researchers. This undoubtedly serves to inform our awareness of the interdisciplinary, varied, and at times controversial, nature and lack of stability around the idea of family. Much of this research highlights a number of major perceived problematics: the related characteristic political discourses, social policies and cultural narratives, which differ dramatically from contemporary family relationships and formations of the 21st century. In view of this, this essay critically explores the concept of the nuclear family. It discusses the political contexts and social discourse in which understanding of family has been set. It explores how and why understandings of what make family have changed, paying attention to how it is lived within contemporary society. It reflects on the practices that equate to family. Section 1 Critical debate on nuclear family Many early functionalist sociologists perspectives on the family (Murdock, 1949; Talcott Parsons, 1960) focus heavily on the idea of the nuclear family, which consists of a married couple (male and female) and their biological offspring. There are many issues with the functionalist nuclear family model. For example, it assumes the family to be composed of a heterosexual couple, and that specific structures and practices exist which define this type of family (Widner Jallinoja, 2008). Further to this, the nuclear family model makes assumptions about gender roles within these specific structures (OINONEN, 2008). It is heterosexist (Stacey Davenport, 2002; Pothan, 1992), based on traditional historic ideas of what family should be (Richardson, 2001). For example, the man is the provider and the woman is the nurturer. It promotes hierarchies within the family, with the man situated at the top in relation to the woman, but also as adults in relation to the children (Taylor, 1998). This model can also be seen as western, and assumes a universal model rather than thinking through the historical and cultural specificity of family formations. As a functionalist construct, some researchers (Weeks, Heaphy Donovan, 2001) highlight the heterosexual functions and practices that families have assumed, such as the socialisation of children, where children and young people learn social roles and morals, what is right or wrong: the norms. Donavan (2013) notes this as the heterosexual assumption; similarly, Rich (2007) discusses this in terms of compulsory heterosexuality, assuming this is how gendered roles are transmitted and important for the development of sexualities. The functionalist nuclear family model makes the assumption that specific family formation is not neutral, often with a privileging of heterosexuality (Donavan. 2013). This, however, is a certain form of heterosexuality, as not all heterosexuals are privileged in the same way, for example, if they live outside of the normative ways of living associated with the nuclear family model, such as single or gay parents. Therefore, it could be argued that the nuclear family model is heterosexualised, classed and racialised against these none-normative ways of living (single and gay parents) and their forms of inappropriate heterosexuality. It could be claimed that the functionalist nuclear family model suggests that there is a particular form of living within a heterosexual way that becomes the pinnacle of how we should live, look up to and aspire to do or be. That is not just in terms of how we live with our families, but also the practices within and outside of society: the public and private, for example how we believe authentic love happens. To conclude, many early functionalist sociologists perspectives on the nuclear family (Murdock, 1949; Talcott Parsons, 1960) are now heavily criticised and outdated. However, what we do have are cultural, political and ideological discourses that equate the family to being a specific shape, structure and set of roles. Section 2 Political and social contexts Before discussing and evaluating the new terms and theories within and around family, it is important to reflect on the political contexts and social discourse in which understandings of family and specifically the nuclear family have been set. The late 80s and early 90s were noted as the start of a neo-liberalist society, yet ideologically this era also promoted a particular way of living: a neo-conservative family life. After reading up on some of the literature around government policy and practices from this period, I can see a real contradiction as to whether the state had any involvement in personal / private family lives or not. It tended to step away, detach and disengage in one sense, yet normalise, regulate and control in another. For example, Thatchers views on family and what family was were simple: traditional Victorian family values and the nuclear family. Thatcher and the Conservative government argued that the 60s had started to tear apart this ideal of the family and promote inappropriate promiscuity and sexual freedom. Thatchers also disliked the fact that there were many social movements developing, such as the Hippy Movement, Civil Rights Movement and Peace Movement, and in the late 70s and early 80s, the conservative government felt like their ideal of the family was under attack (Holborn Steel, 2012). Thatcher argued that this was potentially the end of society and the nuclear family and that she will fight hard to regain the traditional family values. It could be claimed that her neo-conservative intentions were to reinforce traditional Victorian family values in society, and re-establish the importance of the traditional heterosexual nuclear family. There was a great deal of legislation created on the basis of Thatcherism, a new hegemonic politics in which the Left was increasingly marginalized. For example, Section 28 (also known as Claus 28) of the local government act 1988 was a controversial amendment to the UKs local government act 1986. Enacted on the 24th May 1998, the amendment stated that local education authorities shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. After Section 28 was passed, there was a lot of debate as to whether it actually applied in schools or whether it applied only to local education authorities. Most teachers acted extra cautious due to not knowing what they were actually permitted to do. Some sociologists (Weeks, 2007) believed that Section 28 enlisted teachers to stigmatise part of our society; and this then caused schools to fail to engage in basic social justices. In relation to these concerns; and a call for further explanation by numerous professionals working in the pedagogic environment, the National Union of Teachers published a statement, remarking that: whilst section 28 applies to local authorities and not to schools, many teachers believe, albeit wrongly, that it imposes constraints in respect of the advice and counselling they give to pupils. Professional judgement is therefore influenced by the perceived prospect of prosecution. Similarly, the Department for Education and Science (1988) made the following statement regarding Section 28: Section 28 does not affect the activities of the school governors, nor the teachers. It will not prevent the objective discussion of homosexuality in the classroom, nor the counselling of pupils concerned about their sexuality Many Conservative backbenchers disagreed with the