Self Identity essays

Self Identity essays The better which a person develops an understanding of themselves and of the other people around them, the better able they will be able to develop intimate relationships. A person who has a negative model of self and has a negative model of others , otherwise known as Fearful, is going to shy away from attachment and be socially avoidant which obviously is going to affect the crisis of intimacy versus isolation. The example describes a person who is hesitant to make long term commitments and resists urges to display intimacy, but is capable of forming a dependency on him by the other in the relationship. A Preoccupied person has a negative self model and a positive model of others. They often tend to be overly dependent and ambivalent. The example suggests a person who might be shy and conservative but is capable of not displaying their awkward feelings to the other person. A Secure individual has a positive model of self and others. They are comfortable with intimacy and autonomy and often do not have a difficult time in forming intimate relationships. The example describes this person as someone who is very capable of healthy relationships and good communication skills. It seems like a secure person has all the good qualities that any relationship requires. And finally, a Dismissing person has a positive model of self but a negative model of others. They are characterized by denying attachment and their counter dependency. All of the differences among the different models result from past experiences in the individuals life. How they were raised in terms of different parenting styles and methods of child raising affect an individuals internal working models of self and others. Attachment styles of Secure individuals are described as passionate and selfless. They have high levels of intimacy, passion and are very committed and able to be trusted. This reminds me of the perfect girlfri ...

The Second Anglo-Afghan War in the Late 1870s

The Second Anglo-Afghan War in the Late 1870s The Second Anglo-Afghan War began when Britain invaded Afghanistan for reasons that had less to do with the Afghans than with the Russian Empire. The feeling in London in the 1870s was that the competing empires of Britain and Russia were bound to clash in central Asia at some point, with Russias eventual goal being the invasion and seizure of Britains prize possession, India. British strategy, which would eventually become known as The Great Game, was focused on keeping Russian influence out of Afghanistan, which could become Russias stepping-stone to India. In 1878 the popular British magazine Punch summed up the situation in a cartoon depicting a wary Sher Ali, the Amir of Afghanistan, caught between a growling British lion and a hungry Russian bear. When the Russians sent an envoy to Afghanistan in July 1878, the British were greatly alarmed. They demanded that the Afghan government of Sher Ali accept a British diplomatic mission. The Afghans refused, and the British government decided to launch a war in late 1878. The British had actually invaded Afghanistan from India decades earlier. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended disastrously with an entire British army making a horrendous winter retreat from Kabul in 1842. The British Invade Afghanistan in 1878 British troops from India invaded Afghanistan in late 1878, with a total of about 40,000 troops advancing in three separate columns. The British Army met resistance from Afghan tribesmen but was able to control a large part of Afghanistan by the spring of 1879. With a military victory in hand, the British arranged for a treaty with the Afghan government. The countrys strong leader, Sher Ali, had died, and his son Yakub Khan, had ascended to power. The British envoy Major Louis Cavagnari, who had grown up in British-controlled India as the son of an Italian father and an Irish mother, met Yakub Khan at Gandmak. The resulting Treaty of Gandamak marked the end of the war, and it seemed that Britain had accomplished its objectives. The Afghan leader agreed to accept a permanent British mission which would essentially conduct Afghanistans foreign policy. Britain also agreed to defend Afghanistan against any foreign aggression, meaning any potential Russian invasion. The problem was that it had all been too easy. The British did not realize that Yakub Khan was a weak leader who had agreed to conditions which his countrymen would rebel against. A Massacre Begins A New Phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War Cavagnari was something of a hero for negotiating the treaty and was knighted for his efforts. He was appointed as envoy at the court of Yakub Khan, and in the summer of 1879 he set up a residency in Kabul which was protected by a small contingent of British cavalry. Relations with the Afghans began to sour, and in September a rebellion against the British broke out in Kabul. Cavagnaris residence was attacked, and Cavagnari was shot and killed, along with nearly all of the British soldiers tasked to protect him. The Afghan leader, Yakub Khan, tried to restore order and was nearly killed himself. The British Army Crushes the Uprising in Kabul A British column commanded by General Frederick Roberts, one of the most capable British officers of the period, marched on Kabul to take revenge. After fighting his way to the capital in October 1879, Roberts had a number of Afghans captured and hanged. There were also reports of what amounted to a reign of terror in Kabul as the British avenged the massacre of Cavagnari and his men. General Roberts announced that Yakub Khan had abdicated and appointed himself military governor of Afghanistan. With his force of approximately 6,500 men, he settled in for the winter. In early December 1879, Roberts and his men had to fight a substantial battle against attacking Afghans. The British moved out of the city of Kabul and took up a fortified position nearby. Roberts wanted to avoid a repeat of the disaster of the British retreat from Kabul in 1842 and remained to fight another battle on December 23, 1879. The British held their position throughout the winter. General Roberts Makes a Legendary March on Kandahar In the spring of 1880, a British column commanded by General Stewart marched to Kabul and relieved General Roberts. But when news came that British troops at Kandahar were surrounded and facing grave danger, General Roberts embarked on what would become a legendary military feat. With 10,000 men, Roberts marched from Kabul to Kandahar, a distance of about 300 miles, in just 20 days. The British march was generally unopposed, but being able to move that many troops 15 miles a day in the brutal heat of Afghanistans summer was a remarkable example of discipline, organization, and leadership. When General Roberts reached Kandahar he linked up with the British garrison of the city, and the combined British forces inflicted a defeat on the Afghan forces. This marked the end of hostilities in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The Diplomatic Outcome of the Second Anglo-Afghan War As the fighting was winding down, a major player in Afghan politics, Abdur Rahman, the nephew of Sher Ali, who had been Afghanistans ruler before the war, returned to the country from exile. The British recognized that he might be the strong leader they preferred in the country. As General Roberts was making his march to Kandahar, General Stewart, in Kabul, installed Abdur Rahman as the new leader, the Amir, of Afghanistan. Amir Abdul Rahman gave the British what they wanted, including assurances that Afghanistan would not have relations with any nation except Britain. In return, Britain agreed not to meddle in Afghanistans internal affairs. For the final decades of the 19th century, Abdul Rahman held the throne in Afghanistan, becoming known as the Iron Amir. He died in 1901. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan which the British feared in the late 1870s never materialized, and Britains hold on India remained secure.

