Groups and Culture Essay Example for Free

Groups and Culture Essay Cultural and social expectations dictate that individuals as members of one culture or society interact with other members, it is in the interpersonal relationships and interactions that the individual has with others that socialization occurs (Hofstede, 2000). The first interpersonal relation that an individual in any culture would have is confined in the family. Growth and maturation however dictates that the individual relate and interact with other people outside of his or her family, this could be teachers, caregivers, classmates and friends. Interacting with other people widens the perspective of the individual, in play children learn how to communicate and compromise, in the classroom, they learn to compete and cooperate and in the workplace, they learn to conform and collaborate (Hofstede, 2000). Everyone is part of a group, be it the family, a neighborhood, a class, a department, or a community. A fully functioning and healthy individual would be a member of two or more groups, and for each group, a different set of rules and expectations apply. A universal characteristic of groups is that it consists of two or more individuals who are interacting and behaving towards a common goal. Within this setting, group members constantly communicate, cooperate, and conform to the rules and objectives of the group (Guss, 2002). For example, a gang of adolescent boys had been formed based on friendship, and each member subscribes to the rules of the gang, thus behaviors like rites of initiation are meant to strengthen the member’s commitment to the group. The goal of the gang may simply be to cultivate their friendship and protect each other, thus the members would cooperate in order to achieve that goal (Brew, Hesketh Taylor, 2001). In contrast, a group of teenagers in a bus is not really a group because they do not have shared rules and expectations, although they may have the same goal, and that is to reach their destination. Groups also tend to form and break up over the course of life events and human development. The behavior of groups and its members are also heavily influenced by the dominant culture in which it is situated. A group of workers in a collectivist culture like that of South Korea would strongly conform to the rules and regulations of the organization they work for (Hofstede, 2000). Complaints against company practices or policies are expected to be minimal such that collectivist cultures places value on group cohesion, unity, and cooperation. Workers in South Korea would believe that they are working not for themselves but for their families, their organization and their country. Thinking of one’s self above others in this culture is frowned upon, thus, not many individuals take leadership roles because it calls attention to oneself (Hofstede, 2000). Thus, workers conform without question, they cooperate with the given policies and they build relationships among the workers. On the other hand, a group of workers in an individualist culture like the US is not as easily conforming and cooperative as the workers in South Korea. Individualist cultures places importance on individual achievement, individual differences, self-expression and nonconformity (Hofstede, 2000). Workers in the US would join organizations that provide them with the opportunities for individual achievement and professional growth. To a certain degree, US workers do conform to the expected behavior of workers, but only if they perceive it as a necessary requirement of their individual performance. For example, workers generally attend company activities because they get something out of it, or because it is required of them to come and attendance would have positive implications in one’s performance rating (Hofstede, 2000). In this culture, workers are vocal about their ideas and opinions about the organization’s policies, they are confrontational such that demanding increase in one’s salary is the norm, not the exception. References Brew, F. P. , Hesketh, B. , Taylor, A. (2001). Individualistic-collectivist differences in adolescent decision making and decision styles with Chinese and Anglos. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 25, 1-19. Guss, C. D. (2002). Decision making in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. In W. J. Lonner, D. L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, D. N. Sattler (Eds. ), Online Readings in Psychology and Culture (Unit 4, Chapter 3), (http://www. wwu. edu/~culture), Center for Cross-Cultural Research, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington USA. Hofstede, G. (2000). Cultures consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Essay -- Civil Rights, Segregation, Equal

Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation in the United States was commonly practiced in many of the Southern and Border States. This segregation while supposed to be separate but equal, was hardly that. Blacks in the South were discriminated against repeatedly while laws did nothing to protect their individual rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ridded the nation of this legal segregation and cleared a path towards equality and integration. The passage of this Act, while forever altering the relationship between blacks and whites, remains as one of history’s greatest political battles. Racial unrest by the summer of 1963 was at its height since the Civil War. President Kennedy picked up the situation at the close of the Eisenhower years at a time when tensions were rapidly increasing. By the summer of 1963, however, after a series of violent demonstrations in the South, particularly in Birmingham, Alabama, President Kennedy pushed for a very strong civil rights bill in Congress. The first of its kind since the Civil War, this bill drastically called for the end of all segregation in all public places. In the eyes of the civil rights movement leaders, this bill was long over due. Kennedy’s crusade began slowly to the dismay of many civil rights