Race, ethnicity, prejudice: white Australia policy Essay

This paper is divided into two parts. In the first part the concepts or race, ethnicity, prejudice and racism are defined and how they are connected is discussed. Part 2 of the paper looks at the ‘White Australia’ policy and why it was introduced. The impact of such a racist immigration history on contemporary Australia is also discussed in terms of attitudes and behaviours of the population. Following is a brief discussion on how successive government policies and non-government organisations have tried to deal with and eradicate racism and discrimination against minority groups in Australia since the ‘White Australia’ policy was abolished in the 1940’s. Lastly, the tensions that remain today in multicultural Australia are explored. Part 1 What is race? During the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was thought that humans could be divided into different groups according to their biological makeup, or alternatively, their race. The term ‘race’ focused more on common features that were shared among a single species, rather than placing emphasis on the characteristics which divide us (Cohen & Kennedy, 2007; Giddens, 2001). The emerging theories of race were used to justify the rising social order as England along with other European nations became imperial powers. It was thought that there were three main race categories, white, black and yellow, with the white race being the superior race (Giddens, 2001). Today, sociologists reject the idea of racial hierarchy amongst humankind and propose that ‘race’ is â€Å"a social construct related to the ways that people and cultures interpret, and react to, minor physical differences† (Van Krieken, Habibis, Smith, Hutchins, Haralambos & Holborn, 2006, p. 264). The idea of significant biological differences has been debunked in contemporary sociology and the notion replaced with the emergence of ethnicity. What is ethnicity? The idea of ‘race’ is a social construct based on innate physical differences, while ‘ethnicity’ is purely social in meaning based on less obvious differences such as social markers of culture, language, religion, style of dress and nationality (Giddens, 2001; Cohen & Kennedy, 2007; Van Krieken et al, 2010; Matsumoto & Juang, 2004). In other words, it looks at how one group of people are distinguishable from another based on differences that are learned. In practice, ethnic labels almost always apply to minority groups within a society. This is problematic in the sense that it poses a risk of separation between ‘us’ and ‘them’ (Giddens, 2001; Van Krieken et al, 2010). Another problem is that ethnic groupings are often too generic. In Australia, for example, we might speak of a Muslim ethnic group or the Muslim community. ‘Muslim’, therefore, becomes one category which in fact holds a number of subgroups itself which does not get acknowledged. Another issue arising from ethnic grouping is that labels are usually given to the minority, when in fact, we are all ethnic regardless of if we belong to an ethnic minority or majority. What is prejudice? Prejudice â€Å"refers to opinions or attitudes held by members of one groups towards another† (Giddens, 2001, p. 250). These opinions and attitudes are usually based on preconceived views based on stereotypes rather than evidence and are hard to change even when presented with evidence stating otherwise (McConnochie, Hollinsworth & Pettman, 1988). Prejudice is based on internal beliefs and when those beliefs lead to a particular behaviour as a result it turns into discrimination. For example, if people are denied the same opportunities, such as gaining employment, based on their skin colour, their ethnicity or disability as a result of prejudice, prejudice becomes discrimination. What is racism? When we speak of race, ethnicity and prejudice we are intrinsically linking racism as well. Racism is prejudice taken another step further. In contrast to prejudice, racism is based on perceived cultural superiority, which is itself based on perceived genetic superiority (McConnochie et al, 1988). There are two forms of racism: individual and institutional. Individual racism involves one-on-one scenarios where racist attitudes are expressed based on a particular individuals belief towards another. For example, one person might be of the opinion that all Aboriginal’s are dirty, and therefore, be racist to an Aboriginal when they are walking down the street, at school or work. Institutional racism on the other hand is far broader in context and more complex. It refers to the ways in which racism has infiltrated into social institutions which govern, discriminate and oppress various groups within that society based on their race (McConnochie et al, 1988). These institutions within our societies, such as schools and healthcare services, use racism in a systematic manner which favours one group over all the others. Although racism as a notion is the same for both individual and institutional purposes, the consequences of the two are vastly different. Sociologists have argued that in the recent years racism has shifted from excluding groups on a biological basis, to more of a cultural basis of difference (Giddens, 2001; Van Krieken et al, 2010). In this new wave of racism there are clearly underlying political dimensions. Part 2 The White Australia Policy (1880’s – 1940’s) Australia as we know it today is a result of careful political planning and construction to create a particular kind of society. From early European settlers until the late 19th century Australia had an open immigration policy (Cope, Castles & Kalantzis, 1991). Everyone was welcome and encouraged to come as populating the land was the primary concern. However, immigration legislation changed as unemployment rates started rising and fears of over population from the Chinese was ignited. As a result, the White Australia policy was introduced in 1980 and lasted through to early 1940’s (Van Krieken et al, 2010; Jupp, 2002). Economic and cultural reasons were the main reasons for introducing the White Australia policy (Windschuttle, 2005). Social cohesion was a real concern at the time and it was believed that solidarity could not be maintained with so many ‘inferior’ races populating the nation. It was believed that, in accordance to Darwin’s theory of evolution, the fittest race will survive and the weakest would be eliminated accordingly. These were the main underlying rationales for keeping Australia as ‘pure’ as possible. Impact of Australia’s Immigration history on the attitudes and behaviours of contemporary Australians As contemporary Australia becomes more diverse, racist attitudes embedded from immigration history and previous policies can still be felt. Expression of racism through attitudes and behaviours has taken on new form. Contemporary expressions of racism tend to be focused on national identity and nationhood rather than genetic superiority, and tend to also be fuelled by the popular media. Once again, the concern appears to be on social cohesion and the belief that minority groups place the cohesion and national identity at risk, showing remnants of the White Australia policy. Inherent racist beliefs and attitudes expressed today are targeted towards minority groups who potentially are the most disadvantaged. Measures taken by the government to address this disadvantage is seen as an unfair privileged treatment at the expense of the majority. Examples of this include opposition towards action policies promoting Indigenous Australians into certain jobs and provision of English language support to newcomers. Attempts at eradicating racism and discrimination against minority groups and individuals since the end of the White Australia policy Assimilation lasted from the 1940’s until the mid 1960’s. This new policy adopted the assumptions from the White Australia policy on preserving the society as homogenous in order to keep cohesion and harmoniousness. It meant that immigrants should absorb themselves into mainstream culture as quickly as possible and become as ‘Australian’ as possible (Van Krieken et al, 2010; Cope et al, 1991). Government policies were put into place for English language lessons, which were at the centre of the policy, along with services to help migrants find employment and help them out with housing upon their arrival (Van Krieken et al, 2010). In other words, the main emphasis of the assimilation policy was to make ‘them’ look like ‘us’ as much and as quickly as possible. Integration followed on from assimilation and lasted from the mid 1960’s to the early 1970’s. The expectations of the assimilation policy and the evident reality were rather different and as a result the integration approach appeared. The government shifted focus from making ‘them’ like ‘us’ to educating the Australian public to accept and welcome the new changes and the need to change attitudes to be less fearful and negative to more tolerant. With new policies developed at the time, overall differences were welcomed and encouraged into the public domain. By the early to mid 1970’s multiculturalism was introduced as an attempt to ease some of the tensions and anxieties and started the shift from British focused immigration. The Racial Discrimination Act was introduced in 1975 and racism was officially legislated against. Under the new RDA it became against the law to discriminate in areas such as housing, employment and provision of services. By the 1980’s, multiculturalism was being redefined, and the emphasis of the concept was equity across the board for all individuals in Australia irrespective of their background (Van Krieken et al, 2010). Multiculturalism was a concept encompassing the need for unity, inclusion, tolerance, acceptance and equality. What tensions remain today in multicultural Australia? Despite the push by the government for all residents to identify as an Australian and work together to develop a national identity, whilst providing equal opportunities and access across the board, it hasn’t been an easy journey to date. At the core of the issue of Australia as a multicultural nation is national identity. Defining what it means to be ‘Australian’ has been problematic over the years and has usually reflected political movements. Remnants of White Australia policy can still, however, be felt in today’s society as they are expressed through traditional racist attitudes and beliefs and are sometimes the cause of racial attacks, segregation and anxiety of minority groups. Moreover, tension exists on a number of other issues including the feeling of displacement for migrants of non-English-speaking background who after some time do not identify with the Australian national identity nor with their mother-land (Jupp, 2002). They face a number of adjustment issues as well such as struggling to gain employment. Other issues still relevant in multicultural Australia include limited inclusion of Indigenous issues within the policies, tension in relation to Asian immigration, the extent to which different value and belief systems are accepted and allowed for, the uncertainty of the role and nature of ethnic and minority groups within the broader mainstream society, the correlation of class, gender and ethnicity, the conflict between inclusion and tolerance and the currently hot debated issue on asylum seekers (Jupp, 2002; Van Krieken et al, 2010). In conclusion, whilst multiculturalism has certainly been a step forward and progressive thus far in unifying all Australian citizens as one there is still a long way to go before the ideal is achieved. More research is needed in areas that affect minority groups and the daily issues they are faced with based on their gender, age and ethnicity. The findings need to be considered and used when in writing new policies for the nation. While there is no easy answer to any of the issues Australia is faced with today, a new form of multiculturalism with an even bigger focus on unity, respect and mindfulness is needed in progressing forward. Refrences Cope, B. , Castles, S. , & Kalantzis, M. (1991). Historical overview of the assumptions about the relationship between immigration and social cohesion. In Immigration, ethnic conflict and social cohesion (Ch. 2, pp. 3 – 19). Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of Wollongong, Canberra: AGPS. Cohen, R. & Kennedy, P. (2007). Social Inequalities: Gender, Race and Class. In Global Sociology. (2nd edition, Ch 6, pp 157 – 162). Giddens, A. (2001). Race, Ethnicity and Migration. In Sociology. (4th edition, Ch 9, pp 244 – 277). Cambridge: Polity Press. Jupp, J. (2002). From White Australia to Woomera: The Story of Australian Immigration. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. McConnochie, K. , Hollinsworth, D. , & Pettman, J. (1988). Race and racism in Australia. Wentworth Falls, NSW: Macleay Press. Matsumoto, D. & Juang, L. (2004) Culture and psychology (3rd ed. ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Van Krieken, R. , Habibis, D. , Smith, P. , Hutchins, B. , Haralambos, M. , & Holborn, M. (Eds. ). (2006). Sociology. Themes and Perspectives. (3rd ed. ). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Longman. Van Krieken, R. et al (2010). Identities: Indigenous, National, Ethnic and Racial. In Sociology. (4th edition, Ch 8, pp 256 – 282). Sydney: Pearson. Windschuttle. K. (2005). The White Australia policy. Sydney Papers, 17(3-4), 129-134.