The Consequences of Poor Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Consequences of Poor Quality - Essay Example e of meeting the quality standards of the products, the organizations have to face serious setbacks in terms of loss of business, liability, productivity and increased cost of production. Product quality possesses great importance for the organizations operating in different sectors and industries because they could survive in the highly competitive market place on behalf of high quality of their products and services. Product quality refers to the ability of the product to meet the expectations and needs of the customers. The product quality assures that it will work reliability and will perform all of its functions in adequate manner (Anderson et al, 1993). The organizations are required to pay keen attention towards the issue of quality because quality of product and services work to increase the profitability of the businesses. The quality assures that the customers are satisfied having expected quality in return of their money and they recognize the quality delivered by the company that keep them loyal and willing to pay for the products. The product quality also works for establishing and strengthening the brand name and brand image and poor quality tends to have direct and strong impact upon the brand stability (Christopher, 2000). The research paper intends to identify the consequences of poor quality upon the businesses using a qualitative research approach. The paper identifies the importance of quality for the businesses and explains different negative impacts drawn by the poor quality. The paper employs a qualitative research approach to deal with the issue under study. The paper attains its desired objective of identifying the consequences of poor quality through secondary analysis of data. The information for the research paper has been collected from different secondary sources like books, magazines, journals and research studies. The collected information has been reviewed and analysed to identify the major consequences of poor quality. The

The Impact of Morrison's slow migration to online sales and promotions Essay

The Impact of Morrison's slow migration to online sales and promotions - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that sales and marketing procedure can be considered as one of the major functions of any organisation. The marketing techniques and sales procedures of various organisations are facing rapid changes due to a continuous development of technologies. This rapid development is enabling the population to easily access the details about any organisation and its offering from different corners of the world. Digital marketing procedure is assisting organisations to custom their sales and marketing techniques as per the consumer behaviour. In today’s global environment, marketers are developing digital strategies which are assisting them to secure a competitive position in the market. This contemporary issue of marketing has provided a great impact on the global retail businesses. Most of the retail businesses are promptly shifting their traditional marketing approach to the digital marketing approach. This procedure is also allowing them to shift the consumer behaviour pattern. On the other hand, the inefficiency in digital marketing and a promotional procedure is adversely affecting a number of organisations in terms of their global reputation and market growth. Over the last few years, Morrisons had confronted huge competition from the local as well as global market competitors due to the rapid development of the digital marketing and sales procedure. Currently, the organisation has secured the fourth position within the largest supermarket chains of the United Kingdom.