leaders in February of 1963. He began by sending the United States Congress a â€Å"Special Message on Civil Rights,† stating, Our Constitution is color blind, ...but the practices of the country do not always conform to the principles of the Constitution... Equality before the law has not always meant equal treatment and opportunity. And the harmful, wasteful and wrongful results of racial discrimination and segregation still appear in virtually every aspect of national life, in virtually every part of the nation (Loevy, 5). Kennedy received praise for these strong and moving words yet was criticized for his weak legislative proposals to remedy the situation. By May of 1963, his proposal would change greatly however, after two men, from opposite positions set the civil rights movement into intense motion. Martin Luther King despite advice to do otherwise began massive protests in the street of Birmingham. To combat these protests, Police Commissioner â€Å"Bull† Conner used any means, including dogs, fire hoses, and electric cattle prods on protestors. Making newspapers and televi... ...tates on a social level but politically too. This bill set the precedent for using a cloture to stop a filibuster in the Senate. Similar cloture votes in 1966 and 1968, with bills for equal voting rights and guaranteed equal housing respectively were used to stop Southern filibusters. The Civil Rights Act also proved that mass demonstration and peaceful protesting are heard in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King and the Leadership Conference started with nothing and achieved everything. From the segregated South those who fought for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the course of American history and ridded the nation of inequality under the law. Works Cited Berman, Daniel M., A Bill Becomes a Law, The Macmillan company, New York: 1966. Levy, Peter B., The Civil RIghts Movement, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 1998. Web. 24 June 2015. https://www.questia.com/read/10045885/the-civil-rights-movement Loeby, Robert D.,To End All Segregation, University Press of America, Maryland: 1990. Whalen, Charles and Barbara, The Longest Debate, Seven Locks Press, Washington D.C.:1985. Web. 3 July 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27550291?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Communication Unit Essay

To build relationships – by smiling, waving or simply saying hello when building a relationship with a new child, new member of staff or new parents settling into our setting. †¢Maintaining relationships – by simply saying hello or goodbye to people and children in our setting is maintaining a relationship which involves a lot of our language and communication use. To gain and share information – which helps us in the way we work. Information we gain and share not only comes from the children but from the parents, families, colleagues and other professionals. †¢To gain reassurance and acknowledgement – by giving children praise, physical reassurance, making eye contact or showing interest in what activity they are doing as well as providing colleagues with reassurance and acknowledgment in sharing new ideas and information. To express needs and feelings – this includes colleagues, parents and children as we need to be able to express our n eeds and feelings in order for needs to be met and for the effective running of the setting. †¢To share ideas and thoughts – this includes colleagues, parents and children such as creative ideas and thoughts. (A. C 2) It is important to establish good relationships with children, parent, colleagues and other professionals to ensure the effective running of our setting which allows for us to plan and meet their individual needs. Those with good communication skills such as body language, facial expressions and ways in which others listen and talk to you, will have strong relationships with parents, colleagues, children and other professionals. Some ways that communication affects relationships are: †¢Sharing and gaining information – as we need to be able to share and gain information to help the effective running of the setting which may include information on how the child is feeling, what interests them, any information to do with their health and welfare such as any allergies, or conditions i. . asthma, learning needs i. e. referrals to speech and language therapist. †¢Settling in – as children would feel uncomfortable settling in until they are comfortable with us which means that finding ways to communicate with the child is important to start building a relationship with them which will help settle them. It is not only the child who may find it hard but their parents also so it is important to find ways to communicate with the parents to build a relationship where they have total confidence and trust in us to care for their child. Supporting children’s play and learning – this depends on the quality of the relationship between adult and child as children play and learn more effectively when they are relaxed and comfortable with those around them. They will also benefit from playing and learning activities with adults through good communication which can allow adults to help them learn new vocabulary, develop different concepts and express ideas. †¢As children get older they will move between different setting s s uch as from day nursery to nursery school which means they will be around different carers during a day. This can be made easier if all adults involved share a good relationship which allows them to communicate easily. †¢Effective teams – as we often work with other professionals it is important for us to work well together and build strong professional relationships as the quality of relationships with other professionals can be enhanced or threatened depending on how we speak to them, react to their ideas or suggestions and the tone in which we speak to them. It is important to have a good relationship as if the relationship has broken down then the quality of service for children and