1984 and the US Government Essay

Panopticism is the word to use to describe the events that occur in Orwell’s 1984. In this expression is found the harrowing acts of violence that pervade the novel, and that allow the government to define the parameters of human existence: That is to say, the autocratic control of the government with regards to the populace is omniscient. It is within the US government that the comparisons between 1984 and that other democratic state are diabolically similar. There is no clear dichotomy between Orwell’s fictitious imaginings of a super power and that of the United States government. In all branches of a democratic society where control can be exploited it is, in both 1984 and the US government. This means that in the media, the news broadcasts, the home, the police force, every percentage where capital is invested there lies a nefarious underbelly of judiciary, legislative, and executive corruption. In 1984 there is extreme use of privacy extortion; wiretaps are habitual, and in Winston’s home this remains supremely true. The most oppressing of events that occur in 1984 is the chronic changing of the dictionary. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth. See more: Experiment on polytropic process Essay His job consists of changing the past, rewriting history as it were so that the politics of Oceania are aligned in harmony with all existing present political persuasion. This means that Oceania can rewrite history so they are the victors in history and that means they can commit no evil. In the US history the omitting of certain historical facts from history texts has been numerous; the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War Two was hidden; Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and put into concentration camps so that their political or cultural heritage wouldn’t jeopardize the American’s fight against Japan. This omission was just one of many facts of horrendous inhuman actions the US has committed and tried to cover up. Even in Orwell’s fictitious wanderings there exists the slogan â€Å"Who controls the past, controls the future†, which is true in many US government cover-ups; it is in the belief that to keep the public ignorant of governmental activity is what keeps the public supporting their government, because if they don’t know something exists, then they can’t have an opinion for or against it, like the concentration camps. In Orwell’s novel there are secret arrests that happen during the night. People are arrested for any number of ‘crimes’, for having freedom of speech, for having thoughts other than in support of Oceania (for which the thought police will have one arrested), for going against Big Brother in any fashion, there were arrests made and the person simply disappeared. In the US government’s history such arrests have occurred. The US government, now with the War on Terror campaign has aligned itself with that of Orwell’s thought police, and they have done this with Project Carnivore. Project Carnivore is the US government’s Justice Departments initiative to keep surveillance on private citizens, as Ventura et al (2005) in their article Government and the War on Terror, â€Å"Perhaps the most intrusive web-based technology ever developed, Carnivore possesses the ability to essentially wiretap individuals’ computers, accessing every piece of datum flowing to and from a Central Processing Unit (CPU), provided the data were moved on a network connection†. This type of surveillance is cunningly similar to what happens to Winston Smith. Winston Smith, though working at the Ministry of Truth remembers history as it was, not as it is written. In Orwell’s dystopia, media control is essential. The US government, and especially during the Bush administration is controlling the media in every capacity. Currently in the media there exists little or no dissent in the political views, especially views against the war; by controlling the media the US government controls the publics view on the outside world and the government’s interaction with that world. At Winston’s job, he rewrites history, and by rewriting history, he is covering up a sordid past that if the public new that’s how government was in reality, there would be a mass wave of protest against Big Brother and the government would dissipate with so many of its citizens in alliance against autocratic control. The US government, during their war on terror, and under Project Carnivore, has done its own share of secret arrests, in detaining people they believe are affiliated with the Taliban based on their culture. The same stultifying fear that forfeits justice in 1984, is the same fear that exists in the reality of the United States, with their policies on protecting the American people by forcing certain parties to vacate the country, or by simply holding them in detention centers without cause. On December 6, 2001, then Attorney General John Ashcroft addressed the Senate Judiciary Committee in praise of this act, and it’s restructuring of the NSA, CIA and FBI. (Ashcroft 524) His rhetoric was patriotic and concise, and his views of the USA PATRIOT act and its changes seemed sincere. This was supported with the passage of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, which paved the road for the Patriot act itself. Eric Rosand wrote about the resolution in 2003. His response to its necessity was one of sympathy to the government, for having to face such a difficult challenge. However, not everyone who has commented on the alterations of the US governmental policy has done so with such reverence. David Cole compared the investigations into possible terrorist cells in the United States, to the â€Å"Palmer Raids† of 1919 – where, following a series of bombings, J. Edgar Hoover led a series of â€Å"round ups† of immigrants across the country and held them without trial or charge in â€Å"unconscionable conditions, interrogated incommunicado and in some cases tortured†. (529) This attitude has spread throughout the country, as the appearance of impropriety has permeated the government’s handling of the terrorist investigations. Mary Jacoby brings up the question of the legal definition of â€Å"Detainee†. This is in response to the holding of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba. The prisoners of this facility have been acquired from around the world – from the war in Afghanistan, and from arrests done in dozens of countries around the world. However, the problem arises when the soldiers fighting for the Afghan military are brought in as detainees, rather than prisoners of war. While the Guantanamo prison has its apologists, such as Charles Krauthammer – who states that freeing of these men would be â€Å"lunacy† (537) – the fact remains, that in strict terms, the United States is in break of the Geneva Convention by holding POWs. Orwell’s totalitarian society bears witness to the fact that the Party controls Oceania, and every citizen residing there. In thought, in emotion, in sexual expression, there is no force greater than that of the Thought Police. Winston himself, when tortured by O’Brien, is forced to see five fingers instead of four. That is how controlling the Party is in 1984, they cause even a simple truth as seeing four fingers false; their manipulation is purely ingenious and inhumane. 1984 is similar to the US government in the scotching of human rights. Thoughts are controlled; lives are public domain because privacy doesn’t exist if even emotions are controlled. The media is the main link between Oceania and America. Dystopia exists in how the news is presented and how the truth is slanderous and causes a person very quickly to be an unperson, to speak Newspeak. Though the simple act of ridding the nation of human rights and through secret arrests and detaining individuals without giving them proper due process of the law, 1984 and the US government could almost be one and the same. There is a symbolism here that cannot be ignored. It is in war that the two nations converge. War is good for the economy, and war makes peace. That is also the belief of the war on terror; war must exist first so that peace can follow. War creates jobs and the therefore raises the standard of living in Oceania and in America. The US government has used this type of propaganda to influence the citizenry to support war. War equalizes the economy and every person benefits monetarily from such deeds. That is the similarity between Orwell’s 1984 and the US government. War is Peace. With the thought police and with Project Carnivore there can be no deviation from the norm, no freedom of which to speak. That is panopticism; the government keeping an eye on everyone and everything constantly controlling. Work Cited Orwell, George. 1984. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. New York. 1983. Goodwin, Amy & David. Why Media Ownership Matters. Seattle Times. Sunday, April 3, 2005.

James Jarvis Essay

In Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country there is two protagonists, Reverend Stephen Kumalo, and James Jarvis. Both characters play significant roles to the story but James Jarvis’ situation is noteworthy and inspirational. James is an influential, dynamic character because his opinion dramatically changes upon reading his son’s manuscript. A series of events influences James to shift his mindset into the mindset of his son. An analysis on James Jarvis’ changing mindset reveals that his son’s manuscript, realizing his shortcomings, and Reverend Kumalo are all things that cause him to change drastically. When James’ son, Arthur, dies he visits Arthur’s home and finds his incomplete manuscript. When reading his writings, James finds that his son would have risked anything to help other people, and ended up doing just that. Although James is hurt by the fact that Arthur writes about his parents in a negative way â€Å"..But of South Africa I learned nothing at all.† (207), James takes the criticism and improves from it by continuing his son’s battle. James discovers that his son researches tremendously on the problems of their society, and was seeking help in the development of the social structure in South Africa. Arthur’s house contains hundreds of books and â€Å"†¦between the books there were four pictures, of Christ crucified, and Abraham Lincoln, and the white gabled house of Vergelegen, and a painting of leafless willows by a river in a wintry veld.† (176) From these pictures of Jesus, Lincoln, the gabled hose, and the leafless will ow discloses the symbolism that Arthur admires. Jesus and Lincoln were men of action; they showed love for their friends, and at the same time, their enemies. These two men suffered and died for their beliefs, the same way Arthur did. A water willow represents freedom, therefore, it can be concluded that the painting of the leafless willows represents a loss of freedom for the blacks in South Africa and how Arthur wants to gain their freedom back and help them get equal rights. When his son is shot and killed, James gets to finally know and understand him and his values. â€Å"Jarvis filled his pipe slowly, and listened to the tale of his, to this tale of a stranger† (172). James reads his sons speeches and understands his country’s segregation, relieving him of his ignorance. This comparison enables James to better understand his son and realize how concerned and devoted Arthur was for a change in humanity. After James discovers his son’s views, James starts to realize his shortcomings, and realizes that the problems of others and not only of his own. James begins to help the minority. Since his son’s death and the acquaintance of Stephen, James donates 1000 pounds to the African boy’s club. Jarvis is not just giving the money as a gift; instead he gives the money to the club because he knew the club would improve the country’s condition. Using his son’s views again, James decides to do something about Kumalo’s village, which is falling apart. He sends milk for the children, an agricultural expert, and builds a church for Ndotsheni. James builds the church because the current church in Ndotsheni is old. James and Stephen both live in the farming areas of South Africa, share the love for the same land, and what is in their lives. They each have a son of whom they consider a stranger but after they lose their sons, they begin to understand them. They both learn the problems in South Africa through their sons, and after realization, they both try to do something to improve the social, and racial differences which plague Johannesburg. Both men are strong but James Jarvis has to be the strongest for his ability to take his son’s death the way he does. Instead of being an irate, cruel, sorrowful man; he picks up where his son left off. It’s realistic that James can be forgiving to Stephen even though he is the father of Absalom, the boy who killed Arthur Jarvis. James Jarvis reacts this way because he doesn’t want anyone else to experience the same thing that happened to him; instead he wants to fix the problem before it occurs again. When his son is shot and killed, James finally gets to know and understand him and his values. â€Å"Jarvis filled his pipe slowly, and listened to the tale of his son, to this tale of a stranger† (172). He reads his sons speeches and understands his country’s segregation, relieving him of his ignorance. James Jarvis was a dynamic character that changes throughout the novel. The representation shows how South African problems educated James Jarvis, and turned him into an understanding, and influential man. If Arthur Jarvis had never been killed, James Jarvis would’ve not been educated by his son’s writings or by Stephen Kumalo.