Global Oxygen And Carbon Cycles Essay Example for Free

Global Oxygen And Carbon Cycles Essay The global carbon cycle involves the generation of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the processing of oxygen (O2) during the process of metabolism. The chemical reaction involved in this process is depicted below: C6H12O6 + 6O2 ? 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (ATP) For each molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) and six molecules of oxygen (O2), six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water (H2O) are created. This reaction also involves the creation of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the unit of measurement for energy in biological organisms. The oxygen cycle, on the other hand, is almost the same as the carbon cycle yet it follows the opposite direction, as depicted in the chemical reaction below: 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy C6H12O6 + 6O2 The oxygen and carbon cycles are thus related because each of these biogeochemical cycles requires the presence of the other molecule. In the case of the global oxygen cycle, enough carbon dioxide should be available in order for plants to continuously perform photosynthesis that will generate simple sugars such as glucose and the essential atmospheric gas oxygen (Cloud and Gibor, 1970). As for the case of the carbon cycle, it is also necessary the ample oxygen gas be present at all times, which in turns originates from the oxygen cycle, in order for this cycle to proceed. Should there be a situation wherein carbon dioxide or oxygen is insufficient in the atmosphere, the other biogeochemical cycle is affected and may possibly be prevented from completing the reaction. Reference Cloud P and Gibor A (1970): The oxygen cycle. Scientific American 122:110-123.

Sense and Sensibility :: Literary Analysis, Jane Austen

Benevolent, willing, and knowledgeable—are all characteristics of Elinor Dashwood. Authors often use characteristics of characters to portray them as imperative pieces of the plot. In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Elinor is shown as an important character through her compassion towards others and her willingness to help her family through difficult situations. Readers first see Elinor’s importance to the novel through her compassion towards Colonel Brandon, John Willoughby, and Edward Ferrars. When Colonel Brandon came into her life she treated him with very little compassion but as time went on â€Å"Elinor’s compassion for him increased† (47). Her compassion radiates through her determination to always engage in a conversation with him: â€Å"and talk to Elinor, who often derived more satisfaction from conversing with him than from any other daily occurrence† (145). Throughout the novel the readers see that Elinor dislikes Willoughby but after he breaks Marianne’s dislike turns into abhor. However, when Willoughby comes to Cleveland to apologize and explain, â€Å"Elinor’s heart, which had undergone many changes in the course of this extraordinary conversation, was now softened again† (292). Elinor has to deal with her own pain and hurt from her rejection. When they return home from Cleve land Edward arrives and asks for forgiveness. Elinor bestows compassion upon Edward in the form of accepting his marriage proposal and then marrying him: â€Å"The first month after [Edward and Elinor’s] marriage† (336). Through her compassion towards these three characters readers see the importance of her presence in the novel. Next the readers see how Elinor willingly helps her sister get through adversities in her life. â€Å"Elinor was to be the comforter of others in her own distresses, no less than in theirs; and all the comfort that could be given by assurances of her own composure of mind† (228). So therefore, Elinor unselfishly puts aside her emotions to comfort Marianne after Willoughby rejects her and breaks her heart: â€Å"What!—while attending me in all my misery, has this been your heart?† (229). Marianne realizes that Elinor has known about Edward’s engagement to Lucy, but she chose to put it behind her in order to comfort her. This pain has been weighing Elinor’s heart for four months, which makes it even harder for Marianne to understand. â€Å"Four months!—cried Marianne again—so calm!—so cheerful!—how have you been supported?† (229). Elinor’s answer to this inquiry shows clearly why she chose to be selfless and conceal her pain: â€Å"and I owed it to my family and friends, not to create in them a solicitude about me† (229).