above statements, and supporters such as Baroness Knight of Collingtree (then Conservative MP Jill Knight) who introduced Section 28, and wanted to back up her initial justification for the act, discussed the history behind initially setting up Section 28. She was the chairman of her local Child and Family Protection Group, and was contacted by numerous concerned parents who strongly objected to the fact that their children were being taught about homosexuality through specific literature that was being used to teach their 5 and 6 year olds. For example, a book called The Playbook for Kids about Sex, in which brightly coloured stick men showed all about homosexuality, and how it was done. Another book called The Milkmans on his Way explicitly described homosexual intercourse. In retrospect, the above statements seem to suggest something of an internal problem: a problem with the literature that was being produced for the pedagogic environments. This was also brought to light in 1983, when the Daily Mail reported that a copy of a book entitled Jenny lives with Eric and Martin, portraying a little girl who lives with her father and his gay partner, was provided in a school library run by a London Education Authority. There was a large political response towards Clause 28; and this served to galvanise the disparate British gay rights movement into action; and the resulting protests saw the rise of now famous groups like Stonewall, started by, amongst other people, Ian McKellen and OutRage!, subsequently led by Peter Tatchell, who is still now an iconic gay activist (Tatchell, 1993; LGF, 2008). Although Section 28 has been repealed on the 18th November 2003 by section (122) of the local government act 2003, there are still a number of complex issues to be tackled with regards to the teaching of homosexuality, gay marriage and contemporary family life. Faith school are a major problem (LGF, 2008), and as Waller (2009) suggests religious views need to be addressed more. More debate is needed on love, respect and diversity within and outside of contemporary family life for faith schools, as this would then avoid the so called promotion of homosexuality and pretend family relationships, and focus more on the diversity of sexuality and family life. Gay rights activists, such as Tatchel (2001), discuss their concern for the lack of progress within this area, and mentioned that there is going to be more of a battle to beat the last acceptable prejudice within our education system (LGF, 2008). In contrast, Waller (2009) suggested that as sex education in England and Wales has been regulated solely by the Secretary of State for Education since the Learning and Skills Act (2000) and the Education Act (1996), it could be argued that Section 28, before its repeal, was already largely redundant. Local education authorities, such as Manchester, continued to deliver training to their staff on how to deliver their services without discrimination against lesbians and gay men; and these pioneering works were never once challenged by the act (Waller, 2009). There is, however, one case of Section 28 being used to bring a case to the courts against a council. In May, 2000, the Christian Institute unsuccessfully took Glasgow City Council to court for funding an AIDS support charity which the Institute alleged promoted homosexuality and disrespectful family relationships. It could be suggested that in order to create change, we must consider the psychology (Hanley, 1993): mapping the information against the general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) curriculum, and making it accessible to the children. Training the teachers so that they are confident in delivering it correctly, as at present, many teachers are not equipped to discuss the complexities of the human sexuality and contemporary family life. Cookson et al, (2009) suggests that this personal and professional development should be a priority for any local education authority. Schools should be encouraged to expressively forbid discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation within their codes of conduct, whether the school has a religious character or not (Cookson et al, 2009). Then, at an appropriate stage of the national curriculum, students should be encouraged to examine the variety of views on human sexuality and family life, and as Waller (2009) suggests, this will then allow them to develop their own position within their understanding of and within these complex areas. However, despite the controversy around Section 28, it should be noted that Thatcher supported legalising homosexuality in the 1960s, and in the face of severe opposition from Tory traditionalists, in 1967, she voted in favour of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales. The Conservative government still however caused much uproar, as although the hegemonic legislation was in force, to ostracise; to an extent it did the opposite. It made people fight. Fight for their right to have equality, to be a family, or at least have that choice. Although many gay communities had been decimated by the AIDS epidemic, something extraordinary happened. People joined together, from within and outside of their communities, as a family, setting up support groups, lobbying parliament, fighting for their right as a community, and as a family. Not blood-related though, but as families of choice (Donavan, 2012; Weeks, 2001). They had connectedness, cared for each other, and were loyal: and not the drug-taking, promiscuous loons as described by one Tory MP at the time (Briggs, 1987). Over the following years, many of the HIV positive men died, and during this period further inequalities became stark. Partners, who had supported, cared for and loved their partner for many years were not recognised legally, for example, during the sale of a house. Blood family members of the deceased or dying would deny same sex partners access to their dying partners bedside or attendance at the funeral. These harsh inequalities highlighted through these challenging times, but also politicised a generation (Donavan, 2013). Weeks (2007: 2) support this notion of politicisation, and suggests that the longer term perspective tells us something different as despite the setbacks, pain and loss of the 1980s and early 1990s we can now see that under the surface of events, dramatic changes in sexual and intimate life were taking place, a sort of grass roots revolution, that have transformed the possibilities of LGBTQ lives In view of Weeks (2007) quote, it should therefore be argued that the battle for legislative reform is about a formalisation of a right to exist in the public sphere, and a public declaration of, for example, love, marriage, equal opportunities and family. Weeks (2007) supports this critique and proposes that this shake up also started to deconstruct the idea of a family unit, and so destabilise specific social norms and boundaries, which existed between the public and the private. This political and social shift is important, as when public and private start to collide, the old school family unit that is ideologically engrained within society and culture is challenged (Richardson, 2000). This is a powerful, and much needed shake up, which has had considerable consequences further down the line, and has attacked many discriminative social forces and