McCann, Let The Great World Spin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

McCann, Let The Great World Spin - Essay Example In the opening lines of the novel itself, there is a blunt reference to the twin tower attack, and the first view of the novelist’s fictional world that the reader gets, is the people in the New York city streets, watching upwards, tilting their heads, which has a premonition-like resemblance to the images that were flashed on television, years later, when the twin towers fell. Corrigan’s blind faith is the ideology that sets the tone of the novel. So it becomes easy for one of the protagonists (Corrigan’s brother) to say that â€Å"he never rejected the world† (McCann, 20). Such a conforming posture before the vices and miseries of the world is also in conformity with the way, America handled the ‘war on terrorism’. The hope expressed in the novel had no connection with the realities of the people of Afghanistan or Iraq. What happened in the twin tower incident was repeated by America a million times in these countries, which took away the mo ral right of the nation to preach hope and peace. And in the novel, whenever the war is mentioned, the propagator of the war is explicitly absent, as if war was a natural disaster. This is why the novelist, in almost all his sentences, makes war the grammatical ‘subject’, and not the object of action by another subject. For example, one of the narrators is heard to say, â€Å"the war kicked in, and she got all messed up in it† (McCann, 49). When one of the protagonists says, â€Å"this was not the America that I expected†, he was referring to the dark ghettos of South Bronx, but by placing, Corrigan, the Christ look alike, in those ghettos, a virtual kind of solution is offered by the novel (McCann, 32). Throughout the book, one is reminded that though reaching out to the victims is a good deed, preventing victimization is far more difficult a task, of which every one wants to shed responsibility. The puritan approach of the novelist is evident from the

Politics and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Politics and society - Essay Example The winning party is required to win approximately 20 percent of the total votes on top of winning approximately 20 percent of the legislative seats (Jez, 2010). Under the FPTP system, the pattern is repeated time and time again. In addition, the FPTP excludes minorities from fair representation. Under the rules of the system, some parties put up the most broadly accepted candidate in a particular district so as to avoid alienating the majority of electors. This then ensures that candidates, especially the black minorities do not to get a major party’s nomination in majority white districts in the UK. It is quite evident that the ethnic and racial minorities across the world are far less likely to be represented in elections done under the FPTP system. The exclusion of minority groups due to the voting behavior can lead to unstable political systems (Dunleavy, 1999). Further, the FPTP system excludes women from fair representation in the legislature. The idea that the most broadly accepted candidate affects the ability of women in getting fair representation. Women are often less likely to be selected as candidates in male dominated societies as well as male dominated party structure. It quite evident across the world, that women are less likely to be elected to the legislature under the plurality systems than under the alternative vote according to Norris (2001). Politics and political parties based on clan, ethnicity or region can also be encouraged by the FPTP system. This may lead to general campaigns and policy platforms on conceptions that are attractive to the majority of the voters in their region but exclude or are hostile to others. There is the likelihood of the country being divided into geographically separate party strongholds, with little chances for parties to sell their ideology outside their home regions and cultural political base (Dunleavy, Margaret and Weir, 1998). Consequently, the

Are Whistle Blowers Heroes or Traitors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Whistle Blowers Heroes or Traitors - Essay Example In fact, the whistle blowing at the workplace is necessary because it might help to prevent future disasters. In order to encourage people to report about the wrongdoings â€Å"in 1999, the Government introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act. Public Concern at Work dubbed the Act "the most far-reaching whistle-blower law in the world" because it encourages employees to speak out about wrongdoing in the workplace and protects them from being unfairly victimized as a result of their actions† (Blowing the Whistle, 1) If whistleblowing at a workplace is highly encouraged and is mostly positive, the whistleblowing in interpersonal relations should be avoided. Let us consider an example; during a conversation between two friends, one of them has told that he fiddled his tax returns. Would it be appropriate for the other person to inform the corresponding authorities about the wrongdoing of his friend? The authorities have given citizens an array of free phone numbers for informing about the wrongdoings in versatile areas. The most famous is the benefit fraud line, set up in the summer of 1995 and reputed to be taking 8,000 calls a week. Its success appears to have set a precedent: now we have the Crime Stoppers Trust offering rewards for solving crimes, an Environment Agency line looking for information on polluters, and various lines that encourage us to tell local environmental health departments about noisy neighbors. It is worth to note that whistleblowers speak not for their own good and often risk their careers because the parties they stand up against are much more powerful.   That is why whistleblowing is equated to heroism.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Ducati Customer Perception and Brand Loyalty Essay

Ducati Customer Perception and Brand Loyalty - Essay Example The research has been divided into different parts and each part is important to achieve the research aim and objectives in a significant and desired manner. There is no denying that loyalty is dependent on satisfaction and when customers are satisfied, there is every chance of them becoming loyals making it easy for organsiations to retain them for a long period of time. The research aims at identifying the loyalty and trust of Ducati customers in a critical and logical manner along with understanding what exactly influence and impact their loyalty in the short as well as in the long run. The research covers different aspects of customer loyalty and customer perception with prime focus on Ducati as a brand appealing a number of customers across the world. Pomerantz defined perception as a process of attaining awareness or understanding environments by interpreting information. This statement is based on normal human psychology that can be related to the customer perception. Customer perception is a process that is based on the information collected from wide arrays of sources and resources. It can be the case that customers using the existing product or service may create awareness along with changing the level of perception about that particular product or service. Organisations need to understand the perception of customers in order to market their products and services along with offering them something that will exceed the level of perceived perception (Alan, Gary, 2011) The research aims at identifying the perception of Ducati customers through questionnaires in order to understand their views and opinions highlighting their loyalty and trust factor for the motorcycle brand. The research has been divided into different parts and each part is important to achieve the research aim and objectives in a significant and desired manner. There is no denying that loyalty is dependent on satisfaction and when customers are satisfied, there is every chance of them b ecoming loyals making it easy for organsiations to retain them for a long period of time (Jones, et al, 2002). The research aims at identifying the loyalty and trust of Ducati customers in a critical and logical manner along with understanding what exactly influence and impact their loyalty in the short as well as in the long run. The research covers different aspects of customer loyalty and customer perception with prime focus on Ducati as a brand appealing a number of customers across the world. 1.1: Research Background Customer perception decides their buying behavior to an extent. Considering the fact that good and valid perception about a product often creates a positive image that allures customers to get associated with that product or service in the short as well as in the long run. Customer perception can be considered as the first stage of buying behavior where there is a difference between the reality and perception. Until and unless, customers use the product; ascertaini ng the reality can be a cumbersome task offering irrelevant attention and importance to perception (Reichheld, 1993). Customers’ perceptions can be influenced through reference groups and opinion leaders but should offer desired and more than perceived results in order to create long term value and mutual benefits in the competitive business environment. Perception leads to interest and zeal that forms the foundation of accepting products and services. On the other hand brand loyalty is consumers’

How Should We Help Our Organizations to Use Internet-Based Essay

How Should We Help Our Organizations to Use Internet-Based Conferencing Safely and Effectively - Essay Example Additionally, internet supported communication offers a lot of advantages such as members can get together when and where they want. Also, the use of computers as a collaboration tool can also augment the amount of information obtainable to a team and increase the pace and authority with which team members get, process, and distribute their individual and combined efforts (Thompson & Coovert, 2003) Computer conferencing can be used when two or more users are able to meet using two or more computers. In computer conference, one member is responsible for controlling what is on the computer screen on the other hand for all others to see. In this scenario, that member is acknowledged as a host or moderator. Though, all the participants can fully take part in a conference call at the same time as looking at one presentation on the computer but they can also exchange a few words by instant messaging. In addition, some computer conferences can take place at the same time with a telephone co nference. In this scenario, members can chat by means of the telephone at the same time as they look at what is taking place on the screen (Ayers, 2012). One of the biggest benefits of computer conferencing which attracts the business organizations to use computer conferences is that people all over the world can take an equal part in the conference. In fact, they only need a computer with an Internet connection. In this scenario, a host distributes an email to team members and provides them a link to the conference room or web room and the meeting and time of the conference. Hence, if someone is unable to attend the conference, he can reject the request right from the email and let them know the reason. Along with numerous advantages especially the team members’ location, there are other pros to making use of computer conferencing. For instance, if someone wants to take part in a web based training session; they can get in touch with a number of people from a variety of doma ins straight away. In this scenario, moderator or host can launch the computer conference with the intention that other people can each independently do a workout or otherwise actively take part in the conference appearing on their screen. In addition, the host can also provide authority of what is on the screen to other participants in order that he can weigh up their ideas and thoughts (Ayers, 2012; ReferencesForBusiness, 2012).