Principles That Define the Culutral Level of Analysis Essay

Explain how principles that define CLOA may be demonstrated in research. ’ The first Principle states that Humans are information processors. Cognition refers to the mental tasks or thinking involved in human behavior. Thinking may involve memory, attention, perception, language and decision making at any one time. Cognitive psychologists see these cognitions are active systems; In between taking in and responding to information a number of processes are at work. Information can be transformed; reduced, elaborated, filtered, manipulated, selected, organized, stored and retrieved Therefore the human mind is seen as active system processing information, and cognitive psychologist’s aim to study these processes. Central to this information processing approach is the computer metaphor. One of the difficulties facing cognitive psychologists is that they were trying to study processes that are not directly observable. Consequently the computer revolution of the 1950 provided the terminology and metaphor they needed. People, like computers, acquire information from the environment (input). Both people and computers store information and retrieve it when applicable to current tasks; both are limited in the amount of information they can process at a given time; both transform information to produce new information; both return information to the environment (output). This information processing approach was adopted by Atkinson and Shiffrin in their Multistore Model of memory (1968). This model sees memory as an active process. Information flows in through the sensory stage (input). It then flows to the short-term memory before it is transferred to long term memory where it can be stored and later retrieved. A further example of information processing is the organization of information into schemas in the LTM. Schemas are mental models of the world. Information in LTM is stored in interrelated networks of these schemas and these schemas can affect retrieval. Simply put, schema theory states that all knowledge is organized into units. Within these units of knowledge, or schemata, is stored information. A schema, then, is a generalized description or a conceptual system for understanding knowledge-how knowledge is represented and how it is used. According to this theory, schemata represent knowledge about concepts: objects and the relationships they have with other objects, situations, events, sequences of events, actions, and sequences of actions. A simple example is to think of your schema for dog. Within that schema you most likely have knowledge about dogs in general (bark, four legs, teeth, hair, and tails) and probably information about specific dogs, such as collies (long hair, large, Lassie) or springer spaniels (English, docked tails, liver and white or black and white, Millie). You may also think of dogs within the greater context of animals and other living things; that is, dogs breathe, need food, and reproduce. Your knowledge of dogs might also include the fact that they are mammals and thus are warm-blooded and bear their young as opposed to laying eggs. Depending upon your personal experience, the knowledge of a dog as a pet (domesticated and loyal) or as an animal to fear (likely to bite or attack) may be a part of your schema. And so it goes with the development of a schema. Each new experience incorporates more information into one’s schema. The second principle of CLOA states that the mind can be studied scientifically. Cognitive processes are difficult to study. They often occur rapidly, and inside the mind so they cannot be observed directly. It is only the responses that participants make when given some cognitive task to perform that can tell us about cognitive processes. These tasks usually take place under tightly controlled lab experiments where the main aim is to isolate a particular component of the cognitive process for the study. One of the earliest and most famous experiments into cognitive processes is the Stroop Effect. The Stroop effect is a phenomena involved in attentional processes. Although we will actually focus on the process of memory this is a good study to look at. People are often introduced to the Stroop Effect in beginning psychology classes as they learn about how their brains process information. It demonstrates the effects of interference, processing speed (reaction time) and automaticity in divided attention. The effect is named after John Ridley Stroop who first published the effect in English in 1935. In his experiments, J. R. Stroop administered several variations of the same test for which three different kinds of stimuli were created. In the first one, names of colors appeared in black ink. In the second, names of colors appeared in a different ink than the color named. Finally in the third one, there were squares of a given color. In the first experiment, 1 and 2 were used. The task required the participants to read the written color names of the words independently of the color of the ink (for example, they would have to read â€Å"purple† no matter what the color of its ink was). In the second experiment, stimulus 2 and 3 were used, and participants were required to say the color of the letters independently of the written word with the second kind of stimulus and also name the color of the dot squares. If the word â€Å"purple† was written in red, they would have to say â€Å"red†, but not â€Å"purple†; when the squares were shown, the participant would have to say its color. Stroop, in the third experiment, tested his participants at different stages of practice at the tasks and stimulus used in the first and second experiments, to account for the effects of association. Stroop noted that participants took much longer to complete the color reading in the second task than they had taken to name the colors of the squares in Experiment 2. This delay had not appeared in the first experiment. Such interference was explained by the automation of reading, where the mind automatically determines the semantic meaning of the word (it reads the word â€Å"red† and thinks of the color â€Å"red†), and then must intentionally check itself and identify instead the color of the word (the ink is a color other than red), a process that is not automatized. This is a classic laboratory experiment that involves the manipulation of an independent variable (colour or name of word) to see what effect it has on the dependent variable (reaction time). It attempts to control the influence of all other extraneous variables – such as other cognitive processes or skills. It also allows us to establish a cause and effect relationship between task and mental process. The strengths of the experiment are that it got valid results but however was still very unethical which not usuall in psychology is. One more strength is that it is an easy experiment which does not need a lot of input to carry out. The study can be considered cross cultural as any human would act the same in this situation. Obviously the reaction times would be different but in the end anyone would take longer to read the words writte in a different colour. Cognitive processes are influenced by social and cultural factors, is the statement which forms the third principle. Although cognitive tasks such as memory and attention are universal, there are cross cultural variations in processing mechanisms. Bartlett’s study demonstrates how memory can be distorted by cultural schemas. Schemas are representations of knowledge based on experience. In his study in which British participants were asked to recall a native American folktale. He found that the story of ‘The War of the Ghosts’ was difficult for Western people to reproduce exactly because of its cultural content which was unfamiliar to them so in fact they encoded the meaning of the story adapted to their existing cultural schemas. As a result Bartlett concluded that interpretation plays a large role in remembering events or stories. We reconstruct the past and try to make it fit into our schemata, the more difficult this is to do, the more likely it is that elements are forgotten or distorted so that it fits and remembering is integrally related to the social and cultural context in which it is practiced. Cole and Scribner (1974) studied memory skills in both American and Liberian children. They argued that cognitive processes are universal but not cognitive skills. Cognitive skills are dependent on the environment – education, social interaction, culture and technologies make up the environment they observed the effects formal schooling / education (culture) had on memory they compared recall of a series of words in the US and amongst the Kpelle people using word lists that were culturally specific. They found that in general educated Kpelle children performed better in the recall of list than no educated Kpelle children and those overall American children performed better than Kpelle children. Although this could be interpreted as memory skills being better amongst Americans children than Kpelle (African) children such an interpretation would overlook the influence of culture. Western schooling emphasizes certain cognitive strategies such as clustering / categorizing. It is unlikely such parallels exist in traditional societies like the Kpelle People learn to remember in ways that are relevant for their everyday lives, and these do not always mirror the activities that cognitive psychologists use to investigate mental processes The strengths of this lab study are that it was carried out ethically and the with the results we can almost confirm the cross cultural validity but of course we cant confirm it with 100% as exceptions will always be there. The applications of this study are basically already demonstrated within the study as it can be used for memory in schools or even at a working place.