their families is likely to be less effective. Outcome 2: Be able to meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals (A. C 1) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 2) There are a number of factors that early years workers need to consider in promoting effective communication with others as it is essential to consider different communication methods which are the right communication style, although most of our communication is based on face to face interactions there are certain factors we need to consider when using this communication style such as: Environment which is important to think about the location as in a busy and loud environment it is hard to communicate and have a conversation such as for parents and young people we may choose a quiet place whereas with toddlers and young children we need to provide a welcoming and friendly place. Proximity, orientation and posture which helps us to be sensitive towards other peoples needs such as children who we may have a strong positive relationship with may feel better having us close to them but with children who we do not know this might scare or push them away which also requires us o be observe when communicating. Also how to position your body when communicating as to not be so direct when standing right in front of a child or adult as this makes it uneasy to break eye contact which could make the encounter uncomfortable where standing at a slight angle allows it to be less direct and at ease to break off eye contact, although it is not only how you position your body but o n posture also whether standing or sitting as you do not want to seem bored by maybe being slouched down. It is important to think about what signals we give out. Listening skills which is also known as active listening which requires not only listening but observing body language, gestures, facial expressions and other signals that are being sent out by the child or adult. By giving your full attention to the other person is not just listening to what they are saying but on how they say it which is important when encouraging young children’s speech and dealing with parents. Time it is important to not rush communication as children and adults need time to think of how to respond and what they would like to communicate in conversation. A. C 3) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 4) This will be seen in observation. Outcome 3: Be able to overcome barriers to communication (A. C 1) Communication is based on sharing and is important to remember when promoting effective communication is that not everyone shares the same views and experiences such as childhoods, culture, family background or linguistic knowledge. Therefore we can not be sure that our own personal styles of communication will be effective. A number of factors that can affect people’s communication are: Culture and family background affects the way in which people communicate as in some cultures eye contact is interpreted differently and is not essential in the way they communicate as well as family background as each family is different and share their own ways of communicating together such as children who hear bad language at home and repeat it not realising or a child who hears more than one language at home. Some children may come from a loud and confident family whereas another may come from a shy and timid family which affects the way they communicate in childhood and in adulthood. Personality can affect the way in which children and adults communicate as early on we can see children who are more daring and outgoing yet they may not have developed language. Identifying and observing a person’s personality is important to communication as a child or adult may seem not interested or bored where it is actually they do not like to speak in groups or to people they do not know. Literacy which involves reading and writing as some may have developed these to a higher level whereas others may find them difficult for different reasons such as learning difficulties or language barriers. ICT knowledge which involves sending and receiving emails, having internet phone conversations or accessing and uploading photos or video clips. Although some people may share them same difficulties they may have with literacy and may or may not prefer this type. Confidence and self-esteem are the main factors in the kinds and styles in which people communicate which could lead on from previous experiences they have encountered such as a child was made fun of because they said or spelt a word wrong so in later life they avoid spelling and writing, where a child who listens may become a confident adult who will share their opinions and views. A. C 2) Some potential barriers to effective communication are: Information the sender may want to send but have language difficulties and is unable to express themselves in spoken or written forms. They may also not understand others needs. ( Encoding as the sender may send out an inappropriate method of communication such as a written formal le tter rather than a verbal conversation. The sender could also may have difficulty in choosing appropriate words or use an inappropriate tone of voice. The sender may write illegibly or have language difficulties and are unable to express themselves. ( Transfer such as emails may not be received, post may go missing, background noise may interfere, verbal or written messages sent through children may not come across fully, voice mail may not be listened to by recipient or verbal messages sent by an adult may not come across fully. ( Reception as people suffer from hearing difficulties they may not realise that the communication was meant for them or a person with a visual impairment may not be able to see facial expressions. Gestures or written messages clearly. ( Decoding the recipient may not understand or hear the message correctly because of language difficulties, may not have the time or experience to fully understand the intended message, their past experiences influence how they receive and interpret