Economics in Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics in Mexico - Essay Example However, the 2008 recession affected Mexico and other Latin American nations making its Gross Domestic product contract by more than six percent. Regardless of unprecedented macroeconomic stability that reduced the record of inflation and interest rates to be low, this has made the per capita income increase leading to enormous gaps between populations living in rural areas and urban areas, states on the northern part and the southern part, and between the rich and the poor. Some of the main challenge the Mexican government faces include improvement in infrastructure, modernizing revenue collection system, changing the labor laws and reduction of inequality of the income (Cantwell et al.). Mexico’s economy contains industrial and services sectors that are rapidly growing as well as an increasing private ownership; at the ports, the administration has increased competition, and other things such as distribution of natural gas rail roads, generation of electricity, airports and telecommunications have also increase. The economy of Mexico is often export oriented and over 90% of business that are conducted in Mexico are under free trade agreement with over forty countries that include Israel, Japan, Central America, etc. NAFTA is one of the most influential free trade agreements that are used in Mexico beginning 1994; some of the governments that signed into NAFTA include the United States and Canada. 90% of all the exports and 55% of all the imports that took place in 2006 was between Mexico and two northern partners; there has been an approval of the judicial reforms and import tax from the Congress of Union while the reforms regarding oil industry is still under debate. The labor force of Mexico is seventy eight million and World Trade Organization and OECD rank Mexico’s workers as one of the hardest working globally in numbers of hours worked a year although the profitability per man-hour is relatively low (Cantwell et al.). Mexico is ranked the 16th largest exporter and 82% of all the exports got to the United States, trade with both Canada and the United States has tripled after NAFTA was implemented in 1994. The products manufactured and exported from Mexico is equivalent to the amount of goods produced by all the other Latin American states combined together; hence a large percent of foreign trade takes place in Mexico’s economy as compared to any other large country. Manufactured products are Mexico’s number 1 exports and the country has recently built its infrastructure in order to enhance trade with other countries. Carlos Helu owns a telecommunication company in Mexico and is considered one of the world’s richest men; his company is however a monopoly in Mexico and it controls 70% of all mobile phones, 70% of broadband and 80% of home phones lines. There are concerns that the lack of competition in the telecommunications sector is hampering economic growth and mobile phone penetration in Mexico is similar to that of Iraq at 85%. In Mexico, its costs double to have broadband connection and this is similar to Chile, and things that are near monopolies include the Bimbo, Televisa and Cemex. Mexico is ranked the ninth in oil production and it exports over three million barrels daily; this is less than that of Iraq, Canada, and China but is more when compared to that of Nigeria, Venezuela and Kuwait. Pemex is the country’

Decolonization in West Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decolonization in West Africa - Essay Example The integration of nationalism was critical to the expression of hatred or dislike, as well as hostility against the foreign rule. It was vital to express these hostilities by individuals’ conscious of their national hood. The rise and development of African Nationalism were because of the internal and external factors. The internal factors were prevalent in Africa, thus massive or enormous contribution to the growth of patriotism in Africa. Some of these factors include colonial exploitation, roles of the African elites, the creation of imperialism, starring role of ex-soldiers, the influence of WACU, and formation or generation of civil entities.On the other hand, certain external factors such as the starring influence of Pan-African institutions, the US influence, implications of the UN, and effects of the WWII on African ex-soldiers did play critical roles in the rapid growth of African patriotism. These factors were essential in ensuring that African Nationalism was adequ ate in influencing the journey of African nations toward the achievement or realization of independence against the foreign or colonial rule. There were three critical approaches toward achievement of independence. That is through the integration of peaceful approach, war, and revolution. These approaches were vital in gaining independence from the colonial rule. In the first approach, a peaceful approach focused on the integration of peaceful protests, which were slow and steady toward winning the race to create change or realize independence.

Strategic Management Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Management Business - Term Paper Example According to Bo Bennett ‘A dream becomes a goal when action is taken towards its achievement’ (Gordon Bell High School, 2012). The justification of the quote can be accomplished by none other than the personality who has given birth to the technical giants Apple. Apple inc. is a consumer electronics company which is headquartered at California, United States. The company is primarily indulged in manufacturing and marketing software, personal computers and other electronic products (Yahoo Finance, n.d.). Some of the iconic products of Apple include I-Phone, I-Pad, I-Pod and very shortly going to add I-Car to its product range (Paultan, 2012). Within a very short span of journey the company has been able to achieve the elite position in the IT industry. The case which has been selected to carry out the research is the article namely ‘Big Apple vs. Big Oil’. The case illustrates the ups and downs of the company and mentioned the staggering success of Apple in the share market. The case also highlights the reasons of Apple’s success in the market place and depicts the importance of the stake holders of the company. Moreover the case also illuminates the importance of Steve Jobs and his innovative and leadership qualities. The reason why Apple has been chosen in order to carry out the research is that the company offers tumultuous market narration. It has also witnessed economic slumps as well as path breaking success. The company is also the most noteworthy player in the digital entertainment sector with innovative outlooks for the future. Therefore it is assumed that Apple inc. will be the most suitable organization towards the completion of the study. Now the prime problem or the issue predating the company is the concerns of the health of Steve Jobs. The person is considered as the technical genius for the company and the sole personality behind every innovations portrayed by the company. Since Steve Jobs is the CEO of the Apple and with his absence the company will hugely suffer from leadership problems. However the investors of the company are gaming on the fact that the company will still pump out heavy profits. But still the question remains that will there be anyone ever who will fill Steve Job’s Shoes. The company is also comprehensively facing problem regarding the affordability of their products. The price of the products is meant for the higher income groups and thus the other section of people could not afford it. This also hampers the total sales volume of the company and ultimately lessens the revenue. Facts The chosen article i.e. ‘Big Apple vs. Big Oil’ illustrates that Apple Inc. was once on the verge of a bankruptcy but stabilizing the situation progressed towards being the market leader in IT industry. The company has also outperformed some of the biggest players of stock market. The day of 9th August will always remain momentous for the company as for a time being they have surpassed the oil giant Exxon Mobil in the context of the firms

Demonstrate A Range Of Communication Essay Example for Free

Demonstrate A Range Of Communication Essay When meeting an individual patient’s communication needs, a range of methods must be used. On the ward I work on, patient A has a long history of putting this in her ears, because of this she has an impairment of her hearing. This impairment can affect her emotional wellbeing, she often becomes frustrated when be spoken to due to not being able to hear people clearly. To communicate with Patient A more effectively, I would take into consideration my positioning, making sure I am standing face on to her. From my experience I have found this alone works however I have considered using pictorial aids, referral to the GP for a hearing aid and written communication.