Cute in Japanese Culture

The rise of cuteness in Japanese culture emerged in the 1970s as part of a new style of writing. Many teenage girls began to write laterally using mechanical pencils. These pencils produced very fine lines, as opposed to traditional Japanese writing that varied in thickness and was vertical. Also, the girls would write in big, round characters and they added little pictures to their writing, such as hearts, stars, smiley faces, and letters of the Latin alphabet. These pictures would be inserted randomly and made the writing very hard to read.As a result, this writing style caused a lot of controversy and was banned in many schools. During the 1980s, however, this new â€Å"cute† writing was adopted by magazines and comics and was put onto packaging and advertising. From 1984–1986, Yamane Kazuma studied the development of cute handwriting, which he called Anomalous Female Teenage Handwriting, in depth. Although it was commonly thought that the writing style was something that teenagers had picked up from comics, he found that teenagers had come up with the style themselves, as part of an underground movement.Later, cute handwriting became associated with acting childishly and using infantile slang words. Because of this growing trend, companies such as Sanrio came out with merchandise like Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty was an immediate success and the obsession with cute continued to progress in other areas as well. The 1980s also saw the rise of cute idols, such as Seiko Matsuda, who is largely credited with popularizing the trend. Women began to emulate Seiko Matsuda and her cute fashion style and mannerisms, which emphasized the helplessness and innocence of young girls. 4] No longer limited to teenagers, however, the spread of making things as cute as possible, even common household items, was embraced by people of all ages. Now there are airplanes painted with Pikachu on the side, and each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, the Tokyo police, and eve n the public broadcaster NHK all have their own cute mascots. Currently, Sanrio’s line of more than 50 characters takes in more than $1 billion a year and it remains the most successful company to capitalize on the cute trend