factors underpinned within many forms of discrimination. It is also important to acknowledge the processes and changes underpinned within the wider political, economic and cultural realities, and how these may have been challenged. In de constructing the idea of the family, we can then start to challenge the tradition behind it, which takes away its power, its right to dominance, govern and lead. This idea of tradition is still however problematic, as Weeks (2007) notes, due to the fact that the evidence is limited when looking at tradition beyond specific recent time frames and histories, and that due to this lack of empiricability, can we be certain people always follow tradition, and by tradition I mean as how we see it. It could be argued that this was not the case, and tradition, as we see it, has shifted over time, context and reality. What we see now as tradition may have at specific points in history been its opposite, with the normal of our tradition shifting to the abnormal of our non-traditional realities. Therefore, it could be argued that tradition and its underpinnings are by no means monochrome, in any historical, political and / or cultural reality. Williams (2004) conceptualises this well and terms this re-traditionalisation, yet Weeks (2007) still argues for more of a de-traditionalisation. Whatever the term used, it could be argued that either or suggest that back in the 80s during the birth of Stonewall and other political and social equality movements, and also now, as we were (and still are) searching for an individualism, or a framework that supports this. It could be maintained that if people were allowed to manage their own lives, their own way of living, without fear or discrimination, different forms of community and / or individual arrangements would develop, assisting life in its creative, problem-solving, innovatory way. This process of social restructuring (or as Williams (2004) terms re-traditionalisation and Weeks (2007) terms de-tradionalisation) is important to consider with my research when thinking about my research, and the participants (also my own) political, cultural and social histories and contexts, and how these have been changed, adapted and developed within and outside of tradition as we see it now in this specific context and reality, during their specific coming-out process. Section 3 Why / how family has changed and how it is now lived + reflections on family practices. These previously discussed political and social developments highlight the fact that ways of living have changed, causing major variations in the compositions and practices of families and intimate relationships. At the core of the debate sociologists such as Finch (2007), Smart (2007), Donavan (2013) and Stacey (2004) emphasise that the old concepts no longer capture the realities of contemporary family living and that new definitions, concepts, ideas, ideologies, terms and legislation are needed. Smart (2007: 84), a feminist sociologist and academic, defines the family as: a set of personal relationships that are forged together to create dynamic and multidimensional connections held together through shared histories and memories. Smarts (2007) quote suggests that individuals live in a diverse array of living conditions and relationship formations, within and throughout a major social institution and a locus of much of an individuals social activity. It also highlights the importance of shared histories and memories, not just blood ties or relations. Smarts (2007) definition recognises that this new conceptualisation of family highlights the significance of dependencies, interdependencies, connectedness and relationalism as central features within social grouping identified as family. All the above suggests there are many factors that shape the experience of family life, for example, social class, race, sexuality (lesbian or heterosexual couples) and family structure, for example, nuclear family, extended family and single-parent families. This adds a new dimension to the study of family as it links family experiences to other influences in society, signifying that the family is not an isolated entity but rather an integral part of the wider social system with society. Calvin (2011), on the other hand, disagrees with much of Smart (2007) observations and defines the family as: a social unit created by blood, marriage, or adoption, which can be described as nuclear (parents and children) or extended (encompassing other relatives). There remains many obvious problematics within the Calvin (2011) definition. For example, extended family may not be relatives, but could be friends, neighbours, work colleagues, and / or ex or current partners. The nuclear family concept has also been critiqued by many (Finch, 2007, Smart, 2007 and Donavan, 2013) (also see section 1) and holds many perceived problematics: westernised, heterosexist, gendered, and assuming a universal model which alludes to the historical and cultural specificity of contemporary family formations. It could be argued that in contemporary society, many individuals now live in households that are single-parent, gay, lesbian, interfaith, international, interracial, intergenerational, and increasingly single-person, not to mention families of long-term companions, adopted children, or half-siblings. Calvins (2011) definition does not seem to take this specificity and multidimensionality into consideration. Fields, Jason and Casper (2001:67) support my critique of Calvins (2011) definition, and suggest that it is generally assumed today that the modern family has undergone significant transformations in its structure, and that societal changes have contributed to a harsh reduction in the percentage of classical typical families, predominantly nuclear families. Replacing these are childless families, one parent families, other family formations, and quasi-family units based on non-marital cohabitation (Fields, Jason and Casper, 2001:69), which includes (and will include more so after the recent legalisation of gay marriage in the UK) gay parents and families. Sociologists such as Finch (2007) and Smart (2007) have clearly highlighted the many diverse arrays of living as a family, and how this must be recognised within the literature. However, there are also many terms that underpin these theories, for example, families of choice (Weeks, Donavan, and Heaphy), postmodern families, and families of origin (Morgan (2007). There has been much debate as to whether these sit alongside the idea of the nuclear family or in opposition. There has also been much debate around a shifting postmodern nuclear family. This section of this essay will therefore discuss and evaluate some of these terms, critiquing the literature. Donavan et al (2001) incorporated the term families of choice (also known as families we choose coined by Kath Western, 1998) which means literally asking the participants for names of people they see as family. For example, if I decided to use this term within my research and one of my participants stated that 2 of his friends, his step brother and his second aunt were the people he recognised as family this would be fine. Similarly, if another participant involved no blood relatives this would also be fine. Families of choice literally mean people choose their families. Donavan (2001) does however express