Drug Profile of Tizanidine HCl

Drug Profile of Tizanidine HCl Structure: Categories: Analgesics, Anticonvulsants, Parasympatholytics, Muscle Relaxants, Central, Adrenergic aipha-2 Receptor Agonists, Neuromuscular Agents, Muscle relaxant , Skeletal Weight: Average: 253.711 Monoisotopic: 253.018893678 Chemical Formula: C9H8ClN5S IUPAC Name: 5-Chloro-N-(4, 5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazol-4-amine Taxonomy: Kingdom: Organic Compounds Superclass: Heterocyclic Compounds Class: Benzothiadiazoles Direct parent: Benzothiadiazoles Alternative parents: Chlorobenzenes:Thiadiazoles; Polyamines; Aryl Chlorides; Guanidines; Organochlorides. Substituents: Chlorobenzene: Aryl chloride; Aryl halide; Thiadiazole; Guanidine; Azole; Organochloride; Organohalogen; Polyamine; Organonitrogen compound; Amine. Classification: These belong to Heterocyclic. This compound belongs to the benzothiadiazoles. Description: Aromatic compound containing a benzene ring fused to a thiadiazole ring. Pharmacology: Indication: To manage increased muscle tone associated with spasticity. For the management of spasticity Tizanidine is a short- acting drug. It is a agonist at a2-adrenergic receptor sites and by increasing presynaptic inhibition of motor neurons presumably decreases spasticity. Pharmacodynamics: Tizanidine has no direct effect on neuromuscular junction or skeletal muscle fibers and in monosynaptic spinal reflexes there is no major effect, in animal models. On polysynaptic pathways the effects of Tizanidine are more. To reduce the facilitation of spinal motor neurons the overall effect of these actions are thought. Mechanism of action: By increasing the presynaptic inhibition of motor neurons reduces Tizanidine spasticity through agonist action at a2-adrenergic receptor sites. Volume of distribution: 2.4L/kg Protein binding: 30% Route of elimination: Approximately 95% of an administered dose is metabolized. Half life: 2.5 hours Affected organisms: Humans and other mammals Drug interactions: Amlodipine: Amlodipine may decrease the clearance and metabolism of Tizanidine During co-administration considers alternate use caution or Therapy. Benazepril: With ACE inhibitor Tizanidine increases the risk of hypotension. Captopril: With ACE inhibitor Tizanidine increases the risk of hypotension. Solubility: Storage: cool dry place and in well-closed container. 4.3. EXCIPIENT PROFILE: Pharmaceutical excipients are substances, alternative than the pharmacologically effective drug or prodrug, that are indicated in the manufacturing process are hold in the final pharmaceutical compound dosage form. Excipients bring enhance practicability to the pharmaceuticals, advancement the alterations in the drug development and aid to advance patent life as well. Excipients arrange the products also practical at lower cost, they use a lot aim by the pharmaceutical industry which is overflow with pressure to reduce cost. Excipients show a comprehensive change of useful in pharmaceutical dosage forms, along with: The bioavailability and solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have been modulated. In dosage forms stability of the active ingredients have been increased. Preferred polymorphic conformations or forms are maintained by helping active ingredients. Maintaining the pH and/or osmolality of liquid productions. Acting as emulsifying agents, antioxidants, tablet binders, aerosol propellants, and as a tablet disintegrate. Preventing dissociation or aggregation (e.g., polysaccharide and actives protein). Immunogenic responses of active ingredients are modulated (e.g., adjuvant). Polymers: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose Synonyms: Hydroxypropyl methyl ether, HPMC, Methocel. Methylcellulose propylene glycol ether, Methyl hydroxypropyl methyl ether [9004-65-3]. Non- proprietary name: BP:Hypromellose USP:Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose Functional Category: Coating agent, viscosity- increasing agent, tablet binder. Description: HPMC is tasteless and an odorless, white fibrous or granular powder, white or creamy. Alkalinity /acidity: pH 5.5-8.0 for a 1%w/w aqueous solution. Melting point: Browns at 190-200 °C, chars at 225-230 °C, glass transition temperature is 170-180 °C. Moisture content: Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose consume moisture from the atmosphere, the quantity of water consumed based on the moisture content and relative humidity and temperature of the surrounding air. Solubility: Soluble in forming a viscous colloidal solution, cold water, practically insoluble in ethanol (95%), chloroform, and either, but soluble in mixtures of dichloromethane and ethanol and mixtures of dichloromethane and methanol, and mixtures of alcohol and water. Methocel productUSP 28 DesignationNormal Viscosity (cps) Methoel K4M Premium 22084000 Methocel K100M Premium2208100000 Methocel K15M Premium220815000 Most influential factors is drug solubility for designing a drug release pattern. Require higher amounts of HPMC in the tablet because they are highly water soluble drugs. Suitable types of HPMC are the methocel K100M and methocel K4M grades, which have a characteristics of quick hydration and gel formation. The higher amount of HPMC or viscosity of HPMC can decrease the drug release rate in the tablet. Generally, maximum contended of methocel in the tablet is less 20%. If the contended is below 20%, there is a danger for excess dissolution in the 1st stage or initial erosion. Application in pharmaceutical formulation or technology: Hypromellose is mostly used in oral and pharmaceutical formulation. Hypromellose is most primarily used as a binder in tablet for oral products, as an extended release tablet matrix and in film coating. Depending upon the viscosity grade, concentration of 2-20% w/w are used in film coating tablets as film-forming solutions. In aqueous film-coating solutions Lower-viscosity grades are used. While in organic solvents higher-viscosity grades are used. Hypromellose at concentration between 0.45-1.0% w/w are may be used for eye drops and artificial tear solution as a thickening agent to vehicles. Also, used as suspending agent, an emulsifier, and stabilizing agent in topical ointments and gels. In addition, for manufacture of capsule hyprmellose is used, for hard contact lenses as a wetting agent and as an adhesive in plastic bandages. Also mostly used in food products and cosmetics. Stability and storage Conditions: HPMC powder is balanced material, although it is hygroscopic after drying. HPMC powder should be stored in a in a cool, dry place and in well- closed container. Incompatibilities: With some oxidizing agents HPMC is incompatible. HPMC will not complex with ionic organic or metallic salts to form insoluble precipitates since it is non-ionic. Safety: It is generally considered as a non-irritant and nontoxic material although oral consumption may have a laxative effect39. Sodium bicarbonate Non-proprietary names: BP/EP: sodium bicarbonate Synonym: Baking soda, e-500, and monosodium carbonate. Chemical name: carbonic acid, monosodium salt, monosodium carbonate. Empirical formula: NaHCO3 Molecular weight: 84.01 Category: alkalizing agent, therapeutic agent. Description: it is an odorless, white crystalline powder with slight alkaline taste. Acidity/ alkalinity: pH 8.3 for freshly prepared 0.1m aqueous solution at 250C. Density: 2.159 g/cm3 Solubility: Practically insoluble in ethanol and soluble in water,. Stability and storage: Sodium bicarbonate is balanced in dry air but still slowly disintegrates in moist air and should accordingly be reserved in a cool dry place and in well-closed container. Safety: sodium bicarbonate balance gastric acid with the change of carbon dioxide orally ingested and that may cause stomach cramps and flatulence. Applications: Employed as a cause of carbon dioxide in effervescent tablets and granules. Also used to buffer the drug molecules that are weak acids. Used in solutions as buffering agent. Also used as freeze-drying stabilizer. As a gas forming agent40. Magnesium stearate Nonproprietary names: BP: Magnesium Stearate, IP: Magnesium Stearate, PhEur: Magnesiistearas, USPNF: Magnesium Stearate. Synonyms: Magnesium octadecananoate; Octadecanoic acid; Magnesium salt; stearic acid magnesium salt. Empirical formula: C36H70MgO4 Chemical name: Octadecanoic acid magnesium salt Molecular weight: 591.34 Structural Formula: Fig 13. Structure of Magnesium Sterate Functional category: Capsule and tablet lubricant. Applications in Pharmaceutical Technology: Magnesium stearate is mostly used in pharmaceutical formulations food and cosmetics. Most primarily at the time of tablet and capsule manufacturing used as a lubricant with concentrations between 0.25% and 0.5% w/w. And also used in barrier creams. Description: Magnesium stearate is actual accomplished milled or precipitated, light white, impalable powder of less bulk density, having faint smell of stearic acid and a quality taste. The powder readily be attached to the skin and greasy to touch. Solubility: Practically insoluble in ether, ethanol (95%), ethanol, ether and water, slightly. Soluble in warm ethanol (95%) and warm benzene41. . Microcrystalline cellulose Synonyms: Microcrystalline cellulose, Avicel, Crystalline cellulose, emocel, vivacel, Cellulosum microcrystallinum. Chemical Name: Cellulose Empirical Formula: (C6H10O5)n where n ≈ 220. Structural formula: Fig 14: Structure of microcrystalline cellulose Functional category: suspending agent, Adsorbent, tablet disintegrant, tablet and capsule diluent. Applications in pharmaceutical formulation or technology: It is primarily used as a diluent/ binder in oral tablet and capsule formulation in both wet granulation processes and direct compression. It has also got some lubricant, antiadherent, and disintegrating properties, which is useful in tableting. Microcrystalline cellulose is used in food products and cosmetics. Description: It occurs as a white, tasteless, odourless crystalline powder keeping of porous particles. It is commercially applicable in different applications and properties. Solubility: Slightly soluble in 5% w/v sodium hydroxide solution; insoluble in most organic solvents, water and dilute acids. GradeNominal mean particle size ( µm)Moisture content Avicel pH -10150≠¤5.0 Avicel pH -102100≠¤5.0 Uses of microcrystalline cellulose Density (bulk): 0.28-0.32 g/cm3 for Avicel PH 102 and 0.29-0.36 g/cm3 for Avicel PH 200 pH: 5.5-7 Flowability: 1.41 g/s Melting point: 260–270 °C. Moisture content: Typically less than 5% w/w. Solubility: Insoluble in dilute acids and water, slightly soluble in 5% w/v sodium hydroxide solution. Specific surface area: 1.21–1.30 m2/g for Avicel pH-102, 0.78–1.18 m2/g for Avicel pH-200. Stability: Microcrystalline cellulose is a stable though hygroscopic material. Storage Conditions: Storeatambientconditions.Keepcontainers sealed; material is very hygroscopic. Incompatibilities: Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents43. Xanthum gum Synonyms: Bacterial Polysaccharide, Corn Sugar Gum, Xanthan, Gomme desucre de mais, Polysaccharide Xanthane, Gomme Xanthane, Polysaccharide Bactà ©rien, Xanthane, Goma Xantana, Xanthomonas campestris. Gomme de Xanthane, Description: Xanthan gum is a sugar-like compound prepared by blending aged (fermented) sugars with assured kind of bacteria. It is used to make medicine. It is used in making some medications and foods. In these products it has different effects. It can keep textures from changing, add thickness, and hold ingredients in place. In many types of medicines Xanthan gum is found. These include: Tablets which slowly break down in the body Liquid drops for the eyes Xanthan gum is formed by heating a carbohydrate (a substance which consists of sugar) withXanthomonas campestrisbacteria, then processing it. Uses: Use as a bulk-forming laxative to treatconstipation. In people with diabetes it lowers blood sugar. In people with diabetes it lowers cholesterollevels. For dry mouth used as a saliva substitute. Side effects: Xanthan gum assume to cause some side effects. A 1987 study, in that five men who are healthy ate roughly 10 to 13gm daily, has commence no adverse effects. It may cause gas. Risks.The FDA has warned against for giving simply thick to premature infants. It has been combined to a danger digestive problem called necrotizing enterocolitis in neonate born prematurely. Interactions: Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interrelates with XANTHAN GUM. By decreasing the absorption of sugars in food Xanthan gum might lower blood sugar. To lower blood sugar Diabetes medications are also used. Blood sugar to be too low may cause by taking xanthan gum with diabetes medications. Guide your blood sugar nearly. The dose of your diabetes medication may need to change. Some medications used for diabetes be composed of glimepiride (Amaryl), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glyburide, glipizide (Glucotrol), (Micronase, Dia Beta, Pres Tab, Glynase), pioglitazone (Actos), insulin, rosiglitazone (Avandia), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others. Dosing: In scientific research the following doses have been studied. Bymouth: The World Health Organization (WHO) has agreed the maximum pleasing intake for xanthan gum as a laxative of 15 grams per day and as a food additive of 10 mg/kg /day. Xanthan gum require extra fluids for effectiveness and safety, bulk laxatives such as. For diabetes: As an ingredient in muffins a typical dose is 12grams per day44. Aerosil IUPAC Name: Silicon dioxide Synonyms: Quartz, Silicic oxide, Silica, Crystalline silica, Silicon (IV) oxide, Description: Silicon dioxide, also known assilica (from the  Latinsilex), is a  chemical compound  that is an  oxide  of  silicon  with  chemical formulaSiO2. It has been known since ancient times. Silica is most usually found in nature as  quartz or sand, and also in the  cell   walls  of  diatoms  (frustule). Silica is prepared in many forms including fused quartz,  crystal,  fumed silica  (or pyrogenic silica), aerogel,  colloidal silica, and silica gel49.