A Short Summary of the Persian Wars

A Short Summary of the Persian Wars The term Greco-Persian Wars is thought to be less biased against the Persians than the more common name Persian Wars, but most of our information about the wars comes from the winners, the Greek side. Greek historian Peter Green characterizes it as a David and Goliath struggle with David holding out for political and intellectual liberty against the monolithic theocratic Persian war machine. It wasnt just Greeks against Persians, nor were all the Greeks on the Greek side. Conflict began before the usual start date of the Persian Wars; however, for practical purposes, the term Greco-Persian Wars covers the invasions of Greece by two Achaemenid Persian kings from about 492 B.C. to 449/448 B.C. Earlier than the (mostly failed) attempts by the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes to control Greece, Persian King Cambyses had extended the Persian Empire around the Mediterranean coast by absorbing Greek colonies. Some Greek poleis (Thessaly, Boeotia, Thebes, and Macedonia) joined Persia, as did other non-Greeks, including Phoenicia and Egypt, but many Greek poleis, under the leadership of Sparta, especially on land, and under the dominance of Athens, at sea, opposed the Persian forces. Before their invasion of Greece, Persians had been facing revolts within their own territory. During the Persian Wars, revolts within Persian territories continued. When Egypt revolted, the Greeks helped them. Summary Locations:  Various. Especially Greece, Thrace, Macedonia,  Asia MinorDates:  c. 492-449/8 B.C.Winner:  GreeceLoser:  Persia (under kings  Darius  and  Xerxes) When Were the Greco-Persian Wars? The Persian Wars are usually dated 492-449/448 B.C. However, conflict started between the Greek poleis in Ionia and the Persian Empire before 499 B.C. There were two mainland invasions of Greece, in 490 (under King Darius) and 480-479 B.C. (under King Xerxes). The Persian Wars ended with the Peace of Callias of 449, but by this time, and as a result of actions taken in Persian War battles, Athens had developed her own empire. Conflict mounted between the Athenians and the allies of Sparta. This conflict would lead to the Peloponnesian War during which the Persians opened their deep pockets to the Spartans. Medize Thucydides (3.61-67) says the Plataeans were the only Boeotians  who did not Medize. To Medize was to submit to the Persian king as overlord. The Greeks referred to the Persian forces collectively as Medes, not distinguishing Medes from Persians. Likewise, we today dont distinguish among the Greeks (Hellenes), but the Hellenes were not a united force before the Persian invasions. Individual poleis could make their own political decisions. Panhellenism (united Greeks) became important during the Persian Wars. Next, when the barbarian invaded Hellas, they say that they were the only Boeotians who did not Medize; and this is where they most glorify themselves and abuse us. We say that if they did not Medize, it was because the Athenians did not do so either; just as afterwards when the Athenians attacked the Hellenes they, the Plataeans, were again the only Boeotians who Atticized. ~Thucydides Individual Battles During the Persian Wars 1st NaxosSardisEphesusLade2nd NaxosEretriaMarathonThermopylaeArtemisiumSalamisPotideaOlynthusPlataeaMycaleSestusByzantiumEionDoriskosEurymedonProsopitisSalamis and Cyprus End of the War The final battle of the war had led to the death of the Athenian leader Cimon and the defeat of the Persian forces in the area, but it didnt give decisive power in the Aegean to one side or the other. The Persians and Athenians were both tired and after Persian overtures, Pericles sent Callias to the Persian capital of Susa for negotiations. According to Diodorus, the terms gave the Greek poleis in Ionia their autonomy and the Athenians agreed not to campaign against the Persian king. The treaty is known as the Peace of Callias. Historical Sources Herodotus is the principal source on the Persian Wars, from Croesus of Lydias conquest of the Ionian poleis to the fall off Sestus (479 B.C.).Thucydides provides some of the later material. There are also later historical writers, including Ephorus in the 4th century B.C., whose work is lost except for fragments, but was used byDiodorus Siculus, in the 1st century A.D. Supplementing these are Justin (under Augustus) in his Epitome of Pompeius Trogus,Plutarch (2nd century A.D.) Biographies andPausanias (2nd century A.D.) Geography. In addition to historical sources, there is Aeschylus play The Persians. Key Figures Greek MiltiadesThemistoclesEurybiadesLeonidasPausaniasCimonPericles Persian Darius IMardoniusDatisArtaphernesXerxesArtabazusMegabyzus There were later battles between Romans and Persians, and even another war that might be thought of as Greco-Persian, the Byzantine-Sassanid War, in the 6th and early 7th century A.D.