some concerns with this method and notes that within her 2001 study with Weeks and Heaply, two well-known social constructionists, as many of the heterosexual participants named blood family when ask to discuss family; whereas many of the non-heterosexual participants named mainly friends and (ex) lovers as family. Although this does not suggest an obvious issue, it does suggest a lack of closeness, or connectness with the LGBT participants and their blood family compared to that of their heterosexual counterparts. Although this term sits well for my research, the same issue could occur. A way around this could be to break the question down further. For example, ask the participants to name 5 people who they feel are most important to them in their life. And once a list has been put together, ask them to decide who they see as family. This 2 staged question may be a way of getting around this issue around participants misunderstanding the term family. Not including the term family would be helpful until I understood who they classed as family. On the other hand, by using the term families of choice, I am giving the participants a choice to choose whoever as their family members, and this open-ended approach is enabling them to decide. Therefore, would it really be an issue if they did not include any blood relatives, or included all blood relative? Modern policy (Children and Adoption Act, 2006; Equal Marriage Bill, 2013; Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, 2008) has noted a shift to two parents of any gender (but still a demonization of single parent families due to an underlying stigmatization mainly but not exclusively enhanced by stereotypical negative Media perceptions). The question is could we call the 2 parent family of the same gender a nuclear family and would we want too? Donavan (2013) suggests it is not, although structurally it looks the same, i.e. two parents, 2 children, a household, but if you look at the social roles within it, it is very different. For example, there may be no men or no women involved, and usually there is at least one parent who has no biological relation to the child. It could therefore be argued that the term postmodern family sits better here (and also potentially within my research). This term suggests it can be what it is, in this specific moment in time, through the specific structures and practices it has/uses. This concept also recognises that what you describe as your family now may not be family in 5 years time for example. Although it could be argued that the term postmodern family is doing nothing apart from saying meaning of family can change historically. On the other hand, terms that help to destabilise gendered and heterosexist terms like that nuclear family model are a welcome addition. There are many different ways of theorizing family and the practices within it, but in reality, when it comes to gay youth and my intended area of study, many of these individuals will come from heterosexual family set ups and have been exposed unconditionally to heterosexual family practices. Therefore, using the a term like families of origin (Morgan, 2007) could be beneficial as it describes the setup of your life at that point in time, whether it be step families, friends, blood mother or adopted father. This again gives the participant flexibility in their choices. The term origin however may be confusing as origin suggests where you have come from, which then suggests blood or adopted family, with the exclusion of friends, (ex) partners, and work colleagues. It could also be beneficial to ask my participants about their understanding of families i.e. where they see their families being, or who is classed as their family, as during Weeks, Heaply and Donavans (2001) study, many of their LGBT participants failed to recognise blood family as family members. This would suggest that they may have disconnected from their families of origin and that it did not occur to them to speak or include them into their LGBT sphere, or private world. However, this study is now 12 years old, and many changes have occurred since then, potentially highlighting a shift in generational understandings and acceptance of how, who and why we consider certain people to be classed as our family. In view of the above, Finch (2007: 71) notes that the way in which we consider our family is qualitatively orientated. By this she means decided by a number of internal and external factors including, location, relationships, love, employment, religion, sexuality and friendship. In view of Finchs (2007) consideration, it could be argued that this process of qualitative orientation demands considerable creativity when initiating the design, composition and practices of the family, and how these intimate networks are constructed, perceived and maintained (Stacey, 2004: 359). It could also be argued that as Stacey (2004) has identified this as a process, this then suggests a considerable shift from the previous definition of family and the nuclear family, through the household or through kinship: set and defined, to a more holistic way of thinking, friendly and accepting to the diversity and variation of modern family formations. Gabb (2008: 22), who is an interdisciplinary sociologist, terms this the extended family. Her research consists of a combination of autobiographical, anecdotal and empirical methods and methodologies, which re-situate emotions at the centre of family studies. She suggests that the process of family selection mentioned by Stacy (2004) requires an extended approach; a wide angle research lens that can record the evolving matrix of intimacy (Gabb, 2008:17). I agree with Gabbs (2008) comments on the matrix or intimacy and argue that this idea places much emphasis on relationship formation, which in turn constitutes and creates family life. Contemporary psycho-sociologists Mcload and Thomson (2009) support this critique, and suggest that Gabbs (2008) idea of the extended family places increasing importance on the way in which relationships are built, with ideas of social change at the forefront of this process. The contemporary research above highlights the importance of recognises fluidity within the composition of the family unit and also highlights briefly how we select family; however, it is also important to discuss how contemporary family life is defined more by doing family things rather than being a family. For example, Morgan (1996) is one of the most influential sociologist who initially highlighted the importance to shift sociological analysis away from family as a structure to which individuals in some sense belong, towards understanding families as sets of activities which take on a particular meaning, associated with family, at any a given point in time (Finch, 2007:66). Morgan (1996) defines these family practices as: a set of practices which deal in some way with ideas of parenting, kinship and marriage and the expectedness and obligation which are associated with these practices. The key features of the practices approach in general are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An attempt to link the perspectives of the observers and the social actors; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An emphasis on the active or doing; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A sense of the