messages, the relationship between sender and recipient may influence communication whether the sender is someone the recipient does not know or the recipient may be distracted and not listen fully to the message. ( Feedback may not be seen which means the sender may not realise that there are difficulties in their method of communication, they may not show any facial expressions or may interpret the recipient reaction wrong. ( Response may not be sent back and the message has not been received or fully understood or the sender may respond negatively as method of communication is misunderstood or unclear. (A. C 3) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 4) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 5) There will be a time when extra support may be needed to share effective communication with a child or adult and to meet their needs which include: Speech and Language Services which we may need the support of such as speech and language therapists who help us find was of communicating with children and young people. They would also provide us with support, guidance and suggestions of resources we can use to help aid us in communicating with children and young people such as the picture exchange communication system (PECS) or provide training in visual systems like makaton. Speech and language therapists work closely with infants, children and adults who have various levels of speech, language and communication problems. They would also work with people who have swallowing difficulties. They would assess the clients needs before developing individual treatment programmes which would enable the client to improve as much as possible involving families, carers and teachers. Speech and language therapists usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team with other health professionals such as doctors, occupational therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists and may also liaise with professionals in education and social services. Speech and language therapists job responsibilities include: †¢ identifying children’s development †¢ Identifying their speech and communication difficulties/disorders †¢ Assess and treat swallowing and communication difficulties caused by congenital problems like cleft palate or acquired disorders from a stroke or injury †¢ Devise, implement and revise treatment programmes †¢ Monitor and evaluating clients progress Advocacy Services as part of the united nations convention on the rights of the child we are obliged to share information with children and young people on matters that are important to them. The child would then be assigned an advocate who’s job role is to put forward the child’s best interests and to relay to others the feelings and needs of the child or young person. Advocates are particularly essential for children and young people who are in local authority care or for children and young people with communication difficulties. One type of children’s advocate represents or gives voice to an individual or group whose concerns and interests are not being heard. A child advocate will try to prevent children from being harmed and may try to obtain justice for those who have already been injured in some way. A child advocate may also seek to ensure that children have access to positive influences or services which will benefit their lives such as education, child care and proper parenting. Another form of child advocacy happens at the policy level and aims at changing the policies of governments or even trans national policies. These advocates do lobbying, policy research, file lawsuits and engage in other types of policy change techniques. Outcome 4: Be able to apply principles and practices relating to confidentiality (A. C 1) Confidentiality is data protection and is about respecting people‘s right to privacy and keeping information safe which they have provided and not share with other people or pass on personal information about the families and children you are working with, except when it is in a child’s best interest to do so e. g. here are concerns about a child’s welfare as they are showing signs of abuse so I would approach my boss or manager about it but not discuss it with anyone else unless it concerns them or if a parent has asked for the contact details of another child’s family where I could not give that information as I do not have consent to give it out nor do I have access to such information. Otherwise as a main rule it is essential to consider all gained inf ormation as confidential. Most settings have a confidentiality policy to help ensure that this applied which all employees MUST read and apply to their work. Congeniality is very important when working with children and young people that there is a legislation that covers all the stored information. That legislation is Data Protection Act 1998. The Data Protection Act 1998 covers both electronic records and paper based records. It strictly regulates the keeping of records, passing of information and the storing of data. The act was created to protect people’s confidential and personal information from being shared without consent. Any work settings that collect and store information about children, young people and their families must register with the Data Protection Commission and anyone who has access to any of the information must follow the acts principles. All information stored must also be up to date and access secured. (A. C 2) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 3) When working in early years settings parent and children have a right to confidentiality although there may be some times when the need to maintain confidentiality will be breached if disclosing concerns such as if there are concerns about a child’s welfare e. g. abuse. Where abuse of a child or young person is suspected all settings should have a designated person/s to deal with child protection issues. If you have concerns that a child is being abused it is our job to disclose this information to the designated person of the setting unless you