The Personification Of Food In Literature

The Personification Of Food In Literature Since food is created from recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next, the art of cooking was taught by mothers to daughters, they reawaken the past by reminiscence. It is not a surprise that we find frequent references to the epitome of human characteristics in novels of magic realism, such as Kitchen and Like Water for Chocolate. Food in literature can be used as symbolism for many aspects of things, but its most likely that it represents the ideal voice of a character or the personality of themselves. This is because certain aspects of a character reveal themselves in the personal choices of consuming food and the effects afterwards on the characters. Since eating consists of numeral pre-activities to be performed; the preservation, preparation, presentation, and performance of food as well as the food product itself is what leads characters to behave ambiguously. More abstractly, in addition to giving insights within a character, both Yoshimoto and Esquive l use food to symbolize significant relationships amongst the characters and the association in fact or thought. Therefore, by analyzing the human attributes given to food, we can gain insights into numerous ideas that the writers are exemplifying. This paper will compare the ways in which food is used for the above purposes in both novels. Early in Kitchen we are shown a brief introduction to the main character Mikage and her adoration for the kitchen. Mikage is portrayed as a caring and generous character through her food preparation activities and presentation. While preparing food for others, she upholds a feeling of contentment and happiness because the warmth of food and the company of her loved ones. We see that through the death of Mikages grandmother whose death has left a heavy impact on her. She describes to have slept in the kitchen after her grandmothers death, which indicates her association with warmth and food was what she needed to comfort her worried soul: Steeped in a sadness so great I could barely cry, shuffling softly in gentle drowsiness, I pulled my futon into the deathly silent gleaming kitchen. Wrapped in a blanket, like Linus, I slept. The hum of the refrigerator kept me from thinking of my loneliness. There, the long night came on in perfect peace, and morning came. Furthermore, being a culinary teachers assistant, Mikage has a particularly refined taste for food and always seems able to make eating an event that upholds optimism and hope under any circumstances. She makes it a social experience for Yuichi, an acquaintance of her grandmothers funeral whos family Mikage goes to live with after her grandmothers death. He had been mournful after his own mothers death and Mikage had prepared a magnificent feast in order to cheer him up. And its true that for the whole summer I went about it with a crazed enthusiasm: cooking, cooking, and cooking. I poured all my earnings from my part-time job into it, and if something came out wrong Id do it over till I got it right. Angry, fretful or cheery, I cooked through it all. (56) Mikage is also shown to reveal her inner emotions through the use of preservation and presentation of food to express her sincerity and concern. As a young woman who had been taught by her grandmother to cook, she does not limit herself to only traditional recipes. She prepares food with vast quantities of materials and tries to expand on her options of cooking a good meal. She questions her love for the kitchen, Perhaps to me a kitchen represents some distant longing engraved on my soul. As I stood there, I seemed to be making a new start; something was coming back (56). The intensity of culinary had given her opportunities to express her inner feelings and to maintain a steady relationship with the people in her life. Mikage prefers finely detailed meals which consist of dishes with lots of color and shapes, reflecting her personality within the final product. Her preservation of food reflects her thoughts and concerns for the people in her life, such as her friendship with Yuichi. She identifies his loneliness and sets out to be a better friend by Finding myself standing alone in the standing alone in the street, close to midnight, belly pleasantly full, a hot takeout container of katsudon in my hands, completely bewildered as to how to proceed. (93) From this we can perceive the importance of friendship from Mikages generosity of supplying food for a friend. On contrary, Yuichi is grateful of having Mikage in his life and the food would taste so good because he feels loved and happy amongst his isolation. It is exactly the notion that distinguishes Mikage from other characters in Kitchen. Though Mikage also has a humble taste for food that shes accustomed to, The food was so delicious, and I realized how very, very hungry I was. It occurred to me I always enjoyed what I ate when I was with him. How wonderful it is, I thought (142). In contrast to other characters in the book, Mikage does not care for her social environment. This is evident in which she describes her eating experiences with Yuichi, her very close friend. This shows that Yuichi has bonded with a person who cares very much about him through her expressive eating behavior. The affectionate attitude to food is related to their genuine friendship, and more specifically, conveying their emotions. In a cafà ©, sensible Mikage drank tea with Yuichi, confessing that it was their first time sitting down in such a setting, Yuichi bluntly blurts out Mikages feelings about her grandmothers death versus his feelings towards his mothers death. The literal description of Mikages profoundly response was Yuichi, the fact that youre relaxed enough with me now to tell me how youre really feeling is a source of comfort to me. It makes me very happy. So happy I feel like shouting it from the rooftops (76). It can be interpreted metaphorically with tea being a symbol for relaxation but conveys acknowledgement between people. Contrariwise, Mikages goal in a genuine friendship is shown in her attitude towards her association with food. When she began to sob audibly, everyone in the place turned to stare at her. Chikas shoulders jerked spasmodically, racked with grief. Tear s fell into her soup (86). Again, the fundamental presentation of food is associated with emotions and memoirs. Mikage, who witnesses his touching scenario can identify that the human heart is unquestionably precious and genuine. The human nature of Mikage shows itself in the reply: the experiences of the last months had changed me. In the mirror I could see only a trace of the spoiled princess I had been, the one who took Eriko for granted. I was so far from that now (87). The death of a friend led her to realization that it was too late to say goodbye. Experiencing a similar fate to Mikage, Tita shows her affections through her preparation and presentation of food. However, she is denied of love from her mother and she is used as a tool to compensate the happiness of the rest of family members while not being able to experience her own. While all the food she prepares does not center on her, most of it was having to do with her entity. So it seemed that Tita was destined from the very beginning to learn the traits of cooking since birth, allowing her emotional connection to the food she cooked later in her life as a form of realism. The establishment of traditional recipes being handed down from one generation to the next is relevant to Tita and her emotions. Since her mother has denied her marriage to Pedro, her lover; he has brought her roses which she used for their family dinner. A sense of alchemical process, this is ominously displayed at the dinner: with that meal it seemed they had discovered a new system of communication , in which Tita was the transmitter, Pedro the receiver and poor Gertrudis the medium, the conducting body through which the singular sexual message was passed (52). Her resilient behavior concerning her preparation of food and drinks shows her frustration and insatiable character; on her knees, was bent over the grinding stone, moving in slow regular rhythm, grinding the almonds and sesame seeds (67). Tita finds her sexual satisfaction in passionately committing adultery with Pedro and this is symbolized by the eating of rose petal quail. Without any mention of romantic love, the presentation of food reflects the intensifying emotions during the preparation. This example adds to Titas profile to have affectionate characteristics. The way that food can be used as a literary effect is evidence in both novels Kitchen and Like Water for Chocolate, Yoshimoto and Esquivel seem to share a similar view on the literary use of food symbolism. The reason that something as generalized as food comes to represent the characters and their need to transform the food with their own emotions. Instead of describing directly what kind of character one is or stating how the plot will develop, both authors use the personification of food to convey the ideas. It is this sort of literary technique that makes a novel enduring.

Tropical Areas in Florida Essay -- Tropics

The Trouble with Tropics Florida, like many tropical areas, has two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. During the wet season (June through October), water is plentiful, lawns grow green, farmers grow their crops and kids wakeboard in the park. But, of course, flooding is a problem. In the dry season (seven months: November through May), grass turns as brown as a desert bush. The source of Florida’s water is the Lake Toho/Kissimmee River/Lake Okeechobee system, and the level of the lake system rises and falls between the seasons. At low levels during the dry season, Florida residents must be mindful to conserve water and animals are left to fend for themselves. Water resources have the potential to be unsustainable without management. Florida water resources fluctuate, so life can be difficult. The South Florida Water Management District was created to maintain sustainability of Florida water resources. Today, tourists come to visit the beautiful tropical climate of Florida’s beaches, wildlife, and palm trees. South Florida wasn’t always so pristine. Florida used to be a much soggier swampland. Mosquitoes were so plentiful, that some early pioneers of the area joked that they must be the state bird. Because of Florida’s flat geography, rainfall was the determinant factor in every facet of South Florida’s environment.1 After a large rain, water would stand in floodplains and flow from river to river like water in an ice tray without canals or dams to control the flow of storm waters. Standing water would remain for weeks or months leaving disease and water damage behind.1 During the dry season, farming became difficult. Droughts were common and crops and cattle would thirst without a reliable source of ... ....dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/coral.htm. 6. Facility and Infrastructure Location Index Map. May 2002. South Florida Water Management District. http://www.sfwmd.gov/images/pdfs/facility_map_overview.pdf. 7. Wetland Wildlife. 8 Dec. 2004. University of Florida. http://wetlandextension.ifas.ufl.edu/wildlife.htm. 8. Land Management Annual Report. 2003. South Florida Water Management District. http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/clm/lsd/images/pdfs/lsd_ar03.pdf. 9. Environmental Restoration Efforts. South Florida Water Management District. http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/wrp/env_rest_efforts.html#lakeo. 10. Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy) Update and Background. July 1999. http://www.evergladesplan.org/docs/backgd.pdf. 11. ACCELER8 Everglades Now. South Florida Water Management District. http://www.evergladesnow.org/a8_overview.shtml.

Gothic Culture Essay -- Goths Renaissance History Essays

Gothic Culture You're walking down the street and all of a sudden you encounter a group of oddly dressed youngsters all in black, or perhaps wearing elaborate lace and brocade, looking strangely like they came out of eighteenth century. You immediately feel a bit of apprehensions as you clutch your child closer to and wonder what exactly it is that these kids are up to. Are they part of a Satan worshiping cult, or just a band of traveling actors? In either case their strange dress and pale likenesses took you aback and made you a bit prone to prejudge. What you were probably looking at were a group of Goths. What exactly is a Goth you may ask, and why the weird dress and affinity for black. This along with the origins, and some of the trials and tribulations faced by this extraordinary group of individuals, along with dispelling some common misconceptions is the objective of my writings. First lets take a look at what Goth is and where it began. Gage Canadian Dictionary defines "Goth." as "an uncivilized person, barbarian."( 1975:425) the origin of the word dates back to the third or fourth centuries when a Germanic tribe called the VisiGoths overran the Roman Empire and settled in what is now Sweden and the surrounding area (Shultz,1984:325). The word gained its modern meaning during the Italian Renaissance when the word was used to describe the architecture that was emerging at the time. The architecture was considered barbaric because of its pointed arches and steep roofs, along with the frequent use of the gargoyle, which was thought to ward of evil spirits. The modern Gothic movement and its origins are not as easily defined, and varies according to your source. I've combined the two to show an evolution of how it all... ...nformation has always been the key to help ease prejudices and discrimination, by introducing the ideology behind the Goth culture and explaining the reason behind the dress; I hope that it has brought about a better understanding of these people and their plight to a peaceful existence. Bibliography Fulton, Ben "Goths For Goodwill."City Beat (1998): 2p. Online. Internet. June 4,1998. www.slweekly.com/news/citybeat/cb 980604 a.html "Dictionary of Goth" 6/24/98 http:www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/~vkc20/goth/qzhtml Shultz, James.(1975) Germanic Tribes (3rd ED), Published by Weber and Van Syckle: Berlin Sangange, Eretica "Darkness Can be Felt"(1999): Online.Internet. June 30, 1999. http://pages.prodigy.com/Fifth Dream/goth.htm Yvain, Euphrosyne "Origins of Modern Gothic Culture"(1999) Online. Internet June 24,1999. http:www.blood-dance.net/goth/origins.html