everyday; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A sense of the regular; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A sense of fluidity or fuzziness; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A linking of history and biography. Morgan (2011) uses the term family practices as an illustration of wider currents of thought in sociology engaged with understanding how social relations are enacted and represented as symbols, combining a number of key concepts that other scholars have used to analyse contemporary families. These include fluidity, diversity, and multi-facetedness, by rooting our understanding of doing family in the everyday and the routine. These everyday routines are where individuals constitute certain actions and activities as family practices, as family (defined by Morgan and Finch) is a facet of social life, not a social institution; it represents a quality not a thing. A good example of this routine that constitutes family practices was in Finch (2007) where she discusses 2 examples of her own family practices: the weekly phone call which she makes to her sister; and her care in assuring that a step child gets Christmas presents as valuable as those she gives to her own children. These are actions that allow her to regard these people as part of her family. Finch (2007:55) also quotes from my perspective these are family practices. When discussing these practices, Morgan (1996: 190) recognises that these practices are often little fragments of daily life which are part of the normal taken for granted existence of practitioners. Their significance derives from their location in a wider system of meaning. Finch (2007:66) supports Morgan (1996) quote and suggest that the emphasis is on social actors creatively constituting their own social world. It could therefore be argued that an individuals understanding of family is subject to change over time and locations, deeply rooted in individual biographies and realities. This is something I need to

The Difficulties of Implementing the Good Friday Agreement Essay

The Difficulties of Implementing the Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement was voted on by a relatively large turnout of 68.8% in 1998 and was rejected by a significant 29% of people in Northern Ireland. For the past six years it has proved to be difficult to implement and there are a number of reasons for this. The emphasis on issues raised in the agreement has changed over the years and some are proving to be more difficult to implement than others. A major area within the Good Friday Agreement is the setting up of an Assembly. Hard line Unionists such as the DUP refuse to accept the Assembly. They refuse to sit at a table with Sinn FÃ ©in in cross party talks while they argue that Sinn FÃ ©in still have links with the IRA. The DUP's mindset has been created by fifty two years of unionist rule. They do not wish to accept principles contained within the agreement which they feel they have already rejected in the 1974 power sharing executive. The DUP are now offering a full re-negotiation of the agreement and their slogan for the last elections was, 'It's time for a new deal.' There are deep divisions within the official unionist party. There is continual disagreement over how many concessions can be made to nationalists. David Trimble the party leader has remained committed to the agreement despite bitter criticism from fellow unionists and himself also feeling uneasy over some elements of it. He has faced leadership challenges and recent defections to the DUP by Geoffrey Donaldson, Arlene Foster and Norah Beare have reduced the number of seats held by the UUP. David Trimble must have ... ...ng to have it raised again. The flying of paramilitary flags particularly around the marching season upsets and provokes nationalists who feel threatened by such and obvious display of paramilitary strength. The agreement could now be said to be more difficult to implement than before due to the recent election results. The middle ground lost out while extremists at the opposite end of the political spectrum gained votes. The DUP have a majority of 33 seats and Sinn FÃ ©in has 27. This perhaps suggests that more moderate voters have become disillusioned and no longer believe in the capabilities of their politicians to do their job. There could be a feeling of apathy towards the peace process. However this does not mean that peace is not obtainable in Northern Irelandand with hard work and co-operation it is achievable.

Creative Process Essay

When I think about artistic profession I often wonder why artists want to be artists. The very idea of beginning every day with the obligation to create something of strong value, something that never existed before, seems really hard work and at the same time activity that has a strange beauty in itself. How does an artist engage in the creative process and make something-out-of-nothing to come into existence? How does the creative process begin? Does it have structure, or the creative process consists just of imagery and an elusive sparkle that lights the creative fire in the artist’s mind? I spent a lot of time examining professional life and work of many creative artists and how they are engaged in the creative process. This paper will make some generalizations about creativity and genius that are fundamental to the understanding of the creative process and then will analyze the creative process in the lives of four notable artists who are Langston Hughes, Alvin Ailey, Quincy Jones, and George Lucas. The insights of the creative process then will lead to the exploration of creative process in my own life. The Creative Process Creativity is a constantly stimulating process and ultimately causing excitement. To observe and experience it fully is some of the most gratifying aspects of the artistic life and professional activity. One of the possible difficulties of exploring or analyzing the creative process is that it can become uninspired. Really, one of the most recent debates in this sphere is whether or not creativity is simply an instance of rational and analytical problem solving or consists of other, more magic processes. Nevertheless, one thing is obvious – the main benefit of exploring creativity and the creative process is that one will ultimately come to the understanding of the processes experienced and more importantly will be able to improve the development and stimulate cultivation of creativity in himself and other people. What is known about the creative process? Let us consider the main components of the creative process. At first, one should know difference between the creative product and the creative process. A general distinction is that the creative product is the output of the artistic activity. It is the artistic output that is to be determined as creative or not creative. What are the characteristics of a product that is considered as creative? Torrance (1988), for example, in an analysis of definitions of creativity, stated that newness is a principal defining characteristic of the creative product. Newness, however, is not the only criteria. It is also of great importance that the product is good (that is, artistically appealing). Vernon (1989) proposed a more comprehensive definition of the creative product stating that, â€Å"Creativity means a person’s