think by disclosing the information will put the child/young person in further danger which can be very hard to work out so having colleagues to discuss this will help you come to a quick and more accurate conclusion. This can become very difficult if you feel that there is a child or young person abuse issue and the designated person thinks that there isn’t. I think if you have a doubt then it is better to be safe than sorry and maybe monitor the child gathering more information but if the child is in significant danger then report it to the safeguarding board immediately. Parents will have had a copy of the child protection policy which states that information regarding every child will be disclosed if it is deemed that any child is in significant harm or danger which gives us the right to report any kind of abuse to the safeguarding board without the parents, carers or guardians permission. However it is important to follow the right steps whilst reporting a case of abuse or a suspected case, we need to gather the correct information such as if a child or young person discloses information to you do not promise to keep a secret because we will have to disclose the information given and this will make the child think that they cannot trust that person anymore as they trusted you in the first place to disclose the information. Also a main feature of sexual abuse is that the abuser asks the child to keep this a secret between them. Breaching confidentiality is very serious and most settings have a procedure in which you should follow in the case that breaching confidentiality arises. Information should be passed quickly and directly to the person in charge of dealing with such concerns although confidentiality is still upheld so that other staff, parents, etc do not know anything about the concerns UNLESS they do need to know.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes first appeared in 1887 in ‘A Study in Scarlet’. Four years later, Sherlock Holmes grew to extremes in popularity thanks to its series of short stories in ‘The Strand Magazine’ in 1891. Over a hundred years later, Sherlock Holmes stories are still being read by a variety of different ages and cultures. But why is this? Why are people so ‘caught up’ in this series of books and short stories? Is it because of the stories’ nail-biting plots? Or is it because of the engrossing characters that the inventive Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has perfectly produced?Or is it both the plot and the characters? This is of course, is an opinion question, and answers will vary, but this is mine: During Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's life, he enjoyed a very high level of popularity for his stories about Holmes, even in countries other than England. At that time, his great success would have been due to Conan Doyle's excellent writing abilities, Holmes' g reat abilities of deduction that could be used to solve any crime, and the fact that common and poor people of England and especially London could look to Holmes for inspiration, and as a national symbol of pride.But Conan Doyle wrote these stories over a century ago. Why are they still so popular today? Holmes became an icon, his analysis of Watson and other people's habits and activities seemed to them, baffling, but to him it was â€Å"Elementary. † His deerstalker cap, pipe, overcoat, and magnifying glass came to symbolize detectives and their art through Sherlock Holmes' early popularity. And simply put, people enjoy a good story, especially a mystery. In our modern time of fast living, modern conveniences, and computerised crime and detection, Sherlock Holmes represents the spirit an earlier, simpler and more romantic period. Perhaps, as Watson was to him, Holmes is to us â€Å"the one fixed point in a changing age. † [1] [1] Clive Hopwood? Sherlock Holmes Illust rated copyright 1981 by World International Publishing Limited. Published in Great Britain. Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes first appeared in 1887 in ‘A Study in Scarlet’. Four years later, Sherlock Holmes grew to extremes in popularity thanks to its series of short stories in ‘The Strand Magazine’ in 1891. Over a hundred years later, Sherlock Holmes stories are still being read by a variety of different ages and cultures. But why is this? Why are people so ‘caught up’ in this series of books and short stories? Is it because of the stories’ nail-biting plots? Or is it because of the engrossing characters that the inventive Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has perfectly produced?Or is it both the plot and the characters? This is of course, is an opinion question, and answers will vary, but this is mine: During Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's life, he enjoyed a very high level of popularity for his stories about Holmes, even in countries other than England. At that time, his great success would have been due to Conan Doyle's excellent writing abilities, Holmes' g reat abilities of deduction that could be used to solve any crime, and the fact that common and poor people of England and especially London could look to Holmes for inspiration, and as a national symbol of pride.But Conan Doyle wrote these stories over a century ago. Why are they still so popular today? Holmes became an icon, his analysis of Watson and other people's habits and activities seemed to them, baffling, but to him it was â€Å"Elementary. † His deerstalker cap, pipe, overcoat, and magnifying glass came to symbolize detectives and their art through Sherlock Holmes' early popularity. And simply put, people enjoy a good story, especially a mystery. In our modern time of fast living, modern conveniences, and computerised crime and detection, Sherlock Holmes represents the spirit an earlier, simpler and more romantic period. Perhaps, as Watson was to him, Holmes is to us â€Å"the one fixed point in a changing age. † [1] [1] Clive Hopwood? Sherlock Holmes Illust rated copyright 1981 by World International Publishing Limited. Published in Great Britain.