The Sociology of Consumption

The Sociology of Consumption The sociology of consumption is a subfield of sociology formally recognized by the American Sociological Association as the Section on Consumers and Consumption. Within this subfield, sociologists see consumption as central to daily life, identity, and social order in contemporary societies in ways that far exceed rational economic principles of supply and demand. Modern Context Due to its centrality to social life, sociologists recognize fundamental and consequential relationships between consumption and economic and political systems, and to social categorization, group membership, identity, stratification, and social status. Consumption is thus intersected with issues of power and inequality, is central to social processes of meaning-making, situated within the sociological debate surrounding structure and agency, and a phenomenon that connects the micro-interactions of everyday life to larger-scale social patterns and trends. The sociology of consumption is about far more than a simple act of purchase and includes the range of emotions, values, thoughts, identities, and behaviors that circulate the purchase of goods and services, and how we use them by ourselves and with others. This subfield of sociology is active throughout North America, Latin America, Britain and the European continent, Australia, and Israel, and is growing in China and India. Research Topics How people interact at sites of consumption, like shopping malls, streets, and downtown districtsThe relationship between individual and group identities and consumer goods and spacesHow lifestyles are composed, expressed, and slotted into hierarchies through consumer practices and identitiesProcesses of gentrification, in which consumer values, practices, and spaces play a central role in reconfiguring the racial and class demographics of neighborhoods, towns, and citiesThe values and ideas embedded in advertising, marketing, and product packaging;Individual and group relationships to brandsEthical issues tied to and often expressed through consumption, including environmental sustainability, the rights and dignity of workers, and economic inequalityAnd, consumer activism and citizenship, as well as anti-consumer activism and lifestyles Theoretical Influences The three â€Å"founding fathers† of modern sociology laid the theoretical foundation for the sociology of consumption. Karl Marx provided the still widely and effectively used concept of â€Å"commodity fetishism,† which suggests that the social relations of labor are obscured by consumer goods that carry other kinds of symbolic value for their users. This concept is often used in studies of consumer consciousness and identity. Émile Durkheim’s writings on the symbolic, cultural meaning of material objects in a religious context have proved valuable to the sociology of consumption, as it informs studies of how identity is connected to consumption, and how consumer goods play an important role in traditions and rituals around the world. Max Weber pointed to the centrality of consumer goods when he wrote about the growing importance of them to social life in the 19th century, and provided what would become a useful comparison to today’s society of consumers, in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. A contemporary of the founding fathers, American Historical Thorstein Veblen’s discussion of â€Å"conspicuous consumption† has been greatly influential to how sociologists study the display of wealth and status. European critical theorists active in the mid-twentieth century also provided valuable perspectives to the sociology of consumption. Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno’s essay on â€Å"The Culture Industry† offered an important theoretical lens for understanding the ideological, political, and economic implications of mass production and mass consumption. Herbert Marcuse delved deeply into this in his book One-Dimensional Man, in which he describes Western societies as awash in consumer solutions that are meant to solve one’s problems, and as such, provide market solutions for what are actually political, cultural, and social problems. Additionally, American sociologist David Riesman’s landmark book, The Lonely Crowd, set the foundation for how sociologists would study how people seek validation and community through consumption, by looking to and molding themselves in the image of those immediately around them. More recently, sociologists have embraced French social theorist Jean Baudrillard’s ideas about the symbolic currency of consumer goods, and take seriously his claim that seeing consumption as a universal of the human condition obscures the class politics behind it. Similarly, Pierre Bourdieu’s research and theorizing of the differentiation between consumer goods, and how these both reflect and reproduce cultural, class, and educational differences and hierarchies, is a cornerstone of today’s sociology of consumption. Notable Contemporary Scholars and Their Work Zygmunt Bauman: Polish sociologist who has written prolifically about consumerism and the society of consumers, including the books Consuming Life; Work, Consumerism and the New Poor; and Does Ethics Have a Chance in a World of Consumers?Robert G. Dunn: American social theorist who has written an important book of consumer theory titled Identifying Consumption: Subjects and Objects in Consumer Society.Mike Featherstone: British sociologist who wrote the influential Consumer Culture and Postmodernism, and who writes prolifically about lifestyle, globalization, and aesthetics.Laura T. Raynolds: Professor of sociology and director of the Center for Fair and Alternative Trade at Colorado State University has published numerous articles and books about fair trade systems and practices, including the volume Fair Trade: The Challenges of Transforming Globalization.George Ritzer: Author of widely influential books, The McDonaldization of Society and Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Continuit y and Change in the Cathedrals of Consumption. Juliet Schor: Economist and sociologist who has written a series of widely cited books on the cycle of working and spending in American society, including The Overspent American, The Overworked American, and Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth.Sharon Zukin: Urban and public sociologist who is widely published, and author of Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Spaces, and the important journal article, â€Å"Consuming Authenticity: From Outposts of Difference to Means of Exclusion.† New research findings from the sociology of consumption are regularly published in the  Journal of Consumer Culture  and the  Journal of Consumer Research.