capacity to produce new or original ideas, insights, restructuring, inventions, or artistic objects, which are accepted by experts as being of scientific, aesthetic, social, or technological value† (p. 94). It can be seen that cultural values and norms are a necessary part of the criteria for considering some artistic output to be creative. A major question then that emerges is â€Å"what are the creative processes that lead to the creative output? † What the creative process is involved that increases the chances that an artist will generate a creative output? If one can recognize the constituting processes involved and the character of their interaction, then one can begin to get a picture of the fundamental essence of the creative process. To do this, I will examine the major stages of the creative process in the next sections. One of the first well-known attempts to study and theorize the creative process was by Wallas in 1926. Wallas proposed the major stages that reflect different processes of the creative process. Although the stages proposed by Wallas are generalized and global, his model provides a good foundation for the understanding of the creative process. This two-stage model involves the following creative processes: 1. Preparation Stage. In this stage the artist gathers different information, becomes thoroughly proficient, and identifies the problem. It is in this stage that the fundamental techniques and knowledge base for realization of a particular goal are mastered. Usually, the fundamental cognitive processes of logic, associations, and creative problem finding should be primary in this first stage. The first creative problem finder I would like to mention is named Langston Hughes. Like many other noble artists, Langston Hughes found problems to solve with art. Langston Hughes found problems to solve with his creative writing. He loved to communicate with people and observe the sights and sounds of his district in Harlem and then incorporate this experience into his works. The artist found many fascinating ideas for poems during this process. Actually, some of his most renowned poems tell about the things he perceived with his creative mind and people he met in Harlem. In the same manner, Alvin Ailey found problems to solve with his own choreography. Thus, for example, Ailey made Afternoon Blues (1953), his first creative dance work. Working with a musical piece from Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town, Ailey performed the hypersensual, animalistic role of the Faun (Latham, pp. 481–482). In this great work of the artist, Ailey produced a mental image of dance as a liberation from heterosexual white domination, he found a safe place in his creative work where he could travel into his inner world as a fully sensual human being free from usual problems of race and sexuality. Another example of problem solving by the artist is Ailey’s creative reaction to Horton’s death (he was Ailey’s mentor): the artist decided to make dances that tell dance stories about dear people he knew. He created his first choreographic works to â€Å"pay tribute to Lester Horton, to demonstrate the strength of James Truitte, and to emphasize the beauty and dramatic ability of Carmen de Lavallade† (Latham, pp. 485–486). Ailey was creative problem solver: â€Å"I knew nothing about making dances for a group so I put everything about modern dance which I had read or seen into the work. In addition, I did everything the way that I thought Lester would have done it†¦. I was just trying to be like Lester because I thought that was the way to be creative† (Latham, p. 488). 2. Illumination Stage. In this stage of the creative process ideas are generated using the analytical thinking and logical working on the problem. It is in this stage that Wallas introduced the process of the unconscious associations. Creative problem solving is not consciously made, but much organizing in a different way and free associating takes place outside of conscious awareness of the artist. In the next sections, there are several descriptions of creative artists and their experience in this illumination stage. During this process thoughts are permitted to roam in an uncontrollable manner. It is here that creative processes may play a particularly important role. Artist may want to examine works of the past centuries or creations from different cultures for generating new images that are based on the already created idea. This type of exercise can be thought of as an essential part of the analytical and associative skills necessary for the creative process. To better understand how this works let us examine the history of film that is full of analogical and associative thinking. One of the most famous and popular examples of movie creativity is George Lucas’s original Star Wars film of 1977. The success of the film is legendary. Moreover, it completely changed how movies are produced. Interestingly, none of the visual images that the film producer used during the writing of the plot were themselves original. Film observers state that most of Lucas’s imagery was taken from previous film stories and George Lucas himself admits that his original models were the Flash Gordon movie serials and Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars series of books: â€Å"I wanted to make an action movie – a movie in outer space like Flash Gordon used to be. . . . I wanted to make a movie about an old man and a kid. . . . I also wanted the old man to be like a warrior. I wanted a princess, too, but I didn’t want her to be a passive damsel in distress† (Interview with George Lucas). It seems that the screenwriter wanted to return to the sense of wonder and adventure movies that had expired him as he was a child but to update that sense for popular tastes of contemporary public and make good use of all the technological and cinematic new methods and devices that developed in the period that had passed since Flash Gordon. He one can see how Lucas was truly creative in this stage by incorporating in Star Wars the myth narrative; the screenwriter used a creative analytical and associative thinking and he succeeded. But this process was not a burst of inspiration; it evolved over a five-year period of rewriting and editing of the script: I began writing Star Wars in January 1973 – eight hours a day, five days a week, from then until March 1976, when we began shooting. Even then I was busy doing various rewrites in the evenings after the day’s work. In fact, I wrote four entirely different screenplays for Star Wars, searching for just the right ingredients, characters and storyline. . . . What finally emerged through the many drafts of the script has obviously been influenced by science fiction and action adventure I’ve read and seen. And I’ve seen a lot of it. I’m trying to make a classic sort of genre picture, a classic space fantasy in which all the influences are working together. There are certain traditional aspects of the genre I wanted to keep and help perpetuate in Star Wars (Zito 1977, p. 13). Important analyses on the cognitive processes involved in the creative process have been performed by a number of researchers. For example, Sternberg (Sternberg & Davidson, 1982) gave emphasis to the importance of insight in creative process. Sternberg and Davidson (1982) indicate that three types of insights are