Definition and Examples of Episteme in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Episteme in Rhetoric In philosophy and  classical rhetoric, episteme is the domain of true knowledgein contrast to doxa, the domain of opinion, belief, or probable knowledge. The Greek word episteme is sometimes translated as science or scientific knowledge.  The word epistemology (the study of the nature and scope of knowledge) is derived from  episteme.  Adjective: epistemic. French philosopher and philologist Michel Foucault (1926-1984) used  the term episteme  to indicate the total set of relations that unite a given period. Commentary [Plato] defends the solitary, silent nature of the search for epistemetruth: a search that leads one away from the crowd and the multitude. Platos aim is to take away from the majority the right to judge, choose, and decide. (Renato Barilli, Rhetoric. University of Minnesota Press, 1989) Knowledge and Skill [In Greek usage] episteme could mean both knowledge and skill, both knowing that and knowing how. . . . Each of the artisans, a smith, a shoemaker, a sculptor, even a poet exhibited episteme in practicing his trade. The word episteme, knowledge, was thus very close in meaning to the word tekhne, skill. (Jaakko Hintikka,  Knowledge and the Known: Historical Perspectives in Epistemology. Kluwer, 1991) Episteme vs. Doxa - Beginning with Plato, the idea of episteme was juxtaposed to the idea of doxa. This contrast was one of the key means by which Plato fashioned his powerful critique of rhetoric (Ijsseling, 1976; Hariman, 1986). For Plato, episteme was an expression, or a statement that conveys, absolute certainty (Havelock, 1963, p. 34; see also Scott, 1967) or a means for producing such expressions or statements. Doxa, on the other hand, was a decidedly inferior expression of opinion or probability...A world committed to the ideal of episteme is a world of clear and fixed truth, absolute certainty, and stable knowledge. The only possibility for rhetoric in such a world would be to make truth effective... A radical gulf is presumed to exist between discovering  truth (the province of philosophy or science) and the lesser task of disseminating it (the province of rhetoric). (James Jasinski, Sourcebook on Rhetoric. Sage, 2001)- Since it is not in human nature to acquire knowledge (episteme) that would make us certain what to do or say, I consider one wise who has the ability through conjecture (doxai) to attain the best choice: I call philosophers those that engage themselves with that from which this sort of practical wisdom (phronesis) is speedily grasped. (Isocrates, Antidosis, 353 BC) Episteme and Techne I have no criticism to make of episteme as a system of knowledge. On the contrary, one can argue that we would not be human without our command of episteme. The problem is rather the claim made on behalf of episteme that it is all of the knowledge, from which stems its proclivity to crowd out other, equally important, systems of knowledge. While episteme is essential to our humanness, so is techne. Indeed, it is our ability to combine techne and episteme that sets us apart both from other animals and from computers: animals have techne and machines have episteme, but only we humans have both. (Oliver Sackss clinical histories (1985) are at once moving as well as entertaining evidence for the grotesque, bizarre, and even tragic distortions of human beings that result from a loss of either techne or episteme.) (Stephen A. Marglin, Farmers, Seedsmen, and Scientists: Systems of Agriculture and Systems of Knowledge.  Decolonizing Knowledge: From Development to Dialogue, ed. by  Frà ©dà ©rique Apffel-Marglin and Stephen A. Marglin. Oxford University Press, 2004) Foucaults Concept of Episteme [In  Michel Foucaults The Order of Things] the archaeological method attempts to uncover a positive unconscious of knowledge. This term denotes a set of rules of formation which are constitutive of the diverse and heterogeneous discourses of a given period and which elude the consciousness of the practitioners of these different discourses.  This positive unconscious of knowledge is also captured in  the term episteme. The episteme is the condition of possibility of discourse in a given period; it is an a priori set of rules of formation that allow discourses to function, that allow different objects and different themes to be spoken at one time but not at another. Source:   (Lois McNay,  Foucault: A Critical Introduction. Polity Press, 1994)