Operation Overlord D Day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Operation Overlord D Day - Essay Example alysed the Allied military planning for Operation Overlord are blessed with the gift of hindsight, they know that Operation Overlord was a success that contributed to eventual Allied victory. The Second World War was after all the conflict in which Air power came to the fore, military and naval operations launched when air superiority was held were far more likely to succeed than operations carried out whilst an enemy power held air superiority. When a combined military, naval and air operation was as large and as extensive as Operation Overlord, its planners had to consider any potential threats to its success and the Air threat could be considered to be one of the most significant single obstacle to success. It could be argued that Allied over - estimations of the Air threat posed by the Luftwaffe did have a serious effect on the Operation Overlord planning. The Allies believed that the Luftwaffe remained a formidable opponent and therefore a serious and potent Air threat to the successful execution of the plans for Operation Overlord. The Luftwaffe in numerical terms still had thousands of operational aircraft, even if before Operation Overlord was launched, the majority of those aircraft were used upon the Eastern Front and in defending the Third Reich from the Allied strategic bombing campaign.1 For the Allied military planners tasked with making Operation Overlord a successful reality it was worth ensuring that the Allied Air Forces had enough operational aircraft available to establish air superiority over the projected landing areas to avoid a disastrous repulsion of Operation Overlord. Although the warships that were tasked with protecting the troop ships would carry a large complement of anti-aircraft guns they would have found it very difficult to overcome German air strikes against the invasion fleet without their own aircraft providing cover. Besides the landing craft that were needed to ferry the Allied troops to the beaches were the parts of

Workers and the Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Workers and the Economy - Essay Example Therefore, capital is a very critical aspect of socioeconomic resource because it influences the production, transformation of natural resources, consumption and plays a significant role in the creation of the by-products thus an important aspect of pollution. There are two major types of capital variable and constant capital. On the other hand, investment of these capitals creates or reduces the value of production, and this is the basis of the term surplus value. The assignment aims to discuss constant capital, variable capital, and surplus-value with an illustration of how they lead to capital accumulation. Marx defined constant capital as the materials and materials that production of a certain commodity requires (Evans, 2013). In this case, constant capital is the capital proportion that investors channel on the materials as well as the purchased components. On the other hand, the value forms part cost of selling the product thus constant capital remains the same until a product is sold to the market. Constant capital includes the cost of using materials, machinery, and tools since they are all inclusive of the production process. For instance, if the production process involves using a million dollar worth of machinery in producing 10,000 cars then each car will have $100 of the machinery. However, constant capital is measurable when a commodity or a product has now worn out or depreciated. Therefore, constant capital sums up both unit and fixed costs implying that no matter how amount of materials, machines, and components are brought into the production and sold, they do not add a ny new value to the product. The implication is that whether the factors of productions undergo prolonged storage in the warehouse, or used in the production, there is no difference in the amount of capital. Marx concluded that whatever value the materials add when capitalists buy them for production purposes, they assume the same value even