found in the creative process. First, the artist selectively separates relevant from irrelevant images. Selective union of separate parts brings about synthesizing isolated pieces of images into united wholes. In this way images are organized in new ways. This type of information gathering sets the stage for creative insights. Usually, creative artists have been transformed, have been inspired by, and often have plagiarized the ideas of other artist and from various cultures through the whole of history. This process can also be seen in Ailey’s work that echoed literary traditions of black cultural heritage, registering â€Å"the existence of a ‘black self’ that had transcended the limitations and restrictions that racism had placed on the personal development of the black individual. † Incorporating African American tradition and culture, Ailey’s creative work became an embodiment of African American culture. The artist’s creative process into concert dance was built on African American works and childhood memories. Ailey wrote about Redonda, later retitled Cinco Latinos (21 December 1958) that: â€Å"The innate sense of melodrama of the primitive ritual is exploited in this interpretation of an Afro-Brazilian fetishistic ritual, with movements based on both the sensual and animalistic elements of these rites† (Ailey program note). Ailey succeeded in the connecting the whole generation of African-American individuals with the mainstream U. S. culture. It is perhaps the ability to shift between stages that is important to the creative process. Such ability allows the artist to gain access to creative cognitive and affective processes. It enables the artist to transform or revise what he or she knows and to find new patterns. Like so many others in his time and after, creative record producer Quincy Jones in his creative process is both fascinated and inspired by the new media. He is enthusiastic about technology’s potential to move musical art one step further. This allowed Quincy Jones to succeed in creating real hits from ordinary singers and songs. When artists are engaged in these creative processes, they feel they are performing at the peak of their abilities. In my life I also feel that my creative work gives me insights and makes my live rich. Moreover, I think that creativity is part of what makes me really human allowing me to reach the highest levels of creative performance. Analyzing the creative artists’ professional life and creative act I identified the major personality traits that relate to tests of creativity and that I also try to develop. They include: †¢ openness to experience; †¢ independence of judgement; †¢ curiosity; †¢ preference for challenge and complexity; †¢ self-confidence; †¢ natural tendency to risk-taking; †¢ and strong motivation. These personality traits allow me to bring together various ideas and generate a new point of view or to create a new combination. I believe that analogies and associations are among the most powerful tools of the creative process because they can produce a great variety of ideas. Conclusion Study of the creative process is important for many reasons. Explaining the creative process helped me identify and realize noble artists’ unique creative talents. It is true that the creative artist may prefer to ignore the stages of the creative process and break all of the conventions. But my point of view is that this is the wrong way to think about creativity. Instead, I think of the creativity as a kind of the creative process language. Obviously, one has first to learn a language before he or she can talk. Similarly, it is nearly impossible to create anything without the foundation. And just because the artist uses the background from previous works or different cultures does not mean they are not creative. Examination of the artists’ creative process in this paper suggests that analogical thinking is important to the creative process. In general, access to and use of history, myths, legends, experience of other people and different cultures and creativity are related processes. For me, creative process is really a form of problem solving – not a miraculous, unexplained process. Wallas’ model of the creative process is a good start for analyzing creativity of other people. References Ailey program note, Kaufmann Concert Hall Dance Center of the 92nd Street YM-YWHA, 21 December 1958. Interview with George Lucas printed in the Star Wars souvenir program (New York: S. W. Ventures, 1977). Latham, Jacqueline Quinn. â€Å"A Biographical Study of the Lives and Contributions of Two Selected Contemporary Black Male Dance Artists: Arthur Mitchell and Alvin Ailey. † Ph. D. diss. , Texas Women’s University, 1973, pp. 481–482. Sternberg R. , & Davidson J. (1982, June). â€Å"The mind of the puzzler†. Psychology Today, 16, pp. 37-44. Torrance E. P. (1988). The nature of creativity as manifest in its testing. In R. Sternberg (Ed. ), The nature of creativity (pp. 43-75). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vernon, P. E. (1989). The nature-nurture problem in creativity. In J. Glover, R. Ronning, & C. Reynolds, R. (Eds. ), Handbook of creativity (pp. 93-110). New York: Plenum. Wallas C. (1926). The art of thought. New York: Harcourt Brace. Zito, Stephen. â€Å"George Lucas Goes Far Out†, American Film, April 1977, p. 13.

Arranged Marriages In India essays

Arranged Marriages In India essays India is one of the world's oldest civilizations. It is a country of rich cultural, historical, and spiritual customs. The essence of religion prescribes a form of worship and guides daily conduct. Hinduism is the largest sector of religion believed by the East Indian culture; other branches are Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrian (Srivastava 1995). The general basis of Hinduism practices is implemented throughout most of the East Indian people. One of the most significant beliefs, exercised within the Hindu religion, is marital customs. Arranged marriages, religious affiliation, bestowing of the dowry, the caste and the extended family system are all strongly imposed upon Hindu religious couples upon and preceding marriage. The Indian family system, which is better known as the extended family system has always been an important aspect of the East Indian culture. The extended family system pertains to the husband's family, where the newlywed couple will reside and contribute to the family's livelihood (Srivastava 1995). Despite the many social, cultural, and technological changes within India, the extended family system still continues to prevail in modern India. The males within the family are seen as the higher achy and protrude their dominance and control over all financial and economical needs (Segal 1991). The women constantly maintain the household chores, such as: taking care of the children and the elderly, socializing, communicating, and instilling cultural values upon the children (Segal 1991). The East Indian culture is more shifted toward the bearing of male children, which are greatly desired and preferred over female children (Segal 1991). Indian culture gives much importance to family r elationship. The parents take care of their children, and the children obey their parents, thus, in turn, the parents find a suitable spouse(s) for their children from appropriate families (Srivastava 1995). The idea behind...