Contrasting two leadership styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Contrasting two leadership styles - Essay Example As a result, Steven Jobs ended up highly dynamic in his approach on how to motivate employees to think and create new innovative ideas. Jobs emphasises creativity to the highest level. His very strategic point is to recognise that employees are important asset or resources in the organisation and each idea they created is not superior to the other within the group. The thought that there is going to exist an idea that may turn out higher than the rest is due to the existence of definite criteria within the organisation. This according to Jobs should be the ultimate basis in accepting which idea to be chosen but it does not mean the rest would not be substantially superb. Jobs therefore is combining an effort to motivate his employees to do more, compete with each other in a positive way, and recognise the individual strengths to be maximised for the organisation’s advantage. There are also some leaders who learned to be tougher because that is necessary in order to achieve the organisation’s ultimate goal and image. Microsoft for instance is one of the toughest companies in the world today.Competitive advantage is a way to gain economic advantage or better financial performance (Royer et al., 2008; Gamero et al., 2009). The purpose of competitive strategies is actually to meet corporate goals but it actually also creates specific environment of the organisation (Porter, 1998). It is at this point in which leaders try to remarkably create specific styles of leadership.... Thus, for many years it specifically rely positively on feedback mechanism from the customers as it seeks to continuously improve its product and service offerings. As a result, Bill Gates learned to substantially dream twice as much and be more concise in empowering its subordinates to work and live in his vision. As a successful leader, Gates never failed to encourage his subordinates to dream bigger and even more than that. Gates encourages them to keep on dreaming in order to achieve even the hardest possible things to be realised. This is the reason why inferiority has no place at Microsoft. It definitely does not find its way there. As a result, Gates is so tough at using the individual weaknesses for his advantage. This is his opportunity to apply strong political power. As observed, Jobs and Gates are two renowned leaders of our time in the business world. As leaders, they also show different styles in leadership. It therefore remains a critical point to emphasise that the ve ry nature of their specific approaches as leaders can be substantially explained by how they meet the needs of their organisation. Thus, they have to create a strong foundation for their respective organisation. They have to create a specific environment not only to differentiate their organisation from the other, but in order to gain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is a way to gain economic advantage or better financial performance (Royer et al., 2008; Gamero et al., 2009). The purpose of competitive strategies is actually to meet corporate goals but it actually also creates specific environment of the organisation (Porter, 1998). It is at this point in which leaders try to remarkably create specific styles of

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and Essay

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and what kind of qualities are to be found in those who have a vocation for politics - Essay Example Max Weber’s lecture on ‘Politics as a Vocation’: Politik als Beruf, was given in January 1918 to the students of Munich University. In it, Weber gave his definition of the modern state from the sociological point of view, which continues to hold good in the present day context, and his conception of the person who has a genuine vocation for politics. Weber’s ideal politician is one who realistically and resolutely confronts the vicissitudes of political life and combines in himself passion and detachment, along with the ethics of ultimate means and responsibility. Weber holds that the state is a political association which cannot be circumscribed by its’ ends, as these are too varied. It can only by defined in terms of its’ employment of physical force to attain its’ ends. Weber agreed with Trotsky’s assertion that â€Å"Every state is founded on force.† The state claims its’ use of physical violence as a legitimate right and considers itself the sole arbiter of this right. Another characteristic of the state is its’ demarcation into a particular territory. In the modern state, men dominate other men. This association is reinforced by the states’ use of force when necessary. The foundation of the state is the mandatory obedience of the people who are dominated to the authority of the state. This domination is given legitimacy by three â€Å"inner justifications† – traditional, charismatic and legal. Traditional domination is that exerted by patriarchs and princes out of age old custom. Charismatic domination is based on the appeal of a magnetic personality who inspires his followers to devotion because they â€Å"believe in him.† Legal domination is based on legal decrees which are accepted and respected as valid obligations. Of course, fear of punishment for resisting authority and the hope of reward for obedience are other factors which come into play. Politically dominant