Research Methodology Essay

â€Å"The study of man contains a greater variety of intellectual styles than any other area of cultural endeavor. How different social scientists go about their work, and what they aim t accomplish by it, often do not seem to have a common denominator †¦ Let us admit the case of our critics from the humanities and from the experimental sciences: Social science as a whole is both intellectually and morally confused. And what is called sociology is very much in the middle of this confusion. † Wright Mills Images of Man Abstract The quest for knowledge has always been at the forefront of societies mind. What makes us tick as a society or an individual, what circumstances have to come about to lead to different phenomena to occur? Sociologists, psychologists, philosophers and social scientists have spent eons of time pondering on these questions. Research is the way in which these questions may be answered, but the question remains, as to what type of research leads us to the right answer or, if there is a right answer, what is the one true answer? If different research methods produce different answers, which is the right, the true answer and if we find it does this render all the other answers null or wrong? These are some of the questions that I will be asking in this paper through examining concepts such as the symbolic order in research, the role of emotions in research, the grouping together of different methodologies to create a clearer picture of the research and the importance of reflexivity during the research process. Keywords; emotions, symbolic order, reflexivity. The word research originates from the late 16th century French word recerche, re (expressing intensive force) and cherchier to search. It means the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. In this essay I will be focusing on qualitive research methods, examining some of the problems that may be encountered when conducting social research and how these problems may be overcome and used to advantage. Qualitative research takes an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter; qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings that people bring to them. This process begins by understanding that there are a variety of ways of making sense of the world and therefore focuses on discovering the meanings that are seen by those who are being researched, to better understand their view of the world. The methodology used in research will vary in accordance with the research being conducted, this can be limiting if a type of methodology is decided on and rigidly adhered to throughout the research leaving no room for reconsideration or change of view. Different Methodological Approaches. The manner in which sociologists study society varies greatly between individual sociologists. There are many reasons for these varying views such as backgrounds, culture, family influences, religion and experiences with these experiences leading them to come to certain conclusions about certain situations. For this reason it is important not to rely on one type of sociological perspective which may constrict the researcher in the researching of certain phenomena. In research however objectively the reality of the social world was approached, its meaning was never self evident but always subject to interpretation with this interpretation being subject to the researchers biases formed out of the afore mentioned factors. Some of the different methods of researching or research style are Positivism which means scientific; positivists would argue that it is possible and desirable to study social behavior in ways similar to those used by natural scientists when studying the natural world. The interpretive approach to research has been gaining attention in recent years as an alternative to the more traditional positivist approach (Lee 342). Lee describes the interpretive approach as â€Å"such procedures as those associated with ethnography, hermeneutics, phenomenology and case studies. By the positivist he refers to inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, mathematical analysis and experimental and quasi experimental design. Ethnography (Greek ethnos = folk/people and graphein = writing) is a qualitative research method often used in the social sciences, particularly in anthropology and in sociology. It is often employed for gathering empirical data on human societies/cultures. Data collection is often done through participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, etc. Ethnography aims to describe the nature of those who are studied (i. e. to describe a people, an ethnos) through writing. In the biological sciences, this type of study might be called a â€Å"field study† or a â€Å"case report,† both of which are used as common synonyms for â€Å"ethnography. Lee states that the difference between positivist and interpretive approaches has been described as objective versus subjective (Burrell and Morgan 1979), outsider versus insider (Evered and Louis 1981), quantitive versus qualitive (Van Mannen 1979) and etic versus emic (Morey and Luthans 1984). In literature it may seem that these 2 methods of research are opposed and irreconcilable and there is some concern over what Morey and Luthans call the â€Å"widening gap between the two major orientations to organizational research† (1984, 84). Lee puts forward the idea of joining the two methodologies together as he argues that they both have something to offer the researcher. He devised a framework called three levels of understanding. [pic] The first level belongs to the observed human subjects, this consists of common sense and meanings which are true for these subjects and how they see themselves, which give rise to the behavior that they manifest in socially constructed settings. The second belongs to the observing organizational researcher. This understanding according to Lee is the researchers reading and interpretation of the first level, common sense understanding where the researcher may use concepts such as subjective interpretation, the hermeneutical circle or thick description. The third level of understanding also belongs to the researcher. This understanding is one that the researcher creates and tests in order to explain the empirical reality that he is investigating. This explanation is called scientific theory is made up of constructs that belong only to the observing researcher. This explanation consists of formal positions that typically posit the existence of unobservable entities such as social structure, issues that may attempt to account for the influence of certain factors of which the observed subjects may not even be aware. The above diagram shoes the flow of ideas and understanding between the three levels of understanding and the relevance of the two methods of research in question. This illustrated the importance of varying the methods of research used, to create a legitimate piece of research work it is vital to come at the work from different angles rather than taking a blinkered approach. This is vital all there can be no definite knowledge in research as there are so many variables and researchers take the research on for so many different reasons with so many different worldviews. Identifying applicable research strategies is almost as difficult as methodologies tend to differ according to the various factors found within the desired outcome. Yet methods cannot be orchestrated to generate this outcome from the data, but merely facilitate its collection and synthesis. Any successful research methodology does not, therefore, create knowledge, but rather is an applicable strategy for identifying and processing the information which exists. Hathaway (1995) stresses that there are decisions embedded within the creation and conduct of research methodologies that are generated both within the research setting and within the perceptions of the researcher. The concept of an unbiased methodology is thus inherently impossible: Are we creatures of reason and logic? Or are we better characterized as the victims of unconscious drives, forces and emotions? Does the different language we use really make such a difference in what we have to say? Are we saying something better and more academic if it is considered almost too technical for the reader to understand? Are texts considered more valid if they are difficult to understand and read? Are these technical essays and writings elitist, written by elitist academics just to be appreciated by like minded and like educated individuals? Why publish research ideas that are inaccessible to society? All researchers come to the experimentation process with preconceived opinions of how and why the research process should transpire. â€Å"When one chooses a particular research approach, one makes certain assumptions concerning knowledge, reality, and the researcher's role. These assumptions shape the research Endeavour, from the methodology employed to the type of questions asked. † (Hathaway 1995). So how do we carry out the most informed research possible? It is important not to take a ‘sat nav’ approach to the research, asking a question that you already know the answer to and not be prepared to change course along the way, the research process is the information that the researcher finds along the pathway to the research, the phenomena the researcher encounters along the pathway is as relevant as the final conclusion and it is vital to include this in the research process. If the research question is not working is it preferable to change the question or come at the research from a different angle rather than trying to fit your research question into every area of the study? Reynolds argues that the methodologist turns research technician, in spite of himself, and becomes an aimless itinerant, moving in whatever direction his research techniques summon him, studying changing patterns of voting because these are readily accessible to his techniques rather than the workings of political institutions and organizations for which he has not evolved satisfying techniques of investigation. Reynolds 190). In my own research on texting differences between adults and teens I will be using field work which will consist of focus groups with informal questioning and conversation, individual interviews and data analysis in the form of analyzing a number of text interactions in both focus groups. Bourdieu and the Importance of Reflexivity in Social Research. Is knowl edge independent of the situation of the knower, or a product of it? Bourdieu stresses the importance in reflexivity while conducting social research. The sociologist must at all times be aware of their own habitus, their position of thought and in life and how bringing this to research will affect the research outcome. According to Bourdieu it is impossible for our objectivity to remain unbiased and unprejudiced due to our preconceived habitus. It is only by maintaining such a continual vigilance that the sociologists can spot themselves in the act of importing their own biases into their work. Reflexivity is, therefore, a kind of additional stage in the scientific epistemology. If there is a single feature that makes Bourdieu stand out in the landscape of contemporary social theory’, wrote Loic J. D. Wacquant (1992: 36), ‘it is his signature obsession with reflexivity. ’ For Bourdieu, reflexivity is an epistemological principle which advises sociologists, as ‘objectifying subjects’, to turn their objectifying gaze upon themselves and become aware of the hidden assumptions that structure their research. Without this reflexive move, sociology cannot escape the ‘fallacies of scholasticism’ and loses its chances to provide a truly scientific analysis of the social world. Reflexivity requires an awareness of the researcher's contribution to the construction of meanings throughout the research process, and an acknowledgment of the impossibility of remaining ‘outside of' one's subject matter while conducting research. Reflexivity then, urges us â€Å"to explore the ways in which a researcher's involvement with a particular study influences, acts upon and informs such research. † (Nightingale and Cromby, 1999, p. 228). In the rush of interest in qualitative research in the past 15 years, few topics have developed as broad a consensus as the relevance of analytic â€Å"reflexivity. † (Macbeth 2001). Macbeth argues that contemporary expressions of reflexivity have attachments to critical theory, standpoint theory, textual deconstruction and sociologies and anthropologies of knowledge and power and agency with theorists such as Bourdieu and Wacquant at the forefront of this type of thinking. Bourdieu has problematised social research in relation to his concept of habitus stating that the researcher must at all times be aware of his habitus,(prevailing and long learned personal norms and biases, formed over a lifetime) and take steps to acknowledge this habitus by looking back on himself and his research with a critical eye. The postmodern condition is such that there are no certainties in social research as norms and values become intertwined, identities and culture intermingle and clash as do gender and sexualities, power is gained and lost through means of popularity alone and social researchers can only strive to explore every avenue of their research subject reflexively in the quest for knowledge and answers. In research this reflexivity can be put into two categories, personal reflexivity, which involves the researcher acknowledging their own habitus and how this is affecting their research and in turn affecting the researcher carrying out the research. The second is epistemological reflexivity which requires us to ask questions of the research such as: â€Å"How has the research question defined and