Free Essays on Cd Evaluation

CD Evaluation A few months ago I was flipping stations on my radio while driving to Louisville and came across a station I hadn’t noticed before, Trance. First, let me explain, I have a XM satellite radio in my car so radio stations are grouped by categories: Rock and Roll, Hip-hop, blues etc†¦ As I was saying, I came across the station Trance and foe some odd reason I never noticed it before. The music sounded very familiar, I realized that this was the music that I here in dance clubs all the time and absolutely love it. At that point I decided to make a detour and get some of this music for myself, so I headed to Best Buy. There are certain moments in a young clubber’s life that we would love to forget. That long line for a single restroom, ten dollars for a bottle of water, and the list goes on and on. But there are plenty of others that we’d love to hold on to and the music has to be number one. For that I turned to the artist that was displayed on my stereo , Nick Warren. Upon arriving at Best Buy I wasn’t sure were to look for Trance so once I got in the store I quickly found a clerk and asked were to go. The salesclerk was a nice guy, providing me with all the information I could handle. We came upon the techno section and he told me to look for Global Underground. It took a few minutes, but I found it and to my amazement there were over forty selections of the label. Each CD was by a different artist and most were all in different cities and hardly ever the same city twice. I was absolutely amazed. I never realized trance was that big. The salesclerk opened my eyes when he started to explain that trance/techno is everywhere and in every club around the world, I figured that much considering I have been to hundreds of dance clubs and this was the type of music that was played. I quickly found Nick Warren, paid for it, and ran to the car so I could indulge myself in some ambient tones for a while, ... Free Essays on Cd Evaluation Free Essays on Cd Evaluation CD Evaluation A few months ago I was flipping stations on my radio while driving to Louisville and came across a station I hadn’t noticed before, Trance. First, let me explain, I have a XM satellite radio in my car so radio stations are grouped by categories: Rock and Roll, Hip-hop, blues etc†¦ As I was saying, I came across the station Trance and foe some odd reason I never noticed it before. The music sounded very familiar, I realized that this was the music that I here in dance clubs all the time and absolutely love it. At that point I decided to make a detour and get some of this music for myself, so I headed to Best Buy. There are certain moments in a young clubber’s life that we would love to forget. That long line for a single restroom, ten dollars for a bottle of water, and the list goes on and on. But there are plenty of others that we’d love to hold on to and the music has to be number one. For that I turned to the artist that was displayed on my stereo , Nick Warren. Upon arriving at Best Buy I wasn’t sure were to look for Trance so once I got in the store I quickly found a clerk and asked were to go. The salesclerk was a nice guy, providing me with all the information I could handle. We came upon the techno section and he told me to look for Global Underground. It took a few minutes, but I found it and to my amazement there were over forty selections of the label. Each CD was by a different artist and most were all in different cities and hardly ever the same city twice. I was absolutely amazed. I never realized trance was that big. The salesclerk opened my eyes when he started to explain that trance/techno is everywhere and in every club around the world, I figured that much considering I have been to hundreds of dance clubs and this was the type of music that was played. I quickly found Nick Warren, paid for it, and ran to the car so I could indulge myself in some ambient tones for a while, ...

Innovation and Creativity of Entrepreneurship Commercialisation and Essay

Innovation and Creativity of Entrepreneurship Commercialisation and Innovation - Essay Example With his signature black turtleneck long-sleeved shirt and unpretentious Levi’s jeans, Jobs commands the stage when he speaks of Apple and its products. Fanboys are just about as eager to fall in line in the stores for hours just to get their hands on the company’s new offering. Now comes iPad. The hype and expectation for the product’s launch kept people on the edge of their seat, ready to get up and run to buy it. The name sells itself. The small letter I followed by the capital letter P is a class all on its own. This device is a 9.7 inches diagonal wide weighing in at 1.5 pounds touchscreen tablet that ranges from $499 for the 16 gigabytes memory and up to $829 for the 64 gigabytes enhanced with built-in 3G capability. The technology is nothing new. Back in 2000, it was no less than Bill Gates himself who introduced a keyboardless computer at the Consumer Electronics Show (Comdex). Gates assured everyone that was present that it will be the future of computing. This was the first time Microsoft unveiled the tablet PC. The following year, they showcased it again in the same conference. The lack of keyboard and low specifications contributed to why people never got a hold of the product. It was quite expensive, heavy and flimsy for its exorbitant price (Grossman, p.25). Apple’s iPad is basically the same technology but with the design sensitivity which is their signature. As Grossman it in his article â€Å"Launch Pad. It’s Here. It’s Hot. But What on Earth is iPad for?† aptly puts â€Å"Apple’s engineers knows something those other companies don’t: form has trumped function† (p.25). This reins quite true with Apple’s proverbial products. The iPod first initiated this revolution of an earbud-pressed population slinging the gadget which ranges in size and color and has more generations that you can recall of your own family. The iPod kept getting

How useful is a sociological approach to understanding the importance Essay

How useful is a sociological approach to understanding the importance of consumption in modern society - Essay Example In neither of its point could modern societies do exclusive of its members create things to be obsessive, and members of both societies do, obviously, consume. The consumer of a modern society is a significantly different from the consumer of any other society thus far. The diversity is one of precedence, a shift of accent that makes a massive difference to almost every aspect of society, culture, and person life. The divergence are so profound and that they validate words of our society as a society of detach and different kind - a consumer society. To increase their capacity for consumption, consumers are never left to rest. They are constantly exposed to new temptations to keep them in the state of suspicion and steady dissatisfaction. Advertising commanding them to shift attention needs to confirm the suspicion while offering a way of satisfaction. It is often said that the consumer market seduces its customers. But in order to do so, it needs customers who want to be seduced. In a properly working consumer society, consumers seek actively to be seduced. They live from attraction to attraction, from temptation to temptation--each attraction and each temptation being somewhat different and perhaps stronger than the previous. When we call todays society a consumer society, we have in mind something more than the trivial meaning that all members of that society are consumers. What we have in mind is that ours is a "consumer society" in the similarly fundamental sense in which the society of our predecessors used to be a "producer society." (Murphy , 2000, 636) That older type of modern society once engaged its members primarily as producers and soldiers; society shaped its members by dictating the need to play those two roles, and the norm that society held up to its members was the ability and the willingness to play them. In todays society there is little need for numerous industrial labourers or conscripted armies, but rather, as a whole we are seen as