limited what can be ‘found? ‘ How have the design of the study and the method of analysis ‘constructed' the data and the findings? How could the research question have been investigated differently? To what extent would this have given rise to a different understanding of the phenomenon under investigation? Thus, epistemological reflexivity encourages us to reflect upon the assumptions (about the world, about knowledge) that we have made in the course of the research, and it helps us to think about the implications of such assumptions for the research and its findings. † (Willig, 2001). The Use of Emotion in Social Research. Williams and Bendelow (1996), map the field of sociology of emotions onto the concerns of sociology: â€Å"emotions have fundamental implications for a range of pertinent sociological themes and issues including social action, agency and identity; social structure; gender, sexuality and intimacy; the embodiment of emotions across the life-course (from childhood to old age); health and illness; and the social organization of emotions in the workplace (formal and informal). Emotions play an important part in the field at a number of levels. It is important to realize that the researcher's identity and experiences shape the ideas with which they go into the field, their political and ideological stance, and there is an analytic cost if this interplay of person and research is not taken into consideration. The researcher takes assumptions and emotions into and generates emotions in the field about the researched. Kleinman and Copp (1993) suggest that if a researcher experiences negative emotions about their participants they would prefer to ignore, or repress those feelings, since to admit them might constitute a threat to their professional and personal identity. But these can be the very feelings (anger and disappointment perhaps) that could help the researcher to understand their own assumptions and their participants. It is clear to me that emotions are very important in fieldwork, both those of the participants and of the researchers. The researcher's emotions can have effects at the personal and professional levels, in relation to their understanding of their self and identity, and their capacity to perform in a fashion that they would themselves regard as professional, and these effects can be long term. A considerable amount of emotion work is called for in qualitative research, and often the dangers consequent on this are not recognized. In some instances researchers have been made quite ill (physically or emotionally) through their experiences of denying, ignoring or managing emotions. The emotions experienced by respondents in the field are data and need to be drawn into analysis and interpretation. It has been suggested here that emotions are important in the production of knowledge from a number of perspectives. In most cases, despite some unpleasant experiences, researchers value the extra power in understanding, analysis and interpretation that the emotions they experience in the field can bring to the research. In his article Hidden Ethnography: Crossing emotional Borders in Qualitive Accounts of Young People’s Lives. Shane Blackman concludes that different ethnographic episodes show how powerful feelings of emotions from love to hate grip both the researcher and the researched. He states that his fieldwork consisted of constant negotiation and respect with participants who allowed him access to their public and private spaces. He advises that to advance more open, reflexive approaches that explain how research is conducted and written, sociology needs greater disciplinary understanding and recognition of the real challenges and opportunities faced by qualitive research, which demands emotion. The Symbolic Order in Social Research. â€Å"The â€Å"Symbolic Order† achieved its currency in Anglo-Saxon human sciences by way of Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory but originated in Claude Levi-Strauss’s Les structures elementaires de la parente (1949) [translated into English as Elementary Structures of Kinship, 1969] which used the term to group the many different codes which constitute human societies—from social identities and kinship relations to cooking and feasting rituals and religious observances—in short all cultural practices and inscriptions, whatever their language. Levi-Strauss showed that patterns we can observe in one level are invariably linked to and determined by similar patterns in other levels†. (Clark 2004) How important is the symbolic order in social research? There are many factors to take into account when discussing the symbolic order in relation to research. Gusfield and Michalowicz argue that in recent years, sociologists and anthropologists have conducted â€Å"significant studies of modern life using concepts and perspectives derived from symbolic anthropology. Among anthropologists words like ritual, myth, ceremony and symbolism are central to the study of social life in primitive societies. In contemporary society they have been peripheral terms and the activities they denote have not usually been studied in modern societies. † (Gusfield and Michalowicz 1984). The symbolic is of huge importance in social research and cannot be separated from it. When researching we must ask, what is happening here? Recognizing the potentially multiple responses to this question illuminates the way in which meaning is mediated by cultural categories and structures of thought. This awareness of the social construction of reality, which Richard Brown calls symbolic realism (Brown 1977), implies that any segment of human, social activity can be experienced in different and in multiple ways by diverse actors and observers. David Blacker in his thesis argues that for Gadamer, all understanding — whether of a text or of another person — is interpretive. This means is that, whatever else it is and does, understanding moves in what Heidegger called a â€Å"hermeneutic circle. † This circle is productive of meaning. To generate meaning from a text, for example, one must always move around from whole to part and back again. The â€Å"whole† may be the language in which the text was written, the literary tradition to which it belongs, its historical period, the life circumstances of its author, and so on. This â€Å"whole,† then, provides the backdrop against which one gives significance to the â€Å"part,† e. g. , the particular words comprising the text, the individual work in question or the specific period of the author’s life. A helpful analogy is with understanding an ambiguous word within a sentence. If the meaning of the word itself is not immediately obvious, one must find it in its larger context. The newly appreciated meaning of the part (the word) then alters to a degree the meaning of the whole (the sentence). One never escapes â€Å"outside† this whole-part circuit — even the dictionary only relates words to other words. In my own research on ‘the difference in meaning of texting between teens and adults’ the symbolic order plays a large part. The mobile phone will mean different things to these two groups and these issues must be taken into account when formulating the research. Mobile telephone has been widely adopted by many people in society. As it integrates into daily life, it alters the way people communicate, identify their personalities and relate to others in social system. It affects socio-economic structures as well as individual life. Mobile telephone enables accessibility, emancipation, security and micro-coordination and serves as a symbol of prestige, pride and self-identity. The aim of this study is to explore the symbolic factors influencing the use of mobile telephone among teens and dults where in the case of adults the phone may be vital for communication; the teen may find it impossible to function socially without the use of the phone and the texting facility. Conclusion There is no way of determining a sure path for arriving at sociological knowledge; there is unlikely to be, just over the horizon, a new approach, paradigm or perspective to rescue us from the intellectual difficulties involved in a sociological theorizing which can giv e us a better understanding of our social world. Reynolds 339) As researchers we must be aware of our limitations in the social world in so much that we cannot really promise to theorize in a way that explains everything. This is not possible in life as there are too many different collective and individual ideas that are thousands of years in formation. In social research these variables and ideas must be acknowledged and given importance within the research area and with their relevance acknowledged the researcher may move on to the findings of her own particular studies. Karl Mannheim answers critics in letter to the members of a seminar on the sociology of knowledge, by stating that â€Å"if there are contradictions and inconsistencies in my paper this is, I think, not so much due to the fact that I have over looked them but because I make a point of developing a theme to its end even if it contradicts some other statements. I use this method because I think that in this marginal field of human knowledge we should not conceal the inconsistencies, so to speak covering up the wounds, but our duty is to show the sore spots in human thinking at its present stage. In a simple empirical investigation or straightforward logical argument, contradictions are mistakes; but when the task is to show that our whole thought system in its various parts leads to inconsistencies, these inconsistencies are the thorn in the flesh from which we have to start. The inconsistencies in our whole outlook, which in my presentation only become more visible, are due to the fact that we have two approaches which move on a different plane. (Mannheim in Reynolds 1970) David Hume held that we can never be absolutely sure that what we know is true. (Bernard 2006). He argues that we come to understand what is true from what we are exposed to. This reiterates the fact that research is personal even when we try our best to avoid this being the case. We can never be sure according to Hume what we know is true, Humes brand of skepticism is a fundamental principle of social science according to Bernard, â€Å"the scientific method, as it is understood today, involves making improvements in what we know, edging towards the truth, but never quiet getting there and always being ready to have yesterday’s truths overturned by today’s empirical findings.. † (Bernard). In the social sciences we can see sociologists, philosophers and social psychologists such as Michael Foucault, Fredriech Nietzsche, Pierrie Bourdieu and others changing their views on subjects and seemingly contradicting themselves but I would consider that this is paramount when conducting any type of research, as society evolves, technology changes and people become more individualized the world is changing rapidly so we as researchers must be open to change and not be afraid to re-examine our research and research motives to ensure that we are generating the most informed and comprehensible research possible. In the case of Foucault , Tom Keenan argues that â€Å"these contradictions and paradoxes do serve a very important strategic purpose since they allow to articulate a critique of the juridical discourse on a theoretical level. Foucault’s work produces paradoxa since it struggles against doxa, it seeks to place in question orthodoxies of political thought and leftist critique. It is contradictory since it contradicts dominant forms of critique that itself functions as a constraint for imagining political alternatives (Keenan 1987)†. Bibliography Blacker, D. (1993). Article on Education as the Normative Dimension of Philosophical Hermeneutics. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. Bourdieu, P & Wacquant (1992). An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Burrell, G. , & Morgan, G. Sociological Paradigms and Organizational Analysis, Heinemann, 1979 Cuff. E. C, Sharrock. W. W, Francis. D. W (1998) Perspectives in Sociology. Fourth Edition. Routledge, London. Clark, R. (2004) â€Å"The Symbolic Order†. The Literary Encyclopedia. March 2004. Evered, R. , Louis, M. R. (1991), â€Å"Research perspectives†, in Craig Smith, N. , Dainty, P. (Eds),The Management Research Book, Routledge, London Gusfield. J & Michalowicz. J (1984). Secular Symbolism: Studies of Ritual, Ceremony and the Symbolic Order in Modern Life. Annual Reviews Inc 1084 Holland, J (2007) International Journal of Social Research Methodology. Volume 10 Issue 3. July 2007. Keenan, T, (1987) The ‘P aradox’ of Knowledge and Power: Reading Foucault on a bias, in: Political Theory, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1987. Kleinman, S. & Copp, M. A. (1993) Emotions and fieldwork. Sage, Newbury Park, CA Macbeth, D. (2001). On â€Å"reflexivity† in qualitative research: Two readings, and a third. Qualitative Inquiry. Morey, N. , and Luthans, F. (1984) â€Å"An Emic Perspective and Ethno Science Methods for Organizational Research,† Academy of Management Review (9:1), 1984. Nightingale, D. & Cromby, J. (Eds) (1999). Social constructionist psychology: A critical analysis of theory and practice. Buckingham: Open University Press. Reynolds, L & J (1970). The Sociology of Sociology. Analysis and Criticisim of the Thought, Research and Ethical Folkways of Sociology and its Practitioners. David McKay Company INC, New York. Van Maanen, J, (1979). â€Å"Reclaiming Qualitative Methods for Organizational Research: A Preface,† Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 24 Williams, S. J. & Bendelow, G. A. (1996b) Emotions and ‘sociological imperialism': A rejoinder to Craib. Willig. C, (2001) Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology (p. 10).